Kashmir separatists reject Indian peace package, Stand Off Continues despite Peace Package without AFSPA Relaxation!Omar resolves to de-escalate tension in Valley!Plan to reopen all Schools!

The BSE benchmark Sensex crossed the psychologically crucial 20000-mark and the NSE Nifty 6000-level in the week, as foreign investors bet big on robust economic growth in India.Real economy is HIT without repair with Continuous FISCAL Policy Absence in the Exclusive Economy and Dices move Fast Forward Manipulating Politics and Destroying Nature and Nature Associated Indigenous, aboriginal and minriy Communities! I have been insisting that Kashmir is no more an Internal Security issue nor a Biliteral diplomatic strategic PUZZLE between India and Pakistan. The Stand Off is something to do with Strategic Realliance in US Israel Lead and the GREED to GET Super Rich at any cost. The problem roots in rather AFSPA, the continuous Persecution of the Himalayas and the EXCLUSIVE Economy of Ethnic Cleansing boosted by Unabated Foreign Capital Inflow!

India Inc's foreign investments to rise in next few years

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - Four Hundred  Ninety THREE

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

Indian Vision is deeply inficted with Anti Muslim Psyche and Global Phenomenon of Clash of Culture. Thus, the Kashmir Problem has to be Addressed with something more than any Peace package targeted with Further Demographic Adjustment and Readjustment with a stinking Balm of Hindu Brahaminical Zionist blind Nationalism meant to sustain both US Interests as well as the Manusmriti Rule Post Modern!

Kashmiri separatist leaders on Sunday rejected India's offer to release hundreds of young detainees and review the massive deployment of security forces in the Himalayan territory to defuse deadly civil unrest.AP reports that Since 1989, an armed uprising and an ensuing crackdown by Indian security forces have killed an estimated 68,000 people in Indian-held Kashmir. While that rebellion has been largely suppressed, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and the resistance is now principally through street demonstrations.

CIL to file final papers for IPO tomorrow

Hindu Business Line - ‎7 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: The State run Coal India Ltd's (CIL) board has cleared the final papers for its upcoming mega initial public offer (IPO) and will submit them to market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) tomorrow.
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No concession for Coal India from profit sharing - Min Moneycontrol.com
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Panel favours 'limited' release of Bt Brinjal

Economic Times - ‎18 hours ago‎
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Plagiarism slur on Bt brinjal report NDTV.com
Bt brinjal unsafe, says new report Indian Express
Deccan Herald - India Today - Hindustan Times - Calcutta Telegraph

Advani sidelined on Ram temple issue

The Hindu - Neena Vyas - ‎8 hours ago‎
For some, especially those who are part of the Hindutva forces, LK Advani was the 'hero' of the Ram temple movement he launched with his now famous - or infamous - 'rath yatra' from the Somnath temple in Gujarat to Ayodhya on September 25, 1990.
Advani wants early verdict Express Buzz
Can't understand why SC deferred Ayodhya verdict, says Advani Indian Express
Hindustan Times - Times of India - Calcutta Telegraph - NDTV.com
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Indian Express

Jama Masjid incident: Mumbai Police spoils Delhi Police's party

Hindustan Times - ‎3 hours ago‎
PTI Turf war between the elite Crime Branch and Anti Terrorist Squad of Mumbai Police is believed to have spoiled Delhi Police's investigations into the suspected terror attack outside the historic Jama Masjid in the national capital.
Police check Jama Masjid area for clues Times of India
A week gone by, no headway in Jama Masjid attack probe Indian Express
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all 42 news articles »
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Personalized India Edition  |  Standard India Edition


Varun Gandhi to get married, Maneka says Sonia will be invited
Rahul Gandhi may be ducking queries on his marriage plans but wedding bells are all set to ring for his cousin and BJP's young Turk Varun Gandhi.
Where is my passport?
M Saleem Pandit 7 hours ago
That's the question 60,000 Kashmiris are asking because they're being denied the document and with it, the chance to improve their lot
Food security: UP improves dramatically
TNN 8 hours ago
India's urban food security situation improved modestly between 1998-2000 and 2004-06. Surprisingly, Uttar Pradesh showed the most dramatic improvement of all states, in almost all indices related to urban food security.
CJI replaces Justice Kumar with Justice Alam for Ayodhya case
Dhananjay Mahapatra 8 hours ago
CJI S H Kapadia heads the Bench in Court Number 1 of Supreme Court, also known as Chief Justice's Court, and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar sit with him almost regularly.
IAF opens up flying branch to its men in short-service
PTI 8 hours ago
To increase pilot strength, the Indian Air Force has revised norms to allow men in Short Service Commission (SSC) to join its flying branch, hitherto a privilege enjoyed only by SSC women officers.
Chidambaram advises Omar to hold Unified Command meet
TNN 9 hours ago
In the CCS, defence minister A K Antony steadfastly argued the case of the armed forces, often drawing support from finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
It's a rocky road to survival for Srinagar 'stone pelters' colony
ARATI R JERATH 9 hours ago
Mohalla Malik Sahib in downtown Srinagar's Safa Kadal area bears the scars of four months of turmoil.
'Cleaned-up' CWG village still filthy and 'unlivable'
Alok Sinha & Vikas Singh 14 hours ago
The international zone, practice facilities and the dining hall at the Games Village are indeed impressive but the residential wing still needs a lot of work.
India will solve BlackBerry issue: Canada
PTI 17 hours ago
India and RIM will succeed in negotiating a compromise to keep BlackBerry service in place in the country, Canadian trade minister suggested.

FreshFace 2010: Vote for your favourites

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The BSE benchmark Sensex crossed the psychologically crucial 20000-mark and the NSE Nifty 6000-level in the week, as foreign investors bet big on robust economic growth in India.Real economy is HIT without repair with Continuous FISCAL Policy Absence in the Exclusive Economy and Dices move Fast Forward Manipulating Politics and Destroying Nature and Nature Associated Indigenous, aboriginal and minriy Communities! I have been insisting that Kashmir is no more an Internal Security issue nor a Biliteral diplomatic strategic PUZZLE between India and Pakistan. The Stand Off is something to do with Strategic Realliance in US Israel Lead and the GREED to GET Super Rich at any cost. The problem roots in rather AFSPA, the continuous Persecution of the Himalayas and the EXCLUSIVE Economy of Ethnic Cleansing boosted by Unabated Foreign Capital Inflow!

Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India, which both claim the region in full. The dispute over Kashmir has triggered two of the rival nations' three wars since partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
While militant violence has fallen to a 20-year low, separatist sentiment among ordinary Kashmiris, especially young people, has been stoked by India's massive military presence.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed his conviction to de-escalate tension in the disturbed areas and work in harmony with the Centre to find a solution to the Kashmir problem.A day after Centre advised Jammu and Kashmir to open schools, State Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed today announced a comprehensive plan for restarting the learning process and holding of annual examinations in the valley.

"We have formulated a plan to reopen all the schools in the rural as well as urban areas including Srinagar city from tomorrow," Sayeed told reporters after chairing a meeting of the officials of the education department.He said the department will ensure that the students of the valley do not lose a precious academic year due to the ongoing unrest. "We will take the necessary steps.

Meanwhile,Curfew was relaxed in Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar and other parts of the Valley Sunday following improvement in the overall law and order situation, an officer said.

'Curfew has been relaxed in uptown areas and areas falling under Hazratbal, Zadibal, Zakura, Soura police stations in the city from 11 a.m. onwards today (Sunday),' the officer said here.

'In areas falling under police stations of Rainawari, Nowhatta, S.R. Gunj and Safa Kadal, curfew would be relaxed from 3 p.m. onwards.

'Phased relaxation in curfew restrictions is being carried out in all other towns of the valley. This decision has been taken following improvement in the law and order situation,' he added.

Meanwhile, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Sunday asked the people to resume their normal day-to-day activities.

Shops, markets, pavement vendors and other business establishments were operational in Srinagar, despite Sunday being a public holiday. People were seen shopping for essential items.
Traffic also started moving normally as public transport was plying on the roads.


"The Jammu and Kashmir government will take gradual steps to de-escalate tension in the disturbed areas. I will hold a meeting of the unified command later this week in which we will discuss the modalities of reducing the footprints of security forces in cities, particularly the areas that have been designated as disturbed areas," the chief minister told NDTV.

Reach out to people, not to separatists: BJP tells Govt

"Army cannot alone get to decide what can and cannot be done," he reportedly said.

"I myself had a high-level meeting in the state today, working out the modalities of reopening schools and colleges from Monday onwards. The exam schedule of students is to be released and we hope that the parents, students and the society will cooperate with us so that schools can reopen and our
children do not lose one year," he further opined.

Earlier in the day, the Centre announced appointing a group of interlocutors on Kashmir to initiate sustained dialogue with all groups and people of the Valley.

"Government of India will appoint a group of interlocutors under an eminent person to begin the process of a sustained dialogue including political groups, youth bodies as well," Union Home minister P Chidambaram said here.

Chidambaram also informed that the Centre will ask the state government to release all students detained for stone-pelting and protests and also withdraw all charges against them.

"Schools and colleges will be reopened and all detained students will be released," he said, adding, "Rs 100 crore additional Central assistance will be given for educational grants for schools."

Unified command to meet soon on AFSPA: Omar

The Centre will also give ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to families of those killed in the unrest since June this year.

The Valley had been witnessing a rising violence in recent times necessitating imposition of curfew in the terror-torn parts with both the Centre and state trying to work in harmony to restore peace.

The current unrest in the Valley that has claimed more than 105 lives since mid-June.

Transport facility will be provided to the staff on 11 routes in the city and identity cards of the teaching and non-teaching staff will be treated as curfew passes," the minister said. He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday chaired a meeting in which he directed all security agencies to facilitate the movement of the students and staff even if curfew is in place.

Sayeed said parents should send their wards to schools as the annual examinations for all the classes including Secondary and Senior Secondary will be held in time. "Examinations will be held in time but in case any student is not able to appear on the given date due to disturbance or violence, a re-examination will be held at a later date," he added.

Sayeed said while the secondary school examination (10th standard) for students enrolled in schools will begin from October 25 followed by Senior Secondary (12th standard) from November 2. More than 3.25 lakh students are registered with the JK Board of School Education for secondary and senior secondary classes and scheduled to appear in these exams.
The education department has established 1935 examination centres to conduct the annual examinations, which are held in autumn every year due to extreme cold during winter months. The announcement of the examination schedule came a day after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram advised the Jammu and Kashmir government to open all schools.

