8 February 2010
Melbourne : Victoria's top cop's advice to Indian students to "act poor" and avoid living in high-risk suburbs to minimise the chances of being assaulted has been termed wrong and unhelpful by business and community groups, a newspaper reported.
The comments, made by Chief Commissioner Simon Overland to a gathering of Indian students at the weekend, echo advice by the Indian government in a travel advisory last month after the murder of accounting graduate Nitin Garg in Melbourne's western suburbs, The Australian reported on its website.
Both federal and state governments gave a cool response to the Indian advisory at the time, with then acting prime minister Julia Gillard saying Australia was a safe place for Indian students.
Overland's comments - which both police and Victoria's government say have been "taken out of context" - have also renewed calls for more police on the streets instead of authorities shifting the responsibility for crime to the victims.
Overland told Indian students at a safety forum Saturday that although police were doing all they could to stop violence against them, students should adopt self-protection strategies like avoiding public transport late at night, not living where crimes rates were higher and avoid working as taxi drivers or at late-night convenience stores.
"Don't display your iPods, don't display your valuable watch...try to look as poor as you can," he said. "If you can live somewhere safer, live somewhere safer...if you can avoid public transport in high-risk areas at night, avoid it."
Both the Victoria government and the police say the comments, especially those relating to "acting poor", were a "light-hearted summation of the advice" that would be given to any member of the community to be aware of their valuables. "It was absolutely taken out of context," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
But Brimbank Mayor Sam David, whose council lies in the western suburbs, said Overland's advice to Indians not to live in areas with higher crime rates was not helpful.
"It's wrong because the Indian community have to live somewhere and we are very proud to have them in our city," he said.
David said the western suburbs needed more police at railway stations and shopping centres.
Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesman Chris James said he was concerned Melbourne was being painted as an "epicentre of violence", and about the consequent economic impacts it would have on the city.
"In some respects it is sensible advice," he said.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Look poor to avoid attacks: Victoria top cop's advice to Indians students
Melbourne 7, 2010, , Press Trust of India,
Victorian police chief Simon Overland has advised Indian students in Australia to keep a low profile and "try to look as poor as you can" to avoid attacks, drawing strong condemnation from the community which called his statement "ridiculous".
Indian students could make themselves less of a target if they do not display their expensive gadgets, Oliver told an international students' safety forum on Saturday.
"Don't display your iPods, don't display your valuable watch, don't display your valuable jewellery. Try to look as poor as you can," Overland was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
The Victorian Police Chief Commissioner said students could take some steps to protect themselves.
"If you can live somewhere safer, live somewhere safer," he said. "If you can avoid public transport into high-risk areas late at night, avoid it."
Victorian Premier John Brumby defended his top cop, saying the advice to the overseas students to avoid crime, as per Overland, was a comment about high crime areas.
"He may have been making the point that in some areas, there are higher crime rates than in others," the Premier was quoted as saying by 'AAP'.
Brumby said he and the police chief condemned in the strongest possible terms "acts of violence, and particularly any violence which is racially motivated".
But, the Federation of Indian Student Association (FISA) rejected Overland's remarks with its spokesperson Gautam Gupta calling the police chief's advice "ridiculous."
Gupta said Indians need not look "poor" to feel safe. "What is he (Overland) saying? Indians don't have the right to be rich? And if they look rich, do they may be have to get bashed? On one hand, everyone should look poor. On the other, don't live in poor areas (where crime rate is high). I don't understand."
On Overland's remarks that taxi drivers, including Indians, had a right to feel safe no matter what their nationality was, Gupta said "it's a work place. Every work place should be safe. I think it's a ridiculous idea. It is blaming the worker. It is blaming the victim."
However, Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition Executive Director Melba Marginson, who was the organiser of Saturday's forum, said Overland was just trying to describe few strategies to the students on how to avoid criminals' attention.
