PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. articles from September 2004

PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. archives from September 2004

US Dept condemns reported killings of Nepalese hostages.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sept 1 (PTI) The United States has strongly condemned the reported execution of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq. "We condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest possible terms. We offer our condolences and sympathies to the...

US condemns Palestinian attacks in Israel.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sep 1 (PTI) The United States has condemned the latest Palestinian suicide bombing attacks in southern Israel which killed at least 15 and wounded more than 50. "We condemn the horrible terrorist attacks in Israel in the...

US scientists discover new class of planets.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sept 1 (PTI) US scientists have announced the discovery of two new planets outside the Earth's solar system, the smallest planets ever detected so far from Earth. The planets are 15 to 20 times the mass of earth and about the...

US to continue anti-Dumping duties Despite WTO ruling.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sep 1 (PTI) The United States has said it will continue to impose duties on countries that dump their goods on its market despite a World Trade Organisation decision authorising eight trading partners, including India, to impose...

Russia, US face common scourge of terrorism: White House.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sep 1 (PTI) Strongly condemning the terrorist attacks in Russia, including the suicide bombing that killed at least 10 persons outside a busy Moscow subway, the United States has said that such attacks would only bring the two...

Bush to visit India if re-elected: Indian American.
September 1, 2004... New York, Sept 1 (PTI) An Indian American delegate to the Republican Convention here has said that India will be among the first countries US President George W Bush plans to visit if re-elected in the November two elections. Akshay...

Mt. Everest reports gradual decline due to global warming.
September 1, 2004... Beijing, Sept 1 (PTI) The world's highest peak, Mt Everest is gradually losing its height -- nearly 0.1 metre annually -- due to global warming and shrinking of glaciers in the Himalayan region, a Chinese survey has revealed. The...

Aluva, Sept 1 (PTI) Emigration authorities at the.
September 1, 2004... Cochin International Airport have arrested a woman for attempting to leave for Dhamam in Saudi Arabia with a fake emigration certificate. Aiysha,39, hailing from Thuruthu in Kochi was about to board an Air-India flight on Tuesday when...

Indian PM visits Golden Temple.
September 1, 2004... Amritsar, Sep 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday visited the Golden Temple in northern Indian state of Punjab here to pay obeisance on the occasion of 400th anniversary of Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib. Singh,...

Sudarshan Kriya: one-stop cure for many problems.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) Rhythmic breathing technique -- 'Sudarshan Kriya' -- could help keep at bay a range of "stress induced ailments" such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and obsessive compulsive disorder, a study has...

Bush expresses commitment to forge strong relations with India.
September 1, 2004... Washington, Sept 1 (PTI) Resolving to build an "enhanced comprehensive" relationship with India, US President George W Bush has said ties with New Delhi, "an outstanding partner in its war on terror," will figure high among his priorities if he...

Global arms sales down; India 4th biggest buyer in Asia.
September 1, 2004... T V Parasuram Washington, Sep 1 (PTI) Global arms sales fell for the third consecutive year by approximately 12 per cent in 2003 to USD 25.6 billion compared with USD 29.14 billion in 2002 as Asian countries including China, India and...

Prime Minister, wife visit Golden Temple.
September 1, 2004... Amritsar, Sept 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in northern Indian state of Punjab on Wednesday on the occasion of 400th anniversary of Sikh holy book Guru Granth...

Annan condemns "gruesome murder" of Nepalese hostages.
September 1, 2004... United Nations, Sept 1 (PTI) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has condemned the "gruesome murder" of a dozen Nepalese civilian hostages in Iraq, saying he was "appalled and dismayed" by the killings. He was especially concerned, he added,...

Vaiko case verdict on Friday.
September 1, 2004... Chennai, Sep 1 (PTI) The Prevention of Terrorism Act court, hearing the cases against MDMK general secretary Vaiko and eight others, will give its verdict on September three. As the court commenced on Wednesday, designated POTA Judge L...

Genome analysis forecasts grim picture of AIDS in India.
September 1, 2004... Hyderabad, Sep 1 (PTI) India's battle against AIDS is expected to become difficult with the finding by a leading geneticist that the genetic make-up of Indians is such that they are easily prone to infection by the Human Immuno deficiency Virus...

J-K govt gives Mughal garden Bagh-e-Dara Shikoh to J-K Bank.
September 1, 2004... Srinagar, Sept 1 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to hand over the famous Mughal garden, Bagh-e-Dara Shikoh, located at Bijbehara, to Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the restoration of its pristine glory. The state cabinet, which...

