Excelsior... Nation

SPECIAL REPORT
BJP’s new electoral strategy
RSS poses new challenge
to Vajpayee

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is being confronted with a piquant situation in the coming days and weeks, with the ....more

CBI refutes
Quattrocchi’s claim

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: CBI has refuted Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi’s claim that the Bofors case...more

Resettlement colonies
lack basic facilites:
Lawyers

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: A lawyers’ group in its report has informed the Delhi High Court that seven resettlement....more

‘POTO to snatch away fundamental rights’

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Speakers at a convention today regretted that the proposed Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO).....more

‘Miss Banana’, ‘Sharabi
Pati’ and a billion
dollar industry

JAIPUR, Nov 15: For a brief moment, little Anjum had the spotlight turned on her. And as she stopped to savour it, a weak smile played on her lips. The camera clicked and a videographer motioned her to move on.......more

Sky Marshals for
Air India flights shortly

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: After having deployed sky marshals on domestic routes on a random basis, the Civil Aviation Ministry is planning to shortly extend the same arrangement on Air India flights abroad........more

India questions Pak
intentions behind
build-up on border

SOMEWHERE IN WESTERN SECTOR, Nov 15 : India today said Pakistan’s approach towards terrorism and New Delhi has not changed even after the September 11 attacks in the US and questioned Islamabad’s intentions behind moving its troops close to border in Punjab and Rajasthan sectors. .......more

SPECIAL REPORT
BJP’s new electoral strategy
RSS poses new challenge to Vajpayee

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is being confronted with a piquant situation in the coming days and weeks, with the RSS strategy to assert itself in a stronger manner than before. Indeed, the RSS has just started making calculated attempts to exercise its ‘moral authority’ over the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Precisely, the RSS wants to curb what it has called the ‘personality cult’ within the saffron camp. Big wigs of the RSS have, significantly, begun to make it amply clear that ‘no one, not even Prime Minister, Atalji, is above the party’.

And in its efforts to convince the people in general and the saffron camp in particular that no leader is indispensable, the RSS think-tank has let it be known that there is "no dearth of leaders" in the BJP. "And someone will come after Mr Vajpayee to lead the party", is the candid message from the RSS.

On the one hand, the RSS wants the Government and the party to be on an ‘equal footing’, while, on the other hand, it has opposed the continuance of a ‘communication gap’ between the party and the Government. The RSS leadership seems perturbed over the way the ‘personality cult’ is growing within the BJP. Similar to Congress, the BJP has been going to the polls by projecting an individual (an obvious reference to Mr Vajpayee) and not the party.

Mr MG Vaidya, who is RSS spokesperson, is not supposed to air his personal views and perceptions. His spoken word or written material, insiders have found, is made public only after due consultations with the RSS bosses in Nagpur. No wonder, Mr Vaidya, who earlier in a signed article in the RSS mouthpiece, Panchajanya, had stated that "the party was supreme", made it clear once again that there was no place for individualism in an organisation.

The RSS, while trying its part to mend fences with the Prime Minister, has, nonetheless, disapproved of the growing individualism in the BJP. How can be Mr Vajpayee above the party? Raising this question, Mr MG Vaidya maintained: "Since an individual is chosen as a Prime Minister by the party, he should try to take the party along with him". When asked whether there could be a BJP minus Mr Vajpayee, Mr Vaidya only said: "BJP has to decide whether it could do without Mr Vajpayee".

Mr Vaidya almost echoed the observations of BJP chief, Mr K Jana Krishnamurthy, who, during a function celebrating 50 years of Jan Sangh, had said that there was ‘no place for individualism in the party. The BJP chief had also hinted that no one was ‘indispensable’ in an organisation. And with regard to Mr Vajpayee as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the party, the BJP chief went on record as saying that ‘one should keep passing the baton’.

Meanwhile, with Assembly elections to four States scheduled for early next year, the BJP appears to have decided that a hawk-like stance will pay electoral dividends. While the abrupt change of Chief Ministers in Gujarat and Uttaranchal has seen former RSS pracharaks raised to the helm, the hard line is back in vogue in the BJP.

