We

Vol-01. Issue-31. Bhopal. Monday Page-12. Price-`5/www.wethestate.com

he State

APRIL 29 TO MAY 05, 2013

PRIME Time MINISTER

Punjabi girls in southern film industry

Cong leaders betray no emotion of amity despite Rahuls appeal

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MOHANKHEDA (DHAR) Even as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi appealed to senior party leaders from the state to end factionalism and work unitedly, the body language of the leaders betrayed no such emotion of amity . The signs of rift were everywhere: Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh was closeted with his protgs state party chief Kantilal Bhuria and opposition leader Ajay Singh. Former Union minister Suresh Pachauri, who headed the Congress in Madhya Pradesh during 2008-11, was nowhere to be seen. Union power minister Jyotiraditya Scindia continued to be cheered by his staunch supporters. And Kamal Nath was in Delhi, busy with parliamentary affairs. Even as Digvijay's men created a minor 'scene' after not getting passes for entry into the meeting venue, the former chief minister gave an unusually low-key response to Rahul Gandhi's unity call: "It's a good call. This will help increase workers dedication and they will get respect." "Let's see how much time these leaders take to work as a team, rather whether they really work together. If they join hands, nobody can stop Congress from coming back to power. If they don't, the party will become even weaker," said Ashok Bhandari, a Congress worker. "Rahulji's appeal has given us hope. It's a now or never situation," said Samandar Patel, another local leader. AICC in-charge of Madhya Pradesh B Hari Prasad, however, doesn't agree. "Who says it is weak? The party is very vibrant in Madhya Pradesh," he said. Senior party leaders have outwardly hailed Gandhis appeal for unity. But it is clear that roots of factionalism in the state are so deep that gandhis appeal will hardly have any effect. State Congress president Kantilal Bhuria said that the BJP was unable to digest the popularity of Rahul Gandhi. Another senior leader Haribansh Singh said it is positive effort of Rahul, which has motivated every party worker. The party's workers are backbone of party, if they would not be given priority, the party could not survive. Interaction with Rahul Gandhi has infused new vigour in the Congress rank in file. However, despite what the senior leaders said the party workers are unlikely to get a say in important decisions, especially ticket distribution and Rahuls assertion that the candidates will be decided in Bhopal has largely met with scepticism although party cadres are not admitting it openly . A party veteran, not willing to be named, said, "Factionalism has become so deep-rooted that it would indeed require someone like Rahul Gandhi to weed it out." He pointed out that none of senior leaders present at the helipad to receive Gandhi were even talking to each other. Rahul Gandhi told party leaders and workers of the state that five party leaders sitting in Delhi cant decide fate of 7.5 crore people of the state. During his dialogue with the party rankand-file in Madhya Pradesh, Congress vicepresident point blank said that five factional leaders of the party cannot decide the fate of 7.5 crore people of the state.

In Mohankheda the AICC vice-president was told by party workers that there existed "five" major factions in the party in MP and factionalism was the biggest impediment preventing the Congress from coming back to power. It was in this context that Rahul Gandhi referred to the "five leaders" without naming them. Top state Congress leaders, with the exception of Kamal Nath, accompanied Rahul Gandhi to Bhopal.

How WE look it !

. . . C a r to on by K G O J H A

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Capital

WE THE STATE

Service Tax evasion 'rampant' in Builders and Govt. Departments

(In Conversation with Mr. Arvind Kumar , Deputy Commissioner,Customs & Central Excise )
MAJOR CASES BOOKED BY BHOPAL COMMISSIONERATE DURING 2012-13
S.No. 1 2

mong the builders and construction companies , dodging taxes has become second nature. Most of those not paying tax have legitimate reasons. The Central Excise Bhopal zone was successful in chasing down the tax dodgers and barons who tried evasion of Service Tax . The hard efforts of departmental employees are remarkable. The Central Excise, Bhopal Zone has achieved the Zonal target for the financial year 2012-13, it has collected the indirect taxes Rs.14252.84 crores including Central Excise duty, Customs duty & Service Tax against the allotted zonal target Rs. 13790 crores by the Board. The Zonal duty collection during the financial year 20012-13 is Rs. 11462.51 cr., 588.50 cr. & 2201.83 cr. against the Boards allotted target of Rs. 11300 cr., 540 cr. & 1950 cr. in Central Excise, Customs & Service Tax respectively, which is 1.44% in Central Excise, 8.98% in Customs & 12.91% in Service Tax higher than the allotted target for the Zone. In the current financial year the Zonal target of Central Excise duty, Customs duty & Service Tax was increased 45.89%, 30.46% & 33% respectively in comparison to last year total revenue collection whereas the actual collection is 47.99%, 42.17%, & 50.18% in Central Excise, Customs & Service Tax respectively higher than the last year collection. The all three Commissionerate of this ZoneBhopal, Indore & Raipur have collected Central Excise duty Rs. 4756.16 cr., Rs.1181.96cr. & Rs.5524.39 cr., Customs duty Rs.57.72cr, Rs.473.57cr. & Rs.57.21cr. and Service Tax Rs. 606.92cr., Rs. 570.09cr. & Rs. 1024.82cr. respectively . Bina Oman Refinary ltd , M/s Steel Authority of India Ltd., Bhilai Steel Plant, Bhilai , M/s Jindal Steel & Power, Raigarh , M/s Reliable Cigarette & Tobacco Ltd., Mandideep , M/s Jaiswal (NECO), Raipur , & M/s Ultrate-

Name of the party Bharat Oman Refineries Limited, Agasod, Bina Center for Entrepreneurship Development Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal

Amount detected 259465376

Duty/tax realized 0

Brief issue Wrong availment of Cenvat credit Non/Short payment of service tax on Manpower supply, Commercial Coaching & Training, Franchisee, Renting of immovable property, Management consultant service. Non payment of service tax on Mining service. Short payment of Central Excise duty by not adding Royalty in assessable value Non payment of service tax on Renting of immovable property service Non payment of service tax on Commercial or Industrial construction service Non payment of service tax on Business Support Service Wrong availment of Cenvat Credit Non payment of service tax on survey & Map Making service Non payment of service tax on supply of tangible goods service Short accountal of excisable goods in statutory records vis-a-vise removal of Non/Short payment of service tax under Construction of residential complexes service

86568410

5111871

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

National Construction Co. Singrauli Western Coal Field Limited, Pathakheda M.P. Aydyogik Kendra Vikas Nigam, Bhopal PSV Construction, Bhopal Abhiyan Logistics, Bhopal HINDALCO, Singrauli Institute of Geo informatics, Bhopal Directorate of Agriculture Engineering, Bhopal Revakripa Sugars Pvt Limited, Shahpura Case against assessee and partys registered under Construction of residential complexes service: 1.Indus Builders, Bhopal 2.Navakar Construction Bhopal 3.Sarita Construction Bhopal 4.Amaltas Construction Bhopal 5.Narmada Construction Bhopal 6.Lakhumal Lalwani & Sons, Bhopal goods without payment of duty.

72300000 66200000 35000000 31811778 30495803 28600000 5263964 5916005 4511032 14866425

46900000 66200000 --0 0 28600000 0 0 4529000 11151425

ch Cement, Khore are the major contributors in Zonal revenue during the year 2012-13. . Apart from this , Indore is the biggest duty payer with paid duty Rs.169.87cr. By the hard efforts of departmental employees, the zonal revenue collection in Additional Measures to Mobilize Revenue is Rs. 780.56 Cr. during the last quarter of financial year 2012-13. In the current financial year, the

total collection of revenue through Audit is Rs.235.77crores which is 212.48% higher than that of the last year and through the Anti Evasion, the total detection is Rs. 336.15 crores out of which the realization of revenue is Rs.88.74 crores which is also 63% higher than that of the last year. Zone has also collected the revenue of Rs. 422.54 crores through the recovery of Arrears during the

current financial year. Officials of the department disclosed that the Excise department is keeping an eye on buyers of Luxury cars, big budget apartments/Duplexes, corrupt tax bureaucrats to political class accustomed to making vast wealth on the side. 17 major cases were booked by Bhopal Commissionerate during 2012-13 for non -payment of Tax.

