New Lady GaGa!

Lady GaGa

CLICK HERE to watch the premiere of her Bad Romance video!!!!
Loves! Loves! Loves!
Epic! Glamour! Dance! Dark! Fashion! Diva!

Rihanna’s Umbrella Is Decade’s Best

RIHANNA has been given a boost ahead of her return to the music scene - her track UMBRELLA has been voted the best of the decade in a new survey.

The 21 year old has admitted she’s wracked with nerves as she prepares for a show in London next Monday (16Nov09) - her first solo concert since her violent bust-up with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown in February (09).

But the pop star will be pleased to know her British fans have picked her song and music video for Umbrella as the best of the last 10 years, beating competition from Britney Spears and Madonna.

The top 10 list, which was voted for by BT media customers, is as follows:

1. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - Umbrella

2. t.a.T.u - All The Things She Said

3. Avril Lavigne - Sk8r Boi

4. Britney Spears - Everytime

5. Oasis - The Importance Of Being Earnest

6. Will Young - Leave Right Now

7. Katy Perry - Hot N Cold

8. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

9. Madonna - Hung Up

10. Kylie Minogue - Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

Today in History for February 19th

Bambino

A Burmese Tune

Iran Launches Satellite

Iran has launched its first homemade satellite into orbit.

10th of Fajr (February 3), is the anniversary of the date in 1959 when Ayatollah Khomeini created the Council of the Islamic Revolution.

Word on the Streets

I couldn't look at the computer screen any longer. I needed a creative outlet.One thing I like to do is make documentary films, but I guess I haven't met the right people in LA yet, so my search for that dream job continues.

“Mizo Takin” Music Video

Download T-Melody “Mizo Takin” Music Video

‘Slumdog’ bags four Richard Attenborough Film Awards

British-Irish filmmaker Danny Boyle’s globally-acclaimed underdog drama “Slumdog Millionaire” has added more trophies to its haul by winning four prizes at the Richard Attenborough Film Awards.

The film, which won four Golden Globes earlier this month, was named film of the year, with Boyle winning the director’s prize and British-Indian teenage actor Dev Patel claiming the rising star award, reports contactmusic.com.

Patel, who previously starred in TV series “Skins”, also won the British Breakthrough Star prize, in a new People’s Choice award.

