A Great Win of Organized Hindu Force. Temple bell again filled the air at Bhagya Laxmi Mandir at Charminar-Hyderabad.

Hyderabad – 29th January, 2012 || Hindu activists from all the wings including the Hindu Jangaruti Samithi organized a big protest rally and Mahaarati on 27th January, 2012 at about 12 noon with bell ringing , conch blowing and drum beating to restore the rights of ringing temple bells at Bhagyalaxi Mandir at Charminar area of Hyderabad in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The Hyderabad was a princely state under Muslim Sultanate and wanted to join with Pakistan at the time of partition of India. But, it was accessed by India with a strong initiative of Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister of India in the year 1948.

On September 16, 1948, Indian Army moved in to Hyderabad State from five different points. Four days later, the Hyderabad forces surrendered ultimately. The number of dead was a little over 800. The police action followed over the agitated Muslim fundamentalists there, achieved a success within a couple of days subsequently.

But, the fanatic and pro-pak Islamists are still active withing the ruling congress and the MIM (Majalis Ittehadul Muslimin), who tried to restrain the religious rights of Hindus in Hyderabad by stopping the temple bells at Bhagya Laxmi Temple at Charminar area.

But, Hindus came out successfully by restoring the rights to ring the temple bells with a big and effective movement, where Hindus are minority and Muslim population is higher than 60% in that specified area of agitation.

Hyderabad sets an example for every Hindu, how to fight against obstinate Islam even in a crucial and minority emphasis.

Muslim Fundamentalism crushed by angry Hindu Agitation.

Wild allegations trigger tension in old city of Hyderabad on banning Temple bell at Bhagya Laxmi Mandir.

 

Devotees assemble at Bhagyalaxmi temple near Charminar on Friday. Photo: G.Ramakrishna

Report by Staff Reporter in Hindu || HYDERABAD, January 28, 2012.

No bar on tying of flags for Milad-un-Nabi or ringing of bells in temples, clarify police

Tempers ran high in old city on Friday with two communities expressing anger over alleged restrictions imposed by the police on tying of flags for coming Milad-un-Nabi and on banning of ringing of the bell in Bhagyalxmi temple, adjacent to the historic Charminar.

The rumour that police were preventing the devout from ringing the bell surfaced apparently after a newspaper published a picture of two woman constables holding the bells in the temple in an attempt to prevent the devotees from ringing them during ‘Harati’ time. The fact that the picture was published five days ago and the firm denial of police that such an order was issued, did not cut much ice.

Police suspect that the picture was not shot recently, as one of the constables in it was currently attached to Nampally police station and not old city. The situation appeared to spiral out of control after Telugu Desam corporator Raja Singh known for his right-wing activities, announced that he would go to the temple to the ring the bell. Singh’s supporters wanted to take out a rally to Charminar arguing that there was never any restriction on ringing of the bell in temples.

Anticipating trouble, the police moved in and took the corporator into preventive custody on Thursday night and released him on Friday morning.

“There is no such order prohibiting ringing of bell. Many devotees did ring the bell during Harati time. These reports are baseless,” the South zone DCP, Manish Kumar Sinha, said.

Meanwhile, tension was also building up at several places in old city after people alleged that the police were preventing the tying of banners and flags for Milad-un-Nabi festival. However, Mr. Sinha refuted that restrictions were imposed on tying of banners and flags.

“It is true that we’re trying to streamline the ‘jalsa’ (meeting), processions and decorations such as tying of flags organised during the festival by speaking to various sections,” Mr. Sinha said. While he claimed that organisers responded positively to police suggestions, some cried foul alleging that the police were detaining persons who tied flags on roads and grilling them.


PROCESSION ROUTES

The DCP said that elders of the community celebrating the festival were asked to confine decorations to February 4, 5 and 6. Details of the meeting venues, routes of processions and other celebrations were being collected to provide adequate security and ensure minimum traffic chaos. Keeping in view the violence that erupted after the festival two years ago, the police did not want to take any chances. eHINDU INPUT.

