Ahmedabad, 8 February 2012

While hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat(IRCG) in year 2003, the Gujarat High Court division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J.B. Pardiwala today pulled up the Gujarat government for “inaction and negligence” on its part during the 2002 post-Godhra riots that led to large-scale destruction of religious structures. The court said that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.

The court also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. They have been asked to send their decisions to HC within six months.

IRCG’s petition had sought court’s directions to the government to pay compensation towards damage of religious places during riots on the ground that the National Human Rights Commission, too, had recommended that.

The state government had opposed the IRCG petition, saying it was a violation of article 27 of the Constitution.

The government further said that there was no policy with regards to compensation for restoration/repair of religious places damaged or destroyed during the riots.

New Delhi, 8 February, 2012

15th National Awards of e-Governance 2011-12 are declared today by Government of India’s Department of Information Technology and Department of Administrative reforms and public grievances.The state of Gujarat has won two awards in two different categories.

In Outstanding performance in citizen-centric service delivery category, Gujarat government’s E-Mamta project has won silver award. E-Mamta is mother and child tracking application under state health rural mission, department of Health and family welfare, Government of Gujarat.

The state has also won Bronze award in Innovative use of technology in e-governance category. The state has secured this award for integrated geo-spatial ICT solution for scientific planning and monitoring of MGNREGS works in Gujarat, MGNREGS, Commissionerate of rural development, department of rural development, Government of Gujarat.

The awards will be presented in the valedictory session of the 15th national conference on 10th February, 2012 at Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Ahmedabad, 8 February 2012

Gujarat in a refrigerator. It’s one of the coldest days today in the state.Chilling winds making the things worse. Minimum temperature in Kutch’s Naliya is 0.8 degree today. Minimum temperature in north Gujarat’s Deesa is at 5.8 mark.

According to Ahmedabad based office of weather department, today’s minimum temperature has been 9.4 which is five degree below normal. Also the maximum temperature 25.8 is four degree below normal mark.

IMD predicts that on 9th and 10th February, means on Thursday and Friday, the situation will worsen with minimum temperature of 9.0 degree and 8.0 degree respectively.

In Bhuj, this is the coldest day of the season with minimum temperature at 6.2 which is 6 degree below normal mark. Even maximum temperature 23.4 is 5 degree below mark. On 9th and 10th of February, means tomorrow and day after tomorrow, minimum temperature will stay around 6.0. Same prediction is about Rajkot. In Surat, the minimum mark is at 10.7 which is 5 degree below normal.

IMD predicts that cold wave conditions would prevail in parts of Gujarat state during next two nights.

Ahmedabad, 8 February 2012

And here is a set of interesting reading in newspapers published from Amdavad.

Gujarat Samachar writes about Congress party’s successfully organized Satkarma fast at Bavla in detail. GS says though Congress got a place to hold Satkarma fast just three days back, the event was successful with full audience that gathered on its own. While in Chief Minister’s fast, one and half lakh people were brought, on the other side in Congress’s fast people came on their own even facing diversions. GS further writes that for Chief Minister’s fast, Uttam dairy was allotted the target of 30,000 people, Thakor community 10,000 people, Koli community 10,000 people. They were allotted tokens. Those with tokens were only able to enter into the Sadbhavana fast venue. The most disappointed people were small businessmen of Bavla. GS writes that police, mamlatdar, power company, engineers, local leaders altogether collected Rs 9.5 lakh for Sadbhavana fast fund. Leave was declared in the schools of Sanand, Bavla, Dholka belt to bring the students to Sadbhavana fast. Due to pouches of buttermilk and water and food packets of hotel, the amount of garbage soon after the event was great. Divya Bhaskar has published a photograph of traffic jam due to diversion of roads in connection with Chief Minister’s Sadbhavana fast in Bavla.

There is no doubt that while Gujarat government’s Sadbhavana fast was successful partially due to government machinery involved in it, on the other side Congress’s Satkarma fast had full house without using government machinery.

The Times of India has published a front page story on central government asking Gujarat government to cancel the proposed visit of high-level Chinese delegation which is scheduled to come to Gujarat in middle of March. A 7-person delegation backed by China’s top foreign affairs policy-making body, International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is to be led by China’s Zhejiang province Governor, same province where couple of Indian businessmen were not allowed to leave hotel and Indian mission in China had to face tough time to ensure their release. ToI has also published a report on Gujagat government planning its own 911 service like America.

