Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
05 December 2012

Wax Work: Traditional Indian Ear Cleaners

 Who charge 25p to scrape out dirt and gunk with a needle

Wincing in pain, these Indian men are allowing a stranger to clean their ears in the street - with a steel needle and cotton wool.

Muhammad Abbas, 38, has made a living from cleaning peoples lug holes ever since his father taught him the trade.

His only tools are a sharp steel needle, a wad of cotton and a pair of pincers to remove any loose wax - all of which he stores in his hat as he roams Old Delhi's streets for custom.
Waxing lyrical: An Indian man forces a smile as his ears are given a thorough cleaning using a needle and cotton wool on the streets of Delhi Waxing lyrical: An Indian man forces a smile as his ears are given a thorough cleaning using a needle and cotton wool on the streets of Delhi
Tricks of the trade: The professional ear cleaners wrap the steel needle in cotton wool before sliding it into the customers ear Tricks of the trade: The cleaners wrap the steel needle in cotton wool before sliding it into the customer's ear canal
But he now claims the profession is a dying business, as younger generations opt to use ear buds instead.

He said: 'I was taught by my father, who in turn learnt it from his grandfather. Our family has been cleaning ears since the Mughal times.
'I clean 20-30 pairs of ears a day, but most of them are old customers. I rarely get younger people to clean their ears. They prefer to use ear buds.'
Delving in: Ear cleaner Mohammed Abbas, 38, tackles the dirty lobes of Rasheed Quereshi on the steps of Delhi's biggest mosque Jamia Masjid Delving in: Ear cleaner Mohammed Abbas, 38, tackles the dirty lobes of Rasheed Quereshi on the steps of Delhi's biggest mosque Jamia Masjid Pinpoint accuracy: Armed only with a steel needle, a wad of cotton and a pair of pincers, the ear cleaners roam the streets looking for customers Pinpoint accuracy: Armed only with a steel needle, a wad of cotton and a pair of pincers, the ear cleaners roam the streets looking for customers Dying trade: Partly due to the measly pay and also because of rising health consciousness among Indians, ear cleaners might soon be consigned to history the books Dying trade: Partly due to the measly pay and also because of rising health consciousness among Indians, ear cleaners might soon be consigned to history the books Popular: Nauseating as it might seem, millions of Indians swear by unlicensed practitioners Popular: Unhygienic as it might seem, millions of Indians swear by unlicensed practitioners
Mohhamed Abbas, 38, one of Delhi's notorious street ear cleaners
Sadanand, 35, cleans the ears of Sunil at Connaught Place in Delhi, India


Masters: Sadanand, 35, cleans the ears of Sunil at Delhi's Connaught Place (left) while Mohhamed Abbas, 38, (right) said his family has been cleaning ears since the Mughal times Muhammad earns anywhere between 20-50 rupees (25p to 60p) for cleaning one ear. The same procedure at a specialist ear clinic in the UK would set you back as much as £70.
The professional ear cleaners wrap the steel needle in cotton wool before sliding it into the customers ear.
After soaking up the wax, they then slowly remove the needle - before using the pincers to pick out any stray wax or cotton.
Probe a lobe: After soaking up the wax, they then slowly remove the needle - before using the pincers to pick out any stray wax or cotton Probe a lobe: After soaking up the wax, they then slowly remove the needle - before using the pincers to pick out any stray wax or cotton Despite the apparent dangers, most of Muhammad's customers are not worried about injury or infection Despite the apparent dangers, most of Muhammad's customers are not worried about injury or infection But despite the apparent dangers, most of Muhammad's customers are not worried about injury or infection.
Muhammad Aslam Qureshi, a customer who has been getting his ears cleaned for 17 years, said: 'I always get my years cleaned. Its very relaxing and it feels great. I have never had any problems with my ears any time.'
Another ear cleaner Sadanand, 35, who caters for upmarket customers in Connaught Place, New Delhi, claims business has been going down hill in recent years.
'When I started 20 years ago, I would clean up to 50 pairs of ears in a day. But, now I am lucky if I can convince even 20 people to get their ears cleaned.'
Cleaning ears is not a lucrative business, ear cleaners earn anything between 20 to 50 rupees - 25p to 60p - per ear Cleaning ears is not a lucrative business, ear cleaners earn anything between 20 to 50 rupees - 25p to 60p - per ear
Tools of the trade: Sadanand with his rudimentary equipment - a sharp steel needle wrapped with cotton wool and a pair of pincers to remove any loose wax Tools of the trade: Sadanand with his rudimentary equipment - a sharp steel needle wrapped with cotton wool and a pair of pincers to remove any loose wax
21 November 2012

Ajmal Kasab hanged at Yerwada Jail at 7:30 am

Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted for his role in the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, was hanged till death at 7.30 am in Pune's Yerwada Jail on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil  has confirmed the execution.

After nearly a four-year-long legal battle, on August 29, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death penalty awarded to the LeT operative by the trial court and later upheld by the Bombay high court.

Upholding Kasab's conviction, the apex court had said that he killed without "the slightest twinge of conscience".

The Centre had rejected Kasab's mercy petition on October 23.
13 November 2012

Beautiful Images Of The Hindu Festival Diwali

Around the world, people get ready to celebrate the five-day festival with costumes, flowers, and lots of lights. posted

Diwali, which begins November 13, is celebrated throughout India and around the world. Traditions include lighting lamps, candles, and fireworks and decorating with flowers and lanterns. Diwali celebrations often honor Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. Here, a young girl is dressed like her for a Diwali parade in Paramaribo, Suriname, November 10.

Paper lanterns for sale in Mumbai, November 12.
Image by Vivek Prakash / Reuters

Also for sale are electric lights.
Image by Vivek Prakash / Reuters

A young girl lights candles in Allahabad, India, November 12.
Image by Jitendra Prakash / Reuters

A girl lights lamps in the shape of the god Ganesh in Chandigarh, India, November 12.
Image by Ajay Verma / Reuters

Here's the whole thing.
Image by Ajay Verma / Reuters

A potter making such lamps in New Delhi, November 9.
Image by Altaf Qadri / AP

A woman decorating Diwali lamps in Jammu, November 5.
Image by Mukesh Gupta / Reuters

A flower market, Kolkata, India, November 12.
Image by Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters

A flower vendor, Allahabad, November 11.
08 November 2012

India, Bangla Near Historic Agreement On Teesta Water

By Zia Haq

New Delhi, Nov 8 : India and Bangladesh could soon break a politically significant logjam to sign an interim Teesta water-sharing pact following talks between water resources minister Harish Rawat and visiting Bangladesh agriculture minister Begum Matia Chowdhury. An earlier attempt to resolve a deadlock
over how to share the waters of Teesta, which flow from India’s West Bengal into Bangladesh, had been opposed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Rawat told the Bangladesh minister that India would sign a provisional treaty till a permanent settlement is found, sources said. Bangladesh wants greater access to Teesta waters, citing a fair-use policy but that may require India to use less.

The Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric Project in the Northeast has long fuelled concerns of the neighbouring country that it could impact on Bangladeshi agriculture because it would control water flow from India’s Barak river. India sought to allay fears of Dhaka, holding that there’s no evidence that the dam would hurt farming there.

India is ready to offer commercial power or related benefits from the project, which could be a deal-maker, sources said. In a sign of progress, Dhaka sought Indian help in building a slew of irrigation infrastructure projects. “Indian irrigation experts will visit Bangladesh after the request is formally put in motion,” an official said.
30 October 2012

India Chokes NGOs Dependent on Western Charity

By John Dayal

After trying to bludgeon the Catholic church in Tamil Nadu into submission and withdrawing its support to the protest against the Russian-aided nuclear power plant in Koodankulam, the Indian government now seems bent upon choking civil society voices seen as challenging it on issues such as torture, religious freedom, and the life and death powers the military exercises over citizens in the country’s north eastern states.

