* We are building a new India in which every citizen would have a stake.

* The rate of our economic growth has been better than most other countries in the world. This shows the strength of our economy.

* To ensure equal partnership of women in our progress, we have taken the initiative for reservation for women in parliament and in state legislatures.

* The growth rate of our agriculture has increased substantially in the last few years.

* Our government wants a food safety net in which no citizen of ours would go hungry.

* I would certainly like to say that we are making every possible effort to tackle inflation. I am also confident that we will succeed in these efforts.

* The subsidy on petroleum products has been increasing every year. It had become necessary, therefore, to increase the prices of petroleum products.

* We want the fruits of development to reach the common man.

* Our government is committed to maintain communal peace and harmony.

* We will soon bring a bill in parliament for constitution of two separate councils in higher education and health respectively so that reforms in these two areas can be accelerated.

* Naxalism is a serious challenge to our internal security. We will deal firmly with those who resort to violence.

* It is also our endeavour that our adivasi brothers and sisters join the mainstream of development.

* We have a special responsibility towards the states of the

northeast. I would like to convey to all political parties and groups of the northeast that disputes in the name of state or tribe can only harm all of us.

* In Jammu and Kashmir, we are ready to talk to every person or group which abjures violence. Kashmir is an integral part of India.

* As far as Pakistan is concerned, we expect from them that they would not let their territory be used for acts of terrorism against India.

* The Commonwealth Games will start in Delhi after about one and a half months. I am convinced that all our countrymen will treat the Games as a national festival and will leave no stone unturned to make them a success.

But critics have slammed the idea as an insult to victims, the Daily Express reported.

“This absurd scheme just legitimises the initial bike theft, with offenders benefiting directly from crime. Suffolk police could even be handing the bike to the very person who stole it, which isn’t much of a deterrent to would-be thieves,” Fiona McEvoy, an offiicial with the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said.

Dave Brady, 29, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said: “Why should thugs who chose to lead a life of crime get any extra help? Give them a pair of trainers and they can walk.”

Police have, meanwhile, said cycles given to offenders will be returned to their owners if they are identified.

“I would like our children to be taught the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in schools from the very beginning under a campaign for a Clean India,” he said.

He appealed to state governments, Panchayats, civil society groups and common citizens “to make this campaign successful”.

“Nutritious food and good health services are necessary but not enough for ensuring good health of our citizens. We also need cleanliness and good sanitation in our villages, towns and cities,” he said.

“There are many diseases which would be difficult to prevent otherwise. The truth is that our country lags behind in this area,” he said.

“This is a prefect time to return to the era when gangster movies were very entertaining. They had humour, romance, music, dance, flamboyance and attitude. Those films were filled with every element of masala,” said Luthria.

“At the end of the day we (in Bollywood) keep doing the same thing over and over again. Filmmaking is essentially good storytelling embellished with good music and, when entertainingly presented, it is what the audiences like. And we are doing the same,” he said.

“Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai”, an Ajay Devgn-Emraan Hashmi-starrer, will be followed by “The Business Man”, “Gangs of Wassipur” and a remake of Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Agneepath” – all gangster movies.

The law-defying citizen will also be in the spotlight in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s next “Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster”.

“A story on crime and underworld can never go away in Bollywood. It is like ‘The Godfather’ – you can go on remaking and remaking it. Gangster movies are like classics ever told and a constant fodder for the audiences,” film critic Omar Qureshi told IANS.

Bollywood has had a fair share of gangster movies with “Deewar”, “Don”, “Dayavan”, “Angaar”, “Parinda” and “Hathyar”. However, the definition of such movies changed when Ram Gopal Varma came out with what is called the Gangster Trilogy of Bollywood – “Satya”, “Company” and “D”.

“It was a new noir altogether. Ramu (as Varma is fondly called) brought out the internal thinking of a gangster’s mind with his films. It was slick, edgy and true to the audience’s beliefs in gangsters,” comedian-filmmaker Satish Kaushik told IANS.

Added Luthria: “These films came under the category of very dark gangster movies.”

Varma now plans to redefine crime thrillers with his trilingual “The Business Man”.

“Unlike the done to death rustic style of conventional gangster flicks, the shooting style of ‘The Business Man’ will fall somewhere in between the slickness of ‘Company’ and the entertainment quotient of ‘Wanted’,” he posted on his blog.

