Mining in Bellary by Tehmina Sabuwala

What is the Bellary mining scandal?

-       Bellary is a district in Karnataka, one of the largest producers of iron ore in India. Yeddyurappa brothers been accused to ship tons of iron ores out of India.

They are two main issues that according to me are important, which I would like to highlight: 

1. This is core example of how Lokyukta was successful and played its role and Yeddyurappa was forced to resign. 

2. Only few media highlight these important issues, media in India our definitely not controlled by the government but are controlled by the corporates that do the agenda setting. 

From the first point, Lokyukta in Bellary had honest and un-corrupt officer, Santosh Hegde. When ‘Tehelka’ magazine first published the story it mentioned how the evidence was destroyed of the illegal mining done by the Yeddyurappa brothers. The honest people who tried to highlight this issue were threatened and beaten up. The only evidence they had was the ‘pink slips’. Pink slips where the passes the trucks drivers got when they had to pay the octroi. These trucks were filled with iron ore and were supplied to China and they used it during the Beijing Olympics. Isn’t it sad to see all the rich mineral of India going to other country? The iron ore that will never come back again. How unjust is that? Who are we to blame? Ministers, China, or the media?

Yes, I say the say media. This is where I come to by second point. What role has media really played to change or develop this nation? We are just puppets of the corporates. If we had researched and given importance to this issue, we would have not lost are thousand and thousand of iron ores. ‘Tehelka’ was the only magazine to cover the Bellary mining scandal following was CNN IBN. Later we had a beautiful documentary by Pranjoy Guha Thackeray. The documentary covered more on the political aspects rather the effects; it gave less of human angle. For example, the water in Bellary is red water, ‘lal paani’ people cannot obviously cannot drink the water and to add to that, the main occupation is agriculture because of the water the plants/crops are destroyed.

So, we are not only losing our land but facing adverse effects from it. No agriculture means no productivity, which means no money and that’s means more of suicide by framers. So, inequality always remain between the haves and the haves-not. Lokyukta did play its role because it had honest officers. I hope it does the same in the future.

'Week of carnage in the financial markets'

From the time the US congress passed the much maligned budget deficit agreement and the rating agency Standard and Poor's in effect de-rated the US government, world financial markets have been in turmoil.

France seems to be the next country facing a risk of de-rating. The de-rating in effect makes funds more expensive. The Federal Reserve of the US made a commitment to maintain low interest rates for the next 24 months to stimulate a stagnant economy. The problem faced by the US and the other developed countries is of a slowing economy and resultant unemployment.

In developing countries like India and China, the situation is the opposite. China announced higher than feared inflation for the month of July. India has been through several rounds of interest rate hikes to counter high inflation. Both these emerging economies are sacrificing growth to counter inflation. The global economy is dealing with two issues – need for growth in the west and need to curb inflation in the east. And the stock markets of both worlds are taking a beating due to this.

'Wall street/Dalal street carnage provides a window into politics'

Unemployment is expected to be the critical factor in the next US presidential elections. The ugly fight to extend the budget deficit has had broad ramifications. Though the US avoided default, the credit rating S&P de-rate their economy and Wall Street has lurched through a terrible August. The Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke have responded by committing to a low-interest regime for the next 24 months, leading right up to the elections. The hope in the US is that the economy will pick up through cheap access to funding and an increase in confidence. The US Presidential Election results may well depend on this.

Dalal Street and BSE may have caught a cold when the US sneezed, but India has fundamental economic issues on the demand side unlike the US. Demand has pushed inflation to politically unmanageable levels in India and the government is compromising the growth story to tame this election fulcrum.The Central Bank has increased interest rates several times now and more increases can be expected. Higher funding cost will slow the Indian growth story but may save an election is the thought process of the government.