And The Indian Express has an eye-catching story on former Gujarat minister of state for Home Shri Amit Shah. The IE story indicates that Shah could be suspended as MLA in the Budget season starting February 23 as he has not attended any assembly session since his arrest in Sohrabuddin encounter case in July 2010. According to rules, MLA not attending the house continuously for 60 days is automatically considered as suspended. It is the house that can decide on this. Shah has been directed by Supreme Court to stay away from Gujarat.

Sandesh has highlighted Kolaveri Di fame Dhanush’s IIM Ahmedabad visit in great prominence. Sandesh has rightly placed the cold wave story prominently. It’s cold wave here in Ahmedabad for two days, Sandesh story says which is true.

Ahmedabad, 7 February 2012

Chief Minister Narendra Modi rounding up the day-long Sadbhavna fast at Bavla near Ahmedabad today said there is a basic and wide difference between the ideologies of the previous Congress Governments and that of the present Gujarat Government.

“While the Congressmen worship chair; we adore public. While their’s is vote bank politics, ours is that of development. There used to be only one festival during the Congress rule and that of communal riots, ours only festival is development,” he said.

Even as over 12,000 people from different parts of Ahmedabad district voluntarily joined him in his district-wise fast as part of his mission to hold such fasts at 33 places, Mr. Modi expressed his gratitude to the teeming social force in supporting his dutiful Sadbhavna mission, turning into a people’s movement of sorts.

He said the people of the state now recognize the role of Narendra Modi in fighting malnutrition, freeing girl children from anemia. All the 18,000 villages in the state now get 24×7 hours electricity. The Narmada waters have been carried to far off places by canals and pipelines, replacing the corruption-ridden system of supplying water through tankers. Single-lane roads have been converted into double-lane, and double-lane into four-lane.

“No other leader of India would have received such a huge public support. Not even political pundits could analyze the reasons for the same. Gujarat’s Chief Minister and the state’s development are discussed in far-off Uttar Pradesh elections, too.” Mr. Modi said.

He said that Gujarat alone provided 72 per cent of total jobs created in India. He exuded confidence that Ahmedabad district would soon provide the maximum number of jobs to the youth. A number of car manufacturers have made farmers of Sanand, Bavla and Kathwada villages affluent and happy. Maximum numbers of farmers now move around on bikes in Gujarat. Over 2.50-lakh Sakhi Mandals do a business of Rs.5,000-crore.

On the other hand, he said, the Central Government failed to provide 100 days jobs under its own programme to the unemployed in this time of inflation, while the functionaries were busy only in dividing the society.

Mr. Modi said that the people of Gujarat have also reposed confidence in the present government by providing political stability, from top to the village panchayat level. He advised other states to shun the politics of vote bank and creating communal divides, instead adopt the politics of development.

The Chief Minister on the occasion announced new development works worth Rs.1,800 crore for the Ahmedabad district, while he had earlier announced that worth Rs.2,000- crore for Ahmedabad City.

Visuals of fast venue

Ahmedabad, 7 February 2012

“IIM-A is beautiful. Both the people and the place. I had a great fun session there. The students asked such sensible questions that it was a blast. God bless,” This was what Dhanush had to say today on Twitter after finishing his lecture at IIM Ahmedabad(IIMA).

The PGP and PGPX students of the contemporary Film Industry Course at IIMA attended a lecture by ‘Kolaveri Di’ song fame national award winning actor Dhanush who is son-in-law of Rajinikanth. With Dhanush was Anirudh, a 21 year old music director of ‘Kolaveri Di’.

Dhanush and Anirudh, each spoke individually first and then fielded questions from the students. Dhanush started the talk and speaking with much humility, said that they did not anticipate the success of ‘Kolaveri Di’ and said that he would be surprised if he saw it repeated in his lifetime. He said that he believed that the simplicity of the songs lyrics and the fact that all the words but ‘Kolaveri Di’ were in English contributed to the songs success. He also said that although the monetization through the songs was limited for him as a producer, since the song rights had been sold in advance to Sony, ‘Kolaveri Di’ has helped him gather national fame. As a consequence of the songs popularity, the release of the movie is planned now in three language- Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Moreover, from the distribution of about 400 prints planned initially, the movie will now release with over 1000 prints.

Speaking on the issue of viral marketing, he most candidly said that much of it was unplanned. Following, the release of an incomplete stolen version of the song online, their team decided to release the song online. They initially aimed at about 5 lakh hits over the songs lifetime, however, managed to touch that number in less than 5 days! The hits for ‘Kolaveri Di’ today stand at over 42 million. Dhanush said that Viral Marketing, if capitalized right, is indeed a great way to gain popularity, given the minimal expenses involved in promotion.

