Advani cautions PM against
Left threat
Vajpayee under pressure to go back to RSS basics

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: The RSS leadership has warned the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and other....more

Global re-examination
of life styles need of
the hour: Joshi

NEW DELHI, May 22: Human Resource Development Minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi has called for a global re-examination of the life styles and ....more

Govt considering
changing administrative set-up in Daman, Diu

NEW DELHI, May 22: Government is considering changing the administrative set-up in the Union Territories of Daman, . ...more

CAG questions official
claim of achievement
of forestry target

JAIPUR, May 22: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has questioned the official claim that physical targets of the Rs 136.19 crore....more

Advani examines US report
Washington resents
Pak flirtations with Taliban

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: The United States has, once again, expressed itself against any support to Pakistan for the latter’s.....more

Pak cyberwar enters crucial phase
Lashkar to target Indian
temples, religious centres

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: In a swift turn of events, the Government has put on high alert the police and other security agencies in Jammu .....more

Samata Party, BJP
standoff over Manipur
continues

NEW DELHI, May 22: The stand off between Samata Party and BJP on the Manipur issue persisted today as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and .....more

Padmanabhaiah hold
talks with NSCN(I-M)

BANGKOK, May 22: The Prime Minister’s special emissary K Padmanabhaiah today held talks with leaders of dominant......more



Advani cautions PM against Left threat
Vajpayee under pressure to go back to RSS basics

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: The RSS leadership has warned the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and other leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party that they would lose the prestigious UP Assembly elections if the BJP was not encouraged to revive its Hidutva image, put on the back burner after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power at the Centre.

The warning assumes significance in the context of the reported dissatisfaction of the hard-liners within the BJP over the "unwillingness" of the moderates, including the Prime Minister, to read the writing on the wall.

In other words, the rapid fall in vote percentage during the recently concluded Assembly elections. Again, the Prime Minister and other moderates in the Sangh Parivar have been warned that the "present glory of power" will not last long if decisive measures were not taken to make the BJP go back to RSS basics.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Mr LK Advani, is said to have had a quiet meeting with the Prime Minister on how fast can the BJP central leadership act to ensure the party’s better prospects in the Assembly elections in UP and Punjab, scheduled for the first quarter of the next year.

Mr Advani’s discussions with Mr Vajpayee took place after the former participated in the two-day BJP-RSS introspection camp. According to Mr Advani, the main threat to the NDA emanates from the Left parties and not from the Congress.

Political analysts within the Sangh Parivar hold the view that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, keeping the UP elections in mind, will eventually be compelled to encourage the revival of the Ayodhya issue. This view requires to be studied in the context of the word having been sent out by the hard-liners vis-à-vis the "need" and "relevance" of a "mandir for Ram Lalla" at the disputed site at Ayodhya.

The Sangh Parivar is of the opinion that even though the BJP’s position has somewhat improved in Uttar Pradesh, it cannot be described as a "winning situation". A senior BJP leader, in an informal chat with EXCELSIOR, claimed that the dilution of the BJP’s "original image" had cost the party its Hindu vote bank in States.

That the BJP wanted to return to its "original form" was evident from the decisions reached at the introspection camp. Significantly, Mr Advani, too, talked about the need to retain the party’s "identity".

Indeed, Mr Advani had an important message to convey: "We had succeeded in building up an identity of sour own and people appreciated it. We will have to see that nothing is done or happens in our organisation to make people think that we have become like other parties". According to Mr Advani, the outcome of the Assembly polls has affected the image of the NDA.

In recent days, there have been efforts at greater interaction between top RSS leaders, Mr HV Seshadri and Mr Madan Das Devi and Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani. There is also an effort to induct more RSS people into the BJP organisational structure itself.

Global re-examination of life styles need of the hour: Joshi

NEW DELHI, May 22: Human Resource Development Minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi has called for a global re-examination of the life styles and universal social justice for the have-nots, saying it is the need of the hour and does not brook any delay.

Delivering the keynote address at the international conference on Sanskrit in South-East Asia:The harmonising factor of cultures, at the Silpakorn University in Bangkok yesterday, Dr Joshi said there was also a necessity to clarify the global, regional, national and local constraints of consumption and production.

"We need to define the nature and address all environmental problems with greater understanding of the social, demographic, economic, ethical and cultural backgrounds," he added.

Without going into the scientific aspects and the reasons for exploitative techno-economic order, Dr Joshi said it was clearly the result of the path chartered by the western thought.

"We have to first understand our oriental value system and its philosophical moorings available in Sanskrit literature and philosophy. Sanskrit represents a way of life and a sublime value system. For generations it has inspired the people to higher values. It is Sanskrit that gave the world the message Vasudhava Kutumbakam, meaning the entire humanity is but one family."

