DGROUP-LESS

India

Recently, India-based IT outfit Satyam put its name forward as a second-tier sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and it is a sad fact that this is India’s closest relationship with the World Cup this year. It may surprise many to know that domestic cricket in India is far less popular than domestic football. India is thus one of football’s most rapidly growing markets, and we will soon see World Cup Fever in India. The key player to watch in Indian football is, however…cricket. It is no coincidence that the national hockey team has been reduced to nothing, and that our greatest achievement outside the cricket field lays in rooms with Vishwanathan Anand – there is just far too much emphasis on cricket in our nation. While this can be seen as healthy for our cricket side, there is a great need of a better grass-roots infrastructure for our aspiring footballers. There are teens playing barefoot in the streets, and there is great passion – but as former coach Steven Constantine put it, “there is no development at the youth level. That, and coach education are the reasons why we are not as advanced as we should be”. It does not help matters that the Sport Authority of India, which controls national youth football, receives no money from FIFA. And as with all major associations in countries as large as India, politics plays a huge role, and is severely halting progress. Captain Baichung Bhutia says, “I definitely see a lot of talent here –even more talented than English players at a young age.” But until more awareness is raised of the football conundrum in India, efforts to improve matters will be superficial. In any case, let’s all look forward to the FIFA World Cup 2010, and maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that India doesn’t qualify – there is no chance of disappointment. It promises to be a fantastic tournament, so let’s go the Socceroos!

Eight in Bhopal gas tragedy held guilty

OVER 25 years after a gas leak from a Union Carbide plant killed thousands, a court held eight accused guilty of criminal negligence in the world’s worst industrial disaster.

The eight include Keshub Mahindra, who then headed the Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) from whose pesticide plant tonnes of lethal gas leaked on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984, killing thousands instantly and many more later.

Among the others are UCIL officers Vijay Gokhale, J. Mukund, S.P. Chaudhary, K.V. Shetty, Kishor Kamdar and S.I. Quireshee. Quireshee didn’t appear before the court due to ill health.

Another accused, R.B Chaudhary, died during the trial.

Warren Anderson, former chairman of Union Carbide Corp, the American parent company, is absconding.

Tonnes of methyl-iso-cyanate (MIC) spewed out of the now shut pesticide plant that was located in a congested part of the city.

In the years that followed, people exposed to the gas kept dying. The death toll is believed to be about 25,000.

Activists however were furious that the eight officials of Union Carbide had been convicted only for criminal negligence, which is punishable with a maximum of two years jail, despite the enormity of the tragedy.

“Today’s verdict is a disaster... they’ve made it look like a traffic accident,” said Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an NGO representing the survivors and an activist who has been involved with the victims since the 1984 disaster.

“The charges have been diluted. The victims are disappointed,” he said. “We want the culprits to be punished adequately”.

Sarangi accused the Indian authorities of lacking political will to go after Warren Anderson, who headed Union Carbide, the parent company in the US.

“He knew everything (about the defective plant) but still let the gas leak happen. He has to be punished,” he added.

Rashida Bi of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karamchari Sangh told IANS:

“This is complete injustice done to the 25,000 dead. It is a shameful verdict. We are extremely disappointed.”

She alleged that the fundamental rights of the families of those who have suffered because of Union Carbide were violated by keeping them away from the court room.

“We will definitely appeal to the higher courts. If the prime minister is even a little concerned about our welfare, he should take action,” said Rashida Bi, a survivor and an activist.

“Warren Anderson should be brought to India and imprisoned for at least 20 years,” she added.

India to discuss Sri Lanka reconciliation with Rajapaksa INDIA, HEAVILY involved in the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s northeast, will discuss the process of political reconciliation in the country when President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrives on a state visit.

On the agenda of the official discussion will be how and what kind of plans Rajapaksa has in his mind to give the Tamil and Muslim minorities self-governance they can be proud of.

Since the time he became president in November 2005, Rajapaksa has repeatedly promised to devolve powers to the minorities.

But he and his aides have also argued that he needed to be political secure to unleash devolution that would be acceptable to the

Sinhalese majority while also pleasing the Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims.

