Dalmiya's riposte: Pawar & co embezzled Rs 240 crores

Kolkata: It's the BCCI versus Jagmohan Dalmiya. The former cricket board chief has filed an FIR against the BCCI's top brass accusing them of embezzlement.
Dalmiya has filed the case against Sharad Pawar and Niranjan Shah among others. He has accused the cricket body of misappropriating funds of Rs 240 crores in a television rights deal.
The Calcutta High Court will now be hearing the case of the 18th of April. Dalmiya's retaliation comes just days after he was arrested and then released on anticipatory bail in Mumbai. He was facing charges of misappropriating funds to the tune of 2.9 crore rupees during the 1996 world cup.

Why has Dalmiya kept quiet till now? This is just trying to fling back some of the mud that has fallen on him.

Oil-for-food scam: Delhi HC rejects Natwar's plea

Press Trust of India
Friday, March 28, 2008 (New Delhi)
The Delhi High Court has rejected plea of former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and his son Jagat seeking all the documents in the Iraqi Oil-for-food scam available with the government.Vacating the stay on the proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the two, the court directed them to appear before the ED on April 24.

Natwar Singh has always taken a high moral position in his rhetoric. But it is obvious that he is involved in this case. I was amused when he blamed USA for framing him because of his leftist position on international affairs! He is also a hypocrite. He was more loyal than the king when it came to the Nehru family. But when abandoned by them, he conveniently joined the Mulayam Singh bandwagon. He must be thoroughly exposed.

Indian soldiers go missing in US

Press Trust of India
Friday, March 28, 2008 (New Delhi)
Two Indian soldiers have gone missing during a joint exercise with United States troops last week in California. And with 10 days having passed by, Indian authorities are approaching the State Department for help in tracing them.The Army contingent involved in the joint exercise with American troops at Camp Pendleton in California, found that two of its men - Sanjay Mahato and Santosh Thapa - were missing, sources in the External Affairs Ministry said.The authorities then immediately got in touch with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for assistance in locating the two men, who were being treated as ''absent without leave'', the sources said. They further added that assistance was also sought from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, which took up the matter with the local State Department.The troops were participating in exercise ''Shatrujeet'' (victory over enemy).The exercise was part of expanding Indo-US defence cooperation and it was in 2005 that a team had gone to Camp Pendleton for the first time. In 2006, US Marines came to India for an exercise at Belgaum.

The blighters who ran away should be treated as traitors who betrayed the country's trust. Maybe it is a plot and others are involved.

MNS pokes fun at Big B through poster

Press Trust of India
Thursday, March 27, 2008 (Mumbai)
The MNS has again stepped up its attack on superstar Amitabh Bachchan, this time indirectly through a poster, mocking at him for going back on his decision to donate his agricultural land to farmers in Pune district.Though the Shiv Sena's breakaway outfit did not name Big B in the posters, the insinuation was clear. The huge poster in Marathi showed a sketch of a man saying in Marathi ''Majhe daan parat kara'' (return my donation). In the bottom it wrote ''Superstar Shetkari'' (superstar farmer).The cartoon posters were put up on Wednesday night in Dadar areas. However, they were missing on Thursday. The MNS claimed that the police had removed them.Commenting on the posters, an MNS spokesman denied that the party was making fun of Big B and said that it was only to express our happiness that if a superstar can become a farmer, then it only indicates better and glamorous days for the farmers of India. Perhaps it might even halt farmers' suicides.The MNS swipe on Big B comes in the wake of latter's move to go back on his decision to donate the farm land which he bought in Pune from the farmers. In a letter addressed to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Maval taluka on Tuesday, the actor had said he wanted to unconditionally withdraw his earlier decision to donate the land to the original owners.This is for the second time that Big B has become a target of MNS. The first time MNS targeted the superstar at a function last month when its leader Raj Thackeray alleged that Big B was more loyal to his home state Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra.


It's OK for the MNS to take digs at a public superstar with some cartooning. Cartoons never harmed any one (Oops, not those Danish cartoons!). But physically targeting anyone with a parochial ideology is unacceptable.

