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Sunday,
November 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt has lot to explain in winter session
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MP Congress panel recast India’s Greenpeace warrior back home
Meghalaya ministers get portfolios 36 stalls gutted
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Veerappan offers to
surrender Chennai, November 17 An emissary of Veerappan had delivered an audio cassette, purportedly from the brigand, to Mr A.S. Mani, editor of the Tamil magazine ‘Netrikkan’, on November 7. In the cassette, Veerappan made the offer to surrender and wanted the Special Task Force of the two governments to be withdrawn from the forest as a condition for opening a dialogue with the government on the modalities of surrender. The brigand wanted the government to express its willingness for a dialogue through media reports and the All India Radio. He would then send his response through another audio cassette.
UNI |
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Govt has lot to explain in winter session New Delhi, November 17 With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttaranchal due early next year battle lines are being drawn with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance being pitted against a rejuvenated Congress-led Opposition. Indications are that major parties like the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Left parties could join hands to score over the ruling benches. The session would begin on a sombre note as the two Houses would pay tributes to the Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Madhavrao Scindia, who died in an air crash last month. Scindia has been replaced by an equally experienced and efficient member, Mr Shivraj Patil as the Deputy Chief of the Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. An expert on Parliamentary rules and regulations, the performance of the former Speaker would be keenly watched by both the Opposition and the ruling benches. The US-led war against terrorism, India’s response to it and further developments would dominate the initial proceedings. The government has a great deal to explain, especially the re-induction of Mr George Fernandes as Defence Minister. The opposition has indicated that it would take the Government to task over the expansion of the Council of Ministers and in the process the Tehelka issue is likely to be revived. The ongoing debate over the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance is also expected to generate much heat during the session. Opposition members are unhappy and angry with the government for introducing the ordinance without any consultations. The declaration at the recent Doha Ministerial Conference would echo once again in Parliament with the Opposition saying that it was not happy with the developments at the World Trade Organisation. While the government is determined to take credit for several concessions secured by India and the developing world, the Opposition is likely to focus on the losses at the meeting. Similarly, the Ayodhya issue could also resurface as the opposition parties would like to grill the Prime Minister over his secret parleys with the concerned groups. The ban on SIMI, the omission of Bajrang Dal, saffronisation of education and other ideological issues would also be raked up. Food management is likely to be a contentious issue and the Government would have to explain its proposal to do away with the existing procurement policy. The members are not expected to be unruly in their behaviour as Parliament, in the last session, decided that members trooping into the well of the House would invite automatic suspension. There are 24 Bills which were introduced in the last session and some of them would come up for discussion during the winter session. These include the Delhi Apartment Ownership Bill, 2001, The Competition Bill, 2001, The Lokpal Bill 2001, The Electricity Bill, 2001, The Communications Convergence Bill, 2001 and the Indian Council of World Affairs Bill, 2001. |
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MP Congress panel recast Bhopal, November 17 Both Mr Prajapat and Mr Agarwal have been kept out, Mr Prajapat being behind the bars and the latter presumably because of his serious allegation of plotting to eliminate him against Radha Krishna Malaviya which the party high command must have found too wild and irresponsible. Besides, Mr Agarwal mentor Motilal Vora is now in Chhattisgarh and Madhavrao Scindia, who had got Mr Agarwal included in the working committee last time, is no more Mr Prajapat was considered Mr Lalaviya’s nominee in the PCC working committee. The new working committee has 97 office-bearers and members, over 10 more than in the previous one. All the factions have been adequately accommodated but the changed circumstances give a pre-eminent position to the Chief Minister. Over 10 supporters of the late Madhavrao Scindia have, for instance, been taken in the Working committee. Some of them did create problems for the Chief Minister in the past. But now virtually leaderless, they will have but to look up to Mr Digvijay Singh. Mr Arjun Singh in the past had joined hands with Mr Madhavrao Scindia to destabilise Mr Digvijay Singh but now he is said to be having the best of relations with Mr Digvijay Singh. Mr Arjun Singh’s son, Mr Ajay Singh, is a member of the state Cabinet, and Mr Digvijay Singh has, through his gestures, been dropping enough hints that Mr Ajay Singh may be the next Chief Minister. Veterans like Motilal Vora, Shyama Charan Shukla and Vidya Charan Shukla do have their supporters on the working committee but they are likely to be no more than “yes men” since their leaders are now in Chhattisgarh and have no effective say in the affairs of Madhya Pradesh. That leaves only Mr Kamal Nath. His supporters, too, have been accommodated adequately. But Mr Kamal Nath has never posed a serious threat to Mr Digvijay Singh. In the past, he had made noises only to divert the attention when Mr Digvijay Singh had seen potential threats from other quarters. In the Congress circles, Mr Kalal Nath has been seen as one whose primary interest lies in money rather then in power for the sake of power. For that matter, nothing can be better for him than his “younger brother” Digvijay Singh presiding over the state government. The new working committee has, apart from President Radha Krishna Malaviya, 11 vice-presidents, 14 general secretaries, 19 secretaries and one treasurer. |
