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Monday,
October 29, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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ULFA militants kill 5 cops 2 anti-Left parties to be formed in Tripura
Gowda begins padayatra |
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Shahnawaz to launch campaign on aviation security
Ex-Japan PM arrives in Delhi
Dehra Dun — where Afghan legacy lives on US attacks leave writers confused
Rajnath invited by Muslim body in UK Ban on Deendar Anjuman upheld Probe defence deals: poll 2 killed, 6 hurt in group clash Security at Ayodhya site to be revamped Cong mourns Maragatham’s death Globalisation yet to deliver goods: L.M. Singhvi Situation in Gonda calm Delay in elections worries DSGMC Rao’s relatives
expect release soon ICAR award in Tau’s memory
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ULFA militants kill 5 cops Guwahati, October 28 Militants ambushed a police party at Hajirhatgaon village in the trouble-torn Dhubri district, killing five police personnel on the spot and critically injuring four others, including a Sub-Inspector. The injured were shifted to hospitals. Director-General of Police (DGP) H.K. Deka said the deceased police personnel included jawans of the 7th Assam police battalion and two constables. The security forces have launched combing operation to
apprehended the ultras. The DGP said on receiving the information from inhabitants of Hajirgaon that a group of armed miscreants were suspiciously moving about in the village, a police party, headed by Sub-Inspector Dilip Bhorali, rushed to the village. The ultras attacked them when they were returning to the outpost. He also said tension continued to prevail in Gauripur and Dhubri towns following the October 25 explosion in a Durga puja pandal but the situation was under control, adding that no fresh incident had been reported so far. Further, he stated that some people with vested interests were trying to give a communal colour to the explosion in the pandal, in which three persons were killed and 29 others injured. Meanwhile, two hardcore ULFA militants were killed in Chantipur jungle while another was killed in Upper Dihing forest of the Tinsukia district yesterday, sources added.
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2 anti-Left parties to be formed in Tripura Agartala, October 28 The new party to protect the interests of the tribesmen in the state would come into existence “very soon” and its name would be announced, general secretaries of TUJS and IPFT Rabindra Debbarma and Debabrata Koloy told a joint press conference here today. The state has a total 30 per cent tribesmen population. The decision on forming the party was taken at a meeting of senior leaders of both parties here yesterday and a nine-member policy making body with Mr Debbarma and Mr Koloy as joint conveners was formed. The leaders said both Centre and the state governments should come forward to solve Tripura’s decade-long insurgency problem by bringing them to the negotiation table.
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Gowda begins padayatra Vitalenahalli (Karnataka),
October 28 The 70-year-old politician, who is also the Janata Dal (Secular) President, was accompanied by party state president Siddaramaiah,, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K. H. Srinivas and other party leaders. Talking to newspersons before the commencement of the padayatra, Mr Gowda said his ‘protest walk’ was directed against the state government for “suppressing the farmers”. “My five-day march, covering a distance of 80 km, will be a silent protest to highlight the inhumane treatment meted out to the farmers by the Congress government”. He began the padayatra after offering floral tributes to two farmers who were killed in police firing on October 9. He alleged that they were dragged from their beds and shot. “There is a clear political motive behind the firing”. Mr Gowda, who was greeted by a large number farmers all along the route, walked briskly despite his age. This is for the second time that the former Prime Minister is undertaking a padayatra. In 1998, he undertook one from Bangalore to Kunigal in protest against the shooting of a farmer allegedly by former minister S. Ramesh.
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Shahnawaz to launch campaign on aviation security New Delhi, October 28 According to sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry, the action plan will be finalised on November 2 with the cooperation of the Airports Authority of India, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs, all airlines and petroleum companies. At the airport level, the objective will be to sensitise everybody about the need for security awareness. Efforts will also be made to reorient employees and passengers and motivate them to do their best to
ensure fool-proof security. Each agency working at the airport level will be required to conduct an internal security audit and draft a time bound plan based on its findings. This would be later merged into an integrated action plan, the sources said. |
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J&K terrorism to be wiped out soon: Shahnawaz Dehra Dun, October 28 Speaking at a programme organised by the Uttaranchal BJP Minority Cell here yesterday, he said terrorists do not belong to any religion and Osama bin Laden cannot become an ideal for the Muslim community in the world. “Terrorism is giving a bad picture of Islam to the world which has to be stopped.” Islam says that killing a harmless man is equivalent to murdering humanity and saving one human being is akin to saving the whole humanity, he said. About the new the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), he said the law had replaced the TADA and the Muslims who believe that it had been made to harass them, were totally wrong in their thoughts. The law had been implemented to give more authority to the government to deal with the terrorists, he added.
