Excelsior... Nation

Pak must give up rigid
stand on Kashmir: RSS

NAGPUR, July 17: RSS today said that unless Pakistan gave up its rigid stand on Kashmir, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s reciprocal visit to Pakistan would be of no use.....more

S M Krishna

K’taka to go for rationalisation of
IAS cadre posts

BANGALORE, July 17: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today informed the State Assembly that the Government has decided to go in for.....more

Jayalalithaa

Jaya criticises Karuna’s
decision to boycott Comm

CHENNAI, July 17: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, today alleged that DMK chief M Karunanidhi was showing "disrespect to judiciary" and....more

CPI suggests
continuation of people
to people dialogue

BANGALORE, July 17: Describing the talks between India and Pakistan at Agra as "failure," the Communist Party of India today said this led to disappointment among the people of both countries and suggested a continuation of people to people dialogue to improve the relation between the two countries.......more

KPs want Govt to
learn lessons from Agra

NEW DELHI, July 17: Kashmiri Pandits today blamed Pakistan for the breakdown of the Agra summit talks and asked New Delhi to "learn lessons" .....more

KPP has no links
with KLO, ULFA: Roy

SILIGURI, July 17: Kamtapur Peoples Party (KPP) president Atul Roy today reiterated that his party had no no link either with Kamtapur Liberation ....more

PHRC orders inquiry
into custodial death

CHANDIGARH, July 17: The Punjab Human Rights Commission, expressing deep concern over increasing custodial death in the state, has ordered an ...more

A kiss that
Musharraf missed

AJMER, July 17: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf missed a kiss, and some lessons in humility following a last-minute cancellation of his visit to the holiest of Sufi shrines.......more

Pak must give up rigid stand on Kashmir: RSS

NAGPUR, July 17: RSS today said that unless Pakistan gave up its rigid stand on Kashmir, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s reciprocal visit to Pakistan would be of no use.

Reacting to the inconclusive talks between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Vajpayee, RSS spokesman M G Vaidya told PTI that not much outcome was expected of the summit.

‘Unless Pakistan gives up its rigid stand on Kashmir, nothing is possible. Vajpayee’s reciprocal trip will also not bear any fruit’, he added.

To a question, he said Musharraf had earlier expressed his desire to meet Vajpayee on a few occasions and hence the latter extended an invitation to Vajpayee. (PTI)

K’taka to go for rationalisation of IAS cadre posts

BANGALORE, July 17: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today informed the State Assembly that the Government has decided to go in for rationalisation of IAS cadre posts and ruled out proposal to reduce these posts.

Replying to U R Sabhapathy (Cong) during question hour, he said, the Government was in the process of seeking central approval to its proposal for enhancing the promotion ratio of KAS (Karnataka Adminsitrative Service) officials to IAS grade from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

He said he has directed the State Chief Secretary, Thersa Bhattacharya to seek the central approval in this regard.

Krishna said in accordance with the interim report of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission, the Government has already decided to abolish the posts of divisional commissioners and appoint special officers in their place.

He said there were no vacant IAS, IPS and IFS posts in the state as of now.

Krishna said there were 213 IAS, 119 IPS and 151 IFS officials post in the state and the Government was spending Rs 7.34 crore, Rs 6.61 crore and Rs 4.43 crore respectively on these posts. (PTI)

Jaya criticises Karuna’s decision to boycott Comm

CHENNAI, July 17: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, today alleged that DMK chief M Karunanidhi was showing "disrespect to judiciary" and "disregard for public life and decency", by deciding to boycott the Justice A Raman Commission of enquiry, constituted to probe the alleged police excesses during his arrest on June 30 in a corruption case.

"To boycott the commission of inquiry, as being done by Karunanidhi, amounts to not only showing disrespect to the judiciary but also to displaying utter disregard for accepted norms of public life and decency expected from a former Chief Minister", Jayalalithaa said in a lengthy statement here.

As for Karunanidhi’s "unfounded apprehensions" on the functioning of the Commission, it could only be said that the stand taken by him for boycotting the commission was both "condemnable and lamentable", she said.

Quoting several instances in the past when judicial probes were ordered on excesses but police officials were not suspended, Jayalalithaa said since people had realised the truth about Karunanidhi’s "deception", and public’s interest in his arrest had died down, he suddenly came out with a revelation of a plot to eliminate him, which "strangely" he forgot to mention during his press meet immediately after his release from central prison here.

