Excelsior... Nation

President K R Narayanan

Environmentalist Anil Agarwal bags Borlaug Award

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: Distinguished environmentalist Anil Agarwal has bagged the prestigious Borlaug Award this year for his "crusading" work in ...more

GUWAHATI, Dec 27: Insurgency related violence continued to dominate Assam throughout the year with a reoriented ULFA killing more than hundred ....more

Atal Behari Vajpayee

BJP’s stand on temple
issue stirs political scene

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: BJP’s "unapologetic" stand on the Ayodhya issue stirred the otherwise dull political scene at the end of the year as Prime .....more

Security beefed up
in border areas

JAISALMER, Dec 27: Security has been beefed up in border districts and nearby cities of western Rajasthan following a spurt in militants’ activities, police said here today.....more

Ceasefire, new states, North-East violence mark 2000 on homefront

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: The momentous decision to declare ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir followed by its ..more

Ms Sonia Gandhi

Parliament fails to make use of extended Winter session

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: The Parliament failed to make use of an extra one week in the ...more

Amitabh Bachchan

Gameshows change face
of Indian television forever

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: If one were to pinpoint the single most outstanding media phenomenon this year, it would ...more

President, Vice-President greets Muslims on Id

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: President K R Narayanan and Vice-President Krishan Kant today greeted Muslims on the . ...more

Environmentalist Anil Agarwal bags Borlaug Award

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: Distinguished environmentalist Anil Agarwal has bagged the prestigious Borlaug Award this year for his "crusading" work in creating environmental awareness in less developed countries.

President K R Narayanan will present the coveted annual award, instituted by coromandel fertilisers, at a function here on January five to agarwal who heads the Centre for Science and Environment.

Besides presenting the award which carries a gold medal, a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a citation, narayanan would also deliver the millennium address on "freedom from hunger and poverty", a spokesman of coromandel fertilisers said.

The coromandel lecture would be delivered by Prof Peter H Raven, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, on "the world of nature: The future of humankind", the spokesman said.

Agarwal, who has earned international recognition for leading the crusade for a safe environment, has been elected by the UNEP to its ‘Global 500 roll call’.

He has been involved in bringing into focus the crucial problems facing the country such as water management, rain water harvesting and community based water management strategies to meet the needs of the poor.

The award was instituted in 1971 to honour Dr Norman E Borlaug for his pioneering work in wheat. (PTI)

GUWAHATI, Dec 27: Insurgency related violence continued to dominate Assam throughout the year with a reoriented ULFA killing more than hundred Hindi-speaking people even as the State Government induced many ultras to surrender.

The first day of the millennium began with the ULFA blowing up an ONGC pipeline at Disangpani area in Sibsagar district damaging 20 ft of the Lakwa-Moran pipeline and causing damage worth Rs six lakh.

This was followed by many more attempts of sabotage by the ULFA like blowing up an oil pipeline at Numaligarh in Golaghat district over River Dhansiri causing a dent to the Duliajan-Barauni crude oil pipeline and the outfit’s attempt to blow up a gas pipeline between Halmari and Bahdari in Dibrugarh district.

But what shocked the state was a change in the ULFA’s tactics, probably under the influence of Pakistan’s ISI, as it began targetting the Hindi-speaking community of the state killing more than hundred people within a span of one and a half months.

The massacres of the non-Assamese began on October 21 when ULFA militants attacked Nauholia village in Dibrugarh district killing four people and the very next day eleven people were massacred at Kakojan in Tinsukia district.

The scene of violence then shifted to lower Assam as nine members of the Marwari community were killed on Diwali-eve on October 27 in Nalbari district and this was followed by killing of eight people at Sukhrungbari in Barpeta district.

Seven Marwaris were killed in Sibsagar district on November 17 and after a brief lull, three Biharis were hacked to death in Tinsukia but the major killing spree by the banned outfit was in Sadiya when they killed 29 Biharis inside a remote forest bordering Arunachal Pradesh while they were returning from the market on December seven.

In what appears to be a retaliatory attack, several family members of ULFA cadres were either killed or attacked and this included an attack on the house of the outfit’s commander-in-chief Paresh Barua at Jeraigaon in Tinsukia district and the killing of ULFA foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury’s elder brother Deepak Choudhury at Halosa village in Nalbari district.

The State Government, however, continued in its effort to bring more militants to the mainstream by making them surrender. Altogether 1,740 militants have surrendered so far this year which includes several top leaders like "Captain" Ramen Nath, Lohit Deuri, Dilip Boro and Subrata Sarania. (PTI)

BJP’s stand on temple issue stirs political scene

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: BJP’s "unapologetic" stand on the Ayodhya issue stirred the otherwise dull political scene at the end of the year as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee sought to do a difficult balancing act keeping the saffron support intact while maintaining the NDA flock together.

