Saturday, February 28, 2009

Taliban may take hostage of karachi


Karachi: Taliban have established secret hideouts in the southern financial hub of Karachi and its militants “could take the city hostage at any point”, according to Pakistani police.

The CID Special Branch of police has highlighted the presence of Taliban in Karachi in a report submitted to the Sindh government and the provincial police chief.

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The Taliban have “huge caches” of weapons and ammunition and “could take the city hostage at any point,” the report said.

The report provides details about secret Taliban hideouts and their presence in areas like Sohrab Goth and Quaidabad.

Besides living in small motels in these areas, the Taliban are hiding in the hills of Manghopir and Orangi town and in other low-income areas and slums, the Daily Times newspaper quoted the police report as saying.

The daily also quoted sources as saying that the deputy chief of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban, Hasan Mahmood, was hiding in Karachi.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is part of the coalition government in Sindh province, has often warned authorities that the Taliban had established a presence in Karachi. The Daily Times said the Special Branch report had “terrified” police and security personnel. Recently, personnel of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell had raided a guesthouse in Sohrab Goth but the Taliban apprehended them instead.

The militants were trying to execute the policemen when another police party intervened.

Two policemen were killed in the operation while a SSP and 11 other policemen were seriously injured. Police also arrested eight men who were said to be pro-Taliban militants.

On the directives of the Sindh government, a survey has been conducted of guesthouses across Karachi and senior police officials have asked for surveillance of these facilities.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Aviation Turbine fuel Prices Cut by 7%


New Delhi: State-run fuel retailers on Saturday slashed jet fuel or ATF rates by a further seven percent, making it the 11th reduction since September last year.

Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices in Delhi were slashed by Rs 2,052 per kilolitre to Rs 27,106 per kl, effective midnight tonight, an official of Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest fuel retailer, said.

But for the one-off 3.3 percent increase in rates on January 16, jet fuel prices are declining in tandem with the fall in international oil rates.

In Mumbai, home to the nation’s busiest airport, ATF rates were down to Rs 27,861 per kl from Rs 29,985.19 per kl.

The reduction in jet fuel prices announced today varied from airport to airport depending on local taxes and levies and an on average worked out to Rs 2,125 per kl.

ATF prices had peaked to Rs 71,028.26 per kl (in Delhi) in August on international crude prices touching historic high of USD 147 a barrel. But they have since been slashed every month till October and twice in November.

After the 11th reduction, jet fuel are hovering at early 2005 levels.

State-run Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum revise ATF rates on the 1st and 16th of every month based on the average international jet fuel rates in the preceding fortnight.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Aviation Turbine fuel Prices Cut by 7%


New Delhi: State-run fuel retailers on Saturday slashed jet fuel or ATF rates by a further seven percent, making it the 11th reduction since September last year.

Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices in Delhi were slashed by Rs 2,052 per kilolitre to Rs 27,106 per kl, effective midnight tonight, an official of Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest fuel retailer, said.

But for the one-off 3.3 percent increase in rates on January 16, jet fuel prices are declining in tandem with the fall in international oil rates.

In Mumbai, home to the nation’s busiest airport, ATF rates were down to Rs 27,861 per kl from Rs 29,985.19 per kl.

The reduction in jet fuel prices announced today varied from airport to airport depending on local taxes and levies and an on average worked out to Rs 2,125 per kl.

ATF prices had peaked to Rs 71,028.26 per kl (in Delhi) in August on international crude prices touching historic high of USD 147 a barrel. But they have since been slashed every month till October and twice in November.

After the 11th reduction, jet fuel are hovering at early 2005 levels.

State-run Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum revise ATF rates on the 1st and 16th of every month based on the average international jet fuel rates in the preceding fortnight.

Sourc: www.nhatky.in

Pak’s Political Rift May Pose Test For Obama


NEW YORK: The intensifying political battle between the president and the main opposition leader is shaping up as a potential crisis for the Obama administration. The US tries to focus the government on fighting the Qaeda and Taliban insurgency here, New York Times commented on the political situation in Pakistan.