India not to move forward on N-deal till consensus: Pranab

Press Trust of India
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 (Washington)
India on Tuesday said it will not move forward on the civil nuclear deal with the US till a political consensus is achieved and that government was making efforts to evolve a ''meeting ground'' with outside supporters Left parties.''If we are able to evolve a consensus then it will be possible to hasten the process (of taking the deal forward),'' visiting External Affairs Minister Mukherjee told reporters.Meanwhile, the US nudged India into concluding the agreement with the IAEA and seek NSG waiver by May to give the Congress time to have a final vote on the deal. The Left is opposed to the deal.Mukherjee, who met US President George W Bush at the White House for 35 minutes and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday, said UPA government is ''interested'' in pursuing the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and that it was aware of the timeframe suggested by members of the US Congress but certain issues were yet to be resolved.Conveying to Mukherjee Washington's desire to take the deal forward, Rice had said it is a ''landmark agreement which is good for both sides....we will continue to work on that agreement.''''''Let us see. Events have their own momentum'', said Mukherjee when asked by when he expected the political process in India to be hastened.''The UPA government is trying to work out a meeting ground between it and a section of its supporters (to evolve a consensus),'' said Mukherjee who is on his maiden bilateral visit to the US.Mukherjee said ''there is opposition from the Left and the BJP to the nuclear deal and therefore we have to take into account that....if it is subsequently not honoured by the next government it would lead to en embarrassing situation for the country.''Mukherjee said although India has finalised the language of the safeguards text with the IAEA it was difficult to indicate at this juncture a time-frame by when the nuke deal could be wrapped up.To a question whether the Congress-led coalition will sacrifice the government for the deal, Mukehrjee said ''it is not a question of sacrificing the deal or the government.''The Left parties have threatened withdrawal of support to the UPA government if it went ahead with operationalising the agreement for the deal which has been described as a landmark one by the US.Energy deficient''Our government is interested in ratifying the (nuclear) agreement since we are energy deficient. There is an overall consensus (in India) that nuclear technology is important,'' the minister added.To a question whether a minority government can move forward on the nuclear deal in the event of the Left withdrawing support, Mukherjee said ''legally and constitutionally speaking there is nothing called a minority government. But political angularity cannot be ignored.''Mukherjee said there are different ideological positions over the nuclear deal and some of the political parties supporting the government from outside feel the country should not have the agreement with the US.Ahead of the Bush-Mukherjee meeting, the White House said that the president was ''excited'' about meeting the external affairs minister and discussing the range of bilateral issues including the civilian nuclear deal.Describing his visit to the US as very productive and fruitful, Mukherjee in his opening statement said discussions with the US leadership reinforced India's view that the bilateral relationship is robust and forward leaning and answers to the interests of both countries.''The India-US strategic partnership has grown from strength to strength. I believe there is consensus in both countries to strengthen India-US ties and to further enrich our bilateral agenda,'' he said.''We also discussed the way forward on opening civil nuclear cooperation by India with USA and other partners as a critical element of our energy security,'' he added.Stating that several countries in India's region are going through a period of transition, Mukherjee said it is in India's direct interest that there should be peace stability and economic development that will benefit all.On Pakistan, Mukherjee said it is India's hope that the new government will renew the composite dialogue process and pick up the threads from President Pervez Musharraf had left.Mukherjee said he had also discussed climate change and the need for a successful conclusion of the Doha Development Trade Round.


The basic flaw of the proposed nuclear deal is that it curtails India's sovereignty in going ahead with the nuclearisation of the armed forces. The UPA government is willing to sign this self-compromising agreement while the opposition calls it a sell-out. America meanwhile is clear the deal will not be renegotiated. Therefore the deal, as such, is destined to be a non-starter.

However, I feel a deal with no restrictions on India’s sovereignty can come through if India partners USA on a pro-Israel Middle-East policy. While UPA would not be agreeable to this as the Muslim constituency is its primary concern, the BJP should not have a problem on this score. So we will have to wait for a BJP government to have a proper nuclear deal with USA.

China unhappy over Pelosi-Dalai Lama meet

Press Trust of India
Friday, March 21, 2008 (New Delhi)
China on Friday made its unhappiness clear over US Speaker of House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi meeting the Dalai Lama and her statements on Tibet and warned against any meddling in its ''internal affairs'' by ''any country, organisation and person''.Soon after Pelosi met the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan said no ''country, organisation or person'' should ''take any irresponsible act or say irresponsible words'' on happenings in Tibet.''We oppose any country, any organisation, any person from interfering in China's internal affairs,'' Yan told reporters here when asked to comment on Pelosi's meeting with the Tibetan leader.''On this issue, we have staged clearly that Tibet is China's internal affair. We don't allow anybody to meddle in China's internal affairs. Any attempt to cause trouble to china is doomed to fail,'' the envoy said.He said China hopes that any country, organisation or person has ''clear understanding of incidents'' in Tibet and respond accordingly.Earlier, after her meeting with the Dalai Lama, Pelosi described the situation in Tibet as a challenge to the ''conscience of the world'' and asked all freedom loving people to speak out against China's ''oppression''.She said the US Congress will continue to meet the challenge of conscience that Tibet offers.


Everybody look the other way, while we rape Tibet.

Pope ecstatic over Easter conversions

Associated Press
Monday, March 24, 2008 (Vatican City)
Pope Benedict XVI rejoiced over conversions to Christianity in an Easter Sunday Mass on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica a day after he baptized a prominent Muslim newspaper editor.A white canopy protected the 80-year-old pontiff from a downpour while thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans braved thunder and wind-whipped rain.The faithful were celebrating their belief in the resurrection of Jesus after he was crucified. Thanks to the apostles' preaching about the resurrection, ''thousands and thousands of persons converted to Christianity,'' Benedict said.''And this is a miracle which renews itself even today,'' the pope said, hours after a Saturday night Easter vigil service in which he baptized seven adults. The converts included Magdi Allam, a prominent journalist and commentator in Italy who has received death threats for his denunciations of Islamic fanaticism.Allam, 55, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera newspaper, was born a Muslim in Egypt, but was educated by Catholics and says he has never been a practicing Muslim.He wrote in a front-page letter published Sunday in Corriere that he was now taking on the middle name Cristiano - Christian in Italian.He expressed his gratitude to Benedict, calling Saturday ''the most beautiful day of my life.''''The miracle of the resurrection of Christ reverberated in my soul, freeing it from the shadows of a preaching where hate and intolerance toward he who is different, toward he who is condemned as an 'enemy,' prevailed over love and respect for your neighbor,'' Allam wrote.His criticism of Palestinian suicide bombings prompted the Italian government to provide him with a sizable security detail in 2003 after Hamas singled him out for death, Allam has said in an interview.The pope himself has come under verbal attack from Islamic militants.Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in a new audio message posted last week, accused Benedict of playing a role in what he called a ''new Crusade'' against Islam. The Vatican has described the accusation as baseless.Security during papal public appearances was stepped up in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, and there has been no noticeable increase in protective measures since the new message surfaced.In a speech at the end of the Mass, Benedict said that on the joyous day of Easter, ''in particular, how can we fail to remember certain African regions, such as Darfur and Somalia, the ''tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon and finally Tibet, all of which I encourage to seek solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good.''Benedict singled out the Middle East and Tibet among places most in need of peace and denounced ''selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence'' between individuals and peoples.''These are the scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet, although they are often ignored and sometimes deliberately concealed, wounds that torture the souls and bodies of countless of our brothers and sisters,'' the pontiff said, speaking over the sound of heavy rain in the square.At times, thunder drowned out a paramilitary band playing in the square and the voices of a choir singing ''Alleluja.''


