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| Pak rejects charge on terrorism Proxy war in J&K will acquire new dimensions From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Pakistan military leadership has alerted more than one lakh men, maintained by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as reservists....more Proceedings
in Delhi NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Proceedings in the Delhi High Court were disrupted for almost two hours today following .......more The
making of Asoka NEW DELHI, Oct 8: After capturing the imagination of the audience as well as critics at the Venice and Toronto .......more Hindu
Masasabha NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Hundreds of activists, jointly organised under the auspices of the Hindu Masasabha, Bihar Jagran....more |
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NEWS ANALYSIS Home Ministry defends the ‘lad’ in distress From B L Kak NEW DELHI: The ‘lad’ in distress? He is none other than the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Shahnawaz Hussain. Notwithstanding the red faces in the Civil Aviation Ministry over the fake hijacking that kept the country on tenterhooks for close to 6 hours the other day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has .......more Govt mulls welfare fund for Indian overseas workers NEW DELHI, Oct 8:The Labour Ministry is actively considering setting up a welfare fund for the Indian overseas workers. ...more Hindu Masasabha NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Hundreds of activists, jointly organised under the auspices of the Hindu.....more Gujral terms US attacks as JALANDHAR, Oct 8: Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral has termed the US-backed war......more |
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Pak
rejects charge on terrorism From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Pakistan military leadership has alerted more than one lakh men, maintained by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as reservists, and asked them to continue the proxy war against India. This information, according to a senior Ministerial source, has been passed on to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. The Prime Minister has also been informed about the ISI’s renewed efforts to inject a new element into the on-going proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir by pushing into the Indian territory fresh batches of armed infiltrators and subversives in the coming days. The Ministerial source told EXCELSIOR that similar information had also been passed on to the US Administration and to the British Premier, Mr Tony Blair, after he stopped short of giving any firm assurance to India on Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir even as Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee called for a global solution to global terrorism. Mr Blair’s meeting with Mr Vajpayee in New Delhi on Saturday took place after the Pakistan President and military ruler, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, had, during his interaction with the British Prime Minister in Islamabad, rejected the charge levelled by Mr Vajpayee that Pakistan was aiding and abetting terrorism from across the border. Islamabad’s theme for the past several weeks has been that there is an international border between India and Pakistan and there is no terrorism along this border. And Gen. Musharraf has again stated: "If the reference is to the Line of Control (LoC), I beg to differ. There is a freedom struggle in Kashmir and it cannot be characterised as cross-border terrorism". The Government of India, the Ministerial source also told EXCELSIOR, had furnished fresh evidence to the US Administration and the British Government vis-à-vis Islamabad’s unabated efforts to keep the pot of terrorism boiling in Jammu and Kashmir. All this, despite more than 20,000 terrorists, aided and abetted by Pakistan, having been killed in J&K during the past 12 years. The Government of India’s data also cited instances about the continuing infiltration of foreign mercenaries and terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi, while making a pointed reference to the army of reserve terrorists maintained by Pakistan, claimed that they comprised mainly uneducated and unemployed persons who had been put on the payrolls of the drug money. Another set of evidence available with the Government of India revealed that on an average 150 ISI-trained extremists and mercenaries are pushed into India via the Nepal border with arms and with specific targets to carry out destructive activities. Huge sums of money are pumped in Nepal to encourage infiltration of mercenaries into India through the 750-km-long and porous India-Nepal border. All this has been revealed by an Afghani national and ISI pawn, Damgul Khan during the interrogation after his arrest at Raxaul on the India-Nepal border. The captured Afghani national had admitted to ISI training in Pakistan. The interrogation also revealed the involvement of some of the madrassas in anti-India activities. Reports available with the Union Home Ministry admit that Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is, on the other hand, increasingly being used as a safe haven for Islamic militants on the run as well as recruitment centre. According to these reports, the large Muslim population, estimated to be over 20 lakhs, makes Hyderabad easy for ISI agents to mingle without inviting attention. Hyderabad Police authorities have already informed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that at least half a dozen pro-Pakistan organisations have gained foothold in the city since the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Of these, the Hizbul Mujahideen as well as the banned outfits, namely, Deendar Anjuman and the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) are most active. |
