Enjoy writing with special luxury pens worth just Rs.900,000!

A designer pen store in Mumbai has introduced a special range of premium variety pens with gold and silver finish, some of them carrying images of deities on them.

Willian Penn have introduced a range of well-designed luxurious pens. Available in a price range of Rs.20,000 to 900,000, these are special pens, as they are crafted by various foreign designers with gold and silver finish.

Since the varieties of pen at offer involve designs from across the world, different ancient images are engrossed on the pens. The ancient Arabic design, Lord Ganesha and Buddha are some of the major attractions available in these pens.

Apart from regular pens, they also have feather made pens with a nip and feather of a bird.

"A fine writing instrument could be upwards of 1,000 rupees. That is what we define as a fine writing instrument. Lot of pens that we carry are handcrafted and that’s what makes them expensive," said Nikhil Ranjan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), William Penn, Pen Store, Mumbai.

Many of these pens are handmade and hence so expensive and exclusive. The pens show blend of modern technology and art.

In 2004, William Penn set up its first pen store at the Forum Mall in Bangalore. At the time William Penn was retailing ten premium brands of pens. It currently retails over 15 brands of writing instruments along with some very unique desktop accessories.

According to estimates, there is a 500 billion rupees market for pens against Rs 1.5 billion pen market of India. By Parihas Hate

An interview with Madan Tamang, President, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League

Madan Tamang - President All India Gorkha League

Where do you find ABGL in the present political scenario?

Six months ago we were the only ones to protest against the implementation of Sixth Schedule. Haven’t our stand been vindicated today. Today the entire Hills are against it. Today, Gorkha League is the major force since every political party is joining hands in support of our protest against Sixth Schedule status for the Hills.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha within three months of its formation sent a delegation to New Delhi? Why hasn’t Gorkha League been able to do something like that?

Even if they have been to New Delhi what have they been able to achieve?

Will the Sixth Schedule Bill be passed in this Winter Session?

Yes, as things seems to us. What you must understand is that the Sixth Schedule is an Official Bill, there is no question of whether it will be passed or not. It is only the question of when. If it were not to be passed the Central Government itself will collapse as it would amount to No-Confidence Motion. It will thence be passed. That is why we are opposing it since it is being enforced in the Darjeeling Hills against the will of the people.

You had yourself said in a speech that if the Sixth Schedule Bill was passed you would go and plunge to death in River Teesta?

Have I said that? I think what I had said was that I was ready to go and sacrifice my life in River Teesta if the Bill was passed by I had also asked them (GNLF) if the Bill was not passed were they ready to do the same.

Weren’t you able to stop Sixth Schedule Bill in the Parliament in all these months?

We had been able to stop the Sixth Schedule Bill for almost 24 months and we were the only one.

It is believed that a Public Interest Litigation be brought against the Bill. What is your opinion on the issue?

We are trying to educate the people. Besides that we cannot call for 96 hours closure or dance around the streets with khukuris. Gorkha League is not that sort of a party. We are a responsible political party. We were working slowly and steadily. The game of politics is a game of patience.

If Sixth Schedule was hypothetically passed in this session and an Interim Council formed under the supervision of Subash Ghisingh to look after the Sixth Schedule election six months later, would ABGL contest in the Sixth Schedule Election?

I doubt whether election will be called or not. Why talk about hypothetical situations? If GJM and CPRM are ready to contest Sixth Schedule election then all they can think of is get Chairmanship. I am talking about a greater movement. ABGL vies for Gorkhaland.

What about Unification of ideologies and a unified opposition to Sixth Schedule?

We were the one to call for Collective Leadership and Joint Programme even before a long time. Collective Leadership will protect from an individual leader from being compromised.

Then would that lead to Lord Brahma syndrome where each head faces a different direction and thinks in that manner (separately)?

There is no such example in the history. All movements and revolutions are fought under Collective Leadership. For example, Meghalaya became a state under the flag of All Party Hill Leaders Conference. Similarly, Nagaland became a state under the collective leadership of People’s Conference. We are working towards Collective Leadership and joint programme. We were the one’s to bring Anti-Subash wave. This has been cashed on by the other parties. What today is being seen is only euphoria. We have there before there since decades and we will be here in the future.

‘No to Dzukou Valley parks’

Dimapur : A statement reportedly made by a leader of the Tenyimi Central Union that Dzukou Valley would be converted into a national park, has drawn fire from the Southern Angami Public Organization. The SAPO, in a sharp response, claimed ownership over the valley and said no property should be ‘taken away’ for any development, without the consent of the “owner”. 

According to a note from SAPO’s executives, the president of Tenyimi Central Union said to convert Dzukou Valley into a national park and later to an international park. He is reported to have stated so “without any approval from SAPO” during the TCU’s general conference held at Maram Khullen on November 5, last year. Stating not to tolerate TCU’s statement, the SAPO said the declaration ignores the “consent of the owner and a clear case of distorting SAPO’s resolution”.

The SAPO also said it has made several public statements through the media that no individual, groups or communities and even State agencies would be allowed to take up any developmental activities without prior “approval” from the organization. On several occasions, the response said, the SAPO had “reaffirmed their age-old traditional right of ownership of the entire Dzukou Valley and Kezol areas as ancestral property”.  The southern Angami communities have exercised ownership over the land “by protecting the land and its resources prior to the Britishers arrival” it added.

Melodrama: Going beyond the local stage

Melodrama

Dimapur : Young, enthusiastic and strongly into music, that’s the ‘Melodrama’ band from Dimapur, formed in 2008, and which has acquired some recognition in the field of music in the state and lately in the national level.

Having dreamed of going beyond the local stage of Nagaland, they finally will be competing against other rock bands in the Grand Finale of Campus Rock Idols contest on February 7 in Hyderabad. Campus Rock Idols is the biggest inter-college rock competition in India.

The band, which is the winner of the Eastern Zone Campus Rock Idol, already has won some accolades in the state with their ‘death metal’ version of music. The band was winner of the ‘All Nagaland Best of the Best Open Beat Contest’, bagged the first runners up title in Summer Jam 2008, 1st runners-up of Nagaland and Music Safari in Dimapur, and was also one among the nine finalists in the ‘National Hornbill Rock Contest 2008’.

In an informal interaction with The Morung Express, the Melodrama band members asserted that their enthusiasm for music came at an early age when they played off and on as guest artists in various bands. Finally, five of them came together and decided to form the band – Melodrama – in April 2008 and started competing in various music contests with much success.

The band members maintained that contesting in the National Campus Rock Idol contest was a means to show that the Nagas have the talent and that the Naga people are not lagging behind.

Interestingly, the band members disclosed that they try to work on their originals and so far they have compiled about four original tracks. In the near future, they plan to bring out an album of their own. The lyrics, they disclosed, were based on the present political scenario of the state like corruption, love and tragedy and also about environment.

The Melodrama Band members also asked well-wishers to pray for them saying that they need a lot of support while they compete with other rock bands at the Rock Idol Contest in Hyderabad.

“We need a lot of support…and prayer also,” says one of the band members. So far the band has been sponsored by DNA. The Melodrama band members comprise of vocalist Imlinungsang Jamir, Imnok on guitar and back-up vocals, lead guitarist Among Jinger, bassist Sashimeren Pongen, and drummer Wapang Walling.

Report: Myanmar's Chin people persecuted

By DENIS D. GRAY – 5 hours ago

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — The Chin people, Christians living in the remote mountains of northwestern Myanmar, are subject to forced labor, torture, extrajudicial killings and religious persecution by the country's military regime, a human rights group said Wednesday.
The New York-based Human Right Watch said as many as 100,000 people have fled the Chin homeland into neighboring India, where they face abuse and the risk of being forced back into Myanmar.
"The Chin are unsafe in Burma and unprotected in India," a report from the group said. The report said the regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma, continues to commit atrocities against its other ethnic minorities.
Myanmar's ruling junta has been widely accused of widespread human rights violations in ethnic minority areas where anti-government insurgent groups are fighting for autonomy. The government has repeatedly denied such charges. An e-mailed request for comment on the new report was not immediately answered.
Chief Secretary Vanhela Pachau, a top official for India's Mizoram state, said he had not seen the report and could not comment.
"(The police) hit me in my mouth and broke my front teeth. They split my head open and I was bleeding badly. They also shocked me with electricity," the group quoted a Chin man accused of supporting the insurgents, who are small in number and largely ineffective.
He was one of some 140 Chin people interviewed by the human rights group from 2005 to 2008. The group said the names of those interviewed were withheld to prevent reprisals.
A number of people spoke of being forced out of their villages to serve as unpaid porters for the army or to build roads, sentry posts and army barracks.
Amy Alexander, a consultant for Human Rights Watch, told a news conference that insurgents of the Chin National Front also committed abuses such as extorting money from villagers to fund their operations.
Alexander said Myanmar's government, attempting to suppress minority cultures, was destroying churches, desecrating crosses, interfering with worship services by forcing Christians to work on Sundays and promoting Buddhism through threats and inducements. Some 90 percent of the Chin are Christians, most of them adherents to the American Baptist Church.
Ethnic insurgencies erupted in Myanmar in the late 1940s when the country gained independence from Great Britain.
Former junta member Gen. Khin Nyunt negotiated cease-fires with 17 of the insurgent groups before he was ousted by rival generals in 2004.
Among rebels still fighting are groups from the Karen, Karenni, Shan and Chin minorities.
At least half a million minority people have been internally displaced in eastern Myanmar as a result of the regime's brutal military campaigns while refugees continue to flee to the Thai-Myanmar border. More than 145,000 refugees receive international humanitarian assistance in Thai border camps.
Alexander said that some 30,000 Chin have also sought refuge in Malaysia while about 500 were living in Thai border camps.
Associated Press writer Muneeza Naqvi in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Gun shadow on Republic Day celebrations