The minister also made a plea for propagating this message all around so that one could dream of a society, free of discrimination, exploitation and violence.

Criticising the western exploitative order, Dr Joshi said it was simply impossible for the world as a whole to sustain a western level of consumption for all.

The consumption pattern of the west has harmed the environment, polluted the rivers and oceans, depleted the forest wealth and exploited the poorer nations.

"The richer nations with a 20 per cent of world population enjoy more than 80 per cent of total private consumption while the poorest 80 per cent of population continue to live on meagre consumption," he said, adding that this could not be allowed forever.

Stating that there is solution to all problems in Sanskrit texts, Dr. Joshi said significant work was being done for the propagation and understanding of Sanskrit in the entire south-east Asian region in general and in Thailand at the Silpakorn University in particular. Sanskrit is the source of our common culture and heritage and has great potential for the advancement of not only knowledge but also the sublimation of human spirit.

Referring to the recent International Sanskrit Conference held in New Delhi, he pointed out that important universities all over the world have Sanskrit teaching departments and chairs.

"This is one language where endless writings continued to pour on the theme of consciousness. Consequently, this will have a multiplier effect on all inter-disciplinary studies. Inescapably, Sanskrit would become a leading world language and it is truly a harmonising factor of cultures," he averred. (UNI)

Govt considering changing administrative set-up in Daman, Diu

NEW DELHI, May 22: Government is considering changing the administrative set-up in the Union Territories of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli from administratorship to Lt Governorship, Home Minister L K Advani said here today.

"Government is considering whether Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli should be administered as at present (by administrator) or Lt Governor," he said, adding a decision on this would be taken soon.

Speaking after laying foundation stone of the Daman and Diu Bhawan here, Advani said during the last 50 years, some Union Territories had gradually became full-fledged states.

For the development of the Union Territories, new steps were needed, he said.

He said there were demands for statehood from Andaman and Nicobar islands and added that there were, however, demands from some states for grant of UT status.

Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan said development of these areas needed to be done wisely.

He stressed that material development was no development till it was associated with cultural development. "The real progress comes only through overall development," he said.

The minister said new changes were being brought in the work culture of Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Earlier, cheques for Rs 20 lakh and Rs 15 lakh were presented to Advani on behalf of Daman and Diu and Dadra. (PTI)

CAG questions official claim of achievement of forestry target

JAIPUR, May 22: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has questioned the official claim that physical targets of the Rs 136.19 crore forestry development project in Rajasthan have been fully achieved.

The project, launched in 1995, suffered from elementary deficiencies like non-preparation of micro-plans, short plantation due to non-assessment of areas, raising and distribution of seedlings without assessing requirement and no action on poor survival rate and damage to plantation, cag said in its report.

Afforestation work in 12,010 hectare was done without preparation of micro-plan. Expenditure of Rs.15.99 lakh became infructuous as no plantation could be undertaken due to unsuitability of sites where work of fencing and digging of trenches had been carried out, it said.

Disregarding project guidelines fuel wood plantation in 1,391 hectares and silvi-pastoral plantation in 2,903 hectares were made on other than community lands. Similarly rehabilitation of degraded forest and reforestation on barren hills in 150 hectare was done on non-forest land.

While an area of 3,307 hectare remained uncovered due to short plantation of 27.39 lakh plants in 17 divisions a sum of Rs.86.39 was spent on activities other than plantation and replacement and maintenance of vegetation, it said.

The CAG noticed variation in survival reports submitted by divisions and those evaluated by planning and monitoring unit. In 31 sites on which plantation was done at a cost of Rs.1.01 crore the survival rate was below 40 per cent while in other five sites where plantation cost came to Rs.19.43 the survival rate was around 40 per cent.

Therefore, an expenditure of Rs 1.21 crore on plantation went wasteful, CAG said.

The Forest Department spent Rs.20.10 lakh from the fund meant for plantation and their maintenance for paying electricity bills, repair and maintenance of vehicles and official expenses.

Raising of 150 lakh plants during 1999-2000 after the targeted period resulted in extra liability of Rs.4.20 crore.

The CAG found less consumption of cement by one to 63 per cent and excess by one to 177 per cent in construction work.

A total of 41 anicuts and earthen dams, costing Rs.94.12 lakh, were constructed by village forest protection and management committees against Government orders, the report said.

Against the target of two crore mandays only 1.80 crore mandays were generated during 1995-2000 and there was no indication about the employment having been provided to women and to weaker sections of the society. (PTI)

Advani examines US report
Washington resents Pak flirtations with Taliban

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: The United States has, once again, expressed itself against any support to Pakistan for the latter’s flirtations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Washington has decided to work harder to show Pakistan the shared threat America faces from the regime in Kabul. The US administration has reckoned: "Pakistan is an important regional power and an important Islamic power".