Hague: Muslim party wants dog ban

Hague: Muslim party wants dog ban
via Spitsnieuws (Dutch):

Hasan Küçük, Hague councilor for the Islam Democrats, says dogs should be banned as pets in the city, reports De Telegraaf. The Muslim party says that the animals belong in nature, not inside the house. Küçük says that keeping dogs is animal abuse and should therefore be criminalized.

He responded sharply during a council debate last Thursday, when the Party for Animals suggested more consideration for dogs.

Paul ter Linden (PVV councillor) responded saying that pets are the norm in the Netherlands, and whoever disagrees should move to another country.

Shamsubahrin: NFC chief pressured me to bribe police

Anwar’s only goal is to become PM, says Dr M

Anwar’s plans do not extend beyond becoming prime minister, claimed Dr Mahathir. 

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a politician who will say anything to become prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed today.

According to the former premier, this included making different promises to appease different political parties within Pakatan Rakyat.

“He is a man who is trying to please everybody’s wishes,” Dr Mahathir told reporters here.

Dr Mahathir claimed that Anwar’s primary aim was to become prime minister, and that as a leader, he had no concrete plans for the country or Malaysians.

“His main struggle is to become PM, to go to Putrajaya. For Indians, he will support Hindraf. For DAP, he says he says ‘scrap affirmative action’,” said Anwar’s former mentor.

The longest-serving prime minister gave a speech here earlier on Malaysia’s approach to public leadership, in which he stressed the importance of voters being extra careful in choosing their leaders.

“If a wrong leader is chosen, there is a high price for it.

“In a democracy, one has a right to choose a leader. One also has the right to dispose of a leader, it is the best system by the human race,” he said, pointing out that a “good leader” needed to be well-versed in a multitude of fields and studies.

He also said a good leader needed to listen and be able to absorb criticism, and that the public must not be afraid to voice out their concerns.

“As PM, I did wield authority, but you must never forget your origins. We are all humble people, from lower beginnings,” Dr Mahathir said.

‘No action’ angers conned businessman

Singapore businessman Abdul Aleem Sem criticised the Malaysian police and a prominent local bank for dragging their feet despite a complaint lodged in September last year.

PETALING JAYA: A Singaporean businessman lost about RM7,000 last year through a scam after his e-mail correspondence with his supplier was intercepted by a cyber criminal.

Adding salt to injury, the businessman alleged that the Malaysian police and a prominent local bank which held the perpetrator’s bank account did not take any action against the latter.

“The report was lodged in September last year but till today the police and the bank failed to address my grievances. Even my letters to Bank Negara went unanswered,” said Abdul Aleem Sem.

Relating his ordeal, Aleem, 55, who runs a medical equipment business in the island state, said that on Sept 16 last year, the scammer had imitated their supplier’s contact person Coco Zou after hacking his company’s e-mail correspondence with the supplier, based in Shanghai, China.

“The scammer used an almost identical e-mail of our supplier and started telling us to credit payment to a bank account in Puchong instead of the usual Chinese bank,” Aleem said, adding that the scammer had even imitated the supplier’s invoice number.

The bank account in Puchong was registered under the name of Maria Dass A/ John.

After making payments on Sept 20, Aleem suspected something was amiss when their supplier claimed that they had yet to receive the payment.

“I called Zou for clarification and it was then I realised that we got conned,” he said.

Following this, Aleem lodged a report with the police here and the Puchong branch of the bank on Sept 29.

He also lodged a complaint with the Singaporean police and Bank Negara the following day.

He said that it had been months now but the police had yet to take any action.

Still waiting for justice

Asked if he had checked with the local bank, Aleem said he sent various letters and contacted the bank involved but received no favourable answer.

“They said Maria Dass took out the money and closed his account a couple of days after the transaction was made. They just washed their hands off,” he said.

On his next course of action, Aleem said he would seek legal redress against the bank for failing to protect his interest.

“In one e-mail correspondence, the bank told me that they have taken action against the perpetrator. What action have they taken? I don’t know but I have yet to receive justice,” he said.

Aleem added that he was informed by the Singaporean authorities that they sent a letter to the Malaysian police for assistance over the matter but received no reply.

