JAMMU, India - Suspected Islamic militants discharged several grenades and exchanged gunfire with police at a 150-year-old Hindu temple in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday, police said. Ten people were killed and another 20 injured in the assault. Two attackers got out of a white van outside the temple in a crowded shopping district in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu-Kashmir state, and threw several grenades, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. One attacker carried a gun into the temple and engaged in a shootout with security forces. He was later found dead inside the temple, police said. Another suspected militant was killed before he could enter the shrine, the officer said. Police were searching for a third attacker who drove the van. In total, four policemen, four civilians and two attackers were killed. Another 20 people, mostly civilians, were wounded in the attack. Doctors at Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu said five of the injured were in critical condition. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. The army cordoned off the temple area. In another assault Saturday, suspected guerrillas ambushed and killed two army soldiers in Baramulla, a town 35 miles north of the state's summer capital Srinagar, said M. Amin Shah, the deputy inspector general of police. The attacks come after three weeks of Hindu-Muslim violence in western Gujarat state that left more than 700 people dead. The Gujarat violence began Feb. 27 when a Muslim crowd burned a train car carrying Hindu activists, killing 58 people. Angry Hindu mobs killed hundreds of Muslims in retaliation. More than a dozen Islamic militant groups have been fighting for Kashmir's independence from mainly Hindu India since 1989. India accuses the Pakistani government of arming and training Pakistan-based militants who carry out attacks in Kashmir to win its independence or merger with Pakistan. The Pakistan governments supports the cause but denies helping the militants.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Seven more killed in fresh Gujarat violence
Fresh communal violence in Gujarat claimed seven more lives on Sunday. Besides several others were injured in the police firings on Saturday night to quell violence. Rioters killed a resident of the central Gujarat city of Khambhat on Sunday. They also attacked houses and shops. According to the police, the attack left four policemen injured. Two rioters were killed and four injured when the police fired more than 100 rounds in Gomtipur where some 3,000 rioters set ablaze houses and businesses in a renewed frenzy of religious violence. A third was stabbed to death by rival rioters, the official said. The spokesman said police opened fire after the use of teargas and baton charges proved ineffective. Curfew has been re-imposed in Gomtipur and units of Army troops brought into Gujarat to stem the riots deployed in its shantytowns, the police spokesman said, adding the situation on Sunday was under control. One person was shot dead on Saturday night in the central Gujarat town of Petlad, while another was stabbed to death during large-scale arson in the area's business center. Police firing in the town Petlad left at least eight rioters injured.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
BSNL announces lower STD, ISD rates
New Delhi. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Saturday announced new tariffs raising the pulse rates for domestic and international long distance telephony that will benefit customers who can now speak for a longer duration at the same cost. BSNL issued a new tariff circular effective from Monday after the telecom regulator notified the new tariff structure for telecom services a fortnight ago.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Exim Policy lifts all QRs on exports
New Delhi: Faced with sluggish exports, government on Sunday unveiled a new 5-year Exim Policy, removing all quantitative and procedural hurdles while giving various sops to agri-exports and special economic zones to achieve 80 billion dollars annual exports by 2007. Coterminus with the tenth Five-Year Plan, the policy announced by Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran also improved export incentive schemes like the popular duty entitlement passbook, advance licence and export promotion credit guarantee, besides giving transport assistance for agri-exports. The 2002-07 Policy, first after total liberalisation of imports last year, seeks to diversify markets with new programmes for exports to Africa and CIS countries and provides more benefits to industrial clusters, cottage and handicrafts exports and hardware sector. "We propose to remove all QRs on exports except a few sensitive items. Only a few items have been retained for exporting through state trading enterprises," Maran said. "Even the 3 per cent export target for this year is unlikely to be achieved. If the exports are not negative we will be happy," Maran said but expressed confidence that the policy will push exports in the coming years to achieve an annual 11.9 per cent growth projected in the medium-term export strategy. "The 18 per cent growth recorded in January has now been revised to 15 per cent. February could be bad," he said. Declining to hazard a guess on next year's export target, Maran said that this exercise is done in the month of may after consulting various commodity boards and export promotion councils.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Yukta Mookhey in trouble once again
Once again the director of Ramesh Sharma of the film Pyaasa and model turned actress Yukta Mookhey had a showdown with each other. In an recent interview to Mid-Day, Ramesh Sharma has quoted saying, " I am ruined. I have been f***ed." Ramesh Sharma, the producer of the film Pyaasa has filed a complaint with the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers Association (AMPTPP) against the heroine of the film Yukta Mookhey for harassment. Sharma has also demanded compensation of Rs 2.30 crore from Mookhey for alleging in an interview that Sharma had acted fresh with her. Sharma through his company Triple Aar Movies has also alleged that Mookhey's actions had resulted in distributors pulling out of his film.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Akbar Khan's Magnum Opus Rolls
The mahurat of writer-director-producer Akbar Khan's 'Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story' was held recently at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur sounded the clapper on a specially erected marble set with a fine replica of the Taj Mahal as the backdrop. This was followed by an engrossing shot depicting the agony of Emperor Shah Jehan, who tells his daughter Jahanara to go and convince his son Aurangzeb not to attack Agra Fort. He says that he is willing to give up his kingdom for peace. A scintillating song composed by veteran composer Naushad and written by Naqsh Layallpuri played in the background, transporting the audience to the Mughal era. The cast of the film was also announced on the occasion. The dashing Kabir Bedi plays the aging Emperor Shah Jahan, Manisha Koirala his daughter Jahanara, Arbaaz Ali is Jahangir, Pooja Batra plays Noor Jahan, Kim Sharma is Laadili Begum and Arbaaz Khan plays Aurangzeb. But Akbar Khan is still to reveal the lead pair who will play the young Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The dialogues are credited to Mohafiz Hyder and Rajeev Mirza, the cinematography is by R.M.Rao, the choreography by Saroj Khan, art direction by Ratnakar Y Phadke, costume designing by Anna Singh, action direction by Sham Kaushal and audiography by Sona Choudhary. Shahala Sheikh is the executive producer and Anil Wasia is the production designer. Mehrangarh Fort has been taken on lease for the shooting of the film and the sets include the Taj Mahal. The Diwan-e-Khaas and Agra Fort. The battle of Samugarh, which marked the reign of the Emperor, will be shot in India as well as in Uzbekistan with hundreds of horses, elephants and camels in attendance under the supervision of action director Shyam Kaushal. To plan is to shoot the film in a start-to-finish six-month schedule in Jodhpur. 'Taj Mahal' will be the first Bollywood film to be released simultaneously in the US after being dubbed in English. Apart from veteran Naushad helped by Uttam Singh, the internationally acclaimed Yanni has been roped in to provide the background score. The film has been co-written by South African freedom fighter Fatima Meer, who has earlier penned Nelson Mandela's biography 'Higher than Hope'. Two songs have already been recorded at Western Outdoor Studio, Mumbai, under the supervision of ace sound-recordist Daman Sood. Sung by Hariharan and Preeti Uttam, the numbers were recorded with more than 120 musicians in attendance. These included 50 string-specialists from Madras. The film will be the costliest Indian film ever with a budget of Rs.50 crore. Akbar Khan has managed to rope in some financiers from The Gulf countries as well as Europe. He plans to hold the premier of his film some time next year and to release it internationally on a big scale. With 'Lagaan already having brought a lot of attention for Indian cinema, 'Taj Mahal-An Eternal Love Story' may just strike the right chord with audiences round the world.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Interview: Preity Zinta
How come you've been keeping a low profile of late? See, I've always maintained that my claim to fame is my work, not my private life. On the eve of the release of my films, I do give work-related interviews. Honestly, I've stopped looking at film magazines after I read an article about my split with Marc (Robinson). What was so offensive? The media wrote about my relationship the way they perceived it, jumping to their conclusions. After our break-up they made me out to be the sweet one and Marc the bad guy. Actually, it doesn't matter as long as I'm the sweet one. I really don't want to explain anything to anyone now. Did you go off men after your break-up with Marc? Why should I be any different when a relationship breaks up? Of course I'll fall in love again, I'm a normal girl. It seems there's new man in your life called Lars. Nothing concrete is happening in my life. Right now, I don't know myself whether something's happening or not. If I meet anyone interesting, I'll surely go out on a date with him. My private life has gone down the tubes. Everyone can say or write anything about me and I can't even defend myself. On the workfront, why're you going slow? I've consciously taken on fewer films. I don't understand how actors manage to do five or six films simultaneously. I'm trying to focus on one film at a time, working out the details of my look, clothes and character. Though I'm into one film at a time, I'll still have three releases a year. It's better to do one film over two months instead of five films spread over two years. Don't you feel insecure then? How can I be insecure when I don't have the time to breathe? Insecurity stems from the kind of person you are, I'm a very happy person, thank you. Maybe I'm not all that successful because I haven't reached the stage of insecurity yet. I've just finished shooting for Kundan Shah's Dil Hai Tumhara in a span of two months. I'm shooting for Koi Mil Gaya now. For next year, I already have two more films. Believe me, this is the best way to work. You insist that you're selective. Then how do you explain Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke and Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge? Right at the outset of my career, I'd decided to do a variety of roles in different films. I signed these films at that time. I don't regret doing them... it's just that I don't even want to think about them. It's very tiresome if a film goes on and on forever. It gives me heartache to see myself in those films because I've changed so much over the years and it shows. You've rubbed quite a few film-makers the wrong way by rejecting their offers. (Laughs) I've never rubbed anyone the right way or the wrong way. I've never kept any film-maker waiting, I've never dilly-dallied. I know I can't be in everyone's good books. I don't send those dial-a-bouquets to producers, directors and heroes on their birthdays. Neither do I call them up to make shop talk. I'm here to work and when I'm on the sets I'm there 100 per cent. My social interaction with them is zilch and I'm not even interested. Are you glad that you became an actress instead of a criminal psychologist which you wanted to be? I love psycholgy but I love acting too. It gives me an opportunity to be larger than life. I love the extra heartbeat when I watch my own film just before its release. I've worked very hard and very long hours. I couldn't complain even if I was dying. If I was a star daughter, then my parents would've been there to look after me on the sets. I would've got super treatment and lunch from the Taj. I'm not saying this negatively or bitching the star daughters out. It's just that I've learnt to do everything on my own and that's been quite a relentless struggle. Kareena Kapoor and you seem to be sniping at each other in a print war. Why? Kareena and I've never got the opportunity to become friends. I've nothing against her. If she has said something against me it must be because she was conditioned into believing that I'd said something against her. I haven't clarified anything with her because there's nothing to clarify. We hardly have any contact at all. Socially, we do say hello to each other. Has the film industry made you tough? Life toughens you, not just the film industry. Everything in show buisness happens in a flash. If your films do well, then everyone says a "hi"... kaise ho to you. If your film flops, then only 10 per cent of those people will acknowledge you. That's the way it is and no one can change that. Do you ever feel like giving it all up? At times, I do feel like that... when I'm treated like a market commodity. True, I'm a commodity and I've to be marketed but it's sad because I don't agree with that all the time. Would you slash your price for a quality film? No! If I'm doing one film and giving my life for it, then I better get what I ask for. At the same time, the price I quote hasn't made any film-maker fall off his chair. I don't ask for an unreasonable amount. I won't do a film for Rs 5-10 lakhs because someone important is asking me to do it. I've to get a certain amount of money. At the end of the day, acting is a profession. I won't do a film for free because I'm committed to cinema. I'm committed to my work and it shows in my professionalism. Certain trade pundits are touting you as the new numero uno. (Shrieks). I'm not the No.1 and I don't want to be a No.1 ever in my life. I'm very ambitious and my ambition is not restricted to just a number. If I start believing in a number and that I'm the best, then I'll start losing it. There's a saying that films are made by a collective workforce of individual talent. I believe in that totally. Just one person cannot be responsible for making a film click, not even me (laughs). Some feel I'm faking it when I talk like this. Let them. Honestly, may be I'm just too self obsessed. I'm more interested in the way I look and do my character in a film than what the backbiters have to say.15 Is God inside-us or outside-us? God is everywhere. Inside us and outside us. What happens if stardom vanishes one fine day? The very thought of that happening some day makes me happy. That's why I enjoy what I am today. I believe only change is constant in life. I want to leave the industry before it leaves me. I want to lead a normal life with a husband, kids and a different profession. I can't sit here all my life, thinking about my flaws and the few inches of fat I've put on. I'll have to move on. I'm sick on being called cute. But after Dil Chahta Hai, I'm told that men find me hot. I guess that's because of the way I was projected in the film. Who's hot according to you? Sushmita Sen. Hot is not about how low her neckline is or how high her skirt is. Hot is about how Sushmita carries herself. And the men? Sanjay Dutt for sure. Sanju's body language, the way he carries himself makes Sanju boiling hot. Now those who've linked us, will go, "Look, look, she finally said it." Genuinely he has style and class. He has presence, whether he's in a suit or lungi.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Interview: Rani Mukherjee
In what way has success changed you as a person? To be frank, success has not affected me as a person. I am still a friendly person, because that’s my nature. I am getting more offers now then before. Maybe my directors and producers have more confidence in me because I’m successful! Behind this success are my associates who had confidence in me. How has your life changed now? My life style definitely changed. I don't deny that. Work has become the focal point of my life. Suddenly I am meeting a whole lot of people and a whole lot of things are happening to me. This new style is making me run between parties and films. Especially after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham clicked, I find myself a hot person, though I did a cameo role in the film. But then I am not taking this success too seriously, as I know I am a rising star. I don't want to get carried away. Do you regret having made your debut with a flop like Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat? Not at all. RKAB was not a small film. It was made by Salim Uncle who is a family friend. I feel he was very kind to give me a break and that too as a heroine. Why should a big banner like that launch me? Do you think anyone would have known who Rani Mukerjee is, if, I had not acted in RKAB? My voice is husky and rough. Yet Salim Uncle had given me a break in his film before I bagged Ghulam. Is it true that you had turned down an offer from Mani Ratnam to act in his Tamil film? You make it sound as if I said "No" to his offer because I did not like the subject. Mani is one director I have been longing to work with. Whatever the script of his film may be, I’d be too glad work with him because working in his film would automatically prove to be a benchmark for me as an actress. I couldn’t do his earlier film because I was already committed to my other projects. I will be working in Saathiyan, the Hindi version of Alaipayuthe with Vivek Oberoi, Suresh Oberoi's son. It is being presented by Mani Ratnam and produced by Yash Chopra. Do the comparisons with your cousin Kajol affect you? Comparisons are natural. It happens with everyone. But, Kajol is Kajol and I am what I am. You can't compare the two of us. We are as different as chalk is from cheese. What about the rumours of your 'roaring affair' with Anil Kapoor? This is the limit. Earlier I was being linked to Govinda who is a dear friend of mine. I enjoyed working with him and we share good vibes and an excellent chemistry. In fact I am working with him in Pyar Deewana Hota Hai currently. I was being linked with Anilji just because I had worked with him in Shankar’s Nayak The Hero. Let me clarify once and for all that all these rumors are being spread only by vested interests that have dirty minds and lots of imagination. What happened to Tumko Meri Kasam in which you were to star opposite Anil Kapoor? There were some hassles between Anilji and Mukesh Bhattji and Anil could not do the film. Now I have been teamed in that film opposite Aftaab Shivdasani. I have not shot for the film for quite sometime. The role is challenging for me. Tell us something about your role in Chori Chori? All that I say about the film is that it's a romantic love story with Ajay Devgun and me. It has been a lovely experience to work with an actor of the stature of Ajay Devgun in the film being directed by Milan Luthria who had earlier directed Kachche Dhaage. Is it true that you have turned a producer of a TV serial called Main Hoon Kati Patang? For your information, I have not turned a producer. It is my brother Raja who is producing this serial called Main Hoon Kati Patang directed by Ajay Mehra. Though he is designing my clothes, he has always had this urge to try his hand at production because my dad Ram Mukherjee himself was a renowned producer-director at one time. My dad is presenting the serial, not me. Tell me how long can I survive as an actress? We wanted Raja to stand on his own feet and settle down in life after marriage and hence we goaded him to launch his own serial as a producer When you look back at your career from Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat till Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, how do you feel? I feel happy. I am trying to live up to the expectations of all my fans and well wishers. I am happy with whatever progress I have made as far as my career is concerned. God could not have been kinder to me. What are your marriage plans? It’s too early for me to think about marriage. My top priority is my career. I still have time to fall in love and I will tell you when I am in love, that’s a promise. Falling in love is not child’s play.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Upbeat after win in Delhi, Sonia plans Cong revamp
NEW DELHI: After appointing Ghulam Nabi Azad as Jammu & Kashmir PCC President, Sonia Gandhi is all set now to change the PCC chiefs of various states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Sources said efforts are also on to fill vacancies in the CWC which include the three caused by the demise of Madhavrao Scindia, Rajesh Pilot and Jitendra Prasad. A couple of new faces are also likely to be brought in as AICC General-Secretaries. Upbeat after the performance of the party in the Delhi municipal polls, Sonia has also started an exercise in short-listing the names of senior leaders in order to give a new look to the CWC and AICC. ‘‘This time, it will not be an old wine in the new bottle,’’ said a senior leader of the party, emphasising that priority is being given to young and energetic leaders. In Andhra Pradesh where PCC Chief M Satyanarayan Rao is to be replaced, the Congress High Command has called a meeting on April 4, to name his successor. The names which are doing the rounds include V Hanumanth Rao, Poona Laxmaya and D Srivinas for the PCC President’s post. Sonia Gandhi is keen on a unanimous choice for the PCC President in Andhra.It was due to the inability to find a consensual choice in the State leadership for J&K PCC President that Sonia Gandhi finally decided to send AICC General-Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad to the State. Her endeavour is to keep the party united on the eve of the State Assembly elections and to expose the designs of the National Conference which is often accused of rigging the elections. The former PCC President Shafi Qureshi is being accused of not being present during the Lok Sabha byelections held recently for the seat of Jammu, which resulted in the defeat of its candidate Madan Sharma. In Tamil Nadu, a campaign has been going on for quite some time now to replace PCC President E V K S Elangovan. Most of the senior leaders of the party led by K V Thangakabalu and Era Anbarasu have been lobbying at 10 Janpath for the removal of Elangovan. Sonia Gandhi is expected to take-up the issue with the State leadership soon. Similarly, in Punjab, going by the principle of One Man-One Post, Sonia Gandhi has to to find a new PCC President since Capt Amrinder Singh has become the Chief Minister. The other states where PCC Chiefs have to be appointed include Uttar Pradesh where Sri Prakash Jaiswal has to be replaced and Himachal Pradesh where Vidya Stokes and CLP Leader Veerbhadra Singh do not see eye to eye. Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is upbeat in the wake of the spectacular performance of the party in the Delhi civic elections and the party forming governments in the three States of Manipur, Uttranchal and Punjab, is now determined to improve her party’s poll propects even in J&K and Gujarat. While J&K elections are due in September- October, Gujarat elections are due early next year. The Congress President is conscious of the fact that if the Congress has to improve its performance in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections, it will have to strengthen its organisation. For an effective PCC set-up, the State leaders have to work hand-in-hand, which is only possible if there is complete unanimity in the organisation. To achieve this purpose, the Congress President wants to get rid of factionalism in the state organisations by appointing faces which are familiar to the leaders and who can take along the various groups in the State.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
A month later, Gujarat still burns
AHMEDABAD: AHMEDABAD almost took a day off from violence on Holi but the mob continued to invade the streets elsewhere in the state, pelting stones and setting houses afire, even a month after the carnage started. Ahmedabad, the city hit worst in a month of madness, was under control with the Army, RAF and other paramilitary forces patrolling the streets. The only violent incident was in which an autorickshaw was destroyed and its driver assaulted. Police opened fire to disperse a mob indulging in stone-throwing and arson at Borsad in Anand district, which was under curfew. Two persons were injured, including one who was burnt in an acid attack, police said. In Khambhat, police opened fire to scare away a mob setting afire a house. At village Vasad in the district, a shop and a house were also targeted. Meanwhile, other riot-affected places Sarkhej, Ramgam, Prantij, Himmatnagar, Visnagar, Modasa and a dozen areas of Baroda district and Mehsana, that were under curfew, were peaceful during the day. In Baroda, the curfew was relaxed for four hours for women, police said. AT least two dozen incidents of arson, stone-pelting and stabbings are reported every day in Gujarat. The pattern of violence is the same: Mobs gather, stone-pelting turns into looting and arson. If they can burn someone alive, it’s a bonus. And, yes, Muslims are still the target. Going by the figures, Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s claims that normalcy has been restored sounds hollow. Take the death toll. On March 15, the toll was 673, it rose to 707 on March 22 and on March 27, 727 and March 28, it rose to 732. In the last five days, 24 more have died. Interestingly, deaths in police firing rose from 100 on March 15 to 121 on March 22 when police acted tough. But, after March 22, they got lax. Also, the three men who died in firing between March 22-27 were all Muslims. And of the 21 who died during these days, 20 were Muslims. Between March 15 and 27, some 2,495 incidents of arson and stone-throwing were reported. Someone obviously wants to keep the pot boiling. And, the Modi government has given all the right signals. Gujarat police sources say that VHP and BJP leaders named in FIRs are instigating mobs against those who filed police complaints. ‘‘They are targeting those who are filing complaints and diverting attention of police from investigation. The pressure is on to overlook certain things,’’ officials opined. ‘ ‘Otherwise, how can mobs be allowed to gather in areas under curfew? There is so much deployment, still mobs freely indulge in stone-throwing and arson. Someone is simply not interested in keeping things under control,’’ one officer said. So who is going to benefit if the communal cauldron keeps boiling? Gujarat’s fiery VHP chief Keka Shastri has the answers. ‘‘If the BJP plays the Hindu card right, it is going to benefit them. That is what we have been telling them since long,’’ he admitted. When asked if the goal was the next Assembly polls, he said: ‘‘I can tell you only one thing. By playing the Hindu card, the BJP will benefit. Whatever that means to you. Look at what happened in other BJP-ruled states after polls. They failed to retain them,’’ he said. When asked if the violence will stop if the BJP stopped playing Hindu card, Shastri said, ‘‘We are trying to bring things under control. Already most of our men have been withdrawn. The few others will also withdraw soon. Things should settle then.’’ BJP state chief Rajendrasinh Rana admits that the prospect of early polls was discussed at a meeting in mid-March. ‘‘But it was just to take stock of BJP’s position after our defeats in the recent by-elections,’’ he said. Strange that the meeting came up only after February 27. When queried, Rana admitted that the changed political position of the BJP post-Godhra was also discussed at the meeting. ‘‘Yes, we did discuss that the BJP will regain lost ground if there were elections. But declaring elections was not on our minds,’’ Rana said. He fumbled for an answer when asked if the BJP wanted to ride on the polarisation of communities in the last one month. WITH REPORTS
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Inmates take over a prison in Bihar
CHAPRA: THERE have been stories of rebellions in jail but this one is about a total takeover. Prisoners revolted against officials and took over a jail in Bihar on Wednesday night. The inmates are still in control of the jail while security forces wait outside to prevent any possible escape. Around 12,00 inmates of the Chapra divisional jail gained total control of the prison, forcing security personnel and jail officials to flee. Jail Minister Ashok Choudhari said the order for the transfer of five prisoners lodged in Chapra jail to Buxar jail triggered a strong reaction from the inmates who threw out the staff from the prison. He said the order for the transfer was issued Wednesday night. While the Bihar government today said that it has taken adequate measures to prevent any jailbreak, reports indicate that several inmates have already escaped. ‘‘Nearly 1200 prisoners took control of the jail Wednesday night and forced employees and security staff to move out,’’ Superintendent of Police Kundan Krishna told today. Jail Minister Choudhari added: ‘‘We have made necessary arrangements to prevent any escape.’’ He said he had directed the district administration to deploy adequate security personnel outside the prison to prevent any jailbreak. The SP said a couple of prisoners were believed to have already escaped. ‘‘We are at this stage not in a position to speculate about the number of inmates who have escaped. That will be possible only after a head-count .’’
Saturday, March 30, 2002
India, China agree to clarify LAC
BEIJING: In their attempt to improve bilateral ties, India and China on Friday agreed on a timeframe for clarification of the Line of Actual Control that divides the two countries and also decided to have a series of high-level meetings in the next six months including the first-ever dialogue on counter-terrorism. The two sides have agreed to exchange sample maps of the Western sector at the next meeting of the experts group on the boundary issue and complete the process by the end of the year, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told reporters after wide-ranging talks with his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan shortly after his arrival here on a five-day visit. Thereafter, the two sides would begin the process of exchange of maps on the LAC in the eastern sector early next year, he said. The two countries have completed confirmation and clarification of the middle sector of the LAC. Singh announced the first meeting of the annual bilateral dialogue mechansim on counter-terrorism will be held in New Delhi on April 23. "The establishment of this comprehensive programme of dialogue on various subjects, the efforts of the last four years or so to put India-China relations on a certain fixed and predictable rail have now borne tangible results," he said. Singh announced Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would visit China later this year. The Chinese Government has welcomed the proposal for a visit by Defence Minister George Fernandes to this country at a mutually convenient date, he said. Stating that his talks with Tang and other Chinese leaders were "very productive and comprehensive", Singh said the "substantial decisions" imparting dynamism to Sino-indian relations was "significant." He said the third bilateral security dialogue will be held here in July-August this year and the 14th session of the Joint working Group on the boundary issue will be held in New Delhi in August-September this year. The next meeting of the Eminent Persons' Group comprising leading personalities from various disciplines will be held in Beijing in May. Significantly, China on Friday announced India would be included in the list of designated countries for Chinese tourists. The minister said the two sides had agreed on easing grant of visas on a reciprocal basis. "We are moving away from the shadow of history and to the sunlight of on Saturday." Singh said adding both sides were working for deepening and strengthening bilateral relations. On the boundary question, Singh said what his Government has inherited was a problem 50 years old. "I would first move on the LAC, around the LAC, define the difference and thereafter strengthen the existing confidence-building measures and then move on to the boundary question," he said stressing he wouldn't like to do so in an adhoc manner. Asked whether Indo-Pak issues figured during his parleys, Singh said the focal point was not Pakistan but India-China relations. Singh, who is meeting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Saturday, said the focus of his parleys would be on trade and economic issues. He said both sides felt that the present trade level on 3.6 billion US dollars was "grossly unsatisfactory" and there was vast potential to substantially increase this quantum. The minister, who arrived this morning on the inaugural direct New Delhi flight on a five-day visit, said this was the "first step" among many that was required to boost bilateral trade. During the parleys, the need to have more non-LAC related confidence building measure was emphasised, he said. The minister said next month's dialogue on counter terrorism would be led by a joint Secretary in the MEA with concerned representive from other departmants. Singh held separate meetings with Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Dai Bingguo, minister in the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Robust agri growth pushes GDP to 6.3%
An upswing in agricultural production in the third quarter of the current fiscal (2001-02) has pulled up the gross domestic production (GDP) growth rate to 6.3 per cent against a growth of 3.4 per cent recorded in the third quarter of the previous year. According to quarterly estimates of GDP for the third quarter (October-December) of 2001-02 released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) on Thursday, growth in the agriculture and allied activities sector jumped to 7.1 per cent in the period compared to a poor 0.8 per cent growth posted in the third quarter of the previous year. Agriculture production had been rising steadily during the current fiscal with the sector posting growth rates of 2.3 per cent and 3.4 per cent in the first and second quarter respectively. Growth in the manufacturing sector remained sluggish at 2.8 per cent in the October-December period of 2001-02 against a growth of 7.1 per cent recorded in the same period last year. In the first two quarters of the current fiscal, the manufacturing sector maintained a growth rate of 2.3 per cent. The mining & quarrying sector also grew by 2.8 per cent during the third quarter, showing a marked improvement over a 0 per cent growth rate recorded in the first quarter and a 0.6 per cent growth rate in the second quarter of the current fiscal. The growth was, however, much lower than the 4.3 per cent growth rate recorded in the third quarter of the previous fiscal. The electricity, gas & water supply sector recorded a growth of 4 per cent in the period against a growth of 9.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2000-01. The construction sector grew by 5.3 per cent in the period compared to a growth of 7.2 per cent in the same period last year. The services sector performed well in the October-December period of the current fiscal. While trade, hotels, transport & communication grew by 6.9per cent, financing, insurance, real estate & bus services grew by 10 per cent and community and social & personal services grew by 6.1 per cent. The three services sub-sectors had posted respective growths of 4.8 per cent, 2.1 per cent and 5 per cent in the same period last year. The advanced GDP estimates for 2001-02 published by the CSO earlier this year had indicated a growth of 5.4 per cent for the fiscal. According to the quarterly estimates, GDP growth in Q1 stood at 4.4 per cent while GDP grew at 5.3 per cent in Q2. The growth of 6.3 per cent recorded in Q3 has taken up the combined GDP growth rate for the three fiscals to 5.33 per cent.
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Debacle in Delhi: BJP counts losses, says it will search its soul
NEW DELHI, MARCH 28: Shaken by the rout in the Delhi civic polls and cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections which even led to its candidate’s defeat in Karnataka, the BJP leadership, already under fire for letting the Sangh Parivar stoke Ayodhya and then run amok in Gujarat, will now head to Goa for the party’s national executive meeting to do some soul-searching and try uncover the reasons for the dismal showing. BLAME IT ON...TAKE YOUR PICK • VK Malhotra: Ayodhya, Godhra even POTO have nothing to do with our defeat. The people are angry with the Budget and our stand on building by-laws • Sahib Singh Verma: The violence in Gujarat was the main factor that worked against us because the minority community voters turned up in large numbers to vote against the BJP • Madan Lal Khurana: The results show that the budget, CNG issue and shifting of polluting industries have distanced almost all classes of people from the party • Acharya Giriraj Kishore: This is what happens when you strike the Ram temple issue off the list of priorities. Whether Ayodhya, Article 370 or uniform civil code, these are basic to the BJP, you can’t deny them • Yashwant Sinha: A harsh budget could be the reason. However, cheap populism and the FM are mutually antagonistic. But at the moment there are no changes in the budget Puja Birla On Thursday, the party coped in whatever way it could. Former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma today said he had put in his papers as party vice-president while old rival M L Khurana said the municipal poll results had come as a ‘‘terrible’’ shock. General secretary Pyare Lal Khandelwal said the party could no longer ignore the string of electoral reversals and called for ‘‘deep introspection.’’ While the blame game is on, nobody is quite sure where to start and who to nail. Some are blaming Yashwant Sinha for churning out ‘‘an anti-people budget in an election month’’ while others believe it could be the voter’s antipathy to incidents such as those in Gujarat where the government stands charged with actively conniving with rioters to target Muslims. To make matters worse, members of the Parivar are now openly blaming the BJP leadership for the party’s dismal performance, saying they invited it the moment they decided to distance themselves from the Hindu cause. Acharya Giriraj Kishore of the VHP, responding to a query on whether the responsibility for the defeat lay with the BJP leadership, shot back saying, ‘‘who do you think would have taken the credit if the party had won.’’ The VHP and RSS are also sore with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for belittling the Hindutva cause. RSS spokesman MG Vaidya refused to join issue on whether Vajpayee had meant the Sangh when he told people to distance themselves from Hindu fundamentalists. ‘‘Pose that question to the Prime Minister. As far as we are concerned, no Hindu can be a fundamentalist. Hindutva is a way of life, not a religion,’’ Vaidya said. But VHP’s Giriraj Kishore was more vocal. ‘‘If he wishes to maintain a distance, let him do so. Who is stopping him?
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Harry Potter Vs Company
After Lagaan and Gadar that released on the same day and went on to become such mega hits, there’s another clash of titans expected on April 12 We already know how much importance is placed on the name of a film from adding ‘lucky’ letters at the astrologer’s instructions to abbreviating the title. But what’s equally important is the film’s release date. Almost all films try to find a perfect date perfect, both astrologically and otherwise for their release akin to finding the perfect mahurat for a marriage ceremony. It’s routine for films to continually postpone their release because of a clash with another big banner. However, April 12 will see the simultaneous release of two of the biggest films of the year the international box office hit Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Ram Gopal Verma’s much-awaited Company. What makes this move unprecedented is that although, usually, English films do not provide much competition to our desi fare, Harry Potter, despite winning nothing at the Oscars, is still a strong contender. ‘‘They both cater to the elite and the south Delhi audiences.’’ says Saurabh Verma of Chanakya cinema adds, ‘‘This had happened before with Dil Chahta Hai and Pearl Harbour, it was the former which did phenomenally well. But in this case, they’re both very big movies so it’s hard to say.’’ Yet, Chanakya cinema mostly because of its single screen, will be showing Company. PVR cinemas, on the other hand, have the luxury of multiple screens and will be showing both the films. ‘‘They’re both different kinds of products,’’ says Vivek Bahl of PVR cinemas. ‘‘While Harry Potter will primarily cater to kids accompanied by their parents or people who have experienced the book, Company is more a mass product,’’ he says. Raj Malik of Warner Brothers, distributors of Harry Potter, gives the same reasoning and say they’re not worried. Pointing to an earlier instance of Gadar and Lagaan sharing their release date and both hitting the jackpot. Though he admits that even though both cater to different audiences, at another level, there’s a common audience for them as well. ‘‘The common audience will see one film on Friday, the other on Saturday. Or if the urgency is too much, they’ll see the films back to back. That’s all.’’ he hopes.
