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Monday, 4 November 2013

Tendulkar prepares hard for his final Eden outing

PTIIndian maestro Sachin Tendulkar arrives at Dum Dum airport for the upcoming Test match in Kolkata on Sunday.

Preparing for his last outing at the iconic Eden Gardens, legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar was a picture of focus and concentration as the Indian team hit the nets on Monday ahead of the all important Test match against the West Indies beginning November 6.

Tendulkar started off with some warm up exercises and subsequently rolled his arm over at the nets.

Bowling in tandem with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, Tendulkar dished out leg breaks and Murli Vijay had some difficulty negotiating the spin at the nets. He was beaten on a couple of occasions by Tendulkar’s sharp turning deliveries.

After bowling for a few minutes, the little master padded up and chatted with coach Duncan Fletcher as he waited for his turn at the nets.

He first faced the pacers, displaying his watertight defence. While other batsmen at the adjacent nets missed or edged a few, Tendulkar looked at ease hitting his trademark drives.

He tackled the pacers for around 15 minutes before moving to the adjacent net where the spinners were on the job. He also asked Ojha ,who was bowling more at the stumps, to alter his line which the left arm obliged.

Tendulkar, who seems to have lost none of the zeal for batting despite spending a marathon 24 years in top flight cricket, was in his element against the spinners as he executed elegant drives and cuts much to the delight of a motley crowd of aspiring cricketers.

The batting legend knocked at the nets for another 20 minutes and then made way for the others, as he watched the youngsters practice at the nets.

After a brief rest and chat with team mates, Tendulkar moved to the far away net where local club bowlers were in action. He knocked a few balls and later gave a few tips to the youngsters.

Meanwhile, Fletcher was seen engaged in an animated chat with opener Shikhar Dhawan whose stint at the nets was uncomfortable as he continuously missed or edged. The coach was seen gesturing to Dhawan about ways to play the rising ball.

At the fag end of the practice, when the Indian players were busy in fielding drills, Dhawan spent some time discussing matters with Tendulkar.

Before moving out with his team mates, Tendulkar had a brief fielding session where he concentrated on some catching practice.

Wax replica of Tendulkar

Earlier, on his arrival at the venue. Tendulkar was greeted by his wax replica placed at the entrance of the dressing room by the local staging body, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which is leaving no stone unturned to make the master’s swansong Eden outing for India memorable for him, the city, as also his countless admirers.

One hundred youngsters stood on both sides of the stretch from the main gate of the stadium upto the dressing room and formed a human chain when the Team India bus arrived and Tendulkar alighted from the vehicle.

Saluting 24 golden years of Tendulkar’s international playing career, 24 confetti cannons burst spraying red paper on the cricketing genius.

India-origin scientist explains how life began on earth

Dr. Sankar Chatterjee. Picture courtesy: Texas Tech University

Palaeontologist Sankar Chatterjee claims he has found the answer to how life began on earth

An Indian-origin scientist claims to have solved the mystery of how life on earth exactly began about 4 billion years ago after studying three sites containing the world’s oldest fossils.

According to Sankar Chatterjee, a Texas Tech University palaeontologist, meteorite bombardment left large craters on earth that contained water and chemical building blocks for life, which ultimately led to the first organisms.

How life began on earth has baffled humans for millennia.

Dr. Chatterjee, who was born in Kolkata, believes he has found the answer by connecting theories on chemical evolution with evidence related to our planet’s early geology. “This is bigger than finding any dinosaur. This is what we have all searched for — the Holy Grail of science,” he said.

Thanks to regular and heavy comet and meteorite bombardment of earth’s surface during its formative years 4 billion years ago, the large craters left behind not only contained water and the basic chemical building blocks for life, but also became the perfect crucible to concentrate and cook these chemicals to create the first simple organisms. Dr. Chatterjee’s research suggests meteorites can be givers of life as well as takers. He said it was likely that meteor and comet strikes brought the ingredients and created the right conditions for life on our planet.

By studying three sites containing the world’s oldest fossils, he believes he knows how the first single-celled organisms formed in hydrothermal crater basins. “When the earth formed some 4.5 billion years ago, it was a sterile planet inhospitable to living organisms,” Dr. Chatterjee said, going on to add: “It was a seething cauldron of erupting volcanoes, raining meteors and hot, noxious gasses. One billion years later, it was a placid, watery planet teeming with microbial life — the ancestors to all living things.”

Dr. Chatterjee presented his findings at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver.