The weapon of choice is the threat to cancel licenses under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act that allows non-government organization, especially religious groups of all faiths, and Human Rights advocacy activists, to carry on their work with foreign financial help in an impoverished country where corporate and individual philanthropy is virtually unknown.

While a large number of Hindu God men and women are also major recipients of donations from international charities, including church agencies in Europe and the United States, Indian Catholic and Protestant groups, with slim local resources, are to a large extent dependent on foreign funds to carry on their charitable and development work among India’s poor and marginalized communities. The Christian institutions working in education and health sectors among the Tribals and the Dalits, once branded, as untouchables in the iron Caste system, are particularly vulnerable. As it is, the meltdown in the west has severely impacted on their work.

After arbitrarily cancelling as many as 4,300 FCRA permits – on specious arguments that their addresses could not be verified -- the Union government is now issuing orders virtually banning some European and US funding agencies from the country. Indian groups have been told they need to take prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which also controls the intelligence agencies and some central police forces, before they can submit their projects to funding agencies named in the government’s prohibitory list.

Prime among them is Cordaid, a Dutch Catholic charity that is accused of having given funds to some Indian NGOs who are working for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that is responsible for many human rights abuses in Kashmir valley and the North Eastern States. The Reserve Bank of India has circulated an order to all banks in India that they have to inform it if they notice any transfer of funds from Cordaid to local NGOs. Cordaid is also held responsible for partly funding the India Against Corruption trust headed by social activist Anna Hazare and his erstwhile colleague Arvind Kejriwal whose newly formed political party is challenging the ruling Congress and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

Authoritative sources in the government say several other European charities, specially from the Scandinavian countries, are also on the government’s radar, as are many Indian NGOs with whom they have had relationship in the past.

The NGOs affected by the government withdrawing their FCRA permits have protested, but only a few of them have had the precious license restored. In a few other cases including some high profile advocacy groups, permission has been given for them to operate their bank accounts for payment of essential services, but they cannot withdraw any money in cash.

This has, understandably, created a panic among organisations working in development and training at the grassroots. Among those who risk going bankrupt for want of funds are several groups working among victims of violence against the Christian community in Kandhamal district of Orissa state.

Mr. Sanjay Patra, a highly respected transparency expert heading the Financial Management Services Foundation, there is no reason for the government’s paranoia, as there are several other laws on the books to check any misuse of funds, or diversion of money to terrorism on insurrectionist activities. Mr. Patra is also a leading light of the Voluntary Associations Network of India [VANI], which provides an interface with the government. VANI is now engaging with the government to get the FCRA licenses restored for the NGOs that have fallen foul of the authorities. VANI is also urging the government to change provisions in the FCRA rules that make it mandatory for all NGOs to seek a renewal of their permissions every five years instead of the earlier permanent ones. Anyway, money received from foreign charities under FCRA rules can be used only in designated activities and cannot be diverted to other areas.

Of the more than two million NGOs registered in the country those registered under FCRA are 38436. Of them, 21508 Associations reported a total receipt of an amount of Rs. 10,337.59 crore [about US Dollars 195 million] as foreign contribution. Many have FCRA permits but actually do not get any funds from abroad.

The government says the NGO sector in India is vulnerable to the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, and therefore requires some form of policing of their funds and activities. But it has not been able to adduce any real evidence indicting the NGOs or linking them with terrorist or other unlawful groups other than in political rhetoric. According to government data, list of donor countries is headed by the USA (Rs. 3105.73 crore) followed by Germany (Rs. 1046.30 crore) and UK (Rs. 1038.68 crore).

The FCRA law is a reflection of India’s paranoia on what is euphemistically called the “foreign hand”, or fears that the West is intervening in Indian politics and culture. India’s right wing has accused the West of financing conversions to Christianity and supporting “Christian” insurrectionist groups in states such as Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya in the North East. No evidence has ever been adduced for this, other than political gossip and innuendo.

The law was drafted by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government in 1975 when she declared a State of Internal Emergency, all but suspended the Constitution and imposed censorship on the Media, arresting thousands of political dissidents and leaders of political parties. The government then said that Socialist leader Mr. Jaiprakash Narain, leading a movement against corruption and for democratic reforms, and several Gandhian groups supporting him were funded by western agencies and were trying to induce the Indian army to mutiny. Subsequent governments overturned many of Mrs. Gandhi’s laws, but retained the FCRA as a useful instrument to tame civil society.

Source:
16 October 2012

500000 Cyber Warriors For India? What A Stupid Idea

I was reading the Times of India 5 lakh cyber warriors to bolster India's e-defence. I just wondered. What does National Security Advisor thinks of Cyber warriors? Does numbers count or skills?

One person with enough skills can do more than thousands of these so called cyber warriors. This takes back into focus - the Indian system of education, the lack of the out of the box thinking. everything...

Its a useless effort. Build up skills is my suggestion...


Indrani Bagchi & Vishwa Mohan

Recognizing the threat of cyber attacks from a host of hostile entities — ranging from domestic saboteurs to foreign rivals — a new initiative intends to train five lakh cyber warriors in the next five years to meet a critical gap in India's defences.

NEW DELHI: Recognizing the threat of cyber attacks from a host of hostile entities — ranging from domestic saboteurs to foreign rivals — a new initiative intends to train five lakh cyber warriors in the next five years to meet a critical gap in India's defences.

A government-private sector plan will look at beefing up India's cyber security capabilities in the light of a group of experts reckoning that India faces a 4.7 lakh shortfall of such experts despite the country's reputation of being a IT and software powerhouse.

Efforts to draw a strategic plan for India, being overseen by National Security Advisor ( NSA) Shivshankar Menon, may need to be speeded up as India lags the research and planning leading western and Asian nations have already undertaken.

Cyber warfare has emerged a top threat to national security with India's systems subjected to an increasing number - and more sophisticated — cyber attacks. India faced a severe test during the 2010 Commonwealth Games when cyber attacks from Pakistan and China sought to damage information systems.

Most of the attacks India deals with originate from countries like the US, China, Russia, a few east European countries and Iran. Chinese hackers have targeted a large number of institutions, even stealing data from schools run by the armed forces.

A Canadian investigation in 2010 revealed that Chinese hackers had reached Indian missions at Kabul, Moscow, Dubai, Abuja, US, Serbia, Belgium, Germany, Cyprus, the UK and Zimbabwe. A machine at the National Security Council secretariat was tapped as were computers at military engineering services (MES).
03 October 2012

Mizos Organize Peace Festival

Bangalore, Oct 3 : It was not too long ago that hundreds of people of northeastern states headed home in the wake of threats to the community . Many of them later returned to their adopted home. But memories of the exodus loomed large over the Vangpui Kut festival organized by the Bangalore Mizo Association.

The mood, though, was one of healing. Determined to set things right, the community earnestly threw open its doors to other communities at the event organized in Baldwin Boys High School Auditorium on Tuesday.

Over 2,000 Mizos are currently based in Bangalore and most of them are students . Vangpui Kut was held to spread the message of peace, unity and friendship among all communities of Bangalore.

PC Zoran Sangliana, minister for art and culture, government of Mizoram, said India's success story is in spite of its diversities and differences of communities. He observed that the exodus has only strengthened the resolve of the people of Mizo community and Bangalore to remain united. "We will not let those vested interests to spoil our relationship with Karnataka," he said.

