News and Events - September/October/November/December- 2009

NSG_Blackcats

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China may again oppose ADB plan for Arunachal​

NEW DELHI: The India-China dispute over Arunachal Pradesh and the ADB development plan is not over yet. While the country partnership strategy for India was cleared by the ADB board on June 15, after an unprecedented locking of horns between India and China, the latter has not yet given up its resolute opposition to the contentious water project in Arunachal.

According to high level sources, China will keep up its efforts to delay or kill the project as it goes through the implementation phase. In a recent article, prominent India analyst Ma Jiali of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations wrote, "The ADB's irrational move... undermined China's interests and complicated the China-India border issue. China's strong reaction was fully justified. Although it would be extremely difficult to overthrow the current document, it should be noted that it is only a framework document and much needs to be done to implement the loan projects. In this process, there may be some room for change."

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TCS to open 6 passport offices in October​

CHANDIGARH: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will open six offices across India in October to provide passport services, a company official has said. The much delayed 'Passport Seva Project' is expected to take off with this move. With the launch of this Rs 100 billion project, the processing time for issuance of a passport is expected to be reduced to three days and to one day under the Tatkal (immediate) scheme. "In the first phase of this project, computerised passport facilitation centres will be opened in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Ambala, Bangalore, Mangalore and Hubli," TCS global government industry group vice president Tanmoy Chakraborty said on the sidelines of an IT summit here.

"Depending on the response, we have plans to increase the number of such facilitation centres to over 70 all across the country by June 2010," he added. "The implementation of this project has been delayed due to non availability of disaster recovery sites. But gradually things have been sorted out," stated Chakraborty. TCS was awarded the project in 2008. The Ministry of External Affairs will monitor its working.

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Two injured in shooting
TNN 4 September 2009, 09:54pm IST


LUDHIANA: The religious fair at village Saggowal turned ugly when two groups of youngsters fired at each on Friday evening leaving two passersby injured.

The injured, Ranjit Singh, who had set his shop at the fair got entangled in the cross fire and in turn received bullet on his back.

Later, he was shifted to the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where doctors had to operate upon him to take out the bullet.

The police has booked 10 persons of both the groups and registered an attempt to murder case against them. Investigation officer at Sadar police station, Surjit Singh, informed that these two groups of youngsters are reported to have some old enmity.

Apart from Ranjit Singh, another onlooker was also injured in the stampede that followed the firing, informed Surjit Singh. He informed that Mana, Gurpreet Gogi, Parminder, Harkamal, Amardeep, Mandeep, Gurbir, Amardeep and two others have been booked for the firing.

He said police was on its toes to arrest the accused. He informed that police is investigating about the weapons used in the firing. Interestingly, no one from either of the groups that had indulged in the firing received any injuries, informed the officer.

Two injured in shooting - Ludhiana - City - NEWS - The Times of India

Is this incident related to Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda issue ?
 

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Dr.Kalam on A&N island

View attachment 1071

View attachment 1072




Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam today unveiled a vision document for the strategic development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the year 2020. Inaugurating a national seminar on 'Security and Development of the Andaman and Nicobar islands' in Port Blair, he said a 250 MW dedicated nuclear power station on one of the islands would form the core of the development programme for the archipelago.

Dr Kalam said A&N islands being a vital part of the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) would have "enhanced significance" in the next decade. The ANC should have bases for static aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine based fleet, he remarked. Dr Kalam called upon the Armed Forces to evolve an effective security plan for underneath the sea, at sea level and in air. "The security plan which you evolve should ensure that there is no unauthorized occupation of the vacant islands," he added.

Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar, Commander-in-Chief of the ANC, said the location of these islands confers a geostrategic advantage. "Its economic and forest potential dictates a sound security presence," he added.


The two-day seminar is being attended by top defence and security experts including Shri Shekhar Dutt, Deputy National Security Advisor, Shri Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and Shri R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. The national seminar has been organised by the ANC. Raised as India's first Integrated Command, the ANC has a unique responsibility in promoting India's 'Look East' policy.

