Giving insights to Nehru's views on China, the diary of G Parthasarathi, India's ambassador to China in 1958, which has never been published before has revealed the Indian premier was extremely wary of the country and thought that Beijing had "deliberately chosen to be anti-Indian".
Notes made by Parthasarathi reveal that Nehru did not trust the country despite the Panchsheel agreement. The notes were made after the late diplomat met Nehru for a briefing prior to his assignment in China in 1958.
"So,GP ,when has the foreign office told you Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai? Don't you believe it. I don't trust the Chinese one bit, despite Panchsheel and all that. The Chinese are arrogant, devious, hypocritical and thoroughly unreliable," the diary entry says,quoting Nehru during the meeting on March 18, 1958.
The diary entries have been made public for the first time by his son, Ashok Parthasarathi, who was the Science Advisor to late PM Indira Gandhi, in an article in the Defence and Security Alert (DSA) magazine.
The diary records in detail the final briefing the diplomat received from Nehru at his Teen Murti residence. "They have deliberately chosen to be anti-India.Your brief fromme, therefore, is to be extremely vigilant about all Chinese intentions, policies and actions towards us," the entry quotes Nehru as saying.
The diary also brings out the rift between Nehru and his defence minister on how to handle China that had embarked on a major defence modernisation drive. Exposing the mistrust,the entry quotes Nehru as saying that Menon should be bypassed in all communication regarding China.
"All your telegrams should be marked `Top Secret' and sent to me alone.You should be especially careful to see that Krishna does not see your telegrams. You should be very careful in your meetings and discussions with Krishna," Nehru is quoted as saying.
Nehru said while he and Menon shared a common world view, the latter allowed his "thinking and assessments to be clouded on the matter of our relations with China merely because China is Communist country".
Ashok said the diary has been made public to show the Indian polity that even Nehru was wary of China even after the Panchsheel accord. "Chinese are back to their games of incursions on the border. They are going to continue this as the government doesn't want to annoy them. I had the note for a long time but thought this was the right time to make Nehru's views public," he said.
Courtesy :msn
Saturday, January 23, 2010
World should take lessons from India's work in Afghan
India's development efforts in Afghanistan provide "more bang per buck" and the international community should take some lessons from it, British High Commissioner Richard Stagg said in New Delhi on Friday.
His remarks come ahead of the London Conference, convened by Afghanistan, the UK and the United Nations on January 28, to coordinate global reconstruction efforts in the strife-torn country.
"India's reconstruction programme in Afghanistan has more impact per dollar than other international efforts. This is probably what we can learn from India," Stagg said.
He noted that the Indian efforts were more focussed on the civilian sector while international thrust was more on the military side.
Stagg said the European Union had plans to spend $ 1.3 billion on development programmes in Afghanistan this year.
However, he said that Indian efforts were "very underknown and undervalued", and expected External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to tell the London Conference what India was doing in Afghanistan.
"It is an opportunity for minister Krishna to tell what India is doing, why it matters and some of his perspectives on why the Indian approach is the one we must think about adopting ourselves," Stagg said.
Asked whether Britain had made any request to India to train the Afghan National Army, he said no such request was made.
Stagg said India could play an important role in any regional framework to stabilise Afghanistan.
At the same time, he said Britain believed that Russia , Iran, China need to be involved in supporting a settlement in Afghanistan.
"They all have the capacity to make a resolution for Afghanistan... We need to be sure that they are part of a regional framework," the high commissioner said.
He said Afghan President Hamid Karzai's "credible and coherent" view for Afghanistan needs to be backed by the international community.
Ministers from more than 60 countries are expected to attend the London conference on January 28 and announce fresh commitments for reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Courtest :rediff.
There is only one country in this world that hates the the humanitarian work that India is doing in Afghanistan.And there is no need for me to explicitly name that country here.Every body knows that failed state!
His remarks come ahead of the London Conference, convened by Afghanistan, the UK and the United Nations on January 28, to coordinate global reconstruction efforts in the strife-torn country.
"India's reconstruction programme in Afghanistan has more impact per dollar than other international efforts. This is probably what we can learn from India," Stagg said.
He noted that the Indian efforts were more focussed on the civilian sector while international thrust was more on the military side.
Stagg said the European Union had plans to spend $ 1.3 billion on development programmes in Afghanistan this year.
However, he said that Indian efforts were "very underknown and undervalued", and expected External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to tell the London Conference what India was doing in Afghanistan.
