Hooray, we have crossed 100...............
lets celebrate with another harthal for it
here is the list
93 October 2 , 2008 Kalady KCYM & CLC To condemn the alleged police atrocity on the parishioners of Sebipuram under the Kalady police station.
94 October 11 , 2008 Thalassery BJP Following the death of an RSS worker in a country-bomb explosion the previous night, resulting in wide-spread violence.
95 October 14 , 2008 Alappuzha BJP Following an alleged attack by BJP and RSS activists on CPIM, DYFI and SFI workers.
96 October 15 , 2008 Kasargode DYFI Following the murder of Rafeeq allegedly by BJP activists.
97 October 16 , 2008 Orkattery Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi Protesting against the attack on a shop run by Muslim Youth League Vadakara mandalam president.
98 October 16 , 2008 Orkattery IUML Protest against the attack on a shop run by Muslim Youth League Vadakara mandalam president.
99 October 16 , 2008 Kattappana BJP Against the alleged attack by CPI(M) activists on its members.
100 October 16 , 2008 Kattappana KSVVS Protest against an attack on a mobile phone shop allegedly by BJP activists.
101 October 17 , 2008 Thiruvananthapuram RSS Following the murder of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker at Mannanthala.
102 October 21 , 2008 Thiruvananthapuram JAC In support of the one declared by the ruling party , demanding an HC Division Bench in the capital.
103 October 21 , 2008 Thiruvananthapuram LDF Demanding the constitution of a High Court Bench in the capital.
104 October 21 , 2008 Thiruvananthapuram LDF Protest against the negative approach of the Congress Party and also in view of school examinations.

Ten more harthals in just one month

Thanks, my god, I am living in a wonderful world. It has been a long gap from my last post one month ago. I was last wrote about the harthals. I wrote that we have met 82 harthals till the date. Since then, 32 days passed.
It was onam season in kerala. So we got around 10 days of holidays, including sunday for the said period. We really enjoyed the said period with other 10 more harthals within the balance of 22 days excluding the holidays.
See the list.

83 August 22, 2008 Manalur constituency ,Thrissur BJP To protest against an incident wherein suspected NDF workers hacked to death a BJP activist at Poovathur in Pavaratty,about 25 km from Tcr.
84 August 25, 2008 Iritti CPM Following an incident wherein CPM branch secretary Naroth Dileepan was hacked to death on Sunday night by an unidentified group.

85 August 26, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram Travel Agency To protest against the decision to abolish the commission given by airline companies to approved agents for ticket sales from November.

86 August 27, 2008 Kothamangalam Hindu Aikya Vedi and Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha Following an incident wherein a youth got drowned in a well under suspicious cicumstances.

87 August 30, 2008 Adoor,Pathanamthitta CPI Protesting against last day's lathicharge on the CPI-AIYF marchers in the town.

88 September 1, 2008 Munnar HighRange Janakeeya Samrakshana Samithi
To raise a set of demands including settling of the land issue.

89 September 4, 2008 Edapally,Kochi Protest against the delay on the part of the Public Works Department in completing the work on the overbridge that will replace the level crossing.

90 September 7, 2008 Vadakara CPM Following an incident wherein a CPM area committee office on Nadapuram road was set on fire by goondas.

91 September 14, 2008 Nedumangad,Thiruvananthapuram CPI(M) Protest against the alleged murder of a DYFI activist at Erimala, near Panavoor.

92 September 16, 2008 Mangalore Sriram Sena Following violent clashes between Christian protesters and the police and incidents of attacks on the numerous churches.

82nd Harthal in 2008 tomarrow...Marching towards 100 soon

It is 83rd Harthal in kerala tomarrow in Trichur district...
Here is the list of harthals in 2008 in kerala

Guss who is the leader...
the reuslt will be announced later...
The data is given in following format
first is the serial No, second is date and month and year, third is the place in which the harthal CELEBRATED!!!, fourth is the name organisation who announced the harthal... and at last, fifth, the reason...

1 January 16, 2008 Kozhikode Town Bus Stand Janakeeya Samiti Protest against the traffic reforms in the town.

2 January 27, 2008 Thalassery,KANNUR CPI(M) Protest against the killing of a CPI(M) activist .

3 January 28, 2008 Vavakkad BJP Protest against the attack on three BJP activists at Vavakkad,Vadakkekkara panchayat in the midnight.

4 January 30, 2008 Kollam UDF & LDF A mark of respect to RSP leader Baby John who passed away .

5 February 4, 2008 Chittur Janata Dal(S) reason unknown...

6 February 6, 2008 Aluva CPM To condemn the attack on the MLA and others .

7 February 6, 2008 Palakkad BJP To Protest the arrest of some party workers under the 'Goodas Act'.

8 February 13, 2008 Kodakara BJP To Protest against the clash on Feb 12 between BJP and CPM in the area.

9 February 14, 2008 Venmony,Chengannur BJP To Protest the setting ablaze of a local BJP leader's house by CPI(M) activists early morning.

10 February 15, 2008 Chengannur BJP To Protest against the attack on the residence of BJP leader Shivan Pillai at Venmony .

11 February 19, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram UDF To Protest against what it termed the failure of the LDF government to address five major issues that directly affected the common man beyond the realm of politics.

12 February 20, 2008 Bharanikavu, Alappuzha Traders Union To Protest against attack on shops during the UDF harthal on Feb.19.

13 February 21, 2008 Choondal,Thrissur Congress To Protest against the violence following the by election in the area.

14 February 21, 2008 Chalakudy, Thrissur BJP To Protest against the attack on a BJP activist in the Chalakudy constituency.

15 February 22, 2008 Kottayi, PALAKKAD Kottayi mandalam Congress committee To Protest against the attack on two Congress activists by alleged BJP activists.

16 February 23, 2008 Kozhikode & Thrissur Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi For demanding that local bodies should not issue licences to retail giants who operate as monopolist traders.

17 February 25, 2008 Kumarapuram Local traders and residents To protest against the gangland violence.

18 February 28, 2008 Cherpu, Thrissur BJP To protest against the attack on a local BJP activist and leader.
19 March 6, 2008 Kannur & Mahe BJP and RSS To protest against the violence which resulted in the death of two RSS activists and one CPM worker in the Thalassery,Koothuparamba areas of Kannur dist.

20 March 10, 2008 Punnapra BJP To protest against the attack on the BJP committee office in Paravur.

21 March 11, 2008 Vadavathur Residents of Vadavathur Protesting against the negligence shown in removing garbage piled up in the area.

22 March 19, 2008 Engandiyur and Vadanappilly,Thrissur CPI(M) To protest against the death of a DYFI activist who was assaulted by suspected RSS workers.

23 March 23, 2008 Enadimangalam , Pathanamthita The temple advisory committee Adoor Assistant Superintendent of Police assaulted Poothamkara Dharma Sastha Temple committee members who approached him to enquire about the manhandling of traders on the temple premises .

24 March 28, 2008 Kothamangalam Congress The incident of a lorry ramming into the Congress rally.

25 March 28, 2008 Mannar CPI(M) A mark of respect to the two schoolchildren who died after the compound wall collapsed on them at Kuttamperoor Vidyapradayini UP School at Mannar.

Hooooooorrrrrey..... it is silver jubilee...
within three months, we have 25 harthals....
in 88 days...........

26 March 28, 2008 Kasaragod UDF To protest against the killing of Congress leader T. Balakrishnan at Kundar, Karadukka.

27 March 29, 2008 Kuttanad , Alappuzha BJP To protesting against alleged govt failure in preventing the suicide death of a grief stricken farmer,in the wake of the recent paddy crisis.

28 April 1, 2008 Kozhikode Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy . To protest against the value-added tax (VAT), besides the proposed Kerala Buildings Lease Bill 2002, the hike in power tariffs and PFA licence fee.

Comment : It is the most suitable day to celebrate harthal........

29 April 2, 2008 Vallikodu,Aranmula CPM local To the demise of poet Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan.

30 April 7, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram Kerala Ration Dealers Association To protest against the Centre's decision to slash 4000 tonnes from the rice quota to the state.

31 April 15, 2008 Kasargod BJP and Sangh Parivar associations To protest against the killing of BJP activist Sandeep at Kasargod.

32 April 18, 2008 Kasargod Sangh Parivar To protest against the killing of BMS district vice president P.Suhas at Kasargod.

33 May 2, 2008 All Kerala BJP To protest against the spiralling hike in prices of essential commodities.

34 May 5, 2008 Thalassery,Kannur BJP To protest against the arrest of the three BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists on Saturday in connection with the murder of Communist Party of India (Marxist) activist K.P. Jijesh.

