Y - an eternal Question....

Spied - On Test - Tata IRIS CNG

2011-06-17T23:35:00.002+05:30

Soon after I read this post on http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/commercial-vehicles/tata-magic-iris-cng-scooped-icb-exclusive-37511/ I stumbled upon the opportunity of clicking the vehicle in real...

16th June on the NH-4 somewhere near Satara, the Test Driver had stopped for his lunch... He just smiled when I asked him some questions about the Test-vehicle...

The vehicle bears the same number that is shown at http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/commercial-vehicles/tata-magic-iris-cng-scooped-icb-exclusive-37511/

Lisa Turner: How Negative Self-Talk Makes You Fat

2010-07-02T19:11:00.000+05:30

Lisa Turner: How Negative Self-Talk Makes You Fat

How many times have you criticized yourself in the last 24 hours? Stop for a minute and think about it. If you're having any doubts that you've been anything but complimentary, think back to when you got dressed this morning. What exactly did you say to the image in the mirror? "Look at that stomach! Your thighs are enormous! You'll never fit into those pants you got last month. You look terrible!"

Most of us wouldn't dream of speaking to another human being like that. But we have no problem routinely addressing ourselves in a disrespectful, even demeaning, way. And those voices make weight loss, or any kind of change, difficult or even agonizing.

Where do they come from, these critical, demeaning voices? Mostly, they're the collective, cruel voices of our past -- our parents, our siblings, schoolyard bullies, former lovers -- that we've internalized. Over time, we come to believe them as true. They're incredibly powerful. And they can set up all kinds of horribly self-sabotaging situations.

Not long ago, I was in an unavoidable situation with a person from my past who was the source of many of my own voices. I had gone into this situation feeling positive, even elated: my career was successful, my friendships were solid, my family life was strong, my health was great. Less than 24 hours after being with her, I felt demoralized, pitiful, small. Nothing in my life had changed, but I was utterly deflated -- until I became aware of a cacophony of voices inside my head. There it was: a steady stream of small but painful self-criticisms, like an onslaught of tiny, fierce hornets. The irony is, this woman's criticisms of me paled in comparison to my own self-talk. I'd done most of the work for her.

How does negative self talk hamper your best efforts to lose weight or, for that matter, get a job, run three miles, begin a new relationship, even move through your day in a peaceful fashion?

It keeps you stuck in the past. Most of the time, negative self-talk has nothing to do with what's going on in the moment, in present time. Those critical, blaming voices are based almost entirely on past influences that don't recognize who you are today. They're not accurate. Staying in the past also keeps you in a comfortably familiar role, even if it's a miserable one. No matter how much you want to change, it's scary to step out of a familiar pattern and into a new way of being -- even if, ultimately, it will bring you joy and peace.

It increases cortisol. Stress -- any kind of stress, be it physical, mental or emotional -- increases levels of cortisol which in turn encourage the storage of fat, especially around the belly. A new study published in the journal NeuroImage, found that study participants who engaged in self-criticism showed more brain activity in the regions associated with depression, anxiety and eating disorders. In other words, mean self-talk makes you eat more, and hold on to excess weight.

It undermines your confidence. You've got to be your own champion, your own best friend. No one else will do it for you. If the voice in your head is hurling demoralizing epithets at you every 10 seconds, you'll feel defeated before you've even left the starting gate. And when you're standing on the sidelines screaming, "Who are you kidding? You'll never lose weight," you probably won't.

It destroys your trust in yourself. When the nasty little voice in your head is hurling unkind words at you, it's impossible to simultaneously trust yourself. And trusting yourself is key to any kind of change -- especially a positive change in dietary habits.

It's really believable. The voice that's spewing out that steady stream of negative talk is powerfully persuasive. It knows the right phrases, the exact tone, the fastest way to cut you off at the knees. But the voice isn't always obvious; it can be clever, slippery and so hard to pin down that you're not even aware of its presence until the damage is done.

Knowing that negative self-talk is a nasty habit is one thing. Stopping it is another issue altogether. The first step is to simply draw attention to the voice in your head. What is it saying? And whose voice is that anyway? Try this exercise: for one hour every day, become acutely aware of your negative self-talk. You don't have to confront it right away; this first step is a fact-finding mission. Take a step back from the voice, and listen to it with curiosity. Give it lots of space to express, but stay non-committal. For some people, 15 minutes of this practice is plenty.

Once you've become painfully aware of your own negative self-talk, talk back. This is your chance to say all those things you didn't get to say in real life. If it's possible for you, talk back out loud.Really loud. It's freeing to holler at the voice that represents the critical people from your past.

I had a client whose parents sat at the dinner table every night and poured on a torrent of criticisms as she ate: "Why are you eating so much? You're already so fat! You're only going to get fatter!" Mind you, this woman was a child at the time, and she played out their predictions: she ate more, and she got fatter. She's a grown woman now, and not speaking to either of her parents, but their voices continue to ruin her meals on a nightly basis. Once she became aware of how efficiently she'd internalized their negative dialogue, she started to talk back -- or, rather, holler back, using words I can't print in this column.

Eventually their voices stopped, the negative self-talk slowed, and she regained control of her own mind and life once again. Try it yourself; with practice, you'll become your own champion and best friend -- and speaking nicely to yourself will become a cherished habit.

How do you talk to yourself -- nasty or nice? We'd love to hear your comments!

Follow Lisa Turner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LisaTurnerCooks

SharkyBids.com for Online Auctions

2010-05-26T21:10:00.002+05:30

Sharky Bids is an online auction site that offers incredible saving to consumers. Up to 99% off RRP is offered on genuine, brand name products which are brand new direct from trusted retailers.

Sharky Bids auction off products like Apple iPhone, laptops, Xbox, big screen TVs, digital cameras, cash and more every day.

"What is SharkyBids?

SharkyBids.com is a new and exciting auction concept, that lets users win some of the best bargain deals online! They auction away brand new, top-name, high quality products at only a fraction of their retail cost. They do this by charging users a small fee for each bid placed, just $ 0.40-0.60 depending on the size of the Bid Pack you purchase, to support our crazy bargain prices. The prices are converted automatically to your local currency. You will find completely ridiculous prices in all of our auctions that start at 0 with no reserve. Take a look at the items they are currently auctioning, and if there's one you want, why not buy some bids?

Every day we auctions off auctions at incredibly low prices. The winners of our auctions typically save between 96 – 99% off the recommended retail price!

Unlike conventional auctions, users pay for each bid they place on an auction. When a bid is placed, the price increases by one penny and the time extends by 10 seconds. The winner is the final bidder when the timer says GONE.

Sharky Bids makes money through purchased bids, allowing us to auction products off at unbelievably low prices.

It is free to sign up and create an account on our website.

If you see an auction you'd like to participate in, simply purchase a bid package to credit your account with bids. A positive bid balance will give you the right to start bidding on any of our auctions. Buying a bid package does not mean you are an automatic winner, you utilise each bid to try to outbid any the competition!

Next, select a product that you would like to win. There are two ways to bid:

Single Bids – single bids are placed by using the “BID” button. You control when you bid and how often you bid.

Bid Buddy – the Bid Buddy does the bidding for you! It can be an effective way to intimidate any competition. The majority of our auctions are won using the Bid Buddy. Click on the “Use a Bid Buddy” link for an explanation on how the Bid Buddy works.

Remember, each time a bid is placed the auction time will extend by 15 seconds. The objective is for you to be the final bidder when the auction timer reaches zero. If there are no further bids placed from other users, the auction timer will hit zero and you will be declared the winner.

Unlike other penny auctions, you are not required to pay the final price shown. Shipping is free worldwide. Check the auction description to see what countries the product is shipped from to determine if customs duties will be payable.

For more information check out our help section or contact us!

Sharky Bids

Play Date (Sari)

2010-05-19T21:39:00.000+05:30

Da Indian Desi Calendar 2010

2010-01-30T12:23:00.001+05:30

DHM Calendar 2010 - Da Indian Desi Calendar 2010

BloggersUnite for Haiti // Bloggers Unite

2010-01-25T19:25:00.002+05:30

BloggersUnite for Haiti // Bloggers Unite

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Great Photos & A Photo Mag Issue — On Building a Better Blog... Brent Riggs

2009-12-08T18:32:00.001+05:30

Great Photos & A Photo Mag Issue — On Building a Better Blog... Brent Riggs

This is a perfect chance for you get your questions answered, request demonstrations, have your photos published, and be highlighted as photographer (or someone who takes great blog photos).

If you are a photographer, or just shoot good blog photos, and want to be considered to have YOUR OWN GALLERY PAGE in the issue, contact (brent@brentriggs.com).
If you are photographer and want your own photo gallery in the issue, or want to contribute“how to” or educational articles about photography, contact (brent@brentriggs.com).
If you want to submit your photos for publication in the public photo gallery, go here:http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com/submit_content_forms.asp?c=photos
Email (brent@brentriggs.com) with your photography requests: How-To’s, Demo’s, Tools, Education… what you would like to see in this issue that will help you take better photos?

Hurry and respond… by Sunday… this is a great chance for some of you photography buffs and even professionals to get some significant exposure.

Brent

Source - http://www.mcklinkyblog.com/200912/great-photos-a-photo-mag-issue/

Homage to the Valiant Heroes and the Victims of 26-11 - At Karwar

2009-11-26T20:52:00.002+05:30

We, as small Group of Lawyers friends at Karwar paid Homage to the valiant Heroes and the innocent victims of the 26-11 Mumbai Terror Attacks, at the residence/office Mr. Pradeep M Naik Advocate.

Mumbai's prominent landmarks like the Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, Oberoi Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Nariman House fell prey to the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives. Several brave officers of the Mumbai Police force like Joint Commissioner of Police, Anti-Terrorist Squad, Hemant Karkare, Police Inspector, Anti Extortion Cell, Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte fell prey to the bullets. National Security Guards and Marine Commandos were summoned to bring the situation under control. The NGS also lost its two personnel, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Commando Gajendra Singh. The day is a tribute to all those martyrs who gave up their lives to ensure others could live to tell their tales and a salute to the bravery of those who survived. CNN-IBN

Attending the Homage ceremony at Karwar Lawyer Pradeep M Naik's house, were Anil Mayekar, Anirudh Haldipurkar, Jagadish Harwadekar, Ramnath Bhat, Yogesh Naik, Nagaraj Deshbhandari, Varada Naik, Vinayak Naik, A. D. Naik, Ramnath Parulekar, Jyoti Mirashi, Gajanan P Tarikar, Ashwini Gowda, etc. Advocate Kiran Naik sang patriot songs and 2 minutes of silence was observed.

The first anniversary of the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror carnage was also the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian constitution but sadly, this did not get the attention it deserved, a Rajya Sabha MP lamented Thursday. ‘This morning, when we assembled, we paid tribute to the victims of the 26/11 attack. But we have forgotten that our constitution was adopted on 26th November 1949. Today is the 60th anniversary of that momentous event,’ Bharatiya Janata Party member S.S. Ahluwalia said during zero hour. ‘Sadly, there is no mention of this in the media. Parliament too has forgotten about it. There was not even a bouquet placed in the Central Hall where the constitution was adopted,’ Ahluwalia added.

Source: 26/11 anniversary is also 60th anniversary of constitution’s adoption 60th anniversary, ahluwalia, indian constitution, rajya sabha

A year later, the entire nation has come together to observe the first anniversary of the 26/11 attacks and pay homage to the 166 people who lost their lives. Indian Express Nation observes first anniversary of 26/11

Music Stars And Their Embarrassing High School Yearbook Photos : Blog : Pedestrian.tv

2009-11-26T01:58:00.001+05:30

Music Stars And Their Embarrassing High School Yearbook Photos : Blog : Pedestrian.tv

Shall we dive back into the working week with a tasty slice of schadenfreude? Think of it as a wheat grass shot for the soul via the music industry's most embarrassing yearbook photos.

From Gene Simmons and Prince to Madonna and Avril Lavigne (who surprise surprise wasn't a punk) Impact Lab have compiled a skin-crawling collection of yearbook photos which belie the superstar persona those manipulative Record Companies would have you believe.

Case in point? Lil John was once the long lost cousin of Steve Urkel. Eminem looks like a beady eyed yokel who's one defective gene away from retardation. And while currently channeling "sexually ambiguous metrosexual" American Idol host Ryan Seacrest rocked the decidedly less sexy "future pedophile" look in middle school. Thank God our yearbook photos will never see the light of day.

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DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON ( Read This Article

2009-11-25T01:32:00.000+05:30

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON - Source - FUNLOK.com

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question.
She said, " How do I know if I married the right person ?"
I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, " It Depends. Is that your husband?"
In all seriousness, she answered " How do you know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's Weighing on your mind.
Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with Your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked Their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a Completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, " I was swept of my feet." Think about the Imagery of that _expression. It implies that you were just standing There; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the Natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls Become a bother ( if they come at all), touch is not always welcome ( when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you Think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, " Did I marry The right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of The love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else.

This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their Unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is The most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You Could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because ( listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find " LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the _expression " the labor of love."

Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it Takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific Things you can do ( with or without your spouse ) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe ( such as gravity),

There are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise Program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your Relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... You can " make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a " decision"... Not just a feeling.

**************

SantaBanta Jokes -- Cheergirls in Sarees!

2009-11-24T18:36:00.000+05:30

SantaBanta Jokes -- Cheergirls in Sarees!

End of the World ???

2009-11-21T12:52:00.000+05:30

Source - Twisted Physics

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

2009-11-19T12:01:00.001+05:30

Sourced from - www.marcandangel.com

These questions have no right or wrong answers.

Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?

