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‘We don’t want Tatas to leave, but to return 400 acre’
Singur, Aug 24: Amid repeated calls to party workers to peacefully hold the indefinite dharna over Singur land issue, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said her party did not want the Tatas to leave, but to restrict its small car factory here to 600 acre.
“If you smile, lets others also smile,” Banerjee told a huge gathering from the dais near the main gate of the Tata Motors plant here as her party launched the indefinite dharna to demand return of 400 acres to farmers unwilling to part with their land for the Nano project.
She said that in their letter to her the Tatas had stated that they required 600 acre for the mother plant of the small car. “Please don’t change your stand everyday.” The vendor park of the Tata Motors plant, she said, could come up opposite to the main plant where “CPI(M)-backed promoters have land.” Stressing that the agitation would be totally peaceful the TC supremo told partymen and supporters, “Don’t even look at the walls of the Tata Motors factory.”
“We believe in people’s movement. No agitation can be launched by demolishing walls. If anybody try to demolish walls, we will not have anything to do with them.” Trinamool Congress volunteers even formed a human chain near the main gate of the Tata plant to prevent anyone from going near it. Two party flags of TC and SUCI which were tied to the police barricades were removed at her instruction.
The area around the Tata Motors project turned into a fortress with massive deployment of security for TC’s indefinite dharna.
Over 2,000 police personnel, mostly unarmed, were deployed and the gate of the Tata Motors unit was barricaded with policemen on watch towers keeping close watch and water cannons kept ready.
Mamata said her party would demonstrate the power of a peaceful movement and “force the government to accept our demand”. In Kolkata, CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose said there should be more dialogue to sort out the Singur land impasse and as a first step, the number of farmers who were unwilling to part with their land should be determined.
Bose, who said he had no objection to a peaceful and democratic movement, said following the initial talks between Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee and Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee, there should be exchange of papers and documents to ascertain claims and counter claims.
“The government will place its papers and the opposition will give their documents and in this manner a solution will be found to the Singur deadlock,” Bose said. Home secretary Ashoke Mohan Chakraborty said the TC leadership had kept its promise to keep the stir peaceful.
The police were keeping tight watch so that factory workers had unhindered access to the Tata plant, he said after reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting with DGP A B Vora and IGP (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia.
However, some private security guards of the Tata factory had complained to police that they were threatened by TC workers last night, he said, adding the agitation had also led to the Durgapur Expressway being closed for traffic. To a question, the Home secretary said the state would send a report on the situation at Singur if sought by Centre. (PTI)

ATM frauds getting more sophisticated: Experts
New Delhi, Aug 24: Economic frauds carried out through bank Automated Teller Machines (ATM’s) are now getting sophisticated and trendy with both technical and human expertise employed to siphon-off the crisped currency from their chests.
Anti-fraud experts say that India, with its huge number of ATM’s coming up every other day, is witnessing wide scale effects of the ATM fraud phenomenon which was lately prevalent in foreign countries.
“The problem of ATM frauds is global in nature and its ramifications have been felt in India as well. It is a big threat and it requires a coordinated and cooperative action on the part of all the stakeholders”, Pravin Dalal, cyber security expert said.
ATM frauds are executed by techniques like wire tapping, replicating the digital signature of the card, getting authentic personal data at fake data call centres, tampering ATM slots by rigging, phishing through e-mail accounts and fixing hidden cameras at vantage points inside ATM installations to steal the secret PIN number of the customers.
Fraudsters use special devices like skimmers, duplicate ATMs, to withdraw stacks of money from ATMs.
“Direct access to the bank account through the ATM card will not cause huge per client losses but collectively in the coming days it can be a huge figure,” Mayur Joshi, head of India Forensic agency, a private firm, said.
In the new and emerging trends relating to ATM frauds, Joshi describes an incident. "In a recent case investigated by my team in Nagpur region, ATM cards belonging to new applicants were dispachted through official couriers at the residences of the victims after their applications were sanctioned by the bank authorities. "Interestingly, the ATM cards which belonged to applicants whose addresses were either not traced or were absent during delivery, were received by the bank officials and after getting the possession of the same cards they started withdrawing the money from the accounts of the depositors of the bank," Joshi said.
“Banks never ask for personal information of their patrons over the e-mail, through post or by sending executives. Customers should very carefully mention their user ID’s, credit card numbers and passwords under their own watchful eyes”, a spokesperson for a leading national bank said.
Banks on their part have installed various security fixtures like installing CCTV cameras and deploying round- the-clock static guard at the ATM’s to keep a check on suspicious persons, he added. Various banks have also pasted information security pledges and detailed pointers inside ATM complexes in order to spread the message of safe ATM usage, a banker said.
“The IT Act, 2000 does not contain any specific provisions regarding the same and the traditional law of IPC, 1860 also cannot be relied solely and independently to tackle this problem,” Dalal said. (PTI)

