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Richard Boucher to visit India, N-deal likely to figure
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher will undertake a two-day visit here from Tuesday during which the two sides are expected to review progress on implementation of the civil nuclear deal.
Boucher, in-charge of South Asia, will hold talks with his counterpart Gayatri Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and is expected to meet Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, sources told PTI today.
The civil nuclear agreement issue is likely to dominate the discussions and the Indian side is expected to provide an update on its talks with IAEA on the safeguards agreement.
After the fifth round of negotiations between India and IAEA that concluded in Vienna on Thursday last, the two sides have reported "considerable progress" and moved closer to the agreed text of the agreement.
Finalisation of the safeguards agreement with the IAEA is a key step towards operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. This has to be followed by the waiver by Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to allow India to have civil nuclear cooperation with the international community.
The US has been pressing for early conclusion of these steps so that the agreement comes before the Congress for final voting by May, failing which the prospects for completion of the deal appear to be slim.
During Boucher's visit, the two sides will also take stock of developments in Pakistan, Nepal and other countries in the region.
On Pakistan, India and the US will exchange notes on the latest situation in the backdrop of recent elections there. PTI
Cong expected to seek poll benefits from farm loan issue
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Seeking to cash in on the farm loan waiver issue, Congress is expected to pull out all the stops to derive electoral dividends from the ambitious Rs 60,000 crore scheme amid talks of an early general election.
AICC is organising a rally at Ram Lila grounds here on March nine to thank party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of waiver.
The rally is being organised at a time when Congress is projecting that the Rs 60,000 crore write off of loans of farmers was possible because of the leadership of Gandhi, who is also UPA Chairperson, and Singh.
The rally is expected to be a show of strength by the ruling party and farmers from neighbouring states are expected to come in a big way.
"It is a Congress rally," a senior party leader said when asked whether leaders of other UPA constituents and allies are being invited to it, indicating thereby that it is unlikely to happen.
A virtual race has already begun within the UPA for appropriating credit for the loan waiver move and other sops in the Union Budget with opposition dubbing it an election manifesto of the ruling alliance.
Gandhi is expected to address the rally, so is the Prime Minister amid indications that a meeting of the Congress Working Committee is likely soon. A meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party is also expected in the near future during which Gandhi may tell partymen to be prepared for the battle ahead. PTI
Govt may brief Parliament on nuclear deal tomorrow
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Amid continued nudging by the US to conclude the civil nuclear deal at the earliest, the government is expected to spell out its plans on the issue tomorrow in Parliament when External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee makes a statement.
Mukherjee, who will be making the statement on 'Foreign policy issues', is expected to speak about the government's intent on the civil nuclear deal and the progress made in this regard, sources told PTI today.
He will indicate the status of the negotiations with the IAEA on the safeguards agreement, which is a key step under the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Negotiators of India and IAEA concluded the fifth round of talks on the safeguards agreement on Thursday last and reported "considerable progress" towards the agreed text.
It is, however, not clear how far the two sides have been able to resolve the differences over issues like India's right to build strategic fuel reserve and acknowledgement of its military nuclear programme by the global atomic watchdog.
The US has been pressing India to conclude the agreement with IAEA at the earliest, with Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns setting the March-end deadline for it.
Contending that it was now or never for India to get such a deal, Washington has been maintaining that if the agreement does not come before the US Congress by May-end or early June, it would be difficult to get it passed because of lack of time in the Presidential election year.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently told a group of influential US Senators here that there were "difficulties", apparently referring to the Left parties' stiff opposition to operationalisation of the deal. PTI
Loan waiver will not lead to collapse of banks: FM
By V S Chandrasekar
New Delhi, March 2(PTI)Finance Minister P Chidambaram today sought to allay apprehensions that the Rs 60,000 crore farmers' package will lead to collapse of the cooperative and scheduled commercial banks and weaken the banking system.
A combative Finance Minister strongly defended the budget proposals including the loan waiver, which opposition parties have said was aimed at Parliament elections, and expressed confidence that the budget would spur growth despite the fears of global slowdown.
"I don't think," he shot back when asked about fears that the loan waiver scheme to help four crore farmers will lead to collapse of the cooperative banks and the scheduled commercial banks.
