Latest News Update: Nov 24, 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Mayawati’s next: Grand entrances to Gr Noida inspired by Buddha

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Mayawati-s-next--Grand-entrances-to-Gr-Noida-inspired-by-Buddha/715769/

Mayawati's next: Grand entrances to Gr Noida inspired by Buddha
Pragya Kaushika Posted online: Thu Nov 25 2010, 03:35 hrs

Greater Noida : The Uttar Pradesh government is planning a series of
special entrances to the high-profile Greater Noida city. The city,
located in UP Chief Minister Mayawati's hometurf and which is being
showcased as the upcoming township in the NCR region, will greet
people with grand entrances inspired by the life of Gautma Buddha and
his teachings.
Officials at Greater Noida Authority said: "The entrances planned by
the Greater Noida Authority will be located at Partahal-Khanjarpur,
Kulesara-Surajpur and Pari Chowk. Partahal-Khanjarpur entrance will
have a façade of Buddhist pagodas."

According to Deputy Chief Executive Officer Greater Noida Authority P
C Gupta, "The area will be developed as a green belt with water bodies
and fountains. The attempt will be to recreate the atmosphere of a
Buddhist temple. The pagodas, as architectural structures, hold a
special significance in Buddhism."

The architecture will also showcase the state's connection with
Buddhism. At Kulesara-Surajpur entrance, the plan is to create a scene
out of Gautam Buddha's life. "We will recreate the scene when a
violent, wild elephant turned tame when it approached Gautam Buddha. A
statue recreating this scene will be erected here in which the
elephant will be seated in front of Buddha with its trunk on Buddha's
feet. Noida has an entrance with a huge Gautam Budhha idol, Greater
Noida, too, will boast of four idols soon," Gupta added.

The area will also have a peepul leaf structure, considered
significant in Buddhist beliefs, which will be topped off with a
Buddhist ringing bell. The bell will signify attainment of peace and
prosperity in the region, Gupta said.

Meanwhile, the Pari Chowk entrance renovation plan is also likely to
be finalised soon. The redevelopment plan includes putting up four
Buddha statues in the vicinity of the roundabout along with
development of the green belt. Sources said the Authority is likely to
spend approximately Rs 5 core on the project. The latest construction
spree has been ordered despite the fact that the UP government is
already facing severe criticism and ongoing litigation in the Supreme
Court over its development of parks in the adjoining city of Noida.

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[ZESTCaste] Indian pol wins election on his record, not caste

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9JMDQGG1.htm

The Associated Press November 24, 2010, 4:39AM ET

Indian pol wins election on his record, not caste

PATNA, India

The top elected official of one of India's poorest states has won a
landslide re-election victory after a campaign that emphasized his
efforts to bring development to Bihar and broke away from traditional
caste-based politics.

By Wednesday afternoon, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's National
Democratic Alliance had won nearly 130 seats and was leading in 70
more races for the Bihar assembly. Former chief minister Lalu Prasad's
coalition had captured 10 seats and was leading in 17 others. The
assembly has 243 seats.

Kumar has been credited with restoring law and order to Bihar and
building roads during his five-year term. Analysts said Prasad let the
state nearly collapse during his reign from 1990 to 2005 as he focused
only on shoring up his caste alliances.

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[ZESTCaste] Not caste in stone (Opinion)

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/fe-editorial-not-caste-in-stone/715639/

FE Editorial : Not caste in stone
The Financial Express
Posted online: 2010-11-25 01:35:42+05:30

Analysts will debate the Nitish Kumar landslide till the cows come
home. Was it the development card he played (tells you just how much
the traditional politician cares about development) and is caste dead?
Or did the canny Nitish do development in certain pockets only (how do
you build roads only to certain villages?)? Does the fact that Muslims
have voted for Nitish suggest the BJP's brand of communal politics has
been rejected? When one TV journalist posed this to BJP spokesperson
Nirmala Sitharaman, she was quick to say the BJP had done even better
in Muslim localities—at the overall level, while Nitish won 82% of the
seats contested, the BJP won 89%.

