New 5-rupee Coin Has Hindu God

So from now on, whether, you're a Muslim, a Christian or any other religion living in India...you're basically praying to an Idol...

New 5-rupee coin to mark Vaishno Devi Shrine Board's 25th anniversary runs into communal trouble

The Reserve Bank of India recently released a coin in the denomination of Rs 5 to mark the silver jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). No sooner did the coin go in circulation than its secular credentials came under heavy scrutiny. Members of several communities have taken umbrage at the religious overtones of the legal tender, and plan to stage a protest against it.

The RBI issued the Rs 5 coin to commemorate the occasion of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s silver jubilee. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

The tails of the coin it’s non-controversial face shows the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar with the motto Satyamev Jayate inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word ‘Bharat’ in Devnagri script and on the right with the English word ‘India’. Below the Lion Capital is the rupee symbol followed by the denominational value ‘5’ in international numerals.
On the flip side, though, the coin bears in the centre a picture of the Hindu deity Vaishno Devi, with the inscription ‘Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’ in Devnagri along the upper arc and in English along the lower arc. “Ours is a secular country and featuring the picture of a Hindu goddess on the coin will harm secularity,” said Dr Azimuddin, president of Movement for Human Welfare. Thoughtfully, he added, “Coins are given to beggars and tossed by saints during holy processions. With such instances, it is not proper to emboss a picture of a deity on it.”
Conspiracy theory
Maulana Mustaqim Azmi, president of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema in Maharashtra, said. “We might not be able to understand or accord the importance the goddess commands for Hindus, since in Islam, showing pictures of God/Allah is not allowed.” Questioning the impulse behind the concept, he added, “We think this is a conspiracy by the government to rupture secularism in the country. We will stage a protest against the authorities.”
Hindu organisations like Sanathan Sanstha have no objection to the coin. “Earlier, the country has had coins with Christian saint Alphonsa and Mother Teresa marking their birth centenaries. What’s wrong with a Rs 5 coin with Mata Vaishno Devi? We welcome the decision, though we think that the government has done this to appease Hindus before the elections,” said Abhay Vartak, the Sanstha’s spokesperson.
Bad for business
When it comes to currency, commerce trumps religion. Shopkeepers in areas like Kurla, Pydhonie, Mahim, Jogeshwari and Bhendi Bazaar say they are finding it difficult to trade coins with customers from other communities. “If a minority community member finds a coin with images of deities, they reject it and we have to issue them another one,” said a businessman from Kurla. “Issuing such coins will create communal disharmony, as other communities are not very open to the idea.”
Moreover, many Hindus do not use the coin for transaction, given the divinity cut in on it. Said the shopkeeper, “I myself have kept two of these coins at my home temple for worshipping.” A businessman from Nagpada area had a more cordial idea. “If you want to avoid the conflict, then put motifs from all religions Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian on one coin,” he said. RBI officials said coins are issued by the Government of India’s finance department. Nobody could be contacted in the department despite repeated efforts.

1964
The year the first Indian commemorative coin was issued to mourn the death of Jawaharlal Nehru
2011
The year in which the 25-paise coin ceased to be legal tender

WTF: In India Legal Age Sex = Marriage

Couple of right legal age indulging in sex are husband and wife: Madras HC

In a ruling which might have a far reaching impact, Madras High Court has said if a couple in the right legal age indulge in sexual gratification, it will be considered a valid marriage and they could be termed as husband and wife.

Chennai, Jun 18 :

"..if any couple choose to consummate their sexual cravings, then that act becomes a total commitment with adherence to all consequences that may follow, except on certain exceptional considerations," Justice CS Karnan said in his order.

He said that marriage formalities of tying a mangalsutra, garlands and rings were only for the satisfaction of society.  Either party could approach a family court for declaration of marital status by producing documentary proof for a sexual relationship.

The judge also said once such a declaration is obtained, the couple can establish self as each others' spouse in any government records.

Justice Karnan made these observations in his order Monday while modifying an April 2006 judgement of a family court in a maintenance case.

A family court in Coimbatore had ordered a man to pay Rs 500 maintenance per month to his two children and Rs 1000 as litigation expenses and had held that the woman's wedding with him did not have any documentary proof.