"I have said whatever loans are written off an equivalent liquidity will be provided to the banks concerned. That is a statement which I am sure Dr Alagh (agricultural expert) will understand and appreciate. As for A B Bardhan (CPI leader) I have nothing to say," he said when asked about their comments that the waiver scheme could lead to collapse of cooperative banks.
Alagh, a former Planning Commission member and a Minister of State for Agriculture, had said that the Rs 10,000 crore waiver given by V P Singh government had led to closure of several cooperative banks.
The Finance Minister also said Bardhan should stand up and be counted as being opposed to the loan waiver scheme. "I don't know what his position is," he said.
To a question about farmers owing repayment of loans to money lenders, he said, "which private money lender should I compensate." PTI
Elite Special Protection Group to get wings
Sumir Kaul
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) The elite Special Protection Group (SPG), guarding the Prime Minister and certain other VVIPs, will soon have an aircraft of its own to meet professional requirements.
The 3000-strong force has been pressing for an aircraft for long in order to meet its needs for carrying out security-related operations ahead of a VVIP visit.
Keeping this in mind, the budgetary proposal of the elite protection group accounts for an increase of 45 per cent in the next fiscal. This is the highest-ever increase in the budgetary allocation for the force.
Earlier in 1997-98, it was Finance Minister P Chidambaram who had proposed an increase of 40 per cent hike in SPG's budget.
The SPG, which guards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his immediate family members, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her children and former prime ministers, has already started looking for an aircraft in Europe and certain other markets to allow it to carry out Advance Security Liaison (ASL) teams ahead of a VVIP visit, official sources said.
The SPG, which was earlier known as Special Protection Unit, used to take the aircraft from Aviation Research Centre (ARC) of Research and Analysis Wing but has been facing some problems of late.
The budgetary proposals for SPG, which has been bringing in modern equipment, for this fiscal has been pegged at Rs 170.79 crore as against Rs 117 crore for the previous year. PTI
Virgin Mobile enters telecom space in association with Tatas
Mumbai, Mar 2 (PTI) Virgin Group today entered into the Indian telecom market by inking a 'brand franchise' agreement with Tata Teleservices (TTSL) under which Sir Richard Bransons group will provide value-added services to the Tata Group arm aiming at the youth.
Announcing the launch here Branson said in three years the company would target to rope in five million subscribers in the youth segment and to reach break even. He, however, did not mention the investment company is putting in.
"India is an exciting market. There are more than 215 million Indians aged between 14-25 years. Over the next three years, we expect this segment to be adding over 50 million new youth subscribers and to have revenues of over Rs 350 billion. We will target 10 per cent of the urban youth market," Branson said.
The UK-based company, he said, would bring in '10 telecom industry firsts' to the Indian telecom market which includes getting payment for receiving calls, one-touch VAS access from every Virgin Mobile-branded market and 'call more for less' among others.
Virgin's entry into the telecom sector faced rough weather as the GSM players lobby Cellular Operators Association of India had shot a letter recently to the Department of Telecom seeking its view on whether Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) was allowed in the country. Virgin acts as an MVNO in all its existing six markets in the world. PTI
OEH says takeover shield in place, but share price not immune
New York, Mar 2 (PTI) Luxury hotel chain Orient-Express, where India's Tatas have become second largest shareholder, has said talks about its possible acquisition could affect its share price, even as its anti-takeover measures are firmly in place.
The company's share price can fluctuate "significantly" due to various factors including "market speculation about a potential acquisition of OEH," the NYSE-listed firm said in its annual report for 2007, being sent to its shareholders.
OEH, which has been involved in an acrimonious dialogue with Tata group's Indian Hotels over the latter's proposal for a business alliance, has recently seen a flurry of share purchase activity by various hedge funds, presumably on expectations for a possible takeover bid by Tatas.
The company, however, has made it clear in its annual report that any hostile offer was bound to fail in the current scenario and any such bid would need to win over the company's board and management in order to succeed.
According to the report, Indian Hotels holds 11.5 per cent Class A common shares of the company, making it the second largest stakeholder after Bermuda-based Orient-Express Holdings 1 Ltd (29.8 per cent).
