"India trying to mend fences with BNP"

Dhaka, Oct 25 (bdnews24.com) – Indian media has splashed news about the upcoming visit of Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia to New Delhi from Oct 28 as she embarks on a diplomatic exercise to strengthen relations with the neighbours of Bangladesh.
Popular Indian daily Hindustan Times published a news on Oct 23 saying, "With New Delhi leaving no stone unturned to maintain the momentum in bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh, India will be hosting Begum Khaleda Zia."
Khaldea will be leaving for New Delhi on Oct 28 for a seven-day trip at the invitation of the Indian government and is scheduled to meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, among others.
Hindustan Times said it was part of the strategy of the Indian government to maintain good relations with all key stakeholders in Bangladesh.
Daily News & Analysis newspaper reported on Oct 24, "The visit comes with just over a year left for general elections in Bangladesh, and a sharp decline in the popularity ratings of ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
The paper said Teesta water sharing agreement and the Land Boundary Agreement were expected to take a major share of discussions.
Bangladesh and India failed to sign the Teesta interim agreement during the visit of Indian premier Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September last year due to strong opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Both countries signed the Land Boundary Agreement in 1974 and Bangladesh ratified it the same year but India is yet to ratify it making it ineffective as the deal stipulates that it would not be effective until both parties ratify it.
The Times of India under a headline of "India reaches out to Khaleda Zia ahead of Bangladesh polls" reported, "While the BNP has always been known for its anti-India stance, New Delhi knows that it is imperative to at least make an attempt to mend fences with her in the run-up to the general elections slated to be held next year."
"New Delhi added value to its relationship with Dhaka but it knows that ties with BNP are crucial to make this process irreversible."
The Statesman reported that "Ms Zia's party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has always been regarded as favouring Pakistan over India but sources in the government said that they are hoping that Ms Zia's visit will help change that perception and help India develop closer ties with the BNP."
Three times Prime Minister, Khaldea Zia visited China from Oct 14 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese Communist Party. During the visit, she met members of the Chinese leadership including Chinese Vice President Xi Jingpin and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Courtesy: http://www.bdnews24.com

Can brahmins sway it in four Amdavadi constituencies?

What do Ellisbridge and Maninagar in the east have in common with Naranpura and Vejalpur in western Amdavad? Well, it’s the vote-bank, for Brahmins are the dominating factor in these four constituencies. They constitute 15% to 20% of the vote-bank here.

However, if poll pundits are to be believed, it is very unlikely that they will lean towards any one political party. But if they do so, their affiliation with any one party can change equation in these constituencies.
While, Ellisbridge has nearly 50,000 brahmin voters, the newly-formed Naranpura constituency has more than 35,000.
Maninagar, Ghatlodia and Vejalpur have more than 20,000 voters of various sects of the brahmin community. Moreover, in another half a dozen seats, the upper caste commands 15,000 to 20,000 votes — a fact that has not gone amiss in brahmin leaders’ eyes.
They are now demanding their share of the caste-pie from both the political parties and are expecting at least a couple of seats for ‘their’ candidates from the city. “The BJP is likely to give at least two tickets to brahmin candidates in Ahmedabad,” said a brahmin leader of the party, on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the brahmin leaders in Congress have already gone a step ahead and prepared a strategy for the upcoming assembly elections.
Chairman of the social organisation integration cell of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), Jagdish Dave said that they have worked out a list of probable brahmin candidates who can win seats for the party.
“The community could have the highest share in some constituency but support of ther communities is also needed for victory. So, we will press for a brahmin community candidate who is acceptable to other communities as well,” said Dave. He also said that they will organise 20-odd community meetings in various parts of the state to foster unity in the community.
“Brahmins alone cannot win a seat but the community can be instrumental in defeating someone,” he said.
Fearing they might sound politically incorrect, BJP’s band of upper caste leaders is, however, maintaining a stiff upper lip on the issue.
“The BJP does not believe in caste-based politics and works for the development of all communities,” said Dilip Pandya, BJP member of Rajya Sabha.
Their political inclinations may change equations this election, opine pundits
Can brahmins sway it in four Amdavadi constituencies?