On July 11, Karunanidhi had charged that by defending his arrest and that of the two Union Ministers, Jayalalithaa was only indicating what kind of report was expected from the inquiry commission. (PTI)

CPI suggests continuation of people to people dialogue

Talking to newspersons after the conclusion of the three-day national executive meeting of the party here yesterday, general secretary A B Bardhan said people-to-people dialogue covering a wide gamut of top leaders, litterateurs and former defence personnel of both countries should be carried forward so that the atmosphere remained conducive for resumption of talks.

Mr Bardhan said the talks was just a step towards reaching the destination of peace and good neighbourliness. The two countries could not afford to continue to be at loggerheads if the problems of poverty and development had to be solved in the sub-continent, he added.

He said Pakistan must realise that cross-border terrorism should not continue if relations had to be improved and issues between the two countries, including Kashmir, had to be discussed and resolved.

Mr Bardhan said his party hoped that mutual recriminations would end and fresh opportunities arise during the forthcoming UN Assembly session and the invitation extended to Mr Vajpayee for visiting Pakistan would be seized for resuming talks at the highest level. In another resolution, the meeting demanded the resignation of Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, holding him singularly responsible for the mismanagement of the economy and the Unit Trust of India (UTI).

The Government should come to the rescue of UTI and help small investors by formulating a revival plan so that a crisis could be avoided, he recalled.

Mr Bardhan said the meeting also passed a resolution condemning the anti-ballistic missile test carried out by the Bush administration and felt that it was part of the preparation for ‘star wars’.

It urged peace-loving people all over the world to protest against the national missile defence programme of the us.

He said the meeting decided to organise a protest demonstration against the centre’s agricultural polices, which was "anti-farmer." it also appealed to all democratic forces to raise their voice against the dismantling of Public Sector Undertakings and to come out against "economic imperialism."

Yet another resolution urged the Vajpayee Government to immediately revoke the ceasefire extension beyond Nagaland. It demanded that the Centre take constitutional steps to guarantee the territorial integrity of Manipur, Assam and other north-eastern states. (UNI)

KPs want Govt to learn lessons from Agra

NEW DELHI, July 17: Kashmiri Pandits today blamed Pakistan for the breakdown of the Agra summit talks and asked New Delhi to "learn lessons" from it and "revise" its policy towards Islamabad and separatists.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was "repeatedly saying that he would come here with an `open mind’. But after the summit, it appears he had come here with an empty mind and closed outlook," said Ramesh Manvati, spokesman of Joint Working Council (JWC) of Panun Kashmir and Panun Kashmir Movement.

Appreciating the Indian Government’s stand on Kashmir and cross-border terrorism, he said Pakistan’s approach was not "pragmatic".

"We had expected that good sense would prevail on Pakistan. But it was not so," he said, adding the Government must realise the ground realities and deal sternly with militants.

Manvati said the executive of the JWC would meet to analyse the outcome of the summit.

Kashmiri Samiti vice president Sunil Shakdher said New Delhi should "learn lessons" from the experiences of Lahore and Agra and "revise" its approach.

"The mindset of Pakistani leaders can be judged by the fact that Musharraf very categorically described militants as freedom fighters," he said, adding it clearly indicated that "militants had support of the Pakistani establishment".

He said the Indian Government should "forcefully" project its case in the international fora to "expose" Pakistan. (PTI)

KPP has no links with KLO, ULFA: Roy

SILIGURI, July 17: Kamtapur Peoples Party (KPP) president Atul Roy today reiterated that his party had no no link either with Kamtapur Liberation Prganisation (KLO) or ULFA and said the Government was free to take any action against any militant.

But KPP would definitely oppose any torture on its innocent members and supporters at any point of time, Roy said, reacting to the comment made by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that KPP was raising funds for the militant outfit.

"The Chief Minister while proposing a dialogue with State Government at the same time accusing KPP for collecting funds for KLO", Roy said and added that the CM was purposely imposing an anti-national character on KPP without any proof.

Roy said that the proposed talks between the Chief Minister and KPP was only possible if more than 200 KPP undertrials were released unconditionally.

Earlier on July 15, the Chief Minister at a public meeting here said that KPP was still remained active in raising fund for the militant organisation, KLO which had a close tie with the ULFA.

"We will never allow any one to create an Assam like situation in the state. Peace to be maintained at all costs. Once peace is disturbed we can’t concentrate on development programmes", Bhattacharjee had said. (PTI)

PHRC orders inquiry into custodial death

CHANDIGARH, July 17: The Punjab Human Rights Commission, expressing deep concern over increasing custodial death in the state, has ordered an inquiry into the recent incident of custodial death of a person, Vipul Kimar in Ferozepur district.

