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SPECIAL REPORT From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Indian radar and air defence systems created history of sorts hours before the United States and Britain launched a first wave of airstrikes against Afghanistan on October 7. ...more Corporatisation
NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Ruling out corporatisation of agriculture, Government said today contract and cooperative farming would be the mainstay of its......more Joshi
asks TV channels CHENNAI, Oct 11: Union Human Resources Development Minister M M Joshi today asked television channels to desist from depicting the .......more Coverage
of US-Taliban NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Thanks to the availability of visuals which have a terrific impact, Indian....more |
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Amitabh still going strong with his gameshow MUMBAI, Oct 11 : He has held sway over several generations of cinegoers with his imposing personality and a larger-than-life presence in all his movies. .......more TN
will soon witness KANCHEEPURAM, Oct 11: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president E V K S Elangovan has claimed that Tamil Nadu will soon witness elections. Mr Elangovan, who was here to participate in new Justice Party president A C Shanmugham....more Courts
not to interfere NEW DELHI, Oct 11: In a major judgement concerning armed forces, the Supreme Court has ruled that High Courts hearing appeals against General .....more Uncertainty
over fate of PATNA, Oct 11: The uncertainty over the fate of nearly 1.25 lakh Bangla refugees, of the erstwhile Pakistan now known as Bangladesh, settled in ......more |
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From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Indian radar and air defence systems created history of sorts hours before the United States and Britain launched a first wave of airstrikes against Afghanistan on October 7. Top echelons in India’s Armed Forces were pleased when it became a reality that Indian radar and air defence systems had picked up indications of heightened activity by the US military forces in the region hours before American President, Mr George W Bush, informed Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee about the strikes against Afghanistan. And Mr Vajpayee voiced deep appreciation after he was informed that the country’s air defence systems picked up significant activity by the US forces in the Indian Ocean early on Sunday (October 7)-that is, hours before the actual airstrikes were launched late night that day. Mr George Bush contacted the Indian Prime Minister at about 5.30 pm on October 7. Mr Vajpayee was not surprised when the US President informed him about the coming attack on Afghanistan. Mr Vajpayee had been, hours before he was contacted on telephone by the US President, briefed by senior military officers on how the stage had been set for the US military strikes. Sources in the Defence Ministry told EXCELSIOR that heightened activity early on October 7 at the joint US-Britain naval support facility on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia tipped them off about impending strikes against Afghanistan. The US armed forces used the island base at Diego Garcia for launching bombers. Indian air defence systems have been on high alert since the terrorist attack on New York and Washington on September 11. Comprising an elaborate network of radars all over India, the air defence systems have been keeping a close eye on the movement of all aircraft in and around Indian airspace since a group of terrorists rattled America. These sources are in the possession of highly interesting inputs about the use of pilotless planes and spy satellites by America for getting precise information about military targets and members of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network. The precise coordinates of the military structures attacked on October 7 were mapped by spy satellites and small pilotless planes, or drones, called Gnat and Predator. Operated by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), the Gnat is a 24-foot-long plane carrying a radar called the Lynx. The commercially available radar can detect objects as small as 4 inches at a distance of 16 miles, day or night, rain or shine, relaying still photos or videos via satellite. Presence of the Gnat over Afghanistan became public when one of the planes crashed on September 22 about 150 miles northwest of Kabul. Taliban commanders said that their troops shit it down, but that is extremely unlikely. Reason: Gnat flies, quietly, at an altitude of up to five miles, and the best missiles the Taliban are believed to posses fly no higher than three miles. The Gnat can stay aloft for 48 hours without refuelling. The Predator flies about as high and can stay aloft for 40 hours at a time. The US Air Force authorities are reportedly thrilled by the performance of the B-2 aircraft in Afghanistan. These aircraft were specially selected to strike Al Qaeda training camps and military installations of the Taliban on the Oct 7 evening. The B-2 bomber is universally known for its ability to attack multiple targets and drop weapons at night under any weather conditions. The primary functions of this 69-foot-long, 17-foot-high, 172-foot-wide aircraft made by Northrop Grumman Corporation is to attack an enemy’s war-making potential. The 1.3 billion dollar aircraft, which costs almost as much as a Navy aircraft carrier, can also attack eight times as many targets on each mission as the F-117 Stealth striker fighters. The B-2 aircraft are the only ones that can escape detection by disappearing into the sky even though it has a wing span larger than half a football field. Prior to the launching of airstrikes over Afghanistan, a media report from Washington let it be known that Al Qaeda terrorists have waged war with US-made weapons, particularly Barrett 50-calibre rifles. According to the report, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network have understood the destructive power of the 50-calibre sniper rifle for more than a decade. The Violence Policy Centre, a Washington-based group, has called for a legislation that would require buyers of 50-calibre rifles to be licensed by the Federal Government. |