CM forms task force to curb crimes against women

The decision to constitute the task force was taken at a high-level meeting on Tuesday evening. Those who attended the meeting include home minister Umashankar Gupta and chief secretary R Parasuram. As per the decisions taken at the meeting, apart from immediate measures to curb such crimes, a long-term action plan will also be chalked out and implemented in the state. Chauhan instructed the authorities that every BHOPAL In the backdrop of a spate of rape cases in the state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Tuesday decided to constitute a state-level task force headed by him. The task force would ensure an effective curb on crimes against girls and women. This is perhaps for the first time in the state when the CM himself would be heading a task force to curb any specific crime. As per official sources, it is yet to be decided who would be members of the task force and when it would start functioning. However, the chief secretary, home minister, director general of police, home secretary, and some ADG-rank officers would definitely be a part of the force. incident of crime against women should be taken very seriously. He said such incidents in the state as well as across the country were a cause of distress. He said effective institutional arrangements should be ensured in cities and villages. On the other hand, active participation of social organisations and various institutions should also be increased to enlist community involvement in implementing these measures in earnest. Along with the state-level plan, districtlevel action plans should also be chalked out. The CM said a nationwide debate should be initiated from MP on changing people's mindset of discrimination between women and men. Cooperation of media should be sought regarding advertisements which were spreading perversions. Legal measures with modern techniques should be ensured for nabbing criminals. Efforts should be made to ensure that the accused do not go scot-free. Watchmen should be put on duty at the village level. Posts of watchman should be filled up wherever vacant. Along with this, Gram Raksha Samitis, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, panchas and sarpanchas should also be alerted to curb such incidents. Participation of Nagar Suraksha Samitis and various social organisations should be increased in towns. It was also decided that various institutions and industries in the state will have to maintain complete dossier of persons employed with them. Proper information about habitual offenders released from jail and antisocial elements in villages and cities will be maintained in police stations. Under the long-term measures, joint districtlevel teams of police-administration and social organisations will be constituted after formation of the state-level task force. Workshops of administrative officers, NGOs and public representatives will be held. It was suggested at the meeting that a women and youth policy should be chalked out in the state. Foeticide Prevention Act and Prevention of Domestic Violence Act should be implemented effectively.

THE TEAM
EDITOR

M.M. BAIG
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

DILIP OJHA BIPIN SASI

CARTOONIST

ASSISTANT EDITOR

DR. K.G. OJHA

STATE CORRESPONDENT

RAJIV TIWARI
LAYOUT DESIGNER

ARVIND PAWAR
SHAILENDRA PARIHAR
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR NEWS COORDINATOR

AKSHAY OJHA

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Editorial

WE THE STATE

ASTROLOGY
01-5-2013- Wednesday- Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Shashthi (Saptami Tithi Kshay) Positive direction- East and South Bad time - 12:36 pm to 2:14 pm Good time - 6:04 am to 9:20 am and 3:52 pm to 7:08 pm 02-5-2013-Thursday- Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Ashthami Positive direction- South and East Bad time - 2:14 pm to 3:52 pm Good time - 6:04 am to 7:42 am and 10:58 am to 2:13 pm and 5:30 pm to 7:08 pm 03-5-2013- Friday - Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Navami Positive direction - South and West Bad time - 10:58 am to 12:36 pm Good time - 6:04 am to 10:57 am and 12:37 pm to 2:14 pm and 5:30 pm to 7:08 pm 04-5-2013- Saturday -Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Dashmi Positive direction - West and West Bad time - 9:20 am to 10:58 am Good time -7:42 am to 9:19 am and 12:36 pm to 5:30 pm 05-5-2013- Sunday -Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Ekadashi (Vratt) Positive direction- West and North Bad time - 5:30 pm to 7:08 pm Good time - 7:43 am to 12:38 pm and 2:14 pm to 3:52 pm 06-5-2013- Monday -Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Dwadashi (Ekadashi Vratt) Positive direction- North and West Bad time - 7:43 am to 9:20 am Good time -6:40 am to 7:42 am and 9:20 am to 10:58 am and 2:14 pm to 7:08 pm 07-5-2013- Tuesday -Vaishakh Mah Krishnapaksh- Pradosh Positive direction- North and West Bad time - 3:52 pm to 5:30 pm Good time - 9:20 am to 2:14 pm By AACHARYA SARVESH E-Mail: acharya.sarvesh@yahoo.com Mobile: 9826609192

Surge in child sexual abuse:

Porn, alcohol catalysts for pervert minds
exual misdemeanors and deviations have always been inherent to human beings, however, rapidly vanishing inhibitions due to degradation of moral, social and ethical values are leading to increase in incidents of brutal sexual offences like child rapes. Also, easy access to pornography, alcohol and drugs etc. acts as a catalyst for already pervert minds and contribute to the entire deplorable trend, experts, including psychiatrists and psychologists in the city feel. These experts maintain that the society is in a transition and in a very confused state about what is right or wrong or what to embrace or shun. A vast majority of the neoadults have grown up in unsupervised atmosphere, especially in context of use of technology and the package coming with them. These are some of the reasons that they get involved in heinous activities more easily . There certainly has been a surge in sexually debauch activities during the recent past and the main reason is degradation of values -moral, social and ethical. The families have broken down and lack of proper parenting and improper behaviour of parents in front of the kids are having a great impact on mind of growing children. This added to constant hammering of twisted gender representations and sexual innuendoes in movies, advertisements and reading material is creating adults with disturbed minds. And when these disturbed minds find external catalysts in form of pornography, alcohol or some type of drugs, it becomes a dangerous combination that leaves society extremely vulnerable. Multiple factors contribute to the entire problem, but it is important for us to look within and try to change the society and treat the disturbed minds to find a possible solution. Only law cannot help in changing this situation.

It is true that more cases of sexual offences are being reported due to vigilant media, but at the same time, the pervert acts have increased because of various reasons. Youngsters are easily accessing things that go on to let loose their dormant tendencies, Also, pornography, alcohol and drugs play a major role in this respect. Growing up in nuclear families, where children are left alone most of time, and not having a stable career in adulthood could have negative impact on psychology of people and push them to behave perversely and brutally . The sexual transgression was always present in society but its level has gone up. The society is in a transition and adults in a confused state. The parents do not have any inkling about the gadgets and technology these youngsters are using. Their activities remain almost totally unsupervised and may lead to

brutal crimes like child rape. But it is heartening to see that society is reacting very adversely to this trend and gives hope that this might instill a fear among the possible perpetrators. Perversion was always there in society and it was just coming out in open more now because of several factors. There is a need for training the kids to detect abuse, resist it and report it. We have to start training kids at the earliest, may be even at one or one-and-half year of age at the time we start their toilet training or table manners. It has to be drilled into a child's mind that no one but mother could touch him/her below the neck. There is no alternative but to develop a self-protection mechanism among the children and the parents are best people to do it. -EDITOR Email: editor@wethestate.com

Factionalism damaging partys prospects in MP, Rahul told

MOHANKHEDA (DHAR) All the party delegates who Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi met on Wednesday here told him in no uncertain terms that factionalism was damaging the party's prospects in Madhya Pradesh. And after hearing them out, Gandhi sent a clear message to the top-rung of state Congress: "If Congress is going to contest elections in groups, then it will not win. If there are three-four groups, how would it win? It is the time that senior leaders should work together. Go and fight unitedly ." Gandhi, who landed in Mohankheda (100 km west of Indore) on Wednesday morning, interacted with MPs, MLAs, former legislators and even those who had lost in the elections -- from 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state on the first day of his two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh. He is scheduled to meet delegates of the remaining 15 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bhopal on Thursday . Gandhi held closed-door sessions with party delegates encouraging them to air their views without fear or favor. According to give weightage to district presidents and local body representatives. They are the roots." Gandhi invited suggestions from delegates on how to improve the state of the party. "I asked for suggestions as to what needs to be done to bring changes in Madhya Pradesh's organisation," he said. The Congress leader started his MP odyssey with a 20-minute visit to a Jain temple here. In 2001, his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also visited the same temple and sought blessings from Jain priests. Later in the evening, Gandhi addressed the national executive of the Youth Congress which was already underway at Mohankheda since Tuesday . State Congress president Kantilal Bhuria, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, Union Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh, state Youth Congress president Priyavrat Singh and AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh BK Hari Prasad received Gandhi at Mohankheda in the morning.

