Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi inaugurates
week-long meditation,
Buddha discourses

NEW DELHI, May 3: As a part of the celebrations to mark Buddha Jayanti, the capital’s...more

Accused in Gulshan
Kumar murder case
plead not guilty

MUMBAI, May 3: The 17 accused in Gulshan Kumar murder case, including......more

Babulal Marandi
Babulal Marandi

Surrender policy will
start yielding results
soon: Marandi

RANCHI, May 3: The Jharkhand Government’s "surrender policy" for the youth....more

Seeking of repeated
adjournments a
professional
misconduct: SC

NEW DELHI, May 3: In a significant order to stop harassment of witnesses.....more

Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi

Sonia asks people of
WB to vote for change

MIDNAPORE (WB), May 3: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today echoed Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in asking the people to vote for a change by throwing out the Left Front Government in West Bengal, which had ‘stifled’ democracy........more

Marxist citadel in
Kerala on strong turf

MALAMPUZHA, May 3: Malampuzha, a Marxist citadel in Kerala’s Palakkad district, offers a safe seat to CPI(M) strong man and Chief Minister....more

SAARC Foreign
Secretaries to meet in Colombo next month

NEW DELHI, May 3: SAARC Foreign Secretaries will meet next month in Colombo for the first time since the Kargil crisis to discuss a broad agenda of ....more

Adoor regrets Basheer
missing Jnanpith
and Nobel Prize

NEW DELHI, May 3: When Adoor Gopalakrishnan reminisces about growing up with books, it’s at the risk of being parochial.......more



Kiran Bedi inaugurates week-long meditation,
Buddha discourses

NEW DELHI, May 3: As a part of the celebrations to mark Buddha Jayanti, the capital’s Osho World Foundation has initiated daily hours of meditation, the first of which was set in motion by iron well knoon police officer lady cop Kiran Bedi here last evening.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bedi who has initiated several meditation programmes for law enforcers and jail inmates alike said she was looking forward to the start of the Buddha week.

Setting her eyes on the prized collection of books on display at the Osho World Galleria, the fierce lady officer uttered in a lighter vein,"I wish I could steal them all."

Later during the function, she was presented with some of the literature and audio cassettes on Osho.

Apart from the week-long meditation, discourses on the sayings of Lord Buddha have also been included in the programme. The designated hours for meditation have been scheduled from 1730 to 1900 hrs and will take place daily till May seven. (UNI)

Accused in Gulshan Kumar murder case plead not guilty

MUMBAI, May 3: The 17 accused in Gulshan Kumar murder case, including Chairman of Tips Cassettes Ltd Ramesh Taurani, today pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

A Sessions Court had, on April 30, framed charges against them for their alleged complicity in the murder of audio king Gulshan Kumar Dua. The accused facing the trial are Javed Kaliya, Rafiq Ahmed Ansari, Rafiq Falake, Imtiyaz Merchant, Adil Mohammed Ali Khan, Shabir Ali, Abdul Kavi Idris, Mohammed Azim Kavi, Aftab Alam Irshad, Ramesh Taurani, Jaffar Sharif alias Nawab, Fayyaz Chougale, Firoz Sultan Khan, Wasim Babu alias Wasim Abdul Khan, Abdul Rashid, Fatima Dawood Merchant and Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant.

All the accused have been charged with Section 302 IPC (Murder) Read with 120-B IPC (Conspiracy). The draft charges were submitted by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

The alleged killers, Rauf Raja, Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant and Abdul Rashid, have also been charged with offences under Arms Act, 307 IPC (causing hurt to people while gunning down the victim), 397 IPC (robbing taxi used in the crime) and 34 IPC (common intention). (AGENCIES)

Surrender policy will start yielding results soon: Marandi

RANCHI, May 3: The Jharkhand Government’s "surrender policy" for the youth who have taken to arms will start yielding results in a couple of months, Chief Minister Babulal Marandi said here today.

Talking to UNI, Mr Marandi said the Government had started receiving feelers from a few extremist groups who wish to surrender and join the mainstream.

The Chief Minister said it was a major achievement of the Government to have persuaded the youth to abjure the path of violence and join the mainstream for Jharkhand’s overall development.

Extremism had been a problem in the area for the past 15 years, he said adding that six months were too less to expect positive results.