The Centre has also sanctioned Rs 100 crore for improving the education infrastructure.


At least 107 people, mostly teenage boys and young men in their 20s, have died in a crackdown by security forces on often-violent demonstrations since June, with every death stoking public anger and more protests.

Authorities relaxed a rigid curfew for several hours on Sunday in Srinagar, the main city in the region, and seven main towns following a pause in the unrest. Thousands of people crowded markets to stock up on food and other essentials.

The mountainous region is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. Protesters reject Indian rule and want independence or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

India offered Saturday to urge authorities to release detainees and review deployment of security forces, and to hold talks with all stake-holders in the part of Kashmir it holds. The steps "should address the concerns of different sections of people, including protesters," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said.

New Delhi's proposal follows a visit to Kashmir by about 40 lawmakers from major Indian political parties to seek ways to end the turmoil. India has also offered compensation of 500,000 rupees ($10,800) to each of the families of those killed since June 11.

The separatists, however, rejected the Indian government's proposals.

"The so-called political package by New Delhi is a time-gaining exercise, unrealistic and mere eyewash," said Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a top separatist leader who is spearheading the "Quit Kashmir" campaign against Indian rule.

"India is wrongly mistaken if it thinks it can buy peace in Kashmir by releasing a few students and paying ex-gratia relief to the families of martyrs," Geelani said, referring to those killed by Indian security forces.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, another separatist leader, said India's initiative was inadequate because all parties were not being consulted.

"Our focus is on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. New Delhi's latest initiative is not going to change anything in that relation as the dispute involves three parties, Kashmiris, India and Pakistan," Farooq told The Associated Press.

Farooq urged India and Pakistan to set up Kashmir committees made up of lawmakers that could work to resolve the Kashmir issue by involving separatist leaders.

The hardline separatist leader who has organised months of protests in Indian Kashmir dismissed Sunday an offer from the government for fresh talks and a security review.

The proposals were put forward by Home Minister P. Chidambaram after he led an all-party mission last week to the Muslim-majority region, which has been shaken by violent pro-independence protests and strict curfews since June.

"It is a time-gaining exercise and unrealistic. It is aimed to hoodwink the international community," Syed Ali Shah Geelani told reporters in Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar.

"If rulers in New Delhi believe that by releasing a few students and providing ex gratia relief to the families of martyrs they can reduce the alienation (of Kashmiris), they are wrongly mistaken," he said.

He has also announced another seven days of protests over the next ten days.

Chidambaram's eight-point plan, announced Saturday, was the first major initiative by the government to end clashes between stone-throwing crowds and security forces in which 107 civilians have been shot and killed.

The home minister said a group of "interlocutors" would be appointed to reach out to Kashmiris in a bid to calm the protests, the largest since a separatist insurgency erupted in 1989.

Most of those killed have been young men and teenagers shot by police and paramilitary troops firing live ammunition and rubber bullets.

Chidambaram said the state government would be told to free 255 protesters jailed for throwing stones at security forces and to reopen all schools and colleges, which have been closed during recent unrest.

Authorities will also consider reducing the security presence in the heavily militarised Kashmir valley and will review some areas of emergency military law imposed in the region.

Rights groups have long pushed for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives security forces the power to open fire, detain suspects and confiscate property.

"We think these steps should address the concerns of different sections of Jammu and Kashmir, including (those of) the protesters," said Chidambaram.
Moderate separatists said they were discussing their response to the government package.


They have expressed their anger on social networking sites such as Facebook and by pouring onto the streets in defiance of curfews that keep them indoors for days at a time.

The wave of violent protests was ignited on June 11 by the death of a 17-year-old student hit by a tear-gas shell during a clash with police.

Since then the Indian part of Kashmir has been paralysed by demonstrations, strikes and rolling curfews imposed to stem the violence.

The unrest has left the government grappling for solutions in the region where it has stationed hundreds of thousands of security personnel to fight the armed insurgency it says is backed by Pakistan.

India Inc's foreign investments to rise in next few years

Corporate India's overseas investment is likely to see a significant jump in the next few years, as more companies seek to explore newer markets and make strategic moves in crisis-hit developed economies, a report has said.

"India's outward foreign direct investment should continue its rapid upward trend over the next few years, as more companies seek to transfer their products and services innovations to new markets, and acquire strategic international know-how and market shares, particularly in crisis-hit developed economies," the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment said in a report.

According to the report titled 'Outward FDI from India', the country is now "world's 21 largest outward investor and Indian firms have invested over $75 billion overseas in the past decade."

The report said that substantial improvements in the country's economic performance and the competitiveness of its firms and their strategy, due to ongoing liberalisation in economic and outward FDI (OFDI) policies, made these developments possible.

India's average annual OFDI flows are now higher than those of many developed market economies and over a half of India's total 2002-2009 OFDI flows went into developed economies and most of them in the form of M&As.

Singapore has replaced Russia as the largest host to Indian OFDI, the report said.

Bulls charge ahead; Sensex, Nifty hit historic figures

he BSE benchmark Sensex crossed the psychologically crucial 20,000-mark and the NSE Nifty 6,000-level in the week, as foreign investors bet big on robust economic growth in India.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are on a buying spree in India,one of the fastest-growing major economies. FII inflow in the current-month September totalled `18,649.23 crore till Sept 24.

Hefty FII-driven buying and higher Q2 advance tax payments from frontline companies underpinned the highly positive sentiment pre-vailing in the market. The government doubled foreign investment limits in government securities to $10 billion from $5 billion and increased the limit for corporate bonds to $20 billion from $15 billion, a move that also boosted the market sentiment.

Cumulative rainfall in the country between June 1 to Sept 22 was 4% above normal, a factory which added cheers in the stock market. The 30-share Sensex resumed lower at 19,445.42, but recovered immediately to cross the 20,000-mark to 20,105.54 before ending the week at 20,045.18, posting a sharp gain of 450.43 points, or 2.30%, from its weekend's close.

The 50-scrip Nifty shot up by 133.35 points, or 2.275, to settle the week at 6,018.30 from its last weekend's close. Both the land-marks were regained for the first time in 32 months.

Among the sectoral indices, the BSE-FMCG index shot up by 189.07 points, or 5.31%, the BSE-Consumer Durable moved up by 164.59 points, or 2.67%, the BSE-Auto rose 231.91 points, or 2.5% and the BSE-Teck gained 81.15 points, or 2.22%. The Dollex-30 shot up by 3.48%.

SC postpones Ayodhya verdict till Sept 28

The Supreme Court has deferred the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Babri Masjid title suit—that was due on Friday—by a week to give rival sides more time to settle out of court. A larger, three-member bench will hear the matter on September 28.

All litigants, as well as Attorney General GE Vahanvati representing the Centre, have been told to be present on that day.

The deferment opened up the possibil-ity of a longer delay in delivering the verdict as Justice DV Sharma, one of three judges of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court that is hearing the title suit, retires on October 1.

The Supreme Court order, in an appeal against that dismissal, brought relief to se-curity forces, which already have their hands full battling insurgency in Kashmir and preparing for the controversy-hit Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

All- party Delegation in J&K

The all-party delegation led by Union home minister P Chidambaram wound up its three-day visit to J&K on Wednesday leaving behind a gleam of hope and a cloud of fear. The 39-member delegation met almost 1,000 people from a cross section of society in the state and heard them.

The highlight of the visit, however, remained the meeting of some team members with separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of Hurriyat and Yasin Malik of JKLF in Srinagar and jailed president of Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Shah in Jammu on Monday and Tuesday.

Separatists, who reiterated their known positions during the meetings, are learnt to be waiting to how the delegation responds to their suggestions on its return to New Delhi.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/the-week-that-was/Politics-Round-up/articleshow/6628724.cms
19 Sep, 2010, 02.48AM IST, Mythili Bhusnurmath,ET Bureau

'Aam admi' gets long overdue look-in

The aam admi gets a great deal of lip-service in India. Whether it is the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), now renamed Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, or the proposed Food Security Bill or even the Commonwealth Games, everything the government does is in the name of that poor god-forsaken soul!

So when the Delhi government decides to take 1,600 blueline buses off the road, reserve one lane on the roads for Commonwealth Games vehicles and ban all hawkers from the streets of Delhi, don't fret! It's all being done keeping the aam admi, in mind. Presumably his heart will swell with pride at the thought that his city is playing host to the fourth largest sporting event in the world. So what if his daily bread is jeopardised or his daily life becomes much more of a struggle!

All the more reason then to celebrate the events of last week when after years of being at the receiving end, the aam admi finally got a look in. And from two unexpected quarters: The EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation) and the RBI (Reserve Bank of India). The EPFO upped the rate of interest to be paid to subscribers in 2010-11 by 1% to 9.5%. And the RBI sent a clear signal that the regime of negative real interest rates that saw savers being held to ransom for close to two years to accommodate corporate interests must end.

Take the EPFO's bonanza first. The hike in the rate of interest is expected to benefit close to six crore subscribers of the Fund (and that includes most readers of this paper). Since the interest earned on PF balances is tax-free, interest at 9.5% translates into an effective yield of 13.6% at the highest tax bracket and 10.5% at the lowest tax bracket, a handsome return by any standards, especially once you factor a key attribute of the EPF, assured return.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/as-you-like-it/Aam-admi-gets-long-overdue-look-in/articleshow/6582355.cms

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Map

Hope for peace returns among Kashmiris, but separatists dismissive
2010-09-26 14:00:00

Srinagar, Sep 26 (IANS) Bashir Ahmad Bhat, a shopkeeper in uptown Srinagar, is hoping peace will return to Kashmir Valley with the central government announcing an eight-point initiative to restore normalcy, though many Kashmiris are not so optimistic. Most separatists have dismissed the initiative.

'I hope and pray peace returns to Kashmir and the mad dance of death and destruction is stopped here,' Bashir Ahmad Bhat said fervently.

'It is very difficult to say whether or not the announcement would make any difference on the ground, but I pray it does,' said Bhat, whose business has taken a severe beating in the last three months of violence that has seen more than 100 people dead, and curfews and shutdowns. Bhat complained he had not earned enough even to pay his salesmen or the rent for his shop since the violence began June 11.

'You can well imagine my plight, but it is better to suffer once than suffer continuously over decades. If it is a fight to the finish as the separatist leaders claim, then so be it,' he said.

Other locals are less stoic.

'It is not difficult to resolve the Kashmir dispute provided all the parties are sincere. It still not too late. Somebody must come forward to relieve us of the continuous suffering now,' said Nazir Ahmad, 35, who teaches Urdu in a local college.