Vastu Tips for flat

The flat must have a normal shape, such as square or rectangle.

The apartment must never fall at a dead end of a road.

T-point buildings must be avoided.

Every room must have four walls or corners.

sources, many local leaders complained of the disconnect between the party organization and the people. Later, talking to them collectively, the Congress vice-president said: "Nobody hears out the common party worker. We need to change this. If we do not hear their voices on different matters, including ticket distribution, how will the party stand?" To much applause from the rank-and-file, he added: "We need to

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Politics

WE THE STATE

PRIME Time MINISTER

O
ur television screens are Mr Modi is definitely not promoting himself as a Prime Ministerial candidate, he is only on a 'Bharat Darshan' and the media is enjoying a TRP driven party. Renowned Journalist Karan Thapar, while grilling BJP President Raj Nath Singh, on his notorious and popular show The Devil's Advocate, posed an uncomfortable question. Why does Narendra Modi's personal PR team accompany him in all his 'routine' visits to various conferences throughout India? Be it FICCI Ladies Organisation event in Delhi or the TV18 Think India dialogue or any other event which the Gujarat Chief Minister attends, are handled by his PR agents and not the event managers. The Press releases are issued by Mr Modi's PR team and not the event's PR team. This explains to an extent the glorious portrayal of this' charming' and 'dynamic' Minister as the only available 'saviour' who can sail the drowning ship of the Indian Economy. This massive PR drive is one of the most sucRelaMr cessful of its kind. In a democracy which is reeling under numerous corruption scams, a declining growth rate and the lack of some hopeful and charismatic leadership, such a PR strategy is sure to work. And it did. News Channels spend their mornings on covering Mr Modi speak about 'Jasuben's Pizza' and 'development', they discuss, analyse and try to interpret what he meant throughout the afternoon, while a certain section of the regional news channels even go on a search mission for Jasuben in Ahemdabad. By the time the analysis of the morning's speech is concluded, Mr Modi addresses a new gathering and makes new and 'exciting' statements. The news channels receive a joyous treat which guarantee them ample of 'content' for their Prime Time Debates. This repeats the next day and the of next day and the next day... Most of his visits were to religious places and he was very confident in his public appearance. Modi visited Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Belur Math in Kolkata .He also visited Sivagiri Ashram established by Sree Narayana Guru who was a social reformer of the first order . This has caused sudden outrage amongst the Communists in Kerala, with head honcho Pinarayi Vijayan lamenting that this was an effort to turn Sivagiri into a Hindu ashram! But Mr vijayan forgot the fact that Sivagiri is, in fact, a Hindu matham. Vijayan may be suffering from terminal confusion, or this is yet another instance of Communist double-speak. But the Bharat Darshan has given Modi huge popularity and fan following. Addressing a gathering of at least 10,000 people in Haridwar, several preachers including two from Gujarat, Murari Bapu and Parmatmanandji Maharaj, said Modi should be declared NDA's candidate for prime ministership. Ramdev, who in the past has often spoken in favour of Modi, too, gave the campaign a fillip, praising him as an able administrator. Only a few weeks ago in Indore, Ramdev had said crores of Indians are pinning their hopes on Modi, and described the Gujarat CM as a symbol of development and good governance, asking people to support him. The impact is such that an India which discarded speculations of Modi as a potential Prime Minister until last year, is now seriously considering the prospects. More prominently, are we, as citizens of a 'secular' and increasingly aware democracy willing to accept Modi as the Prime Minister of the nation? The answer to this will be evident in the results of the 2014 elections. For now, Mr Modi can continue to enjoy his status as the Prime Time Minister. chanting his name almost all the time since the past few all months. Narendra Modi is the quintessential poster 'boy' of prime time debates. Whether or not, he is the prime ministerial 'candidate' of rhetoric of the Bhartiya Janta Party (a course), whether or not he is THE national leader India needs, whether or not NaMo has any future to head the PMO, Narendra Modi is and will remain in the run up to the 2014 general elections, the PRIME time MINISTER. The tions Public team

Narendra Modi, honourable Chief Minister of India's fastest developing state- Gujarat, must be applauded. The magical media makeover that has taken place for this very controversial politician should be the apt case study for aspiring Public Relations Officers. Today, you cannot not read, watch and hear about Modi. He has made his presence felt across all mediums from the ever so Modi obsessed television media, to Twitter. Narendra Modi is everywhere. Yet,

am Aadmi Party today called off its protest march to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's residence after she "agreed" to receive 10.5 lakh protest letters on "inflated" power and water bills but it announced gherao of the residences of Delhi MLAs next month. The party also announced it will have 71 manifestos for the Assembly elections -- one main and one each for 70 constituencies. After Dikshit's office accepted to receive the letters, AAP decided to call off

their march but gathered at Jantar Mantar. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had earlier threatened to go ahead with the march if Dikshit refused to receive the letters. "They came and gave eight to ten bags full of papers saying these are certain letters. When my office opens on Monday, we will go through them and see what should be done," Dikshit told PTI. AAP leaders said they have attained their "first victory" when they got a call this morning and the Chief Minister agreed to receive the protest letters

written by 10.5 lakh Delhiites. The letters were handed over at Dikshit's residence in the afternoon by a delegation led by Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia. Kejriwal said the protest would not cease until the prices of power and water are reduced. He said the party will prepare 71 manifestos in total - one for each constituency and one main manifesto for Delhi. "The local constituency-wise manifesto would address problems faced by people in that constituency

Sheila Dixit accepted protest letters from AAP

and would be made by interacting with them," he said. He also announced that on May 19 the party would gherao the local MLAs irrespective of the party they belong. "People would go to the houses of their local MLAs and ask them what were they doing when prices of water and electricity were being unfairly hiked," Kejriwal said.

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Feature

WE THE STATE

You will find it, just when you stop looking for it!
dulgences, love, hatred, winning and losing, comfort, discomfort, convenience, tiredness, all good, all bad, all kinds of emotions, that exist. That, is the ultimate freedom, not only from one thing, or one person, or from one desire, but from the vicious circle of life and death, happiness and sorrow, from the thing that we all keep looking for all our life.And this ultimate freedom comes only from and this ultimate freedom comes only when we find the ultimate happiness. whatever we are looking for can be narrowed down to mean only this one word, happiness. and for our whole lives we keep looking for these big things that we think are big, but are not, and actually are bigger than we think! i know this is hard to get and stupid as it sounds, but what we think is bigger in short term is always smaller in long term..and what we think is smaller in the short term is always bigger in the long term. So this happiness is a bigger happinesss than we can ever think. have you ever thought how stupid is working over a project for the whole night is? but you understood its importance once you were appreciated for that effort, when your work was recognized and applauded for? had you ever imagined that this one effort which looked like the biggest till then, seemed to be the littlest of efforts that you'd made for such happiness and satisfaction? this is what we were talking about! small things turn big and big things turn out smaller than we think. and these small things bing

