The Indian Panorama

Year: 2013

  • Sc Pulls Up Cbi In Babri Masjid Case

    Sc Pulls Up Cbi In Babri Masjid Case

    NEW DELHI (TIP): CBI’s submission in the BabriMasjid demolition case that senior BJP leader LKAdvani and others had committed a ‘national crime’drew a sharp reaction from the Supreme Court whichasked the agency not to use such a language till the caseis decided by the courts.”Please don’t say that it is a national crime or a matterof national importance. We are yet to decide it. Until weor trial court decide this way or other, you can’t makesuch statements,” a bench headed by Justice H L Dattusaid.

    The bench made the observations after senioradvocate PP Rao, appearing for CBI, submitted thatleaders of BJP and VHP were involved in a “nationalconspiracy” which was reflected in the Rath Yatra andits a case of “national crime”.Rao’s submission came while challenging the verdictsof Special CBI court and Allahabad high court droppingconspiracy charges against BJP leaders Advani, KalyanSingh, Uma Bharti Vinay Katiyar and Murli ManoharJoshi. The others against whom charges were droppedincluded Satish Pradhan, CR Bansal, Ashok Singhal,Giriraj Kishore, Sadhvi Ritambhara, V H Dalmia,Mahant Avaidhynath, RV Vedanti, Param Hans RamChandra Das, Jagdish Muni Maharaj, BL Sharma,Nritya Gopal Das, Dharam Das, Satish Nagar andMoreshwar Save.

    During arguments, the bench also questioned CBIover the delay in hearings before the special court andthe filing of the appeal challenging the verdicts of thetwo courts. “You said that it is a case of nationalimportance. Then can you say that the translation (ofcourt records) takes days and filing of case takes threemonths,” the bench said.The agency pleaded that it should be allowed to file afresh affidavit to explain its stand but the bench turnedit down and said no fresh affidavits or material will beallowed to be placed before it.

  • Chinese Presence At Pak Port A Matter Of Concern: Antony

    Chinese Presence At Pak Port A Matter Of Concern: Antony

    BANGALORE (TIP): Pakistan’s decision to hand overthe strategic Gwadar port to China is a matter of“serious concern” for India, Defence Minister AKAntony said on February 7.“Chinese are now constructing that port on Pakistan’srequest. In one sentence, I can say that it is a matter ofconcern to us. My answer is simple andstraightforward,” he said at the Aero India pressconference here.

    The minister was responding to amedia query if the handing over of Gwadar port inPakistan to China would make India’s western frontiersmore vulnerable.Gwadar port is located at the apex of the Arabian Seaand the mouth of the Persian Gulf.It is also only about 400 km away from the Strait ofHormuz, a key global oil supply route. The minister’sremarks in the backdrop of reports in Chinese officialmedia that the port development was not an attempt bythe Chinese side to “encircle” India.

  • Avoid overdose of paracetamol to cut death risk

    Avoid overdose of paracetamol to cut death risk

    LONDON (TIP): The number of deaths and liver transplants, due to overdose of paracetamol — a drug commonly popped by Indians for fever and cough, has fallen by a whopping 43% in England and Wales, thanks to an UK legislation to make pack sizes smaller. In September 1998, a new legislation was introduced by the UK government which restricted pack sizes to a maximum of 32 tablets through pharmacy-sales and 16 for nonpharmacy sales.

    The first results of that intervention, to be announced on Friday in the British Medical Journal shows that the number of registrations at liver units for paracetamol-induced liver transplantation in England and Wales following the legislation was 482 fewer than expected: a 61% reduction .

    This resulted in an overall decrease of 43% in the 11 years post-legislation period in deaths due to overdose of paracetamol. Lead author professor Keith Hawton, University of Oxford Centre for Suicide Research , said in many countries , self poisoning with paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a common method of suicide and nonfatal self harm, it is responsible for many accidental deaths, and is a frequent cause of hepatotoxicity and liver unit admissions.

    He further said, “The 43% reduction in deaths in the UK over 11 years was equivalent to 765 fewer deaths with a suicide or open verdict, or 990 fewer deaths if accidental poisoning verdicts were included. The 61% reduction in registrations at liver units represented 482 fewer registrations.” India in 2011 also brought in legislation and put a cap on the prescription formulations of paracetamol combo drugs. The drug controller general of India said it should not exceed 325 mg in each tablet or capsule.

    Earlier the drug was sold to the strength of 500 mg overthecounter . India is yet to ascertain what impact that legislation had. But the UK now wants to follow the India model as it continues to see a considerable number of deaths each year due to paracetamol poisoning — at an average of 121 per year.

    The researchers therefore suggest further measures may be required to limit this death toll including stronger enforcement of the legislation, further reduction in pack sizes and possibly a reduction in paracetamol content of tablets. Hawton said, “Another measure to reduce deaths might be to decrease the paracetamol content of tablets from 500 mg to 325 mg in prescribed compound preparations.”

  • FIR Against Union Minister For Vandalism Outside DM’s House

    FIR Against Union Minister For Vandalism Outside DM’s House

    KOLKATA (TIP): An FIR was filedtoday against Union minister of stateAdhir Ranjan Chowdhury after theCongress supporters vandalised theofficial bungalow of Murshidabaddistrict magistrate Rajiv Kumar.They had assembled at the spot tosubmit a memorandum againstsuperintendent of police HumayunKabir.Ironically, it was Adhir Chowdhury,Union minister and one of the moststrident critics of the present chiefminister and the violence sweepingthe state, who presided over theunprecedented vandalism.

    To be fair to him, he did try andpacify the crowd, but only after theyhad gone berserk.Trouble began after Congresssupporters marched to the DM’sbungalow to submit a memorandum.The DM was not present and theCongressmen had to deal with hisdeputy, Niranjan Kumar.Angered by what they consideredan insult, Congress cadres entered thepremises, smashing flower pots andanything that came in their way. Agovernment vehicle was alsodamaged.”I tried my best to control thecrowd,” Chowdhury said in hisdefence.

    But his pleas for peace clearly wentunheard — even by his own men.Thursday’s incident is only one ofa series of violent politicalincidents — from streetfights towidespread campus violence toattacks on government officials —to rock the state ever since theTrinamool government came topower in May 2011.On November 14, 2012, a mob chaseda senior government in official inTehatta. He opened fire from hisservice revolver, killing one of thedemonstrators.In December last year, MLAs ofthe Trinamool Congress and theCPI(M) traded blows in a free-for-allinside the assembly, leaving at leasttwo legislators injured.

    Thatincident reminded many of theNovember 30, 2006, violence, whenMamata Banerjee, then an MP,entered the assembly and asked herMLAs to protest against the mannerin which the police had stopped herfrom reaching Singur, where shewas to agitate against the Nanoplant. Trinamool MLAs smashedfurniture and other artefacts thatdecorated the state assemblybuilding.