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India’s Greenpeace warrior back home New Delhi, November 17 Nazareth, who arrived in New Delhi by the Austria Airlines from Los Angeles, received a warm reception at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). His flight was considerably delayed because of the November 12 plane crash in New York. Nazareth, 14 other activists and two freelance journalists, were arrested by the FBI at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in the USA on July 14, before being taken to a maximum-security federal facility in Bakersfield, California. Vandenberg Air Force Base launches Minuteman II missiles, which are used to test elements of President Bush’s planned Star Wars system. Greenpeace delayed the July 14 missile test for 40 minutes. Although none of the individuals have been found guilty of a crime, they were put into jail with people accused of serious criminal offences, at one point sharing “one open toilet with 30 men,” Nazareth spent more time in jail than the other activists after the prosecution alleged that he had come into the country on a fake passport. This unfounded claim, which was disapproved through the tireless efforts of the Indian government, forced Nazareth to spend 10 days in jail. Nazareth got bail on $ 25,000 and was permitted to travel to his country after naming the sureties. Nazareth is to report 10 days in advance for the case, which is fixed for January 8, 2002. Nazareth, who wore a confident look, declined to talk about his life in prison or about the case as the matter is sub-judice and could be held against him in the court of law. Today, with his father, Nazareth left for Nagpur, his hometown. Born to Retd. Wing Commander Stanley and Amalia Nazareth, Samir is a post-graduate in economics from Pondicherry University. What happened to be a final semester report turned out to be a cause for Samir as he took up Solid Waste Management Issues through the small but well-known NGO Shrishti here. Samir’s romance with Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of Greenpeace, is a long one and not restricted to just this one crusade. He has already been aboard the ship for the ‘No More Bhopals and Toxic Free Asia Campaign’ Commencing from Mumbai, he cruised across the Thai coastal belt, including Bangkok to Manila, Phillipines and the Japan. |
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Poaching of musk deer continues Dehra
Dun The musk deer is listed as ‘endangered’ species in the Red Data Book of IUCN (1974) and the Indian Government has banned the trade of musk deer since 1991 by enforcing the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act of India. But according to a recent study conducted by Dr. Ira Tewari of the Department of Forestry, Kumaon University, Nainital, poaching of musk deer continues virtually unchecked and trading persists on a large scale despite the adoption of some conservation measures by the government. The musk deer (Moschus moschiferous linnaeus) belonging to class Mammalia and family Cervidae has been used by humans for various economic, aesthetic and socio-religious purposes since time immemorial. It holds a place between deer and antelope, and is regarded as an under-developed form of deer, which has not progressed with the rest of its family. This timid and solitary animal weighs about 9 kg to 12 kg and has a gall bladder, with males having a pair of canines and the musk gland, which lies below the umbilicus just in front of the prepuce. The pod attains its full size of about 4 cm, when the deer is 136 weeks old. The weight of the pod varies from 40 g to 70 g, containing 10 g to 40 g of fresh musk in solid or semi-solid state. The study report of Dr Tewari further states that the unique quality of musk is one of the important factors for its high value in the international market. Besides flavouring delicacies, it is also used in costly wines and in perfumes for its fragrance. It is also highly revered for its medicinal value in ayurvedic, unani, Tibetian and Chineese systems of medicines. Musk is regarded as a cardiac and general stimulant; it increases blood circulation and raises the arterial tension. It is also used as an aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic and in cases of chronic cough. Used in 150 ayurvedic medicines, it has also been described as a life saving drug in Sachitra Ayurved. The gelatinous brown musk secreted by the deer fetches $ 40,000 to $ 60,000 per kg in the international market. The data collected by Dr Tewari put the value of global musk trade in the USA at $9 million to $10 million and it is expected to rise. In the Himalayan region of Uttaranchal, particularly in Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts, poaching of musk deer is highly organised and the poachers operate in groups. Each hunting trip into the jungle lasts over a week and about 15 animals are killed to get five pods. Shooting is normally avoided due to ITBPF checkposts in the area along the Indo-China border where musk deer is found. Tracking dogs, snares and spears are the most common means of poaching. It also minimises the risk of detection by the forest officials. During the peak winters, the upper areas of these districts get cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snow and the people who stay there also normally hunt this animal for meat and valuable musk. Dr R.S. Tolia, Principal Secretary (Uttaranchal Government), Department of Forests and Wildlife, said that the conservation of this rare animal is of utmost importance today, as it is fast heading towards total extinction. Necessary steps have been taken up by the state government by involving local people in getting information of poaching and the whereabouts/activities of the poachers. There is also a proposal under the consideration to upgrade the existing musk deer centre for their rearing and breeding. |
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Meghalaya ministers get portfolios Shillong, November 17 NCP Legislature Party leader Lotsing A. Sangma, who has been elevated to the post of Deputy Chief Minister has been given Home (Police) besides his earlier departments of Planning and Programme Implementation. The Finance portfoliohas been given to Dr Donkupar Roy who will continue to hold Health and Family Welfare. The four ministers of state, who were given portfolios last night were Mr Rasor Rani, Mr Methrona R. Marak, Mr Abdul Saleh and Mr B.A. Sangma.
PTI |
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36 stalls gutted Siliguri, November 17 According to fire brigade sources, eight fire engines fought the blaze for four hours before it was brought under control.
A Fire Brigade personnel received injury when he was attacked by some youth for alleged delay in arriving at the spot, the sources said. Additional Superintendent of Police, K. Jayraman, said electric short-circuit could be the reason behind the fire. |
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Crowd
of book-lovers at a Kolkata children book-fair shows that good
books still enjoy mass readership. 
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