OBAMA INAUGRUATION! BLACK UNTOUCHABLE CRYST with HISTORY!RHETORIC of INTZAAR or WAIT on the occasion of OBAMA INAUGRUATION is quite RELEVANT in INDIA

OBAMA INAUGRUATION! BLACK UNTOUCHABLE CRYST with HISTORY!RHETORIC of INTZAAR or WAIT on the occasion of OBAMA INAUGRUATION is quite RELEVANT in INDIA inflicted with ETERNAL TOILET TRY!




Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 150

Palash Biswas

Kolakata EDITION of Multi Edition Hindi daily of Indidan Express group, DAINIK JANSATAA did not cover OBAMA Inaugruation! Though it did not fail to print an EDIT! What a pity! Centralised revenue generating multi editional newspapers in India boasting of HI FI IT Explostion and Automation do afford such a Himalayan Miss! As FDI ceiling withdrawn, with cent percent FDI, the PRINT would look more AMUSING in near FUTURE while Indian readres would feel the SENSUOUS SEXUALITY presented by PLAYBOY and PENTHOUSE hitherto untasted at HOME. Nevertheless, JANASATTA has published the PHOTO of the Gathering in WASHINGTON with a CAPTION`INTZAAR’, meanining WAIT! It is quite SYMBOLIC and a PERFECT RHETORIC as far as the Indian Majority Aboriginal Indigenous Communities are conserned. The Liberation from APARTHEID in South Africa could not inspire us! May we afford to wait so long even after the OBAMA INAUGRUATION. Since WHITE COLONIALISM captured AMERICAS, it is first TIME that the BLACK People may CLAIM EQUALITY! Since the introduction of Manusmriti after the FALL of Vrihadrath and rise of PUSHYAMITRA, since the DEMISE of BAUDHISM, since the COUNTER REVOLUTION named MANUSMRITI represented by GLOBAL ZIONISM Post Modern BRAHAMINISM, Aboriginal Indigenous India is ENSLAVED, Sickeled. It is not just a TIME SPAN of COLONIAL RULE at all as we asume and suffer from INTENSE DEMENTIA forgetting our ANCESTORS` DREAMS and LEGACY, Identity , Freedom, knowledge, Awakening, Empowerment and sovereignity!

Look the Amusing TOILET TRY on INDIAN TV Screen and the PRINT appeared this Morning underplaying the BLACK UNTOUCHABLE CRYST with HISTORY! EVERY One representing the Ruling Hegemony, editor, reporter, economists, experts in foreign relations, US based NRIs invested prime time to analyse the interests of Satayam Astayam, the ILLUMINITY in making and INDIA Incs. No one seemed damned intersted in the FUTURE of India. If every thing is POSSIBLE in United States of America why EVERYTHING remains IMPOSSIBLE in India! May we have a Vision of CHANGE on our soil? may we BREAK the Bondage of DARKNESS and SLAVERY sustaing for thousands and thousands years?

In Marxist Ruled West Bengal, the RULING HEGEMONY tried the TOILET TRY to stop OBAMA SPRING in full swing. Silver Screen ICON Suchitra sen was invoked in Ram Krishna Mission Mode! Bengali Cricketeer Saurabh have been gifted a GOLD BAT costing RS 26 lacs! CPIM sponsored BANGA SANSKRITI Sammelan goes on FULL SWING in KOLKATA to sustain the KULIN Brahmin Culture of GENOCIDE. CITY Centred Fairs as Panihati Mela, Bidhan Nagar Mela, Khardah Mela, Behala mela and so on continue with all kinds of MUSCLE and Mone power on the centre Stage not to Mention the KOLKATA BOOK FAIR of the HEGEMONY!

What happens to be the All India Scenerio, it is the most ABSURD VOTE BANK Reality SHOW involving all kinds of Bastardised Political Character goverened by ILLUMINITI, ZIONISM, HEGEMONY, CORPORATES, MNCs and India INCs! Ruling as well as Resistance Hegemony FED FULL STOMOCH with HATRED only! Genocide continues and you may never see the RIVERS of FLOOD as every thing in India is associated with HOLINESS even the MENSTRUATION! The HOLY NATURE is DIVINE as our HOLY SCRIPTS, even the VEDIC HYMNS are concerned. The GOD ALMIGHTY and the NATURE is UNIFIED in ADWAUTVAD. The nature invokes the SHAKTI, different Incarnation of Goddesses including kali, Durga and DUS MAHAVIDYA which ACTIVATE and ENABLE SHIVA! But no one feels any SHAME to RAPE the NATURE! No one hesitates to SELL natural resources. There is NO SIN in GNOCIDE CULTURE. No sin in STARVATION. NO SIN in DISPLACEMENT. No SIN in Hatred. No SIN in LOOT. No SIN in WARs and Civil Wars, No SIN in ENSLAVEMENT. No SIN in Corruption and KICKBACKs. No SIN in Exploitation. No SIN in Persecution. No SIN in Forgery. No SIN in bankruptcy! No SIN is prescribed for the HEGEMONY. The GODS will have the AMRITA for Eternal Life by HOOK or CROOK and the DEMONS, the Indigenous and Aboriginal People have to CONSUME POISON. Since SHIVA, the Aboriginal God happens to be NON ARYAN, he has to SUSTAIN the VENOM in his NECK. Thus , he becomes NEELKANTHA. The Entire GEOGRAPHY has to be Enslaved and HINDUISED, hence SHAIVA, VAISHNAV and SHAKTA PIlGRIMAGE is Prescribed NATIONEWIDE. A SHANKARACHARYA emerges from the BLUE and creates the FOUR HOLYMOST CENTRES of HINDUISM< CHAAR DHAAM. There had been only FOUR SHAKTA PEETH kamroop, Purnagiri, Uddiyan and Jalandhar! In Eighteenth century, they grew in FIFTY ONE PEETHAS. This is the BONDAGE being strengthened by VOCAL media like ASHARAM BAPU and BAABA RAMADEV! may we break this BONDAGE as harichand Thakur tried in early 18th century with Matua Dharma.

Maryada Purushottam Killed SHAMBUK to deny Knowledge and Empowerment to Indigenous Aboriginal People. He did perform the the ASHWAMEDH Yajna in which the QUEEN had to take on the HORSE ORGANISM, for HINDUISATION of the ARYAVARTA. The GENOCIDE was SACRED. it was the RELIGION. The GENOCIDE remains the RELIGION. COLOR TV on Indian TV screen arranges a n AGNIPARIKSHA, FIRE TEST for SANCTITY of Woman`s virginity for its Protagonist BHAKTI in a mega serial RAHE ASSHIRVAAD TERA glorifying the ageold MYTH of SITA tested in FIRE by the RAMA.

Karma SIDDHANTA of REBIRTH prescribed in MAHABHAGWAT GEETA by another INCARNATION of the NOTORIOUS VISHNU sustains and IMMORTALISES the SOUL of Brahaminsm! There are so many versions of KRISHNA spanning no less than TEN LAC years. He is said to be rooted in YADAVA, OBC backgroundwhich makes the ENSLAVEMENT with Inherent injustice and inequality, LEGITIMATE UNCHALLENGEABLE!

Ther is a PARSURAM who kiiled SAHSRABAHU and his own Mother belong to Rajput parents as she had some FANTACY with a YOUTHFUL HANDSOMRE Rajput KING as she was SEXSTARVED. The Father of Parsuram, a reverd RISHI, the Brahmin Monk CAPTURED the PRINCESS blackmailing her PARENT with CURSE Theart. Then, PARSURAM killed the RAJPUTS, not ONCE but TWENTY ONE Times to ENSURE the SUBORDINATION of the most MILITANT Community in India!

This is the BONDAGE!

Whenever the BRAHMINS speak on POLITICS and SYSTEM, Law and Order, Equality and Justice, it is always ECONOMICS! The tardidition continues.

kautilya wrote ARTHASHASTRA means ECONOMICES long before the father of Economics, ADAM SMITH. though he was dealing with Politics and Society, Hegemony and DIPLOMACY! It is ECONOMICS which controls the BRAHMION Psyche from thousands and thousands years. When the Aryans destroyed harapa and Mohanjodoro , it was nothing but ECONOMICS. As it happens only the US Interst involving ECONOMICS which we describe as MIDDLE EAST CRISIS.

Friends, it happens once again the ECONOMICES while we talk on Terrorism or INDO PAK realtions.

The Problem is that our PEOPLE have been deprived of Knowledge and Empowerment. We never do understand ECONOMICS.In comparison, the US citizens are so much so empowered adn in line with the LEGACY of the their Ancestors that we se a BARRACK HUSSAIN OBAMA< A BLACK UNTOUCHABLE at the centrestage.

CHARVAK wrote on the Materialst Ananalysis of Worldly affairs long before Marx and Hegel. but he could not communicate the Masses in DARKNESS ETERNAL prescribed for them by Brahaminical Hindutva! Thus, CHARVAK PHILOSOPHY never could help us. Rather CHARVAK was persecuted and marginalised. ALL untouchables were defined as KASHYAP GOTRA, kashayap being in Charvak line.

Hence, Maoism or Marxism, despite so many INSURRECITIONS, SACRIFICES and IDEOLOGICAL ACCURACY prove to be Quite WORTHLESS for our people as the most Revolutionary IDEAS are USED as the BEST TOOLS of Brahaminism. Because the Indigenous Aboriginal People are not EMPOERED, Not AWAKENED, NOT ORGANISED. We may not MOBILISE the STARVING Masses which suffer Intense Dementia.

Hence the RHETORIC of INTZAAR or WAIT on the occasion of OBAMA INAUGRUATION is quite RELEVANT in INDIA inflicted with ETERNAL TOILET TRY!


Obama has found a receptive audience on Capitol Hill for his call for aggressive action to help the economy and hopes to garner bipartisan support for the massive stimulus package. But Republicans have raised questions about the package, including how quickly the money will be spent and whether certain projects will actually kick-start the economy, which has been in a recession for over a year. Obama is pressing for passage of the package by mid-February.

In what could be seen as a boon to Indians wishing to come to the US, the new Obama Administration's proposed immigration policy favours increase in the number of the legal immigrants in the country. Governmental statistics in the past have indicated that Indians are mostly legal immigrants.

Satayam Asatyam SAFGA of ILLUMINITI making FREESENSEX Brahaminical India continues as No move to sell Satyam, Govt led by World bank gangsters and Wasington planted imposters declares. Perhaps NEO Liberal Indian comradors did not follow OBAMA Inaugruation speech in its spriti as he emphasised on a CONTROLLED MARKET inspite of a FREE GLOBAL Market of which Indian Comradors have become habitual to have SEX!

Many companies are interested in buying embattled Indian software exporter Satyam Computer Services, the federal corporate affairs minister said on Wednesday, but gave no further details.
"There are many corporate houses, they are interested in this," Prem Chand Gupta told reporters on Wednesday.

"The government has not taken any view on this ... it is for the board to take that call. But as far as the government is concerned, there is no such thinking, no such move," he said.


Meanwhile,Drawing a parallel between the Mumbai attack and 9/11 strikes in the US, India on Wednesday said it was high time the world community disciplined ‘recalcitrant’ states which allows the use of its territory for terror activities, an apparent reference to Pakistan. On the other hand, Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said India needs to modernise its defence forces as "the country is surrounded by inimical elements". The Defence Minister was addressing a gathering in Panaji during the commissioning of the Indian Coast Guards fast patrol vessel 'Samrat'. The Government has now decided to modernise the forces and Coast Guard as quickly as possible because India is surrounded by so many elements inimical to the country, Antony said.

"Our armed forces must be in the state of preparedness always," Antony added.

In Washington,Setting a "goal of a world without nuclear weapons", the new administration of Barack Obama promised to strengthen nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and secure loose nuke materials from terrorists. This is because the new administration believes that nuclear weapons and related material pose gravest threat to the people of the US, White House said on Tuesday, releasing the Foreign Policy agenda of the new President.

Barack Obama, fresh from the pageantry of his historic inauguration, will turn on Wednesday toward his goals of rescuing the economy, charting a new course for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and shaping his approach to the Middle East conflict. Obama has pledged bold and swift action to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. He has also asked Americans for patience in grappling with challenges both foreign and domestic that will take time to resolve. With financial markets reeling and job losses mounting, Obama will meet with his economic advisers, who are working with the Democratic-led Congress on an $825 billion fiscal stimulus package. He also is seeking fresh approaches to repair the battered financial system and is mulling a host of ideas, including the creation of a government-run bank that would buy up toxic assets from ailing US banks. The aim is to rekindle the flow of the credit to the economy so businesses and consumers can get access to loans.

Iraq and Afghanistan will dominate Obama's foreign policy agenda, but he has also said he will take an active role to try to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He may move quickly to name a Middle East envoy and is strongly considering George Mitchell, a former US senator and veteran international troubleshooter, for the job.

In addition to the economic meeting, Obama will also sit down with top military officials to discuss Iraq and Afghanistan.

He has said he favors a 16-month timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and US officials said that in his meeting with military leaders, he would discuss the possibility of accelerating their departure.

Obama also will discuss plans to bolster troops in Afghanistan as he meets with a Pentagon delegation led by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gen. David Petraeus, the former Iraq commander credited with pulling the country from the brink of civil war, was to attend Wednesday's meeting after flying back from Afghanistan.

SECRETARY OF STATE

A Senate vote is expected on Wednesday on Obama's nomination of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

But he will begin his new administration without a Treasury secretary. His nominee for the job, Tim Geithner, will face questions from a Senate panel about his past failure to pay some taxes.

Geithner has said the tax problem stemmed from an error and several senators have said they thought the issue would not prevent his confirmation.


"The gravest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon and the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes," said the White House in its agenda document revealing key elements of its foreign policy.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years, it said.

Stating that the new administration has set a "goal of a world without nuclear weapons" the White House said it will pursue it.

"While working to secure existing stockpiles of nuclear material, Obama and Biden will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material. This will deny terrorists the ability to steal or buy loose nuclear materials," it said.

"Obama and Biden will crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions," it added.

Observing that the new administration will always maintain a strong deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist, the White House said it will take several steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons.

"They (Obama and Biden) will stop the development of new nuclear weapons; work with Russia to take US and Russian ballistic missiles off hair trigger alert; seek dramatic reductions in US and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; and set a goal to expand the US-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global," it said.

As a US Senator, Obama had adopted a bipartisan approach to secure nuclear weapons and materials. He joined the Republican Senator Dick Lugar's in passing a law to help the US and its allies detect and stop the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world. He also joined Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to introduce a bill that seeks to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, and stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

New Delhi

"If state apparatus sponsors terrorism as an act of state policy, or a recalcitrant state refuses to recognise its international commitments and responsibilities on not allowing the use of (its) territory for terror activities, the problem becomes more complex and difficult," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

"It is high time for the international community to recognise that such recalcitrant states must be brought to discipline by resorting to various international mechanisms," he added.

Mukherjee made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at the inaugural edition of 'The Delhi Dialogue' between India and ASEAN countries.

"Terrorism is not just the act of misguided individuals or a small group. Since 9/11, the magnitude, depth, audacity of terror acts, as once again manifested in Mumbai attacks, demonstrate that this is no longer a problem of a state or of a region but of the whole world," he said.

The External Minister said the recent Mumbai carnage had shown that both India and ASEAN will need to resolutely rebuff such evil attempts that strike the civilisational roots of the region.

"Our growing economic and political links will send a message that the terrorists' designs will have to be defeated not just by India but by the international community as a whole," Mukherjee said.


"Fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill," according to the White House document that outlines the Immigration Agenda of the new administration.

"Our broken immigration system can only be fixed by putting politics aside and offering a complete solution that secures our border, enforces our laws, and reaffirms our heritage as a nation of immigrants," Obama says in the paper.

The agenda document also promises to remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

The Obama Administration would also support a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Delivering a speech on the floor of the Senate on May 23, 2007, then as the US Senator, Obama, who was sworn in as President on Tuesday, had said: "The time to fix our broken immigration system is now... We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace.

"But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America... Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should."

Our strength: A nation of Christians, Muslims, Jews & Hindus

November to now : What the world has learned about Barack Obama between his November 4 election victory and now

Excerpts from Barack Obama’s inauguration speech:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered… and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met….

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn….

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories... All this we can do. And all this we will do….

This crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart....

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass... that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it….

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: “Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.


http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090121/jsp/foreign/story_10419246.jsp
In complete command
BARTON GELLMAN


Washington, Jan. 20: Barack Obama took office today with a realistic prospect of joining the ranks of history’s most powerful Presidents.

The more familiar observation, that he confronts daunting trials, enhances that prospect. Emergencies have always brought commensurate new authority for the Presidents who faced them, not only because the public demanded action but also because rival branches of government went along.

Obama arrives with a rare convergence of additional strengths, some of them inherited and some of his own making. Predicting a presidency, to be sure, is hazardous business, and much will depend on Obama’s choices and fortune. But historians, recent White House officials and senior members of the incoming team expressed broad agreement that Obama began his term in command of an office that is at or near its historic zenith.

“The opportunity is there for Obama to recast the very nature of the presidency,” said Sean Wilentz, a presidential historian at Princeton. “Not since Reagan have we had as capable a persuader as Obama, and not since FDR has a President come in with quite the configuration of foreign and domestic crises that open up such a possibility for the reconstruction of the executive.”

No President has begun his term with so broad a wave of public confidence — 78 per cent approval in the most recent Gallup poll.

If Obama keeps the loyalty of the online social networks he used to win election, with unprecedented success in fundraising and recruiting, his White House could be the first to harness a meaningful grass-roots movement as an ongoing tool of governance.

The federal government itself is a far more potent instrument, in its breadth and depth of command over national life, than it has ever been before.

Largely in response to the threat of terrorism, the Bush years and President Bill Clinton’s two terms saw “an incredible period of state-building that’s unrivalled in American history except by the creation of the national security state in the 1940s and ’50s,” said Jack Balkin, a professor of constitutional law at Yale whose blog, Balkinization, is often cited by the Obama team.

By necessity or design, and most often by passive acquiescence, Congress and the courts have let Presidents do most of the steering of the new and expanded institutions that govern finance, commerce, communications, travel, energy production and especially intelligence gathering. When there were struggles for dominance among the three branches, most of them ended with lopsided victories for the executive.

The legislative power to declare war and ratify treaties, for example, has been deeply eroded by the practice of Presidents to launch military operations on their own and to make major international commitments by “executive agreement” rather than by treaty requiring a two-thirds Senate vote.

“Really, in the last 80 years we’ve seen a gradual, and at times not gradual, concentration of power in the executive office,” said William P. Marshall, who served as deputy White House counsel under Clinton.

Obama’s style of governance will not be President George W. Bush’s, but it may not differ quite as much as some supporters expect.

Bush defined his power as supremacy over Congress and courts. Obama has pledged to take greater heed of Congress, but he has not disowned the broader assertion that a President may disregard a statute or judge’s ruling.

John D. Podesta, a former White House chief of staff who led the new administration’s transition team, was careful to distinguish between Obama’s promise to “keep the dialogue with Congress” and his willingness to compromise on core objectives.

“Political power gives him the capacity, I suppose, to kind of roll over his opposition, but what he’s shown is a keen understanding that lots of change comes when you have dialogue, reach out to Congress and take account of it. That’s not to say he’ll adjust the goals that he laid before the public in the election.”

The very ambition of Obama’s programme, which has grown in proportion to the scale of the global economic collapse, augurs a potentially transformative term in office. Bush’s agenda was aggressively expansionist when it came to national security and to his own autonomy as President, but in many spheres he aimed to diminish government’s role.

There were exceptions, but the central plank of Bush’s domestic programme called for reducing the government’s share of national income and its role as regulator of the environment, free markets and civil rights.

Now there is broad acceptance of a rescue package that comes close to nationalising large swaths of the private economy.

Even in its first iteration, the government’s $700 billion expenditure to shore up US financial systems will rival the roughly $1 trillion a year in “discretionary” federal spending. Obama has spoken elliptically of the prospect that the cost could double.

Congress has made little pretence of managing these vast expenditures. It will fall to Obama to decide winners and losers in the banking, financial services, automobile and other major industries, a span of control that dwarfs President Harry S. Truman’s attempt to seize control of steel production.

Obama advisers are aware of the risks of taking on too many tasks at once or of provoking a backlash with too muscular a claim of authority.

“Obviously you want to avoid squandering power, and you want to avoid any sense that you’re abusing power,” said a top-ranking member of the new White House staff.

But the greatest risk, as the new team sees it, is not in tackling too much. Said Podesta: “The danger is in undershooting rather than overreaching, given the problems the country is facing.”



LOS ANGELES TIMES- WASHINGTON POST NEWS SERVICE


http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090121/jsp/foreign/story_10420226.jsp


For First Lady, a hint of an agenda and tone
RACHEL L. SWARNS

Michelle Obama at the inauguration in Washington. (AP)
Washington, Jan. 20: She celebrated her 45th birthday in a vintage train car, amid balloons and crepe-paper streamers, and cheering crowds serenaded her by name.

She danced in front of the Lincoln Memorial to Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground with her husband and daughters clapping by her side. She assembled care packages for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and, in this long, whirlwind weekend, marvelled that she is now the public face of America’s first family.

On Inauguration Day, Michelle Obama became the first African-American to assume the role of First Lady, a woman with the power to influence the nation’s sense of identity, its fashion trends, its charitable causes and its perceptions of black women and their families. Already, the outlines of her style and public agenda have begun to emerge.

She has hired a politically seasoned team of advisers and an interior decorator committed to creating a family-friendly feel in her elegant new home. She has sketched out a vision of a White House brimming with children and ordinary Americans while suggesting she may delegate some traditional First Lady duties to her staff: food tastings, china selection and the like.


She has decided to shape her public programme with the help of a policy director who has raised concerns about instances of systemic employment bias against minorities and called for tougher enforcement of antidiscrimination laws, contentious issues in the workplace.

And she has highlighted the warm, informal tone that she hopes will characterise her time in the executive mansion by signing email messages to supporters simply as “Michelle.” A Harvard-educated lawyer and a former hospital executive, Michelle Obama has made it clear that her two young daughters will be her biggest priority.

The causes she has promised to promote fall squarely into the realm of platforms traditionally championed by first ladies. But the staff she has assembled is also clearly prepared to tackle a tougher issues-oriented programme.

“Her experience will guide the kinds of things she does, and her personal experience is unique for a First Lady,” said Paul Schmitz, a longtime friend. “She understands the needs of low-income communities. She understands the needs of women. She has balanced raising a family with a career.”

“She’ll think deeply about how to use her own bully pulpit,” said Schmitz, who heads Public Allies, a non-profit leadership-training network for young adults. “And I think that’s the challenge. You are now the most prominent woman in America. What does that mean? What do you do?”

It is a difficult question, particularly since Michelle Obama is still grappling with how life in the grand house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will transform her family’s existence.

She has grown accustomed to being in the spotlight and has consulted with Laura Bush and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. But she has no experience with the day-to-day details of life in the White House. President Bush and his wife were old hands at White House living because they had visited often when Bush’s father, George Bush, was running the country. Michelle Obama visited the private residence in the White House for the first time in November after the election.

She grew up in a tiny apartment and marvelled recently when she and her close friend Valerie Jarrett pored over photographs of the 15 bedrooms in the presidential mansion.

“You have to pinch yourself to think that that’s home,” said Jarrett, who is also one of President-elect Barack Obama’s closest advisers. Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother, described the Obamas’ new reality as “mind-boggling”.

“Every time I talk to her, I’m like, ‘What are you doing now?’ ” said Robinson, who has delighted in his sister’s accounts of her days in Washington before the move to the White House. “We are such novices at this. I’m just trying to find out, How many bathrooms are in there?” (The answer is 34, according to William Seale, a historian who has written about the White House.)

Los Angeles Times - Washington Post News Service



http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090121/jsp/foreign/story_10419545.jsp


Note for successor at Oval Office
Washington, Jan. 20 (AP): George W. Bush left a note in the Oval Office for President-elect Barack Obama, wishing him well as he takes the reins of the executive branch and continuing a White House ritual.

The White House today declined to provide details of the message the two-term Republican left for the incoming Democrat, saying only that Bush wrote it yesterday and left it in the top drawer of his desk.

“The theme is similar to what he’s said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

During his last moments in the Oval Office, former President Ronald Reagan scribbled a note for his successor on a notepad with a turkey insignia that said “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.”

He, too, slipped the note in the presidential desk for his successor, George H.W. Bush.

Four years after that, the elder Bush left a note for Bill Clinton. And eight years after that, Clinton wrote a note for Bush, and included a copy of the message he had received from Bush’s father.

Following Obama’s inauguration, Bush and his wife Laura got on a helicopter stationed alongside the US Capitol. The new President and his wife walked them to the chopper — in keeping with tradition — to see them off.

The Bushes were first headed to Midland, Texas, for a homecoming celebration. Then they will go to their ranch in Crawford for their first night as private citizens again.




