No fim de janeiro, dois pesados cabos submarinos foram cortados no Mar Mediterrâneo - um na França e outro próximo do Egito. Dois ao mesmo tempo, um acidente de todo improvável. Ligavam grande parte da África e da Ásia à internet. Vários países do Oriente Médio ficaram sem acesso. A Índia, não. O país de presto desviou a rota para conexões auxiliares. A rede ficou lenta, mas de pé. Acidentes acontecem. Planos B existem para isso. O que vários serviços públicos de São Paulo não tinham, ontem, era esse Plano B que manteve a Índia de pé em meio à crise.

A internet não saiu do ar. Quem saiu do ar - por acidente, incompetência, sabotagem ou ataque de hacker - foi a Telefônica. Se um nó da rede some repentinamente em algum pedaço do mundo, como ocorreu ontem, a rede desvia a rota e permanece ligada. Aquilo que faz da arquitetura da internet elegante é essa redundância. Há vários caminhos para chegar de um ponto a outro. Se um engarrafou, outros continuam.

Quem desenvolveu o projeto de rede das delegacias e do Poupatempo cometeu um erro sério nesse ponto: contou com uma única rota. Serviços essenciais precisam de redundância, de uma ou mais rotas auxiliares. De qualquer alternativa. Há várias no mercado. A Embratel continuou online. O Vírtua, da Net, estava de pé. Empresas de acesso via rádio estão funcionando a plena capacidade. Algumas operadoras de celular têm serviços 3G. O que não pode ocorrer é a polícia perder acesso aos bancos de dados e mandar as pessoas voltarem no dia seguinte.

A rede necessita de tecnologias extremamente complexas para funcionar. Todos que já tiveram problemas no computador sabem que, em geral, descobrir a causa dá muito trabalho e demora. A história é sempre a mesma: tudo funcionava bem; de repente, parou. Se é digital, uma hora pifa misteriosamente. Com a Telefônica foi igual, apenas numa escala muito maior. São inúmeros os problemas que podem ocorrer. Quanto maior, mais difícil encontrar o motivo. É do jogo. Como em casa, não adianta ficar pressionando o técnico. Quando ele conseguir, resolve. Depois de tudo, a empresa, espontaneamente ou via Justiça, indeniza os prejudicados.

Há poucos anos, não precisávamos de internet nem tecnologia. Alguns lembram com saudades. Máquinas de escrever mecânicas, quando quebram, identificamos logo o defeito e sempre tem uma sobressalente do lado. Ninguém fica sem o boletim de ocorrência. Verdade. E nenhuma delegacia tem acesso aos BOs das outras. Lista com fotografia de foragidos acessível por todo policial, nem pensar.

Naquela época, para sacar dinheiro era preciso pegar o horário de banco aberto e esperar na fila. Toda sexta-feira era dia de trocar o almoço pela hora de fila para o saque do fim de semana. A garotada nem lembra. Sorte a deles. Via internet, avós que moram longe dos netos conversam de noite, olhando as crianças. Videofone já existe, está na rede. Como estamos todos conectados, encontramos amigos há muito não vistos. Órgãos para doação encontram instantaneamente receptores em qualquer ponto do País. Isso: a internet salva vidas.

É por isso que precisamos de mais internet, não de menos, em nossas vidas. Em casa, podemos nos dar ao luxo de nos desconectarmos. É uma opção. Nos serviços essenciais, não. É obrigação do Estado manter todas as instituições constantemente online. A idéia de redundância, de que para se manter plenamente conectado é preciso ter mais de uma fonte de acesso constantemente em pé, não é original. Pelo contrário: está no bê-á-bá do desenvolvimento de redes.

É tudo parte do processo de educação de todos nós, cidadãos do mundo digital. Gente ficou sem dinheiro do INSS ontem. A responsabilidade pelo dano não é só da Telefônica.

