Rajinikanth, Kamal join fast to support Sri Lankan Tamils

Chennai, April 2 (IANS) Stalwarts like Rajinikanth, Ajith Kumar, Kamal Haasan and many more Tuesday joined the members of the South Indian Film Artistes Association (SIFAA) in a day-long fast here to protest alleged "war crimes" against Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Spearheaded by SIFAA, commonly known as 'Nadigar Sangam', the film fraternity is observing a silent protest and there was a huge turnout with most of the big names Vikram, Sarath Kumar, Prakash Raj Bhagyaraj, Radha Ravi, Sathyaraj, Sivakumar, Suriya, Karthi, Bharat, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Dhansika, Monica, Vishal Krishna and Chandrasekhar, among others, joining the fast at Nadigar Sangam premises at T. Nagar here.

"One of the reasons we are not using microphone is that we don't want tempers to flare. If given an opportunity, people will vent and unnecessarily create tension," a member of SIFAA told IANS.
Kamal, Rajinikanth, Ajith Kumar, Suriya, and Karthi are among those who couldn't join the March 19 fast.
All activities with regard to the Tamil film industry have come to a standstill. Ajith Kumar was supposed to start shooting for his new Tamil film Tuesday, but he postponed the same to participate in the fast.
All theatres in the city will remain shut during the course of the hunger strike.
The fast will conclude at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

(Online News By Incident2day Group )

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Ambani brothers move past feud as Reliance Jio

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Billionaire Ambani brothers will share a fibre optic network for their rival telecoms companies, their first business tie-up since ending a long-running feud three years ago.
Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), controlled by Mukesh Ambani, India's richest person, will pay 12 billion rupees to younger brother Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications (RLCM.NS) for use of its fibre optic network.

The companies said on Tuesday they could co-operate further in future and the announcement bolstered their share prices.
Reliance Industries, whose main business is petrochemicals, made a dramatic return to telecoms in 2010 by becoming the only company to gain nationwide 4G airwaves. While it has yet to start services, it is widely expected to begin operations in parts of India later this year.
Debt-laden Reliance Communications, India's third-largest cellular carrier by users, was hived off from the combined Reliance empire after the brothers split up the family businesses in 2005 in a deal brokered by their mother.
Under the terms of Tuesday's fibre optic deal, Reliance Industries will pay "one time indefeasible right to use (IRU) fees for sharing RCOM's nationwide inter-city fibre optic network infrastructure," the companies said.
Reliance Communications shares jumped as much as 17 percent after the news before closing 11 percent higher. Other Anil Ambani group stocks also gained. Reliance Industries' stock closed up 2 percent.
MORE CO-OPERATION
Further details on the tie-up were not immediately available, but the companies indicated more cooperation was possible. Media reports have long speculated that Reliance Industries would lease space on Reliance Communications' tower network or buy an equity stake in the tower business.
"This agreement is the first in an intended comprehensive framework of business co-operation ... for optimal utilisation of the existing and future infrastructure of both companies on reciprocal basis, including inter alia, inter-city fibre, intra-city fibre, towers and related assets," the companies said.
Reliance Communications is the most leveraged among Indian cellular carriers with net debt of nearly $7 billion, or more than five times its annualised operating profit. The company has been looking to sell assets to cut its debt load but has fallen short in several attempts.
"It is definitely a relief for Reliance Communications, and a relief coming to the group after a long, long time even though not sufficiently large," said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, strategist at SMC Global Securities in New Delhi.
Tuesday's deal will help Reliance Jio Infocomm "reach the market faster," said Deven Choksey, managing director of K.R. Choksey Securities in Mumbai.
According to Forbes, Mukesh Ambani is worth $21.5 billion, while Anil Ambani is worth $5.2 billion.
Dhirubhai Ambani's death in 2002 led to a power struggle between his two sons that split the Reliance empire. Mukesh ended up with the core energy business, and Anil ended up with the telecoms, financial services and power businesses.
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Mullaperiyar row:Trade and business are freezed in Madurai

Trade and business came to standstill in Madurai four other districts on Thursday as commercial establishments downed their shutters throughout the day, as part of the protests against the Kerala government's move to build a new dam as an alternative to the controversial Mullaperiyar dam.

