Best and Worst of India 2008!

Here is a wrap of the best and worst of 2008:

1. Best Indian achievement in sports: Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic games.

2. Best entertainment of the year: IPL matches (Twenty 20) matches kicked off in India. Aired in Set Max, it was the most watched TV event 2008. Indian premiere league matches commenced on April 18 2008 and culminated on June 1, 2008. The most unexpected team or the under-dog Rajasthan Royal won the IPL series under the captaincy of Shane Warne.

3. Worst natural disaster in India: The 2008 Bihar flood is the worst flood in the history of Bihar. It happened due to a breach in the Kosi embankment near Indo-Nepal border (at a place called Kusha in Nepal) on 18th August 2008. The river changed its course and t he flood affected over 2.3 million people in the northern part of the state of Bihar.

4. Worst man made disaster in India: The terror attack on 26/11 in Mumbai is supposed to be the worst terror attack in India, second only to 9/11. Terrorists from Pakistan attacked Mumbai CST, took siege of Taj hotel and Trident-Oberoi hotel from 11 pm 26th November 2008. Brave NSG commandoes came to rescue and gunned down all terrorists by 30th November' 2008. About 250 lives were lost in the terror attacks with many injured, and property worth 700 crores were destroyed.

5. Best movie of 2008: Ghajini, the Aamir Khan starrer proved to be the biggest hit of 2008. Ghajini is the only movie with the best advanced booking, running to packed houses in the history of Bollywood.

6. Best actor and actress of 2008: Aamir Khan's brilliant performance in Ghajini and Priyanka Chopra in Fashion.

7. Most watched TV reality show : The mother of all reality shows, Bigg Boss kicked off on August 17 th 2008 and ended on November 22' 2008. The high point of the show when Rahul Mahajan, Zulfi Syed, Raja Choudhary and Ashutosh Kaushik-the finalists, ran away from the house to search for food outside. Rahul later quit from the show. Eventually, Ashutosh Kaushik won the show.

8. Most watched TV channel: Colors Channel, replaced Star plus as the most watched channel. It kicked off with the dare devil game show for women: Khatron Ke Khiladi. Close on the heels was the widely watched Bigg Boss. Colors channels also had a good line up of serials like Balika Vadhu, Utran, Jaane Kya Baath Hui, Jai Shri Krishna and Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina. The channel is still going strong with innovative shows like Dancing Queen and Chotey Miya. The year 2008 also show two of the flagship Starplus serials, Kyunki Saans Bhi Bahu Thi and Kahan Ghar Ghar Ki, making an unceremonious exit.

9. Worst crime 2008: Arushi murder case was probably the worst murder case in the sense that it intrigued the police for months. On May 16, 2008, Arushi a 14 year old girl was found murdered with her throat slit her parents' home at Jalvayu Vihar in Noida, a posh suburb of Delhi. Her servant Hemraj who was initially suspected by the police was also found murdered on the terrace of her building. A disorganized, confused investigation by the Noida Police led to the arrest of Arushi's dentist father Rajesh Talwar. Rajesh's wife Dr. Nupur Talwar protested that her husband was frame and requested the UP government to transfer the case to CBI. The team finally arrested accused Krishna, Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal in connection with the murdered and absolved Rajesh Talwar of the murder charge. On August 9 2008, CBI director Ashwani Kumar said that the case is still unsolved, as many important corroborative pieces of evidence yet to be found. This was one murder case which was played to the top by the media and police; both whom were later blamed to giving hasty conclusion and indulging in character assassination of the slain Arushi and her father.

10. Best author of the year 2008: Booker Prize Winner Aravind Adiga made India proud as he became the Booker Prize Winner for his interesting book-The White Tiger.

11. Best achievement in the field of modelling, 2008: Parvathi Omanakuttan won the Miss World Runner Up Prize, at Johannesburg, South Africa on December 13, 2008.

12. Best advertisement of the year 2008: Max New York Life Insurance Company advertisement that has a newly married couple asking their toddler to say "banana" and "Czechoslovakia" became house-hold name.

13. Best achievement in the world of technology:Chandrayaan 1, India's first mission to the moon launched by India's national space agency the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 06:22 IST (00:52 UTC).The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008.

Is 26 as an unlucky number for India? How terrorists make use of dates 13 and 26

We aint superstitious but planned or unplanned the number or date 26 seems to be unlucky for India. A lot of natural disasters and man made disasters have stuck India on the 26th of various months.