In his judgement, Justice Karnan directed the man to pay her maintenance of Rs 500 a month from the date of petition (September 2000) and that the arrears be paid within three months.

Bangalore's IT Workers Start Tech Tattoo Craze

Bangalore, May 17 : In Bangalore, India’s technology capital, tattoo artists have reported an uptick in men asking for brand tattoos to celebrate jobs at the world’s top technology companies, including Microsoft and IBM.

Young high fliers in India’s technology capital Bangalore are so proud to work for Western technology firms such as Microsoft and IBM that they are having their logos tattooed on their bodies.

Tattoo artists in the city have reported an increase in the numbers of men asking for "brand tattoos" to celebrate the high status that comes with a job at one of the world’s top technology companies.

The permanent "branding" of their bodies with their boss’s logo is not seen as a symbol of slavery or eternal submission but as a symbol of triumph to commemorate landing a highly coveted job.

And despite the fact that many move on to other jobs, they keep the tattoos, according to the city’s leading artists.

“Its called Brand tattooing. Mostly people from IT companies like IBM, Apple, Microsoft and Oracle have got their company logos tattooed on their bodies.

"Its like the first love, like a symbol of success for them. Most of them have started their careers with these companies and want to keep their logos as a memento.

"Such tattoos can land us in a legal soup. Since they are copyrighted logos, they may attract legal suits against the inscriber,” said Giresh Bramhanayapura of Bramha Tattoo Studio

Pradeep Menon of the "Dark Arts" tattoo studio said owners of small businesses have also been asking for their companies’ names to be etched forever on their skin. “Not only employees of IT companies but owners of small enterprises get their company logos tattooed on their bodies."

Inking and coloring them is not straightforward, however simple the design. “We have to consider many things including the tone of the skin. Indians have generally dark colored skin and getting a perfect logo is a bit difficult,” he added.

New Delhi Subway Riders Must Pass Breathalyzer

Critics worry new crackdown will put more drunks on roads

The New Delhi subway is so tired of drunken passengers starting fights at night that it's setting up breathalyzers at all its stations, reports the Hindustan Times.

Those who blow over the limit can't board a metro rail car. It's believed to be a worldwide first for any subway system, but critics are asking an obvious question: Do turned-away riders try to drive home instead?

"For activists like us it was a difficult task to raise awareness among people to exchange their cars for public transport when drunk, especially in Delhi," says a member of an anti-DUI group. "Now, all that will come to naught."

The Telegraph of India says the move is at least in part a reaction to the December gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi.

Though she was on a bus, not the subway, her assailants were believed to be drunk at the time.

Welcome to Delhi, The New Drug Trafficking Hub

By Suhas Munshi

Drug addicts wait for traetment at National Drug Dependence Treatment


The National Capital is witnessing a boom in drug trafficking. A Mail Today investigation has found out that foreign drug cartels are smuggling in thousands of kilograms of narcotics through Delhi's porous borders even as the anti-narcotics forces grope in the dark for leads.

On April 3 this year, the Delhi Police seized drugs worth Rs.15 crore from a storehouse in the Capital. Two Myanmar nationals, two persons from Mizoram and one from Delhi were found in possession of 140 kg of pseudoephedrine tablets and 50 kg of pseudoephedrine powder. The consignment was to be smuggled out to Myanmar through Mizoram and brought back after being processed into a consignment of high-end party drugs such as Ecstacy, ICE and Crystal Meth.
A few days later, another international drug cartel in possession of several kilograms of psychotropic drugs and fake currency notes, was busted by the Delhi Police.

Low on priority

A senior Delhi Police officer, on condition of anonymity, said better financial prospect in the national Capital is attracting new narcotics suppliers from within and outside the country.

"Almost all the drugs seized by law enforcement agencies are smuggled into the Capital through airports or by surface transport. While everyone knows about this, we have been told to focus on our top priority, which is to go after terrorism and not drugs," said the officer.

