1 April 2014 Edition

Vol:2

Issue: 4

1- April- 2014

Page: 44

Rs 20/-

FOG FOCUS ON GLOBE RNI Regd No JKENG/2013/50569

A Complete News Magazine

State Scan* Society* Education* Outlook* Cover Story* Women’s era* Between the Lines* In-Focus* Neighbourhood* world @ Glance *Entertainment* Health* Sports

M

H3

70

2

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

Message Dear Readers “Focus on Globe” is a complete News Magazine for the readers of the subcontinent. It shall be our primary concern and top priority to highlight the grievances of the people at large, for their redressal at the hands of the concerned so that sufferings of the people are mitigated within the shortest possible time frame work.

The basic idea for creation of this magazine and to get it on the stands is to provide our valued readers, a variety of material on different topics viz current affairs / History/ finance / development/ information technology / travel / agriculture / media/ health / society / woman’s issue/ culture/ Qur’anic wisdom/ entertainment / sports / unemployment issues and so on and so forth.

It is hoped this Magazine shall serve as a useful source to our readers particularly the student community to remain abreast of the latest happenings in the world particularly in our parts of the globe.

The writer’s of this Magazine belong to different shades of opinion and we hope the readers would definitely enjoy the content of the magazine and will provide us with their valued suggestions for improvement of the magazine. The content of the articles reflect the views of the author and does not necessarily reflect our opinion and views what so ever.

(c) The contents of the magazine cannot be reproduce in any form without the prior written permission of the Editor–in-Chief of this Magazine.

To connect with the magazine please feel free to contact us on our email address at: focusonglobe@gmail.com

Thank you

MESSAGE

ADVISOR ER. N. A. JAN FOCUS ON GLOBE

CONTANTS

State Scan* Society* Education* Outlook* Cover Story* Women’s era* Between the Lines* In-Focus* Neighbourhood* world @ Glance *Entertainment* Health* Sports

Focus On Globe

1 March 2014

3

1

FOG FOCUS ON GLOBE Vol:1

Issue: 4

RNI Registration No:- JKENG/2013/50569

August- 2013

Page: 40

Rs 20/-

Complete News Magazine

H HISTORY H STATE SCAN H CURRENT AFFAIRS H GUJRAT H NEIGHBOURHOOD H RED TERROR H COUNTRY AFFARIS H COVER STORY H H HEALTH H WORLD AT GLANCE H WOMENS ISSUE H BUSINESS H LEGAL H SOCIETY H RELIGIOUS H SPORTS H RNIWOMENS RegdERANo JKENG/2013/50569

VOL:2 ISSUE 04 APRIL 2014 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Muhammad Haneef Mahajan stone

COPY EDITOR H.Basharat yousuf EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nasir Ahmad Khan (SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT) Er. Abdul Majid Maharaji

KASHMIR BOIL AGAIN

CORRESPONDENTS Abdul Hafiz Lakhani (Ahmadabad) Dr. Atif Suhail Siddiqui, Ph. D (UP) Abrar Bhat Sumaiya Rafiq Zargar GENERAL MANAGER Sadat PHOTO JOURNALISTS

Gool inocentsAijaz Ahmad Parray crushed by BSF, ADVISORS Er. Nazir Ahmad Jan Syed Manzoor Ahmad Shah Kil ed 4 persons Dr.Khursheed Ahmad Mahajan 48 injured Gh. Jeelani Ghani Shabir Ahmad Wani LEGAL CORRESPONDENT Fahar Baba LEGAL ADVISOR Bilquees Rathore Gousia Rashid

Focus On Globe August 2013

GRAHPHICS Tamin Art Gallery 9419056944 PRINTER, PUBLISHER & OWNER Muhammad Haneef Mahajan PUBLISHED FROM: 24/Gulistani Mahajan SKIMS Road Upper Soura Srinagar-190020-Kmr (India) PRINTED AT: S.S.Printer Soura Near Police Station Soura Srinagar Kashmir Phone NO: +91 9796 363738, 9419078647 email: focusonglobe@gmail.com

MERCEDES, BMWS, AUDIS HOT FAVOURITES OF INDIAN POLITICIANS Wealthy Indian politicians prefer nothing less than Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars, Audis or gas-guzzling SUVs to scorch the road.

While marquee brands like Mercedes, BMWs and Jaguars appear to be hot-favourites for the rich and mighty, home- grown SUVs like Scorpios and Tata Safaris are among other common brands.

Lawyer by profession and BJP candidate from Amritsar, Arun Jaitley owns a Mercedes, BMW, Honda Accord and Porsche. Besides, the legal eagle -- who reported a total income of Rs 2.61 crore in 2012-13 fiscal -- has a Toyota Fortuner, his poll affidavit shows.

Another BJP member, Bhojpuri film star Manoj Tiwari, who contested from North East Delhi seat, has a fleet of cars, including Audi Q7, Mercedez Benz E280, Fortuner and Honda City GXI.

Bollywood actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, BJP candidate from Mathura, owns a Mercedes and Toyota Innova while her husband, superstar Dharmendra, has a Range Rover, Maruti 800 and a motorbike in his name.

Sitting Nagaur MP, Congress’s Jyoti Mirdha, the richest woman in the first phase of polls from Rajasthan, is also a proud Merc owner.

Haryana Janhit Congress party chief Kuldeep Bishnoi owns five cars, including a Jaguar XF, an Audi Q7 and a Range Rover.

Former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin, who is contesting polls on a Congress ticket from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, owns a Honda CR-V and a BMW 650i.

BJP contestant from Bellary (Karnataka) B Sreeramulu is one of the few politicians to own the iconic Hummer in India.

Another BJP leader, Meenakshi Lekhi has not listed any vehicle in her name, but has declared Jaguar, BMW, Beetle and Chevrolet cars in her husband’s name. Her husband, Aman Lekhi, is a lawyer by profession.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has a BMW, which he inherited.

EDITORIAL

4

Focus On Globe

B

asheer was a government officer. He

his files in the office, paid me a fee for the

lived a happy life with his wife Ha-

services rendered to him.”

meeda and daughter Noorie.

One day, he returned home, late as usu-

“But father, that’s a bribe and how could we use that money?” She said.

subject!” he declared.

Noorie persisted with her argument, “But, father, he does not say it on his own authority. Whatever he teaches me is based

al, and proudly flashed before his family

“Says who?” asked her father puzzled.

on the authority of the Quran and Hadith.

a wad of currency notes, “I am sorry for

“My teacher for Islamic studies, who

There is a tradition of the Holy Prophet

coming late, but I will make it up by taking

teaches me Qur’an and Hadith,” she re-

(saws), which clearly states: ““If a person

you both to a five-star hotel for a late night

plied. Basheer was clearly angry, “He is a

made a recommendation for anyone in a

dinner.”

mad-cap! What does he know about the re-

just manner and accepted a gift from the

But Noorie looked extremely worried.

alities of life? We live in a big city, and we

gratified party in return, he committed a

“Father!” she said to him, “please tell me

all have our needs and have to maintain a

grave error,” which means that it, too, is a

from where you got all that money.”

certain lifestyles and cherish some ambi-

form of bribery!

“Well, my daughter,” he said grandly, “A

tions in our heart! Don’t listen to him and I

Her father now looked at her clearly

businessman who was in a hurry to push

will not hear another word from you on this

displeased, tongue-tied, suddenly finding

By: M.H.Mahajan

A BRIBE BY ANY OTHER NAME REMAINS A BRIBE!

himself at a loss for words. He retired to bed

Noorie was precisely waiting for these

Nobody had offered him such a huge sum

without taking the dinner that was laid out

words. She said immediately: “Don’t take

of money as a bribe earlier. His mind raced

for him by his family.

any bribe today, however large the amount

furiously with a million thoughts about the

However, he continued to take such

may be. Do it for one day. That will be the

things he could do with that kind of money,

bribes on the sly and continued to bring

best birthday gift you can give to me in this

but for a second. But then he remembered

home, new costly things to adorn his house.

life ever!”

the promise he had made to Noorie. Those

Noorie watched it daily with growing un-

Basheer was pleased at his daughter’s

ease. She resolved that one day, she would

answer: “Well,” he said, “that’s easily done.

“I don’t know what you mean gentleman,

make her father see sense and correct him-

I promise you and give you my word; I will

for everything in my office goes according

self before things got out of hand.

turn down any bribe that would be com-

to rules and I cannot stretch myself beyond

ing my way today, no matter how big the

that to please you,” said Basheer to the con-

amount!”

tractors.

Soon, it was her birthday. Her father came to her that morning with a smile.

SOCIETY

1 April 2014

words still rang loud and clear in his mind.

“Happy Birthday, my child! Tell me what

That afternoon, when Basheer was hard

Hameeda and Noorie loved him and al-

would you like to have as a birthday gift

at work, two businessmen who wanted to

ways looked forward to his early return

and you will have it when I return home

talk to him on matters relating to mutual

from office. But such occasions were rare.

this evening.”

interest were ushered in the office.

He would have work till late in the evening

“Really!?” said Noorie, “Now let me

“Mr. Basheer, my name is Victor,” said

or would have visitors who came with re-

think...I know exactly what I want! But, No!

one of them, “We are both contractors and

quests for pushing their files for grants,

I don’t think you can do that!”

we need your help in getting our tenders

contracts, sanction of government funds or

passed. You will have your commission.”

requests for projects in their area. Basheer

Basheer was surprised: “There is nothing, which I will deny you today. For it was

He opened a briefcase, which was stacked

today, that you brought happiness into our

by bundles of currency notes. Basheer’s

life eighteen years ago.”

eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

would help them and in return they would pay him some money for his services

5

Focus On Globe 1 March 2014 Focus On Globe News Network

STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION SHIES AWAY FROM TRANSPARENCY, REFUSES TO SHARE ITS’ LETTER TO OMAR ‘RTI Application Rejected on Flimsy Ground ’ Shying away from transparency and Ignoring the preamble of the RTI Act which calls for “setting out the regime of the right to information act for the people of the state to secure access to information under the control of public authorities , in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority and whereas, democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Government and instrumentalities accountable to the governed” . The Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission has denied sharing a communication letter written by Chief Information Commissioner GR Sufi to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and after a pause of 40 days it has rejected an RTI application on flimsy ground.

The Public Information Officer (Deputy Registrar) at State Information Commission has rejected an application under Jammu and Kashmir Right to information Act 2009 of RTI activist Raman Sharma on the ground that the applicant had not mentioned the name of the ‘Account Officer’ on the Indian Postal Order amounting Rs. 10 which was submitted with the RTI application as stipulated fees.

But the Public Information Officer at the State Information Com-

with the Public Information Officer on 16/Jan/2014 along with the transparency law and trend setter for other Public Authorities to requite fees which remained unattended with the SIC for over 40 follow and honour the provisions of the transparency law blatantday and then rejection letter, original application and fees is re- ly flouted the provisions of the act and took over 40 days to reject ceived back by the applicant only on 28/Feb/2014 i.e. after inordi- the application. Calling it as an most unfortunate action and blow to nate delay of over 40 days.

It is worth to mention here that as per the legal provision of the

transparency law.

Raman Sharma while giving his reaction over the failure of

Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009 vide section 7(1) the PIO to dispose of his application within stipulated period it is obligatory on the part of the PIO to either provide the requisite of 30 days said that even if there was lack on his (applicant’s) information as expeditiously as possible but in no case later than 30 part then also as per section days or reject application citing valid exemption clause.

6-1(b) the J & K RTI Act 2009 it

is ample clear and already mentioned in the law that the PIO

STATE SCAN

The applicant Raman had personally submitted the application mission, the apex RTI body which is suppose to be a protector of

6

Focus On Globe 1 April 2014 Focus On Globe News Network shall render reasonable assistance to the person making the

also informed that in his RTI application he has only asked

request. He also complained that he received the rejection

for the copies of letters written by Chief Information Commis-

letter through ordinary post only which also highlights the

sioner to the Chief Minister and there was no reason to deny

insensitive approach of the commission towards the law. He

this simple information.

PARTICIPATION OF RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS IN THE MISSION Stressing on strict compliance of PNDT Act by all the concerned including paramedics, Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Lone suggested involvement of religious leaders and women peer groups in checking female foeticide.

Chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the Act in the District, Dr. Lone said every religion holds women in high esteem and no religion allows their killing in the womb. He suggested that religious scholars be involved in the mission of checking female feticide who in turn can enlighten people on the issue through

STATE SCAN

their sermons, discourses and writings.

The Deputy Commissioner directed launching a campaign in this connection throughout the District. He also asked the women’s groups and volunteers to come forward and infuse momentum to this cause. He also suggested usage of visual and print media for getting the message across the masses.

The meeting was told that the licenses of ultrasound clinicians who are found involved in pre birth sex determination would be withdrawn forthwith. Also cash rewards of 20 thousand to 50 thousands would be given to those people who inform the Government about such a clinic.

7

Focus On Globe 1 March 2014 Focus On Globe News Network

CHIEF SECRETARY REVIEWS MID-DAY MEAL

Chief Secretary, Mr. Mohammad Iqbal Khandey reviewed the implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-Day Meal Schemes in schools at a meeting.

Chief Secretary while receiving detailed brief regarding the achievements registered under both the Schemes noted that substantial progress has been made to boost universalization of elementary education at both the primary school and upper primary school level in the State.

He called for devising a uniform and efficient system for distribution of food grains/cooking gas to all schools across the State by the CA&PD besides ensuring that supplies are provided to the school through the nearest CA&PD outlet. He also called for ensuring regular health checkup of students in all schools under the School Health Programme to address health and nutrition needs of children.

Besides, he asked the PHE Department to extend drinking water facilities to all newly opened schools serving mid-day meals.

HISTORIC DECISION TO CHANGE DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE OF J&K Thousands of People from

decision of the coalition gov-

the rural infrastructure, be-

overwhelming support of the

Tangmarg, Pattan and Beer-

ernment for creation of new

sides to facilitate the people to

people, the government was

wa gave a rousing reception

Administrative Units across

redress their grievances in a

able to take such initiatives

to the Minister for Agricul-

the state aims to provide gov-

time bound manner. He said,

during last five years to make

ture, Mr. Ghulam Hassan Mir

ernance to the people of J&K

almost every area has been

J&K at par with other states

for fulfilling the aspirations

at their doorstep for which

covered under this historic

of the country”. He said that

of the people of these areas

they had to traverse a long

decision. He said that creation

UPA government has pro-

by strongly advocating their

distances for getting their

of Tehsils, Blocks, Naibats,

vided liberal funding for the

demands for creation of new

problems resolved in various

and Sub-Divisions will go a

development of the state, as a

Administrative Units (AU’s)

utility services offices. He

long way in mitigating the

result all the three regions are

in the Cabinet Sub Commit-

said that new administrative

difficulties of the people in

witnessing development and

tee and the Cabinet, Which

units will give new impetus

various areas, particularly

creation of infrastructure in

resulted in creation of several

to development and ease the

the far off pockets of the State.

different spheres of life.

new AU’s in these respective

administrative problems

areas.

of people living in far-flung

that for the welfare of the peo-

local issues, the Minister

Referring to various

areas and will change devel-

ple, numerous people friendly

said that during last five

of life from Tangmarg, Pattan

opment landscape of J&K. He

initiatives have been taken

years road communication

and Beerwa assembled at

said that time is not far away

by the government and this is

network, health, education

Narbal from morning braving

when Tangmarg Tehsil will

a major initiative in the past

, PHE, Power infrastruc-

cold, snow and rainy weather

get District status to fulfill the

six and half decades, which is

ture of these areas has been

and took Mr. Mir in a proces-

cherished dream of the people

aimed at giving much needed

upgraded, besides number of

sion to Tangmarg where he

of Tangmarg and its adjoining

respite to people living in

vital bridges have also been

addressed a huge public meet-

areas. That will carving out

‘not so advantageous areas’.

completed. He said that new

ing. The enthusiastic crowds

of Tehsils, Naibats, Patwar

He spelled out the broad

projects in different sectors

were seen chanting slogans

Halqas and new community

contours of the initiative and

have also been taken in hand

and were also dancing to

development blocks; in partic-

said placement of Patwari

for which required funds

celebrate the creation of new

ular, will give further boost to

in each Panchayat Halqa

have also been made avail-

administrative units in their

rural economy with increas-

will immensely benefit the

able. He said that develop-

respective areas en-route the

ing fund flow.

rural population. Asking the

ment is a continuous process

people particularly the youth

and assured the people that

will receive uniform fund

to involve themselves in the

mitigating the demands of

gathering at Tangmarg,

flow under various centrally

development of the state, The

people is the primary goal of

the Minister said the bold

and state schemes to upgrade

Minister said that “it is due to

the government.

procession.

Addressing the huge

He said that every area

STATE SCAN

People from all walks

The Minister said

8

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

“THE MISSION TO ENLIGHTEN OUR NEXT GENERATION” By: Muhammad Haneef Mahajan

E

ducation is the basic right of every child. Yet today, whether it’s Jammu & Kashmir or any corner of the world. Well India has largest number of uneducated children’s. You can make

the difference. Be part of “EDUCATION” and contribute towards creating an educated, progressive nation. So we can proud to be a part of this world. When we will realize the things, it’s the right time to construct the concert bridges for our next generation. So they can get the knowledge from whole world. The earliest School existed in Mesopotamia around 2100 B.C. The purpose of school was to enlighten our next generation, project education is the part of our society learn and thrive that focuses on the development of children in need across the globe, with education of children via education being the priority

EDUCATION

“CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME”

in India. According to my survey till date some NGO’s has sent 87000 children’s a cross the 435.Communities on the path of education.

1. “Less then 50% Girls fail to enroll in schools while most of those who do, dropout of by age 12”.

2. “India has the world’s largest number of uneducated children”.