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Ex-Japan PM arrives in Delhi New Delhi, October 28 Mr Mori, who will be here for three days, will hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He is also expected to convey a message from Mr Koizumi. He is also expected to meet Home Minister L.K. Advani, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Defence Minister George Fernandes. The talks with Indian leaders will focus on the post-war reconstruction and development of war-ravaged Afghanistan. The two countries are also expected to discuss a joint strategy to combat international terrorism. The visit comes three days after Japan announced lifting of economic sanctions on India imposed after May 1998 Pokharan II nuclear explosions. India has said it has “noted” the Japanese announcement and looks forward to healthier economic relationship with Japan.
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Dehra Dun — where Afghan legacy lives on Dehra Dun, October 28 From former Uttar Pradesh Sports and Forest Minister Sardar Aslam Khan to Anjuman Bano, all take pride in their links to the dynasty and become nostalgic of the days when monarchy used to thrive in Kabul under the rule of the ousted King. Sardar Khan, a nephew of Zahir Shah, said his uncle had come to Dehra Dun in 1958 and stayed with the family. Photographs of Sardar Khan’s forefathers — all rulers of Afghanistan — adorn his more than 100-year-old house at the posh Rajpur Road here. Both Sardar Khan and Zahir Shah are the descendants of famous Pathan warrior Dost Muhammad Khan, who ruled Afghanistan in 1826-63. Dost Muhammad was interned to Dehra Dun where he stayed for a short period, between 1839 to 1842, in exile at Mussoorie, a hill resort in the district. As US fighter jets bomb frontline areas of the Taliban, Sardar Khan watches events on his television set in his bedroom. “I have met chachajaan (King Zahir) several times. He first came to Dehra Dun in 1958 and stayed with us. Later, in 1972, I flew to Kabul to meet him, a year before he was ousted by his cousin and brother-in-law Daud Khan in 1973,” he says. “King Shah is the best bet in today’s situation in war-torn Afghanistan. He was very popular among the people there. If he is back then I am sure the crisis in Afghanistan would blow over,” he says. Sitting besides Sardar Khan is his nonagenerian mother Shah Bobo Zulaikha. “Afghanistan was a very peace-loving nation. The Talibanisation of that country has brought only death and destruction there”, she says.
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US attacks leave writers confused New Delhi, October 28 “Who is a terrorist, who is not?’’ says Hindi writer Rajender Yadav, who has suddenly become worried whether Hanuman could be described as a terrorist for burning Lanka. He is confused about the status of Bhagat Singh and Shivaji too. In the midst of confusion, however, the writers also are a determined lot — literature would see through the chaos and confusion, they say. “The stories will survive, the poems too. The language and the words also will survive,’’ says Ashok Bajpei, the noted Hindi poet. Famous Urdu writer Joginder Paul agrees: “Literature will come to the aid of the world to make people understand the point of view of the opponent so that even a terrorist becomes compassionate.’’ Discussing the ‘Role of writers in the atmosphere of Terrorism and Fundamentalism’ here last evening, the writers said they couldn’t see any difference between the September 11 terror attacks and the bombing of Afghanistan. “The people who died in New York and the people who are dying in Afghanistan belong to the same world,’’ says Punjabi writer Ajeet Caur. Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh said it was difficult to define a terrorist. “It was time the Americans thought why they were being targeted,’’ he added. Others who spoke included Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Ramu Gandhi and poets Manglesh Dabral and Gopal Sharman. The mood of the Indian writers in the time of terrorism was summed up by an Hindi writer Krishna Sobti: “If the word is alive, there will be change. Dissent is important in literature.’’
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Pradeep excelled in ‘royal’ roles Mumbai, October 28 Tall and fair, the debonair Pradeep Kumar, with his moustache always trimmed to perfection, was a favourite with women. Among his most memorable films were “Taj Mahal” and “Anarkali” with Bina Rai, “Raat Aur Din” with Nargis, “Nagin” with Vyajanthimala, “Subha Ka Tara” with Geeta Bali and “Shirin Farhad” with Madhubala. His film “Bandhan” with Meena Kumari and Moti Lal was awarded the President’s certificate of merit. “Bahu Begam” was another of his noteworthy films. “Jaagte Raho” with Raj Kapoor and “Raat Aur Din” with Nargis were also award winners. He also did many regional films in Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Rajasthani. Pradeep Kumar was also involved in film production. He made “Police Story”, Gateway of India”, “Badshah”, “Ek Naya Sajan” and “Fashion” with Madhubala, “Miss India”, “Adalat” and “Raat Aur Din” with Nargis and “Ek Mangetar and “Sajna Saath Nibhana” with Nutan. He came to Mumbai in 1949 and movie moghul S. Mukherjee cast him in Filmistan Productions on a three-year contract, during which he was not free to work with other production houses. Pradeep signed the contract and made his entry into Hindi films with “Anand Math”. His long tenure in the Mumbai film industry ended in 1994. Soon after that he suffered a stroke, followed by a slip disc and it was then that he decided to call it a day. He was born in Kolkata in 1923 as Sheetal. His father was a District Magistrate in the city and his grandfather was the founder of Sanskrit college. His family was horrified when young Sheetal began to show a keen interest in acting. After leaving college in 1942, Pradeep Kumar did a play called “Matir Ghar”, which further encouraged him to pursue his dream. In 1944, the actor met prominent film-maker Devki Bose and invited him to one of his plays. Bose was impressed and told him that he was casting him in his next film. It was Bose who gave Sheetal his screen name — Pradeep Kumar. His first film in Bengali was “Alakananda”. Bali Nayan was a huge hit and another film, “Baby Chaudhrani”, also did well.
