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Pak
possesses primitive From B L Kak Urdu
gets European
status From B L Kak Govt to formulate NEW DELHI, Dec 21: Government intends to formulate a new Broadcasting....more Curfew clamped in JAIPUR, Dec 21: Indefinite curfew was clamped in Jodhpur’s Phalodi town.....more |
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China welcomes security NEW DELHI, Dec 21: China has welcomed the idea of a security....more
6917 dowry deaths NEW DELHI, Dec 21: As many as 6917 dowry deaths were reported from....more Time to grow fast KALPAKKAM (TAMIL NADU), Dec 21: Dr R Chidambaram, Chairman...more Security tightened GANDHINAGAR, Dec 21: Twentytwo companies of State Reserve Police....more
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Pak
possesses primitive nuclear bombs From B L Kak NEW DELHI Dec 21: In a significant development, the Government of India has begun devising a mechanism to tackle possible nuclear attack in Delhi. In fact, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi a model plan in connection with this matter. The Delhi Government headed by Ms Sheila Dixit, according to sources in the Home Ministry, has calculated that the implementation of the plan will cost about Rs 400 crores. The plan is, at present, under the Government’s consideration. The plan inter alia envisages establishment of civil defence infrastructure required to tackle possible nuclear attack in Delhi. India is a nuclear power with some nuclear weapons. Pakistan hasd already followed suit. According to some defence analysts, India is not required to conduct tests to establish its credibility because it is now accepted that the levels of technology available do not require testing. Both India and Pakistan are now capable of a high level of mutually assured destruction (MAD). This was evident by the willingness of Pakistan to provoke a confrontation in Kargil and India’s willingness to use appropriate force to evict intruders. Both India and Pakistan, as it is, have established a tradition of fighting limited wars. Even this will now be considered a risky option in view of the propensity to escalate, these analysts argue. A paper, currently being examined by the Government, says that if India deploys the Agni, New Delhi will then enter into a new level of dialogue with the Chinese. The asymmetry in India’s nuclear and military arsenal will not assure the prevalence of the MAD doctrine. The paper has opined: "We then need to be capable of a graduated response to satisfactorily engage the Chinese in nuclear diplomacy. Since a delivery system like the Agni puts other countries in its range also, we will have to factor in other nuclear forces in the region also". There are two broad categories of nuclear weapons. The more common variety is the fission bomb, popularly known as the atom bomb. The more advanced and powerful hydrogen bombs are variously called Tritium-boosted nuclear bombs or thermo-nuclear bombs. According to the paper, both Pakistan and Israel can at best have crude first generation nuclear bombs. They can have few battlefield applications and can mostly be used for counter-value targeting. Explaining that the credibility of nuclear power is also greatly dependent on delivery systems, the paper says that aircraft run a great risk of being shot down, particularly if they are to attack highly defended targets like military installations and premium targets like aircraft carriers. And arguing that a big weapon is not always credible, the paper states that to be credible, the quantum of force available should be adequate and not excessive. In the Indian context, the paper has pointed to two "immediate threats" and one possible long-term threat. According to the paper, India’s "immediate threats" emanate from China and Pakistan. China is now considered a superpower and has the full complement of nuclear weapons and delivery systems. The Chinese are said to have 200 to 300 warheads deployed on land and submarine-based missiles and nuclear capable bombs. Pakistan is considered to be in possession of a handful of primitive nuclear bombs which it can configure on its Ghauri missiles to be counter-value weapons. The paper has argued: "Thus, as far as Pakistan is concerned, an Indian nuclear programme which results in the possession of a few similar bombs will be adequate to ensure MAD. But against China, India must be capable of a more graduated response". Having got itself a few crude bombs, Pakistan seems to be realising that these are not credible deterrent because of India’s similar capability. Pakistan is unlikely to progress any further because it cannot produce Lithium Deuteride nor develop the sophisticated delivery systems that will make these Tritium-boosted bombs credible. Urdu gets European