15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

22. Why are you, you?

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

25. What are you most grateful for?

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

32. If not now, then when?

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?

48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?

50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

The H1N1 Farce - Medicine killls effectively than the disease - http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20090801-20969.html

2009-08-11T11:11:00.001+05:30

The enormous vaccination programme against the A/H1N1 swine flu virus due to start this autumn across Germany is nothing less than a huge experiment, a prominent critic of the pharmaceutical industry says.
Wolfgang Becker-BrÃ¼ser, doctor and publisher of the arznei-telegramm magazine which details critiques of the pharmaceutical industry, says current safety testing rules allow for up to a quarter of a million people to have serious reaction against the vaccine.

Conditions set out for the vaccine, which is still being developed, to be licensed for use, are particularly lax, he alleges.

Only those reactions which occur "frequently" â meaning at least once in each 100 test patients, would be noted and considered serious, says Becker-BrÃ¼ser.

This means that if the target of 25 million Germans being vaccinated is met, nearly 250,000 could have a serious reaction against the vaccine.

His warning comes as a report was released showing that half of children in England who have been given the current flu drug Tamiflu, used to keep the A/H1N1 flu at bay, have suffered side-effects such as nausea, insomnia and nightmares.

Others are also having second thoughts about the wisdom of injecting as much as a third of the population with a brand new vaccine.

Matthias Gruhl, head of the health care office in Bremen state, who is responsible for pandemic planning told Der Spiegel magazine, âIf the swine flu stays as harmless as it is now, a mass vaccination programme would not be justified.â

He said current plans were being drawn up on the assumption that a second, much worse wave of infections would come later in the year.

But he said there was no indication that this would actually happen.

There are also suggestions that the vaccine is likely to cost the public purse more than initially calculated, according to Der Spiegel.

The magazine reported that â¬410 million will be needed for the vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline, making the sum of â¬650 million set aside by the Health Ministry realistic only if the state health ministries actually undertake the vaccinations.

Should doctors become involved, and the vaccine be ordered via pharmacies, the programme will cost more than â¬1 billion, the magazine said.

http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20090801-20969.html

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Hankon Thermal Power Plant - 1

2009-08-10T12:09:00.001+05:30

This is the temple of Sri. Sateri Devi at Hankon village, in Karwar Taluk (Wikimapia Link). This Ancient Temple, recently renovated by its devotees, opens for only SEVEN DAYS in a year..

Sateri Devi temple at Hankon, about 10 km from here on the Sadashivgad- Kadra state highway, has been attracting devotees not only from this part of the state, but from Goa and Maharashtra as well.The most significant feature of the temple is that it is open only for a week in the Bhadrapada month. The festival is celebrated during this week. Legend has it that about 300 years ago, Sateri Devi took birth at Hankon in a human form. Having mystic powers, she was revered by the people. However, one day she disappeared by jumping into a well.When the villagers prayed for her to resurface, Sateri Devi, who appeared in the dream of a devotee promised that she would give darshan only on two days in a year. When they asked her to stay for at least a week, she agreed.Thus the festival is celebrated from the fourth day of Ganesh Chaturthi every year for one week. More here...

Residents of this village - Hankona are protesting against the establishment of a Coal-based Thermal Power plant in their fields and neighbourhood. The locals allege that the Company behind the proposed coal-based thermal power plant bought land from them in the guise of setting up a resort. The Kali which flows here has created an evergreen thick forest cover, and is the breeding ground for many species of marine and acquatic life.

Despite all this the Ministry of Environment, Government of India gives clearance to the Thermal project. In the Public Hearing that was held at the Hankona village, more than 53 Points, supported by Documentary evidence was tabled by the majority of the people that spoke against the Thermal Plant.

It seems none of these Objections were considered by the Government. The entire Public meeting was documented, and videographed,but what irks the local poeple is that none of their objections were even replied to by the Ministry. This shows that the entire operation was stage managed...

Meanwhile, take a look at this :- Orissa inks MoUs for 10 thermal power plants will be set up with an investment of Rs 45,000 crore to produce 10,920 MW power...

Campaign against Coal Based / Fired Thermal Power Plant Projects in India Petition

2009-08-03T21:48:00.000+05:30

Campaign against Coal Based / Fired Thermal Power Plant Projects in India Petition

To: The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, President, Prime Minister (PM), Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Governors, Chief Ministers (CMs) and Chief Secretaries
Campaign against Coal Based Thermal Power Plant project

Chamalapura plant: KERC wants a re-look at project The Hindu, Sat, May 31, 2008

Centre rejected eco-clearance for Chamalapura project in 1998 : The Hindu Sat, Apr 05, 2008

The Greenhouse Effect (Photo)

Global Warming: causes and effects (Photo)

Causes of global warming (Photo)

How Acid Rain Works (Photo)

Indian Netizens' Forum

Summary report of the study on "Post-Clearance Environmental Impacts and Cost-benefit Analysis of Power Generation in India" Conducted by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute February, 2006

Air Pollution / Pollutant

Almost all >(greater than) 100 MW Coal based / fired thermal power plants or CBTPPs or CFTPPs by consuming thousands of tons of coal daily, heavily pollute the air of the surrounding region. Burning coal also releases massive amounts of toxic mercury and arsenic.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Coal is considered a heavily polluting fuel in terms of black carbon, sulphates and other gaseous pollutants primarily due to incomplete and inefficient combustion. CBTPPs/CFTPPs are responsible for almost 21 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions.

Official figures from China in 2003 suggest that TPPs using coal, released over 11 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide or SO2 into the air, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total emissions in the country.

India is fifth (in the year 2001) in the world in carbon emissions (251 million metric tons of carbon equivalent). Emission levels in the CBTPPs are high.

Black Carbon

Black Carbon or BC due to the TPPs causes dense / intense fog, haze and smog as in the Indo-Gangetic or I-G/IG basin or as in the northern plains during the winter season and brings day to day life to standstill. An intense air pollution will persist throughout the year.

http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/

An increase in the concentration of BC produces changes in the monsoon (rainfall) patterns and abnormal heating of the atmosphere as BC is strongly absorbing in nature.

Global Warming and Climate Change

Coal is the most carbon intensive of all fossil fuels, emits massive amounts of carbon dioxide or CO2 leading to global warming and climate change.

Respiratory Ailments

SO2 causes a number of health problems, including respiratory disorders.

Water Environment

Water slurry is used to take the ash from the power plant to the ash pond for disposal.

The water may contain harmful heavy metals like boron, which have a tendency to leach out over a period of time. Due to this the ground water gets polluted and becomes unsuitable for domestic use.

The second factor affecting the water environment is the release of ash pond decant into the local water bodies. This is harmful to the fisheries and other aquatic biota in the water body.

Geochemical hazard by coal-ash from a CBTPP in Kolaghat, West Bengal, India

Huge amounts of ash rich in toxic trace elements and radioactive elements or radionuclides, are disposed off in large ponds and on open grounds surrounding the power plant, thus contaminating the topsoil and the subsurface aquifer.

Absence of an underground lining permits easy mixing of the ash with the topsoil of the area. Al, As, Zn, Mo, Ba, V, Mo, Cd, Mn, and Pb exceed the WHO guidelines for drinking water in the tube well waters.

People living near the ash ponds are subjected to a high radiation dose from the ash ponds and the soil cover, which is ~ (approximately) 2.6 times higher than the world average.

Noise

The exposure of employees to high noise levels is more in the CBTPPs.

Land Environment

The natural soil becomes more alkaline due to the alkaline nature of flyash thereby damaging the agriculture / agricultural sector.

Biological Environment

The effect on biological environment can be divided into two parts, viz. the effect on flora and the effect on fauna. Effect on flora is due to two main reasons land acquisition and due to flue (combustion exhaust) gas emissions. Land acquisition leads to loss of habitat of some species.

Socio-Economic Environment

The study of the effects of power plants on the socio-economic environment is based on three parameters, viz. Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R), effect on local civic amenities and work related hazards to employees of the power plants.

The CBTPP has the highest number of accidents due to hazardous working conditions.

Assessment of Uncertainties

The development of civic amenities due to the setting of a CBTPP/CFTPP project is directly proportional to its size or installed capacity. Higher the capacity greater the civic amenities, pollution, hazardous working conditions and health hazards.

Influence of coal based thermal power plants on aerosol optical properties in the Indo-Gangetic basin

India is the third-largest producer of coal in the world (365 million tons, 2003-04), where the coal used in the power plants is of poor quality (mostly E-F grade or lignite) with high ash content (35-50\%) and low calorific value.

http://www.eia.doe.gov

Therefore, preference should be given to promotion of cleaner sources of energy to reduce the pollutant load in the atmospheres over India and China.

The total pollution load from the transport sector is quantitatively second to the TP sector.

http://envfor.nic.in/soer/2001/ind_air.pdf

Environmental impact of coal industry and thermal power plants in India

The problems associated with the use of coal are low calorific value and very high ash content. The ash content is as high as 55-60\%, with an average value of about 35-40\%.

Further, most of the coal is located in the eastern parts of the country and requires transportation over long distances, mostly by trains, which run on diesel. About 70\% oil is imported and is a big drain on India's hard currency.

Campaigns Thermal Trauma, February 2007

Ash samples taken from the 735-MW CFTPP in Pagbilao, Quezon in the Philippines operated by Mirant were found positive for mercury, arsenic and lead.

The same must be true for Indian plants, but it would probably need applications under the Right to Information or RTI Act, as industrialists, do not seem to display much loyalty to the people of India.

Despite all the well-documented negative impacts of CBTP generation, the Indian central / state governments are unfortunately bent on going forward with more and more in complete disregard of the impacts.

The Karnataka Industrial Development Board or KIADB has already handed over 263 ha. in Yellur to NPCL, which has begun to level agricultural land and clear forested areas, some privately owned and protected as sacred groves and believed to harbour leopards, wild boar and a rich avian diversity.

Villagers claim the company did not take prior permission, violating section 28 of the Panchayati / Panchayathi / Panchayti Raj Act. A writ petition challenging the project's environmental viability is pending before the Karnataka High Court (HC).

A National Environmental Engineering Research Institute's (NEERI) study states that the project is unsustainable, even if a Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) plant is installed. Yet, the polluting plant has been accorded clearance.

Though this coastal region is ecologically sensitive and no polluting project should be sited here, successive governments continue to try and extract commercial gains from clearances.

In an act that can only be described as "suicide by climate change," the Maharashtra Government has also sought to double the number of TPPs to eight!

The planners and leaders in India unfortunately neither seem able to comprehend the issues surrounding climate change, nor seem to be aware of the serious consequences for our economy.

Solutions will probably never be found until the government itself works to educate its people against the 'disease' of environmental degradation. Looking at alternate energy sources and investments in energy efficiency would ultimately benefit the economy itself.

Greenpeace India recently initiated a positive and creative campaign, "Switch for Mumbai" to encourage people to adopt energy efficient ways to use electricity so that the city could bridge the energy demand-supply gap.

We can influence the choices we make today by reducing our own power consumption.

We protest against our country's / states' suicidal plans to construct new CBTPPs and appeal to opt for coal-free alternatives as
1. CBTPPs are one of the biggest contributors to global warming.
2. TPPs will pollute the air, water and soil in the area and affect livelihoods of farmers and fishermen.
3. India must look towards earth-friendly alternatives to meet our power demand and adopt energy-efficient ways rather than invest large amounts in destructive CBTPPs.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

10 reasons why you should blog?

2009-07-30T13:22:00.001+05:30

10 reasons why you should blog?

10 REASONS WHY SHOULD YOU BLOG ?

1) Expressing Yourself
As mentioned earlier, blogging helps you to express freely, most of which is normally not possible physically. The expression could be your own or your response to others point of view or current events. I think this is the most important trait of blogging.

2) Blogging gives you exposure.
Blogs can give you tremendous exposure. As you build content on the blog, like minded people join in. Lot of people find your blog through search engines, looking for things of similar interest as yours, thus giving you quite a bit of exposure. Blogs being inherently Search Engine friendly help quite a bit.

3) Blogging gives you power
With exposure comes power. Especially, if your blog content is either controversial or popular. If you have build credibility over a period of time, people will be influenced by what you say and write. This gives you power and self gratification.

4) Blogging gives you knowledge
Yes, I have experienced it first hand. When you write a blog you will always be interested is what is happening around you and what are others writing. This process itself will give you information overload. And when you have information/ knowledge you are very confident !

5) Blogging improves your writing skills
When you start blogging you may or may not be too confident about your writing skills. However, if you blog consistently and frequently you are bound to improve your writing skills. I find myself asking this question a lot of times –Have I really written this :)

6) Blogging lets you connect with your employees and employers

Whether you are a CEO, a manager or just a employee, blogging lets you connect with your superiors, colleagues, or sub-ordinates. In many cases your blog becomes your effective way of communication. This helps you in getting your point across at your own convenience.

7) Blogging puts you in touch with Industry Leaders
Yes, this is the fact. The Industry leaders are always on watch out for what people are saying about them or about their companies. There have been many instances when these biggies have directly communicated with bloggers. I do not think any other medium is simple enough to put you in touch with them !

8) Blogging can earn you money
Blogging can make you decent money. Not every body earns in Lakhs like Amit Agarwal of digital inspiration, but blogging can give a nice stream of steady cash. Earning money takes a bit of time, but if you write regularly and monetize your blog sensibly, you can surely make decent sum.

9) Blogging lets you share knowledge
One of the reason why blogs have been so popular is the amount of knowledge sharing that takes place. Also, this knowledge gets so refined over period of so many iterations that many people now only refer to blogs to get information- it is also because they can ask questions and interact with the person who has knowledge- unlike a static website that gives you a lot of information, but does not answer to your questions.

