Archive for the ‘crowd’ tag

Pakistan tour a shambles after T20 rout (Daily Telegraph)

PAKISTAN’S descended further into the abyss when they were humiliated in front of a pitiful T20 crowd.

‘Dabangg’ Salman mobbed in Hyderabad

Just as we see Mr ‘Dabangg’ Salman Khan take the telly by storm with his macho and naughty acts, we hear the news of Salman being mobbed by the crowd.

Kashmir imbroglio: A way out

Notwithstanding reports projecting that the spurt in street violence since mid-June this year in several parts of the Valley has acquired dangerous proportions, that the protests represent a popular uprising and that the nature and intensity of the current agitation are different from the past, the situation is far from being nearly as desperate as is sometimes painted to be.

A careful analysis of various factors indicates that though the situation has deteriorated as compared to last year, yet many of the conclusions are misconceived and are influenced by the propaganda of separatists and Pakistan. The following factors in this context merit attention-
"The protests are confined to only some parts of the Valley. Well researched figures available in the media reveal that the violent protests have been witnessed in seven out of ten districts of the Valley and more frequent protests have been noted only in the four districts- Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama.

*A section of stone throwers is receiving money to participate in these protests to target the security force personnel. Intelligence reports also reveal that the protesters include a large number of those persons who have taken up stone pelting as a lucrative business. CM Omar Abdullah had noted in April, "The industry of stone pelting is very much on our radar. We have in fact been able to identify a couple of big business houses, one in particular which has used its networks of dealers to route the money through."

*These protests are being organized by separatist leaders at the behest of Pak ISI which had been preparing for this strategy since 2006. The calendar of protests is prepared and issued by the separatists. The adherence to these calls by common people is mainly because of the muscle power of the miniscule separatists and not because of their own conviction. For example, the Lassipora Industrial Estate in Pulwama and Rangreth Industrial Estate were not affected by the protests in the beginning but after the visit of terrorists, the situation changed.

*The cycle of violence suggests a set pattern indicating how carefully these protests are orchestrated. When the street rage begins to peter out in one area, protests erupt in some other region. Home Minister stated on August 4, 2010 that there was a reliable intelligence that at least one armed militant had mingled with the crowds and fired at the security forces. This suggests that the planners are deliberately creating situations in which the security forces are forced to fire.

*Some early signs of people in the Valley getting fed up with the growing number of calls for protests are now visible. On September 4, 2010 residents in Srinagar defied the call for protests and went about their business as usual. Shopkeepers and taxi drivers expressed that as they were suffering financially since mid June because of the frequent calls of protests, hence they decided to defy the separatists’ strike call. Towards the end of August, scores of parents and students marched to Srinagar from Ganderbal district carrying placards to protest against the closure of schools and colleges. A leading school in Srinagar was forced to shift its class XII students to New Delhi to salvage their academic year.

Though the separatists’ strategy and their Pak mentors’ guidance and support form the main cause of the current crisis, yet they do not provide the complete picture. Much blame should also come to the Kashmiri politicians whose lackluster performance and vote bank politics have significantly contributed to the deterioration of the situation in the J&K. Bureaucracy too is responsible for generating frustration among the common people. Corruption is rampant and there is clearly absence of visible development. The officials are not seen as paying due attention to the grievance of residents. Elements of good governance are missing.  This strengthens the perception that the administration in the State has collapsed.

The security forces too are not fully trained to deal with the situation that has arisen recently. The perception is growing that the security forces are not adhering to the principle of use of minimum force. Analysts have pointed out that the security forces are not adopting non lethal sophisticated methods for controlling the crowd. The continuing deaths in firings of the security forces strengthen this perception.

The National Conference, which obtained a sizable number of seats in the elections about two years ago, is fast losing its popularity. The PDP has been espousing the cause of separatists and is always looking for an opportunity to oust the present government. A deliberate effort is on to project that the present Chief Minister is not capable of handling the current crisis. Even those elements who are convinced of sincerity of Omar Abdullah, feel that he lacks maturity to deal with the opportunist political leaders in J&K. If violence continues, the ruling government would find it difficult to continue.

