Status The year 2008 will be remembered a major transformation year in the history of India as India emerged a new rising world power. Indian economy passed into another stage of ‘maturity’ that is called ‘walking stage’ by the economists. It was ranked the second fastest emerging economy after China. But it was only one achievement as far as a nation is concerned there are many achievement that increased India’s ‘status’ among other major world powers. India entered into the elite club of those nations who have sent successful lunar missions. India sent Chandrayaan-1 successfully in a record time as it was planned by the Indian space scientists. October 21 has a special status in the history of India. As on this day as India launched its maiden unmanned lunar mission successfully and the on the same day Indo-Pak relations headed towards a new stage as both the nations opened trade routes across the LoC. Threats In this year India faced many internal and external threats and was one of the most militancy effected nation. After the month of June many Indian cities were rocked by serial bomb blasts in which almost 1000 innocent people were killed. A new terrorist outfit, Indian Mujahideen, took the responsibility of these serial bomb blasts which was later on found to be the changed name of SIMI. .It was not only militancy that emerged as a major threat to the unity of the nation. Maoists also emerged as ‘one of the biggest threats to the unity of India’. Maoist struck some big blows to various states and killed many policemen and political leaders. It were not only the militants that affected the nation adversely but communal violence also broke the social harmony and mutual trust between communities. India saw one of the worst communal violence in Orissa in which almost 500 personal mostly Christians were killed and thousands rendered homeless. The violence had broken out on the issue of killing of a VHP leader and religious preacher Swami Laxmananda in the Kandhamal district of the state. Thousands of people had fled from there native place to save their lives while NDA alliance government of the state did not take any adequate steps in time to put an end to the violence. Anti-Christian violence was not limited to the state of Orissa but some states also witnessed some incidents but it was the timely action [...]
Archive for December, 2008
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After Elections It Is ‘Bargaining’ In J&K
December 30th, 2008 
Aman Mandate Fractured mandate has given rise to ‘intensive bargain’ talks between political parties in the Indian state of J&K. Though Farooq Abdullah led National Conference has emerged as the front leader to form a government but it can not do it on its own. It has won 28 assembly seats and is short of 16 seats to form a government. In this situation it needs the support of Congress which has bagged 17 seats. No other party is able to form a coalition government without the support of Congress. Tough PDP and NC, together have numbers but they are unlikely to become together to stake claim to form a government in the state. The voters have voted in such a way that except coalition between Congress and National Conference no other combination has the minimum required seats to prove majority in the state assembly. PDP-Congress There was a possibility of Congress and PDP sharing the dais again with the help of some independents and small parties as both the camps had kept their doors open for each other. But Congress’ internal factionalism has ruled out such possibility. It is being said Congress was divided in two camps on the issue of supporting NC or PDP. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti had said that her party will support Congress if it elects Prof. Saiffudin Soz as its chief ministerial candidate. But Soz himself was not interested to become the CM and was favoring Gulam Nabi Azad. Numbers were also not in favor of Congress-PDP coalition government as the combination required the support of six more legislators to prove the majority in the assembly. NC-Congress Amid such circumstances it has become clear that NC and Congress will come together again to stake claim for the formation of the new government. NC chief ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah had intensified his efforts and had traveled to Delhi to discuss about the matter with the senior Congress leaders and party president Sonia Gandhi. But on the other hand Congress has not shown any keenness to rush to form a government and had kept its ‘doors open to all options’. Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi discussed the matter with former J&K chief minister Gulam Nabi Azad and state party president Safuddin Soz on Monday evening. It is being said that Congress will take a day or two to reach a final decision on forming the [...]
Gajini Movie Review
December 30th, 2008 Aman All-Out Performance Aamir Khan has a special status in the Indian entertainment industry called Bollywood. He is known for his ‘all-out’ performances in his films. In recent years we have witnessed that he has worked in a very few films but all those films have proved out to be grand successes on the board. Whether it was ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Lagan’, ‘Rang De Basanti’ or is ‘Gajini’, he had adopted a unique style to fully suit his films. And all these films have proved his metal as a matured actor and as a successful experimentalist. He changes his personality according to the demand of the role. We have seen his ‘Mangal Pandey’ look and to prove his metal in that film he had worked for months. Race To do justice to every role he ‘surpasses all limits’. His Gajini look is the proven evidence. After Salman and Shahrukh he too, have joined the ‘Bollywood body builder actors’. He has not joined the race with Salman and Shahrukh but have even surpassed then. Sharukh had showed his ‘six pack’ body in his recent flick but Aamir has surpassed him by his ‘eight pack’ body look in his latest flick ‘Gajini’. Once again Aamir has appeared in a new look but this time he is totally different-we haven’t seen him before. He has not only ‘worked on his body’ but went ‘all-out’ to promote his film. Whether it were print media, TV shows, hoardings and stage programs his tattooed his rippling musculature was could be seen anywhere. Cast&Crew Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan and Pradeep Rawat starred ‘Gajini’ has been directed by A R Murugadoss a famous south Indian director. Originally it is the remake of the Tamil film ‘Gajini’ which was inspired by Christopher Nolan’s “Memento”. Except Aamir most of the crew and the director have worked in the Tamil ‘Gajini’ also. A.R. Rehman has given music to the film. In the starting of the film Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) is introduced who is suffering from a anterograde amnesia, a short term memory loss which means that one forgets everything within a short span of time. The director has done a wonderful job even when the situation switches very fast because of hero’s ‘short haul amnesia’. Story Line The hero forgets every thing within the time of 15 minutes that is why everything is tattooed on his body that reminds [...]
