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Left condemns armed operation |
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Congress sets eyes on capturing power in TN
Migrant workers troop out of Manipur
Changing Order
Brit teen raped in HP
Jairam’s mining decision angers green activists
AP top cop on warpath with EC
Aid must reach island Tamils, says Karunanidhi
Madni reveals links between LeT, Maoists
Two Pak ‘spies’ held in Jaisalmer
NCW: Try Shiney in fast-track court
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Lalgarh violence: CPM blames
TMC, Maoists New Delhi, June 19 It is another matter that the party’s first introspection meet ended up being overshadowed by the Maoist siege of Lalgarh, where CPM leaders have been killed and their supporters brutally assaulted and harassed. Though the party rushed to list TMC’s patronage for Naxals as the cause behind the worsening law and order situation in Lalgarh, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatta-charya did come under heat during the day-long meeting. Senior party members reportedly spoke of Budha’s lack of management of the issue and his over-dependence on bureaucrats. The CM, who later met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the Lalgarh situation and his budget aspirations, was reportedly under fire at the party meet for alienating the grassroots workers and failing to address development issues and matters of alleged police atrocities. The irony which senior communists remembered to mention at today’s meet was how in West Bengal the party leadership had miserably failed to communicate to the tribals the collective communist efforts that went into passing the Traditional Forest Dwellers and Tribals Act. Discussions on Lalgarh mainly centred around the report which Buddhadeb presented to the Politburo on the current situation. Interestingly, however, was to see the united front the CPM projected outside the conference hall, with senior West Bengal leader Biman Bose openly accusing the TMC of colluding with the Maoists. Citing the statement of Maoist leader Kishenji, who yesterday said the Naxals had helped Mamta in the Nandigram uprising and now Mamta should help them, Bose said, “This has vindicated our stand on the TMC-Maoist collusion. We have given ample proof of how TMC’s “rainbow” alliances were at work in Nandigram. That has been reiterated by Kishenji’s statement.”
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Left condemns armed operation New Delhi, June 19 “The operation is taking an unacceptable toll of civilian life and safety in an extremely backward area with sub-human living conditions and absence of public services and social opportunity worsened by unremitting police atrocities,” said Praful Bidwai, Sumit Sarkar, Tanika sarkar, Sumit Chakravartty and Achin Nanaik in a joint statement issued here today. “We deplore the reckless, self-serving violence of the Maoists, who have exploited West Bengal’s post-election chaos by using deprived and angry tribals as pawns and by attacking CPM cadres. This cannot be rationalised as just retaliation against the violence unleashed by the CPM over the years. The two kinds of violence only feed and aggravate each other,” reads the statement. Deploring the media for equating the Maoists with the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), they said, “Some self-proclaimed leaders have appeared claiming to represent the PCPA, but are openly preaching violence. Their actions can only invite more state repression. The PCPA has conducted a democratic and peaceful struggle among tribals for dignity and security, and against state excesses”.
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Congress sets eyes on capturing power in TN
Chennai, June 19 “Activists of the party will fulfil the wish of Rahul Gandhi by forming a Congress government in Tamil Nadu by 2011,” he said while speaking at the birthday celebrations of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi here. “It was Rahul’s wish to capture power in all states of the country,” he asserted. When asked whether the wish will be fulfilled in Tamil
Nadu, he said his party members would work towards achieving the goal in 2011 Assembly elections. The Congress which has 35 members in the Assembly is supporting the DMK, which has 96 members. Senior DMK leader and state minister had already asked party cadres to be prepared for contesting in all 234 constituencies, indicating that his party was not averse to going it alone. The Congress was forced to remain in the DMK alliance in the last Assembly elections, as its government at the Centre was relying on the DMK for survival. Now, the Congress government does not need DMK’s support at the Centre and afford to snap ties with the latter. The changed scenario at the national level had prompted Congress leaders to demand a share in power at the state, which the DMK has not accepted. A section of the Congress leaders is advocating that it should lead an alliance in the Assembly elections and rope in actor Vijaykanth’s
DMDK, which polled more than 10 per cent vote in the last Lok Sabha elections. The Congress had not contested alone after 1989, after the death of AIADMK founder MGR. It lost power to the DMK led by its founder ‘Anna’ in 1969 and it never returned to power after that. The AIADMK and the DMK have captured power in the state with the Congress
support many times over the past four decades.