The Andaman and Nicobar group of islands straddle the strategic seaway leading to the Malacca straits. The A & N Islands are separated from the mainland by more than 1,000 kms but are placed at close proximity to a number of littoral states in the Bay of Bengal and stretching to the Indian Ocean. The archipelago comprises 572 small and big islands, of which only 36 are inhabited. The islands, which comprise 30 percent of the country's EEZ, have a potential reserve of Oil and Natural Gas besides being a great resource of marine life.

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: Kalam On The A&N Islands
 

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12-year-old boy murdered in UP at occultist instance

12-year-old boy murdered in UP at occultist instance

STAFF WRITER 20:4 HRS IST

Sitapur, Sep 5 (PTI) A 12-year-boy was allegedly murdered by a youth at the behest of an occultist who claimed that it will cure the ailing children of his relative, official said here today.

Sartaj was allegedly killed by Rohit Varma by slitting his throat. His body was recovered from the fields in Rasoolpur village late last night, they said.

Rohit was taken into custody from his relative Satish Varma's house in Rasoolpur this morning, police said.

During interrogation, Rohit confessed to the crime and said children of Satish were ill for quite some time and a 'baba' had told him to sacrifice a boy for their well being.

Superintendent of Police, Sitapur Ram Kumar said to avoid communal tension, force has been deployed in the village.

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Human sacrifices cases are on rise and in the past 1 month , this is the 3rd case .
 

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The police should act quickly. the tantric 'baba' should be arrested immediately and should be charged with abbetment of murder, and the case should be tried in a fast track court.
 

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India overturns HIV drug patents

HIV patients in developing countries stand to gain greater access to life-saving treatment after Indian authorities overturned the patents on a leading anti*retroviral drug.

The Delhi patent office upheld an appeal by Cipla, the Indian generic drug maker, to reject the intellectual protection on tenofovir, known by the brand name Viread, one of the widely used HIV treatments

The decision, which could still be challenged by a parallel patent filing, eases constraints holding back India’s thriving low-cost generic drug companies from producing cheaper versions of the drug for sale in emerging markets. It also raises the prospect of greater competition and deeper price cuts.

It is a blow to Gilead, the US-based biotechnology group that developed tenofovir and sought to streng-then international control over the drug. It will also hit the local companies with which it has lowered the cost of the drug to the poorest while protecting exclusivity in middle-*income markets.

Yusuf Hamied, head of Cipla, said: “I am absolutely delighted. This is one of the world’s largest anti-Aids drugs and now I am free to promote it.”

While seeking to use tougher patent protection on drugs introduced by India in 2005, Gilead had licensed local producers to make tenofovir but required them to pay royalties and not to sell the drug into middle-income countries such as Brazil and China.

Cipla refused to agree to the terms and chose to challenge the patent while producing the drug, but many low-income countries were reluctant to buy its low-cost version for fear that the company would be forced to cease production if the patent were upheld.

While low-income countries where tenofovir was not patented could buy the drug from generic suppliers, India’s patent laws made it difficult for its domestic manufacturers to produce them even for export.

Gilead said it would consider its options once notified by the patent office.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
 

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Indian-origin man critical after racist attack in UK

Indian-origin man critical after racist attack in UK
IANS 7 September 2009, 02:22pm IST
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LONDON: An elderly Kolkata born man is fighting for his life in a London hospital on Monday, after a gang of teenage schoolboys beat him mercilessly
in what the police say is a racist attack.

Retired care worker Ekram ul Haque, 67, was battered to the ground in front of his five-year-old granddaughter as they returned from their local south London mosque, police said.

Three boys, aged 12, 14 and 15, have been charged with assaulting Haque and a man in his 40s - just minutes earlier - in Tooting, a south London neighbourhood that is home to many people from West Bengal and Bangladesh. Haque's granddaughter Marian was unhurt and was able to give a detailed account of the Aug 31 incident.

Murder squad detectives have linked the attack with attempted assaults on two other elderly South Asians in Tooting a week earlier and charged the 15-year-old boy in connection with them.

All three attackers are black and wore hooded tops as they carried out their assaults.

Graphic images of the attack were caught on CCTV, and police have had to step up security at the mosque following growing tensions in the local community.

Scotland Yard confirmed that the assault was being treated as "racially motivated".

According to the Daily Mail, doctors have told Haque's family he has no chance of survival. He was on a ventilator as friends and relatives paid their last respects Sunday night.

