Mayawati promises
to keep BJP MLAs
in good humour

LUCKNOW, Dec 6: In the wake of increasing discontent among legislators of coalition partner BJP, the Uttar Pradesh ....more

353 para-military
companies for Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: With a week left for the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Centre has completed the planned disptach of ...more

I love taking up challenging roles: Manoj Bajpai

CHANDIGARH, Dec 6: In the glitzy world of Bollywood which worships, only those who have toed the ‘undefined’ line .... .more

Pro-Hindutva wave
missing from Saurashtra

RAJKOT, Dec 6: With the pro-Hindutva fervour absent so far in Saurashtra and Kutch, BJP...more

Lawyers can advance diametrically opposite stands: SC

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The Supreme Court has ruled that during the course of hearing of a case, an advocate and......more

Differences in Ayodhya over date of Eid

AYODHYA, UP, Dec 6: Ayodhya city, already facing tough security measures on the tenth anniversary of the demolition ......more

Nation on high alert on Babri mosque demolition anniversary

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The country was on high alert today with thousands of armed security personnel keeping a.....more

Akshardham still
prays for peace

GANDHINAGAR, Dec 6: Sand bunkers, reinforced boundary walls and automatic....more

Lawyers, Govt heading for a show down ........

Patan may not be an easy task for Anandi Patel ....

Differences in Ayodhya over date of Eid ........

Festival to promote Orissa’s Buddhist heritage ....

Mayawati promises to keep BJP MLAs in good humour

LUCKNOW, Dec 6: In the wake of increasing discontent among legislators of coalition partner BJP, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Mayawati today said she would ensure that the State bureaucracy did not behave "indifferenly" with BJP ministers and followed their orders in letter and spirit.

"In my tenure the bureaucracy has remained disciplined. If still there are some complaints I would ensure that officials do not ignore orders of the ministers," she reportedly told leader of BJP legislature party Lalji Tandon.

BJP ministers had lodged complaints with Tandon that bureaucracy was ignoring them and their orders were not adhered to by the officials, party sources said here.

The BJP Legislature Party meeting, held recently at the residence of Bharat Singh, a minister in Mayawati-led BJP-BSP Government, was reduced to Government bashing with party ministers lodging complaints that the bureaucracy was receptive only to the order and requests of BSP ministers and legislators.

Party legislators joined the chorus and said despite they being party to the coalition Government they were not treated as ruling party MLAs. "We were made to feel that we are from the opposition," the legislators are understood to have complained.

Tandon took up the matter with Mayawati, a senior BJP leader told PTI and conveyed the disenchantment of the party MLAs over the "in-different" attitude of bureaucracy towards them.

Recently, senior BJP leader and Irrigation Minister Om Prakash Singh took exception to a sudden inspection of irrigation canals by Chief Secretary D S Bagga in Barabanki district, pointing out that Bagga had violated protocol by not taking the permission from the concerned minister.

Tandon took up the issue on behalf of his ministerial colleague and said Singh was a senior minister and was not supposed to take "directives" from bureaucracy.

District BJP president of Hamirpur, in his letter to state party chief Vinay Katiyar, recently lodged a complaint against the DM saying that district officials were not receptive to complaints of BJP legislators and senior workers.

Tandon conveyed the feelings of party workers to Mayawati, who reportedly told him that she would take up the issue with senior bureaucrats. (PTI)

353 para-military companies for Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: With a week left for the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Centre has completed the planned disptach of 353 sanctioned companies of para-military forces across the State to ensure "free and fair" conduct of the elections.

"While the Centre had already sent 200 companies end of last month, deployment of rest of the 153 companies in the State was completed today as per the demand of Election Commission," top Government officials told PTI here.

Expressing hope that deployment of additional force of over 35,000 security personnel in the various districts of the State will ensure smooth conduct of the Assembly polls on December 12 in sensitive political atmosphere in the State, the officials said some of the forces will be retained for the counting on December 15.

While over 50 para-military companies, comprising Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Rashtriya Rifles among others have been withdrawn from several States, "they will be reverted to their respective positions as soon as the election process was over in Gujarat," the officials said.

Already border home gaurds were looking after the internal security of the State, which has been witnessing sporadic incidents of violence in the run-up to the Assembly polls.

The Election Commission had demanded nearly 400 companies of para-military forces as confidence building measures for depolyment in the State in the State which witnessed large-scale communal riots early this year and specially because of the "hyper-sensitive" political atmosphere ahead of the polls.

However, after the meeting between the Home Ministry officials with Chief Election Commissioner, EC gave its concurrence for deployment of 353 companies during the polls.

"It is not an easy job for the Centre to deploy so many companies of para-military forces, which also looks after the internal security of various sensitive States, at one place," the officials said.

However, the officials said the deployment of these forces will be done by the Election Commission in consultation with State administration on the basis of the requirement and need of a particular area.

