Tuesday, December 7, 1999
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N A T I O N |
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weather  spotlighttoday's calendar |
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Biswal and politics of
relief |
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Gujral releases book
135 militants surrender Bofors case: HC reserves order
Khalsa celebrations in South House felicitates Mahatma, Indira
Govt considering issuance of
national I-cards Elton John may perform in Mumbai |
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Biswal and politics of relief NEW DELHI, Dec 6 — The change in guard in the Orissa leadership may have helped quell dissent in the Congress party, but, for lakhs of human beings reeling under the aftermath of the supercyclone, a new Chief Minister brings little cheer. With elections to the Assembly just three months away, there is scepticism on whether the new leadership will be able to provide them relief. The sheer magnitude of the cyclone is evidenced in that it swept across 96 blocks of 12 districts severely damaging the kharif crop on nearly 17.5 lakh hectares, killed more than 10,000 people and five lakh cattle and felled plantations and forests. According to conservative estimates, the state needs at least Rs 2500 crore for immediate relief work, including building of devastated infrastructure. But the political stakes are high and it is unlikely that the three major political players in the state - the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Biju Janata Dal and the Congress - will allow anybody to corner kudos. The fall of Mr Giridhar Gamang and the preceding exercise to dethrone him by not only members of his own party but the Opposition is a sign of things to come over the next three months. Ever since the supercyclone hit, Mr Gamang has been in the dock as thousands of tonnes of food sent as relief continued to pile up in the makeshift godowns at Kalinga open stadium at Bhubaneswar and the affected towns were remained plunged in darkness for days on end. Pilferage of relief material too was rampant and several items received from abroad had found their way into the local markets. The misery of Orissa would have been even worse but for timely assistance by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh administration, which expected the cyclone to hit Machlipatnam instead of Paradip, was geared up for any eventuality and in the wake of the cyclone turning towards Orissa, diverted relief work there. Mr Gamang, however, was not the only one stunned into inaction for the entire administration collapsed. District administration officials deserted their posts, and the police too went missing resulting in law and order problems. To quote a senior official in Bhubaneswar for the first few days after the disaster the state had collapsed. The only silver lining was the stellar role of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. It took nearly ten days for the state administration to come to terms with the magnitude of the devastation. By then it was too late as the Centre had taken the lead in setting up a task force, headed by Defence Minister George Fernandes, thus ensuring that the Congress government did not earn credit for rescue and relief operations. BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, was quick to reach Bhubaneswar and accused the Orissa Government of misappropriating relief funds. Bombarded by accusations from the Opposition parties, Mr Gamang had little help coming from his own party either as dissidents ensured that he was isolated. Even senior bureaucrats refused to cooperate with the Chief Minister, raking sides with the Biju Janata Dal, a coalition ally at the Centre, or other senior leaders in the Congress like former Chief Minister, Mr J.B. Patnaik. By the time Mr Gamang cracked the whip at disobedient bureaucrats, reshuffling a large number of them from sensitive posts and suspending the special relief commissioner D.N.Padhi for alleged irregularities in procuring polythene sheets, it was too late. His Government was totally discredited and the leadership itself under siege. Thus Mr Gamang was blamed for the unavailability of polythene sheets despite the candid acknowledgement by the Defence Minister, Mr Fernandes, that the sheets would be made available as and when they are available. That they were not available in the market. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has gone on record to say that the BJP is not attempting to politicise the issue, implying thereby that the Congress is doing so. Official postures
notwithstanding, Mr Gamang’s successor will have to
contend with similar difficulties and the cyclone victim
of Orissa would likely have to fight a lone battle. |