Agitators in Nepal set mosque afire to protest hostage killing.
September 1, 2004... Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Sept 1 (PTI) Thousands of irate agitators set Nepal's biggest mosque ablaze, destroyed offices of job recruitment agencies and clashed with policemen to protest the gruesome killing of 12 Nepalese labourers in...

India committed to UN peacekeeping operations: Patil.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment towards UN peacekeeping operations worldwide and said the government was considering 30 per cent reservation for women in forces sent on such missions. "India is one of...

BJP's seven-day satyagraha begins.
September 1, 2004... Bangalore, Sep 1 (PTI) Leader of opposition L K Advani on Wednesday kicked off the Bharatiya Janata Party's seven-day "satyagraha" (protest) here, to press for withdrawal of cases against former chief minister of central Indian state of Madhya...

Advani courts arrest on Uma Bharti issue.
September 1, 2004... Bangalore, Sep 1 (PTI) Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani courted arrest in this southern Indian city on Wednesday afternoon, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's...

Bush nominated; three cheers from first lady, Schwarzenegger.
September 1, 2004... Dharam Shourie New York, Sep 1 (PTI) Amid hundreds of cheering partymen, the Republican Party on Wednesday nominated US President George W Bush as its presidential candidate at the party's national convention here, with Hollywood hero...

BSF DG apprehensive of fresh influx from Bangladesh.
September 1, 2004... Krishnanagar (West Bengal), Sep 1 (PTI) Border Security Force Director General Ajai Raj Sharma on Wednesday said the present situation in Bangladesh, arising out of the recent grenade blast in Dhaka, might result in spurt of infiltration into...

Dubai, Sept 1 (PTI) 'Oman Tribune', Oman's third.
September 1, 2004... English daily was launched in Muscat today with Ajit Kumar Jha, a senior journalist from India taking charge as Editor. The daily, published by Mohammed Suleiman al Taei, has an editorial team largely drawn from around the world and will be...

Due diligence process for DMIL unit complete: GMI.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) The Indian arm of world's biggest car maker General Motors on Wednesday said the due diligence process to acquire the car assembly unit of failed auto maker Daewoo Motors India has been completed and it would make a...

Bangla opposition start month-long anti-government campaign.
September 1, 2004... Dhaka, Sept 1 (PTI) Bangladesh's opposition, marshalling forces to form a broad-based united platform, Wednesday launched a month-long anti-government agitation after a deadly grenade attack on an opposition rally killed 20 people and injured...

Bomb blast near Dhaka, 6 injured.
September 1, 2004... Dhaka, Sept 1 (PTI) At least six people were injured, one of them seriously, in a bomb explosion at a market place near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka Wednesday, police said. Six people were injured when a "small time bomb" exploded at...

Pak human rights expert new Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR.
September 1, 2004... United Nations, Sept 1 (PTI) A Pakistani human rights expert has been appointed as the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Commission. Mehr Khan Williams, who has worked for the UN since 1976, has been appointed as the...

India to construct 5 IT parks in Iran.
September 1, 2004... Dubai, Sept 1 (PTI) Iran Wednesday said India will set up five Information Technology (IT) parks in the country to train 5,000 personnel. An agreement to this effect has been signed by the two nations, Iranian ambassador to New Delhi,...

CNI's "Partnership Summit" cancelled.
September 1, 2004... Pankaj Doval Kathmandu, Sep 1 (PTI) The two-day "Partnership Summit' called by the Confederation of Nepal Industries (CNI) has been called off in view of the volatile situation here following the barbaric killing of 12 Nepali citizens by...

Hollywood is here, and growing.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) Riding high on the success of sci- fi sequel Spiderman 2, Hollywood has not only made its presence felt but has also carved out its own space and is growing by thirty per cent over every year in India, the world's...

Curfew imposed in Kathmandu; Protestors set mosque on fire.
September 1, 2004... Shirish B Pradhan and Pankaj Doval Kathmandu, Sept 1 (PTI) An indefinite curfew was imposed Wednesday in the Nepalese capital after thousands of people, protesting the gruesome killing of 12 Nepali hostages in Iraq, set the country's...

Rich nations wavered from their pledge to provide aid.
September 1, 2004... United Nations, Sep 1 (PTI) Encouraging track record in reproductive health and women's rights issues notwithstanding, the efforts of developing countries in those areas have been hampered by indifferent response from the rich nations in giving...

