Today's Thought from BENNY MARAMON

Real Madrid arrive in Kuwait, take on Kuwait National team tonite - 16.05.2012

Kuwait: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday that he hoped to have a good and exciting match tomorrow between his team and Kuwait's national team, without injuries to players from both sides.

Mourinho said, in a press conference after arrival along with his team, that this is his first visit to Kuwait, an importance one to him and for the team because "they came to play football and make the fans enjoy the game, despite exhaustion which most players are suffering from." The coach also added his team played vital and important matches, but in recent days training was suspended for several days.

"The team came to play a friendly match and with first team lineup, but two different set of formation and players pick," Mourinho said, adding that his team will not any training before the match, relaxing at the swimming pool." "I know  there are many football fans in the Gulf, especially in Kuwait, who were keen to watch recent matches of Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu," Mourinho added.

"I respect Kuwaiti football national team which qualified for the World Cup in Spain in 1982, they played good matches back then," said Mourinho.

Mourinho, a Portuguese, said that he knew an old friend who is also from Portuguese, and was currently Kuwaiti Al-Arabi football team Coach, Jose Romao, noting that he hoped to meet him and get to know the Kuwaiti football more.

Regarding the timing and reason for the visit, Mourinho said that he preferred to play after the season was over, and before the players goes to official holidays, especially to some players who will be joining their national teams ahead of the Euro 2012 Championship.

Mourinho added that he preferred to play at his time, instead of having to play the match in August or July. For his part, Kuwaiti national team Captain Jarrah Al-Atiqi said during the same press conference that he hopes the team play well and represent the team with a good performance.

(NEWS reproduced from KUNA)

NOTE:

According to Kuwait's Alwatan Newspaper, it has been announced that the company responsible for this event is going to pay 2 Million Euros = 2.84 Million dollars = 809,000 KD._,___

பராசக்தி (புத்தம் புதிய காப்பி)

பராசக்தி (புத்தம் புதிய காப்பி)-----------------------------------------------

மடாதிபதி ஆனேன்; நீதிபதி வேண்டாம் என்பதற்காக அல்ல; நீதிபதியின் தீர்ப்பை விட இறைவனின் தீர்ப்பு பெரிது என்பதற்காக.

உனக்கெதற்கு இந்தப் பதவி, பல்வேறு குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் இருக்கும்போது என்று கேட்கலாம்; எனது புகழுக்கு களங்கம் ஏற்பட்டது; உள்நாட்டிலும், வெளிநாட்டிலும் எனது வளர்ச்சி பாதிக்கப்பட்டது; எனது பக்தர்கள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார்கள்; 293-வது ஆதீனமாக பதவி ஏற்றேன்!நல்லது! 

ஞானமும், பேச்சாற்றலும், வீரமும், போர் குணமும், அழகும், ஆங்கில அறிவும் கொண்ட நித்திதான் தனது அடுத்தஆதீனகர்த்தா என்று கட்டிப்பிடித்து உச்சி முகர்ந்தார் மதுரை ஆதீனம்!அப்படி அவர் பாராட்டியது தவறா? இது போறாதா? பொங்கி எழுந்தனர் எங்கள் எதிரிகள்! ஊடகத் துறையை உசுப்பினார்கள், விஷயத்தை ஊதிப் பெரிதாக்கச் சொன்னார்கள்! அந்த விஷமிகள் நினைத்தவாறே விஷயம் இப்போது நீதிமன்றம்வரைவந்துவிட்டது! 

ஆகாரத்திற்காக அழுக்கை உண்டு தடாகத்தை சுத்தம் செய்கிறதே மீன்... அதுபோலதான் நானும். உலகின் நன்மைக்காக ஆன்மிகத்தில் குதித்தேன்; நாட்டுக்குத் தொண்டாற்ற மடங்களை ஆரம்பித்தேன்; என் சுயநலத்தில்பக்தர்களின் பொதுநலம் மட்டுமே கலந்திருந்தது!

பாவம் அந்த   ரஞ்சி; சினிமாத் துறையால் ஓரங்கட்டப் பட்ட ஒரு அபலைப் பெண்; அப்போதெல்லாம் கவலைப்பட்டதா இந்த ஊடகங்கள்? அவரை தேடிப் பிடித்து அவரது வாட்டத்தைப் போக்கியிருக்க வேண்டும். ஆனால் அவ்வாறு செய்யவில்லை! அந்த பக்தையை கைபிடித்து கரையேற்றியபோது வந்தார்கள்! 

