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राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभादेवी पटेल के पुत्र शक के घेरे में

2012-02-13T00:46:00.001-08:00

राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभादेवी पटेल के पुत्र शक के घेरे में

मुंबई हवाईअड्डे परिसर से सटी झोपड़पट्टी पुनर्वास के नाम पर 10 हजार करोड़ रुपए के घोटाले का आरोप

मुंबई से एक्सकैलिबर स्टीवेंस विश्वास

महाराष्ट्र में जैसे-जैसे चुनाव नज़दीक आते जा रहे हैं, वैसे-वैसे हर राजनीतिक पार्टी नगर पालिका चुनावों में विजय पाने के लिए हर तरह की कोशिश कर रही हैं।
राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभादेवी पटेल के पुत्र विधायक रावसाहेब शेखावत शक के घेरे में है। महाराष्ट्र में इस हफ्ते होने जा रहे नगरीय निकाय चुनावों से पहले अमरावती जिले में पुलिस ने नागपुर से एक कार में लाए जा रहे एक करोड़ रुपयों को यहां चेकिंग के दौरान बरामद किया है। इस मामले में दो लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है। पुलिस सूत्रों ने रविवार को यहां बताया कि सोमवार देर रात करीब 1:30 बजे यहां पंचवटी स्क्वायर इलाके में पुलिस नाकाबंदी पर नागपुर से आ रही एक फोर्ड कार की तलाशी ली गई। तलाशी के दौरान कार से एक करोड़ रुपये बरामद हुए। उन्होंने बताया कि इसके बाद कार के ड्राइवर और उसके एक साथी को हिरासत में ले लिया गया। अपुष्ट तौर पर ऐसा कहा जा रहा है कि कार नागपुर के एक मंत्री की है हालांकि गिरफ्तार किए गए लोगों ने किसी व्यक्ति या पार्टी का नाम नहीं लिया है।वाहन से 1 करोड़ रुपए नकद बरामद होने से सनसनी मच गयी। पुलिस ने यह रकम शनिवार रात 1 बजे के करीब पंचवटी चौक पर पकड़ी। रविवार की सुबह पुलिस आयुक्त अमितेश कुमार ने कहा कि पकड़ी गयी फोर्ड एंडेवर क्रमांक एमएच 31-डीसी 4744 है। गाड़ी में आशीष माणिकराव बोधनकर व प्रकाश मसराम मौजूद थे।

पत्रकारों ने पुलिस आयुक्त से पूछा कि क्या यह गाड़ी कांग्रेस के राज्यमंत्री की है और पकड़े गये दो लोगों में एक राज्यमंत्री का पीए है। गाड़ी राज्य मंत्री की है या नहीं या गाड़ी में बैठा हुआ व्यक्ति राज्यमंत्री का पीए है या नहीं जांच चल रही है। प्राथमिक जांच से लगता है कि यह रकम मनपा चुनाव के लिए आयी है।

पुलिस आयुक्त ने कहा कि इस प्रकरण की पूरी जानकारी मुख्य चुनाव आयोग को फैक्स द्वारा भेज दी गयी है। आयकर विभाग को भी जानकारी दे दी गयी है। वक्त आने पर इस मामले में विधायक रावसाहेब शेखावत से भी पूछताछ की जाएगी।जाहिर है कि मां का कद हासिल करने में बेटे को अभी लंबा सफर तय करना है। अब तक उनका रिकार्ड ठीकठाक रहा है। पर मनपा चुनाव में वे विवाद के घेरे में आ ही गए। देखते हैं कि सियासी माहौल मनपा चुनाव खत्म होने तक क्या गुल खिलाता है। पर इस विवाद से निबटने में मां की राजनीतिक साख बेटे के काम जरूर आएगी, ऐसी उम्मीद है। अभी उनपर किसी ने हमलावर तेवर नहीं अपनाया है।हो सकता है कि रस्मी पूछताछ के बाद उन्हें क्लीन चिट मिल जाएगा।

मालूम हो कि राष्ट्रपति पुत्र अमरावती से विधायक हैं और उनकी विधायकी का पूरा फायदा अमरावती जिले को रहा है। दो साल में उन्होंने जिले में विकास के मद में ४५०० करोड़ रुपए की रकम का बंदोबस्त किया।अमरावती और विदर्भ में उनकी छवि तो फिलहाल विकासपुरूष की बनी हुी है और यद छवि टूटने के आसार कम ही है।

गौरतलब है कि राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा देवी पाटिल का महाराष्य्र की राजनीति से गहरा ताल्लुकात रहा है। इस तुलना में उनके बेटे का प्रोफाइल कोई खास नहीं है पर विदर्भ की राजनीति में उनका अपना दबदबा है।पाटिल ने २७ वर्ष की अवस्था में १९६२ में राजनीतिक जीवन का प्रारंभ कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता और महाराष्ट्र के भूतपूर्व मुख्यमंत्री यशवंत राव चौहान की देखरेख में प्रारंभ किया।१९६२ से १९८५ तक वे पांच बार महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा की सदस्य रहीं। इस दौरान वर्ष १९६७ से १९७२ तक वह महाराष्ट्र सरकार में राज्यमंत्री और वर्ष १९७२ से१९७८ तक कैबिनेट मंत्री रहीं उन्होंने कई महत्वपूर्ण मंत्रालयों का कार्यभार संभाला। उन्होंने १९६७ से १९७२ तक सार्वजनिक स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य, निषेध, पर्यटन, आवास और संसदीय कार्य, महाराष्‍ट्र सरकार में उप मंत्री पद पर कार्य किया। वे १९७२ से १९७४ तक महाराष्ट्र सरकार के समाज कल्‍याण विभाग, १९७४ से १९७५ तक सार्वजनिक स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य और समाज कल्‍याण विभाग, १९७५-१९७६ तक पुनर्वास और सांस्‍कृतिक कार्य विभाग और १९७७ से १९७८ तक शिक्षा विभाग में कैबिनेट मंत्री के पद आसीन रहीं। लेकिन जब १९७९ में कांग्रेस पार्टी महाराष्ट्र विधान सभा में विपक्ष में पहुँची तो प्रतिभा पाटिल लगभग एक वर्ष तक विपक्ष की नेता रहीं। १९८२ से १९८५ तक फिर वे महाराष्‍ट्र सरकार में शहरी विकास और आवास तथा १९८३-१९८५ तक नागरिक आपूर्ति और समाज कल्‍याण के विभागों में कैबिनेट मंत्री रहीं।१९८५ में वे राज्यसभा पहुँची और १९८६ में राज्यसभा की उप सभापति बनी। १८ नवम्‍बर १९८६ से ५ नवम्‍बर १९८८ तक वे सभापति, राज्‍य सभा भी रहीं। वे १९८६ से ८८ के बीच लाभ समिति की अध्‍यक्षा और सदस्‍य, व्‍यापार सलाहकार समिति, राज्‍य सभा भी रहीं। श्रीमती प्रतिभा देवीसिंह पाटिल प्रदेश कॉन्‍ग्रेस समिति महाराष्‍ट्र की अध्यक्षा(१९८८-१९९०), राष्‍ट्रीय शहरी सहकारी बैंक एवं ऋण संस्‍थाओं की निदेशक, भारतीय राष्‍ट्रीय सहकारी संघ की शासी परिषद की सदस्‍य रही हैं। १९८९-१९९० में वे महाराष्ट्र प्रदेश कांग्रेस की प्रमुख बनीं। उन्‍हें वर्ष १९९१ में दसवीं लोक सभा (संसद के निचले सदन) के लिए निर्वाचित किया गया और उन्‍होंने १९९१ में अध्‍यक्षा, सदन समिति, लोक सभा के रूप में भी कार्य किया। श्रीमती पाटिल को ८ नवंबर २०४ को राजस्‍थान की राज्‍यपाल के रूप में नियुक्‍त किया गया। उन्‍होंने भारत के राष्‍ट्रपति पद पर निर्वाचन के लिए २२ जून २००७ को राज्‍यपाल के पद से इस्‍तीफा दे दिया।

दूसरी ओर भाजपा ने मुंबई हवाईअड्डे परिसर से सटी झोपड़पट्टी पुनर्वास के नाम पर 10 हजार करोड़ रुपए के घोटाले का आरोप लगाया है। पार्टी के राष्ट्रीय नेता किरीट सोमैया के मुताबिक इस घोटाले में मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण सहित कांग्रेस व राष्ट्रवादी कांग्रेस पार्टी के केंद्रीय नेताओं का भी हाथ है।यही नहीं, शिवसेना की प्रवक्ता डॉ. नीलम गोर्हे ने राष्ट्रवादी कांग्रेस पार्टी पर निशाना साधते हुए कहा कि पिंपरी-चिंचवड़ मनपा में सत्ता मिलने के कारण उपमुख्यमंत्री अजित पवार के नेतृत्व में पार्टी ने कुल 12,166 करोड़ 62 लाख रुपए के बारह घोटाले किए हैं। इसका जवाब उन्हें देना होगा।

मुंबई के करीब 40 प्रतिशत लोगों को झोपड़पट्टियों में रहना पड़ता है- यहां 67 लाख 20 हजार लोग झोपड़पट्टियों में रहते हैं, जो फिनलेण्ड की कुल आबादी से करीब डेढ़ गुना ज्यादा है। फिनलेण्ड की कुल आबादी करीब 50 लाख है, जो वहां के 384 हजार वर्ग किलोमीटर के क्षेत्रफल में फैली है, जबकि मुंबई के 67 लाख 20 हजार झोपड़पट्टी रहवासियों के पास ऐसा सौभाग्य कहां है- यहां की 40 प्रतिशत आबादी के पास तो यहां की 14 प्रतिशत जमीन ही है, जो कि 140 वर्ग किलोमीटर से ज्यादा नहीं हो सकती है।

शिवसेना-भाजपा-आरपीआई महागठबंधन ने राकांपा के भ्रष्ट कार्य का पंचनामा पुस्तिका का विमोचन किया है। इसमें राकांपा द्वारा किए गए घोटालों की जानकारी है। इस बारे में गोर्हे ने कहा कि पुणो मनपा में सत्ता देने की अपील उपमुख्यमंत्री द्वारा की जा रही है। सत्ता मिलने पर पवार क्या करते हैं यह लोगों को बताने के लिए पुस्तिका निकाली गई है। मुंबई को यह लोग सोने का अंडा देने वाली मुर्गी कहते हैं, तो पिंपरी-चिंचवड़ को सोने के अंडे देने वाली मुर्गियों का पोल्ट्री फार्म ही कहना पड़ेगा।

गौरतलब है कि मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण ने मुंबई में आचार संहिता लागू होने से पहले दो बड़ी घोषणाएं की। उन्होंने 2004 से ठंडे बस्ते में पड़ी धारावी पुनर्विकास योजना को हरी झंडी देने के साथ ही मुंबई के विकास नियंत्रण नियमावली (डीसीआर) में जरूरत के अनुसार संशोधन करने का भी महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय लिया है।मुंबई के धारावी एरिया को एशिया की सबसे बड़ी झोपड़पट्टी के नाम से जाना जाता है। कुछ साल पहले इस इलाके में स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर फिल्म की शूटिंग हुई थी। जिसे ऑस्कर पुरस्कार मिला था। महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने करीब 63 सेक्टर में फैले इसी धारावी की झोपड़पट्टी के पुनर्विकास को 2004 में मंजूरी दी थी। धारावी पुनर्विकास योजना की विशेषता यह है कि राज्य सरकार ने यहां 4 एफएसआई (फ्लोर स्पेस इंडेक्स) दिया हुआ है। इसके साथ ही इस योजना के तहत बनने वाले फ्लैट का कार्पेट एरिया 300 वर्ग फुट रहने वाला है। चूंकि धारावी झुग्गी-झोपड़ी वाला इलाका है। इसलिए सरकार ने पुनर्विकास के तहत बनने वाली इमारतों की देखभाल के लिए १क् वर्ष तक का कॉर्पस फंड जमा करने का भी निर्णय लिया है। मुख्यमंत्री का कहना है कि इस निर्णय से म्हाडा द्वारा यहां के सेक्टर-५ में किये जाने वाले पुनर्विकास के काम में गति आयेगी।

सोमैया ने घोटाले की जांच सीबीआई से कराने की मांग की है। रविवार को पत्रकारों से चर्चा के दौरान उन्होंने आरोप लगाया कि यह नया घोटाला पीपीपी पब्लिक प्राइवेट पार्टनरशिप के नाम से किया गया है, जिसे चव्हाण के कार्यकाल में मंजूरी दी गई।

इसमें अपरोक्ष रूप से कृषि मंत्री शरद पवार, प्रफुल्ल पटेल, अहमद पटेल और विलासराव देशमुख जैसे केंद्रीय नेता शामिल हैं। सोमैया के मुताबिक हवाईअड्डे से सटी 200 एकड़ जमीन का आरक्षण बदलकर कमर्शियल जोन में कर दिया गया और जमीन की एफएसआई बढ़ाकर दोगुनी कर दी गई।

एमएमआरडीए को जमीन का विशेष प्लान तैयार करने की जिम्मेदारी सौंपी गई जबकि प्लान बनाने का अधिकार महानगरपालिका को है। सारा खेल मुंबई हवाईअड्डा प्राधिकरण, महाराष्ट्र सरकार, एमएमआरडीए और निजी बिल्डर की सांठगांठ में रचा गया है। सोमैया ने बताया कि जमीन की बाजार में कीमत 10 हजार रुपए वर्गफुट है। लेकिन जमीन की अल्प कीमत दिखाकर सारा लेने देन हुआ। उन्होंने बताया कि घोटाले की शिकायत कैग,सीवीसी और लोकायुक्त से की जाएगी।

जैसे ही उपमुख्यमंत्री की पत्रपरिषद खत्म हुई, थोड़ी देर बाद ही पुलिस आयुक्त कार्यालय से पत्रकारों को पत्रपरिषद का निमंत्रण दिया गया।मनपा चुनावी सभा को संबोधित करने आए उपमुख्यमंत्री अजित पवार ने एक अन्य पत्रपरिषद में साफ कहा कि हमारी जानकारी के मुताबिक गाड़ी कांग्रेस के राज्यमंत्री की है।

पुलिस आयुक्त अमितेश कुमार ने इस प्रकरण में जानकारी देते हुए कहा कि अभी-अभी हमें मुंबई कांग्रेस कमेटी के सरचिटणीस गणेश पाटिल के लेटरपैड पर लिखा पत्र प्राप्त हुआ है। जिसमें लिखा है कि यह पैसे मनपा चुनाव में खड़े कांग्रेस के 87 उम्मीदवारों के लिए भेजे गये हैं। हर उम्मीदवारों को एक-एक लाख रुपए दिए जाने हैं।पत्रकारों को पुलिस आयुक्त ने बताया कि पत्र में लिखा है कि यह पैसे पार्टी फंड में भिजवाए गए हैं। पत्रकारों ने पूछा कि पत्र कितने बजे मिला? पुलिस आयुक्त ने कहा कि पत्र पर वक्त नहीं है। यह पत्र मुंबई कांग्रेस कमेटी से भेजा गया है। अब मानें या न मानें, यह आप जानें।

बाकी की रकम शहर कांग्रेस कमेटी के खर्च के लिए दी जाए। पुलिस आयुक्त के अनुसार यह पैसे शनिवार को राज्य के ऊर्जा मंत्री तथा नागपुर के पालकमंत्री राजेंद्र मुलक के निवासस्थान से गाड़ी में रखे गये थे। शनिवार को नगर में पकड़ी गयी गाड़ी सहित आशीष माणिकराव बोधनकर व प्रकाश मसराम को हिरासत में लिया गया था।

इनमें से आशीष माणिकराव बोधनकर राज्य मंत्री राजेंद्र मुलक का पीए बताया गया है। पुलिस आयुक्त ने बताया कि पकड़ी गयी रकम ट्रेजरी में रखी जाएगी। इस प्रकरण में सोमवार को 155 नियम के तहत और अधिक जांच करने के लिए कोर्ट से अनुमति मांगी जाएगी।

सुभाष घई के पीछे किसका हाथ

सोमैया ने बताया कि फिल्म निर्माता सुभाष घई की कंपनी मुक्ता आर्ट को जमीन देने का यह पहला मामला नहीं है। मुंबई से पहले दिल्ली व आंध्रप्रदेश में भी मुक्ता आर्ट को सस्ती दर पर जमीन आवंटित कराई जा चुकी है। जिन-जिन राज्यों में मुक्ता आर्ट को जमीन आवंटित की गई वहां कांग्रेस की सरकार रही है। घई को जमीन आवंटित करने के पीछे किसका हाथ है, इसका खुलासा होना चाहिए।

सोमैया के अनुसार आंध्रप्रदेश के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री वाई एस राजशेखर रेड्डी ने हैदराबाद के ऐतिहासिक गोलकुंडा किले के पास 20 एकड़ जमीन अल्प कीमत पर दी थी। दिल्ली के झाझर स्थित एनसीआर क्षेत्र में 20 एकड़ जमीन मुक्ता आर्ट को दी गई।

हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री भूपेंद्रसिंह हुड्डा ने केवल 8 करोड़ रुपए में जमीन घई की कंपनी को आवंटित की थी। सोमैया के अनुसार गलत तरीके से दी गई तीन जमीनों में से दो जमीन आवंटन को उच्च न्यायालय ने रद्द कर दिया है। मुक्ता आर्ट को गोरेगांव फिल्म सिटी में 20 एकड़ जमीन कौड़ियों के भाव में देने के मामले में सोमैया ने प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहनसिंह से विलासराव देशमुख को केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल से हटाने की मांग की है। उन्होंने इस संबंध में प्रधानमंत्री को पत्र भेजा है।

श्री सोमैया के मुताबिक बेटे रितेश को फिल्म इंडस्ट्री में जमाने के लिए श्री देशमुख ने 66 करोड़ रुपए की सरकारी जमीन केवल 3 करोड़ में मुक्ता आर्ट को दे दी। इसे लेकर बांबे हाईकोर्ट ने श्री देशमुख को फटकार लगाई है। श्री सोमैया ने मुंबई मेट्रो रेल, मुंबई अर्बन ट्रांसपोर्ट प्रोजेक्ट, मीठी नदी, बांद्रा-नरिमन प्वाईंट सी लिंक, नवी मुंबई हवाईअड्डा, मुंबई-न्हावा शेवा सी लिंक और मुंबई गोवा महामार्ग को लेकर भी कांग्रेस-राकांपा के मंत्रियों की भूमिका पर सवाल उठाए।

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

Fwd: [bangla-vision] Tepco Says Fukushima Reactor Temperature Breaches Safety Limit 12 Feb 2012

2012-02-12T23:53:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CLG News <clgnews@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Subject: [bangla-vision] Tepco Says Fukushima Reactor Temperature Breaches Safety Limit 12 Feb 2012
To: lori@legitgov.org

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government

12 Feb 2012

http://www.legitgov.org

All links are here:

http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

Tepco Says Fukushima Reactor Temperature Breaches Safety Limit --TEPCO: 'We think the thermometer may be faulty.' 13 Feb 2012 Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the temperature in one of the damaged reactors at its Fukushima nuclear station rose to levels above safety limits even as it injected increased amounts of cooling water. One of three thermometers indicated the temperature at the bottom of the No. 2 reactor pressure vessel rose to 89.2 degrees Celsius (192.56 Fahrenheit) as of 8:00 a.m. today, higher than the 80 degrees limit, Naohiro Omura, a spokesman for the utility, said by phone today.

Fukushima reactor heats up again 13 Feb 2012 The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant has begun injecting more water into one of the reactors, after the core temperature rose above Japan's safety limit. A gauge inside Fukushima's reactor number two showed the temperature rising to 82 degrees Celsius over the weekend, its highest level since the reactor was put into a state of cold shutdown two months ago. Responding to the increase, operator TEPCO began injecting 15 tonnes of water an hour into the reactor in a bid to get the temperature down.

Japan OKs fresh support for Fukushima nuclear plant operator Tepco 13 Feb 2012 Japan's trade minister approved nearly $9 billion in additional support for Tokyo Electric Power Co to help compensate victims of the Fukushima nuclear crisis on Monday, but said the government would not go ahead with a plan to inject tax money into utility unless it got adequate management say. Aside from the added 690 billion yen ($8.9 billion) in compensation support from a state-backed fund, the government has been planning to inject about 1 trillion yen in taxpayers' money into the utility, also known as Tepco, in what would be one of the world's biggest bailouts outside the banking sector. [This is *insane.* Where are the riots?]

US admiral says Navy forces are prepared to confront Iran 12 Feb 2012 The top U.S. Navy official in the Gulf said Sunday he takes Iran's military capabilities seriously but insists his forces are prepared to confront any Iranian [?] aggression in the region. Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of the 5th Fleet, told reporters at the naval force's Bahrain headquarters that the Navy has "built a wide range of potential options to give the president" and is "ready today" to confront any hostile action by Tehran. "We've developed very precise and lethal weapons that are very effective, and we're prepared," Fox said. "We're just ready for any contingency."

