Chennai Masala

This section will have a quick round up of newsworthy events . I will try to update it on a weekely/ fortnightly basis

Sun and Sky dont see eye to eye

Never shy of brushing the wrong side of the law,Sun TV has done it yet again. It is flatly denying signals to Tata-Sky, a rival DTH operator, in order to ensure the success of its own DTH service due in July. Despite the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling in favour of the Tata-Sky JV, Sun TV is refusing to budge. Interestingly, TDSAT, comes under the Ministry of Telecom headed by none other than Dayanidhi Maran !!! It may be noted that Maran was accused of trying to arm twist the Tatas into a partnership- for rolling out DTH services with SunTV last year -which the Tatas firmly resisted.


Narayana Murthy is a traitor

Kannada zealots have plummeted to new lows. They want the Infosys Chairman 'thrown out of ' Karnataka and if possible, out of India. This outrageous demand is in response to NRN's reported remarks on the national anthem.During a visit by President Kalam last week to the Infosys Mysore campus, an instrumental version of the national anthem was played. When NRN was asked why the anthem was not sung, he is reported to have said that singing the anthem might make the foreign trainees in the campus uncomfortable. I am at a loss to undertsand the logic behind this, nevertheless, NRN has promptly apologized. Not content with that, the zealots are pouring scorn over him and are gunning for his blood. They are urging the govt not to provide any more land to Infosys and say Karnataka will be are better off without Infosys. All this at a time when Infosys reported revenues in excess of 13000 cr for the year ended 06-07 and a net profit over 4000 cr for the year. The ever increasing headcount now stands at a little over 71000.

Bounty Time

Talking of profits, its bonanza time for IT employees as salary hikes are normally given in April. They (me included :)- )are watching the financial results of their companies with bated breath to see if they can rake in some moolah. In the war for talent, salaries are expected to go up by 12-15% but P Chidambaram will ensure that the hike is offset by inflation, additional surcharge, cess and what not. Guess what? This additional cess is to fund the OBC reservation bill. Heard of double jeopardy?

CD row

Tech savvy-ness and the BJP seem poles apart. Hi-tech misadventures- be it the hidden cameras in Tehelka or the glitzy India Shining campign- have landed the party in a spot of bother and history has repeated itself. The party is accused of circulating CDs with communally inflamatory content in Uttar Pradesh, where the polls are underway. The self appointed custodians of secularism are up in arms and have petitioned the EC to de recognize the BJP and the EC has promptly served a show-cause notice. Sensing that things are boomeranging, the BJP has disowned the CD .I wonder where these parties are when the DMK indulges in majority bashing and particularly Brahmin-bashing. BJP CD Transcript
For the not so busy, read the transcript and post your comments on the content.