Youths cross swords in a tribal dance at Latasil ground in Guwahati, NCC cadets parade in Shillong and two children enthral an audience with a pum cholum show in Imphal as part of Republic Day celebrations on Monday. Pictures by Eastern Projections and Sanjib Bhattacharjee

Guwahati, Jan 28 : Republic Day was celebrated across the region under an overwhelming shadow of guns and security surveillance, with a vow to defeat the growing cult of violence. Braving boycott calls by several militant outfits of the region, the day passed off peacefully. But from Agartala to Aizawl, terror remained the dominating theme in the speeches of governors.

In Assam, at the central function on Latasil playground in Guwahati, Governor Shiv Charan Mathur said the gravest threat to the state and its people emanates from anti-national elements within the country that are operating with the support of organisations based outside the country.

“The state government is committed to fight the anti-national forces and secure peace and stability,” the governor said.

Manipur celebrated the day with unprecedented security measures. The main function was held at the historical Kangla Fort where Governor Gurbachan Jagat hoisted the national flag.

All shops remained closed in Imphal and vehicles stayed off the roads in view of the general strike

Six principals and a teacher were suspended on charges of allegedly trying to prevent school students from taking part in the Republic Day march past. However, students of all the six schools participated.

The day was observed in Mizoram in a joyous manner with the Tricolour adorning shops, offices and residences. Mizoram Governor Lt Gen. (retd) M.M. Lakhera said the state had attained peace after 20 years of insurgency, and Mizoram would not allow the fruits of peace to be dissipated by a handful of militants.

In spite of the looming threat of militant violence and subversion, Tripura celebrated the day in a festive mood with no untoward incident marring it. Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahay urged the people to keep up the fight against terror and militancy and protect the secular democratic tradition of the country.

In Nagaland, Governor K. Sankaranarayanan called upon the people to strengthen the peace process in finding an amicable solution to the six-decade-old Naga political problem through peaceful means.

The Meghalaya government will set up separate women police stations across the state, Governor R. S. Mooshahary said at the Republic Day function, reports PTI.

Youths take part in a Republic Day run in Agartala on Monday. (Reuters)

Highlighting the state’s vast potential in the horticulture sector, the governor said Meghalaya has taken up with the Centre proposals for setting up an institute of horticulture at Williamnagar and a post-graduate institute at Umium near Shillong.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Governor Gen. (retd) J.J. Singh harped on development.

Describing the Prime Minister’s package for Arunachal as the most “priceless aid” from the Centre, the governor expressed confidence that its implementation would help the state to catch up with other developed states in the country. The Governor called upon all sections of society to refrain from the “bandh culture” which was causing a strain on the economy of the neighbouring Assam.

“There are other forms of protests, like wearing black badges, which can yield results without affecting the daily wage earners and the poor,” the Governor pointed out.

MSU in last eight

Chennai: Madras Sporting Union and ASC Centre, Bangalore, sealed quarterfinal berths in the Don Bosco-Fr. McFerran Trophy football tournament with first round wins on Tuesday.

Two goals from corners gave MSU a 2-0 win over Manipur Brothers Sporting Union.

MSU went ahead in the 18th minute, thanks to an error from Manipur Brothers keeper K. Kangjamba. Striker Amoafo flicked on a corner from left winger David straight at Kangjamba, who let it bounce off his chest and into the net.
In the 81st minute, MSU wrapped it up. A short corner from the right flag was played to P.C. Riju. The forward measured a floated ball into the far post, where centre half Ronald leapt and headed cleanly in.
Earlier, ASC Centre beat Taltala Dipti Sangh of Kolkata 4-2 on penalties, after the game had ended 2-all.
Natarajan stuns Nani K.A. Natarajan upset second seed Nani Rao 7-5, 7-5 in the pre-quarterfinals of the 65 & over event of the T.S. Santhanam memorial National veterans’ tennis championship here.
The results (pre-quarterfinals):
65 & over: D. Balal bt A.V. Dayanandhan 6-2, 6-3; C. Natarajan bt Ramakrishna Rao 6-2, 6-0; T. Parthasarathy bt T.S. Balakrishnan 7-6(2), 6-3; Dr. Cherian bt C.H. Naidu 1-6, 6-2, 6-1; Philip Tharakan bt Somayajulu 6-2, 6-0; K.C. Sharma bt V. Mohd. Ali 6-0, 6-3; K.A. Natarajan bt Nani Rao 7-5, 7-5.
55 & over: C.R. Gangadharan bt Mohd. Oomer 6-0, 6-0; M.S Venkatachalam bt T.V. Subramaniam 6-0, 6-1; N.D. Deshpande bt T.N. Prasad 3-6, 6-2, 3-0, concd.; P. Patnayak bt Premkumar Karra 6-4, 4-5, concd.; Kamal Arvind bt K.R. Nirmal Kumar 6-4, 6-3; P.R. Raju bt M.D. Franklin 6-1, 6-4; A.G. Krishnan bt Rajendran 6-0, 6-2; A.S. Chatwal bt Deenadayalan 6-1, 6-1.
Inter-schools cricket The P.C. Sekhar memorial (under-14) inter-schools cricket tournament, organised by the P.S. Senior Secondary School and sponsored by the Chemplast-Sanmar Group, gets underway at the School premises on Wednesday.

Writing to save Cultures

India boasts of a huge variety of languages and dialects. Many of these languages do not have scripts of their own. In fact many of them are on the brink of fading away into oblivion owing to the trend of people migrating to modern cities and hence newer cultures. However, a small academy in Gujarat is standing tall to save these languages from dying.
Anand Giridharadas writes in this article at The Mint on how the Adivasi Academy, based in Tejgadh, Gujarat, is working towards chronicling elements of rural culture.

It is not only obscure languages that these students are trying to chronicle and preserve, but also cuisines, sartorial habits and other significant elements of rural culture. Like drivers heading downtown at rush hour, the students see everyone else going the other way. A swelling class of Indian aspirants from small towns and villages such as Tejgadh sees urban life and the English language as pathways to affluence, security and respect. 

The academy was founded by Ganesh Devy, who is a former professor of English literature.

He created the school, known as the Adivasi Academy, with a burning question on his mind: Why do we wait for cultures to die to memorialize them? 

The article further reports:

In recent years some people in Tejgadh have become professional artists, one example of a deeper transformation. Modernity has been creeping into the villages, and young people have been pouring out. But they are unprepared. They grew up speaking a language no one recognizes beyond their village, and they are inexpert in Gujarati, Hindi and English, the languages of urban employment. In the cities, they find it difficult to escape the most menial jobs.
Devy wanted to combat this gravitational force. Could Adivasis be persuaded to study their culture rather than shed it, and to stay in the villages rather than flee? 

To know more on how young people like Kantilal Mahala, 21, and Vikesh Rathwa, 27, are working hard to preserve their language and culture, read this wonderful article at The Mint.

Transforming lives in the Shimla Hills

The hills of Shimla are rich and fertile. All major agricultural products are grown here, including  wheat, rice, pulses, potatoes, ginger, turmeric and many other fruits and vegetables. However, in the early 1970s, the problem was that the menfolk of this area would squander away all their income on liquor. Women were deserted and led miserable lives. Enter Subhash Mendhapurkar who transformed the lives of the women in the Shimla Hills.
Kallol Bhattacherjee of The Week writes this extensive report on Subhash Mendhapurkar and how he brought about a revolution in the hills of Shimla:

Mendhapurkar knew it was not going to be easy in Shimla. He started off in a room in a youth hostel near Jagjit Nagar village. The chain-smoking young man punching the keys on a rickety Remington intrigued the local people. He started introducing the women to feminist thoughts. “Sometimes he would stay up for weeks as people came continuously to consult him,” said Vimla Devi. 