The moot question is how to deal with the current cycle of violence. SAS Geelani has stated that Kashmiris desire only azadi and nothing less than secession of J&K from India would satisfy them. This is not correct as majority of residents of the State do not desire this. It is wrong to presume that all Muslims of the State want azadi. The younger elements are not clear about the concept of azadi as was clear from their interaction with some politicians that was reported in the media. The political leaders both in J&K and in New Delhi stress the need for political solution and to start a dialogue with the separatists. PM has come out with the employment and economic development package. While these are to some extent needed, the policy makers need to accurately assess the causes behind the current violence and protests and the changing nature of demands to undertake appropriate steps to restore normalcy.

The immediate causes should be given priority rather than the long term measures. The present unrest stems out of the perception of "deliberate killings" in the police firings. This has allowed the separatists and the Pak agencies to create a perception that the present regime is supporting the security personnel who are indulging in ruthless human rights violations. Therefore as the first step the perception that the Government tends to bat for the errant elements in the security forces and not for the people of J&K needs to be removed by ordering a probe in all such cases. A judicial commission should be established at the earliest for this purpose. This may certainly adversely affect the morale of the security forces but this would go a long way to satisfy the protesters. The Government must make it clear that the guilty would be suitably punished.  The investigations may expose the manipulations by the separatists, which could nullify the allegations against the security forces. Alongside, a mechanism for prompt and satisfactory attention to the complaints of excessive use of force or violation of human rights should be established. There is a feeling among the residents of J&K that there is no effective mechanism to pay attention to their grievances.

The second step should be aimed at starting an interaction with the young men who are involved in the agitation. There has been a lot of pressure to start a dialogue with the separatists. This should be avoided in the present circumstances as under the shadow of protests and continuing violence, it is not likely to succeed. The Government should immediately appoint an interlocutor to start the process of interaction with the agitating youth. The person for this job should be carefully selected. It may be better to appoint a politician who understands the problems of all the sections of J&K. Appointment of a retired bureaucrat should be avoided as they are seen as following the established line. The interlocutor should talk to all sections. The migrants from the Valley should also be consulted and all efforts should be made to bring them back to the Valley.

The third step should be to put in place sophisticated methods of crowd control and avoid the use of lethal weapons. The security forces should keep in mind that increasing number of incidents of killings would make the situation intractable. They should also ensure that no one is ill treated. The PM has already stressed the need for non lethal mechanisms of crowd control. This would also require suitable training of security forces in such methods. The security forces must realize that in situations like this, the emphasis should be on winning over "hearts and minds of the people". Their involvement in providing necessary medical and educational facilities to people particularly in difficult areas would go a long way in earning of their goodwill. The rotation of units of security forces at suitable intervals is also necessary to ensure that the fatigue factor does not adversely affect their decision making capabilities.

The fourth step that the Central Government should take is to energize the Task Force for Psychological Campaign to counter the malicious propaganda of the separatists and the Pak agencies. This was established under the Home Secretary by the Group of Ministers in 2001. However it seldom meets. This should meet at regular intervals to provide necessary guidance to the concerned agencies. This institution can play a significant role in removing the wrong perceptions and media management, which are crucial at this juncture.  India has so far been silent as far as the happenings in PoK are concerned. Despite the fact that this area belongs to India, there has been no systematic effort made to project our concerns over denial of democratic rights to people there and deliberate change in the demography of the region by Pakistan that adversely affects the local people. If these facts are brought to the notice of the people in J&K, they would be able to clearly see the game plan of Pakistan. The fact that PoK is ruled like a colony of Pakistan needs to be placed before the people. The residents in Gilgit-Baltistan are already revolting against the Pak governance policy and it is India’s moral obligation to support the "freedom fighters" there.

The Hurriyat leaders are not the real leaders of the people of J&K. They have not faced elections. Of course their ability to create mischief is high, which is because of the support of terrorists and not because of their wide spread support. Therefore, they should be treated accordingly. Media has over projected the "willingness" of Geelani to support the dialogue process. He has placed his five pre conditions for talks which only support the Pak line. Any temptation to have a dialogue with the separatists should be avoided with these preconditions though this may receive a pat from the international community. Any dialogue under the shadow of protests and violence is unlikely to yield the desired results.

