Ayodhya dispute: Land to be divided into three parts

The Allahabad HC today in the Ayodhya land title case has ordered that the disputed holy site in Ayodhya be divided into three parts: one-third for Hindu Mahasabha, one-third for Sunni Waqf Board and one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara.

The court ruled that the land on which the idol of Lord Rama stood belonged to the Hindus and part of the land under the central dome of the Babri Masjid was the Ram Janamsthan which will go to the Hindus.

The court has also ruled that the site will be in status quo for the next three months.

The three-member bench of the Allahabad High Court, comprising justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma today delivered a split verdict in 60-year old Ayodhya title suit.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Thursday decided by majority that the site where a makeshift Ram Lalla temple exists is where Hindu god Ram was born, lawyer Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The Allahabad High court has dismissed the Wakf board's plea. There is no dispute on the fact of that it was Ram's birthplace. The Ayodhya land willbe divided into three parts

Earlier, the Supreme Court had deferred its ruling on the pronouncement of the Ayodhya verdict by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

The verdict on ownership of the religious site was to have come on Sept. 24 from the lower court in Uttar Pradesh, but the top court suspended that imminent verdict last week, responding to arguments that a chance should be given to reconciliation in the 60-year-old case.

The court also issued notice to all the parties to the title suit and asked Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati to be present in the court when the case is heard.

The ruling followed a petition by retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi seeking postponement of the high court verdict at least until the end of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games. It sought the court's direction to the parties to explore possibilities of an out of court amicable settlement.

There was a divergence of views in the apex court bench of Justices R.V. Ravindran and H.L. Gokhale. According to the bench, while one member felt that the special leave petition be dismissed, another was of the view that notice be issued and the order stayed.

Under the convention, when one member of the bench favours the issuance of notice though the other member of the bench disagrees, notices are issued. Stating this, Justice Ravindran passed the order staying the pronouncement of the Ayodhya verdict by a week and issue of notice to all parties to the suit.

Lawyers of both sides in the case - Hindu and Muslim litigants - welcomed the Supreme Court decision, saying a verdict in the case could not be put off indefinitely as the chances of a reconciliation after years of litigation were slim.

"Right now there is no possibility. Any reconciliation will happen only after the ... judgement," Zafaryab Jilani, lawyer of the Sunni Central Board of Waqf, the Muslim litigants, said.

Tripathi's petition was turned down by the three-judge special bench of the Allahabad High Court last week. While two judges S.U. Khan and Sudhir Agrawal rejected the application, the third judge, Dharam Veer Sharma, allowed the plea, following which Tripathi chose to move the apex court.

The Allahabad High court will rule on Thursday whether Hindus or Muslims own land around a demolished mosque in Ayodhya, a judgement haunted by memories of 1992 riots that killed some 2,000 people.

Those riots were some of the country's worst religious violence since Partition in 1947 and a verdict on the case may spark more disturbances between India's majority Hindus and minority Muslims.

The verdict will add to the security worries of the government, which already has its hands full dealing with the preparations for the Commonwealth Games that are bedeviled by concerns over filthy accommodation and health and security.

The case over the 16th century Babri mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya town is one of the biggest security challenges in India this year, along with a Maoist insurgency and a Kashmiri separatist rebellion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

Hindus and Muslims have quarrelled for more than a century over the history of the Babri mosque.

Hindus claim that the mosque stands on the birthplace of their god-king Rama, and was built after the destruction of a Hindu temple by a Muslim invader in the 16th century.

The dispute flared up in 1992 after a Hindu mob destroyed the mosque and nearly 2,000 were killed in rioting between Hindus and Muslims across the country.

Ayodhya case a confluence of mythology, scriptures, firmans, history & archaeology

The six-decade-old Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a case with unique features. The arguments advanced by the counsels involves references from not only case laws but also mythology, religious scriptures, firmans issued by different emperors of medieval India, extracts from gazetteers and travelogues, besides history and archaeology.

This is one rare legal battle in which the court ordered for excavations at the disputed site and also got old revenue records examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory.

As per the court order in March 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had excavated near the site from March 12, 2003 to August 7, 2003. On August 22, 2003, the ASI presented its report to the court.

Following the ASI report, the parties involved consulted archaeology experts from various parts of the country. "Prominent historian Professor R S Sharma was very helpful," said Zafarayab Jilani, who is counsel for the Sunni Central Board of Waqf. "It was a new subject for me and Professor Sharma helped me connect with the experts of archaeology across the country."

Jilani approached prominent experts to understand the ASI report — including Professor Ashok Dutta, then Head of Department, Calcutta University, Professor Shereen Ratnagar (JNU) and Professor R C Thakran (then in Archaeology department, Delhi University).

Besides, Dr R Nagaswami, the expert on art and temples, R D Trivedi, retired director of ASI and A K Sharma, retired superintending archaeologist of ASI have also had a role in the case. Documents related to revenue records were presented in the court in support of the claim and counter-claims.

"The court got examined many old documents by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Lucknow. Since the case involves several references from the pre-Independence days, it was but natural to seek help from the FSL," recalled Ranjana Agnihotri — counsel for defendant Swami Swaroopanand. The senior lawyer of Calcutta High Court, P N Mishra, who has argued on behalf of Swami Swaroopanand, say this is one of the rare legal battles in which the Supreme Court would be first appellate court.

