Secessionist Movements in the Indian Sub Continent: Is Balochistan another Bangladesh?

Last updated on: August 29, 2006 at 7:57 pm By Desh Kapoor

Balochistan is on fire. Because Musharraf's Army killed Bugti - the Baloch leader - and his closest men. Is this the beginning of secession of Balochistan? I think so. Is it going towards the Bangladesh direction? Maybe. Should India help the Balochs? Heck yes! Why? Because really speaking I am sick and tired of Pakistan's many games. There are only so many ways to deal with it. One of the best way, that a pacifist friend of mine once articulated was - just break them into smaller countries so they keep fighting amongst themselves and wont bother about us! I think he was very right!! The time to fight a full fledged war is gone. But Pak would not stop from creating terrorist attacks on India ... ever! But there HAS to be a way to blunt its ability to keep "bleeding" India because it cannot rise anyway! Read more

Cities of India

Last updated on: August 29, 2006 at 4:36 pm By Desh Kapoor

This is a funny characterisation of the people in Indian cities: How to Identify cities in India Scenario 1 Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, then a fourth and They start arguing about who's right. You are in Kolkata Scenario 2 Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, sees them and walks on. That's Mumbai Scenario 3 Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along & tries to make peace.The first two get together & beat him up. That's Delhi Read more

Rain in S. Miguel II: Flickr Pic of the Day

Last updated on: August 29, 2006 at 4:06 pm By Desh Kapoor

Rain in S. Miguel II Originally uploaded by PauloSantos. Its raining and the landscape is beautiful... green and lusciously so! The slopes blend in each other as if in an eternal peaceful and love-ful embrace of lovers! The distant water merges into the green lovers as their extension.. darkness is falling while sun doesnt want to let go .... its a tussle... that creates the mood of love and conflict! Love and Rain.. Rain and Love... the lovers rejoice! Read more

Sikhs in Sports

Last updated on: August 28, 2006 at 10:42 am By Desh Kapoor

Interesting article on the Sikhs in sports - motivated by the rise of Monty Panesar. The writer, Frank Keating, starts with Bishen Bedi - one of the best all time spinners in cricket! Bishen Singh Bedi was the very same age, and I savour the thrill of enchantment at my very first sight of him twirling his softly supple southpaw slows alongside the gasometers that midsummer of 1971. The preening choc-caps of Surrey were on their way to another county championship but that day, against the Indian tourists, successively one by one their batsmen - Stewart, Younis, Roope, Storey, Intikhab, Long, Arnold - were dispatched to the hutch, shaking their heads in baffled embarrassment at the Sikh's placidly lethal cocktail of curve and loop and spin. Read more

The Arms Link for the Dawood Company

Last updated on: August 27, 2006 at 4:19 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is an important and interesting news article where the arms links for Dawood and his cronies is laid out! An alliance between a former KGB officer-turned-arms smuggler and one of Dawood Ibrahim’s top lieutenants has given Indian sleuths a vital clue to link Mumbai’s organised crime with international terrorism. The missing link is Abdul Qayyum Shaikh – the Azamgarh-born arms baron — who was like a “brother” to Anis Ibrahim, Dawood’s brother. Shaikh was the man, who “apparently” gave actor Sanjay Dutt a 9 mm pistol and according to the police, the “prime recruiter” for the 1993 serial blasts. Read more

Flickr Pic of the Day

Last updated on: August 26, 2006 at 10:36 pm By Desh Kapoor

Houston-India-fest-dance Originally uploaded by Drishtikone. This was a ppicture I took at the India Fest last year in Houston. This dancer looked striking in the background that was put up! The fest involved a weekend show of different things - dances, stalls, food and crafts of India in the heart of Houston Downtown. Great picture taking time! Read more

How Rafi – the God of Indian Movie Music – was Ill-treated by Nonentities!

Last updated on: August 26, 2006 at 4:40 am By Desh Kapoor

I had heard about the problems that Rafi had with Lata and then the low time he saw during the Rajesh Khanna-Kishore Kumar combine era.. but I could have never imagined that Mohd. Rafi could have been meted out the sort of treatment that Raju Bharatan - the veteran film journalist narrates here in this article!! Even though its been ages since he was gone.. still the number of singers who imitate and swear by Rafi sahab is the highest that is there in any competition or film industry! Here is an example of the treatment that Rafi - in my mind, God's own voice if there ever was one! - got from some folks! Also, please check out my tribute to him in the "Special Series" section under the Creative Indian Personalities titled - Mohd Rafi - Saranga Teri Yaad Mein It is unimaginable that anybody alive in the music industry of India had any stature in 1970s to even begin to tell Rafi how to sing.. but such was the case during that time! It happened at the height of the Rajesh Khanna wave --- in the after-1970 Aradhana glow when Mohammed Rafi's confidence was at its lowest ebb. The Mohammed Rafi who had sung, for Naushad, a total of 149 songs (81 of them solo) through 35 years. That ace composer had heard about how sheer nonentities, in the recording room, had begun dictating to Mohammad Rafi. Read more

Pluto's demotion Vindicates Aryabhatt and Varahamihira Centuries back Calculations

Last updated on: August 25, 2006 at 10:20 pm By Desh Kapoor

Pluto was recently demoted from the planetary status! It no longer remains one of the nine. We will have to be contented with eight of them. Too bad! It has had larger implications in practical terms as the text books and planetariums have been thrown out of whack by this sudden 'decision' based on various criteria. Now, Astrologer is a close cousin of Astronomy. What do the Astrologers do? Well they are steadfast at calculating the influence of Pluto in the big picture. Read more

Using Sex to Sell Funerals in China!

Last updated on: August 24, 2006 at 9:56 pm By Desh Kapoor

I have read and seen some really crazy rituals but this one by far beats all of them! People can go to ay lengths to advertise for stuff... in this case advertising for the funerals has necessitated using sex too. Sex, by far, seems to be the most potent way to sell anything in this world.. even for the dead! Striptease send-offs at funerals may become a thing of the past in east China after five people were arrested for organising the intimate farewells, state media reported on Wednesday. Read more

Houston Downtown: Flickr Pic

Last updated on: August 24, 2006 at 8:33 pm By Desh Kapoor

houston downtown Originally uploaded by Drishtikone. Here is another of my pictures that I uploaded to Flickr, which I have persoanlly liked a lot. This is from the Houston Downtown. I like the composition that I got at that time... with the nice sky light and the palm leaves peeking from the left in an otherwise concrete area! Read more

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