“I don’t know why the police here are taking a long time. If this happened in Singapore, the authorities would have nabbed Maria Dass within days,” he said.

Bukit Aman’s cyber crime and multimedia head ACP Kamaruddin Md Zin could not be reached for comment.

Sah Palanivel mahu Cameron Highlands

Presiden MIC itu merasmikan bangunan tambahan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Tanah Rata di Cameron Highland.

PETALING JAYA: Ada usaha untuk menyingkirkan Naib Presiden MIC, Datuk SK Devamany daripada mempertahankan kerusi parlimen Cameron Highlands dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13, dakwa beberapa pemimpin Umno bahagian.

Ketua Wanita Umno Cameron Highland, Ramiza Mohd Husain juga mendakwa perkara yang sama.

“Saya mendapat tahu Ketua Umno bahagian Cameron Highlands, Datuk Wan Rosdy Ismail Wan Ismail mahu membawa masuk Presiden MIC, Datuk G Palanivel bertanding di kerusi parlimen tersebut.

“Beliau mahu Devamany yang sudah dua penggal menjadi ahli parlimen Cameron Highlands digantikan. Tetapi Wanita Umno menentang,” kata Ramiza.

“Saya mendapat tahu Pemuda dan Puteri Umno juga menentang. Ini yang disampaikan kepada saya.

“Devamany tidak buat salah apa pun. Dia orang baik. Dia baik dengan orang Melayu tetapi orang atas tidak suka dia.

“Orang atas ini (Wan Rosdy) sudah berjumpa Palanivel dua kali – sekali pada bulan Disember dan yang terbaru bulan ini,” katanya ketika dihubungi hari ini.

‘Orang Umno burukkan Devamany’

Raziah berkata, untuk kepentingan bersama, isu ini perlu diselesaikan segera kerana bimbang orang Melayu tidak menyokong calon baru kerusi parlimen Cameron Highlands.

“Ada segelintir orang Umno sendiri yang memburuk-burukkan Devamany dengan harapan ahli parlimen itu digugurkan.

“Kita berharap Datuk Wan Rosdy melihat perkara ini dan berbincang dengan kami semua sebelum keputusan akhir dibuat,” kata Ramiza.

Seorang AJK Umno bahagian berkata, Palaniveil sudah menjalankan beberapa aktiviti di Cameron Highlands.

Katanya, beberapa hari lalu presiden MIC itu merasmikan bangunan tambahan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Tanah Rata di Cameron Highlands.

“Orang-orang Palanivel juga sudah ada di Cameron Highlands,” tambahnya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya ramai orang Umno tidak gembira kerana kredibiliti Palanivel sudah tiada sejak kalah dalam pilihan raya umum 2008 di parlimen Hulu Selangor.

Rajnikanth’s prance into the past

Rajnikanth can be a good performer. He was one till he got sucked into fairy tales where kings and robots rule.
COMMENT

Tamil superstar Rajnikanth never thinks small. His recent films have been larger than the halo he has around him — movies like Sivaji and Endhiran, for instance.

But at 60-plus, a bald Rajnikanth requires elaborate face touches to be able to do the kind of roles he loves. They are often parts that are physically arduous, and cosmetically challenging.

It was, therefore, not surprising at all that his Rana, a historical thriller with an array of stunts in three different avatars, had to be put off after the actor reportedly underwent a kidney transplant in a Singapore hospital.

Months after this very secretive sojourn, Rajnikanth is now set to shoot Kochadaiyaan (an eighth century Pandyan ruler), again a part that will weave into it all the trappings of stardom, while being exhaustively tiring.

To be helmed by daughter Soundarya, the movie will be photographed by Rajiv Menon, set to music by AR Rahman and acted out by among others Katrina Kaif, Shobana and Prithviraj. As someone quipped, Kochadaiyaan will be larger than anything that Rajnikanth has attempted till now.

It will be in 3D and in “performance capturing technology”, its debut in India. James Cameron’s science-fiction Avatar and Steven Spielberg’s animated thriller The Adventures of Tintin were made with the same skill.

