The New Age Jallads

Country’s law goes backstage as sharp-shooters decide who is to be killed

The term jallad is synonymous with ruthlessness, barbarity and death. During medieval times, the jallads were associated with the King’s durbars; their chief role being to send a prisoner sentenced to death to the gallows.
Even now, in various prisons across the country, it is the jallads who execute the prisoners convicted to death by the courts. In the recent past, these jallads have been brought to notice courtesy the media and stories related to the humane and no so humane side of their lives have been aired and published. Debate is also raging whether such men are a boon or bane for the society.
The new age jallads are different. They are the group of policemen for whom it does not matter whether the criminal has been tried in the courts or convicted of crime. They are a law unto themselves, a law outside of the existing law that governs the country, and seldom abide by the rules and regulations that the Police Department has framed for them. They are the encounter specialists, a term much hyped by the media, courtesy Daya Nayak, the man famed for killing in encounter 83 people in four years outside the framework of country’s law. Wonder why our esteemed judiciary is silent on this account!
Not that these encounter specialists are not to be found in UP. Only recently, the alleged encounter of Atru has much defamed the image of the UP Police when a woman named Gita from Mohammadabad (Farrukhabad) claimed that the person killed in the encounter was not Atru but her brother Kailash alias Attar Singh. This is another matter that police continue to stick to the stand that it was Atru, hobnobbing with them for past 10 years, who had been killed. If the man killed by the police in encounter was indeed Kailash, then who is to be blamed for killing of the innocent truck driver whose death orphaned three children, Muskan (6), Vishal (4) and Vikas (2).
Today, UP Police Headquarters too has certain people demarked as ‘encounter specialists’. Even those who do not carry this tag know that encounters, particularly when the elections are round the corner, would ensure them a raise in position and salary. Fake killing of Kailash is a result of this itself.
What is most worrying is the fact that these ‘encounter specialists’ have now been given a sanction by the people. This clearly suggests people’s dying faith in the systems of the country, including judiciary. Other than certain human rights activists who loathe these policemen, the public as well as the police have more or less given sanction to these ‘specialists’. What used to be called fake encounters till some time back are now ‘encounters’ with the policemen even claiming gallantry awards for doing so.
Debate is raging whether this unique, unofficial policing ‘institution’ needs to be checked. Allegations have been made that these policemen are a law unto themselves hobnobbing with criminals themselves. A local Mumbai journalist recently alleged that Daya Nayak, the most well-known of the encounter specialists, was in the pay of city’s mafia bosses. He cited the illegitimate assets of the SI, drawing not more than 9000 rupees a month, to strengthen his case. Police Commissioner AN Roy was forced to issue a personal report vouching for his man’s honesty.
To an extent these policemen are doing a good job, particularly in Mumbai where the crack team of five policemen has broken the back of the city’s once notorious crime syndicates. But that they have done so at a terrible cost necessitates that such killings should be checked. More than 600 suspected criminals are alleged to have been shot in cold blood, if the human rights groups are to be believed, without allowing them to seek justice from the country’s law.
Daya Nayak is not the only policeman who is involved in encounter killing. Pradeep Sharma claims a total of over 100 “successful” encounters with suspected criminals. Another specialist Vijay Salaskar has more than 30 encounter deaths to his credit.
Daya Nayak and Pradeep Sharma, both defend themselves by saying that they killed the other person when they fired towards them. If that is so, why are they called ‘encounter specialists’? Moreover, why is it that all the rest of the country’s policemen do not ‘encounter’ criminals when they go on performing their duty.
Fact is that encounter or extra judicial killings are not new phenomena for Indian state, though it has changed its position or acceptability in the public psyche for past few years. This is courtesy the Mumbai film industry for making several films ‘inspired’ by the real life of an encounter specialist. After the box office success of such films, one can say that the act of extra judicial killing, which otherwise is a gross violation of the Judicial system, the very aspect of our Constitution (by denying the fundamental right to live), the civil liberties and the human rights, has now got legitimacy in the Indian society.
That is why until people like Kailash continue to be killed in such encounters, the work of these modern day ‘jallads’ will continue to raise eyebrows.

Noose tightens around Mulayam

Morals, ethics or sheer hard-core politics?