There is no denying that widespread disillusionment with the incumbent Chief Ministers in Gujarat and Uttaranchal forced the change. If in Gujarat the central leadership wanted a leader from outside the Surashtra region who belonged to a backward, non-Patel caste, Utteranchal Chief Minister, Mr Nityanand Swami’s ineffectiveness forced the high command to replace him with Mr Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

The BJP has often been accused of encouraging a ‘gerontocracy’ in which all its important leaders, both at the Centre and in the States, are over 70. The first move towards bringing in young blood was the choice of Mr Babulal Marandi as Jharkhand Chief Minister, disregarding the claim of the venerable Karia Munda.

The installing of Mr Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister and Mr Koshiyari as Uttaranchal CM is part of the same strategy. The biggest trump card the BJP feels it has acquired is the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO). As the recent national executive meeting at Amritsar established, the whole point of POTO is not to get it passed but to use it for electoral ends.

The BJP hopes to taint all the opposition parties who quibble over specific clauses as anti-national sympathisers of terrorists. According to a set of observers, in the surcharged anti-terrorist atmosphere throughout the country after the September 11 attacks in America, such an approach may well work.

CBI refutes Quattrocchi’s claim

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: CBI has refuted Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi’s claim that the Bofors case against him was "politically motivated", telling the Malaysian High Court that all Indian Governments, irrespective of their political affiliations, have pursued the case since 1990.

In its affidavit before the High Court, which is hearing a petition by Quattrocchi challenging Malaysian Government’s decision to begin proceedings to extradite him to India, CBI has sought to counter the affidavits of Prem Shankar Jha, a senior Indian journalist and a former acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court S M Abidi filed by the accused in support of his contention.

Jha, in his affidavit, has stated that the charges against Quattrocchi were "of a political character". "They are charges while ostensibly criminal in the ordinary sense, are nevertheless political in the context in which the offence occurred. I also believe that his extradition is being sought on an issue connected with the control of the Central Government in New Delhi," he said.

Denying this, CBI in its reply said charges against Quattrocchi were pursued by all Governments since early 1990’s.

The case before the High Court would come up for hearing on November 26 and to facilitate briefing of the counsel for the Indian Government, Syrus Das, a CBI official would be leaving for Kaula Lumpur soon, CBI sources said.

According to the agency sources, the affidavit stated all the events that took place since 1990 including the agency’s legal struggle in Switzerland and Sweden.

The agency said a legal case stood against Quattrochi in a designated court, only after taking cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI, had issued a non-bailable warrant against Quattrocchi.

The CBI also cited the judgements of Supreme Court and the High Court, where Quattrocchi had appealed to quash the "red corner" notice issued by Interpol on the request of CBI.

The Supreme Court, while dismissing the petition of Quattrocchi, had directed him to appear before the CBI.

CBI, in its chargesheet, had accused Quattrocchi of receiving huge sums from A B Bofors, the Swedish gun manufacturer with whom India signed the contract for supply of 155mm Howitzer field guns in 1986. CBI has also alleged that the Italian businessman had a close relationship with the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s family.

Quattrocchi, who has lived in Malaysia for several years, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in December after India asked Malaysia to extradite him.

His lawyers claim Malaysian authorities never explained why he had been arrested, contrary to extradition law, which states a suspect should know the substance of the charges.

Malaysia and India have no extradition treaty.

Quattrocchi, who is free on bail but has surrendered his passport, has said he offered to talk with Indian officials about the case before he left India in 1993, but received no response.(PTI)

Resettlement colonies lack basic facilites: Lawyers

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: A lawyers’ group in its report has informed the Delhi High Court that seven resettlement colonies in North Delhi where slum dwellers from posh southern parts of the city were shifted, are in shambles as the authorities have failed to provide the minimum basic facilites to the people.

There is no provision of drinking water, electricity, public toilets, general sanitation, transportation, post office and health care in these localities where over 20,000 families were settled by the Government, the report submitted by social jurists, an organistion of lawyers, said.