  • To fight germs, Australia bans kids from blowing out candles on b’day cakes

    To fight germs, Australia bans kids from blowing out candles on b’day cakes

    MELBOURNE (TIP): The iconic tradition of blowing out candles on birthday cakes may soon be passe — at least for Aussie kids! Australian children are to be banned from blowing out candles together on birthday cakes — because they could be puffing germs onto one another.

    In what is seen as an attempt to “bubble wrap” children, youngsters attending birthday parties will be told to take along individual cup cakes on which to place single candles. Australian doctors have warned the strict new hygiene guidelines for childcare, by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), go too far, News.com.au said.

    The NHMRC is urging childcare centres to stand up to parents who insist on sending a sick child to daycare — even if they have a medical certificate. The daycare staff will now have to wash toys, doorknobs, floors and cushion covers every day. “Children love to blow out their candles while their friends are singing ‘Happy birthday’ ,” NHMRC says. “To prevent the spread of germs when the child blows out candles, parents should either provide a separate cupcake, with a candle if they wish, and (either ) enough cupcakes for all the other children (or) a large cake that can be cut and shared,” it says.

  • 70 Held In Crackdown Against Self-Immolation Protests In Tibet

    70 Held In Crackdown Against Self-Immolation Protests In Tibet

    BEIJING (TIP): Stepping up itscrackdown against self-immolation protestsin Tibet, China has detained 70 suspects fora string of suicides in November last year,coinciding with the once-in-a-decadeleadership change in China’s rulingCommunist Party.A total of 70 people have been detainedby the police in Huangnan of northwestChina’s Qinghai Province in connectionwith a string of self-immolations that haveoccurred since November 2012, state-runXinhua news agency quoted a senior policeofficer as saying today.

    Lyu Benqian, deputy chief of theQinghai Provincial Public SecurityDepartment, said 12 of the suspects wereofficially arrested over the self-immolationcases in the Huangnan TibetanAutonomous Prefecture.The self-immolation cases wereinfluenced by the separatism of the DalaiLama clique, as the Dalai Lama has prayedfor self-immolators and Tibetan separatistsoverseas flaunt them as “heroes”, he said.

    There was a big spurt in selfimmolationswith 23 such cases reported inNovember last year, the highest in onemonth apparently to coincide with the 18thParty Congress to elect a new leadership.About 95 to 100 Tibetans have so farcommitted suicide in the recent monthsprotesting Chinese rule in Tibet and callingfor the return of the Dalai Lama from exilein India.So far China has convicted sevenpersons, including a Buddhist monk, whowas given a two-year suspended deathsentence.

    “Some of the victims (of self-immolation)were frustrated and pessimistic in life, andthey wanted to earn respect by selfimmolation,”Lyu said while analysing themotive for the action.Last night, China’s state-run televisionaired a documentary accusing theDharamsala-based Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC) of orchestrating the incidents.The half-an-hour documentary, second byCCTV, has also accused the Tibetan serviceof the Voice of America (VOA) of passingon coded messages to some of the contactsin Tibet at the instance of Dalai Lamasupporters.

  • Here’s Rex: World’s first bionic man is worth $1m

    Here’s Rex: World’s first bionic man is worth $1m

    LONDON (TIP): Man has once again played God. The world’s first bionic man Rex, created using nearly $1 million-worth of state-of-the-art limbs and organs — synthetic blood from Sheffield University, prosthetic legs and ankle from MIT, retinas from Oxford University, artificial kidneys, pancreas and spleens from University College London and artificial lungs from Swansea was unveiled at London’s Science Museum on Thursday.

    A mixture of Robocop and Frankenstein, Rex — who has the face of a man is 6.5-feet tall with striking brown eyes. He was jointly built with the help of over 18 companies and universities and for the first time gives tangible hope that replacing body parts with man-made alternatives can finally be possible. Rex, the work of by UK roboticists Richard Walker and Matthew Godden with the support of the Wellcome Trust, will be displayed at London’s Science Museum from February 7-March 11. In the two centuries since Mary Shelley’s Dr Frankenstein brought a ‘monster’ to life, the subject has fascinated science fiction in books, comics, film and TV.

    Now research on advanced prosthetic arms and legs, as well as artificial eyes, hearts, lungs — and even hybrids between computer chips and living brains — means that scientists are finally able to replace body parts and even improve on human abilities. The project involves Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist from Switzerland who has a bionic hand himself. He met scientists working at the cutting edge of research to find out just how far this new technology can go. “I’ve looked around for new bionic technologies for a very long time and I think that until six years ago nothing much was happening.

    And then suddenly now we get this explosion of innovation,” says Bertolt. “I think we are now at a point where we can build a body that is great and beautiful in its own special way.” Bertolt has had prosthetic hands since he was a child. His new £30,000 bionic hand, which can grasp and twist, is the most advanced on the market. But technology is moving so fast that Bertolt’s bionic hand could soon be obsolete. A far more advanced arm is being developed, the product of more than $100 million-worth of research into bionic limbs, funded by the US military.

  • Japan Protests Over Russian Jet Incursion

    Japan Protests Over Russian Jet Incursion

    TOKYO (TIP): Japan on Thursdayprotested against what it said was aviolation of its northern airspace bytwo Russian fighter jets engaged inwhat may have been a calculatedrebuke of Japanese territorial claims.The brief incursion, whichprompted Japan to scramble its ownfighters in response, comes as Japantries to manage a more seriousterritorial confrontation with Chinain the sea to its south.

    Tokyo onTuesday accused the Chinese navy ofaiming a weapons-targeting radar at aJapanese warship.Japan’s defence ministry said theRussian Su27 jets entered Japaneseairspace for a little over a minute onThursday afternoon near RishiriIsland, a small volcanic island off thenorthwestern tip of Hokkaido, in theSea of Japan between Japan andRussia.The claim was disputed by Russia’sdefence ministry which confirmedthat its air force was involved inmanoeuvres in the area.

    “All flights of the district’s aircraftare strictly regulated by the commandand are carried out under supervisionof air traffic control bodies,”Alexander Gordeyev, a defenceministry spokesman told newswireInterfax. “Military aircraft flights areregistered by objective controlequipment and are carried out instrict accordance with internationalregulations on using airspace,without violating borders of otherstates.”

    Feb 6 was “Northern TerritoriesDay” in Japan, a governmentsponsoredevent held to press Japan’sdemand for the return of the SouthKuriles, a group of islands offnortheastern Hokkaido that wereannexed by the Soviet Union at theend of the second world war.Shinzo Abe, Japan’s newly electedprime minister, attended a gatheringin Tokyo to mark the day, where hesaid he was “trying to find a solutionacceptable to both sides”. Mr Abe, anationalist, promised duringparliamentary elections in Decemberto take a tougher stand on territorialdisputes.

