30.10.10
Himachal to set up international airport
BJP exults over twin triumphs
India, South Korea clinch civil N-deal
28.10.10
India & Malaysia
Sources described Malaysia's economic ties to India as being similar to that of a Persian Gulf state. While bilateral trade has grown from $1 billion in 2001 to $10 billion in 2008, the real shift has been the rise of investment. Indian firms have invested nearly $2.5 billion in Malaysia.
“Trade is still small, and overly dependent on palm oil, but investment is big,“ a Malaysian prime minister's office aide said. These include Reliance Industries Ltd, which spent $300 million on its largest polyester textile plant and L&T, which has a $200-million switching gearfactory. “In the next two or three weeks, few big investments will be announced,“ sources said.
Malaysian investment and work in India has been especially focussed in infrastructure in India. Malaysia has also sought infotech capabilities: 60 Indian IT firms have set up there and many of the 150,000 Indian resident workers are IT professionals.
Prime Minister Najib has made it a point to make India, China and West Asia are the future markets for Malaysia and has made a point of making these his first three overseas destinations since he was elected in April 2009.
Tigress poisoned, rescued in MP
Elephant calf beaten to death
Shattering some myths on Kashmir
Arundhati Roy says Kashmir was never a part of India. We look at why she is wrong & why India’s position is not as vulnerable as it is portrayed to be
Myth I
Kashmir has never been an integral part of India: Arundhati Roy
The Story
At the time of Indian independence, none of the princely states — Hyderabad, Gwalior, Mysore, Baroda and Kashmir, to name a few — were part of India. They were called princely states — quasi-sovereign states ruled by the Indian princes under the "suzerainty" of the British. There were as many as 568 states in India when the British decided to leave India.
In 1947, under the Mountbatten Plan, they were given two options — either affiliate with India or with Pakistan. Though most of the princely states thirsted for freedom, that option was closed at the insistence of the Congress party. Though the choice of which entity to join was left to the rulers of the princely states, it was largely understood that the religious denomination of the majority of the citizens and geographical contiguities of the states would be the preponderant determining criteria.
Kashmir fulfilled both these paramount criteria to join Pakistan — geographical contiguity with the newly-formed state and religious domination of the majority of its citizens.
However, there was a problem: The Hindu ruler of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh wanted something which was not on the table — azaadi, or freedom from both India and Pakistan. He wanted Kashmir to remain independent. In spite of entreaties from various quarters including from the Governor General of India, Loius Mountbatten, the Maharaja continued to dither and remained non-committal. And the situation reached a stalemate.
Jinnah and Pakistan perceived this intransigence of the Maharaja to be a clever ploy by India and Mountbatten to pluck Kashmir surreptiously from Pakistan's grasp. So, in an operation that today can be seen as a precursor of the Kargil Operation, Pakistan launched a military invasion of Kashmir on October 22, 1947.
Pashtun tribals and irregulars, morally and logistically supported by the Pakistan army, were sent in to force the Maharaja to accede to Pakistan. The invaders reached the outskirts of Srinagar, the capital. And threatened to besiege the city.
A frightened and panick-stricken Maharaja radioed Delhi for military help. The Indian leadership argued that it would not be legally possible to send in the Indian Army unless Kashmir acceded to India formally. After another bout of resistance, the Maharaja finally yielded and Mountbatten's aide V P Menon was sent to Srinagar to secure his signature on the Instrument of Accession. Once signed (on 26 October 1947), the Indian Army was airlifted to Srinagar and the Pakistani invaders were beaten back, but not before they controlled about one-third of Kashmir.
The Reality:
As soon as the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession, Kashmir's accession to India was complete in the legal and formal sense — the same Instrument of Accession that was signed by more than 500 other princely states. That is a fact of history, which cannot be disputed without stretching the truth. It's there is black and white. In fact, it can be argued that it was Pakistan's folly of invading Kashmir, overplaying its hand, which sowed the seeds of the Kashmir imbroglio.
Myth II
India refuses to uphold the UN-mandated plebiscite that gives the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people: Pakistan
The Story
When the irregulars from Pakistan invaded India on October 22, 1947, Prime Minister Nehru went to the UN in good faith to call on the world body to intervene and ensure that Pakistan pull back its troops. Based on the Indian complaint and the counter-arguments of Pakistan, the UN Security Council called for not only an immediate ceasefire, but also a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiris.
Ignoring the advice of his Home Minister Sardar Patel and Indian Army commanders that India should not agree to a ceasefire before the area captured by the invaders was reclaimed, Nehru went ahead and not only ordered an immediate ceasefire but also agreed in principle to the plebiscite — a promise that has not been kept.