There was a complete shut down of shops and commercial establishments in the district. The strike call was given by as many as 50 outfits, including trade bodies like the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries ( and Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) in five districts under Periyar - Vaigai Command area.

"The estimated business loss due to the strike could be anywhere from Rs 150 to Rs 200 crores," said S Rethinavelu, senior president of TNCCI. Cinema theatre owners too, joined the strike and cancelled two shows of film screenings.

Members of trade bodies and various outfits also undertook mass hunger strike in many parts of the city. In the mass hunger strike organised at MADITSSIA, 50 various associations like Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants' Association Limited, Jewellers and Bullion Merchants' Association, Uranganpatti Industrial Association, Sourashtra Chamber of Commerce, Tamil Nadu Readymade Garments Manufacturer's Association, Rubber Park Madurai Limited, Tamil Nadu Jaggery Merchants Association and others participated. Periyar Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam consisting of farmers from the areas irrigated by Periyar Water and Advocates Association extended their support for the hunger strike.

In another major hunger strike organised by the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, 80 trade and industrial associations like Madurai Notebook Manufacturers Association, Gold Silver and Diamond Merchants Association, Hotel Owners Association affiliated to chamber participated. Along with the Mullaperiyar row, the chamber insisted upon the Centre to commission the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) immediately.

"Two issues like water and power are haunting our state and we addressed both of them during the hunger strike," senior president of the chamber, S Rethinavelu said. There was a good response for the strike with most of the shops closed in the city, as well as the five districts directly benefitting from Mullaperiyar water, he added.

As the two important trade associations called for the strike and with every commercial establishment affiliated to them, the response was high in Madurai city, as 90 percentage of the shops downed their shutters. The fish market at Karimedu also was closed for two days - Thursday and Friday, with the vendors expressing solidarity with the merchants and farmers' associations.

According to police sources, the hunger strike was held at nine places in the city limits and demonstrations were held in six places commercial areas. Drivers and call taxi owners and auto rickshaw drivers in large numbers participated in the strike. A human chain was formed at Nethaji Road by the merchants. Political parties like the BJP and Puthia Tamilagam also staged demonstrations in the city.

The strike also drew partial response in adjacent districts like Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Dindigul and lot of shops and commercial establishments remained shut down during the day

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Rumor of a Mini iPad from Apple to compete Fire

In November last year, Steve Jobs had quashed all rumors on Apple making iPads lesser than its 10-inch diagonal as anything below that would not allow to create great apps for the tablet. Jobs further had said that 7-inch screens had only 45% space compared to the larger iPad, which was not sufficient enough for the tablet apps.

The decree of Steve Jobs of not making any tablet below the 10-inch mark might be ignored in future by Apple.
According to Digitimes, Apple is planning to launch an iPad of 7.85-inch, within final quarter 2012, for coping with market competition from the Kindle Fire.
The report further mentions that AU Optronics and are going to provide the displays for this device.
Even the DisplaySearch analyst, Richard Shim speaks on similar lines of planning the 7.85-inch iPad late in 2012.
The statement had however been made before the arrival of Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire. In fact, a recent statement from Amazon has said that the Kindle Fire was the hottest selling tablet these days, having already registered sales of millions of units. The demand of the Kindle Fire has also been continuously increasing, as per Amazon.

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Mullaperiyar dam is safe

Tamil Nadu on Friday refuted Kerala's allegation before the Empowered Committee, headed by the former Chief Justice of India, A.S. Anand, that the Mullaperiyar dam was not safe if the water level was maintained at 136 ft. and that it should be reduced to 120 ft.

In its response to Kerala's affidavit filed before the committee on Thursday, the State reiterated that the dam was safe and that it had been permitted by the Supreme Court to raise the water level up to 142 ft. and further raise it to 152 ft. after completing the remaining strengthening measures.

