Dehradun News Weekly: Uttarakhand Govt slaps 81 cases on Ramdev’s Patanj...

Dehradun News Weekly: Uttarakhand Govt slaps 81 cases on Ramdev’s Patanj...: Dehradun, November 20 A thorn in the eyes of the UPA-led Congress government, the Uttarakhand government has finally nailed Yoga Guru Ram...

NRI Law Group Canada: Punjab Government refuses 5-star facility to HC ju...

NRI Law Group Canada: Punjab Government refuses 5-star facility to HC ju...: Chandigarh, November 20 The Punjab Government has refused to concede to the demand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the constructi...

4 principles of Obama’s immigration reform policy

4 principles of Obama’s immigration reform policy

US President Barack Obama's comprehensive immigration reform policy, which is taking shape under the recently introduced legislation by a bipartisan group of four Democrats and Republicans each in the Senate, highlights the path to legal citizenship for over 11 million illegal immigrants in America.

Here are the four principles of Obama's common sense immigration system.

Strengthen border security

The proposal gives law-enforcement agencies the tools they need to make communities safer from crime and strengthens their ability to remove criminals and apprehend and prosecute threats to national security.

Streamlining legal immigration

The proposal provides visas to foreign entrepreneurs looking to start businesses in the US, helps the most promising foreign graduate students in science and maths stay in US after graduation, and reunites families in a timely manner.

Earned citizenship

The proposal provides undocumented immigrants with a legal way to earn citizenship so they can come out of the shadows. It holds them accountable by requiring they pass background checks, pay taxes and learn English.

Cracking down on employers hiring undocumented workers

The proposal is designed to stop businesses from exploiting the system by knowingly hiring undocumented workers. It holds these companies accountable, and helps employees verify their status.

Kerala's NRI tycoons invest millions in projects back home

A number of businessmen who made their fortunes elsewhere are investing in massive projects in the state.

Billionaires like Pillai and Yusuffali are important not because of the quantum of investment they have made but by the endorsement that they have given to the state in the international business circle.

Take a look at four prominent billionaires from the group.

Yusuffali was only 16 years old in 1973 when he embarked on a 14-day voyage to join his family members who were running a small trading establishment in the Abu Dhabi souk.

Yusuffali went on to become a regular supplier of frozen foods and other items to expatriates from Western countries. Soon he forayed into the wholesale distribution of frozen foods in poultry and meat. 

The turning point came when he opened the first retail outlet in Abu Dhabi. 

The Kuwait-Iraq war was under way when Yusuffali decided to take the risk of investing more money in the business. 

His venture not only turned out to be successful but also won him the support of the rulers as he was one of the very few who stayed back and made investments, while others were leaving.

The big expansion came in 2000, when he opened the first hypermarket in Dubai. Soon, the LuLu brand spread all over the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Today, Yusuffali is the managing director of the $4.75-billion Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group.
Politicians from his home state describe him as the 'unofficial ambassador' of Kerala in the Gulf region. 

His role in settling disputes between Kerala and Dubai over the SmartCity project — an IT special economic zone being set up in Kochi in a joint venture between the Kerala government and a subsidiary of Dubai Holdings — or his role as facilitator of investment or as the provider of jobs to nearly 24,000 Malayalees have all contributed to this title.

In Kerala, the LuLu group's first investment was a convention centre in Thrissur at a cost of Rs 145 crore. The LuLu Shopping Mall and Marriott Hotel in Kochi have been built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.

The two other projects of the LuLu group in the state are a flight catering service at a cost of Rs 65 crore and the Airport Marriott Hotel in Kochi at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

In other words the group has so far invested Rs 1,960 crore in projects in Kerala.

Apart from this, the LuLu group is one of the leading investors in the equity of a local bank and Cochin International Airport Ltd.
Pillai, head of a $3-billion business empire, comes from a farming family, but he of course had other plans. Right from his younger days he was on the lookout for opportunity and he found it in the construction sector. 

After completing a few projects in Kochi, Kerala's only industrial area, he decided to chase his dreams in West Asia. In 1978 he reached Saudi Arabia and soon started his own company with a local partner. 

The construction company he floated, Nasser S al-Hajri Corporation, initially had 150 people working for it. Today, the company employs 70,000 people and has a presence in West Asia, Australia, Africa and the United States.

The RP group has made investments in the state's tourism, health and trading sectors.

'We have so far invested Rs 1,500 crore in Kerala,' says Pillai. His group started investing aggressively in Kerala in the past few years, buying hotels and resorts in Kovalam and Kozhikode and promoting another one in Kollam. 

The group entered organised retailing in Kerala with the RP Mall in Kozhikode. Its forayed into health and education by setting up the Upasana hospital and Nursing College in Kollam.
The founder of the Mfar group, is a diploma holder in civil engineering, who started his career in the Northeastern states. But he soon migrated to Dubai and, after a short while, to Oman. 