Tension Eases After Indo-Pak Military-to-Military Talks
December 29th, 2008 Aman Military Movement The tension between India and Pakistan have eased to some extent after the military-to-military talks between both the nations. Tensions were very high after the militant attack on Mumbai and reached the highest point after Pakistan had shifted its thousands of troops from the Afghanistan border towards its eastern border. It is being said that India, too, had taken the precautionary measures and had ordered the movement of troops towards its western border. Movement of heavy military equipment towards border was also seen in both the nuclear armed nations which had given rise to the war talks. Pakistan military and air force had increase its activities near the Indo-Pak border which was being considered as a provocation by the Indian public. Pak Stand A group of ten Pakistani militants had slaughtered 180 Indian and foreign people in India’s financial capital Mumbai. After the militant attack, tensions were high between both the nations and Indian public was demanding some strict action on the part of its government. Pakistan had earlier promised a strict action against the perpetrators of the terror attack who are sitting in Pakistan but later on had backtracked from its commitment when evidence established links with ISI and Pakistani military. After that their were many ‘turns and U-turns’ in Pakistan’s stand which exposed its real face in front of the international community. It is being believed in India that without tough action Pakistan will not ‘come on to the track’. Blackmail Tactics But on the other hand Pakistan government chose the ‘denial’ mode in wake of increasing international pressure. Pakistan government even started to use blackmail tactics by shifting its troops from FATA towards Indian border. It must be learnt that Pakistan has deployed its thousands of troops along the Afghanistan border in support of the US led coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan against the Taliban militants. If Pakistan moves its troops from the Afghan border then it will become impossible for the coalition forces to win the ‘war on terror’. Changing Attitude According to some media reports senior Indian and Pakistani military officers had contacted each other to defuse the tensions. The tensions had reached at such a point that it could start a sub-continental war. According to the report the Directors-General Military Operations of both of the countries, India and Pakistan, discussed the matter with each other on hotline on Sunday. [...]
NC-Congress Coalition Will Form Government In J&K
December 29th, 2008 Aman Results As the counting of votes for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls was under process it became clear that the state is once again set to face a coalition government. As the counting progressed , Farooq Abdullah led National Conference emerged as the single largest party in the state with 28 seats out of the total 87 state assembly seats. It is closely followed by PDP which has won 21 seats. Congress has won 17 seats while BJP has emerged as the biggest gainer in these elections as it has improved from its previous seat tally of 1 to 11. The remaining 10 seats have been won by some other parties and the independents. Coalition Possibilities It can be called the ‘election mandate’ , ‘Janta ka faisla’ or an irony that except NC and Congress’ coalition no other alliance can stake claim to form a government in the state. 44 seats are required to stake claim to form the government. NC and PDP are the arch rivals and no one can expect them to come together. At the same time no one can expect an ‘understanding’ between BJP and PDP as both are polls apart. PDP has a soft corner for the separatists while BJP calls them ‘traitors’. If the impossible happens and PDP and BJP come close to each other, even then they can not form a government as they both are short of 12 seats to form a government. PDP and Congress along with the others can form the government but this is not possible because of the recent strategic election compulsion. Congress has not yet recovered from the recent back stabbing by the PDP. So all it indicates that Except NC and Congress no other coalition can stake claim to form the government. After the trust vote motion in the Lok Sabha NC and Congress have come very close to each other. It must be learnt that PDP and NC both had supported the Manmohan Singh government in favor of India-US nuclear deal. After the elections results Congress had said that its doors are opened both for NC and PDP. But, in the political circles it was being said that Congress is inclined towards NC. This possibility had almost turned into reality with the declaration of the election results. Chief Minister After the declaration of results on Sunday evening , 72 year old NC [...]