The five largest non-promoter shareholders, including Tatas, currently own 41.1 per cent of Class A shares in OEH, which is much higher than 29.8 per cent held by the holdings company.
However, while market-traded Class A shares give these shareholders a stake in the company's equity capital and make them eligible for sops like dividend and stock returns, when it comes to transactions involving an change in control of the firm, the voting rights are mostly vested in Class B shares. PTI
Upset with Budget, Nath to meet PM
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Disappointed with the budget proposal relating to the export sector, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath will soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and seek fiscal relief for exporters distressed by rupee appreciation.
"None of the recommendations of both the Rangarajan and the Krishnamurthy Committee have been considered in the Budget. We are very disappointed and the Commerce Minister will meet the PM in the next few days," a senior official told PTI.
However, when asked whether he was happy with the Budget proposals, Nath said, "I am happy with the non-commerce ministry part of it (the budget)".
As to how he would provide relief to the exporters, Nath said the "process will go on". He said the annual review of the Foreign Trade Policy, due by the month end, would try and address many of the concerns of the exporters.
The two expert committees appointed by the Prime Minister are believed to have recommended several fiscal and other measures to mitigate the trouble of exporters especially in the labour oriented sectors of textile, handicraft, leather and marine products.
According to the pre-Budget Economic Survey released last week, growth in textile exports for the April-September period of the current fiscal dropped sharply to a mere 1.2 per cent from 33.5 per cent in the same period last year. Handicraft exports have shown a big negative growth of 14.5 per cent against a positive 5.2 per cent a year ago.
"The Budget has not addressed concerns of the labour-intensive sectors of textile, handicraft, leather and marine products, which are the worst hit by the rupee rise," the official said. PTI
EU plans to launch blue card on lines of US green card
Manoj C G
Brussels, Mar 2 (PTI) There is good news for Indian professionals seeking jobs abroad as the European Union (EU) is planning to set up a US 'Green card' style visa programme to attract highly qualified immigrant workers.
In an effort to meet the growing demand for professionals like doctors, engineers and IT experts, the 27-nation bloc may introduce 'EU Blue Card', a special residence and work permit to immigrants granting them a "very generous" legal status.
If the visa plan, still at the consultation level, materialises, it will open new avenues for Indian professionals in European countries besides the United Kingdom, a popular destination for job seekers.
The EU proposal aims at accelerating and simplifying the formalities for entry of immigrant workers by doing away with different complex national procedures besides facilitating their mobility throughout the EU.
Apart from making the procedure easier, the Blue Card will provide immigrant workers better conditions for family reunification and right to equal treatment with EU nationals on availing a host of social and economic rights.
To come into effect, the proposal needs the approval of member states and the nod of European Parliament. "Immigration issues are the prerogative of member countries," said Neena Gill, Chairwoman of the EU's Indian delegation.
Under the plan, immigrant workers will be able to move, work and live in any EU country, provided there is a work contract and a need in that labour market, European Union officials told a team of visiting Indian journalists here. PTI
Tendulkar prevents possible controversy
Sydney, Mar 2 (PTI) Another potential flashpoint between India and Australia was defused today by Sachin Tendulkar's sportsmanship when Brett Lee hit him on the shoulder with a beamer when the masterbatsman was batting on 98 in the first match of the best-of-three final in the one-day cricket tri-series here today.
Desperate Australian captain Ricky Ponting brought in his strike bowler Lee in a last ditch effort to deny India a victory and the fast bowler bowled a beamer that hit Tendulkar on his left shoulder.
Lee immediately apologised to Tendulkar. The Australian extended his hand and Tendulkar responded by shaking it and thereby defusing a potentially explosive situation.
Ponting appeared to tell the umpire that the ball had slipped out of Lee's hand because of dew. He, in fact, indicated that he wanted the ball to be changed.
In the television commentary box later, Sunil Gavaskar said he did believe that the beamer was an accident.
Tendulkar himself dismissed the incident, saying that "I know him (Lee) too well, he didn't do it deliberately". PTI
Ishant sustains finger injury
Sydney, Mar 2 (PTI) Indian team suffered a jolt when its young strike bowler Ishant Sharma sustained a finger injury during the Australian innings in first match of the best of three finals in the one-day cricket tri-series here today.
Ishant's swollen middle finger will be assessed before the second final in Brisbane on Tuesday, it was revealed by team manager Bimal Soni after the match.
"He has swelling in the middle fingerthere was pain and fluid and we sent him for X-ray. We feared major injury but fortunately, it wasn't so," Soni said.
"He still has got swelling and we would assess him on the morning of the match," he said.
The Delhi paceman, who contributed 5-0-19-1 in India's six-wicket win, suffered the injury when he was bowling his last over of his first spell and had to return to the dressing room. PTI
India beat Australia by six wickets
Sydney, Mar 2 (PTI) India beat Australia by six wickets in the first match of their best-of-three one-day cricket tri-series finals here today.
Brief scores: Australia 239 for 8 in 50 overs (M Hayden 82, M Hussey 45; H Singh 2/38, P Kumar 2/49).
India 242 for 4 in 45.5 overs (S Tendulkar 117 not out, R Sharma 66, M S Dhoni 15 not out; J Hopes 2-42). PTI
Rain stops play in U-19 cricket World Cup final
Kuala Lumpur, Mar 2 (PTI) Rain stopped the play in the final match between Indians and South Africans in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup here today.
Chasing 160 for win, South Africa were 17 for three in 8.4 overs when rain interrupted proceedings at the Kinrara Oval.
R Henricks was batting at 7 while J Vandiar, the other batsman on crease, was yet to open his account. PTI
100 US trainers for Pak paramilitary force in tribal areas
New York, Mar 2 (PTI) The United States military is developing a plan to send about 100 of its trainers to work with a Pakistani paramilitary force that is in the vanguard of the fight against the extremist groups, a media report quoting American military officials said today.
Pakistani leaders, the New York Times said, have privately indicated that they would welcome additional American trainers to help teach new skills to Pakistani soldiers whose army was tailored not for counterinsurgency but to fight a conventional land war against India.
Even though the training program would unfold over several months, the paper said it is being disclosed at a time of heightened operations in the unruly tribal areas along the Afghan border.
The 40-page classified plan now under review at the United States Central Command to help train the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force of about 85,000 members recruited from ethnic groups on the border, will significantly increase the size and scope of the American training role in the country, the report said.
United States trainers initially would be restricted to training compounds, but with Pakistani consent could eventually accompany Pakistani troops on missions "to the point of contact" with militants, as American trainers now do with Iraqi troops in Iraq, a senior American military official was quoted as saying.
Britain is also considering a similar training mission in Pakistan, officials said. "The US is bringing in a small number of trainers to assist Pakistan in their efforts to improve training of the Frontier Corps," Elizabeth O. Colton, a spokeswoman for the United States Embassy in Islamabad, was quoted by the paper as saying in an e-mail message. PTI
22 killed in suicide attack at tribal jirga in Pakistan
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Mar 2 (PTI) In a daring attack, a suicide bomber today blew himself up at a gathering of tribal elders, killing at least 22 people at Darra Adam Khel in northwestern Pakistan.
Most of the dead were tribal elders. Two politicians who contested the February 18 general election were also killed, witnesses said.
The jirga or coucil meeting which was being attended by elders of five prominent tribes and local politicians had been convened to discuss the security situation and steps to restore peace in Darra Adam Khel, which has witnessed a spurt in the activities of pro-Taliban militants in the past few months.
Local residents said the suicide attacker managed to enter the jirga and blew himself up. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing that sparked tension in the region.
Such attacks are usually blamed by the government on pro-Taliban militants operating in the NWFP and nearby tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan Army soldiers cordoned off the site of the blast and began patrolling the area, including the nearby strategic Indus Highway.
Personnel of the local Khasadar militia and levy force also reached the spot and help transport the injured to hospitals in Darra Adam Khel and nearby Kohat.
The seriously injured persons were taken to the North West Frontier Province capital of Peshawar. PTI
Orkut, the new agony aunt
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) While millions continue to log into social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook to make friends and socialise, a small but growing number of individuals are also logging on to share not only their personal problems but also to find solutions for them.