Times Online
President Elect Obama Shines Hope For Equality
MSNBC - 51 minutes ago
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Obama begins first full day as president with a prayer and a letter
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President Obama receives a private note from his predecessor, George W. Bush, and attends a prayer service at the National Cathedral.
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Times Online
Obama Orders Halt to Prosecutions at Guantánamo
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By WILLIAM GLABERSON In the first hours of his presidency, President Obama directed an immediate halt to the Bush administration’s military commissions system for prosecuting detainees at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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USA Today
Chief Justice flubs oath
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Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Barack Obama as president of the United States this afternoon, but not without a stumble. As Roberts administered the presidential oath of office for the first time, Obama paused abruptly after the chief justice ...
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ABC News
First Lady Passes Fashionista Test
ABC News - 1 hour ago
By NICK HAZEL Tuesday was a tale of two dresses. Golden-shimmer, lemon-yellow and celery-cream were just three of the many adjectives used to describe the color of the Inauguration Day attire worn by first lady Michelle Obama.
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Industry expects Obama to stay committed to nuke deal
New Delhi (PTI): Indian industry expects President Barack Obama to remain committed to the Indo-US nuclear deal hoping the new American administration will not create roadblocks for outsourcing, which is more helpful to the US firms than businesses in India.

As the business leaders hailed Obama's swearing in as US President, they gave vent to their concerns over the possibility of the new American administration making the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal contingent on New Delhi signing the test-ban treaty.

While the industry here, like rest of the world, hopes the Obama team to revive the moribund US economy, apprehensions were also raised over the possible moves against outsourcing of businesses of which India has been among the main beneficiaries.

"We expect Obama's continued support to the Indo-US nuclear deal. We are hopeful that Obama would take steps to ensure continuity of the 123-agreement and give shape to commercialisation of the agreement," FICCI Secretary General Amit Mitra said.

He also wanted the new President to re-examine the technology denial regime towards India and create a framework under which the dual-use technology can be shared with New Delhi at par with other G8 countries, he said.

FICCI wants the Obama administration to view outsourcing as a business decision of commercial enterprises especially in a situation where costs play an important role.

"A US Chamber of Commerce study shows that 74 per cent of the benefits of outsourcing actually go to American companies," Mitra said.

CII Chief Mentor Tarun Das said his concern was the possibility of the US asking India to sign the nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

"Though the nuclear deal is done, there are people in the Obama administration who have strong feeling that India should sign the NPT and CTBT to which we have had objections. These are potential areas of differences," he said.

Though Nasscom said there are no immediate concerns on outsourcing, the apex body of the 75-billion-dollar Indian IT industry would be sending a team to Washington in February to lobby with the Senate members on the benefits of outsourcing for the US economy.

"We are planning to meet some members in the Senate in February, not necessarily to lobby but to make them understand how outsourcing can help them (US)," Nasscom Chairman Ganesh Natrajan said.

Obama had raised a pitch against outsourcing during his election campaign.

With the US being the second largest market for Indian merchandise exports, the exporter community is hoping that the new White House incumbent would resurrect the American economy, which can refuel the global trade.

"We expect the US economy to improve. Obama has already made up his mind what he is going to do," President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations A Sakthivel said.




Obama set to chalk out America's new war strategy
Washington (PTI): On his first full day in office, President Barack Obama is set to roll out his new war strategy as he chairs a crucial meeting of his top military and national security advisers today at the White House.

The meeting, according to officials, would be to draw out the strategy for Obama's shift in emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan.

During the crucial meeting, the new president would conduct a video-conferencing with his top field commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The meeting would be attended by Defence Secretary Robert Gates -- the lone Cabinet member to be retained from the Bush regime -- and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Michael Mullen and the Joint top Commander for Iraq and Afghanistan General David Petraeus and other members of the National Security Council.

From the battlefield, he will talk to Gen Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, and Gen David McKiernan, the top Commander in Afghanistan.

Obama in his election pledges has already set out that he wants US forces out of Iraq in 16 months and wants greater American efforts in Afghanistan.

In his inaugural speech on Tuesday night, Obama gave a glimpse of what he intends to do when he said: "We will begin to leave Iraq and attempt hard-earned peace in Afghanistan."

But at the same time, the new Commander-in-Chief of the US forces has made clear that Washington will not waiver in its commitments to end terrorism and slaughter of innocents.

In his first move as the President, Obama issued an order to stop prosecutors at the controversial military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This would suspend all ongoing trial proceedings.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blood-boiling history of Hindu India : Anti-Pakistan war-mongering has no takers
As this is written Brahminism and Islam, the centuries- old enemies (see DSA ref. p.5 bottom), are again on the collision course. However, a bloody nuclear war looming over the sub-continent has gone to background as India found itself friendless in the world.

In this war frenzy, the Pakistani Muslims were united but India’s Hinduists looked weak and divided. Even the recent Islamic terrorist attack on Bombay has gone to background.

This is because the overwhelming productive labour (85%) of “Hindu India” is not only not Hindu but victim of Hinduism. Dr. Ambedkar had said all this. The Indian Govt. also knows it. That is why it is not ready to be swayed by the micro-minority war-mongers. The Manmohan Singh Govt. is hesitating though the war-mongering Brahminists are craving for “hate, revenge, blood and bomb”.

Hindu logic: Not only the victims of Hinduism are producers of wealth but they are also advocates of peace. All producers need peace. It is only the consumers that crave for war. The Bahujans are so pre-occupied with their day-to-day drudgery, busy earning their daily bread that they are totally oblivious of the Hindu heroes’ cry for war, blood and bomb.

This has been the unfortunate topsy-turvey situation in India where the producers have no voice at all. Their job is to only stand and wait. And then to do and die. This is the Hindu logic, said Dr. Ambedkar.

What is happening today is not new to students of history. Gujarati Bania M.K. Gandhi, blackmailing Babasaheb on “separate electorate” for Dalits by resorting to his fake fast-unto-death, had given a clear warning that the Untouchables could remain in India only as slaves of the ruling Hindus and at their mercy. This is continuing even to this day.

When the British were leaving India, the very same Brahminical rulers managed to partition the country at the cost of enormous bloodbath. And the creation of Islamic Pakistan gave a wonderful opportunity for the rulers to dub the majority Muslims who decided to remain in India as traitors and Pakistani agents.

Thirst for blood: How about 15 to 20% of the Indian Muslim population is reduced to grinding poverty, pushed to urban slums, daily facing war and violence was graphically depicted in the Sachar Committee report by an upper caste (Hindu). (DV Jan.16, 2007 p.9).

In 1971, the very same Brahminical rulers managed to get Pakistan divided by creating Bangladesh with the help of Mujibur Rahman.

The thirst of this micro-minority Brahminical Social Order for blood is limitless. The killing of over 3,000 Sikhs in cold blood in “Blue Star” (1984), the anti-Mandal war and violence (1991), the demolition of Babri Masjid (1992), the “Gujarat Genocide” killing over 2,500 Muslims. It is an endless story of killing and blood-letting.

When will their thirst for blood end?

There is no war hysteria in the vast countryside and even in the urban working class areas. In other words, the Bahujan Samaj — comprising the SC/ST/BCs and the Muslim/Christian/Sikhs (85%) — are busy doing their daily work and do not contribute to the current beating of war drums and the call for “blood-for-blood” revenge.

Tragedy of India: This hysteria exhibited through their “national” toilet papers and their television is confined to the micro-minority manuwadi upper castes who are not even 15% of our population. There are ever so many saner elements among the upper castes who do not share the call for hate, revenge, blood, bomb.

But the problem of Hindu India is though the govt. is elected by the Bahujans, the minority Brahminical forces control it. As they have the monopoly media, live in big cities and control the country’s entire property and posts, their voice is alone heard.

And the tragedy of India is this unrepresentative, anti-social minority fascist voice is called the “public opinion”. We are over 85%, but none cares for our voice.

Since the last over 60 years every govt. that came right from the Kashmiri Brahmin Nehru up to the Khatri Sikh Manmohan Singh (who is not even an elected leader), came to rule by the votes of the Bahujans and after getting elected it started serving the ruling class. The elected leaders also join the ruling class and concentrate only on implementing its agenda. The only agenda is to keep them poor, illiterate, diseased, toiling masses in perpetual misery.

Once you are poor, you automatically remain uneducated and then inject in them all the Brahminical poison so that they permanently remain slaves of the Brahminical rulers.

This cycle of exploitation is continuing with the full blessings of the ruling Brahminical religion, their millions of holy men, their super rich temples, and their “sacred scriptures”.

Dr. Ambedkar died a sad man: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Father of India, had said all these hundreds of times and died a sad man because the ruling Brahminical order used the monster Mahatma to see that every warning given by Babasaheb is maligned, rejected and dug deep in the sands of history.

This is the tragic history of “independent India” which this very Mahatma handed over to the Hindu hounds and reduced us into permanent slavery. And converted India into a failed state.

If there is a war today it is the innocent, hard-working producers of wealth who will suffer and die. That is why our people are always peace-mongers. Only the Dalal Street Dagabhajis want war.

Religious hatred: The perpetrators of war frenzy are hiding the fact that they are motivated by religious hatred. The Brahminical toilet papers are experts in suppressing the truth. But even a child can make out that the Hindu hate-mongers are itching for war — which nobody in India wants except this ruling class. In the US, the Neocon hate-mongers (read zionist Jews) concocted the 9/11, managed to raise anti-Muslim hatred and forced President Bush to launch the “clash of civilisations”, meaning a war on Islam. But what ultimately happened was the war consumed its very perpetrator. The booting of Bush at a Baghdad press conference symbolised how much Bush is hated not only in the Muslim world but all over the world and even inside America.

The religious hatred generated by the tiny Brahminical rulers of India resulted in the partition of India and hundreds of anti-Muslim riots — big and small. Yet the Brahminical thirst for blood is not quenched. They want more war, more violence, more blood, despite having not a single friendly neighbour but believing in the goodwill of one single country, America, which itself is hesitating to support the Hindu hysteria.

Pakistan wins diplomatic battle: That means “Hindu India” has found itself lonely and isolated. A Brahminical daily DNA (Dec.27, 2008) even frankly admitted in its lead story saying “Pakistan wins”. Because China, Saudi Arabia and even America which India approached asked India to stop sabre-rattling. The Bengali Brahmin Foreign Minister was spitting too much fire and whipping up a war hysteria. India has not a single friend in the world except America but even that became unhelpful.

But on the other Pakistan, a small and weak country, won the first round. Going by the reports in the Brahminical media itself the entire Pakistani political, religious, military leadership, plus the media, stood as one man to fight “Hindu India”. But inside India the Bengali Brahmin Foreign Minister and the Khatri Sikh PM spoke in different voices. The Bahujans who never hate Muslims refused to support their centuries-old Brahminical enemy.

India as a failed state: An offshoot of the current crisis is Gen. Kiyani, the Pakistan army chief, has emerged as the strongman much to the disappointment of the Indian rulers who fondly hoped the corrupt President Zardari would be favourable to India. Zardari has now gone to background in the current churning. Even Nawaz Shariff who earlier differed on some issues has fallen in line. This is another blow on the Brahminical face.

In contrast the opinion in India’s ruling class itself is divided. Only the irresponsible Brahminical media is itching for war.

We have no hope in the Brahminical hate-mongers ever giving up their hate and their unending thirst for blood and more blood. Any student who has studied the tragic history of India will have to come to this conclusion.

Though India is called a democracy where the majority is supposed to rule, the Bahujan majority of toiling Indians have no voice because they are made slaves. India has already become a failed state, and as our “India Shining” regular column has revealed we as a country are being pushed backward and more backward.

The Brahminical ruling class not only lives in luxury but, as the latest Bombay terrorist attack has revealed, is ever eager to turn any incident to its advantage to further bludgeon the already bleeding Bahujans.

Why India has no revolution: Foreign observers are wondering why the toiling millions, unable to bear the pain of exploitation, are not revolting. Yes. This is a good question which we have answered many times.

Revolution will come only when the oppressed people become conscious of their exploitation and get angry. Here in India the people no doubt are in great pain. But they are not getting angry because they don’t know who is causing this pain. The Hindu rulers have so effectively mesmerised the suffering masses and convinced them that their suffering is because of their own destiny. This Hindu poison injected deep into their veins has convinced them that their suffering is their own making. They are made so unthinking that they can’t identify the enemy-oppressor even when he is standing right in front of him and siphoning off his blood — even as he falls dead in this painless (Hindu) operation. Dr. Ambedkar has said all these.

Letters of blood: Except Dalit Voice, we have not even a single media to bring this to the notice of the victims of this painless operation.

This is the tragic, blood-curdling history of Hindu India. This history has been repeating — endlessly centuries after century.

If any good-hearted, far-sighted, impartial, noble historian were to come in future, she or he can write the sordid, atrophied, violent, criminal past of India only in letters of blood. (Dec.Jan.1, 2009)

(Hindu Serpent vs. Muslim Mongoose, DSA-2007, Rs. 25).
http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/jan_a2009/editorial.htm

D.V. PREDICTED IT 3 YEARS AGO

Dalit-Bahujans & financial crisis
COM. AYYANKALI

Dalit Voice can take credit for predicting financial crisis and warning its readership almost three years ago — much before any paper. In fact it was the first newspaper in India to predict this. DV predicted that the US dollar will collapse, long ago and it was once again the very first and only Indian newspaper to do so.

Some DV members had complained that DV does not publish anything to do with economics. Now they have no complaint at all. In fact such critics are now reading DV on the Internet and even e-mailing the articles — recommending it to others.

Brahminical critics are now appreciating DV’s economic forecast. Only DV’s Dalit-Bahujan brothers are blissfully and dangerously ignorant about how this economic crisis gives them lots of opportunities to finish off their Brahminical enemies and emerge victorious once and for all — provided they adopt the right tactics and strategies. Dalit Bahujans have not yet understood that they must love whatever their Brahminical enemy hates.

WHY D.V. WELCOMED CRISIS
In this case, the Brahminical caste/class enemy hates the economic crisis, but DV not only predicted it, but actually wrote an Editorial welcoming it. So now, some Brahmins are saying that when DV actually predicted the crisis as early as three years back, how can it actually welcome such a crisis. They are saying that economic crisis is bad for India. By India, they mean only their minority Brahminical India — not the oppressed Dalit Bahujan India which is the vast majority.

Naturally, since DV is with the Dalit Bahujan majority, it enthusiastically welcomed the economic crisis when the entire Brahminical toilet papers are weeping and crying loudly in pain. So why did our Editor welcome the crisis? Because, when the Brahminical caste/class enemy is in big pain, it only means big gain and opportunity for the organic proletarian Dalit-Bahujan majority.

The iron is read hot and this is the perfect time to strike — the Editor knows this very well, but the Dalit Bahujan majority are not aware of the historic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finish off their Brahminical caste/class enemies and emerge victorious — despite being warned continuously by our Editor.

BRAHMINS ADMIRING D.V.?
Indeed, it is a very strange comic and tragic contradiction: Brahminical enemies becoming ardent DV Internet edition readers, while Dalit Bahujan masses have no appreciation for our Editor. The Brahminical wolves are appreciating the Editor’s foresight, while the Dalit- Bahujans think that the Editor is an absolute idiot who wants to needlessly wake them up and disturbing their blissful and enslaving sleep.

The oppressed majority of Dalit- Bahujans are requested to wake up. Even if you simply wake up and walk about in a group, your Brahminical caste/class enemies will die of extreme fear and mental shock. Perhaps, there is no need for any armed, bloody and violent revolution. Merely the sight of Dalit Bahujans waking up and walking together in a group talking about “caste identity” (which is class consciousness) is enough to give your Brahminical enemies a great mental shock and heart attack at the same time.

The grass-eating Brahminical enemies know that they can’t even run fast enough to save their lives. These weaklings do not even qualify for international running-related athletic events. They also know this very well. Naturally, impotent grass-eating Brahminical weaklings who don’t have the ability to even run for their lives, cannot be expected to fight our strong beef-eating Dalit Bahujans — especially if they are angry as well.

SCARED OF MAYAWATI
So, dear Dalit Bahujan readers, even if you merely wake up and walk about — as well as talk loudly and be proud of “caste identity” in a large group, that may be more than enough. The Brahminical enemies who are crying loudly because of economic pain will yellow their trousers and collapse out of mental shock and heart attack if they see this. They will immediately know that you have woken up and seen through their game. The Brahminical enemies have no doubts whatsoever that whoever wakes up and talks about “caste identity” will pounce on them.

Brahminical enemies are wetting their beds at night and getting very horrible nightmares of Dalit Mayawati becoming Prime Minister. They are afraid that this will bring them even more sorrow and pain.

Already, the economic crisis had almost finished off their favourite tax holiday, subsidised IT software industry. Now, if Mayawati also takes over as PM, then Brahmins feel that they will be hurt the most. To make matters worse, both BJP and Congress are slipping. Brahmins are seriously worried. But our sleeping Dalit-Bahujans are yet to wake up and understand all this.


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China hesitating to get closer to India’s oppressed nations
V.T. RAJSHEKAR, FORMER PRESIDENT, INDIA-CHINA FRIENDSHIP ASSN.,

H.E. Jiang Zhenghua,

To correctly understand India, as a journalist and writer for the past 50 years, I have few tips for the Chinese leadership, particularly the China-India Friendship Association. You must first study the population composition of different Indian nationalities — which comprises hundreds of ethnic identities, castes, communities, languages, religions. Its multi-national character. Without studying its people, it is not possible to forge any friendship with India.

INDIA NOT A “NATION”
In contrast, China is one single nation. Barring a small 5% of minorities, all the rest belong to one single Han nationality. This is the most vital difference between the two great and ancient countries. In other words, China is a nation but India is not a “nation” but a group of hundreds of conflicting nationalities governed by a small ruling class of 15% upper castes. The most important difference between the two is China’s homogeneity and India’s turbulence caused by its “functioning anarchy”, as described by John Galbraith, distinguished American economist.

Yet another major difference is the Han ruling class took China to progress and made it a major world power but India’s micro-minority Brahminical ruling class converted India into one of the most backward countries. A failed state?

The people of India comprising its oppressed nationalities, however, want to be friendly with China. You can make out from the composition of the audience in this meeting. There are hardly any upper castes here.

BRAHMINISM DESTROYED BUDHISM
As a representative of India’s Untouchables, comprising a formidable 20% of its population, I led two delegations to China and witnessed its marvelous progress. But India’s ruling class is not prepared to admit this — rather it is hostile to everything Chinese.

Over 85% of Indian population, essentially composed of its productive labour, is peace-loving and has great admiration for China.

If China wants a genuine and lasting peace with India, it must get closer to us. And not the hostile ruling upper castes who are a small minority.

Most of India’s oppressed nationalities were once Budhist. It is the Brahminical rulers who destroyed Budhism and drove it out of India and China embraced it and became a major world power.

KICK OUT DALAI LAMA
The Dalai Lama, to whom the Indian ruling class gave shelter against our wishes, is a bogus Budhist. He has publicly criticised Dr. Ambedkar’s Budhism and has deeply hurt us.

However, his recent conclave of exiled Tibetans at Dharmasala was a total failure. The British Govt.’s recent expression of regret for not recognising the sovereignty of China over Tibet so far, is a big blow to Dalai Lama.

During the March 2008 unrest in Lhasa (Tibet), India’s Brahminical rulers indirectly supported their violent protests in Delhi and their anti- Chinese activities inside India.

SLAVE OF U.S.A.
Indian rulers are not honest in talking about friendship with China. There was a serious security lapse in this city of Bangalore when Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabo visited sometime back. The second and the more serious lapse occurred when India’s PM and Chinese President were meeting at the Hyderabad House in Delhi. In the interest of maintaining good relations with China, with which we share thousands of miles of border, the Indian ruling class must kick out the Dalai Lama and get closer to China with which we have many, many things in common. We are happy to note that the current global financial crisis has not much disturbed China, while India is badly shaken.

According to World Bank and IMF experts China will emerge as a world super power in 10-15 years. Not only economically but also in Defence capability. This is a happy news that the global power is shifting from West to East. As both China and India are in East, India must look East instead of becoming a slave of America. The Indian rulers would do well to read the writing on the wall and make quick amends. But they are not interested.

To promote a genuine and lasting peace, our request to you is that China must get closer to India’s peace-loving oppressed classes comprising the Scheduled Castes (20%), Scheduled Tribes 10%, Backward Castes (35%), Muslims (15%) and Christian, Sikh etc (5%). This 85% of our population comprise the toiling masses as against the 15% ruling class. We will be too glad to cooperate and collaborate in such an endeavour and restore the glorious India-China Bhai Bhai days.

The rise of Asia is possible only when China supports the human rights struggle of the over 85% oppressed Indians, just as China is doing today in different African countries. As the world’s most revolutionary country, China has already become the darling of the entire African continent — let down by the West and the whole world. Why are you hesitating to conduct the same experiment in India? If you extend similar support to our struggle then the oppressed Indians will wake up and get closer to China.

However, On behalf of the oppressed people of India, I have to caution you, sir, that this country will not get closer to China until you win over our hearts and minds — which is also your duty and the dream of Chairman Mao Tse-tung.

Thank you for your attention and the honour you bestowed on us. Long live India-China friendship.

Speech delivered at the India-China Friendship Association public reception to the Chinese delegation led by H.E. Jiang Zhenghua, President,China-India Friendship Association, Beijing, in Bangalore on Dec.4, 2008.


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DEBATE

Educated Dalits can’t fight caste system by being within Hinduism
RAHUL GADE, ADVOCATE, 6439 - MARKET STREET, 2nd flr., apt. #2, PHILADELPHIA - 19082, USA

I intend to challenge the strongly held notions about Budhists being considered as Dalits. To identify oneself as Dalit-Budhist inevitably tends to distort the vision of Dr. Ambedkar, who acknowledged the prominence of Budhist philosophy not only to Dalits but also to the entire nation to cast away the ignominy of the Hindu caste system.

I believe that Dalit and Budhist are not synonyms. They are in fact antonyms since Dalits are defined as spiritually broken people with low esteem while a practitioner Budhist would at least be spiritually strong if not materialistically. Budhist and Dalit can be related only in the sense that the former overcomes the later to reclaim the human personality.

VICTIM OF HINDUISM
I do believe that Budhism is the light that has cut across the darkness of Dalits in India. Budhism is spirit that has overcome Dalit shadow.

Budhism is the hope for the broken Dalit. If the past has been Dalit the future has to be Budhist, anything lower would be less than honoring full human potential.

“Dalit” is a resurgent word that has kept alive the struggle raised and fought by those who are deviously deprived from being treated as human. The word “Dalit’ itself seems to be evoked in late 30’s and connotes the large-scale dehumanization of a massive group of individuals for centuries by the Hindu religious creed. The point is not about the etymology of word “Dalit” but what it stands for, and realistically speaking they are people belonging to lower castes, who under the Hindu code were obliged to live unworthy life from birth to death. I don’t intend to go into details since my point is not why they are Dalit? But why they stayed Dalit?

SPELL BOUND DALITS
Two important aspects are revealed while analyzing the question why the marginalized people find it difficult to change the Dalit status quo and fully embrace Budhism, those are economical conditions and political quagmire. Nevertheless, over-reaching reason is that Dalits have failed to understand Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy of, “to Educate, Agitate and Organise”. The Dalit intelligentsia in past and in present have yet to fulfill expectation of Dr. Ambedkar. Elite and “educated” Dalits, and Budhists alike share responsibility for, failing to advance the socio-economic condition of the underprivileged Dalits. At worst they have actually aggravated (or compounded) the situation by acting in ways, which will be judged as being for shortsighted political and economical gains.

HINDUISM CAN’T BE REFORMED
So who are the “spellbound Dalits”? In plain language it is that part of Dalit population that symbolizes the intellectual class, who finds it difficult to overcome the Dalit curse. These “spellbound Dalits” as well as pro-Dalit intellectuals who propose to bring Hindu social reform are in fact trapped into the vicious circle of condoning the caste discrimination from within the caste system and being part and parcel of the Hindu system itself proved their efforts impotent.

Dr. Ambedkar made it clear in no uncertain terms that “None should misunderstand the object of our movement as being Hindu social reform.” However, it seems some elite Dalits in unwary upbeat mood perhaps for self-serving reasons, naively aim to reform the Hindu religion. This can only waste community strength and resources. It is unequivocally true that Dalit exists in the society and suffers daily caste humiliation.

BUDHIST CONVERTS FOLLOW HINDUISM
However I fail to see how the responsibility of intellectual Dalits is served by supporting the fight against the caste horror from within the caste system. I challenge them to understand that Dr. Ambedkar’s action of conversion to Budhism was the culmination of an intellectual and emotional integrity that they would do well to emulate.

History shows that it’s not worth our precious lifetime to indulge in sanitization of an established religion that proposes caste discrimination and implicitly practices it in the modern world. Dalit intellectuals should use the community strength and property to build a formidable (post Hindu) Budhist Sangha to face challenges towards Dalit empowerment.

The principal legacy that Dr. Ambedkar left for the betterment of Dalits and the country as a whole is the renaissance of Budhism. Dr. Ambedkar realized that mass conversion of Dalits to Budhism would be revolutionary for his followers. To follow the Budhist doctrines and practice would not be easy for the converts: it differs from Hinduism and challenges its every aspect.

The worst fear that Dr. Ambedkar contemplated and which today stands a true prophecy, that either the converted Dalits may contaminate Budhism by continuing to follow the Hindu deities and rituals, or may fail to understand the essence of Budhism.