Courtesy: www.dnaindia.com

Jaspal Bhatti, the king of comedy no more

New Delhi, October 25, 2012

Jaspal Bhatti and his wife Savita Bhatti,

Legendary Indian comedian Jaspal Bhatti, who died in a car crash in the early hours of Thursday in Punjab’s Nakodar town, has left the young comic fraternity serious. Bhatti, 57, was on a 40-day promotional tour to promote his film Power Cut when the mishap occurred. Popular contemporary comic artists, who grew up watching Bhatti’s gags that mirrored social issues, are shaken up and say he will still be idolised by generations of comedians to come.
“This news is very tragic and shocking. It is a big loss. His gags were more than just entertainment. They were social observations and he set the podium for today’s comedians. I had the fortune of meeting him a few times in Chandigarh. I was very quiet and intimidated,” says Cyrus Sahukar.
Comic artist Vir Das says the legend has left behind a legacy of great comedy in India. “I never had the honour of meeting Mr Bhatti, but he was my first exposure to comedy. His shows, Flop Show and Ulta Pulta, have been an integral part of my childhood. The best part about him was that he used to do subtle and intelligent satire. He was much ahead of his time. He was truly a great satirist and a big inspiration for everyone in the comedy space.”
For stand up comic Neeti Palta, Jaspal Bhatti was someone who taught us how to laugh at ourselves. “He was one of the pioneers of the industry in India, who actually taught us to laugh at ourselves through his satires like Flop Show. Ulta Pulta was a special inspiration for me and I always wanted to meet him,” she says. 
Bhattiisms:
He is known for his TV shows Ulta Pulta, Flop Show, Full Tension, Thank You Jijaji and Hye Zindagi Bye Zindagi. He has worked in films like Mausam, Fanaa, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe and Jaanam Samjha Karo.

Twitter tributes:

• Life is a sad, pointless affair. Until somebody cracks a good joke... RIP Jaspal Bhatti #respect @RanvirShorey,
• Romance passed away earlier this week now laughter dies too ......surely the world is coming to an end. RIP jaspal Bhatti @sureshmenon,
• RIP Jaspal Bhatti..The poker faced humour..the Satire..you will definitely be missed Jaspalji @jaavedjaaferi,
• RIP JASPAL BHATTI- one of the first ppl to entertain audience with his political satires. Condolences to the family- a big n untimely loss@riteishd

We learned a lot from him.His gags had an important social message, and he set the podium for today’s comedians - Cyrus Sahukar, actor-comedian
He was much ahead of his time. The best part was that his satire was subtle and intelligent- Vir Das, stand-up comic

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Bali's 'largest' ancient Hindu temple discovered

Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever found on the Indonesian island, archaeologists said.
The workers were digging a drain in the island's capital Denpasar at a Hindu study centre when they came across the remains
of the stone temple.
They reported the discovery to the Bali archaeology office, which then unearthed substantial foundations of a structure that the excavation team believes dates from around the 13th to 15th centuries.
"We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali," Wayan Suantika, the head of the team, said late Wednesday.
He said the excavation was still in progress and the team did not yet know whether enough stones would be unearthed to allow them to reconstruct the temple.
The construction workers on Sunday found the first stone one metre (yard) underground, which was one metre long, 40 centimetres (16 inches) deep and 40 wide, said Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma, owner of the Hindu centre.
The excavation team then found what they believe is the foundation of the structure's 20-metre-long east wing, Suantika said.
The popular resort island is a pocket of Hindu culture in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world.

Courtesy: HIndustan TImes

Bollywood celebrates Durga puja

Bollywood actresses celebrate Durga puja, the biggest festival on the Bengali calendar, in full swing.