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Triparna Rout

DNA-Different News-report Accumulated

DNA...as we all know, it’s a newspaper called "Daily News Analysis". And yes i am talking about the same newspaper. I have given the name "different News-report accumulated" and there is reason to it.Just a few days back, my uncle asked me to start reading DNA as this is the paper which shows young and honest journalism according to him. And i abide by his wish. Truly the reading experience was amazing and what i found was that how the news covered by DNA is very different and stimulating. The main news may be the same but the choice of news in DNA really entraps you. For example their headline said "What men want: A woman with a flat of their own"...they had done their research and survey required for this article well enough and wrote the article in a very remarkable way that i dint stop reading till the article ended. There also have 'letters to the editor' and it’s very appealing to read it and know what people think about a situation. Their photos are amazing...it evokes a lot of emotion and says exactly what the journalist wants us to interpret. There was a fascinating photo of a sand sculpture done by 'SudarshanPatnaik' of Anna Hazare in Puri...AND THE PHOTO ABOVE IS OF THIS SAND SCULPTURE. Isn't it so fascinating to get such information? And lastly there was an article on "Britain reads writing on the wall" it showed a giant message board in Clapham Junction in south-west London, following the recent riots and looting the area. The picture of that message wall is very thought provoking. Thus for me DNA is 'Different News-report accumulated"
So for all you people just go and grab a DNA from tomorrow and feel the exciting innovative news....at least try it once and then decide!

Vinelle Vaz

   

Independence Day

 The 'Times of India' on the occasion of the 64th Independence Day circulated a copy of its first issue in” India”.

     The euphoria of the people is unmistakable in this edition. It is a reminder to all who were born several years after the freedom struggle that perhaps our limited understanding of freedom and independence is falling short and hence we cannot see it for the gift it is or comprehend its value. Democracy and self governance is too precious to be squandered away by inactivity.

Twice a year, almost every year, people of all ages celebrate their Indian-ness. The rest of the year is somehow not connected to these at all. The suffering, affliction and apathy of the people not benefitting from the Status Quo makes all the patriotic sentiment that we claim to feel seem like a fib.

Sir John Colville, last Governor of Bombay called it the ‘Gateway to Free India’, a sentiment that many a migrant labourer has when he leaves home and hearth to come to the big bad city. They perceive Mumbai to be the city of promise and dreams where the people are supreme.

 Which people? I hear myself ask and what dreams?

Our city of dreams is a house of glass and everyday a new blow is dealt to its delicate façade as it continues to crumble into a million pieces.

We are a democracy governed by the wishes of the people, by a government of the people for the greater good of its people.

People people everywhere is what I see as I browse through independent India’s first paper. Once again I’m forced to ask myself which people?

Am I a part of those lucky people whose opinion matters, perhaps not. Maybe more because of my callousness and indifference that my inability to participate in the functioning of my country’s democracy.

A look at that edition stirred something deep within and for me it’s now time to change not dramatically , not a whole new me but I think I will start by filling up the cracks of discrimination and bias with love and acceptance.

Maybe next year I’ll further this effort with a court of a new outlook on the very day that filled thousands with joy and exuberance. Independence day then will begin to mean to me something more than a long awaited public holiday or an occasion to reminiscence and ruminate over the sufferings of those who sacrificed their lives  for my freedom , indifference and irreverence .

Veteran actor Shammi Kapoor passes away

Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/entertainment/shammi-kapoor-prince-of-the-hill-station-romance/articleshow/9609963.cms

    Aptly titled 'Prince of the hill station romance'; this article was published in the Times of India, dated August 15, 2011 and has been written as a tribute to the yesteryear's hero; Shammi Kapoor. Although the entire page had articles published in his memory, I liked this article the best because it has in a way, briefly tried to encapsulate the life of the phenomenonal star who gave hit films like 'Brahmachari, Kashmir ki Kali' and many others to the Hindi film industry, moreso by photographs from his films, some of him on the sets of his film and some from the family album. I especially liked one which had the three brothers; Shashi, Raj and Shammi in the same frame.

The mention of songs like 'Aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche', 'Badan pe sitare', brings a sense of nostalgia to my mind and a sense of grief that the man who made these songs memorable is no more today, bringing to an end an era of the industry altogether.

