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Controversy over CHENNAI, Nov 8: Even as controversy rages over the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) move to take over the famed Arunachaleshwar temple.......more Ex-SGPC
chief charged KAPURTHALA, Nov 8: In another stroke of embarrassment to beleaguered Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal who seeks to ......more Walk
to mark hundred SHIMLA, Nov 8: To mark the completion of hundred years of the Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge railway, a heritage. .....more Work
in DHC, lower NEW DELHI, Nov 8: Work in Delhi High Court and the lower judiciary was paralysed today as lawyers went on a day’s ...more |
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Marandi urges opposition to make foundation day successful RANCHI, Nov 8: Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi today called upon the political parties to forget their differences........more Police
not to be allowed AMRITSAR, Nov 8: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) president, Kirpal Singh Bhadungar today made it clear that policemen would ......more Padmanabhan
takes BHUBANESWAR, Nov 8: It was a home coming for Army Chief S Padmanabhan to Orissa where he spent his childhood days. ......more Environmentalists
VISAKHAPATNAM, Nov 8: The practice of hunting snakes and ceremoniously feeding them with milk, sweets and eggs would eventually ...more |
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Several SAD workers rounded up in pre-dawn raid ........ Work in DHC, lower courts paralysed due to lawyers’ strike ....... Tantrik
sucks blood of 207 goats and still wants more ...
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Controversy over ASI move to take over Chola temple CHENNAI, Nov 8: Even as controversy rages over the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) move to take over the famed Arunachaleshwar temple at Tiruvannamalai, the ASI today clarified that the decision was aimed at protecting and conserving the 1000-year-old Chola grandeur for posterity. Terming the mounting objections and apprehensions over the take over as "ill-founded," ASI (Chennai circle) Superintending Archaeologist K T Narasimhan told UNI that the ASI’s prime concern was to protect the monument of historic importance, built during the reign of the imperial Cholas, from decaying and nothing else. "ASI’s primary duty is to preserve and conserve the monument of national importance for future generations without changing its colour and core," he said. Mr Narasimhan, who had addressed a meeting convened by the temple protection committee in Tiruvannamalai two days ago to allay the fears, made it very clear that the ASI would never interfere with the religious rituals and administration nor would levy any fee on the devotees and challenge the ownership. The Tamil Nadu Hindu religious and charitable endowments department, managing the temple, was free to conduct ‘Utsavs’, ‘Archanas’ and ‘Abishekams’ on all 365 days and collect the entire temple revenue. The ASI had taken over 410 monuments and sites of national and international importance in Tamil Nadu. These were more than 100-year-old and included about 150 "living and non-living" temples, churches and mosques. Declaring that the ASI had no religion, he said the St Mary’s church at fort St George here, the first protestant church in the country, the Arcot and Gingee mosques were some of the monuments of other religion under the control of the ASI. Mr Narasimhan said in the event of the ASI declaring the Arunachaleshwar temple as a "living monument" there would be no bar on devotees visiting the temple and carrying out the rituals, including undertaking "Girivalam", a walk around the adjoining hill during full moon days. Status-quo would be maintained and the ASI would not claim ownership on any property, movable or immovable in the temple, he clarified. On the other hand, the ASI, the oldest Government body, would spend crores of rupees to preserve the structure, he said. Mr Narasimhan said once the ASI issued the confirmatory notification after going through the objections, it would declare a 100 metre area around the temple as ‘prohibited’ area and the next 100 metre radius as ‘regulatory area’. In the first 100 metre radius, mining and constructions would be banned and in the next 100 metre radius, the ASI Director General would have the discretionary power to allow construction. None of the existing structures would be pulled down as was being apprehended, he said, adding that the ban on new constructions was only to ensure that no high rise buildings were built to block the view of the temple. The ASI would, however, take control of maintaining cycle parking and footwear stands as a regulatory measure and to ensure a token of revenue to the ASI. Mr Narasimhan said the ASI would also lay down a couple of conditions once it declared the temple as a monument of national importance. The HR and CE department would be required to obtain permission from the ASI if it wanted to put up massive "Pandals" around the temple during ceremonies or rituals, to ensure that no damage was caused