He found a local partner and launched the Gulfar group, which forayed into the construction of key infrastructure projects like highways, hotels, bridges and the oil sector. Later the group expanded to Qatar and became a major player in the construction sector there, too.

In 1997, Ali founded Mfar Holdings to begin a real estate business. His other local businesses include construction, hospitality and manufacturing.

Mfar is one of the very few groups to set up a manufacturing unit in the state. The company has spent Rs 50 crore to set up an activated carbon unit. 'The unit exports nearly Rs 150 crore worth of activated carbon every year,' says MM Abdul Basheer, director of Mfar Hotels and Resorts Ltd.

It has also set up MIV Logistics, a container freight station in Kochi.

Vladimir Putin calls Bashar Assad to discuss Syrian peace moves

Moscow:  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday discussed the conflict in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad by phone in their first talks in more than two years, praising his readiness to send delegates to peace talks and destroy chemical arms, the Kremlin said.

An official statement gave few details of the conversation on Thursday between Assad and Putin, whose support has helped the Syrian government avoid tougher international sanctions and avert U.S. military strikes.

The Kremlin's description appeared intended to portray Assad as taking a constructive approach to ending the bloodshed and to underline Moscow's potential role as an interlocutor.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said it was their first conversation in at least two years, making it the first since Putin returned to the presidency in May 2012 after a stint as prime minister.

The Kremlin statement said Putin, who made the phone call, and Assad had discussed the long-delayed peace conference which the United States and Moscow are trying to arrange in Geneva.

"Putin underscored the efforts by Russia and its partners to prepare for the Geneva 2 international conference and gave a positive assessment to Bashar al-Assad's readiness to send a Syrian government delegation to this event," it said.

"The hope was expressed that the main opposition groups will show a constructive approach and take part in the conference."

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Putin "expressed satisfaction" with Syria's cooperation in the destruction of its chemical arms under an agreement which defused the threat of U.S. military strikes after a deadly poison gas attack Washington blames on Assad's forces.

Assad denies responsibility for the attack, which killed hundreds of people, and Moscow says there is insufficient evidence to pin the blame on the Syrian leader's army.

Putin also urged Assad's government to do all it can to alleviate the suffering of civilians and voiced concern over what he called persecution of Christians and other religious minorities by extremists in Syria, apparently blaming this on Islamist militants fighting Assad's government.

Mostly Orthodox Christian Russia is fighting Islamist insurgents at home and has expressed concern about Islamist forces among the rebels in Syria. It has warned that Western intervention in Syria could cause the violence to spread.

Russia has been Assad's most powerful backer in the conflict, sending arms and blocking Western efforts to condemn or pressure him.

Moscow says it is not trying to prop up Assad, but maintains his exit cannot be a precondition of peace talks.

Putin has said Russia has no special relationship with Syria, which buys weapons from Moscow and hosts its only naval base outside the former Soviet Union.

Russia has also accused Assad of mishandling protests in 2011 and failing to avert the slide into civil war.

Warship INS Vikramaditya inducted into Indian Navy

Super Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya

New Delhi (TNP) - Defence minister AK Antony on Saturday commissioned the $2.33-billion Russian-made aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), into the Indian Navy at Severodvinsk in Russia, almost 20 years after the country began negotiations to buy the warship.

Antony said Vikramaditya would significantly enhance the reach and capability of the Indian Navy, which currently operates only one aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, a second-hand British warship inducted in 1987.

Speaking at the Sevmash shipyard where the ceremony was held amid snowfall, he said, “The induction of Vikramaditya with its integral MiG-29K fighters and Kamov-31 helicopters adds a new dimension to our navy’s operational capabilities.”

Antony said the warship’s name — meaning strong as the sun— was complemented by its motto — strike Far, strike Sure.

Antony said the culmination of Project 11430, codename for the carrier project, symbolised the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between the two countries. “It has propelled the strategic partnership between our nations to a new level,” he said, calling the refurbishment of the warship “an engineering marvel.”

The Indian Navy has been in the business of operating carriers for decades. INS Vikrant, bought from UK, was commissioned as the navy’s first carrier in 1961. It was retired in 1997. Navy chief Admiral DK Joshi said Vikramaditya would bridge the time-gap that may come up between the retirement of INS Viraat and the induction of the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant.