To safeguard from this eventuality Dr. Ambedkar proclaimed the 22 vows that need to be strictly practiced integral to Budhism.

DALIT YOUTH AS ROLE MODEL
Dr. Ambedkar as a father of his people built a bridge for the future of Dalits to help them reclaim human dignity. The refusal to accept the dehumanized treatment integral to Hindu religion culminated in his embracing Budhism and having dissociated himself from Hinduism.

To quote Dr. Ambedkar, “In every country the intellectual class is the most influential class” and, therefore, the Dalit intellectuals were trusted to carry forward the battle for reclamation of human personality. But today the beleaguered Dalit finds no solace in the midst of its own intellectual class due to inherently low self-esteem of its intelligentsia.

Moreover, the Dalit intellectual’s finds it hard to overcome the Dalit obsession that leads them to emphasis from every platform their forbidden Dalit identity. There is scant respect to the life intended for them by their savior Dr. Ambedkar, as embodied by Budhism. Unfortunately, those Dalit intellectuals and Budhists who have succeeded to overcome the Dalit spell have yielded to economic and political gains and failed to influence their brethren positively.

No wonder that the young Dalit generation presently can find no influential role model even a distance closer than Dr. Ambedkar.

In the 21st century the growth and development of any community gains momentum from the consistent influx of dedication, and determination by those who work for community prosperity, which is both material and spiritual. The Dalit obsession has so far succeeded in hampering the potential of aspiring Dalit youth to meet the challenges of life.

This is evident from the lack of eminent professionals in the educational field, successful businessmen, and astute politicians.

Even the freedom gained by conversion to Budhism is in most cases if not all is impaired by the Dalit obsession. Dalit or Budhist, no matter how successful he/she becomes, will fail to achieve the zenith as long as he/she relates somewhere to the ghost of caste discrimination.

22 OATHS FORGOTTEN
It is essential to adhere to the 22 vows given by Dr. Ambedkar if we desire to defeat the Dalit obsession and come out of the Dalit shadow. Success in life and the betterment of self and community will follow. Having gone beyond the Dalit shadow, if we try to understand and follow the Budhist doctrine we will be putting life into the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar’s war cry:- be Educated, be United and Agitate.

In conclusion, a coherent Sangha of Budhist practitioner with a social welfare outlook has the potential to be a savior of the nation— a far cry from languishing Dalits lost in the midst of caste politics and pollution. We self proclaimed Budhists, since the declaration of our independence from the Hindu religious slavery by our great leader Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Oct.14, 1956, need to solemnly vow to be jointly and severally responsible to overcome the ghost of caste discrimination and move forward towards hope and prosperity along with our Dalit brethrens in converting to Budhism, uphold the legacy of our great leader who taught us that “with truth on our side there is nothing to fear about”.

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How to save Dhamma from the Goenkas ?
KULDIP KUMAR, 1269, UE-II, HISAR - 125 005

This refers to the raging DV Debate on Vipassana. Since last half year or so, this Debate is going on between pro-and-anti-Vipassana people. And both sides have failed to achieve their object. The pro- Vipassana group has failed miserably to produce any evidence from the Tripitaka, Jatakas, Milind Panho or any other ancient Budhist scripture or The Buddha and His Dhamma in support of the Vipassana. The anti-Vipassana group has also failed to convince and bring back their brethren from the clutches of Goenka and party.

GOENKA MESMERISM
What perturbs me most is that I failed to understand what mesmerism Goenka has done to our brethren that they have turned a deaf ear to all our arguments, advises and evidences against calling Vipassana a Budhist way of life.

What is this Vipassana by Goenka? The details available on his site are:

1. It is a 10-day course. For the advanced learner it extends to 60 days. During this period, the student (vipasi) is totally cut off from outside world. No phone, radio, TV etc. is allowed. Even reading and writing is banned.

2. Daily ten hours of sitting meditation is a must.

3. During the 10 days, first nine days the vipasi is not allowed to speak. Only on 10th day he is allowed to discuss his problems etc. with the teacher.

4. Advance booking is a must. How much money one has to pay for this course, it is not mentioned on his site.

5. It is claimed that Vipassana is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques. It was rediscovered by the Budha 2,500 years ago.

6. It vanished in India but for 2,000 years Burmese teachers transmitted the technique in its pristine purity from one generation to next. In 1969, Sayagi U Ba Khin authorised S.N. Goenka to teach it to the whole world.

CLIMBING PALM TREE
7. In addition to teaching Vipassana, Goenka also publishes a monthly magazine, Vipassana, in which, he claims that true life and teachings of Budha are given. Its March 2008 edition narrates events of achieving enlightenment by Siddharth. It says in the first part of night, he got Divine Eyes and Divine Ears, thru them he got enlightenment of his previous births. He also got enlightenment (Abhigyan/ mahagyan) as to where a living being takes birth as per their karmas i.e. deeds done by him/it. He also got abhigyan about the events to happen in future. Budha realised how much time he has wasted in taking births time and again to search out god who created this world.

Let us judge the veracity of Goenka’s claims one by one.

1) 10-day crash course : Budha Dhamma is not a professional course which could be done in 10 days or even 60 days. It is a way of life that ends with the life only. It cannot be completed in 10/60 days. Guru Kabir said: Kabira marg saanch ka jaise ped khjoor, chadhe so chakhe prem ras, gire so chaknachoor (I, Kabir say path of morality is like climbing the palm tree, if you reach the top, you are blessed with fruits, but one wrong step in between and you are finished). This is the Dhamma Marg ; path of morality. Just one immoral act and the whole life’s morality is gone.

OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE
Remaining cut off from this world is notBudhism. The Bhikku and the Upasak both live in this world. However, today’s life is so tense, so busy that a ten-day holiday from mobile phone, boss, creditors/debtors and family problems, even without Goenka’s Vipassana, is itself a big boon.

But the 10-day Vipassana is no curative or preventive medicine against wrong doing for whole life. Had it been so, Goenka’s mind should have been cleansed of all maladies. And he would not have written such malicious words against our Lord. I am member of many e-mail Dhamma groups. Many Vipassana fellows use such offensive language that is not expected of a Budhist.

If Vipassana could not cleanse mind/heart/brain of its topmost teacher in four decades, how could it cleanse his students’ just in 10 days?

So the very basis of Vipassana is anti-Budhism. Ambedkarites know these are good old Brahminical strategies to misguide the masses.

2). Did Budha do meditation : It is simply absurd to think that Budha used to do 10 hours a day sit-in-tapasya. Whenever, there arises a problem, it is natural with all human beings to sit calmly and contemplate its solution. Siddharth had a big problem: how to get humans rid of sorrows. So he sat calmly in a solitary place and meditated over this problem. He found the solution and told us the same. Not a single instance is available in the Tripitak that after attaining Budhhood, he ever did sit in meditation.

The 10-hour-a-day sitting meditation is Goenkas invention. If a bhikku spends 10 hours in meditation, 2/3 of his life would be wasted in the sitting position. Then the very purpose of raising the Bhikku Sangh will be defeated. If an upasak does so, who will earn for him? I have already explained that the daily 10 hours sitting meditation for mere 10 days does not cleanse the mind/brain/heart.

DESTROYING BUDHISM FROM INSIDE
3). Maun Varat: Neither keeping mum nor speaking useless things is Budhism. No where it is provided in Budhist tenets to keep mum for nine days. Siddharth kept mum because nobody was there to tell him the truth. And he kept mum for unspecified period until he became the Budha. So nine days prescription is a Goenka-made strategy which has nothing to do with Budha and his Dhamma. Needless to say, a nine- day mum does not cleanse the mind/brain/heart for whole life. Our Dhamma is not like ‘treatment of tuberculosis’ where a patient has to consume medicines for 180 days. No less, no more. Our Dhamma is a flow like the Ganga, Narmada, Kaveri — a whole life process.

4) Advance booking: Budha said Ahi pakho i.e. come and see yourself. Goenka says pay me in advance, then I will tell you when to come. This is not Budhism, it is purely business, nothing else. Just read pages 185-187, how much time Budha took to admit Sunit and Sopak in his order. Advance booking is concept of business and not of Dhamma.

5) Rediscovered by Budha : Here the ulterior motive behind Vipassana is visible. In my previous articles and a number of mails, I cautioned all Ambedkarites against the Saam niti of Brahminists. Today Goenka is claiming it is an ancient Indian tradition, it is not Budha’s tradition. He merely rediscovered it. Goenka is mum as to whose tradition it has been. Who invented Vipassana or who used to practise it. After some time he or his successor will claim Vipassana is that which was done by Shiv, rishis, Brahmins etc. One day a Brahminist may ‘discover’ that Vipassana is part of Patanjali’s yoga system. Or somewhere in a Veda the Vipassana will be searched out.

And then like their Brahmin Guru, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, all Brahmins and Goenkas will cry in unison: Budha was a sanatani Hindu. He practised Vipassana of Vedas, Shiv or such and such Brahmin rishi.

6) Vipassana vanished 2,000 years ago: Goenka says Budhism vanished from India 2,000 years ago but very cunningly he refrains from pointing out the truth that a Brahmin murderer, Pushyamitra, caused all this. Then he makes a very unbelievable claim that for 2,000 years Burmese teachers transmitted the technique of Vipassana in its pristine purity from one generation to next one. In 1969, Sayagi U Ba Khin authorised S.N. Goenka to teach it to the whole world.

Just imagine, for complete 2,000 years they did not disclose Vipassana to anyone in the world. But in 1969 they saw something unique in Goenka that they not only taught him this vidya but also authorised him to sell the secret of Vipassana to the whole world.

Really, Goenka possessed something unique in him that Sayagi did not tell this secret to even Babasaheb Ambedkar who arranged the largest conversion in one go but chose a person who was and is a Brahminist.

Nobody can counter this fact that after Ashoka the Great, Babasaheb is the person who converted the maximum people to Budha Dhamma. Thus, naturally Babasaheb deserved to be told this secret of Vipassana. It indicates there is something fishy.

7) Budha’s Enlightenment of the Creator & previous births: Here my fear comes true. The real purpose of selling Vipassana in the name of Budhism is revealed in the Goenka magazine. It carries a serial feature on the life and teachings of Budha. Its March 2008 edition says that after eating kheer from Sujata, Siddharth sat in meditation. Maara (Goenka describes it as god of death) thought if Budha got the enlightenment he would get rid of the cycle of birth and death.

As per Goenka, Budha defeated him and got the enlightenment i.e.

i) he achieved knowledge about (his previous births, ii) he gained knowledge about what karmas a living being is born in which yoni (paap karma = Shudra, punya karam = Brahmin), iii) he gained ability to see the events to happen in future, iv) he came to know the god who created this world. Budha realised how much time he has wasted in taking births and rebirths to search out the creator.

My question to Vipassi brothers: Is this the enlightenment our Lord got? Do we worship or follow him for making such discoveries? I am stunned to read such nonsense about our Budha by a person whom our Ambedkarite people claim to be true Budhist. Before reading his magazine, I suspected mischief in his activities but now the suspicion is confirmed. Goenka, the Brahmin agent, is there to destroy our Dhamma from within. He is adopting infamous, nefarious saam niti.

If the Ambedkarites still call Goenka a Budhist, I can say that such people are doing so for some extraneous reasons. I can even say such people are traitors to Babasaheb.

So many Goenkas had infiltrated our Dhamma and distorted it from within. Babasaheb had cleansed our Dhamma of all such filth and crated a unique masterpiece containing purest form of marvelous Budha Vani. A man of ordinary intelligence can thus conclude that Babasaheb not only did not endorse Vipassana but also termed its use as failed. So those who claim to be Ambedkarites must stay away from Vipassana.

Bhante Nagsen from Milind Panho has warned that the Dhamma vanishes due to three reasons:

(1) When Dhamma is polluted. (2) When Dhamma preachers do not remain. (3) When viharas do not remain.

The Goenkas are polluting the Dhamma through mischievous propaganda. The Dhamma preachers are being turned into Vipassana preachers, the Vihars made Vipassana centres.

Being a student of history, I know the Dhamma was once destroyed due to similar strategies in the past. Again, our Dhamma has encountered a mammoth obstacle.

The enemy possesses everything: media, money and muscle. We possess only the Dhamma. Can we preserve it as handed over to us by our Father? And the “Father of India”?


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Goenka building pagoda
A CORRESPONDENT


Bombay: Vipassana guru S.N. Goenka, the Marwadi, is setting up a fabulous Budhist pagoda in Bombay.

According to a report Vipassana has turned him into another Budha. Goenka says he is a follower of the Burmese Budhist leader U Ba Khin.

But the pagoda is meant for the “educated” Dalits who have deserted Dr. Ambedkar Budhism and fallen into the Goenka trap and got themselves hinduised, meaning enslaved.

Bombay has lakhs of “educated” Dalits, mostly Maharashtrian Mahars, in whom Goenka finds a rich harvest.
http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/jan_a2009/articles.htm
Enemy admits power of DV
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: The Jews who control America, the world’s most powerful country, and the “Jews of India” who control “Hindu India”, have “identified the Editor of Dalit Voice as their No.1 threat”.

According to an email dated Dec.15, 2008 from P.P. Sharma of New York, Dalit Voice (internet edition) is read widely by the upper castes in America.

He has also admitted that the Brahminical people in US are having close association with the Jews — confirming the DV’s famous theory that the Brahmins are the “Jews of India”.

We get almost daily one or two such hate mails and even threats from the upper castes (Hindus) living in America and elsewhere.

They claimed that they have quickly switched sides from being opponents of Obama. They say they are well represented in the Obama camp through Ms. Sonal Shah, the Gujarati Bania with Hindu terrorist RSS connections.


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Manuwadi media mischief making India a failed state
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: Mere enactment of a draconian law, installing modern, sophisticated gadgets and equipping the security forces with deadliest weapons are not going to end terrorism.

More and better security set-up will only mean creating more kushy jobs for the upper caste exploiters who are the very cause of terrorism. This is what the PM, Manmohan Singh, has tried to do.

Draconian laws and beefed-up security setup have been the unanimous demand of this very class, and our upper caste govt. obliged its jatwalas who are so happy with the govt. decision.

TERRORISM & MAOISM
Terrorism is not the problem facing the vast countryside where the productive Indian working class lives. Terrorism is mainly an urban phenomenon.

As long as the upper caste hate-mongers continue their centuries-old habit of spitting hate, the victims of hatred will continue to hit back by resorting to terrorism.

Right now the country’s two most important problems, listed by the Prime Minister, are Maoism and “Islamic terrorism”. Both are the reaction of the oppressed Indians to the action of the upper caste oppressors.

To this day this tiny upper caste rulers, who constitute a small, less than 15% of our vast 120-billion population, have not realised they are the cause of both the problems. Yes. Forget about correcting themselves, when there is not even a realisation of their mistake, how can terrorism end?

The recent Bombay terrorist attack once again showed the upper castes in their true hate-mongering best, with their failed slogans and fake postures.

ANTI-POLITICIAN TIRADE
The rulers totally failed despite having umpteen intelligence agencies. When the Islamic terrorists struck Bombay they were caught unawares and hundreds died. The mere 10 young Islamic terrorists simply made us monkeys — which should make us think that we have become a failed state.

In fact DV was the first to declare that India has become a failed state over five years back (India as a Failed State, V.T. Rajshekar, DSA-2004. Speech delivered by the Editor at the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, on Dec.6, 2001, Phocopy available Rs. 35).

Indian history tells us that ever since the Aryan hordes entered India they have been consistently behaving as hate-mongers, killers and destroyers. Their current hate-mongering against the “political class” proves their contempt for India’s parliamentary democracy. (See also p.7)

MEDIA — WORST VILLAIN
The worst villain of the latest Bombay terrorist attack is our Brahminical monopoly manuwadi media. The Bombay incident once again proved this manuwadi media as the choicest hate-mongers who did its best to manufacture “public opinion”. It is very easy in a country of 120-billions (which has less than 10% English knowing people who are mostly upper caste) to manufacture any opinion. The vast dirt poor, the scum of the earth, is totally illiterate. Even the mere local language literate people are mostly productive labour who have no time to read paper or see TV. Morning to night they are busy in their work. The villain is this mere 10-15% of the urban-dwelling leisured class mischief-makers and particularly the English educated lot who constitute the “cream”. And this “cream” is rotten. This rotten cream is trying to manufacture “public opinion”. But it has never succeeded.

As long as the manuwadi media is allowed to continue its tyranny, India’s public life can never remain clean and Justice and Truth can never be established.

Unless the arrogance of this manuwadi media is tackled the so-called “freedom of the press” will remain a dream. All these are the qualities of a failed state.

WHAT ABOUT MEDIA CORRUPTION?
We have written a lot on this irresponsible, cantankerous, hate-mongering manuwadi media. It is this media which goes on calling politicians corrupt. Yes. They are. But what about the corruption in the media? Are they accountable? The Brahminical media is not only unaccountable but entirely non-transparent.

Yes, there are some upper caste honest journalists. But such of them are not ready to expose their corrupt colleagues because the jati comes in the way.

This media often makes fun of Pakistan as a failed state. But it is this very Brahminical media that is hiding the ugly face of the failed Indian state.

By joining hands with the American Jewish rulers, the “Jews of India” may try to hide the ugly face of India with its “India shining” cosmetic costume. But just 10 sturdy boys from Pakistan ripped open this costume and exhibited the ugly face of the failed state that is India.


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Obama’s silence on Israeli aggression: Hamas as voice of Palestine
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: History may be on the side of Palestinians. Since the zionists are the aggressors, neither America and UK, controlled by the Jews, or even the rich Arab countries and the henpecked United Nations are ready to come to the defence of Palestine now under zionist bombardment. Even the Black and Muslim President-elect Obama is silent on the renewed attack killing about 400 innocent Palestinians.

While revolutionary forces of the world including Iran have supported the third intifada by Hamas, the Muslim rulers are silent.

Hamas has demonstrated to the world its strength that it is the only voice of the Palestinians — and not the Western-imposed Fatah.

Barack Obama, who was elected with a huge majority in America but with a much larger goodwill outside, must note who is the voice of Palestine and recognise this fact. Or else he too will fail like all the other previous American Presidents. The 9/11 and the consequent White Western racist-zionist war on “Islamic terrorism” was the direct result of the zionist occupation of the Palestinian territory.

Palestine is the key to world peace. Even the financial crisis shaking the world today is the direct result of this. The Jews who control the Western finance wanted to teach a lesson to the Western Christian political leadership by financially destabilising the West. We have said this many times.

Jews are aggressors: Palestine belongs to Palestinians. The Jews are aggressors. Obama must recognise this fact also and restore their homeland.

Impartial observes have said what the zionists are doing in Palestine today is worse than the much-publicised nazi Holocaust in Germany. The world will see no peace as long as Palestinians are not restored their homeland. The racist sections in the West goaded by their zionist controllers are trying to divide the Palestinians by propping up the corrupt Fatah headed by their stooge Mahmoud Abbas but the Palestinians in both Gaza and West Bank love only the Hamas which has not yet accepted the state of Israel.

If Obama has to succeed he has to recognise this fact that peace in Palestine can be restored only by recognising that Hamas represents the people. Palestine should be his top priority.


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DV silver jubilee at Nagpur
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: Dalit Voice silver jubilee will be celebrated at Nagpur. The date is March 15, 2009 (Sunday).

Brother Vinod Anavrat, a noted Ambedkarite and Budhist scholar besides being a long standing member of DV, has taken up the responsibility to organise the meeting. The venue will be Agronomy Hall, Near Nagpur University Library building, Sitabuldi, Nagpur.

DV family members all over Maharashtra, particularly Vidarbha and neighbouring MP, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and AP states are requested to attend.

A more detailed announcement will follow.

DV has actually completed 27 years and has stepped into 28th year from Jan.1, 2009. Please contact Vinod Anavrat (mobile: 9423 633 2318). A similar celebration is being planned at Madras.


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World can’t allow Bush to go unpunished
OUR CORRESPONDENT



Bangalore: We had congratulated the brave Iraqi Shia Muslim TV journalist, Muntazer al-Zaidi, for “Booting Bush”, the outgoing American President at Baghdad on Dec.14, 2008. Bush is the world’s most hated person even inside America.

It is Bush and his neo-con (read zionist) advisers who manufactured the 9/11. What is described as “Islamic terrorism” is the creation of Bush & Co. who killed millions and millions all over the world.

Can we pardon these world famous criminal?

Bush and his Vice-President Dick Cheney may say that if the President does something illegal in the interest of the country that it is not illegal. They think that the executive power is absolute and unlimited. Those who wield it are above the law — domestic or international. This is the logic of dictators.

If Bush and Cheney are allowed to retire quietly and allowed to go scot free it means America is killing the rule of law. It has already killed the United Nations.

Even if Barack Obama pardons these criminals, the world still has plenty of brilliant, just-loving prosecutors with responsibility to book the two principal tyrants for grave war crimes.


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Huntington dies a sad man?
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: Samuel P. Huntington (81), the Jewish Harvard University Professor and author of the famous book, Clash of Civilisations, on which DV wrote many Editorials and articles died in America on Dec.24, 2008.Karl Marx and communists predicted a clash between the haves and havenots of the world but proved wrong. But Huntington, the principal ideological driver of the ruling White Western society, said a violent conflict would come not from clash of ideologies but from cultural and religious differences.

He proved right because the White Western racist Christians — who today are ruling the world — were persuaded by the Jews to attack Islamic countries.

However, Huntington finally proved wrong when America got defeated in its war against Islam — Iraq and Afghanistan. And also in its failure to catch or kill Osama bin Laden, called the driving force behind the Islamists. Not only that. George Bush, driver of the White racist-Christian-Zionist bulldozer, was rejected by his own people and dubbed America’s worst president. Did Huntington die a sad man? We have dealt with this issue in our book, Shape of the Things to Come (DSA-2005, Rs. 75).

Those interested in Huntington’s book may write for photocopy (Rs. 250).

DV Edit March 1, 1998: “US will defy world opinion & strike Saddam? DV welcomes clash of civilisations”.

DV Edit March 16, 1998: “White Western & zionist hate-mongers launch their civilisational war against Islam and China”.


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DV & Karkare murder
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: DV was the first paper in India to raise the issue of Karkare mystery. And express doubts about the upright Brahmin police officer’s mysterious murder. (DV Dec.16, 2008 p.4).

“Karkare was gunned down at the instance of Hindu terrorist leader Thackeray... to derail the Malegaon Hindu terrorist probe”. This is what we said. But the Brahminical ruling class forced the govt. to deny the story. Even the country’s senior-most Congress Muslim leader Antulay raised the very same doubt and got snubbed by his party.

Just because the Karkare story is officially denied it doesn’t cease to be a fact. Gandhi was killed by an RSS Brahmin from Pune, Nathuram Godse. But the RSS denied that Godse belonged to RSS, even as its boys distributed sweets all over India and danced in their dens to celebrate the assassination. Muslims and many right thinking non-Muslims all over India still think that Karkare was killed to save the “Hindu terrorists”.

Our Bombay correspondent adds: Karkare issue suffered because it was taken up by the Ashraf Muslims but not the masses of Dalit Muslims of Bombay. The Karkare case is the latest proof of the Muslims losing their clout in public life. They have no media nor any influence on the intellectual sphere. Even the Roman Catholics of Bombay are not ready to join with the Muslims. Sachar Committee report remains unimplemented because of this reason.

(DV Jan.1, 2009 p.7: “Mystery of Karkare murder”)


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Test Desh Bhaktas by launching conscription
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: The brave Brahminical hate-mongers, whipping up anti-Pakistan, anti-Muslim frenzy and forcing the govt. to bomb and destroy the Enemy, are brave only in words. But in action they are katta cowards. This micro-minority urban-dwelling grass-eaters are goading the govt. to launch a full scale war but who is going to fight and die in the war?

Are they ready to fight?

The Govt. of India says “it is facing serious shortage of personnel for the National Security Guards (NSG) of over 11,119 officers in the Army. (Deccan Herald, Dec.24, 2008).

Free advice: NSG gets its men from the Army but our “sacred thread” heroes are not willing to join it. But they are ready to give free advice to station NSG in all big cities where they live.

Our premier domestic snooping agency, IB, is facing such an acute shortage of manpower that for the first time it is recruiting non-commissioned officers from the Indian Air Force to fill the vacancies (Deccan Herald, Dec.15, 2008).

What happened to our Desh Bhaktas who are itching for a fight to save the honour of their “motherland”?

These idli-sambar cowards want our beef-eating boys to fight and die in the war. And they want to sit and sip beer in Taj Mahal Hotel giving us free advice on patriotism. The Govt. must launch compulsory conscription of all able bodied youth to the armed forces. This is the right time to test the Desh Bhaktas.


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INDIA SHINING

Hinduism’s most sacred river

To know why 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day, take a wary stroll along the Ganges in Varanasi. As it enters the city, Hinduism’s sacred river contains 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 millilitres, 120 times more than is considered safe for bathing. Four miles downstream, with inputs from 24 gushing sewers and 60,000 pilgrim-bathers, the concentration is 3,000 times over the safety limit. In places, the Ganges becomes black and septic. Corpses, of semi-cremated adults or enshrouded babies, drift slowly by. India’s sanitation is execrable. By one estimate, only 13% of the sewage its 11 billion people produce is treated. An estimated 700m Indians have no access to a proper toilet.