BY: SWECHCHHA OJHA E-mail: swechchhaojha@gmail.com

ach of us is looking for something. No one ever finds what they are looking for. Those who dont find it keep looking for it forever and ever. And whoever finds it loses everything else. And once it is found, there is nothing else they need to look for anymore. But what is it that we are looking for? Is it solitude? Is it happiness? Is it freedom? Is it confidence? Is it love? Is it ourselves?? No. its not the same for every person. Yes, it is strange but true that everyone looks for something that nobody else is looking for. Sometimes, its just one word that people are looking for and they keep looking for it and even that one word is sometimes more unapproachable than a lot bigger things.And sometimes, while looking for that one little thing, we start losing bigger things that are already ours and do not even realize! For that one little thing is as vital to us as cheese is to pizza, or a little stone set in your favourite finger ring. It is not that easy to get it, and sometimes, it is not that hard to find too. Some get it even without searching, and some overlook it even if it is right in front of them while they are looking for something else, and do not even

realize they just lost what they should actually be looking for. And it doesnt happen only to some people, but not everyone knows it. And some do not even know what they want. These are the happiest people. For they are content. Even if this contentment is the result of being unaware of the wanting of something within them, something other than what all they already have. This unawareness is something that is healthy, as such unawareness brings with it freedom from all desires, which, in the spiritual world, is popularly known as Nirvana, which is known to be usually unachievable, or mostly unapproachable, no matter how much experience on has got, or however hard they try . One can call it nirvana when the soul is liberated from all Karma and the physical existence of oneself. And that is not an easy thing to achieve. It can only happen when one reaches the level of peace and satisfaction, where they achieve complete freedom from every kind of feeling, all the sufferings, desires, wants, needs, wishes, sentiments, excitements, in-

happiness. not from where we try to get them from, but only from within US! Yes. this happiness lies within ourselves. Yes, what we all are trying to get from the world, from everyone else, looking for everyplace else, but not within ourselves, is always there inside us, and we never find it! Thus, I say, Whoever finds it, finds himself. and whoever finds himself, finds the ultimate freedom from the vicious circle of life, death, happiness, sadness, and everything else, that stops others from becoming one with their souls. He is the one who has gotten what he was looking for, and found it just when he stopped looking for it. He is the one, who found life, who found himself, NIRVANA.

Why deny states their Whitener inhaling addiction on the rise among minors own stronger laws?
BIPIN SASI BHOPAL
report in The Indian Express last February noted that more than 20 bills have been kept hanging in states where the BJP is in power, some for more than two years now. These have been kept pending either by the governor, who actually cannot withhold consent, or by the President, whose approval is necessary for the Bill to become law. Among the bills were at least two to counter terrorism. One is GUJCOC (Gujarat Control of Organised Crime) in Gujarat and the other is MPTDACOC (MP Terrorism and Disruptive Activities and Control of Organised Crimes) in Madhya Pradesh. Both are bills these states consider vital to deal with terror groups. The centre claims there is no need for these laws since its own Unlawful Activities Prevention Act is good enough. But do we have great faith in UAPA? There have been 11 terror strikes since 26/11 in India, and UAPA has been a miserable failure. In any case, why deny states their own stronger laws? It is worth noting that the existence of UAPA did not stop the centre from allowing Maharashtra to have its own MCOCA (the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act). GUJCOC is almost a replica of MCOCA, but its no-go just because Gujarat is run by the BJPs Narendra Modi. Ditto for Madhya Pradesh.

bandoned, abused, malnourished and without access to education, health facilities or legal protection, thousands of children living on the streets of the Capital continue to turn into just figures For many years now, numerous reports have pointed out how these children fall prey to substance and physical abuse. However, the latest data establishes that one out of five children is dependent on drugs substances such as whitener, ink remover, thinner, shoe polish and vulcanising solution. . . The number of children - especially those who live on streets, or come from slums, who indulge in such cheap ways to get high - is on the rise on an alarming rate. Winking or the practice of inhaling white ink fluid involves mixing whitener and diluter in a plastic bag and then sniffing the mixture . Most of them become dependent on drugs to escape the reality, at times to

beat their hunger pangs. Psychiatrists say the addiction is increasing, with high-stress levels among students and easy access to these substances. The chemicals in these substances attack the brain and fuel instant intoxication. Over the time, these children turn to petty crimes, stealing and such, to pay for their addiction to these substances. The Government of MP and Labour Department is not at all concerned about the rising number of whitener addicts in the city, the administration has not come up with a rehabilitation clinic for such addicts. According to a psychiatrist, these children need counselling in the first place. The treatment given to them is mainly on the lines of psychiatric medicines. They can get rid of the addiction if they are given treatment for 4 to 5 weeks. The magnitude of Child Labour in Squares of Bhopal is also a major concern which is unnoticed by Labour Department .The children can be seen

selling newspapers and Car sun blockers at New Market and MP Nagar Squares of Bhopal .The living conditions of these children and females are crude and their chances for education is minimal. The effort of any department is analysed by its working capacity and result. Many official surveys claimed to have been done by Labour Department but nothing was found which is Surprisingly Strange. No matter if the city still has too many young children continuing to labor for a living. The problem of drug addiction and child labour remains vast and the rehabilitation schemes will not utilized by the department. Government should conduct a survey to find out the exact number of whitener addicts in the city and a rehabilitation clinic should be introduced for them. Besides, this Government must instruct stationary shop owners as well as chemists not to sell these substances to children. Till today there is no ban on sale of whiteners to small children.

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013 6 LS elections may be preponded

The LS elections scheduled for 2014 may be brought forward and held in the period between September and December. The govt PSUs Bharat Electronics Ltd in Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of Hyderabad were asked whether they could ready the electronic voting machines if the elections were held in December. After that the companies were asked if they could deliver the machines if the elections took place in September. The third time the question was whether the machines could be provided if elections were held in October-November. The PSUs have started preparing the machines.

Miscellaneous

WE THE STATE

Congress likely to send Scindia to MP for Assembly elections

T
he Congress is likely to send Union Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to Madhya Pradesh in a bid to wrest the state from Shivraj Singh Chouhan's BJP government. A source belonging to the Digvijay Singh camp, which According to party sources, Scindia is being seen as the best bet to take on Chouhan,

is opposed to the Power Minister, said that Scindia would be sent to MP, a formal nod for which is being awaited. "Scindia is going to be entrusted with the responsibility of steering the Congress in the Assembly elections. All the other leaders from the state have already been asked to fall in line and support him," another source said. However, Scindia is unlikely to be announced as the party's Chief Minister candidate before the elections. who is trying for a third term for his party . The Assembly elections are due in November. The Congress has lost two consecutive Assembly elections since 2003, and a third loss would weaken the party considerably similar to what has happened in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. "Scindia is the most popular mass leader among all the leaders of the state and his following goes beyond Gwalior. The rest of the leaders, such as Digvijay Singh, Suresh Pachouri, Kamal Nath, Ajay Rahul Singh and Kantilal Bhuria do not have Scindia's mass appeal. So the party has made a natural choice by making it clear that Scindia should be supported for a bigger role," a senior party functionary from Bhopal said. "Digvijay Singh, whose son is likely to contest the elections, has already repaired relations with Scindia. Bhuria is a minor threat. However, the party high command needs to make sure that Kamal Nath and Ajay Rahul Singh support Scindia totally," he added. Last week, some Congress workers raised slogans in support of Scindia when Rahul Gandhi was in Madhya Pradesh to measure the party's election preparations. State party leaders say that this shows that the workers want to fight the elections under Scindia. Rahul Gandhi took the workers to task for raising the slogans. "They were not from the Scindia group but ordinary party workers. It must be understood that campaigning that starts on helicopter and ends in helipads does not win elections. It is won by party workers and their desires should be taken into account," a former Congress minister who is considered close to Digvijay Singh said. Political pundits believe that the BJP is battling anti-incumbency and this is the best chance for the Congress to come to power in the state again. As reported in the media, a private survey ordered by Chouhan showed that the saffron party may lose many seats. "Last time we lost many seats by a slender margin of 2,000 votes. This time that will not be repeated. A worried Chief Minister recently met his loyal IAS and IPS officers to consult how they would manage the elections," alleged a former Congress minister.

Agarwal will stay on as Delhi PCC chief

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief J.P. Agarwal will continue in his post in spite of opposition from Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with Dikshit and Agarwal last week and warned them that they would have to keep all differences aside and work together to get the Congress elected the fourth time in Delhi.

BJP leaders search for safe seats

BJP leaders such as Navjot Singh Sidhu have started searching for safe Lok Sabha seats. Sidhu, who will not contest from Amritsar, may be offered the West Delhi seat, which has a substantial number of Sikhs. Arun Jaitley is looking to contest from Amritsar. Rajnath Singh does not want to contest from Ghaziabad, but from Atal Behari Vajpayee's erstwhile Lucknow seat. He has kept Gautam Budhnagar, that is Noida, as an option. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi wants to contest from Ghaziabad. The BJP wants Murli Manohar Joshi to move to Allahabad from Varanasi. The party wants to field Kalraj Mishra from Varanasi. Uma Bharti may be fielded from Amroha, Kalyan Singh from a Lodh Rajput dominated Hamirpur and his son from Etah. The BJP is toying with the idea of fielding Smriti Irani against Sheila Dikshit.