Photo, Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Kajol and Tanuja at the North Mumbai Durga Puja

 Photo, Courtesy: Sify.com

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Kajol

 

Photo, Courtesy: Sify.com

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Rupali Ganguly at the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja

Photo, Courtesy: Sify.com

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Shaan also picks up the mic at the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja

Photo, Courtesy: Sify.com

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Rani Mukerji gets blessing from Mother Durga for Talaash

Photo Courtesy: Sify.com

Bollywood celebrates Durga Puja

Saapna Mukerjee with Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan

Photo Courtesy: Mid-day

Bollywood celebrates Durga Puja

Rani Mukerji's parents Krishna and Ram Mukerji

Photo, Courtesy: Mid-day

Bollywood Celebrates Durga Pooja

Imtiaz Ali

Hajjis Shahid Afridi and Aamir Khan meet in Mecca
Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi and Bollywood actor Aamir Khan struck up a friendship when they met at Mecca in Saudi Arabia during their Hajj pilgrimage.

Cricket and Bollywood cross paths at regular intervals in India. But it's not often that the two worlds meet outside the country. So it was a happy coincidence when Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi and Bollywood actor Aamir Khan met up at Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

The all-rounder uploaded pictures of the meeting on his social networking site and it became an instant hit.

The duo also met Maulana Tariq Jamil, one of Pakistan’s most influential clerics, in Mecca. Pakistani former singer Junaid Jamshed and Shahid Afridi's brother were also believed to have been present.

Aamir, who left Mumbai for the holy Hajj pilgrimage along with his mother Zeenat Hussain on October 19 is on a 14-day pilgrimage. Aamir is expected to return to India from the pilgrimage on November 3. Apart from visiting Mecca, Aamir will aslo visit the city of Medina, burial place of the Prophet Muhammad.

Afridi left for Saudi Arabia on Sunday after playing the first cricket match between Pakistan All Star XI and International World XI. The dashing all-rounder led Pakistan XI while former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya led the International XI.

Courtesy: Mid-day

Teacher rapes student, friend films act
A teacher raped a student in Uttar Pradesh, while one of her friends filmed the act and the two were using the MMS to blackmail her.

A girl was arrested Monday in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district for filming one of her friends being raped by a male teacher, police said.

The shocking incident took place at Ichauna village in Selampur of Deoria district.
The victim lodged a complaint with the police saying that she was raped by a teacher two days back in connivance with one of her own friends and that the two were blackmailing her with an MMS that was filmed during the rape.
The victim told police that she is a class XII student and that a friend of hers took her to an isolated place where the 'shiksha mitra' (teacher on contract) raped her.
She told her family about the incident after which she was taken to the local police station where a case was lodged and action to arrest the duo taken.
While the girl who filmed the rape has been arrested by the police, the teacher is at large and the police is looking for him. The accused has been identified as Nanhe, a local resident.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Deoria LR Kumar said that the victim has been sent for medical examination and the MMS that was filmed during the rape has been seized.
"We are on the lookout for the accused and will soon arrest him," he added.