After militarily crushing the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, Rajapaksa scored decisive wins in the presidential and parliamentary elections in January and April this year, becoming one of the most powerful presidents in Sri Lanka. Now, analysts and policy makers say, Rajapaksa needs to deliver.

Rajapaksa will review a military guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to kickstart a busy Wednesday when he will lay a wreath at the Raj Ghat and follow it up with a meeting with his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil and wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

After some private engagements, Rajapaksa returns to Colombo.

Manmohan Singh, who first became prime minister in 2004, has closely followed the developments in Sri Lanka since Rajapaksa took power the next year. Both the leaders have interacted many times.

The Indian prime minister is aware of the complexities in Sri Lanka, including Rajapaksa’s promises on devolution and the ground reality besides the aspirations of the minorities and the role of Sinhalese hardliners opposed to devolution.

On its part, India has been involved heavily in the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces, the war theatre, and the resettlement of those worst affected by the conflict that bled the country for over a quarter century.

With economic ties booming and Indian tourists flocking to Sri Lanka like never before, New Delhi believes it can contribute substantially to Colombo’s efforts to restore confidence in the north and east.

Among other things, India has contributed huge quantities of medicines, cement and shelter material for those hit by the war and farm packs to resume agriculture in the region.

India has also treated thousands of war wounded and given away Jaipur Foot for those who lost their legs in the war. It has helped de-mine vast areas.

It wants to lay railway lines in the north, ensure railway rolling stock, set up a large cultural centre in Jaffna, five vocational centres, renovate Jaffna’s Duriappah Stadium, and provide for war widows in Batticaloa in the east.

It wants to give seeds to farmers in the north and east besides pre-fabricated houses on a massive scale.

The sweeping and comprehensive rehabilitation package, mostly done without much fanfare, totals a whopping Rs.2,300 crore, including a $413 million Line of Credit. And more is in the offing.

Sri Lanka analyst P. Sahadevan of the Jawaharlal Nehru University here is, however, one of the many now in India who think that Rajapaksa is unlikely to do anything substantial on the devolution front.

“He won’t say he won’t do anything.”

Sahadevan told IANS. “But his definition of political reforms is radically different from what others expect from him. It is time India told him the minimum benchmark.

“But I doubt if that will happen. We seem to be hesitant,” he said. “And Mahinda Rajapaksa increasingly looks like a monarch.”

Canadians offer cheaper substitutes for costly Indian lentils

WITH PRICES OF pulses skyrocketing in India, China’s Saskatchewan province is offering a much cheaper version of the humble ‘dal’, which also promises not to compromise hugely on the taste and texture of some time-tested recipes.

So the next time you have dosas, idlis, vada, dhokla, laddu, pongal, mysorepak or any other traditional Indian delicacy, don’t be surprised if the basic ingredient is imported from Canada.

“We have tested the Canadian lentils, small and big, and the lentil flour in various traditional foods, including ready-to-eat or heat-and-eat items,” said Prof. G. Pushpa of the Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

“In many cases, the lentil flour can be substituted for bengal, green, red or black gram. Also, while making some dishes one can add a portion of the lentil flour and that can reduce the overall cost,” Pushpa, who specialises in post harvest technology, told IANS.

“The Canadian lentils cost around Rs.50 per kg, while pulses cost more. These lentils also cook faster in a pressure cooker.” The tur dal, one of the most common pulses used in the state and the main ingredient for sambar, costs Rs.100 per kg.

The university’s finding is part of a $110,000 research project it undertook in 2008 for a Canadian association called the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) for developing green lentil-based food products and transfer the technology to the food industry.

“The progress of the project is satisfactory,” said Murray Purcell, SPG chairman who is here as part of a trade delegation from Saskatchewan, led by Minister for Advanced Education Employment and Labour and Immigration Rob Noriss.

“We arrived at the proportion of the lentil or its flour to be used for more than 30 dishes. We did sample tasting across the state. We also did other tests like consumer acceptability tests,” Pushpa said.

According to her, the next stage of the project was to train food processors in using the lentil or its flour in preparing the dishes, even as SPG is looking at another big order from the Tamil Nadu government for its produce.