Noose is gradually tightening around Mulayam’s neck in the State and the Election Commission’s announcement of holding the elections in 7 phases is another step in that direction. This shows that the Commission has taken serious note of apprehensions of Congress, BJP and BSP regarding fair and non-partial role of administration and police machinery during the elections. The decision of the Commission not to take services of local police has come as a setback to the SP Government that was busy deploying police force of its choice at crucial police stations. Even the DGP had finalized arrangements to oversee the progress at various cities through Internet while sitting at his office at Lucknow. The decision of the Commission implies that this tested loyal force of Mulayam will sit and watch while the centrally deployed forces take care of law and order during election period.
In this regard, Congress has been largely successful in its mission of removing Mulayam from power prior to election to some extent. Though it has not been able to impose President’s Rule in the State till now, next two days are crucial for Mulayam as Congress may still wish to implement its agenda. Congress has just 25th of February to impose article 356, after which it will become more or less certain Mulayam will carry the bat till the results of the elections.
The noose is being tightened around Mulayam not because Congress has suddenly discovered that law and order has been lacking under his rule. Neither is this decision being made because of the ‘ethics’ over crossing of BSP MLAs and the subsequent Supreme Court’s decision. And if you feel, the Nithari killings or large-scale abduction of children could be the reason, you are once again wrong.
The Congress has been looking elsewhere when all these continue to happen. Not only did Congress ignore the State going from bad to worse during the last three and a half years, but also supported SP in the State. Today, if all these issues are being brought to the forefront it is because Congress has begun preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections and Congress’s think-tank has decided that it would gain a handful of more votes and few more seats if the elections were to be held under the Governor’s rule.
That is why Congress appears hell-bent on enforcing Article 356 in the State and if there is one reason why Congress has failed to do so until now it is because of CPI’s tacit understanding and consequent unflinching support for Mulayam. CPI therefore is the only hope for Mulayam and unless CPI itself negotiates a few ‘big deals’ for itself and backs down, Congress will have some difficulty in carrying forth its agenda.
The reasons that Congress are putting forth now were all in existence all through the last three and a half years. Supreme Court’s decision that 13 MLAs came out of BSP prior to the remaining 37 may have given a boost at the moment but truth remains that Congress knew right from day one that horse-trading had taken place that resulted in the BSP MLAs deserting their party. It appears nothing but a joke now when the Congress says that it is withdrawing support because it fears further horse-trading in the house by the hands of SP.
Not only the Congress, its new ally Ajit Singh too remained with the ruling party and enjoyed the benefits of being in power all through and deserted company only prior to the elections.
If we talk of BJP, the party too has no moral right to ask for Governor’s rule consequent to Supreme Court ruling. Kesrinath Tripathi became Speaker of the House from BJP’s quota and it was he who had allowed the BSP’s breakaway factions to sit in the house. Fact is that only BSP seems to be having the right to oppose SP at the moment on this issue.
But what to say of politics, because of which all morals and ethics are being put aside in the name of morals and ethics itself. Otherwise we all are already aware of the moves that various political parties are going to take in the near future. Watch out for the political field and interests of each of them and you too may do the guesswork!

Where are the Muslims?

Not too long ago, the Government at the Centre made an attempt to count the number of Muslims in the Indian armed forces. Even before the process could be initiated, certain people with political background opened a front against the Government, with full backing of certain sections of the media. Eventually, the plan had to be shelved and a figure that would have been of much interest to the planners and social activists remained hidden behind veil, very much like the face of a devout Muslim woman.
Those who do not want the Muslims to come in the mainstream may have succeeded for the time being. BJP has already cashed in on this and its victory in the recently concluded mayoral elections was a consequence of this. But the truth is out there in the open for all those who value truth and justice over narrow-minded issues and petty gains.
Today, Muslims are worse than the tribals and dalits, in terms of education and jobs. Nearly 51 per cent Muslims do not know how to write their names. With these figures, you can very well guess the education status of women. Out of those children who go to school, 90% leave school before they reach class X. Of those who appear for Class X exams, only 7.2% are Muslims. In cities, 4.8% and in rural areas only 1.5% Muslim youths go the college. The fact has not escaped the eyes of UNESCO’s Education for Global Monitoring, which says that of the 1.3 crore children in India who are unable to go to schools, majority of them are Muslims. This is in spite of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan continuing for years now, which clearly suggests that the benefits of this have not reached the Muslim concentrated areas yet.
One of the main reasons for backwardness of Muslims is poverty. In rural areas, 29% Muslims are merely spending 300 rupees per month. Naturally, when there is not enough to eat, how can they think of education for children. When these people send their children to work on dhabas and shops, so that they can at least get two meals a day, the children are picked up, under the new child labour laws, and parents are coerced by police. In order to get their children released, the parents end up paying whatever little they could have saved till then.
In terms of jobs, there are only 6.4% Muslims in government jobs, though their population in the country is said to be 14%. There are merely 11.2% Muslims in government jobs in Assam, which has nearly 31% Muslim population. In West Bengal, the situation is worse. There are a mere 4.2% Muslims in government jobs when they number nearly one quarter of the population. In UP, there are just 5.1% Muslims in government jobs when their population is 18.5%.
All this would just appear to be statistics if we do not give live examples. The exact position of Muslims in the armed forces may never be known to elucidate their true position and how they have continued to lag behind the mainstream each passing year, ever since Independence. Not just the Government, fact remains that the presence of Muslims is far worse in the private sector where it is possible to find companies which employ hundreds of people and the number of Muslims is so low that it can be counted on the fingers of two hands. The condition is so pathetic that we won’t be surprised if there are companies which employ a few hundred employees with not even one Muslim on its rolls.
BJP may have thwarted the Government’s plan to go ahead with counting the number of Muslims in the armed forces, but there are certain areas where the numbers are starkly visible.
Media is supposed to be secular and above sectarian or communal divisions. From listings given on their own pages, we counted the number of Muslims which prestigious media-houses like Outlook, The Week and India Today employ. This is to be remembered that such listings give the names of employees in key positions only. And from the internet, we got the lists of judges in various courts in north India, where the number of Muslims amount to nearly one fourth of the entire population. Results are there for you to see.
Of the 89 names listed in India Today as their key employees, only one Farzand Ahmed is a Muslim (1.12%). The Week, another leading newsmagazine, too has only one employee, Tariq Ahmad Bhat at Srinagar, out of 78 names that it has listed (1.28%). And Outlook gives names of three Muslims on page 1 viz. Ajaz Ashraf, Saba Naqvi Bhaumick and Prayaag Akbar out of 101 names that it mentions (2.97%). Outlook’s City Limit likewise gives 43 names with none of the names appearing to be of Muslims. If you are of opinion that Muslims may not be favouring the English media, Outlook (Hindi) has 62 names given of which there is not a single Muslim.
We wish to clarify here that Vinod Mehta, the Editor-in-Chief of Outlook Group is known to be one of the biggest champions of secularism in the country. If this is the condition of his publications, it is certainly not due to any nefarious plans but because there are not too many Muslims capable of entering his publications on merit.
See now the list of Muslims in judiciary in some of the North Indian states. Allahabad High Court has four Muslim judges (Justice Syed Rafat Alam, Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza, Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan and Justice Barkat Ali Zaidi) in the Allahabad bench comprising 65 judges and a Chief Justice (6.06% when there are 18.5% Muslims in UP). Lucknow bench has just 2 judges (Justice Abdul Mateen and Justice Allah Raham) out of 21 judges (9.52 %). Rajasthan High Court has only one Muslim judge viz. Justice Mohammad Rafiq in the list of 30 judges (a mere 3.33%). High Court of Gujarat too has just one Muslim judge (Justice Abdul Hamid Qureshi) among 33 judges (3.03%). Only Patna High Court is a marginal better with 5 Muslim judges (Justice Aftab Alam, Justice S. Nayer Hussain, Justice Syed Mohammad Mahfouz Khan, Justice Anwar Ahmed and Justice Smt. Sheema Ali Khan) out of 27 judges (18.52%). The self-proclaimed champions of the Muslim cause, the Leftists, who have been in power in West Bengal for decades now are lagging behind in this area as well. Muslims number one-fourth of the State’s population and there is not even a single name that appears to be that of a Muslim in the list of 45 judges in the Calcutta High Court.
Now see the condition of Delhi that has remained mostly under Congress rule till now. Delhi High Court has a lone judge (Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed) in the list of 34 judges (2.94%). Out of 100 Additional District Judges at Tis Hazari Court, there is not a single Muslim. Likewise, there is no Muslim among 24 Civil Judges in Tis Hazari Court and 4 in Karkardooma Court. There is not a single Muslim among 4 Rent Controller/Addl. Rent Controllers. Out of 44 Addl. Sessions Judges at 3 courts, there is no Muslim though there are several Sikhs, numbering far less than Muslims. Out of 22 judges posted as Matrimonial Judges and at Labour Courts & Industrial Tribunals, again there is no Muslim. In all, out of 228 judges posted at various courts in Delhi, there is only one who is a Muslim (a mere 0.44%). Should we pity the system or pity the Muslims?
While reading all this, it must be kept in mind that most of the figures given are from North India where the population of Muslims is far more than their national average of 14%. In the entire listings of 823 people that we have given above, only 19 are Muslims (2.31%). Imagine the position of Muslims in South Indian states where Muslims measure far less than North India.
In one of his letter to Hi Time Express, Justice Kamleshwar Nath, Retired Judge Allahabad High Court, writes: “The greatest obstacle in our progress as a nation is a strange aloofness – exclusiveness of the largest minority of our Nation, the Muslims. I am quite perplexed when I hear self-serving politicians say: ‘We should do something to bring the Muslims into the mainstream of our society’. Haider saheb: This is putting the cart before the horse; the truth is just the other way round. I write this to you because of the youthful fervour I like in your write-ups and the paper’s moto: “For the young, of the young, by the young”. It is the youth which makes life vibrant, and I wish your paper to smoothen out the aberrations which have dogged and continue in aggravated form – the good, and much needed spirit of one-ness of our people. Please think over the malaise and project a remedy – God will bless you.”
Hope we are doing the same. May God bless us!

