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US monitors
Indian, Pak military activity From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 12: Pakistan President and military ruler, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, has warned that his troops would provide "an ...more Annan
urges countries NEW DELHI, Oct 12: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has asked member-states to reaffirm their commitment to international law by.....more Don’t
hurry with CHANDIGARH, Oct 12: Even as the Punjab Government is keen to have at least a single block of the Khalsa heritage complex ready before January.......more Hindu,
Muslim NEW DELHI, Oct 12: CPI(M) today attacked the ‘saffron brigade’ for trying to channelise the popular anti-terrorist sentiments into communal lines and....more |
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Practice of manual NEW DELHI, Oct 12: The Government today conceded that most of the state are implementing the central law banning the practice of manual scavenging, but the age old practice .......more Panel
on politico-ultra PATNA, Oct 12: Justice Amir Das Commission probing nexus between politicians and extremist organisations operating in Bihar has served notices....more Battles
of Panipat—the MUMBAI, Oct 12: Afghanistan may have the distinction of remaining undefeated in its home front, but during the course of history they suffered .....more NEW DELHI, Oct 12: President K R Narayanan today conferred the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously on Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri and decorated 30 ......more |
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US
monitors Indian, Pak military activity From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 12: Pakistan President and military ruler, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, has warned that his troops would provide "an effective reply" if India ventured to launch aggression against Pakistan. A Radio Pakistan broadcast on Friday quoted Gen. Musharraf as having declared: "Pakistan is fully prepared to face any aggression. Our troops have the capability and courage to repulse any attack from India". Gen. Musharraf, while assuring his countrymen that his Government would not tolerate any attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, divulged that a contingency plan had been formulated, which, according to him, would take adequate care of his country’s defence requirements. Government-controlled Radio Pakistan broadcast did not provide any details about the contingency plan referred to by Gen. Musharraf. All that was revealed was that Pak military high command had taken "a series of measures against any mischief from outsiders". Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir have been put on a high alert. This development is regarded by Pakistan-watchers in Delhi as a clear indication of Islamabad’s intention to improve its defence system further at a time when the political class and officialdom across Pakistan have triggered animated discussions vis-à-vis "impending Indian attack". Curiously, the talk of "impending Indian attack" has been encouraged by Gen. Musharraf himself in spite of the two important developments-one, US Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, having assured Islamabad that India would not launch military operations against Pakistan, and, two, India’s Minister for External Affairs, Mr Jaswant Singh’s statement categorically ruling out any ‘hot pursuit’ of terrorist groups in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Nor was it all. Mr Jaswant Singh let it be known that there was no question of India launching strikes against Pakistani camps across the LoC. Since a day earlier the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had issued warning from Varanasi that India would be forced to take action by itself if the United States did not pay heed to terrorism in Kashmir, Gen, Musharraf seemed to be hesitant to be convinced by the assurances from Mr Jaswant Singh and Gen. Powell. Washington’s assurance to Islamabad that Pakistanis have nothing to worry from the Vajpayee Government in New Delhi found an expression at a time when a set of reports talked about US officials monitoring Indian and Pakistani military movements "very carefully". Significantly, a section of Pakistani print media has just reported that no unit of Pakistani troops facing India in Jammu and Kashmir had been moved towards Pak border with Afghanistan. When EXCELSIOR contacted a top Indian security official for his assessment of the situation on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the International Border, pat came the reply: "There is no change in Pakistani deployments close to the border in J&K and Punjab. In recent days, Pakistani troops across the LoC and the IB in J&K have been found engaged in attempts at facilitating infiltration into the Indian territory of a number of hard-core terrorists". On the other