The Indian Panorama

Year: 2014

  • Going Beyond Death With Real Love

    Going Beyond Death With Real Love

    By His Divine Grace B. S. Tirtha Maharaj

    The fear of death haunts many people. So they want to escape death and avoid facing it or even thinking about it. Unless and until one develops real love for the Supreme Lord Krishna, a human being cannot avoid or escape death. Like animals, humans too have to take birth repeatedly and die. The transcendental love for God, in the form of the Supreme Lord Krishna, is the real love. Once a person cultivates love for the Supreme Lord Krishna in this birth he/she becomes liberated and after leaving this body lives eternally in the spiritual abode by continuing the loving service to the lord.

    This is confirmed by the Supreme Lord Krishna in the Gita (15.6) yat gatva na nivartante tad dhama parmam mama, having attained that abode of mine, they do not return to this world. Here is a real life story that confirms this truth.

    During the last summer at dusk on a sultry Monday, a young man in his late twenties literally barged into my room where I was chanting my twenty first round of ‘Hare Krishna’ maha mantra on my beads. From his dress, he looked a typical commercial sector executive in Mumbai. “Will you kindly initiate me into the chanting of Hare Krishna maha mantra Swamiji?” asked the young visitor even before I could offer him a seat. I glanced at him, and by now, he was sitting on the floor. I was trying to gauge the reason for his request for initiation into the spiritual practice because I wondered about this sudden request by a stranger.Was it due to an emotional outburst or was it based on philosophical conviction? I was trying to assess.

    Curious why this man had come to me for spiritual initiation, I said, “It is not normally for a person of your status and stature to opt for a spiritual life. How come you have developed interest at this stage?” Sensing my curiosity, the visitor introduced himself properly. He started a long story, “In my early childhood I saw my grand parents die. Later, I also witnessed the death of my parents. After some months, I participated in the funeral ceremony of my elder sister. Soon after, I was informed of my brother’s passing away. All these happened suddenly and unexpectedly within a few years with brief intervals. Before I could recover from one tragedy, another hit me. These disasters left a horrendous impact on my young mind.

    Death is the cruelest misfortune that does not spare anyone. Death makes no distinction and in most cases, it is painful and shocking. After seeing so many dear ones vanishing into thin oblivion, never to be seen again, the message of death always created in me an unprecedented panic of hideous proportions. At the same time, a strong desire arose in me to defeat death. I said to myself, ‘I want to live.” As I entered my teenage years, I was present at a crematorium tragically observing my uncle’s body being consumed by flames in the presence of all my family members. I was wondering why no one is making an attempt stop it, to check the cruel hands of death. Some one in the funeral group said, “There is nothing as sure as death.” I tried my best to not to permit this unpleasant statement to penetrate into the recess of my heart, but it, nevertheless, did.

    This rather permeated my whole self. “No, I don’t want to die, I want to live!” I shouted. My outburst got lost in the incomprehensible cacophony that prevailed in the mourning crowd. Later one evening, when I returned home from my school, I saw there was an eerie silence. Once again, the news was negative. The impact of the news of death of some close relative numbed my mind. It was a sheer torture for me and hardly could anyone could ease my sad feelings. There arose an insatiable urge to explore an unquenchable thirst and constantly increasing curiosity coupled with innate motivation to learn and unravel the mystery of death. News of death always traumatised me. Hearing the news, the relatives and friends simply mourn, place wreaths on the dead bodies, and express some platitudes in appreciation of the deceased.

    They mechanically utter a few words of consolation to the close relatives and dutifully attend the services conducted in memory of the departed as a mere formality. Nothing more. My mind rebelled and revolted against the indifference exhibited by the people around. As I gradually became an adolescent, the tragedy centered around death and left an indelible imprint on my mind during formative years. It still remains powerful. Once I was commuting in an overcrowded suburban train in Mumbai. Suddenly the speeding train came to a screeching halt. Somebody announced that a passenger standing at the open doorstep fell off the train due to his loose grip and died instantly. No one can escape the vicious grip of death. It proves its unrestricted capability to strike anyone anywhere. Amidst all uncertainties, the only certainty is death, I now realized. I saw the arrival of an ambulance and the removal of the dead body of the person who boarded the train with me just a few minutes ago.

    Although I was in tears, no one besides me seemed to be affected. There was a pronounced indifference. Being saved from any inordinate delay due to the sad accident,my copassengers, on the contrary, heaved a sigh of relief when the train moved on, but my thoughts refused to. By now, as a fully grown up young man, with buoyant optimism that someone must be able to challenge death, I flipped through science journals, diligently perused daily newspapers carefully avoiding the obituary columns, studied with interest many overseas periodicals and concentrated with unfailing regularity on ‘Research and Development’ magazines. But different studies of such voluminous writings with a meticulous mind only pathetically revealed to me that many men of great intellect as well as research scientists are simply wasting their time. The taxpayers money in is spent on some useless topics of this temporal world of uncertainties. They are the least interested in detailed research about death which can imperceptibly deal a sudden blow on them and put a stop to their current foolish and fanciful endeavours. I understand that all these fools are only interested in ephemeral projects and not in the eternal enlightenment.

    As I grew up, I saw the various media prominently projecting news of death.
    ● Nine killed in a car bomb blast
    ● Earthquakes claim 5100 lives
    ● Boat capsizes and 252 feared drowned.
    ● Building collapses, 81 instantly dead
    ● 112 burnt alive in communal clash
    ● A major air-crash- all passengers and the crew killed
    ● 210 lost lives in train accident
    ● A whole village wiped out in flood
    ● 30 people declared dead due to food poisoning
    ● 6 picnickers drowned
    ● 22 killed in police firing so far.
    ● 63 mercilessly massacred by terrorists.


    8

    This apart, due to personal rivalry and religious hostility, once I personally happened to see dead bodies strewn around street corners. I was prepared to learn but had no one to teach me. I was looking for directions but had no guide. I was groping in darkness but no one to show me light. One day, I saw BHAGAVAT GITA lying on a book shelf. It seemed unattended since the time the shelf was installed, it suddenly attracted my attention. I pulled it out of the shelf as irreverently as I would, any novel. I started gave it a cursory glance and lo! I found one of the important characters of this book Arjuna, five thousand years ago, was in a similar predicament like me. Before he started to fight the battle of ‘Kurukshetra’, Arjuna suddenly realized that the death of all his kith and kin on both sides was inevitable.

    The very thought scared him. Although a great warrior belonging to Kshatriya clan known for a sense of imperturbability even in the midst of a grave crisis, Arjuna was shaken out of his existence. Just after reading a couple of pages about Arjuna’s urge to run away from the battlefield, I impatiently shoved the book back on to the shelf as indifferently as I had picked it up. Recently, I was passing through a narrow side street in south Mumbai, when I was hurriedly taking a turn near a temple. Walking very close, I heard through loudspeakers someone saying, “You shall never die”. I could not move any further. I stood still. “You can conquer death”, the voice roared. I could not believe this. Conquering death? Is there a way? I was more stunned than surprised. The speech was emanating from the temple, I made sure. The excruciating experience that I went through all these years literally pushed me toward the temple threshold.

