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India to sign Hague Convention
Govt briefs CPM on neighbours
Uttarakhand poll: Cong, BJP may field all sitting MLAs
Mumbai poll: NCP deadline to Cong
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Karunanidhi creates stir over Hindu gods
Sonia condemns Asom violence
Noida: Fake claimants a headache
Moninder, Surendra undergo
brain-mapping
Moninder hospitalised
Social boycott of Pandher family declared
Ardh Kumbh warms up for peak period
FIR against him, yet Sirsa man gets LoI for domestic airlines
Advanced aircraft engine school on anvil
IAF to allow its airports for civil flights
Five run over by train
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India to sign Hague Convention
New Delhi, January 7 Participating in the panel discussion on “Private International Law,” he said with the adoption of Hague Convention Indian citizens would “get legal protection abroad.” The non-recognition of marriages performed in India often comes in the way of a harassed bride seeking legal redress abroad and the Hague Convention enables member-nations to recognise marriages held in another country. He said India should go in for bilateral agreements with those countries, where large chunk of the Diaspora live, so as to protect their legal rights. Singhvi emphasised the need for international legal aid for Indians stranded abroad and foreign nationals stranded in the country. He cited the Supreme Court judgements and said even the Indian Constitution by Article 245 (2) has clearly stated that the residual powers are not restricted by the territorial boundaries. The huge Indian Diaspora spread over 110 countries today faces acute and severe problems on account of marriages, divorces, adoptions, inter parental child removal and property disputes. The signing of The Hague Convention will facilitate reciprocal recognition of orders of Courts of signatory countries. NRIs settled in various countries, specially in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia were finding it hard to settle inter-continental marital and child custody disputes as these countries even refused to honour the judgements of the Indian Supreme Court. Even children born in such failed marriages faced problems as foreign authorities were wiry of implementing custody awards given by Indian court while foreign court orders were not implemented in India either in absence of appropriate legislation. In its bid to assist Indian women who have either been deserted or divorced by their husbands overseas within a year of marriage, the government has finalised a scheme to provide them free legal and counselling services. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) proposes to introduce this scheme in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the Gulf. The assistance will be provided to NRI women as well as foreign citizens of Indian origin. The scheme would cover women deserted in India or overseas within one year of the marriage and divorce proceedings initiated by the spouse within one year of the marriage. Legal aid will also be provided if there is an ex-parte decree of divorce or annulment of the marriage is obtained by the spouse and a case of maintenance or alimony is required to be filed.
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Govt briefs CPM on neighbours
New Delhi, January 7 Aiming to mend fences with the BJP which has been highly critical of the government in pursuing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and being soft on terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began the new year by first inviting the top leadership of the BJP to apprise them of the situation in India's neighbourhood and the initiatives taken to put bilateral relations on an even keel. Yesterday, it was the turn of the CPM for a similar exercise as the party has consistently expressed reservations about the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. "We were briefed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the situation in our neighbourhood, especially Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal," CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat observed after a meeting with Dr Singh and his senior colleagues lasting more than two hours. With Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri in tow, Mr Karat told mediapersons that the government expressed concern over the developing situation in Bangaldesh where the major 14-party alliance headed by the Awami League had decided to boycott the upcoming General Election. The situation in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan also came up for review, a spokesperson of the PMO said. On Pakistan, the CPM leaders were informed that Mr Mukherjee was going to Pakistan to invite President Pervez Musharraf for the SAARC summit in April. The External Affairs Minister will be meeting his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri during his stay in Islamabad on January 13-14 to invite the leadership of the neighbouring country for the summit of the South Asian regional grouping. Soon after the CPM Central Committee held indpeth discussions on crucial economic and foreign policy issues in Kolkata, their top leaders met Mr Mukherjee and union Finance Minister P Chidambaram here on Friday. The meeting assumes importance as it comes when the government has begun consultations on the union budget for 2007-08. The interface with the central leadership comes in the backdrop of the Singur controversy with the CPM seeking a major overhaul of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 coupled with amending the Special Economic Zone Act and rules. Simultaneously, J and K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is believed to have asked the Centre to ask Pakistan to provide details of its four point proposals for resolving the protracted Kashmir problem.
