FAQ: Why Anna Hazare is wrong and Lok Pal a bad idea

Don’t fall for the miracle cure that is being offered. Corruption must be fought differently and it’s not easy.

1. Is Lok Pal is necessary to fight corruption?

No, not only is it unnecessary, it will make the problem worse.
Corruption in India arises because of too much government, too many
rules, too much complexity and too much ambiguity. Adding one more,
huge, powerful layer to an already complex system will make the system
even more complicated. Complexity creates the incentives for
corruption–both on the part of the bribe giver and the bribe taker.

1A. Is the government’s version of the Lok Pal bill better?

No. We don’t need a Lok Pal at all. Making existing constitutional
institutions—like CAG, CVC, CBI and the Election Commission—more
independent will serve the purpose equally well. If we have been unable
to prevent the politicisation and undermining of these instutitions why
would we be able to prevent the Lok Pal from being politicised and
undermined? If we can prevent Lok Pal from being politicised and
undermined, why can’t we restore the independence and credibility of
CAG, CVC, CBI and the Election Commission?

2. What’s the alternative to Lok Pal then?

The alternative is to proceed with second-generation reforms, or Reforms 2.0.
Contrary to conventional wisdom reforms have reduced corruption, albeit
by moving it to higher up the government. In 1989 an ordinary person
would have to pay a bribe to get a telephone connection. By 2005, there
was no need to pay a bribe at all and anyone could get a phone in
minutes. Yes, 2010 saw the 2G scam in telecoms, but that was because the
UPA government reversed the reform process.

In fact, data show that perceptions of corruption are lower in some sectors of the economy, usually those that have been liberalised.

If you are interested in exploring real alternatives, you can start
by reading Atanu Dey’s slim, easily readable and inexpensive new book, “Transforming India”.

3. Doesn’t Hong Kong have an Ombudsman and doesn’t it enjoy low corruption?

This is a specious argument. There is little evidence to prove that
Hong Kong has low corruption because it has an Ombudsman. On the
contrary, there is empirical evidence from across the world suggesting that countries with high economic freedom are perceived to suffer from less corruption.

Hong Kong is one of the freest economies of the world,
and therefore, incentives for government officials to be corrupt are
relatively low. The Ombudsman is useful to address the residual
corruption in economic sectors and in sectors like law enforcement that
do not have discretionary powers over economic sectors.

4. How can we have economic reforms if the corrupt politicians don’t allow it?

We have not really demanded them at all, actually. If we did, they are
bound to register in the national political agenda. We should persuade
politicians that their political future is linked to implementing
economic reforms.

5. Easy to say, but how can we do this?

By voting. The constituencies that stand to benefit from economic
reforms—the middle class—needs to vote in larger numbers. In the absence
of the middle class vote base, politicians appease the poor by giving
handouts and entitlements, and cater to the super rich by allowing the
crony sector to exploit the half-reformed economy. It’s not easy, and we
have to be innovative. See for instance, Atanu Dey’s interesting idea
to form middle-class vote banks to induce good governance.

Whatever may be the claims made by the people promoting Lok Pal,
there is no miracle solution. They are peddling miracle weight-loss
pills. Sadly, such pills usually don’t work and can cause severe damage
to your health. If you are cautioned not to take those pills, you can’t
ask “which other miracle weight-loss pill do you recommend”? The answer
is in diet and exercise, which is hard work.

6. In the meantime, what’s wrong with Jan Lok Pal?

This question has already been answered above, but it’s usual
to encounter it again at this stage. The problem with Jan Lok Pal is
that it’ll make the problem worse. Does anyone seriously think we can
hire tens of thousands of absolutely honest officials who will
constitute the Lok Pal? Who will keep watch on them? Maybe we need a
Super Lok Pal, and then a Hyper Lok Pal to watch over the Super Lok Pal
and so on…This isn’t sarcasm, this is the logical extension of the Lok
Pal argument.

7. Don’t we have the right to protest peacefully? Why do you say that a fast-until-death lacks legitimacy?

Of course we have the right to protest peacefully. But it’s not about
whether we have the right or not. It’s about are we using that right
wisely. (You have the freedom of speech but that doesn’t mean it’s a
good idea to blast Eminem using a loudspeaker at 2am in a residential
district.)

As Ambedkar said while introducing the Constitution in November 1949,
once the Constitution came into force, we should avoid all
non-constitutional methods like protests and satyagraha, for they are the grammar of anarchy.
If two persons go on fasts until death for two opposing reasons, we
cannot decide the issue by allowing one person to die first.

Fast until death is political blackmail. It is a form of theatre
engaged in to coerce the government into doing something that the
agitators want. Whatever may be the cause, a single person cannot be
allowed to dictate laws to the whole nation.

