| My guru is innocent: Vijayendra Saraswathi - Nov 22, 2004 12:49 IST |
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Chennai, Nov 21 IANS) Vijayendra Saraswathi, junior pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt,
firmly believes that his spiritual guru, Jayendra Saraswathi, is innocent of the charges of involvement in murder slapped against the arrested seer.
I have firm belief in one thing. My guru is innocent. Every allegation made against him is untrue, the junior seer said in his first interview since the Nov 11 arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi.
Amidst reports that there is a move to install the 35-year-old Vijayendra Saraswathi as chief of the powerful Shankara Mutt in Kanchipuram, the mutt has blamed the media for false reporting.
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| Murder charge outrageous: Kanchi mutt - Nov 22, 2004 12:48 IST |
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Describing the murder charge that led to the arrest of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi as outrageous, the Kanchi Kamakothi Peetam hoped that the pontiff would be vindicated and would come out of what it sees as the order’s darkest hour.
It is indeed the darkest hour for his (Shankaracharya’s) devotees and those interested in following the tenets of Hindu dharma (faith), said a half-page advertisement -- The Guiding Spirit... -- brought out by the mutt in Chennai-based The Hindu.
The simple, selfless saint of the masses is now facing an outrageous charge.
Such a charge is directed against the very Acharya whose compassion has reached millions with his helping hand, it said.
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| Aishwarya to act in film on Buddha? - Nov 22, 2004 12:47 IST |
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Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and Hollywood star Brad Pitt have apparently shown interest in acting in a film based on the life of the Buddha, the head of a Buddhist group has said.
Bhupendra Kumar Modi, the newly elected president of the Mahabodhi Society of India, said the film, which would convey a strong message about Buddhism, would be directed by Shekhar Kapur while motivational guru Deepak Chopra would write the script.
Modi said that Aishwarya would play a powerful role in the film on Buddha.
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| Manisha Koirala in Kamal Haasan’s next project - Nov 22, 2004 12:46 IST |
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Tamil Nadu’s maverick performer Kamal Haasan is on to his new thrill. And it’s called Mumbai Express.
In the thriller Kamal Haasan plays a cop. And he’s found himself a surprising leading lady in Manisha Koirala.
Says Kamal Haasan, We’ve finally zeroed in on Manisha Koirala.
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| Apunba Lub gives Dec 10 deadline for repealing anti terror law - Nov 22, 2004 12:45 IST |
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Protest groups in the troubled north eastern state of Manipur Sunday said they have asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to repeal a controversial anti-terror law by Dec 10, failing which they would intensify campaign for its withdrawal.
We have asked the prime minister to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) act by Dec 10 failing which we shall resume a vigorous mass movement across the state, Apunba Lup spokesman Y. Devadutta said.
The people of Manipur want the act to be repealed and the prime minister’s assurance that it will be reviewed by a committee within six months is not acceptable to us, he said.
The Apunba Lup has announced its decision to boycott teaching of Hindi language in schools and colleges as part of the protest until the Dec 10 deadline for repealing the Act.
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| Of dubious holy men and their murky ways - Nov 22, 2004 12:44 IST |
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The arrest of Hindu pontiff Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi on a murder charge renews the spotlight on the seamier side of religion where money, power and sex litter the path to god.
In a deeply spiritual country with multiple faiths and sects, religion has over the years been a convenient hideout for criminal elements, with police records chronicling scores of murders, rapes and robberies by and for men in holy garbs.
Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchipuram monastery has been accused of hiring killers to finish off his former accountant Sankara Raman, who was allegedly on the verge of spilling the beans on financial corruption in the management of the mutt in Tamil Nadu.
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| Politicians blocking sand mining project: experts - Nov 22, 2004 12:43 IST |
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Politicians were trying to stymie a mineral sand mining project that could generate precious revenue for Kerala, experts have alleged.
Experts say a proposed mineral sand mining project in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has shelved following widespread protests, will not harm the environment.
The private Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Ltd (CMRL), along with the state-owned Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), had received sanction this year for mineral sand mining at Alappuzha. The beach sand reportedly contains rich deposits of minerals like ilmenites, rutile, zarcon, garnet and monazite.