Lawyers belonging to social jurists, which had filed a PIL, seeking to provide basic minimum facilites in these colonies, had visited there on the advice of the court to find out the progress made by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in developing the areas.

The group comprising advocate Ashok Agarwal, Sanjib Reang and D Leena stated that "the drinking water supplied there is of a very bad quality and its colour is radish."

"The areas seem to be completely blacked out" so far as the electricity supply was concerned, the report said adding "scanty steetlights" were found while electric poles "seems to be falling due to loose fixing".

The report said the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) had been running scanty bus service in some localities while many of the areas had been completely ignored.

Though some dispensaries had been set up by the MCD in these areas, they did not have the required facility to provide minimum health care to citizens, it said.

The report was submitted by the lawyers’ group after it visited Bhalaswa, Madanpur-Khaddar, Narela, Holambi-Kalan, Holambi-Khurd, Bakkarwala and hastsal resettlement localities between September eight and November four.

It said MCD had not provided proper educational facilities to the poor students in these localities despite court’s specific direction.

The class rooms were crowded and there were less teachers to attend to the students while authorities had failed to construct school buildings. "There is no provision for admission in nursery classes, resulting in depriving a large number of children of this age group of educational facilities," the lawyers said.

Due to lack of proper drainage facilities, most of these areas remained water-logged during rainy season while the roads had big pot-holes, the report said adding the court had earlier directed the authorities to repair them.

"The situation in the resettlement colonies remains the same due to lack of initiative on the parts of relocating authorities," it said adding "they have not wished to see that the people who have been relocated have also been provided with the basic infrastructural facilities."

Steps taken by the MCD and Delhi Development Authority so far had been "highly inadequate", it said. (PTI)

‘POTO to snatch away fundamental rights’

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Speakers at a convention today regretted that the proposed Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) will deny Indian citizens of their fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Speaking at a convention on "POTO and national security" here, CPI national secretary D Raja said, "my party considers this ordinance as draconian and fascist as it would snatch away the basic rights of the people."

He said the CPI will oppose the proposed ordinance inside as well as outside Parliament and sought the support of all the democratic parties in the endeavour.

Mr Raja said, "all the democratic parties are united in their effort to defeat the proposed bill when it is introduced in the winter session of Parliament and we will require the support of congress in our effort."

He noted that even constituents within the NDA like the DMK had raised doubts over POTO and it wanted a discussion on it before it is tabled in the house.

Terming POTO as a revised version of TADA, he observed that any organisation could be branded a terrorist organisation according to the second chapter of the ordinance.

Lambasting the BJP, he alleged that, "it has introduced poto keeping in mind the ensuing up Assembly elections and wants to create a wedge between the Hindus and Muslims."

He opined that terrorism is not an issue which can be fought by enacting laws and one had to strike at the root cause to curb the menace.

Former Prime Minister V P Singh, in a message read out in absentia, warned that, POTO if implemented will transform India into "a police state."

"Thus journalists, human right activists and intellectuals will suffer as a result," he added.

Mr Chaturanan Mishra, former Union Agriculture Minister and CPI leader, criticising the ordinance, said, "if implemented the law will be an attack on the judiciary as a person implicated under POTO has to confess before a superintendent of police and the judge has to accept the confession."

He feared that there was every possibility that the law would be misused due to the incompetence of the police force as had happened in the case of TADA.

The country will be destroyed if POTO becomes a law, he added.

Earlier, inaugurating the convention, noted journalist Kuldip Nayar, MP, said, "POTO like Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) will also result in the detention of lakhs of people without cases being registered against them."

"POTO is not meant to curb terrorism but to suppress political dissent," he regretted.

There were already enough laws to combat terrorism and there was no need for a new law, lamenting that the proposed ordinance will "snatch the democratic rights of our people".

The convention was organised by the All India Mili Council to lodge a protest against POTO. (UNI)

‘Miss Banana’, ‘Sharabi Pati’ and a billion dollar industry

JAIPUR, Nov 15: For a brief moment, little Anjum had the spotlight turned on her. And as she stopped to savour it, a weak smile played on her lips.

The camera clicked and a videographer motioned her to move on.

