incalca regulile,

iarta repede,

saruta incet,

iubeste cu adevarat,

razi necontrolat si

nu regreta nimic care te-a facut sa zambesti.

Inca o zi. Inca o sansa. Seara cand ne culcam nu stim daca vom mai apuca inca o dimineata. Dar acum, treaza, Ii multumesc Domnului ca mi-a dat acest privilegiu, sa mai traiesc inca o zi !

Ma gandesc oare ce are Domnul pregatit pentru mine azi? Va fi usor sau va fi greu? Azi voi invinge sau voi fi infranta de circumstante? NU STIU ! Dar bunul meu Tata din ceruri stie !! Asa ca vorbesc cu El in rugaciune si Il rog sa stea alaturi de mine azi, sa imi calauzeasca El pasii in directia in care doreste El !

Azi, mai mult ca de obicei, realizez ca fiecare zi este o aventura !! Cel putin asa ar trebui sa fie, nu inca o simpla za intr-un lant monoton.
Uneori ,eu imi planific ziua in cel mai mic amanunt, nelasand loc imprevizibilului ! Si fie devin irascibila, agitata atunci cand ceva neasteptat se intampla, fie ma plang ca viata a devenit monotona atunci cand totul se intampla dupa cum am planificat.
Dar in acele zile uit ca ..da, este bine sa-mi fac planuri, dar nu trebuie sa uit ca Domnul este Creatorul imaginatiei, ca imaginatia Lui intrece orice limita, si ca trebuie sa-I las loc sa ma surpinda !

In rugaciune, vorbind cu Cel ce m-a creat, vreau sa gasesc putere, speranta, curaj, incredere pentru o noua zi !
Vreau sa lupt, dar nu singura .. de ce sa-mi garantez esecul luptand singura??
Vreau sa lupt cu Domnul alaturi de mine !! El uneori ingaduie sa cad, pentru a ma face mai puternica , dar stiu ca si atunci El este alaturi de mine, si ma tine de mana sa nu cad de tot !
Asa ca plina de pace si curaj pornesc in aceasta noua aventura, inca dis-de-dimineata!

" eu voi canta puterea Ta; dis-de-dimineata, voi lauda bunatatea Ta. Caci Tu esti un turn de scapare pentru mine, un loc de adapost in ziua necazului meu.
O, Taria mea! pe Tine Te voi lauda, caci Dumnezeu, Dumnezeul meu cel prea bun, este turnul meu de scapare. " Psalmul 59:16-17 din Biblie

Fie binecuvantat bunul Dumnezeu pe tot pamantul !
†

Vineri 10.10.2008 aprox. ora 8:10

Trrrr! Trrr! Trrrr!

Vestea urmeaza sa vina. Apas tasta de apel verde si raspund:

-Alo!

Este ora 8 si putin, vreau sa dorm.

-Trebuie sa-ti spun ceva. Nu pot rezista atat. A iesit pozitiv!!!

Ma trezesc brusc din somn si totusi nu-mi dau seama de mare lucru. Incerc sa cobor din vis si totusi parca visez.

-Ce este pozitiv?

Putin nervoasa, imi raspunde.

-Sunt insarcinata!

E clar, visez iar cine stie ce iluzie. M-am saturat sa ma visez tatic, sa spun mereu: "Vreau bebel". Totusi imi ridic capul din perna si incerc sa leg o conversatie reala, pentru ca totusi este doar un vis... imi spun eu.

-Da, sunt insarcinata!

Eu oricum, barbat fiind, nu ma trezesc. Dorm la loc. Dar, atunci cand ma trezesc ma intreb: "A fost un vis?" Neah! E realitate!

O SA FIU TATIC!

Ora 11:00:

Suna iar telefonul.

-Alo!

_Te-ai trezit?

-Da, m-am trezit. Trebuie sa merg la cursuri. Am de la 13:00.

-Tu ce faci? Esti inca la scoala?

-Da.

Intr-un final ma ridic din pat, imi aprind o tigare si o tulesc la buda, doar acolo ma linistesc. Imi amintesc din ziua aia ca eram inca confuz chiar si la ora aia. Parca ma transformam, parca nu credeam. Intr-un final am reusit sa-mi fac un dus si sa plec la facultate. Toata ziua nu am fost bun de nimic, imi venea sa strig in gura mare: "O SA FIU TATIC". Dar ce conta asta pentru lumea intreaga? Ne nastem si murim de milioane de ani. Totusi, eu eram fericit, dar nu stiam cum sa arat, probabil nu eram inca pregatit.

Prima zi de viitor tatic parea sa fie in mintea mea doar un vis. Ma rugam sa nu ma trezesc, dar ma rugam sa ma si trezesc sa vad ce este real si ce nu. Prima zi a trecut foarte repede, doar ce am mancat, ce mi-am deschis laptopul putin, m-am mai gandit, am mai vorbit. Si iata ca prima zi de viitor tatic avea sa treaca, iar eu nu am spus tuturor vestea. Doar asa in treacat am vorbit cu putini. Asta poate si pentru ca eu ma consideram in continuare intr-un vis.

Prima zi, pentru noi barbatii nu este foarte apasatoare. Probabil unde noi suntem mai lenti in gandire. Nu toti, exagerez.

Da, prima zi avea sa treaca si eu eram foarte nedumerit. Eram putin confuz de cele intamplate in doare cateva ore. O minune vine intr-un moment, dar la mine minunea s-a tot repetat intreaga zi. Asta pentru ca acum eram constient, iar peste cateva minute imi trageam palme sa-mi simt obrajii zguduiti de realitate.

-Alo!

-Ce faci?

-Bine, tocmai ce am ajuns acasa. Tu ce faci?

-Eu acasa. O sa fim parinti!

-Da, o sa fiu tatic. Da, o sa fim parinti!

-Ai vorbit cu ai tai?

-Inca nu, mai astept putin inainte sa le dau vestea cea mare. Oricum ai mei se asteapta sa fie bunici, le-am tot spus ca imi doresc un copil.

-Te simti bine?

-Sunt bine. Sunt fericita.

-Si eu sunt fericit! Te iubesc!

-Pardon? Va iubesc!

-Va iubesc mult!

Prima mea zi de viitor tatic se termina cu un va iubesc! Oau! Ce poate sa fie mai frumos?

In prima noapte m-am gandit mult. M-am gandit la parintii mei, la parintii ei, la scoala, la ce o sa fie.

Si m-am hotarat!

-Maine am sa incep cu parintii mei. Am sa le povestesc despre viitorul meu copil!

Dar o sa povestesc maine ce am discutat cu parintii, ce probleme au aparut. Acum este aproape 2 noaptea, iar maine trebuie sa ma trezesc devreme. Am anumite responsabilitati, de viitor tatic.

Noapte buna, viitorule tatic!

It was a perfect setup for her- cheap publicity, an emotional issue and a stick to beat the Government. All means were justified. The Tata employees could be assaulted, highways could be blocked for days, she could scream on TV all day long, even go for dramatic fast (even though she always comes out fatter after every fast, but that’s another story).

