NCP says project Manmohan again

The Congress youth brigade and veterans like Arjun Singh may have been rooting for Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister, but the UPA allies are not willing to accept the party's heir-apparent as their leader।

Latest to support the projection of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister for a second term is Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, who had walked out of the Congress in 1999 after refusing to accept 'foreign born' Sonia Gandhi as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate।

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has already gone on record expressing his preference for Manmohan Singh's continuation as the Prime Minister if the UPA returned to power after the general elections।

"Congress as the major party in the UPA has to take a call on the leadership issue। It should decide and discuss with the allies... But if we want someone who is non-controversial, then Manmohan Singh is there," Pawar told PTI in an interview.

He made it clear that "it's too early to say anything" about the leadership of Rahul Gandhi। The MP from Amethi is generally being projected by the Congress as a potential leader and a future Prime Minister.

On the problems confronting the Congress, he says, "In the days of Pandit Nehru, there were leaders like BC Roy and Govind Ballabh Pant in States... In later years, there was hardly any such thing and then representatives of the central leadership began to run the States। It is no different in the BJP."

Highly critical of the way the Congress was ignoring experienced and dedicated leaders, Pawar said, "There was no bio-data culture (in the Congress) before the seventies। There was no centralisation of power. Nowadays, it is unfortunate that those who have spent 30-40 years in the organisation are forced to give bio-data to those who have not contributed 10 to 20 years for the party."

Pawar feels that the Lok Sabha elections will be held at the scheduled time -- March-April next year -- and political uncertainty will loom over the country if either the Congress or the BJP failed to get minimum of 150 seats। Predicting that the 15th Lok Sabha could turn out to be a short affair, he said, "it is difficult for any party to get 160-170 seats".

Ruling out the prospect of Mayawati emerging as the next Prime Minsiter with the support of Left and UNPA, he said, "History has shown that Charan Singhs, Chandra Shekhars, Deve Gowdas and Gujrals cannot give stability at the Centre, but Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh can।"

Pawar feels that the regional parties are bound to rise in the coming days as the national parties, both Congress and BJP, have failed to give stewardship in States to those who are "natural leaders"।

On the Amarnath issue, the NCP chief was critical of the BJP and said the main opposition was just doing vote bank politics and is unconcerned about the consequences.

Air India helps boost tourism in Bihar

Patna, Aug 11 2008 : In an effort to give a fillip to Bihar's moribund tourism industry, national carrier Air India has extended its helping hand by introducing a special on-flight film show on various tourist spots and other attactions of the state।

As part of the unique initiative, Air India has recently started showing in all its daily New Delhi-New York Boeing 747 flights a brief 15-minute colour film showcasing all popular tourist spots in Bihar along with the state's wide range of cuisine, festivals, music and handicraft products to woo more and more visitors,sources at the Bihar Tourism department informed here today।

Claiming that the initiative had already started paying off,the sources said encouraged by the initial response Air India was now considering to introduce similar show on all its Delhi-Los Angeles and Mumbai-New York flights too,soon।

Moreover, the sources informed that in order to make the foreign travellers more aware about the rich cultural heritage of Bihar, the National carrier had decorated inside of some of its long-haul aircraft with colourful Madhubani painings .

This had also generated a lot of curiocity amomg the India bound travellors,the sources confirmed।

Elaborating other plans to boost tourism in the state, particularly surrounding the famous Buddhist circuit comprising Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali, the sources said another film on Bihar tourism was being prepared by the department showcasing various other unknown but very attractive tourist spots in the state।

A Mumbai based film unit had already been entrusted with the job and the film was likely to be ready before the festive season in October, the sources said adding that the film might also be shown to India bound passengers in other international flights too।

Describing the film of Bihar tourism and culture had already opened a new vista in terms of creating awarness about the richness of the eastern state among the foreign travellers, the sources hoped that the number of tourist inflow to Bihar was all set to increase manifold in the coming years following the new intitiative।

All out efforts were also being made simultaneously by the state government to improve the infrastructural facilities to world standard by constructing good accomodation and other facilities for foreigners as well as domestic visitors in all tourist spots.

Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Aziz killed in police firing

Srinagar, August 11 2008 : Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was killed as police opened fire at violent protestors in Baramullah district of Srinagar on Monday।
The entire Srinagar city has been put under curfew following his death, as per official sources।

Police fired in the air on Monday to thwart a bid by fruit growers to march towards Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in protest against the ‘economic blockade’ of the Valley caused by the stir in Jammu over the Amarnath land row।

Police deflated tyres of 200 trucks carrying fruits in Sopore town and used tear gas shells to disperse the agitating fruit growers trying to take out a cavalcade march towards the PoK capital, official sources said।

As the fruit growers refused to give in, police and paramilitary forces fired in the air to bring the situation under control, they said। More than 100 fruit growers were detained.

Kashmir Fruit Growers Association, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Traders Federation, both factions of Hurriyat Conference and the PDP had given a call for 'Muzaffarabad chalo' to neutralise the economic blockade of the Valley ‘enforced’ by the agitators in Jammu region।

Top separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and PDP leaders Abdul Aziz Zargar, Dilawar Mir and Nizamuddin Bhat were placed under house arrest last night to ensure that the proposed march does not materialise, the sources said।

Separatist leaders Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Mushtaqul Islam and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi were picked up by the police from different places in the Valley, they said।
Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in large numbers all along the roads leading towards Baramullah and Uri townships.

Abhinav fires India into first Olympic individual gold

Beijing (PTI): India clinched its first ever individual Olympic gold medal in 108 years when Abhinav Bindra won the 10 meter air rifle event in one of the most pulsating shooting finals in the history of the world's biggest sporting extravaganza।

The historic victory for the 25-year-old pro from Chandigarh came against heavy odds as he entered the event ranked number 17 in the world and pitted against Athens Olympic champion Zhu Qinan of China and Henri Hakkinen of Finland rated much higher than him।

But Bindra proved that reputation and history counted little as he overcame a two-point deficit against Zhu and Haikkinen after the qualifying round and annexed the title।

Bindra emerged triumphant in the 10-shot final with a finish of 104।5, taking his tally of points to 700.5 as against Zhu's silver winning performance of 699.7 (597+102.7) and 699.4 (598+101.4) by Hakkinen, which gave the Finn Army marksman the bronze.

His first shot of the final a 10।7 saw him move to the third place and by the time he was preparing to shoot his fourth, the Indian had risen to the second spot.

A 10।6 on his seventh attempt earned Bindra the lead and in the deciding shot he got 10.8, way ahead of 10.5 by the Chinese and 9.7 by the Finn to bring India the first ever gold medal by an individual since the country first participated in Olympics in 1900.

The businessman from Chandigarh also ended India's wait for a gold since the hockey team fetched a yellow metal in the Moscow Olypics in 1980.