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Uttarakhand poll: Cong, BJP may field all sitting MLAs
Dehra Dun, January 7 "Keeping in view the good performance of our MLAs, they may be repeated in the elections," Congress spokesman Surendra Kumar said. However, he added that a final decision in this regard would be taken by the party high command. But sources in the ruling Congress said the party was likely to repeat all its 40 MLAs from their respective constituencies. Most of these MLAs will find their name in the first list which would be declared by month-end. However, the sources said the applications of two to three MLAs, who are facing corruption and other charges, would be sent to the party high command for the final decision. Meanwhile, the party has advanced its date for receiving applications from candidates for the elections from January 15 to January 8. The BJP is also contemplating repeating 19 MLAs in the elections. State BJP general secretary Ajay Bhatt said the candidates were likely to be finalised after January 14. Mr Bhatt also said there were chances that most of the party MLAs would be repeated but made it clear that the party high command would finalise the names. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a key regional party, would repeat its four MLAs and announce the candidates for 30 seats in the first list shortly. "We are repeating all four MLAs," said a UKD spokesman. NCP president Surya Kant Dhasmana said his party would field 40 candidates in the coming Assembly elections. — PTI
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Mumbai poll: NCP deadline to Cong
New Delhi, January 7 Talking to mediapersons after the party’s working committee, NCP spokesperson D.P.Tripathi said they were keen that seat-sharing talks were clinched, stating that the NCP’s top priority was to consolidate secular forces.The Congress and the NCP have held several rounds of talks on sharing of seats for the crucial elections to the 227-member Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) but these discussions have remained inconclusive. The NCP, which fought the last civic poll separately won only 14 seats, has staked claim on 90 seats. This is not acceptable to the Congress which is not willing to concede more than 50 seats. A large section in the Congress is not keen on giving too big a share to the NCP on the plea that the latter does not have a major presence in the Mumbai area. The Congress resistance stems from a fear that it will be yielding political space to the NCP in an area where it is presently weak. The NCP, however, maintains that the situation has changed as the party has made a dent in the Mumbai region. The Mumbai civil polls are critical as the BMC is a cash-rich body. It has so far been dominated by the Shiv Sena combine and the Congress.
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Karunanidhi creates stir over Hindu gods
Chennai, January 7 He said erecting the statues of “fully clad Periyar” in front of temples was far less objectionable than having nude idols of Hindu gods. Talking informally to reporters after a high-level Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) meeting last evening, Mr Karunanidhi supported the installation of atheist Periyar’s statues near Hindu temples saying, “Periyar’s statue depicts him wearing shirt and dhoti. But some idols inside the temples are nude. What do you do with such idols?” Citing two examples of Hindu gods in nude in two famous temples of Tamil Nadu, one in Chidambaram and one in his native district of Tiruvarur, he said, “For instance, you have the Vallabha Ganapathi idol at Chidambaram temple and the Utchishta Ganapathi idol at Tiruvarur, where even the priests are so embarrassed that they keep the idols covered with pieces of cloth.” Though Mr Karunanidhi claims to be an atheist, his family members visit temples and he too wears a yellow shawl over his shoulder, which is considered to be religious in South India. Being a staunch follower of Periyar, he said the late rationalist leader was also a Hindu and an atheist and asked, “Is there not a space for atheism within Hindu religion itself?” Known to be a “religion basher,” the octogenarian Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had earlier also made controversial remarks regarding various small statues adoring the temple towers in Tamil Nadu since they depicted postures from the “Kama Sutra.” He had then said Hindus should not object to Periyar’s statue after having accepted such erotic representations on their temples. However, this time he directly flayed Hindu deities. Following his earlier remarks he came under severe criticism from the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and various other Hindu groups, which were against the installation of a Periyar statute in the temple town of Srirangam last December. Periyar had founded the Dravidar Kazhagam, a social reformist anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin movement in the first half of the 20th century, and his followers had installed his statue in front of the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, near Tiruchi, one of the leading Vaishnavite shrines in the country. The statue was damaged at night and led to an uproar in Tamil Nadu followed by arrests of some suspects who were slapped with the National Security Act. The DK immediately replaced the damaged statue with a bronze one within 24 hours and is being guarded by the police still now, while Periyar followers allegedly attacked Hindu temples and threw bombs at a famous temple here. The Chief Minister’s last evening’s remarks are likely to create a storm in Tamil Nadu, where despite such a long history of atheist and rationalist movement, majority of the people are religious minded and followers of
Lord Ganesh.