Courtesy: Mid -day

Durga Puja: Rituals, revelry with a spurt of fanfare

People from all walks of life and age groups thronged colourful pandals (marquees) to soak in the festivities and celebrate Durga Puja in Delhi, Kolkata and other parts of India .
Celebrities from varied fields, including actors, politicians and sportspersons, joined the festivities with commoners in Kolkata.
Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly offered prayers at a pandal in Kolkata's Behala neighbourhood. President Pranab Mukherjee conducted all the rituals at his ancestral home in Birbhum district.
According to Hindu mythology, the festivities and prayers begin with the symbolic arrival of the goddess on earth on the sixth day of the first quarter of the moon and ends on Dashami or the 10th day, which is celebrated across the country as Dussehra.
Traditionally, every pandal has an idol of Goddess Durga depicting her as slaying the demon Mahishasur. She is shown astride a lion and wielding weapons.
There was an added sense of festivity in the air in West Bengal with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offering a 10-day holiday to state government officials for the festival, till the Laxmi Puja on October 29.
With over 2,000 puja pandals spread across Delhi, revelers had fun hopping from one marquee to another and appreciating the efforts put in by the organisers to showcase innovative and imaginative themes.
Pandals have nostalgia, an air of reminiscence and an aura around them. The huge gathering of people of all age groups, the chatting, the discussion, the gossips that go on among friends while sitting on the puja ground has a special feel.
This year, pandals across Delhi have adopted innovative and, of course, colourful themes to mark the “annual visit of Goddess Durga to her maternal home”.
Puja committees across the city have chosen themes like London Olympics, Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary and save the girl child. A pandal in Mayur Vihar area of East Delhi even has a Bengali Film Festival organised to keep the devotees entertained.
Long queues of devotes could be seen at almost all the pandals as cameras and mobile phones incessantly clicked to capture the moments. Pandals also have stalls of various joints doing brisk business.
Gorge yourself on sinful delights this Durga Puja
From the multifarious Bengali cuisine to the Oriental to the Continental, the world is your oyster when it comes to food this Durga puja - an opportunity for people here to gorge on spicy, sinful delights.
Durga Puja, one of the biggest annual festivals in eastern India, marks the victory of good over evil, with the slaying of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Durga. The five-day festival starts Oct 20 and the subsequent four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - translate into frenzied pandal-hopping in new clothes, meeting friends and family and stuffing oneself to the brim.
Time to turn Navratri fasting into feasting
Cookies, vegetarian 'mock duck', Parsi 'malai kulfi' and much more- chefs have put together interesting recipes for those observing the nine-day Navratri fast.
They have also brought "mouth-watering twists" to the traditional menu promising to turn the fast into a feast. Navratri starts Oct 16 and ends Oct 24.
Fancy journeying to exotic locales? Go pandal hopping in Kolkata this Puja!
Sojourn to an exotic Goan beach, participate in a Chinese Dragon Festival, blow vuvuzelas at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium - the community Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata are pulling out all stops to take revellers on a magical tour during the Oct. 20-24 festival.
From the abstract to the exotic, innovative marquees have been lined up to usher in the socio-religious carnival and dazzle pandal hoppers with their creativity and imagination during the five-day puja.
Durga Puja rituals, revelry continue in Kolkata
The second day of Durga Puja, known as Mahasaptami, saw a huge rush of people to 'pandals' (marquees) in West Bengal to offer morning prayers and join in the revelry on Sunday.
Mahasaptami is marked by the 'pran pratistha" ritual, where the deity is symbolically endowed with life. The 'Kola Bou', a tender banana plant symbolising a bride, is given a river bath amidst drum beats, wrapped in a sari and placed next to the idol of Ganesha.
Durga Puja celebrated in Indonesia
Bengalis in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, are celebrating Durga Puja with great fervour and enthusiasm this year.People from all walks of life have joined in the celebrations.
Inaugurating the celebrations, Indian Ambassador Gurjit Singh appreciated the Jakarta Bengali Association for keeping their traditions and cultural heritage alive in Indonesia.
Durga Puja: Belurmath's unique puja now live on Internet
Devotees all over the world will now be able to watch the unique Durga Puja of Belurmath, where a young girl is worshipped along with the Goddess, as the Ramakrishna Mission has decided to stream it live on Internet.
With eight hi-tech cameras covering diverse angles and a running English and Bengali commentary, all ceremonies, rituals and celebrations will be streamed live on the website www.belurmath.tv from Saturday, a monk-in-charge of the website department said.

Courtesy:  India Today

Mamata Banerjee and the Bong joke

Didi should introspect why Jairam Ramesh would have never mocked any other political leader

If at all, Bengalis should be furious about how their leader, with her intemperate comments and irrational antics, has given a Union minister the gumption to add a snide remark to a letter releasing funds that are the state’s by rights.