The wily Popeye The Christian has got an editor to switch from saying Mohammad is the only truth to saying Jesus is the only truth. Truly, a pilgrim's progress!

Prachanda defends Chinese crackdown on Tibetans

Kathmandu, March 23: In what could be music to Chinese ears, Nepal`s Maoist chief Prachanda on Sunday defended Beijing`s crackdown on Tibetan protesters saying it was its duty to control the "separatist violence". In response to a question on the Tibetan unrest which erupted on March 10, Prachanda, whose outfit CPN (M) uses Chinese patriarch `chairman` Mao Zedong as its mascot, termed the revolt of the Tibetan people against Chinese rule in neighbouring Tibet as "separatist violence." "It is the duty of Chinese government to control violence," said Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal. "We believe that Tibet is an inseparable part of China, he reiterated. I do not consider it as a crackdown by Chinese authorities," he said. Bureau Report

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Communist Prachanda supports Communist China. No surprise. Just as China is crushing Buddhist religious freedom in Tibet, Prachanda will crush Hindu religious freedom if his Maoists come to power in Nepal. India, the land of religious freedom, must declare war against the Communists and Islamic terrorists. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

India's stand clear on Tibet: China

Press Trust of India
Sunday, March 23, 2008 (Beijing)
India has assured China that its position on the Tibet issue is ''clear and consistent'' and it would not change in the future, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing.New Delhi also clarified that Vice President Hamid Ansari had no plans to meet the Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala, following a ''rumour'' about such a meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.''The Indian side has clarified to China on relevant rumour, saying there's no such plan,'' Qin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.He said New Delhi - which maintains that Tibet is an internal issue of China - has assured Beijing that its position on Tibet is ''clear and consistent'' and it would not change in the future.China is fighting the unrest in Tibet where riots erupted early this month during monks-led rotests against Beijing's rule, jolting the Communist leadership. The most vicious protests in two decades have led to 19 deaths in mob violence -- 18 civilians and a police officer.The meetings of some Western leaders with the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing accused of masterminding the recent Lhasa riots, earlier had angered China which had warned thecountries concerned that their action would undermine and damage the bilateral relations.On Friday, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met the Dalai Lama and spoke out against China's ''oppression'' in Tibet, infuriating Beijing which asked others not to meddle in its internal affairs.India's position on Tibet has come in for praise from China, with Premier Wen Jiabao himself acknowledging that Beijing ''appreciates'' the stand taken by the Indian government to handle the Tibet ''independence'' activities.


India must not simply say the Tibetan issue is an internal matter of China. The basic issue is freedom of religion. India must actively support not just the Tibetan struggle, but also the Chinese struggle to practice Buddhism. A Hindu-Buddhist axis must be formed across the world to overthrow the undemocratic Chinese Communist government.

China issues `Most Wanted` list of rioters

Beijing, March 22: The flagship newspaper of China`s ruling Communist Party called Saturday for efforts to "resolutely crush" anti-government demonstrations by Tibetans, while Beijing urged people to turn in those on a "Most Wanted" list of 21 protesters. As Chinese troops smothered Tibetan-heavy areas to avert additional unrest, US presidential hopeful John McCain, a Republican, and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, joined a growing international chorus of criticism against the crackdown. The protests, which started in Lhasa on the March 10 anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, turned violent four days later and touched off demonstrations among Tibetans in three other provinces. The movement has become the largest challenge to China`s control of Tibet since the 1959 uprising. It also has threatened Beijing`s attempts to project an image of unity and prosperity ahead of the August 8-24 Olympics. Beijing`s official death toll from last week`s rioting in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa rose to 22, with the Xinhua News Agency reporting that five more civilians and a police officer died. The Tibetan government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have been killed — 80 in Lhasa and 19 in Gansu province. Beijing has portrayed the protests as having been instigated by supporters of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. "We must see through the secessionist forces` evil intentions, uphold the banner of maintaining social stability ... and resolutely crush the `Tibet independence` forces` conspiracy," the People`s Daily said in an editorial. During a visit to Paris on Friday, McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said China`s crackdown "is not correct" and expressed hope Beijing would seek a peaceful resolution. "The people there are being subjected to mistreatment that is not acceptable with the conduct of a world power, which China is," McCain said in response to a question by a Chinese reporter. "There must be respect for human rights, and I would hope that the Chinese are actively seeking a peaceful resolution to this situation that exists which harms not only the human rights of the people there but also the image of China in the world," he said. The White House said Thursday the crackdown is not cause for President Bush to cancel his attendance at the Olympics. But it requested access to the region to see how Chinese police were dealing with detained protesters. On Friday, Pelosi lent her support to the Tibetan cause on a visit to the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in India, calling China`s crackdown "a challenge to the conscience of the world." Pelosi, long a fierce critic of China, called for an international investigation and dismissed Beijing`s claim that the Dalai Lama was behind the fighting as making "no sense." The Dalai Lama, who received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, says he does not seek independence but wants genuine autonomy to protect Tibet`s unique Buddhist culture. Fighting back against the rising criticism, Beijing has begun releasing tallies of statements of support from foreign governments and trying to get its version of events before the international community. "It is a clear proof that the international community is on the side of China", foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, according to Xinhua, which reported that 100 governments have endorsed China`s handling of the protests. Without mentioning Pelosi by name, Qin said China opposes "any encouragement and support for the secessionist schemes of the Dalai clique." On Friday, authorities intensified a manhunt for people accused of violence, posting their photos — taken from video cameras and security footage — on major Internet portals. The 21 people are accused of endangering national security, and cited for beating, smashing, looting and arson. One suspect was shown wielding a long sword and another was a mustached man who had been shown on news programs slashing another with a foot-long blade. Xinhua said two of the 21 suspects were arrested and a third turned himself in. Authorities offered rewards for information and promised anonymity to tipsters. Police have arrested 24 people and another 183 turned themselves in, Xinhua said. Outside of Lhasa, Beijing has deployed troops across a wide swath of western China where more than half of China`s 5.4 million Tibetans live. Moving from town to town, police set up blockades and checkpoints to keep Tibetans in and journalists out. The mobilization was helping authorities reassert control after demonstrations flared in Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces, inspired by monks in Lhasa last week. In Lhasa on Friday, residents said police patrolled the streets but people were free to go where they wanted as long as they had identity cards. In ethnic Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Gansu, residents said security forces set up armed encampments and hundreds of troops were patrolling towns. State television, in its first footage of the confrontation between protesters and police last Sunday in the Tibetan town of Aba, showed dozens of crimson-robed monks charging at a line of police standing behind plastic riot shields. Crowds of ordinary people hurled rocks and one threw a molotov cocktail as cars burned in the town ringed by snow-peaked mountains. Xinhua said earlier that police opened fire on the crowd, wounding four and that protesters tried to break into the police armory to steal weapons. Tibet support groups say police killed at least eight and posted photos of bloody corpses on the Internet. Bureau Report
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India should boycott the Chinese Olympics and call for a Buddhist revolution in China. The China-Pakistan nexus is an intolerant Communist-Islam nexus against India. The UPA government is in the grip of Islamic-Communist forces and must be defeated for India to overcome its security threat. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

