The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Corrections and clarifications

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Tuesday, Aug 01, 2006

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Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and clarifications

In "When a `loyal' guest rounded on Blair" (Op-Ed, July 28, 2006), the sentences were: "Normally, when Iraqi leaders come to Britain they tend to ad-lib the script their hosts in Downing Street and the Foreign Office wish to hear — or have written for them. Prime Minister Tony Blair, therefore, looked surprised and embarrassed when during a short visit to London this week his usually loyal guest — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki — turned on him over his refusal to condemn the Israeli actions in Lebanon and to intervene to halt the violence." A reader says the accepted meaning for "ad lib" is to talk without preparation, spontaneously, extemporaneously, and without notes. Therefore, Iraqi leaders cannot ad-lib a script written for them, though they could ad lib what their hosts wish to hear. Hasan Suroor clarifies: "What I was using here was a `metaphor' which, according to Concise Oxford Dictionary (eleventh and latest edition 2004) means: `a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable; a thing regarded as symbolic of something'." "Script" did not mean Downing Street or the Foreign Office wrote out a statement and gave it to their guests to read out. What was meant was that they were given to understand that there was a broad official `line' and were expected to voice that in public. In this case, the Iraqi Prime Minister did not do it."

"Indian Overseas Bank employees did not participate as they are not affiliated to any of the three unions," the report said ("Strike affects banking operations", July 29, 2006). This is incorrect, according to G. Balachandran, President, IOB Staff Federation of India, whose members, affiliated to the Bank Employees Federation of India, participated in the strike. The Industrial Relations Department, IOB, says 90 per cent of the bank's staff are affiliated to the NCBU, and the impact of the strike was felt by IOB only in Bhubaneshawar.

In the report "I wish to be remembered as a human being: Kalam" ("Newscape", July 30, 2006) the sentence was "The mid-day meal scheme, he [Kalam] said, had been introduced by many State Governments to prevent nourishment to poor children." As many readers have pointed out, it should have been "to provide nourishment" or "to prevent malnourishment". Also, the heading should have been "I wish to be remembered as a good human being: Kalam", as the text said.

"Powerhouse flooded at Krishna Raja Sagar" (July 29, 2006) said: "Eight persons working in a private hydel power generation project at Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir, near Mysore, had a narrow escape after more than 2,000 cusecs of water gushed into the power generation room following a wall collapse ... ." A reader points out that "cusecs" is a measure of rate of flow. It does not indicate the quantity of water, unless duration of flow is also mentioned, like 2,000 cusecs gushed in for, say, one hour. Then the quantity of water entered would be 2,000 x 60 x 60 = 72,00,000 cubic feet or approximately 4,50,00,000 gallons.

The sentence in the Reuters report "`Double' trouble for South Africa" ("Sport", July 29, 2006) was: "`We did know anything about the records and just tried to bat session by session to keep South Africa down,' Jayawardene said." As a reader points out, it should have been: "`We did not know anything about the records and just tried to bat session by session to keep South Africa down,' Jayawardene said."

It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page.

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