Gujarat Earthquake: 26th January 2001
Tsunami :26th December '2004
Mumbai Rains: July 26' 2005
Guwahati Blasts: May 26, 2007,
Ahmedabad blasts: September 26' 2008

There also seems to be a pattern on which terrorists attacks...the 13, 26 pattern. The Jaipur blasts was on May 13' 2006, then there was a gap of one month and the next bomb blast strike was in Ahmedabad on July 26. There was a gap on the month of August and there again there were blasts on September 13, followed by a gap in the month of October. November 26 witnessed terror attacks in Mumbai. So one can see a 13_26_13 pattern, leaving a gap each month. So, the security should not take any chances on January 13' 2009

City advocate to defend Ajmal Kasab

Arrested Pakistani terorist Mohammad Ajmal Kasab will be getting a lawyer to represent him in the next three days. K B N Lam, a Mumbai advocate who has been a a barrister at London's famous Lincoln's Inn and currently teaches law at Government Law College, Mumbai has moved in an application, showing his willingness to take Kasab's case. Lam says, " every accused has the rightto legal representation. It is not for the people or the police to decide who is guilty as it is the court's job. " Lam says that he has no sympathy for the terrorists who attacked Mumbai but he still felt that Kasab had to be "treated humanely in accordance with the tenets of our society".
He further says "There is no point in beating a man half-dead, no matter what his crime is." He adds that he will also explore if there is any possibility of allowing Kasab's family in Pakistan to come down and meet him. Lam has an impressive record of teaching mathematics and econometrics at the London School of Economics for six years.

Quotes from the peace march on Dec 3' 2008: one week after the terror attack

About 2 lakh assembled at the gate way of india-office goers, collegians, students, the elderly, children and film stars to pay homage to the ones who died and sacrificed their lives for the good of the nation in the terror attacks which began on 26th November' 2008. People clearly vented out their frustration against the politicians, the system and Pakistan. They applauded and edified the martyrs like Sandeep Unnikrishan who laid down their lives for the country.
Here are some of the fiery quotes that highlighted the peace march:


• Downgrade VIP security, upgrade Citizen security.
• I am proudly wearing my lipstick. Where are your bangles Naqvi? I am also proud of my brains. Too bad you do not have any.
• Politicans are like stray dogs. Kick them
• Abhi Toh raat hain, lekin savera door nahin hain
• Wake up netas or be killed.
• Jisne Taaj kaala kiya, uska moo ho kala
• Hang Afzal Guru
• Sunil Beta Pakistan, baap hain tera Hindustan
• Vilasrao don’t be a joker, you are our naukar.
• We do not believe in vote banks, only in blood banks.
• Gali gali mein shor hain, Pakistan chor hain
• Nation of lies, lead by dogs
• Terror came with RDX, Vilasrao came with RGV
• We would prefer a dog to visit our house, not a politican
• Politicans lied, innocent died
• Real eyes realize real lies
• Presenting Deshmurkh, directed by RGV, starring you know who
• Ram Gopal Verma ne doh sarkar banayee, ek gir gayee

One week after the terror attacks...Will life ever be the same?

The terror attacks which paralyzed Mumbai on 26/11/2008 has laid bare many weakness in our security system and governance of the country. Our policemen were weaponless, against the sophisticated weapons of the terrorists. Except for a valiant attempt by our officers to contain two terrorists at an encounter, we would have been groping in the dark to find the root of terror. Investigations have revealed that the coastline of our city is virtually unguarded which makes Mumbai a soft target. We also came to know about the substandard quality of bullet proof vests given to the police officers and encounter specialists. The lives of three prized police officers, Ashok Kamte, Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar frittered away in a snap thanks to substandard bullet proof vests. It is shocking to know that 60 percent of the budget allocated to the government for police, is used for setting up administrative buildings and buying flashy cars, rather than spending on ammunition and protective gear for the police?

Our tacky judicial system, 'cure rather than prevention' methodology and a harrowed political system is responsible for our fate. We need to pull up our socks and take guard of our lives, so that we do not face terror attacks again.

Could there have been more than 10 terrorists?

Can the claims by the Mumbai police that just 10 terrorists managed to hold Mumbai hostage for three days be believed? The sequence of events, observations by top security experts, the Intelligence Bureau and also the confessions of the arrested militant now in the custody of the Mumbai police, indicate that the operation was carried out by more than 10 men.

To begin with let us take into account the statements given by Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman who the media has been calling Kasab all these days.

During his interrogation, he clearly states that in all 24 men were trained for this operation by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba for this attack. Further he suggests that 10 men came into Mumbai on that fateful night to carry out the attack.

During another round of interrogation, he also goes on to say that some of team members had come in much earlier to Mumbai and taken stock of the situation apart from collecting logistics and setting up the base for the final assault.

The arrested militant also says that these men had came a month ago to Mumbai. The men had rented a place on Muhammad Ali Road under the guise of Malaysian students. Another group took up a house on rent near the Nariman House, he also says during his confession. There was also a team which had checked into the Taj and done a study of the hotel.