35 May 9, 2008 Chittur BJP To protest against the murder of their activist Suresh.

36 May 25, 2008 Kozhikode Congress To protest against the torching of a Congress office here on Saturday night.

37 May 26, 2008 Kozhikode UDF To protest against the attempts by a group of people to set on fire the local IUML office, Bafaky Bhavan, on Sunday night.

38 May 29, 2008 Meyppayur,Nadapuram UDF To protest against the attack on Youth Congress activists by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) at Kakkattil on Wednesday.

39 May 31, 2008 Thriprayar,Thrissur BJP,RSS, VHP and the Kshetra Samrakshana Samithy Following a burglary incident at Thriprayar temple the previous night.

40 June 2, 2008 Kottayam Kerala Vyapari Vayvasayi Ekopana Samithy To protest against what they termed the unilateral action of the municipal authorities in demolishing shops along General Post Office Road in connection with the road widening project in the area.

41 June 4, 2008 Udumbanchola BJP To protest against the attack on Udumbanchola constituent assembly president C.Radhakrishnan at Third Camp.

42 June 4, 2008 Kattappana UDF To protest against the violent incidents which happened in Kattappana .

43 June 5, 2008 All kerala LDF & BJP To protest against the central price hike in oil and diesel.

44 June 12, 2008 Kalamassery ,Kochi Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi Following an incident wherein the police attacked the public including the Corporation Councillor for having allegedly blocked the dumping of waste from Cochin Corporation in the dumping yards of Kalamassery Corporation.

45 June 13, 2008 Idakkochi Scheduled Castes/Tribes Joint Association To protest against the attack on a harijan Youth and his family.

46 June 18, 2008 Mavelikara UDF To protest against the police lathicharge on KSU activists in Thiruvananthapuram.

47 June 20, 2008 Thrissur Congress Following an incident wherein the KSU activists,on a Collectorate march were lathicharged by the Police in Thrissur district

48 June 20, 2008 Neyyattinkara,Trivandrum KSU Protesting against the police lathi charge on KSU workers who reached Neyyattinkara to stage a demonstration.

49 June 21, 2008 Aluva Congress Following the violent incidents that took place during the education band.

50 June 21, 2008 Kottarakkara KSU Protesting against the attacks made by the Police on KSU activists.

Sorry, we coudnt follow first quarter results....
It took `89 days to reach 50 from 25 harthals...
So bad performance for Kerala.... We will give you another chance... try best next time...

51 June 23, 2008 Peermedu,Idukki CPI The alleged attack on CPI leaders by the CPIM at Vandiperiyar .

52 June 27, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram BJP To protest against the alleged attack on party activists by the police and the CPI(M).

53 June 30, 2008 Idukki UDF Following widespread violence between CPI(M) and UDF activists in connection with the election to the director board of Kattappana Service Cooperative Bank

54 July 2, 2008 Pathanapuram&Punaloor CPI,Congress To protest against the arrest of the AIYF State Secretory P S Supal .

55 July 3, 2008 All Kerala VHP To protest against the decision to withdraw the land allocation for Amarnath temple.

56 July 3, 2008 Kodungallur DYFI To protest against the murder of block committee vice president K U Biju.

57 July 3, 2008 Kodungallur LDF To protest against thedeath of DYFI block committee vice-president Biju .

58 July 4, 2008 Kodungallur The SNDP in Kodungallur constituency and the Merchants Association of Kodungallur town To protest against the stoning of the statue of Sree Narayana Guru in front of the Sreekumara Samajam office at the west Nada and the attack against the SNDP Union office.

59 July 5, 2008 Kodungallur SNDP To protest against the stoning of the statue of Sree Narayana Guru and the attack against the SNDP Union office

60 July 8, 2008 Ernakulam The localites of Mulavukadu grama panchayat To protest against the bad condition of the roads in the area.

61 July 10, 2008 Kollam Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy To ensure the success of the trade hartal and Assembly march of the traders against retail majors .

62 July 10, 2008 Kottayam Merchants Association On the sidelines of the all-Kerala traders' hartal on Jul.10.

63 July 10, 2008 Kasaragod Fishermen Protection Council To protest against the absence of facilities to rescue fishermen who meet with accidents at sea.

64 July 14, 2008 Kolencheri SNDP Following the violent attack by goondas resulting in the death of two persons near Pattimattom..

65 July 15, 2008 Kothamangalam Taluk Poura Samiti Protesting against the incident wherein a college student was trapped and killed in between two buses at the municipal bus stand.

