Rumors: Devender Goud to join Chiranjeevi

Some important developments are in the offing in state. Telugu Desam Party veteran and former home minister T Devender Goud is set to join hands with mega star Chiranjeevi, who is expected to announce launching his own political outfit in the new year.

Vexed with Chandrababu Naidu’s tantrums aimed at him, Goud is seriously thinking of joining the bandwagon, which is likely to have the cause of social justice, sources said. In this case, Chiranjeevi, will have to acknowledge Goud as virtually No 2 in the new party.

This status has been eluding Goud in TDP presently. “Sometimes, Goud assumes that he is No 2 after Naidu, but he is equated with just yet another light weight, like Kadiam Srihari or Errabelli Dayakar Rao,” pointed out a TDP leader close to the Medchel MLA.

Goud is more hurt by the fact that certain TDP seniors like Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, who openly ridicule Goud, are believed to have the backing of TDP chief. “Naidu has no guts to challenge Goud openly, but he does give pinpricks to the latter indirectly,” said the Goud aide.

Normally, Goud always addresses Naidu as Sir”. But, of late, he started using singular number terms like “Aaayana” and “Baabu”. One should not forget the fact, that TDP senior Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao lost his place with Naidu, just because he addressed the CM as “Baabu” in a cabinet meeting long ago.

If Goud dumps Naidu, and embaraces Chiranjeevi, it is going to be a biggest blow to TDP in Telangana region. Not only that, backward classes elsewhere too would develop cold feet for TDP and distance themselves from it.

Some advisors of Goud are of the view that he should float a separate Telangna TDP and have a tie up with Chiranjeevi. “But, no final decision is taken on the course of action,” a Goud associate said. Anyway, Goud is going to unveil his political ambitions before 2009 polls.

Devendar Goud suggests, Babu follows

Till a few days ago it was the other way round. Telugu Desam supremo N Chandrababu Naidu used to call the shots in the party meetings and internal discussions. Now it is senior party leader T Devendar Goud who has been virtually dictating terms in the review meetings. Devendar Goud's suggestions and advices are accepted by Chandrababu Naidu instantly. Now that he is in the race for power, with State Assembly polls fast approaching, Chandrababu Naidu has come to terms. He knows fully well that if he has to win the political race, he should keep everyone in the Telugu Desam in happy mood. Since Devendar Goud hails from the backward Telangana and his role getting important in the area, Chandrababu Naidu does not want to antagonise him. Devendar Goud has of late emerged as a crowd puller in the Telangana region and Chandrababu Naidu wants to keep Devendar Goud in good humour at least till he bounces back to power.

On Monday during the Politburo meeting of the Telugu Desam, Devendar Goud came up with a list of suggestions which Chandrababu Naiud promptly agreed to implement. Even the distribution of blankets among the inmates of social welfare hostels is the idea thrown up by Devendar Goud.

BC leaders in the Telugu Desam are happy that Chandrababu Naidu is at last giving importance to senior leaders in the party. But the million dollar question that remains unanswered is: will Chandrababu Naidu continue with the same generous attitude after he comes to power, whether in 2009 or 2014.

Y S Jagan as Youth Congress president?

Will Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, son of Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, take over as the president of Andhra Pradesh Yough Congress?

Well, Khammam Zilla parishad chairperson G Vijayalaxmi wishes so. She asked Jaganmohan Reddy to join politics and take over as the Youth Congress president, so that he could give a new direction to the youth of the State.

Mrs Vijayalaxmi said that the energetic leaders like Jagan should not be away to the politics and he should join politics to extend his services to the poor. "I felt the above as a mother and I hope Jagan may honour my appeal", she said and she added that she noticed various programmes organised by him for the welfare of the poor in Kadapa and other districts.

Merry Christmas

Gossip: Yester Years' Heroine Rs. 30,000 For Single Night

A yester years' heroine who hails from Chennai is earning Rs 30,000 per single night by selling herself. This is the plight of this actress to meet the family requirements. She acted in number of films (Telugu and Tamil) in 90s and slowly gone oblivion. She couldn't make enough of savings for her future. Hence she is acting in TV serials as well now and then. She is indulging in escorting men and a pimp is working on her behalf.

The issue was leaked when the lady approached a doctor for contraceptives and general health check up for the fear of any STD. She was proved unaffected as of now but the hospital sources leaked the information. When enquired, her fee details and activities have come out. She is spending much of her time in Chennai and also in Hyderabad now and then. She is not so active in films now and her Hyderabad visits will be for this 'trade' in general. As she is not much expensive, there are many among affluent men who are choosing this lady. Her recent tryst was in a bungalow on Road 10 Banjara Hills.

Although she is 30 plus now, she still looks hot with traditional look.

Female condoms, an emerging market in India

New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Indian women are gradually waking up to the fact that their sexual health is in their own hands - if the sale of female condoms is anything to go by.

"The market for female condoms is just beginning to develop," said M. Ayyappan, chairman and managing director, Hindustan Latex Ltd (HLL), a state-run condom manufacturer and so far the only player in this market, told IANS.

"Currently, the male condom market in India is to the tune of two billion pieces annually, and we are expecting the female condom category to attain at least three percent of that in the next three years."

According to health experts, the need for female condoms had always been felt, especially among sex workers for whom it is not just a way to ward off sexually transmitted diseases but also a tool of empowerment.

HLL recently launched a new type of female condom, Velvet, a more cost effective product than its predecessor Confidom, which is for the premium segment. One pack of Velvet costs Rs.100 and contains three pieces and Confidom costs Rs.250 consisting of two pieces.

Velvet is manufactured in HLL's plant in Kerala. It is made of a material called Nitrile, which is provided by its US-based partner Female Health Company.

"The distribution channel for Velvet is the regular medical stores and modern trade outlets (like superstores). We are also in the process of installing female condom vending machines at high-end hotels to dispense the condoms," said Ayyappan.

"The product will soon be available through e-commerce at getcloser.in website and other e-portals. Confidom is already available through e-commerce."

In the first year of launch, the company expects to sell 1.5 million packets of Velvet.

HLL has a sales target of about Rs.5 billion by financial year 2008-09, of which about 8-10 percent is expected to be contributed by the female condom segment. It aims to achieve a turnover of Rs.10 billion by 2010.

The company, which posted a turnover of Rs.2.44 billion, exports its products to over 70 countries around the world. It is also exploring the option of exporting Velvet.

Narendra Malhotra, president, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India and Family Planning Association of India (FOGSI), said: "The unmet need of female condoms in India is huge and if marketed properly this may become the fastest and hottest selling method. The potential is huge."

"And looking at its business potential, a lot of private players are expected to come into the market," Malhotra added.

Agrees Ayyappan, who says: "Currently we are the only company marketing the product. But we do expect private firms to get into the category and any amount of competition is always good for the consumer and the category."

"More options being available will only increase the prevalence rate of contraceptives."

HLL is also working extensively in six states - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal - to increase awareness of female condoms.

"Any new contraceptive choice takes a few years to gain complete acceptance among the masses," said Rajeev Kumar, product manager (consumer business division), HLL.

"Today, a significant section of Indian women are financially free. Earlier, the woman had to depend on the man for using condoms. Female condom provides an increased option of contraception and gives a choice to the woman," Kumar added.

But still a lot needs to be done as far as awareness and acceptance of the products is concerned.

"Even though it is picking up, awareness about female condoms has not yet gained as much popularity, especially among women from the higher social strata," said Ayyappan.

Political Buzz: 'Modi is Dhoni of Team BJP'

NEW DELHI(PTI): The 'Dhoni' of Congress Rahul Gandhi may not have been able to make the party victorious in Gujarat but that does not stop BJP to equate its mascot Narendra Modi to the youthful captain of the Indian cricket team.

As soon as Gujarat Assembly polls threw up a remarkable victory for the party, BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said it was a win of the 'Team BJP' led by Modi.

"Team BJP fought the elections with vigour and Modi has emerged as the Man of the Match. He has become the Dhoni of the party," Prasad told reporters here, apparently likening the BJP's victory to the spectacular win in the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup three months back.

Rahul was described by the Congress as their 'Dhoni' when he was appointed AICC General Secretary in September. His appointment coincided with the World Cup victory and Congress lost no time in seeking to cash in on it.

The 37-year-old Congress heir apparent was subsequently fielded by the party in Gujarat with the hope that he would manage them wrest power in the state from Modi-led BJP.

The charisma of 57-year-old former RSS pracharak , however, proved too much for the 'Dhoni' of Congress.

The "if" promises of Chandrababu Naidu

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has been rolling out promises after promises from his tongue. But all these promises come with a tag: "If".

The TD is now in the Opposition. So if it has to implement the promises it has been making to people in the last four years, the party need to come to power. It has to dethrone the Congress to claim power in the State.