As a gesture of goodwill, he invited the Karnataka government to send a delegation during the Chapchar Kut organized in Mizoram in March.

Chapchar Kut is celebrated in March to herald the arrival of spring. The seven-day festival is a celebration of fecundity.

DG and IGP of police Karnataka, Lalrokhuma Pachuau, assured the gathering that the government and his department will be all prepared to prevent any recurrence of the exodus.

The evening was a melange of cultural heritage of Mizos and Kannadigas. The Bangalore Mizo band, Mizoram cultural troupes, Mizo band 'boomaranag' , Dollu Kunitha and Veeragase troupes performed during the evening.
20 September 2012

Delhi, The Melting Pot Of Flavours

Amenla - One of the joint owners of The Nagaland Kitchen in Green Park and the Nagaland stall in Dilli Haat that serves delicacies like pork curry and Naga thali.By Tanu Datta


Amenla - One of the joint owners of The Nagaland Kitchen in Green Park and the Nagaland stall in Dilli Haat that serves delicacies like pork curry and Naga thali.

If one wants to savour the varied flavours of the Indian palate, then the obvious way is to take a tour of the country. But, if one is short on time, then just come to Delhi. Here, one can sample the classic dishes of each region, without having to travel every nook and corner of the country and blowing up a hole in the pocket.

What’s more? Such dishes are prepared by none other than people who are natives of these states. Rabi Sen, who calls himself a refugee from Bangladesh, serves up eclectic Bengali snacks at the most nominal prices at his Chittaranjan Park shop. As the sun sets, one can see visitors thronging in couples, groups and loners for a hog. Sen along with his wife Shobha manages the shop. Shobha contributes in overseeing that the recipes are true to Bengali tastes. “We have a lot of Bengali refugees staying nearby who love to eat at our shop. Food enthusiasts come here as CR Park market no. 1 is where you get all sorts of Bengali delicacies under one roof,” Shobha explains. As you walk out of the shop and go about, you find the Puchka vendor (selling the Bengali version of Golgappas), roam around a little more and you bump into a Ghugnee vendor called Shyamal, who sells the Bengali version of dried yellow peas curry spiced up in true Kolkata style. There are at least two Jhal Muri (Bengali version of Bhel Puri made with puffed rice, mustard oil, onions etc) vendors in market no. 1. There is also a shack selling all kinds of Bengali condiments from the quintessential Kasundi to prawn crackers to Badis and almost everything one can imagine.

Maharashtrian snacks are apparently very popular in Delhi and quite easily available. Deepak Wadhwa’s father came from erstwhile Bombay and presented Bhel Puri to Delhi’s tastebuds when he set shop at South Extension I in 1973. He still remains a hot-seller after all these years. His success can be recorded in his own words, “We sell Bhel Puri and Sev Puri. We also added Jhal Muri to the menu as there was a demand for it. The recipe of Bhel and Sev Puri is from Bombay and we learnt Jhal Muri from a Bengali guy,” says Wadhwa.

A slow but steady demand has increased the presence of Kashmiri food outlets in Delhi. The newest kid on the block is Kashmiri Kitchen near Ghitorni metro station. Owner Pearl Khan doles out “Lahradar kababs, Kokur Yakhni, Mutton Yakhni, Veth Chaman, Mutton Pulao besides the more famous Kashmiri delicacies. The spices are sourced from the state too for true authentic flavour.” Khan says, “Delhi becomes home to people from all states who come and settle here. We have Bengalis coming to Kashmiri Kitchen and liking our food as Kasmiris and Bengalis share a likeness for mutton. We also suit the palate of foreigners very well as we make mildly spicy food which they love.”

Move over to Dilli Haat opposite INA market and you don’t need to trod any further. You will find cuisines of many states here including Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and more. The little known cuisine of Uttarakhand is being made famous at Uttarakhand stall. “Chausa rice, Jhangoora ki Kheer (made from a special variety of rice), Til ki Chutney are a few of the many Uttarakhand delicacies we serve here,” says owner of the stall A S Rana. He has also been allotted the Dilli ki Dawat stall at Dilli Haat which rounds up many regional delicacies all of Delhi has to offer. “I thought Delhi is a melting pot of cultures and this is a good place to showcase all of them under one roof. So I have momos and Thukpa from the North-east, Tandoori specialities of Punjab, Chole Kulche of Delhi, Biryani of Hyderabad, Lemon rice of South India and a Sattu drink of Bihar.”

The Nagaland Kitchen in Green Park is owned by Chubamanen Longkumer and his sisters. They churn out smoked pork curry, Naga thali and other authentic Naga dishes. They also run a successful stall at Dilli Haat serving the same cuisine. Shiv, the manager at Nagaland stall at Dilli Haat, says, “People love the Pork ribs and Pork Thali. We have people from Nagaland, Delhi and even foreigners coming here to eat.”

Delhi indeed is the place where spices from all parts of the country come together to create an Indian blend.
14 September 2012

Family Budgets Go Into Tailspin: Diesel Price Hike Of Rs 5.62 A Litre

The Manmohan Singh government has finally bitten the bullet. It has increased the price of diesel by Rs 5.62 per litre and capped the number of subsidised LPG cylinders for each family to six a year, in a move aimed at cutting the losses of oil companies and reducing the subsidy burden on its shoulders.
The price of diesel in Delhi has increased to Rs 46.95 per litre from Rs 41.32 a litre.

However, branded diesel such as Xtra Mile will be sold at the market price, which could be around Rs 15 more than normal diesel and, in fact, quite close to the price of petrol.

New diesel price - Rs 46.95 per litre. Old diesel price - Rs 41.32 per litre
New diesel price - Rs 46.95 per litre. Old diesel price - Rs 41.32 per litre
The number of subsidised LPG cylinders available to each domestic household till March next year (end of current financial year) will be three cylinders.

While subsidised LPG will continue to be available at Rs 399 per cylinder in Delhi, the market rate of LPG cylinders at non-subsidised rates will be notified by the oil marketing companies on a monthly basis.

For a household it means more pain as it will grapple with a price spike across the daily purchase vector. For a family using diesel cars and gas cylinders, the cost of living has escalated all of a sudden.

But from an economic standpoint, the decision was imperative as oil marketing companies were bleeding profusely. Indian Oil registered a net loss of Rs 22,451 crore in the first quarter of this financial year. Similarly, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum piled up a loss of Rs 8,840 crore and Rs 9,250 crore respectively.

The daily loss on subsidised fuel for the oil marketing companies is a scary Rs 560 crore. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum claim that they are currently losing Rs 347 on each LPG cylinder sold to households.

Going by this estimate, the current market price of an LPG cylinder in Delhi would work out to Rs 746. The government had decided not to increase the price of petrol although the current underrecovery on petrol is about Rs 6 per litre.

The consequent loss to the oil companies will be offset through a reduction in excise duty on petrol by Rs 5.3 per litre. The difference in the price of petrol and diesel will now come down from around Rs 27 a litre to around Rs 21 per litre.

Oh dear!
This differential was being exploited by those driving expensive diesel cars, leading to the increasing dieselisation of the economy. Over the last one year, the passenger car market has seen an upheaval with diesel cars accounting for 50 per cent of the market.

According to the official statement, the price of diesel has been increased by Rs 5 per litre, excluding VAT which is charged by the state governments.