She was to milk the issue till election. She and her honchos were backslapping themselves in glee in the fond hope of garnering at least 20 Lok Sabha seats. The whole game was political. Never mind the jobs being created, businesses being generated. Never mind the fact that 80% of the farmers had willingly given up their land.

But she made one error. She underestimated Ratan Tata. Even when he announced that he will leave Singur for good, she said it is a bluff, that he had invested too much to withdraw.

And when he did leave, she, figuratively speaking, did not have a fig leaf to cover herself. She comically announced that it is a conspiracy (can you believe it?) of the Government and Tata to malign her. I wish she had the guts to go to Singur and tell all those farmers about her conspiracy theory. They would have burnt her instead of her effigy.

But the comedy of seeing her squirming is a tragedy of untold proportion for Bengal and its people. The magnitude of her stupid action has undoubtedly dawned on her. She is now afraid to show her face in public, her acid tongue is silent, her omnipresent TV acts have stopped and her chamchas are trying to salvage the situation.

And it gets better. Now Tata is gone, employment is gone, business is gone….and land is gone too. For, those poor farmers are not going to get back their lands as per the prevailing law. Even if by some miracle they get back their land, it is no longer cultivable as tonnes of concrete have been poured into it.

Mamta has some explaining to do. She must explain to the farmers exactly what benefit she has accrued for them. She must then explain to the people of Bengal how she plans to generate jobs and businesses. She must explain to the investors why they should invest in Bengal.

“Aami krishi aar shilpo chai….” Good. Explain to us how you will do it.

If you plan to celebrate December 28^th as Ratan Tata' s birthday, then there stands one more reason to do so – the first birthday of Nano. Yes! Call it coincidence or history repeating itself, the world's least expensive car 'Nano' is likely to be rolled out around the time Ratan Tata celebrates his 71st birthday on December 28, just as the 'Indica' was launched a decade ago when he turned 61.

According to informed sources, Tata Motors is working on a plan to launch the 'People's Car', as Tata fondly refers to, to coincide with his birthday with about 10,000 units being readied to be rolled out from the company's facilities in Pune and Pantnagar.

Nano – The way ain't smooth

The passion and fervor with which Ratan Tata followed his 'Nano' dream do showed he is man of steel. Various controversory came in the way right from international suspicion on the fidelity of model and inland Singur Controversory. A brief account of the Singur Disaster goes here:

Singur Controversory

Singur gained international media attention since Tata Motors started constructing a factory to manufacture their $2,500 car, the Tata Nano at Singur. The small car was scheduled to roll out of the factory by 2008. The choice of Singur was made by the company among six sites offered by the state government. The project

faced massive opposition from 2,000 of the 12,000 displaced farmers. The unwilling farmers were given political support by West Bengal's firebrand opposition leader Miss Mamata Bannerjee with an eye to the upcoming Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) elections. Miss Bannerjee's "Save Farmland" movement was supported by celebrity anti development activists like Medha Patkar, Anuradha Talwar and Arundhuti Roy. Miss Bannerjee's movement against industrialization of Singur was also supported by several Kolkata based intellectuals like Aparna Sen, Kaushik Sen, Shaonli Mitra and Suvaprasanna. Ultra left activists also shared the platform with Miss Bannerjee's Trinamool Party. The Tatas finally decided to move out of Singur on 3rd October, 2008. Mr Ratan Tata blamed violence by Miss Mamata Bannerjee and her supporters for the pullout decision. The pullout decision meant, loss of huge investment for the state of West Bengal. On 7th October 2008, the Tatas announced that they would be setting up the Tata Nano plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

History Repeating itself:

It may be recalled that the 'Indica' was also launched on December 30, 1998, two days after Tata celebrated his 61st birthday.

At that time Tata had to overcome doubters, who suspected the company's ability to make cars, considering it was only into commercial vehicle manufacturing

Appendix:

Launch of Nano at Geneva

Nano – A brief Introduction

The Nano will be launched in India later in 2008. The car will be available in both standard and deluxe versions. Both versions will offer a wide range of body colours, and other accessories so that the car can be customised to an individual's preferences.

Stylish, comfortable

- Designed with a family in mind, the Nano has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room.

- Can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position make ingress and egress easy.

- With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, with adequate ground clearance, it can effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas.

- Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.

Fuel-efficient engine

- The Nano has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.

- The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency.

- Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.

Meets all safety requirements

- The Nano's safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements. With an all sheet-metal body, it has a strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body.

- Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.

Environment-friendly

- The Nano's tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today.

- The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint

Ghici ce e azi, mami!?! 12 octombrie, ma... mai sunt 60 de zile pana te strang in brate!
Pupici, ingerasul meu :*

Cred ca am o conceptie putin ciudatica asupra mortii si a vietii, fata de unii alti oameni pe care eu ii cunosc. Eu nu vad in moarte ceva rau. Vad in viata, in a trai, ceva foarte bun, dar nu vad in a muri o chestie rea. A nu se intelege de aici ca mie nu-mi place viata, sau ca eu nu mi-as dori sa traiesc pana la 90 de ani ...! Chiar imi place foarte tare, o pretuiesc, pe cucuoana viata, si ii sunt multumitoare lui Dumnezeu ca sunt alive, si nu m-ar deranja cu nimic sa ajung sa fiu strabunica, nu doar bunica, as fi foarte happy ... sa mor candva pe la 93 de ani asa ... mi se pare a good age to die :)). Sigur ... nici la 70 n-as refuza sa mor, daca cel de sus mi-ar propune, e bine si asa pana la urma, dar varsta cea mai potrivita pentru mine ar fi 93. Si totusi, daca ar fi sa vina mai repede vacanta aia eterna, nu as avea nimic de obiectat, as privi senina situatia. In viata e ca si in iubire: nu plange ca s-a terminat, zambeste ca s-a intamplat :). Puteai sa fii avortat, de exemplu, si sa nu traiesti nici putinul pe care l-ai trait, nu? :).

Eu am mai scris un post despre chestiile alea. Eu vad lucrurile asa. Undeva, in imensitatea asta numita univers, despre care pana la urma nimeni n-a putut pana acum sa spuna mare lucru cu siguranta, decat ca e imens, ca nu se stie daca incepe si se termina, daca e ceva sau nu e nimic, sau ce e cu el, exista un loc unde isi duce veacul lumea spirituala.  Adica spiritele din corpul nostru. Si la un moment dat bunul Dumnezeu, care in mod cert nu e un batranel cu un toiag stand pe un mare si smecher fotoliu si asteptand sa ii spunem noi pe cine sa pedepseasca el, de exemplu, parerea mea proprie si personala, ci, probabil, e chiar imensitatea universului insasi, sau ceva de genul asta, oricum, forma suprema de energie, din imensa dragoste pentru spirietele alea, parte din el, facute dupa chipul si asemanarea lui, le permite sa experimenteze tot felul de locuri din cadrul universului, sa cunoasca cat mai multe, sa se apropie tot mai mult de puterea lui de cunoastere.