The political leaders should improve their performance. They must realize that if their performance remains unsatisfactory, people are bound to express their resentment against them. Most of the political leaders have stopped addressing rallies in the Valley since mid-June. The governance needs to be improved significantly. The official machinery should be sensitive to the problems of the people. It may be recalled that in 2006 in the Round Table Conference, the PM had announced people centric initiatives which had positive impact. Their implementation in letter and spirit needs to be pursued.

The proposal to lift the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act should be taken after considering all the facts. This should not be done merely to placate the protesters. While the removal of this Act has become one of the demands of the protesters, it must be recognized that the current anger of the protesters is primarily against the deaths in the firings on the protesters. The infiltration continues and reports suggest that a sizeable number of foreign terrorists are present in J&K. The likely repercussions of the removal of the Act should be accurately assessed. Similarly the impact of reduction of the security forces should be analyzed in the light of the developing situation. However, the relocation of the security pickets in the civilian areas can be undertaken.

The larger question of political initiatives to satisfy the aspirations of the people of J&K should be seen in the wider context of Centre-State Relations. There are several other states which are governed by Special Acts like J&K. If J&K has Art 370, Nagaland has Art.371-A, Assam has Art 371-B, Manipur has Art-371-C, Andhra Pradesh has Art 371-D and there are special provisions for Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa as well. If some concessions are to be given to J&K, similar demands would be made by other States. The Centre- State Commission has dealt with all such aspects in its report. Its recommendations need to be examined for implementation. The need for devolution of power to the lowest administrative unit is certainly desirable. The aspirations of people would be satisfied if they are involved in the decision making bodies at the local levels. This should be done in all the States.
 
It is necessary to note that there is no quick political solution for the problem. Indian policy makers should not take any political measure in a hurry that would create serious problems for our successive generations.                    

Republicans talk about me like a dog, says Obama

US President, Mr Barack Obama, has caused quite a flutter by accusing his Republican opponents of talking about him “like a dog” at a rally to launch his embattled Democratic party’s election campaign.

“Some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for a very long time and they’re not always happy with me,” he said addressing a union crowd on

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Afghans protest US church’s plans to burn Quran

Hundreds of Afghans railed against the United States and called for President Barack Obama’s death at a rally in the capital Monday to denounce an American church’s plans to burn the Islamic holy book on 9/11. The crowd in Kabul, numbering as many a…

Mamma T

It was 1970 and I had gone to meet Mother Teresa for the first time, in Nirmal Hriday, the Missionaries of Charity’s Home for Dying Destitutes in Kalighat, south Calcutta.

I’d taken a deep breathe before entering, fearful of inhaling the odour of death. What would it smell like? Sour and bitter, the ashes of flowers?

What had struck me first was the peace of the place. The inmates lay on pallets on the clean-swept floor of a large, airy hall. Golden motes danced in the light from tall windows. A Sister in the white habit of the order had taken me over to Mother.

Now, she knelt by the dying man on the floor. She covered his sores with bandages, her blunt-fingered peasant hands gentle on bleeding flesh. She took one of the man’s hands in both of hers. She spoke to him in a voice without words. There was no outrage in that voice, no accusation, no weariness.  As she held his hand and spoke to him in the voice without words, the dying man’s eyes opened and seemed to shine with understanding. Incredibly, a smile appeared on the ravaged face. It was then that I had my first intuition as to what Mother Teresa – whom I would always refer to myself as Mamma T as an antidote to icon-worship – was all about.

It was impossible to judge her work from a secular standpoint. No ordinary social worker, no matter how dedicated, could face the daily horrors she did without succumbing to despair. I was, and am, an atheist. And as an atheist I acknowledged that the source of her strength was her religious belief. Yet there was no odour of sanctity about her. No misty-eyed vision of the world to come to gloss over the ugly wounds of this world. She seemed to use the transcendent as a fulcrum to tackle the mundane, the way a workman makes use of a lever to lift a load otherwise too heavy to bear.

True, she talked about God a lot. “Let’s do something beautiful for God,” was one of her favourite phrases, as I soon learnt. But the way she said it made it sound like an idiosyncrasy, like the way an executive might talk about his golf handicap. If anything, the latter would have sounded more earnest about his game. She seemed so cheerful. Her infectious smile erased the wrinkles on the lined face. Her eyes were lively with awareness. She seemed so everyday.