8. Doesn’t Anna Hazare have the right to fast until death?

Anna Hazare has the right to protest peacefully. However to the extent
that his actions amount to an attempt to commit suicide, they are
illegal. The government can legitimately prevent him from killing
himself whatsoever the reason he might have to attempt suicide.

9. You are an armchair intellectual. Shouldn’t we trust activists more?

Pilots don’t design aircraft. Practicing doctors don’t discover new
drugs and treatments. These jobs are usually done by armchair
intellectuals. So being an armchair intellectual is not a
disqualification.

You shouldn’t trust intellectuals or activists because of what they
are. You should examine their arguments and make your own jud
gement.
Most of the people supporting Lok Pal have not examined what the
proposal is, have not tried to consider opposing arguments and blindly
accept it as a solution because some famous people said so.

11. Aren’t those who oppose Anna Hazare’s agitation supporting the corrupt politicians?

No. It takes an enormous amount of arrogance to claim that Anna Hazare
and his supporters have the exclusive hold on the right way to fight
corruption.

In the real world, it is foolish to expect 100% clean and non-corrupt
politicians. The real world challenge is to achieve good governance
with imperfect constitutions, imperfect institutions, imperfect leaders
and imperfect citizens. This requires us to realise that individuals
respond to incentives. If we remove incentives for taking or giving
bribes, then corruption will be lowered. We can reduce incentives for
corruption by following through with the reforms that started in 1991
but have stalled since 2004.

It is entirely possible to oppose the UPA government’s politics and
policies, while recognising that it is the legitimately constituted
government of the country. Individuals and parties might suffer from a
legitimacy deficit because of flagrant corruption, but the Government of
India as an institution remains the legitimate authority to make policy
decisions for the whole nation.

12. Why is fasting illegitimate when Mahatma Gandhi used it in our struggle for independence from the British?

There is a huge difference in context between 26th January 1950 when the
Constitution of India came into force and the time before it.

Mahatma Gandhi used civil disobedience against laws imposed on India
by the British government. Indians had no say in how the laws were made
and how they were implemented. Indians could not repeal laws we didn’t
want. Civil disobedience was justified in this context.

Gandhi also used it to coerce Indian nationalist leaders too,
including Ambedkar and the Indian National Congress, into accepting his
views. Whatever might be the wisdom of Gandhi’s intentions, this was
undemocratic and created a culture of ‘high command’ that lives on to
this day. Fasting was not justified in this context. This part of Gandhi
receives little attention in the dominant narrative of Indian history.

With the formation of the Republic of India on 26 January 1950,
things changed profoundly. All Indians have a say in how laws are made
and how they are implemented. We can amend or repeal laws that we do not
like. There is, of course, a method to do this, which must be followed.
These are the constitutional methods that Ambedkar referred to in his
grammar of anarchy speech. When constitutional methods are available,
there is no case for non-constitutional methods like satyagraha or
hunger strikes.

There is thus no equivalence between Gandhi’s satyagraha against the
British ruling us and Mr Hazare’s hunger strikes against we ruling
ourselves.

London riots

Fire
fighters and riot police survey the area as fire rages through a
building in Tottenham, north London on Aug. 7, 2011. A demonstration
against the death of a local man turned violent and cars and shops were
set ablaze. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP)

2

A rioter throws a burning wooden plank at police in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

3

Mounted police officers chase rioters on the streets in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

4

Riot police officers face off with protesters in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

5

A masked protester hurls an object toward riot police officers in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

6

A policeman in riot gear stands guard in Tottenham Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

7

A
double decker bus burns as riot police try to contain a large group of
people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6, 2011. (Leon
Neal/AFP/Getty Images) #

8

Police
officers detain a man in Enfield, north London August 7, 2011. Police
said they were called to Enfield, a few miles north of Tottenham, where
youths had smashed two shop windows and damaged a police car. (Stefan
Wermuth/Reuters) #

9

Fire rages through a building in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

10

Riot police officers escort an injured man after arresting him in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

11

A protester faces off with riot police officers on the streets in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

12

Police officers make their way on the streets in Tottenham on Aug. 7, 2011. (Lewis Whyld/PA/AP) #

13

Buildings burn on Tottenham High
Road in London during protests on August 6, 2011. (Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images) #

14

Protestors face off against riot police lines on Tottenham High Road on August 6, 2011 in London. (Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images) #

15

Police officers detain a man in Tottenham on August 7, 2011. (Stefan Wermuth/Reuters) #

16

Police officers in riot gear walk past a burning building in Tottenham on August 7, 2011. (Stefan Wermuth/Reuters) #

17

A
shop and police car burn as riot police try to contain a large group of
people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6, 2011. (Leon
Neal/AFP/Getty Images) #

18

A
woman walks through the debris with two children as riot police try to
contain a large group of people on a main road in Tottenham on August 6
2011. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images) #