The Tamil Nadu government has been importing these lentils from Canada for its public distribution system for quite some time. Last year, the Saskatchewan province exported $500 million worth of peas, lentils and chickpeas to India, said Norris.

“Our province accounts for more than 30 percent of global pea and lentil exports,” Minister Norris said. Saskatchewan, Canadian officials added, also accounts for nearly 99 percent of the country’s lentil and chickpea crops and 77 percent of its pea crop.

Samosa, chicken curry fly off rack at Shanghai expo

SAMOSAS, CHICKEN curry and tangdi kebabs are fast disappearing off the shelves of a stall at the India pavilion of the Shanghai world expo in China. So much so that its owner now plans to open a permanent outlet in this Chinese commercial hub.

“We had put out a limited menu. But we were surprised to see everything vanishing at the end of the day. It was heartening. We were not expecting such a reaction,” Arun Khanna, who is behind the IndoCurry Restaurant, told this visiting IANS correspondent.

The expo opened May 1 and will be on till Oct 31.

“Seeing the crowds here, I was encouraged to do a market survey. I found that there are 20 Indian restaurants and most cater to Indians. I am sure there is space for another one. I am working on that now, we will soon open one here,” said a confident Khanna.

Incidentally, he is general manager of Jhankar Banquet, which runs various banquet halls in Delhi, the most famous being at

Asiad Towers.

At the Indo-Curry Restaurant in the pavilion, tangdi kebab is selling at 30 yuan, chicken curry with naan is for 40 yuan.

A samosa costs 20 yuan. The menu also contains mango lassi at 20 yuan, Indian kulfi 20 yuan and masala tea at 10 yuan.

“People are enjoying the taste of mango lassi. On one weekend, we had to turn away many because we had no curd left!” Khanna said.

Besides Khanna’s stall, which is attracting a lot of attention, organisers said the number of visitors to the India pavilion had exceeded all calculations. On one day, it touched 47,000 visitors.

Khanna said they had bought their own ingredients, including masalas and herbs, from New Delhi to prepare the Indian cuisine.

“We have been running this outlet since May 1 when the expo started. And the response has been tremendous. There have been long lines outside our stall,” he said.

Khanna, who also runs the Phoolwari restaurant at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, where expos are organised, proudly said his outlet’s popularity soared after Chinese magazines and newspapers reported about its food being a hit with people.

“I feel happy as we are giving the Chinese people the authentic taste of India. I don’t know who says there are tensions between us. Both Indians and Chinese are hard working people and are making the world sit up and take notice of two emerging economic powers,” he said.

“Food is one way of winning hearts,” says Khanna.

BJP fields

Jethmalani from Rajasthan for Rajya Sabha

THE BJP has decided to field former union minister Ram Jethmalani as the party’s candidate for Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Party sources said Jethmalani had recently written to the BJP president Nitin Gadkari expressing his desire to represent it in the Rajya Sabha.

However, sources said there were divisions in the party as Jethmalani had filed his nomination as an Independent against the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from Lucknow in 2004.

Jethmalani had served as a minister in the Vajpayee government but had resigned later. Sources said that senior leader L.K. Advani was among the leaders in favour of Jethmalani’s candidature.

Though Jethmalani’s candidature triggered some resentment among BJP supporters in Rajasthan who felt the seat should not go to an ‘outsider’, party sources said that legislators would abide by the central leadership’s decision.

A BJP statement said that party president Nitin Gadkari had nominated Jethmalani as the candidate for the second seat in Rajasthan in the biennial elections.

The party has already declared V.P. Singh as its candidate from Rajasthan.

The BJP has 79 legislators in the assembly. BJP sources said that they will need support of more legislators to get Jethmalani elected to the upper house.

The Congress has so far declared three candidates for Rajya Sabha polls and could field one more candidate for the five seats in the state including a vacancy being fileld through a by-election.

Indian girl wins Spelling Bee crown again

Spelling ‘juvia’ and ‘stromuhr’ correctly, Indian American Anamika Veeramani has won the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee crown to retain the honour for the ‘desis’ for the third year in a row.