Mishra, who was in Lucknow on September 23, said: "I did a research on several books on Islam and Hindu religions for better presentation of my arguments. I explored my links in different libraries not only in India but also in London and Britain."

According to him, he also approached his connections in Saudi Arab to get prominent books on Islam and their translated version. Another unique feature of this case is association of a large number of high court judges with the Special Bench that has been handling the Ayodhya title suits since 1989. All cases related to Ayodhya were withdrawn from Faizabad to Ayodhya in July 1989. Since 1989, the Special Bench has been reconstituted at least 13 times. Over 15 High Court Justices got associated with the Bench in the last two decades.

Airfares likely to go up 20%

Though airlines have not announced any increase in fares, travellers will have to brace up for an over-20% hike during the upcoming festive and holiday season. Beginning mid-October, carriers are expecting over 90% load factors due to festivals like Durga pooja, Diwali, Dassera and Christmas. Another reason for the hike in fares is due to the civil aviation ministry curtailing around 6% of flight take-off and landings in the upcoming winter schedule. Though not a peak season, 4 million passengers travelled by air during August. Industry watchers expect airlines to carry around 5 million passengers each month in the upcoming festive season.

Private carrier Jet Airways' spokesperson said, "As of now, we do not have any fare hikes." Jet has a market share of 27% and it carried 11 lakh passengers in the previous month. Similarly, its competitors Kingfisher Airlines, Air India, Indigo and SpiceJet have not announced a fare hike yet.

Says Subhash Goyal, chairman, STIC Travel Group, "Previously, airlines used to announce fare hikes whenever they felt they should pass on the additional cost they incur. These days, fares are increased purely on demand-supply basis. As the demand becomes robust, fares also tend to increase." Goyal further added that previously, airlines compulsorily had to inform the Directorate General of Civil Aviation about a hike in fares, with valid reasons for the hike. Also, earlier airlines announced fare hikes when the aviation turbine fuel cost escalated. In the latter part of 2008, crude oil peaked at $147 a barrel. That was the time when airlines had announced fare hike. Subsequently, whenever there was any fluctuation in the ATF cost, fares moved in a similar direction. The last time airlines officially announced fare hike was on January 1, 2009. However, in the past one month, ATF have averaged at around $75 a barrel.

Meanwhile, fares on the Mumbai-Kolkata sector have shot up to 14,000 if one books the ticket on September 24 for a round trip commencing on 13-18 October. Travel agents say, as the travel date nears, ticket price can shoot up to unprecedented levels. However, due to a sharp rise in air travel, there is hardly any difference in fares between a full service and low fare carrier.

Delhi children moving force behind Commonwealth Games: Sports writer

 The bid for the Commonwealth Games 2010 was spurred by an appeal made by students of 120 schools of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), says sports writer and filmmaker Sunil Yash Kalra.

'They prepared a memorandum, put their signatures and said, 'Hey, we want the Commonwealth Games',' Kalra told IANS. His book, 'Road To Commonwealth Games 2010' (A Penguin-India publication) - a dossier listing the history of the Games, its stakeholders and logistics - was released in the capital this week.

Kalra's book covers the history of the Games in 11 chapters - from how the capital won the bid for the Games, preparations, upgrading logistics, media participation, impact, issues and the legacy.

He says while Indian sportspersons will aim at propelling India to its best medal haul at the Oct 3-14 Games, 'the real gains will be seen in the revival of sports in various schools and colleges'.

'In Delhi and NCR at least 27 percent of the schools has some kind of structured sports and the number will rise to 52 percent in the next few years. Thousands of schools that are coming up in the country are providing opportunity for sports to children and this is having a trickle down effect in the country. Sports is fast becoming a way of life in India - especially with corporate support,' Kalra told IANS.

Kalra, who has been associated with the Indian sports in different capacities for over a decade, has made a docudrama on women's cricket, 'Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies'. He has also written a coffee table book, 'Commonwealth Journey from Melbourne to New Delhi', in 2006. He has also worked with the ministry of sports and youth affairs to create logo and brand identity for 'Pykka' (Panchayat Yuva Krida Khel Abhiyan) - the largest sports initiative for rural sports in India.

He recently contributed a 100-foot photo canvas on Indian sports, created specifically for the ministry of railways' Commonwealth train.

Kalra's Commonwealth diary is intended for children. 'I wanted to highlight the impact of Commonwealth Games on the children and students,' Kalra said.

'D.R. Saini, principal of the Delhi Public School in R.K. Puram, recalls that the outlook of their school towards sports changed when the CBSE introduced sports as a subject in 1985. DPS students scored the maximum in this subject at an all-India level over the next two years. In 2003, DPS students had played a role in the capital's successful bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games - they were among the 400,000 school children who had signed an appeal to the CWG delegation for choosing Delhi as the host. The principal of the school was confident that world class sportspersons will emerge from the school in times to come,' Kalra said.

If the schools played a key role in bringing the Games to India, 'the universities were not behind'.

'According to Gurdeep Singh, undersecretary, sports, association of Indian Universities, nearly 40 percent of the players in the Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games are from universities,' Kalra said.

The country has not been lagging behind sports education, the writer says in his book.

The first management diploma course in sports was introduced way back in 1957, the centenary year of the India's first War of Independence (then called Sepoy Mutiny), with the inauguration of the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Gwalior. Since then, several sports institutes funded by the ministry of national and youth affairs have come up in the country.