Pedro Doria é jornalista do Grupo Estado e colunista do "Link"

We, members of Coordination of Democratic Rights Organizations, condemn the murderous attack, according to the eyewitnesses, by personnel from CRPF and SOG on human rights defender and lawyer Pervez Imroz. On 30 June, 2008 at approximately 10.30 pm these personnel knocked on the door of Pervez's house. When his wife Ruksana didnot open the door they threw a grenade and then opened fire. On hearing this neighbours and villagers rushed out of their houses. The security personnel then ran away but while retreating they beat up people who had gathered outside. But people were able to recognise them as security force personnel because they were all in uniform. Moreover, when friends and relatives of Pervez Imroz tried to get in touch with the IG and the SSP neither of them took their calls.

The attack on Pervez Imroz comes barely ten days after he and his colleagues were accosted on 20^th June 2008 by J&K police when they were returning from Kupwara where they had gone to investigate "unidentified" graves. The fact-finding is part of the effort to unravel the mystery of enforced disappearance of 8-10,000 persons since 1990 in J&K. There is some reason to believe that the answer may be lying buried in the "mass graves" which came to light recently in the Uri sector of J&K and which had been investigated by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society. We fear that the attempted attack on him could be linked to thwart further investigations into this matter.

This incident is latest instance of a rising graph of attack on human rights defenders across India in which many activists have been incarcerated under trumped up charges. But the physical assault reminds us of the past when Dr Ramanatham, Purushottam, Parag Das, Jalil Andrabi, Jaswant Singh Khalra became victims of assassination.

WE wish to point out that exposing the crimes and misdeeds of security forces and other armed groups, and carrying out fact findings, such as into the matter of "unidentified" graves, is legitimate and forms quintessential part of human rights work. That such work may upset authorities is understandable if they want truth to lie buried. However, it is disturbing trend when security agencies become law unto themselves and engage in activities akin to brigandage. We are concerned that elected governments have shown a propensity to wink at these lawless activities and are unwilling to clamp down on them.

WE urge you to look into this matter and book the culprits responsible for this crime lest such criminal activities, if it goes unpunished, end up digging the grave of constitutional democracy whereas freedom and liberties of the people are always to be protected.

[ C/o PUDR, Dr Moushumi Basu, A-6/1, Aditi Apartments, Pocket D, Janakpuri, New Delhi 110058.]

Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee

Association for Democratic Rights ( Punjab )

Association for Protection of Democratic Rights ( West Bengal )

Bandi Mukti Samiti ( West Bengal )

Committee on Human Rights (Manipur)

Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights ( Maharashtra )

Human Rights Forum (Andhra Pradesh)

Lok Shahi Hakk Sanghtana ( Maharashtra )

Manab Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti ( Assam )

Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (Naga Areas)

Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights (Andhra Pradesh)

People’s Democratic Forum (Karnataka)

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Chattisgarh)

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Jharkhand)

People’s Union for Civil Liberties ( Nagpur )

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Rajasthan)

People’s Union for Democratic Rights ( Delhi )

Public Commission on Human Rights ( Jammu and Kashmir )

Signed on behalf of CDRO members on 4^th July, 2008, at New Delhi

Harish Dhawan, Secretary, PUDR ( Delhi )

Ningreichon Tungshang, NPMHR

Endorsed also by Saheli Resource Centre ( New Delhi )

The weekend was filled with a lot of sporting action. Firstly, Ajantha Mendis spun a magic around the Indian batsmen in the Asia Cup final and helped Sri Lanka to defeat India by 100 runs. It was amazing that not a single Indian batsman was able to pick him up. I think the challenge for Mendis is going to begin now - the whole world will be analyzing his action and trying to pick up his variations. So, the upcoming India - Sri Lanka series should be really interesting.

In Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in a marathon final with the 5th and final set going to 9-7. It was truly a well-deserved win and it marked the first time in 65 matches that Roger Federer was defeated in Wimbledon. On the women's side, Venus Williams defeated Serena Williams in an all-sister affair.

