Excelsior... Nation

Home Minister L K Advani

Advani leaves for 8-day
visit of Germany, Turkey

NEW DELHI, June 24: Home Minister L K Advani left here today on an eight-day visit of Germany and Turkey during which India is scheduled to....more

NHRC recommends
steps to check child
trafficking to Saudi Arabia

NEW DELHI, June 24: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Centre and the West Bengal Government to. ...more

Areas along
Indo-Nepal border
identified to depute SSB

PATNA, June 24: Atleast 63 areas along Indo-Nepal border, running through the bordering districts of Kishanganj, Motihari and Sitamarhi, in Bihar have ...more

Centre to review issues arising out of ceasefire

NEW DELHI, June 23: Faced with stormy opposition to the ceasefire accord with the ....more

Muslim Jagriti Manch
objects to some scenes
in ‘Gadar’

LUCKNOW, June 24: Close on the heels of angry protests over the screening of Hindi movie ‘Gadar’ in Bhopal recently, Muslim Jagriti Manch ...more

Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie

Due diligence for VSNL begins on Monday: Shourie

NEW DELHI, June 24: Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie today said due diligence exercise for privatisation in state-owned VSNL will begin from ....more

UN session to set target
for national strategies
on HIV drugs

NEW DELHI, June 24: Even as the Government expresses its inability to provide subsidised treatment to AIDS patients, the UN special session on. .....more

MLA of Akali Dal
passes away

CHANDIGARH, June 24: Mr Balbir Singh Nathana, MLA of the ruling Akali Dal died at the PGI Hospital here late last night following a brief illness, party sources said here today. ....more

Advani leaves for 8-day visit of Germany, Turkey

NEW DELHI, June 24: Home Minister L K Advani left here today on an eight-day visit of Germany and Turkey during which India is scheduled to sign extradition treaties with the two countries.

Advani, accompanied by senior officials, will stay in Germany till June 27 and hold talks with Interior Minister Otto Schily and Justice Minister Herta D Gmelin.

"Extradition treaties with these two countries have been negotiated and finalised and the Home Minister will sign them during his visit," a Home Ministry spokesman said. Advani will be in Turkey from June 28 to July one.

Advani will have detailed discussions with Gmelin and Turkish Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen on issues of mutual interests, particularly international security and terrorism and steps to deal with them, he said.

They will also exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and in the region and the draft international convention on terrorism as proposed by India, the spokesman said.

On his way back, Advani will have a stopover in United Arab Emirates.

He is likely to impress upon the UAE Government the need for responding to India’s request for extradition of some notorious criminals reportedly taking shelter there and sponsoring and directing criminal activities in India, the spokesman added.

Advani is expected to return to Delhi on July 3. (PTI)

NHRC recommends steps to check child trafficking to Saudi Arabia

NEW DELHI, June 24: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Centre and the West Bengal Government to take concrete steps immediately to prevent trafficking of Indian Muslim children to Saudi Arabia for begging during the Haj season.

Commission sources said today that the direction to the Home Ministry, External Affairs and the West Bengal Government was passed earlier last week.

The NHRC has recommended that the people from the vulnerable sections of the society should be educated and made aware of the dangers of child trafficking especially that of the girl children.

As majority of the children sent to Saudi Arabia from India belonged to the border district of West Bengal, the Commission recommended that steps should be taken to stop influx of Bangladeshi migrants to the state.

It also urged the Indian Haj Committee to scrutinise the pilgrims especially the disabled children and recommended that individual passports should be issued to every child instead of endorsing the name of the child on the passport of the escort.

The Commission further asked the immigration authorities at the international airports to interrogate every disabled child travelling to Saudi Arabia to ascertain whether the child was accompanied by his bonafide parent and was not a victim of illegal trafficking.

They passed the directions after taking cognisance of a press report that Muslim children, mostly handicapped and girls, were being sent to Saudi Arabia for begging for a period of six months on a payment of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 and with the promise of a golden chain.

The Commission also took note of the fact that since 1997, the Saudi authorities have apprehended 223 Indian children while begging in Jeddah, Makkah and Madina during the Haj season and deported them back here. Eleven cases have been registered in these cases and 15 persons so far have been arrested and chargesheeted.