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Rajnath invited by Muslim body in UK Lucknow, October 28 The Indian Muslim Federation, UK, a leading organisation of Muslims in Britain and recognised by the United Nations, has invited the Chief Minister for the reception for taking remarkable decisions in the interest of Muslims, an official press note said here today. President of the Federation Shamsuddin Agha, in a letter to the Chief Minister, congratulated him for completing one year in office and lauded the decisions taken by the state government under his leadership in the interest of the Muslim community, the press note said. Mr Agha said the aim of the federation was to organise meetings and seminars and publish newspapers for Indian Muslims. He said it was largest federation of Muslims in Europe. PTI |
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Ban on Deendar Anjuman upheld New Delhi, October 28 The organisation was banned in the third week of April in the wake of allegations that it was involved in attacks on churches and missionaries at some places in the South. The Central government declared Deendar Anjuman as an unlawful association under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as the activities of the Anjuman were detrimental to peace, communal harmony, internal security and maintenance of the nation’s secular fabric. In its verdict yesterday, the tribunal expressed satisfaction that there was sufficient cause for banning Deendar Anjuman. |
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Probe defence deals: poll New Delhi, October 28 According to the poll, conducted by the Centre for Media and Cultural Research (CMCR), 87 per cent of the people felt that in order to make defence deals transparent, these must be subjected to scrutiny by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) as well as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). About two-thirds of the respondents demanded that all defence deals of the past 15 years be probed afresh by the CVC and CAG to get to the truth of the commissions paid for the purchases of arms and defence equipment worth Rs 600,000 crore. Nearly everyone interviewed wanted that India should continue to develop its nuclear and missile programmes without bowing to pressure from any quarter. A massive majority (71 per cent) opposed the disinvestment of the public sector units (PSUs) in the defence sector. The majority rather wanted expansion of the PSU network in the sector and wished India to be self-reliant in defence equipment, arms and ammunition. About 58 per cent people were in favour of India exporting cheap and modern arms to the third world countries, which at present made purchases from the West at exorbitant rates. Interestingly, despite the Tehelka expose on the corruption in defence deals, the opinion poll rated Mr George Fernandes as the most popular Defence Minister in the country in the past 15 years. Mr Fernandes secured 36 per cent votes, followed by Mr Jaswant Singh (24), Mr Sharad Pawar (23.7), Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav (18.5), Mr Arun Singh (10.5) and Mr R. Venkataram (9.5). The CMCR opinion poll was conducted in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna, Gandhinagar, Guwahati, Lucknow, Dehra Dun, Jaipur, Bhopal, Nagpur, Shimla and Chandigarh between October 15 and 19. In all, 3,625 persons were interviewed.
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2 killed, 6 hurt in group clash Kolkata, October 28 Inspector-General of Police (Law and Order) Chayan Mukherjee told PTI that the clash between two groups of Kacharipara and Char-Shantipur began after a resident of Char-Shantipur, Amar Haldar, was stabbed to death allegedly by some persons belonging to other group. People from Char-Shantipur immediately reacted with counter-attacks on their rival and even began throwing stones at the policemen who went there to disperse the clashing groups. The SDPO Ranaghat then rushed to the scene with a strong police team. The police first resorted to lathicharge and then opened fire when the groups threw bombs and stones at them at Shantipur village. While a villager Niranjan Saha was killed in police firing, two others, including a woman, were critically injured and were later admitted to a local hospital. Four policemen were injured during brickbatting by the clashing groups, Mr Mukherjee said. The situation was now under control with the posting of a strong police picket, while the Superintendent of Police Ramphal Pawar was camping in the area, he said. The police suspect the clash was a fall out of last night’s skirmishes between two groups over immersion of Durga idols.