Naipaul's nefarious ways caused wife's death

Press Trust of India
Friday, March 21, 2008 (London)
Nobel laureate Sir V S Naipaul tormented his first wife for nearly four decades, regularly visited brothels in London and kept a mistress for almost 24 years before suddenly leaving her to marry a Pakistani scribe, according to his biography.The 75-year-old novelist, born to Indian parents in Trinidad and has been living in Britain since winning a place in Oxford, has admitted in his biography that he frequently humiliated his first wife Patricia and even refused to gift her a wedding ring.Naipaul often abandoned her to go travelling with Mrs Gooding, the married Anglo-Argentine with whom he fell in love in 1972, and would often tell his wife how he was missing his mistress but then say that he needed Lady Patricia to help him with his books, it has been revealed.''I was liberated. She was destroyed. It was inevitable,'' the Nobel laureate said.The book, penned by Patrick French who was given free access to all of Naipaul's papers, claims that the novelist started visiting prostitutes when the couple were living in London three years after they married.''In the summer of 1958, turning imagination into reality, Naipaul started to have sex with prostitutes. He would find their telephone numbers in local newspapers and visit them in the afternoon in secret while Pat was at work as a school teacher,'' The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday, quoting the biography.Naipaul, according to the book, has admitted that his mental cruelty towards his wife, who was suffering from cancer, may have killed her. ''She suffered. It could be said that I killed her. It could be said. I feel a little bit that way,'' he said. Naipual also recollected his visit to a hospital to see Patricia on deathbed where he showed ''little compassion'' towards her.''I was deep in writing India: A Million Mutinies Now. There was that dreadful drive and I was enraged at the hospital because it was such a messy place and then I had to go back in the afternoon to pick up Pat, and we got lost.''Eventually I found her. She was in a wheelchair, obviously terribly stressed, very unhappy and obviously in pain and waiting in solitude and I had been very angry all of the day. When I saw her, I became so ashamed. It was very upsetting.'' The biographer has substantiated Naipaul's admission by quoting Patricia's entries in her diary. However, after Patricia's death, Naipaul ended his affair with his mistress Margaret to marry Nadira, a divorced Pakistani journalist, two months later.''I feel that in all of this Margaret was very badly treated. But you know there is nothing I can do. I stayed with Margaret until she became middle-aged, almost an old lady,'' the British newspaper cited Naipaul's admission.

Though a master writer, it appears that Naipaul was not at peace with himself. But then this achievement (of being at peace with oneself) is given to few. Naipaul is a brave man to reveal matters that could damn his image as a person.

UPA woos students, plans education loan sops

Sumit Pande / CNN-IBN
Published on Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 08:31, Updated at Fri, Mar 21, 2008 in Nation section
New Delhi: After the agricultural loan waiver, there may be yet another loan sop in the offing by the UPA government. And this time it is the poor students who stand to benefit from this Rs 4000-crore scheme being planned in the run up to the General Elections.
Ankit is a second semester MBA student at IIPM in Delhi.
His first brush with the Equated Monthly Installments (EMI) would be the moment he lands a job. Ankit has taken an education loan of Rs 4 lakh. He might just have to shell out a large chunk of his salary repaying this money at a high interest rate.
"The interest rate is very high. I will have to repay the loan at an interest of about 12-13 per cent and that too just as I start my job," Ankit says.
With increasing cost of higher education, the government is planning:
A mega scheme for softening education loans in professional courses in institutes like IITs and IIMs
It will provide total interest subsidy for poor students whose parents earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh per annum
A total of Rs 4000 crore will be spent on the scheme over the next five years
Earlier the government had proposed to set up a corporation with the help of the private sectors to provide soft education loans.
This scheme will now replace the earlier proposal.
"The policy of the government is very clear. No child should be denied higher education for the want of resources," Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari says.
It's the season of the loan mela. With the smell of elections in the air, the government is in a mood to empty its treasury.
And waiving off interest in higher education could be the best way to target the middle and the lower middle classes.