The Reality
This is the instance used to castigate India for not only breaking the spirit of the UN resolution but also ignoring the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
But just look at what UN Resolution 38 of 17 January 1948 actually says about the run-up to the plebiscite —
"The Government of Pakistan should undertake to use its best endeavours: To secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purposes of fighting, and to prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State".
Please read that again.
The much-bandied resolution, used to whip India with by the critics, clearly states that Pakistan will "withdraw" all "Pakistani nationals" and "tribesmen" who infiltrated on October 22, 1947 from the soil of the whole of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed then, without exception. This was the UN resolution's 'first condition' for the beginning of the process towards the plebiscite.
Has that condition been fulfilled by Pakistan? Has the land 'occupied' by the Pakistanis and the tribesmen in 1947 been vacated? Isn't the reality that Pakistan occupied and continues to occupy more than one-third of the territory of Kashmir?
As a way to fulfill the mandate and hold the plebiscite, will Pakistan be willing to vacate PoK now, 63 years after the resolution? The answer is written on the wall.
For all intents and purposes the UN resolution on Kashmir is as good as dead.
No wonder then that the wily but pragmatic General Musharraf gave up the usual Pakistani harping on self-determination in Kashmir for a more practical and doable out-of-the-box solution, which unfortunately is being disowned by the present Pakistani government.
Myth III
Pakistan has always stood by Kashmir, as against the brutality of the Indian security forces in the Indian side of Kashmir: Pakistan
Pakistan in Kashmir
a) Pakistan has carved out the Northern Areas (now called Gilgit-Baltistan, almost 72,971 Sq km) from Kashmir into a separate administrative and political unit. This area, which was part of the undivided Kashmir at the time of independence, has been 'annexed' by Pakistan, as it were, and separated from Kashmir.
b) In 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,800 sq km in the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China. The Tract was part of the original state of Jammu and Kashmir.
c) Pakistan actively encourages "other people" to settle in PoK and have even allowed the Chinese a huge presence in Gilgit-Baltistan, ostensibly for developing the infrastructure of the region.
In contrast:
a) Territorially, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is the same entity that existed in 1947, except for the portions gobbled-up by Pakistan/China.
b) The Freedom House Report, 2010, on the level of 'freedom' in PoK characterised it as "not free', while the Indian side of Kashmir was defined as "partly free".
d) No non-Kashmiri can buy as much as an inch of land in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. There has been no attempt by India to change the demographics or the state's ethnic character. The only demographic change that has happened in the state has been the "ethnic cleansing" of the Kashmiri pundits from the Valley. A mass exodus which has largely been ignored by the media and the powers-that-be.
Therefore, there is nothing much really that India has to feel defensive about. Whatever Arundhati Roy or others may put out on the air.
27.10.10
Blackburn Rovers going Indian
In 39 years Venky's has gone from a small family business to Asia's largest poultry group.
Its status today is a far cry from when Dr B.V Rao launched the business in 1971.
He started his working life as a poultry attendant on 40 acres of farmland in Hyderabad, tending to cattle and birds. But he was put on the road to success by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Dr Earl Neil Moore, on behalf of USAID, gave Dr Rao the task of establishing a poultry farm in Osmania University, Hyderabad.
At first there was success, with 2,000 eggs produced a day, but in what was described as a 'rude awakening' the university let Dr Rao go. He was left jobless and worked at a number of farms, growing increasingly disillusioned. But, unbeknown to him, his wife Uttaradevi had invested some of their money in a seven-acre plot near Hyderabad, enabling him to set up his own poultry farm. They ran it together and the firm quickly went from strength to strength, establishing a 70 per cent market share within a year, according to their official website.
The company has become known for embarking on new ventures, capitalising on technology and yielding high returns on investment. Its portfolio today includes animal health products, pellet feeds, processed chicken products and solvent oil extraction, and SPF Eggs. It now also manufactures nutritional health products for humans and is the preferred supplier to McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and Dominos pizza in India.
It has a huge processing plant in Kamshet, between the commercial centres of Pune and Mumbai. The Forbes business magazine of USA ranked Venky's as 67th among the 100 best global small companies in 2000. The Economic Times of India, recently said Venky's had taken a 'silent route for its global foray'. In recognition of his efforts Dr Rao, referred to as the father of modern poultry in India, was made Padmashree in 1990 - India's highest civilian award.
He died in 1996, but he still dominates the firm. In the annual report he is described as 'beloved' and 'legendary' with the first page devoted to quotes outlining his philosophy.
The group is now run by his daughter Anuradha Desai, with the help of two brothers.