Jairam Ramesh mocks Mamata Banerjee in an official letter. Didi should introspect why he would never do so with any other political leader.
On 19 October, Union rural development minister Ramesh released Rs.601.2 crore of NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds to West Bengal. A routine matter, except that Ramesh added a sting in the tail to his covering letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The last line read: “Incidentally, may I add, this reflects how sensitive the so-called ‘brain-dead government in Delhi’ is to the needs of the people of West Bengal.”
This was a reference to what Banerjee had said in an interview to a Bengali daily a few days earlier. Predicting that the United Progressive Alliance government would not last more than six months, she had said: “The UPA government is a brain-dead government now. A brain-dead patient can be kept on ventilator. Everyone knows the patient has died, but no one wants to pull the plug.” Jairam was also gently pointing out the fact that in 2012-13, the Centre had released about Rs.1,000 crore more to the state under NREGA than it did in 2011-12.
It doesn’t take very much to get Mamata angry, and this was an act of deliberate needling. An enraged Banerjee put up the letter on her Facebook page with a note that read: “You would be shocked to see the attitude of the central government towards the state of West Bengal…Good and effective governance deserves a clear delineation of governmental activity and political activity… releasing funds for the central schemes is not a matter of charity… (That line) is clearly vindictive, unethical and unconstitutional. I am really stunned to see that a Union minister can write a distasteful statement like this to a state government. This creates a bad precedence and adds stigma to healthy democratic fibre of our country.”
The Bengali public has responded enthusiastically to her post. Within 48 hours, nearly 5,000 people had “liked” the post (though I am unclear what that indicates: I have seen people “liking” posts by parents who have recently lost their child), and close to 2,000 people had commented. A quick glance through the comments reveals that Bengali pride has been hurt. Ramesh has been called a “megalomaniac” and “a bogash (sic) person” among other things. Several particularly outraged FBers have asked Didi to throw the money right back on Ramesh’s face. Now that suggestion is too “bogash” even for Didi to take seriously. But it indicates the complete disconnect with reality that has sadly become the hallmark of a particular type of Bengali.
Obviously, Ramesh is having a good laugh. This is exactly the sort of reaction he wanted. To him, this whole thing is another good Bong joke. This is sad. For Bengal and Bengalis.
While Ramesh’s jibe cannot be condoned officially—after all, it’s a letter on a government of India letterhead—it’s high time Mamata’s supporters realized that she has become a bit of a laugh. It’s totally unclear what her ideology is other than to look for a fight. Since the defeat of the Left Front, she has had to find a new enemy and it obviously had to be the Centre. So we have been subjected to this ridiculous Punch and Judy show for months now. Judy went hysterical about everything from the Railway Budget to the presidential candidate to the diesel price hike, while Punch nodded politely. When she flounced out of the alliance, Punch tried very hard to hide his glee but didn’t fully succeed. Judy, in the meantime, jailed amateur cartoonists, saw conspiracy theories in rape cases, and renamed water tanks. Industrialists who were considering investing in West Bengal are possibly queuing up at their favourite places of worship and thanking the Lord that they were saved in time.
And Mamata should be the last person to talk about “clear delineation of governmental activity and political activity”. Firstly, this fine line was obliterated in India many years ago, and I suspect Mamata never knew about the line anyway, till whoever writes her Facebook posts mentioned it. The ministry that was the first to delete that line for all time to come was the railways ministry, which Mamata ran for many years.
Yes, Bengalis should be furious. But they should be furious about how their leader, with her intemperate comments and irrational antics, has given a Union minister the gumption to add this snide remark to a letter releasing funds that are the state’s by rights. Would a minister ever do that to a Nitish Kumar or a Jayalalithaa? Would anyone have dared to write this to a Jyoti Basu or a Buddhadeb Bhattacharya (Disclaimer: I think Basu ruined West Bengal. I am only referring to the dignity with which he carried himself)? The letter tells us more about the space Mamata has managed to trap herself in, rather than about Ramesh.
Though nowhere close to Santa-Banta, Bong jokes have always been popular. It’s sad for all Bengalis that Mamata Banerjee is becoming one.

