Slumdog children becoming homeless, nation's shame: Pookutty

Thursday, May 21, 2009
New Delhi:

They may have walked the red carpet at this year's Osars but Azhar and Rubina, the two child protagonists of 'Slumdog Millionaire' find themselves homeless today and it is a matter of national shame says Oscar winner Resul Pookutty."It's such a pity that kids like Azhar and Rubina are nearly homeless today and we cannot do anything to arrange for a simple dwelling for them. There are thousands of kids like them in our country who meet with a similar fate and I wish I could do something for all of them," he said.Pookutty is associated with an NGO called 'Spandan', established by a group of college students in Pune.The ace technician who won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing for 'Slumdog', the first ever by an Indian, was in Delhi to interact with a group of homeless children supported by an NGO.The Academy Award winner declined to comment on recent accusations that 'Slumdog' over fantasiced reality and didn't deserve the Oscars. "I have nothing to say, people have their individual takes but the truth is in front of everyone to see. The film has received success everywhere," he said.The sound designer from Kerala feels Indian music as a whole has gained greater global recognition post 'Slumdog Millionaire'. © Copyright 2009 PTI. All rights reserved.

K.Venugopal
#1
Thursday, 21 May 2009 05:50:46
The Mumbai Municipal Corporation evicted the family of Slumdog Millionaire's star children because their parents had illegally set up their houses on Municipal land. Should illegal activities of land mafias be condoned?

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3022043&ucid=113945#uc2Lst113945

No poll analysis work, it is BJP's job: RSS

Nagpur, May 18:

The election results of general election this year are unexpected for both major political parties, the Congress and the BJP and Rashtriya Swayayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is not doing any poll analysis since it is the BJP's job, the RSS said on Monday. "We are not a political party," RSS Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidya told reporters here on the sidelines of ongoing third year training camp at Reshimbagh Smruti Mandir. The RSS, he said, is concerned over low voting percentage since it had appealed to the citizens in the country to exercise their franchise. Vaidya, however, felt that it was indeed good for the democracy to have both major political parties combined crossing 300 mark. Regional parties are good at state elections, he added. On an idea floated for holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously, Vaidya said its good idea and it will save both money and manpower. "But task seems difficult. He complimented both the voters and the Election Commission for holding free and fair elections." To a question as to has construction of Ram Mandir has been pushed back due to setback to BJP which had promised to do so, Vaidya said the courts will decide the fate of construction. Meanwhile, sarwadhikari of camp (camp commander), Suryaprakash Tonk and Vaidya said 936 swayayamsewaks were attending the ongoing third year camp. Similarly, first year and second year camps are simultaneously organised all over the country. The camp would conclude on June 8. This year 548 Hindi speaking and six Nepali speaking were attending the camp which also includes 17 lawyers, 11 doctors, 14 engineers and 26 lecturers. There were 239 post graduates and 440 graduates in the camp, Vaidya added. Bureau Report

The RSS is solid as a rock. Whatever tribulations the political field of Hindutva may witness, the nation can always expect the RSS lighthouse to guide the ship of nationalism across the turbulent waters to safety.

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PRABHAKARAN KILLED, SL DECLARES END OF WAR

Zeenews Bureau Colombo, May 18: Sri Lanka on Monday formally announced the end of war against the LTTE after Tiger chief V Prabhakaran was shot dead while trying to flee the war zone in northern Sri Lanka. It spelled the end of the more than three-decade long fight by the LTTE for a separate homeland for Tamils. Prabhakaran, who was killed by the Sri Lankan special forces on Monday, led a ruthless movement for a Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka that decimated a score of Sinhalese and Tamil leaders and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Prabhakaran was shot dead as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement, a military spokesman said. The news of Prabhakaran's death also came along with reports of bodies of his son Charles Anthony and three other top leaders -- Pottu Amman, Soosai and Nadesan being found. Prabhakaran and his top aides were driving in an armour-plated van accompanied by a clutch of rebels in a bus and approaching the Special Forces. A two-hour exchange of fire followed and the forces fired a rocket at the van brining an end to the battle, army sources said. Prabhakaran's body was pulled out from the van and identified, they said. Prime Minister Ratnasri Wickramanayake said the army says they have killed him. "The next step would be the development in the north (Tamil areas)," he said.
Prabhakaran, who had seen many a battle, could not survive the sustained assault from the Sri Lankan forces that began in November last year leading to displacement of the Tigers from their long-held de-facto capital of Kilinochchi and then from Mullaitivu. The death of top LTTE leaders came a day after the Tamil Tigers conceded defeat saying the decades-old battle has reached its "bitter end" and they have decided to "silence" their guns. Earlier in the morning, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara had said that Prabhakaran was still alive but completely encircled by advancing Sri Lankan forces in a tiny jungle area north of Vellamullivaikkal after most of the LTTE's top leaders were found killed.
The army said that its special forces had encircled Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman and Soosai who were boxed into a 100m x 100m area. The killing of Prabhakaran came as officials confirmed that more than 220 frontline rebel cadres, including his elder son Charles Anthony, LTTE political head Balasingham Nadesan and LTTE peace Secretariat chief S Pulidevan had been killed in fierce battles in the last 12 hours. The other top LTTE leaders slain include Black Tigers' chief Ramesh, Tigers' police wing chief Ilango and senior leaders Sundaram and Kapil Amman. The body of 24-year-old Anthony, chief of LTTE's air wing, was found during mopping up operations in the last rebel-held territory in the no-fire zone this morning, the Defence Ministry said. Nadesan, a former constable of Sri Lankan police, was heading the political wing of the Tamil Tigers. S Pulidevan was the head of "LTTE peace secretariat" while S Ramesh was the chief of Black Tigers. According to the defence sources, the body of Anthony was found after an unsuccessful attempt by the Tamil Tigers to evacuate their leader's son early this morning. Anthony was known to be the head of Information and Technology department of the LTTE. Celebrations broke out in the capital here as news spread of the death of Prabhakaran, who led the longest armed struggle in South Asia for nothing less than a separate homeland for Tamils. Prabhakaran founded the LTTE in the late 1970s and carried out his first political murder against the mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah, a fellow Tamil, by shooting him at point blank range while he was about to enter Hindu temple at Ponnaalai. The LTTE, which was angry over IPKF role in the Tamil areas in the aftermath of the Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardane accord, assassinated Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur near Chennai in 1991 during election campaign by a women suicide bomber.
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best day for indians, he killed my fav leader Rajiv gandhi. I am so happy today. Thanks god. Congrats Sri lankan people. -hemant - melbourne

