Hi MOD,
it is good to see you in peace these days :).... I just wanted to know ,is it ok to share any informative & useful link address on board, plz let me know.......

thnx & regds...
Vani....

...

MUMBAI: Criticising the Centre`s attitude after every terror strikes across the country, the Shiv Sena Wednesday said the government should first flush out "mini Pakistans" mushrooming in India and then think of teaching the neighbour country a lesson.


In a strongly worded editorial published in Samana, Shiv Sena mouthpiece, the party pointed out that "mini Pakistans" cropping up across India should be cleaned out on a priority basis in an attempt to prevent further terror attacks.


"When the time comes, teach Pakistan a lesson by launching an attack on it. But before that eliminate Pakistans spread in India with your blessing (ruling politicians). If this is done, most of the things would be clear," reads Samana editorial.


"Besides Mumbai, large number of mini Pakistans have grown up in India. People residing in these mini Pakistans are not Indian Muslims. They are either Bangladeshi or Pakistani Muslims. Nobody is paying any attention on their anti-social activities. It is here where they were taught the lesson of `Jihad`," the editorial stated.


It also equalled politicians with Lashkar-e-Toiba group as they were allegedly providing ration cards and ensuring that the people from mini Pakistan would get voting rights.


The party also demanded the execution of Afzal Guru`s hanging who was convicted of conspiracy on Indian Parliament attack in 2001.

"Afzal Guru has been treated in Tihar jail as a guest. He is enjoying there. Afzal should be hanged to set an example on how India reacts to terrorist strikes. His hanging will give a strong message that whoever attacks India will either be hanged or be eliminated in encounter," the editorial says.

Talking over the terror attacks allegedly sponsored by Lashkar-e-Taiba, Dawood Ibrahim and Masood Azhar, who was let off after a plane was hijacked in 1999, the editorial said "Unless and until, the associates roaming around in various cities are eliminated, Dawood will strike similar terror attacks. Our ruling party leaders have become impotent and how will these impotent leaders fight terrorism?" the editorial
asked.

Even as Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee claimed that Pakistan was allegedly involved in the Mumbai terror strikes, the editorial said, "Pakistan is in an enjoying mood and perhaps it may be gearing up for another terror strike."



PTI.............

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during last week’s terror attacks, supposedly took to terrorism with a vengeance and with a “cause”, he told investigators. He told the police that he wanted to “avenge” the death of his best friend, Fayaz Ahmad, a suspected member of Jaish-e-Mohammad, who was killed in an encounter in 2005 by the Jammu and Kashmir police.
The police did not even hand over his body to his parents to perform the last rites. Kasab told the police that he was like a son to Ahmad’s parents and was infuriated since he couldn’t help them.

Officials further said that the encounter of his best friend perhaps triggered Kasab to take the extreme step. And since he was a teenager, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba cashed in on his helplessness and anger.

According to the police, Kasab and Ahmad were neighbours and grew up together. “My friend could not have been a terrorist. He was a calm and peace-loving person. He was falsely branded as a terrorist and killed,” he claimed.

During interrogation, Kasab said that his parents sent him to a local madrassa in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. It was here that he was exposed to anti-India sermons.

Hailing from an extremely poor family, Kasab claimed that his father coaxed him to join LeT in return for money.

Kasab is now worried about his family’s safety back home as he fears that the extremists will harm them



DNA.........

Valuations are attractive all around; don’t let this chance pass you by

“Patjhad pedonse seekho dukh me dheeraj dharna” (learn from the trees in autumn to keep faith and await better times, till the leaves sprout) - the old saying came to mind as I was talking to some investors who had thrown in the proverbial towel.

The current financial maelstrom has knocked out the dental fillings of even the most optimistic equity investors. The ferocity with which it has hit the world and the institutions that it has started to wash away are both mind-boggling and unnerving. It’s like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, with lava spilt all over the surrounding country and all things left charred.

But, on the positive side, areas with volcanic activity also offer extremely fertile land for cultivation. Take the lower reaches of Mount Vesuvius, which have many orchards and vineyards.