Could this really be the woman all the fuss was about, who was already in the international limelight for having devoted her life to helping the most hopeless of human derelicts, dying beggars and shunned lepers? Who even then was in some danger of eventual canonisation?

Already the jetsam of humanity that she dredged from the streets of Calcutta, and a score of other cities around the world, viewed her as a living saint. In a streetside altar on Lower Circular Road, her picture had been installed as a deity. Foreign visitors were exhorted to go see her as if she were a human shrine, expiating Calcutta’s myriad sins. When she was talked about at cocktail parties, as she often was, the final diagnosis was that she was some sort of avatar of goodness, a being mysteriously inspired, unlike mere mortals such as us. In short, a saint.

Then, as now, we needed our saints. We could then walk by a beggar dying in the gutter, or a new-born child left on a refuse heap to be eaten alive by street dogs, and have the satisfaction of knowing that though there was nothing we ourselves could do, as looking after human derelicts was obviously not our job, we had nominated a special person for this chore, who could take care of everything. Mamma T was the moral garbage collector of our conscience.

The previous year before I first met her, I’d come across a beggar who had collapsed on the pavement on Chowringhee. The rush-hour crowd milled and eddied past. I too hurried by, telling myself that there was nothing that I could do anyway. When I got to the JS office, I told the story to Desmond’s secretary, Dhun Batlivala (Miss Forbes and Miss Singh had long since gone). Dhun suggested I call the Missionaries of Charity. I rang and gave the details to a matter-of-fact voice at the other end.

An hour later I went out and found that the man had been taken away. I felt a comfortable sense of relief. As when a speck of grit is removed from the eye, or a boil drained of pus. I felt I’d done my duty.

I was talking to a woman once, the wife of a company director, who told me with pride, “I always contact Mother Teresa in such cases. She’s so absolutely marvellous and knows exactly what to do.”

I nodded and said, “She is. But just suppose she wasn’t there?”

She looked at me as though I’d made an absurd remark. Like ‘But suppose the earth is flat’. Or ‘Suppose the sun doesn’t rise one day’.

Then she said, “But she is there, isn’t she?” And that was that.

Today, when we weigh her in the balance, what we are really weighing are our own values. When she received the Nobel Prize, Dan Sheppard, the then Time correspondent in Delhi, called me in Calcutta. He wanted to know how much Mamma T weighed.

“You know the Time style,” he said. “In the piece I write, when I say ‘tiny’, I have to give her weight to back up the adjective. Will you find out for me, please?”

I rang the Missionaries of Charity. Mother was unavailable, out on fieldwork, as she was more often than not. I spoke to one of the Sisters.

“I’m sorry, I know it sounds stupid. But could you tell me how much Mother weighs. It’s for Time magazine.”

There was silence. Then, very gently, “Do you really think that Mother herself would know, or care?”

In the end I made up 48 kg and passed it on to Dan. He seemed happy enough. Presumably so were Time readers.

When Mother died in 1997, I ended the edit I wrote for the Times of India, where by then I was working: “Lack of fuss was central to Mother Teresa’s style of functioning. That, and a rarely displayed but robust sense of humour, saved her from the sin of self-conscious piety. As she recounted once to Prince Michael of Greece, she dreamt she had died and gone to heaven where Saint Peter told her: ‘Go back to earth; there are no slums up here.’ There might not be any slums in heaven. But perhaps Mother Teresa would pardon us a touch of sentimentality – which she never permitted herself – for suggesting that there may be a little less heaven on this despairing earth after her departure.”

I never did find out how much she really weighed.

Guatemala landslides kill dozens, toll seen rising

CUMBRE DE ALASKA – A massive landslide buried a crowd trying to dig out a bus from deep mud on Sunday, killing at least 22 people, with dozens more feared dead, as torrential rains battered Guatemala.

Cops’ barking dogs seldom bite

Nagpur: The traditional detective novels would often come with representations of oval impressions of fingerprints and a magnifying glass close to it apart from a firearm or a blood dripping from a knife or both. Fingerprints, as rightly depicted on cover of such novels, occupied an important place in crime investigation.