The domestic struggle will almost certainly deflect attention from that fight as President Asif Ali Zardari and his rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, duke it out and as street protests persist, politicians and analysts said.

It could also result in shifting political alliances, including new opportunities for the religious right that would be inimical to Washington’s interests, and even serve to make the Pakistani military restive for power again if the situation continued to worsen, they said.

The Obama administration, which this week hosted the Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and the military chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in Washington, has had little to say about the unfolding political drama.

“Washington was certainly surprised by the court move and very concerned, both in political and military circles,” said director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.

The United States has backed Mr. Zardari as president. But his reputation in Washington would be likely to suffer as a consequence of the moves against the Sharif brothers, said an analyst.

“He is deflecting the attention of the whole country to something that is so irrelevant.” “He is banking on the United States, but America will only support him up to a point.”

General Kayani has vowed to keep the army out of politics, and was serious about his pledge, Pakistani officials said. But there could come a point where political instability became so great, the army would feel to be compelled to step in, they said.

The size of the crowd during the lawyers’ protest from Lahore to Islamabad, and the composition of the march could be a defining moment in the contest between Mr. Zardari and the Sharif forces, citing politicians, the US daily said in its report.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Call For Shutdown in Jharkhand by Maoists


Ranchi: Maoists forced a shutdown against alleged police atrocities in Jharkhand on Saturday. The 24-hour shutdown call disrupted road and rail traffic.

“We are facing a lot of problems. I have to go to Palamu, but there is no train available. The government is not able to do anything. Not only me, all the passengers are facing problems,” said Rahul, a rail passenger.
Bus services to and from Ranchi have been completely snapped, and passengers remained stranded at the bus stands. Residents said that they were fed up by the frequent shutdown calls that adversely affected their livelihood.

“We run these buses for our livelihood. There is a shutdown here at least once in a week on one pretext or the other. What will the citizens do?” asked Guddu, a bus driver. Shops and business establishments also remained closed. Maoists, who are banned in several states including Jharkhand, say they are fighting for the rights of farmers and the poor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest challenge to the country’’s internal security.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Pak Navy’s Contention rejected by India


Tiruchirappalli: India on Saturday rejected Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Noman Bashir’s contention that terrorists involved in attacks in Mumbai did not use the sea route and said there was evidence that they did.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said India has evidence to prove that terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks used sea route from Karachi.

There was no further evidence that is required to be given to Pakistan as “all requisite evidences had been provided to them. The chargesheet (filed in a Mumbai court on February 26) gives clarification to many of the questions Islamabad had asked”, he said.

Chidambaram was reacting to a question on the Pakistan Naval Chief’s claim there was no evidence to show that the terrorists who came from Karachi used the sea route to reach Mumbai.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Friday, February 27, 2009

NIDJI - Shadow

Free Download Mp3 Shadow by Nidji @ PlazaMp3.Blogspot. Gets Hot New Releases Mp3 at Download Mp3




Lirik Lagu NIDJI - SHADOW



you got to be the only one
you got to be the one


hey you got to stay awake
you got to start to save the world
you got to be alert


*) shadows.. shadows..
in the world we living on
shadows.. shadows..
in the world we living on


shadows .. shadows..
we’re alone in the world we own
shadows .. shadows..
we’re alone in the world we own


hey the killer of the world
the money blinded junky man
the loveless son of man
hey nothing isn’t right
the future is in so much pain
the lovers are in vein


back to *)


is this place where we fly in
is this place where we don’t win
is this the shadows that lived in our profit
is this the shadows that we all wanted


and our life are burned by the fire
of our sins and tonight
i believe that we won’t win


here in the cities
shadows on the run
nothing is real
nothing can’t be done


i am the shadows
i’m the only one
make me believe
that nothing can be done






Click here to download Mp3 NIDJI - SHADOW

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Again Fresh Gun Fire in Dhaka


Dhaka: Fresh gunfire erupted at a paramilitary camp in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday, police said, as troops took to streets in towns across the country a day after 50 people were killed during a mutiny. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the rebels to surrender.

