The Vedas

The Vedas The Hanuman Chalisa

OUR FORE-FATHERS ..

Our forefathers were great visionaries . They had deep knowledge of this universe .

Hope you have heard about the Hanuman Chalisa? In Hanuman Chalisa,

it is said:

"Yug sahastra yojan per Bhaanu [ the Sun ]!

Leelyo taahi madhur phal janu!!

1 Yug = 12000 years

1 Sahastra = 1000

1 Yojan = 8 Miles

Yug x Sahastra x Yojan = par Bhanu

12000 x 1000 x 8 miles = 96000000 miles

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1 mile = 1.6kms

96000000 miles = 96000000 x 1.6kms =

1536000000 kms to the Sun .

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NASA has said that, it is the distance between Earth and Sun (Bhanu).

That proves Hanuman ji tried to jump to Sun, thinking it as a sweet fruit (Madhu phal)..

It is really interesting how accurate and meaningful our ancient scriptures are.. Unfortunately barely it is recognized, interpreted accurately or realized by any in today's time...

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GAYATRI MANTRA"

the most powerful hymn in the world !

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Dr.Howard Steingeril, an american scientist, collected Mantras, Hymns and invocations from all over the world and tested their strength in his Physiology Laboratory…

Hindus' Gayatri Mantra produced 110,000 sound waves /second...

This was the highest and was found to be the most powerful hymn in the world.

Through the combination of sound or sound waves of a particular frequency, this Mantra is claimed to be capable of developing specific spiritual potentialities.

The Hamburg university initiated research into the efficacy of the Gayatri Mantra both on the mental and physical plane of CREATION...

The GAYATRI MANTRA is broadcasted daily for 15 minutes from 7 P.M. onwards over Radio Paramaribo, Surinam, South America for the past two years, and in Amsterdam, Holland for the last six months.

"Om Bhoor Bhuwah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam, Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi,

Dhiyo Yo Nah Pra-chodayaat !"

"It's meaning:

God is dear to me like my own breath, He is the dispeller of my pains, and giver of happiness.

I meditate on the supremely adorable Light of the Divine Creator, that it may inspire my thought and understanding."

This is a great information worth circulating and sharing with one and all! How wonderful ARE Hindu Vedas!

Sent by Dr. R S Mazumdar

In the coming elections, where there is no AAP Candidate -whom to vote for?

In the coming elections, where there is no AAP Candidate -whom to vote for?

On 18th February, I had written the a letter to Arvindji (given below) and marked copies to more than 550 AAP volunteers.

Arvindji is a busy man and I did not expect a reply from him . But I did get responses from the AAP volunteers which are given below. You could say this was an opinion poll of AAP people.

It is the raw day as Yogendra Yadavji would say.

I have given my conclusion at the end. based on the opinion expressed by the people.

Dear Arvindji,

We are a small group of some 50 people on Whatapp who came together during the Delhi call campaign. We regularly discuss various matters pertaining to AAP through Whatsapp.

Recently the following topic was discussed.

We know AAP will not be standing in all the 541 odd constituencies.

There will be many constituencies in which we will have to choose a non AAP candidate.

Our question was whom to choose?

I was of the opinion that all AAP supporters should vote for AAP where there is an AAP candidate.

Where there is no AAP candidate, we should vote for BJP since that party can give a stable government after this election. I agree they are corrupt but after the mess left behind by the Congress, we should have stability for the next five years and since AAP will not be able to form government our second choice should be BJP.

I know it is incongruous with the views of many of our supporters. On the one hand, we are attacking the BJP for corruption and here , I am suggesting that we vote for BJP as second choice. But then voting for any of the other parties like Congress, BSP, SP, NCP, DMK, AIDMK, Shiv Sena, INLD, RJD, TMC, JD(U), is also unacceptable as they are all corrupt. TMC and JD(U) may be slightly less corrupt, I don't know. At least Anna seems to think so of the TMC

Others were of the opinion that we should use the NOTA button where there is no AAP candidate.

Since this is a dilemma will will be faced by all AAP supporters, I would request you to give the official recommendation of AAP as to what we should do in the above circumstance.

Best regards,

Radheshyam Sharma

There is enough time to find out 541 candidate for AAP. AAP must put 541 candidate

Dr.A.B.Ghosh

I agree with you on voting BJP candidates where there r no AAP. But I disagree on saying TMC is less corrupt. Lots of example r there at local level which prove so

Tanmoy Chattopadhyay

Dear Radheshaymji

The official policy of AAP is that AAP does not want Corrupt, Criminal, Communal and Dynastic people to come to the parliament.

BJP subscribes to the undoubtedly communal RSS ideologies and has links of subservience with this shadowy group (RSS) whose policies can destroy India.

So how can the idea of supporting BJP arise?

Regards

Alok Sarkar

Your team comprised of bunch of jokers, with no ethics

Ashim Mukherjee

NOTA

Prema Paul

Hi Radheshyam,

I second it, it is an good suggestion.

I know that BJP people are more critical about AAP, but is is a fact they are most worried lot, and it is also true that in some states like Rajasthan and MP, they have started doing things in small bits like our AAP.

SO voting for others will create many regional parties which won't be good for India. TMC and JDU are also regional and I do not thing they are any different.

So vote for BJP or use NOTA(personal wish), but do not vote for Congress or any regional parties.

Thanks

Rajdeep Sengupta

My dear Radheshyam Ji,

I was also one among the very few donors of AAP and I become a member also but after Delhi Elections, whatever has happened was not at all to my liking. I felt as if I have been cheated. It was absolutely unexpected for me that Arvind will form the Government with the support of Congress.

Secondly, whenever I have heard Arviond on TV, I have heard him taking the name of the BJP first and Congress afterwards. How BJP could be as corrupt as Congress is. BJP was in power hardly for 8-9 years, if we include Janta Party Govt. of 1977-79 whereas Congress led and/or Congress supported Governments were in power for almost 60 years. Then how could the corruption of Congress and BJP be equal?

A politician must read history, if not anything else, before coming in to the politics. Chandrasekhar Govt. was brought down on a total flimsy ground of two security guards seen outside the house of Rajiv Gandhi and yet Arvind has not shown any sign of wisdom in taking the support of Congress, one of the most corrupt govt. and unethical party.

There is not a single day when Arvind has not abused BJP then in the event of BJP not getting an absolute majority and not forming the government, then what he is going to do, either support Congress led Govt. or take support from all the parties mentioned by you in your list and form the Govt and do the mockery with the people of India. Just imagine that Mulayam and Mayavati on two sides, Mamta and Left Front on two sides, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha on two sides the supporting stand on which Congress is forming the table top on which Arvind is sitting as PM.

Supporting some one is good but we must not ignore the possibilities. We are powerful only for a day and thereafter they become powerful and we become the poor people once again.

The NOTA has been made a meaningless button by these politicians which is good for nothing for the benefit of public. I would have appreciated the NOTA button if the candidates who are getting less votes than NOTA votes, are banned for contesting any election of that level anywhere in the country, for next 6 years, but that has not happened. Is there anybody, who could justify me the value of NOTA if it carries no meaning for the votes polled on it.

Sir, I have been badly disappointed by the comments and decisions of Arvind and his colleagues in the power and I would just like to tell that whatever hopes and dreams I have seen with Arvind in power have been badly shattered.

Kiran Bedi has very rightly suggested him to form the government with BJP but then he has abused so much to BJP, that even that was not possible.

Immediately I do not see any ray of hope for this country therefore I just pray to Almighty God that let there be all kind of ruination in one go this time. Let each one of them become a PM for 2-3 months each and secure their funeral expense at the cost of India Govt. We would not mind that situation because no building could be made unless you dig the earth for foundation. With kind Regards,

B. D. Mundhra - 98310 20751

Although we are not yet informed about AAP's decision in this regard, but my view is to vote for clean and honest candidates instead of voting for BJP., Otherwise best option is NOTA which will happen in any case as you won't find candidates with clean image.

Regards

Kaushik Banerjee

Sir,

We should vote for NOTA. Let us have no confusion about that. There can not be half hearted effort. For the sake of stability we were advised to vote for congress earlier.

Regards..

Jagadish bellary

In my opinion, vote for the one who is honest among the others and has done something good for people irrespective of party. If not, then all should try to find such a candidate, I am sure there would be many to choose from and convince him to contest election on AAP ticket. If still there are no good candidates then NOTA should be better.

Voting BJP or Congress just for stability would not be wise as we have seen a very stable govt (with a stronger leader than Modi, yes Sonia who had PM, whole Congress, all Congress allies, President and in few cases even BJP in her hand, in reality Modi is not as strong even with-in BJP) and equally stable opposition for past 10 yrs and what they did to this country is very much visible...

We need honest people in parliament not a stable but corrupt govt...

Kind Regards,

Nitin

ये मेरा सोभाग्य होगा में पूर्ण तोर पर १००% देने को तैयार हु में अपना पूरा जीवन दे शकता हु

Dix Bhatiya

Rather than Voting for a party , lets vote for a honest candidate where AAP is not standing Possibly this would cost stability but at worst it means a re-election in a year and will cost 1000 Cr to India . But it will force parties to field clean candidates next time .

1000 Cr is nothing compared to scams like Reliance Gas costing nation 54000 Crores.

Sandeep

Hi All,

I would like to say that we should vote for NOTA where there is no AAP candidate. This will give clear signal that We want only AAP.

Thanks,

Suraj

NOTA is the best option sir ji................

Devender

8527562525

Dear Radheshyamji,

With all due respect for contrary opinions, I completely disagree with the proposition that on seats where there is no AAP candidate we should vote BJP.

when there can be no compromise on corruption, no way we can support BJP.

It should be left to the individual choice.