to the temple. The HR and CE would also not be allowed to change the colour and core of the temple. Already, a number of changes had been made in the structure under the pretext of renovations, spoiling the original beauty of the great monument, he said. The ASI would have difficult times if it attempted to restore the pristine glory of the structure, he confessed. On the Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to challenge the ASI’s move in the Madras High Court, Mr Narasimhan said the ASI would be restrained from going ahead only if the court issued a stay order. Otherwise, the ASI, the most powerful body next only to defence in the country, had powers to declare any property of more than 100-years-old, located anywhere in the country and owned by an individual or Government, as a monument of national importance. He said this was the first time the ASI was facing hurdles in taking over a particular monument of national importance in Tamil Nadu. "We never had the problem before even while declaring the famous Brahadeeswarar temple (big temple) in Thanjavur. Before the ASI stepped in, no one could enter the "Karpagraha" (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple but now lakhs and lakhs of people from all over the world have access to it, he noted. Pleading ignorance of the origin of the proposal to take over the temple, Mr Narasimhan said the directive came from ASI headquarters in Delhi, seeking details of the temple. He dismissed as "rubbish" reports that Tamil superstar Rajnikanth, a regular visitor of the temple, had sent the proposal. The idea might have come from the then Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan after his visit to the temple in April last, he suggested. Mr Narasimhan said as on date, there were 16 world heritage monuments in the country, of which two were located in Tamil Nadu. The group of temples in Mahabalipuram and the pragadeeshwar temple in Thanjavur had been declared as world heritage mouments, which meant these properties belonged to the human race, irrespective of nationality. "Any person from any corner of the country can have access to the monument," he clarified. The Pragadeeshwarar temple was declared as a world heritage monument for its tallest "Vimanam" atop the sanctum sanctorum, he said, adding that similarly, the Vishnu temple at Thirumukkoodal in Kancheepuram district is a monument of national importance as it contained the longest Chola inscriptions. The inscriptions dwelt on surgeries conducted over a thousand years ago and provided the definition for "doctor" and "nurse." The Sikkhanatha Swamy cave temple at Kudimiyamalai in Pudukottai district was also declared as a monument of national importance because of the oldest inscription on music. Stating that the ASI never had problems in taking over and maintaining these mouments, he regretted that the present obstacles in taking over Arunachaleshwar temple was mainly because of a disinformation campaign launched by vested interests. (UNI) |
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Ex-SGPC chief charged with power theft KAPURTHALA, Nov 8: In another stroke of embarrassment to beleaguered Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal who seeks to retain control of the SGPC in its executive elections next week, police have charged his key loyalist and former top Sikh religious leader Bibi Jagir Kaur with electricity theft. Police today said she was withdrawing electricity by bypassing the electricity metre fitted at her Dera (monastery) in village Begowal. The Bibi, who had been accused of having murdered her daughter Harpreet Kaur, was charged yesterday with stealing electricity after officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) raided her Dera. A PSEB official said that during the raid, the Dera was found to be stealing power from two locations. The board gave an immediate power-theft notice to the Dera manager for a fine of Rs 45,415 which he later paid, the official said. Bibi Jagir Kaur, the former chief of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), was not present at the Dera when the raid was conducted, he added. (UNI) |
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Walk to mark hundred years of Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge SHIMLA, Nov 8: To mark the completion of hundred years of the Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge railway, a heritage walk along the track from Shimla to Kalka will start here tomorrow. The objective of the heritage walk, along the 96.5 km long track, is to focus on heritage tourism and get world heritage status for the 99 year-old toy train, said Billy Malhans, the convenor of Himachal Pradesh Chapter of Intach, an NGO. The railway line was opened to traffic on Nov 9, 1903. He said besides Intach, representatives of three other NGOs - Sages, Himalayan Environment Society and Save Our Shimla (SOS) - would participate in the heritage walk. The tour will be completed in four days with night-halt at Vintage railway rest houses at Kaithalighat, Barog and Jabli-Koti. He said a similar walk was also being planned for Nov 9, 2003 from Kalka to Shimla to mark the completion