Out of Rs5, as much as Rs 1.5 per litre is on account of an increase in excise duty. The balance increase of Rs 3.5 per litre will reduce the under-recovery of oil marketing companies by about Rs 15,000 crore for the remaining part of the current financial year.

The under-recovery on the sale of diesel during 2012-13, even after this price hike, is estimated to be above Rs 1,03,000 crore.

The restriction in the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to each consumer will help in reducing the under-recovery of the oil companies by about Rs 5,300 crore for the remaining part of the financial year.

Q1 losses
The under-recovery on sale of domestic LPG during 2012-13, even after this measure, is estimated to be above Rs 32,000 crore. Any number of cylinders will be available over and above the cap of six cylinders at market rate.

The decision, though inevitable, has exposed the UPA to the tirade of the Opposition and allies alike. Most Congress leaders have gone underground to avoid media queries.

A senior party leader declined to comment saying 'we do not have the details' while some others switched off their mobile phones. Trinamool Congress (TMC) has demanded an immediate roll back.
'We are unhappy and astonished that in spite of the formation of the UPA coordination committee after a long time, such a decision was taken without consulting us,' said West Bengal chief minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee.

She said she is ready to withdraw support to the UPA government but that would not serve the purpose.

'If people do not mind, I will be most happy to withdraw support (to the UPA). If I withdraw support then other parties will provide support to them. And, then ask why we left the UPA which led to its collapse. People had misunderstood us when we had withdrawn support earlier.

Therefore, we are having a detailed discussion in the party on these issues,' she said. DMK leader T.R. Baalu also said 'we will oppose the hike'.

Describing the hike in diesel prices as a cruel joke and a mortal blow to the common man and farmers, the BJP accused the government of conspiring with petrol 'mafia' and said it will take to the streets to oppose the hike.

Senior leader Yashwant Sinha said the hike will have a cascading effect on prices and will contribute further to inflation. 'Steep increase in diesel price is going to hit the common man, farmers and labourers.

The Congress has sprayed diesel in coal fire,' said party general secretary Ananth Kumar. CPM leader Basudeb Acharia said: 'This is an added burden on the people. We had suggested reduction in the taxes on petroleum products but instead the government has increased the rates. We condemn this move.'

Decision on 49% FDI in retail and airlines expected today

by SPS PANNU
The government is finally moving to break the deadlock over big bang economic reforms. Major announcements are expected on Friday for allowing FDI in multi-brand retail of up to 49 per cent, permitting foreign airlines to acquire 49 per cent share in Indian carriers and raising the FDI ceiling in direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting and cable service infrastructure to 74 per cent.

On what is scheduled to be an actionpacked day, the cabinet committee on economic affairs is likely to clear a proposal for the disinvestment of five major public sector companies as well.

These include blue-chip aluminum major Nalco, Oil India Ltd, Hindustan Copper, Neyveli Lignite and NMDC.

The finance ministry expects to rake in Rs 10,000 crore through the sale of shares of these companies to help it contain the runaway fiscal.

The government was forced to put the cabinet decision allowing foreign investors to own 51 per cent in Indian supermarkets on hold following protests from its allies.

To appease them, a notification is now expected to be issued permitting 49 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

The government has veered around to the view that states which are keen on going ahead with the decision should be allowed to do so. Several Congress-ruled states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, have already written to the Union government expressing willingness to implement the decision.

The department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) has proposed that the FDI limit in broadcast carriage services providers, including DTH, Head-end in the Sky (HITS) and cable TV, must be uniform.

HITS is a satellite multiplex service that provides TV channels for cable operations. At present, 49 per cent FDI is allowed in cable TV and DTH, while it is 74 per cent in HITS. These will now be brought to the same level.
12 September 2012

Drug Trafficking: 'Money Funds Terror Acts in India'

By Abhishek Bhalla

A nexus among Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Maoists and insurgent groups of North-East is using money earned from drug trafficking to fund terror activities in India, official sources have said.

Major drug seizures on the India-Nepal border in the past four months have put a spotlight on this revenue generation strategy adopted by terror groups.

Intelligence sources say that the ISI, Maoists and north-eastern groups are hand in glove. In the last four months, Custom officials have seized more than 10 kg of heroin worth `60 crore in international market from the India- Nepal border in Bihar's Araria district.
Indian Maoists watch as villagers dance in a forested area of Bijapur District in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh
Indian Maoists watch as villagers dance in a forested area of Bijapur District in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh
Apart from this, 1,000 kg of marijuana and four kg of charas were also seized in the same area. 'The amount of seizure made in the last four months from the Indo-Nepal border drastically exceeds the seizure made in years from across the country.

In the past, not more than three-four kg of heroin was recovered during the entire year,' said a Custom official, who is a part of the team probing the seizures.

While only two arrests have been made in the five cases, counter-terror agencies suspect that the terror nexus is behind this international drug racket.

'This is definitely the most lucrative method of generating funds... The Maoists have managed to procure hi-tech weapons from the US and China.

Where is the money coming from?' an intelligence official said . The information about the big seizures has been shared by other agencies. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Intelligence Bureau have also been roped in.

DRUG SEIZURE copy [
A detailed dossier, with all information on the drug syndicate and its links with terror outfits, is also being prepared.
The DRI has already prepared a detailed note on the ongoing probe and forwarded it to intelligence agencies. Even the National Investigation Agency (NIA) - probing the arms procurement of the Maoists - is looking into the financial aspect.

Sources say the entire machinery is well-organised. The procurement is being done by the ISI, while the stocking and distribution are done by the Maoists and N-E insurgents.

Many smugglers are former Maoists who facilitate the drug trade. The drugs being procured are from two blocks - the golden triangle: Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq; and the golden crescent: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

What has shocked agencies is that unlike in the past, drugs are also being used in India.

'Traditionally India was only a transit route, but now the demand for various drugs is increasing within the country,' said an official from the Narcotics Control Bureau.
01 September 2012

India's Womb Services

Our 'rent a womb' child from an Indian baby farm: British couple paying £20,000 for a desperately poor single mother to have their child

  • Housewife Octavia Orchard describes the agreement as 'a business transaction'
  • The Indian woman will live in a house with other surrogates, has children of her own, but no husband
  • 'Her function is to sustain the foetus we have created,' says Mrs Orchard
  • Of the £20,000, the Indian woman will earn between £3,000 - £6,000
  • Around 2,000 births to surrogates took place last year
By Helen Roberts and Frances Hardy

Strictly business: Octavia and Dominic Orchard have paid for an Indian woman to be their surrogate
Strictly business: Octavia and Dominic Orchard have paid for an Indian woman to be their surrogate
A couple tell today how they are expecting a child by a surrogate mother from an Indian ‘baby factory’.
Octavia and Dominic Orchard travelled to the Hyderabad clinic to get around a UK ban on commercial surrogacy. Their baby – due at the end of the year – will be theirs biologically while being born to an impoverished Indian ‘renting out’ her womb.
Mrs Orchard, a middle-class Oxfordshire housewife, admitted the £20,000 deal sounded ‘cold and clinical’ but insisted: ‘This is a business transaction.’
Describing the surrogate mother as ‘just a vessel’, the 34-year-old former estate agent added: ‘There is no altruism involved on the surrogate’s part: she is being paid to have our baby’.
At A clinic in Hyderabad, southern India, a surrogate mother is carrying Octavia and Dominic Orchard’s second child. The couple, who are as English as their bucolic-sounding name, know only the sparest of details about the woman who is pregnant with their baby.
They know she is 31 and has children of her own. They know her name, and that for reasons not explained — perhaps she has been widowed or deserted — she has no husband.
For the duration of her pregnancy she will live with other surrogates, away from her home and family, in a primitive dormitory within the clinic. It goes without saying that she is desperately poor.
Other than that, their surrogate’s life is a mystery to Octavia and Dominic. They chose not to become acquainted with the woman carrying the baby created from Octavia’s egg and Dominic’s sperm.
‘Our baby has no biological connection to the surrogate,’ says Octavia.
‘Her womb is just the receptacle in which it is being carried. Perhaps it sounds cold and rather clinical, but this is a business transaction.
‘There is no altruism involved on the surrogate’s part: she is being paid to have our baby. It’s a contractual arrangement.
 
