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Over 3000 buses off MUMBAI, Nov 5: Over 3000 buses went off the roads today causing hardships to office-goers in the metropolis as Brihanmumbai Electric Supply ....more 4
held on conspiracy SILIGURI, Nov 5: Four persons were arrested from Salugara, in the outskirt of Siliguri, for allegedly conspiring against Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai .....more ‘Mafia
keen to get LONDON, Nov 5: Two eminent Indian film makers have admitted the existence of "underworld hold" on a section of bollywood but say the mafia ....more MLA
threatens to INDORE, Nov 5: Congress MLA from Sanver constituency Prem Chand Guddu today threatened to resign on the issue of ‘excesses’, allegedly......more |
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CPM accuses Govt of NEW DELHI, Nov 5: The CPI-M today accused the BJP-led Government of directing Delhi Police to withdraw permission for holding yesterday’s SC/ST ...more Attack
on anthrax: new MEERUT, Nov 5: A special fumigation technique that destroys anthrax spores in letters has been developed to protect postal employees and mail recipients from being infected by the bacteria.....more Homeless
make NEW DELHI, Nov 5: "Police beat us up, corporation people throw us out, hospitals ignore us," they said and the audience erupted in applause.....more ‘Conspiracy to involve DMK in alleged life threat to Jaya’ CHENNAI, Nov 5: Condemning Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s statement that the extremist groups have....more |
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Over 3000 buses off road as part of 48-hour best dharna MUMBAI, Nov 5: Over 3000 buses went off the roads today causing hardships to office-goers in the metropolis as Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Corporation employees began their 48-hour dharna since last midnight to protest non-payment of ex-gratia and Diwali bonus by the Maharashtra Government. The dharna was peaceful barring two incidents of stone pelting and deflating of tyres by best employees in Navi Mumbai and Goregoan areas this morning. However, no one was injured in the incidents, best sources said adding that the windscreen of a bus was damaged in the stone pelting. Only 0.14 per cent of the 5802 best conductors reported for duty while the driver turnout was a mere 0.47 per cent and just six per cent of ticket inspectors out of the 288 registered their presence, the sources added. Meanwhile, the State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) plied 40 buses on various routes in the city to enable commuters to reach their destinations. Several private vehicles were also allowed to carry passengers in view of the dharna as per a notification under the Motor Vehicles Act. ‘The agitation is peaceful and we shall leave the final decision in the hands of the people’, according to Sharad Rao, union leader of the best. (PTI) |
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4 held on conspiracy charges against Dalai Lama SILIGURI, Nov 5: Four persons were arrested from Salugara, in the outskirt of Siliguri, for allegedly conspiring against Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who is currently on nine-day tour of North Bengal. The four persons were arrested yesterday alongwith some anti-Dalai Lama papers, a mobile phone and Rs 12,000 in cash, a state intelligence officer said here today. The intelligence officer said that the four were arrested on charges of hatching a conspiracy against Dalai Lama, who has been staying at the Buddhist Research and Training Centre at Salugara since November two. The officials, however, could not confirm whether they had any Maoist connection or any definite plan to assassinate Dalai Lama. Out of the four arrested persons, two were from a camp of nepal refugees while two others identified themselves as Durk National Congress members of Bhutan, he said. The spiritual leader, who had inaugurated the centre on November 2, had been holding daily preaching sessions since then to the commoners, Buddhist monks and nuns ever since. The accused were identified as Hari Vataria (39), Chang Thang Deep (29), Kamal Pradhan (40) and Prema Tsensing (25). Further interrogation was on, he said. (PTI) |
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‘Mafia keen to get overseas rights of bollywood films’ LONDON, Nov 5: Two eminent Indian film makers have admitted the existence of "underworld hold" on a section of bollywood but say the mafia is mainly interested in getting overseas rights of the films and use it for money laundering. "There is so much talk about the underworld, we are sure there is. But where it is and where it is not, nobody knows, certainly we don’t know," Shyam Benegal, pioneer of `New Cinema’ and Gulzar, a legendary figure of Indian cinema, told PTI here. Both of them were here during the weekend in connection with the launch of a book ‘Bollywood - popular Indian cinema’ edited by Lalit Mohan Joshi, founder-member of South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), London. Bollywood has become one of the largest film industries in the world, producing over 800 films a year. Today bollywood attracts over one billion spectators world-wide, the book claimed. The 352-page book written by the most prominent voices in film writing, is a guide to Hindi cinema. To a query on the hold of the underworld on bollywood, Benegal who has written an extensive chapter on ‘making movies in Mumbai’ said "there are people ... When real estate business came down, the mafia which was involved in it moved into the film." "I don’t think it affects everybody. Look at the producer of the recent film Asoka, they have nothing to do with it. But it is there. I don’t know how much percentage. It is difficult to tell," he said. "One keeps hearing about the mafia keeping the gun on people’s head, saying "overseas distribution do (give overseas distribution rights)," Benegal, producer of films like Ankur and Zubeidaa said. Gulzar maker of films like Aandhi, Mausam and Machis and an acclaimed Urdu poet and lyricist, said "wherever there is big money, the mafia is there - they are as much in diamond business, building business as in politics." "It is also a method of laundering money. It is also a method of making money and laundering money - ultimately you can not keep your money constantly in black. It has to come to the surface at one stage," Benegal pointed out. In the past, Benegal said, much of the money that came in to the film business, was from the film industry itself. "That has changed now. When funds come from outside, they are like investors and not professional film people," he said. If the money comes from exhibitors, distributors and producers then you are within the complex of the business. Then there is a great deal of understanding of the business and give and take. Much of this has changed in the last 30 years." Asked whether Government’s decision to finance films through financial institutions had borne fruit, Benegal said in India IDBI is the only financial institution that is now working out a system whereby they will be able to finance films. "IDBI is working out a method. One of the systems they have found is to go through either directly through public limited company or lend directly to the film makers after evaluating the risk factor," he said adding IDBI has already financed a film producer from Hyderabad, Rama Naidu in making two films. (PTI) |