Muslims furious over insult

Muslims across North India are furious at the insult meted out to their sentiments at New York. Not just the common Muslims, but the clerics, Muslims leaders and prominent social workers belonging to the community have come forward to express their grievances.
In our previous issue, HTE gave an exclusive coverage of Apple Mecca, the new structure that has come up in New York city, very much to the annoyance of the Muslim community there and all over the globe.
Apple Mecca resembles the holiest place of Muslims on earth, the Kaaba in size, shape and colour and is alleged to have a bar inside.
The cover story done in HTE has generated mixed response from the learned clearics among the Muslim community. Not only the Muslims, intellectuals belonging to Hindu, Christian and other communities too have aired their opposition to these constant attacks on the devi devatas of the Hindus and places and things of religious importance of the Muslims. A few prominent newspapers have gone ahead and covered the exclusive story covered for the first time in HTE. Consequently, the cover story of HTE has been instrumental in taking the message across North India.
Muslim community is giving mixed reactions, ranging from contemplating demonstrations against the US once again to petitioning the UN and the Union Government to put pressure on the US to frame laws so that such incidents never occur again.
Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, a prominet Shia clearic, is of the view that this is a part of a Zionist conspiracy, rather than a Christian plot against Muslims. Kalbe Sadiq is of the view that Israel has time and again played the game of making two parties fight and has reaped its benefit out of it. If it is a Zionist plot to tease Muslims, Muslims should either learn to give no response or start teasing the Jews instead.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, a prominent Sunni cleric of the country, too is of the view that it is apart of well-planned conspiracy. He cites the example of the edited Qurans that are silently being pushed forward by the US as part of the heinous plot being hatched and executed by the US authorities.
Others though want Muslims to give no reaction and instead focus more on worship of the God, who will guide those conspiring against the Muslims. But there are not too many who share such views, like those of Maulana Rahman Miyan.
Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, head of the Bareilvi sect of Muslims, is of the view that another crusade has already started. He cites Bush's own words to elucidate his point and says that Muslims have already lost several countries but are yet to take this seriously.
Mufti Mukarram in Delhi wants the bar to be closed immediately under the orders of US government, while Maulana Saif Abbas wants United Nations to frame laws so that such misdeeds are never committed again - neither in the US nor in any other country of the world, and neither against Muslims nor against any other religion of the world.

The Crime Capital

Sub Head: In this tech-savvy world, why can’t FIRs be registered through e-mails?