Hopefully to hit the screen this August, Kochadaiyaan will see Rajnikanth essaying the long-haired Pandyan king, celebrated for his valour. In body suits with reflective markers on them, the star will cavort with a much younger Kaif mostly in front of coloured screens.

While Rajnikanth has never made an attempt to hide his real physical self – bald pate and somewhat haggard look – in public, he has been exhibiting a strange desire to play parts infused with youth, good looks and a sense of virility.

Aiding and abetting him now in this is Soundarya.

A waste of talent

Although, Rajnikanth has a fan following that is miles ahead of even Amitabh Bachchan’s, and the general impression that his publicists spread is that audiences want to see the actor in magical, make-believe, swash-buckling heroism, this seems like such a waste of talent to a film critic like me.

For, Rajnikanth can be a good performer. He was one till he got sucked into fairy tales where kings and robots rule.

As a cruel husband in the 1975 Apoorva Raagangal, as a humble servant out to take revenge for his sister’s brutal death in the 1978 Bairavi, in Mullum Malarum and so on, the star played actor and was widely lauded.

But that seems like history now.

It is quite possible that Rajnikanth nurses a strange craving to delete his dreary days as a bus conductor in Bangalore that only followed a tragic childhood of death and loss.

And, maybe, it this longing that pushes him to walk tall (too tall) across the frames, hiding behind an attitude which takes him far, far away from the real world.

Which appears to be getting murkier for the man with his daughters, Soundarya and Aishwarya, allegedly in a power struggle to get to Rajnikanth’s wealth, and with his son-in-law, Dhanush (the guy behind the immensely popular, though blood curdling, lyrics of Kolaveri Di or Murderous Rage), reportedly romancing Kamal Hassan’s daughter Shruti off screen.

Given this, Rajnikanth is probably in a mood to vanish into the Pandya land of the hoary past!

Gautaman Bhaskaran is a Chennai-India based author, columnist and film critic, and can be contacted at gautamanb@hotmail.com . He is an FMT columnist.

My view of "what-do-you-mean-by-abu"

Hi Pete,

If you are getting correct statistics data analysis, then I would argue that the dropping figure for Malaysia Today readership (after September 2008) had nothing to do with your detention in Kamunting. It is more that those readers were merely interested to know the latest political development and inside stories (which were never reported in the newspapers) after the March 2008 election.

Most importantly, these readers were most interested to know what would happen to Anwar's 16th Septmber commitment to oust BN with the planned 30 lawmakers crossing over. So, since Anwar was merely bullshitting, those readers lost their interest in reading MT.

So, I think, it is nothing to do with your detention.

L. Lee

A Porn Star Goes to Bollywood

Sunny in a Sari -- for once

The Buzz About Sunny Leone
New stars are frequently born in Bollywood and just as suddenly disappear. Few stay on and most don’t make it beyond a few films. The buzz presently is about Sunny Leone.

Leone’s toned body and attitude have catapulted her to a spot at the top of India’s most-searched Internet celebrity list, beating out such top actresses as Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor, who generally rule Internet trending in a country crazy about good looks, as anywhere else.

Good looks-wise, Sunny is definitely high potential – a cute face sitting atop a fabulous figure surely honed into place via hours at the gym, pool, pilates, a protein-abundant, low-carbohydrate diet --and a fair amount of surgical enhancement.

The problem is that if she indeed attains stardom, she would be doing something that is almost unheard of, not only in Bollywood but in Hollywood as well, except by a handful of fringe crossovers. She earns her living as an adult pornography star, which is illegal despite India’s thriving and throbbing underground porn industry.

For all of their verve, Bollywood movies remain relatively chaste – the industry has become famous for “air kisses” – lips rarely touch, let alone genitals, despite the fact that this is the country where the Kama Sutra originated, the famed ancient Sanskrit text describing the rules for sensual pleasure, love and marriage.

In the recent past, visitors to India have included heiress Paris Hilton and actress Pamela Anderson, both of whom have had the misfortune of being the subjects of leaked home-made videos of them performing in bed. However, a full-blown, intelligible porn star is a novelty in India.

The 30-year-old Leone was born Karen Malhotra to Punjabi Sikh parents who migrated to Canada from India. She is now based in California, where practicing her craft is legal. Indians have made it big as doctors, software engineers and investment bankers in the US. Sunny chose an alternate path to success, in which she demonstrably has thrived.