3. “50% of Indian children between (6 to 18) year’s lack of opportunity to go to school”

Here we have to think positively, for next generation. How we will save their future?

ABOUT EDUCATION. Project education is part of our society learn and thrive that focuses on the development of children need across the globe, with education of children via children being the priority in India till date NGO’s has sent 87000 children’s a cross 435 communities on the path to the right to education, with the donations of Rs. 7crore.with the help of CRY, the child education project includes ones that work with the state education developments to re-look at existing education policies.

Create awareness to built more schools with better infrastructure and basic amenities like water, electricity , health care, enroll more children’s into formal schools and promotion of retention in school and build all round development of children.

Focus On Globe

1 March 2014

9

future for themselves. We reach over 3000 children’s daily through street

HISTORY OF THE PROGRAMS AND IMPACT. As for our knowledge India has the worlds largest number

schools residential homes and vocational centers. we want to do more.

1.

2.

WE HAVE TO DO MORE? WE HAVE TO THINK MORE?

of children’s out of school. Every child in India has the right

If we think that we are a part of this world, Country, State, or Province

to free quality of education but still approximately one out of

so that we have to think positively contractively and seriously for the de-

two children (close to 200million) do not go to school. Even as

velopment of our next Generations where we can make our future secure

the continues to grow at a fast pace, statistics indicate that

and also have to facilitate them with modern technology. Only 4% of our

there are many challenges like poverty that will need to be

budget goes to administration and we stretch our funds maximize their im-

taken in stride if this growth is to be sustained. In an attempt

pact put simply, if we could possible manage to support to next Generation

to make a difference is when “P and G” in partnership with

so we will transform the lives of children in disparate need.

“CRY”-Child Right and You launched education , a National Consumer Movement now running in its 4th year.

Education has always received the support of many

Only we can determine whether the quality of care is appropriate for your child.

thoughts leaders and celebrities such as Saif Ali Khan, Dia Mirza, Amir Khan, Dr. M.Hanief Mahajan, Shah-ruk Khan, Mr.Yousf Khan (Dlip Kumar) , Susmita sen, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaaf, Mrs. Sharmila Tagoor, Kiran Badi , Preity Zinta, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Data , Kajol and many more celebrities helped to bring out the key message of education (Pado aur Padha) Learn and read.

STREET CHILDREN CRISIS IN INDIA

MISSION, PHILOSOPHY, STRATEGY, OVERVIEWS. Provide care, Love and development for

Mission:-

1.

Planning safe, healthy environment to invite learning.

2. Steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development.

3. Positive ways to support children’s.

4. Social and emotional developments.

5. Strategies to establish productive relationship with families.

6. Maintaining a commitment to professionalism.

7. Observing and recording children’s behavior.

8. Strategies to manage an effective program.

9. Principles of child development and learning.

WHAT DO WE OFFER INFANT AND TODDLER CAREGIVERS?

children on the streets of India.

Help as many children as possible.

Focus on those in greatest need.

Do not discriminate or avoid difficult cases.

Strategy:-

Crate a comprehensive system of services

to fulfill children’s long -term need for education , skills and emotional support as will as their short-term need for nutrition, health and shelter maximize the impact of this system through integrating programs , monitoring and improving the quality of service and seizing opportunities to expand.

Over views:- India’s mission is to provide care love and development programs

1. Information on best practices in infant and toddler care.

2. Information on current research and developments in the field.

3. Technical assistance for existing and potential caregiver serving infants and toddlers.

4. Training and workshop.

5. A leading library of resource Books, Magazines and Video tapes.

6. Answer the Questions and Concerns.

for children’s living on the streets

in all the states of India as well as the whole world. We strive to help as many as children’s possible and focus on those in most urgent need.

So be a part of the society Don’t get so wrapped up in your hoper and dreams for your child’s future that you lose sight of what matters in most

We assist children with their immediate challeng-

the here and now. After all what could be more important then your child

es, such as homelessness malnutrition and illness while also

knowing that you love and cherish him for who he is- not what for you want

developing their attitude and skills so they can make a better

him to be and how you hope he will become.

EDUCATION

Philosophy:-

10

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

Jammu and Kashmir

OUTLOOK OF STATE PROFILE’S • The Northern most state in India,

Front (JKLF), Jammu Kashmir People's

Jammu and Kashmir is possibly one of

Democratic Party, Jammu and Kashmir

India's most politically disputed states

National Panthers Party and the BJP.

that has been the bone of discontent between India and Pakistan ever since India attained independence.

• The state has 6 Lok Sabha constituencies.

• In 2009 General Elections, JKNC won 3 seats while INC won 2 seats. One seat was won by an independent candidate.

• In 2008, out of 87 Assembly seats in

• The National Conference Party

the state, JKNC won 28 seats, JKPDP won

(JKNC) has dominated electoral politics

21 seats, INC won 17 seats, BJP won 11

in Indian-administered Kashmir for de-

seats and JKNPP won 3 seats. The rest 7

cades. The party supports autonomy for

seats went to others.

Kashmir within the scope of the Indian constitution. The NCP is in alliance with

16th General Election of Lok Sabha 2014:

• Omar Abdullah is the present Chief Minister of the state.

STATE PROFILE OF JAMMU STATE PROFILE OF ASSAM AND KASHMIR GENERAL GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: ELECTIONS Assam 2014:

INC in the state.

• Other major parties that are active in

OUTLOOK

the state are Jammu Kashmir Liberation

• 2014 General Elections in the state

are scheduled to be held on April 10, April 17, April 24, April 30 and May 07.

Focus On Globe •Lok Sabha elections will take place in three phases on April 7, 12 and 24.

•The state will go to polls for 14 Lok Sabha constituencies.

11

1 March 2014

Parishad.

figure in the state. Earlier part of Assom

•The current government is a coalition

Gana Parishad, he parted ways with the

government between Congress and All In-

party to create Assom Gana Parishad (Pro-

dia United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

gressive).

•The key national and regional parties

•The Chief Minister of the state Tarun

• In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Con-

of the state include Indian National Con-

Gogoi has been in power since 2001 and has

gress party emerged as the single largest

gress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),

been elected to the post for three consecu-

party.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), All

tive term.

•Opinion poll suggests that in the Gener-

India United Democratic Front (AIUDF),

• Former chief minister Praful Kumar

Bodoland Peoples Front and Asom Gana

Mahanta is stated as a powerful political

al Elections 2014, Congress will win maximum seats followed by BJP and AIUDF.

STATE PROFILE OF ANDHRA PRADESH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

State Profile of Andaman and Nicobar Islands General Elections 2014 Andhra Pradesh

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• The 16th Lok Sabha elections are crucial in the state as they are taking place after the Centre's nod on creation of separate Telangana state.

•The bill to create the 29th state of the country was passed by Lok Sabha on February 19 and Rajya Sabha on February 20.

•The state has 42 Lok Sabha seats

• The scenic Union Territory of

• Kuldeep Rai Sharma is the pres-

including 25 from Seemandhara and 17

Andaman and Nicobar Islands com-

ident of the Andaman and Nicobar

from Telangana regions.

prise of 572 islands and lies at the

Pradesh Committee and the Congress

juncture of the Bay of Bengal and An-

candidate for the constituency.

STATE SCAN

phases on April 30 and May 7.

daman Sea.

•

Samajwadi Party has fielded

•After the bifurcation of the state,

• Andaman and Nicobar islands

Raghubir Singh Fisherman from the

Andhra Pradesh will have 175 Assembly

have only one Lok Sabha constituen-

lone constituency in Andaman and

seats and Telangana will have 117 seats.

cy and polling will be held on 10 April

Nicobar.

•The key political parties in the state are Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, YSR Congress party and Telugu Desam Party.

2014.

• There are 386 polling stations for an electorate numbering 257856.

• Bishnu Pada Ray is the sitting BJP MP from Andaman and Nicobar.

• The BJP won the parliamenta-

• The main political parties active

ry seat in the 2009 elections. Opinion

in Andaman and Nicobar are: Indian

polls predict a win for the BJP this

National Congress (INC), Bharatiya

year as well, but a close fight is pre-

•The last chief minister of the state

Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Con-

dicted.

was N Kiran Kumar Reddy from the

gress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj

• 2009 Lok Sabha poll ws won by

Congress party who resigned protesting

Party (BSP), Communist Party of In-

the BJP and the opinion polls suggest

against the creation of Telangana state.

dia (Marxist) CPI(M) and Samajwadi

the same feat would be repeated by

Party (SP).

the BJP this year.

•In the General Elections 2009, Congress won with a majority of 33 seats.

OUTLOOK

•The elections will take place in two

12

Focus On Globe

STATE PROFILE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

1 April 2014

STATE PROFILE OF BIHAR GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 Bihar

Arunachal Pradesh

• In 2014 Parliamentary Elections, Bihar would be one of the most intensely watched States. The state is represented by 40 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. Out of its 40 constituencies, six seats are reserved • The state tucked in the lap of Himalayas, also known as the 'Land of the Rising Sun' will go to the Lok Sabha polls on April 9.

• Arunachal sends two elected members from the Arunachal West and the Arunachal East constituencies to the Lower House of the Parliament.

• This time, Assembly elections will coincide with the Lok Sabha polls.

• The electorate strength in the north-eastern state is 7,35,196.

• Arunachal will go to the polls for 60 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats.

• Arunachal assembly has 55 Congress MLAs, three BJP members, one TMC member and an independent legislator.

• Congress has been dominating Arunachal for the major pat of the history.

• Congress party won in the state's maiden Lok Sabha poll in 1977 and continued its winning streak till 1991.

• But in 1996 and 1998, Congress couldn't grab the win. The Congress came back in 1999, but in

OUTLOOK

2004 lost again, bringing the BJP to victory for the

for the Scheduled Castes (SC).

• The major players in the 2014 election are predicted to be the JD(U), BJP, NCP, RJD, LJP and INC. • The JD(U) ended a 17-year-old alliance with the BJP after the latter announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.

• In 2009 General Elections, JD(U) was on top by winning 20 seats followed by the BJP with 12 seats. The RJD on the other hand could win only 4 seats and Congress lagging behind with 2 seats. The remaining two seats went to others.

• In the state Assembly election, held in 2010, JD(U) won 115 seats out of total 243. Moreover, BJP won 91, RJD won 22, INC won 4, LJP won 3, JMM and CPI won 1 each seat. The remaining 6 seats went to others.

• JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister of the state.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 10, April 17, April 24, April 30, May 07 and May 12.

STATE PROFILE OF CHHATTISGARH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

first time ever. In 2009, the Congress was back again with the victory.

• Nabam Tuki is the current Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

• The Arunachal East seat is held by by Congress' Nining Ering while the Arunachal West seat is under the helm of Takam Sanjoy.

• According to the opinion polls, Congress and BJP both are expected to win one seat each.

Chhattisgarh

Focus On Globe • Lok Sabha elections will take place in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24 and the

include Indian National Congress (INC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

counting of votes will take place on May 16.

• After the formation of the state, Con-

• The state will go to polls for 11 Parlia-

gress was voted to power in the first state

mentary constituencies.

13

1 March 2014

Assembly elections.

• Chhattisgarh state was carved out of

•

Since then, Bharatiya Janata Party

•

In 2013 Assembly elections, BJP

emerged as the victorious party with absolute majority after winning 49 seats.

•

Chief Minister Raman Singh was

re-elected for the third term in 2013 Assembly elections.

Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000 and has 27

(BJP) has been in power and has been elect-

• The state has 90 Assembly seats out of

districts.

ed to govern the state thrice and has been in

which 10 are reserved for Scheduled Castes

power from the last 15 years.

and 24 for Scheduled Tribes.

• The main political parties of the state

STATE PROFILE OF CHANDIGARH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 Chandigarh

• The Union Territory is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.

• Elections in the state will be held on April 10.• It is the first planned city and has the highest per capita income.

• Congress bagged the lone Parliamentary constituency seat in the last Lok Sabha elections.

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the seat in the 1996 and 1998 elections.

• The main political parties of the

• Among the prominent politicians

state include Indian National Congress

from the state is tenth vice president of

(INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ba-

the country, Krishna Kant, who won the

hujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwa-

first seat from the UT.

di Party (SP).

• According to opinion polls, Arvind

• Former Union Minister for Raiw-

Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

lays Pawan Kumar Bansal is the Con-

will turn out to be a surprise for the ex-

gress party candidate for the upcoming

isting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and

Lok Sabha polls.

Congress parties in the state.

STATE PROFILE OF DELHI GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 • The national capital of India, Delhi

of 70 seats, the BJP won 32 seats with

will see a three cornered fight in upcom-

SAD, AAP won 28 seats and 2 seats went

ing 2014 General Elections with the INC,

to others. However anti-incumbency

the BJP and the newly-formed Aam Aad-

and pro-AAP wave swept across Del-

mi Party (AAP) all set to give a tough

hi and INC was reduced to just 8 seats.

fight to each other.

The AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal came

• Some other parties that have their

to power with external support from

presence in Delhi are BSP, CPI, NCP and

the INC. However, the AAP government

SAD.

lasted for just 49 days and currently Del-

• The National Capital Territory of

hi is under the President's rule.

Delhi has seven Lok Sabha constituen-

• As per the opinion polls, the AAP

cies. The North West Delhi seat is re-

and the BJP both will contest for three-

served for the Scheduled Caste (SC)

four seats. Due to the anti-Congress

• In 2009 General Elections; the INC won all seven seats, making it one of the Congress dominated segments.

• In the 2013 Assembly elections, out

wave in Delhi, INC may fail to win even a single seat.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 10.

OUTLOOK

STATE SCAN

The national capital of India, Delhi

14

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

STATE PROFILE STATE PROFILE OF DAMAN AND OF DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI DIU GENERAL GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: ELECTIONS 2014:

Daman and Diu • Nestled along the coast of the Arabian Sea,

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Daman and Diu was granted the status of a Union Territory in 1987 when Goa was made the 25th state of India • Daman and Diu is the fifth largest Union Territory and is divided into two districts, Daman and Diu. • Total voters are 44546.

• Major parties in Daman and Diu are Indi-

one member in the Lok Sabha. The constituency belongs to General category.

• It became a union territory in the year 1961.

•

The political parties that promi-

an National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata

nently contest election from this UT are

Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and

BJP, SHS, IND, BSP, CPM, SP, BNP, INC

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

and NCP.

• Daman and Diu has just one Lok Sabha

• The 14th Lok Sabha elections held

seat and it will go to the 16th Lok Sabha polls

in 2009 was won by Delkar Mohanbhai

on 30 April 2014.

Sanjibhai of the BNP in Dadra and

• In 1987, the maiden Lok Sabha elections

Nagar Haveli.

in the state was won by the Congress but an

• It is the President of India who nom-

independent won in 1989 elections. BJP won in

inates an administrator or Lieutenant

1991 but Congress was back in 1996. BJP was

Governor to preside over the Govern-

the alternate winner in 1998, however the INC

ment and Politics of Dadra and Nagar

came back to power in 1990 and 2004 elections.

Haveli.

Last Lok Sabha elections in 2009 went to the BJP's kit.

OUTLOOK

• A union territory in the western India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli represents

• Lalubhai Babubhai Patel of the BJP is a prominent politician and also a member of the Committee on Home Affairs. He had won in the last election.

• Tandel Gopalbhai Kalyanbhai and Patel Dahyabhai Vallabhbhai are key Congress leaders from this Union Territory.

• The BJP had won the election in 2009 and the opinion polls predict the BJP will continue the winning streak in 2014 too.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 30.

STATE PROFILE OF GUJARAT GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

Gujarat • The state, which has been ruled by the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for over a decade now, is better known as the “Vibrant Gujarat”.

• The state is is in special focus in Lok Sabha Elections 2014 as its very own CM Modi is touted to be the most preferred PM candidate and he is also contesting the elections from his home turf (Vadodara).

• Gujarat has 182 assembly constituencies and 26 parliamentary constituencies.

• In Gujarat, the Lok Sabha polls will be held in single phase on 30th April. By-elections of state assembly will also be held on same day.

• The most talked about constituencies in Gujarat are Vadodara and Gandhinagar, with Narendra Modi and LK Advani contesting from these seats respectively.

• Congress is fielding Narendra Rawat against Modi from Vadodara and Kirit Patel against LK Advani from the seat of Gandhinagar.

• Gandhinagar too, has been the BJP's pet seat as the saffron party has been in power here since 1989. Also, Advani has won 5 times from here.

• Gujarat can be categorised into four geographical regions – Saurashtra, north, south and central Gujarat. Saurashtra comprises of 8 Lok Sabh seats - Kutch, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Amreli and Bhavnagar.

• North Gujarat encompasses Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Patan, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad-East and West • South Gujarat has Mandvi and Valsad (tribal pockets) and Surat, Nansari and Bharuch.

• Central Gujarat includes Vadodara, Chhota Udeipur, Dahod, Panchmahal, Kheda and Anand.

• There is a Modi wave in the state but Congress has been traditionally strong in tribal and Muslim-dominated pockets, also in Central Gujarat.

• CM Narendra Modi is contesting Lok Sabha election from Vadodara of the central Gujarat to weaken the Congress party's influence in this area.

• Five-time Bhavnagar MP Rajendrasinh Rana has not yet been given a ticket and the same goes for Advani's confidante and seven-time Ahmedabad East MP Harin Pathak, who has been replaced by actor Paresh Rawal.

• In 2012 Assembly Polls, the BJP won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61.

• In last Lok Sabha Election 2009, the BJP bagged 15 seats, while the Congress got 11.

• In 2004 LS polls, the saffron party had got 14 seats, while the Congress has garnered 12.