  • Top Jamaat Leader Jailed For Life In Bangladesh; Riots Follow

    Top Jamaat Leader Jailed For Life In Bangladesh; Riots Follow

    DHAKA (TIP): A top leader of Bangladesh’s fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami was today sentenced to life by a special tribunal here for “crime against humanity” committed during the 1971independence war against Pakistan,sparking riots that claimed at least one life.”He (Abdul Kader Mollah) will servelife term,” said chairman of the threememberInternational Crimes TribunalJustice Obaidul Hassan.Mollah, assistant secretary general ofthe right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami, wasproduced before the court under heavysecurity escort from Dhaka CentralJail.The tribunal said five of the sixcharges against Mollah were provedduring the trial.

    Court officials said that under theBangladeshi law 65-year-old Mollahwould need to serve 30 years in jail asthe Penal Code suggests this timeframeto be treated as life term.Mollah sat quietly in the dock as thejudgement was being delivered andjumped to his feet as soon as the verdictwas pronounced and shouted claiminginnocence.”This verdict is fabricated and I willfile a case (appeal) against it for sure,”he screamed as the police took himaway to be shifted to Dhaka CentralJail. Violence gripped the capital Dhakaand several other major cities after theverdict.

    Police said a man was shot dead inclashes between JI activists insoutheastern Chittagong.Incidentally, rival activists also tookto the street demanding a revision ofthe trial and death penalty for Mollah.The judgment came as the JIenforced a nationwide general strikedemanding halt of the trial of their topseven leaders for 1971 war crimes sidingwith Pakistani troops while the extremeright-wing party called for a shutdowntomorrow for the “politically motivatedand government directed judgment”.

    This was the second such judgmentby the tribunal in less than three weeksafter it awarded death penalty tofugitive Abul Kalam Azad, an anchor ofIslamic programmes in a private TVchannel and former or expelled JIleader, on January 17.Mollah was arrested on July 13, 2010,along with fellow party leaderMuhammad Qamaruzzaman from infront of the Supreme Court premises toface justice as alleged perpetrators ofcrimes against humanity in 1971.

    The tribunal indicted him on May 28,2012 on six specific charges for activelyparticipating, facilitating, aiding andsubstantially contributing to the attackdirected upon the unarmed civilians,”causing commission of the horrific”genocides, murders and rapes.But the prosecution and 1971veterans said the verdict upset themsince there were specific charges ofmurders against him and in severalincidents evidence were there Mollahhimself took part in killings.Attorney general Mahbube Alam toldthe media that the verdict “upsets us aswe expected the capital punishment forthe crimes he committed”.

  • Japan Expects Small Tsunami After Solomon Islands Earthquake

    Japan Expects Small Tsunami After Solomon Islands Earthquake

    TOKYO (TIP): Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA)said on Wednesday it expects a 20 cm (8 inch) tsunami toreach the country at around 4.30pm (0730 GMT) after a strong earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands earlier in the day. The small size of the tsunami meant itdid not merit a tsunami warning and people were not being asked to leave coastal areas, a JMA spokesman said.

    A powerful earthquake measuring 8.0 magnitude struck about 350 km (215 miles) east of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands earlier in the day, the US Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a tsunami warning but later cancelled it.

  • Life Of Shirdi Saibaba

    Life Of Shirdi Saibaba

    Shri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir that transcended the barriers of religions, Saibaba of Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by both Hindu and Muslim followers. He lived in a mosque and after death his body was cremated in a temple. His philosophy ingrained ‘Shraddha’ meaning faith and ‘Saburi’ meaning compassion.

    According to him Shraddha and Saburi were the supreme attributes to reach the state of godliness. It is believed that at a tender age of 16 yrs Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and remained their till his death. He found shelter in Khandoba temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint. Saibaba of Shirdi lived an extremely simple and austere life, sleeping on the floor of temple and later taking a ruined mosque as his shelter. With his arrival to Shirdi, in no time he began exhibiting a hypnotic attraction among people as they began flocking to him.

    He is attributed many miracles doing things that were beyond a mortal’s power. He never discouraged these attributes and soon his fame spread like wild fire. Many pilgrims came seeking his blessings.

    Such was his hypnotism that even the mundane of his activities attracted large crowds. Popular among both Hindus and Muslims, Shri Saibaba became a great building force between the two disparate communities. He regularly recited Hindu and Muslim prayers.

    His Hindu followers considered him to be an avatar or reincarnation of Shiva and Dattatreya. Sai Baba did not leave any written works. All his teachings were oral and catchy. His sayings were short, crisp and in layman language with which the common mass could easily associate. Saibaba encouraged charity and said, “Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere.

    If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect.” Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi was unique in the sense that he lived his message through the essence of his being. He lived among the common people adorning a torn kafni (long robe), sleeping over a mat while using brick as his headrest and got his food by begging.

    Such was his smile that radiated a mystical charisma and deep seated inward look that hypnotized the people who visited him. His most concise message for one and all alike was “Why fear when I am here”. Saibaba said that he was a slave in the service of those who loved him. He was ever living to help those who turn to him and that he has to take care of his children day and night.

    Saibaba’s mission was to restore belief in god and according to him, “I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to want what I want to give them (knowledge of the Ultimate).” He then taught values of total surrender to the Almighty Master (ALLAH MALIK EK- The only ONE) and experiences his grace.

    Today, Shri Saibaba has millions of devotees in India and abroad. Shirdi, the obscure village in Maharashtra has become a pilgrimage destination much as Bethlehem, Jerusalem or Varanasi. With over 25,000 pilgrims thronging in here each day the number of pilgrims climb to over a hundred thousand on holidays and festival days. There are over 2,000 major Sai temples in different parts of India and 150 abroad in places as far-flung as Canada and Kenya, Singapore and England.
    Miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba
    Sai Baba of Shirdi is an epitome of spiritual perfection and has been the guiding source for the mankind leading to salvation. As a spiritual guru and savior Shri Saibaba was no ordinary fakir but an avatar of high order. This was evident through his miracles and sayings that exhibited his purpose and intention for which he had come. He would often say, “My Leela is inscrutable”. Saibaba’s Leela’s (miracles) were plenty and varied; here are a few of the miracles of Shirdi Saibaba, for his devotees and those interested in his philosophies.

    Lighting Lamps with Water
    This is among the earliest evidences of Saibaba’s miracles. Baba was fond of lighting earthenware lamps in his masjid and other temples. For this he needed oil, which he got from the grocers of Shirdi, as small donations. But there came a time when the grocers got tired of giving him oil for free. And so they refused him any oil saying they had no fresh stocks. Baba didn’t say a word and returned to his masjid. But the masjid was not to remain in dark, as Sai Baba lit his earthenware lamps pouring water instead, which burnt deep into the midnight. Such was the miraculous power of Saibaba who lit fire out of water! When grocers came to know about it they rushed to him with apologies. Sai Baba pardoned them, but he warned them never to lie again. “You could have refused to give me the oil, but did you have to say that you didn’t have fresh stocks?” he admonished them. But he had made his point.