Raj (name changed) had purchased a latest cell-phone device to hit the market. Unmindful that this phone could land him in trouble, he was idling his way through ITO at 8 pm in the evening – a time when Delhi streets are still abuzz with people and traffic – when a call came. He slowed the bike, moved to the side of the road and picked up the call. As finished conversation, a young man came to him with request to make a call from his cell-phone. Raj refused. By then another man had come to the other side and put a knife across his abdomen. The first man too flashed out a knife, pointing it towards the other side. Before Raj could realize what was happening, the cell-phone was snatched away. Raj could do nothing as he was robbed, barely a stone’s throw distance from the police headquarters.
Abdi, a category I gazetted officer in Delhi Government took out some cash from bank on Shamnath Marg. He strolled to the bus stop close by and waited for the bus to arrive. The bus arrived and as he boarded, a man took out his purse from his rear pocket, where he had kept the cash only a few moments before. Alert, Abdi caught his arm and demanded his purse back. At that moment, three other men surrounded Abdi, blamed that he was actually the pickpocket and they have caught him red-handed trying to take out the purse from the other man’s pocket. With eyewitnesses blaming him too, the passengers sided with the three accomplices of the original pickpocket, as they thrashed Abdi. The pickpocket had presumably followed Abdi from the bank, as he also knew the exact amount of currency inside his purse, thereby further strengthening their case. With none to support him, Abdi helplessly watched the four men leave at the next bus stop. Only later, the co-passengers realized that they had erroneously beaten a Government officer.
A private bus was en route to Shastri Bhawan from Mandawali. Three knife-born men boarded the bus and commanded the driver to pull it aside. All the passengers on board were robbed of their jewellery, currency and gadgets in broad daylight.
These and many more such cases can be sighted that are enough to label Delhi as the crime capital of the country. Already an infamous den of white-collared criminals, Delhi is fast becoming the hub of all type of illegal and criminal activities.
Prostitutes and call girls roam around on important roads, brazenly flaunting their profession through lewd gestures. Only the police don’t recognize them. Certain areas of Delhi are infamous for pickpockets who roam freely. Rapes are happening almost daily with cases of rape being witnessed in the past on roadsides, in moving cars and inside the safety of houses. Old men living alone are no longer safe and cases of child-lifting and kidnapping abound. Cars and vehicles are being stolen regularly, accidents happening due to reckless driving, cases of road rage increasing and murders happening as the clock ticks, who would label Delhi as safe?
Still the police have not pulled up its sleeves to react accordingly. Delhiites in general are still afraid to go to the police with complaints. Some even accuse them of being covert accomplices to several crimes. FIRs are still not being registered in all cases and unless you are some who matters, your case wont be considered.
At times when even the police commissioner is talking of using technology to upgrade the police system, Delhiites only wonder why FIRs could not be registered through emails or fax. The police may follow up the case later but this would ensure that written records of the complaint are present for all times. A copy can be mailed to the commissioner as well. If and when this happens, only then will we know the true count o crimes happening in Delhi each day. But this is not going to be as police are sure going to find lame excuses for not implementing this. Who is bothered, after all?

Murder, Mayhem in High Seas

Sub Heading: Life becomes cheaper than luggage… and the Government sleeps

Is life cheaper than luggage? Think again! At least the Indian Government does not seem to be thinking that way in spite of the fact that hundreds of Indian seamen continue to be killed on ships every year.
The laws in this regard are erroneous. If you book a consignment through ship and it gets lost or damaged en route, (The) Merchant Shipping Act 1958 gives powers to Court to detain foreign ship that has occasioned damage. A vessel may be arrested for claiming damages of loss of goods, but there is no law which gives the Government or courts power to impound a ship if your near or dear one is killed in cold blood or die due to negligence, while on duty. Several such deaths later and in spite of lot many articles by media and petitions to high authorities, including the Prime Minister and the concerned minister for shipping, the Government continues to lie in slumber.
Thirteen Indian seamen lost their lives within a span of 20 days from September 23 to October 13, 2005 alone, and became prey, of employer's foul play. Only one dead body out of 13 was recovered.
Every time a fresh case of 'murder' occurs, the Government machinery wakes up to media hype only to go to sleep once the media gaze shifts. This happened once again lately when Sukesh Chandra, a resident of Lucknow, was allegedly killed while the ship was anchored. His bereaved wife, Anju Chandra and the young son Anu Saksham went from pillar to post but to no avail. "Not one of them has got back to reply," says Anju. Anand Sharma issued a statement in Delhi saying that the Government would look into the matter. It seems the Government is still looking into the matter.
Sukesh Chandra's case is just one in many. Hassan Zaheer, an expert swimmer, died last year in the high seas, alleged by the ship authorities to have committed suicide, an argument that his father Zaheer Zaidi of Delhi refuses to accept. Gautam Mallick, a resident of Gurgaon died in similar circumstances in October last year. His bereaved father couldn't bear the loss and departed, leaving Kanta Mallick as widow. There are cases as old as five years that remain unsolved. If Government is looking into the matter, it should be quick as deaths continue to take place faster than you could imagine.
Sukesh Chandra's case is exemplary. A man who was on ship even when India was fighting the 1971 war, he was not paid salary for the last two years. He wanted to return home but couldn't due to lack of money. He waited for the employers to give him the salary and when he didn't get it, filed a complaint with the nodal agency ITWF. It was then perhaps that the plot of his murder was hatched.
Official version is that he was strolling on the deck when he fell down into water and died. But there are several loopholes. Sukesh used to write a dairy daily; none of his belongings have been sent back. Even after four days of Sukesh's death, nobody on ship bothered to inform his family. It was only when a routine call was made, Sukesh's wife was told of the death, after several attempts to divert her from talking to Sukesh. Not once did Captain Isaac - the owner of the ship - phoned Sukesh's family back home while later attempts to contact the captain failed as the phone was banged down on the aggrieved wife's face, when she begged for the body to be sent home. Sukesh, a Hindu, was buried, and not cremated, at far off Hawana.
Says Zaheer Zaidi of Delhi, who has formed a front to bring all such cases to light: "I think he was killed for not giving salary. He had complained to ITWF (International Transport Worker's Federation), which is a UN approved body and the ship owners feared action."
There are strict terms and conditions that the ship owners have to adhere to, as per international laws. But they are given an overlook as no contract is given to them. Sukesh was occasionally given pocket money, 50 dollars at the most, though he was entitled to a salary of at least 2000 dollars, as per International rules.
Hassan Zaheer's case is different. Hasan joined MSC Carmen at Mumbai on August 14, 2005. The liner is owned by an Italian having office at Geneva, Switzerland. The vessel is registered in Panama. Hasan was issued his appointment letter at Delhi, on a letterhead bearing Hong Kong address, which was hurriedly issued, without a signed agreement. Three months later, this expert swimmer who could have swam the English Channel, ironically threw himself into water and died. Barely two days before death, he had made a frantic call to his mother, imploring her to call her back. What's more debatable, he committed 'suicide' barely few hours before the ship was to reach the port. Hasan's father fear his son was put to death because the ship was engaged in smuggling and once Hassan noticed those illegal activities, he phoned to be called back. As most of such phones are tapped regularly, the ship owners realized this threat that Hassan could have been if he had been alive. Consequently, he was made to die, his body never to be recovered.
Zaheer Zaidi even wrote to Secretary General, United Nations, but to no avail. With no Government backing, his voice became powerless. In the letter he wrote: "Shipping companies with malafied intentions, get their un-seaworthy ships registered in various countries who are, interested in the registration amount, not in human values. The vessel is registered as it is. And where it is. Physical inspection of the ship is not mandatory for such registrations. The dubious system is called FOC (Flag of convenience)."
Meanwhile, Anju Chandra is still coming to terms with acceptance that she is now a widow. With no money at disposal, she is worried how she would be able to manage the education expenses of her son. Sukesh's other companions who had filed the complaint along with him are still abroad. They are so afraid that they refuse to talk on phone. As the Government continues to look into the matter, their lives too hang in danger (rather float on danger).