The article brings to light anecdotes from his life which offer an interesting insight into his life. It states how he never worked with a choreographer and the fact that he never learnt dancing, he was mainly inspired by Elvis Presley and usually danced extempore. Regarding his voice in his films, it is said that the singer Mohammed Rafi had developed a singing style to suit him. 

I had expected the Times of India to report exactly like this, i.e. dedicate a section specially to the actor in an effort to encapsulate his life onto one page and I must agree, they have done a good job.

 I am happy that I will still get to catch a last glimpse of the actor in the upcoming film 'Rockstar', directed by Imtiaz Ali, which is to be released later this year.

Dhara Kanani

12th Five year Plan on FB ?

Yes, you heard it right! Rather Mr. Manmohan Singh has heard us right (for the first time). The Prime Minister is the person who definitely needs a Brand manager thanks to his soft speech that no one can hear, his facial expressions which are like canvases on which any one can paint any picture of his mood. Did you know there was even a song called Gumsum dedicated to the PM and his Silence over the recent scams surrounding his government?! (The song is composed by Palash Sen, vocalist of the band called Euphoria. The page has been able to attract only 5,000 likes which 6,200 less in comparison to the page dedicated to “CID jokes”.

Imagine the public reaction to such a page on the long run. There would be someone or the other spamming the page time and again with the thought that its Sonia Gandhi operating it on behalf of Mr. Singh. Facebook will have to provide for a “Dislike” button as well and the posts that are put up will have to go through a Censor process. Well like all other government plans this page too will be slow to load and every click on the refresh button would be “taxed”.

In all its “cool” to have such a page and try to invite youth participation, however it needs to be done smartly. More interactive ways of interesting the youth in politics is tough but needs to be thought of(and implemented as well).

Hope this page is a tiny ray of light to the sunshine of Change that would help our country to Glow!

Wages Of War-Jimi Dey Gabriel

Arpika

Hello every one the article is found in the last week edition of Tehelka http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne130811WAGES.asp. The article talks about the insurgency in the Nagaland. Many groups sprouted in demanding autonomy, one of which is the Naga National Council (NNC) which fizzled out and broke into seven groups who are collectively called the Naga Underground(UG). What I read after this enraged me (and why I chose this article)because of the facts presented to me as well as the thought that how much more neglect will the North East states have to bear. This group has almost faded but it gave birth to 7 such groups and one of this is the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muviah) is said to be the at the top with the largest revenue(250 crore). The revenue? each of these seven groups have a systematic taxation policy on the people of Naga like state government, these taxes are low but if collected accross the state make up a substantial amount. For eg:- Rs.1 per sqt ft per grup, 2,24,914 houses in Naga generate Rs.16 crore. Every government employee has to pay their quota to these forces and failling to do so would be the death of a family member or even the entire family, therefore the officials inflate expenditure and give the money to the groups and pocket some for themselves. This gets even more tragic when its mentioned that according to the budget reports of the groups that have been seized most of the money is spend on funding education, good? not really. The funding is made so that the students upon returning are "hounour-bound" to sign up into the UG. The groups are filled with students from Delhi University, Jamial Milia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and even IITians. Unemployment too sucks them into the UG and the cycle will continue for many generations, the article states that the only way stop this is for the people of Naga to stop helping and givin in to the insurgents.I hope you go through the article its eye opener ladies!until next time. 

Broken Britain

By Tanvi Gupta

It came as shock when BBC broke the news, of one of the biggest turmoil of the decade, over live telecast from the streets of London. I don’t think even India, be it at the height of madness during rallies or political unrest, has ever seen such wide scale open looting like that did in U.K. While we blame the Indian government for its inefficiency, it is now clear that the developed nations are no better, the lawlessness and poor police action encouraged local gangs in spreading the situation to the other cities of Britain as well.

Although, for a nation already reeling under a ripple ramification of economic despair and unemployment, this eruption was much- predicted; the current state of U.K is shocking and depressing. The role of non-white population during the riots was undisputable but, there were a substantial number of whites’ part of the arson. Hence, it is evident that the death of Mark Duggan was just a trigger and that the riots were actually an explosion of the pent-up fury of the oppressed youth.