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Migrant workers troop out of Manipur
Fear Factor DD staff flee
unit Guwahati: All six employees of Doordarshan manning the low-power transmission (LPT) unit at Haflong in the violence-ravaged North Cachar Hill district here have fled the unit after being served extortion notice by tribal militants of the Black Widow group. A senior technical official of Doordarshan said the panic-stricken staff posted at the unit left about 15 days ago, causing disruption of TV relay network in the hill areas
Guwahati, June 19 Imphal-based defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Mishra informed that 35 non-Manipuris have been killed by unidentified militants in the state so far, forcing panic-stricken migrant workers to leave the state in hordes. He said the needle of suspicion points to militants from Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) outfit, though it has yet to claim a responsibility for it. The situation has worsened after June 11 killings of four migrant workers from Bengal inside the Central Agriculture University campus near Imphal. The state government in coordination with local business community has opened two relief camps at Dharamshala and Kalibari to shelter and provide security to migrants. Around 170 persons have been housed in the twin camps. However, the migrants are moving out of the state in small groups out of fear. So far, at least 40-odd workers have left the state following series of attacks on them by armed miscreants. Manipur, where there has been a heavy deployment of security forces due to the insurgency situation, also has the highest police-people ratio with 627 policemen for every one lakh people. There have been sustained protests in the state for continued enforcement of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act by various NGOs, alleging gross violation of human rights in the name of counterinsurgency operations. PTI adds: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asked his Manipur counterpart Okram Ibobi Singh to effectively check attacks on migrant, particularly Bihari labourers, in the state. Kumar called up Singh this morning to register his “deep concern and anguish” over the recent attacks on labourers from Bihar.
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N-fuel can help reduce carbon emissions, says scientist
Chennai, June 19 In an interview to The Tribune, Dr PC Kesavan, working closely with renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan for developing strategies and models to fight famine in rural India, said the country should achieve the desired goal of reducing the carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2015. That could be achieved only through the use of nuclear reactors, he added. “The real and solid option, perhaps the only one, is the use of nuclear fuel. As the capital cost and uranium supply is becoming affordable, within two decades, India can be in a position to meet 10 to 16 per cent of its energy needs from nuclear power reactors,” said Kesavan, who was the Department Atomic Energy Chair in Nuclear Sciences and Sustainable Development. The radio biologist, who headed the bio-medical wing of Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, said the desired goal of reducing carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2015 could be achieved only through successful adoption of energy-saving and less carbon emitting technologies by the nation as a whole. Explaining the link between agriculture and global warming, he said the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas would lead to unprecedented floods initially. It would be followed by drying up of perennial rivers. The coastal land would be submerged. Melting of Arctic and Antarctic glaciers would lead to rise in sea level that would in turn lead to salination of coastal land, which would affect agriculture. “Scientific studies show that the rise of even 1°C in temperature will accelerate flowering and grain set and decrease the duration by a week or 10 days. It means the plants will have less time for photosynthesis, starch production and packing in seeds. The yield loss will be around 400 to 450 kg per hectare.” Commenting on specific agricultural problems in Punjab and Haryana, he said the two states were no more fertile due to indiscriminate irrigation using bore wells with free or subsidised electricity. The rotation of wheat and rice crops, and burning of wheat stalk, had also degraded the soil health.