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Proceedings in Delhi HC affected due to hoax bomb call NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Proceedings in the Delhi High Court were disrupted for almost two hours today following a hoax bomb call, police said. The court premises had to be evacuated after an anonymous call to the office of the chief justice at around 11.20 a.m. Claiming planting of a bomb, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Mukesh Kumar Meena said. The premises were immediately evacuated and a search launched by the Delhi Police with assistance from bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs, he said. However, no device was recovered after a thorough combing, Meena added. The proceedings resumed after lunch break at 2 p.m. This is the second time a hoax call about planting of a bomb has been received during the last 10 days. Earlier on September 28, an anonymous caller had claimed planting of two bombs in the High Court premises. But searches yielded nothing. (PTI) |
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The making of Asoka book to provide an insider’s account NEW DELHI, Oct 8: After capturing the imagination of the audience as well as critics at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Asoka’ is now all set to win the hearts of Indians through through an ‘insider account of its making’. "The making of Asoka’, a book capturing moments behind the scenes, will be released by President K R Narayanan here tomorrow, heralding a new trend in an industry which does not have much written material about its films," says Mr Amit Aggarwal from Harper Collins Pvt Ltd, the publishers of the book. Talking to UNI, Mr Aggarwal, who has been associated with the book right from the time the idea was presented to him by the superstar, said, "the book represents the vision of Shahrukh Khan." ‘The making of Asoka’ is written by journalist-turned-author Mushtaq Sheikh. ‘Asoka’, one of the most ambitious bollywood films starring Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor with a cast of 7,000 extras, depicts the story of Asoka, the Mauryan emperor, who waged the bloodiest of battles to conquer kalinga. Overcome by remorse for the death of hundreds of thousands of men, he became a votary of non-violence, spreading the message of Buddha across Asia. "The idea of a book on the making of ‘Asoka’ came from Shahrukh Khan itself. After, all ‘asoka’ is no run of the mill film," Mr Aggarwal said. "It is the first time in the history of Indian cinema that someone is coming out with a book on the making of the film just before its release," he claimed. The book will be presented to the president at the Rashtrapati Bhawan tomorrow. Shahrukh Khan, the co-producer of the film, will be among those attending the function, Mr Aggarwal said. Historicals also need intense research to be true to their character. For Asoka, Director Santosh Sivan had to go through a tough time getting his facts right. Also designing costumes that were accurate and genuine to that era was no cake-walk. The swords and some other items used by the main characters in the movie were loaned from the Madhya Pradesh museum. Even the temples of Kalinga shown in the film were not sets but the actual historical monuments in present-day Orissa, Mr Aggarwal said. In addition to providing a historical perspective on Asoka, the book also carries interviews with the cast and crew and a complete account of the making of the film, he added. The book is aimed at arousing interest in the film. But if you happen to see the film first and like it, the chances are that you would want to go and buy the book and read all about the making of the film. So the book and the film compliment each other, Mr Aggarwal said. Despite having a lot of history in it, Asoka is still a piece of fiction with a lot of borrowed folk tales still popular in Kalinga (Orissa), he said. Though Shahrukh Khan will be the first producer in the history of indian cinema to have a book release on his film just before the movie itself, the trend was actuallyt started by Karan Johar when he announced his intention to bring out a book on the making of ‘Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gham’, just before the release of the movie. Written by journalist Niranjan Iyer and published by Penguin, this was to be the first Hindi film ever to have a book on its making. However, a delay in release of the film and the fact that Asoka is all set to be screened later this month, meant that Shahrukh could wrest the honours. The book, priced at Rs 995, has sketches by the renowned painter M F Huusain. "The book has been exquisitely designed. Besides, it has beautiful visuals that will immediately attract public attention," Mr Aggarwal claimed. According to Mr Aggarwal, the the book will be available in all the bookshops by the end of this week. Besides, it will also be sold at theatres where the premieres of the film are scheduled to be held. "We have planned a massive campaign to publicise the film. As part of this strategy, excerpts from the book will be read out by the superstar himself at every function or event he attends," he said. (UNI) |
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Hindu Masasabha activists demand
