DELHI BLAST

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RML HOSPITAL HELPLINE: 011- 2374 4721/ 2336 5525

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2: 00 pm: Rs 4 lakh to kin of dead

1: 55 pm: Blast is shocking and numbing, says Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi addessed the media outside the court. He said, "this is a terrible tragedy. This is something which is shocking and numbing. Our hearts go out to each litigant. They've come with great pressure and to be torn away suddenly out of the blue is terrible.

1: 50 pm: Chemical analysis on bomb likely by evening, CNN IBN

1: 45 pm: Sheila Dikshit at RML hospital
Delhi CM visits the injured in RMLhospital and says doctors are doing the best they can.

1: 35 pm: Will not succumb to pressure of terrorism: PM
Dr Singh said that all political parties and people of India must stand united. The PM is expected to return to India this evening.

1: 25 pm: Major metros placed on high alert after Delhi HC blast

Major metros of India have been placed on a state of high alert after Wednesday morning's explosion outside gate number five of the Delhi High Court.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior Home Ministry and police officials. The emergency meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh.

Thirteen members of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the bomb squad are at the blast site collecting evidence as to what caused the explosion at around 10. 15 a.m. this morning. More here

1: 20 pm: Terrorism in Delhi - A timeline

With today's bomb explosion outside the Delhi High Court, the number of terrorist attacks on the capital since 1997 has gone up to 30.

Among the most recent incidents, 59 people were killed and 155 injured during the October 18, 1997 serial bomb blasts that ripped through the markets of Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj and Govindpuri.

On September 13, 2008, five low-intensity explosions were set off within minutes of each other, beginning with Ghaffar Market, two explosions at Connaught Place, one at Barakambha Road and another near the Central Park Metro station at 6.31 pm. Blasts also rocked M-block market in Greater Kailash-I. Within seven minutes another bomb exploded in the same market. Twenty-five people were reported killed and 150 injured.

On September 27, two men on a motorcycle dropped a polythene packet containing a low-intensity explosive in the crowded Flower Market in Mehrauli. Three people, including a nine-year-old boy who picked up the bag, were killed and 21 people were injured.

On September 19, 2010, two armed men opened fire at Taiwanese tourists as they boarded a bus in the crowded Jama Masjid area. A Maruti car also went up in flames near the mosque, triggering panic. No casualties were reported though 14 injuries were claimed. The attack came two weeks ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

1: 15 pm: PM's statement on the blast
Dr Manmohan Singh says the terror strike is a "cowardly act". Meanwhile, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit visits at the RML hospital and HM Chidambaram visits the blast sight.

1: 10 pm: 4 kg explosive used for the blast: HT
Hindustan Times tweets, "4 kg explosive used for the blast, crater of 4x4 feet formed at the site: reports"

12: 36 pm: Chidambaram addresses Lok Sabha; 10 dead, 65 injured

Addressing the parliament on the blast, Home Minister P Chidambaram said 10 people have died while 65 are injured. The investigation into the blast will be handled by the NIA. He added, "Delhi is a target during parliament session. Delhi is on high alert. Intelligence pertaining to threats from certain groups was shared in July. Right now it is not possible to identify those behind the attack yet. Despite Delhi Police remaining alert, the tragic incident occurred today. Govt unequivocally condemns today's attack...Condolences to families of those who lost their lives...I appeal to the parliament and the entire nation, we must remain resolute and united..." Read more

AIIMS HELPLINE: 011-26101925

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12: 29 pm: Number of injured rises to 50

Special Commissioner Dharmendra Kumar said the number of injured admitted in various hospitals is at 50. Most of them have sustained leg injuries.

12: 07 pm: Opposition parties react to blast

BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad: It is a matter of great distress...Why isn't the government taking any action? How many more deaths? There is no proper security, no intelligence inputs...We condemn the attack.

CPI's D Raja: We condemn the attack in all possible terms...the government should come up with the right probe and share what went wrong... what is going on, what is wrong with our intelligence network? We strongly condemn this attack. Nobody should go scot-free. There is a failure on the government's part.

12: 00 pm: SAFDARJUNG HOSPITAL HELPLINE: 011- 2670 7444

11: 55 am: No intelligence inputs on the blast: MHA

11: 47 am: High intensity bomb used

Lok Sabha condemns the blast, is adjourned till 12:30 pm, reports HT.

11: 45 am: All metros on high alert

11: 35 am: MHA assesses situation

Times Now reports the MHA is in constant touch with investigative teams at the blast sight. The bomb was concealed in briefcase and place outside gate no 5.

11: 27 am: Delhi Blast: There was blood all over, says eyewitness

"It was a powerful blast...there is a lot of blood there," said a shocked woman lawyer, who was just driving up to work at the Delhi High Court when the explosion took place near Gate no 5.

Lawyers said the blast could be heard at the Patiala House two or three kilometers away. Kavita, an eyewitness said she was in a judge's chamber when she heard the blast. "The windows rattled she said." More

11: 17 am: 9 dead, 45 injured: Union Home Secretary

Medium to high intensity bomb used. He added that Delhi is on high alert and that investigations have begun.

11: 15 am: Parliament adjourned, Home Minister to make a statement at 12:30 pm

11: 12 am: NIA to help investigate

Besides the Delhi police and the forensic team, the NIA and NSG are also being rushed to the spot.

11: 09 am: 4 dead, 30 injured: Special home secy

A lawyer tells NDTV, that gate no 5 used to issue passes to litigants. He also said that 10 am is peak hour. Special home secretary tweets that so far four have been confirmed dead and 30 injured.

11: 04 am: Officials confirm four are dead, reports HT

Hindustan Times tweets that officials have confirmed four people have died in today's blast.

11: 00 am: Second blast in 4 months

This is the second blast in the Delhi High Court premises. On May 25, also a Wednesday, there was a low intensity blast.

Powerful blast outside Delhi high court; 9 killed, at least 45 injured

Reference: Times Of India

NEW DELHI: Nine people were killed and at least 45 others injured in a powerful blast outside Delhi high court gate number 5 on Wednesday morning.