Courtesy: Live Mint

Crazy World: Oldest dad is father yet again at 96

52-year-old wife recently gave birth to the couple's second child

96-year-old Ramajit Raghav

INDIA: 96-year-old Ramajit Raghav, a farmer from the Indian state of Haryana became father for the second time at the ripe old age. He currently holds the record of being the oldest person to father a child.
Within a gap of two years, Ramajit is a father again. He became a father for the first time when his wife, who is 52 now, gave birth to the couple's first child, a son, in November 2010.
On October 5, the couple were blesses with another son. Both mother and son are said to be doing well.
The father has credited his virility to a daily dose of milk, almonds and ghee.

The couple live on the outskirts of a small north Indian town called Kharkoda in Sonipat district of Haryana state, 40 kilometres from Delhi, reports The Times of India.
The Haryana government’s old-age pension records put his age as 96.
Crediting his health to his physical activity and diet, Raghav told the newspaper that his daily diet included three litres of fresh cow’s milk, half a kilo each of almonds and ghee, or clarified butter commonly used in south Asian countries.

Courtesy: Emirates24x7

Saifeena Wedding: Fact versus fiction with Nawab and Begum of Pataudi undercover. The Bollywood power couple have enjoyed clowning around with the media and fans as the Saifeena marriage melodrama continues 

~~By  Bindu Suresh Rai

Newly-wedded Bollywood personalities Saif Ali Khan (L) and Kareena Kapoor pose for the media outside Khan's residence in Mumbai.

While fans continue to lap up the stories breaking every few seconds in the Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor wedding circus, the media itself is left scratching its head following trails of breadcrumbs that lead to dead ends and implausible stories.
 In the past four days, three different marriage ceremonies are said to occur in three different cities on the same day!

The couple, which has been dating for five years, refused to even once confirm a wedding date when directly quizzed, forcing Saif’s mother Sharmila Tagore to let the cat out of the bag that October 16 is indeed the day of the big Kahuna.
Fact vs Fiction
If you aren’t on the VVIP list of Pataudis or Kapoors, chances are you have no clue what is actually happening in the three-ring circus.
 However, the one confirmed update of Tuesday is, the couple is now officially Mr and Mrs Saif Ali Khan, with Mumbai marriage registrar, Surekha Ramesh, confirming the same to Indian news agency, PTI.
 The came the reports that threw everyone in a spin: one story stated earlier, the duo was set to fly directly to Pataudi Palace on October 16 for a special nikaah ceremony to take place the following day.
 The story went for a toss when the couple and their starry friends and family members showed up at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel for another related ceremony the same day in Mumbai!
 Conflict continued with ‘insiders’ saying the Tuesday evening ceremony in Mumbai is the nikaah, while other sources were being quoted as saying ‘Saifeena’ will in actuality exchange vows on October 16 as Kareena’s mother Babita is half Christian, while the nikaah will occur in Pataudi Palace on October 17.
 Phew!
 Where in the world are Saifeena next?
 So even as confusion mounts on whether there are two, three or five wedding ceremonies, the wedding party will next be torn between Pataudi and Delhi, with the latest story to emerge is that the royal family of Pataudi will host an intimate dinner at the palace with 36 handpicked family members attend the celebrations on October 17.
 NDTV also reported on the dinner, adding that invited guests belong to Saif’s extended family all the way from London, Islamabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, who added: “The celebration is a close-knit affair as both the families are sceptical because of security reasons which Sharmila Tagore had admitted to, during her visit to Bhopal earlier in August.”
 Meanwhile, in an interview with AFP, Kareena’s uncle Rishi Kapoor said: “The wedding is taking place Tuesday and then we will have a reception in Delhi later on. It is a very joyous moment for our family.”
 The reception in Delhi is expected to be held on October 18, with a colonial mansion in the Indian capital’s posh Aurangzeb Lane neighbourhood as being thrown around by some sources, while others mentioned several five-star hotels near a helipad that has been booked.
 The couple are then supposed to swing by Saif’s ancestral Pataudi Palace yet again until October 21 to perform official duties.
 What’s so funny?
 Earlier this year, Saifeena had led everyone on a merry chase even then with throwing about nuggets of wedding venues, which ranged from London to Pataudi Palace to Maldives and Las Vegas.
 Some insiders say that it was Saif’s twisted sense of humour that started this entire trail of fool’s work, while others hint at a more painful truth that is Kareena’s sisterly concern towards Karisma, who is going through a terrible patch in her life with reports filtering in that her husband Sanjay Kapur is openly dating Priya Chatwal.
 This guarded wedding affair was Kareena’s way to protect her sister from the media.
 Meanwhile, Saif’s family is still in mourning with the death of his father, Mansour Pataudi, thus making this wedding an intimate family and friends affair of 60-odd people.
 While the truth may never come out, until then the newly married couple continues to clown around.

