Indian Interests

SanjayC · Post by **SanjayC** » 30 May 2014 23:57

^^^ Can this be Ambani's US connections working to give Zakaria a prominent position in Indian media landscape?

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 31 May 2014 01:03

-- inline image self-removed --

WARNING: The article contains a disturbing image.

Dalit Teen sisters allegedly gang-raped, hanged to death in Uttar Pradesh; Cops suspected

May 29, – Authorities in northern India said Thursday that they have arrested three men, including two police officers, suspected of gang-raping and killing two teenage sisters before hanging their bodies from a mango tree, sparking renewed public outrage over sexual violence in the country.

Villagers found the girls’ bodies hanging from the tree Wednesday morning, hours after they disappeared from fields near their home in Katra village in Uttar Pradesh state, police Superintendent Atul Saxena said. The girls, who were 14 and 15, had gone into the fields because there was no toilet in their home.

Hundreds of angry villagers spent the rest of Wednesday in silent protest over alleged police inaction in the case. Indian TV channels showed video of the villagers sitting under the girls’ bodies as they swung in the wind, preventing authorities from taking them down from the tree until the suspects were arrested.

Police arrested the three men later in the day and were searching for four more suspects.

Autopsies confirmed the girls had been gang-raped and strangled before being hung, Saxena said.

The villagers accused the chief of the local police station of ignoring a complaint by the girls’ father Tuesday night that the girls were missing. The station chief has since been suspended.

The family belongs to the Dalit community, also called “untouchables” and considered the lowest rung in India’s age-old caste system.

India tightened its anti-rape laws last year, making gang rape punishable by the death penalty. The new laws came after nationwide protests over the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi that triggered nationwide protests.

Records show a rape is committed every 22 minutes in India, a nation of 1.2 billion people. Activists say that number is low because of an entrenched culture of tolerance for sexual violence, which leads many cases to go unreported. Women are often pressed by family or police to stay quiet about sexual assault, experts say, and those who do report cases are often subjected to public ridicule or social stigma.

Last month, the head of Uttar Pradesh state’s governing party told an election rally that the party was opposed to the law calling for gang rapists to be executed.

Press journalist for HRO media – Saurav Nag contributed to this report.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 31 May 2014 01:19

The above is a terrible piece of news. I can't even begin to fathom the mindset of the perpetrators. It has to be some kind of a political statement. Since this ghastly act seems to have been carried out by a group of 3-7 people sickness of mind can be safely excluded. Going bu the brazenness of hanging the girls, we have to assume that these people were throwing a gauntlet at the society at large. The severest punishment allowed by the law should be meted out to people responsible including accessories to the crime.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 31 May 2014 03:00

May God have mercy on all of us. Modi Sir, please punish the culprits!!

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 31 May 2014 04:39

Please to remove the inline image.... and atleast graphic warning for courtesy sake.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 31 May 2014 04:57

JwalaMukhi wrote:Please to remove the inline image.... and atleast graphic warning for courtesy sake.

Any reason to remove the image? I suspect that photo is going to haunt India's image for some time to come. Like "Southern trees"...

Anyway I have removed it.

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 31 May 2014 05:23

Thank you. The picture is of shock value and quite gruesome. It is extremely disturbing, sad ---- and demeaning to the victims too. (apart from the forum being open to all ages). Anything that promotes misery voyeurism should be avoided.
The image problem is present, but is secondary.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 31 May 2014 07:39

ramana wrote:MMS did one thing. When he came to office there was a strong Left and a Right. The Congress occupied the self opportune middle.
In his first term he destoryed the Left electorally.

As the Congress was weak he managed a vacuum into which the Modi Tsunami rode in.

In essence MMS destroyed the Left and presided over a weak middle.

Ramanaji what can NaMo govt. that process of Left & center left weakening continues 2014 - 2019

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 31 May 2014 07:52

Jwalamukhi are you on twitter? If so please follow @violenceagainstwomen.

Agnitmitra, I recall Badaun was contentious LS seat. I think this is election related. Who won in Badaun?