Extortion and Murder- Mayawati Led BSP’s Party Agenda
December 27th, 2008 Aman Murder Earlier their were rumors that all BSP MLA’s are ‘collecting’ party fund to give as gifts to their party leader Miss. Mayawati on her birthday bash. It was being said that BSP leaders and party workers were extorting money for party funds. These rumors turned out to be true on December 24 with the brutal murder of Manoj Kumar Gupta, executive engineer of the Public Works Department in Gail Vihar colony residence at Dibiapur in Auraiya district. According to the wife of the killed engineer local BSP MLA Shankar Tiwari had demanded Rs. 50 lakh rupees as ‘donation’ for Chief Minister Mayawati’s birthday but the engineer had refused to give the ‘chanda’. Police According to the wife of the slain engineer some people had entered their house forcibly and started to beat them. Later on when the engineer fell unconscious, he was taken away by the BSP workers to the local party office and again was beaten brutally and when he died the local MLA himself took his body to the police station. This all was done in the presence of the MLA and a local police officer. It has been said that Monoj Kumar Gupta had twice phoned the local police station before the BSP ‘goondahs’ could broke open the locked doors. Both the calls for help were received by the local police station but did not take any action. All these incidents indicate that the local police was ‘hand in glove’ with the local BSP extortionists probably because of some ‘high level pressure’. Extortion But the BSP’s ‘tyranny’ did not end here. All the BSP leaders including the party head Mayawati tried to project it professional rivalry and dispute over the commissions on contracts. But the wife of the slain engineer alleged that it were the local BSP party workers and MLA Shankar Tiwari who killed her husband brutally. Mayawati government had tied to distance itself from the episode by saying that Chief Minister has nothing to do with the case. But Mayawati had ruled out the possibility of CBI enquiry which is being seen as Mayawati’s underhand support to the arrested MLA. Later on Mayawati had held a press conference and had tried to project the murder as “the result of some kind of professional tussle and underhand money.” She had also ruled out the possibility of shielding anybody indulged in any unlawful activity. She said, [...]
Pakistan’s Homage to Benazir- War with India
December 26th, 2008 Aman Terrorist Nation Thousands of Pakistani traveled hundreds of miles to gather in Garhi Khuda Bakhash at the mausoleum of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhuto on the first anniversary of her assassination. Bhuto had been killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on December 27, 2007 during a public rally within a few weeks of her return to Pakistan after a long ‘forced exile’ by the military rulers. It was a second attack on her after her return to the Pakistan. General turned President Parvez Musharraf had blamed militant leader Baitullah Mehsood for her assassination but public of Pakistan believes that Musharraf too was indirectly involved in her assassination by not providing adequate protection to her. After her death PPP, led by her husband Asif Ali Zardari had returned to power and had vowed to fight against the terrorists and root out the menace from the Pakistani soil. But these were only ‘emotional words’ that were never turned into reality. Today Pakistan based militant outfits have become more powerful and have started to attack the neighboring countries which has poised a great danger to Pakistan’s existence. A nation that was being considered US’ biggest ally in its war on terror has got the tag of ‘international migraine’. 75 per cent terror activities carried out around the world are directly linked to Pakistan. These facts have brought Pakistan almost very near to attain the tag of a ‘terrorist nation’. National Policy But Pakistan has not changed its ‘national policy’ of supporting terrorists. Despite of peace process with India terrorists were pushed into the Indian territory which was just a part of Pakistani military and ISI’s anti-India policy. Serial bomb blasts and the terror attack on Mumbai were the results of this policy. But with the killing of almost 200 innocent people in Mumbai by the Pakistani terrorists, India has lost its patience. Pakistani leadership which has earlier promised to take concrete steps against the militant elements responsible for attack on India had later on backtracked from its words. It did not end here but they started to speak the language of same elements that were responsible for Bhuto’s assassination. Military Movement According to the recent reports, Pakistan has increased the deployment of troops on its eastern border adjoining Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, and J&K. Military has started to renovate old bunkers and build new bunkers near the along with the [...]
India Pakistan Heading Towards War
December 24th, 2008 Aman Preparation As the tension between India and Pakistan is rising both the nations are heading towards a military confrontation. Mumbai terror attack has exposed the nexus between Pakistani secret agency ISI, military and the militant outfits Lashkar-e-Taeba and Taliban. Though Pakistan government talks to cooperate with India in investigating the Mumbai terror attack and bring the perpetrators to the justice but at ground level nothing has been done to dismantle the terror infrastructure present inside Pakistan. Though terrorist camps still exit inside Pakistan and training is being imparted but Pakistan government has done nothing to uproot the infrastructure. Pakistani leadership’s flip-flop show has also escalated the tensions between both the nations. According to the latest reports Pakistani military and air force has increased its activities on its eastern border amid the rising tensions between both the nations. On the other hand India has also kept its security forces prepared to retaliate in minimum possible time. Pakistan has enough evidence that proves that the Mumbai attackers were Pakistani national trained by the Pakistani establishment but it in hesitant to take any actions against the ‘non-state actors’. Hypocrisy Instead of taking any concrete actions against the militants, Pakistani government is creating war hysteria. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who had earlier taken some positive steps to dismantle the terror infrastructure have backtracked from his stand and has started to speak the words similar to the former military dictators. Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has also backtracked from his earlier positions. It indicates that someone else is behind the scene who is governing Pakistan. Mumbai attack has unveiled that what is the real power inside Pakistan. But at the same time it has also exposed Pakistan’s hypocrisy in the war on terror. Leadership Failure On the other hand Indian government has also become an example of a ‘total failure’. Recent developments indicate that only two leaders, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are governing the nation. Rests of the Indian leaders are taking the necessary rest before the general elections that are scheduled to be held in the months of May and June next year. But it is not the leadership that wants to end the cross-border terrorism in ‘one-go’ but the Indian public. Massive public rallies in many parts of the country indicate that, Indian public has fed-up with the militancy and wants a ‘concrete action’ against the ‘rogue [...]