10) Blogging can grow your business.

This is another important aspect of blogging. You can easily bring in lot of new business, because of the personalized communication you have through your blog. People trust individuals not businesses. Blog is also an excellent medium to get instant feedback on your products and services, thereby giving you continuous platform for improvement.

There are tens of other reasons why you should blog, but every person has got his own reason for blogging. My question to readers

Y do you blog ?

grow your own architecture

2009-07-27T21:18:00.001+05:30

grow your own architecture

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Techtree.com India News Consumer Electronics Samsung's Watch Phone is Slim, Expensive

2009-07-23T17:47:00.001+05:30

Samsung has announced a new watch phone, the S9110. At 11.98 mm, it happens to be the slimmest watch phone money can buy now. The S9110 is a direct competitor to arch rival LG's GD910 watch phone that the world came to know about not long ago. Samsung seems to have pipped LG to announce and launch this phone before the GD910 is seen in stores.
The S9110 has it all to make you drool over it. From 1.7-inch touchscreen display to voice recognition, the phone oozes style and might turn out to be one gadget you'd like to flaunt. It comes with a leather strap and a stainless steel body. It is not low on features as well, thanks to a decent music player and an e-mail client. There is Bluetooth as well for those looking for wireless freedom. Thanks to A2DP support, you won't look like Michael Knight calling K.I.T.T for help whenever you answer a phone call.

So, folks over at Samsung have priced this beauty (depends on which side of the design divide you stand) at 450 Euros (Rs. 31,000 approx.), which, mind you, is quite a decent amount of money if you are talking in cellphone terms. If you are an 80's kid who had always yearned for those "cool" watch phones, you now can finally own one!Techtree.com India News Consumer Electronics Samsung's Watch Phone is Slim, Expensive

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Michael Jackson: The Virgo In a World Apart | Tarot.com

2009-06-27T11:41:00.001+05:30

Michael Jackson: The Virgo In a World Apart | Tarot.com

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The late, great Michael Jackson always displayed a Leo's flashy style, but he was born with his Sun in modest Virgo. The self-critical nature of this zodiac sign can lead to shyness (think Michael Jackson's last few years, all but living as a recluse). Dark Pluto's conjunction to Michael's Virgo Sun added power, mystery and -- in the end -- danger to his personality.

Before his recent, untimely death by heart attack on June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was long considered one of the most enigmatic celebrities on the planet. A star since early childhood and the creator of some of the most popular and recognizable music of his time, his legal difficulties have outshone his musical work in recent years. Born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, Michael was a Virgo, the zodiac sign of the clean, careful and quirky. In the latter half of his career, this germ-phobic performer seemed to have embraced the shadow side of Virgo's characteristics.

The astrological explanation for this is the close conjunction of Pluto, the planet of extremes, to Michael Jackson's Sun. Pluto's presence empowered Jackson with almost superhuman skills as an entertainer; unfortunately, Pluto is associated with the mythological Lord of the Underworld, which means Pluto's presence also revealed the potential for Jackson's dark side and deep secrets that require complete privacy -- this explains why Jackson demanded complete control of his environment, and why he left the stage and studio to create his own, childlike haven (Neverland Ranch in California). Trust doesn't come easily for Pluto types, even ones who weren't famous at the age of six. The Sun is also a symbol for the father, with Michael's famously controlling and allegedly abusive papa (Joe Jackson) well-represented by Pluto in his son's chart

The finely tuned precision of Michael's Sun wouldn't have attracted audiences and produced beautiful music without the exquisite sensitivity of Jackson's Pisces Moon. The Moon represents feelings, and none are more refined than those of the last sign of the zodiac. This gave Michael Jackson the lush imagination to complement and inspire his truly Virgo, high-level skills. People with their Moons in Pisces often live in a world without emotional boundaries; they're sponges who pick up on the reactions of those around them.
This is a gift when it comes to healing others and tapping into a bottomless well of creativity. But it can also bring a sense of uncertainty, an unrooted quality that makes for restless souls. Faith helps overcome this vulnerability, as Pisces Moons often find the universal connection they seek through religion or spiritual practice. Still, Michael remained isolated by his uniqueness, separated by actions both inspired (his relentless musical creativity) and profane (his questionable relationships with young boys) that made him so different from the rest of us.
His rare musical brilliance shone most brightly through the symbol of artistic Venus in the expressive sign of Leo. But Michael's Venus was both gifted and complicated by its close proximity to Uranus, the planet of uniqueness. Venus-Uranus people bring fresh perspectives to the arts and often break the boundaries of old categorizations. The success of the quirky Plutonian hit 'Thriller' was a breakthrough for African-American artists in the culture of early MTV, showing how this placement of Venus and Uranus added sparkle and freshness that excited audiences and confounded critics -- Michael Jackson did not fit into any conventional category as a performer.

On a personal level, this relationship between Venus and Uranus could hint at unusual relationship preferences, as well as a fear of being confined by love. The vast majority of individuals with this combination in their chart are in no danger of violating laws or shocking the community. Yet in Michael Jackson's case, the absence of clear sexual orientation (or the questionable ways he tried to express his sexual orientation) have sadly become his most publicized characteristics in recent years.

It is unfortunate that a profoundly talented soul -- and such a creative mind -- made his mark on pop culture, only to have it marred. With this Venus-Uranus placement, it remains unclear whether Jackson broke any laws, or if he truly was just an eccentric with an innocent -- if misunderstood -- love of children.

Whether guilty of crimes or not, however, Michael may have felt that in his uniqueness there was also something deeply wrong with him, as if his creative genius had not put him above us, but had simply set him apart. Interestingly, the strength of all these elements -- his honed Virgo work ethic, his highly imaginative Pisces Moon, his Venus-Uranus-inspired way of flaunting convention, even the Plutonian tendencies to push musical boundaries to the extreme -- truly combined to make Jackson the once and future King of Pop.

Celebrity Deaths: Is There a Cosmic Connection? from Cosmic Reporter's Tarot Blog

2009-06-27T11:36:00.002+05:30

Celebrity Deaths: Is There a Cosmic Connection? from Cosmic Reporter's Tarot Blog

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As you probably already know, today brought the untimely deaths of two American pop culture legends: bombshell actress Farrah Fawcett and â€œKing of Popâ€ Michael Jackson. Two days ago, we also said goodbye to TV personality/television host/all-American good guy Ed McMahon, a loss which came fast on the heels of actor David Carradineâ€™s tragic end.

Although there is no stand-out cosmic explanation for the sudden rash of celebrity deaths, master astrologer Jeff Jawer offers a couple insights, noting, â€œMondayâ€™s New Moon in cozy Cancer was opposite Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, setting the stage for some dramatic exits. Pieces of our cultural history are leaving with the departures of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed MacMahon.â€ He adds, rather optimistically, â€œExpansive Jupiterâ€™s close conjunction with spiritual Neptune is a great time to make an escape. The recent deaths of so many famous people may look like a tragic loss to the living but could be a joyous journey for those who have left us.

Still, it is interesting to look at each celeb's Sun sign to see what we can learn about their deaths.

Michael Jackson
The often scandalous saga of Michael Jackson's life came to a sad, shocking end when he died suddenly of a heart attack. He was only 50, and although he had spent the better part of his last decade either in court or in seclusion, his fame never waned. His Virgo sense of perfectionism (combined with his romantic Pisces Moon) had awarded him an outstanding career, from endearing child star to King of Pop to eccentric legend. True to Virgo form, he was defined by his career (after all, he penned some of the most enduring pop hits of our time) and was strongly influenced by his surroundings, which prompted him to create his own paradise in California, Neverland Ranch. For a time, he could tap into his fantasy-driven Pisces Moon and create his own reality. Sadly, he was taken just as this same ability to dream prompted him to organize an epic comeback tour.

Read more about Michael Jackson's unique astrological profile here, and please, feel free to leave your own reflections on these dearly-departed celebs in the comments section.

Sony World Photography Awards 2009 | Vol I | 96 Pics | Yeeeeee

2009-06-23T19:05:00.001+05:30

Sony World Photography Awards 2009 | Vol I | 96 Pics | Yeeeeee

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Is Australia racist: Let's look at the whole picture

2009-06-16T19:59:00.004+05:30

Is Australia racist: Let's look at the whole picture

By - Vandana K Mittal,
04 June 2009, Thursday

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Disclaimer: Whatever I write below is not meant to condone the attacks on Indian students.Those attacks are reprehensible and must be condemned and stopped.The effort is to present the whole picture and not the narrow breast beating of our national channels.

IT IS the season for bashing it seems. While some hoodlums are up to targeted bashing of Indian students in Australia (mainly Melbourne), we in India are up in arms as a nation to bash an entire nation and its population as racist. Our media, that has trouble finding reporters to send to some not-so-remote parts of the country to report on the problems of these regions, seem to have no trouble sending shrill voiced, excited and half-baked young reporters to far away Australia to prowl the streets and send back reports that confirm our 'worst fears' : Australia is a racist country.

It all has a sense of deja vu... remember when Bhajji and Symonds had that monkey/maa -ki spat and we rose as one to beat our collective breast and shout racist...we got that mercurial sardar off the hook by some fancy testimonies of 'senior' players and flexing the BCCI financial muscles only to have him slapping Sreesanth a few months later. Now these 'seasonal' birds are at it again...walking the streets of Australia sending back lop sided reports without any regard for the long term effect they will have on the Indo-Aussie ties.

Like migratory birds, they are there for the short haul and once their channels and newspapers have something new and equally sensational to report on, they will pack up their microphones and depart the Aussie shores. But what about the people of Indian origin, who have lived there for decades, who will continue to live there after this storm has passed and who for the most parts like the lives they have made for themselves in Australian cities?

And what about the thousands of Indian students (at last count about 90,000), who will be continuing to stay back in Australia to complete their degrees?

And what about the injustice done to million of Australians, who are not racist but have been painted as such?

The media is making a grave mistake and doing a disservice to everyone by whipping up this 'racism' hysteria.

In all my years of living in Australia, I never felt that the nation was racist. What it probably has are some people, who are without a doubt racist.

And those who are blatantly racist are racist probably because of :

1) Their own narrow and xenophobic tendencies and

2) Because they know very little about India and Indians

3) What they do know about Indians comes from the Indians, who are there (so maybe the Indians there are not being very good ambassadors for the country).

The vast majority of Australian population is warm, welcoming and accepting of the huge deluge of immigrants that has been arriving on its shores for almost two decades now.They are keen to put behind them the days of 'whites only' policies and move in tune with the changing global trends and attitudes.

Aussies are the biggest champions of the underdog and the under privileged. They hate the 'tall poppy syndrome' (some being more advantaged and prominent than the others) and go to great lengths to be the ordinary 'bloke' next door, the 'mate' who will chugg a stubbie with you and be there for you when needed.

In my initial days in the country, I was over whelmed by the number of Aussies, who helped me in ways big and small. (If they sometimes seemed patronising it was because they did not know the difference between a well-off, well educated migrant and those seeking asylum from disadvantaged, war torn countries.)

They explained things at work, helped me find books at the local library, explained to me the labrynthine Australian tax system and helped me find my first job. When I turned up at the interview looking very tense and stressed ( I had lost way while driving to it and had was late) the interviewer held my hand, smiled warmly and told me to relax as, according to her, my CV was enough of an interview. She did not have to do that but she did.

During this same period, I met a large number of fellow Indians, who have made huge economic strides in their new country and who by and large live peacefully and happily in Australia. But I also met a large number of those who remain caught in their 'us Vs them' mindset. In their large, double storied houses (dubbed Mc Mansions by the media) they gather routinely for chai and samosas and for 'Indian dinners' wherefor the entire evening they try and outdo one another in detailing how Australia is not all that great, how Aussies do not accept them, how they are discriminated against, how the 'white' culture pollutes and alienates their children and how 'great' their motherland India is. In their curry aided weepy, sentimentality they forget to mention the eagerness with which they had sought migration to Australia, the haste with which they had discarded Indian nationality for the Aussie one and how when they go to India for vacations they can hardly find anything good or right about the country. Ghettos are dangerous things but mental ghettos are even worse.

If Aussies are upset (as New Zealanders earlier were) about the rapid demographic changes in their country, it is also because of the arrivals failing to integrate fully with the locals. And this applies to all immigrants. In the suburb, where I worked, the large number of Afghan and other Muslim immigrants had forced the local KFC to turn Halal and keep no pork products, the nativity scene celebrations could no longer be held in schools during Christmas season lest they offend the Muslim sensibilties. Mince pies, those most iconic of Aussie treats, were not to be served during school fairs etc (pork/non-halal issues. Electoral considerations make the local politicians also bow to these demands (in some case the demand is assumed and not actually made).

In the local play grounds, the Aussie boys play Footy on the weekends and the people from the sub continent play cricket to loud music from Bollywood films. The Indians (and others) also by and large fail to embrace the concept of volunteering in the community. Voluntary work in the community is the virtual backbone of the Aussie way of life and by focussing only on what they can get from Australia the sub -continent immigrants fail to address the issue of what they can do for the communities they arrive into. This often leads to white Aussies leaving suburbs to move to newer or suburbs further away and the old suburbs gradually turn into 'Asians only' areas. This happens with the Chinese/Vietnamese/ Indian and various other communities.

Then there is the vast student population from India. Where are these large numbers coming from? In areas like Chandigarh, there are virtual assembly line businesses specialising in sending the Punjabi youth to Australia. None of these students have any intention of coming back. Most intend to settle down under. Australia is the new 'Kanaada' for the Punjabi. With the Canadian immigration now taking close to five years to get through they have set their sights on Australia as the country to migrate to.Australian migration rules are more stringent then the Canadian ones and hence the use of the education route to achieve the immigration dream.