Home ministry official UK Bansal told reporters that the explosives appeared to have been kept in a briefcase. The blast took place at around 10.15 am.

The injured have been taken to AIIMS, RML and Safdarjung hospitals. The Delhi Police have cordoned off the area, not far from Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

Top officials of Delhi Police including Special Commissioner (law and order) Dharmendra Kumar and Joint Commissioner of Special Cell RS Krishnaiah have rushed to the spot.

Jt Commissioner (Crime) Sandip Goyal and Special Commissioner PN Aggarwal also joined them.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2pm to allow government collect information and make its statement on bomb blast outside Delhi High Court.

The blast was the second explosion at the high court this year. On May 25, a small explosion that appeared to be a failed car bomb hit the court parking lot.

A high alert in the capital has been sounded and security tighten at public places.

The black money monster

The high drama over Baba Ramdev's midnight eviction and action against the peaceful gathering has shifted the focus away from the central is sue raised by the Baba – black money overseas – to the right to protest in a democracy. This being the case, there is danger of an uninformed debate on black money taking over, guided more by emotions and populist talk rather than an understanding of the problem and how it is best tackled.

Black money is money that is un accounted for – in other words, money generated by income that has either not been taxed or through criminal means, be it by drugs or arms running, ransom to kidnappers, bribes taken by politicians and officers, and so on. It is important to understand where different kinds of black money converge and where they diverge.

In the pre-liberalization era, it was common for businessmen to siphon their money abroad. While technically this was illegal, there were very good reasons why most businessmen hardly suffered from any sense of guilt Tax rates in this period were unrealistically high; marginal taxes could go up to as high as 97%! To pay such high taxes and generate the necessary surplus for legitimate business activity was virtually impossible.

Not just income tax, other levies stamp duty, wealth tax, building tax too were unrealistically high. There can't be an argument against necessary taxation needed to create the infrastructure of security, property and law for a well-functioning economy. As The Economist pointed out: "Necessary taxation is not theft. But there are margins at which taxation becomes difficult to distinguish from theft."

Besides lower taxes allow people to enjoy the fruits of their labour. As Edwin A Locke, professor emeritus at the Maryland University adds, "Lowering taxes is to allow the productive keep what they earn rather than forcing them to support the non-productive."

In the pre-liberalisation era, high taxes, how ever, did not diminish the demand for speed money or bribes. Officials demanded and received bribes for clearing import or export licences In the secretariat similar gratification was demanded for industrial approvals while deciding how many scooters a two-wheeler manufacturer or how many tons of cement a company could produce.

Businessmen, therefore, needed to keep unaccounted money to pay off the bribe-seeking babus. Businessmen, seeking to bring the state-of-the-art foreign technology or to find overseas markets, needed to travel abroad. And the permissible limit of foreign exchange was a niggardly $500 – an amount that would be over on a couple of days food and stay, leaving zero for entertainment and networking. Hence there was a clear incentive to keep money overseas.

Two decades into liberalization and easier controls, these norms are virtually forgotten But it's these which forced businessmen whose salaries, too would be determined and capped by the government – to bend the absurd laws. Now, should they be punished in the heat of the moment when all black money is sought to be painted by the same brush?

The approach to black money should be nuanced. (In our accompanying 'Times View' we have suggested a one-time amnesty for the businessman category). Those who have sent out money only to carry out their legitimate business should not be con fused with criminals who have siphoned out money. It is the latter that the government needs to target – the corrupt politician, the bribe-seeking bureaucrat, the drugs dealer, etc.

Laws are much more relaxed now – tax rates are comparable to the lowest in the world. Imports are easy — you can import almost anything as long as it is does not affect the environment or national security. Consequently, more people are paying taxes and smuggling of goods has fall en to negligible levels. This being the case, there is no mitigating reason for even businessmen to evade tax and siphon out their money to overseas tax havens.

However, no one likes to pay taxes. So, despite the fall in rates, importers still under invoice their shipments, while exporters over invoice While under invoicing helps avoid paying taxes, exporters can get additional benefits of export promotion schemes (meant to refund taxes by declaring a higher value of shipments. So, with an easier tax regime there must be stronger enforcement. In the US, for in stance, few take the risk of dodging taxes because the penalty is prohibitively high.

The strongest enforcement should be directed against of course the criminal elements, but also against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. This is be cause unless the hidden cost in the economy – resulting from the need to pay bribes is removed, it would be extremely difficult to root out black money. Because businessmen will then generate unaccounted money to pay off the neta or the babu.

The economy's hidden cost often leads to hidden consequences. There is no reason, for instance, why property in big cities like Delhi or Mumbai should be out of reach of every one barring the super-rich. This is because of black money. Often a house costing Rs 1 crore would be registered for Rs 50 lakh, or less. This kind of market distortion suits those with oodles of unaccounted moolah, not the tax-paying salaried class. Once black money is reduced in the economy price levels in the real estate market will naturally seek lower levels, making property much more affordable.

So, the battle against black money is a noble one, so long it's not allowed to become a witch-hunt against businessmen. After correcting the consequence of past distortions, India should reach international pacts with countries like Switzerland, Mauritius Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man to keep a close tab on money being il legally routed there. And at home there should be proper financial intelligence to minimize tax evasion.

Aamir spoofs Disco Dancer

Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan More Pics

Mithun Chakraborty is known as the original disco dancer of India for a reason.

The film Disco Dancer, to be precise. His legendary pelvic thrusts and disco moves have inspired many a choreographer in Bollywood through the years. While Sajid Khan paid a tribute to this legendary dance move in the Pappa Jag Jayega song in his film Housefull, Aamir Khan has planned to pay homage to Mithunda in an all new style.

Vir Das in the song Jaa Chudail will dress up as Mithun Chakraborty in Disco Dancer.

He will also be seen executing the famous Mithunda step aka the pelvic thrust while manhandling a woman.

Delhi Belly, which has already been in the news for the released music videos DK Bose and Nukkadwale Disco seems to be drawing a lot of attention with its shockingly unique marketing strategy.

While DK Bose sparked off controversies with its lyrics, Nukkadwale was said to be take on Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas. And now, the Jaa Chudail number may just be construed as misogynist.

Meanwhile, a promo of the film has been shot which has Imran Khan mouthing maa-behan gaalis at his maamujaan. Our source told us, "It's all in fun. But it will shock Aamir's and Imran's fans. Aamir has always been known to be this no-nonsense guardian-like figure to Imran. And we presume that his nephew is afraid to some extent of his uncle. Therefore, to see him let off a chain of maa-behen gaalis to Aamir is quite a shock."

Surprisingly, it's Aamir who wants the potential audience for Delhi Belly to know that this is not a film for the squeamish or the purists. The whole aim of the music videos and the trailer in question seems to be to let people know the same.

Why star siblings don't make it big

Call it dynasty, a calculated move, or cashing in on the success of a sibling, but stars do have a kin following close on the heels who also wishes to try his/her luck in tinseltown. The latest to join the bandwagon is Isabella, the younger sister of Katrina Kaif. If buzz is to be believed, Katrina is heavily promoting her younger sister to various topnotch directors. History bears testimony to the fact that the trend is not new. Filmdom has witnessed many sisters and brothers who have tried their luck at the BO. But not all taste success. In fact, it is only one of the siblings who is usually able to make it big in Bollywood. Amongst the three Kapoor brothers, only Rishi could make it big. Similarly, big brother Salman Khan is way ahead of Arbaaz and Sohail. Between Sunny and Bobby Deol, Bobby could not achieve the levels attained by Sunny. And no comparisons can ever be drawn between Aamir and Faisal Khan. Farah couldn't really make a mark here while Tabu went on to carve a niche for herself as a superlative actress. Malaika Arora Khan is known as a sizzling model and item girl but her sister Amrita Arora is still trying to find her niche. Despite using the contacts of their more famous kin, why can't star siblings make it big? What could be this factor, which does not allow success to knock repeatedly on the same door?

Finding a foothold

It could be the lure of stardust, the glamour or even the big bucks that beckon the star siblings to try their luck in Bollywood . Shamita Shetty, the younger sister of Shilpa Shetty, who has finally found her foothold in Bollywood, says, "I think it is all about one's destiny. We are exposed to the industry and many times offers do come the way of a star sibling. But which one of them will be successful depends on the factors like luck and inherent talent." And is she still recognised as Shilpa's younger sister? The actress is quick to retort , "I will always be Shilpa's younger sister , but yes now I have been able to carve a niche for myself. I get roles on my own steam, and I am happy if someone refers to me as Shilpa's li'l sister."

The sister act

In the case of Farah and Tabu, it was Farah who had debuted much before her younger sister. She had worked in many films and had also played the protective elder sister off screen. But once Tabu had her films released, Farah was totally eclipsed by the beauty and talent of her younger sister. Actress Sameera Reddy, whose elder sister Sushma Reddy also debuted with a film called Chocolate, before she called it quits, says, "My sister tried films on an experimental basis, and I am the one who is pursuing Bollywood full throttle. But even when my sister was working in films, comparisons were never made between us."

Brotherly woes

Bollywood brothers haven't fared any better either. Manisha Koirala's brother Sidhartha could not make a mark. Amisha Patel's brother Ashmit is still waiting for that elusive hit. Says Ashmit, "When I entered the industry, my sister was already a huge name. I did get a lot of publicity by virtue of being her brother, but today I am an individual in my own right. After the initial flush, it is your personal merit, which counts."

In the same mould

There are certain exceptions to the rule, though. Film director Kunal Kohli explains it thus, "Usually, if a director has worked with one of the siblings, he tries to mould the other in the same way, and this curbs the natural style of the actor. In the case of Kareena and Karisma, both had spaced their careers, and had also stylised them in a very different manner, thus both of them have done very well."

The Yogi who cast a spell

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Baba Ramdev is the public face of the two-man team that runs a vast multi-crore yoga and ayurveda empire. The lesser known partner is Ramdev's friend from their gurukul days, Acharya Balkrishna, who rarely steps out from their base in Haridwar.




The man who now flies around in a private jet once used to ride a bicycle to his yoga camps and to sell the ayurvedic medicines Balkrishna concocted. That was in 1993. In less than two decades, Ramdev has soared to celebrity status as a television star with eccentric ideas and out-sized ambitions. His programmmes, aired on Aastha channel, are watched by lakhs of believers who eagerly await his daily dose of yoga and quirky morality.



He was not always Ramdev. The 58-year-old yoga teacher was born Ramkishan Yadav in a small Haryana town named Alipur. As a child, he suffered from paralysis. He claims it was only yoga that cured him, making him a die-hard devotee of this ancient science of breathing and exercise.

‘Satyagrahi’ Baba Ramdev

After the unprecedented success of noted social activist Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption, acclaimed yoga guru Baba Ramdev is all set to undertake a fast unto death to press the government to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks.

Baba Ramdev’s 'Satyagraha Against Corruption' movement is in line with Hazare’s ‘India Against Corruption’, which garnered massive support from the country’s elite and the ordinary, asking the government to pass and enact a strong legislation in this regard.

The yoga exponent’s proposed stir on black money has prompted many to think whether Baba Ramdev is trying to increase his political weight through this movement or is it an attempt to delink himself from Hazare’s Lokpal campaign after he was ignored during the constitution of Lokpal Bill drafting panel?

His detractors think that Ramdev is just another opportunist who is trying to generate people’s support for his movement, similar to Hazare’s campaign, and blackmail the democratically elected Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Baba Ramdev is demanding that black money stashed abroad by Indians be brought back and declared a national asset. Ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption and ban on all high-denomination currency notes such as Rs 1,000 and Rs 500.

But whatever one may conjure, Ramdev’s movement has put the UPA government on the backfoot, which does not want another ‘Anna Hazare’ like movement at any cost or any further question mark over its credibility. .

The government has reasons to be worried considering the huge following Ramdev has built up over the years by preaching good health to India’s teeming millions. Moreover, his honest image, especially, his oft-repeated war cry against corruption and the corrupt, and the fact that Ramdev is extremely “TV friendly”, has forced the government to go that extra mile to persuade him against the “Ramlila Maidan plan”.