Patel would not have endorsed Modi: Rajmohan Gandhi

Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who has written a biography on Sardar Patel opined that the Iron Man would certainly have doubted Mr. Modi's 'raj dharma' during the 2002 Gujarat riots. File photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

The HinduRajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who has written a biography on Sardar Patel opined that the Iron Man would certainly have doubted Mr. Modi's 'raj dharma' during the 2002 Gujarat riots. File photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

While Sardar Patel grew under Mahatma Gandhi, Modi was groomed by RSS, says Rajmohan Gandhi

Amid a slugfest between Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress over Sardar Patel, a noted biographer of Patel has said the country’s first home minister would not have recognised Mr. Modi as his ideological heir and been very “pained” with his behaviour towards Muslims.

Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who has written a biography of the country’s first home minister, said Patel certainly would not have felt at the time of 2002 riots in Gujarat, that Mr. Modi fulfilled his ‘rajdharma’, a phrase used by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to chide Modi.

“I think it is quite obvious that he (Patel) would have been very disappointed, very pained and saddened not only as an Indian statesman but also as coming from Gujarat, that this should not have happened in Gujarat and the government of the time was not able to prevent it,” he said.

Talking to Karan Thapar in CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate, Mr. Gandhi said that claims by BJP supporters or Mr. Modi himself to project him as Patel’s heir misunderstands and misrepresents Patel.

“If Modi can grow into that kind of image that would be wonderful, but by two reasons he has fallen short. After all Patel grew as a disciple under the umbrella of Gandhi and the Indian National Congress. Modi had his career under the umbrella of RSS and that makes a difference.

“Also Patel as an individual was always a team builder; other people were prominent in his daily life. Whether Modi is like that... I would like him to be like that,” he said.

Congress and Patel

Mr. Gandhi, however, accepted the criticism that Congress has forgotten Patel or relegated him to the background in the 63 years since his death.

He noted that Nehru was succeeded by Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi while none of Patel’s children inherited or benefited from his power.

Patel was proud to be a Congressman and accepted that Mahatma Gandhi’s decision to make Nehru Prime Minister was correct, Gandhi said, adding the Mahatma chose Nehru over Patel because he was older by 14 years and in poor health.

Nehru was also better known internationally, he said.

The ‘Iron man’, a popular term used for Patel, had appreciated the work of RSS during riots in 1947 but after Gandhi’s assassination, his attitude changed and he was thereafter an implacable opponent if not an enemy of the Hindutva organisation, he said.

Mr. Modi and Congress leaders have engaged in a war of words over Patel with the BJP’s PM candidate claiming that the country’s destiny would have been different had he been the first PM instead of Nehru.

Congress has hit back at him, saying he was trying to hijack Patel’s legacy as BJP lacked any icon.

Watson confident of being fit for Ashes opener

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APShane Watson plays a shot during the fifth Ashes cricket Test in London, on August 25, 2013.

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson is confident of being fit for the opening Ashes Test against England late November despite suffering from a hamstring injury.

The powerful all-rounder arrived in Sydney Monday morning after tweaking his hamstring while bowling in Australia’s series-deciding one-day loss to India in Bangalore on Saturday.

“It’s not too bad,” Watson told reporters at Sydney airport.

“My body’s really adjusting to bowling, it’s just an unfortunate little hiccup. Being here, it’ll give me a week or two to be able to hopefully freshen up and be ready to go for the first Test.”

The opening Ashes Test at the Brisbane Cricket Ground is scheduled November 21.

Asked if he had any doubts about playing in the series opener against England, Watson replied: “I’d never say ‘no doubt’ but I’ve been able to get on top of this sort of thing over the last eight or nine months with a few niggles that I had even throughout the Ashes as well.”

“So I’m very confident that things should work out OK over the next couple of days and the results will be what I think they are and there shouldn’t be any problems at all,” he added.

LTC scam: CBI seeks papers from Rajya Sabha secretariat

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The CBI on Monday approached the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking documents related to fake travel bills allegedly submitted by a JD(U) MP against whom a case has been registered for making such claims.

CBI sources said a team has again gone to the secretariat to collect these documents.

The agency has registered its first FIR in the Leave Travel Concession(LTC) scam against JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Sahani for allegedly siphoning off around Rs. 9.5 lakh by presenting fake air tickets and boarding passes.

Besides Sahani, Air India customer Service agent Rubaina Akhtar and Lajpat Nagar-based travel operator Air Cruise Travels Private Ltd have also been named in the FIR in the scam in which LTC claims were forged for travel on state-run Air India.