Going by this logic, we should give a list of parties 1st AAP or BJP or TDP or lalu etc.

So let's not get into this debate of who to vote where AAP has no candidate.

Lets focus how to win AAP seats. Where there is no AAP candidate the people have the wisdom to choose who to vote or vote NOTA. We stick to AAP and focus our limited energy and time on AAP.

Sincerely,

Sunil Kanukuntla

My answer to your question is BJP. I want NaMo as my PM and APP as strong opposition. All other parties out of the house.

Jai Hind.

Vijay Choudhari

Hi,

As per my opinion there is no need to support a party which has proved itself to be corrupt.

We could use the NOTA option wherever there is no AAP candidate,at least then there will be a chance for reelection if no party gets majority.

Regards,

Sanjib Kumar Manna

Kolkata

SO SORRY TO SEE THIS MAIL. I think author have no idea how bjp works. he needs a lot of reading before posting such opinion.

Dr. Nehal Vaidya

पश्चिम बंगाल में 6-7 सीटों पर उम्मीदवार उतारेगी AAP आम आदमी पार्टी ने आगामी लोकसभा चुनावों में पश्चिम बंगाल में कम से कम छह से सात सीटों पर अपने उम्मीदवार खड़े करने का निर्णय लिया है. पार्टी ने इस समय कोलकाता के कुछ हिस्सों और राज्य के जिलों में सदस्यता की मुहिम शुरू की हुई है. पार्टी का कहना है कि उसे इस मुहिम के दौरान सकारात्मक और उत्साहजनक प्रतिक्रिया मिली है.

M A Sherwani

CONCLUSION:

Since we are fighting corruption and Modi is all for corruption, as witnessed by his silence on the issues raised by Arvindji of Mukesh Ambani, Adani and Gas Price allowed to Mukesh Ambani, there is no question of supporting him.

The question of voting for Congress is out of question as they are the cause of this present mess caused by corruption, and Rahul Gandhi too, has not answered Arvindji's questions.

Supporting an independent as recommended by Anna is also out of the question as that Independent will again join some party after receiving substantial money from them. Most of the independents, by the way, are party politicians who stand as independents because they have not got their party tickets.

Supporting other parties like the TMC, BSP, SP, BJD, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, JD(U), RJD, LJP, and JMM is also not worth it because they are even worse than the BJP and Congress.

The CPI and CPM are not even worth considering for they are the cause of the mess that is in Bengal and Kerala.

Of course, the Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, is an exception.

So, we AAP volunteers should use the NOTA button where there is no AAP candidate.

RIL contract can’t be terminated: Moily to PM

RIL contract can’t be terminated: Moily to PM

As the country prepares for a major hike in gas prices from April, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the contract for KG-D6 gas fields with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) cannot be terminated pending arbitration on the issue of output lagging targets.

The letter comes in the backdrop of Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation that the Congress-led UPA’s fuel pricing policy benefitted Mukesh Ambani’s firm.

Mr. Moily defended the increase in gas prices on the ground that the project would become commercially unviable for companies. This in turn would lead to increase in subsidy bills as gas would have to be imported.

Mr. Moily said several gas fields of both the RIL and state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation were economically unviable at the current rate of $4.2 per million British thermal unit or mmBtu.

Responding to Mr. Kejriwal’s allegations, Mr. Moily said public sector firms accountfor about 80 per cent of India’s gas production and will be the major beneficiary of gas rates going up to $8 mmBtu.

Unless massive investment and technology are infused in the upstream oil and gas exploration and production, domestic production would keep on dwindling, Mr. Moily said.

The Congress is in the habit of denying everything unless it is forced down their throats.

They denied any wrong doing in the CWG scame until the SC took over control and revealed the skeletons.

They denied any wrong doing in the 2G scam until once again the SC interfered.

They denied for fifteen years that a CAG audit could be done done on the DISCOMs in Delhi. The AAP did it within one week of coming to power.

Now, Veerap Moily, the father of all crooks says that the contract cannot be terminated.

Arvind Kejriwal has already filed an FIR to prove his crookedness

Why may I ask cannot it be terminated when Reliance did not produce as they were supposed to do.

It looks as if the Supreme Court interference is again required.

Salaried Indians pay more income tax than high earners in US, China

Salaried Indians pay more income tax than high earners in US, China

It's a known fact that India's salaried class single-handedly contributes to the country's income tax base. But now a new study has found that Indians are among the most taxed in the world.

A survey by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has found that the take-home salary (after paying income tax rates and social security contributions) of a high earner in India is less than that of salary earners in the UK, Canada, US, China and Russia.

In fact, among the G20 countries, only Italy ranked above India when it comes to higher taxes, the survey found. Indians took roughly 55 per cent of their wages home, the survey said. In comparison, earners in Saudi Arabia took 97 per cent of their salary home, while those in Russia took 87 per cent of their wages home, the survey stated.

Individual earners in India are categorized in three groups for taxes -- those earning between Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh fall in the 10 per cent tax bracket, while those earnings between Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh pay 20 per cent taxes currently. However, bulk of the taxes comes from high earners, who have incomes of Rs. 10 lakh and more and are taxed at 30 per cent.

Individuals (42,800 to be precise), whose taxable income exceeds Rs. 1 crore, have to pay a surcharge of 10 per cent from this year. That's not all. Wealthy Indians (wealth exceeding Rs. 30 lakh) are also required to pay wealth tax of 1 per cent.

The skewed tax structure in India can be gauged from the fact that only 4 lakh people account for 63 per cent of tax collected in an economy with a tax-paying base of 3-4 crore people.

The government cannot lower rates because income tax forms an important source of revenue for the government. In 2013-14, the government is likely to get Rs. 2.42 lakh crore as income tax (Revised Estimates), which is 21 per cent of total tax revenue estimated for the current fiscal.

The only alternative, then, is to widen the tax net to include many more Indians.

According to Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, India's tax-GDP ratio at 17.2 per cent in 2012-13 (Budget Estimate) is way below the average tax-GDP ratio for BRICS countries at 22 per cent.

But widening tax base is easier said than done. It involves more aggressive monitoring by tax authorities (the government is already doing this) and taking some tough political decision, such as taxing agricultural income. There could also be a greater debate on abolishing the income tax as espoused by some sections of the main opposition party BJP.

Whatever be the means, rational taxes would not only lead to lower evasion, but also increased productivity.

This is nothing. It is just the direct tax.

What about the other taxes like Service Tax, Sales Tax, VAT, Octroi, Entertainment tax, etc. etc which each of us has to pay.

In spite of all that, the government has a debit balance because of the loot of all these politicians.

We require the Aam Aadmi Party to stop the loot.

Kejriwal's reply to Mukesh Ambani

Kejriwal's reply to Mukesh Ambani

Dear Mr Mukesh Ambani,

You have recently sent a defamation notice to a number of TV channels.

Their “crime” is that they aired the press conference held on the 31st October 2012 and 9th November 2012, by Prashant Bhushan and me, live. In our press conference, we presented before the country how you had illegally pressurized the government into increasing gas prices.

We also told the country that your associates and your companies have accounts in Swiss banks where black money had been stashed away.

Many TV channels aired our expose live. All these TV channels have now received defamation notices from you.

I find it quite perplexing.

If you felt that you have been defamed by what Prashant Bhushan and I said, then we are the real culprits and, if you had to send a defamation notice, it should have been to us.

The TV channels merely broadcast what we said. Despite this, instead of sending us the defamation notice, you have sent it to the TV channels.It is evident that your sole purpose of sending this notice was to steamroll the TV channels into subservience.

The people of India want to ask you some straight questions:

Is it not true that the list of those who have accounts in Swiss Banks,as received by the Government of India, includes your name and the names of your relatives, your friends and your companies?

Is it not true that a balance of Rs.100 crores is shown against your name in this list?

Is it not true that you have paid the tax on this amount after this list was received by the Government?

If the above is true, as we suspect it is, it proves that you have admitted your guilt.

As per the law of the land, you should be tried and, if the charge of tax evasion is proved, you should be sent to jail.

However, this would never happen.

Why?

Because the Government of India is intimidated by you. You have been reported as saying that the Congress Party has been bought by you – it is your dukaan, to be precise. You are right. according to some media reports, Mrs. Sonia_Gandhi sometimes travels by your personal aircraft. People believe that Mr. Jaipal Reddy’s ministry was also changed because of your influence.

Why only the Congress? Even BJP and many other parties are in your pocket. Earlier, Mr. Advani used to make a lot of noise about Swiss Bank accounts, but since your accounts have been exposed, BJP has suddenly gone quiet. BJP has not mentioned a single word in the Parliament about your accounts.

It appears that almost all parties are afraid of you.

Most leaders are scared of you, too. However, the citizens of this country are not scared of you. All parties could be your dukaan but India is not up for sale.

India is ours, it belongs to the people of this country.

You can purchase political parties and political leaders with your money but we will not let India be sold.

You say that the TV channels have tainted your reputation by airing our press conference live. That’s wrong.

I would urge you to answer this question honestly – Did Prashant_Bhushan , myself and the TV Channels defame you or did you defame yourself through your own misdeeds?

1. In 2002, you gave 1 Crore shares with a market price of Rs. 55 per share to Mr. Pramod_Mahajan at just Rs. 1 per share. This was a straight bribe to get “Full Mobility”.

When you were caught, you took back the shares.

Presently, the matter is In court.

Didn’t you defame yourself by doing this?

2. You have made your multi-storeyed residence on Wakf_ land.

This land had been set aside for an orphanage.

You have stolen the right of poor and orphaned Muslim children.

Didn’t you defame yourself by doing this?

3. A few gas wells belonging to the Country were allotted to you in 2000.

You were supposed to extract gas and give it to the government.

The gas belongs to us, the people of India.