• Advani-Modi duo in Gujarat, topped with the already existing NaMo wave, are expected to bring cheers for the BJP in the state, say polls.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Rahul Gandhi (Congress)

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

Modi’s Power Vs Rahul's Dilemma & the AAP Challenge

15

1 March 2014

Narendra Modi(BJP)

The elephant of Indian democracy is ready for the biggest election festivity of the world with the ‘Mahout’ - the Election Commission- announcing a nine-phase marathon carnival in the months of April and May. The scale of national elections in India is vaster than that of United States and Europe combined, the evidence of which is in the humungous numbers. Over 814.5 million eligible voters will cast their ballot through Electronic Voting Machines that would be set up in 9, 30,000 polling stations across the country.These elections would not just be the longest, but also the costliest with an estimated spend of Rs 3500 crore, and this excludes the expenditure on security and campaigning by candidates. Clearly, despite all its faults, India’s democracy also remains its best success.

With the poll bugle sounding for 2014, candidates have hit the hustings with vengeance. The battle looks likely to be one that will be hotly contested and the claptrap at rallies is already turning crude. Few elections in the past have seen such malice laced repartee becoming common place; from 10 numbari to accusations of impotency, loads of invectives have flown thick and fast.

Possibly, these are symbolic of insecurities and raw ambitions hemmed in politicians and the prize that is at stake. As two successive terms of United Progressive Alliance come to an end, the field looks open for anyone.

By: Akrita Reyar

COVER STORY

Focus On Globe

16

Focus On Globe

CONGRESS ON THE WANE

1 April 2014

marking its second tenure, UPA is un-

ted a ticket from Bhind (Madhya Pradesh).

doubtedly on the back foot. Its flock seems

There are now reports that some of its

to have gone asunder with reports of its

prominent MPs and cabinet ministers

MPs crossing over to the BJP. Not just

may not be very keen to contest at all this

have former ministers like D Purandesh-

time, clearly showing the party may have

The Congress which is facing a double

wari migrated, more embarrassing still

accepted defeat even before the ballots

anti-incumbency is, arguably, looking at

have been cases like Jagadambika Pal,

have been cast. Prime Minister Manmo-

its weakest since 1996-98. With spiraling

Raju Srivastava, or somone like Bhagi-

han Singh had announced his retirement

prices and numerous corruption charges

rath Prasad, who quit despite being allot-

at a press

Rahul Gandhi (Congress)

conference at Vigyan Bhavan, so that’s a closed

already being predicted to be pathetic; psepholo-

chapter. Sonia Gandhi has been pushing Rahul

gists and opinion polls are envisaging not more

Gandhi to the forefront for long and he is a part of

than 100 seats for the party that had romped home

six-member election committee which is looking

with 206 seats in the 15th Lok Sabha elections.

at alliances, campaign strategy and the Congress

Some of these nearly 100 seats were likely to come

manifesto.Rahul, in a sense, holds out to be the big-

from the Telangana area, which will come into

gest promise and weakness of the Congress. While

its own as a separate state after these elections

a Gandhi at helm works as glue in the party, the

thanks to the unholy haste Congress displayed in

potential of the scion is being questioned by even

pushing the bill. However, with Telangalan Rash-

those who are within.

tra Samithi (TRS) first backing out of merging

Rahul Gandhi has embarrassed his own prime

into the Congress and now out of even forming an

minister by offering to tear up a UPA ordinance

alliance with it, the 17 seats of the region are no

that would have allowed convicted politicians to

guarantee.

contest elections even as he has failed to make a

So whatever Congress gathers will either come

mark on his own. If one were to look at the state

from its stronghold bastions or thanks to its tra-

elections that he has handled, not only is the re-

ditional vote banks like Muslims and STs.As per

cent 4-1 assembly contest a bad enough harbinger,

Census data, 46 Lok Sabha constituencies have

his decision to face a ruthless television journalist

more than 30% Muslims in population and the

only damaged his image further and alienated the

community can make an impact in 110 seats. But

Sikh community.

whether these seats will go to Congress is a big

Apparently, a senior Congressman comment-

question, given the fact that several regional out-

ed immediately after the interview that the party

fits like Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal-United

had just lost another 10 seats. And the tally was

(JD-U) etc will be vying for the same pie.

BJP – SENSING OPPORTUNITY The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), on the other hand, seems more energised than ever in the recent past. Modi has galvanised the rank and file of the party and his backroom boys are working overtime to turn him

COVER STORY

into Brand Modi. Industrialists, common people and those at the margins but with aspirations to fly are giving him thumbs up. Who, they question, would not want to replicate the success he has brought to Gujarat at the Centre. Each of rallies is hugely well attended and all the paraphernalia – Modi cups, T-shirts, masks and pens are being freely distributed to generate hype and recall. Undoubtedly, Modi has good administrative abilities and he is a man who can turn adversity into an opportunity.

When scoffed at by senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar about his humble background of helping at his father’s tea stall in growing up years, Team Modi came upon the idea of holding ‘charcha’ (dialogue) over steaming cups of hot tea. Obviously, Modi had the advantage of mentoring a state that is known for the enterprising spirit of its people, and his record

Narendra Modi(BJP)

Focus On Globe

17

1 March 2014

on human indices is still poor in the state, yet he seems to come across as the best bet in the current scenario.

What Modi has to deal with in terms of challenges at the moment is his taint of 2002 riots which refuses to go away despite a lower court’s clean chit. However much anguish he may express in his blog or sadbhavana fasts that he may do, Muslims are likely to vote against him. Also, he faces resistance from satraps of his own party. L K Advani, who still nurtures ambitions to be the prime minister despite his advanced age, had turned recalcitrant during the Goa conclave which was supposed to be the inauguration of sorts of Modi at the national level and as party’s PM in running.

The sulking stalwart had quit from all party posts only to take back his resignations; in the bargain he only reduced his own stature. There are plenty of others like him. Murli Manohar Joshi had been unwilling to vacate his Varanasi seat for Modi and Sushma Swaraj has been making her

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

anger public through notorious tweets opposing party decisions to take back leaders like B Sriramulu in the fold.

She famously told media persons that parliamentary board

Aam Aadmi Party – Looking for a Place under the Sun

used to take decisions unanimously even when there were

In midst of the battle between the two big national parties is the din

2 MPs in the party, but was unaware how decisions were

created by the new kid on the block – the Aam Aadmi Party, which has

being made these days.

expressed its supreme confidence in hitting at least a century in its in-

Modi is both autocratic and arrogant and would rub

augural match.

many the wrong ways because of his dictatorial high-hand-

The party packs a novelty factor and is perceived as a fresh break

edness, but that is precisely what is making him look good

from run-of-the-mill old guard politicians. But its 49-day shoot and scoot

to the public which is seeking a more authoritative prime

tenure in Delhi exposed its lack of administrative tenacity. The party

minister than the incumbent Manmohan Singh, who is per-

looks more of an activism and anarchist variety than a serious alterna-

ceived to be a weakling, despite his fairly good economic

tive. It may have succeeded at the assembly level, but it is

track record. The other problem that he may face is that

unlikely that people would want to take a risk with them at the na-

of the BJP campaign peaking too early. And this is true

tional level. Moreover, most of their faces are from the cities and have

to some extent. Because while BJP is still a favourite in

gained appeal amongst urban electorate only. The underclass and cor-

opinion polls, Modi’s personal approval rating are down

ruption weary middle class might still throw its weight behind the

by 8-9%, as per a media survey. There is also the danger

headline grabbing Arvind Kejriwal, but India at large will remain un-

of some friendly relations going sour with Baba Ramdev

impressed.

rethinking support to BJP, months and years after singing

Social activist Anna Hazare’s open rebuke of AAP may also be factor

paeans of Modi. It’s another matter that Ramdev has taken

that would go against AAP, especially as the former was the mentor of

a U-turn again and is ready to get pictures snapped with his

most of the popular faces in the party. But the one impact that it might

arms around Modi.

have is the one in the form of being the party pooper. There is a realis-

What the BJP is leveraging really well, besides Modi crisscrossing the subcontinent, is social media, internet and promotion through mobile phones. There is a virtual army in place to keep the debate hardline right on web

tic chance that the party may wean away substantial enough anti-Congress votes towards itself thereby hurting BJP in the bargain.

Third Front Etc – The Also Rans

big data has been put on rolls to target pro BJP supporters,

Also in the running is the regular slew of aspirant PMs – the joke

so as to keep the flock together, and also to win over those

goes that they number more than the seats they can garner. Whether

who are generally non-BJP supporters but may be sitting

it is Jayalalithaa, Mulayan Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar or Mamata

on the fence this time. A swing of 10-15% in this category

Banerjee, they hope for a recreation of a scenario that had thrown up

will virtually seal BJP’s victory, going by the fact that the

National Front and United Front governments. But the likelihood of

Congress in 2009 had a high conversion ratio of vote share

something similar seems at the remotest at the moment.

percentage and Lok Sabha seats. The BJP would look to improve its current 18.8% vote share and repeat its best ever

Going by the mood of the nation, it is likely that BJP will go past the

performance of 1998, when it had stormed heartland India

180-seat barrier, but equally true is the fact that many senior leaders

winning handsomely in UP (52/80 - excluding the region

within the BJP would not want the party to go too much past it, or over

that is now Uttarakhand), a success that it would want to

215, owing to the party’s internal factionalism and innate dislike for

replicate this time.

Modi’s rising graph. While they would like BJP to form the government

COVER STORY

and in favour of Mr Modi. A company that specialises in

18

Focus On Globe and would themselves like to occupy cabinet berths, they might like Modi to remain intrinsically weak due to lack of numbers.A tally of under 200 is possible given the reality of the rise of regional

1 April 2014

WHY INDIA'S ELECTION COULD BE CLOSE

parties and the successive fall in the vote

The BJP, under Narendra Modi, is in the ascendant

share of the two main national parties.

But there is always a possibility that people may want to vote differently from the way they do in assembly elections when they vote for regional parties, and might just push the button for Modi.

The fact is that this time the general election is more about Narendra Modi than anyone else. Besides his incorruptible image and stamina for hard work, he is a man who has also been lucky in

COVER STORY

circumstance. The lower court’s clean chit about his involvement in post-

No single party has won a majority

Godhra riots has come at an opportune

in India's parliament since 1989 and gov-

landmark

tion - rights to information, food and

entitlements-based

legisla-

time. He is no longer considered a pari-

ernments since then have been formed

education, for example - frittered away

ah by those like Ram Vilas Paswan, who

with the support of smaller, regional

its goodwill because of the mishandling

have crossed over to the NDA camp, or

parties.

of the economy and corruption scandals.

even individual dissidents like RJD’s

Observers say the country's 16th gen-

Under the leadership of Manmohan

Ramkripal Yadav, who are citing the

eral election - to be held in nine phases

Singh, whose authority seems to have

court order for their decision to change

in April and May - will be no different.

eroded rapidly, the Congress govern-

factions. Second, though economic agen-

There has been a welcome - and some-

ment has often resembled a rudderless

cies may not be predicting high growth

times chaotic - deepening of democracy

ship. Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the

rates under Modi, credit rating firms

in the six decades since Independence.

man to lead the campaign also appears

as well as the corporate community is

There were an average of 4.67 can-

certain that business sentiment will im-

didates per constituency in India's first

to have come a bit late in the day.

On the other hand, the BJP, under Mr

prove and economy will move out of its

elections in 1952; in 2009, the number

Modi, appears to be in the ascendant. In

current auto-pilot mode.

had risen to over 10. In the 1952 polls, the

recent elections, the BJP swept to power

difference between the winning party

in three of the five states and emerged as

And third is the timing – when the op-

(Congress) and its closest rival (Com-

the single largest party in Delhi.

position is at its weakest. When Advani

munists) was 348 seats. In 2009, the dif-

With his muscular nationalism and

had the chance to become the PM, he had

ference (between Congress and the BJP)

promises to replicate the high rates

offered it to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Later,

had shrunk to 90 seats. The current par-

ofeconomic growth Gujarat has enjoyed

he never managed a mandate because

liament has 39 parties.

under his rule, Mr Modi appears to be

the Congress was either on a comeback

Yet, the 2014 election is being spun

the favourite of a large number of young

mode or had sprung a surprise. In 2014,

as a vote against the beleaguered ruling

voters. Yet, in a twist of irony, Mr Modi

the coast is clear. This time, a clear

Congress party and for Narendra Modi,

could turn out to be both an asset and a

win in direct contest states like Rajas-

the controversial leader and prime min-

liability for the BJP.

than, MP, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat and, of

isterial candidate of the main opposition

An observer says the 2014 elections

course, UP should see the BJP home.

Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Par-

could have been a "slam dunk" for the

Baba Ramdev had rightly said that Modi

ty (BJP).

BJP - but for a polarising prime ministe-

seems to be in an unseemly hurry to the

Observers say a slowing economy,

Prime Minister. One wouldn’t be sur-

high inflation, a string of high-profile

Though his supporters credit him

prised if he is. The stars look propitious,

corruption scandals, and a jaded gov-

with being a canny and efficient leader,

Modi wave is sweeping across the coun-

ernment are likely to sink the Congress

his critics - and there are many - say he

try, the Congress is down and nearly out

party at the polls; opinion polls predict

did not do enough to stop India's worst

and people are looking for change... if

a debacle with the party winning fewer

anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002.

ever there was a time for him to sit in

than 100 seats (it currently has 206).

Muslims, who comprise 13% of India's

the PM’s saddle, it is now. And Narendra Modi knows it.

rial candidate like Mr Modi.

Many say the two-term government,

population, are not likely to vote for

which has been responsible for some-

Mr Modi. The new anti-corruption Aam

Focus On Globe

19

1 March 2014

Aadmi Party (AAP), which made a spectac-

reach out to, yes, the smaller, regional

a prime minister will possibly depend on

ular debut in Delhi polls, could also play a

parties to cobble together a winning alli-

how many seats the BJP can mop up on

spoiler in some seats.

ance and form a government. Whether the

its own.

That could mean a very closely fought

regional parties - mostly run by popular,

contest, in which the BJP may have to

mass leaders - would accept Mr Modi as

Rahul Gandhi

Arvind Kejriwal

That could make it one of the most exciting elections India has seen for years.

Narendra Modi

THE KEY CANDIDATES FOR PRIME MINISTERIAL CHAIR India's ruling Congress Party, the main opposi-

Narendra Modi’s words

WORD CLOUD OF NARENDRA MODI'S SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS

tion Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the debutant fight to attract voters in the general elections.

Mr Modi appears to be more direct about his vision for India and less discreet in verbal attacks on his political rivals. "Development" and "India" appear

While the BJP appointed controversial leader

more often than any other word in Mr Modi's speeches. The chief minister of the

Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate

western Gujarat state frequently mentions his government's "pro-development",

in September last year, the Congress seems to have

"pro-youth" and "clean governance" policies.

played it safe and announced Rahul Gandhi as its election campaign chief in January.

Mr Modi tells the voter that he will use the "best practices" of his state government at the national level if elected as the country's prime minister.

Mr Gandhi may not be his party's candidate for

He is credited with making Gujarat economically prosperous but also faces

PM, but not many doubt that the Congress is contest-

questions over his controversial past. He is accused of doing little to stop an-

ing the elections under his leadership.

ti-Muslim riots in 2002 which left more than 1,000 dead - an allegation he has

The entry of the anti-corruption AAP (Common Man's Party), led by Arvind Kejriwal, has made the contest even more interesting.

The party was born out of an anti-corruption movement that swept India three years ago and

always denied.

The Hindu nationalist leader avoids mentioning the riots in his speeches and largely focuses on attacking the Congress over corruption. Mr Modi also criticises the Nehru-Gandhi family's prominence in the Congress party and says "one family" alone cannot run the country.

made a spectacular debut in the Delhi assembly elec-

Many observers see this strategy as a detour from his party's well-known

tions last year.The three leaders have been locked

pro-Hindutva (Hinduness) ideology. He appears to be pitching his idea of a cor-

in a verbal match since last year, touring the length

ruption-free India that includes better economic growth, improvements in na-

and breadth of the country to give speeches and meet

tional security and better safety for women.

people.

So what makes these leaders tick for their respec-

Mr Modi doesn't talk much about his stand on foreign policy issues, but China and Pakistan are often mentioned in his speeches.

tive parties? And what do they tell people in their

He often talks about threats from China and Pakistan in an apparent bid to

rallies? BBC Monitoring's Vikas Pandey uses word

capitalise on nationalistic sentiments in the country. In his words, "India needs

cloud analysis to find out the answers.

to be ready to face any threat coming from the neighbours."

COVER STORY

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are locked in a fierce verbal

20

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

WORD CLOUD OF RAHUL GANDHI'S SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS WORD CLOUD OF ARVIND KEJRIWAL'S SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS Rahul Gandhi's words Mr Gandhi is representing a party that has governed India in the last decade under the leadership of his mother Sonia Gandhi and Prime MinisterManmohan Singh.Mr Singh's government has been marred by several high-profile corruption cases and analysts say this has severely affected the popularity of the Congress party.A word cloud of Mr Gandhi's speeches and statements shows that he has been trying to highlight his own idea of "intra-party democracy" and governance.

He often talks about his party's "pro-poor" policies

Arvind Kejriwal's words

and praises programmes like the Right to Food Bill that

COVER STORY

promises cheap food for two-thirds of the population.

He largely refrains from mentioning Mr Modi's

Allegations of corruption against politicians, bu-

name in his speeches, but often repeats the phrase

reaucrats, big business houses and the media dominate

that "one man alone cannot solve India's problems" in

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s speeches.He says India

an apparent attack on his political rival's poll promis-

needs “independence” from corruption and pledges to

es.The Congress vice-president is often described as a

punish all corrupt politicians and officials.The former

"charismatic leader" and he tries to come across as one

chief minister of Delhi also talks about a “nexus” be-

by showing that he is in full control of the campaign.

tween the national parties, industrialists and the me-

He regularly mentions his own vision for a "new India"

dia.In his speeches, Mr Kejriwal taps on issues related

that will "empower the poor" and will have zero toler-

to the “common man” such as water scarcity, high elec-

ance for corruption in what many describe as his bid

tricity and gas prices.

to distance himself from the controversial graft cases.

