Wednesday, June 23, 1999
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Ex-servicemen protest
outside Pak HC |
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 Lt.Col. M. B. Ravindernath (left) and Col. Khushal Thakur, commanding officers of units involved in the recapture of Point 5140 and Point 4590 in the Dras sub-sector, address mediapersons on Monday. — A Tribune photograph by Pankaj Sharma |
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Watery grave awaits Tehri 18 chargesheeted in Staines’
case Students can work in UK without job
clearance
EC rules out poll postponement SAD plea on DSGMC poll Denotification of trust land
stayed |
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Ex-servicemen protest
outside Pak HC NEW DELHI, June 22 — Retired soldiers and officers today held a demonstration near the Pakistan High Commission to protest “thrusting of war-like situation in Kargil by Pakistan.” The demonstration was held under the aegis of the All-India Ex-services Welfare Association and a memorandum was submitted to the Pakistan High Commission. The chairman of the association, Lt-Col Inderjit Singh (retd), said “they (Pakistanis) have intruded into our territory at a time when the Lahore bus euphoria was building up and the people of the two nations were trying to get closer.” The memorandum states “Your (Pakistan) well planned thrust in Kargil after initial gains has begun to flounder. Soon all your troops will be evicted from our motherland, dead or alive. Any such future attempt will also meet the same fate.” The ex-servicemen also appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to “withdraw troops from the Kargil sector, respect the sanctity of the LoC and shed hatred and grab the hand of friendship.” The Congress has accused the BJP of making a “political capital” out of the supreme sacrifices of brave soldiers while reaching to other parties to desist from politicising the Kargil conflict. Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi said the BJP was making “tacit and explicit moves” to gain political mileage out of the Kargil issue and the statement of a senior BJP general secretary that his party could not be blind to political realities on the Kargil fallout had revealed the agenda of the party. The BJP office-bearer, he said had conceded “if we fail, then we will be affected adversely. In the same way, if the armed forces are able to establish status quo ante at the Line of Control (LoC) fairly quickly, it will have its favourable impact.” Officers and staff of the Central Electricity Authority have decided to contribute one day’s salary to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund as a mark of solidarity with the defence forces engaged in driving out the intruders in the Kargil, Dras and Batalik sectors of Kashmir. The Forum of Delhi Trade Associations also held a meeting in Delhi, presided over by its general secretary Rajendra Gupta who gave a call to all trade associations to help organise blood donation camps, either individually or jointly, to assist the brave soldiers protecting Indian territory. The BJP has dismissed a suggestion by the RSS mouthpiece, Panchajanya, that India should use nuclear weapons against Pakistan. Replying to questions on the subject, BJP spokesman J.P. Mathur told newspersons here that it was the Editor’s comment who must have been carried away by the spirit of nationalism, he added. He said the question of the BJP government using nuclear power did not arise. GANDHINAGAR: Defence Minister George Fernandes today left for Bhuj to assess the situation in the border areas of Gujarat in the wake of increasing tension along the Indo-Pak border. Mr Fernandes, who arrived here from New Delhi this morning, immediately left for Bhuj by air to take stock of the situation along the international border with Pakistan. He will also visit the Naliya border area in the district. Mr Fernandes was accompanied by Gujarat Minister of State for Home and Border Haren Pandya, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) V.V.R. Subbarao and Director General of Police C.P. Singh. RATLAM: Union Ministers of State for Communication Kavindra Purkayasth has said that soldiers posted on the border outposts would be provided with more telecommunication facilities. Talking to reporters
here on Monday night, he said India had very clear and
transparent policy as far as intrusion in the Kargil
sector was concerned. The country would not allow
infiltrators to settle in its territory, he said. |
