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PM’s statement on CHENNAI, Dec 23: Prime Minister A B Vajpayee’s statement that building a Ram temple at Ayodhya was a "national aspiration" was a well thought out......more Dogri writer among 21 win NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Oriya writer Pratibha Ray and eight poets are among 21 writers who have won this year’s Sahitya Akademi Awards.......more
Kumarakom ready KUMARAKOM (KERALA), Dec 23: The Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom, near Kottayam, is all decked up to receive Prime Minister A B Vajpayee ....more |
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RSS backs
up ban NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Backing the ban on beauty contests in Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has advised State Chief Minister .....more Army orders inquiry into NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Army today ordered a high-level inquiry into last night’s attack by militants on a battalion headquarters located within the ...more Parliamentary Comm NEW DELHI, Dec 23: A Parliamentary Committee has slammed Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for its "negative approach" in wiping out .....more ONGOLE (ANDHRA PRADESH), Dec 23: P Vijayawa Kumar Reddy, ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA died here today, following cardiac arrest. ....more Hijack, crash, moves NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Kandahar hijack, the July air crash in Patna and several small accidents brought to the fore aviation security and safety in the......more |
PM’s
statement on temple was ‘political CHENNAI, Dec 23: Prime Minister A B Vajpayee’s statement that building a Ram temple at Ayodhya was a "national aspiration" was a well thought out "political conspiracy" to play the Hindu card, according to Samajwadi Party president and former Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. He told reporters here that there was a steady slide in the support to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the largest Indian state where it was ruling, as the minorities, the backwards classes and the dalits were opposed to it’s policies. The Prime Minister’s statement on the temple was with a view to wooing the upper castes people, whose votes were crucial to the party, keeping in view the Assembly elections in the state early next year, Mr Yadav claimed. Even the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was playing into the hands of the BJP in this aspect, he alleged. In the recent local body polls, his party had established its "pre-eminence" in the state, he further claimed. Whatever may be the game plan of the BJP, it was sure to lose in up and his party would capture power there, Mr Yadav, asserted. To a question, Mr Yadav said the Congress party was shedding crocodile tears for the women as that party had not done anything for women although it was headed by a woman. The Samajwadi Party chief tried to erase the general impression that his party was opposed to reservation for women. He only wanted proper representation of women from backward classes and minority communities and was not opposed to reservation as such. Mr Yadav is here to attend a rally organised by the newly formed Yadav dominated political party the "Tamil Makkal Katchi". (UNI) |
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Dogri writer among 21 win Sahitya Akademi Awards NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Oriya writer Pratibha Ray and eight poets are among 21 writers who have won this year’s Sahitya Akademi Awards. Pratibha Ray won for her short stories ‘Ullanghan’. Joy Goswami (Bengali) has been awarded for ‘Pagli Tomar Sange’, Mangalesh Darbal (Hindi) for ‘Hum Jo Dekhte Hain’, N D Mahanor (Marathi) for ‘Panzad’, N Gopi (Telugu) for ‘Kalanni Nidra Ponivvanu’, R Ramachandran (Malayalam) for ‘R Ramachandrante Kavithakal’, Ramanand Renu (Maithili) for ‘Katek Raas Baat’, Ambar Bahrachi (Urdu) for ‘Sookhi Tahni Par Hariyal’ and Pandurang Bhangui (Konkani) for ‘Champhel’li Sanj’—all poetry. The awards have been given in 21 languages, including english which was won by Kiran Nagarkar’s novel ‘Cuckold’. The awards were announced by the Akademi Board last evening. The awards carry Rs 25,000 and a plaque each. They will be presented here on February 20. The other awardees are Apurba Sarma (Assamese) for ‘Baghe Tapur Aru Anyanya Kahini’ (short stories), Bandhu Sharma (Dogri) for ‘Meel Patthar’ (short stories), Vinesh Antani (Gujarati) for ‘Dhundhabhari Khin’ (novel), Shantinath Desai (Kannada) for ‘Om Namo’ (novel), Hari Krishna Kaul (Kashmiri) for ‘Yath Raaz Daanay’ (short stories), L Premchand (Manipuri) for ‘Bemagi Phanek Machet’ (short stories), Ramlal Adhikari (Nepali) for ‘Nisansmaran’ (essays), Waryam Singh Sandhu (Punjabi) for ‘Chauthi Koot’ (short stories), Param Abichandani (Sindhi) for ‘Taka Tora’ (criticism) and T G Sivasankaran (Tamil) for ‘Vimarsanangal Mathippuraikal Pettikal’ (criticism). Dogri writer Bandhu Sharma and Kannada writer Shantinath Desai have been awarded posthumously. (UNI) |
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Kumarakom ready to receive premier KUMARAKOM (KERALA), Dec 23: The Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom, near Kottayam, is all decked up to receive Prime Minister A B Vajpayee who arrives here on December 26 on a week-long vacation. This beautiful hotel on the shores of Vembanad Lake is well spruced up with state-of-the-art facilities to make the chief guest feel at home. "Each and every aspect of the hotel management has been meticulously taken care of to please the premier," a top functionary of the Taj Kerala Hotels and Restaurants (Kerala) Limited told UNI. The hotel employees are excited and awaiting his arrival. Mr Vajpayee’s knees are also likely to get the expert ayurvedic touch of Kerala. It is learnt that preparations are being made to bring in a team of physicians from the Coimbatore Arya Vaidya pharmacy for rejuvenating therapies with medicated oil. The hotel itself is a hive of activity in preparation for his visit. National geographic traveller has rated Kerala as one of the 50 finest tourist destinations in the world. This is only reiterated by the Prime Minister’s visit to the state, often described as "god’s own country," said a Kerala tourism official. The bird sanctuary at Kumarakom normally has migratory visitations from june to August, but the winged visitors are on an extended stay this time around. Though Mr Vajpayee is not scheduled to go on a boat ride, it is likely that he will spend a few hours boating or in a house boat, a special