Cultures shouldn’t become globalized mush: Altman
Mumbai, Aug 24: British music arranger-composer John Altman, known for his work in films like Titanic and Shall We Dance, has just scored for a Malayalam movie, but says it is important to preserve the diversity of sounds all over the world. “I just hope every culture doesn‘t lose its identity to become one globalized mush. The diversity of sounds all over the world is still important. I hope it stays,” Altman told IANS in an interview.
Altman, who had earlier scored for Gurinder Chadha’s Bhaji On the Beach, has now given music for the Malayalam film Akashagopuram. “I wanted to do something more that would be groundbreaking and maybe would open the door for other Western composers to score in Indian cinema,” Altman said.
Excerpts from the interview with IANS:
What brings you to Malayalam cinema?
Well, I didn’t have to take the route taken by traditional Malayalam films. That helped. That would’ve been difficult. But since they shot the film in England, the makers of Akashagopuram wanted a fresh take. I was very excited by the idea of bringing my own sensibility to a music that didn’t necessarily originate from Malayali culture.
The good thing for me was that everyone in India has seen Titanic and Shall De Dance and several other films. So when they hear my music in Akashagopuram, they aren’t in for a total culture shock. I think people in India would find it interesting.
In any case, there’s no culture-specific sound any more.
You’re right. With satellite television, every part of the world is aware of all kinds of sights and sounds. I was the first Western composer to score music in a Russian film as well. I wanted to do something more that would be groundbreaking and maybe would open the door for other Western composers to score in Indian cinema.
We had Richard Clayderman composing one track in the Rajshri’s Uff Kya Jadoo Mohabbat Hai.
That’s right. For me, Akashagopuram was of special interest because it’s adapted from Ibsen. I was a lecturer way back in English literature before I became a musician. That was intriguing. Also, some of my Indian friends in England had told me about the film’s leading man, Mohanlal. So, of course, I knew about him. It’s mainly background music and one theme song in English, a very global song.
You’ve done the score for another Indian project.
Yes! Jagmohan Mundhra’s Shoot On Sight. That’s a totally different territory...terrorism. Again, the sound I was asked to create wasn’t culture-specific. I was told I had to create a sound that suggested people in Britian going about their ordinary lives. They didn’t want the music to be Indian or Islamic. They wanted a very British sound, which would underscore the shock of terrorism.
Interestingly enough, I scored music in one of the first Anglo-Indian movies, Gurinder Chadha’s Bhaji On the Beach in 1993. And I did use Indian music in that. And now, 15 years later, I’ve done two more Indian films and not done any Indian sounds in them.
Quite ironical. You’ve had a 40-year career in film scores. Your thoughts?
Yes, I’ve also worked with musicians like Diana Ross, Alison Moyet and George Michael. What has changed is that globalisation has become a reality. When I was young, one really had to search the sounds out. When I heard Pandit Ravi Shankar in the 1960s I couldn’t get his records in any music shop in England. I had to order it from India and it took three months to come. Today you just go online and get any music.
Is that good or bad?
It depends on how the technology is used. I just hope every culture doesn't lose its identity to become one globalised mush. The diversity of sounds all over the world is still important. I hope it stays. Today the good thing is that there’s so much history of music available on the net. (IANS)