We are the owners of this gas. You were only a contractor appointed to extract the gas.

However, cleverly you became the owner of the gas.

You started “selling” the gas to the government.

Because the Congress is in your pocket, it always bowed before your bullying.

The Congress kept increasing the price of gas under your pressure and the nation kept wailing. Because of you, the prices of electricity, fertilizer and cooking gas kept rising. When it crossed all limits, Mr. Jaipal Reddy opposedyou. He was the Minister for Oil and Gas at that time.

You got Mr. Jaipal Reddy transferred. Because of you many things have become increasingly expensive in India and the people are groaning under the load of these high prices.

Do these shenanigans suit you?

Do such acts not defame you?

The list of such illegal acts done by you is quite long.

The majority of the traders, businessmen and industrialists want to do their work honestly. But the system forces them into wrongdoings.

But when a businessman like you brazenly subverts the system for his personal benefit, the entire industry and business world gets a bad name.

You are on one side with immense wealth.

On the other side are the people of this country.

The people have now awakened.

Fire is raging in their heart.

History is witness that whenever there has been a clash between money and such rage, the rage has won.

Kindly do not try to intimidate the media of this country. There may be some media men who may have done wrong things themselves.

Such media-persons may succumb to your pressure.

However, the majority of media persons keep the interest of the Country at heart even today.

They are not going to capitulate so easily.

History witnessed that whenever the judiciary, bureaucracy and legislature crumbled, it is the honest fourth pillar, comprising such media-persons that kept democracy alive.

You have invested in some media houses directly or indirectly. It is possible that these media houses do your bidding. However, the journalists working for such media houses will not barter their integrity so easily.

What is your dream?

Do you want to become the world’s richest person through dishonesty?

Suppose you became the owner of all the wealth in this country, would that make you happy?

Happiness does not increase by accumulating more and more wealth.

Happiness comes with sacrifice. If you stopped doing business dishonestly and contributed your wealth for the development of the nation, this country will remember you with pride forever.

With regards,

Arvind Kejriwal

This was sent by Jimmy Keir

Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Degenerative Arthritis of the Knee) - A relief

Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Degenerative Arthritis of the Knee) - a relief

While age is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee, young people can get it too. For some individuals, it may be hereditary. For others, osteoarthritis of the knee can result from injury or infection or even from being overweight. Here are answers to your questions about knee osteoarthritis, including how it's treated and what you can do at home to ease the pain.

What Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis, commonly known as wear and tear arthritis, is a condition in which the natural cushioning between joints -- cartilage -- wears away. When this happens, the bones of the joints rub more closely against one another with less of the shock-absorbing benefits of cartilage. The rubbing results in pain, swelling, stiffness, decreased ability to move and, sometimes, the formation of bone spurs.

Who Gets Osteoarthritis of the Knee?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. While it can occur even in young people, the chance of developing osteoarthritis goes up after age 45. According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 27 million people in the U.S. have osteoarthritis, with the knee being one of the most commonly affected areas. Women are more likely to have osteoarthritis than men.

What Causes Knee Osteoarthritis?

The most common cause of osteoarthritis of the knee is age. Almost everyone will eventually develop some degree of osteoarthritis. However, several factors increase the risk of developing significant arthritis at an earlier age.

Age. The ability of cartilage to heal decreases as a person gets older.

Weight. Weight increases pressure on all the joints, especially the knees. Every pound of weight you gain adds 3 to 4 pounds of extra weight on your knees.

Heredity. This includes genetic mutations that might make a person more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee. It may also be due to inherited abnormalities in the shape of the bones that surround the knee joint.

Gender. Women who are 55 and older are more likely than men to develop osteoarthritis of the knee.

Repetitive stress injuries. These are usually a result of the type of job a person has. People with certain occupations that include a lot of activity that can stress the joint, such as kneeling, squatting, or lifting heavy weights (55 pounds or more), are more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee because of the constant pressure on the joint.

Athletics. Athletes involved in soccer, tennis, or long-distance running may be at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis of the knee.

That means athletes should take precautions to avoid injury. However, it's important to note that regular moderate exercise strengthens joints and can decrease the risk of osteoarthritis. In fact, weak muscles around the knee can lead to osteoarthritis.

Other illnesses. People with rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common type of arthritis, are also more likely to develop osteoarthritis. People with certain metabolic disorders, such as iron overload or excess growth hormone, also run a higher risk of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a painful disease which I had earlier witnessed in an uncle and now my wife also suffers from it.

Since it is a degenerative disease, it just gets worse with time and cannot be reversed.

That is what I thought up to now.

There seems to be a solution in sight in the form of Polycentric Knee Braces.

A friend of ours, a sadhika, had been using this for the last one year and she has got intense relief.

It was only after observing the good results she got, I was interested in getting the braces for my wife.

As if by God send, Dr. Vijay Naik of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, who gave the braces to our friend is coming to Kolkata from the 20th to 24th March at the following address.

Shree Bhumi Bikash Manch,

(Near Shree Bhumi Post Office)

92C, Canal Street,

Kolkata 700048

Email: sbbm10@gmail.com

Contact:

R S Dona - 93310 21980

Suresh Lal Agarwal - 98300 77776

Anil Jain: 98307 39678

Sandeep Khandelwal - 93312 15225

Santosh Poddar - 98310 34449

Anup Kr Jain - 93302 74878

Alok Jain : 93302 74878

20,21,22,23 March 2014

Registration Fee Rs 5100/- Time 8.00 am to 9.00 am on Monday and Friday,

Sunday - 8.00 am to 10.00 am.

AP and Lateral X-rays of the affected leg is advised before visiting the doctor. If after seeing the X-ray, the doctor says braces will work then they will be provided, otherwise Rs 5900/- money will be refunded.

Dr. Vijay Naik is an expert in these braces and you can find out more about him if you Google his name. I would suggest any one affected by the problem should get themselves registered.

Mother Teresa - When USA and India combined for a good cause

Mother Teresa - When USA and India combined for a good cause

The Devyani Khobrogade incident which brought India's relations with the USA to a new low must have made us Indians wonder whether what the USA does was correct.

Especially when we consider how they had arranged to air lift the family of maid who had accused Devyani of under-paying wages. They did this to prevent India from penalizing her family.

Earlier too we have seen how the USA have harassed famous India personalities who have Muslim sounding names which include Sharukh Khan, Azam Khan and even our President Abdul Kalam Azad.

USA makes certain rules and follows them.

India makes rules but always breaks them just for vote bank politics.

However, there was one occasion when both the USA and India bent all rules to facilitate the movement of an important person to India.

Who?

Read on, or rather, just watch the video....This is Doc George Lombardi who treated the late Mother Teresa in the 80's at then Calcutta. He says it laced with humour, in his inimitable style , but you can see the hand of God all over this story.

http://youtu.be/vD9RI2Bm69U

Sent by Jimmy Keir

AAP to kickstart Lok Sabha election campaign from Haryana today

AAP to kickstart Lok Sabha election campaign from Haryana today

New Delhi: AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal will kickstart the national campaign for the Lok Sabha elections from Rohtak in Haryana on Sunday. This will be his first rally after he resigned as the Delhi chief minister. The party is planning to fight all 10 Lok Sabha seats and all 90 Assembly seats in Haryana.

Rohtak is being represented by Deepender Singh Hooda, son of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and hopes to rout the Congress just like Delhi elections.

The AAP leadership has carefully chosen Haryana to be its next political battleground after its near stunning show in the Delhi elections in December 2013.

In the run up to the Delhi polls, the majority of the AAP volunteers came from Haryana. Its party convenor, Arvind Kejriwal too hails from Haryana.

AAP claims that winds of change that blew through Delhi are now sweeping the entire country and traditional political parties have been brought to their knees. "The ordinary people of Haryana, who were aggrieved by dynasty politics, nepotism, corruption and criminal antecedents of their political leaders, now see a ray of hope," AAP leader Rajiv Godara added.

The AAP has announced that its strategist Yogendra Yadav will contest the Lok Sabha election from Gurgaon in Haryana adjoining Delhi. He will be contesting against Rao Inderjit Singh, who will be contesting on a BJP ticket.

Yadav, who has been actively touring Haryana for over two months, is determined to expand the AAP base in the state.

The AAP leaders have attacked the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government for corruption and land scams. Hooda, who has been chief minister since March 2005, will also face the assembly polls in October.

AAP will most likely take up issues of land acquisition and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's dealings in the state.

We cannot expect the Congress and BJP or for that the SP, BSP and Akali Dal to roll out the red carpet for the AAP who they know will replace them sooner or later. They will act like the spoilt child from whom you are taking away their favourite toy.

AAP will have to bear with this violence which is evident all over India from Punjab to Kerala and Maharashtra to the North East.

We have to show to the people the true colour of these corrupt parties.

How to get a job at Google

How to get a job at Google

Mountain View, Calif.: Last June, in an interview with Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google - i.e., the guy in charge of hiring for one of the world's most successful companies - noted that Google had determined that "GPAs are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless. ... We found that they don't predict anything." He also noted that the "proportion of people without any college education at Google has increased over time" - now as high as 14 percent on some teams. At a time when many people are asking, "How's my kid gonna get a job?" I thought it would be useful to visit Google and hear how Bock would answer.

Don't get him wrong, Bock begins, "Good grades certainly don't hurt." Many jobs at Google require math, computing and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can apply, it would be an advantage. But Google has its eyes on much more.

"There are five hiring attributes we have across the company," explained Bock. "If it's a technical role, we assess your coding ability, and half the roles in the company are technical roles. For every job, though, the No. 1 thing we look for is general cognitive ability, and it's not IQ. It's learning ability. It's the ability to process on the fly. It's the ability to pull together disparate bits of information. We assess that using structured behavioral interviews that we validate to make sure they're predictive."