66 July 16, 2008 Kottangal UDF Protesting against the alleged abduction of two grama panchayat members belonging to Kerala Congress.

67 July 20, 2008 Kozhikode LDF Protesting against the attack on the cluster training centre resulting in the death of a headmaster of a lower primary school.

68 July 21, 2008 All Kerala SFI,AISF Protesting against the the death of Malappuram lower primary school headmaster James Augustine who attended a cluster meeting concerning the controversial textbook.

69 July 23, 2008 Malampuzha BJP Protesting against the death of one of their activists who was attacked allegedly by CPM workers.

70 July 24, 2008 Mahe CPIM Protest against the killing of a party worker suspected to be done by a National Development Front (NDF) worker.

71 July 24, 2008 Thalassery CPIM Protest against the killing of a party worker suspected to be done by a National Development Front (NDF) worker.

72 July 26, 2008 Mulavukad Mulavukad Sarvakakshi Protesting against the police attack on the panchayat members at Mulavukad grama panchayat.
73 July 28, 2008 Changanaserry MRPS Protesting against the alleged attack by CPM,DYFI activists on the Samithy members during their rally taken out against the educational norms.

74 July 31, 2008 Kayamkulam KVVES Following an incident wherein some LDF activists allegedly ransacked three trade establishments and attacked the SFI campus front.

75 August 2, 2008 Shoranur Janakiya Vikasana Samiti Protesting against the incident wherein municipality vice chairman MR Murali was attacked while travelling in his car last nigt.

CAN YOU BEAT US?

ANY STATE HAS BRAIN?

25 Harthals in 41 DAYS!!!!!!

Have any one has guts to challenge it?

Let us try...

I am contacting the officals of Guiness Book of records for offical recognition....

Let us have a celebration....

76August 5, 2008 Wayanad UDF To press demands for implementing financial aid package for debt-ridden farmer.

77 August 5, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram KSU To press the demand for the withdrawal of the controversial Class VII textbook and to protest against the wrong education policies of the government.

78 August 6, 2008 Ayyappancoil CPI(M) Protest against the attack on panchayat president A.L. Satheesan at Mattukkatta on Tuesday night, allegedly by BJP and RSS workers.


79 August 14, 2008 Thiruvananthapuram IATA Travel Agencies To protest against the withdrawal of five per cent commission given by airline companies to IATA travel agencies for ticket sales from November 1,2008.

80August 20, 2008 All Kerala SFI To protest against the UPA government’s ‘failure’ to fulfil its promises for the education sector.

81 August 20, 2008 All India Trade Unions To protest against the Central Government’s policies.

82August 21, 2008 Trichur Dist, CPI(M), BJP To protest agaist killing of RSS Activist and attack on 3 CPIM activists


Dont worry, we will celebrate centenary soon....

Abinav and susheel does it for india

A billion people and one gold!