Latest news headlines at this hour

Satyam to pay salaries for January

Sports minister asks engineers to hasten velodrome work

Women's commission to probe Mangalore pub assault

Beating Retreat cancelled after Venkataraman death

Swiss firm setting up machine tool plant in India

Seven-day state mourning as mark of respect to Venkataraman

France in Republic Day greetings backs India against terror

CPI-M Politburo's stand on Lavalin case surprising: Congress

British universities urged to sign up to immigration system

President Patil mourns Venkataraman's death

Kings XI Punjab launches inter-state tournament

P.C. Jewellers showroom robbed in Chandigarh

Rama Sena founder held - but not for Mangalore attack

Organisers to release more World T20 tickets

Five convicted in Chandigarh's German gang-rape case

Maruti Suzuki hikes prices of some models

SADC says Zimbabwe impasse over, MDC calls claims malicious

Rajneesh Duggal turns to numerology for good luck

Frieda Pinto's sister was sure about her success

Flintoff doubtful for first Test against West Indies

Fast food negates anti-asthma benefits of breastfeeding

Karnataka government not acting firmly against attackers: CPI-M

77 human skulls recovered in Bihar, one arrested

India's central bank holds key rates, cuts growth target
What held up quick evacuation of victims during 9/11?
Sonia Gandhi launches rail coach factory in Rae Bareli
Safin ends the Dokic fairytale with fighting victory
Trust your gut feeling about buying car or TV, or flat
Gordon Brown slips again in poll rating
Tensions in NATO undermining Afghan operations, says think tank
Bangaloreans appalled at Mangalore pub attack, but not scared
Beating Retreat cancelled after former president's death
At least 10 killed in Afghanistan clashes
Lankan troops consolidate position in Mullaitivu
Markets move north, Sensex gains 329 points
Is Biden Obama's 'No. 3'?
Queen told to open Buckingham Palace to the public more often
Spinning black holes are 'ultimate cosmic batteries'
Stressed Djokovic quits Australian Open quarterfinal against Roddick
Obama tells Muslims 'Americans are not your enemy'
Becks acquires a comedy accent!
Shilpa, Jayaprada learn Odissi for India-China film
Brit-Pakistani Slumdog kid now worth 60 million pounds
Fergie, Josh Duhamel are back from their honeymoon
Never allow kids to cross roads while using cell phones
Geri Halliwell engaged to Italian tycoon
Darwin prisoners get DVD players for good behavior
Young India vents anger over Mangalore incident on internet
National handloom expo in Orissa
High-powered speedboat introduced in Tamil Nadu
Educomp third quarter net up 66 percent
Asians attacked during Australia Day celebrations in New South Wales
British trekker missing in Nepal but South African saved
Lily Allen seeks motivational therapy
Rehabilitation home for women in Himachal Pradesh
Indian businessman eyes an American 'flying' car
NCW constitutes committee to probe assault on girls in Mangalore
People desire genetic testing for diseases, but not designer babies
Esther wins bravery award posthumously
Communal outfits should be banned: Sachin Pilot
Supermarkets in Gujarat village
NWFP's ruling party admits government lost its writ in Swat
Younis accepts captaincy of Pak cricket team: Sources
Adventure sports in Jaipur
DMK heaves sigh of relief as Pranab proceeds to Colombo
South Australia offering tourists chance to star in own commercials
Police acted promptly after pub attack: Top Cop
Religious viewers send me hate mail for not crediting God: Attenborough
Textile industry should strengthen base in slowdown:Gautam
Gene engineering of pests can make their offspring die in embryo stage
Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney to perform at Grammy
Cleveland firefighter suspended for winking at President Obama
Better BP treatment may halve number of Alzheimer's patients
PPP Govt. admits writing letter to IMF praising Musharraf's policies
Mobile phones are hazardous for kids crossing streets
Scotland's Schindler Jane Haining needs to be honored, say politicians
Keith Richards inspires two rival books
Luhrmann, Ponting among 'UnAustralians of the year'
Rupees 20 crore to upgrade intelligence wing: Minister
George Clooney spotted with mystery brunette at sushi bar
How Harry Potter became a film rage rather than stage star
CPI's agitational programme for farmers in UP on Feb 11
It's raining UFOs over Britain!
Pranab Mukherjee will hand dossier of evidences to Hasina
Paralysed Morgan Freeman misses flying private plane
Share broker commits suicide
Pak will not allow Taliban to impose their agenda: Zardari
Working class will strengthen Hindi: Namwar Singh
Process separate from natural selection also drives human evolution
Intikhab takes responsibility for team's embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka
40 students arrested for attempting demo, released later
Cartoonists draw a blank on Obama
Megan Fox may replace Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft
Educomp Solutions Q3 net zooms 65.91per cent
US withheld 55 million dollars payment to Pak from 'terror war' bill
Six MNS activists arrested for ransacking University premises
Pak Taliban asks militants to stop anti-government attacks
EDC to develop Patto Plaza into commercial-cum-tourism hub
ISPU report calls Obama Administration to re-evaluate drone attacks policy
Gifts passed on from generations hold symbolic value

India in race for World Series of Boxing franchise

New Delhi: India faces competition from traditional powerhouses like Thailand and Kazakhstan in its bid to be among the four Asian franchises for the World Series of Boxing planned next year.

The five-weight-category, inter-continental event would feature four city-based teams each from Asia, America and Europe.

Every franchisee would be worth USD 10 million and selection of boxers for the event would be done at the World Championships in Milan this August, Indian Boxing Federation secretary general Col P K Muralidharan Raja said.

"So far, apart from India, Thailand, China, Korea, Qatar and Kazakhstan are among the contenders for becoming a franchisee. The discussions are on and the whole thing will be finalised in the AIBA executive meeting in Milan next month," Raja, who was elected chairman of Asian Boxing Confederation's Referee and Judges Commission recently, said.

"We are trying for Delhi but we cannot seek any expression of interest from any franchisee until the AIBA executive committee meeting decides on the matter. Once it is decided, we would take the next step of approaching people (sponsors)," he added.

Col Raja was in Montreal last week to attend the International Referees and judges Commission meeting and revealed that the World Series of Boxing was the dominant topic of discussion.

"We discussed the rules and regulations for the World Series. Right now, I can only reveal that there will be three judges and one referee to oversee a bout and each round would be of 10 points. The scoring would be manual and officers would be specially trained," Raja said.

The franchises will have 10 boxers, three of whom foreigners, for the tournament that will be contested on home and away basis on weekends.

The boxers can look forward to a financial windfall from event. Apart from getting a yet-to-be-disclosed prize money for each bout won, they will also have the cushion of a fixed package from their respective franchises.

"A franchisee has to pay at least USD 30,000 to a boxer in its team. The maximum can go up to USD 300,000. Or else they can pay all 10 of them equally. There will be two boxers for each of the five categories," Col Raja said.

The federations can also expect some benefits as 10 per cent of the USD 10 million of a franchisee would be set for them.

"This is just to ensure that the federation remains in the loop," he said.

After the World series, the semifinal and final of which is planned in Macau, an individual World Championship would also be held among the best two boxers from each category.

"The two best boxers from each category will compete in a separate event, which will also offer prize money," he said.

Blooming colours of India

Cradle of integration

Name a few schools that through their sheer existence teach as well as bring about national integration. Difficult, eh?
We may find such a school if we put two yardsticks: First, the school must represent all sections of the people – both in case of students and teachers. Secondly, it must give the children a chance to know about, celebrate and enjoy the festivals of people from different corners of the country.
The result will be a love for all and a love for the motherland.
This is what Shaurya Army Pre-School on Officers’ Training Academy campus in Chennai has achieved ever since it was established by the Army Wives’ Welfare Association (AWWA) in 1974.
Most of the pupils in the school are children of Army personnel who have come from different parts of the country, carrying various cultures with them. And all their festivals do get respected and celebrated in the school.
“We celebrate all festivals in the country, both in the south and north. It’s our way to help the young minds know about the cultures of different people. The students will love all. They will learn. Ultimately, they will consider each festival as their own,” said principal Ushma Gupta.
“Recently, we celebrated (the south Indian festival of) Pongal. Children from north India also took part in the celebrations with enthusiasm. Such celebrations would help children understand the oneness of the nation. And they would love the motherland,” she said.
Text and pictures: Salil Jose
Image: Students and teachers of Shaurya Army Pre-School.