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 31 May 2014 08:16

^^^ The events at the Karjat shelter home are equally gruesome. A 5 year recorded a statement about rape and torture. Last year a 6 year old was hung to death.
For some strange reason crimes against children do not make the news in India.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 31 May 2014 09:02

Paul wrote:
ramana wrote:MMS did one thing. When he came to office there was a strong Left and a Right. The Congress occupied the self opportune middle.
In his first term he destoryed the Left electorally.

As the Congress was weak he managed a vacuum into which the Modi Tsunami rode in.

In essence MMS destroyed the Left and presided over a weak middle.
By stiking to office he prevented even worse bandits like PChidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee from becomeing even more willing enablers for destroying India.
True he did not strengthen India but he also prevented far worse leaders from taking charge.
Very succinct observation by Ramana. 2014 is truly a watershed year. BJP in power in Delhi and the razakars back in business in hyderabad. How long before the counter actions happen is to be seen.

Paul you have been on forefront of tracking urdu and razaakrs with me.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 31 May 2014 09:17

violence does not know caste. it is a self-goal, added insult to injury, if you think women are only targetted by caste,age,or country. It is an opportunistic crime, make an example by actually carrying out a sentence or two and all this caste business will go away. It is not the lack of toilets that is the problem, its prompt application of existing laws.

No amount of divide and conquer will solve this problem. The western tourists attacked were certainly not low caste. The narrative needs to be voilence against women, and not black women, low caste women, or white women. You bring up caste and take away the women who are now upper-caste from your support base, let alone any decent men.

There is this to remind you that humans are worse than animals in many ways. It is not a localised problem.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 31 May 2014 09:25

ramana wrote:Jwalamukhi are you on twitter? If so please follow @violenceagainstwomen.

Agnitmitra, I recall Badaun was contentious LS seat. I think this is election related. Who won in Badaun?

It has been reported that Badaun was won by Dharmendra Yaday of the SP. Has been with the SP since 1996.

Source

http://www.elections.in/uttar-pradesh/p ... adaun.html

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 01 Jun 2014 03:03

http://lf-oll.s3.amazonaws.com/titles/2 ... .30_Bk.pdf
John Stuart Mill On India

Trade with India
ON THE 15THMAY,* Mr. Wolryche Whitmore moved for a Committee to inquire
into the trade between Great Britain and India. Mr. Whitmore rested his demand
for investigation upon a specification of grievances; among which he insisted
chiefly upon the inequality of the duties on East India and on West India produce;
the impediments which, as he affirmed, the East India Company were accused of
throwing in the way of private merchants trading to the East Indies; and lastly, the
commercial restrictions, which he seemed to suppose existed at Singapore, and
other "emporia in the Eastern Archipelago. ''_
On the f'n'stof these topics, the discriminating duties on East India produce, our
opinion has been already given. The subject was plainly treated, in the course of
the debate, by Mr. William Smith; who placed the advocates of these duties in a
dilemma from which they cannot possibly escape. 2 If the duties were equalized,
the taxed commodities either could, or could not, be obtained at less cost from the
East Indies than from the West. If they could, the discriminating duties are a tax on
the people of England, to enable the West Indians to carry on what is, or would
otherwise be, a losing business, by means of slave labour. If not, the duties are
meant for no purpose except to ward off a danger which does not exist: they ought,
therefore, to be repealed, were it for no other reason but because animosities are
engendered, and valuable time wasted, by the agitation of the question from year
to year.
The complaints of Mr. Whitmore against the East India Company, it is
impossible to decide upon without a full inquiry: and if they be persevered in, it is
highly proper that they should be subjected to investigation by any committee
which may hereafter be appointed to inquire into the East India trade. Judging,
however, from what Mr. Whitmore hinted rather than stated concerning the nature

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 01 Jun 2014 03:52

ramana wrote:Jwalamukhi are you on twitter? If so please follow @violenceagainstwomen.

Agnitmitra, I recall Badaun was contentious LS seat. I think this is election related. Who won in Badaun?

