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- The AURA of Defense Expo 2012
- The thrilling Entertainment at IPL 5 Ceremony
- Are you ready for the Earth Hour ?
- The difference between Indian and Italian Politics
| Posted: 31 Mar 2012 06:33 AM PDT It is not a carnival in the truest sense, but the four-day defence exposition in progress at the Pragati Maidan, India’s major trade exhibition venue, is attracting both young and old, with love for all things military. The biennial exposition, said to be the largest in Asia, is in only in its seventh edition, and it mainly focuses on land and naval military systems, be it the hard, rugged weapons and vehicles, to the soft and trendier electronics and communications equipment. But for all the huge billboards that dot the city’s main thoroughfares, particularly in Lutyen’s Delhi, those who come to the event are mostly businesslike. “I am an electronics and communication engineering student and I am here to see what is the latest stuff available in my area of interest,” said Nikhil Mishra, a student of an engineering college in the city under the Indraprastha University. “I am mainly keen on learning about the new technologies that are available in India on robotics,” Mishra told IANS. Is he enjoying the show here? “Well, yes, but in a serious kind of way. This show is not for fun and frolic,” he added. This year’s defence exposition has over 500 international and national defence manufacturers vying with each other for attention. They represent over 30 nations including the world’s largest defence majors such as American Boeing, European EADS, French DCNS and Thales, Russian Rosoboronexport, and British BAE Systems. They are all here for the official defence ministry and military delegations from over 60 nations that are its actual direct customers. But a majority of the companies participating in this year’s exposition are Indian — nearly 60 percent. These include Larsen and Toubro, Tatas, Mahindras and public sector players such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Defence Research and Development Organistion, and Ordnance Factory Board. These companies have all sorts of rugged military stuff on offer — from main battle tanks, artillery guns, rifles and pistols, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, hovercraft, ordnance such as missiles, rockets and explosives. There are also hand-held communication sets, radio communication sets and highly secure online communication systems, all on the softer side of the military. “This year’s show has all the hardware in plenty such as vehicles, weapons, ordnance, delivery platforms and such. But it does not have some modern, latest such as structural simulators. Electronics side is a bit lacking,” said an Indian defence ministry official, on condition of anonymity. His sentiment is echoed by the engineering student, Mishra. “DRDO has done some good work on robotics, but the progress is gradual. We are lacking in indigenous systems. Investing in such critical areas is important for us,” he said. While there are no children playing around the Pragati Maidan as part of the defence exposition, where there are plenty of colours in the form of buntings and banners put out by different defence companies to attract attention, women too are few and far between. Except for those women hired by the defence firms to man their stalls and direct employees, not many were seen at the exposition venue. “This is the first time I am at a defence exposition. I am here because I am an employee of a global defence firm. Otherwise, I may not be here. But I am enjoying, as I am learning from the show, as part of my career growth plan,” Neethu, 24, a just out-of-college new recruit of the firm she did not want to name, told IANS. The four-day show — with the last day, being a Sunday, open for the general public — attracts over 100,000 footfalls every edition, but in terms of real time business orders, no official figures are available. The show does generate interest among both local and global defence firms and some memorandum of understandings do get signed, providing for future business opportunities that might galvanise the Indian defence sector. |
| The thrilling Entertainment at IPL 5 Ceremony Posted: 31 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT Glitz, glamour and game. The opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament will see a lot of fireworks in Chennai Tuesday – from American pop icon Katy Perry’s performance to Indian dancing sensation Prabhu Deva’s act to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s poetry recitation. If that is not enough, Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and music band Colonial Cousins are geared up to set the stage afire. “There will be good things, lots of entertainment and cricket. It’s the first time that such a large-scale, separate concert is being organised for the IPL, so big things have been planned,” Wizcraft Entertainment director Sabbas Joseph told IANS. The performer line-up is impressive. “Amitabh Bachchan will be opening the night. He will render a poem written by Prasoon Joshi. And Salman Khan will give the show a fitting finale…all performers will bring something unique to the show,” said Joseph. Joshi says it was challenging to pen the verse. “The challenge before me was to write in verse about the spirit of cricket. The poetry captures this spirit and makes a commitment that whatever one may do in life, one would always want to be connected to the game of cricket,” he said. A huge highlight of the ceremony, to be held at the YMCA Grounds in Chennai, is pop icon Katy Perry. The singer, who tied the knot with now estranged husband Russell Brand, in India in 2010, returns to the country to give her maiden performance at the ceremony. She is set to enthrall the audience with her hits like “Fireworks” and “California Gurls”. “Katy will add a different flavour to the event. She is coming down April 2, but leaving almost in a jiffy after her performance,” said Joseph. Another highlight will be Big B – he returns to work after two abdominal surgeries earlier this year. The 69-year-old veteran has been home ever since his treatment, and looks forward to step out for the event. Contrary to recent media reports, Big B is unlikely to dance, clarifies Joseph. A rare sight would be dancing sensation Prabhu Deva on stage. Other attractions include performances by Bollywood beauties Priyanka and Kareena, whose performances have been choreographed by Shiamak Davar and his team. Stepping up the fervour will be music maestros Colonial Cousins, who will team up with international percussionist and composer DJ Ravi Drums and a group of talented percussionists known as First Project and local percussionists, d’Frens. “Whether it is international tracks, the ‘Dhinka chika’, southern tracks or the dances…the combination from across the country is aimed at entertainment and entertainment,” said Joseph, who says the performers have been chosen on the basis of their profile and passion for cricket. The fifth edition of IPL will be held during April 4-May 27. With nine teams and 76 games across 12 locations, it promises to be a treat for cricket fans. The captains of the nine participating teams will also be present at the opening ceremony, where they will take a pledge. The tickets for the star-studded opening night are priced at Rs.1,500. And, needless to say, the organisers are expecting a “full house”. |