Greg Chappell an Australian Mole in Indian Camp?

He came with lot of fanfare, with promise to prepare a winning combination for the forthcoming World Cup. The first thing that he did upon taking up responsibility was to remove the most successful captain India has ever had in its cricketing history. And as preparations began with a new incumbent, Dravid, as captain, the batsman who was referred to as ‘The Wall’ till recently appeared disturbed and losing out on his batting prowess, until a broken finger saved him from further disgrace. This has happened largely due to shift of his batting order, courtesy Chappell. ‘Team India’ is no longer an integrated lot. Guru Greg has emerged as the terminator of the moral and confidence of Indian team. During the last World Cup, India was the only team that had potential to challenge the might of Australian supremacy. It had the world’s best batting line-up, most promising bowling department, and a perfect balance of experience and youth. By the time 2007 dawns, the same team is reeling under lack of confidence and unity. Looking at the players, it appears that all of them, including Dravid, are playing only to fix their place in the next match. All seem to be looking at the Coach, beseeching and begging Chappell, “Sir, sir! Have pity on me. Please give me one more chance in the final eleven.” If the Guru is happy, the player’s position gets fixed, irrespective of whether he performs or not. (Kaif is a classic example).
No player is playing as a team, as if they do not know what is expected of him. None appears to be confident of his place. While batting, the basics are being forgotten. For instance, rotation of strike, something that even a local district level team knows of in limited over cricket, is missing. Players are unable to hit through the gaps. And the team whose forte till now was spin has ceased to rely on spin, as Guru Greg is increasingly relying on the medium-pace that we have.
Due to this, buzz that is circulating among media and avid cricket lovers is that Guru Greg is an Australian mole in Indian camp.
People are asking how the Indian board could be fool enough to appoint a foreign coach. If Sachin starts training the Pakistani team, will he forego his love for the Indian cricket team? No ways, argues those who are campaigning for Guru Greg’s ouster. How can we expect that Chappell no long wants Australia to win the Cup?
It is being said that due to Chappell’s frequent rotation policy, all the talent in our arsenal has been exposed. A coach is expected to know all the weaknesses of a player. For next 10 years, there seems to be no player now whose weakness is not known to Chappel. Even if we believe that Chappell is not leaking these details to rival camp, how can we be certain that he won’t be doing it in future, when he is no longer the coach of Indian team or when he is coaching another team, say Australia?
A cricket lover that we talked to even said that Chappell was an offshoot of an Australian play. “What else could be the reason for his modus operandi, that none but he could decipher,” said he, adding further: “Indian team was the only one that could have defeated Australia; we have fallen for the trap laid by them. I am afraid the same is going to happen to Indian cricket which happened to hockey a few decades earlier.”
Moreover, there are times when certain decisions are made for psychological reasons. For instance, if Sachin has pain in the elbow and is uncomfortable while playing certain shots, he will be played so as to have the psychological edge on the opponents. Suppose this weakness gets leaked, all that the bowlers from opposite camp would do would be to aim at his elbow and the psychological advantage would become a disadvantage instead.
It is several months now that the team performance has remained below par. The team’s performance against Australia was proof enough. Score was 37 for 5 at one stage in Malaysia recently. India was 195 all out later. Only in one match was India able to score a decent total; but it lost out in that match too.
South Africa has been no exception. It seems our batsmen have forgotten how to play on the bouncy wicket. New solutions are being presented, including bringing back those whom Guru Greg ousted only some time ago due to their catching age.

