Muslim Votes to Play Vital Role in Karimganj Electoral Battle

Posted by admin2011 Assembly Elections, India, Latest News, PoliticsTuesday, March 29th, 2011

BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter

Karimganj (Assam):

Muslim votes are expected to be a deciding factor in at least four of the five assembly constituencies in south Assam’s sensitive Karimganj District, bordering Bangladesh, which goes to poll on April 4 in the first phase.

As many as 62 percent of the 1,41,941 strong electorate in South Karimganj Assembly seat are Muslims, and their votes will determine the outcome of the election, poll experts say. The constituency will witness a triangular contest between Sidiq Ahmed, sitting Congress party legilature and parliamentary secretary; Sipra Gun, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee and vice president of All-India Yuva Morcha; and Iqbal Hussain of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Although Gun is virtually out of the race, Hussain, a dissident Congressman, is expected to give a stiff fight to Ahmed as he is regarded a strong contender by virtue of being a close confidant of minister Gautam Roy. Hussain, after being denied a Congress party ticket, joined the TMC, and local people say that he has got a bright chance of winning.

Hussain said, “I have nurtured my constituency like a mother does her child in the last five years, and I am very optimistic.” In neighbouring Badarpur constituency, as many as 58 percent of the 1,28,650 electorate belong to the Muslim community, and the race will be confined to the Congress party, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and BJP nominees.

Jamaluddin of the Congress party is pitted against AIUDF’s Halauddin Choudhury and BJP’s Biswarup Bhattacharjee (BJP). Sitting Congress party legislature is Anwarul Haque, and although he sought re-nomination, the party decided to shift him to Borkhola constituency of neighbouring Cachar District much to his dismay.

Promising not to harm the prospects of the Congress candidate, Haque claimed he had bright chances of sweeping the poll. In the North Karimganj constituency, there are 48 percent Muslims among 1,57,152 voters.

Coutesy:BeyondHeadlines.

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Assembly Elections 2010-2011

Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Assam

S. No.	Poll Event	1st Phase ( 62 ACs)	2nd Phase ( 64 ACs)
1.	Issue of Notification	10.3.2011 (Thursday)	18.3.2011(Friday)
2.	Last date for making Nominations	17.3.2011(Thursday)	25.3.2011(Friday)
3.	Scrutiny of Nominations	18.3.2011(Friday)	26.3.2011(Saturday)
4.	Last date for withdrawal ofcandidature	21.3.2011(Monday)	28.3.2011(Monday)
5.	Date of Poll	4.4.2011(Monday)	11.4.2011(Monday)
6.	Counting of Votes	13.5.2011(Friday)	13.5.2011(Friday)
7.	Date before which election process shall be completed	18.5.2011(Wednesday)	18.5.2011(Wednesday)

• *Details of ACs going to poll during the two phases enclosed.
• # Poll Timings 07.00 AM to 03.00 PM for all ACs.

Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Kerala

S. No.	Poll Event	Dates ( All 140 ACs)
1.	Issue of Notification	19.3.2011(Saturday)
2.	Last date for making Nominations	26.3.2011(Saturday)
3.	Scrutiny of Nominations	28.3.2011(Monday)
4.	Last date for withdrawal of candidature	30.3.2011(Wednesday)
5.	Date of Poll	13.4.2011(Wednesday)
6.	Counting of Votes	13.5.2011(Friday)
7.	Date before which election process shall be completed	18.5.2011(Wednesday)

• All 140 ACs will go to poll on a single day

Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu

S. No.	Poll Event	Dates( All 234 ACs)
1.	Issue of Notification	19.3.2011(Saturday)
2.	Last date for making Nominations	26.3.2011(Saturday)
3.	Scrutiny of Nominations	28.3.2011(Monday)
4.	Last date for withdrawal of candidature	30.3.2011(Wednesday)
5.	Date of Poll	13.4.2011(Wednesday)
6.	Counting of Votes	13.5.2011(Friday)
7.	Date before which election process shall be completed	16.5.2011(Monday)

• All 234 ACs will go to poll on a single day

Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry

S. No.	Poll Event	Dates (All 30 ACs)
1.	Issue of Notification	19.3.2011(Saturday)
2.	Last date for making Nominations	26.3.2011(Saturday)
3.	Scrutiny of Nominations	28.3.2011(Monday)
4.	Last date for withdrawal of candidature	30.3.2011(Wednesday)
5.	Date of Poll	13.4.2011(Wednesday)
6.	Counting of Votes	13.5.2011(Friday)
7.	Date before which election process shall be completed	18.5.2011(Wednesday)