Intelligence Bureau sources now confirm that the men who came into Mumbai earlier to set up base were completely different from the men who carried out the final assault. As per the brief given by the LeT, they were specifically asked to target the Taj Mahal hotel [Images], Trident and the Nariman House.

Statements by Amir Iman would also suggest that the 10-member team which he was part of had hijacked a fishing boat. They then rowed the boat to the Budhwar park in a dinghy. These men then took a taxi and spread out into different parts of the city. Iman along with Ismail reached the CST while the rest of the men spread out and caused havoc in other parts of the city.

The IB says that the 10 men split into three different groups and created havoc in CST, Chowpatty and Vile Parle areas. They also say that while this mayhem on the streets continued, the siege at the Taj, Nariman House and the Trident was carried out by the men who were already hiding in Mumbai. This gives an indication that the remaining 14 men apart from the 10 who came into Mumbai through the sea were taking position inside the three locations while their other team members were creating mayhem on the streets of Mumbai.

When the siege first commenced at the three locations, there were fourteen men in all who held fort at the Taj, Trident and Nariman House. Three men each took over the Nariman House and the Trident while 8 were allocated for the Taj considering the fact that it was the most important location for the terrorists. If you look at the initial statements of the police, it was said that they suspected that at least eight militants inside the Taj, but as the operation was coming to a close, the same police said that there were just four men inside the Taj.

While four men had initially taken position at the Taj, four more men joined them inside there. The IB says that these men were so well versed with the logistics of the Taj that they managed to enter through the back door while the firing was still on. It is believed that the men who were already inside the Taj opened fire indiscriminately at the guests and while this was on the remaining four men entered the hotel through the back door and took the hostages into their fold.

The question now is where are the four men who took over the Taj initially. The body count of terrorists recovered from the Taj shows that only four terrorists were found. It is believed that these men could have escaped from the Taj. It would also be interesting to point out here an eye witness account of a person by the name Apurva Parekh who said that he heard voices of three to four terrorists at the Trident which were different compared to the voices he heard at the same place earlier. This is a clear indication that the there were more than three men initially at the Trident and they could have escaped during the operation since the Mumbai police do not account for these additional men.

A top security expert told rediff.com that it is impossible for just ten men to carry out an attack of this magnitude. He feels that the Mumbai police is deliberately keeping the number at 10 as it would be hard for them explain as to where the remaining 14 men have vanished. He also said that it is not possible logistically for just 10 men to run to ten different locations opening fire, hurling grenades and also taking siege of three important locations in the city. Just look at the sequence of events:

At 9.15 they open fire at Leopold, 9.21 at CST, 9.57 at Trident, 10.03 at Taj, 10.25, Kolavadi, 10.50 CST again, 10.51, BMC, 10.59- Azad Maidan and Cama hospital, 11.19, G T Hospital, 12.35, Nariman House and 1.43- Chowpatty.

It is definitely an operation which involved at least two dozen men, he says.

The Mumbai ATS, however, denies that there were more than ten men involved in the operation. They are relying upon the account given by the fishermen who say that they saw 10 men on the boat entering Mumbai.

The IB says that they do not rule out the possibility of some of these men escaping from Mumbai and hiding in other states. The IB says that they do not want to take any chances and have sent out advisories to all states to provide additional security at all vital installations and also beef up patrolling on the borders.

Source: Rediff

The Top 20 Dangerous Places in the World, India among the Top 20 Dangerous Places in the World

In the wake of the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India, which shook the world, a British government report has placed India among the top 20 most dangerous places to visit. This year, India witnessed maximum number of bomb blasts too. Here are the top 20 dangerous places in the world:

1. Iraq: The security situation in Iraq is very much volatile. The British foreign office has advised against all travel to Baghdad as well as a number of provinces including Basra and Kirkuk.

2. Afghanistan: Afghanistan has the highest threat of terrorism. Crimes like kidnapping, crimes, suicide attacks are the norm here. The foreign office(www.fco.gov.uk) strongly advises against all but essential travel to the country.

3. Chechnya: The foreign office has advised against all travel to Chechnya. Dagestan and Ingushetia because of the security situation in the North Caucasus.

4. South Africa: South Africa suffers from a high level of violent crimes, including rape and murder.

5. Jamaica: The capital of Jamaica, Kingston, has a bad reputation of gun crime and violence. Visitors are advised to remain vigilant in isolated rural areas and deserted beaches, even in daylight hours.

6. Sudan: The threat from indiscriminate terrorism is quite high in Sudan and the humanitarian situation is grim. The foreign office advises against all travel to a number of areas.

7. Thailand: Major political demonstrations and a temporary state of emergency have affected both of Bangkok's airports.

The other dangerous countries in the world are as follows(chronologically):

8. Colombia
9. Haiti
10. Eritrea
11. Congo
12. Liberia
13. Pakistan
14. Burundi
15. Nigeria
16.Zimbabwe
17. India
18. Mexico
19. Israel and Palestine
20. Lebanon

Also read: Is India heading the Iraq way?