In fact, the main opposition Congress attempts to corner the Government on the resignation of three chargesheeted ministers took a difficult turn as the "moderate" Vajpayee came out for the first time in support of the Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya, calling it a reflection of national sentiment.

As Vajpayee sought to ease the restlessness within his party and the Sangh Parivar over keeping the issue on the backburner due to compulsions of heading the NDA Government, he raised the hackles of "secular" allies who made it clear that they would not tolerate raking up of any issues put on the backburner in NDA’s agenda of governance.

After making the "right noise", the allies also backed the Government to the hilt in the Congress-sponsored censure motion. But an ally like Trinamool Congress is also said to be keeping its options open in view of the Assembly elections in West Bengal and the need to address the minority vote.

However, the allies’ support came even as the Prime Minister reiterated his statement that temple issue was a national movement but made it clear that Government would abide by the court verdict and not deviate from NDA agenda.

However, beginning of the year saw the BJP going on the backfoot when the entire opposition nailed the treasury benches on the Gujarat Government’s decision to allow its employees to participate in RSS activities. The opposition said the Prime Minister’s controversial statement had exposed his image as a moderate.

Opposition leaders believe the RSS issue, Prime Minister’s statement in the US that he was a Swayamsewak and the party’s adamant stand on the Ayodhya issue were in fact part of BJP’s strategy to test the waters as regards the allies and for a possible snap poll. (PTI)

Ceasefire, new states, North-East violence mark 2000 on homefront

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: The momentous decision to declare ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir followed by its extension kindled a glimmer of hope in the militancy-hit state at the close of the year that also witnessed creation of three new states and renewed spurt in violence in the volatile North East.

Close on the heels of the Kandahar hijack, the year began on a grim note with Pakistan-backed militants striking in a big way killing 36 Sikhs in the sleepy hamlet of Chhatisinghpura in J&K coinciding with the visit of US President Bill Clinton to India in March.

Down south, a prolonged kidnap drama by forest brigand Veerappan in the western ghats of Tamil Nadu raised concerns over links between extremists organisations apparently influenced by the dreaded LTTE.

Following Pakistan’s defeat in the Kargil conflict last year, the terrorist strategy underwent a major change with installations of security forces becoming key targets and suicide squads coming to the forefront.

Overcoming initial setbacks, security forces geared themselves up and launched a major offensive to gain a distinct upper hand by carrying the battle to terrorists hideouts all over the state. Their sustained efforts turned the tide with the militant outfits suffering heavy losses particularly those run by foreign mercenaries.

Summing up the development leading to the ceasefire declaration, Home Minister L K Advani told PTI that "never before had the militants suffered such attrition as they suffered this year.

"But what I regard as a more significant achievement in respect of J&K scene is that the manner the Government, by taking a series of initiatives, has established its credentials as a country desirous of peace, not only among the people of J&K but also in the international community at large", he said.

According to Advani, the first decision in this context was to release the jailed Hurriyat Conference leaders.

Next, when the Hizbul Mujahideen, an organisation comprising militants belonging to J&K, decided to avail of the Government’s willingness to talk to militants who laid down arms, the group declared a unilateral ceasefire, the Home Minister said.

But an unhappy Pakistan ensured that the ceasefire was called off by exerting pressure on Hizbul leadership operating from that country, masterminding another major strike on Amarnath pilgrims in Pahalgam and five other places. Over a hundred people were killed in early August.

Not allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the dimension of the terrorist attacks, the security forces sprang to action again hitting back in a major way.

Emboldened by the successes on the ground, a confident Government announced a unilateral ceasefire in J&K on November 19 which came into force with the beginning of Ramzan on November 27.

Despite the ceasefire declaration, Advani said violence in J&K had not ended though there had been some decline.

"Shelling along the Line of Control has come down considerably. Infiltration, which used to be generally under the cover of Pakistani shelling, has also reduced," Advani said.

Just ahead of the conclusion of the winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced on December 20 a month-long extension of the ceasefire beyond Ramzan.

Even as the Government took bold initiatives, ideologically hard-baked groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, which are against the ceasefire, struck at army camps in the historic Red Fort, right in the heart of the capital, as also at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar in the third week of December.

Undeterred by the attacks, the Government announced that it would not call off the ceasefire. A majority of people in J&K welcomed the decision, keeping the hope alive for return of much-needed peace.