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Homeless make authorities defenceless NEW DELHI, Nov 5: "Police beat us up, corporation people throw us out, hospitals ignore us," they said and the audience erupted in applause. "We know your problems, everything is because you don’t have an address, but we will give you a home for some of you within some time," the authorities said, and they applauded again. The reasons for the applause differed each time. At first, it was for the courage in speaking out before a Joint Commissioner of Police, a Municipal Commissioner, a Supreme Court lawyer and a senior journalist. The second time it was sheer joy. The historic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi gave the backdrop to a ‘Khula Manch’ (open forum) last night where about 200 homeless men, women and children of the national narrated their miserable existence to the pillars of democracy. "We are not thieves or ruffians, but policemen beat us up. We only want a piece of land and a roof over our head," said Meena, who stays in the Ram Mandir near Connaught Place. Lakshman, who sleeps on the pavement at Chandni Chowk, said the beat constable assaults him every day and forces him to drink water from the drain. Meena and Lakshman and others who had assembled at the ‘Khula Manch’ belong to the 150,000 shelterless in Delhi, who as a human rights activist present at the venue said have "lost their right to sleep". Most of them are ragpickers during the day and at night settle down on dimly-lit pavements to catch some sleep before a policeman puts his stick out. Delhi had 19 shelters for them, but seven had been closed over the years. While the number of the shelters has come down, their rent has been on the rise—from 50 paise to one rupee to Rs six and even Rs eight. Most of the shelters are in the congested old Delhi where many of the ragpickers work. The demands of the homeless varied from land and house to ration card and health care which could put them on the mainstream of life in the city and end harassment by the authorities. At least one demand was conceded when Mr Manjit Singh, the head of the slum wing of muncipal corporation of Delhi said one shelter for the children would start functioning within 15 days. The new shelter is to accommodate children from Darya Ganh, Chandni Chowk and the old Delhi railway station area. "A separate shelter scheme for children will be brought if this experiment proves successful," Mr Singh said. The shelter will be run with the help of ‘Prayas’, a Non-Governmental Organisation headed by Joint Commissioner of Police, Amod Kanth. "You are assaulted because you don’t have an address, therefore no identity," said Mr Kanth, who expressed his displeasure over the ill-treatment of the homeless by some policemen. Mr Kanth said he advocates identification cards for the shelterless, a step which would be hotly debated by human rights groups. Magsaysay award-winning social acitivist Aruna Roy and Press Institute of India chairperson Ajit Bhattacharjee addressed the gathering at the Urdu Park. The ‘Khula Manch’ was organised by the Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan, national campaign for people’s right to information and Ms Roy’s Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan. (UNI) |
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‘Conspiracy to involve DMK in alleged life threat to Jaya’ CHENNAI, Nov 5: Condemning Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s statement that the extremist groups have raised their heads only during the DMK regimes, DMK president M Karunanidhi today alleged that it was a conspiracy to involve his party in the alleged threat to the life of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa from the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA). In a strongly-worded statement here, he said the DMK was prepared to face any "conspiracy against it." lambasting Mr Panneerselvam for stating that such extremist groups were emboldened to send an e-mail threat to assasinate Ms Jayalalithaa only due to the support extended by the DMK, he charged that the statement mouthed by the Chief Minister was in fact that of Ms Jayalalithaa’s. On the allegation that the DMK had extended support to the LTTE in Sri Lanka, Mr Karunanidhi quipped, "it was nothing compared to what former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late MGR had given." Stating that this fact was admitted by Ms Jayalalithaa herself in an interview to an english daily in 1990, he said "I think Mr Panneerselvam has not read that report." Mr Karunanidhi said the statements made by Mr Panneerselvam and Finance Minister C Ponnaiyan alleging that he (Karunanidhi) was associated with the TNLA and the Tamil Nadu Retrieval Force (TNRF) were only aimed at "politicising" the issue. The charge that these extremist outfits had reared their heads only during his Government was "baseless and contrary to truth." He pointed out that an english daily reported today that the e-mail threat to Ms Jayalalithaa could itself be a hoax and the police have not yet approached the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited to track down the sender of the e-mail. On February two, 2001, he had stated on the floor of the state assembly that his Government had written to the Centre seeking a ban on the TNLA and TNRF. The next day, he had announced that the Centre had asked for some more details in this connection, the DMK president clarified. He had also announced that 25 cadres of the tnrf and 141 cadres of the TNLA had been arrested, Mr Karunanidhi said. Taking exception to Mr Panneerselvam’s charge that the DMK Government had allowed the LTTE assasins to escape after the murder of EPRLF leader K Padmanabha in 1990 and that LTTE cadres were allowed to move about freely in the state, Mr Karunanidhi clarified that his Government had taken necessary action following the incident. (UNI) |
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