Sops for votes. The UPA's only achievement is bribing the electorate.

Lhasa riots: China admits shooting protestors

Beijing, March 21: Thousands of soldiers were seen in Lhasa on Thursday amid reports of a huge military build-up as China admitted for the first time it had shot Tibetan protesters. Long military convoys were on the move in Tibet while troops also poured into nearby provinces after a week of violence directed against China`s rule of the Himalayan region, witnesses, activist groups and media reports said. "We saw a big convoy of military vehicles with troops in the back," German journalist Georg Blume said from the Tibetan capital Lhasa early on Thursday. "One convoy was about two kilometres (1.2 miles) long and contained about 200 trucks. Each had 30 soldiers on board so that`s about 6,000 military personnel in one convoy." A week of protests against China`s 57-year rule of Tibet erupted into rioting in Lhasa last Friday. Demonstrations have since spilled over into nearby Chinese provinces with sizeable ethnic Tibetan populations. China said rioters killed 13 innocent civilians in Lhasa while denying that it used deadly force to end the protests. Exiled Tibetan leaders have said about 100 people were believed to have been killed in the Chinese crackdown. The Dalai Lama, Tibet`s spiritual leader who fled his homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, on Thursday expressed concerns for the many people he said had fallen victim to the Chinese security forces. "We don`t know exact numbers. Some say six, some say 100, but places have been cut off. There are movements of Chinese troops. I am really worried a lot of casualties have happened," he said from his base of exile in northern India. Xinhua said security forces had shot and wounded four protesters "in self-defence" during protests in the remote Tibetan-populated county of Ngawa in Sichuan last Sunday. Activist groups, however, have said at least eight people were killed by security forces in the Ngawa protests. They circulated photos this week of dead bodies with apparent bullet wounds to back up their allegations that Chinese forces were using lethal force despite official claims to the contrary. The unrest has been a public relations challenge for China in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics in August, an event the nation`s communist rulers had hoped would showcase a harmonious country. While no government has called for a boycott of the Games, China has faced increasing international pressure to resolve the unrest peacefully and to hold talks with the Dalai Lama.


Communist run China has always been anti-India and is eying Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and is meddling in Sikkim. Also, China is supporting Pakistan against India. Last but not least, all the Naxlite/Communist outfits in India are supported by Communist elements in China. India would be naive if its does not see the Chinese-Pakistan nexus as India's threat. Now is an opportunity for India to work for the overthrow of the Chinese communist regime by calling for a Buddhist revolution in China led by the Dalai Lama. The Dalits of India who swear by Ambedkar should also join in this revolution. Hindutva forces in India would be a natural ally. A Buddhist revolution is India's safest defense against China-Pakistan nexus against the integrity of India.

Hang Afzal if Pak Govt executes Sarabjit Singh: BJP

New Delhi, March 18: The BJP on Tuesday asked the government to ensure release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan. "It is unfortunate that Sarabjit Singh, who has not even been identified for any act of violence, is being hanged in Pakistan while in India we are not ready to carry out the death sentence given to Afzal guru, whose guilt has been upheld (by the courts)," party leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra told reporters here. Hardening his stand, the BJP leader also said that if we fail to save Sarabjit Singh from gallows, we should also hang Afzal guru. Malhotra, after a Parliamentary party meeting, said the saffron party has demanded that the government should take up the matter with Pakistan and do all that was needful to secure the release of Singh. The party has also urged the government to build pressure on the international community through the United Nations to find an amicable solution to the Chinese crackdown in Tibet.


We should hang Afzal even if Sarabjit Singh is freed. But if Pakistan wants Afzal for Sarabjit's release, so be it. Let Afzal go to Pakistan along with all his supporters in India. Good riddance. In fact we should think of a population transfer - let all who are unable to sing Vande Mataram go to Pakistan and let us honourably settle all Hindus of Pakistan in India. But an anti-Hindu UPA government will not be able to do this - we need a nationalistic government to come to power.

No clemency plea for Sarabjit from India: Pak

Islamabad, March 18: Pakistan on Tuesday said it has not received any official communication from the Indian government seeking clemency for its national Sarabjit Singh. Singh will be hanged on April 01 for his alleged involvement in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Interior ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said there has not been any official contact by the Indian government on the issue of clemency for Sarabjit, who is set to be executed following the rejection of his mercy petition by President Pervez Musharraf. "As far as I know his hanging is fixed for April 1. We have not received any official communication (from India) in this regard," he said when asked at a weekly news briefing if the Indian government had submitted any plea on Sarabjit`s behalf. However, sources said the Indian government had not yet received any official confirmation from Pakistani authorities about Sarabjit`s execution. The Pakistan government is also yet to respond to the Indian High Commission`s request for consular access to Sarabjit to confirm the reports that he is to be hanged, the sources told reporters. "There are only media reports that Sarabjit is to be hanged and consular access had been sought to confirm these reports," a source said. Sarabjit was sentenced to death in 1991 for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people. His family denies he was a spy as claimed by Pakistan and insists he accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory. Bureau Report

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Mr. Manmohan Singh is still sleeping. It was only in the case of Mohammad Haneef that he could not sleep and had to do something. Why lose sleep when the victim is a Hindu? - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

Lhasa riots: Dalai Lama defends himself

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Zeenews Bureau Dharamshala, March 18: In the wake of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s press conference on Tuesday morning wherein he had categorically held the Dalai Lama responsible for the Lhasa riots, the spiritual head of the Tibetan government–in-exile has vehemently defended his stance. In a fit of anger, he said that he was not against full autonomy for Tibet. The Tibetans may demand full independence in the light of the Dalai Lama’s statement. He is reported to have stated that if the present way did not bear fruit then the matter was open to review and a demand for full autonomy may be considered keeping in mind what most Tibetans are in favour of. He said that it was about time the Tibetans took the matter into their own hands due to the gravity of the problem. Refuting the charges of Wen who had held him responsible for Lhasa violence, Dalai Lama demanded proof of the same. He also said, “Lots of times it is Chinese agents who incite the violence.” He added that the Tibetans are always blamed for the bloodshed. Fiercely defending the Tibetans, he also remarked that if the Tibetans were involved in the Lhasa riots then the media would have been invited. The Dalai Lama has also sought an impartial probe into the recent violence at Lhasa. The Dalai Lama also threatened to resign as as Tibet`s spiritual leader if the situation in Lhasa got out of control.