Next it was Anirudh’s turn to speak-among India’s youngest music directors at 21. Addressing the audience as his ‘seniors’, he shared an anecdote about his father’s desire to have him study at the IIMs and how his father was left speechless, when he told him that he would be lecturing this class. Anirudh spoke of some issues related to the music rights for movies in India, highlighting that no proper system for royalty exists here unlike in some western countries. He also expressed how he felt fortunate at already receiving offers from Bollywood, when several music directors spend years trying to cross over.

Dhanush and Anirudh also fielded questions from the audience. In response to one of the questions, Dhanush said that they had learnt much from the success of ‘Kolaveri Di’- including about the sale of music rights as well as purchasing rights to key words in a song at the appropriate time. In response to another question they said that, given the number of hits on ‘You Tube’ and emails and tweets that they have received, the song has definitely cut across boundaries and reached an international audience.

Towards the end, Dhanush and Anirudh sang ‘Kolaveri Di’ with the students., with enthusiastic participation.

Before coming to IIMA, Dhanush had yesterday tweeted, “Gearing up to make my speech at IIM institute Ahmedabad tomorrow. I don’t know good English, but who cares, I am an Indian, not English.”

For purely management point of view, the success of ‘Kolaveri Di’ is a fantastic subject to study, as it is a classic case of viral marketing and four crore plus reach through social media.

IIMA’s CFI course has earlier seen lectures of Aamir Khan, Shriya Saran, Prahlad Kakkar, Madhavan Apporva Lakhia among others. Course coordinator Bharathan Kandaswamy, the executive director of southern India based film production firm Kavithalayaa Production has a connection with Dhanush’s father-in-law Rajinikanth, as Kavitahalaya was founded by K Balachander who brought Rajinikanth to film industry.

From the lecture

Dhanush: I produce the film even though many people counseled against it.

Dhanush: Only 1200 CDs of the movie has been sold. All the songs are hit. Piracy is a problem. Digital download is the answer.

Dhanush: Because of digital downloads and viral marketing, pop songs are again being produced, after a gap of a decade.

Dhanush: If people have to relate your product, you have to be in the trend. I learnt viral marketing with Kolaveri di.

Dhanush: Online piracy has forced producers/marketers to innovate. Youtube and Twitter have to be combined.

Dhanush: How Kolaveri happened? It was a mistake! Director gave a situation “girl dumped a boy; song should be happy/funny.

Aniruddha: Kolaveri was very relatable as I thought about the time when I was dumped.

Aniruddha: On the day of Kolaveri’s release, my legs were shaking; today, driving down to IIM-A, Dhanush was nervous.

Aniruddha: People work hard for decades to go from regional to national stage; If this album has helped me, I thank God.

New Delhi, 7 February 2012

The Supreme Court of India today ordered that SpeakAsia will have to return money to its investors.

On a plea filed by a group of more than 100 investors of Speak Asia last year for recovering their monty, the Supreme Court bench of justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Verma today directed SpeakAsia to deposit before it the amount payable to investors and concerned authorities. SC asked the mediator, appointed by it earlier, to ascertain the exact amount which is payable by Speak Asia to the investors and other authorities and directed the company to deposit the same within two weeks after that.

Singapore-based firm SpeakAsia is accused of duping investors to the tune of Rs 1,300 crore.

New Delhi, 7 February 2012

Indian Railways has taken a decision to increase the advance reservation period from existing 90 days to 120 days. The new decision will be effective from March 10 after Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) make necessary changes in the software for this purpose.

This means, now one can book his train ticket 120 days before the journey.So the passenger will be able to plan his journey four months in advance.

However advance reservation rules for certain short distance trains for which the advance reservation period is 15 days will remain unchanged.

Also there will be no change in case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

Gandhinagar, 7 February, 2012

After a gap of 15 years, the city of Gandhinagar will witness the movement of double-decker buses.

Private bus operator VITCOS has announced to start a double-decker bus service in capital town from 1st of March this year. A new double-decker bus costing Rs 34 lakh, will carry 85 passengers at one go with 43 seats on the lower floor and 32 seats on upper floor. VITCOS has earlier put two double-decker buses on the roads of Bhavnagar last week.

Last double-decker bus service was active in Gandhinagar in 1996 connecting the capital town to the city of Ahmedabad. Later double-decker service was terminated.

Rajkot, 7 February, 2012

Dr. Subramanian Swamy may visit the state of Gujarat again in third week-end of this month.

Rajkot based TV Mehta Charitable Foundation has invited Dr. Swami to grace the genius youth fiesta function on 17th of this month.