El, fiind creatorul, el insusi inseamnand totul, alfa si omega, automat stie toate cotloanele acestui univers. Noi, nu prea. Noi trebuie sa le descoperim, sa le cunoastem, inteligenta noastra e limitata, trebuie sa fie dezvoltata. Si atunci, ne tot foim. O tura pe terra, alta tura pe Marte, alta tura in cine stie ce alta galaxie, si tot asa ... prin diverse locuri, pentru ca sa cunoastem si sa invatam cat mai multe. Nu degeaba se spune ca nu exista tineri destepti. Desteptaciunea nu e o chestie de IQ, de capacitatea ta de a crea legaturi cognitive, nici de capacitatea ta emotionala, nici de nimic din toate astea ... ci e o chestie care necesita neaparat experienta, fara aceasta experienta nu poti fi un om cu adevarat inteligent niciodata. Trebuie sa inveti mai intai ca logica ta nu e neaparat sa se potriveasca in 100% dintre cazuri, ca de fapt si de drept pe lumea asta fiecare persoana, fiecare personalitate, caracter, sa zic asa, are logica lui, dreptatea lui, adevarul lui, si e foarte greu de spus cine are de fapt dreptate sau cine se inseala, probabil ca in materie de oameni nu exista dreptate si adevar absolut.

De aia, ca sa fii destept cu adevarat, tre sa ajungi la o varsta, eventual aia de 93 de ani, sa treci prin multe, sa intelegi multe, sa aduni un bagaj de experienta, si abia apoi poti fi considerat destept. Asa si cu spiritele astea. Noi avem datoria sa ne amplificam inteligenta primita in faza crearii spiritului nostru, si asta nu se poate face decat experiemntand. Una dintre aceste experiente este, probaibl Terra, adica pamantul, ce facem noi aici. Sunt sigura ca sunt si altele ...! Deci ... de ce sa fii trist ca pleci de aici?! Poate ca uneori simti ca n-ai facut destul aici, dar poate ca nu trebuia sa faci mai mult ... poate ca exact atat cat am invatat fiecare dintre noi cat am hoinarit prin viata asta de pe terra reprezinta exact atat de cat aveam nevoie la momentul venirii aici ... cine stie ...! Per total, eu nu vad in moarte un sfarsit pentru nimic ... moartea e pur si simplu o trecere la the next level.

Sigur, e clar ca fiecare dintre noi avem o constiinta proprie, si putem sa luam propriile decizii ... ceea ce vrea sa insemne ca moarte nu vine mereu cand vrea Dumnezeu, cum ne place noua sa credem. Poate ca uneori, in unele cazuri, exact asa se intampla, pur si simplu ti-ai atins targetul pentru care ai venit si tre sa lasi locul altora. Sa ne imaginam ce s-ar intampla daca am trai cu totii 100 de ani ... pai deja nu mai avem locuri de parcare si e traficul infernal in buc, si tinerii n-au locuinte, si bla bla ... daca toti am zabovi pe aici 100 de ani cred ca am ajunge sa ne mancam intre noi, si masinile nici n-ar mai exista ca ne-ar fi imposibil sa ne mai plimbam cu ele ... aia n-ar fi viata, si alea n-ar fi conditii sa te dezvolti spiritual. De aia in unele cazuri, cand Dumnezeu considera ca am lenevit destul pe aici, se hotaraste sa mergem si prin alte parti, ca mai sunt si altii la rand si nu e loc sub soare chiar pentru toata lumea ...! Eu asa imi imaginez.

Alteori, oamenii pur si simplu sunt nebuni, si atat tot. Pleaca inainte de termen. O prietena de-a mea ii plangea de mila unui copil de 19 sau 20, nu mai retin, din ct de la ea, care, impreuna cu alti 3 copiii cam de varsta lui, mergea ca un zmeu cu 200 la ora pe Mamaia ...! Evident, la un moment dat a facut buf, si au mureat cu totii ...! Eh ... puteti sa spuneti ca sunt cel mai inuman om de pe planeta ... dar sincer ... iti trebuie multa minte ca sa iti dai seama ca la o viteza de 200 la ora, pe o strada care nu e tocmai pista de curse de masini, exceptia e sa supravietuiesti si regula e sa mori?! E greu de imaginat ca ne avand experienta in sofat, ai 99,99% sanse sa intri intr-un pom, sau o alta masina, si, evident, la viteza aia, ai tot exact atatea sanse, adica 99,99%, sa-ti iei concediu pe perioada nedeterminata pe lumea cealalta?! Nu, nu e greu de imaginat. E foarte usor de imaginat. Si permiteti-mi sa imi pastrez lacrimile pentru copiii aia pe care i-au dus parintii la spital sa ii vacccineze si i-au luat inapoi acasa infectati cu HIV, sau alte asemenea cazuri, sau pentru cei calcati pe trecerea de pieton ... nu pentru oameni care ei singuri aleg sa plece mai repede decat e cazul ...!

E dubios sa mori in accident de masina la 70 la ora ... sa zic ... nu e nimic dubios sa mori din asa ceva la 180 la ora ...! Aaaaa ... cat despre cei din masina ... ca poate unii ar spune ca nu au nici o vina ... pai au ... ca trebuiau sa-l puna pe nenea ala sa incetineasca viteza si sa nu o faca el pe marele pilot de curse in conditiile in care ei nu erau la curse, si nici macar nu erau pe o pista, si nici macar nu era nimeni pilot, si nu aveau nici masina nici echipamentul necesar ... sau ... sa coboare. Pur si simplu: frate, opreste ca eu cobor. Eu am facut asta de cateva ori, chiar daca lumea a ras de mine si a zis ca sunt nebuna si disperata de viata. Disperata dupa viata, as spune eu. Am motivat frumos: eu vreau sa ajung la mare, nu pe lumea cealalta, punct, scurt si la obiect, fara extra comentarii! Asta e un exemplu din mii de exemple de activitati din care oamenii mor, pentru ca pur si simplu ii mananca pe ei sa moara, nu-mi explic altfel de ce sa alegi o cale atat de riscanta, cand poti alege o alta ...!

Eh ... in general vorbind, nu trebuie sa ne sperie idea de moarte. Trebuie sa privim senini la clipa aia, si sa ne gandim mereu ca dincolo ne asteapta o alta poveste. Asta nu inseamna sa te sinucizi ca tampitul, ca e chiar pacat sa nu te bucuri la maxim de experienta terra, pe cuvant. E ca si cum mananci jumate din prajitura ta preferata, apoi o arunci la gunoi, apoi stai si plangi ca de ce ai aruncat-o, ca mai vroiai, si iti doresti o alta. Nu stiu, dar sinuciderea sucks, e pentru oamenii slabi. Pana la urma si tristetea are in viata scopul ei, de a te intari si de a te obliga sa meditezi asupra unor subiecte pe care poate nu le-ai gandit prea bine inainte sa te aventurezi in ele si sa devii trist.