Rehman, Sukhwinder to perform at Oscars

"
LOS ANGELES: Eminent music composer A.R. Rahman and playback singer Sukhwinder Singh have been invited to perform at the 81st Annual Academy Awards (Oscars)! With several nominations for Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars, including A.R. Rahman’s three, this comes as icing on the cake.
Rahman and Sukhwinder Singh will perform the song ‘Jai Ho’ at the “Oscar evening” on February 21st. Thought both artists are experts in performing live, this would still be a first-of-its-kind experience for them and make them ecstatic as well as nervous – because it is at Oscars!
Through Slumdog Millionaire, Indian Cinema has become the object of attention in the international arena. With an excellent performance at the Oscars, Sukhwinder and Rahman will look forward to add to this international admiration towards Indian Cinema.
Trivia: The song ‘Chaiya Chaiya’ – which won international attention and was used in Hollywood film Inside Man – was written by Gulzar, composed by A.R. Rahman and performed by Suhkwinder Singh. Now, the same trio has given ‘Jai Ho’, for which A.R. Rahman won the Golden Globe and got nominated for the Oscar!

8 babies born to Calif. parents who expected 7

BELLFLOWERS, Calif. (AP) — Doctors methodically delivered a mother's seven babies, five boys and two girls, just as they had repeatedly rehearsed.

Then came the eighth. The surprising sixth boy and eighth child made Monday's mass birth not just remarkable but historic.

"It is quite easy to miss a baby when you're anticipating seven," said Dr. Harold Henry, chief of maternal and fetal medicine and one of 46 doctors, nurses and assistants who delivered the children by Caesarean section at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center. "Ultrasound doesn't show you everything."
Just five minutes after the first birth, the unexpected eighth baby came out at 10:48 a.m.

"My eyes were wide," Dr. Karen Maples said. It was just the second live octuplets birth in U.S. history.
Doctors said the babies, who weighed between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces, were born nine weeks premature but described their condition as stable. Two were placed on ventilators and a third needed oxygen.

"The babies are all doing well and the mom is also doing well," Henry said. "There were no complications from the surgery to the best of my knowledge."

Hospital officials would not release the mother's name nor say whether she had used fertility drugs.
They did say she planned to breast feed all the children.

"She's a very strong woman, so she probably will be able to handle all eight babies," said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neo-natologist who cared for the infants.

The mother checked into the hospital in her 23rd week of pregnancy and gave birth seven weeks later. The babies — dubbed with the letters A-through-H — will probably remain in the hospital for at least two months and the mother should be released in a week, Maples said.

The world's first live octuplets were born in March 1967 in Mexico City, but all died within 14 hours, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The United States' first live octuplets were born in Houston in 1998, three months premature. The tiniest died a week after the birth. The surviving siblings turned 10 in December.

Their parents, Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi, told The Associated Press that they were delighted to hear another mother managed the same feat.

"It's a blessing, truly a blessing," Chukwu said. "We'll keep praying for them."

Dr. Richard Paulson, director of the fertility program at the University of Southern California, said the latest births likely resulted from the use of fertility drugs, and that the children could face serious health risks.

"It's a risky decision to try to have all eight babies," said Paulson, who had no role in the delivery. "I would not recommend it under any circumstances, but I respect a parent's decision."

The Bellflower medical center, located about 17 miles southeast of Los Angeles, has an advanced neonatal unit. The most infants previously delivered at the hospital was five, the Los Angeles Times said.

Associated Press writers Denise Petski and Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Movies

Trailer Park - Fast and Furious

Eight years ago, the original story of an undercover cop infiltrating a street racing crew, “The Fast and The Furious” racked up $145 million and spawned two sequels.

As the gate receipts decreased for the two sequels, the film’s producer’s came up with a novel approach - reassemble the cast from the first film for the fourth installment and find a catchy title such as “Fast and Furious.”

Reunited Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriquez and Jordana Brewster may be an ode to the first film, but also is a clear indication that the film’s producers hope to catch lightning in a bottle once again.

From bigger and more daring stunts to the interpersonal relationships between the film’s main stars, it smells like somebody is trying to bring 2001 back - with a whole lot more cash!

“Fast and Furious” opens on June 5th; we know you can’t wait!

Critics “Thunder” Hate on Downey’s Oscar Nod!