"It was in context to safety issues. Media has twisted Overland's statement. What he meant was to take some precautionary measures while travelling to a high risk area," said Marginson, who also chaired the forum.
Overland told the forum on Saturday that there was a disparity between perceptions and the facts about crimes against Indian people, saying Melbourne's permanent Indian population was not over-represented in crime statistics.
He pointed out the crimes of robberies were happening against those students who were working as cabbies and convenient store attendants.
Overland said police were doing everything they could to stop assaults on overseas students, some of which were racially-based but most of which were robbery-related.
He said crimes against Indian students were not reflected in crimes against the Indian community in general.
"However the key function of a state government is law and order which needs a massive overhaul in this state. This includes a greater police and security presence on the streets and on our public transport system."
Victorian police chief Simon Overland has advised Indian students in Australia to keep a low profile and "try to look as poor as you can" to avoid attacks, drawing strong condemnation from the community which called his statement "ridiculous".
Indian students could make themselves less of a target if they do not display their expensive gadgets, Oliver told an international students' safety forum on Saturday.
"Don't display your iPods, don't display your valuable watch, don't display your valuable jewellery. Try to look as poor as you can," Overland was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
The Victorian Police Chief Commissioner said students could take some steps to protect themselves.
"If you can live somewhere safer, live somewhere safer," he said. "If you can avoid public transport into high-risk areas late at night, avoid it."
Victorian Premier John Brumby defended his top cop, saying the advice to the overseas students to avoid crime, as per Overland, was a comment about high crime areas.
"He may have been making the point that in some areas, there are higher crime rates than in others," the Premier was quoted as saying by 'AAP'.
Brumby said he and the police chief condemned in the strongest possible terms "acts of violence, and particularly any violence which is racially motivated".
But, the Federation of Indian Student Association (FISA) rejected Overland's remarks with its spokesperson Gautam Gupta calling the police chief's advice "ridiculous."
Gupta said Indians need not look "poor" to feel safe. "What is he (Overland) saying? Indians don't have the right to be rich? And if they look rich, do they may be have to get bashed? On one hand, everyone should look poor. On the other, don't live in poor areas (where crime rate is high). I don't understand."
On Overland's remarks that taxi drivers, including Indians, had a right to feel safe no matter what their nationality was, Gupta said "it's a work place. Every work place should be safe. I think it's a ridiculous idea. It is blaming the worker. It is blaming the victim."
However, Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition Executive Director Melba Marginson, who was the organiser of Saturday's forum, said Overland was just trying to describe few strategies to the students on how to avoid criminals' attention.
"It was in context to safety issues. Media has twisted Overland's statement. What he meant was to take some precautionary measures while travelling to a high risk area," said Marginson, who also chaired the forum.
Overland told the forum on Saturday that there was a disparity between perceptions and the facts about crimes against Indian people, saying Melbourne's permanent Indian population was not over-represented in crime statistics.
He pointed out the crimes of robberies were happening against those students who were working as cabbies and convenient store attendants.
Overland said police were doing everything they could to stop assaults on overseas students, some of which were racially-based but most of which were robbery-related.
He said crimes against Indian students were not reflected in crimes against the Indian community in general.
"However the key function of a state government is law and order which needs a massive overhaul in this state. This includes a greater police and security presence on the streets and on our public transport system."
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sensex ends 120 pts down
Feb 10, 2010
The benchmark Nifty lost all of its Tuesday's gains in late trade sell-off while the Sensex shut shop below the 16000 mark. The markets were volatile throughout the day. Downtrend in banking, oil & gas exploration, capital goods, technology, power, select auto, metal and pharma stocks dragged the Sensex 120 points down.
The Indian markets shrugged off positive global cues. European markets were trading 1% higher, and Dow Jones & Nasdaq future was trading 1% & 0.5% higher, respectively, at the time of closing of Indian equities. Asian markets also closed positive; Shanghai and Taiwan gained 1.1% each. Hang Seng was up 0.67% and Nikkei up 0.3%. However, Straits Times fell 0.39% and Kospi was flat. The US markets also ended 1-1.5% higher on Tuesday.