    The next moment, I found myself sitting with the rest of the motely crowd on the floor surrounding an elderly person in saffron robe sitting on a slightly raised platform. In front of him at some distance, there were elegantly dressed, aesthetically decorated deities of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna. The temple hall looked pleasant and inviting with fragrance of jasmine flowers and the aroma of incense sticks. I looked at the speaker. His face was completely serene reflecting the composure of his mind. There was Vaishnava clay marking on his broad forehead. I never came across such a face shining brilliantly in my entire life. His very presence had such a purifying effect that I was instantly relieved of the pain in my heart. He continued with his discourse, ‘na mriyate kadachit’ will never die at anytime. These words were just like honey pouring into my ears. ‘Nityah’ eternal and ‘Shashvatah’ everlasting, he emphatically expressed. Needless to say these words gladdened my heart further. Alas! At least here is someone who has challenged death. He knows the method, I said to myself.

    Swamiji quoted various instances where people defied death. At the last moment, at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord Narayana when the servants of Yama, the superintendent of death, came to take him away forcefully. At that very moment, a confidential associate of the Lord appeared and forbade them from doing so. Ajamila was saved from death. Then he also spoke of a saintly king called ‘Khatvanga’ who having assisted demigod Indra of heavens in his battle against demons successfully, wanting to return to his kingdom on the planet earth, came to know from Indra that only a few moments of his life were left. Immediately chanting the Holy Name of Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, the saintly king returned to the spiritual abode, Shri Vaikuntha. He also explained in great details about the incident of the ‘curse to die’ of Parikshit Maharaja and that he was finally advised while concluding seven days narration of Shrimad Bhagavatam by his spiritual teacher Shrila Shukadeva. Swamiji’s rhetorical gesture was very forceful and impressive. He said, tvam tu rajan marisyeti pasu-buddhim imam jahi na jatah prag abhuto dya deha-vat tvam na nanksyasi

    “O King, give up the animal mentality of thinking, “I am going to die”. Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in the past when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed”. It is only the animals who become scared of death. Hence they have intense spirit in them for self-defence. This is because they have no spiritual conception. They have absolutely no idea beyond the gross physical bodies they possess. You are not an animal. You should be free from this anxiety. Swamiji explained further citing verses from the second chapter of Gita.(2.11, 12, 13 & 2.22)
    asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna vadams ca bhasase gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah) na tv evaham jatu nasam na tvam name janadhipah na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param dehino smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara- praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro parani tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi

    “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking wise words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead. Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. Arjuna, try to understand this, thus spoke Krishna,” said the Swamiji in his thundering voice. It reminded me immediately about the book ‘Gita’ lying in my book-shelf. Swamiji was speaking from this book. He further continued, “You should all read Gita at least.” Then he spoke about the glory of Gita.(12.5.2)

    sarvopanisado gavo, dogdha gopalanandanah partho vatsah sudhir bhokta, dugdham gitamrtam mahat

    “The crest-jewels of the Vedas, the Upanishads, are like a cow, and the milker of the cow is Lord Shri Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja. Arjuna is the calf, the nectar of the Gita is the milk, and the virtuous devotees are the drinkers and enjoyers of the milk.” While concluding, Swamiji spoke with anguish about the current social trend of general apathy towards spiritual learning and how that is ruining the whole human society. In India, it is generally seen that people in their seventies suffering from rheumatic pain and gout trouble often express a desire to visit far flung holy places. After a couple of cataract operations, many senior citizens suddenly develop desire to have ‘darshan’ of deities in temples situated at distant sites of pilgrimage. Persons who are paralytic and bed ridden show misplaced enthusiasm for spiritual initiation at a time when their minds suffer from dementia.

    Such old and infirm people tend to become religious because they can see death coming nearer every day. What is the use of taking to religion when one is afflicted with physical debility and mental derangement? Spiritual pursuits, on the contrary, demand agile physique and a clear mind. It is astonishing as to how such an attitude came to prevail for a very long time in India which boasts of spiritual supremacy over the rest of the world by the virtue of having nurtured and nourished a civilization based on the teachings of the Vedas, an ageless scripture of India. It is all the more amazing when we view this from the worldly perspective. These days we see boys aged six or seven practising cricket batting and bowling. Children of this age group attempt to learn swimming and bicycle riding, among other sports, pastimes and hobbies. But when it comes to adopting a religious way of life or taking to devotional service to God, we prefer ripe old age of invalidity.

    What a paradox! In Shrimad Bhagavatam, it is said, ‘kaumara achared prajyah..’, spiritual practices in terms of devotional service to Shri Vishnu or Shri Krishna should be imparted to one in the early childhood, that is because the child’s mind is uncontaminated by the subject matters of this physical world and free from craving for any material enjoyment due to undeveloped physical senses. We often come across people saying, “We shall take to bhakti or any spiritual practices after we fulfill our family obligations and duties”. This never happens. Even if it does in some cases, whatever they do at the tail end of their lives will be nothing more than a mere formality. This tendency of according the least priority to regular and meaningful spiritual practices is widely prevalent.

    Many people entertain a wrong notion that making perfunctory visits to temples on important festive occasions in itself constitutes devotion. Thus the discourse came to an end. Kirtans began. I rushed back home. That very night I started reading the Gita. In just seven days I finished the entire scripture thoroughly assimilating the essence of the teachings. I became fully convinced that I am not the physical body but an eternal spirit soul part and parcel of Krishna and to attain the eternal residence in the spiritual planet ‘Krishna Loka’ and this should be the only goal of life. To achieve this, one should be able remember Krishna at the time of death. The only positive method to ensure this remembrance is to chant the Holy Names of the Supreme Lord on a regular basis as concluded by the eighteen thousandth verse of Shrimad Bhagavatam (12.13.23) “.

    Nama sankritanam yasya sarva-papa pranasanam Pranamo duhkha-samanas tam namami Harim param

    “I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord, Hari; the congregational chanting of whose holy names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering obeisances unto who relieves all material suffering.” Thus he ended his narration. On the next Janamasthmi festival, I initiated him into chanting of Hari Nama as well as Gayatri Mantra as he was eligible for this.With his new name, he became known as Vraja Vallabha Dasa. He started chanting one hundred thousand Holy Names daily. On the following Radha Asthmi festival, I expected to him visit us, but I was told that he never turned up. I personally telephoned him the next day only to be told by his brother that Vraja Vallabha Dasa left his body on Radha Asthmi due to a massive heart attack and that he was chanting at the time of leaving his body. What a glorious death! We are sure he has now joined the group of cowherd boys in the eternal abode of Krishna Loka to directly engage in transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord. He wanted to live. He lives for ever. He died only to live eternally.

  • Modi takes holi dip in Varanasi; Rajnath heads for Lucknow, Jaitley to debut in Amritsar

    Modi takes holi dip in Varanasi; Rajnath heads for Lucknow, Jaitley to debut in Amritsar

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Putting speculations to rest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 15 announced its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would contest the Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh after sitting parliamentarian Murli Manohar Joshi gave in to the pressure from top leadership.