In the funniest film of last year, Robert Downey, Jr. donned blackface to play an Australian actor masquerading as a brother in the Vietnam spoof, “Tropic Thunder.” Now that Downey has received an Oscar nomination for his performance, critics are saying that his portrayal was racist.
Don’t believe the hype, but look a little deeper and don’t let the critics worry you needlessly.
We have vivid memories of attending an early screening of this film and many of our colleagues giving us strange looks as if we laughed then it was comfortable for them do as well. Taking a wait-and-see attitude, what softened Downey’s portrayal considerably was the inclusion of African-American co-star Brandon T. Jackson who at every turn poked fun at the melanin-infused Aussie actor.
For the record, we totally agree with Ridley but in the grand scheme of things it won’t matter because we fully expect the late Heath Ledger to win for his final performance in “The Dark Knight.”
Hollywood screenwriter and talk show host, John Ridley examines this phenomenon and the “blacklash” that Downey is getting in his article entitled, “PC Whiners Aside, Downey Jr. Deserves His Oscar Nod.”
On the heels of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcing the nominees for their 81st shindig, there were the usual nontroversies over who was named and who was ignored.
Among all that, Hollywood trade paper Variety noted that Robert Downey Jr.’s nod for Best Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder “marks the first time since Laurence Olivier’s 1965 Othello that an actor has been nommed for playing a role in blackface.”
Not quite true. Forrest Whitaker darkened his skin to play Idi Amin for his Oscar winning performance in The Last King of Scotland.
Slightly different circumstances, yes. But…
What Variety alludes to in their piece is that the Downey Jr. role is offensive. Mincing no words, Scott Feinberg over at the LA Times just comes out and says as much. Apparently bucking for a nomination for Best Performance by a White Guy Who Takes it Upon Himself to be Offended For Black People, Feinberg writes:
“I guess I just can’t imagine any circumstance under which a blackface performance would be acceptable, any more than I can imagine any circumstance under which the use of the N-word would be acceptable.”
To read the rest of Ridley’s piece, click here.

Hockey Union win

Khongman boys lose evenly-contested match

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Hockey League

A midfield tussle during the match between Hockey Union and Khongman at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium on Thursday. Picture by Eastern Projections Imphal, Jan 24 : Khongman Students Club went down fighting against Hockey Union 4-7 in a match of the 2nd Manipur Hockey League 2008 played at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium today. In other matches of the day, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated SAI RC by 7-2 goals while South Eastern Youth Organisation overpowered Uchekon Youth Athletic Club by 9-1 goals. However, it will be Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur and Cosmopolitan Youth Club, with 18 points each, playing for the championship on Sunday. The match between Khongman Students Club and Hockey Union was a tight affair with both sides executing numerous attacks but slackness in the end saw the former bow out. Khongman Students Club started on an aggressive note striking as early as in the third minute as L. Purnachandra fetched the opening goal to take control of the game. However, Hockey Union found the equaliser through L. Leejohn in the 16th minute and it was not long before Ch. Rishikanta delivered yet another goal for Hockey Union to lead the first half 2-1. In the second half, the game gained momentum as Khongman infused fire in their runs and it was L. Ranachandra Singh who fetched the equaliser in the 43rd minute. The Hockey Union men, too, increased their pace and did the damage as L. Bikram scored from a penalty corner conversion. Giving a fitting reply, Khongman Students Club got the equaliser from L. Purachandra in the 57th minute and the scoring even got better as L. Heramani Singh gave them the leading goal in the 60th minute of the game. Moments later, Hockey Union made a dramatic comeback as L. Bikram Singh gave his team its fourth goal in the 61st minute from a penalty stroke and ran amok to score two more goals in the 63rd and the 67th minutes. The flurry of goals completely shattered Khongam and the Hockey Union men inflicted further damage as A. Gunanda fetched the seventh goal for a resounding victory today. In other matches, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated SAI RC by 7-2 goals. For the policemen, Th. Birjit scored two goals while N. Gunamani, S. Rabi, P. Priyokumar, P. Adeva and M. Shantikumar got a goal each. M. Bronson and M. David contributed the two goals for SAI RC today. In another match, South Eastern Youth Organisation drubbed Uchekon Youth Athletic Club by 9-1 goals. Ksh. Thoiba delivered three goals, Ksh. Hemlet scored two, while Ksh. Jimkelly, W. Chitra, Y. Sanjoy and Rk. Tomba chipped in with a goal each. The final standing of the teams in the league are as follows: Manipur Police Sports Club (13 points), Hockey Union (10), South Eastern Youth Organisation (9), Khongman Students Club (7) and Uchekon Youth Athletic Club and SAI RC have three points each.

Northeast Briefs

Northeast Briefs

Arrests

Kokrajhar, Jan. 23: Security personnel arrested an Ulfa linkman, Hareswar Das, from Diajiri in Kokrajhar last night. Two hand grenades were found on him. ased on his confession, police arrested two more persons, Md Sabjal Ali and Md Kazia Akhan, from Kauniabhasa in the district. A handmade pistol and six rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

IED found

Dhubri: An improvised explosive device was recovered from a Dhubri-bound bus by troops of the 21 Jat Regiment based at Panbari during a routine check on Thursday night. It was defused by a bomb squad.

