Invite me to Joost Please...........

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Jhumpa

OutLook Magazine
"It's Mira's Stamp On My Story"

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author on the film versus the book, her characters, her connections with her Bengali family, her relationship with Nair, and her new work. VIBHUTI PATEL

As The Namesake, the film made by Mira Nair, based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, opened to critical as well as box-office acclaim in the West last week , Vibhuti Patel spoke to Jhumpa in New York about the film versus the book, her characters, her connections with her Bengali family, her relationship with Nair, and her new work. Excerpts from their conversation............

Nation failed to recognise father

Daily Star, 28/03/2007
Nation has failed to recognise father of nation: Gen Moeen

He will raise issue of prosecuting war criminals; it is time to fight corrupt politicians; proposes auction of seized cars to build hospitals for poorStaff CorrespondentChief of the Army Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said the country has not achieved its desired progress because of corrupt politicians and the time is now to wage a war against corruption, injustice, and thuggery that have pervaded all levels of the society. Lt Gen Moeen also said corrupt politicians smuggled their money overseas, including at least Tk 20,000 crore smuggled off shore from the energy sector alone............

A for AYODHYA

A For Ayodhya... B for Babri. C for Congress. D for Dynasty... yes,

Rahul Gandhi sure has gone to school and learnt the alphabet, but one is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade? HARSH V. PANT

Finally, the heir to the throne has spoken and given his people what they had been clamouring for long—his take on Indian politics. We were told that he is being tutored and for someone who has been to Cambridge and Harvard, his education seemed to be taking a lot of time, much to his courtiers' consternation. One is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade......

How all went wrong in Iraq

Mugged by reality
Mar 22nd 2007From The Economist print edition
How it all went wrong in Iraq

“NEMESIS” was the word The Economist printed on its front cover four years ago, when jubilant Iraqis, aided by American soldiers, hauled down the big statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad's Firdos Square. For a moment it looked as though all the fears that had accompanied the build-up to the American-led invasion had been groundless. The defeat of Iraq's army in three weeks turned out to be exactly the “cakewalk” that some of the war's boosters predicted. And in many places Iraqis did indeed greet the American soldiers as liberators, just as Ahmed Chalabi, Iraq's best-known politician-in-exile, had promised they would......

World's poor represent $5 trillion market: report

World's poor represent $5 trillion market: report: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's estimated four billion people who live under the poverty line represent an untapped global market worth $5 trillion in local purchasing power, according to a new report. "

The rise and fall of Tarique Rahman

Straight Talk, Daily Star
The rise and fall of Tarique Rahman
Zafar Sobhan

"Khaleda Zia is our leader
Ziaur Rahman is our philosophy
Tarique Rahman is our future"

This particular gem that has been ubiquitous on walls in the capital Dhaka for the past five years encapsulates perfectly the cult of personality that had been created around the person of Tarique Rahman and gave us a strong indication of where Bangladesh was heading had the January 22 election been permitted to go forward as scheduled. More.....

.

Jalaluddin Rumi

Outlook India
Magazine| Mar 12, 2007

anniversary: year of Rumi

Ruminations On A Poet

All the world romances the 13th century Sufi on his 800th b'day

SHEELA REDDY
Not bad at all for a poet who belonged nowhere. At least 50 countries, including India, are laying claim to him, joining in the celebrations for his 800th birth anniversary this yearthe Year of Rumi, as UNESCO has declared it. Jalaluddin Rumi is an improbable poet laureate of the 21st century: he wrote in Persian, a world language that has long been overtaken by English. And he wrote on themes that modern poets would rather choke than write aboutdeep stuff like Soul and Union with God. But still, he's America's Number One bestselling poet today, the best known Sufi poet across the world, and if he's not already the world's most popular poet in any language, he will surely be by the time his birthday celebrations wind up by year-end..More....

How Could BNP come to this stage ?

Daily Star
Mahfuz Anam

Nobody represents the rot that ate away into the very vitals of BNP more dramatically than Tarique Rahman. President Ziaur Rahman for all his constructive (Saarc) and shameful (Indemnity Act) actions was universally respected for his financial honesty. Tarique, as his elder son, on the contrary, appeared hell bent on destroying that core image. Leave alone being concerned, he seemed to bask in his reputation of corruption and never for a moment gave the slightest impression that he was either bothered by it or would ever do anything against it. He considered himself as the product of destiny and took the leadership of BNP to be his proprietorial right. More....