'Ibn-e-Maryam Huwa Kare Koyi/Mere Gam Ki Dawa Kare Koyi (I pray Christ is reborn so that he relieves me of my miseries),' Ahmad said philosophically.

Kashmiris have over the years always received announcements from Delhi with cynicism and this time too they are hoping against hope that union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's announcement makes a difference.

'It is very good to have decided that the youth arrested for stone pelting would be released without any charges framed against them.

'This generous step would help the youth to engage themselves with pursuit of their careers, but if things do not move forward in the right direction, the same youth would be arrested again later during another stone pelting incident,' Muzaffar Ahmad, a college teacher here, said.

'You must appreciate that children and youth have not been pelting stones to get killed or arrested. They are simply making a political statement which must be understood and taken in the right spirit by both Delhi and the local leaders,' he added.

The central government Saturday announced that a group of interlocutors will be appointed to hold dialogue on the Kashmir issue and youth arrested in the recent stone-pelting incidents will be freed soon. Compensation of Rs.5 lakh each will also be paid to the families of those killed in the violence and the state government has been asked to convene a meeting of the Unified Command - comprising the chief minister, the home minister and senior army, police and security officers - to decide on deployment of security forces in the Valley and on the future of the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Hardline separatist leaders have dismissed the initiative as 'another eye-wash to continue the status quo'.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has decided to call a meeting of the Unified Command to deliberate on the issue of withdrawal of the Disturbed Areas Act from some areas, so that AFSPA automatically gets revoked in those areas.

The main opposition party in the 87-member state legislative assembly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the announcement with guarded optimism.

'It is a good beginning and for every problem which needs a solution there has to be a good beginning', said Naem Akhtar, spokesman of the PDP here.

Syed Ali Geelani, chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat group, told reporters that New Delhi had once again proved it is not sincere in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

'Nobody died here for economic packages. The announcement made by the Indian home minister did not even refer to our basic demands.

'Our foremost demand is acceptance of Kashmir as an international dispute and the home minister announced yet another committee of interlocutors.

'Talks between New Delhi and Srinagar have borne no fruit since these were started in 1952 and would bear no fruit even today.

'The package is an eye-wash to continue the status quo on the Kashmir dispute,' Geelani maintained.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, and Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), have said they would call a meeting of party constituents to study the package and then announce their reaction to it.

With the mainstream politicians trying to sell the 8-point package to Kashmiris with the hope of ending the cycle of violence here, much will ultimately depend upon how the separatists take it.

'The committee of interlocutors would try that once again, but it has not succeeded in the past,' said an activist of the hardline Hurriyat group who requested not to be named.

Meanwhile, Geelani announced yet another protest calendar for the coming 10 days and asked people to strictly implement it.

All schools, colleges and universities and other educational institutions, that have been shut since the last three months are to reopen Monday. The cabinet panel also announced Rs.100 crore for the state government to re-build schools and colleges.

http://sify.com/news/hope-for-peace-returns-among-kashmiris-but-separatists-dismissive-news-national-kj0oadaagjd.html

Geelani rejects Centre's 8-point formula on J&K

Syed Ali Shah Geelani has rejected the Centre's 8-point formula to deal with weeks of civil unrest in Jammu and Kashmir saying it does not address the core issue of Kashmir and is a "deliberate attempt to buy time."
Other separatist leaders have maintained a studied silence over the package whereas chief minister Omar Abdullah welcomed it as a positive development which must lead to a resolution to all political issues of the state.
Kashmir's chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he would be discussing the package with his senior colleagues in the conglomerate.
However, a statement issued by his office here said, "The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has for a long time being reiterating the implementation of certain measures for improving the ground situation and creating an atmosphere free of intimidation and coercion."
It added, "This is needed for initiating a process of meaningful engagement between the three concerned parties for the resolution of the Kashmir issue…a serious and sincere effort towards that end needs to be made."
But defiant Mr Geelani announced a fresh 10-day calendar of strikes and protests beginning on Monday which virtually incapacitates the state government's effort to bring the educational system back on the rails by seeking reopening of schools and colleges from September 27.
The government had earlier during the day on Saturday announced that school buses could ply on the roads in spite of curfew restrictions being in force in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley and that the identity cards of the teaching staff would be treated as curfew passes whereas parents of the students could also accompany them to their respective schools and back home.
On being contacted over the phone soon after the package of measures was approved by the CCS at its meeting and unveiled by Mr P. Chidambaram at a press conference in New Delhi, the octogenarian separatist leader said that the Centre had failed to take up any of the five points he had identified for breaking ice on Kashmir.
"Mr Chidambaram did not cover any of the five points I had suggested towards creating conducive atmosphere for our reviewing the current phase of our struggle and which could help in seeking a resolution through dialogue," Mr Geelani said.
He added, "Our peaceful struggle shall continue."
He ridiculed the decision that government will grant ex-gratia of `5 lakh to the family of each of those killed in security forces' firing and other actions during the unrest since June 11 saying "So they have fixed `5 lakh the price of the blood of our martyr. Even `5 crore can't be substitute to it I must say." Mr Geelani said that, instead of trying to "buy time," the Centre should put up with the "reality" in Kashmir.
Asked that the package includes a group of interlocutors led by an eminent person to hold "sustained dialogue" with all sections of Jammu and Kashmir and also review deployment of security forces in the Valley, especially Srinagar, Mr Geelani said, "Such interlocutors have failed to help in the situation. Since 1947, especially after 1953, the Government of India has set up such groups or appointed interlocutors as many as 150 times but all failed to address the issue and were wrapped up without being of any help."
He lamented that the Centre acknowledges the issues in Kashmir will be addressed amicably but by the same breath contends that it was an integral part of India and when voices of concern over the human rights violations in the state are raised outside India, New Delhi retorts by terming it as its internal matter. "I don't see the package announced by Mr. Chidambaram carries any weight and, therefore, I reject it. Our peaceful struggle will continue till India concedes Kashmir is an issue of international importance and other four points identified by me," he said.
                

Kashmir initiative not for separatists but for people: Chavan
2010-09-26 14:50:00 Last Updated: 2010-09-26 15:16:54
* An Indian paramilitary soldier checks the identity card of a civilian durin... New Delhi: As hardline Hurriyat Conference dismissed the Centre's Kashmir initiative, Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday said the package was not meant for the separatists but for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that a "positive" reaction to emerge soon. Chavan, who was talking to the media on the sidelines of a function here, was asked about Hurriyat Conference faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani terming the eight-point package for Kashmir announced yesterday as an "eyewash". Air Force man, youth die in Kashmir valley "It is a package not for the separatists but for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I am sure when the package unfolds, the intention of the government to sooth the frayed tempers comes to the fore, there will be a positive reaction," the minister said. Noting that there had been positive reaction from some quarters, he said that he did not expect the "separatists to offer any positive reaction as they have a different agenda. "But we are willing to talk to anyone who wants to find a solution... political leaders, social leaders, NGOs, even people with different ideology... we are willing to talk to them," Chavan said. He said the package has just been announced and when all information about will filter into the public and it will be discussed, the intention of the government to reach out to people of Jammu and Kashmir will become clear and there will be a positive reaction. Under a major 8-point initiative to address the unrest in the Kashmir valley, a group of interlocutors is being appointed to hold a "sustained dialogue" with various shades of opinion, about 200 youth detained for stone-pelting are being released and the presence of security personnel is being de-scaled. Omar resolves to de-escalate tension in Valley Significantly, the notification of areas as "disturbed" will be reviewed which could pave the way for non-application of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to certain parts which will cease to be treated as disturbed.

http://sify.com/news/Kashmir-initiative-not-for-separatists-b-news--kj0oOdciieb.html?ref=content_widget_news

ANC hails Centre''s eight-point initiative on Kashmir

Awami National Conference (ANC) today welcomed the Centre''s initiatives for restoration of normalcy in Kashmir and said effective measures are needed to address the vexed and core issue. "ANC welcomes the setting up of a Group of Interlocutors to commence dialogue with all the stake holders.
The Kashmir issue cannot be kept under the carpet any further and effective measures should be taken to resolve the vexed and core issue," party president Khalida Shah said in a statement here. However, she said the exercise of dialogue should be "purposeful".
On the eight-point initiative announced by Home Minister P Chidambaram on Kashmir yesterday, Khalida, the aunt of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leader of the ANC party founded by former Chief Minister G M Shah, welcomed the suggestions saying "better late than never." "We hope that the era of continued curfews will end and the Government will ensure availability of ration at the PDS outlets and life saving medicines at all hospitals and primary health centres," she said.
Khalida also welcomed the decision to release youths arrested during the recent agitation, but demanded that as part of confidence building measures all political prisoners be released immediately. She, however, took strong exception to the Centre''s "silence" on culprits involved in the killing of over 100 civilians during the unrest.
She demanded that restrictions on print and electronic media be lifted immediately. The ANC leader also talked about the proposed plan of holding five-region intra Kashmir summit and said "it has become more imperative in the present scenario and the party has already begun preparations which could help find a way forward to resolve the issue.

NCP welcomes Centre's package; wants quick implementation

Welcoming the eight-point initiative announced by the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday demanded the immediate setting up of task forces for Jammu and Ladakh regions as proposed in the package.
"We welcome the initiative. Our demand is that the task forces proposed for Jammu and Ladakh should be immediately constituted so that developmental concerns of the regions and
the restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley can be
addressed simultaneously," state party president and former
minister Thakur Randhir Singh told reporters here.
The NCP leader stressed that while reviewing deployment
of security forces in Srinagar city and other towns of the
Valley, security concerns -- both present and those likely to
arise in future -- should be taken into account.

UPA govt bowed before separatists: BJP

Denouncing the eight-point package of the Centre, the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday accused the UPA government of bowing before the separatists and charged that the initiatives have nothing for Jammu and Ladakh regions.
"...the Centre has again bowed before the separatists and anti-national elements and continued its appeasing policy towards Kashmir while ignoring Jammu and Ladakh regions," BJP State President Shamsher Singh Manhas told reporters here.
"Requesting state government to immediately convene a meeting of the Unified Command and to review the deployment of security forces and the notification of areas as 'disturbed areas' is unfortunate and just to accede to the demands of separatists..," he said.
Manhas said during the recent meeting with the all-party delegation that visited the state facing unrest for the last over three months, the BJP had "categorically" raised the issue of discrimination but unfortunately the Centre again "snubbed" Jammu and Ladakh regions.
"The Union government has attempted to be-fool the people of Jammu and Ladakh by announcing the constitution of Task Force for the two regions while real benefits have been showered to the Valley. The BJP will not accept yet another instance of discrimination," Manhas said.
Condemning the Centre's decision to release stone-pelters and withdrawal of cases against them, the BJP leader wondered "What message does the Centre and State want to give to the nation by according leniency to those who break the law?"
He added that this comes even as those participated in the 2008 Amarnath land agitation are still facing charges.

