Rs.1.80 per litre petrol hike from midnight

New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Oil marketing companies Thursday raisedpetrol prices by Rs.1.80 per litre from midnight, just over one and a half months since the last hike.

The hike was to fight depreciation of the rupee and high global crude prices, they said.

'The prices would be hiked from Friday. All three companies have decided to hike prices by Rs.1.80 per litre,' an Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) official told IANS

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Shushil Kumar won the Rs 5 crores jackpot (Rs. 50 Million) on the fifth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati

Sushil Kumar from Bihar just won the Rs 5 crores jackpot (Rs. 50 Million) on the fifth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. (For those who do not know KBC, this is the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire)

Sushil Kumar will not receive the entire Rs. 5 crores, the tax department will eat up about one third of his jackpot leaving him with about Rs. 3.5 crores; that's still a sizeable amount.

Let us see how it can help Mr. Sushil Kumar - a post graduate in philosophy and an IAS aspirant - in his life. He is currently a school teacher earning a meager Rs. 6000 per month.

In an interview Sushil Kumar revealed that he has some obligations that need to met first before he invests the rest of his money

·         An elder brother who wants to set up his own business

·         A younger brother  wanting to quit his 'piddly' Rs. 1500 per month job and also wants to start a new business.

·         His parents will want a nice big house - befitting the 'crorepati' son's status

·         Sushil Kumar himself plans to quit his job in order to concentrate on his IAS exam.

Sadly, along with a big amount of money God does not gift one with 'financial wisdom' - not even the wisdom of knowing that he needs unbiased financial advice. I can see a tomorrow and, therefore, find it difficult to rejoice in his success.

Why you ask? Here's why

Even in his small village there will be a lot of people chasing him — "investment consultants" There will be greedy hands pulling from all sides:

Namely, LIC agents, mutual fund agents, bank managers, other life insurance companies, pension providers, brokerage houses and bankers.It would be really interesting to track his life over the next 10 years on a year to year basis to see how much this money is scaring him, helping him, torturing him and helping him to meet his goals.

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Manipur blockade: Does anyone care? - Is anyone listening, ask hapless Manipur residents as blockade continues….

Imphal, Oct 30 (IANS) For some, it has become a way of life. As the economic blockade in Manipurcrossed an unprecedented 90 days, its residents continue to wait for a miraculous breakthrough, even as the situation has only become worse - with prices of essential commodities touching the sky and health services worsening.

'The situation has only become worse,' said a worried K.H. Phalin, managing director of the Shija hospital in Manipur. 'Despite our best efforts, we have had to turn away seriously ill patients because of lack of life saving drugs and oxygen cylinders.'

'It's a helpless situation and a real emergency,' Phalin, who is a surgeon in one of the state's biggest private hospitals, told IANS.

According to Phalin, Manipur does not have a medical gas plant of its own and relies on the nearby state of Assam. As a result of the stir, the price of oxygen cylinder has therefore gone up - by four-five times.

 

Ever since the blockade began Aug 1, the price of fuel and household commodities have also shot up. The blockade, activist Madhu Chandra says, has 'unleashed' the black market.

'There is a general scarcity of goods, but most of the things are available, but only at higher prices. Fuel for instance - it will be announced that petrol will be available from 7 a.m. tomorrow and from midnight people start queuing up their vehicles outside the fuel station,' Chandra said.

'Next morning, you will get the fuel, but after about two hours they will say that it's over. However, if you go to the market, you will get fuel, but at a higher price. It means that the black marketers are getting their supply and exploiting the people,' he added.

So, while in other states, the price of petrol is around Rs.67 a litre, in Manipur it is being sold at around Rs.200 in the black market. An LPG cylinder can cost anywhere between Rs.1,800-2,000. Then again, a kilo of potatoes will cost you around Rs.40-50 and onions at Rs.60-70.

'But people have to eat. They can't die of hunger. So they have to buy,' said Manisha Singha, a student.

'At my home, we have stopped using gas cylinder because it's just so precious! It's like we have gone back in time and use firewood. We also try and make do with home grown vegetables and fish from the local pond,' she added.

'I wonder how long will this continue. I just want my life to go back to normal,' added Singha's younger brother aged 10, Raju.

