CMYK

DECEMBER
THURSDAY
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13

2012

website: www.thestatesman.net email: thestatesman@vsnl.com

RAVI SHANKAR PASSES AWAY

press trust of india SAN DIEGO, 12 DEC: Legendary sitar maestro and composer Pandit Ravi Shankar, who popularised Indian classical music in the West and had a major influence on icons like The Beatles' George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin, died here today at the age of 92. Shankar, whose health had been fragile for the past several years, underwent heartvalve replacement surgery last Thursday at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, where he breathed his last. The music icon was admitted to the hospital last week when he complained of breathlessness. It is with heavy hearts we write to inform you that Pandit Ravi Shankar, husband, father, and musical soul, passed away today, his wife and daughter, Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, said in a joint statement. In a separate statement, the Ravi Shankar .oundation and East Meets West Music said, Shankar had suffered from upper-respiratory and heart issues over the past year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last Thursday. Though the surgery was successful, recovery proved too difficult for the 92-year-old musician. A recipient of Bharat Ratna in 1999, Shankar maintained residences in both India and the United States. He is survived by his wife Sukanya; daughter Norah Jones; daughter Anoushka Shankar Wright and husband Joe Wright; three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. As you all know, his health has been fragile for the past several years and on Thursday he underwent a surgery that

Few people know that four years before the release of Pather Panchali, Satyajit Ray had decided to make a documentary film on the maestro. The idea was hatched, the storyboard made but the director could never translate his idea into celluloid
could have potentially given him a new lease of life. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him, his body was not able to withstand the strain of the surgery. We were at his side when he passed away, the family said. TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND, PAGE 3

Retd judge to probe Wal-Mart issue Quota war: Maya takes on govt, Ansari
statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Yielding to pressure from political parties, the government today announced a time-bound inquiry by a retired judge into reports of lobbying by retail giant Wal-Mart to gain entry into India and inform the House as fast as possible. Today, I would like to inform the House that the government will appoint a retired judge to hold an inquiry into the media reports concerning Wal-Mart, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath announced in the Lok Sabha as soon as it assembled for the day. Mr Nath said the inquiry would be time-bound so that as fast as possible, the House is informed of its results. As soon as the announcement was made, Opposition members, including those of Trinamul Congress and the SP, wanted the government to clarify whether it would be a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court. I have heard your suggestions, we have no hesitation in having an inquiry by a retired judge, Mr Nath said. The issue of retail giant Wal-Mart lobbying in the US for access to Indian markets created storm in Parliament during the past two days with parties demanding time-bound probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a judicial panel to ascertain if bribe was paid here. The UPA's outside supporters RJD and SP, which had last week bailed out the ruling coalition during a vote in Parliament on the .DI in retail issue, were among those demanding a thorough probe into reports that money was spent in India. Through the announcement, the government has also made it clear that it was not keen on a JPC probe, a demand for which was made by JD(U), AIADMK, Trinamul Congress, RJD and the CPI in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Wal-Mart had, in its disclosures to the US Senate, said it had spent USD 25 million over four years for various lobbying activities, including for gaining access to Indian markets. Bharti Walmart today said the allegation that routine US lobbying disclosures reflect improper conduct on its part in India is false. statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The war over quota in jobs promotion has intensified with BSP supremo Mayawati accusing the UPA government of not being serious about the passage of the Constitution amendment Bill on the issue. In a shocking outburst, she also dragged the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Mr Hamid Ansari, into the controversy. In what appeared to be a pressure tactic for passage of the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill that provides for reservation for SCs/STs in government job promotions, BSP members disrupted Lok Sabha proceedings while demanding action on alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. I had said two days ago that BSP would adopt a tough stand. It is the responsibility of the government and the Rajya Sabha Chairman to bring the House to order... Todays (outburst) was our first tough stand in Rajya Sabha. We will take our next stand at an appropriate time, Miss Mayawati told reporters outside Parliament hours after her remarks against the Chair had stunned the House of Elders. Party leaders said the BSP, which had bailed out the UPA government on the retail-.DI vote recently, could take a tougher stance that would threaten the stability of the Manmohan Singh regime. If the government is actually serious about the passage of the Bill and other public interest legislation, then the government as well as the Chairman should see that the House functions, Miss Mayawati said. Asked if the BSP grudged the manner in which the government has been handling the SC-ST quota Bill ever since the .DI vote in both the Houses got over in its favour, a key BSP leader said, It is certainly for all to draw that inference. The BSP feels the government is trying to avoid any confrontation with Mr Mulayam Singh Yadavs Samajwadi Party, which also had helped the government floor man-

agers on .DI voting, but is opposed to reservation in promotion. We are not asking anyone to vote in favour of the Bill if they do not want to. But the manner in which the House proceedings are plunged into chaos display some kind of intentions. These are happening deliberately and not in the best interest of democratic norms, a key party source said. The remarks of the BSP chief against the Rajya Sabha Chair for repeated adjournments of the House were expunged later in the day, according to Rajya Sabha sources. The Prime Minister also reportedly called up Mr Ansari to convey distress on the comments.

North Korea launches long-range rocket

SEOUL, 12 DEC: North Korea successfully launched a longrange rocket today, in defiance of UN sanctions threats over what Pyongyang's critics have condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test. North Korea said the three-stage rocket, which Pyongyang insists was solely aimed at placing a satellite in orbit, had achieved all its objectives. The launch of the second version of our Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite from the Sohae Space Centre ... on 12 December was successful, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The satellite has entered the orbit as planned, it said. afp details on page 8

Mamata regrets becoming CM; admits firing mistakes

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today regretted her decision to capture power in West Bengal because of the financial mess she had inherited from the previous Left .ront government. In the same breath she admitted recent incidents of police firing at Loba and Tehatta were a mistake. Had I known this (the state's deplorable financial health), I wouldn't have come to power, she said while speaking at the West Bengal Police's investiture ceremony. Harping on her oft stated theme of the state's financial bankruptcy ~ a legacy of 34-year-long Left misrule, she said the financial position was such that no bidder would be found if the state is auctioned. West Bengal is getting one-fourth of the money other states, including Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chennai, get, she said, adding the state's GDP was higher than that of the country, but it was facing hardships as a huge amount was being spent for servicing debt made by the previous L. government. She said when the L. had assumed power, it had sufficient funds. But, when it lost power after ruling the state for 34 years, the state lacks the capacity to even borrow. Despite such acute financial crisis the new government had taken up many projects for the state's development recruiting people as there was a dearth of man-power in all departments, including health and policing, she asserted. She admitted that because of mistakes by a section of policemen violence broke out at Loba in Dubrajpur and Tehatta in Nadia. I admit we made two mistakes ~ one at Loba and another at Tehatta. But, besides these two incidents policemen always performed well and prove their capabilities, she said, adding that there was no law and order problem during Durga Puja, Mohurram and other festivals.

Industry output House face-off on as CPM, jumps 8.2%

statesman news service

Speaker refuse to relent

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: The face-off between the Opposition Left and the ruling party in the state Assembly continued for the second day today with the Speaker making it clear that yesterday's suspension of three CPI-M MLAs won't be revoked until they tender apology for their unruly conduct and the L. remaining adamant that the MLAs won't do so. The L. staged a walkout and held a sit-in on the Assembly premises to protest against the state government's obduracy. Speaker Biman Banerjee had suspended CPI-M members, Nazmul Haq, Sushanta Besra and Amjad Hossain for unruly behaviour yesterday when the House had turned into an arena for a show of muscle power by a section of ruling party and Opposition MLAs. He said during the day: A motion would have to be moved under ruling 348 of the Assembly rules to know the sense of the House. He also suggested

Chishti acquitted

TMC MLA suspended

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The Supreme Court today acquitted and set free Pakistani virologist Mohammad Khalil Chishti, who had challenged the life imprisonment given to him in a 20-year-old murder case in Rajasthan in 1992. A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi said the prison sentence of one year and four months that Chishti had already undergone was sufficient to meet the ends of justice. sns (details on page 2)

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Bringing some cheer after more than a year to the government on the economic front, the countrys industrial output growth rate sprang back to a 16-month high of 8.2 per cent in October, prompting a beaming finance minister P Chidambaram to see green shoots in the economy. The high growth rate came on the back of good performance by the manufacturing and power sectors and higher output of capital as well as consumer goods. I am very encouraged by the indications of the green shoots in economy in terms of production. IIP figures are very encouraging, Mr Chidambaram told reporters here. He said capital goods output at 7.5 per cent is very encouraging. Lets see what the next four months bring us. Investments are taking place, capacity is being created and consumption is happening in consumer durables and nondurables," he added. Meanwhile, rising for the second consecutive month, retail inflation surged to 9.90 per cent in November, driven mainly by rising prices of (details on page 9) food items.

Congress MLAs protest in the Assembly. On Wednesday. sns

an all-party meeting be held before the business advisory meet which was rejected by the Left .ront members. They are adamant in their stand of not apologising to the Speaker for reconsideration of the suspension order on three CPI-M MLAs. They seem to have taken a political decision, parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee later told reporters. Deploring the violence Mr Chatterjee said: The prestige of the House has been shattered. Let's restore its glory. Leader of the Opposition turn to page 5

BJP defers action against errant Karnataka MLAs

statesman news service BANGALORE,12 DEC: The beleaguered ruling BJP today sought to play safe by putting off action against 14 legislators who had defied the party on Sunday by participating in the rally held at Haveri by Mr B S Yeddyurappa, former chief minister and current president of the newly-formed Karnataka Janata Party. The MLAs had participated in the KJP leader's public meeting, ignoring warnings from the party leadership. This was evident from the statement of Mr K Eashwarappa, state president, who told newsmen in Belgaum that the BJP would act against the errant legislators in consultation with the core committee and the central leadership of the party. He said in all likelihood, the picture would become clear in the next two or three days after the partys Parliamentary board meets in Delhi. The ruling partys decision to leave the call to its central leadership is being seen as an attempt to delay the inevitable. Many of its senior leaders fear that if the BJP were to take disciplinary action against the defiant legislators, it would destabilise the government which has another six months to go. Already, the partys strength in the Assembly has come down to 118, including the 14 MLAs, in a 224-member house with the resignation of Mr Yeddyurappa. .or a simple majority,the government

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: The TMC today suspended MLA Sikha Mitra, wife of Mr Somen Mitra who is the party MP from Diamond Harbour. She is the first to be penalised for violating the TMC chief's whip to party leaders not to air their views in media .sns (SEE PG 5)

rebel reprieve
requires at least 113 members. The Opposition Congress was hoping to bring a noconfidence motion against the government in the ensuing Assembly session but found that it did not have the numbers as the JDS

also did not support the move. The latter believes that the Shettar government would fall anytime, on its own. Mr Yeddyurappa had earlier warned the BJP that any action against his supporters in the ruling party would invite his wrath, making no move to hide his intention of bringing down the government otherwise. Especially, as he kept reiterating that the present government should be treated as a coalition because it was being run with support from MLAs loyal to the KJP. A senior Opposition leader, on his part, told The Statesman that the BJP could well be

waiting for elections in Gujarat to be over before deciding on the final step against party rebels. Any move against the wayward legislators in Karnataka now could impact the partys prospects in the election bound state, he argued, quickly adding in any case, the Shettar government was living on borrowed time. Since the whole tenure of the BJP government was marred by infighting and corruption, several MLAs and ministers feel the party may not be able to retain power and want to continue till the Assembly polls, sources said.

CMYK

C M Y K

statesman news service

LPG issue: EC lets off Moily with a warning

In a letter to the EC earlier on Wednesday, Mr Moily retracted his statement on raising the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and clarified that the government has taken no final decision on the issue
body also cited Part VII of the Mode Code of Conduct which says that the party in power shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purpose of campaign and provides that ministers and authorities shall not announce any financial grant or promises. The EC said the statement made by the minister is tantamount to announcement of a financial grant in the form of increased subsidy. Such statements will have an impact on the minds of the electors in Gujarat where the polls will be held on 13 December and 17 December, it added. In a letter to the EC earlier today, Mr Moily retracted his statement on raising the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and clarified that the government has taken no final decision

INDIA

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

Supreme Court acquits Chishti

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The Supreme Court today acquitted and set free octogenarian Pakistani virologist Mohammad Khalil Chishti, who had challenged the life imprisonment given to him in a 20-year-old murder case in Rajasthan in 1992. A Bench of Mr Justices P Sathasivam and Mr Ranjan Gogoi said the prison sentence of one year and four months that Chishti had already undergone was sufficient to meet the ends of justice. Pronouncing the judgment, Mr Justice Sathasivam said Chishti was free to return to his country without any restrictions. Keeping in view his age and qualification, the court directed the concerned department of the government to ensure smooth result of Chishti to Pakistan. The court also directed its registry to return Rs 5 lakh along with interest approved on it that Chishti had deposited with it following the 10 May 2012 order. The apex court on 10 May had granted Chishti permission to visit his home city of Karachi in Pakistan during the pendency of his appeal against his conviction in the murder case. He returned to Ajmer soon after. He was granted bail by the apex court on 9 April. He was awarded life imprisonment in 2010 after a trial that lasted 18 years. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has approved renowned mandolin player U Srinivas divorce with his wife U Sree on the ground that he was treated cruelly by her. While holding that Srinivas has proved his case of mental cruelty for seeking divorce, a Bench of Mr Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, however, asked him to pay Rs 50 lakh to ensure that his wife lives with dignity and comfort and not in penury after the divorce.

Zee boss agrees to lie-detector test, editors say no

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra (file photo), named in the .IR lodged in the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Naveen Jindals firm, today agreed before a court here to undergo a lie detector test but his two jailed editors refused to do so. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Rao, meanwhile, has issued production warrant for the editors tomorrow and also sought the presence of Mr Chandra in his court. Mr Chandra said he can be subjected to the test on the condition that he be informed about its procedure. The two arrested Zee editors Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia, accused in the case, refused to undergo the test but agreed to give their voice samples. To secure presence of the accused persons before the disposal of their applications under consideration. Accordingly, issue production warrant for both accused (Sudhir and Samir) on 13 December. As far as Mr Chandra is concerned, his counsel Vijay Aggarwal has informed this court that he is ready to undergo lie detector test subject to the techniques used by the investigative agency for the test... Nonetheless, I deem it fit to secure his (Chandra) presence on 13 December, said the court. Chandra is undergoing some serious treatment and so before taking the test, he will need to consult his doctors abroad, said Mr Aggarwal. Mr Aggarwal also sought release of Chandras passport for a period of 30 days and to allow him to visit London and New York to consult his doctors saying their consent would be necessary before he undergoes the test. Mr Aggarwal accused the investigating agency of being biased against his client saying police has not moved a plea for subjecting Congress MP Navin Jindal to lie detector test to ascertain the truth behind the allegations. Meanwhile, Sunil Mittal and R N Mittal, counsel for the two Zee editors, said their clients are not consenting to the test as they fear that the investigation in the case is being influenced by Navin Jindal as the respondent has been falsely implicated and illegally arrested under wrong sections of IPC and in contravention of CrPC, 1973. Also as per the status report filed by the investigating officer it is stated that the CD produced by the complainant about the alleged conversation is not doctored, though it is so. That further it is the complainant who by alleging false facts and by making the concocted story is trying to malafidely implicate the respondent in false case. Thus respondent in view of above apprehensions is not giving consent for lie detector test, said the counsel. The crime branch of Delhi police had moved an application seeking to subject Mr Chandra and his channels two editors, lodged in jail in the case, to a liedetector test saying it is required to bring the truth on record.

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The Election Commission has expressed strong disapproval of the petroleum minister, Mr Veerappa Moilys announcement on increasing the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders, saying it constituted a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. In reply to Mr Moilys response to the notice issued by the EC yesterday, the commission let him off with a warning asking him to be more circumspect while making comments in the future. The EC observed that the minister in his response had accepted that he made the statement. The poll

on the issue. He also clarified that whatever he said on the issue was in response to media queries during the sidelines of a CII function. If the proposal had been given a firm shape or a decision was to be taken on enhancing the LPG cylinder cap, I would have definitely written to the Election Commission of India, he said. I would like to assure you that due regard to the applicable rules and procedures of the Election Commission of India shall be given as and when a decision in this regard is taken by the government, Mr Moily wrote in his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr V Sampath.

SC upholds musicians divorce

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The Supreme Court has approved mandolin player U Srinivas divorce with his wife U Sree on the ground that he was treated cruelly by her. While holding that Srinivas has proved his case of mental cruelty for seeking divorce, a Bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, however, asked him to pay Rs 50 lakh to ensure his wife lives with dignity and comfort after the divorce. .rom the foregoing analysis, it is established that the husband has proved his case of mental cruelty which was the foundation for seeking divorce. Therefore, despite dislodging the finding of desertion, we conclude and hold that the respondent husband has rightly been granted a decree of divorce, the Bench said. sns

Panel to look into shifting Question Hour

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Disturbed by repeated disruptions of the Question Hour, Rajya Sabha Chairman, Mr Hamid Ansari, today constituted a three-member committee headed by the Deputy Chairman, Prof. P J Kurien, to talk to the government and political parties on his proposal to shift the Question Hour timing from 11 a.m. to noon. The Chairman constituted the committee after a meeting of the House Rules Committee where his proposal was considered. Although the meeting reportedly favoured shifting the timing, the Chairman constituted the three-member committee for wider consultations. The committee which includes the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, Mr Rajeev Shukla, and Dr Chandan Mitra of the BJP as its members, is expected to submit its report before the end of the current session. If the Question Hour timings are changed, this will be the second time it will happen. On an early occasion also, the Chairman had shifted the Question Hour timing to 2 p m, as members were repeatedly taking up different issues. The timings were restored to the original after a couple of weeks. Ever since the current session of Parliament began, the Rajya Sabha has seen disturbances during the Question Hour on one issue or the other, the prominent among them being the issue of .DI in retail and the demand for early enactment of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes reservations in promotions Bill. Although the House appeared to have settled down to normal work after the .DI in retail debate, the issues of money spent on lobbying in India by the US storechain Wal-Mart and the SC-ST Bill have continued to take time of the Question Hour. Yesterday, the Chairman observed, Hon. Members, a situation has arisen in which the Chair has to watch helplessly disruption of the Question Hour very frequently. I, therefore, propose to call a meeting of the Rules Committee and put before the Members of the Committee two options. One, that the Question Hour be moved to another part of the day. Two, since Members dont seem to attach very great importance to the questions being answered, the Question Hour be dispensed with altogether. Before the Rules Committee of the House could meet this afternoon, the Question Hour got disturbed again when the BSP leader, Miss Mayawati, raised the issue of the SC-ST reservations in promotions Bill, and her party members started moving towards the well of the House. Although almost half an hour of the Question Hour was still left, the Chairman had no choice but to adjourn the House till noon.

PMO rubbishes Modi claim

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The Prime Ministers Office today rejected as baseless and mischievous the Gujarat chief minister, Mr Narendra Modis claim that the government was considering handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan. The PMO said it was apparently made to influence voters in the Gujarat assembly elections. The PMO was replying to a letter written by Mr Modi asking the Prime Minister not to consider handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan as the decision would severely impact the security of Gujarat. Mr Modi had signed the letter as a citizen of Gujarat rather than as chief minister, because the Model Code of Conduct is in force in the state. The Gujarat CM also urged the Union government to postpone the date of the decision on Sir Creek, which was expected to be taken on 15 December. The PMO said, The contents of the letter and the timing of its release to the public, even before it was formally received in this office, raise questions about the motives behind its issue. The PMO further claimed that the writing and release of this baseless letter by the Chief Minister of Gujarat in his personal capacity, a day before elections in the state, is mischievous. The PMO said, The allegation in the letter that Sir Creek is about to be given to Pakistan is untrue. Therefore, the other conclusions drawn by Mr Modi from this alleged fact are also not real. It also seems that Mr Modi has written his letter without making any efforts to ascertain the facts from the Government of India. The PMO said discussions on Sir Creek have been carried out by successive governments of India since the dialogue process began in 1998 and continued after Mr Atal Behari Vajpayees visit to Lahore. sns

CLASSI.IEDS
EDUCATIONAL
THE UNIVERSITY O. BURDWAN Admission Notice .or admission to P.G. Courses under ..C. (Arts etc.). Please visit University website (www.buruniv.ac.in). Secretary .aculty Council (Arts etc.) (B0012) C15910 Station: Bowbazar, Kolkata700013. ... Plaintiff -Versus1. .GK Thermal Pvt. Ltd., a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, having its Registered Office at 64/5, Station Road, 1st .loor, Police Station: Jadavpur, Kolkata-700031. 2. M/s. Ceramic Technology GmbH Berlin (CTB Germany), having its office at Reuchlinstr. 10 11, 10553, Berlin, Germany. 3. National Aluminium Co. Ltd. (a Govt. of India Undertaking), (NALCO), having its Office at Nalco Bhawan, P/1, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-751013, Orissa. ... Defendants Whereas the plaintiff has instituted a suit against the defendants, one of the defendants which is defendant No. 3 National Aluminium Co. Ltd. (NALCO) for recovery of Rs. 20,71,95,788.09. You are hereby summoned to appear in this Court in person, or by a pleader duly instructed to answer the claim. Take notice that, in default of your appearance the suit will be heard and determined in your absence. Ashoke Kumar Roy Seristadar 5th Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Alipore 7-12-2012 (B0010) C15908 PUBLIC Notice It is hereby inform that the matter titled as Smt. Sonia Sood & Ors. -V/s.Satish Kumar & Ors. is pending before the Honourable Court of Sh. Sanjeev Jain, Judge, Mact Saket Court (Room No. 14), New Delhi-110017. The next date of hearing is fixed for 21-12-2012. That Shri Ram Pukar Yadav, S/o. Shri Yugal Yadav, R/o. Patel Marg, RZ-315, Kolkata, West Bengal has been summoned by the Honble Court to appear as a witness on the date fixed on 21-12-2012. It is Mandatory to appear to avoid coercive action. Baldev Krishan Sharma Legal Consultants & Advocate Chamber No. 153A Patiala House Courts New Delhi-110001 (B0006) C15899 SE (PWD) PC-II Road -do- and d) Laying -do3, Commissariat Road from 500 mm. to 450 mm. Kolkata-700022 do- near .uleswar Pump House -do-. 3) Estimated C15911 Cost: a) Rs. 20,87,160.00. b) KOLKATA Rs. 20,53,163.00. c) Rs. METROPOLITAN 21,34,337.00 and d) Rs. WATER AND 22,30,813.00. 4) Earnest SANITATION AUTHORITY Money: a) & b) Rs. 42,000, c) Office of the Superintending Rs. 43,000.00 & d) Rs. Engineer (E.B.) 45,000.00. 5) Time of com83/1A, Vivekananda Road, pletion: 3 (three) months 3rd .loor each. 6) Cost of tender docuKolkata-700006 ment: Rs. 1,000.00 each. 7) No.: SE (EB)/ Last date of application: 243T-1/2012/253 12-2012 up to 14-00 hrs. Date: 11-12-2012 Please visit: www.kmdaonABRIDGED N.I.T. line.org / Sealed tenders are invited www.cmdaonline.com / by the undersigned from reli- www.kmwsa.gov.in or conable, experienced and tact this office for further resourceful contractors of information. proven ability having executThe authority reserves the ed similar type of work of right to reject or accept any value not less than 1/3rd of or all tenders without assignthe quoted amount in a sin- ing any reason. gle contract in last five years Superintending under Govt. / Semi-Govt. or Engineer (E.B.) Undertaking Organization as (B0007) C15907 follows: 1) Tender Nos. SE (E.B.) / T-38, T-39, T-40 & TKOLKATA 41 of 2012-2013; 2) Name IMPROVEMENT of the works: a) Laying of D.I. TRUST (K-7) pipe of dia ranging from 250 mm. to 200 mm. P-16, India Exchange Place Extn. for distribution grid in differKolkata-700073 ent nodes in Ward No.-11 of ABRIDGED N.I.T. NO. Zone NE-3 of ESR-7 at K.I.T. 48/2012-2013 .uleswar .eri Ghat & Mondol Sealed tenders in dupliPara within Uluberia are invited for Municipality under WSS of cate Uluberia Phase-II, JNNURM, Construction of .encing Surrounding Balloon Project B) Laying -do- of from 450 site at Rabindra Sarobar in mm. to 300mm. -do- at .uleswar Sat Mahal towards K.I.T. Sch. No. LXXIV. Kotal Ghata More -do-. c) Estimated Amount: Rs. Laying -do- 200 mm. -do- at 6,06,024. Last date and .uleswar Eleven Gate to .eri time for purchase of tender Ghat including connecting papers is 10-01-2013 up to road to .uleswar Station 13-00 hrs. Last date and (B0013) time for dropping and opening of tender papers is 1101-2013 up to 14-00 hrs. & 15-00 hrs. respectively. .or further details please visit the website: http://kit.gov.in Or http://www.kmda online.org Chief Engineer, KIT (B0008) C15901 NOTICE INVITING E-TENDER NO. 40 (2ND CALL) O. 2012-13 SE / SWC / PWD invites e-Tender for the works: (1) Constn. of Type-I and TypeII Residential Quarter for Judicial Officers at Kenduadihi in the Dist. of Bankura. Estt. Amt.: Rs. 84,89,893. (2) Constn. of Sports Academy at Khatra, Bankura Dist.: Construction of .ront Gallery, One No. V.I.P. Gallery. Estt. Amt.: 1,38,72,799. (3) Constn. of Sports Academy at Khatra, Bankura Dist.: Construction of Rear Gallery, One No. V.I.P. Gallery and running track. Estt. Amt.: 1,45,93,339.Tender ID: 2012_PWD_5609_1 to 3. Last date of downloading tender document: 01-012013 up to 15-00 hours. Details will be available at http://etender.wb.nic.in Sd/Superintending Engineer, PWD South-Western Circle Paschim Midnapore (B0002) C15903 NOTICE INVITING e-TENDER NO.-08 O. 2012-13 Ex. Engr., Murshidabad Highway Divn. No.-II, P.W. (Roads) Deptt., invites online percentage rate e-Tender for 1 (one) No. work. Last date & time of submission of bid on 18-12-2012 up to 4-00 p.m. Details information can be obtained from the Website: http://etender.wb.nic.in and office notice board. Sd/Executive Engineer Murshidabad Highway Division No.-II P.W. (Roads) Directorate C15900 (B0003)

MoD cancels artillery guns tender for third time

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The defence ministry has for the third time in the last ten years cancelled a tender for procuring 180 self-propelled wheeled artillery guns for the Army, defence minister A K Antony informed the Rajya Sabha today. The request for proposal (R.P) for procurement of 180 howitzers has been cancelled in 2012, for the third time in past ten years, he said in a written reply. The minister said the R.P was cancelled this year as both the firms participating in the tender were not able to meet the parameters. He said the first R.P was issued in 2002 in which five firms had responded but only one could qualify at the technical evaluation stage and it had to be retracted due to procedural infirmities. R.P was issued for the second-time in .ebruary 2007 to 29 firms of which only two responded but one offer was rejected because of procedural deficiency, resulting in a single vendor situation, the minister said. The Army has failed to induct new howitzers after the Bofors gun deal scam in 1986 despite repeated efforts to do so. To another question, Mr Antony said though it has come to the notice of the defence ministry through several reports, both in Indian and foreign media, that Italian prosecutors had begun a probe into alleged unethical dealings by .inmeccanica, Italy, the parent company of Agusta Westland, UK with whom contract for procurement of 12 X AW-101 VVIP / VIP helicopters has been signed and the probe has been widened to include the ibid contract, the government has not started any formal probe. The delivery of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya has been delayed to the last quarter of 2013 as against envisaged delivery schedule of December 2012. The Russian side has been requested to take up necessary measures to ensure delivery of the ship in the last quarter of 2013, Mr Antony said. There are 22,96,134 ex-servicemen registered in Rajya and Zila Sainik Boards in the country and the likely expenditure during 2012-13 for the various welfare schemes of ex-servicemen would be Rs 1527.19 crore, minister of state for defence Jitendra Singh said.

UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
One JRF / SRF / RA required for the project entitled Cytomolecular analysis of different species of Calathea and Maranta for assessment of phylogeny and affinities as well as micropropagation for improvement and conservation under the supervision of Dr. Sandip Mukhopadhyay, Department of Botany, C.U. Last date of submission application on 31-12-2012. For details visit University website: www.caluniv.ac.in Secretary UCSTA, C.U. (B0004)
C15897

NOTICE INVITING ETENDER NO. IW/SE/OSD/PRL/ NIT-01(E)/2012-13

Vide Memo No. 4T-787 Dated: 09-11-2012 Open tenders are invited by the O.S.D. (S.E.), I&W Directorate, Bhatbandh Irrigation Colony, P.O. & Dist.: Purulia for the works of the aforesaid N.I.T. Name of the work: Lining of Distributory No.I of main canal in between ch. 0.0 to ch. 260.00 in connection with Saharajore Irrigation Scheme within Kotshila P.S. of Purulia Irrigation Sub-Division under Purulia Irrigation Division during 2012-13. 1. Date of online documents sale start: 09-112012 at 18-00 hrs. 2. Date of online documents sale end: 26-112012 up to 16-00 hrs. 3. Last date of submission of Technical & .inancial Bid (online): 2612-2012 at 16-00 hrs. All details, corrigenda may be downloaded from www.wbiwd.gov.in Or www.etender.wb.nic.in Sd/OSD (Superintending Engineer) Bhatbandh Irrigation Colony Purulia (B0011) SUPERINTENDING Engineer, P.W.D., Western Circle No.-I, Burdwan, invites Electronic Tender No. 31 of 12-13 for the works under Birbhum Division. Details downloading / uploading may be made from the website: http://etender.wb.nic.in (B0009) C15902
C15909

TENDERS
GOVT. O. W.B. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORATE Notice Inviting e-Tender No. 09 of 2012-2013 of the SE (PWD) PC-II (Abridged) .or and on behalf of the Honble Governor of W.B., Superintending Engineer, PWD, Presidency Circle-II invites open tender (online) from enlisted Class-I contractors of PWD (R&B) and bona fide resourceful outsiders for the works Renovation of the main building of SSKM Hospital, Kolkata during the year 2008-2009 (Phase-II) Repairing work at Eastern Wing, Central Wing, Basement of Western Wing.... Balance work (20122013) (Eastern Wing clinical utility portion and corridor). Estimated Amount put to tender: Rs. 78,68,036.00. Earnest Money: Rs. 1,57,361.00 and Tender .ees: Rs. 2,505.00. Last date & time of submission of Technical & .inancial Bid (online): 21-122012 up to 3-00 p.m. Tender forms and other details can be obtained from the website: http://etender.wb.nic.in .or any clarification bidder may contact PWD e-Tender Help Desk Phone No. (033) 22236236. .urther corrigendum and addendum, if issued, will be published only on website. Sd/-

UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
One Research Fellow required for the project Studies on characterization of content and composition of the aromatic oil and microstructures of the speed spices grown in different Districts of West Bengal under the supervision of Dr. Mahua Ghosh, Department of Chemical Technology, C.U. For details visit University website: www.caluniv.ac.in Date of walk-in interview: 03-01-2013. Secretary UCSTA, C.U. (B0005)
C15898

statesman news service

A day to remember
keen interest in such dates. Last year, on 11-11-11, he had tried to launch a war on corruption by ordering prosecution of corrupt officials. Triplets on a 'triple 12 date' Triplets born on 12-12-12, the magical triple date of the century, brought joy to a couple at Inderpuri, Delhi, for such a rare combination will never come again. The triplets were born to Ravi and Asha Thukral. The couple was particular about the date as their astrologer suggested to them that 12-12-12 Wednesday is an auspicious date for childrens birth as per planetary position. Birth on this special date will give them name, fame and good luck, he had said. Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj, consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist, fertility & IV. expert, at The Nurture Clinic said, The birth took place at 8.20 a.m. and the three of them and the mother are doing fine. Two are boys and one is a baby girl. The triplets were born at Kalra Hospital under Dr Bajajs supervision.