Mission accomplished! Now, on to Iran and Syria so US corpora-terrorists can continue to make a killing on the killing: Iraq begins pumping oil to new Gulf terminal 12 Feb 2012 Iraq began pumping oil on Sunday to the first of five floating terminals in the Gulf in a move that will increase its export capacity by 850,000 barrels per day. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki symbolically opened the valve of a pipeline that runs from Iraq's southern oil fields to the port of Faw, 535 kilometres (332 miles) south of Baghdad, and then on to the terminal. Iraq launched a programme in 2007 to increase its oil export output.

Gunmen assassinate provincial judge in Nangarhar 12 Feb 2012 According to local authorities in eastern Afghanistan, an Afghan judge was killed along with his niece in eastern Nangarhar province. Khogyani district chief Haji Mohammad Hassan said the incident took place on Saturday evening at Barbahar area while Mr. Basir and his wife and his children were on their way to his father-in-law's house. Mr. Hassan added that Basir was killed during the incident and that his wife along with his four children were injured and another family member was injured during the incident.

Karachi rally condemns US policies 12 Feb 2012 Thousands have staged a demonstration in Pakistan's most populous city of Karachi to condemn the US policies and its non-UN-sanctioned assassination drone strikes in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt. Sunday's rally was arranged by Defense of Pakistan Council, an alliance of 40 religious and political parties. Speakers at the protest delivered hard-hitting speeches, urging the Pakistani government to cease its cooperation with Washington's so-called war on terror.

Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Plan as Riots Rage 13 Feb 2012 After violent protests left dozens of buildings aflame in Athens, the Greek Parliament voted early on Monday to approve a package of harsh austerity measures demanded by the country's foreign lenders in exchange for new loans to keep Greece from defaulting on its debt. The vote on the austerity measures was 199 in favor and 74 opposed, with 27 abstentions or blank ballots. The new austerity measures include, among others, a 22 percent cut in the benchmark minimum wage and 150,000 government layoffs by 2015 - a bitter prospect in a country ravaged by five years of recession and with unemployment at 21 percent and rising.

Rioters Set Fire to Buildings as Greek Parliament Votes on Cuts 12 Feb 2012 Rioters set fire to buildings and battled police in downtown Athens as the Greek Parliament prepared to vote on Prime Minister Lucas Papademos's austerity package. Protesters set fire to a Starbucks Corp. cafe, a bank and a movie theater as well as other stores in downtown Athens, a fire department spokesman said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with official policy. Demonstrators, rallying against austerity measures including job cuts, tore up marble in front of parliament that they hurled with fire-bombs at police guarding the chamber.

Buildings set ablaze as Greek MPs debate austerity plan 12 Feb 2012 Protests have spread in central Athens, amid anger over austerity measures being debated by parliament. Protesters threw stones and petrol bombs, and several buildings were set on fire; police fired tear gas. A number of people were injured. The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens says the violent protests, which have been common in recent months, are surprisingly large. Several historic buildings, including cafes and cinemas, were in flames. Syntagma Square - in the heart of Athens - is cloaked in a hail of tear gas, our correspondent adds.

Anonymous invites CIA, others to its weekend party 11 Feb 2012 Anonymous is having a busy weekend. The loose-knit hacking collective, which last week scored a coup against the FBI, claimed yesterday to have taken down the CIA's Web site, in what appeared to be a distributed denial of service attack (one of the group's specialties, such relatively unsophisticated attacks paralyze Web servers with waves of data requests). The group also posted information it said was pilfered from police and government servers in Alabama, and, as blog RT reported, took down the Mexican Senate and Interior Ministry Web sites... Anonymous embarrassed the FBI a week ago Friday by posting on YouTube a recording of a conference call between the bureau and U.K. law enforcement over Anonymous and other online activist groups.

Computer hacker Gary McKinnon's treatment 'barbaric' 11 Feb 2012 The mother of computer hacker Gary McKinnon has delivered letters and poems to Downing Street to mark the 10th anniversary of her son's arrest. Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of hacking US military computer systems in 2002. Janis Sharp said the treatment of her son, who admits hacking into military computers but claims he was looking for evidence of UFOs, was "barbaric".

Air NZ flu flight scare 'an overreaction' --The Ministry of Health and Auckland Regional Public Health Service have refused to release information on the incident. 13 Feb 2012 Passengers are downplaying a health scare that sparked a major response from officials at Auckland International Airport today. Auckland hospitals were on standby and medical staff were called on to assess the health of 73 passengers reportedly suffering flu-like symptoms who were on board the Air New Zealand flight that landed in Auckland at 9.20am. Authorities feared passengers had arrived carrying the H3N2 flu virus that is currently sweeping Japan.

Air New Zealand plane quarantined in Auckland after 73 passengers fall ill --TVNZ reported none of the passengers have been allowed to leave the plane. Two crews are on board and wearing protective gear. 13 Feb 2012 An Air New Zealand plane has been quarantined after landing at Auckland Airport carrying children with flu-like symptoms, TVNZ reported. The Boeing 777-200 landed in Auckland this morning local time, with 274 passengers from Narita International Airport outside Tokyo. A group of 73 passengers, including children, were suffering from the flu-like symptoms.

Man Found Fatally Shot Near Lincoln Memorial 12 Feb 2012 Police in Washington, D.C., were investigating Sunday after a man was found fatally shot near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. It was not immediately known if the man's death was a homicide, WTOP-TV reported. His body was found in West Potomac Park, near the Lincoln Memorial, at around 8:00am Sunday when US Park Police officers responded to reports of a shooting in the area.

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--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

Fwd: CC News Letter, 12 Feb - Will Occupy Spring Forward Or Meltdown?

2012-02-12T23:52:00.003-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Countercurrents <editor@countercurrents.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 10:35 PM
Subject: CC News Letter, 12 Feb - Will Occupy Spring Forward Or Meltdown?
To: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Dear Friend,

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word.It's time humanity should come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/subscribe.htm. You can also follow us on twitter, http://twitter.com/countercurrents and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/countercurrents

In Solidarity
Binu Mathew, Editor,
Countercurrents.org
Educate! Organize! Agitate!

Will Occupy Spring Forward Or Meltdown?
By Shamus Cooke

http://www.countercurrents.org/cooke120212.htm

Numbers matter, and Occupy has been shedding numbers for months. A major reason for this is because Occupiers have swerved drastically left, leaving the broader 99% ashore. If this trend isn't corrected soon, Occupy will resemble the pre-Occupy left: small isolated groups pursuing their own issues, disconnected from the very broader population that must be involved to actually win any significant demands

A New Declaration
By Derrick Jensen

http://www.countercurrents.org/jensen120212.htm

Once we've recognized the destructiveness of capitalism and industrial civilization—both of which are based on systematically converting a living planet into dead commodities—we've no choice, unless we wish to sign our own and our children's death warrants, but to fight for all we're worth and in every way we can to overturn it

Planning For The Rio+20 Conference: Enter The Commons?
By David Bollier

http://www.countercurrents.org/bollier120212.htm

There is a realization that it is no longer enough to denounce globalization or rail against capitalism. Realistic alternatives must be set forth. For many, it would appear that the commons can provide a useful framework and vocabulary for starting a very different conversation – one that at once addresses politics, economics, culture and our individual aspirations and energies

A German Satire On A Greek Stage
By Farooque Chowdhury

http://www.countercurrents.org/chowdhury120212.htm

Germany is staging a satire in burning Greece. While school children there go unfed and homeless increases in number bankers punish the exhausted Republic by imposing harsh, humiliating conditions to take last cents away from the bankrupt capitalist state in Europe

Towards A Policy For Proportionate Electoral System
By Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India

http://www.countercurrents.org/ceri120212.htm

More than 250 delegates from 22 States of India gathered together for two full days at the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra at the National Conference of the Campaign for Electoral Reforms In India (CERI) and have arrived at the following Statement of the Conference, after due deliberation for the consideration of the Parliament and the Government of India

Countercurrents And You !

Click here to find out
how you can support CC
http://www.countercurrents.org/subscription.htm

You can unsubscribe from this news letter here
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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

Fwd: हस्तक्षेप.कॉम सोनी सोरी का कसूर क्या है?

2012-02-12T23:52:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amalendu Upadhyaya <amalendu.upadhyay@gmail.com>
Date: 2012/2/12
Subject: हस्तक्षेप.कॉम सोनी सोरी का कसूर क्या है?
To: hastakshep@googlegroups.com

Fwd: [NAAGVANSH] आज 13,2,12 का दिन 'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा'...

2012-02-12T23:50:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jayantibhai Manani <notification+kr4marbae4mn@facebookmail.com>
Date: 2012/2/13
Subject: [NAAGVANSH] आज 13,2,12 का दिन 'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा'...
To: NAAGVANSH <naagvansh@groups.facebook.com>

Jayantibhai Manani posted in NAAGVANSH.

Jayantibhai Manani

6:46am Feb 13

आज 13,2,12 का दिन 'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा' का 15 -वां दिन है. पता भी नहीं चला कि 14 दिन की यात्रा हो गई है.
आज सुबह यात्रा पेटलाद में सुबह 9.30, आणंद में दोपहर 11.30, सावली में 2.30 हालोल में 4.30 और कालोल में 6.30 को पहुंचेगी.
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=178517542251383&id=100001368137744

'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा' का १४ -वां दिन

'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा' के १४ -वे दिन सोजित्रा चौराहें पर

बावला से सोजित्रा तक 'ओबीसी संविधानिक अधिकार यात्रा' का १४ -वां दिन

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

3 yrs on, 35 cases later, NIA solves only 1 terror case!It proves our point of view that the State is NOT Active Enough to Finish Terror rather it Uses Terror as Tool of economic ethnic Cleansing!India To Deport Israeli Couple Suspected Of Being Agen

2012-02-12T10:43:00.001-08:00

3 yrs on, 35 cases later, NIA solves only 1 terror case!It proves our point of view that the State is NOT Active Enough to Finish Terror rather it Uses Terror as Tool of economic ethnic Cleansing!India To Deport Israeli Couple Suspected Of Being Agents!

Samjhauta express blast: Kamal Chouhan arrested for alleged role

I am being forced to make false statements: Swami Aseemanand

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and
Time - EIGHT HUNDRED TWO
Palash Biswas

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It was formed three years ago and is working on 35 terror cases at the moment. But with only one incident solved so far, India's premier anti-terror probe body National Investigation Agency (NIA) has very little to boast of, say experts.

Meanwhile,in Samjhauta express blast case Kamal Chouhan arrested for alleged role!On the other hand,Swami Aseemanand claims that he is being forced to make false statements!The NIA had already charged Swami Aseemanand, Sadhvi Pragya, SunilJoshi (now dead), Sandeep Dange, Lokesh Sharma and RamchandraKalasangra alias Ramji for triggering the explosions in the SamjhautaExpress on February 2007 in which 68 people were killed.

Samjhauta blast accused arrested
‎
indiablooms - 24 minutes ago
New Delhi, Feb 12 (IBNS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's premierterrorism investigation body, on Sunday arrested from Indore a suspect in ...
Samjhauta blast case: NIA arrests bomb planter‎ Zee News
India arrests key suspect in Samjhauta Express blast‎ The Express Tribune
all 23 news articles »

The train operates between Delhi and Lahore in Pakistan. His questioning also focussed on the murder of Joshi, a case which was also taken over by the NIA in June last year.

India To Deport Israeli Couple Suspected Of Being Agents!Local newspapers, which reported the arrest, quoted unnamed police officials as stating that Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi, both Israeli passport holders, to be 'foreign agents'.

Just a week before the arrest of the suspected spies, the Israeli Foreign Ministry published a study claiming that a whopping 58% of Indian respondents were found to have sympathetic feelings for the Jewish State whereas only 56 % of Americans felt the same way. Indeed, Israel enjoys a very positive image in Indian bureaucratic and business circles.

     Will this incident, which will bring a sharper focus on Israeli activities in India, change that perception?

An Israeli couple who came to the city,KOCHI on March 3, 2010, will be deported for "suspicious activities". Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi came on a multiple-entry visa and rented a house on Rose Street, Fort Kochi, for Rs 50,000 per month, far higher than the market rate.However, their 'mission', was not specified and police reported that the couple would be deported back to Israel after questioning which means some clear evidence of their activities, inimical to India, may have been found.

The Times of India reported Tuesday that Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi, who arrived in the city in March 2010, will be questioned before they are deported.
The couple raised suspicions, according to the newspaper, when they came on a multiple-entry visa and paid far higher than market rate to rent a house in the city.

They are accused of being part of an Israeli covert operation in retaliation for the November 2008 terrorist attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai, which led to the death of six Israelis, including the Chabad emissary and his wife. More than 170 people were killed in the attacks in the Chabad house, luxury hotels, a train station and a popular cafe.

The Times of India quoted an intelligence officer as saying that central intelligence received an alert about a covert operation being carried out by suspected Israeli agents following the Mumbai attacks.

"A communication was sent to all states and it was our wing in Kerala that traced this couple at Fort Kochi," the officer is quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Indian intelligence also said, according to the newspaper, that "We have traced the couple's financial transactions. Preliminary investigations suggest similar Israelis are camping in various parts of the country."

Police also were suspicious of what they called late night meetings in the house, which the couple told Ynet they believe were Shabbat dinners for travelers and members of the local Jewish community.

Zalman told The Jerusalem Post that the couple were invited to Kochi by the small Jewish community to open the outreach center.

Local newspapers reported that undercover Kerala Police officials followed them for a year, questioned them and filed a report after receiving details that other Israeli spies might be camping out in various Indian cities. The decision to deport them was taken by the district admnistration of Ernakulum District which looks after such matters under its jurisdiction.

     Exactly what the two were upto in a city which has India's largest population of jews is a subject of speculation. Some years ago, the Kerala state administration had sounded the alarm after Indians jews, emigrating to Israel were reported to be taking away priceless relics from centuries old Synagogues in Kerala's backwaters.

     This incident comes a month after Indian External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna made a historic visit to Jerusalem to reaffirm 20 years of diplomatic relations under which bilateral trade is worth nearly USD 100 billion dollars, most of it flowing from India to Israel.

"Central intelligence got an alert about a covert operation being carried out by suspected Israeli agents after the 26/11 terror attacks in which south Mumbai's Chabad House came under attack and six Jews, including a Rabbi and his pregnant wife, were killed. A communication was sent to all states and it was our wing in Kerala that traced this couple at Fort Kochi," an intelligence officer here said.

Indian agencies will question two suspected Israeli agents before they are deported. "We have traced the couple's financial transactions. Preliminary investigations suggest similar Israelis are camping in various parts of the country," an official said.

In their report, the state intelligence department said a group of people turned up at the couple's rented house regularly and held meetings.

"These meetings lasted for hours in the night. They were under close surveillance".

The deportation order was slapped on Zalman and Shenoi last Monday after undercover Kerala Police officers tracked them for a year, questioned them and filed a report to Ernakulam collector P I Sheik Pareeth.

Shneor Zalman, born on September 2, 1984, and Yaffa Shenoi, born on January 27, 1988, entered the country on multiple-entry visas (one of them being AP 2569691). While Zalman's passport number is 13143659, Shenoi's is 11665711.

Fort Kochi is a major hub for foreign tourists next to the neighbourhood of Mattancherry, famous for its Jew Town. This is the historical part of town where Jews set up their first trading outpost centuries ago and built the country's oldest synagogue in 1568.

"A monthly rent of Rs 50,000 is disproportionately high, even in Fort Kochi. This is one of the main factors that made us suspicious," the intelligence source said. "They have been in the country from March 3, 2010. When their visas expired on March 3 last year, they went out and returned on April 1, 2011 on a new visa."

Hindu right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand, an accused in the Samjhauta train blast case, Monday claimed "pressure" from investigating agencies to make "false statements".

"It is such a big case which is connected to Pakistan. They (authorities here) want to run the case on the basis of false statements made under pressure. It poses a question mark on our system," he told reporters here after a hearing.

"I am being forced to tell things," he said.

The matter is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has on June 20, filed a charge sheet against Aseemanand and four others -- Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra and Sunil Joshi, who is now dead.

Sixty-eight people, mostly Pakistanis were killed in the Samjhauta Express blast at Panipat's Diwana village, about 80 km from Delhi in February 2007.

Aseemanand is accused in 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast, which claimed three lives and left 15 others injured. Besides, the investigating agency has claimed his role in blasts in Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid and Malegaon.
The self-styled seer was arrested by the CBI last year from Haridwar in Uttarakhand for his alleged role in the Mecca Masjid blast case.

In his confession that was recorded before the magistrate few months ago, Aseemanand had alleged that a right-wing group was responsible for the 2006 blasts in Malegaon, which killed 37 people and injured over 100.
The case will now be heard on January 10.

In another arrest in the Samjhautaexpress blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken into custody an Indore-based man for his alleged role in the 2007 train attack.

The arrest of Kamal Chouhan, believed to be a close aide of RamjiKalsangra and Sandeep Dange, key accused in the case, came after he was asked to appear before the NIAheadquarters here following summons served at his home atDepalpur Tehsil in Indore in MadhyaPradesh, official sources said here tonight.

Intense questioning of the accused was underway to ascertain the whereabouts of Sange and Kalsangra, on whom the agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh, the sources said.

Pointing out the dismal success rate and NIA's nearly Rs17-crore budget this fiscal, experts say the much-hyped agency has proved to be a white elephant created to give a "symbolic impression" that something is being done on the anti-terror front after the Mumbai attack in 2008.

With Radha Vinod Raju as its first director-general, the federal probe agency was set up on January 18, 2009 -- months after 10 Pakistani terrorists attacked Mumbai, shocking the nation and stunning intelligence agencies.
At the end of its three years, the agency is investigating 35 terror cases, including the recent Delhi High Court blasts, the David Coleman Headley connection to the Mumbai attack, the Malegaon bombings of 2006 and 2008, the Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts, according to NIA sources.

So far it has filed 21 chargesheets, the latest one being against Pakistani American Headley and eight others, for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. The case is expected to come up for hearing later this week.

But only one case pertaining to a bomb explosion at a bus depot in Kozhikode, Kerala, in 2006 has been solved. Two of the accused, including alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba militant T. Naseer, have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The failure to meet expectations of probing terror strikes has led to a lot of flak for the NIA.

Ajai Sahni, a security expert, says the NIA has been "nothing but a wasteful, unproductive institution".

"It was a bad idea executed badly. You can't curb terror with vanity projects just demonstrating symbolic impression that the government was doing something," Sahni, who runs the South Asia Terrorism Portal (www.satp.org <http://www.satp.org>), told IANS.

Sahni questions the basic need to have the NIA. "Who are these people running it? They are the people stolen from police, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Why do you need NIA at all when you have not given investigative autonomy even to the CBI?"

Pointing out a basic fault in its creation, former IB director Ajit Doval believes a reality was "ignored" when the NIA was formed.

The NIA lacks a systematic update on terror outfits, hw they manage their inter-relationships, their modules, their changing modus operandi, overground links, finances, communications, weapons, he says. "Is that happening? No."

"This makes the agency work on simplistic inferences that often fall back and their probe leads nowhere. It is just event-focussed. It's not likely to take them too far," the former IB head says.

But NIA officials say it is unfair to criticise a "three-year-old baby who has just learned to walk".
"We are still growing but are in the right direction," a senior NIA official said, pleading anonymity.

Triangular diplomacy
02/09/2012 15:37   By JARED FELDSCHREIBER
How the American Jewish Committee's Indian-Jewish program director Nissim Reuben fosters ties between the US, India and Israel.
Photo by: Courtesy
Successful diplomacy is often achieved through diligent efforts, and "grace" is rarely a term used in describing active participants within the world of international affairs. Yet, to his American Jewish Committee colleagues, Nissim B.

Reuben, the director of the Indian-Jewish American Relations Program, has come to represent "grace" in both his personal and professional life.

Despite his heavy load of responsibilities at AJC fostering the partnership of Jewish communities in India, the US and Israel, he appears, particularly in conversation, as relaxed as a forehand stroke in tennis – Reuben's favorite sport.

Reuben has been passionate about international affairs since he was a child growing up in Ahmadabad, the largest city in Gujarat, India.

"I remember as a seventh-grader that I loved reading Time magazine and being fascinated by current affairs," he recalls. He credits journalist Tom Friedman's 2005 book about globalization, The World Is Flat, which concerns a level playing field in terms of world commerce where all competitors have equal opportunity, as reflecting much of his political and diplomatic worldview.

"If India was a stock, I would buy it," he quotes Friedman as saying. In a nod to Friedman, Reuben recognizes AJC as the standard-bearer for furthering Jewish concerns on the world stage, quipping, "If AJC were a stock, I would buy it."

Reuben cites the Bollywood movie star Amitabh Bachchan as a cultural influence on his life. Many of Bachchan's films feature patriotic songs which helped mold the tri-patriotic fervor Reuben feels for India, the US and Israel, and manifests his global view for "love of country." India represents the "motherland," since it is where he was born; the "homeland" connotes the US as it is his place of residence, and the "fatherland," Israel, is akin to "bnei Yisrael," or the "sons of Israel." Reuben feels a personal and professional attachment to all three countries.

