Half million Indian visas for Bangladeshis each year, yet queues remain

DHAKA: Despite India issuing half a million visas annually to Bangladeshis, the serpentine queues outside its high commission every day have been called worthy of a place among the Guinness World Records.

What complicates the issue is that about 25,000 of the Bangladeshis who get the visa each year do not return home, as Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said last week.

The figure, diplomatic sources say, is based on statistics gathered from the border check posts and all entry-exit points.

A member of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) last week said that queues of visa seekers outside the Indian High Commission "would find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records".

It may seem a typical South Asian hyperbole, but it underscores the problem's seriousness.

About a decade back, over 350,000 Bangladeshis availed Indian visas a year. The number is growing and is bound to grow further with increasing interaction between the two South Asian neighbours, analysts say.

The queue of visa seekers often shows harrowing sights - a sick person on a wheelchair or mourners seeking to attend the funeral of a relative in India.

There are other reasons for wanting to go to India - a wedding in a Bangladeshi middle class home is incomplete without Benarasi saris and other goodies purchased in India. Many people also find it convenient to seek medical treatment in India.

In 2008, visas were issued to 255,696 individuals for visiting relatives and pilgrimage; 55,489 for medical treatment; 6,786 for business which includes significant proportion of long-term multiple entry visas, and 2,374 for students.

Overall, in 2006, 2007 and 2008, the total number of visas issued by the high commission was 472,644, 481,064 and 523,322 respectively.

Leaving out weekends and holidays, it would work out to about 2,600 visas issued daily from visa offices in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Chittagong. Of them, about 1,600 are issued in Dhaka.

Bangladesh does not announce figures of visas it issues to Indians. But its missions in New Delhi and Kolkata also witness a rush. The outflow from India, however, is only a fraction of the inflow.

There is an element of selectivity. Samaresh Mazumdar, a popular Bengali novelist on both sides of the border, was denied a visa in 2006 because of the contents of one of his books.

In May 2001, India and Bangladesh signed a new visa agreement aimed at meeting the visa requirements for business, studies, medical treatment, tourism, pilgrimage and other purposes.

Around 2003, it became possible to download the visa application from the high commission's web site.

In December 2005, India opened a separate visa application centre to outsource a part of the rush.

The visa remains free (gratis), but there is a visa processing fee of Taka 200 ($3 approximately). It is collected by the State Bank of India. The firm gets Taka 174 per application, while the rest is paid as service tax to the Bangladesh government.

Veterans of the visa process say the "serpentine queues" have come down in recent years, but the arrangement is not fully able to deal with the rush.

Among the suggestions Indian High Commission has made in its clarification issued last week was that Bangladeshis ought to plan their visits.

They resort to "touts and brokers", Chakravarty alleged, to tide over the time taken in processing.

An Indian official who has dealt with this issue in the past, speaking on condition of anonymity, strongly recommended the use of modern technology and management and above all a better understanding between Dhaka and New Delhi.

CREST ANIMATION: SOME THOUGHTS:

BSE Code: 526785

CMP: Rs.24.20

Special Feature: Crest has an unmatched state-of-the-art technological foundation that is able to service the volume and complex projects at par with world-class facilities. Crest has implemented an end-to-end open standards-based technology infrastructure for its digital animation studio, the first of its kind in India. Its competitive advantage over most major studios is that of Time-Cost-Quality – its ability to provide high quality CGI-animation within a greatly reduced production schedule at a fraction of the cost. Through the Crest Advantage of Time-Cost-Quality, the company has become a revenue differentiating player in the global animation industry. The stock which was looking cheap at around Rs.250 considering the Business Profile of the company, is now available at the price of at Rs.24.20. On the charts the stock is about to explode as Stochastic, MACD and Bollinger Bands are in buy mode. Candle Stick Pattern is also looking good for the scrip....The stock has a strong support around Rs.22, which will be difficult to break on the downside with such wonderful results for Q4FY09.

The Company's shares are listed on the Stock Exchanges at Mumbai, (BSE), and on the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE). The Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) of the Company are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

THE TARGETS AND OTHER FEATURES ONLY TO THE PAID GROUPS.........