PUBLIC NOTI.ICATIONS
I, KANA Biswas, W/o. late Bijay Kumar Basu, R/o. 23, Lake Road, Kolkata-700029, shall henceforth be known as Ratna Basu, vide affidavit sworn before the Notary Public, Kolkata on 07-12-12.
C15905

Kolkata

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LEGAL NOTICES
DISTRICT: South 24 Parganas. In the Court of the Learned 5th Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Alipore. Money Suit No. 135 of 2008 (Serial No. 2 of 2008). M/s. Cosmos Engineering Industries Private Limited, a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, having its Registered Office at 8, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, 6th .loor, Police

I, PRAVEEN Kumar Agarwal, son of late Durga Prasad Agarwal of P-206 Bangur Avenue, Block A, 3rd .loor, Kolkata-700055, shall henceforth be known as Pravin Agarwal, vide affidavit at Kolkata High Court on 7-12-2012. (B0001) C15906 I, SATISH, Satish Kumar, Satish Sharma, S/o. Shree Ram Kishan, R/o. Blk-C, .lt4L, 3rd .loor, S.D. Tower, Prafulla Kanan, West Kestopur, Kolkata-700101, shall henceforth be known as Satish Kumar Sharma vide affidavit sworn before the Notary Public, Kolkata on 11-12-2012. C15904

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PATNA, 12 DEC: Whats special about 12-12-12? While expectant mothers tried hard to grab the last opportunity of this century to have their babies on 12-12-12 (sns photo) and couples especially planned their weddings on this special date, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attempted to make the occasion memorable by launching development projects worth Rs 1,212 crore, the first two digits indicating the date and the last two digits indicating the outgoing year! At a function held in the CM secretariat today, Mr Kumar laid foundation stones of 565 roads and 119 bridges at an estimated cost of Rs 1,212 crore, through a remote control. He said the construction of roads which are directly related to governance will make communication easier, adding his dream was to spread good networks of roads across the state so that people settled in any part of Bihar could reach Patna within six hours. We have chosen this date to launch development projects since it will always remain etched in our memoryWe will not be alive to see another 12-12-12 but the very date will ever be alive on the papers , Mr Kumar told newsmen today. This is not the first time that the chief minister has showed

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karan bhardwaj

Satyajit Rays Ravi Shankar: An untold tribute

Panchali, Ray had decided to make a documentary film on the sitar maestro. The idea was hatched, the storyboard made and other creative jobs were also being done, but unfortunately, the director could never translate his fascinating idea into celluloid. Like he did for his other films, Ray had drawn sketches himself for this film but it could never reach the production phase. However, after almost six decades, the original script of the documentary, which was lying with the Satyajit Ray Society (Kolkata), is now being presented in a book titled Satyajit Rays Ravi Shankar by Harper Collins India. The original plan was to launch this book in December but the publishing house has re-scheduled its launch for next year. The date and month are yet to be decided, though officials in the Ray Society told The Statesman it would be a decorated launch in March or April 2013. Talking about the content of the book, Mr Arup K De, chief executive officer, Satyajit Ray Society, said: Satyajit Ray wrote a script for a documentary film on Ravi Shankar in 1951. It wasnt a conventional script. Its a 32-page sketch book, containing about 120 sketches and shooting instructions. Ravi Shankarji is shown in these sketches in different positions as playing raga Todi from alap to jhala. These sketches were lying in our archives for a very long time. The book is being edited by Satyajit Rays son Sandip Ray and has introduction and supporting texts by Shankarlal Bhattacharya. Interestingly, Ravi Shankar had already known about Rays script but never talked about it at any public platform. Satyajit Ray had shown the script to Ravi Shankar. They were friends for a very long time. The script was one among many which Ray had written much earlier before Pather Panchali could materialise, said Mr De. As for the book, both the publishing house and Ray Society are unsure whether or not Ravi Shankar knew about it. Shankarlal Bhattacharya was quite close to Ravi Shankarji. There is a possibility of him informing the legendary sitarist about the book. We havent had any official communication with him, Mr Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, chief copy editor at Harper Collins Publishers India told The Statesman. He also said the book was almost ready in parts and he only had to put it together, which would happen as soon as possible. We are already in shock due to the demise of Ravi Shankarji this morning. However, we will gear up to pay a befitting tribute to both the legends, Satyajit Ray and Ravi Shankar, through this book. It is smaller in size than a coffee table book. Call it a priceless gift to the fans of these two legendary artistes, said Mr Chaudhuri.

TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

The man who introduced Indian classical music to the world

press trust of india SAN DIEGO (USA), 12 DEC: Labelled the 'godfather' of world music, Pandit Ravi Shankar undertook an extraordinary journey from the banks of the Ganges to the heart of the West, mesmerising them with the Indian ragas and partnering with musical greats like Beatles' George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin. Darling of the hippie movement in the 1960s, Shankar trained for seven years under Ustad Allauddin Khan and was known for his characteristic sitar sound with powerful base notes. Shankar, 92, whose health had been fragile for the past several years, died today at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California after undergoing a heart-valve replacement surgery on Thursday. The Bharat Ratna awardee started as a dancer with the group of his brother Uday Shankar but gave it up in 1938 to learn sitar under Allauddin Khan. During the tour of Uday's dance group in Europe and America in the early to mid-1930s, Shankar discovered Western classical music, jazz and cinema, and became acquainted with Western customs. The music doyen composed his first raga in 1945 and embarked on a prolific recording career. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became the unofficial international ambassador for Indian music, enthralling audiences in the USSR, Japan and North America. However, it was his association with Harrison that got him international stardom. In the 1970s, they collaborated on two albums and toured the USA together. A Bengali Brahmin, Shankar was born Robindra Shankar on 7 April 1920, in Varanasi, the youngest of four brothers, and spent his first 10 years in relative poverty, brought up by his mother. He was almost eight before he met his father, a globe-trotting lawyer, philosopher, writer and former minister to the Maharajah of Jhalawar. As a performer, composer and teacher, Shankar was an Indian classical artist of the highest rank, and he spearheaded the worldwide spread of Indian music and culture, said writer and editor Oliver Craske, who provided additional narrative for Shankar's autobiography Raga Mala. Through his influence on Harrison, and appearances at the Monterey and Woodstock festivals and the Concert for Bangladesh, he became a household name in the West, the first Indian musician to do so. Shankar also composed for ballets and films in India, Canada, Europe and the United States. He composed music for the famous 'Apu Trilogy' by Satyajit Ray. Credited with incorporating many aspects of Carnatic music in the north Indian classical system, Shankar was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956. A three-time Grammy award winner, Shankar last performed in California on 4 November along with his daughter Anoushka Shankar. Shankar has also been nominated for the 2013 Grammys for his album The Living Room Sessions Part-1 and was pitted against Anoushka in the same category. He was awarded the three top Indian national civil honours ~ Padma Bhushan in 1967, Padma Vibhushan in 1981, and Bharat Ratna in 1999. Shankar befriended Richard Bock, founder of World Pacific Records, on his first American tour and recorded most of his albums in the 1950s and 1960s for Bock's label. The Byrds recorded at the same studio and heard Shankar's music, which led them to incorporate some of its elements in theirs, introducing the genre to Harrison. The sitar legend authored violin-sitar compositions for Yehudi Menuhin and himself, music for flute virtuoso Jean Pierre Rampal, music for Hosan Yamamoto, master of the Shakuhachi and Musumi Miyashita - Koto virtuoso, and has collaborated with Phillip Glass (Passages).

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: It was the time when both the legends ~ Ravi Shankar and Satyajit Ray ~ were rising stars in their respective fields. While Shankar had already embarked on his musical journey as a music director for All India Radio (19491956), Ray was still struggling for funds to complete his iconic debut film Pather Panchali (1955), for which he had begun shooting in 1952. But few people would know that four years before the release of Pather

On why the film idea always remained on paper and was never executed on screen, the Ray Society said it didnt have any information on this issue. In the initial years, Ray struggled for finances and other resources. Eventually, he did Pather Panchali, which went on to become a milestone in the history of Indian cinema. The collaboration of Satyajit Ray and Ravi Shankar also ended with the Apu trilogy (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sansar). I think, after that, Ray didnt have time or inclination to work on that project, he said.

Labelled the 'godfather' of world music, Ravi Shankar undertook an extraordinary journey from the banks of the Ganges to the heart of the West, mesmerising them with the Indian ragas and partnering with musical greats like Beatles' George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin
A Magsaysay award winner, Shankar was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1986. Believing in the greatness of Indian classical music and blessed with charisma and intelligence, he pursued a dream of taking Indian music out to the Western world. Shankar won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at the 1957 Berlin International .ilm .estival for composing the music for the movie Kabuliwala. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1962 and was named a .ellow of the academy for 1975. In 2001, Shankar was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II for his services to music. Shankar married Allauddin Khan's daughter Annapurna Devi in 1941 and had a son, Shubhendra Shankar. He separated from Devi in the 1940s. An affair with Sue Jones, a New York concert producer, led to the birth of Norah Jones in 1979. Jones became a successful musician, winning eight Grammy Awards in 2003. His second daughter Anoushka was born in 1981 with Sukanya Rajan, whom Shankar had known since the 1970s. He married Sukanya in 1989.

sns/pti

A national treasure, global ambassador...

Describing Pt Ravi Shankar as a friend, philosopher and guide, the legend's family members in Kolkata said he was always full of life and energy, a quality that one required to learn from him
Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao said on Twitter, Ravi Shankar was the world's best known exponent of Indian music. Kathak exponent Pt. Birju Maharaj said: He was the king of tunes and rhythms. I am in Los Angeles and wanted to meet him, he had said a few ago that he was not well. I'm really sad after hearing this. We have lost a big star. I used to play tabla with him at his .eroze Shah house. His blessings were always with me. .ilmmaker Rituparno Ghosh tweeted: This morning had an unearthly kind of beauty to it, perhaps a morning raga to celebrate the passing of Ravi Shankar. RIP. Pt Ravi Shankar the synonym of music is no more, he has made the Sitar international with dignity and Pride, God bless his soul, said singer Kailash Kher. Pt Ravi Shankar's Sitar played for our souls. His music helped us sooth our nerves. His smile was like his music- DIVINE. RIP, Anupam Kher posted on the micro-blogging site. The sitar icon's health had been fragile for the past several years and on Thursday he underwent a surgery at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California where he breathed his last. Parliament today paid rich tributes to the sitar maestro. We deeply mourn the loss of such a dynamic and versatile personality, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said in an obituary reference as soon as the House met for the day. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari described Ravi Shankar, as one of the most versatile instrumental musicians of our time. Ravi Shankar was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. Ravi Shankar was full of life and energy Describing Pandit Ravi Shankar as a friend, philosopher and guide, the sitar legend's family members in Kolkata said he was always full of life and energy, a quality that one required to learn from him. We are shocked by the news. He was more than a family member to us. He was our friend, philosopher and guide, said Mamata Shankar, Ravi Shankar's niece. Amala Shankar was grieved by the death of her brother-in-law (sns photo).

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Political leaders and artistes across the spectrum today mourned the demise of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh describing him as a national treasure and a global ambassador of India's cultural heritage. As news of 92-year-old Ravi Shankar breathing his last came in from California, messages started pouring in with melody queen Lata Mangeshkar and top musicians Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt mourning the death of the sitar legend. Mangeshkar said: He was a worshipper of Lord Krishna and was like the lord for us. We used to talk about everything. The classical sun of India has set and a darkness has come over. There is no artiste who spread Indian music this rapidly across the world. He was unique and was a blessed soul. Classical musician Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who was a disciple of Ravi Shankar, told PTI: This is the saddest day of my life. I was one of his closest... he was a fatherly figure to me and took care of me. He was one musician with whom every artiste wanted to collaborate. He was so energetic and enthusiastic about life. In his message to the sitar icon's wife Sukanya and daughter Anoushka, who is also an accomplished sitarist, Santoor player Shivkumar Sharma said: It's a loss for the whole world. He was a global musician. Musicians like him are rarely born. I am very fortunate that I know him from half a century. .lautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia remembered the times he performed with Shankar at concerts. I started crying when I heard the news. I am still learning music under Annapurna Devi, who was Shankar's first wife. I was also associated with Ustad Allauddin Khan, who taught Shankar as well.

Danseuse Tanushree Shankar, also the daughterin-law of Ravi Shankar, said she had many fond memories of the musician who was always like a friend to her. Last January, he saw my performance in Delhi and blessed me, saying it was superb. That itself is enough for me to last a lifetime, she told PTI. Even after crossing 90, he was like a child and we would always crack jokes with him. He was always full of life and energy. That is something we need to learn from him. Paying tribute to the sitar maestro, Lord Swraj Paul in London today described him as a great ambassador of Indian art, culture and music. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Assembly will condole the death of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar today, Speaker Biman Banerjee said today. We had drafted an obituary reference today itself but that could not be taken up since the convention is to do so only after the cremation. I personally tried to confirm about his cremation but could not succeed, the Speaker said. We are trying to ascertain, if his mortal remains are being brought to India for the last rites. If that does not happen, we will take up the obituary reference in the House tomorrow. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid a tribute to Pt Ravi Shankar by garlanding his portrait (sns photo) at Writers Buildings. She also posted a condolence message on .acebook. I am deeply pained to hear the news of the demise of the legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. His renditions in sitar have taken Indian classical music to a position of rare aura in the world. His passing away has created an irreparable void in music and performing arts. His deep-rooted bond with Bengal will be treasured forever in our heart... the post read.

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states m an news service

INDIA Mrashtra Assembly session disrupted

but could not move the motion since it could not get signatures from other opposition group leaders within two days. The Speaker Dilip Valse-Patil today clarified that under the rules and procedure of the Assembly, it was mandatory for the Shiv Sena to submit an endorsement of its notice by other parties. Since the Shiv Sen has failed, the Speaker announced the notice void. Although the BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had reservations about the efficacy of a not-trust move at this stage, they joined the protest against the home minister. The opposition leader Mr Eknath Khadse (BJP) today declared they would not allow the legislature to function unless Mr Patil gave an apology. Similar scenes were seen in the legislative council where the opposition parties demanded setting up of an SIT to investigate allegations of bribery and corruption in the irrigation and water resources department. The fight in the Assembly is mainly between a combined opposition and the NCP following the re-entry of Mr Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister without a portfolio. BJP's Mr Vinod Tawade likened Mr Pawar's induction to getting an anticipatory bail. As a minister it would be hard to file an .IR

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

Wall collapse kills 5 children

MUMBAI, 12 DEC: The proceedings of the Maharashtra Assembly were disrupted for the second successive day today as Home Minister RR Patil stayed firm on his statement that the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition was strong enough to take on the entire Opposition ~ the Shiv Sena in particular ~ and give a fitting reply inside the House as well as on the streets of Nagpur where the winter session of the legislature is being held. The Opposition parties, since Tuesday, are equally firm on extracting an apology from the home minister for his street smart rowdy-like statement. Mr Patil had said on Tuesday that the government or the NCP in particular was not disturbed by the notice of the no-trust motion given by the Shiv Sena. We will take you on inside the House as well as outside on the streets which will be tit for tat, said Mr Patil raising a huge protest from the opposition benches. The home minister was unmoved as he insisted that the reply would be in the language you understand. .urther, Mr Patil challenged Shiv Sena to move the no-trust motion here and now and start a debate. The Shiv Sen had given notice on Monday

against him or proceed with prosecution even if a court grants permission. An arduous procedure will have to be followed before a criminal case could be filed against him. The no-trust notice given by the Shiv Sena was planked on massive corruption in the irrigation and water resources ministry headed for more than a decade by Mr Pawar. It also poked holes in the white paper produced by the department questioning facts and figures mentioned therein. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena legislatures today met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan with several demands including a memorial for their departed leader Bal Thackeray. The CM refused to entertain them. Mr Chavan curtly told them to first remove the temporary structure at the site of Thackeray's cremation at Shivaji Park. He reminded the Shiv Sena that he had granted special permission to use the Park as cremation ground on condition that it be cleared without delay. The Shiv Sena appears isolated on the issue of the memorial since its ally, the BJP has kept mum and the off-shoot Mr Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has declared as a party stand it was opposed to any structure at Shivaji Park.

Nityanand Swami passes away

statesman news service DEHRADUN, 12 DEC: The .irst Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr Nityanand Swami passed away today in the capital. He was 85 and was not keeping well for quite some time. The state government has declared a state mourning on his death. Nityanand Swami, also a veteran BJP leader breathed his last at around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the CMI hospital here in the capital. Swami has left behind a family of four daughters. His wife, Mrs Chandrakanta Swami died in 1998. His last rites were performed in the Lakhim bagh cremation ground here. Senior leaders of all political parties turned up to catch the last glimpse of this star crossed leader. Hundreds turned out to pay their last tributes to the departed leader. Leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt, state BJP President Bishen Singh Chufal, former chief ministers Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank and Cabinet minister Dinesh Aggarwal were among those who were present at his cremation. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna also expressed his condolences and said that he was a great social worker, thinker and ideal politician. There will be a three-day mourning in the state, and the chief minister said no functions will be held during the period. The legislators of Uttarakhand Assembly observed silence in honour of Swami. The house was adjourned for a day. Nityanand Swami took over as the first chief minister of Uttarakhand when the state was formed on 9 November 2000. He remained in this post for 11 months and 20 days. Swami had also been the chairman of the Vidhan Parishan of UP for some time. He started his political stint as the president of the Students Union of DAV college of Dehradun and was elected MLA for the first time from Doon in 1979. press trust of india NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: .ive children, including two siblings, were killed and another critically injured in east Delhi (sns photo) when a wall collapsed this morning, fire brigade officials said. The incident took place at Dallupura village near Mayur Vihar Phase-III at around 10 a.m. Six children, aged below ten years, were playing in the vacant plot owned by one Vijender, when the incident took place. The children were trapped under the debris. Rescue workers rushed them to a hospital where five of them were declared brought dead. The deceased were identified as Amit (7), Kanchan(7), Ankit (6), Baby (4) and Aditya (2). The injured has been identified as Saraswati (4). Officials said construction of a boundary wall of around 10 ft height was being carried out in the plot. The wall collapsed adjacent to the Hindon drainage, they said. The children used to live with their parents at houses surrounding the plot. Two houses were also damaged when the wall collapsed. A case under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 288 (negligent conduct) of the IPC has been registered against owner Vijender and contractor Bhanwar Singh. Mr B M Mishra, Deputy Commissioner, said they received information about the incident around 10 a.m. We will conduct an inquiry. There seems to be negligence and violation. We have taken cognisance. It's an unsafe structure. The repetitive nature of such incidents needs to be looked into, he said. East Delhi Municipal Corporation Standing Committee Chairman Mehak Singh blamed Delhi Government for the incident. Alleging that irresponsible behaviour of the Delhi government resulted in the incident, he claimed that the EDMC had despatched its man power and equipment for rescue operation and removal of debris from the site. The repair work of the old wall was going on, which collapsed on the children playing by the side. Dallupura is a rural village that comes under the jurisdiction of Revenue Department of the Delhi Government, the SDM of the area is responsible for any such illegal activities, he alleged.

Nurse left note, but family wants full facts: British MP

press trust o f in d ia LONDON, 12 DEC: The Indian-origin nurse who was found dead after being duped by a prank call from two Australian radio hosts, had left a note for her family, which believes there are unexplained circumstances behind her death. What the family needs are the full facts. There are unexplained circumstances. The family wants to know everything, Labour MP Keith Vaz said. The hospital needs to be more proactive, a full inquiry is needed and the family needs to be included in that, he said, without revealing the content of the note. Jacintha Saldanha (file photo), 46, died after a suspected suicide last .riday after she was fooled by the radio hosts ~ Mel Greig and Michael Christian ~ who made a hoax call to the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London. She was the senior nurse on duty when the phone call was made. Although the Marylebone hospital authorities have said they will conduct internal probe into the matter, the family says this is not enough, and demands answers from them over the circumstances that led to her death. Vaz, who is representing the family, yesterday met the hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur to demand a full probe into her death. What the family needs are full facts. What the chairman of the hospital said to me was that there are inquiries going on in the hospital. That is not sufficient for the family. There are unexplained circumstances. The family wants to know everything. All the facts, fully and clearly, Vaz said. They were in the dark about the hoax call. They hadn't watched the news or seen anything about it, he said, seeking support for the victim's family.

Agni-I test-fired successfully

statesman news service BALASORE, 12 DEC: India successfully test-fired the nuke-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-I ballistic missile from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast today. The user trial of the missile, for its full range of 700 km, was carried out by Strategic .orces Command (S.C), the specially raised unit of Indian Army, at about 8.30 a.m. The mission is successful and all the objectives were met, said a senior Defence scientist. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists supervised the exercise as the S.C personnel launched the single-stage, solid-propelled missile from a road mobile launcher of Launch Complex (LC)-IV. The home-grown missile splashed down near the pre-designated target area in the Bay of Bengal with a high degree of accuracy as the radars along the coast and naval ship located down range tracked its flight path and recorded the terminal event, said the scientist. The 15-metre-tall missile was randomly picked up from the production lot for conducting the test-firing. The Agni-I weighs 12 tonnes and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of one tonne. The missile has been developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory, the premier missile development laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. The last trial of the Agni-I missile was successfully carried out on 13 July 2012 from the same test range.

.EEL THE SHIVERS ~ In the Capital on Wednesday. vikas choudhary

Irfan Pathan shares dais with Modi

press trust of india KHEDA (Gujarat), 12 DEC: Cricketer Irfan Pathan today shared the stage with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the campaign rally of the BJP, the party which is trying to appease the minority community voters in the state. During the rally for the second phase polling in the state, Irfan was seen standing besides the Chief Minister on the huge stage. Irfan, who belongs to Vadodara and has been forced out of cricketing action by an injury, waved his hands to a huge gathering of supporters, who had come to listen to Modi's speech. In September 2011, Modi had launched 'Sadbhavana Mission' for peace and amity and to appease minority community voters. However, the BJP has not fielded any candidate from the minority community for the Assembly elections. Central Gujarat comprises the tribal and minority dominated belt of Panchmahal and Dahod and the Patel-dominated belt of Kheda, Anand and Vadodara. The first phase of Assembly elections are scheduled for 13 December while the second phase voting is on 17 December. Counting of votes is on 20 December 20. Speaking at the rally, Mr Modi said: The

Rahul Baba stayed in UP for months. He went to homes of the poor, the photo session went on for 12 months. But, the number of photos taken was more than the number of votes he got!
menace of price rise will uproot the Congress. Gujarat has a strong co-operative sector in milk production and even Congress leaders in Delhi consume milk from Gujarat. Yet, they have placed 30 per cent tax on milk due to which its prices have increased, he said. Likewise, due to rising diesel prices, the cost of vegetables has also increased, he said. If someone promises something and fails to deliver on it, the person has a duty to come to the people and state the reason for being unable to fulfil the promise, but when Sonia Gandhi came to Gujarat she did not say a word on rising prices, the chief minister said. Commenting on Mr Rahul Gandhi, he said: Rahul Baba stayed in UP for months. He went to homes of the poor, lifted children, the photo session went on for 12 months. But, the number of photos taken was more than the number of votes he got! People know such leaders well. He said the Congress neither has people nor issues in this election. Using their money power, the Congress may be all over the newspapers and television but they will not be able to enter the hearts of the people of Gujarat, he added. Mr Modi alleged that it's been 40 years since the Congress promised 'Garibi Hatao***' but have they adhered to their promise? Similarly, the Congress promised to bring prices down in 2009 within 100 days of getting elected, but prices have increased since then.

states m an news service

Punjab govt launches 24x7 police portal

reply within 21 days and in an urgent case, even instantly. The additional director general of police (law and order) and his team will constantly monitor all complaints and send him a daily report, Mr Badal said. Announcing the launch of Rapid Rural Response System with a three digit toll free number, Mr Badal said that by January, Punjab will get 700 motorcycles for Rural Policing and 245 fully equipped motorcycles for Urban Policing and PCR motorbikes will reach within 20 minutes of dialling the complaint. Answering the question about present law and order situation, Mr Badal alleged that the Congress was politicising every minor issue despite the fact that situation in the state was better than any state in the country.

CHANDIGARH, 12 DEC: To address public grievances related to the police department, the Punjab government has launched a 24x7 portal (file photo) and a toll free telephone number to help people lodge complaints if denied fair treatment by the department. Launching the portal, the Punjab deputy chief minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, who holds the home portfolio, said this system will remove the impression that complaints at the lower level in the police were not being attended and help those that are not satisfied with the progress or investigation of the police in their cases. Mr Badal said this system will not replace the police station, as the first line of complaint will be the police station but a complainant not getting justice can always

approach the department through e-mail or the 24 hours toll free number. This can be done if the person visits the website www.punjabpolice.gov.in and clicking Citizen Portal to register their complaints or dialling the toll free number 1800-1802082. He said that the complainant will get a

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KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

statesman news service

Sikha Mitra suspended

would only speak to the media after receiving the letter. Mr Mitra, too, confirmed it. I am scared to enter the Assembly after yesterday's violence and feel a sense of insecurity, she said to a news channel. The violence is condemnable. I was not in the

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: The Trinamul Congress today suspended its Bowbazar MLA Mrs Sikha Mitra, wife of Mr Somen Mitra who is the Trinamul Congress MP from Diamond Harbour. Mrs Mitra is the first to pay for violating the Trinamul chief's whip on party leaders not to air their views in the media. According to party sources, Mrs Mitra was previously suspended for an indefinite period for anti-party behaviour. Today, she came to the Assembly for a brief period, entered the House and while leaving, spoke to the electronic media on yesterday's incident. When asked Mrs Mitra said she was yet to receive the suspension order and she

I am scared to enter the Assembly after Tuesdays violence and suffering from a sense of insecurity. It will have an adverse effect on the electorate

House yesterday. I have no idea who sparked it off, Mrs Mitra said. She said: All who had sent MLAs as their representatives will think otherwise now. Yesterday's incident will have an adverse effect on the electorates. A party insider said it was a gross defiant of the whip cracked by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee that no member should speak to the electronic media without seeking his prior permission. Moreover, she hardly attended the party's meeting which was presided by the chief minister, a senior party leader alleged. On 1 July, Mrs Mitra was in focus after she openly criticised the Trinamul Congress leadership and earned the wrath of the party for attending a function presided over by PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya.

Speaker orders probe into power Sops for farmers ahead of panchayat polls failure, inaction of security staff
KOLKATA, 12 DEC: State Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee today ordered inquiry into the sudden power failure in the House during the day and inaction of the Assembly security staff when some ruling party and Opposition members had come to blows. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee demanded a probe as the power went off when state Power Minister Manish Gupta began answering questions by a Congress member. The Speaker, expressing his annoyance at the disruption of power supply, said the Assembly, Calcutta High Court and the Governor's house have dedicated power connections and inquiries revealed there was no power-cut at the other two places. He also agreed with Mr Chatterjee's complaint of dereliction of duty on the part of the Assembly security staff during yesterday's scuffle in the House. Mr Chatterjee said during the previous Left .ront regime, the then Speaker used to deploy policemen in plain clothes and party men to maintain decorum in the House. However, Leader of Opposition Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra termed the decision to probe yesterday's trouble in the House as an exercise in witch-hunting. We are now apprehensive that a few innocent employees might face disciplinary actions for the acts of hooliganism by a section of Trinamul members in the Assembly, said Dr Mishra. The Left also questioned the authenticity of the probe and demanded the notification and terms of reference. sns KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Ahead of the Panchayat poll, the cash-strapped state government has lined up a number of sops for farmers, including subsidy for electricity connection to operate shallow pumps for irrigation. It is due to the increasing diesel prices, farmers in the state are facing hardship to run the shallow pumps for irrigating their plots. After the Chief Minister's announcement in Singur last month, the state government has decided to provide Rs 8,000 as subsidy for one time electricity connection charges to various farmers groups, societies in order to replace the diesel-run pumps into electric ones. The beneficiaries will be selected by district and block-level committees. The electricity connection charges for water-lifting from underground and surface water sources for irrigation. The state government has allotted Rs 25 crore for the scheme which was lying with the agriculture department for quite some time. It chose to implement the scheme just a few months ahead of the rural polls. In addition the state government has also decided to give credit link subsidy for farm mechanisation to the farmers. The credit limit would be between Rs 10,000 and Rs 35,000 and available to individual farmers, primary agriculture cooperative societies and farmers group. It is a Nabard-sponsored scheme and would be linked with Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), a key initiative of the chief minister. .armers with KCC will be entitled to get this subsidy though they would be selected on the basis of first-come-first-serve, said officials of Agriculture Department. Apart from the agricultural schemes, the state government is also wooing teachers, who form a large part of its electorate, with provisions of transfer for teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools. Welfare board for Lepchas The state Cabinet will give its approval for a proposal to set up a Lepcha Welfare Board to protect the language and cultural traits for the economic development of the tribe, particularly in view of the formation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The board, which will have its headquarters at Kalimpong, will act as a coordinating agency for undertaking various projects for the welfare of the Lepchas. sns

show cause

Left .ront MLAs demonstrate outside the Assembly, protesting Tuesdays attack by TMC MLAs and against trident lamps scam. In Kolkata on Wednesday. bijoy sengupta

ASSEMBLY:
(Continued from page 1) Dr Surjyakanta Mishra told the media that the L. MLAs would continue with their demonstration outside the House until the suspension orders are revoked and action taken against the attackers. The CPI-M politburo today condemned the attacks on party MLAs in the Assembly and demanded suspension of three party MLAs revoked. In a statement, it said: The root cause of the trouble is the Trinamul Congress intolerance towards the functioning of the Opposition in the Assembly. All democratic norms and legislative procedures are violated. Congress Legislature Party leader Mohd Sohrab said: We have appealed to everyone in the House to let it function properly. The Congress supports Dr Mishra's suggestion to hold an all-party meeting before any business of the House. The Speaker turned down the suggestions, following which the L. members walked out of the House. After the walkout L. members observed a protest-demonstration in front of the House and conducted a mock session to show how the House was being run with no rights and privileges granted to Opposition members. A Youth Congress team, led by former ministers Manoj Chakraborty and Sabina Yasmin, held a demonstration outside the south gate of the Assembly demanding immediate resignation of the chief minister for the deteriorating law and order.

Govt to pass Bill for Parl secys today

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: On the last day of the Assembly session tomorrow, the government is bringing a new Bill that will pave the way for appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries who will enjoy the status, privileges and perks similar to that of a Minister of State. The move is being viewed as an attempt by Miss Mamata Banerjee to quell the growing dissent among a section of Trinamul MLAs. The number of the Parliamentary Secretaries is not specified in the legislation. However, going by the Supreme Court's stip-

A Parliamentary Secretary will enjoy the status, privileges and perks similar to that of a Minister of State
ulation on the size of a ministry, the maximum number of Parliamentary Secretaries that the government can appoint is 44. The draft of the West Bengal Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous) Bill, 2012, which was circulated among the legislators today, states the Parliamentary Secretaries to

be appointed from among the sitting MLAs will function as an intermediary between the departmental secretaries and the minister and liaison with leaders of other parties and groups. However, they will not be entitled to draw the daily allowances granted to MLAs for attending the Assembly or the meetings of various House committees. The legislation prohibits a parliamentary secretary from practising any profession or stay involved in a trade or commerce, or accept employment remuneration from any other source.

Liberal & rational media needed

HBT moves petition challenging KoPT

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: A fresh petition was moved in Calcutta High Court by HBT of the ABG group today, challenging the notice sent to it by KoPT alleging breach of contract. The KoPT had sent a notice asking why the HBT would not pay compensation for leaving its ongoing operations in Haldia midway. In its petition, the HBT has stated that its personnel could not work in Haldia port owing to lack of security. But its equipment worth Rs 130 crores is still in Haldia port which the authorities are letting to be taken out. Mr Justice Sanjib Banerjee of the court will take up both the petitions tomorrow. sns

TENDER
O..ICE O. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER MINOR IRRIGATION DIVISION, KHUNTI
e-Procurement Notice
4th Re Tender Reference No. WRD/MIDKHUNTI/IFB-18/2012-13 Date: 08-12-2012
1. Name of the work Construction of series checkdam across Anriya Nala under Pilot Project Block------Sonahatu, Dist.-------Ranchi Rs. 6,31,08,100.00 (Six Crore thirty one Lakh eight thousand one hundred) only. 335 days. 28-12-2012 up to 5-00 p.m.

CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE KASAULI (HP)-173204 (Directorate General of Health Services / Ministry of Health & Family Welfare)
Walk-in Interview will be conducted on 24th January, 2013 from 11-00 a.m. onwards in the office of the Director, Central Research Institute, Kasauli (HP)-173204 for recruitment of two (2) General Duty Medical Officers Sub-Cadre of Central Health Services on Contract basis for a period of one year or till regular incumbents join or till further orders, whichever is earlier. The candidate should possess the following educational qualification & experience etc. Age: Not exceeding 30 years. However, retired GDMOs can be engaged on contractual basis up to 65 years of age. Educational Qualification: MBBS from a recognized University duly certified by Medical Council of India. Experience: At least one year experience in clinical practices preferably in a Govt. institution. Standard terms & conditions: i) The appointment is purely on contract basis for a period of one year or till the regular incumbent joins or till further orders, whichever is earlier, with effect from the date of joining. Thereafter, the contract will lapse automatically. The appointment can be terminated at any time, on either side by giving one month's notice or by paying one month's salary, without assigning any reason or failure to complete the period of three months to the satisfaction of the competent authority. ii) The consolidated remuneration will be Rs.46,000 per month. iii) The appointee shall perform the duties assigned to him/her. The competent authority reserves the right to assign any duty as and when required. No extra / additional allowance will be admissible in case of such assignment. iv) The appointee shall not be entitled to any benefit like Provident Fund, Pension, Gratuity, Medical Attendance Treatment, Seniority, Promotion etc. or any other benefits available to the Government servants, appointed on regular basis. v) Non-Practicing Allowance will not be admissible. vi) The appointee will not be granted any claim or right for regular appointment to any post under Central Health Services. vii) Only consolidated remuneration will be admissible. No Dearness Allowance and other allowances as are admissible to the Central Government servants shall be admissible. viii) The appointee shall be on the whole time appointment of CRI, Kasauli and shall not accept any other appointment, paid or otherwise and shall not engage himself / herself in private practice of any kind during the period of contract. ix) The appointee shall be posted in CRI Kasauli and they shall be functioning under the control of the Director, CRI, Kasauli. x) On appointment, the appointee will be required to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India or make a solemn affirmation to that effect in the prescribed proforma. xi) The appointee is not entitled to any TA for joining the appointment. xii) Other conditions of service will be governed by relevant rules and orders issued from time to time. xiii) If any declaration given or information furnished by him/her proves to be false or if he/she is found to have willfully suppressed any material, information, he / she will be liable for removal from service and also such other action as the Government may deem necessary. xiv) The appointee is required to produce his original certificate at the time of reporting for duty. Note: (1) The candidates appearing for interview should bring original certificates / testimonials with a spare set of copies in support of their claim. No TA / DA will be paid for attending the interview. (2) The candidates who intend to attend the walk-in interview can also send their applications in advance alongwith biodata by E-mail to directorcri@gmail.com (3) The registration of candidates for walk-in interview will be done till 11-00 a.m. on the date of interview. CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE DR. SUNIL GUPTA KASAULI (HP)-173204 DIRECTOR
davp 17132/11/0008/1213

GOVT. O. INDIA

2. 3. 4.