They enrol in small TAFE (tertiray educaion system) courses in hair dressing, nursing care and similar with an eye on filling the vacancies in these areas and making Australia their new home. Nothing objectionable in all this except that they arrive in Aussie cities from small towns and cities of India with little or no idea about the culture and value systems of the new country. For them all 'goras' are the same and they carry the baggage of these stereotypes with them. I have personally heard some of these students talking in English (and Indian languages) about how 'loose' white women are, how little the 'white' parents care for their children, how easy it is to trick the benefit system of Australia to claim more dollars...

Why am I writing all this in an article supposed to discuss the attacks on Indian students? I am sharing this so that people understand how bizarre and one sided is the picture being painted by our jingoistic media. I am sharing all this so that we pause to look inwards towards our own idiosyncracies and inflexibilties, while clamouring for action against the perpetrators of the current attacks. Those guys need to be caught and punished but we too need to soul search a bit about how we treat the 'other'.

Australia on its part needs to crack down on the violence agaisnt overseas students and it also needs to take a long hard look at its immigration policy and its mega efforts to sell Aussie education all over the globe. It spins money ofcourse but by ignoring the concerns of the Australian population and without making a good case for its policies they are going to invite further problems on their head. Australia maybe a large continent but it has a small population of just 21 million and although they need the immigrants to keep their economy chugging along they also need to look far into the future and anticipate how their society may have to change with the arrival of more and more immigrants. Easy education dollars, earned now by roping in students via education fairs held world wide, may be attractive and tempting but may prove too expensive in the long run.

The time to act is now. For both countries. Both countries need to sensitise their young people about the other's cultures and way of life. The media could still redeem itself by focussing on this rather than calling a whole country racist and beaming interviews of students who say they want to leave Australia. Take my word for it. Most won't

It never ceases to amaze me, how as a nation, we are so ready to hang our jingoistic nationalism on to the peg of one arrogant and ill mannered cricketeer but show no desire whatsoever to actually change in ways that would do India proud.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose - Strategic Thoughts and practices - By Prof. Abul Kalam

2009-01-23T01:00:00.000+05:30

Few political personalities of the Indian National Movement have earned so much admiration and laurels for the saga of demonstrated courage, vision and sacrifice and at the same time have been the target of an equal amount of condemnation as Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945), presumably for his arrogance, refusal to compromise and seeming lack of realism. He was one of the most acclaimed heroes fighting for India’s liberation from the yoke of British colonial rule, as a national leader he enjoyed equal status with Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, but to many his personality was most attractive of the three and his reputation in certain area even rivaled that of Gandhi himself. In his manner and political style, in ideology and action, Bose represents a unique phenomenon in India’s national Movement. While Gandhi has been viewed as the father of Indian Awakening, Bose is seen as the father of Indian Revolution.

Yet Bose continues to be little understood. Despite the allegation of his overriding, even prodigious arrogance, his alleged impatience and superficiality, opportunism and adventurism, the story of Bose’s life is of absorbing interest, not only because of his fiery brand of nationalism and his idealism but also because of his political astuteness, and his plan of action for attaining India’s freedom. Some analysis tend to view him as an arch-rebel against the British Raj. Bose, however, humbly called himself ‘the Servant of India’. While British propaganda stigmatized him as ‘an enemy agent’ and a Nazi or a Fascist collaborator, Rabindranath Tagore had once hailed him as the long sought Deliverer of the Bengali Nation, the one who would unite and reawaken the Indian Nation.

The paper examines the strategic blue-print or framework of action of Bose for the liberation of India. It advances the view that, despite the constraints and limitations imposed by the existing frame of national liberation struggle and the colonial surroundings of the time in the realm of world politics, Bose was perhaps the only nationalist leader of the period in the subcontinent who had demonstrated a great deal of understanding of the dynamics of strategy and tactics involved in India’s liberation struggle and made significant contribution to the conceptual appraisal of international relations, which, indeed, brought together a world view very specific to Subhas and his time.

To highlight this view further, the paper is divided into two sections. The first section highlights Bose’s strategic ideas and plan of action for India’s liberation, while the second section examines Bose’s contribution in the arena of international relations as a policy maker.
Bose was a staunch Indian nationalist. As a logical sequel to his patriotic zeal, Bose developed an invincible faith in India’s destiny, and hence took up the case of India’s independence as a spiritual goal and a righteous cause. He was not a believer in any escapist philosophy but a revolutionary who was drawn to politics inspired by the lover of his country and mankind. The deification of India as the mother and the glamour attached to sacrifice for the motherland constituted the main trend of his strategic thought – the ultimate policy ambition- and contributed to the development of his concept of nationalism on the basis of a religious consciousness. India thus featured in his thought not as a mere territory but as a spiritual being, a living thing.

To attain India’s liberation he laid his firm faith on revolutionary struggle, which consisted of two phases, a phase of nationalist struggle against British imperialism and a phase of inter-class struggle against all privileges, distinction and vested interests. Bose was equally of the firm view that no country could win its independence without any sacrifice and without fighting a war. Such a conviction led him to advance a militant strategy of direct action and made him an ardant advocate of revolution, as against Indian National Congress plea for moderation based on constitutional methods. He exhorted all people to be prepared for dharamayuddha, i.e., making sacrifice for a righteous cause, as he viewed patriotism with an added emphasis of religiosity. His strategy of direct action and his emphasis on force and violence for fighting the war of India’s liberation was thus in full accord with his strategic outlook. It was this approach which made him a subject of bitter controversy in the then Indian socio-political life.

Secondly, Bose from his own analysis came to the conclusion that all efforts of the Indian themselves may not be sufficient to expel the British and, therefore, he wanted to rouse international public opinion in favour of India’s liberation movement. He was of the view that India must exploit an opportune international situation and seek foreign help to drive out Britain from India. The Second World War, he thought, provided such an opportune movement he was looking for and afforded him with that moment to organize an army and equip it with arms and ammunition to launch an arms struggle against British rule in India. It was for this reason Bose escaped from India during the war to seek international help so as to fulfil his determination to win India’s freedom.

One may ask, why did Bose postulate such a strategic concept which brought him into confrontation with the Congress hierarchy? He was certain that Britain was unlikely to grant independence to India of its own free will as many in the Congress hierarchy believed. Therefore he thought it appropriate not only to resort to a strategy of violence involving direct action but was also legitimate to seek international assistance in support of his strategy to over throw the British.

It may be mentioned that most of Bose’s contemporary revolutionary leaders, including Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, Tito held the same view as far as their perception of the external enemy was concerned, though direct onslaught by the Axis powers on their territory had left them with little option but to join in the Allied counter-attack on a commonly perceived enemy. In the case of India, Bose had a different perception for unlike China, Vietnam or Yugoslavia, India was not a direct military target of any of the Axis powers.

Bose’s strategic posture would thus appear quite rational, commanding, and superb. Having read Clausewitz and being convinced of the ultimate victory of his mission, he adopted the slogan of total mobilisation for a total war and his battle-cry became Chalo Delhi (To Delhi) in Clausewitzian style of a zero-sum game. Obviously, India, being under British colonial hegemony, was to emerge as the front in the liberation struggle, while the countries of Southeast Asia where his forces temporarily camped , were to appear as the ‘rear areas’ from which the struggle would be spearheaded by mobilizing support of the immigrant population as well as of the foreign powers. Such ideas, though developed independently, were consistent with the revolutionary blue-print of his great revolutionary. Chinese contemporarian, Mao Zedong, ideas which were later further developed by Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap in the course of the Vietnam War.

Indeed in all these spheres, Bose proved to be quite innovative as he sought to mobilize help from what was in essence an ’enemy territory’ and was quite unconventional in nature. His aim was a draft support of a couple of millions of Indian civilians in Southeast Asia and recruit Indian soldiers employed with the British colonial army.

It is true that in the military field Bose had no prior exposure, direct experience or background. He had only relatively small training as a member of the university corps. It was hence suggested that he had an ‘incredible naivete’ in military matters, yet he exacted great loyalty and enjoyed tremendous amount of respect from his adherents and subordinates in the Indian National Army (INA). Somewhat echoing the words of Napoleon, whose undaunting spirit to overcome any hurdle inspired him, he complimented his soldiers by telling them: conduct yourself in a manner so that your countrymen may bless you and posterity may be proud of you. While lamenting the odds confronting his forces in the INA, he could still inspire them with confidence and Napoleonic voice. “I can offer you nothing for the present except hunger, thirst, privation, forced marches and death, but if you follow me, I shall lead you to victory and freedom”. And, again with Napoleonic spirit, while assuring his soldiers that he will be with them in darkness and sunshine, in sorrow and in joy, in suffering and in victory, he was himself tireless, taking little sleep and working far into the night so as to fulfil his promise.

Although a committed revolutionary, Bose was not an anarchist. Nor did he believe in terrorism or violence merely for the sake of it, though he did admire the immense sacrifice rendered by the terrorists for the great cause of India’s independence. So long as he was in the Congress he wanted to see it developed into a mass-based political organization able to articulate and mobilize all the energies of the nation for the attainment of the goal of India’s freedom. Hence he firmly believed that India’s independence was to be won by the develo0pment of the Congress into a parallel government, with each department and instrument of British administration in India to be duplicated by the Congress. He wanted India to be a republic and its future constitution to be republican. Hence he rejected Dominion status as he was concerned that it would merely help the British to perpetuate their imperialist and capitalist interest in India. Indeed, such a stance compelled Gandhi himself, who was inclined to such an idea, to move a resolution in 1929 at the Lahore session of the Congress which defined Congress objective as complete independence.

Bose’s concern, however, was not only freedom or independence. He held a great vision for India’s unity and a plan for free India. He held the view that without obliterating the ingrained and vested evils such as poverty, ignorance, caste system, communalism and other social anachronisms and religious divisiveness, India can hardly be free or can be turned into modern democracy. Caste and communalism must not be allowed to hinder a free and democratic India.

Here begins Bose’s second phase of Indian revolution, the phase of revolutionary construction at home. As part of the second phase of his struggle Bose laid wholehearted faith in socialism, as it could form part of a general strategy of involving the masses in the freedom movement and would help eradicate barriers and distinction based on wealth, caste, sex and religion – all of which must go. Thus, in addition to its pragmatic utility, the humanitarian and egalitarian aspects of socialism had great appeal for Bose. He was in favour of a synthesis and in this, his views were again coloured by national considerations. He was all for social upliftment of women and wanted them to have equality of status with men, but he believed that the latter would never voluntarily concede equality of status. Hence, he felt, that for women there is little option but to struggle to assert their right. He himself created an example to facilitate the liberation of women by setting up the Rani of Jhansi Brigade during the War consisting only of women so that the latter could be prepared to play due role in the liberated independent India.

Bose abhorred the emerging trend of communal politics in India, intentionally well-laid by the alien authorities as in the case of the Catholic-Protestant question in Ireland. He himself sought to bring together the two communal parties, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League, in a joint fight wit the Congress for India’s independence and even suggested to Mohammad Ali Jinnah that in the event of such a joint struggle taking place the latter could become the first Prime Minister of free India. Perhaps in order to accommodate Muslim sentiments, a special session of the Bengal Provincial Conference of the Congress Forward Bloc, founded by Bose, decided on 25 May 1940 at his instance to observe 3 July 1940 as Sirajuddowla Day, in honour of the last independent Nawab of Bengal. But by that time he was already ousted from the Congress itself, which was perhaps a prelude to his removal from the political scene in India and his dream of a united India was belied.

In this context, it maybe recalled that Bose’s election in 1938 as Congress President by Gandhi himself, despite his ideological differences with Bose, was based on the premise that Bose, with his secular approach and his acceptability to the Muslims, would be able to arrest the mounting tide of communalism in India. And once elected he assured the Muslims that they had nothing to fear in the event of India winning her freedom. On the contrary, they have everything to gain. It was only natural that his ouster from the Congress and his attempted political diminution deliberately pursued by the Congress leadership had the effect of providing an upper hand to the communal forces within and beyond Congress, paving the way for the subsequent partition of India.

To attain his goal, Bose also propounded the doctrine of Samyavada, which sought to accommodate the common trails of nationalism, fascism, national-socialism, socialism and secularism. The ideals he sought to incorporate included complete national independence and uncompromising anti-imperialist stand, scientific large-scale production for the economic regeneration through a modern and socialist state, social ownership and control of both the means of production and distribution, freedom of religious worship and equal rights for individuals, linguistic and cultural autonomy for all sections of the Indian community and application of the principle of equality and social justice in building up the New Order in free India. All these would be enforced through establishing Samyavada Sangh in India, a centrally controlled all-Indian party, representing all classes of people and committed to uphold the eternal principle of India’s political independence, equality and justice.

On basic questions of strategy and tactics, Bose was thus immensely thoughtful and farsighted. For resolving fundamental problems of India’s national life he conceived a comprehensive plan with two components, an immediate component of struggle against colonialism and a long-term component of national reconstruction. The immediate component of the plan included preparing the country for self-sacrifice towards the objective of liberation, to keep it unified and to provide scope for local and cultural autonomy. Through elaborate planning and appropriate organization the country would be prepared for struggle and self-sacrifice and the people would have to be drawn to a strategy of direct action against foreign imperialism.