It’s certainly evident Ramdev’s campaign has been widely received by the countrymen who have registered in large numbers, expressing support to his movement. He is certainly more credible than most politicians of our country, so there are lesser chances of his movement not achieving the same success as that of Hazare’s.

However, there have been murmurs of a rift between the yoga guru and Hazare’s camp after Ramdev went public with the view that people holding the post of Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India should not be brought under Lokpal’s ambit.

Although, he has now taken a complete U-turn on the issue but what he has ended up doing is to present a different view on the Lokpal debate.

Interestingly, Ramdev has invited Anna Hazare, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to join his movement but has not invited Lokpal Bill drafting panel members Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant.

The increasing gap between Hazare and Ramdev’s camp is likely to benefit the UPA government, which differs with the civil rights activists on the scope of the Lokpal Bill.

As the situation stands, Ramdev appears steadfast in his resolve to go on a fast against corruption despite the Centre's efforts to placate him over his demand for action on black money. Ramdev is aware that the government of Dr Manmohan Singh is under scanner over corruption allegations, and so it is weak and vulnerable.

The cancer of corruption is slowly eating up our democratic institutions and bringing more disgrace to India as a nation globally. Since people are fed up with corruption, any call from a reputed and honest person, could easily cause discomfort to the government.

But whether Ramdev has the fire and resolve to achieve his goals only time will tell, even as the country gets ready for another anti-corruption jamboree.

World Tobacco Day

A sandal, made from 15,000 cigarette sticks by anti-tobacco campaigners, is displayed in a Mumbai mall on Anti-Tobacco Day.

Strangers in the night

I almost cried on his shoulder, " says Sulekha Choudhury, talking about the stranger she met on the Munichbound train from Erlangen, Germany. "I'd always loved sitting by the window, gazing at the idyllic countryside whizzing past, " she smiles. But on that particular day she hoped for a friend to whom she could pour her heart out. There were only three other passengers in Choudhury's compartment and they were immersed in their books. "Just then, this guy suddenly looked up, smiled and asked if I was from Latin America. When I told him I was from India, he was thrilled. He told me he'd spent six months travelling around India as a tourist. He even remembered the song Aal iz well... I guess that's when an instant connect happened, " Choudhury says. Once the conversation started, "it was like I was talking to a long lost friend. And when he asked me if I was married, I almost started crying, " says Choudhury, who was still recovering from a breakup at the time.

"When I told him that I was facing problems in my relationship, he didn't ask for details. But from the tone of his voice and the understanding look in his eyes, it was evident he understood my pain. Of course, I did tell him how my then boyfriend had walked out on me. " Probably in a bid to show empathy to a fellow sufferer, Gerard (" my Munich train friend" ) told Choudhury about the problems he'd been facing. "His girlfriend was five months pregnant but was still not convinced about marriage. I guess he must have coaxed her into marrying him by now, " says Choudhury. Despite sharing intimate details of their lives, the two did not exchange phone numbers or email IDs. "We were like two very good friends just for that short span of time. But strangely, neither of us felt the need to meet again. I guess we'd poured our hearts out to each other so much that meeting again would have made us feel awkward - that's how I see it now, " says Choudhury. "And when we got off in Munich, he gave me a hug and just said, Aal iz well."

Fashion designer Madhu Jain remembers meeting "one of the kindest gentlemen" on a flight to New York. "The advice he gave me is something I'll always cherish. It's not that I couldn't have tackled the problem myself - but talking to someone who doesn't know you, your background, helps give you a very different perspective."

Way back in 1908, in an essay titled The Stranger, German philosopher and sociologist Georg Simmel wrote that a stranger enjoys the benefits of objectivity, non-stereotypical thinking and nonconformism. Strangers are the 'outsiders' who can be assigned roles that no other group member can play (such as advisers or mediators), because they are believed to be able to attain a level of objectivity that regular members cannot reach. They can, therefore, be better judges and sometimes even personal confidants. Adds consultant psychiatrist Dr Avdesh Sharma, "When we meet a stranger on, say, a long journey or holiday, we instinctively try to gauge a level of comfort with him/her. Of course, the person has be interested and be willing to talk to you about issues that interest you or your problems."

Aruna Paliwal, who once had to spend a few weeks at the Ayurvedshala in Kotakkal, Kerala, recalls how in the "chawl-type accommodation" friendships with total strangers helped in the healing process. "It doesn't matter what background you come from, everyone there has a problem. So they share their apprehensions, worries and sorrows and just have sympathy for each other. " Paliwal's 'neighbour' who was there for her daughter's treatment would often walk in just for a good cry - as she had to put up a brave front in front of her daughter and needed someone who'd understand what she was going through. "I, on my part, too needed an understanding person who could understand my pain and worries about my arthritis - stuff that I couldn't share with my children. Not because my kids wouldn't understand, but because I wouldn't want them to feel their mom is weak or too worried about her problems. There's no such embarrassment in front of someone who doesn't really know you, " Paliwal adds.

"Yes, a stranger has the advantage of not just being non-judgmental, " says Dr Sharma, "but also of not having any axe to grind with you. Your identity doesn't matter to him - he/she is unlikely to put it up on Facebook for the world to see. Strangers often become good listeners and 'pillars of strength' for the time spent together. " But not every stranger can be one whom you can open your heart out to. "These things happen by chance, " says Dr Sharma.

Many regard such 'encounters' as American psychiatrist Brian Weiss says, "for the working out of debts and responsibilities. A recognition of souls. " Media person Ambica Pathy talks of "bumping into this kind, elderly gentlemen a few times on different flights. It's strange how I've spoken to him about stuff I wouldn't talk so candidly about with my friends (for fear of ridicule), like my phobias and apprehensions about my work and relationships. With a stranger you have the advantage of anonymity and the belief that the person will not judge you or squeal on you. It's like a strange, unwritten rule between strangers - thou shalt keep all secrets. "

140 CHARACTERS TO THE RESCUE

On Twitter, you can tweet about anything and, almost always, there's someone listening. There are people who tweet about stressful days at work, a family fight, or sometimes even the death of a close one. "When my dad passed away, I tweeted about it. Not for 15 minutes of fame, but because I knew it would give me strength, " says Harshad Sharma, a photographer. Sharma received dozens of reply tweets consoling him. Sharing the moment with his followers gave him emotional relief. "I was with my family and on Twitter together. People's replies gave me the strength to carry out all formalities without falling apart. "

Real estate consultant Pankaj Ahuja says the microblogging site provides a platform where people can vent. There have been times when his timeline has thrown up tweets from people who are going through all sorts of stress. "Once someone I was following tweeted about how he couldn't study. He sounded extremely demotivated and was going on about how he had flunked the exam previously, " says Ahuja. "I tweeted back at him with some pep talk and a 'forget about the past, start studying' message. " Ahuja believes conversations in 140 characters are enough to provide support to people on the edge.