Estimated Cost

5.

(L to R) Manash Ghosh, Mukund Padmanabhan, Hindol Sengupta, Kanak Mani Dixit at the fourth Editors Conclave. In Kolkata on Wednesday. sns

Time of completion Last date / time for receipt of bids Date of publication 13-12-2012 (1-30 p.m.). of tender on website 6. Date and Time of 04-01-2013, 1-30 p.m. opening of Technical bid 7. Name & address Executive Engineer, (e-Procurement officer) of officer inviting tender Minor Irrigation Division, Khunti. 8. Contact No. of 06528-221194 e-Procurement Officer 9. Helpline number of 0651-2214784. e-Procurement Cell Note: Only e-Tenders will be accepted. Further details can be seen on website: http://jharkhandtenders.gov.in Executive Engineer Minor Irrigation Division PR No.: 57695 (2012-2013) Khunti

OPEN TENDER NOTICE

spjs students KOLKATA, 12 DEC: A liberal and rational media network is what is needed in a country like India where matters of faith and religion are sensitive issues. Religion as a supra-identity phenomenon has come to dominate, said Mr Mahfuz Anam, Editor, The Daily Star, Bangladesh, in his keynote address at the fourth Editors Conclave organised by the C R Irani .oundation in association with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) at Vedic Village here today. He cited the recent example from Bangladesh where the photograph of a person stepping on the Quran was posted on the .acebook account of a Buddhist youth without his knowledge. Within a few hours, 10 Buddhist temples, some of them nearly 300 years old, were destroyed. Mr Tomislav Delinic, Resident Representative of KAS in India, said the conclave is intended to encourage media to speak openly and discuss topics that move the society forward. Ms Lena Schwarm, Vice Consul, German ConsulateGeneral, Kolkata, reiterated that media and faith is a very interesting topic in the present context as strong reactions have been seen in the past. Mr Ravindra Kumar, Editor, The Statesman, said although our country is supposed to be a secular democratic set-up, writing about and publishing matters of religion are now fraught with risk. Opinion pieces as well as editorials are challenged even by minority groups and authorities succumb to their pressure, making situations increasingly difficult for journalists today. Is religion a taboo for media? asked Mr Swapan Mullick, Director, The Statesman Print Journalism School, moderating the opening session. Mr Hiranmoy Karlekar, veteran journalist, stressed the importance of combating "mutants" that every religion throws up in their evolution. Journalists must have an intuitive sense of the society as well as ability for self-restraint and introspection. Mr Ajoy Bose, senior journalist, said historically, there has been a "disconnect" between media and faith, which the former has done little or nothing to address. Mr Kanak Mani Dixit, Editor, Himal, Kathmandu spoke of how the language media has to come to the fore to tackle serious issues and spark a discourse on faith. Hate speech laws, according to Mr Mukund Padmanabhan, Senior Editor, The Hindu, are nothing but a legal window for harassment, which must be closed down. Mr Hindol Sengupta, Senior Editor, .ortune, asked whose media we are talking about, adding that we live in an age of media "bubbles" where we hear what we choose to hear. In the post-lunch session, moderated by Mr Shameek Sen, Assistant Professor, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Ms Aditi Roy Ghatak of ARG Syndication took the help of the famous last scene of The Great Dictator and extrapolated it to present times to state that power and greed had come to dominate religion. Ms Madhavi Goradia Divan, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and commentator on media law, said technology and its advancement has become a challenge to the notion of free speech. In the same vein, Ms Seema Mustafa, Consulting Editor, The Statesman, spoke of how technology has both opened up media as well as made it worse. Mr Kumar spoke of the precarious placement of the Articles 19(1) and 19(2). Mr Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor, Imphal .ree Press, said "soft wiring" in all of us makes human civilisation possible. .rom the deliberations of the first day of the conclave it was evident that faith, more often than not, becomes polluted with prejudice so that messages of peace are transformed into instruments to attack different communities.

INDIAN ORDNANCE .ACTORIES

GUN & SHELL FACTORY COSSIPORE, KOLKATA-700002 Phone No. 033-25589927; Fax No. 033-25574390 TENDER NOTICE NO.: ORDFYS/GSF/DAVP/08/12-13/028-P1/11 Dated: 10-12-2012
The General Manager, Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore Kolkata-700002 on behalf of the President of India invites online bids in Two Bid System {Technical (Eligibility) Bid and Price Bid} for belowmentioned items.
SI. Tender No. Enquiry Number 1 2 12-1090 12-1091 Last date & EMD amount (Payable time for by DD only in favour of submission of General Manager, GSF, Online Bids Cossipore) Margo soap weight 90 grams each: (Item 39765 No. 08-01-2013 Rs. 19,500 Code: 1004710410). De Slugging & cleaning of Sewage Plants, 1(W/J) 08-01-2013 Rs. 8,800 Collection chambers & Soak pits inside the Factory (W-I & W-II) & Estates: (Item Code: 9140031081). For Electrical Maintenance at STE as per 1(W/J) 08-01-2013 Rs. 36,400 Scope of Work for 365 Days (1 Year): (Item Code: 9140700103). S.S.Tank-AISI-316-Size-3660 X 915 X 760 1 No. 08-01-2013 Rs. 17,700 MM Re-enforced with M.S. Angle 50 X 50 X 6MM. Heating Arrangement will be vertical tubular heaters, 6KW capacity, Quantity = 18 Nos. Material specification & Description as specified in DRG. No.- M - 10865 & supporting documents in Annex-A: (Item Code: 1842610181). Nomenclature of Work with Items Code Quantity

MINISTRY O. DE.ENCE

12-1092

12-1093

Note: A. All relevant details of this advertisement are available on www.tenders.gov.in & www.ofbeproc.gov.in Firms/Service Providers are requested to visit the websites for details. B. General Manager reserves the right to issue any corrigendum to the tender notice. Corrigendum, if any, to this tender will be published only on the www.ofbeproc.gov.in ANIL KUMAR RAI WORKS MANAGER For General Manager for & on behalf of PRESIDENT OF INDIA davp 10201/11/2286/1213

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EDITORIAL
ENVELOPE PUSHING
Is the Congress so jittery?
observers can only conjecture how Jawaharlal Nehru ~ his name was invoked by his great-grandson when making a belated appearance on the Gujarat election stage ~ would have reacted to the Election Commission having to twice pull up the central government for transgressing the model code of conduct during the campaign for the polls under focus. It is difficult to believe that the man who set such lofty standards for parliamentary democracy that they are cited even by the Congress adversaries would have appreciated his party incurring the displeasure of the Constitutional authority. And worse, its presenting technical alibis such as the proposals coming into effect only after the election process in the states is concluded. When mere promises suffice to allure voters, dates are of small consequence. As a former law minister, Veerapa Moily would have been well aware that even a suggestion on increasing the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders was pushing the envelope. Has the Congress descended to such despicable depths that it ignores all but formal indictment? The people no longer expect the oldest political party to function in exemplary fashion, they retain the right to demand that their government not reduce governance to a political circus: a circus in which the Prime Minister hardly wields the authority of a ringmaster. Is the Congress so jittery over Gujarat and the larger fear that a Modi victory march could extend from Gandhinagar to Raisina Hill? While obviously it is the voter who will take the call that counts, reports from the ground suggest that the Congress did not want it to get diverted into a Rahul-Modi punch-up: fair enough. Yet the overall impression is that the state unit of the party ~ as is true of most Pradesh Congress Committees ~ is so emaciated that it has no domestic leader to project and depends on its national leaders (read the family) to give traction to its election effort. And use its powers in the central government to try and twist the election code to petty advantage. The Election Commission has not found it necessary to do more than frown on a couple of Congress misdemeanours, no quarrel with that. Yet if the party retains a semblance of its legacy, it would have been shamed by Nirvachan Sadans observations. Referring to Nehru is a cheap ploy when his values mean so little to his political successors.

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

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A member of the Asia News Network

Vol. CXXXXVI 293 Incorporating and directly descended from THE .RIEND O. INDIA ~ .ounded 1818. n Printed from Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar

POLITICAL

Clueless in Gaza
An Issue That Defies A Permanent Settlement
Israeli relations. In 1967, he declared that the Jews in Israel must be exterminated. Israel had planned to bombard the air force bases of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. It destroyed all the runways in these countries. The attack was so devastating that The Statesman published a special edition in the afternoon with the headline ,War breaks out in West Asia. Although the Sinai desert is in Egypt, Israel studied the topography more thoroughly than Egypt had ever done, and annihilated its army in a battle that lasted just six days. ranabir paul a temporary truce along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel; it will in no way pave the way for a permanent solution to the Israel-Palestine territorial dispute, probably the most complex issue that the human race has ever encountered. Judaism was born in Jerusalem in 1800 BC. It flourished till the Romans arrived in the first century AD. It was predominantly a Jewish area until the Jewish-Roman wars were fought in the first and the second century, after which the Jews became a minority. The region became largely Christian and then predominantly Muslim after the Arab conquest in the seventh century. The area boasts sites that are sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. .or almost two millennia, the Jews did not have a homeland in this region until 1948 when they declared that the region was the sovereign state of Israel. How was this possible? The British had colonised this region in 1917, and in 1948 they decided to leave. The persecution of Jews was pronounced in Europe from the 11th century onwards. They had no place to go to except to the region which was Israel before the era of Christ, although it later became Palestine after the Arab occupation. The exodus of the Jews from Europe intensified from the beginning of the 20th century, reaching its peak during the holocaust. It continued unabated even after the Second World War. By the end of the war, an estimated 1.5 million Jews had already migrated to this region. The Jews had helped the British to fight the war against the Germans. The British followed their divide-andrule policy. They promised the Jews that they would be rewarded with their own country by dividing the area into two ~ Israel and Palestine. This, of course, was facilitated by the UN Resolution Number 181 of 1947 which advocated the partition of the country. The Jews declared sovereignty the day after the British army left in 1948. And the very next day, several Arab countries attacked Israel. Thus was born the country by that name. Palestine consists of two enclaves within the territory of Israel ~ one is the West Bank and the other the Gaza Strip. The name West Bank is derived from the fact that it is located on the western bank of the river Jordan and was annexed by Jordan during the war in 1948. This region is far bigger than the Gaza Strip which was occupied by Egypt in 1948. The Strip is a narrow stretch of land extending from the northeast to the south-west with the Mediterranean to the west. On the south-west, it has a border with Egypt and is surrounded by Israel on the other sides. The Gaza Strip and West Bank are located at a distance from each other. Israel is the land mass in between. The areas which the Arab world had captured in 1948 constitute the Palestine of today. Besides Israel, the Arab world and the Palestinians are also to be blamed for their plight. It was disgraceful on the part of the Hamas and .atah, the two Palestinian factions, to fight a war between themselves. The Arab world failed to bring about a reconciliation between these two factions. As a result, Israel reinforced its dominance in the area. Gamal Abdul Nasser, the charismatic President of Egypt, had contributed to the souring of Arab-

DEATH
MUKHERJEE NILMANI On December 10, 2012 in Kolkata, peacefully, formerly of the Department of History, Calcutta University. Deeply mourned by his family, friends and students. Sradh on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 18/76A, (PL4314) Dover Lane, Kolkata-29.

THE recent ceasefire will at best bring about

world to set matters right in the Strip. The borders between Israel and Palestine were demarcated in the Armistice Agreement of 1949 between Israel and the Arab countries. It is also referred to as the green lines and the United Nations was responsible for ensuring that there was no violation. Israel does not recognize these borders today. It defies UN resolutions with impunity after its victories in the wars of 1967 and 1973. East Jerusalem belonged to Palestine according to the Armistice Lines, but it was an-

PERSONAL

nita Mehta presents Benjamin Brittens A Ceremony of Carols, along with some all-time favourites sung by the Kings College Choir. A Listeners Club presentation on .riday, December 14, 2012 at 6-30 p.m. at the Sandr Hall, Calcutta School of (PL4311) Music. All are welcome.

T A

hank You St. Jude for a favour granted. PD.

(PL4310)

Blame FB, Twitter For Eating Or Spending Too Much

WASHINGTON, 12 DEC: Using on-line social networks like .acebook and Twitter can lower your self-control, leading to overeating and overspending, a new study claims. Researchers said participating in on-line social networks can have a detrimental effect on consumer well-being by lowering self-control. Using on-line social networks can have a positive effect on self-esteem and wellbeing. However, these increased feelings of self-worth can have a detrimental effect on behaviour, said researchers Keith Wilcox from Columbia University and Andrew T Stephen from University of Pittsburgh. Because consumers care about the image they present to close friends, social network use enhances self-esteem in users who are focused on close friends while browsing their social network. This momentary increase in self-esteem leads them to display less self-control after browsing a social network, one of the researchers said. On-line social networks are having a fundamental impact on society. .acebook, the largest, has over one billion active users, researchers said. A series of interesting studies showed that .acebook usage lowers self-control for consumers who focus on close friends while browsing their social network. Specifically, consumers focused on close friends are more likely to choose an unhealthy snack after browsing .acebook due to enhanced self-esteem, researchers said. They said greater .acebook use was associated with a higher body-mass index, increased binge eating, a lower credit score, and higher levels of credit card debt for consumers with many close friends in their social network. These results are concerning given the increased time people spend using social networks, as well as the worldwide proliferation of access to social networks anywhere anytime via smartphones and other gadgets, researchers said. Given that self-control is important for maintaining social order and personal well-being, this subtle effect could have widespread impact. The study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research. pti

UNCONSTITUTIONAL AGAIN
Bengal and the police unions
respect to the Bench, the emergence of unions within the police in West Bengal did lead to a measure of politicisation of the force and to the alarming detriment of professionalism. .rom the CPI-M to the Trinamul, it is partisanship that has outweighed the call of duty. Yet Mondays order of Calcutta High Court (coram: Dipankar Dutta, J) comes as another judicial setback for the present dispensation which had last January cancelled the registration of three police unions in order to cleanse the force of political influence. It is a setback that is embedded yet again in the state governments half-baked handling of cases over the past six months ~ notably Singur, internship in remote area hospitals to qualify for grace marks in the post-graduate entrance exam, the government order against the CPI-Ms muscleman Lakshman Seth relating to a medical college in Haldia, the dissolution of district sports councils...and now police unions. More than the administration, it is its retinue of repeatedly bumbling legal advisers who must be accountable for the serial setbacks. Notably, the court hasnt objected to unions per se; it is, after all, a democratic right, one that entails duties and responsibilities no less. The Bench has taken umbrage to what it calls an unconstitutional and invalid decision. The words are a faint echo of the High Courts reservations, expressed last June, to the Singur Act that was promulgated to amend a colonial legislation. As it turned out, the State had faltered on the basics. It is more than obvious that in every case, the groundwork has been inadequate, almost perfunctory. And it will be hard not to wonder if the head of government is not being misled by her legal advisers who quite palpably have acted in haste. Clearly, the government had acted without taking a call on the right to form a union. Even the State counsels plea that a welfare board will be constituted to improve working conditions of the police has cut little ice. While allowing the State to set up such a board, the court has made it explicit that the welfare board will have to take action in consultation with the leaders of the associations (aka unions). It is fervently to be hoped that the right to form a union will not translate to kowtowing to the party in power. .or now, it is the government that must learn a lesson ~ it needs to be sufficiently prepared when it appears in court. It cant afford to be greeted with the unconstitutional and ultra vires tag in relation to every decision that is contested.

WITH

The human race may not be able to solve the territorial dispute of this region in the centuries to come because of the complexity of the issues involved
The Arab world suffered a humiliating defeat. The armies in these countries are utilized to maintain internal stability and fight political opponents. This has been all too evident during the Arab Spring. In contrast, the Israeli army is trained to repulse attacks as well as attack and annihilate the enemy. After the Yom Kippur war in 1973, Saudi Arabia reduced its oil production and imposed an oil embargo on the United States for its massive military and financial support to Israel. This was the beginning of the flow of petrodollars into the Arab world, but the money could never make their armed forces a formidable force to reckon with. The human race may not be able to solve the territorial dispute of this region in the centuries to come because of the complexity of the issues involved. The documented history of Gaza spans 4,000 years. It has been ruled, destroyed and repopulated by various dynasties, empires, and peoples. If the Hamas, the outfit that rules Gaza today, is a terrorist organisation promoted by Hezbollah and the Al Qaida, it is for the Arab nexed by Israel in the 1967 war and it has refused to hand it over to Palestine which wants to make East Jerusalem its capital city. Considering the circumstances, the recent vote in the UN General Assembly upgrading the status of Palestine from an observer to an observer state is an exercise in futility. Ever since the death of Yasser Arafat, Palestine lacks a leader whom the world ~ and the Palestinians ~ will listen to. Until the Hamas and .atah stop their internecine wars, they will not be in a position to fight as a single entity against the Israelis. Therefore, the Arab world has an important role to play. Israelis claim that they have been in this territory for the past 3000 years and hence it is theirs. The Arab world claims that they have been there since the seventh century and hence it is theirs. In his book, The Brave New World, Aldous Huxley has remarked that war is a necessary evil. He was right.
The writer is a mechanical engineer and freelance contributor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

.LUX IN ITALY

Walmarts lobbying a euphemism for bribery

spent Rs 125 crore over the past four years to acquire legal rights to enter the Indian market. This lends further ammunition to the Opposition to disrupt Parliament. It bears recall that with a similar motive, Enron had spent millions of dollars on educating India. This turned out to be a euphemism for bribery. At that point in time, BJP leaders, notably LK Advani, Gopinath Munde and a few other stalwarts had promised that they would throw Enron into the Arabian Sea, if they won the next election. As it turned out, the BJP came to the power but Enron remained in India despite the bribes it had paid to those who matter. In retrospect, it appears that the BJPs ruckus was aimed at securing electoral dividend. Lobbying may be a feature of American capitalism, but it is prohibited in India. Therefore, what Enron or Walmart did ~ bribery or lobbying ~ was illegal. Though the Centre has agreed to probe the lobbying by Walmart, doubts must linger as such investigation almost invariably turns out to be a political drama to save the main culprit. yours, etc., bidyut kumar chatterjee, faridabad, 12 december.

Economic uncertainty deepens

of Corriere della Sera, Italys leading newspaper, to the prospect of the scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi taking over as Prime Minister again in the new year. It isnt only the record of taint that worries the average Italian; other governments have attained that dubious distinction. No less worrisome must be the brake that could be applied to the economic policies of the incumbent, Mario Monti, who has signalled his intent to resign after the 2013 budget. Ironically enough, he made the announcement as he joined other European leaders to pick up the Nobel Peace prize in Oslo ~ itself an oddity of sorts in the Europe of today. Whether or not he forms a new political grouping to continue his reforms can only be speculated upon. The outlook must be distressing if the immediate aftermath is any indication ~ the stock exchange in Milan dropped by four percentage points on Monday and Italy and the euro were in crisis again. The underlying cracks in the eurozone are widening and the remarkable turnaround effected by Monti runs the risk of being dissipated amidst the evolving political chaos. It will be the nations tragedy if it slides to the level of Greece and Spain after a brief phase of economic recovery. Montis announcement has caused a flutter in the roost, economic as much as political. In the event of Berlusconi taking over, it would be dangerously disingenuous to jettison the present PMs policies. He had assumed power at the peak of the crisis 13 months ago, and it is only imperative that his prescription is followed to avert a return of the crisis similar to that which still afflicts Greece. Though he is yet to spell out his reason for quitting, it is quite obvious that matters were brought to a head when Berlusconi withdrew support on two issues last week. The latter has sought to strengthen his popularity with consistent attacks on the EU, Germany and austerity measures and by mending fences with the anti-immigration Northern League, whose support he will desperately need in a centre-right coalition. His prospects in the .ebruary election are as yet uncertain. .or all the political manoeuvres, the economic outlook gets still more grim and not merely for Italy, but for Greece, Spain and Portugal no less.

THE world looks at us, incredulous, was the wry comment

SIR, ~ Walmart has disclosed before the US Senate that it has

quiry can unravel the truth. yours, etc., anil kumar choudhury, kalyani, 12 december.

Colour of money SIR, ~ It is somewhat intriguing that certain ministers at the Centre seemed absolutely confident of victory during the parliamentary vote on .DI in multi-brand retail. Whether or not Walmart was acting behind the scenes remains a matter of conjecture; it is fairly certain that money played a much bigger role than what most political observers had suspected. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party backtracked after vociferously supporting the Opposition motion. This is suggestive of a covert move to get the motion defeated. This suspicion has been reinforced after Walmarts disclosure that it has spent money for lobbying in India. Only a judicial in-

ends (30 November). With it has also ended the shame of Parliament of the worlds largest democracy. It also reminds us of the deadlock during the monsoon session. The blame must rest on the Speaker who could have taken this decision when the deadlock began in the winter session. The fact is that Ms Meira Kumar failed to take a decision because she was afraid that her party, the Congress, would be in trouble. Yet when the Speakers own party decided to hold a discussion with voting, she agreed. Clearly, the Speaker failed to rise above her own partys interest. In comparison, the former Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, stands as a hero who had the courage to act against the leaders of his party, the CPI-M. In consequence, he was expelled from his party. He had valiantly upheld the cardinal principle of democracy, specifically that the Speakers action must be above the partys interest. The incumbent Speaker felt that the BJP would gain. Your editorial, .DI in retail (30 November) ~ a fantastic piece of writing ~ exposed the communal character of the Congress which had once agreed to share power with the Muslim League. But as long as Somnath Chatterjees exists, democracy will exist. yours, etc., gn mukherjee, kolkata, 30 november.

Parliamentary deadlock SIR, ~ This is with reference to the report, Logjam in House

ing a walkover to the ruling party in almost every issue. The party appears to be disoriented, and this has helped the UPA government. Before the vote on the .DI issue the Opposition parties ought to have formalised the strategy. The backtracking by the BSP and its arch rival, SP, is amazing. But the compulsion to switch from a walkout from the Lok Sabha to voting in favour of the government in the Rajya Sabha is still not very clear. yours, etc., subrata kumar chaudhuri, khanakul (hooghly), 9 december.

A cruel joke SIR, ~ In order to expose the outrageously draconian nature

Behenji and BJP SIR, ~ Your editorial, Behenji backlash (9 December),

is a very timely analysis of how the BJPs image has been tarnished by the BSP leader, Mayawati, on the .DI issue. The principal opposition party has failed to raise the issue effectively. The BJP is more concerned over its internal problems; its leaders are offer-

of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, here is an illustration. Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code reads: Whoever does any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months or fine which may extend to Rs 250 or with both. According to Section 337 of the IPC, whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to Rs 500 or with both. And yet, we have this cruel joke of a law ~ Section 66A of the IT Act ~ which stipulates that if you say anything on the Net that might cause annoyance or inconvenience to someone ~ legitimately or even otherwise ~ you could be sent to jail for three years. And the great Indian Parliament, in which freedom of speech and expression is a constitutionally guaranteed value, has passed such a law. yours, etc., c antony louis, secretary, the maharashtra litigants association, mumbai, 9 december.

C M Y K

C M Y K

PERSPECTIVE
between the lines
kuldip nayar

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

I WONDER whether the Lok

Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, will last its full tenure till May 2014. The government has been in a minority since the Trinamul Congress withdrew its support a few months ago. The debate on the government decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (.DI) in multi-brand retail showed how narrowly Prime Minister Manmohan Singh escaped embarrassment ~ 253 votes went against the Opposition-sponsored motion and 218 for it in a House in which 471 members were present. In fact, it is a pyrrhic victory because both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party members had walked out ahead of the voting. Between them, they have 41 votes. Even if Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party had voted in favour of the Opposition-sponsored motion, the government would not have been defeated as Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj claimed in her emotional and well-argued speech in the House. She was right when she said that some of those who had spoken in favour of her motion had defected to the other side when it came to voting. What made the SP and the BSP walk out to enable the government win is already in the public domain. The government-controlled Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered cases of corruption against the two leaders. The UP chieftains could not afford to annoy the rulers. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Miss Mayawati realise that the sword of Damocles will hang over their heads as long as the current Lok Sabha lasts. Maybe, it has dawned on them after the Oppositions defeat in Parliament that it is in their interest to have the House dissolved as soon as possible and have fresh elections. True, most of the sitting members are opposed to dissolution of the House because they are not sure whether they would get party tickets to contest and even if they did, whether they would win, after all. But that is not the case with Mr Yadav and Miss Mayawati who are bound to gain from an early election. People in the country are sick of the current Lok Sabha that does not function. Both the Congress and the BJP, the two main political parties, are so hostile to each other that transaction of business after the .DI debate has become very difficult. The country needs growth so that there are more jobs and elevated levels of income. As far as the Manmohan Singh government is concerned, there is a policy paralysis that will get more pronounced once the Opposition jointly challenges every decision in Parliament and on the streets. The matter has gone out of hands because of corruption by the ruling party and the ineptitude of ministers and bureaucrats. Take distribution of food grains, for example. How does one explain that one-fourth of the population goes to bed without food every day while some 60,000 tonnes of food grains are rotting in Punjab in the open, some of it for the past 15 years? There is no accountability! The Centre has even

Dissolve Lok Sabha

NOW & AGAIN

Missing Moni
vishal pradhan

SHE would follow me everywhere. She had an instinct that I could not beat. Such a tiny thing, she would fit into my palm ~ a furry creature I never understood. I remember nothing escaped her tiny teeth. .urniture legs, the threadbare carpet, tattered cushions ~ all were victims of her assault. One day, she decided to change focus. I hadnt heard a peep from her and was deep asleep with my cellphone by my side. A weak whine disturbed me and I sprang up, alert and expecting the worst. Two shy eyes peered out of a mass of fur. I was frantic. .inally, I dislodged the furry ball to dig out chewed out bits of plastic and tiny machine parts. My cellphone was brutalised but no one was repentant! The anger that consumed me was absolute. Shaking with rage, I picked up the ball of fur that rolled helplessly on my palm. My anger had made me careless, I saw one tiny eye fluttering. What was I doing? Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I gently set her down. A little wet nose started rubbing against my knee. This was the beginning of a relationship filled with wants. She always wanted things from me ~ treats and attention topping the list. Sometimes, the proximity would irritate me. I wished she would go away and cursed myself for adopting her. I took her out for walks, fed her, brushed her fur, cut her nails, took her to the vet every month and most importantly, shielded others from her wrath. I was warned about the responsibilities involved. And, though sometimes they did weigh on me, I never regretted the time spent with her. Now, living far from home, I pine for her. Last month, I chatted with her on Skype and she
not to try inclusive growth because it would not work. Growth that is not intensive is neither just nor fair. The .DI in retail has been imposed on us, we didnt want it. Nonetheless, I want the debate on .DI in multi-brand retail to end. The entire country has done nothing in the past one year save weigh its pros and cons. True, the government has won. But it has to be vigilant about the way in which advanced countries utilise our markets. .lag follows trade has been Indias experience, beginning with the East India Company and ending with 150 years of British rule. This time, the rule may not be direct, but Western powers may be tempted to pull the strings nonetheless. I can understand the exigencies of politics that the ruling Congress had to cope with to win in the Lok Sabha. The deals with Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Miss Mayawati are bad enough. But what is worse is the concessions promised to foreign investors. The behind-the-scenes goings-on are always at the expense of the countrys interests. I hope I am wrong. If I am not, the Congress has only proved itself to be a sellout. The voters will not take this lightly when they go to polling booths in 2014 or earlier. The writer is a veteran journalist and commentator

whined her acknowledgment. Then she fell ill. I was helpless, I live so far away; all I could do was give instructions. I tracked her recovery. But she simply did not get better. Then I got a call from home telling me we had lost her and yes, that she had not suffered a lot. I was told that before she breathed her last, the canine eyes that had glazed over turned alert once more. I dont know what she was looking for; a last rub at my knee perhaps? I live so far away Life gave me a small jerk and took away a part of me. I just have her photographs now, she was so beautiful. When we first met, she would fit into my palm. Then she grew and grew and filled the whole of me. Even when I tried to shake her off, she would not leave my side. What foolishness! But an essential foolishness that enriched my life and hopefully, hers too. I miss Moni. I know, she misses me too.

Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati realise that the sword of Damocles will hang over their heads as long as the current Lok Sabha lasts. Maybe, it has dawned on them after the Oppositions defeat in Parliament that it is in their interest to have the House dissolved as soon as possible and facilitate fresh elections
ignored the Supreme Courts order to distribute food grains among the poor instead of allowing them to rot. .DI in retail is not going to improve the situation. .armers will be hit and small shopkeepers may join the larger force of the unemployed. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav may rue the day when he helped the Congress-led government because his image as a socialist is in ruins. Even though he said he had walked out keeping in mind the interests of farmers and small shopkeepers, he could have defended their case by supporting Mrs Sushma Swarajs motion. Probably, Mr Yadav and Miss Mayawati have their eyes fixed on the next general election. UP has 80 seats in the 545-member House. Have the two entered into a secret arrangement with the Congress for participation in government after the poll? Just as they supported the Congress to save their skin now, they may do so again after the results of the Lok Sabha polls are declared. The Congress would be desperately looking for allies to form the next government because chances are, it will be unable to preserve its current tally of 207. I am against .DI not because of ideological reasons but because it will adversely affect my country. Why do advanced countries want only our markets but not our workforce? In fact, the West has imposed strict visa restrictions and even students are finding it difficult to seek entry. It has become fashionable for the West to undermine India because its society is free, unlike China where forced labour can considerably bring down the cost of production. Even the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supposed to be an independent organisation, has lectured India

100 YEARS AGO

NEWS ITEMS LADY LOWTHERS RELIE. .UND Rs 51,000 Remitted .rom India (.rom Our Correspondent) Delhi, Dec 12 A sum of fifty-one thousand rupees received in India for Lady Lowthers Turkish Relief .und has been remitted by Captain A. Tod, from the Viceregal Camp, to the British Ambassador at Constantinople. The subscriptions include Rs 1,000 from His Excellency the Viceroy, Rs 20,000 from Bhawalpore State, Rs 15,000 from H.H. the Nizam; other principal subscribers being Nawab Salar Jung of Hyderabad, Nawab Zadi Amend Banu of Dacca, Nawab Chowdhuri of Tipperah, H.E. the Governor of Madras, H.H. the Lieutenant-Governor of Bihar and Orissa, Sir George Roos Keppel, Hon. Mr. Ali Imam, Hon. Mr. W.H. Clark, Hon. Mr. P.C. Lyon, Hon. Mr. Oowyer, Hon. Mr. Stevenson Moore, Hon. Mr. H. Sharp, and the Bishop of Madras. MIDNAPORE CASE Sequel In High Court Remaining Suits To Be Disposed Of At the High Court yesterday before Mr. Justice Chaudhuri, Mr. Gregory (instructed by Messrs. Orr, Dignam and Co.), appeared and said he wished to mention the four Midnapore cases at the top of his lordships peremptory list. These were the cases brought by Khagendra Nath Banerjee, Abinash Chunder Mitter, Gopal Chunder Banerjee, and Upendra Nath Maity against Mr. Donald Weston, Moulvie Mazarul Huq, and Lal Mohan Guha. The defendants attorney applied to the Registrar to have the cases placed on the board, and they were to be mentioned. Mr. Justice Chaudhuri : What do you want? Mr. Gregory: We want to know one way or the other whether the plaintiffs wish to proceed with these cases or not. Mr. Justice Chaudhuri: Who is the attorney on the record? Mr. Gregory: Mr. J.C. Dutt appears for the first two plaintiffs, and Messrs. S.D. Dutt and Ghose for the other two plaintiffs. Mr. Justice Chaudhuri: Ask your attorneys to write to the attorneys on the other side stating that these cases will be placed at the top of the list for disposal on Monday next. I dont think any one will appear. Mr. Gregory: As your lordship pleases.
13 December, 1912

The choppy waters of South China Sea

syed mansur hashim

CROSSWORD

NO 25712
Yesterdays solution

IT is not without reason that the USA is shifting its strategic outlook towards the Pacific. The South China Sea is spread over approximately 1.4 million square miles and home to vast untapped natural resources. Heightened tensions with Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Asean nations and India over supremacy on the high seas beg the question; will the next conflict be fought over water, or more importantly, what lies beneath? The PRC has laid claim to vast areas from the Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan, areas that are also claimed by neighbouring South East Asian nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines, that has, in effect, sparked an arms race in the region. With Vietnam ordering 6 modern diesel-electric submarines and a number of major surface combatants from Russia, and India embarking on ambitious aircraft carrier and nuclearpowered submarine building programmes, the race is effectively on to build blue water naval capabilities. Yet, no nation in Asia can match Chinas shipbuilding capacity or capability in the near or mid-term. A recent article in The Diplomat points out: Chinas military shipyards now are surpassing Western European, Japanese, and Korean military shipbuilders in terms of both the types and numbers of ships they can build. If Beijing prioritises progress, Chinas military shipbuilding technical capabilities can likely become as good as Russias are now by 2020 and will near a current US shipbuilding technical proficiency levels by 2030. China is now mass producing at least six classes of modern diesel-electric submarines and surface warships. That is not all; analysts predict that China will have a substantial labour cost advantage over their counterparts in South Korea, Japan, and the USA over the next five years or so. Were these predictions to come true, it would mean that the PRC could out-produce and outgun any nation in the South China Sea in the coming decade. Getting back to the matter of natural resources, the US Energy Information Administration estimates untapped gas reserves to the tune of 2,000 trillion cubic feet. To put that in perspective, if tapped fully, this

reserve could meet Chinas mammoth energy needs for four centuries based on 2011 consumption levels. With the PRC striving for self-sufficiency in energy, it becomes inherently clear as to why the sleeping giant has been so active in the area of power projection beyond its traditional territorial waters. According to Lin Boqiang, energy economist at Xiamen University: China basically has no other choice because its resources are scarce, so in future China must head offshore. Once China gets started (in the deepwater South China Sea), exploration will really speed up. Leaving aside the huge technical difficulties involved in actually extracting mineral resources from the deep blue sea of South China, the overlapping claims of Asean nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines, as stated before, have brought about a realignment of US and Indian foreign policy. With so many navies shadowing one another, a conflict cannot be ruled out. The latest announcement coming out of Beijing that it would begin enforcing new rules starting

January 1st, that will have Chinese naval patrols escorting, or expelling, foreign ships from most of the South China Sea is not going unchallenged, primarily because these new rules are in direct contravention to international law. With both the US and India going on record to state these new boundaries are not going to be recognised and a regional arms race in the offing, precisely what does China have to gain from such bluster? While weaker nations may be coerced into coming to a settlement on off-shore exploration of resources, there is little PRC can do against countries like Japan, South Korea, India and the USA. Leaving aside the international heavyweights, China ought not to count Vietnam out of the picture, which is turning into a favourite .DI destination and a nation that is not without friends in the international stage, especially after its rapprochement with the US and its long-term traditional ally, Russia. Leslie Hook writes in the .inancial Times that deepwater exploration forms a cornerstone of PRCs future energy security. He writes: In May, the state-owned company launched its first home-built deepwater rig, the Cnooc 981 (photograph left), which enables Cnooc to carry out independent in-house exploration, without renting foreign rigs.Cnooc aims to produce 500 million barrels of oil equivalent a day from the deepwater South China Sea by 2020, up from nothing today. Thus, with PRC projecting its newly revamped military capabilities in claiming ownership over what it feels to be rightfully Chinese resources, geopolitics in the region is set to undergo some fundamental transformations. The Achilles heel for the West is not PRCs military capabilities that can effectively be countered by a new, broader pan-pacific and Asian alliance. Rather it is Chinas overwhelming dominance in the economic arena and its economy that is host to hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment by Asean nations, Japan, Taiwan and others. Yet at the end of the day, any military conflict, no matter how limited in nature, will not be to anybodys advantage. Time has arrived for policy doves to take the lead over hawks and let diplomacy do its work in ironing out sharing of resources that transcend national boundaries. the daily star/ann

ACROSS
1 Mitt and corporation with billion pounds in face-reddening freefor-all (5-3-6) 10Assistance in exterminating Post Office can be found in shop (3,6) 11 Strictly round? Odd half of sphere (5) 12Perform awkwardly where hands may need a warm-up (4) 13A file covering British groups revolting phase (4,6) 15Indebted to house husband, spent cold months avoiding wife (2,3,3) 16Train conks out near Eastern Line (6) 19Flyer and circular letter certainly turned around publicity (6) 20Cheerful piece put in medley (8)

22Deep man swilled Fitou with more maturity (10) 24In France, Ive left detention (4) 26Maybe Greenlander is to pick up on dropping temperature (5) 27Company review of things listed by chartered surveyor which should improve exterior (9) 28Novel pace limits certain lives with office network (8,6)

DOWN
2 What might unconventional foot set-up make you? (3,2,4) 3 Briefly stop liking Bungle (4) 4 Was a sponge confusing sober with bad? (8) 5 Crude painter almost captures northern river (6) 6 Oxford perhaps embarrassed about Republican area, still bust (10)

7 Projected work having breadth and scope reduced (5) 8 Inclination to convert Islamic converts under raised stage area in church (14) 9 Connoisseur of reds liking Merlot, so sloshed (14) 14Mass component of transport intercepted by Space Command (10) 17Rising numbers, divided by two, cloaking tense circumstances (9) 18Lawyer used skills selectively in some court appearances he won (8) 21One making ball curve kicks up but not over (6) 23Fifty Shades of Grey must include this worry over keeping excited (5) 25Long timber from Barkers house, Ronnies heart not being in it (4)

NOTE: .igures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)

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Pyongyang launches long-range rocket

agence france-presse SEOUL, 12 DEC: North Korea successfully launched a long-range rocket today, in defiance of UN sanctions threats over what Pyongyang's critics have condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test. North Korea said the three-stage rocket, which Pyongyang insists was solely aimed at placing a satellite in orbit, had achieved all its objectives. The launch of the second version of our Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite from the Sohae Space Centre ... on 12 December was successful, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The satellite has entered the orbit as planned, it said. Officials in South Korea and Japan confirmed that all three stages of the rocket appeared to have separated as scheduled. However, South Korean defence ministry spokesperson Mr Kim Min-Seok cautioned that further analysis was required. There are many factors to determine whether it was successful or not ... we need more extensive analysis. We need more consultation with the USA since our own capability is limited, Mr Kim told reporters. There was no immediate comment from Washington. But Japan's government said it cannot tolerate the extremely regrettable launch, and Britain deplored North Korea's decision to go ahead rather than try to improve its people's welfare. In Seoul, President Lee Myung-Bak called an emergency meeting of his National Security Council to discuss the implications of the launch. The North's decision to launch the rocket in winter had led analysts to suggest a political imperative behind the timing, which may have overruled technical considerations. New leader Mr Kim Jong-Un was press trust of india WASHINGTON, 12 DEC: North Korea's successful test of a long-range missile triggered global anger with the USA and the hermit nation's immediate neighbours Japan and South Korea terming it as highly provocative and warning that it would destabilise the region. Washington and its allies said the test had intensified the threat posed by the nuclear-armed nation and the launch triggered plans for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, which has imposed sanctions against Pyongyang. North Korea insisted that its launch was not a banned intercontinental missile test, but only a mission to place a scientific satellite in orbit. However, American Aerospace command said the test marked an apparent technological success for the hermit nation, implying that Pyongyang had acquired the capability to strike at US mainland. North Korean leader Mr Kim Jong-Un broke the successful launch tidings to his isolated nation with the Korean News Agency (KCNA) claiming that the news was greeted with joy in the streets. But worldwide, the launch was condemned by most of the nations, including China, the lone staunch ally of the wayward communist state, which regretted the test, but called on all sides to avoid stoking the flames. The satellite has entered the orbit as planned," KCNA reported with the statement repeated later in triumphant special broadcast on state television. The US North American Aerospace Defence

WORLD

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

Missile triggers global anger

Command (Norad), a joint US-Canadian agency which said it had monitored flight of the missile said North Korea appeared to have successfully launched an object in orbit on a missile, marking a technological success for the nation. Norad Command officials said US missile warning systems detected and tracked the launch of the North Korean missile at 7.49 p.m. EST. In Washington, the USA today termed the longrange missile launch by the North Koreans as a highly provocative act, saying it threatened regional stability as the American Aerospace command said the test marked an apparent technological success for the hermit nation. "North Korea's launch today using ballistic missile technology despite express prohibitions by UN Security Council resolutions is a highly provocative act and is yet another example of its pattern of irresponsible behaviour, National Security Council spokesperson Mr Tommy Vietor said. The USA remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocation and fully committed to the security of our allies in the region, he said. The United Nations, Japan and South Korea (afp photo) also strongly reacted to the launch which came as something of a surprise after Pyongyang indicated that technical problems could delay the test. China rapped its close ally North Korea over its long-range missile launch, demanding that Pyongyang comply with UN resolution against ballistic missiles. Quoting a reaction from the country's .oreign Ministry, official Xinhua news agency urged all nations in the region to exercise restraint.

A TV screen broadcasting news about North Koreas rocket launch, at a railway station in Seoul on Wednesday. afp

believed to be extremely keen that the launch fell around the first anniversary of the death of his father and former leader Mr Kim Jong-Il on 17 December. A previous launch of the same Unha-3 rocket in April had ended in failure, with the carrier exploding shortly after take-off. A successful launch this time carries profound security implication, marking a major advance in the North's ability to mate an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability with its nuclear weapons programme. In October, North Korea had said it already possessed rockets capable of striking the US mainland ~ a claim which many analysts dismissed as bluster. According to tracking reports from the South Korean and Japanese armed forces,

the rocket took off from the Sohae centre around 9.51 a.m. (0051 GMT). Japan, which had deployed missile defence systems to intercept and destroy the rocket if it looked set to fall on its territory, said it passed over its southern island chain of Okinawa around 12 minutes after take-off. The first and second stages fell in the sea west and southwest of the Korean Peninsula, while the third splashed down 300 kilometres east of the Philippines. North Korea had originally provided a 10-22 December launch window, but extended that by a week on Monday when a technical deficiency was discovered in the first-stage control engine. Washington and its allies insist the launch is a disguised ballistic missile test

that violates UN resolutions triggered by Pyongyang's two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. In 2006 the Security Council imposed an embargo against North Korea on arms and material for ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. It also banned imports of luxury goods and named individuals and companies to be subject to a global assets freeze and travel ban. In 2009, it imposed a ban on North Korea's weapons exports and ordered all countries to search suspect shipments. According to Japanese reports, Japan, the USA and South Korea have agreed to demand the Security Council strengthen sanctions on North Korea to levels that match those on Iran.

No attempt to shoot it down: Japan

agence france-presse TOKYO, 12 DEC: Japan did not try to shoot down a North Korean rocket as it passed over its southern island chain of Okinawa, the government said today, strongly condemning the launch. Tokyo confirmed the launch had taken place and that said it believed parts of the rocket had fallen into the sea off the Korean peninsula, with another part dropping into the ocean near the Philippines. Launch time was around 9.49 a.m. (local time). The missile that North Korea calls a satellite passed over Okinawa around 10.01. We launched no interception, a government statement stated. Japan had been on high alert since the 13-day lift-off window opened, despite a suggestion from Pyongyang that it could delay the much-criticised blast-off. Tokyo deployed missile defence systems to intercept and destroy the rocket if it looked set to fall on its territory, with missile batteries in and around Tokyo and in the Okinawan archipelago. Japan reacted quickly to the launch today, with national media informed by government-run alert

Unwarranted, says India

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: India today reacted strongly to the rocket launch by North Korea, saying the unwarranted action by that country has adversely impact peace and stability in the Korean peninsula. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was concerned over the rocket launch which was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1874. India also asked North Korea to refrain from such action. sns system. It is extremely regrettable that North Korea went through with the launch despite our calls to exercise restraint, chief government spokesperson Mr Osamu .ujimura said. Our country cannot tolerate this. We strongly protest to North Korea. The impoverished but nuclear-armed nation insists the long-range rocket launch ~ its second this year after a much-hyped but botched mission in April ~ is for peaceful scientific purposes.

press trust of india

Sharif alleges kickbacks in Pakistan submarine deal

On one hand, Mr Zardari is expressing solidarity with Malala and on the other, he is depriving millions of other daughters various facilities

China will open subway line to cross Yangtze

press trust of india BEIJING, 12 DEC: China's first subway line to cross the Yangtze River, the country's longest waterway, is expected to start test run this month in the central city of Wuhan, local officials have said. Over the past three months, subway trains have run through the 27.73-km tunnel for Wuhan Line 2, which links Wuchang and Hankou, the two major areas of the city. Passengers, however, will only be allowed to board the trains on 28 December when the test run starts, officials with the Hubei provincial transportation bureau said. The subway line has recently passed the experts' assessment, state run Xinhua new agency reported. It will be Wuhan's first subway, which is estimated to transport at least 6,00,000 passengers daily by 2015. As a key transportation route, the line is expected to handle half of the city's cross-Yangtze traffic flow, easing gridlock on bridges over the river. The construction costs around 14.9 billion yuan ($2.37 billion), according to estimates by previous reports. The 6,300-km Yangtze River, which originates in northwest China's Qinghai Province and flows through 10 provinces and municipalities before emptying into the East China Sea, is a major transport link between the west and east China. More than 100 bridges across the river are in use. Wuhan lies at the intersection of the Han and Yangtze rivers and its city proper is divided into three major areas by the rivers.

LAHORE, 12 DEC: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari travelled to Paris on the pretext of attending a conference to make a deal about a case involving kickbacks of millions of dollars for the purchase of submarines in 1994, PML-N leader and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has alleged. Mr Sharif said Mr Zardari was paid a commission of millions of dollars for the submarine deal and former .rench President Mr Nicolas Sarkozy and his aides were facing trial in this respect. Mr Sharif, who was speaking at a public gathering here yesterday,

~ Sharif
did not offer any proof to back up his allegations. Mr Zardari travelled to Paris this week to participate in a conference honouring Malala Yusufzai, the Pakistani teenage rights activist who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt by the Taliban in October. Mr Sharif said: On one hand,

Mr Zardari is expressing solidarity with Malala and on the other, he is depriving millions of other daughters of the country of education, health and other facilities. He further said if Mr Zardari did not bring looted money back to Pakistan, millions of Malalas would rise in protest as it is the hard-earned money of the poor. He said he would ask elements responsible for corruption how long the poor, widows and orphans would suffer exploitation. Mr Sharif said if a strict system of accountability is not devised, free-of-cost loans could not be given to children for supporting their families nor could looted money be recovered.

American detained in N Korea

WASHINGTON, 12 DEC: An American national has been detained in North Korea, the country with which the USA has no diplomatic relationship, the State Department said today. We obviously have no higher priority than the welfare of our citizens. As you may know, we have no representation in Pyongyang, State Department spokesperson Ms Victoria Nuland said. The Embassy of Sweden acts as America's protecting power for issues involving US citizens in North Korea. South Korean media earlier reported that 44-year-old Mr Kenneth Bae, a tour operator, was detained by North Korean authorities during a five-day visit to the country's coastal city of Rajin in early November, said Ms Yonhap. Mr Bae was interrogated after authorities found a computer hard disk, according to Yonhap. pti

Beijing eyes global talent, eases rights norms

press trust of india BEIJING, 12 DEC: In a bid to attract talented workforce from across the globe, China has decided to grant various key rights, including employment and property, to the foreigners at par with its nationals. Except political rights, foreigners will enjoy all other rights granted to the Chinese citizens, official media here reported. Those obtaining permanent residency will enjoy same pension, employment and property rights like Chinese citizens, under new regulations, state-run China Daily reported. Access to schools for their children will also be at par with Chinese citizens, it said, adding that the green card holders will, however, not enjoy political rights. .oreigners with permanent residency can participate in social insurance and avail benefits like endowment, medical, unemployment, workrelated injury and maternity insurance. Green card holders have also been exempted from the restriction disallowing foreigners who have worked or studied less than a year in China to buy property. .urthermore, they can also work in China without a work permit, and their children who have attained compulsory education age can attend a school near to their homes. They will not be charged any fees except a statutory sum. .oreigners who have permanent residency can enjoy simplified investment and registration procedures if they want to invest in or set up a business, it said. Spouses and immediate family members can apply for visas, residence permits and a green card, under the regulation. Nearly 5,000 people, mostly highlevel experts, have received permanent residency permits since its issuing was started in 2004, it said. The green card system has become an important mechanism to attract international expertise, the Human Resources and Social Security Ministry, which helped draft the regulation, said in an explanation of the new rules yesterday. China move is on the lines of decisions by the USA and the EU granting green cards to attract global talents. The USA annually grants 1,40,000 green cards for immigrants with expertise. The Law on the Exit and Entry Administration, which will cover exit and entry of Chinese citizens and foreigners after coming into effect in July 2013, allows for an increase in the number of green cards.

WWII US amphibious jeep that led assault on Mussolini found

LONDON, 12 DEC: Wreckage of an American amphibious jeep that sunk along with 24 US Army men in World War II during assault on Italian dictator Benito Mussolinis lakeside home has been discovered after 67 years. Video footage released by the Voluntary Association of Lake Garda shows what appears to be the wreck of the amphibious DUKW US truck which sunk 600-feet to the bottom of the picturesque lake on 30 April 1945 during the operation. Located using state of the art sonar systems to search the lake bed along with a unmanned submersible, the finding could lead to the recovery of the mens' bodies and their possible repatriation to the USA, the Daily Mail reported. The servicemen were lost traversing the famed lake as they crossed to Gargnano, where Mussolini had operated as the puppet ruler of Italy under German control during 1945 before he fled to his eventual capture and death at the hands of Communist partisans at the Swiss border. They were members of the US Armys 10th Mountain Division and in particular the 85th Infantry Regiment who fought in some of the roughest terrain in Northern Italy as they wrestled the occupying German troops for control. pti

Can erotic fiction spice up a book group?

arifa akbar

EVERY book club has its own rules of

engagement. I was briefly in one where everyone was single and never even bothered to buy a copy of the book they were supposed to have read. So I joined a "women only" one, thinking that, rather like single-sex schools, there would be no distraction from the task at hand. Husbands and boyfriends had to leave the premises and male authors got a rough ride, but it worked well otherwise. That was then, in those pre-lapsarian days before 50 Shades of Grey kick-started our obsession with literary erotica. The E L James ripple effect has seen a flourishing of book clubs that specialise in smut, from the Erotic Book Club set up three years ago in East London's The Bkship bookshop to various other proliferations. Where the sexual tension used to reside below surface, between members of a traditional reading group, this dynamic has shifted so that the sexual frisson comes from within the pages of the book itself. There is also the emergence of hybrid book clubs-cum-cabarets where performance,

sexual titillation and literature combine. Most recently, a gay literary salon called Naked Boys Reading saw men doing just that in front of an audience. The .acebook page for the event at the end of November pledged that "our boys will unwrap their packages while you're listening to some bookish treats". With or without the cabaret act, these clubs are easy to mock. After all, how long can a discussion last on which sex scene was most sublimely crafted? And do the people who attend resemble the kind of women who turned up to E L James's first public reading in London this year, looking like leopard-skin clad escapees from a hen party, or are they more like the jurors of the Literary Review's Bad Sex Awards ~ sneering public-school types

who are impossible to please? They have a meaningful side to them in so far as they continue a phenomenon that reflects our need for erotica. The (non-erotic) novelist Ali Smith recently made the point that the mainstream popularity of 50 Shades of Grey must reflect a desire or fantasy that we are expressing collectively in the same way as we did in our childlike need for escapism during the Harry Potter phenomenon. My problem is not so much with "erotic" book clubs as with book clubs in general. In fact, it strikes me that the erotic genre offers a very apt metaphor for the bookgroup format as a whole, in which women ~ and it does seem to be mostly women ~ get together to talk about a book, but end up talking

about it rather awkwardly for 15 minutes before hitting the plonk and changing the topic to what they really came to discuss: their work, families, love lives or lack of them. Book groups, in my experience, are thinly disguised cheese-and-wine parties in literary wolves' clothing. It is at least less irritatingly bourgeois to add a bit of Jackie Collins and a smattering of the Chippendales to the whole tradition. In my years of book-club bondage, I spent years acquainting myself with other people's bad taste and reading the kind of books I wouldn't otherwise have touched with a barge pole. On the odd occasion I discovered an author I absolutely loved, but more often than not it was a waste of my time. I came to the conclusion that there are too many books and not enough time to be reading a novel that someone you barely know has plucked off a bookshelf. Arranging book clubs by genres is maybe a more effective way of reading books that will make you happy. So if we really have to have book-clubs at all, then long live the genre book club, in all its 50 shades. the independent

Couples flock to tie knot on 12/12/12

BEIJING, 12 DEC: 12/12/12, the century's last repeating date, has triggered thousands of marriages in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and a host of other Asian nations with people rushing to tie the knot believing the day would bring good fortune through matrimony. Lovelorn couples formed massive queues outside marriage registration offices in almost all Chinese cities to get their marriage certificate registered on 12/12/12, which sounds like will love/will love/will love in Chinese, state news agency Xinhua reported. About 2,000 couples scrambled to get their marriage certificate registered in Changchun, the capital of China's northeastern Jilin Province, the agency said, adding the rush was on in almost all cities. Authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore also reported over 600 couples getting married in a trend first witnessed during 10/10/10 and again in 11/11/11. pti

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BUSINESS
RBI to banks
MUMBAI, 12 DEC: To prevent the use of stolen cards, the RBI today asked banks to consider issuing debit cards with photographs of the cardholders on them. With a view to reducing the instances of misuse of lost/stolen cards, banks may consider issuing cards with photographs of the cardholder or any other advanced methods that may evolve from time to time, the RBI said, while issuing guidelines for issuance of debit cards. Banks have also been asked to ensure full security of the debit card. pti

& Finance

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

CHIDAMBARAM SEES GREEN SHOOTS IN THE ECONOMY

Industry growth at 16-mth high

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Bringing some cheer after more than a year to the government on the economic front, the countrys industrial output growth rate sprang back to a 16-month high of 8.2 per cent in October, prompting a beaming finance minister P Chidambaram to see green shoots in the economy. The high growth rate came on the back of good performance by the manufacturing and power sectors and higher output of capital as well as consumer goods. I am very encouraged by the indications of the green shoots in economy in terms of production. IIP figures are very encouraging, Mr Chidambaram told reporters here. He said capital goods output at 7.5 per cent is very encouraging. Lets see what the next four months bring us. Investments are taking place, capacity is being created and consumption is happening in consumer durables and non-durables," he added. The factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), contracted by five per cent in October 2011. The IIP had expanded by 9.5 per cent in June 2011. Industrial output growth in April-October period of this fiscal, however, was 1.2 per cent, less than 3.6 per cent in the corresponding period of financial year 2011-12, according to the official data released here today. Meanwhile, the contraction in the industrial production during September this year was revised downwards to 0.7 per cent from earlier provisional estimates of 0.4 per cent released last month. The manufacturing sector, which constitutes over 75 per cent of the index, grew by a robust 9.6 per cent in October, as against a contraction of six per cent in the same month last year. However, the output growth of the key sector remained low at one per cent in April-October period of this fiscal as against 3.8 per cent growth in the same period of fiscal 2011-12. Capital goods output also showed a remarkable improvement as it grew by 7.5 per cent in October, as against a massive contraction of 26.5 per cent in October 2011. However, output of capital goods contracted by 11.4 per cent during April-October period of this fiscal, as against a 0.5 per cent dip in production in the same period of fiscal 2011-12. Power generation grew by 5.5 per cent in October compared to 5.6 per cent in the same month last year. The electricity generation in April-October period of this fiscal grew by 4.7 per cent as against 8.9 per cent in the year-ago period. Another segment which performed well is consumer goods as its output registered a double-digit growth of 13.2 per cent in October as against a meagre 0.1 per cent growth during the same month last year. Commenting on the data, Mr RV Kanoria, president of .icci, said: Given the base effect, it remains to be seen to what extent the 9.6 per cent growth of the manufacturing sector in October would be sustainable. However, we hope that growth would pick up in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2012-13, as was suggested by the recent .icci manufacturing survey also." CII director-general Chandajit Banerjee described the data as encouraging. Though part of the increase can be attributed to a strong base effect, the figures are still better than expectations, he said. We hope that the reform measures initiated by the government would find passage in Parliament. This is important from the point of view of lifting sentiments, which in turn would help investments, he added.

Retail inflation rises to 9.90%

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Rising for the second consecutive month, retail inflation surged to 9.90 per cent in November, driven mainly by rising prices of food items, such as sugar, vegetables, edible oil and clothing. The retail inflation stood at 9.75 per cent in October and 9.73 per cent in September. The highest price rise in November was seen in the oil and fats segment, with an annual inflation of 17.67 per cent, as per the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released today. .urther, sugar turned expensive by 16.97 per cent and pulses became dearer by 14.19 per cent on an annual basis. Vegetable rates during the month increased by 14.74 per cent, while rates of meat, fish and egg rose by 11.33 per cent. At the same time, clothing and footwear also witnessed an increase in prices at 11.08 per cent in November. In urban areas, retail inflation rose to 9.69 per cent in November from 9.46 per cent in the previous month. However, CPI moderated for rural population to 9.97 per cent during the month from 9.98 per cent in the previous month. All India provisional general (all groups) CPI numbers of November 2012 for rural, urban and combined are 126.9, 123.4 and 125.4, respectively. pti

Motorola to close unit

CHENNAI, 12 DEC: Motorola Mobility today said it has decided to suspend its operations in Chennai centre, a move which would lead to job losses for 76 employees at the facility. On Monday, we began informing 76 employees of our customer fulfilment centre in Chennai of our plans to suspend the operations indefinitely as of .ebruary 2013, Motorola Mobility corporate communications (Asia-Pacific) director William Moss said. pti

Honda recall

DETROIT, 12 DEC: Honda is recalling more than 870,000 minivans and SUVs worldwide because they can roll away even though drivers have removed the keys from the ignition. The recall announced today affects older-model vehicles sold mainly in the USA. pti

BSNL dues claim

press trust of india

NMDC stake sale fetches `6K cr BT exits Tech Mahindra, sells

ogy. As per data available with the exchanges, bids were received at an indicative weighted average price of Rs 149.15 per share. The government had set the floor price for the offer at Rs 147 apiece. NMDC's scrip settled at Rs 154.25, down 3.17 per cent over the previous closing price. Actual bids may be even higher as stock exchanges are yet to complete the compilation of data of all the bids that were received since the opening of the process at 0915 hrs today. The issue closed at 1530 hrs. NMDC had reserved one-fourth of the issue for mutual funds and insurance firms. However, no single bidder, other than mutual funds and insurance firms, would be allocated more than 25 per cent of the total offer. NMDC was the second disinvestment candidate in the current fiscal during which the government plans to raise Rs 30,000 crore by selling stakes in around a dozen PSUs. On 23 November, it had garnered Rs 808 crore by selling 5.58 per cent stake in Hindustan Copper.

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The dues for payment of landline bills for all telecom circles of state-run BSNL up to 30 September this year stood at Rs 2,397.66 crore, the Lok Sabha was informed today. An amount of Rs 2,397.66 crore in respect of landline bills for all telecom circles of BSNL was due for payment as on 30 September 2012. Out of this, an amount of Rs 335.26 crore pertains to UP (E) telecom circle, minister of state for communications and IT Milind Deora said in a written reply. sns

GAAR amendments

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The revenue department has submitted amendments to GAAR, the controversial law against tax avoidance, to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), finance minister P Chidambaram said today. He also said that India is working on more clarity in tax laws and a nonadversarial tax regime. pti

Oil production target

NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: The NMDC issue was oversubscribed 1.73 times today, fetching Rs 6,000 crore for the government for its 10 per cent stake, thanks to strong participation by foreign institutional investors and staterun insurer LIC. The success of the issue, in which 68.69 crore bids were received as against 39.65 crore on the block through the offer for sale (O.S) route till 1600 hrs ~ according to the stock exchange data ~ will pave the way for disinvestment of a number of other PSUs lined up. We have mopped up about Rs 6,000 crore from NMDC share sale. The average weighted price for the bids is Rs 150 per share, a top finance ministry official said. The official said a bulk of the bids came from .IIs at an average price of Rs 150 per share, while state-owned financial institutions, including LIC, took part in the bidding in a big way, mostly offering the floor price of Rs 147 per share. .II participation in government's share sale programme through the auc-

9.1% stake for `1,011 crore

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: British Telecom has offloaded 9.1 per cent stake in Tech Mahindra for Rs 1,011.4 crore, marking its exit from the Indian IT services firm. BT has completed the sale of its remaining 9.1 per cent shareholding (11.6 million shares) in Tech Mahindra to institutional investors for total gross cash proceeds of Rs 1,011.4 crore (115.7 million) at Rs 871 per share, BT said in a statement today. Reacting to the announcement, Tech Mahindra shares jumped 3.68 per cent to Rs 910.70 on the Bombay Stock Exchange in afternoon trade. Stating that Tech Mahindra remains a key supplier to BT, the British firm said the financial impact of the disposal is expected to be treated as an income statement specific item in its next financial results. BT had set up the technology outsourcing firm in joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra in 1986. The British company had around 30 per cent stake in Tech Mahindra initially. In August 2012, BT sold 14.1 per cent stake in Tech Mahindra to institutional investors for about

tion route has never seen so much response, the official said. During divestment of ONGC and HCL, where the O.S route was taken, state-owned financial institutions had to chip in at the last moment to bail them out. The fact that .II money is coming in a big way in a PSU disinvestment is good for the country. It shows .IIs' interest is there, the official said. Since there was no green shoe option, the shares would be distributed following the price priority methodol-

Rs 1,395 crore. .ollowing this, the British company, which had 9.1 per cent shareholding in Tech Mahindra during that time, had said that it might consider further sales in future. In 2010, BT Group had sold 5.5 per cent stake in Tech Mahindra to Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M). BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. In the year ended 31 March 2012, BT Group's revenues stood at 18.8 billion with profit before taxation of 2.4 billion. BT today sold 9.31 million shares of Tech Mahindra to institutional investors such as HSBC India Equity Mother .und (5.7 million shares), ICICI Prudential Mutual .und (1.4 million shares) and SBI .unds Management (700,000 shares) in a block deal, according to data available with the National Stock Exchange. Other buyers were Credit Suisse (Singapore), SBI Life Insurance company, Birla Mutual .und, .SI (HK), Goldman Sachs International, HD.C Standard Life Insurance, IDBI .ortis Life Insurance, Prudential Asset Management (Singapore) and Soros .und Management.

VIENNA, 12 DEC: OPEC today maintained its oil output ceiling, but had to reappoint secretarygeneral Abdullah El-Badri to lead the cartel for another year after members failed to agree on a new leader. As expected by markets, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries kept its oil production ceiling at 30 million barrels per day (mbd), with crude prices remaining at high levels ahead of an expected drop in OPEC demand next year. We will hold output, Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali al-Naimi said after a ministerial meeting in Vienna. pti

TCG demands management control of HPL

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Mr Purnendu Chatterjee today demanded that the management control of beleaguered Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) be restored to TCG group, one of the promoters, for bringing in fresh funds for revival of the company. Purnendu today asked for management control of HPL for bringing in funds for rejuvenation of the cashstarved company which is being denied, West Bengal commerce and industry minister and chairman of HPL Partha Chatterjee said. The HPL board met during the day to take stock of the situation of the company's operational and financial health. The HPL chairman said that the TCG promoter Purnendu had said that the suggestion forwarded by him be approved at the board of the company, which was not accepted. Mr Chatterjee said that the view of the West Bengal government, which holds its shares through WBIDC, is that the operations of HPL would have to be maintained at any cost. Production at less than 240 tons per hour is causing financial loss to the company and would have to raised, which requires funds, he said. He added that Purnendu and his brother were members of the CDR panel in 2003-04. The minister said that the board had asked him to bring in funds through the CDR route rather than claiming management control beforehand. pti

press trust of india

Sebi mulls uniform rules for foreign investors

Chandrashekhar to look into this, Sebi chairman UK Sinha told reporters here on the sidelines of a capital markets summit organised by industry body CII. He, however, did not share more details like when the committee will submit its report and who are the other members of the panel. It can be noted that at the last Sebi board meeting, held on 6 October, it had said that it was looking for ways to streamline foreign investment norms for various categories of investors. With a view to rationalise/harmonise different routes for foreign portfolio investments, the Sebi will prepare draft guidelines based on the guidance of the working group on foreign investments, for consideration of the government so that uniform guidelines are made for various categories of investors such as .IIs, .VCIs, NRIs, Q.Is etc, the Sebi had said in a statement after the board meeting. Notably, .IIs are the largest players in the domestic market. So far this year, they have pumped in a whopping $21 billion into the domestic equities, making it the second best inflows after 2010 when they had pumped in close to $30 billion. On the back of robust fund flows, the benchmark Sensex has rallied over 25 per cent so far this year.

Hiring activity up 16% in Kolkata: Survey

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Contrary to overall bleak sentiment, hiring activity in Kolkata has registered a growth of 16 per cent in November this year compared to the previous month, according to Naukri Job Speak survey conducted by Info Edge. This is good news for job seekers in the city as after the festive season dip in October, hiring level for the city is back on track. The month-on-month growth witnessed in Kolkata is the highest movement recorded across all the top metros of the country. Most of the other top cities like Mumbai, Pune and Delhi registered negative movements of nine per cent, six per cent and three per cent, respectively, during the month under review, the report said. Commenting on the trend, Mr Hitesh Oberoi, chief executive officer and managing director of Info Edge, said: "Most sectors are opting for selective hiring and this trend will continue for the next few month. The recovery in the hiring trends of Kolkata may not be sustained because of the uncertain economic conditions." He said: "If we look at hiring levels industrywise, pharmaceuticals industry has registered the highest month-on-month growth of seven per cent in November compared with the last month. BPO and construction sectors also registered stable hiring levels." IT-software and heavy machinery sectors, however, saw three per cent and two per cent dips, respectively, in hiring activity, he added.