Also happening at the same time are the US Olympic trials - there have been some amazing stories (Phelps, Torres, Gay) from the trials - i think the Olympics starting on 08.08.08 are going to be a cracker indeed.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

-- Thyaga

संत शिरोमणि कबीरदास जी कहते हैं कि बहुत पढ़ा सीखा और गुना पर मन में जो संशय के कांटे हैं वह न नहीं निकल सके। यह बात किसको बतायें कि यह पढ़ना लिखना ही दुःख का मूल कारण है।

पण्डित पोथी बांधि के, दे सिरहाने सोय
वह अक्षर इनमे नहीं हंसि दे भावे रोय

संत शिरोमणि कबीरदास जी कहते हैं कि अपनी पोथी बांध कर अपने सिरहाने रख दो क्योंकि इनमें वह अक्षर ज्ञान नहीं है जो रोते हुए को अच्छा लगे और वह हंसने लगे।

वर्तमान संदर्भ में व्याख्या-ऐसा लगता है कि कबीर दास जी के समय ही लोग अध्यात्मिक शिक्षा से दूर होने लगे थे और धर्म में नाम पर भी केवल सांसरिक कार्यों तथा कर्मकांडों की शिक्षा दी जा रही थी इसलिये कबीरदास जी ने ऐसा शिक्षा की आलोचना की। आज तो पूरी तरह से अंग्रेजों द्वारा निर्मित शिक्षा पद्धति को-जो उन्होंने भारत की पुरातत्व ज्ञान को यहां के लोगों के दिमाग से निकाल फैंकने तथा उन्हें हमेशा गुलाम बनाये रखने के लिये बनायी-अपनाये हुए हैं। दुनियां में बहुत लोग अंग्रेजी बोलते हैं पर सभी सभ्य और धनी नहीं है। अंग्रेजी से सबको रोटी भी नहीं देती। फिर यहां हर आदमी अपने बच्चे को अंग्रेजी सिखाना क्यों चाहता है? कहीं उसे अच्छी नौकरी मिल जायेगी। बड़े-बड़े धनाढ्य सेठ अंगूठा टेक हैं फिर समाज में उनकी इज्जत है क्योंकि वह किसी की नौकरी यानि गुलामी नहीं करते। नौकरी कितनी भी अच्छी क्यों न हो गुलामी होती है इस सत्य को कोई बदल नहीं सकता फिर भी करोड़ों की संख्या में लोग इसीलिये पढ़ रहे हैं कि उनको कही नौकरी मिल जाये।

अब आदमी पढ़ा लिखा भी है तो क्या केवल गुलामी करने वास्त ही न! तब ऐसी किताबों को पढ़ने से क्या फायदा जो गुलामी करने के लिये मजबूर करतीं है। इसलिये अच्छा है कि अध्यात्मिक शिक्षा भी प्राप्त की जाये। चूंकि आजकल की शिक्ष से एकदम परे होने का मतलब है अक्षर ज्ञान से वंचित होना इसलिये जितनी आवश्यक हो उतनी प्राप्त कर अपना स्वतंत्र काम करते हुए भगवान भजन करना चााहिए। जब तक मनुष्य को अध्यात्म का ज्ञान नहीं है तब तक वह गुलामों की भांति विषयों के पीछे भागता है और धन, उच्च पदस्थ तथा प्रतिष्ठित लोगों की चाटुकारित का अपने का धन्य समझने लगता है।

They will spend a couple days in Guwahatti and then travel to outlying villages for 2 weeks.

In the Orange County court, USA, Alaya Rahm's pro bono lawyer, William Brelsford, asked the judge if Sathya Sai Baba could be sued from the United Sates of America, to which the answer was no.

(Case: Alaya Rahm vs. Sathya Sai Baba Society, Superior Court of California, filed January 6, 200, County of Orange)

It transpired that no one in the US could be held responsible for the sexual abuse by Sathya Sai Baba, not least because there was no registered Sathya Sai Organization (or, to be exact, Sathya Sai Society of America), in the US, only a bookshop and a Sathya Sai charitable society.