Moreover, the London riots turned social media anti-social giving social media a troubling new addition to its lexicon. The mobile phone was “weaponised” as the young on the rampage were messaging to incite participation in the looting and spreading the hostility to other parts of Britain. Of the lot of social media being used, the blackberry messenger, thanks to its much-discussed encryption, was the most difficult for the police to crack.

Clearly the British government has a lot of damage control to do, from repairing public property to social security. The riots have tarnished the image of the country especially when it is preparing to host the world’s largest sporting event next year.

"Art for art's sake"

By Amber Dias

That's more or less what columnist Aseem Chhabra is trying to say when he writes about the ban on Prakash Jha's Aarakshan. The film is based on the issue of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The film was banned in several places because of the controversial nature of its subject.
As Mr. Chhabra rightly points out the film itself is disappointing, however the banning of the film does raise several questions especially in this day and age when almost anything goes. This does not simply apply to this film but any film, book or other form of art. It definitely makes you wonder what kind of society we live in where politicians feel the need to ban anything they find objectionable in the name of looking out for the better interests of the public. Whatever happened to our rights to be able to think for ourselves and express ourselves in a way of our choosing? Do they really think that the people of India are so easily influenced that watching a film could have them breaking out into riots just because they did not like what they saw.
It paints a very grim future for India if our leaders are unable to open their minds even a little bit. If this continues we will be moving backwards instead of forward. Especially if they do not even realize that by banning something all they succeed in doing is motivating people to break it. After all they've said it themselves the Indian society is a rebellious one.

The Unbearable Lightness of being!

By Kaveri Waghela

We all know that India is a democracy. Everything here is for the people, of the people and by the people. So it’s quite obvious that corruption too in India is for the people, of the people and certainly, by the people!

India is ranked 84th in the corruption scale and thanks to the latest 2G Scam ,CWG Scam; I cannot imagine the ranking then! The people or more coherently put,’the aam aadmi’ blames it on the government and the government blames it on the people. It is a vicious circle. The portion or the chunk that remains in oblivion are our very own ‘Big Businesses’ They have the power and the money to bent the ethics and emerge as triumphant souls who have the widest grins on their faces and the widest waistline to fill their corruption laden pockets. So is India really a democracy? To which I say." No Dammit..India is a sly capitalist in an avatar of a democracy!” Now honestly, that is a trait! The urban middle class are just too busy working in call centres, studying abroad or buying their first blackberry's! The wider chunks which are often described as a ‘minority’ are the lower caste people who cannot even avail of a loaf of bread. They live in shoddy houses which are at the behest of the environment. One rain storm and what remains are shackles, dismantled, disorganised…The Tatas, the birlas and the ambanis are shamefully beaten by the A Rajas, the ‘evasive’ Niira Radias and our very own 'journalism wale bande' like Vir Sanghvi and Barkha dutt. So we are in a country where ‘The Right to Information act ‘is considered a landmark and still these bigwigs in the face of humans rip our nation off its consciousness! People believe the world is going to end on the 21st of December ,2012. I say that the world has already died a silent death. It is on ventilator support forever and offcourse, the hospital charges are paid by the’ Bigwig Motley Crowd'. But amidst all this darkness there is hope! There are still some people like Anna Hazare who are fighting for the Jan lokpal bill ( The Anti-Corruption bill). The poor 79 year old has to go for a hunger strike to put forth his admonition. We here, sitting in our Uv protected glass houses call ourselves ‘ The greatest democracy ever’. Instead of standing up and giving support to the organisation our very own ‘rich by the dozen Marathi manoos(Sharad Pawar) with a lot of saunskruti(typical Marathi accent) quits from the Group of Ministers on corruption, Thankfully! We all know why! There are some government officials that still do not take and bribe to cater their services. But how efficiently we generalise them into ‘ the typical government ka aadmi’. Corruption starts at grass root level forget RTI! I am just thinking what if the Lokpal bill comes into force where will Sharad Pawar be then??