Price Watch
Commodity
Rice Gobind Bhog Sugar Moong Dal Chana Dal Masoor Dal Arhar Dal Mustard Oil Sunflower Oil Potato Onion

Rs per Kg

Change*

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Source: Big Bazar * .rom previous day Increase Decrease No Change

MUMBAI, 12 DEC: Market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India today said it has appointed a committee under ex-Cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekhar to frame a single set of guidelines for all types of foreign investors. The committee will suggest ways to simplify the investment process for all overseas entities like foreign institutional investors, foreign venture capital investors (.VCIs), qualified financial/institutional investors (Q.Is) and non-resident Indians (NRIs), among others, and also to strengthen surveillance over them. Why should we have various routes for foreign investment? Why should we have sub-accounts, ODIs, .IIs and Q.Is and NRIs and all that? In consultation with the government, we have decided to combine these various routes which are present today into one single route. And three-four days ago, we set up a committee under former Cabinet secretary KM

.lash crash

In another development, the Sebi today said guidelines to prevent flash markets crash like what happened on the National Stock Exchange in October and protect the interest of investors will be in place within a few days. I expect the final guidelines to safeguard the interest of investors in a few days, Mr Sinha told reporters without elaborating further. It can be recalled on 5 October, there was a massive 900-point flash crash of the benchmark Nifty which wiped out nearly Rs 10 trillion of investor wealth. .ollowing the flash crash, trading was halted for about 15 minutes. A report of Sebi-ordered probe is awaited.

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SNAPSHOT
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19,478.79 (high)
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19,432.54 (open) 19,317.23 (low)

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press trust of india

C M Y K

C M Y K

SPORT
PCB to get 1,000 Delhi tickets
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will get 1,000 spectator tickets and 100 VIP tickets for the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket match in Delhi, the Lok Sabha was informed Tuesday. In all other venues, both these numbers would be halved, Minister of State for Home M. Ramchandran said in a written reply. The minister said the India-Pakistan cricket series from Dec 25, 2012 to Jan 6, 2013 would involve three OneDay internationals and two Twenty-20 matches. He added that Pakistani spectators would be allowed to enter and exit India only through Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai (by air) and Attari (by bus and train). No permission would be given for crossing on foot through Attari and by train at Munnabao, he said. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would also suggest to PCB the list of hotels at each venue where the Pakistani spectators can be accommodated, he said. stephen brenkley

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

10

How Cook became Captain .antastic

A month was all it took. Alastair Cook (in sns
photo) has changed, Planet Cricket has changed. He has passed from stoic opening batsman to substantial leader, from Mr Dependable to Captain .antastic. England are 2-1 up in the Test series against India, having recovered from an abject defeat in the first match at Ahmedabad where familiar shortcomings were paraded like dirty laundry. Cook launched the revival there in the second innings, his first match as official captain, and has led since by inspiring example. The statistical milestones have come and gone: the youngest player to score 7,000 Test runs; the first England batsman to 23 Test hundreds, surpassing the number of 22 first achieved 73 years ago; an unprecedented five hundreds in all his five matches as captain; the longest time spent at the crease across three Tests in India. All this he appears to have done without breaking sweat in any sense. Cook is a legendary non-perspirer, which is why he had the job of the team's ball-shiner-in-chief until he became captain. That important task has now been passed to other hands because Cook has his full with other duties. These monumental batting feats have doubtless helped to hasten another development. This England have palpably become Cook's team now, not simply one he inherited. .or that some passing credit should be accorded Andrew Strauss, his eminent predecessor. Strauss knew when it was time to go. Cook would certainly recoil at his elevated status. But it is natural for there to be heroes in sport and here is a player who has scored 548 runs in six innings at an average of 109, while his team stands on the very cusp of winning a Test series in India for the first time in 28 years. India have not lost a series at home for eight years and that was but one in the last 23. These are all achievements of an extremely high order but Cook knows that Nagpur, venue for the fourth Test which begins on Thursday, could dilute everything that has happened so far if a dispirited home side somehow respond. On the whimsically viperous surface which is bound to be prepared it may take more than resolve to prevail. Cook will be the same as ever, concentrated, tenacious, single-minded, controlled. The description that is most often used about him is that he is tough but it is not a toughness as in tough guy, manifesting itself in outward aggression; it comes from an inner core and a recognition of limitations which is at the heart of many who succeed on the grand stages. He first pitched up at Essex as a kid not long out of St Paul's Cathedral choir school, where many of those rudiments of discipline and selfreliance were inculcated. Maybe the England

Boxing confusion

The re-election and the constitutional amendments that would get a provisional suspension on the Indian Boxing .ederation lifted have been rendered uncertain as the sport's world body is refusing to correspond with the new set of national office-bearers, insisting on dealing only with the old guard. Having suspended it for manipulating the elections that were held in September, the global body, the AIBA, has asked the IB. to hold fresh elections and amend its constitution, making it compliant with the AIBA's requirements. Given that it has suspended the IB. which was elected in September, the AIBA has shunned its office-bearers and not responded to their inquiries, seeking clarifications on constitutional amendments and re-elections.

U-14 football

India will be taking on Pakistan in Group D of the Central and South Zone of the Asian .ootball Confederation U-14 Championship 2014 qualifiers to be held next year in Iran. The hosts, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan are the other teams in the group. The draw took place at the A.C House on Tuesday.

and Wales Cricket Board should scour the ranks of 10-year-old choristers for future batsmen the way they used to shout down pits for fast bowlers. .rom almost that moment, Graham Gooch, Essex man, one of England's greatest batsmen and now the team's batting coach, has known Cook. He cannot quite remember when they first met but he recalls one fundamental aspect. `Alastair was on the academy and it was pretty obvious he was going to be a good player,' Gooch said after England's seven-wicket win at Eden Gardens. `I can't remember the first time I saw him but I do remember him keeping wicket and batting for our Board XI against Essex in a proper match. `My early memories of him as a person were that he was very mature for his age and very balanced and considered. He went about his cricket in a methodical sort of way and you can still see that now. The priceless ability he had when he was young, and again you can see this now, is that

he knows exactly what he can do and what he can't do. He puts that in place and into practice and doesn't step outside that.' .or now, Gooch remains as England's leading Test runs scorer with 8,900 (he made 20 hundreds). Of the present batting order, Kevin Pietersen (7,325) and Cook (7,103) are in hot pursuit. Ultimately, Cook who will not be 28 until Christmas Day, should easily surpass his mentor. `I hope to hang on in this job until he goes past my record,' said Gooch. `In my opinion, 27 to 35 are the best years for a batsman because you have honed your knowledge and know your game. I think he's got his best years in front of him. `He's got to stay fit and motivated but nothing at the moment would suggest to me that that won't happen. It's difficult to predict but let's just say the opportunity is there for him to do all those things you'd like to write about. `He's not the most eye-catching player, I've said that many times, but he gets the job done.

You know the old saying? It's not how, it's how many. He knows the way to play. Often young players coming up have talent and ability to strike the ball but they don't quite know how to manage their ability. Sometimes it dawns on them later in life and sometimes it doesn't dawn on them at all, but this lad had it from the beginning. He knew how he could operate.' It is one job being a phlegmatic batsman, a churner-out of runs, it is two being that and the team's captain as well. Of Cook it could not perhaps be said he is an instantly natural leader but his dogged determination to do it well that inner core again means that he will not fail easily. These two significant victories apart, he has already also achieved the considerable feat of ensuring that Pietersen's return to the team was seamless. The change is apparent to those who have observed him in this England team since the start, almost seven years ago. He knew how to bat then and learnt more quickly but there are peripheral necessities to being an international

sportsman in the 21st century. Grossly unfair though it patently is, they are expected to put their deeds into words. Reporters, an unreasonably demanding legion of men, expect Cook and his like to be articulate not only with a cricket bat. There are several examples to chart his progress. In Nagpur, whither he returned yesterday, he made his Test debut in March 2006 and was bewildered by the attention after his maiden century, just about explaining his long journey across the world from Antigua, where he had been playing for England A before an emergency call-up. In Brisbane on the last Ashes tour he was paraded before the press as vice-captain before the first Test and was clearly nervous. With the gross unkindness that only reporters can muster, someone counted the number of times he said the word `obviously' as a verbal tic (it was 37). Maybe marriage to Alice has helped, maybe finding a role outside cricket has done its bit. His wife's family are farmers, Cook has taken to it readily and willingly. Down on the farm he thinks not of nor longs for cricket, and that is as it should be. Late on Sunday morning, Cook came in after the victory and was illuminating and confident. He said obviously once, from memory, but he obviously had to do so. This is a young chap maturing naturally but it is also Cook learning what is expected of him in this job. `Captaincy has enhanced his run-scoring already,' said Gooch. `It's difficult to look into a crystal ball and say whether it will affect him down the line but all the opportunities are there for him. `He's mentally strong, that's his greatest asset, and he could achieve a lot of the things you're talking about. There's a lot of cricket in front of him and that can affect you but I'd like to think he will go all the way. `I think we've seen already in the dressing room that he's prepared to make his own decisions. He doesn't always take the coaches' advice, in that he wants to do it his own way. He'll make mistakes and he won't get it right every time. You have to grow into that job, the way you get the best out of people, counsel them, and make tactical decisions. All those things come into it. He's in his infancy but I don't see any reason why he won't be a good captain and leader of men,' Gooch added. Of his five matches as captain thus far, England have won four. His batting average as captain is 111.25 (Gooch's was 58.72). Mere figures actually, but figures that embellish the man. Being the captain of England can only get tougher from here. Cook certainly knows that, but he will not be looking beyond Nagpur on Thursday. A month is a long time in cricket. the independent

Golf meet

Aditi Ashok blew all opposition away with a stunning three-under 66 that gave her the Billoo Sethi Trophy for the strokeplay segment of the All-India Ladies Amateur Golf Championships. The 15-year-old Aditi, bidding to retain her national title and also win the Order of Merit, was in awesome form and closed with three birdies in the last four holes and had a 36-hole total of one-over 139. Millie Saroha, who led after the first round, was second with a card of 73 that gave her a two-day aggregate of 143, while Gursimar Badwal (75-72) was third at 147.

How to survive in the cauldron when the heat is on

kevin garside details are a little sketchy now. He recalls entering the 190s, closing on the double ton, the heat, the fatigue, the deep concentration. Beyond that it is the little chats with Graeme .owler at the other end that Mike Gatting (in photo)remembers most, getting through the day in conditions no cricketer ever experienced at the Oval or Lord's. Gatting was the Alastair Cook of the 1984-85 tour of India, not captain but run-maker general, 575 in five Tests with a highest score of 207, made in the fourth test in Madras in tandem with .owler, who hit a double of his own, 201. Gatting was the rock around which the series victory was built. When time allows over the coming five days he will be glued to the television or radio as engaged almost as if he himself were walking out to bat alongside captain Cook in Nagpur. Gatting admits to the occupational hazard of ex-skippers, playing the game from his chair, intuiting every shot, every delivery, making mental adjustments to the field, dropping silent hints to the batsmen. The drink breaks can't come often enough. `I find myself talking to myself when I see things going the wrong way, perhaps, when you can see a batsman getting a bit twitchy. Subconsciously I'm saying `why did you hit that shot? Play with the spin, just take your time, calm down, just nudge it around a bit. You have got yourself in, don't get yourself out. When the bowlers are on, be patient, don't try too much, just keep it there, not too many bad balls, keep the pressure on', stuff like that.' His knock in Madras was the greatest of an international career that, though slow to take off, yielded ten cen-

THE

Mumbai selections

Dallas Todywalla-trained Ice Cool, who looks much improved, may earn a winning bracket in the Siachen Trophy (1,600m), at the races here tomorrow. 1.45 pm: Rio Del Ray 1, Blush 2; 2.15 pm: Ice Cool 1, Alecto 2; 2.45 pm: Okavango 1, Limitless Hills 2; 3.15 pm: Ace Image 1, Coquette 2; 3.45 pm: .lying Star 1, Starry Ocean 2; 4.15 pm: Capital Attraction 1, Songlark 2; 4.45 pm: Edwina 1, Hawk Of The Wind 2; 5.15 pm: Zidaan 1, Ice Affair 2. Best bet: Ice Cool. Good double: Okavango and Edwina.

turies, a good number of them, as Graham Gooch would say, of the daddy variety. Looking back across 28 years the minutiae of his nine-hour-plus vigil have blurred into dusty recollections, steamy impressions provoked watching Cook endure in the same furnace seemingly without breaking sweat. `We were at the crease such a long time. The humidity was 90 per cent in 90 degree heat. You were changing your gloves every half hour, trying to get as much water down as you could. It was hard work. I remember talking regularly, telling each other `let's get through the next half hour, let's get through to drinks, to lunch etc'. `If one of us was struggling a bit the other would take the strike while we got sorted, got through to drinks, a bit of fresh air, a cold towel on the back of the neck then go again. That's the sort of thing I remember. I don't remember hitting too many balls, apart from a couple of sweeps when I was getting close to 200. I hadn't played many at all. I went for it and they both came off, going for fours.' Gatting profited from skipper David Gower's pledge to play him in all five Tests come what may. It proved an astute investment by Gower, who in contrast could barely get the ball off the square. Cook, too, faced a formidable challenge, that of establishing his presence as captain if not nailing a place in the team. The failure to pick two spinners and the consequent loss of the first Test threatened to all kinds of doom. Cook led the recovery from the front, erecting a run mountain unprecedented in the English game. Gatting set the record

straight, too, if only to himself. `I had a lot of things to prove, a few demons to lay if you like, scoring runs in the Test match arena and doing the things you have to do as a batsmen. Thankfully I was able to do that. Cookie has had to step up to the captaincy. This affects some more than others. Some cope better than others. In Cookie's case it has made him even better than he was doing already. He's got to 500 plus runs in three Tests. It took me five. That's a great achievement. `In the first couple of Tests, particularly in the second when he had (Kevin) Pietersen hitting the boundaries, Cookie had about four shots that brought his runs, a backward cut, drive through extra cover, a nurdle through square leg and the odd sweep or two. When he really fancied it he whacked it over mid-wicket and that was about it. He knows in his own mind what he

is doing. He has a game plan and sticks to it. He is very good at that. And over there it is important to do that.' Gatting expects England to see this through in Nagpur and repeat the achievement of the Gower generation. The scale of the recovery under Cook has buried the disappointment of last summer's series defeat to South Africa and raised the prospect of further plunder in New Zealand and in the twin Ashes conflicts against Australia starting next summer. `We had chances to win matches against South Africa but we lost the important moments. In India, first Test aside, we have caught better than they have, bowled better and batted better. It sounds simplistic but, as Andy .lower says, if you do the basics right then you have a great chance of winning the match. That's what good sides do. If not then you are coming second every time.' Cook's monumental assault of Indian cricket has exposed inherent frailties and shone a cruel light on the demise of the greatest accumulator in the history of the game. Sourav Ganguly has already called on Sachin Tendulkar to hang up the willow. In respectful tones, Gatting also suggests the time might be nigh. `There is always a lot of politics in Indian cricket. You just hope that someone like Tendulkar will retire on his terms. I hope he doesn't have to be told. He has been a wonderful player and it would be sad to see him go because he hasn't got any runs. There is a time when you have to bite the bullet, say `yeah, I've enjoyed it immensely' and get out on top. That might well happen after this series.' the independent

Stunning impact

Botafogo coach Oswaldo de Oliveira said that former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf had made a stunning impact since joining the club in July. The 36-yearold proved his quality immediately in an attacking midfield role and ended the season with nine goals in 21 matches for the Rio de Janeiro outfit. "Off the field, Seedorf is impressive. He talks to everybody, with the coaching staff, players, the management. He promotes dinners with players, encourages the young ones. What Seedorf does is very important," it was said. ians

Islanders want to end Australia Test duck streak

agencies HOBART (Australia), 12 DEC: Sri Lanka are putting their faith in the remnants of their "golden generation" as they target their first ever Test win in Australia in the three-match series starting on .riday. Thirty-somethings Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera, who form the core of Sri Lanka's batting, are shaping as Sri Lanka's best chance of breaking their 10-Test, 25-year winless record. Sangakkara, 35, the international cricketer of the year, would not be drawn on whether this will be his last trip to Australia, but he said an elusive Test win was a prime motivator for the team elders. "When you do get older, you do look for achievements where you haven't really tasted victory so, here and in India, (there are) Test matches still to win," Sangakkara said in Hobart. "That's a great motivator for guys like Dilshan, Mahela, myself and Samaraweera. "We're the older brigade. But whether we get it or not, the key is to really contribute to the side." Since being hammered in their first Test in Australia in early 1988, Sri Lanka have lost another seven matches and drawn two, most recently in Cairns in 2004. They have also never won a Test in India. Sri Lanka's hopes appear to rest on their batsmen providing enough runs to upset Michael Clarke's Australia, the world number three Test side, who are embarking on their first series since the retirement of Ricky Ponting. Their bowling has been hit by the Test retirements of Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas and the 800-wicket Muttiah Muralitharan. Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis, with 62 wickets from 16 Tests, was passed over for the tour. Dilshan, 36, admits he is unlikely to have another chance to win a Test in Australia and acknowledges time is running out for him and his team-mates. "Definitely. .or me I think this is my last tour (in Australia) in Test cricket. This is a real challenge for everyone," he said. "We've never won a Test match here. If we can win a Test match it's great for the team and the country. "It's never easy when you're playing Australia because the conditions are different. But we're looking forward to a great run with them in this series." Much of Sri Lanka's hopes are pinned on the batting of veteran trio Jayawardene, Sangakkara and opener Dilshan, who urged the top order to make runs or risk being whitewashed in the series. "Definitely in the top order someone has to put their hands up and put some big runs on the board, to help the middle order and the tailenders," the opener said. "That's our target. The top order should make some runs this series. It's really important that Mahela and Sanga come into form. They're two experienced guys in the side." However, Sri Lanka's lead-in form does not augur well with just four victories in their last 20 Tests. Their last away series win was in Bangladesh in 2008, and their current Test ranking is a lowly sixth. Australia are coming off a 309-run drubbing by world number one South Africa this month, and Hobart will be the first chance for their new-look batting line-up after the record-breaking Ponting retired with 13,378 Test runs. Phil Hughes returns to the Australian squad at the ground where he was dropped after their shock loss to New Zealand a year ago, with a likely role at number three instead of opening the innings. "This is the ground where things probably didn't pan out perfectly on a personal note," Hughes said this week. "Twelve months down the track, I feel like I'm in a better place now." All-rounder Shane Watson has said he will be given the first opportunity to fill Ponting's vacancy in the batting order at number four against Sri Lanka. "(Coach) Mickey Arthur talked to me at the end of the last (Perth) Test to say the way it was looking, they were

going to move me down to four," Watson told reporters. The series continues in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground followed by Sydney, starting on January 3.

Stadiums to generate revenue

Sri Lanka's newly-built cricket stadiums, which are at the heart of massive financial losses incurred by the governing body, will be converted into revenue-generating ventures. This is among other far-reaching marketing plans of the governing body for the next year. Transforming stadium properties into sustainable revenue generating centers is also another step towards rebuilding Sri Lanka Cricket not just as a brand but as an entity with a firm competitive advantage, a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman said. However, no details were given about the plans. Sri Lanka Cricket suffered significant financial losses valued at USD 69 million after co-hosting the 2011 World Cup with India and Bangladesh. The losses mainly stemmed from the construction of brand new stadiums at Hambantota and Pallekele and modernisation of the facilities st the Premadasa Stadium. The SLC was forced to look for a government bail-out and consequentially the players' fees was delayed for over six months.

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Mariners move court

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Judge, City Civil Court, Mr Sandip Kumar Roy Choudhuri today upheld a petition of United Mohan Bagan .ootball Team Limited that it would be given an opportunity to be heard before All India .ootball .ederation takes any decision on the match between East Bengal and Mohan Bagan which was held on 9 December. The court also upheld another prayer of Mohan Bagan that till such decision is taken, the club's participation in the league matches may not be stopped.

SPORT

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

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TENDER

AI.. defers Pailan match

AI.. today indefinitely deferred Mohun Bagan's next I-League home match against Pailan Arrows scheduled on 15 December till a decision regarding the status and necessary actions arising under the I-League regulations regarding the midway-abandoned match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan ninth round match played on 9 December was arrived upon by the I-League committee of the AI... In another development, AI.. would be effecting a major reshuffle in its upcoming annual general meeting, which will see induction of three new vice-presidents as well as members from the five zones. While Dempo SC's owner Srinivas Dempo will be elected vice-president from the west zone, Congress MP Subhash Chopra will be the representative from the north zone, with Shillong Lajong club owner Larsing Ming Sawyn replacing Ankur Dutta from the north-east. Kerala's K M I Mather, who is a member in the present committee, will be elevated to the post of vice-president from south. East Zone's Subrata Dutta will continue to be the senior vice-president with Union

Jose Barreto (left) and Odafa Okolie. sns

Minister Praful Patel heading the committee. The new executive committee: President: Praful Patel; Sr. vice-president: Subrata Dutta (East); Vice-presidents: Srinivas Dempo ( West), Subhash Chopra (North), Larsing Ming Sawyn (Northeast); Treasurer: Hardev Jadeja ( West); Members: Ankur Dutta and Ranjt Roy (Northeast), Menla Ethenpa and Gulam Rabban (East), Sunil Bhardwaj and Mohammad Samsuddin (North), A R Dev and .ranco Miranda ( West) A R Khaleel and Seeni Mohiuddin (South).

The show goes on...

While Mohun Bagan await their fate off the pitch in the I-league, it was business as usual on the pitch for the green-and-maroons as they defeated Bhowanipur 2-1 in a Calcutta .ootball league match at the Salt Lake stadium today with Odafa Okolie pulling them ahead after he converted a penalty won by him just after the match started. Sanju

Kumar restored parity for Bhowanipur on the added time before the break when he emulated Diego Maradona to head with his hand. Television replays confirmed that Kumar indeed used his right hand disguisedly to head the football in. But neither the referee Prabir Dhar nor his assistants could spot what was a blatant case of deliberate handball and ignored the restrained (with the bitter taste being cautioned or expelled in case of aggressive protests in the abandoned Kolkata derby) pleas of the Mohun Bagan players. Stanley netted the winner midway in the second half when he headed home an accurate Manish Bhargav centre.

GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL Office of the District Magistrate, Malda Development & Planning Section ABRIDGED TENDER NOTICE NIT-4/Dev/2012-13 Dated: 7-12-2012
Sealed tenders are invited from the reputed contractors for execution of 3 (three) Nos. of developmental works under BADP 2012-13. Date of dropping: Working days from 12-122012 to 26-12-2012 within 2-00 p.m. For further details and necessary documents please visit website (www.malda.gov.in) Addl. District Magistrate (General) Malda
O..ICE O. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER ROAD CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT ROAD DIVISION, DHANBAD
Re-e-Procurement Notice
Re-Tender Reference No.: RCD/DHANBAD/2683 Dated: 05-12-2012
1. Name of the work Reconstruction of Putki-Bhaga-BhowraSudamdih Road (14.00 Km) under Plan Head for the year 2012-13. Rs. 16,63,32,419.00 (Rupees Sixteen Crore sixty three lakh thirty two thousand four hundred nineteen only). 15 (Fifteen) months. 02-01-2013 up to 12-00 noon. 11-12-2012 at 10-30 a.m. Executive Engineer, R.C.D., Road Division, DHANBAD. 0326-2310368. 0651-2401010.

Bally AC celebrations

Bally Athletic Club celebrated its 125th year of existence today in then presence of footballers past and present that included Satyajit Chatterjee, Subrata Paul and Arindam Chatterjee. debut on Thursday against Mexican side Monterrey in the other semi-final. The Concacaf champions set up the tie against the Blues in Yokohama with a 3-1 victory against South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai.

Corinthians in final

Action during the Corinthians-Al Ahly match. afp

YOKOHAMA (Japan), 12 DEC: South American champions Corinthians clinched their place in the Club World Cup final with a 10 win over African champions Al Ahly in Japan. Peru forward Paolo Guerrero met Douglas's exquisite left-wing cross with a firm downward header to net the 30thminute winner. The closest Al Ahly came to equalising were long shots from Ramy Rabia and Walid Soliman after half-time. The

Brazilian club will play either Chelsea or Monterrey in Sunday's final. Corinthians, who won the inaugural event in this incarnation of the competition in 2000, dominated the first half against the African Champions League winners and perhaps should have gone into half-time with more than just ex-Bayern Munich striker Guerrero's goal to show for their superiority. Attacking midfielder Douglas's delightful outside-of-

the-boot cross picked out Guerrero, who planted his header into the bottom corner of the Al Ahly net. The Egyptians, who booked their spot in the tournament by winning last month's African Champions League final, struggled to impose themselves on the contest in a timid first-half display. But their confidence rose after the break as they started to dominate possession. "Looking at Corinthians and Al Ahly, Chelsea are a long way ahead of these sides. They will tear these sides to shreds if they play with the right attitude." Midfielder Mohamed Aboutreika was introduced as a second-half substitute and the veteran Egypt international immediately took control, opening up the Corinthians defence with an incisive pass that Ahmed .athy prodded wide. Either side of that chance, Rabia shot wide and Soliman sent a dipping effort over the Corinthians crossbar. Al Ahly continued to probe without fully stretching Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio and the Brazilians held out, to the delight of their 20,000 travelling fans inside the Toyota Stadium. European champions Chelsea make their competition

Oscars resolve

Chelsea's Brazilian star Oscar says the bitter memory of a shock semifinal defeat at the Club World Cup two years ago makes him even more determined the lift the trophy this year. The attacking midfielder was on the receiving end of one of the biggest upsets in the history of the intercontinental championships when Brazil's Internacional lost 2-0 to Democratic Republic of Congo minnows TP Mazembe in the UAE in 2010.

2.

Estimated Cost

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Time of completion Last date / time for receipt of bids Date of publication of tender on website Name & address of officer inviting tender Contact No. of Procurement Officer Helpline number of e-Procurement Cell

Serbian .A fined

The Serbian .ootball Association has been fined 5,000 Swiss francs (3,336) by .ifa for the "improper conduct" of Serbia fans during a 2014 World Cup qualifier with Wales in September. World football's governing body took action after investigating "crowd disturbances" during Wales' 1-6 defeat. agencies

Further details can be seen on website: http://jharkhandtenders.gov.in Executive Engineer R.C.D., Road Division DHANBAD

PR No.: 57603 (2012-13)

O..ICE O. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER ROAD CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT ROAD DIVISION, RANCHI (RURAL)
e-Procurement Notice
Tender Reference No. : RCD/RANCHI(RURAL)/1608 Date: 06.12.2012
1. Name of the work Remaining Work of Widening and Strengthening of Sonahatu-Milan Chouk Road from km. 0 to 23.90. Rs. 11,48,75,556.00 (Eleven Crore Forty-eight Lakh Seventy-five Thousand Five Hundred Fifty-six) only. 12 months. 03-01-2013 up to 12-00 noon. 13-12-2012 at 10-30 a.m. Executive Engineer, Road Construction Department, Road Division, Ranchi (Rural). 8986722843.

Veteran Serena eyes more Slams

PARIS, 12 DEC: Comfortably into her third decade on tour, Serena Williams ( in photo) remains the dominant power in women's tennis with her eyes firmly fixed on overhauling Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert's Grand Slam record in 2013. The American, who will turn 32 in September, finished the year at three in the world. She was in a class of her own in the second half of 2012, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open and then capped it off with a stunning straight sets demolition of Maria Sharapova in the WTA Championships final. "I definitely think I can improve some more," said Williams, who now has 15 Grand Slam singles titles. That's just three off the 18 collected by Navratilova and Evert with only Steffi Graf's record of 22 looking potentially out of reach. "The day I feel that I can't improve, I think that's the day I should probably hang up my racket," added Williams, whose success in the latter half of the year looked a distant dream in the first six months of 2012. Having missed 12 months of action in 2010 and 2011, battling life-threatening blood clots on her lungs, she was a fourth-round loser at the Australian Open. Then, despite winning claycourt titles in Charleston and Madrid, her stunning first round defeat to Virginie Razzano at the .rench Open was her worst career loss at a major and seemed to beckon the end of the line. But by the time Wimbledon came around in June she was rejuvenated, taking a fifth title at the All England Club in a final where opponent Agnieszka Radwanska at least went down fighting. afp

Arsenal dumped out of League Cup

BRAD.ORD, 12 DEC: Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen missed the decisive spot-kick as League Two minnows Bradford City stunned the Gunners with a 3-2 penalty shoot-out triumph after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday. Garry Thompson's volleyed strike after 16 minutes gave the underdogs a shock 10 lead at Valley Parade, but Arsenal thought they had got out of jail when Vermaelen netted three minutes from the end of normal time. However, Bradford went on to win their ninth consecutive penalty shoot-out with Santi Cazorla and Marouane Chamakh missing the first two kicks for the Gunners before Vermaelen's blunder consigned Arsene Wenger's side to arguably the most humiliating loss of the .renchman's 16-year reign. Wenger, who has often opted to field a weakened side in this competition, decided to name eight of the players that had beaten West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. But there was no sign of any momentum from that win as Arsenal, looking totally out of sorts in temperatures that were below freezing when the game got under way, hit a new low in an already traumatic campaign. Bradford forward Nahki Wells forced Wojciech Sczesny into an early save after breaching the visitors' backline and the home fans were soon celebrating as Thompson picked an opportune time to claim only his second goal of the season. The former Morecambe and Scunthorpe attacker converted Gar y Jones' free kick from the right as Bradford, in front of their biggest crowd at Valley Parade since 1960 of 23,971, threatened to cause a major cup upset. Arsenal showed signs of improvement late in the half as .rench midfielder .rancis Coquelin went close to his first goal for the Londoners, striking his left footed shot against a post from the edge of the area. Gervinho then missed right in front of goal with Bradford goalkeeper

Matt Duke beaten after Kieran Gibbs had set up the chance with a cross from the left. The hosts could have been 2-0 up at half-time though as Wells slotted just wide of the post after James Hanson had headed on Duke's long kick. Bradford, who had previously won on penalties at Premier League side Wigan in the last round, continued to defend in committed fashion at the start of the second half. But Arsenal were not helping their cause as their wayward finishing continued when Aaron Ramsey sliced a shot wide after an incisive move from the visitors. Gervinho was next to fire a shot well wide of its target and Wenger opted to send on Chamakh, Tomas Rosicky and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as his side desperately searched for an equaliser. Oxlade-Chamberlain immediately tested Duke from distance on 70 minutes, Arsenal's first shot on target in the entire game, but they could not find any momentum. Bradford, who have already played a total of 31 matches this term, showed no signs of fatigue, defending in numbers as they tried to protect their lead. Wilshere forced Duke into another save with a left footed shot from outside the area while Cazorla had a shot deflected wide. But Arsenal eventually found a late equaliser two minutes from time with Vermaelen heading home from six yards out following Cazorla's cross from the left. Cazorla could have won it for Wenger's team inside 90 minutes with two efforts that were kept out by Duke but the game went into extra-time. Duke saved well from Gibbs and Oxlade-Chamberlain while Cazorla hit the crossbar in the second half of the added 30 minutes but the visitors could not find the goal to prevent penalties. Cazorla's first kick was saved by Duke and then Chamakh hit the post. Bradford missed penalties from Stephen Darby and Ritchie Jones, the latter, but Vermaelen hit the post with the final kick as the hosts reached the last four for the first time. afp

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Time of completion Last date / time for receipt of bids Date of publication of tender on website Name & address of officer inviting tender

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Contact No. of Procurement Officer Helpline number of 0651-2401010. e-Procurement Cell Further details can be seen on website: http://jharkhandtenders.gov.in Executive Engineer R.C.D., Road Division PR No.: 57606 (2012-13) Ranchi (Rural)

GOVT. O. JHARKHAND Dept. of Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs Govt. of Jharkhand
Notice for Inviting Tender for selection of Consultant for establishment of National Sports University (NSU) in Ranchi
Sealed tenders are invited for selection of Consultant for establishment of National Sports University (NSU) at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Tender paper may be either downloaded from www.jharkhand.gov.in (Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs Department portal) or obtained from the office of Director, Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs after submission of DD for Rs. 2,500 in favour of Director, Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs. Those who obtained the Tender Paper downloading from our website will attach a DD of abovementioned amount in Technical Bid. 1. Name of the advertiser Department of Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, Govt. of Jharkhand, Date & Time of 11-00 a.m. on 17-12-2012 in Conference Hall in MDI Building, Pre-Bid Meeting 2nd Floor, Dhurwa, Ranchi Last Date and Time 26-12-2012 till 03-00 p.m. of receipt of Tender Date and time of 27-12-2012 on 12-00 Noon in the opening of Tender Chamber of Secretary, Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, 2nd Floor, MDI Building, Dhurwa, Ranchi-834004 Place of receipt of Director, Tender Document Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, 3rd Floor, MDI Building, Dhurwa, Ranchi-834004 Director Art, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs Govt. of Jharkhand, Ranchi

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SPORT
SCORECARD
CYCLING
UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Cali: Men's Keirin .inal: 1 Maximilian Levy (Ger) 2 .rancois Pervis (.ra) 3 Hersony Canelon (Ven) 4 Teun Mulder (Ned) 5 Azizul Hasni Awang ( Ysd) DN.: Kamil Kuczynski (Pol) .inal 7 - 13: 7 Joachim Eilers (Erd) 8 Njisane Phillip (Tri) 9 Josiah Ng (Mal) 10 .lavio Cipriano (Bra) 4000m Omnium - Individual Pursuit: 1 Juan Esteban Arango (Col) 4mins 23.752secs 2 Carlos Linarez ( Ven) 4:25.848 3 Ho Sung Cho (Kor) 4:26.081 4 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) 4:26.556 5 Michael .reiberg (Aus) 4:26.765 6 Zach Bell (Can) 4:27.686 7 Artur Ershov (Rus) 4:28.533 8 Martyn Irvine (Irl) 4:29.382 9 Recep Unalan (Tur) 4:30.528 10 Aliaksandr Lisouski (Blr) 4:31.114 UCI Road World Tour Down Under, Adelaide: Leading positions after Stage 3 (Unley - Victor Harbour, 134.5km): 1 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol 3hrs 21mins 55secs 2 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) .DJ - BigMat at same time 3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling at same time 4 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank at same time 5 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) GreenEDGE at same time 6 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana at same time 7 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin-Barracuda at same time 8 Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShackNissan at same time sns, the independent & agencies

Registration No.KOLRMS/55/2010-2012 MH/MR/South-67/2012-2014

KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

12

Crickets counting house in a shambles as old values clash with oodles of cash
home and abroad, as they pursue the lifetime financial security which accrues so quickly in the slam-bam arena of Twenty20. Unfortunately, it is also the place where some of the heaviest blows have been dealt to the old aura of the most superior form of the game. In India, of all places, the Test game teeters at the gate of bankruptcy. Echoes this week of India's disintegration in the third Test can only accelerate the bleak process, which is why we must hope for more of a contest in the final Test. With the great Rahul Dravid gone, and the iconic Sachin Tendulkar so plainly on his last legs, India are desperately in need of the competitive character shown in such poignant isolation by the unheralded R Ashwin. In Kolkata he scored 112 runs, and with ridiculous ease in an undefeated 91 which shamed his alleged betters, and claimed five wickets. All of cricket will benefit this week from more of such rare defiance. Or, you may say, a little wider evidence of a working conscience not yet in the hands of the highest and most opportunistic bidder. In another development, Wasim Akram has said that since it might be difficult for selectors to ask a player of Tendulkar's stature to retire, the batsman should himself take a call. Stating that the pressure on Tendulkar has increased after India's two consecutive defeats, Akram said: When your most experienced batsman hasn't scored a Test century in almost two years, questions are bound to rise. It finally boils down to your own assessment, as (Australia's Ricky) Ponting did. The question is who will bell the cat? Who will pop the question? Today, former cricketers are openly asking for Dhoni's head. Can you do the same with Tendulkar? A lot of people, like Sourav Ganguly, feel he should retire, but Sachin himself might still want to continue for another six months or so. It's difficult to give any advice to a legend like Sachin. The former pace bowler also said that a definite answer on Tendulkar's future plans would give the national selectors a chance to find a replacement. Changes have to be made carefully. One shouldn't tamper too much with the line-up. But the middle order needs a few new faces. And somebody needs to ask Sachin what his future plan is," said Akram. Akram said that had he been in Tendulkar's shoes, he would have stepped down by now as there was hardly anything more left for him to achieve. At Nagpur on Wednesday, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni advised everyone to stop speculating about Tendulkar's future in international cricket. When it comes to Sachin, I feel the best thing to do is not to speculate. He has proved everybody wrong throughout his career," Dhoni said. He is of the opinion that Tendulkar's mere presence in a crisis situation is important from the team's point of view. He's the best man to have in the side in a game like this. The kind of experience he has and the kind of performances he has come up with over the years... he is someone we all look up to, Dhoni said.