19

A policeman walks past a damaged jewelery shop in Enfield, north London on August 7, 2011. (Stefan Wermuth/Reuters) #

20

A
police officer patrols as firemen continue to dowse buildings set
alight during riots in Tottenham on August 7, 2011. (Luke
MacGregor/Reuters) #

21

Police cordon off an area on August 7, 2011 during unrest in Enfield. (Karel Prinsloo/AP) #

22

Animals are taken from a pet store after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

23

Aaron
Biber, 89, assesses the damage to his hairdressing salon after riots on
Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

24

Burnt out cars lie in the road after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

25

A man stands next to a burnt out van after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011 . (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

26

Residents watch as a building burns after riots on Tottenham High Road on August 7, 2011. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

London riots: in ashes, a firm that survived two world wars

It survived the Depression, two world wars and the deepest recession in a
century.

Image 1 of 3

Firefighters battle the fire that broke out at House of Reeves furniture store in Croydon

By Graeme Paton

7:30AM BST 10 Aug 2011

But House of Reeves, a 144-year-old furniture store in the heart of Croydon,
could do little in the face of 100 or so yobs hell-bent on tearing up this
particular corner of south London.

The shop, a local landmark of such repute that it gave its name to the road on
which it now stands, was razed as youths rampaged through the town’s
streets, smashing doors and windows.

In one of the most searing images of the
London riots, flames tore through the store on Reeves’ Corner on
Monday night, with smoke being seen for miles around. By morning, all that
was left was a charred shell and onlookers were kept well back for fear that
the shattered building could collapse.

It was a crushing blow for a company that was founded in 1867 and has remained
in the Reeves family for five generations. Trevor Reeves, 56, the founder’s
great-great grandson, said: “If we were a computer shop, they would have
just broken in, taken the stock and left. But you can’t very well carry a
three-piece suite through the centre of Croydon can you? It was obvious that
the only thing left for them to do was to set fire to the place.

“It is completely devastating; heartbreaking. The family has been through a
lot; the world wars and the Depression in the 1930s were obviously tough and
the last few years have been particularly difficult, but we have always kept
going.

London riots: Telegraph readers’ photos of the rioting and looted areas of the city

Telegraph readers have been sending us their pictures of the rioting and
looted areas of London. If you have photos related to the recent unrest,
email them to mypic@telegraph.co.uk,
supplying a little info on where and how the pictures were taken, and we’ll
include the best in this picture gallery.

This amazing picture of a car exploding on Mare Street in Hackney was taken
by Telegraph reader Miks Uzans, who writes: “There were around 30
well-equipped rioters. The police didn’t even come close to this; instead
they were blocking the road 200m away.”

Photography: Clint Thomas, Yahoo! India News

The Aria’s stylish design is inlaid with the
DNA of an SUV, manifested in its stance, power, driveability and safety.

The Aria’s styling is a blend of bold
proportions, uncluttered lines and uncompromising aesthetics.

Its 2.2 litre Direct Injection Common Rail
(DICOR) engine, with variable turbine technology and 32-bit ECU delivers 140 PS
power and 320 Nm torque.

The Aria is equipped with disc brakes on all
four wheels resulting in superior braking effectiveness and better control. The
Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Breakforce Distribution (EBD)
aids steerability and control in emergency braking situations and on slippery
surfaces. 

The Aria’s stylish design is inlaid with the
DNA of an SUV, manifested in its stance, power, driveability and safety.

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The Tata Aria 4×2 is being launched in three
trim levels – the Aria Prestige at the top end, the Aria Pleasure and the Aria
Pure.

The 2-DIN music system and Bluetooth, along with
steering mounted phone and music controls, helps switch between music and
conversation at the touch of a button.

The
twin chrome exhaust tailpipes adds a sporty appearance to the rear,
however, if you look closer, the exhaust pipes can be seen inside the
chrome rings. Bad!

The suspension is designed to achieve an
optimal balance between ride comfort and control and stability, both on normal
roads and in offroading. Its low-roll characteristics and higher soaking
capacity further ensure a sedan-like ride quality and SUV-like offroading
capability.

Wraparound dual barreled headlamps complement
the signature Tata grille. Chrome detailing on the sides accentuates its premium
class.

The Aria’s frame is constructed with advanced
hydroformed members. Hydroforming enhances their rigidity while reducing weight.

A
ll
seats, except the driver’s, can be flat-folded, giving you lots of luggage
space – even space to stuff in a Tata Nano.

Roof utility bins, a glove-box chiller and
conveniently placed cup holders helps keep every thing you want within easy
reach.

There are seven roof utility bins
on the Tata Aria, a feature that no other auto maker could ever think
of. Moreover, there are cup holders for every passenger in the car.