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The Chinese and Tibetans can co-exist on the basis of Buddhism. It is the communist party of China, which does not allow its subjects to practice Buddhism, that is subjugating the Tibetans and trying to destroy its Buddhist culture. A Buddhist revolution is called for in China to oust the communists, led by the Dalai Lama and fully supported by India. Only the anti-Hindu forces in India would oppose this move. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

Pak may free Sarabjit if India reciprocates

Maya Mirchandani
Monday, March 17, 2008 (Islamabad)
Can India save Sarabjit Singh in less than a fortnight from now? Pakistan claims Sarabjit is a spy and could be hanged unless the Indian government decides to intervene.Jail authorities in Lahore have received the death warrant for the Indian national who has been on death row in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Central Jail for the past 17 years on charges of plotting bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan.Sarabjit's mercy petition was rejected by President Pervez Musharraf on March 3.According to latest reports, there seem to be indications that his release could be looked into if India is ready to release Pakistani prisoners. It has to be seen whether Indian government makes an intervention or not.NDTV spoke to Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney who said that India now needed to make a goodwill gesture by releasing Pakistani prisoners from its jails.However, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma has said that India has not received any word from Pakistan on Sarabjit's sentence.Meanwhile, Punjab government has appealed to Pakistan saying that it must be Magnanimous.BJP Rajya Sabha MP Najma Heptuallah has demanded that the Sarabjit case and the trial be looked into.''I can't say much in the case of a terrorist but the question is whether it has been established if he is guilty of the crime. We should know how his case was conducted there to be sure if he really indulged in the activities that he is said to have carried out,'' said Najma Heptullah, MP, BJP.Family worriedNews of Sarabjit's has come as a blow to his family in Taran Taran near Amritsar in Punjab. The family has been fighting relentlessly for Sarabjit's release and has petitioned the Pakistan government in the past for his release.''I appeal to the Pakistan government, my husband is innocent and must be released. The Indian government must do whatever it takes to get him back. My husband should be released the way Kashmir Singh was,'' said Sukhpreet Kaur, Sarabjit's wife.Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur met National Security Adviser M K Narayanan last week to seek the PM's intervention in Sarabjit's case.Dalbir Kaur has met Rahul Gandhi and he has assured her that he would to take up the issue with Sonia Gandhi. She also plans to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ask him to intervene.''I met with Rahul Gandhi over the release of Sarabjit. He became emotional on listening to me and tried to contact his mother (Sonia Gandhi) but could not get through. He has asked me to call in the evening by which time I would learn of the initiatives being undertaken for his release,'' said Dalbir Kaur, Sarabjit's sister.The family says they are not giving up and will appeal to both the Pakistani and Indian government.But it seems that the order to hang Sarabjit, or at least the fact the it was issued now, may be some sort of a tit for tat.After sending back Kashmir Singh, the Indian who had been on death row in Pakistan for 35 years, the Pakistanis had not expected that Khalid Mehmood, who died in Indian custody, would be sent back dead.According to Pakistani authorities, Mehmood had gone to India to watch an India-Pakistan cricket match but was picked up by the security agencies and tortured.They also allege that India did not even inform the Pakistan High Commission after they arrested Mehmood.When his body was sent back, there were protests and anger among Pakistanis over releasing Kashmir Singh.However, Indian authorities say Mehmood was arrested when he overstayed his visa and that he had some suspicious papers on him.They also say he died in hospital when he was being treated for an abdominal condition.Sarabjit to be hangedSarabjit Singh, condemned to death for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in Pakistan in 1990, will be hanged on April 1 in a prison in Lahore.The death warrant for Sarabjit was received by authorities in Lahore jail, the Urdu newspaper Daily Express reported on Sunday.Sarabjit's mercy petition was sent to Musharraf along with that of Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh, who was freed after spending 35 years on death row in Pakistani jails.There was no official confirmation of the development.Sarabjit was sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed about 14 people. His family denies he was a spy as claimed by Pakistan and insists he accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory.In his mercy petition sent to Musharraf, Sarabjit had sought his release on the grounds that he was innocent and wrongly implicated.The petition was rejected by the President after ''thorough consideration'' as the allegations against him ''were proved and he was awarded capital punishment by court'', official sources said.Pakistan's Supreme Court too had rejected Sarabjit's plea for clemency in March 2006.Following the rejection of Sarabjit's mercy petition by the President, the interior ministry had informed the government of Punjab province to take steps to carry out his death sentence. (With PTI Inputs)


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Latest Comments



· As much as we need to support a Indian national, we should allow the Pakistan law to take its course. We cannot dictate terms here. This case is different from Afzal case.
Posted by Srivatsava at 8:59 on Mar 17, 2008



· I sincerely pray that sarabjit singh will be spared nd good sense will prevail in Pakistan, especially President Musharraff whom i respect and admire. It is a duty of all the world citizens, especially Indians and Pakistanis to prevent this unfortunate person from becoming a victim of politics. I pray to god.
Posted by Ravi at 5:27 on Mar 17, 2008