A 108-YEAR jinx has finally been snapped. An Indian has done something no Indian has done before - striking gold at an individual Olympic event. Abhinav Bindra’s feat is a moment to savour for a country feeding off fading memories of hockey triumphs. He has inscribed his name in India’s sporting history by winning the gold medal in the 10m rifle shooting event at the Beijing Olympics. His achievement is all the more remarkable considering the world champion overcame a spine injury that prevented him from lifting a rifle for almost a year before he resumed training.India’s first gold in any event since the hockey team’s triumph in Moscow in 1980, understandably, has triggered a huge outpouring of euphoria, jubilation and even relief. Everyone seems to have been queuing up with cash prizes to ‘celebrate’ his podium finish. Well, of course, the 25-year-old Bindra deserves this and much more. It’s rare for any Indian to hit the bulls’ eye in any event, let alone where it is most required: rifle shooting. Thus, the fact that Abhinav Bindra rose to the occasion to hit the target is by itself remarkable. But the more remarkable and joyous matter is that he aimed right when it was, most desperately, needed.As we celebrate Bindra’s gold, let us not lose perspective. For a country of India’s size and population, its showing has always been pathetic Olympics after Olympics. For India Olympics always looked an impossible peak to conquer. Every four years we go into the Games ruminating on the modest prospects of Indian sportspersons and suffer the continual quiet humiliation of being absent from the gold-medal tally. And 61 years of nation-building later, India’s sporting credentials remain bleak. The dismal statistics clang louder than the medals we have won: a total of eight golds — all in field hockey, including six in a row from 1928 to 1956. Indians have also picked up two silver and five bronze medals since they began competing in 1920. One has to go all the way back to 1900 Paris Games to find two silver medals won by an athlete from India — Norman Pritchard, an Englishman born and raised in Calcutta (now Kolkata).India’s most celebrated claims to Olympic track-and-field glory remain the heroics of ‘The Flying Sikh’, Milkha Singh, who came fourth at the 400m race at the 1960 Rome Games. More ‘recently’, P T Usha, the ‘Payyoli Express’, missed her bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by a hairsbreadth. So, in over a century, India has won just a few individual medals — and none of them gold. A billion people and no gold medal. Why? It is such a great mystery and a greater embarrassment why India could not produce celebrated athletes, at least in direct proportion to its population. For far too long, we have complained about our failures in sport. We have blamed the system and the politicians who run it. We have even questioned our genetics. Every four years, it has become a collective national ritual to blame everyone else when we find ourselves wanting in the global mirror of the Olympics, only to move on and repeat the same catharsis four years later. Bindra has now shown that it is possible to succeed in spite of the system.For too long dozens of other countries, some with sporting establishments even more dysfunctional than India’s have staked out regular spots on the medals table, while Indians have glumly watched their best fail to qualify. Even more under-developed countries of far lesser size and eminence than India have many Olympic gold medals to show for their sporting abilities. The rich tallies of even small countries like Cuba (44 golds), not to speak of giants like the US (with more than 800), should shame Indians. Indian sportsmen have perhaps taken the motto of amateur sports a bit too literally. That motto says that playing and participating are more important than winning. This is a creed that Indians have been sincerely following when most modern sportsmen scoff at it. One plays to win and not to lose. Bindra’s triumph will now hopefully inspire Indian sportsmen to abandon antiquated notions and to compete only to win the gold.

Sushil bas a bronze

Sushil Kumar brought smiles on the faces of millions of Indians across the globe by giving the country its second medal of the Beijing Olympics after Abhinav Bindra brought home the Gold earlier. Indian grappler Sushil, bagged a bronze in wrestling’s 66 kg freestyle event, exactly 56 years after KD Jadhav brought glory at Helsinki in 1952.
Indian grappler Sushil Kumar won the 1st repachage round against American Doug Schwab and pinned down Belarussian Albert Batyrov in the second .The glorious moment came after Sushil outclassed Kazakh grappler Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakastan 2-1, 0-1, 1-0 to win an Olympic Bronze medal.
Sushil won two repechage rounds after he had lost his first grapple in the morning to a far superior Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik 3-8.
What is Repachage
Wrestlers who only lose against the two finalists make up a repechage. The repechage matches begin with wrestlers who lost in the first round (including the matches to obtain the ideal number) against one of the two finalists up to the losers in the semi-finals by direct elimination. Winners of the two repechage matches each receive a bronze medal.
Earlier in the day, Sushil proved easy meat for Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik in the first round of 66kg freestyle wrestling event, leaving the Indian grappler's medal hopes in Beijing Olympics hinging on the repechage.
Pitted against a far superior opponent, Sushil managed to score a technical point even though Stadnik led the first period 2-1.
In the second phase, Stadnik simply toyed with Sushil and scored six points and it looked a gross mismatch with the Indian struggling against the dominant Ukrainian.
"Stadnik was far superior but I don't have any regrets about Sushil. He tried his best but just could not do anything," coach PR Sondhi said.
"Stadnik was outstanding in the beginning and I think that was playing on his mind in the last period, Stadnik was just too good for him," he added.

Meet our Next Primeminister and his successor

Meet our new Prime minister from may 2009 and his successor!!!