—(Economist, Dec.13, 2008)

*****

Rural Health Mission fails

New Delhi: The Centre has failed to fully implement the ambitious National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme which has not yet achieved half its targets, says the Planning Commission. While the govt. target was to create 6 lakh “fully-trained” accredited social health activists (ASHA) and an equal number of village health and sanitation at the village level, the programme has fallen short of both targets. The ASHAs have been trained in four modules, and their number has been dwindling gradually in every module. In the first phase, 5.41 lakh ASHAs were trained, but their number came down to 1.24 lakh at the end of the fourth module. There are now 2.43 lakh ASHAs with drug kits, says a Planning Commission review.

—(Deccan Herald, Nov.26, 2008)

*****

India has the largest number of
hungry in the world

By the end of 2009, the number of people who suffer hunger worldwide could swell to 1 billion, warns FAO of the UN in its report “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008”. Almost two-thirds of under-nourished people live in India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia, according to FAO. India ranks 66th out of 88 countries on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) global Hunger Index 2008 and has the largest number of undernourished people — 200 million — in any one country. The IFPRI says the overall hunger situation in India continues to be severe, though there are variations across states within India. MP is worst off with hunger levels comparable to Ethiopia’s. Though Punjab’s rank in India is number one, it is 33 places below other developing countries on the index.

—(Times of India, Dec.17, 2008)

*****


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LETTERS TO EDITOR

Ernst Zundel, Herzogenriedstr.111, 68169 - Mannheim Prison, Germany: Thank you for sending me very interesting books about topics I was totally unaware of. I knew that M.K. Gandhi was a lawyer and had worked in South Africa where he had made some most unusual submissions on Apartheid like policies at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. But I was astonished by the content of your books and articles. I would be interested in what happened in Bombay and who or what was to blame for that violent action. It seems to have had no rhyme or reason. No demands were made. And no attempt seems to have been made to have a plan for escape. Brave also the attack on that “Chabad Centre” of Jews. What is going on? For whose benefit all this carnage? I am in this jail on my 6th Christmas.

Ernst Zundel, a noted German leader and writer, is in jail for denying holocaust which is illegal in Germany. West boasts about its freedom of speech. When Taslima and Salman Rushdie were punished by the Muslims they were badly criticised in the West. Both the Muslim writers were paraded, given awards and rewards. Let there be free discussion on holocaust. Holocaust is being denied by seekers of truth like Iranian President Ahmedinejad, Ernst Zundel, Henry Ford etc. Criminalising it will certainly hurt freedom of speech which is one of the basic freedoms on which all other freedoms depend. A German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries once defended such a ban saying “there are limits to freedom of expression”. The point is where do you draw the line. Some say when your speech or writing becomes a threat to others. How does holocaust denial becomes a threat to Jews? In US, anti-semitism is not a crime. There are ever so many newspapers, journals and books denying holocaust. Hitler’s famous book, Mein Kempf, is being sold in millions even today. Iranians elected a President who is a world famous Holocaust denier and held a world conference on holocaust to which we were invited two years ago. Eleven European countries have already banned holocaust denial. France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands are prominent countries. David Irving, a noted British historian, was jailed in Austria. We condemn the holocaust denial laws. Anti-semitism in the West is like anti-Brahminism in India. As long as the racist Semitism and Brahminism thrive, its victims have every right to criticise it. Jews form not even 2% of the world population and India’s ruling Brahmins are not even 2.5% of the country’s population. Why this micro-minority is so much afraid of criticism unless it wants to cover up so much of their sins? Holocaust denial laws must be scrapped — EDITOR.

Kartar Singh, Bombay: Four women labourers ended up with severe burns while proving their innocence in Pune, according to a Times of India report (Nov.26, 2008). The women are victims of crooked Brahminical game which has percolated to the grassroot. How scientific action and reaction are distorted and used to shudra’s disadvantage and establish Brahmin’s supremacy.

Sanjeev Kumar Singh, LLM Final Year, Room no.50 - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Hostel, BHU, Varanasi - 221 005: Today’s reality is terrorism belongs solely to the Muslim world. There may be inequality for Muslims but this does not mean that there is only way to take up arms. The problem with Muslims is their own religious thoughts which inspire to launch jihad against other religious groups. As described by a noted thinker jihad is of two kinds: (1) Against the evil which is present in his/her own mind. (2) It against other religious groups to convert them to Muslim or to keep them as slaves for Muslims or lastly kill them if prior condition is not satisfied. Presently the Muslims have adopted second type of jihad against other religion. This is the real problem with the Muslims today.

You are repeating all the Brahminical and zionist arguments. Please read what Dr. Ambedkar, a Brahmin M.N. Roy, a Dalit intellectual S.K. Biswas and our own DSA books have written on Muslims. Today’s Muslim action is a reaction to what the Brahminical rulers have done to them. Did you read the DV Editorial of Dec.16, 2008? Don’t be a victim of Brahminical brainwashing. There was no “Islamic terrorism” in the West before the 9/11. Nor was there any such terrorism in India before the Babri Masjid demolition. On one side the Brahminical rulers have totally enslaved the Muslims by reducing them as dirt poor, denying admission into defence forces, police and govt. services. On another side they are put in jail in thousands dubbing them terrorists. We have toured the whole country many times and no where did we find any Dalit-Bahujans complaining against Muslims. Their complaints are only against Brahminical mischief makers. At the recent Lucknow DV silver jubilee attended by over 100 DV readers none complained against Muslims. From where do you get all this funny ideas? — EDITOR.
http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/jan_a2009/reports.htm

Communist group calls for Lenin to be made Hero of Russia


14:29
|
21/ 01/ 2009


MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - On the 85th anniversary of the
death of Vladimir Lenin, a Russian communist group has called on the
country's president to make the father of the Bolshevik Revolution a
"Hero of Russia."
The Hero of the Russian Federation award is the highest honor the
country can bestow on a citizen.

In an open letter on their website, the Communists of St. Petersburg
and the Leningrad Region appealed to President Medvedev to award the
honor posthumously to Lenin for "organizing the repulsion of
intervention by Western states in the years immediately after the
Bolshevik Revolution."

"Millions of people in our country and the entire world bow their heads
to the memory of this great person," the letter read. "It is possible
that you are unaware that during Lenin's life he received no government
awards, apart from the Order of Labor from the Khorezm People's Soviet
Republic."

"Vladimir Lenin
was a very humble man, but we have no right to forget his services to
the country and its people. Especially at the current time, when the
world capitalist system is collapsing," the appeal continued.

"Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live!" finished the letter,
using a Soviet-era slogan.

There has been no reaction from the Russian authorities to the appeal
so far.

Lenin's embalmed body has been on public display in a glass case in a
mausoleum in Red Square
since he died following a series of strokes in 1924. His continuing
presence in the heart of Moscow has been an ongoing source of
controversy since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991.


Obama 'is no Martin Luther King'


Many African-Americans have drawn parallels between Obama and Martin Luther King [EPA]


Glen Ford, the executive editor of Black Agenda Report, explains why he rejects ties between the US president-elect and the iconic civil rights leader.

The two days touch: Dr Martin Luther King's Birthday observance and Barack Obama's presidential inauguration, January 19 and 20, respectively.

To many, the juxtaposition is self-evident confirmation of the intersection of the two men's missions.

Dr King's journey, which ended with his murder in 1968, and Obama's ascent to the presidency, are seen to merge as the dates approach to form a perfect, tragic-glorious symmetry - a 48-hour revelation.

The coincidence of the calendar makes for good copy and grand sermons, but in fact reveals a great moral and political dissonance.

It is true that there could have been no Obama presidency had Dr King and the movement he sprang from not existed, but that simple fact of history does not amount to a King benediction from the grave for Obama's moral character and political policies.

Indeed, Dr King's life and words are indelible evidence that he and Obama represent opposing moral and political camps.

Tens of millions of African-Americans - who did not choose the little-known Obama to be their champion, but supported him near-universally at the polls once his candidacy had been made "viable" - will celebrate a vicarious attainment of power when Obama is sworn in.

Yet when confronted on Obama's political agenda, enough of which has been put in motion and otherwise made plain since election day, few Black Obama supporters can mount a cogent defence.

Policy vacuum

"Better than McCain" doesn't cut it, anymore.
In depth

Focus
Twitter: Live inauguration updates
Obama 'no Martin Luther King'
Inauguration guide

Videos Civil rights activist celebrates
Playing for president Obama

Your Views Send your message to Obama
Send us your video views

When the New York Times describes the emerging Obama administration as "centre-right," there is not much for an honest progressive to defend - and most African-Americans are progressive on economic issues and questions of war and peace.

Beyond a ritual counting of the president-elect's African-American appointees, most African-Americans seem oblivious to the political nature of his cabinet, his policy pronouncements and shameful silences.

More likely, they pretend to be oblivious so as not to lose that once-in-a-lifetime feeling that happened when a black man won.

It is not simply that the Obama-ites failed to muster a defence in Harlem or Baltimore or other venues; admittedly, it is difficult to defend the indefensible.

What is most shocking - maddening - is their rejection of any political or moral standard for evaluating the black soon-to-be president.

All that remains is the fact of Obama's power and the delusion that blacks somehow share in that power.

There is no thought of speaking the truth to those in power, and certainly no place for a moral compass in such a valueless void.

Military spending

We can understand, then, how people would imagine Obama and Dr King to be soul mates.


Obama is set to send more troops
to Afghanistan [AFP]
The fact that one of these men fought his whole life against the forces of militarism and economic exploitation, while the other empowers, and is empowered by, bankers and militarists, does not register on their anaesthetised moral and political sensors.

If the Obama-ites had more presence of mind, they would avoid comparisons with Dr King, which can only redound to Obama's great detriment.

King's break with his one-time ally, Lyndon Johnson, the former president, set the standard for both political and moral behaviour.

When it became clear that the war on poverty, a programme of government aid to help the poor in the mid-1960s, was doomed by the war in Vietnam, which acted "like some demonic destructive suction tube," devouring all available resources, King publicly declared against the war.

In doing so, he severed what had been the most productive relationship between a US president and a black leader in US history.

But the war gave him no choice, since military expenditures made "rehabilitation" of the American poor impossible.

Both morality and politics led to the same conclusion: the movement could not coexist with war.

The lesson is directly applicable today, but Americans, black and white, find it difficult to recognise the characters.

Obama is Lyndon Johnson.

Historical comparisons

National revitalisation, including redress of historical African-American grievances, is impossible unless military expenditures are dramatically reduced.

Would Martin Luther King have
backed Obama? [GALLO/GETTY]
But Obama is committed to putting 100,000 new pairs of Marine and Army "boots on the ground," an expanded war in Afghanistan/Pakistan and a generally bigger US military footprint on the planet.
This, in the midst of global economic collapse.

Dr King would find creative ways to confront Obama's militarism, and to actively resist further diversion of public wealth to the bankers.

Were he to survey the current political scene, King would be most impressed, not with the Obamas' party plans for the night after his birthday, but with the way that a daughter of Georgia salvaged Black America's moral reputation at the beginning of Israel's assault on Gaza.

Cynthia McKinney's [US former Green Party presidential candidate] attempted voyage of solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza on the medical relief boat Dignity, rammed and almost sunk by Israeli warships, reminds the world that not all African-Americans have morphed into warmongering clones of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Thanks to the presence of the former Georgia congresswoman on the mission, millions of Arabs have been made aware of a different 'Black America' one that is not silent, like Barack Obama, in the face of a purposely inflicted human rights catastrophe.

Some of us are still in our right minds.

Hopefully, most of the others will recover, sooner rather than later.

Glen Ford is executive editor of Black Agenda Report - an edited version of this article appeared on its website.

The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Al Jazeera.

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/theobamapresidency/2009/01/200911917451334647.html
Various Latin American leaders
have visited Cuba in a show of support for the nation as well as an
overt gesture directed at newly inaugurated President Barack Obama to
end the 47 year old U.S. embargo.




In
the last month the island nation received visits from Panamanian
President Martín Torrijos as well as Ecuadorian President Rafael
Correa. The most recent Presidential visit took place as recently as
this morning when Argentinean President Cristina Fernández visited
Havana to sign 11 accords for cooperation in science, technology,
commerce, health and energy between the two nations. The presidents of
Mexico, Chile, Guatemala and Honduras are also scheduled to visit
within the coming months. The main motivation of this flurry of
diplomatic activity is a call for the end of a U.S. embargo which has
been in place since 1962. A subject that is particularly sensitive to
President Obama who has flip-flopped on the issue in the past.
In January 2004 Obama said it was time to "to end the embargo with
Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow
Castro." While in August 2007, speaking to a Cuban audience in Miami,
Obama stated that he would not "take off the embargo" as president
because it is "an important inducement for change." The key difference
between these two statements; the election.
The Cuban-exile vote is considered key for winning Florida along
with its 27 electoral votes and candidates generally follow the
recommendations of the Cuban community which tend to support a more
hard-line stance with the Castro regime. Although this sentiment is now
beginning to change as Florida’s Cuban community begins to diversify.
Originally the Cuban population in Miami consisted mainly of exiles who
had opposed Castro during the Cuban revolution. Now many members of the
group are people who emigrated from the island, leaving families and
loved ones behind. As a result members of the community are beginning
to question the hard-line stance of the embargo.
Under the Bush administration the limitations of the embargo became
even stricter. Before Cubans in the U.S. were allowed to visit Cuba
once a year and send a care package of over $3,000 to relatives on the
Island; under the Bush administration visits were limited to once every
three years and Cubans could only send quarterly remittances of up to
$300 to family members. Obama has indicated that under his
administration many of the restrictions on travel and remittances will
be eased.
By: Alberto Ramos Cordero
Sources:

Washington Post and El País

National Assoc. of Muslim American Women (NAMAW)
Congratulates President Barack Obama on his inauguration
and calls for end to US/Israeli war on terrorism.






NAMAW Calls upon President Barack Obama to end US/Israeli war on terrorism which has been nothing more than a war on Muslims and Islam
January 21, 2009

























Dear President Barack Obama,

The National Association of Muslim American Women (NAMAW) congratulates you on your inauguration as the United State's 44th President.

With heartfelt sincerity we wish you a successful presidency, and we look forward to working with you and the members of your cabinet in a joint effort to get our country, and the world on the path to peace and prosperity.

In our opinion the first step towards that end must be ending the US/Israel war on terrorism.

The US/Israel war on terrorism that began following the tragic attack on our country September 11, 2001 has been a misdirected war to kill people who have been tagged Islamic "radicals" and "extremists." It is a war that is aimed at killing and depriving Muslims and Arabs of human and legal rights.

The US/Israel so called war on terrorism, is a war that is based upon anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and also anti-Islamic propaganda that began to saturate the world media even before 9/11, almost as if an environment of hatred against Muslims and Arabs and Islam was being created purposefully to yield the ugly backlash inflicted upon Muslim and Arab people following 9/11. This backlash includes the war on terrorism.

There is enough proof now, showing that the 9/11 attacks were not carried out by Muslims. There is also enough proof that the religion of Islam does not condone terror, nor does it compel its adherents to act violently, or to carry out acts of terrorism and political violence. There is also widespread belief that whoever did carry out the attacks on 9/11 used Muslims, Arabs and Islam as scapegoats with the hope of dragging the US into what would become an endless and perpetual war whose real aim is to create what the former Bush administration called a New Middle East. A Middle East whose natural resources are controlled by the US and Israel, and whose people are subjugated to Israel, and its indiscriminate violence.

The US/Israeli war on terrorism is an act of collective punishment that has taken the lives of millions of innocent Muslim and Arab people, including 650,000 innocent Iraqi children who were starved to death and who died from curable diseases as a result of an inhumane economic embargo placed upon Iraq by the US, that mimics almost exactly the criminal and inhumane economic embargo that Israel has imposed for 18 months upon the Gaza Strip in Palestine.

The recent Israeli assault on Gaza that has resulted in more than 1000 deaths, mostly women and children, and the almost complete destruction of Gaza's infrastructure is also reminiscent of the US invasion of Iraq, and the destruction that has been wrought upon Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. Ironically none of these countries had anything to do with 9/11, and neither did Palestine.

It is time for the US/Israeli so called war on terrorism to end and for the US and the Muslim and Arab people of the world to begin a new relationship, one that as you stated in your inaugural speech, is based upon mutual respect.

We hope that you will make ending the war on terrorism one of your administration's first priorities along with initiating a US/Muslim dialogue that is aimed at resolving the differences, real and imagined that have led to the present state of regrettable and tragic affairs.

Again we congratulate you on your inauguration, and we pray that it is the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity for the United States and the entire world.

With Best Regards,

Anisa Abd el Fattah, Chairwoman
NAMAW

Blasts hit US military, government convoys in Iraq

By Kim Gamel
The Associated Press
January 20, 2009

Baghdad - Two bombs struck separate U.S. military and Iraqi governmental
convoys in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing five Iraqi civilians and wounding two
American soldiers, the U.S. military said.

The attacks were the latest reminder of the daily violence that continues to
face Iraqis and Americans even as the U.S. military prepares to withdraw
from the country over the next three years.

A car bomb targeted a U.S. convoy shortly after 3 p.m. in a northwestern
area of Baghdad called Mansour, killing three Iraqi civilians and wounding
the two U.S. soldiers, the U.S. military said. It added that initial
intelligence indicated al-Qaida in Iraq was to blame.

Also Tuesday, a senior Iraqi education official escaped an assassination
attempt while traveling through central Baghdad, according to a government
statement. The attempt came less than a week after the Minister of Higher
Education escaped injury when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy in
the same district.

The ministry's undersecretary, Ammar Aziz Mohammed Ali, was not hurt when a
roadside bomb hit his convoy midmorning Tuesday, according to the statement.

The U.S. military said two Iraqi civilians, a woman and a child, were killed
and three others were wounded in the attack.

Attacks against Americans have dropped sharply along with overall violence
over the past year but U.S. troops continue to be targeted along with
Iraqis. U.S. and Iraqi officials have warned that militants would step up
attacks before Jan. 31 provincial elections.

During his inauguration speech Tuesday, President Barack Obama promised to
"begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned
peace in Afghanistan." That's in line with his pledge to end the war in
Iraq.

The U.S. must pull out all forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 according to
a new security agreement that took effect on Jan. 1.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh welcomed Obama's pledge but said any
decision should be made jointly.

"The Iraqi government and security forces are doing their best to be fully
ready to meet the deadlines mentioned in the security agreement," he told
The Associated Press. "We think that such withdrawal will not endanger the
security improvements."

The Iraqi government, meanwhile, agreed to provide rent-free buildings for
two years to embassies inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone "to
encourage the world's countries to reopen their embassies in Iraq," a
government statement said.

The United States formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi
authorities on Jan. 1 in compliance with the new security pact.

In political developments Tuesday, Iraq's Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi
accused his former Shiite ally Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of trying to
grab power in southern Iraq and obstructing efforts to rebuild there after
years of war.

The allegations came as the two former allies have clashed over a campaign
to decentralize the government.

Al-Maliki is trying to amend the constitution to give the central government
more power and curtail those of provincial administrations. He argues the
alternative to a strong central government would be chaos.

But Abdul-Mahdi, whose political party hopes to create and lead a self-ruled
region in southern Iraq, said Tuesday a strengthened central government is
hindering reconstruction in the Shiite-dominated south.

"The monopoly of power in Baghdad by the government and its ministries must
be removed because it has become a hurdle to any development," Abdul-Mahdi
said, without mentioning al-Maliki by name. "Iraq cannot be left up to the
thinking of one official or one department. The constitution and investment
laws must be implemented."

___

Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed to this report
Traditionally, there is little distinction between Democrat and Republican
Presidents in their relations with Latin America. A fact the Cubans learned
the hard way when the Kennedy Administration came into power. For instance,
the Kennedys allowed the Bay of Pigs invasion, planned under Eisenhower to
go forward, and organized numerous assassination plots on Fidel Castro. Now,
Obama seems to be taking the identical position toward Venezuela as that
maintained by the defunct Bush Administration. A positive note, however, is
the apparent intent on Obama's part to relax some of the more draconian
measures that currently apply to Cuba. SR)

Obama and Chávez Start Sparring Early

By Juan Forero
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, January 19, 2009; Page A15

BOGOTA, Colombia, Jan. 18 -- In an interview shown in the past week on the
Spanish-language network Univision, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said
that Venezuela's firebrand president, Hugo Chávez, has hindered progress in
Latin America, and he expressed concern that Chávez's leftist government has
assisted Colombia's biggest guerrilla movement, a group the United States
considers a terrorist organization. Chávez responded this weekend by saying
that Obama had "the same stench" as President Bush, a frequent target of
Chávez's remarks.

"There is still time" for Obama to correct his views, the Venezuelan leader
said, but he added: "No one should say that I threw the first stone at
Obama. He threw it at me."

The interview with the president-elect, shown in two segments that aired
Sunday and last Tuesday, included Obama's most extensive comments to date
about Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico -- countries that are expected to require
swift attention from the new administration. Mexico is convulsed by drug
violence that is spilling into the United States; Cuba's longtime leader,
Fidel Castro, is suffering from a serious undisclosed illness; and Chávez's
government is reinforcing ties with such U.S. adversaries as Iran and,
authorities in Bogota say, Colombian rebels.

Obama said his administration is open to starting talks with Chávez to
improve relations, which have frayed badly since the Bush administration
celebrated Chávez's brief overthrow at the hands of rebellious military
officers in 2002. But in the 13-minute interview aired by Univision, Obama
said Chávez had "been a force that has interrupted progress in the region."

He then raised the issue of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a
45-year-old rebel group loathed by Colombians for carrying out selective
assassinations, attacks on civilian targets and mass kidnappings. Last year,
Colombian authorities released internal rebel documents that outlined how
Chávez and his close allies had assisted the group in an effort to isolate
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, the Bush administration's closest ally in
Latin America. The Chávez government denies it helps the FARC, as the group
is known.

"We need to be firm when we see this news, that Venezuela is exporting
terrorist activities or supporting malicious entities like the FARC," Obama
said. "This creates problems that are not acceptable."

Chávez reacted Saturday and earlier in the week to Obama's remarks, which
were seen in Venezuela on Univision's Web site. The network did not release
a transcript of the interview, in which Obama's answers are simultaneously
translated into Spanish.

"He said I'm an obstacle for progress in Latin America," Chávez said in a
speech to supporters in Caracas. "Therefore, it must be removed, this
obstacle, right?"

The Venezuelan leader said that Obama is following orders from dark forces
inside "the empire," as he refers to the United States. "If he doesn't obey
the orders of the empire, they'll kill him," Chávez said, without offering
details or proof.

According to a script repeated in Chávez's frequent speeches, the United
States has a diabolical plan to topple his government and steal the
country's immense oil reserves. The Venezuelan government accuses leading
opponents of being in on the plan.

Obama offered conciliatory words to Cuba's government, which has recently
been led by Raúl Castro, Fidel's brother. He said he wants to loosen
restrictions so Cuban exiles can travel back to the island and send money to
relatives, casting the moves as a first step in improving relations with the
communist regime, though he said he would not end a U.S. economic embargo.

"This is a good place to begin," Obama said. "It doesn't eliminate the
embargo, but it does send a signal that we are open to holding
conversations." He said, though, that talks are subject to Cuba implementing
democratic reforms.

The president-elect also lauded Mexican President Felipe Calderón for
leading a hard fight against drug cartels and said the United States needs
to help by stopping the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802
325.html


Pak warns US, says will review options if Obama not patient
ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON: Responding to US President Barack Obama’s statement that there will be no free lunches for Pakistan, the Pak Army has warned
US that it has the choice of “reviewing its options”. ( Watch )

"Pakistan hopes that Obama will be more patient while dealing with Pakistan. We will review all options, if Obama does not adopt a positive policy towards us," Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Huqqani told Geo TV in Islamabad.

According to the envoy, "Bush was more inclined to Pakistan. Obama should hear us out. He must pay attention to other factors in the region."

Speaking about Pakistan's role in the war against terror, Huqqani said that Pakistan was an ally of the US and participating in the war against terror was in its own interest.

The envoy's comments came hours after Obama unveiled his policy agenda.

The new Obama administration has told Pakistan that it is accountable for the “security in the border region with Afghanistan” and the financial aid it receives would depend upon its performance in the fight against terrorism.

In lieu of $1.5 billion of non-military aid to Pakistan, Islamabad would be required to making concerted efforts to prevent al-Qaeda and associated terrorist groups from operating in its territory and make concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using its territory as a sanctuary to launch attacks within Afghanistan.

Islamabad would also need to ensure that it does not materially interfere in the political or judicial processes of the country, the legislation says.

Anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela hails Obama
Durban (PTI): Anti-apartheid leader and Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela has said that the first black United States President Barack Obama will bring a "new voice of hope" to the world.

Nelson Mandela, 91,in a letter to Obama, who was sworn in as America's 44th President in Washington yesterday said, "Mr President, you have brought a new voice of hope that these problems can be addressed and that we can in fact change the world and make it a better place."

South Africa's first democratic President Mandela said he believed that in the rise of Obama the entire nation had witnessed something truly historic, not only in the political records of the US, but of the world.

Obama's election to the high office, he said, had inspired people as few other events in recent times had done.

