Aamir Khan says Anna Hazare deserves greater support than cricket team

NEW DELHI: Actor Aamir Khan says the country should extend greater support to Anna Hazare's struggle for a strong anti-corruption law than it did to the Indian cricket team's quest for the World Cup. In a letter to the social activist, who is on fast unto death demanding that the government co-opt the civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill, the actor said the struggle against corruption was "infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us".

In the letter sent on April 6, the actor called Hazare an inspiration for the youth of India and said that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to pay heed to Hazare's appeal.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Khan said: "I would like to humbly submit to you that, based on all the material that I have read, what Mr Hazare is saying makes a lot of sense to me."

"I am one of over a billion citizens of this country who is affected by, and most concerned about, corruption in our country. The last few months have witnessed some shocking exposés. In fact our society has been plagued by this sickness over the last few decades. I am one of the many who feel that strong steps need to be taken as corrective measures," the actor wrote to the Prime Minister.

He further wrote: "It is therefore with great hope and all humility that I request you to pay heed to the voice of Mr Anna Hazare. I would like to submit to you that the nation is slowly but surely collecting behind Mr Hazare in appreciation for what he is fighting for. I am merely one of many who support Mr Hazare and have come to appreciate that this upright 72-year-old man is willing to sacrifice his life in the fight against corruption."

Text of Aamir Khan's letter to Anna Hazare


Mumbai,
6th April, 2011.

Dear Mr. Hazare,

Over the last few days I have been following, through the media coverage, news about your struggle against corruption and the fast that you have undertaken.

I have been through your appeal.

I have been through the draft provided by the media of the government proposed Lokpal bill, which is under consideration of the government, which you are opposing.

Through the internet, I have also been through the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by the members of the Civil Society, which you are supporting.

I would like you to know that I am amongst thousands who are fully supportive of your efforts. The crusade that you have begun is an extremely important one, and I would like to extend my support to you.

For your information, I have written to our Hon'ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to pay heed to your appeal. I am attaching my letter to him for you to read.

You are an inspiration for the youth of this country and my prayers are with you.

Like the country has supported the Indian Cricket team in their struggle to win the World Cup, I hope and pray that your struggle, which is infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us, will get an even greater support.

Jai Hind.

Yours sincerely,
Aamir Khan

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PM 'deeply disappointed' at Hazare's decision to start fast

New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday expressed his 'deep disappointment' over social actvist Anna Hazare's decision to go ahead with his planned hunger strike for a strong anti-graft bill, and said he had enormous respect for the social worker and his mission.

A statement issued Monday evening by the Prime Minister's Office said that a ministerial sub-committee headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony met Hazare's colleagues on the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill but the interaction proved fruitless as the activists were insisting on the government accepting their draft in full.

'The Prime Minister's Office has noted with deep disappointment that Shri Anna Hazare, the noted social worker, is still planning to go ahead with his planned hunger strike. Shri Hazare and his colleagues had met the Prime Minister, the law minister and other senior officials on March 7, 2011. During the discussion that lasted more than one hour, the Prime Minister had told the group that 'I appreciate and share your concern on corruption',' the statement said.

It said Hazare and his group had presented the prime minister a draft of their proposal on a Lokpal.

'The Prime Minister offered and the group accepted a suggestion that a sub-committee of the Group of Ministers could interact and discuss the draft with the civil society activists. The Sub-Committee, headed by Shri A.K.Antony, met Shri Hazare's colleagues but the interaction proved fruitless as the activists were insisting on the government accepting their draft in full.'

'The prime minister has enormous respect for Shri Hazare and his mission,' the statement added.

Hazare Monday said he is starting an indefinite fast to press for the demand to involve civil society in formulation of the Lokpal Bill.

'I will fast unto death, as announced earlier, as the prime minister has refused to form a joint committee with civil society members in it for the formulation of the Lokpal Bill. Even if I lose my life, I will have no regret, my life is dedicated to the nation,' Hazare said at a press meet here.

Hazare and several other civil society activists are pressing for adoption of an alternate bill, called Jan Lokpal Bill. In the activists' version, investigation in any case will have to be completed in one year, and punishment would be a jail term of minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

The government's version recommends a prison term of minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years as punishment for corruption.

Man of the series: Nobel laureate Tagore

Man of the series: Nobel laureate Tagore

NEW DELHI: India may be on song, but the man with the top score this World Cup, albeit in musical terms, was Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as the genius behind the national anthems of three countries, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.

It is rare for international sports events to begin and end with players of different nationalities singing anthems written by the same man. But it happened this time around.

Apart from the desire to win, Tagore was the factor that linked them all. The literary giant's 'Amar Shonar Bangla' and 'Jana Gana Mana' kicked off World Cup 2011's first match between Bangladesh and India on February 19 in Dhaka. Saturday's finals in Mumbai had India's anthem being played while the Sri Lankan team sang 'Sri Lanka Mathaa', which also has the Tagore stamp.

Tagore's association with the anthems of India and Bangladesh are well known. What is less well-known is Gurudev's impact on Sri Lanka's anthem. Inspired by Tagore, his student Ananda Samarakoon wrote and composed the Sri Lankan anthem in 1939-40. It was adopted as the island nation's anthem around 1952, though political turmoil has seen it altered over the years.

As a disciple of Tagore at Shantiniketan, Samarakoon's composition is in Rabindra-sangeet style. Some credit Tagore with having composed the music. It was Samarakoon's six-month stint at Tagore's arts college Shantiniketan that inspired him to begin the anthem. The style eventually developed to be the "first traditions of unique Sinhalese music", wrote Sri Lankan news portal Lanka Gazette in celebration Gurudev's 150th birth anniversary this year.

As every Indian knows, Jana Gana Mana was written and set to music by the legendary poet and artist. The first 10 lines of his 1905 poem Amar Shonar Bangla became Bangladesh's anthem in 1972.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/off-the-field/Man-of-the-series-Nobel-laureate-Tagore/articleshow/7854172.cms

Sensex up 75 pts in morning trade on strong FII buying

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex firmed up by 75 points in early trade on Monday on persistent buying in select counters, mainly IT and tech, on the back of sustained capital inflows by foreign funds, coupled with higher Asian cues.

The BSE benchmark Sensex resumed higher at 19,473.93 and shot up further to 19,566.29 before quoting at 19,495.75 at 1015 hours, showing a net gain of 75.36 points, or 0.39 per cent, from last weekend's level.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also firmed up by 14.60 points, or 0.25 per cent, to quote at 5,840.65 at 1015 hours.

Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) was trading firm. Wipro surged by 1.50 per cent after the company said it will acquire the oil and gas information technology practice of US-based Science Applications International Corporation ( SAIC).

Other gainers were Hero Honda (1.90 per cent), Infosys Tech (1.51 per cent), M&M (1.51 per cent), HDFC Bank (1.30 per cent), Jindalsteel (1.29 per cent) and TCS (1.21 per cent).

As per provisional figures, foreign funds bought shares worth Rs 415.28 crore last Friday. FII inflow totaled Rs 8,963.42 crore in the nine trading sessions from March 22 to April 1.

Most Asian stocks rose in early trade after a report showed US jobs grew faster than forecast. The key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore were up by between 0.08 per cent and 1.11 per cent. However, South Korea's Seoul Composite slipped by 0.49 per cent. The Chinese market is closed today for a local holiday.

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