Gujarati News: August 2007

Free bus passes for girl students
Thursday, August 30, 2007 | AY

The Gujarat government has decided to give free bus passes to girl students in villages. They will be given to those studying in Standard VII and upward. It will effective from September 1. Chief Minister Narendra Modi said it was a government’s “Raksha Bandhan” gift. According to a government spokesman, about 2.50 lakh girl students will benefit by this gesture. Mr. Modi was distributing scholarships to girl students from the “Girls Education Fund” set up by the Chief Minister out of the money earned from auctioning the gifts he receives.

Gujarat’s riot victims rue inadequate resettlement
Thursday, August 30, 2007 | AY

Ahmedabad, Aug.29 (ANI): The 2002 religious riots in Gujarat had killed over a thousand people, mostly Muslims. The State and Central government had promised several sops to the victims, but five years down the lane, they still live in squalor.They are scared to go back to their old settlements for fear of reprisals by their tormenters. It has made their lives too tough to start afresh with trust and confidence like before. Several well-off Muslims, who had temporarily shifted to different places for reasons of safety and security, have also decided to stay back.Most of them have taken it as their destiny and given up all hope from the local authorities. Many of these families do not wish to live in Hindu-dominated localities. They say even if some of them want to live in other localities like before they are not sold any plot or flat by their Hindu brethren for reason best known to them. "A feeling has developed between Hindu and Muslim that we should live in our own area," said Abdul Wahab, a resident of Muslim dominated Juhapura area in Ahmedabad. Their preference to stay limited to such localities has prompted many Muslim real estate developers to build exclusive housing colonies for their community members. "Clients who are coming to me are basically Muslims. Because at present the culture of Ahmedabad is, a Punjabi will not live next to a Jain," said Yunus Pathan, owner of Unique Builders.Akikbhai, owner of Kakrawala Builders, said: "Government is cooperating to build or develop the infrastructure. May be a bit slow but it’s developing things. Even people have the feeling that we should develop and should have better infrastructure." Juhapura has a population of nearly two lakh people. (ANI)

Rakhi sisters visit Muslim brothers in Gujarat
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 | AY

Rajkot, Aug.28 (ANI): Communal harmony was on show during the festival of Rakshabandhan on Tuesday in Gujarat, as many Hindu girls tied the sacred sibling thread on Muslims whom they accept as brothers. Iliyas Khan, a Muslim, said: "This is just a thread, but the happiness that a brother and sister get in celebrating this festival is immense and cannot be described." Rajal Shah, who is the adopted sister of Khan, said: "I have two brothers. I never thought of having just one brother. On every Raksha Bandhan, I tie Rakhis to both of my brothers at Iliyas's home so that he doesn't feel that I cannot tie the rakhi at his place. I bring my brother along with me to his place and then tie Rakhis to both." Even though the festival is deeply rooted in ancient Indian traditions, the younger generation looks at it more as a time to get together and have fun. Tradition has it the brother gives his sister either money or gifts.Rakhi brothers or sisters are those who consider each other as brother and sister due to deep affection shared by them. They consider each other as family. The festival is being celebrated for centuries and is related with erstwhile Queen Roopmati. Faced with a crisis following a war, Rani Roopmati sent a Rakhi to the Mughal ruler Humayun, seeking protection from the enemy. King Humayun accepted the sacred thread and honoured her request. Since then, the tradition continues in families across the country. (ANI)

Gollywood loses its sheen at 75
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 | AY

Gollywood has lost its glitter as it celebrates its diamond jubilee. Gujarati families might be ruling telly TRPs, but Gujarati film industry is gasping for breath. The last money-spinning Gujarati film was Des Re Joya, Dada Pardes Joya (1998), which is estimated to have grossed Rs 2 crore. Two years ago the Gujarat government had offered 100 per cent exemption in entertainment tax on a permanent basis and abolished the rule to restrict exhibition of films to 234 shows. The government also offered a relief of Re 1 per ticket as service charges to theatres showing Gujarati films.

Rajkot Income Tax employees protest against increasing workload
Monday, August 27, 2007 | AY

Rajkot, July 25 (ANI): Employees of the Income Tax department, including few gazetted officers, staged a dharna here on Tuesday in front of the Income Tax office against increasing workload and demanded promotions, salary hike and new recruitments. The protestors claimed that they were short of manpower and were overloaded with work. “The authorities haven't recruited employees for the increasing burden as there are newly introduced tax laws besides Fringe Benefit Tax and Security Transaction Tax payers. The pay scale of employees of various cadres hasn't been revised and promotions have not been done for a long period. Various positions in different departments are lying vacant as the government is not paying heed to our grievances," said MK Charanaya, Secretary, Income Tax Gazetted Officers' Union. With the date of filing returns approaching, the income tax employees decided not to work after office hours, thus seriously affecting the honest tax-payers. "We have already put our demands that we would not work after office hours and on Saturday and Sunday as ordered by the Central Board of Direct Taxes taking cognizance of the extended date of the return filing. Though July 31 is the last date of return filing of salaried, individual and non-auditing forms, we have decided to walk out after 11 am," said KR Jadeja, Chairman, Non-Gazetted Officers' Union. According to the employees, who put forward 22 demands before the Central government, they haven't received salary hike and promotions, which is due and approved by the review committee. Meanwhile, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued an order under section 119-2B of the Income Tax Act extending the due date for filing the return from July 31 to October 31, 2006 for all non-corporate income groups. Acknowledging the hardships faced by tax payers, the income tax department has also started the facility of filing the return of income tax at the designated post offices through out the country. The list of the designated post offices can be availed from the head post office of the city as well as from the official website of the Income tax department. (ANI)

Amul to launch a slew of products
Sunday, August 26, 2007 | AY

Amul will shortly roll out its sugar-free range of milk products, including ice-creams, chocolates and milk drinks. It is also planning to launch a slew of products containing probiotics such as curds, lassi and milk drinks in a couple of months, says Jayan S. Mehta, Assistant Manager (Marketing), Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. Probiotics are dietary supplements which are supposed to contain beneficial bacteria and when added to certain foods may have health benefits. Speaking to presspersons to announce the launch of Amul “Kool Koko”, a chocolate milk drink in its beverages segment, Mr. Mehta said that Amul was currently focussing on developing the sugar-free and probiotic products.

