I want a break from serious direction, says Benegal

NEW DELHI, Apr 3: He is the most prolific director among the present lot in Indian film industry, who revived the filmmaking with his serious kind of cinema like ‘Ankur’, ‘Nishant’, ‘Manthan’ and ‘Bhumika’, but the celebrated director wants to take a break from the serious direction for a while.

Five-time national award winner director, Shyam Benegal, feels that in last few years lots of serious cinema has been done by him and the time has come to do something different.

"For the last few years, I was feeling the urge that I need to take a break from serious direction and try something different. A lot of serious cinema has been done by me in these years and the time is ripe for a change," the noted director said.

So, the director is taking a shot with comedy after a span of almost 25 years and is ready with his soon to be released movie ‘Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur’ starring Shreyas Talpade and Amrita Rao. But, the director feels that it is very difficult to make a comedy film and it is not an easy job.

This film is based on the letter writers in village post offices and their importance in the rural scenario.

The director is currently busy in giving shape to his new idea- an international film based on the life of Noor Inayat Khan, the courageous Indian woman who was a secret agent in World War II and was awarded the "George Cross" for her bravery.

"Noor was the daughter of the Sufi master, Hazrat Inayat Khan and was born in Moscow, and was brought up in France and Britain. The script is in process and Lord Meghnad Desai and Kishwar Desai are writing the script of that movie," says Benegal.

Based on the best-selling and critically acclaimed book ‘The Spy Princess’ by Shrabani Basu, it will be the first Indian film where the language will be English, French, German and Hindi.

Illustrious director, who has won the five national awards and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991, says he had faced great difficulties in his initial days of filmmaking.

"Those were the days, when I was made to wait for hours just to narrate my scripts. There was no space, no place for the young lot to prove themselves. I had to wait for 13 years to get the work and make it my way."

The recipient of highest award in Indian cinema for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2005, loves to work with new generation of stars as they are very talented.

"The new kids on the block are very talented and very enthusiastic. They will make you feel young as you work with them. It looks like they have inherent acting skills and I didn’t face any kind of difficulty with the fresh lot," says Benegal. (PTI)

Ramadoss pulls up Eastern India states,
fears bird flu in humans

SILIGURI, Apr 9: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss last night accused Eastern India of not doing enough to stop the Bird flu epidemic and apprehended human infection.

"India is also dissatisfied with the way Bangladesh is handling the disease and considering to raise the matter at the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting to be held at Geneva in June this year.

"It is not far when the risk of humans being infected by the disease will become inevitable. So I want that the Eastern Indian states should wake up and do something before a catastrophy hits them," he said and added, "So far, we have only been able to stop the infection from spreading to the humans."

Mr Ramadoss was attending a meeting on human trafficking and HIV infections here last night.

"It is not that the West Bengal and Tripura Governments have not culled chickens, but the fact remains that their attitude has been lackadaisical and had no urgency in preventing the spread of the disease," he said.

The Union Health Minister was convinced that Bird flu had originated in Bangladesh and the Eastern Indian states were at fault in not stopping its import.

"I am personally going to take up the matter at the WHO meet at Geneva this June" he said.

Meanwhile, the officials in Tripura have ordered culling of about 40,000 birds after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed. The operation began yesterday. They say the virulent H5N1 strain had been detected in poultry in nearly 40 villages bordering Bangladesh.

Earlier this year, West Bengal reported an outbreak of avian influenza. In Bangladesh, the epidemic had spread to more than half the country.

"We can not accept this," said the Minister, while asking the whole of Eastern India to improve their preventive measures as well as stop illegal border trade.

The affected villages are located in Tripura’s Dhalai district, officials said. Veterinary officials said the Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory in the central Indian city of Bhopal had confirmed the flu strain in samples of dead birds sent there earlier this month.

The samples were sent after thousands of birds in these villages suffered unnatural death. Officials said that 15 teams had been constituted for culling operations. Tripura is the second northeast Indian state to be hit by bird flu. Manipur was affected by bird flu last year.

"The State Government is fully prepared to tackle the situation. There is no dearth of medicines or trained veterinary and medical staff in the affected area," said Aghore Debbarma, Tripura’s Animal Resources Development Department minister, a report from Agartala said.