He demands the people of India to support his “revo-

However, he also mentions the names of his mother

lution” and stop the BJP and the Congress from coming

Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

to power in this year’s general elections.Observers say

and gives them credit for what he sees as "successful" 10

Mr Kejriwal is hoping that his overtures will draw the

years of his party's rule.

middle class closer to his party.

Focus On Globe

1 March 2014

21

By Vanessa Barford BBC

As the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 continues in the southern Indian Ocean, some key questions remain unanswered.

Here are 10 questions about what happened to the Boeing 777 that disappeared after leaving Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing on 8 March, with 239 people on board.

MYSTERY CONTINUES TO SURROUND THE FATE OF MALAYSIA PLANE

10 QUESTIONS THOSE ARE STILL UNRESOLVED

COVER STORY

MH370 MYSTERY

22

Focus On Globe 1. WHY DID THE PLANE MAKE A SHARP LEFT TURN?

1 April 2014

3. IS A HIJACK SCENARIO EVEN POSSIBLE?

age tourists in an aircraft cockpit during

Military radar logs show flight MH370

a previous flight. Boeing said it would be

turned unexpectedly west when it diverted

inappropriate to comment on an ongoing

from its planned flight path, by which time

investigation.

the plane's transponder had already been

4. IS THERE AN ACCIDENTAL SCE-

switched off, and its last ACARS datalink

NARIO THAT STANDS UP TO SCRUTI-

transmission sent.

NY?

Sudden turns like this are "extreme-

So far most theories have been based on

ly rare", according to Dr Guy Gratton of

the assumption that the communications

Brunel University's Flight Safety Lab. He

systems and the plane’s transponder were

says the only real reason pilots are likely

deliberately disabled, a view endorsed by

to make such a manoeuvre is if there's a

Malaysian officials.

serious problem on the plane which makes

Airliners have been fitted with strength-

However, Wrigley believes it’s possible

them decide to divert to a different destina-

ened flight deck doors - intended to prevent

a sequence of events may have taken the

tion, to get the aircraft on the ground.

intruders from taking control - since 9/11.

plane so far off course by accident. “Some-

That could be a fire or sudden decom-

David Learmount, safety editor at Flight

thing could have gone wrong in stages. A

pression, according to David Barry, an ex-

International magazine, says they are “bul-

fire could have taken out part of the plane,

pert on flight data monitoring at Cranfield

letproof” and “couldn’t be penetrated with

or led to some systems failing, but left the

University. Malicious intent - by a pilot or

an axe”.

plane intact. Then there could have been de-

intruder - is another possibility. But unless

Sylvia Wrigley, light aircraft pilot and

the "black box" flight recorders are found,

author of Why Planes Crash, agrees it’s un-

whatever happened in the cockpit at that

likely anyone would be able to force their

Wrigley cites the Helios Airways flight

moment will remain in the realms of spec-

way in. “Even if the door was being broken

522 which crashed into a mountain in

ulation.

down, they wouldn’t be able to get in before

Greece in 2005 after a loss of cabin pressure

there’d been a mayday call, unless the pilots

and lack of oxygen incapacitated the crew,

were incapacitated,” she says.

but left the plane flying on autopilot, as an

2. IS IT REASONABLE TO SPECULATE THAT A PILOT COULD HAVE INTENDED TO KILL HIMSELF?

COVER STORY

of the co-pilot of MH370 entertaining teen-

However, one former pilot, who did not

There has been much speculation in the

wish to be named, has suggested there is

media that suicide might have been behind

theoretically a way to disable the lock and

the loss of the plane.

get into the flight deck.

compression - not an explosive decompression, but a gradual one,” she says.

example. “I’m not saying it’s a likely scenario, but it’s not impossible,” she says.

Pilots have pointed out that one of the very first actions in many emergency drills

It wouldn't be the first time it's hap-

But in any case, however secure the

is to send a message to air traffic control or

pened. The crashes of Egypt Air flight 990

door, there are times when the door is

some other form of signal. For a purely ac-

in 1999 and Silk Air flight 185 in 1997 are

open - when a member of the crew ei-

cidental scenario to make sense, whatever

both thought to have been caused deliber-

ther visits the toilet or has to check on

initial event took place must have simulta-

ately by a pilot, though the view has been

something in the cabin. It’s always been

neously knocked out all regular means to

contested. The Aviation Safety Network

pointed out that it would be possible to

communicate with the ground.

says there have been eight plane crashes

rush the cockpit when this is the case.

5. WHY WAS NO ACTION TAKEN

linked to pilot suicide since 1976.So far, no

Some airlines, including Israel’s El Al,

WHEN THE PLANE’S TRANSPONDER

evidence has been released from searches

have double doors to guard against this

SIGNAL WENT OFF?

of the homes of Captain Zaharie Ahmad

scenario. Gratton says there’s a proce-

MH370’s transponder - which communi-

Shah and his co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid

dure which requires a member of the

cates with ground radar - was shut down as

that back up any similar explanation for

cabin crew to guard the door when it’s

the aircraft crossed from Malaysian air traf-

MH370. There has been speculation that

opened.

fic control into Vietnamese airspace over

Shah may have been upset after breaking

But even in the event of hijackers rush-

the South China Sea. If a plane disappeared

up with his wife, but there is so far no reli-

ing the cockpit, it would be easy for either

in Europe, Barry says someone in air traffic

able source for his state of mind. It's been

crew member to send a distress signal. The

control would have noticed and raised the

reported police are still examining a flight

security of the cockpit door offers protec-

alarm pretty quickly. Gratton agrees. “In

simulator found in the captain's home.

tion against intruders, but it also prevents

Europe handover is extremely slick.

Barry says the apparent turning off of

action being taken if something does go

“At the very least I’d expect air traf-

certain systems might give weight to the

wrong. Last month the co-pilot of an Ethi-

fic controllers to try and contact a nearby

theory, but "pilot suicide is a theory like

opian Airlines flight waited for the pilot

aircraft to try and establish direct contact.

any other". Gratton agrees. "There simply

to go to the toilet before hijacking the air-

Pilots frequently use TCAS [traffic collision

isn't any evidence to prove or disprove it,"

craft and flying it to Switzerland. There’s

avoidance system], which detects transpon-

he says.

also the possibility that a pilot invited a

ders of other aircraft to ensure they aren’t

passenger in. Photographs have emerged

too close to each other,” he adds.

Focus On Globe

23

1 March 2014

obtaining these images in the “vast tracts of

flown by a pilot. “If it was under control, the

the ocean passing over the poles”. Of those,

plane was capable of being glided. The Air-

probably about 10 of them capture images

bus that went into the New York’s Hudson

on a daily basis.

River lost both engines - which is an identi-

The images are beamed down from the

cal outcome to running out of fuel - and the

satellites in very near real time, and are

pilot managed to land on the water,” Grat-

probably on the ground within two or three

ton says.

hours of image capture, he says. The delay

Barry agrees there could have been a

in detecting valuable images is down to the

gentle descent. “Aircraft of this size will

However Steve Buzdygan, a former BA

time it takes to analyse the large volume

normally fly or glide over 50 miles before

777 pilot, says that from memory, there’s

of imagery. There are also satellite sourc-

they hit the sea if they run out of fuel,” he

a gap or “dead spot” of about 10 minutes

es owned by the military and government,

says. However, if no-one was at the controls,

in the VHF transmission before the plane

but these have not been prominent in the

he says the descent could have been “pretty

would have crossed into Vietnamese air-

search. This has led to some speculation

severe”.

space.

that the fate of the plane was known about

Learmount says it’s also perfectly fea-

earlier in the search, but not revealed.

8. WOULD THE PASSENGERS HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS WRONG?

sible that nobody on the ground noticed

Laurence Gonzales, author of flight 232:

If a major malfunction had not occurred,

the plane’s disappearance. “Malaysian air

A Story of Disaster and Survival, says some

it is unclear whether passengers would

traffic control had probably handed it over

nations are bound to have more sophisti-

have known anything was awry, especially

to the Vietnamese and forgotten about it.

cated surveillance systems than they are

if there were no obvious signs of a struggle

There could have been a five-minute delay

letting on. “A very small, fast ballistic mis-

onboard. Joe Pappalardo, senior editor at

before anyone noticed the plane hadn’t ar-

sile can be picked up easily, so how can they

Popular Mechanics magazine, says in most

rived - a gap in which nobody pressed the

lose a big, slow-moving object like a jumbo

scenarios where a plane flies off course for

alarm button,” he says. Even if air traffic

jet? It tells me somewhere in the angles of

hours, passengers can remain oblivious.

control did notice the plane was amiss, they

power in the world someone knows where

At 01:00, many would probably have been

wouldn’t necessarily have made it public,

the plane is but doesn’t want to talk about

asleep. In the morning, the astute might

he adds.

it, probably for reasons of national security

have worked out the Sun was in the wrong

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam

because they don’t want to reveal the so-

position.

says the plane failed to check in as sched-

phistication of the material they have... that

uled at 0121 with air traffic control in Ho

their satellite technology is so good it can

Chi Minh City. However,an unnamed pilot

read a label on a golf ball,” he says.

flying a 777 heading for Japan says he brief-

But Gratton says military satellites look-

ly established contact with MH370 minutes

ing for ballistic missiles probably wouldn’t

after he was asked to do so by Vietnamese

have thrown up much useful data because

air traffic control.

they wouldn’t have been calibrated to pick up aircraft of this size. “This aircraft was

Boeing 777s can fly higher than 40,000ft

6. WHY ISN’T IT EASIER TO TRACK

seven miles up and travelled at three-quar-

MISSING PLANES BY MILITARY SAT-

ters of the speed of sound. Ballistic mis-

ELLITE?

siles go up to four or five times the speed of

Malaysian authorities have said the

sound, and 30 to 50 miles up - they have very

plane rose to 45,000ft, before falling to

different profiles,” he says.

23,000ft, after it changed course. If that’s the

7. DID THE PLANE GLIDE INTO THE

case, passengers might have felt the loss of

SEA OR PLUNGE AFTER RUNNING

altitude, according to Pappalardo.Howev-

OUT OF FUEL?

er one theory is that the plane’s apparent hypoxia - oxygen deprivation - which could have knocked people unconscious and even killed them.

Wrigley thinks it could have played out

The search effort on seas some 2,500km

in one of two ways. “In the horror story ver-

(1,500 miles) to the south-west of the Austra-

sion passengers would have realised some-

lian city of Perth has relied on images pro-

thing was wrong as the plane climbed - and

vided by commercial satellite companies.

a decompression event would have led to

Dan Schnurr, chief technology officer at

oxygen masks coming down, and an aware-

Geospatial Insight, says there are 20 known

The MH370’s final moments seem to de-

ness that oxygen was limited. A better sce-

satellites that have a resolution capable of

pend on whether the plane was still being

nario is they didn’t know anything had hap-

COVER STORY

climb could have been designed to induce

24

Focus On Globe pened until impact,” she says.

1 April 2014

“We’re doing research into devices that

er confirmed the last words heard from the

will allow aircraft to start transmitting in-

plane, spoken either by the pilot or co-pilot,

formation by satellite when something un-

were in fact “Good night Malaysian three

One commonly asked question is why, if

usual like a fire or decompression happens,

seven zero”.

it had been obvious something was wrong,

but it’s hard to fit things into a plane retro-

passengers wouldn’t have used mobile

spectively.

9. WHY DIDN’T PASSENGERS USE THEIR MOBILE PHONES?

A few minutes later, the plane’s transponder, which communicates with ground

phones to call relatives and raise the alarm.

“The 777 went into service in the early

radar, was shut down as the aircraft crossed

This seems especially puzzling in light of

90s... the technology is of that era,” he says.

from Malaysian air traffic control into Viet-

the example of United flight 93, where pas-

However, Gratton says ACARS would have

namese airspace over the South China Sea.

sengers communicated with people on the

done the job if it hadn’t been turned off. A

01:21: The Civil Aviation Authority of

ground after the plane was hijacked during

more complex satellite system would also

Vietnam said the plane failed to check in as

9/11.

be open to that risk, he argues, unless the

scheduled with air traffic control in Ho Chi

industry wanted to go with a system that

Minh City.

Waiting for news of MH370 in Beijing

couldn’t be manually switched off, and that would come with other risks.

02:15: Malaysian military radar plotted Flight MH370 at a point south of Phuket Is-

“It’s not a particularly easy question. Is

land in the Strait of Malacca, west of its last

the bigger risk an aircraft going missing,

known location. Thai military radar logs

or electronics overheating? Both situations

also confirmed that the plane turned west

can’t be met,” he says.

and then north over the Andaman sea.

What we know It’s been stated that it’s extremely un-

Mystery continues to surround the fate

likely that anyone could get mobile signal

of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which

on an airliner at 30,000ft. Barry agrees the

disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur

chances of a mobile phone working on the

to Beijing on 8 March.

plane were “virtually impossible”. “It can

Malaysian authorities, assisted by inter-

be hard to get a signal on a remote road,

national aviation and satellite experts, are

let alone seven miles up, away from mo-

now battling to piece together the plane’s

bile phone masts, travelling at 500mph,” he

final hours in the hope that they can find its

says.

wreckage and explain what happened to its

10. WHY CAN’T PLANES BE SET UP TO GIVE FULL REAL-TIME DATA TO A SATELLITE?

239 passengers and crew.

WHAT TIME DID THE PLANE DISAPPEAR?

08:11: (00:11 GMT, 8 March) Seven hours after contact with air traffic control was lost, a satellite above the Indian Ocean

8th. Of March Malaysia Airlines Flight

picked up data from the plane in the form

MH370 departed from Kuala Lumpur In-

of an automatic “handshake” between the

ternational Airport on Saturday, 8 March

aircraft and a ground station.

(16:41 GMT, 7 March), and was due to arrive in Beijing at 06:30 (22:30 GMT).

This information, disclosed a week after the plane’s disappearance, suggested the

COVER STORY

jet was in one of two flight corridors, one Malaysia Airlines says the plane lost

stretching north between Thailand and Ka-

contact less than an hour after takeoff. No

zakhstan, the other south between Indone-

distress signal or message was sent.

sia and the southern Indian Ocean.

Arguably the most baffling thing to a lay-

01:07: The plane sent its last ACARS

08:19: There is some evidence of a fur-

person about the disappearance of MH370

transmission - a service that allows com-

ther “partial handshake” at this time be-

is how it is even possible for a plane of this

puters aboard the plane to “talk” to comput-

tween the plane and a ground station but

size to disappear so easily. In an era when

ers on the ground. Some time afterwards, it

experts are still working on analysing this

people are used to being able to track a sto-

was silenced and the expected 01:37 trans-

data, the Malaysian transport minister said

len smartphone, it’s perplexing that switch-

mission was not sent.

on 25 March.

ing off a couple of systems can apparently

01:19: The last communication between

09:15: (01:15 GMT) This would have been

allow an airliner to vanish. Barry says the

the plane and Malaysian air traffic control

the next scheduled automatic contact be-

technology exists to allow planes to give off

took place about 12 minutes later. At first,

tween the ground station and the plane but

full real-time data. The problem is planes

the airline said initial investigations re-

there was no response from the aircraft.

are “snapshots in time from when they are

vealed the co-pilot had said “All right, good

designed”.

night”. However, Malaysian authorities lat-

Focus On Globe

25

1 March 2014

area as ocean currents may have moved floating objects. However, no debris has yet

Who was on board?

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? The plane’s planned route would have taken it north-eastwards, over Cambodia and Vietnam, and the initial search focused on the South China Sea, south of Vietnam’s Ca Mau peninsula. But evidence from a military radar, revealed later, suggested the plane had suddenly changed from its northerly course to head west. So the search, involving dozens of ships and planes, then switched to the sea west of Malaysia.

Further evidence revealed on Saturday

Muhammad Razahan Zamani (bottom right), 33, and his wife Norli Akmar Hamid, 24, were on their honeymoon on the missing flight. The phone is being held by his stepsister, Arni Marlina

15 March by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak suggested the jet was deliberately diverted by someone on board about an hour after takeoff. After MH370’s last

The 12 crew members were all Malaysian,

communication with a satellite was dis-

led by pilots Captain Zaharie Ahmed Shah,

closed, a week after the plane’s disappear-

53 and 27-year-old co-pilot Fariq Abdul Ha-

ance, the search was expanded dramati-

mid. Police have searched their homes and

cally to nearly three million square miles,

a flight simulator has been taken from the

from Kazakhstan in the north to vast areas

captain's home and reassembled for exam-

of the remote southern Indian Ocean.

ination at police headquarters. There were

Then, on 20 March, Australian search

227 passengers, including 153 Chinese and 38

teams revealed they were investigating two

Malaysians, according to the manifest. Sev-

objects spotted on satellite images in the

en were children.

southern Indian Ocean and sent long-range

Other passengers came from Iran, the

surveillance planes to the area, followed

US, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, India,

by further sightings. An Australian ship

France, New Zealand, Ukraine, Russia, Tai-

arrived in the area and further vessels are

wan and the Netherlands. Two Iranian men

on their way. At 1400 GMT on 24 March the

were found to be travelling on false pass-

Malaysian prime minister announced that

ports. But further investigation revealed

following further analysis of satellite data it

19-year-old Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehr-

was beyond doubt that the plane had gone

dad and Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza, 29

down in this part of the ocean.

were headed for Europe via Beijing, and had

This was based on Inmarsat and UK

no apparent links to terrorist groups.

air accident investigators’ analysis of the

Among the Chinese nationals was a del-

data relayed between the plane and ground

egation of 19 prominent artists who had

station by satellite. More potential debris

attended an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.

was spotted by satellites but on 28 March

Malaysia Airlines said there were four pas-

the main search area was moved 1,100km

sengers who checked in for the flight but did

(684 miles) to the north-east and closer to

not show up at the airport.