The biggest terror attack in India, 100 killed-300 injured, ATS chief dead

Terrorists arrived by the sea from Machi Maar nagar, colaba, Mumbai and went directly to Leopold Cafe in South Mumbai at 9.15, on November 26' 2008 . It is believed that the terrorist split into groups of two and went to Oberoi Hotel, Taj Hotel, Cama Hospital and Mumbai CST. Seperate incidents of firing were reported in various parts of South Mumbai including the above places.



Two terrorists had captured a police van and ran away with it, openly firing at people. ATS chief Hemant Karkare died from gun shots in the encounter battle. Though the two terrorists who ran away with the police van were killed, terrorists were still holed up in Oberoi hotel and Taj taking people as hostages and shooting at people. Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and noted encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar killed in an incident outside Mumbai's Cama hospital.There was also incidence of bomb blast in Vile Parle. At the point of writing, terrorists are still holding the city to hostage. The main intention of these terrorists seem to attack at foreign nationals in India, which is why they have attacked the seven start hotels. A group called Deccan Mujahideen have claimed responsibility for the terror attacks.

300 people have been injured while 100 are killed in the firing and blasts.

Bomb blasts and firing in Mumbai

At the time of writing, terrorists have taken control of Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai. There have been grenade blasts, firing and bombs fitted at Taj Mahal hotel. There have been blasts at Vile Parle, and firing at V.T. Station. At the time of writing, terrorists are firing from Capitol Cinema VT, Metro and Taj Mahal Hotel. About 5 people have been injured while one is dead. There have been blasts at Nariman Point also.

100 people are dead while 300 are injured.

Kyunki Saans Bhi Bahu Thi ends and so ends the woman's trauma!

This year 2008 saw the ending of two of the longest running serials on Indian television:Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saans Bhi Bahu Thi. Though we had women in these serials decked in oodles of jewelery, they looked like mindless souls devoid of spunk and verve. Our TV serials have an outdated notion of the Indian woman. It represents the Indian woman in a poor light-subdued, servile and submissive. Donning a woman in glamorous saree and making her mouth grief-stricken hapless lines is not just done.

Compared to Ekta Kapoor’s serials, serials like Udaan and Rajni which were around 20 years ago, were much more modern in outlook. For instance, Kalyani Singh’s character in the serial Udaan was about a woman’s dream to become an IAS officer. The serial represented ambition, hope and dreaming big. This too, 22 years ago when TV was at a nascent stage. Similarly Rajni starring Priyanka Tendulkar was a progressive serial where her character would alert people about the corruption, scams and adulteration that were (still is) rampant in the society. Sadly, none of the serials now have that amount of creativity or passion. These days, it is just about a woman sadly weeping and sacrificing her dreams, which makes the entire scene look regressive.

Barack Obama and his Indian policies, will Obama benefit India

Flipped through an interesting rediff article on Barack Obama and how his policies will benefit India. Read about India-US relationship in the coming times of Barack Obama's president ship.


Barack Obama is the new president of the US. Though Barack Obama will reinforce America's already improving bilateral ties with India, but the two countries might witness friction over critical issues like non-proliferation, according to analysts. "Barack Obama is a living example of what is best about America. I have no doubt US-India relations under him will see the strengthening of the relationship under the last two Presidents. There will be, I believe, policy continuity," former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth said.
"I have no doubt he recognizes the importance of India as a major global power in the 21st century and he is going to work to see that relationship strengthened and expanded," Inderfurth, who is expected to play a major role in the Obama administration, said.
"For India, Obama has said he would support the nuclear accord. The question will come in as to how far he pushes on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. India is not likely to agree on either of those. So there is a potential structural glitch," said Walter Andersen, a onetime senior State Department official.
"I don't think US Foreign Policy is going to change all that much. There is going to be consistency on big issues," Andersen, currently the Associate Director of the South Asia Programme at the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University, added.
Obama's controversial stance on Kashmir
On Kashmir, Anderson said the US under Obama is likely to take a 'cautionary stance' though the President elect has during his campaign has talked about the need for a resolution of the issue.
"I think President Obama sees India as an important democratic element of stability in an uncertain area," Andersen said.
"All of the signs are that he has very strong and positive feelings toward India. And I would say not so much at the level of the big shots but at the grass roots level. Apparently when he was studying in New York, I think his room mate was Indian and he has eaten Indian food," Gould, a scholar who has written extensively on India and South Asia said.