IT may be no cause for diluting pleasure in

the superb resurrection of England in India, and especially the magisterial batting of their captain, Alastair Cook, but there is a worry. However deeply we bury our heads behind the barricades, it is hard to ignore the tragic potential of the crisis of M S Dhoni and his dishevelled team. So recently the No 1 Test side, a wonderful mix of classic batsmanship and the most guileful spin bowling, India are now threatening to write a devastating parable about what can happen in sport when old values collide with unprecedented amounts of money. India is the counting house of world cricket a magnet for the great performers,

press trust of india

.IBT World Cup, Cesana: Leading positions after the 2-Men Bob: 1 Simone Bertazzo & Matteo Torchio (Ita 1) (1st Run: 55.43secs & 2nd Run: 55.53secs) 1min 50.96secs 2 Beat Hefti & Thomas Lamparter (Swi 1) (55.65 & 55.45) 1:51.10 3 Thomas .lorschuetz & Kevin Kuske (Ger 3) (55.58 & 55.53) 1:51.11.

BOBSLEIGH

BIATHLON
E.ON IBU World Cup 4, Oberhof: Leading final positions after the Men's Mass Start 15km: 1 Andreas Birnbacher (Ger) 38mins 34.600secs 2 Simon .ourcade (.ra) 38:58.900 3 Emil Hegle Svendsen (Nor) 39:04.200 4 Jakov .ak (Cro) 39:08.500 5 .redrik Lindstrom (Swe) 39:09.500 6 Alexis Boeuf (.ra) 39:11.300 7 Arnd Peiffer (Ger) 39:14.100 8 Daniel Mesotitsch (Aut) 39:15.100 9 Anton Shipulin (Rus) 39:22.600 10 Carl Johan Bergman (Swe) 39:22.800 Men's Mass Start World Cup Standings: 1 Andreas Birnbacher (Ger) 60pts 2 Simon .ourcade (.ra) 54 3 Emil Hegle Svendsen (Nor) 48 4 Jakov .ak (Cro) 43 5 .redrik Lindstrom (Swe) 40 6 Alexis Boeuf (.ra) 38 7 Arnd Peiffer (Ger) 36

Australia, has totalled only 85 runs in his six innings. NAGPUR, 12 DEC: Down in the dumps after Dhoni has been poor with the bat and back-to-back defeats, India's under-fire behind the stumps, with just one half- cencricketers will have to pull themselves up tury, in the previous game, to his credit. and compete on an equal footing with a India's selectors have dropped the confident England in the perform-or-perish under-performing Yuvraj Singh and fourth and final Test starting here tomor- brought in Ravindra Jadeja. The Saurashtra row. all-rounder is almost certain to make his Trailing 1-2 after being outplayed in Test debut. Mumbai and Kolkata, the home players Since Jadeja is a batsman who also bowls need to sort themselves out on several spin, Pragyan Ojha - India's stand-out fronts to level the series at the Vidarbha bowler with 19 wickets in three games - and Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha. Ravichandran Ashwin will face some comUnder-performing seniors like skipper petition. Mehendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin The other spinner, included in the squad Tendulkar are under From 9:30 am on at the expense of severe pressure not only Harbhajan Singh, is Star Cricket to lift their side with Piyush Chawla. supreme personal efforts but also to save India have also dropped Zaheer Khan, their careers. replacing him with Delhi medium-pacer It will need a monumental display of grit Parwinder Awana. and determination by several players if But Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda, yet India are to bounce back and prevent to play his first Test, appear to be the two England from winning their first Test series first-choice pacemen for the hosts. England in India in 28 years. Openers Gautam are are expected to retain their winning 11 Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have been and try and force another victory, instead pretty casual in their approach thus far, in of playing for a draw. stark contrast to the efforts of rival skipper Captain Cook has amassed 548 runs with Alastair Cook, England's top batsman in the a century in each of the three Tests so far. series, and rookie Nick Compton, who has The other leading batsmen have rallied slowly and steadily found his feet after his around him, with Kevin Pietersen playing a nervous debut in the Ahmedabad Test. superb knock in the Mumbai Test and Matt The middle order has been pathetic with Prior and Compton playing supportive only Cheteshwar Pujara showing some roles. spunk in the first two Tests. England's bowlers too have delivered. Tendulkar has looked a pale shadow of Apart from Monty Panesar (16 wickets in his former self, making just 110 runs in his two Tests) and Graeme Swann (17 in five innings thus far. three), James Anderson and Steven .inn Virat Kohli, India's best batsman in have also proved their worth.

Careers on the line

.inn injured, doubtful for Nagpur match NAGPUR, 12 DEC: Injury-prone England pace bowler Steven .inn has picked up a lower
back strain and is a doubtful starter in the fourth Test. The six-foot, seven-inch fast bowler had gone for a scan and it showed a disc strain in his lower back, according to official sources. The final decision on the availability of .inn, who did not train with the team today, will be taken tomorrow, the sources added. .inn missed the Test matches in Ahmedabad and Mumbai after straining his thigh muscle on the opening day of England's first warm-up game in Mumbai late in October. He then played a practice game in Navi Mumbai for England's second-string team, taking four for 50 to prove his match fitness and was eventually included in the third Test at Kolkata that the visitors won by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series. .inn took four wickets in that Test, three of those in the second innings when he dismissed Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan to finish with three for 45. His absence from the fourth game here will be a major blow to the tourists. If .inn is found unfit, Tim Bresnan is likely to take his place in the playing 11 tomorrow. pti

Srinivasan saved Dhoni

sns & agencies NEW DELHI, 12 DEC: Mohinder Amarnath today named Board of Control for Cricket in India chief N Srinivasan as the person who had over-ruled a unanimous decision to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain after India's eight consecutive overseas Test defeats. It was a unanimous decision, all five selectors supported it. The board president did not approve the decision," Amarnath told a television network. Sunil Gavaskar today said that he felt Dhoni could not be removed now. There is no alternative to Dhoni. He and Virat Kohli have been tireless on the field. Virat has been an exception and Dhoni has also been tireless. He hasn't missed too many opportunities of catching and stumping, Gavaskar told a television network. The Board of Control for Cricket in India today denied Amarnath's charge, insisting that the quintet of selectors was independent. Amarnath created a flutter by admitting that certain internal reasons had stopped the selection committee from replacing Dhoni as India's captain after eight successive Test defeats in England and Australia. But BCCI vice-president and Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla denied the allegations. I will not go into what he has said. I don't think this has ever happened. I don't think it is appropriate to give statements like this, Shukla told reporters, adding: Whatever one has to say, one can say while participating in a (selection) meeting. Making comments ... is not appropriate as it creates (a certain negative) perception in the minds of players and fans. Selectors are independent. They are not under any pressure. Amarnath did not divulge initially the exact reason for not sacking Dhoni despite India's Test humiliations. Definitely, there were discussions to replace Dhoni and people were agreeing to do so but for some internal reasons, it didn't happen. I would not like to divulge what the reasons were. But when the time is right, I will let the people of this country know the reasons, Amarnath earlier said. In a roundabout manner, Amarnath also admitted that there had been external pressures on the selection committee when Dhoni's removal was discussed. "Indian politics and cricket are always the same. There are people who are controlling the game and there are other people who are scared to take a stand, he stated, adding: I believe that Dhoni should be removed as captain from the Tests. He hasn't set the Test stage on fire. A captain's place in the team should be secure and I don't see this here. He doesn't have the technique for Test cricket. It was widely believed that the veteran of 69 Tests and 74 One-Day Internationals, who was to have become the chairman of selectors, was removed by Srinivasan for opposing Dhoni.

Shane Watson at practice ahead of the first Australia-Sri Lanka Test in Hobart. agencies

sns & agencies

Everyone saw it coming, says Dhoni

of poor results, insisted that in India, every Tom, Dick and Harry had an opinion on the game. If you are part of the Indian cricket set-up, everything is under the microscope and everybody has an opinion. You can ask plenty of questions on why that guy was not picked and why this guy was not given the new ball. It's a team sport," he said. Dhoni did not reveal whether India would go in with three spinners, as in Mumbai. The wicket looks good and hard. .or the combination ... you have to wait and watch," he said. Asked why Virender Sehwag was not standing in the slips while fast bowlers bowled, Dhoni said: He got hit in his last first-class game (Delhiv-Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, before the start of the India-England Test series). That's the reason he does not stand in the slips for fast bowlers." Dhoni praised Gautam Gambhir for the way he had batted in Mumbai (second innings) and Kolkata. The best thing about Gautam is his aggressive character. He has batted very well in the last two games. Being aggressive is not only about stepping out and hitting the ball but also about positively defending. A website report, though, said today that Dhoni was unhappy with Gambhir's attitude and on-the-field ethics and had lodged a complaint with the Board of Control for Cricket in India against the left-hander. It said that Dhoni felt that Gambhir put his personal interests above the team's and had become excessively self-centred. The captain was said to have gone to the extent of describing the opener's approach as selfish and hurtful to the team. The website quoted an Indian player, who had requested anonymity, as its source. Of late, Gambhir is focusing on saving his place in the team. His prolonged poor form has resulted in a kind of low self-esteem and he's cut off from all other issues pertaining to the team, the player reportedly said, adding: But what irked Dhoni most was that Gambhir was playing for himself and not for the team. It was evident from the way Gambhir batted in the second innings of the Mumbai Test that he was more interested in remaining not out, rather than shielding India's tail-enders and scoring quick runs. Every run was crucial but Gambhir chose to be a mute spectator. The world saw that and everyone was taken aback. The effort to contribute to the team's efforts wasn't there. Look how R Ashwin batted with maturity during his unbeaten 91 in the Kolkata Test and he isn't a specialist batsman! He shepherded the tailenders superbly and scored vital runs. If Ashwin can do it, why couldn't Gambhir? The report mentioned the run-outs of Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara in Kolkata as "moments which precipitated India's downfall," leaving Dhoni angry with Gambhir's current approach. On both occasions, Gambhir was at fault. While there were clearly three runs in Sehwag's case, which Gambhir declined, the other call was ill-judged. He was having a tough time against Steven .inn and wanted to get off the strike. His desperation cost Pujara his wicket. Dhoni doesn't

GOL.

The European Tour Africa Open, East London Golf Club, East London, Eastern Cape: Collated final round scores & totals (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 73): 265 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 62 67 67 267 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 69 64 65 69 268 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 65 68 66 69 269 Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 71 65 67 66 270 Alastair .orsyth 69 66 68 67 272 Richard Sterne (Rsa) 69 69 64 70 273 Danny Willett 67 68 65 73 274 Craig Lee 68 67 68 71, Lyle Rowe (Rsa) 73 68 65 68 275 Emiliano Grillo (Arg) 73 66 71 65, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 69 66 70 70, Peter Karmis (Rsa) 68 70 69 68, Matthew Baldwin 72 64 70 69 276 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 64 69 72 71, Jaco Ahlers (Rsa) 65 68 73 70, Branden Grace (Rsa) 77 63 69 67, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 67 70 69 70 277 Richard Bland 67 69 69 72, Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 70 69 70 68, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 69 69 68 71, Benn Barham 70 66 70 71, Darren .ichardt (Rsa) 71 70 65 71, David Drysdale 72 69 69 67, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 70 69 68, Josh Cunliffe (Rsa) 69 68 69 71, Tommy .leetwood 69 66 72 70, Tim Sluiter (Ned) 68 69 69 71.

NAGPUR, 12 DEC: India continue to falter but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (in photo) says that this phase was anticipated after the retirements of Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman. Everybody was talking about this phase in Indian cricket when the big players would move on and pressure would come on the youngsters and we might go through a rough patch. I think everybody expected this kind of a rough patch. Of course, we have struggled in the last two Tests. If you ask big questions depending on two Test matches ... (a situation) may come again in (which) we may lose two Test matches and people will say, 'Let these youngsters go and let some others come in, Dhoni said here today. He is not worried, despite being under pressure. When people appreciate me a lot, I don't feel as if I am in the seventh heaven. And it's the same when people criticise me. We (Indians) have extreme opinions. We praise people and then start pulling the same individuals down. I would say it's very important to be in the middle path because that's how you will enjoy the sport, he said. Asked if he had received any message from Dravid and Mohinder Amarnath, who had been critical of his team's performance, Dhoni said: We respect their opinions but we have our own problems to solve. Dhoni, whose head seems to be on the chopping block after a series

have doubts about his integrity or commitment, the player said. The website report said that a BCCI official would speak to Gambhir before the start of the Nagpur Test tomorrow. A source close to Gambhir said that though the opener had not performed in accordance with his potential in the current series, Dhoni was merely passing the buck as his captaincy was under fire and his place in the Test team was being questioned. "His defensive and unimaginative mindset as a captain is now unmasked, so he's trying to blame others to save his own face, the website said. He (Dhoni) sees Gambhir as a potential threat to his captaincy," the source was quoted as saying. It will be recalled that Mohinder Amarnath tipped Gambhir to take over as captain. England captain Alastair Cook today said that he had been left pleasantly surprised by the way his team bounced back after losing in Ahmedabad to win back-to-back Tests against India but insisted that the job was still not over. Cook hoped that his side would continue their good run in the fourth and final Test. I am pleasantly surprised by the character shown by the team (after Ahmedabad) in the last two games. I am pleased. We have played good, tough cricket. But we have to continue that, said Cook, adding: The last game saw a real team effort from everyone. At the beginning of the series, we were desperate to win it and we are having an opportunity here to do it. Everyone knows how important this game is. As a player you have to focus on the job at hand and keep emotions out.

Captaincy row rages as Kiwis face Proteas

WELLINGTON, 12 DEC: New Zealand cricket chiefs issued a public apology to axed captain Ross Taylor today, as a weakened Black Caps side prepared to depart for South Africa without the in-form batsman. Taylor opted to sit out the tour against the Proteas after being replaced as skipper by opener Brendon McCullum last .riday, leaving a gaping hole in the New Zealand batting line-up as the side faces the world's top-ranked Test team. The axing also exposed deep divisions within New Zealand cricketing circles and provoked a backlash against administrators over Taylor's treatment. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chairman Chris Moller acknowledged the issue could have been handled better, but stood by the decision to appoint McCullum and said there would be no sackings at the organisation. The board has reviewed all aspects of the captaincy issue and wishes to publicly place on record its apologies to Ross Taylor and his family for the manner in which events have unfolded, Moller told reporters. The drama is a distraction any team poised to confront the Proteas at home could do without, let alone one ranked eighth in the world and already without star spinner Dan Vettori and gifted batsman Jesse Ryder. What's unfolding at the moment is very disappointing, McCullum, a close associate of coach Mike Hesson, told reporters this week after denying he had any role in Taylor's downfall. I'm sure that will all heal in due course, he added. afp

Printed and Published for THE STATESMAN LTD. by SANDEEP KUMAR AGRAWAL at The Statesman Printing Press, 6 Munshigunge Road, Kolkata - 700023 J Editor: RAVINDRA KUMAR The Statesman Ltd. RNI No. WBENG/2708/57

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W E A T H E R
Partly cloudy sky Rainfall 32.0 MM Yesterdays readings Max temp up to 5.30 p.m. was 25.1 (-2) Min temp up to 8.30 a.m. was 17.6 (+3) Relative humidity Max 96%; Min 72% Relative humidity at 8.30 a.m.: 87% (+15) and at 5.30 p.m.: 84%(+20) Hooghly river tides at Garden Reach Dec 13: Low water 9.55 a.m. 1.56 mt l Dec 13: High water 1.05 p.m. 5.11 mt Dec 13: Lowwater 10.01 p.m. 1.28 mt l Dec 14: High water 1.44 a.m. 5.68 mt Moon rises today at 5.47 a.m.; sets at 5.02 p.m. New moon today Sun sets today at 5.54 p.m.; rises tomorrow at 6.09 a.m.

KO L K ATA

Life of Pi
THE STATESMAN KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

in cinemas ~ 16

ASSEMBLY AMENDS ACT, NUMBER O. WARDS GOES UP TO 144

Joka I & II now in KMC, officially

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Passing a legislation, the state Assembly today formally added the Joka I and II gram panchayats in South 24 -Parganas to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, thus taking the number of wards in KMC to 144 from the existing 141. The KMC (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012 passed by the Assembly, has also raised the number of KMC's Mayor-inCouncil members to 12 from the present 10 and has empowered the state government to nominate the chairman of the Municipal Service Commission active in the city civic body. In addition to this, the new legislation has extended the age limit of the chairman and members of the Municipal Service Commission from 62 to 65 years. The new legislation has amended the original KMC Act of 1980. The Bill was today introduced in the House by Municipal Affairs Minister, .irhad Hakim, in the second half of the proceedings when no Opposition members ~ be it from the Left or the Congress ~ were present. Trinamul legislators, Sasi Panja and Smita Bakshi, took part in the discussion and praised the government's move saying that it will give the people of entire Joka area an access to basic urban amenities. The two-gram panchayats that have come under the city civic body jurisdiction is spread over an area of around 18.77 square kilometres. According to the 2001 census, the population of the area is about 65,160. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has

In addition to this, the new legislation has extended the age limit of the chairman and members of the Municipal Service Commission from 62 to 65 years. The new legislation has amended the original KMC Act of 1980
already decided to provide a special fund for the development of the three newlyadded wards of Joka I and II gram panchayats. It will prepare a comprehensive plan for the development of the area. In fact, recently, a high level meeting was held at the KMC headquarters on S N Banerjee Road to discuss the matter. All controlling officials of the KMC and the Commissioner were present there. A core team of KMC officials will soon visit the South 24-Parganas Zilla parishad to make an assessment of all the assets of the Joka I and II gram panchayat, which are now KMC properties.

Health workers stage a rally in support of their demands. In Kolkata on Wednesday. dilip dutta

Army veterans to join Mukti Joddhas

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Twenty Indian Army Veterans and an equal number of Bangladeshi Mukti Joddhas" will arrive at the Eastern Command headquarters in .ort William from .riday to commemorate the 41st "Vijay Diwas" on 16 December, said Army sources today. A two-day programme by the Eastern Command is scheduled to mark the occasion beginning Saturday, when GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, Lt-Gen Dalbir Singh, will host the Veterans and Mukti Joddhas who will interact and relive moments from the past that led to the Liberation of Bangladesh in December 1971. .ormer Governor of Goa and Punjab, Lt-Gen (Retd) J.R Jacob, who was Chief of Staff in Eastern Command headquarters in 1971, will be the senior most Veteran attending from the Indian side. Bangladesh MP, Maj-Gen (retd) Shubil Ali Bhuiyan, will lead the Mukti Joddhas. A delegation of six serving Bangladeshi officers from the three services of Army, Navy and Air .orce, led by GOC 66 Infantry Division and Area Commander, Rangpur Area, Maj Gen Md. Salahuddin Miaji will also participate in the commemoration. Providing the details of the events lined up, the Army said, the GOC-in-C, .OC-in-C and AOC-in-C of Eastern Army, Naval and Air Commands, respectively, would lead the solemn proceedings on Sunday morning, laying floral wreaths at Vijay Smarak, the War Memorial erected in memory of the martyrs of 71 war, at the entrance of .ort William, apart from the Veterans and Mukti Joddhas. The memorial will also be open for the public from 10am to 12pm on Sunday for paying homage to the martyrs. On Saturday, a Military Band will perform a concert at the National Library apart from other events during the two-day celebrations. The traditional Military Tattoo that preceded Vijay Diwas" celebrations in the first fortnight of December, would be held in early .ebruary next year. The event will be integrated with the annual Know your Army exhibition held after the Republic Day Parade every year.

Senior citizens write to CM alleging misbehaviour by DC

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Some senior citizens have written to the chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee alleging misbehaviour by a deputy commissioner of police when they had gone to lodge a complaint. Copies of the letter have been given to the chief secretary, home secretary and commissioner of police. The complaint alleged that Mr Sujay Chanda, deputy commissioner, south suburban had misbehaved with them when they had gone to lodge a complaint against an illegal tea stall. The tea stall has become a big bother as it is being frequented by drunkards and hoodlums. They requested Mr Chanda to remove the stall at 264, NSC Bose Road. When the senior citizens requested Mr Chanda over and over again to remove the tea stall, he became agitated and told them that the tea stall would not be removed and "they can go to any forum to lodge a complaint." He also told the forum members "that they have selected a wrong person as their leader." Mr Subimal Chatterjee is the president of the Senior Citizens' forum. Mr Chatterjee said the city police had defied an order of Calcutta High Court on 25 September, 2012 which instructed the Police Commissioner to take suitable action on the basis of the complaint lodged by the elderly. But nothing was done. We are shocked at the way a senior police officer like Mr Chanda misbehaved with us. The forum members have written to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to take immediate action against Mr Chanda who is a big failure in handling public." When contacted Mr Sujay Chanda, DC, South Suburban, said: "I respect the president of the .orum and I never misbehaved with him. He often visits my office with the demands of the forum. We have taken necessary steps to curb the unauthorised parking on NSC Bose Road. There is no question of misbehaving with the senior citizens."

WBBSE makes false claims in trying to make students buy its test papers
statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: In an attempt to woo students to buy their test papers published for the first time, even the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has indulged in false claims while advertising for it in newspapers. The advertisement claimed that this would be the only test paper to contain the question papers of the test examinations of state-run schools. However, All Bengal Teachers Association ~ the Left backed teachers organisation that published their test paper yesterday claimed that their test paper too contains question papers of government schools, though fewer in comparison with previous years as many schools were reluctant to hand over the question papers to them, said Mr Utpal Ray, general secretary of ABTA. Clarifying its stand, Professor Kalyanmoy Ganguly, administrator of the board, said that the advertisement mentioned the information regarding the government schools as they have got the permission from the respective schools to publish their question papers. We don't

5 arrested on charges of cheating

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Police arrested five persons in connection with two separate incidents of cheating in the city. Police arrested Arvind Kumar Sharma (22), Baibav Singh (28) and Surajit Goswami (20) for allegedly cheating a computer store in central Kolkata. Police said the accused purchased 10 computers from the store on Ganesh Chandra Avenue and issued a post-dated bank cheque that bounced when presented for clearance. Investigating into the case police found that the youths have placed a similar kind of order to another computer store in the area. The youths have ordered 50 computers and paid the price of 10 computers. But before they could execute their plan to cheat the store in similar way, police trapped them and arrested the trio from Dum Dum yesterday. They were produced before a city court and remanded in police custody till 21 Decemeber. In another case police arrested a father and his son from their residence on NSC Bose Road in Jadavpur for allegedly running a job racket and cheating 18 youths to the tune of Rs 15 lakh. Police arrested Sudhirranjan Guha and his son Sabarna Guha for allegedly taking the money from the youths assuring them jobs in Metro Railway. They even sent fake appointment letters to the victims. Police said they were running the racket since 2010. sns

copyright issue?

know whether any other test paper would get these question papers or not because that is not my concern. The department might fix up this issue, added Prof Ganguly, bringing out the falsity of the advertisement. However, education minister Bratya Basu who released the test paper today said: This is a copyright issue. I can't comment on this issue without going through the act. In order to get and publish question papers of any school, the publishing authority must get the consent of

the school. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education sent letters seeking the consent along with the question papers. We too asked for the same but a few government schools were not willing while other voluntarily offered us the question papers. The board could have done away with the word only from their advertisement as our test paper too contains question papers of government schools, said the general secretary of ABTA. The test paper of Madhyamik Board contains question papers of 88 schools. It costs Rs 60 and will be available in the market from 19 December.

Bangladesh Utshob to start tomorrow

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Preparations for Bangladesh Utshob' are underway at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Park Circus, a festival celebrating Bangladeshi culture and promoting friendly India-Bangladesh relations, to be held from 14 to 18 December. The festival will mark the 41st anniversary of the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 on 16 December. Dancers, artists, poets and singers will attend and participate, including Bangladeshi singers Timir Nandi, Sajid Akbar, Dil Afroz Reba and Iffat Ara Dewan. Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Mrs Abida Islam, said today, The aim of the festival is to uphold the culture of Bangladesh and to provide a platform for brotherhood between India and Bangladesh by highlighting cultural similarities. 2012 marks the festival's fifth year, but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is yet to attend. We have invited her, and we will see if her schedule allows her attendance, said Mrs Islam. There will also be stalls selling Bangladeshi handicrafts, food and fabric. The inaugural session will be on 14 December at 4 p.m., and the festival will be open from 12 to 8.30 p.m. every day.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee during the inauguration of a Light and Sound project at Rabindra Sarovar. In Kolkata on Wednesday. biswajit ghoshal

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LEISURE
4:35AM Desert Hawk 6:10AM Fear 7:55AM The Flintstones 9:40AM Megamind 11:30AM Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 1:50PM The Warrior's Way 3:40PM Rush Hour 5:30PM The Hangover Part II 7:15PM Step Up 2: The Streets 9:00PM Rush Hour 3 10:45PM Congo 6:15AM A Night at the Roxbury 7:24AM Rio 9:31AM Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian 11:48AM Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2:04PM Real Steel 4:39PM The Transporter 2 6:35PM The Incredibles 9:00PM Eragon 11:14PM The Lincoln Lawyer 7:15AM Shoot 'Em Up 8:40AM Proof of Life 10:55AM Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed 12:35PM Showdown in Little Tokyo 2:00PM Enter the Dragon 3:50PM Mortal Kombat 5:35PM Jason X 7:15PM Tekken 9:00PM Deep Blue Sea 11:05PM Cabin Fever 5:45AM Santa's Apprentice 7:00AM SkyStar 7:30AM Progressive Vision 8:00AM Gone in Sixty Seconds 10:20AM Smokin' Aces 12:30PM Guthy Renker 1:00PM Scary Movie 3 2:35PM Scary Movie 4 4:25PM Underdog 6:25PM Rambo: First Blood Part II 8:20PM Land of the Lost 1:14AM Offside 2:44AM Three Times 4:55AM Vipassana Discourse 6:17AM Vinci 8:10AM Autumn Spring 9:51AM Hana-Bi 11:34AM No Man's Land 1:13PM Shower 2:44PM Hana 4:57PM Autumn Spring 6:39PM High-Kick Girl! 8:00PM At Point Blank 9:44PM Bolero 11:21PM No Man's Land 7:30AM Look Who's Talking Too 9:05AM Screamers 11:00AM Wild Things 12:50PM The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 2:45PM Once Upon a Time in China 3 4:40PM My Best Friend's Wedding 6:50PM The Quick and the Dead 9:00PM Step Up 3D 11:15PM Jerry Maguire 2:30AM It's My Party 4:15AM True Confessions 6:00AM Bio-Dome 7:30AM The Greatest Story Ever Told 10:45AM To Live and Die in L.A.12:45PM Irma La Douce 3:15PM Carbon Copy 4:45PM A Passage to India 7:30PM Boxcar Bertha 9:00PM Wild Bill 10:45PM Reversal of Fortune 2:00AM Movie 4:00AM Vipassana Discourse 5:30AM Movie 8:30AM Maa 12:00PM Golmaal 3 4:00PM Fashion 6:00PM Maine Dil Tujhko Diya 9:30PM Phir Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet 1:45AM Hyenas 3:15AM Flesh Wounds 4:45AM Vipassana Discourse 5:45AM Teleshopping 8:30AM Maa Kasam Badla Loonga 12:00PM U.S. Marshals 3:45PM Veer Madakari Iss Sadi Ka 6:45PM Balwaan 8:45PM LOC: Kargil 11:00PM Ghatak Returns 1:10AM Aag Hi Aag 4:00AM Socha Na Tha 7:15AM Shaktiman 11:00AM Aakhree Raasta 2:30PM Khal Nayak 5:55PM Chandramukhi 9:00PM Mohra 9:30AM Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche 12:30PM Teleshopping 1:00PM Dev 3:55PM Movie Fare 4:00PM Teleshopping 4:30PM Jhalak 5:00PM Andaz Apna Apna 7:55PM Movie Fare 8:00PM Pyaar Ka Punchnama 10:55PM Movie Fare 11:00PM Teleshopping 11:45PM Akele Hum Akele Tum 12:15AM Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin 3:15AM Koi Mere Dil Mein Hai 6:00AM Little Krishna: The Darling of Vrindavan 8:05AM Deewar: Man of Power 10:35AM Swarg 1:45PM Ziddi 5:10PM Chup Chup Ke 9:00PM Kurukshetra 12:00AM Hisss 8:00AM Mission Kashmir 11:00AM Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya 2:00PM Bhabhi 5:00PM Hadh Kar Di Aapne 9:00PM Main Hoon Wanted

THE STATESMAN KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

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7:00AM Meri Izzat 9:55AM Movie Fare 10:00AM Teleshopping 10:30AM Tada 1:25PM Movie Fare 1:30PM Yudh 4:25PM Movie Fare 4:30PM Teleshopping 5:00PM Music Blast 5:30PM Bhai: The Lion 8:25PM Movie Fare 8:30PM Main Tera Dushman 11:25PM Movie Fare 11:30PM Teleshopping 7:00PM Rajdhani Samachar 7:15PM Kamyabi Ki Udan 7:30PM Swasth Bharat 8:00PM News Headlines 8:05PM Parliament News 8:15PM Mukhya Samachar 8:20PM Sansad Samachar 8:30PM Ek Tha Rusty ll 9:00PM Pehchan.. Astitva Ki Talaash 9:30PM Detective Wagle 2:00PM Nandini/Women Magazine 3:30PM Film Song 4:00PM Lifestyle Metro 5:30PM Bhalo Theko 6:00PM Khabarer Aakash 6:30PM Radhuni 7:00PM Aaj Bangla 8:00PM Mathar Upore Aakash 8:30PM Khabarer Akash 9:00PM Garmagaram10:00PM Biswa Barta 10:15PM Khelar Aakash 10:30PM Aakash Barta Live 12.30PM Sadhak Bamakhyapa 1.00PM Cine Dupure ~ 5:00PM Swayangsiddha 5:30PM Prathama 6.00PM Aamar Bangla 6.30PM Annapurna 7.00PM Roshni 7.30PM Swayangsiddha 8.00PM Sholoana 8:45 Binni Dhaner Khoi 9.30PM Palabadal 10.00PM Sadhak Bamakhepa 6:30AM Puber Alo 7:00AM Aaj Sakaler Amontrone (Live) 9:00AM Chirantani 10:00AM Gaan Aajkal 11:30AM Aaj Sakaler Amontrone 2:30PM Bhalo Achi, Bhalo Theko (Live) 5:30PM Chirantani 7:30PM Gaanbhashi Live 9:00PM Amar Shahar 9:30PM Playback 9:00AM Ek Mutho Asha 9:30AM Duo Rani 10:00AM Pasher Barir Meye 12:00PM Ek Mutho Asha 2:00PM Pasher Barir Meye 2:30PM Duo Rani 5:00PM Olympicnic 6:00PM BFF 9:00PM Ek Mutho Asha 9:30PM Duo Rani 10:00PM Pasher Barir Meye 10:30PM Janmantar 11:00PM Noti Binodini 11:00AM BFF ~ Abhinay 2:10PM Aajker Ranna 3:00PM Panchali 4:30PM Khela Aar Khela 5:05PM Ekanto Paribarik 5:30PM Crop Seminar 6:00PM Yogiraj Lokenath 7:30PM Susthya Bharat 8:00PM Dial - 100 9:10PM Ekhon Quiz 9:30PM Roopkatha 10:30PM Pagla Dashu ~ Play in Bengali

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BEETLE BAILEY
SOLUTIONS TO YESTERDAYS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Sec, 3 Stunt (Sextant), 8 Tea leaf, 9 Trace, 10 Patio, 11 Tractor, 12 Remote control, 16 Despair, 18 Valet, 20 Sling, 21 Atlanta, 22 .uton, 23 Yen.