    The BJP’s poll committee finalised its fourth list of 98 candidates from 12 states, including UP, at a marathon meeting of top leaders in New Delhi. BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar said at a press conference held late on Saturday night that the party would publish another list next week. The BJP decided to field senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Arun Jaitley from Amritsar.

    Actor Kirron Kher will contest the Chandigarh seat against Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) Gul Panag and Congress’ Pawan Bansal. In Bihar, Shatrughan Sinha will contest the Patna Sahib seat. Alongside Modi, another top contender in UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, is party president Rajnath Singh, who will contest from Lucknow. Joshi will fight from the Kanpur seat.

    Modi’s decision to enter the fray from the holy city, as demanded by BJP strategists, underscored anxiety on the part of the party brass to maximise the saffron party’s tally from UP and Bihar — two key states accounting for 120 Lok Sabha seats that could help the BJP reach the magic figure of 272 in the House to form the next government. With Modi finally getting the green light to contest the Varanasi seat, all eyes are now on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who has launched a scathing attack on the Gujarat chief minister in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

    The rookie party has hinted at a direct fight between Modi and Kejriwal in the 2014 polls. “We will have to review our decision that no MLA can contest Lok Sabha elections,” AAP spokesperson Nagendar Sharma said, confirming there was every possibility of Kejriwal taking on Modi. Meanwhile, celebrations started in Varanasi much before the Gujarat chief minister’s name was announced for the seat. Modi’s supporters burst firecrackers and danced to drumbeats in the holy city.

    Modi’s nomination for the seat, however, was a tough challenge for the saffron party, which hopes to put up a spectacular show in UP under his leadership. Modi’s rallies in UP ahead of the polls were a huge success, giving the BJP a shot in the arm and making stronger the ‘Modi from Varanasi chorus’. Besides, exit polls have also predicted a huge gain for the BJP in UP, where Muslims make up 20% of the population and have 17% of the vote share. But media reports suggest that with Joshi initially putting his foot down after being asked to make way for Modi, the BJP’s unity in politically vibrant UP, which has the highest Lok Sabha seats in the country, has suffered a blow.

    Besides, the BJP brass had to burn the midnight oil to pacify dissidents in UP including Kalraj Mishra, who wanted to contest from Kanpur. Mishra will now fight from the Deoria seat near Gorakhpur. Varun Gandhi will contest the Sultanpur seat, while his mother Maneka Gandhi will fight from Pilibhit. Agricultural scientist Sanjiv Baliyan was named from Muzaffarnagar. Riot accused Hakum Singh was fielded from Kairana. The party cleared Rajnath Singh’s name from Lucknow after acceding to his “request” to fight from a constituency once represented by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

    The BJP chief had sought to move from Ghaziabad, the seat he represented in the 15th Lok Sabha, in view of the challenge from the AAP. Jaitley, who has not fought a direct election so far, was the surprise of the pack and got the Amritsar ticket after former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu stepped aside. “Arun Jaitley is like my guru. I welcome him to Amritsar. I have taken a pledge that I will contest from Amritsar or nowhere. I will keep my promise. I haven’t asked for anything in return,” Sidhu said. The Akali Dal had reportedly expressed reservations on a ticket for Sidhu and suggested Jaitley’s name to avoid a rebellion.

    Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh’s son Abhishek Singh got a ticket from Rajnandgaon. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Uma Bharti was fielded from Jhansi. Former Uttarakhand chief ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Haridwar), BC Khanduri (Pauri-Garhwal) and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari (Nainital) also got party tickets. Ex-Congress leader Rao Indrajeet Singh and former Bahujan Samaj Party general secretary SP Singh Baghel were fielded from Gurgaon and Firozabad within weeks of their entry in the BJP. Former Haryana BJP chief Krishnapal Gujjar and doctor-politician Mahesh Sharma are BJP candidates in Faridabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, respectively.

    6VARANASI: POLLNOMICS
    1.SITTING MP- MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI
    2.2009: VICTORY MARGIN 17,211
    3.DEFEATED – MUKHTAR ANSARI (BSP)
    4.CASTE COMBINATION: PATEL, BHUMIHAR, BRAHMIN
    5.MUSLIMS: ABOUT 18%
    6.2004: CONGRESS BEAT BJP
    7.1999: BJP BEAT CONGRESS

  • Kejriwal attacks media, says will ‘send all to jail’

    Kejriwal attacks media, says will ‘send all to jail’

    NEW DELHI/NAGPUR (TIP): Arvind Kejriwal found himself embroiled in a raging controversy after a surprising comment by him threatening to send mediapersons to jail for allegedly promoting BJP leader Narendra Modi for monetary considerations went viral. The controversy could well signal the end of the Aam Admi Party’s already fraying honeymoon with the media.

    A video of Kejriwal’s diatribe against the media at a fund raising dinner in Nagpur on Thursday saw him promise an inquiry against mediapersons if AAP came to power. “If our government comes to power then we will set an inquiry into this. And along with media people, all will be sent to jail,” he said.

    The video marked a shocking and sweeping attack on the media for allegedly hyping up Modi while airing negative or critical news about AAP and immediately sparked off a furious spat between the party and its political opponents with BJP and Congress leaders condemning Kejriwal’s comments as reflecting a dictatorial and vengeful mindset.

    Though Kejriwal denied the remarks saying, “I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything. How can I be upset with you (media),” his senior party colleagues Dilip Pande, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan stuck to charging TV and print media with targeting AAP and promoting BJP. Kejriwal’s comments and their justification by senior AAP leaders marks a new low in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between the party and the media after an initial phase last year when the new outfit received rave reviews.

    In UP, NaMo gujia takes on RaGa namkeen
    ALLAHABAD (TIP): The political climate has influenced Holi celebrations in Allahabad this year with ‘NaMo’ Gujias taking on ‘RaGa’ namkeen in two different shops of the Old City area. The Gujias named Narendra Modi are a hit. The unique Gujia priced at Rs 80 per piece weighs around 250 grams as a normal one. “The NaMo design is carefully applied on one side of the gujia. It is written by Kesar (saffron) and as the gujia is fried, saffron coloured word starts reflecting on one side of the sweet,” said Subodh, the shop owner. The sweet has been an instant hit as the trial stock of around 75 pieces was sold off within a couple of hours after being put on display, he said.

    Court imposes Rs 2,500 fine each on Kejriwal, Sisodia
    NEW DELHI (TIP): A trial court on March 15 imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 each on Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia after they failed to appear before it in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against them by Union telecom minister Kapil Sibal’s lawyer son Amit Sibal. Metropolitan magistrate Sunil Kumar Sharma, however, accepted their pleas seeking exemption from personal appearance for the day only. The court also released AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Shazia Ilmi, who had appeared before it, on an undertaking that they would appear before the court on each and every date of hearing.

    Trinamool Congress rules out post-poll tie-up with BJP
    Kolkata (TIP): Trinamool Congress on March 15 ruled out any post-poll alliance with BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “There is no question of any tie-up with BJP before or after the Lok Sabha poll,” Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy said. Earlier, to a question at a media briefing during the day, he said that there was no question of Trinamool Congress going soft on BJP PM nominee Narendra Modi. “Our fight is against corruption of the UPA government and communalism of BJP. We have consistent stance against communalism. Our leader Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly said including at the Brigade Parade Ground rally on January 30 that we do not want the face of riots,” he said.

