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Eleven get lifer in Bilkis Bano gangrape case
Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) Eleven persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court here today for their involvement in the Bilkis Bano gangrape-cum-murder case which took place during the communal violence in Gujarat in 2002.
The twelfth convict in the case, Somabhai Gori, a police official who was found guilty by the court for shielding the offenders, has been sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment.
Twelve persons, including the police official, were convicted by the court on January 18. Seven were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence, while one died during the course of the trial.
The accused sentenced to life imprisonment by the court are: Jaswantibhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhyesham Shah, Bipin Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajanbhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana.
Bilkis was among a group of 17 persons travelling from Chaparwad to Panivela on March 3, 2002 when they were attacked. Eight persons were killed and six went missing after the incident.
Bilkis, who was six months pregnant, was gangraped. She and two children were the only survivors of the attack.
The trial was transferred from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in August 2004 by the Supreme Court as the CBI and Bilkis had expressed fears that witnesses could be intimidated or harmed. PTI
Britain to press for new IAEA system on nuclear energy
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) As India lobbies hard to secure international support for permitting nuclear commerce, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today said his country would press for an early agreement to a new IAEA-led international system to help non-nuclear states acquire new sources of energy.
However, putting a rider, he said this offer must be made only in return for firm commitments to the highest non-proliferation standards.
Brown did not name India as he said "around the world, we are already seeing significant new interest in nuclear power as a source of energy supply and this increased interest brings with it increased risks of proliferation." "So Britain will press for early agreement to a new IAEA-led international system to help non-nuclear states acquire the new sources of energy they need, including through an enrichment bond," he said.
India has to firm up a safeguards agreement with the IAEA and secure changes in the guidelines of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal and clearing the way for nuclear commerce. PTI
Sarkozy visit from 25th; N-coop pact may be inked
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Taking a major step forward in their strategic partnership, India and France are expected to unveil a framework agreement for civil nuclear cooperation and sign a pact in defence field during the visit of President Nicholas Sarkozy here from Friday.
The document on civil nuclear cooperation will, however, not be signed as France is awaiting the finalisation of a safeguards agreement between India and IAEA and change of rules of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
The issue of civil nuclear cooperation will be discussed during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sarkozy, who will undertake his maiden visit here to be Chief Guest of the Republic Day celebrations, sources said today.
The two sides will also outline plans to enhance the business ties by raising the trade target besides deciding on cooperation in sustainable development.
The intention of civil nuclear cooperation was spelt out in a joint statements after Summit talks between the two countries in 2005 and 2006.
During Sarkozy's two-day visit, the two countries will take a "step further" in this direction by declaring that "everything is ready" pending finalisation of safeguards agreement between India and IAEA and exemption by NSG to allow international community to have civil nuclear trade with New Delhi, the sources said.
The visit will see France conveying that "if and when India comes to an agreement with the IAEA and NSG opens the door for cooperation, its friends are ready to start cooperation in the field," they said. PTI
38 killed, 40 injured as bus falls into gorge in Nasik
Nasik, Jan 21 (PTI) At least 38 people, including 12 women and four children, were killed and 40 others injured when an overloaded bus carrying pilgrims from the Saptashringi shrine in the district fell into a gorge at Nanduri near here.
The accident occurred last night at around 2230 hours when the bus skidded off the road after the driver lost control and it fell into a 600-ft gorge, Nasik Superintendent of Police Nikhil Gupta said.
"The private luxury bus was overloaded and was carrying 76 people. According to the survivors, the driver had been driving the bus since the last four days," he said.
The bus was on a tour of shrines in the district and was on its way back to Nasik when the mishap took place.
The victims hailed from Mumbai's Warali suburb.
Nasik District Magistrate Yash Seturanchaoplingam said the bus fell into the gorge while negotiating a hairpin bend. The bus broke into two parts due to the impact of the collision.
The injured, including the driver, have been admitted to Kalwan, Vani and Nasik civil hospitals, he said.
District Collector S Chokalingam said rescue operations were going on and seven to eight ambulances have been rushed to the spot.
The bodies of those killed in the mishap have been shifted to the Nasik civil hospital.