Buying in HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Sterlite, BPCL, Hindalo, Unitech, Hero Honda, Grasim and Jaiprakash Associates capped the losses to some extent.
The 30-share BSE Sensex closed at 15,922.17, down 120.01 points or 0.75% and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 0.74% or 35.45 points to settle at 4,757.20. The broader indices also erased all the early gains and ended flat, about 1337 shares advanced while 1527 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 289 shares remained unchanged.
Sajiv Dhawan of JV Capital Services said, "Since there are shorts on the Nifty we are being quite circumspect and sitting on the sidelines. That’s probably the safest way to play the market over the next couple of weeks as we seem to be lacking a lot of conviction even when we get good positive global cues."
Heavyweights Reliance Industries and ONGC declined 0.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Cairn India was down 0.33% while BPCL gained 2.18%.
Capital goods stocks like L&T and BHEL fell 1.2-1.75% while Siemens and ABB gained 0.3-0.7%. In the power space, NTPC fell 1.7% to 200.5, below its recently closed FPO's floor price of Rs 201. Tata Power, Reliance Power, Suzlon Energy, Power Grid and Reliance Infrastructure were down 0.44-2%.
In the metal pack, SAIL fell 2.5%. The company has turned down the government's advice regarding issue of bonus shares before its upcoming follow-on public offer (FPO), reports CNBC-TV18 quoting sources. Among the other metal stocks, Tata Steel lost 2% and Jindal Steel was down 0.3% while Sterlite and Hindalco gained 1.5-2%.
Banking also witnessed selling pressure. Stocks like SBI, PNB, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank slipped 1.3-2% while HDFC Bank rose 1.4%.
The benchmark Nifty lost all of its Tuesday's gains in late trade sell-off while the Sensex shut shop below the 16000 mark. The markets were volatile throughout the day. Downtrend in banking, oil & gas exploration, capital goods, technology, power, select auto, metal and pharma stocks dragged the Sensex 120 points down.
The Indian markets shrugged off positive global cues. European markets were trading 1% higher, and Dow Jones & Nasdaq future was trading 1% & 0.5% higher, respectively, at the time of closing of Indian equities. Asian markets also closed positive; Shanghai and Taiwan gained 1.1% each. Hang Seng was up 0.67% and Nikkei up 0.3%. However, Straits Times fell 0.39% and Kospi was flat. The US markets also ended 1-1.5% higher on Tuesday.
Buying in HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Sterlite, BPCL, Hindalo, Unitech, Hero Honda, Grasim and Jaiprakash Associates capped the losses to some extent.
The 30-share BSE Sensex closed at 15,922.17, down 120.01 points or 0.75% and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 0.74% or 35.45 points to settle at 4,757.20. The broader indices also erased all the early gains and ended flat, about 1337 shares advanced while 1527 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 289 shares remained unchanged.
Sajiv Dhawan of JV Capital Services said, "Since there are shorts on the Nifty we are being quite circumspect and sitting on the sidelines. That’s probably the safest way to play the market over the next couple of weeks as we seem to be lacking a lot of conviction even when we get good positive global cues."
Heavyweights Reliance Industries and ONGC declined 0.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Cairn India was down 0.33% while BPCL gained 2.18%.
Capital goods stocks like L&T and BHEL fell 1.2-1.75% while Siemens and ABB gained 0.3-0.7%. In the power space, NTPC fell 1.7% to 200.5, below its recently closed FPO's floor price of Rs 201. Tata Power, Reliance Power, Suzlon Energy, Power Grid and Reliance Infrastructure were down 0.44-2%.