Users like 24-year-old Ritika Darira believe tweeting online when emotionally distressed is sometimes easier than discussing the problem with friends. "Most of my followers are people I don't hang out with so they aren't judgemental, " says the social media professional. "And there's always someone ready to console or pacify you. "

Entrepreneur Sandeep Saxena explains how the Twitter India community is always ready to help. "You'll get help from strangers when you need it the most, " he says. He compares the community to passengers who commute together on the Mumbai local train every day. "You don't know their names, but know their faces. And when you're in trouble, they'll surely help you."

Of course there are those who can't afford to tweet in stream-of-consciousness style because their position or profession doesn't allow them that luxury. For instance, lawyer Amith Chandran created a separate account to tweet about things that make him angry. It allows him to express himself in a space where he knows at least someone is listening.

Gandhi Stamp Sells for Record Rs 92 Lakh!

A 1948-issued stamp of Mahatma Gandhi has made history. The original stamp worth Rs 10 was sold for a staggering $205,000 (Rs 92.68 lakh) at the David Felman auction house in Geneva recently. The stamp was issued as a commemorative on August 15 1948, the same year Gandhi was assassinated.

The Gandhi stamp fetched more than the 'four annas inverted head error' stamp which till now held the world record for most expensive Indian stamp. It was sold last year for £105,390 (Rs 78.19 lakh).

Only 18 of the Gandhi stamp are in circulation today. It is a record for any modern stamp according to David Felman, head of the auction house.

Only a set of 100 Rs 10 Gandhi stamps were printed, making them the world's least printed, but most coveted stamps.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal Native name: Hindi: ताज महल
Southern view of the Taj Mahal
Location:	Agra, India
Coordinates:	27.174799°N 78.042111°E
Elevation:	171 m (561 ft)
Built:	1632 - 1653[citation needed]
Architect:	Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Architectural style(s):	Mughal
Visitation:	More than 3 million (in 2003)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type:	Cultural
Criteria:	i
Designated:	1983 (7th session)
Reference #:	252
State Party:	India
Region:	Asia-Pacific
Located in western Uttar Pradesh, India

Celeb Trend: Go Girly

So, these celebs are rocking the pretty girl-next-door look with a bunch of floral prints, misty mauves and short girly dresses. Do these trends bring on the I-love-summer feeling?

Udita Goswami, Manjari Phadnis and Sophie Chaudhary were spotted wearing varying shades of mauve at a recent event. Easy fit, soft colour and pretty prints will cool off a hot summer afternoon. Udita's dress can up the glamour quotient on a night-out. Sophie's shorts teamed with a feminine blouse and Manjari's dress are perfect for the day, and can be easily transitioned for a night look with the right accessories and glamorous make up.

Also, spotted were Zeenat Aman, Kitu Gidwani and Tisca Chopra adding a touch of style. Err… Zeenat Aman needs a style upgrade. She looks like a frumpy Granny because the slouchy shirt, bag and trousers are anything but flattering. Tisca adds a pop of coral (with her peep-toes) to her otherwise dull floral maxi. And, Kitu's chic hair style coupled with the strong tribal print dress in orange suggests that she is in touch with her inner style diva.

Image courtesy: Viral Bhayani

WHATS IN

Peter Pan collar: Look as cute as a button in dresses and tops with soft, rounded collars. Work it with polka dots, pretty florals or just a solid colour.

WHATS OUT

High collar: High collars make you look as stiff as a broom. So avoid this stuffy look, especially if you don't have a long neck.

2G scam: Flamboyance in courtroom

It is May 6 and CBI special judge OP Saini's courtroom is packed to capacity as journalists, lawyers, policemen and curious onlookers struggle for a toe-hold to get a glimpse of the lead players in the case that has generated anger among the people, curiosity across the world and what cynics call a pretence of some soul searching amongst politicians.

Canali jeans, Prada and YSL bags jostle for space and attention as the fragrance of top-end perfumes fill the air in the sweaty courtroom. Is it as much about making a fashion statement? Perhaps it is. Over a dozen air conditioners fail to beat the searing Delhi heat.

Courtrooms in the imposing Patiala house, a short distance away from India Gate, have witnessed many a legal battle, but right now the spotlight in the majestic building is on Saini's courtroom that is in the midst of hearing one of the most high profile cases in recent times - the 2G spectrum scam. And when the high and mighty have a date with the law in a cramped courtroom the result can sometimes be a heady concoction of brands, glamour and flamboyance.

Those facing the court include former telecom minister A Raja, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and Tamil Nadu chief minister's daughter K Kanimozhi, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, top executives of Reliance, DB Realty promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, and Unitech's Sanjay Chandra.

After the initial nervousness, Raja looks relaxed. He sits patiently through the arguments in the courtroom as he is flanked by DB Realty's Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka. One can't miss Raja's crisp cotton white shirt and occasional smile at spotting a familiar face.

Shahid Balwa, dressed in a trendy T-shirt and stress jeans, puts up a brave front and tries his best to catch every word of the argument, occasionally cracking jokes with the security officials and his battery of defence lawyers. He is jittery sometimes, but maintains his composure.