Since the Election Commission doesn't put out voting patterns on caste
or religious lines, we'll never know for certain. For what it's worth,
former chief economic advisor Arvind Virmani has recirculated a 2004
paper suggesting it's economic growth that determines victory—for
those readying to scoff, Virmani says GDP growth actually reduced in
the Vajpayee years and that's why the NDA lost. Others, like columnist
Surjit Bhalla, suggest it is the work on getting the girl-child to
school, some say it is reservation of panchayats for women, others
talk of law and order, roads … Each is true, and each is inadequate.
With women comprising 47% of the strength of gram panchayats, Nitish
has done a great job, but with just 33% women in Gujarat panchayats,
Narendra Modi has also managed quite well; infant mortality in Bihar
is down from around 62 per 1,000 to 57 now, but that in West Bengal
where the communists are in trouble is just 35. If it's roads, no one
can beat Atal Bihari Vajpayee … Perhaps the safest comment is that
caste matters at a certain level of development and economic growth—so
a Lalu promising empowerment to Yadavs works for a while, but it's
jobs and growth that matters eventually. Hopefully, the threshold
below which caste matters is getting raised all the time. Another
thing that looks clear is the Rahul brand of trashing everyone except
the Congress doesn't work.

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[ZESTCaste] Caste dynamics have taken a backseat: Nitish

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article910074.ece

Published: November 24, 2010 16:12 IST | Updated: November 25, 2010
02:45 IST Patna, November 24, 2010

Caste dynamics have taken a backseat: Nitish
Shoumojit Banerjee

PTI Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a press conference after the
JD(U)-BJP alliance won the State elections, in Patna on Wednesday.

Stating that caste has taken a backseat in electoral politics, Bihar
Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on
Wednesday said developmental politics, not caste dynamics, would
determine Bihar's course in the future.

"It is a victory won by the people of Bihar, and not of any single
person, party or alliance," Mr. Kumar told journalists at his
residence during the course of the counting process for the State
Assembly polls.

The NDA alliance won a landslide victory securing 206 Assembly seats,
with both the JD(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party bettering their
performances in the October 2005 Assembly polls by bagging 115 and 91
seats respectively.

Stating that "governance governs everything," Mr. Kumar said the
public's verdict had proved that the legislator who delivered on the
ground secured votes.

Drastic voter surge

Noting the drastic voter surge in the elections, Mr. Kumar lauded the
tremendous response given by women voters and those from the backward
sections of society, while attributing the increase to the improved
law and order situation brought about by the present NDA government.

He said the public had come to realise the value of its vote, as
elections in the past were beset by voter apathy and booth-capturing
incidents.

'Surprised'

Mr. Kumar said he was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming mandate
given by the people, adding: "This only increases our responsibilities
which we will conscientiously attempt to undertake." Stating that he
did not have "a magic wand," he said he would work harder during the
coming period to ensure that Bihar was a developed state by 2015.

Responding to questions on the future of the JD(U)-BJP alliance, Mr.
Kumar brushed aside any speculation of a possible rupture.

"Our ties with the BJP are old. In 2005, we fought the polls together
and had secured a solid mandate," he said. "When the work is good on
the ground, both parties equally stand to gain."

On the Congress campaign in Bihar during the polls, he said the
self-esteem of the State's public had been hurt with the Congress
dubbing the Central aid given to Bihar as "their party's money."

'A mystery'

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) combine,
meanwhile, managed to secure barely 25 seats. RJD chief Lalu Prasad's
wife and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Rabri Devi,
was trounced from the Raghopur and Sonepur Assembly seats by a huge
margin of more than 10,000 votes in each.

"The NDA landslide is a mystery, one which merits an inquiry," Mr.
Prasad said, even as he congratulated Mr. Kumar for his victory, but
refused to extend his wishes to the BJP.

Swearing in on Saturday

The newly-elected JD(U) and BJP legislators will hold independent
party meetings on Thursday, which will be followed by a joint party
meeting later in the day. The swearing-in of the new government will
take place on November 27.

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