Haque, a devout Muslim, was returning home after attending evening prayers during the holy month of Ramzan, when a gang - said to be upto 20 member strong - ran up behind him and clubbed him around the head. Two other worshippers chased the thugs away but Haque suffered horrific head injuries.

Haque was born in Kolkata and moved to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, in search of work in 1972. He met his wife there and they moved to London in the early 1980s. He originally worked in textiles but later became a warden in a home for the disabled. He retired last year and was looking after Marian on weekdays.

Haque's 35-year-old son called the attack "mindless violence" but urged people to remain calm. "I would urge people in our community to remember that Islam is a peaceful religion and does not condone revenge attacks. If you want to do anything, just pray," he said.

"They came down the road and about six of them broke off from the rest and surrounded the two of us," Taxi driver Imdad Buhkari said in the Evening Standard.

"They asked me for the time. I said 'I don't wear a watch' and suddenly someone from behind punched me hard on the jaw. Then they hit the old man (the second victim), whose name is Atameer, and ran off."

"I went round the corner and I was shocked when I saw Ekram lying unconscious on the ground. He was bleeding from his mouth and ear. Now he is in a coma. The doctors want to turn off his life support machine but his family says no. It is terrible. Who would do such a thing?" Imdad reacted.

Indian-origin man critical after racist attack in UK - UK - World - NEWS - The Times of India
 

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Tension at Tirupur over arrest of 21 persons(for distrupting vinayaka chathurthi)

Uneasy calm prevailed in the city and its suburbs on Sunday following the arrest of 21 persons belonging to two groups, who were allegedly involved in two violent incidents during the Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations in the Tirupur sub-division on August 25.

Police officials told The Hindu that Sasikumar, Thangaraj, Renjith Kumar, Haneefa and nine others were held for throwing stones at each other at Sri Nagar near the New Bus Stand when a procession carrying a Ganesha idol was passing through the area. Some persons tried to oppose the route through which the procession was taken out.

Akbar Ali, Zakhir, Rafiq Raja, Syed and four others, were arrested on the charges of damaging a van at Kangayam Cross Road while it was returning after the immersion of the idol at P.A.P. canal.

Road blocked
Soon after the news of the arrest spread, a group of people blocked the Tirupur-Kangayam road demanding the release of eight persons arrested at Kangayam Cross road.

The crowd dispersed only after senior police officials explained to them the reasons for the arrest.

As a precautionary measure, about 500 police officers from six districts were brought to the Tirupur sub-division.

Superintendents of Police N. Kannan (Tirupur), Kapil Saratkar Chindurio (Nilgiris) and Jaichandran (Erode) camped in the city to supervise the situation.
source:The Hindu
 

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Tribal tension peaks in Koraput
TNN 7 September 2009, 10:58pm IST


KORAPUT: Tension mounted in Koraput district on Monday after a tribal died of injuries received during a clash between two factions of a Maoist-backed farmers' outfit. The deceased, Suresh Pinidi, and two others were injured when Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) activists from Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks clashed on Sunday.

Police said CMAS activists from the Bandhugaon faction had damaged over a dozen houses of their rivals on Saturday. Supporters of the Narayanpatna unit had retaliated the next day, triggering the violence.

Adding to the administration's worries, the tribal outfit has decided to organize a massive rally at Laxmipur, which is about 20 km from Narayanpatna, on Tuesday.

"We have reports that around 10,000 tribals will be attending the meeting at Laxmipur. Elaborate security arrangements are being made to avoid any untoward incident," collector (Koraput) Gadadhra Parida said.

CMAS, which has been forcibly acquiring non-tribal lands in the area for the past few months, is now ridden with violent factionalism.

"The situation is tense here. Nobody knows what will happen. The administration has miserably failed to make the situation normal. If the administration had taken any precautionary steps, the situation could have been avoided," a resident of Narayanpatna said on condition of anonymity.

Demanding restoration of normalcy in the area, villagers gheraoed the collector when he rushed to Narayanpatna on Monday to take stock of the situation.

"I held talks with the leaders of both factions. I pleaded with them to desist from interfering in each other's areas. They have assured the administration that they will not resort to any violence. We are keeping a watch on the developments. At present, the situation is under control," the collector said.