How can minors have Facebook account, asks court

NEW DELHI The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the central government to apprise it how children below 18 years of age can have an agreement with any social network site including Facebook. A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru also issued notice to US-basedFacebook Inc and Google Inc to file their responses on a plea seeking directions for social networking sites to restrain children below 18 from having an account with them. The court was hearing a plea that said children below 18 years are allowed to open an account with social networking sites including Facebook which is illegal as Indian laws don't permit it. The bench said: "How the children below 18 years can have an agreement with any social network sites including Facebook. Union of India is directed to file an affidavit on the issue within 10 days." "Both Facebook Inc and Google Inc are USbased entities and are hereby impleaded as respondents. Notices to be issued to the newly-added parties," the court said while impleading both the foreign companies as parties in the case. The court posted the matter's next hearing for May 13. The court's direction came on a public interest litigation filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party ideologue K.N. Govindacharya. Appearing for Govindacharya, lawyer Veerag Gupta told the court that penalties should be imposed on social networking sites and other internet-based companies for non-verification of age of their users. He added that the children below 18 are getting into an agreement with the social networking sites to open an account which is against Indian Majority Act, Indian Contract Act and also the Information and Technology Act. The counsel further added that the Indian government is not taking any action against the foreign companies which have their Indian operations. It said that "on the basis of unlawful agreements, data of 50 million users is transferred to the US and used for commercial gains in violation of the right to privacy". "Due to non verification of users, more than eight crore Facebook users across the world were found to be fake which the Facebook admitted before the US authorities," he added. He said that five or six percent accounts on social networking sites were fake or being operated by anonymous users due to nonauthentication of details by the company before the opening of accounts. The plea also sought order to recover tax from social networking websites, arising out of their internet-based business in the country . The plea asked the court to direct the government to recover all "past and present" direct and indirect tax demands arising from business income from Indian operations of different social networking websites. The petition sought direction to ensure proper accounting compliances as per the Reserve Bank of India guidelines. Govindacharya pleaded for a court order to these companies to implement the verification norms issued by the central government. The petitioner, at present involved in social service through his organisation Rashtriya Swabhimaan Aandolan, said: "Facebook gross revenue for previous year was approximately $37 billion..." "...They are not paying due taxes on their Indian operations as per provisions of double taxation avoidance agreement and the government is not taking any action to safeguard the national interest and sovereignty of India."

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Glamour

WE THE STATE

Punjabi girls in southern film industry

unjabi girls have made big inroads in the southern film industry, with many of them appearing in mainstream Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam movies. While they are working to fulfil their dreams of making it big in the glamour industry, these girls are also bridging the north-south divide through cinema. Navaneet Kaur, a Sikh born and brought up in Mumbai, made a successful career in Telugu cinema after making her debut in a Kannada film. She went on to do a Malayalam film before she got back to her roots doing a Punjabi film in 2010. A Punjabi by birth, Taapsee Pannu is another model-turned-actress, who has worked in many critically acclaimed Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. Like many other girls who treat their stint as in the South as a launch-pad for Hindi films, Taapsee is all set to enter Bollywood with Chasme Baddoor. Kirat Bhattal, also known as Keerath in the southern film industry took the modelling route to enter films, but through a Telugu film. She has also appeared in Tamil and Kannada movies. Priya Gill, a Jatt Sikh girl, began her career with a Hindi film, Tere Mere Sapne. Her role of a South Indian girl in the film brought her attention and when her career failed to take off in Mumbai she went down South to act in Telugu and Malayalam films. Kajal Aggarwal similarly made her debut with a Hindi film but shifted South when her career did not make any headway . She subsequently entered the Telugu film industry and became a big commercial success. Of Punjabi Sikh background, Charmee Kaur is another big name in Telugu films. Well known for her proficiency in dance, she has acted with top southern stars such as Dileep, Mammootty, N. Balakrishna, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh among others. Nikita Thukral is another successful Punjabi girl who has acted in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films. She recently got into a controversy when she was banned from Kannada films for three years by the Kannada Film Producers' Association (KFPA) for an alleged illicit relationship with actor Darshan. The ban was revoked after five days of extensive campaigning by fellow actors.

Aamir Khan will play a gymnast in Yash Raj's Dhoom 3

he actor has reportedly been practising midair stunts in a circus tent, specially erected for him at a Mumbai studio, for a song sequence in the film. A source told Apunka Choice: "He [Khan] will be indulging in trapeze and mid-air acts for the shoot. The place has been booked for good long 40 days. European dancers and performers will be performing with him in the song." Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will reprise their roles as Jai and Ali, while Khan plays the new adversary in the action thriller. The Satyamev Jayate host has been undergoing intensive training for the role and resumes theDhoom 3 shoot after completing his shooting schedule for Raj Kumar Hirani's Peekay . The 48-year-old star, who was included in TIME magazine's prestigious list of the 100 most influential people in the world, took three days off from his schedule to attend the TIMEcelebratory gala in New York on April 23. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, Dhoom 3 is the third instalment in the popular franchise.

Sherlyn Chopra on way to Cannes with 'Kamasutra 3D'

Mumbai: Actress Sherlyn Chopra is all set to attend the 66th Cannes International Film Festival where second trailer of her debut film "Kamasutra 3D" will be unveiled. Sherlyn would be there to unveil the new trailer along with director Rupesh Paul, executive producer Mitesh Kumar Patel, said a statement. The first teaser of the movie is a huge hit on YouTube. "The entire crew would be present at the festival from 15th to 24th May celebrating the spirit of the gala event," said Paul. A book titled "Harischandra to Kamasutra 3D 100 Years of Indian Cinema" will also be released there May 20. Apart from "Kamasutra 3D", anthology film "Bombay Talkies", Amit Kumar's "Monsoon Shootout" and Ritesh Batra's "Dabba" will be screened at the festival, where India is the guest country .

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

World

WE THE STATE

Sunil Tripathi: A Victim of Social Networking in Boston Bombings T

Sarabjits survival chances low, say doctors at Jinnah Hospital

akistan today cancelled consular access to two India diplomats denying them a chance to meet Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh even as doctors at Lahores Jinnah Hospital, say the chances of his survival are slim. Although Sarabjits family of fourwife Sukhbir Kaur, sister Dalbir Kaur and two daughters Swapandeep and Poonamwere granted visa on a priority basis by Pakistan on Saturday, the Indian prisoner who was a victim of a violent attack on Friday at Lahores Kot Lakhpat Jail is in deep coma. Narendra Modi has slammed UPA by dubbing it "weak" and alleging that the government has suffered a "total blackout" in its foreign policy and failed on all fronts, including on the issue of death row convict Sarabjit Singh "We cannot look at the attack on

he news of Boston Bombings and the images of its victims spread like a wildfire on