She might have remained unknown in India except perhaps to some hard-core aficionados. But, as luck would have it she was picked up by Bigg Boss, a top reality show on TV, endorsed by Salman Khan, the he-man Bollywood superstar.

Bigg Boss, which plays to huge ratings, follows a format pioneered in the Netherlands in which celebrity contestants stay in a single house for about three months with no connection to the outside world. A mysterious person known as Bigg Boss oversees the household, although he is never seen. It has no television, no telephones. no Internet clocks or pen and paper.

Surrounded by scores of photographers and television cameras, she sashayed her way onto the show with a huge smile, then entered the Bigg Boss house wearing traditional Indian attire and an admittedly imperfect Hindu pronunciation. Then, surprisingly, among the ragtag accumulation of loud, callow, empty-headed, vulgar and immature participants, Leone stood out as the most reasonable, fashionable, eloquent and personable.

Unfortunately she also attracted the attention of the Indian Artists and Actors Forum, which demanded that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting take action against the network that carries the show.

Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni declined and was quoted in the local press as saying the complaint hadn’t reached her, but that Justice S K Shah, the former chief justice of Delhi, was leading a “self-regulatory mechanism” to take charge of the “safeguarding of such vulnerable issues and sections of society.”

Leone has been criticized for promoting pornography, which she hadn’t done, at least on the television airwaves. It was claimed that young Indian impressionable minds are being lured to search her on the Internet and led to her website, hosted abroad, that feature porn clips featuring Leone.

As expected in India, the actress has become the target of radical, fringe, ultraconservative elements who relish such moments for their two minutes of fame on TV and in print. Nor is she alone. One of the latest victims has been the author Salman Rushdie, who was forced to cancel a trip to an Indian literary festival by politicians condemning him for his famed book the Satanic Verses in an attempt to gain Muslim votes in a local election.

Others have ranged from M F Hussain, considered India’s finest artist, who was forced by ultranationalists to go into exile for his paintings of Hindu deities in the nude; tennis player Sania Mirza, who was condemned falsely by major Hindu political parties for making a blue film after it became public that she intended to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik; and the iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who was caught up peripherally in the so-called “Monkeygate” scandal when a teammate use a racial epithet to describe an Australian opponent.

The fact is that young and old with access to the Internet visit porn sites, irrespective of Leone. The government has ignored the unnecessary attacks on Leone, unlike the other recent instance involving Rushdie, in which identity and vote bank politics muddled a sane response.

Leone, appearing unruffled by the controversy, has continued her expedition into the heart of India’s movie and entertainment industry. She has been signed up by the film makers Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt, known for their bold but commercially successful movies.

Appropriately, the movie that she has been picked to star in is titled Jism2, a Hindu word meaning “body,” obviously an effort to cash in on Leone’s physical allure, a quality that she appears to be immensely endowed with.

As has been proved time and again in the past, for any actress to make a lasting impact on Indian audiences and movies, Leone will need to earn her stripes as an actress. Sometimes it talks more than looks. In one recent super hit film, titled Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan fattened up herself to play the role of the central character. As an actress, Leone will be judged, in many ways, much more critically than for being a porn star, as she is sure to find out.

(Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com)

NEWS REPORT

US soldier agrees to plea deal in Iraqi killings
 
1. A US soldier killed 24 Iraqi civilians, men, women, and children and was charged for manslaughter before a US military court.

2. US law allows for plea bargaining between the prosecutors and the accused person. Through this the soldier agreed that he would plead guilty if the charge is changed from manslaughter to dereliction of duty.

3. He was then sentenced by the court to reduction in rank to private, pay cut by two-thirds and three months jail.

4. We don’t have provision for plea bargaining in our laws. When Anwar’s Government takes over he will make our laws more modern, not so lapok(archaic) as they are now. Then those accused can bargain and the charge of whatever can be reduced so the accused can plead guilty to a lesser charge.