India Calls for Easing of Security in Kashmir

Mukhtar Khan/Associated Press
An Indian soldier checked the identity card of a civilian during curfew in Srinagar, Kashmir.

   

By JIM YARDLEY and HARI KUMAR

   

Published: September 25, 2010

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NEW DELHI — The Indian government announced a major policy shift in Kashmir on Saturday, calling for the release of jailed student protesters, easing security strictures in major cities, reopening schools and universities, and offering financial compensation to the families of the more than 100 civilians killed since the restive region erupted in protests in June.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, who led a parliamentary delegation on a fact-finding trip last week, also said a high-level government committee would be established to open a dialogue with political parties, students and civil society groups in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian-controlled part of the disputed region.
"We hope that these steps should address the concerns of different sections of Jammu and Kashmir, including the protesters," Mr. Chidambaram said on national television.
Separatist leaders said they were assessing the announcement on Saturday night, but several protesters and analysts said that the changes would be judged less by what was said than by how they were carried out.
"People are just cynical," said Amitabh Mattoo, a Kashmir expert at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. "Cynical because of 20 years of conflict and because past dialogues had not gone anywhere."
Kashmir, the predominantly Muslim region claimed by India and Pakistan, has been embroiled in a crisis for more than three months as stone-throwing protesters have clashed with Indian officers firing live ammunition. Many of the protesters were demanding independence from India as outrage over the heavy security presence boiled over.
For India, the world's largest democracy, Kashmir had become a political and security crisis, but also a major embarrassment as the country prepares to host the Commonwealth Games next week in New Delhi.       
In recent days, the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, has choked under a stifling curfew enforced with barbed wire and thousands of security forces. Shops have been shuttered, many people struggled to get medicine and even milk deliveries were halted. Many residents described the situation as "collective punishment."
Omar Abdullah, the embattled chief minister of the state, called the policy changes "a welcome step." Mr. Abdullah has come under fire from critics who say he has mismanaged the crisis, and has previously called on the central government to ease security laws in the region.
In a statement on Saturday, he said that he hoped schools and universities could reopen on Monday but warned that other changes "may take time." Mr. Mattoo called the announcement an "important beginning," but also cautioned that it would take time to determine whether the changes would be meaningful. He said some Kashmiris had hoped for a bolder announcement, including the removal of emergency laws that grant broad arrest powers and immunity to soldiers and security officers.
Instead, Mr. Chidambaram said that the state government would review them.       
"Let us see how many of these commitments actually translate into changing the ground reality," Mr. Mattoo said.       
The protests have steadily escalated into a major crisis. Mr. Chidambaram said at least 108 Kashmiris had died; 194 students were in custody for throwing stones and 51 for violating the Public Safety Act, one of the special laws that grants broad purview to soldiers and security officers. Mr. Chidambaram said he would advise the state government to free the imprisoned students as well as people jailed under the Public Safety Act, making their release a seeming certainty.
The financial package calls for payments of 5 lakh, about $11,000, to the families of the dead.       
Abid Nabi, 21, whose 18-year-old brother was shot and killed by the police in Srinagar, was not impressed and cautioned that the broader package from New Delhi might not defuse the protests.
"I cannot sell the death of my brother for five lakh," he said in a telephone interview. "I do not think that anybody in Kashmir will accept this money. I lost my 18-year-old brother. Many families lost boys who were 7, 8 or 9. Even if leaders will ask to stop protests, youths will defy them."
Mr. Mattoo said that Kashmiris were deeply skeptical of promises from the Indian government, since so many had been broken. He said if the government proves it is acting in good faith, then Kashmiris, including separatist groups, would give a reciprocal, meaningful response.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the leader of a hard-line faction of Kashmiri separatists, issued a critical reaction on YouTube, saying that the overall package failed to resolve the core dispute.
Other leaders were still deliberating. "I cannot comment immediately," said Yasin Malik, head of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. "Our party will meet, discuss and decide on this development."
Many Kashmiris hope the announcement will stabilize the region after a bloody summer. "There should be some peace now," said Altaf Ahamad Khan, 31, a teacher in the village of Nowpora who lost a friend who was shot by the police. "His family is really poor, and they will accept the money announced by the government."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/world/asia/26kashmir.html

Kashmir separatists reject Indian peace package The Associated Press - Aijaz Hussain - ‎2 hours ago‎ SRINAGAR, India — Kashmiri separatist leaders on Sunday rejected India's offer to release hundreds of young detainees and review the massive deployment of security forces in the Himalayan territory to defuse deadly civil unrest. At least 107 people, ... Kashmir protest leader rejects Indian govt 'hoodwink' AFP - Izhar Wani - ‎6 hours ago‎ SRINAGAR, India — The hardline separatist leader who has organised months of protests in Indian Kashmir dismissed Sunday an offer from the government for fresh talks and a security review. The proposals were put forward by Home Minister P. Chidambaram ... UPA govt bowed before separatists: BJP Indian Express - ‎3 hours ago‎ State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday denounced the eight point formula of the Congress-led UPA government to break the ice of violence hit Kashmir, alleging that it was totally Kashmir- centric and anti-Jammu and Ladakh. ... "We think these steps should address the concerns of different sections of Jammu and Kashmir, including (those of) the protesters," said Chidambaram. more by P Chidambaram - 6 hours ago - AFP (27 occurrences) Left welcomes Kashmir formula Express Buzz - ‎7 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: The Left on Saturday welcomed the government's eight-point initiative on Jammu and Kashmir, which comes as a follow-up of the all-party delegation visit to Srinagar and Jammu earlier this week, but, called for a review of the Armed Forces ... India Calls for Easing of Security in Kashmir New York Times - Jim Yardley, Hari Kumar - ‎20 hours ago‎ Mukhtar Khan/AP An Indian soldier checked the identity card of a civilian during curfew in Srinagar, Kashmir. By JIM YARDLEY and HARI KUMAR NEW DELHI — The Indian government announced a major policy shift in Kashmir on Saturday, calling for the release ... Wounds tell of violence in Indian Kashmir AFP - Ben Sheppard - ‎9 hours ago‎ SRINAGAR, India — The wards of the Bone and Joint Hospital in Srinagar provide ample evidence that pro-independence demonstrations in Indian Kashmir have met with a tough response. At least seven patients tell of how they were shot by police or ... Make Kashmir a national priority, says the Mirwaiz Times of India - Saleem Pandit - ‎17 hours ago‎ Though Kashmir seems perpetually on the boil, it is not to say that attempts to cool tempers are not being made. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, for example, believes a shared commitment for dialogue is a step in the ... Centre likely to announce 'confidence building measures' on Kashmir The Hindu - ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ PTI The government is likely to announce "graduated step—by—step" confidence building measures next week for Jammu and Kashmir which will include release of those apprehended in the recent stone—pelting incidents in the Valley and a review of the Armed ... Centre unveils 8-point formula for Kashmir The Hindu - Vinay Kumar - ‎15 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: The Centre will appoint a group of interlocutors, under the chairmanship of an eminent person, to begin the process of sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir with political parties, groups, students, civil society and other stakeholders. ... New Delhi Trip a success, it's time for CBMs Hindustan Times - ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ With tension in Kashmir slightly tempered and curfew relaxed in select areas, parliamentarians who had visited the Valley early this week brainstormed today on the way forward for a political initiative. "Some confidence building measures (CBMs) should ... All 174 related articles »

Related Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar AFSPA Syed Ali Shah Geelani India CCS Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Kashmir initiative not for separatists but for people: Chavan ‎4 hours ago‎ - IBNLive.com Islamic FMs deplore India's use of force in IHK ‎11 hours ago‎ - The Nation, Pakistan Centre's Kashmir plan silent on Army's powers ‎21 hours ago‎ - IBNLive.com Centre announces 8-point initiative for Kashmir ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ - Economic Times CPI(M) welcomes Kashmir package, seeks AFSPA review ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ - The Hindu All students arrested in Kashmir to be released ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ - IBNLive.com New Delhi Trip a success, it's time for CBMs ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times Images AFP New York Times AFP AFP Zee News Oneindia Press TV India Today India Today

Curfew lifted from the Valley, fresh protest calander out Indian Express - ‎53 minutes ago‎ Feeling improvement in the overall law and order situation, curfew was relaxed in Srinagar and other towns across the Kashmir valley on Sunday. Phased relaxation in curfew and restrictions were given, while as other restrictions under section 144 ... 1 more death takes Kashmir toll to 104, curfew clamped Times of India - ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ SRINAGAR: Curfew remained in force in Kashmir Valley for the 11th day on Wednesday even as the death toll in the ongoing agitation rose to 104 after a youth succumbed to his injuries in a hospital here. Although curfew was relaxed in a phased manner ... Curfew lifted from many parts of Kashmir Valley The Hindu - ‎8 hours ago‎ PTI Curfew was on Sunday lifted from many parts of Kashmir Valley while authorities announced relaxation in Srinagar city, where curbs had been reimposed in the wee hours following incidents of stone-pelting, and areas of Kupwara district. ... Abdullah calendar takes on Geelani's Economic Times - ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration seems to have drawn up a blunt strategy to counter the 'Geelani calendar of agitation' imposed on the people of the state. If the last few days are any indication, the state administration seems determined ... Curfew restrictions eased in many parts of Kashmir Valley The Hindu - ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ PTI Authorities today lifted curfew from parts of Srinagar city from noon onwards besides easing the restrictions in some other parts of the Valley after the law and order situation by and large remained peaceful overnight. "Curfew has been lifted from ... Curfew imposed across Kashmir Valley Times of India - ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ SRINAGAR: Curfew was imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of the Kashmir Valley to prevent Friday protests called by the separatists. Officials said schools would open from Monday and that steps are being taken to end the cycle of violence. ... Six injured as security forces fire on India Kashmir protest AFP - ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ SRINAGAR, India — Six people including a separatist politician were wounded Friday when Indian security forces opened fire on protesters who defied a rigid curfew in Kashmir, police said. Showket Bakshi, senior leader of the pro-independence Jammu ... Curfew relaxed in parts of Srinagar; toll mounts to 104 Hindustan Times - ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ PTI For the second time in as many days, authorities today announced relaxation in curfew in parts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Pulwama districts even as the toll in the ongoing agitation rose to 104 after a youth succumbed to injuries in a hospital here ... Curfew continues in major towns of Kashmir Valley Economic Times - ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ SRINAGAR: Barring parts of Sopore town, curfew remained in force in all major towns of Kashmir Valley for the 13th day. Curfew was relaxed for three hours in parts of north Kashmir's Sopore town, 55 kms from here, this morning, a police spokesman said. ... Hurt in firing, student succumbs in Valley Hindustan Times - ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ A 19-year-old injured in firing by security forces last week during a protest in central Kashmir succumbed to his injuries at a Srinagar hospital on Wednesday. Sajad Ahmad Pandit (19), a 1st year college student, was injured after security forces ... All 88 related articles »