Thursday, March 28, 2002
Militants lay siege to a mosque in Badgam
SRINAGAR: At least three militants laid a siege of a mosque after exchanging fire with security forces in a village in Badgam district early Thursday, official sources said. The encounter took place at Redbug village when security forces threw a cordon around the village following specific information about presence of militants, the sources said. They said security forces had cordoned off the village alongwith Boni-Makhama and Ratsuna in the wee hours and moved for house-to-house searches early on Thursday. As the troops were busy in the operation, a group of militants believed to be three in number opened fire on them at Redbug around 8.30 am and managed to take shelter in the village mosque, the sources said. They said militants continued firing on the troops who immediately encircled the place of worship to clear it from the militants.
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
POTO: Govt wins vote
POTO Bill: Govt wins vote, Opposition the debate NEW DELHI: The 425-296 vote with which the Government pushed its terror Bill through a joint session of Parliament on Tuesday_only the third such session in history_told only a part of the story. This comfortable margin was on expected lines but right through the day the message was clear: the Government was clearly on the defensive. Speaker after speaker from the Opposition, beginning with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, hammered the point that the Government, given the events in Gujarat, had no credibility to push through legislation that, from all available evidence, had only been used against Muslims. POTO was even more unacceptable, Gandhi said, because a joint sitting was being held to pass it in the ``backdrop of communal tension, murder and loot in Gujarat, a divisive Ayodhya campaign and an outrageous physical attack on Orissa Assembly.'' Citing reports in this website's newspaper that exposed the Gujarat Government's bias in its use of POTO and the fact that even boys, under the age of 16, had been booked, the Opposition alleged that the Government was using the ``draconian'' legislation at a time when the polity was divided ``right through the middle.'' In a division pressed by the Opposition, the Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on March 18 but rejected by the Rajya Sabha on March 21, was approved 425-296. After the vote, the entire Opposition, led by the Congress, walked out. The over ten-hour debate saw heated exchanges between the Treasury and the Opposition benches. From Home Minister L K Advani who argued that POTO was imperative to score a decisive victory against terrorism to the Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi who called for an even more stringent law, the entire ruling coalition was united in pitching for the terror law. But no speaker from the NDA seemed prepared to even refer to Gujarat, even as leader after leader from the Opposition benches tore into the Modi government for the selective misuse of POTO in the State. The so-called secular allies like the TDP maintained a sphinx-like silence, the tenor of their speeches and their body language being mostly defensive. Opening the arguments on behalf of the government, POTO's architect Advani set out his reasons for bringing the legislation. India, he said, had been waging a proxy war for the last two decades through State-sponsored terrorism from across the border. While the country had lost 3,000 to 4,000 lives during wars with Pakistan, the proxy war had taken a toll of 61,000 lives so far. The ``decisive chapter'' of the war against terrorism began on December 13 last when Parliament was attacked, he said. Advani recalled that when he visited Washington some time back, the one question everybody posed to him was: ``Will there be a war between India and Pakistan?'' His answer to that was that India had been facing a terrorist war while for the Americans one single attack on September 11 made their whole country feel that a war had been launched against it. Cross-border terrorism, he said, was the first factor that made the government think of an ``extraordinary'' law like POTO. As if to answer POTO's critics who were concerned with violations of human rights the law could lead to, he invoked the wisdom of the Constitution framers who while declaring that fundamental rights were sacrosanct had also made provisions that these rights could be suspended in a situation of war. They were, he said, fully conscious of the fact that in a certain situation the security of the nation should be accorded a higher priority. Advani set the cat among the pigeons in the Opposition when he ``swore'' that some chief ministers of States ruled by Opposition parties had told him that while they personally favoured a POTO-like law their party leaderships had vetoed them. A huge ruckus ensued with several Congressmen and former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar demanding that he either withdraw the remark or name the chief ministers But Advani stood his ground declaring that he would do neither. If Advani's was a logical defence of POTO, the extreme face of Hindutva manifested itself in the speech of his Shiv Sena ally Manohar Joshi who said that this law was the ``minimum'' required. ``What is needed is a more stringent law. It is here we have a difference with the government. How can we fight terrorism with a simple piece of legislation? The threat is too severe but the law too mild,'' he said. The BJP's ``secular'' allies like the TDP's Yerran Naidu did not delve too much into the merits or otherwise of POTO. ``We support POTO in toto,'' he said. Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi who by tradition got the first chance to have a go at the government after Home Minister L K Advani opened the debate was markedly aggressive. From Sonia to the CPI(M)'s Somnath Chatterjee to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, it was a no-holds-barred assault each of them tarring the BJP and its consorts as anti-minority. It was evident that Sonia and her speech-writers had worked overtime to attack the Government's defences. She focussed the attack directly against Prime Minister A B Vajpayee telling him that his ``moment of reckoning'' had come, asking him to choose between the prestige of office and buckling under pressure from the BJP and its ``sister organisations.'' ``We are here today because this government wants to exploit a constitutional provision to meet its narrow political ends,'' she said. The anti-terror measure, she said, was aimed at ``subverting the very spirit of the Constitution.'' The Bill was being ``bulldozed'' after it was rejected by the Rajya Sabha, she remarked. ``The threat of a joint session was being held out openly even before the Lok Sabha considered it. It is an attempt to intimidate the two Houses and reduce them to a rubber stamp,'' she said. She then changed tack and turned to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi who had ``selectively'' used POTO to bring to book the perpetrators of the Godhra carnage while while overlooking those behind the subsequent violence against the Muslims. The government, she said, had used every device to arm itself with the ``menacing power'' of POTO to pursue its own ideological agenda. Seeking to embarrass all the ``honourable gentlemen'' like Yashwant Sinha, George Fernandes who by the ``grace of the Prime Minister'' was the Defence Minister and Ram Vilas Paswan for their double standards in opposing TADA then and supporting POTO now, she wondered: ``Why this 180-degree turn?'' Unlike POTO, TADA had been approved in Parliament not in an atmosphere of confrontation but in an atmosphere of consensus, she recalled, urging the government to learn from the ``collective experience'' of TADA's failure. Modi, she said, had used POTO in an ``astonishingly'' sectarian manner, although intense public pressure compelled him to eventually give up this falsehood. Taking off from where Sonia left off, Chatterjee referred to Advani's saying that Vajpayee had the distinction of being present in the two earlier joint sittings of Parliament. He said that he did not know if this was some distinction but the Prime Minister had certainly ``acquired the distinction of presiding over the decimation of our secular fabric.'' ``Sixteen year-old boys have been arrested under POTO in Gujarat. Is this the way you use it?'' he asked, telling Advani that probably he wanted to show to US President George Bush That ``Look, here, we have passed this law.''
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
`Who is she to haul me up,' Vajpayee asks Sonia
`Who is she to haul me up,' Vajpayee asks Sonia, sparks uproar NEW DELHI: Ruling party and Opposition members came to near blows on Tuesday night in the well of Central hall when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was making an intervention during a discussion on POTO at a joint sitting of Parliament. Ugly scenes were witnessed when Congress members took strong umbrage to Vajpayee's remarks against their leader Sonia Gandhi forcing the Prime Minister to sit down till order was restored. Taking exception to Gandhi's remarks on his functioning, the Prime Minister questioned her doubting his integrity and patriotism and asked "Who is she to put me in the dock," triggering off angry exchanges between the two sides. As senior Congress leader Arjun Singh went to dais to make his point of order, hell broke loose with a number of ruling party MPs moving menacingly towards Singh expressing strong resentment for interrupting the Prime Minister. Propped up by Raghuvans Prasad Singh (RJD), the Congress leader wanted to express himself but by the time he reached the podium, ruling party members moved towards him in an apparent attempt to prevent him physically At one stage even some senior ministers, including Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu were seen pleading with their party MPs to resume their seats. Finally, the Congress leader was allowed to make his point. Singh said it did not behove the Prime Minister to make such remarks against the leader of the Opposition and that it was a sad day in the annals of Parliamentary Democracy.
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Preview: Hum Kisise Kum Nahin
Said to be a take-off of Analyze This, Sanjay Dutt takes over Robert De Niro as an underworld don and Amitabh Bachchan takes over from ace comedian, Billy Crystal as the psychiatrist in a Catch 22 situation. For Bollywood sake, David Dhawan adds a twist to the film in his inimitable style, by getting the don fall head over heels in love with the psychiatrist’s sister. After all what’s a Hindi film without a gal, love and glamour. Munnabhai (Sanjay Dutt) is a dreaded but good-hearted underworld don of Mumbai. Once while beating up one of his foes, he sees Komal (Aishwarya Rai) and is so smitten by her beauty that he starts visualizing about her wherever he goes or whatever he does. Not understanding this new phenomenon in Munnabhai’s life, his men take him to Doctor Rastogi (Amitabh Bachchan). The Doctor realizes it’s a love virus so he advises him to woo the girl somehow, not realizing that Munnabhai has fallen for none other than his own younger sister Komal. Munnabhai starts wooing Komal but she is in love with Raja (Ajay Devgan), a local vagabond doing nothing except working in a bowling alley as a bouncer. It is not long before the doctor realizes that his underworld patient is in love with his own sister, so he decides to take her to USA and get her married off. Raja also manages to go to America with them. Not one to be left behind, Munnabhai also follows them and all beans are spilled when the doctor comes to know about Raja and Komal’s affair and Munnabhai’s intentions. Helpless and powerless in America, Munnabhai plays a smart one on them and all are deported back to Mumbai where the don is the uncrowned king. What happens after they land in Mumbai? Will the doctor be able to save Komal from the Don? Will Raja be able to convince the doctor and Munnabhai about his love? However David Dhawan may have turned and twisted the original plot, one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be riot. This is yet another film without Govinda, and in his place comes Bachchan and Dutt who seem to be in form. The songs ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai’ and ‘Dulhe raja’ are already catching up and how. By the way the ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai’ has Anu Malik singing for Bachchan, instead of the mandatory Sudesh Bhosle who seemed to have made a career as a Bachchan’s voice-over. The starcast of Bachchan, Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai means a paisa vasool fare in terms of fun and glamour. Ajay Devgan, the usually morose, sacrificing lover seems to be having a ball with his Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Ash. But really, Bachchan and Dutt are the only reason to watch this DD film.
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Oscars: Lagaan lost out but Bollywood won
Lagaan lost out but Bollywood won From L K Sharma DH News Service Washington, March 25 Yes, Lagaan lost out but Bollywood won on the Oscar night! It is a singing tribute to the Hindi film industry. It is longer than a Mumbai production and in its most memorable scene, the heroine quivers and cries, wetting the entire hall with tears. In the audience, not a single pair of dry eyes is left. At times, there is unbearable suspense. Would she or won’t she? And as tears roll down the heroine’s eyes, some in the audience wonder whether a nervous breakdown is next and whether a comedy is about to turn into a tragedy. The heroine shrieks, seems unable to breath, but after the nail-biting moments, fails to collapse and goes on to deliver her lines perfectly. And just like in a Hindi film, the hero, by contrast, remains strong and calm. There are songs and dances and delirium, an infinite variety of strange locales, suspense, a race revolution, social messages, patriotic slogans, special effects, dream sequences, fireworks, fantasies, and dresses as alluring as a wet sari. No sex but plenty of hugs and sanitised kisses, just like in a Hindi film. The opening scene itself is borrowed from an Indian mythological film. Whoopi Goldberg, like a character from the Ramayan, descends from the skies as a feathered creature ready to say funny things and make faces at the awe-struck audience. Perhaps, it is an imitation of an imitation since Whoopi might have been inspired by Nicole Kidman who gets lowered on a trapeze in Moulin Rouge. The cast is multitudinous as in a Bollywood film. There is no dearth of conflicting messages, reflecting the contradictions of the Indian universe. In one scene (Black Hawk Down) war is glorified, in another (No Man’s Land) peace is held up as the ideal. In a town known for tinsel, deeper emotions and family values come in for repeated references in scene after scene. Since the word sex was not censored by the censors, Whoopi Goldberg introduces herself as the original Sexy Beast. That is just before the audience sees Mahatma Gandhi being turned into a sexy beast as Ben Kinsley changed his mind, metamorphing into his new avatar as if with the help of a special effect. An Indian film heroine comes alive when a breathless Julia Roberts coyly admits that she just kissed Sidney Poitier. Every audience member believes that she had waited for the moment for as long as an Indian heroine waits to touch the hero’s coat sleeve. Pretty Julia making that confession is as cute as a pure Chitpavan Brhamin heroine confiding that she had just visited a hotel (read cafe) to have tea with her first boyfriend considered a sin in the India of yesterday. The Oscar film captures a historic moment when the first black woman (Halle Berry) goes up the stage to accept a best actress Oscar. The best actor award is also won by black Denzel Washington. Thus it will remain a historic film in the annals of tinseltown and if some decades from now, America allows a black to become its president, this film will be retrieved from the archives and replayed. Through the high-octane-filled four hours, the audience witness the familiar eternal struggle between the good and the evil and sees unity striving to emerge from diversity, pet themes of Bollywood. There is all the hype, glamour and glitter and yet some actors occasionally jolt the audience to remind it of the dark side of the life. One talks about the town where diamonds are real but breasts are fake. Some parts of the script, especially those delivered by Whoopi Goldberg, allude to the dark Satanic mills of Hollywood, conspiracies and dirty tricks. She sees all the nominees sullied with mud. Like a character in a Hindi film, she preaches when she hopes that there would be less mud-slinging before the next Oscar night. But the sentences spoken by Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier reflect all that is good and great about Hollywood. Woody Allen, during his brief appearance, refers to the sharp contrast between New York’s riches and poverty. He conjures up a situation where his Oscar statute of gold has been pawned and lost for ever because perhaps the recession has claimed even the pawn shop! The audience felt ennobled even if a little confused at the end of the show. The Oscar film left one in doubt whether life was about money-making or helping friends and family and the rest of the unfortunate world. There are social messages saying be good, do good. There are commercial messages saying earn more, buy more, enjoy more. Throughout the film, the grand puppeteer, Hollywood, keeps dinning into the audience through different voices that films are needed even more after September. Don’t feel guilty, be entertained. The tragedy of September is not forgotten. Silence is observed. A Britisher, blessed by the American award, says: God Bless America. There is much talk about love, apart from the love songs sung with music.That is one theme that every member of the audience can relate to because each one had been personally engaged in the eternal pursuit of love, through friendships, and marriages and divorces. The Oscar film ends on a realistic note when in another historic scene, Whoopi Goldberg turns her back and leaves with the parting warning to remember New York and watch your back. STAR BITES This moment is so much bigger than me. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened. Halle Berry There's been a lot of talk about race ... This is an award to an actor. Denzel Washington To speak of Hollywood as if there has not been change is unfair. You can question the pace of it. You can question how long it will last. But you ought to ... Take note of the fact there has been change. Sidney Poitier, who won an honorary Oscar for than 50 years in the movies
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
POTO in the nation's interest: Vajpayee
SHIMLA, MARCH 25. In a last-ditch effort to persuade the Opposition, especially the Congress, to give up the ``politically motivated'' resistance to the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance Bill, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said today such a law was in the nation's vital interest. Mr. Vajpayee told newspersons here that the Congress, being a national party, had considerable experience fighting cross-border terrorism, and had even brought in the TADA. The BJP, which was then in the Opposition, supported it wholeheartedly because it was convinced that such a law was in the nation's interest. He said he was truly dismayed by the shortsighted and narrow outlook of the Congress leadership on the POTO issue. The Prime Minister said the Government had already dispelled all misgivings that POTO would be used selectively. The prolonged national debate on this issue had raised public awareness so high that it would not be possible for any Government at the Centre or in the States to misuse it for partisan considerations. Mr. Vajpayee admitted that the Congress had not been taken into confidence before POTO was introduced. That, he said, had been made an issue. Terming POTO a weapon to fight terrorism, he said the Congress should accept it now. On the issue of the Trinamool Congress, a constituent of the NDA, deciding not to support POTO, he said the party activists might be fearing action under the same law against them by the West Bengal Government. Mr. Vajpayee said the Congress had Governments in 11 States, and hence it was all the more reason why the party should support POTO. A wrong message would go to the world if all the parties were not united on this issue of eradicating terrorism by passing POTO, he said. Rehabilitation in Gujarat On the situation in Gujarat, Mr. Vajpayee said a concerted effort was on by the State Government, all political parties, voluntary and community-based groups to start an effective programme for the social and economic rehabilitation of the victims of the recent communal violence. He said Gujarat had an exemplary tradition of social work _ by Gandhian organisations, religious bodies, NGOs and even business groups _ without consideration of caste and creed. The Prime Minister, who will be visiting Gujarat to take stock of the situation, appealed to all groups to take up rehabilitation work. Asked whether the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, would be replaced, now that the National Human Rights Commission had criticised him for the incidents in the State, Mr. Vajpayee, said, ``We are waiting for the full and final report''. Nuclear war ruled out, UNI report: Mr. Vajpayee allayed fears that the current Indo-Pak. tension could trigger a nuclear conflict, but asserted that the country was prepared for any eventuality and ruled out the immediate withdrawal of troops from the border. ``There is no possibility or threat of a nuclear war. India had already declared that it would not be the first to use nuclear weapons and Pakistan has also expressed similar views. I do not see any threat of a nuclear war,'' he said. Asked whether he saw the possibility of outbreak of a war in view of the prevailing border tension, he said the country was prepared for any eventuality. On the withdrawal of troops from the border, Mr. Vajpayee said, ''There is no such proposal at present'' and recalled that the decision to deploy forces was taken by a high level committee which included representatives from the three services. About a resumption of the stalled dialogue with Pakistan, the Prime Minister said, ``We will talk only when a conducive atmosphere is created. Everyday violence and clashes are taking place. Jawans are being killed and civilians are being targeted.'' Asked whether the Government would seek any amendment to the Constitution to find a solution to the vexed Ayodhya issue in the wake of such a demand by the VHP, Mr. Vajpayee said, ``There is no need for a change in the Constitution.'' Mr. Vajpayee who arrived in Shimla yesterday to attend a public rally to mark four years of Bharatiya Janata Party- Himachal Vikas Congress rule in Himachal Pradesh, left for New Delhi later today.
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
It's been a wonderful experience: Aamir
The 'Bollywood' film industry struggled to swallow its disappointment Monday after its offering "Lagaan" failed to win India's first ever movie Oscar. "Certainly we were disappointed," said the film's producer and star, Aamir Khan, who had lobbied hard before the ceremony in Los Angeles. "But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us," Khan told the Star television network. "It's been a wonderful experience. We have found something even greater than the Oscars," he added. Meanwhile, Aamir Khan's family members Monday said that there was not much disappointment for losing the coveted Oscar, since, being nominated was itself a big victory. The actor's father Tahir Hussain, when contacted, said that Aamir and director Ashutosh Gowarikar had made a brilliant film and their work had been well appreciated in the country as well as abroad. ''Even though, the film lost, there was nothing to feel disappointed.'' Aamir's brother Faizal Khan said he was a little disappointed as he had expected the film to make it in the top slot out of the five nominated films. But, he was quick to add that the disappointment was not as much as the joy of Lagaan being nominated in the best foreign film category. "We are shattered that our dream was not realised," said Raghuveer Yadav, one of Lagaan's main actors. "This was one moment we were waiting for in the last two months. We knew we had a winner on our hands, but then we lost in the finals," Yadav said. "But what Lagaan has achieved for Indian cinema cannot be taken away from it. We will now focus on making better movies. Next time we will be winners as Lagaan was a good learning lesson in quality cinema." "Lagaan", which portrays a village's struggle under British rule in the 19th century, was only the third Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar, after "Mother India" in 1957 and "Salaam Bombay" in 1988. The 5.3-million-dollar "Lagaan" tells the story of a group of villagers in the 1890s struggling to pay "lagaan", or tax, to their British overseers. The British challenge the villagers to a cricket match. If the villagers win, they are free from tax for three years. If they lose, they pay triple. The climax of the movie, the match itself, runs for more than an hour, which added massively to the film's attraction in cricket-mad India -- but perhaps not overseas. "Yes, it's a disappointment not to win the Oscar. But only one had to win and four had to lose," said Javed Akhtar, who penned the lyrics for "Lagaan" which, like most Bollywood movies, included numerous song-and-dance numbers. "But Lagaan will now push producers to make good films. Selection of movies will now be better and of higher quality," Akhtar said, calling for active government support to the domestic film industry. The Oscar disappointment was a personal blow to Lagaan's producer and star, Aamir Khan, who had lobbied hard before the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. "Lagaan's achievement is entirely due to producer Aamir Khan's single-handed efforts. Not all producers can do such lobbying as Aamir did," said Akhtar. Bollywood's top producer-director, Subhash Ghai, said Oscar success would have been a huge boost to the South Asian film industry. "An Oscar to Lagaan would have given a genuine smile and pride not only to the one billion Indians but also to the whole of South Asia, which has been treated as a backbencher at the Oscars for quite some time," Ghai said. "It was time to prove that we belong to one world, neither east nor west, but the best. It does not matter whether it is Hollywood or Bollywood."
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Lakshya test-flown
BALASORE (Orissa), MARCH 25. The country's defence aircraft development programme got a boost today when the indigenous pilotless target aircraft (PTA) ``Lakshya'' was successfully test-flown from the interim test range at Chandipur-on-sea. Official sources said the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was test-flown at 11 a.m., sources said.
Monday, March 25, 2002
'Lagaan' fails to bag Oscar
LOS ANGELES: All hopes of Aamir Khan's 'Lagaan' bagging the Oscar were dashed when it lost out to Bosnian film 'No Man's Land' in the Best Foreign Language Oscar category Sunday evening. Despite the disappointment, the Lagaan team represented by Aamir and director Ashutosh Gowarikar put up a brave front and applauded as Danis Tanovoc walked up to the stage to collect the Golden Knight trophy, the first for Bosnia and Herzegovena at the Oscars. Produced by Noe Productions, "No Man's Land" had also bagged the Best Foreign Film Golden Globe and a Special Jury prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. In a close fight, the Bosnian film raced ahead of the favourite for the award, French film "Amelie" directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet and the much hyped "Lagaan", the third Indian film to come this close to winning the coveted award. The other two films vying for the award were "Elling" from Norway, a story of two former mental patients trying to adjust to life outside the hospital and an Argentinian entry "Son of the Bride", directed by Juan Jose Campanella.
Monday, March 25, 2002
Troops patrol flashpoints in Gujarat
AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - Troops patrolled flashpoints in the battered state of Gujarat as the authorities tightened security on the eve of a major Muslim festival to prevent fresh religious bloodshed. Police said a curfew was in force on Sunday in the Vijalpur area of Ahmedabad and in Jambusar in Bharuch district after scattered incidents in the state, where mob violence has killed hundreds of Muslims and Hindus. In the latest unrest on Sunday, a mob killed a Muslim woman in Vijalpur, a Hindu-majority area of Ahmedabad, and one person was stabbed in the same area, police added. "Curfew has been enforced in Jambusar town after some arson and stone pelting was reported between Hindus and Muslims," one police official in the state police control room said. Authorities were particularly worried about Monday's Muharram festival of Ashura -- the 10th day of the Islamic new year -- in which Muslims traditionally organise street marches. "In view of Muharram, (in) areas with a history of communal disturbances, additional police and paramilitary forces will be sent in," Gujarat's Additional Home Secretary, Prakash Shah said. "Additional protection would be given to places of worship." More than 700 people, mostly Muslims, have been killed in reprisals for an attack last month by a Muslim mob on a train in which 58 Hindus burnt to death. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims, who form 10 percent of Gujarat's 50 million population, have risen sharply after the worst bloodshed in almost a decade. Widespread clashes have not spread beyond Gujarat but rampaging mobs have burnt houses or attacked places of worship in the state. While there have been no large-scale killings for two weeks, isolated incidents are still being reported. NO PROCESSIONS Shah said the minority Muslim community had decided to scale down ceremonies on Monday. "They have voluntarily decided not to have Muharram processions," he said. But the authorities were taking no chances. "There is a fear among the minority community that whatever they do, even if it is a small ceremony, they may be attacked," Shah said. The state government has asked district administrators to deal strictly with any violent incident. "Forces will be on high alert. In any event of a disturbance, the army will be called in. They are on stand-by, already patrolling the street," Shah said. Six areas of Ahmedabad and half of the industrial town of Baroda were under curfew, officials said. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has faced severe criticism from his opponents as well as coalition allies, who have demanded a crackdown on the traditional Hindu fundamentalist supporters of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said last weekend that minority Muslims must understand that their safety lay in the goodwill of the majority. This outraged Vajpayee's opponents and allies alike. The RSS on Friday stood by its statement but the hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) backed down from a controversial plan to carry the ashes of supporters killed in the train attack round the country. The BJP rode to national prominence on a wave of Hindu revivalism after a Hindu mob razed a mosque in Ayodhya in 1992, triggering nationwide riots in which 3,000 people died. When it came to power in 1999, the BJP vowed to give up a campaign to build a Hindu temple in Ayodhya in return for support from secular allies in the ruling coalition.
Monday, March 25, 2002
Indian Institute of Softare Engg
The Indian Institute of Software Engineering (IISE), set up in association with the US-based Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to address the emerging needs of the information technology (IT) industry, was formally inaugurated today. The institute will offer post-graduate programmes of three semesters in IT as well as software engineering. The institute will also conduct research in IT and software engineering. It is expected that in future, IISE will become a deemed university. The institute will offer special industry-sponsored programs. Mukesh Ambani, chairman and board of trustees of IISE, said at the inaugural session, The establishment of this institute is a significant development. The setting up of the institute is an effort towards churning out high quality software professionals. The institute is dedicated to creating and developing top of the line specialists and leaders incorporating the best current international practices. The seed capital of Rs 4.2 crore for the institute, which is largely in terms of infrastructure, has been provided by the state government of Maharashtra and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
Monday, March 25, 2002
The new girl in captain Sourav Ganguly's life
Kolkata, Mar 24 There's a new girl in Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly's life. And his family is jubilant about it. She's Shonai, his four-month-old daughter, who has already accompanied her father to one of his matches and, what's more, brought him luck. Beginning of March, when India beat Zimbabwe on the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds in New Delhi, she flew out with mother Dona Ganguly and her nanny to keep her beleaguered father's spirits high. "This is the first time I ventured to take her to see her father play," Dona, who put her career as an Odissi dancer on hold since she was three months pregnant, told . "We stayed in Delhi for a week. I've had to cut down on these trips. "During my pregnancy, I gave up taking dance classes at Diksha Manjari, my school, taking part in stage shows and even accompanying my husband on his tours. Shonai and I both plan to do it oftener after she turns one." Sourav had been calling her up from Hyderabad and Guwahati, urging her to repeat the Delhi venture. "These days, when he calls up, the entire conversation is about Shonai," says Dona, who married the Prince of Kolkata, as Sourav is known, when she was only 20. "He misses her more than he misses me. And I don't mind in the least!" However, for now, she's decided to stay at home. "It's so difficult trying to bathe a baby in a hotel room," she said. "Men! They just don't understand these things." While marrying an international celebrity didn't change her lifestyle, the baby has. "For instance, now I have no fixed time for going to bed or waking up. I sleep whenever she sleeps, I get up whenever she does. If I am away from her for some chore, I tend to rush back to her to see if she's ok." Dona, who falls in the cusp between Virgo and Leo, says she is a cool person by nature. This coupled with the preoccupation with the daily chores a baby entails makes her take match results in her stride. Unlike Sourav's mother, who is said to take refuge in her prayer room while her son is batting and refuses to touch food or water during that time, Dona tries to be professional about it. "You have to take the bad days with the good ones. If India loses or my husband doesn't play well, we are disappointed but not devastated. We know there's another match coming up. With the praise, you have to accept the criticism as well. And when you're playing badly, you can't hope for good reviews." Shonai Ganguly, the new mascot of the Indian captain, has got a wide grin topped off by a shock of black hair. Her mother says she's very friendly. However, Indian cricket's first couple is to decide on a formal name for her. "At one time, we thought of calling her Sana. My mother suggested Swaha but my husband didn't like it. We came up with Sakshi but we are yet to make a final decision." Were they expecting a daughter or a son who'd follow in his father's footsteps? "We wanted a healthy baby, that's all." Are they planning a bigger family? "No thank you. One child is enough," says Dona
Monday, March 25, 2002
I play better when tense: Sachin
Yesterday, former India captain Kapil Dev questioned the commitment and attitude of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, the team’s star batsmen. Apart from creating doubts in the minds of their numerous fans, it may also show the former great in poor light as it comes at a time when the team is preparing itself for a long and arduous tour of the West Indies. Certainly Kapil’s innuendo, Sometimes, you get the impression that they are in their own world. Sorry to say that, but you get the impression that they are not (part of) a team unit, even though great cricketers, are not the words of encouragement the team was looking for, especially two of their best bets. Mid Day’s attempts to reach Tendulkar for a reaction on the same went in vain. Nonetheless, this is what the little champion had to say during the course of the programme, Harsha Online, which is to be aired on Monday. Excerpts: On his wearing the Indian flag sticker on his helmet: I am obviously proud to be an Indian and it is just one of those things. It just goes with the uniform and when I am representing India, its there right on my forehead, it's special and I feel proud to wear it. I might be in any part of the world, but I am an Indian and I would like to be known as an Indian. On how he still manages to motivate himself before every game: I don’t take things for granted and when so many well-wishers are watching you, it is a motivation in itself. I want to do well for the country and when I go out there, I want to perform well and I hate losing. On why he does not destroy the opposition anymore: It is a mind game. You try to overcome most of the problems, but sometimes you go there in the middle and realise that your footwork is not good. So I better not fool around. I just need to hang around and play within my limitations. On what sort of pressures he faces when he bats for India: There is a fair amount of pressure not only on me but all international cricketers. You are playing for your country and you always go out there to win. For that, if you are under pressure, it is good because then you don’t take things for granted and that is a positive sign. I always feel I perform better when I am a little tense. On whether he is evolving as a batsman: I have found ways to score runs and I think my style has changed a bit. I remember earlier people used to say ‘why do you need to hit the ball in the air so much’. When I didn’t hit the ball in the air in Nagpur, they asked me ‘why didn’t you hit the ball in the air?’ I am just trying to do what is good for the team. On whether he sometimes wants to run away from all the pressure and be someone else: Not really. I really enjoy what I am doing and it is a great feeling to be out there in the middle with millions of fans cheering for you. It is a wonderful feeling and I don’t want to run away from it.
Monday, March 25, 2002
Cricket - Tendulkar not against assuming captaincy again
NEW DELHI - Sachin Tendulkar does not mind taking over as India captain for a third time, but feels he is not ready for the job yet. "To be honest, I am not really thinking about it right now," Tendulkar said in an interview to Star Sports due for telecast on Monday. "But I haven't ruled it out completely," he added. "I just want to give myself some time and when I am ready to take over, I will let the concerned people know that I am open for this. It's your (the selectors') call." Tendulkar first became captain in 1996 but was removed at the end of 1997 after a series of poor results, only to assume the responsibility a second time in 1999. He relinquished the job on his return home following a 3-0 test series rout in Australia in early 2000 and hinted he would never return to lead the national side again. Current skipper Saurav Ganguly replaced him in the job. The 28-year-old batsman also admitted he has become more conservative in his shot selection in tests, cutting down on uninhibited stroke-play that has featured his career so far. Asked whether he had slowed down, he said: "I've just learnt to pace my innings better. I think my style has changed a bit." He also attributed his new batting approach to his changing temperament: "Sometimes your frame of mind is also different. One can't forget that. "Maybe my bat swing is not right, my footwork is not... so better not to fool around. On that occasion you don't end up playing too many shots." Tendulkar, the only batsman to score over 11,000 one-day runs with a world record 31 centuries, is also India's second highest test run-getter with over 7,000 runs. His 28 test hundreds stand only behind compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's world record 34 and Australian Don Bradman's 29.
Monday, March 25, 2002
What turns me On-Raveena
Recently, Raveena was interviewed by VJ Pooja, the new bubbly jock from Channel V who has a brand new breakfast show where she chats with lady celebs and talks everything under the sun like in the case where they were talking about Raveena’s first crush, sex, orgasm you name it! And guess what like every interview she gives Raveena was bold enough in answering all the questions. At times Raveena even cross fired questions to Pooja, which made for a very interesting chat to watch for. On her first crush Honestly speaking, my real metamorphosis from a fat gawky teenager to a confident beautiful one took place because of a particular incident. I had a crush on my brother's best friend when I was in the eight standard. He used to always call me "Moti, moti". I had this friend called Sonal, I remember I told her, "I'll become so slim that one day he will come and ask me for a date." That was my incentive to lose weight. And eventually, that guy went off to a boarding school to study and all. When he came back, he asked me out for a date. That was my first victory. The only tragedy was that by then, I was three inches taller than him. Orgasm Yes! It is definitely necessary for any relationship, I don’t deny that. What part of male body turns her on It has to be the bare feet, that really turns me on the most!
