NEW DELHI: Time seems to be running out for Pakistan in its fight against terror. Islamabad, which has all along denied the presence of India’s most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim on its soil, has now been asked by US investigative agencies to cooperate with them to hunt him down.
America’s FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are on the lookout for Dawood for his alleged links with Al-Qaeda affiliates and involvement in the global heroin trade.
This vindicates India’s consistent stand that Pakistan has been harbouring 1993 Mumbai serial blasts’ main accused. A special notice circulated among the member countries of the United Nations, which has proscribed Dawood as a global terrorist, mentions Pakistan as the base of his operations. The Interpol notice against the fugitive lists two of his known addresses and likely hideouts in Pakistan: NU 37, 30th Street, Defence Housing Authority, and White House, near Saudi Mosque, Clifton Road, both in Karachi.
Pakistan, however, has flatly denied the presence of Dawood at either of these addresses or elsewhere on its territory. That this counter-claim has not cut ice with the US is apparent as FBI is said to have shown Islamabad the proof of UN special notice featuring Karachi as one of Dawood’s bases.
According to reports, FBI and DEA authorities have described Dawood Ibrahim as “an Al-Qaeda facilitator now living in Pakistan, who has already been placed in the same category as top Al-Qaeda operatives with Interpol issuing a special notice against him”. In their communications with the Pakistani authorities, DEA has claimed that D-company was involved in large-scale shipment of narcotics into the UK and Western Europe and that its smuggling routes from South Asia, West Asia and Africa have shared links with Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda terror network.
The US agencies had sought help from Pakistan’s ISI, Federal Investigation Agency, Anti-narcotics Force and the interior ministry. However, only the interior ministry responded to the US request, saying any such help was not possible since no such person by the name of Dawood Ibrahim lived on Pakistani soil.
According to the Interpol special notice against Dawood, the don has 16 aliases and 11 passports issued from India, Pakistan, the UAE and Yemen. His operations span across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. New Delhi is clear that the first claim on Dawood is India’s, since he is an Indian citizen and all the leg-work and initial investigations against him were carried out by Indian agencies.
India, however, is not averse to working jointly with the US agencies to track Dawood down.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
93 blasts : D-Day for Sanjay Dutt, Hats off to Judges
Friends, Provide your Opinion on the decision of judge who sentenced 6-year jail to Sanjay Dutt.
Todays judgement shows that in our corrupted country some people are honest eventhough Dutt have more money & political support finally truth wins..Really its a Judgement Day..
Todays judgement shows that in our corrupted country some people are honest eventhough Dutt have more money & political support finally truth wins..Really its a Judgement Day..
Sanjay Dutt sentenced for 6 years in jail
The special TADA court Tuesday sentenced actor Sanjay Dutt [Images] to six years imprisonment for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons, was facing between five years and 10 years in jail.
He had spent 16 months in jail as an undertrial in 1994.
Dutt will be sent to the prison, straight from the court inside Arthur Road jail premises.
Judge Kode does not have the powers to grant bail to Dutt as per the Criminal Procedure Code.
Sanjay Dutt's bail will stand cancelled and he will be in jail, lawyer Majid Menon said.
Dutt's lawyers, however, will appeal in the Supreme Court in the afternoon. The judge said pronounced Dutt an offender and that he was present in a dinner party attended by Dawood Ibrahim.
The judge also said Dutt had committed a series of offences and that he was mature when he committed these.
The judge added that Dutt made Yusuf Nalwala commit the offence.
Dutt was almost in tears when the judge pronounced the verdict.
He then asked whether he could make a call to his daughter Trishala.
Dutt's aide Russi Mulla, who helped destroy the firearms, was given a suspended sentence of one year, in view of his advanced age and behaviour under the offenders of the Probation Act. He was fined Rs 1 lakh.
Courtesy : www.rediff.com
Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons, was facing between five years and 10 years in jail.
He had spent 16 months in jail as an undertrial in 1994.
Dutt will be sent to the prison, straight from the court inside Arthur Road jail premises.
Judge Kode does not have the powers to grant bail to Dutt as per the Criminal Procedure Code.
Sanjay Dutt's bail will stand cancelled and he will be in jail, lawyer Majid Menon said.
Dutt's lawyers, however, will appeal in the Supreme Court in the afternoon. The judge said pronounced Dutt an offender and that he was present in a dinner party attended by Dawood Ibrahim.
The judge also said Dutt had committed a series of offences and that he was mature when he committed these.
The judge added that Dutt made Yusuf Nalwala commit the offence.
Dutt was almost in tears when the judge pronounced the verdict.
He then asked whether he could make a call to his daughter Trishala.
Dutt's aide Russi Mulla, who helped destroy the firearms, was given a suspended sentence of one year, in view of his advanced age and behaviour under the offenders of the Probation Act. He was fined Rs 1 lakh.
Courtesy : www.rediff.com
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Life lessons from our honourable Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
It was an unexpected choice, but one that filled the nation with pride and joy.
In the five years since Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images], he has been nothing short of inspirational. The man who is synonymous with India's space programme soon became synonymous with India's sense of pride, particularly for its youth.