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Changing Order
New Delhi, June 19 If the reports emerging from the Rail Bhawan are to be believed, the first of the schemes, which earned the undertaking huge profits, to see the change could be the “tatkal” bookings. Despite earning Rs 600 crore from the “tatkal” booking scheme, the Railway Ministry is all set to cut down on the available quota and also the premium on the tickets that are purchased by passengers at the last minute. Officials point out that seeing the success of the scheme, Mamata’s predecessor, Lalu Prasad Yadav had decided to increase the quota of available seats under the scheme to almost 30 per cent. It earned the Railways more than Rs 350 crore till October last and the officials put the figure to be over Rs 600 crore in the entire financial year. Tatkal berths come at a premium of Rs 75 to Rs 300, depending on the nature of the train and demand, and the booking windows are open five days before departure. The ministry is also looking at reducing the booking period under the scheme to allow passengers to have a bigger opportunity to access more non-premium tickets. During the past three years of his tenure, Lalu had more than doubled the number of “tatkal” seats. This made it harder for passengers to buy cheaper tickets in advance. Reports suggest that Mamata wants to give ‘aam aadmi’ touch to the budget and could bring about some more changes in the schemes started by her predecessor. Officials points out that the focus would certainly be on West Bengal in the coming Rail Budget, which is to be presented in the Lok Sabha on July 3.
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Brit teen raped in HP Palampur, June 19 The sources available here said 18-year-old tourist from Britain had been staying here for the past about two weeks. She was teaching in local schools under the aegis of a local NGO allegedly being run by missionaries. She had come here on a tourist visa along with a group of foreign girls working for the NGO. Yesterday, she took lift in a taxi near Tea Bud hotel. There were two persons in the taxi. They allegedly took her to a place near Neugal Café and both raped her in the vehicle at about 7.30 pm. After committing the crime the accused fled. Later, the victim went to her friends and narrated the incident. After about five hours the victim along with her friends went to the nearest police station and lodged a complaint at about 2 am. The sources said by the time the victim and her friends reached the police station, most of the officials were not present there. The police has registered a case under Section 376 of the IPC and started investigations. This evening the police managed to arrest both the accused. The SP, Kangra, Atul Fulzele, said that the accused had been identified as Sunil Kumar and Rakesh Kumar, both residents of Bundla village. Mohindra Balero used in the crime has also been confiscated. The victim has also identified the accused. The doctor who conducted the medical test of the victim when contacted by The Tribune said the victim had stated that she was raped by two taxi drivers. The samples have been sent for testing and the rape would be confirmed medically after the reports are received. Some residents while talking to The Tribune expressed shock at the incident. They felt that the incident might tarnish the image of Himachal as a tourist destination. In 2006 also a Belgium girl had also alleged rape.
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Jairam’s mining decision angers green activists
New Delhi, June 19 In fact, the environmentalists have questioned the terminology ‘degraded forestland’ on which Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said coal exploitation would be allowed to solve the country’s future power woes. Sunita Narian-led Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW) say the expression ‘degraded forests’ was unclear and ambiguous, thereby making the decision controversial. NFFPFW forest rights activist Souparna Lahiri termed it the move as a “preemptive kind of comment”. “The minister said around 55 to 60 pc of the forestland is degraded. I don’t know whether the data he is quoting is correct.” As per Forest Survey of India classification, said Lahiri, no terminology as ‘degraded forest’ existed. “Forests have been classified as open forest, dense forest and very dense forest. The percentage of forestland he (the minister) is talking about is contentious.” Another issue, said Lahiri, was that even these so called ‘degraded forests’ had their uses, especially for forest dwellers.
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AP top cop on warpath with EC
Hyderabad, June 19 Shooting off three letters in quick succession to state Chief Electoral Officer IV Subba Rao, the DGP, who was reinstated by the Congress government soon after taking over the reins, sought to know the reasons for shifting him during the polls. Even after the CEO replied that the action was initiated by the EC on grounds of poll code violations, an unrelenting DGP wrote another letter, asking him to spell out the reasons for his removal and to furnish a copy of the report submitted to the EC which had formed the basis for removal. The poll panel had, in March last, ordered removal of Yadav as DGP for showering praises on Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and the ruling party. The commission had appointed AK Mohanty as DGP. Yadav, a 1972-batch IPS officer, had found himself in trouble following his remarks eulogising the CM for undertaking several welfare measures and displaying ‘boldness’ in sanctioning a record 37,000 posts in the police department. Soon after assuming office last month, the CM ordered reinstatement of Yadav as DGP. The DGP kicked off a fresh row by firing letters to the CEO, seeking to know the reasons for poll panel’s action against him. The CEO contended that it was the unanimous decision of the three-member poll panel to replace Yadav and that he had merely acted as a messenger. The CEO also furnished to the DGP a copy of the order issued by the government at the instance of the EC to shift from the DGP’ s post. With the row threatening to take a serious turn, Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy stepped in and held separate meetings with the two officials and heard their versions. According to official sources, the EC is likely to take a serious note of the DGP’s letters and issue a warning to him soon. The opposition parties, including TDP, BJP, CPI and CPM, found fault with the DGP for questioning the EC’s action and alleged that the CM was behind the police chief's confrontationist approach.
