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Archive for April, 2008

BRT corridor mess up in Delhi

Posted by speakindia on April 25, 2008

The BRT corridor has gone bust. Yes, that’s the resounding message from two days of chaotic trials on the Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand stretch. What else can explain the decision of a panicky government to let in taxis and autos into the corridor dedicated to buses! If the BRT architects are willing to jettison lane segregation, then the corridor – on which about Rs 100 crore has already been spent – is as good as dead. All that remains is for the government to send in crews to dismantle it so that Delhiites can heave a sigh of relief.
The patrons of the IIT-Delhi department behind the BRT concept include bus manufacturing majors Volvo and Tatas. Ford owns the Volvo brand and is one of the biggest bus manufacturing companies in the world. TRIPP’s patrons also include Telco (now called Tata Motors), a major supplier of buses. Tatas are the only suppliers of low-floor buses in Delhi at present, having bagged the order for the first lot of 500 buses to be supplied to Delhi Transport Corporation. While Ford has funded a chair for the programme, both Telco and VERF have given grants.

The corporate affiliation of TRIPP is no secret. It is prominently displayed on its website but despite it not being classified information, the apparent ignorance of the city government and officials is puzzling. While TRIPP is free to source its financial backing from the industry, its role in a project which specifically promotes buses as a mode of public transport can raise conflict of interest issues, all the more as the BRT backers have strenuously run down the Metro.

Posted in Blueline Bus, HCBS, New Delhi, News | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

12 year old girl raped by COP

Posted by speakindia on April 25, 2008

In an incident that brought back the horrid memories of the rape of a college-going girl by a drunken policeman on Mumbai’s Marine Drive in 2005, a 12-year-old girl was raped inside a moving car allegedly by a Delhi police traffic constable and his friend on Thursday afternoon at Swaroop Nagar in the Outer district.
The cop, Sanjeev Kumar, 26, has been arrested; there is no trace of his friend or the car. While confirming rape, the medical report says the constable wasn’t drunk at the time of the crime.(watch)

According to police sources, the girl was standing outside a temple at Nangli Poona in Swaroop Nagar, waiting for her family to join her after prayers. The accused constable came along with a friend in a Maruti 800 and pulled her inside.Read

The law protectors are getting in to criminal activity as the scene in Delhi gets really scary.

What do you think needs to be done to such people.

Posted in New Delhi, News, violence | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

IPL: The begining

Posted by speakindia on April 19, 2008

The Indian Premier League, with its potential to transform world cricket, began on Friday with a spectacular floodlit match in Bangalore. The sell-out crowd of 55,000 was treated to a remarkable innings from New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum. Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, part-owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, he hit 158 not out in a match easily won by his side. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in News, controversy | Leave a Comment »

Tibetan Protests and the Olympic torch:A Glance

Posted by speakindia on April 18, 2008

Tibetian protests

The History

Tibet remained a defacto independent state until shortly after the conclusion of the Chinese civil war, when on October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was formally proclaimed in Beijing and the following year launched an armed invasion of Tibet. The Chinese army of 40,000 men routed the unprepared defending Tibetan army of only 5,000 near the city of Chamdo. The defeat subsequently led to the signing of the Seventeen point agreement by the Tibetan Government.

The Protests

The 2008 Pro-Tibet protests are a series of protests that are being held around the world as a response to the unrest in Tibet. The protests in Tibet started on 10 March on the anniversary of the failed uprising against the Chinese Communist government, and then spread to provinces of China where there were a large concentration ethnic of Tibetans, including Gansu and Qinghai

The Tibetan community in neighbouring India where many Tibetans are settled organise protests yearly on 10th March against the Chinese particularly in the town of Dharamsala – the fact that China is hosting the Olympics also featured prominently in the protests.

There were protests along the route taken by the Olympic torch, in France the route had to be cut short due to the protests while in London attempt were made to snatch the torch and extinguish the flame. In San Franciso the authorities changed the route to avoid protesters and US presidential hopeful Barack Obama asked for the games to be boycotted in China if it does not take steps to improve its human rights record.

Video

The Speak India Debate : Whats your view

Should the Tibet protests target the Olympic Torch ?

sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/mar/14/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Pro-Tibet_protests

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Star of the Month: April 2008

Posted by speakindia on April 16, 2008

Amitabh BacchanThe star of the month for April 2008 is none other than the Bollywood superstar Amitabh bachchan.
He has been shown as the friend of Amar Singh as Mulayam Singh, the two political goons of UP.But e gets it this time for standing against the stupid, Raj Thackeray. He is the angry young man and he showed it to crazy Raj. Nevertheless, he is the superstar of the millennium.