‘Her function is to sustain the foetus we have created. Her blood is pumping around its body and she is feeding it through her placenta, but she is just a vessel. The baby she gives birth to on our behalf will carry none of her genes and bear no physical resemblance to her.
‘He or she will have white skin and, in all probability, red hair like my husband.
‘Of course I want her to do her best to have a successful pregnancy, and I’ll be very upset — quite devastated, in fact — if it doesn’t go full-term. But we do not want to get emotionally involved with our surrogate’s story. I’m not interested in her background. I don’t want to be part of her life.
‘She speaks a different language. She lives in a world culturally, economically and socially so remote from ours that the distance between us is unbridgeable.
Happy family: The Orchards are looking forward to giving their son Orlando another sibling
Happy family: The Orchards are looking forward to giving their son Orlando another sibling
Happy memories: The Orchards pictured on their wedding day - they probably wouldn't have predicted the story that was to follow
Happy memories: The Orchards pictured on their wedding day - they probably wouldn't have predicted the story that was to follow
‘You could also say this is part of my defence mechanism: I don’t want to become more emotionally involved than I already am because the pain will only be intensified if it all goes wrong.’
Some will find it disquieting that the miracle of birth is being reduced to a clinical commercial transaction by a growing number of British couples.
India’s burgeoning surrogacy industry — there are about 1,000 clinics providing surrogates for ‘fertility tourists’ — has been compared to a baby factory in which children are made-to-order for affluent couples who often use donated eggs and sperm to create their baby, and an Indian donor to carry it, choosing everything from their baby’s eye colour to its height.
'I hope my surrogate does something wonderful with the payment'
Mrs Orchard 
The Orchards have not been told how much their surrogate will earn from the £20,000 cost of the treatment — clinics are loath to specify sums — but estimates range from £3,000 to £6,000.
Many will struggle to understand Octavia’s lack of curiosity about the woman who is now 27 weeks pregnant with her child, but she is content knowing that the unspecified sum her surrogate will receive for her services will be life-transforming.
‘I hope my surrogate will do something wonderful with the payment,’ says Octavia.
‘She could educate her children with it; even buy a small house. It makes me feel good that we could help that happen.’
Octavia and Dominic are among a growing number of Britons using Indian clinics to circumvent UK laws that make commercial surrogacy illegal.
'Vessels': The Indian surrogate mothers at an Indian 'baby factory'
'Vessels': The Indian surrogate mothers at an Indian 'baby factory'

Around 2,000 births to surrogates took place in India last year, and Britain supplies the largest number of clients — estimates suggest as many as half are from the UK. The fact that just 100 surrogate births were recorded in Britain last year puts the scale of the Indian operation into perspective.
While some of the couples who attend the Indian clinics are homosexual and use sperm or egg donors, many, like Octavia and Dominic, are driven by infertility to put all their hopes into these clinics in teeming, impoverished cities like Hyderabad.
However, while the vast majority of these British couples choose to remain anonymous, the Orchards have decided to speak out about their own experiences with an Indian surrogate to encourage other British couples to consider the practice.
After 16 weeks of pregnancy, Octavia's amniotic sack failed to fill after her waters broke, and the baby died in the womb 
Octavia, 34, who had a comfortable middle-class upbringing in Oxfordshire, and Dominic, 35, a successful financial management consultant, have been married for six years and have a three-year-old son, Orlando, who was conceived naturally.
‘Orlando brought us such joy. I’ve loved every second of motherhood,’ says Octavia, who now works part-time in her recruitment job so she can spend more time with her son.
The Orchards knew they wanted more than one child, and were delighted when Octavia became pregnant 18 months after their son’s birth.
But after 16 weeks, Octavia’s waters broke prematurely, with catastrophic results: the amniotic sack failed to fill again and the baby died in the womb. She then had to endure an operation to remove the foetus.
‘I felt not only bereft, but completely worthless,’ she recalls. ‘I felt I’d let Dominic down. I couldn’t save our baby, I’d failed as a woman. I’m usually buoyant and positive, but I reached a very low ebb.’
The Orchards tried again for a baby. More sorrow ensued. Last January, Octavia’s obstetrician discovered that the remains of the placenta from her previous pregnancy were still in her uterus. A further operation to remove them followed.
All change: The art of conceiving has been taken to a new level now with the Indian baby-making factory
All change: The art of conceiving has been taken to a new level now with the Indian baby-making factory
Then last October a fertility expert diagnosed Asherman’s Syndrome: the scars from Octavia’s successive operations had irreparably damaged her uterus, which had sealed up. She could no longer become pregnant.
‘I cried and cried,’ she says. ‘My confidence deserted me and though friends and family tried to tell me I had a perfect family already, I wouldn’t be consoled. I desperately wanted a sibling for Orlando and another baby for Dominic and myself.’
It was then they considered surrogacy. ‘As I could produce healthy eggs, I just needed a uterus in which our baby could grow,’ she explains. She and Dominic would provide the embryo and their surrogate would incubate it: it seemed simple.
So Dominic researched their options via the internet. He started in the UK — but was worried as the law does not recognise surrogacy as a binding agreement on either side.
‘Even when the baby is genetically related to both intended parents, and not to the surrogate — as ours would have been — there is very little we could do to make our position 100 per cent water-tight,’ she explains.
‘We’d heard stories of British surrogates refusing to hand over babies. We did not want to risk the heartbreak of that.’
Similar rules applied in Australia, while in the U.S. the cost was prohibitively expensive, at around £40,000.
They researched South Africa, and there, too, the law was obscure. But India, it seemed, had different and unequivocal rules. ‘The surrogate is paid. She does a job. You don’t have to become friends with her,’ says Octavia. ‘She carries the baby and hands it over. It’s very clear-cut.’
They chose a clinic in Hyderabad because it was cheaper than rival organisations, and because it also offered a lawyer to negotiate the convoluted bureaucracy involved in securing the baby’s British passport.
Soon after signing up, a box of medication to boost Octavia’s egg production arrived at their home, and in March — Orlando was left with his maternal grandmother — they flew to India for treatment.
Octavia knew what to expect from the subcontinent. Although she spent most of her childhood in Oxfordshire — she attended Samantha Cameron’s alma mater, St Helen & St Katharine School, Abingdon — she lived briefly in India when her father, a pilot, worked there. Dominic, too, had visited on business. Without this knowledge, they admit they would have been alarmed by the dizzying mix of abject squalor and wealth they encountered.
‘If we hadn’t been prepared for what we’d find, we would have been worried,’ concedes Octavia. ‘The clinic was basic and compact, but clean. It was three or four storeys high and the surrogates live on the upper storeys.
Tender time: Octavia and Dominic Orchard, pictured at the birth of their son Orlando
Tender time: Octavia and Dominic Orchard, pictured at the birth of their son Orlando

Growing up fast: The Orchards at Orlando's six-month Christening
Growing up fast: The Orchards at Orlando's six-month Christening