The second, he added, "is leadership - in particular emergent leadership as opposed to traditional leadership. Traditional leadership is, were you president of the chess club? Were you vice president of sales? How quickly did you get there? We don't care. What we care about is, when faced with a problem and you're a member of a team, do you, at the appropriate time, step in and lead. And just as critically, do you step back and stop leading, do you let someone else? Because what's critical to be an effective leader in this environment is you have to be willing to relinquish power."

What else? Humility and ownership.

"It's feeling the sense of responsibility, the sense of ownership, to step in," he said, to try to solve any problem - and the humility to step back and embrace the better ideas of others. "Your end goal," explained Bock, "is what can we do together to problem-solve. I've contributed my piece, and then I step back."

And it is not just humility in creating space for others to contribute, says Bock, it's "intellectual humility. Without humility, you are unable to learn." It is why research shows that many graduates from hotshot business schools plateau. "Successful bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don't learn how to learn from that failure," Bock said.

"They, instead, commit the fundamental attribution error, which is if something good happens, it's because I'm a genius. If something bad happens, it's because someone's an idiot or I didn't get the resources or the market moved. ... What we've seen is that the people who are the most successful here, who we want to hire, will have a fierce position. They'll argue like hell. They'll be zealots about their point of view. But then you say, 'here's a new fact,' and they'll go, 'Oh, well, that changes things; you're right.'" You need a big ego and small ego in the same person at the same time.

The least important attribute they look for is "expertise." Said Bock: "If you take somebody who has high cognitive ability, is innately curious, willing to learn and has emergent leadership skills, and you hire them as an HR person or finance person, and they have no content knowledge, and you compare them with someone who's been doing just one thing and is a world expert, the expert will go: 'I've seen this 100 times before; here's what you do.'" Most of the time the nonexpert will come up with the same answer, added Bock, "because most of the time it's not that hard." Sure, once in a while they will mess it up, he said, but once in a while they'll also come up with an answer that is totally new. And there is huge value in that.

To sum up Bock's approach to hiring: Talent can come in so many different forms and be built in so many nontraditional ways today, hiring officers have to be alive to every one - besides brand-name colleges. Because "when you look at people who don't go to school and make their way in the world, those are exceptional human beings. And we should do everything we can to find those people." Too many colleges, he added, "don't deliver on what they promise. You generate a ton of debt, you don't learn the most useful things for your life. It's [just] an extended adolescence."

Google attracts so much talent it can afford to look beyond traditional metrics, like GPA. For most young people, though, going to college and doing well is still the best way to master the tools needed for many careers. But Bock is saying something important to them, too: Beware. Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about - and pays off on - what you can do with what you know (and it doesn't care how you learned it). And in an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavor, it also cares about a lot of soft skills - leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn. This will be true no matter where you go to work.

The above is from the New York Times

Ex-BJP leader and Himachal Pradesh MP joins AAP

Ex-BJP leader and Himachal Pradesh MP joins AAP

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Rajan Sushant, a parliamentarian from Himachal Pradesh who was suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for anti-party activities, Saturday joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

"Rajan Sushant who fought against corruption within the BJP has joined the AAP," party leader Manish Sisodia announced here, as Sushant stood by his side.

Asked whether it was because of the expansion of the AAP and its popularity, he joined the party, Sushant said: "The AAP is the only hope which can rid India of corruption."

He was suspended from the BJP's parliamentary board March 2012 on the complaint of the state unit.

The MP from Kangra had openly criticised state party leaders, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

He was also axed from the party's state executive council in May 2011 for demanding a narco-analysis test of Dhumal and his then cabinet ministers over corruption.

Sushant was a minister in the state BJP government in 1998.

I hope AAP knows what they are doing.

I am very scared of taking any legislator from any of the existing political parties whether it be the Congress, BJP, SP or any of the other parties.

I know we do not have any known faces and we have to start from scratch but it is better doing that than depending on these people who use parties as they use toilet paper rolls.

We have seen the Binny episode and we have seen also the heartache even famous people like Mallika Sarabhai and Capt Gopinath cause when once they enter a AAP without an invitation, start criticising it.

Congress-BJP nexus denying power bill relief to Delhi: AAP

Congress-BJP nexus denying power bill relief to Delhi: AAP

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party Saturday alleged the Congress and the BJP were hand-in-glove in denying Delhi residents the 50-percent subsidy in power tariff that was extended when the Arvind Kejriwal government was in office in the capital.

"AAP is shocked over the central government's decision to ignore the proposal of the Kejriwal government to continue the relief for the next six months till September," said an AAP statement.

The party said that as per the interim budget passed by parliament Friday, the relief of 50 percent in electricity bills for those consuming up to 400 units each month, provided by its government from January, will be discontinued from April 1.

"When preparations for the interim budget started, the AAP government had clearly made a provision for this relief to continue and the power department was ready with a proposal," the party said.

"The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to reverse this pro-people's measure is a betrayal of the people of Delhi," it said.

"The BJP is an equal partner in this anti-people decision," the AAP statement added.

The party said that despite the BJP promising a 30-percent cut in electricity bills in its manifesto for the Delhi elections, it did not protest the central government's decision when the interim budget was tabled in parliament.

According to AAP, more than 90 percent of the legislators in the Delhi assembly, except for the eight from Congress, had agreed that electricity bills should be reduced by at least 30 percent.

"Then how could the central government ignore such an overwhelming majority," it asked.

"People of Delhi are watching this match-fixing between the Congress and the BJP to increase the woes of the common man. The BJP's mysterious silence on president's rule is a clear signal it wants to deny the people their right of having a democratically elected government."

Happy Sunday

Happy Sunday

A man received message from his neighbour ... :

"Sorry sir, I am using your wife...I am using day and night ...I am using when you are not present at home....In fact I am using more than You are using.....

I confess this because now I feel very much guilt...

Hope You will accept my sincere apologies "

... And the man shot his wife.......

Few minutes later he received another message

Sorry sir, spelling mistake ... wifi not wife.

Ear infection

This is so true!

They always ask at the doctor's office why you are there, -- and you have to answer in front of others, about what is your problem and sometimes it is down-right embarrassing.

There is nothing worse than a Doctor's Receptionist who insists you tell her what is wrong with you,.. in a room full of other patients.

I know most of us have experienced this, and I love the way this old guy handled it.

A 65-year-old man walked into a crowded waiting room and approached the desk.

The Receptionist said, 'Yes sir, what are you seeing the Doctor for today?'

'There's something wrong with my dick', he replied.

The receptionist became irritated and said, 'You shouldn't come into a crowded waiting room and say things like that. '

'Why not, you asked me what was wrong and I told you,' he said.

The Receptionist replied; 'Now you've caused some embarrassment in this room full of people. You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something and discussed the problem further with the Doctor in private.'

The man replied, 'You shouldn't ask people questions in a roomful of strangers, if the answer could embarrass anyone.

The man walked out, waited several minutes, and then re-entered.

The Receptionist smiled smugly and asked, 'Yes??'

'There's something wrong with my ear,' he stated.

The Receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had taken her advice.. 'And what is wrong with your ear, Sir?'

'I can't piss out of it,' he replied.

The waiting room erupted in laughter.

Mess with seniors, and you're going to lose.

Repeat! Do NOT mess with old people!

Sent by Prakash Bhartia

Medicines Made in India Set Off Safety Worries - Are they Safe?

Medicines Made in India Set Off Safety Worries - Are they Safe?

NEW DELHI — India, the second-largest exporter of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to the United States, is coming under increased scrutiny by American regulators for safety lapses, falsified drug test results and selling fake medicines.

Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, arrived in India this week to express her growing unease with the safety of Indian medicines because of “recent lapses in quality at a handful of pharmaceutical firms.”

India’s pharmaceutical industry supplies 40 percent of over-the-counter and generic prescription drugs consumed in the United States, so the increased scrutiny could have profound implications for American consumers.

F.D.A. investigators are blitzing Indian drug plants, financing the inspections with some of the roughly $300 million in annual fees from generic drug makers collected as part of a 2012 law requiring increased scrutiny of overseas plants. The agency inspected 160 Indian drug plants last year, three times as many as in 2009. The increased scrutiny has led to a flood of new penalties, including half of the warning letters the agency issued last year to drug makers.

Dr. Hamburg was met by Indian officials and executives who, shocked by recent F.D.A. export bans of generic versions of popular medicines — like the acne drug Accutane, the pain drug Neurontin and the antibiotic Cipro — that the F.D.A. determined were adulterated, suspect that she is just protecting a domestic industry from cheaper imports.

“There are some people who take a very sinister view of the F.D.A. inspections,” Keshav Desiraju, India’s health secretary until this week, said in a recent interview.

The F.D.A.'s increased enforcement has already cost Indian companies dearly — Ranbaxy, one of India’s biggest drug manufacturers, pleaded guilty to felony charges and paid a $500 million fine last year, the largest ever levied against a generic company. And many worry that worse is in store.

“If I have to follow U.S. standards in inspecting facilities supplying to the Indian market,” G. N. Singh, India’s top drug regulator, said in a recent interview with an Indian newspaper, “we will have to shut almost all of those.”

The unease culminated Tuesday when a top executive at Ranbaxy — which has repeatedly been caught lying to the F.D.A. and found to have conditions such as flies “too numerous to count” in critical plant areas — pleaded with Dr. Hamburg at a private meeting with other drug executives to allow his products into the United States so that the company could more easily pay for fixes. She politely declined.

India’s drug industry is one of the country’s most important economic engines, exporting $15 billion in products annually, and some of its factories are world-class, virtually undistinguishable from their counterparts in the West. But others suffer from serious quality control problems. The World Health Organization estimated that one in five drugs made in India are fakes. A 2010 survey of New Delhi pharmacies found that 12 percent of sampled drugs were spurious.