Pak forces capture two key Al Qaeda militants.
September 1, 2004... Islamabad Sept 1 (PTI) Pakistani security agencies have arrested two prominent al-Qaeda militants hiding in a madrassa in South West city of Quetta in Baluchistan province. Former Pakistan Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed,...

China says it helped Iran in nuclear energy programme.
September 1, 2004... Anil K Joseph Beijing, Sept 1 (PTI) In the backdrop of US pressure on Iran to come clean on its nuclear programme, China Wednesday said it had cooperated with Tehran in the nuclear energy field, while asserting that a nation cannot be...

Govt to bring out special package for textile, tea and coffee.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Having announced the National Foreign Trade Policy the other day, the Indian Government Wednesday said it would bring out a trade leveraging policy apart from a special package for textiles, tea and coffee sectors. ...

More WTO rulings needed to discipline developed nations: Nath.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Welcoming WTO's ruling on the US anti-dumping law, India Wednesday said more such rulings were required to "discipline" developed countries and prevent free and fair trade from getting vitiated. "US must live down to...

Sasikiran to spearhead Indian challenge in Pune international chess.
September 1, 2004... From Our Chess Correspondent Pune, Sep 1 (PTI) Fresh from his triumph in the Netherlands, Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran will spearhead the Indian challenge in the Category-16 Super-Grandmaster tournament in the Mayor's trophy Pune...

ICC not to allow on-screen clustering.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) The International Cricket Council is all for "clean cricket viewing" and would not allow its broadcasters to clutter the screen with advertisements as it happened during the recent Asia Cup tournament in Sri Lanka. ...

Protestors set mosque on fire in Kathmandu.
September 1, 2004... Shirish B Pradhan and Pankaj Doval Kathmandu, Sep 1 (PTI) Nepal's government has decided to observe Thursday a day of mourning for its 12 citizens killed in Iraq by a terror outfit as the capital came under an indefinite curfew following...

Indian Prime Minister announces special measures for Punjab.
September 1, 2004... Amritsar, Sept 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday announced a number of measures for the north Indian state of Punjab, including setting up of a special economic zone to accelerate industrial development of the state, at a mammoth...

Chechen attackers take 400 people, mostly children, hostage.
September 1, 2004... Vinay Shukla Moscow, Sep 1 (PTI) Heavily armed Chechen suicide bombers Wednesday stormed a school in southern Russia and took more than 400 people, including 200 children, hostage, demanding the withdrawal of federal forces from the...

Pakistan condemns killing of 12 Nepalese in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... Islamabad, Sept 1 (PTI) Pakistan Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq. "The government and people of Pakistan strongly condemn the horrendous killings of Nepalese workers in Iraq", Foreign Office...

India offers help to Nepal to bring bodies of Nepalese.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India Wednesday expressed anguish over the killing of 12 Nepalese nationals in Iraq Tuesday and offered help to bring their bodies back to their country. External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh told reporters here...

Pilgrims visit issue to be taken up with Pakistan: PM.
September 1, 2004... Amritsar, Sept 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said the issue of providing access to Indian pilgrims to visit Sikh shrines and other holy places in Pakistan would be taken up with the neighbouring country during forthcoming...

PM pays obeisance at Golden Temple, fulfils Sikh demands.
September 1, 2004... Amritsar, Sept 1 (PTI) India's first Sikh Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday paid obeisance at Sikhdom's highest religious and spiritual centre, the Golden Temple here on the 400th anniversary of their Holy Scripture Guru Granth Sahib, and...

Blast rocks Islamabad, Rawalpindi.
September 1, 2004... Islamabad, Sep 1 (PTI) A loud explosion shook a large area of Pakistani capital and nearby Rawalpindi Wednesday causing panic among the residents, hours before the swearing in of the new cabinet headed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here. ...

Israel bombs Palestinian areas, targets Hamas.
September 1, 2004... Harinder Mishra Jerusalem, Sept 1 (PTI) Israel Wednesday mounted a military offensive against the Palestinian Hamas militant group destroying the house of a man involved in Tuesday's suicide attacks that left 16 dead. "The demolition...

Fresh violence shakes Nepal industry.
September 1, 2004... Pankaj Doval Kathmandu, Sep 1 (PTI) The fresh bout of violence in Nepal following the brutal killing of 12 of its citizens in Iraq has dealt a severe blow to the industry in the Himalayan Kingdom, which is already grappling with Maoist...

Norway envoy to revive Sri Lanka peace bid.
September 1, 2004... Colombo, Sept 1 (PTI) Peacebroker Norway is to send special envoy Erik Solheim to Sri Lanka in a fresh bid to try and salvage the island's faltering peace process, diplomats said Wednesday. They said Solheim will begin his visit on...