18 chargesheeted in Staines’ case BHUBANESWAR, June 22 (PTI) — The CBI today filed chargesheet against 18 persons, nine of whom, including the main accused Dara Singh, are absconding, in connetion with the gruesome killing of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons at Manoharpur on January 22. The chargesheet was filed in the court of designated CBI Magistrate, E Vasudev Rao here by counsel for CBI, B Sudhakar. The Superintendent of Police, CBI, Mr Loknath Behera, who is the investigating officer in the sensational case, was also present in the court. Nine of the chargesheeted persons had been arrested and are in judicial custody while an equal number were yet to be nabbed. The CBI also prayed before the court for the issuing of arrest warrants against those absconding. However, five of the six persons named in the FIR lodged with the police at the Anandapur police station on January 23 last following the incident did not figure in the chargesheet. The CBI investigation showed that actually 46 persons were involved in the crime that rocked the nation but only 18 had been named in the chargesheet while the other 28 were absconding. A list of 90 witnesses examined by the CBI and 64 documents were also submitted before the court. The CBI discharged 54 persons arrested in connection with the case of whom 51 had been picked up by the police within two days of the incident. Fiftyone persons had already been released on bail while the three nabbed later were being released. Nine of the 18 chargesheeted persons already in judicial custody are Rajat Kumar Das, alias Dipu Das, Renta Hembram, Kartik Lohar, Suratha Naik, Umakanta Bhoi, Chanchu Hansda, Ajen Hansda, Rabi Soren and Turam Ho. The absconding nine, besides Dara Singh , who is also known as Rabindra Kumar Pal, are Anirudha Dandapat, alias Andha Nayak, Mahendra Hembram, Mahadev Mahanta, Daya Patra, Ghanashyam Mahanta, Budhi Nayak, Harish Chandra Mahanta and Ramajan Mahanta. They were chargesheeted under Section 147, 148, 149, 435, 436 and 302 of the IPC read with section 120-B of the IPC. The chargesheet said the motive behind the attack on Staines by the accused was to stop conversion of tribals into Christianity as Dara Singh had been against the work of the Christian missionaries in the area. According to the CBI
chargesheet more than 20 persons surrounded the vehicle
in which Staines were asleep. They damaged the window
screen and threw burning hay inside the vehicle. Other
people were guarding the area and did not allow the
villagers to come out of their houses to rescue Mr
Staines and his children. Those who dared were threatened
with dire consequences. |
Driver not gunner JAIPUR, June 22 — Has the Kargil conflict inflicted such a blow to the Indian Army that it has to seek release even of its those men who are in prison? Yes, if whatever has been reported in a section of the Press about a soldier in Ajmer jail is correct. Thankfully, however, what was reported in the Press as an expression of act of patriotism by the soldier turned out to be an act of befooling the Army and the public to take advantage of the conflict for getting out of the jail in the name of the Army’s request for his release. Pawan Singh of the Rajputana Regiment was arrested 13 months ago on a charge of murdering a relative. Though Pawan Singh’s mother was granted bail he has been in judicial custody pending trial since then. His efforts to get bail had failed many times. The Kargil conflict gave him another chance to get out. He managed to get the Sainik Kalyan Board move an application on his behalf to release him from jail so that a soldier could go where he was needed most i.e. the battlefront. The court ordered that if his services were needed on the front, he might be transferred to military custody from judicial custody for three months. It was also ordered that he be handed over to some responsible officer of his unit on an undertaking that he would be handed over to the Superintendent of Ajmer jail after the three-month period. However, enquiries
revealed that Pawan Singh is neither required by the Army
nor he is an expert gunner. He is a driver in the Army. |
EC rules out poll postponement NEW DELHI, June 22 (PTI) — The Election Commission (EC) today ruled out any possibility of the postponement of the Lok Sabha poll in the light of the Kargil conflict and has convened a meeting with the Union Home Secretary on Thursday to discuss poll preparations. "The commission is clearly focussed on doing its job, the 12th Lok Sabha has been dissolved and we need to have the 13th Lok Sabha in place in good time. That is by October 20," Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill said at a press conference. The other Election Commissioner, Mr G.V.G. Krishnamurty, who later talked to reporters separately, said "there is no provision in the Constitution to postpone the general election throughout the country." Asked specifically whether there was any chance of delaying the poll in view of the developments in Kargil, Mr Gill said: "I will not answer any hypothetical question." He said the commission was aware of the complexities the country was facing, but it had a constitutional obligation to fulfil. "There is a problem (in Kargil) and I am confident that our Army is totally capable of dealing with it," he said. To a question when would