In one recent example, counterfeit medicines at a pediatric hospital in Kashmir are now suspected of playing a role in hundreds of infant deaths there in recent years.

One widely used antibiotic was found to contain no active ingredient after being randomly tested in a government lab. The test was kept secret for nearly a year while 100,000 useless pills continued to be dispensed.

More tests of hospital medicines found dozens more that were substandard, including a crucial intravenous antibiotic used in sick infants.

“Some of the fake tablets were used by pregnant women in the post-surgical prevention of infections,” said Dr. M. Ishaq Geer, senior assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Kashmir. “That’s very serious.”

Investigations of the deaths are continuing, but convictions of drug counterfeiters in India are extremely rare.

Satish Reddy, president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, said Indian drug manufacturers were better than the F.D.A. now contends. “More rigorous enforcement is needed, for sure, but this impression that India is overrun with counterfeits is unjustified,” Mr. Reddy said.

But Heather Bresch, chief executive of Mylan, which has plants in the United States and India, said regulatory scrutiny outside the United States was long overdue. “If there were no cops around, would everyone drive the speed limit?” Ms. Bresch asked. “You get careless, start taking risks. Our government has enabled this.”

For Dr. Hamburg, the trip is part of a long-running effort to create a global network of drug and food regulators to help scrutinize the growing flood of products coming into the United States, including 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States, 50 percent of the fresh fruit, 20 percent of the vegetables and the vast majority of drugs.

She has gone to conclaves of regulators from Europe and elsewhere to coordinate policing, but Indian officials have so far not attended such meetings.

Many of India’s drug manufacturing facilities are of top quality. Cipla, one of the industry’s giants, has 40 plants across the country that together can produce more than 21 billion tablets and capsules annually, and one of its plants in Goa appeared just as sterile, automated and high tech on a recent tour as those in the United States.

Cipla follows F.D.A. guidelines at every plant and on every manufacturing line, and the company exports more than 55 percent of its production, said Yusuf Hamied, the company chairman.

But Benjamin Mwesige, a pharmacist at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala, said in an interview in July that the institute had stopped buying cancer drugs from India in 2011 because it had received shipments of drugs that turned out to be counterfeit and inactive, with Cipla labels that Mr. Mwesige believed were forged.

He became suspicious when doctors began seeing chemotherapy patients whose cancer showed none of the expected responses to the drugs — and who also had none of the usual side effects. The drugs that had been prescribed were among the mainstays of cancer treatment — methotrexate, docetaxel and vincristine. Laboratory tests confirmed that the drugs were bogus, and Mr. Mwesige estimated that in 2011 20 percent of the drugs that the institute bought were counterfeit.

Enforcement of regulations over all is very weak, analysts say, and India’s government does a poor job policing many of its industries. Last month, the United States Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India’s aviation safety ranking because the country’s air safety regulator was understaffed, and a global safety group found that many of India’s best-selling small cars were unsafe.

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, the country’s drug regulator, has a staff of 323, about 2 percent the size of the F.D.A.'s, and its authority is limited to new drugs. The making of medicines that have been on the market at least four years is overseen by state health departments, many of which are corrupt or lack the expertise to oversee a sophisticated industry. Despite the flood of counterfeit drugs, Mr. Singh, India’s top drug regulator, warned in meetings with the F.D.A. of the risk of overregulation.

This absence of oversight, however, is a central reason India’s pharmaceutical industry has been so profitable. Drug manufacturers estimate that routine F.D.A. inspections add 25 percent to overall costs. In the wake of the 2012 law that requires the F.D.A. for the first time to equalize oversight of domestic and foreign plants, India’s cost advantage could shrink significantly.

Some top manufacturers are already warning that they may leave, tough medicine for an already slowing economy.

“I’m a great nationalist, an Indian first and last,” Dr. Hamied said. “But companies like Cipla are looking to expand their businesses abroad and not in India.”

American businesses and F.D.A. officials are just as concerned about the quality of drugs coming out of China, but the F.D.A.'s efforts to increase inspections there have so far been frustrated by the Chinese government.

“China is the source of some of the largest counterfeit manufacturing operations that we find globally,” said John P. Clark, Pfizer’s chief security officer, who added that Chinese authorities were cooperative.

Using its new revenues, the F.D.A. tried to bolster its staff in China in February 2012. But the Chinese government has so far failed to provide the necessary visas despite an announced agreement in December 2013 during a visit by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., said Erica Jefferson, an F.D.A. spokeswoman.

The United States has become so dependent on Chinese imports, however, that the F.D.A. may not be able to do much about the Chinese refusal. The crucial ingredients for nearly all antibiotics, steroids and many other lifesaving drugs are now made exclusively in China.

Denise Grady contributed reporting from Kampala, Uganda, and Hari Kumar from Srinagar, Kashmir.

Sent by Jimmy Keir

REMOVING GALLSTONES NATURALLY

REMOVING GALLSTONES NATURALLY...

By: Dr. Lai Chiu Nan

It has worked for many. If it works for you please pass on the good news. Dr. Lai is not charging for it, so we should make it free for everyone. Your reward is when someone, through your word of mouth, benefits from the regime. Gallstones may not be everyone's concern. But they should be because we all have them. Moreover, gallstones may lead to cancer. "Cancer is never the first illness," Dr. Lai points out. "Usually, there are a lot of other problems leading to cancer.

In my research in China , I came across some materials which say that people with cancer usually have stones. We all have gallstones. It's a matter of big or small, many or few.

One of the symptoms of gallstones is a feeling of bloatedness after a heavy meal. You feel like you can't digest the food. If it gets more serious, you feel pain in the liver area." So if you think you have gallstones, Dr. Lai offers the following method to remove them naturally. The treatment is also good for those with a weak liver, because the liver and gallbladder are closely linked.

Regimen:

1. For the first five days, take four glasses of apple juice every day. Or eat four or five apples, whichever you prefer. Apple juice softens the gallstones. During the five days, eat normally.

2. On the sixth day, take no dinner.

3. At 6 PM, take a teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) with a glass of warm water.

4. At 8 PM, repeat the same. Magnesium sulphate opens the gallbladder ducts.

5. At 10 PM, take half cup olive oil (or sesame oil) with half cup fresh lemon juice. Mix it well and drink it. The oil lubricates the stones to ease their passage.

The next morning, you will find green stones in your stools. "Usually they float," Chiu Nan notes. "You might want to count them. I have had people who passes 40, 50 or up to 100 stones. Very many."

"Even if you don't have any symptoms of gallstones, you still might have some. It's always good to give your gall bladder a clean-up now and then.

Now you know!!!!

The above was sent by Arun Shroff

The blurring line between News and Paid News

The blurring line between News and Paid News

It is time for elections and time for money of all hues to flow like water. A favourable climate needs to be created and opinion needs to be bought or managed. It is perhaps the only time that newspaper space becomes a scarce commodity and like all scare commodities, it is time to charge a premium.

There is only so much time, and only so much of an attention span for the voter. The daily paper that he picks up from the door in the morning, becomes so much precious in those fifteen to twenty days of hectic campaigning.

It was in the 2004 elections that I heard about paid news. It was shocking and outrageous at first. It was repeated in 2009. The shock has worn off, and it would be a surprise if it is not repeated in 2014.

When I first heard of it in 2004 from a friend who was an election manager, I thought that it was the highly energetic political entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh who had thought of this simple strategy to gain the mindshare of the voters.

But later on, a Press Council of India sub-committee report had said that leading Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati and Marathi newspapers were involved in the episode.

The Press Council of India (PCI) has decided not to forward the detailed report on “paid news”, prepared by its sub-committee, following divisions within the Council, with some members objecting to the fact that specific media houses had been identified as offenders in that document. The report of the sub-committee not only named the newspapers but also interviewed politicians who said they were given rate cards for the elections and who were informed, that if they were not to pay up, their election rallies would not be covered in the newspaper.

PCI in its report on paid news has recommended amendment to the Representations of the People Act 1951 to make incidence of paid news a punishable electoral malpractice and also demanded that it should be fully empowered to adjudicate the complaints of paid news and give final judgement in the matter.

The modus operandi is like this. The candidate would hire an agency or a group of writers during election time and articles praising him would be prepared. Most of it would range from how he is accessible to the poor, the farmers and the downtrodden. Great effort would be put in to whitewash his image and give him a pro-farmer, pro-poor and pro-women tilt.

The press council sub-committee found three newspapers carrying the same paid news report on the same day in Maharashtra. Many candidates were not so dumb. Most of the paid reports would be written exactly like a news report around some public meeting addressed by the candidate. A serious reader would easily spot the paid news, but a not-so-savvy reader may not spot it.

Guesstimates of money spent on Paid News for a parliament seat by each candidate range from Rs 75 lakh to Rs one crore. Some the newspapers had apparently protested and had wanted to show the article in a box or with a different font to communicate in a subtle way to their readers that it was not an original article. But candidates had seemingly forced the media houses against any such move as it would alert the election commission.

The issue was serious in Andhra Pradesh, as the state had a plethora of newspapers and some of them were struggling to pay salaries to their staff. The Paid News was normally was carried in the district and the assembly supplements of the newspapers, while the main paper was mercifully left out.

The problem is that during election time, it is difficult to curb spending what with the amounts of money that candidates are willing to spend. Newspapers which are facing competition from television and radio and which find itself in dire straits find in this an opportunity to shore up their finances.

This time too curbing of 'paid news' would be a herculean task though local cable channels might take a larger part of the spend. It all boils down to the extremely low level of spending allowed during election time. Maybe if the limits were raised, candidates might go in for a simple and straight forward advertisement rather than sneak in through Paid News.

