Friday, January 29, 1999

NHRC notice to UP Govt
NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — Taking suo motu cognisance of the attacks on four Christian missionaries from Kerala in Allahabad on January 22, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh in the matter.

SC directive on pollution cases
NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Supreme Court has emphasised the need for inclusion of a high court judge — sitting or retired — and a group of high ranking scientists, in the appellate authorities under the Water (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1974 in all the states to adjudicate disputes relating to environment and pollution.

NTR's son-in-law joins new party
HYDERABAD, Jan 28 — Vice-president of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP and former Telegu Desam Chief N.T. Rama Rao’s elder son-in-law, Dr D. Venkateshwar Rao today resigned from the party to join the ‘Anna Telugu Desam’, floated by his brother-in-law N. Harikrishna.

• Hasina lauds India, Pak for restraint
• Hans to perform in Hollywood
• Vora: ban VHP, Bajrang Dal

Indo-US talks begin today

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (UNI) — On the eve of its crucial eighth round of dialogue with the USA, India today asserted that there was no question of succumbing to pressure from any quarter on the question of signing the CTBT or renouncing its missile development programme.

"Talks (with the USA) were not a consequence of any pressure but were undertaken with the aim of harmonising the views of the two countries on various issues’’, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told reporters here.

Confirming that there had been a "forward movement’’in the indo-US talks on disarmament and non-proliferation, he said: "There is now a better understanding of India’s position than what the situation was in May or June’’ after India conducted nuclear tests.

Mr Jaswant Singh’s remarks came a day before he goes into the eighth round of two-day talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, who arrives here tomorrow morning at the head of a high-level delegation.

Asked to identify the issues on which the talks would focus, Mr Jaswant Singh said: "The issues have already been identified... our attempt will be to harmonise our views on these’’. The issues were: the CTBT, export controls, fissile material control treaty (FMCT) on which discussions were on in Geneva and India’s defence postures.

On the stand likely to be taken by India on the CTBT at the talks, he said: "Our stand on the issue had been enunciated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the United Nations General Assembly and in Parliament’’. The Prime Minister had stated that: "We are prepared to bring (our) discussions to a successful conclusion so that the entry into force of the CTBT is not delayed beyond September 1999".

When a reporter drew his attention to reports from Washington asking India to exercise restrain in its nuclear and missile programme, he said: "It will be difficult for me to comment on press reports... I will have to understand what restrain means’’.

He said the two countries were now moving beyond specifics and there had been a movement forward. The progress was demonstrated by the fact that the two countries were continuing the dialogue.

On whether the recent attacks on Christians would also figure during the talks, the Foreign Minister said: "I don’t think so’’.

If it was raised by the USA during the talks, he said: "I will deal with it as required’’.

The talks were being held against the recent encouraging statement of Mr Talbott that the economic sanctions against New Delhi should be lifted.

This was the first time that Mr Jaswant Singh would have discussions with Mr Talbott in his capacity as the External Affairs Minister. All his previous meetings with the US official were held in his capacity as the Prime Minister’s special envoy.

Mr Talbott’s delegation would include US Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth, Vice-Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joe Ralston, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bob Einhorn, South Asia Adviser to the National Security Council Bruce Reidel and Senior Adviser to the South Asia Bureau Matt Daley.

The External Affairs Minister would be assisted, among others, by Foreign Secretary K. Raghunath, Mr Alok Prasad, Joint Secretary (America) in the External Affairs Ministry and Mr Rakesh Sood, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) in the Ministry.

Gujarat attacks too merit probe: Cong
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Congress today took exception to the institution of a judicial inquiry by the Centre into the killing of an Australian missionary and his two sons in Orissa, and said that such probes should also have been ordered into the attacks on minorities in Gujarat and other states ruled by the BJP and its allies.

Party spokesman Ajit Jogi told reporters, "They (Government) could have thought on the same lines while dealing with Gujarat and Maharashtra and other states ruled by the BJP and its allies."

