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PM reaches out to tribes

Sukhbahar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:15 +0000

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told chief ministers from 29 Indian states to end exploitation of tribal people.

Speaking at a conference in Delhi, Mr Singh said there had been a “systematic failure” to give tribal people a stake in India’s modern economy.

He said this was fomenting discontent, making them vulnerable to Maoists.

In India, Pregnant Women Opt For Surgery to Stay In Line With the Stars

Sukhbahar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:52:53 +0000

It’s the night before the Hindu festival Dussehra and Dr. Rishma Dhillon Pai is preparing for a long day come morning. One patient has already scheduled a cesarean section for the auspicious occasion, and another just checked in for the same, even though the hospital is officially closed for the holiday.

Dr. Pai, who is a consultant gynecologist at the Jaslok and Lilavati hospitals in Mumbai, and the first Vice President (Elect) of the Federation of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of India, says the requests for elective C-sections shoot up during the festival seasons or on “auspicious” dates, such as the recent 09/09/09.

“Muhurat C-sections,” as they’re quickly becoming known (”muhurat” in Hindi means an auspicious time period), are part of a wider trend across Asia, in which tens of thousands of women are opting for surgical cesarean sections in the hopes of having babies on a date and time deemed lucky by their astrologers. Middle and upper class Indians, with access to some of the best health care in the world, are now increasingly opting for this highly controversial practice.

Terrorists attack Jammu braveheart Rukhsana's house

Sukhbahar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:46:03 +0000

In a revenge attack, militants tonight hurled two grenades at the house of Rukhsana Kausar, the woman who shot into national limelight by taking on armed terrorists of Lashar-e-Taiba killing one of them, but she was not present there at the time of...

Indians among those to get least paid leaves in a year

Sukhbahar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:25:04 +0000

Indians are at the bottom of the list when it comes to the number of paid leaves they receive, even though they enjoy the highest number of holidays annually. According to a survey by human resource consultancy firm Mercer, employees in India get the least number of statutory annual leaves (paid leaves), while those in Finland, Brazil and France receive the highest.

Salute All Cars, Kids. It’s a Rule in China

Sukhbahar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:02:59 +0000

All the students at Luolang Elementary School, a yellow-and-orange concrete structure off a winding mountain road in southern China, know the key rules: Do not run in the halls. Take your seat before the bell rings. Raise your hand to ask a...

No more places of worship on public land, rules apex court

Sukhbahar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:59:13 +0000

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court in an interim order on Tuesday said that there shall be no new construction of places of worship on public land
across the country. The interim direction, which would be in force till final disposal of the case, would apply to all places of worship like temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras.

A bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and MK Sharma passed the order on a plea by the Centre that all states and union territories in the country have agreed in principle not to allow any fresh construction of places of worship on public land.

The court, however, left it to the states and UTs concerned to decide on a “case-to-case basis” the removal or otherwise of the existing places of worship, which have encroached on roads/ lanes.

What trade war? China plays safe in tire and chicken dispute

Sukhbahar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:37:49 +0000

Beijing has reacted sharply to President Obama’s decision Friday to slap stiff import tariffs on cheap Chinese tires. Chinese officials have cried foul, railed against Washington’s protectionism, and announced they will investigate allegations of US dumping in China at below-market prices.

But Beijing’s bark may turn out to be worse than its bite. China’s choice of dumping complaints to investigate – about chicken parts and auto parts – seems designed to minimize the impact of any retaliatory measures it might take.

Certainly Beijing sounded angry at Mr. Obama’s decision, which will throttle China’s exports to the US of low-cost tires. US union leaders had complained that such sales had destroyed 4,000-5,000 American jobs.

“This will undermine China-US economic and trade ties, and the early recovery of the world economy,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu in a statement.

At least 41 dead as massive bomb blast rocks Afghan city

Sukhbahar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:57:49 +0000

A cluster of vehicle bombs detonated simultaneously Tuesday in the Taliban’s spiritual homeland near a foreign-owned construction company that had recently taken over a contract to build a road through an insurgent-held area. At least 41 people were killed, all civilians, officials said.

The thundering explosion occurred just after nightfall in a district that includes U.N. facilities and an Afghan intelligence office. The force of the blast shattered windows around the city and sent flames shooting into the sky.

Harasssed Indian Husbands to Protest Unjust Laws

Sukhbahar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:48:59 +0000

As India kicks off its Independence Day celebrations this weekend, thousands of husbands claiming harassment and men’s rights activists will converge upon Shimla to protest what they say is a skewed justice system and laws that presume them guilty until proven innocent when it comes to crimes involving women.

Men are protesting gender-biased laws, the Domestic Violence Act and the misuse of dowry laws. However, women’s rights advocates say the perceived injustices that men in India face are nothing compared to the discrimination, oppression and violence women in India endure on a daily basis.

Mumbai trial: India's global stage for case against Pakistan

Sukhbahar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:54:47 +0000

That’s the ruling Thursday from the special court hearing the Mumbai terror attack case following a dramatic courtroom confession earlier this week from the defendant, the sole surviving suspect.

The bench sided with prosecutors who wanted to continue laying out their full case against Pakistani gunman Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, despite his change of plea on Monday to guilty.

Specifically, the special prosecutor said he wanted to “expose the infrastructure and operations” of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-based militant group fingered in the