Monday, March 25, 2002
Film Awards are a Sham - Amisha Patel
Amisha has been telling reporters that she is upset with Filmfare Award. "I feel all awards have been over-commercialized in recent years. The show, the telecasts, the events all have so many sponsors and advertisers involved in them and their fairness is questionable. I think such awards are a sham. Not only me, but also stars like Aamir, Shah Rukh Khan and more recently Sonu Nigam have said this before. It is a mystery why Gadar was not even given one award though it was a big hit as Lagaan and grossed as much money," she says in a recent interview published in The Sunday Free Press Journal. Amit + Asha == Amisha. Did you know that actress Amisha Patel was named adding her parent’s name. Amit for his father and Asha for his mom - this surely a cool way to name kids!
Monday, March 25, 2002
Movie Review : Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai
Movie Review: Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai Director: Allu Arvind Producer: Tips Films Music: Sajid-Wajid Lyrics: Jalees Rashid Cast: Amisha Patel, Aftab Shivdasani & Jackie Score: * * Kya Yehi Film Hai? Will be question you will ask once you watch this film. An average flick with a different ending. Tips guys and Allu Arvind have come together to make this very well publicized film. Hard-core love story, this movie does not have any underworld dons or terrorists (thank god!). Bus number 16 is very important for Rahul (Aftab Shivdasani) and his gang of friends, Iqbal, Peter, Sunder and others. Every day, they make sure that by hook or by crook, they catch the bus. The reason is very simple. Sandhya (Ameesha Patel) always travels by this bus and Rahul is madly in love with her. Rahul crazy in love keeps following Sandhya for almost four years but only get guts in the 5th year of college. Sandhya does not know here secret admirer and as for her she is more interested in academics as her only dream is to get a gold medal and make her parents proud of her. Sandhya is the only child of Rachna (Neena Kulkarni) and a manic and alcoholic police inspector Raj Patil (Ashish Vidhyarthi). Patil is a crazy father who gives a damn about feelings of his wife and daughter. He comes to home drunk and then beats his wife and even accuses her of having an affair with some men. He is a crazy nut so much that once he burns a mavali trying to tease his daughter. He keeps repeating his credo statement throughout the film: Mera naam hai Raj Patil Raja. Raja ko praja dokha nahi desakta. He has no respect for anyone so much that once when the young neighbour girl come to his house to fetch vegetable he sits in a very obscene manner in front of her. Thoroughly fed up of Patil’s brutal ways, the mother has always encouraged Sandhya to be a good student so she can do well in life and get away from this miserable life. Sandhya’s hear and mind are totally obsessed with studies, studies and more studies! While Rahul’s heart and mind are totally obsessed with Sandhya, Sandhya and Sandhya! Rahul’s indulgent elder brother, Dr. Tiwari (Jackie Shroff) tries hard to convince him that love can only be part of your life, but Romeo Rahul refuses to listen and continues to live, breathe and dream Sandhya. Brother Tiwari loves his brother so much that he even does not marry to give his love forever! Tiwari is cool and cooperative exactly opposite of Sandhya’s dad. He even does not mind going out with bother and his friends for an adult film! Suddenly there comes a moment of reckoning for the love-struck, carefree young boy. He finally realises that what is brother had told him is true after all. That love can only be a part of your life not your whole life. But by then it is too late. Rahul tries lot of attempts to convince Sandhya, but she is just not ready for his love. His brother and his friends ask for Sandhya’s hand but Patil insults them in a very pathetic manner. That particular scene is brilliant and the credit goes to Jackie Shroff and Sarfaraz Khan. Then there is the entry of sexy-looking Anupama Verma, the setting girl for Rahul. She believes in Rahul’s true love and obsession. Being close to Sandhya she tries her best to get them closer. But it is too late and thing worsen when Dr.Tiwari dies in a fatal accident while he was thinking about his brother’s bad state while driving. This makes things worse for Aftab; he realizes that he has lost his only brother for the name of love. Sandhya finally relaises and decides to accept Rahul, but then he turns down her offer. Having wasted so many years of his life and having lost his brother, he philosophizes that love is not everything in life. Aftab gives a message to millions of people watching this flick that if you are in love think logically take care of career, your loved ones and not simply fall in love like a jerk as he was in the movie. The end shot is interesting they show Amisha well dressed at the 16 number bus stop waiting for Aftab. He never comes. The End! While the first half is repetitive and very slow because there's not much happening, the post-interval portion moves faster. The first half is full of song sequences and Rahul running after Sandhya. Lot of filmi dialogues, Aftab looks like a nerd but talks like a poet all the time the same goes for Amisha. In one scene when Amisha tries to use the technique of explaining things to Aftab rather than abusing him. She lands up giving unnecessary bol-bachan. Yes! Too much of bol-bachan in this film, it bores you like hell. The dialogues suck, instead they could have used simpler but more convincing dialogues. The choreography for this film is great also the songs by Sajid-Wajid are soulful and worth hearing once. Add to that the special echo effects in songs are a good effort in making the movie bit different. Aftab is brilliant in this movie; this man is surely improving movie-after-movie. Though must say that it must be an easy job for him as in every movie he has to chase some chick! Aftab looks cute and yes the girl will find him very attractive throughout the movie. Amisha fails on her dialogue delivery she is too artificial when she speaks. For frontbenchers there is lot of sex appeal of Amisha as she is seen in sexy outfits in the songs sequences. Aftab friends do good justice to their work. Sarfaraz Khan makes an impact while Vrajesh Hirjee’s take-off on Shakti Kapoor will be like by the masses. Anupama Verma is herself and could have been a better choice as the lead instead. She too has the appeal for all the frontbenchers! Ashish Vidhyarthi is absolutely fabulous though you feel that he overacts. On second thought it is true that there are men like him who are full of shit and make other peoples life miserable. Jackie does justice and looks great as a big brother in this film. Watch out for his very own Sandhya soon! Some goof-ups: In one scene, they show celebration of Flag Day. Amisha collects money and sticks the flags on the shirts of guys. Wonder why she has to do this when she can just give the guys the flag to pin themselves. Why she has to touch them, unless she is really desperate! On Rahul’s birthday which happens to be Feb 29th they show heavy rains in Mumbai! Also one wonders where one can find busses like Bus No.16 in Mumbai? When were the busses privatized here? There is a bad impression given to the Isckon people in one scene. There is so much confusion in the city they show, the auto rickshaws shown on the Mumbai streets are actually from Hyderabad or Vishakapatnam. Also one cannot fool people by showing Mauritius and pretending it to be Mumbai. The movie is average and might not appeal at the box office; the NRI desi’s might not like this movie so much.
Monday, March 25, 2002
Bobby upset with Kranti performance
It seems Bobby Deol is quite upset with the opening response meted out to his latest flick KRANTI. The actor was confident that the film would do his career a lot of good, but the dull opening to the film has demoralised him. The non-performance could also be attributed to the wrong release period of the film, with people shying away from going to the theatres. With almost all producers postponing the release dates of their films, the makers of KRANTI should've postponed the film by a couple of weeks. But the ones who are bound to be affected by the non-performance of KRANTI are those producers who had signed Bobby and Amisha as a team. After all, you are as good or bad as your last release in Bollywood. Right?
Monday, March 25, 2002
Hrithik features in the latest GQ
First it was Rahul Dev the only Indian to have been featured in the popular international men's magazine GQ and now yet another hunk from India - Hrithik Roshan features in the March issue of the mag. Previously Rahul Dev had done a seven pages fashion shoot for GQ magazine though they have not carried any photo shoot of Hrithik but a very interesting interview with the Roshan son. Surely Hrithik Roshan is going places, and who knows now he would even have gori chokris going ga-ga over him!
Monday, March 25, 2002
Will Company bring trouble?
The much hyped movie Company has already getting rave reviews before its release date. But one really wonders what effect the movie will have on the junta of India who are not very receptive to controversial stories. In the past we have seen the crowds reacting in a negative manner to films covering sensitive issues. The country is already under deep pressure because of the Ayodhya problem as the communal tension is rising. Company a movie about the mechanics of underworld comes at a very wrong time. Will it create more problems when it hits the cinema halls is a serious issue to be addressed by the makers of Company. We hope that nothing of that sort happens as audience need to understand the difference between fiction and reality.
Monday, March 25, 2002
Urmila to star in Ramu's next
With Ramgopal Varma all set to release COMPANY this month, the enterprising director has already started work on his new film, a heroine-oriented subject. Though Ramu was unavailable for comment, a trustworthy source tells us that the film, a suspense thriller, will star Urmila Matondkar in the central role and will present the actress in a completely new light. If true, the news will stop gossip mongers from spreading malicious rumours that Ramu and Urmila have decided not to work with each other.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Who's Akbar's Mumtaz?
Taj Mahal-an eternal love story, is actor director Akbar Khan's dream project. The film is currently being shot on a war footing at the Mehrangarh fort in Jodhapur but Ash was nowhere near the shooting. The lady who was to play Mumtaz Mahal was no other but Aishwarya Rai. But Ash is no longer part of the dream project. There are other ladies: Manisha Koirala (Jahan Ara), Kim Sharma (Laadli Begum), Pooja Batra (Noorjehan), but who's Mumtaz? According Akabar it's a new face and even his wife is unaware of her. But what happened to Ms. Rai ? Says Akbar "At one point I did feel she would be apt. But she is very busy with other projects. And I can't change my shooting dates to suit stars".
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Postal hikes to be reviewed, says Sinha
Finance minister Yashwant Sinha today said he would take a relook at the postal tariff hike during the passage of the Finance Bill. I will take up postal and other tax issues when the Finance Bill is discussed in the House, Sinha told the Rajya Sabha during his reply to the debate on the budget for 2002-03. The House later returned the vote on account for the first two months of the fiscal 2002-03 amounting to over Rs 1,34,848 crore. It also passed the third and final batch of supplementary demands for grants and relevant Appropriation Bills for the current fiscal, sealing parliamentary approval for the first stage of the budget. Sinha, however, declined to elaborate on the steps that might be taken on the postal front, saying he had to take the unpopular measures of hiking rates because of the difficult fiscal situation. The budget has raised the price of envelopes from Rs 4 to Rs 5, and doubled the price of both competition post cards from Rs 5 to Rs 10 and Rs 3 to Rs 6. It has also raised inland letter rate from Rs 2 to Rs 2.50. Sinha said the economy was reeling under an interest burden. "We are paying about Rs 1,17,390 crore by way of borrowings," the minister said while pointing out that the interest burden in 1991 was barely Rs 18,000 crore. Sinha said without the interest burden the Centre would have had an additional Rs 1,00,000 crore of resources for development. The finance minister concurred with views of Congress MP Kapil Sibal that it would be difficult to attain the 8 per cent growth rate without enhancing domestic saving rate to 32 per cent. He said while the household saving was pegged at 20.09 per cent and the private sector at 4.2 per cent, the public sector had registered a decline of 1.7 per cent. Sinha admitted that he had become unpopular after this budget. "This was not the year to seek popularity," he clarified and expressed his satisfaction at the 20 per cent enhanced allocation for the Plan. The minister said he would like to give elaborate response to members' queries during discussion on Finance Bill in the next sitting of the session. Earlier, the government and the Opposition had agreed to hurry through the legislative business in post-lunch session to enable members to attend felicitation of retiring members of the Rajya Sabha.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Forex reserves rise nearly $10 b this fiscal
THE country's forex reserves have increased by nearly $10 billion this fiscal to touch a high of $ 52.189 billion for the week ended March 15, 2002. As at end-March 2001, reserves stood at $ 42.281 billion. For the week ended March 15, 2002, reserves have increased by $ 753 million to $52.189 billion from $51.436 billion in the previous week. According to the weekly statistical supplement of RBI, foreign currency assets held in the reserves have risen by $ 753 million to $ 49.127 billion for the week ended March 15 while gold and special drawing rights have registered no increase at $ 3,052 billion and $ 10 million respectively. Dealers said that over the past year, reserves had primarily increased due to a substantial increase in FII inflows.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Dollar dreams get downsized
NEW DELHI: The news isn’t too good. Recession seems to have struck the recruitment drive at the IIMs this year with the average salaries hitting a new low - as low as Rs 2.5 lakh per annum. The lowest offer last year was Rs 3.8 lakh. Every year, final semester students at India’s top business school, the Indian Institutes of Management, desperately wait for that one week around February\March the placement week when dream jobs are up for grabs. That week has come and gone this year, but there were not many happy faces. IIM Indore had to settle for an average salary per annum of Rs 4.97 lakh, Lucknow for Rs 6.98 lakh and Kozikode for just Rs 5.46 lakh. In fact, IIM Calcutta did not release average salary figures at all this year, for fear that it would send "confusing signals" to recruiting firms. What’s worse, many students had to settle for ‘lesser’ jobs in public sector companies - not a done thing, according to IIM students. But that’s not the end of the ambitious grad’s woes. "Dollar salaries have almost not happened this year," points out Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Dean, IIM Indore. While, for the first time, sought after companies like Capital One, Lehman Brothers, KPMG, McKinsey did not visit all campuses; many US-based companies did not make the trip at all. "We were forced to look at domestic offers because foreign ones were not there," says a disappointed IIM Calcutta student. IIM Calcutta saw only 20 overseas offers, a significant fall from last year. In Lucknow, only 10 students got overseas offers compared to 41 last year. The scene was no different in Bangalore, where only 20 overseas offers were made compared to 63 last year. These elite institutes had to stoop to hardselling their students. "We have not seen this kind of canvassing in IIMs. In the midst of our group discussions, we were requested to fit in 14 more students. When we declined, they tried to hard sell at least five students," says a prospective employer. "Considering the general economic recession post 9\11, we have allowed students to accept their first offer," says Saji Gopinath, chairman placements.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
4 yr old Mumbai boy spent two days with dead parents
A four-year-old boy spent at least two horryfying days with the corpses of his doctor parents who were gagged to death by unknown assailants a few days back. The four-year-old boy Ibrahim was found in a state of shock when police officers broke open the door of their flat at Al-Hilal Building near Rizvi Park, off the Lilavati Hospital at Bandra, in north-west Mumbai Friday night. Neighbours lodged a complaint when no one was responding to the doorbells. An investigator attached to the Bandra Police Station said the couple have been identified as Dr Hanif Baig, 35, and his wife Zareena, 30. Preliminary investigations reveal that the couple may have been gagged to death at least two days ago and the bodies had started decomposing. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem to the nearby Cooper Hospital at Vile Parle here and the report is expected by Saturday evening, senior police officials who are investigating the incident, said. Robbery could be the motive behind the incident, police said, however, adding that detailed inquiries are being carried out and a massive manhunt has been launched to track down the culprits. Dr Hanif was a private medical practitioner and his wife Dr Zarina was working with the King Edward Memorial Hospital at Parel here. The spine chilling incident came to light when neighbours suspected some foul play and informed the Bandra Police that the Baigs were not responding to the door bell and telephone calls and there is no lock outside. Police immediately rushed to the site and broke open the door and found the four-year-old boy, a KG student, in a state of shock. Deputy Commissioner of Police Bipin Bihari said more than one person was behind the murder. The dog squad was also pressed into action to track down the assailants.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Wealthy Kuwaiti woman flees to India for love
In a real-life love story that unravelled at the Chennai airport on Friday, a 23-year-old wealthy girl from Kuwait deserted her home to be with the man she loved. Immigration authorities at the airport were reportedly moved by Dhalal Falal Al Azmi's story and were in a quandary on their next course of action after they found that she had entered the country with a fake passport. The young girl poured out her heart in between sobs in her native language, which was translated by her lover. Dhalal who had used a fake passport to get out of Kuwait pleaded with the officials not to send her back home as she would face a death penalty there. According to reports, Dhalal had fallen in love with Khader Bhasha, 25, a native of Cuddappah in Andhra Pradesh, who was employed as a driver in their house. When chances of getting her parents' approval for their marriage seemed bleak, the two reportedly tied the knot in secret and decided to live as man and wife in India, Khader's motherland. The two devised a plan for their getaway. As per their plan, the passport of an Indian girl working in Dhalal's household was stolen and the photographs swapped. The lovebirds smelt freedom when they successfully hoodwinked the Kuwaiti airport authorities and boarded the plane to India. But, alert immigration authorities at the Chennai airport detected the fake passport of Dhalal and detained the couple. At present, Dhalal is admitted in a private hospital in the city after her health deteriorated on Friday faced with the prospects of deportation. Earlier, Chennai airport police arrested Dhalal on the basis of a complaint from the immigration officials and produced her before the magistrate, who later released her on bail. Immigration authorities are reportedly in touch with their higher officials in Delhi to decide on the next step in this unusual case, which it is felt deserves a humane handling. The media in Chennai has been filing stories with a clear sympathetic slant for the girl, inviting digs from officials that journalists are a love-struck lot! One report ended with a plea, "Will anybody big in Chennai intervene and do something that would give a sudden twist to the love tale and help the love-lorn remain united?"
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Sourav ducks Kapil's bouncers
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly played with a straight bat and denied to comment on Kapil Dev's allegations against him and other senior players. Speaking to UNI here Sourav, who did not want to be pushed into the controversy, replied with a terse 'no comment', thereby giving no importance to the allegations. Kapil Dev in an interview Friday had questioned the commitment and attitude of Ganguly and the other senior players. Kapil had alleged that 'sometimes you get the impression that they are in their own world.' Kapil had further in the interview alleged that 'you get the impression that they are not (part of) the team unit, though they are great cricketers.' Sourav Ganguly said he was one such captain who experimented with youngsters, adding 'injuuries forced us to blood youngsters.' However, he was happy that some of the youngsters have come good. "It creates healthy competition in the team." He had a word of praise for Yuvraj Singh and said he is equipped with a lot of talent, but was inconsistent in between. However, in the last two one-day matches against Zimbabwe he proved his talent and can be a terrific player in future. "He, however, will have to work on his consistency," the Indian captain said. About his recent lean patch, Sourav was quick to point out that his lean patch was only in Tests, adding that all sportsmen have to go through a lean patch at one time or the other. On the pressure of captaincy, Sourav denied feeling any pressure and said leading the country was the greatest honour for him. UNI
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Vajpayee confident, POTO will be passed in joint session
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said that the government has a comfortable majority and expressed confidence that the anti-terrorism legislation will be passed in the joint session of Parliament on Tuesday. In what would boost the government's chances even further, five unattached MPs under the leadership of PC Thomas have floated a new party called the Indian Federal Democratic Party and have agreed to join the National Democratic Alliance. Anwar-ul-Haque, Pappu Yadav, Mohan Dilkar and Sukhdeo Paswan are the four other MPs besides Thomas who are joining the NDA family, which already is a conglomerate of more than 20 parties. "We decided to accept the invitation and join the alliance because we felt the need to strengthen the alliance which should lead the government," said Thomas. The numbers game This move takes the total strength of the NDA in the joint session to 418 -- well above the half way mark of 392, giving the government a comfortable cushion even if some allies like the Trinamool Congress were to leave. But the NDA is trying hard to woo the Trinamool Congress, which has said that it will stay away from the joint session in parliament over POTO. "In NDA, all allies are with us. But after last night we found out that Trinamool Congress has decided not to go with us over this issue. So we are now trying to talk to them and get everyone together on POTO," said BJP Chief Whip, VK Malhotra. Hitting out at the Congress for voting against the bill in the Rajya Sabha, which forced the Government to convene a joint session, he said, "One never thought they would stoop so low to oppose a law to fight terrorism as most of the nations have similar laws to tackle this menace." He said the Congress by voting against the bill has "only exposed itself to the world that it is not interested in tackling terrorism which has afflicted this country for over two decades." Allies pacified The BJP's other allies have however assured the Prime Minister of their full support and said that they would participate in the crucial joint session of Parliament on Tuesday. A joint session of Parliament has been called on March 26 - for the first time in 25 years - to pass the legislation on the new anti-terrorism law. "The Prime Minister has said that government will confine itself to the common minimum agenda. So everyone has decided to support," said Yerran Naidu, Lok Sabha MP of the Telugu Desam Party. The National Conference, which did not vote for POTO in the Rajya Sabha, has also said that it will back the government in the joint session. The turnaround seems to have come after an assurance from the Union Home Minister L K Advani that POTO is not being misused in Gujarat. Crisis defused Advani's clarification that the VHP has no plans to take out asthi yatras, which had drawn widespread criticism from the allies also seems to have helped to cool tempers. "Certain apprehensions about the VHP taking the Godhra ashes were wrong and Advaniji has clarified the issue. The yatra had led to some anxiety and had made the allies uncomfortable. Now that has been settled, there is no problem," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the Minister of State for Commerce. For now the BJP has made peace with its allies and guarded against any possible embarrassment during the joint session of Parliament. But any further provocation by the Sangh Parivar could once again strain the already fragile relationship. (With Inputs)
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Six Killed, 11 Wounded in Disputed Kashmir Region
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Six people were killed and 11 wounded on Saturday in separate incidents in divided Kashmir, a Himalayan region at the heart of a military stand-off between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. Police said militants threw a grenade into a crowded marketplace in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, killing two and wounding 11. "Some militants lobbed a grenade at Border Security Force men at the busy Habakadal crossing," a police official told Reuters. Two Muslim separatists were killed in a shootout near the border district of Poonch, 160 miles north of Jammu, the state's winter capital. Two more people died when they stepped on a land mine near the military line of control that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. More than 70 people, mostly civilians, have been injured in four grenade attacks in last three days. No militant group has claimed responsibility. Nearly a dozen militant separatist groups are fighting New Delhi's rule in Jammu and Kashmir, the country's only Muslim-majority state. At least two pro-India groups are helping Indian security forces combat militancy. More than 33,000 people have been killed since 1989 when Islamic guerrillas seeking either independence or union with Pakistan launched a revolt in the mountainous region. Separatist violence has surged in recent weeks. On Friday, two Indian soldiers and a civilian were injured in border firing in the Nowshahra sector in Rajouri district, 105 miles north of Jammu. Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire at points along their border in the region several times in recent days. Fears of war were stoked after a December 13 attack on India's parliament which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatists.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Music Review: Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai
Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai marks the debut of Nakul Kapoor and Aarti Chabria with this film and also stars Kim Sharma of Mohabbatein fame. The film has music by Nadeem-Shravan. The album has 10 tracks of which the last two songs are instrumental -- Tumse Acha Kaun Hai... and Aankh Hain Bhari Bhari.... The first song is the title song. soft and lilting, the title song is wonderfully sung by refreshing newcomer, Tauseef Akhtar. The second is the peppy track Dil gaya mera dil gaya... sung by Sonu Nigam, toogh one can easily say that lyrics are not that great. The third one Ye un dino ki baat hai... is a romantic track which is a fairly decent song, sung again by Sonu Nigam with Sarika Kapoor. The real gem of this album is the fourth track Aankh hai bhari bhari... Hummable with wonderful lyrics by Sameer. A song that immediately hooks you with it’s emotions, tune, lyrics and singing. The song comes in two versions, one sung by Kumar Sanu and the other by Alka Yagnik. For once none of the singers overpower the other. Each one does a commendable job. Sukhwinder Singh makes his mandatory presence. Here he’s heard a pop number Aap jaisa... which reminds one of R D Burman’s songs. Door wadiyon se.. by Sonu Nigam is a typical love song. For quawali lovers, here’s one right up their street with Jo jaam se peeta hoon.. by Sonu Nigam and Tauseef Akhtar. Quite good stuff. Overall Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai is a notable film album especially for Ankh hai bhari bhari... which is a real gem of a song.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Interview: Amisha Patel
How do you feel having won so many awards off late? Naturally, it’s a great feeling because it just goes to show that even though I have no sugar daddy in this line, I have managed to do what most actress achieve after so many years. Winning the Filmfare and Sansui Award has made one thing clear- that good work is always appreciated. It’s very easy to pass of success as luck, but I know how hard I have slogged to reach this position, so I am very happy. Have you forgotten the failure of Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar? No, I haven’t forgotten it but it is definitely behind me. I did that movie because of Tanuja Chandra. I wanted to work with her because I thought highly of her as a maker and I still feel that she is a brilliant director. I liked my role in the film and did my best. But maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Finally the audience is the judge and if they didn’t take well to the film, it must have had some faults. Your next releases, Kranti & Aap Mujhe Achhe Lagne Lage pair Bobby & Hrithik with you. Expectations are high. The expectations will be high from every film of mine. Kranti is my first release with Bobby so I am really looking forward to it. The film’s music has been very appreciated and it’s a total commercial movie. With AMALL, I know that people are expecting Hrithik and me to recreate history and I must say that they won’t be let down. The film has shaped up very well and it has all the potential to be another Kaho Na Pyar Hai. I had a great time working on the film with Hrithik, so the movie will always be very close to my heart. What about your on-going rivalry with Kareena Kapoor? I don’t know her at all. So much has been written about our rivalry that I must say I have never given Kareena much thought in my life. For me, all actresses are competition and she is one of them. I firmly believe that we must let the audience decide whom they like and whom they want to discard. It is foolish for us to claim to be in top league; rather that should be decided by our work. As for Kareena, I have seen some of her work and find her good. But she doesn’t have what I have and vice-versa. And there is a lot of place for the top heroines here. We both have a long innings here, so why get into each other’s way? Lastly, your personal life seems to be rather dull. Why? (Laughs) I have had no time for anything in the last two years. There has been so much work that my personal life has taken the backseat. The only romance I’ve had has been in the movies. I have been linked with my heroes but that is ridiculous. See, I will definitely fall in love when I find Mr Right. Till then there is no hurry. But one thing is for sure; that I will never go out with a married man or marry someone from this industry. Once I leave the movies, I want to live happily with a normal man and have a regular loving family. Some Trivia of Amisha: Date of Birth- 9th June, 1979 Favorite Actor- Aamir Khan Favorite Actress- Madhuri Dixit Nene Favorite Designer- Rocky.S
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Nominations of IIFA Awards
Nominations of IIFA Awards Best Picture: -- Chandni Bar -- Dil Chahta Hai -- Gadar - Ek Prem Katha -- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham -- Lagaan Best Director : -- Anil Sharma (Gadar) -- Ashutosh Gowarikar (Lagaan) -- Farhan Akhtar (DCH) -- Karan Johar (K3G) -- Madhur Bhandarkar (Chandni Bar) Best Actor: -- Aamir Khan (Dil Chahta Hai) -- Aamir Khan (Lagaan) -- Amitabh Bachchan (Aks) -- Shah Rukh Khan (K3G) -- Sunny Deol (Gadar) Best Actress: -- Amisha Patel (Gadar) -- Gracy Singh (Lagaan) -- Kajol (K3G) -- Preity Zinta (DCH) -- Tabu (Chandni Bar) Best Supporting Actor: -- Akshaye Khanna (DCH) -- Amitabh Bachchan (K3G) -- Hrithik Roshan (K3G) -- Kulbhushan Kharbanda (Lagaan) -- Saif Ali Khan (DCH) Best Supporting Actress: -- Bipasha Basu (Ajnabee) -- Jaya Bachchan (K3G) -- Kareena Kapoor (K3G) -- Madhuri Dixit (Lajja) -- Rekha (Lajja) Best Performance in Comic Role: -- Govinda (Jodi No. 1) -- Ishaan Nair (Monsoon Wedding) -- Johnny Lever (Ajnabee) -- Johnny Lever (K3G) -- Rajesh Vivek (Lagaan) -- Vivek Shauq (Gadar) Best Performance in Negative Role: -- Akshay Kumar (Ajnabee) -- Amrish Puri (Gadar) -- Manoj Bajpai (Aks) -- Paul Blackthorne (Lagaan) -- Suhas Paliskar (Chandni Bar) Best Music Director: -- A R Rahman (Lagaan) -- A R Rahman (Zubeidaa) -- Jatin-Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya, Aadesh Shrivastava (K3G) -- Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy (DCH) -- Uttam Singh (Gadar) Best Story: -- Ashutosh Gowarikar (Lagaan) -- Farhan Akhtar (DCH) -- Karan Johar (K3G) -- Madhur Bhandarkar (Chandni Bar) -- Shaktiman (Gadar)
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Movie Preview: Soch
Soch is a psychological thriller dealing with five principal characters played by Sanjay Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Aditi Govitrikar, Danny Denzongpa and me. Their lives are inter linked in a very interesting way each character’s life gets affected by whatever’s happening in either’s life. Produced by Wijahat Kareem with Dr. Mrs. Surheeta Kareem and Rizwan Ullah as co-producers, the film is written and directed by Sushen Bhatnagar. Arbaaz Khan plays the negative character, who has come to disturb the lives of these people as in his past they had wronged him. He is mentally disturbed too. He hounds Sanjay Kapoor’s character, who is a director in the film. And he also creates situations for Sanjay’s character by doing things that are completely ridiculous. Sanjay Kapoor as a director plays a good guy who is constantly suspected of cheating and other wrong acts, which he hasn’t committed. He is out to prove that he is innocent and in the meanwhile discovers some other facts and figures, which further add on to the suspense and chaos. The film revolves a murder and the people who planned and executed it. Aditi Gowitriker plays the character that is bordering on obsession; she is Sanjay’s wife in the movie. Raveena Tandon who has a guest appearance plays a film actress in the movie. Soch also has subplots running which depict a father-son relationship and an extra-marital affair Director Sushen, an FTII (Film Institute) pass out describes the film as a sensible and meaningful film, attempted to blend creativity with commercial viability. He calls it a blend between intelligent and commercial cinema. Talking about Soch, actor Arbaaz Khan recently revealed, "It’s an interesting story in a different way. My character is that of a guy who inevitably lands up doing things against the dictates of the society. Truly speaking, it is a negative character, that of a villain. The guy I play doesn’t have any shades of gray to him; he doesn’t have anything positive about him! It has a very riveting story." Soch also stars Mushtaq Khan, Tiku Talsania, Vineek Kumar, Yunus Parvez, Mac Mohan and Dadhi Pandey. Music is by Jatin Lalit, lyrics by Sameer, action by Shahid Ali Shanu, choreography by Rekha Chinni Prakash, editing by Umesh Gupta, art by Smita Gupta and sound by Anuj Mathur. One highlight of the movie is that Former External Affairs State Minister and prominent member of the UP Congress, Mr. Salman Khurshid has done a nit role in it. Actress Anjala Zaveri has done a special appearance song.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Movie Review: Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage
Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage is a musical romance from current hotshot director Vikram Bhatt. Vikram who’s currently riding a high after the stupendous success of Raaz is best known for his action thrillers. But this is the first time he’s promoting a film of his as a musical romance. Aap Mujhe Achche Lage has though a lot of interesting angles to it. For one it gets together Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel two years since they first made their debut together and gave their first hit. Since then Hrithik has gone on to give other hits including Karan Johar’s K3G while Amisha Patel she gave another blockbuster with her second film, Gadar which also catapulted her to the top actress category. The film also reunites Hrithik Roshan with his music composer uncle, Rajesh Roshan after the Kaho Naa Pyar Hai mania. According to Rajesh Roshan, "Then I worked to give my best for my nephew who was making his debut in a film. This time I have to live up to Kaho Na Pyar Hai’s music as well my nephew’s superstar status." This time uncle Rajesh Roshan has got his nephew to sing in a few lines for one of the songs. So you’ll get to see Hrithik doing an Aamir Khan in this film. The film was originally titled Armaan but going by the dictates of the box-office, director Vikram Bhatt and producer Rohit Kumar settled for a long title, Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage. They also felt that Armaan did not suit the romantic thriller with the backdrop of urban crime, so they settled for a catchy mukhda of a yesteryear hit for a title. The story is loosely based on the original Rapunzel fairy tale. Amisha is an innocent girl living in a maximum-security prison home, a babe in the woods in the wicked ways of the world. Hrithik plays a college going student studying in a boys-only college. He enters her gloomy world and makes her discover the wonderful world outside. They meet at the dandiya raas, and in those nine days Amisha blossoms into a sensual woman who falls in love with Hrithik. The movie is the story of their relationship and the changes that occur when Amisha becomes wise to the ways of the world. Mukesh Tiwari plays Amisha’s strict and villainous brother, who’s against his sister falling for Hrithik. The climax of the movie depicts Mukesh in a major violent confrontation with Hrithik in mid-air. Mostly shot in Australia, the film is produced by Rohit Kumar & directed by Vikram Bhatt. The film also stars Kiran Kumar, Mukesh Tiwari, Nishigandha, Ali Asgar, Moses Lever, Sheikh Sami, Jasbir Thandi and Suchit. Produced by Rohit Kumar, the film, a Gautam Kumar presentation is based on a story and screenplay by Robin Bhatt and Sanjeev Duggal, dialogues by Girish Dhamija, cinematography by Pravin Bhatt, choreography by Raju Khan, art by Gappa Chakraborty, editing by Amit Sarena and sound by Nurari Krishna. Amisha Patel recently predicted that AMALL would be a bigger hit than even Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. If nothing, just for Vikram Bhatt’s sake, let’s just hope it does. Aap Mujhe Achche releases on April 19.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Movie Preview: Namaste
Riya Entertainment Presents M-Vision Productions Namaste -- Say Hello....To Love!!. Written and directed by Viral Lakhia, Namaste is tells a story about an Indian family raised in USA. It is a story about Raj (Amit Mistry) who travels from Mumbai to Chicago for his cousin Asha's (Asha Patel) wedding. Asha reveals to him that her Dad (Kul Anand) and her uncle Vijay (Kirit Patel) have parted ways a few years ago...and it is her desperate wish to reunite them in time for her bidaai ceremony. Raj promises Asha that her entire family will be united at the time of her bidaai... How Raj enlists the help of Asha's best friend Ria ( Perizaad Zorbian), and uses his uniquely 'Indian' ways to reunite the fragmented NRI family of Asha... is the magical, masti bhari journey of NAMASTE. While the journey reveals supressed emotions in the NRI family, it forms a friendship between Raj & Ria that grows into love... Namaste is produced by Shyamal Lakhia and Viral Lakhia. The film introduces all newcomers -- Amit Mistry, Perizaad Zorabian, ASha Patel, Kul Anand, Parag Patel, Kirit Patel and Devendra Patel. The film is edited by Kuldip Mehan. It has music by Sanjeev S. and lyrics by Asif Ali Beg, It is scheduled to release on March 15, 2002. The official website of the film is http://www.namastethemovie.com
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Film Review: Kranti
Cast: Bobby Deol, Amisha Patel, Vinod Khanna, Kabir Bedi Director: Naresh Malhotra Music: Jatin-Lalit Kranti is story of a clash of principles between father and son, with both being very honest police officers. There is also a track of a revenge drama. The resulting is a very disappointing fare. Kraniti definitely needs to be included in the list of worst films of 2002. Avadesh Pratap Singh (Vinod Khanna), Commissioner of Police, is very honest and believes in every word of law. However Avadesh's son, ACP Abhay Pratap Singh (Bobby Deol), who is also very honest, believes that the laws are outdated and instant justice (No F.I.R, No Arrest, No Talk...Faisla On The Spot) is the only way out. This difference in the principles is the root of the conflict between father and son. Enters a wealthy businessman, Rana Pratap (Kabir Bedi) who with the help of terrorists aims to create havoc in the country. Abhay challenges Rana and makes all attempts to foil Rana's plans. An upset Rana gets Abhay implicated in a crime and iarrested. How Abhay proves his innocence and fights back against Rana is the rest of the film. The love angle in the film is provided by Sanjana (AMisha Patel) who meets Abhay when she is doing a thesis on the Mumbai police and they both fall in love with each other. The film does not rise above the poorly written script. It is surprising that Bollywood filmakers still churn out films which look as outdated as those in the 70's and 80's action films. There are countless flaws in the film. We hardly find something sensible or a novelty in the film. Of the performances, Vinod Khanna and Bobby Deol look completely disinterested in their respective roles. Amisha Patel has nothing to do except to sing and a few scenes in which she is also equally bad. Rati Agnihotri plays Bobby's mother and overacts throughout. Kabir Bedi is good in the role of villain. Music is average. Just avoid the film. Rating: Poor (*)
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Film Review: Filhaal
Cast: Tabu, Sanjay Suri, Sushmita, Palash Sen Director: Meghna Gulzar Music: Anu Malik Well-known director and lyricist Gulzar and actress Rakhee's daughter Meghna Gulzar makes her debut with the film Filhaal as director. Meghana Gulzar tried to deal with the issue of surrogate motherhood which has already been seen in recent times in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and an old film Doosri Dulhan. It is a story about two best friends Rewa (Tabu) and Siya (Sushmita Sen) who are very different from each other. Rewa always wanted to settle down in life and for Siya it is her career which is very important. Rewa loves Dhruv (Sanjay Suri), and both get married. Saahil (Palash Sen) is in love with Siya but she always avoids the proposal of marriage by Saahil. Rewa is extremely happy with his life and loving husband. Life changes completely for Rewa and Dhruv, when Rewa has a miscarriage and the doctor informs the couple that she will can never become a mother. Rewa goes into depression. This is when Siya comes to look after her. Siya is unable to bear the pain of Rewa. After a lot of hesitation Siya decides to lend her womb for the unborn baby of Rewa and Dhruv. Saahil is very upset about Siya's decision. More trouble starts when Siya starts getting possessive about the child. Again Rewa starts feeling jealous of Siya as Dhruv starts paying more attention to Siya as he is aware of Siya's sacrifice. However everything ends well. Filhaal definitely has a good storyline but what has failed miserably in the film is its screenplay. It is at the slowest possible pace. Emotions are not brought out well in the film, which is always a forte of such subject. More maturity was required to handle such a delicate subject. Meghna Gulzar needs to improve her directorial skills. One of the highlights of the film are the good performances by the leading ladies of the film. Tabu as usual is extraordinary. She is excellent in the scene when she breaks down in front of Sushmita after her miscarriage. This is definitely Sushmita's best performance till date. She makes her presence feel inspite of talented Tabu. Sanjay Suri impresses. However Palash Sen is a total misfit. Music by Anu Malik is soothing. Manmohan Singh's camerawork is another highlight of the film. There is nothing else to watch. Can avoid it. Rating: Poor (*)
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Nadeem-Shravan score again
Nadeem-Shravan are going through great guns. After having a string of hits, the music director duo are all set to sparkle yet again with their melodious score in the Tusshar Natasha starrer YEH DIL, a remake of the Telugu blockbuster NUVVU NENU. This writer was made to hear the eight songs of the film and we would like to add that Nadeem-Shravan have come up with gems this time. Two numbers, 'Telephone' and 'College Mein', are sure-shot hits, while the remaining numbers are bound to be popular as well. Incidentally, Nadeem has also rendered the title track and needless at add, it is one number that will get imprinted on your mind after it has ended.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Amitabh and Hrithik Team Up With Vidhu Vinod Chopra!