· Hello All, From the photos seen in the Media, it doesnt seems that he is actually guilty for what he is going to be punished. As always, Indian government is silent without taking care of their nationals. Please learn from Countries like Israel where each national carries his/her value for nation. If Indian Govt knows he is guilty then please put the evidence infront of media, else, make efforts so as to stop and change the sentence at least..
Posted by Ranvir at 5:10 on Mar 17, 2008



· It is a sad development but there is no question of clemency for afzal, we as a country need to come out of image of soft nation and not repeat the mistake we did in kandhar.Nation can't run by emotions.
Posted by greenberet at 1:46 on Mar 17, 2008



· Taking life for life is immoral.Each one even defected should be given chance to amend ways. We don't have right to take anybody's life. It again amounts to murder by the state. Let all of us show our strength to stop this inhuman act of 'hanging', by joining a signature campaign..
Posted by s. r. at 23:45 on Mar 16, 2008



· govt of india should take up the matter with new govt of pakistan for saving sarabjit and every indian should participate in mobilising the opinion and communicating the same to govt of india.if we can free 3 terriorists for saving passengers of ic-814,we should set free afzal for saving sarabjit.
Posted by navjeet at 23:18 on Mar 16, 2008



· That's a shocking news ... we have been expecting his home coming and amidst all these , today we get to know he is being hanged. Well, if thats the punishment and if he is found guilty of it, then its the right of Pakistan government to take any action within their law. But is it that we the Indians and still living in the world preached by Mahatma Gandhi's Ahimsa. Can our government learn a lesson and prosecute those terrorists that they have been feeding all these while at the cost of poor indian citizens who are filing taxes by cutting down their expenses. When is India going to take such a step? If not, let us make a law where these terrorists are fed by money provided by cunning Indian politicians .. whether its BJP, congress, or for that matter they are all same ( 95% cunning politicians)
Posted by NISHANT KUMAR at 22:13 on Mar 16, 2008



· When is the Republic of India going to hang Afzal Guru? Why does it not hang him on Apr 1?
Posted by Kaushik at 21:36 on Mar 16, 2008



· Why dont India hang terrorist caught in India? Why we have so lengthy process? Why we keep them in prison and feed them. Just catch and shoot. I think we should get tougher with these people, when they are catching our people and calling them terrorists.
Posted by Prafulla at 21:25 on Mar 16, 2008



· Media and we people should bring this agenda in lime light..and our politician should do whatever require to save the life of our fellow brothers even of it require to free all pakistani prisoners from our jail.
Posted by Manish at 21:25 on Mar 16, 2008


The BJP has been criticized for releasing 3 terrorists for the return of over 180 passengers and crew of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane at Khandhahar. I wonder how many terrorists the Congress will release to save Sarabjit or would the Congress not bother about Sarabjit except for tokenism. For us, the price of one Indian must be more valuable than any number of terrorists. However, for each number of terrorist we release, we must hunt down twice the number of terrorists and kill them.

Sonia creates history; completes 10 yrs as Cong President

New Delhi, March 14: It was celebration time at Congress headquarters here as Sonia Gandhi on Friday created history by completing ten years as its president, an unparalleled feat in the history of the grand old party. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was among the first to greet Gandhi on the occasion as he drove to her 10-Janpath residence and presented her a shawl. Her son and general secretary Rahul Gandhi was among the leaders who greeted her. Outside her residence, adjoining the party headquarters, workers celebrated the occasion dancing to the accompaniment of drums and distribution of sweets. Women from all walks of life assembled at the office from morning to congratulate the "first woman and the first person to hold office in a senior party position for ten years." Party workers shouted slogans like "Sonia Gandhi zindabad" and carried banners of the party chief and her late husband Rajiv Gandhi. Prabha Thakur, president of All India Mahila Congress, said, "We are here to congratulate her for this achievement. This is a dual achievement. She is the first person to enjoy office for such a long tenure and she is the first woman to achieve it." Thakur said woman activists have assembled at the party office to request her to get the Women`s Reservation Bill passed in the ongoing budget session of Parliament. Lauding the role of Gandhi as party chief, Delhi Mahila Congress leader Seema Abid said, "It is high time people realise that a woman in power helps. It is because of her that UPA government is united". "She should now influence all the parties in the UPA government to unanimously support the cause of women`s reservation," she added.

Sonia Gandhi is a very disciplined person and she has commendable qualities. However, she is a symbol of the Congress mindset of selling off the country. The party which meekly agreed to partition of India allowed itself to be taken over by the Nehru family, shamelessly submitting to the myth of the Nehru family's charisma and finally made foreigner Sonia the President. Now the Congress party has to live for no other purpose than making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister. Sonia's success is Congress failure and India’s weakness.