Orissa Govt announces judicial probe
Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: Orissa government today announced a judicial probe into the killing of five persons, including four prominent VHP leaders, in Kandhmal district.
The government has also ordered closure of educational institutions across the state tomorrow in view of the 12-hour bandh call given by Sangh Parivar, official sources said.
“There will be a judicial probe into yesterday’s attack on the VHP ashram and its inmates,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters after holding an emergency meeting here to take stock of the situation.
According to police, about 30 armed men struck at the ashram in Jalespata near Kandhamal at around 21:15 hours yesterday and sprayed bullets, leaving VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others dead.
Stating that the combing operation had already begun in Kandhmal, the Chief Minister said the next of the kins of those killed would be given an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, he said that two Inspectors General of Police and two Deputy Inspector General of police rank officers besides Revenue Divisional Commissioner had rushed to the spot.
Additional force had also been rushed to the district, he said, adding the authorities had been asked to keep a close watch on the situation in other districts also.
Denying it as a communal violence, Home secretary T K Mishra who was also present at the meeting said there was a “strong” possibility of Maoist involvement in the incident.
“The manner in which they attacked and kind of arms used to execute the crime strongly indicated it was handiwork of Maoists,” Mishra said adding police had recovered cartridges used in AK-47 rifle.
Replying to a question on security lapses for Laxmanananda, who was in the hit-list of Maoists for some time, the Home secretary said that police were aware of the threat. “The local police had taken steps. But we are yet to verify what steps were taken for the leader’s security,” he said.
The Home secretary admitted that there were stray cases of attack on churches in wake of the incident. He claimed that there was no major incident so far at any place in the state. Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda said that police had sounded alert across the stats. “The collectors and SPs of all the sensitive districts are asked to protect all places of worship and important personalities,” he said.
The DGP said the VHP leader was provided with adequate security. “We will review what actually went wrong,” he said. Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said the police had been asked to review “lapses} in the security of Laxmananda Saraswati.
Meanwhile, the state government asked the Centre to rush at least four battalions of para-military force to Kandhmal as it fears trouble during cremation of the five deceased. (PTI)

Freedom fighter lives life of neglect and penury
New Delhi, Aug 24: She is a freedom fighter who is fighting another battle — the battle for survival.
Laxmi Panda of Orissa’s Koraput district, who joined the Indian National Army in Burma and fought against the British, is caught in abject poverty and had to work as a maid servant, a shop attendant and a daily labourer.
Panda (84) was here last week to air her grievances before President Pratibha Patil who assured her all possible support from the government. The freedom fighter has been abandoned by her son and also by the government. She has been running from pillar to post for her freedom fighter pension.The State government recognises Laxmi as a freedom fighter and gives a paltry pension of Rs 1,000. But the Centre has denied Panda, who fought alongside stalwarts like Captain Laxmi Sehgal, the status of freedom fighter just because she was not arrested by the British.
“Had she been arrested by the British and got a police record, she could have got a pension of Rs 15,000 per month, enough to sustain herself,” says Anil Dhir, a researcher on INA. Till recently, the octogenarian was sharing a hut with her “drunkard” son who threw her out, leaving her homeless. Once Panda had decided to end her life by immolating herself wrapped in the national flag. But a positive response by the President, Prime Minister's Office and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has enthused the frail lady to live on, said Dhir, who is instrumental in tracking her down. (PTI)

Sukhwinder Singh to sing for Spielberg again
New Delhi, Aug 24: Playback singer Sukhwinder Singh seems to have struck the right note in Hollywood and that too with Steven Spielberg.
The legendary director has signed the Chaiya Chaiya singer for his upcoming untitled flick, starring Denzel Washington and produced by Universal Pictures. This is the second time that Singh has sung for Speilberg.
Known as ‘Sukhie’ among fans, he did the playback for Spike Lee’s ‘Inside Man’ in 2006.
“For the film I am recording a traditional folk Kutch song. I chose folk because it will stand out in the crowd. I refused to take any techno music because Hollywood is way ahead in it. We need to have our own flavour and make our mark with what is ours,” the singer says.
“My Chhaiya Chhaiya number became immensely popular with Hollywood filmmakers and they want to recreate the magic. There will be an original composition for this film,” says the singer.
Sukhwinder is currently busy with Bollywood commitments and has just completed recording for Danny Boyle’s Hindi film Slum Dog Millionaire starring Irrfan Khan and Anil Kapoor, whose music has been scored by A R Rehman.
Sukhwinder Singh sang Jai Ho, for Boyle’s film in differing tunes so many times that leaving director A R Rehman totally confused over which version to choose. “The lyrics of the song are amazing. It is written by Gulzaar saab and the music is naturally peppy, the way all Rehman songs are. I loved singing Jai Ho and I have sung the song so many times that eventually Rehman got really perplexed,” says the singer.
“Now they are wondering who would edit all the versions and which version is the best,” chuckles Sukhwinder.
Written by Simon Beaufoy, Slum Dog Millionaire is a tongue-in-cheek film based on a true story of an illiterate, and very poor kid from Mumbai’s slums, who gets into the Hindi version of reality show Who wants to be a Millionaire and wins it.
Sukhwinder also plans to get into acting and is waiting for the right role. “I am waiting for a good role. I have numerous offers but I am waiting for a substantial and quality role,” says the singer.
The Punjabi singer adds, “I want something like Himesh Reshamiya did in Aap Ka Saroor, a full fledged role.” (PTI)