India newspaper offices attacked

Two newspaper offices have been attacked in India’s Karnataka state in continuing violence over an article by Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Two Muslim protesters were killed in clashes with police after the article, which challenges the Muslim practice of veil wearing, appeared in local papers.

An unidentified group vandalised the office of the Kannada Prabha newspaper, which carried the article, police said.

Ms Nasreen has denied writing the article for the newspaper.

She said a translated version of a previously written piece had been "doctored" to malign her.

Ms Nasreen fled her native Bangladesh in 1994 after receiving death threats relating to a book she had written.

Muslims said her work was offensive to them. She left India in 2008 after further protests and went to live in Sweden.

The Kannada Prabha newspaper, whose offices were attacked by a mob on Tuesday night, had published a translated article of Ms Nasreen, triggering off protests in the Shimoga and Hasan areas.

Police said a group of ten masked men attempted to set the newspaper’s office in Mangalore on fire after dousing petrol in the premises, but fire brigade personnel extinguished it in time.

The police said the same group attacked another newspaper office in the area.

"The miscreants have been arrested. We have some clues about who was behind the attacks," senior police official Gopal Hosur said.

Separately, in Shimoga, incidents of stone throwing and arson were reported despite an ongoing curfew in the violence affected areas.

Several shops and vehicles have been set on fire in retaliatory attacks by Muslims and Hindus, our correspondent says.

About 50 people have been injured in the continuing violence in the state which began on Monday.

Police say Hindu groups joined the unrest in Shimoga and Hasan after Muslims took to the streets. About 50 arrests have been made in connection with the violence. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Indians angry at Nasreen article

Police opened fire in India’s Karnataka state to disperse Muslims protesting at an article by controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

At least one person was killed in the violence in Shimoga district after the article appeared in a local daily.

Ms Nasreen fled her native Bangladesh in 1994 when a book she wrote attracted death threats. Muslims said she had offended their feelings.

She left India in 2008 after protests by Muslims and went to live in Sweden.

Some 15 people were injured in Monday’s violence in Karnataka, and several shops and vehicles set on fire.

As well as the unrest in Shimoga, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa’s home district, there was also violence in the town of Hassan.

Police have stepped up security in the state capital Bangalore and elsewhere.

A curfew has been announced until Wednesday.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Bollywood star takes up ‘vogging’

By Prachi Pinglay
BBC News, Mumbai

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan says he will take up "vogging" or vocal blogging to reach out to his fans.

The actor is an avid blogger like many Bollywood and Hollywood stars. With over 650 posts and nearly 400 comments daily, he has an enviable following.

Mr Bachchan is India’s best-known actor. His career spans 40 years and he has acted in more than 140 movies.

He topped a 1999 BBC News website poll to find the greatest star of the millennium.

He beat stars like Marlon Brando and Charlie Chaplin.

The actor starred in the legendary Hindi movie Sholay and hosted the first three seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati (Who Wants to be a Millionaire).

‘Net savvy’

The actor’s vog, called Bachchan Bol (Bachchan Speak), was launched in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) on Tuesday.

It can be accessed from any Indian mobile phone and listeners will also be allowed to post voice comments on Bachchan Bol.

At the launch, the actor spoke to the BBC about his experiences as a net savvy, blog-on-the-go, extremely busy film actor.

The present belongs to communication technology, Mr Bachchan said.

"We need to respect the medium of communication is rapidly increasing. It will be very difficult to stay away from it… It is difficult not to be involved now… It goes to the entire universe instantly. You get a response instantly," Mr Bachchan said.

To progress from a five-minute cycle ride to reach a telephone in his home town of Allahabad in north India, to sending out expressions "to the universe at a push of a button" is unimaginable and unique, he said.

Mr Bachchan said he was "prepared for criticism, abuses, disagreement, for being lauded".

"If I expect everyone to say nice things, it is not fair. This is my personal philosophy. I never moderate."

Mr Bachchan would "vog" at least twice a week and would continue to blog just as before.

The veteran actor said he was confident he would find the time for vogging, blogging, acting and all his other commitments.

Mr Bachchan said he used his telephone to record whenever he felt like talking to his fans while going past a street, driving or on film sets.

Recently, he has experimented with his roles and played a child suffering from progeria.

He has also done an Indian adaptation of King Lear, an upcoming film with British actor Sir Ben Kingsley, and a Malayali-language film.

Is there any role he dreams of or is he satisfied with what he has done so far

"I hope there is. I hope there are people who may want to consider me. For an artist it is very challenging to be doing something different, something new all the time…

"It keeps our creativity alive. It keeps artists alive. It will be a terrible day for an artist to feel satisfied. That would be his death… </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.