I love the fact that he is one man you cannot conveniently categorise. After all, how do you slot someone whose favourite pastime includes reading the Bhagvad Gita even though he is a devout Muslim? A remarkable self-made scientist who pens poetry in Tamil and plays the veena in his leisure time? A president who retained his fashionably long locks?
This is what I have learnt from the person I think has been one of India's most interesting leaders in recent times:
1. Humility and modesty
These attributes come naturally to those concerned with causes far greater than personal gain.
India's first attempt at launching the Satellite Launch Vehicle met with failure. At that point, Dr Kalam took responsibility for his colleagues and juniors and became answerable for what went wrong. When the second attempt succeeded and took India into the space age, he stepped aside and let his colleagues take credit for this grand achievement.
Attempting something this selfless requires dedication to the achievement of a larger goal; it is the final goal that matters, not who takes the credit for the achievement.
Over time, I have tried putting a lot more emphasis on the task at hand, and on its flawless execution. Also, in my small way, I look out for people at work or in my personal space, while taking part responsibility for their actions.
Dr Kalam was embarrassed by public acclaim to the extent that that he did not like being called Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam. He even gently reminded the directors at the Defence Research and Development Organisation to not refer to him as Bharat Ratna; he did this by having a circular sent across through the DRDO headquarters that civilian awards cannot be used as titles! This, in today's world, where we mostly see people chasing titles and designations simply to flaunt them to their peers.
In my personal space too, the people I respect the most are the ones who are low-profile in these matters. It is almost immediately endearing when you come across people like these.
2. Respect
Dr Kalam has the utmost respect for everyone he interacts with. He even treats and talks to kids as his equals, and respects their opinions. I know of instances where he refers to professors as 'Professor X' and means it with respect. He attaches great importance to their knowledge and experience; even though he might have achieved a lot than they have, he believes there is a lot to learn from each of them.
Not being judgemental, respecting elders, teachers, professors and looking beyond caste, race, age and colour have taken on a whole new meaning in today's society. Over time, I have realised that the people who respect others the most are the ones who are the most respected.
3. Spirituality
It might surprise a few people that a space scientist can be so spiritual. Dr Kalam recites the Gita and the Quran better than some of the more renowned spiritual 'gurus' of today. He believes in the strength of virtues and values, and the role they play in shaping the youth and society in these times.
A complete vegetarian, a teetotaller and a bachelor, Dr Kalam's spirituality seems to be driven by practicality in a world where these attributes might be frowned upon.
It's clear that he respects other religions, and has done his best to understand them -- something that a lot of us need to imbibe ourselves.
4. Being yourself
The pressures and expectations of the presidential post never got to Dr Kalam. The usual full-sleeved blue shirt, the long grey hair, and various 'Kalam-isms' like 'Fantastic!', 'Funny guys, why did they do that?' and 'What's happening?' have made it to many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In this case, the person changed the place, rather than the place changing the person.
Situations never changed the person Dr Kalam was. He is disarmingly approachable to students, civilians and politicians.
It is this genuineness that makes us all individuals in the first place. I try keeping that in mind when I get flustered by grand or formal situations. I no longer constantly bother about how I speak or dress, thanks to a lesson from Dr Kalam.
5. Respect for children
Dr Kalam believes that children and the youth of today are magical with their ideas and thoughts. This is the reason he spent so much time meeting school kids and addressing the country's youth. He understands the language of youth and their ambitions, without having the air of superiority that age and experience brings with it so often.
Dr Kalam even extended his scientific expertise to help disabled children by replacing their metal supporters, which weigh three kilos, with carbon-based braces weighing 300 grams.
I think it is this, more than anything else, that makes him seem larger than life to me. The fact that he touched so many lives, and did not stop at just addressing them... He gave so many disabled kids a reason to smile.
Thank you, sir, it is an honour to be a fellow Indian. Those presidential shoes are going to be very hard to fill, to say the least.
In the five years since Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images], he has been nothing short of inspirational. The man who is synonymous with India's space programme soon became synonymous with India's sense of pride, particularly for its youth.
I love the fact that he is one man you cannot conveniently categorise. After all, how do you slot someone whose favourite pastime includes reading the Bhagvad Gita even though he is a devout Muslim? A remarkable self-made scientist who pens poetry in Tamil and plays the veena in his leisure time? A president who retained his fashionably long locks?
This is what I have learnt from the person I think has been one of India's most interesting leaders in recent times:
1. Humility and modesty
These attributes come naturally to those concerned with causes far greater than personal gain.
India's first attempt at launching the Satellite Launch Vehicle met with failure. At that point, Dr Kalam took responsibility for his colleagues and juniors and became answerable for what went wrong. When the second attempt succeeded and took India into the space age, he stepped aside and let his colleagues take credit for this grand achievement.
Attempting something this selfless requires dedication to the achievement of a larger goal; it is the final goal that matters, not who takes the credit for the achievement.
Over time, I have tried putting a lot more emphasis on the task at hand, and on its flawless execution. Also, in my small way, I look out for people at work or in my personal space, while taking part responsibility for their actions.
