Bullets cannot buy peace in the Valley

By Nabeel A. Khan

On the 81st day of unrest in the Valley, the ire of the people continues to rise and intensify. Courtesy, the central and state government’s misconception, wrong crowd controlling measures and partially hypocritical approach. As many as 65 people have died in the ongoing unrest in the Valley since June 11 this year.

The first blunder from the government side was to overrate the mass turn-up in the recent assembly polls which they touted as a triumph. And the government remained intoxicated with unfair sense of victory disregarding the ardent desire and hope for change among the masses of the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir. No doubt that the common citizens in the state are fed up of living in a hostile environment for generations and they are desperate to bring normalcy by any means.

But the people’s hope and desire were shattered when more than a year after its reign, the youngest chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah could not bring much change. Abdullah's performance has been almost similar to his predecessors when it comes to creating opportunities for the unemployed youths, developing infrastructure and most importantly persuading New Delhi to reduce the presence of the Indian army in the state. While another shocker for the people was no amendment in the Armed Forces Special Power Act.

The cycle of violence in the Valley is primarily considered as a handiwork of the terror groups based in Pakistan. The hand of these militant outfits cannot be denied in any sense, but if we give all credits to these groups for the unending conflagration in the Valley – that would certainly be utterly unfair. These foreign elements only possibly played a role in the early outbreak of frenzy in the region.

The maniac mob throwing stone, with almost predetermined state to bear the bullet is not result of mere provocation. And, it was obvious from the continuous increase in the number of protesters on the street. Even the parents keep encouraging their children to take part in the bloody orgy.

The security forces’ insensitive firing and killing of few people who had no role in the unrest acted as the hottest currency for the warmongers of the state to buy protest-killing-protest cycle. Initially, the establishment’s strategy to open fire on unarmed (some time stone-pelting) protesters to create fear and avoid repetition of such occurrence failed brazenly. But the government is still not waking up and trying to suppress the flood of emotional outrage with bullets—which is no way going to be a success.

The current upsurge in the Valley is most dangerous than ever since independence. As of now, the reason behind the spark in the Valley is not only political, but also emotional. In recent arson by protesters at a government office, the support of the officials came openly when they took out their service book before letting them set the place on fire.

The routine death of protesters, which consists of youth, women, professionals, students and even government employees, is the biggest concern.

This time it’s not one section of separatists’ follower who has come on the roads. But this time those who have no links to any such groups have also taken to the streets seeking answer to the brutal human rights violation.

The government has totally failed in the using the right method in controlling the ire of the people on the street. The use bullet and highly dangerous smoke shells have been another fuel to the fire.

But the fire is taking very perilous shape and the people of the Jammu and Kashmir need to be warned against getting entrapped under Pakistan’s hidden ambitions. The rise in violence will further aggravate the situation in the region. The people of Jammu andKashmir need to take advantage of New Delhi’s offering for talks and even considering autonomy for the state.

The separatists call for a tripartite talk on the issues is subject to scrutiny, but if they really want to bring peace in the region they should welcome a dialogue with New Delhi. But the separatist have mistaken the people’s upsurge as their support to them.

While there has been a positive change today as hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani agreed for talks with New Delhi with five conditions, which includes revocation of Armed Forces Special Power Act, release of political prisoners, and India should agree to accept disputed status of Kashmir.

Today's offer for talks from hardline leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and New Delhi's recent overtures are clearly a welcome sign. If such gestures from all the stakeholders is taken up seriously and in a positive way, the days would be not far off when the Valley would see signs of normalcy and peace returning forever.

Let's fight for the humanity

Let’s raise our hands as strongly as possible to fight the barbaric menace of honour killing. It is an apparent anomaly that we the so called civilized people even cross the deadness of brutes. For the so called pseudo honour, people malign the affectionate relation of mother, brother and father. The atrocious murder of Delhi based journalist Nirupama Pathak by her family members poses a question on the very character of humanity. Let's register our strong dissent against such hypocrites for the welfare of humanity by signing the petition.

Click to sign the petition.

Fraud by BSNL employees in Aligarh unearthed

By Nabeel A. Khan

Aligarh, April 4 (IANS) Many of the taxis hired by the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) office in the past decade for official reasons have turned out to be scooters and tractors, pointing to a massive fraud, a Right to Information Act activist has discovered.



Bimal Khemani, an RTI activist, claims to have uncovered a multi-crore rupee fraud in hiring taxis for official transport by BSNL authorities in Aligarh between 1997 and 2008. "It is a very curious case of embezzlement of funds by the BSNL authorities," Khemani told IANS.

He claimed that BSNL officials fudged records to embezzle funds. "They used fake and fictitious registration numbers for taxis to embezzle crores of rupees of public money," he said.

"First, I filed an RTI application in the BSNL seeking details of the taxis hired by them for official purpose. Then, I filed another RTI plea with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Aligarh, and discovered that a majority of the registration numbers provided by the BSNL (for taxis) were actually of scooters," he said.

Khemani filed the first RTI plea in January 2010 seeking details of the taxis hired by the BSNL authorities in Aligarh. He received the reply in February 2010 in which he got the registration numbers of the vehicles.

He filed his second RTI application with the RTO. In March 2010, he received the reply which showed that some of the registration numbers of taxis provided by the BSNL were listed as scooters, motorcycles, jeeps and tractors with the transport office.

IANS also got access to the documents that pointed to the anomaly.

A.K. Gupta, general manager, BSNL, Aligarh, denied having any knowledge of the matter. "As of now, I cannot speak anything on this, it will take time to find out," Gupta told IANS.