So ever promise Chandrababu Naidu makes is, "if elected to power we will do this and that". Chandrababu Naidu did not do these things when he was power for nine long year. Now that he is in the Opposition, he says that he will do this and that if he were elected to power in the next State Assembly elections.

The latest promise he had made on Saturday was with regard to waiver of all loans - both commercial and cooperative -- borrowed by artisans and craftsmen. He also promised that he will provide loans to these sections at 10 paise interest. His yet another promise was to set up a fund with Rs 1000 crore for the welfare of backward classes.

While Chandrababu Naidu is busy with his "ifs and buts", the Congress government is marching ahead with his concrete promises and fulfilling them at the earliest. Now it is for the voters to decide whether to believe in Chandrababu Naidu or the Congress.

Kapu leaders stumbling blocks for Chiru

Look who is creating problems for film star Chiranjeevi! They are not Kammas or Reddys. But leaders from the Kapu community, to which Chiranjeevi belongs.

According to inside sources, the film star is delaying his decision to plunge into politics primarily because he is not getting the much needed support from the leaders of his own community. Chiranjeevi hoped to muster the support of Kapu strongman and Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao. But Chiranjeevi could not get Dasari's support. Sources point out that Dasari is not in favour of Chiranjeevi entering into politics at this juncture. Other senior Kapu leaders, both in the Congress and the Telugu Desam, are also against the film star entering the political arena.

The reason for this is quite simple. These Kapu leaders have been enjoying political privileges all these years. And now they do not want to hand over their independence to Chiranjeevi. If Chiranjeevi sets up a political party, all these Kapu leaders will have to play the second fiddle. And who wants to be the second-in-command to a film actor, particularly after calling the shots all these years?

If Chiranjeevi has to set up a political party, he will not get first class Kapu politicians to back him. He will have just second rung or non-influential Kapu leaders beside him. The film star has to depend on other castes for votes and this in a way will prove beneficial to the film star, political observers feel.

Fact Sheet: Chandrababu Pulling Lokesh Into TDP

Former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu is silently preparing his only son N Lokesh for "arangetram" in politics. All this has been going on behind the four walls of Chandrababu Naidu's residence. Lokesh has also been visiting NTR Bhavan but secretly.

When Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy is grooming his son YS Jaganmohan Reddy, will his bete noire Chandrababu Naidu lag behind in selecting his political heir in Andhra Pradesh? The race has begun. Rajasekhar Reddy is doing it openly, because Jaganmohan Reddy has already settled in life and is planning to launch his own newspaper. But this is not the case with Lokesh. He is yet to "complete" his studies. Though he is the rich son of a rich father, Lokesh has not made a mark in life, except marrying the daughter of his uncle, film actor N Balakrishna.

Jaganmohan Reddy definitely has the edge over Lokesh. And this is the reason why Chandrababu Naidu does not want to announce in the open that Lokesh will join politics. Nevertheless, Lokesh is being trained by Chandrababu Naidu on how to take over the reins of the Telugu Desam and rule over the State.

Moreover, Jagan is more mature than Lokesh. Though Lokesh wants to be independent, Chandrababu Naidu still considers him as a "child" who needs parental support to come up in life.

This is the tale of two fathers and two sons, who want to make it big in the political horizon of the State.

Fact Sheet: When Uma sought the support of YSR

Former minister and Telugu Desam legislator A Uma Madhava Reddy had been in a major problem for quite long time. But she chose to approach Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy for help and not her own political boss and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

According to inside sources, Uma had some financial problem with an influential person. She made several efforts to get back the money and settle the issue. After all the efforts failed to deliver the goods, she had a brain wave; to approach Rajasekhar Reddy for help.

In just two days Rajasekhar Reddy is said to have settled Uma's problem. And pray tell why did she approach the chief minister and not the Telugu Desam supremo. The answer is quite obvious. Chandrababu Naidu is an elusive politician who does not extend a helping hand quite often. So she thought it would be an exercise in futility to seek the help of Chandrababu Naidu. Rajasekhar Reddy, on the other hand, is known for his helping nature. And he thoughtful action paid off.

The men and women who dominated events in 2007

New Delhi(IANS): It was a year of Marx and malls, billionaire fantasies and pangs of land acquisition, Nobel glories and Nithari shame. In the scramble of events, it wasn't easy to pick just 10 names that dominated events in 2007. But this list of newsmakers compiled by IANS journalists attempts to embody the new India with all its contradictions.

There's billionaire businessman Ratan Tata whose Tata Steel acquired the largest British steel-maker Corus in an $11 billion deal in an empire-strikes-back move.

If business showed a new can-do attitude, Indian politics presented a spectacle of schizophrenia and unresolved tensions. Marxist chief Prakash Karat makes it to the list for almost single-handedly derailing India's nuclear covenant with the US and questioning how the government modernised the economy.

His comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the market-friendly chief minister of Left-ruled West Bengal, also dominated headlines but for the crisis he caused with his land acquisition policy, particularly in Nandigram.

Dalit leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati forged a rainbow electoral coalition that embraced upper and lower castes and Muslims in one magic formula that brought her to power in India's most populous state.

Away from the hurly burly of politics, environmentalist R.K. Pachauri brought Nobel glory to India as head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with the promise of clean climate that has become the reigning theme of global discourse.

Shah Rukh Khan, the unquestioned king of Bollywood, reinvented himself as the quiz show host and fed billionaire fantasies of middle class Indians with "Kaun Banega Creorepati" and became a mega earner for Bollywood with "Chak De! India" and "Om Shanti Om".

Ace actor and born-again Gandhian Sanjay Dutt showed grace under pressure by braving the rigours of jail after being sentenced for his role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni enthralled the cricket-crazy nation by shepherding India to victory in the latest Twenty20 makeover of the game. Rajnikant soared to new heights of mass adulation in southern India with "Sivaji: The Boss", India's most expensive movie at $20 million.

In this list of newsmakers, one name may sound incongruent. Moninder Singh Pandher made headlines for plumbing new depths of depravity as skeletons of girls and children whom he and his servant allegedly raped and murdered emerged from his house in Noida.

The 10 headline-grabbers:

Prakash Karat
India's youngest Communist commissar, Prakash Karat, dominated headlines like no Marxist has ever had, almost killing a path-breaking nuclear deal with the US and injecting political uncertainty for a government when none existed.

The unassuming Karat dramatically took on the Congress-led government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, warning it not to sign the deal that had been arrived at after months of intense negotiations in New Delhi and Washington.

Even in his aggression, the Myanmar-born and Edinburgh-educated Karat was suave but made it amply clear that the government existed at the mercy of his Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its smaller allies and that they could not be ignored without a heavy price being paid.

In the process, Karat became a powerful political actor, determining the future of one of the most significant and controversial foreign and strategic policies, without being in power and without ever contesting any election to parliament.

However, mirroring the dialectics of Marxism, Karat exhibited flip-flop, now hinting at early elections and then saying he didn't mean it, now insisting that the government can't talk to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and then giving a reluctant go-ahead.

Eventually, Karat did lose some sheen and contributed to the rumblings among his smaller allies that the CPI-M boss was acting unilaterally akin to a "big brother" - much like the George Bush he so much reviles.

In the CPI-M itself, the man who took supreme charge two years ago, succeeding the ageing but veteran Harkishan Singh Surjeet, remains the undisputed hero. And along with his wife Brinda, the Karats are probably the world's most influential Communist family.

Mayawati
If Karat made waves, Dalit icon Mayawati unleashed a tsunami in 2007. The feisty former school teacher single-handedly achieved what everyone thought was impossible: bringing her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to power in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, on its own strength.

It was a success that had eluded her mentor, the late Kanshi Ram. At a time when all major political parties had accepted the inevitability of a hung house in Uttar Pradesh (population 166 million), Mayawati proved everyone wrong.

Having consolidated her base among the Dalit community and having expanded the BSP's fangs to all parts of northern and central India, using lingo that often put off other communities, Mayawati suddenly changed tracks to do a "social engineering". She forged bonds between the long-oppressed Dalits and the high-caste Brahmins to create an electoral revolution, having many others including large sections of Muslims already on her side.

It was a magic formula that decimated the Congress - the original inventor of the Dalit-Muslim-Brahmin formula, jolted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ousted an overconfident Samajwadi Party. For the first time, the BSP won seats in every region of the sprawling Uttar Pradesh, bagging 206 seats in the house of 403.

Mayawati, her admirers say, has set her sights high - very high. And the lonely ranger believes that the slow and steady always win the race. A "social engineering" of the Uttar Pradesh type may not be possible everywhere but the BSP chief knows the power even some seats in a hung assembly can command. With both the Congress and the BJP hoping to forge electoral ties with Maywati some day, she is most likely to play a more and more important role in national politics.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
While Karat rode high in 2007, his friend and fellow Communist Buddhadeb Bhattacharya hit a new low in the politics of West Bengal that has been in the grip of the CPI-M for three long decades.