Box 1
Sack the foreign coach, screams the politicians
Politicians too couldn’t ignore it anymore, due to incessant lack of credible performance by the team. Issue erupted in the Parliament as well. All seemed to be gunning for the ouster of this ‘contract coach’. Why shouldn’t they when it was the coach who had been given a free hand for the selection. If there was any lack of freedom due to interference from politicians or BCCI, why is the coach not saying so?
From Mohan Singh of Samajwadi Party to Brinda Karat of CPI-M, from Rajeev Shukla of Congress to Lalu Prasad of RJD, not to mention the redoubtable Gurudass Dasgupta of the CPI, there never was more consensus in the Parliament on one single issue. All are outraged by the damage to the national honour done by the men in blue.

Box 2
Why can’t experiments be done on coach?
People are saying that if experiments can be done on batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders, new finds, old and trusted, those who have been successful and those who have been failures, pitches, cities and captains, why can’t experiments be done on coaches as well. The coach enjoys the fruits of success, he commands and takes decisions regarding team selection, final eleven and the batting order, but he is not accountable when it comes to defeats and shortcomings. Why are these passed on to the players?

Box 3
Players are equally to be blamed
However, it is not fair to put the blame on coach alone. What has happened to the world’s best batsmen? Clearly, coach has not snatched away the talent from them. The likes of Sachin, Veru and Dravid are coming to the field with drooping shoulders and departing soon, as if they were novices in this department. What used to be the tale of India’s long tail a few decades ago, is now showing its face at the top. No doubt, players today are doing all they could to earn money, be it the advertisements, endorsements, ramp walking and some even match fixing – and very few really performing in area that catapulted them to top. It is unfortunate that while Chappell is being blamed, the likes of Dravid, Sachin, Veru and Dhoni are being spared. Is this the time to put brakes on their indulgence in advertising?

Box 4
If Chappell doesn’t know the reason, who knows?
Chappel has presented a very forlorn picture on record: “The team is not playing well enough and I am not very sure what the situation is.” Question arises who knows that the situation is. National pride is being put to shame (something that this foreign coach would be least bothered about) and the solution that he tells is something that the entire world already knows of. “We are not playing well enough, that’s the basic problem.” Then he says: “We didn’t take all our catches and that was the big difference in the game.” And then: “We are struggling and we need to look at different options.”
Is there anything that is new in these utterances? Chappell needs to tell the truth behind the entire change of events. Why is it that those he ousted are now again in contention? Is this the team’s way to revolt against his way of working? Or are there more sinister issues involved? Come on Chappell, entire country is looking at you to spell out the undercover mystery.

Another Attack on Muslim Sentiments

Muslims in the US are extremely angry over alleged insult meted out to them in an area called Mid Town in New York where a glass cube shape of the Apple Store entrance, alleged to have a bar inside, and with the name "Apple Makka (Mecca)" has come up. Muslims are of the view that the structure is exactly like Kaaba, the most revered place of the Muslims. This is to be reminded that consumption of alcohol is strictly banned in Islam whereas in this bar alcoholic drinks are served for 24 hours.
This is being seen as another attack on the sentiments of Muslims, already simmering with anger over past insults at the hands of hardline American and Europeans, be it the case of Prophet Mohammad’s cartoons, the disrespect shown to Quran by few American soldiers and attack on their lands and people by Israeli forces, fully backed by the US. This has led to a raging debate whereas some are raising questions as to how can a simple glass cube really be blasphemous? But the offended Muslims in question need no more explanations as they feel that this structure, built in the form of their most sacred place and also named Apple Mecca, has been done on design to offend their sensibilities.
US Government’s silence on the issue is another reason for the simmering anger, as people believe that insults on other religions like thoseof Hindu devis and Muslim prophets has become a norm with Government doing nothing to curb this menace.
Adding fuel to fire are insulting statements on chatgroups, like “Dirty Moslims will never quit moaning, will they?”
At Hi Time, we only hope that sense prevails!

Betting Hits India

Sub-head: Authorities helplessly watch bookies having a field day

Bookies in the country never had it so good. To add to their glee, their international counterparts have joined them, taking up positions in the country’s top hotels. ICC Champions Trophy is what has brought them here. And Diwali is the season when even those uninvolved would like to bet. Rumour mongers have a field-day with stories of involvement of few prominent business persons, politicians and bureaucrats circulating. Betting, though illegal in India, is prospering as the authorities watch helplessly considering the influence and position of people involved.
Crores and crores of rupees are up on stake. Prominent restaurants and social clubs transform into meeting points where people from all walks of life come to bet. For them betting is fun, to some passion, unmindful whether they would win or lose, while the bookies just have to perform one work after it is all over – walk their way to the bank.
Be it Lucknow or Kanpur or the bigger metros like Bangalore and Mumbai, it is happening everywhere. Even smaller cities are not left out. Punjab and cities like Jaipur are lucrative places for ‘business’. And Delhi is the hub. The only blessing-in-disguise being that other crimes have come to a standstill, as betting promises far more money than ransom, supari killing or trafficking.
Moreover, money is safe due to the long reach of the mafia involved and due to fact that the white-collared businessmen and others involved wont like to involve themselves in the mess. Therefore, they prefer to pay silently!
All leading gangs, their top bosses, and mafia is involved. It is perhaps the best organized crime in India involving the high society, businessmen and other prominent persons. The entire network runs on the phone or the internet. And if you wish to bet, you cannot enter the game unless you know an introducer, already involved in the business.
Authorities are well aware! They are ‘keeping a vigil’ but can do nothing. No big fish will be caught. No network exposed. Such is the scare of the bigwigs involved in the business of betting.