The Tata Aria 4×2 is being launched in three
trim levels – the Aria Prestige at the top end, the Aria Pleasure and the Aria
Pure.

The interiors reflect the same richness and
elegance in design, layout, and visual appeal.

Premium leather upholstery enhances richly
textured trims in single or dual tone themes.

There is no need to look back even to park – a
Reverse Guide System helps you with exactitude. The Driver Information System
continuously indicates essential drive data, the Automatic Climate Control,
through roof-mounted AC vents, keeps the cabin temperature ambient.

Want to reduce your belly fat? Eat apples, green peas and beans
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 2:22 PM IST

Washington, June 28 (ANI): Are you tired of having belly fat? Now, eat two small apples, one cup of green peas and one-half cup of pinto beans and exercise vigorously for 30 minutes, two to four times a week.

cording to the researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, vegetables, fruit and beans contain more soluble fiber and will help reduce visceral fat, or belly fat, around the midsection.

They found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years. In addition, increased moderate activity resulted in a 7.4 percent decrease in the rate of visceral fat accumulation over the same time period.

“We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease,” said Kristen Hairston, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and lead researcher on the study.

“Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact,” he added.

The researchers examined whether lifestyle factors, such as diet and frequency of exercise, were associated with a five-year change in abdominal fat of African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

At the beginning of the study, which involved 1,114 people, the participants were given a physical exam, an extensive questionnaire on lifestyle issues, and a CT scan. Five years later, the exact same process was repeated.

The researchers found that increased soluble fiber intake was associated with a decreased rate of accumulated visceral fat, but not subcutaneous fat.

“There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don’t know how it works,” said Hairston.

The results are published in the June 16 online issue of the journal Obesity. (ANI)

Projector phone still sounds like a dream, but we already have four
phones launched with that capability. There is no dearth of innovation
in the thought to pack things into one single mobile phone. Intex,
TechBerry and Spice have launched their respective projector phones.
Intex was the pioneer in this field closely followed by Techberry.

But it was the late entrant Spice which popularized projector phone with its “Yeh boat nahin”
ad of Spice Popkorn. The timing of the phone launch and the ad is icing
on the cake. Spice Popkorn ad pops up in the middle of a world cup
match. And the ad surely stands out in the middle of bunch of
thoughtless ads.

Intex V.Show

Intex V.Show uses tiny Pico which is the latest in the LED technology to project on to a36 inch screen size for 3 hours. 20,000 hours of play time on the projector is possible. After
which it will cease to be a projector and starts to be a phone-only. It
is a touch screen phone with 3.2 inch screen size. It is a dual SIM
phone (GSM+GSM). As per mainstream media this is a 3G enabled phone. As per blogosphere this is a dual SIM
phone. It has a dual camera – one in the front, one in the back and it
has dual memory card slots which can read up to 8 GB each.

TechBerry ST 200

ST in the phone name stands for Sachin Tendulkar. I am not kidding.
That’s what the press release said. This phone which was launched
immediately after Intex V.show has some amazing double features. In
addition to the projector of course.

It packs in dual-SIM capability, dual memory card capability and dual
camera of 2 megapixel each. ST200 has a 3.2 inch QVGA full touch
screen. ST200 is a GSM phone with Bluetooth on-board.

Spice PopKorn

Spice M-9000 is a dual SIM phone with a in-built projector. It also
comes with a analogous TV which will help you stream free-to-air
channels, you know like the good old Doordarshan. There is a document
viewer, in case you want to project a presentation on the side wall in
the middle of a Christopher Nolan movie. Spice M-9000 aka Popkorn, has a 3.2 megapixel camera, FM with recording, Bluetooth, video player and a 6 cm QVGA screen. All of this comes at a measly price of Rs. 6999.

Intex V.Show Mini

Intex V.Show Mini has a 2.4 inch QVGA screen, dual SIM capability, 2
megapixel camera and an internal memory of 87 MB. Memory can be jacked
up to 16 GB through a SD card. Bluetooth, 3.5 mm audio jack, FM radio
are on-board. Pre-loaded apps like Facebook and Opera Mini should take
care of the browsing needs. V.Show Mini has a document reader which
would make it easy to project the presentations in case you office
projector acts kinky. Price : Rs. 6300

For the price, features and marketing, Spice Popkorn
should be the winner all the way. It packs in impressive features at
affordable price. With its TV on-board feature, it has went past all
other projector phones. Even if the TV is for free to air channels like
Doordarshan. Phone replacing TV isn’t very far.

Survey finds ‘News channels biased against Islam’ 

9:34am Monday 4th July 2011

An independent poll carried out by Consumer PI has found that the

vast majority of British Muslims perceive the three mainstream TV news
channels (BBC, ITV and Sky) to be biased against their
religion when reporting current affairs.

