Terror taking rural bank route: RBI

A hitherto unknown corporate entity was found depositing Rs 1 crore in a rural bank in remote Punjab on a daily basis for over a month and taking it out at the end of the day as loan.

In a similar case, in an urban cooperative bank in western Uttar Pradesh in 2006, an individual was found to have deposited more than Rs 250 crore over a period of time and having taken it out at the same time.

Such cases could have easily passed off as suspect money laundering transactions allegedly involving local traders and businessmen but after intelligence agencies arrested two associates of Hurriyat leader G M Bhat in November last year, suspicious transactions in cooperative and rural banks have attracted heightened security concern.

The government has warned regional rural banks (RRBs) and urban cooperative banks (UCBs) to be on guard against tainted money finding its way into their depository with the probability of terror outfits misusing such accounts to fund terror activities. In a notification issued to all RRBs and UCBs, the Reserve Bank of India said all banks should develop suitable mechanism for enhanced monitoring of accounts suspected of having terrorist links and report all such transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Jamali Khan and Danish Anwar — who were detained in Udhampur in November 2007 while they were ferrying a consignment of Rs 50 lakh to the Valley from Delhi allegedly at Hurriyat leader Bhat's instructions — had been working together in the Ajmer branch of a cooperative bank.

Investigations had revealed that Jamali, when he was posted in the bank's Daryaganj branch in Delhi in 1985-86, used to convert dollars into Indian currency for Bhat and had in the process converted up to $800,000 for the Hurriyat leader who also had an account in the same branch. Later, Jamali left the bank job and worked as fulltime hawala operator for many terror outfits.

Though the recent RBI guidelines of keeping an eye on suspicious transactions are part of an old ‘know your customer' norm, reiteration of the fact through a fresh notification comes at a time when many enforcement agencies have warned the government of huge money being laundered through these RRBs and UCBs and many having suspect terror links.

Banks have been advised to carry out risk categorisation review of customers once in six months and introduce a system of periodic updation of customer identification data (including photographs) after the account is opened. Even in the case of low risk category customers, the periodicity of such updation should not be less than once in five years, the RBI has said.

At the same time, the bank has asked RRBs and UCBs not to deny account opening facilities to unsuspecting customers. "It is clarified that, in such cases, banks can obtain an identity document and a utility bill of the relative with whom the prospective customer is living along with a declaration from the relative that the said person (prospective customer) wanting to open an account is a relative and is staying with him/her,” the RBI note said.

News Source : Samachar

Maha govt seeks legal view against Sena chief

The Saamana piece by Sena chief Bal Thackeray against Biharis triggered protests in Patna even as Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar called for dousing racial hostilities.

Angry groups burnt effigies of the two Thackerays. Nitish called for a meeting of politicians from Bihar and Maharashtra to discuss the invective-laden assault on Biharis.

The Saamna piece also provoked angry reactions in Parliament on Wednesday with a privilege motion being moved against Thackeray by RJD MP Devendra Yadav. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the Shiv Sena chief's remarks amounted to contempt of the House. The opinion piece, which makes nephew Raj's migrant invective sound tame by comparison, has caused further confusion in the Maharashtra Congress leadership, which has been severely criticized for not taking swift action against Raj.

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is in Delhi, called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the latest outburst. Sources said that Deshmukh, who has been instructed to "handle the situation with a firm hand", has already asked his home department to seek legal opinion on what action should be taken.

Thackeray's comments come in the wake of Supreme Court strictures against Raj for his anti-national attitude and the Mumbai police gagging him from making any more inflammatory speeches. At the Centre, the Congress has been under tremendous pressure from its alliance partners such as the RJD to crack down on Raj Thackeray. Now, the chief ministers of several northern states are also demanding that immediate action be taken against Bal Thackeray.

In what appeared to be the playing out of factional politics, PCC chief Prabha Rau, when asked about the tension over North Indians, said the chief minister was busy in his son's wedding for a few days and would now handle the situation. Though it appeared a sarcastic comment, the CM played it down, saying it was natural for all family persons to be busy on such occasions. He said as the issue concerned an editorial, it had to be examined carefully.

Mumbai city Congress chief Gurudas Kamat strongly condemned Thackeray's statement. He said that the "gutter language used not only proves that Thackeray has not changed over the years but that for political mileage he is ready to go to any length to incite violence". He also condemned the so-called support given by film stars Salman Khan, Sunil Shetty and Nana Patekar, all of whom had criticised the gag order imposed on Raj Thackeray by the Mumbai police.

Sociologists point out that Maharashtra has always provided jobs for both skilled and unskilled migrants. In the late 1970s and 1980s, it was a much sought-after and investment-friendly state because of the availability of cheap labour and a liberal political leadership. The volatile political atmosphere of the last month has adversely affected the industrial climate in the state, said a top government official.

News Source : Samachar

Daughters against rape

Daughters against rape
Amidst the recent deluge of rape cases in the state, this one stands out, if only for its gruesome irony. Two daughters of a rapist father have demanded exemplary punishment to their father for raping a seven-year-old girl.