THE AJC'S central responsibility is to build "bridges of understanding" and to confront the security needs of the Jewish community in the US and abroad. Its mission is to foster diplomatic ties between America and Israel, and to confront prejudice worldwide.

Reuben has carved a unique niche within the organization, specifically dealing with the Indian-Jewish communities in the US, India and Israel. He "regularly engages with Indian diplomatic missions, learning about the latest trends in these booming relations," he says.

Jews came to India for more than 2,000 years to trade, as well as to escape persecution. The communities there are both distinctly Indian and fully Jewish, and more than 30 synagogues have been documented in Bombay alone. The Pardesi Synagogue in Cochin is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth.

Reuben's father served on the AJC board in India, and 11 years ago, his father involved his son with the organization due to an inauspicious moment in India's history – the January 2001 earthquake. During the relief effort, he met the AJC's director of government and international affairs Jason Isaacson, who came to survey the damage inflicted by the natural disaster.

"I remember meeting Nissim during the humanitarian relief effort where we helped to restore a damaged school that served a predominantly Muslim population," says Isaacson. "There we worked very extensively over months and throughout the course of this time, I [came to] admire Nissim."

In these weeks after the earthquake Reuben played a vital role in the mission success of 300 IDF soldiers who set up a field hospital in Bhuj in Gujarat State. Reuben's involvement in this effort inspired AJC, and specifically Isaacson, to bring Nissim on board as a Goldman Fellow in 2003.

"I joined AJC as a Goldman Fellow and continued my association part-time through American University's Curricular Practical Training program," says Reuben.

"After my graduation I joined AJC as a full-time employee working on Indian-Jewish-American relations and international affairs in July 2005."

Reuben currently travels around the country on behalf of AJC to create a network of Indian and Jewish American students, and to meet with community leaders, artists, doctors and business professionals.

The growing alliance between India and Israel has been strong for the past two decades since diplomatic ties officially opened in 1992. Diplomatically, Israel considers India second only to the US in terms of economic and political alliance, as Israel's Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz recently commented.

"Both countries are democracies with very unfriendly neighborhoods that focus on destabilizing or destroying [in Israel's case] them," Reuben explains. "India and Israel each gained independence from the British within a year of each other (1947 and 1948), both today have parliamentary democracies," and both have strategic concerns in combating terrorism.

REUBEN BELIEVES the Indian-American communities look to Jews with particular admiration for their accomplishments in the sciences, business and politics.

"Indian-Americans on both sides of the political spectrum like the Jewish community, and generously give to campaigns to actively engage their current and future representatives. The US has two governors from the Indian-American community, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (Randhawa) who is the daughter of Sikh immigrants from the state of Punjab, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal whose parents came from Punjab."

Reuben has helped to coordinate two historic AJC cosponsored India-Israel-US friendship receptions on Capitol Hill – in July 2003 and November 2007.

He describes the increased need for continued military and commercial links among the US, India and Israel, which have spurred increased trade.

"Many Israeli companies, such as Magic Software, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, ELTA, Elbit, EL-OP and others have set up large operations in India in partnership with government firms such as Bharat Electronics Ltd., and private-sector firms such as Tata, among others, in order to cater to the vast Indian defense and civilian market which every year becomes lucrative, given India's stable democracy and growing economy," he says.

Reuben still feels grateful to Isaacson for noticing his work in Gujarat in 2001, and acknowledges he would not be doing what he so loves "if it were not for him.

And thanks to AJC's platform, I have been privileged to play a role in these relations through helping bring Indian journalists and academics to Israel."

According to Isaacson, Reuben's gifts are "to engage the other – that has been the hallmark of AJC – and through his imagination... he has created an expanded network, and a coalition of Indian Americans and American Jews for a shared sense of combating terrorism, and for exploring the traditions of common values...

which are family, education and other shared sensitivities," says Isaacson.

"Anyone who has spent time with Indians and Jews [understands that] there is an indefinable partnership and community... there's a spark there that leads to common understanding and cooperation on a range of endeavors," says Isaacson.

Reuben travels to India usually once every year or two. He is married to Lavina, whom he met through a traditional arranged marriage in India, and who is also politically involved. She works as media communications officer at the Indian Embassy. They have a son, Benjamin.

Reuben believes the best way for American Jews to engage is to invest in helping facilitate an exchange of experts in technology, particularly in water and agriculture, between India and Israel. Leading Israeli universities like the Technion in Haifa, and Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, are the standard-bearers for this kind of research, and continue to be the wave of the future for investment in technologies.

Clearly optimistic about the great ties between India and the Jewish communities, Reuben believes "relations between India and Israel continue to be booming.

This institution, AJC, has become our home away from home. I have done many programs on India-Israel relations and India's Jewish heritage in partnership with AJC and local synagogues. I am hoping to do another one at Temple Beth El in Bethesda on February 21, where we will be screening the documentary Salaam- Shalom: The Jews of India, followed by my talk on India's Jewish heritage and India-Israel relations."

Reuben's simple approach to his work is pragmatic and helps to break down the deep complexities while bridging the cultural challenges of international affairs.
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=257150

Real Opportunists of War against Terrorism
By Sajjad Shaukat

While, almost all the countries in general and the US and Islamic countries in particular have continuously been facing the drastic aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, but India and Israel are the real opportunists of the US-led global war against terrorism.

Since 9/11, by availing that golden opportunity, both India and Israel have perennially been manipulating the world phenomena of terrorism and anti-Muslim approach of the US-led west in order to obtain their secret designs.

Despite a prolonged war of ten years, America and its allies failed in suppressing the war of liberations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and militancy in other volatile countries such as Somalia, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Nigeria etc. through heavy aerial bombardment and ground shelling, but by exploiting the global war against terrorism, Indian and Israeli forces have intermittently been employing military terrorism such as curfews, crackdowns, sieges, massacre, targeted killings etc. to maintain their alien rule on the occupied territories of Kashmir and Palestine. Thus they are jeopardizing American global and regional interests.

In this regard, it was proved that Israeli forces also used chemical weapons against the Palestinians, while on the other side, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves. The report indicated 2,156 unidentified bodies which were found in mass graves in various regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Notably, foreign sources and human rights organisations have disclosed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and para-military troops in the fake encounters inclduing those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret agency RAW.

Like Palestinian 'Intifada', the current phase of Kashmiri uprising began on August 12, 2008 when Indian forces killed Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz who was protesting against the government decision to give land to the trust that runs Amarnath, a shrine of Hindus. While extremist Hindus favourd the decision, but due to its revocation, started protests and economic blockade of the Muslims, emulating the Israeli siege of Gaza which had resulted in starvation of many a Palestinians.

Besides, both India and Israel are acting upon a secret diplomacy, targeting Pakistan, China and Iran in particular and other Islamic countries in general. It could be assessed from the interview of Israel's ambassador to India, Mark Sofer published in the Indian weekly Outlook on February 18, 2008. Regarding India's defence arrangements with Israel, Sofer had surprisingly disclosed "We do have a defence relationship with India, which is no secret. On the other hand, what is secret is the defence relationship". And "with all due respect, the secret part will remain a secret."

In fact, by manipulating the world phenomena of terrorism, both India and Israel have also been achieving their covert goals by convincing the US-led European states that a 'nuclearized' Pakistan is sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan and Kashmir. And Iran and Syria are doing the same act in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel. In this respect, equation of the 'war of liberation' in Kashmir and Palestine with terrorism and use of delaying tactics in the solution of these controlled territories have become the main purpose of New Delhi and Tel Aviv who also intend to divert the attention of the west from their own atrocities. While a 'nuclearized' Pakistan, depending upon minimum deterrence, having close ties with Beijing is immediate target of the Indo-Israeli secret diplomacy and exploitation. In this respect, with the support of US, India and Israel are in collusion as part of a plot to 'destabilise' Pakistan for their common strategic interests.

It is mentionable that New Delhi and Tel Aviv are collectively exploiting the double standards of the west in relation to terrorism and human rights vis-à-vis Pakistan, China and Iran. Besides, if India considers both Pakistan and China as its arch enemies, Israel takes Iran in the same sense especially due to its nuclear programme which is also negated by the US-led European countries. Israel is also against Pakistan as it is the only nuclear Islamic country. However, these similarities of interest have brought the two countries to follow a common secret diplomacy.

Particularly, on June 4, 2009, in his special address to the Muslim World, US President Barrack Obama had called for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims by stating that tension "has been fed by colonialism that denied rights to many Muslims…without regard to their aspirations". Emphasising the two-nation solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Obama had vocally said, "It is time for Jewish settlements to stop." Similarly, during his election campaign, while realising the suppression of Kashmiri's struggle for independence as the root cause of terrorism in South Asia, he had repeatedly remarked that America should help in resolving this old dispute. Quite contrarily, Richard Holbrooke (The Late), special envoy of the US Administration on Afghanistan and Pakistan had clarified that he had no mandate to deal with Kashmir.

Notably, during his visit to India, on November 6, 2011, President Obama who announced $10 billion in trade deals, supported Indian demand for membership of four key global nuclear nonproliferation regimes. Owing to various agreements with New Delhi, India is purchasing latest aircrafts and defence-related equipments from Washington. America which signed a nuclear deal with India in 2008, intends to make India a great power of Asia to contain China and weaken Pakistan as well as Iran. In this connection, New Delhi has successfully manipulating the presumed threat of China.

Nonetheless, President Obama became silent over the solution of Kashmir. On the other side, he has failed in stopping Jewish settlements including the solution of Israeli-Palestinian issue as earlier promised by him. Nevertheless, politicians may back out of their statements, but it is not the job of statesmen to eat their own words. It seems that President Obama has become helpless before the Indo-Israeli and American lobbies which are well-penetrated in the US Administration, and are successfully exploiting the global war on terror.
In this context, on October 19, 2007, the special issue of South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, under the caption-'Working for India or against Islam? Islamophobia in Indian American Lobbies' had written, "In the past few years, Indian American community has gained an unprecedented visibility in the international arena and now constitutes influential ethnic lobbies in Washington. Among other factors, Hindus aligned with Jewish pressure groups in relation to the war against terrorism and to further the India-Israel-US strategic partnership play a major role in exaggerating Islamophobic overtones in the Indian American lobbies."

Another regrettable point is that irresponsible attitude of Indian, Israeli and some Western politicians has introduced dangerous socio-religious dimension in their societies by equating the "war on terror" with "war on Islam" and acts of Al Qaeda with all the Muslims. Their media have also been contributing to heighten the currents of world politics on cultural and religious lines with the negative projection of Islam. In this regard, in the recent past, reprinting of the caricatures about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and release of a Dutch film against the Holy Quran and burning of Holy Quran by American pastor might be noted as an example. It is because of these developments that a greater resentment is being found among the Muslims who think that the US in connivance with the Indo-Israeli lobbies is sponsoring state terrorism, directly or indirectly from Kashmir to Palestine and from Yemen to Somalia.

Most alarming point in this context is that under the pretext of so-called Islamic terrorism, India and Israel are not only creating obstacles in the East-West cultural cooperation, but are also taking the world to the brink of clash of civilizations.

Meanwhile, a number of recent developments such as US war-mongering diplomacy against Iran, Israel's threat to attack Iran, Obama's new defence strategy, which calls for greater US military presence in Asia—maintenance of six permanent bases in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign, unprovoked firing on two Pakistan Army border posts, killing 24 troops in wake of US-backed intermittent infiltration of militants from Afghanistan and drone attacks clearly prove that President Obama has become helpless before the Indo-Israeli lobbies which are successfully manipulating the global war on terror by ignoring US cost of war which is more than seven trillion dollars including debt-crisis and other related problems which Americans have been facing.

No doubt, while the US and Islamic countries and some other western countries are the victims, but India and Israel are the real opportunists of war against terrorism.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
http://kashmirwatch.com/opinions.php/2012/02/05/real-opportunists-of-war-against-terrorism.html

War on terror: If you can't find the terrorist, make one
Submitted by admin6 on 26 January 2012 - 5:15am

Articles

Indian Muslim

By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
This is the first report of the three part series on the situation of Md. Amir after spending 14 years in jail.
New Delhi: Don't get surprised by the title of this story, which, at several levels encapsulates the discourse of war on terror. As a series of court judgments in cases related to several blasts in and around Delhi will show, more often than not, method of terror investigation has its own pattern which defies logic, rule of law and sense of justice.
In the post-blast scenario police and investigative agencies face a tough time dealing with the pressure of clamoring voices which call for bringing the culprits to book. Interestingly, even when just to deal with the pressure police picks up a few misidentified suspects, their arrest is not seen as wrong and illegal, but as some thing which fulfills the "collective conscience" of the society, which in turn justifies it as a balancing act and a compensation for the injustice done to the terror victims.
In some cases, even the liberal voices of the influential and strongly opinionated Indian middle class, see it as an unavoidable collateral damage occurred in the "war against terror."
Now the question one asks is, what happens, when the same youths, who were arrested under terror charges, are later acquitted mainly because the prosecution could not produce an iota of evidence which could prove their involvement into the respective terror cases?
It's in this context that one presents the case of Md. Amir Khan, who was charged with more than 19 cases of bomb blasts, which had taken place in 1997 in and around Delhi. His release in January this year after 14 continuous years in jail holds an important place in the series of acquittals in famous cases, whether it is Godhra 2002, the Delhi blasts of 2005 and 2008, the Mumbai train attacks of 2006, Mecca Masjid cases of 2007 or men and boys routinely picked up and charged with terrorism.
The only difference with Amir's case here is that these bomb blasts happened when there was no Indian Mujahidin (IM) in picture and when at least officially, there was no official confirmation on the existence of home grown terror in India.
Amir, who had already been acquitted by the trial in 17 out of 20 cases, walked out free on January 9, 2012. Of the three remaining cases the Delhi High Court has overturned his conviction for life in one case. The remaining two are scheduled to come up for appeal.
TwoCircles.net was the first one (and probably the only one) to report story of Amir and Shakeel around one and half years back. Read my first story, 12 yrs in jail and counting: Story of Amir – a victim of war on terrorhttp://twocircles.net/node/215468
Story of Amir Khan, the "Mastermind"
In the year 1997 there were more than 20 major and minor bomb blasts in and around Delhi and the NCR. Delhi police arrested Md. Amir Khan, who was in 10th standard at the time of his arrest in February 1998. He was initially arrested under the Explosive Substances Act but later, made the main accused in almost all the cases and charged under Sections 302, 435, 34, 121, 121A, 122, 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder and conspiracy.

After 14 years in jail,school ID photo is the only thing from his childhood he is left with now
Minor and major bomb blasts with which Amir was gradually charged including those that happened under police jurisdiction of Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Saraswati Vihar, Kotwali, Roop Nagar, Lahori Gate, Daryaganj, Mukharjee nagar and Sabzi Mandi police stations.
After Amir was charge sheeted as the main accused and officially at least, all the bomb blasts in Delhi were "solved" the boy was also charged with bomb blasts outside in Sonepat and Rohtak in Haryana (1997)and with Frontier Mail bomb blasts in Ghaziabad (1997).
Importantly one Shakeel Ahmad, a poor hawker from Ghaziabad, who was co-accused in most of the case, was poisoned by the Dasna jail authorities in Ghazaibad when he was an under-trial in the 1996 Frontier Mail bomb blast.
Shakeel was found hanging from the ceiling of his high-security barrack in Dasna Jail on June 19, 2009, and the then jail superintendent V K Singh had claimed that the accused had committed suicide. But an NHRC ordered magisterial enquiry found it to be a case of poisoning, after which the Session court, Ghaziabad ordered an FIR against former jail superintendent V K Singh. Shakeel was arrested in 1999 for carrying out the blast in which two persons were killed.
Police Story "Concocted"
The story which the Delhi police had made and which, later turned out to be a concocted one, was that Md. Amir Khan along with Shakeel Ahmad used to make bombs in the clothe printing factory at Pilakhua in Ghaziabad. According to the police story, the bombs made from this factory were used by Amir in all the bomb blasts he was charged with.
To substantiate its claim police had shown several Kgs of RDX and other explosives seized from the factory, which was very strong evidence against Amir and Shakeel. Police had made Chandra Bhan the main seizure witness who as per the police story, had volunteered to be a witness, when they went to raid the factory.
But the police and prosecution case against Amir collapsed like a pack of cards when Chandra Bhan, who was the only seizure witness, told the court that the police story was a concocted one and he never went with the police for seizure of alleged explosives in a factory in Pilakhua.
He also said that it was police who had taken him to the Chanakyapuri police station and had taken his signatures.
"I don't know from where and by whom those articles were recovered. I do not know any Amir Khan and Md. Shakeel. I saw them only in the court. I had not accompanied the police party to Pilakhuwa. I was taken (by police) to police station Chanakya Puri where I was asked to sign some documents," Bhan said in his statement.
"It is wrong to suggest that police had recovered the chemicals and other materials as mentioned in recovery memo. It is also wrong to suggest that I had witnessed the recovery from Pilakhua…," Bhan said in the court.
Not a single witness against Amir
Besides the police story being concocted, another reason why prosecution's case against Amir was rejected by the courts in most of the cases, was that prosecution didn't have even a single strong witness or evidence which could either connect or identify Amir with the bomb blasts.
Judgments after judgments by the High Court and Session Courts in Delhi, Session Courts in Rohtak, Ghaziabad and Sonepat, highlight just one and one point only.
"From the record it is thus evident that there is absolutely no incriminating evidences against the accused person as none of the witnesses stated anything against the accused," says Sabharwal while acquitting Amir in the Sabzi Mandi bomb blast case which occurred on February 25, 1997.

Serious thinking: Amir after his release from Rohtak jail
The judgments repeatedly noted that no witness was able to identify the accused.
"In the cross examination by the defence counsel, the witnesses stated that there was not a single person, who had told the police that he could identify the person, who had planted the bomb," reads the judgment by MS Sabharwal, the ASJ Delhi in the twin blast case under Sadar Bazaar police station which happened on October 1, 1997.
"The prosecution has miserably failed to adduce any evidence to connect the accused-appellant with the charges framed much less prove them," says the judgment written by the Delhi High Court bench of Justices RS Sodhi and PK Bhasin on August 4, 2006, while quashing the conviction of Md. Amir Khan in the Karol Bagh bomb blast in October 26, 1997.
The Additional Session Judge Delhi on May 8, 2003 had charged Amir for planting explosives at the shop called Roshan Di Kulfi in Karol Bagh, and convicted Amir for life imprisonment in the blast in which one girl was killed and several others were injured.
The entire case against Amir was built on prosecution's account that few minutes before the blast on 26th of October 1997 at Roshan Di Kulfi, Vikas and Sushma Narula, a son and mother duo, who were also the main prosecution witness, had seen some body resembling Amir, with a bag in his hand. According to the two witnesses, immediately after Amir left that an explosion took place.
Importantly the Delhi HC while rejecting the Session Court's decision, highlighted the loophole in its decision as no where in the witness account, the two witnesses had talked about Amir planting the bomb in the shop; "We fail to see which is the evidence on record, that duly proves the planting of the bomb by the accused-appellant in the shop."
Firoz Khan Ghazi, Amir's lawyer who handled blasts cases in Delhi, says that even though he respects court's order but "frankly telling you, even in the two cases in which the session court convicted Amir, there is not any strong evidence and prosecution's case is very weak. We are confident that the Delhi HC where the appeals are pending, will quash the session court judgment."
There appeared a deliberate attempt from the jail authorities to abort any opportunity of relief to Amir. "When I was made an accused in frontier Mail blasts 2006 and when warrant came from Ghaziabad session court, these people in Tihad didn't inform me so that I don't take any legal step to preempt the arrest," says Amir who was shifted to Dasna jail in Ghaziabad, after his acquittal from Delhi blasts on April 10, 2007.
Likewise Tihad jail officials repeatedly ignored warrants from the Rohtak Session court for Amir's production in Rohtak, so much so that the Session court declared him a proclaimed offender, some thing which went against him in the court.
Unanswered questions
If one analyses the way the cases were fabricated against Amir, one is forced to question the shoddy state of affairs, when it comes to not only selective arrests of youths from a particular community but also the investigation which betrays a prejudiced mentality on the behalf of the investigative agencies.
Otherwise, one might ask, that how can it be that the police framed charges against a 19 year old boy, in not, 1, 2, 5 or 10, but 18 cases when they didn't have even a single witness against the accused to prove the case against him.
Then there are serious questions like if Amir hadn't done those 18 blasts, then who did? If the actual perpetrators of the blasts are being let scott free, as this and many other cases show, who will be responsible for the cycle of violence which resurfaces in another cycle of bomb blasts? What about the accountability of those officers who deliberately fabricate charges against people, specially in terror cases?
http://twocircles.net/2012jan26/war_terror_if_you_can%E2%80%99t_find_terrorist_make_one.html