The TV channels’ reporting of terror cases, news pieces on Iraq and

Afghanistan and coverage of the ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings have been cited
as examples of anti-Muslim bias.

Furthermore, British Muslims believe that other topical issues such as

the Israeli raid on the flotilla, it’s continued occupation of, and
raids into, Palestinian territories, the dropping of
terror cases by the police as well as positive stories about Islam
generally are either not given enough prominence or simply not covered.

The poll also found that British Muslims were offended by some of the
terminology used in news reports.

Terms such as ‘jihadist’ or ‘moderate Muslims’ are often used in the
wrong context or in a generalised manner, indicating there was a severe
lack of understanding of Muslim communities on the part
of news reporters. Many believe this type of reporting does play some
part in fanning the flames of extremism.

Shakir Ahmed, Director of Passion Islam Media said: “The reporting by

the mainstream TV news channels of stories concerning Muslims is at
times unbalanced, ill-informed and sensationalist. I would
expect this type of coverage in the tabloid press, not from respected
news organisations at the BBC, ITV or Sky. However, this is not entirely
surprising since these three news channels employ very
few reporters who follow the Islamic faith and who would truly
understand the Muslim communities and their culture and practices.

Worryingly, the perception by some British Muslims of an unjust Islamophobic
mainstream media may well fuel radicalism.”

Sudan’s south will become an independent country on July 9, but fighting
along the ill-defined border has raised tension ahead of the split.
North and south have yet to resolve issues such as how to manage the oil
industry and divide debt. Here’s a look at the current situation in
Sudan through Reuters photographer Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah’s lens.

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

A Sudanese from the south, who stayed in the north for 21 years, stands
outside her shelter at Mandela camp, in the outskirts of Khartoum, July
4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

A Sudanese from the south who was born in the north, plays near a
shelter at Mandela camp in the outskirts of Khartoum July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

A Sudanese from the south who was born in the north, plays near a
shelter at Mandela camp in the outskirts of Khartoum July 4, 2011.

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AP Photo / Pete Muller

Southern Sudanese boys take shelter from afternoon rains that disrupted
rehearsal for independence day celebrations in the capital city of Juba
on Monday, July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudanese children from the south who were born in the north, play near a
shelter at Mandela camp in the outskirts of Khartoum July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

A Sudanese child from the south, wearing a t-shirt with the picture of
U.S. President Barack Obama, stands near a shelter at Mandela camp, in
the outskirts of Khartoum, July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudanese children from the south play at Mandela camp, in the outskirts of Khartoum, July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudanese from the south load belongings onto a truck bound for southern
Sudan at Mandela camp, in the outskirts of Khartoum, July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudanese from the south load belongings onto a truck bound for southern
Sudan at Mandela camp, in the outskirts of Khartoum, July 4, 2011.

---

REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudanese from the south load belongings onto a truck bound for southern
Sudan at Mandela camp, in the outskirts of Khartoum, July 4, 2011.

 KERINDING CAMP, Sudan (Reuters) – For many in Sudan’s war-battered Darfur region, the division of the country on Saturday will not be a cause for celebration.

 Southerners see secession as the end of a long march toward freedom, but in Darfur, which borders the South, it means the chance of more fighting between the government and rebels, as well as complications for issues like migration and cross-border animal grazing.

 “We don’t know what will happen next. There are dangers at every turn,” Hussein Joma, 42, a community leader in the Kerinding camp near the Chadian border, said as women in bright shawls and men in dust-stained shirts and trousers filled plastic cans from a water pump.

 “If there is war with the secession, it could affect the living conditions here, the economy — the country as a whole. War increases prices and divisions between people.”

 War broke out in Darfur in 2003 when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Khartoum, complaining the central government had left them out of the economic and political power structure and was favouring local Arab tribes.

 Eight years later, hundreds of thousands of people who fled the fighting still live in vast, dusty camps like Kerinding, many in stick and mud huts reinforced with canvas from food aid delivery bags.

 The persistent volatility of the situation is evident. An Ethiopian peacekeeping soldier was shot dead on the road between the nearby town of El Geneina and the airport a day after a rare visit by foreign journalists last week.

 Though down from its peak, violence has surged since December, forcing tens of thousands more to flee. Qatar-brokered peace talks have meant little on the ground as Darfur’s main rebel group
s pulled out or refused to participate.

 The war has claimed 300,000 lives, the United Nations says, and complicated Khartoum’s foreign ties after the International Criminal Court indicted President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity in Darfur.

 Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000, and refuses to recognise the court.

 “I don’t think that Doha is going to bring a lasting peace, so the grievances of Darfur are going to persist,” Fouad Hikmat of the International Crisis Group said. “The problems of Darfur are actually the problems of Sudan manifested in Darfur”.