Mandal’s expulsion leads to JMM split RANCHI, Dec 6 (UNI) — With the expulsion of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Vice-President Suraj Mandal for six years from the party, the morcha formally split today with Mr Mandal and his supporters claiming that they represent the real JMM. Claiming a majority support in the morcha’s Central Committee, Mr Mandal convened a meeting of the party here on December 11. Describing yesterday’s announcement of his expulsion from the party at Dhanbad by morcha President Shibu Soren as undemocratic and in violation of the party’s constitution, he said being an elected Vice-President his ouster could be decided only by the Central Committee. Mr Mandal termed his expulsion as a conspiracy hatched by forces opposed to Jharkhand to sideline him as he had been pleading for the state’s creation. He even charged Mr Soren with playing into the hands of the "communal’’ BJP. To substantiate his stand, Mr Mandal said as part of this gameplan Mr Soren had fielded a ‘weak’ candidate like his wife Rupi Soren from the Dumka Parliamentary constituency to ensure the victory of BJP’s Babu Lal Marandi. To a query, Mr Mandal said the people would decide which is the actual JMM — that of Mr Soren who was out to break the Jharkhand movement or they (Mr Mandal and his supporters) who were striving for early creation of the state. Meanwhile, talking to UNI here, senior JMM leader and former Vice-Chancellor of Ranchi University Ram Dayal Munda described Mr Mandal’s expulsion as "an unfortunate happening and a setback to the Jharkhand movement.’’ He said this would
benefit the BJP and the "anti Jharkhand’’
RJD in the area. "We Jharkhandi’s will never be
forgiven if forces opposed to statehood gain ground in
this region,’’ he added. |
PM congratulates Yukta Mookhey NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (UNI, PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today congratulated Yukta Mookhey on being crowned Miss World. "Your success has proved yet again that India has the best of both beauty and brains," Mr Vajpayee said in his message. The Rajya Sabha today congratulated Yukta Mookhey, who has been crowned the last Miss World of the millennium Mentioning Sunday’s beauty pageant in London, Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla said Indian women had been bringing laurels for the country. Joining her in
felicitating the Mumbai-based beauty queen, members
cheered Ms Heptulla’s observation by thumping desks. |
Gujral releases book NEW DELHI, Dec 6 — Former Prime Minister, Mr I.K. Gujral today released a book written by a former staffer of The Tribune, Pandit Pearay Mohan, which was banned by the British, 80 years ago. Releasing the book “The Punjab Rebellion of 1919 and How it was Suppressed” here, Mr Gujral said the book brings out the events that occurred during that time in a vivid and enlightening manner. The details narrated by Pearay Mohan were too much for the British to handle and they banned it, Mr Gujral said. Pearay Mohan, a former Senior Assistant Editor with The Tribune and a lawyer, in the book brings out the oppression carried out by the British after martial law was declared in Punjab. The book does not confine itself to the massacre at Jallianwalla Bagh but brings out the protest that took place in different parts of Punjab to the Rowlatt Act and its brutal repression by the colonial rule. Pearay Mohan, who died in 1936, in the preface wrote: “This book was undertaken in December 1919....we are so near the actual enactment of the tragedy that it is not possible for us to have a proper perspective which is necessary to obtain a detached view of the history of the disorders. But, on the other hand, it may be pleaded that we are the men who have seen these events with our own eyes and have heard the harrowing tales of the afflicted Punjab with our own eyes from the very lips of those who have suffered.” Prof Ravi M Bakaya has edited the present unabridged edition. Noted historian, Prof Bipan Chandra, speaking on the occasion said the book would be an immense source material for students researching on Punjab. The book, he said, would help the historians understand why the national movement transformed into the Gandhian non-violent form after the moderate and revolutionary terrorist form. Pearay Mohan’s account, brought out by Gyan Books, would help the historians to have a contemporary account of events, which is quite vital in understanding the events. The book would also throw light on why the national movement weakened in Punjab after the 1919 agitation and revolutionary movement, the rise of communal forces and finally the partition of Punjab, Prof Chandra said. The book, when it was
published first, was much acclaimed then. Lala Lajpat Rai
in his forward wrote: “The book has been written
with a scrupulous regard for truth and with remarkable
lucidity, precision and impartiality...I pass no
judgement on the opinions of the author, except that they
are the opinions of a man who knows what he says and who
says it on the strength of facts within his
knowledge.” |
135 militants surrender GUWAHATI, Dec 6 (PTI) — The Assam Government today welcomed the “surrender“ by 135 extremists of the banned ULFA and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) at a function organised by the Coordination Committee of former ULFAs in Kamrup district of Assam. Stating that the surrender was not organised at the initiative of the state administration or the security forces, a government spokesman told PTI here today that such a voluntary move by the misguided youths was a positive sign for the restoration of peace in the state. Altogether 118 ULFA ultras belonging to Goalpara, Kamrup and Barpeta as well as 17 BLT rebels announced at a low key public function at Pub-Kamrup College their return to the mainstream yesterday. The hardcore militants who surrendered included ULFA eastern region commander, self-styled lieutenant Binaj Kumar Rabha, political wing leaders Paragdhar Chaliha, Ranjit Thakuria and Fatik Das, besides BLT Kamrup district commander Girendra Boro. With the Army and paramilitary forces clarifying that they were neither involved nor informed about the surrender ceremony, they said, “no arms were surrendered at the function. The militants only announced their decision to join the mainstream.” “We are checking