Tata Nano roll out by Durga Puja

Tata Motors on Saturday said its ambitious Nano project was facing cost overrun but maintained the Rs 1 lakh car could be rolled out from its Singur facility by Durga Puja.
Ravi Kant, MD, Tata Motors, after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, told reporters that the entire project had been reworked at the plant site at Singur due to floods last year which had led to the cost escalation.
"We have already sunk in Rs 2000 crore", Kant said, adding earlier the project cost was pegged at Rs 1700 crore.
Stating that Tata Motors was fully committed to the Singur project, Kant said if everything went well as planned, then the Nano car would be rolled out from the plant during Durga Puja."Work is going on breakneck speed to ensure start of trial production as soon as possible...We hope to start during July or August" he said.
Asked whether there was a possibility of Nano being rolled out from any other plant of Tata Motors, Kant said, "Nano will be produced in West Bengal".
Kant had visited the Singur plant yesterday to review progress and held long discussions with suppliers and vendors.The company said Nano is seeing a huge global interest with enquiries pouring up for setting up plants from countries like the US, Latin America, Europe and South East Asia."Nano has received enquiries for setting up plants and distribution networks from countries from US, Latin America, Europe and South East Asia", Ravi Kant, MD, Tata motors, told reporters here."It is great sense of pride for everybody", he said adding "Nano has changed the rules of the market". Maruti brushes aside Nano competitionNew Delhi: As Tata Motors gears up to roll out Nano by Durga Puja, country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki is confident that the Rs one-lakh wonder will be of no competition to it."It (Nano) increases the market size but it will not cut into the market of people who are buying cars that are in the Rs two-lakh price category. A person who buys a car for Rs two lakh, I believe that there will be very few people who will buy this (Nano) car. It is a new segment," Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava said.He said people who could not buy Maruti 800 would buy Nano as the price difference was huge. Bhargava said more than the existing entry level cars, Nano will affect the two wheelers."So many people who would have remained with motorcycles will but the Nano. Those who could not buy M800 will but Nano. But a person who buys a Maruti 800 or an Alto, I think there will not be a high percentage that will but Nano instead," he said.Casting doubts over maintaining the Rs one lakh tag in the wake of rising steel prices and other input costs, Bhargava said, "The one lakh price will be difficult to maintain."Asked if MSI planned to come out with a competitor to Nano, he said: "Let me make it clear that there is no plan to develop a one-lakh car at Maruti."Commenting on the changes in MSI after government exited the company with Suzuki becoming the majority shareholder, Bhargava said: "It has does affect the style of the management."

Ethiopians for new famine

Last year, the rains were good. Teagistu Gansamo filled the fertile earth of her half-acre plot with maize and bean seeds and, for months afterwards, she and her five children ate well.
A year later, she was squatting on a grubby pink blanket outside a rural health centre deep in Ethiopia's south, holding her listless infant son Harony tightly to her chest.
She walked eight miles through the heat of the day to bring Harony here to Boricha, 180 miles south of the capital Addis Ababa.
When nurses admitted him, into a ward crammed with 38 other severely malnourished babies, the boy with the narrow face and weak smile weighed less than a stone.
Harony, and the others whimpering and crying around him, is one of the 126,000 children that Ethiopia's government and international aid agencies say are at immediate risk of starvation.
Across the country's south and east this year's early rains have failed, and the ghosts of the 1984 famine are haunting the land once again. More than 4.5 million people need emergency food in six of the country's nine regions.
"I am praying to God, I am telling him I will ask no more from him but to keep my son alive," said Mrs Gansamo, who guessed her age at 28.
"For three months, all we have eaten is the roots of plants. Even if the boy improves and I take him back to the village, there is no food there. I think he can fall sick again."
This is not supposed to happen in Ethiopia any more.
Mindful of the disaster of 1984, when more than a million starved to death, and well aware of the erratic effects of global climate change on previously predictable weather patterns, the government has invested heavily in preparing for fresh crises.
But this year a "perfect storm" of factors, fed in large part by soaring world food and fuel prices, has pushed large parts of the country to the edge once again.
Although last year's rains were good, the 13.2 million Ethiopians forced to depend on handouts during the last crisis in 2003, and the 10 million who needed aid in the emergency before that, in 2000, have barely had enough time to recover before this year's rains failed.
The drought that hit this year has withered seeds in the ground. Families have sold what they could: a goat, if they owned one, farm tools if they had them, and used the money to buy food in the market.
But the prices are now beyond most people's reach.
"I tried to bake smaller loaves, but still my prices are too high," said Temesgen Mulugeta, a baker in Boricha.
The United Nations World Food Programme faces the same problem. The near-doubling of basic cereal prices has meant that its 2008 budget needs 60 per cent more money to pay for urgently needed food.
"There has been one shock after another," said Bjorn Ljungqvist, head of the UN children's charity UNICEF in Ethiopia.
"At this stage, it is not reaching a famine situation. But it is a serious but manageable crisis, provided that the resources needed to react to it are mobilised quickly."
The government and aid agencies working here recently published a revised appeal for food and drought assistance. More than £210 million is needed immediately.
So far, they have less than a quarter of that, despite a commitment from Britain to give £10 million. The US has promised £35 million.
"In theory this could be the last food crisis that Ethiopia faces," said Mr Ljungqvist. "As long as all of the government's commendable plans are supported and implemented effectively and quickly."
That optimism seems well placed driving along the dirt roads that wind through southern Ethiopia, where the last impression is one of a region facing famine.
Fields are ploughed, low stalks of green maize bob in the breeze and coffee bushes stand in lines next to the swaying leaves of false banana trees.
But this is a green desert, where farmers work their fields knowing that even if the next rains are plentiful, the food will not be ready for their children to eat until September.
The rains due to start now are forecast to be above average. But what appears to be good news could in fact exacerbate the current crisis.
Army worms, pests which feed on immature crops, flourish with heavy rain. Too much rain fall could also lead to flooding, destroying the promised crop and bringing illness.
For the mothers at Boricha help centre, all that is too far in the future. Today, all that matters is that finally their children are being helped.
"He was always crying for food," said Fatuma Butemo, 31, her 18 month old son Masalu, swaddled in a green blanket in her lap.
"I just fed him leaves and roots to try to fill his stomach and stop his pain. I know it is not good for him but what else can I do? There is nothing else to put in his mouth."