    Premonition of Burning Fields
    Once, harvesting in Shirdi had been completed and the foodgrains of the entire village had been stored in a yard. Blistering summer was ferocious. One afternoon Saibaba summoned Kondaji Sutar and asked him to better rush to his field as it was on fire. Fear struck Kondaji ran to his field but there was not a trace of smoke. He got back and said so to Saibaba. Unfazed Baba asked him to look again and as the luck would have it, a part of corn was indeed afire and smoke was beginning to billow from it. With strong wind fanning the fire, Kondaji became jittery and asked Saibaba to do something. At this Baba walked to the yard and sprinkled some water and the fire immediately got extinguished.
    Stopping the Rain
    There goes a story that one Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan s wife had come for Sai Baba’s darshan. As the couple was about to leave, it began to rain heavily with thunder and lightening. Seeing the Pradhan couple in trouble, Saibaba invoked the God and asked the rain to calm down, which surely did and the Pradhan were able to reach their destination safely.

    Raising the Water Level in Well
    When Sai Baba first came to Shirdi it had of no basic facilities. There was a well put only in name, with no natural spring water. Villagers had tough time fetching water from a distance. When the villagers were to celebrate Baba’s birthday on Ramnavami, there was obviously crisis of water in the region. But Saibaba with his miracles had solution for this problem as well. He showered some leaves into the well and lo and behold the level of water rose fulfilling the dire wish of the villagers.

    Saving a Child from Drowning
    Once a 3-year-old daughter of a poor man named Babu Kirwandikar had fallen into a well and got drowned. When the villagers rushed to the well, they found to their utter disbelief that the child was suspended in midair as if some invisible hand was holding her. This again was one of the many miracles of Saibaba that saved people from distress.

    Flow of Godavari (river) from Baba’s Feet
    As recounted by Das Ganu, one of the disciples of Shri Saibaba, once he sought permission from Baba to visit a place called Singba on the banks of Godavari to have a holy bath. Saibaba refused and said what was the use of going that distance when Godavari was right under his feet. Das was puzzled. Realizing the doubt in Das’s mind Saibaba asked him to come closer and hold the hollow of his palms at Baba’s feet. As soon as he did so water flowed freely out of the toes of the master’s feet and filled the hollow of Das Ganu’s palms in no time. His joy knew no limits. He sprinkled the water on his head and his body and distributed some more among the assembled devotees as tirtha (holy water).

  • More Than 50 People Missing After Ferry Sinks In River In Bangladesh: Officials

    More Than 50 People Missing After Ferry Sinks In River In Bangladesh: Officials

    DHAKA (TIP): Scores of people are missing after ferry carrying around 100 passengers sank in a river in Bangladesh on Feb 7, officials said.”So far we have gathered that the ferry was carrying around 100 people and some have swum to the banks,”local police chief Jahangir Hossain told AFP after the accident on the Meghna river in the central district of Munshiganj.District administrator Saifuddin Badal said that more than 50 people were still unaccounted for.

    “We heard around 25 people have swum ashore,” he told AFP.Badal said the boat, named MV Sarosh, was carrying passengers from the capital Dhaka to the southeastern district of Chandpur.It was not immediately clear what caused the accident but Bangladesh has a history of boating disasters as a result of lax safety standards and frequent overloading of vessels.Last March 147 people were killed after a passenger vessel sank in the Meghna river after colliding with a cargo ship.

  • Is Rest Doing Virat Kohli Any Good?

    Is Rest Doing Virat Kohli Any Good?

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Has the BCCI missed a trick by not including Virat Kohli in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, or even the India A and Board President’s XI teams which play warm-up matches against Australia? Kohli, arguably India’s brightest new-generation batting hope, hasn’t exactly been in sparkling form this season and a stint in either of these teams could have served him well ahead of the crucial Tests against Australia. Denied match practice by the Indian cricket board, Kohli is now simulating match situations and making crucial technical adjustments ahead of the Tests by training here under long time coach Rajkumar Sharma.

    Although his ODI career so far has been spectacular – he won the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2012 – Kohli is aware that doubts remain about his ability to replicate that success in the longer format. Worryingly, his consistency has dipped across formats in recent times: since the unbeaten 128 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2012, he has only two scores above 30 from nine ODIs, including the 77 not out against England in Ranchi.

    In Tests, he got a hundred against England in Nagpur but that knock came after a string of low scores. After a good series against the Kiwis last August, his sequence of scores against England read 19, 14 not out, 19, 7, 6, 20 and finally the 103 in the fourth Test. “It would have been good if he had played in some of the warm-up matches. It was BCCI’s choice. That decision had nothing to do with us,” Sharma told TOI. “Maybe the rest will do him good. Here in the academy, we are simulating Test-match situations.

    I tell Kohli about field placements, like three slips, a gully, even a forward short-leg and he has to adjust his shots accordingly. “We are also working on him leaving a lot of deliveries. Virat tends to push at the ball in ODIs but for the Tests, he has to get rid of the habit. He is a tough guy and a hard worker. He knows he needs a slight temperamentshift for Tests.

    He is focusing on staying longer at the crease, yet scoring briskly.” Former India opener Aakash Chopra, Kohli’s former teammate in the Delhi Ranji team, says the batsman must learn to deal with patches of indifferent form. “He has some technical glitches and there will be stages in his career when Kohli will go through bad form. For example, he has a short, back-andacross forward stride which makes him susceptible to balls that are pitched fuller and moving. More than the Irani Cup, where the quality of Mumbai’s bowling isn’t very good, Kohli and Gautam Gambhir both should have been played in the warmup matches.” Former India all-rounder Madan Lal agrees the BCCI didn’t give this too much thought but is hopeful Kohli will hit form against Australia. “Kohli has the right ideas. I don’t know if he needed rest.

    People groomed on the longer format find it less difficult to adjust to shorter formats. But with so much ODIs and T20 being played, younger international batsmen these days have to consciously make changes for Tests, which is not easy. So the more you play, the better it is.” Every batsman goes through bad form, but the very best can shrug it off sooner than the others. Can Kohli afford another patchy series against Australia?

  • All Aboard As Millions Race Home For China’s Biggest Holiday

    All Aboard As Millions Race Home For China’s Biggest Holiday

    GONGXIAN, CHINA: Pushingthrough scores of passengers in theaisle of a cramped train at BeijingWest station, Chen Guolan couldbarely contain her excitement atjoining the world’s largest annualhuman migration.”I have been so busy working awayall year, and now I will soon be seeingmy family,” she said to a group ofstrangers sitting alongside her as shebegan an epic 2,000 kilometre journeyback to the quiet backwater she callshome.