5. Just think, you kill 24 innocent Iraqis and get three months jail. That is justice.

Malaysia Calls For Citizens Held At Guantanamo To Be Brought Before Tribunal Soon

KLUANG, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia called for its two citizens held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre since 2006 to be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the detention of the duo without trial shows that the Western country does not practise what it preaches in the matter of human rights.

"We hope that they (the Malaysians) will be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible. We are often accused of not being independent, our judicial system is said to be not independent. But, I wish to state that we have two citizens being held (at Guantanamo) without trial for several years," he said.

He spoke to reporters after the handing over of affordable houses built by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) to 56 flood victims in Kampung Gajah, here Monday.

Hishammuddin said what the Western country did in the case of the detention of the two Malaysians without trial was inconsistent with what it preached on the issue of human rights.

"We are often accused of being unjust," he said.

A newspaper reported recently that the two Malaysians -- Mohd Farik Amin and Mohd Nazir Lep -- held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre were expected to be brought before a military tribunal in the United States soon.

Anwar will ‘accelerate privatizations’?

Anwar needs to clarify a Wall Street Journal report that says he wants to “accelerate privatizations” if elected. What exactly does he want to privatise?
Excepts from the Wall Street Journal report:

If elected, Mr. Anwar said he will accelerate privatizations and do more to enable free markets to operate more efficiently, such as improving transparency in the bidding for government contracts.

and

“The overall principle is that we want the government-linked companies to sell off their noncore and noncompetitive assets,” Mr. Najib said in an interview two weeks ago. “We are always looking out for how to add value to the country.”
Mr. Anwar, though, criticized the way Mr. Najib’s government pursued these privatizations, saying that without open, public tenders, key companies remain controlled by a well-connected few.
Privatization “looks good, but look again at the procedures,” said Mr. Anwar. “The issue is not about privatization, it is blatant corruption.”

While it is important to do away with corruption and cronyism, the issue is also about privatisation (and other neoliberal policies), and not just how privatisation is done. Many Malaysians have had enough of the BN’s neoliberal approach that has seen essential or strategic sectors being privatised and higher tariffs imposed on the public. This neoliberal approach has also contributed to widening income inequalities.
Soon after he was released from jail in 2004, I asked Anwar whether he would pursue neoliberal policies if he won power eventually. His response was something along the lines of crossing the bridge when we come to it. But with a watershed general election approaching, Malaysians need to make an informed choice so that they know what to expect if the Pakatan is elected to federal power. It is fine to highlight the scandalous NFC ‘cows and condos’ fiasco, but Malaysians also need to know what kind of broad and specific economic policies the Pakatan will introduce in key areas such as health care, transport, housing, education and food production. Not as exciting as ‘cows and condos’ but no less important.
Would a Pakatan federal government go down the neoliberal route with the wholesale privatisation of state assets? Would a Pakatan federal government, for instance, support the privatisation of KTM services (which should be seen as a strategic public service to promote public transport) or the privatisation of Penang port? Would it support the de facto privatisation of higher education and health care (albeit indirectly through the promotion of private ‘medical tourism’, HMOs and the like)? Would it hive off timber concessions, and strategic urban land banks (without providing for public amenities, public education, public health care and recreational parks) to private developers?
It is true that the BN government has engaged in businesses that it should never have been involved in, in the first place. Think of Proton, which has drained so much of our resources. To dispose of such GLCs is fine.
But there should be a clear distinction between profitable and loss-making non-core sectors and between non-strategic and strategic sectors of the economy.
Privatisation of strategic sectors like water, health care, higher education, ports and public transport should be avoided.
Profitable assets like GLC highway concessionaires could be used to subsidise the strategic public transport sector including KTM, Rapid KL and light rail operators. Similarly, the lucrative Penang Bridge tolls could be used to subsidise the ferries, Rapid Penang buses and other public transport in the state. Only loss-making non-core or non-strategic sectors that are not of public interest should be privatised if they can’t be turned around.
Thus, Anwar needs to clarify his statement and explain precisely what he means (assuming the WSJ reported his intention accurately) by wanting to “accelerate privatizations”. In this respect, how different is he from the ‘Father of Malaysian Privatisation’, Mahathir Mohamad?