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Sonia condemns Asom violence
New Delhi, January 7 She said instead of leading to any solution, such violence will only retard the economic progress of the state. “Violence has no place in in a democratic country like ours. Solution to all problems can be found through dialogue,'' Ms Gandhi said in a statement. She appealed to the people of Asom to maintain peace and tranquility in ''this hour of difficulty,'' stating that she had instructed the state government to provide security to the people and adequate compensation to the victims' families. “I am pained and feel deeply for those unfortunate victims and their loved ones,'' she added.
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Noida: Fake claimants a headache
Noida, January 7 But there are many among this motley crowd whose real aim is to land Rs 5 lakh compensation, a plot of land and a government job in this heap of pain and grief. Though the Nithari tragedy has shaken the people by and large, there are some pseudo claimants who are trying to cash on the compensation. The police had recovered lot of clothes, chappals and slippers of the missing children from D-5, Sector-31 and the drain around it. Now, the police is directing the people to Sector-20 police station to search the signs of their wards gone missing amongst the articles stored in a room. But a large number of fake claimants have become a headache for the Noida police. Ram Sharan from Faridabad in Haryana sifted through the articles and took out a pair of slippers which he claimed belonged to his missing son Ankur. Ankur was two years old when he had gone missing a year ago. The police later found out that Ram Sharan had claimed a No 7 slipper to be his son’s which will normally fit a 12-year-old child. When the police screwed him further, Ram Sharan walked out of the police station muttering that all proofs had been burnt and destroyed by the police. It is not that only Nithari residents who are flocking here, but people from far off districts are also trooping into Nithari whose children had gone missing. Some are carrying photographs of their children while others try to search out the missing kids’ belongings. Some make mistakes while other willfully blunder around with pseudo claims. According to police officials, the announcement of Rs 5 lakh, a plot and a government job to the grieved families seemed to have opened a floodgate of pseudo claimants for the compensation. The police is, however, investigating all such dubious claims.
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Are VVIPs avoiding Nithari?
Noida, January 7 It may be added that Mr Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mr Kalyan Singh, Ms Mayawati, Mr Yadav and Mr Raj Nath Singh had to lose their elections and chiefministership of Uttar Pradesh when they chose to visit Noida a little before the Assembly elections. After that the Noida jinx had virtually prevented the incumbent chief ministers to take the risk of visiting Noida and losing the office. But Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh Thakur, who is not a chief minister and who is otherwise frequently seen here to inaugurate programmes, lay foundation stones and preside over functions, has not visited Nithari even once. He was in Noida just yesterday to enquire about the health of a state minister admitted to a hospital here.
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Moninder, Surendra undergo
brain-mapping
Gandhinagar, January 7 A Narco-analysis test on the due is expected tomorrow, according to FSL director J Vyas. Both polygraph (lie-detection) and brain-mapping tests was initiated on Pandher today after biometric tests were done yesterday. The accused were taken yesterday to Civil Hospital here where blood and urine samples of the duo were taken apart from
ECG, X-ray of chest and abdomen. The duo were brought here on January 5.