Threats need not just be threats — it’s how we accept them.

Agreed the situation is bad now. People are losing jobs. Liquidity is tight. There is uncertainty everywhere. And the stock market is down a whopping 56% from its peak in January this year. The situation abroad is worse.

Still, look at it the other way round, and this is an opportunity - depending on the timeframe with which we invest and our faith in the India story. People need to go about their business - recession or not. They still need homes, need to eat, need conveyance, need to save, pay their EMIs… With most parts of the economy intact, why the gloom?

There still is a ground-swell of demand for everything. It is mainly the dearth of liquidity that is creating problems, compounded by the uncertainty stemming from the still-unfolding crisis abroad.

It’s not enough to know that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the Indian economy. Investors should also see the opportunity that is on a platter for them now, whether in equity or real estate. And that needs guts and gumption both.

We might see further correction, on account of absolute investor disinterest, among other things. But, there’s no saying when the bottom is made. Besides, when the markets look up, it does not matter whether you bought when the market was down 57% or 60%. Long-term investors will anyway make a profit.

Investors need to guard against the fallacy of not making any investment at all, for then they will stand on the sidelines and rue their luck and foolishness for not investing earlier.
There are several good bets now.

Telecom is one. Whether the economy is booming or not, people are going to whip out their phones and talk. In a recession, they may talk more, not less. Knowing that, is it not a good idea to invest in sound companies in this space? Consider Bharti Airtel, for instance. It is a leader in this space. It has come down by 42% compared with the Sensex’s 57% and has a lot of growth potential.

FMCG is another. Recession or not, you will need to brush your teeth, scrub your body with soap and buy your bread, butter and jam.

Then there is pharma, which is also fairly insulated.

Media and entertainment should in fact benefit from the downturn - media companies have a lot of grist for their channels and the entertainment industry may receive a boost for it provides the much needed diversion in such gloomy times.

Education, too, is an excellent business, for people are looking at reskilling themselves now.

So, there is no dearth of opportunities. The question to ask is, “Am I ready for this opportunity?” Just think - would you get the stocks so cheap, if not for the adverse environment?

Dr Radhakrishnan learned philosophy and excelled in it as he had a rack full of those books at home and made good use of it. He was a great philosopher, who used the opportunity he found on his book shelf. There is a proverbial saying in Tamil, which means “arrange your childbirth, where you find the right herbs.” Moral of the story - take the opportunity with both hands. Actually, most of us know this deep down, but freeze in our tracks when adversity strikes. Overcome that fear.

Remember the dotcom bust in 2000. For three years, the stock markets did not go anywhere, but after that? It was akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes, wasn’t it?
For those who missed that chance, here is another.



DNA...............

Islamabad, Dec 04: Pakistan on Thursday said it will not take any action against Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar till India provides "concrete evidence" of his involvement in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Acknowledging India`s demand for handing over several criminals and terrorists, including Azhar and mob bosses Tiger Memon and Dawood Ibrahim, interior ministry chief Rehman Malik said the Jaish founder is a Pakistani national and is currently in the country.

"No action will be taken against Masood Azhar till India provides concrete evidence of his involvement in the Mumbai attacks," Malik told reporters here.

He said Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon are "Indian citizens and are not in Pakistan".

Malik also said India had not "officially asked" Pakistan to send any official of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency or the Federal Investigation Agency to assist in the probe into the Mumbai attacks.



Zee.......

Islamabad, Dec 04: US told Pakistan it has evidence of LeT’s involvement in last week’s Mumbai terror attacks and that it should arrest its chief Hafeez Sayeed.

Sources close to the talks between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pakistan leadership have revealed that US has shared evidence of LeT’s involvement in the attacks that killed 200 and injured over 300.

Pakistan has also been told that it was hard to believe the country’s armed forces, including the ISI, were not in the know of the ghastly terror operation.