The Nobel peace prize winner (1993) said that people, not only in South Africa but around the world, were inspired to believe that through "common human effort, injustice can be overcome and that together a better life for all can be achieved".

The anti-apartheid icon hoped that "the challenges we all face, be they economic, the environment, or in combating poverty or the search for peace will be addressed with a new spirit of openness and accommodation."

We are aware that the expectations of what your Presidency will achieve are high and that the demands on you will be great. We share in that excitement and pride."

Mandela wished President Obama and his family strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years ahead.

"You will always be in our affection as a young man who dared to dream and to pursue that dream. We wish you well," he said.

Iraq willing for quicker US troop pullout
BAGHDAD (AP): Iraq is willing to have the U.S. withdraw its troops even before the end of 2011 — the departure date agreed to by former President George W. Bush, the Iraqi prime minister's spokesman said.

Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh made the comment ahead of a meeting Wednesday in Washington between President Barack Obama and his senior commanders to discuss the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama promised during the campaign to bring home all U.S. combat troops within 16 months of taking office. The new president said in his inaugural address Tuesday that he would ``begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people.''

Al-Dabbagh told Associated Press Television News Tuesday night that Iraqis had been worried about a quick U.S. departure.

With the emphasis on a responsible withdrawal, al-Dabbagh said the Iraqi government was willing for the U.S. to leave ``even before the end of 2011.'' The Bush administration agreed in November to remove all U.S. troops by the end of 2011.

U.S. commanders are concerned that a rapid departure would threaten the fragile security established since 2007 after years of military and political setbacks.


Aid to Pak tied to war on terror: Obama administration

WASHINGTON: The new Obama administration cautioned Pakistan that it would be held accountable for the security in the border regions of Afghanistan
and that its performance in the fight against terrorism would be linked to the financial aid to the country. ( Watch )

"(President Barack) Obama and (Vice President Joe) Biden will increase non-military aid to Pakistan and hold them accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan," the White House said in its foreign policy agenda document released soon after Obama occupied the Oval office.

Biden, a known expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan, then in the capacity as the Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had introduced legislation in the US Senate in this regard.

Co-authored jointly by the Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, the legislation proposes to triple non-military aid to Pakistan in the next five years.

The legislation authorises USD 7.5 billion over five years in aid that can be used for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics. The bill also calls for greater accountability on security assistance, to improve Pakistani counterterrorism capabilities and ensure more effective efforts against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The foreign policy agenda of the Obama administration on Pakistan is in tune with the well known policies of Biden,
which was also echoed by the Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton during her nomination hearing before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee early this month.

As the key points of the Obama's foreign policy agenda revealed yesterday indicated, the new administration is expected to follow the key elements of Biden-Lugar proposals introduced last year.

In lieu of USD 1.5 billion of non-military aid to Pakistan, Islamabad would be required to making concerted efforts to prevent al-Qaida and associated terrorist groups from operating in its territory and make concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using its territory as a sanctuary to launch attacks within Afghanistan.

Islamabad would also need to ensure that it does not materially interfere in the political or judicial processes of the country, the legislation says.

India optimistic about Obama but doubts remain
21 Jan 2009, 0408 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: The first African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama, is being widely hailed as a harbinger of change and, perhaps,
not without reason.
Even before he was sworn in as the 44th US president around 11.30am (local time) on Tuesday, Obama had come to signify hope and change for the better for millions cutting across country, race and religious divides.

India is no exception as Obama's elevation to power has been largely met with optimism. The only sore note, if one can call it that, has been the new president's inclination to draw a link between the situation on Pak-Afghan border and the J&K dispute between India and Pakistan which many in the West believe can lead to a flare-up on Pakistan's eastern border.

However, the good news for India is that Obama has already declared that the war on terror during his regime is going to focus on Afghanistan-Pakistan and not Iraq. This clearly authenticates India's stand that it is important to sort out these two countries to root out terrorism.
Obama's predecessor had been pilloried for the US follies in launching an all out war on Iraq and Obama's decision to withdraw troops from that country has been greeted well by the world community. In that sense, Obama has already started to make a difference.

India, of course, would want to ward off any attempt by the Obama administration to force a resolution of the J&K dispute on the pretext of ensuring more cooperation from Pakistan in the war against terror. However, Obama clearly understands that India looks upon J&K as a bilateral dispute, with the world community having little or no role in it, and is unlikely to disturb the balance.

Another likely bone of contention between India and the US could be the Democrats' insistence on India signing the CTBT and NPT. However, India's stand on both the issues is so clearly spelled out that any attempt to force India could lead to an ugly situation which Washington may want to avoid.

One of the first major challenges to confront Obama would be the tottering US economy and he has already outlined it as his main priority area. Any move to inject fresh life into the economy can only be good news not just for India but also the entire world as no other country has a more profound influence on the world economy.
More than 90% of India's $50 billion IT exports goes to the US and a thriving US economy is almost imperative for India. As for his remarks on outsourcing in the past, that he wants to save American jobs, Indians are hopeful that as in the past it would not translate into any action that would impede US-India business relations.

China's relations with the US are also likely to have a bearing on India-US strategic ties as manifested in last year's nuclear deal between the two countries. It was fairly obvious during the last phase of Bush's tenure that Washington was following a policy of containment vis-a-vis China even though Bush himself maintained that relations between the two countries strengthened in the past few years. So far, Obama has kept his cards close to his chest as far as China is concerned.
Secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton, of course, has said that Washington wants positive and cooperative relationship with China. She, however, has also warned that relations would not be "one-way effort" and that "much of what we will do depends on the choices China makes about its future at home and abroad".

Obama is also likely to deviate from his predecessor's stand by trying to engage Iran. However, any major change in US policy, especially if Iran continues with its plan to enrich uranium, is not on the cards. He has also not ruled out military options against Iran which might bring him into a conflict with Europe.

Obama has already announced that he would have Guantanamo Bay shut down as a priority. However, it remains to be seen how the decision is implemented because the authorities have not yet figured out what to do with the inmates. For example, the 15 Uighur separatists lodged in the prison have nowhere to go because most countries have refused to take them.

Obama is also likely to emerge as the new world leader as far as climate change is concerned. He has already announced his intention to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% and an investment of $150 billion in new energy-saving techniques. However, his real test will come in December in Copenhagen when talks are held on replacement for Kyoto protocol.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/US/India_optimistic_about_Obama_but_doubts_remain/articleshow/4008713.cms

Obama's Day One: Church, then economy, war advisers
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama stepped into the Oval Office for the first time as chief executive on Wednesday and summoned economic advisers Top challenges for Obama
Obama's Cadillac One
Michelle Obama
and top military officials to separate meetings aimed at delivering the change he promised as a candidate.

A multi-denominational prayer service at Washington National Cathedral and an open house at the presidential mansion were also on the schedule of the 44th president, taking office on a promise to fix the battered economy and withdraw U.S. troops from the unpopular war in Iraq on a 16-month timetable.

The shift in administrations — former President George W. Bush was back home in Texas — was underscored in far-off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where a judge granted Obama's request to suspend the war crimes trial of a young Canadian. The judge, Army Col. Patrick Parrish, issued a one-sentence order for the 120-day continuance without so much as a hearing, possibly the beginning of the end for the former administration's system of trials for alleged terrorists.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama sat in the first row for Wednesday's invitation-only prayer service. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, joined them, as did former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., awaiting confirmation as secretary of state later in the day.

"Grant to Barack Obama, president of the United States, and to all in authority your grace and good will. Bless them with your heavenly gifts, give them wisdom and strength to know and to do your will," prayed the Rev. Andy Stanley, one of numerous clerics from several religions to speak.

Obama's first White House meetings as president meshed with quickened efforts in Congress to add top Cabinet officials to the roster of those confirmed on Tuesday and to advance the economic stimulus measure that is a top priority of his administration.

Treasury Secretary-designate Tim Geithner, appearing before the Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing, said enactment of the new president's economic stimulus was essential. He also said the Senate's decision last week to permit use of the second $350 installment of a financial industry bailout "will enable us to take the steps necessary to help get credit flowing."

He said Obama and he "share your belief that this program needs serious reform."

Geithner also apologized for his failure to pay personal taxes earlier in the decade, calling the omission a mistake. The taxes were repaid in stages, some after an IRS audit and the rest after a review of his returns late last year by Obama's transition team.

The meeting with economic advisers was coming at a time when 11 million Americans are out of work and millions more feel the loss of savings and face the prospect of foreclosures on their homes.

Obama halts all regulations pending review
WASHINGTON: One of President Barack Obama's first acts on Tuesday was to put the brakes on all pending regulations that the Bush administration
tried to push through in its waning days.

The order went out shortly after Obama was inaugurated president, in a memorandum signed by new White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

Former President George W. Bush's administration moved into overdrive in the last year or so on a host of new regulatory proposals. Now the Obama administration will review everything that is still pending.

In doing so, the Obama administration is taking a page out of Bush's playbook from 2001.

Within hours after Bush was sworn in, Bush advisers were seeking to reverse some late-term actions of President Bill Clinton, who in his final 20 days in office issued 12 executive orders, including directives on migratory birds and the importation of diamonds from Sierra Leone.

Eight years later, the Obama White House is making a similar move. In some cases, however, the Bush administration moved too fast for the incoming administration.

For example, just six weeks ago, the Bush administration issued revised endangered species regulations to reduce the input of federal scientists and to block the law from being used to fight global warming.

The Bush administration worked diligently to get the change in place before Obama took over, corralling 15 experts in Washington in October to sort through 250,000 written comments from the public on the revisions in 32 hours.

Obama has said he would work to reverse the changes. But because the rule takes effect before he is sworn in, he would have to restart the lengthy rulemaking process.

The changes would eliminate some of the mandatory, independent reviews that government scientists have performed for 35 years on dams, power plants, timber sales and other projects, a requirement that developers and other federal agencies have blamed for delays and cost increases.

The rules also prohibit federal agencies from evaluating the effect on endangered species and the places they live from a project's contribution to increased global warming.

Another Bush administration regulation that went in effect this month overturned a 25-year-old federal rule that severely restricts loaded guns in national parks.

For rules that have already gone into effect, the Democratic-controlled Congress might be able to help the Obama administration by using the Congressional Review Act, a legislative tool to bring new federal regulations under scrutiny.


US seeks to suspend Gitmo war crimes trials
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE (CUBA): The US moved to halt the Guantanamo Bay war crimes trials, filing a late-night motion to suspend proceedings until
President Barack Obama's administration completes a review of the system for prosecuting suspected terrorists.

The motion, filed on Tuesday at the direction of Obama and Defence Secretary Robert Gates, will be considered on Wednesday by the military judge hearing the case of five men charged in the September 11 attacks.

In the motion, a US military prosecutor says the "interests of justice" would be served by a suspension in all pending cases because a review of the system by the Obama administration may result in significant changes.

"The interests of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the interests of both the public and the accused in a prompt trial," prosecutor Clay Trivett said in the motion.

Trivett wrote that the motion was filed at the direction of the president and defense secretary. The motion for a suspension came on the day a military judge adjourned the war crimes court just before Obama was sworn in by noting the future of the commissions is in doubt. The hearings were dismissed until Wednesday "unless otherwise ordered." Obama has said he will close Guantanamo, where the US holds about 245 men, and had been expected to suspend the widely criticised war-crimes trials created by former President George W Bush and Congress in 2006.

Obama's nominee for attorney general has said the so-called military commissions lack sufficient legal protections for defendants and that they could be tried in the United States.

US Senate vote on Hillary Clinton's nomination delayed
WASHINGTON: The US Senate has put off for a day the vote on nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State due to opposition from a Republican
lawmaker, who has voiced concern over foreign donations to her husband Bill Clinton's foundation involved in humanitarian work globally.

However, the Senate swiftly confirmed seven other members of new President Barack Obama's team, including Steven Chu as Energy Secretary and Janet Napolitano as head of Homeland Security, with a single voice vote last evening.

But, the vote on Hillary's nomination was delayed by a day by the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, as a result of the opposition from Republican Senator John Cornyn, who sought more transparency from the Clinton Foundation.

The Foundation headed by former President Bill Clinton is a global non-profit organisation involved in social welfare and poverty alleviation work mostly in third world countries. A large number of donors to the foundation are from overseas, an issue of concern for Cornyn.

The Obama team and Democratic leaders were eager to confirm Hillary's nomination yesterday itself as they wanted the 61-year-old former First Lady to move to the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department as soon as possible, given the urgent foreign policy challenges faced by the US, specially in the Gulf and South Asia. Cornyn, the Senator from Texas, who has been strongly opposing Clinton's nomination, can block a Senate voice vote for a day, but he cannot stop a roll call vote. "I'm pleased to have the opportunity to have a full and open debate and an up-or-down vote on Senator Clinton's nomination," Cornyn said in a statement after he put a block on voice vote.

"Important questions remain unanswered concerning the Clinton Foundation and its acceptance of donations from foreign entities. Transparency transcends partisan politics and the American people deserve to know more," Cornyn said. Both the Obama advisers and Hillary insist that there is enough transparency, as they have already reached an agreement under which the Clinton Foundation would release the name of its foreign donors. John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that the vote would now happen on Wednesday evening. He said he expected Hillary to be approved by overwhelming majority. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee after a nomination hearing on January 13 had approved her nomination by 17-1 votes on January 17.

However, the Senate was yesterday quick enough to approve as many as seven of Obama's nominees within hours of his being sworn in. Apart from Chu and Napolitano, those approved by the Senate were Arne Duncan (Education Secretary), Senator Ken Salazar (Interior Secretary), former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki (Veterans Affairs Secretary), former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (Agriculture Secretary) and Peter Orszag (Director of the Office of Management and Budget).

Malegaon blast: ATS chargesheet says Purohit main conspirator
MUMBAI: Nearly four months after the blast at Malegaon, police have filed a chargesheet that named Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit as the main
conspirator who provided the explosives, and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as the prime accused who arranged for the men who planted the explosives.

The 4,000-page chargesheet, filed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before the Special MCOCA court here, stated that Purohit floated right wing group Abhinav Bharat in 2007 with an intention to "propagate a separate Hindu Rashtra with its own Constitution".

According to the document, the Army officer collected "huge amounts" to the tune of Rs 21 lakh for himself and Abhinav Bharat to promote his "fundamentalist ideology."

The amount was disbursed by Ajay Rahirkar, treasurer of the group, to various other accused to procure explosives for committing unlawful activities.

The conspiracy meetings were held from January 2008 at Faridabad, Bhopal, Kolkata, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore and Nashik.

At a meeting in Bhopal on April 11, 2008 Purohit took responsibility of providing explosives while the Sadhvi took the task of arranging for the men for exploding the bombs in the Muslim-dominated town in North Maharashtra.

Purohit had bought RDX with him when he returned from his Kashmir posting. He assembled the explosives at his residence in Pune with the help of co-accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi and wanted accused Ramji Kalsangra, and the same was used in the September 29 blast at Malegaon that killed six persons, it said.

QnA: Will the Malegaon investigation expose the involvement of extreme Hindu political outfits and the BJP?

Shiv Sena workers vandalize Mumbai hotel
MUMBAI: Over 300 workers of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS), the Shiv Sena's labour wing, on Wednesday vandalized the Hotel Intercontinental Grand
to protest the sacking of at least 21 employees, a party leader said. ( Watch )

BKS president Suryakant Mahadik said that the hotel sacked its employees for trying to form a labour union with affiliation to BKS.

"When the workers persisted in their efforts to unite the hotel employees under the BKS flag, they were sacked without any notice or compensation six months ago," Mahadik said.

Mahadik said the hotel management "threw us a challenge by vowing to never let the BKS form a union on its premises".

Agitated by this, over 300 BKS men led by Mahadik, the Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Raut and legislator Anil Parab marched to the hotel to protest its "anti-labour policies".

Admitting that some BKS workers clambered up the gates and vandalised the hotel lobby and broke glass doors and windows, Mahadik claimed that "the hotel management provoked my workers into causing damage in the premises".

"The police baton charged us but we are used to police caning," he added.

Police and the hotel's management were unavailable for comment.

The hotel is located barely two kms from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and is a favourite among business travellers.

Mahadik said that if the management fails to heed its demand that the sacked employees be reinstated and a BKS union formed in the hotel by this evening, the group will "take further steps".

Obama: Youngsters speak
21 Jan 2009, 0024 hrs IST, TNN



Bangalore : Will the wall of racism come down with Obama taking over as US president? TOI spoke to the young in Bangalore and found Obama's
election will signal people to look beyond colour and community.

America needs to change its Big Brother attitude... What Bush did to Gaza, Iraq and other countries in West Asia is unacceptable...Obama is an intelligent guy who will be able to tackle the economic crisis....

S Dhiraj, mech engg student

Obama will bring a change in American thinking. Bush was not competent enough as President, that's why he waged wars against so many countries. Obama is just the change we need.

Payal Aswani, 16, student

Obama will not be too good for India because of his policies regarding outsourcing. He will take charge of his country but for India he won't be able to do much.

Akta Gupta, 16, student

Racism in India will be reduced. Obama brings with him a different and broad thinking. Bush had a different mentality and Obama is the antithesis of that.

Ankit Pathak, 16, student

Being the first Black President, Obama is going to be a legend. What he will do as President is something we'll have to wait and watch. Since he does not support outsourcing, I think the IT industry would be hit badly. Hopefully, it does not affect us that much.

Kailash Bysani, 21, software engg student

The world is cheering Obama. As he is the first Black President, the whole world is happy. He'll do good things for India, except that he does not support outsourcing. So the downturn of the BPO sector will become our biggest concern. Hopefully, he will come around for us.

Polly Borah, 23, student

He's young and so his policies will definitely be better. Also, he seems to be more in touch with the youth... I like him because he's a youth-oriented person.

Pushpi Bagchi, 20, student

He's good for India. Also, he will come down hard on Pakistan and terrorism. But he's against outsourcing so our job security will be a problem.

Shachi Prakash, 21, student

With Obama at the helm, it will be time for America to deal with racism. Hope he comes out with strong policies so the recession will subside.

Tarun S, 22, student

Finally, there is equality in America. Obama is inspiring and different from all other presidents the US has had. Let's hope he does something good while in office.

Rigzing Dadul, 20, student

Obama will be a good change for India. Perhaps in time, India may look at him as an example and have younger politicians. I definitely would prefer a younger politician.

Ashwini Gupta, 20, student

Obama can bring a peaceful resolution to the Indo-Pak-Bangladesh problem. His concept of transparency and truth is the most honest thing about him... It's what the world needs from America right now.

Nihal Gupta, 23, professional photographer

Obama as President means oneness and unity among people of the world. The future of the economy and national security in Iran, Israel and Pakistan is inextricably linked to peace and insight into their problems. He will be able to heal boundaries... He could symbolize the near abolishment of discrimination between Blacks and Whites...

Shweta Govind, student

Obama may be the poster boy in world politics but his true test of character and ability will be when he assumes office. Economic crisis, terror threats, tensions in Israel and Palestine are welcoming him... As an Indian, I am eager to see how he supports India's fight against terrorism. It is early days yet.

Madhavi T, student

I feel there will be no more unnecessary war against terrorism or spending on unproven missile systems and nuclear weapons... America finally has a President who is both a realist and a spiritualist, someone who is proud of himself rightly and who stands up for what he believes in.

Tina Joseph, student
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Obama_Youngsters_speak/articleshow/4009091.cms


PM puts off date with city
21 Jan 2009, 0710 hrs IST, TNN
KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has cancelled his visit to Kolkata, scheduled for Wednesday. Singh was coming to inaugurate the
150th anniversary celebrations of St Xavier's and the 225th anniversary of Asiatic Society. Though both institutes will go ahead with the programmes, a special programme will be held when the PM decides to come to Kolkata. PMO sources said Singh's rescheduled visit will be decided soon.

As things stand now, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will do the honours at St Xavier's .

PMO sources said that Singh is undergoing a medical checkup at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and has called off his travel plans. "The Prime Minister visited AIIMS for an overall medical checkup. He is undergoing diagnostic tests, which will be completed on Wednesday," said a PMO release. Sources said that one of the reasons behind the PM's cancelling the trip could be an overlapping of programmes, as planned by the organisers.

Though there are no security reasons behind the cancellation, the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for the PM's security , has been against any travel before Republic Day for the last few years.

St Xavier's was so excited about the PM's visit that it had put up banners across the city announcing the occasion. Naturally, the sudden cancellation threw them off guard, albeit momentarily. Soon, the authorities had a re-designed programme in place, and announced that the inaugural programme would now be of a duration of an hour and a quarter, instead of the previously planned 40 minutes.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was also scheduled to come earlier, will now light the lamp and inaugurate the celebrations. The authorities contacted his office and requested him to do so, which he has reportedly accepted. However, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who had consented to come, will not be attending the programme. Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and speaker of the Assembly, Hashim Abdul Halim, are the two new additions on the dais.

"We will go ahead with the inauguration , but if the Prime Minister decides to visit again, we will certainly organise another special programme for him," principal of the college, Fr P C Mathew, said.

This refrain was heard at Asiatic Society also, where the PM was supposed to bring the curtains down on the 225th anniversary of the institute.

"We will go ahead with the programme now, but we will again organize something if he comes later. The Prime Minister's Look-East policy is of special significance for an ancient institute of Indology like us, and hence we were looking forward to his speech at the culmination of the 225th year celebrations of the institute ," said Atish Dasgupta, spokesperson of the Society's celebration committee.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/PM_puts_off_date_with_city_/articleshow/4009705.cms

India disagrees with Miliband, says it's closed chapter
NEW DELHI: Government on Wednesday said it has conveyed through "proper diplomatic channels" its "differences" with Britain over British Foreign
Secretary David Miliband's remarks about Kashmir and terrorism even as it asked other countries to act against states which sponsor terrorism.

Underscoring India's anger at Pakistan's failure to act against terrorists New Delhi blames for the Nov 26 Mumbai terrorist attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee urged the international community to compel "recalcitrant states" to act.

"...If a state apparatus sponsors terrorism as an act of state policy, or a recalcitrant state refuses to recognise its international commitments and responsibilities on not allowing the use of (its) territory for terror activities, the problem becomes more complex and difficult," Mukherjee said.

"It is high time the international community recognised that such recalcitrant states must be brought to discipline by resorting to various international mechanisms," he told a regional security conference here on Wednesday.

Mukherjee also clarified India's position over Miliband's remarks that suggested terrorism in the region was linked to the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.

"When the foreign secretary of the UK visited us he shared his perceptions about the situations, and I equally told him and all the interlocutors that this is your perception," Mukherjee said.

"We do not share this perception," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

"In our normal diplomatic channel, what is proper and just, we have done it and now it is a closed chapter," Mukherjee said in a bid to put the controversy to rest.

Mukherjee's comments came amid media reports about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh writing to his British counterpart Gordon Brown expressing disappointment over Miliband's comments.

The government, however, denied the reports. "No such letter was sent," Deepak Sandhu, media adviser to the prime minister, told reporters.

Britain, too, denied any such letter was sent and went on a damage-control mode.

"There are two points to be made here which should not be confused. And the British government has repeatedly expressed its view that nothing can justify terrorism," Dan Chugg, the spokesperson of the British high commission, told reporters.

However, Britain also feels that wherever conflicts exist it's important that the people talk about how best these conflicts can be resolved, he added.

The spokesperson also sought to quell rumours about India cold-shouldering visiting British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Peter Mandelson.

Alluding to reports that Mandelson was denied appointments with Manmohan Singh and Mukherjee, the spokesperson insisted that "Lord Mandelson had an extraordinarily successful visit".

In an article published in The Guardian, a British daily, last week, Miliband had argued that the unresolved Kashmir issue provided "the chief call to arms" to terrorists in the region.

These remarks were interpreted by some in India as a sign of a broader strategy that sees the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as crucial to bringing stability to South Asia.

Political parties in India were quick to denounce these remarks and the chief opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described Miliband's visit to India last week as "a diplomatic disaster".

The external affairs ministry snubbed London saying it did not need "unsolicited advice" on its internal affairs.

Miliband also rubbed India the wrong way when he asserted during his visit to New Delhi that there was no evidence to suggest that the Pakistani state directed the Mumbai carnage, remarks that contradicted Manmohan Singh's contention that "official agencies" of Pakistan were complicit in the terror attacks.

Gorkha Janamukti Morcha delegation meets Buddhadeb


21 Jan 2009, 2117 hrs IST, ET Bureau
KOLKATA: A Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) delegation on Wednesday met the West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and presented a
situation report on the affairs in the Darjeeling hills. The chief minister, however, promised to look into some of their demands like the withdrawal of police cases against GJM activists.

During the 90-minute meeting with the chief minister, the GJM delegation also demanded the inclusion of Siliguri and Dooars into the proposed Gorkhaland for which they have been battling all these years.

GJM leader Roshan Giri told reporters after the meeting: "We have briefed the chief minister. We also demanded that Adivasi Vikash Parishad activists who had organised attacks on our men be arrested within a week and police free our men who were falsely implicated," Mr Giri said, adding that the chief minister had assured them to look into the demands.

Mr Giri also demanded that houses of GJM activists damaged by the Parishad supporters would need to be repaired by the Buddhadeb administration. "The chief minister assured us in this light," Mr Giri added.