  • Kejriwal ready to fight Modi, Varanasi decision on March 23

    Kejriwal ready to fight Modi, Varanasi decision on March 23

    NEW DELHI/BANGALORE (TIP): Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, March 16, said he was ready to contest the Lok Sabha polls against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, but would take a decision at his party’s rally in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on March 23.

    “The party wants me to contest against Modi, but the people of Varanasi will tell me on March 23,” Kejriwal said in Bangalore, sending the political mercury soaring. Underlining that it was “important to defeat Modi”, the former Delhi chief minister said: “It is a very big challenge. It is not a small challenge… I am ready to accept this challenge.”

    But Kejriwal quickly added he will take a decision after judging the response of the people in Varanasi Kejriwal had set the tone for the tantalising contest through a tweet at 12.15pm, saying: “Many people asking me – “will I contest against Modi ji?” I will talk on this issue in today’s rally at Bangalore (sic).”

    Kejriwal’s decision comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared Modi as the candidate from Varanasi, whose sitting parliamentarian Murli Manohar Joshi has been given the BJP ticket from Kanpur. The AAP leader’s move confirmed the buzz that had been going around for some time now and the AAP too had lined up its trump card accordingly. On March 2, the AAP had smartly let it be known that Kejriwal would take on Modi from Varanasi.

    The Kejriwal versus Modi contest will invariably become a big story till the Lok Sabha polls end. Win or lose, this plays out perfectly for the AAP, which is making its national debut after a stunning performance in the Delhi assembly polls. Kejriwal had defeated three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the assembly polls. Kejriwal’s big announcement came following his Saturday fund-raising dinner in the city that brought the AAP Rs. 50 lakh. Varanasi goes to polls on May 12, four days before votes are counted and India gets to know if there is a clear verdict in favour of a party to form the next government, or a hung one.

  • I share PM, Sonia’s apology over 1984 riots: Rahul Gandhi

    I share PM, Sonia’s apology over 1984 riots: Rahul Gandhi

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Seeking to control damage resulting from his earlier comments on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi, on March 16, said that he completely shared the sentiments of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had apologised and the party President Sonia Gandhi, who had expressed regrets.

    He was asked by PTI during an interview here as to why he, as the Congress party’s Vice President, had hesitated during a TV interview some weeks ago to apologise for the riots which followed the assassination of his grandmother and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. Gandhi replied, “The Prime Minister of the UPA has apologised and the President of the Congress party (has) expressed regrets.

    I share their sentiments completely.”During the TV interview when he was asked why he would not apologise for the riots, he had confined himself to saying, “innocent people died in 1984 and innocent people dying is a horrible thing and should not happen.” His failure then to apologise for the riots had touched off a controversy with BJP, Akali Dal and commentators attacking him.

  • Missing Pregnant Mother Found Dead In Dallas

    Missing Pregnant Mother Found Dead In Dallas

    DALLAS (TIP): One week after she went missing, a pregnant Dallas woman was found dead about two miles from the location where she was last seen. On the morning of March 14 the body of an unidentified black female was found in the 1200 block of Presidio Avenue.

    The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office later positively identified the body as that of D’Lisa Kelley. After days of searching for the woman Dallas police Lieutenant Max Geron said, “This is now a homicide investigation.” Kelley, who was also mother to a young son, was last seen late in the afternoon on March 7.

    According to police, the pregnant 24-year-old headed out from a friend’s home to attend a wake, but never showed up. One person reported to authorities that Kelley made an unintentional call on her cellphone some time after leaving the friend’s home. Sounds of an argument could be heard in the background.

    The call disconnected and Kelley could not be reached after. Authorities have not released Kelley’s cause of death. Police are now asking that anyone who may have seen anything suspicious on March 7 or has information about Kelley’s murder to contact Dallas police at 214-671-4268.

  • ACID ATTACK ON WITNESS IN RAPE CASE AGAINST ASARAM BAPU

    ACID ATTACK ON WITNESS IN RAPE CASE AGAINST ASARAM BAPU

    SURAT (TIP): Two unidentified men in Surat on Sunday, March 16, threw acid at one of the witnesses in the rape case against the self-styled godman Asaram, police said. This is a third attack targeting a witness in the rape cases against Asaram and his son.

    “A witness in the rape case against Asaram has suffered an acid attack by two men in Vesu area,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Shobha Bhutda told PTI. “The victim has been identified as Dinesh Bhavchandani (39) who has given a statement against Asaram in the case. The incident took place when Mr. Bhavchandani was riding to his house near Vesu Royal Residency.

    Two men on a bike overtook him and threw acid,” she said. He was taken to a private hospital. This is a third case of attack on a witness in rape cases against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. Asked about police protection for the witnesses, the DCP said, “Most witnesses are given police protection, but these three victims had refused it.”

    A Surat-based woman has accused Asaram of repeated rapes and illegal confinement between 1997 and 2006 when she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Her younger sister has lodged a similar complaint against Narayan Sai. Asaram (72) is currently in a Jodhpur jail after being arrested in September 2013 for sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram there.

  • FBI docs reveal alleged Islamist terror training compound in Texas

    FBI docs reveal alleged Islamist terror training compound in Texas

    AUSTIN, TX (TIP): About three hours away from Austin, Texas, sits what declassified FBI documents say is an alleged Islamist training compound, the Clarion Project reported Tuesday, March 11.

    According to the Clarion Project, the enclave in Texas is one of 22 such compounds owned by the group, Muslims of the Americas, an organization linked to radical Pakistani Muslim cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani. According to the documents obtained by Clarion, the network is headquartered in “Islamberg,” a community in rural New York.

    The Texas compound, located in Brazoria County near Sweeny, is known as “Mahmoudberg.” According to Clarion, a spokesman for the group declared the U.S. to be a Muslim-majority country, a claim easily debunked.Clarion also cited a 2007 FBI report that said MOA members have been involved in at least 10 murders, one disappearance, three firebombings, one attempted firebombing, two explosive bombings and one attempted bombing.

    “The documented propensity for violence by this organization supports the belief the leadership of the MOA extols membership to pursue a policy of jihad or holy war against individuals or groups it considers enemies of Islam, which includes the U.S. Government. Members of the MOA are encouraged to travel to Pakistan to receive religious and military/terrorist training from Sheikh Gilani,” the document added.

    Local residents have reported gunfire in the area, but that is common in rural Texas. Clarion posted pictures of shells it claims to have found in the vicinity. The compound was also the site of a 2002 shooting incident where one member of the group reportedly shot another. FBI documents revealed that group members did not cooperate with authorities and women wearing veils were not permitted to speak directly with officers.

    The organization has been in Texas since the 1980s and maintains an outreach facility in Houston, Clarion added. Authorities also raided a nearly 45-acre “compound” about 70 miles south of Dallas in 1991 after a MOA/Jamaat-ul-Fuqra bomb plot in Toronto was foiled. The organization is allowed to operate in the country, Clarion said, because the State Department has not designated MOA/Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    “The group is thus permitted to organize in the U.S. until that happens,” Clarion said, even though the State Department has recognized the organization’s terrorist agenda. In 1998, the State Department called the group an “Islamic sect that seeks to purify Islam through violence.” “Jamaat ul-Fuqra has never been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. It was included in several recent annual terrorism reports under ‘other terrorist groups,’ i.e., groups that had carried out acts of terrorism but that were not formally designated by the Secretary of State.