Under his guidance, the women learnt of a rule that every liquor vendor needs to seek permission from the Gram Panchayat to open a store.
This then led to more active involvement from the women:

The hills were changing. In 1983, Mendhapurkar ended his association with SWRC and started Sutra (Social Uplift Through Rural Action) with rural women as members.
“We told liquor vendors to seek permission of the panchayat members before vending liquor in the neighbourhood,” said Leela Devi, one of the pioneers of Sutra. The panchayat was still under the thumb of the menfolk, and female panchayat members’ role was limited to making tea and pakodas for the male members. Mendhapurkar asked the women to decide if they required a liquor vendor in their neighbourhood. “If not, you should form majority in the panchayat meetings and convey your opposition through mahila mandalis,” he told them. The women just did that and nixed every attempt to open new liquor shops. “We mobilised all the women suffering from alcoholic husbands and ensured that they formed majority in every panchayat meeting,” said Vimla Devi, who emerged as a prominent anti-liquor crusader. 

Subhash just didn’t stop there. He also looked actively in to the issues faced by the women who were deeply reliant on the mountain lands for their living:

The forest department had been planting thousands of pine trees on the hill slopes to prevent soil erosion. But it was of no help to small women entrepreneurs. “What is good for the forest department is often not useful for women. They want small fruit trees that hold soil, and grass which is good for their cows,” said Mendhapurkar. How to use mountains for social benefit without triggering landslides in the rains was a challenge that pushed him to understand them better. Now he visits the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, to deliver an annual lecture in December. According to Mendhapurkar, since women control the rural economy in the Shimla Hills, and since they benefit from forestry, the Shimla-Kassauli region of the Shivalik ranges should be utilised for female health and their economy. 

Subhash then went ahead and introduced the concept of water harvesting to help women manage water resources better. The association started by him, Sutra, became immensely popular. After focusing on these livelihood issues, Subhash then turned to healthcare and micro-credit to make them more independent:

“Denied care and affection, and always illiterate, these women did not know how to improve their condition,” he said, narrating a campaign he began in the mid-1980s for single women. It is known as Ekal Naari Shakti Sangathan or simply ‘ekal’ in the hills.
Hearing of the campaign in the hills, women from all over Himachal Pradesh sent requests for similar help. In Hamirpur and Una districts, a large number of single women were HIV+ thanks to their husbands who were migrant workers. In April this year, around 3,000 single women from rural Himachal marched to Shimla, and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal promised them that the rural single women would get free treatment for all ailments in government hospitals. “We want respect for single women of Himachal villages. We should not be treated differently,” said Nirmal Chandel, leader of Ekal. By 2009, Ekal will launch its pan-Indian avatar.

The impact of all that Subhash has done is there for everyone to see. The article says:

The impact of Mendhapurkar’s work is best felt in the way the sex ratio in Solan district has stabilised at 940 females to 1,000 males, which was much lower earlier. 

Truly, what Subhash has managed to achieve is a lot and beyond what can be put in words in a single article. And of course, the hills have changed. The Better India salutes the spirit of Subhash Mendhapurkar and all his associates who helped bring about this change.
Read the complete article which covers the initial days of Subhash and how he managed to bring about these transformations.
Image courtesy: Arvind Jain of The Week.

India to provide evidence of terror group to Bangladesh

Shillong: With Sheikh Hasina taking over as Bangladesh Prime Minister, Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will provide her documentary evidences of Indian based militant groups using Bangladesh soil to carry out anti Indian attacks. Mukherjee is slated for a two-day visit to Bangladesh from February 8.

BSF Inspector General P K Misra informed on Tuesday that the dossier of evidences given to the Assam's counter-insurgency unified command by various intelligence agencies of militants attacking Assam after infiltrating from Bangladesh is being collated by the union government.

Misra told reporters that New Delhi will demand action against the "outlawed outfits" using Bangladesh as their base to carry out terrorists attacks in India as India had demanded from Pakistan after the Mumbai Terror attacks. He said: "The Government of India would be submitting a report to the Bangladesh government soon."

Mishra said: "BSF and sister security agencies are meeting regularly and sharing intelligence inputs and passing the same to the field level each day."

He, however, admitted of possible "lapses" of security agencies in stopping terror attacks.

As the BSF guards 577 kilometres of international border with Bangladesh in Assam-Meghalaya sector Misra said: "The eastern sector is problem-oriented as it is more porous with difficult hilly terrain." He felt guarding the eastern sector was "most challenging."

Misra said that there are militant camps opposite the Garo Hills inside Bangladesh, so security has been tightened. But he felt that BSF requires an additional battalion in Tura sector to guard the Garo hills sector of the border with Bangladesh.

Pirates and politics

P.S. SURYANARAYANA
in Singapore

Maritime security: China’s main purpose of sending naval ships to the Gulf of Aden seems to be to protect its own vessels.

CHA CHUMMING/REUTERS

Soldiers of a special force of the Chinese navy taking part in an anti-piracy drill on the deck of a destroyer off Sanya, Hainan province, on December 25, 2008.
MARITIME security, defined as protection against piracy and terrorism, is not often seen as the gift of pristine military prowess. Yet, when China recently dispatched its naval ships to the relevant waters off Somalia in Africa and in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations, East Asia went agog with stories of a historic Chinese military outreach. And, an earnest political debate began in Japan, another major East Asian power, over the ways to revise its pacifist Constitution to facilitate the dispatch of naval ships to the same waters for collective defence.
Another geopolitical angle, too, came into focus in East Asia. China’s decisive move and Japan’s new thinking were seen as follow-up developments in the specific context of India’s earlier naval actions near the Gulf of Aden to tame the ubiquitous pirates there. Inevitable perceptions of a competitive military “showmanship” between these three Asian powers came into reckoning even as the imperative of anti-piracy operations on a global scale was not at all discounted.
For most among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the primary zone of trade-related maritime security is the Straits of Malacca in their subregion itself. In addition, mercantile safety along the high seas across the world is no less important to them in the present wave of globalisation. For North-East Asian powers such as China, Japan and South Korea though, the prime theatres of maritime security extend beyond the Malacca Straits. The waterway between China and the non-sovereign territory of Taiwan, often called the Taiwan Straits, and the Somalia-Aden Gulf theatre are equally important, besides the high seas anywhere across the world. For Australia and New Zealand, which along with India make up the remaining segment of the East Asia Summit (EAS) forum, the prime theatres of maritime security coincide with those of the North-East Asian powers. This is because of the trade links between these powers on the one side and India and Australia on the other.
Unsurprisingly, such a network of marine geography is seriously viewed as a geopolitical zone of competition among the three major EAS powers – India, China and Japan. After all, it is tempting to see the naval deployments, even for the limited and explicit purpose of maritime security, as competitive power projection because warships, different from the typical coast-guard vessels, are often deployed for maritime security operations in areas beyond the coastal stretches of the proactive country concerned.
On balance, Asia-Pacific diplomats and experts do not reckon that China has signalled, as this is written, any intent to challenge India’s blue-water naval capabilities, especially in the maritime security domain. In fact, by mid-January, the Chinese Foreign Office found itself being quizzed in an altogether different light in regard to the Somalia-Aden Gulf operations.
Far from any China-India angle, the question was about China’s view on the move by non-sovereign Taiwan to protect its merchant vessels on the high seas by dispatching its warships to the Somalia-Aden Gulf zone. Without referring to the likely or actual presence of Taiwanese warships in that theatre, China emphasised that it was already engaged in protecting all Chinese merchant vessels, including those of Taiwan compatriots. The question itself was by no means a matter of political innocence, given Taiwan’s real status as a non-state economic actor on the international stage. So, any purported “sovereign” role by Taiwan, as exemplified by its deployment of its own warships in a blue-water naval scenario, is simply unacceptable to China.
While the China-Taiwan issue had no fallout in the Somalia-Aden Gulf theatre by mid-January, different strands of opinion have been heard in East Asia over the strategic competition between Beijing and New Delhi. One view was that China’s initial naval deployment in that blue-water naval zone was not formidable enough to take the wind out of the false sails of all international pirates there. The counter-argument, as of early January, was that China’s original objectives appeared centred mainly on the steps needed to protect its own merchant vessels during their transit through that theatre. To this extent, it was not clear whether China would have wanted to project itself, in the first instance, as a full-fledged blue-water navy with capabilities for large-scale maritime security operations. The caveat, so ran the counter-argument, did not preclude the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy from seeking to protect the merchant vessels of other countries in those troubled waters.
In some contrast, before the Chinese deployment, Indian naval personnel had hit the international headlines through their high-profile anti-piracy actions in the Somalia-Aden Gulf zone. India’s blue-water naval capabilities are often talked about in East Asia, more so after India associated itself with the United States, Japan and Australia in forming a core group that helped Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. More importantly, however, India’s clear association with those countries with the Western or West-oriented tag has not gone unnoticed in East Asia. This aspect is of particular relevance, if not of serious concern always, to one or two littoral states along the Malacca Straits, notably Malaysia, in the overall context of China’s identity as the big “native” East Asian power.
New Delhi’s “Look East policy” was enunciated by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in the early 1990s, but the Indian Navy’s “prowess” was noticed in East Asia only in the wake of the 9/11 terror tragedy in the U.S. The relevant event was a one-off “escorting” of some “high-value” U.S. vessels by a few Indian warships along the Malacca Straits. The U.S. move in choosing the Indian Navy for this purpose and India’s positive response on that occasion, as also the acquiescence of the littoral states along the Malacca Straits, acquired the overtones of a naval tale.
The tale, the core group and a series of Indian naval exercises, in various combinations including bilateral ones, with East Asian powers, such as Japan and China, have led to a lot of strategic analysis.
Add to this the other “strategic story” of how the U.S., under an outgoing President, walked the extra mile to help India gain concessions from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
In this overall ambience, Zhang Yunling, a Beijing-based Chinese expert on international affairs, told this correspondent in Singapore that there existed a certain degree of “strategic distrust” between India and China. This, in his view, can be addressed through regular dialogue between India, China and the U.S., at the non-official Track-II level for a start. And, Zhang himself has taken the initiative for such confidence-building talks at the non-official level.
On the maritime security front itself in this big picture, two other issues are relevant to the independent anti-piracy efforts of India and China in the Somalia-Aden Gulf theatre. First, China will be keen to avoid the kind of collateral damage that an action by the Indian Navy caused last December. Some 15 Thai nationals lost their lives in the retaliatory action by an Indian naval vessel as it sought to subdue a “pirate ship”. This led to some dismay, especially in Thailand, whose nationals concerned had apparently nothing to do with the pirates themselves.
AFP