Jamnagar experiences 53 tremors in 13 days
Sunday, August 26, 2007 | AY

Jamnagar (Gujarat), Aug 25 (ANI): Jamnagar has been experiencing a series of mild earthquakes of a magnitude of 3 to 3.3 on Richter scale.Jamnagar has been facing heavy rainfall this year and now it faces the threat of earthquakes. Since August 10 several villages in the region had been experiencing tremors -- 53 tremors in 13 days. On an average the region experienced 8-10 tremors a day.The villagers from several areas in Jamnagar have vacated their houses and taken shelter in open spaces fearing a calamity."Now there is peace in the village, but 15-20 days back there were regular tremors in the village. The villagers used to come out of their houses fearing that a dam in our village may break open. Now the situation is fine, but still we experience mild tremors sometimes," said Ravirajsinh Zala, resident of Vijayrakhi village, Jamnagar.Thirteen houses have collapsed in Vijayrakhi, but no casualty has been reported. Due to heavy rainfall most of the reservoirs in the region are overflowing and the district authorities believe the tremors could be dam-induced."Even last year we had experienced earthquakes similar to the ones this year, but we did not have any casualties. We have alerted our Irrigation Department, Seismology Department and other related departments to be ready to face any crisis," said Ashok Kalaria, Additional District Collector of Jamnagar.In 2003, Jamnagar region had experienced more than 500 tremors regularly for two months during the monsoon season.Jamnagar had reported 117 casualties in a massive earthquake, which had struck Gujarat in 2001 killing over 20,000 people. (ANI)

Petrotech sets up facility in Vadodara
Saturday, August 25, 2007 | AY

Petrotech Limited, a subsidiary of Today’s Writing Products, announced the setting up of its first facility at Vadodara, Gujarat, in a tie-up with ITT Corporation of the U.S., which has businesses in fluid technology, motion and flow control and defence. The facility is being set up for the Fluid Technology Group, costing Rs. 30 crore and it will be commissioned in March 2008.The unit will be producing some core products for two of three divisions of the Fluid Technology Group.

Gujarat sports academy trains tribal youth in archery
Saturday, August 25, 2007 | AY

Nasvadi (Gujarat), Aug 25 (ANI): The Eklavya Archery Academy here is honing the archery skills of tribal youth to enable them to compete in international events.Dinesh Bhil, a national level archer, started the academy three years ago. The tribal youth mostly belong to the Bhil community. Eklavya, the great archer of the epic Mahabharata, belonged to the Bhil community.Dinesh selects students between 7 and 25 from remote tribal areas and trains them in archery and physical fitness.At present, there are 25 students."After learning archery, I thought of training the tribal youth, and so I started the Eklavya Archery Academy in Gujarat," said Dinesh.Two camps are organised annually where archers train for five to six hours for 20 days."I have joined the academy to become a good archer and make my community and Gujarat proud," said Gharkiya Bhil, a trainee.The academy also takes care of the academics of the trainees.Academy students have excelled in a state-level competition held in Rajkot in August.The academy has the honour of having won three gold, five silver and ten bronze medal in various state and national championships. The Gujarat Government also supports the academy through financial grants.Five boys from the academy have been selected for scholarship under the Shakti Doot Scheme, with the government paying one lakh each for the next three years. (ANI)

Gujarat Tourism gets Platinum award
Thursday, August 23, 2007 | AY

Gujarat Tourism has been conferred the prestigious National Platinum Award for the promotion of festivals and fairs in the country. The function was organised by Gill India Communications Pvt Ltd on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Today's Traveller magazine. After receiving the award, Vaghela said there are a number of famous fairs and festivals in Gujarat and the State Government has succeeded in attracting domestic and foreign tourists, particularly during the Navratri festival. Earlier this year, Gujarat had bagged the best award in e-governance and the first prize for preservation of natural resources while the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) received the award for excellence in publications on tourism, which provides a detailed information given on various popular tourism places, including sea beaches and pilgrimage places. Gujarat had launched a number of measures in 2006, which was observed as the tourism year.

No water crisis in Kutch for next 2 years
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 | AY

Winds of change are blowing over Kutch. The average rainfall of the past three years has been much higher than that in the last 100 years during which Kutch remained more or less dry. If experts are to be believed, Kutch has little to worry for at least the next two years. The three consecutive rainfalls have filled almost all the check dams and rainwater harvesting wells in the region. Considering the recharge at the surface level, Kutch has received sufficient water for agriculture and domestic purposes for at least the next two years. Kutch has around 250 check dams of small and medium sizes and almost all were filled up in the last spell of rain. Last year, Kutch received a total average rainfall of 577 mm while this year till July the rainfall was around 474 mm. 2004 was a lean period with only 223 mm of rain which shot up to 452 mm in 2005. Last year (2006), the maximum rainfall was received in Bhuj taluka - 563 mm - while this year till July 558 mm of rainfall was recorded there.