    However, because of the group’s inactivity during 2000, it was not included in the most recent terrorism report covering that calendar year,” a State Department spokesman said in 2002. Nevertheless, the FBI is concerned about the organization, and Clarion said the group needs to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization “before it’s too late.”

  • Texas man found guilty in Lafayette federal court of attempted sex crime

    Texas man found guilty in Lafayette federal court of attempted sex crime

    LAFAYETTE, TX (TIP): A Texas man was convicted this week in a federal trial for trying to entice a 14-year-old into a sexual relationship through online chats in 2012, U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley said in an emailed release.

    Elton Ray Jones, 67, of Zavalla, Texas, faces 10 years to life in a federal prison after a jury found him guilty of one count of trying to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for one hour before announcing the verdict Tuesday.

    Finley said Jones engaged in online conversations with a law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl in an online chat room from Sept. 11, 2012, to Oct. 17, 2012. “Jones engaged in explicit conversations with the girl and planned a sexual encounter,” Finley said. Jones was arrested Oct. 17, 2012, in Lafayette after traveling from Texas for the date.

    In addition to the possible life sentence, Jones faces five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He also will be ordered to register as a sex offender if he’s released. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote, who presided over the trial, did not set a date for sentencing. The case was part of a U.S. Department of Justice program called Project Safe Childhood, a federal policeprosecutor initiative designed to combat the sexual exploitation of children.

  • Texas dad killed daughter, her lesbian lover because he disliked that she was gay: mom

    Texas dad killed daughter, her lesbian lover because he disliked that she was gay: mom

    DALLAS (TIP): A Texas dad disgusted with his daughter’s lesbian lifestyle murdered the young woman and her lover, the girl’s mother said in a shocking twist to a gruesome case.

    James Cosby, 46, bludgeoned his daughter Britney Cosby to death and shot her lover, Crystal Jackson, on March 6 before dumping the bodies near the ferry gate in Port Bolivar, Texas, police believe.The bodies were found near a Dumpster around 7:30 a.m. the next day outside a Fisherman’s Cove food mart.

    Both women were 24. Britney’s mother told KHOU-TV that Cosby was angry his daughter was gay. “He said it to me a few times that he did not like the idea of her being gay,” Loranda McDonald told the TV station. “But, like I told him, there’s nothing we could do about that. That’s who she is. We can’t change her lifestyle.”

    Capital murder charges are pending against James Cosby, a registered sex offender released from prison in October, Galveston Sheriff Office Capt. Barry Cook told the Daily News. The murder weapons have not been recovered and Britney Cosby’s recently purchased 2006 Kia Sorento is still missing. (Source: KHOU-TV)

  • KATE WINSLET SET TO RECEIVE HOLLYWOOD WALK

    KATE WINSLET SET TO RECEIVE HOLLYWOOD WALK

    Kate Winslet is going to receive a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame soon and James Cameron and Kathy Bates will present her with the award. Walk of Fame ceremonies’ spokesperson said that they are very happy that the ‘Titanic’ star would be there to receive her “well-deserved star”, the Daily Express reported.

    The rep said that they have been seeing the 38- year-old actress shine in her roles and fans around the world have been waiting for this special day. Winslet is the 2,2520th celeb to be inducted to receive the honour.

  • NICOLE KIDMAN MAY BE NEXT VICTIM OF ‘PRINCESS CURSE’

    NICOLE KIDMAN MAY BE NEXT VICTIM OF ‘PRINCESS CURSE’

    Following her friend Naomi Watts’ ill-fated role playing Princess Diana, could Nicole Kidman become the next victim of the princess curse, as her new film ‘Grace of Monaco’ is now stuck in limbo.

    While the film is scheduled to open the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, Kidman’s friend, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, has effectively dropped the project, taking it off his company’s slate of north American releases for this year fater having a dispute with the movie’s director, Olivier Dahan, the Syndey Morning Herald reported.

    The film has already been delayed twice; it was originally intended to be released last November. Dahan told French newspaper Liberation last year that The Weinstein Company, which owns the film’s US distribution rights, had been demanding a ”sanitised” final cut and referred to two versions of the film – ”Harvey’s and mine”. Apparently, Weinstein’s version chopped 22 minutes off Dahan’s version.

  • AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

    AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

    STORY: A gripping melodrama about the lives of the Westons, who gravitate back to their Oklahoma hometown, the film is about the interpersonal relationships of this family during a crisis situation.

    REVIEW: An old country house sets the scene for the proceedings in this movie, where Violet Weston (Streep) raised her three daughters – the aggressive Barbara (Roberts), the meek Ivy (Nicholson) and the flirty Karen (Lewis). Violet’s husband Beverly (Shepard) is an aging poet. Barbara has a pill addiction and is in the early stages of mouth cancer. One sweltering day, Beverly goes missing-presumed-dead. Distraught, Violet calls her sister Mattie Fae (Matindale) and brotherin- law Charles Aiken (Cooper) as well as her daughters.

    The three sisters arrive. Ivy is single but Karen brings her latest boyfriend Steve (Mulroney) and Barbara gets estranged hubbie Bill (McGregor). Although no one knows that they’re estranged. A few days pass, after which the county sheriff shows up with the bad news: Beverly’s body has been found in the bottom of a lake. After the body is correctly identified by Violet, the family find themselves having to deal with each other in a way that most of them seem unprepared to do.

    What follows is a series of interactions between family members that takes the term ‘family drama’ to a new level. The sleazy Steve, for example, tries to get into Barbara and Bill’s 14-year-old daughter Jean’s (Breslin) pants. Ivy tells Barbara that she secretly is in love with Little Charles (Cumberbatch, playing Mattie’s son). The film is full of angry exchanges and confrontations, mostly between the drugged-up Violet and Barbara, who gives as good as she gets.

    At regular intervals, various crazy secrets of the family emerge. Streep stands out as the unbalanced matriarch. Roberts too is someone to watch out for. In fact, there’s not one weak link in the portrayals of this train-wreck of a family. The music by Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) helps add to the dramatic tension in the film, generously laced as it is with dark humour and plot twists aplenty.

  • SONAKSHI CROONS FOR PARROT

    SONAKSHI CROONS FOR PARROT

    The animated musical Rio 2 has Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg lending their voices for the birds, Jewel and Blu. And Sonakshi Sinha and Imran Khan have been roped in by producers Fox Star Studios to parrot for the lovable macaws in the dubbed Hindi version.

    While voicing the delightfully funny lines, Sonakshi ended up crooning a few too. According to a source, “The dubbing happened last Saturday. It took only a couple of hours and Sonakshi had a real blast. And during an interesting party sequence she sang a few lines too.”

    When contacted the actress confirmed the news saying, “I really enjoyed dubbing for the film and I felt that both Imran and I were perfect for the characters of Blu and Jewel. There’s a scene where the two macaws are dancing and singing so they made us sing a few lines too. It was a novel experience but super fun because I love singing.