hand, even as the US Administration has once again assured Gen. Musharraf of its support to him, the Pak military ruler is entertaining fears of a serious backlash following Washington’s decision to go in for prolonged military action against Afghanistan. Long US war can eventually boomerang on Gen. Musharraf and his men. The Afghan conflict, according to Pakistani newspapers, has handed down to Pakistan 5 million addicts and, perhaps, a similar number of warring fanatics. A write-up carried by Dawn has warned: "The American invasion which now only a miracle could avert may inaugurate a new round of civil war in Afghanistan longer and bloodier than the Soviet occupation did with a fallout for Pakistan more damaging". Yet another warning: "The oil-rich but unjustly administered countries of West Asia will continue to supply many more Bin Ladens to train and finance them. Just as the Taliban should know that they can no longer rule Afghanistan with the world opinion and armed forces arrayed against them, the America-led world coalition also needs to know that it cannot catch Osama bin Laden nor eradicate terrorism by invading Afghanistan". |
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Annan urges countries to accede to treaties NEW DELHI, Oct 12: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has asked member-states to reaffirm their commitment to international law by signing and ratifying or acceding to those treaties to which they are not a party. Mr Annan, in a report which highlights the advantages to countries in being part of the multilateral treaties, assured the countries that the treaty actions would be undertaken in a "solemn setting". The Secretary General has also made enhancement of the rule of law in international affairs a central priority for the United Nations with advancement of the rights of the women and children as its essential part. The booklet, "multilateral treaty framework: An invitation to universal participation, focus 2001: Rights of women and children" summarises the objectives and key provisions of the 23 treaties highlighted for this year’s treaty event. For instance, the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women has been described by the report as the most comprehensive treaty on women’s human rights establishing legally binding obligations to end discrimination. It explains that discrimination against women is to be eliminated through legal policies, programmatic measures and temporary special measures to accelerate women’s equality. The convention on the rights of the child is the principal children’s treaty encompassing the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It aims at protecting children from discrimination, neglect and abuse. The international convention on elimination of all forms of racial discrimination commits states to change national laws and policies which create or perpetuate racial discrimination. It has been described by the report as the first human rights instrument to establsih an international monitoring system. The convention’s provisions of national measures towards the advancement of specific racial or ethnic groups is revolutionary the reports said. The convention also recognises certain racial or ethnic groups which need specific protection in order to achieve adequate development. Also, the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, is based upon the understanding that such practices are outlawed. It strengthens the existing provisions by a number of supporting measures. The objective of the second optional protocol to the international covenant on civil and political rights is to provide for the abolition of death penalty. Out of the 45 contracting parties, only 29 have signed the covenant till date. Dr Annan also notes that in addition to undertaking actions to participate in the international treaty framework, states may need to take adequate measures to implement the obligations under these treaties within their domestic jurisdictions. "I wish to repeat the call made last year to those states which need assistance in this respect to advise me of their needs as soon as possible," he says in his letter to the heads of state and Government which has been appended with the report. (UNI) |
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Don’t hurry with Khalsa heritage complex: NID CHANDIGARH, Oct 12: Even as the Punjab Government is keen to have at least a single block of the Khalsa heritage complex ready before January next, the National Institute of Design (NID) and some scholars associated with the ambitious project have expressed their inability to complete the job within the desired period. The Anandpur Sahib Foundation (ASF), set up by the State Government to build the Khalsa Heritage Complex (KHC) in the historical town of Anandpur Sahib, was told by NID at their recent meeting in Ahmedabad that block a of the complex could not be completed in the stipulated time. "There are hardly any artifacts for display in the KHC and