His last film 'Mission Kashmir' may have left his personal mission to draw the audiences to the theatres incomplete, but Vidhu Vinod Chopra isn't shedding any tears over the failure. In fact, he's already on to two more assignments. One as a producer and the other as director. While Shah Rukh has apparently been finalized for Vidhu's first production, the other film 'Yagna,' which he will direct, is said to star Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan. This will be the second time the two stars come together on screen, the first being in Karan Johar's 'K3G'.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Raaz still rulz!
Latest Bollywood Box-Office Position This week, there are two releases -- Mani Shankar-directed 16 December based on a nuclear attack and Murli Mohan-directed Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai starring Aftab Shivdasani and Amisha Patel. Let's see which movie manages to get the audience in the theatres. The trailers of both the film are generating lots of curiosity; hopefully the whole movie also generates the same level of interest. Last week there were no new releases. Bobby Deol-Amisha Patel starrer Kranti is a big disaster. Surprisingly, Bobby Deol, who manages to pull the crowd in Punjab, could not do so this time, and Kranti bombed there also. The distributors of this film are going to incur heavy losses. Bobby Deol now desperately needs a hit. The first week's collections of the film were 46% in Mumbai (from 18 cinemas) and a mere 25% in Delhi (from 16 cinemas). The film did total business of approx Rs 2 crore all over India from more than 100 prints which is very low for a big budget film. Salman-Diya-Sushmita starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge slid further. The third week's collections of the film were 34% in Mumbai (from 6 cinemas). Dharmesh Darshan's Haan...Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya is out of many theatres. However Akshay Kumar has very high hopes on his next release -- Gaurang Shah's Aankhen co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Ramphal and Sushmita Sen. This film is creating a lot of excitement. Vikram Bhatt's Raaz did a business of 51% in Mumbai in its 8th week. Top 5 Films of the week: 1. Raaz -- Hit 2. Kranti -- Flop 3. Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge -- Flop 4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham -- Super-hit 5. Haan...Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya -- Flop
Saturday, March 23, 2002
ISPs don’t expect gains from Net telephony
Internet Service Providers do not expect the throwing open of Internet telephony to offer any immediate financial gains or business opportunities for them. However, they hope that the enthusiasm generated by the service may help the Internet subscriber base in the country go up over a period of time, besides boosting the time that consumers spend on the Net. According to Satyam Infoway CEO R Ramaraj, It will be difficult for ISPs to charge money for subscribers using the Net telephony service from home. Ditto Bharti Broadband CEO Ashok Juneja. With so much free software available on the Net that allows users to use the Internet telephony services free anywhere in the world, who’s going to pay ISPs for these services. Currently, free software like BuddyPhone, DialPad and PC2Phone allow anywhere call over the Internet free of cost. Furthermore, ISPs also feel that the restricting condition of not allowing PCs calling up phones within the country will also lessen the charm of Internet telephony, since PC density in India is among the lowest in the world. According to ISP sources, this restrictive condition was put in to assuage the fears of national long distance players. According to ISP Association of India president Amitabh Singhal, the only financial benefits of the opening of Internet telephony can be indirect, in terms of increase in the time people spend on the Internet. While in US, Internet users spend on an average 1 hour on the Net, in India the corresponding figure is just 20 minutes. However, Singhal feels that the removal of the aura of illegality from Internet telephony will save the ISPs a potential legal hazard of being dragged to the courts, if a user of the ISP service was caught using Net telephony on the sly.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Movie channels bask in Oscar glory
THE Oscar event this year may see Lagaan win the sweepstakes; but the English movie channels have already hit the jackpot. The four major English movie channels have made most of the opportunity and doled out a whole range of blockbusters. So you have `Oscar Marathon', `Oscar Fever' and the works. The pick Stuart Little, The Mummy, Philadelphia, Armageddon, Blame It On Rio and more. While the suspense on Lagaan will be over on Monday morning, the winner of the Oscar channel race will be known only next month. ``Yes, the Oscars present a good opportunity for English movie channels. The interest is especially higher this year because of Lagaan's nomination at the Oscars,'' said Ms Pratibha Vinayak, Senior Business Director, Carat India. Both advertisers and media planners felt that channels had an opportunity to improve ratings without much cost. According to Ms Vinayak, while the Oscar line-up may not necessarily boost viewership, it would definitely pull more audiences. She adds that since these channels have the advantage of a library, it is only a matter of repackaging and rejuvenating films that have secured either an Oscar itself or a nomination in the past. According to Mr L.S. Nayak, Executive Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Star India Ltd, ``We have had run-ups to the Oscar night for five years now, and the interest level has been growing every year. However, this is the first time we have found a hook in terms of promotions and marketing thanks to Lagaan. The idea is to also drive viewers who typically would not watch an English movie channel.'' The HBO's Director - Marketing, Ms Shruti Bajpai, said the current Oscar run-up was the biggest promotion for the channel. ``It is a month-long activity across radio, print, theatres and the Internet. And for the first time, we are advertising on Fashion TV and Discovery Channel,'' she said. While she refuses to divulge the promotional spends on the Oscar month, she admits that it is `significant'. According to Antenna, a media news monthly publication brought out by the ad agency, TBWA/Anthem, the year began with Star Movies, HBO, AXN and Zee MGM on equal footing in terms of channel share and reach.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Hand over 20 terrorists to India: U.S.
The United States has asked Pakistan to hand over to India the 20 terrorists sought by New Delhi or try and convict them in Pakistan. ``We have asked the Pakistanis to hand these terrorists over to India or try them in their own country and convict them. That is very important. That will lead to a reduction in tensions,'' the Director (in-charge) of South Asia at President Bush's National Security Council, Harry Thomas, told the Indian community leaders here. ``We will work hard at it,'' Mr. Thomas told members of the National Federation of Indian-American Associations, the Association of Indians in America, the Indian American Forum for Political Education and the Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party, during a special briefing at the Executive Office Building of the White House here. Pointing out how the terrorist attacks on the State Legislature in Jammu and Kashmir and the Parliament changed the whole Indo-Pakistan situation, Mr. Thomas said, ``Our highest priority right now is to keep India and Pakistan from going to war. A war is unthinkable. It will be devastating for the global campaign against terrorism.'' ``We see the attacks on the Indian Parliament and its leadership as not only heinous and barbarous, but as something that would undermine the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, who has turned against the `jehadis','' he said.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Underworld strikes with daylight shootout
MUMBAI, MARCH 22: After a long lull, the underworld struck again when a 38-year-old builder was shot dead in Parel on Friday afternoon. Two unidentified gunmen shot small-time builder Mahendra Khanvilkar in his office. His business associate Deepak Sawant, 35, was seriously hurt in the shoot-out. Mumbai Police Commissioner M N Singh said that the motive is yet to be ascertained. ‘‘The needle of susicion points to the Suresh Manchekar gang,’’ he said. The gunmen used revolvers. Their identities have been established and a combing operation is underway, added Singh. Khanvilkar and developer Sawant were inside their dingy 10-sq-ft office on the first floor of Samarth Nivas near Parel junction when the gunmen entered the room around 1.15 pm. It is still not clear what transpired between the assailants and victims before the shootout. Khanvilkar collapsed on the floor and died on the spot but Sawant, with a bullet lodged inside his head, managed to walk out of the room after the shootout. Sawant walked at least 40 meters on the first floor, and took the stairs down, leaving a trail of blood. He was helped by a cold drink vendor who accompanied him to the KEM Hospital in a car. Dr Kishore Sandhu of KEM Hospital said: ‘‘He is lucky because the impact was reduced after the bullet ricocheted from a tooth (before landing inside the head).’’ Khanvilkar’s peon Rajesh was also lucky to escape as he had been away at a nearby communication centre for some work. He returned within minutes to find his employer dead and his associate injured. ‘‘I was lucky to escape. They would have shot me if I was in office,’’ said a petrified Rajesh. The entry of the shooters were as stunning as their escape. Nobody saw the hit squad leave despite the sound of gunshots. ‘‘Khanvilkar moved into the office some time early last year. The door was mostly shut and we did not know he was a builder,’’ said Prashant Pawar, a neighbour. It was only after Sawant struggled out of the office that the neighbours realised that a shootout had taken place. ‘‘I was having lunch when a neighbour rushed in to say that firing took place on the first floor. I rushed to the enterance to see Sawant being helped into a taxi,’’ recalled Chanalal Sevak. Investigations have revealed that Khanvilar had received a vieled threat about six months ago. The caller, who claimed to be a member of the Manchekar gang, had warned that he should start paying protection money now that he had started his business. The threat problably was taken lightly and Khanvilkar did not report the matter to the police, sources said.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Police firing in Ahmedabad, 1 hurt
HMEDABAD: A teenage boy was injured when police fired over 20 rounds and burst several teargas shells in labour-dominated Gomtipur area of the city late on Friday night as violence continued to haunt parts of Gujarat. Indefinate curfew which was clamped in four police station areas of Kalupur, Dariapur, Karanj and Shahpur for the third time, continued to remain in force on Saturday with tension still prevailing in Ahmedabad city areas which witnessed violence after the February 27 Godhra train carnage. Night curfew also remained in force in Danilimda police station area. At least two houses were set on fire by an unruly mob in Gomtipur area late on Friday night and police burst teargas shells to disperse a stone-pelting mob in Khanpur area, police said. Reports from Modasa said a large number of houses and shops were set ablaze by the violent mob at Vadgam near Modasa taluka town of Sabarkantha district on Friday. The Modasa town which witnessed violence recently continued to experience fear psychosis even as night curfew remained in force in the town. The Himatnagar town of Sabarkantha district also remained under curfew on the third day on Saturday following tense situation, police added. In Vadodara, curfew continued in six police station areas where three persons were killed on Friday. Curfew also continued in Visnagar town on second day Saturday following incidents of stabbing in which three persons were injured on Friday. Night curfew also remained in force in Bharuch and Godhra towns, police added.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Police firing in Ahmedabad, 1 hurt
HMEDABAD: A teenage boy was injured when police fired over 20 rounds and burst several teargas shells in labour-dominated Gomtipur area of the city late on Friday night as violence continued to haunt parts of Gujarat. Indefinate curfew which was clamped in four police station areas of Kalupur, Dariapur, Karanj and Shahpur for the third time, continued to remain in force on Saturday with tension still prevailing in Ahmedabad city areas which witnessed violence after the February 27 Godhra train carnage. Night curfew also remained in force in Danilimda police station area. At least two houses were set on fire by an unruly mob in Gomtipur area late on Friday night and police burst teargas shells to disperse a stone-pelting mob in Khanpur area, police said. Reports from Modasa said a large number of houses and shops were set ablaze by the violent mob at Vadgam near Modasa taluka town of Sabarkantha district on Friday. The Modasa town which witnessed violence recently continued to experience fear psychosis even as night curfew remained in force in the town. The Himatnagar town of Sabarkantha district also remained under curfew on the third day on Saturday following tense situation, police added. In Vadodara, curfew continued in six police station areas where three persons were killed on Friday. Curfew also continued in Visnagar town on second day Saturday following incidents of stabbing in which three persons were injured on Friday. Night curfew also remained in force in Bharuch and Godhra towns, police added.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
US pulls out non-essential diplomats from Pak
The United States has ordered dependents and non-essential staff at its embassy and consulates in Pakistan to leave the country citing security concerns. The move comes barely a week after the church attack, which left five people including two Americans dead. "After careful review of our security procedure in Pakistan, we decided to move to an ordered departure of all dependents and non-emergency personnel at the US embassy in Islamabad and our consulates in Pakistan", State Department deputy spokesperson Phil Reeker said yesterday. The US, however, affirmed full faith in Islamabad's ability to protect Americans. Secretary of State Colin Powell assured Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that the decision does not reflect any lack of confidence in Pakistan's ability to protect Americans. "We believe that the war against terrorism in Pakistan is far from over and that we will be able to carry on with greater focus if our dependents are not present at US facilities there," Reeker maintained. The State Department official said non-emergency personnel would be identified on a case-by-case basis. Barbara Green, the wife of US diplomat Milton Green, and her 17-year-old daughter Kristin were among the five people killed in Sunday's grenade attack on a church in the diplomatic quarter of Islamabad. Members of the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security have been sent to Pakistan to assist US law enforcement officials and Pakistani authorities in a bid to hunt down those responsible for the attack. US diplomatic posts close The embassy in Islamabad and the three consulates in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi were shut down yesterday for the weekend will be open only for emergency services. They will resume normal functioning from Monday. According to a warden notice issued by the US Embassy in the Pakistani capital, it was deemed prudent that the US posts be closed through Monday, in light of the church attack. The notice gave no indication of any new potential terrorist threat, but the State Department on Monday warned US citizens in Pakistan to avoid crowds, demonstrations and areas where Americans generally congregate, due to the risk of new terror attacks. US diplomatic posts around the world have been on high alert since the September 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon. (With inputs)
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Round the clock security cover for Tendulkar
Maharashtra Government has provided round the clock security cover to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar keeping in view the threat to his life from terrorists outfits, state legislative assembly was informed here today. Two police officials, armed with carbine and pistol, guard the cricket superstar following ISI agent Aftab Ansari' confession of attempting to kidnap Tendulkar, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal told the lower house in a written reply. Similarly, armed police personnel have been posted at Tendulkar's residence in the metropolis and record of those visiting him is being maintained, Bhujbal, who also holds Home portfolio, said in reply to a query by opposition leader Narayan Rane.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
India may revive cricket ties with Pakistan
After refusing to play against Pakistan for almost two years over the issue of cross-border terrorism, India may finally revive its cricketing relations with its neighbour in the near future. According to official sources, Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi has been authorised to hold discussi- ons with Pakistani officials on this issue during his upcoming visit to Islamabad. Kalmadi is going there to finalise the organisation of South Asian Federation (SAF) Games which were originally scheduled to be held in the Pakistani capital in October last year but had to be postponed in the wake of the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. "If everything goes well, cricket relations between the two countries can resume within two months," the sources said. India have persistently refused to play Pakistan in the wake of the Kargil War demanding that Islamabad stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the annual Sahara Cup bilateral one-day series in Toronto was cancelled twice in 1999 and 2000 and India also called off their scheduled tour of Pakistan in 2000-2001. The two countries last played in Asia Cup in Dhaka in 2000 which Pakistan won by 44 runs. Pakistan had been calling for a resumption of cricket ties with India and President Parvez Musharraf recently said his country was willing to play India anywhere, anytime. The International Cricket Council, at its Executive Board meeting recently, threatened strong action against India if it did not change its policy vis-a-vis Pakistan.
Saturday, March 23, 2002
Vajpayee wins allies backing
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Political allies of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee lined up behind him on Friday, saying that the coalition, racked by dissent over activities of Hindu hardliners, would stick to a secular agenda. Vajpayee has faced pressure from friends and foes to crack down on his party's traditional Hindu fundamentalist supporters after a wave of religious violence swept through the state of Gujarat last month. "The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) reaffirmed its faith in the common agenda of the NDA to be implemented with greater vigour under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee," Defence Minister George Fernandes said after a meeting of the coalition partners. "The meeting reasserted that this common agenda is the bulwark of democracy, secularism and political stability in the country," said Fernandes, who is also the coalition's convenor. The coalition, which enjoys a comfortable majority of around 300 seats in the 545-member parliament, appeared to get a boost with two small parties joining it on Friday. Fernandes said the two parties had three members each, but did not give details. Vajpayee, whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes from the same ideological family as hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had called the meeting with the allies to try to end a political storm over India's worst communal bloodshed in a decade. Some 700 people, mostly Muslims, died in Gujarat in reprisals for an attack by a Muslim mob on a train last month in which 58 Hindu activists and their families died. Though the army was brought in to quell the violence, tensions continue to simmer in the state. Police said three people were stabbed to death on Friday in fresh Hindu-Muslim clashes, two in the town of Baroda and the third in the state's main city of Ahmedabad. Six people were killed in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The ongoing unrest has unnerved Vajpayee's coalition allies, amid accusations his government is not doing enough to stop it. "I certainly feel concerned about the situation in the country," said the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, whose National Conference is one of 20-odd disparate groups propping up the Vajpayee government. "We feel very clearly that certain things have to viewed in the national interest," he told reporters. The VHP's Gujarat unit said earlier this week it would take the ashes of the 58 train attack victims around India, causing a political uproar amid fears the plan could incite more violence. On Friday, the VHP backed away from that plan. "The issue was never raised by anyone at any level in the VHP," VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia said by telephone from Ayodhya. "We have no plans for taking out any processions with urns containing ashes." RSS STATEMENT RANKLES As well as the controversial plan for the ashes, Vajpayee's allies were also incensed by a statement last weekend by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which said minority Muslims must understand their safety lay in the goodwill of the majority. The RSS, the ideological parent of the VHP and BJP, said on Friday it stood by its statement. "It is a statement of fact. We all have to live together," RSS head K.S. Sudarshan told reporters. The BJP rode to national prominence on a wave of Hindu revivalism after a mosque was razed by a Hindu mob in Ayodhya in 1992, triggering nationwide riots in which 3,000 people died. But when it took office in 1999 it promised to give up a controversial campaign to build a temple in Ayodhya in return for support from secular allies in the NDA coalition. Its unwillingness to crack down on the hardliners, combined with accusations that the BJP state government in Gujarat did not do enough to stop the reprisals, have raised suspicions among its allies that it is drifting away from the NDA's secular agenda. The coalition crisis came after the government suffered a humiliating defeat in the upper house of parliament on Thursday on a tough new anti-terror law which critics fear will be used selectively against Muslims.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Kashmir separatist groups reject Vajpayee's offer on polls
A day after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's appeal to all separatist outfits to join the elections in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled later this year, several prominent groups including Hurriyat Conference rejected the offer saying that polls were no solution to the Kashmir problem. While virtually rejecting the Prime Minister's offer, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat said "we want permanent settlement of the dispute and polls to the legislature is not an aim of our movement." He said the so-called "movement" had been launched not to facilitate any political party from coming to power but for allowing Kashmiris to exercise their choice in regard to the state's future dispensation. To a question whether the amalgam leadership would meet the Prime Minister in Kashmir, the Hurriyat Chairman said "I don't knw." Prominent separatist and leader of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) Shabir Shah also rejected Vajpayee's offer saying he did not consider holding of "traditional elections" as a "meaningful exercise" in the present situation. "We believe in real democratic process. But as far as Kashmir dispute is concerned, our policy is crystal clear that we do not consider traditional poll process a meaningful one in the present situation," Shah said. Radical militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen also rejected the offer.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Daily hearing on Ayodhya case ordered by HC
The Allahabad High Court today ordered a day-to-day hearing of the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit and said the recording of the testimony of the witnesses will be done either by the Lucknow Bench or through a Commission. The Lucknow Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Sudhir Narayan, Justice S R Alam and Justice Bhanwar Singh passed these orders on a petition by the Centre requesting the court to order a daily hearing of the mattter.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Fresh Gujarat violence stalls LS
Renewed violence in Gujarat today paralysed proceedings in Lok Sabha as opposition membeou rnment of the House for one and half hours. Raising the issue, Congress member Madhusudan Mistri termed the situation in the state as "highly volatile and explosive" and said not not a single day is passing without killing of minorities. He charged the State Government with turning a blind eye to First Information Reports naming VHP and Bajrang Dal activists as being behind the violence and demanded their immediate arrests. "There is a crisis of confidence among the people belonging to the minority community," Mistri said, adding 13,000 riot victims alone were in camps in his own constituency where relief facilities were minimal. He wanted handing over of all affected areas to central forces and sought a statement from the Government on the situation. Supporting him, IUML member E Ahamed complained that no no food was available in the relief camps and the people could not return to their homes because of curfew. Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav made a mention of the resolution passed by RSS at Bangalore that Muslims had to live in India under the domination of Hindus amid protests from BJP members. This clearly showed that those at the helm of affairs wanted another partition of India which his party would never allow, Yadav added. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, however, intervened to say that nobody had talked about India's partition.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Sehwag ruled out for West Indies tour
Sehwag ruled out for West Indies tour Dashing batsman Virender Sehwag has been ruled out for the upcoming tour of West Indies as he has still not recovered completely from a shoulder injury. Sources in Cricket Board today said Sehwag, who sustained the injury while fielding in the second Test against Zimbabwe here earlier this month, was not fit to take the gruelling two-month tour of West Indies starting on April 2. Sehwag had to submit a fitness certificate to the Cricket Board Tuesday but had not given it so far, the sources said.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
'Street War' Over Mother Teresa's Name
CALCUTTA, India (Reuters) - A dispute has erupted in the Indian city of Calcutta over a plan to rename a street known for its throbbing night life after Mother Teresa , the Roman Catholic nun revered for her work with the city's poor. "There are other ways to honor Mother Teresa," Dwijen Mukherjee, a Bengali singer, told Reuters. Calcutta mayor Subrata Mukherjee sparked the controversy this month by proposing that bustling Park Street be renamed after the nun, who founded the global Missionaries of Charity order in the city and died in 1997. Mukherjee's suggestion outraged some of the city's 100,000 Roman Catholics, who said this would taint the "spirituality" surrounding her life. Mother Teresa, of Albanian origin, won the Nobel peace prize for her work. The Vatican is considering the case for her eventual canonization. "I would not like my son to visit a disco and tell me that it is located on Mother Teresa Sarani (street)," said Suman Gupta, a Roman Catholic, who along with 19 others has urged the mayor to reconsider. The Missionaries of Charity, founded in 1950, back Mukherjee's plan. Sister Christie, the religious order's spokeswoman, told Reuters she did not think renaming Park Street would sully Mother Teresa's memory. "It will keep alive her memory," she said. Others in the street agree. "Park Street also has a famous college, cemetery, art gallery, and a library. This is an unnecessary controversy," said Pradyot Chattopadhyay, manager of Cambridge Bookshop, one of the landmarks of Park Street. Mayor Mukherjee himself is unfazed. "It would be only proper that we have a landmark of the city named after Mother Teresa," he said.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Dell to Increase Presence in India
BANGALORE, India (AP) - Dell Computer Corp. plans to increase its investment in India by having more of its software development and routine office functions done from its Indian center, company chief Michael Dell said Tuesday. "We will increase our investment as our business and need grow, but I cannot give you the figure," said Dell, chairman and chief executive of the Austin, Texas-based firm. He was making a one-day visit to Bangalore, considered India's technology hub. Dell refused to divulge specifics about investment or recruitment, but said there would be a significant increase in the Indian staff of 800 people. The company runs a customer contact center in Bangalore to serve Dell's customers in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Dell also has software developed in India for bundling in the company's computers and for internal use. Dell said he is looking at whether it would be useful to "move other back office functions to Bangalore." Such functions often include payroll processing, accounting and staff benefits services, routine functions that may not be at the core of a company's activities and can be performed more cheaply by others.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
India wins series
Guwahati: Dinesh Mongia smashed a magnificent 159 not out for his maiden century to set up India's 101-run victory over Zimbabwe in the fifth and final One-day International on Tuesday. The left-handed opener's 147-ball knock enabled the hosts to post a mammoth 333 for six, its highest total against Zimbabwe in 41 One-day Internationals and fourth- biggest overall. Zimbabwe's response to the challenge was never threatening as it was bowled out for 232 to lose the series 3-2 after having given a good account of it self in the previous matches. The tourists, already buried under an avalanche of runs, were also penalised two overs for slow over-rate before succumbing to a big-total pressure. Off spinner Harbhajan Singh (four for 33) and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan never allowed Zimbabwe to put up a sizeable stand. Grant Flower (48), Dion Ebrahim (42), Heath Streak (38), Alistair Campbell (31) and Travis Friend (31) all contributed, but without raising their team's victory hopes. Mongia batted Zimbabwe out of the match as he struck one six and 17 fours in his knock, the fourth highest by an Indian in One-dayers after Sachin Tendulkar (186 not out), skipper Saurav Ganguly (183) and Kapil Dev (175 not out). He received valuable support from another left-hander, Yuvraj Singh, who cracked a quick-fire 75 for his second successive half-century. The left-handers exposed Zimbabwe's bowling limitations with a 158-run stand for the fifth wicket in just 18 overs to make sure India did not choke again in a big match after having lost nine deciders since April 1999. Man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series Mongia saw to it with his well-paced innings that India had plenty of wickets in hand to launch an all-out assault in the closing 10 overs, which produced 121 runs. Yuvraj, who scored an unbeaten 80 in the previous match, again put the Zimbabwean attack to the sword as he struck three sixes and six fours in his 52-ball innings. Mongia, 24, put India on course for a big total with a brisk 52-run stand for the opening wicket with Ganguly, who elected to bat on an easy-paced pitch at the Nehru Stadium. Mongia looked in excellent form from the first over, gathering runs comfortably to dominate a six-man Zimbabwean attack with a wide range of attacking shots. He reached his first hundred in 15 One-day Internationals in style, firmly driving seamer Friend through the covers for a boundary. Ganguly (28) fell just as he had started hitting out, edging an away-going delivery from seamer Streak to wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu who dived to his left to bring off a low catch. The Indian captain went for his strokes after a subdued start, hitting Douglas Hondo for two fours in an over and then taking two more off Streak in the next. Zimbabwe came back into the match for a brief spell when Hondo dismissed Rahul Dravid (26) and Mohammad Kaif (five) in the space of eight runs before Mongia and Yuvraj took control. India and Zimbabwe both made one change from the teams that contested the previous day-night match at Hyderabad on Saturday. The hosts brought in all-rounder Vijay Bharadwaj in place of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, while the tourists replaced seamer Mpumelelo Mbangwa with Gary Brent.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Lok Sabha passes bill to ratify POTO
New Delhi,Monday, March 18, 2002: Lok Sabha tonight passed a bill to ratify the controversial anti-terrorism ordinance (POTO). In the division pressed by the Opposition, 261 voted for and 137 against. The Opposition staged a walkout after the bill to replace the Prevention of Terrorism (Second) Ordinance was passed, following a division. Key NDA constituent Trinamool Congress, NCP and BSP stayed away from the House during the voting. DMK, which took an ambivalent stand during the discussion, and its rival AIADMK both supported the bill during the voting. Replying to a debate on the bill to replace the Prevention of Terrorism (Second) Ordinance, Home Minister L K Advani said the government had incorporated changes suggested by various political parties to ensure that the measure was not misused. "Safeguards have been incorporated. I appeal to the House to pass the bill unanimously and that there should be no dispute on that," Advani said. Maintaining that POTO has been enforced since October 24 last year, he said that so far 146 people, including five Pakistanis, had been booked under the measure in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Gujarat among others.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
PM joins RS members in condemning storming of Orissa assembly
New Delhi,Monday, March 18, 2002: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today joined the members in the Rajya Sabha in "unequivocally" condemning the storming of Orissa assembly by VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. Responding to the issue raised by senior Congress member Pranab Mukherjee and CPI(M) member Nilotpal Basu, the Prime Minister said "whatever happened is condemnable." "This is a blot on the democracy. When we call Parliament as the temple of democracy, Vidhan Sabha is a small temple," he said. The issue, however, saw some procedural wrangle whether the Chair should move a resolution condemning the incident on behalf of the House or the Leader of the House should do so. When Leader of the House Jaswant Singh suggested that the Chair move such a resolution as the entire House was unanimous in condemning the attack, Mukherjee said the resolution should be moved by Singh as he represented not only the Government but the entire Rajya Sabha. The issue was set to rest when Singh agreed to move the resolution after it was drafted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan in consultation with Mukherjee.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
PM to visit Jammu and Kashmir; promises fair polls
New Delhi,Monday, March 18, 2002: Promising "fair" assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and asking militant groups to participate in it to "prove their popularity", Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today announced he will soon visit the state to have "wide-ranging" consultations with various sections to work out poll strategy. "I will go to Jammu and Kashmir along with Home and Defence Ministers to take stock of the situation there and have discussions to evolve a strategy," Vajpayee said winding up the two-day discussions on motion of thanks to President's address in Rajya Sabha which was adopted by voice vote after negation and withdrawal of amendments moved by opposition members. Touching upon various issues like Ayodhya, economy and India's improving relations with China, Vajpayee warned that the Government would have to take "unpopular" decisions to check mounting fiscal deficit if the country has to move on high growth path of eight per cent as the present rate of 5.4 per cent is certainly not "impressive." On Ayodhya, Vajpayee expressed concern over health of VHP leader Ashok Singhal, now on an indefinite fast at Kar Sevak Puram, and said if necessary government would take him into "protective custody". Referring to improving relations with China, Vajpayee announced he would visit Beijing which would be preceded by the visit of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. 17:40 IST
Monday, March 18, 2002
Demand for tickets goes up for last one-dayer
With the limited over series thrown wide open after India defeated Zimbabwe Saturday to level the five-match series 2-2, the demand for tickets for the last one-day international match to be held at the Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday, has gone up considerably. Cricket buffs in the city lined up before ticket counters since morning and all the remaining tickets were sold out within a few hours, leaving many disappointed. The sale of tickets in the first few days was rather dull but India's victory in the day-night encounter at Hyderabad has generated a lot of excitement. "All the tickets for the match have been sold out and we are expecting a full house on Tuesday," a top official of the Assam Cricket Association said. The excitement reached a feverish pitch in late afternoon as both the Indian and Zimbabwean teams flew into the city by a chartered flight. The teams checked in their hotels soon after arriving here.