Pana la urma este vorba despre a profita la maxim de sansa asta de dezvoltare, numita viata, pana cand cineva acolo sus decide ca te-ai perindat destul si tre sa mai vina un batalion, sa vada si ei cum e ...! Na ...! Poate alteori unii mor inca de la nastere, ca poate s-a creat o eroare, cine stie, mai gresesc si ajutoarele lui Dumnezeu in organizarea universului, ca orice CEO, nu mereu pune perfect in practica planul de afaceri, se mai produc erori in agoritm, na, sau poate spiritele lor doar asta trebuiau sa mai experiemnteze, cum e sa te nasti si atat, pe terra, sau cum e sa stai in burta la mami si sa iti apara brusc un degetel ...! Pana mea ... se intampla ...!

Probabil stiti ca mie mi-a murt tatal. Mi-a fost greu sa il pierd, dar am acceptat senina moartea lui, si m-am bucurat pentru el, intr-un fel. Nu m-am bucurat pentru mine, dar pentru el, intr-un fel, da. S-a dus in alta parte, poate la mai bine, a mai urcat o treapta in scara dezvoltarii sufletului lui, a plecat fericit, implinit, cu mission completed. Pai ce poate fi mai important pentru un tata decat sa il auda Dumnzeu pe copilul lui cum ii spune sa ii dea pentru copiii lui un tata cum a avut ea/el?! Ce sa iti doresti mai mult pe lumea asta, ca tata, decat sa te ridici acolo sus stiind ca fata ta vrea un tata ca tine pentru copiii ei. Nu insemana oare asta ca n-ai trait degeaba? Ca ai facut ce trebuia? Nu te simti oare fericit si implinit, si cu inima impacata, si nu pleci fericit in drumul tau, stiind ca n-ai fost degeaba acolo? Ca cel putin intr-un domeniu, ai facut tot ce trebuia? De aia m-am bucurat pentru el, pentru ca el e implinit si fericit si sunt sigura ca e la un nivel superior acum, experimenteaza ceva mai tare :).

Cam asta e cu moartea.

Apropo, tema pentru acasa. Voi stiati ca atunci cand o femeie ramane insarcinata, in prima luna, in burtica ei, prima data se formeaza coloana vertebrala? Care are cam 1 mm?! Si, o simpla coloana vertebrala fiind, bebe se hraneste, si are viata? Concret, nu are cap, creier, stomac, duoden, chestii din astea ... are doar coloana vertebrala si atat ... si se hraneste ... in felul lui, e viu, e o chestie vie, coloana aia vertebrala asimileaza substante si vitamine, si se dezvolta ... ca si un corp normal. Inima se formeaza mai incolo, creierul la fel ... si totusi ... in tine, acolo, e o viata care mananca... fara inima, fara creier, fara chestiile astea ...! Cum naiba?!

The issue was the 1000 acres of land that the government had acquired for the Tata's. Apparently there were some unwilling farmers who had lost their lands to this acquisition. Mamata Banerjee's demand was to have the government return 400 acres of land from within the project area. With the government unwilling Banerjee laid siege to the factory and allegedly had her followers beat up employees on their way to work in the factory. Of course she has never admitted to it. She has even denied that some of her cronies threatened a visiting delegation of IT workers to not get entangled in the matter. This in spite of the incident taking place in front of the press.

What the hell does she think of herself? With the Tata's pulling out what happens to the farmers now Ms Banerjee? Where are you now? With the land virtually gone (even if returned it won't be cultivable) what would the farmers now do? To compensate the farmers who tilled 400 acres Mamata Banerjee ruined the lives of all those who had been connected to the whole 1000 acres not to mention the numerous others who had banked on the support industry that would have grown around the factory.

Mamata Banerjee is a bitch. What else can you call her? Her contribution to West Bengal, let alone India, is zilch. So in the rest of this blog Mamata Banerjee is referred to as The Bitch.

Uneducated, uncouth, crass, crude, stupid, unappealing, worthless. These are some of the terms that can be used to describe The Bitch. Trinamool Congress as a party has done nothing for the people of West Bengal. Accepted that the CPM are no saints and some might argue that they got a taste of their own medicine this time. What is the point in such reasoning? Who are the ultimate losers? The pople of Bengal.

Recent reports mentioned the local people in Singur being extremely heart-broken and distraught. They have even burnt effigies of Mamata. Why now folks? What were you doing all this time? Well the truth of the matter is that the people who were protesting with Mamata were not locals. They were Naxalites and some other groups that had no interest in the development of Singur. Why was Amar Singh there? What is his stake in West Bengal?

The central government may have played a big role in this. Ever since the no-confidence motion over the nuclear deal, all the opposition led states have been seeing bomb blasts and other disturbances. It will not suprise anybody if it comes to light that the central government supported The Bitch in her mindless antics.

Before the Tata's pulled out The Bitch and her cronies like Partha Chatterjee and Becharam Manna were present in Singur all the time. As of the latest reports they can no longer be seen in that area.

The Bitch has not come out with a statement after the Tata pullout. Has she lost her bark? All through the crisis, whenever questioned by the media, The Bitch and her cronies never answered the question. For instance when Sourav Ganguly stated that the Nano factory will be good for Bengal, The Bitch retorted "Does Sourav know where is Singur?". Here's a question for you Bitch, did you know where Singur was prior to the Tata factory? For that matter did you know that there was actually a Nandigram in West Bengal before it became the centre of a bloodbath? A negative answer to these questions will not surprise anybody. What else can we expect of The Bitch?

So what's next for The Bitch? Looks like she is already licking her paws and getting ready to obstruct the nuclear power project that is slated to come up soon. Also on her agenda are the Areotropolis and the DLF projects. Having tasted blood, The Bitch is hungry for more.

Am visat ca il purtam cu mine, atat imi amintesc, si era foarte frumos, si zambea foarte mult. Maxim 1 luna avea. Avea ochisori fericiti. Pielea alba, ochi inchisi la culoare, si parul nu stiu cum era, pentru ca avea o caciulita :). Cica inseamna ca va trebui sa lupt un timp dar ca imi voi atinge scopurile propuse dupa multe eforturi. Ok, my dear GOD, tell me something I didn`t know :). Sunt obisnuita cu chestia asta ... ca nimic nu e simplu, cel putin nu pentru mine, mie nu-mi pica niciodata nimic de sus ... din senin. Adica ... primesc o metoda de rezolvare a problemei, de sus, imi iese in cale un om care m-ar putea ajuta. Dar nu primesc rezolvarea in sine, niciodata. In sensul ca ... imi doresc un apartament al meu, ok? Sau o masina, sa zic, sau orice! Imi vine o idee buna despre cum as putea face sa-mi iau ce imi doresc, probabil o sa imi pot pune idea in aplicare, dar nu-mi face nimeni cadou, de exemplu, chestiile astea :))). Nici macar o pereche de pantaloni nu ... si pentru aia tre sa ma chinui :). Si nu regret deloc, eu am ales calea asta! Deci, probabil m-am gandit prea mult la unele chestii pe care mi le doresc, la planurile mele de viitor, si visul mi-a aratat sa ma pregatesc DIN NOU de greu, de munca, de lupta, dar mi se va implini planul. I`m happy, e bine si asa, cu greu, decat deloc.