    Chen is one of China’shundreds of millions of migrantworkers, who together make most ofthe 220 million train rides takenduring the 40-day travel season beforeand after the Lunar New Year.Around 7:30am she left the high-riseapartment where she works as adomestic worker for a family of sevenin the capital, a city of more than 20million people enduring sub-zeroFebruary temperatures and heavilypolluted air. Within 48 hours shewould be beside her husband and sonin the family home in a quiet, ruggedarea of the warmer south-westernprovince of Sichuan, where the treecappedmountains are hugged by mist,rather than toxic haze.

    Chen hadbought her 229 yuan ($37) ticket forthe 10.35am to Chongqing two weeksearlier, joining millions who haveclogged internet travel sites andqueued at train stations to ensure theywill be home for China’s mainnational holiday. Demand isphenomenal. For China’s 236 millionmigrant workers, it is the only time ofyear they can see their families.

  • Aftershocks Stall Aid Efforts In Tsunami-Hit Solomons

    Aftershocks Stall Aid Efforts In Tsunami-Hit Solomons

    HONIARA (TIP): Strong aftershocks hampered effortsto reach tsunami-hit villages in the Solomon IslandsFriday, as the death toll after an 8.0-magnitude earthquakerose to nine, with many more reported missing.Officials said damage on Ndende island in the easternSolomons was much worse than first thought, with up to20 villages swamped in a tsunami generated byWednesday’s quake and 6,000 people homeless, doublingprevious estimates.”At first we thought it was going to be quite small butnow it looks like it’s going to be very big and communitieswill not be able to handle it themselves,” national disastermanagement office spokesman Sipuru Rove said.

    “This is where we might require external assistance.”A spokesman for prime minister Gordon Darcy Lilo’soffice, George Herming, said nine people were confirmeddead and an undetermined number missing, with the tollexpected to rise as reports filter in from outlying areas.He said the area was officially declared a disaster zoneon Friday, as Australia announced it will assist reliefefforts.Australian foreign minister Bob Carr, who will visit theSolomons on Sunday, said the disaster “has been adevastating experience” for people in the low-lyingislands.

    In addition to the official toll, he said “many more arereported missing”.Carr announced Aus$300,000 ($309,000) in reliefpayments and said a Royal Australian Air Force Herculeshad been sent to the Solomons to provide logisticalsupport.Rove said the plane would be deployed to make areconnaissance flight over the island, giving officialstheir first comprehensive overview of the damage.Attempts to fly aid to the remote area, more than 600kilometres (370 miles) from the capital Honiara, have beenhamstrung by damage to the airstrip at its main townLata.

    While debris stranded on the runway after it wasinundated by surging waters had been cleared, a series ofaftershocks rattling the island, including a 6.6-magnitudejolt Friday, meant pilots were wary about landing there.Herming said a flight carrying Lilo and senior officialsto the island had to turn back to Honiara on Fridaybecause of fears the 6.6 quake had caused fresh damage tothe airstrip.Rove said the aftershocks were frustrating attempts byvillagers to salvage supplies from their devastated homesto equip the makeshift camps where they are sheltering inthe rugged interior.”They will go down (to the villages) but when there’sanother aftershock they run back to the hills becausethey’re scared of another tsunami,” he said.

    With the airfield still out of action, two boats set sailfrom Honiara late on Thursday loaded with food, waterand medical supplies and were expected to arrive late onFriday or early on Saturday.World Vision said food and water in the hillside campswas running low and sanitation would soon become anissue.”Destruction has been widespread in and around Lata,”it said.

    “Coastal wells have been covered by debris orcontaminated, water tanks and toilets have beendestroyed and coastal areas are littered with dead fish andpoultry.The US Geological Survey said Wednesday’s quakestruck in the middle of the day, beneath the sea about 76kilometres west of Lata.The Solomons are part of the ” Ring of Fire”, a zone oftectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject tofrequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.In 2007 a tsunami following an 8.0-magnitudeearthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons andleft thousands homeless.

  • Mary Kom may take part in another Olympics: GS Sandhu

    Mary Kom may take part in another Olympics: GS Sandhu

    JAMSHEDPUR (TIP): Chief Boxing Coach of India, GS Sandhu on Thursday said that London Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom still has enough talent to represent the country in at least one more Olympic games. Sandhu, who was in the steel city to take part in a sports seminar, on Thursday said the temperament and confidence level of the 29-year-old boxer from Manipur was excellent. But, he said, Mary Kom would have to maintain her form.

    A Dronacharya awardee, Sandhu said around 50 boxers were attending the camp in Patiala focusing on the next edition of World Championship to be held in October at Almaty, Kazakhstan. On appointing foreign coaches, he said there was no harm in that if that was done for short duration but overlooking Indian coaches would not serve the purpose.

  • Mithali’s ton helps India save face in Women’s World Cup

    Mithali’s ton helps India save face in Women’s World Cup

    CUTTACK (TIP): Indian women salvaged some pride, beating arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets in the play-off match for the seventh and eighth positions in the ICC Women’s World Cup, at the Barabati Stadium on Thursday. Skipper Mithali Raj hit a scintillating unbeaten 103 off 141 balls, as the hosts successfully chased the 192-run target. When Reema Malhotra hit the winning boundary, it was a great consolation for the 5,000 odd spectators at Barabati, who missed local girl Roshanara Parvin in the Team India XI on Thursday.

    Player-of-the-match Mithali, who was offcolour in Mumbai, regained her old touch as she hammered the Pakistani bowlers round the park with ease and scored her fourth ODI ton. She stepped out and lifted spinner Bismah Maroof for a huge six over the bowler’s head and hit 13 glorious boundaries in her memorable knock.

    She stood like a rock, denying Pakistan a much sought after victory and batted well in small partnerships with Reema Malhotra (not out 25), Thirush Kamini (26) and Harmanpreet Kaur (16) to script a face-saving victory for her side. As expected, Pakistani players lifted their game against India and appeared a much improved side in all departments of the game. After they elected to bat first upon winning the toss, the top order batting woes for Pakistan continued for the sixth consecutive match. When Nahida Khan (2 off 9 balls), Sidra Ameen (12 off 25 balls), Bismah Maroof (15 off 39 balls) and Asmavia Iqbal (0 off 2 balls) departed in quick succession, the visitors were tottering at 60/4 in 21.4 overs. But Syeda Nain Fatima Abidi (58 off 113 balls) and all-rounder Nida Dar (68 off 83 balls) played out of their skins to help the visitors post a respectable total of 192 for 7.

    In the post-match briefing, Pakistan skipper Sana Mir said, “We did well in patches in the tournament and our bowlers and fielders were exemplary on the field. However, the tougher teams are ahead of Indian and Pakistani girls on fitness and energy levels.