the election dates be announced, he said it would be
"neither too early nor too late. We will hold
parliamentary elections and the time and the schedule, we
will decide." |
SAD plea on DSGMC poll NEW DELHI, June 22 — The Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has unanimously resolved to "support soldiers of the Indian Army who are fighting to defend the frontiers of India". The first meeting of the newly re-constituted unit was presided over by the chief, Mr Avtar Singh Hit. Minister of State for Industry Sukhbir Singh Badal was also present at the meeting. A resolution was passed that "the Delhi Government should not hold any elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee until the eligible voters are listed according to the procedure laid down by law." "Sikhs and Punjabis of Delhi are dissatisfied with the statement of the Lt-Governor of Delhi to grant the second language status to Urdu as well as Punjabi. This meeting demands to give the second language status to Punjabi only," another resolution stated. The final resolution was
that "the guilty of the 1984 riots should be
punished and the riot-affected should be resettled. It
also demanded that the Congress should fulfill its
election promise to punish the guilty." |
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SHRINAGAR, (Garhwal), June 22 (UNI) — The historic Tehri town would soon be swallowed by the waters of the Bhagirathi, marking the culmination of the controversial dam project against which there have been agitations during the past two decades. All government offices, educational institutions and business establishments have been asked to vacate the town by the month-end. Despite protests and agitations by locals and several NGOs, the Tehri Hydroelectric Corporation (THDC) has decided to implement the su bmergence plan in November. Ganga Kuti, where environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna has been sitting on a satyagraha for more than two decades, will also be submerged by the dam water. Mr Manvendra Shah, a former MP and a descendant of the Tehri royal family, has appealed to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, to withhold the submergence plan of the town till all affected people are rehabilitated. He claimed that there was an acute shortage of residential houses in the new Tehri town where the entire populace was to be shifted. The THDC authorities said that the T-3 and T-4 tunnels flushing out the river water would have to be closed in November. Alternative tunnels would have to be opened and spillway constructed downside the river. The adjustment would raise the water level to 631 metre above the mean sea level, almost to the brim of the town and the old motor bridge, thus making the town unsafe to live. Tehri, which was settled
by Sudarshan Shah in 1816, still houses monumental
buildings of old and new darbar. |
Students can work in UK without job clearance NEW DELHI, June 22 (PTI) — Foreign students, including Indians, planning to go to Britain would no longer need clearance from a job centre before taking up out-of-study or vacation work while visa laws for them were being simplified. “Sandwich course students (who work and study simultaneously) from overseas, who currently require a work permit for their placements, will no longer need a work permit,” British High Commissioner Rob Young told reporters here. Announcing a package of new measures aimed at increasing the number of Indian students studying in the UK From the present 5000 to 6000 by 2000, he said the changes in law would be effected from the next term starting September-October. The package follows an announcement to this effect made by British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the London School of Economics in London last week. Mr Young also said the funding for Chevening scholarship, which is mostly given to the Indian students, was being increased to bring about 1,000 more students under the scheme. “We are aiming to reduce the need for students to reapply for staying in the UK and combine study with work,” he said and hoped that the new scheme would help Britain strengthen links with various countries. Regarding streamlining
of visa laws for students, he said the British Council
would give students guidance on entry clearance
requirements and facilitate expeditious issuance of
visas. |