Monday, March 18, 2002
GDP to grow 6.5% in 2002-03, 7.0% in medium term: RBI Governor
New Delhi,Monday, March 18, 2002: Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan said today the economy will grow by 6 to 6.5 per cent in the next fiscal and by about 7.0 per cent in medium term of 4-5 years. "I think, this year should be better. Growth (in GDP) should be at least 6-6.5 per cent... In the medium term of 4-5 years, I think growth should be about 7.0 per cent," the RBI Governor said on the sidelines of a seminar jointly organised by CII and NCAER here. He said all the economic indications have been favourable to higher growth with positive signs of recovery in world economy and the credit pick-up in India.
Monday, March 18, 2002
Bharatgas launches online booking facility for gas cylinders
A gas cylinder refill just a click of the mouse away. Bharatgas is all set to make this a reality via its www.ebharatgas.com. Bharatgas is aiming to make online booking available to 75 per cent of its consumers across the country by December this year. The company has a customer base of 1.5 crore. As of now the facility has been made available in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The online booking facility is being offered through IBM's Websphere Commerce Suite of Applications which facilitates B2B and B2C e-commerce activities. Bharatgas has just launched a print ad in the cities where it has launched the scheme. But the company feels that a direct marketing strategy will be more effective for the scheme. The plans are to launch a door-to-door campaign by end-February. The plans are also to do e-mail marketing. Bharatgas is in talks with ISPs like Satyam and VSNL to use their database to send out e-mails. The advertising and marketing budget is close to Rs 2 to 3 crores. The website (ebharatgas.com) also has features specially targeted at housewives such as a recipe section and household tips. A special software installed in the site creates a consumer usage profile which alerts the consumer when his cylinder is about to finish. Bharatgas had conducted a pilot for the scheme in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in March 2001, which the company claims was very successful. Upto now the company has spent nearly Rs 1 crore in terms of investments for the project and has covered 37 lakh consumers.
Monday, March 18, 2002
World Bank to cart IT jobs to India
The World Bank (WB), which recently inaugurated its back office in Chennai, on Saturday said it was exploring the possibility of shifting its information technology-dependent activities to India. Gary Perkin, senior vice-president and chief financial officer, World Bank, said: The need to outsource from remote locations such as Chennai has increased after the September 11 attacks as organisations need to have the ability to serve from more than one place. Perkin added that the Chennai back office was their first offshore centre that will serve the bank’s entire headquarters’ function. The Chennai back office will process a part of the activities of the bank’s accounting division that includes payroll processing, accounts receivables and payables and country office accounting. The office would also act as a help desk providing data requirement on a real-time basis, he said. Refusing to disclose the quantum of investment, he said the Chennai office spread over 26000 sq ft employs around 90 consultants and many of them had received training in Washington. We selected Chennai mainly because of the ready availability of skilled staff, space and good infrastructure facilities, he added. Speaking at the occasion, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa urged the World Bank to re-locate their entire back-office operations to the state, and added that the government would extend all facilities especially from the electricity board, the labour department, information technology and home departments. She said, For a holistic development of the state, information technology will be leveraged to create value and wealth for our knowledge-based state. It would be the engine of growth to usher in e-governance initiatives, bridging the digital divide, enhanced employment opportunities, increased export competitiveness, greater education penetration and literacy.
Monday, March 18, 2002
Vajpayee says economic condition worrisome
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Monday he was concerned at the nation's economic health, adding tagetted economic growth would barely dent the massive poverty problem. "The country's economic condition is deeply worrisome," Vajpayee told parliament's upper house, adding state government finances "are in worse shape". Vajpayee said politicians had caved in to populism too often and had to abandon policies driven by vote-winning. He said gross domestic product, seen increasing 5.4 percent in the fiscal year to end-March, was not growing fast enough. "That's why we are aiming at eight percent. Even this will make only a small dent in poverty," he said, without elaborating. On Saturday, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said he saw signs of a rebound in the economy.
Monday, March 18, 2002
Singhal on hunger-strike, Paramhans's threat to take over land
LUCKNOW: Just two days after the VHP crowed following its 'shiladaan' in the presence of PMO official Shatrughan Singh that building of the Ram temple had got government sanctity, it was showing signs of nervousness. Tied down by Supreme Court, Shankarcharya and Atal Behari Vajpayee, the VHP seems to have launched a damage control exercise, lest it's seen to be beating a retreat. VHP working president Ashok Singhal announced on Sunday that he would sit on an indefinite hunger-strike, ostensibly to put pressure on the government for immediate withdrawal of security arrangements in the temple town and restoration of rail and road traffic. Mahant Ramchand Paramhans went a step further by declaring that if the disputed land was not handed over to the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, it would be taken by force. He added that construction of the Ram temple would be started this year, "the completion of which will take five years". And in a move that won't please the VHP, Faizabad Commissioner A K Gupta, who was reported to be on leave, was back on the job on Sunday. "The rule of law prevails in the twin towns. I will remain here till the government wants, I am not the one who tries to escape from the situation. I was on leave for one day and now I am back on duty," he told this website's newspaper. Problems for the VHP are growing as protests are coming not only from the local people but also from the community of sants. "Paramhans is a history-sheeter and he has never followed the rule of law," fumed Mahant Gyan Das, main trustee of the Nyas, whose president is Paramhans. "The shilas they have donated and which are now in government custody were not ordinary stones once these were consecrated. These are pieces of religious reverence and should be kept at a proper place." He has also written a letter to Singhal saying that a 'criminal' should never be trusted with a responsibility like construction of the Ram temple. Singhal, meanwhile, alleged that the temple town had been converted into a concentration camp and blamed the PMO for cancelling rail services and putting curbs on road traffic. Mahant Gyan Das was ready with a response: "What has led to such a situation. We have paid the price of living under a curfew-like situation for the past 18 days. It was because of the VHP's decision (of temple construction) taken without any consultation with other members of Janmbhoomi Nyas that forced the government to impose such restrictions." While Singhal has extended his stay in Ayodhya, Acharya Giriraj Kishore joined him on Sunday. "The government should take practical steps to restore normalcy," he said. Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri has already said that restrictions would be lifted from the twin towns soon and has also written to the Ministry of Railways for restoring its services without any delay."
Monday, March 18, 2002
Natasha Singh, estranged daughter-in-law of Natwar Singh, found dead
NEW DELHI: At around 7am, when the police reached the first floor terrace garden, it seemed like a clear-cut case of murder. But by the evening, the police weren't so sure. Natasha Singh, estranged wife of Jagat Singh, son of Congress leader Natwar Singh could have committed suicide. Preliminary examination of Singh's body at the spot, suggested that she had an extensive head injury. Her face was bruised and as DCP (southwest) Taj Hassan described it, "There were various types of injuries on her body." Police further said that besides the hands and legs, the ribs had also been broken. However, what seemed to strengthen the murder theory was the discovery of two wounds in the lower back, leading the police to believe that she had been shot. DCP Hassan further said that a doctor and former director of the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory B N Sehgal had also visited the spot to give their take on the whole incident. Sehgal said that while no cartridges were found on the spot, and the lack of the exit wounds, it was difficult to say if Singh had been shot dead. He however added that it was also possible that she could have been stabbed. In the afternoon, while conducting the investigation with the help of the Crime Branch, the southwest district police registered a case of murder. Senior police officials clearly stated that they were conducting a "murder investigation." It was definitely not a case of suicide. However, they added that what was debatable was murder weapon which hadn't yet been recovered. Police weren't sure if it was a bullet wound. In the afternoon, DCP Hassan and DCP M S Upadhyaya (Crime Branch) said that, "Since there are no exit bullet wounds on the body, we can't say if a gun was used for the murder. This will only be revealed after the post-mortem has been conducted." The bullet wounds fast turned into a stab injury, when another senior police official said that the two puncture wounds could have been made by a stiletto, a type of a knife. He had explained that a stab from a stiletto looked like wounds made from a bullet, but the blood loss as a result of this injury was less. The case got even more convoluted as the day progressed. When asked about the SMS messages sent by Natasha Singh to her friends talking of Singh needing "another world", DCP Hassan and DCP Upadhyaya said, "We are getting the details of the SMS messages and it is too early to say. We are trying to locate the link between the two." However by about 5.30 pm, when Singh's murder had been established, the post-mortem report, according to the police, indicated something totally different. By about 8pm, the two DCPs were "not ruling out suicide." DCP Hassan clarified, "We have registered a case of 302 (murder) and are conducting investigations accordingly. It is not an inquest proceeding as is the case in a suicide. The time and cause of death will only be verified after the viscera has been examined. There is some verification left before we arrive at a final conclusion." The SMS messages took on a different turn even as the post-mortem revealed that Natasha Singh had consumed a lot of alcohol. DCP Hassan said, "There were no bullet injuries or stab wounds. The viscera has been preserved. A bottle of Something Special, a whiskey brand was found on the terrace of the hotel. The 750ml bottle was three-fourths empty." While the Delhi Police tried to put speculations at rest, it was finally an open-ended investigation. Whether Natasha Singh jumped to her death or was brutally murdered is something the police are postponing for Monday.
Monday, March 18, 2002
Natasha sent 'suicide messages' to friends before her death
NEW DELHI: "I want Hanut to light my funeral pyre." This was one of the last SMS messages that Natasha Singh's friends received from her. And it was enough to alarm them to the extent that they filed a missing person's complaint with the police. Natasha reportedly started messaging her friends from around 10.30 pm including one to her estranged husband. And all the messages were similar in content. For instance, one friend received an SMS around 11.35 pm saying, "Debs just tell the kids I adored them and I really tried. I don't blame anyone. Just need another world. Thank you for all your support." Natasha's friends reportedly started calling her up from 11pm onwards but with no response. Another friend who received similar messages was Sushmita Dev who was also her lawyer. Alarmed at the type of messages, Dev called up Malvika Rajkotia, her superior and also Natasha's friend, at around midnight informing her about the messages. Rajkotia advised her to immediately file a missing person report with the police which she did. Dev apparently called up the Greater Kailash I police station around 2 am and told them that Singh had been missing and that they wanted a search to be launched for her. Dev then followed this up with a visit to the station. The police in turn flashed a message with her car details. "Sushmita told me that Natasha had been sending SMS messages to various friends. And though she was an avid user of the SMS, what was alarming was the content," said Rajkotia. Some of the messages that Natasha had reportedly sent her friends said, "It's time to move onto a better place" and "Take good care of my sons". But Malvika is having a tough time believing that Natasha may have committed suicide. "She had no reason at this point of time to end her life. I last met her 10 days ago and things were looking up for her. She was extremely excited about her exhibition on the women inmates of Tihar which was due soon and she was extremely devoted to her children. That itself was reason enough not to end her life," she said. And the timing itself has her puzzled. "I first met Natasha in August 2000 which was the worst period of her life. She had managed to pull herself out of that and things were improving in her life. Why would she want to kill herself now?" she questions.
Sunday, March 17, 2002
Hindu activists ransack Orissa assembly
BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - Some 500 Hindu activists ransacked the legislature in Orissa on Saturday in a protest linked to the explosive row over a disputed holy site in Ayodhya, police said. The mob, waving saffron flags and carrying traditional symbolic Hindu tridents, charged through the gates of the complex and ransacked the assembly, breaking windows and damaging furniture. "There has been a security lapse," said N.C. Padhi, police director-general of the state. "Fifty people have been arrested." A police inquiry has also been ordered, he added. Hundreds had been staging a sit-in outside the legislature in support of Hindu demands that a temple dedicated to the warrior-god Ram be built on the site of a Muslim mosque razed by Hindus a decade ago in the northern town of Ayodhya. A group broke away and invaded the assembly, crying "Hail Lord Ram", police said. The row over the temple's construction has been at the heart of a recent wave of religious violence in which more than 700 people, most of them Muslims, have been killed in Gujarat. The Gujarat killings were triggered on February 27 when a Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu devotees from Ayodhya, triggering riots in which 3,000 people died.
Friday, March 15, 2002
Hussain's obsession with Madhuri ends
His Madhuri Dixit obsession seems to have waned, post-Gaja Gamini. Painter-cine-maker Maqbool Fida Hussain, who was earlier dubbed Madhuri Fida Hussain, has opted for another actress, Tabu for his next venture Meenaxi, launched on March 8 in Jaisalmer. Earlier on, there were talks that he was keen to cast Sushmita Sen as the protagonist (or was it for yet another film?). The other artists of Meenaxi are yet to be finalised. Three songs tuned by AR Rehman have been slated to be canned in Hyderabad and Prague. One foregone conclusion about Meenaxi is that the cinematography will be first-rate. After all, Santosh Sivan will be framing it all up.
Friday, March 15, 2002
Rao, Buta acquitted in JMM case
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday acquitted former premier P V Narasimha Rao and his then cabinet colleague Buta Singh in JMM MPs bribery case. Pronouncing the judgment in a jam-packed court, Justice R S Sodhi reversed the September 29, 2000 trial court order convicting the duo in the politically sensitive case. Allowing the appeals against the trial court order that convicted them of bribing four JMM MPs to get their support to the Congress government during July 1993 no-confidence motion, Justice Sodhi said the statement of approver in the case was not sufficient evidence against them. Rao and Singh were convictied by special judge Ajit Bharihoke for bribing four JMM MPs to get their support during the no-confidence motion faced by the Congress government. Rao and Singh had raised several questions regarding acceptance of approver's statement as evidence saying the trial court ignored the legal and procedural "technicalities" involved in it. Accepting the argument by their counsel the high court said in view of the absence of any corraborative evidence to support approver's statement, the trial court order is set aside. The court also rejected the revision petition by the Rashtriya Mukti Morcha (RMM), the main complainant in the case, challenging acquittal of nine other accused in the case. The court said there was no merit in the petition in the absence of any evidence against the persons acquitted. In its September 29, 2000 judgement the trial court acquitted Union Minister Ajit Singh, former union minister Satish Sharma, former Haryana and Karnataka chief ministers Bhajan Lal and Veerappa Moily, two former Karnataka ministers Rama Linga Reddy and M Thime Gowda, former MP V Rajeshwar Rao and two Bangalore-based liquor barons. The court said that approver Mahato "is an unreliable witness and there is no corraborative evidence to support his confessional statement." Both the CBI and the defence had "agreed" during the argument that except Mahato's statement there was no other evidence in the case.
Friday, March 15, 2002
Amitabh Bachchan: Plays A Dangerous Game!
Marketing has become an important facet of the film world. We saw 'Lagaan' setting the trend with 'comic books' et al. And now Gaurang Doshi, producer of 'Aankhen' (a film based on a bank robbery) claims to be strategizing. Recently, the Big B launched a game CD of the film of which he's very much a part. And on occasions such as these, how can one ever miss out on the Bachchan humour. Amitabh claims that robbing the bank on the game CD was much more difficult than in reel life. Nonetheless, the game will be making its way into music stores and you could well be part of a dangerous game too. All this at your own risk!
Friday, March 15, 2002
March 15 Box-Office Position
Latest Bollywood Box-Office Position This week, there are no new releases. Next week, three films are getting released -- Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai (starring Jackie Shroff, Amisha Patel, Aftab Shivdasani), 16 December (starring Milind Soman, Danny Denzongpa) and Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai (starring Govinda, Rani Mukherjee). Let's see which movies fare well at the box-office. Many big banner movie got released this year (2002) but still none of them set the box-office on fire. The only film which falls in the hit category is the small budget film and suspense thriller Raaz starring the almost-newcomers Bipasha Basu and Dion Morea. Last week saw the release of action film Kranti starring Vinod Khanna, Bobby Deol and Amisha Patel. The film has been rejected both by the critics as well as by the audience. The opening of the film is much below mark (approx 60%) which usually is not the case for a Bobby Deol starrer. There is very little chance that the film will revive. The two other factors contributing to low turnout are ongoing tension over the Ayodhya issue in the country and school/collges examinations. The second week's collections of the Salman-Sushmita-Diya starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge has dropped at almost all the places. The film will be a loser to all the distributors. The film did a business of 39% in Mumbai (from 12 cinemas). The total collections of the film all over the country was just Rs 80 lacs. Dharmesh Darshan's Haan...Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya did a business of mere 32% in Mumbai (from 9 cinemas) in its third week. The failure of the film has not affected Akshay Kumar at all. He is now eagerly awaiting the release of his next film Aankhen co-starring Big B and Arjun Ramphal. The film boasts of a different story with a caption A Dangerous Game where Akshay plays the role of a blind man. Let's see how this film fares at the box-office but definitely there is a lot of pre-release buzz for this film. Vikram Bhatt's Raaz is still strong at many places. The fifth week's collections of the film were 54% in Mumbai (from 10 cinemas). With the success of Raaz the biggest beneficiary is the lead lady of the film Bipasha Basu. She has now got many good offers on hand -- Chor Machaye Shor, Aitbbaar and Aaj Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai. Top 5 Films of the week: 1. Raaz -- Hit 2. Kranti -- New 3. Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge -- Flop 4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham -- Super-hit 5. Haan...Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya -- Flop
Friday, March 15, 2002
Shila daan peaceful
AYODHYA: The shila daan ceremony concluded peacefully at Digambar Akhara, more than a km away from the acquired land around the disputed site here. A last-minute change of plans on account of restive crowds saw the shila daan ceremony being conducted at Digambar Akhara, the residence of Ramjanambhoomi President Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans, instead of Ramkot, as originally planned. The shila for the proposed Ram Temple was handed over to Shatrughan Singh, in-charge of the Ayodhya Cell in the Cabinet Secretariat, in the courtyard of the akhara, seat of Paramahans, after a brief puja at 3.30 pm, one hour 15 minutes behind schedule. Faizabad Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar Gupta, who is also the Receiver of the acquired land, was not present when the shila daan was done. Originally, he was to receive it. The akhara is half-a-km away from Ramkot Mohalla, the spot where the plan was to originally make the shila daan and more than a km away from the acquired land near the disputed site. Officials are understood to have convinced Paramhans and VHP leader Ashok Singhal that their plans for making the shila daan further away at Ramkot Mohalla outside the acuqired land could create problems. Senior police officials said they had to stop the procession at the akhara as they felt the crowds at Ramkot Mohalla could swell and the situation become unmanageable. Navneet Seghal, former Faizabad District Magistrate, conducted hectic negotitations before finally persuading Paramhans to agree to conducting the ceremony at his akhara itself. BJP MP from Faizabad and Bajrang Dal leader Vinay Katiyar was also present at the shila daan. However, Paramhans himself looked agitated at the turn of events and refused to talk to reporters after the ceremony. The second shila for the proposed Ram temple was also donated by Ramchandra Das Paramhans to a senior government official. According to unconfirmed reports, the state administration will allow batches of 25 people each to pay homage at the Ram Lalla temple. Ashok Singhal and the Ramjanambhoomi President Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans began the procession at about 2 pm from Karsevakpuram. They were among the 50-strong contingent taking the shila for donation to the government receiver. A crowd of about 1,000 people was accompanying the sants. The shila was taken to its destination on a cycle-cart amid chanting of shlokas and mantras. A VHP functionary said from Ayodhya that the procession left Karsevakpuram around 2 pm and reached Hanumangarhi at 2.35 pm. Shatrughan Singh, an IAS of the Uttaranchal cadre and a former Divisional Commissioner of Faizabad, is attached to the Ayodhya Cell of the Prime Minister's office. His presence as the observer is being seen as the Prime Minister's direct involvement with the shila daan ceremony. Meanwhile, the rest of Ayodhya wore a deserted look. According to unconfirmed but reliable sources the Paramhans along with a group of 25 sadhus would be allowed to walk up to the VVIP gate of Ram Janmabhoomi to donate the shila. BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said the shila would be donated on the way to the make-shift Ram temple at the disputed site here. Katiyar had a 30-minute closed-door meeting with Paramhans and VHP International Working President Ashok Singhal at the VHP workshop here. After donating the shila, the group will head for the makeshift temple and offer prayers there. There was unprecendented security in the temple town and even mediapersons had difficulty entering the city. Two contingents of Ram sevaks numbering 100-150, from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, who tried to sneak into the town through a byroad were chased away by the security forces and arrested. All shops in the city were closed and there was no build up of kar sevaks to be seen. Security personnel have virtually sealed off the VHP campuses in Karsevakpuram and Ramsevakpuram as also the outfit's workshop where its leaders, including international working president Ashok Singhal and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas president Mahant Parmhans Ramachandra Das are staying.
Thursday, March 14, 2002
New savings scheme soon
NEW DELHI, MARCH 13. Ruling out rollback in direct tax proposals, the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, today said the Government is considering a ``savings scheme'' to benefit employees of both public and private sector, specially those opting for early retirement scheme. ``We are considering a savings scheme for the entire salaried class both in the Government and private sector,'' Mr. Sinha said at a post-budget meet organised by Assocham here. -
Thursday, March 14, 2002
Tight security in Ayodhya ahead of March 15
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad's stand on the Supreme Court order has made the local administration strengthen security arrangements in Ayodhya. Security has been especially tightened in the VHP's karyashala which has emerged as the focal point of the Parishad's activity. Ayodhya on alert Ten more companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) have also been sent to the area. More riot control units have also been stationed outside Karsevakpuram. The Ayodhya administration has already barred the entry of sadhus into Ayodhya and also restricted the movement of stones in the area. Central authorization demanded Meanwhile, the VHP and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (RJN) seem adamant about going ahead with their March 15 programme despite the Supreme Court order. Faizabad Divisional Commissioner A K Gupta has however said he would receive the shila from Nyas chief Ramachandra Das Paramahans only if authorized by the Centre. "Who has given permission to them? If they have it, they should show it to me or the District Magistrate," Gupta said reacting to the announcement by VHP President Ashok Singhal and Nyas chief Ramchandra Das Paramhans that they would go ahead with their programme of conducting shila poojan and shila daan on March 15. Gupta said the entire land, including both disputed and undisputed, had been acquired by the central government and only it is authorized to permit holding of any programme. "But first we must receive something in writing from the Mahant," he said. The administration in the temple town is wary because it does not want the repeat of the situation witnessed in 1990 and 1992. The authorities have clear instructions to prevent any breach of law and order even if it meant arresting senior leaders. US limits envoys' travel In the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya, the United States said it had limited its diplomats' travel to Gujarat following communal violence there and urged US citizens to avoid the town of Ayodhya where tensions remain high. Yesterday, the Supreme Court ordered that no religious activity of any nature be allowed at the acquired land in Ayodhya and status quo be maintained there. Despite the ruling, the State Department said, "The potential for unrest continues. Due to the high risk of violence, US citizens are strongly urged to avoid travel to Ayodhya or the surrounding areas." (With inputs)
Thursday, March 14, 2002
Two killed, 30 injured in Punjab train blast
Ludhiana, March 14 Two people were killed and about 30 injured when a suspected bomb went off in a train in Punjab, a railway spokesman said Thursday. The Dhanbad Express was on its way from Doraha to Ferozepur, 122 kilometres from Chandhigarh, when one of the railway officials onboard noticed a fire in one of the compartments at about 11.00 pm, Davinder Sandhu, a spokesman for the northern railways said. "Rescue operations started immediately and the fire was brought under control about about 20 minutes later," Sandhu said. "One person was killed on the spot. Another died in hospital," he said. Senior police and other officials had reached the spot and were supervising rescue and investigation operations, he added. "Prima facie reports suggest the explosion was caused by a bomb. But forensic analysis is on to identify the kind of explosive which was used," Sandhu said.
Thursday, March 14, 2002
20 killed in Lucknow Cantt mishap
LUCKNOW: At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured on Thursday when an underground drain caved in at a military recruitment centre in Lucknow Cantonment, police said. The incident occured as hundreds of youths assembled in the ground ran helter skelter when police tried to force them to remain in queues because they were hindering traffic on the road. "This happened early in the morning when thousands of people had turned up for recruitment when an underground septic drain collapsed," Lucknow district police chief B B Bakshi said. "Twenty-one of these boys have been killed and there are no more trapped," he said. Some of the people who scaled the wall of the tank fell into it when the wall collapsed under their weight, the police said. Many of the injured were taken to a nearby Army hospital. Meanwhile, an irate mob of youths carrying three dead bodies were sitting on a dharna at the busy Hussainganj crossing on Station Road. They have been stopped from proceeding towards Vidhan Sabha Marg by the police. They also indulged in brickbatting.
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
India stick with Ganguly
Ganguly has recently returned to form with the bat India's selectors have reappointed Sourav Ganguly as captain for the tour of the West Indies, starting next month. The 29-year-old has been under pressure for some time following a string of failures with the bat. But he made his first century in 18 Tests as skipper, in the second match against Zimbabwe last month, and secured a 2-0 series victory. Hooper will captain the West Indies And he has contributed with the bat during the one-day series against the same opponents. The selectors made their decision during the third limited overs international between India and Zimbabwe in Cochin on Wednesday. India are scheduled to play five Tests and five one-day internationals on their tour of the Caribbean. India's Test squad will be announced later on Wednesday. The West Indies will stage a one-week training camp in Trinidad ahead of India's visit. Captain Carl Hooper has been retained for the series and will help select the players who will attend the camp from 21-28 March. The West Indies squad will then reconvene for the first Test against India, starting on 11 April, after the Busta Cup final, which will be staged between 4-7 April.
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Reliance among top 10 chemical companies
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) is among the two fastest growing chemical companies in Asia in a survey conducted by the American Chemical Society. In terms of sales, Reliance ranked no. 31 this year, up from 37 last year, and is the only Indian company to figure in the list. The survey, published in a recent issue of the Society’s publication, Chemical & Engineering News (C & EN), ranks the global top 50 by their chemical sales. It also charts their total sales, chemical operating profits and capital spending. Eighth highest chemical operating profits in the world Reliance, with chemical operating profits of 1,237.6 million USD, was ranked eighth among the world’s leading chemical companies. Reliance followed DuPont (USA), BASF (Germany), Dow Chemicals (USA), General Electric (USA), Bayer (Germany), SABIC (SA) and TotalFinaElf (France). Reliance’s chemical operating profits were the highest in Asia after South African company SABIC. Global chemical industry perspective The list of global 50 companies comprises 22 from Europe, 18 from the US and Canada and 10 from Asia. The top five chemical companies was led by German giant BASF, and was followed by DuPont (USA) at no. 2, Dow Chemicals (USA) at no.3, Exxon at no. 4 and Bayer (Germany) at no.5. Six companies entered the list for the first time this year - Switzerland’s Syngenta, Chinese company Sinopec, UK-based company Ineos, Canadian company Nova Chemicals and the US company Occidental Petroleum. The 50 companies together aggregated sales of $442.4 billion, up 14.3% from the previous year. 34.8% of this came from the US companies (up 15.5%), 48.3% from European companies, 10.4% from Japanese companies and 6.5% from the rest (which includes India, Saudi Arabia, China and Taiwan). Writes C&EN, The segment that clearly benefited in 2000 was the other regions grouping. From three companies with a 3.5% share of total sales in 1999, the rankings for 2000 show five companies with a 6.5% share. Sinopec and Nova joined SABIC, Reliance Industries and Formosa Plastics bringing the sales of this group to $28.9 billion, up from $13.7 billion in 1999. Reliance Industries Ltd. Reliance Industries is India’s largest private sector company in terms of net profit. It recorded total sales of Rs 28,008 crores (US$ 6,008 million) and a net profit of Rs 2,646 crores (US$ 567 million) for the year ended March 2001.
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Supreme court rules against Ayodhya ceremony
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against plans by hardline Hindus to hold special prayers at the flashpoint holy town of Ayodhya, rejecting a last-minute government plea to allow a symbolic ceremony. Justice B.N. Kripal said that no religious activity should be allowed on land around the site where a mosque was razed by Hindu extremists in 1992 until an eventual court ruling on whether it should be given to Muslims or Hindus. The court ruling had been anxiously awaited across India, reeling from religious violence which erupted in Gujarat on February 27, killing more than 700 people. "No religious activity of any kind, whether it is symbolic or actual...shall be permitted or allowed to take place," the judge said after a hearing of about 90 minutes. "No land shall be handed over to anyone until the disposal of the suit, nor shall any part of the land be permitted to be used for religious purposes." The three-judge bench rejected arguments made by Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, a government appointee, that Hindus be allowed to hold a symbolic prayer ceremony, or "puja", on Friday. "If you allow puja, will you allow namaj (Muslim prayers) tomorrow on that land? Are you not escalating the situation?" Kripal asked the Attorney General. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the coalition government, had come under intense pressure from its traditional hardline Hindu supporters to allow some form of prayer ceremony to go ahead. The ceremony was opposed by Muslims, and the BJP's secular coalition partners, amid fears that a prayer ceremony would be a prelude to building a temple on the site of the mosque, whose demolition triggered nationwide riots in which 3,000 died. The hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) -- which comes from the same ideological family as the ruling BJP -- had vowed to protest if the court ruling went against it. Authorities have virtually sealed off Ayodhya, in northern Uttar Pradesh, to stop VHP activists flooding in. Nearly 6,000 police and paramilitary forces were patrolling the streets, roads were blocked and trains cancelled. Hindu activists say the 16th-century Babri mosque was built by Muslim invaders on the birthplace of the Hindu god-king Ram, one of the most revered Hindu deities. They want to build a temple and Muslims want the mosque rebuilt. The latest violence, the worst bloodshed since 1992, began when 58 Hindu activists travelling from Ayodhya died when a Muslim mob attacked their train. The incident sparked a wave of revenge killings in which around 650 mostly Muslims were set alight or hacked to death. Thousands of survivors are still in relief camps, too terrified to return to their homes. The violence so far has been mostly confined to Gujarat. But in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, hardline Hindus torched a bus, burnt tyres and blocked roads late on Tuesday to protest the arrest of 100 of their fellow activists in a demonstration earlier. There were no injuries but the state was on high alert to guard against further trouble, police said.
Monday, March 11, 2002
Car sales increase 17% in Feb
Car sales clocked an impressive 16.5% cent increase in February mainly on account of improved sales by Maruti, Hyundai and Telco. Total sales stood at 54,229 cars in February 2002 as against 46,532 cars in the same month last year, according to data compiled by SIAM. Maruti Udyog posted a 4.5% rise in sales at 30,905 units as against 29,562 units in February 2001. Cumulative sales of cars between April-February 2001-02 dipped marginally to 5.04 lakh cars from 5.05 lakh cars. Commercial vehicle sales dipped by 7.9% to 12,372 units in February 2002 units from 13,674 units in the year-ago period. The decline is attributed to a 12.9% fall in medium and heavy category and a 3.5% slump in the sales of light commercial vehicles. Riding on the back of a booming motorcycle market, which posted a spectacular 54.4% growth in sales, the overall two-wheeler sales shot up 27.6%. Scooter sales, however, dwindled by 8%.
Monday, March 11, 2002
PM vows to maintain status quo in Ayodhya
New Delhi, March 11: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Monday assured the Lok Sabha that government would not allow any activity in the undisputed site in Ayodhya till the Supreme Court gave its verdict. "Government will not allow any activity in Ayodhya till the Supreme Court which is going to hear the case on March 13 pronounces its judgement," Vajpayee said responding to queries from agitated Opposition Members on government's stand in the light of threat given by VHP to go ahead with symbolic puja on March 15. Asserting that the situation in Ayodhya "is totally under control", Vajpayee hoped the view to be taken by the court would help in finding a final solution to the Ayodhya dispute. Terming as "an important announcement" the commitment given by Ram Janmabhoomi Trust that it would abide by the court verdict, Vajpayee said negotiations were underway for an out of court settlement and the entire House should help in achieving it. Reiterating that the government was committed to finding a solution either through negotiations or a court verdict, the Prime Minister said his government is determined to maintain law and order in the temple town. Giving details about security arrangements, Vajpayee said over 3,200 personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 1,800 men from Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 400 constables and 100 sub-inspectors of UP police have been deployed in Ayodhya. Vajpayee's assurance came after nearly 45 minutes of heated exchanges between Opposition and ruling NDA Members with former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav voicing serious concern and seeking a categorical statement from the Prime Minister in view of conflicting remarks by his Ministers, seers and VHP leaders. Rejecting Yadav's allegation that Ayodhya was burning, Vajpayee said "Ayodhya is quiet" and the Trust has given a commitment in writing to go by the court verdict. He recalled that the Trust had earlier made a written request to government to allow it to perform puja in the acquired and undisputed land. Vajpayee said Ayodhya issue is not part of the NDA agenda nor it had been referred to by the President in his addresses. Describing the Ayodhya issue as "complex and serious", he said so far no success has been achieved in arriving at a settlement and there has also been delay in getting a court verdict owing to the judicial system. He, however, said some restrictions had been removed in Ayodhya as these were causing undue inconvenience to the people.