From a 'bhadralok' who was counted as a saviour when he took charge of the state, Bhattacharya became one of its most hated figures when he sent hundreds of his party cadres to storm and "capture" Nandigram from those who had taken charge of the region to protest against the government's bid to hand over farmland to industry.

For the first time since the Left Front led by the CPI-M came to power in 1977, thousands, many otherwise sympathetic to the Reds, took to the streets to denounce the chief minister who had topped popularity charts since replacing the veteran Jyoti Basu and leading his nine-party alliance to victory in 2006.

But the theatre-lover Bhattacharya's love for industry, in a state where the CPI-M and other leftwing groups have had a strong base among farmers, proved to be his undoing.

As the chief minister unveiled plans to set up special economic zones, by acquiring farmland albeit after compensating the landowners, a revolt swept parts of West Bengal. The Trinamul Congress plunged in - and found unexpected support from within a disgruntled Left Front.

Even as Singur, where the Tatas will build small cars, and other places accepted fate, willingly or otherwise, Nandigram turned out to be Bhattacharya's Stalingrad. There, an assortment of anti-Marxists joined hands to drag the CPI-M into long-term misery.

Nandigram was not the only black spot. The role of some of his senior police officers in the mysterious murder of a young Muslim man who had married the daughter of a Hindu industrialist and the manner his government asked Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen to quit Kolkata following Muslim protests shocked many.

In no time, Bhattacharya lost the high moral ground he had for so long. Towards the end of 2007, Bhattacharya looked like a poor shadow of the Chinese revolutionary he tried to ape: Deng Xiaoping.

Ratan Tata
It was a glorious year for Ratan Naval Tata, chairperson of India's biggest industrial house, and for India Inc when his $29 billion group bought Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus for $11.1 billion - the largest acquisition of an overseas company by an Indian business house.

The global corporate elite was impressed with Fortune magazine naming Tata as one of 25 most influential people in the world in 2007. This deal pitchforked India into the big-league of the multibillion-dollar world of mega mergers and acquisitions and raised many an eyebrows as Corus, at that point, was ranked the eight largest producer of steel in the world and several times larger than the Tata Steel.

A graduate of Cornell University, Tata pulled off something a coup when he announced that Tata Motors, another company in the group's stable of 97 companies, would sell a small car for all of Rs.100,000 ($2,500) that India's burgeoning middle class could afford.

The hiving off of Tata Consultancy, India's largest exporter of software, into a separate company, part acquisition of Energy Brands of the US for $677 million and buy out of Singapore's NatSteel for $468 million are some of the major deals that bore his distinct personal stamp.

Buoyed by a string of successes, Tata Group has now set its eyes on acquiring two iconic British automobile brands - Jaguar and Land Rover. The global business community saw the Tata success as the symbol of India Inc's new acquisitive appetite and global ambitions.

Shah Rukh Khan
Whether for his six pack abs, his one-liners or as the man who gave Bollywood its two biggest hits in 2007, Shah Rukh Khan was seldom off the news this year - or from our consciousness.

He began the year as the charming quizmaster in the TV show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" that had men and women of all ages blushing as he flirted outrageously or took gentle jibes. In between he was the intense Kabir Khan who battled stereotype and failure in "Chak De! India", which was made for Rs.200 million ($5 million) and garnered more than three times as much - Rs.640 million.

For the 42-year-old SRK, 2007 has also ended in a blaze of glory with his portrayal as the goofy Om in the madcap "Om Shanti Om", produced by him and directed by pal Farah Khan. The film is going strong and is already being touted as the biggest hit of the millennium, beating the 2001 partition melodrama "Gadar".

Off the screen, Shah Rukh was the most seen and most talked about star, who shone as an actor too, with his many endorsements and pronouncements on everything from Islam to his six pack abs.

He spoke to a newsmagazine about his family and what it meant being a Muslim in today's India, he was an invited guest at the HT Leadership Summit and talked about his vision for the future, he was chief guest at the Summit on Entertainment and Media organised by the industry lobby Assocham. The young Khan was also widely believed to be taking on the mighty Bachchans - Bollywood's premier family.

Shah Rukh Khan was everywhere this year - because he was the most saleable, because he was the thinking person's hero who read his newspapers, and also because he now sports washboard abs and a gelled ponytail that has spawned a thousand look-alikes.

Sanjay Dutt
Is he the lovable Munnabhai who brought Mahatma Gandhi back into the reckoning or a pampered brat once again jailed for his connection with the 1993 Mumbai terror blasts? The many faces of actor Sanjay Dutt kept him in the news for much of 2007, with his screen successes eclipsed by the drama in his real life.

Dutt's biggest success "Lage Raho Munnabhai" was released last year. But the magic carried on to 2007 with the screen persona of the lovable hoodlum who becomes a Gandhian still holding sway. And when a Mumbai court sentenced him to six years in jail after absolving him of terror charges and convicting him for being in possession of illegal weapons, he captured the public imagination -- and the headlines.

The hot topic of discussion everywhere was whether he deserved it. Intricacies of the Arms Act and the Probation of Offenders Act under which he appealed for leniency were avidly debated.

The irony didn't escape anyone. The man who popularised the apostle of non-violence was playing around with deadly weapons before the worst terror attack in the country, and that only enhanced his appeal.

Dutt, who had only one big release "Shootout at Lokhandwala" in 2007, was in and out of jail from August onwards and every detail was lapped up. What he was wearing in court, what he ate for lunch in jail and even what his girlfriend was wearing, every incidental detail about the star's life was prime time news for the star-struck nation.

His mother's death from cancer and his wife's from a brain tumour, his battle with drugs, his straying to the other side of the law and his jail term... Dutt's has been a star-crossed life that is more compelling than fiction.

It is perhaps that tragic flaw in the otherwise charmed life that ensures that he is never away from the headlines.

Rajendra Kumar Pachauri
R.K. Pachauri is not your typical eco-warrior haranguing corporations and governments on their blithe indifference to the perils of climate change. But when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body which Pachauri heads, jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize with former US vice-president Al Gore, this poetry and cricket-loving environmentalist was all over the world's airwaves.

The IPCC's seminal report on climate change is a collaborative work of hundreds of authors and thousands of contributors from all over the world. One of Pachauri's major achievements has been to put these together into a logically coherent report that has done more than anything else to bring home the danger and immediacy of global warming.

After the publication of this report, Pachauri went on an evangelical tour of the world, tirelessly explaining its significance to policymakers and common people alike. At the Bali meet on climate change, Pachauri's smiling urbane self and calm voice did much to bring some coherence into fierce quibbles over the contours of the new climate regime.

The 67-year-old Pachauri has been chairman of the IPCC since 2002. He has also headed the New Delhi-based think-tank The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) since its inception 25 years ago. As a member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Climate Change, Pachauri is playing a major role in shaping India's response to global warming in the form of a national action plan, which is to be finalised by February or March.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni
He's the Captain Cool of Indian cricket who relishes pressure cooker situations. Leading from the front, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from Ranchi, showed that he had it in him and more. Not just did the Pepsi & MTV youth icon carry India through five humdinger matches at the Twenty20 world championships in Johannesburg, he pulled off an incredible victory against Pakistan and plunged cricket-crazy Indians into wild euphoria.

More importantly, his presence marked a tectonic shift in Team India's selection process. His self-belief and consistency have served as a model for aspiring cricketers, inspiring many to transcend their social and economic class to make it big in Indian cricket.

Now shorn of his neck length tresses despite Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf's advice to him not to change his coiffure, the cricketer's scant regard for world rankings and emphasis on performance have led him to don the mantle of India's one-day international captain.

Affectionately called Mahi, the talented cricketer has scaled great heights in just a short time since he debuted in international cricket three years ago. His on-field exploits have also made him one of the hottest properties in advertising, with his charisma selling products as diverse as Reebok to Mysore sandal soap!

He could well have been lost to football but for his soccer coach who felt he was destined for cricketing glory. Football's loss has become Indian cricket's gain, and Dhoni's fairytale career is peaking new heights.

Rajnikant
His real name is Shivajirao Gaekwad. But he goes by other soubriquets such as Periya Thalaivar (Big Boss) and Kadavul (God) and rules millions of hearts not just in India but also across the world who literally worship his machismo and flamboyance. Without doubt, Rajnikant, the style icon of south Indian cinema and loosely described as the country's answer to James Bond, is a phenomenon that just gets bigger all the time.

After three decades in filmdom that has helped him achieve superstar status, the 57-year-old Rajnikant broke all records June 15, releasing the much-awaited big-budget Tamil movie "Sivaji: The Boss" worldwide. It was his 100th release, the most expensive Indian movie ever made at an estimated Rs.800 million and the first Tamil film to be released simultaneously in the US, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia.

Just in sheer terms of reach and marketing the movie was a roaring success story and bore testimony to the star's incredible fan following. In Malaysia there were riots by Rajni fans in front of theatres when the prints didn't arrive in time, sure-fire sign that Rajni's mystique transcends cultures and territorial boundaries.