In the metal pack, SAIL fell 2.5%. The company has turned down the government's advice regarding issue of bonus shares before its upcoming follow-on public offer (FPO), reports CNBC-TV18 quoting sources. Among the other metal stocks, Tata Steel lost 2% and Jindal Steel was down 0.3% while Sterlite and Hindalco gained 1.5-2%.
Banking also witnessed selling pressure. Stocks like SBI, PNB, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank slipped 1.3-2% while HDFC Bank rose 1.4%.
Coca-Cola Q4 net up 55% on robust India, China sales
February 09, 2010 Press Trust of India
Driven by the robust sales in India and China, beverage giant Coca-Cola today reported 55 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at $1.5 billion for the fourth quarter (Q4) ended December 31, 2009.
The company had earned a consolidated net profit of $995 million in the same quarter ended on December 31, 2008, the company said in a statement.
Coca-Cola said, in the quarter, its unit case volume increased strongly in key emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico.
Sales in India grew by over 20 per cent, whereas in China it grew by over 29 per cent in Q4, the company said.
In terms of the net operating revenue, Coca-Cola reported 5.4 per cent growth at $7.5 billion during Q4, compared to $7.1 billion in the corresponding period last year.
For the financial year ended on December 31, 2009, Coca-Cola reported a consolidated net profit of $6.8 billion, an 18 per cent growth compared to $5.8 billion in 2008.
Its operating revenue during 2009 declined by three per cent to $30.9 billion from $31.9 billion in 2008, the statement said.
"We ended this year on a high note, delivering global volume and value share gains, comparable currency neutral growth, improved productivity and increased cash flows," the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent said.
Driven by the robust sales in India and China, beverage giant Coca-Cola today reported 55 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at $1.5 billion for the fourth quarter (Q4) ended December 31, 2009.
The company had earned a consolidated net profit of $995 million in the same quarter ended on December 31, 2008, the company said in a statement.
Coca-Cola said, in the quarter, its unit case volume increased strongly in key emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico.
Sales in India grew by over 20 per cent, whereas in China it grew by over 29 per cent in Q4, the company said.
In terms of the net operating revenue, Coca-Cola reported 5.4 per cent growth at $7.5 billion during Q4, compared to $7.1 billion in the corresponding period last year.
For the financial year ended on December 31, 2009, Coca-Cola reported a consolidated net profit of $6.8 billion, an 18 per cent growth compared to $5.8 billion in 2008.
Its operating revenue during 2009 declined by three per cent to $30.9 billion from $31.9 billion in 2008, the statement said.
"We ended this year on a high note, delivering global volume and value share gains, comparable currency neutral growth, improved productivity and increased cash flows," the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent said.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Law Min releases Gopalaswami's letter seeking Chawla's ouster
Posted on: 07 Feb 2010
New Delhi: In a curious case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, the Law Ministry has
released the letter written by then Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami to the President seeking removal of
fellow Election Commissioner Navin Chawla while the Rashtrapati Bhawan had declined to make the document public.
The appellate authority under the Right to Information Act in the Law Ministry allowed the request of one S S
Ranawat, a resident of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, for the unprecedented recommendation made by Gopalaswami in January
last year. The Rashtrapati Bhawan had cited Chawla's opposition to the disclosure as a reason for not making it
public.
In his 93-page report, Gopalaswami had cited several instances of 'partisan behaviour' on the part of Chawla who
had shown 'lack of political neutrality'.
Acting on a petition filed by BJP leader L K Advani and 179 other Members of Parliament who had levelled accusations
of 'political partisanship', the then CEC had contended that he had powers under the Constitution to recommend Chawla's
removal. The Government, however, rejected it and appointed Chawla as CEC.
In this regard, Gopalaswami cited Chawla's own notings on another occasion that the CEC had the power to make such a
recommendation.In the recommendation to the President, the then CEC had said he had concluded that 'significant facts' and
'irresistible conclusions' from the report submitted by him were crucial in adjudging the suitability of Chawla as
Election Commissioner.