    I’d have loved to sing more but unfortunately, I’m just a bathroom singer.” The sequel to the 2011 film will open in theatres on April 11. It releases in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The comedy unveils in the Brazilian city of Rio De Janero and will see Blu and Jewel, along with their three kids, leave placid domesticity behind for a journey to the Amazon rain forest.

  • WHEN DEEPIKA PADUKONE CRIED FOR RANBIR KAPOOR

    WHEN DEEPIKA PADUKONE CRIED FOR RANBIR KAPOOR

    Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone has never hidden her relationship status. She recently admitted that she cried a lot after her break up with her former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. However, she is not sure if she wants to get back with him.

    Speaking to Mid-Day, the leggy lass said that both Ranbir and she have moved on in their lives. However, she said the breakup taught her many things and made her realize that she should not be very attached to anyone or anything in life.

    She finds herself to be a better and more mature person and thanks Ranbir for that. However, she admits that she does not want to rush into things with her current beau Ranveer Singh. She wants to give it time to know him better as a person.

  • QUEEN

    QUEEN

    STORY: Queen is an ignorant Delhi girl who finds herself on a ‘honeymoon’ all by herself. What happens along the way forms the crux of this sweet, sensitive, fun social drama. REVIEW: The action begins in a middle-class Delhi household.

    The father is a mithaiwala; his daughter Rani Mehra or Queen (Kangana Ranaut) is naive, even appears stupid in today’s context, a virgin, waiting to get married. Destiny has other designs for her. Que sera sera, without divulging too much, you can safely cut to her taking off to Paris, all alone.

    The start of Queen’s journey bears resemblance to that of Sridevi’s in ‘English Vinglish’. This Delhi girl is as nervous on her flight to Europe as that Pune housewife was when she was flying to America. Their dumbstruck expressions on the flight and on discovering the magic of their foreign destination, their Indian attire, the dilemmas of what to eat and whom to speak with seem identical. However, that’s just a brief resemblance. Otherwise Rani’s journey of self-discovery charts its own course.

    In Paris, Rani meets the long-legged, dusky Indo- French girl Vijaylakshmi (Lisa Haydon) who befriends her, giving her lessons on love, lust and life. Slowly, Queen’s low self-esteem gives way to supreme confidence. Before you know it, she’s on a train to the sex capital of the world. At a hostel in Amsterdam, Rani shares a room with three men. And this motley group goes on to forge a bond. Soon, you are as engrossed in their friendship as she is. Kangana Ranaut’s performance is outstanding.

    Whether she’s crestfallen or ecstatic, selling golgappas or naively buying sex-toys, hiding her infatuation for an Italian restaurateur or showing deep dejection about her wimpy beau Vijya (Rajkummar Rao), she’s a class act. Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao lend good support. But this film belongs to its director Vikas Bahl. This is his first solo outing. Earlier he co-directed the National- Award winning ‘Chillar Party’ with Nitesh Tiwari. Bollywood should blow bugles in his honour.

  • VW’S LATEST: CARS WITH NO DRIVERS

    VW’S LATEST: CARS WITH NO DRIVERS

    HANNOVER (TIP):
    Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn unveiled James 2025, a prototype of the interiors of what it called the car of the future, at the opening ceremony of Europe’s largest technology showcase, Cebit 2014, in Hannover in Germany. James 2025 is a virtual cockpit where drivers can sit back and hand over some of the controls of their cars by pressing a few buttons on the panel. As soon as the automatic driving mode is activated, the steering wheel, seating position and the light coding changes and a large central screen gives the driver details of any planned manoeuvers.

    A second screen with a touchpad on the console provides infotainment features. With higher levels of automation and electronics systems running together in the cockpits of modern cars, multiple stakeholders should participate in developing intelligent cars of the future by defining a legal framework, Winterkorn said. “The challenges we face here are the modernization of infrastructure and the clarification of legal aspects. The automobile industry, the IT industry, scientists and politicians need to join forces. The mobility of the future will be worthwhile for everyone — especially for consumers who will benefit from cars that are safer, more comfortable and more intelligent,” he said.

    He said IT has an important role to play in shaping mobility of the future. The Volkswagen Group invests 3.8 billion euros in IT every year and employs 9,300 IT specialists. “The car itself has become a mobile computing centre. We install approximately 1.5 kilometres of wiring in every vehicle and more than 50 electronic control devices. Their combined computing power is equivalent to 20 of the latest PCs you can buy today,” Winterkorn said.

    In today’s new age of digitization, two-way communication between cars and their environment could address issues around safety and fuel consumption. Winterkorn, however, emphasized the need for automakers to be equally responsible about protecting customers’ data. “The car must not be a data monster. I say yes to big data, yes to greater security and convenience, but no to the nanny state and Big Brother! This is an issue that affects the whole industry and what is needed here is a form of self-regulation by the car industry. Volkswagen certainly stands ready to sign up for such an arrangement,” he said.

  • Tesco India captive gets new head

    Tesco India captive gets new head

    BANGALORE (TIP):
    In a major organizational rejig, Tesco, the world’s third largest retailer, has brought company veteran Glen Attewell from Seoul to head its captive global IT operations in Bangalore. Tesco Hindustan Service Centre (HSC) is the operations and technology centre for Tesco worldwide.

    It was the first fully owned support centre set up by a major international retailer in India and currently employs close to 6,000 people. As CEO, Attewell will report to Alison Horner, group personnel director on the executive committee of Tesco, indicating the growing importance of the retailer’s India operations. Attewell will take over from Sandeep Dhar, who joined the company in 2008. Prior to this, Dhar was the MD for India and global head of delivery at Sapient, a US-based marketing and consulting company.

  • FORBES NAMES TWO INDIANS AMONG AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL CEOS UNDER-40

    FORBES NAMES TWO INDIANS AMONG AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL CEOS UNDER-40

    NEW YORK (TIP):
    Two Indian CEOs have been named among America’s most powerful CEOs under the age of 40 — who head publicly—traded companies with highest market values — in the Forbes magazine list that is topped by Google CEO and co—founder Larry Page. Website hosting company Endurance International Group CEO and founder Hari K Ravichandran (38) has been ranked 19th, while asset management firm Altisource Asset Management (AAMC) CEO Ashish Pandey (38) is ranked 20th. Ravichandran’s firm has a market cap of $2.1 billion and that of Altisource is $1.8 billion. He is an MBA from the Wharton and studied electrical engineering at Stanford. Pandey has served as a Director and the Chief Executive Officer of AAMC since December 2012.

    He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Indian Institute of Management. “It’s been said that youth is wasted on the young, but the still—fresh faces on this list have done anything but squander their earlier decades. “Some began their careers with dorm room innovations, others rose through the ranks with record speed, but whatever their path, everyone on this list made it to the top before their 41st birthday,” Forbes said. The 20 CEOs on the list head publicly— traded companies with the highest market capitalisations. For the third consecutive year, Page has topped the list.