Such is his trans-national appeal that even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not resist evoking the cult of Odori Maharaja, as the star is known in Japan, in his address to the Japanese Diet last year. For the man who started his life as a bus conductor, it's been one long glorious journey and one that carries agonies and ecstasies of millions of his fans.

Moninder Singh Pandher
Evil lurks in the unlikeliest of places. It was a story of gruesome killing of children, rape and even cannibalism that repulsed India - and the man at the centre of it was the benign looking businessman Moninder Singh Pandher who lived in a bungalow in Noida and had studied in some of India's best institutions.

When skeletons of children and women started emerging from a drain adjoining the house in the fading days of last year, conventional notions of barbarity and shamefulness were challenged.

The skeletal remains of at least 19 children and young women were dredged out from the drain. Pandher, alias Goldi, and his servant Surendra Koli were alleged to have raped the victims, then mutilated the bodies - and there was talk of cannibalism too.

Almost every day since the scandal first broke, macabre details emerged about how the master and the servant colluded to enact a pornographic horror show with victims hacked to pieces after the orgy was over.

The rich businessman protested innocence and tried to make his servant the fall guy. But a shocked nation was not interested in the legal nitty-gritty and watched unquestioningly as television shots of him being almost lynched by lawyers outside the Ghaziabad court were aired. As 2007 ended, Pandher had been accused in a couple of murder cases and was safely ensconced in Ghaziabad's Dasna jail.

Pandher was more than just the crime story of the year.

Spotlight: Allu Aravind As Deputy CM!

No one knows when Chiranjeevi really enters politics but the discussions on it are in different forms. An interesting discussion took place in Film Nagar last evening among two-on-screen celebrities and three behind the screen technicians those are seniors.

A person in the group said, "If Chiranjeevi sets up a party that would win 60 seats I believe. TRS would win 40 as there is string sentiment this time. Congress would win 80 and TDP would bag 90. The remaining seats will be shared by BJP and Lok Satta if possible".

Then immediately the other continued the discussion saying, "If that will be the case, then Congress and TDP would desperately try for Chiranjeevi's support. Then Chiranjeevi wouldn't come onto main picture. He will be behind the scene like a king maker, Bal Thackeray. Then Allu Aravind would come into the picture on the condition of giving him Deputy CM position. Chances will be very meagre for Chiranjeevi's party associating with TDP. It may join only Congress depending on the situation. It has to join either of those two parties but cannot sustain peacefully standing independent. Chances are there for TDP joining with TRS. Chandrababu would shell out Rs 1000 Cr for KCR and also promising a special package for Telangana. And with that KCR turns towards him".

The other person interrupted and said, "If Ashwini Dutt joins Chiranjeevi's party he will be given Cinematography Ministership".

And the discussion went on that way in cinematic way. It recalled the adage 'aalu ledhu choolu ledu koduku peru…'!! Well, who knows how many would like this wild dream and incredible assumption.

Discussion on Chiranjeevi is not only the common people's stuff but also equally treated by cine celebrities.

Andhra Students Murder: $5,000 reward for info

WASHINGTON/BATON ROUGE: Police has offered a USD 5,000 reward for credible information about the killers of two Indian doctoral students at Louisiana State University, as tips poured in after the release of sketches of two suspects.

Earlier on Thursday, the police released the sketches of two men wanted for questioning in the murder of two Indian students in the university campus, after meeting the Indian diplomats.

The sketches were made from descriptions given by witnesses who saw two people around the apartment. They were seen hurriedly leaving the apartment complex in a car with one or two other people, police said, adding the sketches were available for download at http://www.lsu.edu/pa/photos .

According to the police, "All indications so far are that the suspects were looking for someone to rob when they killed the two victims".

One of the men, believed to have been the driver of the car, was a black male estimated to be in his 20's, they said.

"His hair was done in twists in rows. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt," police said.

The second man, wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans, is also allegedly a black male in his 20's, possibly even over 30, 5'8"-5'10" tall, with a muscular build and a receding hairline, they said.

They are believed to have left in an older model, light-coloured Oldsmobile Alero.

It is believed that one of the victims was spotted arriving at the apartment complex and was followed to the other victim's apartment, where both men were killed.

Police have not yet released the descriptions of other two men involved in the crime.

The suspects were seen on the complex property at 9:00 pm on the night of December 13th, and may have been in the general area or on property even earlier.

Kiran Kumar Allam (33) and Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma (31), both resident of Andhra Pradesh, were shot dead on Thursday last at the Edward Gay Apartments on the edge of the LSU campus. They were pursuing doctoral degrees at LSU and the apartment belonged to Allam.

Devineni Nehru: YSR is NTR's heir

VIJAYAWADA: Supporting the statement of Union Minister for Human Resources Daggubati Purandareswari, who described Chief Minister Y S Rajsekhar Reddy as the person who has been fulfilling the ideals of former Chief Minister and her father NT Rama Rao, Kankipadu MLA Devineni Rajasekhar said here on Wednesday that Reddy was the real heir to NTR.

Speaking to newsmen here, the MLA said Reddy had introduced free power supply to farmers, distributed white ration cards, taken up housing programme and was going to introduce Rs 2-a-kilo rice scheme.

He objected to the TDP leader's concern over the statements of NTR's daughter at Ghantasala village in Krishna district on December 14.

He wondered how TDP men could claim NTR as their founder when Babu came to power by backstabbing him. The MLA said that the TDP leaders had humiliated NTR by throwing chappals at him.

The MLA alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had withdrawn all welfare schemes introduced by NTR after he came to power.

Dr YSR imitates Babu, forms mobile clinics

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has formed mobile clinics in villages to boost his image as a service-oriented politician. He is taking up medical activity through NTR Memorial Trust. And now Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy has followed suit. Not to lag behind, particularly when the election fever is fast catching up with political parties, the chief minister on Tuesday announced setting up of mobile clinics.

But Rajasekhar Reddy has forgotten how he would be able to provide medicare to the people particularly when he had lost grip over junior doctors, who are nothing more than students. They are yet to receive their degrees and register themselves with the IMA. When Rajasekhar Reddy does not have control over junior doctors, how could he be able to provide service to people through mobile units.

But Rajasekhar Reddy is in an upbeat mood and wants to "universalise quality health care" in Andhra Pradesh. He mooted yet another health mission particularly in the rural areas. This is in addition to the already launched "Rajiv Aarogyasri" (health insurance scheme for the BPL families and white card holders) and the EMRI (108) and Health Information (104).

It is proposed to introduce 475 mobile clinics in rural areas beyond 3 km reach from the Primary Health Centre (PHC) for the benefit of a targeted population of four crore including 8 lakh pregnant women, 28 lakh children less than five years old, 80 lakh school-going children, 70 lakh people with chronic illnesses like TB. Anemia, blindness, asthma, diabetes, hyper-tension etc. The main objective is to provide services for identification, diagnosis, monitoring & treatment, record keeping and referral of risk cases in a habitation through convergent, comprehensive and regular once-a-month fixed day program.

The programme also envisages training of 40,000 Asha workers, 40,000 Anganwadi workers and 40,000 RMPS and 1,40,000 elected village representatives in planning community mobilization for mosquito control, sanitation/hygiene and safe water.

Each of the 475 mobile medical units staffed by 7 people would cover 3,000 population daily totalling 4 crore of population per month. Over 45,000 cell phones would be provided for IDSP, Nep-natal/post-natal and risk reporting.

The program facilitates access to the needy at the habitation itself, for most of the requirements. Free lab diagnosis and medication for 30 per cent of the population with multiple vulnerabilities, 15 per cent may need to be referred to PHCs/hospitals for further treatment. It also alerts public health officials for any outbreaks and epidemics.

The programme saves to the targeted population in terms of access costs, diagnostics costs and treatment costs (e.g., savings of Rs.1,275 for a pregnant woman). Diagnosis, treatment and monitoring at habitation for non-communicable/newly emerging diseases like diabetes, hyper-tension, asthma etc.

With this program, current mortality of MMR, IMR and child mortality could be brought down by 50 per cent within three years and incidence of communicable diseases could be brought down by 60 per cent through effective community participation and planning.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the working of the Emergency Ambulance Services (108) and the Health Information System (104). He asked the Telephone Department to make 104 also toll free from landlines on the lines of 108. The Chief Minister was informed that the 108 and 104 services–both A.P. Government projects with technical support from Satyam (EMRI) –have become very popular and today serving a large and wide spectrum of population.

The Chief Minister will launch the Mobile Clinics Programme on January 26 in the rural areas of the three districts from where the Aarogyasri was launched for better synchronization of both the schemes.

