Monday, January 4, 1999
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Set trends, PM tells
scientists |
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Dismiss Gujarat Govt: Jaya CHENNAI, Jan 3 — The AIADMK today stepped up its offensive against the BJP, demanding that the Centre dismiss the BJP Government in Gujarat, as attacks on Christians were continuing even after the Prime Minister’s condemnation.
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Nuclear tests wrong:
Amartya
Bhagwat’s
sacking: generalist-specialist debate to fore Delhi
power sector to be privatised
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Set trends, PM tells scientists CHENNAI, Jan 3 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today asked Indian scientists not to allow themselves to be "arm-twisted" by countries denying technologies and to become trend-setters by shedding their image of being mere recipients of technologies. "Strength respects strength," Mr Vajpayee said inaugurating the 86th Indian Science Congress at Anna University here, attended by about 5000 scientists from India and abroad. India must forge collaborations with institutions abroad. "However, our scientists must be prepared to deliver the goods, if any country tries to arm-twist us and deny us the opportunities of legitimate scientific cooperation," he told the congress, the nation’s largest and most prestigious annual science gathering. Pointing out that India was not new to technology denials, Mr Vajpayee said such attempts in the past three decades had spurred Indian scientists to further strengthen their national capabilities. In this context, he complimented the nuclear scientists for their achievements in Pokhran which "have filled the entire scientific community with self-confidence." Outlining a four-pronged strategy for science development in the country, the Prime Minister said Indian scientists must focus not only on quantity, but also on quality that withstood international scrutiny. "We cannot afford to purely imitate or to be satisfied with following the science the other nations are doing. We have to be trend-setters in our own right in as many areas as possible," he said. Mr Vajpayee also asked the scientists to re-focus on solving problems of Indian industry and agriculture to create a hunger-free society. Higher learning and research, the Prime Minister said, should be freed from bureaucratisation and asked the science congress to come up with an action plan that would enable students, teachers and scientists spend more time on creative research than on "unproductive and needless red tape." He said another important task before scientists "is to train our children and young generation in a spirit of scientific inquiry." Mr Vajpayee said looking to the future, India should concentrate on information technology and biosciences, the two "knowledge-based sciences having the widest possible applications." He said his emphasis on information technology (IT) stemmed from his firm belief about the supremacy of India’s intellectual force. The Prime Minister also reminded scientists of the need to link science with spiritualism. While "the two have remained largely separate and unconnected," this situation was being questioned by many leading scientists, he observed. The five-day science congress, being held in this city after a gap of 40 years, was presided by Dr Manju Sharma, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology. In her address, she asked the government to formulate a Rs 15,000-crore 10-year plan to boost biosciences and usher in a bioindustrial revolution in the country. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced that Chennai was taking steps to establish a science city that would have a convention centre for conferences which he hoped would later become a national centre. Echoing the Prime Minister’s concern on technology denial, Union Science Minister Murli Manohar Joshi expressed confidence that every denial would be converted into an opportunity. In fact, some such denials have offered cheaper solutions to the world at large, he observed. Earlier, Mr Vajpayee gave away Shatabdi Puraskar to seven leading scientists for their contribution to Indian science in this millennium. They include Prof M.S. Swaminathan, Prof V. Ramalingaswamy, Prof C.N.R. Rao, Prof M.G.K. Menon, Dr T.N. Khoshoo and Prof M.M. Sharma. Other awards presented by the Prime Minister included Jawaharlal Nehru birth centenary awards to Murli Manohar Joshi and Prof P. Rama Rao, Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. A major attraction of this
year’s meet was the presence of Nobel laureate Prof
James Watson, who along with Sir Francis Crick discovered
the structure of the DNA. |
Dismiss Gujarat Govt: Jaya CHENNAI, Jan 3 (PTI) — The AIADMK today stepped up its offensive against the BJP, demanding that the Centre dismiss the BJP Government in Gujarat, as attacks on Christians were continuing even after the Prime Minister’s condemnation. In a statement here, AIADMK Chief Jayalalitha said the Centre, which had recommended the sack of the Bihar Government a few months ago, should apply the same yardstick to all state governments, regardless of whether they were run by the ruling party at the Centre or an opposition party. After strong statements by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, it was hoped that attacks on churches and Christian institutions would be stopped, but they were still continuing. "There have been a lot of words. Now it is time for action". "Such a defiance of central authority strikes at the very heart of good governance", she said, and urged the Centre to make the Gujarat Government live up to its constitutional commitment to ensure the safety of the minorities or face dismissal. Gujarat ‘has become a blot on India’s name, provoking international attention and