In June, the Khalsa College in Delhi University introduced the first short-term certificate course in Sports Economics and Marketing. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) announced a course in professional management of sports organizations commencing 2010-2011.

'Incidentally, the Olympic bronze medalist and poster boy of Indian wrestling, Sushil Kumar has already enrolled for a master's degree in physical education and aims to become the first Khel Ratna Awardee to acquire a PhD,' Kalra said.

The writer said the Games are also renewing citizens' commitment to environment and awareness about 'clean living'.

Another book, 'Sellotape Legacy: Delhi & The Commonwealth Games' by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta published by HarperCollins-India this month takes a close look at the politics of the Commonwealth Games and the money that has been spent on shaping the priorities.

Master Blaster Sachin Ready For Screen Ride?

This one's for cinematic history. Word has it that 'Master Blaster' SachinTendulkar is all set to don the cap of an actor in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari' helmed by Rajesh Mapuskar.

Earlier, this year, Tendulkar tweeted his enthusiasm stating, "Vinod Chopra has an interesting script called 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari'. Just heard it. Sounds awesome."

The script will be penned by Chopra and Mapuskar, while Rajkumar Hirani will word the dialogues.

A cricket legend's Ferrari inspires a dream in a boy to play at the Lord's cricket ground. For the uninitiated, Tendulkar is the only cricketer in India to own a Ferrari.

Tendulkar's screen twist, however, brings to mind his quote when he shot for a documentary on the famed Siddhivinayak Temple, two years ago, stating, "Right now, the big screen for me is only cricket."

That's likely to be batted into the past now…

With a thumbs-up, guess who holds India hand? Pak

The Malaysian and Botswanian teams today joined the ranks of those complaining against the state of affairs in the Commonwealth Games Village, while the South African envoy cried "a threat to the lives of athletes" after a snake was found in one of the rooms allotted to the country's sportspersons.

However, there was good news on at least one front for the beleaguered Commonwealth Games officials: Pakistan. Not only have officials from the country given a thumbs-up to the arrangements and security preparedness for the Games, but also accused "Westerners" of being overly critical.

"We have been given complete assurance by the organisers and our security liaison officer is in India at the moment. We trust the Indian government to provide full protection, and we have no security concerns. Hopefully our entire 75-member contingent will be in India on the 29th as planned," Pakistan Olympic Association president Syed Arif Hasan told The Indian Express on Sunday.

In present times, Hasan noted, no country can assure completely incident-free events, except guaranteeing foolproof security. "We have had teams in India before and not had any problems," he said.

While Hasan added that "it would have obviously been better if the infrastructure had been ready in advance", he said he understood that there could be delays. "We have also had floods and a lot of rain, and the country is reeling under its effects. So nature cannot be predicted or controlled. Even in Athens there were concerns till the last minute but the Olympics went off brilliantly," the Pakistan Olympic Association chief said.

Chaudhary Muhammed Asghar, secretary of the Pakistan Wrestling Federation, saw in the criticism the inability of "Europeans and Australians to accept the fact that India has not only been awarded the Games but that it will also manage to hold them properly".

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With a thumbs-up, guess who holds India hand: Pak

"They have always had a problem with any organisational success in India or Pakistan. Even in cricket, they had a problem initially. And it is unfortunate that we Asians, on our part, seem to hold their opinion in high esteem," he said. "Inshallah, the Games will be a huge success."

Asghar will arrive on Monday to take charge of the ground situation, including accommodation.

Pakistan hockey's star striker Rehan Butt said that whether it was india or Pakistan, the foreign media had the tendency to blow up negative things and ignore the positives.

"It's not like things are perfect elsewhere. As a international player, I have experienced Games villages at several events and in various countries and I can say that though things are generally ready in advance, it doesn't mean they are all perfectly done or managed," he said.

"For all those cribbing right now about the facilities, they must be asked about the facilities provided at the 2002 Melbourne Games, which were far from satisfactory."

Butt also felt that the West should understand that any country hosting a major event for the first time needed to be encouraged, and not pulled down.

Saying his players were all set to leave for the Games, Pakistan Tennis Federation Secretary Major Rashid Khan pointed out that they had never encountered any problem in India. "We have Aisam-ul-Haq playing in India often, and Aqeel Khan has travelled umpteen times. We have never had a problem. We have full faith in Anil Khanna (All India Tennis Association secretary general) and the Indian government, and there are absolutely no concerns."

Criticising the "superiority complex" of the Europeans, he said they travel all over the world but have complaints only when they come to this part of the world. "Unhe machhar bhi dikhne lagte hain, safai se bhi problem hone lagti hai, khane ki bhi problem ho jati hai, mausam me kharabi milti hai (They start seeing mosquitoes, having problems with the cleanliness, the food, the weather...)."

Who is buying gold?

The recent strength in gold prices has largely been driven by a combination of short covering by miners and investor demand through the use of ETFs. Central banks were likely not a major factor.

Since the beginning of this year gold ETFs have grown considerably, with holdings rising from 57 million ounces at the end of 2009 to 66m ounces at the end of August, an increase of 18% that coincided with a 15% rally in gold prices. Demand data from the World Gold Council shows that so far this year, ETFs accounted for almost 30% of the global demand for gold, exceeding demand from all but the jewellery sector.

Recently there have been reports in the press of increased buying of gold by central banks driving up prices.

While Russia, India and China have indeed increased their holdings, it appears that they did this through purchases from the IMF, meaning that the overall net effect on world gold reserves was negligible.