BJP for non-Cong govt NEW DELHI, June 22 — The BJP today said the withdrawal of support to the 37-month-long Bansi Lal government in Haryana was a long-standing demand of the state unit of the party. Briefing media persons here on Tuesday, the BJP spokesperson, Mr J.P. Mathur, said the party would try to constitute a non-Congress government in the state as a follow-up action. “We will try to get support from as many quarters as possible.” Mr Mathur dismissed allegations of back stabbing by the BJP and said the Centre knew of the move. “It is a misunderstanding that the Centre did not know of it. The national Vice-President of the party, Mr K.L. Sharma, took the step after consulting the state unit of the party.” Describing the move as “well-thought of”, the spokesperson said the party’s state unit had been feeling uneasy for quite some time. Their contention was that their support to the HVP was not proving fruitful as they were not allowed to execute programmes for public welfare.” The HVP MP and Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal’s son, Mr Surinder Singh, said the HVP would seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly and hopes to get it. Talking to media persons at his Tughlak Lane residence here, Mr Surinder Singh said the Chautala-BJP combine would not get a single vote. He said the HVP had anticipated the withdrawal of support and this was a condition Mr Chautala had put before his party MPs voted in support of the Vajpayee government during the vote of confidence. Mr Surinder Singh said the party plans to seek the support of the Congress by holding talks with Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi and the AICC General Secretary Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who is in charge of party affairs in the state. The HVP MP expressed the
confidence that the Congress would be receptive to its
request. “They have been magnanimous in issuing a
statement that they would prevent formation of government
by the BJP-Chautala combine”. |
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NEW DELHI, June 22 (PTI) —The Delhi Police has submitted before the Delhi High Court that it was unable to trace a minor girl abducted here in September last by three persons who were demanding a ransom of Rs 50,000 from her parents. In an affidavit filed
before the court, the Model Town police said it had
conducted raids at the addresses of the accused in Uttar
Pradesh three times but without success. |
Dacoits kill 2, loot cash GREATER NOIDA, June 22 —Dacoits struck in a factory in the Chapraula area of Greater Noida and looted more than Rs 3 lakh after killing two persons, including a security guard. According to reports,
the dacoits first forced employees and the guard to
gather in the security room near the entrance and then
went to the accounts section where they broke open the
locker and looted the cash. |
Denotification of trust land stayed NEW DELHI, June 22 (PTI) — The Urban Development Ministry has put on hold previous minister Ram Jethmalani’s decision to denotify land belonging to the Sitaram Bhandar Trust in the Capital on the ground that it went against the basic objective of bringing about land and integrated development of the Capital. The order for the denotification of 325 bighas of land in Karkardooma belonging to the trust exempting it from acquisition was issued by Mr Jethmalani in June last year permitting private development of the land. Not finding
justification for denotification of the land, the new
Urban Development Minister Jagmohan has observed that it
would not only enable the party to harvest huge bonanza,
but would not be in conformity with the policy and
principles approved by the Union Cabinet while
sanctioning the scheme of large-scale acquisition and
development of land in the Capital, sources in the
ministry said. |
CPI leader Manickam passes away CHENNAI, June 22 (UNI) — Veteran Communist leader and former state CPI secretary P. Manickam died at Sri Ramachandra Medical College Hospital here today after prolonged illness. He was 77. He is survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter. Hailing from Cuddalore, Manickam was a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council for two terms. A close friend of Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, the Communist leader
was an accused in the Madurai and Tiruneveli conspiracy
cases and was convicted to life imprisonment in 1950. He
and his fellow convicts were, however, released in 1954 |
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| MP Paragdhar Chaliha dead GUWAHATI: Rajya Sabha member, Paragdhar Chaliha (76) died at his residence in Sibsagar in upper Assam on Monday. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Founder president of the Assam State Integration Council, Mr Chaliha was also former vice-president and general secretary of the Asom Shahitya Sabha. — UNI Tripura ultras kidnap
four Over 2 lakh
visit Badrinath Bihar to have 50
new jails 6 killed in road
mishap 3 gang men
crushed to death Man kills infant
son Goods wagon
derailed |
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