the internet. Netizens were quick to express their horror and condolences on Twitter, Facebook, Orkut and several other social networks. While terrorism is a part and parcel of Indian life, Americans, after 9/11, have largely remained unaffected by this vicious disease. However, when it did strike this time, some very disturbing trends would emerge. The trend in question here is how a large community of online Americans got ahead of themselves and indulged, without any shred of evidence, in a malicious campaign of demonizing and criminalizing a missing 22-year-old Indian- American student, Sunil Tripathi, declaring him one of the Boston bombers on the run. Sunil has been missing since March 16th, when he disappeared from his apartment without his wallet and cell phone. He was on approved temporary leave from the school and was struggling with depression .He was wrongly accused via social media of being one of the bombers in the Boston Marathon attacks. The family of Sunil Tripathi said Thursday that his body had been found in the water off of Indian Point Park, near Providence . The Rhode Island State Department of Health confirmed Tripathis identity through a forensic dental examination earlier Thursday, two days after the coach of the Brown University crew team reported a body floating in the river. What followed was a horrific experience for the already distraught family which was frantically looking for the whereabouts of their son, who has been missing since March 16th. It all started when some internet sleuths on Reddit, a social news site, brazenly confirmed Sunil as a suspect in Boston blasts because they claimed Sunil's name has been heard on police scanner. Cyber junkies on Facebook, Twitter and others just diffused the news without wasting time, not even waiting for police confirmation. The news created a buzz with purported witnesses popping up in quick succession to identify Sunil as one of the terrorists. The first so-called witness was a woman who posed herself as a schoolmate of Sunil and confirmed that the images put out by FBI indeed matched Sunil's face. Before long a spate of verbal, xenophobic comments flooded social networks, with people relentlessly posting messages to Sunil's facebook page. Twitteratis were equally quick to jump on the bandwagon. One of the tweet reads- "The alleged suspect for Boston bombings was a Hindu Sunil Tripathi. We urge Western media to now showcase all Hindus are Terrorists." The sensational rumour hit the affected family like a jolt, causing them immense emotional trauma. Within minutes of the hoax, news vans lined up outside the house of Tripathi family. The entire sequence of events with an errant reddit user spreading unwarranted and totally false information, netizens patting themselves on the back for a supposedly milestone of discovering the suspect through social network, and to media outlets fanning the flames points out some pernicious tendencies. Firstly, the fiasco highlights utterly irresponsible manner in which social and news media operate, a manner which is gradually becoming a norm. It is a trend when cyber buffs, in their zeal to create a buzz, post flaky information without bothering about its authenticity, nor do they care what harm, emotional as well as physical, their reckless actions could cause an individual or entire community. In other words, social media has become a rumour-mongering machine.

Sarabjit in isolation. Incidents such as the Chinese incursion illustrate the government's incompetence," Modi told reporters on the sidelines of a function on a query regarding Sarabjit, who is in a "deep coma".

"Incidents like legal battle on Italian marines or beheading of Indian soldiers or China's misadventure over our land or Sarabjit are the proof (of failure)," Modi said.

Nawaz Sharif likely to become Pakistan's PM for a third time

The convoy slows. In front of the candidate's vehicle, men dance. Rose petals are hurled from the rooftops. Motorbikes swarm. "Look, look who is coming," supporters shout. A white tiger on top of a van yawns and stretches a paw. A small child and a 90-year-old party worker are hauled through the crowd to offer garlands. "It's a beautiful feeling to be loved," says Maryam Sharif daughter of frontrunner candidate and twice prime minister Nawaz Sharif,, leaning back in the seat of her luxury SUV three days into her first election campaign. "My shoulders hurt from waving six hours a day . I need to learn to wave wisely ." Sharif's constituency is in the heart of Lahore, the second biggest city of Pakistan. In two weeks, the nuclear power, so crucial to western strategy in the region and the fight against Islamist extremism worldwide, will hold a general election. It will be the first time in the 66 years since independence that one democratically elected civilian government will serve out its full term and be replaced by another. Every day bombs kill three, four, a dozen. The last election, held in 2008, had been postponed after Benazir Bhutto, the two-time former prime minister, was assassinated by extremists at a rally. Despite continuing violence, authorities say these polls will be held on time. Maryam Sharif is not actually standing herself. She is canvassing on behalf of the candidate in National Assembly Constituency 120. This is Nawaz Sharif, president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), or PML-N, and the man who polls predict is likely to become prime minister for the third time when the votes are finally counted. He was first elected from this constituency in 1985 at the start of his political career. Maryam is his daughter. Maryam, a mother of three, met Benazir Bhutto once, during the Sharifs' eight-year exile that followed the military coup that ended her own father's most recent spell as prime minister in 1999. Despite their ideological differences, the older woman left an "indelible impression", Maryam said. The charismatic Benazir Bhutto, educated at Oxford and Harvard, instinctively prowestern, culturally Muslim rather than personally devout, enjoyed deep support in western capitals. But Nawaz Sharif has long inspired suspicion overseas and the 63-year-old business magnate's continued popularity has perplexed many . Pakistan Movement for Justice party has attracted many, especially among the young, who want change. "They are sick of the same old faces. Sharif has done nothing to help the people in this constituency . Their basic needs of health, education, security are not being met," said Dr Yasmin Rasheed, a 63-year-old former gynaecologist campaigning for Khan against Maryam and her father. Rasheed's supporters repeat well-known allegations of graft and incompetence during Sharif's earlier times in power when, it is claimed, cronies were loaned huge sums from state banks and tariffs manipulated to favour the family's business interests. PMLN officials deny the charges and point to the party's history of "competent management" which they say brought the country motorways, better relations with neighbouring India and successful, if controversial, nuclear tests in 1998. They point, too, to more recent development in Lahore, such as the ambitious new Metro Bus public transport system. The massive power cuts are blamed on the federal government. Maryam Sharif's entry into politics and talk of her as a potential future leader also counters another image problem: that the party is too male. "When you see the leader's daughter come forward then that shows the open mindset of the leadership allowing space for women in senior positions," said Anusha Rehman, a former PML parliamentarian and key official. However, few claim that the leaders of the party share the suffering of the common people in Pakistan. Nor perhaps would voters expect or want them to. Though the NA-120 constituency includes the newly widened streets of central Lahore, there are many neighbourhoods where families live in dark oneroom apartments with intermittent electricity and minimal sanitation. Food prices are soaring. Pockets of malnutrition and disease remain. "It's not your financial status, it's the will to do something for others that matters. On the street, I am part of their ordeal. It's not about the class you belong to it's the compassion you hold in your heart," Maryam said. Outside the crowd is thicker than before. Meat shops line this street and the petals falling from rooftops land amid bones and blood. "Look who's coming," the party activists shout. Grinning butchers wave gory hands. The candidate's smiling daughter waves back.

Campaign workers say they believe 20% of the 85 million who can vote in two weeks are undecided. Of the core PML-N vote, only a sixth are in the big cities, they say . Most are in medium-sized towns unknown in the west. And Nawaz Sharif's fortune is seen as something to aspire to, not criticise. The family also have a reputation for religious and social conservatism and being close to Jamaat-e-Islami, the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Early support came from Zia ul-Haq, who launched a broadranging Islamisation campaign in Pakistan. When in power in the 1990s, Sharif pushed legislation strengthening traditional Islamic law in Pakistan, though supporters said the aim was to outflank the right. When forced into exile, by a military coup, the Sharifs were offered a haven by Saudi Arabia. Equally disconcerting for Washington, Nawaz Sharif opposed Pakistan's support for the US-led "war on terror" and has called for an end to the drone strikes in the restive west of the country that have killed scores of top al-Qaida militants in recent years. But if this worries the west, it strikes a chord with many Pakistani voters, particularly outside the urban elite. The core constituency, say party strategists, is "small town small traders". "We get called provincial and narrow-minded. But that's fine. We aren't. Our message is, 'Let's continue to build a better Pakistan'. It's about their hopes," one said. The main opposition in the Punjab is no longer the Bhuttos and their PPP but Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician. His

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Heritage & Tourism

WE THE STATE

8 countries that are UNSAFE for women tourists

february 4, 2013 (Mexico): A masked gang rapes six Spanish women in Acapulco. The attackers broke into a property on a beach resort, tying up six men before raping the women. March 19 (India): A British tourist, who was staying at a hotel in the Idgah area in Agra, jumped from the window of her first-floor room to allegedly escape a rape attempt, and suffered injuries on her head and legs. April 2, 2013 (Brazil): An American student was kidnapped, robbed and raped in front of her shackled French boyfriend during a horrifying six-hour ordeal on a minibus. Recent cases have put the spotlight on the safety of women travellers around the world. Business Insider website rounded up 8 countries where women should be extra cautious based on reports from Human Rights Watch, the US State Department, and crime reports in the media.

