Ambimama - India

This blog is 5 years old. We have tried to cover subjects that we understand well. The Internet is a very vast source of knowledge and people today read even Newspapers (rather News) on the Net. I have downloaded many books from the Net. I do read books on paper when Power cut is there in Chennai.

This year is unusually cold in Chennai! And I have to enjoy this cold climate as there is winter in Chennai for only one month. This year before the summer starts there will be hike in power rates. The increase in milk and bus rates does not bother my family much as I travel less by bus.
Anna Hazare is well known as a Gandhian and his fast for Lokpal bill has started. I am sure the youngsters understand his motive and will find India on a good path.

Happy New Year 2012!

Tomorrow will be a very important day in deciding if the hunger strike scheduled for December 27th is to be called off.

Source : NDTV

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are meeting all UPA allies this evening to discuss the latest version of the Lokpal Bill, which will be shared with the opposition tomorrow at an all-party meeting.
The anti-corruption bill has been championed by activist Anna Hazare. He meets with his team of activists tomorrow in Delhi to assess whether the Bill is strong enough for him to call off a hunger strike scheduled for December 27. So far, Anna has rejected the draft of the Lokpal Bill because it excludes some of the key demands of his movement. At a debate hosted by his team in Delhi on Sunday, political parties agreed with most of these features.
The public stand taken by parties like the Left and the BJP highlighted that the government is in a minority over its insistence that the Lokpal - a new ombudsman agency - should not be allowed to investigate the Prime Minister or 57 lakh junior bureaucrats who are central government employees. So last evening, the Prime Minister reached out on the phone to an array of parties to seek consensus; he was reportedly successful in pitching a new bill that seems to have the blessing of most big political players.
So the Lokpal will likely be allowed to investigate the Prime Minister, though with safeguards, for charges of corruption. Junior bureaucrats will also be accountable to the ombudsman. The premier investigating agency - the CBI - will report to the Lokpal when investigating complaints of corruption against government servants. Anna had said that unless the bill included these factors, he would use a fast to launch a new campaign in which he would urge people to "fill every jail in India."

To prove its intent in checking graft, the Union Cabinet also cleared two important bills this evening - the Judicial Accountability Bill and the Citizens’ Charter Bill. (Read) The former sets up a committee of five members to deal with charges of corruption against judges. The latter makes it necessary for government offices to post a notice that indicates how long it will take to deliver a service, and the penalty for officers who don’t meet that deadline. Anna, had asked for the Lokpal Bill to include judges and the Citizens’ Charter. As indicated earlier to him, the government has addressed these spheres through separate bills.
The government’s actions in recent weeks have suggested a sort of allergy to seeking consensus - that has led to public and face-first crashes on important matters like foreign direct investment in retail. The Opposition said it had not been consulted; so did allies like Mamata Banerjee, whose party, the TMC, is the second-largest member of the UPA coalition after the Congress. After announcing that it was opening up retail to foreign ownership, the government had to suspend the reforms that were meant to telegraph this government’s policy paralysis had ended.

The need to allow the Lokpal to investigate the PM’s office for charges of corruption was emphasised at Sunday’s debate at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The government has been suggesting that the PM must complete his or her term before the Lokpal can follow up on charges of graft. "But why should we tolerate a corrupt PM for even a day?" asked the BJP’s Arun Jaitley during the debate. So though the new formula places the PM under the ambit of the Lokpal, there are safeguards. To avoid frivolous complaints, for example, a charge against the PM would be referred to a full bench of the Supreme Court before being accepted by the Lokpal.
The CBI has argued ardently against being made to report to the Lokpal - the agency believes this will defeat the objective of ensuring its autonomy. So it will now have the Lokpal as its boss only for investigations related to corruption. The government is also likely to propose an independent mechanism for the appointment of the CBI Director. Opposition parties at Anna’s debate said the CBI has to be freed from government control - and that every party that has formed the government has been tempted to use the investigating agency for political vendetta by launching investigations against opponents, and protecting its supporters. Sources say both the BJP and the Congress may agree that the CBI director should be appointed by the PM, the chairman of the Lokpal and the Leader of the Opposition.