In short, the Sathya Sai Baba US cult's legal advisors have been adroit all along e.g., in ensuring that the Sathya Sai Society of America is nothing but a bookshop - no matter how financially vast and highly organized Sathya Sai Baba's cult in the USA in fact is.

Hence the case had to be withdrawn. But all the allegations stand fully still. Here are some articles/formal documents relevant to the case:

Alaya Rahm's lawsuit

Alaya Rahm's BBC testimony

(Alaya Rahm's Father) Al Rahm's  explanatory letter

Robert Priddy's summaries of sex allegations

Ungurul zice eu vreau ca toti ungurii sa fie in Ungaria si sa fie bogati si fericiti. Dispare.

Tiganu zice eu vreau ca toti tiganii sa fie in India  fericiti, bogati. Dispare. 

 Romanu' se uita in toate partile si il intreba pe  pestisor: 

 - Ungurii is in Ungaria? - Da.  - Toti?  - Da. 

 - Si tiganii in India?  - Da.  - Toti?  - Da 

 Se uita la pestisor si zice:  - Mie da-mi un cola light.

It depends when you ask the question. On Monday, June 30th, yes the market capitalization of the Indian markets was one trillion. So was the size of the Indian economy. But on Tuesday, July 1st that was not the case.

It all depends on the price of the crude oil and the exchange rate against the U.S. dollar.

Bombay Stock Exchange closed on June 30th with a market capitalization of about $1.02 trillion. On Tuesday, a fall of 500 points in the Sensex and a gain of 32 Indian paise (100 paise = 1 Indian rupee) for the dollar against the rupee saw that figure drop to $970 billion.

Similarly, India's Gross Domestic Product for 2007-08, valued at Indian rupees (Rs) 43,02,654 crore, translated into just over $1 trillion as valued at exchange rate on June 30th. With the dollar appreciating against the Indian rupees and crossin the Rs 43 bench mark on July 1st, the India economy was down to $995b.

High oil prices have triggered a domino effect that have ultimately robbed India of the trillion-dollar tags. The impact was visible on the export-import data released last week.

High oil prices have seen India’s oil import bill rise to $16.5billion for April-May this year, up 49 percent from the figure for the same months of 2007. As a result, the overall import bill has risen by 32% to $48.8b. Despite the fact that exports have grown at 22%, the trade deficit has risen to $20.6 billion -- up about 48 percent.

The widening trade deficit has added to the demand for dollars as against Indian rupees. So while the U.S. dollar has been generally depreciating against most currencies, it has been appreciating against the Indian rupee. The exchange rate is over 43 Indian rupees.

India's economy is faced with trio challenges -- rising oil prices, worrisome inflation, and depreciation of Indian rupee -- and that is not good news for the country.

The same kid, in his teenage years...

Genuine & Authentic Photographs Of Shirdi Sai Baba:

Another Genuine & Authentic Sai Baba Photograph:

Drawings & Paintings Of The Saint Of Shirdi, Sai Baba:

Widely Circulated Imitation/Fraud Pictures Of Shirdi Sai Baba:

Readers with a discerning eye can easily distinguish between paintings, drawings, sketches and art of Shirdi Sai and authentic pictures and photographs. However, for those who are not entirely familiar with the Saint of Shirdi, it is harder to discern between genuine photographs and imitation ones.

Any political person, who knows, there is no chance for him to occupy power again, can commit any crime against the country. So, Dr. Man Mohan Singh is determined to sign the Nuke deal with the USA. (“Come what may”, as his less capable Goebbles has asserted.)

Congress has made a farce of India since Nehru days. The latest has begun with grooming Rajiv’s son Rahul for the top post. In words of sycophants like Arjun Singh, he would be the best choice for Prime Minister post as he carries in his body and mind the legacies of Rajiv Gandhi!

Most of Indians do not know what were the legacies of Rajiv Gandhi. But almost all of them know that Rajiv Gandhi had profusely rewarded Anil Dhawan, the man, who had attracted judicial needle of suspicion in Indira Gandhi murder case, after he had “inherited” her chair as India’s Prime Minister.(What a contribution to democracy!)