"We've briefed the chief minister and the ball is now in his court, " the GJM leader said. He added that the outcome of the meeting with the chief minister had already been conveyed to GJM president Bimal Gurung and "it is he who will take the next course of action."

Asked whether the GJM will defer its current agitation after the meeting with the chief minister, Mr Giri said: "We may take the Gandhian course in future. But it is our president who will decide."

The GJM leader added that his organisation had demanded that the state government arrange for medical care for those GJM activists injured in the attacks by the Parishad and CPIM supporters.

Mr Giri said the GJM delegation had urged the chief minister to allow GJM activists to organise their movement in the plains like Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. "But the chief minister advised us to wait for some time until the restoration of normalcy in the region," said Mr Giri.

It is learnt that Mr Bhattacharjee did not make any commitment on the GJM's demand for inclusion of Siliguri and Dooars within the proposed Gorkhaland. Earlier, the state government had categorically ruled out the GJM's demand for a separate state for the Gorkhas and a separate police force for Darjeeling hills.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Gorkha_Janamukti_Morcha_delegation_meets_Buddhadeb/articleshow/4013398.cms

U.S. Broadens List of Peanut Foods to Avoid

By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 21, 2009; Page D03

The federal government is advising consumers to avoid cookies, cakes, ice cream and crackers made with peanut butter or peanut paste while it continues to investigate an outbreak of salmonella illness that is believed to have killed six people and sickened at least 485 others across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked the salmonella outbreak to products made with peanut paste and peanut butter manufactured after July 1 in a Georgia factory owned by Peanut Corp. of America. The company, which is based in Virginia, supplies peanut butter and paste to long-term-care and other institutions, food service companies and private-label manufacturers that use the products in cookies, cakes, crackers and other foods. None of the company's peanut products are sold directly to consumers. It has paused all production in its Georgia facility.

It is unclear how the peanut products were contaminated with salmonella, which is carried by animal feces. Foods can also become contaminated by infected food handlers who do not wash their hands with soap after using the bathroom.

Several of the nation's largest retailers and manufacturers are voluntarily recalling products that may contain the contaminated peanut butter or paste. Among the retailers are Safeway, Kroger and Meijer, and products include Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies, Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty crackers. A list of recalled products is being kept and updated by the government at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall.


The salmonella outbreak follows a string of food safety scares in recent years that has shaken consumer confidence and raised alarms about whether the federal government is adequately protecting the nation's food supply. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food manufacturers and retailers, has asked the Obama administration to significantly increase funding for federal food safety programs in the hope that a robust inspection program will reduce contamination outbreaks and restore consumer confidence.

"Food safety and consumer safety is absolutely paramount for us," said Mike Gloekler, a spokesman for McKee Foods, which manufactures Little Debbie products. Gloekler said the recall affected about 7,000 cases of peanut butter crackers, a small fraction of the company's 100-product line.

Kris Charles, a spokeswoman for Kellogg, said yesterday that the FDA confirmed that salmonella was found in a package of its Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter. The company has recalled that and 15 other products that are made with peanut paste or butter from Peanut Corp. of America. She said about 7 million cases of Kellogg products were affected, and they represented less than 1 percent of the company's product line.

Major-label peanut butter is not suspected to be contaminated with salmonella and is considered safe to eat, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Several major brands, including Peter Pan, Jif and Smuckers, are worried that panicky consumers will stop buying their products and have been taking pains to point out that their peanut butters are not part of the outbreak.

Salmonella bacteria can cause an infection that often produces diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. While most people recover without treatment, infants, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems can develop severe illness that can result in death if not promptly treated with antibiotics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003654.html

Young Muslims' open letter to Obama
WASHINGTON: As many as 300 young Muslim leaders from over 70 countries, including nine from India, in an open letter asked the US President Barack
Obama and the world to adopt measures that can ease tensions and foster peace with the Muslims.

While the open letter was published in The Washington Post yesterday before Obama was sworn in, a statement issued on behalf of these Muslim leaders later in the afternoon said this letter is relevant given Obama's determination to find a "new way forward" with the Muslim world based on "mutual interest and mutual respect" — a goal that he mentioned in his inaugural address this afternoon.

"To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy," Obama said.

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," Obama said.

The open letter is based on the last week's Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) conference in Doha. It outlines four key policy recommendations, which the statement said, Obama can implement to ease tensions and foster peace with the Muslim world. The letter urges Obama and other leaders to prioritise development of the youth and minorities and respect mutually held values; and pursue honest dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts.

"We urge you, the world leaders of today, to take these steps, so that we, the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, can help steer our world towards a better future for all. We are dedicated to working with you to realise this vision. The time for change is now," said the open letter.
Pakistan peace mission travels to India

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani peace mission on Wednesday left for India to meet government representatives and civil society activists and push for better
relations between the two countries in the wake of tensions generated by the Mumbai terror attacks.

The delegation, which includes Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asma Jahangir, rights activist I A Rehman and some Senators, crossed over to India from the Wagah land border.

During its stay in India, the peace mission will push efforts to defuse tensions between the two countries and to seek solutions to all issues through dialogue.

Jahangir, who is the coordinator of the peace mission, said the delegation will meet representatives of Indian civil society, politicians, lawyers and journalists to seek diplomatic solutions to all issues.

"We need to condemn wholeheartedly what happened in Mumbai. We are all against any act of violence. But at the same time, we think it is absolutely absurd that you should perpetuate more violence like war to get over violence," she told reporters shortly before crossing over to India.

During a meeting with members of the peace mission yesterday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for the resumption of the peace process and constructive bilateral engagement with India to allay the concerns of both countries and to jointly tackle terrorism.

Sukhbir Badal does tough talk on governance, graft
AMRITSAR: Within hours of being sworn in as deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal outlined his vision for the future of the state and
said those who did not perform "would have to face the consequences".

"We have given the government machinery two years to adjust to our new vision and our pace of task accomplishment. Now, those who do not perform to fulfill people's aspirations or are found to be less than honest should be ready to face the consequences," he said.

"Accountability would be the key word and I will be the first one to subject myself to the test of accountability," Badal said in his first statement after swearing-in.

Badal was sworn-in a deputy chief minister in the government headed by his father, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the government would not indulge in vendetta against political opponents but added that anyone who had indulged in corruption would have to face the law.

On the issue of the need for him to join the government, the Akali Dal president said he wanted to contribute more effectively to the development of the state.

"Up to now, I have tried in my humble way to give advisory inputs to the government to steer the state and its people into the new-age development mindset. From now on, my role would be to contribute in a concrete and material way to fulfill the dream for which the people gave us a mandate in 2007," he added.

Outlining his plans, Sukhbir Singh Badal said it would stress on good governance and paying emphasis to education, modern infrastructure like expressways, generating more power, pushing agriculture ahead, encouraging industry and bringing in administrative reforms.

States seek additional Rs 20K crore special grant


21 Jan 2009, 2048 hrs IST, ET Bureau
With Value Added Tax collections bearing the brunt of global slowdown, the Empowered Committee of state finance ministers on Wednesday sought an
additional Rs 20,000 crore special grant from the centre for additional planned spending on developmental activities.

The committee that met under the chairmanship of West Bengal chief minister Asim Dasgupta also asked the centre to relax the conditions under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to allow them to take the advantage of the widened borrowing window announced in the second stimulus package.

He said the global financial crisis had begun to put pressure on states' revenues and the growth rate of collection had slowed down to 12% in December from 22% in April-November, 2008.

The centre had allowed states to raise in the current financial year additional market borrowings of 0.5% of their Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), amounting to about Rs 30,000 crore, for capital expenditures.

However, Mr Dasgupta said the states were yet to receive the details of the scheme. Under the FRBM law, both the centre and states have to wipe out revenue deficit and cut fiscal deficit to 3% of the GDP by 2008-09. States following the FRBM regime enjoy two incentives--they have been allowed restructure their past debt and are eligible for a debt waiver on central loans taken up-to March 2004 and whose repayments are due from 2005-06 to 2009-10.

Sushil K Modi, deputy chief minister and finance minister of Bihar who was present at the meeting pointed that the scheme announced by the centre did not clarify if the states that avail additional borrowing and exceed the FRBM target, can continue to avail the incentive.

Mr Dasgupta said states would also ask the prime minister to review globalisation. "This one sided globalisation without any social restrain on it has created problem for the first world countries and in terms of impact on the states (Indian) also. The so called advisors and analysts may like to reorder and reorient their thinking. All components of globalisation should be totally reviewed we will be discussing this with the Prime Minister," he said.

The panel finalised the structure of goods and service tax which is to be implemented from April 1, 2010. "On the GST structure, there has been convergence of views between the Empowered committee and the centre which will be implemented from April 1, 2020. It will be dual GST, with a central GST and a state GST," Mr Dasgupta said. He said petroleum products will be kept out of the GST regime in the beginning. However, some states like Punjab and Haryana are still opposed to merging purchase tax with GST.

Asked about the rates, he said rates will be very few and will be aimed at giving relief to trade, agriculture and consumers. However, a state government official who attended the meeting said states would not agree to anything less than 50% of the tax and the rate has to worked out keeping this in mind. As per different calculations that are on the table, he said the rate would range from 16- 20 % with each central and state GST being 8%-10%.

Mr Dasgupta said rates are expected to be finalised by March.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/States_seek_Rs_20K_cr_special_grant/articleshow/4013082.cms

Plan panel says no more stimulus this fiscal


21 Jan 2009, 1510 hrs IST, REUTERS
NEW DELHI: India's top planning body has not proposed any more stimulus measures for Asia's third-largest economy this fiscal year, its deputy said,
calling packages already unveiled by the government sufficient.

"I have not proposed another stimulus package. Whatever has been done is sufficient and should be implemented," Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a key aide of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, told reporters.

Indian authorities have taken a rash of steps, including slashing interest rates, lowering factory gate duties and rolling out extra spending to shield the economy from the global downturn. Asked if he expected more rate cuts by the central bank, Ahluwalia said, "I am not going to participate in market speculation."

He added, "The Reserve Bank of India and government coordinates on the monetary side." The central bank will review its policy on January 27. A majority of economists polled by media forecast the central bank may hold its key lending rate after cutting it by 350 basis points since October.

India's economic growth is expected to slow to a still pacy 7 percent in the year to March. However, that is sharply lower than about 9 percent in each of the last three years and the head of the central bank has said 2009 could be more difficult.

RBI offers Rs 59,080 cr at special repo


19 Jan 2009, 1248 hrs IST, REUTERS

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India said it would conduct a special repo auction for Rs 59,080 crore ($12.2 billion) on Monday.

The reversal of the auction will be on Feb. 2, it said in a statement.

The special repo facility was introduced on Oct. 14, offering Rs 20,000 crore to meet liquidity needs of mutual funds.

The central bank later increased the facility to Rs 60,000 crore to include liquidity needs of non-banking financial companies and housing finance companies and has said it would be held every day till June 30.

Rahman, Anil Kapoor sued for calling Indians names


21 Jan 2009, 2229 hrs IST, TNN
PATNA: Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor and music director A R Rahman have been sued in a Patna court for allegedly calling slum dwellers names in their
award-winning movie, 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

One Tapeshwar Vishwakarma, general secretary of Slum Dwellers' Joint Action Committee, on Tuesday filed a complaint case in the court of chief judicial magistrate Raghavendra Kumar Singh, charging the duo with defaming slum dwellers by calling them "slumdogs" and Indians "dogs" in the movie. They, thus, violated the slum dwellers' rights to live a dignified life, the complaint said.

Though the court has fixed February 5 as the next date of hearing, it has not taken cognizance in the case and, instead, asked the complainant to produce evidence in support of his allegations.

Vishwakarma on Wednesday told TOI he has also approached the National Human Rights' Commission for action against the two film personalities.

He admitted he has not watched the movie. "But I have seen the movie's promos on TV," he said, adding he has named only Kapoor and Rahman because they are "better- known Indians associated with the movie".
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Rahman_Anil_Kapoor_sued_for_calling_Indians_names/articleshow/4013434.cms

Warner Brothers to invest Rs 200 cr in film production


21 Jan 2009, 0935 hrs IST, Amit Sharma , ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the success of its maiden production in India—Akshay Kumar-starrer Chandni Chowk to China (which garnered Rs 45 crore globally
in the first three days of its release)—Warner Brothers Pictures India is set to invest Rs 200 crore in film production this year.

Warner Brothers India sales director Neeraj Goswami told ET, “We will be investing about Rs 200 crore in film production this year. We have a threefilm deal with People Tree Productions. Also, there is a three-year exclusive deal with Soundarya Rajnikanth’s Ocher Studios for making films in south Indian languages.”

The pact with Ocher Studios covers the production and distribution of live-action south Indian language films to be released by Warner Brothers.

The Hollywood studios’ bullishness on Indian films is borne by the fact that Indians are big movie goers. Studies have shown that an average south Indian watches 12 movies a year. Says Mr Goswami: “We want to produce films in as many languages as possible, we are open to tie-ups for this. The tie-up with Ocher Studios addresses the four south Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.”

Warner Brothers Pictures India will be making 11 films in 2009. This will include five Hindi films (Jaane Kahaan se Aayi Hai, Basra, Chand Bhai, SRK), including an untitled animation film. It will also make six films in different south Indian languages this year.

Adds Mr Goswami, “We will be building everything from scratch. Nothing can be predicted about the economic scenario. But if things are stable, we will be expanding into the home-video business within the next five years. There will also be a general entertainment channel (GEC) from our stable.”

Warner Brothers is a subsidiary of US-based Time Warner Inc. It is the studio behind Hollywood blockbusters like the Harry Potter series and The Dark Knight. The latter reportedly earned $1 billion in revenues worldwide.

The company has also distributed Golden Globe winning film Slumdog Millionaire in the US, where the film has collected $42.7 million in ten weeks.

Globally, it has had distribution and/or co-production deals with various smaller film companies that include the likes of Australia-based Village Roadshow Pictures—Yes Man (2008) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)—and US-based Legendary Pictures—The Dark Knight in 2008 and Batman Begins (2005).
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Media__Entertainment_/Entertainment/Warner_B

Mumbai marathon movie lands in court


20 Jan 2009, 0138 hrs IST, Leena Mulchandani, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Even as the Mumbai marathon concluded without a hitch on Sunday, a movie depicting the annual contest, titled 42 kms, has run itself into a
legal tangle.

Two legal cases have been filed against the movie’s producers — one by Standard Chartered Bank, the sponsors of the marathon, and another by event organisers Procam International.

StanChart has filed a case with the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) seeking to defer the film’s Friday release until the producer repays a loan of Rs 1.24 crore, along with interest charges.

The producers, however, have told the DRT that the film was supposed to be a joint venture between StanChart and Vicky Tejwani of Matrix Media (the producers of My Brother Nikhil). The concerned amount, the production house contended, was the bank’s contribution towards the film.

The case was to come up for hearing at the DRT on Monday but has been deferred by a day. A joint venture was signed between the two parties in September 2005 and Nisha Chainani was to direct the film, according to Mr Tejwani, partner at Matrix Media. The film’s production began in November 2005 but when about 80% of the film was complete, there was no response from the bank when it was contacted.

"We tried to get in touch with the bank many times but nobody showed interest. Finally, we decided to go ahead with the release and Eastern Union Entertainment agreed to distribute. The next thing we knew was that the bank dragged us to court while they were silent all this time," said Mr Tejwani.

Geraldine Matchaba, head of corporate affairs at StanChart, said, "The matter is sub judice and we cannot comment further."

The producers have now filed a counter-case in the Bombay High Court claiming damages worth Rs 5 crore towards loss of reputation and other damages.

The film's plot revolves around how five people — played by Mandira Bedi, Bikram Saluja, Purab Kohli, Samir Dattani and Nauheed Cyrusi — from diverse backgrounds participate in the Delhi and Mumbai marathons for different reasons.

Reliance ADAG chief Anil Ambani has inspired the character of Bikram Saluja, who plays a business tycoon. The other case against the film has been filed in the Bombay High Court.

"Yes, we have filed a case against the film. The marathon is our property and they cannot use any of the marathon footage in the film," Procam MD Anil Singh told ET.

However, Chainani, who has directed the film, said that Mr Singh gave her the permission to film the marathon but has now back-tracked. "I’ve given three years of my life to this film and I just want it to release now," she added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Media__Entertainment_/Entertainment/Mumbai_marathon_movie_lands_in_court/articleshow/4004252.cms
40 hopefuls in queue for Satyam's top job
21 Jan 2009, 1912 hrs IST, Harsimran Singh, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: As many as 40 applicants have thrown their hats in the ring for the top job of CEO at scam-tainted Satyam, whose Board meeting is scheduled The Great Fall of Satyam
Satyam's Development Centres
Great Fall of Satyam

for tomorrow to consider the appointment.

"We have received around 40 applications for the post of the top job in Satyam... The Board would be meeting tomorrow to consider appointments of the CEO and CFO," Deepak Parekh, an important member of the newly-constituted Satyam Board, told reporters here today.

On the probe into the affairs of Satyam, Parekh said some of the documents of the company were found to have been forged and that investigations into the scam to find out all the facts would take some time.

Right now, the company is in the process of securing funds and retaining its international clients, Parekh said, adding, "We have a large set of receivables and have asked our sales team to recover them at the earliest."

"We are in the process of raising funds...unless the accounts are restated and reach some level of accuracy, banks would be reluctant to lend to Satyam," he said.

The Board meet tomorrow would also discuss ways to raise funds for immediate requirements, he said.

Parekh further said that the IT major is also in talks with domestic and overseas clients to regain their confidence in the company, and their response has been mixed.
EMRI board asks Raju family to distance itself from NGO
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4012820.cms

Andhra chief minister says Maytas is being probed by CID

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has said the state Crime Investigation Department is probing the affair of Maytas
Infra, the firm promoted by the family of Satyam Computer former chairman B Ramalinga Raju.

"How can Maytas escape investigation when there are allegations that funds from Satyam got diverted to Maytas," the Chief Minister questioned at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said "one probe leads to the other", pointing to the CID investigations into the Satyam scandal.

Referring to the various infrastructure projects being executed by Maytas and its joint venture partners in the state, the Chief Minister said: "If we have genuine doubt about their capabilities, we will look at alternatives. If work can go without any problem, we will continue. We will only see that there is no risk to the government."

He said officials of the irrigation department have been directed to "thoroughly and closely" monitor the projects being executed by Maytas. The bank guarantees provided by Maytas are also being verified, he added.

Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said Satyam Computer had been allotted 50 acres near Visakhapatnam for an IT Park only in accordance with the industrial policy of the state government.

"Satyam is a prestigious company. It's only the management that has defrauded the company and the shareholders," Rajasekhara Reddy pointed out.

He, however, did not specify whether the government would cancel the land allocation.

India to remain world's backoffice amid Chinese competition
NEW DELHI: India is likely to retain its tag as the backoffice of the world for the time being, but the country is expected to face competition from Nine trends for IT sector in 2009
IT sector
IT service megavendors
Cities that are IT hubs

its neighbour China in the long run, a latest report says.

India at present is in a comfortable position as the share of IT and IT-based services in China's export revenues comes to only just above three per cent, compared to over 26 per cent in India, but China should not be underestimated in this sphere.

"China has an advantage as the country can boast of a qualified labour force which is one of the most important prerequisites for successful offshore locations. Besides, the country has government support and a dynamic home market which the suppliers of IT services use as a stepping stone," Deutsche Bank Research said in its latest report.

China has however two major, structural disadvantages the command of the English language and the protection of intellectual property.

The report further highlighted that "languages can be learnt, software piracy (and other violations of intellectual property) can be combated. This requires political resolve and the ability to act, which the Chinese government has proved in other respects already."

China which already ranks in the second position of the Global Services Location Index, mainly because of the large supply of skilled staff and the quality improvements of Chinese providers.

Besides, some Chinese cities could also benefit from the fact that Indian locations are reaching their capacity limits. According to forecasts published by market researcher IDC, Shanghai could by 2011 become a more attractive location than Bangalore, and Dalian more attractive than New Delhi.

The major drivers for offshoring are -- education, language, respect of intellectual property and low wages. But with growing wealth, the advantages with regard to factor costs disappear as wages and other costs rise, and is likely to make offshoring less attractive over time.

Meanwhile, at the same time, the typical location advantages offered by more advanced economies will arise, such as highly qualified staff, excellent infrastructure and good institutions, the report added.

Chinese back-office and IT services are also attractive for international companies which produce or sell products in China.

Here, linguistic and cultural barriers disappear if the services are geared to Chinese customers and employees. The home market thus allows Chinese IT suppliers to move up the learning curve and makes it easier for them to head towards the international arena.

Last year, India generated close to $40 billion in proceeds from IT and IT-based services. Almost 80 per cent of these revenues were generated by exports. Global offshoring has a market volume of roughly $70 billion, with India share in the global market totalling 45 per cent.

"However, China is unlikely to catch up with India in the medium term," the report added.

US towns, Mexico challenge India's BPO dominance

21 Jan 2009, 0440 hrs IST, Pankaj Mishra, ET Bureau
BANGALORE: Falling US wage rates and increased availability of unemployed professionals are helping locations such as Albuquerque, Tulsa and El Paso Nine trends for IT sector in 2009
IT sector
IT service megavendors
Cities that are IT hubs

emerge as a competitive 'nearshore' destination for outsourcing of back-office work.

The trend, if it gathers pace in the coming months, has the potential to challenge India’s dominance in the global business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

While customers such as GE and Citi continue to send more IT work to offshore locations such as India, some customers and vendors are discovering that tier-II towns in the US, apart from cities in Mexico, are offering similar cost advantages apart from better proximity to customers.

"For BPO services, US is still in the game," Phil J Fersht, research director at AMR Research told ET in an interview on Monday. According to research firm Everest, the global BPO industry will be worth around $220-280 billion by 2012, with India accounting for almost $50 billion of the opportunity.

Annual wages in Albuquerque, New Mexico for bilingual associate staff delivering business support services range from $20,000 to $35,000 per annum, which is almost on a par with costs in most locations in Latin America and only a small percentage greater than locations such as Philippines and India.

US cities of Kansas in Missouri and Tulsa in Oklahoma are among other destinations offering similar cost advantages apart from availability of skilled professionals for outsourcing of back-office work.

"One can hire staff in low-cost US locations for a low as $25K a year for back-office administrative work and reduce that further, to $22K a year as a result of tax incentives," Mr Fersht added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/ITeS/US_towns_Mexico_challenge_Indias_BPO_dominance/articleshow/4009447.cms

Govt to look into Educomp accounts-fudging report
NEW DELHI: Amid reports that education- focused IT firm Educomp too fudged accounts just like Satyam Computer did to inflate stock prices, the
government on Tuesday said it would seek information from the company.

"I have read certain reports in the media today and there are allegations about certain irregularities... I will ask for the report and we will find it out," Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta told reporters here.

There were reports in certain sections of the media that Educomp manipulated turnover figures to push share prices higher. The reports said that the promoters of the company started trading in their own shares, invested in unquoted subsidiaries and raised funds from financial markets by pledging over priced shares.

The company, when contacted, categorically denied all the allegations and termed the reports as "malicious" and aimed at "misleading the investors."

Shares of Educomp Solutions Ltd lost more than 7 per cent at midsession Tuesday, on the back of reports that Educomp has fudged numbers like Satyam. The stock was trading at Rs 1,954, down Rs 154 or 7.23 per cent on the BSE.

Educomp Solutions, founded in 1994, is a globally diversified education solutions provider and the largest education company in India. Educomp group serves over 19,000 schools and 9.4 million learners and educators across the world.

SBI to provide assistance of Rs 100 crore to Dhunseri group


19 Jan 2009, 1907 hrs IST, Sutanuka, ET Bureau
KOLKATA: At a time when liquidity has emerged as a major concern for corporates, the Rs 1,250 crore Dhunseri group has been able to clinch a
financial tie-up with State Bank of India (SBI) for its proposed Rs 130 crore IT park venture at the Bantala special economic zone (SEZ) in the southern fringes of the city. The country's largest public sector bank will provide Rs 100 crore financial assistance to the project, which will create 7,000-odd jobs when completed.

The foundation stone of the project was laid by state chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday. The IT Park will come up in a 6-acre plot and comprise twin towers with a total built-up area of 7.19 lakh square feet.
"Construction for the first phase will kick off within next four to five months.

In the first phase, SBI has agreed to provide Rs 48 crore towards the project. Dhunseri Tea & Industries, which is setting up the project, will contribute Rs 16 crore. For the second phase, Dhunseri Tea will have to further apply to SBI for financial assistance. For the entire project, SBI's assistance will be in the region of Rs 100 crore," Mr C K Dhanuka, chairman, Dhunseri group told at a press conference.

Construction work on the first phase is likely to be completed by 2011. Mr Dhanuka urged the chief minister to improve the infrastructure in the Bantala region for the upcoming IT SEZ. "A 6-lane expressway should come up in the region to help easy movement of traffic," he said.

The Dhunseri group is also revving up for its upcoming Rs 2,500 crore polycarbonate project at Haldia. The state government has handed over some 98 acres for the project, which will have a capacity to produce 130,000 tonnes of polycarbonate per annum.