— UNI
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Gandhinagar, January 7 Pandher, a diabetic, was hospitalised where doctors are trying to stabilise his blood sugar level, they said. A senior official of the Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) here, where he and a co-accused are being subjected to tests, said Pandher's condition was stable and doctors were only trying to bring his blood sugar level to normal. Moninder and Surendra today underwent brain-mapping and lie detector tests at the DFS here under tight security. A Narco-analysis test on the due is expected tomorrow, according to FSL director J Vyas. — PTI
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Social boycott of Pandher family declared
Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 7 The Baba Sidh Pandher Committee with its headquarters at Roshiana village in Ludhiana district called upon the members of the Pandher fraternity settled in India and abroad to socially boycott the family of Moninder Singh Pandher who, according to the committee, had brought a bad name to the otherwise noble clan believing in teachings of Guru Granth Sahib. Referring to the decisions taken at a meeting presided over by Mr Jaswinder Singh Pandher, the state president, Mr Raghbir Singh Pandher of Saharanmajra, member of the SGPC, said all present had unanimously resolved to socially boycott the family of the accused. “The inhuman sin allegedly committed by Moninder Singh had degraded the whole community in the eyes of people across the world. As his action has done an irreparable loss to the Pandher clan, we deemed it fit to shun all types of dealings with his family and any other person who deals with him,” said Mr Raghbir Singh Pandher while talking to The Tribune. Mr Pandher claimed that hundreds of Pandhers, having achieved apex positions in civil and defence administration, felt degraded by the reports of acts committed by Moninder Singh. A majority of the residents of the village, on the other hand, though apparently shocked over the reports of gruesome serial exploitation and killing of several children at the hands of a son of a renowned family of the village, still rallied around the family.
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Ardh Kumbh warms up for peak period
Allahabad, January 7 'Bada Udasin Akhara', having about
15,000 'ashrams' across India, today took out a ceremonial procession
marking its entry into the Ardh Kumbh Nagri at Sangam. It is the only 'akhara'
procession which is joined by locals and the Muslims. 'Joona', 'Agni',
'Niranjani', 'Anand' and 'Awahan akharas' had earlier made their
ceremonial entry, while 'Mahanirvani', 'Atal', 'Naya Udasin' and 'Nirmal
akharas' will arrive here by January 13. Spiritual leader Morari Bapu
reached here by a chartered plane and began his discourse on the legend
of lord Rama. Others reaching the mela ground included Dwarkapeeth
Sankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Swami Maheswaranand Puri,
who has been living in Vienna for over 30 years and has come with a
large number of foreign disciples. However, poor quality of water in
the Ganga continues to be a matter of concern. The BJP activists staged
a 'dharna' at the Sangam today in protest against the UP Government's
alleged inaction over the pollution in the Ganga. Swami Hari Chaitanya
Brahmachari, a saint, has even threatened to take "Jal
Samadhi" on January 12 if the quality did not improve by
then. Authorities, however, expressed confidence that there would be a
marked improvement in water quality with the release of more water over
the next few days. Meanwhile, boatmen have called off their strike
following an agreement reached over the number of passengers they would
ferry to the Sangam in a single trip. — PTI
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FIR against him, yet Sirsa man gets LoI for domestic airlines
Chandigarh, January 7 Mr Gopal Goel, alias Gopal Kanda, had sought a licence to run a domestic airlines in the name of MDLR Airlines. It is learnt the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has already issued him a letter of intent (LoI). However, the fiery Congress MLA from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, alleging that by issuing the LoI to the Sirsa business man, the country’s security had been jeopardised. In a letter written two days ago, Mr Dalal alleged that Mr Goel’s name figured in an FIR lodged by officers of the Haryana power utilities on forcible occupation and demolition of a building owned by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) at Sirsa. The complex comprised the nigam’s power house, residences of the Superintending Engineer, the Executive Engineer, the Sub-Divisional Engineer and others. The incident occurred on the intervening night of December 4 and December 5, 2004, when the INLD government led by Mr Om Prakash Chautala was in power. Incidentally, Mr Chautala also belongs to Sirsa district. The FIR was lodged on June 14, 2005, a few months after the Congress ousted Mr Chautala and his party out of power. Mr Goel’s brother and a few other persons were arrested in the case. But he had evaded arrest so far because of his contacts with several influential politicians of Sirsa district as well as a few from outside the district. Also, he commanded money power. The Congress MLA alleged that till 1999 Mr Goel’s only known business was a retail shoe shop in Sirsa. The Haryana Financial Corporation put a factory, Kanda Polymer, owned by Mr Goel’s family, to auction in December, 1999, to recover a loan. The same year the Chautala government came to power and suddenly Mr Goel was rolling in money. Accusing Mr Goel of amassing wealth through underhand means, Mr Dalal alleged that he (Mr Goel) had tried to get a licence for a colony in 2006 on land already acquired by the government in Sector 19 of Sirsa. However, his efforts to get the licence failed after the issue was raised in the Haryana Assembly through a starred question (No. 350 of 2006). Mr Dalal alleged that in 2004, the crime branch of the Delhi Police arrested a notorious gangster on M.G. Road in a Honda car. The impounded car belonged to Mr Goel. Mr Dalal said it was strange that when a person against whom an FIR was pending could not be given a passport, the government agencies had issued an LoI to Mr Goel. He said he had brought these facts to the notice of a number of central departments, but in vain. They had merely forwarded his (Mr Dalal’s) complaint to the Haryana Director-General of Police.