HERE ARE 10 FACTS ABOUT THE NAVY'S LARGEST WARSHIP:

1. Originally built as the Admiral Gorshkov in the Soviet Union, the super aircraft carrier has been refurbished. It weighs 40,000 tonnes and will be the biggest and heaviest ship to be operated by the Indian Navy.
2. India agreed to buy it in 2004 for $974 million. The cost kept shooting up. Russia delayed the delivery by over five years.
3. A fleet of warships will escort the INS Vikramaditya on its way from Russia to the Kochi naval yard. Once it reaches India, it is meant to be equipped with Israeli Barak missiles.
4. The INS Vikramaditya is 284 metres long and 60 metres high - that's about as high as a 20-storeyed building.
5. It can carry 24 MiG-29 fighter jets and 10 helicopters at a time, and can sail nearly 1300 kilometres a day.
6. It can operate for 45 days without replenishment and will be manned by about 1600 people. Just the crew is expected to use over one lakh eggs, 200,000 litres of milk and over 16 tonnes of rice every month.
7. India joins a select group of nations and the only one in the Indian Ocean region to operate two aircraft carriers at the same time. The only aircraft carrier currently in use - INS Viraat - is reaching the end of its useful service.
8. Till now, India was policing the Indian Ocean region from the Gulf of Malacca in south-east Asia to the Gulf of Aden in the north with just the INS Viraat. The addition of the INS Vikramaditya to India's fighting fleet is widely being projected as a game changer.
9. The new carrier joins the navy at a time when the Indian Ocean region is becoming a highly-militarised zone. Admiral Sekhar Sinha, Commander in Chief, Western Naval Command said, "A second carrier will immensely increase India's reach and ability to project force. We can now have a carrier each for the eastern and western seaboards of India."
10. India is also building its first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, in Kochi, which is expected to join the navy in 2018-19.

NRI woman arrested for allegedly torturing domestic help in Delhi

New Delhi:  A US-based NRI was arrested on Thursday for allegedly torturing her domestic help, who was found locked in a room with dog bites on her body.

Arti Jain, 45, was arrested from her home in East Delhi's Mayur Vihar area, which she shared with her mother.

Her domestic help, a 24-year-old from Kolkata, told the police that Ms Jain set her dogs on her, punched and kicked her for the smallest mistakes and burnt her with a hot iron whenever she asked for her salary. She alleged that she was kept locked in; she managed to come out on Wednesday to call a neighbor for help. 

The neighbor reportedly called the police, who raided Ms Jain's house on Thursday and found the woman in a locked room.

"She would say that you're here to work and hit me everyday. She would tell me that she won't give me food for the day. The dogs would bite when I would go to feed them. My husband and I ran from there. I don't know where he is. I came here," she said.

The woman has worked for the NRI woman in Mayur Vihar for four years. 

This is the third such case after the death of a woman at BSP MP Dhananjay Singh's home from alleged torture, and the savage assault of a teenage help by a south Delhi-based executive who also lived with her mother.

The MP and his dentist wife Jagriti Singh are both in jail for the murder of their domestic help and the alleged torture of a 17-year-old who also worked for them. The MP has been charged with destruction of evidence.

Yameen sworn in as new Maldivian President

Male, November 17
Abdulla Yameen was today sworn in as the sixth President of the Maldives after a shock run-off victory over favourite Mohammed Nasheed, ending nearly two years of political turmoil that plagued the nascent democracy and raised international concerns over the country's future. Yameen, the half-brother of former ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- an autocrat who ruled the scenic island nation with an iron hand for 30 years -- was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Ahmad Faiz at a special session of Parliament. He was given a 21-gun salute. Mohammad Jameel was sworn in as vice-president.
Yameen, an economist and a candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), clinched an unexpected victory in the presidential run-off yesterday by receiving 51.39 per cent of the votes over Opposition leader and former president Mohammed Nasheed, who garnered 48.61 per cent of the votes.
In his inaugural speech, Yameen said he will protect the gateway to Maldives, a popular tourist destination. "I shall strive to make the Maldives the safest and most developed nation in the region. We will maintain good neighbourly relations with countries in the region," he said.
Two former presidents -- Nasheed and Maumoon -- also attended the swearing in ceremony.
Sworn in as the second democratically elected president of the Maldives, Yameen (54) is a four-time member of the People's Majlis (Parliament) and was the presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), which was formed after the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) was split following an acrimonious falling out between Gayoom and his anointed successor, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.
Yameen was born in Male on May 21, 1959. His father is Abdul Qayyoom Ibrahim, a former Attorney General. His elder brother Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom served as President of the Maldives between 1978 and 2008 and is considered a dictator by rights groups and opponents.
After completing his school education in the Maldives, Yameen studied in the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and got a Bachelors' degree in Business Administration. He later did his post-graduation in public policy from the Claremont Graduate University in California.
Yameen and his wife have three children. He had previously headed both the State Electric Company and the State Trading Organisation under Gayoom's administration.
Yameen - together with rival presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim - were briefly arrested during Mohamed Nasheed's presidency in June 2010 on charges of bribery and attempting to topple the government. 
Manmohan assures India’s full support
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday assured Maldives new President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of India's full support in his endeavour to provide peaceful future for the people of the Indian Ocean archipelago
In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said it looked forward to cooperating with the new leader of the Maldives and his government

ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ‘ਚ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਨਾਨਕਮੱਠ ਵਿਖੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ‘ਤੇ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ

ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ - ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ਸਥਿਤ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕਮੱਠ ਵਿਖੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਬਹੁਤ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ‘ਤੇ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਭੋਗ ਪਾਏ ਗਏ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰੀ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸਜਾਏ ਗਏ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਚ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਦੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵਰਖਾ ਹੋਈ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮਾਰੋਹਾਂ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਦੁਬਈ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਉਦਯੋਗਪਤੀ ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਓਬਰਾਏ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ।

ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ‘ਚ ਸਥਿਤ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਿਕ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ (ਵਿਸ਼ਣੂਮਤੀ) ਵਿਖੇ ਮਨਾਏ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ 544 ਵੇਂ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੇ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਾਬੂ ਰਾਮ ਭੱਟਰਾਏ ਦੀ ਧਰਮ ਪਤਨੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਮਤੀ ਹਿਸਿਲਾ ਯਾਮਹੀ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੱਖ-ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ। ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਯਾਤਰਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਸੰਬੰਧਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕੀਤਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਪਰਉਪਕਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੱਚ ਦਾ ਰਸਤਾ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਲਕੇ ‘ਚ ਸਥਿਤ ਇਸ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਸਭ ਸਹੂਲਤਾਂ ਮੁਹੱਈਆ ਕਰਵਾਈਆਂ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕਾਰਜ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਦੇਸ਼-ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀਆਂ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਨਤਮਸਤਕ ਹੋ ਸਕਣ।  ਨੇਪਾਲ ‘ਚ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਰਾਜਦੂਤ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਰਾਏ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ ਬਹੁਤ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਮਹੱਤਵ ਰੱਖਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਸੰਬੰਧ ‘ਚ ਸ. ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬਰਾਏ ਵਲੋਂ ਜੋ ਸੇਵਾ ਨਿਭਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦਾ ਇਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ਸਥਿਤ ਗੁਰਧਾਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਇੱਥੇ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਭਰ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਆਕਰਸ਼ਤ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਨਾਲ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਆਰਥਿਕਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੁੰਗਾਰਾ ਮਿਲੇਗਾ।
ਪੁਡੂਚੇਰੀ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸ. ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਹੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨੇਕ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਬਣਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ‘ਤੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਮਾਤਾ ਦਾ ਆਸ਼ੀਰਵਾਦ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਵਲੋਂ ਦਿਖਾਏ ਰਸਤੇ ‘ਤੇ ਚੱਲੇ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਸਰਬੱਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ ਮੰਗਣ ਦੀ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਜੰਮੂ-ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਕੈਬਨਿਟ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸ. ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਯਾਤਰਾ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਪੂਰਵਕ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਨੇ 500 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦਾ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਸਿੱਖ ਪੰਥ ਨਾਲ ਜੋੜ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ। ਮੋਹਾਲੀ ਦੇ ਆਈ. ਪੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਸ. ਹਰਚਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਨੇਪਾਲ ‘ਚ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈਕਰਾਉਣੀ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗਤਕੇ ਦੀ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਵੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।

ਗੁਰਦੁਅਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨਗਰ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਜਗਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਾਪਾ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਵਲੋਂ ਚਲਾਈ ਗਈ ਲੰਗਰ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ ਅੱਜ ਸੰਸਾਰ ‘ਚ ਇੰਨੀ ਫੈਲ ਚੁੱਕੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਰੋਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਸਥਾਨਾਂ ‘ਚ 8 ਕਰੋੜ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਲੂ ਭੋਜਨ ਛਕਦੇ ਹਨ। ‘ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ’ ਦੇ ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਜਗਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਰਦੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੁਦਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ ਦੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਗਤ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣੂ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬਰਾਏ ਅਤੇ ਸ. ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਯਤਨਾਂ ਸਦਕਾ 100 ਕਰੋੜ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਦਾ ਮਾਸਟਰ ਪਲਾਨ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਇਸ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਦਾ ਖੂਬਸੂਰਤ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਵਲੋਂ ਆਈਆਂ ਸ਼ਖਸੀਅਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਰੋਪਾਓ ਭੇਂਟ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਡੀ. ਜੀ. ਪੀ. ਮਹਿਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ, ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਆਹਲੂਵਾਲੀਆ, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਦੂਖ ਨਿਵਾਰਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਿਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਸ਼ਖਸ਼ੀਅਤਾਂ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਸਨ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਆਏ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਰਾਗੀ ਜੱਥਿਆ ਨੇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਰਸ-ਭਿੰਨਾ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਹਾਲ ਕੀਤਾ।

ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮਾਗਮਾਂ ‘ਚ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਜੰਮੂ-ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਪਾਵਨ ਅਸਥਾਨ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤੇ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੇ ਲੰਗਰ ਅਤੁੱਟ ਵਰਤਾਏ ਗਏ। ਸਮਾਗਮਾਂ ‘ਚ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ ਦੇਸ਼-ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਤੋਂ ਭਾਰੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ‘ਚ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਪਹੁੰਚੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਘਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਖੁਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ।

Sachin Tendulkar to be awarded Bharat Ratna

MUMBAI, Nov 16, 2013 (TNP): The Government of India on Saturday decided to award the Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar, who incidentally retired the same day in the morning after playing his 200th Test in Mumbai. 