Crest was founded in 1990 by Shyam Ramanna as an advertising film production company. One of India's largest CG production companies with over 480 animation seats, Crest is widely acknowledged in India to have introduced animation and special effects to the Indian market. It is one of the first players in the Asian region to service the mainstream entertainment industry in the U.K. and the U.S. – demonstrating high quality, timely deliveries and competitive costs. Crest Animation is a full-service studio specializing in the development and production of digital animated properties for theatrical, television, home entertainment and interactive distribution for the global entertainment industry.

Crest is the undisputed leader in the Indian animation industry, and one of the leading CGI animation studios in the world.

Crest Animation leverages its India advantages of highly-skilled talent and cost efficiencies, and the creativity of its Los Angeles arm to provide high quality CGI (computer generated imaging) animation product to the global animation industry. Through the Crest Advantage of Time-Cost-Quality, Crest has become a revenue differentiating player in the global animation industry.

Crest's state-of-the-art technology and world-class facilities, together with its depth and breadth of experience, has earned it an unparalleled reputation in global animation circles. Crest has delivered more than 200 half hours of television and home video titles in CGI animation, working for such clients as Mike Young Productions, Mark Brown, Classic Media, Nelvana, American Greetings, Marathon and Nickelodeon.

Crest has produced animation for several international TV shows such as 'Jakers!' and 'Pet Alien' that have won many awards including Daytime EMMY, BAFTA, FICCI Frames 2005, Humanitas Prize for Children’s Animation, and a nomination for Annie Award.
Crest recently tied up with Lions Gate Family Entertainment to co-produce three movies. Currently under production is Crest's first feature film in partnership with Hollywood's Lions Gate Entertainment, the first of a three-movie deal for worldwide theatrical distribution. The work on the first feature film in Co-production with Lions Gate titled “Alpha & Omega” is on schedule and is progressing smoothly.

With this full-length feature, Crest has successfully transitioned into the theatrical segment. The transaction is significant in that it enables RCA to enhance its reputation as a recognized producer and co-owner of theatrical CG animation films and to expand its library of intellectual property rights.

The Company is focusing its operations to cater to its subsidiary´s feature film production and other co-production opportunities.
Industry professionals have also recognized the accomplishments of Crest as reflected in the numerous awards won and nominations received.
Results: The company after a long time came out with very good results (both on Y-o-Y and Sequentially) for both the TOPLINE AND BOTTOMLINE. The total income of the company for Q4FY09 came out to be Rs.14.14 Cr as against Rs.6.02 Cr in the same period previous year. The profit before depreciation and Tax (PBDT) for Q4FY09 came out to be whooping Rs.6.2 Cr against a net LOSS of Rs.3.85 Cr in the same period previous year. The Net Profit of the company for Q4FY09 came out to be Rs.2.8 Cr as against a net LOSS of Rs.6.64 Cr in the same period previous year.

Besides this the operating profit margin of the company for Q4FY09 came out to be 41.09% against a Negative operating profit margin of 47.06%. The net profit margin of the company for Q4FY09 jumped to 18% (look reasonable) as compared to year on year negative net profit margin of 107.06%. This is very good news for the shareholders of Crest Animation Studios Ltd.

HENCE WE CAN SAFELY CONCLUDE THAT CREST ANIMATION STUDIOS COULD BE A TURAROUND CASE, AND WHICH COULD GIVE MASSIVE RETURNS GOING FORWARD.

Government wants Ambani pact declared ‘null & void’:

The Special Leave Petition was filed by the petroleum ministry, a day after it filed an affidavit in response to Mukesh-led RIL’s petition in the Supreme Court challenging the high court order

New Delhi: The government on Saturday filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a direction to declare as ‘null and void’ the private family agreement of the Ambanis that provides for gas supply by RIL to RNRL.

The government petition has named as respondents RIL led by Mukesh Ambani and RNRL headed by Anil Ambani which have separately filed cross-petitions against the Bombay High Court 15 June judgement.

The Special Leave Petition was filed by the petroleum ministry, a day after it filed an affidavit in response to Mukesh-led RIL’s petition in the Supreme Court challenging the high court order.

Just before the government moved its petition, RNRL filed its second affidavit saying the Petroleum Ministry’s affidavit yesterday was aimed at expanding its role and file pleadings that was not permissible to an intervener.

The petroleum ministry’s SLP today comes in the backdrop of a debate about the role the government could play as interevener or a respondent in the ongoing RIL-RNRL case and the latest move would enable the government to take up issues that have not been touched in the high court ruling.

Petroleum ministry also sought a stay on the high court judgement that asked RIL to supply gas to RNRL after mutually working out the modalities.

