While speaking to a national daily, the author told that she had hopes for a better Bengal under the rule of Mamata Banerjee, but that had been smashed now. She told the daily that Mamata is soft on fundamentalists.

Yesterday, the author took on twitter to express his thoughts. She tweeted, “Kolkata Book Fair committee canceled my book release program today at Kolkata Book Fair. Why?Some religious fanatics don’t want it to happen…Kolkata,a city of progressive!A book release even w/o my presence not possible!All poltcial parties,all orgs afraid of fanatics!But how long”

Taslima Nasrin claimed on twitter that the police had arm-twisted the organizers of Kolkata book fair. The organizers told that the hall was not ready, but they later stated that the release of the book might have been a security threat.

‘Nirbasan’s seventh part was supposed to be released at the AC hall of the Milan Mela grounds. In the morning she stated that she would not be present at the book release because she will not be allowed to enter the state.

The Bangladeshi author expressed all his anger via twitter, “Kolkata Book Fair committee canceled my book release program today at Kolkata Book Fair. Why?Some religious fanatics don’t want it to happen…Kolkata,a city of progressive!A book release even w/o my presence not possible!All poltcial parties,all orgs afraid of fanatics!But how long”

She blamed Kolkata police tweeting that Kolkata police asked the Kolkata Book Fair committee to cancel her book release program.

In the year 1993, Nasrin’s book ‘Lajja’ triggered outrage among Bangladeshi Muslims. In her book ‘Lajja’, she penned against Islamic philosophy.

Weeks ago, it was another controversial author Salman Rushdie, who was prevented from joining a literary festival in Jaipur.

The Rs 14 bonus card, which is valid for a single day, gives 30 MB data usage for mobile or computer surfing and 25 minutes of local talk time to any network. The Rs 42 bonus card has 7 days validity. This card provides 150 MB data for mobile or PC surfing and also gives 80minutes Vodafone-to-Vodafone local talk time.

Internet, now a day, is playing an important role and therefore the company is introducing two new bonus cards, with dual benefits of data usage and talk time, stated a Vodafone India official.

Vodafone IN, last week declared that they would provide unlimited access to BBM (BlackBerry Messenger Services) at Rs. 129/month for postpaid users and Rs. 5/day for prepaid subscribers.  BBM is counted among the largest mobile social networks across the globe.

Today, Trinamool Youth Congress will hold a rally in Kolkata. Top Trinamool leaders are expected to be present at the rally. TMC may raise their voice against Congress, in the rally. According to the reports, Congress high command has asked its state leaders to make up their relation with Trinamool.

Few days back, a college principal in North Bengal has been by a group of people who were carrying TMC flag with them. After the incident, both TMC and Congress have accused each other over the incident. State Congress leaders have even gone on to describe TMC as BJP’s B-team.

The difference between these two allies came out in open when TMC criticized Congress from petrol price hike to Lokpal bill. In this year’s assembly election in UP, TMC will field candidate against Congress. In past few months, Rahul Gandhi is campaigning hard to hold ground for Congress.

On Friday, early morning showers raised hopes of much awaited winter. The rain shower continued for 20 to 40 minutes in the city and its surrounding regions, but the mercury refused to go down as an active cyclonic circulation still present over Assam.

The cyclonic circulation is drawing moisture from the Bay of Bengal into the sky of this region. The mercury is not falling as the moisture is blocking the north wind. According to the reports, the cyclonic formation is expected to stay for few days. The temperature may drop after Sunday.

It is to be noted that Argentina take on Venezuela in a friendly match on Friday at the Salt Lake Stadium. This will be the first friendly FIFA match in India and quite understandably the craze and the excitement among soccer fans in the city is on a high. Even Argentine journalists are overwhelmed by seeing the number of Argentine supporters in the city. Both the teams have been given tight security to prevent any untoward incident.

Kolkata, August 30 — Engine of Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed at Baruipara station in Hooghly district Monday morning. Passengers were, however, escaped unhurt.

The train was at a slow speed while passing the station when two of front wheels of the engine jumped the tracks at around 9:15 am, said Samir Goswami, CPRO of Eastern Railway.