Crowned with India's top civilian honour, Sachin Tendulkar goes down in history as the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient of the award till date, surpassing late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's record.

He will also become the ninth person from Maharashtra to join the exclusive club of 43 Bharat Ratna awardees till date, which includes a galaxy of presidents, prime ministers, Nobel laureates, scientists and artistes.

While Rajiv Gandhi held the record for being the youngest Bharat Ratna awardee, posthumously at the age of 47, Sachin, now 40, has pulled down the record even further.

People from Maharashtra - either those born here, or who lived and worked here to contribute to the nation have bagged the lion's share of the Bharat Ratnas announced till date.

Some of them include: the Father of Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, Vinoba Bhave,Morarji Desai, Pandurang Vaman Kane, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Lata Mangeshkar, J R D Tata and Bhimsen Joshi.

The latest entrant on the list is Sachin Tendulkar - a true blooded Mumbaikar like Lata Mangeshkar, another awardee who was named in 2001.

In fact, the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, though hailing from Karnataka, but spent a better part of his life and shaped his career in Maharashtra, was the last recipient of Bharat Ratna in 2008.

The first Bharat Ratna, coming after nearly six years, has gone to a Mumbaikar and the city now boasts of two living Bharat Ratna legends — Lata and Sachin.

The Community Kitchen at the Golden Temple Feeds up to 100,000 People a Day for Free

Amritsar - Free kitchen in Punjab, India run at the Sikhs’ holiest shrine produces 200,000 flat breads      
( Fulke) and 1.5 tonnes of lentil soup daily (Daal) .

Two hundred thousand rotis (Indian flat bread), 1.5 tonnes of dal (lentil soup) and free food served to 100,000 people everyday are what makes the free kitchen run at the Sri Darbar Sahib  in the western Indian city of Amritsar stand apart.

By all measures, the kitchen (called langar in Punjabi ) is one of the largest free kitchens to be run anywhere in the world.

The concept of langars was initiated centuries ago by Sri  Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of Sikh religion.

 Sunday, November 17, is his 545th birth anniversary.

 At the Langar, no one goes hungry – and everybody gets a hot meal regardless of caste, creed and religion.

All Sikh Gurudwaras (places of worship) have langars, but the one at Golden Temple – Sikhs’ holiest shrine – has little parallel.

The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), located in the city of Amritsar, India is a Sikh gurdwara (place of worship). It is the most well-known gurdwara and is considered a sacred place by Sikhs. It was first constructed in 1604 and was later rebuilt in 1764.

Located inside many gurdwaras are common kitchens/canteens known as a langar. At the langar, food is served to all visitors regardless of faith or background. Vegetarian food is often served to ensure that all people, even those with dietary restrictions, can eat together as equals.

The largest langar is found at the Golden Temple. It typically feeds roughly 40,000 people a day for free. On religious holidays and weekends, the langar can feed upwards of 100,000 people a day. This incredible feat is made possible through donations and volunteers. Below you will learn about the entire process at the Golden Temple from preparation to cleaning.

“Anyone can eat for free here and on an average we serve food to 100,000 people. On weekends and special occasions double the numbers of people visit the langar. The langar never stops and on an average 7,000 kg of wheat flour, 1,200 kg of rice, 1,300 kg of lentils, 500 kg of ghee (clarified butter) is used in preparing the meal every day,” says Harpreet Singh, manager of this huge kitchen.

“The free kitchen uses firewood, LPG gas and electronic bread makers for the cooking and we use around 100 LPG cylinders and 5,000 kilograms of firewood every day,” he adds.

 The kitchen is run by 450 staff, helped by hundreds of other volunteers.

Sanjay Arora, 46, from New Delhi, comes to volunteer at the langar two days a month. “This is seva (service) for me. I feel happy after doing this service. This is not just free food because here you forget all the differences that separate humans from each other,” he says.

Volunteers also wash the 300,000 plates, spoons and bowls used in feeding the people. The food is vegetarian and the expenses are managed through donations from all over the world.

The yearly budget of the langar runs into hundreds of millions.

David Cameron prepares chapatti for a communal vegetarian meal at a langar during his visit to the Golden Temple.

Punjab News Weekly: Punjab to promote Medical tourism in big way: Sukh...

Punjab News Weekly: Punjab to promote Medical tourism in big way: Sukh...: Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal at the CII gathering at New Chandigarh Chandigarh, November 14, 2013 (PNW) Punjab Government woul...

Boeing airliner crashes in Russian city of Kazan, all 50 on board killed

MOSCOW (TNP) - A Russian passenger airliner crashed Sunday night while trying to land at the airport in the city of Kazan, killing all 50 people aboard, officials said.