He, however, said that the party would react in detail after studying the terms and references of the commission of inquiry instituted by the Centre. "We cannot comment on such vital issues in a hurry," he said.

Commenting on the reported charge by the ministerial team which visited Orissa to make an on the spot assessment that the State Government was responsible for the incident, Mr Jogi said the party knew that the team was going there with a "prejudiced and preconceived mindset".

He questioned the composition of the ministerial team, and said that one of its members the Steel Minister, Mr Navin Patnaik, had made a statement even before his visit that the Patnaik Government was responsible for the incident.

Asked whether the AICC would send a fact-finding team to Orissa, Mr Jogi said party General Secretary Madhavrao Scindia along with the State Chief Minister, Mr J.B.Patnaik, had already visited the site and submitted a report to the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

TMC flays Atal’s proposed fast

CHENNAI, Jan 28 (PTI) — The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) today criticised Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s move to undertake a fast on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day on Jan 30 and said this exposed his “political weakness” and inability to find solution to burning problems.

In a statement here, TMC president G.K. Moopanar said the Prime Minister’s action only showed that some “forces” around him were eager to expose his inability to solve the problems. “The Prime Minister is now sandwiched between his national duty to protect the minorities and his love and affection for the party to which he belongs’’, Mr Moopanar said.

In a democracy, opposition parties can undertake a fast on vital issues, but the stand of the Prime Minister to go on fast only showed that democracy was going in the wrong direction.

Appealing to the Centre and the state government concerned to take appropriate action on the recent Bihar incidents in which 22 Dalits were massacred, Mr Moopanar said the attacks were nothing but a “challenge” to the steps being taken by the Centre to eradicate the evil of untouchability.

“If such fascist tendencies are not nipped in the bud, it will endanger the country’s unity and integrity”, he said, adding that if the culprits were not brought to book and punished soon, “history will not forgive the inept government”.

BMW case: Sanjeev denied bail again
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — It may be months before Manoj Kumar walks again. Crushed under a BMW, 18 days ago, the moment still haunts the only survivor of the tragedy.

While the five accused have been granted bail in the case, which resulted in the death of six persons, the bail plea of the main accused, Sanjeev Nanda, grandson of former Admiral S.M. Nanda, has been rejected by a city court for the second time.

Sanjeev Nanda along with his five accomplices were arrested by a team of the Police control room (PCR) of the Delhi Police.

Those who were killed in the accident were identified as Rajan Kumar, a CRPF constable, Ram Raj, a home guard, Peru Lal, Nasir, Gulab and Mehdi Hasan. Manoj Kumar, who is still under medication in AIIMS, was injured.

The first bail plea of the main accused was rejected on January 25 by the Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr Vinod Kumar Sharma, and the second plea was rejected yesterday.

Sanjeev Nanda was arrested soon after the accident on January 10. Mr Sharma said: “In view of the seriousness of the offence, where six innocent lives have been taken away by the act of the accused, I am not inclined to release him on bail at least at this stage”.

He said the prosecution’s arguments that the case was also a case of murder “appears to be far-fetched”, adding that the “prosecution has propounded a new hypothesis wherein it is expecting the court to play the prosecutor, instead of remaining a neutral empire”.

The court will exercise its mind when the investigation is complete and the charge sheet is filed, at the time of taking cognisance, as to under which provisions of the Indian Penal Code the prosecution’s allegations are covered”, the magistrate said.

Defence lawyer R.K. Anand, claimed that the FIR was registered by the police after three hours of the accident, under culpable homicide, without finding an eyewitness either at the spot or at the hospital at that time. “The police has made an absolutely false and fabricated case. They also deliberately damaged the car after the accident”, he alleged.

“Simply travelling at a fast speed does not make it a culpable homicide case. If a car is driven at a high speed in a crowded public place in daylight, then probably such a case can be made out, but here the accused cannot be expected to know that policemen will be checking some persons on the road at that time (4.30 a.m.)”, he said.