The incident took place at Haladia, about 200kms from the capital. The man in question, Karunakar Das (40), had allegedly raped the girl on Saturday and had later killed her.

Police arrested the culprit soon thereafter. “Our father should not be released from custody. He should be hanged till death for this heinous crime,” said Rajani, the youngest daughter. “We don’t feel secure with our father anymore,” said the elder daughter Sarojini, a class VII student.

Lord of the poor
Orissa has a Garib Rath at last. The special train, announced last year in the rail budget, has been pending since. But following chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s forceful protest, union ministry of railways announced its introduction on Sunday.

However, the train would only ply between Ranchi and Bhubaneswar, thrice a week. This time round, Lalu has linked Darbhanga in Bihar with the pilgrim town of Puri by introducing a special train, which will enable pilgrims from Bihar to undertake a comfortable journey to visit Lord Jagannath in Puri.

Apparently, Lalu’s Jagannath darshan with his family last month has paid off. He had spent nearly two and half days at Puri, and had offered prayers to the Lord.

Courtship under fire
The gang-rape of a university girl in Samblpur, about 500 km from Bhubaneswar, has angered the State Commission for Women (SCW) to such an extent that it has taken to moral policing to curb rape cases in Orissa.

Codenamed ‘Operation Park’, it involves raiding reputed parks of the city. When the first raid was conducted last week, out of fear and shame, many lovebirds ran amuck to find cover. A few were injured in the process.

However, some were also caught as the commission had taken the help of police to lay the siege. They were then admonished and asked not to visit secluded corners of the part. As a result, couples are now keeping away from parks fearing humiliation.

Interestingly though, the operation has not gone down well with some NGOs, who have threatened to drag the commission to court.

News Source : Samachar

Combative Manmohan a new phenomenon

Many prime ministerial aides have found themselves exasperated at Manmohan Singh’s preference for bland, give-no-offence-to-anyone prose over their sharply-worded, cogently-argued drafts.

On Wednesday, Dr. Singh seemed to have discovered the joys of partisan rhetoric.

In his reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, he displayed a hitherto-unsuspected capacity for parliamentary combat and political partisanship. He ended up giving by far his best parliamentary performance as Prime Minister.

The tenor and content of the Prime Minister’s Lok Sabha speech — he repeated the formulations and provocations later in the Rajya Sabha also — should suggest that the ruling coalition is finally getting into the mood for a grand electoral face-off with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

More significantly, the government seems to have decided to take head on the BJP’s Hindutva-centric political pitch. For the first time, the Prime Minister was unapologetic for wanting to give a policy break for the deprived sections, including the minorities.

Dr. Singh even made bold to say that he would plead “guilty” to L.K. Advani’s charge of “appeasement” of the minorities. No circumlocution, no ambiguity. A Prime Minister simply reaffirming the secular polity’s commitment to inclusive governance.

No less combative was Dr. Singh in defending his government’s new deal for the farmers. In the process, he minced no words in accusing the NDA regime of causing “distress” to the agriculture sector.

What must have taken the Opposition benches by surprise was his rhetorical over-kill when he suggested that having first caused “distress” to the farmers and then fobbing them off with “pittance” the NDA leaders had no business shedding tears for them. Never before had the Lok Sabha heard this kind of sharp and partisan words from Dr. Singh.

Repeatedly, the Prime Minister mentioned the Leader of the Opposition by name. It would appear that the Prime Minister has been wanting to return the compliment. In the last four years, Mr. Advani has taunted Dr. Singh as “the weakest prime minister.” Today, Dr. Singh served notice on Mr. Advani that it would no longer be a one-way affair.

Nor did Dr. Singh allow himself to be pushed on the back foot in defending the record of his government on internal security. Rather, he kept arguing that internal security was too important to be a subject matter for partisan debate, but he nevertheless did manage to take pot-shots at Mr. Advani’s stewardship of the Home Ministry. The rapier was twisted further when he recalled the “shameful” spectacle of a foreign minister (Jaswant Singh) escorting terrorists to Kandahar.

Nuclear deal

In the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister was not hesitant in trying to divide the Opposition. He quoted to his advantage the former National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra’s endorsement of the India-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement, as also paid his respect to the “Bhishma pithamaha of Indian politics”— Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Congress benches were gleeful that — to quote a Minister of State — he “gave it back to Mr. Advani.”

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the first to compliment Dr. Singh on his performance. She also prompted her son Rahul Gandhi to congratulate the Prime Minister — the advice was promptly followed.

Having predictably encountered disruption from the NDA benches in the Lok Sabha, Dr. Singh did not flinch from repeating his litany of charges against the NDA in the Rajya Sabha. At last, the Prime Minister had arrived politically.

News Source : Samachar

Hillary ends string of defeats

Democrat Hillary Clinton on Wednesday scripted a spirited comeback with wins in key states of Ohio and Texas, ending party rival Barack Obama's impressive 12-win streak, while John McCain easily captured the Republican mantle for the November showdown for the White House.