The Boeing 737 belonging to Tatarstan Airlines crashed about 7:20 p.m. local time,, an hour after taking off from Moscow. There were no immediate indications of the cause.

Reports said the plane appeared to lose altitude as it was making a second landing attempt, crashing and catching fire. State television showed a nighttime photograph of firefighters at the side of the aircraft after the flames had been extinguished.

The son of the president of the oil-rich province of Tatarstan and the regional head of the FSB intelligence service were named among those killed when the plane exploded in a ball of fire on hitting the runway.

Kazan, the capital of the Tatarstan republic, is about 720 kilometres east of Moscow. Weather in Kazan was reported to be light precipitation and winds of about 8 metres per second.

A spokeswoman for the Emergencies Ministry, Irina Rossius, said there were 44 passengers and six crew members aboard and all had been killed.

A journalist who said she had flown on the same aircraft from Kazan to Moscow's Domodedovo airport earlier in the day told Channel One state television that the landing in Moscow had been frightening because of a strong vibration during the final minutes of the flight.

Pictures showed charred wreckage scattered over a wide area, apparently taken after firefighters had extinguished the fire. Russian television broadcast a blurred video showing a bright flash of light. It also published a photo of the plane's gaping fuselage with firefighters in the foreground.

The Tatarstan airlines flight from Moscow had been trying to abort its landing in order to make a second approach when it crashed, killing all 44 passengers and six crew on board, emergency officials said.

Flight U363 took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 6:25 pm (1425 GMT) and crashed just over an hour later, emergency officials said. The leased plane was 23 years old.

According to local reports, the Boeing lost altitude quickly and its fuel tank exploded on impact.

There were high winds and above-zero temperatures over the airport in central Russia. Flights to and from the airport were halted until midday on Monday.

Kazan, which is about 500 miles east of Moscow, is the capital of the largely-Muslim, oil-rich region of Tatarstan. A new runway was built at the airport ahead of the World Student Games, held in the city earlier this year.

Russia will host the Winter Olympics in the southern city of Sochi early next year.

The son of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Irek, was among those killed in the crash, as was the head of the regional Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Antonov, according to a passenger list whose authenticity was confirmed by the regional government.

Russia and the former Soviet republics combined have one of the world's worst air-traffic safety records, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average in 2011, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the disaster "a frightening tragedy", offering his condolences to the relatives of the victims in a Tweet on Sunday.

State television showed images of a woman scanning a list of passenger names posted outside the airport and crumbling into tears as she apparently recognized one.

Boeing officials had no immediate comment on the circumstances of the crash, but issued a statement.

"Boeing's thoughts are with those affected by the crash of the Tartarstan aircompany flight. Boeing is prepared to provide technical assistance to the investigating authority as it investigates the accident."

SPRAWLING COUNTRY

Russia spans nine time zones, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific across large areas of largely uninhabited land, making efficient air and train links especially important to the country's economy.

In Soviet times, flag carrier Aeroflot had a virtual monopoly of the airline industry, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a multitude of small private companies emerged.

A spokesman for state aviation oversight agency Rosaviatsia said authorities would search for the flight recorders.

"The plane touched the ground and burst into flame," Sergei Izvolsky said. "The cause of the crash as of now is unknown."

The plane had been forced to make an emergency landing a year earlier on November 26 due to problems with "cabin depressurization" shortly after take off, a law enforcement source told Interfax news agency. No one was hurt.

IATA said last year that global airline safety had improved but that accident rates had risen in Russia and the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.

The last fatal airliner crash was in December, when a Russian-made Tupolev belonging to Red Wings airline careered off the runway at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, rolled across a snowy field and slammed into the slope of a nearby highway, breaking into pieces and catching fire. Investigators say equipment failure caused the crash, which killed five people.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed after take-off in Siberia.

In September 2011, a Yak-42 passenger jet carrying members of a major league ice hockey team came down shortly after takeoff and burst into flames near the Russian city of Yaroslavl, killing 44 people.

The Boeing 737 is the world's most popular passenger jet in commercial use today. There have been 170 crashes involving this model of aircraft since it came into use.

In the Russian city of Perm in 2008, a Boeing 737 exploded a kilometer above the ground, killing 88 people.

Abu Dhabi Etihad places mega $25.2 billion Boeing order

DUBAI (TNP) - Etihad Airways on Sunday placed an order worth $25.2 billion at list prices for Boeing Co. planes, becoming the second customer to snap up its revamped 777 jetliner. Etihad at the Dubai air show said it had made a firm order for 56 Boeing aircraft and had the option to buy an additional 26 planes for its cargo fleet, it said in a statement.

Taking advantage of deep pockets and a geographically strategic position between East and West, Gulf airlines are expanding rapidly and diverting long-haul traffic from airlines in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia.

Etihad has options and purchase rights for 26 additional airplanes from the U.S. plane maker, it said, including rights for 12 additional 777X airplanes and 12 additional 787-10s.