To Congress it was no crime. How CBI had to help Ottavio Quattrocchi, intimately linked to Sania Gandhi, in Bofors kickback under Rajiv regime is not unknown to any. So, it is established that Congress has developed a habit of supporting any crime against the country “come what may”.

With such a party at the background, Prime Minister Singh is determined to sign the nuke deal with USA as per his scheme.

If he signs the deal he will no more return to power; but India will perish forever.

Peoples of India had thrown the Congress into the dustbin from where it would never have resurrected again in a normal condition. But, once in power the party of profit fetchers under Vajpayee acted so sly and so much against peoples’ interest that all the bad that had happened to the country under Congress rule seemed like mere dots of smudge. Yet the peoples did not excuse Congress.

They refused a fresh mandate to Vajpayee. But they did not grant power to Congress.

That Man Mohan Singh as Congress Prime Minister is asserting to sign the nuke deal with USA, has been possible only because the Communists and their left allies helped the Congress to head a hybrid government. In my long experience with dogs I have adopted, I have seen that every hybrid is not reliable.

As far as the nuke deal is concerned, this is the truth.

Singh government has not allowed the country know the truth.

In these pages I have shown how the deal is designed to serve the interest of USA. I have quoted US Congressmen holding the deal as “a bonanza for US firms” (Reuters, August 25, 2007). I have quoted Senator Joe Lieberman as he unreservedly declared (August 14, 2007, Reuters) that the deal “is so clearly in the interests of the United States” that both the houses of USA Congress would sure endorse it. Both of these statements of top policy makers of USA – “it (the nuke deal) is a bonanza for US firms” and “it is so clearly in the interest of the United States” – expose the reason of why USA is so very eager to get the deal signed.

Prime Minister Singh has not told the country as to how India will benefit from the deal that is “a bonanza for US firms” and to what extent and if the deal would be “a bonanza for US firms” what should it be for Indian people, as roles of both the countries being different, the result cannot be the same “bonanza” for both. The people of India have therefore a right to know the proportion of benefit, if any they are really to derive. On the other hand people of India have a right to know as to why Lieberman described the deal as “so clearly in the interest of United States”. Is it because, the deal shall help USA get rid of her over lived old generation reactors most of which are running on extended licenses while posing serious threat to human life and eco-system there? Man Mohan Singh has not helped peoples of India know the real reason.

In the guise of secure energy he has been trying to hoodwink our people.

Tony Blair during his tenure as Prime Minister had also advanced this idea in UK.

Experts of Oxford Research Group on detail study rejected the idea. Its conclusion was “If a decision to go with nuclear power is taken then the UK will implement a flawed and dangerously counter-productive energy policy - one from which the blowback may be a lot worse than higher heating bills”.

The Report captioned “Secure Energy? Civil Nuclear Power, Security and Global Warming”, edited by Frank Barnaby and James Kemp, with a foreword by Jürgen Trittin, (March, 2007) allows us to know the issues dealt with.

Peruse an excerpt:
“By comparing the security consequences of civil nuclear power to its contribution to tackling climate change, Oxford Research Group shows that rather than making a positive contribution, an expansion of civil nuclear power would:
· Make efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons much more difficult.
· Increase the risk of nuclear terrorism.
· Make a negligible short-term contribution to lowering CO2 emissions.
· Make a negligible contribution to energy security.
Finally, we show that nuclear power is not needed. Germany, for example, already has more generating capacity from wind-power than the UK nuclear component and within six years will have more solar powered capacity too. If the UK pursued similar policies, by 2020 wind would provide well over six times and solar three times the generating capacity major industrial players estimate for a nuclear new build”.

It further said, “Much of the disagreement about the security implications of nuclear power revolves around whether the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation and terrorism risks can be managed. Using the most recent research we can show that these risks will become much harder to manage. In fact a new nuclear build would take us into uncharted and very dangerous waters.