JM garu ,
@violenceonwomen is the handle.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 01 Jun 2014 03:53

Sorry. yes follow the handle that Lilo has pooted.

Thanks,

ramana

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 Jun 2014 05:20

Law and order under the SP has all but vanished in UP.The chilling daily crimes against women coming in not only from UP but also from other parts of the country,show that there is a savage bestial nature lurking in Indian menfolk that needs very harsh and swift punishment for crimes such as violent gangrape and murder.Fast track courts have to be set up and more women's police stations,emergency centres,etc.also involving women's NGOs,as the problem has a social angle to it as well.In the case of crimes that have a caste angle,there can be no compromise.The problem will not disappear overnight.Prejudice against women has been part of a sick section in parts of India.Where the state has failed to duty,the centre must step in and justice must also be seen to be done.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Jun 2014 22:51

I think the Governor has failed too. He is the head of the govt and can ask the CM questions which can lead to solution. Instead the guy is Congress puppet.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 03 Jun 2014 22:54

After the windfall in telangana the owaisis could start spreading out into osmanabad of MH and gulbarga areas of KA. Akbaruddin has grand ideas and they see themselves as the inheritors of the nizam. If MH splits into Vidarbha it could be a +ve development for them.

It is also likely that the pan india muslim reaction to the 2014 setback will originate in hyderabad. The owaisis now have credible resources at their disposal. For this we need to watch the senior owaisi. There was an article in the Telegraph on this a few days ago.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Jun 2014 07:58

From lurker Ashok T

Let us analyze the chronic defeat of the Congress Party considering domestic compulsion of the nation called India.

In the last 65 years Congress party gradually become the party of Muslims/christians/Psuedo Hindus combine and removed the majority 85% Hindus from the decision making process. This has turned Indian democracy in to a soft Islamo/christian state. The Top leaders and their cabals believe that they are the owner of the country called India and not the servants. It is unthinkable in the USA an oldest democracy to have a foreign born usurped in power and so completely rule the nation and the party by removing any trace of democratic principles within the party and put the nation on such a perilous condition. They should not hold the party as their personal property and must be removed from the party power structure together with people who support them. It clearly shows that regardless of the dismal performance of the Top 2G leadership Congress Party still thinks that it can gain and cash in the name “Gandhi”. Not any more.
By not being in the tune with the 85% population Congress Party lost the mandate to rule by default.
The Congress party must remove oldies who are nothing but hindrance and behave like a cunning foxes.
Congress Party become the home of Nepotism/criminal/rapist/corrupts, and this must stop immediately.
Congress Party must relearn to become party who is Serving the people and try hard to fulfill their aspiration and not lord over them.
Remove the top leadership due to constant failure and reorganize it completely and put in more cleaned imaged leadership.
Congresss party/Samajvadi Party/ Bahujan Samajvadi Party/Communist Parties and all other leftist party must amalgamate and become one party as State Running small parties have no future in the coming years. These leftist parties are the shades of the Congress party and cannot be seen as different.
In order to full fulfill the wishes of Mahatam Gandhi, Congress Party must dismantle and resurrect itself under a new name with the amalgamation of all the left parties.
If Congress wants come back to power it must do the follwoing.
The interest of India must come first and foremost.
Law and order must be applied swiftly and justice must be delivered without delay.
Not Hand out but allow smart investment (domestic or foreign) to create jobs for young generation.
Support BJP to remove 370 and establish sovereignty on whole of Kashmir and enact Uniform Civil Code.
Being in Opposition does not mean to oppose each and every thing coming out of the Governing party. Make gesture of co-operation and consensus. This will give the message to the people that Congress has learnt the lesson and now putting INDIA FIRST.

I hope at least while sitting in opposition for next 5 years Congress may put its house in order.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 04 Jun 2014 08:11

ramana wrote:MMS did one thing. When he came to office there was a strong Left and a Right. The Congress occupied the self opportune middle.
In his first term he destoryed the Left electorally.

As the Congress was weak he managed a vacuum into which the Modi Tsunami rode in.