 EMBOLDENED REBELS

 The war in Darfur — a region of seasonal waterways, jutting cliffs and long stretches of desert dotted with trees — is testament to the diversity and complexity of Sudan’s many, often overlapping conflicts.

 The country’s rebels span an array of ethnic and tribal loyalties and territories, but are united in their opposition to a central government they say has concentrated wealth and power in the hands of an exclusive class in the north.

 Echoing those complaints, the south fought a long and bloody civil war with the north, ending with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Southerners voted overwhelmingly to secede in a January referendum promised in that pact.

 But no deal has so far succeeded in putting an end to the war in Darfur, where rebels say their demands have not been addressed and the government has gradually reasserted control over major towns and other formerly rebel-held areas.

 Some analysts say the secession could now harden anti-government fighters’ resolve as they see southerners attain their goal of independence and as Khartoum is economically weakened by the loss of the south’s oil fields.

 “In Darfur we may be seeing the reconsolidation of opposition movements which would mirror the reconsolidation of southern opposition groups before the CPA,” Roger Middleton, a researcher at the Chatham House think tank, said.

 Other analysts say the newly independent south could be tempted to back a continued insurgency in Darfur, with which they have shared some ideological and political links.

 The northern government says it will not allow other regions to separate. In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur state, deputy governor Abou el-Qassim Baraka rejected suggestions the south’s separation could inflame further conflict in Darfur.

 “In Darfur, we are tired of war. There is no going back to war, that is the opinion of the entire community,” he said.

 LONG-RUNNING CONFLICT

 A move by Khartoum to split the region into five states outraged rebels this year who said it was an effort to dilute their influence, echoing the region’s division into three states in the early 1990s that stoked tensions with Khartoum.

 Darfur was an independent sultanate for hundreds of years.

 But for now analysts say government troops have the upper hand over insurgents, cutting off some of their previous supply routes and pushing them from several central areas.

 As the fighting drags on, the camps that started as temporary shelter for people who fled are becoming increasingly more like permanent settlements. Some aid workers say they may soon come to resemble towns.

 “I’m old and I’m not well. I need to stay here,” one elderly man at Kerinding said as donkeys wandered down the red dirt path behind him and peacekeepers stood watch over the area.

 Joma, the tribal sheikh, said the fear of bandits and local Arab tribes still kept many in Kerinding too afraid to attempt a return home.

 “If there was peace, if their villages were secure, people would return, of course,” he said. “But maybe a kilometre outside of here, the troubles start.”

Kerala Govt offers full support to interest-free Islamic banking | TwoCircles.net
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Submitted by admin4 on 4 July 2011 – 5:38pm

Indian Muslim

By TCN News,

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will extend full support and cooperation to the interest-free banking system so that it may be used for the development of the state, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The state will try to attain the central government’s approval for it. He was inaugurating the national seminar ‘Interest-free Institutional Mechanism for Banking, Finance and Insurance’ held in Thiruvananthapuram today.

The CM said that Islamic banking was not a dangerous suggestion. The government would clarify doubts and go forward. The services of the ‘Al Baraka Financial Services’ (the interest-free institution formed during the tenure of the last LDF government aiming at attracting investments from expatriates) would be utilized as one of the ways to increase investments. The government will go forward with the good moves taken by the last government and the Al Baraka was one such move. Some feel discomfort with the term ‘Islamic banking’, but instead of just a name we should see if it will be useful for the society. Large sums of money of expatriate Malayalis are in banks now. It has been a thought for quite a long time as to how to utilize this money creatively for development, he added.

Interest is a main problem that several projects face in the state, said Industries Minister PK Kunjalikkutty, while delivering the presidential address. The arrival of interest-free investment can help find capital for such projects. Kerala has showed several new models to the country and interest-free investment can be yet another one. The ‘Al Baraka’ is a good venture. A system based on interest does not consider the gain and loss in the venture. But in interest-free system, both gain and loss will be shared. While Europe is successfully utilizing Islamic banking, opinion has come in the higher levels itself that India too should utilize this prospect, he added.

Former Finance Minister Dr TM Thomas Isaac, former member of Planning Board CP John, Additional Chief Secretary T Balakrishnan (IAS), Al Baraka Financial Services chairman
Dr P Muhammedali, Alternative Investments and Credits Limited director T Arifali, chief of Sign Human Resources Centre Munawarali Shihab Thangal, and Rabitha Educational Committee regional coordinator Dr Husain Madavoor also spoke.

The seminar was organised as a joint venture of the Department of Islamic Studies in the University of Kerala, the Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce, the Indian Centre for Islamic Finance, the Indian Association for Islamic Economics, the Al Barakah Financial Services Limited, the Sequra Investment and Management India Private Ltd, the Ecotech Builders and the Alternative Investments and Credits Ltd.