Indian marine commandos boarding a suspected pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden on December 13, 2008. India’s blue-water naval capabilities are often talked about in East Asia, more so after India associated itself with the U.S., Japan and Australia in forming a core group that helped Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami.
However, as a South-East Asian diplomat emphasised, the Indian action should be viewed in the context of the reality that the sunken vessel was indeed in the hands of the pirates who had hijacked it. The Indian action, meant to subdue those pirates, was therefore understandable, it was further pointed out.
The second relevant issue has to do with the concerns of some Indians that China has already embarked on a strategy of seeking to encircle India through naval arrangements with its neighbours. China’s latest deployment in the Somalia-Aden Gulf theatre is seen by these Indians as another proof of this strategy. A Singapore-based Western specialist in matters relating to the Indian Navy does not, however, see definitive signs of such an encirclement strategy by China, known in strategic slang as a garland of pearls. Moreover, according to this expert, India has already acquired considerable blue-water naval capabilities.
Many other experts on East Asian affairs, especially from the West, tend to view the Japan-China equation as an issue of greater primacy to the Asia-Pacific region than the ties between Beijing and New Delhi. Particularly relevant to this scenario is the view of Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso that his country’s anti-war statute, fashioned by the U.S. after the Second World War, might need to be revised even for limited purposes.
In his reckoning, these include the possible deployment of Japanese naval vessels on an anti-piracy mission of global relevance in the Somalia-Aden Gulf region. The pacifist document, seen by many Japanese as a treatise on military taboos, forbids participation by Japan’s self-defence forces in any “collective defence” operations in association with other countries. And, the relevant concern is that the operations against international pirates might necessitate such military collaboration with other countries.
In a larger regional perspective, Richard J. Samuels, an international affairs expert with a Japan focus, makes a telling comment in an elaborate security study: “Tokyo’s defence specialists are convinced that China intends to establish itself as the world’s second superpower and are concerned that domination of Japan will be part of the process.”
With China, unlike the old Soviet Union, being seen “determined to be rich as well as strong”, Samuels points out that Japanese leaders tend to view the Japan-China “economic complementarities” as a “temporary” phenomenon. These complementarities currently constitute a key foundational element of the Japan-China relationship. These perceptions, regardless of the extent of their hold on the Japanese political psyche at any given time, are as much a pointer to Tokyo’s anti-piracy aspirations as maritime security is to Japan’s well-being.

Mizoram and India Weather Report

Jan 27 - Following is the weather report detailed
by India

CHIEF FEATURES (Based on 0830 hours IST observations)

With the moving away of the western disturbance, snowfall
activity over Western Himalayan region is likely to decrease
considerably from today onwards.

Fog conditions prevailed over parts of east Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and west Bengal. With the likely stronger surface winds
and decrease in moisture, the intensity and duration of fog is
likely to decrease over the above regions.

The Current Meteorological conditions suggest a fall of
about 2° C in the minimum temperature over indo-Gengetic
Plains, adjoining central India and northeastern States during
next 2-3 days.

Forecast valid upto 0830 hours IST of 30th January, 2009

LOCAL WEATHER REPORT:

---------------------

Departure              
Departure

Max Temp   from Normal   Min Temp   from
Normal    24 Hour

--------------Deg Celcius--------------

Rainfall

(MM)

------    -----------   -------- 
-----------    -------- New Delhi            25.4        3.0   

9.9        2.0

0.0 Mumbai               31.8        4.0         
18.2        3.0

0.0 Chennai              31.3        2.0         
21.0        0.0

0.0 Kolkata              31.3        3.0         
21.6        8.0

0.0 Ahmedabad            28.4       -1.0         
12.2        0.0

0.0 Bangalore            31.0        2.0         
17.9        5.0

0.0 Bhopal               30.3        4.0         
12.6        2.0

0.0 Bhubaneshwar         34.0        4.0         
17.6        2.0

0.0 Chandigarh           23.0        2.0         
10.6        4.0

0.0 Dehradun             23.4        3.0         
10.4        4.0

0.0 Goa                  34.2        2.0         
19.8        1.0

0.0 Guwahati             21.4       -3.0         
15.4        5.0

0.0 Hyderabad            33.4        4.0         
14.8        0.0

0.0 Jaipur               26.8        4.0         
10.8        3.0

0.0 Lucknow              27.8        5.0         
11.7        5.0

0.0 Nagpur               35.7        7.0         
16.1        3.0

0.0 Patna                22.9       -1.0         
14.4        4.0

0.0 Pune                 35.3        5.0         
13.1        2.0

0.0 Srinagar              9.0        4.0          
2.8        5.0

8.3 Thiruvananthapurm    30.6       -1.0         
23.2        1.0

1.8 Raipur               35.5        7.0         
18.7        5.0

0.0 Shimla               17.4        8.0          
4.8        3.0

0.0 Ranchi               31.0        7.0         
16.3        5.0

0.0

NORTHWEST INDIA

[J & K, H. P., UTTARAKHAND, PUNJAB, HARYANA , DELHI, WEST
UP]

Rain/snow is likely at few places over Jammu & Kashmir
during next 24 hours and at isolated places thereafter.

Rain/snow is likely at isolated places over Himachal
Pradesh during next 24 hours and mainly dry weather thereafter.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

EAST INDIA

[EAST UP, JHARKHAND, BIHAR, ORISSA,, WEST BENGAL & SIKKIM ]

Rain/thundershowers are likely at isolated places over
Sub-Himalayan west Bengal & Sikkim.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

NORTHEAST INDIA

[Arunachal Pradesh, NMM& T,  Assam, Meghalaya,]

Rain/thundershowers are likely at a few places over
Arunachal Pradesh.

Rain/thundershowers are likely at isolated places over
Assam and Meghalaya.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

SOUTH INDIA

[TN, AP, KERALA,, KARNATAKA, LAKSHADWEEP, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR
ISLANDS]

Rain/thundershowers are likely at isolated places over
Tamilnadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Nicobar Islands.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

WEST INDIA

[GOA, MAHARASHTRA (OTHER THAN VIDARBHA), GUJARAT,
RAJASTHAN]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

CENTRAL INDIA

[M.P, CHHATTISGARH, VIDARBHA]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

Weather Outlook from 0830 hrs IST of 30th January, 2009 to
0830 hrs IST of 01 st February, 2009.  (Based on numerical
weather products):

Fall in minimum temperature is likely over northeastern
States and south Peninsula. No significant change elsewhere.