Mr Anand also claimed that the main eyewitness, Mr Sunil Kumar Kulkarni, a Mumbai-based businessman, was “procured” by the police to bolster its case.

During the course of arguments, he said the suspect was willing to pay compensation to the families of the victims “without any prejudice to their rights and without accepting any culpability”.

Attacks on Christians
NHRC notice to UP Govt

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (UNI) — Taking suo motu cognisance of the attacks on four Christian missionaries from Kerala in Allahabad on January 22, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh in the matter.

Expressing shock and pain over the news reports of this incident, the commission directed the state government to respond within two weeks to the notice which was issued yesterday, NHRC sources told UNI here today.

The commission asked the Uttar Pradesh government to take immediate steps to provide relief to the victims and their families and also take adequate and effective measures to prevent recurrence of such events and restore confidence in the minds of the Christian community.

Four employees of Hope in Jesus, a Christian missionary organisation, were forcibly taken from the Minto park area to the Bajrang Dal camp site at the Magh Mela area in Allahabad and beaten up, according to an FIR lodged at a police station in Allahabad.

The NHRC has also taken a strong view of the rising atrocities on minorities, particularly Christians, in the country recently and directed the government to ensure that their rights were adequately protected. Regarding religious conversions, NHRC has clarified that the Constitution had not only guaranteed religious freedom to all citizens of the country but also the right to propagate their religion peacefully.

The commission feels that the Jhabua nuns rape case, burning of religious institutions of minorities in Dangs district of Gujarat and killing of a missionary and his two minor sons in Keonjhar district of Orissa were not isolated incidents but indicators of a rising trend of violation of the rights of minorities and religious intolerance in the country and it had issued notices to the Centre, Orissa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments earlier this week regarding these incidents.

SC directive on pollution cases

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (UNI) — The Supreme Court has emphasised the need for inclusion of a high court judge — sitting or retired — and a group of high ranking scientists, in the appellate authorities under the Water (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1974 in all the states to adjudicate disputes relating to environment and pollution.

The court insisted on amendments in the notifications issued under rule 12 of the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 for this purpose.

The court asked both the Centre and the state governments to take immediate notice of its suggestion and take steps for their quick implementation.

The suggestion was made by a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice S.B. Majumdar and Mr Justice M.J. Rao while disposing of a batch of appeals directed against Andhra Pradesh High Court orders.

While five of the appeals had been filed by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the sixth appeal was by the Society for Preservation of Environment and Quality of Life (SPEQL).

The high court, on writ petitions filed by a chemical production industry challenging non-issuance of no objection certificate (NOC) to it, had observed that while the technical committee of the board had, some time before its refusal, suggested certain safeguards to be followed by the industry, the board could not have suddenly refused the NOC.

The high court also referred to the order of the appellate authority under the Water Act, which had said that even if hazardous waste was a by-product, the same could be controlled if the safeguards mentioned in the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, were followed.

The court referred to the state appellate authority for consideration of the following two issues:

-- Is the respondent industry a hazardous one and what is its pollution potentiality, taking into account the nature of its products, effluents and its location?

-- Whether the operation of the industry is likely to affect the sensitive catchment area, resulting in pollution of the Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar lakes supplying drinking water to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad?

The court asked the appellate authority to give, within three months, its opinion on the two issues.

The court also asked the appellate authority to decide whether the industry could be permitted to make trial runs for at least three months so that the results of pollution could be monitored and analysed.

NTR's son-in-law joins new party

HYDERABAD, Jan 28 (PTI) — Vice-president of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP and former Telegu Desam Chief N.T. Rama Rao’s elder son-in-law, Dr D. Venkateshwar Rao today resigned from the party to join the ‘Anna Telugu Desam’, floated by his brother-in-law N. Harikrishna.