The Bandhugaon unit of CMAS had taken 34 Katulpeta villagers hostage on Saturday, demanding an assurance from the Narayanpatna unit that their men will never enter the neighbouring block. The hostages were released on Monday.

In the past few months, CMAS have occupied about 3,000 acres of non-tribal land in Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks and distributed them among landless tribals.

Tribal tension peaks in Koraput - Bhubaneswar - City - NEWS - The Times of India
 

NSG_Blackcats

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A poor man’s battle for information​

CHHATTARPUR (MADHYA PRADESH): In a blow to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a man belonging to the below-poverty-line (BPL) category was asked to pay Rs.9,000 for information sought. The real shocker, however, is that even after paying the amount, Vijaypal Nishad is yet to receive the information.

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Trouser-wearing woman fined $200 in Sudan
AP 7 September 2009, 06:33pm IST


KHARTOUM, Sudan: A Sudanese judge convicted a woman journalist on Monday for violating the public indecency law by wearing trousers outdoors and fined her $200, but did not impose a feared flogging penalty.
Lubna Hussein was among 13 women arrested July 3 in a raid by the public order police in Khartoum. Ten of the women were fined and flogged two days later. But Hussein and two others decided to go to trial.

"I will not pay a penny," she said while still in court custody, wearing the same trousers that had sparked her arrest.

Hussein said Friday she would rather go to jail than pay any fine, out of protest of the nation's strict laws on women's dress.

"I won't pay, as a matter of principle," she said. "I would spend a month in jail. It is a chance to explore the conditions in jail."

The case has made headlines in Sudan and around the world and Hussein used it to rally world opinion against the country's morality laws based on a strict interpretation of Islam.

Galal al-Sayed, Hussein's lawyer, said he advised her to pay the fine before appealing the decision. She refused, he said, "She insisted."

The lawyer said the judge ignored his request to present defense witnesses.

"The ruling is incorrect," he said, adding that the prosecution witnesses gave contradictory statements.

Al-Sayed said the judge had the option of choosing flogging, but apparently opted for fine to avoid international criticism. "There is a general sentiment in the world that flogging is humiliating."

Ahead of the trial, police rounded up dozens of female demonstrators, many of them wearing trousers, outside the courtroom.

The London-based Amnesty International on Friday called on the Sudanese government to withdraw the charges against Hussein and repeal the law which justifies "abhorrent" penalties.

Human rights and political groups in Sudan say the law is in violation of the 2005 constitution drafted after a peace deal ended two decades of war between the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian and animist south Sudan.

The Amnesty statement said Sudan had been urged to amend the law which permits flogging, on the grounds that it is state-sanctioned torture, after eight women were flogged in public in 2003 with plastic and metal whips leaving permanent scars on the women. The women had been picnicking with male friends.

As a U.N. staffer, Hussein should have immunity from prosecution but she has opted to resign so that she could stand trial and draw attention to the case.

In a column published in the British daily the Guardian Friday, Hussein said her case is not an isolated one, but is a showcase of repressive laws in a country with a long history of civil conflicts.

"When I think of my trial, I pray that my daughters will never live in fear of these police ... We will only be secure once the police protect us and these laws are repealed," she wrote.

Hussein said earlier she would take the issue all the way to Sudan's Constitutional Court necessary, but that if the court rules against her and orders the flogging, she's ready "to receive (even) 40,000 lashes" if that what it takes to abolish the law.

Trouser-wearing woman fined $200 in Sudan - Rest of World - World - NEWS - The Times of India
 

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Indian-origin man critical after racist attack in UK
IANS 7 September 2009, 02:22pm IST
Print Email Discuss Bookmark/Share Save Comment Text Size: |

LONDON: An elderly Kolkata born man is fighting for his life in a London hospital on Monday, after a gang of teenage schoolboys beat him mercilessly
in what the police say is a racist attack.

Retired care worker Ekram ul Haque, 67, was battered to the ground in front of his five-year-old granddaughter as they returned from their local south London mosque, police said.

Three boys, aged 12, 14 and 15, have been charged with assaulting Haque and a man in his 40s - just minutes earlier - in Tooting, a south London neighbourhood that is home to many people from West Bengal and Bangladesh. Haque's granddaughter Marian was unhurt and was able to give a detailed account of the Aug 31 incident.