He said most officers, from the narcotics branch and the special cell division of the Delhi Police, are hesitant to go after the source of drugs because not many understand the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

Trouble for cops
The officer said several precautionary clauses reserved in the NDPS to prevent unlawful arrests actually invoke fear among the police, who haven't been sufficiently trained in antinarcotics laws. "Many a time our investigation comes to a deadend because no drugs are found from the suspects' place. There have been cases when NDPS has questioned the policeman's intent of going after a suspect. This creates trouble for all investigating officers," said the officer.

"As soon as we seize the supply, chaos ensues. Rate of drugs spikes, suppliers adulterate narcotics with impurities because of which the number of fatalities also shoots up. Being resource-constrained, we try to nab mainly the sources of drugs and leave the footmen alone," said a narcotics officer.

Mail Today investigation also found that a 'set' comprising certain tablets along with a syringe can be procured over the counter for Rs.80. Chemists report the stock as having been misplaced or damaged due to exposure to heat.

While the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has just 70 men for the city, Delhi Police's narcotics division is just 55-personnel strong. There are also an increasing number of children who are being absorbed into the drug trade.

"Children are first being addicted to drugs and then being forced to work for the traffickers," said Vinod Kumar Tikoo, member of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Addicts who are trying to find their way back

Manjeet Luthra (Name changed)

He had a family business in Tilak Nagar before he started snorting smack with friends. It started as a party recreation but soon changed into a regular habit.

Luthra had inherited a building and store-houses from his ancestral business of agricultural. As an addict he began selling his property, his wife's jewellery and their savings off to buy smack.

A smack addict consumes around one gram or less smack each day, but Luthra's addiction had peaked to more than five grams every single day, inform his doctors.

The three friends who passed on the habit to him died shortly afterwards from drug overdose. After 20 years of snorting heroin Luthra says he's finally given up. It has been one year and he hasn't touched the powder yet.

Amit Kumar (Name changed)

Kumar started abusing medicines as soon as the girl he had eloped with refused to marry him.

A few days after their escapade the girl returned to Delhi to join her family. Kumar took recourse to cannabis, alcohol, painkillers and later heroin to help him overcome the grief.

Drugs, as he later realised, distanced him further from his former beau and the vicious cycle of inebriation reduced the 21-year-old Kumar to a 40 kg skeleton. Today, Kumar commutes 50 km once every week from his home in Mongolpuri to NDDTC(National Drugs Dependence Centre) in Ghaziabad. He hasn't consumed drugs for the past four months.

Bittoo (Name changed)

He has been addicted to tobacco, both smoking and chewing and paint thinners for the past two years.

He started consuming alcohol one and a half years ago. He has also been addicted to weed for the past one year, and recently started heroin.

He is only 16 years old.

His family based in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, found out about the addiction when Bittoo thrashed his brother who demanded to sniff what his elder brother was sniffing.

Bittoo's mother says their family was ostracised, and her husband gave up on their son when they found out about his addiction.

The child in a strained, hoarse voice now claims to have rid himself of all addictions.

Gurinder Singh (Name changed)
Like many youths, Singh got addicted to drugs as a result of peer pressure.

Heroin which was being smuggled from Pakistan was easily available in his village at Wagah Border.

His grandfather was a senior retired military man, and his father and mother were employed in the service sector.

Addiction forced him to drop out of college and spend his days looking for money to buy drugs. When cash dried up Singh fled to Dubai and started bootlegging liquor there. Police found him and deported him back to India. He is now trying to get back on the path of recovery. His application to Punjab police force has been accepted.

Traffickers Arrested For Selling Indian Girls As Brides

By Nita Bhalla

A girl looks on outside her mud hut in northeast India, on July 2, 2005.

REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Police have arrested seven members of a trafficking ring that kidnapped young girls from the Indian capital and sold them as brides to middle-aged men in other parts of the country, the Times of India reported Tuesday.

The four men and three women were arrested following an investigation into the abduction of two teenage girls, who were rescued from an area in southwest Delhi.

“Police said the gang charged rich landowners in (the northern states of) Uttar Pradesh and Haryana between 50,000 rupees ($921) to 100,000 ($1,842) for a girl, depending on her age," the report said.
Activists say tens of thousands of girls and women are trafficked in India every year, largely for domestic work, sexual slavery and increasingly marriage due to a lack of women in some parts of the country.

