Management Aptitude test Feb 2008 results declared.
All India Management Association (AIMA) declared the results of MAT entrance examination which was organized on Feb 3, 2008 today. The MAT 2008 results can be seen at
http://www.aima-ind.org/matresults/mat_result.asp
MAT 2008 results, Management Aptitude Test 2008 results .
Setting the tone for an ‘Election Budget’, railway minister Lalu Prasad is likely to reduce both passenger fares and freight rates, riding a strong revenue growth and reduced operational costs. Rail fares are likely to be cut by 3% to 5% while freight rates for petroleum, steel and iron ore may come down by 4% to 5% due to reclassification of goods.
Since this will be the last full-fledged Railway Budget before the general elections, scheduled for next year, the railway minister is expected to go all out with populist measures, ministry sources said. According to officials at the Rail Bhawan, there will be no deviation from the trend of not hiking freight and passenger rates as the Railways is right on track to meet the twin objectives of reducing operational cost and increasing revenues. Between April 2007 and January 2008, earnings from freight and passenger traffic have grown 11% and 14%, respectively, giving enough cushion for Mr Lalu Prasad to cut rates.
The turnaround time of most trains has been reduced by using the same coaches in more than one sector. The strategy has helped the Railways increase profit without hiking passenger fares or freight rates. A possible cut in passenger fares is likely to cover all categories while short-distance travel charges may see some rationalisation, the sources said.
As in the past three years, the Railways would persist with freight rationalisation to bring down tariffs on steel, cement and petroleum products. “The downward revision in freight rates will happen due to a reduction in the freight determination classes from 210 to 200,” a railway ministry official said.
The railway minister had last year indicated the Rail Budget would be for the aam janata (common man).
He had pointed out that despite the reduction in passenger fares, the railways had earned a profit of Rs 20,000 crore last year by increasing business volumes.
Every year, the Railways go in for freight rationalisation to offer respite to consumers from inflationary pressure. In the 2007 Railway Budget, freight rates for petrol and diesel were brought down by 6%. A proposed cut in freight rates will not result in a revenue loss as the Railways plays the volume game successfully, as in the past.
The focus this year will be to bring down freight rates for heavier commodities such as steel, iron ore and other petroleum products, which are facing pressure from rising costs. For lighter commodities, the Railways has already rejigged the structure by introducing low-rate tariff lines below the lowest freight class comprising 100 commodities.
Rationalisation of freight rates has contributed enormously in Railways’ turnaround. Its total earnings during April 2007 to January 2008 was Rs 57,282 crore compared with Rs 50,765.25 crore during the same period last fiscal, a growth of 12%. The Railways generated Rs 38,748-crore revenues from freight traffic during the period, an 11% year-on-year growth. During the first 10 months of the current fiscal, freight traffic volumes stood at 643 million tonnes, compared with last year’s 593 million tonnes. Earnings from passenger fares were at Rs 16,134 crore (Rs 14,126 crore).
Last year’s Railway Budget had reduced fares for AC-I by 6% in the lean season and 3% in the peak season. Fares in popular trains were lowered uniformly throughout the year by 3%. Peak season AC two-tier fares were reduced by 2% while lean season fares fell 4%. In popular trains, fares were cut across the board by 2%.credits : TOI
In their pre budget memorandum to the Ministry of Railways, Assocham has mooted suggestions that can help step up savings by nearly Rs234 lakh per train p.a
Industry chamber Assocham has mooted a proposal for introduction of End on Generation (EOG) system initially in about 1500 trains in a bid to make railways more efficient in energy savings and to increase their speed. This will enable the railways to save Rs234 lakh per train annually and usher in a second phase of modernization.
In its pre-railway budget memorandum submitted to Ministry of Railways, Assocham president, Venugopal N. Dhoot said that railways currently use self generation system in a number of trains, which need to be replaced with efficient EOG systems.
End on Generation (EOG) is the system used on fully air conditioned Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. The system comprises two power cars per train. Each power car has two DG sets and each DG set is rated at 300 kW. These are mounted inside the power car or the entire power car coach which is dedicated for these power plants. The power generated by these DG sets is utilized for hotel load of the train.
EOG concept to step up energy efficiency
According to estimates EOG concepts bring in multiple advantages to railways and release hauling capacity of locomotives while saving energy efficiency by over 90%.
Economic benefits for railways on a conservative estimate with introduction of EOG system can be savings in capital investments with building new trains to the tune of Rs93 lakh per train. Recurring returns in energy savings due to increased operational efficiency can be to the tune of Rs130 lakh per train per annum. Reduction of over all rate of the train can bring in savings of Rs11 lakh per train per annum.
Release of traction hauled loads can improve average speed of coaches. There will be no infringement in revenue earning space of SLR coach as DG sets will be mounted under the coach. Indian railways runs about 1500 passenger trains and if this gets applied to all trains, returns will be substantial.
Introduce lighter EOG system in all locomotive hauled mail/express trains
All mail/ express trains would work on the following lines: each SLR coach to be equipped with 1 unit of underslung diesel generator set. Each DG set will be rated between 300 KW to 400 KW depending on the need.
EOG concept will eliminate axle mounted generator and corresponding battery bank and inverter on each coach and replace it with one unit of DG set under the SLR. A 100% back up in the form of second DG set will be used on the second SLR of the train.
SG coaches need an axle mounted generator (1x4.5 kw per standard coach and 2x25 kw per AC coach), corresponding batteries, inverters, pulley, belts, regulator and battery box. The energy to turn the axle mounted generator comes from locomotive. The conversion ratio of usable hotel load to locomotive energy is approximately 1:2. I.E., the system has an efficiency of 50%. This is a huge and recurring wastage and is used on all conventional mail, express and passenger trains. credits: mint
What Probir Ghose wrote on sulekha blog about Indian Railway Budget 2008
The time for the Railway Budget 2008 is fast approaching – by this time next week we would be more knowledgeable on what Laloo-ji has finally given to the commoner. Normally, promises are made left right and centre but very few of these translate into positive action and visible results within the given time frame. He has not increased the train fare as such but there have been discreet increases that add up to substantial amounts given the crores of passengers that travel on the Indian railways. That is neither here nor there – he has to run the establishment and commoners have to bear with him and his railway board members who dream up those wonderful projects. Introduction of Cyber cafés on the railway platforms, providing mobile phone charging points in the train compartments, serving of international brand snacks in the trains, and redesigning the sleeper coaches so that the passengers can maneuver their luggage more easily etcetera are done in keeping with the basic philosophy of stepping ahead with the times. These are in line with the e-ticketing concept.
However, when one comes to discussions on other matters where the Railways need to be more serious are the miserable condition of the toilets in the reserved compartments – these depict the sad state of affairs. Agreed that a majority of people love the open air surroundings during their mandatory morning outings to empty the internal wastes, there is no justification of the dirty and filthy surroundings inside the compartments. The water taps, the wash basins, the mirror and the door locking mechanism are such that these result in avoidance by the travelers. Added to these are the crowds of unreserved persons who occupy the space in front of and around the toilets. The situation is similar in the ordinary sleeper as well as the air conditioned sleeper coaches. And, in order to keep the compartments clean and do regular sweeping, the railways encourage the urchins who keep coming one after another – armed with brooms , these kids are in many cases handicapped – if this is a method of the railways to do their bit for the handicapped, they deserve to be congratulated. That is not usually the case – the children owe their allegiance to other masters who control them from outside. There is no love lost between them – the kids have to count out their earnings to the bosses who hand out the appropriate doles at the end of the day. These might be in cash or in kind – kind is the favored option: especially for the girl kids.
Quite recently, the Railway Minister had taken to task some officers who had not lived upto his expectations down South and had not served him proper food – however, the quality of food that one has become accustomed in the trains is pathetic. The helpless passengers have to grin and bear it all. Due to the large volume of passengers, the catering staff have to cope with tremendous rush – hence, the personal touch that used to be there during the 60s has vanished. Today, they all talk business – the staff has their tasks cut-out: the new recruits move around with the thermos that contains hot white water – the whiteness is courtesy milk. This universal concoction for hot drinks is accompanied with tea bags of unknown brands and a bottle of coffee powder. Depending on the choice of the customer, the outputs of the two main hot drunks of the Indian public are served. Come meal times, the orders are taken several hours in advance and served at times that one does not normally associate with either lunch or dinner.
Then are the Supermen of the Railways better known as the TTEs (Travelling Ticket Examiners). Inside the compartment, they are supreme and are supposed to ensure many important things that must be written down somewhere but that is seldom followed in practice. One presumes that the TTEs should look into the comfort of the passengers who dish out extra money for getting firm reservations. However, the reserved compartments are invariably the place where short distance travelers hop in and squeeze themselves in between the tired travelers. ‘I will go only upto the next stop,’ he pleads – the ‘next stop’ in long distance trains might very well be four hours away! Those who possess valid reservations are, therefore, put to a lot of inconvenience due to the attitude of TTEs who never try to prevent such intrusions. Obviously, the argument gains ground that the TTEs earn money on the sly by permitting such irregularities.
While giving the finishing touches to the 2008 budget proposals, the Railway Minister should spare a thought for its customers and consider methods to eliminate irritants that passengers have to face in their journeys. When one reserves a berth for a long distance journey, he has certain expectations – the railways should reciprocate by making the journey as pleasant as possible for the traveler so that the expectations are fulfilled.
Rail Bhavan in the heart of the national capital wears a busy look as Railway Minister Lalu Prasad prepares to present his fifth successive budget Feb 26, having given ample evidence that passengers will again be spared fare hikes.
"One thing stands clearly proven in these four years: by just increasing fares, you cannot improve the state of railways," the minister told IANS, having turned around the fortunes of Indian Railways - the world's largest railroad network under a single management - in the four previous rail budgets.
"There are many inaccessible remote areas still untouched by the railways after so many years on the plea that these are financially unviable. My government has a social obligation," Lalu Prasad said, even as officials rushed in and out of his well-appointed second-floor room with flagged files.
"Therefore my effort is to see that even if it is considered uneconomical, we have to see how to make this network expansion viable," said Prasad, adding he clearly understood the importance of railways in the country - the only area that has a separate budget outside the union budget.
The network runs more than 11,000 trains every day - 7,000 for passengers - on a network spread over 108,706 track km, carrying over 13 million passengers from as many as 6,853 stations.
Lalu Prasad's confidant and officer on special duty Sudhir Kumar, normally at hand to brief the media about the minister's engagements, is nowhere to be seen and officials said he would remain incommunicado till the D-Day Feb 26.
"He is not sitting here for some time now. He is currently functioning from the budget room. It is barred for outsiders," Kumar's personal assistant said. "He is really busy. He has to implement what the minister wants."
In the four budgets that Lalu Prasad has presented for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government so far, Indian Railways has seen a complete financial transformation. So much so that it has become a case study at major management schools both within and outside the country, with premier institutions like Wharton and the Harvard Business School even inviting the minister as a guest lecturer.
In the last fiscal, for example, the railways saw its earnings from freight and passengers respectively jump 17 percent and 14 percent. The incremental loading of freight was projected to have jumped by 59 million tonnes.
One of the most popular moves initiated by him was to introduce the AC three-tier sleeper on most trains, and this has seen a 20 percent annual growth rate. So has his Garib Rath scheme that addresses the needs of the average passenger.
"I think one area where there will be added focus is public-private partnership, since he has promised to make every aspect of Indian Railways world class, which requires ideas from the private sector," said a former Railway Board member.
"His budget speech may sound populist, but you will perhaps see some initiatives emerging in areas like freight corridors, development of railway land, logistics parks, high-speed trains and upgrade of stations," the former bureaucrat added.
India Rail Budget 2008, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rail BUdget, Budget Highlights
Indo-Asian News Service
Google For Government Site
General Motors: Weight Loss Diet Program
The US Navy has successfully hit a falling spy satellite with a missile fired late Wednesday from a warship in the Pacific Ocean, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed.
The US targeted the satellite because it carries a toxic fuel that could be harmful if the spacecraft drifted back into the Earth's atmosphere and the fuel tank fell into a populated area.
The USS Lake Erie near Hawaii fired an unarmed missile at 10:26 p.m. Wednesday that collided at a speed of 27,000 km per hour with the satellite 247 km above the Pacific.
The successful hit will likely be viewed as a major success for the sea-based missile defence system, which was built to counter medium-range threats and in testing has been among the Pentagon's most reliable missile defence programmes.
The Pentagon said it should be able to confirm within 24 hours whether the interceptor missile ruptured the fuel tank, holding 453 kg of hydrazine. Officials expect most of the debris to burn up while re-entering the atmosphere.
The Pentagon wanted to avoid the possibility of the satellite's debris from returning to a high orbit and posing a threat to other objects in space.
"Nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within 24 to 48 hours, and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days," the Pentagon said.
The US military opened a window beginning Wednesday in hoping to launch a missile to shoot down the satellite, despite earlier concerns about poor weather that caused rough waters around the firing vessel.
The satellite lost communication shortly after it was launched in 2006 and has since wandered aimlessly in orbit. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the secretive agency that oversees the nation's spy satellites, said the spacecraft hit Wednesday was classified and refused to reveal its construction cost.
A senior defence official had said that once the satellite came within range, the launch window would narrow to "tens of seconds".
The Pentagon estimated that it would have until the end of February to shoot down the satellite but waited to fire until the return of the Space Shuttle Atlantis early Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Pentagon was concerned that once the satellite fell into re-entry in March, it would not be possible for the missile defence system to track it for a missile strike.
President George W Bush's controversial decision to proceed with the intercept has prompted complaints from China and Russia, who argue it marks a step toward weaponisation of space and a broader mission for the US missile-defence system. The sea-based Aegis version of missile defence was the system deployed by the Navy to strike the satellite.
Last year, China used a land-based missile to shoot down one of its old weather satellites, which was in much higher orbit than the US satellite, generating strong international criticism including from the United States.
Thousands of pieces of debris from the destroyed Chinese satellite remain in orbit and have to be monitored.
The mission to shoot down the satellite was seen as so crucial that the order to fire came from Defence Secretary Robert Gates, not a uniformed military commander.
DPA
Evangelist DGS Dinakaran died at a hospital in Chennai at the age of 74, news reports said.
He died early Wednesday morning after a struggle with heart and kidney ailments, according to reports.
Dinakaran founded the popular Jesus Calls ministry which is said to have millions of members and followers.
He is survived by his wife and son Paul Dinakaran who is also a well known Christian preacher in Chennai.
Dhinakaran Biography
Dr.D.G.S.Dhinakaran is the founder of the Jesus Calls Ministry. Born on July 1, 1935, he had a very tough life being torn by the ailments of poverty and agony of unemployment.
Unable to bear the agony of these problems, on February 11, 1955, Dr.D.G.S.Dhinakaran decided to put an end to his life. He started towards the nearest railway track in his village to throw himself before the speeding train when he was stopped by his uncle who introduced Jesus Christ. He experienced a sudden wave of divine peace and hope, flood his heart. His mind was transformed and he returned home enlightened.
After this incident, things started happening in him supernaturally. There arose an unquenchable thirst in him to spend hours together poring over the life-transforming pages of eternal Truth - The Bible, discovering secrets that could revolutionize human life. He spent hours talking to God and sought Him with all his heart.
The High Calling
Seven years of diligently seeking the Lord Jesus Christ!
On October 9, 1962, he tarried at the feet of the Lord Jesus in prayer till midnight. He pleaded persistently. "Lord! Hear my prayer now and grant me Your power! Or else, slay me! I don't want to live as a powerless and phoney Christian!" Next day dawned. 10th October 1962! After an exacting day in the bank, he returned home at 9.30 in the night. Supper over, he joined the family prayers. He longed to have a glimpse of blessed vision of Jesus. The very next moment, a divine presence appeared in front of him! He was thrown into an ecstasy of joy. The Lord opened His eyes and with a radiant face, addressed him with a smile:
"My beloved son! I am Christ! Because you have been seeking Me diligently, I have come seeking you Myself, to bless you".
Yes! For three full hours he saw Lord Jesus face to face. The Lord gave His commission that has made his life a continual blessing to countless.
"My son! People might have heard of My love, but they haven't tasted it. So, I pour My love and compassion in your heart! This love will console their broken hearts and heal their diseased bodies. You will be witness to the power of My Holy Spirit."
The health of Cuban leader Fidel Castro has always been a state secret in the small island country, where he handed over power to his brother in August 2006 following an operation for intestinal bleeding.
On Wednesday morning, he made his departure from power officially, resigning as president of Cuba and its military commander, the Communist Party's official newspaper, Granma, reported.
Although Castro himself has referred to his illness on several occasions since then, he has not been seen in public since 2006, although video footage was occasionally released when his closest friends in Latin America such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would visit him.
Little was known of his reported ailments, and hypotheses were often amplified within the large community of exiled Cubans in Miami, Florida, just 160 km away from the Caribbean island that Castro ruled with an iron fist for nearly half a century.
In January, Castro made the unusual revelation that he thought he was going to die when he fell seriously ill on July 26, 2006.
"When I fell ill on the night of the 26th and the early hours of the 27th I thought it would be the end," Castro wrote in a piece published by the dailies Granma and Juventud Rebelde.
The revelation triggered some questions about whether he would go through with his candidacy for another term when Cubans hold National Assembly elections Sunday.
On July 31, 2006 Castro "temporarily" gave up power to his brother, Raul, and has not returned to government or been seen in public since, although he has met several distinguished guests.
Castro, 81, explained in January the details of the power transfer and recalled that, at the time he fell ill, he was revising the book "Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography", by Spanish-born journalist Ignacio Ramonet.
The Cuban leader said was barely sleeping at all at the time he became sick.
The hospital where he was treated in 2006 exercised strict security measures, barring employees from leaving at shift change in the early days.
The secrecy prompted speculation that reports of his illness could actually mean he was already dead.
DPA
Breaking News: Fidel Castro has resigned as Cuba's President and commander in chief.
In a statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party's Granma newspaper he said: "To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honour in recent days of electing me a member of parliament ... I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept ... the position of president of council of state and commander-in-chief."
Castro has not been seen in public for 19 months since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006.
Born into a wealthy landowning family, he turned to Marxism because of the poverty he saw around him in Cuba.
He came to international prominence in 1959 when, along with Che Guevara, he led the uprising which overthrew the corrupt government of President Fulgencio Batista, who had turned Cuba into a decadent playground for America's rich.
Promising to give the land back to the people, he received the backing of the Soviet Union, driving a wedge between Cuba and the US that has never been removed.
In April 1961 the US tried to topple the Castro government by recruiting a private army of Cuban exiles to invade the island.
At the Bay of Pigs, Cuban troops repulsed the invaders, killing many and capturing 1,000.
As money flowed from the Kremlin the Caribbean island became a cold war battleground.
But it was not just cash that headed west to Cuba from the Soviet Union.
In 1962 US reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet missiles on their way to sites in Cuba and the world stood on the brink of an apocalyptic nuclear war.
It was Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev who blinked first, turning his weapon-laden ships around.
The Cuban missile crisis confirmed Castro, in American eyes, as the enemy in their own back yard.
The CIA tried to assassinate him on many occasions - one plan involved filling his much-loved cigars with explosives.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s meant the financial plug was pulled on Castro.
Still blockaded by the US, conditions in Cuba deteriorated, with food and fuel shortages and an economy in ruins.
Soon thousands of Cubans were fleeing to Florida in makeshift rafts, hoping for a better life in the arms of Castro's arch-enemy.
He did however bring about real change in Cuba with free health care for all and one of the highest literacy rates in the world. And his ability to needle the Americans has never diminished.
Castro's brother Raul is his designated successor, but many observers believe Cuba's communist state will not outlive the man who has divided international opinion for almost half a century. Credits: Sky news
As per ABC News:
Fidel Castro has resigned as president and commander in chief of Cuba in a message published in the online version of the official daily Granma.
"I neither will aspire to nor will I accept - I repeat - I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief," wrote the Cuban leader, who had been in power for almost 50 years.
The 81-year-old made the announcement almost 19 months after a severe illness caused him to hand power temporarily over to his brother Raul Castro.
People rejected religious parties and former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) that was backed by President Pervez Musharraf as the early results were announced for 115 National Assembly seats out of 272. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N and assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) made big gains in elections that were held amid fears of violence and rigging allegations by the opposition against Musharraf and his allies.
According to the results announced for the 140 National Assembly (NA) seats, PML-N was leading with 52 seats, followed by PPP with 44 seats, PML-Q 17 and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) with power base in urban Sindh got nine seats. Other seats were captured by smaller parties or independent candidates.
"Yes there was pre-poll rigging and it's because of that, the Q-League succeeded in getting a couple of seats," PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal told IANS. However, there has been no claim so far by PML-N to form the government.
In provincial assemblies, PML-N was leading in Punjab with 81 seats followed by PPP with 43 seats and PML-Q with just 36. In Sindh PPP was ahead with 31 seats followed by MQM with 24. The Punjab assembly has 380 seats.
In Balochistan PML-Q, however, was on the top with 11 seats in the house of 65, followed by Balochistan National Party (BNP) with seven seats. In the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Awami National Party (ANP) was ahead with 27 seats followed by PML-N with 16 seats.
The election trend generally shows anti-Musharraf vote who said Monday that he will accept the results and is ready to work with any party. But Sharif, who returned to country seven years of exile, had repeatedly said that he would not work with Musharraf.
On the other hand Musharraf's another ally MQM chief Altaf Hussain was quick to announce support to PML-N and PPP in forming governments in centre and Sindh province.
Several top leaders of Musharraf-backed PML-Q lost in the polls mostly by PML-N in Punjab and by PPP in Sindh. PML-Q president and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was defeated on both the NA seats including on his home constituency in Gujarat by PPP candidate Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, the electoral battlefields they have dominated for decades.
Six-time winner Sheikh Rashid Ahmed from Rawalpindi was defeated miserably by PML-N's Hanif Abbasi and Javed Hashmi where he ruled for over two decades. Former speaker of the National Assembly Chaudhary Amir Hussain was defeated by a female candidate Firdous Ashiq of PPP who had recently joined it after developing differences with PML (Q) leadership
Former defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, a closed aide of Musharraf too lost his seat to PPP Sajjadul Hassan by a big margin. PML-Q's stalwart Hamid Nasir Chatta was defeated by Iftikhar Ahmed Cheema in Gujranwala.
Several former ministers including Liaquat Jotoi, former commerce minister Hamayun Akhtar Khan, former Minister for religious affairs Ijazul Haq have also lost their seats.
The polls were the final step in Pakistan's transition to democracy after eight years of military rule, and the results appeared to dispel international and national fears that the elections would be rigged.
"If the results are confirmed we will play the part of the opposition as effectively as we can," said PML-Q spokesman Tariq Azeem adding there is no reason for not accepting the results.
But another PML-Q official said that they were shocked by the results and accused Musharraf of betraying the party. "We never thought about such shocking results," he told IANS, requesting anonymity.
However, the results should be equally shocking for Musharraf, who left the army chief's position in December before taking oath as civilian president. Until a day before the polls, he was hopeful that PML-Q would win the polls. But now things could be really difficult for him with the parliament packed by his opponents that too by the party of man whom he sent into exile after overthrowing his government into 1999.
"His fate is in balance now...he may have to resign," the PML-Q leader said. Musharraf last month said that if the new parliament tried to impeach him he would prefer to resign rather to face humiliation.
In such a situation Musharraf's best option could be to woo PPP instead of working with PML-N, said the leader who was considered to be very close to Musharraf in the previous setup.
Indo-Asian News Service
Violence during the crucial parliamentary elections in Pakistan could well be the precursor to wide spread street protests in the country, Tehreek-I-Insaf chief and cricket legend Imran Khan, who boycotted the polls, has said. He firmly believes the elections held Monday are a farce due to unprecedented pre-poll rigging.
A very busy Khan took out 15 minutes to speak to IANS over phone from Islamabad: Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Who do you think will be the next PM?
A: It's too soon to make such predictions, but I can predict a lot of street protest in the coming days. There has been unprecedented pre-poll rigging already and the battle lines are already drawn against the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q (also known as the King's party).
Q: What are your predictions for the Pakistan Peoples Party? Will there be a split soon? Is something like that in the air?
A: After the elections if PPP wins and makes a deal with the government, I suspect the die-hard stalwarts of the PPP, who still believe in Bhutto's ideology, will find it difficult to stay together. If they do not ask for the reinstatement of the judges, they are playing Musharraf's game; the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will react strongly.
Q: But before her death, Benazir Bhutto was pandering to President Musharraf's wishes?
A: Yes, but she enjoyed that authority, her husband, Asif Ali Zardari does not wield the same acceptance.
Q: What are the chances of the PML-Q winning the polls?
A: If they do it will be the mother of all riggings because people are now voting for PPP or the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz) out of hatred for Musharraf and his policies. The country is going through its worst turmoil - in the form of an economic meltdown.
Q: Asif Ali Zardari has warned of civil war if elections are rigged? Should this be taken seriously?
A: I believe this could well be the situation for Sindh if PPP does not win there. And if PML-Q wins, there will be the worst backlash ever all over the country.
Q: The results are somewhat predictable - a hung parliament or a weak coalition government. Is that the best plan or would you like to share a better plan out of the crises we are in?
A: Given the challenges we face now, the only one way out of the crises we are in is an immediate re-instatement of the judiciary, stop muzzling the media and bring the Election Commission of Pakistan under the protection of the independent judiciary.
Q: By whom, as Musharraf will not let that happen, he has made it plain?
A: This can be done by the chief of army staff, General Ashfaque Kiyani and Musharraf can make his exit.
Q: So are you saying that Musharraf can leave without undoing all the wrongs he has done? Isn't that letting him go off easily?
A: Well the longer he stays, the more damage he is doing to the country by his immoral compromises.
Q: Any face-saving exit strategy for Pervez Musharraf?
A: There can be an agreement that if he leaves now, Article 6 of the constitution (death penalty) won't be invoked. He will be assured that no harm will come to him if he gets off the tiger he is riding.
Q: What do you make of General Ashfaque Kayani's move of calling away all army personnel from civilian offices?
A: That was a move in the right direction, I must say. But he must now stop the killing of our people. It is exacerbating the situation and he must realise that there has to be a solution other than a military one to stop rising militancy and extremism.
Q. What have parties such as yours gained by boycotting the elections? How can democracy be served?
A: We are standing by the deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and boycotting the elections held under Musharraf's illegal Provisional Constitutional Order.
Q: Would you not have served the people of Pakistan better by having a seat in the parliament?
A: No, I would not have. I sat in the parliament for five years, which was a rubber stamp parliament and did more damage by staying there.
(Zofeen Ebrahim can be contacted at zofeen28@hotmail.com)
Indo-Asian News Service
There could be many more Amit Kumars cleverly exploiting the gap between rich and the poor, between those who can afford a kidney and those who can't refuse to sell it. As the Gurgaon kidney theft scandal unravels, experts say such scams would continue unless the laws are realistic.
Organ scarcity is a global feature but it's the "poor of the developing world" that have "become a vast reservoir" of organs for the developed world, said R.R.
Kishore, chairperson of the International Committee on Organ Transplantation.
"The problem lies in the human urge to survive at any cost and the unabated organ scarcity," Kishore told IANS.
And India - where medical facilities parallel those of advanced countries but at much cheaper rates and where organs are readily available with the poor getting trapped into selling their kidneys for a price that they can't say no to - is where many rich from the developed world come for a fresh lease of life.
According to the Voluntary Health Association of India, around 2,000 Indians sell a kidney every year - many of them to people like Amit Kumar, who is said to be behind 600 illegal transplants.
Though there is no reliable data on organ trafficking, it is widely believed to be on the increase, with brokers reportedly charging wealthy patients between $100,000 and $200,000 for a transplant. An estimated 150,000 Indians need a kidney transplant every year, but only 3,500 kidneys are legally available.
Kishore put it this way: "India is a favourite destination for organ transplantation for its lower costs and the easy availability of human organs."
The one way out of the morass could be effecting changes in the law.
With the latest racket having its network in Britain, the US, Greece, Lebanon, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the government is speeding up efforts to draft changes in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, which allows donation of organs between relatives but prohibits any monetary benefits to the donor.
The act also has no mention of cadaver transplantations, which is now being considered.
A proposed change in the act is swapping of vital organs between willing but incompatible donors.
The changes might be a bit late in coming, as India is widely known as an organ-exporting country, where organs are regularly transplanted to foreigners.
If India is the organ exporting country, Australia, Canada, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the US are major organ importing countries, says the California-based Organs Watch.
Making the law flexible might help. Citing Iran's example, Kishore said kidney sales there are legal and regulated and controlled by two NGOs that are endorsed by the government.
The two groups connect potential recipients and donors, and organise tests to ensure compatibility. "Recipients often offer donors employment or extra money after the transplant," he said.
Yosuke Shimazono of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, said in an article: "Although the number of foreign recipients seems to have decreased after the enactment of a law banning organ trade, the underground organ market is still existent and resurging in India."
"There exists a gap between the demand and supply of organs almost all over the world, leading to malpractices and illegal trade in organs. No data is available about the magnitude of the illegal trade in organs," said Rajesh Bhatia, regional advisor for blood safety and clinical technology.
But with the huge number of people waiting for someone to donate a kidney - in the US the waiting list is 97,989 and in Europe 40,000 people are waiting for a kidney - it is safe to assume that the Amit Kumars of the world are prospering.
Indo-Asian News Service