Radio Mirchi launches in Surat
Tuesday, August 21, 2007 | AY

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM has launched in Surat, bringing their total number of stations to 22. Radio Mirchi plans to roll out 10 more FM radio stations by the year-end. Apart from the regular shows, the other special weekend programmes are Mirchi Pe Mirchi, Campus Bytes, Hasya Dairo, Surat Ni Demand and Surat Bol. Radio Mirchi's operational stations include Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Indore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Pune, Patna, Jalandhar, Goa, Kanpur, Lucknow, Nashik, Aurangabad, Rajkot, Bhopal, Varanasi and Vadodara.

Kya Hum Zinda Hai?
Sunday, August 19, 2007 | AY

Titled 'Kya Hum Zinda Hai?' (are we alive) the 71-minute feature film is the first movie on the highly sensitive subject that has been released in main stream cinema halls in Gujarat sans any controversy so far. The movie was first released in two cinema halls in Surat city and the box office collection was very good. The movie is a unique one as it has been completely shot in the city without the use of any set and only at real locations. All the cast members are also from Ahmedabad. The movie's protagonist Shyara is gang raped by rioters and she later becomes a prostitute and is given courage by a social activist to fight for justice for her cause and other victims sharing the same fate since the day of the riots. Buoyed by the response he has been getting from audiences the producer is eager to release in in other cinema's across India but in a planned manner.

1916 Gujarati interview reveals Jinnah’s attributes
Saturday, August 18, 2007 | AY

Washington, Aug 16 (ANI): Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah followed the principle of “never be depressed” according to an interview he gave to a Gujarati journal way back in May 1916.In the interview given in Gujarati, which was made available to the Daily Times from the back files of literary journal Visami Sadi (the 20th Century), when asked what qualities a man should be admired for, Jinnah said “Independence”.And about a woman, he said, “Taking care of the elderly”.He termed “to be admired and loved by people,” as true success in life.His favourite pastime was horse-riding, while among the flowers he admired lilly.Shakespeare was Jinnah’s preferred writer and his favourite book was ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexander Dumas.The journal also features a picture of Rutti Jinnah, taken a year after their marriage. He signed his name ‘Mahmad Ali Jhina’. (ANI)

Khadi loses its business in Gujarat
Thursday, August 16, 2007 | AY

“Khadi for nation, khadi for fashion” has remained a mere slogan in Gujarat that has witnessed a drop of 50% in khadi production. The decline started in 1996. The state clocked an annual production of Rs 40 crore in 1996-97. However, by 2006-07, the figures slipped to Rs 18 crore. Similarly, the employment provided by the industry has also declined from 45,000 to just 12,000 now. In Gujarat, 30 lakh metres of khadi is produced per year as against the total production of 9 crore metres. Apart from Gujarat, other khadi producing states include Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In Gujarat, 70% production is from Saurashtra region. A majority, 90%, of the state’s production is in Surendranagar. Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Amreili and Banaskatha also produce the material. To combat this decline in khadi production, the Centre has recently passed a proposal to form khadi development clusters in Gujarat. There will be two such clusters, one at Navsari for gramodyog and another at Surendranagar for khadi.

Gujarat is top investment destination
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 | AY

Gujarat has become the top investment destination for investors in new projects, with the state more than doubling its share of total investments in 2006-07. Maharashtra, the top investment destination last year, has slipped marginally in 2006-07. According to the latest study on outlook for corporate investments conducted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the state is ranked first in the study with the proposed investment of Rs 73,170 crore in 86 projects accounting for 25.8% of total investment of Rs 2,83,440 crore during FY07, followed distantly by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. According to RBI, the sharp increase in production and import of capital goods, and envisaged capacity accretion supported by improved corporate profitability, high capacity utilisation rates and robust growth in manufacturing GDP point to the continued momentum in fixed capital investment.

1st Reliance Mart opens in Ahmedabad tomorrow
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | AY

In order to achieve its target of covering 100 million sq ft of area with hypermarkets, Reliance Mart, a part of the Reliance group's $5.5-billion retail initiative has begun sealing real estate deals at breakneck speed to set up mega retail stores. According to market hawks, in the last six months, the company has acquired over 50 million sq ft via franchise as well as direct routes. Reliance Mart, which is targeting returns of $23 billion by March 2011, will begin writing its success story with the opening of its first hypermarket in Ahmedabad on August 15, when India celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence. This will be followed by two more hypermarkets in Jamnagar and Gurgaon in September.

Gujarat fake encounter: Supreme Court cancels DSP's anticipatory bail
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the anticipatory bail of Gujarat Deputy Superintendent of Police, Narender K Amin, who is allegedly involved in the 2005 Sohrabbudin Sheikh fake encounter case.A Bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and P K Balasubramanyan cancelled the bail on a special leave petition filed by the Gujarat Government.A Sessions Court in Ahmedabad had on June 18 had granted anticipatory bail to Amin.The apex court left it to the option of the Gujarat Government to arrest or not, the officer for his custodial interrogation.The Bench also refused to pass any order on in what manner further probe should be conducted.The Bench said that it would examine whether the probe being conducted by the Gujarat police should be monitored by the apex court or entrusted to the local magistrate, where the chargesheet had been filed.The court further refused to give any directions to the Andhra Pradesh government.The chargesheet filed by the Gujarat police acknowledges the role of seven police personnel of Andhra Pradesh, who reportedly extended help to the Gujarat police in the killing.Amin along with 12 other officers is reportedly involved in the killing of Sheikh and two others.Sohrabuddin was reportedly gunned down on November 26, 2005 after being branded a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant by the Gujarat Police, allegedly trying to hatch a conspiracy to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The cops also allegedly killed Sohrabuddin's wife, Kausar Bi. (ANI)