Bose thus proved himself to be a great strategic thinker and a good tactician with a pragmatic vision about the future of India. His credit lies not merely in articulating his ideas and theories but also in seeking to translate his politico-strategic theories into a programme of action. During the Quit India movement he innovated the concept of non violent guerrilla warfare to be undertaken within India and made a remarkable contribution to the theory of boycott and passive resistance. His programme of action, designed to give the Indian mass movement new dimensions of operational strategy and effectiveness, included prevention of tax and revenue collection, stay-in-strike by workers to hamper production, social boycott of the British and the pro-British Indian elements, sabotage and actual efforts to seize power by force of arms.

With his strategy of direct action and theory of boycott, Bose also popularized the tactical concept of mass-base for political parties to fight a revolutionary struggle, stressing the importance of closely associating the youth, students, the labouring classes-workers and peasants with the political life of the nation in order to galvanise the national movement.

While in Congress, he held the view that the INC could capture power with an intense nationalist struggle which would culminate in a general strike and civil disobedience. That would paralyse the administration and running of the government would be made impossible. Because the colonial government itself would like to follow a policy of persecution and repression, the jails would be full, the government itself would be demoralized, the bureaucracy would be forced to yield to the demands and desires of the people and the British authorities could no longer count on the loyalty of their servants. The Congress could then take full command of the situation by developing its organizational structure into a full and parallel government, duplicating each department and every instrument of the British hierarchy of administration. Labour should be organized, political education be provided for the masses, all preparations should follow for capturing power from the British.

However, Bose’s embittered relations with the Congress hierarchy over the programme of direct action against the British advocated by him, when the latter had confronted the Axis powers, including the issue of an ultimatum to the British and mobilisation of international support in favour of India’s nationalist struggle, led to his resignation and eventual expulsion from the Congress. The machination of the Congress hierarchy together with his frequent persecution by the colonial authorities in India made him desperate and had left him with little option but to seek to redeem his framework of action from abroad.

Bose became President of the Indian National Congress at a very critical juncture of international diplomacy when the Axis powers were on the brink of their forward march. As a pragmatic politician, fully committed to the cause of India’s liberation, he was inclined towards playing a real politik and wanted the Congress to pursue a foreign policy which would be based not on idealism or emotionalism but on considerations of India’s national interest. His view was that in the pursuit of foreign policy Congress should set aside its inhibition about the international politics or conduct of any country or the form of its state/government, as the people of every country, whatever their political ideology, sympathized with the aspiration of the Indian people for freedom and independence. He took the subtle position that the Congress leadership should tone down their utterance against the militarist and expansionist activities of the Axis powers and should take a leaf out of the diplomacy of the USSR, which did not hesitate to make alliances with non-socialist states as long as such an alliance served Soviet interests. In fact, apart from the question of the pace of the nationalist movement, and appropriate strategy and tactics to be followed, one of the main reason of Bose’s suspension from all executive positions in 1939 was his differences with the Congress hierarchy over the war issue and his attitude towards world affairs.

Bose’s “whole life.” As he stated, “is one long, persistent, uncompromising struggle against British imperialism, and is the best guarantee of my bona fides”. He himself saw his leanings towards the Axis alliance as a hazardous mission and his sole object was the expulsion of the British from India; in this case, if he had any triumph he would share that with Gandhiji and the Indian people. But Bose was not an Axis apologist and was not certainly soft toward the expansionist maneuvers of the Axis powers. Rather it was under his stewardship as President, the Congress had decided to observe 12 June 1938 as China Day throughout India in solidarity with the Chinese people fighting the Japanese invasion. In September an ambulance unit was also dispatched to Canton, which was a victim of Japanese bombardment. All this symbolized, as Bose stated, India’s goodwill, esteem and sympathy for the Chinese nation. He had no illusion about the behaviour of the Nazis in Europe. With specific reference to Munich Pact, which he called as an abject surrender to Nazi Germany, he wondered how Europe had sold her soul for the sake of a seven day’s earthly existence and passed the hegemony in Europe into the hands of Germany.

It may nevertheless be mentioned that, while Bose was an uncompromising player in the game of politics, he was also accommodative of the views of others in the Congress who had advocated a policy of active opposition to both fascism and imperialism everywhere. He understood the strong sentiment in the Congress behind it and though not approving, not only did not protest but publicly associated himself with it as President. But Bose was cold shouldered by the Congress hierarchy, which had adopted manifestly an anti-Fascist approach, being strongly influenced by the views of Gandhi and Nehru in its foreign policy orientation and sought to negotiate with Britain, denouncing the Axis alliance. Not only he was isolated in the Congress for his views, forcing him to resign but was also expelled unceremoniously, and he Bengal Pradesh Committee which had backed him up was also banned and immobilised in an intolerant fashion. It was in sheer disgust and remorse he stated in Delhi on 12 October 1939 that he was opposed to Hitlerism whether in India, within the Congress or any other country.

Bose was not particularly prejudiced about Britain except for the question of British imperialism and colonization of India. He certainly cherished no enmity as he said, towards the British people. We are fighting Great Britain and we want the fullest liberty to determine our future relations with her. But once we have real self-determination, there is no reason whey we should not enter into the most cordial relations with the British people. It seems obvious that this attitude towards the Axis alliance was merely tactical and very much consistent with classical strategic theorizing the enemies of Britain, he though, in the context of the War, were the friends of India and the defeat of Britain in the War would lead to emancipation of India or to put in more categorical terms in his own words. The fundamental principle of our foreign policy has been and will be Britain’s enemy is India’s friend.

Long before the outbreak of the Second World War, Bose was convinced of an impending international crisis involving the major powers and he wanted that India should make the fullest use of that crisis to win back her freedom. Naturally he considered the war of 1939 as a blessing in disguise, which had set the final stage of struggle for India’s liberation. Having witnessed an unprecedented awakening in the Indian states and with his firm belief that India was ripe for revolution, he perceived as a cold blooded realist, that an opportune moment had arrived in India’s national history for a final showdown with the British when everyone seemed to be willing to give blood necessary to win liberty. All that it needed then was to sink internal differences, pull our resources and pull our weight in the national struggle and seek international support and one all-embracing organization to link up Indian nationalists all over the world. Therefore, he pleaded that in their own national interest the Indians should dissociate themselves from the British war efforts, as any British victory in the war is likely to delay India’s independence.

Initially Bose was not interested in mobilizing the support of the Axis alliance, although he did understand, for instance, the imperialistic logic, which worked in Tokyo when her race for expansion and act of aggression took the world opinion by surprise. He contemplated going to China, but the British authorities refused to permit him to visit China and even threatened to intern him under the Defence of India Act. Having a view of the USSR as an anti-British and anti-imperialist power he had a desire to go to Russia, as he felt that Russia was the only country which could help to liberate India.

Moreover, the attack from the North-West was in keeping with traditional historical precedent, but the declaration of the Russo-German War dashed his hope for inducing Soviet support from the North-West towards the Indian liberation struggle at that time. Therefore, he had to re-plan his international strategy, with the planned assault from the non-traditional direction, the North-East, a strategy which in its originality, planning and daring is unequalled in the world’s military annals.

It may be mentioned that Bose’s attempt to induct support of the Axis powers was no more than a response to Britain’s own war effort, as it had introduced troops and weapons from other foreign countries in India. It was only natural that the nationalists fighting the British would have the similar right to seek foreign support against the British imperialist intrusion. But, he insisted, the emancipation of India must be the work primarily of Indian themselves. As far as Britain was concerned he did not conceal his rules of the game. He was a zero-sum player and, therefore, bluntly stated, ‘I am an extremist and my principle is – all or none’. He would sacrifice everything so as to attain the objective of India’s independence.

The INA itself certainly had failed in its immediate mission in Arakan or in the Imphal Operation, but the failure itself may be more ascribed to an overextended Japan (which had deferred the planned offensive against the enemy until the monsoon of 1944) than to the lapses of the INA or of its Commander-in-Chief. After the failure in this front, Bose, as Commander-in-Chief of the Azad Hind Fouz had to leave Burma, as he said, with a heavy heart, yet with an invincible spirit he implored others not to be disheartened, as India, he felt, might have lost the first round of our fight for independence. But there are many more rounds to fight. For, as he said, the roads to Delhi are many, like the roads to Rome. And along one of these many roads we shall travel and ultimately reach our destination, the metropolis of India.

Even the defeat and surrender of Japan did not disillusion him, as he asserted that ‘the darkest hour precedes the dawn’. That ‘Japan’s surrender was not India’s surrender’ and that the justness of India’s liberation was such that it was “bound to prevail in the long run”. With his hindsight of shifting diplomatic and strategic dynamics he was certain that the alliance between Russia and the West would not outlast the war in Europe and that USSR would prove to be a greater menace to Anglo-American imperialism than the Axis powers were. Indeed, being aware of Soviet sympathy for a free India, Bose’s Provisional Government of Azad Hind had never declared war on Russia, which Bose had always considered as an anti-imperialist power, and not an enemy in so far as India’s independence was concerned, although the Provisional Government did declare war on both Britain and the USA. Hence after Japan’s surrender to the Allies he wished to go to Russia to seek Soviet help to fight the British. Following his insistence it was indeed arranged for Bose to fly by a special aeroplane to Manchuria, then under Russian occupation, but the ill-fated plane crashed in Taipei on 18 August 1945 on its way to Dairen, resulting in his untimely death as well as a sad demise of his scheme of inducting Soviet support for India’s liberation.

Bose indeed, was a nationalist, not a stooge of any foreign power. He had full knowledge of world politics and a masterly understanding of changing international situations. His consistent emphasis on a strong central government for a liberated India was based not only on the requirements of internal consolidation but also on the considerations of ensuring security against any external attack. He had the boldness and courage to protest the disparaging comments made by Hitler in his Main Kampf on the ability of the Indians to rebel against the British, which also attested to his dislike of Hitler and his Nazism. The government he headed and the Army he commanded maintained their independent postures, even during the worst of crises during the war. The INA did, of course, work out a common strategy with the Japanese against the perceived common enemy, but it did operate quite independently, that is, without playing any role unless the common strategy so demanded.

Thus in 1944 while the INA was enabled to participate in the Imphal Operation as a full and equal participant, the Japanese were refused permission to launch their planned heavy air attack on Calcutta as it would alienate Indian sentiment and cause unnecessary suffering and panic among the Indian people. While formal recognition from the powers allied with the Axis powers in October 1943 did provide the Provisional Government of Azad Hind with international legitimacy, Bose’s Government did not necessarily toe the Axis line on war and peace nor did Bose give away anything, not even symbols, which might have harmed India’s interests and honour.

Rather, Bose persuaded the Japanese government to transfer the Japanese-held Indian territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean to the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, renamed respectively as Shaheed (Martyr) and Swaraj(Freedom), so that he could assert his sovereign authority, even if for propaganda purposes. He maintained the diplomatic dignity and honour of India even after the debacle in Burma, as he refused to receive the Japanese Ambassador to Bose’s government, Hachiya, who came to Rangoon without any diplomatic ‘credentials’ and had to wait until they were produced. In similar vein he refused to allow the INA to be used against the Burmese National Army of Aung San after its revolt against the Japanese. He even refused to accept the honour of ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ offered by the Japanese Emperor until India was free and was in a position to reciprocate.

Bose’s thought on an international system was to replace the old hierarchy of order with a new pattern of symmetrical interaction from below, involving nations then under colonial subjugation. The idea was to circumvent the asymmetric order of international relations of the time, led by some metropolitan empires. In such a prognosis he seems to have been far advanced of his time. He also advocated internationalism, not of the existing British Commonwealth or of the Japanese-sponsored ‘Co-prosperity Sphere’ type, both of which then emerged as mere imperialist tools.

Bose had laid his faith in regional systems based on common interests and culture, which would gradually extend until a symmetrical order of international system came into being. His view of the then British Commonwealth was that it must develop into an association of free nations or disintegrate. It hardly needs mentioning that the post-war transformation of that body was consistent with Bose’s vision. Similarly, he felt that the “Co-Prosperity Sphere” as a regional framework might help promote world peace minus the phenomenon of Japan’s hegemony. In the context of the changing global scenario in the post-Cold War era, especially in the context of developing relationships in the Asian-pacific region where Japan may be seen as a major player, one may perceive the emergence of a new regional grouping in the region, seemingly consistent with the project of Bose.

Conclusion

Subhas Chandra Bose was a pragmatic revolutionary strategist and a politician of top order who had to innovate conceptual ideas on strategy at a time when there was very little intellectual framework for coping with the practical problems of politics. Bose’s conceptual ideas were indeed, unique in the sense that the domestic frame of his multifaceted struggle was inseparable from the external linkages that he sought to develop and cultivate. Thus, his vision of policies in general was an all-encompassing one and in that sense one might suggest that he laid his faith in a general theory of strategy with all its linkage components. Having developed his frame-work he sought to apply all his theoretical concepts to test them on the slippery ground of politics of his time.

Basically, Bose’s struggle was for a state that was non-existent as a free political entity and for a country that had lost its dignity in the comity of nations because of an imposed colonial bondage. His youthful dream, as he wrote to his mother, was merely to be an adventurer, but in the end he emerged to many Indian revolutionaries as the Man of Destiny or Netaji – the revered leader – who could have delivered the Indian nation not merely its freedom and independence but also the much cherished development, equality and social justice as well as restore India’s lost prestige in the country of nations. But the fateful events of history had cut short his mission and did not permit him to immediately deliver what he had visualized.

This essay has been taken from the book “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - Relevance to Contemporary World Edited by Dr. S.R. Chakravarty and Dr. C. Paul (Har-Anand Publications Pvt, Ltd, New Delhi.)