"கதவைத் திற காற்று வரட்டும்' என்றுதான் சொன்னேன்! ஆனால் காற்றுக்குப் பதிலாக காமெராவுடன் உள்ளே வந்தது ஒரு ஊடகம்! பொல்லாதது எல்லாவற்றையும் படம் பிடித்தான்; பணம் கேட்டு மிரட்டினான், இல்லை என்றேன்! தனது செய்தி சானலின் மூலம் வீடு வீடாக நீலப்படம் காண்பித்து பிஞ்சுகளின் மனத்தில் கூட என் மீது வஞ்சகம் வளரச் செய்தான்! அவனைக் கண்டித்ததா இந்த உலகம்? 

நிம்மதியாக வாழவிட்டார்களா என்னை? வழக்குமேல் வழக்கு தொடுத்தார்கள்!கஞ்சிக்குக் கூட வழியில்லாமல் போய் விடுவேனோ என்று  பதறினேன்!

முதலில் ரஞ்சி ஓடினாள்; பிறகு நானும் ஓடினேன்; பின்னர் இருவரும் சேர்ந்து ஓடினோம்; ஓடினோம் ஓடினோம்பிடதியில் இருந்து ஊர் ஊராய் ஓடினோம்! மதுரையை அடைந்தோம். இறைவனேஆதீனம் உருவில் வந்து என்னை அடுத்த ஆதீனம் நீதான் என முடிசூட்டி மகிழ்ந்தார்! இப்போதாவது விட்டார்களா? 

ஆதீனத்தை போதையிலும் மயக்கத்திலும் வைத்திருக்கிறேன் என்கிறது ஊடகங்கள்? யார்  இவர்கள்? ஐபிஎல்,சினிமா செய்திகள், டி.வி. சீரியல்கள்... என பல்வேறு போதை வஸ்துகளுக்கு  மக்களை நிரந்தரமாக அடிமைப்படுத்தி வைத்திருப்பவர்கள்! இப்போதாவது கூறுங்கள், இது யார் தவறு?என் தவறா? ஆதீனத்தின் தவறா?இறைவனின் தவறா...?!

Meet the MBA who now sells vegetables

Kaushalendra Kumar, an IIM-A alumnus is currently doing some pioneering work in the field of vegetable retail.

He is an alumnus and topper from IIM- Ahmedabad.

He is shy especially when talking to a girl. He loves Bihar, the state in which he was born and brought up. He speaks broken English.

He was the winner of MTV Youth icon 2008. And he is a vegetable vendor!

Meet Kaushalendra Kumar, a young man currently doing some pioneering work in the field of vegetable retail.

What inspired you to do something on your own? Did you always want to do this?

Since childhood, I have been learning many should-be-done-in-agriculture-sector things. Especially in Bihar.

I always found farmers had nobody to look up to, no support from anybody.

Being a farmer's son myself, I thought I have been given an opportunity of good education and to be knowledgeable which most farmers' children don't get in this country.

So I wanted to do something for our society and for the farmers' kids in particular. Because nobody cares for them.

Is your work completely charity or are you also making a livelihood out of this?

We are not doing any charity. We are making our livelihood out of this. This is a business opportunity for farmers and for all of us.

What's the name of your company? What exactly do you do?

My organisation is called KNIDS Green Pvt. Ltd.

We focus on mobilising and organising the informal and fragmented vegetable sector.

We source poor vegetable growers, vegetable vendors, and farm labourers of Bihar.

The goal of the foundation is to create opportunities -- gainful and dignified self-employment -- for the families that are dependent on the agricultural sector.

Specially the disadvantaged sections namely farmers, farm labourers, agriculture produce vendors and many others.

This is a community that brings rice and dal to your home. And nobody cares for them.

We ensure sustainable livelihood, enriched environment, improved quality of life and good human values for them.

Can you describe step-bystep the process of your work?

We have been working towards making the street vegetable vendors, your sabziwala and marginal growers more professional.

We also work towards empowering them to face future challenges in the new global economy, thus creating wealth and prosperity from 'farm-gate to food-plate' through undertaking the holistic view of vegetable supply chain under our project 'Samriddhii.'

We have formed some attractive partnerships between the farmers and vendors with a focus on shared interests and mutual growth.