Speed Up Windows 7 – Ultimate Guide To Make Windows 7 Blazing Fast!!!

Windows
7 is Engineered for speed. Special attention has been given by the
Windows 7 team for making Windows 7 faster than the previous operating
systems. Windows 7 is much faster than Windows Vista, but even then most
of us don’t get satisfied with it. There are many who still have their
old PC. Installing Windows 7 on them wont be as soothing as they work
with with XP and Even with latest hardware’s installed some users still
long for more performance. At least if we don’t make it lightning fast
we can optimize Windows 7 to the maximum possible extent and enjoy the
maximum performance we could squeeze out from it. So for all the extra
performance lovers, let me present you wit this Ultimate Guide To Speed Up Windows 7.

I guarantee that after following this guide and implementing the
recommendations on your PC, you will really get the performance gain.

The bare Minimum Requirements You need To Run Windows 7

1) 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
2) 1GB of main memory
3) 16GB of available disk space
4) Support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface)
5) A DVD – R/W drive

Even if you don’t have the DX 9 graphics card
there is no problem because our target is performance and not the ”
Eyecandy ” . Of course if you need the aero experience you need a
powerful graphics card for sure.

So lets start The Ultimate Guide to Speed up Windows 7

1. Disabling the Search Indexing Feature in Windows 7

   • Right Click the “Computer” Icon in the desktop and select “Manage”.
   • Click “Services and Applications” in the “Computer Management” window.
   • Click on “Services”.
   • You can see a lot of services listed there. Look for “Windows Search” in that.
   • Right Click on “Windows Search” from the list and choose “Properties”.
   • The “Windows Search Properties Window” will open up. From “Startup type” click on the drop down menu and choose “Disabled”.
   • Click “Apply” then “OK” and that’s it. The Windows 7 Search Indexing Feature is now disabled.

Most
of the Windows 7 users do less searches in there system. The Search
Indexing service in Windows 7 will index keeps track of the files so
that they can be found quickly when asked at some other time. This
feature is useful only if you perform frequent searches on your system.

For occasional file searchers the Search Indexing service in Windows 7
is a total resource hog. It unknowingly eats up your system resources.
What you need from windows 7 is maximum performance from it then i
would certainly recommend you to disable this resource hogging Windows 7
Search Indexing Feature.

To Disable the Search Indexing Feature in Windows 7

If
you want to completely disable the search indexing feature in Windows 7
you can set the Search Indexing Service to Manual (See the above
method about disabling unwanted services).

2. Disable the Aero Theme on Windows 7

   • Right Click on your Desktop and select ” Personalize ” click the Window Color Tab.
   • Uncheck the Box saying ” Enable Transparency ” and then click on ” Open classic appearance properties for more color options”.
   • Then a window will open up. Apply a Standard or Basic theme from it. The Standard Windows 7 theme is more preferred.

The
aero user interface certainly adds some ” Eyecandy ” to Windows 7 but
certainly is a resource hog especially when, what you expect from
windows 7 is more performance juice. Aero user interface squeezes your
graphics or video card to its maximum. So why dont we just avoid the
Windows 7 aero? if we care more about speed and performance in Windows
7. So Disabling the Aero in Windows 7 certainly adds an extra speed boost to it.



Disabling
the aero theme alone in Windows 7 will really speed things up. You can
know this by looking into the memory consumption when aero is turned on
and off.

3. Disabling the Unwanted Visual Effects in Windows 7 to Speed Up more

   • For this right click on ” Computer” and select “Properties” from the right click menu.
   • Click on ” Advanced System Settings ” from the left pane to open up the ” System Properties ” window.
   • Select the “Advanced” tab from it. Then Under ” Performance ” click ” Settings “. Choose ” Custom: ” Options From it.
   • Now
     un tick all the options and select only the last four options (actually
     three only needed; you can un tick the second option from the last
     four). See the screen shot if you have any doubt.
   • Now just logoff your system and turn logon.

Even
though we have tuned off the aero effects in Windows 7 still there are
many unwanted visual effects that can be safely disabled to speed up
windows 7 even more.



You will now notice the speed difference now.

4. Disabling the Unwanted Services to Speed up Windows 7

There
are many services in windows 7 that we dont require for our daily use.
There are some exceptional cases though. Services such as “print
spooler” is only needed when we use a printer. If we use a printer only
occasionally we can safely turn off that service in Windows 7 and turn
it on only when we need to take a print.

I have previously prepared a List of services in Windows 7 that can be safely set to manual / disabled.

Disabling the unneeded services in Windows 7 can really speed up the system boot time.

5. Disable the User account control (UAC) Feature in Windows 7

   • From the Control Panel open the ” User Accounts and Family Safety ” > User Account.
   • Click the User Account Control settings link.
   • Now just Drag the Slider towards “Never Notify”.
   • Click “OK” and Reboot your system.