5 satellite learning centres for IIT-B
Monday, August 13, 2007 | AY

The Centre may have nixed the plans of Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) to set up a satellite campus at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, but engineering and technology students of the state need not be disappointed. They can still access IIT-B’s knowledge. Soon, the state will have five satellite centres of IIT-B. One of the country’s premier technology institute IIT-B plans to start around 200 remote satellite centres across the country in the time to come. Students will be able to hear lectures delivered at IIT-B and interact with the faculties as well through a satellite-linked set-up. Any institute willing to have satellite centre of IIT-B will have to spend around Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh to install instruments including V-Sat machines to avail of the facility. IIT-B has tied-up with ISRO, which will connect the satellite centres with its EduSat satellite by providing them bandwidth.

Evening court system a hit in Gujarat
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Ahmedabad, Aug.9 (ANI): A decision to start evening courts in Gujarat has been welcomed by people across the board, with most saying that it will reduce the case backlog.Started on experimental basis last November, the evening courts first took up cases related to minor offences, and later progressed to criminal cases. "The courts are running well, just like the morning courts. A lot of cases are being handled. Till now 26,000 cases have been taken up," said J.J. Patel, an advocate. These courts function from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. every day. "These evening courts are really good. We can come here after work and so our office work doesn't gets hampered. It also saves a lot of time," said Jigneshbhai, a petitioner. This double-shift system introduced in Gujarat courts have immensely helped to clear off large backlog of cases. Chief Justice of India K.G Balakrishnan had earlier appreciated the introduction of the evening court concept in Gujarat, and appealed other States to follow suit. The Government of Gujarat has agreed to pay judges, lawyers and court staff an additional 25 percent of their basic salary for attending evening courts. The evening court has also emerged as a new platform to prove legal ability. The numerical strength of High Court judges is on the lower side, and there is a proposal to increase their number, Chief Justice Balakrishnan said.Delivering a recent lecture on `Judicial Review of Administrative Acts, the Chief Justice had stated that he had received requests from various courts for increasing the number of judges.Pointing out that there were 110 judges per million people in countries like Britain, he said such a ratio was not possible in a poor country like India. But at least 20 to 25 judges were required for every million people so that the pending cases could be disposed of, he remarked. He noted with regret that judges received the people`s rebuke for the large pendency of cases. Judges of foreign countries were taken aback when they learnt that 1.56 crore cases were pending in courts in India, he said. With more than 70 courts, Gujarat has been able to dispose of around 100,000 criminal and civil cases pending till today.Sixteen evening courts in Ahmedabad district have solved approximately 30,000 cases till date.At present, Gujarat is the only State having provision for evening courts. In July, the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had asked the judiciary to reduce the huge backlog of pending cases at various levels, at least by 60 percent within five years. Over three million cases are pending in India's 21 High courts, and an astounding 26.3 million cases are pending in subordinate courts across the country. At the same time, there are almost a quarter million under-trials languishing in jails across the country. Of these, some 2,069 have been in jail for more than five years, even as their guilt or innocence is yet to be ascertained. This has been revealed by official figures emerging from the Home Ministry's department of justice, under a Right to Information Act application placed by a citizen.The Supreme Court of India had a total of 39,780 civil and criminal pending cases at the end of 2006.Uttar Pradesh again topped the number of pending cases (4.6 million), followed by Maharashtra (4.1 million), Gujarat (3.9 million), West Bengal (1.9 million), Bihar (1.2 million), Karnataka (1.06 million), Rajasthan (1.05 million), Orissa (1 million), Andhra Pradesh (900,000). (ANI)

Police baton-charge protesting Congress workers in Gujarat
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Gandhinagar, Aug 9 (ANI): The Gujarat police baton-charged a violent protest by the state opposition Congress party against Chief Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday. A large number of Congress activists from across the state had gathered here to what they said “free the state secretariat” from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the protest-- to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi's call to the British to 'Quit India' in 1942-- turned violent, forcing security forces to resort to baton-charge and use water canons. Police also detained over 100 Congress workers, including its state president Bharat Solanki and leader of opposition in the State Assembly Arjun Modhvadia. They were released later. "Our party workers from all over Gujarat were coming to take part in this protest when police and the government stopped them from taking part in this protest and even put some of our party workers behind bars,” said Bharat Solanki. The Congress legislators later boycotted the proceedings to protest the baton-charge of their party workers. "The terror which British Raj was spreading before independence in India, in the same manner the Government of Gujarat is spreading its terror among our party workers, and today they even tortured and arrested some of them," said Arjun Modhwadia. (ANI)