“Dr. Swami has accepted the invitation, but the date can change to either 18th or 19th,” said Shri DV Mehta, Chairman of Gardi Vidyapith.

Gardi Vidyapith runs nine colleges in its 28-acre Rajkot campus, offering a range of programs in Engineering, Management (MBA, PGDM), Pharmacy, and Master in Computer Application (MCA), Institute of Film & Television, and Institute of Music, Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication, and Institute of Aviation.

Youth Fiesta 2012 is expected to attract 1,50,000 visitors from different schools and colleges according to an official announcement. Youth Fiesta will involve around 1000 to 1200 projects, participation of 600 teachers and lecturers, over a carpet area of 1,00,000 sq ft at Race course ground in Rajkot.

By Rupang Bhatt, Ahmedabad, 7 February, 2012

The Gujarat High Court today gave anticipatory bail to central Gujarat based popular saint and legendary travel writer Swami Sachchidananda in Babu Mohania death case.

Swami Shri Sachchidanand had challenged Anand sessions court order of denying anticipatory bail to him.

It is well known story of yesteryears that Swami Sachchidananda had allegedly shot at one unidentified person in year 2006 from his weapon in self protection when a group of robbers entered in his Bhakti Niketan ashram in dark hours of night. The story was in prominent newspapers a day after that Swami had fired three rounds from his weapon, and the robbers fled away from Dantali ashram after firing.

Few days later it was claimed by others that the person injured from Swamiji’s bullet was Babu Mohania, a tribal man who died ultimately allegedly from Swamiji’s bullet.

This all happened at a time when Swami Sachchidanand had openly taken a stand against powerful Jayshree didi of Swadhyay Pariwar after Pankaj Trivedi’s brutal murder in Ahmedabad.

The Ashram episode of robbery came out in completely new version after few days, possibly with somebody powerful backing Dhanabhai Mohania, relative of one Babu Mohania an illiterate tribal who filed complaint against Swami and fought the case upto the Supreme Court. The version Dhanabhai Mohania submitted before the court creates a picture that tribals are beaten in Hindu ashram when they go to demand food!!!

Dhanabhai Punabhai Mohania filed complaint in Petlad court against Swamiji and others for the offenses punishable under Sections 302, 114 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as “IPC”) and under the provisions of the Arms Act and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (hereinafter referred to as “Atrocities Act”) which was registered as Criminal Inquiry Case No.5/2007.

It was alleged in the said complaint that uncle of the complainant Babubhai Malabhai Mohania was a labourer. On 17.07.2006, said Babubhai could not arrange for food for his children. He, therefore, went to Ashram of the petitioner hoping that he might find some food there. It was alleged that Swamiji’s four aides were present in the Ashram. When he asked for food, it was refused and he was insulted and pushed on the ground. Thereafter, there was a scuffle and Swamiji’s men started beating him. It is alleged that Babubhai also started attacking the said accused persons in self defence at which time accused Swamiji’s men shouted for accused Swamiji who came out with his revolver and fired injuring Babubhai near his right shoulder. That thereafter the said Babubhai ran away and went to Anand Hospital and thereafter, to Ahmedabad where he died. His wife, Mangiben performed his last rites. It is alleged that some three days thereafter, police had come to their house and and inquired about the place where Babubhai’s body was burnt. Village people had shown them the spot from where, from the burnt ashes with the help of a magnet, they had recovered a small iron pallet which the police had put in a packet and seized along with the bones. The complainant had thereafter gone to the police station on several occasions. However, his complaint was not being attended to. He, therefore, filed the impugned private complaint in the Court of learned JMFC, Petlad alleging that all the accused had committed offence punishable under Section 302 with 114 of the IPC and the Arms Act and the Atrocities Act.

But Petlad court had freed Swami Sachchidanand from all charges against him.

Learned Magistrate of Petlad recorded the statement of the complainant on verification on 04.01.2007. In the statement, complainant stated that when the dead body of Babubhai was brought home, he had seen a deep injury mark on the right side of the back portion. Wife of the deceased had told him about what had happened. He was told that after being injured deceased had gone to Anand and in the early morning he was shifted to Ahmedabad where he died. His body was brought to the native place in an ambulance. On 4.1.2007, learned Magistrate ordered Court inquiry under Section 202 of the CrPC. That the learned Magistrate examined several witnesses. Certain documents were also produced before him. He ultimately passed order dated 12.9.2007 and dismissed the complaint under Section 203 of the CrPC.

