No marriage or talk with CPI(M) members/supporters – Trinamool

There is no limit for the Trinamool Party as far as its anger against the CPI(M). Any action can be taken against the CPI(M) in its blind anger. Now it has issued diktact to its members not to speak with CPI(M) members/supporters and not even to have marriage allinaces with CPI(M) families! See the Kolkata based report:
” The Trinamool Congress has asked its members not to marry any CPM leader or anyone even distantly related to them.
Conveying the ruling party’s message at a programme in Habra in North 24-Parganas, food supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick said: “Don’t mingle with the CPM. Don’t even talk to them if you meet them at a local chai (tea) shop. We have vowed to boycott the CPM socially. Our workers must make sure that nobody in their family enters into any marital relationship with any CPM leader or supporter.”
The minister advised the audience, many of whom happened to be the CPM supporters, to avoid any relative who had anything to do with the communist party. Even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee is aware that several local CPM workers have been joining her party even since the Left’s debacle in the 2011 Assembly elections, her party has been talking about the fatwa for quite sometime now.
But Mullick, who is also the Trinamool Congress’ district observer in North 24-Parganas, made the diktat public by making it the major party of his speech on Sunday evening. Among those present at the function was Trinamool M P Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.
The minister told the gathering that Trinamool Congress workers must work in the most dedicated manner ahead of the panchyat elections since the party would probably go it alone.
The panchayat elections are due next year and the Trinamool’s ally in the government, the Congress, has already declared its intentions to fight the rural polls alone. The Congress leadership in the centre has, however, remained noncommittal on the issue.
Even as the Trinamool leaders present at Habra’s programme talked about a possible separation from the Congress during the panchayat polls, they mostly concentrated on revving up solidarity against the CPM, which, according to Mullick was the “main enemy”.
“We must continue with our tirade against the CPM and make all necessary steps to isolate the party that has destroyed growth in West Bengal for the last 34 years,” the minishter added.
It is no wonder that hundreds of CPI(M) members and supporters have been murdered by the TMC goondas. It is their strategy and action plan. This has got to be stopped.

Health care – India in the bottomline among BRICS countries.

India is an emerging economy. But when it comes to the health care in the country, it is far below many other countries. Taking similarly growing economies, like in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, India is at the bottom line.This is as per the report furnished by the World Bank.

While Brazil spends 2.83% of its GDP on health care, S.Africa 2.73%, Russia 2.68% and China 1.55% India is far behind with only 0.93% of the GDP. If you take the developed countries, US spends 15% and UK 8.5% of its GDP for the health care.

The worst condition of health systems in the lakhs of villages and the juggis in the cities are well-known to the ruling classes and the governments. But nothing worthwhile is done to improve the situation. Take the case of toilets. There are no toilets for crores of poor people in the country who, including women, are compelled to use open spaces without any privacy for the same. A recent survey has stated that there are far less toilets than mobiles in the country. Death rate for children has decreased, but it is much more than in many countries. Sufficient food stuffs are not available for a majority of people in the country. Unless a time bound fast-track programme is implemented with determination, the situation is not going to improve.

But, sorry to state, it is not a matter of priority for the UPA government or most of the state governments. Without a massive campaign as in the case of against corruption, nothing is going to happen. This should be treated as a priority.

A day of sight-seeing

In between the busy days, today I took myself the indulgence of taking a holiday and sight-seeing. Com. M.Balasubramanian and his wife Roja had come to Delhi and they will be leaving for Agra, Jaipur etc. tomorrow. As such my wife and myself thought that we will visit the Akshardham Temple today.

We went by metro from R.K.Ashram station to the Akkshardham station. Since it was only about 0900 hours and being the election day in Delhi, there was not much rush. For about three hours we went in and around the temple and saw the fine construction and arrangements. There were exhibitions and also a boat journey. The boat was going through an artificial canal on both sides of which images were constructed and exhibited about the growth of the civilisation in India and about the earlier sages, armies, medical achievements etc. Later we had our lunch in the restaurant in the temple premises itself.

The visit was interesting.

 

Indian Railways complete 159 years – Telegraphs also

The Indian Railways were started 159 years back, on 16th April 1853, and the first train was introduced between Victoria Terminus (Bombay) and Thane.  (The Telegraphs were also introduced on the same day). During the last one and half century, it has grown as the fourth largest railways in the world after USA, Russia and China. It has got tracks of more than 11,500 kms with about 8000 stations.