Related Srinagar Syed Ali Shah Geelani Jammu and Kashmir All Parties Hurriyat Conference Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Curfew lifted from the Valley, fresh protest calander out ‎53 minutes ago‎ - Indian Express Pol parties welcome Kashmir initiative, hardline Hurriyat says ‎21 hours ago‎ - IBNLive.com Abdullah calendar takes on Geelani's ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - Economic Times Curfew relaxed in Valley, stone pelting in Pulwama ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - IBNLive.com 1 more death takes Kashmir toll to 104, curfew clamped ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - Times of India Images AFP NDTV.com Oneindia Press TV GreaterKashmir.... GreaterKashmir.... All related images »

26 Sep, 2010, 07.07AM IST, Devendra Nevgi,

Futures is an effective tool to protect returns

The development in futures markets in India has been encouraging with access available to retail investors in newer asset classes such as currencies and interest rates which hitherto were not available in spot markets due to regulatory or physical restrictions such as minimum exposure size. This has helped the portfolio diversification objective of the retail investors.

Exchange traded, cash settlements, standardised contracts, price time priority are some of the advantages of futures contracts in India. The numbers of contracts dealt in a fiscal year in stock index futures (NSE) have grown exponentially by 1,968 times since 2000-01. FIIs have been actively using the short side of the stock futures to hedge their underlying positions in cash markets.

My advice to retail investors is very simple—Don't invest in products where you don't understand the "risks and the downside" of it. Unfortunately in India the futures market, specially in stocks, is used more often as a speculative vehicle rather than a hedging one. And the biggest risk in speculating in futures markets comes from the inherent leverage built into such products, viz the ability to take exposure worth Rs 100, by just paying an upfront margin of Rs 5 or Rs 10.

We all know that leverage which is 10 or 20 times here, is a two way sword—it multiplies your returns in rising markets and multiplies your losses in falling ones too. The feedback loop of larger profits-larger confidence-larger positions—larger risk—entices retail investors to take the path of derivatives like futures. But when the feedback loop breaks down, the losses are large due to the leverage. Greed, overconfidence and lack of understanding are the main culprits for losses in futures markets.

A retail investor has to understand the futures market a bit—the pricing of it, which is mainly driven by the underlying spot prices, interest rates, income from the underlying assets as well as delivery restrictions, if any. For a retail investor to use the futures route, he has to decide before taking the position whether it's for hedging an existing position or a speculative one.

Arbitrage (between spot and futures markets) is an third but less frequented option for a normal retail investor. If the position is for hedging the investor has to decide on how much of its existing position has to be hedged and for how long. The hedge can be either static or dynamic, with frequent adjustments in response to price movements in underlying. A hedge position should be unwound along with the underlying positions or else it will amount to pure speculation.

In case a retail investor is making the mistake of pure speculation (short-term directional call) by going long or short by using futures, he should have a strict gross position and stop loss limits, which are ruthless and time bound. Ideally the stop loss limits should be equal to the upfront margin put up by the investor. In this way he can mitigate the downside risks.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/money--you/Futures-is-an-effective-tool-to-protect-returns/articleshow/6628287.cms

26 Sep, 2010, 01.19AM IST, Raghu Krishnan,ET Bureau

India's VIP culture

If you thought dirty public toilets inhabited by dogs are something only Indian citizens have to put up with, think again! Reports of chefs-de-mission of international sporting teams being greeted by filthy flats in the newly-built Commonwealth Games Village (which the organising committee chairman Kalmadi claims is world-class) prove that the malaise extends all over.

What is even more shocking is that no official involved with the Commonwealth Games bothered to check out the rooms in the Village before showing them to the heads of international teams participating in the event which will begin on October 3. Even the owner of the humblest house in India will check out whether the toilet is clean and working before taking a prospective tenant around!

The problem is that public money is everyone's money and, therefore, no one's money! And so what if the nation's top bureaucrat—the Cabinet Secretary—is supposed to be co-ordinating on behalf of the Government of India with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) headed by Kalmadi. And so what if we have been told that the expenditure of thousands of crores of rupees on the Commonwealth Games is justified since hosting the event is a national commitment which has to be honoured.

And so what if, in its inimitable style, the Manmohan Singh government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to ensure that the Commonwealth Games goes on without a hitch!

The malaise is not just confined to the Commonwealth Games Village. Take last Sunday's shoot-out outside Delhi's historic Jama Masjid where two Taiwanese tourists were seriously injured in what was supposed to be a high-security zone. After a previous incident outside the Jama Masjid, there had been official assurances that CCTV and metal-detectors would be installed outside all the entrances. However, within a few hours after last Sunday's attack, there were media reports stating that neither the CCTV nor the metal-detectors were functional and that the Jama Masjid's Imam Bukhari had complained about this to the Prime Minister's Office and the home ministry.

The problem in India is that there is no culture of accountability. What we have instead is a VIP culture where postings and promotions are determined on the basis of the bureaucrat's proximity to the nearest centre of power. And so the bureaucrat goes all out to ingratiate himself with the nearest VIP. If there had been even a semblance of accountability, some official somewhere would have been punished for the failures of omission and commission which facilitated the mess on the Commonwealth Games front or last Sunday's shoot-out.

Instead, India's urban development minister and the CGOC term as a minor incident the collapse last Tuesday of the main stadium overbridge in which five workers were seriously injured. The CGOC top brass also adds that construction-workers used the Village toilets and "dirtied them". Surely, those who oversee construction could have organised temporary toilets since even aam-aadmi workers have to answer the call of nature.

Perhaps India's UPA-coalition government will launch a country-wide scheme named after a national leader to ensure that construction-workers have toilets to use while on the job. That could be the only permanent benefit to accrue from hosting the Commonwealth Games!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6628254.cms
26 Sep, 2010, 01.26AM IST, Mythili Bhusnurmath,ET Bureau

Better late than never!

Former law minister Shanti Bhushan set the cat among the pigeons by alleging eight former Chief Justices of India of corruption and daring the Supreme Court to send him to jail for 'contempt of court'. And while there may be an element of truth in the cynical view that Bhushan was motivated only by parental concern for his lawyer son currently facing contempt charges (after all, why did he remain silent all these years?), what is surprising is the muted response to the allegation from the media and the establishment.

It is as though corruption is now so much a part of our DNA—note the former CVC's comment that one in every three Indians is corrupt—that allegations of corruption no longer raise our collective consciousness. But can we afford to be so indifferent? Can petty corruption of the kind practiced by the clerk at the Regional Transport Office or the Passport Office be equated with corruption in the judiciary?

Let me clarify. Corruption at any level is reprehensible and must be condemned. But it is far worse when corruption is present in the judiciary because the judiciary is the ultimate custodian of our rights. To give an analogy, the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a dastardly act by any standards. But it was made more dastardly by the fact that it was done by her bodyguards, the men entrusted with her safety. Likewise, corruption at any level is bad. But it is a hundred times worse when it exists at the highest levels of the judiciary because it rules out any scope for redress.

Shanti Bhushan's remarks should, therefore, have caused a public outcry. At the very least there should have been demands to investigate his allegations and take action against those found guilty, if any. From a longer-term perspective, it should have provoked some soul-searching and public debate about all that is wrong with our higher judiciary.

To start with there is the issue of lack of transparency in the appointment of judges to the High Court and Supreme Court. If the earlier system, where power rested with the executive, was bad—we've seen the damage wrought during Mrs Gandhi's tenure as PM—the present system, where the judges are recommended (read selected) by a cosy collegiate of Supreme Court judges, is no better.

Once appointed, removal of a judge is almost impossible. Impeachment, the only mode at present, is such a long drawn out process as to be virtually meaningless. The Supreme Court cannot take any action against a judge accused of misdoings. It can at best disallow him from hearing cases but he continues to enjoy all the perks and privileges of his position.

Witness the farce over the former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, PD Dinakaran who, even while facing impeachment proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on the grounds of grave charges of corruption, has been allowed to take over as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. Are we seriously suggesting the people of Sikkim are entitled to lower standards of justice?

Today the government does not have the constitutional competence to look into the allegations against the Supreme Court and High Court judges. That should change once the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, that replaces the earlier Judges Inquiry Bill 2006, is passed by Parliament. The Bill, among other things, establishes a mechanism for dealing with complaints against a Supreme Court or High Court judge and also provides for declaration of assets and liability by judges.

Hopefully it will not meet the same fate as the Judges Enquiry Bill 2006. The 2006 Bill was seen was seen as the first step in allowing people to speak out against corruption in the judiciary by simplifying the procedure for filing complaints of corruption against judges. But though it was introduced in Parliament in December 2006 and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (which gave its recommendations in August 2007) nothing came of it during the term of the UPA I government.

This time round we cannot afford to be so complacent. Allegations of corruption in the higher judiciary are both too frequent and too persistent for us to dismiss as motivated. So regardless of Shanti Bhushan's motive, it's time we sat up and looked beyond to whether there is any truth in what he says and put in place necessary institutional safeguards. Better late than never!
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/mythili-bhusnurmath/Better-late-than-never/articleshow/6628270.cms

Ambani truce just a pause, not end of story, says new book

The truce between the wrangling billionaire Ambani brothers is merely a "pause" and not the end of the story, says a new book on them.

The siblings' declaration in May this year of working for a harmonious environment was partly due to two influences -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and mother Kokilaben, who implemented the division of the multi-billion dollar Reliance empire in 2005, the author Hamish McDonald has written in the new book 'Ambani and Sons'.

Terming the two brothers as "real life slumdog billionaires", McDonald notes that the continuing story of Mukesh and Anil was "unlikely to become dull." According to the author, it is not the end of the Ambani story -- "merely a pause".

His previous book 'Polyester Prince', published in 1998 and focussed mostly on Ambani family patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani, generated a lot of controversy and could never be released in India after Ambani group moved court against its publication here.