Besides asking for setting aside the high court order, the petition sought quashing of the interpretation of the June 15 ruling that relates to gas utilisation policy and PSC.

DIGITAL LOVE : Room for Maturity in Modern Dating Age
By Ellen McCarthy

A few weeks ago Pepper Schwartz, a sociologist who studies relationships at the University of Washington, spent the day giving a friend a crash course in online dating. Never mind that the friend in question is an 80-year-old woman -- she wants "what every girl wants," Schwartz says, "love, compatibility, someone to experience life with."

And with a few clicks, Schwartz's octogenarian pal joined the legions of seniors turning to their computers for a second (or third or fifth or 25th) shot at romance. By 2007, the over-50 set had become the fastest-growing group of subscribers for online dating companies, and double-digit growth has continued since, according to industry watchers.

"They're seeing their sons and daughters use online dating and have success with it," explains Joe Tracy, editor of Online Dating Magazine. "And we've been seeing online dating services really target the senior citizens and baby-boomer market."

Schwartz, an adviser to online dating company Perfectmatch.com, cheers the trend. If a person in their 60s or 70s lost a spouse 20 years ago, "the chances of pairing again were small," she says, because the avenues to meet new people were limited mostly to churches, senior centers and friends of friends.

Today single seniors can go online and "be opened up to literally thousands of options," she says.

Susan Paisner has been. And the 59-year-old editor, who was widowed in 2007, has all the online dating adventures and misadventures to prove it. There are the surprising solicitations from much younger men, the dates who turn out to look nothing like their profile pictures, the guy who threw a tantrum in the middle of the street on New Year's Eve.

"It's become absolutely fascinating -- it's a never-ending supply of fabulous stories," says Paisner of Rockville. Despite some strange experiences, she still considers it an "unbelievable opportunity."

Paisner isn't looking to get remarried -- at least not right away -- but she likes people and great conversation and having company as she finds fun in the city. Even when she travels abroad, she'll sometimes go online beforehand to see if there's someone interesting there who might join her at a museum or a restaurant.

It all seemed bizarre to her at first, but one question fueled her motivation: How else was she going to meet people?

Linda Wertlieb did have marriage in mind when she signed up for JDate.com, a site for Jewish singles, in 2005. She was 13 when she began dating her first husband, who struggled with ALS disease before dying when she was 61. Wertlieb wasn't sure how to go about dating, but one of her three daughters and a few friends had had some success online, so she decided to try it.

"I just figured, 'Well, I'll see what this is all about,' and had a friend help me write a profile," recalls Wertlieb, now 67. "I was very honest -- I wanted to meet someone to marry and spend the rest of my life with."

The Potomac woman went on a few so-so dates and then, against her daughter's advice, started communicating with a man whose profile didn't have a picture. Turns out Alan Deresh wasn't ashamed of his looks -- he just didn't like the idea of business associates seeing his picture on a dating site.

The two met in January 2006 and married that October. They discovered that they lived just five minutes apart and had friends in common who might never have thought to set them up.

"We both feel very blessed and lucky," says Wertlieb, whose daughter married a man she met online the following year.

Nataki Clarke, directing of marketing for AARP's Web site, says two of the most viewed items ever posted on the site were an article about how to get started in online dating, and a tool that helped members build online dating profiles. "Anything with dating, relationships, sex -- that content does really well with this audience," says Clarke, who helped build a new version of AARP's site that acts like a Facebook for seniors, to facilitate more interaction among members. "They're really hungry for this information."

That's because, Schwartz says, the desire for companionship doesn't decrease with age: "Neither love, nor romance, nor adventure are the private property of the young."

There are pitfalls, of course. Safety is always an issue with online dating, and so is disappointment. Just like their younger counterparts, seniors who log on to find love are also risking heartbreak. "The downside," Schwartz says, "is when you meet someone you think is wonderful, but they don't think you are. You've gotta be resilient."

And about that 80-year-old friend of hers? She had a coffee date lined up by the end of her first day online.