the aquisition of these (from various sources) needed to be expedited," said the meeting, which was attended by Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Manjit Singh. Besides complexities of importing artifacts and relics from a London-based museum and other such places, no technical equipment worth crores of rupees required for the project has been imported till now. "Even if the block A is inaugurated (next year), there is no trained staff for the continuance of exhibiting certain concepts in different dimensional forms in the museum once the nid experts leave the venue," the NID delegation told to the ASF. "The Government is in a hurry but we told them that building of this museum, dedicated to Sikh history and heritage, can take years," said Dr B S Rattan, one of the khc core committee members. Initial cost of the imported equipment for the museum has been estimated up to Rs 40 crore but no final budget has been approved so far as the NID has yet to submit the final list of equipment to be imported. "It is a spontaneous and slow development as the evolution of any good museum is not a mechanical phenomenon to be completed in a given time frame," Dr Rattan said, adding that museums and sensitive concepts related to any ideology or religion take years for presentation. Another core committee member Baldeep Singh, heading the sub-committee on ‘Sikh Kirtan Maryada’ for the heritage complex, underlined the need to introduce background-music based on certain ragas in which ‘Gurbani’ is rendered. This concept of sound waves, to be presented to the visiting audience, is still a mystery to be understood by the NID team. The ASF has formed five sub-committees-Sikh art gallery, Sikh library, museum of Sikh traditions, Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh Kirtan Maryada. None of these sub-committees has submitted its final report on their respective concepts, proposed to be presented at the khalsa heritage complex. "If the NID team wants some more time to understand certain concepts, I think there should not be any hurry," said another core committee member Brig Gurdip Singh. "The NID team, which made several corrections while dealing with certain concepts, is however really doing very well in understanding things in theological, philosophical and historical perspectives," he added. (UNI) |
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Battles of Panipat—the rise and fall of Afghans MUMBAI, Oct 12: Afghanistan may have the distinction of remaining undefeated in its home front, but during the course of history they suffered two defeats on Indian soil. The three battles of Panipat, fought mainly between Afghan forces, Mughals and Marathas in different centuries, have changed history of our land in a significant manner. While the first battle established the Mughal empire in the country, the second one reinforced it but the third battle resulted in a resounding victory for the Afghans that signalled the decline in Maratha power and all but wrote the obitury of the Mughal empire. According to historical accounts, the Lodhi dynasty with strong links to the Afghan empire had spread in the northern part of India in the early 16th century under Ibrahim Lodhi whose capital was in Agra. Zahir-ud-Din Mohammad Babur, the ruler of Fargana in Turkmenistan, was invited by some of Lodhi’s disgruntled nobles to overthrow the latter. The first battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi on April 21, 1526. Babur, marched till Panipat with a strong Army of 25,000 but Lodhi, though with a numerically superior 100,000 soldiers, was no match for Babur’s battle tactics. While a stalemate developed with both the armies standing facing each other for nearly five days, Babur sent a posse of horsemen as a feint. As the horsemen after advancing upto Lodhi’s lines turned back, the monarch, dreaming of an easy victory advanced. At this point Babur let loose his cannons and sought to encircle Lodhi’s Army from three sides. Lodhi’s war elephants panicked on hearing the cannons and trampled his men who could not maintain the momentum of battle and were defeated within six hours. Ibrahim was found dead under a heap of dead bodies. Around 20,000 soldiers died in this battle. Babur subsequently went on to establish the Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent, which lasted until the middle of the 19th century and included all of eastern Afghanistan to south of the Hindu Kush. During the next 200 years Afghanistan was parceled off between the Mughals of India and the Safavids of Persia—the former holding Kabul north to the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush and the latter Herat and Farah. Qandahar was for many years in dispute. The second battle of Panipat was also a victory for the Mughals. It was fought between a young Mughal Akbar, who later became Akbar-the great, and Hindu General Hemu, who was a guardian of the Afghan Kingdom in India but had declared himself independent. After Humayun was driven