A row behind them sits RK Chandolia, once the powerful private secretary of Raja. At one point of time, Chandolia's wife asked one of Goenka's relatives if she was alone. She turned around and waved her hand to the Balwas to say, "I have 500 of them with me. "

Relatives of Balwa and Goenka pack the last few rows of the courtroom dressed equally immaculately as those they have turned out to support. On her first appearance in court, Kanimozhi is only too conscious her behaviour and 'body language' is under the close scrutiny of the media. "It is all because of you people the court is so packed, " the DMK patriarch's daughter tells a TV reporter jokingly, to make the air feel lighter.

Kanimozhi and Kalaingar TV managing director Sharath Kumar have arrived with a stock full of chewing gum and mouth fresheners, passing them among the DMK members, sharing them with reporters too.

The huge crowd of policemen keeping a close vigil on the celebrity crowd presents a mixed picture. The stern looking older cops go about their task in clinical fashion, but the glitz, glamour and power on display seems to have overawed the younger ones, some of whom can be heard discussing style statements.

Kanimozhi comforts the nervous wife of Sharath Kumar even as she tries to absorb the court proceedings herself. Her husband Aravinthan looks a bit bored and catches up on some reading, burying his face in the book Islam and Muslim History in South Asia. In between his reading, he exchanges a few words with his wife as she hands over some gum to him.

It's a scene straight out of reality TV as the powerful Tamil Nadu family and its loyalists put on their show of solidarity as if to show you that though the challenges are tough, it's business as usual for them.

Dressed in their sparkling white cotton shirts and veshtis DMK MPs and party leaders throw a protective ring around their party boss's daughter, clutching hard their pricey Apple I-phones with Karunanidhi's picture as screensaver - wearing their party loyalty not on their sleeves but on their sleek phones. In the far left corner of the court-room, Unitech managing director Sanjay Chandra is seen speaking softly to one of the lawyers. Reliance ADA group vice-president Hari Nair, who occupies a seat in the last row, joins Chandra and his wife in a discussion. Chandra's wife types furiously on her Blackberry, anxious about the attention of the swelling crowd of onlookers and reporters.

To those in the legal profession, speed and accuracy matters and a load of Blackberry phones come in handy. A bunch of defence lawyers is busy texting and emailing information real time to its teams outside. At lunch time, the undertrials are led away to a separate enclosure. Relatives and friends, in the meantime, pick up their rolls and sandwiches packed neatly in a Taj Club jute carry bag - yet another symbol of where they come from.

As Kanimozhi walks out of the court-room, an eager reporter tries to capture her on his cellphone camera. She flashes a smile and whispers in Tamil, politely telling him not to film her. Throughout the proceedings, Kanimozhi keeps a safe distance from A Raja. But that does not deter the former telecom minister from greeting her. During the lunch-break, Raja had asked Kanimozhi if she'd eaten. Post-lunch, she goes to sit with A Raja but not for long;DMK party workers whisk her away to her seat.

This real life court-room is a far cry from the drab and dreary images of court-scenes recreated in Bollywood films that have stuck in popular consciousness. The picture here portrays the new India where brands, politics, corporates, class, technology and corruption join in a heady mix.

And for those missing high-octane Bollywood style drama, there was a little humour too. As the arguments gathered momentum, the defence counsel at one point expressed his surprise and said: " I haven't heard this before. " The CBI counsel was quick to retort: "Kabhi nahin sune to aab sun lijiye (Hear it now if you haven't heard it before), " drawing muffled laughter across the room.

With the day's proceeding coming to an end, it's time for the undertrials to leave for Tihar jail. It is also time for hugs and goodbyes. Ramesh Chandra, patriarch of the Unitech group, consoles his son Sanjay saying it was all "destiny", perhaps enough spiritual material for his son to ponder in the loneliness of his prison cell.

25-year-old Bollywood diva made headlines when she arrived wearing super gorgeous white gown that made her look angelic and dreamy. Sonam was clad in a Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2009 Couture gown.


The stunning beauty added some elegance to her look with a pair of Chopard stud earrings and a statement Amrapali cocktail ring. Beautiful Sonam opted for picture-perfect makeup, nude lips and dark eye makeup.

It's just not English

Inclusion of newfangled words - which have never been part of English - into the official reference for Scrabble players lays open the possibility of any random sequence of letters being sanctified as English. The move undermines the very language Scrabble is played in, and the implications are disheartening.



Scrabble is more than a game. Nearly four million games are sold around the world annually. Of these, parents encourage children to play Scrabble because it helps them learn or improve their English. Adults too play the game to refine their own language skills. Scrabble's success lies in making learning fun. But that educative function, so engaging to young and old alike, is being sacrificed. Some words included are not just slang, but also misspellings. Besides sowing confusion, this trend will lead to pointless duplication of perfectly adequate words. What's wrong with 'girl'? Why must there also be 'grrl'?



That Indian words like gobi and aloo can also be used shouldn't be celebrated as a sign of our soft power. Rather, it signifies the undermining of the English language, which has perfectly good equivalents for the terms borrowed from us. Relying on Hindi words can make people not learn or use the English variants. That's counterproductive for Indians especially. The most productive sectors of our economy depend on our being able to speak English, and Scrabble is a good, fun way to hone our skills. Grammar too goes out in the expanded lexicon. Words like 'myspace' and 'wiki' are proper nouns, yet find a place in Scrabble. English is a means of communication between diverse peoples the world over. The more it's debased, stretched beyond recognition to include alien words, the less it will be able to serve this function.

Bin Laden’s Killing as Seen From India

As the news of Osama bin Laden’s death spread around the world, the jubilation in India had as much to do with where he was found as the fact he had been dispatched.

The headline in The Times of India read: “US Kills Osama, Blows Pak Cover.” Mail Today announced: “Osama Killed, Pak Wounded.” India Today described Pakistan on its cover as “Terroristan.”

Many Indians relished the fact that Bin Laden was found in Pakistan, in a large mansion, in the company of a wife U.S. officials described as “young.”

That he maintained such a life in a garrison town two hours from the Pakistani capital appeared to confirm India’s official position that it is in Pakistan’s nature to protect terrorists. In the world according to Indians, the myth of Pakistan as an ally in the war against terror died that night with Bin Laden. The chalk outlines on the floor of the Abbottabad mansion would include, besides the contours of Bin Laden’s last pose, the map of Pakistan.

