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Deepa
Mehta's fundamental rights Violated
The abrupt disruption in the shooting for the film Water
by the UP government has been viewed as a violation of a citizen's fundamental
right to information. Legal and constitutional experts are unanimous that
banning the shooting of the film by NRI director Deepa Mehta can be challenged
in court.
Former Delhi High Court chief Justice Rajinder Sachr said the state government
order indicates a "complete breakdown of the law and order machinery
in the state. Although I am personally against imposition of President's
Rule under Article 356, but in a situation where law and order has failed,
the state can be brought under this provision."
Sachar says that the film shooting was a legal act and the state government
is under a constitutional and legal obligation to ensure all protection
is given for the fulfilment of a legal action by a foreigner. he says
the police have to "provide protection to the entire troupe of the
film." He thinks Mehta can move the high court against the violation
of her fundamental rights to life and equality which has culminated in
infringement of her rights to freedom and expression through actors, producer
and viewers of the film. However, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
another constitutional experts said that "being a foreigner Deepa
is not entitled to rights under Article 19". However, the sacred
right is available to other members of the troupe participating in the
shooting. Therefore, the state government order can be challenged in a
court either by the producer, actors, actresses and viewers who may be
anxious to watch the controversial film in the days to come.
Senior Supreme court lawyer, R K Jain, says "Deepa Mehta can challenge
the order if it is mala fide and arbitary. She can also move the high
court and Supreme Court for the restoration of her rights to equality
and life.
Constitutional experts C S Vaidyanathan says the state government's order
prohibiting shooting of the film is in violation of a citizen's right
to information; thus the ordr is open to judicial scrutiny. He points
out that some satellite channels in India with 74 per cent foreign equity
enjoy the fundamental right under Article 19 and telecast news bulletins
and current affairs programmes.
In a recent judgment the Delhi High Court upheld foreigners' right to
freedom of speech of expression. Therefore, the same ruling can apply
in the case of Mehta's controversial film.
"Deepa Mehta can surely move the court against the state government's
order as also for the restoration of her fundamental rights under articles
19, 14 and 21," says Supreme Court lawyer Kamini Jaiswal.
Come and enjoy the shaadi on net
When Internet guru and popular web columnist Vijay Mukhi decided to
tie the knot with long-time colleague Sonal Kotecha, Shammi Kapoor had
a valuable suggestion to offer. "We're all part of the Internet-users
community," Kapoor told Mukhi."So why don't you get married
on the Internet too?" And thus was born the concept of India's first
wedding on the Net!
"Of course we understand that such an arrangement does not have any
legal standing in our country yet," says Kapoor, adding,"So
all official formalities will be taken care of earlier with the registrar
of marriages. But we will host a reception on the Internet, to which all
Net-users will be invited."
So, on a pre-designated date and time that will be announced well in advance,
a conference room will be opened up, and as Kapoor says, "It will
be given a special name, where everyone can come in, congratulate and
even bless the bride and groom. The basic ideas is that this all important
occasion will be shared without friends on the Internet", he adds.
And if you thought the novelty ended there, think again. For there's also
going to be a high priest or more popularly, a pundit, whose role here
will be played by a prominent Netizen, the US-based Kanwal Rekhi, who
will conduct the proceeding. Shammi Kapoor, the acting father of the bride,
will give her away on the Net. "Instead of a kanyadaan, there'll
be and Intermetdaan here,"he laughs.
The pucca Netizen that he is,Vijay Mukhi couldn't have been happier with
the idea. "Honestly, I'm a total Net nerd, I'm constantly logged
on and I've started relating better to my Internet friends than anyone
else. Moreover, It's such a novel concept that when the idea came up,
I jumped at it! Mukhi explains that it will be a true Internet marriage
because "even my fiancee Sonal is into computers and is just as fond
of the Internet."
The formal 'old-fashioned' marriage ceremony is scheduled for today, but
the date and time of the Net wedding is yet to be announced . "What's
happening on January 20 is nothing more than a formality to me.I'll consider
myself a married man only after my Net marriage,"says Mukhi.
Keeping in mind the novelty of the concept, one can safely assume there's
going to be loads of people who'll log on, imagine attending the wedding
ceremony sitting in your study, staring at your computer screen and of
course, meeting up with guests who are physically in different parts of
the world. And then, Imagine yourself getting married like that. Not a
bad idea at all, what say?
Still your computer is in problem.
Where IT industry is still in impression of Y2K
problem another problem is knocking there door .
Bug Cassandras managed to induce hysteria about the possibility of chaos
on January 1 to such an extent that industry and governments shelled out
up to $600 billion to prevent it.
Now there is another date which is haunting us that is -February29th,
2000-might cause computers to crash.We still can't relax is that passes
without incident. The 10th of October,2000 is the first eight digit number
of the new millennium and might somehow unhinge our computers.