Three set to be four: The Orchards always wanted a sibling for Orlando - and now their dreams are coming true
Three set to be four: The Orchards always wanted a sibling for Orlando - and now their dreams are coming true
‘We did not want to see their quarters: by Indian standards they would have been comfortable; by ours, they would not be considered remotely homely. But we knew our surrogate would be treated well and would be given food and nutritional supplements to help the foetus develop.’
Many believe such arrangements are exploitative, and question whether it is morally right to use uneducated, impoverished women to fulfil wealthy couples’ dreams of parenthood. But Octavia insists the arrangement is mutually beneficial. For her, the quid pro quo is the financial recompense — huge by the standards of impoverished Indians —_ the surrogate will have received.
Octavia and her surrogate were treated within the clinic, but in separate areas. Around ten British couples a year currently use its facilities.
There are 90 surrogates on its books, and it has produced 218 successful deliveries in the past four years.
Octavia’s eggs were harvested and fertilised with her husband’s sperm, before being implanted in the surrogate’s womb, where one embryo is now successfully developing.
Other fertilised embryos produced by the treatment are being stored by the clinic and the Orchards may use them for a third child in the future.
Octavia and Dominic were flying home when the operation to transplant the embryo took place.
They said they weren’t even tempted to glimpse the woman who would transform their lives by carrying their second child.

Now they are back in Hong Kong, where Dominic works. They hope to return to the UK soon — to live in Wimbledon where Octavia worked at an estate agent, or their native Oxford — to raise their two children.
Money talks: Wealthy Westerners are turning to surrogate mothers, and importantly eggs from beautiful Europeans
Money talks: Wealthy Westerners are turning to surrogate mothers, and importantly eggs from beautiful Europeans
Meanwhile, all they can do is put their faith and trust in the expertise of the clinic, and fervently hope for a successful outcome to their venture. They are sent videos, photographs of their baby’s scans and details of its development.
They do not know its sex. Gender-testing is illegal in India because so many female foetuses are illicitly aborted. As the pregnancy progresses, they feel a little more relieved. But there is no euphoria: they are too wary to celebrate yet.
‘When we found out our surrogate was pregnant we couldn’t quite believe it, but as every stage is passed — the 12-week scan; the 20-week scan — we feel a little more relieved and the knot of tension in our shoulders starts to ease,’ says Octavia.
‘We thank God for our success so far, but we’re not jubilant yet. I’m itching to get the baby’s nursery organised, but I daren’t. This whole thing feels a little like an out-of-body experience. I do think about the baby but I try not to be consumed by it. To an extent I shut off.’
Orlando has been told he is to be a big brother, and is excited by the prospect. ‘He knows babies come from mummies’ tummies, but we haven’t told him any more yet,’ says Octavia. ‘At this stage he just needs to know he’s loved.
‘Eventually he’ll know mummy’s tummy was not working properly so we borrowed another lady’s tummy. My parents are writing a little book for him, setting it all out in simple language.’
Is it right? The baby-making factory in India gives a whole new meaning to the words 'surrogate mum'
Is it right? The baby-making factory in India gives a whole new meaning to the words 'surrogate mum'
When their baby is born in November, Octavia and Dominic will fly to Hyderabad. ‘We will not be at the birth. It’s a private thing as far as I’m concerned,’ she says.
‘I’m assuming that once the baby has popped out and been bathed, he or she will be handed to us. I’m sure the surrogate will see the baby, but she won’t breastfeed it or cuddle it.
‘We may briefly see our surrogate, too, and I will thank her. I’m certain she will have formed a bond with the baby — no woman who has carried a baby for nine months could fail to do so — but I do not anticipate there will be any problems handing it over. I’ve no worries. She certainly won’t want to extend her own family.
‘I know that we will treat our new baby exactly as we have Orlando. It will be born in a different country and carried in a different body, but it will be no less special, no less of a miracle. It will just have come to us via a very different route.’

27 August 2012

The ‘Kannadiga Born in Mizoram’ Feels Bangalore Trouble Was An Exception

By Y P Rajesh

New Delhi, Aug 27 : It is both an irony and reassuring when H T Sangliana, a Mizo-born, Karnataka-cadre former IPS officer, says “we Kannadigas” have always been accommodating and welcoming of outsiders, and the recent events that forced people from the Northeast to flee Bangalore are an exception. In fact, the panic could have been nipped in the bud if the Karnataka police had been more responsive, he said. He should know.

Arguably Karnataka’s most famous police officer, Sangliana is also the most well-known among people from the Northeast who made Karnataka their home. A tough officer who became a legend while in service, he has served as the Bangalore police commissioner and was tasked to nab forest brigand Veerappan. He was the theme of three Kannada hit movies — the second and third were sequels — named after him.

Stories about him and his exploits, real and apocryphal, abound. Among them is one that three non-Mizos in Karnataka legally changed their names to Sangliana, taking him as their role model. The 1967-batch IPS officer became known as a “giant killer” when he defeated Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket from Sharief’s bastion, Bangalore North.

Based in Delhi since the end of 2009 after he was appointed vice-chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, Sangliana said he was in Bangalore on August 15 on a private visit when people from the Northeast began fleeing the city. “Some trouble had started on August 12 itself,” Sangliana told The Indian Express, citing calls he got from northeastern people in the city as well as information passed on by a daughter who lives in Bangalore.

“Besides the rumours about imminent attacks, there were complaints of some Muslim boys stopping Mizo students and asking where they came from. Some others were teased or verbally threatened. One man called me up and said that some boys on a bike had shouted expletives at his wife,” Sangliana said. “Many such incidents were reported from several localities. In some places, swords and clubs were brandished, I am told.”

Many complained to the police verbally or by phone but local officers did not take them seriously, Sangliana said. “Even entries were not made in the station house diary saying there is no evidence,” he claimed. “It seems the police could not gauge the seriousness of the situation. If they had verified these complaints and taken some proactive steps, thousands from the Northeast could have been saved all the hardship.”

While some of the blame should rest with the inexperience of Karnataka’s political leadership, much of it is due to the lack of alacrity of the police, Sangliana said, even though the acting chief of Karnataka police, Lalrokhuma Pachau, is a fellow Mizo, 10 years junior and a good friend.

The episode though, Sangliana adds, has not shaken his faith in what he says is the “friendly and easily accepting” nature of Kannadigas even as he joins the national discourse and admits ignorance about people from the Northeast is widespread and they continue to be branded variously.

“When I joined and came to Karnataka in 1968, people thought I was Chinese,” he said. “When I went to villages in South Canara as a probationary officer, children would make fun of me by calling me ‘chi chi’ or ‘chu chu’. But I was confident they would grow up to understand that I am an Indian and a Kannadiga.”

Sangliana, 69, has spent 31 years in Karnataka — he retired as DGP (Prisons) in 2003 — and his four daughters were raised in the state, studying Kannada in school and learning Kannada songs from his orderlies. “They all speak Kannada. This sense of belonging has to be there, a sense of ownership,” he says, referring to the need for people from outside to integrate into the local culture.

He says he will return to Bangalore after his NCM term ends in December and is willing to return to politics if the people of Karnataka and his party, Congress, want him to. “One day, I will be buried or cremated in Bangalore,” he said. Sangliana was expelled from the BJP in 2008 after he voted in favour of the UPA government in the confidence motion linked to the civilian nuclear deal. He contested the 2009 polls on a Congress ticket from Bangalore Central but lost to the BJP candidate.