"It is an opportunity for minister Krishna to tell what India is doing, why it matters and some of his perspectives on why the Indian approach is the one we must think about adopting ourselves," Stagg said.
Asked whether Britain had made any request to India to train the Afghan National Army, he said no such request was made.
Stagg said India could play an important role in any regional framework to stabilise Afghanistan.
At the same time, he said Britain believed that Russia , Iran, China need to be involved in supporting a settlement in Afghanistan.
"They all have the capacity to make a resolution for Afghanistan... We need to be sure that they are part of a regional framework," the high commissioner said.
He said Afghan President Hamid Karzai's "credible and coherent" view for Afghanistan needs to be backed by the international community.
Ministers from more than 60 countries are expected to attend the London conference on January 28 and announce fresh commitments for reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Courtest :rediff.
There is only one country in this world that hates the the humanitarian work that India is doing in Afghanistan.And there is no need for me to explicitly name that country here.Every body knows that failed state!
Family of Mahatma’s saviour in dire straits
“If it weren’t for Batak Mian, India’s history would have been different…,” reads a letter written by actor Farooq Sheikh to his family in 1996.
Sheikh was acknowledging the nation’s debt to an unsung hero.
Everyone remembers Nathu Ram Godse, the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi. But people know little of the cook who saved the Mahatma’s life. A resident of Motihari district in Bihar, Batak Mian saved Gandhi from being poisoned in 1917.
It happened when Gandhi, relatively unknown then, visited Motihari — then the headquarters of Champaran district, 160 km northwest of Patna — to probe the appaling condition of indigo planters. The Champaran agitation was his first in India.
According to the book Champaran ke Swatantatra Senani (Freedom Fighters of Champaran), Erwin (only one name is available), a British manager of an indigo plantation, invited Gandhi to dinner and told his cook, Batak Mian, to serve him poisoned milk. Batak Mian took the glass to Gandhi but revealed the plot. Dr Rajendra Prasad, later India’s first president, was a witness.
Batak Mian’s patriotism cost him. “The manager tortured, jailed our grandfather, turned our house into a crematorium and drove us out of the village,” said Aslam Ansari (45), Batak Mian’s grandson.
On a visit to Motihari in 1950, Prasad ordered that Batak Mian’s family be allotted 24 acres of land. “For years, he ran pillar to post in the hope of getting the land,” said Allauddin Ansari (55), another grandson.
Batak Mian died in 1957. Six decades later, his grandchildren live in penury. “We are hoping against hope,” said Zahid Ansari, another of his grandsons, unbundling files carrying documents of their communication with government agencies.
Courtesy :hindustantimes.
Our memory is very short!
We don't give respect to current heroes,like our Jawans who gets martyred In J&K and all.When that is the case,what to think of old heroes...hmm
Sheikh was acknowledging the nation’s debt to an unsung hero.
Everyone remembers Nathu Ram Godse, the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi. But people know little of the cook who saved the Mahatma’s life. A resident of Motihari district in Bihar, Batak Mian saved Gandhi from being poisoned in 1917.
It happened when Gandhi, relatively unknown then, visited Motihari — then the headquarters of Champaran district, 160 km northwest of Patna — to probe the appaling condition of indigo planters. The Champaran agitation was his first in India.
According to the book Champaran ke Swatantatra Senani (Freedom Fighters of Champaran), Erwin (only one name is available), a British manager of an indigo plantation, invited Gandhi to dinner and told his cook, Batak Mian, to serve him poisoned milk. Batak Mian took the glass to Gandhi but revealed the plot. Dr Rajendra Prasad, later India’s first president, was a witness.
Batak Mian’s patriotism cost him. “The manager tortured, jailed our grandfather, turned our house into a crematorium and drove us out of the village,” said Aslam Ansari (45), Batak Mian’s grandson.
On a visit to Motihari in 1950, Prasad ordered that Batak Mian’s family be allotted 24 acres of land. “For years, he ran pillar to post in the hope of getting the land,” said Allauddin Ansari (55), another grandson.
Batak Mian died in 1957. Six decades later, his grandchildren live in penury. “We are hoping against hope,” said Zahid Ansari, another of his grandsons, unbundling files carrying documents of their communication with government agencies.
Courtesy :hindustantimes.
Our memory is very short!