Australia, following further analysis of the speed of the plane and its maximum range.

Malaysian officials said that the debris could still be consistent with the new search

The family members of those on board were informed by in person, by phone and by text message on 24 March that the plane had been lost.

This was based on Inmarsat and UK air accident investigators’ analysis of the data relayed between the plane and ground station by satellite.

More potential debris was spotted by satellites but on 28 March the main search area was moved 1,100km (684 miles) to the north-east and closer to Australia, following further analysis of the speed of the plane and its maximum range.

COVER STORY

been verified as being from the plane.

26

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

STATE PROFILE STATE PROFILE OF GOA GENERAL OF HIMACHAL ELECTIONS 2014: PRADESH GENERAL Goa ELECTIONS 2014:

Himachal Pradesh

•

Goa, which became the 25th

state of India in 1987, represents two constituencies in Lok Sabha, North Goa and South Goa. Both the constituencies belong to General category.

• In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, both the BJP and the Congress won 1 seat each from the state. While BJP’s Shripad Yesso Naik won from North Goa, Congress’ Cosme Francisco Caitano Sardinha won from South Goa. • The important parties in the state are BJP, NCP, Congress, Maharashtrawadi Gamonatak Party, United Goans Democratic Party and Goa Vikas Party. Being a small Assembly, even a swing of a few seats changes the equation in the state quite drastically.

• After the Assembly elections in Goa in 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party along with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party came together to form the government.

They had a clear majority and BJP leader Manohar Parrikar was nominated as the Chief Minister.

OUTLOOK

• Out of 40 Assembly seats, BJP won 21 seats, INC won 9 seats, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak won 3 seats, Goa Vikas Party won 2 seats and 5 seats went to independent candidates.

• BJP’s Manohar Parrikar is the Chief Minister of the State.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 17.

• The hill state of Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha constituencies, Kangra, Shimla, Mandi and Hamirpur.

• Polling will be on May 7.

• Himachal is the least urbanised Indian state as 90 people live in rural areas.

• The BJP, Congress, CPI(M) and new entrant AAP are the main parties in this election.

• In 2009, BJP won 3 and Congress just one seat.

• In 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress trounced the BJP, steering Virbhadra Singh to the post of CM. • BJP is fielding incumbents Virender Kashyap from Shimla (SC) and Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur seat.

• Congress is fielding former Dhumal loyalist, Rajinder Rana, as the Congress candidate from Hamirpur.

• AAP may field Kamal Kanta Batra, mother of 1999 Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra from Hamirpur.

• BJP has decided to field Shanta Kumar from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat, while Dr Rajan Sushant defected to the Aam Aadmi Party and will contest from Kangra which will see Congress' Chander Kumar as another candidate in the ray.

• The Congress has given Mandi ticket to Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh and CPI-M has given its ticket to Kushal Bhardwaj from the seat.

• Jagat RaM is the CPI(M) candidate from Shimla.

• Opinion polls show 2014 elections to be tilting in the favour of the BJP, in part due to Modi-wave. The BJP is expectd to repeat its 2009 feat by winning 3 seats.

STATE PROFILE OF HARYANA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Haryana

• Haryana will hit Lok Sabha polls on April 10 for election and the contest will be for 10 parliamentary constituencies.

• Haryana will go to Assembly election, 2014 later in the year to select the 90 members of the Haryana Legislative Assembly as its term comes to end on October 27, 2014.

• The main political parties weilding influence in the state are Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal. However, parties like Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Haryana Janhit Congress are also gaining ground slowly.

• Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is a new entrant, which is fighting for all 10 seats in the state.

• The BJP will contest from eight seats, while the HJC will field candidates on two seats.

• In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress swept the state by garnering nine out of ten seats, while the INLD failed to win a single seat.

• The tenth seat was pocketed by the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), which is fighting the 2014 contest in alliance with the BJP. • For the Congress, the prospect does not seem as bright as last Lok Sabha Elections as CM Bhoopinder Hooda-led government's image has been dented by various land scams and also UPA's scams at the centre have only added to the trouble.

• Congress MP Navin Jindal, who is contesting from Kurukshetra, has also been in news mostly for his alleged role in coal block allocation scam.

• Other Congress candidates are Deepender Hooda (Rohtak), Shruti Choudhry (Bhiwani-Mahenderagarh), Arvind Sharma (Karnal) and Avtar Singh Bhadana (Faridabad).

• Congress has also been hit by desertions and defections ahead of the polls. A key candidate who has left the Congress is CM Hooda's close political aide Venod Sharma.

• Also, Inderjit Singh, three-time Congress MP from Gurgaon, defected to the BJP this Feb and is contesting from Gurgaon as a BJP leader.

• AAP leader Yogendra Yadav is contesting from Gurgaon in the National Capital Region (NCR).

• AAP is fielding retired IAS officer Yudhvir Singh Khayalia from Hisar.

STATE PROFILE OF JHARKHAND GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Jharkhand

• Jharkhand, which was formed from Bihar in 2000 and is the 28th state of India, has 14 Lok Sabha constituencies wherein 5 constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and one is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) • Jharkand elections witness the participation of many national, state and registered political parties. INC, BJP, RJD and CPI are the major national players in the state while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is the largest of the state level political parties followed by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.

• In the 2009 General Elections, BJP had won 7 seats while JMM and JVM won 2 seats each.

INC, on the other hand, could win only one seat.

The rest 2 seats went to the independent candidates.

• In 2009 Assembly elections, out of 81 seats, BJP and JMM won 18 seats each, INC won 13, JVM won 11, RJD won 5, JDU won 2 and 14 went to others.

• The Assembly was under suspension after imposition of President Rule on January 18, 2013 till July 12, 20013. The Union Cabinet had recommended imposition of President's rule when chief minister Arjun Munda resigned after his government was reduced to a minority.

The state has seen nine governments in the past 13 years • Hemant Soren became the 5th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on July 13, 2013 with the support from the Congress and the RJD. • 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 10, April 17 and April 24.

STATE PROFILE OF KARNATAKA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

27

1 March 2014

Karnataka

• Lok Sabha elections will take place on April 17 and counting of votes will take place on May 16.

•The state has 28 Parliamentary constituencies.

•The mail political parties of the state include Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Janata Party, Janata Dal and Janata Dal (Secular) among others.

•Key politicians of the state include leader of Janata Dal (Secular), HD Deve Gowda, who was also the eleveth prime minister of the country and former chief minister of the state.

Jagadish Shettar is another key figure in BJP and is known for his clean political image.

•Siddaramaiah is another prominent politician who has been elected as the deputy chief minister of the state twice. BD Yeddyurappa led the first BJP government in the state before parting ways with the party to create Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).

•In the upcoming elections, Congress will field Union Minister Veerappa Moily from Chikkballapur seat.

• According to pre-poll survey, BJP is slated to gain the most in the state upcoming Lok Sabha elections and will win maximum number of seats.

•Arvind Kekriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party will also make its debut in the state and has declared that it will field 13 candidates in the elections.

STATE PROFILE OF KERALA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Kerala

• God's own country, Kerala will go to the polls on April 10 to elect 20 members to the Lok Sabha.

• Kerala has traditionally been ruled by either Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) or the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

• The BJP, which has never ever won a single seat in the southern state, will seek to open its account by cashing in on Modi wave.

• A total of 269 candidates are in fray for the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies.

• Kerala's mainly literate electorate consists of 2,42,51,942 people, out of which 1,25,70,439 are women.

• For a state where women outnumbering men, the number of women contesting elections has been abysmally low, but this time, a total of 27 women candidates are in the fray.

• The battle royale in Kerala generally is a contest between UDF and LDF. • In last Lok Sabha elections 2009, the Congress-led LDF swept the polls by winning 16 seats, leaving a meagre four for the LDF; however in 2011 Assembly elections, the UDF outperformed the LDF by a very narrow margin of four.

• Of late, the UDF's image has taken a beating not just due to scams tarnishing the UPA government at centre but also because CM Oomen Chandy-led government in the state has been on the receiving end of many graft allegations, the major one being - the multi-million rupee Solar Project scam.

• Kasturirangan report came as another bane for the Congress-led coalition as it proposed restricted farming along the sensitive Western Ghats, that could affect 100 hilly villages.

• Though, CM Chandy took up the matter with the PM and managed to get a revised report, the CPI (M) won't spare this chance to attack its rival.

• The opposition LDF is also not without loopholes.

• The image of LDF has taken a major beating with the prosecution of three CPI(M) leaders in the murder of party rebel and heavyweight leader TP Chandrasekharan.

• Adding to the agonies of the CPI (M) was its top popular leader VS Achuthanandan, who voiced support for a CBI probe in Chandrasekharan's murder on demand of the slain leader's widow.

• Also, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), which was launched by CPI(M) rebel Chandrasekharan is contesting elections in alliance with Kerala Congress and will fiel candidates on at least five seats.

• Key constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will see a contest among Union minister Shashi Tharoor from Congress, BJP leader O. Rajagopal, CPI-M's Bennet Abraham, AAP's Ajith Joy (a former Indian Police Service).

• This time, the LDF is supporting six independent candidates from the minority community for the Lok Sabha polls.

• The inependent candidates include IAS officer Christy Fernandez, actor Innocent and AICC member Philipose Thomas Philipose Thomas who resigned fom Congress.

• In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Left had chosen just one non-party candidate, who had lost heavily in the Ponnani constituency.

• With UDF and LDF both equally in soup over their weaknesses, the 2014 elections might be a cliffhanger between the two coalitions which have been ruling the Malayalis.

OUTLOOK

Focus On Globe

28

Focus On Globe

STATE PROFILE OF LAKSHADWEEP GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Lakshadweep

• Lakshadweep, which is a land in the deep Arabian Sea and is a part of the Indian Subcontinent, is recognised as the smallest Union Territory of India. The UT has one Lok Sabha constituency which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

• Main political parties in Lakshadweep are BJP, INC, CPI (M), NCP, JDU etc.

• In 2009 General Elections, Muhammed Hamdulla Sayeed AB of INC was the winner. Since 1967 PM Sayeed of INC was the MP from this UT till 2004. In 2004, Dr P Pookunhikoya of the JDU was the MP. However, in 2009 INC again won the seat.

• The UT is governed by an administrator appointed by the President of India.

The current Administrator is H Rajesh Prasad.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 10.

OUTLOOK

STATE PROFILE OF MANIPUR GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Manipur

1 April 2014

• The northeastern state of India, Manipur represents two constituencies in the Lok Sabha, Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur. While Inner Manipur seat belongs to General category, the Outer Manipur seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

• In 2009 General Elections, Congress won both the seats in the state. Inner Manipur is presently represented by Meinya,Dr. Thokchom and Outer Manipur is represented by Baite,Shri Thangso.

• The political parties in the state are INC, NCP, All India Trinamool Congress, BJP, CPI, Manipur People's Party, Naga Peoples' Front, Lok Jan Shakti Party etc.

• In the 2012 Assembly elections, out of 60 seats, INC won 42, TMC won 7, MPP won 4 and 7 seats went to others.

• Present Chief Minister of Manipur is Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 09 and April 17.

STATE PROFILE OF MAHARANI GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Maharani

• Having bagged 62 of the total 200 seats in the assembly polls, the BJP hopes of a spectacular performance in the Lok Sabha polls. With 25 seats, the western state is an important cog in 'Modi as PM' plan.

• While Rajasthan has always voted in a pattern – the party that wins the assembly elections gets the voter's favour in Lok Sabha polls – the reality on the ground is more complex this time.

• The caste and community calculations, that form the very basis of the manner in which the state votes may once again be central to the calculations of the principle opponents – the BJP and the Congress.

• This despite the BJP's claims of an undercurrent of 'Modi wave' that it hopes will override all other factors. As per a recent opinion poll, 48 percent of those asked wanted him to be prime minister, up from 30 percent in 2013.

• Given the high voter turn out – 75% - in the assembly elections, it is clear that

the state is rooting for change but after last minute soap by the UPA government by way of Jat reservation, the field has opened up again.

• Though Jats constitute only 14% of the population but they have always played a vital role in government formation. The community along with Muslims were traditional Congress supporters before Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave OBC status to the community, turning them towards the BJP. • Then there are the caste conflicts: Jats vs Rajputs, Gurjars vs Meenas. The competition among castes for quota reservations, which in turn ensures power, has been a recurring theme in the state.

• Meenas were the first to enter the hallowed ST status club and it has given them dividends with the community now boasting of hundreds of IAS and IPS officers. The Meenas have been traditionally at loggerheads with the Gurjars and hence it was no wonder that Gurjars mobilised massive protests to ensure that they also get shifted from the OBC category to the SC category.

• However, there's one political force in the state that has successfully overcome the deep caste divisions – it is the lure of 'Maharani' Vasundhara Raje.

• Raje represents an umbrella of castes traditionally hostile to each other. While is a Maratha royal, a Rajput, by birth; she is a Jat by virtue of her marriage; she is a Gurjar mother-in-law.

• She also plays on the advantage by always asserting that she treats the 36 communities of Rajasthan as her parivar.

• Also by making conscious attempts to not wear her blue blood on her sleeves and mix with commoners, she has endeared herself to the masses and paved way for her emergence as a mass leader with the X factor.

• Her stature has also grown within the party given the manner in which the party top brass had to bow to her demand that senior leader Jaswant Singh be not given ticket from Barmer. The constituency is now posed for a three-cornered electoral battle between Jaswant Singh as an Independent candidate, Col Sonaram Chouddhary who shifted from the Congress to the BJP and Harish Choudhary, the sitting MP from the Congress.

• At least five more constituencies – Ajmer, Dausa, Jaipur Rural, Kota, Jhalawar – are set to witness keen contests.

• Brothers, former union Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena of the Congress will battle it out with his brother former IPS officer Harish Chandra Meena, who is contesting the election on a BJP ticket.

• Shooter-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is aiming the electoral pot of victory for the BJP against Congress heavyweight CP Joshi.

•Vasundhara Raje's prestige is at stake in Jhalawar where his son Dushyat Singh is facing stiff challenge from senior Congress leader and former state cabinet minister Pramod Jain Bhaya.

• In Kota, ex-royal Ijyaraj Singh of the Congress is fighting it out against senior BJP leader Om Birla.

• The other big duel would be Ajmer where Sachin Pilot, the face of the Congress in Rajasthan after the washout in assembly elections, is being challenged by Rajasthan Water Resources minister Sanwarlal.

Focus On Globe

Mizoram

• The Lok Sabha elections in the state will be held on on April 9 and counting of votes will take place on May 16.

• The polling will be held on one Parliamentary constituency.

• Mizoram is the only state where women voters outnumber the male voters in the state.

• In 2008 assembly polls, the famela voters outnumbered male voters by 6,644, and in the 2003 elections by 3,816.

• The state has 40 seats in the Assembly.

• The main political parties in the state include Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) and Mizo National Front (MNF).

• In General Election 2009, INC won the only seat by majority of votes.

• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also planning to make an election debut in the state and will field retired IAS officer, M Lalmanzuala, as its candidate in the state.

• Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla from Congress party has created history in the state after being elected as the chief minister for the fifth time.

• Mizoram is the second most literate state of the country with a literacy rate of 91.58 per cent.

STATE PROFILE OF MAHARASHTRA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

Maharashtra • Lok Sabha elections will be held in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24.

• Elections in the state will be held for 48 Parliamentary constituencies.

Out of these, five are reserved for SCs and four for Sts. • The counting of votes will take place on May 16.

• The main political parties in the state include Indian National Congress (INC), Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Congress Party (NCP).

• In the 2009 General Elections, Congress had emerged as the victorious party with maximum number of seats.

• Opinion polls have suggested that BJP will take the lead in the upcoming elections and is expected to win majority of seats in the state.

• The rule of the Congress government has been dominant in the state.

The party has been voted to power in the state since 2003 and the current Chief Minister is Prithviraj Chavan.

• Prominent politicians in the state include Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief Udav Thackeray, former state chief minister and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to name a few.

• The state has a 288 members Assembly.

• The state will have the maximum number of voters in the Lok Sabha elections 2014 under the age of 19 years.

STATE PROFILE OF MEGHALAYA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Meghalaya

STATE PROFILE OF MADHYA PRADESH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Madhya Pradesh

• The second-largest state in the country by area has 29 Parliamentary constituencies.

•Voting will be held on April 10, 17 and 24 and counting of votes will take place on May 16.

• The main political sphere in the state is largely bipolar with Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the key players.

• BJP has been in power in the state since 2003.

The party won an absolute majority in Assembly elections 2013 in which it got 165 seats.

• Prominent MPs from the state include senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj (Vidisha), Sumitra Mahjan (Indore) and Kamalnath, who is the MPS from Chindwara.

• Firebrand BJP leader Uma Bharti, who is contesting from Jhansi in up, has also served as the chief minister of MP. • BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been the chief minister of the state since 2005.

• Opinion polls have suggested that BJP will sweep maximum seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

• The state has a dominant Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in the state.

• The Congress party has been suffering from infighting which affected their results in the recent Assembly elections.

STATE PROFILE OF NAGALAND GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 Nagaland

• The election on two seats in the state will take place on April 9 and counting of votes will take place of May 16.

• The Lok Sabha elections will be held in Shillong and Tura Parliamentary constituencies.

• The main political parties of the state are Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Congress Party (NCP).

• Since the creation of state in 1972, the state has seen 23 chief ministers.

• The state has 60 Assembly constituencies.