Read more about him on Wikipedia

Who should be the next star of the month ?

Posted in Titles, star of month | Leave a Comment »

Celebrations and runaway inflation

Posted by speakindia on April 16, 2008

Puneet Rajhans : People break into intemperate celebrations now and then. To begin with, the frenzy is entirely uncalled for but for protagonists they never tire away from listing the occasions to hail the event. Celebrations begin on a note of conveying something. Be it the arrival of a leader – on turfs as varied as polity, cars, consumer durables, or an ascent of a new star in the untapped segment, the celebrations often go overboard, showing in effect the scourge of modern-day existence. Never does this thought pass through that a vast section of humanity still lives on the margins and what to talk of being part of celebrations, they can’t even afford to entertain this train of thought. In these uncertain times, as celebrations aren’t subdued, the untamed inflation makes the entire proceedings look more tumultuous. As the spectre of runaway inflation threatens to tear apart the dreams of a tribe that is adding up at any point of time, these pompous pourings look to be more than a malfunc!
tioning in society. Just as a celebration takes place at a modern-sized plaza/villa, there would be in the vicinity lurking the enduring image of countrymen lying motionless as food hasn’t reached them for days together. More appropriate reflection in a urban setting would be people galvanised in the art of dodging others to secure water and food – the melee around a water tanker or a food stall. Just the other day a senior government functionary literally read a riot act when he lampooned others for treating inflation as a prized treatise. Inflation is not an area of concern, he had the temerity to say, adding that not much feud should be allowed on this one. But the one which throws the budget for a toss, restrains most from taking a decision can’t be dismissed as purely esoteric. Huge and huge orders for armaments are being placed, more and more currency is being poured in to upgrade the security infrastructure of men and machines but when it comes to food security it is!
nothing short of a bolt from the blue when a report talks of a scarci
ty staring in your face. When food scarcity looks more probable, the other side of fence brings the level of greed in these torrid times. Admissions to different institutions bring this to the fore. To secure an admission in a prized school/private college or a neighbourhood one, loads of currency are pumped in. For those who can’t take this route, as they find the institution to be too demanding, the best course would be to settle for next one. But it isn’t that simple as it looks. The parent concerned, having stifled his chances in the first attempt, would try to have a go at it again. Once the institution learns that more and more are willing to shell out huge sums, this does not restrain them from playing hard. As this becomes more of a precedent, this realisation begins to dawn that sectors can be won via hard cash. Similar set of sentiments rule when a new set of vehicles hit the market or a new offering has a date with the customer. This greed can never be justified. !
So inflation or a tamed one, torrid times or less churning on surface, the reality would be elusive for those who go by the dictum of money power. Let sanity return to the proceedings.

This story has been contributed by Puneet Rajhans

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Posted in Advice, Business, News, Politics, Trends, controversy | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Scarlett Keeling rape and murder: The counter view

Posted by speakindia on April 16, 2008

Ana Magdalene: Im amazed by the article written by Miss Donna from UK wherein she feels that the Scarlett Keeling rape and murder is the fault of the goan folk. She claims to have come to India 15 years ago and there were caring and spiritual folk. Now 15 years down the line, the entire scenario has changed! This struck me as an odd remark! Because I myself am Goan and Ive lived in this laid-back state for 20 years of my life. I have not once come across a Goan who is not willing to care for a fellow goan or tourist!
What happened to Scarlett is unfortunate! The criminals must be brought to justice. But Please do not say its the fault of the goans! Because the Goa where was brought up in does not comprise of murderers. Infact I cannot relate at all to the Goa that’s in the media gaze post Scarlett Keeling’s death. I am shocked to find how much Anjuna has changed. Its a serene, picturesque village of Anjuna that stills plays in my mind.
I strongly believe Fiona Mackeown should have known better than to trust her under-age daughter in the care of a stranger and that too in a foreign country! I being Goan and 20 years of age never venture out on my own at night. Parents should be there guide their young ones. Im glad mine did. As much as you try to ignore it, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure is always present in the background of almost every country you can point on the globe! All that matters is whether you can or cannot keep away from these bad elements. Maybe Scarlett was too young to know the difference. This is where parental guidance had to come in.

All that matters now is whether the CBI can bring the culprits down to their knees. I do hope that justice is brought to Scarlett Keeling. May her soul rest in peace. As a Goan, I can only pray that Goa’s image is not shattered any further.

This story has been contributed by Ana Magdalene

If you would like to submit your story, send your story by clicking here

Posted in News, Politics, controversy, violence | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »