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| ‘Zakhm’
hit screens after incorporating changes NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Although the controversial Hindi feature film ‘Zakhm’ has .....more MUMBAI, Dec 26: Maharashtra Deputy Chief. ....more Hypocrisy in India’s NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Union Minister Ram Jethmalani has said there was...more Kalyan Singh rules out change of guard in UP LUCKNOW,
Dec 26 : Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today ruled out ..more |
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Gowda criticises
Centre’s decision on expressways BANGALORE, Dec 26: Former Prime Minister..more Dikshit
Govt welcome in NEW DELHI, Dec 26: The Akalis and the Gurdwara management ..more CUTTACK, Dec 26: As many as 17 people, including 13 women, were nabbed for posing....more Singh lays emphasis MUMBAI,
Dec 26: Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh ...more |
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‘Zakhm’ hit screens after incorporating changes NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Although the controversial Hindi feature film ‘Zakhm’ has finally hit the screens after incorporating the changes suggested by the Home Ministry, the other equally talked-about film ‘Fire’ is still stuck with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). In its report, the Home Ministry had said that it had no objection to the main storyline of the film, but suggested ‘some minor changes’ in what is being described as well-known filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s semi-autobiographical film. However, film industry sources said wellknown filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was forced to submit a written apology for remarks made by him and associates to CBFC chairperson Asha Parekh before she signed the certificate clearing the film for ‘adult’ release. Mr Bhatt had to do some reshooting in compliance with the views expressed by the Home Ministry, whose report was based on the findings of a three-member committee of officers set up for examining the film, which is based in the backdrop of the 1992-93 Mumbai riots. Ms Parekh had referred the film to Home Secretary B P Singh as she felt the subject it dealt with was very sensitive. She had initially decided to refer the film to the Maharashtra Home Secretary, but sent it to the Centre on the plea of Mr Bhatt since the film will be released all over the country. (however, Mr Bhatt claims that the examining committee of the CBFC had passed the film and suggested only one dialogue cut. He has also claimed that Ms Parekh’s took the decision to refer the film to the Home Secretary merely on the basis of the synopsis. The film, which Mr Bhatt claims is his last as a director, tells the story of the attachment of a son to his mother, a Muslim woman who is married to a Hindu. She is killed during the Hindu-Muslim riots in Mumbai in 1992-93. According to producer Pooja Bhatt, it is partly autobiographical since Mr Bhatt’s mother was a Shia Muslim. The film stars Pooja with Ajay Devgun. Earlier Ms Bhatt told that Mr Bhatt had asked Ms Parekh to see the film for herself, but she had declined. He had assured her that the film did not have any scenes of violence. She said the centre should clear the film for universal viewing as it dealt with the theme of communal amity. Mr Bhatt, who has decided to stick to writing and production henceforth, said the film emphasises that ‘it is the secularism of this country which makes everything tick.’ the filmmaker said the aim of this film is to make the statement to the fact that ‘things may be bad vis-a-vis communal tension, but are still not so bad that they cannot be improved.’ Mr Bhatt has himself played a short role in the film while Pooja Bhatt portrays the mother. Meanwhile, the CBFC has still not given its decision following the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s reference to it for re-examination under the powers conferred on the Central Government vide Rule 32 (2) of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules 1983. (UNI) |
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MUMBAI, Dec 26: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde today denied that the Government was deliberately trying to implicate Congress leader Sharad Pawar in the Gowari tribals stampede tragedy. In a chat with newspersons at the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) convention, Mr Munde said the State Government did not propose to institute a commission to investigate the former Chief Minister’s "role" in the incident. The report of the Dani Commission, which probed into the tragedy, will be tabled next week in the Assembly.He, however, refused to divulge any details saying it is yet to be tabled and refrained from commenting on media reports. Yesterday, Mr Pawar had said that though media reports indicated that he has been absolved of all the charges, "the State Government was keen on implicating him by some way or the other". The commission headed by Justice S S Dani, which probed into the stampede in Nagpur on November 2, 1994, resulting in death of 114 Gowari tribals, submitted its report in March this year. (UNI) new delhi 15 49 Hypocrisy in India’s policy towards China, says Jethmalani NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Union Minister Ram Jethmalani has said there was lot of hypocrisy in India’s policy towards China and asserted that New Delhi would have to make a