She is 47 years old and has been a director since 1998. According to the annual report, Mrs Desai has been instrumental in the firm's growth. She was the first woman to hold the post of President of the World Poultry Science Association in 1996. She is quoted as saying: "Being among the wealthiest women in India doesn't bother me at all. "On the other hand, it makes me feel responsible towards society and to the people who depend on our organisation — be it poultry farmers, shareholders or our employees." She adds that it has been tough to live up to her father's 'great reputation', but 'pleasant to get the road smoothened by the immense goodwill he enjoyed'. And there was extreme pressure on her when she took over.
News site Hindu Business Line reported that there were many doubters - both in and outside the company - that she could handle the responsibility. It said: "But take over she did and with a panache and grace that few expected from the soft-spoken young woman who was rarely seen or heard of before she took over the mantle. "Those who have watched her since her childhood and seen her as a not-quite-sure-of-herself young girl, will tell you that she has been replaced by a totally mature woman completely at ease with herself and her surroundings and in charge of everything that happens in the group.
"Not for Anuradha are the frills and trappings that corporate women in power sport, including clothes that make statements or orders that brook no argument. "Instead, she adopts what she says is a leadership style that she easily and naturally slipped into."
On her style, she is quoted as telling Business Line: "You have to invest in building up relationships with people, give them the freedom to work towards goals and when you spend time with them and understand them, they are ready to put in their best for you, be it man or woman," she says. "You can't hold a stick and frighten anybody into working for you.
"Instead, if you sit with them and work with them, you can be assured of results."
Rovers fans will now be hoping this approach brings results on the football field.
India to sign N-damages pact
MNP to roll out in November
Of high speed trains
26.10.10
Rent Control Act
Pune's Mula - Mutha revival project
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
• Project along 17-km river stretch from Vitthalwadi to Kharadi
• No untreated sewage water to be released in the river
• A water level of 0.6 TMC will be maintained throughout the year
• Three bunds to be constructed at Sangam bridge, Kalyaninagar and Mundhwa
• Water-locking mechanism for allowing water transport
• Seven entry and exit points for water transport and other facilities
• Around 1.5 lakh two-wheelers can be ferried every day
• Water ambulances proposed as many hospitals are located along banks of the river
The PMC, incidentally, has started the work of channelising the river on two small stretches — from Mhatre bridge to Sangam bridge, and Sangam bridge to Bund Garden. This work is expected to be completed by March next year. Naik assured that slumdwellers living along the banks of the river would not be displaced. The irrigation department would not have to release water to maintain the level in the river. However, the PMC’s proposed multi-crore elevated road project along the river would have to be abandoned. Presently, the municipal corporation can treat only 71 per cent of the total sewage water. Of the 700 MLD (million litres per day) sewage water generated in the city, the PMC treats 567 MLD. There are 45 canals carrying sewage water which join the river. Several elected office-bearers and the civic administration have supported the river restoration project, Naik said. The detailed project report would be submitted to the central planning commission in the next one-and-a-half months.
Barabanki's Parijat tree
Eco to grow 9% in 2011-12: PM
India - Japan N-deal delayed
Unique ID for Bangalore property
Infosys prize
Mathematical Sciences: Prof. Chandrashekhar Khare, University of California, LA;
Physical Sciences: Prof. Sandip Trivedi, theoretical physics department, TIFR, Mumbai; Engineering and Computer Science: Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, chemical engineering department, IIT-Kanpur;
Life Sciences: Dr Cheta E Chitnis, principal leader, Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi;
Social Sciences: Prof. Amita Baviskar, Institute of Economic Growth;
Social Anthropology: Prof. Nandini Sundar, Delhi School of Economics.
September trade snippets
25.10.10
Aurangabad shows off growing wealth
Somewhere on the banks of the Ganga....
Telecom trivia
PM goes to Tokyo
24.10.10
Earliest lighthouse ?
Disinvestment snippets
Geelani heckled @ meet in Delhi
Bay watch
GI tags
Navi Mumbai airport update
India's biggest IPO yet
South side story
Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of channels owned by political parties or their close aides. These include Sun TV (owned by DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s grandnephews Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi Maran) and Jaya TV (owned by Jayalalithaa). Captain TV is owned by actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth besides Mega TV and two Congressmen launched Vasanth channel while Makkal TV espouses the PMK cause. After DMK leaders fell out with the Marans last year, the party launched Kalaignar TV.
In Andhra Pradesh, the late YSR’s son Jaganmohan Reddy owns Sakshi TV and Sakshi newspaper.
In Kerala, Malayalam Communications runs a couple of channels which are CPM-backed, while Congressmen have their Jaihind channel. M K Muneer of Muslim League has started India Vision.