We don't give respect to current heroes,like our Jawans who gets martyred In J&K and all.When that is the case,what to think of old heroes...hmm
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Pak threatens to respond in 'befitting manner'
Angry over perceived IPL snub to its cricketers, Pakistan has threatened to respond in a ''befitting manner'', saying the manner in which its players were ''insulted'' showed that India is not serious about the peace process.
"India or any other country that does not give respect to Pakistan will be treated the same way by us. If there is a desire to improve Indo-Pak friendship, respect should be given to Pakistani sportspersons," Interior Minister Rehman Malik was quoted as saying in the TV channels.
Twenty20 champions Pakistan was stunned after none of the country's 11 players, including current Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi who had played for Deccan Chargers in the first season, were signed up during the IPL auction on Tuesday.
"The manner in which the players were "insulted" showed that India is not serious about the peace process with Pakistan," Malik claimed.
Sportspersons are ambassadors of peace and India should have treated them with respect, he said, adding that Pakistan will respond in a befitting manner.
Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani was also too critical of the treatment meted to the Pakistani players.
"The way India behaved with us is highly condemnable. We will give a befitting reply to them. When there is a question of Pakistan's pride we are united," he added.
Courtesy: DeccanHerald.
India need to be careful.pakis will try to carry out this threat thru terror attacks on IPL matches.There is no other way they know to respond in so-called 'befitting' manner.
"India or any other country that does not give respect to Pakistan will be treated the same way by us. If there is a desire to improve Indo-Pak friendship, respect should be given to Pakistani sportspersons," Interior Minister Rehman Malik was quoted as saying in the TV channels.
Twenty20 champions Pakistan was stunned after none of the country's 11 players, including current Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi who had played for Deccan Chargers in the first season, were signed up during the IPL auction on Tuesday.
"The manner in which the players were "insulted" showed that India is not serious about the peace process with Pakistan," Malik claimed.
Sportspersons are ambassadors of peace and India should have treated them with respect, he said, adding that Pakistan will respond in a befitting manner.
Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani was also too critical of the treatment meted to the Pakistani players.
"The way India behaved with us is highly condemnable. We will give a befitting reply to them. When there is a question of Pakistan's pride we are united," he added.
Courtesy: DeccanHerald.
India need to be careful.pakis will try to carry out this threat thru terror attacks on IPL matches.There is no other way they know to respond in so-called 'befitting' manner.
India a modern global success story
"The astonishing pace of change, the dynamism and excitement that it is generating and the potential to do great things is a tribute to all Indians," Brown said in an article marking the 60th anniversary of India becoming a republic.
"The long march to liberty is now being matched by the rapid march towards prosperity," Brown said in his article, published in Asian Lite magazine.
Brown said modern Britain "simply wouldn't be the same without our strong bond with India and the enormous part played by the Indian community."
"The relationship of one of the world's oldest democracies with one of the largest owes its foundations to our proud historic ties.
"But it thrives now - as a partnership of equals - on our shared values and our faith in free institutions, free markets and free societies."
The British leader said his meetings with prominent Indian-origin people at a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street in October "reminded me again of the deep respect and enduring friendship of our two nations."
"For many years now our public services, professions, businesses and cultural and creative industries have been enriched by the Indian community," he added.
".The Britain-India link is central to our shared prosperity and people of Indian origin here are part of the very fabric of modern British society."
Courtesy: zeenews
"The long march to liberty is now being matched by the rapid march towards prosperity," Brown said in his article, published in Asian Lite magazine.
Brown said modern Britain "simply wouldn't be the same without our strong bond with India and the enormous part played by the Indian community."
"The relationship of one of the world's oldest democracies with one of the largest owes its foundations to our proud historic ties.
"But it thrives now - as a partnership of equals - on our shared values and our faith in free institutions, free markets and free societies."
The British leader said his meetings with prominent Indian-origin people at a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street in October "reminded me again of the deep respect and enduring friendship of our two nations."
"For many years now our public services, professions, businesses and cultural and creative industries have been enriched by the Indian community," he added.
".The Britain-India link is central to our shared prosperity and people of Indian origin here are part of the very fabric of modern British society."
Courtesy: zeenews
India playing most positive role
No prizes for guessing which country is going to eat its heart out over this. A domestic poll in Afghanistan commissioned by international agencies has found that an astonishing 71% of Afghans believe that India, among all countries active in the country, is playing the most positive role in the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.
In a double whammy for Pakistan, only 2% of the 1,500 Afghans who participated in the poll voted in favour of Pakistan. In fact, the Taliban fared better with 3%.