"This nation is coming back and so is the campaign," a beaming Clinton, who is bidding to be the first woman President of the United States, told supporters in Ohio.

With 76 per cent of the precincts reporting in Texas, Clinton had taken 51 per cent of the vote to 47 per cent for Obama, who is hoping to be the first African-American president of the US, TV channels reported.

A total of 355 delegates were at stake in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island which were grabbed by the 60-year-old former first lady who had been facing mounting pressure to call it quits in case of a defeat in these contests.

With today's victories, Clinton will dent Obama's lead in the delegate race. Before the latest contests, Obama had 1,385 delegates compared to Clinton's 1,276. A total of 2,025 is needed to secure the Democratic Party nomination at its national convention to be held in Denver in August.

In Ohio, which has 141 delegates at stake, polls projected at least 16 percentage points lead for Clinton.

Earlier, Obama won the Vermont primary (15 delegates), clinching his 12th straight win over Clinton.

Septuagenarian John McCain surpassed the magic number of 1,191 delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination with victories in all the four states at stake.

The victory marked a remarkable return from wilderness eight years after losing a similar bid to US President George W Bush.

"It's a very humbling thing," said McCain, a former Vietnam war veteran who spent over five years as a POW, said.

News Source : Samachar

Top Pakistan parties want Musharraf to seek confidence vote

Pakistan's two largest winning parties in the recent general elections have agreed to move a resolution in the first parliament session asking President Pervez Musharraf to seek a vote of confidence, the News reported on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the two largest parties in parliament, decided to move the resolution in the very first session of the National Assembly, which is to be held before March 10.

The decision was made during a meeting between PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and top PML-N leaders here Tuesday evening.

The parties also agreed on a resolution asking the United Nations to probe into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP won the most votes in the Feb 18 elections and will form a coalition government with the PML-N led by another former premier, Nawaz Sharif.

News Source : Samachar

‘India turning into major drug haven’

There are new trends in the way narcotics are moving into and through India and across the world. But a United Nations drugs watchdog’s report says there is one thing that does not appear to have changed: the big fish still manage to get off the hook.

The International Narcotics Control Board had in its report 11 years ago noted that many law enforcement agencies did not have the resources or skill to do more than apprehend street sellers. “Eleven years later, that still appears to be the case in many countries,” the INCB’s latest report released on Wednesday said.

The agency noted that South Asia is being targeted for cocaine trafficking, and that international syndicates have been using India as a major transit point for Europe-bound consignments and also as a destination country.

Narcotics Control Bureau chief K C Verma, however, suggested trafficking in cocaine was not as serious a problem. The report said cocaine seizures continued to occur with regularity in 2007, usually about 1 kg per month.

News Source : Samachar

A 'different' Shivratri for Gyanendra

After portraying the image of reincarnation of Lord Vishnu for almost two-and-half centuries, Nepal’s King has now been barred from giving alms to sadhus.

It has always been a tradition in “Hindu” Nepal that the King gave alms to the sadhus at the sacred Pashupatinath temple, disciples of Lord Shiva.

But, the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government on Wednesday ordered the Pashupatinath temple to bar King Gyanendra from giving alms.

This year, instead of the King, the Pashupatinath Temple’s Guthi Sansthan would distribute alms on behalf of the government. Last year, during Shivaratri, devotees mobbed King Gyanendra’s motorcade, and vehicles were also stoned. Usually, the monarch gave away clothes, blankets and minor allowances to the sadhus.

As Nepal is now getting ready for the crucial Constituent Assembly election, King Gyanendra has lost all of his political authority, and is no more the head of the state. He has also been removed from the post of Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army.

In the fast changing political scenario in Nepal, the monarch has also lost cultural rights. The controversial king is now barred from attending important religious events like Phulpati, Bhoto Jatra and Indra Jatra.

In fact, the government’s decision to end the King’s religious role at the Pashupatinath temple is the last nail into the coffin. The Shah Dynasty, which ruled Nepal for 239 years, is all set to be a history.

News Source : Samachar

Mutton biryani awaits Irfan

“I don’t know when he is coming home, but I will definitely keep his favourite dish - mutton biryani – ready for him,” said Shamim Bano, the proud mother of the Sultan of Swing, Irfan Pathan, on Wednesday.

Team India’s magnificent victory over the might Aussies in Brisbane has created an Eid-like atmosphere in the Pathan household.

“The celebrations will continue as I reckon this the biggest victory in the history of Indian cricket, of which Irfan is a part,” she said. Glued to TV throughout the match, Shamim Bano said, “It was a very high-voltage encounter with fortunes swinging like a pendulum.

We had butterflies in our stomachs till the final ball was bowled. But Irfan showed character in the final moments to win the match for us. He deserves a grand reception, which will be his favourite biryani and aloo sabji.”

Father MK Pathan said, “The match went to the wire and Irfan once again emerged the winner. Dhoni kept faith in my son and he justified his captain’s decision (to bowl him the last over).”