Taking suo-moto notice of media reports about the incident, the full bench of the commission, headed by Justice V K Khanna yesterday ordered the Principal Secretary of the Commission to conduct the inquiry and submit its report by July 20 next.

The Commission also directed the concerned District Magistrate and IG (Prisons), Punjab to be present personally in the jail premises on July 17 next when the inquiry will be conducted. The inquiry officer has been also directed to record statememts of three other prisoners in the jail who were allegedly beaten up by the jail staff on July 14 last. According to media reports at least five prisoners have died in various jails in the state during last one month. (UNI)

A kiss that Musharraf missed

AJMER, July 17: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf missed a kiss, and some lessons in humility following a last-minute cancellation of his visit to the holiest of Sufi shrines in the country yesterday.

There was speculation amid the ‘Khuddams’ (servitors), and the media over whether General Musharraf, who fought in two wars against India, would go down on his knees and kiss the foot-end (paintey sharif) of Hazrat Muinuddin Chishty’s grave to pay his respects.

The ritual, ‘Qadam Bosi’ or kissing of the feet, was listed in the programme circulated by the Anjuman-i-Khuddam ahead of the visit.

But the Anjuman said the ritual was optional, and not integral to the ‘Ziyarat’ . "It depends on one’s devotion, it’s a way of showing humility, a Khuddam said not wishing to be identified.

But had the Pakistan President kissed the grave, he would only have followed in the footsteps of General Zia-ul-Haq, who visited the shrine as head of state in 1987, an year before he died in a plane crash.

Zia, Diwan-i-Dargah Zainul Abidin said, was so moved that he broke down while paying obeisance at the Dargah of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, as the Sufi saint is more popularly known.

Zia-ul-Haq refused to leave without offering evening prayers at the shrine, despite pleadings from his security detail, which wanted to avoid flying the President in a helicopter after dark, he said.

Zia was generous to the Khuddam, and brief in recording his observations in a register maintained at the Dargah.

"May Allah accept the service of the Khuddam, amen," he wrote in the register.

The Diwan, said to be a direct descendent of the saint, said Zia-ul-Haq gave him Rs 50,000 and, offered one lakh at the Dargah. But Indian Prime Ministers to have visited the shrine over the last decade were more eloquent.

Rajiv Gandhi, who was out of power when he came to pay obeisance in May 1991, said he "felt a peace at the Dargah at Ajmer".

Chandra Shekhar who came on an unscheduled visit a week after Rajiv, wrote: "I am delighted to be here. The Dargah is so pure, it provides strength to the entire nation."

But Narasimha Rao, writing eloquently in Urdu, said he had no words to describe the peace and solace he found at the Dargah. "We are all poor, so we come to the court of Gharib Nawaz (patron of the poor). I am convinced he will grant our wishes and the country will move forward on the road to prosperity and brotherhood."

Home Minister L K Advani, who came to seek the saints blessings in December last year, has his own ‘Vakeel’ (a servitor who leads devotees in prayers) at the Dargah. The minister said he felt "privileged to visit the shrine and offer obeisance and respects to it"’.

It is not too widely known that Hazrat Muinuddin Chisty was an Iranian by birth who adopted ‘Hindustan’ on divine bidding, says Rais Chishti, Sajjadanashin at the shrine of Sheikh Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri.

Rais Chishti led General Musharraf’s wife Sehba in prayers at the Dargah of Hazrat Shiekh Salim Chisti.

The Mughal emperors were great devotees of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, says Chisti.

Jehangir, who succeeded Akbar to the throne at Agra, wrote in ‘Tuzk Jehangiri’, a book on his life and times, that no monarch can rule without the patronage of ‘Walis’ (spiritual guides).

Akbar, he said, made it a point to seek blessings at the Ajmer shrine whenever he set out for, or returned from war.

After winning a difficut battle in Chittor, Akbar had a ‘deg’ (cauldron) installed at the Dargah in which food to serve more than 5,000 people can be cooked at a time.

When Akbar was blessed with a son, he walked from Fatehpur Sikri to Ajmer in thanks giving.

Legend has it that he gave his son Jehangir in the slavery of Gharib Nawaz. Jehangir is said to have helped in cooking food in the culdron and partook of it, sitting with the poor in the courtyard of the shrine.

Almost all the beautiful buildings surrounding the saints final resting place were constructed by the Mughals, and derive their names from them. Gaiti ara, a granddaughter of Shahjehan, is buried inside the shrine complex.

"It would have been good for Musharraf to walk through these imposing structures erected by rulers mightier than him for a sufi saint who had no love for materialistic possessions." (UNI)