    18

    In the past year, the search giant’s record—high stock prices nudged Page’s personal net worth above to $30 billion. The youngest CEO on the list is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 29, remains in the second place. For the second consecutive year, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, 38, holds third place and remains the only woman on this list. In her less than two years as CEO, earlier with Google, has made “changes and waves in equal measure,” Forbes said. Eight CEOs are new to the list this year, including Burger King Worldwide head Daniel Schwartz, 33, who is one of the youngest on the list. Since taking the position in June last year, Schwartz has focused on expanding the brand internationally, forming partnerships in India and France and opening the fast food chain’s first location in Brunei.

  • EU moves towards travel bans, asset freezes for Russians

    EU moves towards travel bans, asset freezes for Russians

    BRUSSELS/SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE (TIP): The EU agreed a framework on Thursday for its first sanctions on Russia since the cold war, a stronger response to the Ukraine crisis than many had expected and a mark of solidarity with Washington in the effort to make Moscow pay for seizing Crimea.

    The EU sanctions, outlined in a document seen by Reuters, would slap travel bans and asset freezes on an as-yet-undecided list of people and firms accused by Brussels of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. German chancellor Angela Merkel said the measures would be imposed on Monday unless diplomatic progress was made. Shares in Moscow dropped 2.6% and the central bank was forced to spend $1.5 billion to prop up the rouble as investors confronted the prospect that Russia could face unexpectedly serious consequences for its plans to annex Crimea.

    Russian troops have seized control of the Black Sea peninsula, where separatists have taken over the provincial government and are preparing for a referendum on Sunday to make the region part of Russia, which the West calls illegal. The measures outlined by the EU are similar to steps already announced by Washington, but would have far greater impact because Europe buys most of Russia’s oil and gas exports, while the United States is only a minor trade partner. The EU’s 335 billion euros of trade with Russia in 2012 was worth around 10 times that of the United States.

    The travel bans and asset freezes could cut members of Russia’s elite off from the European cities that provide their second homes and the European banks that hold their cash. The fast pace of Russian moves to annex Crimea appears to have galvanised the leaders of a 28-member bloc whose consensus rules often slow down its decisions. Merkel herself had initially expressed reservations about sanctions but has been frustrated by Moscow’s refusal to form a “contact group” to seek a diplomatic solution over Crimea. “Almost a week ago, we said that if that wasn’t successful within a few days, we’d have to consider a second stage of sanctions,” Merkel said. “Six days have gone by since then and we have to recognise, even though we will continue our efforts to form a contact group, that we haven’t made any progress.”

    PREPARATIONS
    In Crimea, the regional government is led by a Russian separatist businessman whose party received just 4% of the vote in the last provincial election in 2010 but who took power on February 27 after gunmen seized the assembly building. Two days later, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia had the right to invade Ukraine to protect Russian citizens. Preparations for Sunday’s referendum are in full swing. Banners hang in the centre of Crimea’s capital, reading “Spring — Crimea — Russia!” and “Referendum — Crimea with Russia!” Crimea has a narrow ethnic Russian majority, and many in the province of 2 million people clearly favour rule from Moscow.

    Opinion has been whipped up by state-run media that broadcast exaggerated reports of a threat from “fascist thugs” in Kiev. “Enough with Ukraine, that unnatural creation of the Soviet Union, we have to go back to our motherland,” said Anatoly, 38, from Simferopol, dressed in camouflage uniform and a Cossack traditional fur cap. But a substantial, if quieter, part of the population still favours being part of Ukraine. They include many ethnic Russians as well as Ukrainians and members of the peninsula’s indigenous Tatar community, who were brutally repressed under Soviet rule. “Crimea has been with Ukraine since the 1950s and I want to know how they will cut it off from what was our mainland,” said Musa, a Tatar. “If the referendum is free and fair, at least a little bit, I will vote against Crimean independence.”

    The referendum seems to leave no such choice: voters will have to pick between joining Russia or adopting an earlier constitution that described Crimea as sovereign. The regional assembly says that if Crimea becomes sovereign, it will sever ties with Ukraine and join Russia anyway. Still, with the streets firmly in control of pro- Russian militiamen and Russian troops, there is little doubt that the separatist authorities will get the pro-Russian result they seek. Many opponents, including Tatar leaders, plan to boycott. There will be no Western observers. Election officials have openly said they proudly support union with Russia. Journalists seeking accreditation for the vote are required to promise not to report “negative news”.

    While tightening his grip on Crimea, Putin seems to have rowed back from his March 1 threat to invade other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, where most of the population, though ethnically Ukrainian, speak Russian as a first language. That threat exposed the limits of Ukraine’s military, which would be little match for the superpower next door and has seen its detachments in Crimea surrounded. The authorities in Kiev announced the formation of a new national guard on Wednesday.

    But if Putin had expected to be able to seize Crimea without facing any consequences — as he did when he captured parts of tiny Georgia after a war in 2008 — the push towards sanctions suggests he may have miscalculated. In a statement, the leaders of the G7 – the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada — called on Russia to stop the referendum from taking place. “In addition to its impact on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states,” they said. “Should the Russian Federation take such a step, we will take further action, individually and collectively.”

    TALK BUT NO BREAKTHROUGH
    There has been a lot of diplomatic contact between Russia and the West – on Thursday Putin spoke to French President Francois Hollande, while U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to meet foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday in London — but so far no sign of any breakthrough. Russia has pledged to retaliate for any sanctions, but EU leaders seem to be betting that Moscow has more to lose than they do. Merkel’s finance minister,Wolfgang Schaeuble, said any potential impact on Germany’s economy was likely to be limited. Storage tanks for natural gas across much of Europe are full after a mild season, and the peak of winter demand is over. Europe’s trade volume with Russia accounts for just 1 percent of EU gross domestic product but 15 percent of Russia’s, said the German trade lobby group BGA.

    “A trade conflict would be painful for the German economy, but for the Russian economy it would be life-threatening,” said its president, Anton Boerner. Many investors still believe sanctions are unlikely to be severe enough to damage ‘business as usual’ for Moscow, but say the risk of serious disruption has grown. “Talk of very tough sanctions is probably a negotiating tool and at this stage the impact will be limited. But it’s the anticipation of stronger action that could potentially be more harmful,” said Neal Shearing, head of emerging markets research at Capital Economics.

    While the EU has agreed wording for its sanctions, it is still working on a target list. Talks took place in London this week between officials from Britain, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and Japan. “My understanding is that there was detailed discussion of names at the meeting,” an EU official said. “No definitive list has been drawn up, but it will be ready by Monday.”European officials have indicated that Putin and Lavrov will not be on the list, in order to keep channels of communication open. The list is expected to focus on targets close to Putin in the security services and military, as well as lawmakers.

  • SPICEJET ORDERS 42 BOEING 737 MAX WORTH $4.4 BN

    SPICEJET ORDERS 42 BOEING 737 MAX WORTH $4.4 BN

    NEW DELHI:
    Low-cost carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday placed an order for 42 Boeing 737 Max aircraft at a list price of $4.4 billion. The airline swapped existing orders for 12 Boeing 737 aircraft for the next-gen avatar of the plane, which the US aircraft major announced after Airbus came up with the thriftier A-320 neo (new engine option) of its popular A-320s. The delivery of the new planes will begin from 2018 and SpiceJet, India’s second largest LCC, will use the sale and lease-back model to finance their acquisitions.