The fingerprint experts of police department are still seen at the scene of crime. Equipped with their devices, the experts are found focused on collecting fingerprints left behind on the surfaces that criminals might have touched while committing theft or a murder.

Their work find curious audience among the public who observes the act with much awe as the fingerprint sleuths carry on their work in rapt attention. But, you ask them an hour or so later. Either they would offer one a dry smile indicating that they had got little to aid the probe or claim to have returned empty handed. All too often they return empty handed as criminals have turned smarter. They usually wear gloves or wipe the place clean after their act.

Recently, the experts were forgiven by a woman whose house was burgled at Mahal in east Nagpur. In their enthusiasm to collect fingerprints, the experts lost grip of a costly glass top and it crashed to the floor in pieces. The woman, who had already lost her jewellery and was grieving the loss of her pet dog whom the intruders had killed, could only stare helplessly at the shattered glass.

It is reasonable to question the effectiveness of the unit as they haven’t been credited with many successes.

‘Our system is crippled by the old software," said an expert. He also said that Nagpur unit had recently provided clues to two police stations about murder suspects. The argument, however, did not find any taker within the department. A senior cop blasted the unit for having a casual approach. “When we catch a thief, he confesses to committing a number of burglaries. How come the fingerprint unit that had been to all such scenes couldn’t give us a clue," he asked.

Just like fingerprints, the sniffer dog unit acts more to complete the formalities than actually aid the investigation.

Though there had been instances in Gadchiroli when sniffer canines saved cops from blasts, no such work by thedog unit in Nagpur has been reported. The well-looked after dogs, trained even to salute a senior cop, make a great show when brought to a scene of crime.

Crowd stops to watch the dog sniffing around to either trace an explosive or track down a suspect. It also triggers much enthusiasm among the media photographers. But it has been years since anyone heard that a police dog had helped nab a criminal. After a recent bank heist at Butibori near Nagpur, the crowd saw the tracker canine hurriedly leave the bank and reacha road. It then walked a few metres with hurried steps in either direction, sniffed at a nearby nullah and relieved itself on a tree trunk. It then returned staring blankly at its handler.

Criminals now have a trick to confuse the dogs too. They just sprinkle a bit of gunpowder from crackers at the scene to mislead the canines into believing that search is for explosives. They forget the human scent they are supposed to follow and keep hovering around the gunpowder.

The situation is no better for sketch artists whose services the cops occasionally use to get an idea about absconding suspects. However, no one can recall when the last such sketch helped identify a suspect. “We had given descriptions of a suspect to sketch artist, he ended up making a portrait resembling our thanedar," quipped a sub-inspector.

Hand-writing experts fare equally bad. These days they are used more to settle civilian disputes than to help serious crime investigation.

Fantastic Friday

Invited by Viren Khanna, Bengaluru’s party mad youngsters headed to the Chancery on Friday. DJ Akbar Sami got the crowd to their feet as he played all the latest hits. The party- goers were seen catching up with friends and tapping their feet to the beats. The event ended with everyone having let their hair down. A great way to start the weekend, this!

Stirring Goodness
It’s not every day

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Afghans crowd scandal-hit bank to withdraw savings

KABUL, Sept 4, (AFP): Afghan officials sought Saturday to head off a run on the country’s biggest bank, reassuring customers of Kabul Bank that their money was safe following corruption allegations in US newspapers. Branches of Kabul Bank across the …

Thousands protest French crackdown on Gypsies

A whistle-blowing, drum-beating crowd of thousands demonstrated in Paris on Saturday against expulsions of Gypsies as well as other new security measures adopted by President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government.

Battered Blake seeks home crowd support

New Yorker faces Djokovic in third round

Mishap leads to arson on NH 7

Angry crowd set four vehicles on fire and disrupted traffic on the National Highway no. 7 after two brothers came under wheels of a heavy vehicle near Borkhedi, around 30-km from Nagpur.