News Source : Samachar

BrahMos test-fired

BrahMos, the supersonic cruise missile, on Wednesday lifted off from the Indian Naval ship “Rajput” speeding in the Bay of Bengal and destroyed a target on an uninhabited island in the Nicobar group of islands situated in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

It was the 15th launch of BrahMos but this was the first time that the missile was fired from a ship towards a target on land. “We kept a target on the sand dunes of the island. It was hit. It was a precision-mission. This is an important mission for us because the Navy is acquiring the capability, with the same BrahMos, to destroy targets on the coast,” said A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. The previous 14 flights of BrahMos were from ship to ship, land to ship, and from land to land.

Dr. Pillai, who spoke from the Campbell Bay island, called it “a fantastic test.” The launch was executed by trained Naval personnel on board the Rajput. The test-firing took place at 10.30 a.m. BrahMos travels at a speed more than three times that of sound and can hit targets 290 km away. It is a joint product of India and Russia.

Dr. Pillai said Defence Minister A.K. Antony phoned him up to congratulate the missile technologists of BrahMos Limited, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia on the success. Mr. Antony said it was a major breakthrough in enhancing the capability of BrahMos.

News Source : Samachar

Getting into an engineering college may become easier

The IT industry may have been hit by a slowdown but engineering colleges are in no mood to let that get in the way of expansion plans.

So far this year, 1,120 trusts have applied to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for permission to start new engineering colleges across the country. Never before has the regulatory body received as many applications in a single year.

India now has 1,668 engineering institutes and getting into one isn't very tough if you're not shooting for the best — more than 70% of the applicants manage to get in compared with a mere 1% about 20 years ago. But with thousands of seats likely to be added to the national pool, getting into an engineering school could be a breeze — especially for women students.

AICTE's acting chairman, R A Yadav, said more than 10% of the applications are for opening "girls only" colleges, a fallout of the government's proposal introducing concessions for institutes which promote technical education among women.

Till last year, AICTE used to accept applications to start new colleges all through the year, but that has changed now. "Only the applications that receive a green signal by June 2008 will be able to start functioning from the coming academic year," said Yadav.

However, there's a debate about whether many of the engineering colleges are churning out full-fledged engineers or mere technicians with a diploma.

A recent study by Duke University says that for every one million citizens, the US produces roughly 750 technology specialists, compared with China's 500 and India's 200. The report, "Framing the Engineering Outsourcing Debate: Placing the United States on a Level Playing Field with China and India" by Gary Gereffi and Vivek Wadhwa, says that in 2004, while roughly 70,000 engineers graduated in the US, 6,00,000 graduated in China and 3,50,000 in India.

News Source : Samachar

S.M. Krishna quits as Governor

Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna has resigned, sources in the government said here on Wednesday night. Mr. Krishna has sent his resignation to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

The sources said Gujarat Governor Naval Kishore Sharma was likely to be given temporary charge of Maharashtra till a regular appointment to the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai was made.

Mr. Krishna, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, is believed to be keen to return to active politics as the Assembly elections in that State are scheduled to be held within couple of months. The Congress high command is learnt to have bowed to the wishes of Mr. Krishna.

Another former Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde had also quit as Andhra Pradesh Governor to return to Central politics and he is now Union Power Minister.

News Source : Samachar

PM goes into poll mode in Parliament

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday delivered what virtually sounded like an election speech when he struck an unusually hawkish note in Parliament, asserting that UPA's loan waiver for farmers was an "unpaid distress bill" run up by a callous NDA when it was in office.

Speaking in both Houses, the PM baited the opposition repeatedly, in a speech in which he sought to paint NDA as anti-farmer and duplicitous. With Congress chief Sonia Gandhi thumping her table in approval, Singh went on to blame the opposition combine for "depressed" support prices to the detriment of farmers.

The PM might have taken NDA by surprise as he initially began by speaking of shared objectives like reducing the urban-rural divide and pride in India's high growth rate. If at all, this was a red herring. He soon switched gears, attacking NDA for "exporting our food surpluses at a loss" as he sought to counter the charge that UPA had failed the "aam admi".

The heated response would not have surprised the PM. In fact, his gambit of referring to NDA's "failures", despite the alliance being out of office for four years, was clearly aimed at provoking a showdown. Singh's aggression was as deliberate as it was out of sync with his public image of rectitude. With his party cheering him on, he said, "The distress of the peasant is the legacy of NDA."

Angry exchanges marked the proceedings, and even as the PM sought to dismiss leader of the opposition L K Advani's suggestion that Congress was gearing for polls, Singh's combative stance spurred poll talk. After the speech, BJP said that the PM had turned on the NDA tenure to cover up his failings and said the speech was more suited for a political rally.

News Source : Samachar

Indian batsmen take top three spots

Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni rule the roost in the batting charts of the CB cricket tri-series, which India won by taming world champion Australia in its own den.

The presence of the Indian batsmen in the top three slots of the batting charts explains their dominance in the series, a major reason why the Twenty20 champions also proved their hold over the 50-over game.

Gambhir, the lone Indian to have struck two centuries in the series, is perched atop the list with 440 runs in 10 innings at an enviable average of 55.

Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who shrugged off a barrage of criticism about his form and struck a century and a 91 in the two finals to guide India through, is at the second spot with 399 runs at 44.33.

Awesome average

Dhoni, who played some gritty knocks to pull off crucial wins for the team, is at third place with 347 runs. But the surprise element about the wicketkeeper-batsman, who could not make an impact with his batting in the preceding Test series, was his awesome average of 69.40 which is the best in the whole series. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (326 runs at 46.57) occupies the fourth place.

The Aussie entry in the list starts from the fifth spot with Adam Gilchrist leading the charge for his team (322 runs at 32.20), followed by Michael Clarke (314 runs at 39.25), Matthew Hayden (298 runs at 37.25) and Mike Hussey (278 runs at 46.33).

Young Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma, who played a key role in the first final in Sydney, is at the ninth slot with 235 runs at 33.57.

With his consistent performance, man-of-the-series Nathan Bracken of Australia leads the bowlers’ charts with 21 wickets at an amazing average of 16.52, followed by his charismatic pace partner Brett Lee (16 wickets at 22.25).

India’s find of the tour, Ishant Sharma, takes the third spot with 14 scalps at 20.35.

Indian pace battery of Irfan Pathan (11 at 34.27), man of the second final Praveen Kumar (11 at 17.5) and S. Sreesanth (9 at 25.77) are placed at sixth, seventh and eighth places respectively.

News Source : Samachar

Kapil takes a dig at crores made by BCCI

Former India captain Kapil Dev, now associated with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) as the chairman of its Executive Board, on Wednesday had a subtle dig at the Cricket Board for the crores of rupees the latter had made through its own T20 league, the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"I am not impressed with figures of 200 crores, 300 crores, 1000 crores I am hearing. I want people to be convinced with what we are doing," he told a press conference today when asked about the BCCI-promoted IPL.

The business head of the Essel Group which is bankrolling the ICL, Himanshu Modi, responded by saying, "I will accept the cheque (if offered to ICL)" and Kapil quickly retorted "I look at the cricket part and he looks at the bank balance".

News Source : Samachar

Ponting lavishes praise on Ishant

Australian captain Ricky Ponting gave a thumbs up to young paceman Ishant Sharma, saying the Indian speedster produced “some of the better bowling I have faced in Test cricket.”

“Ishant has been the standout young player in the Indian set up through the tour. Everybody has spoken about him. At different times he has bowled very good spells. The spell he bowled to me in Perth on the last day was some of the better bowling I have faced in Test cricket,” Ponting said.

The Aussie skipper said it would be interesting to watch how the towering Delhi pacer and other youngsters in the Indian team develop over the next few years.

“He’s (Ishant) someone who’s going to be around for a while and play a lot of cricket. It’s something I have always said about the Indian team: they always seem to produce good young players. Let’s see how they develop over the next few years,” he said.

Ponting lamented that the controversies during the tour showed him and his leadership in poor light.

In bad light

“Probably yes. I think a few Australian players and me too (were shown in bad light). I think a lot of it from me was really unavoidable. I was not involved in any of those stuff that happened. I was supposed to do captaining my side but with the Harbhajan incident somehow it came out looking badly. I don’t think I could handle things any differently or any better,” he said.

Ponting, however, denied that his team’s performance was affected due to the off-field incidents or that Harbhajan was spurred to do better.

“I don’t think so it happened. If things get tough, you genuinely play a lot more better cricket and I think he (Harbhajan) tried to play exactly the same way (he performs usually).

News Source : Samachar

Dhoni and his men have left a lasting impression down under

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men have left a lasting impression in Australia. Eventually, controversies could not overwhelm cricket.

The Indian campaign in the CB ODI tri-series was a remarkable one. It revolved around a brave captain, an inspirational senior and a vibrant bunch of youngsters. They shared a common attribute — immense self-belief.

Historic triumphs are borne out of confidence. Dhoni’s men were neither overawed by reputations, nor daunted by situations. They played with aggression and seized their chances. They played to win.

Dhoni shows character

The skipper displayed fight and resilience with the willow, kept wickets impressively and led with a mix of instinct and guile. Dhoni showed character. Not too many sides in the period of transition would be expected to stretch the World Cup winner and the runner-up in an energy-sapping triangular ODI series.

Dhoni’s men exceeded expectations. In what could be his last series in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar gleamed brighter than the floodlights at the ‘Gabba when the joyful Indians converged in a heap.

Like those special cricketers, he had made winning runs when it mattered. Hampered by a nagging groin injury, he scored them in pain. And new stars emerged. The unsung Praveen Kumar, a country lad from a wrestling background, muscled his way into the nation’s sporting consciousness with some outstanding swing and seam bowling, with the new and the old ball.

Dazzling at the crunch

Rohit Sharma dazzled at the crunch in the first final. The SCG was ablaze with strokes of delicate beauty as Rohit batted with an amalgam of classical shot-making and sub-continental innovation. Tendulkar’s presence in the middle was a calming influence on Rohit. To the younger bunch, Tendulkar has been a father figure and a role model.