To maintain product integrity from the source to the customer, the organisation has established a totally integrated supply chain and services bundle which connects and maintains the flow of goods from the source (growers) to customer (road-side vendors, organised retailers, food services and hospitality industry).

Key benefits of the model include waste reduction (quantity and time), shelf-life extension and cost reduction of agri-produce from hinterlands and upcountry sources to the markets.

We have public and private partnerships with Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Patna.

We have been assisted financially through soft loan by Friends of Women World Banking (FWWB) Ahmedabad. Recently, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sanctioned Rs. 50 Lakhs to our project.

Approximately 1000 farmers are associated with us. We have our procurement network in two districts of Bihar namely Patna and Nalanda.

How much of your MBA knowledge do you practically use in your work?

MBA knowledge has brought confidence in me.

I have been using the concepts learnt at IIM-Ahemdabad in designing training modules, expansion strategies and overall development strategies of the work we are involved in.

You know, MBA taught me to take a holistic approach to problems.

When and why did you decide to become a 'vegetable vendor?'

Marketing has been the biggest bottleneck for Indian farmers.

They have never considered it as an integral part of their work. It would be impossible to think of their prosperity unless they have the ability to market their produce.

To get first hand experience of vegetable selling and marketing, we decided to learn the menaces of vegetable sales and now lessons learnt are being transferred to farmer members.

I used to actually go with my father to the market and sell vegetables on a cart for first hand experience.

What was the reaction from parents, friends, and teachers to your vegetable vending endeavour? Did you have to forgo a well-paying job to do this?

My family members were shocked to know that I am going to start my own organization and sell vegetables from a cart. And that too in Patna, Bihar!

Nevertheless, they did not try to persuade me to go for a job because they are aware of my nature that if I decide something, I will do only that. They have never interfered with my decisions since childhood. They always encouraged independent decision making.

My elder brother Shri Dhirendra Kumar has left his job and is working as programme coordinator in our organisation.

Many of my professors from IIM-A are supporting us. Our mentor is Prof. Piyush Kumar Sinha, Chairman, Centre of Retailing, IIM-A.

Under his continued guidance we have been able to take this so far.

Many of my friends from IIM-A like Om Prakash Singh, Abhishek Kumar, Vaibhav, Vineeta Singh (from IIRM) and many others are continuously supporting us.

They always provide their strategic input and sometimes financial support too. Their encouragement helps me move ahead always.

Do you have a mission in this direction? What is it?

My mission is to make Bihar the vegetable hub of the nation and to develop brand Bihar in the vegetable sector.

Did you take any kind of training or special research to get into this kind of work?

No, I have not taken any special training. I am born and brought up in a village. My native district Nalanda is the largest producer of vegetables in Bihar. I have grown up here. I have seen their hardships. And I have seen the government's apathy towards this community. They don't care. Nobody cares.

Do you plan to do this all your life?

I am committed to the prosperity of Bihar. Most people make fun of the state. But well, they don't know its potential.

Goa eyeing UAE, Iran tourists

Encouraged by the increasing number of tourists to Goa from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, the tourism department has decided to participate in the Arabian Travel Mart to tap potential tourists to the state.
In the 2011-12 tourism season (October to March), the Dabolim airport received 13 charter flights from Iran, bringing in 1,700 tourists, while 1,000 tourists arrived from the UAE.
"We may participate in the Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai this year. We did not participate during the last two years. This year, there are many direct scheduled flights arriving in Goa from Dubai and that is why we want to tap the market," tourism director Swapnil Naik told STOI. Goa can attract tourists from the UAE and Iran, which has shown good potential now, he added.
Air India, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways have scheduled direct flights to Goa from UAE, Naik said.
The tourism department will also participate in major international tourist marts to attract tourists from various countries for the next tourism season. "We will participate in World Travel Mart-London, International Travel Bazaar in Berlin and FITUR in Spain," he added, while stating that the team will also go to travel marts in Poland, Hungary and Austria to attract charter flights from these countries.
This year, so far, Goa received 25 charter flights from Poland, which brought 2,700 tourists. As per the provisional figures, 2,185 tourists have arrived from Austria in 2011.
In all, Goa received 910 charters from various countries, bringing in 1.75 lakh tourists.