The toll may go up as the condition of the some of the injured persons is critical. PTI
Brown asks IMF, World Bank to give India bigger role
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today asked the World Bank, IMF and the rich nations' G-8 club to revamp their structure to reflect India's rising prowess in the global economy.
"I support changes to the World Bank, the IMF and G-8 that reflect the rise of India and rise of Asia," he said at a breakfast meeting with Indian and British industry leaders here.
He said: "We can and must do more to make our global institutions more representative," and added that the IMF should work with the same independence given to central banks.
With the financial turbulence spreading out of America, the World Bank and the IMF should prevent such crises rather than resolving them later, he said. "We have to find new ways of dealing with global financial turbulence." Noting that India was making powerful contribution to the world economy, Brown said: "In the last 15 years you have doubled your national income" and the country has become the fourth largest producer of medicine and second largest developer of software in the world.
"No global company can be truly global unless it has operations based in India," the British prime minister told the gathering that included Swraj Paul of UK-based Caparo Group, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, Bharti Group head Sunil Bharti Mittal and Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson.
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said India and China with 40 per cent consumers of the world market would insulate the global economy from slowdown in the west. "Gloom of the west is going to be the boom of the east," he said.
He praised the British Prime Minister for supporting the free trade under the multilateral arrangement and not helping those engaged in the "economic nationalism" emerging in the western world. PTI
Sensex witnesses biggest single-day fall, loses over 1408 pts
Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) The Indian stock market today suffered its biggest single-day fall, losing 1,408.35 points on panic selling triggered by weak global cues.
The fall in the 30-share Sensex surpassed that 826- points loss witnessed on May 18, 2006. Today's fall was, however, only the fifth biggest in percentage terms.
The index closed at 17,605.35, after moving between 18,919.57 and 16,951.50 points. It had shed a record 2062.20 in intra-day trade that saw it break three 1000-point barriers -- 19,000, 18,000 and 17,000 points.
This was the longest six-day falling streak for the Sensex, which has suffered a total loss of 3,170.08 points. It set an all-time high peak at 21,206.77 on January 10.
In similar fashion, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty suffered a record loss of 496.50 points, the biggest in the bourse's history. It closed at 5208.80. PTI
Petro product prices hike not likely before Jan 28
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Petro product prices may not be hiked until next week and consumers can thank visiting foreign dignitaries and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora for the reprieve.
The meeting of a Group of Ministers that was to happen today has been deferred due to the visit of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and may not happen later this week as French President Nicolas Sarkozy would be arriving here.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the GoM, is expected to be busy with their visits.
Besides, Deora, who is now in Mumbai, would be leaving for London tomorrow for a roadshow to auction oil and gas blocks under the NELP-VII programme. He is expected back on January 27, which happens to be a Sunday.
The GoM met on January 17 but did not arrive at any decision due to the absence of two of the ministers.
During the last Thursday meeting, the GoM had deliberated on four sets of options for fuel price hike, which was to be clubbed with duty restructuring to limit the impact of rising global crude oil prices on state-run oil marketing firms.
State firms currently loses Rs 10.6 a litre on petrol, Rs 11.6 per litre on diesel, Rs 331.4 per LPG cylinder and Rs 19.89 a litre on PDS kerosene.
Petrol and diesel prices were last raised in June 2006 when crude oil was at USD 67 a barrel. LPG prices were last raised by Rs 20 per cylinder in November 2004 when crude was at USD 34 a barrel. Kerosene prices have not been changed since 2002 when crude was at USD 23 per barrel.
Crude oil prices have fallen from their peak of USD 100 a barrel on January 2 to around USD 90 a barrel in the international market. PTI
Richard Branson lobbying for entry into domestic aviation
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Virgin Atlantic chief Richard Branson, whose airlines started services to India in 2000, is intensely lobbying with New Delhi for permission to operate on domestic routes - where traffic growth is over 30 per cent.
Branson, who is accompanying British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, met Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath twice on this tour and renewed his proposal to enter the domestic aviation sector that is closed to foreigners.