To be helmed by Telugu director Puri Jagannath, it will have Tamil superstar Surya in the lead.

Varma’s archrival Karan Johar will also produce a remake of “Agneepath” with Hrithik Roshan in the lead. To be written and directed by debutant Karan Malhotra, it will pay homage to the real inspiration behind “Agneepath” – Al Pacino-starrer “Scarface”.

Anurag Kashyap, on the other hand, has hired Manoj Bajpai to play a coal mafia gangster in his next “Gangs of Wassipur”, about the coal mafia of Dhanbad (Jharkhand). Not new to the genre, Manoj is still remembered for playing Bhiku Mhatre in “Satya”, which was written by Kashyap.

“Gangster, dons, mafia and the underbelly of crime are the best vehicles in Bollywood because audiences can relate to the highs and lows and associate their weak and strong points with the criminal on the big screen. It is a pseudo-reality they want to live in and a roller-coaster ride they want to experience,” said a trade source.

Bollywood did comic takes on gangsters with hits like “Munnabhai M.B.B.S” and “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”.

“Gangsters as funny guys have bigger audiences and are accepted in a much bigger way. Take, for example, Munnabhai or my cameo as Pappu Pager in ‘Deewana Mastana’. It is still remembered and imitated. A gangster movie in a lighter vein always goes to a bigger hit level. You then adore them for being gangsters,” said Kaushik.

A third instalment in the Munnabhai franchise is reportedly also in the offing.
By Robin Bansal
(Robin Bansal can be contacted at robin.b@ians.in)

While the last rally was addressed by Rahul Gandhi in Ambedkar Nagar town in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the new destination would be somewhere in the western part of the state.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi told IANS: “We have yet to finalise the place where he would undertake a padyatra or address a rally, we have been told it would be a prominent place in the western part of the state.”

“The reason for selecting western Uttar Pradesh was that in this area Congress had done well in the past but failed to even retain some of its own seats in the last Lok Sabha election,” she said.

“This is part of the party’s campaign undertaken as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the party,” remarked a senior Congressman.

The first round of padyatras and rallies commenced April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and concluded May 12.

The second round would begin Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and conclude Nov 12 at Allahabad.

While Rahul Gandhi would kickstart the padyatra, his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi would join the last leg in Allahabad.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) M.M. Baig said: “We have registered a case and are trying to nab the criminals who are absconding.”

The victim’s brother, in his complaint, named four local goons for the murder. He named Amit, Sandeep, Deepak (brothers) and their friend Manoj, all residents of Devnagar locality, police said.

The complainant said Bharat was earlier engaged in business and the four had a rivalry with him.

Police said Bharat was killed after a booze party with friends.

The accused took him to the kiln on the pretext of dropping him at his home, police said.

He is among the 114 personnel from the armed forces, central paramilitary forces and state police services who have been honoured with the President’s Independence Day gallantry awards, a government statement said Saturday.

Captain Davinder Singh Jass of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), who died fighting Lashkar-e-Taiba extremists in Sopore on Feb 23 this year, and Vinod Kumar Choubey, superintendent of police in Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh who died in a gunbattle with Maoists on July 12, 2009, have been awarded Kirti Chakra, the second highest awards for peace time gallantry.

Major Thongam Joten Singh of 21st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Major Ajay Singh of the 11th Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry have been selected for the Bar to Shaurya Chakra awards.

The awardees include one Ashoka Chakra, two Kirti Chakras, two Bar to Shaurya Chakras, 19 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 80 Sena Medals (Gallantry), three Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

The country is grappling with its worst ever floods that have left over 1,600 people dead and affected over 14 million people. A media report put the total economic loss due to floods at around Rs.250 billion ($2.92 billion).

All festivities were cancelled by the government and there was no ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the official residence of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari was scheduled to spend the day with flood victims in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, according to a statement from the president’s office.

Government officials were also reluctant to organise functions and participate in festivities as they visited flood-hit areas, said officials at the chief minister’s secretariat in Sindh.

The Pakistan army also cancelled its celebrations, donating the fund it would have spent on the day’s activities to flood victims instead.

Gilani, addressing the nation on the occasion Saturday, expressed profound grief over the loss of hundreds of lives in one of the country’s worst floods.

He said the biggest challenge the government was facing was rehabilitation of over 20 million people affected by floods.