Hasina urged calm, but the revolt by some members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) force over a pay dispute spread outside Dhaka after officials earlier said it was being brought under control following an amnesty offer from the government.

Mobile phone services were ordered cut by the government in order to stem rumours and misinformation, one cell phone operator said.

“Firing started again at the BDR complex in the afternoon although we were expecting the revolt… to end soon,” a police officer said.

“The Prime Minister has urged all people to remain calm and not to indulge in violence,” said Mohiuddin Khan Alaamgir, one of the advisers to Hasina who along with ministers attended an emergency meeting with her.

Earlier in the day, mutinies by members of BDR broke out in various towns around the country even as violence in the capital Dhaka was said to be contained, police and witnesses said.

Nearly 50 people were killed in Dhaka as BDR troops fought among themselves on Wednesday after shooting began in their headquarters over a pay dispute and other issues, a government minister said on Thursday.

The mutinous soldiers in Dhaka were laying down their arms on Thursday after accepting an offer of amnesty from the government, but outside the capital there were shooting incidents involving BDR troops in more than a dozen towns, local police officials said.

“Fighting is raging outside the BDR camp, with troops coming on the street holding up guns and shooting,” said a witness in Sylhet, in the northeast of the country.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Challenges facing Hasina

The turmoil underscores the challenges facing PM Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina won Parliamentary Elections in December that returned the impoverished country to democracy after nearly two years of Army-backed emergency rule, and the incident is a blow to her efforts to attract foreign investment and convince foreign aid donors the country is on a path to stability.

Bangladesh, home to more than 140 million people, has had several military coups since independence in 1971, but this week’s mutinies do not appear to be politically motivated.

“Nearly 50 people have been killed in sporadic fighting in the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles,” Mohammad Quamrul Islam, State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, told reporters early on Thursday, describing the Dhaka fighting.

He said all weapons would likely be surrendered in the coming hours. But officials waiting outside the BDR headquarters on Thursday morning said the process has been slow.

Television channels showed troops handing over Chinese-made automatic rifles, bullets and grenades to Home Minister Sahara Khatun, who visited the headquarters after talks with the rebels.

“The surrender of all the weapons by the rebels may take hours more,” a police officer said, requesting not to be identified. “The situation inside (the BDR complex) is calm but tense.”

Officials said 50 stranded women and children had been evacuated from the headquarters. Agriculture Minister Begum Motia Chowdhury entered on Thursday morning, and she would try to bring out families of Army officers and soldiers still stranded there, officials said.

They gave no estimates on how many such people might still be in the sprawling complex, which usually houses 2,000 troops.

Turmoil

The mutiny erupted on Wednesday when shooting broke out after enlisted men met officers to discuss a row over pay and benefits and their command structure. They want commanders appointed from the paramilitary, not the Army as is now the case.

No breakdown of the casualties was available immediately. There has been speculation by the media and security sources that BDR chief Major-General Shakil Ahmed was among those killed, but there was no confirmation.

The government had responded on Wednesday by sending troops to the BDR complex, and Home Minister Sahara Khatun held talks with the mutineers’ leaders to defuse the situation, after which the rebels agreed to lay down their weapons.

The shooting on Wednesday spilled onto the streets in Dhaka, killing three civilians and wounding several others, witnesses earlier said. Flames rose from the BDR complex and loud explosions were heard.

It was not immediately clear how many civilians were among the final Dhaka death toll.

Hasina met some of the BDR mutineers on Wednesday in a bid to end the stand-off.