"I had dinner with the minister last night... I twisted his arm, (but) I do not know whether I have broken it," he told reporters on the sidelines of Brown's breakfast meeting here with industry leaders from the UK and India.
Branson said he spent 15 years "lobbying in trying to get international flights to and from India,". His airline which operates London-Delhi flights has plans to induct the largest aircraft A380 in three years in the Indian sector.
The flamboyant industrialist, whose business interests include aviation, telecom and railway, said that he would be coming back in the next three weeks to make big announcements on his different Indian ventures, including in telecom. Without giving details on his India telecom plans, he said: "Negotiations are at a very advanced stage." He said consolidation among the private airlines has already begun in India. Branson listed Indian carrier Jet Airways as his close competitor. "Jet Airways, I suspect is the best airline in India and we will do our best to make sure Virgin India is even better." He asked governments not to put protectionist rules to prohibit businesses from operating in each other's country. "If we can get these rules removed Virgin can do a lot more." Under the existing policy vetted by a Group of Ministers, foreign nationals are not allowed to own any equity stake in domestic airlines. PTI
Indian, Sri Lankan tea industry to benefit from Kenyan crisis
Colombo, Jan 21 (PTI) Indian and Sri Lankan tea industry is all set to turn around due to the political instability in Kenya, the world's largest tea exporting nation.
With thousands of tea sector workers fleeing from Kenyan plantations, the tea importers are looking towards India and Sri Lanka as an alternative.
The drop in tea production in India and Sri Lanka and the rise in demand due to low availability in Kenya are also expected to benefit the tea industry on the price front, according to officials.
According to Indian Tea Association figures, the country's tea production in 2007 season is estimated to have declined to 940 million kg (mkg) from 957 mkg in 2006.
In the Island country too, the cumulative tea production dropped by 5.8 per cent to 272.6 mkg during the period between January and November, 2007.
While according to statistics, Sri Lanka's tea exports fell from 262.47 mkg in 2006 to 244.58 mkg in 2007. PTI
Rising input costs may give steel cos a hard time this yr
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Soaring raw material costs coupled with slower demand growth could render this year a difficult one for the steelmakers across the globe, leading US-based investment banker Lehman Brothers has warned.
"Citing higher raw material costs and slower demand growth, Lehman predicted it will be difficult for most steel companies to achieve meaningful earnings growth this year and chose ArceorMittal as its top pick for the year," the Metal Bulletin quoted the banker as saying in its 2008 Outlook.
"Our ideal steel company would be self sufficient in raw materials with exposure to emerging markets, where infrastructure dominated demand growth should hold up better than developed markets' consumer dominated demand growth," it said.
The banker's views are similar to those of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which has also said that the currently strong global steel market is likely to be less buoyant due to weaker prospects of global economic growth.
While world demand for steel should continue to expand favourably in 2008, growing economic risks associated with housing-market problems cloud the outlook to some extent. Continued capacity expansion observed in various parts of the world could impact prices if demand growth slows significantly, the OECD steel committee had earlier observed.
The BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are leading the growth of global demand. Chinese steel consumption reached 318 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year, up 30.8 million tonnes, or 10.7 per cent, from the same period last year. PTI
Detained Indian leaders, supporters begin hunger strike
Jaishree Balasubramanian
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 21 (PTI) Five top ethnic Indian leaders, detained under Malaysia's draconian security law, and scores of their supporters today began a hunger strike to protest their incarceration and the alleged marginalisation of the community in the multi-racial country.
The five leaders of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) had organised a massive rally here on November 25 to raise the grievances of ethnic Indians over alleged discrimination in the Muslim-majority country.
The Malaysian government has denied the allegations.
The five leaders are currently held under the tough Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial.
Meanwhile, scores of supporters of the five leaders also joined the hunger-strike on two locations.
They said while their five leaders -- P Uthayakumar, V Ganabathirau, T Vasanthakumar, R Kenghadharan and M Manoharan -- would go on hunger strike inside the detention centre, they would do it outside for five days, one for each of the detained.
"Thirty supporters were taking part in the water-fast for five days at a Hindu temple in Port Klang in Selangor state", Rama, spiritual adviser to the Hindraf movement told PTI.