Fresh floods in Gujarat, displace thousands
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Veraval (Gujarat), Aug 9 (ANI): Fresh floods in several parts of Gujarat have displaced thousands of people and inundated several towns and cities.Incessant rains spread havoc in Saurashtra region, submerging several districts, destroying homes and leaving people with little or no access to food and healthcare."In the last three days, we have been able to see only water in Veraval city. Flood waters have entered houses and lot of the stuff has been washed away by the floods," Yogesh Jain, a resident said.Several places were inaccessible as road and rail communications had been snapped.Residents have set up voluntary rescue teams to help people stuck in marooned residential areas."We have been engaged in relief work since yesterday morning. We have formed over hundred teams for this. We have saved around 80 to 90 people till now," said Jeetubhai Mohanbhai, voluntary rescue worker.The coastal districts of Veraval, Jamnagar and Rajkot are worst affected in the state, where over 16,000 people were shifted to safer places. The army and air force have been pressed into service in Veraval and Junagah districts.State's Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel has already said the government has alerted districts officials as more rain is forecast.Two hundred and ninety people have lost their lives in floods in Gujarat, while several people are reported missing.According to officials, three people were killed in heavy rains on Wednesday. The latest bout of monsoon flooding, which began about three weeks ago, is said to be the worst in living memory in parts of Bihar. It has affected about 30 million people across India, 10 million of them in Bihar alone. Besides several thousands marooned, at least 487 people have drowned, died from snakebites, hunger or water-borne diseases. Many have even been crushed to death or electrocuted in the devastating monsoon floods. Many have even been crushed to death or electrocuted in the devastating monsoon floods. (ANI)

Volunteers rescue Gujarat flood victims
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Rajkot (Gujarat), Aug 10 (ANI): Voluntary religious organisations are coming forward to help thousands homeless, hungry and vulnerable people in flood-hit Gujarat.These organisations are providing food packets to scores of people marooned and exposed to sweltering temperatures, sudden downpours and filthy conditions. Hungry families are still camping out on embankments and roads under makeshift tarpaulin shelters, waiting for someone to deliver food and clean water to them."From the very first day, we started making food packets for these people. We have distributed over 25,000 to 26,000 food packets till date," said Suchetan Swami, a volunteer. Heavy rains over the past two-days had thrown life out of gear in Gujarat. Several districts in Saushatra are submerged and the Indian air Force (IAF) has been called in for rescue and relief operations. The port city of Jamnagar is littered with uprooted electric poles and transformers.Water released from two major dams in the area has swamped roads and transport is at a standstill. Over 5000 people have been relocated from their flooded homes.The coastal districts of Veraval, Jamnagar and Rajkot are the worst affected in the state. In all, over 16,000 people have been shifted to safer places. The Army and Air Force have been pressed into service in Veraval and Junagah Districts.About 290 people have lost their lives in floods in Gujarat, while several people are still reported missing. (ANI)

Heavy rainfall wreaks havoc in Gujarat
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Veraval (Gujarat)/ Harkhapur (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 11 (ANI): Heavy rainfall in Gujarat wreaked havoc, causing heavy damage to the boats in the fishing business.Rains accompanied with strong winds and high tides lashed the Veraval city for three days, an important fishing port and one of the largest in the country.The fishing community feared that over 100 costly fishing boats have been swept in the tide.There are more than 4000 boats of different sizes and at least 60,000 fishermen are engaged in the business."About fifteen boats have been damaged badly. The small boats too have been damaged and the loss is worth millions," said Kishor Bhai Kuhada, President of Kharva Community.In Uttar Pradesh, relatives of flood victims are living in fear, following the death of their relatives in a boat capsize in the monsoon floods."Two of my family members have died and it's very sad. My life is in the hands of God," said Hari Ram, relative of a flood victim.At least 28 people, including a dozen children, drowned and four were missing after a crowded boat carrying them broke apart and sank ten days before. The boat went down in a fast-flowing river in Harkhapur village in the Maharajganj district, where monsoon flooding has left thousands homeless or marooned.The boat, which was quite old, was carrying 100 people on board out of which 55 were rescued by villagers and police or swam to safety themselves.Last week, Indian Government figures, cited by Unicef, showed that over 1,100 people had died since June. Aid agencies are gearing up for a massive response to the annual downpour. The Red Cross and other relief agencies have launched an emergency Asia Floods Appeal to raise funds for the millions of people affected. (ANI)

Gujarat’s brass industry suffers huge loss in flood this year
Sunday, August 12, 2007 | AY

Jamnagar (Gujarat), Aug 11 (ANI): The brass industry in Gujarat’s Jamnagar has been badly hit by floods caused by heavy rains.In the last two-days, operations at factories in particular, and life in general, has been thrown out of gear in the state, due to inaccessibility and poor power supply.The main brass foundry in the city is under water, affecting production. Manufacturing units at these industries have also shut down."You can still see water around. But there is no one here to take responsibility," said Raju Bhai Patel, an industrialist of Jamnagar.There are 4500 brass production units in Jamnagar, but most of them are flooded with water. Workers are unable to reach these units due to the flood waters. Industrialists now fear a huge loss on the export front."In four days, the brass industry has suffered losses in millions because of forced closures. Labourers are not coming to work, and there is a shortage of electricity as well,” said Ramajibhai Patel, the president of the Jamnagar Factory Owners Association.Fresh floods in the State killed three people on Wednesday and displaced thousands.The coastal districts of Veraval, Jamnagar and Rajkot have been declared the worst affected, as over 16,000 people have been shifted to safer places. The army and the air force have been pressed into service in Veraval and Junagah districts.Two hundred and ninety people have lost their lives in floods in Gujarat, while several people are reported missing. (ANI)

Namitha is on the move
Thursday, August 9, 2007 | AY

Namitha is a busy bee. She is playing prominent roles in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies. The tall actress from Surat is acting with Ajith in Billa, Vijay in Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Kettavan opposite Silambarasan and a Kannada movie opposite Darshan. Namitha, who plays a local ruffian opposite Sundar C in Perumal says, “I am sincere and dedicated to my work. I perform what the director wants from me. Hopefully my fans like it'.