In essence MMS destroyed the Left and presided over a weak middle.
By stiking to office he prevented even worse bandits like PChidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee from becomeing even more willing enablers for destroying India.
True he did not strengthen India but he also prevented far worse leaders from taking charge.

I agree with 98% of this thought. However, I also do wonder. PC yes. But what wrong did Pranab-da do? I thought he was / is a very efficient problem fixer!

We had 2 economic crises and during both the times, it was Pranab-da who was at the helm and I couldn't say he did a bad job. Yes, there was one more during MMS regime as FM and he is credited as bringing in the open era and liberalization and such. But lets not forget that it was as much Narasimha Rao as it was MMS. I have a few more interesting thoughts on the 1991 crisis... however, that isn't the point of discussion here. Still curious as to why Pranab-da is considered a bandit / bandicoot.

kish · Post by **kish** » 04 Jun 2014 22:42

Child sex racket is running in the garb of orphanages by members of 'peaceful community', so no outrage in MSM.

Kerala's 'orphan industry' sells kids in the Gulf

More that 589 children from two orphanages in Kozhikode and Malappuram, Kerala, were rescued in a case of suspected child trafficking last week.

The arrest of eight people based in West Bengal from the Palakkad railway station in connection with the alleged racket has brought under the scanner private shelter homes run in the state.

During the course of the investigation, three accused confessed that they were working for the Mukkam Muslim Orphanage and the others said they belonged to the Vettathur Anwarul Orphanage in Malappuram

The children are purchased by the orphanages for anything between Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 depending on their age. A three-year-old is purchased for Rs 1,000 and a 12-year-old for Rs 3,000, the accused told the police.

The orphanages then sell these children in the Gulf for anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 100,000. The girls are forced into prostitution and the boys are employed as servants in the houses of the rich, the police investigation revealed.

The issue took a political turn after the Indian Union Muslim League, a partner of the ruling United Democratic Front, alleged conspiracy against their community. IUML General Secretary and Lok Sabha member E T Muhammad Basheer said, “I feel that there is something wrong in the manner in which the case is being probed.”

No wonder India is one of the top "Women & child trafficking countries" according to UN. And as usual malsi community members play victim-hood.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Jun 2014 02:03

The Nithari incident was also mis-characterised by mainstream media to protect the perpetrator who was from elite St Stephens College New Delhi.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 06 Jun 2014 09:27

the book "Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America" is available online.

Rajiv Malhotra recommends it.

krithivas · Post by **krithivas** » 06 Jun 2014 10:34

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/06/ ... -muslims/]
Child mortality is lower among Muslims despite being poorer and less educated and the rationale is Muslims are 20% more likely to use toilets. And open defecation leads to a shorter lifespan.

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 06 Jun 2014 12:15

Vodafone reveals existence of secret wires that allow state surveillance

The company said wires had been connected directly to its network and those of other telecoms groups, allowing agencies to listen to or record live conversations and, in certain cases, track the whereabouts of a customer. Privacy campaigners said the revelations were a "nightmare scenario" that confirmed their worst fears on the extent of snooping.

In Albania, Egypt, Hungary, India, Malta, Qatar, Romania, South Africa and Turkey, it is unlawful to disclose any information related to wiretapping or interception of the content of phone calls and messages including whether such capabilities exist.

Why the Crown-fakkuers Vodafone is not mentioning UK, which is under heavy surveillance not by MI5 and MI6, but even by US NSA. Its better to kick Vodafone out of India on one pretext or another, or limit it scope in India citing its collusion with NSA.

nawabs · Post by **nawabs** » 07 Jun 2014 20:56

North faces heat as power generation trips

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 617_1.html

States in north India are in the grip of a severe electricity shortage. Angry residents are thronging the streets in protests against the scheduled as well as unscheduled power cuts that last up to 12 hours in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The onset of a scorching summer, coal shortage and financially bleeding power distribution companies, or discoms, are being touted as the reasons behind the plight of these states.