Etihad became the first airline to order the 777-8X and will be a launch customer of the airplane, which is expected to enter service around the end of the decade, it said.

"We rarely make announcements at the airshow but when we do, the world takes notice," said Etihad's Chief Executive James Hogan, speaking at a news conference.

When Sunday's order is combined with the carrier's previous order for 41 787-9s, Etihad Airways becomes the world's largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order.

The 787-10 is the newest and largest member of the 787 Dreamliner family.

Etihad's order pre-empted a widely expected blockbuster deal for 100 or more 777X jets from rival Emirates Airline (:EMIRA.UL), which says it will order more planes at the show.

Boeing (:BA.N) looks set to dominate the Airshow with more than $100 billion of deals as it aims to launch its latest long-haul jet with up to 250 potential orders from as many as five airlines, industry sources have said.

Credits:Reuters

Edmonton Today News Network: RCMP reminding motorists to drive to conditions, a...

Edmonton Today News Network - Edmonton News Blog of Oilers' Oil Country: RCMP reminding motorists to drive to conditions, a...: Conditions on the QEII Saturday, November 16, 2013. EDMONTON – With parts of Alberta expecting the first snowfall of the season overni...

Conditions on the QEII Saturday, November 16, 2013.

NRI Bollywood: Movie review: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela

NRI Bollywood: Movie review: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela: Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali Cast:  Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Gulshan Devaiah, Richa Chadda and Supriya Pathak The...

Sachin Tendulkar fever grips American media

Where the Gods Live On ... and On- NY Times

Mumbai - Cricket may not be too big a sport in this part of the world but leading US publications have nonetheless paid tribute to retiring Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar, applauding the veteran batsman for his "supreme" talent and a career lived with soft-spoken integrity and humility.

"This week, for more than a billion people, the world as they know it effectively comes to an end. The second Test match between India and the West Indies ...will be the last international appearance of one Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar," a Wall Street Journal article titled 'Farewell to Cricket's Little Master' said.

An op-ed in the 'New York Times' likened Tendulkar's retirement from cricket to the death of Mahatma Gandhi.

"As the moment of his (Tendulkar's) departure looms, the country is in the fevered throes of one last, mammoth celebration, but also on the un-self-conscious brink of mourning," the NYT op-ed piece titled 'Where the Gods Live On and On' said.

The 'Time' magazine put out a special online feature highlighting Tendulkar's 10 greatest moments, including his 664-run unbroken partnership with fellow cricketer Vinod Kambli in 1988, becoming the captain of the Indian team in 1996 at age 23, surpassing Caribbean great Brian Lara to become the highest run scorer in Test history in 2008 and the 2011 World Cup win.

Tendulkar has cemented his place in history as one of the greatest sportsmen and holds almost every batting record in the game. His last Test match against West Indies will be his 200th,. He scored over 15,000 Test runs, 18,000-plus one-day international runs, 51 Test centuries and 100 international centuries.

"Those figures will almost certainly never be surpassed, simply because of the sheer unlikelihood of a player breaking into an international side aged 16, staying in it until the age of 40, and spending almost all of the intervening period at the very top of his game," the WSJ article said.

NRI Bollywood: MP High Court orders removal of word ‘Ram Leela’ f...

NRI Bollywood: MP High Court orders removal of word ‘Ram Leela’ f...: Jabalpur (NB) -  In more trouble for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest film which is slated for release on Friday, the Madhya Pradesh Hig...

NRI Law Group Canada: Mistaken Identity Case: Punjab police deletes name...

NRI Law Group Canada: Mistaken Identity Case: Punjab police deletes name...: Chandigarh, 14th November, 2013 (NLGC): The Punjab Police today informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that they had deleted the n...

Sachin Tendulkar plays his 200th and last Test for India against West Indies from Thursday

Sachin Tendulkar set for final cricket test of career

NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai from Thursday, exactly 24 years after he began his record-breaking career. 

Sachin Tendulkar Timeline 

Former teammates, one-time opponents and even his mother will join fans at the Wankhede stadium to acclaim the world's leading Test and one-day batsman, and the only one to score 100 international centuries. 

Speaking at a function on Monday to celebrate his career, Tendulkar gave some insight into the famous work ethicthat has enabled him to play on to the age of 40, long beyond his contemporaries. 

"I think every step was different, every tournament required different type of preparations," he said in Mumbai. "Without preparations, things wouldn't have been the same." 

Since making his debut as a 16-year-old in Karachi in 1989, Tendulkar has become almost a deity for the billion-plus population of India, helping the country win the 2011 World Cup and reach the top of the world rankings. 

After racking up a staggering 15,847 runs in his 199 Tests, even his rivals acknowledge that Tendulkar is second only to Sir Donald Bradman in the pantheon of batting greats. 

In his final interview before he died in 2001, the Australian said that Tendulkar was the one modern player who came closest to his own legendary batting style. 