of hundred years of the train which had been described in the Guiness book of rail facts and figures as "greatest narrow gauge engineering feat." The train passes through 103 tunnels and goes from an altitude of 1200 feet to 6800 feet traversing some of the most rugged and hostile terrain ever encountered by any railways. Completed at a cost of Rs 1,65,25,000, the Kalka-Shimla railway line was purchased by the State Government in 1906 for Rs 1,71,07,748. It was built to serve as life-line of the British Raj which used to shift the capital in each spring to Shimla to beat the sizzling heat of gangetic plains. The railway line goes through four tunnels which are more than 1100 ft long. While the barog tunnel is 3360 ft long, the other big tunnels on the route are Koti (2276 ft), Tara Devi (1615 ft) and tunnel no 103 (1135 ft). The local hotel industry has offered to arrange package tour for tourists on the vintage rail car from Shimla to Kannoh station and back but the proposal is yet to take a final shape. The Intach has also written to the UNESCO to accord the world heritage status to this railway line like the Darjeeling hill railway line which completed 100 years in 1999. (PTI) |
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Padmanabhan takes a trip down memory lane BHUBANESWAR, Nov 8: It was a home coming for Army Chief S Padmanabhan to Orissa where he spent his childhood days. The Chief of Army Staff who arrived here yesterday to inspect the army installations in the state, recollected his childhood in Hirakud in western Orissa, where he had spent a decade. "I came to Hirakud when I was only 9 years old as my father was posted as Finance Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer to the Hirakud Dam Project," he told newspersons here last evening on his arrival from Agartala. General Padmanabhan said during his visit to Hirakud he would like to see the changes that had taken place during the past four decades. "It was a jungle when we arrived in Hirakud in 1949. There was neither the bridge nor the railway line over the river Mahanadi to reach Hirakud where the foundation of a multi-purpose dam was laid," he said. "I had witnessed the 1949 floods in Mahanadi river on my arrival in Hirakud. The flood waters entered our drawing room and I used to float paper boats," he recalled. The Army chief recounted an incident in Hirakud when he encounterd a panther during an evening walk in the hot summer. General Padmanabhan said he had studied at Hirakud High School but later shifted to Burla, a small town that came up along with the construction of the Hirakud dam. The people in Burla at that time were extremely good and simple, he said adding, "I doubt whether we will come across such people in the present days". The Army chief remembered his visit to the Burla cinema hall, the only source of entertainment at that time. "We used to send a boy to the cinema hall manager to reserve seat for us and the manager used to wait at the gate to escort us to the hall and shared snacks during the interval," he said. General Padmanabhan was admitted to the Rastriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Pune on Orissa quota, from where he took the admission in National Defence Academy and finally in the indian military Academy. On his arrival here last afternoon, the Army chief visited the Dhauli hill and Lingaraj temple along with his wife Rupa Padmanabhan. He is scheduled to visit Puri, Konark and the Air Defence College at Gopalpur today and finally his old place in Hirakud where he spent the major part of his childhood days.(UNI) |
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Environmentalists launch campaign against snake-feeding VISAKHAPATNAM, Nov 8: The practice of hunting snakes and ceremoniously feeding them with milk, sweets and eggs would eventually slither down to the past if efforts by a group of environmentalists to curb the rituals associated with the Nagula Chavithi festival find success. Thanks to some voluntary organisations, November might no more be the deadliest month for snakes as environmentalists have launched campaigns to promote their being worshipped without subjecting them to cruelty. Preaching the fact that snakes are natural predators, green mercy and Visakha Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (VSPCA) along with a few similar organisations here have embarked on a massive campaign against forcible feeding of the snakes on the occasion of the Nag festival. Its organisers have been organising raids against snake charmers and launching door-to-door campaign to sensitise the people on the need for protecting the snakes. "We are not against the observation of the Nag festival. But snakes should not be forcibly fed with milk and eggs and no crackers should be burst at the mouth of their hole to scare them out," points out Green Mercy chief executive K V Ramana Murthy. Mr Murthyis a journalist-turned-animal activist, who has, through his multimedia awareness campaigns under the banner of ‘Jana Jagruthi’ launched a ‘save snakes mission’ in a big way since 1999. Each year, the work would gain momentum a week before the Nag festival begins. Apart from going door