Fresh generation and deficit data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) corroborate the crisis. In north India, there are power plants with a capacity of 56,600 Mw - roughly a fifth of India's total current monitored power capacity of 214,000 Mw. Power generation in all the regions registered growth between April and May, with the only exception being the North. Here, the plants generated 45,702 billion units (BUs) during the period, 23 BUs less than in the same period in 2013. This is in contrast to the 16 per cent growth in generation in the West, 9 per cent in South and 8 per cent in the East. It isn't surprising then that peak power deficit in the North jumped to 7.4 per cent in April (data for May is currently not available) against 5.1 per cent in the same months last year. In comparison, the national deficit went down from 7.4 per cent in April 2013 to 5.4 per cent in April this year.

Continued power cuts have now started threatening industries, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises. The electricity crisis has already led to a cut of 30 per cent in industrial production in the region in April and May. This figure is likely to move up to 45 per cent if scheduled power cuts are continued for another month, according to an estimate by industrial chamber Assocham. A look at the power situation in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab highlights the need of immediate reforms in the sector.

In Uttar Pradesh, urban areas are experiencing scheduled power cuts of up to 13 hours and rural households up to eight hours. In the current heat wave, daily power demand routinely breaches the 13,500 Mw mark against total availability of 11,000 Mw. Besides, overheating of transformers often causes power supply breakdowns in major cities during peak hours on a daily basis. The power crisis has added to the long list of troubles for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who is currently fending off allegations of bad governance being the cause of the numerous crimes against women in the state.

While power consumption in the state is growing 10-15 per cent every year, capacity addition has not been able to keep pace. Also, the bad shape of transmission and distribution systems is resulting in massive line losses. Rampant power theft, pilferage and under recoveries, which bleed the discoms are adding to the problem. State power utility Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) has accumulated losses of Rs 25,000 crore.

The state government is engaged in a bitter war of letters with the new National Democratic Alliance government at the centre over the issue. Yadav recently claimed that his state was entitled to around 6,100 Mw from the central pool of stations, but was hardly receiving 4,500 Mw. This was in response to the power ministry's statement last week that enough power was available to Uttar Pradesh from the central generating stations under the state's quota. "It is not procuring power equivalent to its allocation from the gas-based power stations of Anta, Aurayia and Dadri," the ministry claimed.

The ministry, with Piyush Goyal at the helm, also said that the coal stock position in the state's power plants was comfortable. "Coal supply to the 600-Mw Anpara-C plant from Coal India's Northern Coalfields is more than 90 per cent which is as per linkage. Anpara-C is not generating because of non-procurement of imported coal by the state generating company," the ministry asserted. It also suggested the state had multiple options to choose from: procure 377 Mw from National Thermal Power Corporation's Jhajjar plant like it did during the election season from May 3 to 15, access power from exchanges, improve its internal generation from 4,500 Mw to over 10,000 Mw or buy power from other power-surplus states in the region.

The state government maintains that while Anpara-C is procuring imported coal, Coal India has not been able to provide coal from its Khadia mine for the past 20 days. Also, the gas-based plants are not operating at full capacity due to inadequate gas availability, and the absence of a transmission network precludes the state sourcing power from other regions. UPPCL Managing Director A P Mishra told Business Standard that the reason behind the yawning demand-supply gap was the sudden rise in temperatures this year. "The deficit is not too high, but since the demand is very high due to a rise in temperatures, the supply has not been able to keep pace," he claims.

Soaring temperatures during May pushed demand through the roof. With the official machinery busy in elections, the state was ill-prepared to deal with the situation. All attempts to buy spot market power were foiled because of the lack of transmission capacity and the utility's worsening finances. The discoms suffer a fund-crunch despite last year's 30 per cent jump in retail tariffs that itself came on the back of a 10 per cent rise in 2009. The state utility has asked for a 20 per cent hike in tariff for the current year. The Annual Revenue Requirement has been accepted by the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission, and a new tariff is likely to be effective by October.