As part of his RTI initiative Khemani also obtained one of the agreements signed by the BSNL with a travel company owner, Shiv Kumar Sharma, in 2001. "I tried to trace this person but could not," the activist said.


(Nabeel A।Khan can be contacted at nabeel।k@ians.in)

http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/state-news/uttar-pradesh/fraud-by-bsnl-employees-in-aligarh-unearthed-44255.html


http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-83184.हटमल


http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/uttarpradesh/Fraud-by-BSNL-employees-in-Aligarh-unearthed/Article1-526928.aspx

http://www.zeenews.com/news616439.html

Nabeel A. Khan on RTI-2

Nabeel A. Khan on RTI

Why is Habibullah still information chief, ask RTI activists

By Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) A group of Right to Information (RTI) activists has served a legal notice on the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) over Wajahat Habibullah continuing as chief information commissioner (CIC) three months after he reportedly resigned.

The notice has also been sent to the department of personnel and training (DoPT).

Habibullah was reported to have resigned as CIC of the Central Information Commission Oct 20, 2009, but continues to hold the post and RTI activists allege this is contrary to the provision of the RTI Act 2005 and guidelines given by the DoPT.

"According to Section 13(4) of the RTI Act, the resignation of information commissioners, including the chief CIC, becomes effective the moment it is submitted to the president of India and it cannot be withdrawn or postponed under any circumstances," Girish Mittal, a Mumbai-based RTI activist who served the legal notice, told IANS over phone.

Mittal also said the department of legal affairs (DoLA) gave the same guidelines when DoPT sought an opinion in the case of information commissioner Omita Paul.

"Omita Paul was appointed as information commissioner on May 13, 2009, and she tendered her resignation June 26, 2009, addressing it to the president of India and before any acceptance of her resignation she joined her new assignment at the finance ministry," said Krishnaraj Rao, another RTI activist.

Mittal, who claims to have obtained a document through RTI from DoLA, says, "According to the guidelines given to DoLA by DoPT on the Omita Paul issue - an information commissioner or CIC is similar to the post of a judge of the Supreme Court and their resignation is irrevocable (cannot be withdrawn) and unilateral (meaning there is no need to wait for the acceptance of the resignation)."

After resigning, Habibullah was to take up a new assignment as the first CIC of Jammu and Kashmir where the RTI Act came into force in March last year.

Habibullah told IANS: "I am just waiting for the union government to relieve me so that I can join my new office as soon as possible."

The notice sent by the RTI activists says, "As per the legal position adopted by the union of India in the case of Omita Paul, resignation from office of chief CIC by Habibullah became effective the very moment he tendered his resignation of his own volition.

"His continuation in office from that day onwards is illegal as per the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2005 and specific articles of the constitution of India relied on by the government of India. The union of India cannot now wait for presidential acceptance of the resignation of chief CIC Wajahat Habibullah, nor can it postpone or refuse to accept it," says the notice.

The legal notice served in the first week of January demands the following:

* Give effect to resignation of Habibullah as chief CIC retrospectively from the exact date and time that it was tendered to the secretariat of the president of India.

* Recover the salary and other pecuniary benefits given to Habibullah in his capacity as chief CIC as it is public money.

* Declare as null and void all decisions taken and orders pronounced by him in his capacity as central information commissioner after his tendering resignation.

However, a DoPT official said Habibullah holds his office as CIC in conformity with the law.

"We agree that the resignation of a CIC is irrevocable and he is deemed to be relieved from his duty as soon as he resigns, but Habibullah, in his letter to the president, wrote that he should be relieved from office whenever the government thinks appropriate," a top DoPT official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Kashmir remains without a CIC and the government is still waiting for Habibullah to join office.

"It was great for us to have a person of great calibre like Habibullah as the first chief information commissioner (CIC) for the smooth and successful implementation of the act, but we are still waiting for him to join here," S.S. Kapur, chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, told IANS over phone.

(Nabeel A.Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)

http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?num=67328&id=

http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/newdelhi/Why-is-Habibullah-still-chief-CIC-ask-RTI-activists/Article1-497289.aspx

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100114/812/tnl-why-is-habibullah-still-chief-cic-as.html

http://www.livehindustan.com/news/desh/national/39-39-90995.html

Information commissioners' appointments not transparent: RTI activists

By Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Two weeks after they served a legal notice on the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the union government for "not being transparent" in the selection of information commissioners, RTI activists say they are yet to receive a reply.

"As we indicated in our legal notice, we have made preparations to go to court to enforce mandatory disclosures under Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act," Mumbai-based Krishnaraj Rao, who represents a group of RTI campaigners and petitioners from all over India, told IANS on phone.

The legal notice was served Nov 26, demanding that guidelines be followed under the RTI Act 2005, which makes it mandatory for the government to announce the eligibility criteria and procedures for appointments of central information commissioners (CIC) and chief CIC.

The activists allege the norm is not being followed. The prime minister is part of the committee for selection of information commissioners.

"We served a legal notice on the PMO as we think they have not maintained transparency in appointing the CICs and chief CIC as according to Section 4 (1) B of the RTI Act the criteria of appointment should have been published publicly which was not done," Rao said.

"Decisions of this magnitude cannot be carried out under a veil of secrecy by the government."

"Such opaque and unaccountable decisions are unconstitutional and unfair to the citizens of India. As earlier selections of CICs have shown, the absence of openly declared rules and guidelines for such appointments is allowing blatant nepotism to flourish.

"Our group shall take every possible step to prevent such corrupt practices from continuing."

Section 4(1) B of the RTI Act says: "Every Public Authority shall publish within 120 days from the enactment of this Act the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability; the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions; the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions."

The legal notice has also been addressed to the law ministry and the department of personnel and training.

