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'Masjid Phaad Ke'
Krishna Prasad's year-end quiz with a difference!

Lost Grandeur
The Red Fort is an example of the Mughal zest for architectural totems that they bequeathed to posterity.

'I hope every Kashmiri will support me in my efforts to bring peace to Kashmir'
Indian Airlines hijacker Hashim Qureshi's statement on the eve of returning home to India after 30 years in exile, published verbatim.

'No one can keep your soul captive'
'I really have no idea why I have been released,' says a bemused Mushahid Hussain. 'But then, I had no idea why I was detained either!' Marianna Baabar meets Pakistan's former information minister who was released this week after 440 days in solitary confinement.

Will this peace initiative have a different fate?
'The issue should not be one of peace at any cost. It should be of a just settlement on Kashmir which paves the way for enduring peace in the region. If India is seen to lack in sincerity, the desperate deadlock can only be broken by war. That would be a greater tragedy than the one India and Pakistan are currently seeking to undo,' says wellknown Pakistani editor Najam Sethi.

A dose of nationalism, please!
'The most worrying aspect of the Red Fort incident is the attackers's conviction that nothing can be done against them or their organisation,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

The Hijack: One Year On
The complete coverage.

'The government does not want to anger MPs'
So don't be surprised if the Vajpayee government grants the MPs a New Year gift by doubling the Rs 20 million constituency development fund to Rs 40 million.

Where has the money gone?
George Iype finds out how our MPs are treating a scheme that was meant to usher in development and bring about economic growth.

Made in Heaven. Worked out on Earth.
'Marriage laws haven't changed. What has changed are attitudes, values and views. Presently, a marriage is like a gamble. People get into it without knowing whether they'll win or lose.'

'Live life kingsize!'
When you meet Uday Sondhi for the first time, you would not notice his missing leg. Or know that his body is covered with scars. Or that you are meeting a man who defied the pessimism of medical science as he walked away from Death to re-enter the cockpit. Or that this gutsy pilot forced the Indian armed forces to rewrite their rule books to accommodate him.

As long as there is a significant Muslim population in India, Pakistan will feel insecure
'Till such time that the sane and moderate elements in Pakistan do not assert themselves, peace in Kashmir and the subcontinent will always remain fragile,' says Colonel Anil Athale (retd).

'He would not betray his friends to achieve his ambition'
Ramakrishna Hegde pays tribute to J H Patel, the socialist maverick and former Karnataka chief minister who died this week.

'Hi-tech enterprises are the temples of new India'
'We cannot afford prolonged discussions on whether or not IT is good. In fact, our political leaders have to become evangelists for technology in general and IT in particular,' says Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy.

The return of Shakti
To call the Shakti collaboration a band is somewhat inappropriate. Which is why one struggles to define their new avatar -- Remember Shakti!! Images from a memorable concert.

A taste of iftar diplomacy
Iftar parties are no longer a celebration of the end of Ramzan's daily fast. Instead, they are the biggest political get-togethers in vogue in the capital these days.

Pakistan's secret weapon...
...Is a 19-year-old Hindu leg spinner called Danish Kaneria.

'We would rather die than go back'
Pakistani Hindus, who came to India on a 30 day tourist visa, swear they will never return home. Ever.

'Fernandes's flirtation with the LTTE is ominous for Sri Lanka'
According to home ministry sources, the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency will produce a secret report that discloses the alleged links between Defence Minister George Fernandes, other Indian leaders and the LTTE.

'I will die as an Akali leader'
New SGPC president Jagdev Singh Talwandi is a long time associate of Longowal, Tohra and Badal. He is known to have a quick temper and prides himself on his clean image.

Rendezvous With The Rebel
The first-ever encounter with Sana Yaima, leader of Manipur's oldest insurgent group. Nitin Gogoi reports.

Will the LCA fly?
Eighteen years in the making. Several false starts. Cost escalation from Rs 5.6 billion to Rs 25 billion. Finally, the Light Combat Aircraft is scheduled to test fly some time this month.

'My chest pains... But I never told the doctor I make beedis'
Some of the girls barely cross five years before they learn the trade of rolling beedis. Despite the health hazards of working with tobacco on a daily basis, this becomes their only source of livelihood. A Ganesh Nadar meets the beedi workers of Tuticorin.

The land of one million elephants
'The LTTE has chosen Laos for R&R, especially since there is a lull in the war in Jaffna. The Tigers are also here, scouting for cheap weapons which are freely available in this region.' Major General Ashok Mehta (retd) reports from Vientiane.

The intimate enemy
'By Indian expectations, Pakistan is a deadly menace, a country of secessionist fundamentalists bent on destroying the national fabric. Yet, in Lahore I almost felt like I had come home,' says Kushanava Choudhury.

It's not important how I got AIDS, but how I am living with it'
Shobha Warrier profiles Ashok Pillai -- a HIV patient with a will to live.

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