However, the new book, which takes forward the story of Ambani family and talks about the feud between the two Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil as also their recent truce, has managed to get published in India.

The book says that two influences, that is Prime Minister's Office and Kokilaben, were partly responsible for the joint statement that spoke about striving for an environment of harmony, co-operation and collaboration.

"One was the office of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which had been urging the brothers to stop their public fighting in the overall interests of India.

"The other was Kokilaben, who was undoubtedly anguished by the continuing rift in her family and the unfavourable attention it was bringing," the book points out.

As per the book, even without these influences, "commercial realism" would have impelled the modification of the family agreement and the pledge of cooperation". In the new book, the author opines that the master agreement for the sale of gas from Mukesh's offshore field to younger Anil's power plant at Dadri seemed more like a "truce, a reaching for a modus vivendi, than a firm peace, let along a rebuilt alliance". "The sniping had stopped, but the signs of active collaboration were yet to come," he writes in the book that has come within months of the two group announcing a truce.

The author says that Mukesh and Anil showed a hungry ambition, more often found in a first generation entrepreneur, perhaps because they had been involved from very young ages in their father Dhirubhai Ambani's business life.

Regarding the two empires led by Mukesh and Anil, McDonald wonders, "Had the entrepreneurial drive of Dhirubhai been dissipated? Each of the brothers se out to show the world that the spirit lay with him".

As per the book, the two brothers played a constant game of "one-upmanship" against the other, citing instances such as Mukesh buying an IPL cricket team and during the same time, reports had suggested that Anil was eyeing a English football club. On the infamous years-long succession battle that led to the division of Reliance empire, McDonald says that communication between the two siblings came down to stiff press comments by spokesmen and mounting number of court actions.

"However, both were said to put on a display of politeness at weekly breakfasts with their mother at Sea Wind," according to the book.

Spotlight : Ayodhya verdict

As the nation gets a breather from Ayodhya verdict, everyone is waiting for September 28 when the verdict will be announced. From cancelling leaves of the policemen, to liquor ban to ban on group SMSes - the state was geared up in everyway. Among the questions before the court are whether a temple existed at the site before 1528 when the Babri Masjid was built; whether the site is the birthplace of Ram. The timing of the decision may become even more crictical with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

Muslim clerics oppose further delay in Ayodhya verdict

IANS - 07:35 PM
Lucknow, Sep 26 (IANS) Muslim religious leaders Sunday joined their Hindu counterparts in opposing any further postponement of the Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi issue, noting both sides have reposed faith in the court's decision. More »

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• Can't understand why SC deferred Ayodhya verdict, says AdvaniIE - 05:46 AM
• Sane VoicesIE - 05:46 AM
• Muslims offer special prayers for favourable verdict on Ayodhya land dispute caseANI - Sat, Sep 25
• Traders affected by Babri verdict delay, seek early decisionANI - Sat, Sep 25

More Articles

• Ayodhya residents want peace, apprehensive of controversiesANI - Fri, Sep 24
• Supreme Court orders Ayodhya mosque verdict postponedReuters - Fri, Sep 24
• Ayodhya heaves a sigh of relief, but delay adds to uncertaintyIE - Fri, Sep 24
• The Ayodhya FilesIE - Fri, Sep 24
• Ayodhya: SC judges differ, deferIE - Fri, Sep 24
• SC stays Ayodhya verdict, gives talks another chanceFE - Fri, Sep 24
• Education, infrastructure as important as Ayodhya verdict: Rahul GandhiANI - Thu, Sep 23
• Hyderabad police relieved as Ayodhya verdict deferredIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• Mixed response in Ayodhya to apex court's stay on verdictIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• SC stay could delay Ayodhya title suit indefinitely: TogadiaPTI - Thu, Sep 23
• Cong welcomes SC stay by a week High Court verdict on AyodhyaPTI - Thu, Sep 23
• Mumbai braces for Ayodhya verdictIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• Security stepped up in Kerala ahead of Ayodhya verdictIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• Security tightened in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Babri Masjid verdictANI - Thu, Sep 23
• Ayodhya, Faizabad turn fortresses ahead of verdictIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• No provocative remarks on Ayodhya verdict: PCANI - Thu, Sep 23
• Garlands of harmony from Ayodhya's Muslim flower artisansIANS - Thu, Sep 23
• Pilgrims stay away, businesses suffer ahead of Ayodhya verdictANI - Thu, Sep 23
• Kamat appeals for calm ahead of Ayodhya verdictIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Hearing on plea for delaying Ayodhya verdict put offIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Be careful about Ayodhya judgment coverage: Editors' guildIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Apex court defers hearing on plea for delaying Ayodhya verdictIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Chidambaram appeals for peace ahead of Ayodhya verdictIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Supreme Court defers hearing on Ayodhya pleaIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Visitors shy away from fortress AyodhyaIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Hindu, Muslims have matured since Babri demolition: PillaiANI - Wed, Sep 22
• Security beefed up on Indo-Nepal border prior to Ayodhya verdictANI - Wed, Sep 22
• Ayodhya verdict: Two-day holiday for Karnataka schoolsIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Ayodhya crosses its fingers before court verdictIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Azad appeals for peace and harmony in wake of Babri verdictPTI - Wed, Sep 22
• Apex court bench declines to hear Ayodhya pleaIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Ayodhya waits, 90-yr-old petitioner counsels peaceIE - Wed, Sep 22
• Apex court moved for deferring Ayodhya verdictIANS - Wed, Sep 22
• Ahead of HC verdict on Ayodhya, parties & citizens appeal for peaceFE - Wed, Sep 22
• Assam asked to be alert ahead of Ayodhya verdictIANS - Tue, Sep 21
• Shiv Sainiks will maintain peace post-Ayodhya verdict: UddhavIANS - Tue, Sep 21
• SLP may be filed in SC to defer Ayodhya verdictPTI - Mon, Sep 20
• Justice Sharma issues dissenting note; favours conciliation in Ayodhya land dispute caseANI - Mon, Sep 20
• On Ayodhya verdict, Muslim body calls for calm, no celebrations or protestsIE - Mon, Sep 20
• Ayodhya: Judge issues dissenting note, favours conciliationIANS - Mon, Sep 20

Spotlight : Kashmir unrest

Curfew, unrest and impasse - Kashmir is burning again. Will the all party delegation be able to resolve it?

Kashmiri Pandits protest delegation visit, 114 held

PTI - Tue, Sep 21
Jammu, Sep 21 (PTI) Displaced Kashmiri Pandits today staged a sit-in here to protest the all-party delegation's visit to Jammu and Kashmir and raised anti-government slogans, prompting police to cane-charge and take into custody 114 people, including 15 girls. More »

News Stories

• Several injured in police action in JammuIANS - Tue, Sep 21
• BJYM protests against revocation of AFSPAPTI - Sun, Sep 19
• APMCC chairman resigns from Apex Committee for MigrantsPTI - Sun, Sep 19
• Hurriyat shelves plan to hold protest outside army campsPTI - Sat, Sep 18
• PDP dist youth chief injured while leading a stone-pelting mobPTI - Sat, Sep 18

More Articles

• Two killed in fresh clashes in KashmirReuters - Fri, Sep 17
• J-K BJP holds demonstration on law and order issuePTI - Thu, Sep 16
• Three killed during protest in Indian KashmirReuters - Wed, Sep 15
• Hardline Hurriyat issues 11-day protest schedulePTI - Tue, Sep 14
• Agitated over alleged desecration of Quran in U.S., mob sets missionary school on fire in KashmirANI - Mon, Sep 13
• Protests over Centre''s proposal to dilute AFSPA in JKPTI - Mon, Sep 13
• One killed during Koran protest in KashmirReuters - Mon, Sep 13
• Curfew imposed in more areas of Kashmir ValleyPTI - Mon, Sep 13
• Case registered against Mirwaiz Umar FarooqIE - Sun, Sep 12
• Case registered against Mirwaiz Umar FarooqPTI - Sun, Sep 12
• Thousands march in Indian Kashmir; police attacked, ASAP - Sat, Sep 11
• Thousands march in Indian Kashmir; police attacked, 2nd Ld-Writethru, ASAP - Sat, Sep 11
• Thousands march in Indian Kashmir; police attacked, 3rd Ld-Writethru, ASAP - Sat, Sep 11
• BJP holds dharnas in J&K to ptotest against autonomyPTI - Wed, Sep 8
• Curfew clamped in Srinagar, restrictions imposed in the ValleyPTI - Tue, Sep 7
• BJP to protest against autonomy demand for J-KPTI - Mon, Sep 6
• BJYM protest against demand for autonomy for J&KPTI - Sun, Sep 5
• Little known separatist leader spearheading stone-pelting Kashmiri protestsANI - Sun, Sep 5
• Primary school students protest against the unrest in ValleyPTI - Wed, Sep 1
• A new challengeIE - Tue, Aug 31
• Curfew, shutdown hit Srinagar againIANS - Mon, Aug 30
• Villagers protest against violence by militants in Jammu and KashmirANI - Sat, Aug 28
• Curfew in Srinagar; Geelani, Mirwaiz under house arrestIE - Sat, Aug 28
• Curfew imposed in Srinagar, two other towns of Kashmir ValleyPTI - Sat, Aug 28
• Register strongest protest to China: Indian political partiesIANS - Fri, Aug 27
• Hurriyat leader Geelani leads mass protest in SrinagarANI - Fri, Aug 27
• Life returns to normal for a day in Kashmir ValleyIANS - Fri, Aug 27
• Oil tankers'' associations call off strikePTI - Thu, Aug 26
• Kashmir fuel supply hit, tanker operators go on strikeIANS - Thu, Aug 26
• Tanker operators strike in JK, petrol products'' supply hitPTI - Thu, Aug 26
• Protect Sikhs in Kashmir: BJP asks Omar AbdullahIANS - Wed, Aug 25
• Residents stage protest over arrest of local youth by J-K policeANI - Mon, Aug 23
• Kashmir stone pelters get a taste of their own medicinePTI - Mon, Aug 23
• NAD activists protest threat letters to Sikhs in KashmirPTI - Sun, Aug 22
• Delhi Sikhs protest Kashmir threatsIANS - Sun, Aug 22
• Four injured as Police fire teargas shells on stone-pelters in SrinagarANI - Mon, Aug 16
• Residents stage protest with shoes in hand in SrinagarANI - Sun, Aug 15
• Omar cancels unified command meet to protest civilian deaths in J-KANI - Fri, Aug 13
• Curfew re-imposed in Kashmir due to separatist marchANI - Fri, Aug 13
• Nine injured in clashes in J and KPTI - Wed, Aug 11