"I felt it is my responsibility to join Anna TDP to carry forward NTR’s ideals and also to expose misrule of the Chandrababu Naidu government," Mr Rao, a member of Rajya Sabha, told reporters here.

Mr Rao, who has been inactive in the BJP for some time now and was keeping away from its meetings, drove to a hotel owned by Mr Harikrishna, and joined the new party in the latter’s presence. He also said he would resign from his Rajya Sabha membership.

After raising a banner of revolt against TDP leadership, Mr Harikrishna, who was president of the party’s youth wing, launched Anna TDP yesterday to "strive for resurrection of NTR’s ideals and welfare policies" which, he alleged "are being marginalised" under the present dispensation.

Asked whether he had quit the BJP due to ideological differences, Mr Rao said "I do not want to raise accusations against anybody. It is my personal decision to join Anna TDP to work for restoration of NTR’s philosophy."

Mr Rao had sided with Mr Naidu and Mr Harikrishna in the 1995 revolt that had led to the dethronement of NTR and split in the party. Subsequently, he joined NTR group only to desert it later following differences with NTR’s widow Lakshmi Parvathi.

After a prolonged political hibernation, Mr Rao joined the BJP and was made vice-president of its state unit.

Girl raped; father on dharna for over 675 days

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Jan 28 (UNI) — Even by Kerala standards, the dharna by 52-year-old Dalit, Jagadan, at the secretariat gates here may turn out to be the longest-ever, having completed 675 days.

Dharnas are nothing new in the state capital and at any given time a number of people espousing various causes could be seen in make-shift tents at one particular gate that has acquired the name “satyagraha gate” in the secretariat.

Jogadan had started his Dharna on March 10, 1997, demanding the arrest of one Mohandas who had allegedly raped his daughter and vandalised his house.

He seems to be leading a “normal” family life under such trying circumstances on the foot-path. While the daughter is staying elsewhere under relatives care, his two other children set out to school from the hut every morning. A devout Christian, his day begins with reading of the Bible while his wife fetches water and twigs for the cooking fire.

Getting accustomed to the traffic noise of the busiest road in the city has been a trial. “To be frank, I have not had sound sleep since the beginning of this dharna. The traffic comes to a halt by 0200 hours, only to pick up by 0400 hours. What else can I do, other than keeping a vigil”, he asks.

Jagadan’s world fell apart on December 13, 1995, when his neighbour, Mohandas, who had a job in the Gulf, allegedly enticed the former’s 16-year-old daughter and raped her.

Jagadan, who belongs to Kadakkavoor in this district, filed a complaint against Mohandas at Attingal police station. When the police seized the passport and driving licence of the accused, he along with some others attacked Jagadan’s family and beat them up.

When the series of attacks went on for three days and following the protests of local people, the police arrested the accused and produced them before the court. However, Mohandas’s passport was not submitted before the court, Jagadan said while tracing his ordeal.

The accused was granted bail though Jagadan had approached the court to look into the lapse regarding the passport. Mohandas, after getting bail managed to fly back to the Gulf. Even in his absence, the attacks on Jagadan and his family continued and the house was ransacked.

Himself a political activist, Jagadan is bitter about the attitude of the various political parties. “Nobody came to support me. It was a lone fight. They all needed me to mobilise the backward people for them. When I was in trouble, neither the ruling nor the opposition parties came,” he added.

But then, Jagadan’s perseverance seems to be paying dividends. Two police personnel, charged with not cooperating in the investigation, have been suspended.

Following the recommendation of the Assembly Committee for the SC/ST, the accused Mohandas surrendered before the court last month.

The committee had recommended construction of a house for Jagadan and compensation for his losses. “but all these things have remained only on paper. I did not get anything’’, he said.

Three more cases were pending in two courts. While his daughter is staying with some relatives, three other children live with him in the hut.