Social networking sites are are increasingly taking the shape of the new age online 'agony aunt'.
"Orkut has been a great strength of support for me. I had lost all faith in destiny till I logged on to a kidney transplant community where people with similar problems pepped me up by writing down their experiences," says Sarath Kumar from Hyderabad.
Sarath, who is looking out for a kidney donor for himself adds, "They were people who told me what to do, what all precautions I should take and even suggested names of some good doctors that I could get in touch with." The popularity of such networking sites turning out to be the agony aunt can be gauged from the hundreds of help communities that have been set up, be it from complex issues like kidney transplants, blood cancer to much smaller issues like teenage heart breaks.
Not only do these communities attract a large number of members who indulge in periodical discussions to offer help to the one seeking, many also take part in these discussions as non members.
"The whole purpose of my community has been to reach out to people who face similar problems. Many of the freshers had joined my community and we discussed everything from anti- ragging rules to how to go about with their admission procedure," says Sashank Nair, who had set up a community for first year under-graduate students. PTI
Digest of domestic news for the week Feb 23-Feb 29, 2008
Saturday
New Delhi: Tripura becomes the first state in the North-East where cent per cent photo electoral rolls were used in today's polling for the 60-member Assembly.
New Delhi: Ronen Sen is being asked to continue as India's Ambassador to the US with the government understood to have decided to give him an extension for upto an year.
New Delhi: Delhi Police claims to have cracked a human trafficking racket, which sent over 100 people to the US using forged documents in the past three years, with the arrests of three persons here.
Sunday Kolkata: Senior CPI (Maoist) leader Somen wanted in connection with several cases of killings and other subversive activities in West Bengal and neighbouring Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh arrested.
New Delhi: Against the backdrop of concern over huge pendency of court cases, External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee says there were several areas of "aberration and non-achievement" which warranted corrective action to tackle issues related to delays in courts.
Monday New Delhi: Outlining government's policy approach in her maiden address to the joint sitting of the Budget Session of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil lays special focus on ensuring that the benefits of development programmes flow equitably to the minorities.
New Delhi: The deadlock over the controversial Sethusamudram project appears to persist, with a Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to resolve the issue failing to finalise the Centre's stand on it. New Delhi: Embarking on a significant visit which could have bearing on crucial Indo-Bangladesh ties, the neighbouring country's Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed meets Indian political leaders and top military brass.
Tuesday New Delhi: In a populist budget ahead of next elections, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad slashes passenger fares of all classes and freight rates on petrol, diesel and fly ash while dispensing sops to students, elderly women and AIDS patients.
New Delhi: India successfully test fires its first-ever undersea nuclear capable ballistic missile off the eastern coastal city of Vishakahpatnam, catapulting it to the select band of five countries equipped with the technology.
New Delhi: UPA government's key Left allies CPI(M) and CPI joins hands with the Third Front parties in attacking the Centre's agriculture policies and favouring coming together of these parties to forge a third alternative.
Wednesday New Delhi: 298 passengers bound for London and New York are left stranded for almost a day when the Air India crew refused to operate the flight following a delay caused due to three passengers suddenly wanting to disembark.
Mumbai: Twenty people hired as audience for a television reality show allegedly ransack the studio and smash window panes of some cars, including that of actress Pallavi Joshi, when they are asked to leave the premises.
Thursday New Delhi: The government clears the affidavit to be filed in the Supreme Court seeking the go ahead for the controversial Sethusamudram project, a decision seen as endorsing key UPA constituent DMK's line.
New Delhi: Projecting an 8.7 per cent growth in the current fiscal, the Economic Survey says the government should ensure a non-inflationary growth along with speeding up of reforms for sustaining nine per cent expansion in GDP.
Panaji: Three weeks after their registered wedding in Goa, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and his wife Manyata have withdrawn their joint declaration of marriage after it runs into legal trouble.
Friday Kolkata: Beleaguered caretaker administrator of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Subhas Ghising, who ruled the area with an iron for two decades, would quit within 10 days, after which Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, leading a movement demanding his removal, withdrew its indefinite bandh in the hills.