INDIA

raped on a bus in broad daylight in a widely publicised case, and the Rio subway has special women-only cars to help prevent such attacks. TURKEY

ing the civil conflict-torn country. But violence against women and girls remains widespread in Colombia (especially for and displaced authorities women),

he number of foreign women tourists visiting India has dropped by 35 percent in

the past three months following a spate of sex attacks that have made global headlines. The fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old Indian student by six men on a bus in New Delhi in December sparked outrage at the country's treatment of women, and since then there have also been other widely reported attacks. A Swiss cyclist was gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh last month, while a South Korean tourist was allegedly drugged and raped in the same state in January by the son of the owner of a hotel where she was staying. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India found nearly 72 percent of tour operators had a number of cancellations in the last three months -- usually a busy tourist season -- especially by female visitors from countries such as Canada, the United States and Australia. Travel advisories from various countries stressing the need for their citizens to take care in India has "further aggravated" the situation and dealt a blow to government attempts to boost the tourism industry. BRAZIL

ourists in Turkey largely flock to historical sites in Istanbul or the country's gor-

have a bad track record for enforcing the laws and protocols that are in place to protect women.
GUATEMALA

geous seaside resorts. According to Business Insider, violence against women is a major problem in Turkey. The US State Department reports that its embassy and consulates have received numerous reports of crimes against women, particularly incidents involving "date rape" drugs. The Human Rights Watch states that the police and courts also have a bad track record with helping women who have applied for protection orders against their attackers. EGYPT

ost tourists seek vacation in Guatemala not

just to experience the country's diversity of regions, but also to see its great historical sites and to buy its many great beautiful natural resources, like jade. However, Guatemala's justice system has proved largely incapable of curbing violence and containing organized crime and gang activity. Violence against women is a chronic problem in Guatemala and perpetrators rarely face trial. The Human rights Watch states that rapes and sexual assaults on women increased by 34 percent from 2008 to 2011, while in 9 of every 10 of these cases, those responsible were not punished.
MEXICO

The HRW, in a report, states: "Mexican laws do not adequately protect women and girls against sexual violence. Some provisions, including those that make the severity of punishments for some sexual offenses contingent on the 'chastity' of the victim, contradict international standards. Women who have suffered these types of human rights violations generally do not report them to authorities, while those who do report them are generally met with suspicion, apathy, and disrespect."
KENYA

gypt's tourism industry took a beating in the aftermath of the January 2011 revolu-

tion. According to the New York Times, the increase in sexual assaults over the last two years has set off a new battle over who is to blame, and the debate has become a stark and painful illustration of the convulsions racking Egypt as it tries to reinvent itself. The HRW states that systematic sexual harassment of women and girls in public spaces continues without serious attempts by the government to intervene and halt, or deter the practice. For example, in June 2012, mobs attacked and sexually assaulted at least six Egyptian and foreign women in Tahrir square. Although prosecutors investigated two of those incidents, they did not refer any cases to court in 2012, and overall the government failed to prioritize addressing violence against women. COLOMBIA

io de Janeiro is the most visited city in the southern hemisphere, well known for

its carnivals, beaches, and the huge statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain - named one of the new seven wonders of the world. But the brutal incident involving an American woman who was gang raped and beaten aboard a public transport van while her French boyfriend was shackled, hit with a crowbar, and forced to watch the attacks, has resulted in a major setback for Brazil's tourism industry. Even as the country gears up to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, sexual assaults remain a problem on public transit. Last year, a woman was

Millions of people visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business. But the recent incident involving the rape of six Spanish tourists in a beach house on the outskirts of Acapulco sent shockwaves around the world. In the aftermath of the incident, Mexican officials struggled to limit the fallout on Mexico's image and tourist industry. Police data shows that Mexico had 13 reported rapes per 100,000 in 2010, much lower than many countries around the world. But figures on sexual violence are very murky.

afety is a big concern for visitors to Kenya.

Thousands of people enjoy going on safari in Kenya every month, but with official government travel warnings out for the country, it's difficult to know exactly what the real situation is like. According to Business Insider, women traveling outside of the country's traditional tourist areas should take safety precautions, particularly on the island of Lamu where the US State Department released a warning after American citizens were sexually assaulted and threatened with kidnapping.

he tourism industry has been growing recently after many years of tourists avoid-

State gets Rs 180 crore for developing tourism Gujarat to oppose shifting of lions to MP
T
he 13th Finance Commission has sanctioned assistance worth Rs 180 crore for tourism (MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions), Rs 5 crore on developing Buddhist corridor in western Madhya Pradesh, Rs10 crore on Jain corridor, Rs10 crore on heritage hotels and Rs 50 crore will be spent on providing eco and adventure tourism facilities to tourists. Similarly, Rs 15 crore will be spent on expanding and upgrading existing tourism facilities, Rs 25 crore on improving approach and internal roads, Rs 5 crore for signages on National Highways and cities, Rs 2 crore on information technology, Rs 2.50 crore each on statistics cell and fairs and festivals, Rs 4 crore on developing air services and Rs 4 crore will be spent on conducting novel projects of rural, eco and adventure tourism. facilities under MICE
The Supreme Court may have ordered the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat to shift some Asiatic lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh but the Modi administration has stuck to its opposition. The State Wildlife Board meeting chaired by chief minister Modi himself on Thursday has decided to file a review petition in the apex court and also passed a resolution against allowing shifting of the lions from Gir forest. "In the meeting, we have passed a resolution that Gir lions should not be shifted because Gir forest is a natural habitat for them and there should not be any tinkering. We have decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court to explain our position on the issue," Gujarat's environment and forest minister Ganpat Vasava said after the meeting. The minister obliquely ac-

AHMEDABAD

cused the National Wildlife Board of not 'taking the views of the Gujarat State Wildlife Board seriously on the issue." "We felt that the national board has not acted in a federal way by taking the views of the state board seriously . This will be pointed out in the review petition," he added. On April 15, the Supreme Court in its verdict ruled that some of the lions found only in famed Gir sanctuary in Gujarat be shifted to Kuno, a sanctuary in MP. "We are of the view that the various decisions taken by the NBWL that the Asiatic lion should have a second home to save it from extinction due to catastrophes like epidemic, large forest fire etc, which could result in extinction, is justified," the court held in its ruling. However, the court's ruling sparked protests in Gujarat with the state authorities, wildlife experts and local stake holders rejecting the idea of shifting the lions, locally regarded as pride of the state, from Gir.

developing various tourism destinations in Madhya Pradesh. This amount has been sanctioned for four years from 2011-12 to 2014-15. These funds will be used for infrastructure development at religious tourism places, development of rural and heritage tourism, promotion of wildlife and ecotourism activities, development of water reservoirs and adventure sports destination, development of Jain and Buddhist corridors in the state and development of new tourist destinations, fairs and festivals, air services, said a statement by the state government. Of these funds, Rs 30 core will be spent on developing tourist