to door with snakes to educate the masses that most of the snakes seen around are non-poisonous, the team, spearheaded by VSPCA president Pradeep Kumar Nath also, works for the cause of ecology so that the public at large joins the movement. Green Mercy could save 100 snakes in the year 1999, 53 in 2000 and 49 last year. This time around, they have seized 33 snakes so far during raids on snake-charmers’ colonies at different places and released them into the forests. They also burnt the baskets in which the reptiles were kept. The Forest department has authorised these organisations to conduct raids and release the snakes into the forests besides holding nature camps to particularly educate the schoolchildren at the zoo centre and other eco-tourism parks coming up in this district. "We conduct raids on the festival day at different places and wean the people from torturing the snakes besides nabbing the snake charmers who assist the worshippers," Mr Murthy says. "Thousands of litres of milk the people pour into the snake holes could help feed thousands of undernourished people. The milk poured so is not only wasted, but it spoils the natural habitat of the snakes, further endangering their existence," he observes. Anybody who threatens the existence of these endangered creatures is liable for imprisonment and even fine upto Rs 25,000 under the protection of Wildlife Act, 1972. The organisations have also urged the State Government to declare Salur-Duggeru forest belt in neighbouring Vizianagaram district as a snake reserve as it has a large population of king cobras, which are being threatened by poachers who smuggle them to West Bengal to make money from certain pharmacies. A recent study of the ecology around the famous Simhachalam temple shrine here disclosed the existence of poisonous snakes like Cobra, Krait and Viper, besides non-venomous snakes such as Rock Pythons, Greensnake, Ratsnake and Watersnake besides green, black and wolf snakes. "But their existence has also been threatned with the enoromous growth of human habitations, leave alone death of the snakes every year owing to torture they undergo during the festival seasons," Mr Murthy notes. Inspired by the activities of the Animal Welfare Board of India under the guidance of animal activist and politician Maneka Gandhi, Green Mercy has been saving several stray cattle and wounded animals despite the herculean task of finding a safe shelter for them. "The Government asked us to pay some nine lakh rupees for a piece of land. We expressed inability to shell out such huge amount. The Government is trying to consider our request for reducing the mount as we are taking care of the animals with voluntary spirit." Both the organisations, at the same time, have been engaged in protecting the endangered olive-ridley seaturtles in the region besides the migratory birds in a big way. They also plead for undertaking rehabilitation of the snake charmers and providing insurance cover to them so that they give up the traditional profession. However, continuous raids being organised at the snake holes on the Nag festival day each year have prompted some women to encourage the snake-charmers to bring the animals straight to their doorsteps to "appease the snake god" with milk and eatables. This has posed more problems for the animal lovers and campaigners to keep a tab on the reptile, following which they have started intensifying the vigil against snake-charmers besides going to the doorsteps of the people. (UNI) Several SAD workers rounded up in pre-dawn raid CHANDIGARH, Nov 8: Shiromani Akali Dal today alleged that the State Government had let loose a reign of "repression" against the party workers and "mass arrests and massive raids are being carried out all over Punjab just before the Tuesday’s SGPC elections". "Pre dawn arrests have been carried out all over Punjab and I was myself detained (in Ludhiana district) yesterday before I reached here this morning. I apprehend that I will be detained if I try to enter Punjab territory again," SAD’s general secretary Capt Kanwaljit Singh told PTI here. Singh said that the Congress Government in Punjab was "blatantly misusing its powers and interferring in the religious affairs of Sikhs". Lashing out at the Amarinder Singh Government, he said, "if any attempt is made to check the entry of Sikhs into the Golden Temple premises on November 12, the results will be serious". Asked to comment on the suspension of four pro-Badal Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee members by the Sikh Gurdwara judicial commission yesterday, Kanwaljit asked, "why have they been suspended at this hour when SGPC election is just a few days away." Meanwhile, a report from Moga said that 142 SAD activists including some BJP workers were arrested in a pre-dawn swoop in Moga and Faridkot districts. It said that 104 were arrested in Moga district and 38 in Faridkot district. A local SAD leader said that all these arrests were effected "to prevent the workers from reaching Amritsar on the eve of SGPC elections". SAD president and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had given a call to party workers to reach Amritsar by