He too is your brethren

Serengeti, Tanzania

Ani could see the vast patches of barren land in his eyes. There was nothing that his cattle could nibble on, Serengeti was experiencing a drought and he couldn’t withstand it, nor could he do away with the heat. Far beyond, he could see a few tourists enjoying themselves viewing the sights at Serengeti as part of their safari tour. Ani would often go to the resorts near Lake Victoria in search of water. It was like knocking the doors of paradise, but in vain. The once lush-green lands are now barren. The water from Lake Victoria has been diverted to the tourist hotspots. We get nothing. If it rains, well and good. If not, it’s disaster.

One last time, and that will be it, thought Ani. He went closer to the Ritz-Carlton near the lake. A tourist group was just entering the premises. Ah!What Luck! They will be showing some sympathy towards him, Ani can count on that. He begged them for water.

Ani couldn’t remember what happened next. He was thrown back by someone with strong hands. Opening his eyes, he saw himself surrounded by machine guns on all sides. Ani saw a stone nearby.

Another innocent life comes to an end due to the lack of water, in this 21^st century when the world is flourishing under its new foud image and vision.

Multi-Faceted Issue :Singur

Let’s face it, the car that would put much of the third world population on wheels, the Nano, which was scheduled to be released in October this year, might get a postponement from it’s manufacturers, Tata Motors.

The Nano, the brainchild of Mr. Ratan Tata, a man with visionary foresight who dreamt of creating a 100,000 rupee car. Initially, the plan was mocked upon not only by the Indian press, but the International press too. They said that the Nano would be nothing more than a “four-wheeled autorickshaw” or a “bullock-cart with a motorcycle engine and a roof”. But Ratan had everyone fall on his feet when he drove the classy Nano on the ramp at the Delhi Autoshow earlier this year. Sheer determination and perseverance, nothing else.

The Nano is nothing less than revolutionary. It had glued parts instead of welded ones. Ratan insisted on a single windshield wiper than two. It’s got more legroom than the Maruti Alto, it’s domestic competitor, or the Chery QQ, the international competitor. Both of them cost twice the price of a Nano. Pollution? No problem. The Nano easily passes Euro IV emission standards. Talking about safety, the Nano has received a four-star NCAP rating! The 600cc Nano engine has not been whisked away from a Pulsar or a Discover, or rather, a Harley-Davidson. The Americans would love the car to be imported to the United States. Talk about a disposable car, a car so cheap that you could buy a new one every year! Amazing, huh? Don’t forget this car is manufactured by the company that manufactures the world’s cheapest car(Tata Nano) and now, one of the most expensive cars in the world(Jaguar).

But a major issue the Tatas faced or still faces is the land acquisition at Singur, West Bengal. The acquisition of setting up a plant in 400 acres of land after displacing hundreds of farmers from the vicinity, proved disastrous for the Tatas. Even after offering jobs for them at the plant, nothing could stop the agitation of the farmers. Led by Mamta Bannerjee of the Trinamool Congress (who saw this as an excellent opportunity for toppling the Left government of West Bengal), the farmers protested day and night against the Tatas. Working in utmost fear, the Tatas felt that the ambience of the place would never remain the same if they continued work over there. They have, now left the plant incomplete, and waiting for a compromise between the government and the farmers. It seems that only 1500 of the five hundred thousand ordered nationwide would be available in October.

For Mamta Bannerjee, Phase 1 of her mission has been accomplished.

What’s not dirty in India?

Well,well,well. It’s all public now.

They are going to sign the Nuclear Deal. Yeah, Manmohan and Bush. Or if Bush’s term ends before the signing, it will be either Barack Obama or John McCain. Either way, it’s got recognition in India and it doesn’t seem that the deal will not get signed, unless and until the Congress Party is toppled over.