status From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 21: Rare copies of the Quran and other Islamic books are in the ‘benign’ custody of several temples in Brindavan, the birth-place of Lord Krishna. According to a Hyderabad-born British historian, Mr Ziauddin Ahmed, the collection in the cellars of the temples, especially those of Damodhara and Govinda Deva, include centuries-old copies of the Quran and Mughal administrative documents calligraphy developed during the time of Emperor Babar. There might be only a few copies of the Holy Book of Muslims left in that style of writing. The firmans date back to the period beginning from Emperor Akbar to Shah Alam II. The documents relate to the land and financial aid given by the Mughal kings to the temples in Brindavan. The cellars also hold rare manuscripts of Hindu epics Ramayan and Mahabharat. Mr Ziauddin Ahmed, who worked with the Andhra Pradesh State Archives Department before shifting to Britain in 1980, has said: "The religious books of Muslims are shown great respect by temple priests and they are in good shape". According to him, the Islamic heritage collection was handed over to the temples by Muslims who were migrating to Pakistan during the traumatic partition days. The fleeing Muslims who could not carry ll their belongings with them, thought that their religious books could be best protected by the temples. The temples also received some of the religious collection from the houses whose owners had to leave India in a hurry. Equally significant information dished out by Mr Ziauddin: Urdu, the language that was born in North India and brought up in the Deccan, has now gained the status of a European language. Visiting British historian and educationist has revealed that Urdu is now considered a part of mainstream culture in Britain. The inclusion of Urdu in the national education system in Britain and Holland has put it on par with other modern European languages. Mr Ziauddin Ahmed has been quoted as having said: "A British or Dutch child is required to learn two European languages such as German, French, Italian, Spanish etc other than his mother tongue. Since Urdu is a part of the national curricula, the student can opt for Urdu as one of the two languages". There are 1,500 voluntary schools in Britain teaching Urdu. These schools serve as feeder institutions to the Government and private schools. Mr Ziauddin Ahmed says: "If there are 15 students in a school who wish to learn Urdu, the school will provide them the facilities to learn it". This can be done with a year’s notice to the school management. The child is allowed to write his General Certificate of School Education examination which is equivalent of matriculation in India in Urdu. Mr Ziauddin said that there was a need to bring Urdu on par with the European languages. According to him, the University of London and Middlesex sanctioned a training course in Urdu in 1997. The course has been devised for primary, secondary, graduation and post-graduation level teachers. Several Pakistanis have begun to join the course with a view to improving their teaching systems back home. |
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Govt to formulate new broadcasting Bill: Jaitley NEW DELHI, Dec 21: Government intends to formulate a new Broadcasting Bill for introduction in Parliament at the earliest to regulate, inter alia, private channels, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitely informed Lok Sabha today. Replying to a written question, he said the proposed bill would also provide for setting up of an independent broadcasting authority for this purpose. Jaitley told the House that the Government also proposed to bring free to air channels within the ambit of advertising code which was being presently followed by Doordarshan, All India Radio and cable operators. He said Doordarshan had no provision to check the authenticity of a product before telecasting its advertisement. If the product is not up to the mark, there are other laws to take care of it, he added. He, however, said Doordarshan had a advertisisng code and it took steps if the advertisement did not conform to the code. The code, he said, prohibited telecast of advertisements which tend to promote intoxicants or depicted scene which were not in good taste. (PTI) |
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China welcomes security dialogue with India NEW DELHI, Dec 21: China has welcomed the idea of a security dialogue with India and said any issue, including nuclear concerns, could be raised during the dialogue. It shows the mutual trust. That is why we hope security dialogue can start as soon as possible, the Chinese Ambassador Zhou Gang said about External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh’s proposal for a security dialogue during an interview with PTI. Asked if nuclear concerns could form a part of the dialogue, he said the agenda for the talks could be discussed by both sides and any issue could be discussed during the dialogue. Sticking to the Chinese formula for mutual understanding and mutual accommodation’ to resolve the Sino-Indian boundary dispute — he offered no hopes of an early resolution of the issue. The Sino-Indian boundary question left from history was very complicated, would take time to resolve and required patience, the Envoy said. On what prompted China to adopt a ‘neutral stance’ during Kargil crisis which marked a sharp departure from its traditional policy, the Envoy said China’s position on the Kashmir issue has been consistent, fair, open, above board and is known to all. He hoped India and Pakistan could resolve the Kashmir issue’ through frank and sincere dialogues’. The Envoy spoke on a wide range of issues covering the boundary dispute, the security dialogue, multi-polar world, tibet, the child Panchen Lama chosen by the Dalai Lama, human rights, Hong Kong and Macau. On Tibet, Gang said, negotiations with the Dalai Lama could be resumed only if he abandoned his demand for Tibetan independence’ and accepted other conditions put forth by China. The Envoy said that the fact that the Chinese and Indian sides had agreed to hold a security dialogue is a new development in our bilateral relations’ and showed an improvement in them. He sought to underplay the border dispute between the two countries saying they had much in common which outweighed their differences, and therefore it was essential to narrow down the differences in broader common interests. The