Monday, March 11, 2002
Three lakh ‘Shri Ram bricks’ piled up in Ayodhya
Ayodhya, March 11: As the tussle over the ownership of the disputed land in Ayodhya continues with full vigour, a frail octogenarian sadhu, unmindful of it, is completely engrossed in his "most important task"to take care of a pile of bricks. After all, these three lakh bricks are not ordinary. With Shri Ram inscribed on them, the bricks are the ones proposed to be used for the seat of an idol of lord Ram planned to be built by VHP at the disputed site in Ayodhya. "It is not any recent assignment of mine. I have been performing this task for the last 13-odd years," remarks Chaitanya Maharaj sitting on a bed in his small room in the VHP's office, barely 200 metres from the disputed site. "Taking care of these bricks and to ensure no damage is done to these is of utmost important to me as they represent the sentiments of crores of people in India," adds Chaitanya Maharaj, who appears to be weary but does not fail in his task of preserving the bricks. The bricks have been "donated" by three lakh villages from across the country after a call by the VHP, and have been lying in the courtyard since 1989. Special yagyas were performed in each village and one brick prepared especially for the purpose of contribution towards construction of the Ram temple.
Monday, March 11, 2002
US scientist looks for Jesus' body in Kashmir tomb
An American researcher who believes she has found the final resting place of Jesus Christ is campaigning to exhume a body at a Muslim shrine in Kashmir for scientific tests. Suzanne Marie Olsson, a New York-based researcher is currently in Srinagar, studying the Muslim shrine of Rozabal. While Muslims say Rozabal houses the tomb of Yuza Asaf, a Muslim saint, many researchers believe it contains the body of Jesus Christ. To put an end to speculation Olsson has suggested exhuming the remains at Rozabal for DNA testing and carbon dating. "This will trace him (the saint) to his origin ... and resolve the raging controversy over the identity of the place forever," she told the Sunday edition of Kashmir's leading daily, the Greater Kashmir. Olsson has already dug up a shrine at the Murree hill station in Pakistan under the supervision of archaeologists Ahmad Hassan Dani and Saida Rahman. Muree is believed to be the resting place of Jesus' mother, Mary (Marium). "The exhumed remains have been sent for the DNA testing and the report is awaited," she told the newspaper. "Now Rozabal holds the key. If the remains there are sent for testing and then tallied with the results of the Murree project, it will either establish the link between the two shrines as being of similar origin and thus authenticate the Marium-Jesus theory or prove it wrong for good." However, her project has run into trouble with the managers of the Rozabal shrine, who are strongly opposed to its "desecration". "We will never allow it," said Mohammed Amin, one of the managers. But Olsson, stressing the "purely scientific nature of her work" and her identity as a "seeker of truth", is pleading to be allowed to "verify the origin and identity of the saint" to put to rest wild speculation. She has even written to Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for help. Olsson also believes Moses is buried in Bandipore in north Kashmir, the Islamic prophet Haroun at Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar, and Solomon at Takht-i-Suliaman in Srinagar. "You have more Christian holy sites than even Egypt or Israel," she said in her appeal to the chief minister. Olsson says she wants to unravel the truth about the shrines so that Kashmir, ravaged by a decade-long insurgency that has claimed 35,000 lives, can become a pilgrimage centre for Christians and Muslims.
Monday, March 11, 2002
India thump Zimbabwe at Mohali
India avenged its surprise defeat in Faridabad with a 64-run rousing win over Zimbabwe within 44 overs in the second ODI at Mohali. Chasing a mammoth 320 to win, the tourists started their innings with a rollicking stand between Alistair Campbell and Travis Friend who were involved in a 134-run partnership for the second wicket - a record for Zimbabwe against India- before the pressure of chasing a total of 300 plus took its toll on them. Man-of-the-match Sourav Ganguly claimed after the game that he knew all along that with the runs they scored today, victory was a regulation. Both teams did not make any changes in their line up though Indian coach John Wright did drop some hints to that effect. Indian innings: The Mohali wicket, not as hard as usual, with a sprinkling of grass on it, was still a batting beauty despite overnight rain. Skipper Sourav Ganguly, winning his second consecutive toss, decided to take first strike. That was because of the fact that sides batting first here have had a 71 per cent success rate. India started with a bang reaching fifty in the seventh over after Dinesh Mongia survived a LBW appeal from Heath Streak off the first ball of the match. Mongia slapped one through the square region for a boundary to open his account and with it the floodgates. He drove Streak through cover with panache and followed it up with an exquisite square drive. Ganguly began with a patent square cut and then hooked Friend when he pitched one short. Zimbabwe's problems were compounded by indisciplined bowling, by Friend in particular. He bowled five wides in the 11th over handing the advantage to the Indians. Twenty-eight runs came off over numbers six and seven forcing skipper Stuart Carlisle to advance his bowling change. Gary Brent bowled the eighth over and slowed things down. Significantly, the run-orgy was achieved without the services of Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag. India got to the hundred-run mark in style with Ganguly mailing medium pacer Grant Berry over the long-off fence. However, Dinesh Mongia (45 off 52 balls) tried the lofted drive once too often and was caught at mid-off by Friend off the bowling of Marillier. (108/1) With a temperament beyond his years, the only worrying factor in Mongia's batting is the number of dot balls, which totaled 35 in today's innings. Ganguly then put on 79 runs with V V S Laxman in 14 overs at a rate of 5.5 runs per over, and set the Indian innings soaring. Ganguly completed his fourth consecutive fifty in ODIs off a mere 51 balls [15 singles and 27 dots]. His knock of 86 runs came to an end when he was caught outside the crease by a direct throw from the deep by Heath Streak. Patting the ball down to third man, Ganguly hesitated for a few crucial jiffies before setting off for the run, which made all the difference as he was well short of the crease while returning for a double. Despite his niggling injury, Ganguly played an astute knock, combining judicious batting with calculated risks. His 86 comprised 25 singles. Fears of a slowdown in the scoring rate were dispelled when Rahul Dravid, coming in at the fall of Ganguly's wicket, and Laxman kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and finding the fence with regularity. The Laxman-Dravid partnership of 55 runs off 61 balls held the innings together in the middle overs without slowing the run rate. India has often lost tempo in this stage and with it the plot to building mammoth totals during the crucial 30-40 over period. In the Faridabad one-dayer, a mere 38 runs came in the same period without a single boundary. Laxman got to his second successive fifty of the current one-day series with a flick off Travis Friend in the 38th over. But he was dismissed two overs later top-edging Friend to point where Ebrahim took a simple catch in difficult light. Forty-six of the 58 runs that Laxman scored were off singles and twos, underlining yet again the dot-ball theory coach Wright has been propagating in the dressing room. Craig Wishart then dropped a pull by Dravid at midwicket off the bowling of Marillier. Sensing luck favouring him, the orthodox Dravid gathered his one-day experience and played a cute reverse-sweep to the third man fence. Kaif followed Laxman to the dressing room soon after. He was ready to play the reverse-sweep when Grant Flower stopped in his delivery stride and castled him when Kaif tried to play a sweep and missed the line of the ball. He scored 15. Dravid scored a fifty (his 36th in ODIs) off 48 balls with more than fifty per cent the runs coming from singles and twos. He will be proud of it as will be coach Wright. Agarkar, promoted ahead of Sanjay Bangar, failed to repeat his Faridabad cameo and holed out to Marillier in the deep off Brent. Bangar bagged his second consecutive duck of the series offering a simple catch to Wishart at mid-wicket. Harbhajan struck some lusty blows late in the innings before his home crowd and India raced away to 319 off their fifty overs. India scored 73 runs in the final ten overs for the loss of three wickets, which augured well for the side after the upset defeat in Faridabad Zimbabwe innings: Already facing the daunting task chasing a 300-plus total under lights, Zimbabwe were also docked an over for their slow innings rate. Alistar Campbell had a new opening partner in Dion Ebrahim instead of Craig Wishart. But the move back-fired when Agarkar struck in his very first over. Ebrahim nicked him straight to V V S Laxman at second slip. Agarkar almost had new man Friend when a snorter of a delivery took the gloves and flew over Laxman. In his third over, Agarkar dropped Friend off his own bowling and was then collared for two fours on either side of the wicket. Travis Friend thumped a short one from Ajit Agarkar to the point boundary; cracked Zaheer to the long-off fence and then hit two consecutive aerial straight drives of the same bowler. On a wicket that was playing true, the Zimbabweans reply, spearheaded by promoted batsman Friend, was frenetic and threatening. The fifteenth over bowled by Bangar saw Ganguly drop an uppish on-drive; possibly due to the lights. A lethargic Ganguly then failed to arrest an off-drive from Friend's blade. Dancing down the wicket, Friend then posted Kumble over long off taking the team score to 100 and also registering his half-century. Harbhajan finally got India the crucial breakthrough drawing Friend out of the crease for Ratra to whip the bails off and effect a clean stumping. Zimbabwe at 138/2 in 22 overs were still in the driver's seat with the Flower brothers to follow. But Friend, who had a dreadful spell with the ball in the afternoon, had repaid the faith the Zimbabwean think-tank placed in him when they sent him in again at the fall of the first wicket. His 64 runs off 60 deliveries had 32 runs in the 'V' area - underlining the value of straight clean hitting. Harbhajan bailed India out yet again when he had Alistair Campbell trapped in front in his second over. Zimbabwe had lost two key wickets in the space of five runs. From 138/1, the tourists slipped to 143/3 slowing the thrilling run-chase. At 148/3 after 25 overs, Zimbabwe were spot on with the Flower brothers at the crease though Andy was having trouble with an injury to his leg. Harbhajan, who was on a roll, ran out Grant Flower when his brother Andy tapped one to the on-side and set off for a run before changing his mind. Keeper Ajay Ratra got to the ball and threw it to Harbhajan at the non-striker's end with Grant Flower well short of his crease. [166/4] Andy Flower, playing with a runner, was the next to go in the 34th over when part-time spinner Dinesh Mongia, bowling his harmless tweakers, had the left-hander chopping the ball onto his stumps. [204/5] Ajit Agarkar then dismissed skipper Stuart Carlisle in the first over of his second spell for 25. At this point, Zimbabwe lost the momentum of the chase. [212/6] Despite the flurry of wickets and the mounting asking rate, the threat of Doug Marillier rankled the Indians. But it was ephemeral as he perished attempting a grand heave off Mongia, looking to clear mid-wicket and getting a top-edge. Keeper Ratra took a well-judged running catch chasing the ball to square-leg. The hero of Faridabad scored a mere two runs. [219/7] The rookie spinner claimed his third wicket clattering Wishart's stumps to leave Zimbabwe tottering at 229/8. Kumble and Harbhajan then shared the last two wickets between them as the Zimbabwe innings folded for 255 with five overs remaining. Harbhajan finished with three wickets, including the all-important ones of Friend and Campbell in quick succession. Dinesh Mongia added to India's bowling options in limited overs by claiming three wickets that slowed down the Zimbabwean innings. India walked away with quite a few positives from the game. More than anything, it realised its potential by playing to a plan - taking the singles, rotating the strike, fielding well, taking the catches and, most important, realising that a collective effort is required to be on the winning side. With two catches, a stumping and a run-out besides keeping the team on its toes, Ajay Ratra is another positive. It defies logic as to why the selectors think that this youngster is not yet ready for Test cricket. With the series now level at one match each, India should look to start their preparations for the world cup by cleaning up the tourists 4-1 keeping in mind that their opponents are no pushovers in the shorter version of the game.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Sourav likely to play despite injury
Stuart Carlisle is trying to follow in the footsteps of Nasser Hussain. The England captain had proved that the Indians are vulnerable to pressure. They can plunge to the depths of despair from positions of strength in no time. The Zimbabweans got their first taste of success in Faridabad when Douglas Marillier stamped his exclusive copyright over the ‘back scoop’ to romp to victory in the overs of death. The Indians seemed dazed and searching for ways to stop the mayhem. The psychological edge gained from the opening one-dayer seems to have worked wonders for the visitors. We’ve got back our self-belief, was Carlisle’s opinion. His counterpart, Sourav Ganguly is unwilling to allow them to make any further inroads. An injury near his right knee may have hindered his fitness but the Indian skipper is determined to play the second game tomorrow. He knows only too well that with Sachin Tendulkar, Jawagal Srinath and Virender Sehwag missing, his absence will only boost the Zimbabweans’ confidence going into the day-night clash. They will then be ahead in the psychological warfare department even before the game starts. Sourav, though, played it safe at the press conference this evening. I’m a lot better today. There’s a bit of swelling but I should be okay. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow... The MRI report came through this morning. It’s a natural ligament strain and a mild injury. We should manage with massage and ultrasound treatment.We will have to wait till tomorrow to see if he can play, team physio Andrew Leipus told The Telegraph. The Indian captain also played down fears that risking playing tomorrow’s game could aggravate matters, especially with the tight schedule ahead. It’s not that bad to rule me out of the West Indies tour, Sourav said. What is keeping Sourav worried is a little stiffness in the area of the injury, which he had strapped during practice at the PCA Stadium. After a bit of stretching, he did bat at the nets for a while. While batting should not be a major problem, it is the running around he has to do on the field that could prove troublesome. If Sourav plays, the Faridabad XI is unlikely to see any other change. Shiv Sundar Das will get a chance only if Sourav makes himself unavailable. The batting order will also see no alteration Sourav opening with local boy Dinesh Mongia, V.V.S. Laxman at No.3, followed by Rahul Dravid if India bat first. In case of a chase, Dravid will fall back to No. 5 with Mohammed Kaif taking his place. John Wright struck a positive note saying that the one-wicket loss was a thing of the past. We’ve recovered from the setback. There’s been a post-mortem and we should go and win the next one, said the coach. Tackling Marillier’s slam-bang tactics will be a problem if he decides to do an encore but Sourav was hoping for better luck. We can’t do much if he does it everyday. We’ve watched his videos in team meetings and worked a plan to sort it out. It can’t happen everyday. We’ve got over the Marillier effect. There are still four matches to go, the skipper emphasised. Chasing targets has been a problem with this side and it could be difficult under lights if a good start is not achieved. A few quick wickets and the panic button will be pressed automatically. Sourav knows it well and thus can’t risk sitting out. The pitch had a fair sprinkling of grass till late evening and it remains to be seen how much of it is retained tomorrow. The even bounce apart, there will be some assistance to the pacers in the first session. Marillier’s crucial knock is, however, not a guarantee for a promotion in the batting-order from his No. 10 spot. We’re not going to rush into that. Maybe one place up said Carlisle. The Zimbabwean captain sounded cautious. We hope to continue in our winning mode. In Faridabad, individual brilliance won us the game but it is the team effort we are stressing on. We need to lift our performance by 30 to 40 per cent to stay on course, Carlisle said. But even a mediocre showing can achieve amazing results if a Marillier decides to do a Houdini. TEAMS (likely) INDIA: Sourav Ganguly/S.S. Das, Dinesh Mongia, V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Kaif, Sanjay Bangar, Ajay Ratra, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan. ZIMBABWE: Alistair Campbell, Craig Wishart, Travis Friend, Andy Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Dion Ebrahim, Heath Streak, Douglas Marillier, Tatenda Taibu, Gary Brent. Umpires: Aloke Bhattacharya, F. Tarapore Match timing: From 2.30 pm on DD Sports
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Sinha to discuss LPG price hike issue with PM
Finance minister Yashwant Sinha said today that he would discuss the issue of rolling back the hikes of LPG and kerosene prices with Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. Sinha, who had earlier ruled out any roll back of LPG price hike of Rs 40 per cylinder in the budget, said: "I am neither ruling in the possibility nor ruling out the possibility." Asked if it was true that the PM has agreed for a discussion on the issue as announced by petroleum minister Ram Naik yesterday, Sinha said : "I have also read it in the newspaper. I will discuss the matter with the PM." Sinha also voiced concern over the mounting fiscal deficit, and said the strength of the economy lay in strong macro economic fundamentals. "A large fiscal deficit has the problem in spilling over to the external sector and create a balance of payment crisis. The largest import bill is of petroleum products, which has the potential of destabilising the economy," he said. Justifying the hard decisions taken in the budget, he said: "While poverty elimination would be our main goal, we must manage our affairs and also learn to make sacrifices. Those who don't learn to make sacrifices will be heading towards the doors of IMF." Citing the examples of Brazil and argentina, Sinha said the comfortable forex reserves of $50 billion could evaporate in no time if the external sector was not managed well.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
$299-m rise in forex reserves
COUNTRY'S forex reserves have increased by another $299 million to touch $50.744 billion for the week ended March 1 as compared to $50.445 billion in the previous week, according to the weekly statistical supplement of the RBI. Reserves have been rising steadily on account of substantial FII dollar inflows into the markets over the past week, according to forex dealers. "February saw good inflows to the extent of $483.5 million. In the first week of March inflows have been to the extent of $85 million. The apex bank has also been mopping up supplies," a forex dealer said. Meanwhile, the rupee ended the week at 48.74/7450. The rupee remained range bound for the initial half of the week but witnessed some volatility during trading in the latter half of the week. "There has not been much genuine dollar demand in the market. Nationalised banks continue to play both sides, supporting the currency when it falls, and letting it slip when it strengthened beyond 48.68.We will see this two way volatility in the currency for a while now," a forex dealer said. According to the RBI's weekly statistical supplement, foreign currency assets increased by $ 160 million to touch $47.692 billion for the week ended March 1.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Pak offers to pull troops first
Pakistan on Saturday offered to hold military-level talks with India to consider the withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the border, followed by a pull-back of Indian troops. Talking to a group of Indian journalists in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said the political and psychological tensions that prevailed between India and Pakistan were defused due to efforts by friendly countries. "If necessary, there could be military-level talks between New Delhi and Islamabad for the withdrawal of Pakistan forces from the borders first followed by India," he said. Asked why Pakistan on its own should not withdraw its troops first, he said this was not possible in view of the prevailing 'mistrust' between the two countries. He said: "Withdrawal of troops by one country could tempt the other side to take an aggressive action." Pakistan had earlier proposed for a simultaneous withdrawal of troops by both the countries to be followed by commencement of bilateral talks on contentious issues, including Kashmir. On Friday Interior Minister Moinudeen Haider extended a surprise invitation to Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani to visit Islamabad to sort out all contentious issues. Sattar said as a result of efforts by some influential friends from the international community, tensions between India and Pakistan came down at the political and psychological level. Agencies
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Opposition blasts `puja' move
NEW DELHI, MARCH. 9. All the main Opposition parties, the Congress, the CPI(M) and the CPI, today deplored the Government's decision to permit `puja' at Ayodhya near the disputed site and the lifting of restrictions on kar sevaks. ``The status quo cannot be tampered with and even a symbolic ceremony should not be held without the court's permission,'' the Congress spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, said. The party said that nothing should be done to disturb the status quo, and the proposed puja on the land acquired by the Government would be ``illegal and impermissible''. Court permission for the ceremony would have to come before March 15 or else it should not be gone through. The CPI and the CPI(M) also condemned the Government's move to allow a symbolic `bhoomi puja' on undisputed land and warned that it would have ``serious and adverse repercussions on national unity''. The CPI(M) politburo said the Centre had surrendered to the VHP by agreeing to allow the puja and transfer the acquired land for temple construction. ``This is a clear violation of the Supreme Court verdict to maintain the status quo and the assurance given in the President's Address.'' The announcement by the Minister of State for Home, I.D. Swami, that the restrictions on the movement of kar sevaks would be eased ``exposes the role of the Central Government as a facilitator of subversion of the rule of law''. ``To term the function as `symbolic' is to throw dust in the people's eyes since the presence of tens of thousands of kar sevaks cannot be kept `symbolic''', the party said. Referring to the assurance given by the VHP/Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, the party said it could not be trusted as the assurances in 1992 were broken without batting an eyelid. Syed Shahabuddin, president of the All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) and the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee, deplored the ``fraternisation'' between Mr. Swami on his official visit to Ayodhya with the leaders of the groups which were challenging the authority of State and threatening to violate the status quo order of the Supreme Court.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Congress against puja
Congress against 'symbolic' puja at Ayodhya The Congress on Saturday asked the central government to maintain status quo in Ayodhya and asserted that any attempt to perform a 'symbolic' puja on the acquired land would be 'illegal and impermissible'. Party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters that even if the parties concerned reached an amicable settlement, it would be incomplete till the court did not put its seal of approval. Expressing apprehensions about the implications of the various steps taken by the government in the last few days, including lifting of restrictions on pilgrims, he also strongly objected to the visit by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs I D Swami to Ayodhya 'giving the impression that he was visiting as a 'karsewak' rather than a Union minister'.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
We will follow court’s order on puja: PM
NEW DELHI, MARCH 9: A day ahead of a crucial meeting of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee moved swiftly to allay apprehensions within the community over the VHP and Ram Janambhoomi Nyas’s plans to perform a puja near the disputed site in Ayodhya on March 15 when he announced that his government would abide by Supreme Court directions on an Ayodhya-related petition which comes up for hearing on March 13. The prime minister with the All India Organisation of Imams and Mosques delegation at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. ‘‘If the court says one does not have a right to perform the puja or the place is such which cannot be touched, then a new episode will begin. If the court says that it is only a question of one day and puja can be performed, then efforts to resolve the old issue will have to be continued,’’ Vajpayee told a delegation of imams. Vajpayee also set the ball rolling for the board meeting in New Delhi tomorrow when his mediator, Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, sent the AIMPLB a written proposal on solving the Ayodhya tangle. ‘‘We have received this evening a written proposal from the seer urging us to allow the Nyas to construct the temple on the undisputed land in lieu of their agreeing to abide by the court verdict on the disputed site,’’ Board spokesman SQR Illyas said. He said under the proposal the VHP would build a boundary wall around the disputed site where the Babri Masjid stood before its demolition, prior to beginning the temple construction work. However, he added, the Board had not yet received a copy of the written undertaking given by the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to the government to abide by the court verdict on the disputed site and the VHP’s temple construction plan sought by it during the meeting with the Kanchi seer. Illyas maintained that the Board per se was opposed to the puja because ‘‘it is an initiation for eventually building the temple.’’ That it was still not all clear for the VHP to go ahead with its March 15 programme was evident today when Vajpayee told a delegation of Imams of 11 states, who approached him under the banner of the All-India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, that all parties concerned would have to abide by the court decision. He maintained that the stand taken by the VHP and the mediation by the Kanchi Shankaracharya had led to the creation of a ‘‘conducive atmosphere’’ for ‘‘speedy resolution’’ of the Ayodhya issue. He said the process could be expedited because of the ‘‘commitment given by the VHP to honour the court’s verdict in respect of the disputed site in Ayodhya.’’ Calling the change in the VHP’s stand on the disputed site ‘‘a big development,’’ Vajpayee urged the Muslim community to appreciate the move. ‘‘Earlier, they were saying they did not recognise the role of the judiciary in this dispute. Now they have changed their position on this matter. This has created a positive atmosphere.’’ On March 14, another meeting between the Imams and the Kanchi Shankaracharya has been fixed in Delhi. When he addressed the delegation, Vajpayee began by saying he was both happy and grieved. ‘‘Thoda khushi (somewhat happy),’’ was how he chose to describe his feelings over the movement on Ayodhya talks and ‘‘thoda gam (somewhat grieved)’’ over what had happened in Gujarat. He assured the delegation that those behind the Gujarat violence would be brought to book. Maulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi, who led the delegation, later told reporters ‘‘We hope that the VHP keeps its word and does not break it as in the past. We have urged the Government to take necessary measures to enable the court to deliver its verdict in the shortest possible time.’’ Responding to a query, Ilyasi said, ‘‘Whatever the Supreme Court decides will be acceptable to us as well.’’ He said that their organisation was different from the Board and they as ‘ulemas’ or religious heads had decided to agree with the govenrment stand.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Concentrating on film music
Madhur Bhandarkar has signed music director Raju Singh for his next film SATTA. Singh, who has been keeping away from film music, has decided to take more interest in films henceforth. It may be recalled that Singh had composed the background score of Bhandarkar's CHANDNI BAR. Meanwhile, Bhandarkar has signed Raveena Tandon to play the main lead in SATTA.
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Death toll in Gujarat riots crosses 700
AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - The death toll from India's worst religious clashes in a decade has risen to 704 with the recovery of more bodies from burnt houses Gujarat, officials said on Saturday. "The toll has gone up to 704 with recovery of more bodies from different parts of the state but we don't expect it to climb further," a police official at the state control room told Reuters. The figure included 58 people who were burnt alive when a train they were travelling on was set on fire by a Muslim mob in Gujarat's Godhra town on February 27, triggering mass killings in Ahmedabad. The train passengers were returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh where thousands of Hindus had gathered to build a temple on a site sacred to Muslims and Hindus. Officials said the situation in most parts of Gujarat was peaceful during the past 24 hours as many sensitive areas still remained under night curfew.
Saturday, March 9, 2002
Stop cross-border terrorism, US to Pak
WASHINGTON: President Bush and key US officials have asked Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf to lay off cross-border terrorism against India to create conditions for a meaningful dialogue between the two countries, a senior administration official disclosed on Thursday. "President Bush has personally told Musharraf and the US Ambassador in Pakistan also keeps telling him to stop cross-border terrorism before there can be any meaningful dialogue," the official bluntly told a group of Indian and Pakistani correspondents in a background exchange remarkable for its candour. The official freely used the expression "cross-border terrorism," and implicit in his comments was an endorsement of New Delhi's long-standing charge that Pakistan was waging a proxy war against India, a position not often acknowledged in public by US mandarins. However, the official also indicated that the American advice was having a salutary effect and Pakistan was changing its policy. Typically, cross-border infiltration decreases every winter but this year it is "noticeably down," he said. The official also suggested that the administration had reason to believe Musharraf had rolled up the ISI cells responsible for activities in Afghanistan and Kashmir, an event widely reported in the media but officially denied by Pakistan. "We are in a new day. Pakistan has to make strategic changes, not tactical ones. There is no place for cross-border terrorism and even Musharraf has agreed to that," the official explained. He continued, "Is it (cross-border terrorism) down to zero? No. But it needs to get there. That is what the President (Bush) is saying." Asked what would happen if Musharraf rejected US advice and continued with Pakistan's aggravating policies, the official candidly remarked, "We take him at his word. We will be with him if he acts. If he plays games, then there will be a problem." Seemingly agreeing with the proposition that a downturn in terrorism could lead to resumption o fthe political process and normalisation in the state, the official, who cannot be named under rules previously agreed, expressed the administration’s keen anticipation of the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He hoped all parties, including the Hurriyat, would contest the polls. But the elections needed to be free and fair and the Government of India should also permit the Hurriyat leaders to travel freely since they are Indian citizens, he said. There was less clarity on the administration's position on the prospective election in Pakistan with the official not committing to any specific views on Musharraf's continuation in office and the eligibility of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharief to contest the polls. Other remarks by the official suggested that the Bush administration would continue to lavish both attention and aid in an effort to wean Pakistan away from what is widely seen here as a disastrous decade of faulty policies.
Saturday, March 9, 2002
Bipasha Basu: Back With Bobby!
The model turned actress's performance in Vikram Bhatt's 'Raaz' led to her kitty becoming heavier with the ventures of a few lucky producers who managed to slip their way through. However, the gal has probably thought of getting back to her filmi roots which stem at her debut venture in the form of 'Ajnabee' in which she co-starred Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol. Bipasha has recently signed a film with Bobby as her co-star in a David Dhawan comedy film titled 'Chor Machaye Shor.' Someone seems to be cashing in on a great many seemingly promising offers. Way to go Bips!
Saturday, March 9, 2002
Riya Sen: Fasting To Dance!
Riya Sen has taken to fasting and skipping food in a big way. The petite young actress is shooting for her next film and is hell bent on ensuring that she looks her slimmest best. Especially in the dancing sequences. So while shooting, she survives only on water and fruits, which helps her keep her tummy flat. Guess, she hasn't heard yet that Bollywood is obsessed with voluptuous women. Will mama Moon Moon please give beti a little advice?
Saturday, March 9, 2002
Central rule imposed in UP
NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh was on Friday brought under Central rule and the newly-constituted assembly kept in suspended animation. Nearly two weeks after a fractured verdict in the assembly elections, President Narayanan approved the Union cabinet’s recommendations. He signed the proclamation after considering the report of UP governor Vishnu Kant Shastri and the Union cabinet’s recommendations sent on Thursday night, a senior home ministry official said. The proclamation, which has to be ratified by Parliament within two months, may not come up for parliamentary scrutiny with indications that the BSP and the BJP could possibly come together to form a government. Earlier in the day, defending the UP governor’s recommendation for President’s rule in the state, Prime Minister Vajpayee told the Lok Sabha that the governor had no other choice. Responding to protests from the Samajwadi Party and Left members, Vajpayee said it was not possible for the governor to leave the field open for horse-trading. He said it was clear that the arithmetic of the new assembly was not in favour of the Samajwadi Party. ‘‘It did not offer any solution,’’ he said. ‘‘It was clear that the majority of the MLAs did not want the Samajwadi Party to form the 0government,’’ he said, replying to persistent SP-Left demand that the single largest party should have been invited to form the government as per convention. In an oblique reference to the Congress position in this regard, the PM said some parties had written to the governor saying they would not support the SP. Interrupted by Congress chief whip P R Das Munshi, who wanted to know whether the BJP had already decided to support a BSP government, the PM said his party had decided to sit in the opposition. Referring to the precedent of the single largest party being invited to form the government, Vajpayee said he was in favour of setting up such a convention. Earlier, Opposition members had repeatedly cited the precedent of Vajpayee being invited by President S D Sharma to form the government without the requisite numbers in 1996. They also recalled Vajpayee’s censure motion as the leader of the Opposition against Romesh Bhandari’s action as UP governor. ‘‘Vajpayeeji himself sat on dharna against Bhandari’s action,’’ Akhi-lesh Singh (SP) said. The Opposition members also cited the Bihar governor’s invitation to Nitish Kumar to form a government though he did not have the majority. The PM responded by pointing out that motives had been imputed to the President’s decision to invite him. He said if there was a consensus on the issue, fresh efforts could be made for a new convention. The House had earlier been adjourned following noisy protests and trooping of SP members into the well. Temperature was raised with the SP members attempting to raise the issue of a newly-elected party MLA’s murder in Lucknow.
Saturday, March 9, 2002
Muslim board opposes move
NEW DELHI, MARCH 8. The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board tonight opposed any move to allow the VHP to conduct a ``symbolic puja'' at the undisputed site in Ayodhya on March 15 and threatened to approach the Supreme Court to stall it. Reacting to the Union Minister of State for Home, I.D. Swami's statement in Ayodhya that the Government might allow the VHP to conduct a ``symbolic puja'', the Board convenor, S.Q.R. Illyas said, ``The Government has no authority to permit it. It is just a receiver of the land till the title suit pending before the Allahabad High Court is settled and the land distributed according to the Ayodhya Acquisition Act.'' Mr. Illyas regretted that despite repeated reminders, the Board has not been given any written proposal by the Kanchi Sankaracharya. ``We had demanded the seer's proposal in writing, the temple construction plan of the VHP and the written undertaking given by the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to the Prime Minister that they would abide by the court verdict.'' -
Saturday, March 9, 2002
India dumps Pak's cricket invitation
NEW DELHI: India on Friday said that there is no re-think on the resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan. The statement was in response to reports from Lahore saying Pakistan planned to invite India to commemorate their Test 50th anniversary celebrations. "As far as cricket is concerned India's stand on the issue is very clear and there can be no resumption unless Pakistan takes concrete steps on the ground to end infiltration as well as cross-border terrorism," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson told reporters here. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia said Friday. "We hope that once relations between Pakistan and India improve we will invite India to play a commemorative Test as part of our golden jubilee celebrations." Pakistan and India have not played cricket against each other for nearly two years now. The Indian government refused to send its team to Pakistan in 2000 for a full Test tour. India also pulled from multi-national events at neutral venues such as Sharjah in April last year. Both teams last played in the Asian Cup league game in Dhaka, Bangladesh in May 2000. India last year also pulled its team from the ongoing Asian Test championship. On the issue of Pakistan granting amnesty to 2,000 arrests that have been made by the Pakistan government, the spokesperson said, ``this only shows how serious Pakistan is in ending terrorism.''