"A new company called Dhunseri Polycarbonate Pvt Ltd has been floated for the polycarbonate venture. South Asian Petrochem Ltd (SAPL), one of our group companies, will have a 50% stake in this new company. We will offer the remaining 50% stake to private equity players. We are now talking to a number of private equity players and hope to clinch the deal within this calendar year. The debt equity ratio of the project will be 2:1," Mr Dhanuka informed.

SAPL, which is into the pet resin business, has entered into a license agreement with Japan's Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation for providing technical support to the polycarbonate plant. Under the agreement, SAPL will enjoy exclusivity for a period of seven years and no other license will be given by Asahi Kasei Chemicals in India.
Earlier, the state IT minister Debesh Das said that the state government is setting up IT facilities in Siliguri and Durgapur to promote IT industry in these regions.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/ITeS/SBI_to_provide_assistance_of_Rs_100_crore_to_Dhunseri_group/articleshow/4002807.cms

rothers_to_invest_Rs_200_cr_in_film_production/articleshow/4010080.cms



Govt to look into Educomp accounts-fudging report
NEW DELHI: Amid reports that education- focused IT firm Educomp too fudged accounts just like Satyam Computer did to inflate stock prices, the
government on Tuesday said it would seek information from the company.

"I have read certain reports in the media today and there are allegations about certain irregularities... I will ask for the report and we will find it out," Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta told reporters here.

There were reports in certain sections of the media that Educomp manipulated turnover figures to push share prices higher. The reports said that the promoters of the company started trading in their own shares, invested in unquoted subsidiaries and raised funds from financial markets by pledging over priced shares.

The company, when contacted, categorically denied all the allegations and termed the reports as "malicious" and aimed at "misleading the investors."

Shares of Educomp Solutions Ltd lost more than 7 per cent at midsession Tuesday, on the back of reports that Educomp has fudged numbers like Satyam. The stock was trading at Rs 1,954, down Rs 154 or 7.23 per cent on the BSE.

Educomp Solutions, founded in 1994, is a globally diversified education solutions provider and the largest education company in India. Educomp group serves over 19,000 schools and 9.4 million learners and educators across the world.

SBI to provide assistance of Rs 100 crore to Dhunseri group


19 Jan 2009, 1907 hrs IST, Sutanuka, ET Bureau
KOLKATA: At a time when liquidity has emerged as a major concern for corporates, the Rs 1,250 crore Dhunseri group has been able to clinch a
financial tie-up with State Bank of India (SBI) for its proposed Rs 130 crore IT park venture at the Bantala special economic zone (SEZ) in the southern fringes of the city. The country's largest public sector bank will provide Rs 100 crore financial assistance to the project, which will create 7,000-odd jobs when completed.

The foundation stone of the project was laid by state chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday. The IT Park will come up in a 6-acre plot and comprise twin towers with a total built-up area of 7.19 lakh square feet.
"Construction for the first phase will kick off within next four to five months.

In the first phase, SBI has agreed to provide Rs 48 crore towards the project. Dhunseri Tea & Industries, which is setting up the project, will contribute Rs 16 crore. For the second phase, Dhunseri Tea will have to further apply to SBI for financial assistance. For the entire project, SBI's assistance will be in the region of Rs 100 crore," Mr C K Dhanuka, chairman, Dhunseri group told at a press conference.

Construction work on the first phase is likely to be completed by 2011. Mr Dhanuka urged the chief minister to improve the infrastructure in the Bantala region for the upcoming IT SEZ. "A 6-lane expressway should come up in the region to help easy movement of traffic," he said.

The Dhunseri group is also revving up for its upcoming Rs 2,500 crore polycarbonate project at Haldia. The state government has handed over some 98 acres for the project, which will have a capacity to produce 130,000 tonnes of polycarbonate per annum.

"A new company called Dhunseri Polycarbonate Pvt Ltd has been floated for the polycarbonate venture. South Asian Petrochem Ltd (SAPL), one of our group companies, will have a 50% stake in this new company. We will offer the remaining 50% stake to private equity players. We are now talking to a number of private equity players and hope to clinch the deal within this calendar year. The debt equity ratio of the project will be 2:1," Mr Dhanuka informed.

SAPL, which is into the pet resin business, has entered into a license agreement with Japan's Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation for providing technical support to the polycarbonate plant. Under the agreement, SAPL will enjoy exclusivity for a period of seven years and no other license will be given by Asahi Kasei Chemicals in India.
Earlier, the state IT minister Debesh Das said that the state government is setting up IT facilities in Siliguri and Durgapur to promote IT industry in these regions.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/ITeS/SBI_to_provide_assistance_of_Rs_100_crore_to_Dhunseri_group/articleshow/4002807.cms

Ramalinga Raju admits to diverting Satyam money
HYDERABAD: Disgraced founder and former chairman of Satyam Computer Services B. Ramalinga Raju has confessed that he diverted funds of the IT Satyam's Development Centres
Raju's family and home
Top Accounting scandals
company to the two real estate firms promoted by his family, state police sources said here on Wednesday.

Raju, who was grilled on Wednesday for the fourth day by officials of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh police, also reportedly admitted using the Satyam money to buy prime land in and around Hyderabad.

CID sources said Raju told interrogators funds were diverted during the past four to five years. This means Raju's Jan 7 statement that he inflated company accounts was a red herring.

While resigning as company chairman, Raju had admitted to a Rs.7,000 crore/$1.43 billion accounting fraud, saying the company had cooked its books over several years resulting in inflated (non-existent) cash and bank balances.

He reiterated this during CID interrogation soon after his arrest Jan 9. But investigations have now revealed that a big chunk of this money existed but was diverted to other firms.

CID, which took Raju, his brother and former managing director B. Rama Raju and former chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas in custody for four days following a court order, grilled the former Satyam boss on the basis of his confession.
Obama's success represents Power of ideas

21 Jan 2009, 0136 hrs IST, TK Arun, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: All the forces of the world are not as powerful as an idea whose time has come, said Victor Hugo in his paean to the French Revolution. But what makes time mature for an idea? What brings about the portentous union between idea and opportunity?

Enterprise is the short answer. The bold pursue their dreams, knock on every door, refuse to be knocked down by adversity and persist till fortune opens her arms.

But what about the not-so-bold, those who nurse their dreams for a grand breakout from daily routine, but hesitate to take the plunge away from toil at somebody else’s desk? They too deserve a chance.

So ET is launching a new campaign that will celebrate ideas, invite readers to submit their ideas to expert scrutiny, mentor those who make it to the shortlist and, finally, match the very best with venture funding. The Indian Angel Network will partner with ET in the campaign.

Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to stop dreading the pink slip and reach out to grab this opportunity to realise the power of your idea. Log on to www.ideas.economictimes.com .

And do not be deterred by the economic slowdown. Sharpen your pencils, focus your thoughts and submit your business ideas to ET — You have time till February 22. At ET, we do not think that slowdown is a bad time to turn venturesome. On the contrary.
We don't need to prove our sincerity to US: Pak

Washington Pakistan reacts coolly to US President Obama’s warning that it would be held accountable for the security in the border regions of Afghanistan and that its performance in the fight against terrorism would be linked to the financial aid to them.
Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Tariq Majid asked the new American administration to tone down the rhetoric.

General Majid said that “Pakistan need not prove its sincerity to foreign powers and such unhelpful statements must stop”. He added that it is ‘repetitive rhetoric by external force’.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET_campaign_invites_readers_to_submit_their_biz_ideas_Log_on/articleshow/4009372.cms

Satyam is dead, long live Alt Satyam


15 Jan 2009, 1058 hrs IST, T K Arun, ET Bureau
Here’s what to do with Satyam. Create a new company, say, Alt Satyam, under a credible management, migrate all employees and outsource all of
Satyam’s present work to it, leasing out Satyam’s premises and equipment to the new company so that Satyam can sort out its problems without disrupting the work entrusted to it or letting its employees suffer.

There is a case for the government to step in to salvage the wreck that is left of what used to be India’s fourth largest information technology company. Outsourcing rests on confidence — that the job entrusted to a bunch of anonymous people in some remote corner of the world would be done, and done well.

If India’s fourth largest IT company fails to live up to this promise, that could hurt India’s IT sector in general and the smaller outsourcing firms in particular. This has to be avoided.

Then, there is the question of India’s ability to clean up this sort of a corporate crisis. As China takes its place as the world’s third largest economy, surpassing Germany, can India fail the test of institutional capacity to handle a corporate crisis of the Satyam kind?

Satyam directly employs 53,000 people. It is estimated that every such job creates seven other indirect jobs. So, at stake are 424,000 jobs, in this time of slowdown.

So, the government should step in. And it has, by appointing a new board of directors. However, it is not easy for the government to pump in money, which the company probably needs, thanks to the sudden disappearance of its reserves running to thousands of crores of rupees.

Hidden old liabilities and unpredictable new liabilities arising from class action suits filed against Satyam by US investors make Satyam a potential minefield for any new investor or lender, including the government. So it is eminently desirable that the government’s intervention strategy avoid infusing money into the company.

Then again, there is no reason for the government to bail out investors in Satyam. Equity capital is risk capital. If the company does well, equity holders gain handsomely. If the company performs poorly, shareholders suffer.

If shareholders fail to exercise their right and duty to monitor the functioning of the management, they are likely to suffer. There is no reason for the government to vitiate this logic of corporate ownership.

The concerns for the government should be protecting India’s credibility as an outsourcing destination, institutional integrity of oversight, regulation and corporate governance and the fate of the employees.

What happens to Satyam, the corporate entity, matters little to the public beyond these concerns. How would the Alt Satyam proposal work? Would such an alternative company that absorbs all of Satyam’s workforce and work be legally tenable?

There can be no legal challenge to workers leaving one company and joining another. There could be some problems with Satyam outsourcing its already outsourced work. For one, stipulations in some contracts could prohibit transmission of sensitive data or intellectual property outside the contracting party, namely Satyam. These would need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis with individual clients and their contracts modified at short notice.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/T_K_Arun/Satyam_is_dead_long_live_Alt_Satyam/articleshow/3980683.cms

Is Indian politics bottoming out?


1 Jan 2009, 0347 hrs IST, T K Arun, ET Bureau
In the midst of an overriding tendency to slide into sectional violence, India’s polity throws up some encouraging signs that could lead us to hope
we are reaching the nadir and could start climbing out of the morass.

The darker the gloom, the brighter the few points of light that pierce through the blackness. There are a few bright spots in India’s polity, although the overall picture is one of steady slide into internecine conflict. True, these are too tiny and scattered to light up a path towards redemption, but they at least radiate hope.

Practically every month, we have a terrorist strike somewhere in our huge country. Innocent blood is shed, shattering lives beyond the physical range of the bombs that go off, feeding fear and loathing. Politicians grab the opportunity to deepen distrust and enlarge their constituencies built upon division and hatred of ‘the other’.

A little more than one-fourth of the country’s 600 districts are officially classified as Naxalite-affected, where the writ of the law does not run. These represent areas of civil war, in which a section of the populace, driven by continuous failure of the system to provide even a semblance of hope, have been driven to armed rebellion against the state. Assorted forms of separatist insurgency wrack the north-east, with generous help from India’s friendly neighbours.

Muslims, over 13% of the population, feel less a part of the national mainstream than ever before. This sense of alienation was underlined by Abdul Rehman Antulay’s outrageous conspiracy theory that Hemant Karkare, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief, was deliberately despatched to his death at the hands of the terrorists who came from the sea, as well as the wide support this bewildering claim received from minority champions, cutting across party divides.

Antulay chose a very convoluted form to articulate the apprehension that, with Karkare gone, investigations into the Malegaon blasts that had revealed the role of Hindutva organisations in terror strikes in Muslim localities would now
fritter away.

Antulay does not matter, but that is not the case with the perception that investigations that expose majoritarian extremism flow not from the integrity of the system but from the random honesty of an individual. Such distrust was evident in relation to the Batla House encounter in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, as well.

Christians have been hounded out of their homes in Orissa and are under attack in other parts where Hindutva’s ‘non-state actors’ are allowed to rampage by BJP-run governments.Regional chauvinism is another faultline exploited by politicians, most recently in Maharashtra.

The three most powerful, charismatic leaders in Indian politics today are all open or potential fascists. Narendra Modi, Mayawati and Jayalalithaa are authoritarian in style and conduct, brazen about their contempt for the law of the land, capable of mobilising people against other sections of the people and into frenzied commitment to the leader that
brooks no opposition, political or legal.

The principal opposition party, the BJP, is wedded to a deeply divisive project of redefining Indian nationhood as Hindutva. This homogenised political Hindutva that wants to convert non-Hindus into second-class citizens is, of course, altogether different from the eclectic tradition of India that deems legitimate all forms of finding one’s spiritual equilibrium, whether worship of any one of 33 crore odd gods, ascetic penance, tantric sex or dogged pursuit of knowledge or one’s moral obligations.

Its recent electoral gains in Jammu would encourage the BJP further along this path: it actively campaigned against the traditional mode of conducting the Amarnath pilgrimage, in which a Muslim populace facilitates a Hindu pilgrimage, and supported the pilgrimage’s conversion into a conducted tour that keeps out the local people and becomes the exclusive chore of the shrine board.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/T_K_Arun/Is_Indian_politics_bottoming_out/articleshow/3921070.cms

Grounds for optimism


18 Dec 2008, 0407 hrs IST, T K Arun, ET Bureau
Winter can get gloomy in Delhi — fog and clouds block out the sun, people are sapped of energy and the mood turns less than cheerful. This kind of a
winter has the Indian economy in its grip. Policymaking is clouded, inertia is more visible than action on the ground and the mood is far darker than it ought to be. But there is a way out. And that is politics.

Bad news is pouring out of the rest of the world. Models of regulatory rectitude and institutional integrity suddenly turn out to be plain hubris, if not actual Ponzi schemes. The three biggest economies of the world are in full-blown recession. Interest rates there are fast approaching the fashion industry’s dimensional ideal — size zero. Yet, economic activity remains stuck. People prefer to sit on cash rather than spend or invest their funds.

Thanks to this, and the fact that we, in our collective wisdom, have prevented the bulk of our long term savings from being deployed in equities, the Indian stock market remains hostage to global recessionary impulses. Instead of reflecting India’s economic fundamentals, our stock market indices reflect global pessimism. This adds to the sense of crisis and crisis-inducing paralysis. The reality is that there are several grounds for optimism.

Number one: the Indian economy depends far less on exports than other fast growing economies do. If the export market dries up, an export-dependent economy would face crisis. While India’s exports of goods and services together add up to a little under a quarter of the total output, the direct export contribution to gross profits and wages and salaries is less than 10% — substantial, but not huge. The indirect contribution would be significant, particularly in the case of high value exports like software and IT-enabled services. But these segments are likely to grow, rather than decelerate, as companies in the recession-hit large economies seek to cut costs through outsourcing. The bulk of the demand for India’s output comes from India itself. Consumption demand is about two-thirds of the output.

Ground No. two: In aggregate terms, the bulk of Indian investment is financed out of domestic savings. The current account deficit is the measure of dependence on external savings for local investment, and this is about 2% of GDP.
The third ground for optimism: All costs are coming down (save, strangely, of newsprint!). Oil prices are less than one-third their peak. Globally, food prices are down a fifth, metals are down by half and the Economist’s index for all commodities is down by a third. Freight costs are a fraction of what they used to be.

Of course, metal and commodity producers would not call this good news. But India, on the whole, is a net importer of commodities and not a net exporter of commodities. For every steel producer fretting over falling steel prices, for example, thousands of steel users would be cheering cheaper steel. This fall in global commodity prices also gives elbowroom to the central bank and the central government to pursue expansionary policies without fear of runaway inflation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/T_K_Arun/Grounds_for_optimism/articleshow/3854689.cms



The East could be red, once again


4 Dec 2008, 0000 hrs IST, T K Arun, ET Bureau
It will not do at all to be terrorised into obsessing about terror, at a time when urgent action is called for to mitigate the impact on the aam
aadmi of recession in much of the developed world. US treasury secretary Hank Paulson is in Beijing right now, trying to persuade the Chinese to revalue the Yuan.

India too should send its emissary to the Chinese capital, to lobby for Chinese investment in India’s stocks and bonds, to benefit both China and India.

The Chinese have foreign exchange reserves totalling close to $2 trillion. Unlike India’s reserves, which represent, for the most part, liabilities for the country, China’s reserves are assets for that country, built up through years of current account surpluses. They are free to do what they like with their reserves.

Beijing has chosen to deploy most of its reserves in the US, buying government bonds. The stronger the dollar, the more the purchasing power at China’s command, and the greater Chinese competitiveness in the US market for goods and services.

However, the stronger the dollar, the weaker US exports’ global competitiveness, the weaker, also, any tendency for the bloated US current account deficit to contract.

Instead of weakening, the dollar has strengthened against most currencies in the world, thanks to global funds’ flight to the relative safety of the US market, in the wake of the financial meltdown. So, the US would like the dollar to weaken a bit and the yuan to gain further strength.

China’s growth has been fuelled by exports to a significant extent (although not as much as is widely believed). The 20% rise in the yuan vis-a-vis the dollar since July 2005 has moderated Chinese export performance.

The west’s economic problems of late have squeezed exports further and is creating hardship in the special economic zones that have driven China’s export miracle. So China is now reversing gear and allowing the yuan to weaken against the dollar. This is bad news for America’s recovery and for the entire world economy.

When the US, Japan and Germany, the world’s three largest economies are in recession, China, the fourth largest is still growing fast. (How fast is anyone’s guess. The IMF’s projections, made as recently as in October, of 9.7% and 9.3% for 2008 and 2009, are way off the mark. These assumed a level of global economic activity that would keep oil prices at $100 a barrel. Crude prices have dipped to half that level.

Still, China would remain the fastest growing economy.) The more that growth is fuelled by domestic, rather than external demand, the more sustainable it would be and faster, as well. A weakening of the yuan would prevent China’s growth from turning inwards, thus hampering its ability to become the engine of world growth.

China has been squeezing domestic consumption to generate huge savings not only to feed gargantuan domestic investment but also to export capital. A current account surplus represents an excess of domestic savings over domestic investment, exported to the rest of the world. China’s current account surplus is 8.5% of GDP.

Imagine a situation in which China is able to sustain the overall level of production but eliminate the current account surplus by boosting domestic demand. This would mean a whole lot less of Chinese exports, leaving space for output from other countries to move in, and a whole lot more of imports into China, providing the rest of the world additional demand for their goods and services.

For this to materialise, a key requirement is for the yuan to become stronger, rather than weaker, than it is today, and for the Chinese workers’ living standards to rise so that they consume more of what they produce. Hank Paulson will probably argue all this, when he tries to convince the Chinese authorities to drive global growth by allowing the yuan to continue to rise.

What he is unlikely to advocate is China redeploying its reserves away from the US. India right now sorely needs external liquidity, given the recent experience of some loss of capital. If the Chinese were to sell, say, $200 billion worth of US treasury bonds and channel those dollars to the fastest growing emerging markets, say Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa, such a move would serve three desirable goals.

If the Chinese exit the dollar to any extent, that would bring down the strength of the US currency. The move would also strengthen the rupee, the real, the rouble and the rand, giving the Chinese greater comfort about the competitiveness of its exports vis-a-vis exports from these emerging markets. It would boost these emerging markets themselves, enhancing their monetary base, providing much-needed liquidity and lubricating growth.

The world collectively stands to gain from China redeploying a portion of its reserves away from the US to the fastest growing emerging markets and from boosting the living standards of its own citizens.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/T_K_Arun/The_East_could_be_red_once_again/articleshow/3789744.cms

Invest C$400,000 for 5 years & be a permanent Canadian resident


21 Jan 2009, 2103 hrs IST, Ishani Duttagupta, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Canada's immigrant investor programme, under which applicants investing Canadian $400,000 for five years with the Canadian government NRI Taxation
Remittances made easy
Liberalised norms for NRI investors
are eligible for permanent residence, is being expanded as a source of foreign investment to tackle the economic downturn.

Canada's minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism Jason Kenney told ET that the programme will be made more attractive for high net worth individuals so that it can draw more capital to Canada in these recessionary times. The immigrant investor programme was created by the Canadian government, originally, to woo successful foreign business immigrants to bring new investment to Canada.

"The Canadian government will soon announce changes in the immigrant investor programme so that we can leverage it better as a source of capital inflows into the country in these recessionary times. The changes will make the programme more attractive for the investors, who are looking at immigrating to Canada through this route, as well as for the Canadian government," Mr Kenney, who was in Delhi, said.

Immigration experts feel that there has been growing interest among HNIs from India in the Canadian investor programme in recent months. "Canadian permanent residence rights acquired through the investment category are attractive for Indian high net worth individuals because they have very few limitations. The children of investor category immigrants can avail themselves of preferential fees in the Canadian educational institutions," feels immigration lawyer Poorvi Chothani.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Invest_C400000__be_a_permanent_Canadian_resident/articleshow/4013181.cms

Cross-border child removal issues plague NRI families


3 Jan 2009, 0052 hrs IST,

By Anil Malhotra Easy remittance
NRIs: Away but united
US visa
UK visa
NRI Taxation


There are over 30 million NRIs, PIOs and overseas Indian citizens spread across 130 countries. Accelerated cross-border migration of Indians acts as a catalyst to multi-national matrimonial relationships.

The spontaneous fall-out of broken cross border marriages, dual jurisdictional matrimonial disputes and enforcement of custody orders of foreign courts has led to the problem of ‘inter-parental child removal’ when non-resident Indian parents remove their children to India either in violation of a foreign court custody order or in infringement of the other spouse’s parental rights.

Another new alarming feature experienced recently relates to reverse removal of Indian children to foreign jurisdictions either against parental consent or in violation of an Indian Court custody order without consent for removal.

The Hague convention on civil aspects of international child abduction, 1980, a multilateral treaty developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law provides an expeditious method to return a child from one member nation to another.

The Hague Convention has 80 nation member signatories but, sadly, India is not a part of it. The convention seeks to protect children internationally from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal or retention and ensures their prompt return to the country of their habitual residence.

Inter-parental child removal is neither defined in any Indian legislation nor is it an offence under any statutory law in India. This is again compounded by the fact that India is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. Hence, the only expeditious and effective remedy most sought after in matters of inter-country child removal is by invoking the writ of habeas corpus in a high court directly to secure protection of the life and liberty of children detained by one parent either against the children’s wishes or the other parent’s rights.

Different high courts within India have different precedents on the maintainability of such a petition due to lack of any codified law on the subject and it may sometimes be extremely difficult to establish that children are in illegal detention of a parent.

The Supreme Court considers a foreign court custody order as only one feature for consideration in such matters. Alternatively, upon the aggrieved parent being relegated to seek guardianship orders of their own children under The Guardian and Wards Act, 1890, a tedious, time consuming and cumbersome procedure follows which is riddled with delays and it often frustrates the entire exercise since a desperate parent may not even achieve visitation rights, leave alone the custody of children.

Surprisingly, the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, does not even have any independent provisions for making an application for obtaining a guardianship order. The result, children are reduced to being a trophy to be won by a parent with superior rights. The welfare of the children being the paramount consideration is nowhere to be seen.

There are now reverse cases where children are also being removed from India to foreign jurisdictions. Conflict of jurisdictions often leads courts to pass orders whose implementation in either country is practically very difficult.

As a result, one sees more and more cases where children removed to India never go back to the country of their habitual residence and also now of children not being returned to India upon their forcible removal abroad. The result, a complete deadlock with parents in misery in different countries and children growing up with single parents. All this while, lawmakers sleep over the problem oblivious of viable solutions.

Thus, today, removal of children across borders has acquired a dual carriageway dimension. Earlier, cases of foreign children brought to India against parental consent were common citations. Now, slowly, even the reverse is becoming a reality and child removal from India is making the problem a two-way street.

However, how would Indian courts deal with situations when Indian children are removed to foreign jurisdictions in violation of local court orders or parental wishes. Which law would apply and how would it extend to a foreign country.

Clearly, there is no international instrument that can be invoked and the only remedy with the aggrieved parent would be to invoke the national law of the foreign country where the child is wrongfully retained. Easier said than done. Tough visa formalities, high travelling expenses, expensive litigation costs and difficult foreign court procedures would be insurmountable deterrents. It seems that the problem defies solutions and workable remedies.

A recent glimmer of hope was seen in the making of the Indian Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Bill, 2007 circulated for comments. It sought to create the mechanisms and systems of implementation before the Government of India acceded to the Hague convention.

However, till date nothing has progressed further and grave issues of child removal are in a limbo and a flux. Legislators need to seriously consider enacting a law on the subject and the Law Commission of India which evinced great interest could aid and abet constructing the framework of a legislation on it.

Maybe, the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2009 could be a platform to generate momentum for making a law on the subject. Till then, the stalemate prevails and the courts pursue their tireless efforts in deciding each case on its own facts to dispense justice individually by tailoring a solution every time.


The author with specialises in NRI family laws and has coauthored the book, ‘Acting for Non Resident Indian Clients’ (London, 2005). He can be contacted at anilmalhotra1960@gmail.com
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Travel/Visa_Power/Cross-border_child_removal_issues_plague_NRI_families/articleshow/3928707.cms

Obama names two Indian-Americans to key posts


21 Jan 2009, 0120 hrs IST, IANS

WASHINGTON: Hours before his inauguration, president Barack Obama Tuesday appointed two leading Indian-American lawyers - Neal Kumar Katyal and Easy remittance
NRIs: Away but united
US visa
UK visa
NRI Taxation

Preeta Bansal - to key posts.