Source - http://www.netaji.in/articles/subhas-chandra-bose-strategic-thoughts-and-practices.html

Top 10 NRI Newsmakers of the Year 2008

2009-01-02T16:21:00.002+05:30

Lord Swaraj Paul

A consistent NRI newsmaker for over three decades, Paul just made history by being installed Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords. Paul, seen in this pic with BJP leader LK Advani (left), is the first Indian to sit on the woolsack, the traditional seat. He has extensive investments in for his multi-billion pound company Caparo Group. Conferred the Peerage in 1996 and honoured with the Padma Bhushan by in 1983, 77-year-old Lord Paul is one of the most famous Indian origin entrepreneurs in .

Sonal Shah

Appointed to the Transition Team of US president-elect Barrack Obama, she is a member of a three-person team to coordinate technology, innovation and government reform during the transition. She earlier headed the philanthropic department of Internet giant Google; and was vice president at Goldman, Sachs and Co and developed and implemented the firm's environmental strategy. Shah, who raised funds for victims of the 2001 earthquake in through the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-America, has denied any links to this organisation.

Vikram Pandit

The Citibank CEO shocked everyone with his sudden appointment to the world's biggest banking company. After a year, he is right in the eye of the global financial tsunami to save his bank and spearhead its recovery. He makes news with the government's multi-billion dollar recovery package for his bank, job losses, restructuring and reviving an icon of the American financial sector. Facing a difficult recovery, Pandit faces one of the toughest challenges ever seen in the banking industry.

Karpal Singh

A Malaysian-Indian veteran lawyer and human rights activist, he fought the general election as an opposition candidate for equal treatment of all Malays for government contracts, employment and appointments. He has highlighted the woes of all underprivileged for 30 years and has been compared to Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

Sir Salman Rushdie

His long-time bestseller 'Midnight's Children' was, following a public vote, declared the Best of the Booker in the award's 40-year history.

Navanethan Pillay

A South African Indian judge, he was appointed for four years as the UN Human Rights Commissioner - a significant achievement for NRIs. Her grand-parents migrated from Tamil Nadu to as sugarcane indentured labourers in the late 1800s, and she became the first woman to start law practice in 'sin 1968. Pillay defended several anti-apartheid activists and successfully fought for the right of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela.

Lakshmi Mittal

Lakshmi Mittal made some news for the wrong reasons this year. The world's largest steel maker after he took over Arcelor, Mittal has had to take tough decisions on staff sackings, respond to environmental concerns and acquisitions and mergers. On the positive side, he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan by and the third Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for heroes of entrepreneurial capitalism and free enterprise.

The Great Khali, Dilip Singh Rana

One of the largest athletes in the World Wrestling Entertainment and World Heavyweight Champion, Khali calls himself after the Hindu Goddess Kali. This towering giant at seven feet three inches enjoyed a hero's welcome during his visit to this year. He also landed up film contracts.

Anand John

He was convicted of rape after a glamorous career as the fashion designer to stars. Fromto prison wards, he made headlines with court proceedings when he was accused of luring young women and girls, as young as 14, to an apartment where he acted out sadistic fantasies. The powerful, strident campaign for his innocence mounted by his sister Sanjana claims that he was framed.

and finally the most recent one !

Dev Patel

Dev who? Well, he is an 18-year actor in the new hit Slumdog Millionaire. Based on a novel Q&A by Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup and crafted into a film by the acclaimed director Danny Boyle with music by A.R. Rehman, this film is ready to grab some awards at the next Oscars. Patel plays Jamal, a slum child who becomes a national hero after he reaches the final question on's TV show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. Watch him! He could win the best supporting actor award.

Source - http://ibnlive.com/

New Year Wishes to All !!!

2008-12-31T21:45:00.001+05:30

U.G.Krishnamurthi, The Anti Guru

2008-12-20T18:52:00.001+05:30

Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti (July 9 , 1918 – March 22 , 2007 ), better known as U.G. Krishnamurti, or just U.G., was a speaker and philosopher , often known as an "anti-guru " or as "the man who refused to be a guru".

Some Quotes of U.G.Krishnamurthi

1: Nature does not use anything as a model. It is only interested in perfecting the species. It is trying to create perfect species and not perfect beings.

2: All these godman, gurus and flunkies are offering us a new oasis. You will find out that it is no different from other mirages.

3: We are using the neurons, our memory, constantly to maintain our identity. Whether you are awake or asleep or dreaming, this process is carried on. But it is wearing you out. That is why I say that the tragedy that is facing mankind is not Aids or cancer but Alzheimer's disease.

4: It is fear that makes you believe that you are living and that you will be dead.What we do not want is the fear to come to an end. That is why we have invented all these new minds, new sciences,new talks, therapies, choiceless awareness and various other gimmicks.Fear is the very thing that you do not want to be free from. If the fear comes to an end, you will drop dead physically. Clinical death will take place.

5: The plain fact is that if you don't have a problem, you create one. If you don't have a problem you don't feel that you are living

6: That messy thing called 'mind' has created many destructive things. By far the most destructive of them all is God.

7: When you are no longer caught up in the dichotomy of right and wrong or good and bad, you can never do anything wrong. As long as you are caught up in this duality, the danger is that you will always do wrong.

8: In nature there is no death or destruction at all. What occurs is the reshuffling of atoms. If there is a need or necessity to maintain the balance of 'energy' in this universe, death occurs.

9: I don't give a hoot for a sixth-century B.C. Buddha, let alone all the other claimants we have in our midst. They are a bunch of exploiters, thriving on the gullibility of the people.

10: To be yourself requires extraordinary intelligence. You are blessed with that intelligence; nobody need give it to you; nobody can take it away from you. He who lets that express itself in its own way is a 'Natural Man'.

More of UGK here
Source of Quotes here

Amazing Footwork by the one and only MJ

2008-12-12T19:51:00.001+05:30

You can either Love him or Hate him but nobody just can't ignore him. Amazing footwork in this video... to some fabulous Music, which he alone can make....

Refugees United - Tibetian Refugees at Mundgod

2008-11-10T12:16:00.004+05:30

Tibetian Refugees

Following the footsteps of Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama more than 80,000 Tibetan refugees have fled to India during the past 40 years. People's Republic of China entered Tibet as early as 1950 according to some historians and began consolidation of control over Tibet during the reign of the young 14th Dalai Lama. The flash point came in March 1959 when Chinese forces tried to disperse a crowd in front of the Norbulingka palace where Dalai Lama was staying. Consequent upon this Dalai Lama with his nearly 85,000 supporters fled to India and sought asylum. After a series of discussions between the Dalai Lamaand Jawaharlal Nehru it was decided to provide all assistance to the Tibetan Refugees to settle down in India for some time, till their eventual return (as it was visualized at that time). Accordingly Government of Mysore (as Karnataka state was called at that time) allotted nearly 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land at Bylakuppe in Mysore district in Karnataka in 1960 and the first ever Tibetan exile settlement namelyLugsung Samdupling came into existence in 1961. A few years later another settlement namely Tibetan Dickey Larsoe also called as TDL was established. This was followed by the establishment of three more settlements in Karnataka state making it the state with the largest Tibetan refuee population.Rabgayling settlement was created in Gurupura village near Hunsur, Dhondenling was established at Oderapalya near Kollegal and Doeguling settlement came into being at Mundgod in Uttara Kannada district all in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. At present the population of the Tibetan refugees in India is estimated to be around 120,000.

Mundgod Tibetain Refugee Camp Link - http://tibetech.blogspot.com/2007/02/market-day-in-mundgod.html

The bloggers of bloggers unite have created what is the only global blog initiative designed to harness expression in support of human rights and issues in need of highlight. Refugees United is the only online, highly secure and anonymous possibility of refugees to reconnect with family.

The powerful and dynamic gathering of Bloggers, from ordinary people to NGO's and aid agency representatives, is an unprecedented approach and effort to bring focus on the millions of refugees suffering uncertainty and atrocities every day. The blogosphere is a powerful way to raise awareness and aid. Knowledge can bring change.

As a blogger, you are in key position to harness and rally energy behind this cause, by sharing information about the plight of refugees. The ongoing problem of people torn from their homes is something that should, and must, concern us all, in order to find a common solution and bring back life and dignity to the millions suffering. So, please join us, and thousands of other Bloggers, by participating in this important cause.

Rankings of the countries on the ease of doing business

2008-11-10T11:09:00.002+05:30

1 Singapore 61 Samoa 121 Honduras
2 New Zealand 62 Vanuatu 122 Brazil
3 United States 63 Jamaica 123 Indonesia
4 Hong Kong, China 64 St. Kitts and Nevis 124 Lesotho
5 Denmark 65 Panama 125 Algeria
6 United Kingdom 66 Colombia 126 Egypt
7 Canada 67 Trinidad and Tobago 127 Malawi
8 Ireland 68 United Arab Emirates 128 Ecuador
9 Australia 69 El Salvador 129 Morocco
10 Iceland 70 Grenada 130 Tanzania
11 Norway 71 Kazakhstan 131 Gambia
12 Japan 72 Kenya 132 Cape Verde
13 Finland 73 Kiribati 133 Philippines
14 Sweden 74 Poland 134 Mozambique
15 Thailand 75 Macedonia, FYR 135 Iran
16 Switzerland 76 Pakistan 136 Albania
17 Estonia 77 Dominica 137 Syria
18 Georgia 78 Brunei 138 Uzbekistan
19 Belgium 79 Solomon Islands 139 Ukraine
20 Germany 80 Jordan 140 Bolivia
21 Netherlands 81 Montenegro 141 Iraq
22 Latvia 82 Palau 142 Suriname
23 Saudi Arabia 83 China 143 Sudan
24 Malaysia 84 Papua New Guinea 144 Gabon
25 Austria 85 Lebanon 145 Cambodia
26 Lithuania 86 Serbia 146 Djibouti
27 Mauritius 87 Ghana 147 Comoros
28 Puerto Rico 88 Tunisia 148 Haiti
29 Israel 89 Marshall Islands 149 Madagascar
30 Korea 90 Seychelles 150 Rwanda
31 France 91 Vietnam 151 Benin
32 Slovakia 92 Moldova 152 Zimbabwe
33 Chile 93 Nicaragua 153 Tajikistan
34 St. Lucia 94 Kyrgyz Republic 154 Cameroon
35 South Africa 95 Swaziland 155 Côte d'Ivoire
36 Fiji 96 Azerbaijan 156 Togo
37 Portugal 97 Croatia 157 Mauritania
38 Spain 98 Uruguay 158 Mali
39 Armenia 99 Dominican Republic 159 Afghanistan
40 Kuwait 100 Greece 160 Sierra Leone
41 Antigua and Barbuda 101 Sri Lanka 161 Burkina Faso
42 Luxembourg 102 Ethiopia 162 Senegal
43 Namibia 103 Paraguay 163 São Tomé and Principe
44 Mexico 104 Guyana 164 Lao PDR
45 Hungary 105 Bosnia and Herzegovina 165 Equatorial Guinea
46 Bulgaria 106 Russia 166 Guinea
47 Tonga 107 Bangladesh 167 Angola
48 Romania 108 Nigeria 168 Timor-Leste
49 Oman 109 Argentina 169 Niger
50 Taiwan, China 110 Belarus 170 Liberia
51 Botswana 111 Nepal 171 Eritrea
52 Mongolia 112 Micronesia 172 Venezuela
53 Italy 113 Yemen 173 Chad
54 St. Vincent & Grenadines114 Guatemala 174 Burundi
55 Slovenia 115 Costa Rica 175 Congo, Rep.
56 Czech Republic 116 Zambia 176 Guinea-Bissau
57 Turkey 117 West Bank and Gaza 177 Central African Republic
58 Peru 118 Uganda 178 Congo, Dem. Rep.
59 Belize 119 Bhutan
60 Maldives 120 India

Source : www.doingbusiness.org

Power at What Cost ?

2008-08-19T20:38:00.003+05:30

POWER At what cost ? Residents of Hankona, a sleepy village near Karwar, are up in arms against a proposed power plant in the region. The locals allege that the company behind the proposed thermal power plant bought land from them in the guise of setting up a resort.

The Kali which flows here has created an evergreen thick forest cover. Except for a bridge that was recently built by the government, the village is entirely cut off from the outside world.

The people of this island-like village had however sold their land a few years ago to a Delhi-based company which had paid them double the asking rate, saying that a five star resort and a pharmaceutical industry would come up on the land.

The farmers who sold their land without second thoughts are now wringing their hands in dismay. The company has begun felling the trees on the land it bought. Word is that a thermal power plant (what is...) will come up on the island. The Project is also cleared by the Govt.

Continue Reading here...