Terming the creation of the three new states of Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhatisgarh as an "important development", Advani said "the people of Jharkhand and Uttaranchal and to a lesser extent those from Chhatisgarh have been struggling for creation of these states. (PTI)

Parliament fails to make use of extended Winter session

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: The Parliament failed to make use of an extra one week in the Winter session because of continuous disruptions by the opposition on the Ayodhya issue.

The session was also marked by bitterness between the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the leader of the opposition Ms Sonia Gandhi, who accused each other for the disruptions.

Normally the Winter session of Parliament has 20 working days. However, 25 days working days were granted for this Winter session. The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted by the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal who kept up their demand for sub reservations for the OBC class and the minorities.

According to statistics on functioning of Parliament during the Winter session a total of 60 hours were lost because of Ayodhya-related disruptions in the Lok Sabha. However 24 and a half hours were made up through late sittings of the House. The Rajya Sabha proceedings were also disrupted for eight days on the same issue.

In the Lok Sabha, which discussed the Ayodhya issue under Rule 184, the opposition-sponsored motion under Rule 184 was negatived by a convincing margin. In the Rajya Sabha the Government was censured under Rule 170 since it is in the minority in the Upper House.

It was an action replay of the 1978 scenario when the then Government headed by Morarji Desai had faced a similar situation.

Number of Government bills pending consideration and passing has increased from 18 to 27 at the end of the Winter session of Parliament, though it had discussed and passed a total of 17 bills.

The bills passed included the Companies (Second Amendment) Bill 1999, the Coal India (Regulation of Transfers and Validation Bill 2000 and the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill 2000.

According to statistics 29 new Government bills were introduced.

The much-talked of Womens Reservation Bill, known as the Constitution 85th Amendment Bill, 1999, was almost buried following the failure of the parties to come to a consensus on the provisions of the bill. Though the bill was first introduced in 1996 as the 81st Amendment, the efforts of the Government and the Lok Sabha Speaker to hammer out an agreement have failed.

The Lok Sabha had discussed the floods, which resulted in a national calamity in several parts of the country, and disinvestment in public sector units as matters of urgent public importance (Rule 193). The House had received 181 notices under this rule.

At the commencement of the session the House had a total of pending 144 private members’ bills. At the end of the session the figure increased to 149. (UNI)

Gameshows change face of Indian television forever

NEW DELHI, Dec 27: If one were to pinpoint the single most outstanding media phenomenon this year, it would undoubtably be the advent of gameshows as prime time revenue generators, and the bitter battle which ensued between the main players Zee, Star Plus and Sony for supremacy in the aftermath.

Lovingly called the ‘Idiot box’, the small screen suddenly became purveyor of knowledge and that too competitive knowledge, after Rupert Murdoch controlled Star Plus launched ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC) in July with superstar Amitabh Bachchan as host, heralding its transition to an all-Hindi channel.

And this was the beginning of a new era on television. What KBC brought with it was sweeping changes to TV viewing and made knowledge itself a source of entertainment, besides bringing to the forefront the importance of money as prizes which forced even dieheard non-quizzers to watch KBC daily.

While the channels were busy scoring (rating) points over each other, the Government on its part took two major decisions - permitting Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcast and privatisation of the FM radio service.

While DTH is set to revolutionise television watching in India once the guidelines become clearer, including the 20 per cent cap on broadcasters, privatisation of FM is also being seen as a progressive step which is expected to improve broadcast quality and provide the consumer with choices.

The growing consumerism and increasing reach of television channels, well past urban areas and metros to semi-urban and rural households, forced the main players including state-owned Doordarshan, to devise newer programmes.

A mixture of entertainment and knowledge was the offshoot of this philosophy, and both DD and Star Plus capitalised on it, albeit in different ways, forcing others to follow suit.

DD, which still retains its premier position in terms of both reach and viewership within the country was metamorphosed under the aegis of Prasar Bharti and restructured operations including launch of several regional language channels besides its very own news channel during the year.

Meanwhile, KBC has become the focal point around which all of the channels’ programming revolves; Unheard of advertising rates like Rs three lakh per 10 minutes have done the rounds on this show. So, audience pull has resulted in sound economics for the channel, which might break even in India much earlier than projected.

In KBC, Star found the first-mover advantage and played its cards right to push down more than four of rival Zee’s top 10 programmes between July and October.

What Zee did was to imitate Star and launch a gameshow of its own called ‘Sawaal Dus Crore Ka’ - which subsequently bombed and is now mired in a legal battle. (PTI)