whether they have any militancy record,” was the
common refrain from the security forces. |
Judges adopt code of conduct NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (PTI) — In a significant step to make judiciary more accountable, the chief justices of the high courts have adopted a resolution making it mandatory for every judge to declare all assets owned by him, his spouse and dependants in the form of real estates or investments. The recently held Chief Justices’ Conference chaired by Chief Justice of India (CJI) A.S. Anand also unanimously resolved to adopt a “code of conduct” for the judges. This pre-empts government’s recent decision to establish a National Judicial Commission to draft a code of ethics for the judiciary. Justice Anand supporting the “code of conduct”, which has been termed as “Restatement of Values of Judicial Life” (RVJL), told the chief justices. “In a democracy where the sovereignty vests in the people, every holder of a public office must be accountable to the people”. The chief justices would also give their response within eight weeks to a report submitted by a committee set up by the CJI pertaining to the “inhouse procedure” for taking suitable action against judges who do not follow the universally accepted values of judicial life including those indicated in the RVJL. The following are the norms of RVJL: «Any act of a judge of the Supreme Court or the high court, whether in official or personal capacity, which erodes the credibility of this perception has to be avoided. «A judge should not contest the election to any office of a club, society or other association: further he shall not hold such elective office except in a society or association connected with the law. «Close association with individual members of the Bar, particularly those who practise in the same court, shall be eschewed. «A judge should not permit any member of his immediate family, such as spouse, son, daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law or any other close relative, if a member of the Bar, to appear before him or even be associated in any manner with a cause to be dealt with by him. «No member of his family, who is a member of the Bar, shall be permitted to use the residence in which the judge actually resides or other facilities for professional work. «A judge should practice a degree of aloofness consistent with the dignity of his office. «A judge shall not hear and decide a matter in which member of his family, a close relation or a friend is concerned. «A judge shall not enter into public debate or express his views in public on political matters or on matters that are pending or are likely to arise for judicial determination. «A judge is expected to let his judgements speak for themselves. He shall not give interview to the media. «A judge shall not accept gifts or hospitality except from his family close relations and friends. «A judge shall not hear and decide a matter in which a company in which he holds shares is concerned unless he has disclosed his interest and no objection to his hearing and deciding the matter is raised. «A judge shall not speculate in shares, stocks or the like. «A judge should not engage directly or indirectly in trade or business, either by himself or in association with any other person. (Publication of a legal treatise or any activity in the nature of a hobby shall not be construed as trade or business.) «A judge should not ask for, accept contributions or otherwise associate himself with the raising of any fund for any purpose. «Every judge must be conscious always that he is under the public gaze and there should be no act or omission by him which is unbecoming of the high office he occupies and the public esteem in which that office is held. The CJI stressed on the urgent need to deal with the huge pendency of cases in the courts saying “As we enter the 21st century, the first thing we in the judiciary shall have to start is to reduce the huge pendency of the cases and check factors responsible for the backlog”. However, he blamed the centre and state governments for not acting on the recommendations for filling up of nearly 1000 vacancies in the lower courts and about 154 vacancies in the high courts, which, he added, had worsened the problem of backlog and delay in the disposal of cases. The CJI said one of the causes for delay in the disposal of cases was “judge made” and added “lack of punctuality, laxity, lack of control over the case files and court proceeding contributes in no small measures to delay in the disposal of the cases.” He said delay in
delivering the judgement causes anguish to the litigant
and could become a cause of “suspicion”.