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Aid must reach island Tamils, says Karunanidhi
Chennai, June 19 In a letter to Krishna, the CM said MV "Captain AIr", a ship carrying humanitarian aid collected for the internally displaced Tamils, was turned away by the Sri Lankan Navy. The ship was carrying about 884 tonnes of food, medicine and other relief material, which should have reached the people in distress, he said. “It is customary for the international community to send relief materials to the suffering humanity. Even in war zones, where battle is raging on, the relief material is distributed to the affected civilian population through international agencies,” said Karunanidhi, adding that the Centre should intervene and persuade the Lankan government to allow unloading of relief material. “This intervention on purely humanitarian grounds will go a long way in helping the displaced Tamils, who are now housed in makeshift camps,” he said, adding that he was deputing state minister K Ponmudi to personally take up the request with Krishna.
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Madni reveals links between LeT, Maoists
New Delhi, June 19 “He (Madni) revealed that LeT was acting in coordination with Maoists in
Jharkhand. He has acted as conduit for LeT and provided training to recruits in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and sent them to India to carry out terror strikes,” the public prosecutor told the court which extended the police remand of Madni for seven days. The Delhi police, which is interrogating
Madni, contended that his custodial quizzing was necessary to ascertain his emails details and bank account which revealed transactions to the tune of Rs 25
lakh. Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Yaduvanshi allowed the plea of the police, which has arrested the militant under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The 50-year-old
Madni, a resident of Bihar who acquired Nepalese citizenship, was arrested on June four from near Qutub Minar area in South Delhi and produced before the court after the completion of 14 days police custody.
— PTI
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Two Pak ‘spies’ held in Jaisalmer
Jaipur, June 19 Addressing a press conference here today, ADGP (Intelligence) Devrajan said the accused have been identified as Morey Khan (33) and Abbas Khan (47) of Hajibalekhan Ki Dhani in Ramgarh area of Jaisalmer. Morey Khan is a contract labourer. He also used to sell bedsheets and blankets in Jaisalmer. He had visited Pakistan last year and had stayed there at his cousin’s place. Similarly, Abbas Khan had also gone to Pakistan in 2007. His sister is married there. Morey apparently told cops that a couple of persons, reportedly from intelligence agencies, had approached him when he visited Pakistan and asked him about some information on Indian Army. Since then he had been giving them inputs, mostly through mobile phone. Morey had been informing them about troop movement and location of army posts. He was also receiving money for the job from his bosses in Pakistan. The accused have been booked under Official Secrets Act and are being brought to Jaipur, said the
ADGP.
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NCW: Try Shiney in fast-track court
Mumbai, June 19 Speaking to reporters here, NCW chairperson Girija Vyas said a speedy trial was essential to render quick justice in the case. “A prolonged trail could result in the victim and witnesses being influenced...,” Vyas said. According to Vyas, she was in the city to meet the victim. She also agreed to meet Anupam, wife of the actor. Among those who sought a meeting with Vyas were the parents of the victim. Shiney is in judicial custody till July 2. He is lodged in the Arthur Road jail.
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Sarod maestro passes away CBI raids Patil’s flat Sena cancels function Horror for pregnant woman Swine flu count touches 50 TRS chief quits Koshiyari’s volteface
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