The prime minister said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has been the worst hit with thousands of houses ravaged, link roads and bridges destroyed and billions of rupees worth of standing crops washed away.

This will result in further crisis, and therefore, the civil society, NGOs and public should strengthen the hands of the government to cope with the catastrophe, he said.

“I appeal to the world community to extend the helping hand to tackle this calamity so that Pakistan could stand tall against the menace of terrorism,” he was quoted by Geo News as saying.

Gilani said that despite the challenges posed by nature, the government and people of Pakistan are committed to protect their motherland.

“We are celebrating our 64th Independence Day at a time when the country is up against many challenges, the chief being rehabilitation of flood victims, the fight against terrorism, the struggling economy and ensuring political stability.”

“Our national economy has been hit hard both by the ongoing war against terrorism and natural disasters.”

“We have already traversed that road a number of times in the past but each time we came out victorious and more resolute with renewed faith in our ability to steer the ship out of unchartered waters,” Gilani said.

The prime minister said the Independence Day “reminds us of the heroic and relentless struggle the Muslims of the sub-continent waged for a separate homeland”.

“We should be proud of the fact that our freedom struggle was fought along constitutional lines. Pakistan came into being through a political and democratic process.”

“I have my complete faith and trust in our people. I am sure that together we can rise to the occasion with determination and will power,” he added.

“The strategic partnership between our countries will continue to grow, and I am looking forward to my November visit to India,” he said in a message on India’s Aug 15 Independence Day.

“Our goal is to make this one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” Obama said noting “Ties between our two peoples have never been stronger.”

“India’s non-violent struggle for freedom, its rejection of terrorism and extremism, and its belief in democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law,” he said “has had a profound effect on many countries.”

The US civil rights movement leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had spoken “about the debt they owed to Mahatma Gandhi.”

Describing over two million members of the Indian American community as “living examples of the bonds that bind our nations together”, he said “their accomplishments have become well-known and admired in both countries.”

In his message Obama said:

“On behalf of my administration and the American people, I wish to congratulate all who will celebrate the 63rd anniversary of India’s independence. Indians around the world can not only look back on their history with pride, but can also look ahead to a future filled with hope and further progress.

“Ever since August 15, 1947, India’s non-violent struggle for freedom, its rejection of terrorism and extremism, and its belief in democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law have been an inspiration and beacon of hope for people around the world.

“India’s example has had a profound effect on many countries, including the United States. Leaders of our civil rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about the debt they owed to Mahatma Gandhi.

“Ties between our two peoples have never been stronger. The over two million members of the Indian American community are living examples of the bonds that bind our nations together and their accomplishments have become well-known and admired in both countries.

“The strategic partnership between our countries will continue to grow, and I am looking forward to my November visit to India.

“Our goal is to make this one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. Once again, congratulations and best wishes for a happy and safe Independence Day.”

Arun Kumar
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

“Though Satish has said he eliminated her because she was not treating his parents well, we are probing the dowry angle also,” the officer said.

He has been sent to police custody by a magistrate.

The couple, hailing from Lucknow and married for four years, had shifted to a rented house in Hulimavu in south Bangalore from his parent’s house in the same locality about six months back, police said. They had no children.

Priyanka was found dead in her flat early Tuesday, with her throat slit and hands and legs tied.

In a statement on the day of the murder Satish had told the police that when he went for a morning walk at around 5.40 a.m., his wife called him on his mobile to check if he had asked anyone to supply newspapers, as two unidentified people were standing at the door telling he had sent them to the house and to open the door.

“I told her that I did not send anyone and that she should not open the door but carry on with her yoga session. When I returned at around 6.40 a.m. I found the door locked and there was no response to the door bell or her mobile. I thought she would have gone back to sleep. Then I went to office to bring the duplicate keys and was shocked to find her dead on entering the house,” Satish, 32, said in a statement to police.

City Joint Police Commissioner (crime) Alok Kumar had said after visiting the second floor rented house of the couple: “We are not clear why Gupta didn’t inform the police immediately or enquired from neighbours about the crime.”

“How could the main door have remained locked and her throat slit? How and from where did the assailants enter the house?” Kumar said.

Satish had told the police that gold, jewellery and some other valuables worth Rs.2.5 lakh were missing from the house though a gold chain around Priyanka’s neck and a gold ring on her finger were intact on her body.