Goa CM mulls Wi-Fi in all schools, grouping of govt-run ones

Wi-Fi in all schools, bringing all government schools together and giving them quality facilities and, most importantly, taking all stakeholders into confidence are some of the initiatives that chief minister Manohar Parrikar has in mind while implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act in Goa. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting on Friday, Parrikar admitted to one serious hitch in implementing the RTE. He said that several educationists have conveyed to him that due to the provision in the RTE that no student should be detained till Class VIII, there are several cases where students are giving blank answer papers to teachers during exams. The chief minister said that just because "you cannot detain a student in one class does not mean you cannot have exams". Stating that students are not attending classes because of the provision, Parrikar said the provision "does not give license not to study". He said there are misinterpretations about the RTE and that though there are solutions, he is not only taking stakeholders like teachers and parents into confidence, but he is also "checking the solutions legally". Parrikar, who is also the education minister, said that "there are no restrictions on the state government not to come out with something more than the RTE without loading the students (in implementing the RTE). Parrikar's idea is to make schools so attractive that children actually cry to go to school and not to stay at home. One idea is to install wi-fi in all schools. Another idea is get all government schools together. If there are two-three schools nearby, these can be brought together, better facilities and more teachers can be provided, he said. Parrikar however stressed that these are only ideas and not decisions. He said he has asked all stakeholders to "churn" their minds for new ideas, meet people to take their suggestions and meet him in 15 days. "Once we decide, the decisions will be put on the public platform for comments. And when the final decisions are made, it is my job to implement these with quality," Parrikar said. TNN

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Bollywood Stars Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari to crown the Twelfth May Queen in Qatar

Seen in the picture: Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari

Bollywood Stars Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari to crown the Twelfth May Queen in Qatar

Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari will be especially flying in to Qatar to crown the 12^th May Queen. The twelfth Annual May Queen Ball will be organised by Goan Welfare Association (GWA), on 03^rd May 2012 from 8.30 pm onwards at the Ramada Plaza Doha Hotel.

Samir Soni is an Indian film and television actor and a former model. Soni was born to a Punjabi Hindu family in London, United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in Economics. Prior to his Bollywood career, Samir was an investment banker with one of the bulge bracket firms on Wall Street in New York, before coming back to India to start modeling. He has attended acting courses in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003, Samir shot to fame by appearing in the film Baghban opposite legendary artists Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. As of 2011, Samir is portraying the lead role of a lawyer Kunal Chopra in Balaji Telefilms' TV serial Parichay that airs onColors TV.

Neelam Kothari, after her early childhood in Hong Kong moved with her family to Bangkok. Neelam was holidaying in Mumbai when she was approached by director Ramesh Behl. She decided to give acting a shot and performed in the film Jawaani in 1984 alongside Karan Shah. She soldiered on ahead and became famous in 1986 for her role in the film Ilzaam opposite another debutante Govinda. She went on to make a regular pair with Govinda in movies such as Love 86, Khudgarz, Hatya, Taaqatwar and Do Qaidi. She also starred in the 1987 Hit film, Aag Hi Aag opposite Dharmendra and Chunkey Pandey and directed by Shibu Mitra. Then she starred in many other movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her roles, including the one in Ek Ladka Ek Ladki opposite Salman Khan, met with mixed success. She was also noticed for her appearance in the 1998 film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, where she played herself as a VJ. In 1999, she appeared in the multi-starrer family film Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United.

Goa's ex-chief minister and a member of Indian National Congress working committee (permanent invitee), Luizinho Faleiro has consented to be the Chief Guest.

The highlight of the event is crowing of 12^th May Queen by bollywood stars Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari with fabulous prizes, said Simon D'Silva, president of Goan Welfare Association. Live band "FOREFRONT" will be flown in from Goa to render the exhilarating performances. DJ Glorio will keep the young and old folks tuned on the floor and Goa's top legend of hosts and Doha's favourite Updesh Swar will compere the event. The judging panel will be headed by the former MISS. SINGAPORE.

Participants to the contest should contact the organizers. Tickets are priced at Qrs. 150/- single and Qrs. 100/- per child. After 30 April, tickets will be priced at Qrs. 500/- subject to availability. Available at Kebab King, Ariport Road (Tel: 44433118 / 9). In order to avoid disappointment, please book your tickets now. Last year more than hundred guests were turned down at the last moment due to the non availability of the entry tickets, said D'Silva. More details can be had by phoning on 55550491, 66828980, 55529397, 55218480 & 55605755.