However, Mr Ramadoss said, "If you are exposed to the Bird flu for any longer, you are bound to contract them. The state seems to have paid no heed to our advice," he stated. (UNI)

No comment on anti north-Indian campaign: Hema Malini

INDORE, Apr 9: Actress and BJP MP Hema Malini today declined to comment on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)’s campaign against north Indians.

"No comment," she told newspersons when asked about this issue here before leaving for Harda to campaign for Betul Lok Sabha bypoll.

Asked about the targeting of film actor Amitabh Bachhan by MNS chief Raj Thackerey and Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, She said Shiv Sena’s supremo Bala Saheb Thackrey had already cleared his stand on the issue.

"Mr Thackerey said that Mr Bachchan is a hero of the entire country," she recalled.

Responding to a query about film actors in joining politics, She said they had better reach and audience in different sections of society. (UNI)

India needs to transcend into product nation: Scindia

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: India needs to surpass from being a purely back office and software programming nation to a product nation, the newly appointed Minister of State for IT and Telecommunications Jyotiraditya Scindia today said.

"India needs to transcend its boundaries from a purely back office and software programming nation to a product nation because that’s where Intellectual Property lies," the minister who joined the office today said.

The second term MP from Guna (Madhya Pradesh) also said the country needs to move up the value chain and focus on hardware as well.

"There is no reason why there cannot be semi-conductor and fab units in India," he added.

The duties and responsibilities of the new minister would be informed in a next couple of days, he added.

Outlining his priorities, he said "We have to ensure that the common man not only gets a product or service but also at the best price".

He also stressed on the importance of convergence between information technology and telecommunications.

Talking about the post office, the minister said the Department of Post holds a lot of promise. "The post office will be the window to the world for the common man," he said.

The post office should be run like a family. "I will try to run the post office in same manner like my father tried to run the railways," he added.

Scindia, scion of the royal family of Gwalior is the son of late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, who was also Minister of State for Railways. (PTI)

JKNPP for referendum in PoK, Gilgit

SRINAGAR, Apr 9: The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party today demanded referendum in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit to enable five million people there to decide their future.

JKNPP will mobilise public opinion to hold referendum in PoK and Gilgit to enable the people to choose their future and end the uncertainty they have been facing for the last 60 years, JKNPP chairman Bhim Singh told reporters here.

He said the spirit of Shimla agreement and ongoing peace process can only be realised when five million people under Pakistan control were free to decide their future.

The status of Line of Control will also be settled once for all when the people of Gilgit decide their fate, he said.

Singh said the third intra J and K heart to heart conference will be held in Delhi in August.

Parliamentarians, social and political activists from Jammu and Kashmir and PoK would participate in the conference to promote people to people contact, Singh said.

JKNPP also appealed to the separatists to participate in the Assembly elections, to be held in September, to prove their "representative character".

"JKNPP appeals to the Hurriyat Conference leaders to join the election battle so that they can establish their representative legitimacy," Singh said.

Singh urged Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha to dismiss the Congress-PDP coalition Government and promulgate Governor’s Rule "to hold free and fair elections". (PTI)

Dilip Kumar to be felicitated

MUMBAI, Apr 9: Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar will be felicitated by the Taj Enlighten Film Society and Bimal Roy Memorial Film Society on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebration of one of the country’s golden classic films "Madhumati".

The organisers will felicitate the cast, including Vyjantimala and Pran at Globus, Bandra, here tomorrow, announced a release today.

The black and white classic film with its sophisticated treatment and haunting music, won nine Filmfare Awards and still remains filmmaker Bimal Roy’s most enduring work, the release added. (UNI)

NCW to launch gender sensitisation programme for police

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: The National Commission for Women would launch a gender sensitisation programme for Delhi police personnel.

Commission chairperson Girija Vyas, who was re- appointed to the post after her term ended on February 16, today said "Save Home and Save the family" will be the new motto of the NCW.

"The ultimate result to any discord in the family should not lead to separation. Nither the women nor men wants a broken home and when both the partners are for a home, the NCW would just help to iron out the differences a bit and help to protect a family," she said.

"Commission is not just for creating conflicts in the families. It is for reconciliation. The Commission would take up as pilot project and ensure that the Domestic Violence Act and Section 498 A is implemented properly. And reconciliation is certainly our aim but women and their requirements would get a priority," Vyas said.

Apart from sensitising the police, the project will look into cases of domestic violences and other forms of marital discords with the ultimate objective of conciliation and settlements so as to protect the marital relationship between the spouses.