The situation is the same in Bihar, with long power cuts and water scarcity. Bhagalpur's deputy mayor, Preeti Shekhar, recently said the city was not getting power for more than five hours a day for the past fortnight.

In Punjab, a combination of coal shortage and delays in fresh capacity addition have added to the problems of the state utility, the Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL), which has been grappling with severe losses arising from subsidised power supply for the farm sector. The situation is likely to worsen in the coming paddy sowing season starting on June 10 amid talk of a weak monsoon. The performance of PSPCL's three main thermal plants - at Lehra Mohabbat, Bathinda and Rupnagar - was reduced by almost half in the two months of April and May due to coal shortage. Panem Coal Mines, which supplies fuel to the thermal plants, stopped supplies on April 10 over a demand for higher price and is now providing only two rakes against the required six. Panem wants a hike of Rs 100 per tonne of coal apart from Rs 6 crore daily as railway freight. PSPCL is seeking legal opinion on this.

Meanwhile, the coal shortage had led to the non-operation of seven of the 14 units in the three state-owned power plants, forcing PSPCL to purchase power from the spot market at around Rs 4 per unit in order to avoid load-shedding. While power cuts usually occur during the paddy season when peak demand nears 10,000 Mw, the state has already seen outages this year even with demand at 5,000 Mw.

It is now learnt that PSPCL has petitioned the state power regulator for the purchase of 5,057 BUs at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore to meet the demand between May and September. The utility has admitted in the petition that the thermal plants are unable to run to full capacity owing to the coal shortage and the burden of Rs 700 crore would be passed on to consumers through a tariff hike. However, a senior official says, "The power requirement of 1,500 lakh units in the state is being met through generation at our own plants, our share from central projects and through short term power purchase. The shortage is due to 900 Mw of capacity being closed for maintenance and coal shortage."

Among the northern states, Jammu & Kashmir seems to be the worst affected. The state suffered a 20 per cent deficit in April alone - four times the national deficit. Last week, the people staged massive protests across several areas in Jammu and blocked roads against power cuts that last for three days. Residents, helped by political activists, have demanded uninterrupted power supply and shouted slogans against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the state power development department.

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 07 Jun 2014 22:42

Paul wrote:After the windfall in telangana the owaisis could start spreading out into osmanabad of MH and gulbarga areas of KA. Akbaruddin has grand ideas and they see themselves as the inheritors of the nizam. If MH splits into Vidarbha it could be a +ve development for them.

It is also likely that the pan india muslim reaction to the 2014 setback will originate in hyderabad. The owaisis now have credible resources at their disposal. For this we need to watch the senior owaisi. There was an article in the Telegraph on this a few days ago.

We have seen consolidation of Hindu vote in 2014 which brought BJP to power in an unprecedented way. Still we haven't seen the reaction of Muslim vote to this new development where Muslim vote bank almost has became redundant despite best efforts by Islamic leaders and sickular followers to vote en bloc for candidate of their choice.
My guess is that now muslims will be more inclined to form their own party a la ML instead of courting parties like SP/JD/TC and big daddy INC.
SP is a party which is on its way out as soon as 5 years are up and only MB is left who is turning green faster than she turned anti-Red.

The last remaining fort of Islamic resistance is Hyderabad (Not counting J&K) and till in a metaphorical 'Operation Polo', It is won over and VijayNagara empire resurrected, There is always a strong chance of
return of Sultanate to Delhi. If you remember, Nizam was the last Islamic ruler to be kicked out of the throne and he tried his best to play India against Pak with dash of British involvement.
The traces of Nizam-ul-Mulk syndrome can be seen in MIM and the way they conducted their slanderous campaign and the way TRS is bending over backwards to accomodate Islamic Interests in Telangana.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 07 Jun 2014 23:24

[url]http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/06/open-defecation-solves-the-child-mortality-puzzle-among-indian-muslims/][/url]
Child mortality is lower among Muslims despite being poorer and less educated and the rationale is Muslims are 20% more likely to use toilets. And open defecation leads to a shorter lifespan.

Clearly the publication is qualified to make such claims...