  • Stem cell ‘first aid’ helps recovery post stroke

    Stem cell ‘first aid’ helps recovery post stroke

    ABolivian research team has suggested that injecting stem cells in the vital period immediately after a stroke may aid recovery. They found that rats injected with stem cells 30 minutes after a stroke had almost normal brain function restored within a fortnight.

    The team from La Paz University Hospital says the method has potential in human trials, the BBC reported. The research, published in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy, support other studies that have found that stem cells could aid stroke patients by boosting the body’s ability to repair tissue damage. Stem cells are the body’s “master cells” with the potential to become many different cell types, and theoretically replace cells lost through disease or injury. Recent tests in humans have shown some promise, with stroke symptoms improving after an infusion of stem cells.

    The Bolivian team extracted a certain type of stem cells from fat and bone marrow, and then injected them into the blood vessels of rats shortly after they had suffered an artificially-induced stroke. Even though the introduced cells did not appear to travel to the affected region of the brain, the rats still did better than other rats who did not receive the cells.

    Within 24 hours, they were already showing a speedier recovery, and two weeks later, they registered almost normal scores on behavioral tests. The researchers said the early introduction of the cells might even interrupt the typical “chain reaction” of tissue damage, which follows a stroke, in which the initial injury harms additional cells in surrounding areas. Dr Exuperio Diez-Tejedor, who led the research, said that the recovery improved regardless of origin of the stem cells.

    From the viewpoint of clinical translation allogenic stem cells are attractive because they can be easily obtained from young healthy donors, amplified, and stored for immediate use when needed after a stroke, the researchers wrote. They suggested that it might be possible to overcome the risk of immune rejection of the donor cells in humans.

  • Ambassador Rao Inaugurates Apparel Export Promotion Buyer Seller Meet

    Ambassador Rao Inaugurates Apparel Export Promotion Buyer Seller Meet

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP):Nirupama Rao,Ambassador of India to theUnited States, inauguratedhere January 28 an ApparelTrade show organized bythe Apparel ExportPromotion Council of India(AEPC), in cooperationwith M/S Trade Good, atthe PENN Plaza Pavilion.Ambassador PrabhuDayal, Consul General ofIndia in New York, KevinBurke, President ofAmerican Apparel andFootwear Association, andA. Sakthivel, Chairman of the AEPC and Sudhir Sekhri,Chairman (Export Promotion) of theAEPC were also present.Ambassador Rao, In her remarks saidthat Indian textiles represented anunbroken link between India’s ancientculture and its modern day life style.

    Noting that India’s Apparel sector hasrapidly upgraded its technology and ishighly competitive in meeting USmarket demands in various segmentsincluding high fashion and massconsumption, she highlighted thatthrough DISHA (Driving Industrytowards Sustainable HumanAdvancement), the Indian Apparelindustry has implemented an industrywidemeasure for facilitating andpreparing Indian apparel manufacturerstoward becoming more socially andenvironmentally responsible. Shepointed out that at US$3.3 billion, India’sexport of garments represents one ofthe important constituents of overallIndia-U.S trade.

    Ambassador Rao, accompanied byAmbassador Prabhu Dayal, KevinBurke, and A. Sakthivel went round andspoke with a number of sellers fromIndia. Tirupur sellers outnumberedsellers from other major centers likeLudhiana, Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangaloreetc.Giving her comments to the mediawhile taking a tour of the exhibition,Ambassador Rao said, ” Our relationswith United States are growing anddiversifying in so many areas. Textileexports are a very very important part ofthat growth and that strengthening ofour relationship with the United States.””Today, we saw on display many manyexporters from various parts of India.

    And, I was very impressed not only withthe quality of the fabrics and thedesigns, but also with the fact that ourtextile industry is becoming increasinglyglobalized and connected with theoutside world.””This is a millennium tradition inIndia-our textile tradition but today it istraveling abroad and it is through thatprocess , I think, the voice of India isheard much more powerfully around theglobe”.At the trade meet spread over twodays, on 28-29 January 2013, thirty fivemember exporters exhibited theirFall/Winter 2013-14 collections.

    Morethan 300-400 buyers, including at leasttwenty Brand Stores were expected toparticipate in the B-2-B event. Some ofthe major buyers expected to attend themeet included RALPH LAUREN;WARNACO; CHILDREN PLACE; LORD& TAYLOR; UNDER AMOUR; VFSPORTSWEAR; NAUTICA; RED CATand JONES APPAREL.The Buyer Seller Meet was expectedto generate substantial spot business andalso help cement long term businesspartnerships for participatingexhibitors.

  • Arvind Kejriwal Targets Delhi CM On Power Tariffs

    Arvind Kejriwal Targets Delhi CM On Power Tariffs

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Ahead of Delhi assembly elections inNovember, Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwalhas trained his guns on chief minister Sheila Dikshit,accusing the Delhi government of conniving with privatepower distribution companies to increase power tariffs inthe Capital by showing “false” figures on losses.After several exposes on political leaders and corporatebig-wigs, Kejriwal accused the Delhi government and theDelhi Electricity Regulatory Commission of playing intothe hands of the private power companies, owned by AnilAmbani and the Tata group.

    Kejriwal said whileprivatising power distribution in Delhi in 2002, thegovernment had promised tariffs would come down asdistribution losses would be reduced. He said 11 years afterprivatisation though distribution losses have come downfrom 55% to 15%, electricity bills have gone up for Delhiites. Kejriwal alleged private powercompanies were “hiding” their revenuesand should therefore be audited by CAG.Addressing a press conference on a daywhen a3% increase in power tariff becameapplicable, Kejriwal accused Dikshit ofstalling a 2010 order of DERC, in whichformer chairperson Brijender Singh hadobserved that private distributioncompanies were making huge profits and,as a consequence, power tariffs should bereduced by 23%.

    Kejriwal said since 2010 the chairpersonhas changed and the power tariffs havegone up, first by 22% in August 2011 andthen by 32% in June 2012. “We havecalculated that for a household thatconsumes 200 units in 2 months, when thepower bill should have been Rs 503, thehousehold pays Rs 1,505 and has paid Rs7,910 extra in the last three years to theprivate companies. Similarly, for ahousehold that consumes 400 units in twomonths, the bill should be Rs 2,205, but itactually is Rs 4,400. This household hasalready paid Rs 19,443 extra in the last threeyears,” Kejriwal said.Reacting to the allegations levied byKejriwal, Tata PowerBSE 1.43 % Delhi CEOPraveer Sinha said there was a need to lookat the situation in proper perspective. “Ourtariffs are lower than neighbouring states,”he added. A BSES spokesperson said: “Theallegations posed are completely baselessand wild to mislead the citizens of Delhi.Issues raised have no relation whatsoeverwith the ground realities and are meant forpersonal gains.”The Chief Minister’s Office termedKejriwal’s accusations as a “bunch of lies”.State power minister Haroon Yusuf saidKejriwal was trying to “sensationalise theissue as he did not say anything new”.Kejriwal demanded that a case of fraudshould be lodged against Anil Ambani ashis company, BSES, had allegedly fudgedaccounts to show huge losses. Kejriwalaccused the new DERC chairman PDSudhakar of “working as an agent” ofprivate distribution companies.