However, in an interview with an Indian publication, LeT chief Hafeez has denied his organisation is involved in the terror attacks. He also alleged that Indian intelligence agencies` failure to prevent the attacks was leading them to blame Pakistan.

A veteran CIA analyst also claimed earlier in the day that Mumbai attackers had ISI links.

"If there`s anything that is a 64 million dollar question today," it is finding out the "extent of its(LeT) current ties to the Pakistani intelligence service(Inter Services Intelligence)," said Bruce Riedel in Washington.

Meanwhile Indian authorities have claimed that they have ‘incontrovertible’ proof about ISI involvement in the attacks. Sleuths are aware of who trained the 10 terrorists and where the training took place in Pakistan. This and other pieces of evidence have been shared with the US, sources reveal.

Evidence collected in probes so far has pointed to two members of outlawed Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba as masterminds in the attacks, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

The men, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Yusuf Muzammil, are believed to be in Pakistan, the officials said. Lakhvi was identified as the group`s operations chief and Muzammil as its operations chief in Kashmir and other parts of India.

The lone surviving gunman in the assault, Ajmal Amir Kasab, 21, told police Lakhvi recruited him for the operation, and the assailants called Muzammil on a satellite phone after hijacking an Indian vessel en route to Mumbai. During the attacks, the gunmen used mobile phones taken from hotel guests to place calls to Lahore.

But it has come to light that the US knows more about the attacks that earlier thought. Its troops being stationed in Pakistan, the US has reportedly got more evidence about Pakistan’s role. It is aware of the exact route that the terrorists took from Karachi to Mumbai and the same has been shared with Pakistani authorities.



Zeenews Bureau
...

Who could be India`s Obama who could unite the country and march the nation forward at a traumatic time? US business magazine Forbes


feels it is industry captain Ratan Tata.

"While it (India) has the sympathy of the world (after the recent attacks), India could have an Obama moment -- one in which a leader, whose personal history epitomises the country`s principles, marches forward to unite the country during its very moment of trauma. India has a chance now to get it right, but it needs a strong, credible leader to step up," Forbes said in a report.

"As an American, I don`t get a vote in India, but if I did, mine would go to Ratan Tata," added the report written by Forbes magazine` Senior Editor (Asia) Robyn Meredith.

"He is not a politician, but he is the country`s most respected business leader. His Tata Group owns the Taj hotel that was just attacked, but his family is just as connected to India`s proud history as its shell-shocked present," Meredith wrote in a weekly column published online.

Posing the question whether should there be not a way to involve Tata at the highest level in the government, the report noted that "a fractured India" would immensely benefit from his acumen and constructive patriotism.

Meredith pointed out, "Should there not be a way to involve him in government at the highest level? A fractured India would benefit immeasurably from his acumen, his managerial skills, and his very obvious--but always constructive--patriotism."




ET...............

Dear CK, Yes it`s true about the *_ _ _* comment. VS Achuthanandan Indeed said these words when he was denied entry in the houe of Mjor Sandeep by his father. the actual commnet was - Had it not been Sandeep`s House even a _ _ _ `ll not visit to this house. Thanks Ashal...

I appeal to GOI to tell the duty structure on petrol and diesel to the public of India. Further, few by products are generated during refining of the crude oil which are sold by oil marketing companies separately. So it is not simple arithematic to calulate the cost of 1 litre of petrol by looking at the price of crude oil in $/barrel. The GOI is making huge money through the hidden duty structure....

A beautiful game is being played on Dalal Street. Paticipants are FII, HNI, DII & Retail investors. First category of participants tries hard to show strength in particular stocks so that second category is attracted to it. Once the second category starts buying these stocks, First category exits from those stocks. Similarly third and fourth category are also trying hard to sell their holdings. In this fashion a loop is created. In this game fourth category i.e. retail investors is the weakest one because it does not have the power of money(HUGE) to make a beautiful show of its holdings. So, ultimately, it is the fourth category which is defeated by the other three in this beautiful game. Any taker for this theory???? ...