Whatever be the rationale or the argument, this time around watch out for Unpaid News. It might be very difficult to spot it.

By Venkatesh Kannaiah

Marriages within clan cause dishonour killings, Supreme Court should not get into this mess: Khap leader

Marriages within clan cause dishonour killings, Supreme Court should not get into this mess: Khap leader

Muzaffarnagar. The Supreme Court has time and again told the Centre and state governments to act promptly in cases of dishonour killings and to provide protection to couples who face such threats from khap panchayats or village councils often accused of dispensing medieval-style justice leading to murders and social ostracisation of couples.

But a khap leader from western Uttar Pradesh, Naresh Tikait, today warned the top court not to interfere in these matters and said that it should not encourage marriages within the same clan.

Unveiling the statue of his father and veteran leader, Mahendra Singh Tikait, in Mundbhar village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, Mr Tikait said, "We have always been opposed to marriages within the same clan and will continue to do so. The Supreme Court has given orders that anyone can marry anybody anywhere. We question that."

"We do not challenge the honourable Supreme Court but they should be careful and not get into this mess," he said.

The khap leader even issued a veiled threat to couples who marry without the approval of the community or their parents. "If someone goes astray and marries on their own, this is not right. Their parents will decide who they marry. If not, then the families of both the boy and the girl will be troubled and then the couple will be killed or they will be beaten up."

Khap panchayats, which are all-male unelected village bodies, are notorious for issuing extra-judicial diktats and even ordering killings in parts of rural India, especially in northern states, but they enjoy such political influence that local politicians rarely speak out against them, no matter what their parties say.

Recently, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda described the khap panchayats as "NGOs" and a part of Indian culture. Mr Hooda's statement came days after former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was criticised for saying that he saw no reason to ban these bodies, as they serve a "cultural purpose". AAP later clarified that it doesn't support decisions that violate law, but defended the existence of khaps.

Justifying AAP Govt resignation

Justifying AAP Govt resignation

Delhi can opt to elect the MPs and MLAs together in May 2014 or be subjected to another election very soon. The current arrangement was short term.

One person's anarchy is another's change. The raging debate on the practices and policies of AAP will be judged by the next election which could be seen as a referendum on AAPs style of governance.

The governance was a casualty because AAP was dependent on Congress for its policies and needed to seek its support for each policy measure.

This paves the way for a clear mandate in favour of one party. Now that people of Delhi have known a bit of all the three parties, they will decide.

The friction between centre and state has reached an alarming level, with hitherto unknown rule books and practices being thrown back at AAP. This may come down based on people's mandate.

The pace at which AAP and AK have embarked on their idea of change has ruffled and rattled many. A lot of us demand change as long as we have status quo in our good lives. People will have a chance to cast their opinion on the pace of change.

The direction and priorities for the future of this country are being discussed. Corruption vs. bureaucracy, Development vs. subsidies, crony capitalism vs. growth etc. The political discourse in the coming elections may give us a direction.

By giving up power based on conviction, AAP will force political parties to change at a national level too. This will at least help more committed governance, whoever is in power.

We will see newer and fresh faces in parliament in 2014. All political parties will look at new faces and hack the old war horses. A great beginning for a new India.

I am hoping that AAP would now focus on Delhi. At a national level, they would be forced to contest only against those who should be in jails and not in the Parliament-- corrupt, communal, inefficient. This would help them focus better. Target 30/50 is back in vogue. This would mean a more stable government at the centre.

Note: Any government which loses a vote in the house has always resigned - no confidence or otherwise.

The above was presented by Ujjwal K Chowdhury and sent by Ramniwas Jhalani

10 things you should know about the Reliance KG-D6 gas deal

10 things you should know about the Reliance KG-D6 gas deal

Reacting to Arvind Kejriwal’s presser where he said that an FIR will be filed against Mukesh Ambani, current oil minister Veerappa Moily and former oil minister Murli Deora over the gas pricing formula, Moily said that we should sympathize with his ignorance since Kejriwal doesn’t know how the government functions. He reiterated that the norms were being followed and there is a system for fixing prices.

1) What is KG D6 basin?

Krishna Godavari (KG) Basin is spread across 50,000 sq km in the Krishna River and Godavari river basins near the coast of Andhra Pradesh. The site Dhirubhai-6 (D6) is where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest gas reserves in India. In government records, the 7,645 sq km block is known as KG-DWN-98/1. The KG basin is considered to be the largest natural gas basin in India.

2) How did Reliance Industries get into KG basin?

Government of India opened up hydrocarbon exploration and production (E&P) in the country to private and foreign players in 1991. Small and medium sized blocks were opened up in this round which was followed up by giving out bigger blocks in 1999 as per the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP). Through NELP, Reliance bagged the rights to explore the D6 block.

3) Did government have a role after the block was handed over?

Since all mining resources belong to the people of India, government monitors the exploration and production of these. In the case of oil and gas sector, government enters into contractual relationship with the private player through a Production Sharing Contract (PSC). The PSC lays out roles and responsibilities of all parties, specifies the detailed procedures to be followed at different stages of exploration, development and production. It also specifies the cost recovery and profit sharing in the contract. Directorate General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) monitors the PSC. A PSC was signed between the government of India (GOI) and undivided Reliance Industries and its minority partner Niko Resources (10 per cent stake) for exploration and production of oil and gas.

4) What happened to KG D6 when the Reliance group split?

Even before production could start from the KG D6 wells, Reliance group was split vertically between the two brothers, with the gas business of Reliance Industries remaining with Mukesh Ambani, the elder brother. The brothers fought over this huge reserve of gas even though it was not theirs in the first place. The very first line of a production sharing contract clearly says that “By virtue of article 297 of the Constitution of India, Petroleum is a natural state in the territorial waters and the continental shelf of India is vested with the Union of India”.

The brothers while splitting their father’s empire split the gas reserves too. A family pact between the two brothers, which was never made public till the issue blew out of proportion, was at the core of the dispute. Anil Ambani owned RNRL (Reliance Natural Resources Ltd) citing the agreement by the brothers in 2005, claimed it had rights to gas from Reliance KG basin for 17 years at $2.34 per mmBtu (million British thermal unit).The Supreme Court finally settled the matter by saying that ‘the government owns the gas till it reaches its ultimate consumer and parties must restrict their negotiation within the conditions of the government policy’.

Here the role of the government needs to be highlighted. None of the ministries involved in the process, including the oil ministry which Moily now represents, raised the point that the gas reserves belonged to the country and was not a property of the Ambani family. Even the Prime Minister, ManMohan Singh meekly requested the brothers to settle their differences in the interests of the country.

But how did the Ambani brothers arrive at this magic figure of $2.34 per mmBtu when there was no benchmark. In fact ONGC was supplying gas to the government at half the rate.

5) How did Anil Ambani arrive at the price of $2.34 per mmBtu for KG basin gas?

In June 2004, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) invited bids for supply of gas for its 2600 MW power plant in Kawas and Gandhar. Reliance Industries, hopeful of starting production of gas by the time NTPC’s power plant is ready bid for the project and was awarded it as the lowest ‘techno-commercial’ bidder. A Letter of Intent (LOI) was issued to Reliance Industries to supply 132 trillion units of gas per annum to NTPC for 17 years at a price of $2.34 per mmBtu. Anil Ambani used this as a basis for asking gas for his power plant.

6) Why is the NTPC-Reliance dispute all about?

Reliance Industries refused to sign the contract for supply of gas. Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of Power in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha in 2009 said that “After issuance of LOI, RIL did not come forward to sign the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement and sought major changes in the draft GSPA.In spite of all the efforts (by NTPC) RIL did not sign the GSPA agreed during the bidding process.”

NTPC dragged Reliance to Bombay High Court on December 20, 2005 but unfortunately the case that has dragged on. The case after nine years is still sub judice. Here again the government's disinterest in protecting the interests of its own PSU has been a matter of much debate.

While NTPC was fighting the case with Reliance in the Bombay High Court, the government referred the matter to an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) in 2007 headed by none other than the current President Pranab Mukherjee, who was then the finance minister. EGoM approved a rate hike of $4.2 per mmBtu of gas. This decision was taken without a single unit of gas coming out of the KG basin.

Reliance grabbed at this opportunity and said that it could not supply gas at a price lower than the mandated price set by the government.

7) How did Pranab Mukherjee arrive at the price of $4.2 mmBtu for gas?

The price was arrived by Reliance through its ‘price discovery mechanism’. As per a Reliance crafter formula, user companies were asked to quote a price which gave them a choice of arriving at a value between $4.54 and $4.75 per mmBtu. Reliance initially forwarded a figure of $4.59 which was later brought down to $4.3, but Pranab Mukherjee claimed victory by announcing a figure of $4.2 per mmBtu.

The brazenness of the entire exercise by the government can be seen from the fact that the objections raised by the Principal Advisor, Power and Energy to the government of India, Surya P Sethi along with the then cabinet secretary were ignored by the government. Surya questions the recommendation saying that nowhere is the cost of production more than $1.43.

8) Is it exploration or exploitation?

A CAG report released in 2011 (initiated in 2007 but delayed due to non-co-operation) on Performance Audit of Hydrocarbon PSCs castigated the oil ministry along with Reliance to retain its entire KG-D6 block in contravention of the PSC. As per the PSC, Reliance should have relinquished 25 per cent of the total area outside the discoveries in 2004 and 2005, but the entire area was declared as a discovery area (after initial objections) and the company was allowed to retain it. Without drilling adequate wells, Reliance kept on claiming that there was potential for petroleum. In CAG’s words this was done to confuse potential/prospectivity with actual discovery of hydrocarbons. The move allowed Reliance to keep the entire area to itself without following the norms laid under the PSC.