Smuggler held

Dhubri: BSF personnel apprehended a cattle smuggler on Friday during an ongoing anti-infiltration drive. A resident of Ghewamri in Dhubri, Mujbir was caught along with the cattle.

Literary award

Kokrajhar: The Bodoland Territorial Council on Friday conferred the Promode Chandra Brahma literary award on Bodo novelist Chittaranjan Machahary for his contribution of Bodo literature. The award carries Rs 1 lakh, along with a citation.

Silchar rout Lakhimpur

Senior cricket

Silchar/Dibrgarh, Jan 24 : Silchar won their two-day Group A match of the senior Inter-district Cricket Tournament elite group league match against Lakhimpur by nine wickets at Satindra Mohan Dev Stadium in Silchar today.

On the second and final day, Silchar declared their first innings at their overnight 187 for nine wickets. Trailing by 111 runs, Lakhimpur started their second innings only to be bundled out for 145 runs in 53.3 overs. Middle-order batsmen Kunal Saikia and Nurul Amin Sheikh scored 28 and 25, hitting five and three boundaries respectively.

Eleven runs came in from extras. Silchar spinners Vishal Tiwari and Dipak Sharma took three wickets each, conceding 28 and 30 runs respectively.

In Dibrugarh, Barpeta scored 378 against Karimganj in their first innings of a two-day elite group match of the inter-district senior cricket tournament for the Nuruddin Trophy at Dibrugarh District Sports Association Outdoor Stadium today.

Pacer Arindam Chakraborty bagged two wickets for 44 runs. He was well supported by pacer Samik Das who took one wicket for 18 runs. Prakash Bhagat claimed one wicket.

Lakhimpur scored 76 runs in the first innings. Chasing a target of 35 runs, Silchar lost their opener Musarab Hussain for 17. Rehan Mazumdar and Dipak Sharma remained not out on 15 and 1 respectively.

Silchar will play Guwahati on Thursday and Friday at the same venue.

In Dibrugarh, Barpeta scored 378 against Karimganj in their first innings of a two-day elite group match of the inter-district senior cricket tournament for the Nuruddin Trophy at Dibrugarh District Sports Association Outdoor Stadium today.

Barpeta won the toss and elected to bat. Powered by a cracking century by number three batsman Kankan Das, the team posted an imposing 378 for 6 before declaring the innings.

Kankan, who had scored 148 in the earlier match, today got his runs in just 90 balls with 17 fours and two sixes.

Rahul Khatar and Subir Sarkar, too, came up with solid knocks of 86 and 52 runs respectively. For Karimganj, spinner Deepak Puniya picked up 3 wickets.

Karimganj made a disastrous start losing four wickets for just 18 runs in 6.3 overs. Abhijit Dhar remained unbeaten on 8. Nitul Das and Nayan Jyoti Das picked up two wickets each.

Chinese tourists visiting Khajuraho robbed by guide

Six Chinese women visiting Khajuraho and Panna National Park were robbed by their guide during their stay at a hotel in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, police said.

"These women tourists had reached Panna on January 19 and were staying in a hotel near the national park from where their guide Rajkumar, hired from Varanasi, escaped with their bag containing Rs1.5 lakh (Rs.150,000) cash and other valuables including jewellery," Chhattarpur Superintendent of Police D. Sriniwas Verma said.

According to a complaint lodged at Bamita police station by one of the tourists, 30-year-old Zeing Siu Ling, the bag had $2,000 and 1,600 yuan besides some jewellery.

The tourists found the bag missing while checking out of the hotel. Later, when they found that the guide was also untraceable, they went to the police station and lodged a complaint.

Khajuraho, one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, has a large group of temples famous for their erotic sculpture. In 2008, 89,174 foreign tourists visited the town, 340 km from state capital Bhopal.

Though it is not yet known whether the guide, Rajkumar, was licensed, locals say a number of unlicensed and rogue tourist guides are reported to be active in the area.

"Known as Lapkas in local parlance, such rogues are basically local tribals who have become a big nuisance," said an Archaeological Survey of India official posted at Khajuraho.

Over 18 complaints of thefts and forgery were reported by foreign tourists in police stations of Chhatarpur district last year alone.