Murder squad detectives have linked the attack with attempted assaults on two other elderly South Asians in Tooting a week earlier and charged the 15-year-old boy in connection with them.

All three attackers are black and wore hooded tops as they carried out their assaults.

Graphic images of the attack were caught on CCTV, and police have had to step up security at the mosque following growing tensions in the local community.

Scotland Yard confirmed that the assault was being treated as "racially motivated".

According to the Daily Mail, doctors have told Haque's family he has no chance of survival. He was on a ventilator as friends and relatives paid their last respects Sunday night.

Haque, a devout Muslim, was returning home after attending evening prayers during the holy month of Ramzan, when a gang - said to be upto 20 member strong - ran up behind him and clubbed him around the head. Two other worshippers chased the thugs away but Haque suffered horrific head injuries.

Haque was born in Kolkata and moved to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, in search of work in 1972. He met his wife there and they moved to London in the early 1980s. He originally worked in textiles but later became a warden in a home for the disabled. He retired last year and was looking after Marian on weekdays.

Haque's 35-year-old son called the attack "mindless violence" but urged people to remain calm. "I would urge people in our community to remember that Islam is a peaceful religion and does not condone revenge attacks. If you want to do anything, just pray," he said.

"They came down the road and about six of them broke off from the rest and surrounded the two of us," Taxi driver Imdad Buhkari said in the Evening Standard.

"They asked me for the time. I said 'I don't wear a watch' and suddenly someone from behind punched me hard on the jaw. Then they hit the old man (the second victim), whose name is Atameer, and ran off."

"I went round the corner and I was shocked when I saw Ekram lying unconscious on the ground. He was bleeding from his mouth and ear. Now he is in a coma. The doctors want to turn off his life support machine but his family says no. It is terrible. Who would do such a thing?" Imdad reacted.

Indian-origin man critical after racist attack in UK - UK - World - NEWS - The Times of India
Indian-origin man dies after racial attack in London
TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES 7 September 2009, 10:31pm IST


LONDON: A 67-year-old Indian died in a London hospital on Monday after a gang of teenage schoolboys beat him mercilessly in what the police say is a racist attack

Kolkata-born Ekram ul Haque was brought to the hospital in a critical condition.

Ekram ul Haque was battered to the ground in front of his five-year-old granddaughter as they returned from a local south London mosque, police said.

Three teenage boys have been charged with assaulting Haque and a man in his 40s near Tooting, an area dominated by Asians.

The victim's granddaughter Marian, who was unhurt in the incident, gave a detailed account of the incident which took place on August 31. Police have sought help of eye witnesses.

Scotland Yard on Monday said the assault was being treated as "racially motivated."

Haque moved to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, in 1972. He met his wife there and the couple moved to London in the early 1980s.

He worked in the textile industry but later became a warden in a home for the disabled from which he retired last year.

Haque's 35-year-old son described the attack as "mindless violence."

Indian-origin man dies after racial attack in London - Indians Abroad - World - NEWS - The Times of India
 

RPK

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Low female literacy impeding growth: Manmohan

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New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) Noting that low female literacy was impeding growth, Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh on Tuesday launched a major initiative in the education sector saying all steps to empower women socially, economically and politically would be taken by the government.

Launching the Saakshar Bharat Mission here, Singh also announced that a National Mission for the empowerment of women would be set up soon.

While the Cabinet has already decided to amend the Constitution to provide 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats and local bodies, the Self Help Group movement would be "expanded by restructuring and revitalising the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh", he said.

Observing that about half of Indian women were still not able to read or write, Singh said "a National Mission for the empowerment of women is being set up.
 

RPK

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Surat neighbourhood still under Brit rule!

Surat neighbourhood still under Brit rule! - dnaindia.com

Surat: India attained independence from British rulers 62 years ago, but if SMC's records are to be believed, 25 houses in Limbayat area of Surat are still owned by the British government! The house tax bills issued by the civic body SMC shows the British Government as their owner. Despite repeated representations by residents and councillors, the anomaly remains unrectified.

These 25 houses are located near Ratan Chowk in Nava Nagar, Limbayat zone. Though their owners are Indians, they are shown to be owned by 'British government' in SMC's records. Actually, this is a mistake by the tax department of Limbayat zone. As per the zone records, these 25 houses are built on the land owned by the British government and property tax bills shows the area to be the 'land of Angrej government'. A common plot in the area also bears the same ownership.