“For these reasons the UK government should apply the precautionary principle. The Prime Minister’s justification for replacing the UK’s nuclear weapons system is based on a version of this principle: in an uncertain future in which new nuclear weapons states and state sponsored terrorism are likely, the ‘ultimate deterrent’ is justified. Judged against this argument, building more nuclear power plants is self-defeating in the extreme: they would increase the very threats nuclear weapons are intended to deter”.

Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh should tell the peoples of India, if the ORG has erred in its analysis and if any such analysis by any expert group of India has justified the deal, how have they done and whether or not their views were juxtaposed with ORG views and the outcome thereof justifies Singh’s closed mind in matter of the deal with USA?

On the other hand, scientists of our own country are also not in favor of the deal. Former president A P J Abdul Kalam has stressed that India should seek to achieve self-sufficiency in nuclear power through thorium fuel-based reactors as “in the country we have a shortage of uranium (which the American reactors would need). But we have one of the largest reserves of thorium” (October 24, 2007-PTI). Placid Rodriguez, president of Indian Nuclear Society and former director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam has stoutly said that factors like energy security and development, highlighted in support of the Indo-US nuclear deal “are misleading”. Emphasizing like Dr. Kalam on self-reliance through Thorium, he has said, “Energy security does not come from nuclear or few reactors imported unless we ultimately reach the thorium technology" (Agencies, November 21, 2007) Dr. Katepalli R Srinivasan, Director of International Centre for Theoretical Physics, has categorically stated that the deal will not be beneficial to India as the heat produced from nuclear fission might put the country's environment in danger. Like the ORG advice, he has stressed that instead of relying on nuclear energy, the country should look at available renewable sources of energy to meet the energy requirement.(UNI, January 05, 2008 ) There are many more experts in the country who have expressed their doubts on desirability of the deal with USA. But the above three views from three most eminent nuclear scientists of the country deserve serious attention of the country. Man Mohan Singh has not helped the country in knowing how his obstinacy to sign the deal with USA is more scientific than the views of these three top most scientists.

Besides this closed-minded conspiracy to keep people in dark about the deal on areas discussed, Man Mohan Singh has committed a crime against the country by not telling the Parliament the truth that he cannot proceed with the deal unless it approves the “text” of the agreement.

I had, in these pages, earlier dealt with the matter. It seems pertinent now to confront Singh with the hard truth. I am going to quote from Nuclear Policies published in World Nuclear News on 10 December 2006. Here it is:

“On 9 December the US Senate voted to approve the 'Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006’ after a series of revisions since President George Bush and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh signed an initial agreement in July 2005.

Once President Bush has signed the document and it becomes law, four further agreements must be made:
(1) A specific agreement between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding safeguards of nuclear materials.
(2) India-specific trade guidelines must be drafted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 45-nation cartel which has restricted nuclear trade to NPT signatories since 1992.
(3) The USA must conclude a '123' agreement with India on nuclear cooperation. Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 requires an agreement for cooperation as a prerequisite for nuclear deals between the USA and any other nation. And
(4) The Indian parliament must agree to the text”.

The stipulation number four is most pertinent. It underlines that for signing the deal, “the Indian Parliament must agree to the text” of the 'Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006’, called the Hyde Act.

Man Mohan Singh has suppressed this fact from the Parliament of India. He has never placed the Hyde Act before it for the Parliament to “agree to the text” of that Act.

The Hyde Act is a danger to Indian sovereignty. Singh’s party is aware of this danger.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi on April 16, 2008 after meeting US jockey of the deal James Clad and a group of Lawmakers at Washington DC had told the media that the “Hyde Act is clearly the biggest bug-bear - the red rag to a raging bull" and referring to some of the provisions of the Hyde Act, he had wondered as to how can we stop dealing with Iran or send troops to Iraq or sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty? “There is no way in which these provisions are ever going to be accepted or implemented by India,” he had said, according to PTI.

If a Sonia sycophant could react to the Hyde Act this way, the Indian Parliament would never have agreed to its text.

Unless the Indian Parliament “agrees to the text” of the Hyde Act, USA cannot legally force it on India. But, according to Bush’s Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as stated before US Congress, the deal has to be ‘consistent’ with the Hyde Act.