The first Param Vir Chakra

By Sumit Walia

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence, New Delhi The Independence of India came with the pain of partition and the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war. Soon after independence, Pakistan attacked Kashmir with tribals from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) backed by the regular Pakistan Army. They were few kilometers away from Srinagar airport when Indian soldiers fought gallantly to drive them back. The Government wanted to honour these brave men, but there were no gallantry awards available. During the Dominion period (1947-50), the British King remained, theoretically, the head of state. Pre- 1947 awards could have been awarded, but awarding personnel of opposing forces with the same medals against each other seemed ridiculous to both New Delhi and London. How the IAF saved J&K twice! Finally, based on specific proposals, new awards known as the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Mahavir Chakra (MVC) and Veer Chakra (VrC) were finalized in June, 1948. But the Governor General of India could not institute the awards, as India was still a dominion. So a draft of the Royal warrant was sent to London for approval of the Crown in June 1948. But how could the King sanction awards for a war between two members of the Commonwealth? Moreover, he refused have even a symbolic presence on the medals, and the draft warrants were never implemented. A ceasefire came into force on January 1, 1949. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru urged the Governor General Raja Gopalachari to approve the institution of the awards, but Rajaji thought it was inappropriate as India was still a dominion, and advised Pandit Nehru to wait till January 26, 1950 when India was to become a republic. After crossing these constitutional hurdles, Major General Hira Lal Atal asked Mrs Savitiri Khanolkar (popularly known as Savitri Bai) to design these medals. Major General Atal was given the responsibility of designing and naming the gallantry awards of independent India. He chose Mrs Khanolkar for her immense knowledge of Indian mythology, Vedanta and languages like Sanskrit, Hindi and Marathi. Mrs Khanolkar was born Eva Yvonne Linda Maday-de-Maros in Switzerland on 20 July, 1913, to a Russian mother and a Hungarian father. From her childhood, she was fascinated by India & Indian culture. In the winter of 1929, on a skiing holiday at Chamonix she met Vikram Khanolkar, a young cadet of Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. They fell in love. In 1932, Eva came to India, converted to Hinduism and got married to Vikram. Then she learnt fluent Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, classical music and Kathakali dance. Hindu philosophy was her passion. She wrote two books - 'Sanskrit Dictionary of Names' and 'Saints of Maharashtra.' The 1971 war Izzat and lessons unlearnt For the design of the medal, she selected the mythological weapon of Indra, the Vajra; it was made by asthis (bones) of Maharishi Dadhichi who happily gave his bones to Indra to make a amogh (unfailing) weapon to kill Vitra. The design has four replicas of the Vajra surrounding the State emblem including the motto embossed in the centre. On the reverse, the words “Param Vir Chakra” are embossed in Hindi & English separated by lotus flower. While designing the medal, Savitri Bai did not know that the first PVC would be awarded to her daughter’s brother-in-law, Major Somnath Sharma from the Kumaon Regiment. Major Sharma was a battle-hardened soldier who had fought in Arakan, in the Burma Campaign of World war II and had been Mentioned in Dispatches. His injured left arm was heavily plastered, and he was advised to stay in Delhi. But when heard that the ‘A’ & ‘D’ Companies of the 4 Kumaon were being moved to the Kashmir valley, he insisted on going along. He argued that no one knew his men better than him, and if they were going into the battlefield, then so was he. Interview with Capt Bharat Verma On November 3, 1947, the Kumaon Regiment established a firm base on the high grounds west of the village of Badgam. Though Sharma had noticed what he thought was a group of villagers taking shelter in a nalla (ditch), everything else seemed quiet and calm. Sharma was ordered to start thinning out from the Badgam area from 1330 hrs onwards. At 1400 hrs, ‘A’ company had moved back towards the airfield. Sharma was ordered by Brigadier L P Sen to commence withdrawal at 1500 hrs. Everything seemed to be normal until the ‘villagers’ in the nalla started moving in different directions around Major Sharma’s company. Soon the entire company of about 90 men was under fire from west of their position. This was backed by light machine gun (LMG) and mortar fire. Major Sharma was hesitant to return the fire for fear of killing innocent civilians. Using everything they had, they repulsed the first attack. But enemy pressure started to increase and they were soon facing some 500 odd tribesmen. He asked the brigade commander for help, and was promised air support. Being short of men, he laid out ground panel indicators to guide the aircraft onto the target. Unsung Heroes: Colonel Chewang Rinchen | Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla. Courtesy: Ministry of Defence, New Delhi D company repulsed attack after attack, but very soon they were outnumbered by ratio of 7 to 1. He was informed by Brigade commander that 1 Punjab was on its way to reinforce his position. But Major Sharma knew that this would take time. With utter disregard for his own safety, he started going from one section to another in full view of the enemy to inspire his men to fight till last bullet so as to delay the enemy advance towards airfield as much as possible. When he saw that causalities were affecting the LMG fire, he started filling LMG magazines himself. Then a mortar shell landed right in the middle of the ammunition, resulting in an explosion that killed him. This gallant action of D company in which it lost Major Sharma, Subedar Prem Singh Mehta and 20 other ranks, delayed the enemy advance by six hours. When Badgam was recaptured by our troops, the bodies of about 300 tribesmen were found at D Company’s position. Bravery and leadership of highest order was displayed by Major Sharma for which he was awarded the first Param Veer Chakra on 26th January, 1950. His last message to headquarters was “The enemy is 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.”

Important points of Naga sovereignty

I, the undersigned would like to highlights the following few genuine noted points in respect of the birth and formation of the Naga sovereignty, where our fore fathers fights for the rights and cause of the Nagas since from the time immemorial. This publication is indeed aimed at creating a better knowledge of how our leaders and pioneers of the Naga Freedom fighters engage themselves fighting for the better future of the Nagas with firm determination and loyalties. Following few enumerated points are some of the in formation points in regard to the formation and birth of the Naga Sovereignty.