The poll, held by Afghan Centre for Socio Economic and Opinion Research and commissioned by agencies like BBC, ABC and German TV ARD, cut across all ethnic and geographical divides. The poll was carried out in all 43 provinces between December 11 and 23 last year. India was followed by Germany (59%), the US (51%), Iran (50%) and Britain (39%).
For India, it's recognition of the massive aid and relief work which it has carried out in Afghanistan even in the face of stiff opposition by Pakistan which has used its clout with the US to raise doubts over India's relief work.
India has pledged over $1.2 billion for a wide array of reconstruction activities ranging from education to building roads, bridges, power stations to digging tubewells and grassroot development projects. This obviously has generated a lot of goodwill among ordinary Afghans for India.
The poll has called Pakistan's bluff categorically dismissing Islamabad's contention that India's growing profile in Afghanistan was part of the problem, and not the solution. It's based on in-person interviews with a random national sample of 1,534 Afghan adults during that period.
The poll also brought to the fore the growing unpopularity of the Taliban in Afghanistan with only 6% of people polled saying they favoured a Taliban administration. Ninety per cent said they wanted their country run by the current government.
A Gallup poll last year in November had said that 56% preferred India's role in the reconstruction of the country, while 51% preferred the UN, 44% Nato, 30% Pakistan and 42% Iran. Pointing out that India is the largest regional donor in Afghanistan, the poll report said, "The country's increasing visibility in reconstruction and development efforts is evident in the roles Afghans see the country as playing and think India should play." The Gallup data further showed that one in seven Afghans identified India's current role in economic development and said India should continue to play this role.
Courtesy :timesofIndia
In a double whammy for Pakistan, only 2% of the 1,500 Afghans who participated in the poll voted in favour of Pakistan. In fact, the Taliban fared better with 3%.
The poll, held by Afghan Centre for Socio Economic and Opinion Research and commissioned by agencies like BBC, ABC and German TV ARD, cut across all ethnic and geographical divides. The poll was carried out in all 43 provinces between December 11 and 23 last year. India was followed by Germany (59%), the US (51%), Iran (50%) and Britain (39%).
For India, it's recognition of the massive aid and relief work which it has carried out in Afghanistan even in the face of stiff opposition by Pakistan which has used its clout with the US to raise doubts over India's relief work.
India has pledged over $1.2 billion for a wide array of reconstruction activities ranging from education to building roads, bridges, power stations to digging tubewells and grassroot development projects. This obviously has generated a lot of goodwill among ordinary Afghans for India.
The poll has called Pakistan's bluff categorically dismissing Islamabad's contention that India's growing profile in Afghanistan was part of the problem, and not the solution. It's based on in-person interviews with a random national sample of 1,534 Afghan adults during that period.
The poll also brought to the fore the growing unpopularity of the Taliban in Afghanistan with only 6% of people polled saying they favoured a Taliban administration. Ninety per cent said they wanted their country run by the current government.
A Gallup poll last year in November had said that 56% preferred India's role in the reconstruction of the country, while 51% preferred the UN, 44% Nato, 30% Pakistan and 42% Iran. Pointing out that India is the largest regional donor in Afghanistan, the poll report said, "The country's increasing visibility in reconstruction and development efforts is evident in the roles Afghans see the country as playing and think India should play." The Gallup data further showed that one in seven Afghans identified India's current role in economic development and said India should continue to play this role.
Courtesy :timesofIndia
Former Pakistan players demand hockey World Cup boycott
Former Pakistan sports captains Thursday demanded a boycott of the hockey World Cup in India next month to protest at Pakistani cricketers being snubbed by the Indian Premier League.
None of Pakistan's 11 players included in the IPL auction in Mumbai on Tuesday were sold despite their national team being the reigning World Twenty20 champions, ending hopes of Pakistani cricketers featuring in the third edition.
"Pakistani cricketers were treated badly by India, so to keep our national pride we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup," said former Pakistan hockey captain and coach Islahuddin Siddiqui.
The International Hockey Federation event is due to be played in New Delhi from February 28 to March 13. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face off on the opening day of the 12-nation tournament.
Pakistan's National Assembly also cancelled a parliamentary delegation's trip to India as a protest against the IPL move, while the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said it will follow the government's advice.
"We have to follow government policy and will seek the government's permission to send the national team to India," said a PHF spokesman.