Additionally, purchases often show up in official reserve data as one block at a specific point in time, whereas in the case of China, for example, the purchase of 454 tonnes of gold that was announced last year in April actually took place over the six-year period from 2003 to 2009. Adjusting for the China purchase shows that while central banks have clearly stopped selling gold, they do not appear to have become net buyers.

In addition to the increase in buying by ETFs, another candidate appears to be the gold miners themselves winding up their hedge books. Traditionally, miners have been short gold through the futures market as a hedge against any fall in price from profitable levels. According to a recent industry report, it appears that the vast majority of miners have now closed their hedge positions.

Last week, the world's third largest gold miner announced that it will issue equity in order to cover its losses from being short and wind up its hedge book.

Earlier this year, the world's largest gold miner also closed its hedge book. This clearly suggests that within the industry, miners expect gold to stay at least around current levels for the foreseeable future.

In conclusion, it appears that the recent strength in gold prices has largely been driven by a combination of short covering by miners and investor demand through the use of ETFs. This is not unsurprising as gold is seen as a safe haven during times of economic uncertainty. Until the path of the global economy becomes more certain, it is likely that investment demand will continue to underpin gold.

However, this does raise the risk that when the recovery eventually takes hold, demand from investors will likely falter and unless it is replaced by growth in another sector (e.g. central banks, jewellery and industrial), gold prices could fall back to lower levels.

Aurora Pics: Sky Shows Sparked by Sun Eruption

Bridge of Sighs 

Solar Windstorm

Photograph by Thilo Bubek

An aurora borealis, or northern lights, twists across the heavens above Ersfjord (map), Norway, in the first hour of September 15.

Three days earlier NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a sun-monitoring satellite, witnessed a magnetic eruption on the sun, which unleashed a gigantic cloud of charged particles into space. The southern part of the particle cloud, or solar wind, grazed Earth's magnetic field on the 14th and 15th, resulting in a particularly good night for aurorae.

During the Northern Hemisphere's autumn and spring, solar magnetic fields are oriented in just the right way to cause 'rips' in Earth's magnetic field. The resulting increase in solar wind on Earth encourages auroral sky shows but can also damage satellite technology and electrical grids on the ground.

'Changes in the magnetic field for both the sun and Earth really determine what [particles] get launched into space and hit the Earth,' said John Manuel, a research scientist with the Canadian Space Agency.

'The orientation and variability in the magnetic fields are really what end up making it more or less favorable for auroras here on Earth.'

Explosive Aurora

Photograph by Thilo Bubek

Sparked by charged particles that had been ejected by the sun three days earlier, an aurora borealis streaks into view in the wee hours of September 15 over Ersfjord, Norway. The same night, similar shows enlivened skies over northern Canada and elsewhere in Europe.

When a charged-particle cloud enters the upper atmosphere of Earth, it smashes into and breaks up gas molecules, creating the northern lights (or in the Southern Hemisphere, the southern lights).

'Like gas inside a neon sign, as the atoms smash together they begin to glow—producing a great light show,' Manuel said.

The colors a sky-watcher sees depends on what type of gas is being hit and how high it is. For example, the green aurora pictured was the result of oxygen-atom collisions about 60 to 120 miles (100 to 200 kilometers) up.

Curtains on the Clouds

Photograph by Thilo Bubek

Northern lights, or aurora borealis, stride across clouds above Ersfjord, Norway, shortly before 1 a.m. on September 15.

The display was all the more impressive because the moon had already set, scientists say. When it's above the horizon, the moon can wash out all but the most intense of displays with its light.

Photograph by Thilo Bubek

An aurora borealis appears to touch down on an illuminated bridge in Sommarøya in northern Norway on September 8.

In addition to the September 11 coronal mass ejection (CME)-a giant bubble of charged solar particles-multiple bursts of solar magnetic activity shot CMEs toward Earth in the first few days of September.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory caught sight of the initial explosive flare emanating from a giant group of sunspots. The flare sent a CME racing toward Earth at 250 miles (400 kilometers) per second. When the particles smacked Earth's magnetic field on the eighth, auroral sparks flew.

Muslim clerics oppose further delay in Ayodhya verdict

Muslim religious leaders Sunday joined their Hindu counterparts in opposing any further postponement of the Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi issue, noting both sides have reposed faith in the court's decision.

'Isn't the issue already pending for too long? Sure enough we also want that the dispute reaches its logical conclusion for which we have reposed complete faith in the country's judiciary,' said Maulana Khalid Rasheed, the Naib Imam of Lucknow's Idgah and a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) executive.

'As a member of the Muslim Personal Law Board, I would also like to urge the Supreme Court not to allow any further delay in the high court's verdict and I am sure the court will not ignore the popular sentiments of the people,' the Maulana told IANS here.

Maulana Mirza Mohammad Athar, president of the All India Shia Muslim Personal Law Board also wondered how any last-minute effort for an amicable settlement would bear fruit when similar attempts in the past had failed.

The prestigious Darul-uloom of Deoband also appealed against any delay in the verdict, with its Pro-Vice Chancellor Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi saying: 'It is high time the long pending issue was resolved and any further deferment of the final verdict would only vitiate the atmosphere.'