Chiru's fans now want him to work for unity

After pressing him for long to join politics, the fans club of mega star Chiranjeevi now demand that he work for the unity of the Telugu-speaking people not only in Andhra Pradesh but also all over the world. They equate him with former chief minister and Telugu Desam founder NT Rama Rao. The fans club feels that Rama Rao had brought unity among the Telugus by launching Telugu Desam. They want Chiranjeevi to work for the unity. However, the fans club this time did not specifically demand that Chiranjeevi join politics and thereby work for the unity of the Telugus.

Since Chiranjeevi himself did not announce his political intentions, the fans club too does not want to be dragged into the controversy. So in a subtle way it has come out with the demand and the need for unity among Telugus. The club is of the view that only Chiranjeevi will be able to bring about the much-needed unity among Telugus at this crucial juncture. The fans are hopeful that the film star will some day or the other, but before the next Assembly elections, announce his intentions to join politics or launch his own political organisation.

Sourav Ganguly to endorse INX

The Prince of Kolkatta is all set to become the Prince of TV. Sourav Ganguly joins the ever increasing list of sportsmen turning to Television, by becoming the presenter of a show on the yet to be launched channel, NewsX, the English News Channel of INX Media.

Ganguly will not just be actively involved with the channel's programming, but also will be working closely with the NewsX sports team. If that’s not enough, wait till you hear this. Ganguly will also be brand ambassador for INX News and will eventually play a role in the entertainment programming for 9X, the network's Hindi entertainment channel.

Indrani Mukerjea, the Founder and CEO of INX Media Pvt Ltd and also the Chairperson of INX News Pvt Ltd. said that Sourav is one of the most loved stars from India's collective passion, cricket and that they are delighted to announce that he has signed up with them. She also added that Sourav, as a Brand Ambassador will reaffirm their commitment to go with only the best for NewsX.

Sourav was equally excited about this association. Sourav said that he was very glad to be associated with the INX network and that he is looking forward to his association with them.

Eminent Journalist Vir Sanghvi, who is now the CEO of NewsX, said that he was always to have Sourav on board and that he is pleased that they have signed him up for a long-term association.

Fact Sheet: Jana does what YSR could not!

Home Minister Jana Reddy could do what Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy could not – forcing the striking junior doctors withdraw their agitation.

The Home Minister held two rounds of talks with the junior doctors' representatives at his chambers on Wednesday. He told them that there was no point in demanding the arrest of the MLAs, because it would snowball into a law and order problem, as the agitation was taking a political turn with the involvement of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. He convinced them that the law would take its own course; moreover, the longer the agitation, the more will be the repraisal from the people. Already, several public interest ligitations are being filed against the doctors in the High Court and it would be better for them to withdraw the agitation in their own interest.

Jana Reddy argument has convinced the doctors, who were earlier agitated over the issuance of a GO by the Chief Minister, invoking Essential Services Maintenance Act against them. The doctors were prepared to fight the battle against the government, but wisdom prevailed upon them and they responded positively to a call from the Home Minister. So, all is well that ends well.

How about an ordinance for actors?

Bharatiya Janata Party has desperately tried to cash in on the agitation launched by junior doctors and their seniors against the alleged assault by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLAs on them at Niloufer and Nayapul hospitals.

So much so that their national vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu has been camping in the State capital for the last two days and instigating the representatives of the doctors to fight out with the government till the MIM MLAs are arrested. He tried to smear the communal colour to the incident, asking whether the Majlis leaders dare attack the doctors in Princess Esra Hospital and Owaisi Hospitals, being run by the MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, if any patient dies there.

However, when the government promulgated an ordinance, making the attack on doctors a cognizable and non-bailable offence, the BJP leaders are disappointed. A desperate Venkaiah now questions whether the government would come out with a similar Ordinance to prevent attacks on other sections, too. "Now, it is doctors. Will the government promulgate similar ordinance for protecting actors; then tractors and then teachers?" he asked in his typical dramatic style. He demanded that instead of ordinances, the government should take steps to arrest the Majlis MLAs.

Chiru talk delays Jagan's daily plan!!

Heard that the proposed Telugu daily "Saakshi" to be launched by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, is likely to be delayed further.

Initially, it was proposed to launch the daily on Sankranti; later it was rescheduled to February 21. Now, reports from inside indicate that it might get postponed further up to Ugadi. Everything in the management planning is being kept as a closely guarded secret and even the journalists taken on rolls have no clue as to why things are getting delayed. The daily was supposed to sponsor the international film festival in Hyderabad, but Jagan backed out on the ground that he doesnot want to get the title exposed to the public till the last moment.

According to sources, Jagan has developed second thoughts of launching the daily, after his advisors confirming the news about the proposed plans of Megastar Chiranjeevi to launch a new political party. It would bring major changes in the political strategies of the Chief Minister and so do the media plans of Jagan. He has to take a conscious political stand, in the event of Chiru's plans to entry. So, he asked Saakshi editors to wait for some more time, till a concrete picture emerges on Chiru's political plans. If everything works out well for Jagan, he might release full page advertisements in all the major dailies some time in the month of January declaring the launch date, sources say.

Chiru talk delays Jagan's daily plan!!

Heard that the proposed Telugu daily "Saakshi" to be launched by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, is likely to be delayed further.

Initially, it was proposed to launch the daily on Sankranti; later it was rescheduled to February 21. Now, reports from inside indicate that it might get postponed further up to Ugadi. Everything in the management planning is being kept as a closely guarded secret and even the journalists taken on rolls have no clue as to why things are getting delayed. The daily was supposed to sponsor the international film festival in Hyderabad, but Jagan backed out on the ground that he doesnot want to get the title exposed to the public till the last moment.

According to sources, Jagan has developed second thoughts of launching the daily, after his advisors confirming the news about the proposed plans of Megastar Chiranjeevi to launch a new political party. It would bring major changes in the political strategies of the Chief Minister and so do the media plans of Jagan. He has to take a conscious political stand, in the event of Chiru's plans to entry. So, he asked Saakshi editors to wait for some more time, till a concrete picture emerges on Chiru's political plans. If everything works out well for Jagan, he might release full page advertisements in all the major dailies some time in the month of January declaring the launch date, sources say.

Behind The Scene: KVR fails Naidu hopes!

Former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu feels he is a great strategist in politics, but quite often, he is proved wrong.

Look for instance, the appointment of former minister and ex-CBI chief K Vijayarama Rao as the president of Greater Hyderabad Telugu Desam. Naidu thought KVR is a non-controversial leader and has a lot of leadership qualities. Because of his clean image, KVR would do justice to all sections in the party, Naidu thought.

But KVR failed Naidu's expectations miserably. He doesn't come out of his glass houses and air-conditioned vehicles and has no contact with the people or party workers. Disgusted with his appointment, senior TD leaders like Talasani Srinivasa Yadav and G Sayanna, are keeping away from active party activities. And he has finalized names of all the TD divisional heads in the Greater Hyderabad without going into their credentials, causing a lot of unrest among the genuine party workers.

Now, after realizing that all is not well in the party under his leadership, KVR is pressurizing Naidu to send him to Rajya Sabha in the elections to be held in March. Thus, he has virtually thrown up his hands on running the city party. Now, the TD is totally in a disarray on facing the GHMC elections!

Chiru's party plans hastens Babu's blood bank

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday ordered demolition of a structure in TD headquarters NTR Bhavan to make way for a modern blood bank. Though the proposal of a blood bank has been on the cards for quite some time now, Chandrababu Naidu rushed through it after he got concrete evidence that film star Chiranjeevi was serious about his plans to launch a political party.

The film star has denied having authorised anyone to speak on his behalf that he was jumping into politics after quitting the film world. But he did not confirm or deny that he was launching a political party. Chandrababu Naidu gathered more information about Chiranjeevi's plans through his courses in the Tollywood and film personalities loyal to the Telugu Desam. A jittery Chandrababu Naidu wanted to speed up the blood bank plans and start work immediately after the harvest festival of Sankranti. Chiranjeevi himself is running a blood bank and Chandrababu Naidu wants to outsmart him through his own medical services.

The long defunct doctors' unit in the Telugu Desam was also revived. With the TD jumping into the election mood, service activities are also speed up. A modern blood bank is one of the service activities of the Telugu Desam to endear itself with the masses before the hustings. Let's see whether Chiru's blood bank will have more takers or will Chandrababu Naidu's blood bank will become numero uno in the State. Of course, not in terms of publicity but in terms of service.

TV to play spoilsport for junior doctors

The YSR government has decided to invoke the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act against the striking junior doctors. If the provisions are invoked, then the doctors could be arrested and put behind the bars. The government may even take disciplinary action.

But the major problem before the State government is, against whom it should proceed. So it has got a novel idea of identifying the leaders behind the strike. But how? Just go through the news clippings shown on various TV channels and identify the most outspoken striking junior doctors. Once they have been identified, trace their addresses and swoop on them in the dead of the night. Arrest them and put them behind the bars.