condemnation’, Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani should make good on their statements by action, she said. She also brought up her demand for the dismissal of the Tamil Nadu Government, saying the Centre, which favoured action in Bihar, had not recommended central rule in Tamil Nadu, where "terrorists are openly operating under the tacit protection of the authorities". KOCHI: The Congress on Sunday demanded the dismissal of the BJP Government in Gujarat by invoking Article 356 in view of the government’s "total failure" in putting an end to the ongoing attacks against the minorities in several parts of the state. Senior Congress leader and Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar told reporters here that a Congress delegation led by him would call on the Gujarat Governor on January 12 with this demand. "Considering the way things are going on in Gujarat and the way the government is acting, there need not be any hesitation on the part of the Centre to invoke Article 356". Alleging that the BJP Government in that state was directly involved in the ongoing attacks, he said "If the Prime Minister is as strong as he appears to be, he should act now." The attacks, he charged, were being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, whose intentions were to consolidate the Hindus for their political ends. The attacks were not only against the Christians, but on the Muslims as well, Mr Pawar said adding that organised efforts were on in Gujarat to create a rift between the Muslims and the tribesmen and also between the Christians and the Muslims. Mr Pawar said that during the visit of his party’s delegation to the troubled areas of Gujarat, nobody could show them any cases of forcible conversion. BANGALORE (UNI): The Gujarat Government will order a probe to find out if there was any conspiracy’’ against the BJP Government, aimed at blowing the issue out of proportion, while much serious crimes against the minorities in other parts of the country were deliberately ignored. To drive home his point, he cited the recent violence in Karnataka in which seven persons were killed, and said there was no loss of life in Gujarat and only some damage to property in the Adivasi-dominated Ahwa in Dang district. He alleged the Congress was attempting to gain political mileage out of the incidents and had even organised a protest rally drawing people from Navsari, 80 km from the troubled spot. Mr Patel said his government had condemned the incidents in unequivocal terms and rounded up more than 80 persons, belonging to both Christian and Hindu communities following the violence. He said the situation had been peaceful during the past five days and adequate police force deployed in the tribal area. Mr Patel said the rally organised by the Hindu Jagran Manch was an annual feature and there was no problem during the first two days. The trouble, however, broke out only after the manch’s dharmic sabha was attacked. Firing by a person belonging to a particular community at the rival group, causing injuries to seven persons, further vitiated the atmosphere. "In such a situation, reaction is bound to happen,’’ he remarked. Questioning the veracity of reports relating to attack on a "church,’’ he said in fact the door of a hut, purporting to be a place of worship, was set on fire. The fire was doused by the Hindus living nearby. The loss was minor and the people from the same community were involved in the incident. He said his government
condemned both the communities for indulging in violence
and would spare none, irrespective of their religions. |
Shoot-at-sight orders in Suratkal BANGALORE, Jan 3 (UNI) — Shoot-at-sight orders were issued in Suratkal town and surrounding areas as fresh clashes erupted in its sensitive localities during the curfew relaxation period today. The curfew was re-imposed and the authorities were seriously considering deployment of the Army in the affected areas of the coastal Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. "Army continues to be on standby. The possibility of deploying it to gain a psychological advantage cannot be ruled out," official sources said. Shoot-at-sight orders were issued in Suratkal and surrounding areas as clashes between members of two communities occurred during relaxation in the curfew. State Director General of Police T. Srinivasulu, who is camping in Mangalore, told UNI on the telephone that they would take a decision on lifting the curfew after a review tomorrow. However, prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C were extended both in Suratkal and the port city of Mangalore. Seven people have been killed and over 60 injured in the clashes that broke out on December 30. A Mangalore report today said four people were injured in Krishnapur and Kaatipalla areas of Suratkal in fresh trouble. Following the incident, patrolling had been intensified in the areas. Educational institutions had declared a holiday till Wednesday. Some stone-throwing incidents were also reported in southern parts of the port city. Vehicular traffic, which resumed following improvement in the situation, was suspended in the wake of the trouble. The Karnataka Government has announced a compensation of Rs one lakh each to the families of those killed in the violence that broke out allegedly over police inaction against miscreants belonging to a community, who had indulged in eve-teasing in Suratkal. The announcement was made by Industry Minister and District Incharge Minister B.A. Mohindeen at a press conference. Hospital expenses of those injured in the clashes would be borne by the government. He said he would urge the union government for release of additional compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the kin of those killed in the trouble. He said efforts would be made to get interest-free loans to those who lost their property. In a related development, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dharam Singh alleged at a press conference that the state government had totally failed in curbing the violence. He said it was a desperate