"We have also asked for the disclosures expeditiously and not to appoint the CIC or the chief CIC till the disclosures are made public, failing which we will be constrained to take legal redress through court," Rao said.

Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Rasheed Qureshi, who sent the notice on behalf of Rao, says: "We have not yet received any response from the officials. We are hoping to file a petition in the Delhi High Court regarding this," Qureshi said.

The legal notice to the PMO says: "As your office in particular and the government of India in general have not met this legal obligation, it is by this legal notice that I call upon you to make the mandatory disclosures before proceeding with further appointments so that further illegalities are not committed."

The RTI activists have also sent a letter to opposition leader Arun Jaitley asking he demand that the PMO and the union government make the mandatory disclosure before proceeding with further appointments to the Central Information Commission.

In an earlier public interest litigation (PIL) filed Nov 18 in the Delhi High Court, the activists stated that the government was biased in selecting CIC heads.

"A close look at the career details and appointment dates of CIC commissioners reveals the truth: the post is yours if you are an IAS officer aged around 60 and have worked with the PMO, DoPT or Ministry of Information and Broadcasting," the PIL said.

"Officers from other cadres like the Indian Police Service (IPS) may also be considered. Civil society members, eminent or otherwise, are least preferred," the PIL stated.

The high court, however, rejected the PIL, ruling: "The court can't ask the government to frame rules to bring transparency. You can raise the issue before the government and before parliament."

But the judges encouraged the activists to keep the pressure on the government to usher in transparency, saying: "You (RTI activists) should mobilise the larger civil society to build opinion on the issue."

(Nabeel A. Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)


http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20091211/812/tnl-information-commissioners-appointmen.html


http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/government-policy-news/prime-ministers-office/information-commissioners-appointments-not-transparent-rti-activists-31037.html

http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-8774.html

When gold turned into chips at Delhi Metro station

By Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi: A jeweller's bag said to be containing Rs.4 lakh worth of gold was put under security check at a Delhi Metro station. But what came out of the scanning machine was a bag containing two packets of chips and a mineral water bottle! The gold remained untraced Wednesday, a day after the shocking incident.

The incident took place when Sanjeev Nischal, a 38-year-old jeweller, entered the Karol Bagh Metro station with what he said was a black bag containing about 200 gram of gold at around 6.30 p.m. He bought a ticket for Tilak Nagar where he is based.

During the security check carried out by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Nischal kept his bag on the baggage scanning machine and moved to the receiving end. The station was crowded. He waited, but his bag did not come out.

He became anxious when the belongings of those who had come after him emerged at the other end of the scanning counter - but not his bag. However, after about a minute, the bag came out. "When I saw it I felt there was something fishy as my bag was a bit more shiny than the one that came out.

There also seemed to be some difference in size. "Anyway, I collected it and opened it in front of the security officials. I was shocked to see that the bag did not contain the gold but a water bottle and two packets of chips," Nischal told IANS.

Soon the CISF personnel raised an alarm and started frantically looking for the lost bag. But even after 10-15 minutes, they failed to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the original bag. The CISF has a slightly different account of the incident.

The CISF maintains that Nischal picked up the bag and went to the platform. He returned later claiming it was not his bag. Nischal was advised to go to the control room and look for CCTV footage to track his bag. Nischal first did a complete search of the station to see if any person was carrying a similar bag. "All the effort was in vain. Moreover, there was no claimer for the bag which I collected from the baggage scanning centre," said Nischal, who travels frequently on this Metro route. Before making any further moves, Nischal called the Police Control Room (PCR).

The police came at around 7.45 p.m. After the initial checks, he was advised to file a case at the Rajouri Garden Metro police station. In the meantime he called his brother and some relatives. They also tried to examine the CCTV footage. But no clue was found.

"At time of the incident, the station was heavily crowded as it was peak hour. There was nothing clear in the footage. We could not identify a single person with such a bag," Nischal added. In his complaint to the police, Nischal has alleged that he also suspected CISF personnel at the scanning centre. "We have registered a complaint and the matter is being investigated.

We have acquired the CCTV footage from the Delhi Metro and are questioning the CISF officials who were on duty Tuesday night," said a police officer investigating the case. Expressing shock over the incident, CISF spokesperson Rohit Katyal told IANS: "The CCTV footage shows that the complainant picked up a bag after it was scanned and went to the platform. He was found searching something inside the bag.

Later he came back and complained that the bag he was carrying didn't belong to him. "Prima facie it looks like somebody slipped away with his bag. CCTV camera footage has been acquired from the control room of the station and we feel whosoever picked up the bag may have done it unknowingly." The distance between the entry and exit points of the baggage scanning centre is "just around three feet," Katyal added.

http://www.samaylive.com/news/when-gold-turned-into-chips-at-delhi-metro-station/668064.html

http://www.aol.in/news-story/when-gold-turned-into-chips-at-delhi-metro-station/671758

http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20091118/232184.htm

Shopping spree begins in capital as Eid nears

by Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Jamia Nagar is dazzling with lights. Roads are lined with kurtas, as shopkeepers try to lure customers. Hawkers are busy selling vermicelli and dry fruits. Markets here have been hit by a heavy rush of customers who are on a buying spree as the festival of Eid is barely a week away.

The majority of the shoppers are women who are busy buying special utensils and ingredients like dry fruits to make Eid's Dastarkhawan, a sheet where food is spread, impressive. In contrast, male customers are flocking to the kurta pajama, sherwani and kolhapuri chappal shops. Eid or Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the most important festivals for Muslims that marks the end of Ramzan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fitr means "charity"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal.