Neal Kumar Katyal's appointment to the post of principal deputy Solicitor General follows that of Preeta Bansal as General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the Office of Management (OMB) and Budget at the White House.

Preeta Bansal, considered to be part of the Obama's inner circle, was earlier mentioned as possible solicitor general in the Obama administration.

Katyal, professor of law at the Georgetown University Law School in Washington, DC, as number two person at the Solicitor General's office will be the highest ranking Indian American in the US department of justice.

Katyal, 37, shot into fame June 29, 2006, when the US Supreme Court agreed with Katyal's arguments on behalf of Salim Ahmed Hamdan - a former chauffeur for Osama bin Laden - which challenged the policy of military trials at Guantanamo Bay.

Katyal's appointment is another strong signal of Obama's intentions to depart sharply from the terrorist detention and interrogation policies of the Bush administration, the Legal Times said.

In Hamdan case, the Supreme Court found that the Bush administration's military commissions for trying suspected terrorists violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions.

Katyal was named Lawyer of the Year in 2006 by Lawyers USA, Runner-up for Lawyer of the Year 2006 by the National Law Journal, one of the top 50 litigators nationwide 45-year-old or younger by American Lawyer in 2007, one of the 30 best advocates before the US Supreme Court by Washingtonian magazine in 2007.

Expat Indian men's marriage prospects hit by global slowdown

MUMBAI: With a good education, a well-paid job abroad and career prospects, the expatriate Indian male was once a prize catch for any family back Easy remittance


But the effects of the global economic downturn have made hard-working foreign-based Indian accountants, investment bankers, software engineers and their ilk less of an attraction for prospective brides in India.

According to some of the many websites for arranged marriages here, interest in non-resident Indian (NRI) men has fallen sharply since the crisis began.

"With today's families, because of the global meltdown and jobs not being secure, the contact with those boys has gone down by about 15 percent," Vivek Khare, senior vice-president at Jeevansathi, said.

A similar phenomenon has been seen at other websites, high-tech versions of the age-old practice of registering the credentials of young men and women at a temple for other families to inspect and choose a suitable match.

"Since the global slowdown, we have registered a 20 percent decline in demand for NRI grooms," the chief executive of Bharatmatrimony, Murugavel Janakiraman, was quoted as saying by Mumbai's Midday newspaper.

"With financial institutions shutting shop and companies declaring bankruptcy, this was inevitable."

"Recession has left parents in deep thought before they browse the NRI sections in matrimonial ads for their daughters," Varun Rana, of Gatbandhan, told the same publication.

India has been relatively sheltered from the worst effects of the global downturn, although growth -- which had been running at more than nine percent last year -- has slowed, putting the brakes on manufacturing and services.

India raises visa issues with UK

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday raised the issue of visa problems faced by the Indian industry in the United Kingdom at the India-UK Joint Economic
Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting here.

"I have raised the issue of visa with the British Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise, Lord Peter Mandelson...in certain type of visa sometimes there is a problem. I hope we will see some progress in this," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said after the meeting here.

The visa and work permit problems faced by the industry pertain to duration and extension. Nath said there is a need for clarity, uniformity and transparency in procedures.

He said there is a potential for trade and investment flows between India and the UK in the areas of manufacturing, financial services, skill development and infrastructure. "Businesses have a very important role in the JETCO process" Nath said.

He added that the challenging global economic situation required both the countries to look at new ways of enhancing business engagement and creating opportunities.

Stressing that healthcare industry is one of the sectors that can promote trade,Nath said the JETCO group has discussed the issue. The bilateral trade during 2007-08 stood at 12 billion dollars.

Major items of export to UK during the fiscal were garments, cotton, petroleum, machinery, manufactures of metals, gems and jewellery and transport equipment while imports from the UK included pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, electronic goods, machinery, non-ferrous metals and professional instruments.

The cumulative foreign direct investment inflows during 1991-2008 was 5.03 billion US dollar.

US travel rules change for those not needing visa

LONDON: US officials say people from countries that do not need visas to enter the United States must begin registering under a new travel
authorisation programme before making their journey.

Travelers from the 35 countries are asked to obtain an authorisation from the US Department of Homeland Security at least 72 hours before their flight departs to the US.

The programme has been voluntary since August and becomes mandatory on Monday.

US Embassy spokesman Dick Custin in Britain said today that approval has been granted in nearly all of the cases involving voluntary participants.

The online application form asks tourists to say if they are drug users and divulge certain criminals convictions or past terror activities.

Fight against terror linked to aid, Obama warns Pak

Earlier, "(President Barack) Obama and (Vice President Joe) Biden will increase non-military aid to Pakistan and hold them accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan," the White House said in its foreign policy agenda document released soon after Obama occupied the Oval office.

Biden, a known expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan, then in the capacity as the Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had introduced legislation in the US Senate in this regard.

Co-authored jointly by the Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, the legislation proposes to triple non-military aid to Pakistan in the next five years.

The legislation authorises USD 7.5 billion over five years in aid that can be used for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics. The bill also calls for greater accountability on security assistance, to improve Pakistani counterterrorism capabilities and ensure more effective efforts against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The foreign policy agenda of the Obama Administration on Pakistan is in tune with the well known policies of Biden, which was also echoed by the Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton during her nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee early this month.

As the key points of the Obama's foreign policy agenda revealed yesterday indicated, the new administration is expected to follow the key elements of Biden-Lugar proposals introduced last year.

In lieu of USD 1.5 billion of non-military aid to Pakistan, Islamabad would be required to making concerted efforts to prevent Al-Qaeda and associated terrorist groups from operating in its territory and make concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using its territory as a sanctuary to launch attacks within Afghanistan.

Islamabad would also need to ensure that it does not materially interfere in the political or judicial processes of the country, the legislation says.

Let Obama walk the talk, say British Muslim groups
London British Islamic groups gave a cautious welcome to new US President Barack Obama's pledge to reach out to the Muslim world, saying his policies needed to match his words.
In his inauguration address on Tuesday, Obama promised a "new way forward" based on "mutual interest and mutual respect" following tensions that followed the Sept. 11 attacks, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and US support for Israel.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the new President's intentions were "noble".

"I hope it ends the rift between the US and the Muslim world which has grown further and further in the last eight years," Bari said.

"As a first step, I hope the president will address the tragedy in Gaza. The strength of feeling against what the Israelis have done should not be underestimated."

Former President George W. Bush's foreign policy led to much anger among Muslims and is regarded by many commentators as acting as a recruiting sergeant for extremists in Britain.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of Muslim youth organisation the Ramadhan Foundation, said the fact that Obama spent time as a child in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation, would help Muslims warm to him.

But he said what Obama did would be more important than his words. "He will be judged on his actions not based on his rhetoric, not based on sound bites," he said.

He said they wanted to see equal treatment of Palestinians in the Middle East and an end "to the occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan".

Radical group Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organisation the government threatened to ban after the July 7, 2005 London bomb attacks, said "a makeover" did not amount to the "remaking" of America Obama promised.

"America is not one man, it is its institutions," a spokesman said.

"Moreover, many Muslims will feel that Obama's poetic rhetoric and criticism of Bush's failings can't hide the fact that he has threatened to bomb Pakistan, vowed to escalate the Afghanistan war, expressed unreserved support for Israel and will likely continue the long-standing US policy of supporting oppressive dictators in the Muslim world."

Tough to guess size of Satyam scam: SEBI

Mumbai Capital market regulator SEBI on Wednesday said it was finding it difficult to ascertain the size of fraud in Satyam Computer, as it has not been able to interrogate company founder Ramalinga Raju.
However, it has quizzed the IT company's auditors and internal finance department staffers and reviewed details of Satyam's bank deposits, SEBI Chairman C B Bhave told reporters in Mumbai.

A SEBI team landed in Hyderabad on January 8, a day after Raju disclosed cooking the books of Satyam by falsifying profits and lying about bank deposits.

According to Raju's disclosure, the fraud is to the tune of Rs 7,800 crore. Raju, who had also pledged nearly all his shares in the company, has been arrested and is in police custody - making it difficult for the SEBI team to access him.

Bhave said promoters must disclose pledged shares twice - both event-based disclosures and periodic disclosures. He also said the regulator will make necessary changes in listing norms.

Kalyan to campaign for SP, son joins party

Lucknow A day after Kalyan Singh quit BJP, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh met the former UP Chief Minister who announced he would campaign for the SP in the coming Lok Sabha polls and that his son Rajbir Singh is joining the party.
"After Kalyan Singh gave a go ahead, Rajbir is joining the SP as a national general secretary," party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced.

"I have no doubts that the SP would win maximum number of seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Issue of Prime Ministership would be discussed after elections. I am also sure that NDA would never come to power," Kalyan Singh said, claiming that an important political equation was shaping in the state.

The BJP leader, who had resigned from the saffron party claiming that he had been humiliated and insulted, said he would campaign for the SP whenever required in the forthcoming elections.

Singh's residence, said "unlike the previous occasion when SP had joined hands with Kalyan Singh's RKP in 2002, this time the association is without any condition.

Describing their meeting as a historic moment, the SP General Secretary said that friendship among them would not be confined to the boundaries of Uttar Pradesh.

Both the SP chief and Kalyan Singh "share a similar ideology and feelings. They were the first to raise issues of 'bahujan samaj,' which now the Bahujan Samaj Party claims to

represent," he told reporters.

Asked if he supported Mulayam Singh Yadav's candidature for the Prime Minister's post, Kalyan Singh said "Last time when we forged an alliance, I had expressed my wish that Mulayam Singh becomes the Prime Minister.

"But at this point it is not about Prime Ministership. We have joined hands to strengthen the struggle for the cause of poor, backward and farmers," he said.

Kalyan Singh said "We will take up the cause of dalits, backwards, farmers and downtrodden in the days to come. Its a friendship and not an alliance (with SP)".

Asked about any talks on seat-sharing, Singh said "dosti me ye sab baat nahi hoti" (There are no such talks in friendship).

Asked about the seat on which he would contest elections, Kalyan Singh said he had yet to decide whether to contest elections or not.

Terming Amar Singh as a pillar in the SP, Kalyan said "in Amar Singh the party has got a "Chanakya", adding the "Trimurti" (He-Mulayam and Amar) would change the political scenario in the days to come".

Ashok Chakra for only two: Karkare and Omble

Amitav Ranjan
Posted: Jan 21, 2009 at 1051 hrs IST

New Delhi The UPA government has decided to restrict the Ashok Chakra for those who died in the Mumbai terror attacks to ATS chief Hemant Karkare and ASI Tukaram Omble.
On the night of November 26, Omble took the bullets but held on to the gun which led to the capture of terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab at Girgaum Chowpatty while Karkare was killed in the line of duty at Cama Hospital.

Though the Maharashtra government had recommended that all 16 policemen who died in the attacks be awarded the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Centre decided to award it to two with Kirti Chakra for six, including Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar and Shashank Shinde, and police gallantry medals for the rest.

“In all, nine Ashok Chakras would be given away this Republic Day,” Defence Ministry sources said. The highest number of Ashok Chakras awarded in a year is three, after the Parliament attack in December 2001.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Ashok-Chakra-for-only-two-Karkare-and-Omble/413391/

Put on cap and don’t shave beard, Taliban tell Pak men

Islamabad Days after banning girls' education in the troubled northwestern Swat valley, the Pakistani Taliban has directed men in the region to wear Muslim skull caps and stop shaving their beards.
In an edict issued on Tuesday, the militants set January 25 as the deadline for the residents to start wearing caps and growing beards.

They said that after the expiry of the January 25 deadline, no man would be allowed to trim his beard as the Taliban were trying to establish a “complete Islamic society”.

“The move was in the best interest of the people,” they said.

The step is being seen as part of the Taliban's efforts to implement their self-styled Islamic laws in Swat, located just 160 kms from Islamabad.

Taliban have already issued a diktat to the barbers in the valley to resist from shaving and trimming beards, following which all the barbers have displayed posters saying “Shaving is banned” at their salons.

Earlier, the militants have banned girls' education from January 15. Some 400 private schools in the Swat valley of the North West Frontier Province closed down last week.

In the wake of the ban, the Taliban have destroyed at least seven more schools in Swat, including two that were blown early this morning.

The total number of schools torched or blown up by the militants has risen to nearly 190. The education of about 100,000 students, including 45,000 girls, has been affected by the destruction of these schools.

Though government officials have said state-run schools will reopen in March after the winter vacation, rights activists believe few girls will return to classes.

The Taliban have also set up “Shariat courts” across Swat to dispense justice according to Islamic laws. People accept the decisions of these courts under compulsion, media reports said.

Meanwhile, all office-bearers of the Awami National Party in Mingora, the main city in Swat, resigned on Tuesday shortly after the Taliban blew up the house of a party worker in Kabal sub-district.

The office-bearers said they had quit over the ANP-led provincial government's “anti-people policies and the Swat operation”.

They also said they condemned the “un-Islamic activities” of the provincial government.

Over the past few months, the Taliban has targeted workers and leaders of the ANP and Pakistan People's Party.

They have gunned down workers of the two parties and blown up their homes.

Political party workers, police officials and other government employees have been publicly announcing their resignations from their posts to avoid the wrath of the militants.

Sensex dips below 9,000 level
Mumbai Tumbling for the second straight day on Wednesday, the benchmark Sensex closed below 9,000-level, the lowest level in more than one-and-a half month, in tune with global stocks which declined, led by the Wall Street which posted more than four per cent losses overnight.
The 30-share BSE barometer dropped 321.38 points to end the day at 8,779.17, its lowest level since December 5, 2008, with blue-chips in metal and banking counters suffering heavy losses.

The broader National Stock Exchange index Nifty also plunged by 90.45 points at 2,706.15, The index even lost psychological 2700 level during the day as 44 of the 50-share index closed lower.

Marketmen said a fall in heavyweight Reliance Industries stocks on fears of a fall in quarterly profits shattered the sentiment to some extent in last one-hour of trading.

They said a gloomy financial outlook of world's major economies after fresh troubles in international banks weighed heavily on minds of investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 4 per cent.

The great fall of 'Chandni Chowk To China'
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BollywoodHungamaNewsNetwork

Mumbai It could've been a hat-trick, but it isn't. ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ worked. So did ‘Ghajini’. Had ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ not bit the dust, the industry would've continued its winning streak. We enjoyed the starters [Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi], we enjoyed the meal [Ghajini], but the dessert [Chandni Chowk To China] left a bitter taste.
By now, everyone knows that ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ has under-performed in its opening weekend, so let's not waste time crying over spilt milk. Let's highlight the repercussions a biggie like ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ has on the industry when it falls flat on its face.

As I pen my thoughts, I can't help but recall the various conversations I've had with several prominent distributors and exhibitors over ‘Chandni Chowk To China’. Everyone's unanimous that Akshay Kumar is repeating himself. That he needs to reinvent himself. Enacting similar roles in film after film is only going to take him the Salman Khan and Govinda way. He needs to pull up his socks.

Is his popularity dwindling? Not really, but he needs to take stock of the situation and accept roles that defy the stereotype.

Perhaps, Nikhil Advani, the creator of ‘Chandni Chowk To China’, may not have come to terms with the fact that ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ has nosedived. Most film-makers are in complete denial when their movie fails, at least in the initial days. They feel the world has an agenda against them, the world is out to pull them down. But the Daily Collection Reports [with the distributors] should serve as an eye-opener for all film-makers and also actors who shut their eyes to reality.

The kadwa sach is, ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ has failed and failed big time. Monday onwards, the business has crashed completely.

The failure of ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ should serve as an eye-opener for all producers who sign a star first and hunt for a story later. In this case, Nikhil Advani made a poster first, showed it to Akshay [who loved it apparently] and then wrote the script. Bizarre, isn't it?

The question is, will Warner Bros. lose money on ‘Chandni Chowk To China’? Looking at its theatrical performance in India as also in the key international markets [U.S.A., U.K.], it's certain that ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ will make a hole in the pockets of its investors.

A terrible waste of a terrific opportunity!
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/The-great-fall-of-Chandni-Chowk-To-China/413436/

Forget Indo-Pak tensions, Pakistanis can't resist Bollywood!

Agencies
Posted: Jan 21, 2009 at 1530 hrs IST
Islamabad After giving Bollywood films a miss for a while amidst the tensions generated by the Mumbai attacks, Pakistanis are back in cinema halls queueing up to watch Aamir Khan's much-talked-about ‘Ghajini’. Attendance in halls screening Bollywood movies dropped by almost 75 per cent in the wake of tensions between the two countries, but it seems it is difficult for Pakistanis to resist an Indian flick, never mind the anti-India rhetoric.
‘Ghajini’ opened to a good response three weeks ago and most Pakistanis are raving about the film.

"People are calling in to book tickets and so far, many have poured in to watch 'Ghajini'," Kaisar Rafique of a Karachi cineplex told a magazine.

Rafique, however, rued the fact that since the pirated DVDs ‘Ghajini’ are available in the market, many people are watching the film at home.

"We are not getting the same response as ‘Dostana’ or ‘Race’. It could have been brilliant if only pirated DVDs were not available in stores," he said.

Pakistan banned the screening of ‘Shoot On Sight’, an Indian production in which a Pakistani portrays a terrorist, last month when tensions between the two countries were at a high.

Acting on a directive from the culture ministry, Pakistan's censor board banned the screening of director Jag Mundhra's film, which is based on the impact on Muslims of the July 7, 2005 bombings in London.

The move led to talk of banning other Indian films and Indian channels which air the very popular 'saas-bahu' soap operas and reality shows.

‘Ghajini’ became the only Indian film to earn one billion rupees at the box office across India in less than a week of its release on December 25. At a time when every industry is hit by recessionary trends, the film starring Aamir Khan broke all the previous records and set the cash registers ringing.

"Our cable guy continuously plays 'Ghajini' on TV but we have come here to watch it again," Jurry Quraishi, who came along with a friend to watch the film, told the magazine.

"I love the film and what could be better than watching Aamir Khan on the projector! Had I known 'Ghajini' would be played in the cinema here, I wouldn't have bothered watching it on television."

Another avid Indian film watcher said: "The audience applauded whenever Aamir would kick into full action and hooted at the quirky romance between Sanjay and Kalpana, played by Asin. They thoroughly enjoyed the film and that was expected.

Nawab Hassan Sidique of Karachi's Nishat Cinema said: "Ghajini has done superbly abroad and could have done better business for us had the cable operators not played the pirated version." Pakistanis are now eagerly awaiting the release of Akshay Kumar's ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ and Emraan Hashmi's ‘Raaz 2’.

Indian films no longer seemed hot business for Pakistani distributors just a month ago, with most Bollywood fans giving them a miss in the wake of tensions generated by the Mumbai terror attacks, which India blamed on Pakistan-based elements including the Lashker-e-Taiba terror group.

A film distributor in Lahore said last month that though Pakistanis love Bollywood films, few were showing up to see the movies after the escalating tensions. Lahore's Plaza Cinema manager Anwar said Indian films were being screened at three halls in his city and Plaza Cinema, which has a capacity of 850, had only 50 people showing up to watch Indian films even on weekends.

Anwar said distributors might not buy more Indian films in the near future if they are unsure of recovering their investments. Sozo World Cinema in Lahore, which was screening ‘Yuvvraaj’ featuring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, failed to attract a full house despite the huge fan following of the two actors.

Pakistan Cinema Management Association chairman Qaiser Sanaullah Khan too had admitted that in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, there had been a significant reduction in the demand for Indian films and exhibitors and distributors were reluctant to buy screening rights of new Bollywood movies.

Pakistanis, including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, are huge Bollywood fans. Gilani, an ardent fan of Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan, was presented a box-full of DVDs of Rai's films by visiting External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in May.

The screening of Indian films was banned in Pakistan after the 1965 war. However, Islamabad has allowed a limited number of Bollywood movies to be imported over the past few years. Compared to India's production of over 1,000 movies a year, Pakistan's film industry makes just about 50 movies a year.

In the recent past ‘Singh is King’, ‘Race’, ‘Awarapan’ and ‘Jannat’ have all done well in Pakistan. Only 12 to 15 Indian movies a year are allowed to be screened in Pakistan.

President Obama reaches out to Muslims & Hindus
K.P. NAYAR

Wife Michelle watching, Barack Obama grins as he stumbles over the wording of the oath of office. (AP)
Washington, Jan. 20: The world witnessed a new interpretation of people’s democracy enacted in Washington today.

Barack Obama urged Americans to “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America”, after a swearing-in ceremony sanctified by the tears of at least half of an estimated crowd of between one and two million people.

In a speech, written mostly by 27-year-old Jon Favreau, the new White House director of speechwriting, Obama borrowed a famous phrase from Indira Gandhi: “a government that works”.

“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified,” Obama said.

Like Indira Gandhi, in her 1980 comeback election campaign fought on the plank of a “government that works”, Obama continued in his inaugural address that “where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programmes will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

Obama stunned his nation by using his Muslim middle name, Hussein, for the oath of office administered by the chief justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts Jr., a conservative whose appointment he opposed and voted against as a Senator.

Obama never used his middle name throughout his election campaign. But his detractors had often tried to cash in on the name, Barack Hussein Obama, to mobilise hatred against the new President among xenophobes and sow a suspicion that Obama is a closet Muslim.

Obama’s decision to use his Islamic middle name immediately struck a chord in Arab countries even as Obama tried to reach out to the Muslim world and warn Islamic fundamentalists in his speech.

“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

Obama became the first President in US history to acknowledge a Hindu America, a growing, increasingly influential and affluent segment of the immigrant population in the US. “We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers.”

No other President has acknowledged atheists in his inaugural address although their number in the US is more than Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined, according to some estimates. In many states, atheists feel persecuted and are reluctant to reveal their religious orientation.

The fundamental theme of Obama’s speech, which was heard with rapt attention and frequent applause by the biggest crowd in Washington's history, was that “the world has changed, and we must change with it”.

Missing from the new President’s agenda were unrealistic goals such as a US-administered democratic panacea for the rest of the world that characterised the speeches of Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush.

Instead, the 44th President promised a return to American values, which Bush was widely seen to have trampled upon. Obama reminded Americans that the “values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.”

In an otherwise smooth day of transition to an Obama administration, the only hitch was a delay in the Senate confirmation of the new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who was expected to be sworn in today.

Republican Senator John Cornyn last night put a “hold” on clearing Clinton, a prerogative for any Senator to delay appointments. As a result, Obama is starting his presidency without a secretary of state who is on the road to office.

Ironically, Cornyn is the co-chair of the Senate’s India Caucus. Until last week Clinton was the Democratic co-chair of this Caucus.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090121/jsp/frontpage/story_10420375.jsp



A stumble and a helping hand from rival Justice


COUNTDOWN TO OATH: (From top) Stepping out of Blair House with a wink, Obama goes to church with wife Michelle. They meet the Bushes before heading to the Capitol where Obama takes oath. (Extreme right) Michelle holds Abraham Lincoln’s Bible on which Obama’s hand rests. (Pictures: Reuters, AFP, AP)
Washington, Jan. 20 (Agencies): US chief justice John Roberts helped Barack Obama through a slight stumble during the oath-taking ceremony.

The smile-evoking assistance could be the precursor to many important interactions between the two men who rose to their positions of power quickly and who have some background similarities, but whose politics differ.

Separated by a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inaugural, Roberts asked Obama: “Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator?”

Obama indicated he was, and Roberts started reciting —and Obama repeating — the 35-word oath that is prescribed by the US Constitution.

But at one point early on, Obama paused, as if grasping for the next words. Roberts helped him over the brief awkward moment, repeating a few words to get Obama back on track. He was then the first to congratulate Obama on his new job.

The inaugural oath is the chief justice’s sole responsibility on January 20 — although it is a traditional role, not one set forth in the Constitution. But the affable Roberts and his conservative-leaning Supreme Court could have much to say in the years to come about Obama’s most important policy choices.

Former President George W. Bush left the court with two relatively young and reliably conservative voices, those of Roberts, 53, and Justice Samuel Alito, 58. Roberts took his seat in 2005 and Alito joined him the next year.

Roberts is the youngest chief justice in more than 200 years. He easily could still be in his role a quarter century from now, long after Obama has left office.

He and Obama are similar in many ways. Both are late baby boomers. Roberts is 53, Obama 47. And both got their law degrees from Harvard University and made rapid ascents to power. But their politics diverge sharply.

Roberts was an official in Republican administrations before becoming an appeals court judge and then chief justice under Bush.

Obama was one of 22 Senate Democrats to vote against Roberts’s confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005 — the first time a Supreme Court justice has sworn in a President who voted against him.

As President, Obama will try to use Supreme Court vacancies to counter Roberts’s influence, either by replacing ageing liberals with justices as young as or younger than Roberts or by changing the court’s balance if a conservative justice retires unexpectedly.

Obama added the words “so help me God” to the end of the constitutional oath, following a practice established by George Washington and followed by most Presidents.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090121/jsp/frontpage/story_10419867.jsp