Former cricket captain Zaheer Abbas also called for a boycott.
"We should adopt a clear policy on sports with India and if they have not allowed our players in the IPL then we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup," Abbas told a private television channel.
Courtesy :timesofindia.
Hope decisions makers of pak hockey and pak government will adhere to the advice of these former players and will stop sending all pak teams,hopefully pak terror teams as well, to India!!
None of Pakistan's 11 players included in the IPL auction in Mumbai on Tuesday were sold despite their national team being the reigning World Twenty20 champions, ending hopes of Pakistani cricketers featuring in the third edition.
"Pakistani cricketers were treated badly by India, so to keep our national pride we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup," said former Pakistan hockey captain and coach Islahuddin Siddiqui.
The International Hockey Federation event is due to be played in New Delhi from February 28 to March 13. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face off on the opening day of the 12-nation tournament.
Pakistan's National Assembly also cancelled a parliamentary delegation's trip to India as a protest against the IPL move, while the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said it will follow the government's advice.
"We have to follow government policy and will seek the government's permission to send the national team to India," said a PHF spokesman.
Former cricket captain Zaheer Abbas also called for a boycott.
"We should adopt a clear policy on sports with India and if they have not allowed our players in the IPL then we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup," Abbas told a private television channel.
Courtesy :timesofindia.
Hope decisions makers of pak hockey and pak government will adhere to the advice of these former players and will stop sending all pak teams,hopefully pak terror teams as well, to India!!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
TCS Q3 Results
The country’s top software services exporter, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), declared third-quarter results that were well ahead of general expectations.
TCS’ quarterly net profits surged to Rs 1,824 crore, a jump of 12.32% compared to the previous quarter, while its revenues grew at 2.86% to Rs 7,648.
After another IT giant, Infosys, declared positive Q3 results on Monday, TCS’ results would support the view that the IT industry is on its way to recovery after being savaged by the global financial crisis of 2008-09. Most Indian IT players rely heavily upon clients in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies in the developed world, which were the worst-hit during the crisis.
At a press conference, the TCS top management said the company was witness broad-based recovery in demand though clients in the US led. “Of the 10 big deals we did, seven were from North America.”
“Asia-Pacific and India also witnessed strong demand growth and we posted growth across all verticals this quarter,” the management said.
TCS signed 10 ‘significant’ deals in the quarter, it said, adding that revenue from the top clients had picked up.
As earnings grow and margins improve, TCS — one of the most aggressive of Indian companies when it comes to hiring — said it would start campus hiring for FY11 and has made 5,500 offers so far. It aims to induct about 8,300-8,400 people via campus hiring in January-March.
The company has also hedged its deals with clients at Rs 45.70 to the US dollar as it expected the rupee to strengthen against the greenback in the near term.
Courtesy:Samachar
TCS’ quarterly net profits surged to Rs 1,824 crore, a jump of 12.32% compared to the previous quarter, while its revenues grew at 2.86% to Rs 7,648.
After another IT giant, Infosys, declared positive Q3 results on Monday, TCS’ results would support the view that the IT industry is on its way to recovery after being savaged by the global financial crisis of 2008-09. Most Indian IT players rely heavily upon clients in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies in the developed world, which were the worst-hit during the crisis.
At a press conference, the TCS top management said the company was witness broad-based recovery in demand though clients in the US led. “Of the 10 big deals we did, seven were from North America.”
“Asia-Pacific and India also witnessed strong demand growth and we posted growth across all verticals this quarter,” the management said.
TCS signed 10 ‘significant’ deals in the quarter, it said, adding that revenue from the top clients had picked up.
As earnings grow and margins improve, TCS — one of the most aggressive of Indian companies when it comes to hiring — said it would start campus hiring for FY11 and has made 5,500 offers so far. It aims to induct about 8,300-8,400 people via campus hiring in January-March.
The company has also hedged its deals with clients at Rs 45.70 to the US dollar as it expected the rupee to strengthen against the greenback in the near term.
Courtesy:Samachar
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Pakistan dangerous to world peace
Leading economists from the US and other countries who had gathered at an international conference on Thursday aired doubts about the future of democracy in Pakistan and underlined that terrorism there could be a threat to world peace.
"Terrorism, feuds, tacit military support to mujahideens, al Qaeda insurgent groups are all tormenting its (Pakistan's) economy and polity. The bigger problem is, it also has nuclear capabilities. You never know how long this democracy in Pakistan will be sustained," said Michael D Intriligator, professor emeritus of economics at the University of California.