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

विदेशी पूंजी पर निर्भर बैंकों की हालत खस्ता

2012-02-12T09:59:00.001-08:00

विदेशी पूंजी पर निर्भर बैंकों की हालत खस्ता

आवास ऋण पर दिए गए ब्याज पर आयकर छूट की सीमा को 3 लाख रुपये होने की उम्मीद

मुंबई से एक्सकैलिबर स्टीवेंस विश्वास

विदेशी पूंजी पर निर्भर बैंकों की हालत खस्ता होचली है। हाल यह है कि विदेशी निवेशकों को भारतीय बैंकों के शेयरों में रुचि कम होती नजर आ रही है क्योंकि उन्होंने पिछले कुछ महीनों में देश के 28 सरकारी और निजी बैंकों की हिस्सेदारी बेची है।दूसरी ओर उम्मीद है कि आवास क्षेत्र में ऋण के उठाव को बढ़ावा देने के लिए सरकार आगामी बजट में गृह ऋण पर कर कटौती की सीमा बढ़ा सकती है। समझा जाता है कि सरकार आवास ऋण पर दिए गए ब्याज पर आयकर छूट की सीमा को 3 लाख रुपये कर सकती है, जो फिलहाल 1.5 लाख रुपये है।इससे ऱियल्टी और बैंकिंग दोनों क्षेत्रों को संकट से उबारने में मदद कर सकते हैं वित्तमंत्री प्रणव मुखर्जी।

घटते पूंजी पर्याप्तता अनुपात को देखते हुए कई मझोले और छोटे आकार के बैंक पूंजी जुटाने के लिए संस्थागत निवेशकों और प्राइवेट इक्विटी फंडों की ओर रुख कर रहे हैं। इसके साथ ही इनमें से कुछ बैंकों में प्रवर्तकों की हिस्सेदारी में कमी करने की आवश्यकता और अपना कारोबार विकास बढ़ाने के लिए भी रकम की जरूरत महसूस की जा रही है।

कुछ बैंक हिस्सेदारी बेच कर पहले ही रकम जुटा चुका है और विश्लेषकों और बैंकरों के अनुसार इस समय कम से कम आधा से एक दर्जन इक्विटी इश्यू आने बाकी हैं।

कॉरपोरेट जगत की तरफ से कर्ज की मांग में आई कमी और मौजूदा कर्जों के भुगतान में आ रही दिक्कत को देखते हुए देश के कई सार्वजनिक बैंक फिलहाल रिटेल लोन का पोर्टफोलियो बढ़ाने पर जोर दे रहे हैं। बैंकों के अनुसार मौजूदा परिस्थितियों में कॉरपोरेट लोन की तुलना में रिटेल लोन पर जोखिम कम है। ऐसी स्थिति में वे रिटेल लोन पर ही ज्यादा से ज्यादा फोकस कर रहे हैं।

गौरतलब है कि सरकार पब्लिक सेक्टर बैंकों में अपनी हिस्सेदारी को लगातार कम करके प्राइवेट सेक्टर की हिस्सेदारी को बढ़ा रही है। कुछ बैंकों में तो सरकारी हिस्सेदारी कम करके 51 प्रतिशत तक कर दी गई है। बैंकों का विस्तारीकरण करने की बजाय सरकार इनका विलय कर रही है। बैंकिंग कानूनों में संशोधन बिल अगर पारित हुआ तो इससे बैंकों में विदेशी निवेश बढ़ेगा।यूपीए सरकार संसद के बजट सत्र में कथित वित्तीय सुधार के बड़े विधेयक लाने पर आमादा है। वह हमारे देश के बीमा क्षेत्र में विदेशी निवेश की सीमा को बढ़ाना चाहती है। इसके साथ ही वह कथित बैंकिंग सुधार के नाम पर, विदेशी बैंकों द्वारा भारतीय बैंकों के अधिग्रहण का रास्ता खोलना चाहती है और पेंशन फंडों के निजीकरण को भी आगे बढ़ाना चाहती है। लेकिन कथित वित्तीय सुधार के इन कदमों के ऊपर से यह सरकार खुदरा व्यापार में प्रत्यक्ष विदेशी निवेश के लिए दरवाजे खोलने के लिए भी कसम खाए बैठी है। विश्व बैंक की भविष्यवाणी के अनुसार, विदेशी पूंजी के खिंचकर आने की कोई खास संभावना नहीं है और सरकार जिस हद तक आने की उम्मीद कर रही है, वह उम्मीद तो निश्चित रूप से पूरी नहीं होने वाली है।

भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक सार्वजनिक बैंकों और वित्तीय संस्थानों के बोर्ड में अपने अधिकारियों को नॉमिनी के तौर पर नियुक्त नहीं करने का विकल्प तलाश रहा है।आरबीआई इस पर विचार कर रहा है कि वह सरकारी बैंकों वित्तीय संस्थाओं में अपने सेवारत अधिकारियों को नियुक्त नहीं करेगा लेकिन सेवानिवृत्त या अन्य पेशेवरों को बैंकों के बोर्ड में नियुक्त करने की सिफारिश कर सकता है।सूत्रों के अनुसार, रिजर्व बैंक ऐसा दो वजहों से कर रहा है-हितों में टकराव से बचना और बैंकिंग नियामक की कार्यप्रणाली में पारदर्शिता लाना। हालांकि इसके पीछे एक और वजह बताई जा रही है। दरअसल, मिंट रोड में इस बात की चर्चा है कि अगर कोई बैंक अनियमितता में संलिप्त पाया जाता है तो उक्त बैंक के सभी बोर्ड सदस्यों पर इसकी समान रूप से जिम्मेदारी होगी। ऐसी स्थिति में रिजर्व बैंक के लिए परेशानी खड़ी कर सकती है, क्योंकि बैंकों के बोर्ड में उसके भी अधिकारी शामिल होते हैं।भारतीय स्टेट बैंक, पंजाब नैशनल बैंक समेत सभी सरकारी बैंकों और वित्तीय संस्थाओं (नाबार्ड, नैशनल हाउसिंग बैंक आदि) में आरबीआई की ओर से नॉमित स्वतंत्र निदेशक होते हैं। बड़े बैंक और वित्तीय संस्थाओं (एसबीआई, नाबार्ड) में आरबीआई अपने डिप्टी गवर्नर को प्रतिनिधि के तौर पर नियुक्त करता है। अन्य बैंकों में मुख्य महाप्रबंधक की नियुक्ति की जाती है।

सरकार ने चालू वित्त वर्ष के दौरान सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के बैंकों में 6,000 करोड़ रुपये का बजट प्रावधान किया है। वर्ष 2010-11 में सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के बैंकों को 20,157 करोड़ रुपए की पूंजी सहायता प्रदान की गई थी। सूत्रों ने बताया कि सरकारी बैंकों को पूंजी सहायता के प्रस्तावों को अंतिम स्वरूप दिए जाने संबंधी फैसला होना अभी बाकी है। इक्विटी के तरजीह नियोजन के जरिए पूंजी सहायता देना इक्विटी बढ़ाने का सबसे तेज तरीका है।सरकार ने पहले ही कहा था कि वह सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के बैंकों को पर्याप्त पूंजी मुहैया कराने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है ताकि उनकी टायर-एक पूंजी आठ फीसदी पर बरकरार रखी जा सके।भारतीय स्टेट बैंक, बैंक आफ बड़ौदा, यूनियन बैंक आफ इंडिया, आईडीबीआई बैंक और सिंडिकेट बैंक ऐसे कुछ बैंकों में शामिल हैं जिन्हें सरकार की पूंजी सहायता की पहल से फायदा होगा।

9 लाख करोड़ रुपये के करीब के कर्ज जोखिम वाले क्षेत्रों में फंसे हुए हैं भारतीय बैंकों के रिजर्व बैंक के मुताबिक, इन क्षेत्रों में दूरसंचार, बिजली, रियल एस्टेट, एविएशन व मेटल उद्योग शामिल

20 फीसदी के ऊंचे स्तर पर पहुंच चुकी बैंकों द्वारा दिए गए कुल कर्ज में जोखिम वाले कर्जों की हिस्सेदारी और यही उनकी असली परेशानी की बात भी है

42.35 लाख करोड़ रुपये का कुल कर्ज वितरण रहा है आंकड़ों के हिसाब से भारत के सभी बैंकों का 2 दिसंबर, 2011 तक की स्थिति के मुताबिक

जोखिम वाले सेक्टरों को दिए गए भारी-भरकम कर्ज को लेकर इन दिनों भारत के तमाम बैंकों की पेशानी पर बल पड़े हुए हैं। परेशानी की बात यह है कि बैंकों द्वारा दिए गए कुल कर्ज में इस तरह के जोखिम वाले कर्ज की हिस्सेदारी 20 फीसदी के बेहद ऊंचे स्तर पर है। रिकवरी की सुस्त रफ्तार को देखते हुए बैंकों की चिंता यह है कि इन कर्ज के गैर-निष्पादित परिसंपत्तियों (एनपीए) में तब्दील होने की हालत में उनकी आर्थिक स्थिति का क्या होगा? यहां तक की भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक (आरबीआई) भी अब इस बात से चिंतित नजर आने लगा है।

खस्ताहाल सरकारी एविएशन कंपनी एयर इंडिया की वित्तीय स्थिति सुधारने के पैकेज को सरकारी बैंक अधूरा मान रहे हैं। इन बैंकों का कहना है कि कंपनी पर उनके बकाए की वापसी के लिए कोई ठोस उपाय नहीं किया गया है। यदि एयर इंडिया पर लगभग 11,000 करोड़ रुपये के अल्पकालिक कर्ज को लंबी अवधि के लोन में तब्दील नहीं किया गया तो बैंकों का एनपीए [फंसा कर्ज] बढ़ जाएगा। इससे उन्हें दो अरब रुपये का चूना लग सकता है। बैंक अपनी इन चिंताओं से शीघ्र ही वित्त मंत्रालय को अवगत कराएंगे।बैंकों के लिए बढि़या बात यह है कि इस पैकेज में उन्हें अपने कर्ज की राशि को माफ करने के लिए नहीं कहा गया है। वैसे, उन्हें ज्यादा प्रावधान [प्रॉविजनिंग] करने होंगे। साथ ही उनकी संभावित आय में भी कमी होगी। इस वजह से एयर इंडिया को कर्ज मुहैया कराने वाले 14 बैंकों के कंसोर्टियम को संयुक्त तौर पर दो हजार करोड़ रुपये का झटका लग सकता है। वित्त मंत्रालय के एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी ने बताया कि बैंकों ने जब एयर इंडिया को कर्ज दिया था, उसकी तुलना में अब कम ब्याज मिलेगा। साथ ही कर्ज अदायगी की अवधि बढ़ने से उन्हें ज्यादा राशि का समायोजन करना पड़ेगा।वित्त मंत्री प्रणब मुखर्जी की अध्यक्षता में गठित मंत्रियों के समूह ने एयर इंडिया के वित्तीय पुनर्गठन पैकेज को मंजूरी दी थी। इसके तहत कंपनी को सरकारी गारंटीशुदा 7400 करोड़ रुपये के बांड जारी कर बाजार से पैसा जुटाने को कहा गया है। इन पर 8.5 से 9 फीसदी की दर से ब्याज की अदायगी होगी। इन बांडों को वित्तीय संस्थानों के बीच बेचा जाएगा। बहरहाल, सरकारी बैंकों को यह पैकेज बहुत नहीं सुहा रहा है।

चालू वित्त वर्ष की आर्थिक वृद्धि को लेकर आर्थिक विश्लेषकों, शोध संस्थानों तथा रिजर्व बैंक के अनुमान इस बार वास्तविकता से काफी दूर छूटते नजर आ रहे हैं। सभी ने शुरू में इस बारे में उंचा अनुमान जताया था लेकिन आधिकारिक अग्रिम अनुमान में इस बार जीडीपी वृद्धि 6.9 प्रतिशत रहने का अनुमान लगाया गया है।

आर्थिक वृद्धि को लेकर सबसे आशावादी अनुमान फरवरी 2011 में संसद में पेश आर्थिक समीक्षा में रखा गया था। समीक्षा में 2011-12 में आर्थिक वृद्धि 9 प्रतिशत :0.25 प्रतिशत कम या अधिक: रहने का अनुमान लगाया गया था।

योजना आयोग के उपाध्यक्ष मोंटेक सिंह आहलूवालिया तथा रिजर्व बैंक के गवर्नर डी सुब्बाराव ने भी अलग-अलग अनुमान जताये थे।

आहलूवालिया ने शुरू में चालू वित्त वर्ष के दौरान आर्थिक वृद्धि दर 8 से 8.5 प्रतिशत रहने का अनुमान जताया था लेकिन बाद में इसे घटाकर 7 प्रतिशत कर दिया।

सुब्बाराव ने 2011-12 की मौद्रिक नीति में आर्थिक वृद्धि दर 8 प्रतिशत रहने का अनुमान जताया था लेकिन बाद में इसे घटाकर 7.6 प्रतिशत तथा अब इसे 7 प्रतिशत कर दिया। इतना ही नहीं रिजर्व बैंक द्वारा प्रायोजित पेशेवर भविष्यवक्ताओं का अनुमान भी गलत साबित हुआ। पेशेवरों ने शुरू में आर्थिक वृद्धि 8.2 प्रतिशत रहने का अनुमान जताया था।

बहरहाल देश के शेयर बाजारों में सप्ताह के अंतिम कारोबारी दिवस शुक्रवार को गिरावट का रुख देखा गया। प्रमुख सूचकांक सेंसेक्स 82.06 अंकों की गिरावट के साथ 17748.69 पर जबकि निफ्टी 30.75 अंकों की गिरावट के साथ 5381.60 पर बंद हुआ।शुक्रवार सुबह बम्बई स्टॉक एक्सचेंज (बीएसई) का संवेदी सूचकांक सेंसेक्स 13.16 अंकों की गिरावट के साथ 17817.59 पर जबकि नेशनल स्टॉक एक्सचेंज (एनएसई) का निफ्टी 12.55 अंकों की गिरावट के साथ 5399.80 पर खुला। बीएसई के मिडकैप और स्मॉलकैप सूचकांकों में मिला जुला रुख देखा गया।

अनुमान है कि विदेशी निवेशकों ने अक्टूबर 2011 से लेकर करीब साढ़े चार महीने के दौरान बैंकों के 10,000 करोड़ रुपये (करीब दो अरब डालर) के शेयर बेचे। इस दौरान विदेशी निवेशकों ने 28 भारतीय बैंकों के शेयरों में शुद्ध बिकवाली की जबकि उन्होंने नौ बैंकों में अपने निवेश बढा़ए।

विदेशी निवेशकों ने जिन बैंकों में हिस्सेदारी कम की उनमें आईसीआईसीआई बैंक, ऐक्सिस बैंक, कोटक महिंद्रा बैंक, येस बैंक व डीसीबी और एसबीआई व पंजाब नेशनल बैंक जैसे प्रमुख सरकारी बैंक शामिल हैं। इसके विपरीत एचडीएफसी बैंक, साउथ इंडियन बैंक और आईडीबीआई बैंक में उनका निवेश बढा़।

दूसरी ओर बैंक क्षेत्र में सुधार का वित्तमंत्री का मंसूबा भी आसानी से पूरा होता नहीं दीखता।नए बैंकिंग लाइसेंस को लेकर अब नया पेच फंसता नजर आ रहा है। बैंकिंग लाइसेंस को लेकर पहले सख्त रुख रखने वाला भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक (आरबीआई) अब नए लाइसेंस जारी करने में कुछ ज्यादा ही उदार रुख अपनाता दिख रहा है। केंद्रीय बैंक का मानना है कि जारी दिशानिर्देशों के तहत जरूरी मानदंड पूरा करने वाले सभी आवेदकों को बैंकिंग लाइसेंस मिलना चाहिए। लेकिन वित्त मंत्रालय, आरबीआई के उदार रुख से सहमत नहीं है।

आरबीआई सूत्रों के मुताबिक बैंकिंग नियामक ने वित्त मंत्रालय को लिखा है कि दिशानिर्देश के तहत तय मानदंड पूरा करने वाले सभी आवेदकों को बैंकिंग लाइसेंस दिया जाना चाहिए। हालांकि चर्चा इस बात की भी हो रही है कि लाइसेंस पाने वाले कुछ बैंक को बंद होने की अनुमति भी दी जा सकती है। लेकिन महत्त्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि 1993 से दिशानिर्देश आने के बाद देश में अब तक किसी भी बैंक को बंद होने नहीं दिया गया है।

वित्त मंत्रालय का कहना है कि बड़ी संख्या में बैंकों के आने से उनका नियमन और निगरानी करना काफी कठिन हो जाएगा। जानकारों का कहना है कि केंद्रीय बैंक और वित्त मंत्रालय के विचारों में मतभेद के चलते बैंकिंग लाइसेंस पाने को इच्छुक कंपनियों को थोड़ा लंबा इंतजार करना पड़ सकता है। सूत्रों का कहना है कि आरबीआई भी पहले कुछेक कंपनियों को ही लाइसेंस देना चाहता था।

सूत्रों ने कहा कि सरकार आगामी बजट में आवास ऋण पर कर कटौती की सीमा बढ़ाने पर विचार कर रही है। आम बजट 16 मार्च को पेश किया जाना है। फिलहाल घर खरीदने को लिए गए ऋण पर कर योग्य आमदनी में से ब्याज के रूप में 1.5 लाख रुपये तक की कटौती उपलब्ध होती है। इसके अलावा उपभोक्ता मूल राशि के भुगतान पर भी कर मुक्त हो सकते हैं। हालांकि यह एक लाख रुपये की सालाना बचत पर मिलने वाली छूट का हिस्सा है।

सूत्रों ने कहा कि हर बीतते साल के साथ मकानों के दाम बढ़ रहे हैं और साथ ही ब्याज दरें भी ऊंचे स्तर पर बनी हुई हैं, इसलिए इस सीमा को बढ़ाने की जरूरत है। आर्थिक वृद्धि दर में गिरावट को थामने के लिए उद्योग जगत भी कुछ इसी तरह की मांग कर रहा है।

फिक्की के महासचिव राजीव कुमार ने कहा कि आवास ऋण के ब्याज पर कर कटौती की सीमा को ब्याज दरों के अनुकूल कर 2.5 लाख रुपये किया जाना चाहिए। सीआईआई के महानिदेशक चंद्रजीत बनर्जी ने कहा कि व्यक्तिगत कर कटौती की सीमा को मौजूदा 2.5 लाख रुपये से 5 लाख रुपये किया जाना चाहिए।

बनर्जी ने कहा कि इसमें से इसमें से 3 लाख रुपये की छूट ब्याज भुगतान पर मिलनी चाहिए। जबकि दो लाख रुपये की कटौती विशिष्ट रुप से मूल ऋण राशि के भुगतान पर होनी चाहिए। इसी तरह की राय जाहिर करते हुए एसोचैम और पीएचडी चैंबर ने कहार कि कटौती की सीमा ब्याज और मूल राशि दोनों पर बढ़नी चाहिए।

विश्व बैंक ने आगाह किया है कि विकाशसील देशों को, और खासतौर पर भारत को, एक ऐसे संकट का सामना करने के लिए तैयार रहना चाहिए, जो 2008-09 के विश्व आर्थिक संकट जैसा या उससे भी बदतर होगा। यह वाकई चिंताजनक है। विश्व बैंक के मैक्रो इकॉनमिक्स के प्रमुख ने हाल ही में कहा है कि 'विश्व अर्थव्यवस्था की मोटर यानी विकासशील देश धीमे चल रहे हैं और इसके साथ ही साथ दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा आर्थिक क्षेत्र योरोपीय संघ मंदी का शिकार है; और ये दोनों एक-दूसरे से प्रभावित हो सकते हैं।'

ऐसा लग रहा है कि विश्व अर्थव्यवस्था के संबंध में 2011 में जो आशंकाएं प्रकट की गई थीं, पहले ही सचाई का रूप ले चुकी हैं। अब विश्व अर्थव्यवस्था के 2012 में 2.5 फीसदी तथा 2013 में 3.1 फीसदी की दर से ही वृद्धि करने की संभावना है, जबकि पहले इन दोनों ही वर्षों में 3.6 फीसदी की वृद्धि दर की भविष्यवाणी की गई थी। उधर यूरो क्षेत्र की अर्थव्यवस्था अब इस या उस देश में ही नहीं सिकुड़ रही होगी, बल्कि समग्रता में सिकुड़ रही होगी यानी 2012 में उसमें वास्तविक गिरावट होने जा रही है। अन्य विकसित देश भी हद से हद 2.1 फीसदी की वृद्धि दर ही दर्ज कराने की उम्मीद कर सकते हैं।

भारत की ये उम्मीदें भी दूर का ढोल ही साबित होती नजर आती हैं कि और ज्यादा वित्तीय उदारीकरण के जरिये विदेशी फंड के प्रवाह को आकर्षित किया जा सकता है और इसके सहारे देश की वृद्धि दर को नई गति दी जा सकती है। विश्व बैंक ने आगाह किया है कि विकसित देशों के पास कोई खास मौद्रिक या राजकोषीय मसाला ही नहीं बचा है कि उसके सहारे मंदी के दुष्चक्र को वे रोक सकें।