In his defence, Mr. Sahani had refuted the allegation claiming that it was he who had complained to the authorities about 20 fake tickets being submitted in his name.

He has alleged that it was his personal assistant who had submitted these tickets for claims but no money was ever transferred to his account.

The MP has claimed that he had brought this matter to the notice of concerned authorities and even submitted that complaint letter to CBI when it searched his premises here.

The tour operator and Air India did not offer any comments.

CBI has alleged that Mr. Sahani made false claims of approximately Rs. 9.5 lakh for seven business class return air tickets costing nearly Rs. 1.34 lakh each to Port Blair in December 2012 using fake air tickets and boarding passes for himself and six associates, the sources said.

CBI sources said the agency has registered a case of cheating and forgery among other charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI has alleged that the MP purchased seven return e-tickets in connivance with the tour operator and the Air India employee. He also allegedly used online service to get boarding passes using web check-in basis.

The sources said just before the boarding time, these boarding passes and tickets were allegedly cancelled using the sign-in code of Akhtar, the Air India customer service agent, and money was refunded with little deduction.

Meanwhile, the e-tickets and boarding passes which were earlier issued were allegedly presented to claim the travel expenses by the MP.

The sources said even though no expenses were incurred by the MP, he allegedly claimed the amount using these e-tickets and boarding passes which were cancelled.

Rahul seeks more time to respond to EC notice

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A file picture of Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday sought a week’s more time to reply to the model code violation notice by the Election Commission for his remark that Pakistani’s ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims, citing his prior travel commitments and holidays due to the festive season.

Mr. Gandhi, who was asked to reply by 11.30 a.m. on Monday, said in his communication to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath that he wanted more time to respond since there were holidays due to the festive season.

He said he had received the EC notice only at 9.30 p.m. on October 31 and hardly had time to consult his lawyers on the issue.

The Congress leader also cited prior travel commitments for not responding the notice within the stipulated time.

EC sources said the Commission is considering Mr. Gandhi’s communication.

The EC had issued a notice to Mr. Gandhi for his speeches in which he had said Pakistan’s ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims and charged BJP with indulging in politics of hatred.

The Commission, after examining Mr. Gandhi’s speeches made in Churu, Rajasthan, on October 23 and in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on October 24 and after taking into account the electoral officer’s report, had asked him to explain by Monday why action should not be initiated against him for prima facie violating the Model Code of Conduct.

“The Commission is prima facie of the view that your aforesaid speeches are violative of above-referred sub paras (1), (2) and (3) of Para 1 of the Model Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates,” the EC notice served on him had said.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are among five states which go to Assembly polls in November-December this year.

The Commission has said that in case no reply is received within the prescribed time limit, it will be presumed that he has nothing to say and it will proceed to take appropriate action without any further reference.

Seven killed in militant attack in Assam

PTIA bus set ablaze by protesters during a bandh called by non-Rabha organisations in Krishnai, Assam, last Thursday.

The death toll in the attack by suspected Garo National Liberation Army insurgents on a group of people gambling on the occasion of Diwali in Assam’s Goalpara district has risen to seven.

“Six persons were brought to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital and one of them was brought dead. One seriously injured has been operated upon and another four injured are undergoing treatment”, Hospital Superintendent R Talukdar said on Monday.

Three other wounded were admitted to Goalpara Civil Hospital and one in a private hospital, officials said.

Armed with automatic weapons, suspected Garo National Liberation Army insurgents from across Meghalaya had on Sunday night indiscriminately opened fire upon a group of people gambling on the occasion of Diwali at remote Gendamari, under Aagia Police Station.

Six persons were gunned down on the spot, while 10 others were seriously injured with one of them succumbing to his wounds on way to hospital, they said.

Those killed on the spot were identified as Bholanath Rabha, Amarendra Rabha, Jayanta Rabha, Puran Rabha, Kalpanath Rabha and Lulu Rabha.

Security measures have been intensified in the district following the incident, the sources added.

Goalpara district has been witnessing violence since October 20 last with protests against the upcoming Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council elections between November 13 and 25 demanding exclusion of non Rabha areas from the Council.

Sources ruled out that last night’s incident was connected with the Council elections.

Proscribed GNLA based in the Garo hills jungles of Meghalaya, adjacent to Goalpara district, has been fighting for a separate state since 2009 indulging in killings, attacks on security forces and civilians, blasts, kidnappings and extortions.

Keywords: Assam violence, Assam militant attack, Goalpara terror attack, Assam atonomous Council elections, Rabha-Hasong Autonomous Council elections, police firing, Tarun Gogoi government