The US Congress aware of the mischief of the Hyde Act had guessed how India would react to its bulling clauses. Therefore, while passing the Act, it had stipulated that before execution of the deal, the text of the Act must have to be agreed to by the Indian Parliament.

Now, keeping the Parliament in total dark about this, Singh is rushing into sign the deal “come what may”. Once he signs, knowing absolutely clearly what the Hyde Act aims at, India’s sovereignty would be severely jeopardized. India would be bound to dance to the tune of USA.

Singh will one day be shown the door. But if he is tolerated any more and kept in his char till he proceeds to sign the deal, the country shall suffer forever.

At this critical juncture, the Communists have a major role to play. They have so far saved the country from danger to her sovereignty by stymieing the signing of the deal. They have exhibited matchless political patience and maturity by not being rash in their decisions. But, now they should cast aside all their reservations against the BJP and take all possible steps to topple the hybrid government of Man Mohan Singh before he signs the deal. There is no other way to save the country from the worst disaster in her independent life.

During all these days the Communists have not opposed BJP on the platform of political economy. They have opposed BJP on the question of communalism.

Communalism is not a political term. It is a politically facilitator term.

If Advani with his Tilak exhibits his communal color, Man Mohan Singh with his turban is also an exhibitor of his communal culture. Have the Communists supporting him so far not supported communal assertions howsoever feeble that be? And, when Communist leaders with their families stand in folded hands before Durga statues in Dasahara at Kolkata, what picture then they give? What are those who amongst the Communists castigated Brinda Karat over her allegations against Ramdev?

So, there should not be any stress now on who is or who is not a communalist. The only emphasis should be given on saving India from falling into the trap of the Hyde Act. And it needs that the leftists and the rightists should rip open their respective cocoons to stand united to save the country from the treachery of her own Prime Minister.

Some of the common dental procedures are -:

Information on Dental Implants

Well,  India lost the match to very good Sri Lankan side. Actually I didn't even remember that there was an Asia Cup final today until while I saw Dhoni on the crease while surfing some of the channels ;) . The match was really poised very interestingly ( where anyone having the knowledge of cricket rules could have guessed that India was surely going to lose this one! ;) ). So, after watching some of the figures on the scoreboard, I came to know that there was some new player called Mendis in this Lankan side ( who was being held up as the new Murlitharan by the news channels post Sri Lankan win ). But yeah, he was really good in the match he took 6 wickets for 13 runs and I think that he single handedly handed over the match to Sri Lanka!

Thus, in the end, India had once again lost a final match. Well, when the match was in the above called "interesting position" ;) . I read a fun fact which was flashing near the score card. It said:

India in last 21 finals: LOST:17  WON: 2  SHARED: 2

So what if the Indian team has lost 17 times in the last 21 finals they have played ( and I think this one makes it 18 loses in last 22 finals), at least the Indian team has reached the finals 22 times! ;) And yes, even that is a big achievement according to me ;) !!

So, now, lets see how many more finals are still there to come by the Indian Team's way and lets hope at least the single digit number increases as the number of finals increase!!! :)

A unicompartmental knee replacement is at times used instead of a total knee replacement. This is when only one side of the knee has been damaged by osteoarthritis. Unicompartmental knee replacements involve smaller incisions, reduced bleeding, quicker recovery, and less bone loss than a total knee replacement.

Knee replacement surgery procedure
During a knee replacement surgery, the bone and cartilage on the end of the thigh bone (femur) and top of the shin bone (tibia) are removed. This is performed using precision instruments to create exact surfaces to fit the implant. A metal and plastic knee replacement implant is then fitted in to function as a new knee joint. Based on the condition of the cartilage on the undersurface of the kneecap, this may also have to be replaced. Indian hospitals provide you world class medical treatment at very economical costs.