Rama said he did not have the figure as yet of the supporters who were fasting in another temple in Penang state in Northern Malaysia. PTI
Militants arrested in Spain had links with LeT: report
London, Jan 21 (PTI) Several of the 14 suspected terrorists, including two Indians, arrested in Spain were supporters of Lashkar-e-Toiba and the cell was planning to carry out suicide attacks in Barcelona on the orders of al Qaeda in Pakistan, a media report said today.
The Spanish police today sought more time from the National Court to question the suspects, that included 12 Pakistanis. Spanish law allows detention without charge for a maximum of 72 hours for terrorist offences and the deadline will end tomorrow.
Citing unidentified sources probing the case, the daily 'El Periodico de Catalunya' said those arrested had received orders to commit a terror strike in Barcelona during a meeting with senior al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan's troubled Waziristan region.
"Several detainees were supporters of Lashkar-e-Toiba, a Pakistani group accused of carrying out bombings in India," the daily said, adding others were part of Takfir-ual-Hiyra, an extremist splinter group of Egypt's political movement Muslim Brotherhood.
The suspects were detained on Saturday in the northern port city's Raval neighbourhood, home to many Arabic-speaking and Muslim immigrants.
At least one of the suspects is involved in falsification of documents, according to the sources, who did not rule out "further arrests" in the case, which came on the eve of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's four-nation European tour. PTI
At least 46 killed in fierce fighting in Sri Lanka
T V Sriram
Colombo, Jan 21 (PTI) At least 44 Tamil Tigers and two soldiers were killed in fierce clashes between the rebels and security forces in the embattled northern Sri Lanka, where fighting has intensified since the government pulled out of a six-year-old ceasefire pact with the LTTE this month.
At Pallikulam area in Vavuniya district, eight Tamil rebels were killed in an encounter with the government forces yesterday, the Defence Ministry said.
At Nagarkovil defence lines in Jaffna, 15 Tigers were killed and over 30 wounded in a pre-dawn clash between government troops and the LTTE yesterday, the Ministry said.
Two soldiers also lost their lives while nine others were wounded during the hour-long confrontation, it said.
At Janakpura in north-eastern Welioya, two rebels were killed when troops launched a attack on an LTTE tractor yesterday, the army said adding, one soldier was injured during the operation and another went missing.
Three rebels were gunned down in Maduwallama area in north-western Mannar and four were killed in another attack at Madu in the same region yesterday, it said. PTI
Pak polls will not be rigged: Musharraf
Brussels, Jan 21 (PTI) President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any possibility of rigging in the upcoming general elections and said his government has made "fool-proof" arrangements to put Pakistan on the path to "true democracy".
Addressing a gathering of the Pakistani community here yesterday, Musharraf also said the Scotland Yard probe into former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination will help determine the cause of her death and expose the elements who were behind the act.
Musharraf, who is on a four-nation European visit, the first major trip abroad since Bhutto was assassinated, said the British sleuths were expected to give its report on their investigation soon.
The Pakistan President was hopeful that a truly representative government will come to power after the February 18 general election and strengthen democratic institutions in his country.
Ruling out any possibility of rigging in the upcoming polls, he said "fool-proof arrangements" have been made to put the country on the path to "true democracy". Musharraf has been facing Western pressures to ensure that the polls are free and fair.
He said the elimination of terrorism is a major goal of the country and "we will succeed in it". The Pakistan Army has made "major headway" by successfully targeting terrorist hideouts in South and North Waziristan, the President added. PTI
Beijing to levy more fine on rich violating one-child norm
Beijing, Jan 21 (PTI) Celebrities and wealthy people flouting the one-child norm in the Chinese capital would be slapped with a higher fine than common citizens, a family planning official said.
Nearly three-decade old China's family planning policy limits most couples to one child in urban areas and to two in rural regions. But celebrities and the rich have drawn media and public criticism for getting away with the violation simply because they could afford to pay fines.
Celebrities and wealthy people would be more heavily fined for giving birth to more than one child, Deng Xingzhou, head of the Beijing Municipal Commission on Family Planning told a meeting of the municipal political advisory body.