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

शरद पवार और बाल ठाकरे में ऐसी ठनी है, जिसकी कोई नजीर नहीं

2012-02-12T07:45:00.001-08:00

शरद पवार और बाल ठाकरे में ऐसी ठनी है, जिसकी कोई नजीर नहीं

पवार ने शिव सेना पर 40000 करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला करने का आरोप लगाया था। इसके जवाब में 86 वर्षीय ठाकरे ने पवार को उनके साथ सम्पत्तियों की अदला-बदली करने की चुनौती दी।

मुंबई से एक्सकैलिबर स्टीवेंस विश्वास

महाराष्ट्र में मराठा मानुष कंकर्तव्यविमूढ़ है। नजारा ही ऐसा है। महापालिका चुनाव इतना घमासान हो रहा है कि एक ओर उद्धव औराज ठाकरे आमने सामने है तो दूसरी ओर शरद पवार और बाल ठाकरे में ऐसी ठनी है, जिसकी कोई नजीर नहीं है। पवार ने शिव सेना पर 40000 करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला करने का आरोप लगाया था। इसके जवाब में 86 वर्षीय ठाकरे ने पवार को उनके साथ सम्पत्तियों की अदला-बदली करने की चुनौती दी। बाल ठाकरे ने अपने मुखपत्र 'सामना' में कांग्रेस की तुलना मुगलों से की। साथ ही राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री के लिए असंसदीय शब्दों का इस्तेमाल किया। बाल ठाकरे के मुताबिक महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण कुर्सी के चिपके हुए खटमल हैं और शिवसेना को खत्म करने वालों का दावा करने वालों के चेहरे पर जनता कालिख पोतेगी।

मुंबई में ऐसी सर्दी का अहसास लोगों को अरसा नहीं हुआ होगा।मुंबई में जहां दिसंबर-जनवरी में लोग हाफ शर्ट पहनकर समंदर के किनारे टहला करते थे। इस बार तो ठंड का कहर ऐसा बरपा कि मुंबईवासी पिछले दो दिनों से शीत लहर महसूस कर रहे हैं। स्वेटर और जर्सियां निकल आई हैं। वाचमैनों द्वारा रात काटने के लिए जलाए गए अलावों के पास साहब लोग भी हाथ फैलाकर सिसकारी भरते दिखाई दे रहे हैं। मुंबई में पारा 8.8 डिग्री सेल्सियस तक लुढ़क गया। मुंबई के लिए यह असामान्य कहा जा सकता है।पर सियासी गरमी इतनी तेज है कि मुंबईकरों को सर्द मौसम से भी कोई ज्यादा फर्क नहीं पड़ रहा। हर कोई चुनाव में बिजी है। खुद न लड़ रहे हो तो दोस्तों को लड़वा रहे हैं। इस झंझावात में अराजनीतिक लोग भी फंसते जा रहे हैं।सचिन की सौंवीं सेंचुरी के लिए वेट करते हुए अघा गे मुंबईकरों के लिए सियासी आपाधापी के बीच अच्छी खबर यह है कि
बॉलीवुड के महानायक अमिताभ बच्चन के पेट की सर्जरी हो गई है। डॉक्टरों के मुताबिक बिग बी का ऑपरेशन सफल रहा है और उनकी तबीयत ठीक है। सर्जरी के लिए वह मुंबई के 'सेवन हिल्सÓ अस्पताल में शुक्रवार देर रात भर्ती हुए थे। अस्पताल जाते समय उनके साथ बेटा अभिषेक, बहू ऐश्वर्या और पत्नी जया भी थीं । बच्चन के बेटे बॉलीवुड स्टार अभिषेक बच्चन ने ट्वीट कर अमिताभ के कुशलक्षेम के बारे में उनके प्रशंसकों को जानकारी दी है।

दूसरी ओर मनपा चुनाव प्रचार में जुटे एनसीपी के मुखिया शरद पवार का मानना है कि मुंबई शहर का विकास जैसा होना चाहिए, वैसा नहीं हो पाया। उनके मुताबिक गठबंधन में खींचतान तो होती ही है, पर हमारा (कांग्रेस-एनसीपी का) गठजोड़ टूटेगा नहीं। एनबीटी के साथ बेबाक बातचीत में पवार ने खुलकर कहा कि राज और उद्धव अपनी कमियों को ढंकने के लिए बालासाहेब की शैली अपनाते हैं। उन्होंने कहा, आमतौर पर जिला परिषद या मनपा चुनाव में प्रचार नहीं करता, मगर मुंबई के गिरते हालात को देखकर परेशान हूं। देश की आर्थिक नब्ज वाला यह शहर, जिसने मेरे जैसे लोगों को बड़प्पन दिया है। यह शहर मेहनत करने वालों को दो वक्त का खाना देना नहीं भूलता, हर आदमी को उसकी कूवत के बराबर इज्जत देता है।

पवार ने शक जताया कि मुंबई मनपा में सत्ता के दौरान शिवसेना ने 40,000 करोड़ रुपए की धांधली की है। मुंबई में महानगरपालिका चुनाव प्रचार की शुरुआत के लिए बांद्र इलाके की रैली में पवार ने कहा-मैंने एक निजी टीवी चैनल पर शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाल ठाकरे के भतीजे राज को यह आरोप लगाते हुए सुना कि मुंबई मनपा में शिवसेना ने 40,000 करोड़ रुपए का भ्रष्टाचार किया है। ये मुमकिन हो सकता है, क्योंकि जितनी जानकारी परिवार के सदस्य को होती है, उतनी हमें नहीं हो सकती। कांग्रेस और राष्ट्रवादी कांग्रेस ने साझा रूप से रैली का आयोजन किया था, जिसमें मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण भी मौजूद थे।

इस बीच मनपा चुनाव के मद्देनजर मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण ने शिवसेना-भाजपा पर हमले जारी रखे हैं। शिवसेना प्रमुख बाल ठाकरे का महत्व होने के दावे के बाद मुख्यमंत्री ने आरोप लगाया कि कुछ पार्टियां सिर्फ मुंबई मनपा के बलबूते चल रही हैं।

मुंबई मनपा में पिछले 17 सालों से शिवसेना-भाजपा की सत्ता है। मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि कुछ पार्टियां मुंबई मनपा के सहारे चल रही हैं। नतीजा मनपा प्रशासन और मुंबई में रहने वालों को नुकसान सहन करना पड़ रहा है। इसका आप कुछ भी मतलब निकाल सकते हैं। मुख्यमंत्री का मानना है कि कांग्रेस-राकांपा के बीच गठबंधन नहीं होने के कारण मुंबई में सेक्युलर वोटों का विभाजन होता रहा है और 17 सालों तक शिवसेना-भाजपा गठबंधन ने इसका फायदा उठाया।

चुनाव के मद्देनजर मुंबई में परप्रांतीयों की अहमियत समझते हुए पवार ने उनकी सराहना की। राकांपा अध्यक्ष ने कहा, देश के कोने-कोने से आए लोगों ने अपने योगदान से मुंबई के विकास में मदद की। लेकिन इन 17 सालों में शिवसेना-भाजपा ने मुंबई को बर्बाद कर डाला। राष्ट्रवादी कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष शरद पवार ने शिवसेना पर गंभीर आरोप लगाते हुए कहा है कि शिवसेना के लिए मुंबई महानगरपालिका सोने का अंडा देने वाली मुर्गी है, जिसे वह अपने कब्जे में रखना चाहती है।शरद पवार ने मुंबई की बदहाली का खुलासा करते हुए कहा कि 50 साल पहले की मुंबई से तुलना करें, तो बेचैन हो जाएंगे। मुंबई बंदरगाह इंपोर्ट-एक्सपोर्ट का केंद्र हुआ करता था, ढाई लाख मजदूर काम करते थे, ये पूरा कामकाज जेएनपीटी बंदरगाह में सरक गया। भारत आने वाले 54 प्रतिशत लोग मुंबई एयरपोर्ट पर उतरा करते थे। इनके आने से नौकरी-धंधे चलते थे, वो इकॉनमी ढीली पड़ गई। कपड़ा मिलों का बेस भी मुंबई था, जिनमें काम करने वाले ढाई लाख मजदूर घटकर 15 हजार रह गए। इंजिनियरिंग उद्योग बंद हो गए। श्रमिकों की नगर का चेहरा बदलकर ये सविर्स सेक्टर के आईटी, बैंकिंग इश्योरेंस के काम-धंधे तक सिमटकर रह गई है। बीएमसी में जिनकी हुकूमत है, उनकी लीडरशिप को इन मुद्दों का अंदाज ही नहीं है। समस्या से निपटने की बजाय बाहरी लोगों का रेला रोकने की बात करते हैं। ये इसका हल नहीं है। नगरी सुविधाओं पर दबाव बढ़ा है, तो उसका दर्जा सुधारा जाना चाहिए। अगले 50 सालों तक की प्लानिंग करनी चाहिए। वॉटर सप्लाई, रास्ते, स्वास्थ्य, प्राइमरी शिक्षा का पुराना ढर्रा बदलना होगा।

जबकि मनसे के प्रमुख राज ठाकरे ने कहा कि शिव सेना, कांग्रेस और राकांपा के प्रत्याशी चुनाव जीतने के काबिल नहीं हैं।

मुम्बई के समीप ठाणे शहर में एक रैली को संबोधित करते हुए राज ठाकरे ने कहा कि उनकी पार्टी इस शहर के लिए बेहतर काम करेगी।उन्होंने मतदाताओं से मनसे को जिताने की अपील की और जरूरी परिवर्तन लाने का वादा किया।

राज ठाकरे ने कहा, "आपने शिव सेना को शासन चलाने का पर्याप्त मौका दिया और अब परिवर्तन का समय आया है. आपको दोनों में से एक को चुनना है. आप या तो अगले पांच साल बदहाली झेलते रहिए या बेहतरी के लिए बदलाव लाइए."

उन्होंने कहा कि कांग्रेस और राकांपा सभी गलत कार्यो के लिए शिव सेना को जिम्मेदार ठहराती है, लेकिन जब कांग्रेस और राकांपा को सत्ता मिली तो उन्होंने शहर में विकास के लिए कुछ भी नहीं किया।

राज ठाकरे ने पूरे शहर में अवैध रूप से होर्डिग लगवाने के लिए शिव सेना की भी आलोचना की.

शिवसेना प्रमुख बाल ठाकरे ने केंद्रीय मंत्री शरद पवार की जम कर आलोचना की। उन्होंने यह भी मांग की की अदालतों में शपथ लेने के लिए धार्मिक पुस्तकों के इस्तेमाल पर बैन होना चाहिए।

ठाकरे मुम्बई में 16 फरवरी को होने वाले निकाय चुनावों के मद्देनजर ठाणे में एक विशाल रैली को सम्बोधित कर रहे थे। ठाकरे ने एनसीपी प्रमुख शरद पवार की जमकर आलोचना की।

ठाकरे ने ठाणे में हजारों की भीड़ को सम्बोधित करते हुए पार्टी को धर्मनिरपेक्ष बताया। उन्होंने कहा, 'मेरी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ताओं खासतौर पर महिलाओं ने 1992-93 के दंगों के समय कई मुस्लिम लोगों को बचाया था। मेरी पार्टी जाति, धर्म, क्षेत्र और वंश के आधार पर कभी भी पक्षपात नहीं करती।'

ठाकरे ने राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण पर निशाना साधा। चौहान ने कहा था कि बाल ठाकरे राज्य की राजनीति में अपनी महत्ता खो चुके हैं। शिवसेना प्रमुख ने कहा, 'अगर मेरा महत्व नहीं है तो मैं इतनी भीड़ कैसे इकट्ठी कर सकता हूं? क्या शरद पवार, अजित पवार और पृथ्वीराज इतनी भीड़ जमा कर सकते हैं?'

उन्होंने आशा जताई कि शिवसेना और बीजेपी-आरपीआई (अठावले) गठबंधन बीएमसी चुनावों में जीत हासिल करेगा।

बाल ठाकरे ने कहा कि अदालतों में शपथ लेने के लिए धार्मिक किताबों के इस्तेमाल पर बैन कर दिया जाना चाहिए। उन्होंने कहा कि इसके बदले बाबा साहेब आंबेडकर के संविधान का प्रयोग किया जाए। रैली में रिपब्लिकन पार्टी ऑफ इंडिया (आरपीआई) के नेता रामदास अठावले भी मौजूद थे।

ठाकरे ने गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी को पसंद करने और घोटालों को लेकर आवाज न उठाने पर अपने भतीजे और एमएनएस प्रमुख राज ठाकरे की भी आलोचना की।

उन्होंने कहा, 'मैं अपनी सभी सम्पत्ति आपके नाम ट्रांसफर कर दूंगा। आप अपनी सम्पत्ति मेरे नाम कर दें। इसके बाद मेरे पास ज्यादा सम्पत्ति होगी। मैं आपको खुली चुनौती देता हूं।' ठाकरे ने ऐसी चुनौती कांग्रेस नेता नारायण राणे को भी दी।

शिवसेना प्रमुख बाल ठाकरे को कांग्रेस के मुंबई अध्यक्ष कृपाशंकर सिंह ने नोटिस भेजा है। सिंह के अनुसार उनकी संपत्ति को लेकर झूठी खबर छापकर बदनामी की गई है। यदि तीन दिनों के भीतर खबर का खंडन छापकर माफी नहीं मांगी गई तो वे 10 करोड़ रुपए की मानहानि का मुकदमा दायर करेंगे।

नोटिस में बाल ठाकरे के अलावा पार्टी सांसद व अखबार के कार्यकारी संपादक संजय राऊत और प्रकाशक सुभाष देसाई का भी नाम है।

सिंह के अनुसार पिछले कुछ दिनों से उनके खिलाफ शिवसेना के मुखपत्र में खबरे प्रकाशित की जा रही हैं। खबर में सिंह के पास मुंबई, जौनपुर और झारखंड में 350 करोड़ रुपए की बेनामी संपत्ति होने का दावा किया गया है।

कृपाशंकर के पास खुद की बेशकीमती 18 गाडियां होने की खबर प्रकाशित हुई थी। सिंह ने इन खबरों को आधारहीन व झूठी बताया है। सिंह के मुताबिक मुंबई मनपा चुनाव में फायदा उठाने के लिए शिवसेना उन्हें बदनाम कर रही है।

उन्होंने अपने वकील के मार्फत ठाकरे, राऊत व देसाई को नोटिस भेजा है। नोटिस में तीन दिनों के अंदर खंडन छापने की मांग की गई है।

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

India, Praising U.S. Ties, Defends Buying Iran's Oil

2012-02-12T07:43:00.001-08:00

February 11, 2012

India, Praising U.S. Ties, Defends Buying Iran's Oil

By JIM YARDLEY
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/y/jim_yardley/in
dex.html?inline=nyt-per>

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/world/asia/india-trumpets-ties-with-us-ami
d-iran-oil-deal.html?google_editors_picks=true

NEW DELHI - Ranjan Mathai, the Indian foreign secretary, made the rounds in
Washington last week, describing India
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/in
dia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> 's relationship with the United States as one
of growing comfort, depth and candor, if not perfect harmony. On that last
point he could have been talking about the recent frictions between the two
countries over Iran
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/ir
an/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> .

India's determination to continue buying Iranian oil, despite sanctions and
growing political pressure from the United States and Europe, has frustrated
officials in Washington at a time when the forward momentum in the United
States-India relationship has slowed, with differences over issues including
civil nuclear cooperation, trade protectionism
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/protectionis
m_trade/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier> and military sales.

The situation was exacerbated last week by news reports that India had
become Iran's top oil customer, while an Indian official announced plans
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/world/middleeast/india-sees-economic-oppo
rtunities-in-iran.html> to send a trade delegation to Tehran. In New Delhi,
diplomats and analysts say India's purchasing of Iranian oil is a matter of
economic necessity, given its dependence on imported oil. Some say the
purchases also represent diplomatic hedging in a region bracing for the
withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by 2014, or possibly sooner.

Indeed, many Indian officials, even those supportive of a stronger
partnership with the United States, caution against turning issues like Iran
into diplomatic litmus tests, considering the complexities of a neighborhood
in which India represents a bulwark of stability, democracy and economic
opportunity compared with Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries.

"This can't be a test of our friendship," said Lalit Mansingh, a former
Indian ambassador to the United States. "Washington must realize that we are
in a neighborhood where Iran is a factor."

India's most immediate concern is fueling its economy, which has slowed in
the past year. India buys about 12 percent of its crude oil from Iran, and
many Indian refineries have been built to run solely on Iranian crude,
meaning they would have to be retrofitted in order to process oil from other
countries.

"To shift is not something that can be done very easily," said one senior
Indian official, who would speak only on the condition of anonymity given
the delicacy of the situation. The official added: "Where would we get that
refining capacity? Who would be our new suppliers?"

Even so, India has tried for several years to reduce its dependence on
Iranian crude oil, partly because of the new sanctions by the Obama
administration punishing any banks that do business with Iran. To work
around these sanctions, Indian oil companies have made payments to Iran
through a bank in Turkey that fell outside the American restrictions.

However, Indian officials are preparing for the likelihood that the Turkish
avenue may soon be closed. The senior Indian official confirmed recent
reports that India and Iran had agreed on a deal in which Indian companies
would pay for 45 percent of their imports in Indian rupees - thus avoiding
the need to pay in dollars - and might even settle the remainder of the
debts through barter.

Last month, Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia and leader of the
India Caucus in Congress, met with several government ministers in New
Delhi. "The issue came up," Mr. Warner said of Iran in an interview last
month. "The Indians raised the concern that this has immediate economic
impact upon them. We acknowledged that this was a blunt instrument,
sanctions, but that the status quo in Iran was not working."

Like the United States, India is alarmed at the possibility of Iran's
developing nuclear
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/atomic_weapons/index.html
?inline=nyt-classifier> weapons, and it has called on Iran to fulfill its
obligations as a nonnuclear weapon state under the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty. Indian diplomats, though, also worry about the economic impact of
greater instability in Iran and the Persian Gulf region; they say more than
six million Indians work in the gulf, sending home roughly $40 billion a
year in remittances.

Iran is also a factor in the uncertain endgame in Afghanistan. K. C. Singh,
a former Indian ambassador in Tehran, said India and Iran cooperated to
support the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance before the fall of the Taliban in
2001. But that relationship cooled as American troops settled in
Afghanistan, and India and the United States moved closer together. Now,
though, Mr. Singh said India was "scampering to recover" its relationship
with Iran as a hedge to prepare for an uncertain future in Afghanistan.

"They are attempting to do it now out of some serious concerns about what
may happen after 2014, or earlier," Mr. Singh said.

Even so, India's current leaders remain committed to ever-strengthening ties
with the United States. In a speech on Monday in Washington, Mr. Mathai
spoke of the great potential of the two nations' partnership, if also the
complexities embedded into it.

"Given our different circumstances, history, location and levels of
development, we will occasionally have differing perspectives and policies,"
he said, according to a
<http://www.indianembassy.org/prdetail1860/speech-by-foreign-secretary-of-in
dia,-mr.-ranjan-mathai-at-the-center-for-strategic-and-international-studies
-(csis),-washington-dc-on-february-6,-2012-on-andquot%3Bbuilding-on-converge
nces%3A-deepening-india-u.s.-strategic-partnershipandquot%3B> transcript of
his speech. "But this can be a source of great value and strength."