• All 30 ACs will go to poll on a single day

Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal

S.No.	Poll Event	1st Phase ( 54 ACs)	2nd Phase ( 50 ACs)	3rd Phase ( 75 ACs)	4th Phase ( 63 ACs)	5th Phase ( 38 ACs)	6th Phase ( 14 ACs)
1.	Issue of Notification	24.3.2011 (Thursday)	30.3.2011 (Wednesday)	2.4.2011 (Saturday)	7.4.2011 (Thursday)	11.4.2011 (Monday)	14.4.2011 (Thursday)
2.	Last date for making Nominations	31.3.2011 (Thursday)	6.4.2011 (Wednesday)	9.4.2011 (Saturday)	14.4.2011 (Thursday)	18.4.2011 (Monday)	21.4.2011 (Thursday)
3.	Scrutiny of Nominations	2.4.2011 (Saturday)	7.4.2011 (Thursday)	11.4.2011 (Monday)	16.4.2011 (Saturday)	19.4.2011 (Tuesday)	23.4.2011 (Saturday)
4.	Last date for withdrawal of candidature	4.4.2011 (Monday)	9.4.2011 (Saturday)	13.4.2011 (Wednesday)	18.4.2011 (Monday)	21.4.2011 (Thursday)	25.4.2011 (Monday)
5.	Date of Poll	18.4.2011 (Monday)	23.4.2011 (Saturday)	27.4.2011 (Wednesday)	3.5.2011 (Tuesday)	7.5.2011 (Saturday)	10.5.2011 (Tuesday)
6.	Counting of Votes	13.5.2011 (Friday)	13.5.2011 (Friday)	13.5.2011 (Friday)	13.5.2011 (Friday)	13.5.2011 (Friday)	13.5.2011 (Friday)
7.	Date before which election process shall be completed	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)	18.5.2011 (Wednesday)

• Details of ACs going to poll during various phases enclosed

Assembly Elections 2010-2011 include polls held for the various state assemblies in India in 2010 and 2011. These polls are conducted to constitute government in various states of India.

The State Assembly Elections of India in 2011 will ensue between April and May. The states in India that go into polls are the following:

• Kerala
• Assam
• West Bengal
• Tamil Nadu
• Pondicherry

The precise dates are yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Tamil Nadu State Assembly Election 2011

The 14th legislative assembly polls in Tamil Nadu will take place in 2011. Members of the legislature will be elected from 234 constituencies in the state. Currently, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is M. Karunanidhi of the DMK.

Parties contesting Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls 2011

Given below are the names of the different parties contesting the Tamil Nadu polls:

• DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)
• VCK
• Congress
• Pudhiya Bharatham
• MDMK
• AIADMK (All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)
• CPI
• CPI(M)
• Naadalum Makkal Katchi
• Pudhiya Tamilagam
• Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi(Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam)
• Samathuva Makkal Katchi
• DMDK
• Kongu Makkal Katchi
• PMK
• Moovendar Munnani
• Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections 2011

Polls in West Bengal are scheduled to take place by May 2011. The last election took place in 2006. Currently, Buddhadev Bhattacharya is the chief minister of the state.

Parties contesting polls in West Bengal

Given below are the names of the different parties contesting the West Bengal polls:

• CPI(M)
• All India Forward Bloc
• RSP
• CPI
• All India Trinamul Congress
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Indian National Congress (INC)
• SUCI
• Samajwadi Party

State Assembly Elections in Assam 2011

Assembly polls in Assam for 126 constituencies will also be held in 2011. Presently, the chief minister of the state is Tarun Kumar Gogoi of the Indian National Congress. The following parties will be contesting the forthcoming polls:

• Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)
• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Assam United Democratic Front
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2011

The assembly polls in Kerala will also be held in 2011. Major parties contesting this election in Kerala are the following:

• Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Communist Party of India
• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)

At present, the chief minister of Kerala is V.S. Achuthanandan. Elections will be held for 140 constituencies.

2011 Assembly Elections in Pondicherry

Polls for 30 electoral constituencies in Pondicherry or Puducherry will be held in 2011. Presently, the chief minister of Pondicherry is V. Vaithilingam. Major political parties contesting for the polls will include DMK, AIADMK, and Indian National Congress.