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 08 Jun 2014 16:13

^Could it be the poorer and more fertile of the IM population declare less their actual populations and birth rates? So when specific studies take place on fertility and child mortality their figures are impressive?

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 09 Jun 2014 10:59

My question is how can some one communalise the problem of open defecation. Let alone draw definitive conclusions from it, regarding mortality rates.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 09 Jun 2014 15:06

My question is how do they differentiate? How do they know that open defecation is the cause and not open urination? To the best of my knowledge, one occurs simultaneously quite often. How do they filter for that?

On the other hand, I suppose, a site called "arstechnica.com" should know all about the technicalities of anything to do with the arse.

Anyway, the thing is OT I guess.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 10 Jun 2014 03:58

First time in 23 years, Deendayal volumes printed afresh

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 10 Jun 2014 18:44

A Bend in the River - Anand Ranganathan

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 11 Jun 2014 08:40

India After English?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Jun 2014 00:20

Making Naughty in the New India
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/opini ... inion&_r=0
SHIDDH ARTH DHAN VENT SHANG HVI

MOIRA, India — A ripple of glee went through the classroom of my school in north Bombay when our teacher, nervously adjusting her spectacles, said a sex-ed seminar was scheduled for after recess. This was at the end of the ’90s; we were a class of 15-year-olds; cable television had just arrived and American soap operas had caused much moral anxiety among our elders. I don’t remember much from this sex seminar, except that we were ordered to feel our testicles once every two weeks. To demonstrate this, an unconvincing replica of a scrotal sac was passed around, with fondling instructions. Our teacher appeared to shrivel. She had to pass the sac back from the grinning boys to the sex-ed instructor, who had just pulled out of his prop bag a plaster-of-Paris model of an erection.
But the sex-ed seminar was not a success. Some weeks later the school head boy confiscated an item from a girl’s bag, declaring it contraband, much to her embarrassment. He proudly dumped the suspicious article on the teacher’s desk. She dragged the head boy out of class, whereupon she slapped him, saying, “Don’t ever put a sanitary napkin on my desk again.”
While it’s glib to make light of Indians’ national awkwardness in speaking about sex, there is something deeper simmering. In December the Indian Supreme Court upheld Section 377, a colonial-era law forbidding intercourse “against the order of nature.” This outlawed all intercourse other than peno-vaginal sex. Homosexuals, rightfully incensed, took to public protest. In a show of support, thousands of well-meaning Indian heterosexuals removed their photos from their Facebook profiles. What many of them may not have realized at the time was that this heroically stupid law affected them, too, as, contrary to what the Supreme Court seems to have strangely supposed, rather a lot of heterosexuals — even that is understating it — stray from strictly peno-vaginal sex, and as such would be culpable under this law, which does not specifically criminalize homosexuality, as largely perceived. Put plainly, the law is anti-sex, and inhumane.The Supreme Court’s reinstatement of Section 377, which had been struck down in a progressive Delhi High Court ruling in 2009, is seen as a triumph of conservatism. Many deem this a hallmark of the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party government, whose head, Narendra Modi, is India’s new prime minister. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing group which many believe represents a more hard-line Bharatiya Janata philosophy, recently said both live-in relationships and homosexuality should not be tolerated, declaring them Western imports (as if they were items well-heeled Indians might pick up from duty free).In April the Supreme Court agreed to hear a final appeal on Section 377, filed by the Naz Foundation, a sexual-health organization. But under the new government, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s vocal demand to preserve the law, the appeal was served its first roadblock.
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Perhaps this is where India’s new government should beg caution. What if sections of India’s urban citizenry, through exposés on blogs and via private investigations, cast light on the private lives of its politicians? Abroad, the bedroom shenanigans of politicians is tabloid fodder. Not so in India. Before our politicians support laws considered inhuman and retrograde in other civilized societies, they ought to wonder whether their own actions fall within the scope of Section 377.