डाक विभाग का एकाधिकार खत्म करने की सिफारिश

2012-02-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

Sunday, 12 February 2012 15:47

नई दिल्ली, 12 फरवरी (एजेंसी) डाक सुधार पर सुझाव देने के लिए गठित कार्यसमूह ने एकाधिकार समाप्त करने और इस क्षेत्र में काम करने वाली सभी फर्मों :: कुरियर सेवा इकाइयों :: के लिए काम के समान अवसर मुहैया कराने का प्रस्ताव किया है। कार्यसमूह ने कहा है , '' किसी भी कंपनी का एकाधिकार नहीं होना चाहिए और डाक क्षेत्र में सभी कंपनियों को काम करने के समान अवसर मुहैया कराए जा सकें। बाजार में किसी एक कंपनी का दबदबा हो सकता है लेकिन इस दबदबे का दुरुपयोग नहीं होना चाहिए।''
उद्योग जगत भारतीय डाक विभाग के विभिन्न कायों को पृथक-पृथक किए जाने की मांग करता आ रहा है। वह विभाग के व्यावसायियक, निति नियंतात्मक और नियामकीय कार्यों को अलग अलग रखने के पक्ष में है जो अभी एक ही संस्था में निहित हैं।

फिक्की के अतिरिक्त निदेशक राजपाल सिंह ने कहा ''पूरा विभाग एक साथ नीति निर्माता, नियामक और सेवा प्रदाता के तौर पर काम नहीं कर सकता। उम्मीद है इस विभाग की तीनों को शाखाओं को अलग-अलग करने की जरूरत है ताकि काम करने के समान अवसर पैदा किए जा सकें।''
फिलहाल इंडिया पोस्ट को छोड़कर कोई अन्य व्यक्ति देश में वाणिज्यिक तौर पर किसी किस्म की चिट्ठी पहुंचाने का काम नहीं कर सकता।
इस क्षेत्र में नई कंपनियों को मान्यता प्रदान करने के लिए करीब 100 साल से अधिक पुराने 'भारतीय डाकघर अधिनियम' 1898 में संशोधन करने की जरूरत है।

क्रिकेट: भारत की आस्ट्रेलिया पर रोमांचक जीत

2012-02-12T07:38:00.001-08:00

क्रिकेट: भारत की आस्ट्रेलिया पर रोमांचक जीत

Sunday, 12 February 2012 17:18

एडिलेड, 12 फरवरी (एजेंसी) सलामी बल्लेबाज गौतम गंभीर की 92 रन की दिलकश पारी और कप्तान महेंद्र सिंह धोनी के आखिरी ओवर के धमाल से भारत ने आज यहां आस्ट्रेलिया का विजय रथ रोककर त्रिकोणीय एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट श्रृंखला में दो गेंद शेष रहते हुए चार विकेट की रोमांचक जीत दर्ज की। आस्ट्रेलिया तब बड़ा स्कोर बनाने की स्थिति में दिख रहा था जब अपना पहला मैच खेल रहे पीटर फोरेस्ट : 66 : और डेविड हसी : 72 : क्रीज पर थे लेकिन भारतीय गेंदबाजों ने अच्छी वापसी करके उसकी टीम को आठ विकेट पर 269 रन ही बनाने दिये।
गंभीर फिर से शतक से चूक गये लेकिन उन्होंने अच्छी नींव रखी। इसके बावजूद आखिरी क्षणों में मैच काफी कड़ा हो गया। रोमांच की इस पराकाष्ठा में जब भारत को चार गेंद पर 12 रन चाहिए थे तब धोनी : 58 गेंद पर नाबाद 44 : ने अपने बाजुओं की ताकत का उत्कृष्ट नमूना पेश किया और 49.4 ओवर में ही भारत का स्कोर छह विकेट पर 270 रन पर पहुंचाया।
भारत को आखिरी ओवर में 13 रन चाहिए थे। पहली दो गेंद पर एक रन बना लेकिन धोनी ने आस्ट्रेलिया के सबसे सफल गेंदबाज क्लाइंट मैकाय की तीसरी गेंद लांग आन पर गगनदायी छक्के के लिये उछाल दी जो 112 मीटर दूर जाकर गिरी। यह 56वीं गेंद पर पहला शाट था जिस पर उन्होंने गेंद सीमा रेखा के पार भेजी। अगली गेंद कमर से उच्च्पर थी जिस पर धोनी ने सीमा रेखा पर कैच दिया लेकिन यह नोबाल निकली। धोनी ने चौथी गेंद पर तीन रन लेकर मैच भारत के नाम किया।
भारत की यह टूर्नामेंट में लगातार दूसरी जीत है। आस्ट्रेलिया अब भी नौ अंक लेकर शीर्ष पर है जबकि भारत के आठ अंक हैं। श्रीलंका ने अब तक दोनों मैच गंवाये हैं। आस्ट्रेलिया से चारों टेस्ट मैच गंवाने वाले भारत की इस दौरे में अपने इस प्रतिद्वंद्वी पर यह दूसरी जीत है। भारतीय टीम ने आस्ट्रेलिया के खिलाफ उसकी सरजमीं पर पहली बार इतना बड़ा लक्ष्य भी हासिल किया। इससे पहले उसने 2008 में सिडनी में चार विकेट पर 242 रन बनाकर जीत दर्ज की थी।
गंभीर और वीरेंद्र सहवाग दोनों पर बड़ा स्कोर करने का दबाव था। इन दोनों ने हालांकि सहज शुरुआत की और शुरू से ही गेंद को सीमा पार निकालने की रणनीति अपनायी। गंभीर ने मिशेल स्टार्क के सामने यह शुरुआत की जबकि सहवाग ने हैरिस के एक ओवर में कवर और प्वाइंट पर चौके लगाये।
गंभीर ने भी हैरिस की तीन गेंदों पर दो चौके लगाये जिससे माइकल क्लार्क को दसवें ओवर में क्वाइंट मैकाय को गेंद सौंपनी पड़ी। मैकाय की पहली गेंद विकेट हासिल करने वाली नहीं थी लेकिन सहवाग ने उस पर प्वाइंट पर आसान कैच थमा दिया। वह केवल 20 रन बना पाये। इस तरह से आस्ट्रेलिया के इस दौरे में 12 पारियों में उनके नाम पर केवल 255 रन दर्ज हैं।
भारत की शीर्ष क्रम को रोटेशन करने की रणनीति के तहत सचिन तेंदुलकर की जगह टीम में आने वाले गंभीर ने अपने कदमों का अच्छा इस्तेमाल किया और क्रीज के दोनों तरफ रन बटोरे। दूसरे छोर से हालांकि विराट कोहली :18: और रोहित शर्मा :33: ने क्रीज पर अच्छी तरह से पांव जमाने के बाद खराब शाट खेलकर अपने विकेट गंवाये।

कोहली ने अपनी जगह पर खड़े होकर गेंद को हवा में उछालना चाहा लेकिन वह लंबा शाट नहीं लगा पाये और गेंद कवर पर कैच में तब्दील हो गयी। रोहित ने स्टार्क की गेंद पर डीप स्क्वायर लेग पर छक्का जमाया लेकिन हैरिस की गुडलेंथ गेंद को हवा में लहराकर पवेलियन लौटे। उन्होंने 41 गेंद खेली और एक चौका और एक छक्का लगाया।
सुरेश रैना :38: ने आते ही चौके से शुरुआत की लेकिन गंभीर 88 रन पर मिले जीवनदान के बावजूद शतक से चूक गये। बायें हाथ के इस बल्लेबाज को मैकाय ने पगबाधा आउट किया। उनकी 111 गेंद की पारी में सात चौके और एक छक्का शामिल है।
रैना ने बायें हाथ के स्पिनर जेवियर डोहर्टी पर छक्का जड़कर रन और गेंद का अंतर कम किया लेकिन इसी गेंदबाज की गेंद को लाइन में आये बिना आगे बढ़कर मारने के प्रयास में वह बोल्ड हो गये। रविंदर जडेजा :12: ने गेंद को सीमा रेखा पार पहुंचाने की कोशिश में कैच थमाया। आखिर में धोनी ने टीम को जीत दिलाकर भारतीयों की खुशी लौटायी। मैकाय ने 53 रन देकर तीन विकेट लिये।
इससे पहले आस्ट्रेलिया को फोरेस्ट के रूप में नया स्टार मिला। उन्होंने और हसी ने चौथे विकेट के लिये 98 रन की साझेदारी करके तब टीम को शुरुआती झटकों से उबारने का बीड़ा उठाया जबकि आस्ट्रेलिया ने पहले बल्लेबाजी करते हुए 18वें ओवर में तीन विकेट 81 रन पर गंवा दिये थे।
भारत ने अंतिम दस ओवर में केवल 57 रन दिये। तीनों तेज गेंदबाजों जहीर खान :46 रन पर एक विकेट:, उमेश यादव :49 रन पर दो विकेट: और विनयकुमार :58 रन पर दो विकेट: ने अच्छी भूमिका निभायी। आस्ट्रेलिया को इसके अलावा तीन रन आउट का खामियाजा भी भुगतना पड़ा।
फोरेस्ट ने स्पिनरों के सामने अपने फुटवर्क का अच्छा इस्तेमाल किया तथा 36वें ओवर में यादव की गेंद पर मिडविकेट पर कैच थमाने से पहले पांच चौके और दो छक्के लगाये। उन्होंने विनयकुमार पर विश्वसनीय स्क्वायर कट से शुरुआत की और रविचंद्रन अश्विन पर आफ साइड में लगातार दो चौके लगाये। जडेजा पर साइटस्क्रीन पर छक्का जड़ने के बाद फोरेस्ट ने रोहित की गेंद भी छह रन के लिये भेजी।
हसी ने पांव जमाने में थोड़ा समय लगाया। उन्होंने 24वीं गेंद का सामना करते हुए पहला चौका लगाया लेकिन इसके बाद दो और चौके जड़े। अश्विन के इस ओवर में इस तरह से लगातार तीन बार गेंद ने सीमा रेखा के दर्शन किये। दायें हाथ के इस बल्लेबाज को स्लाग ओवरों में जहीर खान की गेंद पर सहवाग ने कैच किया।
श्रीलंका के खिलाफ पर्थ में पिछले मैच में 32 रन बनाने वाले डेन क्रिस्टियन ने 48वें ओवर में बेवजह रन आउट होने से पहले 36 गेंद पर 39 रन बनाये।
इससे पहले रिकी पोंटिंग पारी का आगाज करने के लिये उतरे लेकिन वह केवल छह रन बनाकर विनयकुमार की गेंद पर प्वाइंट पर कोहली को कैच दे बैठे थे। भारतीयों को तब बड़ी राहत मिली जब माइकल क्लार्क के साथ गफलत में डेविड वार्नर रन आउट हो गये। वार्नर ने 24 गेंद पर 18 रन बनाये। क्लार्क भी 43 गेंद पर पांच चौकों की मदद से 38 रन बना यादव की धीमी गेंद अपने विकेटों पर खेल गये थे।

मेरठ 2009 दंगे के आरोपियों को 4 साल की कैद

2012-02-12T07:35:00.001-08:00

मेरठ, 12 फरवरी (एजेंसी) उत्तर प्रदेश के मेरठ शहर के एक बड़े हिस्से को दंगों की आग में झौंकने के आरोपी छह लोगों को आज एक अदालत ने दोषी करार देते हुए चार चार साल कैद और जुर्माने की सजा सुनाई। अपर सत्र न्यायाधीश वी एस पटेल ने उपलब्ध साक्ष्यों और गवाहों के बयान के आधार पर 16 जून 2009 के दंगे के सिलसिले में आरोपी इरशाद, जीशान, नदीम, राशिद, मुमताज और शमशाद को विभिन्न धाराओं में चार चार वर्ष के कारावास और दो दो हजार रूपए जुर्माने की सजा सुनाई।
इस मामले में सरकारी वकील यशवंत सिंह ने बताया कि शहर में हुए दंगों के मामले में 26 लोगों के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज किया गया था। अन्य आरोपियों का मामला अन्य अदालतों में विचाराधीन है।

Death hidden from father - Body of BSF officer to be brought today

2012-02-12T07:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120212/jsp/jharkhand/story_15122372.jsp

Death hidden from father

- Body of BSF officer to be brought today

RAJ KUMAR

Relatives console Ranjeeta, wife of BSF officer Rajesh Sharan, at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport on Saturday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Feb. 11: The family members of BSF officer Rajesh Sharan, who was killed in a Maoist landmine blast in Odisha yesterday, are suppressing their grief.

Because they haven't told Rajesh's father, a heart patient, that he is no more.

Eighty-year-old Prem Sharan Satrangi, who had to return abruptly to his Morabadi home after boarding a train to Varanasi yesterday, may have sensed that something was amiss.

With a stream of relatives and friends flocking to their third floor flat at Narayani Enclave on Harihar Singh Road, he was heard asking those around him, "Why are you not contacting Rajesh to know why his friend has asked us to cut short our journey?"

Satrangi, a retired PWD chief engineer, failed to understand what was wrong as he met with lame replies from everyone. They said they were trying to contact Rajesh but could not reach him.

Rajesh, 42, was posted in Malkangiri district about two years ago as the second in command of BSF's 107th battalion. He, along with three other BSF personnel, were killed when rebels blew up their vehicle near the Balimela reservoir in Malkangiri around 1pm as they were returning to their base after attending a meeting on security arrangements for panchayat polls in Odisha.

His death has come as a shock to younger brother Rakesh Sharan, two unmarried sisters, Jayanti Sharan and Dimple Sharan, apart from wife Ranjeeta and seven-year-old son, Ishan.

Rajesh's mother had passed away 15 years ago while three of his sisters — Kanak, Nutan and Rani Sharan — are married.

"I was accompanying my father to Varanasi for Dimple's marriage negotiations with Jayanti and Nutan when I received the shocking news around 1.30pm," Rakesh, a journalist with a local vernacular daily, told The Telegraph.

"A colleague of my brother who is posted in New Delhi informed me over phone. That very moment I decided to cancel our journey. When my father asked about the reasons, I told him that I was instructed by one of my elder brother's friends. As our train stopped at Muri, we got down and took a passenger train for Ranchi with a heavy heart," he added.

Rakesh said that the martyr's wife and son were staying at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, the headquarters of BSF's 107th battalion. "They are coming today on a flight. The body of my brother is expected to be here by tomorrow, as it has not reached New Delhi so far," he added.

I.P. Singh, a retired chief mining engineer of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute who has had close relations with the Sharans, also paid a visit to their residence.

He broke down as he remembered Rajesh.

"Rajesh was the pillar of the family. His death has left them in the lurch. I knew the boy since his childhood. He was smart and intelligent and had joined the BSF in 1996 after graduating from Ranchi University in anthropology," he said, with a lump in his throat.

Sanjeev Kumar, a childhood friend who deals in medicines remembered the BSF officer for his perseverance.

"He completed his matriculation in 1985 from Ram Rudra High School in Chas, Bokaro, with merely 60 per cent marks. But he never looked backed. He studied intermediate in humanities from Marwari College in 1987 and went to Ranchi College. After pursuing a postgraduate course from Ranchi University in 1992, he joined a management school in Patna. But he was chosen as a BSF officer before he could complete it," he said.

Riju’s last words to mother - Cops suspect suicide, quiz friend whom boy met before vanishing

2012-02-12T07:32:00.001-08:00

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120212/jsp/bengal/story_15124788.jsp

Riju's last words to mother

- Cops suspect suicide, quiz friend whom boy met before vanishing

OUR BUREAU

Calcutta, Feb. 11: The last time Riju Basak spoke to his mother, he had said he was at a conference at Max Mueller Bhavan and she could text her in case of an emergency.

The next time a call came from his number, around 6.40pm on Wednesday, his mother could only hear vehicles honking and a buzz like one from a crowded place. The Class XI student of La Martiniere was found floating dead in a desolate corner of Rabindra Sarovar yesterday morning.

"He called me around 3pm on Wednesday, saying he was at a conference and would not be able to take calls. He asked me to text him if needed," Riju's mother Mitra told The Telegraph this evening.

Another call came from his cellphone at 6.40pm but no one spoke from the other side. "I told him that if you are done, come home early, do not delay… have not seen you for several hours," Mitra said. "There was no response. I thought there was something wrong with the signal." The line got disconnected and when she called back, it went unanswered.

Riju was among the three students from La Martiniere to have qualified for an essay-writing competition and a tour of Calcutta with Goethe-Institut.

Preliminary investigations suggest that Riju had committed suicide, police said. "The evidence we have gathered so far suggests he killed himself. Prima facie, there was no foul play," said Damayanti Sen, the joint commissioner of police (crime).

"Had he been forced into the water, there would have been resistance marks. Also, there would have been finger impressions on his neck and shoulders," an officer of the homicide department said. "It seems that he was not under the influence of any intoxicant."

Max Mueller Bhavan officials later informed Mitra that Riju had been dropped near Chandni Chowk Metro station around 6pm on Wednesday. The Basaks live near the Hind Fame multiplex on Ganesh Chandra Avenue, about 500 metres from the station.

Riju's parents learnt from one of his friends, who lives near Rabindra Sarovar, that their son had called her around 6.25pm on Wednesday. "She told us that Riju had asked her to give him a calendar. They met somewhere. She had brought the calendar but he apparently told her he would take it from her on Thursday as there was not enough space in his bag," Mitra said.

The cellphone Riju used is missing but his call list confirmed that he had called up the friend.

"We are trying to find out where he was after he left his friend on Wednesday evening. The preliminary post-mortem report suggests that he had died more than 24 hours before the body was found," the officer said.

The police quizzed the friend at her home for several hours yesterday. Her house is near Bhavani cinema, in front of which Riju's bag, diary, I-card, blazer, tie and shoes were found on Wednesday evening.

Mitra said she had asked the friend to collect the items because she lived close by.

"Riju appeared very restless and angry," an officer quoted the girl as saying. "She told us that although she asked him about the reason for his anger, he did not say anything," the officer said.

Mitra said she had "no complaint against anybody". "My son's friends are like my own children. But we have no clue why and how he died."

According to Mitra, Riju had told his friend that he would take the Metro back home. When she offered to accompany him to the station, he refused.

"He used to say he had to get 96 per cent marks in his ISC exams. I used to tell him that there was no reason to be tense and that he would do well," Mitra said. The 17-year-old who wrote poetry and loved to play the guitar had also told his mother lately that he was unable to write well.

"We always went to pick him up from school or from any school programme. It is the first time we did not and he did not come back," she added.

Army chief keeps everyone guessing SUJAN DUTTA

2012-02-12T07:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120212/jsp/frontpage/story_15125049.jsp

Army chief keeps everyone guessing

SUJAN DUTTA

New Delhi, Feb. 11: General V.K. Singh returned to New Delhi from Jaipur this afternoon, a day after losing his case in the Supreme Court, wondering if he should take the road to Gurgaon via London.

The army chief has his own simple apartment in Gurgaon, the Delhi suburb about an hour's drive from Rajaji Marg's Army House that he currently occupies. But in the event that he decides to defer a decision to resign, that journey could take nine days. He is scheduled for an official visit to the UK from Monday and return to Delhi on the 20th.

Cancelling the tour to UK, in the course of which he has appointments with not only his British counterpart but also the UK defence secretary, may have diplomatic implications.

General Singh was closeted with family and friends at home since his return from Jaipur in the afternoon. There is no word from the army chief on whether he is resigning.

A friend of the General's said: "Though the court said he is an honourable man, it will be difficult for the army chief and the government to work together not only because of the trust deficit but also because of bad blood."

His modest apartment in Gurgaon, to which General Singh may retire, has none of the power and pelf of Army House.

Should General Singh decide to resign from service — as most of his friends have been advising him — he will have to address the President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, and inform defence minister A.K. Antony.

Despite having offices on the same floor of the integrated headquarters of the ministry of defence in South Block, Antony and the army chief are unlikely to come face-to-face over the next week.

"If I were in his shoes, I would have resigned within an hour of what the court said yesterday," said Major General (retired) G.D. Bakshi, the officer with the handlebar moustache who is now a familiar face on television channels as one of General Singh's ardent and voluble supporters.

"He is a General who has seen combat and such officers are held in high esteem by soldiers. But after this (court order) if he continues it will be a fall from grace," Bakshi added.

Antony is also slated to go overseas on Monday. After inaugurating the 14th Asian Security Conference at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis in Delhi, Antony takes his flight to Saudi Arabia, the first visit by an Indian defence minister to the Islamic state. He will spend two days in Riyadh before returning to Delhi.

Antony will be leading a high-level delegation, including defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen. S.K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Satish Soni and Air Vice Marshal M.R. Pawar.

Since withdrawing his petition in the Supreme Court, the General has gone about business as usual. He left for Jaipur with his wife, Bharti Singh, where he and the South Western Army Commander, Lt General Gyan Bhushan supervised an exercise.

"The Chief of Army Staff interacted with all officers of Jaipur Military Station. During the interaction, he impressed upon them the strengths and core competencies of the Indian Army and enjoined the officers to inculcate the deepest sense of professionalism while working in the interest of the nation," an army statement said.

"He also stressed on the rich traditions and the value system base and emphasised the importance to remain focused on the job at hand while preparing for all contingencies."

In the UK, General Singh is scheduled to visit the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst "the cradle of the Indian Army's leadership in pre-independence India." The chief, who a commando (Ranger), is also scheduled to interact with the UK's special forces.

SOS to President on ‘hang-me’ Salman

2012-02-12T07:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120212/jsp/frontpage/story_15125024.jsp

SOS to President on 'hang-me' Salman

SANJAY K. JHA

(From top) Khurshid, Patil and Quraishi

New Delhi, Feb. 11: The Election Commission this evening took the extraordinary step of approaching the President to seek "immediate and decisive intervention" against Union law minister Salman Khurshid for his defiance on minority reservation.

Chief election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi made the unparalleled appeal in a two-page letter to President Pratibha Patil, despatched by a special messenger and marked "topmost priority".

The commission feels the law minister's conduct is in clear violation of the model code of conduct and it is unfairly impacting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Censured for statements on the minority quota, Khurshid was quoted as saying "even if the Election Commission hangs me, I will ensure that Muslims get their due".

The poll panel used strong words in its communication to the President. "The commission is approaching you with serious dismay and a deep sense of urgency," Quraishi wrote.