Government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak said Hasina offered an amnesty to those involved during an hour-long meeting at her residence. One BDR officer said the rebels agreed to surrender their weapons after Hasina promised to meet the group’s demands.

The Prime Minister summoned most members of her cabinet to an emergency meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the mutiny and review the latest situation, a government official said.

Analysts said the mutinies pose a major problem for Hasina in keeping together the powerful defence forces — who have often intervened in the country’s politics — and tackle their grievances without risking further discord.

“This poses a huge challenge for the prime minister and her government, who need to be tactful in trying to resolve it,” said retired Major General Azizur Rahman, a former BDR chief.

Others said further unrest would adversely affect the country’s political stability and efforts to attract investment.

The BDR, whose main duty is guarding the country’s borders, is often called in to back up the Army and police in meeting other defence and security requirements.

The mutiny broke out only a day after Hasina met senior BDR officers at an annual parade and told them her government would do its best to modernise the paramilitary forces.

Source: www.nhatky.in

BDR Mutinies Break out


Dhaka: Mutinies by members of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have broken out in various towns around the country even as BDR violence in the capital Dhaka was being contained, police and witnesses said on Thursday.

Nearly 50 people were killed in Dhaka as BDR troops fought among themselves on Wednesday after shooting began in their headquarters over a pay dispute and other issues, a government minister said on Thursday.

The mutinous soldiers in Dhaka were laying down their arms on Thursday after accepting an offer of amnesty from the government, but outside the capital there were shooting incidents involving BDR troops in more than a dozen towns, local police officials said.

“Fighting is raging outside the BDR camp, with troops coming on the street holding up guns and shooting,” said a witness in Sylhet, in the northeast of the country.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The turmoil underscores the challenges facing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina won Parliamentary Elections in December that returned the impoverished country to democracy after nearly two years of Army-backed emergency rule, and the incident is a blow to her efforts to attract foreign investment and convince foreign aid donors the country is on a path to stability.

Bangladesh, home to more than 140 million people, has had several military coups since independence in 1971, but this week’s mutinies do not appear to be politically motivated.

“Nearly 50 people have been killed in sporadic fighting in the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles,” Mohammad Quamrul Islam, State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, told reporters early on Thursday, describing the Dhaka fighting.

He said all weapons would likely be surrendered in the coming hours. But officials waiting outside the BDR headquarters on Thursday morning said the process has been slow.

Television channels showed troops handing over Chinese-made automatic rifles, bullets and grenades to Home Minister Sahara Khatun, who visited the headquarters after talks with the rebels.

“The surrender of all the weapons by the rebels may take hours more,” a police officer said, requesting not to be identified. “The situation inside (the BDR complex) is calm but tense.”

Officials said 50 stranded women and children had been evacuated from the headquarters. Agriculture Minister Begum Motia Chowdhury entered on Thursday morning, and she would try to bring out families of Army officers and soldiers still stranded there, officials said.

They gave no estimates on how many such people might still be in the sprawling complex, which usually houses 2,000 troops.

Capital calm

No gunfire had been heard in the early hours of Thursday. In most of the capital people were carrying on their daily business as usual.

The mutiny erupted on Wednesday when shooting broke out after enlisted men met officers to discuss a row over pay and benefits and their command structure. They want commanders appointed from the paramilitary, not the Army as is now the case.

No breakdown of the casualties was available immediately. There has been speculation by the media and security sources that BDR chief Major-General Shakil Ahmed was among those killed, but there was no confirmation.

The government had responded on Wednesday by sending troops to the BDR complex, and Home Minister Sahara Khatun held talks with the mutineers’ leaders to defuse the situation, after which the rebels agreed to lay down their weapons.

The shooting on Wednesday spilled onto the streets in Dhaka, killing three civilians and wounding several others, witnesses earlier said. Flames rose from the BDR complex and loud explosions were heard.

It was not immediately clear how many civilians were among the final Dhaka death toll.