The moment passed.

A small trophy in hand, she then joined the other children, assembled to celebrate children’s day yesterday in a city park. Ah the pride of being crowned "Miss Banana".

"Well done, you have eaten the most number of Bananas," the announcer said, encouraging Anjum, who spends most of her daily life polishing gemstones for a billion dollar industry in the country. India exports more than eight-billion-rupees worth of gems and jewellery annually.

Joining her for the special programme were 300-odd children from the slums that provides the industry with its workforce.

They were in their ragged best. One boy, however, wore a blue suit and a few girls had lipstick splayed over their lips.

Estimates on the number of children employed in the gemstone polishing industry of Jaipur vary from none to 13,000. "You won’t find them (the child workers) if you ask the owners of those fancy shops in the markets," says P T Abraham of the world vision’s Chaya project, which had organised the special programme.

"This is a traditional industry and whole families have been engaged in such labour for many, many years. Children too are working," he said.

The slums are supplied only non-precious and semi-precious stones, he said. Work on precious stones is done at special units attached to shops and businesses.

The children mostly paste the gemstones on lac ‘Kandis’ before they are polished on machines. "There is too much of dust where these kids work. Tuberculosis is a frequent problem in these slums," Abraham said.

The children, he claimed, are paid as little as Rs 15-20 for a day’s work. The world vision, which runs non-formal schools for the slum children, faces the difficult task of convincing parents who ask kids to stay home from school and work for that extra sum.

"We try to reduce the working hours of the child by taking them for morning and evening classes. Lessons are given in a recreational environment," he said.

At the Ashok Vihar Park here, the children, almost all in their pre-teens, sat huddled before the dignitaries.

Youngsters from Pheel Khana, home to Anjum, presented a skit called "Sharabi Pati". They also engaged in a tug-of-war with children from Gopalwadi, Bhatta Basti and Basbadanpur. A sack race, a drawing competition and the Miss Banana contest were also organised.

There was a street play on child labour and child rights by a city-based theatre group, and speeches by a mock Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Once the prizes had been distributed, the children were given sweets and puris. They were also allowed to cause a minor stampede over balloons.

Rajasthan Social Welfare Minister Banwari Lal Bairwa was the chief guest.

Organisers said the event was held to ensure that while some children burst crackers, had sweets and new clothes, these others did not sit with stone pieces in dingy rooms, polishing some other person’s dream. (UNI)

Sky Marshals for Air India flights shortly

The move comes in the backdrop of the September 11 terror strikes in the US, LTTE attack on Colombo airport and last month’s incident in which two Afghan nationals landed at heathrow airport in London on an Air India flight without travel documents and tickets.

Steps have been initiated for deployment of sky marshals aboard Air India flights and it would be implemented "shortly", Ministry sources told PTI.

A contingency plan to meet threats to aviation, including measures to counter attacks like the terror strike in the US, was also in the final stages, they said, adding a review of security arrangements at major airports, jointly by the Intelligence Bureau, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and other agencies, has already been undertaken.

The Government is also contemplating to bring in a new Civil Aviation Security Act to strengthen aviation security on the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), they said.

The new law proposes to give more teeth to the bcas, the sources said, adding that a provision to handle cases like Purulia armsdrop and meting out exemplary punishment to hoax callers have also been suggested in the act.

The ministry has also decided to increase the number of domestic flights for deployment of Sky Marshals, the sources said adding these security personnel were currently being pressed into service on routes "on a random basis" including those being operated by the private airlines.

Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) have been positioned in airports in metropolitan cities and major ones in Jammu and Kashmir, while Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been deployed in 23 airports across the country, they said.

For the remaining airports, deployment of CISF personnel would be done in a phased manner in the coming months, they said.

In an effort to create a separate aviation security force, the BCAS has so far trained 11,000 personnel in handling of aviation security.

The BCAS has also given approval to the security programmes of foreign air carriers and private domestic operators like the Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Jagson.

The security measures and steps taken in this regard are likely to be discussed threadbare at the consultative committee meeting of the ministry scheduled on Saturday. (PTI)