Six sexual highs he craves for

He might not have ever revealed, but your man definitely craves for something unusually seductive that pushes his passion-buttons the right way! So, what are you waiting for, we bring to you 6 sexual highs that he always craves for...
1. Listening: Some men are curious about all kinds of sex, while others are overtly conservative. Some however are just not sure of the specific sex moves they want to ask for. If your guy looks bored with the sex you're having it's probably because he's a bit bored. So the hottest thing you could ever do is to tell a man that he is free to ask you for anything. Even if you choose not to do what he's asking for, your guy will love that you listened and tried to understand and this is sure to turn him on.
2. Toys: Men have a love-hate relationship with your sex toys. While most men are convinced that these gadgets take the pressure off male sex performance, all dudes realise that they don't have long-lasting batteries like these machines. But what your guy may not be telling you is that he loves watching you use. So, what's stopping you from starting off a steamy sex romp? Get down and dirty and watch your man watch you get playful with your favourite sex toy! It will blow his mind.
3. Porn watching: All men dig porn, now here's how you can be part of the brat pack. Watch porn together on a steamy night. Your guy is bound to get aroused watching you becoming out-of-control sexcited at the sight of male porn actors. Men also fantasise about their babe mimicking the woman in the porn flick. So, get into some serious role play and scale new heights of desire.
4. Surprise them: Most men love to be pampered and caught off guard. So, why not service your man's fantasy by organising a match night where he's watching his favourite cricket match with you alone. Pour him a chilled beer, massage his back and shoulders with your hands and whisper sweet nothings in his ears. Don't jump into the sack right away. Stimulate his mind, sit on his lap and kiss him all over the body. The girlie make out session will have him charged up in bed later.
5. Fantasise: All men share kinky fantasises of making indulging in role play or being dominated with whips and chains in true bondage style. Now, instead of shunning his kinky desires - give them a concrete shape by participating in them. Catch your man by surprise clad in a leather cat suit, tie him to the bed post and allow him to live out his wildest sexual thrills!
6. Cross Dressing: Men wear trousers and a shirt. Everything else is just a variation of the same dress code. Why not raid his wardrobe and get in touch with your androgynous side. Put on his shirts, spray his strong manly scent and seduce him. And if your man wants to try on your lacy lingerie - don't say no, fun lies in experimentation afterall.

Attack on my residence state-sponsored, says Rita Bahuguna Joshi

[It is very unfortunate to hear Ms.Mayawati saying,"The Congress Supporters burnt the residence and the private car of Ms.Rita Bahuguna Joshi."
If Ms.Maywati, had  little "maya" left in her hearts, should have condemned both--the utterances of Ritaji and at the same time, the buring of her house.

It shows where Ms. Mayawati belongs to as far as her up bringing is concerned. While slip of tongue of Ms.Joshi, caused her problems, but the attitude of Ms.Mayawati was equally deplorable.

What is this?? You burn the house and car of a lady, because she said something unparliamentary against the UP Chief Minister??!! Hooliganism in any form cannot be tolerated.....By this attitude Ms. Mayawati and her supporters have shown that persons belonging to the Hell behaves in the same way when they reache Heaven by luck........I am shocked to see the attitude of Ms. Mayawati]

Moradabad, Jul 18: Released on interim bail, UPCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi today regretted some of her remarks against Mayawati, but said it was a state-sponsored attack on her residence and the Chief Minister had no right to continue in office. "I regret that one word I used against the Chief Minister .

I crossed the limits but the context in which it was made should be understood. My purpose was to convey the plight of dalit women (who were raped) and the woman chief minister should have understood the context," she told reporters coming out of the jail.

60-year-old Joshi, who was arrested and remanded to 14 days'' judicial custody on Thursday in connection with the case against her under provisions of the IPC and SC/ST Act for her derogatory remarks against Mayawati, said her struggle on women''s issues would continue and was prepared to go to jail hundred times for it.

The UPCC chief said she agreed with what the Congress President said on her remarks, but the full statement should be read because it had referred to the problems faced by the oppressed women.

She said it was unfortunate that the state government applied certain provisions of law which should not have been used. "See, I have got bail within two days," she said. She also said Mayawati had no right to continue in office. [From Internet]

Again, there is no coverage by the "Bas**ds" of India's Secular (Whore) media on the following incident which rocked the sentiment of World-wide Hindus, can somebody forward this to NDTV,CNN-IB NEWS 24, N,TOI, etc...let us see if they cover this incident or not:

Is Indian becoming another Malaysia??