The commission was discussing the amount of penalty, Deng was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
The Beijing commission also plans to write family planning violation records into the personal files of celebrities in the national credit system which could affect their ability to borrow.
A joint survey conducted by China Youth Newspaper and QQ.Com found that 44.6 per cent of 7,917 respondents said celebrities and the affluent could afford to breach the rule, regardless of the fine, and 61.1 per cent said this was unfair.
"Celebrities and well-off people should not have any privileges for having more children," Zhang Weiqing, director of the State Commission on Family Planning, told a meeting in Guangdong Province last year. PTI
Brown for British honours like knighthood for Tendulkar
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Cricketing greats from the Commonwealth nations such as Sachin Tendulkar should be considered for traditional British honours like the knighthood, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.
Noting that cricket is one of the great things that binds the Commonwealth together, he said there was a time when top cricketers from the countries in the grouping would be recognised by the British people through its honoured system.
"It used to be the case that great cricketers from the Commonwealth would be recognised by the British people through our honoured system -- we think of Sir Don Bradman or Sir Gary Sobers," Brown, who is on an official tour of India, told reporters here yesterday.
He rued that this "function of the empire" has fallen into disrepair now that most of the Commonwealth countries have opted out of the honoured system and have their own honours.
"But I believe it was a good tradition to celebrate the achievements of the great Commonwealth cricketers -- it shows we are good sports and I would like to see some of the great players of the modern era -- like Sachin Tendulkar -- proposed for honorary awards -- so the British nation can salute their achievements in one of our national sports," Brown said.
"Obviously, these are issues for the independent honoured committee, but I hope they will consider it," he said.
Brown also congratulated India on what he described as its "famous victory" over Australia "so away from home" in the Perth Test match. PTI
I was approached to fix match: Mahesh Bhupathi
Melbourne, Jan 21 (PTI) Indian tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi today added more weight to the simmering match-fixing controversy in the sport by disclosing that he was approached to fix a tie early in his career.
Bhupathi, who turned pro in 1995 and won as may as ten Grand Slam titles, told PTI that he was contacted over telephone by an unknown caller "very early" in his career.
"I was contacted (to throw a match) very early in my career but I did not entertain the call," he said.
Bhupathi, who is currently playing in the men's doubles and mixed doubles event at the Australian Open here, however, refused to elaborate on the subject, fearing it could snowball into "another scandal".
"But I will not comment any more on this otherwise it would become another scandal," he added.
The 33-year-old player denounced the match-fixing menace and appreciated the efforts of the game's world governing body -- ATP and WTA -- in combatting it.
"It's not a good thing. Sports should be clean. The game's governing body is right in punishing (guilty) players and being very strict on them," he said. PTI
India our toughest opponent: Hussey
Ashish Shukla
Adelaide, Jan 21 (PTI) India have proved themselves in different conditions and they are the biggest thorn in the flesh for Ricky Ponting and his team, believes Australia's middle order batsman Mike Hussey.
"India is right up there. They have proved themselves abroad, at home, in all conditions," said Hussey, after the hosts arrived here for the final Test starting Thursday.
"Some very tough cricket has been played in this series and they have my highest regards," Hussey said.
India were minutes away from saving the acrimonious Sydney Test before they eventually collapsed as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
But the spirited visitors bounced back in Perth, scripting a stunning victory to reduce the margin and make it 2-1.
Australia arrived here, stung by their defeat at the hands of the Indians while seeking their 17th straight win, as well as their perceived inability to play swing bowling.
"They used the conditions very well in Perth. I don't think it's going to swing as much in Adelaide," Hussey said.
"Having said that, they are obviously a very fine bowling unit, very balanced be it a matter of swing, seam or spin." Hussey didn't believe his side made the mistake of taking the Indian pace attack lightly, given their inexperience and that they were not the first choice of the visitors in the series.
"Any bowler who bowls at this level ought to be a good bowler. We don't make the mistake of treating anyone lightly." PTI
Sydney fracas galvanised team: Harbhajan
Melbourne, Jan 21 (PTI) Star spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the furore in Sydney galvanised the team and was catalyst behind India's stunning win against Australia in the third Test at Perth.