Poate rade careva de mine ca eu cred in vise. Dar chiar cred, pana mea, multe mi s-au implinit. Acum vreun an si ceva, aproape 2, am visat o data ca a deraiat un tren in care eram si eu. Asta inseamna faliment. La foarte scurt timp am ramas falita, n-am mai avut nici un ban aproape o luna de zile. Mi-a pus mama pe card 200 ron din micutul ei salariu, ca sa am ce sa mananc la bucuresti. Mi-am revenit apoi, dar faza e ca s-a implinit visul.

Acum aproape o luna, cateva sapt, la fel, am ramas fara contul meu de la bursa, cu o seara inainte sa se intample asta am visat un cadavru la mine in casa ... ceea ce din nou, inseamna faliment :). So ... iar s-a implinit :).

In general, cam tot ce visez si e cu vreo insemnatate, ca visez si balarii, mi se implineste. De obicei, cand visezi o babuta, genul ala ... babuta ... nu genul contesa ... cucuoana ... ala e un vis real care are mare legatura cu viata ta. Se spune ca babuta aia e sfanta zilei care urmeaza, adica, de exemplu, daca visezi miercuri noapte, spre joi, cica babuta aia este sfanta joi, care te avertizeaza de ceva, sau care iti transmite pur si simplu ceva care e foarte real, problema e ca in toate visele de genul asta mi-a fost destul de greu sa inteleg ce imi transmite. Si am avut mai multe, mi-ar trebui 2 zile sa scriu aici pe toate.

De exemplu, inainte sa dau la facultate, in 2003, cu vreo 2 nopti inainte sa plec la buc sa dau examenul, am visat o astfel de babuta ... care statea intr-o sala de clasa stil vechi, nu cum arata salile de clasa acum, care semana mult cu fosta mea clasa de la generala. Era asezata in banca, si pe banca avea un morman intreg de matase. Scoala insemana scoala vietii in vis. Si eu am intrat in clasa, am vazut-o, si ea s-a ridicat si flutura in sus toata matasea aia ... care era foarte multa, foarte frumoasa si de diverse culori. Matasea in vis e bogatie. Mi-a zis exact asa: nu fi suparata pentru scoala, ia uite ce iti adun eu tie aici, toata asta numai pentru tine o strang si tie o sa ti-o dau. M-am trezit cam buimacita. Chiar i-am zis mamei: sper ca n-a vrut sa-mi zica ca n-o sa intru la buget, ci la taxa, sau eventual deloc, sau ca o sa am probleme cu facultatea ... ca nu concep asa ceva. Mama a zis atunci ca da, probabil chiar asta a vrut sa-ti spuna, doar ca, despre asta, tot o sa fii bogata intr-o buna zi, cu sau fara scoala inceputa si terminata asa cum trebuie. N-am crezut, eu adoram scoala si idea de a merge la facultate, pe vremea aia, nu concepeam sa nu iasa totul conform planului, sa nu o termin la timp, cu note maricele, si asa mai departe. Eh ... am intrat la taxa ... nu la buget ... dupa primul an am renuntat la facultate, nu m-am mai dus deloc 3 ani, m-am ocupat cu alte chestii in perioada aia, apoi, dupa 3 ani am reluat-o iar, si acum sunt abia anu` 3, in conditiile in care colegii mei de atunci probabil o sa-si termine masterul vara asta ...! Jumate de vis s-a implinit ... acum cealalta jumatate, cu bogatia ... nu stiu cand se va implini, dupa ce o sa imi pun in practica visurile :). Momentan sunt saraca.

Un alt vis care ma marcat profund l-am avut cand eram mica ... nu stiu ... maxim 15 ani sa zic. Nu am putut sa-l uit niciodata, si acum il vizualizez perfect, cu culorile, cu tot. Eram la galati la mine, la dunare. Si inotam contra curentului (dunarea e fluviu, apa curgatoare, si curge dintre braila spre tulcea, eu inotam dinspre tulcea spre braila, cum ar veni), cu gand sa ajung la o piscina de la Valuri, asa se numeste strandul ala al nostru :). Apa era foarte neagra in jurul meu si eu ma straduiam din greu sa inot. Ma rog. La un moment dat a aparut un cal, cu un calaret pe el, acolo pe apa, langa mine. Nu l-am vazut pe calaretul ala niciodata. De la cal am vazut numai copitele si foarte putin capul, si ca era alb. M-a prins nenea ala de pe cal si m-a urcat pe sa, in fata lui, i-am vazut doar mana barbateasca, niciodata fata. Si calul alerga pe apa, pur si simplu, ma uitam la copitele lui doar, si vedeam cum se schimba usor usor culoarea apei, din negru a devenit un alabastru azur din ala, cum sunt oceanele alea foarte frumoase, pe care eu nu le-am vazut decat in poze si filme pana acum :). la un moment dat am ajuns pe plaja, unde am coborat de pe cal, si brusc a aparut un copilas, maxim 2 ani, ceva de genul, gol. L-am luat de mana si am urcat cu el toate scarile de la Valuri, care sunt mai mult de 100 ... foarte multe ... treapta cu treapta. La un moment dat am ajuns sus, copilul ala a disparut, si m-am uitat inspre piscina, erau multi oameni, apa albastra, veselie, na, ca la piscina, si mi-am zis in sinea mea: in sfarsit am ajuns! Si m-am trezit. In realitatea bazinele de la Valuri sunt jos, si urci scarile ca sa ajungi sus in oras, in visul meu era invers. N-am nici cea mai vaga idee ce e cu visul asta.

Apa e viata, si inotul e mersul nostru prin viata, daca visam ca traversez apa probabil muream, sau ceva de genul, sau cineva drag mine, dar n-am visat asta, deci era vorba de drumul meu in viata. Care era greu si naspa, ca apa era neagra. Cal si calaret de obicei inseamna casatoria, soarta, barbatul. Calul era alb, e de bine, ca se zicea ce e casnicie frumoasa. Deci practic eu probabil o sa-mi cunosc soarta intr-un moment foarte greu al vieti mele. El m-a luat pe cal si m-a trecut de apa aia, care era neagra si s-a facut albastra. Deci probabil ca o sa ma faca fericita si o sa-mi imbune existenta, sau o sa ma ajute cu ceva foarte greu pentru mine. Apoi, copil de maxim 2 ani asa, cum era ala, inseamna greutati, si scara, cu trepte, inseamna un plan, o chestie, pentru care tre sa lupti ca sa reusesti, o iei asa incetul cu incetul si construiesti, mult si mine, pana reusesti. Partea buna e ca in vis am reusit, ca am urcat toate treptele. Acum nu stiu, in realitate, ce ineamna asta, pentru ca inca nu mi s-a implinit nici o parte din visul ala :)). Insa continua sa imi revina in minte regulat si acum, si continua sa fie pentru mine ca si cum l-am visat ieri.