BSP’s Mayawati targeting Gujarat, predicts website
Thursday, August 9, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, Aug 8 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has now set her eyes on winning Gujarat in the December 2007 Assembly Elections, says a website.The website, politicsparty.com, predicts that Mayawati’s BSP will shock both the BJP and the Congress in Gujarat, if they did not change gears and will allow her to occupy the mindspace of Gujarat voters.Mayawati reportedly has details such as the exact number of voters from each caste-community and sub-sect, political activists angry with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and those angry with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.The BSP supremo’s objective appears to be to highlight the weak points of the Congress and the BJP to woo voters to her cause, says the website.Mayawati has details of development issues that have the voters most angry with the Congress and the BJP, and the constituencies where she must visit to create the maximum impact.According to the website, Mayawati reportedly acquired these facts through a police survey of each Assembly constituency in the State.“Mayawati sent a team of police officers to each of the 182 Assembly constituencies in Gujarat,” an article on the website says.She has reportedly now contacted all BJP and Congress dissidents in Gujarat.“They are all going to join the BSP in a massive public meeting that Mayawati will address in September 2007,” the website claimed.The analysis and news portal of the world of politics suggests that Modi needs to do some damage control by wooing the Patel community, a key BJP vote bank.“Mayawati’s core vote coalition in Gujarat will comprise of Dalits, Muslims and Patels. She has decided to project a Patel as the Gujarat Chief Ministerial nominee,” the website concluded. (ANI)

Fresh floods hit Gujarat; situation still grim in Bihar
Thursday, August 9, 2007 | AY

Okha/Ahmedabad/Darbhanga, Aug 8 (ANI): Floods continued to ravage several parts of the country, with heavy rains inundating large parts of Gujarat on Wednesday. Incessant rains spread havoc in Saurashtra region, submerging several districts, destroying homes and leaving people with little or no access to food and healthcare. "The situation is very bad, our houses are flooded with water. Our work has been disrupted. We are facing problems with food and water. No one from the government has come to check on us,” said Ghani, a flood victim. Several places were inaccessible as road and rail communications had been snapped. State's Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel said the government has alerted districts officials as more rain is forecast. "It has been forecast that Gujarat would receive heavy rains for the next three days. In order to tackle this, the State Government has alerted all the district headquarters in Saurashtra region, particularly the south Gujarat districts," he said. Meanwhile, in Bihar's Dharbanga district, flood victims have taken shelter at the railway station, converting trains into their home. "Our home has been destroyed in the floods, so we are taking shelter in these bogies. Here our families are safer. There are nearly 400 people taking shelter here… All our homes have been destroyed and we are now waiting for some government compensation," said Vinod Mahto, a flood victim. Dharbanga Station Master said that the flood-affected people have come here without taking permission from the concerned authorities. "No one has given them permission (to stay at the railway station). They have come all on their own. And, for the protection of the railway property, we have deployed personnel from the RPF (Railway Police Force) and the GRP (Government Railway Police) so that nothing is stolen and to prevent any untoward incident from taking place," said Vijay Kumar Shah, Station Master. The latest bout of monsoon flooding, which began about three weeks ago, is said to be the worst in living memory in parts of Bihar. It has affected about 30 million people across India, 10 million of them in Bihar alone. Besides several thousands marooned, at least 487 people have drowned, died from snakebites, hunger or water-borne diseases. Many have even been crushed to death or electrocuted in the devastating monsoon floods. (ANI)

UNESCO heritage award for Gujarat Sikh shrine
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 | AY

UNESCO has conferred its "Asia-Pacific Heritage Award" to a Sikh shrine in Gujarat's border district of Kutch. The government of Gujarat undertook the conservation and reconstruction of the 200-year-old gurdwara at Lakhpat in Kutch district after it was damaged during the 2001 earthquake. The cultural activities department had taken up reconstruction of the gurdwara through people's participation. The project received a grant from the Archaeological Survey of India and had the cooperation of the United Nations Volunteer Programme. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, had stayed for a night at Lakhpat, about 450 km from here. The gurdwara was built in his memory.

It’s harsh life for security personnel at the Rann of Kutch
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 | AY

Bhuj, July 20 (ANI): As India moves ahead to celebrate its 61st Independence Day, a large number of soldiers deployed at the Rann of Kutch take pride in the fact that they are contributing to national security, though braving hardships rarely heard by anyone. Border Security Force (BSF) personnel face a blazing sun and vast marshy stretches while maintaining constant vigil on camel-back , fast patrolling boats and foot along the India-Pakistan border. The BSF personnel present a picture of commitment and camaraderie during their multi-pronged operations over 500 kilometres in Gujarat’s Bhuj region, Sir Creek and the Rann of Kutch. It remains a highly guarded life here, since the border areas are never free from infiltrators, smugglers and illegal migrants. Consistent vigil with alertness is the key to prevent it. Despite facing such hardships every day, the patrolling personnel often come across fully armed insurgents sneaking into Indian territory with detonators and other destructive devices. B.S. Sangala, Assistant Commandant, 124 BSF, 1111 Border Outpost (BoP), admitted to the miserable condition of his duty-bound personnel. He says that visits by VIPs usually prove a blessing in disguise. “When VIPs or the press corps comes, conditions improve. Otherwise, it is very tough to live here.” Sangala says. “We are provided normal food and clean drinking water is rarely available. There are snakes and scorpion everywhere,” he adds. M. P. Upadhyaya, a head constable with the BSF endorsed his chief’s views, adding that at times the water was both salty and rusty. (ANI)