'For once, both sides had clearly stated that they would abide by the court order, then why all the fuss about postponing the verdict and making attempts to resolve the dispute through dialogue, which has not worked in the past,' Maulana Madrasi asked while speaking to IANS on the phone from Deoband.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia would Sep 28 take a final decision on the question on when the verdict, originally slated for Sep 24, would be delivered.

Sahara India Pariwar in talks to buy Hollywood studio MGM Inc

Diversified business house Sahara India Pariwar is in talks to acquire Hollywood-based film production and distribution major Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Inc. Though details on the Sahara-MGM deal were not available, media reports suggest that the Lucknow-based corporate major has made a bid of about USD 2 billion to buy the debt of the Hollywood studio.

When contacted, a Sahara spokesperson told PTI that talks are on, but it is too early to comment on the issue. "On mutual interest, discussions are on, but it is too early to comment on the issue," Sahara India Pariwar Head of Corporate Communications Abhijit Sarkar said.

MGM, however, could not be reached for the comment. Sahara India Pariwar has a presence in the finance, infrastructure and housing, media and entertainment, consumer products, manufacturing, services and trading businesses.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc is an independent, privately-held motion picture, television, home video and theatrical production and distribution company. MGM is owned by an investor consortium comprised of Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Sony Corporation of America, Comcast Corporation, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group.

MGM has about USD 4 billion in debt. The company owns the world''s largest library of modern films, comprising approximately 4,000 titles, and over 10,400 episodes of television programming, as per details available on its website.

Its film library has received 205 Academy Awards, one of the largest award winning collections in the world, and includes numerous successful film franchises, including James Bond, The Pink Panther and Rocky. The studio is facing possible bankruptcy and several companies have shown an interest in acquiring it.

Earlier, there were reports that the Anil Ambani Group is interested in acquiring the debt-ridden Hollywood studio. Spyglass Entertainment, Time Warner Inc and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp are also reported to be interested in acquiring the firm.

CWG 13 Days To Go: Security Worries Post JM Firing

In yet another setback for India, yesterday’s Jama Masjid firing adds to the CWG Organising Committee’s list of woes.  It is no longer the question of the stadia being ready on time, or the corruption shadow that follows the OC. It is the important question of safety.  The Indian Mujahideen which claims responsibility for the Masjid firing threatens to unleash terror during the CWG. Can India provide security not only to the athletes but also to the many tourists that will descend on the Capital? Is India really prepared to host the Games?

Despite the setback, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit assures the world that all is under control and that the attack will not affect the Games. She said,

“I am in constant touch with the Police Commissioner. The police are investigating into the incident and culprits will be caught. Everything is under control. An incident like this is something worrying but nothing to panic about.”

Stepping up security, vehicles are banned from parking outside the CWG venues and other iconic buildings in the city. Also, the CRPF will keep their hi-tech ambulances available at the Games venuesshould the need for emergencies arise.

Meanwhile, countries around the world issue advisories to its citizens traveling to India. New Zealand, who’d come to India on a security check just last week and were satisfied with the arrangements, has had to reassess it post the firing. And besides NZ, Australia, US and UK too alerts their citizens.

But the positive aspect of all this is that participating countries aren’t pulling out, just yet. The England Commonwealth Games Committee assured their participation and said that the firing isn’t related to the Games. New Zealand’s sports fraternity too advises the country’s athletes to be a part of the Games.

No headway in Jama Masjid probe

 No headway has been made in the investigations into the firing incident near Jama Masjid though Delhi Police today claimed that they have some leads to solve the case. Investigators have questioned about 30 people following yesterday's incidents of firing at a Taiwanese media crew and a car catching fire after a "crudely-circuited" device went off. Two Taiwanese nationals were injured in the firing.

"We have some leads. We are working on it. We are confident of cracking the case," a senior police official said. Police also said that a person residing in Vasant Kunj, who was picked up for questioning in connection with the incidents, was cleared of any suspicion.

"A local gave a registration number of a motorcycle claiming that the two gunmen opened fire and escaped in the twowheeler. After verification, we have ruled out his role in the incident," a senior police official said. Delhi Police, however, is ruling out the role of any organised terror group but intelligence experts insist that it could be the handiwork of outlawed Indian Mujahideen, which was behind a series of blasts in several cities, including Delhi.

The Indian Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened terror strikes during the Games saying the incident was to coincide with the second anniversary of Batla House encounter. The city police suspect that disgruntled youths or a gang of local criminals could be behind the incidents. The motive appears to be to scare people ahead of the Commonwealth Games, they said, adding the attacks do not show signs of involvement of terrorist outfits like Indian Mujahideen.

Security was stepped up in the city following the incidents and armed policemen and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the city to keep a strict vigil. As a precautionary measure, parking outside Commonwealth Games venues and 470 iconic buildings have been banned and intensive checkings have begun at these places. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today visited LNJP hospital to enquire about the health condition of the two Taiwanese nationals injured in the attack.

Amit Banerjee, Medical Superintendent of LNJP Hospital, said both the patients were out of danger.

Uttarakhand floods: Sushma, Advani

Top BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj on Sunday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram about the grave flood situation in the BJP-ruled state of Uttarakhand.

Sources in the BJP said Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' apprised Advani and Swaraj of the flood situation. Thereafter, Swaraj spoke to the Prime Minister.

Advani broached the topic when he rang up Chidambaram to enquire about the firing incident at Delhi's Jama Masjid in which two foreign nationals were injured.