India bundled out for 170.
September 1, 2004... Nottingham, Sep 1 (PTI) Steve Harmisson produced a hattrick as India's batting woes continued, crashing to 170 all out in the first of three NatWest Challenge one-day cricket internationals against England at the Trent Bridge here Wednesday....

India willing to discuss easing travel restrictions: Patil.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) India Wednesday made it clear to Pakistan that it was willing to look into the issues of easing travel restrictions, stopping of "extra judicial killings" and release of prisoners on a reciprocal basis but remained...

China hopes UN panel can provide suggestions for reform.
September 1, 2004... Beijing, Sept 1 (PTI) China has said that the high-level panel on United Nations reform should provide strategic suggestions to allow the world body to "progress with the times" and prepare for a bigger role on the world stage. China hopes...

Nottingham, Sep 1 (PTI) Scoreboard of the first of three.
September 1, 2004... NatWest Challenge one-day cricket internationals between India and England here Wednesday: India: V Sehwag c Vaughan b Gough 4 S Ganguly c Jones b Wharf 24 V V S Laxman c Jones b Wharf 29 R Dravid c Gough b Wharf ...

4 Dawood men held for planning to kill film personality.
September 1, 2004... Mumbai, Sep 1 (PTI) City police Wednesday arrested four persons, including a close relative of Pakistan-based gangster Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees, who allegedly planned to kill a film personality. Waqaruddin Khan alias Vicky (38),...

President expresses happiness over release of hostages in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) President A P J Abdul Kalam Wednesday expressed his happiness on the release of three Indian hostages in Iraq. In his brief message, the President said that the entire nation was relieved by their release. The...

Govt to come out soon with ordinance replacing POTA: Patil.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) The Indian government will soon come out with an ordinance to repeal the controversial anti-terrorism law POTA, which lapses next month, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said here Wednesday. The ordinance can be issued...

All three Indian hostages released by Iraqi captors.
September 1, 2004... K S R Menon Dubai, Sept 1 (PTI) After six weeks of living on the precipice of death, the three Indians held hostage along with four others in Iraq by a militant group were freed Wednesday by their captors and were on their way to Kuwait....

Narcotic trade, financing of terror nexus concerns India, US.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India and the United States Wednesday said the growing nexus between narcotic trade and financing of terrorism was having a "destablising impact" on the region and called for strengthening the international community's...

Chronology of events in the hostage crisis.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Following is the chronology of events in the 42-day hostage crisis: July 21: Three Indian drivers taken hostage along with 3 Kenyans and one Egyptian by "Holders of Black banner" an unknown Iraqi militant group. ...

A dream comes true for Antaryami's family.
September 1, 2004... Una (HP), Sept 1 (PTI) It was a dream coming true for Ram Murti when he at last spoke over phone to his son Antaryami after he was freed along with two other Indians by their abductors in Iraq Wednesday. "My son had last spoken to me on...

Tilak Raj's mother was in field when news of his release came.
September 1, 2004... Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Sep 1 (PTI) It was almost another day of agonising wait and toil for Kishni Devi, mother of Tilak Raj, one of the Indian hostages freed in Iraq Wednesday. Kishni Devi, along with her daughter Taro, was busy working in...

Manmohan Singh to meet Tony Blair on Sept 20.
September 1, 2004... H S Rao London, Sept 1 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his British counterpart Tony Blair here on September 20 and discuss a gamut of bilateral and international issues, official sources said Wednesday. Referring...

Indo-Pak one-dayer on November 13.
September 1, 2004... Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) The BCCI platinum jubilee one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan has been advanced by a day and it would now be held on November 13 at the Eden Gardens here. Announcing this here, Cricket Board president...

FM stresses on broadening capital market.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram Wednesday outlined the need for bringing in more retail investors to broaden and deepen the capital market in order to sustain high economic growth in the country. "We paid a...

Terrorism tops India-Russia-China meet.
September 1, 2004... Moscow, Sept 1 (PTI) The joint combat against international terrorism is on the top of the agenda of the two-day India-Russia-China meet which opened Wednesday in Moscow in the back drop of spate of terror attacks in Russia. Chairman of...

Bollywood actor blames envy for permit row.
September 1, 2004... London, Sept 1 (PTI) Indian actor Dalip Tahil, whose application for a work permit has been opposed by actors' union Equity here, has blamed poor legal advice and opposition from British Asian actors for the row. Tahil, who found fame in...