Meanwhile, take a look at this :-
Orissa inks MoUs for 10 thermal power plants will be set up with an investment of Rs 45,000 crore to produce 10,920 MW power...
Reconsider thermal unit at Chamalapura: KERC Blaming the State government undertaking Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the controversy surrounding the setting up of a 1,000 MW coal based thermal power plant at Chamalapura in Mysore district, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has advised the government to take a fresh look at the decision.
Raichur in Karnataka, India has a coal-based thermal power generating station..
It is reported here that High levels of mercury in fish stocks have been found, mainly in coastal areas. Mumbai, Kolkata, Karwar (in Karnataka) and North Koel (in Bihar) are some of the severely affected areas.
* In Mumbai, mercury levels in fish were 0.03-0.82 mg total Hg/kg dry weight (dw); crabs had 1.42-4.94 mg total Hg/kg dw mercury compared to the permissible limit of 0.5 mg/kg.Mercury levels in oysters in Karwar ranged from 0.18-0.54 mg/kg dw.The North Koel river showed mercury concentrations almost 600-700 times above the limits.Mercury in ground water and surface water was detected from across the country: Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodara, Vapi, Ankleshwar, Bhopal, Panipat, Singhrauli, Ganjam, Dhanbad, Durgapur, Howrah, Medak… the list stretched on endlessly.Levels higher than the permissible limits were found near chlor-alkali, cement and chemical units and thermal power plants

Please take a look at this and sign it...Campaign against Coal Based / Fired Thermal Power Plant Projects in India
Greenpeace points to the problem: Thermal Power Plants lead to Climate Chaos
This is the best alternative for a Coal-based Thermal plant - Solar Thermal Electric Power Plants

Technorati : Karwar, Thermal Power Station at Hankon
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43 Things : Karwar, Thermal Power Station at Hankon

Karwar Daily Pic Blog - Words of Encouragement

2008-08-13T18:17:00.002+05:30

I have been posting Pictures of Karwar on a daily basis in my Blog - Karwar Daily Pic since quite sometime... All the pictures I have clicked myself with my Nokia N-70 Mobile cam and Ricoh Capilio RR-211 Dig-cam, over a period of three years or so. And i find that though I got a lot of pictures of Karwar, all are not Publish-Worthy, and this makes me go out and click some more... And what makes me keep going is the Comments that i Receive for the pictures.. Sample this.... But this brought me tears of joy... I was touched by these few but heavy words of Encouragement. So i have posted them right here....

Monday, August 11, 2008
Today's Favorite - Karwar Daily Photo
Like I said, I'm making an effort to be a bit more participatory (is that the right word?) in the Daily Photo circle, and so I'm looking around in a very random, haphazard manner. Today's favorite is Karwar Daily Photo from India. To me, Yogesh's photos appear laden with stories. This is my pick from the front page.

Navy ship to be immortalised as artificial reef - Karwar News - Economic Times

2008-07-10T20:46:00.001+05:30

A decommissioned Indian Navy ship has become part of an environmental project to showcase the country's marine life - offering adventure tourists opportunities for underwater tours of the vessel.

The ship, which has been sunk off the Karnataka coast in the Arabian sea, will serve as an artificial reef and over time become a natural home to weeds, sea plants, fishes and other creatures of the sea.

The ship, Seaward Defence Boat T-54, had guarded the country's maritime borders for 23 years from the time it was commissioned in September 1982.

The 162-tonne vessel, also known as 'The Ever Vigilant', was sunk off Karwar Port January 30. Prior to this, it was brought for "final preparations" to Karwar, where the Indian Navy is developing a major base.

The electrical wiring and the communication system were removed from the ship and traces of oil cleaned from the fuel tanks. The ship was then towed out, mines were fitted on the vessel and detonated, causing it to sink.

"The mines exploded and sea water rushed into the compartmets. After two blasts, the ship started sinking slowly - stern first and then the bow," an official said.

A survey conducted by a diver revealed the vessel was nestled on the seabed.

The area has initially been opened to professional divers as the underwater visibility has to improve to about six metres before it is possible to view the ship from glass-bottomed boats. The ship will also promote scuba diving as a sport.

Being a first of its kind of project for the Indian Navy, a lot of deliberation had gone into the identification of the site, and the planning and execution of the project.

"The weapon systems and most of the ship's machinery were removed after it was decommissioned. For the project, relevant parts of the ship which had to be cut away to give access were carefully photographed and demarcated," an official said describing the preparations before the ship was sunk.

"Moreover, in view of the strict naval guidelines for dismantling and cleaning the ship, all potential contaminants that could adversely effect marine life were removed to make T-54 as environmentally safe as possible," the official added.

Technorati : Navy ship to be immortalised as artificial reef - News - Economic Times Karwar

Now its time for Mobile Forensic....... - Info Courtesy : Star Tribune

2008-07-01T10:49:00.001+05:30

It's a case of police work catching up with consumer electronics. Consumers may be familiar with a device that cell-phone providers use to copy an address book from an old phone to a new one. Now police have a "forensic" version of the device that uncovers scientific evidence for court cases by copying a lot more than address books.

The $4,000 device from Israeli firm Cellebrite, called the UFED (universal forensic extraction device), can read and copy a cell phone's video, photos, text messages, call history and personal audio recordings. Minneapolis police upgraded this year from the firm's consumer-grade device to the forensic one.

The UFED can read data from more than 1,400 cell-phone models, said Jason Rogers, Cellebrite's vice president of sales in Franklin Lakes, N.J. The firm has sold 3,500 of the units to law enforcement agencies since it was introduced 11 months ago, he said.

"You can extract the data in two to three minutes, and it's simple to use," Rogers said. "Just plug it into the cell phone."

Technorati : tech mobile forensic
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Tata Xover / Indiva ?? - Spy shots

2008-05-31T19:21:00.003+05:30

Saw these Cars in the second week of May on the Pune-Solapur Highway... They were very fast and made a U-turn even before we could think of chasing them in our Toyota Qualis.... Managed to click some pictures through the rear windscreen... A lot of news is coming from Tata Motors nowadays. Now the latest buzz is that the Tata Indicruz, an MPV which is based on the existing
Safari platform is being readied for a 2009 launch. The Indicruz would compete head on with the Toyota Innova when its launched. I expect the Safari's 2.2 litre DICOR diesel engine to do duty on the Indicruz and it might also get the four wheel drive system as an add on. The Indicruz prototype has been seen road testing close to Pune and the MPV looks rather modern with a large grille and peeled back headlamp which look very indica-ish (the new Indica). The interiors appear very roomy and are beige in color. The dashboard is well sorted out with a lot of storage space. The wheels appear to be 16 inchers and fill the wheel arches nicely. Quality is expected to be much better than the Safari and a shade better than the new Sumo Grande.The Tata Indicruz would launch priced beween Rs.10-12 lakh.

Prototype Pictures of the Tata Indicruz

Source Link - http://indimoto.com/blog/index.php?cat=27

Not everybody is paying higher prices for oil

2008-05-30T18:07:00.000+05:30

HALF of the world's population enjoys fuel subsidies. This estimate, from Morgan Stanley, implies that almost a quarter of the world's petrol is sold at less than the market price. The cheapest petrol is in Venezuela, at 5 cents per litre. That makes China's pump price of 79 cents seem expensive, but even this is a bargain compared with $1.04 in the United States and $2.35 in Germany.
India's state-owned oil companies face mounting losses, as they are forced to sell fuel at fixed prices below cost. Petrol prices are actually slightly higher in India than in the United States, because Indian motorists pay much higher fuel taxes, but diesel is about 40% cheaper than in America. The oil firms are partly compensated by bonds which the government issues to them—a trick which allows the government to keep the subsidy off its books. At today's prices, the total subsidy (including the full losses of oil companies) could be as much as 2-3% of GDP this year. Morgan Stanley estimates that the government's total budget deficit (central and state governments and all off-budget items) is running at 9% of GDP in this fiscal year. The government must hold an election by May next year, so it is reluctant to raise fuel prices by much. It is thought to be considering a modest rise combined with a cut in excise duty.

"Make Money" Links

2008-05-29T09:30:00.000+05:30

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* SigTrader.com - Do you make posts to forums, newsgroups, or online communities? If so, make money by selling the ad space in your signature line. No listing fees or commissions. Open to all ages.
* Cash Crate - Get paid to try free offers and services. Free to join, open to age 13 or older.
* StreetRacingWar.com - A free online role playing game (RPG) where you can win a $100 cash prize if you get the highest score. The objective is to get your friends to click your special link. Each click you receive builds up your score. You can also attack other users to steal their money and you can purchase offensive or defensive items with your game cash. No age restrictions.
* Survey Club - Get paid to take surveys online.
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* American Consumer Opinion - Panel members receive cash, gifts, and/or free products whenever they are selected to participate in a survey. No age restrictions.

Union Budget Highlights 2008 - 09

2008-03-03T16:46:00.002+05:30

FARMER FRIENDLY DECISIONS
New scheme of debt-waiver and debt relief for farmers
All agriculture loans disbursed by PSU banks, co-operatives till March 2007 waiting recovery to be covered under scheme
Complete waiver of loans for small and marginal farmers holding upto 2 hectares of land
One-time settlement scheme for “all other” farmers

CHEAPER vs DEARER
Cheaper: Small cars, motorcycles and scooters, dairy products, washing machine and ACs, set-top box, gems and jewellery, water purifiers, three and four star hotel tarrif, all pharma products, imported life-saving drugs
Dearer: Mobiles, non filter cigarettes, packaged softwares , stock and commodity exchange services

TACKLING TAXES
Threshold exemption limit increased from 1,10,000 to 1,50,000
Income Tax exemption limit for women hiked from Rs 1,45,000 to 1,80,000
Senior citizens' exemption limit hiked from Rs 1,95,000 to 2,25,000
New tax slabs — 1.5 lakh to 3 lakh: 10%; 3 lakh to 5 lakh: 20%: 5 lakh and above: 30%
No change in corporate tax; no change in surcharge
Duty on two wheelers reduced from 16 to 12 %
Excise duty slashed to 8% on water purification items
Duty withdrawn on naptha for production of polymers
Central Sales Tax up from 2% to 5%
Introduction of commodity transaction tax
Short-term capital gains tax hiked to 15%
Securities Transactions Tax unchanged
Banking Transaction Tax withdrawn
BALANCE SHEET
GDP increased by 8.8% during first 3 years of UPA govt
Growth to be 8.7% this fiscal
Manufacturing growth at 9.4%
Services growth at 10.7%
Agriculture growth pegged at 2.4%
Govt to monitor and moderate capital inflow to ensure stock market stability
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture sector has grown by 2.4%
Agri credit doubled during UPA government’s tenure
Record food grain production at 290 mn tonnes
Record rice production at 98.04 million tonnes
Record maize production at 16.7 million tones
INFRASTRUCTURE AND INDUSTRY
Power generation on target for 11th Plan
Allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for rural electrification
Rs 12,966 crore for highways
...........
EDUCATION
Education outlay increased by 20% to Rs 34,400 crore
Mid-day meal scheme to be extended to all govt and govt-aided schools
410 new Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidayalaya to be set up
........
HEALTH
Health outlay increased by 15% to Rs 16,543 crore
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to be extended to all districts
FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
Two national institutes of ageing
New national programme for the elderly
DEFENCE
Budget increased by 10% to to Rs 1,05,600 crore
Rate of attrition high in defence forces
MISCELLANEOUS
Special fund of Rs 500 crore for Arunachal Pradesh
Rs 12,155 crore to Ministry for North East Development
Rs 200 crore for clean water to school children
Rs 1,000 crore for Ministry for Minorities
Rs 75 crore for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Programme
.............
CHIDAMBARAM SPEAK
2008 should be a year of consolidation
UPA wants to make growth inclusive
We can do better and we should; Budget 08-09 is about doing more
India determined to become self sufficient in agriculture
Finance Minister confident of 8.8% this fiscal

Union Budget 2008-2009 - Speech of P. Chidambaram Minister of Finance

2008-02-29T17:27:00.003+05:30

Tata Ace - passenger version - Tata Magic

2008-02-28T21:00:00.001+05:30

The Magic is a four-to-seven seater vehicle suitable for rural passengers. Like the Ace, the Magic is powered by a 16-horsepower, 700 cc diesel engine.

According to Tata Motors, Magic meets BS III emission norms and is backed by a 36,000 km/12 month warranty. The Tata Magic is priced at Rs 2.60 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).

These pictures of the Tata Magic were taken on Karwar Beach. Looks very very utilitarian, and the rural/low-budget consumers are making the most of it....

New Year Wishes to all my friends...

2007-12-29T16:44:00.000+05:30

More ecards from mahlove.com

Rajanikant Ishtyle !!!

2007-12-06T20:39:00.000+05:30

Know Your Crush....

2007-11-26T09:59:00.000+05:30

Love Calculator

Bangada (Mackarel) Fish "Naked" Fry....

2007-11-21T15:13:00.001+05:30

Can you smell it ??

Video - http://picasaweb.google.ca/yogesa/BangadaFry/photo#5135295801685059634

Bangada Fry

This is Bangada (Mackarel) Fish being "Naked" fried.... My mouth waters as I type this, doesnt urs ?

Chat With God

2007-11-12T12:01:00.000+05:30

Chat With God !!!

God : Hello. Did you call me?
Me: Called you? No.. who is this?
God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.
God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.
Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.
God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God : Well I wanted to resolve your! fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.
Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?
God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. .
God : Pain is inevitable able, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.
Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?
God : Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why cant we be free from problems?
God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you! are free from problems.
Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..
God : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
God : Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
God : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?
God : when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.
Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I cant get the answer.
God : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?
God : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.
Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
God : There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.
Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.
God : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

An Interview with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore

2007-11-07T19:12:00.001+05:30

A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees. The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.

Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?

Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?

Ans: No

Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?

Ans: Yes

Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?

Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?

Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints

Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?

Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient

Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?

Ans: Extremely rare

Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?

Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?

Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?

Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?

Ans: Yoga helps.

Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?

Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?

Ans: All oils are bad .

Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?

Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?

Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?

Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.

Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, edentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?

Ans: Yes.

Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?

Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?

Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?

Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?

Ans : No.

Qn: How would you define junk food?

Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.

Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?

Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?

Ans : No.

Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?

Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?

Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?

Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?

Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight..

Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?

Ans : No.

Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?

Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?

Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?

Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended)

2007-10-25T15:03:00.000+05:30

Earth Clock

2007-10-19T19:35:00.000+05:30

Poodwaddle.com

Calculate Your Income by the Minute.....