"It was just his compactness, his stroke production, his technique, it all seemed to gel as far as I was concerned," Bradman said in the 1996 interview. 

Brian Lara, one of Tendulkar's few rivals at the highest summit of the modern game, has flown into India to watch the Indian's final farewell against the West Indies. 

"When I speak about cricket, I will speak about Tendulkar," the former West Indian batsman said. 

"Just like you mention Mohammad Ali when you mention boxing and Michael Jordan when it comes to basketball." 

Some television channels have been showing wall-to-wall highlights of Tendulkar's greatest moments since the weekend, and the build-up to his last match has dominated the front as well as the back pages. 

Billboards and murals of Tendulkar have been sprouting across India as the country prepares to bid goodbye to a man whose off-pitch humility as well as his on-field achievements are a source of national pride. 

Such has been the clamour for tickets that the main online vendor collapsed within minutes of sales opening on Monday. Organisers say they could have sold out many times over. 

"Basically Sachin means everything to me because cricket has been my life," said Yatin Joshi, a self-styled "Sachin Superfan" who lives in Tendulkar's hometown. 

"And as we say cricket has been my religion and Sachin is my God. So everything revolves around Sachin, so any, all happiness, sadness, you know, go along with how he does on the field and off the field," he told. 

Even Britain's Prince Charles, currently visiting India, has been caught up in the hype. 

"He is a master. I wish him a very happy retirement," Charles responded when asked by reporters about Tendulkar's final Test. 

Tendulkar's aged mother, Rajni, will be watching her son for the first time after organisers built a special ramp to accommodate her wheelchair at the Wankhede. 

The superstitious Rajni has previously worried that her presence at a match would bring Sachin bad luck. 

For all his record-breaking feats, it has not gone unnoticed that Tendulkar has struggled for form in recent years. 

The last of his 51 Test centuries came way back in January 2011 against South Africa. 

"If I was in his shoes, I would have gone a year earlier," former skipper Sourav Ganguly said at the weekend. 

Ganguly said the man dubbed the "Little Master" had managed to keep his place in the team despite such a barren run of form "only because he is Sachin Tendulkar". 

But Ganguly, who captained Tendulkar for a large chunk of his career, said that his former teammate's greatness was not in doubt. 

"But for me, it does not matter whether he gets a hundred or not in his final Test. He will still be one of the best. He will always be a champion."

Shane Warne, Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid all praise Sachin Tendulkar ahead of retirement

WITH Sachin Tendulkar set to hang up his bat, the best cricketers of his era have been unstinting in their praise.

From feared opponents such as Shane Warne and Brian Lara to respected teammates Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, everyone has picked different features of Tendulkar's greatness and found unanimity on one point - there will not be another one like him.

West Indies great Lara, with whom he has often been compared, said Tendulkar was to cricket what Muhammad Ali was to boxing.

"There are boxers with better records than Muhammad Ali, but if you mention the word boxing, you have to mention Muhammad Ali," Lara said at a Tendulkar farewell function. "When you talk of basketball, you have to mention Michael Jordan. When you speak about cricket, I'd speak of Tendulkar."

Warne, who dismissed Tendulkar three times in 12 Tests, said his greatness went beyond his numerous batting records.

"Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of my generation and it will be a privilege to be in Mumbai this week to commentate on the first two days of his final test," Warne wrote in his column for London's Daily Telegraph. "The pressure he was under from the Indian public was immense but he handled himself on and off the field in a way that was respected by all."

Tendulkar plays his 200th and last Test for India against West Indies from Thursday.

"There will not be another Sachin Tendulkar," Warne added. "I always teach young players that cricket is not about averages even if it is a stats-based game. It is about how and when you score runs or take wickets. The great players deliver when the team is up against it and statistics do not tell you the truth about such things."

Dravid, who was in a record 20 century partnerships with Tendulkar in Tests, considers him the most dependable batsman.

"To bat for my life, I would probably choose Sachin; and if I had a ticket and if I had enough money to watch one, I would choose Lara," Dravid said in his ode to Tendulkar.

Ganguly, one of India's most successful captains, said Tendulkar was a champion batsman but felt he should have retired earlier.

"The last two-three years have not been good for him," Ganguly said. "It's only because he's Tendulkar that he's been given that run. No one else in world cricket would have been given that run."

'Little Master' lauded as finest batsman of his generation

Ganguly said it was apt that his farewell game was being played on his home ground, where India also won the 2011 World Cup.

"It's a fact that at some stage you have to go. Playing in South Africa (which India tours next) he would not have got such adulation. It is the right send-off for a champion. But if I was in his place, I'd have gone a year earlier," Ganguly said.

But former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist felt Tendulkar was still a vital team member even during his lean period.

"I'm sure if you ask Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma what's been the most valuable part of them being around Sachin Tendulkar, him scoring a hundred or him just being there, I think just to be around Sachin they would all be very excited," Gilchrist said at a promotional event on Tuesday.