“The inordinate delay in delivery of judgements is
inexcusable.” |
Bofors case: HC reserves order NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on a plea seeking deletion of Rajiv Gandhi’s name from the Bofors charge sheet even as the government stated that he was the “principal conspirator” in the alleged Rs 64 crore Bofors pay off scam. Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) S. B. Jaisinghani told Justice Cyriac Joseph that the former Prime Minister had close family relations with Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi, who has been accused of receiving kickbacks in the Rs 1,437-crore Bofors gun deal with the Swedish firm A. B. Bofors. The petition seeking deletion of Rajiv Gandhi’s name from the charge sheet filed by the CBI on October 23, was filed by the Rajiv Gandhi Ekata Samiti which claimed that his name was placed in column-II of the charge sheet with a “mala fide” intention to “malign him and tarnish his image”. The ASG making a forceful plea for the dismissal of the petition contended that there was no intention to “malign or defame” the former Prime Minister and his name was put in the charge sheet under legal obligation by the CBI as per the procedure prescribed under the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr PC). “If the CBI had failed to mention his name in column-II of the charge sheet, it would have been guilty of dereliction of duty. In that case some necessary information would have been withheld from the court,” Mr Jaisinghani said, adding that Rajiv Gandhi’s name would have figured in column-I, meant for the accused who were sent for trial. But his name had been
kept in column-II because CBI was not seeking his trial. |
Khalsa celebrations in South NEW DELHI, Dec 6 — Five “kirtan durbars” will be held in different cities in South India in an attempt to involve people in the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa. The “durbars” are being organised by Punjab and Sind Bank and sponsored by the Department of Culture of the Human Resource Development Ministry. It will feature some top “ragis”, the jathas of Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalse (Khannawale), Bhai Baljeet Singh (Namdhari) and the bank’s own ragi jathas. The jathas will sing sacred hymns from Gurbani to focus on the teachings of the great gurus. The first two meetings
would be held in Bangalore and Chennai on December 8 and
12, respectively, and the dates of the other three would
be announced shortly in consultation with the government,
Mr S.C. Vohra, General Manager of the bank, said. |
Pandits demonstrate against CBI,
cops NEW DELHI, Dec 6 — Kashmiri Pandits today held a demonstration in front of police headquarters here protesting against the role of the police and the CBI in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case which led to the acquittal of the accused on benefit of doubt. The demonstrators, including women and children, who had gathered under the banner of Panun Kashmir, a representative organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, shouted slogans against the police and the failure of the state apparatus to bring justice to the family of the deceased. Priyadarshini Mattoo, a second year student of Delhi University, was raped and killed by her colleague, the son of a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, at her house in Vasant Kunj in South Delhi on January 23, 1996. The accused was, however, acquitted on December 3 by Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Thareja on “benefit of doubt”. While acquitting the accused Santosh, the judge observed: “The influence of the father of the accused has been there and there was deliberate inaction by the police”. The judge also said, “though I know he is the man who committed the crime, I acquit him giving him the benefit of doubt”. Demanding reopening of the case and a national debate on the issue in the context of “subversion of judiciary at the highest levels by influential people,” a Panun Kashmir spokesman said the judge, despite his personal conviction of the person being guilty of the crime, had acquitted him but had at the same time recorded his dismay over the working of the Delhi Police and the CBI. The Pandits also
demanded a thorough probe into the entire episode and
said they would petition the President and the Prime
Minister. They also warned of a nationwide agitation if
nothing was done. |