A strong preference for boys has resulted in decades of aborting female babies, leading to skewed male-to-female ratios in northern India and rising incidents of rape, trafficking and even "wife-sharing" - one wife shared amongst brothers.

The Lancet medical journal says up to 12 million Indian girls were aborted over the last three decades, resulting in a ratio of 914 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011, compared with 962 in 1981.

India: No Country For Women

While violence against women continues unabated in India, our crime investigation and justice systems offer no comfort.

 

The Capital has erupted once again over the gruesome kidnapping and rape of a five-year-old girl child. This time, the protests are more political with the presence of volunteers from organisations such as the Aam Aadmi Party, the ABVP, etc. But matters have come to such a head vis-à-vis the gender front that help from any quarter is welcome.

Since the gang rape of the physiotherapy student in Delhi in December 2012, horrendous and continuing brutalisation and sexual assaults on women have continued. Western tourists have also not been spared, resulting in advisories by countries such as the US and the UK cautioning women tourists to take extreme care while travelling in India.

Erupting even amidst economic scams connected to 2G and 3G Spectrum and Coalgate, the debate on India being no country for women/girls has hogged media headlines. Grim-faced politicians, from the UPA as well as the Opposition, have expressed their pain and outrage at these developments, and voiced concern on the growing cult of violence against women.

In the latest incident of monstrosity on the tiny girl in Gandhi Nagar in Delhi, once again we saw the total indifference and callous attitude of the police. The child’s parents were made to wait for hours to file a “missing” complaint. The child, abandoned in a room in the same building in a serious condition, was found no thanks to the police but after her cries were heard by a neighbour.

The events that followed were even more bizarre when it comes to shaming and disgracing an already discredited police force.

A policeman offered the father a “bribe” of Rs 2,000 to hush up the matter! Hence it was nothing short of catharsis to watch continuous telecast of several protestors offering the police a “bribe” of Rs 2,000. The pained expressions on the face of the policemen facing this barrage was gratifying, to say the least.

Known perpetrators
At the core of the protests and demands from Opposition parties is the issue of Delhi, and the rest of India as well, being unsafe and insecure for women. This is not to defend the police force, which is more often than not found lacking when it comes to prompt filing of FIRs or investigation. But the fact remains that much of the violence — sexual and otherwise – that women and girls face is perpetrated by known people… a relative, a friend, a lover or ex-lover. If not in the womb, where foetuses are aborted, with the common consent of male and female relatives.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who addressed a press conference Monday afternoon, was quick to latch on to his point when questions were raised about his resignation.

At first he impudently asked the reporter, “When you do misreporting, does your editor resign?”
Later he pointed out the futility of expecting the police to prevent sexual assaults against women or girls that are carried out by their relatives. Quoting figures, he said that in several cases, fathers, stepfathers, brothers-in-law, cousins, neighbours, lovers and ex-lovers were guilty of rape. This doesn’t absolve those supposed to prevent crimes failing to do so in thousands of cases where young women are abducted on roads or raped in moving cars, as happens often in Delhi, but there is an element of truth in what he says.

The mighty climb down
But what I enjoyed the most while watching Kumar’s live press conference was his opening statement where he said the ACP who had slapped a woman protestor had been suspended. But the two policemen who had offered bribe to the father to hush up the case had not been identified because the father was busy in the hospital where his daughter was being treated.

And next followed a clear demonstration of what collective rage or mass protests can do. Delhi’s police force was ready, said its chief, to parade the possible culprits before the father at the hospital if he so desired!

Wow! How many ordinary people who throng our police stations for a modicum of action or justice can expect such a gesture from the top boss of the police?

No country for the poor too
But let us not fool ourselves. Whether it is the crime redressal dispensation, or our justice system, beginning with the lawyer who takes up a case, how many economically disadvantaged people have timely access to these? But for the protests which the media picked up and broadcast and wrote about, would the two men accused in this child’s rape been arrested so quickly?