Bill Clinton says Barack Obama must 'kiss my ass' for his support

Bill Clinton is so bitter about Barack Obama's victory over his wife Hillary that he has told friends the Democratic nominee will have to beg for his wholehearted support.
AP
Bill Clinton is still very bitter that Barack Obama beat his wife Hillary
Mr Obama is expected to speak to Mr Clinton for the first time since he won the nomination in the next few days, but campaign insiders say that the former president's future campaign role is a "sticking point" in peace talks with Mrs Clinton's aides.
The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.
A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.
A second source said that the former president has kept his distance because he still does not believe Mr Obama can win the election.
Mr Clinton last week issued a tepid statement, through a spokesman, in which he said he "is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States ".
Mr Obama was more effusive at his unity event with Mrs Clinton on Friday, speaking fondly of the absent former president, who attended Nelson Mandela's birthday celebrations in London instead. The candidate told the crowd: "I know how much we need both Bill and Hillary Clinton as a party. They have done so much great work. We need them badly."
But his aides said he has so far concentrated on cementing relations with Mrs Clinton first. They say they are content to let relations with Mr Clinton thaw gradually.
It has long been known that Mr Clinton is angry at the way his own reputation was tarnished during the primary battle when several of his comments were interpreted as racist.
But his lingering fury has shocked his friends. The Democrat told the Telegraph: "He's been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn't. I've spoken to a couple of people who he's been in contact with and he is mad as hell.
"He's saying he's not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to quote kiss my ass close quote, if he wants his support.
"You can't talk like that about Obama - he's the nominee of your party, not some house boy you can order around.
"Hillary's just getting on with it and so should Bill."
Another Democrat said that despite polls showing Mr Obama with a healthy lead over Republican John McCain, Mr Clinton doesn't think he can win.
The party strategist, who was allied to one of the early rivals to Mr Obama and the former First Lady, said Mr Clinton was "very unhopeful" about the nominee's prospects in November.
"Bill Clinton knows the party will unite behind Obama, but he is telling people he doesn't believe Obama can win round voting groups, especially working-class whites, in the swing states," the strategist said.
"He just doesn't think Obama will be able to connect with the voters he needs."
Joe Klein, the author of Primary Colours, a fictionalised account of Mr Clinton's 1992 election, who has known the former president for 20 years, said he also heard that he was "very, very bitter", from people who have spoken with him.
"It's time for him to get over it or go off and do his charitable work. He knows the rules of the road. What's going on now is kind of strange. I think his behaviour is really, really shocking."
Hillary Clinton has put on a united front with Barack Obama

Hurriat riot... at srinagar

More hurriat riot pics

It is coming.... Kuchelan

Rajni is a miracle in indian cinema...

His upcoming film KUCHELAN is not an exception

Indian theatre rights were sold at 65 crore...

Will be showing more than 1000 theatres in 4 continets around the world....

Rajni tooks 20 roles in a single song.......

It is official, Tamil superstar Rajniknath's next film is going to be Kuchelan, a Tamil remake of the Malayalam film Katha Parayumbol directed by M Mohanan that is making waves in Kerala .