"I have bought nuts, almonds, raisins and other ingredients for sheerkhorma because Eid is quite near and many things are still left," Naghma Khan, a homemaker shopping at Johri Farm, told IANS. The other shopping hubs are also bustling with enthusiastic people buying things. Sarojini Nagar in South Delhi is one such market that is teeming with shoppers. "It's like a battle won, if you get to choose your stuff and buy it.

I came here (Sarojini Nagar ) at around 10 a.m. and it has been more than four hours, but I have not been able to complete my shopping because the sales guys are so busy and the shops are so crowded that you have to wait at least 20 minutes for your turn." Shaqib Jamal, a shopper who came to buy clothes for his family, told IANS. "During Eid it's obvious that the crowds are at its peak and we make full efforts to utilise this opportunity and touch maximum sales every day and we get incentives for it," Rajesh, a salesman in Sarojini Nagar, said. Shop owners in South Extension have also expressed their delight at the increase in customers visiting their stores.

"There has been a great increase in customers in the last five days especially looking for kurtas and pyajamas to wear on Eid and the customers are ranging from 20 to 45 years of age. Silk kurtas are more in fashion this time," Prabhjeet Singh, owner of the show room Kurta Palace in South Extension, told IANS. Singh expected a further increase in customers.

Elahana Moora, store manager at Globus in South Extension, says: "We have seen a substantial increase in the number of customers in all ranges of products from clothing to households goods and feel it is all because of the festivals."

(Nabeel A.Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)

http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?num=58351&id=

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090917/812/tnl-honest-autorickshaw-driver-returns-l.html

http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?num=58914&id=


http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/September/international_September894.xml&section=international&col=

http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story41349.htm

http://www.aol.in/news-story/shopping-spree-begins-in-capital-as-eid-nears/593325

http://www.twocircles.net/2009sep18/shopping_spree_begins_capital_eid_nears.html

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-114564.html

http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20090924/223007.htm

http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20090924/223007.htm

Fighting diarrhoea to eradicate polio

By Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) It kills nearly 500,000 children every year. But one of the lesser known facts about diarrhoea is that it also makes anti-polio drops ineffective. Now, one of the leading donor organisations in India, Rotary International, has joined hands with the Indian government to help fight diarrhoea in order to eradicate polio.



"Diarrhoea kills nearly 500,000 children a year in the country. It is often associated with increasing risk of polio. The stomach of children suffering from diarrhoea becomes like a bucket with a hole. You keep on pouring the polio vaccine but it doesn't stay there long enough to build immunity," Deepak Kapur, chairman of the India National PolioPlus Society of Rotary International, told IANS.

"We have approached the government of India to help them eradicate diarrhoea by creating awareness about use of zinc tablet and oral rehydration therapy (ORT). The government has been very forthcoming," Kapur said.

The use of zinc and ORT is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to decrease the incidence and severity of diarrhoea.

The government has adopted a policy to use zinc and ORT in the treatment of diarrhoea under the National Rural Health Mission.

Diarrhoea is the second most common cause of death in children aged below five in India. And of these deaths, 88 percent were caused by lack of sanitation, poor hygiene practices and contaminated drinking water, Kapur said.

He said the focus of the intervention would be in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.

According to a government report, of the 136 fresh polio cases detected in the country this year, 97 were in Uttar Pradesh.

"Our Rotarians are constantly in touch with the district magistrates in Uttar Pradesh to get the supply of the zinc tablets from them. Recently, the district magistrate of Moradabad has sent a supply of zinc tablets and ORT," Kapur said.

Rotary International has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Academy of Paediatricians to make the campaign successful.

Naveen Thacker, former president of the International Paediatric Association, said: "Polio virus has still not been eliminated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One of the reasons for this is very high rate of diarrhoeal diseases, rampant malnutrition and high rate of NPEV (non-polio enterovirus) circulation in these areas.

"Each diarrhoeal episode causes damage to intestinal mucosa and hampers its absorption capacity for a long time which interferes with vaccine uptake, making these children susceptible to polio virus," he said.

"The ORT-Zinc Campaign will help in speedy recovery from diarrhoea."

The zinc tablets are given to children between the age of two months and five years.

Experts said the dispersible tablets can be administered by mixing with breast milk or water. The treatment should start from the first day of diarrhoea and a 14-day course should be completed.

India is one of the three countries in the world that still have the crippling polio disease.

"Even after administering multiple doses, the occurrence of polio cases in the children is of great concern. During 2008, 79 percent of polio cases had received more than seven doses. In 2009, the figure stood at 78 percent," Kapur said.

Rotary International has invested $108 million (Rs.540 crore) in India for its dual fight against polio and diarrhoea.





http://www.headlinesindia.com/health-and-science-news/disease/fighting-diarrhoea-to-eradicate-polio-22576.html


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Fight-diarrhoea-to-eradicate-polio-/articleshow/5017969.cms




http://twocircles.net/2009sep15/fighting_diarrhoea_eradicate_polio.html


http://www.aol.in/news-story/fighting-diarrhoea-to-eradicate-polio/590097


http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-112935.html

Wrestling coach Chand Roop, 80, awaits recognition

By Nabeel A. Khan

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) He looks frail and can barely stand, but every morning he is at his akhara in Azadpur Mandi here to pack power into his trainees. Chand Roop has raised a host of international wrestlers and at 80 is still going strong.


For Chand Roop, the akhara - traditional Indian training school for wrestling - is his home and the 300 trainees there his family. He looks after their accommodation and other requirements too.



'I don't know why the government is not recognising my contribution. I have been waiting to get the Dronacharya Award (for coaches) for a long time,' Chand Roop told IANS with sullen eyes.


'Four of my wrestlers won medals at the Commonwealth Games 2007. The government was supposed to give me a cash prize for coaching them, but they gave me the money for only one medal. I train hundreds of wrestlers and this is the treatment I have been meted out.'