Sources said the PM told Swaraj that he would direct the Cabinet Secretary to get in touch with the state government. Advani asked Chidambaram to keep disaster management authorities on alert and provide all possible assistance to the state, sources said.

Meanwhile, at least 41 people were killed overnight as incessant rains wreaked havoc in the hill state triggering landslides and floods which rendered hundreds homeless.

Authorities shut schools for three days as the death count owing to relentless rains rose to 60 in the past two days.

The help of the Army and ITBP had been sought for relief and rescue operations in the state where major rivers were flowing above the red mark, an official spokesman said.

Seven people were still trapped under the debris of flattened houses in cloudburst-hit villages, he said.

River Ganga, flowing two metre above the danger mark in Hardwar, inundated several areas in the district with holy place Har-Ki-Pauri completely submerged.

Rivers Yamuna, Kosi and Ramganga were also in spate as the weather bureau predicted heavy rains in the state in the next 48 hours.

Almora district was the worst hit with landslides striking several villages killing 28 people, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre said.

Naintal accounted for 11 deaths, Hardwar seven and Pauri three, it said.

India tour stepping stone to reclaim world number one: Ponting

Australian captain Ricky Ponting considers the two-match Test series against India next month a stepping stone to reclaiming the world number one spot but said no miracles should be expected from his side in the tough tour.

"I'd like to get the team back to number one again and this will be hopefully just one of those steps along the way. It's an important tour for all of us. But I don't expect miracles, but expect a very high level of performance over the next few weeks," Ponting said before leaving for India for the two Tests and three ODIs starting October 1.

Australia has dropped to fourth in the ICC Test rankings, below India, South Africa and Sri Lanka and Ponting conceded his side would need a spectacular performance against the world number one side. "If we happen to play the cricket I know we are capable of in India and we can win that series, that will do great things for us to get back up near the number one ranking," he said.

Ponting agreed with the spin legend Shane Warne that the tour of India was not the perfect preparation for the Ashes series but said having two Tests and three ODIs was better than the original itinerary which featured only seven ODIs. "There's been a bit of talk the last few weeks about our preparation into what we've got later in the summer and I definitely couldn't be happier with it, playing Test cricket at this time of year," he said.

"For us, I think it will be great to be challenged the way that we will be challenged over there, by a very good team and by the conditions. "I think it will be great for us when November (and the Ashes series) comes around."

Uncapped young pacemen Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson were placed on standby for the tour following an injury to another youngster Josh Hazlewood and the Champions League Twenty20 commitments of squad members Peter George and Doug Bollinger. Ponting said the two players were placed on standby as both George and Bollinger's teams could make the final stages of the tournament in South Africa, where the final clashes with the start of Australia's warm-up game in Mohali.

Some of Australia's recent tours to the sub-continent have been clouded by security concerns but Ponting said he was happy with the level of security for the trip to India. The skipper is also keen to improve his average of 20.8 in India, where he has scored just one century in 12 Tests.

Australia play a three-day practice match against Board President's XI from September 25 before the two Tests - Mohali (October 1-5) and Bangalore (October 9-13). The two Tests would be followed by three ODIs - at Kochi (October 7), Visakhapatnam (October 20) and Margao (October 24).

On Ayodhya verdict, Muslim Law Board calls for calm, no celebrations or protests

After Darul Uloom Deoband, a host of prominent Islamic outfits under the aegis of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday appealed to the community to exercise restraint and maintain calm after the September 24 verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title suit.

The Board's committee on Babri Masjid met here and has also decided to ask the Union government to send out a clear and stern message that it will not tolerate any attempt to disturb law and order. Leaders of the AIMPLB — which is a party to the title suit — said the Muslim outfits would come out with a joint statement on Monday.

The message to the Muslim community was clear —maintain calm and refrain from celebrations or protests after the verdict is delivered. "We want to reiterate that the AIMPLB would respect the court verdict and abide by it. If it is not in favour of us, the option of appeal is always there," convenor of the committee, S Q R Ilyas told The Indian Express.

Ilyas said major Muslim outfits like the Jamiat-ulema-i-hind, Jamaat-e-Islami, All India Milli Council and the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat would issue a joint statement underlining the need for maintaining peace. "There should be no jubilation or protests after the verdict. The Centre should also issue a stern warning that it will not tolerate elements who disturb law and order," he added.

After the verdict, the AIMPLB would meet to formulate its response.

Indian IT cos claim they are creating jobs in the US

Far from taking away US jobs, Indian IT companies are actually creating huge employment in the US. In fact, dismissing US president Barack Obama's argument that Indian IT companies are responsible for rising unemployment, these companies say it is the shortage of talent in the US that is forcing them import talent from India.

"The fact that we are not contributing to the US economy is totally baseless. The Indian IT companies have created about 2,50,000 jobs in the US in the last three years and most of them are high paid jobs," said Ameet Nivsarkar, vice-president (global trade), the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

According to Nivsarkar, the advantage is not just in terms of cost but also in terms of knowledge base and a large talent pool that is available in India. US has a scarcity of talent base.

According to commerce minister Anand Sharma, in August itself Indian IT companies created 7,000 jobs in the US but the recent protectionist measures taken by the US, such as hiking professional visa fees, could hamper such economic activities.

Infosys employs around 12,000 people in North America, including about 1,300 US citizens and permanent residents. The company announced that it is planning to hire 1,000 more US locals during this fiscal. TCS has hired about 1,350 people in the US recently and is planning to hire more.