The heavy wheels of our crime administration system move only on the application of lubricants such as bribes, influence, or public pressure. The ACP who slapped the woman protestor only displayed the habitual arrogance of our public “servants”. And why only suspend a senior officer who would dare to so impudently slap a young woman in full view of hundreds of others? Instead of a “departmental inquiry” in which the public has little faith, should he not be thrown behind bars?

Isn’t a man in uniform who is supposed to protect civilians a bigger criminal when he assaults a woman? And one who is well within her right to express her outrage over the plummeting record of the Delhi administration when it comes to making girls like her feel safe.

Juxtaposed against the way our creaky wheels of crime investigation and justice dispensation move, I watched in utter admiration the speed and efficiency with which the Boston police carried out operations to hunt down and kill one terrorist and capture the second one involved in the Boston Marathon bombing.

An entire township was shut down, the people responded and co-operated totally and within a week the perpetrators had been traced, challenged and one captured. You may find any number of faults with the US for its arrogance or its supercilious manner in dealing with the rest of the world.

But when it comes to rising as one to ensure public safety and security, they just do it…without any fear, favour or fuss. Now this is the kind of police force that inspires confidence. Not one which slaps protestors, or offers bribes to the victims to shut their mouths.

Or worse, derisively asks a middle-aged woman who goes to report her rape: “Tu teen bachcho ki maa hei; tujhe kaun rape karenga? (You’re a mother of three, who will rape you)?

More Quakes Could Hit India: Experts

By Charu Sudan Kasturi

New Delhi, Apr 18 :  Tuesday’s 7.8 magnitude temblor near the Iran-Pakistan border could realign the region’s tectonic plates, potentially setting off follow-up earthquakes closer to India in the coming days and weeks, scientists have cautioned.

From Ahmedabad in Gujarat to Nongpoh in Meghalaya, India was on Tuesday shaken by a ring of earthquakes that scientists say were most likely unrelated, but could trigger aftershocks. The quakes have triggered fresh concerns over preparedness in the country’s burgeoning urban spreads.

The Iran quake occurred close to the line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, west of Gujarat in Pakistan. Proximity to that line makes western India — home to Latur, Maharashtra and Bhuj, Gujarat that were epicentres of two of India’s most destructive recent earthquakes — vulnerable.

“When a major earthquake occurs on one plate near where it meets another plate, it causes shifts on the other adjoining plate,” Ramancharia Pradeep Kumar, earthquake engineer and professor at the Indian Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad told HT. “There will also be aftershocks in neighbouring areas.”

Though most aftershocks occur within 24 hours, there have been instances of the follow-up tremors waiting for weeks before striking.

A quake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale with an epicentre in Nongpoh, Meghalaya triggered tremors across northeast India and even Odisha early on Tuesday morning. It was 49.2 km deep. Deeper quakes cause less damage as they lose most of their energy by the time they reach the earth’s surface. 

Early afternoon, just after 2pm, a second quake shook northeast India. This 5.3 magnitude earthquake had its epicentre in Motuo in eastern Tibet, and was 31 km deep. A few hours later, the biggest quake of the day struck, near Khash in Iran.

The sequence of the quakes and the distance between eastern Tibet and Iran makes it highly improbable that the two were related, said BK Rastogi, Director of the Institute of Seismological Research in Gandhinagar.

But the quakes have cast fresh focus on India’s preparedness to handle large quakes closer home.

After the 2001 Bhuj earthquake that killed about 20,000 people, India set up a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to formulate a strategy for national crises. Several states have also set up similar agencies.

But when it comes to ensuring earthquake-resistant building codes, little has been done, the scientists said. “The only solution is to make earthquake-resistant design non-negotiable for buildings,” Kumar said.

Indian hospital to help child with swollen head

Indian daily labourer, Abdul Rahman, 26, fans his 18 month old daughter, Roona Begum, suffering from Hydrocephalus. AFP PHOTO/ STR Source: AFP

A TOP private Indian hospital offered Monday to examine an 18-month-old girl suffering from a rare but treatable illness that has caused her head to swell to more than double its normal size.