"The crime against Women Cell of Delhi Police with NCW would take help of professional councilors to help women in distress. We have got the feedback that the most of the women fear even to register a complaint in a regular police station because of its unfriendly environment.

"These issues would be redressed in our joint mission with the Commission," said Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police Sudhir Yadav who is part of Commission’s "Save Home" project.

The NCW would take up a draft law related to relief and rehabilitation to victims of acid attacks on a priority basis. The draft bill is being finalised and will be sent to the Women and Child Development Ministry soon.

She said the Domestic Workers bill is also in the final stage and would be sent to the Ministry soon.

Commission would also review the Mental Health Act and Indecent Representation of maintenance of Women Act.

"We have decided to strengthen the state commission for women. The Commission will constitute investigation cell at each of the state commission for women and organise workshops for educating the rural women of their rights.

"We will also look into the issues related to surrogacy and assisting reproductive technology and the maternal mortality rate in the country," she said. (PTI)

Swraj Paul to visit Santiniketan

SURI, WB, Apr 9: A six-member delegation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, led by Lord Swraj Paul, will visit Santiniketan tomorrow.

Apart from attending a lunch thrown by the Visva-Bharati University vice-chancellor, he and other delegation members are also scheduled to watch a cultural programme at the university campus.

The team, which will be accompanied by the Deputy Speaker of West Bengal Assembly, Bhaktipada Ghosh, will leave Santiniketan for Kolkata on the same day.

Lord Paul had remarked yesterday that to him going to Santiniketan was like going on a pilgrimage. (PTI)

Indo-Nepal border sealed ahead of Himalayan poll

BASTI, Apr 9: The 800-km long Indo-Nepal border has been sealed ahead of the Constituent Assembly election in Nepal tomorrow.

The decision to seal the border was taken during a recent meeting of officials of both the countries, DIG, Basti range, P V Ramashashtri today said.

He said movement had been banned on the Indo-Nepal border and security personnel were maintaining round the clock vigil.

A posse of paramilitary force, civil police and Intelligence organisations were also keeping a close vigil on all activities around the border, the DIG informed. (UNI)

Centre adopting soft attitude towards terrorism: Naidu

INDORE, Apr 9: The BJP today charged the Centre with adopting "soft attitude" towards terrorism and failing to curb the activities of banned organisations like Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in the country.

"The Centre has a soft attitude towards terrorism and it failed to curb totally the activities of banned organisations like SIMI," BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has intensified its efforts to nab the head of SIMI in the state, he said.

Naidu said the UPA Govt failed to execute the death sentence of Afzal Guru, convicted in the Parliament attack case and added that because of its soft policies, outfits like SIMI are spreading their wings in the country.

"For checking their activities, POTA type laws are needed in the country," he said.

Referring to inflation, he said the BJP is raising its voice against the spiralling prices of essential goods in the country.

"The opposition parties will corner Government on the issue during the next Parliament session," he said.

He exuded confidence that the BJP will retain the Betul Lok Sabha seat in the April 12 bypoll necessitated by the death of Vijay Khandelwal. (PTI)

Hogenakkal absolutely the decision of Karunanidhi: Cong

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: In a flip-flop, Congress leader M Veerappa Moily today said the decision to put the Hogenakkal project on hold is absolutely that of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

"...An impression is created that Congress President Sonia Gandhi personally talked to M Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, to keep the Hogenakkal project on hold," he said in a statement here today, backtracking on his yesterday’s statement in Bangalore on the subject.

Moily, AICC Media Department Chairman, had yesterday said in Bangalore that Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to Karunanidhi and requested him to defer the project.

Today he clarified that the decision to put the Hogenakkal project on hold is absolutely the decision of Karunanidhi as he feels that there is no popular Government in Karnataka in place to resolve the issue.

"It is clarified that the Congress President is interested in an amicable settlement of the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and she is very much concerned about the environment of peace and cordiality between the people of bot the states to prevail," Moily said.

"The gesture on the part of Karunanidhi is very much appreciated by the people of Karnataka," he added.

Karunanidhi has already said the decision was not based on any request made by the Congress and was meant for the welfare of the people of both the states.

DMK’s opponent AIADMK has charged Karunanidhi with putting the Hogenakkal Water Project on hold expecting a cabinet berth for his daughter MP Kanimozhi.

The deferment of the project has come as a breather for the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka as it threatened to become a major issue in the coming Assembly elections. (PTI)