Mainly dry weather is likely over many parts of the
country. Note: 'TRACE' means that rain fell but there was not
enough rainfall to measure.

“Naga Army officers” conference concludes

Dimapur, Jan 27 : A three-day officers’ conference of “Naga Army” concluded today, stated “Col.” Levi Zimik, PRO “Information and public relation, dept. of R & D”, GHQ Naga Army in a press release.

Zimik stated that the conference concluded with “resolute decision to tie up loose ends within the set-up”.

The Naga Army at the conference “taking due consideration of the prevailing deteriorating situation and in contemplation of the impending danger ahead, vowed to resist all forms of antagonism with renewed enthusiasm to safeguard the sacred cause of the Nation,” stated the release.

“During the conference, resource persons deliberated on the topics: Army Re-organization, Revolution in Transition, Transforming Naga Army as Christ’s Soldiers.”

“The participants also recommitted to work sincerely for Naga Nation, under the aegis of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, spearheaded by the Collective Leadership and reaffirmed allegiance to their wise leadership,” stated Zimik. The conference was presided over by Longvibu, “Maj. General” Ng. Markson and was attended by “general staff officers, brigade commanders, commanding officers and head of departments” of Naga Army, the note stated.

'Piracy fallout of illegal fishing'

NEW DELHI: The warships and the helicopters are all over the Gulf of Aden. But Somalia’s pirates are still at it: attacking oil tankers, taking
hostages and raking in ransom money. Earlier this month the Turkish vessel MV Yasa Neslihan and the Saudi Sirius Star, hijacked in October and November 2008 respectively, were released after hefty ransoms were paid. Again, last week the pirates released 25 Indian sailors of the Liberian flag vessel, MT Biscaglia.

But many familiar with the situation in Somalia feel the pirates are more sinned against than sinning. A sizeable section of the Somali diaspora insists that piracy has emerged in reaction to illegal fishing and unlawful dumping of toxic wastes. A pirate group currently holding a Ukrainian vessel calls itself the “Somali Youth Coastguard.” They insist they are discharging the duties of the coastguard Somalia does not have.

Their accusations are not entirely unfounded. The tsunami of 2004 had washed some of the evidence ashore. In January 2005 the ministry of fisheries, ports and marine transport of Puntland in north-east Somalia, had asked the UN Environment Programme to assess the environmental damage caused by the tsunami. The report prepared by the UNEP said the tsunami’s impact “stirred up hazardous waste deposits on the beaches.”

Somalia can barely deal with its own waste but it “reportedly received countless shipments of illegal nuclear and toxic waste dumped along the coastline. From the early 1980s, the hazardous waste comprised uranium radioactive waste, lead, cadmium, mercury, industrial, hospital, chemical, leather treatment and other toxic waste.” They poisoned the soil, the water, even the air.

Farah Aw-Osman, president, Canadian Friends of Somalia, thinks that in the final analysis, it is illegal fishing that is to blame. “The problem started when illegal fishing trawlers destroyed the nets of local fishermen and depleted fish stock,” she says. Somalia-based journalist Mohamed Abshir Waldo, agrees. He says that while the anarchy and the relative ease in gathering ransom are partly responsible for the growth of piracy, “it started with fishermen fighting to protect their fishing grounds from armed illegal vessels.” This conflict got out of hand and led to the current situation, they say.

On India’s involvement, Waldo says, “We wished India would not join the western wolves. We expected India to help us with practical short and long-term solutions that are both enforceable and sustainable.”

Heritage walks by INTACH

Would you like to join some heritage walks on weekend mornings in Delhi organized by INTACH? They are really well organized, and led by highly informed people who really know their subject. INTACH is a non-profit, set up in 1984 to protect and conserve India’s natural and cultural heritage. I have appended below their note on the walks that I had received. (This is not an advertisement for INTACH, but I am sharing this with you as I felt you could be interested.)

NOTE FROM INTACH

In the month of February we bring you three special walks in addition to the five that we have been doing regularly.  The first is in Daryganj, a part of the seventeenth-century city of Shahjahanabad, which also has some interesting late colonial architecture.  The second is within the complex of the Qutub Minar, one of the three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Delhi.  The third is through the historic village of Mehrauli – which incorporates structures ranging across a long span of time, from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries. 

As before, you need to register separately for each walk.  Email us at intachdelhi@rediffmail.com If that is inconvenient then you may ring on the following numbers between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on working days:

24632267; 24632269; 24631818; extension- 105

Nizamuddin:
Day/ Date: Sunday, 1st Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 2 hrs. Approx
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
The focus of this area is the living shrine of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Aulia.  Apart from the tomb of the saint, there is a thirteenth century mosque, several beautiful Mughal tombs and the tomb of Ghalib the great Urdu poet of the nineteenth century.

Chandni Chowk:
Day/Date: Saturday, 7th Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration:  2 hrs. Approx
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
The walk covers the Shri Digambara Jain Lal Mandir, Gauri Shankar temple, State Bank of India, Central Baptist Church, Sisganj Gurudwara, Sunheri Masjid, Paranthewali gali, Naughara, Dharampura, and Gali Guliyan. The walk ends at the gate of the Jama Masjid.

Daryaganj
Day/ Date: Sunday, 8th Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 2 hrs. Approx
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
The walk goes through the publishing hub of Delhi which is also a significant historic area.  The highlights include the elaborate fortifications of the walled city, two royal Mughal mosques, and streets lines with many structures with late colonial architectural features –including houses, commercial and institutional buildings.
 

Qutub Minar
Day/ Date: Saturday, 14th Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 2 hrs. Approx
Charges: Rs. 100/- per person PLUS TICKET CHARGES.  Please note that each person will have to buy their own ticket to enter the complex.   
The Qutub Minar complex is a premier visitor attraction of the city.  The walk will explore structures such as the Qutub Mosque, the Tomb of Iltutmish, the Madarsa, gateway and incomplete Minar of Allauddin.  Also of course we will look at and discuss the Qutub Minar and the repairs and modifications in it down the centuries, including the additions during British rule. 


Mehrauli Archaeological Park:
Day/ Date: Sunday, 15th Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 2 hrs approx.                       
Charges: Rs.50/- per person
The walk covers Balban's tomb, Jamali Kamali's mosque and tomb, Metcalfe's bridge, Boathouse, Quli Khan's tomb, Metcalfe's Guest house, Rajon ki Baoli, Mosque and tomb, Serai , Maulana Majduddin's tomb and Khan Shahid's tomb.

Mehrauli Village
Day/Date: Saturday, 21st Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration:  2 hrs. Approx
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
This walk traverses the length of the village of Mehrauli, taking is sights such as the tomb of Adham Khan, palace of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah, a large thirteenth century reservoir and the palace beside it, and finally the Jharna – pleasure pavilions beside a now dry waterfall.

Lodi Garden:
Day/Date: Sunday, 22nd Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 1 and half hour approx.
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
A beautiful landscaped garden set in the midst of New Delhi, this park contains some exquisite examples of medieval architecture.  There are Syed and Lodi tombs and mosques, a Mughal garden and mosque, and other scattered structures.

Hauz Khas:
Day/ Date: Saturday, 28th Feb’09
Time: 8.15 am
Duration: 2 hrs approx.
Charges: Rs. 50/- per person
The highlights of this area are the thirteenth century reservoir which has now been revived and teems with bird life; and the buildings of a renowned Madarsa beside which is also the tomb of its royal founder, Firoz Shah Tughlaq.  Several other pavilions, tombs and mosques are to be found in the surrounding park.

Rafa favourite as Murray flops in Melbourne

Spain's Rafael Nadal firmed as Australian Open favourite on Monday with another impeccable display as Andy Murray's Grand Slam bid folded before the quarter-finals.

As Nadal whipped Fernando Gonzalez to reach the last eight, 2008 finalist Jo Wilfried Tsonga was also in fine touch as he dismissed US star James Blake in straight sets.

Nadal, who is yet to drop a set, said he was playing the best Australian Open of his life.

"Probably I am playing a little bit better than last year," he said.

"I'm not saying I'm going to be in the final or semi-finals. I think the feeling is a little bit better. But in the end the important thing is the result."

Nadal's best performance here was 2008, when he reached the semi-finals before being beaten by Tsonga, but his claims on a first hard-court Grand Slam are growing.

He has been the form player of the top seeds with triple champion Roger Federer taken to five sets on Sunday and Novak Djokovic

twice pushed by Amer Delic and Marcos Baghdatis.

"I am playing well, but you never know if it's going to be enough. So I hope to continue to play like this, and later we will see, because all the matches are very, very difficult," Nadal said.

Meanwhile, Murray's campaign ended in tears as he was bullied off court 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Fernando Verdasco, the stocky Spaniard with the laser serve.