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Corporatisation of agriculture ruled out NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Ruling out corporatisation of agriculture, Government said today contract and cooperative farming would be the mainstay of its policy to make farming high-tech and achieve four per cent growth. "Corporatisation is not the answer where majority of the country’s population is involved in farming with small land holdings," Agriculture Minister, Ajit Singh, said, adding the idea is to step up productivity, ensure diversification and create a marketing network. "Though we are facing severe resource constraints, the Government is against corporates taking over farm lands from agriculturists as it will cause tremendous social unrest and distress among farmers," Singh told PTI. Stressing on the need for huge investment for induction of modern farming technologies and rural infrastructure, Singh said, individual farmers would not be able to invest substantial amounts needed for this. "It is precisely for this reason, cooperatives on Gujarat pattern will have to be set up all over the country and contract farming must be encouraged by amending laws. It will ensure flow of investment and wherewithal," he said. Expressing happiness over growing realisation in Government and elsewhere in the country about the significance of agriculture to ensure high growth, Singh said the tenth plan beginning next year would ensure that substantial resources were allocated for the farm sector. "The volume of investments in agriculture and allied sectors are being worked out for the next plan," the minister said. Singh said Japan, with high productivity despite small holdings, has shown the way that large farms were not required to boost agricultural production. "What is needed is investment in bio-technology, marketing networks and infrastructure like cold storage, roads, refrigerated transport facilities and supply of improved inputs," he said. Farmers cannot be expected to diversify from traditional crops into horticulture, floriculture and cash crops in the absence of necessary facilities for their storage, marketing and exports, he said The minister admitted that lack of consistency in policy was a major handicap in boosting agri-exports which had immense untapped potential and said Government has decided to do away with all controls for exports of farm products. At the same time, Government would also provide WTO-compatible subsidies, particularly for foodgrain exports, in order to enable Indian products to compete in the international market where prices of a host of commodities happen to be quite low. "When we have removed all restrictions on import of farm products by dismantling quantitative restrictions, there is no reason why we should continue with controls on exports of these commodities," he said. Emphasising on the need for decentralisation of foodgrain storage operations, he said, states are being persuaded to set up grain banks at panchayat levels. A team has already studied such banks in Madhya Pradesh and efforts are being made to have such facilities all over, he said. (PTI) |
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Joshi asks TV channels not to depict violence CHENNAI, Oct 11: Union Human Resources Development Minister M M Joshi today asked television channels to desist from depicting the cult of violence on the small screen. Dedicating the teleport and earth station of the private satellite channel "Raj TV", the first of its kind in the country, he pointed out that juvenile crimes influenced by television viewing have increased manifold in the west. Television producers have an ethical responsibility against promoting the cult of violence among the impressionable age, he noted. Regretting that television commercials were creating an unnecessary and artificial demand, he that the advertising community should voluntarily create a code of conduct for themselves and desist from creating artificial demand. Admitting that television was influencing lifestyle, he said it also provided instant information besides offering entertainment. The teleport of Raj TV is the first such facility to be acquired by any private TV channel in the country. Besides facilitating real time uplinking of eight channels, it would allow Raj TV to lease channels to other users as well on a commercial basis. The earth station, dedicated today, comprised state of the art equipment with microprocessor control and redundant backup units with automatic swithover facility. Leading lights of the film industry felicitated Raj TV on the occasion. (UNI) |