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| Tourism boom creates imbalance in hotel demand, supply - Nov 22, 2004 12:43 IST |
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India’s tourism industry is booming like never before this season, with hotel rooms at several major destinations, including the national capital, going for hefty premiums owing to supply constraints.
The country in fact, hopes to finally cross the three million mark this year with inflows of 2.6 million tourists till October. In volume, the growth in tourist traffic this year is over 25 percent and in value around 40 percent, said a tourism ministry official.
The travel industry has reported business growth of anywhere between 20-70 percent this year following an increase in airlines’ capacity and consequential growth in tourist traffic.
Thus, for those who like to travel at a whim, this is certainly not the time to do so, warn industry bigwigs.
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| Kashmir solution stares one in the face - Nov 22, 2004 12:39 IST |
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Every recent visit by an Indian prime minister to the troubled state of Kashmir has infused new hope into the situation.
While Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s earlier trip paved the way for what has been described as the first free and fair elections in the state since 1977, his successor Manmohan Singh’s visit has the makings of the opening of a new chapter mainly as a result of his decision to begin withdrawing troops from the state.
Arguably, even more than the Rs.240 billion ($5.3 billion) package of assistance promised by the prime minister, it is the departure of the soldiers that will be welcomed by the local people.
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| South Africa seen as India’s rival in outsourcing - Nov 22, 2004 12:38 IST |
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South Africa may emerge as India’s rival in business process outsourcing, thanks to its better infrastructure, low labour costs and cultural advantages.
The number of call centres in South Africa will double in four years, says a study, South Africa: An emerging offshore location, conducted by Britain-based independent market analyst Datamonitor.
Offshore agent positions are also expected to quadruple from the current levels, says the report made available to IANS. Agent positions are terminals from which call centre operators make and receive telephone calls to internal or external customers. Multiple agents can use the same agent positions during varying shifts in a day.
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| Radio helps reach out to Indian expatriates - Nov 22, 2004 12:37 IST |
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An attempt to reach out to the Indian diaspora via the airwaves of Australia is drawing attention as an encouraging success story.
Indian expatriates in Australia can hear their own languages on the air - even if only for a few hours each week.
Australia officially argues that community radio initiatives can play a role in enhancing the mutual understanding and cooperative spirit that underpins the tolerant and harmonious Australian society.
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| South Africa 230/4 at stumps - Nov 21, 2004 13:27 IST |
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South Africa Saturday were 230 for four at close on the opening day of the first cricket Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here.
Andrew Hall (78) and Boeta Dippenaar (46) were together at stumps.
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| Muslim leader opposes Kanchi seer’s arrest - Nov 21, 2004 13:25 IST |
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All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Syed Nizamuddin flayed the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi.
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| Manmohan wins Manipur hearts amid shutdown - Nov 21, 2004 13:23 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday sought to win hearts in Manipur with promises of peace and development and was loudly cheered even as a boycott call by rebels ensured a shutdown in most parts.
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| Manmohan launches historic Manipur railway project - Nov 21, 2004 13:21 IST |
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Till Saturday, bizarre as it may sound, the northeastern state of Manipur had a mere 1.5 km of rail track.
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| Jubilation as Manmohan hands over historic Kangla Fort - Nov 21, 2004 13:17 IST |
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Hundreds of people in India’s troubled northeastern state of Manipur shed tears of joy as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday formally handed over to the local government the historic Kangla Fort, a symbol of Manipuri culture and pride.
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| Give up arms, Manmohan urges Manipur separatists - Nov 21, 2004 13:15 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday appealed to all separatist groups in Manipur to give up arms and open peace talks with the government.
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| Bohra cleric goes missing - Nov 21, 2004 13:11 IST |
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A leading cleric of the Bohra sect has been missing for two days, police said.
Amil Saheb Abdul Qadir, 28, an influential figure of the sect, went missing Thursday while returning to Surat from Mumbai by Ajmer Express.
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| India hopes to bid for 2016 Olympics: Manmohan - Nov 21, 2004 13:9 IST |
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India hopes to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday.
We are hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and would like to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the prime minister said while addressing the ninth convocation of Manipur University here.
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| Manmohan reaches out to Manipuris, urges rebels - Nov 21, 2004 13:7 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called upon militant groups to shun violence and talk peace during a hectic day-long visit to Manipur when he launched work on its first railway network, and promised to review a controversial anti-terrorist law.
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