He said in his considered opinion, Chawla's continuance as Election Commissioner was 'not justified'. 'My recommendation is, therefore, under the powers vested in me under the second proviso to Article 324(5) of the Constitution, is to remove Shri Navin B Chawla from the post of Election Commissioner,' Gopalaswami had said in his January 16, 2009 letter, months before the general elections during which he demitted office.
Referring to 12 instances cited by him, he said, 'Taken individually (they) appear to indicate Shri Chawla's political
partisanship. Collectively, they point to a continuity of consistent thought and action in furthering the interest of one party with which he appeared to be in constant touch raising serious doubts about his political detachment.
'Further, it was not only that he appeared to be lacking in political neutrality but more pernicious were his attempts
to influence Election Commissioner Dr Quraishi, not by dint of valid arguments, but by spreading stories that Dr Quraishi was
supporting the opposite views.' On many occasions, Gopalaswami said Quraishi had confided that he was under pressure as for instance when he was in favour of elections being held in Karnataka on time and wanted the electoral rollsto be prepared for the new constituencies using the 'cut and paste' method but he did not want his name to be taken because he was under pressure.
Quraishi had once shared a comment made by Chawla to him 'they are angry with you not so much because you were
instrumental in Sonia Gandhi getting a notice from ECI on her birthday (reference to the notice on the maut ka saudagar
remarks) but for the fact that you sided with the CEC in advancing the elections in Himachal Pradesh'.
Such pressure tactics, Gopalaswami said did not augur well with the EC because the independence and neutrality of
the members can be jeopardised by subjecting them to mental pressure and pressure from other vested interests.
'Such an approach would strike at the very foundation of the Election Commission as a neutral body,' he said.
The then CEC said the fact that merited mention here was that from time to time he had taken care to apprise some
select people of these happenings lest they may be labelled as an afterthought.
In regard to the incident of UP elections announcement in 2007 when Chawla wanted deferring the announcement
anticipating imposition of President's rule, which was being demanded by Congress, the matter was then brought to the
notice of then President Abdul Kalam. Gopalaswami said these instances had been mentioned to his immediate predecessors J M Lyngdoh and B B Tandon and a retired Gujarat IAS official.
'It is also necessary to record here that prior to May 2005 in the one year and three months of my experience as Election Commissioner, there was not even one single incident in which there was any remotely partisan view expressed by any
Commissioner on any occasion when the general election to the Parliament 2004 and election to the Legislative assemblies of
Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar (2005) were conducted.
'In the light of the above it would be appropriate to say that the impression of political neutrality of Shri Navin Chawla, Election Commissioner, appear to be well founded as evidenced by his conduct on the occasions cited in Part IV A and Part IV B which the undersigned experienced in the past three and a half years.
'His present conduct seems a part of a continuum of the conduct he had exhibited, of closeness to a certain political formation, during the emergency a little over 30 years ago and more recently, prior to his appointment as EC, when he
received donations for the trusts which he and his family members ran, to the period of the last three and a half years
in the Election Commission'.
Gopalaswami said these would certainly be significant factors in deciding his continuance in the post of an Election
Commissioner. These would equally be significant in determining his suitability to the office of the CEC too. PTI
New Delhi: In a curious case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, the Law Ministry has
released the letter written by then Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami to the President seeking removal of
fellow Election Commissioner Navin Chawla while the Rashtrapati Bhawan had declined to make the document public.
The appellate authority under the Right to Information Act in the Law Ministry allowed the request of one S S
Ranawat, a resident of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, for the unprecedented recommendation made by Gopalaswami in January
last year. The Rashtrapati Bhawan had cited Chawla's opposition to the disclosure as a reason for not making it
public.
In his 93-page report, Gopalaswami had cited several instances of 'partisan behaviour' on the part of Chawla who
had shown 'lack of political neutrality'.
