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 Our TV serials have an outdated notion of the Indian woman.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