Tamil Nadu made it clear that the question of considering a new dam would arise only after the Supreme Court rendered its decision. It denied Kerala's assertion that 22 earthquakes/tremors occurred in the region between July 26 and November 26 and said according to the information obtained from the India Meteorological Department, there had been only four occurrences of earthquake in the Kottayam-Idukki region during this period.

“False propaganda”

Tamil Nadu said: “The false propaganda of 22 tremors in the last 4 months resulting in the dam being unsafe is being made without any basis. In fact, there have been only four tremors in the current year and in fact such tremors have been occurring over many years. But, none of them have had any impact on Mullaperiyar dam as their magnitudes were far below 4.9 and classified as ‘slight' by the IMD. However, the Mullaperiyar Dam is designed to withstand earthquakes that could possibly occur in the Zone III as per earthquake zonal map.”

On the outflow of water from the dam, Tamil Nadu said it was strange to contend that even for an outflow of 15,032 cusecs, there was panic among the people. The outflow had been much more than 15,000 cusecs on many occasions in the past and this was very negligible when compared to the design flood of 2.12. lakh cusecs (Probable Maximum Flood level) as per the Central Water Commission. Indeed, the actual flow of 15,032 cusecs was only a miniscule 7 per cent of the design flood of 2.12 lakh cusecs.

Tamil Nadu said: “The reported panic among the public and the bandhs and hartals, etc. are all creations of the Kerala government. There is no need for any panic as the dam has been strengthened sufficiently.” It sought rejection of Kerala's application.

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Mullaperiyar: TN rejects SC's appeal offer

The Supreme Court on Thursday said the Prime Minister was the "most suitable authority" to hammer out a solution to vexed water disputes like Mullaperiyar dam row and wanted to appeal for his intervention but refrained from doing so after Tamil Nadu objected to it.

A five-judge Constitution Bench wanted to make the appeal on the suggestion of Kerala's counsel Harish Salve but Tamil Nadu's lawyer Raju Ramachandran put up a stubborn opposition to the Prime Minister's intervention as the apex court-empowered committee was already seized of the issue.
At the fag end of the hearing held to decide on Tamil Nadu's plea for deployment of CISF at the dam site, Salve suggested the apex court make an appeal to the Prime Minister for convening a meeting of the two states' Chief Ministers to resolve the issue as tribunals, far from solving the problems, have only "increased the temperature."

"Without prejudice to the proceeding before the committee, this court can appeal to the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of the Chief Ministers to solve the problem," he said.
But the suggestion was opposed by Ramachandran saying it was "too premature" as the committee was seized of the matter.
"It would not be appropriate at this stage when the empowered committee is meeting. It is already seized of the matter," he said.

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TN Assembly passes resolution on Mullaperiyar Dam, blames Kerala

Tamil Nadu has raised the pitch on the Mullaperiyar Dam row with the state Assembly on Thursday passing a resolution unanimously demanding that Kerala should take immediate steps to increase water levels in the dam to 142 feet as per Supreme Court orders.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa moved the resolution which was supported by all the MLAs including those belonging to the DMK and DMDK.
The J Jayalalithaa government accused the Centre of remaining a mute spectator to requests to deploy Central Industrial Security Force personnel at the dam site and rejected Kerala government's claim that an earthquake will damage the 116-year-old structure. The resolution demanded that CISF should be deployed immediately at the dam site.
The resolution also asked Kerala not to disrupt the dam maintenance work being carried out by Tamil Nadu and asserts that Tamil Nadu will not under any circumstance give up on its rights.
During the discussion Jayalalithaa alleged that Kerala government's propaganda on the dam was politically motivated
The resolution also expresses disappointment over Kerala's resolution passed on December 6 asking water level to be reduced to 120 feet.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government assured the Supreme Court that all measures would be taken to protect the dam and said that adequate security measures have been put in place for the dam, installations and properties of Tamil Nadu in the state.
The Central Government told the apex court that if requested from either of the state, deployment of paramilitary forces could be considered. The Kerala government also suggested to the court that it should request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call a meeting of the chief ministers of both the states and resolve the issue.
However, the Tamil Nadu Government did not agree to Kerala's proposal and the apex curt said that unless both the governments agreed it can not make such a request.

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