"We have urged the Naxalites to surrender, otherwise we will force them to do so" the Chief Minister said. He said an all party meeting would soon be called to address the issue.

Mr Marandi, however, regretted that the all party meet convened recently was not attended by the opposition for "petty political reasons" and hoped that this time the opposition would come forward with constructive suggestions for the state’s overall growth.

Mr Marandi said the ruling National Democratic Alliance was striving for the state’s development and hoped that the constitution of the state coordination committee of the NDA would bring the alliance partners closer.

The coordination committee of the NDA which is headed by the Chief Minister, would have as it members the state president and the Legislature Party leaders of different constituents of the NDA in Jharkhand.

Speaking on his Government’s commitment to transparency, Mr Marandi said he had appealed to his cabinet colleagues to declare their assets to the Government. "I have already declared my assets and would expect others to do so", he added.

Regarding the fodder scam, he said the Government was ready to extend all possible cooperation for investigation into the matter and added that his Government had no intention of delaying the permission sought by the CBI.

Mr Marandi said the sanction had not been given as the employees belonged to the Bihar Government and formal distribution of cadre had not taken place yet.

A letter clarifying the Government’s stand would be sent to the CBI within a week, he said. The CBI had sought the sanction of the Jharkhand Government for filing chargesheets in regular case 47(A) of the fodder scam involving 176 accused, including 59 State Government employees in Jharkhand. (UNI)

Seeking of repeated adjournments a
professional misconduct: SC

NEW DELHI, May 3: In a significant order to stop harassment of witnesses, the Supreme Court today warned that a lawyer would be guilty of committing professional misconduct if he seeks repeated adjournments of examination of a witness despite his presence before the trial court.

"Seeking adjournments for postponing the examination of witnesses who are present in court even without making other arrangements for examining such witnesses is a derelection of advocate’s duty to the court as that would cause much harassment and hardship to the witnesses," a three-judge bench headed by Justice K T Thomas said. "Legal profession must be purified from such abuses of the court procedures. Tactics of filibuster, if adopted by an advocate, is also professional misconduct," Justice Thomas, writing the judgement for the bench, said.

This ruling came on a petition filed by a witness who had to travel to the court several times but the counsel for the opposite party, against whom he had lodged a complaint, had sought repeated complaints.

On one occasion, the adjournment was sought on the ground that the advocate was unwell, but the witness was surprised to find that the advocate was arguing forcefully in another court.

The witness lodged a complaint against the advocates before Maharashtra State Bar Council, which after obtaining a report from its advocate member, dropped proceedings against the advocates. The Bar Council of India also did not entertain the petition of the witness against the advocates. He then approached the Supreme Court against the advocates.

Justice Thomas said when witnesses were present in court for examination, the advocate concerned had a duty to see that their examination was conducted.

"We remind that witnesses, who come to the court on being called by the court, do so as they have no other option, and such witnesses are also responsible citizens who have other work to attend to for eking out livelihood," the bench said.

"They cannot be treated as less respectable to be told to come again and again just to suit the convenience of the advocate concerned. If the advocate has any unavoidable inconvenience, it is his duty to make other arrangements for examining the witnesses who is present in court," it said.

The apex court said when the Bar Council of India in its wider scope of supervision over the conduct of advocates in their professional duties came across any instance of such misconduct, it was the duty of the Bar Council concerned to refer the matter to its disciplinary committee. (PTI)

Sonia asks people of WB to vote for change

MIDNAPORE (WB), May 3: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today echoed Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in asking the people to vote for a change by throwing out the Left Front Government in West Bengal, which had ‘stifled’ democracy.

Sharing the dias with TC chief and WBPCC president, Pranab Mukherjee, Gandhi said, "Masum Badle, Bahar Badle, Nikamma Sarkar Kiun Nei Badle?" (the climate changnes, the weather changes, why should not this worthless Government change?)

Braving the heat, Gandhi, who arrived in a helicopter, told an election rally at the Ramlila Maidan that the CPI-M was using terror to suppress the voice of the people who were yearning for a change.

"The CPI-M has gaged democracy, it is provoking violence in villages, indulging in terror, killing and loot. There is no law and order. The left front has neglected development in the state for the last 24 years. What can be worse in a loktantra ?" she asked reading out her prepared speech.