"For those reasons and so many more, the Bush administration is committed to working through difficult economic, political and social challenges now facing Pakistan", Ms Christina B Rocca, the Bush administration’s nominee to head the State Department’s Bureau of South Asian Affairs, has stated.

Her assurance to Islamabad: "Where we can cooperate, in areas such as counter-narcotics, we must continue". And her warning: "Where we do not cooperate optimally, for example on Afghanistan, we must work harder to show Pakistan the shared threat we face from the regime in Kabul".

At her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, Ms Christina Rocca asserted: "In the case of Pakistan, ours is a friendship of land standing, and one that must be sustained and enhanced". In her pointed reference to the US Secretary, Mr Powell’s invitation to Pakistani Foreign Minister, Mr Abdus Sattar, for an in-depth discussion on the US-Pak relations, Ms Rocca expressed confidence that the proposed discussions would be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness.

Ms Christina Rocca’s statement, a copy of which was made available to EXCELSIOR by the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the New Delhi-based US Embassy, conceded that America’s relationship with the two "anchors of South Asia", India and Pakistan, had tremendous potential. She remarked: "Too often that potential has gone unrealized. We in the United States have a lot to learn from cooperation with these two good friends, and it will be a mistake on all of our parts to allow ourselves to be trapped in the mistakes of the past".

India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maladives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are home to 1.3 billion people, more than one-fifth of the world’s population. Ms Christina Rocca said: "Even a cursory look at the region makes it obvious why we have strategic, political and economic interests throughout South Asia".

The Bush administration, she reiterated, would continue the policy of substantive bilateral engagement with India. Stating that the past few years have been the beginning of a transformation in America’s relationship with the world’s largest democracy, Ms Rocca insisted: "Now is the time to complete that transformation. India’s economic potential, following a decade of free market reform, is immense. We are India’s largest trading partner, but bilateral trade remains far below where it should be. If I am confirmed, I look forward to devoting time to remedying that situation".

Ms Christina Rocca said that the challenges the United States faces in South Asia involve terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction and drug trafficking. She added: "The Bush administration, I believe, sees these challenges but recognizes something even more important. In each South Asian nation where we face seemingly intractable problem, we have the chance to work with Governments that want to confront those problems with us, to receive our assistance, and to work to assuage our concerns".

Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, is reported to have begun examining a US study, which has expressed concern that "a failed Pakistan" may both invite and compel India to react more forcefully to the "next Kargil episode". The study, said to have been conducted by the Rand Corp, a Santa Monica-based think-tank with close ties to the Pentagon, does not rule out the possibility of another Kargil.

The study says that it could lead India to consider whether a more forceful response might not be advisable to solve the problem once and for all. According to the report, there may be a "major change" in opinion in New Delhi, from a relatively relaxed posture towards Pakistan to one that actively questions whether the stability of Pakistan is in India’s interests.

The report says that in contrast to the situation in Kashmir, Pakistan has been more successful in Afghanistan, where its backing of the Taliban has enabled it to take control of almost the entire country.

Pak cyberwar enters crucial phase
Lashkar to target Indian temples, religious centres

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, May 22: In a swift turn of events, the Government has put on high alert the police and other security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The Union Home Ministry’s latest directive, in fact, has called for "greater vigil" in communally sensitive areas and "effective" measures against any attack on the temples and other religious institutions.

The directive came after the receipt of "classified" inputs by the country’s two important spy arms, the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) and the IB (Intelligence Bureau), vis-à-vis the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s move to target the temples and other religious centres.

If the Jammu and Kashmir Government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah was urged to beef up security to prevent the jihadis from targeting prestigious places of worship such as the ancient cave temple of Mata Vaishnodevi in Jammu region and Amarnath shrine in eastern Kashmir, the Centre wanted the local administrations in the rest of the country, particularly the sensitive State of Uttar Pradesh, to make necessary arrangements for the protection of all important temples and other religious institutions.

More than three radio intercepts as well as ‘source information’ in recent days seemed to have prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to alert the police and other security agencies in the country, particularly in the northern States. The radio intercepts had clearly indicated the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s plan to target Indian temples and other religious institutions in a bid to try and create further unrest in the country and promoting a communal divide.

As Delhi, too, has been included among possible targets, the Delhi Police personnel have started the process of trying to protect religious institutions in the capital. The Pakistan-based leadership of Lashkar-e-Toiba, according to radio intercepts, is for bomb and rocket attacks on important holy places with the apparent intention to foment communal rife and create tension.

To abort their plans from materialising, the intelligence branch has alerted the Delhi Police and issued them a fresh set of instructions to carry out regular checking of the areas where the Kashmiris and Afghan nationals are staying, to confirm their antecedents and to question those found suspicious. The Delhi Police personnel have also been directed to ensure regular and thorough checks of Pakistanis visiting the Indian capital.