Monday next. According to official sources, the SAD workers in Moga and Faridkot were arrested under preventive measurres and those arrested in Moga included some Nagar Council members, SAD’s president (city) Rajinder Singh Dhillon, lone BJP Nagar council member Mohan Lal and several Sarpanches and member Panchayats. Police also raided the house of senior SAD youth leader and member SAD working committee Nadharak Singh Brar. A report from Gurdaspur said that several SAD activists were rounded up in Srihargobindpur, Kadian, Kahnuan, Gurdaspur, Dinanagar, Dhaliwal, Kalanoor, Fatehgarh Churian and Batala. (PTI) Work in DHC, lower courts paralysed due to lawyers’ strike NEW DELHI, Nov 8: Work in Delhi High Court and the lower judiciary was paralysed today as lawyers went on a day’s token strike protesting against certain amendments in legal services authority act which provide for setting up of Lok Adalats in all public utility services for resolving disputes. The Supreme Court is, however, closed till Sunday for week-long Diwali holidays. Bar Council of India (BCI) secretary Adish Aggrawala and Delhi Bar Council (DBC) Chairman K C Mittal, sitting on a day’s hunger strike along with other leaders of lawyers’ bodies in front of the high court, said "the strike is complete as lawyers abstained from appearing both in the high court as well as lower courts." Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) president Dinesh Mathur said the strike was "successful" but arrangements were made for the benefit of litigants to seek adjournments through "proxy counsel" nominated by the bar. BCI, the governing body for lawyers and bar councils of all states, is opposed to the amendments for setting up Lok Adalats in the manner proposed, "which we feel is an attempt to create parallel courts," Aggarwala and Mittal said. They said as per the October 26 decision of the lawyers’ bodies, all members of BCI and State Bar Councils as well as office bearers of various bar associations in the country "are observing a day’s hunger strike today." He said the main objection of the lawyers in the amended act is about giving Lok Adalats the power to adjudicate cases like any other courts by recording evidence, which was against the concept and spirit of reconcilation. The judges in the high court and lower courts adjourned almost all the cases as "proxy counsel" engaged by the DHCBA sought adjournments. The lawyers’ bodies are opposed to appointment of retired judges, ex-bureaucrats and politicians to head Lok Adalats. The BCI, in a press release said "the very concept of the fair trial of a dispute will be defeated by conferring such arbitrary powers to the Lok Adalats by making provision for non-officials to be appointed as their permanent mambers." The provision for such appointments was against the concept of separation of judiciary and the executive. It would lead to "rehabilitation" of retired judicial officers and "packing the adalats with political lightweights," the BCI said. "Such provisions will virtually defeat the very purpose of the consumers protection act which has been passed after years of agitation by consumers who have been denied their rights," the BCI claimed. As per the amended legal services authority act, disputes between consumers and the service providers in matters like motor accident claims, post and telegraph, telephone, electricity, insurance and other services up to a value of Rs 10 lakh would go to the permanent Lok Adalats to be set up for every public untility service. Stating that the lawyers were not against the setting up of the Lok Adalats, the BCI said "unfortunately an attempt is being made to make it appear as if the legal community wants the continuance of status quo and is opposed to it." "The bar has been strongly supporting the legal aid and Lok Adalat movements in the country and advocates are whole heartedly participating in resolution of dispute through these institutions," the council said. (PTI) Tantrik sucks blood of 207 goats and still wants more JHARGRAM, WEST BENGAL, Nov 8: He could put count Draculla to shame with his blood-sucking feat. A tantrik by profession, Sisir Das of Keudi village in West Midnapore drank the blood of 207 goats sacrificed at the Kali temple here during the past four days, but his thirst remains insatiable. "My father, who too was a tantrik, was directed by goddess Kali to drink the blood of sacrificed animals. But then, the number of sacrifices were 40 in four days. I made a record by sucking the blood of 207 goats this year," he said. If he were to be believed, blood sucking runs in his family. "My father was asked by the goddess to continue the tradition in our family," he added. "I don’t know what happens to me all these four days. I feel the gooddess taking possession of my body," Sisir said. The news of this blood sucking tantrik has brought thousands of devotees from neighbouring Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar to Jhargram. "It is a blood-curdling sight no doubt. But still we come here every year to get the blessings of the goddess", Ramchandra Besra, a visitor from Ranchi said.(UNI) |
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