attempt of fundamentalists and vested interests. The
party would hold a silent protest rally condemning the
violence. |
Mulayam blames BJP, VHP for
attacks NEW DELHI, Jan 3 — The Samajwadi Party President, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, today held the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal responsible for attacks on minorities in Gujarat and Karnataka, saying that it was an exercise to ‘divert the attention of the people from the BJP’s humiliating defeat in the recently held assembly elections’. Castigating the Congress for not pulling down the Vajpayee Government at the Centre, Mr Yadav told newspersons that a five-member committee of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha, led by the former Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Shankar Sinh Vaghela, would be visiting the violence affected areas in Gujarat from January 5 to 7 to take stock of the situation. The committee would submit its reports on January 8. Stressing upon the need of strengthening the third front, Mr Yadav criticised the Congress, alleging that it was shy of fighting the communal forces boldly and was supporting the Vajpayee Government on certain issues. The SP’s three-day National Convention, scheduled to meet at Bhopal from January 28, would evolve an appropriate strategy for the strengthening of a third front, Mr Yadav said. The convention would also adopt political and economic resolutions. To a question on which parties were expected to join the third front, Mr Yadav said after the National Convention, he would start interacting with leaders of the like-minded parties. On the issue of the sacking of the former naval chief, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, Mr Yadav urged the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister to desist from debating the issue in public. Declining to demand any investigation into the episode, Mr Yadav, who held the Defence portfolio in both the Deve Gowda and Gujral governments, said matters concerning defence should be sorted out without any fuss. " I feel there should
not be a national debate on the issue of national
security. The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister
should speak with caution", he said. |
Nuclear tests wrong: Amartya NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (PTI) — Nobel laureate Amartya Sen today termed as a "real politik mistake" India’s decision to conduct nuclear tests in May last. "I don’t think I ever thought that it (the nuclear test) was worth it," he told Star TV channel in an interview. Stating that he understood India’s compulsions to conduct the tests, Sen said his view was that the response was morally wrong especially because of the respect it commanded for developing its own nuclear energy peacefully. One of the reasons for India conducting the tests was its "frustration on the global views about it," he said. The smugness of nuclear powers and their inability to see real issues worrying countries like India was another reason, while the third issue was its irritation on being identified with Pakistan, he said. "Whether or not there is worry about China, certainly India as a large country deserves bigger consideration, he said, adding "all these frustrations I understand. But I think the response was morally wrong and more importantly in the political level it is a real politik mistake." Sen said failure of the government’s policy on education was the failure of the Opposition, both Left and right in not pressing these issues "adequately hard". "I mean government
after government from Independence has ignored elementary
education but the Opposition has allowed government to
get away with that. Why ? I think that’s where the
question of engagement in democracy becomes
important," he said. |
Y2K problem : Indian offers solution NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (PTI) — As the doomsday for computers around the world approaches due to the millennium bug, an Indian scientist claims to have come up with a new and cost-effective solution to the problem. The year 2000 (Y2K) problem stems from the use of two-digit representation of years in computer systems worldwide to save memory space that assumes 1 and 9 as the first two digits of an year. As a result, programmes will recognise ‘00’ as ‘1900’ and not ‘2000’ as the next millennium starts causing systems to either shut down or malfunction on January 1, 2000. The new solution, proposed by Mr P.V.S. Avadhani, a computer scientist at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, is based on a special numbering system which employs a set of 53 characters instead of the 10 usual digits 0 to 9 to read or write a data in a computer programme. Termed as the “dynamic numeric encoding method (DNEM)”, the solution requires some minor modifications in a compiler programme which converts programmes written by users into a format that the machine understands, Mr Avadhani told a recent conference on cognitive systems here. The ‘DNEM’ method would increase software life by 2078 year and after incorporating another set of changes it could be increased to 16,029 years, Mr Avadhani said. The millennium bug mostly affects programmes written in the ‘cobol’ language that was popular in the late sixties to write programmes for business applications. Though solutions to the
Y2K problem were already available, Mr Avadhani said
those were costly, time-consuming, labour-intensive but
still insecure. |
Bhagwat’s sacking:
generalist-specialist NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (PTI) — Even as the controversial sacking of the naval chief continues to make headlines, the episode has once again brought to the fore the generalist-specialist debate raising larger questions on the functioning of the armed forces and the supremacy of civil authority. Does a service chief have no choice but to follow the Cabinet’s decision even if he considers it incorrect? Who plays the arbitrator when both insist that they are right? What should be the degree of civil control over armed forces? Is there no other alternative than to give the marching orders? Notwithstanding the security threat cited by the government in dismissing Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat as Navy chief, defence experts have regretted its spillover in the media and called for revising the structure for higher control of defence. Former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Ram Tahiliani described the decision as “ridiculous.” Former Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri, said it was “unprecedented and sad,” while his former counterpart in the Army General V.N. Sharma described the orders as “drastic and too immature an action.” Such controversies should be resolved amicably rather than being discussed in the media, says Subhash Kashyap, former Secretary-General Lok Sabha observing that “in principle in a democracy the civil authority should reign supreme.” “However, real power loses its edge when it is asserted,” notes Kashyap. “Matters concerning defence forces should not be discussed in the media.” Similarly Gen V.N. Sharma says it’s the responsibility of the higher (political) leadership to bring the junior leadership (services) to agree through a detailed discussion. Perhaps even rope in chiefs of other armed forces. “Even if that doesn’t work then the person may be asked to resign. That I think has not been done... it appears to have been an arbitrary decision that appears to have been taken in haste.” What Air Chief Marshal Suri says he finds intriguing is the fact that within 48 hours of his taking over as the joint chief of staffs, the person gets marching orders. Even though the government
later denied that there had been no official order in
this regard and has cited threat to national security as
the reason for his dismissal, several experts have said
the Admiral should have been given an opportunity to
defend himself. |
Delhi power sector to be
privatised NEW DELHI, Jan 3 — The power sector in the Capital, which finds itself in a piquant situation, will be privatised in a phased manner, Delhi Power Minister, Narandra Nath has said. The state government’s move to privatise the power sector comes days after the Union Power Minister indicated that the Centre may write-off outstanding dues of about Rs 6000 crore owed by the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) if the power distribution system in Delhi was privatised. The Delhi government had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Dr Nath to prepare a white paper by January 15 on restructuring the DVB, power theft and loss and ensure better power supply. The erratic power supply, which resulted in power-riots last summer, had its impact at the residence of Chief Minister too, who experienced a black-out on new year’s eve. The white paper on power situation in the Capital is likely to split the DVB’s functioning into generation, distribution and maintenance for better management, apart from suggesting privatisation of the city’s power sector in a phased manner. Dr Nath indicated that the government was in favour of encouraging the private sector in the power sector in a phased manner to check the deteriorating power scenario in the Capital. He said the DVB’s functioning might be divided into three departments — generation, distribution and maintenance — so that responsibilities could be fixed and the actual position as to where the fault was easily detected. Long-term arrangements were being worked out to tackle the power crisis in the city, he said, adding that the white paper that the Congress-led Delhi Government intended to bring out by January 15 would reflect the government’s concern and measures to be taken on the power front. The Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, holding out a carrot-and-stick policy vis-a-vis- Delhi, where half the electricity supplied was stolen, had cautioned against a severe power crisis in the city during the next summer if the DVB did not strengthen its transmission and distribution system. Delhi’s dilapidated transmission and distributions system needs an infusion of at least Rs 1000 crore, the minister said, adding that “Delhi is an ideal case for privatisation”, as the recovery by the DVB was only 40 per cent of the total current billing. Stating that the peak power demand in Delhi during the coming summer season was projected to be 2700 MW, he said Delhi’s transmission network was not equipped to take more than 2100-2200 MW. “Delhi being the
Capital of the country, will get all the power it needs,
but the question is whether the network can take this
load”, he said. |