Although the reported incidents were dealt with, the Commission felt that the news report has, nonetheless, brought to light an evil, which continues to persist. (UNI)

Areas along Indo-Nepal border identified to depute SSB

PATNA, June 24: Atleast 63 areas along Indo-Nepal border, running through the bordering districts of Kishanganj, Motihari and Sitamarhi, in Bihar have been identified where jawans of the Special Services Bureau (SSB) would be deputed to check smuggling by the ISI from across the border.

State police headquarters sources said here the checkposts, would be set up to prevent smuggling of firearms and infiltration. The sources said the SSB had discussed with the police superintendents of the bordering districts where the additional check posts would be set up. The task of identifying such areas in other bordering districts was underway, he said.

Meanwhile, a Kishanganj report quoting Police Superintendent Amitabh Kumar Das said five SSB check post would be set up along the bordering area crossing through the district. He said additional police check posts would be set up at Galgalia, Sukhani, Jaipoukhar, Dighalbank and Korba in the district.

A Motihari report quoting police said that 27 areas had been identified for setting up SSB check posts along the bordering area in East Champaran district. The sources said two battalions of the SSB would be deployed in these check posts by July 20. The SSB jawans would be provided modern firearms and communication equipment.

A Darbhanga report quoting Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajendra Prasad said IG of SSB S S Negi had inspected the spots where these checkposts would be set up in the bordering area of Madhubani district.

A Sitamarhi report quoting Police Superintendent Anupama Sadashiva Nilekar said 31 SSB check posts would be set up along 93 km long Indo-Nepal border. She said 20 officers and jawans of the SSB would be deputed at each check post in the district. (UNI)

Punjab to discuss constitution of Censor Board

CHANDIGARH, June 24: The Punjab Government has convened a meeting here tomorrow to discuss the possibilities to constitute a Censor Board to prevent the obscenity in songs and their choreography to combat "cultural pollution".

The State’s Cultural Affairs and Tourism Minister Swaran Ram who has convened the meeting told UNI in Phagwara today that the Government may soon form a "Censor Board" to deal with increasing vulgarity shown in the channels.

The minister said that clean programmes based on Punjabi culture would be encouraged.

A spokesman of the department said here that "the rich cultural heritage of the state was being eroded by the western culture which was really a matter of concern for all the Punjab.

He said the state had given two renowned music Gharanas-Patiala and Sham Chaurasi Gharana-to the country in the field of classical music. "Since the period of Baba Farid, Bulle Shah to modern era of Prof Mohan Singh, Dhani Ram Chatrik and Shiv Kumar Batalvi, all had contributed considerably for the development of Punjabi culture and literature," he said.

The spokesman said that eminent personalities in the field of Punjabi literature and culture and several directors of the prominent television channels are expected to take part in the meeting. (UNI)

Muslim Jagriti Manch objects to some scenes in ‘Gadar’

LUCKNOW, June 24: Close on the heels of angry protests over the screening of Hindi movie ‘Gadar’ in Bhopal recently, Muslim Jagriti Manch here has taken strong exception to some portions in the film saying that it was a deliberate attempt to create a wedge between Sikhs and Muslims.

"The film, set in the pre-independence era depicting the mayhem of the partition, portrays Muslims in very poor and derogatory manner," President of the Manch Sayyed Kalbe Hussain told PTI.

The Manch has already given an ultimatum to Government to withdraw the objectionable scenes from the film by June 28. Otherwise the Muslim youths would forcibly stop the screening of the film specially in the Muslim-dominated cities, he said.

Hussain, who is also peeved over the mention of his father and noted Shia scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq’s name in the acknowledgements of the film, said he was filing a Rs ten crore defamation suit against the director and producer of the film and notices would be served on them on tuesday.

Questioning the relevance of the Censor Board that has passed the film, he demanded that a review committee of religious leaders from all communities should analyse the film and decide whether it should continue to be screened or not.

The film that has extensively been shot in the state capital and its adjoining areas, had invited lot of wrath last year during its shooting with several shia organisations raising an objection over picturisation of songs in a holy place, Bara Imambara. The controversy had later subsided when the script of the film was passed by the Shia clerics.

Noted Shia cleric, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, who is also the vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, when contacted said he was not aware of these things as he was out of the country.