Dhoni too received valuable inputs from Tendulkar. However, as captain, the final call was his. He made all the right moves.

The decision to hand the new ball to Ishant Sharma in the initial stages of the competition was spot on. All along Ishant, a seamer with the off-cutter as his chief weapon, was considered an ideal first change bowler. He struck telling blows against the Aussies at the MCG and the Indians achieved a psychologically important win.

The decision to drop Virender Sehwag and play five bowlers was not lacking in courage either. The inclusion of Praveen in the concluding stages of the league settled the issue against Sri Lanka in Hobart. The ploy to open the attack with Ishant and Praveen in the first final at the SCG also made sense.

The tall Ishant extracted bounce, the shorter Praveen was getting the ball to skid off the surface. Perhaps, the biggest gamble was to play young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who had not played a game in the competition till that point, in the finals. Given the three blocks of Power Plays and the complications in managing two spinners, this was bold, attacking captaincy.

Harbhajan Singh and Piyush created the pressure in the middle overs. Not flustered by the crowd reaction, Harbhajan showed fight, heart and skill. Just about everyone contributed. Vice-captain Yuvraj Singh struggled for rhythm but carved out a match-winning effort in the vital league game against Sri Lanka in Adelaide.

Robin Uthappa, kept his attacking style in the shelves for the afternoon, and produced a solid opening knock in the second final. The young guns showed a willingness to adapt to different roles and situations.

Making the right call

The strategy of playing two spinners at the ‘Gabba in the decisive clash was proved right. The Indian think-tank read the pitch correctly. The nature of the surface at the ‘Gabba showed the Aussies were not playing to their strengths. Perhaps, the host was worried about some of its batsmen coming up short on a seaming track with bounce. Australia, eventually, played into India’s hands.

Even as the dust settled on the second final, Adam Gilchrist shared a quiet moment with his family at the ‘Gabba. Cricket’s foremost wicketkeeper-batsman, a pioneer, will not play for Australia again. He deserved a better farewell.

Cracks are visible

Australia faces a testing period. There is no replacement for the influential Gilchrist in sight. Captain Ricky Ponting is being found out on seaming tracks and somebody like Andrew Symonds is, technically, several notches below Damien Martyn.

The Aussies, for a change, are not putting enough runs on the board. Brad Hogg’s retirement will weaken the spin bowling. Pace ace Brett Lee is still firing, but the side misses Glenn McGrath’s precision and temperament. Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson are still works in progress.

News Source : Samachar

Did I still want to start my own restaurant?

I've always wanted to open a restaurant. I had it all figured out. It would be a combination of good food, great ambience and maybe even a theme for extra flourish. Keen friends also signed up for this imaginary venture.

An indicator of the popularity of this ambition was the number of restaurants that had launched in Bandra in a matter of six months. Suddenly there were new take away menus delivered at the doorstep everyday, two Italian restaurants in place of none and a host of perennially occupied cafés. This implied two things: Eating out was no longer a weekend tradition, starting up a restaurant was the seeming formula for immediate success (given the increase in expendable income).

This incidence of restaurants mushrooming wasn't restricted to the suburbs alone. Many had young entrepreneurs at the helm armed only with a basic degree in hotel management. Yet their little outfits appeared to be buzzing and the cash register continuously clicking.

Kainaz was the ideal prototype of this generation of young restaurateurs making an enviable sum of money in her 20's at a job she loved to do. The days I spent with her were memorable for the large amount of chocolate and pastries I was pleaded to consume (mine was only a surface resistance).

Enacting the part of official taster, as we hopped across Kainaz's four kitchens was the reason I visited her café, Theobroma, more frequently, in the pretense of redoing bits of the interview or asking more questions.

However spending time with Kainaz I realized that stress, erratic working hours and unpredictable mishaps posed as the evils in her Hansel and Gretel fairytale. While the shop front represented a picture of composure and orderliness, in the kitchen Kainaz was putting out fires everywhere. A missing ingredient, a tweaked recipe, and surprise visits from health inspectors were part of her daily fare.

Did I still want to start my own restaurant? I did, but not solely on the basis of my passion for food (and recipes gathered from episodes of Top Chef on AXN). Kainaz's example made a strong case for formal training and adequate experience before donning the chef's hat.

Like Kainaz, Pranav was infinitely passionate about his job as bartender. I watched him breathe life into a dull corporate party with his flair skills. While its not hard to coerce a bunch of 9 to 9 office goers into having a drink, Pranav infected them with his charming talk, his wicked humour and his love for dance, getting the inhibited group to boogey on the empty dancefloor.

At 24, he has done the rounds of the city's most illustrious nightclubs and has bought himself a car with the tips he's saved. And even though Pranav fixes a mean Sangria, he never intends to get his customers inebriated nor does he ever drink on the job.

Although a teetotaler, I had lots to learn from Pranav. From his effusiveness I understood that my timidity had no chance of survival as I aspire for a spot in this burgeoning industry.

News Source : Samachar

Krishna quits as Governor, set for Karnataka poll role

Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna got his long pending wish fulfilled on Wednesday as he resigned from his gubernatorial office after getting the Congress high command’s nod before heading to poll-bound Karnataka.