February 29,2000 has credibility as a possible problem because it is a
one-day-in-400-year event. A 365-day calendar does not exactly match the
earth's cycle around the sun, so an extra day in February every four years
brings it into step again, almost. But 1800 and 1900 weren't leap years.
The rule is that all years divisible by four are leap years, except those
divisible by 100 - unless they are also divisible by 400.
Give the opacity of the reasoning, it is not surprising that some computer
calendars don't include February 29.
Most experts involved withthe millennium computer bug expected that it
would not be an explosive, spectacular event. If it had any impact, the
use of two digit numbers like 87 or 98 would cause computers to stumble
over the zeros in 2000 and gradually degrade before finally crashing.
They also warn that the initial euphoria of a glitch-free holiday weekend
might not last when corporate, banking and government computers are switched
on when New Year holidays are over. In India Reserve Bank of India declared
that there is no holiday taken by the Bank employee except sunday.
The lear year date will not cause serious problem, according to Gartner
Group analyst Andy Kyte. "There could be come residual leap year
problems because of calculations based on what day of the week comes after
February 29, but there won't be any explosion on the day." Kyte said.
Year 2000 expert for US computer services for Us computers services company
Electronic Data Systems Corp, is looking at other dates for evidence of
computer problems and dismisses any possibility of fallout from 10/10/2000.
Let's wait and watch what will be happened with our computers.
Brightest
moon in 133 years on December 23
The
millenium's last full moon on December 23 will be the brightest in 133
years. According to Bharat Adur, a senior scientist at the Nehru Centre
here occured on December 21, 1866.
He said this would happen because the earth and the sun would be closer
to each other on that day. So will be the earth and the moon. Consequently,
he said, the moon would appear about 14 per cent larger than it does on
any normal day. The sunlight striking the moon would be seven per cent
stronger amount of moon light.
The Confederation of Indian Amateur Astronomers has said that observers
should look for a vantage point facing the east to observe the moon between
December 20 and 24 in order to get a glimpse of some "good nature
activities in moonshine".
Mumbai gives Miss World a queen's welcome
About a thousand destitute children at the children's
Aid Society learnt a big lesson outside the confines of their classrooms
on Wednesday - Miss World Yukta Mookhey arrived a good half-hour ahead
of schedule for her first programme on the city itinerary.
As her dark blue Mercedes, arranged by Adarsh blue Mercedes,
arranged by Adarsh Rent-a-Car, drove on to the campus, a moment of surprise
was followed by bobbing heads and applause. yukta, in a pale olive salwar-kameez
and that bejewelled crown, was accompanied by hea d of the Miss World
Organisation Julia Morley in a blue dress.
While a cultural programme by the children was on, Yukta
pulled a little girl from the crowd towards her and whispered into her
ear. She constantly kept waving and smiling to the children, and when
she came on stage to speak, she asked her audience, overwhelmingly between
three and 16 years, "Mi Marathith bolu ki Hindi maddhye bolu"
"Marathi", roared the gathering. After a smattering
of Marathi, she wound in chaste Hindi, underlining that beauty lay in
the mind and that everyone was beautiful in his or her own way.
Her convoy was led by; a police jeep,
followed by her parents in a Mercedes, a Maruti Gypsy blaring Western
numbers from its stereo, and the chariot making up the glamourous tail.
The Mumbai police kept over-enthusiastic young boys at bay. Sleuths of
Tops Security were at their vigilant best.
After the journey, which ended near the Mulund fire
brigade, Yukta quickly boarded the Mercedes and zoomed off. The gala procession,
for which people had gathered since 5 pm, concluded a couple of hours
later. More than 300 people gathered near Yukta's building - Luv Kush,
on M.G.Road, Mulund (west). "My husband and I have come all the way
from Bhandup to see her," said Asha Motwani. "We missed the
procession, so we don't mind waiting near the building for a few more
hours to catch a glimpse when she returns at night".
Net4India to provide Net through Cable
Net4India, a Delhi based Interned service provider,
is in talks with a number of cable TV service providers to provide Internet
access through cable. The company is also toying with the idea to provide
Internet access through asymmetrical digital subscriber lines(aDSL).
"We Will bundle the cable with the Internet access,"
CEO of Net4India Jasjit Sawhney said on Wednesday, adding that "a
hire/purchase agreement with the subscriber will be worked out."
A cable modem, at present, costs Rs 15,000 but is rapidly coming down.
Net4India, which had provided free Internet access to
1,000 users during its beta launch, has targeted the home, small and medium
enterprises segment. It is charging Rs 12,500 for unlimited access for
1 year, Rs 7,500 for six months and Rs 5,500 for three months. The rate
for 100 hours Internet access is Rs 1750 and Rs 450 for 25 hours. There
will be no registration charges.