Fighting a three-match ban for an alleged racist remark to Andrew Symonds in the ill-tempered Sydney Test, Harbhajan said the team stood united in the hour of crisis and the result was before all to see.
"Obviously it was a big factor, because when something like that happens, everybody feels they have something to prove," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
"And I think the boys proved that in beating Australia," he said.
The Indian team had reasons to feel hurt after the Sydney Test, where they were hit hard by poor umpiring and felt slighted by the unsporting conduct of Ricky Ponting and his men.
But buoyed after the Perth win, the off-spinner said India was capable of upstaging the hosts again in the fourth and final Test at Adelaide.
"We are one unit. Whether we win or lose, we do it together. We are a team that can beat Australia on any given day, and we will now look to continue that momentum into Adelaide" he said. PTI
Militants demand money, force closure of banks, schools
Imphal, Jan 21(PTI) Demands by militant outfits for money that forced the closure of a school, two hospitals and a national bank for four days recently is worrying the state government which has ordered stepping up security measures to contain such incidents.
Transactions and other businesses at all the 15 branches of the United Bank of India (UBI) in Manipur were closed for four days from January 8 as employees struck work to protest demand of Rs 10 lakhs from the UBI by a militant outfit.
The closure not only caused inconvenience to thousands of account holders, worst affected were pensioners and government employees who draw salaries and pensions from the bank.
Although officials refused to divulge the identity of the militant outfit, a senior Manipur police official said an outfit primarily-based in Nagaland made the demand in collusion with their 'local supporters'.
The bank refused to concede the monetary demand of the baned outfit.
After emissaries convinced the militant outfit of the losses local people would suffer if the bank was closed down by the authorities in the wake of their monetary demands, the militant outfit withdrew the demand without any condition, sources said.
Insurgent organisations involve in armed struggle of late have resorted to making demands from various institutions including banks and schools, a senior police official said. PTI
IIT Chennai steps in to improve science education in schools
Snehesh Alex Philip
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) In a unique endeavour, IIT Chennai, one of India's foremost engineering colleges has now tied up with number of schools to enhance high school science education in the country.
"The way science is taught in our schools leaves much to be desired. Our children get programmed to answer questions in examinations without being able to relate the concepts to the real world around us. There is too much focus on scoring marks than on understanding, " Dr. T S Natrajan of IIT-Chennai told PTI.
Though IIT has introduced a number of initiatives like the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country by developing curriculum based video and web courses, Natrajan points out that new 'Science Enrichment Program' is first direct initiative of the institute for betterment of school education.
"This is my personal initiative and the institution is backing me completely for this. I wonder what kind of science is taught in the schools when students have to go for coaching classes in preparation for specialised entrances exams," he says.
Under the new programme, IIT Chennai will provide consultancy and develop Science Enrichment Program for classes Five to Twelve in Physics and Chemistry. This will include planning and developing problem based worksheets and activities which will make science fun and easy for children. PTI
Northeast to unravel its hidden wonders on Republic Day
Soma Chakraborty
New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) More in news because of insurgency, Northeastern states will go all out to showcase the flora and fauna as also their rich archaeological and cultural heritage in their tableaux participating in the Republic Day parade.
Capturing the beauty of the region's wildlife, its magnificent architectural heritage and diverse socio-cultural traditions, the northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh are all set to roll their fascinating tableaux down the majestic Rajpath as part of the Republic Day Parade in the Capital on Saturday morning.
Meghalaya, which is the home to some of the exquisite varieties of butterflies in the world, will present its float titled 'Butterflies of Meghalaya'.
"Meghalaya is an abode of splendid varieties of butterflies, some of which are indigenous only to the state," says B Kharsamai, Public Relation Officer of the Meghalaya government.
"Our attempt will be to project Meghalaya as a natural storehouse of exquisite butterflies," he adds.