"Ratan Chowk came into existence 30 years back, and these houses were built 15 years back. The house owners purchased plots and constructed houses. But in the civic body's records, the owners' names are shown in possession holders category, while ownership is shown to be of the British government," Sanjay Patil, councillor of ward no. 29, said. "We took up the issue several times with municipal authorities, but it fell on deaf ears. Recently, we have given a memorandum to municipal commissioner S Aparna and she has promised to take immediate action," Patil added.

The delay in change of name is irritating the residents and house owners. "It's an irony that the name of British government exists in ownership column of our houses, for no plausible reason. When this house is 15 years old, how can the ownership belong to Britishers, who left the country 62 years back? I am still waiting for the anomaly to be rectified," Jagdish Patil, one of the residents, said.

"There were many plots in the country, which were owned by the British government, and its name still exists as owner. The state government has changed ownership from time to time by issuing notifications. We will have to check whether these plots have undergone ownership change in city survey records or not." SB Powar, in-charge municipal auditor, said.
 

RPK

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'Mahatma Gandhi is my hero', says Obama

'Mahatma Gandhi is my hero', says Obama- Hindustan Times

US President Barack Obama has said given a chance he would like to have dinner with Mahatma Gandhi, whom he considered a real hero.

Obama expressed his desire in response to a question from a student Lilly during his discussion with 9th graders at Wakefield High School in Arlington Virginia where he accompanied with the Education Secretary gave a national speech welcoming students back to school.

Obama called for students to take responsibility and to learn from their failures so that they succeed in the end.

"Hi. I'm Lilly. And if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?," Obama was asked by one of the students.

"Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that's a pretty big list," Obama responded amidst laughter. The next moment he was serious.

"You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine," Obama said. "Now, it would probably be a really small meal because he didn't eat a lot," he said amidst laughter. But Mahatma Gandhi is someone who has inspired people across the world for the past several generations, he said.

Terming the iconic figure as the source of inspiration for many, Obama said "he (Mahatma Gandhi) is somebody whom I find a lot of inspiration in. He inspired Dr King (Martin Luther), so if it hadn't been for the non-violent movement in India, you might not have seen the same non-violent movement for civil rights here in the United States." said.
 

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Famous personalities influenced by Gandhi- Hindustan Times

* Leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States, Martin Luther King and James Lawson, drew from the writings of Gandhi in the development of their own theories about non-violence.

* Anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was inspired by Gandhi.

* Albert Einstein once called Gandhi "a role model for the generations to come" in a letter writing about him.

* British musician John Lennon referred to Gandhi as an influence on his music.

* Former US Vice-President and environmentalist Al Gore also acknowledges Gandhi's influence on him.

* Prior to his becoming the President of the United States, then-Senator Barack Obama noted that: "Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate office: to remind me that real results will come not just from Washington – they will come from the people."

* Amongst other world leaders who found inspiration and hope in Gandhi and his works include Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Philippine leader Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 

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6 Muslims charged with sedition for anti-Hindu protest in Malaysia

6 Muslims charged with sedition for anti-Hindu protest in Malaysia
PTI 9 September 2009, 11:47am IST


KUALA LUMPUR: Six Malaysian Muslims were on Wednesday charged with sedition and illegal assembly for indulging in an act that hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community during a controversial demonstration against the relocation of a century-old temple in a Muslim majority neighbourhood.

Besides six others were charged with illegal assembly under the Police Act.

Deputy Public Prosecutor asked for bail to be set at 15,000 ringgit each. But the Sessions Judge granted the bail at 4,000 ringgit each.

The case is up for mention again on October 21. The accused were later taken to a Magistrate's court where they and six others were charged with illegal assembly under the Police Act.

The 12 were part of a group of Muslims from the Shah Alam suburb in Selangor state that marched to the secretariat building to protest against the temple relocation on August 28 and indulged in an act hurting the sentiments of the minority Hindu community.

Meanwhile, Home minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the decision to charge the protesters showed that the authorities do not favour any particular race or protect supporters of certain political ideologies.