Saturday, March 9, 2002
India reduces border troops
India has reduced the number of troops massed on the border with Pakistan, a high-ranking Pakistani intelligence source told AFP on Friday. "There are credible reports that we have received that the Indian forces have thinned out from various positions from the borders along Pakistan," he said. The Indian air force has also been stood down from its battle-ready stance, he said. "We have also received (intelligence) reports that the Indian airforce which was at a ready-to-strike position has also been stepped down," he said. Pakistan had been expecting New Delhi to scale down troop deployments following the Assembly elections last month, he said, as a pull back of troops would no longer be such a political risk for the Government of Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Saturday, March 9, 2002
BJP's rout in State polls reflects people's anger at national policies
With ballot boxes unsealed and votes counted, it is curtains for another ceremonial of democracy. After weeks of song and dance, bluff and bluster, the party vaudevillists are back in their coops - some licking their wounds, some caressing their plumes.While the Bhartiya Janta Party is shell-shocked by the outcome everywhere, the Congress is celebrating in Punjab and Uttaranchal and the Samajwadi Party and the BSP in U.P. are substantially happier than they were in 1996. In Punjab and Uttaranchal, mercifully the results have been decisive. While the outcome in Manipur will take time to unravel, voters in the biggest of the four states, Uttar Pradesh, have returned a hung assembly and thus set the stage for another political drama, a modern-day Indian theatre called horse-trading. In fact, even as I write this the morning after the results came in, the abacus is out and deft fingers are furiously adding and subtracting, permutating and computing, amidst hectic to-ing and fro-ing.Who will tie the knot with whom, who will be the bride who the groom in this benighted state (or whether the high priest in Raj Bhavan will nix all such proposals) will be known in the next few days. However, irrespective of how the "hung" verdict in U.P. is resolved, these elections have thrown up questions which have a direct bearing on the larger political scape: Why did the BJP lose? Is the verdict exclusively on the party's performance in these states or does it say something about the BJP-led Central government? The first thing to note about BJP's defeat is that in none of the states has it been a narrow one; the party has lost comprehensively everywhere.In the 20 results out in Manipur at the time of writing, it has won just two seats. In Uttaranchal, the new provincial entity the party proudly claims to have created, it has got just 19 seats. In Uttar Pradesh its tally stands halved since the last time, from 174 to just 88. In Punjab, it has managed to retain just three of the 18 seats it bagged in 1997. This kind of drubbing assumes deeper significance considering that there was no perceptible 'wave' against the BJP or in favour of any other party in these states.Coming as the debacle does after the party's poor show in the state polls last year, what this election reveals is a quiet but determined - and, by all accounts, snowballing - sentiment against the BJP.The seats a party wins or loses are not in exact proportion to its popular vote, but the massive fall in the percentage of vote secured by the BJP in these polls confirms an unmistakable, and sizeable, shrinking of its popular support. So why has this happened? The instant answer given by party leaders and faithfuls as well as by many a pundit of the TV variety is that people tend to vote against the party or parties in power, the so-called anti-incumbency factor.That this plays a major role in elections is a monumental myth.Where was the anti-incumbency factor when people voted the Congress to power election after election after election - or, not to go far back in time, when they voted the Marxists for their sixth successive triumph in Bengal last year? The point I wish to make is that there is no inevitability about people voting against the party in power. And when they do so, it is not an involuntary unthinking pendular action, as the anti-incumbency theorists would have us believe.It is a decision they make consciously and, I hasten to add, in the hope that the new party of their choice will do better by them than the incumbent party did.This is the heart of the matter, and here in lies the answer to the first question.In other words, the BJP lost because of its poor performance in power.And that brings us to the second question. That the BJP's performance in these states was rather dismal is undeniable.But this was not all there was to it.The poor showing of the state governments would not have had the effect it has had at the hustings if the party's performance at the Centre had not been what it has been - that is, way way below the party's promises and protestations and, consequently, the people's expectations.To say that the people vote differently in state and national elections is another piece of hogwash.Occasionally some hot local issue may sway the voters in a particular state but there was no such overriding issue this time. The fact is that all the major parties in the fray in these elections raised of national import - communalism, terrorism, national security, POTO, poverty, reservations, etc - issue which transcend state boundaries and are for all practical purposes the stuff of national policies and concerns.So how can anyone pretend, as the BJP is doing, as Prime Minister Vajpayee himself said in so many words before the polls, that the outcome would not be a comment on the performance of his government? Indeed, during his campaign the BJP chief minister of U.P. went to the extent of saying that the party's defeat in the state would send the signal to India's enemies that the people of India do not support the Vajpayee government's fight against terrorism.The logic of this statement beats me, but the point is that you cannot have it both ways! There is no doubt that people are disillusioned with the BJP."The party with a difference" has proved no different at all: the same pomp and pomposity, same preoccupation with macho politik, same proneness to variegated malfeasance, same disregard for the real problems of the mass of the people - in short, the same every little and every big thing. People would perhaps forgive the little things if only the Vajpayee government had delivered on major issues as per its own 4-S promises - su-raj (good governance), swabhiman (national self-respect), swadeshi (economic nationalism) and suraksha (security).It has faltered or fumbled or grievously defaulted on all these fronts. The economy is in the doldrums and the common man's woes are spiralling. The poorest sections remain steeped in abject deprivation.Farmers are in distress and tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs.Salaried classes continue to face hardships and small savers see their life savings vapourising. This is the result of near complete surrender to the diktats of the West-designed instrumentalities of international exploitation.The "reform" mantra - globalisation, privatisation, frenzied disinvestment, MNC-propelled upper crust consumerism - has brought salvation to less than top five per cent of the population, and left the vast majority in distress, and angry. They are equally angry about the BJP's attitude to the burning issues of national security.In dealing with Pakistan and its hydra-headed terrorist monster, the Vajpayee regime has toted up a long catalogue of blunders and flip-flops. Every so-called initiative in foreign affairs and particularly vis-a-vis Pakistan has either boomeranged (Kargil, Kandahar) or proved a damp squib (bus journey, Agra). After the "turning point" of the terrorist attack on Parliament, we moved our forces to the border for an "iss paar yaa uss paar ladai" (decisive war) against terrorism, as Vajpayee repeatedly told us. But it remains business as usual for Pakistan and its terrorists.If people today suspect that the movement of troops and the "enough is enough" rhetoric were in fact nothing more than an election stratagem, the BJP-led government has nobody but itself to blame.(Or maybe Uncle Sam told us to go which far and no further!) Be it the economic condition of the masses or the question of national security and national self-respect, the Central government has deeply disappointed the people. Indeed, there is a groundswell of anger against what this government has done or not done and is doing or not doing - as evidenced in the two rounds of state elections in two years. So, where does the BJP go from here? The answer rests squarely with the party leadership.Halfway through its term at the Centre, it is perhaps still not too late for the party honestly and seriously to introspect and see where all it has gone wrong, and make the course corrections it must make.If it fails to do this, then nothing but nothing will prevent the downturn in its fortunes from becoming nationwide and terminal.
Thursday, March 7, 2002
Oppn dharna to protest Gujarat killings
NEW DELHI: Expressing outrage at the complete breakdown of law and order in Gujarat, Opposition parties, led by Sonia Gandhi, agitated outside Parliament to demand the dismissal of Home Minister L K Advani and Chief Minister Narendra Modi. About one hundred and fifty Opposition MPs, led by Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, sat in a silent dharna in front of Gate 1 of Parliament to protest against the complete break down of law and order in Gujarat. The MPS sat below Mahatma Gandhi's statue, and there was no slogan-shouting. Some of them held placards which read: "Remove Modi", "give relief to all genocide victims", "maintain peace and harmony", "killer Sangh Parivar down down". Some Opposition leaders also said that there demand includes the resignation of Home Minister L K Advani for the "complete bnreakdown of law and order and administration in Gujarat". Sonia Gandhi is also likely to lead a delegation of Opposition parties that will visit Gujarat tomorrow. The decision to hold the dharna was taken in a meeting held at the residence of senior CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday night. Talking to the Times News Network, Chatterjee said the Opposition demands immediate restoration of normalcy in the state, protection of people and property, relief for the victims and deployment of Army in the state to prevent any further incidents of violence. The parties also lashed out at the state administration and accused the Modi government of conniving with the perpetrators of the dastardly acts of arson and riots that followed the attack on Sabarmati Express on February 27. Present at the meeting were former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Shivraj Patil (Congress), Ramji Lal Suman (Samajwadi Party), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), P A Sangma (NCP), Ajoy Chakraborty (CPI), Amar Roy Pradhan (RSP), Joyanta Rongpi (CPI-ML) and Simranjit Singh Mann (Akali Dal-Mann). Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress bitterly criticised the Gujarat government for discriminating against victims of the post-Godhra incident. The state administration has announced a package of Rs 2 lakh for victims of the attack on Sabarmati Express and Rs 1 lakh for those who died in the subsequent incidents of violence in the state. Party spokesperson Jaipal Reddy said, "The Modi administration's stand on compensation is nothing less than institutionalising sectarian discrimination."
Thursday, March 7, 2002
24 killed in fresh Gujarat violence
AHMEDABAD: At least 24 people were killed in a series of fresh attacks near Godhra and Mehmdabad of Kheda district taking the toll to 561 even as 212 unclaimed bodies, many of them burnt beyond recognition, were given mass burial here on Wednesday. A cook was stabbed to death and 14 bodies recovered in Mehmedabad, about 150 km from here, forcing the authorities to clamp indefinite curfew in the central Gujarat town on Wednesday. Police sources said 14 bodies were recovered on Wednesday and they were most probably killed on Tuesday. Tension gripped the town after the news of the cook's murder spread like wildfire and heightened when reports about recovery of 13 bodies of violence victims became public, the sources said. Police pulled out eight more bodies, including that of three children and two women, who were suspected to have been killed last evening in places adjoining Godhra town, the sources said. One person succumbed to injuries in a hospital here.
Monday, March 4, 2002
Cricket - India score tense victory
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India survived some anxious moments to score a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe on the fifth day of the second test on Monday to sweep the series 2-0. Set 122 to win, India lost quick wickets before reaching their target towards the end of the morning session. Harbhajan Singh hit a straight six off paceman Heath Streak to complete victory after Zimbabwe had reduced the home team to 105-6. Sachin Tendulkar hit a 52-ball 42 but left-arm spinner Raymond Price trapped India's master batsman leg before and then also removed the experienced Rahul Dravid for six. Streak also had opener Shiv Sundar Das lbw for 31 in between to pile on the pressure, but Singh hit 14 not out to calm Indian nerves. It was India's fourth successive home victory in a test series while Zimbabwe suffered their second consecutive series rout, having lost all three tests in Sri Lanka recently. India scored 354 in reply to Zimbabwe's first innings 329 and then skittled the tourists for 146 on the fourth day.
Monday, March 4, 2002
VHP scales down demand
NEW DELHI The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has scaled down its demand for the Government-acquired land in Ayodhya from 67 acres to 42 acres and the Government is under intense pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to accept it. Simultaneously, the VHP announced that there would be no change in its ongoing `yagna' at Ayodhya and the plan to move some carved stone pillars to the ``shilanyas'' site in Ayodhya on March 15. It also issued an appeal to ``countrymen'' to ``maintain peace and harmony'' as ``every human life is precious for the followers of the Hindu dharma.'' The VHP has called a meeting here tomorrow of some `sants' associated with the Ram temple agitation to discuss the situation and take a decision. There are enough hints that the ``minimum'' and ``firm'' assurance the VHP and the `sants' would seek is that within three months, 42 acres of the acquired land in Ayodhya be handed to the VHP-controlled Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to enable the commencement of Ram temple construction. The meeting will also discuss the situation in Ayodhya where the VHP has charged the Government with placing ``hurdles'' in the way of its ongoing programme, the VHP international president, Ashok Singhal, said today. He and the senior VHP leader, Giriraj Kishore, said a meeting between the ``sants'' and the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was also not ruled out.``If Mr. Vajpayee invites them, they could meet.'' Seven of the 10 ``sants'' who met Mr. Vajpayee on January 27 (when he agreed to refer the demand for acquired land to the Law Ministry) are expected here tomorrow. They include Ramchandra Paramhans, Avaidyanath, Chinmayanand and Nritya Gopaldas. Several rounds of hectic discussions between the Government, the VHP and the RSS leaders, on the one hand, and the lawyers on the other, produced this proposal: the VHP would agree to getting 42 acres of the acquired land, leaving a plot west of the demolished Babri Masjid in Government hands to ``ensure that a reasonable extent of land adjacent to the disputed structure is made available to the Muslim community if and when a decree is passed in their favour in the pending suits.'' The proposal was submitted to Mr. Vajpayee by Mr. Singhal on February 27 along with a map of the 67 acres of Government-acquired land in Ayodhya. A copy of the letter to Mr. Vajpayee, containing the proposal, was made available to the press here today. The proposal admitted that only one acre of the land had been ``purchased'' by the Nyas while just over 42 acres were given to it on perpetual lease by the Uttar Pradesh Government ``for an annual nominal rent of rupee one.'' Of these over 43 acres, the VHP was agreeable to the Government retaining about an acre adjacent to the disputed site (of the demolished Babri Masjid and the makeshift Ram temple that was built on its debris). The VHP is insisting that the Supreme Court judgment on the acquisition of land does not come in the way of the Government handing over part of the land to the VHP-controlled trust. It is reliably learnt that in a series of discussions and meetings over the last two days between the VHP and the RSS, and the RSS and the Government, the effort has been towards ``persuading the Prime Minister'' to seriously consider the proposal, outcome of the RSS ``mediation.'' Even today, Mr. Singhal and Acharya Kishore met the RSS leaders, H.V. Seshadri and Madan Das Devi. Later, the VHP propaganda in-charge, Vireshwar Dwivedi, said the RSS was trying to get the Government ``to see our point of view.'' reports from Bangalore: The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Uma Bharti, appealed to the VHP to postpone its plans of starting the construction of Ram temple in view of the present situation in the country. Speaking to presspersons, she said the country was passing through a turmoil and the VHP should ``reconsider its deadline.''
Monday, March 4, 2002
Two-day mourning declared
NEW DELHI, MARCH 3. The Union Cabinet today condoled the death of the Lok Sabha Speaker, G. M. C. Balayogi, killed in a copter crash in Andhra Pradesh, and decided to observe a two-day national mourning and accord a State funeral to the departed leader. The national flag will fly at half-mast on Government buildings as a mark of respect and all official functions stand cancelled. Tributes poured in, with the President, K. R. Narayanan, the Vice-President, Kishan Kant, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and leaders of various political parties and organisations expressing shock over the death of Mr. Balayogi - first Lok Sabha Speaker to die in harness. Everyone recalled the affable and smooth manner in which the youngest Speaker conducted the proceedings of the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha and carried everybody along during a difficult phase.
Monday, March 4, 2002
Injured Sehwag out for two weeks
India's stylish right-hander Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the first three of the five one-day internationals against Zimbabwe following a shoulder injury. He sustained the injury after trying a difficult catch from Grant Flower off Anil Kumble on day four of the second test here. Opener Shiv Sunder Das will replace Sehwag in the three one-dayers. Sehwag will be out of action for three weeks, reports here said.
Monday, March 4, 2002
SRK is 'Munnabhai MBBS'
Shah Rukh Khan will head the cast of Vinod Chopra's MUNNABHAI MBBS, which will be directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film was launched on February 27 with the recording of the title song in Mumbai. Incidentally, Vinod Chopra and Anu Maliik are coming together after KAREEB (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were the music composers of MISSION KASHMIR). Vir and Vidhu Vinod Chopra are the creative producers of this enterprise.
Monday, March 4, 2002
Godhra attack was planned -Advani
Raging sectarian violence which has left almost 500 people dead in Gujarat is tapering off, Indian Home Minister L K Advani announced here on Sunday. The Home Minister said the Sabarmati Express attack which claimed 58 lives was premeditated and said the culprits will be traced. He however said the end of Hindu-Muslim rioting in the state was not enough and that a sense of security needed to be restored among the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the four days of unprecedented blood-letting.
Monday, March 4, 2002
Movie Preview: 16 December
Director Mani Shankar’s latest film, 16 December is a story of intrigue, deceit and sudden death. Filled with adrenalin, the charged adventure is about a moment that could turn into a nightmarish reality in tomorrow’’s news. 16 December is a date with destiny 30 years ago, when Pakistan surrendered Bangladesh to India after the Bangladesh war. Starring Milind Soman, newcomer Dipannita Sharma, Gulshan Grover, Danny Denzongpa, Sushant Sharma and Aditi Gowitrikar (in a special appearance), the film is an experimental attempt by the filmmaker. According to Shankar, the film is different from everything he’s done before. "16 December is not just a different film, it is completely new. Filled with action, it will elevate them into another world and take them right into the story. There are no heroes who have to showcase their dance and fighting skills or songs to their credit. It is full of intrigue, deceit and death," he says. Produced by iDream Productions, the film’s unusual name has a reason behind it. Explains Mani, "The film’s title comes from the historical date of December 16, 1971 which is Bangladesh’’s Victory Day and commemorates the day Bangladesh was created. But the date is, however, only the reference point. The film is not based on the Bangladesh war of independence. It takes off from the photograph of the Indian and Pakistani generals in Dhaka signing the accord on that date. A day that turned the subcontinent’s history and its impact is still being felt. The film’s setting is contemporary. It takes on white-collar financial scams, contract killers and terrorists." The film’s story revolves around terrorism in certain countries. Milind Soman is the good man who has to stop criminals who plan to create havoc in India by exploding a nuclear bomb. Under the guidance of Danny Denzongpa, who is a Revenue Commissioner, his aim is to stop the criminals. Gulshan Grover (Dost Khan) is the mastermind who splans the nuclear attack. A master of disguise, he has bought the bomb with illegal havala money. Milind is on the hunt for him and he has to do so before 16 December, as that is the deadline for the nuclear blast. The film is filled with many plots - A Dalal street broker trying to spend a crore of Rupees a day on fancy cards and women... A mysterious high tech killer stalking the streets with cold fury... 5000 crores of rupees morphing into a Swiss bank account code named White Lotus Fraud with bank chairmen personally supervising operations... A shadowy Afghan terrorist organization offering a Soviet era nuclear bomb for sale... 16 December is a date that haunts the unforgiving foe as he moves relentlessly on a tryst with revenge. A dead line that sets off a mind-boggling manhunt in search of a faceless target. Both sides are equipped with the latest technology. Both are determined to win, whatever the cost. As always the advantage lies with the enemy, because he is a mere shadow with no name. Only he knows the whole plot, and he is not going to tell you what it is. Mani Shankar has written the script and screenplay as well as directed and edited the film. To be released on March 15, the suspense thriller promises to be different. Lets wait and watch!
Sunday, March 3, 2002
It's a blot on the nation, says PM
NEW DELHI: While the Government and the RSS continued with their efforts to work out the details of a ``compromise formula'' for the VHP, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in a strong signal to the Sangh Parivar, called the current carnage in Gujarat a ``kalank (disgrace)'' on the nation's image. He said that the burning alive of people, including women and children, in Godhra, Ahmedabad and other places in the state had damaged India's reputation in the international community. ``Whatever the provocation, people should maintain peace and exercise restraint,'' he said in an address to the nation. And said he was confident that the way the country had overcome past crises, in this one, too, people of all communities would work with authorities to create peace and harmony. Later in the evening, RSS leaders H V Sheshadri and Madan Das Devi met Vajpayee to flesh out the details of the broad compromise reached two days ago. While the VHP is believed to have agreed to call off the temple construction programme on March 15, its leaders are seeking permission to conduct a ``symbolic puja'' at the undisputed site that day with an assurance that they will disperse peacefully after that. It is not clear whether the Government has agreed to this demand but the RSS delegation is believed to have told the PM on Saturday evening that the VHP is agreeable to limiting the numbers for the puja to whatever figure the Government wants. The president of the Ramjanambhoomi Nyas Ramachandra Paramhans is expected to attend an emergency meeting of the VHP tomorrow to discuss the parameters of a compromise formula. After meeting the PM, Madan Das said that he was confident that the VHP and the sants will take a ``sensible decision.'' He said he expected an announcement regarding the VHP's March 15 plan within the next few days. He also said the PM is likely to meet the sants in the next day or two. Significantly, the PM also met a delegation of Muslim leaders this evening which has raised hopes in RSS circles that he may try his hand once again at evolving an agreement on the modalities of returning the undisputed land at Ayodhya to the Nyas. The Government also seems to be consumed with anxiety on the consequences of the riots. The primary fear seems to the possibility of a terrorist attack, similar to the Mumbai blasts in 1993 which were thought to be a revenge for the communal violence in the city earlier that year. The same anxiety also found reflection in a statement from RSS chief K Sudershan on Saturday in which he talked of the need to ``frustrate the designs of Pakistan-inspired elements trying to destroy our nation's unity.'' The present crisis is taking its toll of the entire Parivar which is torn between its concerns about national security and its obsession with the mandir plank. Sudershan's statement underlined this contradiction. After referring to the need to preserve the nation's unity, he also criticised the central government for imposing restrictions on the movement of kar sevaks to Ayodhya. Even Madan Das said after meeting the PM that they appealed to him to ``make it easy'' for Ayodhya yatris to travel. The RSS seems to be working on two fronts in its mediatory efforts. One is to finalise the contours of the compromise formula to resolve the immediate March 15 crisis with a face saver for the VHP. The other to find a way out for the VHP to reclaim the undisputed land which is currently under the Centre's custody. Sports Minister Uma Bharati is believed to be playing a key role in the mediatory efforts with the VHP and over the past three days, she has held several rounds of discussions with RSS leaders and VHP leaders. The Government is believed to have asked for time to look into the second. One way out that has been suggested is that the Government set a three-month deadline for the Law ministry's opinion. In this period, it can try and evolve a political consensus or a negotiated settlement with the Muslims on the modalities of returning the undisputed 42 acres to the VHP.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
More violence in Gujarat; Death toll 485
An uneasy peace seems to be returning to riot-hit Ahmedabad after four days of mindless mayhem but fresh violence broke out in North Gujarat districts of Sabarkantha and Mehsana, where mobs attacked specific villages. Even in the remote areas of Central Gujarat, tension was running high and villages were being attacked by mobs. On Sunday, police put the death toll from the riots at 485. An official said a further 73 people had been killed in police firing. "Most parts of Gujarat are now very quiet," he said, adding that the rise in the death toll since Saturday was the result of a more comprehensive body count, rather than fresh violence. Three people of a minority group were torched to death by a mob at the Maninagar railway station, the police said Two other people were stabbed to death in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city. Around 15 of the 25 districts in Gujarat witnessed 'complete peace' today and despite sporadic incidents, the curfew was relaxed in eight cities and towns, State Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday evening. Modi also blamed a private TV channel for 'exaggerating' the violence which he said triggered more violence. Briefing reporters about the Gujarat situation, Modi said the curfew was relaxed today in parts of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Mehsana, Bharuch, Anand, Rajkot and Sabarkantha in view of an improved situation. He added that he had asked officials to monitor a particular private national TV news channel. "Although we have not done so, we have powers to suspend transmission of such channels. If the channel mends its ways and corrects the wrongs, we will not take action (against it)," he said. Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Naresh Rawal told UNI that the Congress party would go ahead with its dharna in front of the chief minister's official residence in Gandhinagar and would boycott an All-Party meeting called by Modi who, he said, had failed to live up to his assurance to control violence.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Speaker GMC Balayogi killed in copter crash
The Speaker of Parliament, G M C Balayogi, was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the Star TV network reported. The crash occured near West Godavari district in Kiakalur around 7.45 a.m. The helicopter reportedly crashed into a tree in foggy conditions. Experts said poor visibility caused the crash. The Speaker was returning from a rally in Dimavaram in West Godavari district. His pilot and his security man were also killed in the crash. The helicopter got entangled in a mass of vegetation which brought it down, killing all the three occupants. The bodies of the Speaker and his co-travellers have been brought to a hospital in Bhimavaram. Agencies
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Shah Rukh: Charm personified
Shah Rukh Khan has a knack to charm people with his wit. At the recent award function in Delhi where Prime Minister Vajpayee was releasing his book of poems that he had penned down over the years. Shahrukh Khan was called on the dais to say a few words. In his inimitable style Shah Rukh observed, "We make a lot of mistakes in our country." And pointing to Vajpayee added, "This great artist should be in the film industry. But we have elected him as the Prime Minister!" And there was a roar of laughter amongst the spectators. The Prime Minister in his speech expressed his admiration for Shah Rukh commenting that when he forms his ex-PMs club, he would invite Shah Rukh to join it. Shah Rukh Khan was also the cynosure of all eyes at a party hosted recently by T.Subbirami. He not only charmed the guests but also cricketer Azaruddin and his wife Sangita with his sense of humour. No wonder Shah Rukh is a favourite with everybody.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Government under fire over riots
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rode to power on the back of a strong Hindu revivalist platform. Now, with the country reeling from the worst Hindu-Muslim riots in a decade, those same fundamentalist forces threaten to badly damage the BJP-led coalition government. "It's the BJP's moment of reckoning," said India's leading news magazine, India Today. Critics say Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his ministers have only themselves to blame, having ignored the warning signs that led to the frenzied sectarian bloodletting in western Gujarat state in which nearly 300 people died, many burnt alive. No one is writing the government's political obituary yet. But this explosion of violence on top of the BJP's weakening grip on power at state level, a poorly performing economy and a tough budget that has angered the BJP's middle-class support base has cast a cloud over the coalition's long-term future. The convulsion of religious fury aimed at Muslims in a state that has traditionally been a communal tinderbox came in revenge for the burning to death of 58 Hindus, including many women and children, on a train this week by a suspected Muslim mob. The victims were returning from the northern town of Ayodhya where Hindu hardliners have massed to build a lavish temple on the site of a razed mosque in defiance of a court order. Concerns about plans by the Vishwa Hindu Parishwad (VHP), part of the same Hindu revivalist movement as the BJP, to erect the temple on the site of the mosque it says is the birthplace of the god-king Rama have been mounting for months. LONG A FLASHPOINT Ayodhya, a holy Hindu pilgrimage town, has long been a communal flashpoint. Just a decade ago the mosque's destruction by Hindu fanatics using sledgehammers and bare hands sparked the worst religious violence since the traumatic partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan half a century ago. More than 12 percent of India's more than one billion people are Muslims and, while the country is officially secular, communal tensions constantly test its social peace -- and when religious violence erupts it can spread like a wildfire. Indian newspapers have hauled the government over the coals for allowing tensions over the temple to reach flashpoint. "On February 24, after a prolonged period of threat-making, the VHP inaugurated the countdown (to building the temple). Ever since, responsible entities and institutions have been warning tensions may be inexorably building up," the Indian Express said. "The ghastly violence...would appear to be the embodiment of the worst of those fears coming true," it said. The Times of India said the BJP needed to "act urgently to sever this link" between it and the VHP. AMBIVALENCE? Some say Vajpayee's failure to contain the situation betrays his own ambivalence on the temple issue. Last year, he sparked uproar when he described the building of the temple as "an unfinished task". It took Vajpayee three days from the start of the carnage to address the nation on Saturday and make an appeal for peace. Critics say the government was tardy in acting to halt the violence, failing to instruct the BJP government in Gujarat to crack down promptly on the rioters and only deploying the army on Friday. The Times of India called it a "macabre replay" of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards. Then, civilian authorities failed to call in the army until thousands had died, it said. Analysts say the BJP, smarting from its drubbing last weekend in state elections including its traditional power base of Uttar Pradesh, is on uncertain ground -- seeking to appease its own more extreme supporters while trying to contain the rioting.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Death toll in violence in Gujarat jumps to 478
AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - More bodies of victims from India's worst Hindu-Muslim strife in a decade have been recovered from remote villages in Gujarat, sharply raising the death toll from four days of violence to 478, officials said on Sunday. Officials had on Saturday put the death toll at about 350, including the 58 people burnt alive, when a suspected Muslim mob set fire to a train carrying Hindu devotees four days ago. Sporadic incidents of violence overnight were reported in some interior parts of the state and the curfew was being relaxed in several towns in the state, said Ashok Narayan, a senior government official with responsibility for internal security. "The death toll has gone up to 420. There has been a problem with reporting of recovery of bodies. It takes some time to get all the figures collected at the state level. These bodies were recovered from remote villages and from the outskirts of Ahmedabad," he said. "The night passed off peacefully without any major incidents of violence." Troops were patrolling the calmer streets of Gujarat's main city Ahmedabad and other sensitive areas in the state, but had still to reach remote villages. Narayan said additional army and para military forces were being requisitioned.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Violence spreads into Gujarat countryside
AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - Troops moved into towns around India's riot-torn western state of Gujarat but police warned of arson and looting in northern villages as the death toll after four days of Hindu-Muslim violence neared 300. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee appealed for peace on Saturday, saying the "burning alive of people, including women and children was a blot on the country's face". "Whatever the provocation, people should maintain peace and exercise restraint," Vajpayee said in a nationally broadcast address calling for peace. An uneasy calm settled on Ahmedabad, the state's main city which bore the early brunt of the country's worst religious bloodshed in a decade, but rioting flared up in the countryside. Police said new incidents of arson and looting were reported from villages in the tribal northern parts of Gujarat where the army had not yet deployed. "The pattern has changed, it has moved from the urban centres to the villages," a senior police official, told Reuters. He said a large group of men tried to set fire to a Muslim settlement in Sabarkantha district in the north and three people were stabbed to death in the neighbouring Banashkantha district. "It is now turning into a low grade communal fever that can run for weeks," the officer said. The death toll is nearing 300 from four days of violence sparked when a suspected Muslim mob set fire to a train carrying Hindu devotees on Wednesday, burning 58 mostly women and children to death. On the streets, some members of the country's Hindu majority shunned Vajpayee's call for peace. "Learn from us how to burn Muslims," said chilling graffiti on a wall in Naroda on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. TROOPS PATROL STREETS Soldiers patrolled the streets of curfew-bound Ahmedabad, where more than a 100 Muslims died in two days of violence following the attack on the train. "Ahmedabad is fast returning to normal, we believe the rest of the state will also soon recover," Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said. Ahmedabad residents said however they had set up self defence groups to keep vigil at night. Groups of young men stood with sticks outside their homes in the upper crust neighbourhood of the city and said they feared reprisal attacks from Muslims living a short distance away. Nearly a hundred Muslims were crowded inside a mosque in Kalupur, a neighbourhood in Ahmedabad which still has deep cracks from a devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat in January last year killing about 30,000 people. "We are trying to save ourselves today but we will hit back," said Rahmat Sheikh, a tailor who had taken shelter in the mosque with his family. The bloodshed is the worst crisis to hit Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the ruling federal coalition. The party also rules Gujarat. Critics say Vajpayee and his coalition led by the BJP, which rode to power in 1999 on the back of a strong Hindu revivalist platform, had ignored the warning signals that led to the sectarian bloodshed. The Hindus killed on Wednesday in the train attack were travelling from the northern town of Ayodhya, where Hindu hardliners have been rallying to build a temple on the site of a mosque razed in 1992. That incident sparked India's last major sectarian flare-up in which 3,000 people died. Muslims account for more than 12 percent of predominantly Hindu India's one billion population.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Gujarat Burning
Violence continued unabated in Gujarat with reports of mobs indulging in killing and rioting in many other areas that were hitherto unaffected by the mutiny. Reports of violence are coming in from rural areas of the state as well. Meanwhile Union Defence Minister George Fernandes said that Army forces would be moved to Vadodra, which witnessed fresh violence. The total death toll has been put at 375. Meanwhile, around 131 kar sevaks, on way to Ayodhya for the construction of the proposed ram temple were arrested in Mumbai. In a short address, Prime Minister AB Vajpayee has appealed for peace and calm in Gujarat and condemned the violence there. "The violent incidents that are being reported are of the helpless and innocent people, which is a big blow to the country's image. I am convinced that people from all communities will listen to this appeal and help the government restore peace," said Vajpayee. Communal tension is mounting across the country as new incidents of violence are being reported from other parts like Maharashtra and Hyderabad. On Friday, during the VHP-sponsored bandh, the Police had to fire 12 rounds in the air to disperse a rampaging mob in Murbad in Maharashtra's Thane district. The 100 strong mob set fire to a number of shops and pelted stones at the police. Stray incidents of violence have also been reported from Hyderabad. Gujarat Burns: Slideshow The nation appears to have plunged into the communal tension fueled by the gory incidents in Gujarat. First the gruesome killing of around 58 ‘Ram Sevaks’ who were returning from Ayodhya on February 27, 2002 (Wednesday), followed by the mob frenzy and backlash on February 28, 2002 (Thursday) that left over 140 killed in various parts of the state, mostly from the minority community. Vajpayee already met RSS and VHP brass to ease the tension. Various leaders of the Muslim community have also met the Prime Minister condemning the barbaric act at Godhra, and urging him to bring the situation under control. Meanwhile reports of a ‘Pakistan hand’ in the whole incident have been gaining momentum. Though the Pakistani establishment has dubbed this as ‘preposterous’, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has described the incident as a ‘terrorist type’ action.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Ganguly-Sehwag shine on murky day
Sourav Ganguly is a relieved man indeed. The Indian captain scored his first century over 23 tests and 40 innings to guide the team to a virtually unassailable position of 319 for six against Zimbabwe on the third day of the second test match, which was marred by murky conditions and bad light. Only 42 of the 90 overs were possible on the day, when the players kept coming out and going back into the dressing room at monotonously regular intervals. In fact, the only bright spot came in the first hour of play when overnight batsmen Ganguly and an ominous looking Virender Sehwag literally tore into the attack, with the Delhi lad stroking boundaries almost at will. Weather or pitch conditions do not seem to worry Sehwag who went after both the quick bowlers as well as left-arm spinner Raymond Price, who really bowled well to keep a check on the Indian batsmen. His figures of 42 overs for 94 runs and one wicket tell their own tale at a time when the Indian batsmen were attempting quick runs. The Delhi lad’s effort must be seen in the perspective of the trouble a master like Sachin Tendulkar was having in tackling the slow bowling of Price. On the other hand, Ganguly seemed intend on eschewing all risks and preferred to play Price from the confines of his crease. However, against the quicker bowlers, the Prince of Kolkata was a different persona. Apart from his trademark off side shots, Ganguly was particularly severe on anything short and rising on the on side, dispatching them effortlessly to the mid-on or mid-wicket boundaries. In fact, when the first stoppage came at a time when Ganguly had begun stroking the ball well and it must have really tested the patience of the Indian captain no end to take an early lunch while on 90 and then realize that weather had intervened again to delay the start of play in the second session. When the match finally got underway barely 25 minutes before tea, it was Sehwag who first to his half century. The skipper, however, managed to stroke the last ball before tea for a four to complete a well-deserved hundred the eighth in his test match career, though the first since 1999. The start of play was again delayed after the tea break and when it finally resumed after a nearly 45-minute delay, Sehwag looked to be in a great hurry to score not his fault given that India required quick runs if they were to first get ahead of Zimbabwe’s first innings score of 329 and then get a healthy lead. However, things did not go to plans as the ‘Delhi Dasher’ failed to capitalize on a dropped catch at first slip by Andy Flower off Heath Streak to fall leg-before off the very next ball. He scored 74 runs off 118 deliveries before getting out at the score of 264. Next man Sanjay Bangar was unlucky to be run out for 4, though this time it was his own error of judgment though one could say Ganguly could have refused the run a tad earlier. At close, Anil Kumble (19) was giving company to his skipper batting on 135 glorious runs. It remains to be seen if the two batsmen change gears early on Sunday and if they do manage to get a decent lead, whether Ganguly would apply the declaration and invite the Zimbabweans to bat. Another option could be to bat through for as long as possible and hope that the fast deteriorating pitch and strike bowlers Kumble and Harbhajan Singh could do the rest. Either way, it promises to be a great day’s play for the Sunday crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Raveena Tandon Becomes Sport Leader!