Last Updated on 03 March 2011

Courtesy:

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/mapinnews/assemblyelections.htm

Young on the street: Bhutan

April 8, 2011

Children begging for money from passersby on the Norzin Lam pavement in Thimphu

Courtesy:Bhutan Observer

Kerala's development is Congress' first priority, says Rahul Gandhi

Trivandrum (Kerala), Apr 10: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party is committed to transforming Kerala into one of the most developed statesin India.

Addressing an election rally in Trivandrum, Gandhi said that the Central Government has already initiated many development programmes, which can be implemented in the state.

“We understand the issues prevailing in the cities like Trivandrum. So, we have created the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission that is designed to bring these cities into the 21st century,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi mentioned that such programmes are costly, due to which they want to transform Kerala into an investment hub. 

“If you go to the industrialists, if you go to the people who set up factories, who set up industries, and ask them where in the country do you want to go to set up your businesses? They would tell that they want to go to Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra or Punjab. But Kerala’s name does not figure in that list,” Gandhi said.

The elections to the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly will take place on April 13.

--ANI

Poll panel warns of stern action on cash-for-votes

Chennai, April 10 :

 The Election Commission Sunday warned of stringent action against Tamil Nadu's political parties if cash or gifts are distributed among voters aheadof the April 13 assembly polls.

In a statement issued here, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar said: "In some constituencies incidents of distribution of cash or gifts to lure voters have been detected. The Election Commission of India has viewed it with serious concern as not conducive to conduct of free and fair elections."

Courtesy:IANS

He said the commission is closely monitoring the situation and in case of repeat incidents it shall be constrained to take stern measure as may become necessary.

Unaccounted cash and articles worth over Rs.30 crore has been seized by flying squads comprising electoral and income tax department officials across the state.

--IANS

Scuffles break out as teachers protest for job stability, higher wages

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Apr 11, 2011 00:20 Updated: Apr 11, 2011 00:20

JEDDAH: 

A number of teachers who belong to the illiteracy eradication program scuffled with security guards at the Ministry of Civil Service's provincial headquarters in Jeddah after they were prevented from meeting with Suhaimi Al-Hajri, director general of the office.

The fistfight took place while four teachers of the same department were meeting with Al-Hajri, Al-Watan Arabic daily reported on Sunday. The teachers who fought with the guards were carrying placards demanding their jobs be made permanent.

Muhammad Al-Siraj, one of the teachers involved, said his colleagues were happy when they read a report that women teachers in the department would be made permanent, thinking that the decision would also cover male teachers. But it was later learned that it covered only women.

“This forced us to launch a campaign through Facebook and hold a protest in front of the ministry's office in Jeddah,” Al-Siraj said.

The teachers raised their voices, prompting the guards to force them to leave. They also prevented reporters and photographers from taking pictures of the fistfight.

An old man named Uncle Saleh, who is one of the students of the illiteracy eradication program, came to the ministry to support the teachers. He called upon Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to protect the teachers' rights.

Ali Al-Aseeri, a teacher, expressed surprise at the department’s decision not to make male teachers permanent, even though they also work for the same department as the women teachers who were made permanent.

Al-Hajri, the director general of the ministry's office, said a ministerial committee has been set up to look into the complaints. “Our office has nothing to do with this issue. It should be handled by the Ministry of Education,” he said.

Meanwhile, dozens of unemployed university graduates and teachers staged protests on Sunday demanding jobs and better wages.

Over 20 protesters gathered outside the Education Ministry office in Jeddah while around 20 collected outside the ministry in the capital Riyadh, witnesses and participants said.

“God willing, I’ll be here until Friday if I have to. We don’t care anymore after seven years of unemployment. We have no other choice,” said Omar Alharbi, a 34-year-old Arabic language teacher who took part in the Jeddah protest.

The father of six now works as a teacher in a private school making only SR1,800 a month, below the country’s unemployment handout of SR2,000.

Teachers are offered SR1,800 a month in a private school for a job that pays around SR9,000 a month in government schools, protesters said.

Some of the protesters said they had been unemployed since 2003. They estimated the number of unemployed Saudi Arabic language teachers to exceed 10,000.

Earlier this year, some 250 unemployed graduates gathered at the Education Ministry in Riyadh to demand employment and vowed to continue demonstrating until the government produces jobs.

The group later dispersed after hearing promises from ministry officials saying they will deal with their issue.

Courtesy:Arabnews

Hazare-Pawar confrontation continues

2011-04-10 22:40:00 Last Updated: 2011-04-11 00:59:39 New Delhi: The confrontation between Anna Hazare and NCP escalated today with the anti-corruption crusader saying Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar should resign if people demand that the NCP leader step down. The NCP, a key UPA ally, on its part again disapproved of the way Hazare and his activists went about their agitation making the government "bow to pressure tactics." Asked about his earlier comment that Pawar should step down, Hazare said, "He has already resigned from one Group of Ministers (GoM). This is a democracy, if people demand that he should step down(as union minister), then on moral grounds he should. Corrupt people should not be in power". NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar agreed that corruption is a very big issue for the nation. "A solution should be found, a way should be formulated, a law must be created," he said. "But, the way which was adopted...pressure tactics through its issue to make the government bow and agree to theri demands is not right. It is becoming a new trend." Anwar said yesterday that the government has committed a "mistake" by accepting Hazare's demands. "Corruption is undoubtedly a burning issue facing the country ... but I differ with Anna Hazare as the way adopted by the Gandhian leader has not been the right way. "The way Anna Hazare got his demand conceded I want to be clear is not correct ... and the government has committed a mistake by accepting his demands," Anwar had said. Hazare on Wednesay stepped up attack on Pawar saying he resigning from Group of Ministers(GoM) on corruption will not serve "any purpose" and he should quit the Union Council of Ministers too.   All About: Hazare, Shard Pawar, Corruption, Lokpal Bill, Topnews, Union Council of Ministers Courtesy:PTI

17,500 rally against nuke plants

Kyodo News

About 17,500 people held two rallies Sunday against nuclear power plants, reflecting public rage over the crisis unfolding at the Fukushima No. 1 power station some 220 km northeast of Tokyo.

Around the JR Koenji Station in Suginami Ward, some 15,000 people took part in a demonstration march organized by local shop owners. The turnout rose after several people went online to issue calls to join the event, organizers said.

One of the organizers of the rally, Hajime Matsumoto, said he was amazed that so many people showed up just on their own.

"It's epoch-making that so many people gathered without being mobilized by a large organization," he said. "It's become powerful because we joined hands over the Internet."

In Shiba Park in Minato Ward, about 2,500 people gathered at a civic rally to demand that Chubu Electric Power Co. shut down its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. Critics says the plant is situated "right above" the epicenter of a predicted major quake.

"We've learned that nuclear plants cannot be controlled by human power," said photographer Gentaro Todaka, 34. "We hope to halt the Hamaoka plant, which is said to be the most dangerous, and hope the campaign to halt nuclear plants will spread elsewhere”

Courtesy:Japantimes.

STRESS MANAGEMENT : WHY NEGLECT BRAIN CARE?

Brain: Hippocampus
The hippocampus is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. In this lateral view of the human brain, the frontal lobe is at left, the occipital lobe at right, and the temporal and parietal lobes have largely been removed to reveal the hippocampus underneath.

It’s hard to deny that we live in a stressful society. Many of us are busy from the instant we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, taking care of children, commuting to and from work, putting in a solid eight to twelve hours at the office, keeping up with our reading and e-mail and phone correspondence, and then having to confront 100-odd cable TV channels.

The human response to stress—an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, metabolism, and blood flow to muscles—has evolved over millions of years and is responsible, in no small measure, for the survival of our species. It also contributes to peak performance under pressure—an asset to athletes, firefighters, and countless others. But the inappropriate activation of the stress response, in a world where people rarely face life-or-death situations, can eventually damage both the heart and the brain.

Researchers have examined how stress affects people in various ways. As one example, in a five-year study published in 1998, psychologists gave memory tests to people in their 70s and asked them to find their way through different mazes. The subjects who did the worst on the tests had the highest levels of cortisol, a stress hormone in the glucocorticoid family. Over the years these same people had lost the most brain cells from the hippocampus, a brain structure critical for memory.

Some studies imply that there is a link between a shrinking hippocampus, and chronic exposure to glucocorticoids like cortisol. We see this most clearly in an extreme condition called Cushing’s syndrome, in which the adrenal glands release large quantities of glucocorticoids.

This condition is accompanied by memory problems known as Cushingoid dementia. MRI brain scans performed at the University of Michigan showed that the hippocampus shrinks in Cushing’s patients. People who secreted the most glucocorticoids suffered the most serious memory problems and the worst hippocampal atrophy.

However, other studies question whether the glucocorticoids alone are responsible for the degeneration of hippocampal neurons. A 1999 study performed at the University of Washington exposed aging rats to elevated glucocorticoid concentrations for 12 months without increasing their exposure to stress.