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Courts not to interfere with sentence imposed by GCM: SC NEW DELHI, Oct 11: In a major judgement concerning armed forces, the Supreme Court has ruled that High Courts hearing appeals against General Court Martial (GCM) verdicts should not interfere with the sentence awarded to the convicted personnel once the charges against him were proved. "The awarding of sentence is within the powers of the court martial. These are not matters in which court should interfere," a bench comprising Justice K T Thomas and Justice S N Variva said in a recent judgement. One Deputy Commandant of Assam Rifles was served with a chargesheet on November 28, 1986, a general court martial was held and was found guilty of four charges - acting prejudicial to good order and military discipline, behaving in a manner unbecoming his position and the character expected of him and on two counts of making false entries in the tour diaries. The GCM imposed the penalty of dismissal from service on the commandant, who appealed against the GCM order in the High Court. A single judge of the High Court held that the GCM was conducted properly and that the charges against the appellant were established. However, the single judge held that having regard to the nature and degree of the offences established, the extreme and severe punishment of dismissal from service was violative of the provisions of Section 72 of the Army Act. The single judge set aside the order of dismissal and sent the matter back to the GCM to award a lesser punishment than dismissal from service. Both the appellant as well as the Government appealed against this order before the division bench of the High Court. The bench refused to stay the earlier order making the Government to approach the Supreme Court, which stayed the single judge’s order. Meanwhile, the division bench of the High Court also held that the sentence awarded was too harsh considering the nature of the allegations though the charges were established. It directed the Government to constitute the original GCM to award a lesser punishment to the guilty commandant. The apex court said both the single judge and the division bench after finding that the charges were established against the commandant should not have interfered in the sentence. "It is only in extreme cases, which on their face show perversity or irrationality that there can be judicial review. Merely on compassionate grounds a court should not interfere," the bench said. Referring to the observation of the High Court that the charges were not serious enough to order his dismissal, the bench wondered "if a commanding officer breaches orders received from the head quarters, how can discipline be maintained in the Army?" These were offences where the GCM would have been justified in awarding imprisonment, the bench said and added the GCM took a lenient view by merely dismissing him from service. (PTI) |
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Uncertainty over fate of 1.25 lakh Bangla refugees PATNA, Oct 11: The uncertainty over the fate of nearly 1.25 lakh Bangla refugees, of the erstwhile Pakistan now known as Bangladesh, settled in many districts of Bihar was removed when Bihar Legislative Council gave its consent to a private member bill granting them Indian citizenship. These Bangla refugees had been living in Bihar since 1948 in pursuance of an agreement between India and Pakistan. State Home Department in its reply to the private member bill, moved by unattached member Yashodanand Singh in the last session of the State Council, clarified that the State Government had no objection to the proposal of giving Indian citizenship to these Bangla refugees. Home Department added that these refugees will have to send applications through respective District Magistrates for obtaining Indian citizenship. Acting on the recommendations of the State Government, the Union Government had the final authority to decide on the citizenship issue. Former Bihar Minority Commission Chairman Jabir Hussain had drawn the attention towards the issue of grant of Indian citizenship to these refugees in 1993. In his report to the State Government, Mr Hussain expressed surprise over the denial of grant of Indian citizenship to these refugees who had been enjoying voting rights all these years. In an agreement between India and Pakistan after the creation of Bangladesh, Bangla refugees were settled in many parts of the state, including Bihar. This ‘diaspora’ group is spread in districts of East and West Champaran, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Kishangaj, Supaul, Saharsa, Katihar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and other places in Bihar. State Minority Commission studied problems of these refugees after few Bangla speaking candidates were not absorbed in the Government jobs on the question of their citizenship in 1992-93. The Commission through its study learnt that the issue of citizenship of Bangla refugees was treated as ‘doubtful’ and ‘undecided’ despite the fact that these refugees were living in the state for the last four decades. The Commission had recommended for granting these refugees Indian citizenship without delay and stated that the previous Government indulged in ‘criminal’ acts by denying refugees the right to lead a ‘civilized’ and ‘respectful’ life. The Commission said that these displaced bengalee speaking refugees were treated as ‘vote banks’ as they exercised their franchise in different districts for nearly last 40 years. A private member bill was passed by Bihar Legislative Council in its last session in the backdrop of an article, which appeared in the Council’s news magazine ‘Sambad’, containing information on the problems of such refugees. The bill stated that the State Government should recommend granting Indian citizenship to these refugees. State Council Chairman Jabir Hussain informed the house during the debate over the bill that lakhs of Hindu Bengali speaking refugees came to India after an agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. He said that these refugees were settled in 14 places of Bihar in the preliminary round and added that these places were christianed as "permanent liability camps." State Labour and Employment Minister Upendra Prasad Verma assured in the house that the State Government would take appropriate steps for ensuring grant of Indian citizenship to these refugees. (UNI) |
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