Zardari ready to set aside Kashmir issue

CNN-IBN
Published on Sat, Mar 01, 2008 at 16:21, Updated at Sat, Mar 01, 2008 in World section
Islamabad: In a major shift from Pakistan's long-standing position, PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, whose party is set to take reins of the country, has expressed readiness to set aside the Kashmir issue to focus on other aspects for improving relations with India.
He emphasised that the relations between India and Pakistan should not be held "hostage" to the Kashmir issue and that the two countries "can wait" so that future generations resolve the dispute in a mature manner in an atmosphere of "trust".
In views reflecting India's position, Zardari said he was determined to break the barriers and mindsets that deter trade between the two countries.
"The idea is that we feel for Kashmir, the PPP (Pakistan People's Party) has always felt for Kashmir. We have a strong Kashmir policy. We have always had one," he said.
"But having said that, we don't want to be hostage to that situation. That is a situation we can agree to disagree (on). Countries do, we have positions, you have positions. We can agree to disagree on everything," he told Karan Thapar's on Devil's Advocate.
Noting that India and Pakistan could "agree to disagree on (the UN resolutions)," he said "We can wait. We can be patient till everybody grows up further. Maybe the coming generation grows up even further and then let's interact as human beings and come to a position of love."
Asked if the PPP would be willing to put aside the Kashmir issue just as India and China had set aside their border dispute to focus on other aspects of their ties, Zardari said: "Exactly."
The statement marks a shift in Pakistan's stated position that Kashmir issue has to be tackled along with efforts on other fronts to improve relations between the two countries.
Pakistan has held this position despite India's repeated insistence that the two countries set aside the Kashmir issue because of its complexity and work for developing relations in other fields, particularly trade.
When bilateral relations improve, the two nations can come back and tackle thorny issues with the benefit of improved ties, Zardari, widower of former premier Benazir Bhutto, said.
"Today, there are fixed notions. When dependency increases (and) we have matured enough (and) we've got trust between us, then nobody has fixed issues," the PPP leader said.
Agreeing that Kashmir issue should be set aside for a wiser generation and a better time, he said: "As it is, it's going to be a no-border world in the end."
Asked about the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and the PML-N in 2006 that committed both parties to resolving Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions, Zardari said, "I am not getting hostage to that issue."
Disagreeing that the Kashmir issue could best be sorted out while the army is in power in Pakistan, Zardari said people-to-people contacts and inter-dependence in trade could help negate the "fear factor" in both countries.
"Well, we've had army rule for eight years. Have they solved it? I don't need to convince them, it talks for itself," he argued.
While conceding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf "may have probably had the best understanding ever", he said: "I want to take (the relations) to a stage of such confidence-building that the fear factor diminishes from both angles.
"People-to-people contacts should be improved, then trade, inter-dependence of trade, if Indian industry depends on Pakistani energy and I depend on the Indian market for my product to be sold, we are both inter-dependent, financially integrated industry-wise."
Asked if there would be support across the Pakistani political establishment for his views, Zardari said: "I think the economical dependency that I'm talking about, nobody has really made the Pakistanis aware what position they are (in) and what they can gain.
"When they realise that they can change, the world will change. Economically, it's a thousand per cent leap we'll get into and the benefit of the thousand per cent leap is going to (have an) effect across the board."
About the response to a possible invitation for the new Pakistani Prime Minister to visit India, Zardari said he (the Prime Minister) would be accompanied by leaders from all other parties that are part of the government.
"I think the new PM of Pakistan will not only visit India, he will visit India with the political parties' leaders following him. When he gets down, he'll be first (with) me, Mr Nawaz Sharif (of PML-N), Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan (of ANP), hopefully Maulana Fazlur Rehman (of MMA), hopefully Mr Altaf (Hussain)'s party (MQM). We should all walk behind him, greeting India," he said.
The PPP leader added: "I think we should go further than that. Just not visiting and meeting... Let's hit the road running let's meet with concrete steps, let's talk about SAARC, modern technology."
Asked if such a move could trigger a backlash in Pakistan, he replied: "That's what leadership is all about, that's what popularity is all about the fact that I do something with the will of the people is my plus, not my minus."

It would be best for Pakistan if it puts aside Kashmir and eventually forgets Kashmir and last but not least, admits that the two-nation theory was a mistake.

BJP reacts strongly to Talbott's remarks

NDTV Correspondent
Saturday, March 1, 2008 (New Delhi)
The Bhartiya Janata Party has reacted strongly to former US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott's remarks that the saffron party, which now opposes the Indo-US nuke deal, was ready to settle for much less when in power.

BJP hit back accusing the former American diplomat of being ignorant.

Strobe Talbott is best known in India for conducting a two-year long marathon dialogue with Jaswant Singh after India's nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998. He is a strong voice in America's small but powerful non-proliferation lobby.

The comment also comes just a few days after L K Advani met the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and told him the BJP opposed the deal because of proposed curbs on India's nuclear automony.

In an interview with Shekhar Gupta, He said that even though there are reservations about the deal, India should not waste any more time in finalising it as a new administration post-November might not be as willing to push it through.

''No, no, no. That's not the case. It's inherently complicated but let me just say this, you are of course pointing out the obvious, that is, that the Clinton administration negotiated with the BJP-led government on the nuclear issue and that knowing what the goals of my Indian interlocutors at work at that time and seeing how those goals compare with the current Indian govt has gotten out of President Bush by way of the civil nuclear deal, I can't understand how is that the BJP could oppose the deal as strongly as it obviously does. I have chance before I leave to get a first hand impression of that,'' said Strobe Talbott.

Shekhar Gupta: Strobe, you have been a journalist of a much higher stature than most of us, so you knew that I wanted the answer out of you.

Strobe Talbott: Well, I also know what the answer, the answer to my own question - politics is politics.

Shekhar Gupta: So, let me rephrase my question, the experience you had dealing with the NDA in terms of what they had set out achieve with you in terms of India's nuclear interest. At that point was the bar set higher than what the nuclear deal shows or was it set lower?

Strobe Talbott: By the US side?

Shekhar Gupta: By the NDA? Would they have settled for less than what this nuclear deal gives India?

Strobe Talbott: This is it, you are asking me what historians call a counter factual questions, what might have been? I think half the Clinton administration, been prepared to offer the BJP led government that we were dealing with, the deal that President Bush was willing to make with Manmohan Singh and company. The Indian side would have gone for it. They also would have been astonished given what they knew about our position on all the issues involved.

What the BJP is opposing now is the curbs to India's nuclear independence. The BJP, during its regime, had not concluded any agreement. Even if it was willing to settle for less than what India is being offered now, BJP would not have allowed that "less" to impinge on India's nuclear independence, as the Congress government appears to be doing so with a "more" agreement.