• The Congress retained its government in the Assembly elections held in 2013 with Mukul Sangma as the Chief minister. The party had won 25 seats in 2008 Assembly elections, and fell short of six seats for the majority.

• The Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland will be held in the second phase on April 9 and counting of the votes will take place on May 16.

• The state has only one Parliamentary constituency – Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency.

• The prominent political parties in the state are Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC).

• In the Assembly elections 2013, ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF) returned to power with an absolute majority after winning 38 seats.

• The state has 60 seats in the Assembly out of which 59 are reserved for the candidates from Scheduled Tribes.

• The current chief minister of the state, Neiphiu Rio, has been in power from the last 10 years.

• The Naga issue has been dominant in the elections with a demand to unite all Naga-populated areas around the state. After years of violence, a ceasefire has been in effect in the state since 1997.

• Opinion polls have predicted that the ruling NPF will win the lone seat in the upcoming election.

OUTLOOK

STATE PROFILE OF MIZORAM GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

29

1 March 2014

30

Focus On Globe

STATE PROFILE OF PUNJAB GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Punjab

OUTLOOK

• The state has 13 Lok Sabha constituencies wherein four constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).

These include Jalandhar, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur.

• The two main parties that dominate the politics of Punjab are Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Congress.

On the other hand, BJP contests election in the state in coalition with SAD. The other political parties are Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist party of India, Communist party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann), Lok Jan Shakti Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal. • In 2009 General Elections, INC won 8 seats, SAD won 4 seats and BJP could only win one seat.

• In 2012 Assembly elections, out of 117 seats, SAD won 56 seats, INC won 46 seats, BJP won 12 seats and the remaining three went to independent candidates.

• The state’s present Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal of the SAD is the longest-serving chief minister with over 15 years in office.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 30.

STATE PROFILE OF PONDICHERRY GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Pondicherry

1 April 2014

• Also known as the French Riviera of the East, the Union Territory of Pondicherry was granted the status of a Union Territory in 1963.

• It comprises of four districts - Karaikal, Pondicherry, Mahe and Yanam.

• Pondicherry is the only UT which has a legislature of its own which has 30 elected members and three nominated ones.

• Pondicherry sends just one elected member to the Lok sabha.

• Key parties active in Pondicherry are Congress, BJP, AIADMK, DMK, DMDK, PMK and AINRC. • Pondicherry has been under President’s rule six times.

• Congress has been the most dominant party in Pondicherry as it has won nine times.

• The 2014 Lok Sabha elections be a four-cornered contest among AIADMK, DMK, PMK and INC for the Puducherry constituency.

• Currently, V Narayanswamy of the Congress is representing Pondicherry in the Lok Sabha.

• P Kannan is another key Congress leader and the member of the Rajya Sabha from Puducherry.

• V Omalingam is the AIADMK candidate from Puducherry, while the DMK has fielded AMH Nazim who is also the sitting MLA in Puducherry assembly from the Karaikal South constituency. PMK candidate from Puducherry constituency is RKR Anantharaman.

STATE PROFILE OF RAJASTHAN GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Rajasthan

• The royal state of Rajasthan is the largest state in terms of area and sends 25 elected members to the lower house of the Parliament or Lok Sabha.

• The contest for 25 parliamentary constituencies will be held in two phased on 17 April (Phase 5) and 24 April (Phase 6).

• Barmer in Rajasthan, which created much furore within BJP recently, is the largest parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan and second largest constituency in India.

• Some other major parliamentary constituencies in the state are Dausa, Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Kota.

• Rajasthan's politics has been dominated by two leading parties - the BJP and the

Congress – with anti-incumbency and factors of development and governance playing big role in elections.

• In last Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party had been badly trounced by the Congress which swept the polls by winning 20 seats out of 25, leaving the BJP with 4 seats, while one seat was bagged by an independent.

• The BJP's loss in 2009 was cause mainly

by BJP infightings and evident corruption in Vasundhara Raje government.

• However, this is 2014 and the things look quiet different, especially after last year's Assembly elections which saw the BJP coming back to power with a bang. (BJP won a whopping 162 seats against 21 that fell in Congress' kit) • In 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP cashed in on the anti-incumbency factor against previous CM-led Ashok Gehlot government, and mostly from the pan-India Modi wave, which seemed to have a great impact on Rajasthan's electorate.

• CM Vasundhara Raje's win just ahead of Lok Sabha elections augurs well for the BJP as 2013 Assembly polls were billed as a semi-final to the 2014 polls.

• Congress had to bear the brunt of poor governance and corruption taint with even Gehlot's relatives accused in mining scams.

• Main candidates from Congress contesting election are Mohammed Azharuddin (Tonk), Gopal Singh Shekhawat from (Rajsamand), Sachin Pilot (Ajmer).

• Congress has also given ticket to Leela Maderna from Osiyan. She is the wife of Mahipal Maderna (in jail for Bhanwari Devi murder case) • Congress candidate from Jaipur is Mahesh Joshi.

• For Barmer, the BJP has denied ticket to veteran leader Jaswant Singh, who is now contesting as independent.

• BJP has given ticket to Col. Sonaram Choudhary, who has defected from Conress, to field from Barmer.

• Also the BJP is fielding Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore from Jaipur Rural and Harish Chandra Meena from Dausa.

• Opinion polls predict 20 or more seats for the BJP, while Congress may get just five or less seats.

STATE PROFILE OF TAMIL NADU GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu

• The southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu plays a crucial role in government formation at the Centre. The state has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies wherein seven are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).

• The major national parties active in the state are INC, BJP, BSP,CPI and CPI(M). On the other hand, some regional parties that give a tough fight in the state are AIADMK, DMDK, DMK,PMK and others including Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Puthiya Tamizagam, All India Forward Bloc and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.

• From 1947 till 1967, INC was the preferred party in Tamil Nadu. However, 1967 onwards Dravidian parties began dominating the state politics. In 2004 General Elections, the close fight was between DMK and INC while in 2009 it was between DMK and AIADMK. • In 2009 General Elections, DMK won 18 seats, AIADMK won 9 seats, INC won 8 seats and remaining four went to others.

• In 2011 Assembly elections, out of 234 constituencies, AIADMK and its ally won 203 constituencies and DMK and its ally won 31 seats.

• Jayalalithaa Jayaram of AIADMK is the present Chief Minister of the state.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 24.

STATE PROFILE OF TRIPURA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Tripura

• Tripura, which was given statehood status in 1972, represents two constituencies in the Lok Sabha, Tripura East and Tripura West. Tripura East is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

• Major political parties in Tripura are CPI(M), INC, CPI. • Out of 60 Assembly constituencies, CPI(M) in 2013 Assembly elections had won 49 seats whereas Congress had won 10 seats and CPI won 1 seat.

• The Left Front was in power in the state from 1978 to 1988, and then again from 1993 onwards. During 1988–1993, the Congress and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti were in a ruling coalition.

• For more than a decade, CPI(M) has been winning both the Lok Sabha seats in the state.

• Manik Sarkar is the present Chief Minister of the state.

• 2014 General Elections in the state are scheduled to be held on April 07 and April 12.

STATE PROFILE OF UTTARAKHAND GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

31

1 March 2014

Uttarakhand

• The state was created in 2000 and is the 27th state of India.

• It has five Lok Sabha constituencies - Nainital, Garhwal, Almora, Tehri Garhwal and Hardwar.

• Vioting will held in a single phase on May 7.

• Almora is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC).

• Key parties in the state are Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

• There are around 63 lakh voters in the state.

• Opinion polls have favoured the BJP as the favourite to win the maximum number of seats.

• In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Congress gained majority by winning all five constituencies.

• In the Assembly elections in 2012, Congress emerged as the single largest party with 32 seats while BJP's strength dropped to 31 seats, five less than what it got in last elections.

• There have been three BJP chief ministers – Nityanand Swami (20002001), BC Khanduri (served as CM twice between 2007-09, 2011-12) and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (2009-2011).

• Vijay Bahuguna from Congress has served as the chief minister of the state between 2012-2014. The current Chief Minister of the state, Harish Rawat, is also a member of the Congress party and was sworn-in on February 1, 2014.

STATE PROFILE OF UTTAR PRADESH GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014: Uttar Pradesh

• With the largest chunk of Lok Sabha constituencies (80 seats) allotted to it, the state of Uttar Pradesh holds the magic key to the crucial General Elections and it's not an enigma that the route to 7, Race Course Road goes through this politically strategic state.

• UP will have six-phase polls starting from April 10 and will end on May 12. The polling dates for the state are April 10, April 17, April 24 , April 30 , May 07, May 12.

• The major political parties in the crucial state are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP). Other parties, less prominent but significant in alliance formations are the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a new entrant on the complex political canvas of UP. • The BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi, who is riding high on his popularity wave, is set to contest election from Varanasi, a religiously significant constituency for the Hindus.

• Spicing up the matters, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has decided to challenge Modi, by contesting from Varanasi.

• Other key BJP candidates, contesting from the state of UP are, the BJP chief Rajnath Singh (Lucknow), Murali Manohar Joshi (Kanpur) and Kalraj Misra from Deoria.

• UP is also home to Congress high command Sonia Gandhi's constituency – Rae Bareli and also the party vice president Rahul Gandhi's bastion Amethi. AAP leader Kumar Vishwas has taken up the cudgels against Rahul, by deciding to challenge him from Amethi.

• The RLD is contesting the coming Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress and has been assigned eight seats in the state. It had won five seats in 2009 in partnership with the BJP. • Jaya Prada and Amar Singh, who recently joined the RLD, are contesting from Bijnore and Fatehpur Sikri respectively.

• Most of the opinion polls have painted a grim picture for the Congress-led UPA alliance in the state, however the predictions are pretty good for the BJP, which is seen garnering the largest number of seats.

• In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had bagged 17.5% vote share with 10 seats in UP. The Congress' vote share was marginally higher (18.25%) but its tally stood at 21 seats - more than double the BJP’s.

• The major factors that decide voting patterns in UP are caste and religion, but with Modi hard selling his “development plank”, one can't clearly predict which way the votes would tilt.

• The state of UP , which is known for its complex vote bank arithmetic, might see a significant change in the inclination of voters especially after the Muzaffarnagar riots, which will result in Muslims and Jats' votes going separate ways.

OUTLOOK

Focus On Globe

32

Focus On Globe

STATE PROFILE OF WEST BENGAL GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014:

1 April 2014

continued till 2011, when TMC's firebrand leader Mamata Bannerjee put an end to 34 years of Left-rule in the state. touted to be a four-cornered battle among the TMC, BJP, Congress and the Left Front.

• West Bengal will hit the General for 42 parliamentary constituencies will take place in five phases.

• The polling dates are: 17 April (Phase 5), 24 April (Phase 6), 30 April (Phase 7), 07 May (Phase 8), 12 May (Phase 9).

from Bengali film industry like Suchitra Sen's daughter Moon Moon Sen, Sandhya Roy and Dev. • The BJP has no significant presence in Bengal which has traditionally been the bastion of the Left parties and now of the TMC.

consistently since drubbing in 2019

• In the last Lok Sabha elections 2009, the BJP had

Lok Sabha elections when the Left

won just one seat, that of Drajeeling, which was won

Front could manage only 15 seats,

by Jaswant Singh. But the saffro party has this time

while Mamata's TMC won 19 seats

alienated Jaswant, who wanted to fight from Barmer

and emerged as the leading party.

in Rajasthan.

•

Elections on April 17 and the contest

• TMC has given the key constituency of Darjeeling to the famous footballer Bhaichung Bhutia.

• Other key TMC candidates include cine stars

• WB Lok Sabha elections 2014 is

• The left parties are losing clout

West Bengal

have been fielded by the TMC.

Low on morale, the LF has

• But, a Modi wave is said to be swooshing past the

dropped dropped winning candidates

entire country and it may have an effect on Bengali's

of five seats out of 15 which it had won

ether as well.

last time.

• The BJP is fielding candidates from all the 42

• TMC had contested only on 27

seats, with noted celebs like magician PC Sorcar and

seats in 2009, but this time it is going

Bollywood singers Bappi Lahiri and Babul Supriyo

for all the 42 seats and is expected to

featuring on its candidate list.

win over 30 seats.

• TMC wants to cash in on celeb power this Lok Sabha elections as its

• According to the BJP, Congress might eat into the vote share of the TMC, and hence the saffron party might get the brownie points.

• Out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, eight

list of candidates is dominated by em-

• The BJP's hopes are high also because it has the

are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC)

inent personalities like singers, ac-

support of Bimal Gurung's Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

candidates and two constituencies

tors, sportsmen, doctors, lawyers, etc.

(GJM) and the alliance hopes to put up a strong fight

- Alipurduars and Jhargram are re-

• Also, in what flaunts Mamata

served for the Scheduled Tribes (ST)

di's belief in women power, 11 women

against the TMC.

candidates.

• Bengal, the sixth most populous state of the country, had been ruled by the Left front – an umbrella group of Lefist parties - for over three decades until 2011, when Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress broke the routine and romped to victory in Assembly Elections.

• The major national parties active in West Bengal are: The Communist party of India (CPI), the Communist party of India (Marxist) CPI(M), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

OUTLOOK

• The regional parties in the state are: All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), All India Forward Block, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Gorakha National Liberation Front and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

• Jyoti Basu, a CPI(M) leader was the longest serving Chief Minister of any state in India and ruled West Bengal from 1977 to 2000.

• In 2000, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee took over the reins of Bengal and

2 IN 1

Focus On Globe

33

1 March 2014

By:-Er. M.M.Idrees ul haq,

women. We celebrate women's day but what

they all have been silent on the tortures

the writer is Human Rights Activist

about the women who don't even have ba-

and gang rapes that take place each day in

Jammu &Kashmir Srinagar.

sic human rights, and are victims of every

AFSPA imposed states? Why they never

day torture in AFSPA- Imposed states?

paid any form of respect to the victims of

International women's day (IWD) is

What about the women who were raped in

“Kunan poshpora” and “Shopian”? Leave

marked on March 8, every year in different

the dark hours at “kunan poshpora” ? What

alone the respect; they amuse themselves

regions of world. The focus of the celebra-

about the women of socially under privi-

by opening and closing the case. The same

tions range from general celebration of re-

leged castes? What about the women on the

question goes to women rights defenders,

spect, appreciation and love towards wom-

lowest strata of the society? What about the

they shamelessly prepare message to be

en to a celebration for women's economic,

women who were forced to engage in flesh

circulated on this day and support this

political and social achievements.

trade?"

torture in the name of national security.

While speaking to “Focus On Globe”

"Although The concerned gov-

If we talk about the importance of women

ER.M.M.Idrees ul haq , human rights ac-

ernment, National commission for women

day in Jammu and Kashmir, it would be

tivist said " Though it is reality that this

and concerned ministry will introduce

adding more disgrace, 619 women's were

day has also become another archies day,

some schemes or will as a least send out

killed by men in uniform alone from Jan.

what is more important and ironical about

greeting to “reverence” the power of wom-

2001 , and since 1989, 22778 women wid-

this day is that it is for a particular set of

en hood. What happens to the respect when

owed while 10,098 were mole stated, It is

WOMEN'S DAY MEANS ZILCH TO ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY; Where the state and the army allows dishonor of women

need of hour for men to stand shoulders

in oblivion, unheard and unsung. " It even

"To them I would only articulate

with women and resist violence against

disturbs me more when on television or

that women's day means zilch to anyone in

them. It is a long drawn battle but it is

on radio they ask us "What women's day

this country; where the state, the army and

price worth paying for the sake of women

means to us "???

the judiciary allows dishonor of women"

India is known as the ‘land of the miracles’. Indians have always surprised the world. Another interesting but hidden aspect of this “incredible india” lies in the lush green, hilly valleys of Manipur. Here, a poet has been on a hunger strike for 11 years! In a democracy,

Mission Bhartiyam’s poster for International Women’s Day

has been neglected and brutally suppressed. Can’t believe it na? We’ll be setting a record soon!

Irom Sharmila Chanu who is a poet, civil rights activist and a journalist has been on a hunger strike since November 2000. She demands the revoke of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA). The AFSPA calls for an autocratic rule by the army. In the name of ‘protecting the law and order’, anyone can be arrested or shot.