Before the passing of the deal in the Lok Sabha, there was something called a Trust Vote in the Parliament over an issue stating that the government had hidden facts from the people and were convicted for treason to the nation. The opposition, the BJP and CPI-M wanted a confidence motion to be passed by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

But, we didn’t expect this to happen in the Indian Parliament. The Congress was accused of horse-trading, and 3 MP’s walked into the Parliament with currency notes and claimed that the Congress had given them money to vote in favour of the party. 9 Crores in total. What all could be done with such a huge amount of money?

Yuck, dirty politics. I’ll never be a politician again, nor will I persuade anyone to be one. Finally, what’s not dirty in India, the streets, the canals, rivers etc, etc.!!

Tourists flock to Salalah for Khareef

Just five days into the official opening of the Salalah Tourism Festival 2008, Oman’s lush green splendour is clocking a huge turnout.

The first weekend saw the verdant, picturesque locations of Salalah packed up to the brim with tourists from all over the world.

If Oman Air flew all it’s flights full to Salalah, most hotels would not have rooms to spare for the tourists.Many hotels are already full, and a manager was quoted saying that Khareef is too good a season to not miss while in Salalah. Most of the bookings are from AGCC countries, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates leading the list.

Apartments and tourist complexes are also registering a good amount of profit. Car rental companies and taxi drivers are having a field day with the sudden influx of tourists.

With the arrival of the Khareef season, the landscape is bearing a different look. The lush green hills, misty woods and sparkling mountain springs are inviting and give the place a magical effect. The lush coconut groves and banana plantations set against the dramatic mountain backdrop offer a jaw-dropping view to the onlooker.

Pointing to Salalah’s main draw, Mughsail, with it’s sandy beaches and green cliffs, apart from the extraordinary blow-holes, there is absolutely no where in the world where you will witness such a phenomenon.

I, as a Malayalee, now understand why tourism rates to Kerala are dropping. For GCC nationals, they don’t need to go there and experience the beauty (as well as mosquito bites) when a mini-clone is right in front of them.

Fenerbache spending BIG!

Turkish football club Fenerbache SK has been spending big! They have recently roped in Spanish star-striker Daniel Guiza from Mallorca at an estimated sum of $17.4 million(Woah!). Also, Spanish coach Luis Aragones has also been given a contract by the club to coach it.

This might be the turning point in the history of Fenerbache’s football success, as it may prove hard for reigning champions Galatasaray to retain their title at the Turkish Super League.

Also, Premier League major Arsenal has recently signed French striker Samir Nasri and now also look to sign up Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin and Turkish striker Arda Turan.

Must be fun this time to watch the Gunners play against the likes of Chelsea (who have signed in Deco), Tottenham (who look to sign many majors) and Manchester United (the current champions).

Don’t miss the action which is about to start on August this year!

Why can’t Iran develop Nuclear Reactors?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Might be one of the most recognized faces in global politics in the past 3-4 years. After becoming the President on August 5, 2006; Ahmadinejad has led this little known West Asian country into great economical surges. He has brought great economic and social reforms in the conservative society of Iran, and has been the most recognized face of Iran in recent times. He is the most powerful directly elected member of the Majlis-al-Shura, or the Iranian Parliament (eventhough he has far less power than the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini). He has been the vocal supporter of Iran’s Nuclear Programme, which’s purpose is claimed to be of the production of energy.

Let’s take a brief look into Iran’s nuclear programme.

The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran’s nuclear program continued until the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the Shah of Iran.

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Iranian government temporarily disbanded elements of the program, and then revived it with less Western assistance than during the pre-revolution era. Iran’s nuclear program has included several research sites, a uranium mine, a nuclear reactor, and uranium processing facilities that include a uranium enrichment plant.

Iran’s first nuclear power plant, Bushehr I, was expected to be operational in March 2008 and delivering its maximum capacity to the nation’s power grid by March 2009. There are no current plans to complete the Bushehr II reactor, although the construction of 19 nuclear power plants is envisaged. Iran has announced that it is working on a new 360 MWe nuclear power plant to be located in Darkhoyen. Iran has also indicated it that it will seek more medium-sized nuclear power plants and uranium mines for the future.

The foundations of the nuclear programme were laid after the CIA performed a coup to depose Prime Minister Mohammed Mosagheh and bring back the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi to power.

In March 1974, the Shah envisioned a time when the world’s oil supply would run out, and declared, “Petroleum is a noble material, much too valuable to burn… We envision producing, as soon as possible, 23 000 megawatts of electricity using nuclear plants.” Bushehr would be the first plant, and would supply energy to the inland city of Shiraz. In 1975, the Bonn firm Kraftwerk Union AG, a joint venture of Siemens AG and AEG Telefunken, signed a contract worth $4 to $6 billion to build the pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant. Construction of the two 1,196 MWe nuclear generating units was subcontracted to ThyssenKrupp, and was to have been completed in 1981.

President Gerald Ford signed a directive in 1976 offering Tehran the chance to buy and operate a U.S.-built reprocessing facility for extracting plutonium from nuclear reactor fuel. The deal was for a complete ‘nuclear fuel cycle. At the time, Richard Cheney was the White House Chief of Staff, and Donald Rumsfeld was the Secretary of Defense. The Ford strategy paper said the “introduction of nuclear power will both provide for the growing needs of Iran’s economy and free remaining oil reserves for export or conversion to petrochemicals.”

Iran, a U.S. ally then, had deep pockets and close ties to Washington. U.S. and European companies scrambled to do business there.

After the Islamic Revolution when Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and Ayatollah Khameini was declared Supreme Leader, Iran’s Nuclear Programme was temporarily disbanded. In 1983, Iran informed the IAEA of its nuclear plans and they also agreed to give Iran support to enrich plutonium. However, IAEA was forced to terminate this plan due to US pressure. France also refused to supply uranium to Iran.

Disaster strikes Iran with Alireza Jafarzadeh a spokesman for an Iranian dissident group National Council of Resistance of Iran, revealed the existence of two nuclear sites under-construction: a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz (part of which is underground), and a heavy water facility in Arak. The IAEA immediately sought access to the plant and information thereafter. The EU-3 signed the Paris Pact. On August 30,2006 Ayatollah Khameini claimed “why can’t Iran develop nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes?”

The recent test-firing of the Shabab-III missile might also prove a reminder to United States that Iran can and may attack Israel (which is claimed of possessing 100-200 nuclear weapons); a prominent ally of the United States that Iran may prove to be a serious threat to world peace in the near future.

But may I ask a question to all the world leaders.

Why can’t Iran develop Nuclear Reactors for peaceful purposes? Iran isn’t a nation like North Korea, which is ruled by a dictator. It is a democratic nation, and has been peaceful in all the recent past. Iran maybe supporting or funding Hezbollah, but that until now hasn’t been proved true. Moreover, the Iranian people claim that nuclear weapons are a “no-no” in Islam. And as Iran strictly practices Islam, nothing should be worrying the West.

But what is worrying them now? Or do they just want to attack Iran for the sole purpose of oil, like they did in Iraq?

They are a billion questions to ask to, but there seems to be no one to answer to.

Euro 08 Dream Team

Finally, this year’s international football fiesta is over. Spain has taken the cup back to Madrid from Vienna. They won’t get it for keeps, but still they can claim that their Europe’s greatest football prowess, atleast for now.

Euro 2008 has seen the rise of many new teams, and the fall of the old powerhouses of Europe. The rise of Turkey and Russia has been the most noted of all these. Russia beat Sweden to enter the semi-finals after a staggering loss in the group stages to Spain. The games coming after that saw a new avatar saving Russia from the clutches of defeat, Andrei Arshavin. Together with Roman Pavlyuchenko, Russia looked promising until they had to face superiors Spain again in the semi-finals.