Lata creates ‘record’ in House NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (UNI) — The upper house was caught in a fix on the issue of grant of permission to be absent from the House for the rest of the current session to the nightingale of Indian music — Lata Mangeshkar — who has been nominated as a member but yet to take oath of affirmation. When Chairman Krishan Kant brought up the issue in the House, he himself appeared to be in doubt on the issue of granting permission to a member who is yet to take oath. When the Rajya Sabha Secretariat insisted on placing Mrs Mangeshkar’s letter seeking leave of absence for the rest of the session, because she was not in the country, Mr Gurudas Dasgupta wanted to know under what rule this was being done. The Chair was given clarification that the member’s letter was to be submitted for voting because of ‘convention’ failing which she stood the risk of losing her membership. The Chair substantiated the move by quoting from the book of Kaul and Shakdhar on parliamentary rules and practices. The House finally
granted her leave of absence. Thus, the greatest vocalist
who has created numerous records in her long career of
music, created a record of sorts even before entering the
House of elders. |
House felicitates Mahatma, Indira NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (UNI) — The Rajya Sabha today felicitated Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi as the personalities of the millennium. As the House assembled for the day, Chairman Krishan Kant said these two great Indians had been universally acknowledged as titans. It is a matter of great pride for India, he said. The chairman said Mahatma Gandhi was a man, the like of whom adorn this earth once in centuries. He was an apostle of peace and widely acknowledged as one of the architects of the 20th century. His teachings of ahimsa and satyagraha serve as beacon lights. Mahatma Gandhi has been chosen by Asia Week as the Asian of the century. “It is an honour. We consider Mahatma Gandhi a man of the entire humanity and millennia and not merely of a century or Asia only.” Referring to Indira Gandhi, the chairman said she was a distinguished member of this House and Prime Minister of our country for over 15 years. She has been voted as the greatest woman of the millennium in a BBC online poll ahead of many other great historical figures. This is a recognition of her ceaseless service to the people of the nation and humankind, specially the poorest and the most deprived. “These two great leaders will always be a source of inspiration to this House and humankind,” the chairman said. The House greeted the
observation of the Chairman with thumping of desks. |
Govt considering issuance of NEW DELHI, Dec 6 (PTI) — The government is considering a proposal to issue multipurpose national identity cards (MNICs) based on compulsory registration of all citizens and non-citizens in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed today. At present, the scheme was at a conceptual stage and the government was having a detailed feasibility study carried out for comprehensive examination of the feasibility of creating an integrated data base of the population and issue of identity cards to the citizens, Home Minister L.K. Advani said in a written reply. The feasibility report was expected to be ready by March, he said. An advisory committee,
comprising senior officers of the Ministry of Home
Affairs and other central agencies concerned had been
constituted to interact from time to time during the
preparation of the feasibility report, he said. |
Elton John may perform in Mumbai MUMBAI, Dec 6 (UNI) — British rock-star Sir Elton John is likely to perform in Mumbai on January 2, 2000, as part of the millennium celebrations organised by the Maharashtra Government. “We are trying to get Sir Elton John for the millennium celebrations,” Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is also in charge of the tourism portfolio, told newspersons at a meet-the-press organised by the Press Club of Bombay. “We are trying our best...various modalities are being worked out.” Apart from Sir Elton
John, others who are expected to perform in the
millennium bash are tabla-maestro Zakir Husain, classical
singer Bhimsen Joshi, noted singer Asha Bhosale and
Punjabi pop craze Daler Mahendi. |
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| India-B’desh trade
stalled BONGAON (West Bengal): Trade between India and Bangladesh through the Petrapol — Benapol border has been stalled since Sunday as seven associations of truck operators, exporters and workers began an indefinite strike to protest seizing of four Indian trucks by the Bangladeshi customs at the Benapol end four months ago. At least 600 Bangladesh-bound trucks with export goods were stranded at different places here, a spokesman of the Simanta Parivahan Malik Samiti said on Monday. — UNI 2 killed in Tripura Plan to
construct dolphinarium 300 films for
international fest PM to address
rally in Patna Japan’s
grant for TB project 2 cops killed in
ambush Naxalites blast
MLA’s house Six killed in
Bihar Extremist hand
ruled out |
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