The letter was sent after a full meeting of the commission that authorised its chief to resort to the rarest of rare action of seeking redress from the highest office of the land.

The President, who cannot take any executive decision on her own and especially in the absence of a precedent, forwarded the letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who will have to advise Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Singh cannot seek the law ministry's advice as Khurshid holds the portfolio and may ask the attorney-general to guide him. Ironically, the attorney-general also works under the law ministry.

The Congress left it to the government to deal with the situation. The party is angry with Khurshid for his recent utterances, particularly his remark on the Batla House encounter in which he referred to Sonia Gandhi being in tears after seeing photographs of the incident.

However, the last word has not yet been said on the quota controversy and the party is still assessing the nature of its impact in Uttar Pradesh, where the second round of polls was held today. The Congress usually is not averse to the quota issue remaining in focus.

Khurshid, too, would not mind this controversy overtaking the Batla House debate which could polarise some sections against the party. A controversy relating to Muslim welfare may also help Khurshid gain greater acceptance among the disadvantaged sections of the community as he has often been seen as elitist and too sophisticated to be a mass leader.

Poll chief Quraishi enjoys a good personal rapport with Khurshid. Khurshid has been extremely aggressive throughout the discourse and has stoutly defended his announcement of 9 per cent reservation for Muslims if the Congress came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Quraishi wrote to the President that "the commission is quite concerned that the delicate balance of functions between constitutional authorities has come under a strain, because of the minister's improper and unlawful action. The Election Commission of India finds it necessary and unavoidable to turn to you at this juncture for immediate and decisive intervention so that the ongoing general election to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly is conducted, and this commission discharges its functions, in accordance with the Constitution and the law."

Pointing out that the panel had censured Khurshid on Thursday, the CEC expressed shock at seeing the minister assert on TV today that he would continue to champion the cause for which he was reprimanded.

"In fact, the Union minister goes on to say that he would stick to his line, 'even if they hang me'. We have found the tone and tenor of the Union minister dismissive and utterly contemptuous about the commission's lawful direction to him, besides the fact that his action is damaging the level playing field in the election," the commission said.

"The commission is shocked that instead of being remorseful about the violation of the model code, that carries the consensus of all political parties and the sanction of the Supreme Court, the minister has chosen to be defiant and aggressive. This is unprecedented."

Fwd: [bangla-vision] Anonymous: 'Israeli government, expect us.' 11 Feb 2012

2012-02-12T07:25:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CLG News <clgnews@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 5:47 AM
Subject: [bangla-vision] Anonymous: 'Israeli government, expect us.' 11 Feb 2012
To: lori@legitgov.org

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government

11 Feb 2012

http://www.legitgov.org

All links are here:

http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

Breaking: Romney edges Paul in Maine caucuses 11 Feb 2012 Mitt Romney 'wins' the Maine caucuses with 39% of the vote. Ron Paul has 36% of the vote. [Note: Faux News 'lost' Ron Paul's audio, when Paul was speaking in Portland, ME. It seems that Faux News 'loses' Paul's audio *every time.* There's nary a technical problem, however, when Faux interviews its troll Sarah Palin - in Alaska.]

Anonymous: 'Israeli government, expect us.' --'You are unworthy to exist in your current form, and will therefore face the wrath of Anonymous... Step one will be initiated after the release of this video and will be comprised of systematically removing you from the Internet.' Video and text of message from Anonymous to the state of Israel --Posted by www.legitgov.org 11 Feb 2012 The video was released Friday.

'Anonymous' hacker group threatens 'reign of terror' against Israel 10 Feb 2012 The hacker group "Anonymous" released a video Friday threatening to begin a 'reign of terror' against Israel, in the latest round of cyber warfare between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli hackers. The video, which was posted on YouTube in the early hours of the morning, blamed Israel for committing 'crimes against humanity,' and criticizing it for its treatment of Palestinians.

Anonymous Takes Down CIA Web Site 10 Feb 2012 Anonymous has ended a rather busy week with a hack of the CIA website, which is currently offline. "CIA TANGO DOWN: https://www.cia.gov/ #Anonymous," the @YourAnonNews feed tweeted around 3:30pm Eastern. The CIA.gov website has been unresponsive for about an hour. Anonymous did not release details about the attack, but the group usually uses distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to take down its targets. [I guess that would explain why ucia.gov wasn't in the CLG website logs today.]

'Tango Down': Anonymous claims attacks on CIA, Alabama state sites 10 Feb 2012 7:10 p.m. ET: cia.gov remains inaccessible four hours after it was first reported to be down, followed shortly by a claim that the hacker group Anonymous was responsible. As security experts have noted, that's an unusually long time if the attack really is a straightforward DDoS assault. 6 p.m. ET: cia.gov remains inaccessible, about three hours after it was first reported to be down. Meanwhile, the Alabama Department of Homeland Security says any "comment would be premature at this time" because it was an "ongoing investigation," The Birmingham News reports.

Fed agents hot on trail of Anonymous hackers 09 Feb 2012 Every move by the hacker activists Anonymous is being watched by the FBI, which views the loosely organized group as a pack of cyber vandals that attacks targets without motivation - including Boston's police department website. The FBI has conducted an ongoing investigation into Anonymous for a little more than a year, according to a spokesperson at FBI Headquarters in Washington. The bureau's website was knocked out for a few hours by Anonymous last month after federal authorities shut down a file-sharing website and arrested the operators. [So, the FBI has been investigating Anonymous for over a year... and yet, Anonymous is still hacking! Ergo, I wouldn't say the FBI is 'hot' on the trail.]

Hacking off the Feds: Anonymous intercepts FBI conference call about...themselves 03 Feb 2012 In an audio recording made and posted online by the internet hacktivists Anonymous, a number of Federal agents both in the US and the UK can be heard discussing ways to apprehend members of the group. In an ironic post, the hacktivists made the 20-minute long conversation available online, taunting the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the leak – and the fact that while the agents may only have half-formed plans to arrest Anonymous members, the group itself is making sure to stay one step ahead.

CIA fears Iran has data downed drone failed to dump 10 Feb 2012 A comprehensive CIA investigation reportedly fails to find the cause of the US drone going down in Iran last year, raising fears that the aircraft failed to dump sensitive data. FOX News quoted a former intelligence official as saying that CIA's comprehensive, 10-week review was unable to replicate the "malfunction" that brought down the RQ-170 Sentinel drone in Iran. The report supports Iran's claims that the reconnaissance was cyberjacked by the army's electronic warfare unit and eased to a safe landing while deep in Iranian territory on December 4.

Iran to unveil major nuclear achievements soon 11 Feb 2012 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced the unveiling of "major nuclear accomplishments" in the next few days despite increasing Western pressure over the country's nuclear program. "In the nuclear field, major achievements have been made by the Iranian nation in recent years," Ahmadinejad said in a Saturday speech, marking the 33rd anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Iranian president said the world has witnessed hegemonic powers use every means to prevent the Islamic Republic from attaining nuclear progress.

Israel's Mossad trained assassins of Iran nuclear scientists, report says 09 Feb 2012 Mossad officials are training Iranian dissident activists [?] to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists, a NBC News report citing U.S. officials said on Thursday. The report noted, however, that Washington was not directly involvement in the alleged attacks. The report by NBC News followed Iranian accusations that Israel and the U.S. had been orchestrating attacks against Iranian scientists and military officials associated with Iran's nuclear program. [Hmm. What's another word for 'dissident activists' who plant bombs and assassinate people? That would be *terrorists.* Apparently, the definition morphs - depending on who hires them. --LRP]

Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News 09 Feb 2012 Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel's secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran's leaders. The group, the People's Mujahedin of Iran, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, accused of killing American servicemen and contractors in the 1970s and supporting the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran... The attacks, which have killed five Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007 and may have destroyed a missile research and development site, have been carried out in dramatic fashion, with motorcycle-borne assailants often attaching small magnetic bombs to the exterior of the victims' cars.

Gingrich Warns of Iranian Nuclear Attack 08 Feb 2012 Newt Gingrich asserted on Wednesday that an Iranian nuclear attack on the United States was "a real danger" and that it could kill and wound hundreds of thousands of Americans. His comments were the latest in a string of hawkish and even apocalyptic statements that some Republican presidential candidates, particularly Mr. Gingrich, have been using to discuss Iran. In the past, Mr. Gingrich has said that if Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, then not only Israel but also the United States would be at risk, and he has characterized Iran as a country and a culture that fosters terrorism. [Hello, Pot? This is Kettle...]

Syrian general gunned down in Damascus 11 Feb 2012 A Syrian general was gunned down in the heart of the capital on Saturday as fresh violence flared in several cities. An "armed terrorist group" assassinated Brig. Gen. Issa al-Kholi, a military physician who was the director of Hamish Hospital, in front of his Damascus house Saturday morning, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said. Three gunmen shot him to death, the media outlet said. The killing occurred "In the framework of targeting the Syrian intellectuals and the medical and technical cadres," SANA reported. "A number of efficient, skilled and specialized national cadres were assassinated by armed terrorist groups," said SANA, which cited the killings of a professor, a nuclear specialist, a teacher and a couple of engineers. [Let's see... Who kills professors, scientists, engineers and teachers?]

Karzai condemns death of 7 children in NATO air strikes 10 Feb 2012 Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has strongly criticized NATO for the air strikes resulting in the death of at least seven children, further aggravating the strained relations between Kabul and the international coalition forces over civilian deaths during course of anti-terrorists operations. The government and NATO have both launched a probe to verify the civilian deaths due to air bombing Wednesday night.

UK accused of deploying nuclear weapons near the Falklands 11 Feb 2012 In an increasingly tense war of words, Argentinian Foreign Minister Hector Timerman claims the UK is deploying nuclear weapons near the Falkland Islands. Britain and Argentina went to war over the disputed British-ruled Falkland Islands in 1982, and London rejects Argentine demands for sovereignty negotiations... Mr Timerman urged the UN to intervene in the long-running dispute over the islands. He said that Buenos Aires had intelligence that the British nuclear submarine, Vanguard, had been deployed in the area. Along with a purported picture of the Vanguard submarine, Timerman also displayed pictures of a ship and plane that he claimed were the British naval destroyer, Dauntless, and the British aircraft, Typhoon, respectively. He said that all three had been deployed near the Falkland Islands.

WikiLeaks private to be charged soon 11 Feb 2012 US army private Bradley Manning, accused of giving a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks, is to be formally charged later this month ahead of a court-martial, the US Army says. Manning, 24, is accused of one of the most serious intelligence breaches in US history and is facing charges that could send him to prison for life. The US Army said in a statement on Thursday that the military judge hearing the case scheduled an arraignment for February 23 at Fort Meade in Maryland.

LAPD Pioneers High-Tech Crime-Fighting 'War Room' --RACR relied upon during recent Occupy LA showdown and arrests 08 Feb 2012 The LAPD is fighting crime from a high-tech war room that gives it eyes all over the city. The surveillance hub is now a model for police forces around the world and KCAL9 got an exclusive tour inside from Chief Charlie Beck. "We are targets on our own soil," says Beck. "We have to be ready." What began as a grass roots idea following the 9/11 terrorist attacks is now a state-of-the-art real-time analysis critical response center. It's called RACR, and it's located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

State's Division of Homeland Security to coordinate Jamboree --Jamboree serves as recruiting tool for military, which will set up displays and equipment during event. 11 Feb 2012 Another milestone in preparations for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree is now crossed. On Friday, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed an executive order that designates the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as the principal coordinator for federal, state and local agencies providing support for the Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve before and during the Jamboree. Representatives from the National Guard, Boy Scouts of America, and local government gathered at the Glen Jean Armory for the signing of the order.

Fukushima No. 2 plant was 'near meltdown' 10 Feb 2012 The Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant was "near meltdown" after being hit by tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, according to the head of the plant. The No. 2 plant, on the border of Naraha and Tomioka towns in Fukushima Prefecture, was opened to the media Wednesday for the first time since the disaster. It is 12 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which suffered a meltdown. Both facilities are operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

US to build two new nuclear reactors in Georgia 09 Feb 2012 The US government has [insanely] licensed a utility company to build two new nuclear reactors in the south-eastern state of Georgia. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday authorized Southern Co. and its partners to build the new reactors in Waynesboro, Ga., about 275 Kilometers east of Atlanta, at a plant that already has two operating reactors. Federal regulators voted 4-1 to approve the construction of the nuclear plants, expected to cost 14 billion dollars.

BP wins exclusion of emails from oil spill trial 08 Feb 2012 BP Plc won a court order keeping several potentially damaging emails out of a scheduled trial to determine responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Wednesday's ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Shushan in New Orleans came a day after U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier rejected the oil company's effort to keep evidence about settlements it had already reached out of the trial. The rulings came as Barbier prepares to preside on February 27 over a non-jury trial to assign blame for the April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, which killed 11 people and caused the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

Hose streets? Our streets! Belgian firefighters soak police in protest --Hundreds of Belgian firefighters hose down the prime minister's office as part of a protest against retirement plans 10 Feb 2012 Several hundred Belgian firefighters have broken through police lines in Brussels and hosed down the prime minister's office in protest at the government's tougher retirement plans. The firefighters want to keep their early retirement age at 58, arguing their arduous job does not allow them to work into their 60s.

Highest level of radioactive cesium in San Francisco-area milk since August 2011 — Now at 150% of EPA's maximum contaminant limit (Chart) 07 Feb 2012 A new milk sample has been measured, this one with a best-by date of 2/16/2012. The results are posted to the milk sample page. Low levels of both Cs-134 and Cs-137 were still detected in the sample. 0.167 Bq/L of radioactive cesium = 4.526 picocuries/L (1 Bq = 27.1 picocuries) The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level for radioactive cesium in milk is 3 picocuries/L.

Romney edges Santorum in CPAC vote 11 Feb 2012 Mitt Romney has won The Washington Times/CPAC Presidential Straw Poll of conservative activists. The former Massachusetts governor is favored as the Republican presidential nominee by 38 percent of the 3,408 respondents. Rivals Rick Santorum drew 31 percent, and Newt Gingrich was favored by 15 percent. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who did not attend the conference to campaign in Maine, had 12 percent.

__._,_.___

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Fwd: Paul Craig Roberts: Will Iran Be Attacked?

2012-02-12T07:23:00.001-08:00

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Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Paul Craig Roberts: Will Iran Be Attacked?
To: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

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Will Iran Be Attacked?
44 US military bases surrounding Iran...

By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

Global Research, February 8, 2012
paulcraigroberts.com

URL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29153

Washington has made tremendous preparations for a military assault on Iran. There is speculation that Washington has called off its two longest running wars--Iraq and Afghanistan--in order to deploy forces against Iran.

Two of Washington's fleets have been assigned to the Persian Gulf along with NATO warships. Missiles have been spread amongst Washington's Oil Emirate and Middle Eastern puppet states. US troops have been deployed in Israel and Kuwait.

Washington has presented Israel a gift from the hard-pressed american taxpayers of an expensive missile defense system, money spent for Israel when millions of unassisted americans have lost their homes. As no one expects Iran to attack Israel, except in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran, the purpose of the missile defense system is to protect Israel from an Iranian response to Israeli aggression against Iran.

Juan Cole has posted on his blog a map showing 44 US military bases surrounding Iran.

In addition to the massive military preparations, there is the propaganda war against Iran that has been ongoing since 1979 when Washington's puppet, the Shah of Iran, was overthrown by the Iranian revolution. Iran is surrounded, but Washington and Israeli propaganda portray Iran as a threatening aggressor nation. In fact, the aggressors are the Washington and Tel Aviv governments which constantly threaten Iran with military attack.

Neocon warmongers, such as David Goldman, compare the Iranian president to Hitler and declare that only war can stop him.

Washington's top military officials have created the impression that an act of Israeli aggression against Iran is a done deal. On February 2 the Washington Post reported that Pentagon chief Leon Panetta believes that Israel is likely to attack Iran in two to four months.

Also on February 2, Gareth Porter reported that General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed the Israeli government that the US would not join Israel's aggression against Iran unless Washington had given prior approval for the attack.

Porter interprets Dempsey's warning as a strong move by President Obama to deter an attack that would involve Washington in a regional conflagration with Iran. A different way to read Dempsey's warning is that Obama wants to hold off on attacking Iran until polls show him losing the presidential election. It has generally been the case that the patriotic electorate does not turn out a president who is at war.

On February 5, President Obama canceled Dempsey's warning to Israel when Obama declared that he was in "lockstep" with the Israeli government. Obama is in lockstep with Israel despite the fact that Obama told NBC that "we don't see any evidence that they [Iran] have those intentions [attacks on the US] or capabilities." By being in lockstep with Israel and simultaneously calling for a "diplomatic solution," Obama appeased both the Israel Lobby and Democratic peace groups, thus upping his vote.

As I wrote previously, this spring is a prime time for attacking Iran, because there is a good chance that Russia will be in turmoil because of its March election. The Russian opposition to Putin is financed by Washington and encouraged by Washington's statements, especially those of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Whether Putin wins or there is an indecisive result and a run-off election, Washington's money will put tens of thousands of Russians into the streets, just as Washington's money created the "Green Revolution" in Iran to protest the presidential elections there.

On February 4 the former left-wing British newspaper, The Guardian, reported a pre-election protest by 120,000 anti-Putin demonstrators marching in Moscow and demanding "fair elections." In other words, Washington already has its minions declaring that a win by Putin in March can only signify a stolen election. The problem for Obama is that this spring is too early to tell whether his re-election is threatened by a Republican candidate. Going to war prematurely, especially if the result is a stiff rise in oil prices, is not an aid to re-election.

The willingness of peoples around the world to be Washington's puppets instead of loyal citizens of their own countries is why the West has been able to dominate the world during the modern era. There seems to be an infinite supply of foreign leaders who prefer Washington's money and favor to loyalty to their own countries' interests.

As Karl Marx said, money turns everything into a commodity that can be bought and sold. All other values are defeated--honor, integrity, truth, justice, loyalty, even blood kin. Nothing remains but filthy lucre. Money certainly turned UK prime minister Tony Blair into a political commodity.

The power of money was brought home to me many years ago. My Ph.D. dissertation chairman found himself in the Nixon administration as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security affairs. He asked if I would go to Vietnam to administer the aid programs. I was flattered that he thought I had the strength of character to stand up to the corruption that usually defeats the purpose of aid programs, but I declined the assignment.

The conversation was one I will never forget. Warren Nutter was an intelligent person of integrity. He thought regardless of whether the war was necessary that we had been led into it by deception. He thought democracy could not live with deception, and he objected to government officials who were not honest with the American people. Nutter's position was that a democratic government had to rely on persuasion, not on trickery. Otherwise, the outcomes were not democratic.

As Nutter saw it, we were in a war, and we had involved the South Vietnamese. Therefore, we had obligations to them. If we proved to be feckless, the consequence would be to undermine commitments we had made to other countries in our effort
to contain the Soviet Empire. The Soviet Union, unlike the "terrorist threat" had the potential of being a real threat. People who have come of age after the collapse of the Soviet Union don't understand the cold war era.

In the course of the conversation I asked how Washington got so many other governments to do its bidding. He answered, "Money."

I asked, "You mean foreign aid?"

He said, "No, bags of money. We buy the leaders."

He didn't approve of it, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Purchasing the leadership of their enemies or of potential threats was the Roman way. Timothy H. Parsons in his book, The Rule of Empires, describes the Romans as "deft practitioners of soft power." Rome preferred to rule the conquered and the potentially hostile through "semiautonomous client kings which the Senate euphemistically termed 'friends of the Roman people.' Romans helped cooperative monarchs remain in power with direct payments of coins and material goods. Acceptance of these subsidies signified that an ally deferred to imperial authority, and the Romans interpreted any defiance of their will as an overt revolt. They also intervened freely in local succession disputes to replace unsuitable clients."

This is the way Washington rules. Washington's way of ruling other countries is why there is no "Egyptian Spring," but a military dictatorship as a replacement for Washington's discarded puppet Hosni Mubarak, and why European puppet states are fighting Washington's wars of hegemony in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Washington's National Endowment for Democracy funds non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. It is through the operations of NGOs that Washington added the former Soviet Republic of Georgia to Washington's empire, along with the Baltic States, and Eastern European countries.

Because of the hostility of many Russians to their Soviet past, Russia is vulnerable to Washington's machinations.

As long as the dollar rules, Washington's power will rule.

As Rome debased its silver denarius into lead, Rome's power to purchase compliance faded away. If "Helicopter Ben" Bernanke inflates away the purchasing power of the dollar, Washington's power will melt away also.