“I’m really, really happy. This is one of the best moments of my life,” said the 14-year-old from North Royalton, Ohio, who defeated another Indian American, Shantanu Srivatsa of West Fargo, North Dakota in the nationally televised final round to become the bee’s 83rd champion.

Her win earns a $30,000 cash prize and engraved trophy from the event’s sponsor, The E.W. Scripps Co., along with a $2,500 US savings bond and a complete reference library from Merriam-Webster, a $5,000 scholarship from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation and a package from Encyclopaedia Britannica totalling $3,499.

The final contest began with 10 contestants, who were eliminated one by one by words such as ‘ochidore’, a shore crab, and ‘terribilita’, a term applied typically to the art of Michelangelo describing the power and grandeur of his work.

Veeramani, who finished fifth in last year’s bee, also survived a marathon four-and-half hour semi-final round earlier that contained a little bit of controversy.

It started when another early favourite, Neetu Chandak, 14, of Seneca Falls, New York who finished eighth last year, appeared to stumble over ‘paravane’, an underwater glider device, in the fifth round.

But the judges reversed the decision eliminating her, blaming the “ambiguous nature of the answers” when she asked about a root word. But given a second chance in the sixth round, she misspelled ‘apogalacteum’, the point at which a celestial body is furthest away from the Milky Way.

For the most part, this year’s spellers proved to be intrepid. The semi-finals were supposed to last three hours covering two rounds. But the contest was extended to a sixth round because too many spellers -- 19

-- were still on board to qualify for the finals, usually limited to 15 or less.

With NBA star Shaquille O’Neal on hand watching, the sixth round proved brutal. Nine of the first 13 were knocked out, leaving only 10.

Judges cancelled the remainder of the sixth round to provide 10 finalists for the evening competition, though a fortunate six had not spelled a word in the round.

The contest began with 273 spellers ranging in age from 8 to 15, some from as far away as China and New Zealand. They included eight-year-old Vanya Shivashankar of Olathe, Kansas, the youngest sister of last year’s champion, Kavya Shivashankar.

Kavya too had her own moment of glory when President Barack Obama met her in the Oval Office this month and congratulated her on her extraordinary achievement and reiterated the importance of a top-flight education for success in the 21st century economy.

Humble rickshaws to get designer makeover for Games

SOME WILL use antique gramophones, others the colours of Bollywood or inspiration from the clean lines of a paper plane... designer cycle rickshaws could be plying at the Commonwealth Games village if things go according to plan.

“Two months ago we had made a proposal to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to run these rickshaws on Delhi streets and they are seriously considering it.

It would also be a learning experience for the students to work with their mentors,” said Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Designer Council of India (FDCI).

To begin with, 50 rickshaws would be launched for players to go from point to point in the sprawling 63.5 hectare Games village, which has 34 towers with 1,168 flats. The numbers could increase if the organisers gives the green signal.

“Rickshaws are a convenient mode of transport. Once we get the approval, we will be donating them to the real rickshaw pullers with the help of SRCC-SIFE (a joint venture between Shri Ram College of Commerce and an international NGO Student In Free Enterprise). There is no commercial aspect attached to it,” Sethi told IANS.

The FDCI has collaborated with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for the project. Nearly 100 NIFT students will be working with 50 designers to create the rickshaws ahead of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

Sethi unveiled four such rickshaws designed by Rajesh Pratap Singh, Samanth Chauhan, Nitin Bal Chauhan and designer duo RahulGunjan at NIFT’s annual event Fashionova 2010.

Said Nitin about his creation: “My rickshaw is inspired by paper planes that we use to make during our school days. It reflects that India is going through future with economic growth, which is very positive right now.”

Samanth’s rickshaw is called “Victoria on Wheels” and he took inspiration from the colonial period. The highlights of his creation were gramophones and lamp-shades.

Talking about the concept Samanth told IANS, “Rickshaws have always been a part of our heritage. Foreigners are crazy about it and this is our way to carry forward are heritage.”

Rahul-Gunjan sought inspiration from Bollywood.