Mort Walker

SUDOKU

RED EYE

Bill Yates & Mel Casson

10 MINUTE CROSSWORD

DOWN 1 Slant, 2 Cheroot, 3 Safety curtain, 4 Ultra, 5 Toaster, 6 Stupor, 7 Leer, 13 Mastiff, 14 Novelty, 15 Lethal, 16 Dish, 17 Angst, 19 Linen. ACROSS 1 Expression of dismay (Archaic) (3) 3 Chesspiece (6) 7 Soya bean paste (4) 8 Imaginary (8) 9 Steinbeck novel (2,4,3,3) 11 Borneo sultanate (6) 12 Satisfy (thirst) (6) 15 Relative by marriage (7-2-3) 18 Bacterium (8) 20 Saucy (4) 21 Wooden house (6) 22 Day before (3) DOWN 1 Diver (7) 2 Successful (9) 3 Relatives (3) 4 Greek epic poem (5) 5 Accommodate (5) 6 Energy (6) 10 Comply (9) 13 Overshadow (7) 14 One lacking courage (6) 16 Arrive at (5) 17 Ribbed cloth (5) 19 Auction item (3)
By arrangement with The Independent NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required.

HENRY

Dick Hodgins

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that no row, no column and no 3x3 box contains the same number. The difficulty level increases through the week.

C M Y K

C M Y K

KO L K ATA

THE STATESMAN KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

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DURGAPUR, 12 DEC: Biophilic architecture finally arrives in India with its destination in Durgapur town with the proposed implementation of a Rs 300-crore ambitious "Dream Eco-City" plan. Biophilic design attributes include dynamic natural light, natural ventilation, access to open or moving water, frequent opportunities for spontaneous interaction with nature, sensory connections to nature, complexity and order, mystery, prospect and refuge, fundamental natural forms, and local natural materials, said Mr Shrayans Jain, vicechairman of the Jain Group, the realty conglomerate that has proposed the residency here. At the 23rd Conference on Passive & Low Energy Architecture at Geneva, Switzerland between 6 to 8 September 2006, a bunch of associate professors from Sweden, Iraq and Denmark introduced the concept of healthy sustainable architecture titled as Biophilic architecture. Several attempts to plant such structures were planned in Mumbai, Ahmedabad which, however, couldnt materialise. The group has proposed 800 apartments in the first phase near Muchipara on the outskirts of Durgapur. sns

Biophilic architecture makes way into India

Hover craft inaugurated at Haldia

statesman news service HALDIA, 12 DEC: Expanding the Haldia fleet, the Indian Coast Guard today commissioned the latest model of Air Cushion Vessel (ACV), H-188 or hovercraft that was designed and built by Griffon Hovercraft Ltd (G.L) in Southampton, England at Haldia Hover Port. While inaugurating the advanced version of ACV, Mr Rajendra Singh, deputy director general of Coast Guard, said: This is the second in the lot of 12 hovercrafts ordered from G.L. It is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and rendering assistance to small boats/craft in distress at sea. He also said that H-188 is equipped with modern, state-of-the-art sensors and equipment. The 21-metre long ACV with 31 tons displacement and two 1000 Iveco engines can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots using aero-dynamic propulsion. At economical speed, the ACV has an endurance of 480 nautical miles and is specially designed for day and night operations in shallow waters and can undertake maritime search and rescue and surveillance. The armed hovercraft with an inflatable boat, can undertake boarding, landing and Special Operations as well as coastal security operations, said Mr K C Pandey, inspector general of NorthEast region, Coast Guard. The newly-established Coast Guard Region (North East) in Kolkata had inducted the latest model of ACV for Haldia and it had reached in July this year. According to officials, the ACV will enhance operational capability and allow the Coast Guard to maintain its effective presence in the Sunderbans and adjoining coastal areas of the state. This induction is part of the Coast Guards expansion plan to expand and modernise its fleet. With the commissioning of this advanced version of ACV, the total number of hovercrafts at Haldia Coast Guard station has reached three. The hovercraft will be commanded by Commandant D Dinakaran, a specialist in information technology. H-188 will have a complement of two officers and 11 enrolled personnel, a Coast Guard officer said.

MINISTER TAKES ON CONG-RUN BODY

statesman news service

.resh Kabir charge against panchayat

Leading a deputation of Trinamul activists at the panchayat samiti office this afternoon, Mr Kabir alleged that Mrs Bilkis Begum, the Congress chief of Beldanga-II panchayat samiti, had issued under MGNREGA scheme a work order to the tune of Rs 7 lakh in the name of her husband
poor fishermen who are the actual beneficiaries of the scheme.The minister said a new police station will soon come up at Shaktipur police outpost and it is going to be completed by 11 January. Rejinagar is going to get a new college in a few months, he said, adding chief minister Mamata Banerjee has allotted Rs 3.47 crore for the development of Rejinagar. Murshidabad district Congress secretary, Mr Ashoke Das, said: The person who is alleging corruption against Congress was an MLA of Congress a few days back. How can he get rid of corruption committed in an area under his jurisdiction and during his tenure as an MLA?

Ramzan Hussain, a painter draws a sketch of Pandit Ravi Shankar at the New market area. In Kolkata on Wednesday.

BEHRAMPORE, 12 DEC: The former Congress MLA of Rejinagar, Mr Humayun Kabir, who recently left Congress, joined Trinamul Congress and became the minister of state for animal resources development, today brought fresh charges of corruption against the Congress-led panchayat samiti of Beldanga-II that forms a part of Rejinagar, an Assembly constituency facing a by-election. Leading a deputation of Trinamul activists at the panchayat samiti office this afternoon, Mr Kabir alleged that Mrs Bilkis Begum, the Congress chief of Beldanga-II panchayat samiti, had issued under MGNREGA scheme a work order to the tune of Rs 7 lakh in the name of her husband. Moreover, a family car owned by the Begum family has been shown as hired by the panchayat samity that makes a payment of Rs 13,000 as monthly rent to the family, the minister alleged. He demanded that the state housing grants given under Gitanjali scheme to 40 Congress families already having concrete houses be cancelled and the grants be re-allotted to

dilip dutta

Rain damages crops in East Midnapore

statesman news service TAMLUK, 12 DEC: Agricultural produce, including standing crops worth Rs 50 crore, has been lost in the recent rains in East Midnapore. The district Agriculture Offices preliminary estimates said that more than one lakh hectares of agricultural land have been affected, damaging crops, besides paddy, particularly Aman and flowers. The presence of a trough of low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal has caused sporadic rains at few districts, including the coastal district, East Midnapore. Around 30 per cent areas of the paddy cultivated in over 3 lakh hectares of land have been damaged. The farmers who kept the paddy in their fields after harvesting have experienced a huge loss as the rain has damaged the produce. Besides, standing crops of Aman have also been damaged in the rain. Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of zilla-parishad, said: We have already assessed the loss which will be around Rs 50 crores. I have informed the agricultural minister to take steps. Mr Hossain said: The worst hit areas are Ramnagar-I and II, Pataspur, Bhagwanpur, Egra, Contai-I, II and III, Nandigram, Khejuri, Tamluk, Panskura and Mahisadal blocks.

CM defends Sovan over trident lamps issue

statesman news service KOLKATA, 12 DEC: In a bid to defend Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee today said that more than one firm was engaged to set up trident lamps in the city to complete the work faster. She was speaking at the inaugural programme of the light and sound fountain show at Rabindra Sadan this evening. To bring down the time required to complete a project she had initiated the process of engaging more than one firm when she was the railway minister. "Similarly, more than one firm was engaged to complete the project of setting up trident lamps in the city. One firm did the work from Hazra to Rashbehari and at the same time another firm worked to complete the work in between Tollygunge and Dhakuria. It helped in bringing down the time required to complete the project," she said. She said an ecotourism park on 480 acres would be inaugurated at Rajarhat on 29 December. She also took a dig at the railway MoS, Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, saying: "I did everything during my tenure as railway minister and undertook projects for the development of the state, what is the point of inaugurating the completed projects now."

5 youths held for hacking bank account of British woman and booking laptop

TENDER
GOVERNMENT O. INDIA, MINISTRY O. DE.ENCE VEHICLE FACTORY JABALPUR-482009 (M.P.) Phone No.: 0761-2330520-23/25-28, 2331305, Fax No.: 0761-2330436 E-mail: vfjeproc@gmail.com OPEN E-TENDER NOTICE FOR PROCUREMENT
The General Manager, Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur (M.P.) for and on behalf of the President of India, invites e-tenders through two-bid system for supply of the undermentioned items for LPTA 715/32 TC, BS-III vehicle. COMPLETE DISCRIPTION OF THE ITEM AND OTHER CONDITION ARE AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE: https://www.ofbeproc.gov.in This tender is for Hand Tool manufacturer (Everest / Taparia / Gedore / Jhalani / Kennedy) or authorized dealer of Everest / Taparia / Gedore / Jhalani / Kennedy Brand. Details are given below:
SI. No. Tender Enquiry No. Name of Store Qty. (Nos.) 2951 Tender Fee (Rs.) 100 EMD (Rs.) 0 Technical Bid opening date 28-12-2012

DURGAPUR, 12 DEC: .ive Durgapur youths hacked the bank account of a British woman and booked a laptop. Police in plain clothes caught the five accused at the time of delivery of the gadget at Durgapur railway station yesterday evening. The youths were charged with cheating and conspiracy under Sections 419, 429, 468 of the IPC & IT Act. Mrs Liny Rooker of the UK was a client of a BPO titled Swadesh Software operating in Durgapur. The accused youths, Abhijit Dutta, Shyam Das, Kader Ansari, Sayantan Pal and Mahesh Chowdhury, were former staff of the BPO and were retrenched six months ago. The director of the BPO, Mr Krishna Kumar, complained to Durgapur police yesterday morning that the youths had pirated software and had hacked Mrs Rookers account and booked one laptop against the UK nationals account. Mr Kumar said: They had siphoned off the money and booked the laptop worth Rs 26,500. The ACP (East) of Asansol Durgapur Police, Mr Sylvan Murugan, said: "We are trying to find out whether they have hacked more accounts by cheating. KOLKATA, 12 DEC: A five-year-old boy today died in Manicktala after he mistakenly consumed vinegar instead of water. Police said, the victim Dipanjan Biswas who was sick for the past few days consumed the vinegar which he mistook as water. Dipanjan, a resident of Bagmari Road, was taken to BC Roy Hospital where he died today.

5-yr-old dies after consuming vinegar

O..ICE O. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, ROAD CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT

Road Divison, Giridih

e-Procurement Notice
Tender Reference No. RCD/ GIRIDIH/2287
1. Name of the work

2
Date: 06-12-2012

Lawyer commits suicide at Thakurpukur

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: A 28-year-old woman in Thakurpukur today committed suicide. Police said, Soma Dey, who practises in Alipore Court as a lawyer, today set herself on fire. She was taken to MR Bangur Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, police said. KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Demanding their arrears, around 30 teachers of St Teresas Secondary School today demonstrated outside the school campus at Kidderpore. The school authorities deprived them of the arrears of one year following pay revision, though they hiked the tuition fees of the students from time to time, complained the teachers. "Though it is our due, the authorities have clearly told us that they are not going to pay that money to the teachers as they don't have enough funds. But, they have received the money from the school education department," said a teacher. Classes were disrupted as teachers were outside the campus and a section of parents decided to join the teachers from tomorrow.

Widening and Strengthening of Chotki Kharagdiha to Mirzaganj Road Via Dudwatand-Gondlitand-Lataki-Chatro for the year 2012-13 (Total Length 34.8 Km.) 2. Estimated Cost Rs.27,11,52,028 (Twenty Seven Crore Eleven Lakh Fifty Two Thousand Twenty Eight Only) 3. Time of completion 18 months 4. Last date / time for receipt of bids 10-01-2013 12-00 Noon 5. Date of publication of tender on website 13-12-2012 10-30 a.m. 6. Date and Time of Pre-Bid Meeting 20-12-2012 12-00 Noon 7. Name & address of officer inviting tender O/o Executive Engineer, Road Construction Department, Road Division, Giridih. 8. Contact No. of Procurement Officer 06532-227054 (Phone & Fax No. ) 9. Helpline number of e-Procurement Cell 0651-2401010 Further details can be seen on website: http://jharkhandtenders.gov.in PR No. 57677 (2012-13) Sd/- Executive Engineer RCD, Road Division Giridih

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St Teresa teachers demand arrears

MINISTRY O. DE.ENCE INDIAN ORDNANCE .ACTORIES GUN & SHELL FACTORY, COSSIPORE KOLKATA-700002 PHONE NO.: 033-2557-4423 / 4424 / 9684 FAX NO.: 033-2557-4390 OPEN TENDER THROUGH E-PROCUREMENT
General Manager, Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore, Kolkata-700002, West Bengal for and on behalf of President of India invites online E-Tenders under the two bid system for supply of undermentioned items. Interested vendors fulfilling criteria may submit their bids as per tender closing date with tender document fees & EMD in the form of Demand Draft drawn in favour of GM/GSF payable at Cossipore.
SI. Brief Descriptions & Specification of items No. 1 Quantity Tender ID No., Publication Date Bid Submission Closing, Opening Date DTD. 27.12.2012

Employees protest outside Writers

123ET3334/ NICKEL CHROME EMM PLATED SPANNER DEAC 19 x 22 CHROME 123ET3335/ NICKEL PLATED RING SPANEMM NER 24 x 27 PLATED 123ET3336/ CHROME DOUBLE ENDED BOX EMM SPANNER SW17 / SW19 ALONG WITH TOMMY BAR PLATED 123ET3337/ CHROME SPANNER DEAC 8 x 10 EMM CHROME 123ET3338/ NICKEL PLATED L/D ELECTRIEMM CAL SCREW DRIVER 0.4 x 2.5 x 50 PR 123ET3339/ NICKEL CHROME EMM PLATED ENGINEERS SCREW DRIVER 1.2 x 8 x 150 123ET3340/ NICKEL CHROME EMM PLATED ADJUSTABLE WRENCH A300 CHROME 123ET3341/ NICKEL PLATED COMBINAEMM TION PLIER 180 WITH JOINT CUTTER PLATED 123ET3342/ CROME WHEEL SPANNER 27 x EMM 30 ALONG W1TH TOMMY BAR

2951

100

11,250

28-12-2012

2951

100

6,200

28-12-2012

2951 2951

100 100

0 0

28-12-2012 28-12-2012

2951

100

28-12-2012

2951

100

17,900

28-12-2012

2951

100

10,500

28-12-2012

2951

100

37,000

28-12-2012

KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Members three employees unions demonstrated at Writers Buildings today demanded payment of 27 per cent of Dearness Allowance (DA). Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee had assured to pay 7 per cent DA in January and clear the pending arrears soon. The Secretariat Employees .ederation (West Bengal) and the Confederation of the State Government Employees, Paschim Banga Karmachari Union and Association of West Bengal Secretariat Assistants staged separate demonstrations. The associations have demanded that payment of DA at par with the other states. They have demanded 27 per cent of DA instead of the seven per cent that has been assured by the state government. This apart, withdrawal of false police cases, transfer orders of the employees owing allegiance to the Opposition and right to take part in trade union activities were some of the other demands raised by the associations.

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SAFETY LEVER WITHOUT NICKEL PLATE TO DRG. NO. M-8199-J, IN FINISHED CONDITION PISTOL BOX TO DRG. NO. M-9881B, IN FINISHED CONDITION LEVER SEAR TO DRG. NO. M-8202C, IN FINISHED CONDITION PRECISION CASTING FOR SEAR TO DRG. NO. C-2086-A PRECISION CASTING FOR SAFETY LOCK TO DRG. NO. C-2091-B HOLSTER MADE OF BLACK CALF LEATHER TO ACCOMMODATE 0.32" PISTOL TO DRG. NO. M-10848 IN FINISHED CONDITION.

4829 No. 107MMETT12000444, DTD. 03.12.2012 5246 No. 107MMETT12000445, DTD. 03.12.2012 8227 No. 107MMETT12000446, DTD. 03.12.2012 5240 No. 107MMETT12000447, DTD. 03.12.2012 5814 No. 107MMETT12000448, DTD. 03.12.2012 5076 No. 107MMETT12000449, DTD. 03.12.2012

DTD. 27.12.2012 DTD. 27.12.2012 DTD. 27.12.2012 DTD. 27.12.2012 DTD. 27.12.2012

Youth killed by lightning

TAMLUK, 12 DEC: A 25-year-old youth was killed and four of his family members were injured when they were struck by lightning this morning. Police said the victims were bringing their paddy harvested recently from their fields when the lightning struck them. The dead has been identified as Naru Gopal Giri of Temutgeria in Egra-II block and the injured have been admitted to Egra hospital in a serious condition.

(I) This is an E-Tender & bidding will be by e-System through website: https://ofbeproc.gov.in (II) This OTE is for source development, established suppliers are not need to apply. (III) The corrigendum, if any will be issued on https://ofbeproc.gov.in only Anil Kumar Rai Works Manager For General Manager Gun & Shell Factory Cossipore, Kolkata-700002
davp 10201/11/2280/1213

1. Above tenders are available on OFB (ORDNANCE FACTORY BOARD) website: https://www.ofbeproc.gov.in The indigenous vendors, who desire to participate against e-tender, are advice to electronically enrolled (online vendor enrolment) themselves for which they would require to have class-Ill Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). DSC can be obtained from certifying agency authorized under Govt. of India IT Act, 2000. List of certifying agency available on website: https://www.ofbeproc.gov.in 2. MANUAL OFFER WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 3. Prospective vendor should be either manufacturer (Everest / Taparia / Gedore / Jhalani / Kennedy) or authorized dealer of Everest / Taparia / Gedore / Jhalani / Kennedy Brand only acceptable. Authorized dealer must enclosed the valid dealership certificate. Those firms who are authorized by Everest / Taparia / Gedore / Jhalani / Kennedy will only be technically qualified against TE. 4. Payment of tender fee, EMD & VRRF Fee (if applicable) should be made in favour of "General Manager, Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur" payable at "JABALPUR" and hard copy to be sent separately in sealed envelope mentioning Tender Number ( pl. mention Firm name , Tender No. etc. on back side of DD) to General Manager, Section-LMM, Vehicle Factory, Ministry of Defence, Jabalpur482009 (M.P.) by post/courier. 5. In case of difference between English and Hindi version of Tender Notice, the ENGLISH version shall be acceptable. 6. Corrigendum for respective Tender Enquiry (if necessary to be issued) will be uploaded only on https://www.ofbeproc.gov.in and same will not be published in newspaper.
Date: 03-12-2012 RAJEEV GUPTA JT. GENERAL MANAGER davp 10201/11/2272/1213

C M Y K

C M Y K

KO L K ATA

THE STATESMAN KOLKATA THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

16

.IGURE THEATRE TO BE HELD IN CITY

A few snapshots from the Japanese puppetry show, entitled .EgKHA TDA=JHA, which will be showcased in the city on Saturday. .EgKHA TDA=JHA is one in which people and puppets perform together on stage. In Japan it has been introduced under the name ObjA?J TDA=JHA. Noriyuki Sawa, the director blends traditional Japanese bunraku puppetry with modern Czech .EgKHA TDA=JHA. A traditional puppeteer imparts character to his inanimate puppet, so that the puppet seems to acquire a distinct personality and act of its own will. .EgKHA TDA=JHA artistes emerge from behind their puppets to interact with them; they control the puppets and are also manipulated by the puppet-characters they have created. In his production of .orest, Sawa plays the soldiers soul while controlling the puppets representing the soldiers body and the white woman. sns

Atmakatha adaptation depicts the tales of tension in human beings

nita vidyarthi KOLKATA, 12 DEC: Presented by Padatik and Rikh Creations, at the Gyan Manch Kolkata, the Hindi adaptation of Mahesh Elkunchwars Atmakatha was a comeback stage appearance for Kulbhushan Kharbanda after 17 years. Theatre holds a special place for him and so does Padatik, and therefore the decision to act because of the human angle of the play, director Vinay Sharma and of course Kolkata. As the successful septuagenarian writer Anantrao Rajadhyaksha, Kharbanda once again gave a hard-hitting and memorable performance. The play revolves round four characters, the nationally acclaimed writer Rajadhyaksha ,who sets out to dictate his autobiography to a quizzical young scholar Pragya, but it remains unwritten, as he comes up against a whole area of incomprehension peopled by the women in his life, his estranged wife Uttara , from whom he had separated thirty years ago because of his brief relationship with Uttaras sister Vasanti and an illegitimate son Dilip. Rajadhyaksha has published a novel depicting these events, where Uttara/Vasanti become semi-fictional Urmila/Vasudha. The book makes their relationships a source of gossip and discussion for the press and public and once again they contact each other over the telephone. Different versions of the truth clash as Rajadhyaksha comes to confront an ego that he had never really known. Uttara and Vasanti have since reconciled but one day the past resurfaces. All four characters look at their own lives , different layers and versions of the truth emerge revealing all of them trapped in their own cycle of torment. The playwright turns a simple narrative of a breakup between a husband and wife into a soul searching exposition of the impossibility of perspective in human relationships where one mans truth is another mans fiction. But to the director, the universe of this play seems bleaker still because by extension it also underscores the futility of looking for perspective. This dreariness he cap-

tures through the entire black backdrop ,set design , furniture and a telephone including an adjustable black partition at the centre separating the two households-Rajadhyakshas study and Uttaras room. The only source of colour were the dull costumes of the three women in shades of ecru , pastel green and Kharbandas rust kurta, the dramatic angle being stressed with a dim sodium -light source through a small curtained window at the back. Some top light which is generally used to look oppressive and mysterious has been appropriately included in the rig together with an up light primarily to light up the performance or emphasise strange situations. The shadows and images of the actors on the sides and back of the stage ,visible after the lights shut off between scene changes ,dissolving gradually, express the dramatic tension and state of mind of the characters,

made possible by the use of a cyclorama. Sharma emphasises mood and emotion rather than the logic of unities and this is communicated with incredible orderliness by Kharbanda, who has the distinction to carry on his shoulders the ambivalent relationship between drama and theatre that his role as Rajadhyaksha demanded .His remarkable spontaneity gives the play a special quality, a natural colour, especially when his state of mind and thoughts sway between being calm, shaky, witty, philosophical, strong or broken making direct connections with time that oscillates between the past and present. Chetna Jalan as Uttara and Sanchayita Bhattacharjee as Vasanti too bask in their memories, good and bad and seize the moments , their tormenting desires ,they have lost, movement through physical and mental spaces with sensi-

tivity and realistic acting. Veteran Chetna Jalan s acting at one point earned audience empathy but reality here in the character was sometimes internalized and sometimes externalized and ran towards Kharbanda. Among the women, Sanchayita ruled the stage with her precise gestures and competent acting, as it were. Anubha .atehpuria as Pragya was a convincing research scholar but what was striking in the whole play was the beautiful stage dynamics between Kharbanda and Anubha. Sharmas interpretation uncovers the flaws of artistic ego and the ethical question of personal integrity for creative yet selfish goals. The final star studded sky shows that it is a bleak universe . Hope, if any, lies in the stars. The light they throw on words. The light words throw on life. The gripping play may be called expressionistic .

parties food drink health musicparties food drink

BIG TICKET
MULTIPLEX l Fame (H Park) 4010-5555 l Fame (South City) 4010-5555 l Fame (Hind) 2215-9344 l Inox (Forum) 2358-4499 l Inox (City Centre) 2358-4499 l Inox (Swabhumi) 2358-4499 l Inox (Rajarhat) 2358-4499 l Inox (Liluah) 2654 7272 l RDB Big Cinemas 3984-6101 l Bioscope Axis Mall (Rajarhat) 2324-2422/23 l Cinemax 40007272 l HDIL Broadway 44341212 l PVR (Howrah) 9874559961 OTHER HALLS l Ajanta 2396-5341 l Ashoka 2397-3630 l Aleya 2460-1495 l Basusree 2455-4807 l Bijoli 2455-5382 l Chhabighar 2350-2740 l Darpana 2555-3140 l Elite 2265-0383 l Elora 2397-3480 l Indira 2475-1752 l Malancha 2377-7712 l Menoka 2466-0417 l Metro 2228-0141 l Mohua 2430-5291 l Mitra 2555-5133 l Nandan 2223-1210 l Navina 2422-0091 l New Empire 2249-1051 l Prachi 2265-2282 l Priya 2464-1313 l Paradise 2248-5442 l Roxy 3292-3236

around town
HINDI MOVIE
3:25pm 6:15pm 8:50pm 9:30pm. Inox Forum 8:50a.m 10:55a.m 11:45a.m 2:40p.m 5:35p.m 8:35p.m 11:35p.m Inox City Centre 8:50a.m 11:45a.m 2:40p.m 5:35p.m 7:35p.m 8:35p.m 11:30p.m Inox Swabhumi 10:00a.m 12:55p.m 3:50p.m 6:45p.m 9:40p.m 10:30p.m Inox Rajarhat 8:50a.m 11:40p.m 2:30p.m 5:25p.m 8:20p.m 11:15p.m Inox Liluah 9:00a.m 11:55a.m 1:00p.m 2:50p.m 5:45p.m 8:40p.m Big Cinemas 10:00 am 12:50 pm 03:45 pm 06:40 pm 09:30 pm Ashoka 5.15 p.m., 8 p.m. Basusree 6 p.m. Malancha 2.30 p.m., 8 p.m., Mahua 5 p.m., 8 p.m. Navina 5 p.m., 7.30 p.m. Priya 4.30 p.m. 9.15 p.m.

parties food drink health musicparties food drink

MUSIC .ESTIVAL ART
Towers This is a group show of 35 artists, spanning four generations, from Kerala. This show gives a comprehensive picture of the art scene in Kerala post Ravi Varma.

ENGLISH MOVIE
Inox City Centre 9:00a.m 11:35a.m 4:10p.m Inox Swabhumi 9:15a.m 2:40p.m 7:40p.m Inox Rajarhat 3:10p.m 8:05p.m

HINDI MOVIE
Rajarhat 8:45a.m 9:45a.m 11:35a.m 12:40p.m 2:25p.m 3:35p.m 5:20p.m 6:30p.m 8:15p.m 9:25p.m 10:40p.m 11:15p.m Inox Liluah 8:45a.m 10:00a.m 11:35a.m 2:25p.m 3:55p.m 5:15p.m 6:50p.m 8:05p.m 9:40p.m 10:55p.m Big Cinemas 10:30 AM 11:15 a.m 01:30 pm 04:20 pm 06:15 pm 07:10 pm 09:15 pm 10:00 pm Ashoka 12 noon, 2.30 p.m. Basusree 12 noon, 3 p.m., 9 p.m. Elite 12 noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., Malancha 11.45 a.m. 5 p.m., Mohua 2 p.m. Navina 12 noon, 2.30 p.m. Paradise 12 noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m.,

RESTAURANTS
The Pool pairs Chivas Whisky with a four course menu that can be enjoyed at the diner by the Pool.

BENGALI MOVIE Teen Kanya

Indira 12.30 p.m..

features traditional and tribal music from around the world this 13th and 14th December.

ART Liminal Zone

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Galerie 88, 28B Shakespeare Sarani Galerie 88 presents a collection of watercolor works by artist Indrapramit Roy. His painting called Fairy Lights-1 done on Fabriano paper deserves a mention.

Global Cuisine Buffet

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Zodiac, Fortune Park Panchwati, Kona Expressway Indulge your taste buds with best of kebabs, Oriental and continental cuisines and heavenly dessert delights.

Twilight Saga ~ Breaking Dawn Part 2

Fame South City Mall 12:35pm Inox Forum 8:40a.m

DISCUSSION Sri Sri Mayer Katha

Swami Somatmananda speaks on Sri Sri Mayer Katha in the Shivananda Hall of The Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture on 13th Dec at 6.15 p.m.

SHOPPING Portico New York's Quilt Fiesta

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Shopper's Stop, Forum Shopping Mall, 10/3, Elgin Road Spruce up your bedrooms by choosing from a wide array of quilts, including stunning designs from Porticos printed comforter collections, fun and quirky kids collections, white duvets from their Therapia health collection as well as their solid colored comforters.

HINDI MOVIE Khiladi 786

Fame South City Mall 8:55am, 10:10am, 11:00am(G), 11:50am, 1:00pm, 2:45pm, 3:50pm, 4:40pm(G), 5:40pm, 6:40pm, 8:35pm, 9:30pm, 10:20pm(G), 11:30pm Fame Hiland Park 9:00am, 10:25am, 1:15pm, 2:40pm, 4:05pm, 5:30pm, 6:55pm, 8:20pm, 9:45pm, 11:10pm Hind Fame 9:00am, 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8:00pm, 10:45pm PVR Howrah 9:30am 10:30am 12:25pm 1:25pm 3:20pm 4:20pm 6:20pm 9:15pm 10:00pm. Inox Forum 8:40a.m 11:35a.m 1:45p.m 2:30p.m 4:35p.m 5:25p.m 7:30p.m 8:25p.m 10:30p.m 11:25p.m Inox City Centre 8:40a.m 9:35a.m 11:35a.m 2:30p.m 5:25p.m 6:50p.m 8:25p.m 9:40p.m 10:30p.m 11:25p.m Inox Swabhumi 9:40a.m 10:40a.m 11:50a.m 12:40p.m 1:40p.m 3:40p.m 4:40p.m 6:40p.m 7:40p.m 9:40p.m 10:40p.m Inox

Kebab Festival
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Dawaat-e-Shiraz, Tulip Inn, 56, Park Street Exotic kebab varieties like Kalonji Mahi Naaz and lots more await you at Tulip Inn this winter.

MUSIC Vocal Recital

Sri Shirshendu Mukherjee performs Vocal Recital with Prof Rupak Bhattacharya (Tabla) on Saturday, 15th December at 6 p.m. in the Vivekananda Hall of The Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture.

The Indian Parallax

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Birla Academy of Art & Culture, 108 Southern Avenue Curated by Shaheen Merali, The Indian Parallax or the Doubling of Happiness works in two dimension and attempts to portray the abstract reality.

New Winter Menu

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm La Cucina, Hyatt Regency Kolkata, JA-1 Sector-3 La Cucina brings you New Winter Menu on a la carte menu. Celebrate the spirit and flavours of the coast with authentic recipes and mouthwatering specials.

Talaash
Fame South City Mall 8:50am, 9:55am, 11:40am, 1:50pm(G), 2:30pm, 5:20pm, 7:30pm (G), 8:10pm, 9:45pm, 11:00pm Fame Hiland Park 9:25am, 11:50am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8:00pm, 9:30pm, 10:45pm Hind Fame 10:20am, 1:15pm, 4:10pm,

CON.ERENCE

Urban Nature Collection

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Pepe Jeans, City Centre - Salt Lake, DC Block, Sector-1 The Autumn Winter Collection gives you wide range of jackets, heavy gauges, knits, big cable knits, snoods, scarves, gloves, and many more to flaunt the chic look.

Intrinsic Light
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Birla Academy of Art & Culture, 108 Southern Avenue Light forms a central character in her works, believes Madhumati. This is an exhibition of her paintings that explore how light can create atmoshphere and imagery.

National Conference
Vivekananda College organises UGC Sponsored National Conference on Tagore and Communication: From Page to Stage from 14th December to 15th December, 2012

BENGALI MOVIE Bapi Bari Ja

Fame South City Mall 2:50pm, 7:30pm Fame Hiland Park 12:10pm, 4:35pm Inox City Centre 12:30p.m 5:15p.m Inox Swabhumi 5:20p.m Inox Rajarhat 10:55a.m 5:45p.m Big Cinemas 04:00 pm Metro 3 p.m., 6 p.m., Indira 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 8.30 p.m., Prachi 2.30 p.m., 5.15 p.m., 7.45 p.m., Priya 12.15 p.m., Pushpasree 2 p.m, 5 p.m., 7.45 p.m.