1. From the beginning Nagas were independent people, Nagas were never ruled by any other nation other than themselves. Nagas lives with the feeling of oneness.
2. During the first world war in 1917, Nagas too fights in the war claiming themselves free from ruled of any other nations. Subsequently, a team of Nagas went to French under the Allied Colonel Leber Corps proclaiming that Nagas had their own uniqueness and free from the ruled of whatever nation.
3. It is to be noted that, with the formation of the 'Naga Club' in 1918, some Naga leaders were assigned to work for the cause of the Naga rights.
4. Under the initiatives of the Naga Club, a memorandum was submitted to the British Cabinet on 10th January 1929 urging the British government to take note of the rights of the Nagas.
5. It was in 1935 that the British Parliament passed a resolution that Nagas should be excluded from the Indian territory, hence, the covered lands of the Nagas was termed as "Naga Hills Excluded Areas".
6. Naga Club was abolished on 2nd February 1946; thereby 'Naga National Council' (NNC) was formed in its place.
7. The global announcement of 14th August as the "Naga Independence Day" initiated in the year 1947.
8. 99% of the Nagas participated in the famous Naga Plebiscite Day on 16th May 1957. All plebiscite day participants take firm "oath" provided that they shall be ever faithful and loyal to the Naga Sovereignty.
9. The Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) was formed under the initiatives of the Parasent Sendenyu Area Rengma Region on 22nd March 1956. Following the formation of the FGN, a rainbow colour Naga National Sovereignty Flag was hoisted. Meanwhile, the following designated leaders of the Naga were assigned to read the given Holy Bible verse and thereby they were being blessed by the mandatory of the Nagas to work for the cause of the Naga rights.
(a) Khriesaneisa, FGN Kedahge (President) Roman 10:18. "But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world".
(b) Wheha, FGN Ato Kilonser (Prime Minister) Mathew 6:33. "But seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".
(c) AZ.Phizo, NNC Kedahge (President) Zechariah 4:6. "So he said to me, 'this is the word of Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit', says the Lord Almighty".
(d) Kruzhalie, FGN Ahng (Governor) Japfu State. Roman 8:33. "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies".
Meanwhile, general Thongti Chang, Chief of the Naga Army, Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) hoisted the Naga Sovereignty Flag followed by the above stated leaders read their assigned bible verse. Under the banner of "Nagaland for Christ" the leaders were ask to declared themselves as such; "I shall be ever faithful to God and the people of the Nagas in all the pursuing activities of the NNC".
I also do felt pertinent to analyse the real meaning and objectives of the Famous 1957 plebiscite day participation. The participants of the plebiscite solemnly vowed before God and the man and take the oath as stated under;
(i) That I, as a Naga shall honour the NNC and nothing else.
(ii) That I will never be part of the Central Investigation Department (CID) of India that may compel the citizens of the Naga to sold the rights of the Nagas.
(iii) That I shall never do with the name of NNC whatsoever for the personal benefits.
I shall be loyal to the above solemn words, "I vowed before God and man that I shall always lives behind the fellow Naga friends, besides- heaven and earth curse be mine in case I fail to abide by the above words". This plebiscite participation was done by pressing their cut bleeding thumbs on the white documented paper.
Dear readers, therefore, let us remind ourselves with the loyal deeds of our forefathers who stays firm and committed all the time even in times of great difficulties. "May God Almighty blessed each one of us"

Vezonu Venuh, president, NNC, Phek sub-region.

Anti-Christian Violence Last FIVE Months*

1. ORISSA: Ten years after the Christmas violence in the Dangs district of Gujarat in 1998, and the burning alive of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines, on 22 January 1999, in Orissa, anti-Christian violence has not just grown in the two regions, but has spread to other states such as Karnataka. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Karnataka, in fact, has now surpassed Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, which were earlier the main areas witnessing persecution.

In Orissa, where violence broke out between 24 to 27 December 2007 and then again between 24 August 2008 till the end of the year, a chilling tension still pervades the worst affected district of Kandhamal. And in government camps in G Udaygiri and Raikia in Kandhamal, more than Eight Thousand refugees live a life of torment, humiliation and unemployment. The un-totaled thousands in small and big Church-run camps outside Kandhamal and even deep in Andhra Pradesh that have little coordination with each other, people face an uncertain future. And perhaps 30,000 people still escape to the forests every night to sleep the night in the safety of raw nature, for fear of the marauding gangs. During sunlight hours, they attempt to harvest the paddy crop in the safer areas. Christian and Civil Society groups tried unsuccessfully to move the Courts to stop a government move to forcibly send back people from refugee camps back to distant villages without providing adequate security and employment. The Central Reserve Police Force has begun to thin out from its peak strength of 6,000 on the eve of Christmas, despite earnest requests to government to maintain sufficient numbers to bring confidence to the battered people. Criminal Investigation Department police are making some headway in the investigations in the rape of the Catholic nun, and that of another woman, a Hindu brutalized because her uncle had converted to Christianity. But police also admit that they will have to “trim” the list of about 70,000 persons named as aggressors in over in 746 cases to manageable numbers. The new Director General of Police feels that in each case only a clutch of principal accused can be investigated. So far 598 accused have been actually arrested. Christians have told investigators that many of the aggressors are still roaming free, and some murder suspects have even come to the government refugee camps. The death toll remains a matter of dispute. Human rights groups have a total of 120 names of persons of whom 103 are confirmed dead, and 17 are those whose names are not known, but are known only by their relationship with some villagers. Though there have been several other incidents in Orissa in December and mid January 2009, they have not been directly linked with the earlier sequence of violence. Reconstruction of the houses is yet to begin, and churches await the government assistance promised them by the Government after the intervention of the Supreme Court of India. A brief recall of major persecution:

