Under attack Jet retracts and reinstates sacked 1900 workers

Under severe attack for sacking its 1,900 employees a day after it alliance with Kingfisher, leading private airline Jet Airways on Thursday apologised to the terminated staffers and ask them to join duty from Friday. :
“I apologise for what they have gone through…my decision is without external or internal pressure,” Jet chief Naresh Goyal told reporters in an emotionally choked voice.

He dismissed questions relating to political pressure, including a threat by Raj Thackeray that Jet would not be allowed to fly from Mumbai, Goyal said that the decision was taken by the management due to economic conditions.

Dubbing the entire workforce as part of a family, he said, “How we continue to fly and not be grounded due to economic conditions we will work it out and see how to strengthen.

“The decision is not any under pressure. My wife (Anita) is standing by it.”

Repeatedly apologising for the decision, he appealed to the sacked employees saying “sab log wapas aayenge” (everybody will come back).

The top two private airlines, Jet and Kingfisher, which account for about 60 percent of domestic aviation traffic, had announced on Monday an alliance to share their resources and flying routes to beat the economic downturn.

Asked if the decision was taken to sack the employees because of alliance, Goyal said, “It has nothing to do with alliance. Alliance is a separate thing. A steering group has already being constituted and it is working for rationalisation of routes and other things.”

Goyal, however, evaded all the questions on whether the sacked employees were from JetLite, a company that was created after the acquisition of Air Sahara, or the political pressure including that from the government.

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Parl session likely to witness ‘fireworks’

Skipping the monsoon session because of a confidence vote and meeting now with “erstwhile friends” in opposition benches, Parliament begins a new session on Friday that is likely to be stormy on a number of issues like communal violence, terror attacks and price rise :
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to make a statement on the nitty-gritty of Indo-US nuclear agreement as it is going to be the first session after conclusion of the pact.

In between the special two-day sitting in July when the government secured a vote of confidence with the shifting of sides by Samajwadi Party and the session beginning on Friday, the government successfully went through the process of clinching the nuclear deal through IAEA, NSG and the US Congress.

With the deal in its bag, an upbeat Congress is gearing up to take on the combined opposition which is likely to corner the government on issues like spiralling prices and incidents of terror attack in some parts of the country.

Main opposition BJP has been accusing the government of going soft on terror besides being critical of its handling of the internal security and failing to check inflation.

To counter the opposition onslaught, Congress is likely to raise the issue of attacks on Christians in BJP-ruled Karnataka and Orissa governed by BJD-BJP charging Sangh Parivar outfits like Bajrang Dal and VHP with indulging in attacks against minority communities in the two states.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said the government was willing to have a thorough discussion on these issues.

An indication of the shape of things to come during the session was evident at the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) which saw both government and opposition trading charges on issues of terrorism and communalism.

RJD, LJP and some Congress ministers are likely to raise the issue of banning Bajrang Dal, allegedly behind the attacks on Christians and Christian prayer halls in Orissa and Karnataka.

The opposition, on the other hand, has decided to renew its demand for bringing a tough POTA-like anti-terror law, a suggestion already shot down by the government which feels efforts should be made to strengthen the federal system rather than bringing a new law.

While External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to make a statement on the nitty-gritty of Indo-US nuclear agreement as it is going to be the first parliament session after conclusion of the pact, the government is likely to come under attack by Left parties which withdrew support to the government on the deal.

Since it could be the last session before the general elections early next year and with assembly polls to nearly half a dozen states next month, both UPA and NDA would try their best to outscore each other on various issues.

Spiralling prices along with the jolt to the economy because of the meltdown of global financial markets are also likely to figure prominently in the session.

The Mayawati government’s cancellation of allotment of land for a rail project in Rae Bareli, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and virtual scuttling of Gandhi’s rally there are expected to generate enough heat among members belonging to BSP and Congress in the two Houses.

Other issues that are likely to come up include flood devastation in several states. The cash-for-vote scam which had rocked the Lok Sabha on 22nd July might resurface with a bang.

The five-week session, which will end on 21st November, is the second phase of the two-day session which saw Manmohan Singh government winning the trust vote.

The session which would have 24 sittings will take up supplementary demands for grants of railways and general budgets.

Some of the important bills listed for the session include those to check corruption, money laundering and communal violence besides one seeking to provide social security to unorganised sector workers.

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Esha Deol excited to be back at home

Esha Deol says she is excited about moving back into her Juhu bungalow that was under renovation for the past one year. She says all her best memories are associated with that house :“We miss our old home. That’s where all our best memories are. That’s where Ahana and I grew up. And that’s where all of mom’s friends from the industry stay. So, yes, we plan to move back as soon as the renovation is done. One of the main problems in our Juhu home was the waterlogging in monsoon. The elevation work has been done. The outside is complete. And now the interiors are being done.”

In 2006, Esha, her mom Hema Malini and sister Ahana moved into their bungalow in Goregaon.

Though the three loved the far-from-the-madding-crowd atmosphere at Goregaon and had decided to stay put in their sighing haven, the family is now planning to move back to Juhu to their original place.

But Esha says there were advantages of staying in Goregaon.

“Travelling to Film City for shooting is so easy here. That set of an aircraft that they put up at Film City for Hijack was just a hop away. Every day I’d get into my car and drive straight into the aircraft,” said Esha whose last release was Hijack that tanked.

But the actress says she had a ball shooting the film.

“It was an action film. I was an airhostess wearing a skirt. So I couldn’t do any stunts. But the interesting part of the film was that I don’t have a hint of a romantic association with Shiney Ahuja.

“Now I’m also doing Shivum Nair’s Exchange Offer with Rahul Bose. It’s a very contemporary film about a young couple. And working with Rahul is so different from working with any of my other co-stars.”

Esha also went through a learning experience when she did an item song with Govinda in Money Hai Toh Honey Hai.

“I did that number only to work with Govinda. I’m his biggest fan. As a child I used to watch some of his films almost every day. Dancing with him is a joy. He knows exactly how to handle the body contact in the dancing movements.”

Popularity: 4% [?]