Al Mawsim score big win at Al Dhaid

Batsmen thrill crowd with two half centuries

Venus to focus on positives at US Open return

Plans to bank on experience as she treats opening crowd to her trademark power, belting 10 aces

Flamboyant Federer delights crowd with a stunning shot

Swiss leaves Dabul dumbfounded with between-the-legs winner

Older folks flocking to social networks

While online social networks remain havens for the young, they are also becoming increasingly popular with the over 50 crowd, a recent study has revealed. Read on…

Teenage girl killed in skinhead rampage at Russian festival (Guardian)

Over 100 men attack at Tornado festival in Miass, injuring up to 100 people in latest ultra-nationalist attack to hit countryA 14-year-old girl was killed and dozens of revellers injured yesterday when more than 100 bare-chested skinheads rampaged through a rock concert in central Russia attacking people with iron clubs.The teenager was among a crowd of around 3,000 people at the Tornado festival in Miass, 900 miles east of Moscow, when the attack happened.Many visitors were left bloodied and dazed after being hit with iron clubs and sticks, television and news agencies reported. One report, quoting a police source, suggested the teenage girl had suffered multiple stab wounds.State-owned Rossiya-24 TV saidup to 100 people were injured and 14 ambulances were called to the scene.Images on the local news website Chelnovosti.ru showed battered revellers and scores of skinheads congregating at the event, which featured Russia’s top rock acts.The motive for the assault was not known, and the ITAR-Tass news agency said local police had refused to comment.Witnesses told Russian journalists that the skinheads burst through security cordons, pushing police aside and in some cases grabbing their truncheons to attack visitors.The Ekho Moskvy radio station reported that around 15 attackers were detained, but the majority fled.Russia has an ingrained neo-Nazi skinhead movement and attacks on foreigners in Moscow and St Petersburg have been relatively common in recent years. The January 2009 murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasiya Baburova prompted a Kremlin crackdown on ultra-nationalists, who were blamed for the killings.In April, a Moscow court banned the far-right Slavic Union, whose Russian acronym SS intentionally mimicked that used by the Nazis’ infamous paramilitaries. The group was declared extremist and shut down, but the group’s leader, Dmitry Demushkin, complained that it had tried to promote its far-right agenda legally and warned that the ban would enrage and embolden Russia’s most radical ultra-nationalists.Neo-Nazi and other ultra-nationalist groups thrived in Russia after the Soviet collapse in 1991. The influx of immigrant workers and two wars with Chechen separatists triggered xenophobia and a surge in hate crimes.Racially motivated attacks, often targeting people from Caucasus and Central Asia, peaked in 2008, when 110 people were killed and 487 wounded, an independent watchdog, Sova, said. The Moscow Bureau for Human Rights estimated that some 70,000 neo-Nazis were active in Russia compared with a just few thousand in the early 1990s.RussiaThe far rightDamien Pearseguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Paris steps back to ’30s for 3D Scorsese film

A dozen hefty security guards held back the crowd gathered on a Paris street Tuesday to glimpse US director Martin Scorsese jump into a limo at lunch break during the shoot of his latest film, a 3-D fantasy releasing late next year. But the Oscar-win…

Identity Crisis: 2011 Honda CR-Z

Identity Crisis: 2011 Honda CR-Z

The show car’s cool styling got noticed, but so did the hybrid badge. So we can’t help but wonder: is the 2011 Honda CR-Z just another hybrid for fuel-economy dorks or a hot hatch for cool dudes?

Honda’s CRX is something of a legend, one of those cars about which everyone seems to have memories. Fond memories at that, usually involving an ultracool college-age dude who drove the wheels off one. The first-generation Honda Insight, on the other hand, is a car that the in crowd probably doesn’t even remember, but it was pure dork delight. With an aluminum unibody, it was the first hybrid to reach the U.S. and posted the highest EPA combined fuel economy number of all time: 53 mpg (49/61 mpg city/highway).

Photo Gallery: Identity Crisis: 2011 Honda CR-Z – Automobile Magazine

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Small-budget movies to crowd box office this Friday

The last Friday of the month is high on low-budget outings like Hello Darling, Antardwand, Gumshuda, Madholal – Keep Walking and Soch Lo.

Truck rams into crowd in China: 10 killed

A speeding truck on Wednesday rammed into a crowded street, killing 10 people and injuring two others in China’s eastern Fujian Province.