Murray, who clashed with Federer and Djokovic over his status as pre-tournament favourite, refused to make excuses despite falling ill with a cold.

"If I say that I'm sick and it affected me, I know it's going to be like, 'Well, he's making excuses for losing,'" he said.

"I don't feel that was the reason why I lost. I definitely did have my chances, and he played too well."

The defeat puts on hold Murray's attempt to win Britain's first Grand Slam since 1936, and also ruins his chances of becoming world number one in the next six months.

Verdasco, who compiled the best record of any player of the early rounds, nailed 74 percent of first serves to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final in 23 attempts.

"It was one of my biggest goals to be in a Grand Slam quarter-finals for the first time. Right now I'm so happy to make this goal possible," said the Spaniard.

In the late match, Blake didn't get a look at Tsonga's serve in the first two sets and was furious after being broken back when serving for the third.

Tsonga then dominated the tie-break, pummelling some big forehands before sealing it with an ace 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

"I think I'm playing better than last year," he said. "I'm stronger maybe in my head, and it helps a lot."

Earlier Nadal, capitalising on Gonzalez's four-hour marathon with Richard Gasquet on Saturday, raced through the first two sets in less than 40 minutes each.

The Chilean 13th seed mounted a brief revival in the third but Nadal hit back from 3-0 down and got the decisive break 4-3 to end it 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Gonzalez ousted Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in a five-set first-round match before Saturday's thrilling duel with Gasquet, when he took the 88-minute fifth set 12-10.

"Of course, I was tired. But I don't think it's the reason. I was able to run. I was able to compete today. Maybe I didn't play my best tennis, but I can run," Gonzalez said.

World's cleverest child

Ainan Cawley, an eight-year-old British prodigy, is thought to be world's cleverest child.

Ainan Cawley, who lives in Singapore with his expatriate family, is studying chemistry at college. He passed a GCSE at the age of seven.

Ainan was crawling when he was four months old, walking two months later and started to read at eight months.

He can recite Pi - the number starting 3.14 that gives the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter - to 518 decimal places. He also knows the periodic table by heart.

"He has loads of friends his own age and plays games .. But he relates to adults as easily. He is a child very driven to explore and understand things, especially science," a news daily quoted Ainan’s dad Valentine Cawley, as saying.

Ainan will be featured in a documentary, The World's Cleverest Child and Me, on Channel 4 on Wednesday.

Four arrested with 150 rare tortoises

Lucknow, Jan 26 Four men have been arrested in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh for possessing 150 tortoises of a rare species, police said Monday.“Acting on a tip-off, we intercepted the four men in the Daree locality and seized the Indian tent tortoises from the sacks they were carrying,” police inspector Mahipal Singh told IANS on telephone. Mainpuri is some 200 km from here.


He said the men were arrested Sunday and have been jointly interrogated by the police and forest department officials. He claimed they belong to a tortoise smuggling racket operating from Kolkata.

All the tortoises recovered are listed under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Posterior on top

Cosmopolitan go down 1-2 in final

OUR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Manipur Hockey

A moment from the match in Imphal on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections Imphal, Jan 26 : Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur emerged the new champions of the 2nd Manipur Hockey League 2008 defeating Cosmopolitan Youth Club by 2-1 goals in the last league match played at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium today. Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur, with an undefeated run in the league, completed their outing with 21 points from seven matches while Cosmopolitan Youth Club fetched 18 points to finish second. Manipur Police Sports Club took the third place with 13 points. In the last league match between Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur and Cosmopolitan Youth Club, the latter lost three crucial chances to score and handed the game to their opponents on a platter. Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur started off well, but their good run on the field was well countered by the Cosmopolitan men. Cosmopolitan Youth Club got a chance to score, but the shot was mistimed and the first half ended goalless. Resuming in the second half, Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur had a tough time in the middle and it seemed that they have met their match in Cosmopolitan. However, Posterior broke the deadlock with K. Devkishore Singh netting home a field goal to take the lead in the 43rd minute of play. Not to be outdone, Cosmopolitan Youth Club struck back in the 45th minute as Th. Manjit Singh netted the equaliser from a field goal. As the game progressed, both the teams put in their best for the winning goal and a fierce midfield tussle ensued. Cosmopolitan were awarded two penalty corners but both of them were wasted. Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur kept on the pressure which finally paid off in the 58th minute as O. Boniyam Singh scored from a penalty corner conversion. They maintained the lead till the final whistle to emerge as the winners of the league.

‘Do not politicise the student body’

MLA Azheto Zhimomi

How’s my aim? MLA Azheto Zhimomi (in front, centre), taking part in a traditional game, attempts to hit a target with a spear during the 34th WSSU general conference at Toluvi village, on January 22.

Dimapur : The 34th general conference of Western Sumi Students’ Union (WSSU) got underway this morning at Toluvi village, with Azheto Zhimomi, MLA, 3 Dimapur-III A/C, as chief guest at the inaugural session.

Addressing the students, representing 10 constituent units of the WSSU, Zhimomi pointed out the need for society to press forward to prosper in all aspects of life through retrospection as to where the people are lagging behind.

The chief guest also cautioned the students not become victims of greed but to know and understand the hardships faced by their parents.

He called on them to make good of the things that God has bestowed upon the people and to make the society a better place to live in.

The MLA also urged the students not to politicise the student body and urged that proper speaking and usage of one’s own dialect be encouraged among the young members of the community.

He donated Rs.50,000 each to the WSSU and local students’ union of the host village, Rs.25,000 to the hosts, the Highway Area Sumi Students’ Union (HASSU), and Rs.5,000 each to all participating units.

MLA Azheto was accompanied by his wife, DMC members Tovihito Ayemi and Vikheho Zhimo, and a host of Congress party workers of Dimapur-III A/C, at the session chaired by Hukugha Tuccu, HASSU president.

The evening session, chaired by Mughato Chophy, former president of WSSU, had G Aketo Sema, IPS, as the speaker. Sema spoke about “enduring with our roots”. Students of Toluvi, the host village, presented folk dance during the inaugural session, while various cultural and games competitions were conducted during the day.

Phawngpui, Mizoram

Phawngpui
Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park
Elevation	2,165 metres (7,103 ft)
Location	Phawngpui (Blue Mountain) is situated near the Myanmar border in Chhimtuipui District in the northeastern state of Mizoram in India. Sangau, the nearest village from the peak is about 229 km from Aizawl.

Phawngpui, the Blue Mountain of Mizoram is a highly revered peak, considered to be the abode of the Gods. Phawngpui Peak is the highest mountain peak in Mizoram, rising about 2165 metres high near the Myanmar border in Chhimtuipui District. Phawngpui Peak is famous for orchids and rhododendrons. With spectacular trees and flowers of all colours, Phawngpui presents a fairytale view of the blue hazed hills, and vales unfolding below.

Phawngpui Peak in Mizoram exhibits the most enchanting view of Mizoram. There is a semi-circular beautiful cliff in the western side called Thlazuang Khamm, which has a sharp and deep fall. This cliff is believed to be haunted by spirits. On the peak, there is a level ground of about 2 square kilometres in area. The area is encircled by matted bamboo groves and other alluring vegetations. You will come across varieties of butterflies, including some rare species found in this region.

Journey to the Phawngpui

Airport : Nearest airport is Aizawl. Aizawl is connected to Kolkata and Imphal by air. Indian Airlines connects Aizawl to rest of India via Guwahati, Imphal, Kolkata. Can reach the sight by road from Aizawl. Sangau, the nearest village from the peak is about 229 km from Aizawl.
Railhead : Nearest railhead is Silchar which is in Assam ( 184 km away). From Guwahati, travel to Silchar by Barak Valley Express, Cachar Express or the Tripura Passenger. Can reach the sight by road from Aizawl. Sangau, the nearest village from the peak is about 229 km from Aizawl.
Road Transport : NH - 54 connects Aizawl with the rest of the country through Silchar. Buses and taxis are available from Silchar to Aizawl. Night services are also available. Aizawl can also be approached by road from Shillong and Guwahati. Sangau, the nearest village from the peak is about 229 km from Aizawl. Can reach the sight by road from Aizawl.
Staying near the Phawngpui : Since Aizawl is not to far from the sight, you can have a night stay at Aizawl, from where you can go for a day trip to the Phawngpui sight. You can find all categories of accommodation at Aizawl. Though, the accommodation are not to luxurious, they are good enough to provide you proper comfort and satisfaction.

Paratrooper kills fellow soldiers in India

ndian paramilitary troops

An Indian paramilitary soldier has killed six of his colleagues in a shooting incident in the north-eastern state of Manipur, officials say.