Contending that effects of US's economic condition on India go much farther than US policy regarding outsourcing, an Indian American financial analyst argued that Obama's ability or inability to tackle America's financial woes will play a major role in India's economic growth in the near term.
"Today, India is a country that no longer heavily depends on outsourcing. The financial ties run much deeper. Obama's ability (or inability) to tackle his country's financial woes will play the biggest part of India's near term growth," he said, adding global markets can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi awarded the Bharat Ratna

Celebrated Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, was awarded the Bharat Ratna on Wednesday. He led the renaissance of Indian classical music with the passion and power of a one-man chorus in an epic saga of struggle and single pointed thirst for music.Acknowledged as the leading light of the Kirana gharana, Bhimsen Joshi (86) through his amazing absorption of the soul of various gayaki styles has created a unique blend adding his own introspective aesthetic sense.

A recipient of several awards including the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree, Joshi has added his own distinctive style excelling in gamakar, meend and tanakriya and adapting characterstics from other gharanas to create a unique vocal idiom. Joshi's rendition of Mile Sur Tumhara with other doyens of music--Balamurli Krishna and Lata Mangheskhar that virtually became an unofficial national anthem in a humble way in 1988 captured the hearts of millions of Indians. Louis Banks andt he late P Vaidyanathan, a classically trained musician, got the right fusion of music for the song that was beamed on Doordarshan to countless homes.

Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born in a Kannadiga family on February 4, 1922 in Gadag, an idyllic village in Dharwad district of Karnataka. His father was a conservative school master.A descendant of the Kirana Gharana(stream), he is particularly renowned for the khayal form of singing and for his bhajans.
ref: hindustantimes.com

Balika Vadhu is the number one serial on Indian television.

Balikha Vadhu is the number one TV serial. It has thrown out ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ out of competition. Soon “Kyunki Saans bhi Bahu thi’ will be defeated by Balika Vadhu. The 11 year old Avika Gor is surprisingly the hottest star on Indian television. The superb serial on child marriage, Balika Vadhu has really won a lot of rave reviews.
Check out the interview with the child star, Avika Gor in Mumbai Mirror:
How has Balika Vadhu changed your life?
More and more people now want to talk to me. You are calling too, aren’t you?

• How are your friends and teachers in school responding to Balika Vadhu?
They feel sad when they see me crying in the serial, so all they tell me is to stop crying. But that's Anandi the character crying. Not Avika.

• You have become an overnight star with Balika Vadhu.
Have I? But it isn’t my first serial. Earlier, I have done serials like Rajkumar Arryan, Chalti Ka Naam Gaddi and Karam Apna Apna.

• But none of those made you a household name…
Haan, I agree. Thank you.

• How can anyone so small be so talented?
Is mein kaun si badi baat hai? My father, the writer of Balika Vadhu and my director Siddharth Sengupta teach me to do the right thing in front of the camera.

• You talk like a 40-year-old.
But I am just 11. And, it feels great to be called a star at this age.

• Who are your favourite actors?
I like Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapur, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone.

• What do people call you - by your name Avika or the name of the girl in the serial, Anandi?
Neither. They call me Nak-chadi chuhiya and Bindani; that’s bride in Rajasthani.

• How many hours do you shoot for Balika Vadhu? Do you get to do fun things?
Sab kuch karti hoon main. Yes, I do miss school sometimes. But I bring my school books on the sets and study between shots. I go to school in the mornings and then shoot for 7-8 hours.

• So is Balika Vadhu like school?
No it’s fun. Acting is my hobby.

• So what do you want to be when you grow up?
Miss Universe.

• In the meanwhile?
Tab tak padhaai karungi, films karungi, sab kuch …

• What about the brat who plays your husband?
What about him? He’s nice. We don’t fight at all. We study and play together.

• But doesn’t he pull your hair?
That’s Anandi’s hair he’s pulling, not Avika’s.

• Do you watch television?
Yes, whenever I get time. I love watching Balika Vadhu and everything on Cartoon Network.

• Do you watch Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi?
Sometimes. I like it. Every serial has something different to offer.

• Do you know that the TRPs of Balika Vadhu has outdone that of Kyunki Saas…?
Really? That’s good to hear. But aisa nahin hain ke people don’t watch those serials any more.

• But they do watch Balika Vadhu more?
Acha hai na? (giggles)

Why Jet Airways? Why not KingFisher? The biggest job loss story in India

It is the biggest lay off India has ever witnessed. 1900 employees of Jet Airways being terminated out of the blue, has come as a rude shock. It is not easy to get a job in the aviation sector which is already seeing a crunch situation. The Naresh Goel-Vijay Mallya alliance has cost the employees of Jet Airways dearly.

One of my friends who work in Jet had also gone to meet Raj Thackeray along with her friends. He has assured them of help and that he would see to it that the jobs would be given back to the employees.