Ma rog, toate visele mele spun ca o sa reusesc ce imi doresc, dar toate spun ca o sa reusesc cu greu, in nici unul nu-mi pica din cer sau din alte directii :)). Poate si pentru ca asta e calea pe care am ales eu, ca am refuzat de cate ori am avut ocazia sa o duc bine fara chin si stres ...!

Ma rog, visez foarte multe chestii, cum am mai zis, nu mereu cu o insemnatate, de multe ori balarii, si culmea e ca unele se implinesc, la alea cu o insemnatate ma refer, altele nu par a avea inca sansa sa se implineasca, ca sunt din alea ... se va intampla candva ... care candva ala n-a venit inca. Cum e asta de aseara, de exemplu ...! Am o predilectie pentru vise si chestii de genul asta ..., numai in ghicit si in vrajitorii nu cred, mi se par cele mai geniale inventii ale omenirii de prostit prostii :))).

Sa va mai zic atat ... cu o seara inainte sa moara tatal meu, am visat un drum care taia o apa mare, si fooooaaarrte albastra si frumoasa, ca oceanele alea despre care v-am spus ca nu le-am vazut inca decat in filme si poze ...! Eh ... cam asta inseamna drumul peste apa, trecerea in nefiinta, drumul pe lumea cealalta. A doua zi la 14 a murit tatal meu :). Oricum, eu am stiut ca in ziua aia o sa moara, repet, mie mi se implinesc visele, am sunat-o pe mama sa ii zic cand m-am trezit, ea era la tata, refuza sa accepte ... M-am dus la buserica inainte sa merg la el la spital sau vizitez si i-am aprins lumari si m-am rugat pentru el, era dupa ora 14. Cand am ajuns la spital ne-au zis ca murise la 14 ...! Pana mea, am zis, am o predilectie pentru astea uneori :). Ca poate unii credeti ca visele astea sunt stupiditati, eh, bine, nu sunt, culmea :).

O sa scriu intr-o zi pe blog ce vise am avut ulterior cu tatal meu, dupa ce a murit, care m-au marcat teribil si mi-au dat peste cap toate ideile. E imposibil de imaginat cat de real si veritabil parea totul in visele astea ...! Ce si cum vorbeam cu el, ce imi spunea, si ce imi arata :).

Cu riscul de a ma repeta pentru a nu stiu cata oara, Dumnezeu exista, lumea spirituala exista, si visele sunt modul prin care se comunica cu noi, sigur, noi aia care vrem si noi sa comunicam, nu obliga nimeni pe nimeni sa iubeasca ceva sau sa creada in ceva sau sa accepte ceva sau pe cineva, care nu are trup, in viata ei/lui :).

Si sa aveti in vedere ca eu usually sunt un copil nebun, normal, nu sunt eu cu biserica si chestiile oculte, nici macar o fiinta din aia foarte linistita si la locul meu nu sunt :))).

Thats the car Mamata Banerjee uses when she wants megalomaniac industrialists outta her turf!

As a move to cope with the offers of BIGTv, TataSky and DishTV had to bring down their prices. Here are the way the offers stand currently.

BIGTV: Pay Rs.2200 and Get the BIGTV STB, Dish, Annual package containing all the channels. Visit BIG TV for more.. With over 200 channels.

TataSky: STB, Dish, and annual subscription to the south Jumbo pack (Prices at Rs.310 per month) for Rs.3999.
This offer is a part of the Diwali bonus offer, It also includes a few other offers at a cheaper price. Just about 125 channels. Visit TataSky Offers for more..

DishTV: STB, Dish, Annual Subscription to the costliest pack at Rs.4000
Visit DishTV for more.. About a 150 channels.

The best offer at this point in time for a new Subscriber seems to be from BIGTV.. An Year subscription for as low as Rs.2200. If u do not feel satisfied by the service, u can always make a switch to other DTH Provider. Of course there is an option of moving back to cable too.

The DTH war has already begun. Bharti has launched its DTH service on October 9,2008. As a promotional ad campaign, Bharti made a teaser showing only a large red sofa with the Tag line saying 'See u on Oct 9th'.. The teaser was to create audience interest, However BIGTV took a BIG time advantage. It made a similar ad, with the same red sofa with a Tag line promoting the BIGTV services, carrying the logo too. People now think that the older ad was from BIGTV.

I'm currently subscribed to TataSky, would definitely have made a switch to BIGTV if not for the Subscription of Rs.2600 in my TataSky account. I want to get out of TataSky asap, and would not recommend anyone to use this service. I had warned a friend of mine about the restrictive practices of TataSky, he however lured by the new offer made the choice and is now always complaining about having made that decision in a haste.

People complain that most of my post's on TataSky carry only negatives. The reason i write negatives is because i want people to beware of what they are subscribing to. However this time, I'll be introducing u to a few pluses that TataSky claims of its service.

Tata ka bharosemand Customer Care: (Translation, Tata's trustworthy customer care)
All that i can say about this is that, ur queries will get answered in 24 hours. No doubt about that. Their technical team is the best in the business and will help u solve the problem.
They answer ur query in 24 hours saying, "If there are any updates, we'll notify u", this is what we hear most of the time when we complain about the Packaging and the non availability of channels. When we complain about the service or a fault with the reception, they will send a tech person to get the matter solved and will also charge u Rs.350 per visit. Sometimes it so happens that the problem reoccurs after the visit and u end up paying Rs.350 more.

Tata Ki Active Services:
Let me introduce u to a few of the active services. Actv Stories, Actv wizkids, Actv Games, Actv sports, Actv matrimony,Actv darshan, etc, etc.. Wow! All seem very good, How interactive.. Yes, Tata started earning more subscribers because of these services. I remember telling my dad about active sports, so that he understands why i wanted TataSky..
Yes, These services are good, Unless they are made available all the time.. Most of them, Including Actv stories and Actv wizkids are part of some stupid package that is priced at Rs.30 per month. I don't care, I'm not very fond of these services, I have not subscribed to it either.
Wow, Active sports.. The reason i bought TataSky for.. It has been over 4 months and a few cricket series gone since i have seen something on active sports. At least they were showing highlights then, leave alone showing the match at multiple camera angles! I pay for it and i don't get it..
Hey, did i say Actv matrimony.. Good na.. U get to search for ur soul mate at the comfort of ur home. What the.. Every profile that u wish to see is also priced. Priced at Rs.10 per profile, Actv matrimony becomes the last thing i would visit.
As for the other active services, Nothing is free! Get that.. Nothing is free!