Hasina met some of the BDR mutineers on Wednesday in a bid to end the stand-off.

Government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak said Hasina offered an amnesty to those involved during an hour-long meeting at her residence. One BDR officer said the rebels agreed to surrender their weapons after Hasina promised to meet the group’s demands.

The Prime Minister summoned most members of her cabinet to an emergency meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the mutiny and review the latest situation, a government official said.

Analysts said the mutinies pose a major problem for Hasina in keeping together the powerful defence forces — who have often intervened in the country’s politics — and tackle their grievances without risking further discord.

“This poses a huge challenge for the prime minister and her government, who need to be tactful in trying to resolve it,” said retired Major General Azizur Rahman, a former BDR chief.

Others said further unrest would adversely affect the country’s political stability and efforts to attract investment.

The BDR, whose main duty is guarding the country’s borders, is often called in to back up the Army and police in meeting other defence and security requirements.

The mutiny broke out only a day after Hasina met senior BDR officers at an annual parade and told them her government would do its best to modernise the paramilitary forces.

Source: www.nhatky.in

Monday, February 16, 2009

Interim Budget Presented by Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament


New Delhi: Presenting the Interim Budget in the Parliament, acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the economy had maintained a growth between 7%-8% and per capita income had grown by 7.4% in the last 4 yrs. He also said that government was within striking distance of fiscal correction.

He people of India had voted for change. He referred to the CMP of the UPA which he said was created to bring about this change.

Highlights

# People voted for change

# Manmohan singh wanted a change in the way the country is run

# CMP was built around this call for change

# 7 economic objectives

# Maintaining 7-8% growth

# Access to education, health

# Employment generation

# Assuring 100 days of employment

# Agri, rural development

# Fiscal consolidation and reform

# Fiscal devolution

# Indian showed sustained growth of over 9 %

# 4.7% growth in per capita in 4 yrs

# Fiscal Deficit between 4.5% to 2.3%

# Domestic investment rate as a proportion increased to 39% in 2008

# Domestic saving increased to 39%

# All with guidance of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan and with P Chidambaram contribution

# Growth drivers were Agri, services, manufacturing, construction

# Real heroes of Indian success stories are farmers

# 22.5 of wheat 28.5 mt of rice in PDS

# Food production grew by 10% every year to reach 230 mt in 08

# Manufacturing growth 9.5% inform 04 to 08

# Construction growth 26% from 04 to 08

# Export grew by 26.4% from 04 to 08

# Foreign trade as part of GDP grew to 35.5% in 08

# Capital inflows in 08 : 97% of GDP

# This lead to accumulation of reserves and pressure on prices

# Effort made to deliver on commitments

1155 hrs IST: Per capita income increased 7.4% per annum during the UPA govt’s tenure
1154 hrs IST: Fertiliser subsidy increased by Rs44,863cr from about Rs14,000cr during 2008-09
1152 hrs IST: Expenditure for 08-09: Rs750,884cr, Planned expenditure: Rs2,43,386cr
1148 hrs IST: 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities set up
1148 hrs IST: Rs 65,300 crore in loans waived for farmers in FY 08-09
1147 hrs IST: Revised budget estimates for 2008-09 increased to Rs 909,053 crore from Rs 750,884 crore
1146 hrs IST: Non-performing assets of public sector banks have fallen from 7.8% in 2007 to 2.3% in March 2008
1144 hrs IST: The PSU profits have gone up 72 pc from 53000 crore to 91000 crore and their contribution to the central exchequer has gone up 86%
1143 hrs IST; Rs 632 crore provided for recaptalisation of Regional Rural Banks
1143 hrs IST: Turnover of public sector companies increased from Rs587,000cr in 2003-04 to Rs10,87,000cr in 2007-08
1141 hrs IST: Outlay on higher education has been increased 900% in the 11th Five Year Plan
1138 hrs IST: FDI inflow of $23.3bn between April and Nov 08
1137 hrs IST: Govt to continue to provide interest subsidy to farmers in FY 10
1134 hrs IST: Student loans increased from Rs4,500cr to Rs24,260cr as on September 30 over 3 years
1133 hrs IST: New scheme for young widows in the age group of 18 to 40 unveiled; will get priority in admission to ITIs and a stipend of Rs 500 per month
1130 hrs IST: Inflation rate fell to 4.4 per cent on January 31, 2009
1129 hrs IST: World economy, according to forecasts, will fare worse in 2009 than in 2008
1128 hrs IST: India is second fastest growing economy in the world with 7.1% GDP expansion in 2008-09
1128 hrs IST: Export growth rate in first nine months of 2008-09 touched 17.1%. Industrial production fell by 2% in December
1128 hrs IST: Occasional downturns are inescapable in market economy, Mukherjee quotes Amartya Sen
1127 hrs IST: Allocation for agriculture increased by 300% from 2003-04 to 2008-09
1121 hrs IST: Agri credit raised to Rs 2,50,000 crore
1048 hrs IST: Populist handouts likely in UPA’s Budget