The decision raises hope that eighteen-month-old Roona Begum, who suffers from hydrocephalus, a disorder which causes cerebrospinal fluid to build up on the brain, will get the life-saving surgery she urgently requires.
She was discovered last week living with her impoverished parents who are too poor to pay for treatment for the condition, which has resulted in her head swelling to a circumference of 91-centimetres (36-inches).
The publication of pictures taken by an AFP photographer in remote Tripura state in northeast India last Friday led numerous well-wishers to step forward offering donations, while a website has been set up to collect money for her.
Leading Indian neurosurgeon Sandeep Vaishya, who is the head of neurosurgery at a flagship hospital for the Fortis group near the capital, said that he would examine the girl and see if surgery was possible.

Fatima Khatun 25, kisses the head of her eighteen month old daughter, Roona Begum, suffering from Hydrocephalus. AFP PHOTO/ STR

"Fortis will fly her down and while we will have to do an MRI to check the condition of her brain, I am hopeful that we will be able to carry out a surgery and relieve the pressure on the poor child's brain," Vaishya told AFP.
The group has a charitable foundation which carries out surgery free of charge.
Her 18-year-old father, Abdul Rahman, who lives in a mud hut with his family in the village of Jirania Khola, told AFP earlier that only a "miracle" could save his daughter's life.
The swelling is putting pressure on her brain and has made it impossible for her to sit upright or crawl on the ground.
Local doctors had told the family to take the newborn to a private hospital in a big Indian city but the costs were too high for Rahman, an illiterate labourer who earns 150 rupees ($2.75) a day working in a brick plant.
The US government's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates about one in every 500 children suffers from hydrocephalus.
The most common treatment involves the surgical insertion of a mechanism to drain cerebrospinal fluid away from the brain and towards another part of the body where it can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream.
Extreme cases like Roona's are very rare, according to Vaishya, who said he had been deluged with calls about the child after he spoke to AFP on Saturday.
"The child must be in a lot of pain because her head is so heavy. Still, in the images I could see that she was smiling sometimes, which makes me think that her cognitive functions might still be intact," Vaishya said.
Surgery to treat hydrocephalus is not particularly risky, Vaishya said.

Gorkha’s Burn Effigy of Former Minister Over Monkey, Dog Eat Remark

Dharamshala: A BJP legislator suggesting that deploying Gorkha or Naga regiment in monkey and stray dog infested area would help to contain their population as they do eat them has angered Gorkha residents, who have demanded an immediate apology from the lawmaker.

Agitated members of Bharatiya Gorkha Praisangh here, today, burnt an effigy of Ravinder Singh Ravi for having stated during a debate in the Vidhan Sabha posting Gorkha and Naga regiments in the state would help to contain the menace exploding monkey population and stray dogs.

Media reports quoted Ravi have suggested during a debate on April 5 that “If Gorkha or Naga regiments are posted in Himachal from time to time, it will definitely have an impact on the population of monkeys.”

He is also reported to have claimed monkey was a delicacy for Gorkhas and Nagas. Ravi also said, “Black dogs are a favourite food of Gorkhas and this would help maintain ecological balance.”

Pained and shocked at this racist jibe against the Gorkhas, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has demanded action from both the Speakers of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Brij Behair Lal Butail,  BJP President Rajnath Singh and Himachal Pradesh BJP President Satpal Singh Satti against the erring MLA.

Saying Ravi had misused the floor of a Constitutional House, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has requested the Speaker to expunge these remarks from the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and to take appropriate action against Ravi.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh told Rajnath Singh that it was especially shocking to have a BJP MLA uttering such demeaning, and utterly erroneous, references to the community because only in the month of March, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh had met Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and Manohar Parikkar in Panaji to apprise them of the status of Gorkhas in India and had been assured of the BJP’s attention both to their issues and their demand for Gorkhaland.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has asked both the Speakers and Rajnath Singh to take action against Ravinder Ravi and have him immediately tender an apology to not only the Gorkhas, but also the Naga community.

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
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 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 Popular: Unhygienic as it might seem, millions of Indians swear by unlicensed practitioners

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 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
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

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.

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 about 8 hours ago

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.

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.

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:

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).

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.

Delhi, The Melting Pot Of Flavours

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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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.