So the TV has in a way become a major headache for the striking junior doctors. The best way left for the junior doctors is to revert to the good old days when there used to be just media statements written on a piece of paper and sent to newspapers. Now that the junior doctors have come to know the real intentions of the government and the damage their TV interviews are going to do, they will be very careful henceforth and shy away from the TV cameras.

Fact Sheet: YSR hits two birds at one shot

After promulgating the ordinance to prevent violent attacks on doctors and damage to the hospitals, Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy has decided to go tough with the junior doctors, who continue to be on strike demanding arrest of the MIM MLAs.

The Chief Minister, who had no other option but to go soft on the Majlis party in the interest of the Congress party, served a stern warning on the striking doctors stating that the government would invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act against the, if they do not join duties by Wednesday. YSR's decision followed a firm stand taken by the State High Court against the doctors.

While it appeared that the government was favouring the junior doctors, the Chief Minister's warning was a sort of slap on the face of the Opposition parties who are trying to gain mileage by supporting the doctors. YSR knows that his tough stand against the doctors would get him appreciation from people, especially the poorer sections, who regularly go to the government hospitals. And that is hitting two birds at one shot!

TRS brainwashes girls on Telangana

A shrewed politician that he is, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhra Rao is now targeting the girl students to involve them seriously to participate in the separate Telangana movement.

More than 600 girl students attended the training classes on separate Telangana conducted by the TRS president at Telangana bhavan in Banjara Hills on Tuesday.

All the girls were provided with pink khanduwas and chunnis and were thoroughly brainwashed by KCR on the need to have a separate State. The classes will continue for few more batches, TRS sources say.

According to these sources, KCR is of the view that girls of Telangana have a far more understanding of the problems of Telangana and therefore, have more seriousness towards the movement. He has asked his party leaders to target only Telangana girls from government colleges, schools and corporate institutions and prepare training modules for them. The girls would be taught the history of Telangana, the injustice meted out to the region over several decades and why there is a need to have a separate State. Going by the response from the girls, KCR is more or less successful in his strategy.

Fans Uncomfortable For YSR's Comment On Chiru

Fans of Chiranjeevi are uncomfortable with the latest statement given by YSR with respect to Chiranjeevi's political entry.

Answering to a question YSR said, "There are many people in Congress now. The party is like a big ocean. We welcome Chiranjeevi into Congress if he wishes to enter politics. The party that is going to win in coming elections is only Congress. Who ever fights and whoever emerges as new party, the ultimate winner will only be congress. And coming to the position that we confer for Chiranjeevi if he comes to our party, we will see after discussing with all senior leaders".

YSR's statement ignited discomfort among many of the Chiranjeevi fans. Fans say that Chiranjeevi would never step into existing political parties but start a new party of his own. A private TV channel covered the statement given by Chiranjeevi fans as a news byte.

The fans have been worried to sit quiet until their star announces the party. Many of the fans are showing uneasiness towards the silence of Chiranjeevi about his political entry.

Telugu Ladies turnout to show Support for Chiru

Telugu Ladies turnout to show Support for Chiranjeevi in Houston, Texas

Progressive Telugu Forum( PTF),USA has organized one more event in Houston, Texas on 16th December( Sunday) as part of its national campain to bring Hope & Change in current political system in AP with the leadership of Chiranjeevi.

PTF National convenor Ram Tatineni conveyed the "Hope for AP with Chiranjeevi" message to audience who agreed instantaniously.

Houston PTF convenor Mr Ravi Sukkala convened the meeting comprising of many Houston area telugu families and prominet community activists and started the discussion.

Highlight of Houston meeting is the participation of telugu women and their willingness to discuss their ideas what Chiranjeevi's new party can do to AP.

Ladies strongly communicated the need for change in AP and adviced Chiranjeevi to be very cautious in accepting the politicians from other parties with charges of corruption/crime.

Houston telugu community leader Mr Subramanyam shared his ideas of what a new party should consider before joining main stream and expressed hope that Chiranjeevi would bring much needed change in AP politics.

All the attendees agreed on the following topics and expressed their confidence in leadership of Chiranjeevi to bring hope for AP.

1) Chiranjeevi should consider Corruption-Free-AP as the central theme of the new party
2) Chiranjeevi's new party should consider collaboration with Lok Satta as the later has lot of knowledge and expertize on creating a better governance.
3) New party should make all efforts to create "CIVIC Society" where all the citizens are treaded equally before law and guilty are punished without bias.
4) Primary education both in public/private sectors should be given top priority to reform/change and should be made a vehicle to launch a corruption free society by teaching the studens from beginning the values of CIVIC Society.
5) Law and order should be maintained with the highest level of professionalism so that everyone who try to commit any crime should think twice before do it including corruption.

Participants include Ravi Alluri, Venu Reddy, Ramesh Nannapaneni, Mahadev Kambhampati, Suresh Daggupati, Swamy Irranki, Sailesh Vangarpu,Vijay Kumar,Ravi Varre,Vinod Jamburi,Ashok Kumar,Kalyan Uppu,Veera Kota and many others.

Woman participants include SatyaRupa Kota, Naga Vani, Kalyani Vankadaru, Supriya ,Urmila Bathini and others.

Photos of the event can be viewd with this link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ramtatineni/HoustonTXChiranjeeviWellWishersAndFamiliesMeet

We are expecting more women and families turnout in our next meetings in Washington DC and NewJersey on next Saturday and Sunday .

We are organizing these meetings in San Fansico and Las Angles during the weekend of 12/29 and 12/30 and request telugu families to come forward and share their ideas for better AP with Chiranjeevi as leader.

For more information please visit www.chiruforap.com

Ram Tatineni
National Convenor
Progressive Telugu Forum

Jagan's Birthday celebrations by Charitable Trust

Jagan Charitable Trust is planning several activities on the accassion of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's 35th birthday on 21st, December 2007 in Hyderabad and other districts of Andhra Pradesh. Jagan Charitable Trust started by Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy 3 years back and helping several needy and poor people in Andhra Pradesh. They Objectives are Conducting Blood Donation Camps, Medical Camps, Eye Operations, Eye Donation camps, Scholarships to Poor and bright students, Distribution of Self Employment Kits, Help to NGOs, Foundations, Orphanages, Oldage homes etc.

On the accassion of 35th Birthday of YS Jagan, Jagan Charitable Trust is planning a huge Peace Rally in Hyderabad from Lumbini Park to People Plaza(Neckalace Road) from 3 PM onwards. Around 50000 people are expected to participate. On this accassion several blood donations camps, medical camps being organized by YS Jagan Followers at various places in Andhra Pradesh. You are all requested to particiapate in various charity/voluntary activites conducted by Jagan Charitable Trust.

Sketches of muder suspects of AP students released

In the first sign of a breakthrough, a four-agency task force hunting the killers of two Indian students at the Louisiana State University (LSU) has released sketches of two of the four black male suspects.

One of them is believed to have been the driver of a car seen at Edward Gay Apartments on the campus where the two doctotoral students, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, were found shot dead on Thursday night.

Police believe up to four men might have been involved in the killings. They apparently came in an older model light-colored vehicle, a Oldsmobile Alero seen speeding away from the scene of the crime, Baton Rouge police spokesman Sergeant Don Kelly said on Monday.

The suspected get away driver was described as being a black man in his 20s with hair done in twists in rows. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt.

The second was described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, possibly older. He is between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a muscular build and a receding hairline. He was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans.

Both men were seen at the on-campus complex near West Roosevelt Street as early as 9 pm on Thursday, Kelly said. They might have been in the general area even earlier.

Investigators are currently working on the theory the men were scouting for an opportunity to rob someone and might have seen Komma arrive at the complex to visit his friend Allam, and may have followed Komma into Allam's apartment.

Komma and Allam were shot in the head, and one was bound. A call to 911 was made at 10:37 pm on Thursday when their bodies were found.

"These suspects should obviously be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached," police said seeking information from the public. The sketches have also been posted on the university website.

Meanwhile, two Indian diplomats Alok Pandey, first secretary at the Indian embassy in Washington and KP Pillai, consul at the mission in Houston, met Baton Rouge city's Mayor-President Melvin "Kip" Holden and Chief of Police Jeff LeDuff to learn more about the progress in investigations.

Holden assured the Indians that the task force - made up of the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office - is at it and they will bring the culprits to justice.

Thanks to the mayor's intervention, the coroner's office Monday issued death certificates of the two slain students. The funeral home too has released the embalmed bodies. With necessary formalities completed, the bodies are likely to be flown to India by the weekend, Pandey said on phone.

Komma's wife left for India on Sunday along with relatives and fiends. Parents and wife of Allam are scheduled to leave for India on Tuesday.

LSU has lowered the American flag on the Parade Ground to half-mast in honour of the slain students. The flag will fly at half-mast until 4:30 pm on Friday

The LSU Foundation has established the Komma & Allam Support Fund to assist the students' families.