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For surgery in Singapore visit: MedicalSingapore.com

For treatment in Thailand visit: ThaiMediHealth.com ]]> http://mashedmusings.wordpress.com/?p=522 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:00:12 +0000 Amit http://mashedmusings.wordpress.com/?p=522

What could have been the first Indian sci-fi movie and a turning point in the Indian cinema turns out to be a damp squib. The movie reminded me of 10,000 B.C. and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. 10,000 B.C. because the promo of the movie were very promising to say the least and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom because I consider that movie a classic example of how a director can castrate a beautiful and fresh story. Love Story 2050 had a story which most of our movies are lacking now a days. It could have turned into one of the best movies of the year, but alas, just showing a "Star Wars" inspired Mumbai does not mean good direction.

Karan(Harman Baweja) is an only son of a multimillionaire who is very much deprived of love and affection as his mother passed away when he was ten and his father has no time for him. Sana(Priyanka Chopra) is a sweet and shy typical Bollywood heroine who is quite opposite to Karan. A few meetings and songs later, both fall in love. Boman Irani plays the eccentric scientist called Dr. Yatinder Khanna who is Karan's uncle and on the verge of making a time machine. The couple is about to get married when tragedy strikes and Sana dies in an accident and Karan has to take a journey to 2050 to get back his lady love.

The movie takes inspiration from so many Hollywood movies that its mind boggling. Its hard to believe that the Mumbai skyline would undergo such a drastic and sea change in the next 42 years. Maybe the movie should have been titled Love Story 2350. The graphics are straight out of Star Wars with flying cars and laser guns. The female robot is straight out of "Bicentennial Man" while Boo, the robotic teddy bear is copied from the movie "Artificial Intelligence". Boman Irani's character reminds one of Dr. Brown from the movie "Back to the Future". The movies also defies our understanding of reincarnation. If Sana died in 2008, then she must be 42 years old in 2050 after her rebirth, but she is very much a young and successful pop star. Maybe she was taking a break in between and spending some time with our Gods. Dr. Khanna does not find it hard to fix a robot functioning on A.I. in 2050 although the technology has taken giant leaps. And yes, some scenes are shamefully lifted from the the above mentioned movies.

The movie is bearable in the first half when the couple is in 2008 and the love story is developing. It has its own moments although they are very few in number. The second half drags as there are too many unwanted scenes which could have been left at the editor's table. I could not understand why the Mortal Combat sequence was there in the movie. The movie needs a very heavy editing to make it bearable specially towards the end.

Harman, who is touted as the next superstar, is good enough for his first movie, although its not a dream debut like Hrithik's. He needs to watch his diction and needs to work on the emotional scenes. His starts squeaking when he cries. Priyanka is passable. Boman Irani overdoes the act a little bit at times although he does not have much of a role. Archana Puran Singh manages to raise a few laughs in her blink-and-she-is-gone role. The music is already topping the charts and is good. "Mausam Achanak ye badla kyun" and "Milo na milo" are certainly above average songs.

A terrific story gone wasted and a terrible amount of money too. But still i would not like to trash it completely as I have seen worse in the past few months. A two out of five as the movie didn't turn out to be a sheer torture like Tashan. :D

Rating - 2/5

Director - Harry Baweja

Official Site - http://www.lovestory2050.com/

Mother India is a film about an Indian peasant family of Northern India, struggling to survive in a rural community and coming to terms with a newly independent country, freed by the British Colonial Rule. The film starts with a newly married couple, Radha (Nargis) and Shamu (Raj Kumar), who are married in a traditional style. The wedding was paid for by a loan raised by the groom's mother, from a typical, crooked money-lender Sukhi Lala (Kanhaiya Lal). Immediately after the wedding, the terms of the loan are revealed to the young couple. The conditions of the loan are disputed by the newly-weds but the Panchayat (village elders) rules in the lender's favor. Shamu and Radha are forced to forfeit 75% of their crop just as interest on the loan of 500 rupees. The couple tries to till more land to alleviate the hardship but in the process, Shamu's arms are crushed by a boulder. A crippled Shamu abandons his family in shame, leaving behind three small children and a young bride.