Courtesy: Emirates 24x7

Afghan girl beheaded for refusing prostitution

The Police has arrested four people

HERAT, AFGHANISTAN: Afghan police have arrested four people who allegedly tried to force a woman into prostitution in western Afghanistan and beheaded her when she refused, officials said Wednesday.
Mah Gul, 20, was beheaded after her mother-in-law attempted to make her sleep with a man in her house in Herat province last week, provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada told AFP.
"We have arrested her mother-in-law, father-in-law, her husband and the man who killed her," he said.
Gul was married to her husband four months ago and her mother-in-law had tried to force her into prostitution several times in the past, Sayedzada said.
The suspect, Najibullah, was paraded by police at a press conference where he said the mother-in-law lured him into killing Gul by telling him that she was a prostitute.
"It was around 2:00 am when Gul's husband left for his bakery. I came down and with the help of her mother-in-law killed her with a knife," he said.
The murder comes against a backdrop of a world outcry over the shooting by Taliban Islamists of a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, who had become a voice against the suppression of women's rights.
While Yousafzai's case has made world headlines, people using social media in Afghanistan have made the point that oppression and violence against women are commonplace in Afghanistan.
Abdul Qader Rahimi, the regional director of the government-backed human rights commission in western Afghanistan, said violence against women had dramatically increased in the region recently.
"There is no doubt violence against women has increased. So far this year we have registered 100 cases of violence against women in the western region," he said, adding that many cases go unreported.
"But at least in Gul's case, we are glad the murderer has been arrested and brought to justice," he said.
Last year, in a case that made international headlines, police rescued a teenage girl, Sahar Gul, who was beaten and locked up in a toilet for five months after she defied her in-laws who tried to force her into prostitution.

Courtesy: The Times of India

Experts fear a “Talibanization” of Afghan justice

~~By Abdul Bari Hakim

"The discrimination of women starts in families and goes all the way to the justice system and to the top leaders of government.”