It was in 1965, when he was in the army, that Chand Roop started training wrestlers, the notable among them being Vijay Kumar Valmiky, who created a record by winning the sporting honours Bharat Kumar and Bharat Kesri at the same time, and Netra Pal, Bharat Kesari and a Commonwealth silver medallist.



His pupils also include four Arjuna Awardees, nine Bharat Kesaris and hundreds of international-level wrestlers. He is also the coach of young talent Joginder Kumar, the youngest wrestler to become a Bharat Kesari at the age of 18 who is also a gold medallist in the 2009 junior Asian Championship.



It was not easy for Chand Roop to have his own akhara, but with his dedication he realised his dream in 1980.



'I never sought contribution from anybody. I faced strong opposition from my family, but wrestling is my passion and I managed to pull it off with my pension money,' Chand Roop told IANS.


Chand Roop has shifted from his village in Haryana and lives at the akhara, single-mindedly giving shape to the dreams of his trainees.



Two of his pupil, Joginder Kumar (120 kg, freestyle) and Dharmender Dalal (120 kg, Greco-Roman) will be representing India at the World Wrestling Championship from Sep 24.

'I have been with Guruji for over 10 years and I have seen his dedication. Now he can't walk but still we make him sit on the chair while we practise,' says Dharmender, a silver medallist at senior Asian Championship.

But the government has done little to recognise the contribution of Chand Roop. Neither has it provided facilities to the akhara which has been producing such star players.

Though the profile of the sport has gone up since Sushil Kumar's bronze medal feat at the Beijing Olympics, the training centre such as these somehow continue to run with lack of funds and international facilities.

'We don't have the advanced equipment which our counterparts in other countries have. If we have to lose weight, we wear a packed track suit and just sweat it out even in the month of June. We run on the streets wearing those track suits in the afternoon,' a trainee wrestler said.

Apart from their fight to get better facilities, Chand Roop's trainees have also been raising their voice to get their mentor the recognition he deserves.

Recently Chand Roop's Arjuna awardee trainees staged a protest demanding the Dronacharya Award for him.

'Guruji's name has been recommended more than 14 times, but still the government did not consider him. It is very painful for us to see Guruji not getting his worth as he has dedicated his entire life to wrestling,' Arjuna awardee Rohtas Singh Dahiya.

They called off the protest after getting an assurance from the sports ministry that Chand Roop's name would be considered next year.

Raj Singh, vice-president of the Wrestling Federation of India, admits Chand Roop is a deserving candidate for the Dronacharya Award.

'He deserves the award, the government should acknowledge his contribution and give him a lifetime achievement award.'

(Nabeel A. Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)


http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?num=58351&id=


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/Wrestling-coach-Chand-Roop-awaits-recognition/articleshow/4994700.cms

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http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-109377.html


http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jjkrOcgeeda&title=Wrestling_coach_Chand_Roop_80_awaits_recognition

Kumble’s wife, ex-husband in custody battle over daughter

By Nabeel A. Khan

By Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Cricketer Anil Kumble’s wife Chethana has withdrawn her custody case over her 14-year-old daughter Aaruni with her former husband Kumar V. Jahgirdar in the Supreme Court. The case will now reopen in a family court in Bangalore.

Chethana has challenged a Bangalore family court’s decision to entertain Jahgirdar’s plea for custody of their daughter, who is living with her and Kumble।

Jahgirdar said he is “very confident” of proving in a family court that the “child wants to live with me” and is “is better served in my house”.
The Supreme Court July 27 asked Chethana to try for an out-of-court settlement with Jahgirdar. A bench of Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice R.M. Lodha gave this advice to the two while hearing her lawsuit.
Jahgirdar’s lawyer Prashant Bhushan Friday said that mediation had failed due to the “non cooperation of the mother of the child” and a trial court has to decide on the merits of the case and changed circumstances since the father has remarried.
Since the mother has two more children from Anil Kumble and needs more time for them, the girl’s father is best suited to take care of Aaruni and shower her undivided love, affection and attention.
Chethana’s lawyer Mukul Rohtagi objected to this saying that there is no need to reopen the case in the family court, but judges Chatterjee and Lodha said custody matters are always subject to change according to the circumstances and in the best interest of the child.
Later, Chethana’s lawyer withdrew the case.
Jahgirdar and Chethana got divorced in 1999 and within months Chethana married Kumble.
She moved the Bangalore family court in December 1999 for custody of her then six-year-old daughter left behind with her father। Jahgirdar too moved the family court seeking custody of Aaruni.

The family court subsequently endorsed his plea and allowed him to keep the child.
But on an appeal from Chethana, the Karnataka High Court reversed the family court ruling and gave the daughter’s custody to her mother, saying that in her early years the child’s upkeep and welfare would be taken care of better by a female family member.
As Jahgirdar was living alone then, the child’s interest would be better served in the custody of her mother, the high court said.
In 2004, approached by Jahgirdar, the apex court endorsed the high court’s ruling in favour of the mother.
Jahgirdar re-married in 2006. He again moved the family court seeking the child’s custody on the grounds of changed circumstances.
Chethana first moved the high court challenging the family court’s decision to entertain Jahgirdar’s plea, but her plea was dismissed. She then moved the apex court

http://www.headlinesindia.com/sports-news/cricket/kumbles-wife-exhusband-in-custody-battle-over-daughter-20984.html
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Kumbles+wife+in+custody+battle+over+daughter&artid=0kv9D8EbiRM=
http://www.aol.in/news-story/kumbles-wife-exhusband-in-custody-battle-over-daughter/567889
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/kumbles-wife-ex-husband-in-custody-battle-over-daughter_100239840.html