firm NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Hundreds of activists, jointly organised under the auspices of the Hindu Masasabha, Bihar Jagran Manch and Hindu Shakti Dal, today held a demonstration at the Jantar Mantar, demanding a firm action against Pakistan for being in the vanguard of ‘Islamic terrorism and jehad.’ "The entire country is watching with bated breath when the centre runs short of its patience and declares a war against terrorism," Mahasabha president Dineshchandra Tyagi said, addressing the demonstrators. While America had declared a war against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan after the killing of its only 6,000 people in the September 11 terrorist attacks, India had restrained itself even though 50,000 people had so far been killed in Kashmir alone, Mr Tyagi said. "The people of the country would now like to know from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani and External Affairs and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh when the Government is going to declare a war against Pakistan, which has been sponsoring terrorism in India." Echoing similar sentiments, Bihar Jagran Manch president Dinesh Pratap Singh said the time had now come for a firm and decisive action against Pakistan. "India must launch military action to retrieve control of Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) and stop terrorists in their tracks," he said. The slogan-shouting, banner-wielding protesters later tried to march to Parliament but were stopped by police. They were, however, allowed to submit a six-point memorandum to the Prime Minister. Pandit Nand Kishore, acting president of the Delhi unit of the Mahasabha who also addressed the demonstrators, demanded that India declare Pakistan an ‘enemy state’ and snap all its diplomatic ties with that country. Mahasabha leaders argued that India should stop vacillating on its action against Pakistan and smash the latter’s terrorist camps as America had started doing in case of Afghanistan. However, activists of the ultra-left CPI (ML), which took out countrywide protest demonstrations against the US action against the Taliban, warned the Government not to offer any ‘’support and legitimacy’’ to it. "Several people have been killed in the barbaric bombarding on Afghanistan by the US and British forces. This is a unilateral war by the Bush-Blair imperialist brigade," Mr Ranjit Abhigyan, CPI(ML) central secretariat member, said in a statement. The ultra-left members and supporters also took out "anti-war’ march in various state capitals including Patna, Ranchi, Calcutta and Lucknow and burnt the US President in effigy. Describing the US attack as a campaign of "enduring terror and enduring hypocrisy", Mr Abhigyan called upon all "peace-loving, patriotic and democratic Indians" to rise in a vigorous protest against the "imperialist loot, terror and aggression".(UNI) |
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Gujral terms US attacks as fight of civilised forces JALANDHAR, Oct 8: Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral has termed the US-backed war against terrorism as a fight of secular and civilised forces against barbarism, quite similar to the battles that Maharaja Ranjit Singh waged against the barbarism of invaders like Ahmed Shah Abdali, who was the first ruler to establish an independent kingdom in Afghanistan. Addressing at a seminar here on the current situation in the South Asia region in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist strikes in the US, the former Prime Minister said that the fight against global terrorism should not be interpreted as a fight against Islam or Afghanistan or the Afghans. The fight against global terrorism was not directed against Islam but was a battle between civilised forces and barbarism, he added. "It is a fight against barbarism and a civilised society and India too was being threatened by this barbarism which Maharaja Ranjit Singh had combated", he added. Speaking at the seminar, organised by the ‘Hind-Pak Dosti Manch’, headed by prominent journalist Kuldip Nayar, Mr Gujral said that from past experiences it was quite clear that from the standpoint of military importance, the geo-strategy of India should be planned according to the situation in Afghanistan and not with what was happening along the Indo-Pakistan border. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first to adopt this strategy and he was successful in extending his rule into Afghanistan and created an atmosphere of peace and prosperity in his state, he added. In his fight against barbarism, the Maharaja even conquered parts of Afghanistan, he said. The British, however, failed in this endeavour. As a result, they had to draw the McMohan line, according official status to Afghanistan, the result of which was being felt now as the current rulers, the Taliban are no different from barbarians like Ahmed Shah Abdali and Chengiz Khan. Referring to India’s interests in South Asia, Mr Gujral said that whatever happened in Afghanistan during the last couple of years had its impact on India and this trend cannot be reversed. In the past, only Maharaja Ranjit Singh realised this and took effective measures to counter barbarism and his rule was a glorious one, he added. "Like the Maharaja, India’s interests are for the collapse of the Taliban, which is against the principles of Islam,"he said. The Taliban were not only effecting India but even central Asian Nations and its elimination at this juncture was necessary," he added. Even China, a close ally of Pakistan, was threatened by the terrorism of the Taliban ‘Jehadis’, he added while referring to an incident of communal violence in a Muslim-dominated province of China. "Instead of referring to what US did in the past, we should come out openly against the fight against barbarism in order to save civilisation" he said. In his speech, the former Prime Minister squarely blamed Pakistan for training Taliban fighters in ‘Madrasas’ in its territory." Pakistan too faces the threat from the Taliban, its very own creation which claims to be fighting a Jehad", he added. In his concluding remarks, Mr Gujral warned that no country, not even Pakistan, was safe from ‘Jehadis’ and this fact had been realised by a number of countries in the middle east, who had extended their support to the US in the global fight against terrorism. (UNI) |
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