Katha Parayumbol, written by Sreenivasan (he also acted in the film), one of the finest script writers in the country, was recently in Chennai to screen the film for Rajnikanth his old classmate. The duo studied together at the Adyar Film Institute. Rajni, floored by its simplicity, wanted to act in the film.
One wonders whether Sreenivasan got the inspiration for the story from Rajni's life itself!
Anyway, the Malayalam original is about a two classmates -- Sreenivasan (barber) and Mammootty in a guest appearance as a superstar) who lose touch and come face to face after some years have passed. What the villagers in the barber's village don't know is that the barber once helped his classmate realise his dream of becoming a filmstar. Now, as the superstar comes to the village to shoot a film, news of their friendship spreads like wildfire.
The highlight of the film is the last thirty minutes of Mammootty's sterling performance.
Now, Rajni will take on Mammootty's role in the Tamil version aptly titled Kuchelan with reference to the lives of Lord Krishna and his poor friend Kuchelan.
Pasupathy, who made a great debut in Kamal's Virumaandi will act as the barber while Simran will take on Meena's role (barber's wife).
Co-produced by Seven Arts and K Balachander's Kavithalaya, the Tamil version will be directed by P Vasu, who remade Manichitrathazhu in Tamil as Chandramukhi.
P Vasu has clarified that he would make necessary changes with Tamil audience in mind like he did in Chandramukhi.
And whether this means that the guest role of the superstar will undergo a change, only time will tell.

Superstar,Nayan as MGR,Jayalalitha

Inside reports say that the pyramid sets erected and makeover for Superstar and Nayantara would resemble 'Ninaithaen Vandhaai Nooru Vayadhu' song from 'Kaavalkaaran' where MGR and Jayalalitha sung the duet. MGR's appearance was like an Egypt King and Jaya's was that of a Queen. (A wonderful song!) Just try to recall the pyramid settings of that song. Kuselan's would look like that. The salimkumar's role will be done by Vadivel....

R S Gavai appointed Governor of Kerala

Dalit as State Governor
Dalit leader Ramkrishnan Suryabhan Gavai, who has been appointed Governor of Kerala, was holding the same post in Bihar earlier.
He is exchanging places with R L Bhatia.
Mr Gavai, a former Republican Party of India MP, had succeeded Buta Singh in Bihar, who resigned in the wake of an adverse Supreme Court judgement that questioned his recommendation to dissolve the state assembly in March 2005.

Graduated from Vidarbha Mahavidyalay, Nagpur University, Amravati, he got elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1964 and served the state in various positions till 1994.

He was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1964-94, then deputy chairman from 1968-78, Chaiman from 1978-84, and leader of the opposition in the State Assembly from from 1986-88.

He was elected to 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and served as a menmber of Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Consultative Committee, Ministry of Agriculture.

Mr Gavai also participated in the freedom struggle and was a Vice-President of the Executive Committee of World Fellowship of Buddhists.

Kashmir on fire...

Streets of srinagar and adjecent towns are on fire... The real communal fire.
All the riot started from the action of the state Government to allote 40 acre land in Baltal, one of the palce where the shortest route to perform the Amarnath Yatra starts, to the Amarnath Shrine Board (ASB). The land was handed over to fecilitate the pilgrims with temporary facilities like bathrooms, Toilets (Eco friendly, not like in Sabarimala, kerala) and tents for the pilgrims.

The land is used without any sanction from Government, for the same purpose for last 50 years.
The ASB's chief is the state Governor and the chief minister is one of the member.
Amarnath is the one of the holiest pilgrim spot in the world for Hindus. An Ice siva lingam is anturally formed in the month of march and it begens to melt slowly. The pilgrimage starts from the month of May end and lasts for around 45 days. Around 5,000 pilgrims are permitted to do their yathra daily.
The seperatist group, hurriat, calls the move of donation o the land to ASB as a move to demolish the fragile ecology of himalayas. but behind the camera, they tells that this move is aimed in the upcoming state assembly election, to win vote of the minority hindu community and to reinstall the hindus to the himalayan vally, who quit their assets following the life threat from muslims.
I sware there is no hndu located inthe kashmir vally, except those who are in armed forces.

The seperatists torched hindu's houses and shopes, they threatened to kill, and sampled it.. so around 20 years ago hindu's quit the vally. In response, in jammu, where hindu community is dominated, and the whole food chain to the kashmir vally starts, started "road roko" agitation in support of the move to donate land to ASB and against the hurriath atrocities.
Let us join the hindus.....
As our forefathers centuries ago was the residents of the vally....
and I have personnaly experienced the amarnath....
KASHMIR is the property of INDIA.... And HINDUS.
Jai HIND.