The average size of the hippocampus in these rats, as well as the number and density of neurons in that region, remained the same as in an unexposed control group. Hippocampal damage, the researchers concluded, must arise from other effects of stress, perhaps in conjunction with elevated glucocorticoid levels but not due only to them. These results hint that the organic effects of stress on the brain are complex and unlikely to yield to a simple remedy.

Unfortunately, stress is not the only thing we have to worry about. Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that chronic depression can also harm the hippocampus.

In a 1999 study, investigators scanned the brains of 48 women, ranging from age 23 to 86. In women who had a history of depression, the size of the hippocampus was 9 percent to 13 percent smaller. The hippocampal volumes were smaller in women who had been depressed more often, but age was not a factor. Glucocorticoids may be involved here, too, as depressed patients produce abnormally high quantities of this stress hormone.

Fortunately, there are techniques for managing stress. Physical conditioning can help by lowering your blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Exercise—such as aerobic workouts and competitive sports—can also provide an outlet for relieving some of the stress and frustration that build up in a day. Some people achieve deep relaxation through contemplative activities like yoga and meditation, while others may prefer listening to Mozart or wild dancing.

People who handle stress well generally have strong social ties with others.

Whenever possible, they avoid putting themselves in situations in which they feel helpless, buffeted by forces beyond their control. However, when things don’t go their way, they try to take it in stride.

Tags:Stress management techniques

http://ezinearticles.com/?Simple-Stress-Management-Techniques:-How-to-Calm-Down-and-Cope&id=5923511

Musharraf abandons plans to return to Pak: Report

pdated on Sunday, April 10, 2011, 15:56

Islamabad: Former president Pervez Musharraf has abandoned plans to return to Pakistan from self-exile in Britain after the military leadership here "cold-shouldered" his demands for extra security to counter multiple threats to his life from militant outfits like al Qaeda and Taliban.

 

The military also turned down Musharraf's request to use its influence to prevent his arrest on arrival in Pakistan for his alleged involvement in the killing of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto and Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, a media report said today.

 

Musharraf, who resigned as president in 2008 and has been living in self-exile in Britain for the past two years, faces threats from Balochistan and the tribal areas, The Express Tribune newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying.

 

He is also one of the top targets of the Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants.

 

The former president, who launched a new political party in October last year, has claimed several times that he will return to Pakistan to lead the All Pakistan Muslim League.

 

Musharraf's aides told the daily that he has been seeking guarantees from the military leadership for more security than that to which he is entitled as a former president.

 

"He is scared... naturally, the level of threat he faces is much higher... That's why he wanted to be dead sure that enemies couldn't get him if he comes back," said a friend of Musharraf who did not want to be named.

 

"And of course who else other than the military, the Army, can provide that sort of security," the friend said.

 

Musharraf's hopes faded when the military hierarchy "cold-shouldered his demands for extra security to spearhead his politics in Pakistan," the report said. 

"It looks like they (military generals) are not interested in him and his political designs anymore... it is not their tradition to support a former chief's political gamble... because they are of no use," said another associate of Musharraf.

Al Qaeda, which operates in Pakistan's tribal areas with associates like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, poses a threat to Musharraf.

 

He was twice targeted by al Qaeda's 313 Brigade and the Amjad Farooqi group of the Punjabi Taliban when he was the President. 

The military raid on Islamabad's Lal Masjid also turned all 'jihadi' groups against Musharraf.

The killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti in 2006 too earned him the ire of militants of Balochistan.

 

"And now he can be an easy prey for them... they might still want to get him whenever possible," said an unnamed friend of Musharraf. 

PTI

Courtesy: zeenews 

 

Drafting of Lokpal Bill to be videographed: Anna Hazare

Updated on Sunday, April 10, 2011, 19:15

New Delhi: A day after he ended his fast demanding a stronger anti-graft Lokpal Bill, social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday said the process of formulating the act will be videographed and the procedures will be made public. 

"The committee will start its work on the draft from April 16, the procedures will be video graphed and made public. The procedure will be totally transparent, from formulation to the time after it is passed and selection of Lokpal," Hazare told reporters.

"If people find out any shortcoming they can point this out," he said. 

Stating that questions were being asked if the bill will solve the problem of corruption, Anna Hazare said that if not 100 percent, it will solve the problem of corruption up to 90 percent.

"People ask if it will solve problem of corruption, if not 100 percent, it will solve the problem 90 percent. The rest will be done through the medium of electoral reforms and decentralisation of power," he said. 

IANS:

zeenews