Export cesses to be phased out.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India Wednesday said around 29 cesses having a bearing on exports mostly those levied on farm products will be phased out in the coming months to promote country's trade and definition of "manufacturing" for tax...

Explosion heard in Islamabad, authorities clueless.
September 1, 2004... Islamabad Sept 1 (PTI) A mysterious explosion Wednesday rocked the twin Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which officials said they have no clue about. A huge sound resembling a bomb explosion was heard in Islamabad around 0815...

Chinese-American scientists discover huge glacier in Himalayas.
September 1, 2004... Beijing, Sept 1 (PTI) Chinese and American scientists have discovered a huge glacier spread over a 20 sq km in the Himalayas, the head of the research team said Wednesday in Lhasa, Tibet's capital. The glacier, 200 meters thick and covering...

Deuba appeals for restraint as violence grips Kathmandu.
September 1, 2004... Kathmandu, Sept 1 (PTI) Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Wednesday appealed to people to observe "tolerance and patience" as protests broke out in the country's capital following the killing of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq." "I...

China to step up construction of nuclear power plants.
September 1, 2004... Beijing, Sept 1 (PTI) China Wednesday said it will build scores of new nuclear power plants by 2020 to generate 36 million kilowatts of electricity to meet its energy needs. Stating this, vice-minister in charge of the Commission of...

New Pak cabinet sworn-in, ex-ISI chief among new faces.
September 1, 2004... K J M Varma Islamabad Sept 1 (PTI) Former ISI chief General (Retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi was Wednesday inducted into the 32-member cabinet headed by Pakistan's new Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who retained most of the ministers of the previous...

Advani courts arrest on Uma issue; released later.
September 1, 2004... Bangalore, Sep 1 (PTI) Indian Leader of Opposition L K Advani along with 1250 Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers courted arrest Wednesday demanding withdrawal of "false cases" against former Chief Minister of central state of Madhya...

Reforms to open up economy on track: Lahiri.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) India is committed to making the country a favourable destination for foreign investors and the revisit on FDI shows the reform process is very much on track, a senior Finance Ministry official said. Asserting that...

Suspected Chechen rebels take up to 400 hostage in Russia.
September 1, 2004... Vinay Shukla Moscow, Sep 1 (PTI) Suspected Chechen suicide bombers Wednesday seized a school in southern Russia taking upto 400 people, including 200 children and teachers, hostage, a day after a suicide attack left 11 people dead and...

India in shambles after 7-wicket loss to England.
September 1, 2004... Ashish Shukla Nottingham, Sep 1 (PTI) India's hopes of redeeming their batting pride and reputation as world beaters were dented when they crashed to a seven-wicket defeat against England in the first NatWest Challenge one-day cricket...

Three Indian hostages released, arrive in Kuwait.
September 1, 2004... Kuwait/New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) The three Indian hostages held captive by Iraqi militants for 42 days arrived here in Kuwait Wednesday night after their sudden release, belying fears about their safety following the killing of 12 Nepalese less...

Bhupathi-Mirnyi advance to 2nd round at US Open.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Mahesh Bhupathi shrugged off his Olympic Games disappointment to record a thrilling first round victory in the men's doubles at the US Open Grand Slam tennis in New York Wednesday. Bhupathi, pairing with Belarussian...

India condemns terror strike on Russian school.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India Wednesday condemned the latest terror strikes in Russia, including the one at a school where 400 people have been taken hostage, and emphasised the need for joint efforts at global level to combat the menace. ...

India expresses shock over killing of Nepalese in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sept 1 (PTI) India Wednesday expressed deep shock and anguish over the killing of 12 Nepalese by their Iraqi abductors with External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh speaking to Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to convey the...

India paid the price for sloppy batting: Ganguly.
September 1, 2004... Nottingham, Sep 1 (PTI) Indian captain Sourav Ganguly Wednesday said the team paid the price for some sloppy batting display in the opening match of the NatWest Challenge cricket series, which England won by seven wickets here. "We paid...

Authorities establish contact with Beslan hostage takers.
September 1, 2004... MOSCOW, Sep 1 (PTI) Ten hours after the siege of a secondary school in the Caucasian town of Beslan, which neighbours the restive Chechnya, the authorities have established sustained contact with militants who are holding up to 400 hostages,...

Pakistani students get a glimpse of Indian IT prowess.
September 1, 2004... New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) To a group of Pakistani students, a visit to India provided a first-hand glimpse of the strides their eastern neighbour had made in the field of information technology. "Though we had an idea that India is fast...