The employees of Jet are distraught and they suspect foul play by Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines. Why is it that only employees of Jet Airways have been laid off and not Kingfisher Airlines when both the airlines are facing losses? Though it is been stated on news that only the cabin crew who has been on probation (less than a year) have been asked to leave, employees protest that even the experienced cabin crew have come under scanner. Just two months ago, the top management had given a verbal assurance to the employees of Jet Airways that cost cutting would not affect jobs. Come October 14, 2008, the crew of Jet Airways has been asked not to report to work from the next day.

It is a shame that no written intimation has been given. Most of the employees came to know about the sad news of termination through television. How bad is that! Jet airways employees have been asked to leave with one month’s basic salary and the training fees have been refunded. But this is hardly a solace. Many employees being assured of Jet Airway’s job security had taken home loans, car loans and had given other financial commitments only to be left in a lurch. The case pleaded by Jet employees to let them work as ground crew has also fallen into deaf eyes. The inside story Jet employees claim is the day is not far when Kingfisher Airlines will take over Jet Airways.

More deaths in India through stampede than bombs

It is seen that in India, there are more deaths through stampede than bombs. It has been witnessed that in India, there have been 361 deaths through stampede, while 157 fell prey to bomb blasts. In the past 10 years, 875 people died through stampede while 767 died in terror attacks.

In a crowded place like a shrine or temple, there should be permanent barricades on either side of the steps. There should be separate paths for entry and exit. A queue should be maintained and no should be allowed to jump it. Volunteers should be stationed at every step to control and guide the crowd. If necessary, police personnel with adequate training should be stationed. Passes may given to all visitors during a huge event.

148 dead in Rajasthan stampede, Rajasthan stampede yet another tragedy

148 people are dead and about 160 greviously injured in a major stampede in the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur at the start of Navaratra festival on Tuesday.The cause of the stampede at the temple in a hillock in the famous Jodhpur Fort was not known(come back for more).Of the 40 dead, 30 bodies have been sent to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and the remaining 10 were sent to Mathura Das Hospital. The devotees in huge numbers, mostly women, had gathered at the temple from early on Tuesday morning for celebrating the Navratra festival starting from Friday. It is believed that rumors of a bomb explosive triggered the stampede.

Few ladies toilets in India

Have you ever wondered why there are few ladies toilets in India? Even the cities have less facilities for women to answer the call of nature in slum area. It can be very embarrassing and humiliating. The fault lies with the authorities who are taking a casual attitude to construction or maintaining of public toilets for ladies. Also most women generally prefer to restrain themselves from using public loos and relieve themselves in the comforts of their homes rather than use a public facility, unless it is urgent. The civic authorities also take this perspective and have adopted a casual, lethargic attitude to constructing public ladies toilets. Also women hesitate using them because the condition of the public loos in India, even the metros; are in a dismal, unhygienic state. Plainly said, since users are less, even the authorities are maintain a casual stand and do not do much to maintain the condition of these loos. Holding back on the call of nature can be detrimental to the health if the journey is long and there is not public facility in the vicinity In fact, Shahrukh Khan, the popular Bollywood actor has publicly stated that he would like to create a lot of hygienic public toilets for women as one of his future endeavors.

Why Indians should drink less alcohol

There is no universal limit for safe alcohol consumption. Cardiologists may recommend 2 pegs a day for a healthy heart but that applies to the West and not to Indians. We have relatively smaller built compared to the people in the West and also our bodies do not appear to have the capacity to absorb as much alcohol as Westerners do. Ideally we should consume a peg a day or less. This kind of prescribed limit is applicable to men but for women, there are no specific recommendations. Also bear in mind that Indians generally have poor nutrition, we do not eat the right food after drinking.

Is India heading the Iraq, Bosnia way? bomb blasts in 2008?

If barely a day goes in Iraq or Bosnia without military attacks and car bombings, you can assume that it is a peaceful day for them. India, one of the peaceful countries is the world is suffering from the highest number of terrorist attacks and bombings the country has ever seen in 2008.

Flashback to the serial bomb blasts on March 12’ 1993 in Mumbai which gave rise to the term ‘serial blasts’. Since then intermittently, there has been terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, mainly in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country, the second biggest one being the one on July 11, 2006 where bombs exploded in the first class compartments of suburban Mumbai trains, resulting in heavy loss of life and limb.

Two years later in 2008, India been plagued with bomb threats and bomb blasts by terrorists who resort to emailing TV stations before and soon after commuting the act. Though the terrorist call themselves Indian mujahedeen, Indian police have deciphered IM as a non entity working under the garb of SIMI(Students Islamic Movement of India. Take IM of SIMI and you get Islamic Mujahadeen. The police are taking bomb threats very seriously and are on the massive manhurt to nab the terrorists of the Delhi blasts At the time of writing, an email has been sent to media organizations in Mumbai to blow up three railways stations before the end of the day. As a result, Mumbai is witnessing the highest security check, it has ever witnessed in its history today. Even if it is a prank, the police cannot afford to take any chances.