The most significant transformation in our urban youth is a growing refusal to subscribe to standard sexual classifications. Many from my generation believe the sexual self is essentially variable — only a kind of clothing, a performance. If you are a biological man who likes to deck himself out in satin gowns and have intercourse with a trans man, then what, exactly, is your sexual denomination? These questions are being asked more and more, and one suspects that it’s this conversation that has driven the recent expansion of the legal definition of gender: In April, the Supreme Court wisely recognized transgender as a third gender.Now, as the Supreme Court reconsiders Section 377, Mr. Modi’s new government must remember that the conservative constituency that voted him in is also the one whose sexual rights are up for confiscation. For in principle, Section 377 does not discriminate between homosexuals and heterosexuals; as hateful laws go, it takes an equal-opportunity approach. (The law’s backers bring to mind my school head boy, who had no idea what exactly he was declaring contraband.)So, if the Bharatiya Janata Party truly wishes to convince us of its secular, sensible, worldly, youth-friendly, pro-business, tourism-encouraging, liberty-loving credentials, it must put Section 377 where it belongs: in the bin. In the bargain, Mr. Modi would get more than our vote; he would win a young nation’s love.

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi is the author of “The Last Song of Dusk” and was recently a visiting fellow at FIND: India-Europe Foundation for New Dialogues.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 12 Jun 2014 01:46

I agree. The criminalization of homosexuality, nudity, etc stems from victorian and islamic colonialism. We should get rid of these stupid laws.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 12 Jun 2014 02:09

Yeah, let it all hang out.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 12 Jun 2014 02:12

sanjaykumar wrote:Yeah, let it all hang out.

Yeah, people are going to do what they want to do.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 12 Jun 2014 03:51

View from the right

GOOD BEGINNING

Both Sangh Parivar weeklies, the Organiser and Panchjanya, welcomed the first moves made by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, especially the SIT on black money. They were critical of the Raghuram Rajan committee report on backwardness of states and the controversial four-year undergraduate programme introduced in Delhi University last year. In its editorial, the Organiser also praised the prime minister’s advisory asking ministers to avoid appointing family members as staffers to root out the “dynastic culture”. An article also alleged that the Raghuram Rajan committee report was aimed at attacking the Gujarat model for which it claims Rajan was rewarded with a post as RBI governor by the Congress.

The Organiser also defended of Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, who was targeted for not being qualified enough for the job. A piece by a “nameless Indian” mentioned Indira Gandhi’s interrupted education and Congress stalwart K. Kamaraj who dropped out after the 11th standard and went on to become the CM of Madrasa province. It argued that it was under Harvard- and Oxford-educated leaders, including former PM Manmohan Singh, that the country faced a steady decline. It also refers to Rahul Gandhi’s advisors as those with “fancy degrees earned from foreign universities”.

MISPLACED FOCUS

The Organiser carried an article attacking the fourth estate and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for allegedly spreading “misinformation” on Article 370. It said that the Indian media “completely missed the point” by focusing on Minister of State Jitendra Singh’s comments on Article 370 and not on Abdullah’s “venomous” tweet on the subject. It concluded by asking the media to take “suo moto notice of its responsibility and its accountability because we cannot afford the freedom of expression to be used as a freedom to spread misinformation and that to a constitutional issue treated to the sovereignty of the nation”.

THE SHIVAJI MODEL

Both the Organiser and Panchjanya brought out specials celebrating the Hindu Samrajya Diwas on the good governance model of Shivaji, his financial prudence and his focus on building a strong army and increasing agricultural productivity. In the Organiser, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Madhav Dave concludes with “a good government therefore should always be recognised by its governance style and not by the oratorical skills of its ministers”.

BADAUN SHAME

Panchjanya’s cover story on Badaun alleges a complete breakdown in law and order in Uttar Pradesh, rueing the comments made by the ruling Samajwadi Party’s chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, on the rape and murder case. It argues that the SP has failed to change its character of protecting undesirable and criminal elements and of appeasing Muslims, as seen in the Muzaffarnagar riots case. Another article details the history of illegal immigration to Assam from neighbouring Bangladesh, claiming that state is sitting on a tinderbox.