However, Indian IT companies are citing talent crunch in the US as one of the reasons for importing workforce from India. "Those who say that we do not hire because of the cost factor, are wrong. At present the salary of Indian IT professional is at par with the US, especially post recession. But even we are willing we find it difficult to get high skill professionals," said a senior HR manager from Infosys.

The same concern was expressed by the Cognizant Technology Solutions. The company said that it has hired about 50 recruitment staff in the US looking for IT professionals there but without much success.

The company says it is forced to import Indians on work visas. "If you look at the core of what we do, the technology work, the US simply doesn't have the talent base today," said Francisco d'Souza, president and chief executive, Cognizant, said last week. Similarly, TCS, Genpact and Wipro said that they are planning to hire more locals from the US.

According to Ken Chan, vicepresident, Moody's Investors, "The added costs of higher visa fees, if passed on to US clients, are also not likely to shift either the secular growth in outsourcing or its geographic pattern away from India to elsewhere." Moreover, it says that government- funded work represents only a small, single- digit percentage of the business of Indian IT companies, so even if other US states took up Ohio's ban, business derived just from banking and financial service firms would still dwarf the lost revenues in magnitude.

Indian IT companies are not the sole beneficiary of outsourcing. According to McKinsey, every dollar of costs the US moves offshore, it brings US a net benefit of $ 1.12 to $ 1.14, apart from benefitting them in terms of higher productivity, new export markets and a talent pool.

The Indian software companies pay over $ 1 billion each year to the US government in the form of social security for their Indian IT professionals who go for short term contract in the US.

'Now we are bleeding'

The view from Anil Agarwal's corner room in his suburban Mumbai office best tells his story. The steady stream of powerful jets taking off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airportsymbolises his desire to take wing and soar.

Despite building a natural resource powerhouse with a market capitalisation of $9 billion from practically nothing, the chairman of Vedanta Resources is still not taking it easy.

His uncluttered office reflects his state of mind. Having put his company on the world map of base metals and iron ore, he's now eyeing the oil and gas sector.

Days after his company announced the acquisition of Cairn India and his aluminium refinery project in Orissa got a thumbs-down from the environment ministry, he looks unperturbed. Those who have been tracking him know that he's seen worse. The glass and chrome in his office reflects his steely resolve to forge ahead no matter what the obstacles.

In a heart-to-heart chat with Editor Prabhu Chawla and Deputy Editor Malini Bhupta over coffee and sandwiches, he talked about his journey from Patna to London via Mumbai, the issue of development and the reasons behind the travails his companies seem to run into. Excerpts:

Apart from acquisitions, have you built anything on your own?

Lots. The copper smelter was our first. Our capacity is four lakh tonnes. We doubled the capacity of MALCO from 25,000 to 50,000 tonnes. BALCO's capacity was 1,00,000 tonnes which we increased to 3,50,000. Hindustan Zinc was at 1,60,000 tonnes when we acquired it; today its production capacity is 11 lakh tonnes.

What is the background of the controversy in Orissa?

People say that India is resourcerich and is often termed the "golden bird". The country has two sources of wealth - one is agriculture and other is natural resources which are under the ground. Earlier the Government controlled everything. Orissa has 2.4 billion tonnes of bauxite reserves and 253 billion tonnes of coal reserves.

The Government has decided that aluminum is a natural industry as it's a green metal. If we have to look at a replacement for wood, then it can be done with aluminum.

The government wanted to attract private investment. It asked us to set up factories in Orissa and offered to privatise mines. Through Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), bauxite mines were given to corporates.

Not many companies were willing to go there but we dared to. OMC was committed to give us bauxite. We spent Rs 11,000 crore on building plants, roads and a refinery in Lanjigarh. Vedanta Aluminium was given the understanding that OMC would get the mining lease from the central Government and transfer it to Vedanta.

Is there politics behind Vedanta?

Why should we pollute our mind? I don't know about all this. India has bauxite and that's the fundamental issue. Foreign NGOs are not targeting us; they are targetingIndia. They don't want development here. NALCO is merely two kilometres away from the site and they too take bauxite from there; but nobody says anything.

How will you solve this problem?

If India has to open the sector, Vedanta is in the queue. We have not committed any crime. If Orissa has to develop, then investments have to happen. It's an issue of how the international community will view us. The state is committed to give us bauxite which they have to.

What happened to the refinery?

We invested Rs 11,000 crore to develop the refinery and set up a smelter plant at Jharsuguda too. The OMC agreed to supply 150 million tonnes of bauxite to us and filed for approvals for its mining project along with an environment impact assessment report in 2005.

At this stage, the impact that mining would have on the hills and the ecosystem surrounding Kalahandi was discussed. Some activists filed a petition in court alleging that tribals would be displaced. If this plant comes up, we will be able to produce aluminum at $1,000 per tonne while global companies produce it at $2,000. The plant is ready but we have not got the bauxite.

We had an agreement with the state Government wherein we were promised bauxite. An entrepreneur who has put in money is now told that no bauxite will be given. We went there only because of the backward linkages and a commitment from the state. Now we are bleeding. The objections to the refinery are over its expansion from one million tonnes to six million tonnes. Almost 1,00,000 people depend on this refinery.

Do you think that you are caught between the Centre and state? Why are you being targeted?