"There may again come up another (Pervez) Musharraf or AQ Khan. Once again the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) may become very powerful in the country. Today, Pakistan is faced with everything that can disturb peace in the whole world."
He was speaking at a two-day international conference on "Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Peace Science", organised jointly by the Indira Gandhi National Open University, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and UNESCO here.
Intriligator's concern was strongly echoed by professor Riaz Ahmed Sheikh from Pakistan.
Speaking on ‘Afghan War - Global Jihad and Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan - Internal and External Link’, Sheikh said: "Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed by terrorists within Pakistan. All the subversive groups are still being secretly supported and helped by the former military generals. The Taliban is being strengthened. All these are grave concerns in Pakistan's common life."
Source:Net.
"Terrorism, feuds, tacit military support to mujahideens, al Qaeda insurgent groups are all tormenting its (Pakistan's) economy and polity. The bigger problem is, it also has nuclear capabilities. You never know how long this democracy in Pakistan will be sustained," said Michael D Intriligator, professor emeritus of economics at the University of California.
"There may again come up another (Pervez) Musharraf or AQ Khan. Once again the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) may become very powerful in the country. Today, Pakistan is faced with everything that can disturb peace in the whole world."
He was speaking at a two-day international conference on "Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Peace Science", organised jointly by the Indira Gandhi National Open University, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and UNESCO here.
Intriligator's concern was strongly echoed by professor Riaz Ahmed Sheikh from Pakistan.
Speaking on ‘Afghan War - Global Jihad and Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan - Internal and External Link’, Sheikh said: "Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed by terrorists within Pakistan. All the subversive groups are still being secretly supported and helped by the former military generals. The Taliban is being strengthened. All these are grave concerns in Pakistan's common life."
Source:Net.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Thousand-year ideological war with India
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan is ready to wage a thousand-year war with India over the Kashmir dispute.
The Daily Times quoted Zardari as saying that this was a war of ideologies and would last for generations.
Addressing a joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the Kashmir Council, Zardari said democratic governments had played a key role in moving forward on the Kashmir dispute.
"When Zulfikar had spoken of waging a thousand-year war, he never said he would not do it through talks or negotiations," he said.
Zardari said regional peace was inextricably linked to the settlement of the decades-old dispute over Kashmir.
"We cannot de-link regional peace from peace in Kashmir. We have highlighted this thinking in the world and will keep projecting it," he said.
Describing Kashmir as the 'jugular vein' of Pakistan, the president said, "Soon the time will come when the world will take important decisions regarding Kashmir."
Zardari said Pakistan and India should learn to live in peace.
"We know that we cannot change our neighbours, but they should also know that they can also not change their neighbours," he said.
The president also announced the formation of a committee under Kashmir Affairs Minister Manzoor Wattoo that would focus on assisting the people of Kashmir.
News Coutesy:rediff.
Mr.Zardari,whom pakis themselves call Mr.10 percent,because of the enormous number of corruption charges against him,some times do crack jokes like what's mentioned above!
For those who don't know why he is called Mr.10 percent:I read some where that it's because during Benazir's Prime Ministership,for any project or contract signed by pak govt.,Zardari took 10 percent.
The Daily Times quoted Zardari as saying that this was a war of ideologies and would last for generations.
Addressing a joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the Kashmir Council, Zardari said democratic governments had played a key role in moving forward on the Kashmir dispute.
"When Zulfikar had spoken of waging a thousand-year war, he never said he would not do it through talks or negotiations," he said.
Zardari said regional peace was inextricably linked to the settlement of the decades-old dispute over Kashmir.
"We cannot de-link regional peace from peace in Kashmir. We have highlighted this thinking in the world and will keep projecting it," he said.
Describing Kashmir as the 'jugular vein' of Pakistan, the president said, "Soon the time will come when the world will take important decisions regarding Kashmir."
Zardari said Pakistan and India should learn to live in peace.
"We know that we cannot change our neighbours, but they should also know that they can also not change their neighbours," he said.
The president also announced the formation of a committee under Kashmir Affairs Minister Manzoor Wattoo that would focus on assisting the people of Kashmir.
News Coutesy:rediff.
Mr.Zardari,whom pakis themselves call Mr.10 percent,because of the enormous number of corruption charges against him,some times do crack jokes like what's mentioned above!