Rumors: Chiru's daughter working out launch plan?

Even as the talk of Megastar Chiranjeevi launching a new political party is going on unabatedly, mediapersons are also probing as to who are the brains behind his plan and who would execute the same.

Grapevine has it that Chiranjeevi's eldest daughter Susmita is actively involved in working out the blueprint for the proposed political party. The party philosophy, manifesto, name and symbol – everything is being taken care of by Susmita, in tune with the ideas of her father. She is also said to be seriously studying the political history of the State and how the caste polarisations decide the voting pattern during the elections.

It is learnt, Susmita, who got married to an engineer, deserted him, if not divorced him, as she was not happy with her married life. So, she returned to her parents a few months ago, before the Srija episode broke out. Though these episodes have disturbed Chiranjeevi, but now he has overcome all these. Susmita has convinced her father and offered to help him in his political plans, sources say.

Rumors: Chiranjeevi Behaves Like 'Aparichithudu'!

This is the news from inside sources. It is said that Chiranjeevi has been highly confident on one side, partly confident for a few hours and getting afraid and talking like a timid for some time. That's an evidence of his disturbed mind now. Although he is not wholeheartedly willing, circumstances are pushing him to jump into politics. But Chiranjeevi is not man to go for 'trail and error' method. If he starts a party that should win and he should become CM. That is the requirement as of now. It's like hitting the goal in single shot on Foot Ball ground. It's like hitting an 'Ace' on Golf Course. So the aim should not be missed to safeguard Chiranjeevi and his image. That's really an uphill task when made calculations on normal grounds.

Chiranjeevi shows these split personality traits at home due to overlapping of several thoughts and assumptions. Chiranjeevi is only an actor by conviction and training. He is an actor by profession. But now he is a politician by assumption. Chiranjeevi has no training in politics, no professional outlook in politics but has only vacillating conviction. He assumes that he can win looking the fans organizations and media support. At the same time he goes bewildered looking at the strong leaders like Chandrababu and YSR. Chiranjeevi knows that he is not a spontaneous orator. He knows that he is not a balanced guy as per emotional quotient. He knows that he breaks down to tears if something happens to his image. Just by an indirect hit by Mohanbabu in Platinum Jubilee, people have seen how Chiranjeevi reacted to that. He is too sensitive at heart.

As per Moslow's theory, Chiranjeevi is above the level of 'self actualization'. He made his mark in history already. He need not do something different to be in history. His image is on top, his earnings are on top and his fans are also good in number. Everything is prone to damage once he gets into politics. That would hurt his self actualization and self esteem as aspects as well.

So, as these aspects are overlapping in his head, he is disturbed. But the people those are observing him are saying, 'Chiranjeevi is behaving like Aparichithudu'.

Reel Talk: New Angle On Louisiana Incident

ABK Prasad, the Chairman of Official Language Commission and the senior journalist shows a new angle on Louisiana Incident. He says that majority of Indian youngsters are leaving for USA for studies and eventually getting settled there which is becoming hard to digest for American locals or other races. As they are feeling uncomfortable with Indians due to competition, Louisiana type incidents are happening.

He also added, "About 9-10 Telugu people were killed in USA so far and there is no proper security for them. It's only every Andhrite getting settled in USA is the reason for such incidents".

Keeping the agreement of American Telugus aside in this opinion, ABK Prasad has given his statement.

Photo Feature: Rare Pic Of Rajiv-Sonia On Roadside

This is the rare picture of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi having ice cream on a road side. It's taken sometime in 70s on the roads of Delhi.

Rajiv Gandhi is not a well known face at that time. He used to roam outside with Sonia Gandhi like any other person without big security.

The ice cream vendor didn't know that he was selling ice cream to the grandson of Nehru and the son of Indira Gandhi. He didn't even know that he is selling ice cream for the future Prime Minister (Rajiv) and the future king maker (Sonia) of India.

300 attend memorial for slain Andhra students in US

More than 300 people attended a memorial service for two slain Indian doctoral students, filling the ballroom at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Student Union.

Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, a biology student from Hyderabad, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, a chemistry student from Kurnool, were fatally shot late on Thursday at Edward Gay Apartments, a student-housing complex at Baton Rouge, the state capital.

The apartment complex is home to 288 residents, 94 per cent of whom are international students. With a contingent of 332, Indians form the largest group of international students from a single country at LSU.

At Friday night's memorial service, university provost Astrid Merget said, "What transpired last night was simply a profound tragedy. It was also... an assault on the community."

Pallavi Rastogi, an assistant professor of English at LSU, agreed saying she felt shell-shocked all day.

"I think it really hit us close in two ways: one, that it was at LSU, where we work; and the second, that it happened to someone from India, someone who followed the kind of trajectory that we had," she said.

"We also came here as graduate students and got our PhDs."

"People come here thinking that they'll have a better life, better career opportunities, and then it's all cut short in a brutal fashion," she said. "It's just really strange to feel this way for someone you've never met, but I think it's resonating with all of us."

Fareed Aboul-ela, an assistant professor in the Biology Department, told local media that he taught both men. "They were delightful people, very lively," he said.

Dheeraj Singireddy, who attended the ceremony Friday, described Allam as a close friend whom he had met during his time with the Indian Student Association.

Allam "was very helpful to other Indian guys, new guys who had just come over and are new to LSU," said Singireddy, who moved to Baton Rouge from India to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering.

Gopu Vikram was among a group of Allam's friends gathered Friday morning with Allam's wife and mother at a student housing complex on Nicholson Drive.

Allam's pregnant wife, whom Vikram declined to name, was in a state of shock, he said. Allam's mother flew into Baton Rouge Saturday morning.

Matthew Gilbert, who had coffee with Komma once or twice a week, said Komma and his wife had just got married.

"He was a wonderful guy with a lot of friends," he said. "He was unique in the Indian community in that he really reached out to Americans."

Terry Bricker, a professor of basic sciences who worked with Komma in his laboratory two years ago, said Komma recently passed his general exam to become a doctoral candidate.

"That was a milestone for him," Bricker said, "which kind of makes this even more difficult to take."

Meanwhile, the double slaying has left many students worried about their safety.

LSU doctoral student Sachin Chintawar, who lives in the Edward Gay Apartments, told the Baton Rouge Advocate he was "totally shocked" about the shootings and feels unsafe on campus.

"Everybody is talking about moving," said Chintawar, who was a neighbour and acquaintance of Allam.

"There is no safety at all here," said Chintawar, who moved away from Tiger Manor, another apartment complex on the campus, because of safety concerns. "Off campus there is no safety. On campus there is no safety."

Hemant Chowdhary, who has lived at Edward Gay for three years while pursuing his PhD in civil engineering, dubbed the complex "famously insecure" and implored authorities to step up security there permanently.

"We're always living in kind of a shadow of fear," he said. "Three hundred apartments may deserve slightly more (security) than what we presently have."

The last time someone was killed on LSU's campus was the early 1990s. But several apartment residents cited by the Advocate said that during the past month several incidents have made them feel unsafe.

Article: Chiru Needs Strategists Like NTR Had

Hyderabad: The legend goes that in the early eighties, before he formally entered politics, N T Rama Rao made a request to the Congress bosses to elevate his son-in-law N Chandrababu Naidu who was then a minister of state in the Congress government to the level of a Cabinet minister. The request was not kept. A little before that, NTR had apparently sought a nominated membership of Rajya Sabha; again his request had been kept aside. The superhero was miffed. He declared to his close friends that he would not go to anyone with a begging bowl, but rather form his own party and appoint ministers and MPs himself. The rest they say is history.

An old timer recalling this story wondered whether Chiranjeevi mulling over the prospects of entering politics had this spirit of NTR which made him take the plunge, oblivious of all the risks. “Chiranjeevi is faced with an Hamletian dilemma. But a decisive man has to be a risk taker. Remember fortune favours the brave,” the analyst said.

Nobody denies that Chiranjeevi has a huge fan following, especially among the youth segment in the ages of 18 to 24. But whether the superhero has a strategy to harness the raw youth power is the question.

A senior Kapu leader whose name is being bandied around as a possible entrant into the Chiranjeevi camp said: “NTR had a group of strategists who used to plan his moves and decide the publicity for him. If Chiranjeevi has such a core group, then we know nothing about them.” This leader points out that the fan clubs of Chiranjeevi have already become active in the last fortnight after word started doing the rounds that the superhero was planning a foray into politics. “The problem is that they have become aggressive, alienating other sections of youth - fan clubs of Mahesh Babu or Junior NTR. Chiranjeevi instead of dilly-dallying should appoint district secretaries who should channelise this raw power,” said the leader. However, it seems that Chiranjeevi’s emissaries are active over the last few days. Many politicians and professionals confirmed to STOI that Chirumen had sent feelers to them about the possibility of their making common cause with the superhero. Most of them are keeping their options open, not very sure of the shape that a new Chiranjeevi party will take. “We are interested in the new formation, but who along with him would occupy a vantage position is the issue. Will his brother-in-law Allu Aravind who controls his film destiny be hyperactive, whether younger brother, the quick tempered Pavan Kalyan play an important role will be an important issue,” said one professional, getting feelers.