Showcase:
Movies on demand, for Rs.75 per movie.
Last night i was watching the movie Goal on UTV Movies, while TataSky had priced it Rs.75 on showcase. It's one useless service, i don't understand the need for it.

Packages for as low as Rs.99:
Yes, the lowest base pack is priced at Rs.99. This pack contains all the basic channels, TataSky claims.
Haha.. Good Joke.. Most of the channels are DD and are available for free on DD DTH. Why pay Rs.99 for such a pack?? TataSky will never understand that. All other packages are packed in a manner such that u end up paying more than what u would have been paying earlier. Earlier meaning, When i had subscribed to it.
Take a look at the packages on TataSky
As for how much i'm paying now compared to earlier..
Now: Rs.450 per month.
Earlier Rs.367 per month.
Notice any change?? There has been a big gap after the packages have been changed. One thing I'd like to mention again, TataSky changed the price of Lifestyle gold pack from Rs.30 to Rs.45 for adding one channel (Colors) to the pack. Rs.15 for a channel, Justified? That's one reason i suggest people not choose TataSky! Beware this is fraud service!

Adding to all the vows if the new offers. New subscribers are being offered lowest of prices possible, while money gets extracted from the already existing ones. Why does TataSky not have any special diwlai offers for the existing customers?

Where can we complain? MRTPC? TRAI? is there a way to get these people stp their services. Just because i have signed a contract, that does not mean we get slaughtered slowly by this fraud service.

Make ur choice, BIGTV is the best i could recommend if u have to choose DTH. Cheap price, lots of channels, and a trustworthy company. U definitely have the choice of moving out of the service after a year. Go ahead and BUY BIGTV. I have seen their demo, and loved all its features. As for me and TataSky. As soon as my subscription ends, I'm going off it.

As a launch offer, Airtel is offering 65 channels for free for the first 12 months of subscription at Rs.2000 which is inclusive of the hardware and the installation.

By the looks of it, the service looks great, but the prices are a lot higher when compared to other Providers.. But with more players emerging into the DTH zone, prices are expected to go down in the future.. God knows when.. But now the customers have a lot of options to choose from which means customers will now switch DTH connections like they would switch sim cards in their mobile phones!

TataSky should realize that people will start switching connections if the prices don't go down!

Kunal

PS: I know i have taken this too far, most of my blog post on TataSky almost carry the same information. Only this time I'm posting a link to this blog post to the customer service department of TataSky. Let's see what kind of response these guys give. I'll also 'cc' a few media houses.. so that TataSky takes this a little seriously.

This advertising came as shock and that to with a name that is undoubtedly one of the most reputed in India, TATA. The Ad not only gives a wrong message but also makes fun of India's age-old cultural worth.

Believe me guys! I am not provoking you against TATA (I let that be with Mamata), but at least think about the negative impacts of crappy advertisements have on the society. This print Ad, that appeared in Times Of India on 09.10.08 , clearly asks to shed the cultural 'avatar' and embrace the modern.

The Ad does not stop at conveying the message to change, but it mocks at the principles and values that are preserved even in the days of Internet and PDAs. No doubt that we need to be open and learn from every society, religion or country. But do we need to make of fun of those who are happy to be unchanged? Indian values and traditions are praised all over and yet it has shown respect to individual believes and freedom to choose and change. Should this be taken for granted for pure commercial purpose?

The advertisement is of an enterprise that belongs to a well respected business house. Tata has been a pillar of strength of India economy and it continues to be so. Tata group has gained a lot from the 'Desi' campaigns, e.g. its famours car 'Indica' was promoted strongly of being complete 'Indian' car, and its now-famous 'Nano' brand is globally recognised as an Indian wonder! Should Tata allow such mixed signals to be sent out across the market? Ridiculing Indian values and promoting brands with the 'Indian' tag lines! Huh...I wonder if that Ad was really seen by Mr. Ratan Tata? It doesn't matter, as long as you have seen and wondered if it was right or wrong?

Dni mijały a ja próbowałam dojść do siebie. Dopóki była praca, jakoś się trzymałam. Wieczorami zasypiałam i też dało się jakoś przetrwać. Chciałam spacerować po mieście, ale po przygodzie z przystojniakiem z Hondurasu, który gdyby miał jak to by mnie chyba od razu zgwałcił przy samej Bramie Brandenburskiej, bo "you are so pretty, I like you, please go with me". Tłumacząc na polski: "Bzykać mi się chce a ty tu siedzisz taka sama i smutna, chętnie wykorzystam okazję". Ale kolega Roberto się rozczarował, bo uciekłam czym prędzej między ludzi, z dala od niego. Teraz już nie zaliczam samotnych spacerów wieczorową porą. Wbrew postanowieniom zaliczam wycieczki do sklepów spożywczych. Po czekoladę. Misie Haribo. Owsiane ciasteczka. Życie toczy się dalej.

Pomijając miłosne zawirowania, jakoś idzie do przodu. Z "moją" nową rodzinką się jakoś układa, Mała zaakceptowała mnie w try miga. Przedpołudnia spędzam na placach zabaw, monotonnie huśtając huśtawki, skacząc na trampolinie, zjeżdżając ze zjeżdżalni i innych tego typu rozrywkach. Przy okazji obserwuję niemieckie dzieci, niemieckie mamusie i niemieckich tatusiów. Niektórzy całkiem apetyczni są. No co. Teraz mi znowu wolno, ha! Trzeba szukać szczęścia w nieszczęściu.

Na gadu-gadu poznałam niechcący jednego faceta. Z polskimi korzeniami, ale prawie nie mówiącego po polsku. Więc mam z kim pójść czasem na spacer czy kawę. Ćwiczę niemiecki, zwiedzam Berlin i nawet się czasem śmieję jak próbuję go uczyć nowych słówek po polsku. Wcale nie tak łatwo jest powiedzieć "drzeć" albo zrozumieć różnicę w wymowie słów "struś" i "stróż". Za to ja od tygodnia uczę się, jak się prawidłowo mówi "łyżka" po niemiecku. Ponoć na tym najłatwiej przyłapać i rozpoznać obcokrajowca. Ale już prawie doszłam do perfekcji.

Do domu staram się nie dzwonić za często, bo wtedy jest mi trudniej. Wiem, co mnie omija. Wiem, ile historii toczy się pod moją nieobecność i nie mam jak brać w nich udziału. Choćbym nie wiem jak mocno chciała. Nie wiem też, kiedy odwiedzę Polskę. Nie udało mi się w Warszawie kupić tańszych biletów na pociąg, muszę spróbować tutaj, ale wybieram sie jak sójka za morze. To samo mam z zakładaniem konta w banku. Już wiem w jakim chcę założyć, nawet raz się przemogłam i poszłam ale oczywiście w poniedziałek bank był krócej otwarty i poszłam na marne.

Mama pierwszy raz powiedziała mi dzisiaj, że mnie kocha. Przepraszam - napisała. Ale naprawdę pierwszy raz, przynajmniej w moim dorosłym życiu. Ciekawe, czy kiedyś usłyszę te słowa od Taty. Jakoś nie podejrzewam...