भारत

आज एक कदम नहीं चल सकता
संसार पीछे छोड़ने की थी जिज्ञासा

आज अपाहिज बन बैठा
कैसी है ये दुराशा!
शिखर के छाती पर लिखा था अपना नाम कभी
आज उसको चूम नहीं सकता
अब तो दर्शन भी दुर्लव् है लगता

अपना सर उठाऊँ कैसे
मुझमे अब वो बात नहीं दीखता

मैं अपने हृदय की ज्वाला को
नैन रस से शांत करता

हर मोड़, हर गली में साजिश
सबकी निगाहें मुझपे जैसे मैं बकरा, वो कसाईं

अरे मुझे सींचो मुझे सजाओ
मैं विशव का सबसे सुंदर, सबसे भिन्न फूलों वाला बगिया

जागो जिसे तुमने चुना हैं मेरा माली
वह स्वं हिं स्वार्थ का पुजारी

सब अवसरवादियों ने हैं पैठ बढाली
कभी गुजरात, कभी मुंबई जैसे कंडों से
अपना मुकुट सजा लि

कितने कलियों की लालसा थी खिलने
की परन्तु इसके रक्षक ने डाल ही कट डाली
बेचारी कलि तड़प तड़प के मुरझा गई
हाय! ये कैसा था माली !

आश्चर्य! इन्होने भगवन की भी शक्ति छिर्ण कर डाला
अगर राम अयोध्या तक ही तो फिर विश्व में कैसे फैला उजाला

यह कैसी श्रद्घा कैसा प्रेम है निराला
पालित ने ही पलक को निम्न बना डाला

यही एक नहीं, ऐसे अनेक बादलों ने दीपक रोक
फैला रखा है अँधियारा

अब तो मेरा मुकुट भी मुझे नहीं भाता
इसके रतन ने मुझे ही घायल कर डाला

मैं असमंजस में, क्या मैं ही हूँ भारत
जिसने कबीर, भरत जैसे लाल को था पाला

छोटू मेरा नाम

छोटू मेरा नाम
आज कराता मैं अपना परिचय सरेआम

सवर्प्रथम आप सभी को सदर प्रणाम

मैं एक नहीं, मैं हूँ अनेक

मुझसे मिलना बड़ा ही आसान

मैं सदौव आप की सेवा में

आधी पेट भोजन पे करूँ श्रम अपार

विश्राम पे लगा रखा है पूर्ण विराम

यही मेरा परम ध्यान

जो तनिक विचलित हुआ, होंगे मेरे गलों पे पांचो उँगलियों के निशान

बर्बरता की सहन शक्ति, यही मेरा परम ज्ञान

छोटू मेरा नाम

मेरी वेष-भूषा अति सरल एवं सदैव एक समान

दाग-धब्बे एवं मलीनता मेरी सर्वश्रेष्ठ पहचान

आधी पैंट, फटी कमीज कमर को रखा है बांध।

मेरी नन्ही सी आंख में एक है आशा

कोई मेरे माप का मुझे वस्त्र दिलाता

होठिठुरती ठंडक या तपिश का तापमान

मैं रहता सदैव एक समान

छोटू मेरा नाम

जरी, मोमबत्ती, चाबी छल्ले खिलौने एवं पटाखे

जैसे लघु उद्योगों का मैं बढ़ाता शान

ढाबे में आओ तो मैं तुम्हें कराता जलपान

किसी रोज मुझसे रेडलाइट पे मिल जाना

वहां भी कुछ सेवा का अवसर कराना प्रदान

छोटू मेरा नाम

आठ से चैदह वर्ष के परिपक् आयु में

संघर्ष कराना है बड़ा आसान

होती है संगति उत्तम लोगों से

जिन्हें मानवता का नहीं है कोई ज्ञान

अशलीलता जिनकी वाणी की शोभा

उदण्ता पे है जिनको गुमान

अपराध से खेलते जो आंख-मिचैलीवो

बन गए मेरे हमजोली

मुझे कोई बताओ, मुझे कहां है जाना
जरा मेरे भविष्य का अनुमान लगाना

मेरी संख्या है करोड़ो में

परन्तु नहीं है कोई रोकथाम

मेरी मुक्ति की गाथा हर बार है बन जानी

परंतु नहीं होती है मुक्ति से हमारी पहचान

जब तक मृत्यु की चादर नहीं दिलाती वरदान

छोटू मेरा नाम

हे भारत अब तो मुझे पहचाने

Engineer commits suicide in Delhi

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) A trainee engineer with a power distribution company of the capital commited suicide in her hostel room here Saturday evening, police said.


The body of Prerna Kumari, a graduate engineer trainee with North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL), was found hanging in her hostel room at the training centre in Rohini Sector 11, they said.

Sudhir Kumar, station house officer of the Prashant Vihar police station, said: "It was a suicide case, but we have not found any suicide note from the room. We are carrying out investigation and we have called her parents.

"At this stage it appears she committed suicide due to depression," he said.

Fathers crave to meet kids in custody of estranged wives

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Indian American scientist Ravi Chandran has been searching desperately for his son Aditya in India for more than a year - after his ex-wife "abducted" the child, now six years old, and brought him to India in 2007.

"After the divorce, I was given full custody of Aditya by the New York Court on Sep 14, 2007, but she (wife Vijayasree Voora) adducted the child and came to India, and now she is moving from one place to another to avoid arrest," Chandran said at a press meet organised by NGOs here.

Chandran left his job with a pharma company in the US to look for his son in India. He has shifted to Hyderabad.