   

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Spotlight : Common Wealth Games 2010

Catch all latest news and updates on Commonwealth Games 2010

More athletes, officials arrive for Commonwealth Games

IANS - 08:21 PM
New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Around 1,100 foreign athletes, officials and media personnel arrived in the Indian capital Sunday for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games. More »

News Stories

• Home secretary reviews CWG, Delhi securityIANS - 08:17 PM
• Hooper retracts criticism of Indian governmentIANS - 08:13 PM
• World champion Tejaswini yet to join Indian shooting teamPTI - 07:54 PM
• Scottish team arrives in New Delhi for CWGANI - 07:45 PM
• CWG Village work to be completed by Wednesday: DikshitANI - 07:45 PM

More Articles

• School children promote Commonwealth Games in AmritsarANI - 07:45 PM
• Punish those involved in CWG corruption: CPIIANS - 07:45 PM
• Pillai reviews CWG securityPTI - 07:44 PM
• PM opens CWG sports injuries centreIANS - 07:40 PM
• Queen's Baton enters HaryanaIANS - 07:38 PM
• Security net thrown around Games venuesIANS - 07:24 PM
• Hooper refuses to share blame for the CWG messIANS - 07:08 PM
• Snake in athlete's room at Games villagePTI - 07:05 PM
• Games Village to be ready by Wednesday: Sheila DikshitIANS - 07:03 PM
• Home secretary reviews CWG securityIANS - 06:59 PM
• CWG situation sad, want Games'' success as an Indian: AdvaniPTI - 06:58 PM
• Snake in athlete's room at Games VillageIE - 06:57 PM
• PM opens CWG sports injuries centre; stadia lockdown delayedIANS - 06:39 PM
• 6000 people participated in Indian CyclothonPTI - 06:34 PM
• India removes snakes, filth to ready Games villageReuters - 06:31 PM
• Rugby ground in top shape; venue getting finishing touchesIANS - 06:20 PM
• International Zone: the biggest hit at CWG VillagePTI - 06:11 PM
• Snake in athlete''s room at Games Village?PTI - 06:11 PM
• Volunteers want to contribute in making Games a successPTI - 06:06 PM
• Scotland''s first batch of athletes arrivePTI - 06:04 PM
• CGF not to be blamed for missed deadlines: HooperIE - 06:00 PM
• More pullouts, fresh complaints on Games Village hit CWGIE - 06:00 PM
• English delegation to move into Games Village todayIE - 06:00 PM
• I am satisfied and excited about CWG: KalmadiIE - 06:00 PM
• Mad scramble to finish work at JLN stadiumIE - 06:00 PM
• Rooms are still 'unliveable': Botswana Chef de MissionIE - 06:00 PM
• Foreign athletes making lots of fuss: MilkhaIE - 06:00 PM
• Indian cuisine - a big hit with visitorsIE - 06:00 PM
• Pillai meets Delhi Police officials ahead of CWGPTI - 05:55 PM
• ZCZCPTI - 05:22 PM
• Indian cuisine - a big hit with visitorsPTI - 05:20 PM
• 1,600 Blueline buses go off roads, commuters face hardshipPTI - 05:18 PM
• Foreign athletes making lots of fuss: MilkhaPTI - 05:11 PM
• Hop-on hop-off bus service to start tomorrowPTI - 05:05 PM
• FICCI for a separate law to check corruption in sportsIANS - 04:56 PM
• More pullouts, fresh complaints on Games Village hit CWGPTI - 04:46 PM
• Govt downplays concerns over dengue outbreakPTI - 04:37 PM
• Unfazed by controversy, champion swimmers to compete in CWGIANS - 04:36 PM
• Australian And Kenyan Teams arrive in New DelhiANI - 04:30 PM
• India makes mad dash to ready Games VillageReuters - 03:52 PM

CWG setbacks: Snake found in Games Village, athletes pull out NDTV.com - ‎13 minutes ago‎ New Delhi: The Commonwealth Games will begin in exactly a week from now and a lot hinges on these seven days. But the troubles, it seems, have no end. African nations are the latest to join the chorus of discontent over the 'unlivable' Village. ... PM opens CWG sports injuries centre; stadia lockdown delayed Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎ NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday inaugurated a sports injuries centre for the Commonwealth Games. But there was another hiccup on the organisational front as the security agencies could not complete the lockdown of all the venues and ... Foreign athletes making lots of fuss: Milkha Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎ NEW DELHI: Legendary Milkha Singh on Sunday lashed out at the foreign athletes for making too much noise about the living conditions at the Commonwealth Games village, saying that they can stay at hotels if they don't like the accommodation. ... Speaking about his trip to New Delhi, swimmer Ashley said: "There is excitement because I am heading to my fourth Commonwealth Games, but there is also anxiousness to see what it is actually like over there." more by Ashley Callus - 1 hour ago - Times of India (13 occurrences) Games' village 'ready by midweek' BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎ The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit, says the athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games won't be finished until Wednesday. The news follows mounting criticism over India's preparations for the Games, which open next Sunday. ... More athletes, officials arrive for Commonwealth Games Sify - ‎12 minutes ago‎ New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Around 1100 foreign athletes, officials and media personnel arrived in the Indian capital Sunday for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games. The biggest delegations that arrived were from Kenya (112), Nigeria (69) and Scotland (60). ... Security net thrown around Games venues Sify - ‎46 minutes ago‎ New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Security personnel were out in force Sunday near the Commonwealth Games Village and other venues as the authorities claimed to have put in place a four-tier security net around the areas to be frequented by the athletes. ... Hooper thanks govt for co-operation, retracts criticism Hindustan Times - ‎8 minutes ago‎ After slamming the Indian government for the delay in readying the Games infrastructure, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper Sunday retracted and thanked the government for helping the organisers. ... Scotland's first batch of athletes arrive Times of India - ‎2 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: After postponing their original travel plans citing health and security fears, the first batch of Scotland's contingent for the Commonwealth Games arrived on Sunday. There was heavy security cover at the Delhi airport as the some 80 athletes ... Fresh warnings of Delhi terror attack Herald Sun - Mike Colman - ‎1 hour ago‎ Reporter Jessica Halloran was detained by police after filming conditions inside the Commonwealth Games' athletes village. THE Department of Foreign Affairs has increased its travel warning for Delhi as two more Australian athletes pull out of the ... Games Village to be ready by Wednesday: Sheila Dikshit Sify - ‎1 hour ago‎ New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Sunday visited the Commonwealth Games Village to take stock of its maintenance and cleanliness facilities and said all the work will be over by Wednesday. 'I was here to look after the ... All 249 related articles »

Related Commonwealth Games Delhi India Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story CWG setbacks: Snake found in Games Village, athletes pull out ‎13 minutes ago‎ - NDTV.com I'll travel to New Delhi unless injury: Cavendish ‎9 hours ago‎ - Hindustan Times More Comm Games advice needed: Bishop ‎14 hours ago‎ - Sydney Morning Herald Old India has failed New India, again ‎22 hours ago‎ - Hindustan Times British diver Peter Waterfield pulls out of Delhi CWG citing 'family fears' ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ - Sify Mixed reactions to Village facilities ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ - The Hindu Images Sydney Morning ... Sydney Morning ... Zee News India Today The Guardian The Guardian Telegraph.co.uk Telegraph.co.uk The Hindu All related images » Videos Athletes' Village ready for the Games NDTV.com  -  7 hours ago Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VwDImZOiAlk/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwDImZOiAlk">Athletes' Village ready for the Games</a> <span class="source">NDTV.com</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 7 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwDImZOiAlk">Watch video</a></div> The saga of the CWG village NewsX  -  10 hours ago Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FZOhjThRFrE/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZOhjThRFrE">The saga of the CWG village</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 10 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZOhjThRFrE">Watch video</a></div> All related videos »

Pak asks India to change Kashmir policy Times of India - ‎13 minutes ago‎ ISLAMABAD: Heightening its rhetoric, Pakistan on Sunday asked New Delhi to change its "inflexible" policy on Kashmir, claiming that the state is not an integral part of India and the issue cannot be resolved within the ambit of the Indian Constitution. ... Separatist leader rejects India's Kashmir plan Christian Science Monitor - Kristen Chick - ‎21 minutes ago‎ Hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, dismisses India's Kashmir plan to ease security measures as an effort 'to hoodwink the international community.' Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani gestures as he speaks to media before ... India, Pak favour dialogue despite differences The Hindu - ‎3 hours ago‎ PTI Ahead of a possible meeting of their Foreign Ministers here, India and Pakistan have underlined that despite their differences on issues like Kashmir and terrorism they have no other alternative but to engage in dialogue. ... "Well I was in Islamabad and we did talk and I have invited Excellency Qureshi to come to India and he has very graciously accepted my invitation," Mr. Krishna said. "I am looking forward to hosting him in Delhi...... and the dates have to be worked out." more by SM Krishna - 3 hours ago - The Hindu (59 occurrences) Kashmir separatists reject Indian peace package The Associated Press - Aijaz Hussain - ‎3 hours ago‎ SRINAGAR, India — Kashmiri separatist leaders on Sunday rejected India's offer to release hundreds of young detainees and review the massive deployment of security forces in the Himalayan territory to defuse deadly civil unrest. At least 107 people, ... Kashmir protest leader rejects Indian govt 'hoodwink' AFP - Izhar Wani - ‎7 hours ago‎ SRINAGAR, India — The hardline separatist leader who has organised months of protests in Indian Kashmir dismissed Sunday an offer from the government for fresh talks and a security review. The proposals were put forward by Home Minister P. Chidambaram ... India says ready to discuss all issues with Pak Economic Times - ‎7 hours ago‎ NEW YORK/NEW DELHI: Amid the possibility of a meeting with his Pakistanii counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi early next week, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna Friday stressed there was no alternative to talks with Pakistan and said he was ... UPA govt bowed before separatists: BJP Indian Express - ‎4 hours ago‎ State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday denounced the eight point formula of the Congress-led UPA government to break the ice of violence hit Kashmir, alleging that it was totally Kashmir- centric and anti-Jammu and Ladakh. ... Civil society in Kashmir welcomes Centre''s announcement IBNLive.com - ‎2 hours ago‎ PTI | 06:09 PM,Sep 26,2010 Srinagar, Sep 26 (PTI) Welcoming Centre's advice to Jammu and Kashmir government to release all students detained for stone pelting, members of the civil society in Jammu and Kashmir today hoped that it will be implemented by ... India Calls for Easing of Security in Kashmir New York Times - Jim Yardley, Hari Kumar - ‎21 hours ago‎ Mukhtar Khan/AP An Indian soldier checked the identity card of a civilian during curfew in Srinagar, Kashmir. By JIM YARDLEY and HARI KUMAR NEW DELHI — The Indian government announced a major policy shift in Kashmir on Saturday, calling for the release ... Hope for peace returns among Kashmiris, but separatists dismissive Sify - ‎6 hours ago‎ Srinagar, Sep 26 (IANS) Bashir Ahmad Bhat, a shopkeeper in uptown Srinagar, is hoping peace will return to Kashmir Valley with the central government announcing an eight-point initiative to restore normalcy, though many Kashmiris are not so optimistic. ... All 195 related articles »