The incident took place Wednesday night in restive Manipur state's Ukhrul district, about 90 km (55 miles) east of the capital Imphal, where the country's oldest paramilitary force, the Assam Rifles, is deployed for anti-insurgency operations.

The soldier shot a comrade dead after an argument. The killer then shot dead five other soldiers who tried to disarm him, before fleeing the scene.

"The trooper first trained his assault rifle on a senior officer following an argument, killing him. When five fellow troopers rushed in after hearing gunshots, the berserk soldier sprayed bullets on them," said army spokesman Major Shamsher Jung.

Officials are investigating the Wednesday night shooting and have launched a manhunt for the soldier, whose name was not immediately released

It was not clear what prompted the killings in Ukhrul district, 90 kilometers northeast of the state capital of Imphal.

Violence between fellow soldiers is not unusual in India and is often attributed to exhaustion after long postings.

It was the sixth time in three years that a soldier posted to the insurgency-wracked state of Manipur has fired on other Indian forces.

Soldiers face danger not only from the state militants and rebellions but also tough terrain and extreme weather conditions.

Ringed by Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India's northeast is home to more than 200 tribes and has been racked by separatist revolts since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Militant groups accuse New Delhi of exploiting the region's mineral and forest resources, but investing little in return.

Australian Open results

Melbourne, Jan 23 The following are the results of matches played Thursday at the Australian Open.

Women’s singles, second round:

Serena Williams, 2, US, def. Gisela Dulko, Argentina, 6-3, 7-5;
Elena Dementieva, 4, Russia, def. Iveta Benesova, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-1l;
Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain, def. Venus Williams, 6, US, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5;
Svetlana Kuznetsova, 8, Russia, def. Tatjana Malek, Germany, 6-2, 6-2;
Flavia Pennetta, 12, Italy, def. Jessica Moore, Australia, 6-4, 6-1;
Victoria Azarenka, 13, Belarus, def. Tathiana Garbin, Italy, 4-1 retired, abdominal injury;
Virginie Razzano, France, def. Patty Schnyder, 14, Switzerland, 6-3, 6-1;
Kateryna Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Lourdes Dominguez Lino, Spain, 7-5, 7-5;
Amelie Mauresmo, France, def. Elena Baltacha, Britain, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2;
Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spain, def. Julie Coin, France, 6-1, 6-4;
Zheng Jie, China, def. Melinda Czink, Hungary, 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3;
Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia, def. Chan Yung-Jan, Taiwan, 6-0, 6-2;
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Spain, def. Akgul Amanmuradova, Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-4;
Samantha Stosur, Australia, def. Sabine Lisicki, Germany, 6-3, 6-4;
Peng Shuai, China, def. Sesil Karatantcheva, Bulgaria, 6-4, 6-0;
Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Severine Bremond, France, 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 6-2;
Men’s singles, second round:
Rafael Nadal, 1, Spain, def. Roko Karanusic, Croatia, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2;
Andy Murray, 4, Britain, def. Marcel Granollers, Spain, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2;
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 5, France, def. Ivan Ljubicic, Croatia, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2;
Gilles Simon, 6, France, def. Chris Guccione, Australia, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2;
James Blake, 9, US, def. Sebastien De Chaunac, France, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3;
Gael Monfils, 12, France, def. Stefan Koubek, Austria, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2;
Fernando Gonzalez, 13, Chile, def. Guillermo Canas, Argentina, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4;
Fernando Verdasco, 14, Spain, def. Arnaud Clement, France, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2;
Richard Gasquet, France, def. Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4;
Dudi Sela, Israel, def. Victor Hanescu, Romania, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2;
Jurgen Melzer, Austria, def. Andreas Beck, Germany, 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-3;
Tommy Haas, Germany, def. Flavio Cipolla, Italy, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1;
Nicolas Almagro, Spain, def. Fabio Fognini, Italy, 6-2, 7-5, 6-0;
Mario Ancic, Croatia, def. Ivo Karlovic, Croatia, 5-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3;
Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic, def. Michael Berrer, Germany, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5;
Igor Andreev, Russia, def. Ernests Gulbis, Latvia, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4.

Gujarat firm to set up plasma isolation facility

Ahmedabad, Jan 22 (IANS) Celestial Biologicals Ltd (CBL), an associated company of Intas Biopharmaceuticals, and GE Healthcare, the $17-billion healthcare business of General Electric Co, will set up India’s first plasma fractionation facility here, Intas said Thursday.

The two companies signed the agreement at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2009, and the facility will be fully functional by early 2010, said Intas managing director Urmish Chudgar.

Human plasma, a liquid component of blood, has many life-saving proteins that can be isolated and used to make medicines. The process of extracting and purifying these proteins is known as plasma fractionation.
India collects over 7 million units of blood every year, but 60 percent of the blood plasma collected goes waste because there is no facility available in India for fractionation, Chudgar said.

Fractionated proteins are used to treat life-threatening conditions caused by trauma, congenital deficiencies, immunologic disorders, and infections, he added.

CBL and GE Healthcare will jointly set up a pilot plasma fractionation facility of 40,000 litres capacity for at least four products at CBL’s existing facility. The companies would later scale up the production facility to 300,000 litres.

Indian disaster management infrastructure will be ready by 2010

New Delhi, Jan 23 Nearly 80 percent of infrastructure for disaster management will be in place by 2010, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman N.C. Vij said here Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Skoch summit 2009 here, Vij said the government had identified 242 disaster-prone districts and come out with guidelines for preparing disaster management plans.

Vij added that the NDMA was currently working on five major projects, including cyclone and earthquake risk mitigation, improving the communication network, creation of a National Disaster Response Force and a school safety programme.

Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran said increasing urbanisation was creating new perspective to disaster management.

“It’s important that new buildings are earthquake-resistant, the security establishment has the necessary skills to tackle urban disasters and the health system is geared up to meet any emergencies,’ he said.

Sarah Palin Deserves Praise For Alaska Energy Guide

By Robert Paul Reyes

During the 2008 presidential campaign Sarah Palin chanted "drill baby drill" almost as often as she invoked "Joe the Plumber." But Palin is smart enough to know that her campaign slogan represents a myopic approach to solving our energy problems.

I don't often applaud Palin, but I give her kudos for announcing a bold and comprehensive energy guide for the state of Alaska.

"Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin released 'Alaska Energy - A First Step Towards Energy Independence'. The guide sets goals of 50 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2025. The guide, put together by the Alaska Energy Authority and Energy Coordinator Steve Haagenson, identifies and prioritizes energy project, puts into place legal and government structures to allow projects to go forward, and identifies potential funding sources. The guide does not present a plan for action, but presents options for communities to develop their own renewable resources." http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=15386

I urge the press to lay off Palin's interesting persona and complicated family life and give her visionary energy plan some attention. The price of gas is slowly creeping up again, let's not wait until it hits 5+ per gallon before we get serious about energy conservation.

The Democratic governors need to get with the damn program, it's a shame that Republican Gov's Palin and Schwarzenegger are the ones taking energy conservation the most seriously.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.

Robert Reyes

Tips for Safe Overtaking

When you make the decision to overtake, it is worth bearing in mind, this may be the last decision you will ever make. For this reason it is essential that you get it right first time, every time.

• 1.  Overtaking should always be done from the right side for right hand wheel drive. If the vehicle in front flashes the signal for right turn, you can overtake from the  left.

• 2. Before embarking on the manoeuvre, evaluate the distance and speed of the car in front.

• 3. Also evaluate the hazards that could exist and prove to be threatening.

• 4. Never overtake in blind areas such as bends in roads, corners, near junctions,  crossroads, and intersections. In such areas, the driver of the vehicle ahead is not   able to have a clear vision of what is behind and passing which may eventually result  in an accident.

• 5. Place the car on the lowest possible gear depending on the speed of your car. This  does not mean that if you are already driving at a speed of 80 km/h, you will have to lower down to the 1st gear. Reduce gears to slow down your car for safe overtaking.

• 6. While overtaking, make sure that you maintain a safe distance with the vehicle ahead.  This will help you drive your car in flow with the moving traffic.

• 7. Fast acceleration and unnecessary speeding is dangerous just before overtaking. If in  case you do accelerate, the distance required for safe overtaking reduces rapidly and could result in an accident.

• 8. You can either flash your car’s headlight or blow the horn to draw attention to your intention to overtake. This will help the drivers ahead and behind you know that you are attempting to overtake.

• 9. Try and make eye contact with the driver of the car you are passing. This ensures that  the driver of the vehicle ahead has seen you and is sure that you are going past.

• 10. The vehicle behind you may also overtake at the same time that you are. Stay alert to this and be cautious. Give clear indications of your plan to driver of the vehicle  behind you.