| Are you ready for the Earth Hour ? Posted: 31 Mar 2012 05:26 AM PDT
As the clock strikes 8.30 p.m., houses, public buildings, business centres and even the Rashtrapati Bhavan will turn off lights, turning the spotlight on climate change. An initiative by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the 60-minute mass campaign will witness participation by switching off all electrical appliances and lighting fixtures. Running in its fifth year, the Earth hour is now what experts call the largest mass movement for awareness on reducing carbon footprints. “A total of 5,251 cities were a part of Earth hour 2011, 1.8 billion were reached out in the last campaign,” a WWF official said. The hour-long campaign is organised annually on the last Saturday of March. With a couple of hours remaining to go for the Hour, last minute SMSes, mails and messages on social networking sites are doing the rounds as distcoms and environment action groups urge people to contribute to the voluntary initiative. “I wish such events happened more than once a year. I am trying to reach out to all my friends and colleagues,” banker Abhishek Bhandari posted on Facebook. While many would be joining the campaign from their homes, people have also formed groups to gather at India Gate for candle vigils for the cause. “My friends will be going to India Gate, but I have not yet decided to be a part of any such group. Fuel energy spent in reaching the spot will be much more than energy saved… so better do it at home,” Harry Vashishtha, working with an IT firm in national capital region, told IANS. According to a statement, the Rashtrapati Bhavan – the presidential palace – too will observe Earth Hour by switching off all the lights in the building’s exterior. Other popular landmarks such as the Qutub Minar and the Red Fort in Delhi, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Gateway of India in Mumbai, national defence establishments, universities, hotels, cinema complexes and shopping malls across the nation will also participate in the event. “During the Earth Hour, we will set up telescopes at India Gate between 7.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. for the public to view celestial objects. We as urbanites are able to see only Moon and few other celestial objects even in clear skies; the reason is too much of light pollution in metropolitan cities,” said Mila Mitra, scientific officer at Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE). “SPACE will be showing views of the night sky through telescopes to make people aware of how much more you can see when ambient lights are lower,” Mitra added. Delhiites saved around 300 MW power in the last Earth hour, distcom BSES said. Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and over 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. India joined the campaign in 2009 and currently, mainly the urban centres in the country are participating. |
| The difference between Indian and Italian Politics Posted: 31 Mar 2012 04:24 AM PDT India need to learn many things from Italy whose 2 marines are prisoners in Kerala jail. While thousands of Indians are prisoned abroad but not a single leader goes to express any solidarity, but since February, three Italian ministers have come to express solidarity with two of their marines in a prison here after shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast. The Italian foreign minister, his deputy and the defence minister are among those who have come and gone. Their visits have come at a time when hundreds of Keralites and thousands of other Indians are in jails in the Middle East. But few can recall a visit made by an Indian minister to any of these jails abroad to express solidarity with the Keralites or Indians. According to official figures, there are about 2,000 Keralites in various jails in the Middle East. “The figure of 2,000 was given in reply to a question in the Indian parliament. If one considers unofficial figures, it would be more than 4,000 serving jail terms for crimes ranging from murder to petty crimes,” said a Kerala government official on condition of anonymity. A rare public utterance from an Indian leader on the matter was by leader of opposition and veteran Communist V.S. Achuthanandan who said on the floor of the Kerala assembly that the two Italian Marines who shot dead the Indian fishermen were given VIP status. “Do you know there are so many Indians languishing in jails abroad and you just see the two Italians, who are murderers, put up in guesthouses and eating five-star food. Why is this happening?” asked Achuthanandan. Thursday, it was Italian Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola, a highly decorated naval official, who flew down in a special plane and drove to the Central Prison to be with Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone – the two Italian Marines who were on board the vessel Enrica Lexie when they allegedly shot dead the Indian fishermen Feb 15 after mistaking them for pirates. Since Feb 20, the two Italians have been in judicial custody and are now lodged in a special room in the prison here. A family member of an official of a Keralite merchant ship, which has been in the custody of Somalian pirates since September 2010, told IANS, “Look at the zeal of the Italian officials who are staying put in our state, fighting for the welfare of their nationals who killed two Indian nationals. “It has been 18 months since my dearest has been in the custody of Somalian pirates and despite promises from the prime minister down that very soon things would be sorted out, nothing has moved. Are Indian lives less precious than those of other nationals?” Alexander Jacob, additional director general of police, jails, however said there are international rules and conventions that have to be made applicable to international prisoners. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said: “The Italian ministers who have been here have pointed out that their nationals in jail are entitled to certain privileges and we have assured that these would be adhered to.” All eyes are on the Kerala High Court which is expected to give a final judgement on the quashing of the FIR against these two Italian, who have been insisting that they are governed only by international maritime laws and not Indian ones. But as far as jailed Keralites and other Indians abroad are concerned, the spotlight is certainly not on them. |
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