Here are the recent ten bomb blasts and terrorist attacks that shook the country in three years (sourced from DNA and Outlook India)
September 29, 2008:
A series of powerful explosions ripped through crowded market areas in New Delhi, killing at least 50 people as shoppers in the Indian capital were gearing up for a major Hindu holiday.
July 26, 2008:
Serial blasts in Ahmedabad kill close to 45 and injure over 100
July 25, 2008:
Seven blasts strike the IT city of Bangalore killing at least two people and wounding at least 20.
May 2008:
Eight serial blasts rock Jaipur in a span of 12 minutes leaving 65 dead and over 150 injured.
January 2008:
Terrorist attack on CRPF camp in Rampur kills eight.
November 2007:
15 people killed in seven well-synchronised explosions near court premises in three cities of Uttar Pradesh -- Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.
October 2007:
2 killed in a blast inside Ajmer Sharif shrine during Ramadan, in Rajasthan.
August 2007:
30 dead, 60 hurt in Hyderabad 'terror' strike.
May 2007:
A bomb at Mecca mosque in Hyderabad kills 11 people.
February 2007:
Two bombs explode aboard a train bound from India to Pakistan, burning to death at least 66 passengers, most of them Pakistanis.
September 2006:
30 dead and 100 hurt in twin blasts at a mosque in Malegaon.
July 2006:
Seven bombs on Mumbai's trains kill over 200 and injure 700 others.
March 2006:
Twin bombings at a train station and a temple in Varanasi kill 20 people.
October 2005:
Three bombs placed in busy New Delhi markets a day before Diwali kill 62 people and injured hundreds.

India in the heart of a financial tsunami, US slump makes India see red

Manic Monday saw the US financial market downsliding to its worst tumble since 9/11 with three major financial tragedies: the bankruptcy of Lehman brothers, the sale of Merrill Lynch and the largest insurer AIG being downgraded by credit rating agencies.

How does India suffer from the US financial collapse? The US financial markets have direct co-relation with Indian banking systems, which means liquidity; growth rates, risk appetitie and ability to borrow in India will suffer. The business sentiments in India have already been low following the inflation but it has been further hit due to the global economic slowdown. The areas that will be affected are jobs, investment and corporate expansion plans. The three major sectors that have been hit are real estate, infrastructure and power, all three of being ambitious with their growth and expansion plans. Lehmann Brother, Merrill Lynch and AIG had stakes in these fields. ICICI bank stands to lose RS. 375 crores or 57 million pounds as the Lehman Brothers have filed for bankruptcy. The subsidiary of the ICICI bank had invested 57 million pounds in the bonds of Lehman brothers.

TATA AIG-running for protection cover
AIG which has suffered heavy losses has two types of insurances in tie-ups with Tata: general and life. Though the prices of the crude oil prices have dropped, but the rupee decline has not made any good. AIG has stated that they it would sell its assets to raise $20 billion but it does require additional funding. But it will be difficult because the entire world in general is going through a financial crisis

Global liquidity crunch in most likelihood will put stress on big ticket acquisitions. In this respect, Indian companies will look out for niche acquisitions or smaller companies for tie-ups depending on the strategy they make.

Another financial jolt to the Indian economy has been the state of the rupee which has ended at a two year low of 46.89 against the dollar for reasons of worries over asset flows from the equity markets in emerging economies. This means those companies which may have borrowed in dollar amounts will find it expensive to service the debt, with interest payments rising substantially, hitting their profitability in the process. The RBI will look at hiking the interest s of foreign currency deposits.

4 Indians among the top 10 richest people in the world

----> Yeh paisa bolta hain!



There are four people from India who are in the list of the top 10 richest men in the world. Lakshmi Mittal stands proud at number 4 as the fourth richest man in the world with a net wealth of $45 billion. The fifth and sixth positions are taken by the Ambani brothers. Mukesh Ambani is valued at $43 billion while Anil Ambani has amassed $42 billion. The 8th position is also held by an Indian, K.P. Singh , the real estate baron, at $30 billion.

US has the highest number of billionaires in the world, 469 to be precise. This is followed by Russia having 87 billionaires and Germany having 59 billionaires. India has the fourth highest billionaires in the world with a total of 53 billionaires. Believe it or not, India also has the maximum share in the top 10 wealthiest people

Rahul Mahajan vs Monica Bedi -Big Boss 2

Big Boss 2 in Colors channel is gearing up in full form as it goes well on its way to the third week. The participants are getting bitchier and the cold war is turning into a heat wave. Rahul Mahajan who is being called everything from skirtchaser to women’s special is now on the hot list again to be voted out. Rahul Mahajan has been thought of being extra pompous, but he also has fans and some participants(read Payal Rohatgi and Monica Bedi) who root for him.