SOURCE: www.nhatky.in

Sunday, February 15, 2009

World’s First Fly Russian Fighter is Indian Woman

BANGALORE: Suman Sharma, daughter of a retired Indian naval officer and an army colonel’s sister, became the world’s first woman to fly the mighty Russian MiG-35 fighter jet at the Aero India international air show here.

The 30-year-old also became the first civilian woman to co-pilot the American-strike fighter F-16IN of Lockheed Martin two days before the biennial event took off at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Yelahanka, about 20 km from here.

“The Russians confirmed from Moscow that I was the world’s first woman to fly the Mikoyan fourth generation twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft (MiG-35) Friday (Feb 13) with MiG Corp test pilot Mikhail Belyaev for over 40 minutes cruising at 0.9 Mach speed and pulled 7G above 20,000 feet,” an elated Suman said on the sidelines of the air showpiece.

A qualified pilot with a stint in IAF as a commissioned officer and currently a flying instructor with the Indian Military Academy (IMA) at Dehradun, Suman flew in the single-engine F-16 with Lockheed test pilot Paul Randall. They touched 6G while flying 90 miles southwards into interior Karnataka.

“I had the privilege of taking controls in both the fighters for a while to perform loops, barrel and side rolls, stalls, dives and 360 degree turns. Though I was alert and fit, breathing at such altitudes and speed is a bit difficult. Yoga practice came to my rescue,” Suman recalled.

In the run up to her mid-air adventures onboard the supersonic fighters, Suman had flown to the US by a Boeing commercial jet (737) for 15 hours non-stop from New Delhi to Chicago in January 2008 on a familiarization trip to Lockheed factory where she got a feel of the Falcons in a simulator and a first-hand exposure to the latest aerospace technologies.

“During my IAF service, I co-piloted transport aircraft AN-32 and IL-76 and flew civilian jets subsequently. The experience came handy in conditioning to fly the fighters. In addition, yoga practice, jazz dance and diet control made me remain lean and fit to wear the G-suit and participate in aerobatics at different G force,” Suman noted.

Unwilling to make a comparison between the American and Russian fighters and her preference, Suman said while F-16 was a lighter, lean and mean machine to super cruise, MiG-35 was certainly heavier with tremendous power and thrust to go full throttle.

“It is unfair to compare as both (fighters) are a class by themselves. It all depends on how they are used and by whom. Being fly-by-wire with latest avionics, flight controls, radars and other navigational aids, it is the level of our alertness and reflexes that makes the difference in flying them,” Suman affirmed.

Asked whether she applied to the IAF to fly in one of its Sukhoi (Su-30MKI) fourth generation fighters, Suman said though she did to co-pilot a Su-30 and its latest Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) Hawk, she was yet to get a clearance.

“As a rule, IAF does not allow women warriors to be taken as prisoners of war (POW) by the enemy though women pilots in the US and Israel fly combat aircraft. Though the Russian air force is not averse to fair-gender flying fighters, there are no women fighter pilots yet,” Suman pointed out.

Suman, however, is hopeful the IAF would change its rule sooner to allow women pilots to fly fighters in light of a recent proposal to recruit about 800 women commissioned officers in combat flying.

“The IAF recruits women through the service selection board for various positions, including piloting transport aircraft and choppers,” she said.

Daughter of Commodore (retd) H.P. Sharma and younger sibling of Colonel Rajesh Sharma of the Dogra Regiment, Suman is passionate to fly solo to connect herself with God in the infinite space.

“Given the opportunity, I would love to fly all kinds of aircraft, especially fighters, and hope to do by participating in other international air shows,” she added.

The New Delhi-based Suman wants to inspire other women, especially girls, to take up flying as a profession and compete with men as there is nothing that one can’t understand in a magnificent flying machine.

“It is not a rocket science or so difficult to grasp. With good academic and science background, any girl or woman can take to flying even a combat aircraft,” she said.

SOURCE: http://www.nhtaky.in

Indian Jet Fighter Drop Bomb on Rajasthan Village


JAISALMER: Did an Indian Air Force fighter jet drop a bomb on a village close to the border city
of Jaisalmer? The IAF has denied the incident, but a local resident, Dost Ali of Doshe Khan ki Dhani, has lodged an FIR with the police, claiming a plane flew over his village at 11.30 am on Friday and dropped a bomb that destroyed crops on five bighas of his farmland and partly damaged his house. He claims he was about 2 km away from the spot at the time of the incident. No one was injured.

Satyadev Arhada, the police officer in charge at the Mohangarh police station, confirmed the incident. “These days exercises involving bombing set targets are going on at the Changad firing range. Ali, who lives close to Mohangarh canal, reported that on Friday morning an IAF fighter dropped a bomb that landed in his field, damaging the crops and his house. We have examined the field. It looks like the damage has been done by a bomb.”

The police said it was the second such incident in the last week, the first being on February 7 at Tadana village, 70 km from Jaisalmer and 50 km from the Pakistani border. The bomb landed near a cluster of 50 houses in a field close to the firing range. It left a four-foot-wide and five-foot-deep crater.

Defence ministry spokesman Col N N Joshi denied the entire sequence of events. “We are aware of an FIR having being lodged suggesting that a bomb had fallen on the field of a local. But we are not aware of any such thing. All stray incidents are recorded by IAF but in this case there are no records,” he said. He also denied any possibility of these bombs belonging to the army that has a base in the area.

Rishal Singh, additional SP of Jaisalmer, also confirmed the incident. “A bomb has landed in a field near the firing range of the air force. We have received an FIR in this regard and our inquiries are on.”

He added, “About five to six bighas of the gram fields of Dost Ali have been completely burnt. Even his pucca house, next to the field, has been damaged. In the FIR, Ali has alleged that on Friday at about 11.30 am when some aircraft were flying above his field, a bomb fell, damaging his property.”

When contacted, Dost Ali said, “I was about 2 km from my house when I heard a loud explosion. I came running to my house and saw many people standing there. At that time, planes were hovering above the field…Until now, there is white debris lying next to my house.”

In New Delhi, an IAF officer said, “All our weapons are accounted for and none of our aircraft were flying in that area at that particular time as mentioned in the police report.”

The denial should add to the mystery about the bomb. Sources said since the area borders Pakistan and is one of the most sensitive zones in the country, IAF radars are on high alert round the clock. They discounted any possibility of any other aircraft intruding into Indian territory without being noticed. Defence authorities have sent a report to the local police which is investigating the matter. “It’s for the local police to verify the authenticity of the claims,” the officer added.

SOURCE: http://www.nhatky.in