The Indian Railways have become an important part of the lives of Indian people connecting them with their friends and relatives all over India. It is the cheapest mode of journey for the common people.

But the recent plans of the government for privatisation and PPP in Railways don’t augur good for the future. Instead, the government should try to construct fresh tracks, improve the services and provide more facilities in the railways. It is a national treasure and the biggest provider of jobs. Don’t  jeopardise its future as in the case of Air India and BSNL. The workers in the Railways has a pivotal role to play in strengthening and improving the railways.We have to save railways from the present crisis.

The Telegraphs played a crucial role for more than one and half century, but after the introduction of telephones its importance lost gradually and after introduction of latest technologies, it has almost lost relevance. It is continuing only as a nominal service at present. But the great contributions telegraphs have given to the people will ever be remembered.

Titanic – a grim reminder after a century

Through centuries, many ships, from the old hand-stroked /pulled to the latest automatic ones, have sunk in the deep seas. Many warships have also sunk during the great wars, just like what happened at Pearl Harbour. But none of them have moved the hearts of people like the disaster that met the ‘Titanic’, the luxury ship that went down one century earlier, which resulted in the loss of more than 1500 lives, out of a total of 2208 passengers and crew.

It was  on 15th April 1912 at midnight 02.20 a.m. that the Titanic went down completely,which struck a huge ice-berg at about 23.40 hours on its way from England to New York. It was the maiden voyage of the ship,  launched with much publicity and grandeur. It was not known till recently, what happened exactly. But after the wreckage of the ship was found and going through the evidences, it was clear that the ship broke and sunk due to dashing with the iceberg.

The film ‘Titanic’, released in 1997, reminded the people about the great tragedy and was a great success. Now on this 100th anniversary of the disaster, another ship, named ‘Baltimore’, is cruising through the same route with the descendents of the passengers of the ill-fated ship and is holding memorial services to those whose lives have been lost.

Let such disaster not happen again.

 

What is going on in W.Bengal? Professor taken in to custody for cartoon

A professor of Jadavpur University, Kolkata has been arrested and taken in to custody for circulating a harmless joke and picture in the e-mail on the change of Railway minister by Trinamol Supremeo Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of W.Bengal. The professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was severely beaten by Trinamool goondas, before he was arrested and charged.

Politicians and cultural leaders across the spectrum have strongly reacted to the arrest and charges. As the protests intensified, the victim was given bail.

This is an indication of the day-to-day affairs after the Mamata Government took charge. Such actions have to be condemned strongly.

Abraham Lincoln – The US President who abolished slavery

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of United States of America, was shot dead on 15th of April 1865, 147 years back, while he was in Ford’s Theatre watching a performance. He is considered as the greatest of the US Presidents for the abolition of slavery in the country and for improving the economical/financial situation at that time.

Born in an ordinary family on 12th February 1809, he rose to the position of the US President by hard work and his high capabilities. He was a great orator. He belonged to the Republican Party. During his first term as President in 1861 Civil War broke between the Government and the Confederates over the issue of abolition of slavery. He gave exemplary leadership in both military and political in facing the civil war. The Civil War continued till 1865 when the government won and the South surrendered. The Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery was issued in 1863. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 1863 is still considered a masterpiece of his oratory, determination and committment to the cause.

He was re-elected a second term as President in 1864 but was murdered  on 15th April 1865 after six days of the surrender of the South, by a fanatic.