He called on President Pratibha Patil reportedly to hand over his resignation.

Hours before quitting,

Krishna said he felt “quite relieved” on being permitted to relinquish his post and return to active politics. He said he was optimistic of taking up the challenge of leading the party for the elections in the state. “I am confident that I will overcome the challenges and emerge on top,” he was quoted saying.

The Congress had until recently resisted Krishna’s pleas for a more active role either at the Centre or in Karnataka. But with the assembly elections coming up in the southern state, it decided to send him there as part of its strategy to marshal all its resources so that it leaves nothing to chance in the key state where the BJP is also making a strong bid for power.

Whether Krishna can deliver remains to be seen. But as a Vokkaligga, he is expected to provide competition to JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, who hails from the same community. Similarly, with his urbane persona, the former chief minister of Karnataka is also expected to entice the urban and middle class voters. But there is little doubt that his home-coming is likely to upset some state leaders who, like him, was hoping to lay claim to the top post if the party won the state polls.

News Source : Samachar

India's greatest one-day wins

The twin wins in the CB Series finals against Australia must rank high among India's finest wins in the fifty-over variety of the game.

Here's looking at snapshots of some of India's most memorable wins in one-day cricket.

Prudential World Cup, England, 1983
Nobody in their wildest imagination would have bet on India to reach the semifinals. Yet, led by the talismanic Kapil Dev, they did. In the finals, the odds India to beat the mighty West Indies were an unflattering 66 to 1. And when India were bowled out for 183, the writing was on the wall. Still, Kapil told his men, "Chalo jawaano..." and his own spectacular catch of Viv Richards spurred his men on to consume one wicket after another. Towards the end, Mohinder Amarnath made three quick strikes to wrap up the game, and the meek had inherited the earth.

Benson and Hedges World Championship, Australia, 1985
Under Sunil Gavaskar, India proved that 1983 wasn't a flash in the pan. India had two exciting prospects - a young, wristy stroke-maker in Mohammad Azharuddin and a deceptive leg spinner in L Sivaramakrishnan. Amarnath, Vengsarkar, Gavaskar and Kapil lent solidity to the middle order. At the top, Shastri played the gatherer, Srikkanth the hunter. There was Madan Lal, the seam bowler, and Chetan Sharma, a young tearaway, and of course the experienced Kapil and the spin of Shastri. When that combination clicked together, India were unstoppable. They won all their league matches and the semifinal against New Zealand. In a dream title clash, they beat Pakistan by eight wickets. The everlasting image of the tournament, in which all eight Test teams took part, was Shastri being crowned 'Champion of Champions' and driving his Audi around the MCG.

Hero Cup, India, 1993
Only New Zealand and Australia were not playing the CAB Jubilee Tournament. It made the Hero Cup - with its six-team league - the biggest draw since the 1992 World Cup. Hosts India weren't the most impressive beginners. They started off beating Sri Lanka, then lost big to the West Indies and tied with Zimbabwe. The upturn began with two wins against South Africa - one in Mohali, thanks mainly to Vinod Kambli's 86, and then at the semifinal at the Eden Gardens, where Kambli's illustrious schoolmate Sachin Tendulkar magically denied South Africa the six runs they needed in the last over. In the final against the West Indies, Kambli's 68 took India to 225. It was game on, but Anil Kumble's breathtaking burst of six wickets laid the West Indies low.

Sahara Cup, Toronto, 1997
The playing conditions at Toronto's CSC Club aren't the best in the world. But not the quality of cricket showcased here. It was, perhaps, the last balanced act between bat and ball before cricket's rules were skewered to favour batsmen. India and Pakistan under Sachin Tendulkar and Rameez Raja played some absorbing, exciting cricket in the five-game series. Thanks to Sourav Ganguly's all-round skills - he scored runs and took wickets in all games - India won back the bilateral series 4-1, having lost it 2-3 the previous year.

Independence Cup, Bangladesh, 1998
Effectively, this tournament was a two-horse race. Hosts Bangladesh were easy meat for India and Pakistan. After three league games, a best-of-three final series followed. Tendulkar and Ganguly won India the first final, and Mohammad Hussain and Saqlain Mustaq won Pakistan the second. The next match is what the tournament will always be remembered for. Ijaz Ahmed and Saeed Anwar ran down the Indian bowlers as Pakistan made 314 in their 48 overs. The trophy seemed lost - until Tendulkar and Ganguly got India going at eight runs per over. When Tendulkar departed, in came Robin Singh, the pinch hitter. He made Ganguly run the hard singles and doubles, smashed some boundaries himself, scored 82 but let Ganguly walked away with the limelight for his 124. It was meant to be a day game, but the light faded away quickly. With both sides willing to fight on, the floodlights came on. And it took a rookie, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, to smash the winning boundary off the game's penultimate ball for India to break the world record for run chases.