Bin Laden’s death in Pakistan was particularly satisfying for those Indians who have resented what they took to be the world’s propensity to lump India and Pakistan together.

Modern India, despite its horrible flaws, they would say, is a product of democracy, new capitalism and the unambiguous moral values of Hinduism, which does not define humanity as Hindus and so could not be bothered to call anybody infidels or try to convert them. (There are zealots among Hindus, but their numbers are comparatively few, and their influence has been diminished by the Indian preoccupation with prosperity, whose currency is peace.)

By contrast, they would point out, in Pakistan this year, a woman was sentenced to death for blasphemy. A liberal who protested the country’s blasphemy law was killed and the killer greeted by his supporters with rose petals.

The attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, did suggest crucial cultural and political differences between India and Pakistan, but in the Indian view, America’s circumstances led it to reward Pakistan. With both the United States and China wooing Pakistan and heavily arming it in their own interests, Indians could only watch as their neighbor reaped the benefits.

Bin Laden’s death in Abbottabad need not mean that the United States will distance itself from Pakistan, or that India would want that. But many here believe that at least now, the outside world is viewing Pakistan’s chaotic political and military leadership and its intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, much the way Indians have long viewed them. That is why they relish Bin Laden’s death.

When Pakistan’s former president and military chief, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, appeared on Indian television, his interviewer, Karan Thapar, told him that the fact that the C.I.A. did not share the intelligence about Bin Laden with Pakistan was “a slap on the face of Pakistan.” General Musharraf nodded reluctantly.

Mr. Thapar then said Pakistan had been “caught with its pants down.” General Musharraf, who had once led Pakistan to war against India, wryly responded, “Well, aren’t you enjoying using these terms?”

Mr. Thapar then insisted that the Bin Laden episode was not an embarrassment, but a “humiliation” for Pakistan. General Musharraf let out a sad chuckle.

Setbacks are nothing new for Pakistan’s military. It fought three disastrous wars with India. According to India, its neighbor has since the 1980s sought vengeance by unleashing terrorists on Indian soil. Pakistan has consistently denied this and accuses India of killing its own civilians through terror.

When Mr. Thapar asked General Musharraf why the Pakistani military could not detect U.S. choppers as they flew in from the west and remained in the country’s airspace for more than two hours, General Musharraf said, matter-of-factly, that most of Pakistan’s radars “are focused more towards your side.”

On the streets of Pakistan, among ordinary people, India provides less cause for concern.

Mohammed Hanif, a Pakistani journalist and the author of the novel “A Case of Exploding Mangoes,” a satire of Pakistan’s military, said in an interview: “People of Pakistan don’t wake up in the morning fearing an Indian attack. They wake up fearing a bomb going off in a mosque or a bazaar. But Pakistan’s army’s reason for existence is India. Even after fighting its own Muslim brothers on its own turf for 10 years, and losing more soldiers than it ever has in a confrontation with India, Pakistan’s army remains India-centric.”

The Indian government understands the complexities of Pakistan, but the average Indian sees no distinction between those who control Pakistan and its people. He imagines a nation that blasts Indians to bits. That is unfortunate, because Indians who travel there are struck by the aspiration of ordinary Pakistanis to be warm to Indians. And Pakistan is a vastly different country from what most Indians imagine.

For instance, most Indians might find it hard to believe that there are Hindu temples in Pakistan and that they are not apologetic shrines where persecuted minorities hide and pray. They are as vibrant as temples in India and are sustained by Hindus who have prospered in Pakistan. In fact, outside one temple in Karachi, a man stood at the door and refused to let in Muslims who had begged him for a quick peek. He was unmoved, but he let me in because I was Indian.

Life&style:

=>Wipe off wrinkles with hot-wax mask

A hot-wax mask is nowadays the latest rage in skin care – the paraffin wax facial is a thermal mask billed as the quickest way to a "non-surgical facelift". Celebrity facialist Emma Hardie came up with the idea of the mask, which is painted on to the skin and then kept warm under infrared light, after an hour's intensive massage. During the massage, she uses moisturising oils and massage to stimulate the skin cells and a ''deep-tissue'' kneading technique to give softer, plumper skin. And then comes the mask, which helps the skin to absorb the moisturising oils and soothes and relaxes the facial muscles to help release tension and leave the skin bright and glowing.

The treatment, which costs 160 pounds, is the quickest route to a non-surgical facelift and promises "instant and noticeable results after one session." Sophie Dahl, Denise Van Outen and Anjelica Huston are amongst few of her celeb customers. "This facial is a wonderful treat for a cold, winter's evening and the warm wax helps you feel like you're in the Tropics. The massage and wax helps to boost circulation in the skin and helps to relax the facial muscles," The Daily Mail quoted Hardie as saying.

She also claims that the treatment can help with migraine relief, sinus problems, head, neck and shoulder tension, depression, menopause, grief and insomnia. "Wax is very softening and it's very good as a skin treatment. ''We use it a lot on dry hands and chapped skin. It helps to oxygenate and detoxify the skin," she said. Alice Hart-Davis, a beauty journalist, said that wax was widely recognised for its skin-softening effects in the beauty world. "It is usually used in manicures and pedicures, but there's no denying that it could also work very well as part of a facial," she said.

Will The Real Sita Stand Up?

During Ram Rajya, we're told, the people were a contented lot. There was no shortage of food and other material comforts and sickness was rare. People lived happy and long lives. Rama himself often toured the city to check and inquire their welfare.

Yet, in many parts of eastern and southern India, the Ramayana is not considered on par with the Mahabharata. Rama is viewed, at best, as a heroic but ultimately flawed protagonist; at worst, a male chauvinist. One reason for this atypical perception is because he made Sita undergo the agnipariksha, trial by fire, to test her purity after being abducted by Ravana. However, a careful study of the peculiar circumstances and background that led to the fire-trial might help us see Rama in a different light.

When Goddess Earth saw the destruction wrought by Ravana, she prayed to Brahma the Creator to rescue her. Brahma and Goddess Earth thereafter jointly invoked Vishnu who promised to incarnate in order to kill Ravana. Vishnu became Rama, his consort Lakshmi became Sita and Seshnag became Lakshman.