Chandran says he has been knocking on every door, begging everyone to find his son. "I really don't understand why people think that a father cannot love his kid. I just can't sleep thinking of my son. He has not been admitted to any school for more than 21 months," he sobbed.

He has scoured numerous places, including schools, and visited many police stations to trace his son.

Vijyayasree had filed a petition in the Madras High Court in November 2007 for sole custody of the child, which was dismissed.

In February this year, the Supreme Court of India ordered Karnataka Police to find Aditya.

Kumar V. Jahgirdar, president of NGO Children's Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting (CRISP), said: "It is very unfair that we give an advantage to the mother in custody cases and easily cancel the visitation rights of the father. We get a large number of calls from India and abroad from fathers seeking help to be able to meet their kids.

"I understand the grief of a father who has not been able to see his kids after divorce so I made it a mission to help such people," Jahgirdar told IANS. He himself is fighting for custody of his daughter. His ex-wife has married cricketer Anil Kumble.

"As the school of my daughter is near my house, I just wanted that I should be able to keep her on weekdays, and they could keep her on weekends. But they have not agreed and the case is in the Supreme Court," Jahgirdar added.

Sayed Maqdoom, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, committed suicide on April 9 in Bangalore after not being allowed to meet his child regularly. He was fighting for custody of his son and was frustrated after his wife filed a false dowry case against him.

"I am shocked with the Indian system. My brother has died fighting to see his son. He died at the age of 33. Now I just pray that no such father should die craving to see his child," Maqdoom's sister Sabina told IANS.

Maqdoom had made a video clip of himself while committing suicide. His wife had apparently married thrice earlier before meeting him.

Rajiv Kocher is another father who has lost visitation rights to his child.

"Despite the court orders I was not allowed to see my kid, so one day I could not control myself when I saw my child in the court and ran away with him and kept him with me for a week and then returned him. But later on I found that my ex-wife has slapped a number of charges against me and now I am in hiding and can't even see my kid," Kocher told IANS.



http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090509/812/tnl-fathers-crave-to-meet-kids-in-custod.html



http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20090509/1249670.html



http://www.samaylive.com/news/fathers-crave-to-meet-kids-in-custody-of-estranged-wives/625314.html





http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/fathers-crave-to-meet-kids-in-custody-of-estranged-wives_100190238.html





http://www.aol.in/news-story/fathers-crave-to-meet-kids-in-custody-of-estranged-wives/2009050903339012000002


http://www.indiaenews.com/religion/20090509/196818.htm

Exclusive on this blog only

My Dear Maa...



Mother I want to come to your world as I am a tender child please let my ears hear the husking sound of leaves in their playfulness but Maa.. I can't bear the chaos …bombings, fire of any hue.....and the insecurity. I want to come to the world where I can grow up with all affection … no one should kill me by checking my surname...Mother could you please tell me if this time I will not be pushed behind because I am born to particular cast. Maa..last time I came to your world but I was killed before even opening my eyes ….....becoz I was a 'girl' then..........Maa.. please tell me why do people not like me...Maa I think sometime they all were child like me but why they became enemy to each other ….......will I be able to save myself from being one among them......I really don't need anything I just want to come as your child.......as the child of this world. Maa....I am not Hindu, Muslim, Christain............I am just a child ….......and I want to grow up as human... I have just few expectation. I don't want anyone's property I don't want hurt any one ….......but I just want to live the way I am ….......Maa is it something unfair I am asking for....? Maa …......I know this is very little ….....But Maa......I am still afraid........I hear mother is the most compassionate person on earth but Maa I remember you being most cruel ….......I was a naïve........ignorant and innocent I came to your world you taught me ….......to hate …....to kill …........for no reason.........you loved me but you hated other child so how could you love me .
Maa................I again want to come but please help me be myself........



Your Child
Eagerly waiting your reply

Bid to donate organs fails due to official apathy

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) A young man who desperately wanted to donate his dead father's organs said Wednesday that lethargy at the hospital and by the police combined to spike his wish.
Sarvan Kumar said his father Murari Lal, 70, passed away at the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital (LNJP) here at around 9.30 a.m. Tuesday. According to Kumar, Rakesh Agarwal, secretary of NGO NyayaBhoomi, suggested that the dead man's organs could be given away as donation.

"I liked the idea and approached the doctors but they asked me instead to call an eye bank to donate his eyes," Kumar told IANS. Volunteers of the NGO soon reached the hospital and tried to help. "The doctors then asked us get a police verification for organ donation. So I called up officer Babu Ram at the Jahangirpuri police station but he did not listen to us," said Naushad Ansari, an autorickshaw driver and a NyayaBhoomi volunteer.

"Then we took the body to the morgue and urged people there to do the necessary procedures for organ removal and donation. But they said it was past 12 noon and their shift was over," Ansari added. When contacted, a hospital official who declined to give her full name admitted a wrong had been done. "This is a system failure. I admit it but I am helpless as I am also part of the system. If there was proper coordination, the organs could have been donated," the official told IANS. Rakesh Agarwal said:

"This is one case of somebody trying to donate organs that we happened to know. I think many people would not come forward just because of the irresponsible behaviour of officials."

http://www.aol.in/news-story/bid-to-donate-organs-fails-due-to-official-apathy/2009031107389012000005

http://www.in.com/news/readnews-current-affairs-bid-to-donate-organs-fails-due-to-official-apathy-2d08c8f84a679983792ab5243104b1b3a0017dc8-0-true.html

http://www.nerve.in/news:253500210606

A club of honourable auto-rickshaw drivers

By Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) You are in a hurry and waiting for an auto-rickshaw. When it finally arrives, you are asked to pay an exorbitant fare. If you say no, you keep waiting. This everyday experience in India's capital may change, at least a little.