Related Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar AFSPA India Kashmiri people Chidambaram Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Pak asks India to change Kashmir policy ‎13 minutes ago‎ - Times of India UPA govt bowed before separatists in J&K BJP ‎3 hours ago‎ - Daily News & Analysis Islamic FMs deplore India's use of force in IHK ‎12 hours ago‎ - The Nation, Pakistan Centre's Kashmir plan silent on Army's powers ‎22 hours ago‎ - IBNLive.com CPI(M) welcomes Kashmir package, seeks AFSPA review ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ - The Hindu All students arrested in Kashmir to be released ‎Sep 25, 2010‎ - IBNLive.com Parties against any sops to Kashmir separatists ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ - Economic Times Images Christian Scien... AFP New York Times AFP euronews AFP Zee News Oneindia Oneindia All related im

Commonweatlh Games medal hope Damien Hooper may not go Herald Sun - David Murray - ‎5 hours ago‎ Damien Hooper says if there are any further terror threats, he may withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. Source: HWT Image Library ONE of Australia's brightest hopes for a boxing gold medal at the Commonwealth Games has said he may pull out if there ... India chides Australian PM for CWG criticism Times of India - ‎17 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: After the criticism from Australia about the Commonwealth Games became too much for the Indian government, the foreign office on Saturday gently chided Australian prime minister Julia Gillard for her comments. In a statement, the foreign ... Delhi set for Games, beats negativism IBNLive.com - ‎13 hours ago‎ New Delhi: The countdown for the much-awaited Commonwealth Games has now begun. And with just eight days to go, Delhi seems to be beating negativism, and gets ready to put its best foot forward for the Games. While the government still needs to do a ... "I have a wife and two young children who were very concerned about me attending the event and this decision is one that we have made as a family. I hope that people will understand and respect this," he said. more by Peter Waterfield - 19 hours ago - The Guardian (69 occurrences) Commonwealth Games 2010: Athletes warned of rising terrorism threat The Guardian - ‎19 hours ago‎ Athletes and business leaders planning to attend the Commonwealth Games in Delhi have been privately warned to expect terrorist attacks on tourist sites and public spaces across India, the Observer has learned. After a week in which the Games appeared ... Commonwealth Games 2010: failings of Indian approach there for all to see Telegraph.co.uk - Mihir Bose - ‎20 hours ago‎ Indian incompetence has been brought to the fore in a week of disturbing revelations of filthy, uninhabitable conditions and high-profile withdrawals. By Mihir Bose Clive Lloyd tells the story of flying into Mumbai with his West Indian team in November ... Lots left to do, India's image hit: Games chief Hindustan Times - ‎20 hours ago‎ The threat of a boycott by teams has faded, yet the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said on Saturday that the next 24 hours would be crucial for the October Games. Addressing the media on the progress of work at the Games Village, CGF chief Mike ... Commonwealth Games errors 'overshadowed hi-tech India' Telegraph.co.uk - Dean Nelson - ‎19 hours ago‎ The fiasco of India's Commonwealth Games preparations will not stand in the way of the country's rapid growth or alter its growing attraction to foreign firms, senior Indian business leaders said. By Dean Nelson The Indian Government was deeply ... Air India to operate special flights for Games Times of India - ‎20 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: Air India, the official carrier for the Commonwealth Games, will be operating two special flights from Auckland and Brisbane to bring in officials and athletes for the Games to be held from October 3 to 14. The national carrier has deployed ... Commonwealth Games 2010: village will not be complete by opening ceremony Telegraph.co.uk - Simon Hart, Amrit Dhillon - ‎20 hours ago‎ The head of England's Commonwealth Games team has admitted that the repair and clean-up of the athletes' accommodation blocks in New Delhi will not be complete in time for the opening ceremony in seven days' time. By Simon Hart and Amrit Dhillon in New ... Indian athletes find Village good enough Calcutta Telegraph - ‎18 hours ago‎ New Delhi: The Games Village for the Commonwealth Games may not be safe and hygienic for players from England or Australia, but the Organising Committee (OC), it seems, feels it is good enough to house the Indian athletes. ... All 16,336 related articles »

Related Commonwealth Games Delhi India Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Delhi set for Games, beats negativism ‎13 hours ago‎ - IBNLive.com As athletes begin arriving, CWG finally on track ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times Games: Manmohan steps in ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - The Hindu Commonwealth Games: Indian PM holds talks as boycott threat subsides ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - The Guardian Despite the mess, no point in postponing CWG: Athletes ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - Times of India Australian PM cautions athletes about security in Delhi ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - NDTV.com Commonwealth Games 2010: England team's trip on a knife edge ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - Telegraph.co.uk Shame game ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times Commonwealth foreign ministers set to quiz India on CWG ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times England, Australia back Commonwealth Games ‎Sep 22, 2010‎ - Indian Express Images The Guardian Telegraph.co.uk Telegraph.co.uk Telegraph.co.uk Calcutta Telegr... New Zealand Her... NDTV.com New Zealand Her... NDTV.com All related images » Videos Can the Commonwealth Games still be a success? NDTV.com  -  Sep 25, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zlkQKDmPzH0/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlkQKDmPzH0">Can the Commonwealth Games still be a success?</a> <span class="source">NDTV.com</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Sep 25, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlkQKDmPzH0">Watch video</a></div> CWG head Michael Fennell says more work needed NewsX  -  Sep 24, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XflV-ShNqc/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XflV-ShNqc">CWG head Michael Fennell says more work needed</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Sep 24, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XflV-ShNqc">Watch video</a></div> All related videos »

Settlements' Deadline Clouds Future of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts Voice of America - Luis Ramirez - ‎1 hour ago‎ Photo: AP Construction of a new housing development continues in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beitar Illit, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. Israeli and Palestinian leaders are "getting down to business" on the major issues dividing them in peace talks ... Netanyahu urges settler restraint as moratorium ends Reuters - Nir Elias - ‎1 hour ago‎ A Palestinian labourer works at a construction site in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Yakir south of Nablus September 26, 2010. By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israeli settlers to act with restraint ... Settlers urged to show restraint BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎ Israel's prime minister has urged Jewish settlers to show restraint, as the end of a 10-month ban on construction in the West Bank nears. Benjamin Netanyahu's comments came as West Bank settlers prepared to resume building if no deal was reached. ... ...in an interview with the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat whether he would declare an end to the negotiations if the freeze did not continue, Abbas said: "No, we will go back to the Palestinian institutions, to the Arab follow-up committee." more by Mahmoud Abbas - 7 hours ago - Reuters (19 occurrences) Sha'ath: Only Netanyahu can save talks by extending freeze Jerusalem Post - Herb Keinon - ‎3 hours ago‎ Abbas in Paris as moratorium deadline approaches; will meet French Jewish leaders, Sarkozy; French president to pressure him to remain in talks; PA president says no violence if talks fail. ... Abbas to consult Arab ministers on peace talks AFP - Nasser Abu Bakr - ‎2 hours ago‎ PARIS — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sunday he would meet Arab foreign ministers on October 4 to decide how to proceed with peace talks following the expected resumption of settlement construction. Abbas appeared to have decided to consult ... Israeli settlement slowdown to end at midnight The Associated Press - Matti Friedman - ‎2 hours ago‎ JERUSALEM — With a midnight deadline looming, Israel's prime minister on Sunday called on West Bank settlers to "show restraint" following the end of a government-ordered construction slowdown. The deadlock over Jewish settlements appeared to be going ... Netanyahu urges restraint on West Bank building Financial Times - Tobias Buck - ‎47 minutes ago‎ Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged settlers to act with restraint after a limited construction moratorium on house building in the occupied West Bank expires on Sunday, a plea that appeared ... Hold settlement freeze till talks are on: Abbas The Hindu - ‎3 hours ago‎ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for Israel's moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements to remain in effect as long as peace talks are under way, a regional daily reported Sunday. "We (asked for) a complete halt to settlements ... West Bank settlement slowdown set to expire CBC.ca - ‎1 hour ago‎ A partial moratorium on Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank expires at midnight Sunday. Pro-settlement groups planned to meet in this West Bank community of Revava on Sunday to mark the start of a new construction project and to attend a ... Netanyahu: Settlers should show restraint The Associated Press - ‎3 hours ago‎ JERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister is calling on West Bank settlers to show restraint as Israeli restrictions on settlement construction come to an end at midnight. Settlers are planning a rally later Sunday to symbolically resume construction — a ... All 2,869 related articles »

Related Mahmoud Abbas Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli settlement Peace talks West Bank Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Sha'ath: Only Netanyahu can save talks by extending freeze ‎3 hours ago‎ - Jerusalem Post Abbas: 'We tried intifada, it caused us great damage' ‎7 hours ago‎ - Jerusalem Post Deadline peril for Mid-East talks ‎12 hours ago‎ - BBC News Palestinians throw firebomb at Jerusalem flat ‎19 hours ago‎ - Ynetnews Abbas: Israel must choose between settlements and peace ‎22 hours ago‎ - Ynetnews Turkey pledges support to Israeli Arabs' cause ‎Sep 24, 2010‎ - Ynetnews Settlement construction to be resumed, limited ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - Ynetnews PA may not bolt talks after all when freeze ends ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - Jerusalem Post Most Palestinians support peace talks: poll ‎Sep 23, 2010‎ - AFP Images AFP The Hindu CBC.ca Ha'aretz Christian Scien... Sky News Sydney Morning ... Aljazeera.net Ha'aretz All related images » Videos Arabs face discrimination in Israel Al Jazeera  -  Sep 25, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z4oTO2pyXKw/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oTO2pyXKw">Arabs face discrimination in Israel</a> <span class="source">Al Jazeera</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Sep 25, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oTO2pyXKw">Watch video</a></div> All related videos »

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