envoy said China and India must work together to safeguard the political and economic rights of the developing world and counter the ‘hegeomonistic behaviour’ of certain developed countries. We two developing countries, China and India, are in the same boat. We must forge a cooperation, promote understanding and conduct a coordination, to safeguard the political rights of not only ours, but of the developing world as a whole, he said. When asked why Sino-Indian border dispute was taking so long to be resolved compared to the Sino-Russian border settlement, Gang said China had solved the border issue with most neighbours including russia on mutual understanding and mutual accommodation. With India also, China had advocated a peaceful solution of the boundary issue through friendly talks in accordance with the principle of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, he said. He, however, emphasised, peace and tranquillity must be maintained along the Line of Actual Control in the border areas till a solution is found. The Envoy expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the agreement on the maintenance of peace and tranquillity and the agreement of confidence building measures in the military field along the Line of Actual Control in the border areas signed in 1993 and 1996 respectively. The two sides while being engaged in seeking a solution of the boundary question, must strive to develop relations in various fields and promote mutual understanding and trust to create favourable conditions and atmosphere for a solution. On how one could have a stable and peaceful South Asia with India, Pakistan and neighbouring China being nuclear powers, the Envoy said China sincerely wishes to be good neighbours, good friends and good partners with all the South Asian countries. To develop friendship between China and anyone of these countries is neither directed against nor affected by a third country. He said China hopes South Asian countries would treat each other on an equal footing ... .As for the nuclear tests conducted one after another by India and Pakistan, he said, China had clearly stated its stand. On a peaceful Asia where the presence of nuclear Russia, China and the US besides India and Pakistan was felt, Gang said China was for complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. He said when China conducted its first nuclear tests in 1964 it declared China will never use nuclear weapons first and announced it would not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states and nuclear weapons free zones. (PTI) |
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Security tightened in South Gujarat GANDHINAGAR, Dec 21: Twentytwo companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) and four Rapid Action Force (RAF) guards have been deployed in the sensitive tribal districts of South Gujarat since yesterday to maintain law and order during Christmas. The deployment of additional forces, which would be stationed there till January one, comes in the wake of centre’s directive to the State Government on maintaining communal harmony in the districts of Dangs, Surat (rural), Valsad, Navsari, Broach, Narmada, Dohad and Panchmahal, an official release said here today. Fortyfive additional officers were posted in sensitive districts and 97 mobile patrols deployed in the remote areas. Special protection would be given to 748 places in the sensitive Dangs, Surat, Valsad and Navsari districts, it said. Meanwhile, a report from Surat said security had been beefed up in view of the demonstration planned tomorrow by the Hindu Jagaran Manch (HJM) at Vyara Taluka of the district. A company of RAF, two Deputy Superintendents of Police, five Inspectors, 20 Sub-Inspectors, 200 Constables and 100 Homeguards were deployed yesterday in the area as a precautionary measure. Police has been instructed to take strict legal action on circulation of pamphlets with inflammatory content. In Dangs, an offence has been registered in this regard and one person arrested, police said. (PTI) |
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Curfew clamped in Phalodi town after violent clashes JAIPUR, Dec 21: Indefinite curfew was clamped in Jodhpur’s Phalodi town today after a Shiv Sena activist was killed in violent clashes between people of two communities, police said here. Police said the body of Shiv Sena activist, Murlidhar Bohra, who lives in Mumbai, was found on the railway track this morning. He was in the town to meet his relatives. As soon as the news of Bohra’s death spread in town, agitated people came to the streets and tension brewed up. Sensing trouble, the administration clamped curfew around 0600 hours today. District administration had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC last evening after 40 people, including two policemen, were injured in violent clashes in the town. The trouble started yesterday when scores of people blocked rail traffic protesting transportation of cows and calves from Rajasthan to other states. The demonstrators also got the animals, loaded in wagons, freed which led to counter-protest from people of the other community. Demonstrators led by former MLA Balkrishna Thanvi also squatted on railway track. Violent agitators from both the sides pelted stones on each other and many of them indulged in arsoning and setting shops on fire. Police burst tear gas shells and fired bullets in air to disperse the clashing mob. Additional police force has been rushed to the troubled town where senior police and district administration officials are camping. (PTI) |
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