Mo e Mangsho Festival
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Koshe Kosha, 79/3/4 Star Theatre, Beadon Street This feast boasts of dishes like Sada Kema, Lal Keema, Dhakai Mangsho, Cholar Dal Mangsho and others. A meal for two comes at Rs. 500 - Rs. 600

EXHIBITIONS Raghu Rai

The Harrington Street Arts Centre and Camarena present an exhibition ~ Indias Great Masters - A photographic Journey ino the Heart of Music at The Harrington Street Arts Centre, 8, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata till December 22, 2012; Noon to 7pm (except mondays)

Art by Arko Datto

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Seagull Foundation for the Arts, 36C, SP Mukherjee Road Arko Datto has painted the night in its myriad hues, seeking sense out of the life that hides in darkness.

Winter Hue Collection

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Mochi, Grand Hotel Arcade, 15/6 Jawahar Lal Nehru Road Mochi brings to you the warm and vibrant collection of shoes and boots for men and women to break the insipidness in your wardrobe.

ENGLISH MOVIE Hotel Transylvania 3D

Fame South City Mall 9:00am, 6:40pm Fame Hiland Park 12:05pm PVR Howrah 10:30am 7:00pm. Inox Forum 11:35a.m 4:10p.m Inox City Centre 2:15p.m Inox Rajarhat 9:00a.m 1:15p.m Big Cinemas 02:00 pm

7:05pm, 10:00pm PVR Howrah 9:45am 12:35pm

Then It Was Moulded Anew

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Experimenter , Beside ICICI Bank, 2/1 Hindusthan Road Pakistani artist Bani Abidi brings together significant bodies of work that have all premiered in international venues through 2012. Bani's collection of video and photographic installations reflects on the politics of commemoration though a sense of amused detachment.

DRAMA Antarjatra
Smt Usha Ganguly will act Antarjatra A tale of a woman at Akhra @ Baitanik, 4 Elgin Road on 16th December, 2012 at 6.30 p.m.

RESTAURANTS Flavour of the Month Vanilla

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Gelato Italiano, City Centre - Salt Lake, DC Block, Sector-1 Enjoy the blend of vanilla cream sandwich cookies and cream with the flavor of cheesecake this Christmas season.

Solo Exhibition
Galerie La Mere presents the solo exhibition Enigmatic by Dipankar Mani from 9 to 15th December between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Dutta vs Dutta
Fame South City Mall 5:05pm Inox City Centre 2:50p.m Prachi 12 noon Priya 7 p.m.

Life OF PI 3D
Fame South City Mall 10:55am, 1:30pm, 4:05pm, 8:35pm, 11:10pm Fame Hiland Park 9:30am, 2:00pm, 6:55pm PVR Howrah 12:20pm 7:15pm. Inox Forum 9:00a.m 1:30p.m 6:05p.m 8:45p.m A still from Life Of Pi 11:20p.m showing at Fame, Inox and others

LECTURE
H L Gupta Endowment Lecture Prof. Rachana Chakraborty, will deliver the Professor H L Gupta Endowment Lecture 2011-2012 on Some Thoughts on Womens Education in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Bengal at Pooja Apartment at 3.30 p.m.

MUSIC .ESTIVAL

Tabe Tai Hok

Priya 2.30 p.m

5th Kolkata International Music Festival

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 8:30pm to 11:30pm Rabindra Sadan, 1 Cathedral Road The 5th Kolkata international music festival

Idiot
Minar, Bijoli, Chhabighar 3 p.m., 5.45 p.m., 8.30 p.m.

Chivas Dinner
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 10 pm Taj Bengal, Taj Bengal, 34B, Belvedere Road The Grill By

Between Darkness & Magic

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 10 am to 6 pm Cima Gallery Pvt Ltd, 43 Sunny

C M Y K

THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

lMovie montage: Life of Pi lQuite a waste lAsset: Give your brain a spark lIn school lServe: .ocus now lAmazing talent lOne sky, one world

cousin when just seven years old. The book was Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda. After having read hard-hitting classics like David Copperfield and Oliver Twist awhile back, the subject matter of this particular book was something new and breathtaking. I read it voraciously and quickly grabbed hold of the following books in the series and finished them too, and then read them all over again and again. I was swept away into the imaginative world of Deltora ~ all day and all night I would visualize the sinister and murky shadow monsters lurking around and imagine myself as the protagonist, complete with sword and shield in my hands! I was hungry for more doses of this 'fantasy' drug. I wanted to evade reality and escape into another fictitious kingdom. That in turn compelled me to start the search for fantasy books and one fine day realization dawned that fantasy was definitely my favourite genre of books, and to this day remains my first choice in reading material. There are thousands of book-lovers and bookworms out there. But their choice of genre regarding books is bound to differ. Some worship the timeless classics, some gorge on detective novels, some however prefer romance whereas some opt for sci-fi. Very few of them out there, a meagre handful perhaps

I .IRST read a fantasy novel borrowed from my

Sadly, fantasy is looked upon as a subject for children, and one who finds pleasure in this genre is branded 'immature and childish', writes srijita data
choose fantasy as their favorite genre over the countless subjects and varieties. Sadly, fantasy is looked as a subject for children and one who finds pleasure in this genre is branded immature and childish. But why? Each and every book is unique ~ every single book has something to offer the reader, which other books can't. Similarly there's something about fantasy novels that one can't hope to find in other books. .antasy books can teach its reader (regardless of age) a lot of life-enriching lessons. .or instance, there's always an immortal, impossible to vanquish villain like the Shadow Lord in Deltora Quest, Sauron in the Lord of the Rings or even Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter ~ but in the end, good always wins over evil, no matter what, and that hero (or heroine, in some cases) is usually a customary person with not much of superpowers to boast about. But determination, faith and love help him/ her overcome all the adversities. .antasy books always have a gripping storyline and if the right amount of suspense prevails, it always is an exhilarating reading experience for all. Apart from that, they also offer to soothe, like no other book. The enticing stories are based upon the "absurd" but while reading, they always seem so realistic. It feels like we too are a part of the awe-inspiring adventures fighting battles and slaying evil creatures. They mollify us too, sprinkling a little magic on us, beguiling us from hard reality, even if for a short period of time. Here's a look at some of the best-loved fantasy series of all times The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkein) Regarded by many as the best fantasy story ever penned down, rightfully bestowing upon Tolkien titles like King of .antasy' and 'Grandmaster of the Genre'. The story revolves round a sinister yet powerful ring, wearing which one becomes invisible. The ring may seem ordinary, but it holds within powers which no one except the great wise wizard Gandalf could detect. Discovered by Bilbo in The Hobbit the ring got passed onto his cousin .rodo in the following trilogy and gradually its true form started to get revealed. On the other hand, the Dark Lord Sauron too is in pursuit of it as he had poured all his evil to dominate the ring. Gandalf was of the opinion that if Sauron laid his hands upon the vice ring, he could become most powerful and rule all of Middle Earth relentlessly. To save their world from such misfortune, the only way out would be to destroy the ring. Hence .rodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, a group of young hobbits embark on a quest to annihilate the ring once and for all. They face many hazards; make friends on the

way, get tailed by ringwraiths (spirits of the ring), wage battles, come faceto-face with near death situations and also cope with the death of a few noble acquaintances, but in the end they succeed in what they set out for bringing a wonderful happy ending to the series. The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis) The best thing about this series is that the protagonists are all children from the real world who unexpectedly find themselves in the fictional realm of Narnia ~ a magical land of talking animals, mythical beasts and dancing trees. A majestic talking lion, known as Aslan, looks over Narnia and is given such stature as 'God' in this world. He summons the children from this world and transport them magically to the parallel kingdom of Narnia where they must restore the throne in its rightful line and protect from evil. The seven books span the entire history of this imaginative Turn to Page2

lPoets Corner lNew arrivals lVoices Rangeela Gallery

Read Voices online: www.thestatesman.net ALL genres of music evolve with various influences
from diverse fields. Rock music too in its long and eventful journey enriched itself with inputs and influences from other genres out of which Blues was quite a dominant one. Rock and Blues have been historically closely linked with each other. If you listen to rock music you will get to hear some parts of music which are of complete Blues format. If you listen to a Blues musician, you will find various techniques also used in Rock music. Well, it is to be noted that Blues is not influenced from Rock as Blues has earlier origins than Rock. Rather Rock is originated from Blues. Rock guitar techniques like drive, overdrive, distortion, fuzz, power chords were already used by the Blues guitarists long ago. The influence of blues on rock was generally due the presence of an important and innovative genre called Blues-Rock. It included fast picking techniques, screaming guitar blues, power chords, etc. They are the styles which are now widely used in Rock music. It is unclear till now that who were the first Blues-Rock musicians or who first started experimenting with this genre. Blues-Rock came into prominence when John Mayall released the album "Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton". John Mayall took the fusion of Blues and Rock to places where it had never been before. Another significant reason for Blues influence on rock is the presence of a galaxy of talented blues guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck. They have imprinted a lasting influence on this genre. Their work with John Mayall, The Yardbirds and their long solo career made significant contribution in shaping blues-rock. In the beginning of the early 1970s, American bands like Aerosmith, Allman Brother's band, etc fused blues with hard rock edge. Till today you can find a hosts of artists and bands like Gary Moore, Mad Season , The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, The Crooked Vultures, Blues Traveler, John Mayer, Black Keys, Jeff Haley, and Joe Bonamassa who are into this genre. Electric blues has exerted the most fundamental and durable influence that contributed to the birth of rock. Electric blues at first thrived into local clubs and then came into public consciousness. It mixed up with faster tempos and more flexible melodies. It became a huge and diverse field with a great many noteworthy performers. Rock music in its evolution till date is largely indebted to Blues, especially Electric Blues and this is what made Rock music popular and acceptable to the generations of music-buffs across the world. Class XII, Coordinator, Khagra Gurudas Tarasundari Institution, Berhampore, Murshidabad

Rock music in its evolution till date is largely indebted to the Blues, especially Electric Blues, and this is what made Rock music popular and acceptable to the generations of music-buffs across the world, writes chandan chatterjee

Jimi Hendrix

John Mayall

Eric Clapton

60745,);13 DECEMBER 

Turn from page 1 world ~ from its creation in the first book to its destruction in the last. Unlike most other fantasy stories, this one however has a spiritual touch and Biblical influences. Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling) The most famous and best loved of all fantasy stories ~ a so-called global mania at one point of time and Harry Potter is now regarded as a family member in most homes. An ordinary boy residing in London suddenly receives a letter saying he is welcome to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry whereby he discovers he is a wizard. He makes friends, learns magic, brews potions, fights magical beasts and grows up within the safety of the walls of Hogwarts with his best friends Ron and Hermione. But a prophecy had vested upon him illfate and he must embark on a quest to overcome the Dark Wizard, Lord Voldemort who aims to be immortal, bring the magical world under his dominion, subjugate non magical people and vanquish anyone who comes in his way, especially Harry Potter. The story spans around seven books, the final book concentrating on one of the best ever battles fought between good and evil bringing with it the death of many a favorite characters like Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, .red and George, to mention a few. It remains of the most read fantasy stories to this day, making us laugh and cry and cheer aloud always. Deltora Quest Series (Emily Rodda)

tered around dangerous locations under the possession of evil Shadow creatures. Once the belt is complete and the proper descendant of the first King of Deltora, Adin, wears the belt ~ the evil tyranny of the Shadow Lord will be rightfully forced back into the Shadowlands. The three friends face numerous perils in completing their task, but this story provides a most riveting reading experience that makes you visualize about it even after finishing it. Diadem Series (John Peel)

Director: Ang Lee Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Rafe Spall.

of a massive shipwreck; you've lost your beloved family. Imagine you're all alone on a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger called Richard Parker, who's starving and it's only a matter of time before he realizes that you're his next meal. You're totally alone on the Pacific with just a dangerous
Yesteryears stars Madhubala and Dilip Kumar

Brilliant film IMAGINE yourself as the only escapee

carnivore for company and supplies to last only few days and you need to fend for yourself and survive against all odds. What would you do? This is what Life of Pi is all about. Surviving alone at sea is a big enough feat, but surviving at sea with a Bengal Tiger for company is something else altogether, which Pi endured at the age of just 16. Pi Patel led a pleasant life. His father ran the town zoo, his mother told him stories of Hindu Mythology and he grew up in the zoo, amidst the animals. Then one fine day, his father decides to move to Canada and sell off the zoo animals to start a new life. Reluctantly Pi bids adieu to his beloved India and sets sail to Canada. Disaster strikes. A perilous thunderstorm strikes the ship and it sinks. Everyone on the ship die except Pi and the zoo animals, most of who manage to

LI.E O. PI

break free of their cages and swim to safety, save an unfortunate few. Pi and Richard Parker unexpectedly find themselves on the lifeboat and then their story begins. At first Pi tries to kill Richard Parker and hatches quite a few plans to do so, but in the end the beast's wistful eyes always made him take pity. Then Pi does the ultimate thing: he decides to tame Richard Parker. Not an easy task, but Pi succeeds. Later on realization dawns upon him that if it hadn't been for Richard Parker, he would've perished long ago. Richard Parker kept him alert and awake, caring and tending for the beast gave him a purpose to carry on this struggle and not give up hope. He understood that Richard Parker and he had a lot in common: both were born and brought up in the zoo, by the same

master and led a life of comfort. Now they're orphaned and all alone in the lap of unknown, having only each other to turn to. And both are alive only because they have each other for company. The special effects of this film are something quite new and have taken computerization to an altogether new level. The background score too helps create the mood for the film and cinematography is another treat for the eyes. The cast of the film includes eminent actors like Irrfan Khan, Tabu, etc but its first time actor Suraj Sharma as 16-year-old Pi who steals the show. The film in one word is brilliant! It makes you sob at times and then smile in spite of yourself. It makes you grip your seat in anticipation and then sigh in relief. You feel a thousand things ~ all at once, and you must watch the film to understand exactly how good it is. After a long, long time here's a film worth all your bucks. Don't miss it, and do watch in 3D! srijita datta, Coordinator, Gokhale Memorial Girls' School

Quite a waste
Are film stars worth the enormous sums they are paid today, asks shabari ghosh
ema has also become an industry highly commercialized, each picture produced must be a commercial hit; no matter what it may be all about. Once there was an era when the stars in films were labelled sociological phenomena. No doubt their style, charisma, dialogue deliver y, and dress codes impressed the viewers greatly, but above all, they were able to provide some beneficial messages regarding life. Even now films are made from which masses can draw some benefit but the levels of violence and vulgarism have increased manifold. There are some actors whose better sense prevails when choosing films that are good and different; but their numbers are not high as the percentage of their viewers is also not great and they are not in the rat race of earning more money like mainstream leading stars. Some are doing films and earning more than they deserve just by their mannerisms and not their acting skill. So they are not worth the huge amounts paid ~ that could range from Rs. 5 crore to Rs.25 crore for each film, as these come from mainly the 'have-nots' and not the 'haves'. This could be the reason for the devaluation of ethics and values taking place in our changing society. And so they are unfit to be a role model to their fans. Class XI, Sakhawat Memorial

Set in the illusory world of Deltora, the story centers around three companions~ Lief, Barda and Jasmine~ who journey across Deltora endeavoring to recover the magical belt of Deltora and defeat the allies of the evil Shadow Lord and the Dark Lord himself. Their quest is to find the seven gems of the fabled belt of Deltora ~ topaz, ruby, diamond, emerald, opal, lapis lazuli and amethyst. Each of the gems has special powers and scat-

The series takes place on several different worlds of different dimensions, collectively referred to as Diadem. Travel between the worlds is possible through magic portals and portal travel is based on the mystical geography of Diadem, which is divided into five layers. At the centre is a single world called Jewel, the heart of Diadem and their magic is strongest. The protagonists are from this world, which is known as the 'Outer Rim' of Diadem. They are Matthew a.k.a. Score, Helaine a.k.a. Renald and Shalar a.k.a. Pixel, all of whom have an extraordinary talent for magic but never really learn about their abilities until they reach the Outer Circuit. Diadem is ruled by Nantor, Eremin and Taxis ~ who are known as the 'Triad' or simply 'The Three Who Rule.' These three are tyrannical despots who can't stand each other but only remain together to hold power of Jewel. The Chosen Three ~ Score, Renald and Pixel have upon them the task to overthrow the Triad and bring justice to the whole of Diadem. They face many hardships, receive unexpected help as well, and almost die in the process, but succeed. Towards the end there's one unforeseen incredible twist that plunges the story into another direction altogether. One of the most imaginative stories ever conceived that won't let you stop until you finish reading it. Coordinator, class X, Gokhale Memorial Girls' School

CINEMA is by far the most common

and cheapest means of entertainment in India. Unfortunately this is also a country where 50 per cent of the population struggle to survive, and a huge chunk live

below the poverty line. Surely, they can ill afford any other recreation to break the monotony and drudgery of their routine mundane lives. However, we all know in our motherland, like all other things, cin-

60745,);13 DECEMBER 

Amazing talent
I. you have strong determination to excel then
no handicap can stop you. This was proved in a rare display of talent, skill, excellence, precision and aesthetic charm, where visually challenged dancers enthralled their normal sighted audience at the All India Dance Competition. It was presented by Amway Opportunity .oundation (AOP) in Kolkata. In association withf NAB, West Bengal Chapter (AOP) organised the All India Dance Competition for the Visually Challenged on 24 November at Kolkata. (AOP) conceptualised this dance competition in 2010 and this year is the third edition. The aim behind organising the national level competition is to promote the talent of visually challenged children in the field of dance and provide them a national platform to showcase their talent. The competition witnessed participation of 100 participants from 13 various schools and institutions from various parts of the country including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Secunderabad, Punjab, Patna, Dehradun and Ranchi. Children displayed their talent in categories of classical solo dance, classical group dance, folk group dance and free style group making it a wonderful visual treat. A jury of luminaries from classical dance comprising Thankamuni Kutti, Bharatnatyam exponent, Amita Dutta, kathak danseuse and Malabika Sen, Bharatnatyam dancer adjudged the performances of the children that left the audience spellbound with their commendable skill and enthusiasm. The competition was open to both boys and girls. It was a real treat to witness their graceful movement, expressive gestures and rhythmic action. The third edition of All India Dance Competition had prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh for the winners. All of the participants were provided free boarding and lodging as well as rail fare for participating in the event through the generous support from Amway Opportunity .oundation.

Learning in Ireland AS many as 11 students from

Sushila Birla Girls' School, five from class IX and six from class XI, accompanied by two teachers, Mrs. Ravindran and Mrs Dey departed from Kolkata for Dublin, Ireland for a student exchange programme. They reached Dublin at 1pm local time. After a short bus ride, they arrived at Alexandra College and after a warm welcome by the teachers and boarders of the school, were shown their dormitories. Later that evening, they were introduced to the boarders, who showed them around the college campus. The next morning the Indian students attended the assembly and were divided into three smaller groups. They attended different classes like History, Mathematics, Religious Studies, Drama and P.E. Irish education system is very similar to ours in India and they have similar lessons and methods of teaching. Then they left for Trinity College along with 11 students from Alexandra College. They commuted via the tram, which they

call the Luas. After reaching, the students first met the vice president of global relations, Professor Jane Ohlmeyer who enlightened them about the history, courses and admission requirements of the college. Then Mr. Ronan Hodson, Regional Officer India, showed them around the campus. They saw the Book of Kells, the library with the largest collection of books in Ireland! Then they took a walking tour of the city with a very enthusiastic guide and saw some monumental pieces of architecture of Ireland. Then the girls from Alexandra who will be visiting Calcutta in March joined them for dinner. Then they headed back to the hostel aboard the Luas.The next morning at assembly, the students made

a presentation about their school, and Mudita and Aditi performed a classical dance for the students. After attending a few classes, they left for the Butler's chocolate factory accompanied by a few girls from the college. The factory was huge and they got the opportunity to actually witness how the chocolates were made using the required machines and equipment. They even got to taste a few chocolates, which were truly delicious. On the next day, they left early for the station to catch a train to Cork. After reaching, they took a bus ride to Rockwell College and were shown around the campus. They gave the students some information about India and its development in the recent years. The students of the college had been working on a fundraising event for the Hope .oundation and they talked about their experience as well. The whole atmosphere at Rockwell College was happy and welcoming and they enjoyed the time at school there. It was time to bid them farewell and leave for Midleton College. They reached Middleton College at around 5pm and were greeted at school by the host families. Two girls stayed with each family. They returned home with host families for the evening and had a traditional Irish dinner with them. They accompanied their new friends to school and attended classes like mathematics and history. They play a lot of sports in their school like hockey, soccer and their national sport, Hurley. They left for University College of Cork (UCC), along with a few students from the school and were shown around the University campus.

They met a few professors as well. It was a beautiful campus. They all returned home and got ready for the Indo-Irish cultural night, which would be held at Midleton College that evening. Students of the school and their families had all gathered at the school hall. We arrived a little later and were given a very grand welcome. We were served Indian dinner which was prepared by the families of various students and we were complimented for our traditional Indian attire. They too, were dressed in traditional Irish clothes and it was a splendid meeting of both the cultures. Then the performances began and both, the Indian and Irish students performed classical and patriotic dances and songs and were appreciated by everyone present. The next morning, they attended a 'home-economics' class where they learnt a little bit about cooking. The next morning, they bid farewell and took a 2-hour train back to Dublin, and reached Alexandra College. After lunch at the college, they spent the rest of the day exploring the city of Dublin. They had dinner at an Indian restaurant Anando and next morning headed for the airport and travelled home to India. simran kochar, Class XI, Sushila Birla Girls' School

Strengthening communication skills

South City International School hosted a captivating three-day communication extravaganza with Bengali and Hindi Elocution Contests, an opportunity for the children to understand the appropriate use of emotion, accent and voice modulation in a speech. The elocution festival was introduced with the 'InterHouse Bengali Elocution Contest' for the Primary section on 22 November followed by Inter-Class Bengali Elocution Contest on 26 November and InterHouse Hindi Elocution Contest on 29 November organised by the Secondary section. This series of elocution programmes was aimed at developing public speaking skills of the children to overcome stage fright. The competition also enhanced the leadership qualities, which was achieved to some extent, as the students recited their pieces confidently, with proper expression, diction, intonation and voice modulation.

.ocus now

VOICES 632

UDAAN 2012, an initiative by A2Z Events Promotion Entertainment, partnered by Interact District Council 3291, was an attempt to relive the lost game of kite flying along with an endeavour to create Kolkata 's first record for the Limca Book of Records for flying the maximum number of kites in one gathering. This attempt was to revive the lost sport of Kolkata in our lives which is now full of gadgets. As many as 1300 persons participated in this event.

Hello girls and boys.

ically obscure reason a thoroughly nasty person. Her husband was a lovely man. Till the daughter - their only child - was thirty, the mother tried every dirty trick in the book to make her life miserable, including physical violence, prostitution, use of false charges in court, goonda savagery - the works. After much and terrible suffering the tables began to turn, and a climax came when in court the wretched divorced woman had to vacate the house she had stolen from husband and daughter, and go elsewhere - not into poverty but into social disgrace. At the final courtroom scene when this was concluded the daughter handed the required pieces of paper to her mother and said only, "You poor old woman. What have you done with your life?" The mother was dumbfounded, she had prepared something vicious as a parting shot. She remained dumb while her daughter, with consummate dignity and poise, walked from the courtroom, every eye admiring, every ear impressed.

THE girl's mother was for some psycholog-

W e will be meeting this Sunday, 1 6 D ecember 2 0 12 at 11 am sharp at our usual venue Statesman H ouse, 4 Chowringhee S q uare, Kolkata 70000 1 . See you all !

Attention Coordinators!

Yesterday some of us adults discussed, what do kids really want to make of their lives. We guessed of course, but it is a challenge that doesn't have time for thinking in school, beyond the perfunctory desires of wealth, fame, good looks, and, especially the boys, adequate sexual indulgence, the bottom line of all that meaning 'happiness'. Careers will be largely dictated by availability of courses but also by izzat factors, finance factors, courage, and breadth of vision. As one of those adults, I run with all that, except that I meet many of these starry-eyed young folk years later, and the stars have sunken, and the dreams dissipated. They haven't really got anywhere, often because they didn't know where they wanted to go. .ocus now. Take the first definite steps now. Getting a qualification - in what? .or what? .ocus now, or end up as another nothing. God bless. Brendan MacCarthaigh 98307 85060 .or more details you can log on to serve4students.net.in

debabrata chakrabarti

ONE SKY, ONE WORLD

C M Y K

"
Introspection
I've only blindly gazed, at all I've seen. In the solitude of reflection, A portrait of pearl and oil, I believe, I have been. And with a flex of my wrist, I've painted flaming heavens, And oft pretended that I am a grey dove, Whose symbol is one, yet connotation dishevelled. And the summer rain dissolves all my little secrets, Them of paramount ego, and unimportant regrets. And though the fission in the soles of my feet, Is an augury to all that I cannot achieve, I still believe like Daedalus, I will rise. And then there's my spirit of ambivalence, Running like sanguine in my very essence. Though it emanates from legions beneath the ocean, It wants to fly beyond the sky, To attain freedom. I know I've only blindly gazed, at all I've seen, Yet in a moment of introspection I wonder, What would it mean to not see, merely feel? stuti pachisia, Class X, Sushila Birla Girls' School

THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

Blessed by the ancestors; struck, By the savage roar of our extinct empathy. Thriving inside the corpse, City of Joy Only to bring back the smile, Transform reality again to nightmare! tarashankar chakraborty, Class XI, Jadavpur Vidyapith

Walking along the rainbow

Illustrations: Chandidas Bhattacharya

Send your poems

You kissed my forehead Soothed my pain. Days passed The showers had stopped Thunder could no more invoke fear. I lived life, darkness lost to light. I demanded, I caged you, .orcefully restrained you By my love's clutches You were in pain Those silent tears I could feel well I freed you, I granted your wish. You are free

Are you a poet too and would you like to contribute to this page? Send your poems with your name, class and school by email to voices@thestatesman.net

A Myriad of Emotions
I traverse the path of loneliness, Of reconciling austerity My eyes drift back to where I cannot but return to, The fickle mind soars back to times of joyance, As with the simultaneous occurrence of a drop of tear I bounce with the echoes of sorrow released, I writhe in the forlorn angst of my heart, I yearn to reminisce, Yet leave past all the sodden miseries And morose memories that haunt... Alas! .ate has sinfully vested upon me The excruciating task of moving ahead in life

There is no looking back, No getting back those people I once cherished in life ~ So close to my heart Just the memories... And a myriad of emotions to guide me on... srijita datta, class X, Gokhale Memorial Girls' School

.rom somebody I became nobody. The sky does break, the sun shines, The stars twinkle I stare haplessly Searching frantically for that hand But its isn't there anyone... Only the darkness That seeps through with every ongoing night. I lost once again, over and over again. moumita sil, Class XII, Loreto Day School, Bowbazar

Not a new day as I thought. I pray to God everyday while going to bed That again the sun wouldn't peep next morn. And was glad when I realised That my prayer was successful. But on my way home when Someone called me on and on. I looked back and recognised It was my dear mom! Telling, "Wake up my dear child" I understood I was dreaming on and on I realised it's impossible, .or the day-night system to stop. jhinuk bhattacharjee, Class VI, Durgamoyee Academy, Bhadreshwar, Hooghly

Every step I took along the way; I have had a fall. Every dream a man could dream I have dreamt them all. So many ways to reach the top; I have tried them all. Yet I am no nearer to success today, Than I was 10 years away But like I have heard all great men say, I'll get there sometime, someday. .or I am still walking, Though I am walking slow Always thinking in my mind Where next to go I refuse to run, alongside everyone, .or only the winners reach the end of the rainbow And the winners are the ones who walk slow The rest simply collapse on the way. dipanwita ghatak, Class X, Modern High School .or Girls, Kolkata

City of Joy
Age old blood running through veins, Tortured, deformed, yet replenished soul Yelling for a reincarnation, Of the City of Joy! Kolkata! Saplings, trampled with hatred, Love, vapourised by the flame, That took birth from a million teardrops, Waving to a glowing darkness. Lost, are the smiles, the gentleness, Locked in abyss; the vibrancy Colours substituted by, The sprinkle of dull monochrome. The heart, pierced by hollowness, Eyes, darkened by the nuisance, Witnessing an alliance with the storm, With a protesting voice, fragile, and prone to rust. Nerves, inclined to a fake clarity, Soothing the textures of a shattered frame, Pretending to cease a crusade, Striving to slaughter reality. A melody, unsung and unknown Of an anonymous creed,

A Question to the Maker

sayantika adhikary, Class VII, St Xaviers Institution

O God, you are the maker of creations I refer to me as the one. I remember well, the day, When I were happy and gay Among my kith and kin, all gone O God, you are the maker of destruction I refer to him as the one. I remember well the pain I suffered on being slain By man and his axe...alone. O God, we are your pencils, With us the nature you drew. Greenery, birds and flowers And rainbows after showers Unravel the artist in you. But God, are men your erasers Whom you remove all ? .lowers and dry leaves shed And carpet the forest bed Like the shedding of fall? pragnan chakraborty, Class X, Shishu Bihar H S School, Agartala, Tripura (West) medha bhattacharyya, Class X, Baghbazar Multipurpose Girls School

An Amazing Dream
One morn when I woke up The sun was not till. The stars were twinkling in the sky And the roosters were sleeping still. But amazing was the clock Which did not stop? And once it struck at six I had to get up from bed. I packed my bag and came out But saw no one wandering on the road. Neither was a vehicle there Nor was trace of sunlight. Only the streetlights which were on Made the roads bright. When I reached school, I saw it was closed. I realised it was still night

I Lost You
The sky seemed darkened, Light lost to darkness The moon that crept in long ago Is now no more. The sky broke down the lightning Made aware my existence My heart thudded, the wind blew I lost myself in the dark canopy. I met you, you healed my wounds You loved me Cared like none other You lifted me up every time I gave up,

ARRIVALS

NEW

destiny. In spite of his vile behaviour, the reader is never repulsed by Henchard; on the contrary the character evokes empathy and even concern in the reader. This is primarily because he is often misunderstood. His helplessness is heart rendering, as is his inability to express his feelings. Henchard is a strong man who is a victim of his own self-destructive pride and temper.

Billy & Saltie: Cool Croc A collection of Billy and Saltie cartoon strips from the Borneo Bulletin
Written and Drawn by Cheah

happening around them. The curious children are intrigued by the situation and resolve to get to the bottom of it. It is upon them to rescue themselves and their classmates from the deadly dacoits.

The Mayor of Casterbridge: Thomas Hardy

Publisher: Orient Black Swan Price: Rs.120 THE Mayor of Casterbridge is set in the fictional town of Casterbridge. Subtitled "The Life and Death of a Man of Character", this tragic novel is a compassionate study of the brave but flawed Michael Henchard. In a fit of drunken rage, Henchard sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas at a country fair. Over time, he prospers and becomes the

Season's .irst Shower An Anthology of Insightful Poems and Songs: Bohnita Roychoudhury
Publisher: Power Publishers Price: Rs.100 THIS book is a collection of cartoon-strips written and drawn by Sinann Cheah. The cartoons revolve around the adventures of two friends, Billy and Saltie, an aboriginal boy and a saltwater crocodile in the tropical end of the land Down Under and the region around it. .ast paced, witty and hilarious the book will have you rolling over with laughter. Set against the backdrop of tropical waters, mangrove swamps and rainforests cheer Billy and Saltie as they wage a war for environmental preservation using wit and humour.

My Early Life: M.K. Gandhi An illustrated Story Author: M.K. Gandhi

Arranged and Edited by Mahadev Desai Publisher: Oxford University Press Price: Rs.295

sudeshna acharya, Class VI, Giribala Sarkar Balika Bidyalay

4
THIS book was originally penned in jail by Mahatma Gandhi himself and edited by his secretary, friend and fellow freedom fighter Mahadev Desai. This edition has been annotated by Lalitha Zachariah, a Bangalorebased Gandhian scholar. The original is a concise version of Gandhi's autobiography. This illustrated copy has Sourav Chakravarthy's line drawings to charm kids. "My Early Life" is the story of a young Gandhi and accounts for his youthful fancies. It talks about his life in London as well as his humble Tolstoy .arm in South Africa, and progressively takes us through the journey of his evolution from Mohandas to the Mahatma. Interspersed with witty remarks from Gandhi's essays, this book has been designed to appeal to today's youth and presents Gandhi as an identifiable figure and not the sanctimonious leader of the nation.

The Story of a Real Adventure: Ananya Das

Price: Rs.100 SEASON'S .irst Shower, an anthology of 15 insightful poems and songs, is a lyrical rendition of the different facets and experiences of a child's life. The book is a peek into the personal experiences of the poet, eleven-yearold Bohnita Roychoudhury, grand-niece of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. The young author takes a philosophical look at the intricacies and sublimity of spirituality, nature and human emotions. On the threshold of adulthood, the poet tries to make sense of all that is changing within and around her. This new perspective and different understanding of the world poses challenges and the author tries to work her way through this labyrinth of cynicism and disillusionment.

subhasish majumdar, Class V I, Bidhannagar Municipal School

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mayor of Casterbridge, but he is never free of the guilt of his heinous act all those years back; the shameful secret always weighs on his conscience. This dramatic work is an acute blend of love, jealousy, tragedy and

THE Story of a Real Adventure is a simple tale, which perpetuates the message of national integration. Rupa and Ali are out on a school picnic when mysterious things start

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