Probably, the only time when the state forgot about their daily struggles, was when Manipur celebrated one of its biggest festivals, Ningol Chakouba, Friday.

While the mood was celebratory - and further complimented by the ready availability of fish, an important ingredient of the festivities - many had to tone down their celebrations because of the steep prices of other items.

The blockade was called by the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) in demand that the Sadar Hills sub-division in the Naga-dominated Senapati district in northern Manipur be upgraded as a full-fledged district.

The United Naga Council, the apex body of Nagas in Manipur, has also been organising a counter-road blockade in all Naga-inhabited areas in northern Manipur, demanding that these areas should not be carved out without their consent.

As the people of the state continue to suffer in this tussle, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram is expected to visit the state Nov 2-3. 'I hope a breakthrough is achieved soon. People's medical bills have gone up, because hospitals are charging more for treatment, which they too can't help. I constantly pray that my family or friends don't become casualties to this blockade, like others have. Is anyone listening?,' said Chandni Jain, a student of Delhi University, who hails from Imphal.

 

 

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RA.One Movie Review

 Shah Rukh wanted RA.One to be Bollywood's reply to Hollywood superhero films. In one of his pre-release interviews, Shah Rukh talks about how we are good at doing romance, action, comedy but somehow we fall short when it comes to doing a slick superhero film compared to the Supermans and the Batmans of Hollywood. RA.One was his attempt at a production that would bridge this gap.

If we are to go by Rajeev Masand's review, Shah Rukh seems to have achieved his objective:

Once again, it's Shah Rukh Khan's sheer presence and energy, coupled with the narrative's don't-stop-to-think pace that makes 'Ra.One' watchable despite its flaws. This is an event movie, a spectacle, not really a film. It's 2 hours 35 minutes of special effects, action sequences and superficial romantic and emotional entanglements. You can see the ambition and imagination that the makers have poured into this movie…

Khalid Mohamed calls RA.One a thrill ride and seems to agree with Masand:

The Anubhav Sinha-directed Ra-One revels in being a zippy, zany, zowie ride. And the upbeat news is that the special effects fandango actually works, the closest yet to international standards: in particular a spectacular turvy-topsy car chase through London's streets, thrilling acrobatic stunts on a Mumbai local train, the collapse of Mumbai's CST terminal, and a gothic climax that's dot-on with its micro-chips syntax. So if you're in a feel-thrill mood, go right ahead and chillax.

 What other factors make RA.One work on?

Other than the special effects, is RA.One a compelling watch? Nikhat Kazmi seems to agree:

Ra-One works on several accounts. First because it has some interesting clashes betwen G-One, the good robot(Shah Rukh Khan) and Ra-One, the bad robot, who can take the form of anyone he wants. Secondly, the bond that G-One develops with the family he is supposed to protect, Kareena and her young son Prateik, is warm and winsome. There is also a lot of wit thrown in here and there in the screenplay, specially when the film concentrates on the geeky and loving Subramaniam's family dinners. And finally it is the excellently sung and choreographed Chammak-Challo number which keeps the mercury rising to unprecendented heights.

RA.One is a letdown?

Just when you thought that Shah Rukh had managed to pull this one off, some critics have completely dissed the film. Raja Sen says the film is a complete letdown:

There are people who will let this film slide. Who will say it's not bad "for a Hindi film." That if we make a superhero film we'll have to add in lots of Bollywood to make it commercially feasible, and this is as good as it gets. Hogwash. For those doubters I have two words: Mister and India. I'm glad Khan stuck his neck out and gave us a project of this magnitude, one other genuinely inventive superhero movies will doubtless use to create truly special films. Ra.One, of course, is far from it.

RA.One is a hit despite the flaws?

But die-hard Shah Rukh fans are commending his effort and hailing it as a success. Taran Adarsh is all praises, calling SRK "The Supreme Gambler of the year":

What's at stake, beside the big money invested in RA.ONE of course, is a dream, a vision, an aspiration to make a film which appeals to kids and kids at heart. In short, attempt a film that appeals to the universal audience. At the same time, it ought to raise the bar for Hindi films. Also at stake is SRK's once-unchallenged supremacy as the reigning idol of Bollywood and that elusive thing called reputation. When you invest your repute in your dream project and stick your neck out, you expect nothing short of a mega-success.

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