• 11. After overtaking, move to the centre of the road and then accelerate as fast as you can to maintain the speed and distance differential.

• 12. Constantly keep an eye on passing vehicles and try to merge with the flowing traffic rather than spacing yourself away from it.

• 13. Overtaking on crowded and busy city roads is dangerous due to numerous signals that  are exchanged by drivers. Traffic congestion and different sized vehicles add to the  problem. In such cases, avoid overtaking as far as possible and enjoy a slow and safe   drive.

• 14. When being overtaken yourself and in case there are approaching vehicles, be sure to   slow down a little to let the other driver pass by safely.

• 15. Safe overtaking methods will prevent a number of road accidents which are not uncommon on Indian roads.

Impact of Contraceptives on women

A new study has shown that contraceptive methods can have a significant impact on women’s sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University have found that many women think condoms decrease sexual pleasure.
On the other hand, those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms report higher overall sexual satisfaction.
“The public health community has paid little attention to women’s sexual experiences with contraceptive methods, especially condoms,” said Stephaine Sanders, associate director of The Kinsey Institute and a co-author of the study.
“If women think condoms detract from sexual pleasure, they may be less inclined to use them consistently,” she added.
During the study, women admitted condoms make sex less pleasurable, while those who used only hormonal methods-such as the birth control pill-were unlikely to associate their method with decreased sexual pleasure.
When asked about the effect of contraceptives on sexual enjoyment, women who used condoms either alone or with hormonal methods reported decreased sexual pleasure.
However, while considering overall sexual satisfaction, which goes beyond the immediate sexual moment and includes factors such as sexual self-esteem and relationship satisfaction,
women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported the highest levels of sexual satisfaction.
The findings revealed that only 4 percent of women who relied on hormonal methods of contraception reported decreased pleasure, but hormonal users reported the lowest overall sexual satisfaction scores.
While 23 percent of women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported decreased pleasure, they had the highest sexual satisfaction scores.
Women who used condoms alone or along with a hormonal method were six to seven times more likely to report decreased sexual enjoyment compared to those who used hormonal methods only.

Two get death sentence in China milk scandal

Shijiazhuang (China), Jan 22 (Xinhua) Two men were sentenced to death Thursday by a local court in connection with the China tainted milk scandal in which about 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other urinary problems.Zhang Yujun, who produced and sold melamine-laced “protein powder”, was convicted of endangering public security and given capital punishment by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People’s Court, while the other man Geng Jinping was convicted of producing and selling toxic food.
The court had announced it would sentence 21 defendants implicated in the scandal Thursday afternoon. However, it said that nine of them would be sentenced at other courts.
The nine people were tried at the courts in Zhaoxian, Xingtang, Luquan and Wuji Counties, all under the jurisdiction of Shijiazhuang.
Among the 12 people who were convicted Thursday afternoon, two were given death penalty, one with suspended death, three jailed for life and the other six jailed between five years and 15 years.
Tian Wenhua, former board chairwoman of the Sanlu Group that is at the heart of the scandal, was convicted of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products and sentenced to life in prison. Three other former executives of Sanlu were jailed for 5-15 years.
The Ministry of Health said it was likely the tainted milk scandal killed at least six babies. Another 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other urinary problems.
Apart from the 21 defendants who have been sentenced or tried, Chinese police have so far arrested 39 suspects over the tainted milk powder scandal, said Zhang Deli, chief procurator of the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate. But it is unclear when they would go on trial.

India Weather Report

Jan 22(Reuters) - Following is the weather report detailed by
India

CHIEF FEATURES (Based on 0830 hours IST observations)

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect western
Himalayan region during next 4 days with main activity on 24th
and 25th. Isolated to scattered rain/thundershowers are also
likely over plains of northwest India on 24th and 25th.

Current Meteorological conditions suggest that minimum
temperatures are likely to increase gradually over northwest
and adjoining central  India during next 3-4 days.

The lowest minimum temperature of 3.6° C was recorded at
Halwara (Punjab) in the plains of northwest India.

Forecast valid upto 0830 hours IST of 25th January, 2009

LOCAL WEATHER REPORT:

---------------------

Departure              
Departure

Max Temp   from Normal   Min Temp   from
Normal    24 Hour

--------------Deg Celcius--------------

Rainfall

(MM)

------    -----------   -------- 
-----------    -------- New Delhi            21.2        0.0   

11.3        3.0

0.0 Mumbai               35.1        4.0         
18.0        3.0

0.0 Chennai              30.1        1.0         
20.1        0.0

0.0 Kolkata              26.5        0.0         
14.4        0.0

0.0 Ahmedabad            27.8       -1.0         
16.4        4.0

0.0 Bangalore            29.0        0.0         
15.4        2.0

0.0 Bhopal               25.4       -1.0         
11.0        1.0

0.0 Bhubaneshwar         32.7        4.0         
18.4        2.0

0.0 Chandigarh           21.4        0.0          
8.0        2.0

0.0 Dehradun             24.8        6.0          
8.6        3.0

0.0 Goa                  33.3        2.0         
14.9        1.0

0.0 Guwahati             26.2        2.0         
15.0        5.0

0.0 Hyderabad            32.0        3.0         
13.6       -1.0

0.0 Jaipur               22.9        0.0         
11.0        3.0

0.0 Lucknow              22.8        0.0          
9.2        2.0

0.0 Nagpur               32.0        3.0         
12.6        0.0

0.0 Patna                25.5       -1.0          
--         --

0.0 Pune                 31.7        2.0         
12.3        1.0

0.0 Srinagar             11.0        6.0          
0.2        2.0

0.0 Thiruvananthapurm    32.7        1.0         
21.5       -1.0

0.0 Raipur               29.3        1.0         
13.6        0.0

0.0 Shimla               20.7       12.0         
10.7        9.0

0.0 Ranchi               25.0        2.0         
11.0        0.0

0.0

NORTHWEST INDIA

[J & K, H. P., UTTARAKHAND, PUNJAB, HARYANA , DELHI, WEST
UP]

Isolated rain/snow is likely over Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh during next 48 hours and fairly widespread
thereafter.

Isolated rain/snow is likely over Uttrakhand after 48
hours.

Rain/thundershowers are likely at a few places over Punjab
and isolated over north Haryana and Chandigarh from 24th
onwards.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

EAST INDIA

[EAST UP, JHARKHAND, BIHAR, ORISSA,, WEST BENGAL & SIKKIM ]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

NORTHEAST INDIA

[Arunachal Pradesh, NMM& T,  Assam, Meghalaya,]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

SOUTH INDIA

[TN, AP, KERALA,, KARNATAKA, LAKSHADWEEP, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR
ISLANDS]

Isolated rain/thundershowers are likely over Nicobar
Islands.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

WEST INDIA

[GOA, MAHARASHTRA (OTHER THAN VIDARBHA), GUJARAT,
RAJASTHAN]

Isolated rain/thundershowers are likely over west Rajasthan
from 24th onwards.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

CENTRAL INDIA

[M.P, CHHATTISGARH, VIDARBHA]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

Weather Outlook from 0830 hrs IST of 25th January, 2009 to
0830 hrs IST of 27th January, 2009.  (Based on numerical
weather products):

Decrease in precipitation activity and fall in minimum
temperatures is likely over northwest India from 26th onwards.

Scattered rain/thundershowers are likely over Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. Note: 'TRACE' means that rain
fell but there was not enough rainfall to measure.

Rebels to boycott India's national day

Government forces tightened security Wednesday in a remote northeast Indian state after separatist rebels urged residents to boycott upcoming Republic Day celebrations and join a general strike.
The rebels, who are seeking independence for Assam state, have carried out shootings and bomb attacks in previous years during the national holiday, which marks the adoption of the Indian charter on Jan. 26, 1950.
At least 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in fighting between government forces and separatists during the past three decades in Assam state.

"We believe in a political process to resolve the conflicts satisfactorily. But we are firm about countering India's military repression of our struggle," four insurgent groups said in a joint statement.
The United Liberation Front of Asom, the state's largest separatist group, was leading the boycott call. The other groups involved were the Kamatapur Liberation Organization, the Manipur People's Liberation Front and the Tripura People's Democratic Front.

"We will fight to the last for our sovereign independence. There can be no compromise on this issue," they said in the statement.

The rebels accuse the central government of exploiting Assam's rich natural resources without investing in the development of the region.

Authorities stepped up security, intensifying search operations and establishing extra checkpoints across the state.

"We have deployed additional forces," said G.M. Srivastava, the Assam state police chief.

"We are not taking chances ... (in our efforts) to step up the vigil to thwart attempts by militants to create terror," he said.