City-based NGO Nyaya Bhoomi has formed an Autorickshaw Star Club. Each member will take the vow to be an "Imandar Auto Chalak" (honourable auto driver, IAC in short) and be dedicated to reforming the black sheep image of auto-rickshaw drivers. Nyaya Bhoomi has been dedicated to improving the lives of auto-rickshaw drivers and their passengers for the past two years. The IAC will not refuse to carry a passenger, nor overcharge, nor break traffic rules.

They will be polite too. "We have given proper training to the drivers to ensure good conduct towards customers, run strictly on meter basis and not to refuse at all," Nyaya Bhoomi secretary Rakesh Agarwal told IANS. The club will regularly monitor the performance of the drivers and give them reward points. These points get converted into stars for the star club.

The club was launched Oct 14 last year. It has 80 members now - 40 on the roads and 40 more under training. "In Delhi there are more than 50,000 auto-rickshaws and over one lakh (100,000) drivers. We will try to reform their lives at the earliest. We hope to make over 15,000 auto-rickshaws join the club before the end of this year," Agarwal added. A man who has quit his export business to devote all his time to this cause, Agarwal also plans to give a proposal to the government, asking that the authorities train all auto-rickshaw drivers for at least 15 days each, and then run regular refresher courses.

Delhi Traffic Police had arranged a one-day workshop for auto-rickshaw drivers last November and December. "We have organised these workshops in various parts of Delhi. They were focussed on educating the drivers about their behaviour towards passengers and traffic rules," Delhi Traffic Police Joint Commissioner S.N. Srivastava told IANS. Drivers who have joined the Autorickshaw Star Club are happy, and hope passengers will now respect them as well.

"I have been running an auto-rickshaw in Delhi for more than 12 years. Recently I have joined this club. Now I enjoy respect from passengers as I run on meter only. Being educated about various traffic laws and the Motor Vehicles Act saves me from any kind of harassment from policemen or other officials. The club will soon provide all drivers a range of benefits such as insurance and pension plans, finance and bank accounts," Chandrabhan Singh told IANS.

The club will gather revenue through advertisements on the auto-rickshaws. Club members however have sometimes faced hostility from other drivers. "I was almost beaten and my auto-rickshaw was damaged in Janakpuri by drivers who felt I was ruining their business by running on meter," said Sitaram. Some auto-rickshaw drivers are sceptical about the club.

"I have seen many such clubs and unions, but there is no credibility. Sometimes such unions and clubs come up just to make money. I am happy with the way I am," said a driver who identified himself only as Sonu. But passengers who board the auto-rickshaw of a club member are pleasantly surprised. "I was surprised to see the poster on the auto-rickshaw saying 'Ek Imandar auto chalak'.

It was even more surprising to find their polite and professional way of talking and readily moving on meter. "Though I don't see many auto-rickshaws from this club, whenever I need an auto I pray I can find this hassle-free auto-rickshaw again." said an elated Pradeep Chaprana, a human resource executive with RNIS Pvt Ltd. "If all the auto drivers run on meter and follow good conduct, like the drivers from Autorickshaw Star Club, the city will certainly be a far better place to live in," said Nayeem Ahmed, an executive with software firm HCL.

http://www.yahind.com/articles/directory.php?id=970

Illegal trade in endangered birds flourishes in Delhi

By Deepak Upadhyay and Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Hundreds of colourful parakeets, pretty canaries, menacing falcons and other endangered birds can be found in the national capital - not in zoos or forested areas but in the cages of illegal bird sellers who openly flout laws to make a quick buck.

"If there is demand, there will be supply. Several ministers and big people come here to buy these birds. This keeps us going despite seizures and prohibitory laws," a bird seller near Jama Masjid told IANS on condition of anonymity. Jama Masjid in Old Delhi is just one of the several places in and around the capital where laws are flouted to sell endangered birds. Behind the Red Fort, at INA Market, Moolchand crossing, Minto Road and Noida's Sector 18 market, many vendors flaunt the birds without fear. "I have broken several cameras.

If you want the same thing to happen to you then go ahead and take pictures," threatened a bird seller in Noida's Atta Market but didn't attempt to hide his illegal wares, which included the rare macquacaca. "The root cause of this business flourishing is that the wildlife inspectors who seize the endangered birds show only the less important birds in court, allowing the illegal sellers to be let off after a meagre fine of Rs.100," said Ashok Kumar, a trustee of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The illegal vendors usually sell each parakeet for Rs.40-50, but those wanting talking birds have to shell out Rs.500. A falcon can cost as much as Rs.20,000 depending upon the breed, while owls are priced only marginally lower.

The pretty hill mynahs are sold for about Rs.2,500. According to Kumar, endangered birds worth hundreds of thousands of rupees are smuggled into Delhi every day from Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. "On any given day, around 50,000 birds are brought here - mostly parakeets, mynahs, munias, bulbuls, koels, hill mynahs, canaries and eagles," he said. "The rose-ringed parakeet, which is a talking species, is much in demand. Then come other parakeet varieties like Alexandrian and red-breasted species. The black-headed munia and finches are also widely traded," Kumar added. Some birds are kept as status symbols since they are very expensive and exotic. However, many are also bought for religious, superstitious and medicinal reasons. The claws and feathers of birds like great-horned owls, pariah kites and even bats are used by those who believe in sorcery. Kumar feels that the present laws are inadequate to prevent trade in endangered birds. According to him, the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) need to be strengthened to ensure that the lovely winged creatures do not become extinct and are free to fly.

Follow the links

http://www.hinduonnet.com/holnus/008200902190911.htm

http://www.intoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23817&sectionid=8&secid=47&Itemid=1