Border fencing of Sir Creek would help BSF check infiltration
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 | AY

Bhuj (Gujrat), July 17 (ANI): Border fencing in the Sir Creek belt of the Rann of Kutch would make it easier for the Border Security Force (BSF) to patrol the area and check infiltration.A senior BSF official said that the fencing of the border had already begun and it would be completed within a year or two.“Fencing is going on along the borders; all the outposts have gone right on the border. In a year or two, fencing work will also be complete. One cannot say 100 percent but I can say 99.99 percent that the border is absolutely safe,” said N. D. Tiwari, Deputy Inspector General, BSF.Shallow marshy water mixed with sandy desert soil form treacherous bogs that are difficult to navigate.“What you see in the low tide is not visible during the high tide. Almost the whole area is inundated in the high tide and what you see in the low tide are the channels. To navigate through these channels is one of the most challenging tasks, because if you go slightly off the channel you will get struck up,” said Vishnu Dutt, a BSF commandant.“Likewise, the terrain in the creeks are full of mangroves infested with different types of poisonous snakes,” Dutt added.Dutt further said that since the area had no significant landmark, it was difficult to find one’s own position or move from one point to another.The unique mix of land water and marsh means that the BSF has to adopt a variety of patrolling strategies to keep the unmarked border sealed. It is also assisted by the Coast Guard, State police and the customs department.Remoteness of the area has made things worse, with a constant need to manage supplies miserly.Sir Creek is a 100 km long estuary which flows into the Arabian Sea between Gujarat and Pakistan’s Sindh province.Its waters run into the Rann of Kutch. Mangroves run alongside, forming a unique ecological zone over a 500-km stretch.The area has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan.On May 18, 2007 representatives of India and Pakistan concluded the 10th round of bilateral talks on the resolution of the Sir Creek estuary dispute on a positive note and agreed to meet again. (ANI)

Qatar Airways launches scheduled flights to Nagpur and Ahmedabad
Tuesday, August 7, 2007 | AY

Qatar Airways yesterday announced further expansion to India this year with the launch of scheduled flights to Nagpur and Ahmedabad to take the airline's network of cities served across the country to eight. Starting September 23, the Doha-based carrier will launch twice-weekly flights to the central Indian city of Nagpur, located in the State of Maharashtra. Qatar Airways will be the only full-service scheduled international airline flying to Nagpur. Almost three months later, beginning December 12, Qatar Airways will start daily operations between Doha and Ahmedabad. Both routes will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.

Now, the Gujarati version of Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie'
Monday, August 6, 2007 | AY

Rajkot (Gujarat), Aug 6 (ANI): A music director duo has composed a Gujarati version of Shakira's song 'The Bamboo Version' of 'Hips Don't Lie' on original video. Rajkot-based Tapasvi Studio's music directors Utpal J. Jivrajani and Sailesh have created a remake of Shakira's song video, putting Gujarati lip syncs. Inspired by Shakira's performance at the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Berlin , Germany, the duo composed a regional version of it titled 'Khambhoa', which means “a can of wine”. Songs that have lyrics about liquor are in demand in North Gujarat and in the tribal areas of East Gujarat. Therefore, the music composers decided to write words related to liquor in colloquial language. Jivrajani said the tribal women's dance steps after consuming the local brew resemble those unique to Shakira. "Regional liquor is in vogue among the tribals of North Gujarat. There are many possibilities of reforming the male, but there is nothing for women. So, I thought of making a female sing and this was the only song," said Jivrajani. Jivrajani has also lent his voice to the composition along with playback singer Anita Fernandes."I heard the song 20 to 25 times and tried to understand the style and rhythm in which she (Shakira) sang. The lyrics are also intoxicating, and I was asked to sing it like a drunkard. It was tough to sing the song," said Fernandes. Before the formal release of the video, it was entered on YouTube, a video sharing website.The response to the music has been tremendous. The music directors are now planning to bring out a video album with Gujarati artists. The Colombian star, an international hit as much for her dance moves as her singing abilities in numbers like 'Whenever Wherever' and 'Hips Don't Lie', had performed in Mumbai in March as part of her international 'Oral Fixation' tour. (ANI)

Village that witnessed Nargis-Sunil romance, will not celebrate festivals
Monday, August 6, 2007 | AY

By Gayatri Vyas Sarar (Gujarat), Aug 5 (ANI): Two villages in Gujarat where Bollywood actors, Sunil Dutt and Nargis, romanced each other during the filming of ‘Mother India’ have decided not to celebrate festivals for the next two months. The villages--Sarar and Kashipura in Vadodara District of the State—have taken this step in protest over the sentencing of actor Sanjay Dutt, son of Sunil and Nargis, in an Arms Act violation case.“People are sad. Some are not even eating," the headman of Sarar village, H Patel, said. It was in 1950’s when Sanjay’s parents-veteran actors Nargis and Sunil Dutt- were shooting for ‘Mother India’ here that they fell in love, and later tied the nuptial knot.Citing the twin villages’ long relationship with Sunil and Nargis, veterans of the village narrate stories about their visits after the completion of their film.The couple remained in touch with them,after their marriage, and even visited the place with a young Sanjay Dutt, the villagers said.“Since they fell in love here and later got married, they used to come here and become nostalgic about it,” another villager said.The grieving villages have decided to postpone celebrations of all festivals for the next two months as an act of solidarity with Sanjay."We just want him to be released, and if possible, his term should be minimized," said Ganshyam Bhai, a village elder. (ANI)

Arvind Lalbhai, king of denim, passes away
Sunday, August 5, 2007 | AY

Arvind group chairman and doyen of Indian industry, Arvind Narottam Lalbhai, died at the age of 89. The patriarch, who had been ailing from spinal cord related problems for past three months, was not just known for as an eminent industrialist but also as an institution builder and philanthropist. Lalbhai headed India's largest integrated textile company — the Rs 1845 crore Arvind Mills for nearly three decades after he took over its reins in 1975 as MD and in 1980 as chairman. The doyen of Indian textile industry also headed several national and state level trade and industry bodies including the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) - as president in 1981-82 and was also president of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He helmed various textile bodies like the Indian Cotton Mills Federation (1982), and was also chairman of the textile committee in 1980.