attraction at Kumarakom. Hotel authorities told UNI that security officials had already identified one of the 22 rooms in the resort for Mr Vajpayee’s stay and it had been given a face-lift. More facilities were also being added. "The particular room has apparently been selected with an eye on security," he said. During Mr Vajpayee’s stay, no tourist would be allowed to stay in Taj Garden Retreat. All previous bookings have been cancelled with effect from the afternoon of December 24. The tourists, mostly foreigners, have been provided alternate accommodation in other hotels by the management. "The hotel will become sterile from tonight and will be vacated by tomorrow afternoon," a police officer in charge of local security said. Though the PMO was yet to finalise the menu, the taj Retreat has made arrangements to bring in a team of chefs from its hotels in Mumbai. The menu would include "Karimeen", a special variety of fish found abundantly in the backwaters. The hotel is also arranging for a one-hour cultural programme in the evening, featuring Kerala’s traditional art forms like Kathakali and Ottanthullal. Big names in each art form are being contacted for a special performance. "We are thinking of having a special programme on new year’s eve and also on January one," a top hotel official said. Except for attending a BJP meeting at Mammen Mappillai Hall at Kottayam on January one, the Prime Minister has no other engagements during his week-long stay, BJP sources said. However, political analysts attach some significance to the visit as Mr Vajpayee is likely to meet spiritual leaders as part of the BJP’s political strategy in the background of the coming Assembly elections. Mr Vajpayee is to land at the Government high school grounds at Kumarakom and proceed to the hotel by road. He would leave for New Delhi on January two. (UNI) |
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RSS backs up ban on beauty contests NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Backing the ban on beauty contests in Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has advised State Chief Minister Rajnath Singh to stick to his decision despite adverse reactions and impending pressures from several quarters. Patting the Chief Minister on his back, an editorial in the RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya has warned him to be prepared for the impending pressures to revoke the ban in the name of "human freedom". Talking to UNI, RSS spokesman M G Vaidya said there must be a distinction between freedom and permissiveness. "All these pageants are aimed at provoking sensuality and are therefore against our cultural value system." The ban imposed last week snowballed into a controversy after the Loktantrik Congress Party, the main ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Uttar Pradesh demanded its revocation. Following the ban, an event management firm, fantasies, of Lucknow had even filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court seeking permission to organise a beauty contest, but it was dismissed. "It is but natural that those who are making money by provocative display of flesh and their secular associates have been frustrated by the ban," the Panchjanya editorial says. Suspecting a design behind India suddenly emerging as an assembly line for beauty queens at the global level, the editorial says it is a well-planned strategy to enhance the sales of cosmetic products manufactured by foreign companies. Announcing the ban, Mr Rajnath Singh had said that beauty contests were a manifestation of nudity and had nothing to do with intellect. He had also accused the MNCs of spreading the culture of beauty contests to boost their business. (UNI) |
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Hijack, crash, moves for divestment mark aviation in 2000 NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Kandahar hijack, the July air crash in Patna and several small accidents brought to the fore aviation security and safety in the Indian skies during the year that passed even as the Government went ahead full steam with moves for divesting the stakes in Air India (AI), Indian Airlines (IA), ai-subsidiary Hotel Corporation of India and privatisation of select airports. Following the eight-day hijack episode last year-end involving an ia aircraft, which left one passenger dead as terrorists were exchanged for the captives, India suspended flights to Kathmandu. The flights were resumed in June after several rounds of talks with Nepal on increasing security at the Tribhuvan International Airport. However, the Ministry, which deployed CISF personnel at nine airports and wanted to post them in all the 120-odd airports across the country to beef up security was stopped in its tracks and further deployment was stalled following complaints by some MPs of alleged harassment at the hands of CISF guards. The crash of an alliance air aircraft at Patna on July 16, which claimed 56 lives, brought forth sharply the need for proper maintenance and replacement of the ageing fleet of the national carriers. The Ministry failed to get Parliament’s approval to the draft civil aviation policy even after contemplating tabling it in both houses during the winter session. Official sources said the draft was still awaiting clearance from three Ministries concerned to which it has been circulated. On the disinvestment front, Government has plans to sell 60 per cent of AI’s Government-held equity to strategic partner, financial institutions and employees, while it also wants to off-load 26 per cent of stakes of IA to private bidders. Six contenders remained in fray to pick up stakes for strategic partnership with AI, while about four groups are still in the race for buying up 26 per cent shares of IA. For AI, technical bids would be invited by January. The parties who are in the race for AI and IA include Tata-Sia Consortium, Hindujas and Videocon. While IA has finalised a proposal to acquire five Boeing-737 and two A-320 aircraft in a phased manner, AI is also in the process of procuring some planes on dry lease. The year saw the ministry concluding bilateral agreements with several countries as part of the liberalisation process, thereby augmenting the seat capacity to the tune of 17,000 per week saying it would enormously enhance the value of AI at the time of its disinvestment. To link feeder routes, the Government decided to procure turbo-prop 60-seater ATR aircraft for ia for operations in the Northeast, while exempted air operators from paying taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for operations in the region. (PTI) |
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