Success eluded ISI in ’98 NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (PTI) — Success eluded Pakistan’s ISI in 1998 to foment trouble in the country though the agency changed its strategies off and on, official sources said here today. A blast in Coimbatore and a couple of carnages in Jammu and Kashmir were all that the changing strategy of the ISI could achieve in the year gone by, the sources said. Innocent victims fell to the bullets of mercenaries in Wandhama village in the outskirts of Srinagar city in January. The carnage was aimed at creating a “communal wedge” in the rest of the country, the sources said, “but the plan did not succeed”. This was followed by the serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore to create unrest in the southern part of the country. However, swift action by the sleuths prevented the flaring-up of communal tension.” The ISI tried its maiden entry into the North-East by helping ULFA militants. This nefarious design was also exposed and checked when two identity cards of PoK were recovered from an ULFA hideout, the sources said. Later, the ISI concentrated completely on Kashmir, where its support had already started dwindling, thanks to local people. In a bid to overcome the dearth of militants, the ISI recruited jobless Afghan youths, who had strayed into the Pakistan territory to fend for themselves and their families. Two Afghan militants, arrested in Kupwara (north Kashmir) confessed to the plan, the sources said, adding “the arrested militants also praised India for its secular traditions.” “We were told that Islam was in danger here but after coming (infiltrating) here we saw people enjoyed every freedom which is denied in the countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan”, the sources quoted a militant, Zain-ud-Din Khan, as saying. Later, the ISI for the first time in its proxy war since 1989, recruited hardcore criminals, serving life sentence or death penalty in Pakistani jails, and had them infiltrate into the valley to revive militancy. However, the alert security forces frustrated this attempt and arrested some of these criminals. Of late the ISI has managed to have some mercenaries sneak into the valley to spell a fresh terror wave, the sources said, adding that “these mercenaries have been asked to target people in remote areas which are cut off from district headquarters.” The ISI, meanwhile, bowing to international pressures, closed some of its prominent camps in PoK and moved the militants in these camps to Khost and other areas on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Another change in the strategy was that of the ISI beefing up its support only to Lashker-e-Toiba (LET) militant outfit thus sending signals to all other terrorist organisations to “fend for themselves”. Regarding the Hurriyat conference, the ISI had almost stopped “helping” it as the parties in the conglomerate had lost the people’s faith completely. Hurriyat leaders, in an apparent retaliation, had started building the image of their own parties rather than collectively “narrating the parrot-fed line of Pakistan” to seek the right to self-determination for Kashmiris. “The mentors across the border were also not happy over the recent debacle when a one-time supporter British parliamentarian Lord Eric Averbury, criticised Hurriyat and even challenged its claim of being the sole representatives of Kashmiri people,” the sources said. The ISI, the sources said,
in the year gone by has failed to achieve any remarkable
success. “It is the victory of the people”. |
Pawar flays Navy chief’s sacking KOCHI, Jan 3 (PTI) — Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar today criticised the dismissal of Navy chief Vishnu Bhagwat, saying that it was not the way the issue should have been handled. Expressing concern that
the dismissal was “not sending proper signals”,
Mr Pawar told newsmen that he and Dr Manmohan Singh had
formally met the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister
on behalf of the Congress and told them to handle the
issue with caution and care due to its sensitive nature. |
Gang of dacoits busted NEW DELHI, Jan 3 — The Delhi Police today claimed to have busted a gang of dacoits by arresting its six members in the Bawana area of North-West Delhi, according to the police. Vinod Kumar, Paramjeet Monti, Rajesh Solanki, Mahender Singh and Phool Kumar were arrested last night from Prahlad Vihar when they were allegedly planning a robbery in the area. Following their interrogations the sixth member of the gang. Jai Prakash, was also nabbed. The police seized a knife, sharp-edged weapon, a iron rod and some hockey sticks from them. The group has confessed to
having committed four robberies, two each in Bawana and
Narela police station area. |
Fresh violence in Karnataka MANGALORE, Jan 3 (PTI) — Fresh violence broke out in Krishnapura in Karnataka today resulting in injuries to four persons and prompting authorities to extend the curfew till January 5, even as all educational institutions in Mangalore were ordered closed till January 6. Four persons were injured in group clashes during the curfew relaxation period, the police said. Barring the clashes, the situation in Mangalore and Surathkal, the scene of violence last week, was peaceful, the police said. The state government announced a Rs one lakh compensation for families of those killed in the violence. Rs 50,000 will be given to them by the Centre. The state’s Small Scale Industries Minister B.A. Mohideen told reporters here that arrangements had been made to provide interest-free loans to the people who lost their properties during the violence. Meanwhile, Karnataka
Pradesh Congress Committee President Dharam Singh and
former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily today blamed the
"fundamentalists" for the communal violence in
Dakshina Kannada district. |
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| ‘Saans’ to be
made into novel MUMBAI: Perhaps for the first time in India, a popular television serial based on bigamy is being turned into a novel to be published simultaneously in English and Hindi. Director-actress Neena Gupta’s popular soap opera “Saans” which is being telecast on the Star Plus will make its appearance in print by the end of the year through Penguin Books. “Saans” features high television rating points in five of the lager cities in the country. It is also among the three highest watched programmes on the Star TV. — UNI Brar is IAF vice-chief Record collection
in Shirdi R. Venkataraman
hospitalised FPAI project bags
award Five injured in
community clash Clerk robbed of Rs
51,000 Woman killed,
shops torched |
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