away, Hemu marched to Agra on behalf of Mohammad Adali of Bengal, representative of the Afghan Kingdom and captured it. He later shifted to Delhi. Behram Khan, Akbar’s guardian was the main hero of the battle and it was under his wing that the Army of 20,000 defeated Hemu. Hemu, with his 100,000-strong Afghan Army marched to meet Behram Khan at Panipat. He was seated on an elephant and was injured in the eye during the battle, rendering him unconcious. His mahout took him away from the battlefield, which panicked the Afghan soldiers, who ran away. He was arrested and later put to death by the Mughals. The third battle of Panipat was the most important of them all and unlike the first two, this battle brought shame and humiliation to both the Mughals and the Marathas as the Afghans emerged victorious. The third battle of Panipat would have been won, had the combined forces of Marathas fought against Abdali, but suspicion and lust for supremacy gained over a common goal the Afghanis convincingly defeated the Marathas and captured the Delhi throne. Thus began 40 years of anarchy in northwestern India and later cleared the way for British supremacy. (UNI) |
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NEW DELHI, Oct 12: President K R Narayanan today conferred the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously on Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri and decorated 30 armed forces personnel and civilians with the Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra medals for gallantry shown in fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Manipur. At the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President also gave away 11 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 17 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals and one bar to AVSM to senior ranking officers of the three services for distinguished and meritorious service. Of the five Kirti Chakra awardees three were decorated posthumously, while one VRC winner and 4 of the 24 Shaurya Chakra winners were also given the medal posthumously. Among the Kirti Chakra winners was Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal, the pilot who flew the first prototype of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) on January 14 this year. His exceptional professionalism, courage and bravery while test flying the LCA won him the honour. Four civilians—Surjit Singh, Amrik Singh, Dharam Pal and Umesh Rabha—were awarded the Shaurya Chakra for brave, offensive action against militants in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam. Vice President Krishan Kant, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Defence and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Home Minister L K Advani and the three service chiefs were among the large number of dignitaries who attended the investiture ceremony. Capt Suri of 12 Bihar, a Ghatak Platoon Commander, killed two Pakistani soldiers and silenced a machine gun after an Indian post was attacked at a forward defended locality in Jammu and Kashmir on November 9, 1999. Despite being critically injured after he was hit by a rocket propelled grenade, Capt Suri displayed extraordinary leadership and inspired his men to annihilate the enemy. The officer who died in the battle was awarded the MVC. The list of awardees are: Mava Vir Chakra- Capt Gurjinder Singh Suri (posthumous). Kirti Chakra-Capt Amit Semwal, Maj Pradeep R Thatawade and Capt R Subramaniam (all posthumous), Maj Deepak Mehra and Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal. Vir Chakra- Sub Ujeen Singh Shekhawat (posthumous). Shaurya Chakra- Sub Ujeen Singh Shekhawat, Hav Jagdev Singh, Lance Havildar Tara Bahadur, Sepoy T M Marotrao, Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar, Sub Ved Prakash, Umesh Rabha, Maj Mangerira Muthanna, Gunner A Y Reddy, Lt Hari Singh Bist (all posthumous), Surjit Singh, Amrik Singh, Sqn Ldr S K Ebenezer, Capt Aditya Srivastava, Dharam Pal, Maj Bhupendra Singh Rathore, Sub Ram Bahadur Thapa, Maj J M George, Company Quarter Master Havildar Sushi Kumar, Lt Varun Singh, Hav Pirtha Bahadur Magar, Maj Sukhmeet Singh, Sub Desh Raj Thakur, Capt Amit Prakash and Sub Sukhchain Singh. Param Vishisht Seva Medal- Lt Gen Shamsher Singh Mehta, Lt Gen Gurbaksh Singh Sihota, Air Marshal T J Master, Lt Gen R S Kadiyan, Lt Gen Vijay Lall, Lt Gen, I K Chhitwal, Lt Gen C R Sampath Kumar, Lt Gen A K Puri, Vice Admiral Rajeshwar Nath, Air Marshal Khusinder Singh Bindra and Air Marshal P S Pingale. Bar to AVSM- Maj Gen Gambir Singh Negi. Ati Vishisht Seva Medal- Lt Gen D S Chauhan, Lt Gen O S Lohchab, Lt Gen Shantonu Choudhry, Lt Gen R K Mehta, Maj Gen A R Kumar, Maj Gen S K Sanan, Rear Admiral Basudev Bose, Rear Admiral R K Sharma, Rear Admiral J K Talwar, Air Vice Marshal S K R Dham, Air Vice Marshal P C S Rautela, Air Vice Marshal P K Mukherjee, Maj Gen Rajendra Singh, Commodore P R Franklin and Air Commodore T T Job. (UNI) |
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