For now, Sangliana is writing to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and other senior officials, requesting them to improve the efficiency of the police so that it is better prepared. He also wants the state government to appeal to educational institutions, employers and landlords to take back people from the Northeast who are returning to Bangalore. “Our friendliness has been the reason for people to come and work peacefully (in Bangalore). We have a mindset of accommodating people,” he said.
26 August 2012

Karnataka DGP Tries To Boost Morale Of Northeast People

Guwahati, Aug 26 : Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau, who hails from Mizoram, said his NE origin should be used as a morale booster for those from the region who had left Bangalore in the wake of panic triggered by SMS threats.

"I am from the northeast which should be the biggest moral booster for those who left Bangalore to come back to the city and resume their work and studies," said Pachau, who accompanied Karnataka deputy chief minister R Ashoka here on Saturday. Ashoka and Pachau met some of the Assamese youths who left Bangalore to instill confidence and appeal them to return to the cyber city.

Pachau told the youths that even during the height of exodus, no NE native was attacked or harmed apart from some threats issued by rumour-mongers and SMSs. "The Karnataka government promptly swept into action, patrolling in sensitive areas was heightened and sufficient security forces were deployed in places were people of NE reside," said Pachau .

To ensure a sense of safety among NE youths, the DGP said he would be available to solve any of their grievances at his office and residence. "I appeal to you (NE natives) to return to Bangalore. If you face any problem, come to my office or residence," he said.

The DGP felt that there is a need for various NE organisations in Karnataka to be in touch with government agencies. He added frequent interactions and exchanges of information between the government agencies and NE bodies will help the administration to ensure more security.
23 August 2012

How Incompetent Are Indian Security Analyst?

By Sinlung

The recent banning of sites due to Northeast India Exodus shows how incompetent Indian IT Security Analysts are. Its 2012 and India claims itself to be an IT powerhouse - yet they can't even do a simple task of filtering traffic.

I would have fired these guys for sure... (its high time to privatize everything from foreign policy to National security at least someone is doing it for profit openly and can be held accountable - instead of corruption and incompetents running the show.)

Why wordpress.com or blogger.com amazes me...its beyond my comprehension. Do they even know what a domain and a sub domain is? My Goodness...

You can read an analysis by Prakash here.



A pie chart of India’s blocked site.
21 August 2012

The Loneliness of Karnataka DGP: Lalrokhuma Pachau


By Johnson T A


Bangalore, Aug 21 : For 57-year-old Lalrokhuma Pachau, the flight of hundreds of people belonging to the Northeast from Bangalore has been a particularly painful experience. As Karnataka’s acting police chief, the 1977-batch Indian Police Service officer from Mizoram is sad that even his presence and assurances were not able to stop 28,000 people of his region from leaving Karnataka’s capital in fear between August 15 and 18.

“I feel really bad for what is happening,” he said with pain etched on his face at the sidelines of a press conference last week where he tried once again to send out the message that the Karnataka police under his leadership was doing all it could to ensure the safety of people from the Northeast, who were fleeing from fears that they would be targeted by Muslims after Ramzan.

“I have been sending letters and talking to the DGPs of Northeast states telling them that all the people of the Northeast who are here for various reasons will be protected. Anybody spreading messages against them, posing threats to them or indulging in verbal or physical threats will be arrested,” Pachau who has been the acting police chief of Karnataka since June 1, said.

A soft-spoken, reticent man compared to another Mizoram police officer who served as Bangalore’s police chief, H T Sangliana, Pachau is little known outside of police circles. Sangliana’s high-profile, publicity-driven tenure, in comparison, had seen him all the way to a Parliament seat.

Pachau in fact returned to Karnataka only early this year when the opportunity to become the state DGP opened up following the retirement of his seniors Abdul Rehman Infant and Shankar Bidari. In October 2007, he had taken an inter-cadre transfer to go to home state Mizoram to become the DGP there.

A legal battle being fought by Bidari over his removal as DGP — currently in the Supreme Court — has meant that Pachau has only held concurrent charge as the Karnataka police chief along with a regular position as head of the Criminal Investigation Department in the state. Bidari had been removed over alleged human rights violation during a special operation in the 1990s against sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

According to officers within the Karnataka police, Pachau, who will have three years of tenure if made the full-fledged DGP and IGP, has been hindered in his functioning due to the temporary nature of his appointment. This lack of full authority has played a role in the police chief not being able to come out with authority in the media and other forums to assure safety of people of the Northeast in the current crisis, a senior IPS officer said.

“With full authority, work efficiency can increase by 25 per cent. In the present condition, Pachau is hesitant to come forward fully because he may worry over the government applying the brakes on his moves. Until he is declared the police chief, it is natural that he will have apprehensions,” a senior police officer said.

Over the last week, many people have suggested that Pachau should have been more voluble in addressing the fears of the Northeast people. The acting police chief however has always acted within the chain of command at his disposal.

Known to be a clean, upright, non-controversial officer, Pachau is also known in the police ranks as someone whose mettle has never really been tested in Karnataka.

“He is a very nice gentleman. He holds no bias. He adheres strictly to chains of command. He is perceived as being soft however. He would not like to get into complex problems and he likes to see things go smoothly,” said an officer who served under Pachau in a posting a few years ago.

Another reason for Pachau not engaging with complex problems may be a lack of grip over the local language, culture and politics, with local caste affiliations playing a major role in all realms. “When you are not from the state, you cannot be perceived as being too harsh and strict and that works for and against people like Pachau,” the officer said.

However, the chances of Pachau being made a permanent DGP soon have increased since fleeing of people from the Northeast. Last week, the Karnataka government affected long-pending mass transfers of police officers. Appointment of a full-time DGP is expected to follow.

“It is a strange coincidence that since Pachau became the acting police chief, we have seen issues involving people from the Northeast being among his chief challenges. First there was the Richard Loitam case (involving the death of a Manipuri boy after a fight at his college hostel) and now there is this flight of people,” a senior police officer said.
16 August 2012

India: The Land Of The Largest Number of Separatist Movements in The WORLD

India – The White Elephant, The land of the largest number of Separatist Movements in The World.

English: Map of the British Indian Empire from...English: Map of the British Indian Empire from Imperial Gazetteer of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Have you ever questioned why India is spoken positively in Western Media in this last decade. This last decade where the world was once more bi-polar, the Western world looked to the loyal Hindus and extended a hand of friendship very similar to the East India Company.

Beyond the marketing, glam of silos of investments in Delhi & Mumbai the nation is not held together and nor is it stable. With the worlds most poorest and systematic segregation of communities, ethnicities and religions it is far from the secular and democratic utopia it declares itself to be. This is a very schizophrenic nation where the power is held in silos within a selected historic Brahmin & upper caste Hindu strong holds.

Violence against minorities and what these Hindus term the minority commuities continues even today, against Dalits, Muslims, Christians & Sikhs. This is a nation of many but ruled by a few holding the vast majority captive and at gun point. India has much to do if it wishes for progression and equality.

Flag adopted by the Indian National Congress i...
Flag adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1931. First hoisted on 1931-10-31 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There is a little known fact, an unwrit law that if your Dalit or Muslim you will find it 10 times harder to find employment or place to live including rent, it is 10 times harder for Muslim and Dalit children to secure a place in a reputable university.

This is a nation that promotes itself as being modern, progressive but is still very much holding onto it’s colonial past and plagued with traditions and cultures stemming from a prehistoric faith that treats fellow humans as bi-products. An extremely zealot, religious nation where the upper class Hindus see himself closest to God and others as insects that they would see crushed.