Market Share of BSNL reduced to12.76% in total and 10.73% in Mobile

Telephone Subscribers’   Base in India
for the month of February 2012

SERVICE
PROVIDER
COMPANY

W I R E L I N E

W I R E L E S S

T    O  T  A  L

Wireless
VLR
Proportion
%

Number

Market Share
%

Number

Market Share
%

Number

Market Share
%

Bharti Airtel

3259938

10.08

178777131

19.62

182037069

19.29

91.88

Reliance

1269694

3.93

152001566

16.68

153271260

16.25

65.39

Vodafone

17580

0.05

149440176

16.40

149457756

15.84

87.68

BSNL

22651180

70.07

97751194

10.73

120402374

12.76

53.11

Tata

1423544

4.40

81887732

8.99

83311276

8.83

57.31

Idea

0.00

110709614

12.15

110709614

11.73

92.90

Aircel/   Dishnet

0.00

63256068

6.94

63256068

6.70

55.79

Uninor

0.00

41140703

4.52

41140703

4.36

57.06

Sistema

48070

0.15

15382148

1.69

15430218

1.64

48.66

MTNL

3455248

10.69

5773717

0.63

9228965

0.98

36.29

Videocon

0.00

6197609

0.68

6197609

0.66

42.47

Loop   Telecom

0.00

3258202

0.36

3258202

0.35

41.55

S-Tel

0.00

3430288

0.38

3430288

0.36

28.53

HFCL Infotel

200222

0.62

1379754

0.15

1579976

0.17

43.79

Etisalat/   Allianz

0.00

782291

0.09

782291

0.08

45.86

Total

32325476

100

911168193

100

943493669

100

73.60

TELE DENSITY

             
Urban

6.76

162.61

169.37

 

Rural

0.91

37.62

38.53

 

Overall

2.68

75.42

78.10

Broadband = 1.35 crore

Source: TRAI Press Release, dated   07.04.2012

 

Analyst: Mihir Dasgupta, Kolkata,   08.04.2012

HIGHLIGHTS

 In Wireless (GSM+CDMA) segment, monthly growth declined to 74.4 lac in February’12 compared to January’12. Top three performers in net Wireless Subscribers addition in Feb.’11 are: Idea (25.8 lac), Uninor (23.4 lac) & Bharti (18.2 lac). Tata & Etisalat lost 18.3 lac & 9.1 lac Subscribers respectively. S-Tel did not report. BSNL added 1.1 lac only.

 In Broadband segment, amongst 155 service providers, BSNL continue to command the market with 87.8 lac subscribers (64.8% of total 1.35 crore), followed by Bharti 13.6 lac (10.0%) & MTNL 10.3 lac (7.6%). Share of other 152 ISPs is 23.7 lac (17.5%) only.

Amongst BSNL Circles, top 4 performers in Wireless Subscribers’ growth in February’12 are Maharashtra (1.04 lac), Karnataka (94K), Kerala (91K) &Bihar (77K). Seven Circles posted negative growth in Feb.’12 viz.Assam (3.5 lac), MP (1.3 Lac), UP-E (32K),Punjab (15K), HP (8K), Haryana (7K) & Rajasthan (5K).

Mobile Number Portability requests increased from 3.28 crore subscribers at the end of January 2012 to 3.71 crore at the end of February 2012. In the month of February 2012 alone, 43 lac requests have been made for MNP.

VLR – Visitor Location Register shows the actual number of active Wireless telephones. In February 2012, VLR report indicated that only 73.60% (67 crore) of all wireless subscribers were active. Company-wise detailed status is shown in the table.

Urban – Rural Divide on the Basis of Tele- Density: The gap i.e. Urban TD minus Rural TD, has been consistently widening over the months, as is seen from these figures: April’11= 125.2, February’12= 130.8.

AI India Unions may oppose the formimg of subsidiary units

As pointed out yesterday in this post, there may be strong opposition on the part of Unions of Air India in the formation of the subsidiary units viz. AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) and AI Transport Services Ltd.(AITSL) and shifting around 19,000 employees to these, from the existing strength of 38,000 including 11,000 on contract.  What is the benefit of formation of new two companies is not explained. Further, there is the real danger of  losing all the existing benefits like promotion, increments, allowances etc. which the employees are getting now. While the unions have generally opposed, all the unions are going to meet on 16th April to finalise their approach and strategy to defend the interests of the workers.

We will support the struggle of the AI workers for their right to survive and protect their interests.

Best Wishes and Greetings on Vishu, Bihu, Baisakhi and similar festivals.

India is a country of several states, cultures and traditions. But there are more similarities than differences and hence it is a nation. Tomorrow almost all parts of India is celebrating festivals, Vishu, Baisakhi, Bihu etc. etc. Names may be difference, but it is all part of the festival of this great nation.

On this opportunity my Best Wishes and Greetings to all our Comrades, Friends and Well Wishers!