It could be because of many things. Some don't want large projects to take off. This happens all the time. I am caught between the Centre and state. I don't think the issue is mines. It's a question of controversy, votes and tribals. Everybody wants to build a company like Vedanta. Everything is about crossfire. We have no notice from the Government on anything related to this issue. But we wouldn't have come this far without the support of the government.

What is the issue on the ground as far as you are concerned?

After much enquiry, nothing much came out; so the ministry came back, objecting that the expansion was done without its permission. The report that last came out has been compiled after one-and-half days. It's like first you bring a daughter-in-law and then after she joins the family, you ill-treat her. Before we invested, we were promised a lot. Whenever you do a big project, there will be noise; but we should not be swayed by international voices.

What is your mission?

I will give 75 per cent of my wealth to charity. I enjoy big businesses. Our companies own aircraft because they need it. But I am happy living in a three-bedroom flat. We have brought $20 billion into India which is unheard of. Why is nobody speaking of that?

You are slated to enter the top league in the mining and metals business? Do you think you are ruffling feathers?

Why don't you look at it this way: So far India was nowhere in metals and mining, but now we are producing and that too at low costs. So we should be proud of our achievements. We have 17 sites across nine states and we are among the largest investors in some states. In all our businesses, we believe that the competition should remain healthy. There is work to be done all over the world, in South Africa, in Namibia. Nobody has achieved what we have in India as a group.

What is your big dream?

I don't want anything. I want to leave a legacy of a clean and great company. And create an institution.

When you acquire a company what do you see?

A lot of people go and buy cheap assets but we focus on business first. We don't have any issue with culture.

Mary wins historic fifth World Boxing Championship

India's woman boxer MC Mary Kom on Saturday claimed a historic fifth successive World Championship title, beating Steluta Duta of Romania 16-6 in the final in Barbados. Mary Kom, who competed in the 48kg category, had defeated Alice Kate Aparri of Philippines 8-1 in semi-final on Friday to assure herself of at least a silver in the sixth edition of the competition.

The former Khel Ratna awardee from Manipur thus remained the only boxer to have won a medal in each edition of the World Championship. Duta had defeated Kazakhstan's Nazgul Boranbayeva 10-5 in the semi-final.

However, there was disappointment as well for India when Kavita (+81kg) settled for a bronze after losing 2-14 to Ukraine's Kateryna Kuzhel in the semi-finals.

Before winning the final, Mary Kom had been quoted as saying: "I am very happy to have come so far. I will do my best to win a gold even this time but I am not thinking too much about it because I need to focus on my game. If I fight well, I will win."

Anup Kumar, the dimunitive boxer's coach believes that Mary Kom's achievements are hard to come by. "It is a tremendous achievement, more so since she has become a mother of twins three years ago. She has been training really hard and attending all the camps religiously, despite her family commitments," Kumar told The Sunday Express from Barbados, minutes after Mary Kom won the record title.

Super30 figures in Newsweek, among 4 most innovative schools

After Time magazine, Newsweek has taken note of the initiative of mathematician Anand Kumar''s Super 30 and included his institute in a list of four most innovative schools in the world in its latest edition. According to the US magazine Newsweek, the effort of Kumar for the underprivileged students is "incredible" as his help of educational and moral support has facilitated the poor students study almost 16 hours every day and qualify the entrance test of IIT, known as toughest test in India.

Time magazine had earlier this year selected Super 30 in its list of best school of Asia 2010. When contacted, Kumar said it had further emboldened his strength to guide the underprivileged to deliver.

"This is a great recognition, which will not only motivate me, but also the students to do even better. I am happy that my small initiative has brought Bihar on the international map for positive reasons," he said.

In the last three years, all 30 students of Super 30 have made it to the IIT JEE..

CWG 15 Days To Go: Hygiene a Concern, Says Oz Coach

With 15 days to go for the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Australia’s swimming coach Leigh Nugent says hygiene at the Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi is a bigger concern for him than the terror threats to the games.

Things like vomiting and diarrhoea can run rampant through a team, wreaking havoc on months of preparation and destroying medal chances.

“So you have to be extra vigilant and make sure you have as many preventative measures in place as you can. We’re living in the village with probably 7000 or 8000 other people and not everyone has good hygiene, and you don”t know who’s touched the door in front of you.”

Government issues health advisory for visitors

With less than a fortnight left for the Commonwealth Games and Delhi  still reeling under dengue and swine flu outbreaks, the government issued a health advisory for participants and visitors coming for the event asking them to take precaution, including carrying full-sleeve clothes.

The advisory, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, says that if the athletes find any symptoms of flu, they should consult the medical officer in the contingent. If required, they should also get the medical advice of the polyclinic in the competition venue or hotel.

Delhi CM thanks media

Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit thanked the media for pushing the Games Organising Committee and her government to prepare better for the XIX Commonwealth Games. Sheila Dikshit thanked for all the criticism that has been been flung at her government as it egged them on to work harder to deliver a better CWG.

“I would thank media for pushing us to deliver. When the push came, we got encouragement to redouble our efforts. Two-three months back, people thought we will not be able to complete the projects and the event will not be successful. Today, I can confidently say that it will be the best in the history.”

Delhi to roll out 6,000 busses for CWG

Finally some good news for Delhi commuters and sports lovers as a fleet of around 6,000 government-run buses, including 1,500 exclusively for players, delegates and media personnel, will be rolled out ahead of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said that nearly 42 sites have been identified to provide direct bus service to Games venues for the convenience of sports lovers