But there is unanimity that Chiranjeevi’s party - when floated - would be a success. “There are a lot of disgruntled persons in the political stage. Chiranjeevi’s ability is immaterial at this point of time. They will use him as a glue to stick around. Chiranjeevi will provide a platform of sorts - especially for the Kapus who nurse the feeling of being non-entities in the political scene,” said an analyst. “But in the long run for the party to be successful, it would require proper party managers, programmers and continued charisma of Chiranjeevi. We have to see whether all these can combine,” the analyst added.

Linked to the whole issue is the question of Telangana. Many analysts feel that in the event of a Chiranjeevi threat if the Congress high command starts mulling on Telangana, the film star’s activities would be restricted to the Andhra area. This will contain him to a large extent.

No leads as FBI joins hunt for US varsity killers

Washington/Baton Rouge (IANS): As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined the hunt for the killers of two Indian students at a US university, the winter break there posed a new problem to investigators looking for leads.

The two Ph.D students, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, of Hyderabad, India, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, of Kurnool, India, were found shot dead at the Louisiana State University (LSU) apartments at Baton Rouge Thursday night.

With final exams over Saturday, students who might have information useful to investigators started leaving for the holidays, police faced difficulties in identifying suspects and potential witnesses. "We're up against a rapidly ticking clock in terms of identifying potential witnesses," said Baton Rouge Police Department Sergeant Don Kelly, a spokesman for the law enforcement task force investigating the double murder.

"Police has some leads, but they have not been able to identify the prime suspects yet," Indian consul general in Houston S.M. Gavai told IANS on phone. He had also spoken to the LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe and was told "FBI is also involved in the investigations besides the police of the university and the state."

The Indian ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, too spoke to Keefe and was assured that police was doing everything to apprehend the killers. Sen in turn assured of him of all help in investigating the crime. Sen also spoke to the spouses of the two slain students.

Two Indian officials, K.P. Pillai, consul at Houston and Alok Pandey, first secretary at the Indian embassy in Washington, had a series of meetings in Baton Rouge Saturday with the university authorities, police department, the Indian Students Association and the Indian-American community.

The autopsy of the two students has been completed, Pandey said. The bodies will be flown to India after embalming as requested by the victims' families.

The investigation focused on three black men who police said were seen late Thursday hurriedly leaving from the apartment complex where Allam lived and the shootings occurred. Police also searched for information about a possible fourth suspect, who they believed drove a getaway car.

But police had no real description of the men, other than to say they are young and got into small to mid-sized four-door car whose headlights were turned on only after the car had left the parking lot.

"That's the best information we have at this time. It's still very early in the investigation, and other leads may come forward," Kelly said.

"We have not established a motive ... All we know was there was a double murder," he said. There was no forced entry, and while some items were missing from the apartment, Kelly said it was too early to consider it an armed robbery.

Many students had already left campus before the killings, but with all examinations completed Saturday, an exodus started from the 28,000-student campus for the holidays.

Police patrols were stepped up near the Edward Gay apartments at the edge of the campus where the two students were shot in the head in a home attack. Officers on Saturday walked nearby streets, knocking on doors and asking people for any information they may have about the killings.

The apartment complex is home to 288 residents, 94 percent of whom are international students. With a contingent of 332, Indians form the largest group of international students from a single country at LSU, which has a total of 1,468 international students enrolled for 2007 fall semester.

Political Buzz: TDP leader denies Chiru overtures

Hyderabad: TDP Rajya Sabha member C Ramachandraiah dismissed reports that he would join the new political party to be floated by megastar Chiranjeevi.

“These are all imaginary stories and do not carry any conviction. Everything about Chiranjeevi’s overtures is imaginary. So, the question of one contacting the other doesn’t arise,” Ramachandraiah said.

Saying that Telugu Desam Party is synonymous with empowerment of downtrodden, any attempt to woo BC leaders from the party by any organisation would be a futile exercise, he said. “All BCs are with the TDP and will continue to be in future as well,” the MP said.

Ticker: Reddys Created Problem For ANR and Chiru

This is a phenomenon where Reddys have been creating disturbance for top actors in Tollywood. Digging the history, we can understand that a few decades ago Minister Nallapareddy Sreenivasula Reddy announced to Press that Akkineni Nageshwara Rao was entering into politics by setting up a new party. Since that was the announcement of a Minister, all the News Papers published that news prominently. There were no TV channels and 24 hour news bulletins during those days. Hence the people stunned reading the news in News Papers. ANR was abroad when this news was broken in AP. When he returned he arranged a Press Meet. All the journalists thought that he will be announcing his new party and that's the essence of this Press Meet.

But ANR said, "Had I decided to star a political party I would have invited you to convey the same. I don't understand why some others have shown interest in it and declared on behalf of me. And you have published that without asking me".

But Chiranjeevi didn't play that role now. When Kasu Prasada Reddy announced about Chiranjeevi's new party, entire state was shaken and media got full meal to discuss. Chiranjeevi didn't respond immediately and asked to wait until he announces.

People should understand that the circumstances are not same as they were during the days of NTR and MGR. Rajesh Khanna was the big man in Indian Cinema who had countless fan-associations in entire India. But what happened to his political career? What about the plight of Amitabh Bachchan? He said that he simply ran away from politics knowing that it is not his cup of tea. How many seats would Sivaji Ganesan win after starting own party in Tamilnadu? How many seats could NTR's son Hari Krishna win by setting up NTR TDP? Many stars like Krishnam Raju, Vijayanirmala, Satyanarayana and Jamuna were lost in elections.

Now there are many parties in the state. We have Congress, TDP, BJP, TRS, Talli Telangana, Lok Satta and many. How difficult it is for Chiranjeevi to get majority beating all these parties, their followers and their sentiments?

Are Chiranjeevi and his allies listening?

"If Chiranjeevi has stunning following in public, Ashwini Dutt would have won 2004 elections as Chiru supported for him. The animated film 'Hanuman' that was promoted and sold on Chiranjeevi's dubbing must have been a minimum grosser. But no one turned towards the theater at all. So, Chiranjeevi's following is an assumed one in many places. The true followers may be a few", said a Congress leader.

Chiru effect: Kanna viewed with suspicion

Eversince the talk of Megastar Chiranjeevi entering politics doing rounds in the State political circles, Transport Minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana is being viewed with suspicion by the Congress leaders in the State capital.

Gandhi Bhavan is agog with rumours say Kanna was lobbying with the Kapu leaders in Guntur district, who are predominantly backing Chiranjeevi in launching the political party. It is suspected that Kanna, along with other minister Jakkampudi Rammohan Rao, has been in touch with the people closer to Chiranjeevi. And if they think that all is not well with the Congress party in the next elections, if Chiranjeevi comes into politics, they can as well take a plunge into the Megastar party.

But, people who know Kanna and Jakkampudi in close quarters have the least suspcion about their loyalty towards the Congress. In fact, Kanna is trying to neutralize the effect of Chiranjeevi on the Congress party in Guntur district by implementing Indiramma and other schemes. But who knows how politics take a different turn and how politicians change colours?

Indians murdered in Louisiana mourned by students

New York(IANS): While investigators are still on the lookout for the three suspects in the killing of two Indian Ph.d. students at the Louisiana State University (LSU), Indian students at the varsity in Baton Rouge held a memorial service for the victims.

The memorial service for Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam was organised on the campus by the LSU Indian Students Association that represents around 330 Indian students at the university, the largest group of international students from a single country at LSU.

University authorities announced that the LSU Foundation has established the Komma and Allam Support Fund to financially help the students' families. Details of how people can contribute have been given on the foundation's website.

Both Komma, 31, and Allam, 33, were married. They hailed from Andhra Pradesh - Allam, doing his doctorate in chemistry, was from Kurnool and Komma, a biochemistry student, was from Karimnagar.

They were shot dead Thursday in Komma's apartment in a residential complex on the campus. The police have begun a manhunt for the three suspects who were seen leaving the area after the crime.

Speculating on the motive of the crime, LSU spokeswoman Kristine Calongne said: "Police think it was a straight home invasion".

The Indian embassy in Washington has sent First Secretary Alok Pandey and Consul K.P. Pillai from the Houston Consulate to Baton Rouge to establish contact with the university authorities, police department and the Indian-American community to render all possible assistance.

The Indian mission at Houston said officials established contact with the university to ascertain more details "as soon as we were made aware of this heinous crime" on the morning of Dec 14.

Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen has conveyed "his deepest condolences to the family members of the victims of this tragedy and hopes that the culprits will be caught and due justice meted out to them."