The funny thing is the closed group of Rahul Mahajan, Monica Bedi and Rakhi Vijan has always caught the ire of other participants who wanted them out. While the contest between Rakhi and Rahul resulted in Rakhi being voted out by the public, this week, one of them, either Monica Bedi and Rahul Mahajan will be voted out While Monica has appeared honest and simple, she was targeted by fellow participants for her affinity to Rahul Mahajan.

Whom do you think will be shown the door in this week’s Big Boss 2?

Build your own home gym, work out at home now!

A fitness conscious urban India is now opting for the ideas of a home gym. Having a gym at house promises convenience, time-saving solution and also privacy. It is not just Shilpa Shetty who has opened a home gym for herself. You can do so too! But before investing your hard earned money in a house gym, check out what is your exact need, the available space and then go for the budget.

If you want to lose weight or build cardio resistance, go for mechanized treadmill which costs anywhere between Rs.35,000 and Rs.1.5 lakhs. You can also do with a powerd cross trainer that costs above Rs.35000 and a Swiss ball which ranges between Rs.1200-Rs.1400. If you are concentrating on strength training, then go for a multigym. A multigym can costs Rs. 27,000 and above. But a premium quality multigym is worth a cool Rs. 2 lakhs. Setting up a gym at home with ventiliation, lighting, air-conditioning, mirrors,the right kind of floor and gym equipment put togehter can cost you Rs. 1 lakh to Rs.1.50 lakhs. A handy gym requires an area of 150 square feet. Keep sufficient space to move around too.

Read more about building a home gym

Colors channel becomes the number one entertainment channel, defeating Starplus and Sony back in the race

Colors channel launched barely a month ago (July 21' 2008) is rapidly growing as a number one entertainment channel, much to the chagrin of entertainment channels like Sony Entertainment Television, Zee Network and Starplus.

Colors Channel is owned by Viacom 18, , joint venture operation in India between Viacom Inc. and Network18 Group. Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd also has channels like MTV India and Nickelodeon (TV Channel for kids). Colors is the first entertainment channel of Viacom 18. The strong point of Colors Channel is its strong promotion and marketing strategy. The very day, it launched it hooke viewers with a great reality game show: Khatron Ke Khiladi. I have personally observed some of my friends and their mothers who were hooked on the Saas-bahu serials switching chanels during the break to check on what stunts the ravishing girls were doing on a particular episode of Khatron Ke Khiladi. The tendency to sneak into Colors Channel gradually developed into a habit for these folks and soon most of them were hooked on to Colors for their daily dose of entertainment in the evening.

Colors Channel is now ruling the time slot between 8 and 1 pm with programs like Balika Vadhu an interesting soap, a mythological show called Shri Krishna which has easily overpowered Starplus' much-hyped Kahanii Hamaare Mahabharat Ki, a drama called Mohe Rang De and the 10-11 super entertainment show in the form of Big Boss Season 2. Sajid Khan's chat show is also promoted well.

What is interesting is the grip that Colors Channel has taken between the 10 pm and 11 pm slot. The adventurous Khatron Ke Khiladi has given way to Big Boss 2, and no one is complain. With Colors Channel seizing TRPs out of the blue, it is really showing its true colors "JAZBAAT KE RANG"

India TV reporting crap , the worst trashy news channel

Want to brainwash or bore people?

Your destination ends at India TV.

India TV is known to resort to trash journalism of the worst kind, that can easily get on your nerves. It takes just one clipping and plays it on for a mind numbing 40 minutes. I once came upon a piece of news where somewhere in Kanyakumari, a car went over two engineers in a busy street. India TV played the same clipping for 40 minutes(the clipping was repeated for 70 times) with the news reader telling the same incident in different ways, till I had to switch off the television in frustration.

India TV takes some video clipping from the internet or Home Videos ,where someone is shown doing an exceptional feat and plays it post prime-time. It talks about how their camera men have managed to take the video. Never before I have seen any channel like this, which harps continuously on its achievements; when it is actually next to none

I had thought about writing this post everytime but deliberately put it off, till I could not do so any longer, especially since I saw something yesterday that gave me the much needed dosage to write this post. IndiaTV newscasters lambasted Shahrukh Khan for being joyous about his victory on the evening when there were blasts in Jaipur. Come on, to air such stuff is sheer stupidity! Shahrukh Khan was positively happy about his match which had nothing do with Jaipur blasts. But the news made it seem as if Shahrukh Khan was the villain of the piece. The news channel made statements against Shahrukh Khan saying that he is busy with fun and games whereas his bretheren is writhing in pain. India TV has to mind its choice of words and needless character assassination which it subjects upon people. Such kind of mud-slinging, mis-reporting and manipulative coverage is totally uncalled for. The appropriate authorities should keep a close on the news channel and monitor the fare that is dished out.