For those who don't know why he is called Mr.10 percent:I read some where that it's because during Benazir's Prime Ministership,for any project or contract signed by pak govt.,Zardari took 10 percent.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Ratan Tata, a man ahead of his time
'To underwrite your loans, we want a say in your company.' That was the gist of what the British government told Ratan Tata when he knocked on their doors early this year in a desperate bid to bail his companies out. Tata had bought two ailing British firms, steel-maker Corus and automobile company Jaguar Land Rover, borrowing a lot of money and was caught in the financial blizzard that hit the world economy late last year.
Not a stranger to tough situations, when 2009 dawned, it was like the morning after a disaster for Tata, 71, who heads the philanthropic trust that controls India's biggest business empire, the Tata Group.
In November 2008, terrorists had ravaged the Tata group's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel across the Gateway of India killing people and damaging the century old building severely. Tata, who studied structural engineering and had immersed himself in renovating the hotel a few years earlier, was distraught.
Around the same time, the global crisis caused financial markets to rapidly tumble. Tata, who was until then hailed as hero for putting India on the global map, seemed to have committed big blunders.
"Ratan was so busy those days that there wasn't even time to ask if he was stressed," says a close business associate who did not wish to be named for this article. "He had taken it upon himself to prove that he had made the right move."
For people working in his office, he was simply not reachable. For weeks on end, Tata would fly to the UK and US to personally negotiate financial matters.
After months of sparring with the British government and its business secretary Peter Mandelson, Tata managed the impossible. He quietly paid off the $3 billion expensive loan Tata Motors had raised for the Jaguar acquisition and replaced them with cheaper loans from banks, some guaranteed by the British government. This, without giving away anything the British government wanted.
"He pulled off the Indica. He pulled off the Nano. Yet we were surprised when he raised $3 billion in such a bad market," says a Mumbai-based merchant banking executive who has worked closely with the Tata group companies. "He has shown that he won't be pushed over if his deal is fair."
But Tata is making it to the Forbes People of the Year list not for solving a $3 billion problem. He is here because, in a very difficult year, he has had the courage and conviction to lead from the front to not just put the house in order but also push the pedal on newer areas of growth for the group.
Tata launched the Nano this year, jointly launched new telecom services with Japanese firm DoCoMO and even launched a low-priced water filter to address the drinking water problem of the under privileged.
"We were surprised when he accepted to cut the ribbon to launch a water purifier," says the close associate. Tata is shy about public functions and prefers to stay away from them.
A couple of things about the water filter attracted Tata. Here was a product that came close to his definition of an innovation for the bottom-of-the-pyramid audience. In recent years, Tata has been looking for ways to make low cost cars to air conditioners to make his products more affordable. He is said to have told his ebullient managers: "Even this price (Rs. 999) must be bought down. It's too much for most Indians."
What are the lessons that stand out for business from the way Tata handled what seemed a crisis for the group? "Since he has already fixed his destination and doesn't waver, Tata never considers anything a crisis. Instead, he chooses to think of them of a situation and starts solving it," the associate says.
To people who know Tata, it is no surprise. When he took over the group in the early 1990s, the Tatas were still one of the most respected business groups in the country. But they used to think local. Now the group has become synonymous with global large scale operations.
One of the documents that still plays heavily on the way Tata thinks is a strategy document he wrote in 1983. Sitting by the side of his ailing mother in the hospital, Tata is said to have penned his first document detailing the areas in which the group should venture. Apart from passenger cars and information technology, Tata, even at that time had envisioned that companies that harness the power of the youth of the country will be the ones that will eventually make the cut.
Even as Tata was strategising with managers of Tata Steel that bought UK-based Corus to cut costs without paring jobs, he was pushing his trusts to invest more in training youth. He was ensuring the group's future leaders were younger than his generation, to allow them room to grow big. Now, several of his companies sport CEOs in their early 40s. He is doing this as he is vetting candidates from across the world to succeed him in the next couple of years.
Tata has shown that if taking risky decisions need spunk, carrying them through requires more. More often than not, being a visionary, his ideas and decisions see far ahead in time and there are few who understand them when they are first thought of. R Gopalakrishnan, executive director, Tata Sons, says "We have thinking about water for several years but when you fit in the bottom-of-the-pyramid matrix, we had an innovation."