Acting on a petition filed by BJP leader L K Advani and 179 other Members of Parliament who had levelled accusations
of 'political partisanship', the then CEC had contended that he had powers under the Constitution to recommend Chawla's
removal. The Government, however, rejected it and appointed Chawla as CEC.
In this regard, Gopalaswami cited Chawla's own notings on another occasion that the CEC had the power to make such a
recommendation.In the recommendation to the President, the then CEC had said he had concluded that 'significant facts' and
'irresistible conclusions' from the report submitted by him were crucial in adjudging the suitability of Chawla as
Election Commissioner.
He said in his considered opinion, Chawla's continuance as Election Commissioner was 'not justified'. 'My recommendation is, therefore, under the powers vested in me under the second proviso to Article 324(5) of the Constitution, is to remove Shri Navin B Chawla from the post of Election Commissioner,' Gopalaswami had said in his January 16, 2009 letter, months before the general elections during which he demitted office.
Referring to 12 instances cited by him, he said, 'Taken individually (they) appear to indicate Shri Chawla's political
partisanship. Collectively, they point to a continuity of consistent thought and action in furthering the interest of one party with which he appeared to be in constant touch raising serious doubts about his political detachment.
'Further, it was not only that he appeared to be lacking in political neutrality but more pernicious were his attempts
to influence Election Commissioner Dr Quraishi, not by dint of valid arguments, but by spreading stories that Dr Quraishi was
supporting the opposite views.' On many occasions, Gopalaswami said Quraishi had confided that he was under pressure as for instance when he was in favour of elections being held in Karnataka on time and wanted the electoral rollsto be prepared for the new constituencies using the 'cut and paste' method but he did not want his name to be taken because he was under pressure.
Quraishi had once shared a comment made by Chawla to him 'they are angry with you not so much because you were
instrumental in Sonia Gandhi getting a notice from ECI on her birthday (reference to the notice on the maut ka saudagar
remarks) but for the fact that you sided with the CEC in advancing the elections in Himachal Pradesh'.
Such pressure tactics, Gopalaswami said did not augur well with the EC because the independence and neutrality of
the members can be jeopardised by subjecting them to mental pressure and pressure from other vested interests.
'Such an approach would strike at the very foundation of the Election Commission as a neutral body,' he said.
The then CEC said the fact that merited mention here was that from time to time he had taken care to apprise some
select people of these happenings lest they may be labelled as an afterthought.
In regard to the incident of UP elections announcement in 2007 when Chawla wanted deferring the announcement
anticipating imposition of President's rule, which was being demanded by Congress, the matter was then brought to the
notice of then President Abdul Kalam. Gopalaswami said these instances had been mentioned to his immediate predecessors J M Lyngdoh and B B Tandon and a retired Gujarat IAS official.
'It is also necessary to record here that prior to May 2005 in the one year and three months of my experience as Election Commissioner, there was not even one single incident in which there was any remotely partisan view expressed by any
Commissioner on any occasion when the general election to the Parliament 2004 and election to the Legislative assemblies of
Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar (2005) were conducted.
'In the light of the above it would be appropriate to say that the impression of political neutrality of Shri Navin Chawla, Election Commissioner, appear to be well founded as evidenced by his conduct on the occasions cited in Part IV A and Part IV B which the undersigned experienced in the past three and a half years.
'His present conduct seems a part of a continuum of the conduct he had exhibited, of closeness to a certain political formation, during the emergency a little over 30 years ago and more recently, prior to his appointment as EC, when he
received donations for the trusts which he and his family members ran, to the period of the last three and a half years
in the Election Commission'.
Gopalaswami said these would certainly be significant factors in deciding his continuance in the post of an Election
Commissioner. These would equally be significant in determining his suitability to the office of the CEC too. PTI
United efforts needed to face security threats: PM
New Delhi: United efforts are needed to fight terrorists, Maoists and communal forces that pose 'major threats' to our internal security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday as he asked the state and central governments to face the challenge with firm determination.