  • Rahul Gandhi plans ‘drastic and lasting’ changes in Congress

    Rahul Gandhi plans ‘drastic and lasting’ changes in Congress

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Rahul Gandhi on Feb 1 signalled plans to carry out drastic and lasting changes in the working of the Congress to make it fighting fit ahead of a series of elections including the Lok Sabha polls.

    After giving a patient hearing to the AICC Secretaries narrating their woes, the Amethi MP, whose Lok Sabha bioprofile describes him “strategy consultant” by profession, remarked that no one appeared happy about the state of affairs in the organisation and “we have to rectify” the situation. “No one appears happy about the system as they feel it is unfair and that there are no rules and regulations and, therefore, there is uncertainty and we have to rectify the situation”, Gandhi was quoted as saying by party leaders during the twohour- long meeting with AICC office bearers.

    Gandhi yesterday began his first formal interaction with AICC office bearers as Vice President which saw lot of fireworks, blame game and complaints of oneupmanship. The young leader today said that he would go into depth of issues raised by the leaders and work to set things right. An office bearer said that Gandhi suggested that he was for “drastic and lasting changes”.

    He said that the primary task right now would be to face the immediate elections in various states including Karnataka and try to rectify the overall problems after that. Gandhi made these remarks after an AICC Secretary lamented “lack of coordination” in the party and the growing confusion as “no one is knowing what the other is doing”. Besides, the Secretary said that there was no coordination between government and organisation as the party is not taken into confidence before making appointments on official committees. With several office bearers yet to get a chance to have their say, he will be meeting them again on Monday.

  • Kiran Bedi Backs Lokpal Bill; Anna Hazare Accuses Govt. Of Betrayal

    Kiran Bedi Backs Lokpal Bill; Anna Hazare Accuses Govt. Of Betrayal

    NEW DELHI (TIP):Differing with AnnaHazare on the amendedLokpal Bill approved by theUnion Cabinet, his teammate and close confidante,the former IPS officerKiran Bedi on February 1,backed the legislationsaying it addressed most oftheir concerns.Bedi also expressedhappiness over theamended Bill paving theway for constitution of acollegium to select the chiefof Central Bureau ofInvestigation.

    “From nothing to something to more, aswe move on! This is how we can read theLokpalShe also said that most of the concernshave been addressed in the draft and citedthe appointment of CBI chief and otherchanges as positive ones.”(CBI’s) its Anti-Corruption wing hasbeen brought under oversight of Lokpal.Which is what we needed!” she said. Theactivist said, “It is open to oppositionparties to improve the Lokpal as part oftheir manifesto!”Her remarks contradict Anna Hazare’sstand that the amended Lokpal bill was a”farce”.

    He also announced he will launchanother agitation if the government wentahead with the enactment of a “weak”legislation.Meanwhile, Anna Hazare on Friday,February 1 announced that he wouldreturn to agitate at Ramlila Maidan ifrequired, expressing his lack of confidencein the government in bringing a strongLokpal. His statement comes a day after theUnion Cabinet cleared the Lokpal Bill.In sharp contrast to his colleague KiranBedi, Anna slammed the Bill saying it didnot include provision for setting up ofLokayukatas in states, did not include theCBI or CVC and also excluded lower rungbureaucracy. Bedi has been supportive ofthe Bill, saying that at least there was someanti-corruption mechanism in place.

    Anna,on the other hand, rejected the new draft asa betrayal by the government.”This government has gone back on itsassurances over the last two years. Theyhave betrayed us. I will tour the country forthe next two years to raise awarenessagainst this government and if need be Iwill agitate at Ramlila Maidan again,”Anna said.Reacting to Congress leader RahulGandhi’s speech that power was poison,Anna questioned, “If power is poison, thenwhy do people run after it…power is also anaddiction.”He also added that he had received aletter from Congress chief Sonia Gandhiassuring him that Lokpal Bill would bepassed in Parliament soon. “Thisgovernment is incapable of making goodlaws…we need clean candidates who willmake laws against corruption,” he added.The activist was accompanied by formerarmy chief V K Singh.

  • Chinese New Year 2013

    Chinese New Year 2013

    Chinese Spring Festival, also called Lunar New Year,has more than 4,000 years of history. Being one ofthe traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandestand the most important festival for Chinese people. It isalso the time for the whole families to get together, which issimilar with Christmas Day to the westerners. Originatingduring the Shang Dynasty (about 17th – 11th century BC),Spring Festival, which celebrates family reunion, is full ofrich and colorful activities, and new hopes with the adventof spring and flowers blossoming. People from differentregions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in theirunique ways.

    Festival Time
    The Spring Festival comes on the first day of Chineselunar calendar and lasts for almost half of a month. But infolk custom, this traditional holiday lasts from the 23rd dayof the twelfth month to the 15th day of the first month(Lantern Festival) in the lunar calendar. Among these days,the New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year is thepeak time of the festival. The exact days are different inevery year according to the lunar calendar. Schedule ofSpring Festival in recent years is offered in the followingtable.Chinese New Year begins according to the Chinesecalendar which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solarcalendar systems. Because the track of the new moonchanges from year to year, Chinese New Year can beginanytime between late January and mid-February.

    Below isa chart that shows the beginning day of Chinese New Yearand the animal sign for that year.Chinese New Year is the longest and most importantfestivity in the Chinese calendar. The origin of ChineseNew Year is itself centuries old and gains significancebecause of several myths and traditions. Chinese New Yearis celebrated in China and in countries and territories withsignificant Chinese populations, including Hong Kong,Macau, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan,Mauritius, Philippines, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere.Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for theChinese and has had influence on the lunar new yearcelebrations of its geographic neighbors.Within China, regional customs and traditionsconcerning the celebration of the Chinese new year varywidely.

    People will pour out their money to buy presents,decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is alsotraditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse thehouse, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to makeway for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will bedecorated with red color paper-cuts and couplets withpopular themes of “good fortune” or “happiness”, “wealth”,and “longevity.” On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper isa feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs,ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will endthe night with firecrackers. Early the next morning,children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthyand happy new year, and receive money in red paperenvelopes.