The Lashkar leaders have directed their cadres to undertake more attacks like the one carried out at the Red Fort, and target military installations and camps not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also elsewhere in India. To carry out these designs, special emphasis, a top defence official told EXCELSIOR, was being laid on the formation of suicide squads. Teenage boys were being recruited in a large number to carry out these planes, and were being given military training.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) has been found continuing to intercept and monitor Indian communications, as much as is possible. The ISI, intelligence specialists have reported to New Delhi, would not like the successful spread of net activity in India. Without adequate cyber-security, India’s plans to progress exponentially in e-commerce will come to nought.

The ISI already runs a special bureau, known as Joint Intelligence (North). It handles all tasks concerning Jammu and Kashmir. Its activities include propaganda, clandestine activities and infiltration. Another institution, known as Joint Signals Intelligence Bureau, has units along the Indian borders and it provides communication support to militants operating in J&K.

Pakistan has been found to be in the possession of many freelance virus generation specialists, besides ISI’s in-house experts. Many have rated Pakistan in the top 3-4 virus-generating countries in the world. It has understood the importance of cyberwar and is organising itself rapidly to stay ahead of India.

Pakistan’s cyberwar successes, it is pointed out, indicate that India needs to do more because Indians are committing themselves to cyberspace. It may be recalled that in 1998 most Indians were shocked to read reports of the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre’s computer network being hacked. It was discovered that this was the handiwork of a group called Milworm. The hackers not only stole data, deleted information, and put out two of the eight servers, but they also copied e-mails exchanged by Indian scientists.

Web sites of the National Information Centre and the Indian Army were also broken into not long ago. Besides Milworm and Armageddon, the Pakistan Hackers Club and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have been involved in similar subversion.

Samata Party, BJP standoff over Manipur continues

NEW DELHI, May 22: The stand off between Samata Party and BJP on the Manipur issue persisted today as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and senior Samata leader George Fernandes failed to make any headway at a meeting here.

"There will be more meetings in order to reach a conclusion and resolve the problem that we are at present facing," Fernandes told reporters after the nearly two-hour meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence.

Replying to questions, Fernandes said no compromise formula was discussed at the meeting where BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy and the party’s incharge for northeast Padmanabha Acharya were also present.

Asked if there was any proposal for imposition of President’s rule in the state in view of the volatile political situation or re-installation of Koijam Ministry, he said "no particular formula was discussed".

"We had looked at the ground situation and other developments that are taking place. There will be further talks," he said.

He said a formal meeting of leaders from both Samata Party and BJP would be held here on May 28 to discuss the situation and come out with a solution. The meeting could not be convened earlier as polling for the civic bodies in Manipur are due on May 26, he said.

Asked whether Samata Party would pull out of the NDA coalition, Fernandes shot back saying "Samata Party is still part of NDA."

Fernandes said he put across Samata Party’s point of view to the Prime Minister during the "very frank" discussion.

Asked about the statement by BJP leaders in Manipur that they would wait for a directive from central leadership and then stake claim to form a Government, Fernandes said "you should have asked the BJP. I understand the status quo remains."

To a question on whether senior Samata Party leader and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has quit the Government, he said "no" and asked who is spreading this rumour.

When Krishnamurthy was asked about the meeting, he simply said "I have nothing more to add except that we had a good lunch together". (PTI)

Padmanabhaiah hold talks with NSCN(I-M)

BANGKOK, May 22: The Prime Minister’s special emissary K Padmanabhaiah today held talks with leaders of dominant Naga outfit NSCN (I-M) here in a bid to salvage the precariously perched ceasefire accord and discuss modalities for extension of the truce beyond Nagaland’s borders.

Padmanabhaiah, who flew in here from New Delhi, met a two-member team led by NSCN (I-M) general secretary T Muivah at a city hotel. The talks are expected to conclude tomorrow. NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah is also participating in the parleys.

The outfit last week announced that they had no moral obligation to honour the truce as the Government had not kept it promise to extend the ceasefire coverage area in naga inhabited areas bordering Nagaland.

Muivah is in Bangkok facing trial on charges of entering Thailand on forged travel documents.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had on May 17 reviewed the situation in Nagaland including the threat by NSCN (I-M) to call off the four-year-old ceasefire if the Centre failed to extend the "area coverage" of the peace process beyond the state’s borders despite "repeated positive" assurances by it.

In a statement on May 7, NSCN (I-M) had demanded that "the ceasefire needs to be reviewed in two weeks" and said the matter should be treated "seriously".

The statement had followed the Centre’s declaration of ceasefire on April 28 with the Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), a rival of NSCN (I-M). The yearly ceasefire extension with NSCN (I-M), which expires on July 31, is also to come up for review in the next few weeks. (PTI)

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