The officers cannot be prosecuted for the same as he is believed to be ‘punishing’ the defaulters. The act was passed in 1958(enforced in 1980) and was to be in effect

WOMEN’S ERA

someone has been on a hunger strike for 11 years. She

34

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

for six months only but ASFPA continues

aam insaan doesn’t want a different state,

story of the secluded north-east. What is

to destroy the valley till date.

a different administrative unit. They do

north-east for an average North-Indian?

not understand these things…they only

North-east… land of tribes and the tribal

want bread, land and peace.

full stop. It’s known for scenic beauty but

The act was supposed to deal with the “disturbed areas”. It was supposed to combat ‘militancy’…’terrorism’. But its

Irom Sharmila has been awarded with

they don’t know and don’t care that the

AFSPA which is, in reality, the sole ter-

many International awards. But what’s

water of the Loktak Lake has turned red

rorism. The AFSPA has led to extra-judi-

the use?

with the civilian blood. Racism…thats

cial killings, illegal detentions, fake en-

The fate of Irom is such that she has

another aspect of “Incredible India”.

counters, rapes and torture of the civilian

been a topic only among the so-called

Racism is the answer to the “unity in di-

population. According to official records,

intellectuals of this country. She hasn’t

versity”. The north-east people are called

since 1980, more than 25,000 civilians have

received much support from the media

“chinkis”. By calling them that, they are

been killed. The condition of the women,

either. She could never become Anna…

not even considered a part of India. But

as always, has been worse. “I was half

Anna who had fasted for mere 3 days.

interestingly, when it comes to the cause

conscious most of the time but whenever I

What Anna and Baba Ramdev had and

of support for a secession struggle, the

regained consciousness, the commandoes

Irom didn’t and still don’t is media cov-

same people turn patriotic. “North-east

were molesting me…but, I am grateful to

erage. Though some channels have given

is an integral part of India”, they will

them for giving me the chance to narrate

some respect to the “Iron Lady”. Others

argue. Another problem is the demand

my agony by sparing my life at least”, re-

have been busy…terribly busy telecast-

to repeal AFSPA. There is a great rever-

vealed one of the thousands of the victims.

ing episodes of comedy shows. Katrina’s

ence for the army and the army rule by

In 2004, there was a nude protest by Mani-

kaif new boyfriend is apparently more

people who see them only during repub-

puri women. They held placards reading

important a news than another murder

lic day parades. “Soldiers are the rea-

“Indian army rape us”.

of a civilian in Manipur. Their sense of

son why we are able to sleep peaceful at

“news” has become ‘different’..it has be-

night”, they argue.So while ignorance is

heroic

come ‘spicy’. But Anna and Baba made

one problem, the constructed pro-north

struggle by ignoring these pleas and by

headlines…for some hours, the comedy

Indian nationalism is another reason

suppressing the “Iron Lady”. The Gov-

shows received a backseat. Irom Sharmi-

for this neglect. Media is also supposed

ernment has been forcefully feeding Irom

la could not. Why?

to be propaganda-based with some being

The government has reacted to these protests

and

Irom

Sharmila’s

Sharmila through nasogastric incubation

In this capitalist society, Media is

to keep her alive. She is also re-arrested

another business. It has become a buy-

and released every year. The Government

er’s market. It sells news which people

The voice of the voiceless is silenced..

argues that AFSPA is a necessary evil in

want to buy. Anna’s anti-corruption

but till when? Thanks to the social net-

the “disturbed areas”. I wonder what is

campaign became pan-Indian but Irom

working media, awareness about the “Iron

disturbing the state more… militancy or

sharmila could not appeal to the middle

Lady” is on the roll. There is now a ray of

the army rule. The Manipur militancy re-

class sensibilities. Why? Because Irom

light at the end of the tunnel. Irom will get

volves largely around development. The

Sharmila and Manipur terrorism is the

justice…

Entertainement

clearly pro-Government. This could be another plausible reason.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

WOMEN’S ERA

RISHI KAPOOR GOES SOBER AGAIN Known for his love for good food and drinks, actor Rishi Kapoor has been advised several times by doctors to control his weight for health reasons. Rishi has also tried on his behalf to quit drinking and eat a sensible diet, intermittently.

This year too, like last summer, Rishi has quit drinking and turned sober for now for a period of two months.

When we met him in Chandigarh where he is shooting for a film that also features he said, "Today is the 51st day when I haven't had a drink...you should congratulate me." So, has the veteran actor quit drinking? "No, how can I quit? I am a Punjabi and we are known for our love for food and drinks. I am just taking a break. I have been advised by doctors to lose some weight, and I have managed

to knock off a few kilos too," he replied in his characteristic forthright manner.

While complete sobriety may not be a thing that Rishi can manage for very long, whatever he is doing these days to drop a few pounds seems to be working as the actor is looking thinner.

Name: Rishi Kapoor Birthday: 4th September, 1952 Zodiac: Virgo Marital Status: Married to yesteryear actress Neetu Singh. The couple have two children namely actor Ranbir Kapoor and designer Riddhima Sahani nee Kapoor.

AWARDS: 1) National Film Award for the Best Child Artist in 1971 (Movie: Mera Naam Joker)

Focus On Globe

35

1 March 2014

HAS INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION

ed with India by an enthusiastic party elder

BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP)

and her Congress party used to win thump-

TAKEN ITS BIGGEST GAMBLE EVER

ing majorities in what essentially was

BY MAKING THE GENERAL ELEC-

one-party rule. Since the rise of regional

TION A REFERENDUM ON ITS PRIME

parties and the fragmentation of Indian pol-

MINISTERIAL

itics in the late 1980s, the country has been

CANDIDATE

NAREN-

DRA MODI? To be sure, Mr Modi is loved and loathed in equal measure.

governed by multi-party coalitions. A total of 363 parties participated in the 2009 general elections, up from 35 in 1984. Most believe

His supporters believe his muscular

the maddening alphabet soupof regional

nationalism and a carefully built reputa-

parties points to healthier federalism. More

tion as a ruthlessly efficient administra-

significantly, the two main parties, the Con-

tor running the economically prosperous

gress and the BJP, won barely half of the

state of Gujarat make him a person fit to

popular vote in the last five elections.

rule India. His critics insist he is India's

‘Experiment’

most polarizing politician, who refuses

WHY INDIA VOTE IS BIG GAMBLE FOR BJP

to apologise for the religious rioting under his watch in Gujarat in 2002.The BJP

WILL THAT CHANGE THIS TIME ROUND?

believes India has moved on and that

The BJP believes that Mr Modi’s track

under Mr Modi's leadership they have

record and charisma will lead to consoli-

their best chance of winning an election

dation of votes in their favour and help the

at a time when anger and disappointment

party to win an elusive majority. Others are

with the incumbent Congress party is at

not so sure. They believe the BJP’s strategy

an all-time high. Opinion polls appear to

to personalise the election is risky as voters

validate such optimism, giving the Mr

not inclined to back Mr Modi, including

Modi-led BJP a handsome lead over a sub-

Muslims who comprise 15% of India’s vot-

dued Congress.

ers, may unite to defeat him and his party.

'Omnipresent Modi'

Politics has become increasingly per-

Despite misgivings within a section of

sonalised in Western liberal democracies,

the party, the BJP has allowed a form of per-

partly because of the growth and reach of

sonality cult to grow around the controver-

electronic mediawhich feeds on personal-

sial and charismatic Modi, critics say. He

ities rather than issues. In India, Mr Modi

is anywhere and everywhere you look - in

has swamped the networks and saturated

the newspapers, on the TV networks, on bus

the air waves with his message in what

shelters, on the metro. He has run a fierce-

many say is an attempt to portray himself

ly energetic campaign, criss-crossing the

as a presidential-style candidate.

length and breadth of India and speaking to

But political scientists like Sanjay Ku-

packed public meetings. He is, as a friend

mar of the Centre for the Study of Develop-

says in jest, omnipresent.

ing Societies (CSDS), a leading Delhi-based think tank, sound a note of warning. Mr Kumar believes that the personalisation of enon”, and will not last for very long in a “such a vast and heterogeneous country with strong regional parties”.

Narendra Modi is a polarizing figure

Narendra Modi supporters wearing his masks at a public meeting in India

IF THAT’S SO - WHY HAS BJP PUT ALL ITS EGGS IN ONE BASKET? Many say the party didn’t have a choice, especially after losing two successive elections in 2004 and 2009 with ageing party

Mr. Modi represents a return to person-

patriarch Lal Krishna Advani at the helm.

alized politics, not seen in India since the

“They are trying an experiment with Mr

days of Indira Gandhi in the 1970s. That was

Modi and are hoping to win,” says Sanjay

a time when she was controversially equat-

Kumar. “It may work or it may not.”

BETWEEN THE LINES

politics is India is a “short-lived phenom-

36

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

ON THE CAMPAIGN WITH RAHUL GANDHI on the posters, he hasn’t seemed so happy in person about being the frontman. In his only television interview so far (his only interview in the 10 years since he became an MP) Mr Gandhi gave the impression he was doing the job because his birth gave him no choice, rather than because of any ambition.

And his performance was widely slated.

Polite reception Even now, he is not officially Congress’ prime ministerial candidate - reportedly at his mother’s insistence, which Mr Modi seized on as proof of the party’s “imminent defeat”.

Speaking in public Mr Gandhi comes across well and as a like-

Ghaziabad Picture reports from the rally

able and caring man. There was real affection for him among many in the audience. “We need him because he is young, not like the old men in the cabinet,” said one enthusiastic support-

"We've come to see the helicopter," said two friends mat-

er in the separate women’s enclosure at the front. “He is the

ter-of-factly as they waited for Rahul Gandhi to arrive at a po-

only male politician who understands the issue of women’s

litical rally in Ghaziabad, near Delhi.

safety,” said another.

The atmosphere was a little flat, with the warm-up speak-

They clapped when he pointed to the enclosure and reeled

ers struggling to provoke much return volume from a crowd

off one of his regular lines, that “India will not be a superpower

that contained more than a few dozing heads. It was in stark

until it empowers its women”. He promised to improve India’s

contrast to an open-air rally in Delhi a few days earlier for Mr

creaking education system and that everything made in Chi-

Gandhi's main challenger, Narendra Modi, where supporters

na today would be made in India tomorrow”. But the applause

chanted his name with frenzied devotion for hours before his

was polite rather than adoring.

arrival. But as the first thwack, thwack of the rotors sliced

His problem is that the Congress has had 10 years to do all

through the warm afternoon over Ghaziabad, there was a

this - even if he wasn’t in charge. And if it is defeated in May,

surge of excitement.

many predict the end of the Gandhi family’s grip on the party

Congress party supporters leapt onto chairs for a better

too.

view. Nearby rooftops filled with local people straining to see the helicopter descend. They were all empty again though by the time Mr Gandhi started speaking.

Discouraging start In his defence, he was on opposition turf in this mixed urban constituency - the incumbent is a senior figure in Mr Modi's BJP. But it was a discouraging start for the latest scion of the Gandhi dynasty to front the Congress party, already weighed

IN-FOCUS

down by the perception that it is on the ropes after a decade in power.

The party is gambling on making him the sole face of its campaign, in effect airbrushing out the people who have actually been running the country and are most associated with the corruption scandals and wheezing economy that have brought the Congress low.

Neither his mother and party leader, Sonia Gandhi, nor the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, feature on its core election posters, leaving Mr Gandhi’s youthful features, often trendily unshaven, beaming out alone. But although he looks cheerful

Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter arrives at the public meeting in Ghaziabad

Official data from the Chinese government

ed to combat the country's rising debt as its

showed that manufacturing expanded slightly

population ages. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

in March.

has said the move is necessary, even though

A final reading of the official purchasing

many analysts have warned it could lead to a

managers' index (PMI) was 50.3 in March, up

slowdown in the world's third-largest econo-

from an eight-month low of 50.2 in February.

my.

Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Separate data on Tuesday on business senti-

However, a separate survey by HSBC and

ment indicated that those concerns are shared

Markit saw a contraction in Chinese manu-

by the Japanese business community.

facturing activity, with a reading of 48.0 - the

The results of the Tankan survey, which

lowest since July. The figures underscore a

polls more than 10,500 Japanese companies

growing concern among investors, analysts

about their business outlook, indicated that

andgovernment officials that the Chinese econ-

Japanese firms were not optimistic about

omy is slowing.

the rest of the year. Although the survey

Last week, China's premier Li Keqiang ac-

showed that business sentiment was still at

knowledged that there were "difficulties and

a six year high, large manufacturers' out-

risks", as rising debt and ongoing pollution

look for the rest of the year declined 6 points

problemscloud

to a one-year low of 8, which was well below

economic

outlook.

Both Hong Kong's Hang Sen and the Shanghai Composite index declined slightly after the data was released, before recovering.

Japan worries

forecasts.

The outlook of non-manufacturing firms also fell, indicating ongoing business wariness about the impact of the tax increase.

Separately, a long-awaited tax increase took

The benchmark Nikkei exchange was bare-

effect in Japan on Tuesday. It is the country's

ly changed on Tuesday, however, as investors

first tax increase since 1997. The move, which

had been anticipating some business wariness

will see sales tax rise from 5% to 8%, is intend-

around the planned tax increase

NEIGHBOURHOOD

There is growing concern among investors that the Chinese economy is slowing down

China's

37

1 March 2014

CHINA MANUFACTURING OUTPUT REMAINS WEAK IN MARCH

Focus On Globe

38

Focus On Globe

The modern state was born out of the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947 and has faced both domestic political upheavals and regional confrontations.

Created to meet the demands of Indian Muslims for their own homeland, Pakistan was originally made up of two parts.

The east wing - present-day Bangladesh - is on the Bay of Bengal bordering India and Burma. The west wing - present-day Pakistan - stretches from the Himalayas down to the Arabian Sea. The break-up of the two wings came in 1971 when the Bengali-speaking east wing seceded with help from India.The disputed northern territory of Kashmir has been the flashpoint for two of the three India-Pakistan wars those of 1947-8 and 1965. There was a further brief but bitter armed conflict after Islamic militants infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999.

Military dominance Civilian politics in Pakistan in the last few decades has been tarnished by corruption, inefficiency and confrontations between various institutions. Alternating periods of civilian and military rule have not helped to establish stability. Pakistan came under military rule again in October 1999 after the ousting of a civilian government that had lost a great deal of public support.

The coup leader, General Pervez Musharraf, pledged to revive the country's fortunes, but faced economic challenges as well as an increasing polarisation between Islamist militancy and the modernising secular wing of Pakistani politics. Under growing pressure to reintroduce democratic rule, Mr Musharraf relinquished his army post in November 2007, but at parliamentary elections in February 2008, his supporters were defeated by the opposition Pakistan People's Party and former prme minister Nawaz Sharif 's Muslim League.

The two parties formed a coalition government and an impeachment process was

launched against Mr Musharraf, who resigned in August 2008. The Muslim League soon went into opposition, leaving the People's Party to govern in coalition with smaller parties. Parliamentary elections in 2013 brought the Muslim League back to power in the first transition from one elected government to another at elections in the country's history. The new government moved fast to engage with the Taliban, and began peace talks with the group in March 2014.

BORDER TENSIONS AND TERROR

Since 2009, the government has been waging an on-and-off military campaign to flush the militants out of the tribal areas.

It repeatedly denied US and Afghan allegations that senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders were present in the border areas, or that its intelligence service ISI even had links to Afghan armed groups. So the death in April 2011 of al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin-Laden in a US raid on Abbottabad, a city in the heart of Pakistan's military establishment, stretched relations with the US to breaking point.

Tensions with India over Kashmir have resurfaced regularly ever since the partition of the sub-continent, and the two nuclear-armed powers have on numerous occasions been on the brink of renewed conflict. India has accused Pakistan of failing to cooperate adequately over the investigation into the No-

Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan

vember 2008 extremist attacks in Mumbai, and suspended talks on improving relations until May 2012, when civil servants agreed to resume contacts.

Pakistan's place on the world stage shifted after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. It dropped its support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and was propelled into the frontline in the fight against terrorism, becoming a notional ally of Washington.

However, Pakistani forces have struggled to maintain control over the restive tribal regions along the Afghan border, where Taliban-linked militants became firmly entrenched. These Sunni extremists have more recently expanded attacks from their border fastness to target minority groups elsewhere in the country, in particular Shia Muslims and Christians.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

PAKISTAN PROFILE

“The Muslim-majority state of Pakistan occupies an area which was home to some of the earliest human settlements and where two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, were practised.�

1 April 2014

Pakistan emerged from the partition of the Indian sub-continent

Focus On Globe

39

1 March 2014

ASIA CUP 2014

SRI LANKA RETURN TO HEROES' WELCOME "Four World Cup finals, four heartbreaks, but

evoking Gregory Peck's driving face in 'To

this is what it feels like to finally win some-

Kill A Mockingbird', but he exchanged kinder

thing," one Sri Lanka fan was overheard say-

pleasantries with his new legion of followers

ing, as the open-top bus carrying Sri Lanka's

on Sunday.

cricketers came into view near SLC headquar-

Thirimanne was a favourite for photographs

ters. She was one of thousands who lined the

when the team disembarked at Maitland

streets, waving flags, decked in blue, tooting

Place. At first he would oblige with a grin,

horns, and occasionally breaking out in a

but after about three dozen snaps, the slight-

baila-flavoured jig as they awaited the Asia

est hint of that scowl returned. That was not

Cup-winners.

to say he did not enjoy the adulation, be-

Cricket lovers in Sri Lanka are an apathet-

cause he would engage willingly in conversa-

ic bunch bySouth Asian standards, and on

tion and happily acquiesce to every request,

Sunday even the beaming players appeared

but perhaps he is not as comfortable in the

surprised by the masses that had turned out

limelight as his role-model Sangakkara had

for them, on 18 hours' notice. The joy in the

been, even at that age. Not everyone has to

whoops, the whistles and the waves could not

be a public darling. Thirimanne will know,

be mistaken, but equally palpable was the re-

however, that if he continues to be this good

lief. Sri Lanka's public had waited a long time

at his job, he will have tens of thousands

to shower adulation on their players like this.

more photographs to pose for before his ca-

The players, many of them accustomed to a

reer is out. Paul Farbrace was generous with

relatively throng-free existence, lapped up the

his time too, keen to please the public, just

attention.

as he has been with the team. Sri Lanka have

After their team faltered in the finals of several high-profile tournaments, Sri Lanka fans were delighted with the Asia Cup victory

yet to lose a game. His pronunciation of the

were in predictably high demand from the

players' last names leaves something to be

masses, with many calling out their names in

desired, but given even his Sri Lankan-born

desperate hope for a wave or smile they could

predecessor Dav Whatmore had never really

boast was directed at them alone. 'Sanga' and

got his tongue around them, it is an easily

'Anji' are not just the team's captain and best

forgiven foible.

batsman, they are also the nation's biggest

There was relief at winning a final for now,

heartthrobs. Both men know it too.

but there was another vibe bubbling up from

But this time, the public was unusually sweet

the multitude. "Here's a little something to

on another young player. Lahiru Thiri-

show we appreciate you," they seemed to say,

manne's stock rose exponentially during

"but really, you ain't seen nothing yet." "If you

the tournament, in which he had hit two

bring back another winners' trophy on April

hundreds. Some in the crowd screaming his

7, we'll make it a day you'll never forget." It's

name were big enough to admit they had not

a steep demand, but that's the nature of Sri

thought much of him before the Asia Cup.