    The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile,forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happinessfor everyone.Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not usecontinuously numbered years, outside China its years areoften numbered from the reign of the Yellow Emperor. Butat least three different years numbered 1 are now used byvarious scholars, making the year beginning in 2012 AD the”Chinese Year” 4710, 4709, or 4649.Every family does a thorough house cleaning andpurchases enough food, including fish, meat, roasted nutsand seeds, all kinds of candies and fruits, etc, for thefestival period. Also, new clothes must be bought,especially for children. Red scrolls with complementarypoetic couplets, one line on each side of the gate, are pastedat every gate. The Chinese character ‘Fu’ is pasted on thecenter of the door and paper-cut pictures adorn windows.

    Taboos
    The Spring Festival is a new start for a new year, so it isregarded as the omen of a new year. People have manytaboos during this period. Many bad words related to”death”, “broken”, “killing”, “ghost” and “illness” or”sickness” are forbidden during conversations. In someplaces, there are more specific details. They consider itunlucky if the barrel of rice is empty, because they thinkthey will have nothing to eat in the next year. Takingmedicine is forbidden on this day, otherwise, people willhave sick for the whole year and take medicine constantly.

    Festival Food
    Food during this festival has its characteristics, which isthe representative of Chinese festival food culture.Dumplings and the reunion dinner are indispensable atthis time. Cold and hot dishes are all served. Fish is alwaysan important dish then, which expresses people’s hope ofhaving a wealthy new year.

    History
    It is said that the custom of Spring Festival started inwhen people offered sacrifice to ancestors in the last monthof Chinese lunar calendar. At that time, people preparedthe sacrifice by doing thorough cleaning, having bathesand so on. Later, people began to worship different deitiesas well on that day. It is the time that almost all the farmworks were done and people have free time. The sacrificingtime changed according to the farming schedule and wasnot fixed until the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). Thecustoms of worshipping deities and ancestors remainseven though the ceremonies are not as grand as before. It isalso the time that spring is coming, so people held all kindsof ceremonies to welcome the spring.

    Legends
    There are many legends about the festival in Chineseculture. In folk culture, the Spring Festival is also called”guonian” (meaning “passing a year”). It is said that the “nian”(year) was a strong monster which was fierce and cruel andate one kind of animal including human being a day. Humanbeings were scared about it and had to hide on the eveningwhen the “nian” came out. Later, people found that “nian” wasvery scared about the red color and fireworks. So after that,people use red color and fireworks or firecrackers to driveaway “nian” every year. As a result, the custom of using redcolor and setting off fireworks remains.

    Festivities Schedule
    Preparing the New Year starts 7 days before the NewYear’s Eve. According to Chinese lunar calendar, peoplestart to clean the house on Dec. 24, butcher on Dec. 26th andso on. People have certain things to do on each day. Thesefestival activities will end Jan. 15th of the lunar calendar.

  • Hare Krishna Priest Gets 3-Year Term In Visa Fraud Case

    Hare Krishna Priest Gets 3-Year Term In Visa Fraud Case

    MILWAUKEE (TIP): AnIndian spiritual guru hasbeen found guilty by a federaljury of selling religiousworker visas to Indians forover USD 30,000 each toenable them to enter the USfraudulently.Sagarsen Haldar (31) alsoknown as Gopal Hari Das,identified himself as thepresident of a Hindu templeGaudiya Vaisnava Society(GVS) in Milwaukee.A federal jury in theEastern District of Wisconsinfound Haldar guilty of conspiring tocommit immigration fraud, under whichhe fraudulently obtained and soldreligious worker visas to Indian nationals.He will be sentenced on February 24.According to evidence at the trial, Haldarconspired to sponsor more than two dozenIndian nationals to enter the US under theR-1 visas.

    The R-1 applications falsely stated thatthe individuals were religious workerswho planned to be priests and performreligious work at the GVS temple.However, the Indian nationals had noreligious training or experience and hadno intention of working as priests oncethey arrived in the US.Haldar charged the Indian nationals asmuch as USD 30,000 each for giving themthe visas. They made substantial cashpayments to Haldar and his associates inIndia and paid the balance toHaldar once they arrived inthe United States by workingat convenience stores andother Milwaukee-arealocations.

    “We are extremely gratifiedwith the jury’s guilty verdictin this case,” said GaryHartwig, special agent incharge of US Immigrationand Customs Enforcement’s(ICE) Homeland SecurityInvestigations.”Visa fraud represents avulnerability that could beexploited by criminals or others who wishto do us harm,” Hartwig said.The investigation into the matter beganin June 2008 after ICE receivedinformation from US Citizenship andImmigration Services’ Benefit Fraud Unitthat the temple had filed numerouspetitions for R-1 religious workers fromIndia.Subsequent investigation revealed thatHaldar used the GVS temple as a front foran elaborate religious visa fraud scheme.Haldar was charged in June 2010 afterHomeland Security Investigations agentsarrested him at Chicago’s O’HareInternational Airport as he arrived in theUS from India. In his luggage, Haldar hadidentification documents – includingpassports and other Indian identificationpapers – bearing the names andphotographs of other Indian nationals.

  • 2014 strategy: BJP sticks to politics, dumps Hindutava

    2014 strategy: BJP sticks to politics, dumps Hindutava

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Defining the battlelines for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Sangh Parivar has decided that the BJP will focus on development and decisive leader agenda, while the affiliated groups — such as the VHP — will help revive the “Hindu Identity” through Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the UPA charge of saffron terrorism.

    While the BJP core group met on Feb 1 to work out the reconstitution of its Parliamentary Board, Central Election Committee and the National Executive by the end of this month, top RSS, BJP and VHP leaders met at the residence of Goa LS MP Shripad Naik on Thursday to chalk out the future strategy and coordination among the Sangh affiliates. The meeting was attended by top BJP, RSS and VHP leaders.

    Party sources said it was decided at the meeting that Sangh affiliates would work to revive and bring back the focus on Hindutva issues with Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which is being re-launched at Kumbh Mela at Sant Mahasammelan on February 7 a day after the VHP Kendriya Marg Darshak Mandal meets in Allahabad. The BJP, on its part, will concentrate on the political agenda ofattacking the “rudderless” UPA government and showcase the development achieved in states ruled by the party, particularly Gujarat.

    Besides discussion on giving Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi a larger role at the national level, the party also talked of the possibility of including Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh in the BJP Parliamentary Board, the larger issue was coordination among the Sangh affiliates. With the Sangh Parivar determined to project a united face for 2014 elections, differences between BJP and VHP were ironed out to rule out possibility of any conflicting statements in the future on core issues.

    At Thursday’s meeting, the Sangh leadersalso decided to target the UPA on socalled saffron terrorism with the aim of polarizing voters on the grounds that the UPA ministers — P Chidambaram and Sushilkumar Shinde — were deliberately “hurting” Hindu sentiments. “Further fine-tuning will be done at the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha of the RSS on March 15-17, 2013 at Jaipur after reviewing the response to Ramjanambhoomi movement revival,” a party leader said.