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Security at Ayodhya site to be revamped Lucknow, October 28 In an interview after the completion of one year in office today, Chief Minister Rajnath Singh said the government had viewed the VHP intrusion very seriously and was committed to ensuring that there was no recurrence of such an incident. Terming the October 17 incident of the forcible entry of VHP leaders as “unfortunate” and “serious”, the Chief Minister said strict instructions had been issued to security personnel deployed at the complex to maintain status quo as per orders of the apex court. As part of the security revamp at the site and to prevent fatigue from setting in, the government was contemplating shifting the security personnel deployed there after every six months, he said. Mr Rajnath Singh took strong exception to the opposition charge that he was privy to the VHP’s plans to storm the “isolation cordon” at the disputed area as he was present in Faizabad on the fateful day. “I reached Faizabad in the afternoon”, he said, adding that the incident of forceful entry had taken place in the morning. “As soon as I came to know about the incident I immediately ordered that the security around the complex be beefed up”, the Chief Minister said.
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Cong mourns Maragatham’s death New Delhi, October 28 In a statement issued here, the AICC said Mrs Chandrashekar’s death severed another link with the party’s glorious past. While recalling her active participation in the freedom struggle, the AICC said even at an advanced age, she was full of enthusiasm for strengthening the organisation. She relentlessly worked for the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden and was a living example for the younger generation to lead a simple life dedicated to the service of people. A close associate of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and Congress Working Committee member for a long time, she was entrusted charge of holding the office of the general secretary of the AICC, party treasurer and president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. Mrs Chandrashekar was also chairperson of the central disciplinary action committee. |
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Globalisation yet to deliver goods: L.M. Singhvi New Delhi, October 28 A Former High Commissioner of India to the UK, Dr L.M. Singhvi, who initiated the discussion on the New International Economic Order and Emerging Social Challenges organised by the PHDCCI on Saturday evening, said globalisation had yet to deliver the desired results and felt that the country’s national interest should not be compromised while integrating Indian economy with the rest of the world. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri said India had to evolve its own model of development since the USSR and USA models had failed to solve the country’s problems. It was unfortunate that the developed nations advocated globalisation of capital, production and services but were averse to globalisation of labour, Mr Shastri said. The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Dr Suraj Bhan, suggested that wastelands on both sides of railway tracks should be developed for the benefit of rural families. He also said that the Planning Commission’s allocation of resources on the basis of population acted as a disincentive to containing population growth. The Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Dr Bhai Mahavir said that India should ensure that the WTO was not used to promote the interest of the developed nations. He said that restrictions imposed on the ground of pollution and child labour needed a fresh review in case of developing nations. The Lieut-Governor of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Mr Vijai Kapoor said that India’s commitment to globalisation was no a conscious decision but was an escape route from foreign exchange crisis. He suggested that the northern states which lagged behind their counterparts in South should accelerate land reforms by replacing the feudal structure with a new class of entrepreneurs. The PHDCCI president, Mr Sushil Ansal, said that economic globalisation was an opportunity and should be used to the best of the country’s advantage. The state governments must create an investment friendly environment, promote competitiveness and initiate state-level reforms in various sectors. |
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Situation in Gonda calm Gonda, October 28 He said three policemen, including a SI, were suspended with immediate effect for dereliction of duty during the curfew. The IGP said 50 persons had so far been taken into custody for interrogation. Any decision for relaxation in the curfew would be taken after a thorough review of the situation, he said.
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Delay in elections worries DSGMC New Delhi, October 28 “We are ready for the off, and the DSGMC, which represents the Capital’s large Sikh community, is looking forward to a poll date from the Delhi Government,” senior panel member Manjit Singh, also member on the Advisory Committee of the Delhi Minorities Commission, said here. Mr Mr Hit’s predecessor Paramjit Singh Sarna some months ago moved the Delhi High Court in order to seek a date for the DSGMC’s annual executive polling, but the court directed the Delhi Government to hold the panel’s general elections, overdue since 1999, by January 31 next year.
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Rao’s relatives expect release soon Hyderabad, October 28 Family sources in Karimnagar said the negotiations with the Randhir Dalam Naxalites, who had kidnapped Rao on Friday, were almost complete and they were expecting his release at the earliest. They, however, did not disclose what the exact deal was and what negotiations took place but maintained they could establish contact with the Dalam Naxalites of Jansakthi group. Ten Randhir Dalam Naxalites had kidnapped Marthanda Rao and his son from their native village Koram, and later released his son with a note carrying some instructions to be followed for the safety and release of Rao. No case has been registered as the family members did not lodge a complaint in the regard the police said.
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ICAR award in Tau’s memory New Delhi, October 28 The award will be given to an all- India coordinated research project out of all coordinated research projects for the past 10 years for partnership research for most significant contribution to agricultural productivity. Apart from the coordinating cell, each of the identified outstanding cooperating centres will receive the citation and share the cash award. The nominations for the award will be invited directly from the project coordinator or project director during August and September of the year concerned. |
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Ajit favours smaller states Saharanpur, October 28 Strongly advocating formation of smaller states, he cited example of carving out of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh from Punjab that helped improve the economy.
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