Ahmedabad gets new wellness centre
Saturday, August 4, 2007 | AY

Ahmedabad now has a new health destination - the first health and wellness centre launched by the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) is a one-stop shop for medical and cosmetic consultancy. The 'Cure & Care' centre at Himalaya Mall on Drive-In Road combines retail operations in beauty and health care. This centre has a team of medical professionals in general medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, dermatology, endocrinology, lab medicine and dentistry among others. The Manipal Cure & Care was formed in January this year and plans to extend its services in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad by the year end.

2002 communal riots film peacefully released in Gujarat
Saturday, August 4, 2007 | AY

Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Aug 3 (ANI): A film based on the aftermath of the 2002 communal riots, has been greeted peacefully in Gujarat. The film tilted "Kya Hum Zinda Hain-The Heartless Life" (translated as- "Are We Alive"), deals with the lives of victims and the transformation they faced after one of the most brutal of communal riots.Inspired from real-life incidents and experiences, the film delves into the life of a Muslim girl who was separated from her father during the riots, and how her life changed after that.The film received a good response from viewers, some of whom felt that films dealing with sensitive issues should be made more often. "It's a really good movie, as it is different from the movies we usually see," said Hemant, a viewer. The film revolves around protagonist Shayra, who seeks shelter with a Hindu boy, and how her life takes a turn when she is gang-raped by some fanatics, leading to her taking to the flesh-trade to survive. The film does justice to the mental trauma experienced by the girl. Rafique Pathan, the director of the film, picked up the issue of women and how vulnerable they are as they come to terms with loss and tragedy in their lives after such an incident.The film surprisingly did not incite any opposition like the previously released 'Parzania' which also dealt with the riots."I am telling the people directly, without putting allegations on any particular community, not to allow riots. I am showing them a life after the riots and asking them a question that are we still alive, are we responsible for this girl's life?," said Pathan.The most remarkable factor about the film is that the entire crew, including the actors, has spent time with riot victims, experiencing their trauma and sufferings.Shot across the length and breadth of Gujarat, the film was completed in two-and-a-half-years, and is slated to be showcased at various film festivals, including the 'Indian Panorama 2008' and the 'Digital Film Festival-USA'.Made on a budget of 5.5 million rupees, the film was passed by the Censor Board after reducing its length to 71 minutes out of the original 124 minutes, after a gap of 18 months.In February 2002, 59 passengers, many of them Hindu pilgrims, were killed when two coaches of the Sabarmati Express caught fire in Godhra. The incident sparked off a state-wide communal violence that claimed at least 1,000 lives, mostly Muslims. (ANI)

Divya Bhaskar to be launched in Kutch
Thursday, August 2, 2007 | AY

The Bhaskar Group will launch Divya Bhaskar in Kutch on July 30. This will be Kutch’s 1st Mainline daily and the 8th edition of the newspaper in the state of Gujarat. With this Divya Bhaskar will now cover entire Gujarat. The newspaper is well entrenched in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Anand, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. The Kutch edition will be printed on latest state-of-the-art printing machines at Bhuj with an initial expected circulation of 55-60 thousand copies which will be one-and-half times of the existing local daily in Bhuj. 50% of the pages in this edition will be colour.

Ahmedabad, Aurangabad and Amritsar get new FM station
Thursday, August 2, 2007 | AY

Ahmedabad, Aurangabad and Amritsar will each have one more FM station to tune into. Private FM radio players have been quite regularly announcing the launch of their new stations in the Phase II of FM licensing in various cities. The three cities now have a new entrant in the form of Radio City, Radio Mirchi and My FM, respectively. Radio City launched its ninth station in the country in Ahmedabad last week. Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City, noted that Ahmedabad was a very important market for the radio player.

Gujarat farmers protest over electricity woes
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 | AY

Porbandar (Gujarat), Aug 1 (ANI): Farmers here are protesting against the State Government's apathy towards the problems faced by them, particularly electricity shortage."We took out a rally to highlight the problems faced by us due to electricity shortage. Lack of electric supply is affecting our farming. If it continues, our crops will be completely destroyed," claimed Keshubhai Odedara, a farmer. The protest smacked of political overtones, as it was supported by the opposition Congress party."We have tried to raise our voices but Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Power Minister Saurabh Dalal have not paid any heed to the problems faced by these farmers,” said Ramdev Modhvajaya, Vice-President of the Gujarat Congress Youth Committee.Many farmers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have committed suicide in recent years after being in debt due to crop damage and low crop output. According to certain estimates, the death toll is over 1,000.The Finance Ministry has estimated a growth rate of 2.3 per cent in farm production, with foodgrains production expected to touch about 210 million tonnes.Agriculture accounts for less than 30 percent of India's 1.1 trillion dollar economy, but supports around two-thirds of the country's over 1.12 billion population. (ANI)