Soon after India’s independence it was a given assumption that India, because of its diversities, will not survive as a single state, but will break up into separate states. In the brutal manne rin which Independent India crushed many separtist movements for legitimate nations seeking to reclaim their nations from The British.

India Gate
India Gate (Photo credit: aroris)
Since India’s independence in 1947 there were many attempts by different communities in India to establish independent countries and this continues to this day. These calls for indpendence are legitimate born out of Indian opression and occupation but subsequent neglect of some once very resource rich and hihgly skilled nations that had fell to the British Raj.

In Kashmir, in north India, there were organizations and underground organizations which demanded first to attach Kashmir to Pakistan and later on started demanding an independent Kashmir state.
In Punjab, to the south of Kashmir, the Sikhs demanded an independent Sikh country to be called Khalistan.
English: KLF Logo
English: KLF Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In north- east India as in Kashmir to this day there are demands for separate states by different groups. North -east India was, during British period, province of Assam. In this region which borders China, there are many communities which are referred to under Indian law as tribes. These tribal people have Chinese appearance and speak in languages from the Sino-Tibetian family. Since India’s independence, many tribal communities in this region, in the beginning with Chinese support, tried to establish independent states apart from India and witnesed very recent just how volatile this reason is. In the 1960s rebellions from Mizoram region even declared independence. The Indian army brutally suppressed these rebellions with great attrocities.

The north east of modern India and South East continue to strive for independence and continue to wage a organised freedom struggle.

Flag of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland
Flag of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In south India, before India’s independence there was a demand for an independent Dravidstan for the whole of south India. After India independence, this demand was mild down for autonomous Dravidian states within the Indian union. But the Tamilians who emigrated from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka demand an independent state in north Sri Lanka and it is presumed they receive lot of support from Indian Tamilians.
India always quick to point the finger at others often forget that it is a damning insult to secular and democratic ideals. Many Westerners are oblivious to the poverty and displacement of wealth / investment in India. India is a white elephant – a facade and continues to be very unstable.

Flag of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Flag of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With an alignment with USA to contain or harm Chinese interests in Asia pacific and to destabilise Pakistan through Afghanistan. India also gets lost in the glam and marketing in its new found accolades emanating from the West and does not realise just how a volatile game she plays. India is not a stable nation, far from it be this socially or economically and its communal differences can very easily be its downfall.
A rise in Hindu terror groups tareting Muslims, Sikhs & Christians as seen in Gujerat, Punjab and Orissa can stoke the fire that can engulf the nation.

Unable to resolve its issues internally it uses the Hindu right wing organisations to crush dissent from within not realising this self flagellation can cost her daily. Unable to provide for its many homeless and poor and lost in the marekting of shining India and is knowingly being pushed to support an American agenda in Central Asia but also Asia Pacific that will have long term repercussions on its very fragile and volatile federation.

English: Photograph showing cadres of the cadr...
English: Photograph showing cadres of the cadres of the armed separatist group, PREPAK (People’s Revolutionary Party, Kangleipak) of Manipur. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here is a list of just some of these sepratist movements;
1. National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
2. United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)
3. Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)
4. Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF)
5. Dima Halim Daogah (DHD)
6. Karbi National Volunteers (KNV)
7. Rabha National Security Force (RNSF)
8. Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO)
9. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
10. Karbi People’s Front (KPF)
11. Tiwa National Revolutionary Force (TNRF)
12. Bircha Commando Force (BCF)
13. Bengali Tiger Force (BTF)
Banner of the UNLF
Banner of the UNLF (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
14. Adivasi Security Force (ASF)
15. All Assam Adivasi Suraksha Samiti (AAASS)
16. Gorkha Tiger Force (GTF)
17. Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front (BVYLF)
18. United Liberation Front of Barak Valley
19. United National Liberation Front (UNLF)
20. People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
21. People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)
22. The above mentioned three groups now operate from a unified platform,
india kerala boat people
india kerala boat people (Photo credit: FriskoDude)
23. the Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)
24. Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)
25. Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
26. Manipur Liberation Tiger Army (MLTA)
27. Iripak Kanba Lup (IKL)
28. People’s Republican Army (PRA)
29. Kangleipak Kanba Kanglup (KKK)
30. Kangleipak Liberation Organisation (KLO)
English: JKDLP flag
English: JKDLP flag (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
31. Revolutionary Joint Committee (RJC)
32. National Socialist Council of Nagaland — Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM)
33. People’s United Liberation Front (PULF)
34. Kuki National Army (KNA)
35. Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)
36. Kuki National Organisation (KNO)
37. Kuki Independent Army (KIA)
English: Location of Jammu and Kashmir in India
Kashmiris dont think of themselves as Indians.English: Location of Jammu and Kashmir in India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
38. Kuki Defence Force (KDF)
39. Kuki International Force (KIF)
40. Kuki National Volunteers (KNV)
41. Kuki Liberation Front (KLF)
42. Kuki Security Force (KSF)
43. Kuki Liberation Army (KLA)
44. Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF)
45. United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF)
46. Hmar People’s Convention (HPC)
47. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
48. Hmar National Army (HNA)
49. Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA)
50. Zomi Revolutionary Volunteers (ZRV)
51. Indigenous People’s Revolutionary Alliance(IRPA)
52. Kom Rem People’s Convention (KRPC)
53. Chin Kuki Revolutionary Front (CKRF)
54. Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)
55. Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)
56. People’s Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M)
57. Hajong United Liberation Army (HULA)
58. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) – NSCN(IM)
59. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) – NSCN (K)
60. Naga National Council (Adino) – NNC (Adino)
61. Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)
62. Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)
63. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)
64. Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)
65. All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF)
66. Bhindrawala Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK)
67. Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA)
68. Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF)
69. Khalistan Armed Force (KAF)
70. Dashmesh Regiment
71. Khalistan Liberation Organisation (KLO)
72. Khalistan National Army (KNA)
73. National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)
74. All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF)
75. Tripura Liberation Organisation Front (TLOF)
76. United Bengali Liberation Front (UBLF)
77. Tripura Tribal Volunteer Force (TTVF)
78. Tripura Armed Tribal Commando Force (TATCF)
79. Tripura Tribal Democratic Force (TTDF)
80. Tripura Tribal Youth Force (TTYF)
81. Tripura Liberation Force (TLF)
82. Tripura Defence Force (TDF)
83. All Tripura Volunteer Force (ATVF)
84. Tribal Commando Force (TCF)
85. Tripura Tribal Youth Force (TTYF)
86. All Tripura Bharat Suraksha Force (ATBSF)
87. Tripura Tribal Action Committee Force (TTACF) Socialist Democratic
88. Front of Tripura (SDFT)
89. All Tripura National Force (ATNF)
90. Tripura Tribal Sengkrak Force (TTSF)
91. Tiger Commando Force (TCF)
92. Tripura Mukti Police (TMP)
93. Tripura Rajya Raksha Bahini (TRRB)
94. Tripura State Volunteers (TSV)
95. Tripura National Democratic Tribal Force (TNDTF)
96. National Militia of Tripura (NMT)
97. All Tripura Bengali Regiment (ATBR)
98. Bangla Mukti Sena (BMS)
99. All Tripura Liberation Organisation (ATLO)
100. Tripura National Army (TNA)
101. Tripura State Volunteers (TSV)
102. Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT)
103. Mizoram
104. Bru National Liberation Front
105. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
106. Arunachal Pradesh
107. Arunachal Dragon Force (ADF)
108. Left-wing Extremist groups
109. People’s Guerrilla Army
110. People’s War Group
111. Maoist Communist Centre
112. Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)
113. Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Janashakti Other Extremist Groups
114. Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT)