NEW DELHI: Despite lack of accessibility and other problems, mobile telephone services in the North-Eastern (NE) region, in GSM category, has shown the highest growth compared to other parts of the country.

The All India GSM subscriber base has grown by five million in January to stand at 110.5 million as against 105.4 million in December last, a growth of 4.8 per cent. Among all circles, category C circles witnessed the highest growth at 5.9 per cent, followed by category B at 5.4 per cent.

Within category C circles, the highest growth was recorded by Asom (8.3 per cent) followed by other NE states (6.8 per cent). This was in spite of there being several complaints about lack of accessibility of mobile services in the NE region. On several occasions, mobile services in the neighbouring countries, mainly in bordering areas were found to be better and easily available! Security concerns was stated to be the main impediment in spreading the network in the sensitive NE region.

Forecasting the growth trend to continue during the year, COAI director general Mr TV Ramachandran said the exponential growth in the GSM industry was a result of concerted efforts of the industry coupled with forward looking policies of the government, enabling regulation and fair play for all the players.

In category B circles, Haryana recorded the highest growth at 9.1 per cent, followed by West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar at 7.7 per cent. Category A circles also witnessed a growth of 4.9 per cent in January. Karnataka recorded the highest growth of 5.2 per cent followed by Maharashtra at 4.9 per cent.

Subscribers base in Metro cities grew by 2.8 per cent over the previous month. Mumbai recorded the highest growth at 3.8 per cent during the month under review.

Sustaining its aggressive growth in subscriber additions, the GSM-based cellular industry has added over five million subscribers in January with Bharti Airtel capturing about 31 per cent of the market share. With this, the all-India GSM subscriber base has touched 110.5 million at the end of January 2007 compared to 105.4 million as on end of December 2006, Cellular Operators Association of India said in a statement. CDMA mobile figures are yet to be out.

In January, the cellular subscriber base of Bharti touched 3.37 crore, followed by BSNL at 2.44 crore with a market share of 22.13 per cent. Hutch-Essar has 2.44 crore subscribers, taking its market share to 22.10 per cent and Idea with a market share of 11.83 per cent has 1.3 crore subscribers.

Aircel's user base in January stood at over 48 lakh, followed by Reliance Telecom's 38.76 lakh subscribers.

MTNL's GSM subscriber base in Delhi and Mumbai touched 24.98 lakh, while Spice Telecom has 25.56 lakh subscribers, and BPL has 10.62 lakh subscribers. "The Indian GSM industry has witnessed an excellent start in the year 2007 and the same growth trend is expected to continue in the months to come," Mr Ramachandran reiterated.

Carrying placards and black flags, the people shouted slogans against the Manipur police and demanded intervention of the Meghalaya government in this regard.

Meanwhile, Michael on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Nongmynsong police against the Manipur policemen. He also requested police help trace his wife Tampha Sana Devi.

Later, addressing newsmen at his residence, Michael and his mother narrated the February 7 incident. They also sought the help of the Meghalaya government for their safety and to get the case transferred to Shillong.

Earlier, the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) had registered a case of torture under Section 12 of Protection of Human Rights Act and decided to conduct inquiry into the matter.

"We are of the view that this is a case of violation of human rights of the complainant by the police" the Commission 

said in its proceeding.While it also asked the DGP of Manipur to submit a detailed report to the Commission in connection with the case.

Similarly, the Shillong Manipuri Students' Union (SMSU) also issued a statement appealing to the civil society of Manipur "to cooperate with Michael and his mother and not to make any conflict with them while they are staying at Imphal".

SMSU president Th Suresh Singh, while terming the love tangle as an "unfortunate incident", said that the students' body was trying its best to sort out the matter.

In the context of ongoing demand for change of leadership in Congress, the NCP legislator Mr Edmund Sangma on Saturday said that there was no visible developmental activities in the entire State. "There is no new initiative from the government and this government can be termed as a non-performing one," he said.

According to him, the MDA coalition was functioning very whimsically even after four years of its rule.

Terming NCP leader PA Sangma's decision to come back to the State politics as 'wise' one, he said, "With P A Sangma coming back to the state politics, there will be tremendous change in the political scenario of the State."

Mr Sangma also criticised the recent statement of former MLA Mr KC Momin about PA Sangma joining state politics saying "Mr Momin is not a member of NCP and the state electorates know whom to choose".

Jowai: Rejecting the UPDS proposal for giving representation to the Khasi Pnars of Block I and Block II in the political system of Karbi Anglong, several NGOs from Jaintia Hills including Jaintia Youth Federation, The Joint Action Committee, Jaintia Hills (JACJH), the HNYF (ER) and the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnongs said that the proposal was not acceptable in view of their long-standing demand for merger of the disputed areas with Meghalaya.

In its proposal, the UPDS had said that the Khasis of Karbi Anglong should be allowed to exercise their fundamental rights in political system and also stressed the need of giving representation to Khasis in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) by nominating one from the community as MDC.

JACJH chairman Mr LD Lakiang talking to The Shillong Times, after a meeting to discuss this issue, on Saturday said, "we opposed the UPDS proposal."

He urged the KHNAM leaders to take up the issue with the Centre so that a lasting solution could be found.

KHNAM general secretary, Erwin K Syiem Sutnga informed that he was authorised in the meeting to present the matter before the authorities in Delhi.

Mr Jamir was conferred the doctorate in recognition of the service he rendered towards the church in particular and society in general.

The other recipients of the Doctorate of Divinity for this year are Rev Joseph Mar Irenaeus and Dr Ah Jae Woong.

It may be mentioned that the previous recipients of this doctorate from the State are late Rev Wellburn Manners (1993), Rev HM Rapthap (2002), and Rev Iarington Kharkongor (2005).

Altogether, 1141 students representing various theological colleges within the country and abroad, and affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College were conferred with various degrees on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that nine HNLC cadres including its Second-in-Command Herman Pakyntein surrendered before BSF in Tripura on Wednesday after deserting their camps in Bangladesh.

Police said that the cadres also deposited a rifle and two shot guns.

Meanwhile, commenting on this development Home Minister RG Lyngdoh said that it was a good sign. Mr Lyngdoh said, "this clearly indicates that most of the HNLC cadres want to comeback to the mainstream".

The bus was on its way to Shillong from Mawkyrwat when the incident took.

Delivering his convocation address at the annual convocation of Serampore College held at Jaiaw Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Mr Jacob hoped that "theological education will bring more abundant life to the students by the development of character in the true sense of religion."

Stating that India is a sub-continent where most of the religions and faith flourish side by side, Mr Jacob said, "the people in India by and large are spiritual though they may be the followers of various faiths and religions".

He said that Christians in India have learned to live with a deep respect for the religious identity of others without compromising their own mission, and this exactly what we need in this present world.

Moreover, the Governor said that Asia has been and still is the greatest testing ground for the Gospel proclamation where the Gospel encounters millennia old philosophies, theologies, cultures and religions.

"It is this continent that has consistently sought after salvation, liberation and wholeness in the absolute because it is here the major religions of the world are born, finding expression in the spiritual dimensions of human life" Mr Jacob said.

He called upon the students to broaden their outlook, quicken their conscience and establish the true and right relationship between man and God.

Flanked by his mother - Merilla Kharphuli, the youth from Nongmynsong narrated to reporters how he and his mother were "brutally" beaten up as he shows his bruises in several parts of the body suffered due to the inhuman treatment by police in Imphal.

"I am still scared and I don't know what is in store for me if I go again to Imphal to reappear in the case on February 22. The cops there might take advantage and cause harm to me physically" Michael said adding that he is worried about his wife Tampha Sana Devi whose whereabout is not known.

"My only appeal is that the State Government should take up the matter seriously and help in transferring the case to a Shillong Court where I feel secure. We are a poor family and can not meet the expenses of having to travel frequently to a distant place like Imphal" Michael added.

Stating that both he and his wife had lived together since January 3, Michael said that there is no truth at all in the allegation made by the girl's stepmother Shanta Devi that he had kidnapped her from Imphal.

"Tampha Sana Devi has been staying for a long time in Nongmynsong and this can be proved from records. I also met her in this locality and we both agreed to marry. How can I be charged of kidnapping her from Imphal" Michael said adding that the girl's parents had earlier objected against marrying a Khasi boy.

Michael also said that on February 7 before producing in Imphal Court, the Manipur police beat him up for three hours at Imphal City Police Station while his mother was shoved mercilessly for trying to save him. He also said that his wife was not produced in the Court on February 8 by her parents on the grounds that she was suffering.

Expressing their concern for safety when they are back in Imphal for another Court appearance on February 22, Michael and his mother Merilla said that the case could be transferred to Shillong since it is related to a love affair that involves local people from the city.

Moreover, the Rangbah Dong of Dong Kamon, Nongmynsong Mr Wondrous Word Kharbudon said that the Durbar Shnong had met Chief Minister J D Rymbai and Home Minister Robert G Lyngdoh to seek their help on the matter.

"Mr Lyngdoh immediately called up the DGP and asked him to take up the matter with the Manipur police. We are thankful for his help. This a love matter and we don't want this incident to flare up and lead to any communal tension" Mr Kharbudon said adding that the Durbar Shnong wants the case to be transferred to Shillong and security gurantee to Michael and his mother when they visit Imphal for Court appearance.

"It is beyond the expectation of any right thinking citizen how the College authorities could defy the wishes of the State Government," MCTA wondered saying that this was an act of utter disrespect to the authority of the State Government.

The Association also said it was dismayed with the action of the College management in showing disrespect to the teaching community as a whole during the present agitation programme by the teachers of the college asking for the revocation of the termination orders along with proper appointment order and service rules

The MCTA also expressed appreciation of the efforts of the Education Department in resolving the issue and asking the teachers to get reinstated in their services.

With the positive action on the part of the Government for the reinstatement of the teachers in the College and also directing the College to comply with the service rules, the MCTA and the St Peter's College Unit of the MCTA along with the MJCTU&A and other social organisations decided to keep the present agitation in abeyance till February 12 . The situation will be reviewed on February 12 on basis of the response of the College management to the demands of the teachers relating to the reinstatement of the teachers and related matters and also with respect to the Government directives.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Joint Council of Trade Unions and Associations (MJCTU&A) also thanked the officials of the Education Department for their timely intervention in solving the problem and their direction to the teachers to resume their duty from February 12 at the College and as well a directive issued to the management of St Peter's College to frame suitable service rule for its teaching staff within the next two months.

While requesting the College authorities to revoke the termination, the MJCTU&A appreciated the leadership of MCTA and the agitating teachers of the College to keep their ongoing agitation in abeyance for the time being as the State Education Department intervened in the matter as demanded.

The MJCTU&A also urged the management of St Peter's College to clear their pending salaries and allowance and to frame the service rules as demanded by MCTA of its teaching staff and other employees.

As part of its poverty alleviation programme, the Social and Cultural Society of Raid Laban distributed exercise books for the marginalised families of Lumsohphoh, Upper Lumparing recently. The primary objective of the gathering was to lend a helping hand to those families that struggle to educate their children.

The National Students Union of India, Shillong unit has conveyed its best wishes to all the students who will be appearing for the university and board examinations.

The Central Seismological Observatory (India Meteorological Department), Shillong will celebrate National Science Day on February 28 and for this purpose the observatory will be open to the public throughout the day, a statement said.

In late January each year, scores of businessmen and half-a-dozen Ministers and top officials from India, make what can only be called a pilgrimage to Davos in Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum. Fawning attendance upon them are journalists, most of them on all-expenses-paid trips, and eager to describe the talkfest among the world's filthy rich in glowing, breathless and glamorising terms. The Indian media usually carries long and lurid reports from the Davos deliberations as if they represented distilled economic policy wisdom from a learned institution.

In reality, the World Economic Forum is not some august, quasi-academic, non-partisan institution committed to a dispassionate discussion of economic policies. It is more like an event management company. Its core membership consists of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the world's top 1,000 corporations, who go to Davos to influence the top policy-makers of the 70 to 90 governments who turn up at the 2,000-strong gathering. WEF also invites another 200 companies, mainly from the developing world. Much of the discussion takes place in closed sessions. Participants pay $25,000 to attend these.

This is over and above the $23,000 that the top companies pay to join the WEF, in addition to the basic annual membership fee of $12,500 and a $6,250 meeting fee. Everything at WEF is up for sale, including meeting agendas. If a company wants to participate in deciding WEF meeting agendas, it must pay $250,000 as an "institutional" and/or "knowledge partner", and $78,000 as an "annual meeting partner". The overwhelming thrust of WEF discussions and recommendations is to promote the interests of large multinational corporations and lobby for neoliberal globalisation.

The annual event is a pilgrimage in the sense that attending it is an act of faith for CEOs and policy-makers -- blind faith in corporate-led globalisation and the free market --, besides pure self-interest. It involves dogmatically rejecting any alternative policy vision. It also means, as it did last fortnight, ignoring signs of a slowdown in the U.S. and world economy.

In recent years, globalisation has attracted sharp and pervasive criticism for promoting skewed growth and widening rich-poor disparities. But Indian Finance Ministers and senior officials of the economic ministries unfailingly appear at Davos to convince CEOs that India remains dedicated to free-market or neoliberal "reforms", and that they should see India as a top investment destination, and an emerging economic Superpower. Egging them on are top honchos of Indian corporations and industry associations.

This year, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and junior Minister Ashwini Kumar travelled to Davos (at the Indian public's expense, of course) to promote "Brand India" and reassure their corporate audience that India is ready and willing to receive $150 billion over five years to build its infrastructure; India is the worthiest partner of Big Business as it "arrives" as a global power. India is opening up the economy and pursuing the full range of "free-market" policies, from deregulation to privatisation, in every field. Indian policy-makers know there's no alternative (TINA) to market-led growth.

The Indian officials' speeches at Davos reflect the dominant consensus in the policy-making elite, which has survived several changes of government since 1991. Indeed, this consensus has proved strong even under the United Progressive Alliance. It's pursuing policies which run counter to the expectations raised by the elections that brought it to power. The election results were attributable to a strong popular rejection of the celebration of neoliberalism in the Bharatiya Janata Party's "India Shining" campaign. Dr Manmohan Singh recognised this and promised more inclusive and less skewed growth when he was sworn in.

But that was not to be. Recent UPA policies, including its decision to invest pension funds in corporate shares, further privatise the infrastructure, allow foreign investment in education, reduce taxes on luxury goods, and further cut income-tax rates, all show that the neoliberal consensus still prevails. Indeed, it has percolated into the making of the 11th Five Year Plan thanks to Mr Ahluwalia.

If an ideological confirmation of this was at all needed, it was provided by the selection of the nominees of the Padma awards on Republic Day. Barring minor exceptions, the awardees fit a certain pattern. Their list is packed with conservatives like the staunchly pro-American former bureaucrat Naresh Chandra, and Right-wing economists like: Jeffrey D Sachs and T.N. Srinivasan (both from the US) and Raja Chellaiah, not to speak of CEOs like J.J. Irani, Sunil Mittal, NRI Indra Nooyi (of Pepsico), and O. Suzuki (of Maruti Suzuki).

These men and women may represent conservative ideas or business success, not inclusive or egalitarian growth. Mr Sachs wrought epochal levels of damage upon the former Soviet Union by imposing mindless free-market policies in the early 1990s. Russia was rapidly de-industrialised, incomes were halved and life-expectancy decreased by 10 years within five years, as the mafia grabbed precious state assets. Again, it's hard to find a more dogmatic free-trade zealot than Srinivasan of Yale University, a collaborator of Jagdish Bhagwati.

However, our policy-makers should know better. Recent opinion polls show that the Indian people don't support, indeed they oppose, neoliberal reforms. The elite free-market consensus finds no echo in Indian society.

As many as 72 percent of Indians are not even aware of the economic policy changes that have occurred since 1991 in agriculture, industry, finance, taxation, disinvestment, etc. according to a Hindustan Times-CNN-IBN "State of the Nation Survey" conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), based on a sample of 7,681 people spread across 970 villages in 19 states. Only three percent are "well-informed" about them. Another 14 percent are only "somewhat informed".

The Indian public overwhelmingly believes that the post-1991 policies have "only benefited the rich". The proportion is as high as 62 percent among the overall population, and 68 percent among the poor. (Even half the rich think the same way.) This is the case despite the view held by 56 percent of the respondents that the Indian economy has "improved" over the past 10 years, as has the financial situation of their family. So this judgment on the pro-rich bias of economic policies appears to be a considered one, not derived from a generalised "gloom-and-doom" outlook.

The survey exposes major and growing disparities in standards of living. Over 70 percent of the urban rich say they have experienced an improvement in the quality of food, clothing and medical facilities in times of illness over the past decade. For the urban poor, these proportions are barely 50 percent, and for the rural poor 41 to 45 percent.

Even more stunning is the survey's finding that people overwhelmingly believe that public services should remain public. Between 67 and 71 percent want the government to run power and water supply, hospitals, and schools. (A smaller 62 percent want it to run buses too). Only 13 to 14 percent want private companies to operate these services. What's more, a majority (about two-thirds) are willing to pay more for better public services. This is particularly so in respect of education in government schools and treatment in public hospitals.

According to CSDS researchers: "The Indian public is, on balance, clearly opposed to disinvestments of public sector undertakings, downsizing of the government and entry of foreign companies. Those who are well informed about these policies are even more opposed to these than the less informed". They outnumber the latter by 61 to 30 percent.

In keeping with such views, most Indians do not want cuts in direct tax rates. Rather, they want the rich to be taxed more "to help the poor". The sole exception to this are the urban rich themselves: 47 percent of them oppose higher tax rates, but 41 percent support them.

The CSDS poll is no aberration. The latest "India Today-AC Nielsen-ORG-MARG" poll (India Today, February 5) confirms the same trends. The Indian public's greatest worries are rising prices (39 percent) and unemployment (33 percent). As many as 52 percent of the people surveyed believe that the rich have gained the most from neoliberal policies. A good 55 percent expect the economic situation to remain the same in the next six months. Only 31 percent say it will improve. Thirtynine percent don't believe that the UPA has been successful in implementing the Common Minimum Programme.

There is thus a yawning disconnect between official policies and public perceptions. The UPA will be sleepwalking into disaster if it allows this disconnect to persist and fails to correct course. Such correction cannot be a mere public relations exercise -- to convince people of TINA or of the inevitability or virtues of neoliberalism. What's called for is an honest appraisal of policy flaws -- and a radical change of direction. (IPA Service)

The Hindutva brigade's success in the Maharashtra civic polls is a huge boost not only to its fortunes in the state, but also to its prospects in the forthcoming Punjab and Uttarakhand elections. Coming in the aftermath of the BJP's fine showing in the Uttar Pradesh local body elections a few months ago, the Maharashtra outcome has shown that the hope of the secular lobby that the saffron brotherhood had received a crippling blow in the 2004 general election was an exaggerated one.

Instead, both the BJP and the Shiv Sena have demonstrated their remarkable resilience in the face of considerable odds. While the BJP has managed to overcome the setback it suffered in the tragic death of Pramod Mahajan, its organiser par excellence in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has shown the extraordinary influence which its supremo, Bal Thackeray, still wields in the state.

Those who believed that the Shiv Sena will not be able to withstand the effects of the departures of Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray from the party have been proved to be living in a fool's paradise. In fact, it was this belief that the Shiv Sena under an ageing leader and his seemingly uncharismatic son was a spent force, which made the Congress and the National Congress Party fail to reach an electoral understanding. Both the parties presumed that each one of them was capable of routing the Shiv Sena. It is now clear that Narayan Rane and Sanjay Nirupam, like the other Shiv Sena rebel Chhagan Bhujbal before them, derived much of their clout from the Shiv Sena's organisational structure and are of little account once they part company with Bal Thackeray.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's admission that it was a mistake on the part of his party and the NCP not to have agreed on seat sharing has come rather late in the day. To be fair, Deshmukh was in favour of a tie-up even if the NCP's demand for seats was considered too high. But politicians like Gurudas Kamat of the Congress and R.R. Patil of the NCP are said to have scuttled the possibility of a deal in Mumbai and Pune. It remains to be seen whether Deshmukh's belated wisdom about the awareness of the ground realities is reflected in the manner in which the Congress approaches the elections in Punjab and Uttarakhand, and later in Uttar Pradesh.

For the present, the political scene in Maharashtra, and especially in Mumbai, where the Shiv Sena-BJP combination has successfully countered the incumbency factor is bound to reflect the expected hardening of the Hindutva line. Just before the elections, Bal Thackeray had spoken of the need for the Hindus to overcome their linguistic barriers to unite and "bring Islam down to its knees". The BJP, too, had adopted a hard line position at its last national conclave in Lucknow, returning to the mandir wohin banayenge theme with great fervour. If the BJP has since been a little more restrained in its public utterances because its ally, the Janata Dal (United) had made it clear that it had no time for the temple agenda, the Shiv Sena has no such inhibitions.

Now, after the Maharashtra results, even if the BJP continues to talk and act with greater circumspection, the Shiv Sena is unlikely to do so. As much is clear from Bal Thackeray's continued criticism of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on the Afzal Guru issue. India's financial capital may well see a re-run, therefore, of the Shiv Sena's earlier aggressive tactics and the chances of an exhibition of M.F. Husain's paintings being held or Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parzania or Deepa Mehta's Water - irrespective of whether or not it wins an award at the Oscars - being screened without the Sainiks indulging in vandalism are rather dim.

For the secular camp, the lesson is clear: united it stands and divided it falls. The RSP's demand, therefore, to withdraw support from the UPA is not a very wise one. What has to be remembered is that the saffron brotherhood remains alive and well. In Maharashtra and outside, the Hindutva brigade seems to have a committed group of supporters comprising about 25-30 per cent of the electorate, built on the basis of a relentless anti-Muslim propaganda.

Evidently, a virulent campaign of this nature at which Bal Thackeray is a past master appeals to a lot of people, especially at the present time when the conspiracies of the Al Qaeda cells in Britain are revealing a chilling picture of the Islamic networks and there are no signs of similar cells being deactivated in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since Mumbai suffered only recently from the serial bomb blasts on its local trains, it is hardly surprising that the Shiv Sena-BJP combine had little trouble in winning. The BJP may not always echo the more egregious of the Shiv Sena leader's comments, as on President Kalam, but it will happily mop up the votes which such diatribes fetch.

To restore its morale, the Congress will have to do well in the Uttarakhand and Punjab elections, and especially in Punjab because it is politically a more important state. Moreover, since the Congress does not have the ghost of a chance of raising its position from No. 4 in Uttar Pradesh, it will have to win at least in Punjab to avoid suffering a deep depression. (IPA Service)

Sir,

This time it is not an outrageous Iron Maiden band from England, nor even an event like spellbinding Lakmie fashion contest the news of which merit the headline a way before a month of the show. It is the arrival of an archaic looking Swami in our town about whom the media seems less enthusiastic.

Truly, many inhabitants of Shillong had been bursting with zeal and zest to welcome this Baba. People from Asom, Nagaland and Mizoram have also converged on the town to learn basic of Yoga directly from the Guru. Selling of about two thousands copies of every issue of monthly Yoga magazine by Ram Dev in Shillong itself is a huge testimony how endearing he is even in this small state. Yes, very few people are sincerely devoting to for the noble cause of the mankind. As I always prefer to revere Mother Teresa as motherly figure, I am quite pleased to hold Baba Ramdev as a fatherly figure. Perhaps their ways of living have been a great source of inspirations to many of us.

Well, as many other, I was introduced to Yoga and its philosophy not from any books by Indian gurus but from the works by one scholar from Wisconsin (USA), Dr. David Frawley who has after exhaustive research authored more than twenty five books on the timeless philosophy of Vedanta and Yoga. There are thousands of Davids in USA alone who having been awe-struck by the knowledge of Indian philosophy made the Yoga and meditation a part of their life. They regard yoga and meditations as vehicles in pursuit of realizing the uncanny metaphysics what Vedas say that the Absolute supreme consciousness is the eternal truth behind the whole cosmic creation.

Yes, Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word - Yog, meaning to unite with the Supreme reality, in other word mergence with the cosmic consciousness which is formless and eternal. Absolute knowledge, absolute bliss and absolute existence is the state and attribute of this immutable reality.

Rightly, thinkers like Ralph W Emersion, T S Eliot and Max Muller had long expounded the richness and timelessness of India System of Knowledge which they say is beyond the comprehension of small minds. But however it does not mean that it cannot be understood. One can not only understand it and but feel and realize it as being oneself in the cosmic ocean of super-consciousness by sincerely following the paths of Yoga and intense meditation, affirm the Vedas.

What we see that Swami Ramdev is doing are all techniques and methods discovered by the Indian ancient seers to make oneself fit, firstly, in terms of health -- freedom from physical and mental illnesses, then secondly, in terms of spirituality resulting which one will be gradually qualifying oneself, knowingly or unknowingly, to realize the above mentioned absolute bliss and absolute knowledge that is innately present in every being. Therefore just breath in and breath out and thus controlling the prana energy excite the dormant nerves of whole subtle body and inch towards the eternal goal.

Yours etc,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong-2

Reviewing the law and order situation with the top brass of the state police, army and para-military forces here on Friday, Mr Patil revealed that the present level of intensified Army operations will continue and would be further intensified after the 33rd National Games are over, a senior government official said.

The Union Home Minister was in the city to attend the North-East women empowerment meeting.

The high-level meeting, presided over by Mr Patil, was attended, among others, by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Asom Chief Secretary P K Sarma, Director General of Asom Police R N Mathur, GOC 4 corp Lt General R K Chabra, top officials of CRPF, BSF and central intelligence. The meeting reviewed the law and order situation and security arrangements taken up for the games.

Meanwhile, after the recent mayhem, a semblance of normality had returned with ULFA withdrawing the games boycott call and also stopped the daily bombings.

The Chief Minister had, however, gone on record saying that there would be no let up in the Army operations as ULFA had only withdrawn its boycott call of the games. It was also decided in the meeting that tough action against the outfit would continue irrespective of ULFA's latest gesture.

Coastal security: Coastal security and mega city policing would dominate the proceedings of a meeting of the Southern Zonal Council being held in Hyderabad on Monday.

Home Minister Mr Patil will chair the meeting which would also review internal security situation in the southern states and communal harmony.

Coastal security has, of late, started receiving focussed attention from the Home Ministry amid intelligence inputs suggesting possibility of militant groups using the coastal areas to intrude into the country and making uninhabited tiny islands as their base.

There were also indications to suggest that militant groups were now trying to gain entry through the coastal areas. (UNI)

Chief Electoral Officer R R Rashmi on Saturday said the repoll will be held for the first phase of February 8 polls in 19 assembly constituencies of Thoubal, Senapati and Ukhrul districts following the failure of EVMs.

Mr Rashmi said the decision was taken after receiving all the inputs from Returning Officers and Observers of the ECI.

He also said the officers concerned have been directed to make the necessary arrangements for the repoll.

Meanwhile, the third phase of assembly elections to the Manipur Legislative Assembly covering twelve Assembly constituencies of Tamenglong, Chandel and Churachandpur district of Manipur on February 23, will witness some interesting features.

According to data released by the Election Commission, the number of people to exercise their franchise are estimated at 3,63,345. This includes 1,85,598 female and 1,77,752 male voters.

Significantly, against this backdrop only two female candidates out of the total of 76 are left in the election fray.

There will be 516 Polling Stations and 516 EVM will be used. (UNI)

Police on Saturday said the murdered persons included the Head GB of Zangor village, one retired government teacher and a PWD wmployee. So far, no motive has been found behind the incident.

A team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Kiphire, Superintendent of Police and SDO (Pungro) along with Nagaland Armed Police personnel retrieved the seven bodies and brought them to Pungro village. The situation in an around Pungro village is informed to be tense, but under control, sources said. (UNI)

Nokia currently has over 12 customer support centers in the North East, out of which 2 are situated in Guwahati and one each in Nowgong, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Bongaigaon, Silchar, Shillong (Meghalaya), Aizwal (Mizoram), Dimapur (Nagaland) and Agartala (Tripura).The company plans to expand its network shortly to other neighboring cities.

''I will convey the grievances of the people of Changlang district to DCI chairman (Retd) Justice Kuldip Singh convincingly,'' he told the group leaders.

The Deputy Speaker also told the group to make all possible efforts to convince the DCI chairman on various other factors, including diverse culture, ethnic groups and the topographical peculiarity of the state, particularly of the Changlang district. (UNI)