His eldest son, after the traumatic experience, has stopped going to school after the 10th standard. His siblings, one in eighth standard and another in the second, somehow manage to survive the taunts from fellow classmates.

Jagadan sits listlessly on the pavement, not knowing how long he would have to carry on his struggle. But his eyes light up as he says, “Till I get full justice, I am determined to continue my dharna’’.

Hans to perform in Hollywood

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (UNI) — Well-known Sufi and Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans has become the only Indian to be invited to perform at a series in Hollywood later this year on traditional music.

According to a message received by Hans from Jazz and World Music Programming, the organisers, he will perform before a crowd of 17,800 in "Hollywood, Bowl" which is an outdoor venue in Los Angeles.

The "bowl" is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.’

Hans told UNI that his name was referred to the "bowl" by Mr Robert Browning of the World Music Institute in New York. The programme on August 15 would include a one-night festival celebrating "sacred music from around the world", the message said, adding that "we are interested in presenting Sufi music as part of this programme".

Hasina lauds India, Pak for restraint

SANTINIKETAN (West Bengal), Jan 28 (UNI) — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed today called for maintaining peace and friendship in the Indian subcontinent and congratulated both India and Pakistan for restraining themselves in the post-nuclear period, helping restore normalcy in the region.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister, who was conferred the "Desikottama" in recognition of her contribution to forging friendly relations among neighbouring countries and upholding the values of democracy, said her country was determined to strengthen SAARC.

Vora: ban VHP, Bajrang Dal

LUCKNOW, Jan 28 (UNI) — Former Uttar Pradesh Governor Moti Lal Vora has demanded an immediate ban on the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleging that these organisations were taking the country towards "fundamentalist dictatorship".

Stating this here today, he said the attacks on Christians in Gujarat and Orissa were the handiwork of the Bajrang Dal, which was working in tandem with the VHP and the Shiv Sena. While the government might hesitate in banning the Shiv Sena, since it was a political outfit, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP should be banned immediately, he pointed out.

He was particularly critical of the incident in which Australian missionary Graham Stewart Steins and his two sons were burnt alive at Manoharpur in Keonjhar district of Orissa on January 23 saying it reminded of the ancient times when such gory incidents took place.

PTI adds from Chennai: Janata Party Chief Subramanian Swamy on Thursday called for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and its sister organisations, alleging that they were responsible for the atrocities against minorities.

"Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee should order the detention of the leaders of these organisations under the National Security Act", he told reporters here.

Criticising Mr Vajpayee’s decision to observe a fast on January 30, he said if the Prime Minister was not able to control the attacks on minorities, he should resign.

Power crisis in Mussoorie
MUSSOORIE: Winter tourism here and in the Doon valley is being greatly affected along with the day-to-day life of the local people due to long spells of unannounced power cuts in the Garhwal region. It seems rather unfair that added to heavy load shedding in the summer months, this hill region must also suffer these lengthy periods of power cuts in the cold season. From time to time, various social organisations as well as political parties have sent memoranda to the government to request that this hill area be exempted from such frequent cuts as it is heavily dependent on tourist activity. — UNI

Birth of lamb from frozen embryo
JAIPUR: The birth of the country’s first lamb from a frozen embryo has been reported by the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI) at Avikanagar near Jaipur. Scientists used a technique called “cryopreservation” which helps store sheep embryos in frozen state for a long period. They say the technique will help in sheep improvement programmes and save domestic breeds from extinction. A team of scientists deep froze at -196°C the embryos, which were collected from the uterus of a Bharat merino sheep within five to six days of fertilisation. — PTI.

Award for Bismillah Khan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Acclaimed shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan was on Wednesday honoured with the coveted second Swathi Puraskar at a glittering ceremony held here at the inauguration of the week-long Swathi Sangeethotsav. Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister T.K. Ramakrishnan presented the prestigious award to the celebrated musician at Kuthiramalika here, where Maharaja Swathi Thirunal had composed most of his poems. — UNI