Out of about 1000 species of butterflies found in India, about 250 species are present in Meghalaya alone. Some of the indigenous exquisite varieties of butterflies found in Meghalaya are Blue Peacock, Kaiser-E-Hind, Leafs-Butterfly, Dipper, Bhutan Glory,Yellow Orange Tip, Vagrant, Common Blue Bottle and Red-Breast Jazebel.
Tripura, the green picturesque hilly land of mythology, will showcase ‘Unakoti’, a pilgrimage center.
"Unakoti literally means 'one less than a crore' is an ancient Shaivite pilgrimage centre in North Tripura District of Tripura. PTI
Nagesh takes a “commercial break” with ‘Bombay To Bangkok’
Shambhu Sahu
Film: Bombay To Bangkok
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Lina Christensen, Vijay Maurya and
others
Nagesh Kukunoor is one director in Bollywood who’s expected to come up with something unusual every time he directs a film. The expectations soared, and especially, after his last two mainstream and critically acclaimed films ‘Iqbal’ and ‘Dor’.
But with his latest offering ‘Bombay To Bangkok’, Kukunoor disappoints big time because here he attempts a usual romantic comedy. It's quite same same and not really different.
Shankar (Shreyas Talpade) is a small time chef and happy with his normal middle-class existence. But that’s till he finds a bag full of money in his restaurant which belongs to a Khan ‘bhai’ (Naseerudin Shah in special appearance). While Shankar plans to flee to Dubai with the money, Khan’s son Jamal Khan alias Jam K – a wannabe rapper-turned-gangster – wants his money back. And then comes the chase in which
Shankar keeps the money in medicine cartons and disguises himself as a doctor to flee the country. But he lands in Bangkok instead of Dubai.
There he meets Jasmine (Lina Christensen) a Thai girl. She works as a medical camp volunteer during day time while as a masseur at a body shop in the evening. But this Indian virgin falls in love with her despite not liking her second profession which she thinks is the holiest way of making people happy.
However, the language barrier between the two lovers of different cultural background, might remind you of yesteryears’ Kamal Hasan-Rati Agnihotri starrer ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’.
Meanwhile, since the hero is running out of money he must find the bag which is at a far away place from the medical camp where he is Dr Bhatavedkar, a sexologist. He prescribes Viagra to the poor Thais there and becomes a hero.
Then he goes in search of his money with his highly-professional girlfriend who agrees to help him after receiving first installment of her payment. And so begins their joyride in which they meet Jasmine’ s Bollywood crazy uncle who offers them a night stay and money for fake stories of Aishwarya Rai. In the meanwhile, they dance at a disco, fight over Indian and Thai names only to ‘kiss’ and make up
later but the story goes nowhere.
Shankar finds his money, and returns it to the rapper-gangster. But the director chooses a poor plot of medicine smuggling for its climax for which Jasmine is accused and arrested. Now, it is anybody’s guess that hero will find the real culprit and get his girl back. And that’s why this film is no way a true Nagesh Kukunoor film, though he shows his creative brilliance in some parts.
A high point of which - and the film as well - is the rap-loving gangster Jam K (Vijay Maurya). He is adorable and funny. But just like the film, even this character is under developed. Otherwise, he could have easily joined the league of famous funny Indian creations like ‘Circuit’ (played by Arshad warsi in ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’).
There are few more moments like Shreyas giving Viagra for the first time, Jam K finding love in a Psychologist, etc.
Shreyas acts well but can’t match up to his performance in ‘Iqbal’ and ‘Dor’ simply because scripts of those films were much more powerful than this. With all those few intimate and kissing scenes perhaps, he's gearing up for the potboilers Bollywood has been known for. Lina also does well for herself.
Since this is Nagesh's first out-and-out masala film, it is like the director has taken a ‘commercial break’.
Let Farha Khan – the queen of masala flicks - reign over the genre, Nagesh. Your fans will wait for what you do the best – make films with substance. PTI
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______Market_______
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Sensex: 17605.35, -1408.35
The sensex closed at 17605.35, down 1408.35
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 39.555 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3729 INR
1 British Pound = 77.073 INR
1 Canadian $ = 38.362 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.385 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.766 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.562 INR
1 Euro = 57.276 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.873 INR
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