Lord Shiva's murti (Idol) desecrated in Mangalore, Karnataka

URL: http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=135652

By Team Mangalorean Mangalore
Pics: Rajesh Shetty

MANGALORE, July 17, 2009: A beautiful idol of Lord Shiva has been desecrated by miscreants at the Pandeshwar Katte near the Mangalore South Police Station. The Idol which had been consecrated there by some youth group was badly damaged, according to the initial investigations the idol has been ripped open with the help of boulders, they were thrown at the idol at a great speed with the intention of destroying it.
The local people who came to know about the incident gathered there in big numbers and many people were saying so many things and the tempers were rising uncontrolabaly. But the police arrived there in time and dispersed the crowd and appealed to the people not to air any opinions and take law into their hands. They said they will investigate about the matter and take the culprits into custody.
But the people gathered there later took the desecrated idol from that place and took it to a safe place in order to allow the tempers to subside. There were already talks of retaliation by some youth groups but all that went silent after some time.
The people however, went in a delegation to the police station and demanded the arrest of the persons connected with the incident.
The police are however putting out another theory. They are saying that there was a mentally deranged person who was moving around in the area and there were one or two complaints against him for stone pelting and inflicting damage to the public property. [Complied/Contributed by Raj Shaury, USA]

Probe into Maharashtra's Muslim boy-Hindu girl marriages

Sanjeev Shivadekar, Times of India

MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s criminal investigation department (CID) meant to probe high-profile cases will now investigate love affairs that have resulted in marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim boys.

CID has been told to check whether Muslim boys are enticing Hindu girls as part of a ‘conspiracy’. Minister of state for home (rural) Nitin Raut had announced this in the assembly on the last day of Maharashtra’s budget session a fortnight back.

Participating in a calling attention notice, Eknath Khadse and Devendra Fadnavis had said young Muslim boys in rural areas were wooing Hindu college girls and then marrying them. According to them, this was part of a ‘conspiracy’ to increase the population of the community. Khadse even alleged that some Hindu girls had been sent to Gulf.

In his reply, Raut admitted such incidents were happening. ‘‘I will initiate an inquiry into this,’’ the minister had promised. But the opposition demanded that he order a CID probe as the issue was serious. Subsequently, Raut gave in to their demands.

CID chief SPS Yadav said, ‘‘We have yet to receive the order. The first thing we will have to do is to check whether such an inquiry is in consonance with the CID manual. If not, we will inform the government about the norms,’’ he said. ‘‘If government persists, we will decide on how to carry out these investigations.’’

Raut’s announcement has not gone down well with his cabinet colleagues and leaders of the Muslim community. Senior NCP leader and labour minister Nawab Malik said BJP has political interest in raising such issues.

Congress leader and minister of state for home (urban) Arif Naseem Khan said there is no provision in law where member of a particular community can be stopped from marrying a girl\boy of another community. ‘‘If any case where a girl\boy is pressurised into getting married to member of other community, the offender should be certainly punished,’’ he added.

PM defends stance on Pak, BJP stages walkout

Under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party for the outcome of his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the starting point for 'any meaningful dialogue' will depend on actions by Islamabad to end cross-border terror and hoped there would be 'forward movement' in the coming months.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha against the backdrop of BJP's charge of reversal of India's long-standing position, Dr Singh said, "Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and therefore cannot await other developments."

BJP was not satisfied, with Leader of Opposition L K Advani charging that India had 'conceded and capitulated'. He then led a BJP walkout from the House.

Dr Singh, who met Gilani at Sharm-el Sheikh in Egypt on Thursday, said he had conveyed to the Pakistani leader that "sustained, effective and credible action needs to be taken not only to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice but also to shut down the operations of terrorist groups so as to prevent any future attacks."

Underlining that India seeks cooperative relations with Pakistan and "engagement is the only way forward to realise the vision" of a stable and prosperous South Asia, he said India is "willing to go more than half way provided Pakistan creates the conditions for a meaningful dialogue".

"Whether, when and in what form we broaden the dialogue with Pakistan will depend on future developments," he added.

"It has been and remains our consistent position that the starting point of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is a fulfillment of their commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow their territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against India," Dr Singh insisted.

He pointed out that Gilani and he himself had agreed that the foreign secretaries will meet as often as necessary and report to the two foreign ministers, who will meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Dr Singh said he had discussed with Gilani the present condition of bilateral ties, the future potential and the steps that are necessary to enable the two countries to realise their potential.

"I conveyed to him (Gilani) the strong sentiments of the people of India over the issue of terrorism, especially the terrorist attacks in Mumbai," the prime minister said.