Most stars seem to be doing anything to gain publicity these days. But the cake must surely go to Raveena Tandon, who has gone and done the weirdest act. The actress who loves to be written about has gone ahead and become the President of the Indian Tennis Ball Cricket Association (???!!!!). What is strange about this is that Raveena has never played the game but suddenly decided to become the head of the association to get some cheap publicity. Apparently, the star-struck association wanted a famous face to head their group and they approached Miss Tandon, as she is fond of their game, which involves cricket being played with a tennis ball. And she immediately agreed to become President. In fact she will be going to Srinagar this May to attend the annual tournament of the silly game. Maybe the success of Lagaan has inspired the pretty actress to get into the nation’s favourite game. Or may be she hopes to win an award here too!
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Salman can't muscle this one!
The year-long break since Salman Khan's last film, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke has done nothing for the box office prospects of Tumko Na Bhool Payenge. The film has opened to an average of 85 per cent in Mumbai and lower in other metros. Sold at an average of Rs 20 million per territory, there is little hope the film will sustain itself at the box office. Based on Hollywood's The Long Kiss Goodnight, Indianised by Salman himself, the script fails to hold interest. Director Pankaj Parashar seems to have concentrated only on visuals and special effects, ignoring the content of the film. There is not much chance that Sushmita Sen or Diya Mirza will help improve the prospects of the film. Tumko Na Bhool Payenge will do average business at the box office, since it has no competition this week. Bobby Deol's Kranti releases March 8. But it stands little chance at the box office, as it does not carry good reports. Directed by Naresh Malhotra, it is the story of a father (Vinod Khanna) and son (Bobby Deol), both police officers. Both honest, their approach towards work differs. The film also stars Amisha Patel. Incidentally, the latest releases of Vinod Khanna (Deewanapan), Bobby Deol (Ajnabee) and Amisha Patel (Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar) were disasters. The Abhishek Bachchan-Karisma Kapoor-Akshay Kumar starrer, Haan... Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, was a disaster, opening at 62 per cent and slipping further down. It is still Vikram Bhatt's Raaz which rules the box office. The film raked in 90 per cent business in its second week.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Abhishek Bachchan: No Photograph With Karisma Please!
The Bachchan boy has got inborn class. Though all his films have bitten the dust, he's refused to draw into a shell like other stars. And always manages to crack a joke or two at his own expense. Recently, when someone approached him for a joint photo-session with good friend Karisma, he politely turned it down. Look at my career and Karisma's. She is at the top of her career, while all my films have bombed. If I do a photo-shoot with her, people will say I'm using her. Wow! Now you know why we said the Bachchans have an inborn style and class!
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Interview: Amir Khan
He’s done it! Lagaan is only the third Indian film after Mehboob Khan’s Mother India and Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay to be nominated for the Oscars. But Aamir knows that the race has yet to be won. There’s still a lot to be done in the month leading up to the big night which is scheduled for March 24. Squeezing time from his dizzy schedule, Aamir talks about how much the most-coveted statuette in the world means to him. And calmly clears all the controversiesthe deaths of the four desperadoes who were gunning for Aamir and his Lagaan director in a police encounter, the rumour that he has backed out of his commitment to do a film for AB Corp Ltd. and all the lobbbying that enabled Lagaan to pip Asoka and Monsoon Wedding as Indian’s Oscar entrythat have been dogging him since his first production catapulted him into the spotlight. Mira Nair was pretty sure that her Monsoon Wedding would go to the Oscars because the company that bought her film, USA Films was spending millions lobbying for the film with the Film Federation of India (FFI). How did you manage to streak ahead? I was away when all this was happening. I returned from a concert tour in the US and Canada to all this (Laughs). As far as I know it is the FFI that decides which Indian film goes to the Oscars. And I was confident enough to let the Federation do its work without any lobbying of my own. When I heard Mira’s comments I was frankly taken aback. An intelligent and creative person like her should be talking about the quality of the film selected, not about how much is being spent to promote a film in LA. It is the FFI’s job to decide which film deserved to go to the Oscars, and not which film had more money to push itself in the Oscars race. Incidentally, I wonder what made Mira Nair feel that USA Films was in a better position to promote a film in the West and Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan weren’t? Wasn’t she jumping to conclusions? Her statement was surprisingly silly and reeked of petulance. But even Kamal Haasan is of the opinion that our films don’t stand a chance either with the Federation or at the Oscars unless you have clout to weild. If I have to lobby for an award and bribe the jury to get it, I wouldn’t want it. I’ve never lobbied for an award before. Why should I do it now? So I didn’t call up any member of the FFI, nor did I give press interviews about how other films didn’t stand a chance (Chortles). I know a number of other producers recommended their films very strongly to the FFI but what happened? The Federation decided unanimously in favour of Lagaan. It was the same with the Academy. I didn’t have to do any lobbying to get my film into the final list. Only, as the producer of Lagaan, I made sure that the film was seen by as many members of the Academy as possible because that’s what counts at the voting stage. No lobbying? That’s hard to believe. Why? Ninety per cent of the films, artistes and technicians who are nominated for the Oscars are those who really deserve the award. That’s what makes this statuette different from those given away in Mumbai.I believe that the Oscars are above board and it’s the deserving rather than the hyped films that get selected. Ultimately, the jury has to fall back on merit. I repeat that if I had to pull strings to be recognised, I wouldn’t be able to look the award in the eye. I would be better off without it. But I didn’t want Lagaan to be lost in the swamp of films that the jury had to see. So I thought some promotion was necessary. I did some press interviews in the US to apprise the Oscars committee of all the festivals Lagaan has been to. I don’t know if every member of the Academy sees every film. But I wanted Lagaan prominently displayed so it would catch their attention. Well, it did catch their attention. So what are your chances now of winning the Oscar and doing the country proud? We’ve won the war, now we have to prepare for the bigger battle. Earlier, we had to make sure that 200 jury members saw the film, now we have to take it to 6000 people in LA and then let the film speak for itself. It’s not easy but I think it’s time we won an Oscar. For me an Oscar would mean international acceptance for mainstream Indian cinema. But the voting could go in any direction. I’ve seen the French film Amelie, it’s very good. But it’s completely different from Lagaan in theme and mood. In fact, all five films that have been nominated in the foreign film category are equally meritorious in their own way. Our USP is what I’d call the Indian cinema factor. Lagaan is a mainstream Indian film. It has all the qualities associated with that genre and I’m proud of that. The traditional elements of Indian mainstream cinema will provide a fresh kind of entertianment to the jury members. I’m hoping Lagaan will win because I want Indian cinema to make a place for itself on the world map. It’s high time it happened. I believe the Lagaan 11 concerts in the US and Canada were also a huge success? They were. To be honest I was very tense about them because I had had so little time to prepare. I needed three months, I got five weeks. But I think we still managed to put up a good show. In fact, we were told by our audience in the US and Canada that this was the best show they had ever seen (Laughs delightedly). Weren’t the concerts affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11? Well, the attacks did affect the ticket sales somewhat. Before that all our shows were sold-out, after that we had only 80 per cent attendance which is understandable because a lot of Asians who see our films and come for our shows stayed away. Frankly, I had expected a steeper decline in the ticket rates. How do you explain that considering many of the other concert tours had to wind up half-way through? Well, first I have to admit that it wasn’t just me who brought in the audience. Aishwarya Rai is extremely popular abroad and this was Preity Zinta’s first concert tour. Anil Kapoor who was also going on a tour after a long gap has his own fan following. Everyone loved the Lagaan 11 concept too and we also had the Dil Chahta Hai team behind us. The entire package was very attractive. And the timing was great. We’d planned on going on tour later but the promoters insisted we go when Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai was still hot. They were right. And now you’re all set to become the modern day Sundance kid. You’re talking of Lagaan going to the Sundance Film Festival? That’s quite an honour because Lagaan is the only non-American film ever to be invited for the festival. You recently came out with a comic book on the Lagaan team’s exploits too. Well, Egmont was keen on the comicbooks and my wife Reena got into the act. I think it’s a great idea. So what are you now? Batman or Superman? Just Bhuwan(Laughs). But what I’m really looking forward to is Lagaan getting a proper crossover release in the US and Europe. This can happen only if Columbia-Tristar makes an effort to reach the non-Indian mainstream audience even though the film wasn’t targeted for them. When Lagaan was screened earlier in UK and US it was only for an Asian audience. It didn’t reach as many people in the West as I’d hoped. Now Columbia-Tristar is working on a schedule to release the film all over Europe sometime this year. Sony Classics who released Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon have acquired the rights for Lagaan in the US. I think they’re looking at May 2002 to release the film there. They want to wait till after the Oscars. You’re being modest. Lagaan is as big internationally as Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. Well, the kind of success we’ve enjoyed is beyond anything I had ever imagined. But I won’t say it’s been as acclaimed as Pather Panchali. (Smiles) That film is like the God of all screened things. Are you aware of the enviable niche you’ve made for yourself in the Hindi film industry? (With an embarrassed laugh) I’m happy I’m in a position to do what I want to and that people have accepted Lagaan in such a big way. I’m really happy. Is there an Aamir Khan- starrer in the offing? Not for the next year-and-a-half, at least. And it doesn’t bother me at all. It bothers us. (Smiles) Don’t worry, in the next three months I’ll start sifting through all the scripts that have collected. I haven’t given the nod to anyone but Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) of late but I’m open to offers right from any director who has an exciting story on his hands. I can wait. John Mathew Mathan is definitely one of the directors I’d like to work with again. I’m also looking at my next production which Ashutosh Gowarikar will direct. Whether I’m in the film or not will depend on our mutual consent. I plan to do only one film at a time. There’re rumours that you’ve backed out of your commitment to do your film for AB Corp Ltd. What nonsense! I’m doing the AB Corp film. My next film will definitely be for Amitji, no question about that. I think the rumour must have started when Mansoor Khan and I decided to reconsider the subject of our AB Corp project. We no longer feel Happy Diwali is the right subject. At the same time we haven’t decided as yet not to make Happy Diwali. Whatever the subject, my next film will be for AB Corp Ltd. I was in touch with Amitji even while I was abroad. You can’t go by what gossip magazines write. When Lagaan was almost complete they wrote that 40 per cent of the film was being re-shot after I saw the rushes. Please show me the footage that was discarded (Laughs). We were very happy with Lagaan right from the start. Yeah, and the amazing popularity of Lagaan put Dil Chahta Hai in the shade. Hey, Dil Chahta Hai is also a wonderful film. But I think Lagaan had a more universal appeal while Dil Chahta Hai appealed more to the young city audience and the students. We knew it had a limited appeal but we were still very happy about it. I am very proud of both these films. In both Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai you play guys far removed from your sensibilities. Isn’t that always the case? I played a tapori in Rangeela though I’ve never been one in real life. Then I was an IPS officer in Sarfarosh. But yes, in both Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai I played guys who were ten years younger. I’m 35, they were 25. That wasn’t a problem because actors are constantly playing guys who are ten years younger or 10 years older. A 75-year old actor can’t look 25 on screen but a 35-year old actor can easily pass for 25. The point is you should look convincing in what you do. Why hasn’t Gracy Singh signed many films after Lagaan? She will, in time. She’s very talented and people have really liked her in Lagaan. When someone unusual comes along it takes time for the industry to react. After Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak it was a year before I signed any good films. I just had to take the best of what came my way. Then Dil happened and there was no looking back for me or its director Indra Kumar. It will take Gracy a few months to be taken seriously since she’s not a run-of-the-mill heroine. Artistes like her take longer to be recognised. But they last longer. (Smiles) They’re like A. R.Rahman’s music. Some months ago four guys planned an attack on your life and Ashutosh’s not knowing that you were away on a concert tour abroad. Yeah, I heard that on the news in the US and also that they had been apprehended by the police and killed in an encounter. I was surprised because I had received no threats, no extortion demands. I got only one call a couple of months ago. During the 10-15 minute conversation the person at the other end spoke very politely. He didn’t ask me for money or request me to do a film. So I was amazed when I learnt that someone wanted to kill me. Were you provided with a security cover after the call? Well, I didn’t ask for it but when I informed the police commissioner he very kindly offered me protection. But at the time I didn’t really feel threatened. It was only after I returned from my concert tour abroad and heard about the developments that had taken place in my absence, that I accepted the Mumbai’s police’s offer of security. I decided it would be wise to go along with them because they are one of the best police forces in our country.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Akshaye Khanna: New Look!
Post 'Dil Chahta Hai' producers have suddenly woken to a 'hot' and 'happening' Akshaye. He has bagged himself a whole lot of films. And to celebrate it he had gone for a total image change. When we caught him with Ameesha shooting for their forthcoming film, we were greeted by a new hairstyle, a great physique and a smart look. With a new lease of life and new look, we think Akshaye will surely give his competitors a run for their money!
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Rajshris to release Taj Mahal in April
Rumour : A few months ago, you were all set to release your film, TAJMAHAL-A MONUMENT OF LOVE, an Indo-Canadian production. In fact, Rajshris had even bought the rights of the film after they saw its first screening and had also signed you to direct a film for them. But there has been no news on your film, with rumours doing the rounds that Akbar Khan's TAJMAHAL-AN ETERNAL LOVE STORY will be the first released film on the subject. Could you throw light on the news? Robin Khosla : It’s true that we were all set to release our film earlier. In fact, we had even scheduled it for an international release in October 2001. But our overseas distributors cautioned us against doing so after the September 11 attacks on W.T.C. Since it’s an English film, essentially made for the international market, we decided to wait for a few months. We have now scheduled it for an April-end release in both English and Hindi (dubbed with six songs) versions. Rajshris will release it all over India. We are aware that there are at least three other films being made on the same subject, but the interpretation by each maker is bound to be different. Besides, we are ready with the film and are in the process of planning a publicity campaign prior to its release. Coming to Rajshris, it’s a fact that they have signed me to write and direct two films for them. The first one is an English film and we have already signed Jatin-Lalit to compose the music.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Latest Bollywood Box-Office Position
Last week saw the release of Salman-Sushmita-Diya starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge.The publicity of the film was excellent and as expected the opening was good at places because of star power. However a bad film cannot go a long way. And the chances of this film clicking at the box-office are not there. Dharmesh Darshan's Haan...Maine Bhi Kiya starring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor is the big flop of the year. Surprising, that such big names and somewhat hit music could not attract the audience even for a week. Sold at a high price, the film will be a big loser for its distributors. The film did business of 64% in Mumbai (from 16 cinemas) and a mere 30% in Delhi (from 14 cinemas). This film was in the list of the forthcoming big releases of 2002 and sadly it bombed at the box-office. All country collections of the film are just 2 crores. This is consecutive fifth flop of Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek was heavily banking on this film. However, one cannot write him off, as his father (Amitabh Bachchan) also had seven flops before he delivered Zanjeer and became the biggest star of Bollywood. Abhishek still has some good films in hand which will decide his future in Bollywood -- Kuch Na Kaho co-starring Aishwariya Rai, Mahesh Manjrekar's Kutumb where he will share the limelight with his father the Big B, Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor and Boney Kappor's Dil Chor co-starring Kareena Kapoor. The dubbed film Mitr -- My Friend also did not get a good repsonse. The film did business of a mere 12% in Mumbai (from 1 cinema) and 54% in Delhi (from 1 cinema). Vikram Bhatt's Raaz is still going strong. The third week's collections of the film were 72% in Mumbai (from 10 cinemas). This week sees the release of action film Kranti starring Bobby Deol, Vinod Khanna, Rati Agnihotri and Amisha Patel. The film is about law and crime. The promos are impressive . Hopefully the film also will be impressive. Top 5 films of the week are: 1. Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge -- New 2. Raaz -- Hit 3. Haan...Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya -- Flop 4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham -- Super-hit 5. Yeh Dil Aashiqana -- Average
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Fresh violence rocks Gujarat; toll nears 300
A new wave of Hindu-Muslim blood-letting Friday pushed the death toll to 286 in western parts of the country as troops patrolled Gujarat to try curbing the riots. In a single village in Gujarat's Panchamahal district, 30 Muslims, including women and children, were burned alive Friday evening, district administrator Jayanti Ravi told AFP. She said the fresh eruption of violence claimed the lives of 10 more Muslims in other villages of the troubled Panchmahal district. Jayanti blamed the attacks on a Hindu mob and said the rioters numbering upto 3,000 searched one village cluster after another and attacked only those which housed Muslims. At least 48 people were killed in a single incident in Ahmedabad Friday as thousands of armed Hindus and Muslims fought a pitched battle. Police said 138 people had died earlier in Ahmedabad since the violence was triggered on Wednesday when a Muslim mob killed 58 mostly Hindu activists on a train. Outnumbered policemen on Friday opened fire on rioters on several occasions and hospitals struggled to cope with a flood of injured, many with gunshot and stab wounds. Most of the troops were deployed in Ahmedabad which has been a virtual battle zone since Wednesday, when 58 Hindu activists were burned in a train in Panchmahal district. They were killed in the district's Godhra town on as they were returning on a train from the town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh state. The VHP's most hardline leader B L Sharma Prem said that incident was being avenged. "Fundamentalist Muslims were behind the attack on the train and now and they are being paid back in the same coin," Sharma, a former MP, told AFP in New Delhi. The army was sent in amid criticism of the state police for failing to stem the violence in the city Thursday when Muslim families were burned alive in their homes. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi warned, "All those who have indulged in these heinous crimes will not be spared." Opposition parties accused Vajpayee of dithering in sending the army, but Defence Minister George Fernandes insisted that any delay had been purely logistical. "It takes a little time for the troops to get set and be on the move. Now we have a brigade strength (3,000 men) here," Fernandes said in Ahmedabad.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
All-party meet appeals for peace
NEW DELHI: In a joint statement on Friday all political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, have appealed for peace in Gujarat. This follows uprecedented riots that have resulted in the death of over 200 people. The statement was issued after the conclusion of the all-party meet convened by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday. Vajpayee assured the leaders that the government would firmly and effectively deal with the situation arising out of disturbances in Gujarat and joined them in appealing to all the communities to maintain peace and communal harmony. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Congress leader Manmohan Singh said, "the Prime Minister has agreed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's suggestion of sending a joint delegation of all political parties to Ahmedabad. The delegation will leave in a day or two." "Both the Opposition and allies have asked the government to take immediate steps to bring the situation under control," said Singh. Among the leaders who attended the all-party meet were Home Minister L K Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president and leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, I K Gujral, and former prime ministers V P Singh and Deve Gowda.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
No accord unless Govt. allows `puja': VHP
NEW DELHI, MARCH. 1. As the toll in Gujarat and elsewhere rose, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's senior vice president, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, described the violence there as ``a little violent reaction'', and added that today the level of violence in the State was ``negligible''. Asked if he was justifying the violence, he said, ``the Government and other people have said that Godhra happened because of the Ayodhya campaign.. I say Gujarat has happened because of Godhra.'' Acharya Kishore, who was talking to presspersons, denied that an agreement had been reached between the Government and the VHP. ``An agreement is possible only if we get a written assurance that within a certain period we will be able to place stones on the land and perform a ``puja'' (for 100 days) and later build a temple.'' Elaborating on what was meant by ``a certain period'', he said ``no more than three months''. Would the VHP would then scale back its temple movement? He said they would try to persuade the sants led by Ramchandra Paramhans, to do so. A written assurance had to come either from the Prime Minister or the Home Minister. Reminded that Ramchandra Paramhans had on Thursday said that things would not be allowed to reach a point that would force the Government down, he said ``we don't want the Government to fall... Ayodhya will not impact on the Government.'' Retreating from his attack on the Prime Minister - calling him ``criminally negligent'' - Acharya Kishore targeted Muslims, saying,``I don't hold the Prime Minister responsible .. I hold the Muslim psyche responsible for what is happening in Gujarat.'' Muslims were ``taught by the Quran to have hatred for non-Muslims,''he added. On whether the Godhra attack might be ``politically motivated'' rather than communal since it was alleged that ``a Congress corporator'' was involved, he said: ``A Muslim in any party is a Muslim first.'' His colleague, Om Prakash Singhal, president of Delhi VHP, told the journalists ``why don't you concentrate on Godhra''. Acharya Kishore insisted that there was ``a difference between a planned attack and mob psychology, what happened in Godhra was planned what is happening now in Gujarat is mob psychology.'' He said the VHP planned to take the ashes of those who had died in the Godhra attack to Ayodhya.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
65 burnt alive in Naroda
If it was Godhra on Wednesday, it was Naroda today. In one of the most horrific incidents, an entire locality of labourers belonging to a minority community was burnt to ashes, leaving at least 65 persons charred to death. According to eye-witnesses and police sources, a 5,000-strong mob brandishing swords, rods and carrying petrol cans descended upon the locality, situated on the outskirts of the city, past midnight. The residents were fast asleep without the slightest idea of what was in store for them. The attackers, who were aiming at avenging the Sabarmati Express burning at Godhra, encircled the slum colony from all sides, poured petrol and set it on fire. The resulting inferno was devastating, and turned the area to ashes within minutes. The screams of the old and the infants, of women and disabled, were lost into the crackling noise of brightly lit inferno. "They appeared out of nowhere and set the locality on fire. They pulled out people and doused them with petrol to burn them alive. There were cries for help, but no one turned up. Police were nearby, but they did not come to help," Aslam Silawat, who stays nearby, told Deccan Herald. Help arrived, but it was too late. The fire brigade personnel and police recovered 58 bodies till evening. Scores who had sustained burns were taken to Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad city. The survivors of the attack were shifted to safer places, without any medical support or food. Zubia Pathan, one of the survivors, was left alone as all members of her family went to a safe hideout. "I will also have to find a shelter, otherwise my life is in danger," she said. Another resident of the area, Masood Sheikh, was weeping uncontrollably. "Now there is no safe place for us to live," he was blurting out. Surprisingly, Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not even refer to the incident in his opening statement at the news conference in the evening today. When pressed for information, he said there had been violence in that area but he could not confirm the number of dead and he could do so only after verifying the figure. But he was quick to give the background of the incident. According to Mr Modi, a Tata 407 vehicle owner Mohammad Usman Mohammed Hussain Sheikh and his driver Shaukatbhai Mansuri first hit a scooter injuring two persons. Then they hit a resident, who died of the impact. These two incidents built up tension in that area, and provoked members from other community to respond in the way they did, Mr Modi said, insisting that he was not justifying the act, but merely giving background information. He said torching of the locality was very serious and no one has right to undertake reprisals or avenge Godhra, howsoever they are shocked and angered by Sabarmati Express burning. Mr Modi gave similar background for the yesterday's Meghaninagar incident. He said the local Gujarathi newspapers were full of reports of how the residents of Gulbarg Society, read the ex-MP Ahsan Jaffri, had terrorised people by firing from their private weapons in past. He said same thing happened this time also, in which nine persons were injured. As the mob reacted in anger, the police stationed there opened fire upon the people to protect the society. In all 92 rounds were fired, which left three dead and 13 injured. Even after that, the society was torched and 18 persons, including 12 women were burnt alive, he said. Hospital and police sources, however, have put the figure of dead at 38.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Priority for controlling violence, says Advani
NEW DELHI, MARCH 1. The Government today seemed to be pointing the ``needle of suspicion'' as regards the Godhra incident on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). This view was gaining ground as ``fomenting communal trouble'' was an important part of the ``overall ISI strategy,'' it was pointed out. However, this view was clearly not shared by all in the Government for the Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, has firmly rejected such a hypothesis. The ``ISI theory'' was not officially stated. As highly placed sources in the Government admitted that ``as yet'' they had ``no hard evidence'' to pinpoint ISI's involvement. It was the total circumstances of the terrorist strikes in India that the suspicion seemed to be based on. Although reports did not as yet indicate a respite to Gujarat violence, the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, while talking informally with reporters, appeared confident that not only will the administration be able to bring back normality but the Ayodhya issue would also be resolved amicably. But, for the moment the top priority was controlling and containing the violence. The Bharatiya Janata Party today was angry that the Opposition did not allow Parliament to function and had rejected a suggestion that all parties should adopt a ``joint statement'' in Parliament to help cool the communal temperature. While stating that efforts were on to get the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to stop its 100-days ``yagna'' in Ayodhya, the BJP spokesperson, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, strongly criticised ``selective condemnation'' of the violent incidents by some parties. He virtually implied that had it not been for that, the situation in Gujarat could not have taken such a turn. Mr. Malhotra said the Government had acted swiftly and there was no delay in deployment of the Army. Even during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi the Army was brought out after a few days, he pointed out. It seems that after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the first time in the morning, the Speaker called a meeting of party leaders and the former Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar, suggested that the Prime Minister call another all-party meeting - which was done - and that Parliament be allowed to function, the Home Minister be allowed to make a statement and afterwards a ``joint resolution'' be adopted condemning all violence and appealing for peace. Apparently, the Congress did not go along with the joint resolution idea. It seems that after some heated arguments at the meeting where charges and counter charges were made, the decision was that Parliament would not be allowed to function today, and that was what happened. Later Mr. Malhotra described the Opposition behaviour as undemocratic and against parliamentary traditions. With media reports also suggesting that the Gujarat Government had not taken timely action and the police stood and watched the violence and arson, the BJP condemned the non- observance of a code of conduct by the press. Mr Malhotra charged that a section of the media only publicised violent incidents when Muslims were victims. But when asked to give concrete instances, Mr. Malhotra said he was only talking about a ``section'' of the media. Like the Government, the party has also from the day of the Godhra incident, not ruled out the possibility of the hand of some terrorist outfits, or even the ISI, in what happened there. What they seem certain about was that the Godhra attack was pre-meditated. The train had stopped for just 5 minutes - between 7.43 and 7.48 a.m. - on that fateful day. But after it moved out, it was stopped a kilometre away where a mob seemed to be ready to perpetrate the worse kind of carnage.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Premji Is Richest Indian, Says Forbes
New York, March 1: Five prominent Indians, Azim Premji, Dhirubhai Ambani, Kumarmanagalam Birla, Lakshmi Mittal and Shiv Nadar, figure in the coveted list of world’s top 500 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine. Mr Premji, chairman of the Wipro group, is worth $6.4 billion and tops the Indian list. He occupies 41st position in the Forbes list. He is followed by Mr Ambani of the Reliance group with a net worth of $2.9 billion, occupying 138th position. Mr Birla, heading the Aditya Biral Group with a worth of $2.1 billion is at 200th position, followed by Mr Mittal at 327th position with a worth of $1.4 billion. IT giant HCL’s Shiv Nadar occupies 378th position and has a worth of $1.2 billion. He owns 78 per cent stake in HCL Technologies.The list shows that the US is the land of billionaires with 243 richest persons, led by Bill Gates with a worth of $58.8 billion. China has only one billionaire, Liu Yongxing Youghao, but another 12 live in Hong Kong. Germany has 35 billionaires, Japan 25, Canada and France 15 each, Britain, Switzerland and Italy 13 each and Mexico 12. The number of billionaires has come down to 497 this year from 538 last year.It includes 28 newcomers and 12 returnees but for every billionaire who joined or returned to the coveted list, two others departed, Forbes said in its 16th annual report. Of those who made to the final list, 50 per cent saw their net worth fall. It rose for 23 per cent and 19 per cent held steady. The billionaires’ average net worth dipped from $3.2 billion to $3.1 billion. Forbes describes 56 years old Premji as the self-made software entrepreneur and notes that his stock-exchange traded Wipro in weathering the tech downturn. Mr Premji’s 84 per cent stake worth $6.4 billion makes him the richest resident Indian.Mr Birla, it says, runs $6 billion (assets) global commodities empire inherited from late father Aditya Birla.
Saturday, March 2, 2002
Sourav smash back to form
Left handers seem to have a special affinity for the Kotla Test wicket. Yesterday it was the resurrection of Andy Flower, with a well complied 92 and today it was the resurgence of Sourav Ganguly. The Indian skipper played a sterling, unbeaten knock of 78, inclusive of 11 fours and a towering six in 226 minutes and 159 deliveries. Sourav’s knock was the cornerstone of India’s innings. He displayed ample patience, application and selection of shots on a turning wicket, with the ball occasionally playing tricks on either the wicked bounce or in keeping low. India were 171 for four at close of play. It was Sourav’s fourth Test half century as skipper (16th overall). The 78 not out is also his highest knock after his match-winning 98 not out against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Kandy in August last year. The knock not only signified Sourav’s return to form but has also silenced the doubting Thomases and will go a long way in his captaincy bid for the West Indies tour. Ironically, his patient knock was watched by former skipper Bishan Singh Bedi, who in a TV interview some days ago had commented that keeping Sourav as skipper was like retaining a pygmy, whilst the Aussies had the courage to drop a giant like Steve Waugh. Today Sourav had the last laugh. The only blemish for Sourav today was the run out of Rahul Dravid, which put India on the back foot at four for 144. Sourav played a Brighton Watambwa delivery to mid-on and called for a single. However, seeing that Friend had pounced on the ball, he hurriedly sent Dravid back. But Friend’s sizzling throw with just one stump to aim at, was brilliant. However, the ultimate mystery today was the silencing of Sachin Tendulkar. He went through his worst run drought in Test cricket. During a particular period after tea, he did not score for 55 minutes and scored just two in 74 minutes. After tea Sachin scored just 12 eight singles and a four and survived two lbw appeals off Raymond Price. His distinct discomfort, silenced the raucous crowd, stunned at seeing their icon with feet of clay. He was uncomfortable in the use his feet against the tight line and length of Price, playing in just his eighth Test. Also for once his timing went awry against the medium pacers Heath Streak and Travis Friend. Today it was the not the swashbuckling Sachin on view, but instead he became one more case of a God that failed. This tentative knock in Delhi (36 runs in 144 minutes off 119 balls) will probably haunt him for years to come. Both Indian openers looked comfortable against Watambwa and Streak but could not force the pace. Shiv Sunder was caught behind, trying to flick Streak off his hips. Deep Dasgupta’s dismissal was strange. He mis-read Friend’s inswinger. The Bengal wicket-keeper-batsman, lifted his bat aloft and padded up to a delivery which instead of swinging away came in and tapped him plumb lbw. The day started well for India. Jawagal Srinath in a hostile morning spell prevented Dion Ebrahim from scoring his first Test century. Ebrahim played tentatively from the crease to a sharp inswinger. It looked as if the ball struck him on the thigh but Sri Lankan umpire Asoka D’Silva after a pause declared him out lbw. Kumble brought in as soon as Tatendu Taibu came to the crease, struck twice in an over. He had Taibu lbw, a premeditated sweep against a ball which kept low and straight. Two balls later he shattered Price’s stumps with a sharp googly. Friend impressed with the bat and struck Harbhajan Singh for a towering six over mid-on. However, he tried to repeat the feat and holed out to Sachin at square leg. The last six Zimbabwe wickets tumbled for just 83 runs (from 246 for 4 to 329 all out. The four wickets today crumbled for just 69 runs in 110 minutes. For restricting Zimbabwe, the Indian bowlers deserve credit for their nagging accuracy. They prevented skipper Stuart Carlisle from reaching his objective of a first innings total of either 400 runs or even a respectable 350 runs. Carlisle admitted his team finished about 40 runs short of what he would have liked.