the sri lankan army deserves appreciation for the wonderful job they have done by killing these bastard terrorists.parbhakran was son of a bitch responsible for thedeath of our beloved rajiv gandhi may he get hell and suffer along with other terrorists -vijay singh - ivory coasst

Out of nothing, Prabhakaran built the most ruthless fighting force of our times. He fought for a cause and fought for it till the bitter end. He would never have died at the hands of his enemies if he himself had not spawn a legacy of killing fellow fighters fighting for Eelam only because they had formed different organizations to do so. Nevertheless, he would go down in Tamil history as a legendary hero who lived and died in valour. -K. Venugopal - Mumbai

The greatest day in our life. All Sri lankans - be it Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers - will be happy to hear this news. -Chamodi - Colombo

Will support “whoever” gives special status to Bihar: Nitish

Zeenews Bureau Patna, May 15:

In what has sent alarms bells ringing in the BJP, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday opened up the numbers game by saying that the JD(U) would support any formation that would give special status to his state to kick start development. “We will support whichever party gives Bihar a special status. That will be the basis of our support," Nitish said at a book launch here, a day before Lok Sabha election results are to be declared. Talking at length on the development issues in the state, Nitish Kumar said the state's long standing demand to give it special status had been rejected by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh, he said, was not even ready to discuss the issue. Had "Three years back, on April 13, 2006, the state Assembly decided that Bihar should be given special status and we requested a meeting with the Prime Minister. But we were not given time," the Chief Minister said. By keeping Bihar’s priorities ahead of his party’s position as one of the oldest and most trusted allies of the BJP, Nitish Kumar has now made it absolutely clear that JD(U)’s support cannot to be taken for granted and that they will go with “whoever” gives the best bargain. Congress ready for special status to Bihar The Congress was quick to take the cue with senior party strategist Digvijay Singh coming out with a statement that the Congress is OK with the idea of giving special status to Bihar. “We are sensitive to the needs of Bihar as we had given five times more money for the development of Bihar than the NDA, but Nitish to specify what he means by special status.” The Congress’ eagerness to woo the Bihar CM into the UPA fold is not something new as party’s youth icon Rahul Gandhi, had openly praised Nitish for the development work he is doing in Bihar. PM Manmohan Singh had also called up Kumar to discuss the relief package given to Bihar after the Kosi floods – after he complained that not enough was being done by the Centre for Kosi relief. But, the problem for the Congress lies in its existing ally RJD chief Lalu Yadav as it is next to impossible to bring Nitish and Lalu on a common platform given the fact that they are each other principle adversaries in the state. BJP worried Although the BJP is putting up a brave face, it undoubtedly is facing uncertain times, that too when the results are just hours away. Party president Rajnath Singh played down the comments by Nitish Kumar by saying that the Bihar CM has not asked for anything unusual and that what he has said is correct. “Nitish is a seasoned politician, he knows which party (read BJP) will give special status to Bihar,” said Rajnath. Rajnath also said that Nitish is still with the NDA and has assured his support to LK Advani as PM. Nitish too, later, said that no one should read too much into his comment as he just wanted to say that whosever rules at the Centre should impart special care to his still developing state Bihar. However, Nitish’s change of stand from his earlier expressed unwavering allegiance to the NDA opens up a lot of possibilities for the now wavering Third Front. The Third Front has been all along trying to woo the Bihar CM. There were also reports that the Left is even open to project Nitish as the "consensus" candidate for the Prime Minister's job. But Nitish has been till now preferred to keep his cards close to chest and keep everybody guessing.

Likely to win less seats than before, the Left still wants to direct Indian politics. Its living in a fool's world.

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