The
User account control (UAC) feature in Windows 7 is very annoying though
it says it can protect your computer from harmful virus activity etc.
But if you are a daily user of your computer this windows 7 feature will
be a total nuisance to you.

To Disable and Turnoff UAC in Windows 7

Disabling UAC is for advanced users only its not recommend doing it if not.

6. SetUp the Windows 7 Ready Boost Service for an Extra Speed Boost

   • To
     configure the Ready Boost Feature in Windows 7 you need to have a High
     Speed Flash/USB or Pendrive with you which is ready boost compatible.
   • After
     plugging you pendrive, open “Computer” > Right-click the on USB
     Drive/Pendrive > select “Ready Boost” tab > tick the “Use this
     device” checkbox.
   • You can configure how much space on your USB drive/ Pendrive to be used as Ram.

The
ready boost feature in Windows 7 will help you to use your flash drive
or pendrive or USB drive as Ram there by improving the performance and
speed of windows 7 greatly. You can certainly experience it when
launching bulky applications such as Adobe Photoshop etc.



7. Turn off Unused Windows 7 Features

   • Open up ” Programs and Features ” from Control Panel.
   • Click the ” Turn Windows features on or off ” from the left pane.
   • Now uncheck all the Feature that you don’t use in Windows 7 and restart the system for the changes to take effect.

There
are many feature in windows 7 that we often don]t use. Disabling these
unused features in Windows 7 will really help in speeding things up.

8. Disable the Windows 7 Sidebar (Actually the Gadgets)

   • Right click on the sidebar and select ” Properties “.
   • On the properties windows untick the check box showing ” Start sidebar when Windows Starts “
   • From now on windows sidebar won’t start when windows 7 start up.

Disabling
the window 7 sidebar is definitely help you to to gain a few seconds
during start up time. There are many useful utilities such as the
RocketDock etc. which are good application launchers.

To Disable the Sidebar in Windows 7,

9. Disable the Aero Peek and Aero Snap features in Windows 7

   • Open the Windows 7 ” Control Panel ” and double-click on ” Ease of Access Center ” icon.
   • Now click on the ” Make it easier to focus on tasks ” seen at the bottom in there
   • Now untick the check box saying ” Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen ” .
   • Right click on the Windows 7 taskbar and select ” Properties “.
   • Now untick the ” Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop ” option from there.

Aero Snap will help you to maximize, minimize and resize the windows just by dragging and dropping it into the screen corners.

To disable Aero Snap Feature in Windows 7,

That will now disable the Aero Snap in Windows 7.

Now To Disable the Aero Peek feature in Windows 7

The
Aero Peek feature in Windows 7 helps you to peek through all open
windows by hiding all other windows and showing only the outlines of all
windows. Aero Peek is similar to the ” Show Desktop ” Feature in XP and
Vista.

If you have followed step 3 then Aero Peek will be automatically disabled. If not,

The aero peek feature will now be disabled in windows 7.

10. Change the Power Plan To Maximum Performance

    • Double click the ” Power Options ” in the Control panel.
    • Click the down arrow showing ” Show Additional Plans ” to see the ” High Performance ” power plan

    .

    • Now just activate the ” High Performance ” plan and that’s it.
    • You may go for the advanced settings for further tweaking if you want.

The
Power settings in Windows 7 is not automatically set for maximum
performance. By default the power plan in Windows 7 is set for a
balanced performance with energy consumption on hardware. So you may not
get the optimal performance from windows 7 if this is the case. So we
need to change the power plan to High Performance Mode.



11. Disable the Thumbnail Preview Feature to speed up File browsing in Windows 7

    • Double Click on ” Computer ” >click on the “Organize” drop-down menu and select the “Folder and Search options”
    • Under ‘Files and Folders’ section, go to the “View” tab and tick the
      check box showing “Always show icons, never thumbnails” checkbox.

The
thumbnail preview feature in Windows 7 will show the small thumbnails
of the contents of a folder instead of showing it’s icon. But this
feature really do take up some system resources. So by disabling the
Thumbnail Preview feature in Windows 7 the file browsing in Windows 7
explorer can be speed up.

For disabling thumbnails in Windows 7,

12. Most Essential Softwares To Speed Up Windows 7

    • Wise Registry Cleaner
    • CCleaner
    • TCP Optimizer
    • TeraCopy
    • Startup Delayer

In
order to maintain your Windows 7 Performance and keep it up in Top
Shape there are some very essential software’s that can help us to Speed
Windows 7. I will list some of them here. You can download these
utilities. But i remind you that you need to run these utilities at
least once in a week. Only if you do it regularly your Windows 7 will be
in top shape every day.