Lord Buddha anniversary celebrations end in Bodhgaya
by Ajay Sharma

     Bodhgaya (Bihar): A week-long international seminar to mark the 2550th anniversary celebrations of Lord Buddha's enlightenment has concluded in Bodhgaya. Tibet's 17th Karmapa Lama, Ugyen Trinley Dorje, who addressed the concluding ceremony, called for harmony in major religious traditions. "As a practitioner of spirituality in general, I fall in the category of the young generation or younger people. In expressing my zeal, I strongly feel that there is not only need for good understanding and tolerance among all major religious traditions of the world, there is need of the same kind of sentiments among various Buddhist schools and sects too," Lama Dorje said. Dorje, the only senior Lama to be recognised by both Beijing and the Dalai Lama, is the head of the Karma Kagyu sect of Buddhism, which is headquartered in Sikkim. The Lama, now settled in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Dalai Lama, had escaped to India in January 2001 by undertaking an arduous 1,400 km journey through the snow-bound Himalayas. The Karmapa Lama has been granted refugee status by the Indian government. The conference was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama. It was attended by thousands of Buddhist pilgrims and 300 delegates from over 25 countries, including Tibet, China and Cambodia. Bodhgaya is one of the holiest of Buddhist pilgrimage sites. It said that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment here in the 6th century B.C.

Ramamurthy launches Tamil Nadu Indira Congress (Go To Top)

     Chennai: Expelled Congress leader, Tindivanam Ramamurthy, launched his Tamil Nadu Indira Congress (TNIC) on Tuesday. The new party will have a tricolour flag in the background and a facial imprint of former Tamil Nadu chief minister K Kamaraj in the centre. Criticising the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for its instructive and pressurising attitude, Ramamurthy declared that his party would fulfil the aspirations of all Congress workers in the state. On being asked why he was launching a new party, Ramamurthy said that he had decided to do so in wake of the Congress party's decision to ignore the sentiments of Congress workers in Tamil Nadu. Ramamurthy further went on to say that his party respected the ideals of Kamaraj and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Regarding his party's alliance with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by Jayalalithaa and expressed hope that the AIADMK and TNIC together would secure a massive victory in the coming Assembly elections. The DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) is in total confusion and this would help them emerge victorious. AIADMK is the rival party standing against the DMK led by Karunanidhi. On earlier occasions Jayalalithaa had made clear that she was open to new alliances. Talking about the strategy to be adopted for the elections, Ramamurthy said, the TNIC would approach the people and let them be informed about the Party's principles. He also added that he would approach only those political parties which recognised and respected the principles of his Party. He later said that "We are making an assessment of all political parties in the state and definitely the DMK-led front did not come in that line."

Bumper crop causes fall in onion prices (Go To Top)
by Raj Karne

    Nasik: A bumper crop in Maharashtra, India's largest onion producing belt, has led to a virtual crash in prices of the product, that has also recently led to the first ever suicide by an onion farmer in the region till now known only for cotton farmer suicides. The Lasalgaon onion market, situated in the states' Nasik district, is also Asia's largest wholesale market and is currently bearing the brunt of an unprecedented fall in prices of the bulbous crop. From nearly 26.9 US dollars per quintal in the peak season, onions are retailing from 4.9 to 5.3 US dollars per quintal currently. Farmers blamed an exceptionally good crop for the low prices. "Despite good quality, an excess crop has not allowed the prices to rise. Besides, the crop coming here from other onion areas, including Gujarat, Bangalore and Hubli has also been of very good quality. But the bumper crop from all areas has resulted in lower prices this year," M. L. Jain, an onion exporter, said.

    Earlier this month, an onion farmer committed suicide in Nasik. Farmers said he was forced to take the extreme step, as the crash in prices left him with huge unpaid loans. "Every year the farmer hopes for a good crop, if not now then at least the next year. But the burden of loans keeps on increasing. Even this year, prices have been so low; it is impossible to make an earning. I don't blame the farmers for taking extreme steps", said Vijay Patil, a farmer. According to government statistics, wholesale prices of onions declined in major markets during November 2005 to February 2006. Production of the crop in the current year is expected to touch 6 million Metric Tonnes as against the normal production of around 5 million owing to favorable weather conditions at the time of sowing and harvesting. On its part, the government is in the process of offering subsidies to farmers to tide over the crisis. The Maharashtra government has also decided to allow exports of 400,000 tonnes of onion. As of now, the badly hit onion industry is seeking the re- introduction of a minimum support price. Besides Nasik, onion is also primarily grown in Pune, Ahmednagar and Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra, forming the country's largest onion producing belt. Onion is also grown extensively in Gujarat and Karnataka.

BCCI accuses Dalmiya of misappropriating funds (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Sharad Pawar-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today accused former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya of misappropriating funds to the tune of "crores of rupees" and gave him a week's time to reply to the charges. The alleged misappropriated funds relate to PILCOM, the committee formed during World Cup 1996, which was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi claimed that Dalmiya had misused PILCOM money and bungled funds on account of TV rights money. Modi told newspersons on the sidelines of a BCCI Working Committee meeting here today that the issue now was 'crores of money'. "PILCOM being operated by its erstwhile secretary Dalmiya was shut down and the money transferred to CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal of which Dalmiya is the president). So the members have asked the President (Sharad Pawar) to issue a show cause on Dalmiya," Modi said. "The President is authorised to take a decision in this regard. Dalmiya has sought seven days to reply to the note sent by BCCI treasurer with regards to affairs of PILCOM account," he added. Modi, also a member of BCCI's Marketing Committee, said four million US dollars pertaining to a TV rights deal was also "missing". Modi said that though Dalmiya has claimed that the BCCI accounts were audited by Billimoria and Co, the firm has denied it. Dalmiya said the charges levelled against him were baseless. Earlier a Board's office-bearer had said, "The BCCI has already changed the signatory of the 1996 World Cup account (No: 1223) with the Indian Overseas Bank, Kolkata. A huge amount is lying in that account to which Dalmiya has been the lone signatory since it was opened." The official explained that the BCCI had the responsibility of settling the payments due to both the Pakistan and Sri Lankan cricket boards. "The BCCI is also planning to host the 2012 World Cup and it cannot bid without settling accounts pertaining to the 1996 World Cup," he added.

     Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah went on record on January 25 to say, "The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has been asking us repeatedly to disburse the amount due to it on account of PILCOM. We need to see what is in the papers before we settle the matter with them. It has become a major embarrassment to us. The BCCI had never even been shown the papers pertaining to PILCOM by Dalmiya." According to the annual reports of the Board for 2000-2001 and the one submitted to the AGM last year, the Income Tax authorities have served notices for payment of Rs 62.68 crore for income earned by BCCI under the head of PILCOM in 1996-97.

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