With election day drawing near, the Marxists ‘in league with the police’ were terrorising opposition candidates, to prevent them from campaigning, the leader of opposition said.

Her party, she said, had allied with the Trinamool Congress in the state to remove the ‘misrule’of the Left Front Government.

The Congress-Trinamool Congress would work for restoring democracy in West Bengal and development, as the state had fallen behind in agriculture, education and in providing employment.

Gandhi also criticised the NDA Government at the Centre saying it should hang its head in shame after the Tehelka expose. She also accused it of having "let down my family".

Her party, she said, was fighting against corruption and communal forces which were trying to destabilise the country.

Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, in her brief speech said "even if bullets fly on election day, brave them, but vote to change the Left Front Government."

"The CPI-M has spread terror in Garbeta, Chhoto Angaria, Keshpur, Pingla and Sabang areas. The CPI-M in collusion with the police are trying to prevent our candidates from campaigning," she alleged.

The CPI-M was trying to suppress the people who were trying to vote for a change, she said.

"We have allied with the Congress to bring change," she said.

The WBPCC president said that it was for the first time that the Congress had allied with a regional party. (PTI)

Marxist citadel in Kerala on strong turf

MALAMPUZHA, May 3: Malampuzha, a Marxist citadel in Kerala’s Palakkad district, offers a safe seat to CPI(M) strong man and Chief Minister probable V S Achuthanandan, who was on the lookout for a strong turf after his shocking defeat at Mararikulam last time.

Since its formation in 1965, Malampuzha had elected only CPI(M) candidates and that too with whopping margins. "Even the god himself cannot defeat CPI (M) here," says Chief Minister E K Nayanar, who was elected from the state’s granary twice earlier.

Challenging Achuthanandan, the only polit buro member contesting the elections, is Satheesan Pacheni of the Congress in the party’s "hostile territory."

Marxist had suffered a shocking defeat in his home constituency and party stronghold, Mararikulam in alappuzha district in 1996 as a section of his party colleagues themselves had "stabbed him in the back."

Achauthanandan, who climbed the ladder in the party hierarchy leading mass struggles, is respected and condemned at the same time by friends and foes alike for his stubborn ideology, for which he got the nickname "Kerala Stalin".

He had incurred the wrath of a section of his party colleagues ‘the CITU lobby’, who "ditched" him last time.

Achuthanandan, still wary of the ghosts of Mararikulam, says "the forces that pulled the rug from under my feet in 1996 are after my blood in Malampuzha also."

Congress announced its candidate late and according to LDF election committee convener M Kandamuthu, "the delay was not because there were many aspirarants for the seat. The fact is that there were no takers. Probably this is the only seat where the Congress decided its candidate without any fuss."

In the campaign front, LDF is far ahead of its rivals. It had completed three rounds of electioneering by the time the Congress announced the name of Satheesan.

The LDF organises family gatherings where voters can have an interface with the candidate. At one such gathering at Manthakkatt, after Achuthandan concluded his brief speech, a young woman Deena told him that her name was in the rank list for selection of women police constables and sought to know whethee she would be recruited.

"Are you prepared to beat up those who molest women?" asked the candidate in a lighter vein and told her that after elections he would look into the matter.

But Satheesan is still optimistic and claims that this time the voters would prefer a change. "After all, what did they gain from electing CPI(M) candidates for 36 long years. They want change and I am sure of victory."

He begins his speeches saying "I am from a family with communist traditions. I am from an ordinary family and I know pretty well what poverty is. I request you to treat me as one among you. I assure you that if elected, I will try my level best for the development of Malampuzha." (PTI)

SAARC Foreign Secretaries to meet in
Colombo next month

NEW DELHI, May 3: SAARC Foreign Secretaries will meet next month in Colombo for the first time since the Kargil crisis to discuss a broad agenda of economic and social issues, an occasion during which India and Pakistan are expected to establish first-ever direct contact in two years.

"We don’t have official confirmation of the two sides having any structured agenda. But certainly such encounters do take place," visiting Kathmandu-based Secretary General of SAARC, Nihal Rodrigo, told reporters here when asked about forum’s view on the much speculated meeting.

While the Foreign Secretaries would meet on June eight and nine, senior officials will hold parleys on June six and seven to prepare the ground for the meeting.