Dr Kalam was embarrassed by public acclaim to the extent that that he did not like being called Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam. He even gently reminded the directors at the Defence Research and Development Organisation to not refer to him as Bharat Ratna; he did this by having a circular sent across through the DRDO headquarters that civilian awards cannot be used as titles! This, in today's world, where we mostly see people chasing titles and designations simply to flaunt them to their peers.
In my personal space too, the people I respect the most are the ones who are low-profile in these matters. It is almost immediately endearing when you come across people like these.
2. Respect
Dr Kalam has the utmost respect for everyone he interacts with. He even treats and talks to kids as his equals, and respects their opinions. I know of instances where he refers to professors as 'Professor X' and means it with respect. He attaches great importance to their knowledge and experience; even though he might have achieved a lot than they have, he believes there is a lot to learn from each of them.
Not being judgemental, respecting elders, teachers, professors and looking beyond caste, race, age and colour have taken on a whole new meaning in today's society. Over time, I have realised that the people who respect others the most are the ones who are the most respected.
3. Spirituality
It might surprise a few people that a space scientist can be so spiritual. Dr Kalam recites the Gita and the Quran better than some of the more renowned spiritual 'gurus' of today. He believes in the strength of virtues and values, and the role they play in shaping the youth and society in these times.
A complete vegetarian, a teetotaller and a bachelor, Dr Kalam's spirituality seems to be driven by practicality in a world where these attributes might be frowned upon.
It's clear that he respects other religions, and has done his best to understand them -- something that a lot of us need to imbibe ourselves.
4. Being yourself
The pressures and expectations of the presidential post never got to Dr Kalam. The usual full-sleeved blue shirt, the long grey hair, and various 'Kalam-isms' like 'Fantastic!', 'Funny guys, why did they do that?' and 'What's happening?' have made it to many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In this case, the person changed the place, rather than the place changing the person.
Situations never changed the person Dr Kalam was. He is disarmingly approachable to students, civilians and politicians.
It is this genuineness that makes us all individuals in the first place. I try keeping that in mind when I get flustered by grand or formal situations. I no longer constantly bother about how I speak or dress, thanks to a lesson from Dr Kalam.
5. Respect for children
Dr Kalam believes that children and the youth of today are magical with their ideas and thoughts. This is the reason he spent so much time meeting school kids and addressing the country's youth. He understands the language of youth and their ambitions, without having the air of superiority that age and experience brings with it so often.
Dr Kalam even extended his scientific expertise to help disabled children by replacing their metal supporters, which weigh three kilos, with carbon-based braces weighing 300 grams.
I think it is this, more than anything else, that makes him seem larger than life to me. The fact that he touched so many lives, and did not stop at just addressing them... He gave so many disabled kids a reason to smile.
Thank you, sir, it is an honour to be a fellow Indian. Those presidential shoes are going to be very hard to fill, to say the least.
JaJah comes to India - Cheap India USA Calls
JaJah has officially started it’s services in India. JaJahIndia.com This is especially targeting the highly competitive & dense India - USA - India call traffic. With phone calls ranged between 7.3 to 7.6 cents per minute, these are one of the lowest rates offered so far. Yes, these are for a promotion which will last till 15th August.
Get this limited time invite for free here: Jajah
BlogCamp Pune aftermath
BlogCamp Pune happened on 16th June 2007
IBNlive ’s Video coverage about the BlogCamp Pune below:
IBNlive ’s Video coverage about the BlogCamp Pune below:
First, hats off to Tarun & Parag for organising this BlogCamp Pune
Shilpa Dhamija’s article in IBNLive was titled:
“Write blogs, earn up to Rs 1 lakh”.
No doubt, Eklavya & Team from WatBlog are doing a great job covering the Internet Advertising and Technology scene in India. However Shilpa’s article would be interpreted by a newbie as an easy way of making fast money. Well, please, please don’t be under this impression. For every blogger who makes 1 lakh per month, there are more than 1000 bloggers who make nothing. [me included]
I just wanted to that straight.
Back to BlogCamp Pune on 16th June. Started off with no WiFi 
So far, the best run down blog coverage, I could find was that by Lokesh Sapre. I would request you to read his post here.
The threads that i sat through were of Purple Nova, Fropper & SMS Gupshup. Presentation on flaming by Melody was appreciated by everyone. A very enthu guy Ashish went about interviewing everyone who participated, I felt that was very ’sweet’, Thank You Ashish !
Umesh from Fropper.com announced in his presentation of EzBlogs that Fropper has an exclusive tie-up with Google for a “One Click installation” of Google Adsense to EzBlogs. Well, I am looking forward for that, as this is an easy way for people to skip all the Google Adsense code configuration. I am sure this would be a hit.
At 5:30 PM, we all assembled in the auditorium & Tarun & Parag sought feedback from everyone.
One of the things which everyone agreed was that at the next BlogCamp in Pune, there would be seperate threads for commercial [sponsors] & unsponsored ones.
Overall, this is a good start, got attention of the media & I am sure several people would consider to start blogging.
Monday, July 23, 2007
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