Mosquitoes play havoc as authorities sleep

Half the country is engulfed but Govt still reluctant to call it epidemic

The list of casualties is increasing by the day! Initially confined only to Delhi and surrounding areas, dengue cases have now been reported from across the country including states like MP, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana and far-away Kerala. In UP, an increasing number of cities are coming under the attack of these deadly mosquitoes, with hundreds of patients reported in Kanpur and Lucknow alone.
With over a million people across seven states falling prey to Chikanguyna too, there is greater need to eliminate the deadly Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for chikangunya and dengue. These are diseases for which no vaccines are currently available and the only way to stop people becoming infected and of the disease spreading is to control the mosquito population. But this mosquito is an elusive foe that rests indoors and bites during the day. It breeds in fresh water and could be found multiplying inside your coolers, buckets, water tanks, jars or discarded containers.
“Dengue is transmitted to humans by Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The infectious disease is manifested by a sudden onset of fever with severe headache, muscle and joint pain,” informed Prof. Abbas Mehdi, Head of KGMU’s Trauma Centre. Prof. Mehdi was coming out of an emergency meeting of the health officials where stress was laid on the immediate need to take preventive measures, including cleanliness drives. “Mostly , only symptomatic treatment is given,” Prof Mehdi said. Since a large number of patients are coming to KGMU, the hospital is currently providing 2 units of platelets to a patient. The hospital presently has some stock of platelets but nobody knows what would happen if the condition worsens.
In spite of the disease acquiring endemic proportions, neither the Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss nor Delhi State Health Minister Dr. Yoganand Shastri have yet declared it an epidemic. Even so private and government hospitals in Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur and smaller cities like Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Unnao, Bhopal, Jaipur are witnessing innumerable cases with symptoms of mosquito-born diseases. Even Manmohan Singh’s two grandsons Rohan (11) and Madhav (17) have been admitted to AIIMS in Delhi, having about 100 patients of dengue alone, including one-fourth from the campus itself. As a result of this, the hospital has to postpone its medical students’ semester examination.
It is ironical that the biggest number of cases have come from the premises of arguably the most reputed hospital in the country. This speaks how the concerned authorities have been sleeping over the threat, in spite of the fact that dengue spread in Delhi has become an annual feature.
Same is the case everywhere! Where as Vijay Prakash Singh, CMO at Kanpur Nagar and Dr. PSR Aiyyar, Medical Superitendent at Heritage Hospital have confirmed patients to be infected with deadly dengue virus, district officials and Agra Nagar Nigam continue to pass the buck. With no preparations done in advance and almost nothing that cane be done now, especially in UP, due to most of the civil officials going on election duty, all that we can hope for is the weather to change so that these diseases may peter out.
Box
Hi Time Express has known from confirmed sources that the situation is getting out of hand in the state of UP because of the sudden notification of municipal elections. Employees of civil bodies are busy in making preparations for elections and several of them have gone on election duties, due to orders from higher authorities. These orders cannot be ignored and the resultant casualty is the cleanliness drives and other preventive measures that they must be carrying at the moment.

Growing Cancer Blessed by America

Initially, the pictures that came from Palestine were of youth and children ‘fighting’ the Israeli army with armoured vehicles and latest armoury. Gradually, they got better weapons like bombs and guns which, along with the most destructive weapon of suicide killing, became a nightmare for Israelis. But nobody seems to understand the real grievance of the Palestinians. Why is it they are hell-bent on taking head-on arguably the most sophisticated army of the world, with stones earlier and with guns and rockets now?
The pictures here show how the Palestinian land has been gradually eaten up by Israel, under US patronage. Four pictures show the land that Palestinians had in 1946, the land that they had after UN Partition Plan of 1946, how the Palestinian land was eaten up between 1946-49 and how much of the land they had in 1999. The pictures are self-explanatory!

Was US Behind the 9/11 Attack?

Fury as American academics claim 9/11 was 'inside job'


Sections of the Muslims were already saying this in murmured tones. Role of a Zionist conspiracy behind 9/11 was cited, with claims that of the thousands of Jews working in the World Trade Centre on that fateful day, not one died as all either decided to take leave or come late to office. Even with all his money, how could have Osama become so powerful to hit the heart of the US, they argued.
However, no right thinking person would have ever believed in the veracity of such a heinous plot. Not till now though! A group of 75 professors and leading scientists from various universities within the US, under the banner ‘Scholars for 9/11 Truth’, have come out openly against the US Administration, claiming that 9/11 could not have been possible without the patronage of certain war mongers within the White House to justify the invasion and the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries. They claim they are armed with ‘scientific proofs’, the theories propagated by these academics have become widespread enough to prompt official responses. Particularly the notion that the towers fell in a controlled demolition is gaining in strength and an increased number of US citizens, as per surveys, have started to support this argument.
The claims had caused outrage and anger in the US around the fifth anniversary of the attacks on 9th September.
Polls show that many Americans distrust the government on the subject of Sept. 11. A Zogby International poll taken in May found that 42% believed the government concealed evidence that contradicts official accounts. A Scripps Howard-Ohio University poll taken in August found that 36% believed it “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that federal officials allowed the attacks to occur because “they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East.”
A group of conspiracy theorists and researchers who belong to a group known as 9/11 Truth Movement gathered in Greenwich Village. Among them were proponents of the “LIHOP” theory, who believe that members of the government “let it happen on purpose,” and the “MIHOP” theory, who hold that government officials “made it happen on purpose.”
Says Professor Steven Jones, who lectures in physics at the Brigham Young University in Utah, said the official version of events is the biggest and most evil cover up in history. Says the professor who has joined the movement: “We don’t believe that 19 hijackers and a few others in a cave in Afghanistan pulled this off acting alone.” He added further: “We challenge this official conspiracy theory and, by God, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
The Group says scientific evidence over the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon is conclusive proof. As per Professor Jones, it was impossible for the twin towers to have collapsed in the way they did from the collision of two aeroplanes. He maintains jet fuel does not burn at temperatures high enough to melt steel beams and claims horizontal puffs of smoke seen during the collapse of the towers are indicative of controlled explosions to bring down the towers. The Group also maintains World Trade Centre 7 – a neighbouring building which caught fire and collapsed later in the day – was only partially damaged but had to be destroyed because it housed a clandestine CIA station.
Adding fuel to fire, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez too has criticized the Bush Administration for planning and carrying out the 9/11 attacks on CNN International. Said he, “The hypothesis that is gaining strength, which was said on television last night, and which could soon blow up, was that it was the same US imperial power that planned and carried out this terrible terrorist attack, or act, against its own people and against citizens all over the world.”
In perhaps his most powerful monologue ever, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann savagely harangued Bush for using 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans. “Who has left this hole in the ground? We have not forgotten, Mr. President. You have. May this country forgive you.”
It is a saving grace for George Bush that he is already nearing the end of his second term in office. Or else voices seeking his ouster too would have started emanating, very much like those that we are hearing against Tony Blair!