Coca Cola Cup, Sharjah, 1998
Gaining muscle under Azharuddin's captaincy and Tendulkar's ascent to batting's apogee, India entered this tri-national as strong favourites. It took a hurricane 143 from Tendulkar to edge New Zealand out on run rate. And the master batsman then produced his unforgettable 134, taking on Warne, Fleming and Kasprowicz. No one who saw the innings would forget it as India beat Australia in the final to win the trophy.

Independence Cup, Sri Lanka, 1998
India's run-spree continued through the summer. This time too, New Zealand were the weak link in the draw and India played Sri Lanka in the final. A world-record 252-run opening stand by Tendulkar and Ganguly set the game up for India. Lanka looked good to get their 308-run target, thanks to Aravinda De Silva's blazing hundred but after he fell, the lower order ran out of steam, giving India a 6-run win and a memorable win.

NatWest Trophy, England, 2002
This tournament saw the arrival of the New India we know today. With the whole team delivering, India knocked out Sri Lanka and played England in the final at Lord's. England, thanks to hundreds from Marcus Troscothick and Nasser Hussain, made 325 and the game looked finished. But Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly batted outrageously, knocking off the first hundred runs in no time. Then, five wickets fell in a heap and when Tendulkar departed at 146-5, it seemed it would be another lost final for India. Out came Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif with no pressure on their young shoulders. Their heroic partnership began in singles and doubles, and finished with fours and sixes. Yuvraj made 69, Kaif hung on for his 87, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka, 2002
It was Virender Sehwag's tournament - whatever he touched, turned to gold. He plundered England for a 72-ball hundred. Then, in the semifinal against South Africa, he scored fifty and took three wickets to nail the final berth. The finals - the match, and the rematch - were rained off but not before Sehwag showed glimpses of what lay ahead for Sri Lanka. The trophy was shared, but it doesn't hurt wondering what Sehwag could have done in those games.

News Source : Samachar

PM calls Vajpayee 'Bhishma Pitamah' of politics

Press Trust of India Wednesday, March 5, 2008 (New Delhi) Describing Atal Bihari Vajpayee as ''Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics'', Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday appealed to the former Prime Minister to rise above ''narrow'' party politics and support the Indo-US nuclear deal. ''Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics Atal Bihari Vajpayee should listen to his conscience and let national interest prevail upon narrow politics,'' Singh said in the Rajya Sabha seeking support of his predecessor on the nuclear deal. In his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, Prime Minister assured the Parliament that the government would not compromise on requirements of national security in inking the nuclear deal with the US. While the Prime Minister mounted a strident attack on the previous NDA Government, Singh had words of praise for Vajpayee for his ''courageous'' steps to foster peace with Pakistan. ''The most courageous steps to build peace were taken by Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee,'' Singh said in an identical reply in the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister said his government has continued the process with President Pervez Musharraf. Singh noted that the then Prime Ministers late Benazir Bhutto and late Rajiv Gandhi started the dialogue process. Singh was also happy with former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra ''coming out openly in defence of the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.'' News Source : Samachar

Sachin one of most enchanting players of all time: Roebuck

Showering encomiums on Sachin Tendulkar for his back-to-back match-winning knocks against Australia in the ODI tri-series finals, noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck said the little master counts among the most "enchanting and compelling" players the game has seen.

"Over the past 15 years, cricket enthusiasts have enjoyed many delights but two stand out. Anyone able to follow the careers of Tendulkar and Shane Warne at close quarters has been privileged," Roebuck wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Both were craftsmen of high calibre but also artists of supreme talent. Warne was a mesmerising tweaker with a fiercely competitive streak. The Indian remains a classical batsman unburdened with ego and capable of exquisite stroke-play," he added.

Roebuck was also all praise for the Indian young brigade for putting up a fearless challenge to Ricky Ponting's men in both the Test series and the one-day tri-series.

"India defended their score with spirit and left the country with heads held high. Throughout a contentious trip these tourists played with tenacity and audacity. It has been a colossal struggle between an ageing champion and a bold challenger," he said.

The former county player said the second final in Brisbane that turned out to be a cliffhanger was a fitting finale to the ill-tempered series and singled out Tendulkar's 91-run knock as the best memory that one could take home from the game.

"A match jam-packed with desperate action has brought a pulsating summer to an appropriately dramatic conclusion," he said.

"Apart from the frenzied finish and the curious outbreak of tackles on the field, the abiding memory of the match came from Tendulkar's bat. The first final, in Sydney, had produced one of the game's finest chasing innings.

"Alas, the hullabaloo distracted attention from Tendulkar's hundred. Accordingly, reporters hoped for a second helping from the maestro. Happily he obliged with a superb effort in the second final," he added.

Roebuck said Tendulkar did well to allow his bat to do the talking when it came to responding to critics who questioned his track record in Australia.

"It is not so long ago that observers wondered whether the time had come for the veteran to slip down the order. He had been losing his wicket to the new ball and seemed to have lost his edge.

"Recently, another critic pointed out that Tendulkar had never scored a one-day hundred in Australia and had a relatively poor record chasing targets. Never awaken the sleeping tiger," he said.

News Source : Samachar