No other coaches were derailed or affected due to the derailment of the engine.

Goswami said, “Since none of the coaches were affected there was no casualty or injury… Prima facie 300 pandoral clips on the tracks were found removed, therefore we are not ruling out sabotage.”

Ambarish Mukherjee, Easter Railways chief operations manager, immediately took charge of the situation after the derailment. He was on the train said CPRO.

From Howrah a EMU rake was sent to bring the stranded passengers of the affected train to the terminus.

Kolkata, July 31 — TMC chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee alleges on Saturday that CPM is hatching a conspiracy against her to eliminate through a suicide squad as the party is unable to fight her politically.

Talking to the reporters in Kolkata, Ms Banerjee said, “CPM and some other political parties which have vested interests — I am not speaking about all parties — have held a meeting and hatched a conspiracy to eliminate me. Such a meeting was held, you can inquire.”

Banerjee also blamed that in a meeting the party discussed to form a suicide squad at any cost to eliminate her.

She also believes that the West Bengal government also has this information.

She said, “CPM ministers and leaders are keeping a watch on my movements. They are inquiring about my movements. A conspiracy is afoot to kill me.”

Banerjee added, “Is it fair politics? They cannot fight us politically. They are cowards.”

When asked how she alleges, she said “why is CPM setting up so many camps of armed cadre in West Midnapore? Because they want to kill me.”

School report on caning of a student in La Martiniere School leading to student suicide

Kolkata, June 14^th: An internal probe by the governing council of the board that manages La Martiniere School for Boys found that principal Sunirmal Chakarvarthy had caned Rouvanjit Rawla a few days before his suicide in violation of the school’s own rules. The probe report was never submitted before the board. And Chakarvarthy got off with a mere reprimand.

Point No 4 of the report says: “Caning of Rouvanjit and his two classmates by the principal constitutes an act of misconduct under Clause 15 (ii) of the Staff Service Rules & Regulations of La Martiniere Schools, Kolkata, by which the principal is governed, vis, ‘inflicting corporal punishment on a student’.”

The report has been handed to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which is probing Rouvanjit’s suicide. His father Ajay Rawla has filed an FIR that corporal punishment at school pushed the boy to suicide.

However, the school’s internal probe carried out in February-March, all but absolved Chakravarthy of Rouvanjit’s death, finding no co-relation between the caning and the suicide.

CISCE chairman Neil O’Brien, who was on the La Martiniere board during the episode but was ousted along with corporate bigwig K S David for demanding action against those guilty of corporal punishment, said the report was never presented before the board by Dhar.

“At the board meeting on March 18, Dhar was asked to submit the report with back-up statements to substantiate the findings. This was never done. What has been submitted to the NCPCR is a half-baked report. I do not know if it was lack of intent to act against those guilty of corporal punishment that prevented it,” he said.

In its conclusion, the report states: “The actions of principal, vice-principal and teachers, who were examined, cannot be said to be the cause behind Rouvanjit’s death, either directly or indirectly. They have discharged their duties, without compromising on discipline, which is one of the basic requirements of the school.”

Six time councilor of ward number 131, Shovan Chatterjee is the 37th mayor of Kolkata. Mamata Banerjee along with her councilors and party leaders today elected Shovan Chatterjee as the mayor of Kolkata and Farzana Alam as his deputy.

Shovan Chatterjee who has represented ward number 132 for five times before contesting from ward 131 was the mayor in council of the water supply department during the Trinamool board in the year 2000-2005. But Mamata made Farzana Alam another council member as the deputy mayor.

Shovan Chatterjee who had earned the nick name of Jal Shovan during his earlier tenure as the mayor in council today after his nomination said, “ My priorities in Kolkata are to attend to water crisis during the summer and water logging during the rains”.

But to keep her flocks together Mamata has made Subrata Mukherjee, former mayor of her party who had changed sides after losing in last municipal elections to join Congress and had rejoined back with fresh hopes of becoming the new mayor again, as the head of the chairman of the monitoring committee to oversee the city’s civic development. This could be a wise move to assess loyalty and reward loyalists.