Points to Ponder
The group “Scholars for 9/11 Truth” claim that science must lie at the core of all theories about what happened on 9/11, including the “official theory” of 19 hijackers. Below is a short list of some of the most serious problems with the “official theory” of what happened on 9/11.
—The World Trade Center towers collapsed at roughly free-fall speed. The official theory claims that these collapses were "gravity-driven" after the initial failures of floor trusses in the towers. This is simply not possible as the intact structures of the buildings below the failed floors would have provided considerable resistance and slowed the descent of the towers markedly.
—There is a great deal of audio, video, and eye-witness evidence that "secondary explosions" occurred in WTC 1, 2 and 7 shortly before they fell. Neither NIST nor the 9/11 Commission report addresses this evidence.
—There is video evidence of considerable damage to the lobbies of WTC 1 & 2 before the towers fell. The official story claims that jet fuel and/or a fireball descended down the towers' central cores and caused this damage. This is simply not possible as the towers were constructed with partitions designed to prevent the spread of fire in this way. Additionally, the damage in the lobbies is not consistent with fire or a fireball.
—Steel beams can be seen being blown horizontally away from WTC 1 & 2 as they fall. This is inconsistent with a gravity-driven collapse. The official story does not adequately explain this evidence.
—The official story about the collapse of the towers keeps changing. This is OK as the issues are complex. What is not OK is the following. No matter how NIST chooses to explain the collapse of the two towers, its explanation must account for the fact that the two buildings were damaged in different places and in different ways, and yet they fell in almost exactly the same way. This peculiar, and very telling, piece of evidence cannot be explained by gravity-driven collapses starting in different places in either tower and starting for different reasons. And yet it can be explained by the theory that explosives brought the buildings down. Neither NIST nor the 9/11 Commission report addresses this very serious problem.
—There is a considerable amount of video and recorded evidence that rescue workers and the landlord of WTC 7 knew in advance that the building was going to collapse. The official story does not account for this evidence.
—WTC 7 also collapsed at roughly free-fall speed. NIST's most recent explanation of this is that the building was damaged on its south side and that this damage caused its collapse. Although photographic evidence of this damage has not been made public, and thus we are not required to believe it, NIST's explanation is not credible for other reasons as well—it does not account for the free-fall speed of Building 7's collapse, and it does not explain why the building did not simply topple over toward the south.
—The collapses of all three WTC buildings produced a pyroclastic flows of very fine dust that is inconsistent with gravity-driven collapse, but perfectly consistent with collapse caused by explosives. Neither NIST nor the 9/11 Commission report explains this dust.
There are many other problems with the official story than just these. But this short list should be enough to indicate to any rational person that the case for the "official theory" has not been proved and does not conform to even the most basic requirements of good science. There are other points too that are raised. Among the most serious of these are:
—An enormous amount of physical evidence was removed illegally from ground zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA in the days and weeks following the attacks. This removal was unprecedented in American history.
—The theory about what happened on 9/11 was chosen first; then the evidence (out of what was left) was selected to fit that theory.
—For this reason, a great deal of evidence (out of what was left) was ignored, distorted, or misinterpreted.
—To this day, the bulk of evidence held by the government is classified as secret and has not been released to the public.
—Not one person from NIST, FEMA, or the 9/11 Commission has agreed to debate the official theory in public.
—None of the above is reasonable and all of it constitutes terrible science. Properly done, a scientific theory is drawn from the evidence, and not the other way around.
—Anyone who points these problems out is called as a "kook" or a "nut-case." This sort of argument (ad hominem) is a sure sign of a weak position.
—Some of the people who point these problems out are actually threatened with the loss of their jobs or otherwise intimidated. This is a serious violation of their First Amendment rights to free speech, and a wickedly ironic refutation of the notion that the terrorists hate us "because we are free."
The questions outlined above (except for the first one) could be very quickly and easily answered by simply:
—Releasing to the public all of the 9/11 evidence held in secret by various branches of the government.
—Responsibly debating the official theory in public.
—Opening a new investigation into 9/11 if that proves to be necessary or if the public wants one.
But all this has not been done till date! And that is why those supporting the conspiracy theory are gaining in numbers.