Eight people died instantly when the truck crashed into a gro

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Paris steps back to 30s for 3D Scorsese film

PARIS – A dozen hefty security guards held back the crowd gathered on a Paris street on Tuesday to glimpse US director Martin Scorsese jump into a limo at lunch break during the shoot of his latest film, a 3-D fantasy releasing late next year.

Australia opposition leader says party ‘ready to govern’

Australia’s opposition Liberal/National coalition is “back in business” and ready to govern, its leader Tony Abbott told an ecstatic crowd today as the nation faced a hung Parliament.

Delhi sinks, weekend crowd wades through jams

For the third day in a row, heavy rain caused traffic snarls on major roads in the capital. Since it was a Saturday, the dislocation was not as major but the rain caused acute waterlogging on major arterial roads leaving little space for vehicular movement.

Relaxing time for Amitabh at Mithapur

After mingling with the crowd at the Lord Krishna Temple it was time for Big B to enjoy the strong breeze at Mithapur beach at Dwarka.

How to Teach a Dog to Bow

If your dog is already familiar with some basics such as sitting and lying down at your command, you should be able to teach your dog to “take a bow” as well. It’s a great crowd-pleasing trick.

Steps

1. Make sure that your dog knows how to come, sit and lie down on command. Your dog should also know what his name is and be responsive to it. If he can’t do these things reliably, you will need to teach him the basic commands of dogdom first.
2. Have your dog stand facing you, about two feet (60 cm) away. Hold a treat or toy so that he can see it, but don’t let him eat the treat yet. If necessary, wave the treat a little to be sure that he is paying attention.
3. 

   Holding the treat in your hand, wave the treat downward (or even drop it to the floor). He should lower his head to keep his eyes on the treat.

   • Immediately praise and pet him.
   • Let him have the treat and take out another one in readiness.
   • If using a clicker, click just prior to giving your dog his treat.
4. 

   Repeat this for a few times to get him used to the movement and receiving a reward. Don’t worry if your dog stands up straight away. He will learn to associate the treat (and clicker if using) with the movement after repetition.

5. 

   Add the verbal cue. Say your dog’s name, then add an appropriate phrase, such as “Bow” or “Stretch”. Say the word as your dog gets into position, for example, “Fido! Bow!”.

   • 

     Use your hand coming down to the floor to indicate to your dog to bring his head to the ground.

   • Give the treat as before. If using a clicker, click just prior to giving the treat.
6. 

   Showing an empty hand

   Repeat the trick a few times.

   • Continue with the verbal cue and moving your hand to the ground.
   • Switch to a pretend treat. When you open your hand on the floor, it should contain nothing.
   • Instead, give the treat after opening your empty hand. Give the treat with your other hand.
7. 

   After several repetitions, try giving the “Bow” or “Stretch” command without moving your hand to signal.

   • If using a clicker, stop now. Simply rely on the command.
   • Give a treat initially and then taper off and replace with praise.
   • Give your dog lots of praise every time you see the desired bow action. You can use the praise method to reward natural bows every time that you see them, provided you associate the praise with the word “Bow” or whatever word you wish to use. By association, your dog may learn to bow naturally.
   • Your dog should eventually learn to associate the command with bowing his head and without getting rewarded. When he can bow his head without seeing you wave the treat or toy, he has learned the trick.^[1]
   • Always reinforce an action you have taught your dog with praise and love.

Video

Tips

• Do not feed the dog the treat while in the bowing position, because he won’t bow until he sees the treat in your hand. However, if he learns that the treat comes after the bow, he’ll be willing to perform for you without it right there all the time.^[2]
• If the dog doesn’t catch on after several tries, take a break and practice again later.
• Your praise and approval are almost as good as a food reward to many dogs. Always be lavish in praising your dog when you train it.
• Be calm and don’t make sudden movements. If you are excited, the dog will pick up on this and get hyper. You want the dog to be calm and focused.

Things You’ll Need

• Dog treats (small, healthy ones)
• Clicker (optional)
• Toy or other object to attract attention (optional)

Related wikiHows

• How to Teach Your Dog to Do March Madness Picks
• How to Get Your Dog to Roll Over
• How to Teach a Dog to Flip a Treat on His Nose
• How to Teach Your Dog to Shake Hands
• How to Teach Your Dog Tricks

Sources and Citations

• Videojug, http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-take-a-bow (contributor Zsianz1) — research source, and photo source.