'Utmost vigil, sustained and coordinated efforts of the central and state governments are needed. We must periodically review the systems that are in place and ensure the safety and security of our country and our citizens,' Manmohan Singh said while inaugurating the internal security conclave for state chief ministers held here.
The prime minister listed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, Maoist insurgency in tribal-dominated central India and communal forces as 'major threats'to the country.
'All of you are aware of the major threats to our security. Hostile groups and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in our country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups.
'There is insurgency and violence in the northeast. Many states are affected by the Leftwing extremism, which I have in the past referred to as the greatest threat to our security.
The prime minister noted that there are also people 'who try to divide our society on communal and regional lines'.
'Each one of these threats require a firm determination and continuous vigil to tackle them. These threats to our society and people constitute a challenge that we shall and must meet at all costs,' he said.
'Utmost vigil, sustained and coordinated efforts of the central and state governments are needed. We must periodically review the systems that are in place and ensure the safety and security of our country and our citizens,' Manmohan Singh said while inaugurating the internal security conclave for state chief ministers held here.
The prime minister listed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, Maoist insurgency in tribal-dominated central India and communal forces as 'major threats'to the country.
'All of you are aware of the major threats to our security. Hostile groups and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in our country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups.
'There is insurgency and violence in the northeast. Many states are affected by the Leftwing extremism, which I have in the past referred to as the greatest threat to our security.
The prime minister noted that there are also people 'who try to divide our society on communal and regional lines'.
'Each one of these threats require a firm determination and continuous vigil to tackle them. These threats to our society and people constitute a challenge that we shall and must meet at all costs,' he said.
Toyota India chief says global recalls not to hit India sales
6 Feb 2010, PTI
MUMBAI: A day after the Japanese automaker's chief apologised for global recalls, Toyota India's Head said the situation in the US would not affect the Indian market.
"The situation in the US does not affect the models being sold in the Indian market. The recent recall had absolutely no link to India," Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Managing Director, Hiroshi Nakagawa, told PTI on the sidelines of an event here today.
Toyota has recently recalled more than 7.5-million cars worldwide. The company also announed that it will suspend US sales of eight models including the Camry and the Corolla.
"The company's recall of more than 7.5-million cars had absolutely no link to India. We think this is a good chance for us to review quality-related activities here," Nakagawa said, adding the company is undertaking a review of its quality processes.
While the Camry is imported to India from Japan, the company assembles the Corolla at its Bangalore-based facility.
Toyota Camry is one of the largest selling cars in the American market and Corolla is another popular car.
"There has been absolutely no impact of the global recall on our Indian product line-up. We import the Camry from Japan and sell it here as a completely built unit, while the Corolla is manufactured in India with 40 per cent localisation," Nakagawa said.
"There is no defect in either of these models and so no recall in India," he said.
MUMBAI: A day after the Japanese automaker's chief apologised for global recalls, Toyota India's Head said the situation in the US would not affect the Indian market.
"The situation in the US does not affect the models being sold in the Indian market. The recent recall had absolutely no link to India," Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Managing Director, Hiroshi Nakagawa, told PTI on the sidelines of an event here today.
Toyota has recently recalled more than 7.5-million cars worldwide. The company also announed that it will suspend US sales of eight models including the Camry and the Corolla.
"The company's recall of more than 7.5-million cars had absolutely no link to India. We think this is a good chance for us to review quality-related activities here," Nakagawa said, adding the company is undertaking a review of its quality processes.
While the Camry is imported to India from Japan, the company assembles the Corolla at its Bangalore-based facility.
Toyota Camry is one of the largest selling cars in the American market and Corolla is another popular car.
"There has been absolutely no impact of the global recall on our Indian product line-up. We import the Camry from Japan and sell it here as a completely built unit, while the Corolla is manufactured in India with 40 per cent localisation," Nakagawa said.
"There is no defect in either of these models and so no recall in India," he said.
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