serious departure from its present thinking to get back its land occupied in the 1962 Chinese aggression. There is a lot of hypocrisy about China. There was a Parliament resolution in 1962 that we would not rest content till we got back every inch of our land. Now the policy is not to talk about it. The Congress has become completely soft and is compelling us to be soft.....Our foreign policy will have to make a serious departure some day, he told The Week. Asked how to get back the land occupied by China, he said it may be impractical as we are not in a position to go to war with China. But self respect requires that we keep protest. To a question if India could ever be friends with China, the noted jurist said Beijing was pursuing free market economy and could not escape the winds of democracy. This is the time when we will make friends with China, he said adding that at the moment India had a serious conflict of interest with China, which had not lost its old imperialistic instinct. He said the Vajpayee Government supported Taiwan in the sense that it was not in favour of China forcibly occupying Taiwan. There is a strong case for recognition of Taiwan. After all it is an independent, democratic country now having 25 million people with a foreign exchange reserve of 96 billion US dollars, he said. (PTI) |
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Kalyan Singh rules out change of guard in UP LUCKNOW, Dec 26 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today ruled out change of guard in the state, saying any change of leadership would result in mid-term polls. "According to my personal assessment of the political situation, mid-term polls are imperative once the leadership is changed in Uttar Pradesh," he told reporters here. Amidst speculation of change of guard in the state with a section of the state BJP complaining about the continued neglect of MLAs belonging to a particular caste, he said those who were "spreading these rumours" wanted to force another round of elections in the state. He said he would take up this matter with the BJP leadership at the Centre. He appealed to "all those behind such rumours" to desist from such acts which could vitiate the political atmosphere and harm the nationalist image of the BJP. Singh advised his partymen to desist from politics of casteism as complaints of neglect by any particular caste would lead to a chain o reaction by other castes as well. In reply to a question, he said he was aware of the forces behind the move to create confusion within the government but said there was no need to identify them. He said the central leadership of the party was "wise enough" to understand the prevailing political situation in the state. (PTI) |
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Gowda criticises Centre’s decision on expressways BANGALORE, Dec 26: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today criticised the Centre’s decision to build expressways and accused it of doing everything in practice which is opposite of what is desired in a developing country. Addressing the 81st annual conference of the Indian Economic Association (IEA) here, Gowda expressed distress over the annual inflation rate rising to eight per cent. It was ‘unfortunate’, we are shifting our attention from water to super highways. Instead of networking the country through proper roads, we want to build expressways, he said. But super highways require goods to be transported and, without priority for agricultural development, and I do not know whether the huge capital costs for the construction of such super highways would become recoverable, he said. In terms of priority, Gowda said, he would have preferred to provide all-weather roads to all villages, good roads in capital cities and probably widened and improved NH6 and NH7 which would have achieved the purpose. (PTI) |
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Dikshit Govt welcome in tercentenary Khalsa celebrations NEW DELHI, Dec 26: The Akalis and the Gurdwara management in Delhi have said that despite their differences with the Congress party they would welcome the Sheila Dikshit Government joining hands in celebrating the tercentenary of Khalsa’s birth. Delhi Akali Chief Avtar Singh Hit and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee President Jaswant Singh Sethi said that though the State Government has not "really" been part of the ongoing preparations for the historic event, they have no reservations about the ruling Congress making common cause with them in marking the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa. Mr Hit said that the event commemorates not only the advent of the Khalsa Panth but pays homage to those who set an example of sacrifice for the cause of humanity. "Governments in our country have failed to project the contribution of Guru Gobind Singh and his Sikhs to the making of a free and fair society," he said and added that "anyone in power, irrespective of the nomenclature, should come forward for the support of a purpose which is common to all." Mr Sethi, however, clarified that the DSGMC seeks no financial support from the State Government. "We will welcome the Congress party should it decide to be part of tercentenary celebrations in the Capital, but we ask for no funds from them for the occasion," the DSGMC President said. "The Congress party in Punjab is making preparations for the grand celebrations there so could it have done in Delhi," he said. (UNI) |
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