Islamabad: The chief of Pakistan`s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency met Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday amid growing tension with old rival India over the Mumbai attacks. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, the head of Pakistan`s main security service, briefed Gilani on security, according to a brief statement from the prime minster`s office. India has blamed Islamist militants based in Pakistan for the three-day rampage in its financial capital last week that killed 171 people. Indian newspapers said on Friday the ISI was involved in training the militants, who are said to belong to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group that has been blamed for earlier attacks in India. The Pakistani government and security officials have denied any involvement by state agencies, and the chief of the Interior Ministry reiterated on Friday Pakistan`s commitment to helping India with its investigation. "We will give India unconditional support to identify the criminals and take action against them," acting Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters. "We think the criminals, whether they are from India or Pakistan or anywhere else in the world, he or they should be brought to justice," he said. Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which have fought three wars since independence from British rule in 1947, has stoked fears of renewed confrontation and the collapse of their four-year-old peace process. Malik said no one wanted war: "Neither the Pakistani nation nor our Indian brothers want war. God willing, that won`t happen". US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in both New Delhi and Islamabad this week, where she stressed the need for full cooperation from Pakistan to get to the bottom of the attacks. She also urged India to show restraint. Hope For Peace India says 10 militants were involved in the coordinated attacks on two luxury hotels and several others places. Nine of them were killed. The lone surviving attacker told Indian investigators after he was captured that they had undergone months of commando training organised by Lashkar-e-Taiba and conducted by former Pakistan army officers. Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani told his military commanders on Thursday that the army stood for peace and security. Without mentioning India, he said he hoped "peace and stability in the region will be maintained". A confrontation between the South Asian rivals would undercut efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan and defeat al Qaeda. Pakistani security officials have said they could feel compelled to abandon the campaign against Islamist militancy and take forces away from the Afghan border, where they are fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban, and move them to the Indian border if tension increases. Reuters...

Hi latikav, As long as its not promotional and offensive its fine.. -MMB Moderator...

Agencies Maharashtra Industries Minister Ashok Chavan will be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Congress announced on Friday evening. “This is not the time to celebrate. We have to fight terrorism jointly,” said Chavan after the Congress announcement. The Congress announcement was marked by embarrassment for the Congress. Rane’s name was doing the rounds for the Chief Minister’s post, but he was sidelined because of his past membership of the Shiv Sena. He has been a bitter critic of caretaker Chief Minister Vilasrao Desmukh. “Ashok Chavan doesn’t doesn`t deserve to be in the race. He cannot handle even his ministry, he can`t be my competitor for the CM`s post,” said Rane in Mumbai. "I am opting out of the Chief Ministerial race," said Rane, accusing the Congress high command of breaking its promise of making him the CM. Rane’s statement came after NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was on Friday named as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Congress still hasn’t decided who would be the Chief Minister in the coalition government. "Our state legislature party has decided that Chhagan Bhujbal will be the leader," said NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Pawar. Ashok Chavan emerged as the frontrunner for Chief Minister as Congress central observers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony finalised their shortlist after interviewing party legislators in Mumbai on Thursday night. The final choice was left to party chief Sonia Gandhi and will be announced on Friday. Union Ministers Prithvi Raj Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde lost out because the Prime Minister didn’t want to disturb the central pool of ministers. Bhujbal, 61, succeeds R R Patil, resigned owning moral responsibility for the Mumbai terror attack. Bhujbal was the Deputy Chief Minister in the first Congress-NCP government sworn-in in 1999. The Chief Minister’s post fell vacant after Desmukh resigned owning moral responsibility for the Mumbai terror attack and was asked to hold the job till a replacement was selected. ...

Dear RN, "ll U & other fellow boarders who r in bangalore do a favor to all the boarder community? I want to all of u bangalore based boarders to visit the House of Shaheed Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan & pay tribute to his family on behalf of all the MMB community on coming Sunday, from ur busy schedules. I request all the fellow boarders who belong to bangalore to show solidarity with the Family of Martyr. Thanks Ashal...