    The deal was announced at the ongoing Hyderabad air show. Ficci, which is among the organizers of the air show, described it as the “biggest deal in the aviation history of India… between Indian budget airline, SpiceJet and Boeing”. “SpiceJet greatly values the ties we have built over the years with Boeing. The Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, the mainstay of the fleet ever since SpiceJet started operations, have vindicated our choice by their endurance, reliability and cost effectiveness,” said S L Narayanan, CFO of Sun Group, the parent company of SpiceJet.

    Boeing senior VP (Asia Pacific and India sales) Dinesh Keskar said: “The order is a tremendous endorsement of the 737 MAX’s unsurpassed fuel efficiency. The capabilities of the 737 MAX support SpiceJet’s mission to become India’s preferred low-cost airline.” The 737 MAX brings advanced engine technologies to the aircraft. It incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

    With the latest deal, SpiceJet has ordered 90 airplanes directly from Boeing, which includes the 737-800, 737- 900ER and now the 737 MAX. The low-cost airline has so far taken delivery of 31 planes. The LCC opted for a fuel efficient version of the B-737 as part of its recent endeavor to fly out of red, something which has proven to be elusive so far. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates SpiceJet to report a record full-year loss of about Rs 1,186 crore in 2013-14 — equal to the combined losses incurred from 2007 to 2013.

  • BEANSTALK-LIKE ‘SPACE ELEVATORS’ COULD GO FROM SCI-FI TO REALITY

    BEANSTALK-LIKE ‘SPACE ELEVATORS’ COULD GO FROM SCI-FI TO REALITY

    WASHINGTON (TIP):
    Researchers suggest that a beanstalk-like ‘space elevator’ consisting of an Earthanchored tether that extends 100,000km into space could eventually provide routine, safe, inexpensive and quiet access to the Earth’s orbit. An assessment of the concept has been put together in a study titled ‘Space Elevators: An Assessment of the Technological Feasibility and the Way Forward’. The study was conducted by experts from around the world under the auspices of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

    The study’s final judgment is twofold: A space elevator appears possible, with the understanding that risks must be mitigated through technological progress, and a space elevator infrastructure could indeed be built via a major international effort. The tether serving as a space elevator would be used to place payloads and people into space using electric vehicles called climbers that drive up and down the tether at train-like speeds. The rotation of the Earth would keep the tether taut and capable of supporting the climbers.

  • G7 urges Russia to withdraw its support ‘immediately’ from Crimean referendum

    G7 urges Russia to withdraw its support ‘immediately’ from Crimean referendum

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, have in a joint statement through the White House, March 12, called on the Russian Federation to cease all efforts to change the status of Crimea contrary to Ukrainian law and in violation of international law.

    The leaders said, “We call on the Russian Federation to immediately halt actions supporting a referendum on the territory of Crimea regarding its status, in direct violation of the Constitution of Ukraine. Any such referendum would have no legal effect. Given the lack of adequate preparation and the intimidating presence of Russian troops, it would also be a deeply flawed process which would have no moral force.

    For all these reasons, we would not recognize the outcome. “Russian annexation of Crimea would be a clear violation of the United Nations Charter; Russia’s commitments under the Helsinki Final Act; its obligations to Ukraine under its 1997 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership; the Russia- Ukraine 1997 basing agreement; and its commitments in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

    In addition to its impact on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states. Should the Russian Federation take such a step, we will take further action, individually and collectively.

    “We call on the Russian Federation to deescalate the conflict in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine immediately, withdraw its forces back to their pre-crisis numbers and garrisons, begin direct discussions with the Government of Ukraine, and avail itself of international mediation and observation offers to address any legitimate concerns it may have.

    We, the leaders of the G-7, urge Russia to join us in working together through diplomatic processes to resolve the current crisis and support progress for a sovereign independent, inclusive and united Ukraine. We also remind the Russian Federation of our decision to suspend participation in any activities related to preparation of a G-8 Sochi meeting until it changes course and the environment comes back to where the G-8 is able to have a meaningful discussion.”

  • THIS DEVICE HELPS LED LIGHTS GLOW BETTER

    THIS DEVICE HELPS LED LIGHTS GLOW BETTER

    LONDON (TIP):
    We all know that LED lights are durable and save energy. Now researchers have found a novel way to make LED lamps even more compact while supplying more light than commercially available models. And the key to success lies in transistors made of the semiconductor material gallium nitride. LEDs are extremely sensitive to variations and spikes in power. To function properly, they need a driver that ensures a constant supply of power at all times.

    “This driver, which takes the alternating current from the grid and converts it into direct current with a reduced voltage, has a profound influence on the light yield and lifetime of the LED lamp as a whole,” said Michael Kunzer, group manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Germany. This prompted researchers to focus their attention on voltage transformers featuring gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. During practical testing, the scientists found that the drivers developed using this new semiconductor material were extremely robust.

    Components made of GaN can operate at higher currents, voltages and temperatures than standard silicon transistors. “Heat plays a role both in the brightness and the service life of LED lamps,” Kunzer added.With the new semiconductor, the researchers were able to boost the efficiency of the GaN driver to 86 per cent – between one and four percentage points better than its silicon equivalent.”Nearly 20 per cent of energy consumption worldwide can be attributed to lighting so it is an area where savings are particularly worthwhile. One should not underestimate the role played by the efficiency of LED drivers as this is key to saving energy,” Kunzer noted.

  • US lawmakers urge Pentagon to end ban on Sikhs serving in army

    US lawmakers urge Pentagon to end ban on Sikhs serving in army

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A group of 105 US lawmakers has urged the Pentagon to lift the presumptive ban on the Sikhs serving in the military by easing restrictions on beard, turbans, and other religious accoutrements.

    “Given the achievements of these soldiers and their demonstrated ability to comply with operational requirements while practising their faith, we believe it is time for our military to make inclusion of practicing Sikh Americans the rule, not the exception,” the lawmakers said in a letter to US defence secretary Chuck Hagel.

    Led by Congressmen Joe Crowley, vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Defence Appropriations Subcommittee, the 105 members of the US House of Representatives requested that the US armed forces update their appearance regulations to once again allow Sikh Americans to serve while abiding by their articles of faith, such as wearing a turban or beard.

    They said the Sikhs have served in the US army since World War I, and are permitted to serve in the armed forces of Canada and the UK, as well as key partner India. The three Sikh Americans who have been granted individualised accommodations to serve in the US army wear turbans and maintain beards in a neat and conservative manner, both in accordance with operational requirements and their Sikh religious beliefs.

    They are also able to wear protective equipment, including helmets and gas masks, in conformity with safety requirements. Sikh Coalition applauded lawmaker’s move calling for an end to the presumptive ban on devout Sikh service in the US military. “Today’s letter from Congress is a big step forward in our campaign to ensure equal opportunity for Sikh Americans in the US military,” said Rajdeep Singh, director of Law and Policy for the Sikh Coalition. “Sikhs have proven time and again around the world that they are excellent soldiers. It’s time for the Pentagon to realise that Sikh Americans are here to stay and that policies of exclusion are inevitably going to fail,” Singh said.