The lashing of a teenage girl in Afghanistan for having an “illegal relationship” has caused an uproar inside and outside the country. Experts fear a “Talibanization” of the Afghan justice system.
On September 16, three mullahs in the southern Afghan province of Ghazni sentenced 16-year-old Sabera to 100 lashes for having an “illegal relationship” with a boy. On Monday, September 24, hundreds of students and rights activists took to the streets to protest so-called “desert trials” such as the one which tried Sabera, which take place without due process of law and are held by the Taliban and local clerics.
The protesters demanded the government take measures to stop such unlawful trials and punishment. A day later, Afghan authorities reported the arrest of five people connected to Sabera’s lashing. Authorities said they were investigating the case.
Sabera’s sister Shafiqa was among the demonstrators. She had watched the sentence being carried out.
“At first, no one had the courage to carry out the lashings,” she told Deutsche Welle. “When a local police chief said he would take responsibility, that’s when one of his officials went forward and carried out the order.”
Expecting justice?
Shafiqa said she tried to get the legal authorities involved in her case but that they had not been cooperative. “Basically they said, ‘what do you expect if you want justice?’”
Parastu Yari, one of the demonstrators in Kabul, said the justice system should get involved in such cases. “We want the organizers of arbitrary trials to be brought before a court of law. The government must become active and prohibit these kinds of acts.”
Shahgul Rezai, an MP from Ghazni province, where the trial took place, joined the protesters in Kabul to show her solidarity with the teenage girl. She also agreed to commission a parliamentary delegation to investigate Sabera’s case.
Equal rights?
Amnesty International welcomed the decision of the Afghan parliament to investigate the incident. At the same time, the rights organization criticized the country’s government and its legal authorities for not taking any action in such cases in the past. The impunity for violence against women was widespread in Afghanistan, Huria Musadiq of Amnesty International told DW – despite the fact that the Afghan constitution guaranteed equal rights to men and women. In reality, she said, women faced much discrimination.
Referring to a 2011 report by the UN Mission in Afghanistan, Musadiq said very few judges and prosecutors in Afghanistan even had any knowledge of equal rights laws: “The discrimination of women starts in families and goes all the way to the justice system and to the top leaders of government.”
Preparing for the worst?
For many, it was quite a surprise that Sabera was subjected to this form of parallel justice in an area like Jaghori District, where the Taliban is not active and has no followers, and which is generally seen as forward-thinking. The government, for the most part, has control over security and administration in the region.
Afghan expert Musadiq fears the incident could be an indication of a “re-Talibanization” of Afghan justice.
“We are observing a self-imposed censorship and the withdrawal of women from the public sphere,” he told DW. “An incident like the one in Jaghori could be an indication that the people there fear the return of the Taliban and are simply preparing themselves by demonstrating that they follow shariah law.”

Courtesy: Kabul Court

Why number of Hindus in Pakistan is declining?

Recently on Pakistan TV, a poor Hindu boy from Pakistan was shown changing his religion to Islam under a mullah’s guidance. After the conversion, the studio audience congratulated him and shouted out suggestions for his new Muslim name before he was renamed Mohammad Abdullah. This conversion sent a clear signal that other religions don’t enjoy the same status in Pakistan as Islam does and it is a country where minorities are treated as second-class citizens in many ways and there is lack of tolerance towards religious minorities.
I think this is a sheer mockery of the two great religions and epitome of unjust and unethical practises. The forced conversions and abductions of non-Muslims living in Pakistan is not new to anyone. The Pakistani media always make big hue and cry about alleged atrocities carried out in Indian Kashmir and the Gujrat riots but never discuss anything about the pathetic condition of Hindus in Pakistan.
In 1951, Hindus constituted 22 percentage of the Pakistani population, today, the share of Hindus are down to 1.7 percent in Pakistan. This decline of the Hindu population over half a century is stark evidence of the effects of the discriminatory nature and anti-Hindu policies of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The increasing Islamisation and Talibanisation of Pakistan and antagonism against India have been some of the major factors behind the persecution of Hindus in Pakistan. Such Islamisation include the blasphemy laws, which make it dangerous for religious minorities to express themselves freely and engage freely in religious and cultural activities.

The promulgation of Sharia, Quranic law has also increased the marginalisation of Hindus and other minorities. Following the Babri Mosque riots in India, riots and attacks on Hindus in retaliation has only increased; Hindus in Pakistan are routinely affected by communal incidents in India and violent developments on the Kashmir conflict between the two nations.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan 2010 reports, at least 25 Hindu girls are abducted in Pakistan every month and converted to Islam. Earlier this year, Rinkle Kumari, a 19 year old Hindi girl was kidnapped and forced to convert from Hinduism to Islam and marry a Muslim boy. Her case was appealed all the way up to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and generated widespread attention in the media.

Source: Abhisays.com