2007-10-17T19:43:00.000+05:30

The program calculates the money you make per day, per hour, per minute and per second.
CLICK :- http://www.cashto.net

Indicative Tourism Road Map - Sirsi Jog Murudeshwar Yana Gokarna Karwar

2007-10-17T18:41:00.000+05:30

From Bengaluru - Sirsi - Sonda - Sahasralinga - Sirsi - Banavasi - Unchalli-Siddapur-Jog-Murudeshwar-Idagunji-Yana-Gokarna-Karwar

Take the NH-4 from Bengaluru and travel till Haveri 335kms, and take the Diversion to Sirsi, which is 74 kms away from there. (Sirsi to Bengaluru = 425kms).

The name Sirsi appears to have been derived from the true Shirsha. The fort of Sirsi is now in ruins where temples of Shankara and Ganapati could be seen. On the right side of Shankara temple is a small pond locally called as Shankara Tirtha. The popular Marikamaba temple is said to have built in 1689. The wooden statue is believed to have been found in a tank. Veerabhadra, Ishwara and the Parshwanath Basti are other temples in the town. Triambakeshwara temple and a Ganesh Shrine are just opposite Marikamba temple.

With Sirsi as the base, travel towards the North by the Sirsi-Yellapur Road to visit Sahasralinga 17 kms and Sonda Swarnavalli Matha + 5 kms.

SAHASRALINGA : A beautiful valley where the river Shalmala flows. The multiple Shivalingas found for considerable length in the river course of the Shalmala are an attraction. Each rock is designed with a linga and Nandi facing it.

SONDA : 19 KMs from Sirsi is the seat of one of the Ashtamathas of Udupi rto which Vadiraj Swami succeeded . it contains the Brindavana of Vadiraj Swamy. There is a fine Kalyani called Dhavalaganga behind this. The annual car festival of Trivikrama is held on the Holy Poornima which also synchronises with the day of the entry of Vadiraja in to Brindavana.

SWARNAVALLI : 16KMs from Sirsi is the revenue village where Swarnavallimatha was established. It has got shrines of Rajarajeshwari, Chandramouleshwara and Laxminarayana. On the forest route, from this mataha to Vadiraja Mataha , Sonda, a Jaina Matha could be seen which was also called as Bhattakalanka Matha.
Another +19 kms will take you to the Shivganga Falls, for which you may have to trek a bit. Nearby is a Island in the Shalmala river with a small Ganesh statue. The island is known as Ganeshpal.

ShIVAGANGA FALLS : 22 KMs from Sirsi. There is no proper road, and after moving through a moterable road from Hulekal to Smpigadde near Mensi village, one has to cross the thick forest in order to reach this spot. The small Sonda river falls in to a deep valley covered with thick ever green flora and presents a captivating view.

Return back to Sirsi, visit the 300 years old Marikamba Temple, and travel down South-West to Banavasi 24 kms from Sirsi, to visit the capital city of the Kadamba Kings. Pampavana is 1 km near Banavasi.

BANAVASI : The place is 22 KMs from Sirsi is one of the oldest towns of Karnataka with beautiful, natural surroundings. The river Varada flows on 3 sides. Madhukeshwara Temple originally constructed by the Kadambas, has got many additions in Kalyana, Chalukya and Hoysala Styles. There are many shrines big and small along the compound of the main temple. The Triloka Manatapa kept in the Navaranaga of the Madhukeshwara and the Asthana Mandtapa are wonderful monolithic creations.

From Banavasi, head towards Siddapur, and 35 kms before Siddapur (on Siddapur-Kumta State Highway) you will find the Unchalli falls (Lushington Falls) also known as “Keppa Jog”.

UNCHALLI FALLS : 35 KMs from Siddapur is a fine tourist spot. It is acombination of 2 streams one from Shankar thirtha [ Sirsi Town ] & the other from Manjuguni Tank [Sirsi Taluk ] which converges at Maddihalli [ Siddapur Tq.] which then flows deep down in to the rugged valley at Hunchalli from a height of 116 Mtrs and then flows westwards. The river is called Aghanashini from Maddihalli.

There is one more falls in 5km radius from Unchalli Falls, known as Burude Jog on the same road, towards Siddaapur.

DODMANE : 27 KMs from Siddapur is located in the beautiful surroundings of ever green forest and uneven landscapes, which together present a panaromic view of the valley. There is water falls here which is locally known as Burude jog. This is a highly captivating site.

BILGI: 13 KMs from Siddapur has temples of Veerupaksha, Mahadeva and Hanumanta. The Jain Basti in Bilgi is the biggest in the Dist. and a very beautiful complex structures.

Come down to Siddapur, and head towards Jog Falls which is 22kms from Siddapur (state Highway)

From Jog Falls, you have two options –
1. Take the State Highway towards Honnavar via Gerusoppa, or
2. Take the narrower road towards Bhatkal

If you take the First option, you can see the Gerusoppa valley, and the Gerusoppa – Nagara Bastikeri Jain Chaturmukha Monument, while proceeding towards Honnavar.

If you take the second route, you can see the 14 century Jain Temple - Theerthankara Basadi at Haduvalli 16 kms before Bhatkal, which was formerly the capital of Rani Channabyra Devi.

Anyways, you can travel and halt at Murudeshwar, which is 16 kms from Bhatkal towards Karwar on NH-17 and about 35 kms from Honnavar.

Murdeshwar is said to have a part of Atma Linga of Gokarn. Beautiful location of the temple surrounded by the sea is realy marvellous, and is a tourist centre.
23 kms from Murudeshwar and 15 kms before Honnavar is Idagunji, a religious destination, with the 800 year old Ganesha Temple. Along the NH-17, a diversion has to be taken towards the East to reach Idagunji, about 6 kms interior.

Then again, proceed to Honnavar, and 8 kms before Honnavar is the
Apsarakonda, at the confluence of the Sharavathi River and the Arabian Sea, which is a small waterfall, fit for Apsaras (fairies) to bathe and relax. There are also several big caves, said to have been used by the Pandavas, on the hillock at Apsarakonda, with a view of lush green fields, coconut groves, the sea and the river.

Honnavar - Historical Importance:
In 1502, Vasco da Gama imposed commercial restrictions on the Chief of Honavar , to accept the suzerainty of the King of Portugal during his second voyage to India. Later Honavar witnessed many battles between Mysore dynasty (Vijayanagara dynasty) and English East India Company.

Head towards Kumta from Honnavar which is 20 kms away. From Kumta, along the NH-17, take the diversion - road to Sirsi, to go to Yana. Yana is 28 kms from Kumta and 65 kms from Sirsi. No eating joints are available at Yana, so please carry your own food.

Yana - This place in thickets of the Sahyadri hills of the Western Ghats. Two huge rocks are the center of attraction here. There are two temples, temple of Shiva inside a cave and a Ganesha temple nearby. The other places of interest are a small waterfall and the forest itself.

From a place called Anegundi near Kathagaal before the Devimane ghats it is around 16kms walk. Jeep is the best mode of transportation anywhere in North Kanara, especially Yana. Jeeps can be hired at Kumta.

After grueling yourself at Yana, head down towards Kumta, until you reach the NH-17. Head North on the NH-17 to go towards Gokarna, about 30 kms. At Gokarna, visit the 18th century Mahabaleshwara temple, Kotitheertha, Jatayu Theertha, Om beach, Kudle beach.

Gokarn has been well known piligrim centre from the rime immemorial for Atma Linga brought by Ravana and is famous as Dakshin Kashi; It takes us to Krutayuga when Rama and Ravana lived.

Spend the night in one of the rustic, earthy, no-comfort Cottages on the Om / Kudle beach for a lifetime experience.

55 kms from Gokarna is Karwar.

Stop Global Warming - Calculator

2007-10-16T21:36:00.000+05:30

Take Action!

The Stop Global Warming calculator shows you how much carbon dioxide you can prevent from being released into the atmosphere and how much money you can save by making some small changes in your daily life. It’s our hope that the calculator will promote action, awareness and empowerment by showing you that one person can make a difference and help stop global warming.

There are many simple things you can do in your daily life — what you eat, what you drive, how you build your home — that can have an effect on your immediate surrounding, and on places as far away as Antactica. Here is a list of few things that you can do to make a difference.

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Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.
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Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buying wind certificates and green tags.
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Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.
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Idling wastes money and gas, and generates pollution and global warming causing emissions. Except when in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait for more than 30 seconds.
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Put on a Sweater

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Air Dry Your Clothes

Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year.
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Source :- http://stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_actionitems.asp

Peugot Indian Car Commercial

2007-10-11T16:51:00.000+05:30

Peugeot Indian Car Commercial
to transform his not so impressive car in any method he can to look like a 206....

Amritapuri Visit

2007-10-01T10:53:00.000+05:30

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi - http://www.amritapuri.org/
Many people wonder how a little girl from a simple South Indian village came to be known throughout the world as "Amma, the Mother of All." Motherhood, in its ultimate sense, has nothing to do with bearing a child, but with love, compassion and selflessness. It lies in totally giving one's self to others.

"We should tell children while they are very young that there is a power known as God who controls everything. If we teach a child to remember this divinity in all circumstances of life, that child will be able to keep his or her inner poise in every situation, whether it be victory or defeat." —Amma

Amma gives darshan to a huge crowd in Karwar on 15-02-2006 At Maladevi Ground, Karwar.

Simply Huge: Darshan in Karwar
Bharata Yatra 2006 15 February 2006 — Karwar, Karnataka

source - http://archives.amritapuri.org/news/2006/602karwar.php

When Amma gives a programme in a new city, none of the ashramites know exactly what to expect—that is to say, no one knows how many people will actually come, no one knows how late the next day Amma's darshan will actually go. Karwar is kind of sleepy seaside town that lies 15 kilometres south of the boarder separating Karnataka and Goa. Driving along its coastal highway, one is overtaken by the beauty of its craggy hills, massive inlet bays, towering coconut trees and barren white beaches. In fact, more than 75 percent of the district is forest. It's the kind of place where farmers lead small teams of water buffalo along the roadside—or, more often than not, the buffalo are left to wander the same routes unsupervised. That said, no one dreamed that 250 to 300 thousand people would come to see Amma. But they did.

By 4:00 p.m. the grounds at Mala Devi Temple were full, and by the time Amma arrived at 6:30, there were three queues to get inside, each of which stretched for 3.5 kilometres! It was by far the biggest crowd to ever come see Amma for a single programme.

Amma was welcomed with padapuja, purnakumbam, fireworks and the chanting of the Vedas, as well as by a breathtaking version of the dhyana sloka by Vani Hardikar Hegde, a professional classical singer.

In the end, Amma finished giving darshan only by 1:30 the next day. She had been onstage for 19 hours continuously. It's hard to say exactly how many people Amma gave darshan to, but surely it was up there with the largest amount in history. The tokens distributed totaled 172,500, and all those patient enough to remain till the end received Amma's darshan.

It was only in August 2005 {photo-news} that a busload of devotees from Karwar descended upon Amritapuri, all begging Amma to come and bless their city. Who knew the busload represented just so many hundreds of thousands of others who also desired to spend a few moments in Amma's arms.

—Kannadi

Sri. Santeri Temple, Hankon, Karwar

2007-10-01T10:47:00.001+05:30

Location - http://wikimapia.org/403908/

Description -
KARWAR: Sateri Devi temple at Hankon, about 10 km from here on the Sadashivgad- Kadra state highway, has been attracting devotees not only from this part of the state, but from Goa and Maharashtra as well.
The most significant feature of the temple is that it is open only for a week in the Bhadrapada month. The festival is celebrated during this week. Legend has it that about 300 years ago, Sateri Devi took birth at Hankon in a human form. Having mystic powers, she was revered by the people. However, one day she disappeared by jumping into a well.
When the villagers prayed for her to resurface, Sateri Devi, who appeared in the dream of a devotee promised that she would give darshan only on two days in a year. When they asked her to stay for at least a week, she agreed.
Thus the festival is celebrated from the fourth day of Ganesh Chaturthi every year for one week. The festival is celebrated this year from September 18 to 24.
The temple is opened at midnight on the first day of the festival and closed at midnight on the seventh day.Every day more than 15,000 people visit the temple during this period.
Various programmes including bhajans, keertans and religious dicourses are arranged during the week.
The common belief is that the child-less are blessed with a child.The temple is managed by a village committee.According to Ullas Naik, a committee member, the temple was renovated two years ago with the offerings of the devotees.
The temple now has an imposing structure having a garbhagriha, an ardha mantapa and a mukha mantapa.
Though the temple is closed after the festival, priests perform pooja every day at the main entrance.

Karwar Ganeshotsav 2007 Pictures

2007-10-01T10:24:00.000+05:30

Sea Organ - musical instrument played by nature

2007-09-13T15:52:00.000+05:30

The musical Sea Organ (morske orgulje) is located on the shores of Zadar, Croatia, and is the world’s first musical pipe organs that is played by the sea. Simple and elegant steps, carved in white stone, were built on the quayside. Underneath, there are 35 musically tuned tubes with whistle openings on the sidewalk. The movement of the sea pushes air through, and – depending on the size and velocity of the wave – musical chords are played. The waves create random harmonic sounds.
This masterpiece of acoustics and architecture was created by expert Dalmatian stone carvers and architect Nikola Basic in 2005, who recently received the European Prize for Urban Public Space for this project. Many tourists come to listen to this unique aerophone, and enjoy unforgettable sunsets with a view of nearby islands. Famed director Alfred Hitchcock said that the most beautiful sunset in the world can be seen from precisely this spot on the Zadar quay. That was how he described it after his visit to Zadar, a visit he remembered throughout his life by the meeting of the sinking sun and the sea.

Article from :- http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om24550.html

Listen to the Sea Organ Music here :- http://www.oddmusic.com/clips/sea_organ.mp3

Amazing Demonstration of Psychic Powers - Video

2007-09-12T20:35:00.000+05:30