New Delhi: In a budget that many saw was aimed at early polls, Finance Minister P Chidambaram gives a whopping Rs 60,000 crore largesse to farmers by writing off their loans, providing sops to income tax payers, imposing no fresh burden on corporates but bringing down excise duties to stimulate economy. PTI
Female foeticide, situation worrying in Jammu: Expert
Anil Bhat
Jammu, Feb 29 (PTI) Beset with male child syndrome in the socio-economic setup in Jammu and Kashmir, one girl child out of seven female babies is eliminated in Jammu district of the state portraying a worsening child-sex ratio.
"One girl out of 7 newly born girls becomes a victim portraying a very bleak picture in Jammu and Kathua districts of J-K," Dr Sabu George told PTI during a two-day media workshop on child sex ratio and female foeticide at the medical college here.
Dr George, an expert who has done extensive study of the issue says a very unfortunate situation was developing in the Jammu region. It will soon surpass Punjab as per the trends.
Quoting the survey done on the data collected from twin districts in 2006-07, he said that as a result of girl killings, the child sex ratio in Jammu is 828 girls to 1,000 boys and in Kathua district it is 796 girls for 1000 boys.
If the present trends continues, Kathua, which borders Punjab, is visibly heading for a demographic catastrophe in a decade or so, he said.
Dr George, who has already toured various districts across the country advocating the cause of girl child and ensuring a total ban on the sex determinations tests said, "It is time for administration and society to wake up and arrest this serious trend." PTI
Naxalism will never die: Book
New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Naxalbari has not died and it will never die. Charu Muzumdar, founder of the Naxalbari movement wrote in 'Liberation' in 1971.
Naxalbari lives and Maoist strikes have been adding up in the new millennium. And with extreme inequity, the 'two Indias' will irrevocably remain two. And often, at war with each other, says a new book.
From 2004 Maoist strikes have been spectacular even before their two dominant groups- CPI (ML) Peoples War and Maoist Communist Centre India (MCCI) joined together to form the agglomerate that now controls the show across the country: the Communist Party of India (Maoist) or CPI (Maoist), the book 'Red Sun, Travels in Naxalite country' by journalist Sudeep Chakravarti says.
Nearly every other week there is news of strikes and counter strikes by the Maoists and the security forces. But what stands out is are the precisely planned and focused Maoist attacks on the security, on vigilante groups like the Ranvir Sena and Salwa Judum. In Maoist parlance this is known as Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign or TCOC.
They (the Maoists) carry, according to intelligence estimates, between six and seven thousand regular weapons-AK series of automatic rifles, INSAS rifles used by the army, ancient .303 Enfield, and a range of revolvers and pistols- some bought, but mostly grabbed from polie and paramilitary personnel or guards at railway stations in snatch-and-run or kill-and-take strikes.
(About the book: Red Sun, Travels in Naxalite Country by Sudeep Chakravarti, Penguin Viking, pages 352, price Rs.495)PTI
In Northeast, Debojit, Amit and now Anamika
Rituraj Borthakur
Mariani (Assam), Feb 27 (PTI) First it was the 'Debojit Saha fever' in 2006. Then came the 'Amit Paul phenomenon'. And now, a teenage girl has already created yet another mass hysteria in this region as she cruised passed the initial rounds of the ongoing Zee TV Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'L Champs contest.
The region may have failed to place the winner's crown on Amit Paul in Sony TV's 'Indian Idol' last year, but they are vowing to repeat the feat they achieved with Debojit Saha when the latter notched the top spot in Zee TV's 'Saregamapa Voice of India' a couple of seasons back as Anamika Choudhury prepares for the final showdown in London.
The euphoria was already palpable when Anamika landed in the state a couple of days back on a two-day visit with the Zee TV team. People gathered in thousands to accord a grand welcome to her, even as the people of her home state Assam was drumming up support for the latest singing sensation from North East.
In fact, the residents of her home town Mariani and neighbouring Jorhat are touring the state and neighbouring Meghalaya to win maximum support for the little singer.
Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, who is leading the motorcycle rally, says, "We appeal to the people of NE to vote for this little budding star and establish before the nation that NE has talent in abundance." The mass frenzy surrounding Anamika was on display when she visited her home last week, with police having to be called out to control crowds during her maiden performance on home turf. PTI
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