He said those who violated the law would have to be responsible for their actions, adding although the Government wanted to ensure greater civil liberties, there were issues of national interest, security and the interest of the majority that needed to be considered.

"We do not only take action against those who carry out rallies that touch on racial sensitivities but will act against anyone whose actions threaten stability, cause racial tension or touch on religion," he was quoted as saying by the 'Star' newspaper.

"There are issues that are sensitive among multi- racial Malaysians and have to be treaded upon carefully," he said.

Asked if the decision to charge the protesters was to appease "certain quarters", he said: "I don't do things to appease people. I have never done that. I only do what is right."

MIC chief Samy Vellu welcomed the move to charge the protesters. "We hope the case against the protesters will start as soon as possible."

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) also welcomed the move to charge the protesters with sedition.

6 Muslims charged with sedition for anti-Hindu protest in Malaysia - Indians Abroad - World - NEWS - The Times of India

How the malaysians are planning to relocate centuary old temple ? What they are going to do with the structure , are they going to relocate the whole temple structure or just the Idols ? Does anyone have any idea on this .
 

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Total literacy for women in five years, promises PM

Total literacy for women in five years, promises PM

Updated on Tuesday, September 08, 2009, 23:54 IST Tags:literacy for women, PM promises, Total literacy

New Delhi: All women in the country would be literate in five years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday while noting that female illiteracy and poor infrastructure were obstructing India's economic growth.

The Prime Minister, who was launching the Rs.65 billion (over $1.3 billion) literacy mission 'Saakshar Bharat', said: "In fact, many observers have seen infrastructure development in the economic sector and female literacy in the social sector as two very critical factors that impede India's steady climb to a higher and sustainable level of growth and development."


Kicking off the flagship programme on International Literacy Day, he said his government had put in place several major initiatives like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Rural Health Mission and the Right to Information Act. Literacy, he stressed, was the key to their success.

"Literacy is central to the success of all these programmes and initiatives female literacy is especially so. Female literacy is a force multiplier for all action for social development. This is self-evident and does not require any elaboration.

"Female literacy is also absolutely necessary to empower the Indian woman in her every day struggle in dealing with multiple deprivations on the basis of class, caste and gender," Manmohan Singh elaborated.

He said the country could not remain satisfied with poor literacy levels and his government was committed to making all women literate in five years.

"The President of India, in her address to parliament earlier this year, had announced that the government will recast the National Literacy Mission to make every woman literate in the next five years. Today we take the first step towards fulfilling that promise to our people."

"One-third of India's population still continues to be illiterate. About half of our women cannot still read or write. The number of illiterates in India is probably the highest among all nations of the world. We cannot therefore be satisfied with the status quo."

He said persistent illiteracy, particularly among women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and other disadvantaged groups, was a "challenge that we must face and meet head on".

"We must make our nation fully literate if we want to empower the average citizen and make rapid progress," the Prime Minister added.

The estimated cost of the mission is Rs.65.02 billion. Of this, nearly Rs.50 billion would be funded by the central government and the rest by the states. The mission's target is to make 70 million adults above the age of 15 literate -- of these 60 million would be women.


Under this programme, beyond basic education, women would be imparted skill training to make their lives sustainable. Panchayats, the prime minister said, would play a key role in implementing the mission by involving local communities, NGOs and civil society.

Manmohan Singh also reiterated his government's commitment to providing good quality education to all and said funds were no "constraint". "Our government is committed to providing good quality education to each and every child in our country. Resources will not be a constraint in the quest of achieving this goal."

The event was also attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, his deputy D. Purandeswari, UNESCO additional director general Nicholas Burnett, several diplomats and parliamentarians.

IANS



Total literacy for women in five years, promises PM
 

F.Faruqi

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Plane Carrying 104 Reportedly Hijacked in Mexico

BBC NEWS | Americas | Hijacked jet lands in Mexico City

A passenger plane flying from the Mexican resort of Cancun has been hijacked and flown to Mexico City, officials say.

Transport Minister Juan Molinar told Mexican radio the jet had landed safely at Mexico City's international airport.

The plane has 104 passengers on board. Their condition is unknown.

Mexican news website earlier reported that three men had threatened to blow the plane up unless they were allowed to speak to President Felipe Calderon.

The reports could not be confirmed. More to follow.
 

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