Sadiq, who had passed the script before the shooting last year, said "I had suggested some amendments in the script while it was being filmed here last year but I am not aware whether they had been carried out or not." He said if need be other senior Muslim leaders and theologians would be taken into confidence before deciding a course of action.

Several other Muslim leaders like Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, Agha Roohi and Sajjad Nomani said the community could sit and think over the issue.

While, Nomani, who is also member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, visualises a deep rooted conspiracy to divert people’s attention from the real issues and create law and order problem, agha roohi has appealed to people to maintain calm and peacefully protest screening of the film.

Manch president Kalbe Hussain said a memorandum against the film has already been sent to some union ministers, State Chief Minister and the Lucknow District Magistrate.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow district administration has taken remedial measures and enhanced security arrangements in and around the cinema halls showing the film. Policemen in plain clothes have been posted at strategic points, a senior official said adding that the situation was under control. (PTI)

Due diligence for VSNL begins on Monday: Shourie

NEW DELHI, June 24: Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie today said due diligence exercise for privatisation in state-owned VSNL will begin from tomorrow.

Government plans to dilute 26.97 per cent stake in the telecom monolith while retaining 26 per cent equity in VSNL, by roping in a strategic partner.

On continuation of Credit Suiss First Boston (CSFB), which has been named by SEBI in share price manipulation, as advisor to VSNL, the minister said in an interview to Star "instead of looking at each and every company, we have framed guidelines which will be presented at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment (CCD), which will be held at the Prime Minister’s convenience".

The Disinvestment Department had earlier sought law ministry’s opinion on the continuation of CSFB, which has been appointed as VSNL advisor in consortium with SBI Caps.

Following the comments of the Law Ministry that a policy should be formulated on the issue of ‘tainted’ companies and grounds be specified on which a firm was to be kept out of the disinvestment process, the Dod prepared draft guidelines for consideration of the CCD.

Speaking on the issue of the disinvestment process in Air India, he said the Government was going ahead with the state carrier’s privatisation regardless of the number of bidders.

"Even if Hindujas opt out or are not allowed (to bid), Government will go ahead with a single bidder, as in the case of modern foods. As long as we get a determined price or above that, we will go ahead".

Shourie’s comments follow close on the heels of his rejecting allegations that security concern was being used to sidetrack Hindujas in their bid for ai.

Hindujas had recently stated that the bogey of the bofors case, in which three Hinduja brothers have been chargesheeted, was being raised by "certain vested interests" as a matter of security concern to scuttle the process or restrict it to a single bidder, tatas, in combination with the Singapore airlines.

Meanwhile, Shourie told PTI "Government had stated from the very beginning, i.e. From the stage of inviting bids that bidders will be assessed from the security angle."

He said Hindujas brothers had "discussed with me this matter" recently. "They know the situation and process unambiguously," he added.

Tata-Singapore International Airlines combine and Hindujas are in the fray for taking 40 per cent stake in AI, draft shareholders’ agreement which was given the final shape by the committee of secretaries for approval by the cabinet committee on disinvestment. (PTI)

UN session to set target for national strategies on HIV drugs

NEW DELHI, June 24: Even as the Government expresses its inability to provide subsidised treatment to AIDS patients, the UN special session on AIDS beginning tomorrow brings some hopes for thousands of affected people in the country as it is likely to set 2003 as the target year for Governments to develop national strategies to address factors affecting provision of HIV drugs.

The three-day special session of the General Assembly is expected to adopt a draft declaration of commitment setting 2003 as the target year by which national strategies on strengthening health care systems and HIV-related drugs, including affordability and pricing, should be developed, according to UN fact sheets - ‘global crisis, global action.’

The session would also ask countries to make every effort to provide the highest attainable standard of treatment for HIV/AIDS, including anti-retroviral therapy, in a careful and monitored manner to reduce the risk of developing resistance.

Health Minister C P Thakur has indicated that it is not possible for the Government to provide subsidised anti-retroviral treatment as money needed for such a provision exceeds the country’s total health budget.

But some programmes for subsidised treatment for opportunistic infections have been launched, Thakur said adding there are plans to include anti-retroviral therapy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS, costing about Rs 1000 per patient, in the national programme "very soon".

"We have also assured provision of full anti-retroviral treatment to health care functionaries who may suffer the risk of infection through accidental needle injuries," he said. (PTI)