Wife of the Babu Mohania had told petitioner about what had happened. Petitioner Mohania was told that after being injured deceased had gone to Anand and in the early morning he was shifted to Ahmedabad where he died. His body was brought to the native place in an ambulance. Petlad Magistrate recorded statements of Mansang Veerchand Solanki, Ramilaben Navabhai Parmar, Parnambhai Punabhai Mohaniya, Mangiben Babubhai Mohania i.e wife of deceased and Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor who claimed to be with the deceased at Dantali Ashram when the alleged incident took place.

Wife of deceased Babubhai had stated before the Petlad Court that she did not know exactly what incident had taken place. However, her husband had told her that he had received bullet injury. When he was being taken to her parents house near Ahmedabad, her husband had died. Thereupon his dead body was brought to the native place where his last rites were performed. Police had come and inquired about the incident. Further witness Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor had stated before the Court that he was with the deceased on the date of incident. They had gone to Ashram and asked for food by knocking at the door. After opening the door, people of Ashram had insulted them and started beating up his brother-in-law i.e Babubhai Mohania. He had started shouting for help since people were beating up Babubhai at which point of time, Maharaj had fired from his gun on Babubhai who received bullet injury. He had thereafter, taken Babubhai out of the Ashram. He had gone to Anand, collected some money and brought him to Ahmedabad where Babubhai died in Rickshaw.

Petlad Magistrate came to the conclusion that evidence of witnesses was not reliable. He was of the opinion that except for witness Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor, there was no other person present at Dantali Ashram with Babubhai when the alleged incident took place. He however discarded the evidence of Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor finding it doubtful and not reliable. He was of the opinion that complainant had not stated in the complaint that Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor was present at Dantali Ashram and evidence of Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor therefore, cannot be relied upon. Learned Judge further observed that if the said witness had taken Babubhai to a Government hospital, his life could have been saved. He was therefore, of the opinion that due to negligence of this witness, Babubhai died. Learned Judge further opined that one who seeks equity must come with clean hands. He was of the opinion that the complainant had not come to the Court with clean hands.

Petitioner Dhanabhai Mohania challenged local court’s order in Gujarat High Court then after.

On 30th October, 2010, Gujarat High Court Justice Akil Kureshi directed Petlad court to proceed against Swami under murder and arms act related charges.

Akil Kureshi in his judgement said:

-PetladMagistrate committed an error in dismissing the complaint for offence punishable under Section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act against Swamiji.

-Whether Swamiji had fired in self defence or even if such defence was valid, whether he exceeded such right of self defence are questions which can be gone into only at the time of trial and not at this stage.

-Insofar as rest of the accused(other than Swamiji)are concerned, however, there is nothing on record to link them with the said firing. Their involvement for offense under Section 302 read with Section 114 of IPC is simply not made out. With respect to allegations of offense punishable under the Atrocities Act, allegations are too general. None of the witnesses including Rameshbhai Madhiyabhai Damor alleged as to which accused abused or insulted the deceased or anyone else in the name of caste. Against accused no.2 to 5 therefore, there is no case to proceed further.

-Learned Magistrate shall issue process under Section 204 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against Swamiji for offense under Section 302 of the IPC and under the Arms Act and proceed further in accordance with law, thereafter.

Swami challenged the High Court order in Supreme Court but failed to get relief.

Soon after this, while speaking in a function held at Mahesana town of north Gujarat last year, Swami Shri Sachchidanandaji had said that nobody was injured by his gun shot in July 2006 night. He said Babu Mohania died of diabetes in Ahmedabad hospital and his death had nothing to do with Dantali Ashram.

“I had kept my gun down while firing rounds that night to avoid injury to any of the outsiders who had attacked my Ashram. This man Babu Mohania died due to diabetes in Ahmedabad’s hospital. His death was deliberately connected to Ashram firing, by specific people targeting me. Actually nobody was injured when I fired from my gun,” Swamiji said.

It should be mentioned that attack by unidentified persons who were conceived as robbers in Swami’s Dantali ashram, had taken place few days after Swami Sachchidananda openly held a public meeting against Swadhyay Parivar’s present leadership. The public meeting was held after Swadhyay Parivar rebellion Pankaj Trivedi was murdered.

Swamiji urged the Supreme Court for relief in Babu Mohania case citing his age and his religious position. In response, the Supreme Court had directed that Swamiji should not be arrested before 1st of February 2012.

Now in February, the Anand sessions court has denied anticipatory bail to Swamiji after which he has been untraceable for some time. Later the decision of Anand sessions court was challenged in the Gujarat High Court.

Today Gujarat High Court has given anticipatory bail to Swamiji.