ORISSA:
14 (of 30) Districts hit
315 Villages destroyed
4,640 Houses burnt [State government estimates 4,215]
54,000 homeless initially
120 People murdered
7 Priests/ Pastors killed 10 Fathers/Pastors/Nuns injured
2 Rapes confirmed [One of Nun]
252 Churches destroyed [estimated by State government]
13 Schools, colleges destroyed

2. KARNATAKA
8 (of 29) Districts affected
33 Churches attacked update again
53 Christians injured in attacks, including Nuns assaulted by state police.
3. TAMIL NADU
12 Churches attacked
4. MADHYA PRADESH
5 Churches damaged
5. KERALA
4 Churches damaged
6. DELHI
2 Churches damaged/destroyed
[Updated 20th January 2009. This update does not include incidents of violence and persecution witnessed in many other states, but not linked with the August 2008 outbreak.] *By John Dayal

Rio calls for peace and reconciliation

Kohima : Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio while appealing for peace and reconciliation in Naga society has expressed hope that all sections of the Naga people would work towards ‘understanding and oneness’ so that an honourable solution to the Indo-Naga political problem would be brought about through the political negotiations.

Speaking during the inaugural function of the two-day general conference of the Nagaland DBs Association held in Phek under the motto “Backbone of administration” yesterday, Rio also expressed hope to work towards prosperity and progress through peace, understanding and oneness amongst the Naga people.

Towards this ends, he appreciated the role being played by the Joint Forum of the DBs and GBs who he said have tirelessly worked for unity and reconciliation.

Exhorting the Dobashis, Rio called upon them to work with utmost integrity and deliver fair justice to the people in order to strengthen the hands of government and society. Observing that DBs carry utmost responsibility in delivering justice as they are the custodians of the Naga customary laws, he however cautioned that wrong or biased decisions have the potential to create divisions, misunderstandings and even violence.

In order to improve the delivery of justice through the customary system, the CM urged upon the DBs to take steps towards documentation, record keeping and streamlining of the customary laws. This, he said, should be done in consultation with all the tribal Hohos so that different conventions and laws of the respective tribes are properly recorded. “This will greatly benefit the future generations,” he said.

Rio praised the system of Naga customary laws saying that under the customary system, there are no losers or winners, but rather the aim of the system is to achieve reconciliation, understanding and compromise.  The CM further called upon the DBs to conduct seminars, conferences and refresher courses, especially for the new appointees. Towards this end, he assured the cooperation and assistance of the State Government.

Gracing the occasion as guest of honour, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Kuzholuzo Nienu called upon the people to preserve Naga identity and uphold the principles of truthfulness and honesty, which is the ‘true essence of our customary law’.

The history of GBs and DBs during the colonial rule records that they were powerful, responsible and respectable and urged them to retrospect themselves in this regard. He also said,  ‘we need to maintain unity among our people by cutting across tribalism, language and community and rise above all narrow sectarian interest so that we can foster the spirit of unity and brotherhood.’

Obama sworn in for second time

Washington : Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday’s ceremony.

The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, administered the oath again at the White House. The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of an abundance of caution, an official said. But Obama joked: “We decided it was so much fun....” before adding: “

We’re going to do it very slowly.” In contrast to the first oath-taking, Obama did not swear on a Bible and his wife Michelle was not at his side. Tuesday’s stumble went largely unnoticed at the time.

In the oath, as set out in the US Constitution, the new incumbent swears to “faithfully execute the office of president of the United States”.

But as Chief Justice Roberts read out the oath for Obama to repeat, he moved the word “faithfully” to the end of the phrase.

Singapore announces multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan

Singapore, Jan 23 (DPA) The Singapore government Friday announced an 11-billion-Singapore-dollar ($7.3 billion) plan of financial schemes aimed at stimulating lending to a broader range of enterprises during the current economic downturn.

About 142,000 companies, or 99.7 percent of all enterprises based in Singapore, would be eligible for the schemes, which would be effective for one year from Feb 1, the Trade and Industry Ministry said.

‘The aim is not to replace bank lending, but to catalyse it so that sound and viable companies can continue to carry out their business, meet their orders and pay their workers,’ Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang said.
The schemes come under a risk-sharing initiative in the 2009 budget announced Thursday by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who said the government’s goal was to keep Singapore companies afloat and save jobs for locals during the economic slowdown.
The initiative is to focus on bridge loans and trade-financing schemes under which the government is to take a higher share of the default risk, ranging from 50 percent to 80 percent, the ministry said.

Na ram na ngai ve maw - Ci Lian

Delhi Hmar Christian Fellowship Choir