10

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Must Read

WE THE STATE

Collapse threat at hospitals remain

T
he incident at Kasturba Hospital of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) which took place on Friday night claimed two innocent lives and injured several people. The old hospital building was in need of urgent renovation. Despite repeated warnings by staff as well as patients, the hospital administration chose not to shift patients from the wards which led to the tragedy . After this eye-opening incident, it was found that majority of hospitals in Bhopal are in decrepit condition and need immediate repair. Hamidia Hospital was constructed in the thirties. It is one of the oldest hospital buildings of Bhopal. Till now, no such life-threatening accident has taken place at the hospital but several petty incidents have taken place that could have been avoided. Few months ago, the ceiling fan of the superintendent's room fell down and injured three people. The fan fell on the centre table. Luckily , hospital superintendent Dr DK Pal was not in the chamber and a tragedy was averted. The building situated behind the superintendent's room had also collapsed not so long ago. The rooms situated behind the blood bank of the hospital are in pathetic condition and can disintegrate anytime. The generator room and boundary wall of the hospital also collapsed last year during monsoon due to which power supply to the hospital was obstructed for several hours. The ophthalmology department of the hospital is also in poor condition. Roofs of the operation theater (OT) of ophthalmology department leak badly during rainy season. Sultania Zanana Hospital is almost as old as Hamidia Hospital. The building of Sultania Hospital was constructed in the old pattern. The walls of the building have developed major cracks. During rainy season all the wards of the hospital are flooded with water due to leaking roofs. The hospital administration often has to shift patients to the corridors of the building during rainy season. The renovation work of the hospital is pending for longtime. JP Hospital- The district hospital of Bhopal was recently renovated but there are still a few areas that need to be looked into. The roof of the hospital leaks profusely , during rainy season. The roof of the newly constructed outpatient department (OPD) building also leaks, which reflects the poor construction work being carried out at the hospital. The condition of Katju Hospital is no better than the other hospitals in the list. The maintenance of the hospital has not taken place for years. The boundary wall of the hospital has collapsed at various points. The walls of the building have developed major cracks especially in the wards and corridors. The 50-year-old building has been neglected by the health department for years. Not just the hospitals, there are a number of dilapidated and dangerous buildings in Bhopal and the government is apathetic towards the safety of the people. When it comes to dilapidated and dangerous buildings, residents in many parts of the city are not safe. Reason being the list of dangerous and dilapidated buildings compiled by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) every year as part of its pre-monsoon activity . Over the last few years the number of such buildings has ranged in-between 100 to 300. Every year BMC takes tokenistic action against some buildings and serves notices, but no action is initiated against the majority of such buildings. With heavy showers or even renovation there is always a possibility that some buildings may collapse in the city . Over the years, many residential units have collapsed fully or partially . Last summer, BMC served notices to around 220 families living in 125 buildings and residential units. Two types of notices are served under the ambit of Municipal Corporation Act 1956. Under Section 309 of the Act, the owners of buildings are served notices that they should get their buildings/residential units repaired. Under section 310 of the Act, the dilapidated buildings that could collapse and prove dangerous to people in and around the building, are served evacuation notices after which they are scheduled for demolition. However, BMC officials maintain that they are not able to demolish such structures, most of which are located in Old City , due to variety of reasons. BMC officers claim that some of the main reasons include residents taking legal recourse, disputed nature of some structures, people approaching influential people, people citing humanitarian reasons that they have no other accommodation and total non-cooperation from residents. Officials said BMC faces many practical difficulties in demolishing the dilapidated buildings as there is dispute between owners and tenants and several structures are already in litigation. "Due to the cumulative effect of all these reasons, we are not able to demolish the dangerous bindings. If we start doing our work without caring about the residents, then many families would have no shelter. People should understand that the basic fact that it is dangerous to live in a house that has been designated as dangerous under the Municipal Corporation Act 1956," said a senior officer of BMC not wishing to be named. BMC city planner Amit Gajbhiye said BMC identifies dangerous buildings in the city annually so that such buildings could be demolished.

11

BHOPAL April 29 to May 05, 2013

Region

WE THE STATE

Now, child marriage no hurdle for govt job

ecutive committee will be headed by the principal secretary while executive director Madhya Pradesh Public Service Agency will be its member secretary .

OTHER DECISIONS
Archery Academy to be established in Bhopal Archery Auxiliary Coaching Centre to be established in Jhabua and Mandla Provision to give compensation due to the damage to crops by Neelgai and Krishna Mrig in the 5-km radius from forests has been abolished 50 data entry operators and 50 ac countants to be recruited instead of 50 computer programmers in backward classes and minorities welfare department by abolishing the condition of e-payment Revenue land of 1.90 hectare in Seoni to be allotted to Messrs Jhabua Power Limited for estab lishing 1X 600MW capacity (first phase) thermal power plant Sanction granted for creating five posts of Sanskrit lecturers and 12 of allopathy by surrendering 17 posts of readers, Sanskrit read ers, director allopahty and science lecturer Sanction to give Rs 500 honorarium per meeting to non-government office bearers of child welfare committees and ju venile justice board under Integrated Child Development Scheme. 69.93 hectare transferred to new and renewable energy depart ment for allotment to Messrs Well spun Solar Private Limited for establishing a solar power plant at village Padliya in Singoli tehsil of Neemuch district

IRRIGATION PROJECTS
The cabinet accorded sanction to eight irrigation projects. The cost of the project is Rs 6,463.99 crore and the area to be irrigated is 4,16,783 hectares. The irrigation projects are Surajpura medium irrigation project in Sagar, Upper Tilwara canal project in Seoni, Rehti medium irrigation project, Sagad medium irrigation project and Sanjay Sagar (Bah) medium irrigation project in Vidisha, Gulab Sagar (Mahan) project in Sidhi, Bansagar multipurpose project main works (Unit-1) and canal works (Unit-2).

15 NEW COLLEGES
The cabinet also accorded sanction to establish 15 colleges in the state and to introduce new faculties/courses/postgraduate classes in the 16 existing colleges. BHOPAL he state cabinet reversed a decision of the Digvijay Singh government whereby a person who got married violating child marriage act was debarred from getting a government job in the state. The cabinet, at its meeting held here at Vallabh Bhavan, decided to abolish the provision of Madhya Pradesh Civil Service Rules introduced in 2000, said state government spokesperson Narottam Mishra while briefing the media persons about the cabinet decisions. The rule disqualified a candidate, who has married before the minimum age prescribed for marriage, from government service or appointment. In this case, a person was denied a government job for none of his faults, according to the proposal from the woman and child development department. As per another decision, a Madhya Pradesh Public Service Agency would be constituted for more effectively implementing the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act. The agency will have two-tier committees: general council and executive. The chief minister will be the chairperson and the public service management minster will be the vice-chairperson of the general council. Its members will include principal secretary and secretary of public service management. The ex-

ARREARS TO TEACHERS/OFFICERS
The cabinet decided to pay arrears of the UGC's sixth pay scale to teachers/officers of colleges/universities. The arrears are for the period between January 1, 2006, and March 31, 2010. Total arrears of the period will be paid in three six-monthly instalments after deducting the amount paid as interim relief. After paying the first instalment by the state government and universities, the second instalment will be paid after receiving reimbursement from the Union government. The reimbursement of 80%, amounting to universities, will be paid through the state government after receiving funds from the Union government.

CS happy with health schemes budget use

BHOPAL Chief Secretary R Parasuram has expressed satisfaction at nearly 95% utilisation of budget in the health schemes in the state. A total of Rs 800 crore more were spent on implementation of health schemes during last fiscal than year 2011-12. A sum of Rs. 3702 crore was spent on Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Free Medicine Distribution Scheme, free pathology tests, improvement of hospital arrangements, supply of nutritious food to patients and state-wide expansion of Sanjeevni 108 emergency ambulance service during year 2012-13. The CS while reviewing the working of the health department said that novel schemes have been introduced in the health sectors which are benefiting patients. The chief secretary said that role of nutrition rehabilitation centres is important. For this, community-based strategy should be chalked out. It was informed at the meeting that 303 nutrition rehabilitation centres are functional in the state. In this sector, 96% achievement has been made while 99% to 100% achievement has been made in institutional delivery and other schemes of the health department. The Chief Secretary sought information about SIM cards given to workers engaged in ensuring health security of children, vaccination, family welfare as well as ASHA workers with a view to implement minimum service norms in hospitals. The chief secretary directed to use SMS service being provided by information technology dept to health department for more effective implementation of schemes.

Name of party candidates will be announced by August, says Rahul

MOHANKHEDA (DHAR): On the first day of his two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi said the names of candidates for the assembly elections in the state slated for November-end would be declared by August. "There was absolutely no discussion on party candidates or probable nominees," said a delegate from Dhar. "He (Rahul), however, assured us that names would be finalised by July-August which would give every candidate enough time to prepare for the electoral battle," he added. A former MP from Dhar, Surajbhanu Solanki, who is also one of the observers of 11 parliamentary constituencies of Orissa said candidates would be finalised three months before the polls. If party sources are to be believed, each observer for states has been asked to look for certain traits in the candidates including loyalty, ignoring the party hoppers and performance with dedication level.

12

BHOPALApril 29 to May 05, 2013

WE THE STATE

Owned Printed and Published by M.M.Baig. Printed at lucky, 267, Pragati Nagar, Shahanshah Garden, Bhopal (MP) and published from H.No.101, A-SECTOR INDRAPURI BHEL, WARD NO.63 DIST BHOPAL-462021, M.P. Tele/FAX 0755-4292545,Mob.09425029901 email-editor@wethestate.com RNI No. MPENG\2012\46415 Editor: M.M. BAIG -Responsible for selection of News & Articles under PRB Act, Subject to Bhopal jurisdiction