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Advanced aircraft engine school on anvil
New Delhi, January 7 Paul-Andre Chevrin, Director of civil operations in India for the French aviation major Snecma, told India Strategic magazine that this will be the fourth school of its kind in the world and it would train some 500 engineers from India and other countries in South Asia. CFM International, the world's leading aero-engine manufacturer, is a 50:50 partnership between Snecma and General Electric of the US. Its CFM56 has powered all the Boeing 737 engines produced in the last 23 years, and it is also offered on the Airbus A320 family. Over half of all aircraft engines produced in the last five years are CFM56. Chevrin said that an evaluation was on to choose a suitable location for the school. This should be a place with substantial existing aviation activity. CFM will provide two dedicated engines, one each for Boeing B737 and Airbus A320 applications, as well as instructors and the training material for the school. It is looking for a partner in India to provide the building and logistics for the school. It has three similar schools at present - in the US, France and China. Engines usually represent about 25 percent of an aircraft's price. A CFM56 engine logs an average operational flying time of 10 hours/day, or roughly, 3,000 hours/year. It can be serviced without removal for up to 20,000 flights, with a record set at 36,000 hours. In comparison, a motorcar engine is required to be fully overhauled after 3,000 hours or running. Chevrin said that aviation growth in India was tremendous and the training at the CFM School - given to already-trained engineers - would help strengthen proficiency and safety standards. A course typically lasts about two weeks. Notably, except two, all the other airlines in India are buying Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 series jets with CFM engines. CFM56 is based on the core of General Electric's GE 101 engine, which was developed for the US Air Force's B-1B Lancer Strategic Bomber.
— IANS
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IAF to allow its airports for civil flights
New Delhi, January 7 The Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff is quoted as saying in India Strategic magazine that the Indian Air Force could make more of its airports available for civilian flights on a case-to-case basis. Even Pune, the primary airbase for the country's advanced nuclear-capable SU 30 MKI jets, was now an international airport. The same was true for the Indian Navy, which had opened its Goa airbase for civilian flights. The air chief said that the growth in civil aviation would be good for the country's economy, and accordingly for the armed forces. From providing pilots to opening of air routes and airbases, wherever something could be done without compromising the security of the country, "we would do what can be done". He noted that history proved that economic development could take place only if there was peace. — IANS
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Five run over by train
Jaipur, January 7 According to police sources, the accident occurred when the victims were crossing the railway line after attending the Chouth Matha Mela, organised in the district. Chief Public Relations Manager North West Railway S.B. Gandhi said four people died on the spot while the other on the way to hospital. He said the Railway had not
announced any compensation as they were not bonafide passengers but tresspassers, and hence not eligible for any compensation.
— UNI
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Petrol stations to sell train tickets
New Delhi, January 7 The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has tied up with Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) to launch an e-ticketing initiative to help people book tickets at BPCL outlets like petrol pumps and LPG distributor locations.
— PTI
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Mamata better
Kolkata, January 7 “Her condition is improving. If this improvement continues, we may release her soon,” said Dr Sundershan Ghosh Dastidar.
— PTI
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Man dies after bee attack Radio Mirchi for jail inmates Lion scare in Gujarat village Singing for
105 hours Elephants trample woman
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