The effects of Tata's labour will not be visible soon. It took nearly a decade to prove that the country's truck maker can also make cars. It took more than five years before his company could produce the $2000 car. When the current storm blows over and time passes by, this year's effort by Tata is sure to leave an indelible mark on the group and its fortunes. A positive one at that.
Courtesy :ibnlive.-
Not a stranger to tough situations, when 2009 dawned, it was like the morning after a disaster for Tata, 71, who heads the philanthropic trust that controls India's biggest business empire, the Tata Group.
In November 2008, terrorists had ravaged the Tata group's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel across the Gateway of India killing people and damaging the century old building severely. Tata, who studied structural engineering and had immersed himself in renovating the hotel a few years earlier, was distraught.
Around the same time, the global crisis caused financial markets to rapidly tumble. Tata, who was until then hailed as hero for putting India on the global map, seemed to have committed big blunders.
"Ratan was so busy those days that there wasn't even time to ask if he was stressed," says a close business associate who did not wish to be named for this article. "He had taken it upon himself to prove that he had made the right move."
For people working in his office, he was simply not reachable. For weeks on end, Tata would fly to the UK and US to personally negotiate financial matters.
After months of sparring with the British government and its business secretary Peter Mandelson, Tata managed the impossible. He quietly paid off the $3 billion expensive loan Tata Motors had raised for the Jaguar acquisition and replaced them with cheaper loans from banks, some guaranteed by the British government. This, without giving away anything the British government wanted.
"He pulled off the Indica. He pulled off the Nano. Yet we were surprised when he raised $3 billion in such a bad market," says a Mumbai-based merchant banking executive who has worked closely with the Tata group companies. "He has shown that he won't be pushed over if his deal is fair."
But Tata is making it to the Forbes People of the Year list not for solving a $3 billion problem. He is here because, in a very difficult year, he has had the courage and conviction to lead from the front to not just put the house in order but also push the pedal on newer areas of growth for the group.
Tata launched the Nano this year, jointly launched new telecom services with Japanese firm DoCoMO and even launched a low-priced water filter to address the drinking water problem of the under privileged.
"We were surprised when he accepted to cut the ribbon to launch a water purifier," says the close associate. Tata is shy about public functions and prefers to stay away from them.
A couple of things about the water filter attracted Tata. Here was a product that came close to his definition of an innovation for the bottom-of-the-pyramid audience. In recent years, Tata has been looking for ways to make low cost cars to air conditioners to make his products more affordable. He is said to have told his ebullient managers: "Even this price (Rs. 999) must be bought down. It's too much for most Indians."
What are the lessons that stand out for business from the way Tata handled what seemed a crisis for the group? "Since he has already fixed his destination and doesn't waver, Tata never considers anything a crisis. Instead, he chooses to think of them of a situation and starts solving it," the associate says.
To people who know Tata, it is no surprise. When he took over the group in the early 1990s, the Tatas were still one of the most respected business groups in the country. But they used to think local. Now the group has become synonymous with global large scale operations.
One of the documents that still plays heavily on the way Tata thinks is a strategy document he wrote in 1983. Sitting by the side of his ailing mother in the hospital, Tata is said to have penned his first document detailing the areas in which the group should venture. Apart from passenger cars and information technology, Tata, even at that time had envisioned that companies that harness the power of the youth of the country will be the ones that will eventually make the cut.
Even as Tata was strategising with managers of Tata Steel that bought UK-based Corus to cut costs without paring jobs, he was pushing his trusts to invest more in training youth. He was ensuring the group's future leaders were younger than his generation, to allow them room to grow big. Now, several of his companies sport CEOs in their early 40s. He is doing this as he is vetting candidates from across the world to succeed him in the next couple of years.
Tata has shown that if taking risky decisions need spunk, carrying them through requires more. More often than not, being a visionary, his ideas and decisions see far ahead in time and there are few who understand them when they are first thought of. R Gopalakrishnan, executive director, Tata Sons, says "We have thinking about water for several years but when you fit in the bottom-of-the-pyramid matrix, we had an innovation."
The effects of Tata's labour will not be visible soon. It took nearly a decade to prove that the country's truck maker can also make cars. It took more than five years before his company could produce the $2000 car. When the current storm blows over and time passes by, this year's effort by Tata is sure to leave an indelible mark on the group and its fortunes. A positive one at that.
Courtesy :ibnlive.-
Friday, January 1, 2010
1st post of 2010
Just want to pay homage to all those brave hearts who laid down their lives for our Beloved Country in 2009.
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