Australia lost to NZ at home by 7 runs. Australia is making it a habit to play close finish test matches this season only this time they ended up in the loosing side.

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-new-zealand-2011/engine/current/match/518948.html

The hosts’ chase of 241 had been guided expertly by David Warner, but Bracewell’s removal of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey, all on 159, left Australia a nervous 5 for 173 at lunch, and on resumption the remaining five went down for a mere 60. In all it was a collapse of 8 for 74, Warner left marooned on 123 when the last man, Nathan Lyon, was bowled by Bracewell

As New Zealand celebrated, Lyon sank to the ground, disbelieving that the match had been lost. Bad as he felt, it was the batsmen other than Warner who had greatest cause to feel poorly.

Scores of Iyyappa devotees are stranded in Cumbum unable to continue their pilgrimage to Sabarimala after the reports of violence against Tamils in Kerala and the imposition of section 144 (prohibitory orders) in Idukki district.

The weakness is in the Kerala politicians and not in the Mullaperiyar Dam. Mullaperiyar has become an issue and scared Iyyappa devotees from TN are returning home The battle for Mullaperiyar dam between Tamil Nadu and Kerala has hit a new high when few Tamil violent groups attacked shops owned by Keralites and forced to pull down the shutter.

Lot of devotees prayed in the nearest Iyyappan temple and finished their journey. A boy went without food for almost 10 hours and his father found it difficult. Many Iyyappa devotees are returning home to conclude their poojas at local temples.
Whatever the issue public should not harm the devotees. This is common sense. I should be proud of the state that I belong to and people visiting my state – but if I take law into my hands and punish the devotees – who will I go to?
I had visited Iyyappa’s shrine many times. There was a bomb blast in the shrine many years ago and the Iyyappa now residing was taken in a procession from Madurai.

“Looking at smashed windshields of pilgrims’ buses and hearing horror stories of their being attacked in Kerala, we are scared to continue this pilgrimage. It is distressing because we have prepared for the Sabarimala trip with great devotion,” said a sad ‘Iyyappa saami’ getting ready to return home

“About 1,000 lorries carry essentials such as rice, milk, vegetables, meat and cement to Kerala. If the attacks continue, we will be forced to halt operations,” said TN Truckers Association chief Nallathambi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa issued a passionate plea in Chennai asking the ‘educated and intelligent people of God’s Own Country’ not to fall prey to the machinations of vested interests creating needless fear about a strong dam.

The opposition leaders finally accepted the request of the Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, not to walk out as the state needed to put up a united face to ensure that Tamil Nadu honoured its commitment to attend the secretary-level talks on December 15 and 16. The resolution sought steps to reduce the fear and anxiety of the people, reiterated the demand for a new dam and lowering the water level to 120 feet from 136 feet.

Today the Supreme Court has said that what Tamilnadu CM says is correct.

O.K. Once is enough – we will march to Lord Iyyappa’s abode from Tamilnadu without fear again as we believe that our brothers in Kerala are truly devoted and are above politics of River.

Sehwag says that Shane Watson and Chris Gayle are the only batsmen who take more than 200 in One Day Cricket. That shows his Cricket sense and respect for other good batsmen in the World. Shane Watson has the ability and patience to score, but I think Sehwag the other day had luck also favouring him. It was an innings characteristic of Sehwag’s approach to batting. He hit his second ball for four and simply did not stop. He took plenty of risks too, surviving two run-out chances and two dropped catches, but thundered on. And Tendulkar was travelling and was not aware of that.

Sehwag got his 200 in the 44th over and had made 219 off 149 balls by the time he was dismissed in the 47th. And in one of cricket’s stranger coincidences, both ODI double-centuries were scored in the same Indian state - Madhya Pradesh.
Sehwag’s only out-of-character moment came in the 20th over, when he dived to avoid being run out. Sehwag never dives. It was a sign that he was determined to stay the course.

Sehwag hit 25 fours and seven sixes in all. When he was dismissed - lofting Pollard to the substitute Anthony Martin at long-off, the West Indian fielders came from various corners of the ground to shake his hand. It was Karthikai Deepam that day and Sehwag made me happy. It will take a more to break this record and may be not.