Turkey also, under the leadership of Fatih Terim, have showcased their talent again. After becoming third placed in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Turkey again did not qualify for World Cup 2006 at Germany. Finally, under the leadership of Fatih Terim and captaincy of Nihat Kahveci, Turkey made it to the semis after a stunning comeback in extra-time, thanks to a goal by Semih Senturk. Turkey had to face Germany in the semis, and they did well over there too. Ugur Boral made no mistake and created ripples in the net in the 22nd minute itself, giving Turkey an edge over their rivals. But Turkey do not have the history of keeping their lead for long. Bastian Schweinsteiger, who became an international phenomenon after his stunning performance in the tourney, hit the net 4 minutes after Ugur’s goal. The match was back in a deadlock.  Miroslav Klose got a goal for himself in the second half, but Turkey hit back with Sabri crossing to Semih Senturk. Semih made no mistake. As the game looked poised for another extra-time or penalty shootout decider, Philipp Lahm broke through Turkey defensive wall to make it 3-2. Turkey, sadly, missed an opportunity to make it to the finals.

The Euro 2008 has created a niche for players to get signed by big clubs and get a name for themselves. Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin, Arda Turan, Jose Bosingwa and Nihat Kahveci will see themselves getting signed by some big club. Nasri seems to be going with Arsenal, and Bosingwa has already been signed up by English football major Chelsea. Arshavin has been approached by both Arsenal and Chelsea, and also by Newcastle United. Woah!!these players seem to becoming superstars in just a single day, and a single superb goal.

Well, I too enjoyed the Euro 08. Here’s my dream team:

GK : Buffon, Casillas and Van Der Sar

DEF : Bosingwa, Lahm, Marchena, Pepe, Puyol, Zhirkov, Sergio Ramos

MID : Altintop, Modric, Senna, Xavi, Zyryanov, Ballack, Fabregas, Iniesta. Ronaldo, Tuncay, Deco

ST: Podolski, Sneijder, Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko, Torres, Villa, Schweinsteiger, van Persie, Nihat

This turns out to be a fabulous team after recreating it in Fifa 07, although Bosingwa, Zhirkov, Modric, Zyryanov, Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko are missing. Create them in the creation central and the end-result will be a five star star-studded team winning all matches without any difficulties. Fatigue might be a problem, but when you’ve got so many stars in your team, substituting the fatigued player won’t make much difference to the team.

Bored…!!

These holidays must be enjoyable for someone out there in this magnificent huge world…but not for me. For a person like me who is totally unable to get out of the house and freak out on man’s creations on God’s creation, holidays are the most terrible part of life. There’s absolutely nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to tell and nothing to smell. My senses must be on a relaxation tour to some renowned spa. Lucky dudes. Wish I could do something like that…you know, get inside a Boeing and fly away to some exotic tourist destination or something of dat sort. But that may also be lonely. Finally, fun maybe not for everyone.

I feel like a prisoner inside this house, with only a PC and an idiot to look up to. Switch them on, and temporary happiness bounds you for a few minutes. But I think these people are too busy. They just get offline after sometime….and back you are to yourself.

Fond memories of school and the fun over there run back to me, and I wait for that moment of freedom to come soon. But once it’s open and running, terror strikes back. You want it to close. You’ve had enough of it. You can’t stand it anymore. You start praying to all those God’s you know…and finally you get it closed after it has injected a severe virus inside your brain.

Now I feel like to go back to the beginning, and make a happy ending. But you’ve already made a mistake. There are no corrections in this game. Once you’ve done it, you’re screwed. Betta learn from it, dude. That’s wat they call experience these days.

Must be because Muscat is such a lonely place. They’re such abundant natural beauty around, but once you’ve seen it in such a matter that you can imagine the place without a single mistake, everything turns grey again. The path is now getting old. Its beaten. Its not exotic anymore.

This thing must be applicable to me….

“Be content with what you have….or you gotta repent.”

Hell…back to grassroots again.