He said Gilani had assured him that Pakistan would "do everything in its power" to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice.

BJP, which raised the issue in both Houses, accused the government of reversing the country's long-standing position, that dialogue cannot be pursued if terrorism continues.

After Singh's statement, Advani said delinking of terrorism from composite dialogue has been the 'demand of Pakistan' and that the Indian government had conceded seven months after the Mumbai attacks.

"What has happened that made you change the stance? The government has capitulated," he alleged. [From Internet]

Islamic terrorists Strike again: Bombs tear Jakarta hotels apart: 6 dead, 36 wounded in Indonesian blasts

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A pair of powerful bombs exploded at two luxury hotels in an upscale Jakarta business district Friday, killing 6 and wounding at least 36, officials said.
The blasts at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.
Dr. Cahyonod at the Jakarta Hospital and a police spokesman said six people were killed. South Jakarta police Col. Firman Bundi earlier said that four of the dead were foreigners.
At the Metropolitan Medical Center, a list was posted with the names of 36 people wounded. An official at the registration office said 11 were foreigners. She declined to give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the media.
Alex Asmasubrata, who was jogging by the hotels, said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz.
The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed in that blast, but there has been a massive crackdown by anti-terror officials, and it has been more than three years since a major terrorist attack in Indonesia and the network.
The Manchester United football team was scheduled to stay at the Ritz on Saturday and Sunday nights for a friendly match against the Indonesian All Stars, the Indonesian Football association said.
International hotels, which by their nature must be open and accessible for visitors and guests, make attractive targets for terror attacks. Complete security is virtually impossible, despite security barriers, metal detectors and high-tech surveillance gear.

In U'khand, BJP backs Ramdev, slams Congress

Coming out in defence of Baba Ramdev (He was born as Ramkrishna Yadav, to the family of farmers in village Saidalipur, Haryana. In 2004, Ramkrishna Yadav was reborn as Baba Ramdev on the television channel "Aastha"), the BJP on Sunday asked the Congress leadership in Uttarakhand to desist from making irresponsible statements about the Yoga guru.

Dr Anil Jain, the BJP's in-charge for Uttarakhand, lashed out at Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat for attacking Ramdev. On Saturday, Rawat, who is also the Opposition leader in the state Assembly, had said that Ramdev was toeing the line of a particular political party.

Jain hit back on Sunday, saying: "It is their habit to link anyone talking of patriotism and Indian culture with the BJP. We do not want to join issue with them, but what they are trying to do is deplorable." He added, "Calling Baba Ramdev, who is an internationally renowned figure, a BJP agent shows the mindset of the Congress. They are trying to disrespect both Baba Ramdev and the BJP. The politics which they are resorting to is petty and they should refrain from doing so. They should instead try to do something for the state."

Jain was here to attend the meeting of the BJP state parliamentary board on the eve of the Budget Session. With a new Chief Minister taking over, the party's national leadership wanted a central leader to take part in the meeting in which the strategy to be adopted on the floor of the House would be decided. [From Internet]

Have more children, says Mizoram Church

Sangzuala Hmar, TNN 15 July 2009

[My addition: I cannot help mention here that when the orthodox Islamic regime came to power in Iran, they banned the use of contraceptives or birth control measures. The results was devastating: The population of Iran doubled in less than 25 years, giving rise to a large number of unwanted children.

The boys from poor families somehow survived this onslaught, however, the girls had a harrowing story to tell: some of them forced to marry persons who were already married/divorced or double/triple their age. Some went into prostitution to survive, after their families failed to provide them with basic amenities. So the strict Islamic dictat, brought unwanted pregnancies and unwanted children which Iran still finds very difficult to tackle. Seeing this problem, Iran revoked the law, to tide over this crisis.

Without learning anything from the Iran episode, the Church wants to start the same thing in India. I think with India's population bursting at the seams and High Muslim birth rate (of over 33% against Hindu's birth rate of 22%), this new found theory will add to India's population related owes]

AIZAWL: The Presbyterian Church, Mizoram's largest church, has said it will preach against birth control across the predominantly Christian state.

"Newly born denotes continuation of God's creation... It is God's blessing on human beings. Who are we to stop or control it?" said Rev. Zosangliana Colney, executive secretary of the Mizoram Synod. "Mizoram is sparsely populated compared to all other Indian states, and it is felt by many NGOs also that birth control is not a necessity here," he added.