Vishnu and Lakshmi had never been separated in previous incarnations. Mandodari, Ravana's wife, knew that Rama and Sita were divine and inseparable and that anyone daring to separate them would be destroyed. She'd repeatedly begged Ravana to let Sita go back to Rama but in vain.

In his incarnation as Rama, Vishnu had to perforce get separated from Lakshmi since Sita had to be abducted by Ravana in order for Rama to kill him. And so it came to pass that before the abduction took place Agni, the fire god, came to Rama and said, "The aim of your incarnation is to destroy Ravana, and Sita is meant to be the cause for that since Ravana will come and carry her away. So entrust Sita with me and I will make a "Maya Sita" for you to keep. After Ravana's death when she enters fire to prove her purity, I will return the real Sita to you." Hearing this, Rama agreed.

Thereafter through intense meditation Agni created a look-alike Sita which was not an illusion or facsimile but a real double with a real name, history and destiny like any other Puranic personality. (Interestingly, the reference to Maya Sita is available in regional versions of Ramayana but not in Valmiki's account.) Thus, the Sita who was abducted by Ravana was not the actual Sita but a version of her and, more importantly, Rama had full knowledge of this although no one else knew at the time - not even Lakshman.

As foretold, the real Sita came out at the time of Maya Sita entering the fire to prove her purity and the Maya Sita vanished in the flames. To substantiate the role of Maya Sita and real Sita, Tulsi Das in Ramcharitmanas mentions that when the real Sita came out of the Agni she was wearing the jewellery given to her by Arundhati before her abduction and not the jewellery given by Ravana in Lanka.

Certain schools of thought even believe that Rama specifically asked (Maya) Sita to take the agnipariksha so that he could get back his original Sita, and not necessarily to prove her chastity. However, this is often tempered by adding the rider that at the time people would not have accepted Sita as their queen if she had not passed the trial by fire.

THE INDIAN ACCENT

While many Indians temporarily transform into Hollywood-types, using words like Eye-raq and Af-gainistan, there is the Indian stereotype that exists and entertains in the West. Remember the sardarji in the hilarious 'Mind Your Language' series or Apu the shopkeeper in 'The Simpsons'. India's love for the present continuous, probably spread abroad by our army of IT professionals, has established an image. In Anurag Mathur's side-splitting book The Inscrutable Americans, the protagonist's letter is a perfect example. "Younger brother, I am having so many things to tell you that I am not knowing where to start. " But still, right or wrong, we can talk English, we can walk English and we can murder English. We are like this only!


HAPPY HOLIDAZED

Ever encountered a person who develops a Sean Connery accent overnight? Chances are he's back from a 10-day vacation in Thailand and he picked up the accent from the 5-minute conversation with a British stewardess. With international flights getting cheaper by the day, the path to a phoney accent has gotten much shorter. It allows Chunnu's mummy from the neighbourhood to have a quick 'hauliday' in 'Canaada'. And when she returns, she startles you with a "Oh I say, how've you been o ld chap?" Apparently, one can barter common sense for a British drawl a broad. These folks believe, when in Rome do as the Romans, and when back home, bring Rome along.




FROM COWBELT TO COWBOY

Joyeeta Jindal was shocked when her friend Rajan, who had difficulty pronouncing words like potatoes and pizza, suddenly developed an American twang and asked her out on a pizza date. Concerned for his well being and stunned by his discovery of the 'Z' alphabet, she probed a little only to discover that Rajan - who hails from a small town in UP - had just finished training at a call centre. His new favourite word was awesome (pronounced 'aasum' ) and he greeted people with a 'howdy'. The BPO industry has single-handedly transformed a generation into a junk-eating, junk-spewing pseudo-American society. To think that some years ago, everyone wanted to go to 'Amarica'. Well, 'Amarica' has come to us.

WRONG TIME, WRONG PLACE

Some geniuses goof up on the timing factor, not knowing when and where to use their accent. They will often expend their limited vocabulary with the right sounds and fancy accent on a poor waiter or a salesman in a small shop. The victim of their fancy tirade may just stare back or respond with a 'huh?' They don't let such minor details stop them. Of course, when they mingle with their high-society friends, the Oxford accent goes out of the window. Crude, profanitylaced banter is the order of the day. Folks, if you can't time a phoney accent, you don't deserve an accent at all. Try normal. Achcha hai!

FIRANG DE BASANTI

Skin colour, it seems, often decides the choice of fake accents some people use. White skin means they have to talk 'Amrikan' or 'British'. Never mind the fact that they may be talking to someone from Italy or Jordon or Argentina. For non-Caucasian countries, broken Hinglish is enough, sometimes even interspersed with racist comments muttered under the breath. Overall, there almost seems to be an irrepressible desire to impress the 'firang' with the accent they picked up from watching Rambo-III some 12 times. A close encounter with the foreign kind probably releases some enzyme in the brain, which temporarily obscures the logic compartment.

SILLY CELLULOID

How deeply the Western stereotype is embedded in our psyche can be gauged from a dose of pre- '90s Bollywood films. A foreigner in a film, usually a villain with a ghastly scar, would always be fluent in Hindi but speak in a silly accent, rolling the 'R's and doing away with the gender, as if to scream at the viewer: "See, I am foreigner!" Separately, a look at the reality shows on TV shows another affliction in celebrities. It's the use of the term 'You all', pronounced "Y'all", Harlem style. It's frequently used by judges on TV and is often followed by the word 'both'.
"Y'all both were very good today!"
"Oh, " it dawns on the contestant, "so they mean all two of us". Y'all is well.

SHOP TALK

Necessity is the mother of invention, and also accents. Some people are forced to develop foreign drawls out of business compulsions. Salesmen in Jaipur often switch easily between Hindi and heavily accented English without missing a beat. The customer always comes first. In Goa, touts for adventure sports and hotels run after Russians screaming Da and Nyet. And one can now discover shopkeepers speaking Hebrew in Manali. If putting the customer at ease means adopting his accent, so be it. The BPO industry is not the only one with business sense, eh?