Lanka's cricket public. If the team didn't want

He had been staring down Umar Gul about

to ratchet expectations so high, they shouldn't

20 hours ago, wearing that determined scowl

have been so damn good in this tournament.

SPORTS

played 12 matches under his watch and are Angelo Mathews and Kumar Sangakkara

40

Focus On Globe

1 April 2014

An annual memorial service commemorates nationalists who died defending Latvia against Soviet troops in WWII A mournful procession of about 1,500 Latvians winds its way through Riga's medieval Old Town singing traditional Latvian songs.

Elderly World War Two veterans lead the crowd. And many of the participants are carrying flowers to lay at the Freedom Monument, Latvia's symbol of national independence. They have come here to commemorate those who died defending Latvia against the Soviet Union in the war. But with Russian troops now in nearby Ukraine, many in the Baltics are alarmed that history may be about to repeat itself.

"If Ukraine falls, then Russian ambitions won't stop with this. I believe we will be next in Russia's list of actions," said one young man who had come to take part in the procession. "It shows the attitude of Russia - how it goes into another country very easily and acts in an aggressive manner," said another.

'Nazi sympathisers' But this annual memorial service is highly controversial. These elderly veterans fought against Russia - but for Nazi Germany.

The Baltics have spent much of their

Pro-Moscow Russian-speakers in Latvia accuse pro-Western nationalists of right-wing extremism This year security is particularly tight, with as many police officers as participants, amid fears that the instability in Ukraine will spark ethnic tensions here. It is a similar dynamic to Ukraine: pro-Moscow local Russian-speakers accusing pro-Western nationalists of being right-wing extremists. And like Ukraine, some Russian-speakers here say they are discriminated against by mainstream society.

“I feel like a person who is second-class,” says Aleksandr Gaponenko, a Russian-speaker who moved to Soviet-era Latvia with his parents 59 years ago, when he was a one-year-old. “We want equal rights for our languages, and we want equal social and economic rights.”

Aleksandr GaponenkoEthnic Russian in Latvia

history being buffeted between neighbouring imperial forces. And in WWII, having already suffered severe oppression under Stalin, many Latvians saw Hitler's forces as the lesser of two evils - Latvia's only chance of not slipping back into Stalinist oppression.

But the veterans and their supporters are accused of being Nazi sympathisers - particularly by Latvia's large Russian-speaking community. About 1,000 Russian-speakers have gathered behind police barricadesnear the monument to protest. "Fascists go home!" shout some. "Shame! Shame!" shout others.

“We want equal rights for our languages, and we want equal social and economic rights” According to the Latvian authorities, throughout the 20th Century people from elsewhere in the USSR were resettled in the Baltics as a deliberate Soviet policy to water down Baltic culture and destroy local national sentiment. And still today Russian-speakers are sometimes pejoratively called "occupiers".

'Non-citizens' So when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Mr Gaponenko, like many Russians, was not automatically granted Latvian citizenship, and lost his job in Riga city council. Today he is classed as a "non-citizen" - which means he is still not allowed to work for the state and does not have the right to vote.

Around 300,000 Russian-speakers, or 13% of Latvia's population, are so-called "non-citizens". And they live in an EU member state and member of Nato.

To become Latvian, they have to prove their knowledge of the Latvian language and culture in a citizenship test - even if they were born here.Some Russian-speakers, such as Mr Gaponenko, refuse to take the test, saying that the country where they have spent all their lives should grant them citizenship automatically.

Others, particularly older people, say they do not speak Latvian well enough to pass the test.

But the Latvian government says it is encouraging all residents of Latvia to become citizens. And it accuses the Kremlin of using the issue to stir up resentment within the local Russian-speaking population and create political instability. "There's massive propaganda, even an information warfare - not only here, and not only using Russian-speaking media, but also using other channels," says Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics.

CRIMEA CRISIS SHARPENS LATVIA ETHNIC TENSIONS

BY DAMIEN MCGUINNESS

UKRAINE CRISIS

Focus On Globe SPLIT IN SOCIETY Russian-speakers often live very separate lives from their Latvian neighbours, living in different neighbourhoods, often socialising in different places. In Riga city centre, one bar might be full of local Russian-speakers, next door packed with ethnic Latvians.

Estimates of numbers of Russian-speakers vary. According to Latvian pollster SKDS, Russian-speakers make up 42% of the population in Latvia, with 58% described as ethnic Latvian. This split in society is exacerbated by the political system. The parties popular with ethnic Latvian voters manage to form convoluted governing coalitions to stay in power. Meanwhile Harmony Centre, a party voted for mainly by Russians-speakers, is stuck in opposition - despite having won more votes than any other single party in the last parliamentary elections of 2011.

Most problematic, says political analyst and pollster Arnis Kaktins, is that Russian-speakers often consume all their news from media produced in Moscow, while ethnic Latvians tend to get their information from Latvian or Western news outlets.

41

1 March 2014

Many ethnic Latvians fear their country may have to be defended against Russia once again

So the two communities are developing opposing views about who is to blame for the crisis in Ukraine.

"When so many people rely heavily on Russian news sources, it means that Russia has an instrument to change their minds if it would like to," says Mr Kaktins.

There is a fear that the Kremlin could encourage Latvia's predominantly Russian-speaking border regions to follow Crimea's example and break away from Latvia to join Russia. All three Baltic States are in Nato, so it is seen as unlikely that the Kremlin would send in troops, and start a conflict that the West would feel obliged to respond to militarily. The real worry is that the crisis could increase divisions within Latvian society.

Since independence in 1991, Latvia's two communities have lived side-by-side peacefully. But if the conflict in Ukraine gets worse, the rift could grow between Russian-speakers who support Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and ethnic Latvians who support the West.

FUKUSHIMA:

IS FEAR OF RADIATION THE REAL KILLER?

By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes

all this before; it's no longer frightening. But it is for their mother.

"The government gives us very little information," she said. "I need to be completely sure my boys are fine. I want this hospital to follow up next year and the following year and the one after that."

'Not related' Look up "Fukushima thyroid cancer" on the internet and you will find a legion of horror stories, predictions that thousands of Fukushima children will get cancer. It's little wonder parents like Miyuki are scared. But should they be?

Miyuki Arakawa wants her children to be tested regularly for thyroid cancer

I went back to the little Japanese town of Namie this week. It lies just 5km (three miles) north of the sprawling complex that was once the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

You can see the tall white chimneys of the plant peaking over a low hill. I've been to Namie before. Each time I go back is like the first, so arresting is the scene that confronts you.

For three years, time here has stood still. An old wooden house brought down by the earthquake still lies in the middle of a road. Through thebroken window of a noodle shop I can see used bowls and chopsticks still lying on tables.

I look through the windows of an old people's home. Beds lie unmade; laundry hangs from a drier. It's as if the residents have gone off for breakfast and at any moment they'll be shuffling back in.

But no one is coming back. When explosions hit the nuclear plant the pall of radiation was blown right across this town. And so Namie remains utterly deserted, its residents scattered far and wide.In their exile they live in constant fear and anxiety. Fear of what the radiation may have done to their children and anxiety that they will never get their old lives back.

'Need to be sure' At a private hospital 60km from the plant I meet Miyuki Arakawa and her two little boys, five-year-old Ryota and three-year-old Haruto. The boys are changing in to hospital pyjamas. They giggle with the nurses. They've done

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes visited some abandoned areas near Fukushima

Many residents lost homes, livelihoods and family ties as they scattered amid the disaster At Fukushima University Medical School Professor Shinichi Suzuki leads the team studying the children of Fukushima. A cheerful round-faced man with a grey moustache, Prof Suzuki is frustrated by the constant likening of Fukushima to Chernobyl.

"The first thing to understand is that the amount of radiation released from Fukushima was much lower than at Chernobyl," he said. "Second, the number of children in Fukushima who got a radiation dose above 50 millisieverts is very few, maybe as low as zero."

In other words the highest level of exposure children at Fukushima are thought to have received (50 millisieverts) is at the very lowest end of exposure for children in Chernobyl. In that case how does Professor Suzuki explain the 33 confirmed cases of thyroid cancer his team have found?

"In Japan there has never been a survey on this scale

WORLD @ GLANCE

In the "dead zone" around the Fukushima nuclear plant, time stands still

In a narrow room Haruto climbs in to a large blue machine that looks a bit like a bath. The big blue bathtub is the world's first and only infant full-body radiation scanner. Inside Haruto begins to fidget as the data starts to show on a nearby computer screen. "After the Chernobyl disaster children were diagnosed many years later," Miyuki said. "My boys may be fine now, but if there is any risk I need to find out as soon as possible."

Her anxiety level has been raised further by the latest government findings. Since 2011 Japan has surveyed 260,000 Fukushima children. So far 33 cases of thyroid cancer have been confirmed; another 42 are suspected.

42

Focus On Globe done before," he said. "Once you start using very sensitive equipment to check for thyroid cancer in a very large group of children then you will inevitably find an increase in the number of cases. That is why we are seeing the increase now. These cases are not related to the nuclear disaster." Prof Suzuki says his team will need to carry on their work for many more years to be sure that the children of Fukushima are in the clear.

But he and other experts now say they think there will be very few, or even zero, extra childhood cancers because of Fukushima.

'Took everything' That does not mean that the Fukushima disaster is not taking lives. According to the government's own figures, in the last three years more than 1,600 Fukushima evacuees have died from causes that are "related to the disaster" On a freezing March morning I meet 56-year-old Hideko Takeda at a grave yard a few kilometres from the little town of Namie.

WORLD @ GLANCE

Hideko Takeda says her father never recovered from losing his home and his work She has come to burn incense on her father's grave.

The black marble is still shiny and new. She has a photograph of him with her. He was tall for a Japanese farmer and at 80 still robust. Each day he still milked the cows and tended his fields. But then the disaster stuck and he was forced to flee, leaving his cows to starve to death in their shed. It broke him, Mrs Takeda says; his health collapsed, within two years he was dead.

"I blame the power company [Tepco] for his death," she said. "They took everything from him, his dreams, his hope. They took his land and scattered his family far from home. Nothing will ever bring those back."

There is also growing evidence of an increase in suicides among Fukushima evacuees. Mrs Takeda says she knows of several from the villages around her farm.

"One man I know went back to check his house," she said. "When he didn't return his family went to find him. His car was parked outside. He had hanged himself. I think he'd given up, he couldn't see any future."

So far no one has died from radiation in Fukushima.

But unable to return to their homes, scattered in evacuations centres, perhaps lonely and depressed, a growing number of evacuees are dying from anxiety, from suicide or from simply losing the will to live.

REMEMBERING THE FALKLANDS SACRIFICE 30 YEARS ON By: Caroline Wyatt Defence correspondent, BBC News

1 April 2014

Veterans and locals came together for a service of remembrance at San Carloscemetery All week, the Falklands have remembered and given thanks, as they do every year, for the sacrifices made in the 74 days it took to liberate these islands. islanders and veterans gathered in the small military cemetery overlooking San Carlos Waters to pay tribute to the 255 British servicemen who gave their lives to free the islands from occupation by Argentine forces 30 years.Fourteen of those servicemen are buried there, among them Colonel 'H' Jones, the commander of 2 Para who died leading the charge at Goose Green.As the service drew to a close, the mist swirled down from the mountains, and snow began to fall, dusting the gravestones and the red poppies of the wreaths with white.

'Good friend' Memories of the war here are undiminished by the passage of time - for islanders and veterans alike.

They gather at the Liberation Memorial at Port Stanley, which looks across to the freezing waters of the South Atlantic to remember the sacrifices made, and give thanks to those who risked their lives.

Returning to the islands where they and their comrades fought is an emotional experience for many of the veterans. They remember all too well the nerve-wracking 8,000-mile journey to get here, and the bloody battles that ensued.

Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne, left, joined Falklands governor Nigel Haywood at the service Farmer Trudi McPhee smuggled supplies to British troops driving through the dark over the rough terrain in convoy, despite the dangers. She says these islands will remain forever in their debt. "I think of all the families whose loved ones haven't returned. For what they did, I'll always be grateful. We'll always appreciate that, and they will always be in our thoughts." Her anger at what she sees as Argentina's bullying is shared by many here. Their charter flights via Chile have been cut, and Argentina is now trying to take criminal proceedings against the oil companies drilling for oil in waters off the Falklands.

Today, the Argentine president will even try to press her country's case for sovereignty at the decolonization committee of the United Nations, although the Falkland Islands are not a colony.

As for the islanders themselves, they possess a steely determination to preserve their identity as Falkland Islanders who are also British, even as Argentina once again tries to stake its claim. the Falklands hold a referendum on their future which is certain to send a clear signal to Buenos Aires that this rocky outcrop in the South Atlantic remains British to the core.

In a historical irony, it was Argentina's invasion 30 years ago that ultimately rescued these faraway islands from a slow drift into decline and neglect. The wealth of the seas - first fish, and now oil - have brought with them a new-found confidence, not least in a capital which has almost doubled in size since 1982. Their hope is that Argentina - a country of 40 million - will now allow the 3,000 people of the Falklands to live in peace, so that no further sacrifices need be made.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

255 British servicemen lost their lives in the Falklands conflict One of those paying his respects at the cemetery at San Carlos was Barry Avery, who sailed here on HMS Coventry as a young seaman."During the service, I was thinking about one of the lads who was killed on HMS Coventry, Adrian Sunderland, who was a good friend of mine," he says.

"We had planned to go down to Cornwall on holiday with a group of us when the war finished, but that never happened."Those memories are always there, though you do get used to things. I came back here in 2010, and coming back this year for the 30th anniversary was hopefully part of the closure for me."Another veteran there was Gary Clement, who eventually married a local girl and lives on the islands.

"I was put up on the side of the bridge to look for enemy aircraft, and I couldn't stop my legs shaking. I had enough time to be frightened," he recalls.

'Extraordinary' Some of the veterans find it hard to speak of their experiences - even after three decades - but all say they've been deeply touched by the gratitude of the Falkland islanders.

Steve Overall, who served on HMS Coventry, says: "Every time we've been back on the islands has been fantastic.

"Even the youngsters, 18-year-olds who weren't born when the war took place, walk up to you in the streets saying thank you. It's extraordinary." At the Liberation Memorial will be a group of islanders who covertly helped British forces against the Argentine invaders in 1982.

2) Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1974 (Movie: Bobby) 3) Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 4) Filmfare Critics’ Award for Best Actor in 2011 (Movie: Do Dooni Chaar) Biography: Born to Bollywood’s most influential family who are the pioneers of Bollywood Film World, Rishi Kapoor is the second son of Superstar and Film Director, Raj Kapoor. He was born and educated in Mumbai. He was fondly nicknamed Chintu.

He was first seen in his Father’s film “Mera Naam Joker” as a young teenager in the year 1970. The movie went on to acquire a one-of-its-kind status and was very commercially successful overseas and in India as well. He went on to do his first film as an actor in 1973 hit film “Bobby” opposite Dimple Kapadia. A romantic tale that it was, became an instant hit with the youth catapulting Kapoor to overnight stardom. His sizzling chemistry in the film with Kapadia ran stories of their link ups and much unneeded and uncalled for controversy happened over it. He was the ultimate romantic hero of his times starring in more than a hundred romantic comedies mostly with his wife Neetu Singh.

Focus On Globe

1 March 2014

43

Mo Farah enjoying Olympic gold

However, Prof Ian Needleman, director of the International Centre for Evidence-Based Oral Health at University College London, says there could be an impact in elite sport. He told the BBC: "It's the accumulation of marginal gains, where the difference between elite athletes at the very top is small. Then oral health, amongst other aspects, could make a difference.

"The research we did at London 2012 found a large proportion of young athletes, fantastically well tuned physically, had really poor oral health. "Quite a high proportion reported an impact on their training and performance so it's clearly an issue for them."

Regular checks Doctors with GB Boxing are already trying to improve dental hygiene after noticing poor oral health had affected training.

Dr Mike Loosemore, who has worked with the GB boxing team for 17 years and is a consultant at the English Institute of Sport, told the BBC: "I've become aware over the years that dental problems have been interfering with training. It stops them getting that little bit fitter and may have a consequence when they get into the ring and box."

He says things are now improving after regular dental checks were introduced, even if they are not always popular with the boxers. "They don't like going to the dentist. They'd much rather be training. However, it has made a difference to their teeth and they are spending less time away from their training, and that will make them a better boxer. "They may not appreciate it now, but hopefully they'll appreciate when they've got a gold medal round their neck in Rio [at the 2016 Olympics]."

GOOD TEETH MAY HELP SPORTING SUCCESS

HEALTH

Dentists say elite athletes could stand a better chance of winninggold medals if they look after their teeth.

The Oral Health and Performance in Sport conference in London heard that athletes' oral health was often bad and could impair training and performance. “I've become aware over the years that dental problems have been interfering with training.

It stops [boxers] getting that little bit fitter and may have a consequence when they get into the ring and box�

DR MIKE LOOSEMOREGB BOXING TEAM DOCTOR At the pinnacle of elite sport, the difference between winning and losing is tiny, so even marginal improvements can make a crucial difference. Doctors for Team GB's boxing squad are already trying to improve oral health.

Disruptive A study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed a fifth of athletes said their oral health damaged their training and performance for the Games. At the conference, dentists said tooth pain could disrupt sleep and training and that inflammation of the gums could affect the rest of the body, impairing performance. It is not unusual for poor oral health to have wider effects. The NHS says it is linked to type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

A regular floss, a bottle of mouthwash and good brushing technique are not going to transform a weekend jogger into an Olympian.

Sports

OWNER, PRINTER, PUBLISHER, EDITOR MUHAMMAD HANEEF MAHAJAN RNI Regd NO :- JKENG50569/2013

DATED: 17/1/2012