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Posted: August 20th, 2010
at 11:26am by Arif

Tagged with crowd, cue, dogdom, paying attention, phrase, repetition, two feet, worry




Categories: How To?

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Young boys, barely in their teens, pick stones, take aim and hit the policemen. A few older lads with bamboo sticks in their hands charge at the cops who are carrying Kalashnikovs. Then a group of middle-aged women, many with their heads covered, descend on the street. They too join the stone-pelting crowd. Raising slogans against the government, the stone-pelting boys turn their attention to police vehicles. From inside the jeeps, the heavily-armed policemen watch the restless crowd. As big rocks crash into their windscreens and stones hit their helmets, a few cops unlock their rifles, aim into the crowd and fire. Suddenly, the crowd freezes. Three boys drop dead. And then the crowd moves towards the police who flee the spot, leaving behind a cloud of dust and trail of blood.
 
If you are thinking this incident happened in the valley of Kashmir, you are wrong. This clash between stone-pelters and armed cops took place this week in the heart of India – in the villages of Agra, Aligarh and Mathura. Angry over "low compensation" paid to them for their land acquired by the UP government for the Rs 10,000-crore Yamuna Expressway, the farmers came out on the road to protest. They were joined by their sons. Even their mothers, wives and daughters joined the demonstration as they wielded lathis and chucked stones at the cops. And, even after the police bullets snuffed life out three men, more people came out with more stones in their hands. Now, even after the UP government’s decision to raise the compensation, release the jailed leader of the movement and drop all cases against the agitating people, the agitation is showing no signs of abating.
 
It seems the people are no longer scared of police bullets.
 
Though the footage of stone-pelters of Srinagar have been played non-stop on our TV screens with the running commentary which slams the "separatists" for provoking the "misguided young men" to throw stones at the security forces and undermine the idea of India, the fact that clashes between the people and police have been happening all over the country is conveniently forgotten or ignored. All these clashes have happened because of one reason: the government’s acquisition of agricultural land for some private project. And all these clashes have ended in dead bodies – of people, not police. In Andhra Pradesh, police fired at poor peasants protesting against the grabbing of their land for a power plant. In Orissa, the police have fired on unarmed tribals rallying against their displacement a number of times in the past few months. The same story has been repeated in Maharashtra. And, now, the tragedy is being played in UP.   
 
In India, people have been displaced and forced to migrate due to industrialization since the 1950s, but in the past few years the government’s tendency to grab people’s land, pay some compensation and kick them out of the land they have lived on for centuries has reached dangerous proportions. In the name of SEZs, in the name of development and new projects, people are being displaced all over the country. Knowing well that no amount of money can compensate the loss of agricultural land, people are rising against the government.
 
This problem is going to become more acute in the time to come as government – central as well as state – act as an agency that acquires land on behalf of private business. We can forget the bloody mayhem of Singur and Nandigram at our own peril. Our economy might be aspiring to reach double-digit figure and we may claim to be world leaders in information technology, but we can’t create more land. As India’s population increases and agricultural production falls, it’s criminal for the government to convert green fields into factories and real estate properties.
 
And, it’s even worse to fire on protesting crowds. In a brilliant play called ‘Seema Rekha’ by Vishnu Prabhakar, after police fires on a group of students, a politician reminds the police chief that "the police are given guns and bullets for the protection of people and not to attack them." Even if the police have to fire in self-defence, firing is the last resort after all other options have been exhausted. But, in the world’s biggest democracy, firing on the protesting crowds has become the first option for our trigger-happy security forces. 
 
Nowhere is the situation worse than Kashmir, where 55 people have been killed by police bullets in as many days. Despite the promises of "healing the valley", the security forces will continue to fire at unarmed people. Maybe the government fears that the stone-pelters of Srinagar are giving ideas to people in other parts of the country.  Maybe the government only cares for land and not the people. After all land is money. Maybe the government believes that a few dead bodies here and there shouldn’t hamper the country’s march towards the superpower status.
 
That’s why the state shows equal enthusiasm in grabbing the people’s land and firing at them when they protest.

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