Mohali Test Drawn-India Win Series
December 23rd, 2008 Aman Series Result The second test between India and England, played at the PCA Stadium Mohali ended into a draw. England had resumed its India Tour after the terror attack on Mumbai. Resumption of the tour was being seen as a befitting reply to terrorists’ act of creating fear and disruption of normal life in India. It must be learnt that terrorists had targeted the foreign national in Mumbai attack. More than 50 people were killed inside the Taj Hotel where the England team was scheduled to arrive a day later and to stay for a couple of days as Mumbai was the original venue for the second test and was later on changed to Mohali because of security reasons. Defensive On day four England bowlers had given some jolts to the Indian side by taking some quick top order wickets which had forced India to adapt a defensive approach as the match was evenly poised at that time and fall of more wickets could turn the tide in favor of England and series could have ended into a draw. After Tendulkar’s dismissal India decided to play for a draw without taking to many risks. India had made 134 runs for four on day four while Gambhir and Yuvraj were on the crease. Gambhir&Yuvraj In the morning the play was delayed for two hours because of fog and poor light conditions. Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh added 153 runs for the fifth wicket. While Gambhir played a defensive game Yuvraj was as natural he is. They used reverse hits and sweeps against a strong off-side field set by skipper Kevin Pietersen against the left handers. By the lunch India was leading by 369 runs which also included the 153 run lead from the first inning. But they both missed the chances to complete their centuries. Yuvraj fell short of the crease when he tried to steal a single and a direct throw from Ian Bell in short fine-leg ended his dream run. Yuvraj had brought back the Twenty20 memories when he hit some long and high sixes Stuart Broad. Yuvraj hit six boundaries and four sixes in his 86 run knock off 93 balls. Gambhir missed his century by just three runs when he edged a Graeme Swann delivery and Ian Bell took a brilliant diving catch at gully. He played a very cautious and defensive game which is the sign of [...]
India on Back foot-Mohali Test
December 22nd, 2008 Aman England Early blow by the spirited England bowlers and the slow run scoring has put India on the back foot in its second inning on the day four of the Mohali test. On day third Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra had struck in the last overs to leave the visitors at 282 for six. But before that England skipper Kevin Pietersen had played a live giving knock to keep his side afloat. At one point of the match England’s four players were back into the pavilion with 131 runs on the scoreboard. But Pietersen smashed 15th test hundred of his career to negate the possibilities of small score. A good support from Alastair Cook and Andrew Flintoff also brought their side back into the play. Batting In the morning on day three, play was delayed almost for 90 minutes because of dense fog and poor light conditions. But England openers could not give a good start to their side. Zaheer Khan dashed their hopes of a good start when he trapped Strauss leg before the wicket in the first over of the play. Strauss could not open his account. New man Ian Bell could not steer his side out of danger and was dismissed by Ishant Shara for 1. An incoming ball took the inside edge of his bat and crashed into his middle stump. A century run partnership between Cook and Pietersen pulled their side out of danger. Zaheer again struck in the second session and trapped Cook in front of the wicket. He made 50 runs. Now it was turn of Indian spinners. Mishra did not allow the partnership between Collingwood and Pietersen to last long and dismissed the former. A flighted delivery took a faint edge before being caught by wicketkeeper Dhoni. Pietersen-Flintoff But a 149 run partnership between Flintoff and Pietersen pulled their side out of danger. Pietersen made 144 and Flintoff made 62 runs. Pietersen’s adventurous shots increased Indian bowlers’ problems and pushed them to back foot to a defensive mode. But Indian spinners brought their side back into the game by dismissing both of the danger men in the last overs of the day three’s game. Harbhajan Singh trapped Pietersen in front of the wicket. Flintoff was sent packing when Gautam Gambhir took a superb catch at short-leg off Mishra. But at the close of the third day’s play England had made 282 runs [...]