Commenting on the price war going on in the ISP business, Sawhney said
"we're taking on other ISPs on service quality and not fighting with
them on price points."
The company which has applied for a category A (national) ISP license
also plans to start operations in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore by the
first quarter of the next year. Net4India also plans to add one major
city to this list every month till December 2000. At present, it holds
a Category B ISP license. The company plans to fund the expansion with
the help of internal accruals, venture capital funds and a proposed IPO.
The company will also providd localised, city-specific content (e.g. Net4Delhi,
Net4Mimbai etc) to its subscribers soon, Sawhney said.
Matiz to cost more from January
The small car, Matiz, of Daewoo Motor India Ltd.
will become costlier by about Rs 20,000 in early january, a top company
official said.
The manufacturing cost of Matiz has gone up by about Rs 30,000 per car
due to increase in material cost and improving quality and safeyty of
the vehicle, but the company has decided to pass on only about Rs 20,000
to the customers, DMIL deputy managing director B S Min told.
However, he declined to say what the exact prices of the different versions
would be after the hike. Following the hike, the price of the stripped
down version of the car would be in the range of Rs 3.15 lakh. Matiz is
already fitted with the multi point fuel injection system and comply the
Euro II norms.
The customers who have lalready booked matiz cars by paying full amount,
would get the vehicle at the existing prices, the company officials said.
Recently, Hyundai also had indicated that it would increase the price
of its small car Santro by around Rs 20,000. This would take the price
of the car to Rs 3.20 lakh.
Maruti's lowest version of Zen is presently priced at Rs 2.97 lakh. However,
htis car is not Euro II compliant. To meet the Euro II norms, the car
will fitted with MPFI system. According to a source in the company, this
would lead to rise in the price of the car by at least around Rs25000.
This would take the price of stripped down version of Zen to Rs 3.25 lakh.
Daewoo attributed the hike to overall price increase in the industry.
Vital components and safety-related features of Matiz attract higher prices
because of quality of the product and its unavailability in the dometic
market, officials said, adding, that was also one of the reaosns for increasing
the price.
India Yukta Mookhey is Miss World
Miss India Yukta Mookhey, 20, was crowned Miss World
1999 in London last night.
The second and thrid prizes in the competition, which attracted entrants
from 94 countries, went to Miss Venezuala Martina Thorogood, 24, and Miss
South Africa Sonia Raciti, 21.
"I did my best and I left the rest to god," said Mookhey later,
wearing a tight-fitiing sky-blue sequinned evening gown.
She also expressed the desire to visit Paris, "because it is so romantic".
Competitors donned both evening wear and swimsuits to prade before eight
judges, including world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis and Formula
One racing driver Eddie Irvine.
But demonstrators outside the west London Olympia Centre, where the contest
was held, denounced it as a "sexist cattle market". 'Fat chicks
are cool.' declared one banner, while another said: "Women's bodies
are not for sale".
Laloo's daughter 'tops' MBBS exam
The eldest daughter of RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav
and chief minister Rabri Devi, Misa Barti, who had failed to clear the
medical college entrance examination and got admission in the M G M Medical
College, Jamshedpur, on The Tatas' quota in 1993, has created a record
of sorts by topping the MBBS examination results were declared four days
ago. Incidentally, Misa is getting married here on December 10.
Misa shifted ot the Patna Medical College after topping
the first year MBBS examination from the Jamshedpur college which falls
under Ranchi Univerrsity. She secured honours in all the three subjects
- physiology, anatomy and biochemistry - in the first year and by virtue
of this stupendous feat, got transferred to PMC where again she secured
honours in two of the five subjects in the second year examination. In
the final MBBS examination, Misa was the lone student to have secured
honours in any clinical subject, according to PMC principal D.P.Sinha.
Replying to a question, Sinha said he did not know how many marks Misa
secured in the final exm but according to sources close to him she got
more than 860 marks out a total of 1,200.
Several students alleged that the CM's daughter very rarely attended classes.
Some teachers too held similar views. But Sinha strongly denied this charge
and said none of the heads of department had ever made such a complaint
to him in writing.
Describing the MBBS examination as a big farce, tha state ABVP unit has
urged the chancellor of universities in the state to order a high level
inquiry into this year's MBBS results.
BJP spokesperson Kiran Ghai alleged that Misa was a student of Patna Women's
College while doing her Intermediate but she had to shift to a smaller
local college when it became clear to her that she would not be sent up
for the final intermediate examination. Misa cleared her I.Sc. examination
from that local college securing very good marks. Ghai, who herself teaches
Hindi at the Ptna Women's College, alleged that Misa's parents had used
their influence from her admission to the MGM Medical College to her transfer
to PMC, and subsequently for her 'bright' academic results. Ghai claimed
to have once examined the Hindi answer-sheet of Misa in the college examination
and found her performance to be below par.
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