Last year, three presbyteries, Dampa, Lunglei and Ramlai East, had asked the Synod to propagate no-birth control policy. Prior to this, the Synod had passed resolutions against the government's birth control policy twice in 1976 and 1985.

"If god still wants his creation to continue here on earth, he will surely balance life here on earth," Colney said. According Presbyterian Church statistics, the birth rate among church members was 18.77 per cent against the death rate of 4.97 per cent.

Major NGOs in Mizoram, which has a population of about 900,000, were the opinion that birth control was not ideal for Mizos. The latest church population census revealed that there are 4,39,587 members in the Presbyterian Church alone. The total number of Christians in the state is 8,49,962.

Pranab will again try to please madam
Arati R Jerath

New Delhi: Finance minister Dr.Pranab Mukherjee can hardly have missed the irony of his situation. Twenty five years ago, when he presented his last budget for Indira Gandhi, he played the cautious reformer, taking baby steps to open up a tightly-controlled socialist economy without upsetting the political sensibilities of his Left-leaning party.

As he pens his budget speech circa 2009, to be presented on Monday, he finds himself in a similar role. Circumscribed by the aam aadmi politics of the Congress party's recent election victory, Mukherjee will again be batting cautiously as he ducks calls for sweeping reforms, the loudest of which have come from his own ministry, in the annual economic survey prepared by chief economic advisor Arvind Virmani.

But this is not 1984. Then, Mukherjee had a head full of black hair, a trusty pipe to keep him going through the arduous task of preparing a difficult budget and of course, Indira Gandhi's full backing as her blue-eyed boy. Today, he has neither the hair nor the pipe (he has given up smoking) and he is acutely aware that he stands very much alone in the spotlight.

Two former finance ministers, Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram, will be watching closely and scrutinising every word. One is his boss, the prime minister. And there's his other boss, Sonia Gandhi, whose one-line whip to all ministers is to deliver on the party's election promises.

It's a tough task and Mukherjee is treading very carefully. He has stopped going home for lunch and spends an extra hour or two at night in his office in North Block, searching for the right nuances to put into his speech. He has gone through the widest possible consultations over the past few weeks. For the first time, Indian industry was split into different sectors for individual discussions. The financial sector was called in separately, as was the IT sector.
He had a three-and-a-half hour long meeting at the Congress headquarters with party office bearers and members of the working committee.

He has spoken to RBI governor D Subbarao and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who was being spoken of as a possible finance minister before Mukherjee was appointed. And he has bounced his ideas off the PM and Sonia, especially Sonia. Obviously, Mukherjee is leaving no stone unturned in crafting the widest possible consensus.

Mukherjee lacks the academic weight of Manmohan Singh the economist or the glib articulation of Chidambaram the lawyer. He's a politician through and through. So, expect a politician's budget, not a clever sleight of hand or an expert's prescription. And instead of flourishes from Bollywood, like Chidambaram's quip of Main Hoon Na or Jaswant Singh's reference to another Shahrukh Khan starrer, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum, there may be a quote or two from Rabindranath Tagore or a Sanskrit shlokha.

BJP demands minority status to Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu : Demanding minority status to the Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP today said the community should be given the benefits of the welfare schemes started by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs under the Prime Minister's new 15-point programme.

''Hindus are ‘minorities’ in the state and the term Hindu as per the Constitution of India includes Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.

Hence, the benefits be extended to these minorities without any discrimination,'' Ramesh Arora, BJP state spokesperson told reporters at a press conference here in the morning.

The BJP leader, however, blamed National Conference and Congress- led coalition government for not extending benefits to minorities in the state as it is done in rest of the country.

''J&K government is giving step motherly treatment to the Hindus as minority community and this causal attitude will not be tolerated,'' Mr Arora said and added that party would table a bill in the forthcoming Assembly session to redress the problems of the community.

He also added that applications have been invited from the students belonging to the Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities, notified under Section 2 (C) of the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992 as minorities, for the purpose of scholarship and other schemes.

However, on withdrawal of CRPF from Baramulla, the BJP leader said local police replacing the para-military forces in the valley are not trained enough for anti-insurgency operations.

''The state government has succumbed to the pressure of PDP and Hurriyat Conference on withdrawal of forces. The militancy will revive once the CRPF will be replaced with the local police in Kashmir,'' he asserted.