A meeting between Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer and her Pakistani counterpart could pave the way for resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue stalled since the nuclear explosions undertaken by the two countries. The last summit in Kathmandu in November, 1999, was called off after India voiced strong reservations over the participation of military-ruled Pakistan.

The meeting of the Foreign Secretaries will be preceded by confabulations by senior officials of SAARC countries on June six and seven.

SAARC comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.

Rodrigo felt "higher-level" interaction among member states would help "clear some of the road blocks" for a summit.

He said draft agenda for the Colombo meet had been circulated and response was awaited from the SAARC members.

Poverty alleviation, economic cooperation, education, greater people-to-people contact and tourism are among the issues that are likely to figure during the meeting.

Pakistan, which has in the past sought to raise contentious issues at these meetings, was yet to give its response to the draft.

He said a SAARC meeting would be held soon to evolve a joint strategy on wto-related issues. Proposals being mooted included establishment of a South Asian Economic Union, further extension of visa-free regime and a SAARC body to jointly tackle the problem of trafficking in women and children.

On reports that the US was keen on having close linkages with SAARC, he said there had been some discussion last year at Washington’s initiative for cooperation in energy resources in South Asia.

The Colombo meeting is also likely to take up issues relating to international terrorism and drug trafficking. (PTI)

Adoor regrets Basheer missing Jnanpith and Nobel Prize

NEW DELHI, May 3: When Adoor Gopalakrishnan reminisces about growing up with books, it’s at the risk of being parochial.

Does he care? not when the subject is Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

"The Jnanpith Committee never thought it fit to honour him. Nor did any intellectual of this country propose basheer for the nobel" says the filmmaker, who paid personal tribute to the author of ‘my Grandpa had an elephant’ with a film (Mathilukal).

The self-confessed die-hard admirer of Basheer went on a trip down the literary lane of Kerala at the Sahitya Akademi last evening, going from Ezhuthacchan to Kadammanitta and of course, Basheer to Arundhati Roy.

Speaking on ‘growing up with books’, Adoor retrieved the echo of the dawn-to-dusk ‘Bhagvata’ recitals at his home every fourth Sunday of a month when he came face to face with the fascinating character of the Ezhuthacchan book. There were Parikshat, Prahlada, Dhruva, Yayati... The list goes on.

"Basheer was a class all by himself. But then there also were other oustanding writers I admire and love going back to—Thakazhi, Changampuzha, Uroob, Karoor, Ponkunnam Varkey, S K Pottekat, Parappuram, Kesavdev, C J Thomas, G Shankara Kurup, Vyloppilly, N Krishna Pillai, G Sankara Pillai and Thoppil Bhasi."

Adoor gave kudos to the tradition of translation in Malayalam. "While the rest of the litterateurs in India knew little of what was happening in Malayalam, we had been keeping watch of every movement, every achievement, every failure and inadequacy of our intellectual neighbours," he says.

"No wonder, Bankim, Sarat Chandra, Bibhuti Bhushan and Bimalkar all became household names in Kerala. Even a difficult author like Rahul Sankriyayan got translated from Hindi into Malayalam not to mention Mulk Raj Anand, Kishen Chander and K A Abbas."

Among those who came to hear the filmmaker were Malayalam writers M Mukundan and K Satchithanandan.

If his active reading during the school days led to many "discoveries", it also gave way to disillusionment. Adoor was terribly disappointed when Dr Sooranadu Kunjan Pillai Tersly told him decades later that his best lines were written as a part of his job and he could not particularly remember them.

The lines were from Adoor’s primary school text. "Pullu Kontum Upkaaramuntaam Thante/Pallukal Theypaann Kollam/Mellave Karnangalil Ittudan Thirukiyaal/Thellu Soukhyamuntaakil Vidhathilum Kollam." (even a blade of grass has its worth/it can be use to clean our teeth/if introduced tenderly into the ears and turned softly/it can give us a pleasure/see how useful it can be).

He also found out that a small novella titled ‘Balachandran’ by Karoor, which he had considered the best story he had read till then, was written by an unknown school teacher from Changanacherry. That too, after he had paid homage to Karoor and the book with a whole sequence built around the book in his last film ‘Kathapurushan’ (UNI)

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