Pora brać się za naukę. Nauka jednak jest zając i ucieka.

I look at this differently also. It is no doubt great failure for West Bengal; it is loss for Maharashtra also. Tatas have their automobile business in Pune, Maharashtra and prevailing conditions like

1. power shortage

2. mafia approach of MNS towards businesses in Maharashtra

3. political unwillingness to rise above personal gains etc.

must have forced them not look at Maharashtra as viable option for any new venture. On the other hand Gujarat is offering all that is needed for industry and people to thrive and live.

              As The Economist pointed out in one of its articles, the Nano is not just the result of using cheap Indian engineers. Nor is it about accepting lower standards on safety or environmental emissions. Tata motors used state-of-the-art virtual design technology and global teams to drive genuine innovation. The Nano is not just the people`s car, it is a dream car to millions of motorcyclists who will find it a safer way to travel. Although this may seem a hyperbole, the Nano will do a lot to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots. It is a pity that our political establishment tried to stall its release. As the Financial Times pointed out, those who defend the status quo are condemning hundreds of millions of peasants to a life of back-breaking and unproductive toil, and the often violent discrimination of the caste system. Let us hope that our political class takes a cue from Mr.Ratan Tata.

The company had received overwhelming support from several states for relocating the plant. After examining various sites in these states and carefully evaluating offers from the respective governments, the company has concluded that the site at Sanand and the offer from the Gujarat Government is in the best interest of the project.

The integrated project, comprising the mother plant and the vendor park, will come up on an area of about 1100 acres. The plant, to begin with, will produce 250,000 cars per annum. The capacity is expandable up to 500,000 cars per annum. The project, including Tata Motors’ plant, vendor facilities and service providers, will together generate over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Speaking at the announcement, Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, said, "The site in Gujarat, already under the possession of the state government, will help Tata Motors establish a new dedicated mother plant with the shortest possible time lag and least possible incremental project cost. This is Tata Motors’ maiden venture in Gujarat, and will broad-base the company’s manufacturing footprint. We are happy to contribute to Gujarat’s strong industrial progress by creating an auto cluster, which will have a cascading impact on the state’s economy.”

While awaiting the Sanand plant’s completion, Tata Motors will explore the possibility of manufacturing the Nano at its existing facilities at Pune and Pantnagar, and launch the car in the last quarter of this financial year.

Esse anúncio ocorre após a Tata ter desistido de continuar com o processo de fabricação do Nano na cidade de Singur devido a problemas com os moradores locais. Segundo a Tata, a nova unidade irá custar ao equivalente de R$ 960 milhões, e com entrega dos primeiros veículos para o primeiro trimestre de 2009, terá capacidade de 250 mil unidades produzidas por ano. Espera-se que no futuro a fábrica possa chegar a produzir 500 mil veículos anuais e empregar mais de 10 mil pessoas.

Por Carlos Eduardo Tobias

In a joint press conference with Cheif Minister Narendra Modi, Tata Group Chief  Ratan Tata said "This is an extremely momentous and happy day for us because we have been through a rather sad experience from a small quarter of residents of West Bengal despite the state government's efforts". He adds that " We wasted our time in west bengal".

And also he praised modi for his immediate action on allocating 1,100 acres of  land for their plant. They also planned to produce 2.5 lacs of cars in phase-I and 5 lacs of cars in phase-II.

UK government is set to announce a rescue package - £50 million of taxpayer’s money - to prop up failing banks. Understandably consumer confidence is in freefall as people fear for jobs and savings. With the US economy drowning, UK economy heading for recession and Europe looking set to follow, have the ripples of fear reached India?

In its first Forum, India Insights measures the mood of four Indian business professionals; here is a selection of their comments about the economy.

Economy

Salil K. Sahu, Managing Director of the Home Stores retail chain makes a distinction between Western economies and India, “The Indian economy is more self-contained relative to other large economies and so the impact is not as damaging and all pervasive.”

Sahu goes on to make the observation that the “unending mood of exuberance” has gone, and that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, “I think this will be a useful phase for the economy to go through because it will eliminate excesses, and the irrational optimism which had crept through”.

Amar Arora, Senior manager at property group Emaar MGF believes that a different attitude to credit in India will protect the market. “A sub-prime type property crisis can never happen in India where people believe in prepayment, and loans are taken as bridge loans”.

Consumption habits

Arora believes that despite a different attitude to borrowing, spending habits are changing, “It is my personal opinion that people have started spending less on travel, shopping, indulgences etc. Current high rates of interest have led to expenditure going down, excess cash previously invested in properties, cars etc, is now being channeled towards the repayment of loans.”

Sahu also senses a change; “Inflation has been a worry for most people and consumers are definitely more circumspect when buying, purchasing smaller quantities or shifting to cheaper brands.”

Harvinder Singh, Business Analyst at Bharti Teletech makes the point that India is set to enter a key consumer period. “This is the time for festivals, Indian consumers spend a major portion of their salary on buying during this season, already prices are being discounted to prompt customers.”

Opportunities

Singh also sees opportunities for India, “with huge pressures on costs, outsourcing will gather pace in India especially legal and accounting off-shoring. Another aspect to watch out for will be manufacturing. Already the Chinese economy is feeling the heat of rising labor costs and limited capital investment, major manufacturers are closing down their shops and moving to either Vietnam or India.”

East versus West – an economic shift?

Himanshu Bhayani, Special Correspondent at UTV News foresees a shift in economic power due to problems in the West, “Companies from the East have started cashing in on what the West calls recession, they are on a buying spree in the US and Europe.”

Arora agrees, “The axis will shift from the West to the East, more so to India, China, Singapore and Russia. Look at the global mergers and acquisitions in the last 4-5 years.”

Singh, is equally confident, Watch out for mergers & acquisitions by Indian business houses, already the Tata’s & Birla’s are expanding beyond Indian boundaries and State Bank of India has shown interest in buying some assets of Lehman Brothers, maybe Indians may start acquiring more assets beyond national boundaries?” 

Indian firm Tata Motors is to build the world's cheapest car in the western state of Gujarat. Tata group chairman Ratan Tata said the Gujarat deal offered the best chance of making the car, the Nano, as quickly and cheaply as possible.

The move comes after Tata pulled out of its factory in West Bengal state in a row over land acquired from farmers.

The Nano is expected to cost about 100,000 rupees ($2,130) and was due to be launched this month.

"While awaiting the Sanand plant's completion, Tata Motors will explore the possibility of manufacturing the Nano at its existing facilities at Pune and Pantnagar, and launch the car in the last quarter of this financial year."

The Sanand plant will make 250,000 Nanos a year, rising to 500,000, the company says. It is not clear when production at the plant will begin.

The range of opposition to the Nano plant in West Bengal - from small tenant farmers to absentee landlords - displayed a collective shortsightedness rarely equaled in developing nations. They got what they asked for. Nothing.