In a recent report CAG has said that Reliance moved directly from discovery to commercial production, skipping the intermediate appraisal programme step required as under PSC. CAG asks, without an appraisal programme how did the government and DGH ascertain the amount of gas in the well? And if they did not know how much gas was there in the well, what is the logic and basis of blaming Reliance of hoarding gas. Further, as pointed out by CAG, how did DGH assure itself of reliability of the development plan, production rate and production costs without the appraisal report?

9) Why more investments are bad?

CAG pointed out that as per the PSC, more investments, especially in initial stages would mean more profit for the operator and less for the government. This structure gives inadequate incentive for operators to reduce capital expenditure and provides them with substantial incentives to ‘front-end’ capital expenditure. Share of government profit varies from 85 per cent in a low investment scenario to 5 per cent in a high investment scenario. This explains the case of exaggerated investment made against Reliance Industries.

Incidentally, as pointed out by V Ranganathan of IIM Bangalore in his article in Economic Times, the case of exaggerated investment was first pointed out by Anil Ambani, where he pointed out that investment as per Reliance’s plan is increasing four times but production is expected to only double. Reliance revised its production estimates from 40 mmscmd (million metric standard cubic metres per day) to 80 mmscmd while increasing its investment from $2.4 billion to $8.8 billion.

10) How was the new pricing formula arrived at?

Former RBI governor C Rangarajan came out with a formula which has been followed nowhere in the world, which has resulted in Reliance (and other players too) getting a price on import parity basis. Surya Sethi, former Principal Adviser, Power and Energy, Government of India does not mince words when he asks the Prime Minister in an open letter [Read here] not to burden the nation with Rangarajan Committee’s madness that only benefit a select few.

Conclusion

Sethi’s open letter to the Prime Minister sums up the entire issue when he points out that the CAG’s findings reveal how crony capitalism benefited RIL. The pre-qualification norms were diluted to ensure RIL qualified, the claimed size of gas discoveries, the field development plans and the investment outlays proposed escaped rigorous due diligence says Sethi. Above all, the company’s commitments under the PSC on gas output were not enforced.

The entire episode stinks of anything but natural gas. While Moily may claim that system was followed, there is enough evidence out there that says otherwise.

Toll both vandalism: Raj Thackeray's property to be attached to recover loss?

Toll both vandalism: Raj Thackeray's property to be attached to recover loss?

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Monday said that it is mulling the option of attaching MNS chief Raj Thackeray's property to recover the cost of damage caused by party activists when they vandalize toll booths across the state.

Home Minister RR Patil said the government may recover the cost by attaching properties owned by Raj.

The MNS has been at loggerheads with the state government over the collection of toll tax across highways in the state.

MNS workers had gone on the rampage, vandalising toll plazas in different parts of the state following party chief's diktat not to pay the levy and "thrash" those who raise a voice against it.

Raj Thackeray topped up with a direct threat. He warned of "wreaking havoc" at houses of toll contractors who use force to collect the levy.

"I appeal to people of Maharashtra not to pay toll till the state government implements changes in the toll policy," Raj told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on the issue.

"I met Chavan today as per his phone call to me yesterday. He has assured me that the new toll policy will be brought in before the code of conduct for the ensuing elections is implemented," Raj said.

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi alleged that MNS's agitation against the road toll was stage-managed by both Raj Thackeray and the state government.

"Shiv Sena first raised the toll issue in Kolhapur. To nullify Sena's agitation, Congress used Raj Thackeray. Congress does not want to win election on the strength of the work it has done. It wants to win by making false assurances to the minorities and fooling them," the SP leader said in a press release.

If the Maharashtra Government can do the above, it would be a great day for India.

For too long has this imbecile been running amok, threatening anyone and everyone coming in his way.

He is a fit case for the lunatic asylum.

It is only the Congress policy of dividing the Marathi votes that is allowing him to stay outside the jail.

He should have been put behind bars, the first time he threatened people from Bihar and UP.

AAP spokesperson Prithvi Reddy on why Arvind Kejriwal quit

AAP spokesperson Prithvi Reddy on why Arvind Kejriwal quit

Aam Aadmi Party was formed and we decided to first contest elections in Delhi. Citizens of Delhi not just supported us by voting without the usual electoral considerations of religion, caste, money and muscle power but helped us redefine "winnability" in politics.

Is it true that BJP and Congress wanted to support the Bill, but only wanted to us to do it in a "constitutional way"?

Before forming the government, we were offered "unconditional support" by the Congress and "issue-based support" by the BJP.

We had listed out an 18-point agenda which contained promises we had made to the citizens of Delhi and asked them to specifically confirm their support of the same. The Congress said that for most of the issues their support was not required as it was the prerogative of the government and they would support the issues wherein their support was necessary. The BJP, instead of clarifying their position, said it was unheard of for a party to put up conditions for the support that they were offering. Now both the parties have gone back on their assurances.

As a part of the Jan Lokpal Bill, we had written that the law passed at the Centre would be applicable to all the states in the form of a Jan Lokayukta Bill. This was strongly opposed by all parties in Parliament, saying it was against the Federal structure and every state should have the option of passing their own bill. Now, when AAP government in Delhi tried to introduce Jan Lokpal bill, Congress and BJP joined hands and have been saying that the bill cannot be introduced without consent of the Governor acting on behalf of the President of India.

Interestingly, Sheila Dikshit's government passed a resolution in 2002 (details below) preventing meddling by the then BJP led Central government in the matters of Delhi state government. Now, the same Congress Central government is meddling in the affairs of Delhi.

Citizens of our country have seen a new phenomenon in the recent past wherein parties who have all along opposed each other and their respective policies, have come together to oppose the passing of the bill to bring political parties under the ambit of RTI and also to oppose the Supreme court's directive to keep "criminal out of politics". Yesterday, was another classic example of the nexus between such parties which seem to be making laws based on vested interests who hold their purse strings.

Why did we not go to courts and seek directives against the Governor's order ?

This suggestion is being given knowing fully well, the time required presently for courts to decide on such matters. Rather than going to courts for the next many years, we prefer going to the people and seeking a mandate which will allow us to form a majority government both at the state and the Centre.

Why did we resign without consulting our voters ?

Against all expert predictions, we won 28 seats. Since we did not have a majority and required outside support of, one of the two parties we had fought against, we consulted with our voters as to whether we should take up the challenge thrown at us. In the case of the resignation, however, as we were not able to deliver on our main promise of passing an equivalent of the "Jan Lokpal Bill " in Delhi, there was nothing for us to go back to people with.

Are we running away from Governance ?

Although we have been in power for only 49 days, the Aam Aadmi on the street has experienced reduced corruption and improved governance due to several initiatives of our government a list of the same is given below.

While there are very many things to be changed in our country, our primary fight is against corruption, since it is the root cause of all other problems. We now recognise that there is no way for us to achieve this, being a minority government, with outside support from the existing political parties.We therefore have chosen to go back to people and seek a mandate that will allow us to deliver on the promises we have made to them.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 49 DAYS OF AAP DELHI

1 End of VIP, Red-light Culture

2 Half Electricity Bills for those consuming upto 400 units

3 Free Water for those consuming upto 20 KL per month

4 Retail FDI stopped

5 58 new Night Shelters added in One month to existing 175 old Night Shelters

6 Ordered CAG Audit of Discoms

7 Transferred 800 and Suspended 3 Delhi Jalboard Employees

8 Started Corruption Helpline No. 1031

9 Started Nursery School Admission Helpline No. 011-27352525

10 Stopped Donation for Admission to Schools

11 Action on Corruption fast-tracked

12 Checked Ration Mafia

13 Rs One Crore given to wife of Delhi Police's Martyr

14 Checked Water Tanker Mafia

15 Delhi Janlokpal Bill and Nagar Swaraj Bill cleared by Cabinet

16 Government Schools given Rs One Lakh each for improving Infrastructure

17 Issued Permits to 5500 Auto-rickshaws for plying in NCR

18 Ordered formation of SIT to probe 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots

19 Formed Committee to devise Women Security Force

20 Formed Committee to look into Permanency of Contract Labour and Guest Teachers

21 Surprise Checks of Govt Hospitals, Schools, Night Shelters and Transport Buses

22 Reward to Sportsmen

23 Bus Pass facility to Students

24 Recruited several Govt Employees

25 Ordered checking of faulty / fast Electricity Meters

26 Registered FIR in Commonwealth Lights Scam

27 Registered 3 FIRs in Jalboard Scams

28 Registered FIR in Reliance Gas Price Scam

29 Simplification of VAT and tax rebate on small scale industries upto 1 crore turnover.



Text of the motion passed by Sheila Government in 2002 :

The House condemns this decision of the Home Ministry taken without consulting the popularly elected Delhi Government. This House is of the view that these orders are in total violation of all democratic traditions and harmonious relations between the Centre and the States. This House resolves that there can be only one definition of the government for legislative and any other purpose and this is the 'Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi'. Moreover, amendment of rules 23 & 55(1) cannot take away what the Constitution (69th Amendment) Act and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1992 have sought to give to the people of Delhi. This House therefore resolves that the above two unilateral orders aimed at curtailing the powers of a duly elected popular government should in the first instance be immediately withdrawn by the Central Government.

(The article is written by Prithvi Reddy, national spokesperson of the AAP. He is based in Bangalore.)

When Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand met Adolf Hitler

When Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand met Adolf Hitler The 1936 Berlin Olympics final was watched by a crowd of 40,000 that included top Nazi officials like Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Joachim Ribbentrop and the Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler.

When the match ended with India defeating Germany 8-1, there was complete silence over the vast stadium. Hitler was to have presented the gold medals to the Indian team, but Hitler had left earlier, in frustration and in anger.