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Fwd: बीजेपी का युवा टीवी चैनल लॉन्च, नेशनल न्यूज मैगजीन ‘टुडे एक्सप्रेस’ लॉन्च

2012-02-12T07:12:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: समाचार4मीडिया <mailer@samachar4media.com>
Date: 2012/2/12
Subject: बीजेपी का युवा टीवी चैनल लॉन्च, नेशनल न्यूज मैगजीन 'टुडे एक्सप्रेस' लॉन्च
To: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

र, 02/12/2012 - 18:11

बीजेपी का युवा टीवी चैनल लॉन्च

भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने 'युवा' नाम से गुरुवार को अपने खुद के टीवी चैनल की लांचिंग की। इस इंटरनेट टीवी चैनल का शुभारंभ पार्टी अध्यक्ष नितिन गडकरी ने बीजेपी मुख्‍यालय में किया। गडकरी ने इस मौके पर कहा कि कोई भी व्यक्ति या नेतृत्व अपने आप में पूरी तरह से दोषरहित नहीं होता है, सबमें अच्‍छाइयों के साथ बुराइयां भी होती हैं। इस टीवी चैनल से पार्टी के लोगों को खुद को बेहतर बनाने का मौका मिलेगा,क्योंकि 'युवा' चैनल से केवल पार्टी के विचार ही प्रसारित नहीं होंगे, बल्कि बीजेपी से इतर विचारों और आलोचनाओं को भी पूरा स्थान और सम्‍मान मिलेगा

आगे पढ़ें

नेशनल न्यूज मैगजीन 'टुडे एक्सप्रेस' लॉन्च

एक और नेशनल न्यूज मैगजीन टुडे एक्सप्रेस की शुरुआत आगरा से की गई है। समाचार4मीडिया को भेजे गए एक मेल में मैगजीन के प्रकाशक विजय अग्रवाल ने बताया कि हमारा मुख्य फोकस समाज में जागरूकता फैलाने पर होगा। हम आज के भारत की आवाज बनने की कोशिश करेंगे। इस लक्ष्य के पाने लिए हमारी एक टीम पूरा प्रयास करेगी। हम किसी के साथ बिना कोई पक्षपात किये सभी को अपनी पत्रिका में जगह देंगे

आगे पढ़ें

मजिठिया वेज आयोग की सिफारिश लागू करने वाला पहला अखबार 'असम ट्रिब्यून'

'असम ट्रिब्यून' मजीठिया वेज आयोग की सिफारिशें लागू करने वाले देश का पहला और इकलौता अखबार बन गया है। असम ट्रिब्यून समूह ने अपने ट्रेड यूनियनों के साथ एक करार में पत्रकारों और गैर-पत्रकारों के लिए मजिठिया वेतन बोर्ड की सिफारिशों को लागू करने का फैसला किया है। यह करार इस साल जनवरी से प्रभावी होगा। समूह में करीब 450 कर्मी काम करते हैं

आगे पढ़ें

विशेष खबरें

पॉजिटिव मीडिया के सीईओ विनीत सक्सेना का इस्तीफा, कई संस्थानों में फेरबदल

पॉजिटिव मीडिया ग्रुप में बतौर सीईओ कार्यरत विनीत सक्‍सेना संस्थान से इस्तीफा दे दिया है। वो करीब छह महीने से संस्थान के साथ जुड़े हुए थे। वो ग्रुप के चैनल एनईटीवी, फोकस टीवी, हमार टीवी, एनई बांग्‍ला, एचवाई,एनई हाईफाई की जिम्‍मेदारी संभाल रहे थे। प्रबंधन ने उनके इस्तीफे की पुष्टि की। सूत्रों की मानें तो प्रबंधन की ओर से दिये गये टारगेट को पूरा ना करने पर उन्हें कार्यमुक्त किया गया है

जल्द आ रहा है नेशनल हिंदी न्यूज चैनल न्यूलुक न्यूज

एनमार्ट रिटेल ग्रुप ने अपनी एंट्री मीडिया सेक्टर में भी दर्ज करा ली है। ग्रुप अपना एक हिंदी नेशनल न्यूज चैनल न्यूलुक न्यूज लेकर आ रहा है। प्रबंधन ने इस बारे में बताया चैनल को शुरू करने को लेकर तैयारियां की जा रही है। और इसे जल्द ही लॉन्च कर दिया जायेगा। अभी इस बारे में कोई निश्चय नहीं किया गया कि चैनल कब शुरू करना है, लेकिन लॉन्च करने को लेकर तैयारियां की जा रही हैं। और चैनल के लिए टीम गठन की प्रक्रिया जारी है

याहू और 'आनंद बाजार पत्रिका' ने मिलाया हाथ

'याहू इंडिया' और 'आनंद बाजार पत्रिका' के बीच एक समझौता हुआ है जिसके बाद से भारतीय इंटरनेट उपभोक्ताओं के लिए दोनों संस्थान मिलकर बंगाली भाषा में प्रीमियम डिजिटल कंटेंट मुहैया करायेंगे। समझौते के बाद इस ज्वाइंट बांड का नाम - बंगाली याहू.कॉम रखा गया है।भारत में हिन्दी, तमिल, मराठी के बाद, अब बंगाली भाषा में 'याहू' का कंटेंट उपलब्ध कराया जा रहा गया है

बच्चों से जुड़े मामले में मीडिया के लिए हो दिशानिर्देश: दिल्ली हाईकोर्ट

दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय ने फलक एवं बच्चों से सम्बंधित ऐसे मामलों में तथ्यों का खुलासा करने एवं मीडिया को दिशा निर्देश देने के लिए बुधवार को राज्य सरकार से एक समिति का गठन करने के लिए कहा। न्यायालय ने ऐसे मामलों में मीडिया पर नियंत्रण के लिए दायर याचिका पर सुनवाई के दौरान यह निर्देश दिया। कार्यवाहक मुख्य न्यायाधीश ए.के. सीकरी एवं न्यायमूर्ति आर.एस. एंडलॉ की खंडपीठ ने मीडिया को दिशा निर्देश देने के लिए दिल्ली सरकार से एक समिति का गठन करने के लिए कहा जिससे इसकी प्रारम्भिक रपट सात मार्च तक आ सके

16 फरवरी को दिया जायेगा जवाहरलाल दर्डा पत्रकारिता पुरस्कार

पिंकसिटी प्रेस क्लब की ओर से 16 फरवरी की शाम चार बजे जवाहरलाल दर्डा पत्रकारिता पुरस्कार और अशोक गहलोत लोकमत मित्रता पुरस्कार समारोह आयोजित किया जाएगा। क्लब अध्यक्ष एलएल शर्मा ने बताया कि प्रेस क्लब परिसर में आयोजित होने वाले इस समारोह के मुख्य अतिथि राज्यपाल शिवराज पाटिल होंगे। समारोह की अध्यक्षता मुख्यमंत्री अशोक गहलोत करेंगे। विशिष्ट अतिथि केन्द्रीय सड़क और परिवहन मंत्री डॉ. सीपी जोशी, सूचना एवं जनसंपर्क मंत्री डॉ. जितेन्द्र सिंह और सांसद एवं लोकमत समाचार पत्र समूह के अध्यक्ष विजय दर्डा होंगे

'जागरण सिटी प्लस' का कम्युनिटी की ख़बरों पर जोर

कम्युनिटी न्यूज़पेपर का एक मात्र उद्देश्य स्थानीय समाचारों को प्रकाशित करना होता है जिससे वे अधिक से अधिक लोगों को अपने साथ जोड़ सकें। ऐसे समाचारपत्र पाठकों की जिंदगी को प्रतिबिंबित करते हैं और उन ख़बरों को महत्व देते हैं जो आम-आदमी की जिंदगी में रोजाना प्रभाव डालती है, चाहे वह पीपल न्यूज़ हो या समुदाय में होने वाली कोई घटना या ईवेंट्स

3 मार्च तक न्यूज चैनल नहीं दिखा पाएंगे एग्जिट पोल-ओपिनयन पोल

चुनाव आयोग ने उत्तर प्रदेश, गोवा, पंजाब, उत्तराखंड और मणिपुर में विधानसभा चुनाव संपन्न होने तक एक्जिट पोल पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है जो तीन मार्च तक प्रभावी रहेगा।आयोग ने मंगलवार को जारी एक अधिसूचना में इलेक्ट्रानिक मीडिया पर किसी प्रकार के ओपिनयन पोल पर भी रोक लगा दी है। जन प्रतिनिधित्व कानून 1951 की धारा 126 के तहत यह प्रतिबंध मतदान समाप्त होने के 48 घंटे पहले से प्रभावी होगा

संडे इंडियन खोज रहा है स्टेट ऑफ द स्टेट्स

सुशासन और विकास के विभिन्न महत्वपूर्ण मानकों के आधार पर एनडीए शासित राज्यों ने उन राज्यों से बेहतर प्रदर्शन किया है जहां कांग्रेस की सरकारें हैं. देश के सभी प्रमुख सूबों का सूरते हाल जानने के लिए किए गए द संडे इंडियन- अबैकस मार्केट रिसर्च के जनमत सर्वेक्षण (स्टेट ऑफ द स्टे्टस ) में यह नतीजा सामने आया है

देहरादून हिंदुस्तान के नये संपादक गिरीश गुरनानी बने, कई संस्थानों में फेरबदल

हाल ही में अमर उजाला, हिमाचल के प्रभारी संपादक पद से इस्‍तीफा देने वाले गिरीश गुरनानी ने हिंदुस्‍तान ज्‍वाइन कर लिया है। हिंदुस्तान में गिरीश गुरनानी को देहरादून एडिशन की संपादकीय जिम्मेदारी सौंपी गई है। अब वो संपादक की भूमिका निभायेंगे। वहीं देहरादून के संपादक दिनेश पाठक को हिंदुस्‍तान, कानपुर का संपादक बनाकर भेज दिया गया है। कानपुर में संपादक की भूमिका निभा रहे विश्‍वेशर कुमार को भागलपुर भेजा जा रहा है

बनारस और गोरखपुर से लॉन्च हुआ 'जनसंदेश टाइम्स', नोएडा की तैयारी

उत्तर प्रदेश में इन दिनों चुनावों का दौर हैं ऐसे समय में, 'जनसंदेश टाइम्स' प्रबंधन अखबार का विस्तार कर रहा है। इसी क्रम में, 5 और 6 फरवरी को बनारस और गोरखपुर एडिशन लॉन्च किया गया। 20 पेज का यह अख़बार लोकल ख़बरों को प्रमुखता से प्रकाशित कर रहा हैं। गोरखपुर में, 'दैनिक जागरण' में काफी समय तक काम कर चुके शैलेन्द्र मणि त्रिपाठी और बनारस में 'अमर उजाला' में रहे आशीष बागची इसे हेड कर रहे हैं

संस्कृत अखबार, 'इंडियन नेचर' हुआ शुरू

संस्कृत भाषा को बढ़ावा देने के मकसद से दिल्ली से संस्कृत अखबार, 'इंडियन नेचर' की शुरुआत की गई है। इस अखबार को शुरू करने के बारे में अखबार के संपादक, विनय कुमार झा ने समाचार4मीडिया को बताया, "मुझे इस अखबार को शुरू करने का आइडिया उर्दू अखबारों से आया। मैंने सोचा कि जब उर्दू के पाठक कम होते हुए भी मीडिया इंडस्ट्री में उर्दू अखबार अच्छा प्रदर्शन कर रहे हैं और वो उर्दू ज़बान को बचाने में कामयाब हो रहे हैं। तो क्यों ना संस्कृत भाषा में भी एक अखबार की शुरुआत की जाये

हरिभूमि का भोपाल एडिशन जुलाई में, अगला पड़ाव ग्वालियर

राष्ट्रीय हिंदी दैनिक हरिभूमि मध्यप्रदेश में अपने विस्तार की योजना बना रहा है। ग्रुप अपना भोपाल एडिशन जुलाई में शुरू करने जा रहा है। एमपी में अखबार का यह दूसरा एडिशन है। इससे पहले जबलुपर एडिशन साल 2008 में शुरू किया गया था। भोपाल एडिशन के लिए तैयारी जोर-शोर से की जा रही है। इसके लिए टीम का गठन की प्रक्रिया भी चल रही है। इस बारे मे ग्रुप के मैनेजिंग एडिटर डॉ. हिमांशु द्विवेदी ने बताया कि हम लोग इसे जुलाई में लॉन्च कर देंगे। और इसी साल हम लोग दो और एडिशन मध्यप्रदेश में ग्वालियर और छत्तीसगढ़ में रायगढ़ एडिशन शुरू करेंगे

वीरेंद्र मिश्रा का वीकली शो नमस्ते इंडिया आस्था चैनल पर

लंबे अर्से के बाद फिर से टेलीविजन पर सांस्कृतिक मैगजीन लौट रही है। आपको शायद सुरभि की याद होगी जिसे सिद्धार्थ काक और रेणुका शहाणे दूरदर्शन पर लेकर आते थे। उस दौर को वापस लेकर आ रहे है वरिष्ठ पत्रकार वीरेंद्र मिश्र और इस साप्ताहिक सांस्कृतिक मैगजीन का नाम है नमस्ते इंडिया। आस्था चैनल इस कार्यक्रम का प्रसारण प्रत्येक रविवार रात नौ बजे होगा। वीरेंद्र हाल के दिनों तक दूरदर्शन के साथ जुड़े हुए थे. दूरदर्शन में भी वीरेंद्र इसी तरह को इंडिया एडवांटेज नाम से कर रहे थे

नक्षत्र न्यूज से एडिटर-इन-चीफ गुंजन सिंहा का इस्तीफा, कई संस्थानों में फेरबदल

हिंदी बेल्ट मेँ अपने विस्तार करने की तैयारी में नक्षत्र न्यूज के एडिटर-इन-चीफ गुंजन सिन्हा ने संस्थान से इस्तीफा दे दिया है। सूत्रों की माने तो गुंजन सिन्हा दोबारा से न्यूज11 के साथ जुड़ने जा रहे हैं। इससे पहले भी वे न्यूज 11 में चैनल हेड की भूमिका निभा चुके हैं। न्यूज11 में हरिनारायण सिंह के चैनल हेड के पद से इस्तीफा देने के बाद खाली पड़ा हुआ है। जिनके स्थान पर गुंजन सिन्हा की नियुक्ति की जा रही है। नक्षत्र न्यूज से पहले वे आर्यन टीवी के हेड रह चुके हैं

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Fwd: [initiative-india] Lokshakti Abhiyan Update from Maharashtra

2012-02-12T07:11:00.003-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Lokshakti Abhiyan Update from Maharashtra
To: napm-india@lists.riseup.net

Lokshakti Abhiyan Updates from Maharashtra

Brahmapuri, Chandrapur Dist. February 12 : LokShakti Abhiyan entered its 7^th day today and arrived in Brahmapuri in Chandrapur district, Nagpur. The team has been growing as we moved along starting from Mumbai on February 6. Om Vathiji, Ved Vathiji, Raj Singhji from Kanjhawala village in Delhi who have been fighting for land rights over their farm for over 4 years now, Roshanala Agarwal from Chattisgarh, Nagesh Tripathy from Unnao, Vijay Balvi, Mansaram Kaka and Ratan Bhai from Narmada Bachao Andolan, Gyaneshwar Shedge and Prasad Bhagwe from the anti Lavasa struggle in Pune, Madhuri Shivakar from Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan in Mumbai, Vaibhav from Goa, Suniti SR and Suhas Kolehkar from Pune, Sawantji and Mahesh from Yusuf Meherally Centre in Panvel, Dr Sunilam, Adv Aradhana Bhargava, Rakesh, Patel ji and many more from anti Adani Power Plant Struggle in Chindawara and Seela, Madhuresh, Ashu, Anjali and Gee Ameena are now all part of Lok Shakti Abhiyan team. In Nagpur Bilas Bhongade, convener of Gosi Khurd Prakalpgrast Sangharsh Samiti and Nishant Mate of National Forest People and Forest Workers joined the Abhiyan.

At Brhamapuri Bhumi Haqq Andolan hosted a Bhumi Haqq Parishad which was coordinated by Suhdakar Mahadore and many others from the Gadchiroli region joined in too. The Parishad discussed the problems arising out of the construction of the Ghosi Khurd dam, approved as early as 1982 and subsequent displacement by the construction of canals in the area. The dam and the have been constructed at a cost of around 500 crores. Among the farmers who have been given compensation, only 10% of the total market value of the land has been given. There is a sizeable number of farmers who are yet to receive compensation after the forceful acquisition of their land. Bhumi haqq parishad also demand -

The proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. There is a huge population of Gond adivasis, nomadic tribals and OBCs who are struggling for Forest Rights Act to be implemented.
Pattas/land titles have not been given to the community of farmers. The lack of documentation of their rights over their land has made it difficult for the farmers to claim their rights with the government. The three generation proof for most of the traditional forest dwellers is not allowing them their rights.
Compensation to be given to the rest of the farmers who are yet to receive compensation from the government. The difference in market value of the compensation already given to be paid.

After the Parishad Abhiyan team went to Pavani taluk in Bhandara district where the main issue is over the waste disposal of Nagpur being directed into The Vain Ganga river, affecting their livelihoods and the quality of their lives in the region. Medha Patkar and team spoke about the struggles that they have fought for and given solidarity to and pledged support to the farmers, adivasis and other communities fighting for their land rights in these areas.

Aurangabad, February 11 : Lokshakti Abhiyan arrived in Aurangabad on February 11 from Pune. In morning the team went to Bidkin village in Aurangabad to talk to farmers about land rights and land acquisition and to understand their struggle in Bidkin. Farmers in Bidkin village are affected by the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor is a mega infra-structure project of USD 90 billion with the financial & technical aids from Japan, covering an overall length of 1483 KMs between Delhi and Mumbai. The Government of India has announced establishing of the Multi-modal High Axle Load Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Delhi and Mumbai, covering an overall length of 1483 km and passing through the six States - U.P, NCR of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with end terminals at Dadri in the National Capital Region of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai. This corridor will be equipped with an array of infrastructure facilities such as power facilities, rail connectivity to ports en route etc. Approximately 180 million people, 14 percent of the population, will be affected by the corridor's development. As with any other mega development projects that we have seen the government approve and implement, there are serious issues of displacement with this DMIC project.

The project incorporates Nine Mega Industrial zones of about 200-250 sq. km., high speed freight line, three ports, and six air ports; a six-lane intersection-free expressway connecting the country's political and financial capitals and a 4000 MW power plant. Several industrial estates and clusters, industrial hubs, with top-of-the-line infrastructure would be developed along this corridor to attract more foreign investment. Funds for the projects would come from the Indian government, Japanese loans, and investment by Japanese firms and through Japan depository receipts issued by the Indian companies. It is estimated that implementation of DMIC Project requires an investment of US$90Billion for developing projects that can be implemented through Public Private Partnership (PPP) and for projects that need to be developed through budgetary resources.

Development projects such as these displace farmers, adivasis and other working class communities without providing any rehabilitation packages that are even close to being fair. Rehabilitation as a concept itself is flawed when talking about communities like adivasis and farmers ,dependant on natural resources and having a long standing relationship of dependence on their environmental habitats. The farmers in Bidkin spoke about how they are affected by the DMIC project and Medha Patkar spoke about the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the need to stand together and put up strong resistance to such detrimental "developmental" plans. Whose development is at stake here? Who are the players in such deals who reap profits and whose voices are silenced by force?

Abhiyan joined the public meeting at 3 pm at Gandhi Bhavan attended by over 500 local people and supporters where we spoke specifically about the DMIC project and also other struggles over land rights happening in other parts of the country.

Pune, February 10 : On 5^th day we arrive early morning in Pune from Goa. The Lokshakti Abhiyan team went to Sinchan Bhavan, to meet officials from the Krishna Kore development authority and engineers. The main issue discussed was the Lavasa Hill City developed by Lavasa Corporation Limited and the Special Planning Authority given to the company by the government. The Lavasa Corporation Limited has shown on official documents that the work for Hotel Fortune was started in 2004 and completed in 2008. The Lavasa Corporation was given SPA status in June 2008, and the Hotel building was approved in the same year. The work of the Hotel was however completed within one month of the approval date for the project!

There are also other issues like illegal construction work being carried on in other buildings like the Country Club, Convention Centre , Portfino Apartments, Retail and Hostel. It is clear in this case that the post facto approval was given by the government illegally. Lavasa Corporation has also included 1236 ha of disputed MKDVC land. Wrong figures in building sections to fit permissible heights for such buildings specified by hill station by laws are also a serious offense. To get larger frontage of water body to the buildings under Lavasa's construction, they have also reclaimed land under dam. This has affected the capacity of the dam. The demands of the team who went to meet the Collector also later with community people and other supporters and activists are -

Special Planning Authority should not be given to any private company
All approvals given to Lavasa Corporation Limited be treated and declared as null and void.
Strict disciplinary action should be taken against Lavasa Corporation Ltd so that it acts as a detriment to any future such deals being made between the government and private companies.

The day ended with a public function at SM Joshi Memorial Hall at 4 p.m in which local activists, Lokshakti Abhiyan team and supporters participated.

For Abhiyan

Suhas Kolhekar, Suniti S R, Prasad Bagwe, Nagesh Tripathy, Seela Manswinee , Gee Ameena Suleiman, Madhuresh Kumar

Contact for details : 9212587159 | 9818905316

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National Alliance of People's Movements
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Fwd: [initiative-india] Lokshakti Abhiyan Update from Maharashtra