The next day, Hitler asked to see Dhyan Chand. When he received this message, Dhyan Chand became very worried. He had heard stories of how Hitler used to get people shot as he was a dictator. Dhyan Chand could not eat properly and spent a sleepless night.

In the morning Dhyan Chand went to meet Hitler. The German dictator welcomed Dhyan Chand warmly in his private box and showed him his view of the stadium.

Hitler asked Dhyan Chand what he did in India. Dhyan Chand replied that he was a soldier in the Indian army. Hitler offered him a high post in the German army and requested him to come and live in Germany.

Dhyan Chand politely refused, saying that his family is settled in India, and it will be difficult for him to relocate to Germany. Hitler said he understood his position and ended the meeting.

Dhyan Chand is probably the first position to meet Hitler personally. There are many accounts of Dhyan Chand's famous meeting with Hitler, but this is what he had recounted to his family and close friends.

On a final note, there was a grand banquet after the closing ceremony at which Hitler was also present. The Indian hockey team kept its distance from Hitler, not daring to even look at him, leave alone talk to him.

India's Poorest Chief Minister: Sri Manik Sarkar

After the last post of Modi and Mukesh Ambani, it is refreshing to read the following post.

It is surprising to note there are still such people among our politicians.

This is what was the original purpose of Communism.

However, people like Jyoti Basu, by their actions have destroyed the name of Communists.

And there is no point of talking of the Congress, BJP, BSP, SP, NCP, DMK, AIDMK, ILD, RJD.

Have I left out any name?

I would like to apologise to that party that their name is not in the Whose Who of Corrupt political parties.

AAP is not to be mentioned in the above list.

They are a league apart.

India's Poorest Chief Minister: Sri Manik Sarkar

One of many honest persons is Sri Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister, Tripura.

He has been elected consecutively for four terms as Chief Minister.

First some facts about this great person.

1. He is the poorest but also the Purest Chief Minister in India.

2. He has been elected as chief minister consecutively for fourth term, one more than Narendra modi's three terms, but zero publicity in our media

3. He does not own a home;

4. His bank balance is Rs. 6500/-

5. He donates all his salary to CPI (M), and the party gives him a sustenance allowance of Rs 5000/- month.

6. His wife never uses his official vehicle and can very easily be seen on Rickshaw in Agartala.

7. Even his worst opponents admit that Manik Sarkar is an impeccably honest man, certainly a rare variety among politicians today.

Now, compare these with other chief ministers or politicians, who have assets worth crores of rupees!

Apart from honesty, Sri Manik Sarkar has been impetuous in the development of the state which includes better connectivity and development of IT sector in state. He was also responsible for bringing the concept of public-private partnership and invigorated private intervention, particularly in the IT sector.

I think he demands nothing from us but some respect and a little bit recognition. So, Please share this post with your friends.

AAP must carry forward the struggle against crony capitalism: FIR against Ambani is the right step

AAP must carry forward the struggle against crony capitalism: FIR against Ambani is the right step

By Mukul Sinha

Capitalist democracy would inevitably bring with it corrupt politicians and a corrupt political system. Most common folks do not seem to understand this fundamental flaw of capitalist democracy. The ardent votaries of capitalism would vehemently disagree with me. While defending the capitalist system of production and profiteering, they argue that it is due to our “flawed” electoral system that all types of rouge elements enter the Government by winning election with their money and muscle power and use the Government machinery to make money. India Against Corruption (IAC) thus set out to cleanse the system of the rogue elements like Kalmadi of Common Wealth Games scam fame, Raja of 2G scam fame etc. Jan Lokpal law they said would send all such rogue elements to jail, clean up the system and every one would live happily ever after.

The anti-corruption movement which was led by Anna(2011-2012) targeted the Congress misrule and winded up the movement when the Government agreed to enact a modified version of Jan Lokpal bill. Those elements in IAC who were not just anti-congress but went beyond the saffron agenda, have already made history of sorts under the banner of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The issue raised in this post is whether AAP in their debut in the national politics should continue with their limited agenda of enacting the “Jan Lokpal bill” or go forward from where they left off in Delhi?

AAP has in fact made a fundamental departure from the agenda of the anti-corruption movement of Anna. The FIR filed against Mukesh Ambani, Moili and others quite consciously expands the scope of the term “corruption” from the traditional connotation of appropriating Government money in terms of bribe, kick-backs etc to rampant profiteering by big business houses like Ambanis by over-charging their customers. The FIR was registered on 11th February, 2014,Tuesday at 7.40pm, section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the FIR.

The complaint of the FIR states that gas prices in the country will be doubled from April 1 this year due to alleged active collusion between RIL and some ministers of the central government. The complaint states:

In case this price hike is allowed to take place, it will make the life of common man miserable since it will have a cascading effect on transport, domestic gas and even electricity prices. The impact of this hike in gas price would cost the country a minimum of Rs 54,500 crore every year, and in addition to this the central government allowed the RIL to make a future windfall profit of Rs 1.2 lakh crore.

In an article reported in Business Standard, 23 Dec 2013, a former principal advisor of power and energy department of Government of India has observed that the Comptroller and Auditor General’s findings and other independent reports reveal how crony capitalism benefited RIL. RIL’s clout was on full display when the 2007 Empowered Group of Ministers approved the price of $4.20 per million metric British Thermal Units (MMBTU) based on an RIL-crafted formula ignoring the $2.34/MMBTU bid by RIL, in a global tender, for the same gas. A sham price discovery exercise was permitted to justify the higher price that the approved formula delivered.

The real contradiction that is responsible for the poverty and miseries of the Indian people is not just the corrupt political establishment but the crony capitalist class that preside over the economy of the country. In fact, crony capitalists cannot exist without the corrupt political establishment and vice-versa. Parties like BJP and Congress are the agents of this class of super-rich capitalists who profit by manipulation of import export duties, excise, pricing and appropriation of Government properties at throw away prices. Their hold is so strong over the Governments of the Centre as well as the State, that a handful of business houses can get away with any government policy that profits them. AAP is thus in the right track and once they campaign in Gujarat they will notice that the real Capital of crony businessmen is not Delhi but Gandhinagar. Modi is the darling of the crony capitalism of India.

The Rants of a Hypocrite – Modi’s Rally in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

The Rants of a Hypocrite – Modi’s Rally in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

Mukul Sinha February 16, 2014

The venue where Modi held his rally in Himachal Pradesh (HP) on 16th February, 2014, fell within the Lok Sabha constituency of MP Anurag Thakur, son of the former Chief Minster of BJP, Prem Kumar Dhumal. Not long back, in December, 2012, Congress(I) had swept out BJP from power in the 68 seat HP assembly. Congress won 36 whereas BJP won 26. 6 seats were taken by Independents. In the previous election held in 2007, BJP had won 41 seats whereas Congress had won 23 seats. The leader of BJP, Prem Kumar Dhumal, had become the Chief Minister of HP in 2007.

BJP has in fact a long history of ruling HP. BJP first came to power in 1990 by winning 46 seats whereas Congress had won just 9 seats. Janata Dal had won 11 seats. In the re-election held in 1993, BJP was routed and Congress won 52 seats with BJP getting only 8 seats. The 1998 elections threw up a hung assembly with both BJP and Congress winning 31 seats each while Himachal Vikas Manch (HVM) won 5 seats.

HVM was led by the notorious Sukhram, the former Telecom Minister, who was arrested in 1996 for disproportionate asset case. Sukhram was later convicted and jailed for 5 years in 2011. To grab power in HP, BJP took the support of Sukhram and his party Himachal Vikas Manch completely overlooking his tainted corrupt back ground. Narendra Modi was the incharge of BJP in Himachal Pradesh at that time and laid the entire strategy. As reported in Sunday Guardian:

Modi was keen to form the government and Dhumal managed to win over four Sukh Ram-led Himachal Vikas Congress MLAs apart from few independents and even a Congress dissident Gulab Singh Thakur. As soon as Dhumal managed the numbers, Modi shifted all these MLAs to a house in Panchkula.

Did anybody hear Modi talking about his own strategy which involved taking support of corrupt Sukhram? The same Modi kept ranting about the need to root out corruption from HP!

The story does not end here. The ruling Congress was ousted in December, 2007, and BJP won 41 seats as against Congress’s 23 seats. The last stint of five years from 2007 to 2012 was once again in the hands of BJP. The election in December, 2012, brought back Congress’s rule in HP. A quick arithmetic will show that since 1990 to 2014, i.e. in the period of 24 years, BJP has ruled HP for 13 years whereas Congress has ruled for 11 years. While ranting for over an hour in Hamirpur, did Modi utter a word against the most corrupt Government of Dhumal in HP for over 13 years or why BJP’s governance of 13 years, the last stint ending in 2012, failed the state?

The scams of the Dhumal Government during the period of 2007 to 2012 are innumerable. A few of them are as under:

As reported by Press Trust of India in FirstPost, BJP MP Anurag Thakur and his brother Arun Singh, both sons of former BJP Chief Minister PK Dhumal were booked by Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau for alleged cheating and conspiracy in a land case.

The ACB also slapped a case on Anurag Thakur, who also heads Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, under different sections of the IPC and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act for alleged cheating, conspiracy, encroachment on government land and demolition of residential houses of education department for construction of cricket stadium.

Another FIR against Anurag Thakur is under investigation pertaining to illegal felling of forest trees to build a five-star hotel —- The Pavilion —- as part of the cricket stadium project.

Would Mr Modi tell the people of India that while he was hurling allegations against Congress as he always does, the very constituency in which he was holding the rally was represented by Anurag Thakur against whom multiple criminal cases are pending? Does his hypocrisy have no limits at all? From Yeddyurappa to Sukhram are BJP’s allies, yet Modi talks of fighting corruption.