There were many "sensitive and hyper-sensitive" districts in the State and the deployment of the security forces will be done accordingly, they said, adding these forces were in addition to existing police force in the state. (PTI)

I love taking up challenging roles: Manoj Bajpai

CHANDIGARH, Dec 6: In the glitzy world of Bollywood which worships, only those who have toed the ‘undefined’ line of showbiz, he is among the few who cock a snook at the existing norms by being ‘unconventional’ and yet have emerged successful.

Manoj Bajpai is the latest among the breed of unconventional heroes, having refused to take the beaten ‘road’ yet managing to create his ‘own space and a very special niche’ in Bollywood through powerfull roles in "Satya" "Aks" and, more recently, "Road."

In the city for the shooting of J P Dutta’s ‘LoC’ on Wednesday, Manoj, in an informal interaction with mediapersons, said," I had no godfather in the film industry in my struggle days so I had to go through the grindmill. But after a couple of films, ‘Satya’ happened and that changed everything for me."

No cinebuff can forget Manoj’s dialogue "Mumbai Ka King Kaun? Bhiku Mhatre" which he mouthed in ‘Satya’ in which he played the role of an underworld don. His powerful performance in "Satya" changed Manoj’s fortunes and his equation with the film industry overnight, helping him climb many rungs of success in one go.

With ‘Satya’, Manoj not only announced his arrival in the industry but also sounded a warning to all and sundry that nobody could write him off just on the basis of some of his minuscule and ‘not-so-noticeable’ roles in his earlier films and that he was a ‘force’ to reckon with. After ‘Satya’, Manoj’s films like ‘Kaun’, ‘Shool, ‘Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar’, Shyam Benegal’s ‘Zubeida’, ‘Aks’ and ‘Road’ may not have been super duper hits, but his performance in every film always evoked rave reviews. Whether it was as ‘Raghvan’ in ‘Aks’ or hitchhiker ‘Babu’ in ‘Road’, Manoj has always sprung surprises on his audiences and he still keeps them guessing as they never know what Manoj has in store for them in his next flick.

"I am playing PVC Yoginder Singh Yadav in ‘LoC’ who survived despite being hit by 15 bullets in the Kargil conflict. Though I have not met him, I have my own interpretation of him and would do my best to live up to the audience’s xpectations," he asserted.

"I love taking up challenging roles, and I think the roles in ‘Aks’ and ‘Road’ have been my most challenging till now. The role in ‘Road’ gave me a great satisfaction on the professional front," added the Bihari Babu.

‘Panchchi’ and ‘Pinjar’ are Manoj’s forthcoming films. ‘Pinjar’ is based on Amrita Pritam’s novel and is a love story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy against the backdrop of partition.

Asked about his ‘not-so-routine’ and offbeat roles in all his films, Manoj, who was given the national citizens award by the President of India this year, replied: "Given a chance in a romantic film, I think I can also do justice to it and can come up with something unique for my fans." (UNI)

Pro-Hindutva wave missing from Saurashtra

RAJKOT, Dec 6: With the pro-Hindutva fervour absent so far in Saurashtra and Kutch, BJP is unlikely to repeat its record performance in next week’s crucial assembly election polls from the region, the home turf of Keshubhai Patel, who was unceremoniously removed from Gujarat Chief Ministership last year to make way for Narendra Modi.

The 1998 Assembly polls had witnessed the saffron party coming to power for the second time in a row helped by a handsome showing of 52 seats from Saurashtra and Kutch out of a total of 58 seats in the region.

This time, however, BJP has failed to generate the same enthusiasm among people in the water scarcity region, Godhra and its aftermath notwithstanding, a tour of the region showed.

Local BJP leaders contend that there was an undercurrent of Hindutva in view of the fact that the region had always remained in the forefront of the Ayodhya movement and had solidly backed L K Advani’s Somnath Yatra over a decade back.

Keshubhai, who is reportedly upset over the projection of Modi as the future Chief Minister by the Central leadership, not campaigned in the region.

Party leaders in the region dispute suggestions that Keshubhai was showing indifference to the campaign."He is busy campaigning in other parts of the State and will concentrate on the region in the crurical last few days", they say.

The region holds the lever of power in the State as BJP had bagged 117 out of a total of 182 seats in Gujarat in the last polls and 52 of them were from Saurashtra and Kutch. While Saurashtra has 52 consttuencies, Kutch has six.

Another cause of worry for the ruling party was the lukewarm response to the public meetings of some national leaders including Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

Though BJP leaders are putting up a brave front claiming that the party would break the record of 1998, interaction with a crossection of people suggest that the picture was not that rosy.

Congress, which is out of power in the State for 13 long years, is in an upbeat mood with the two public rallies of party president Sonia Gandhi in Surendranagar and Amreli districts turning out to be big draw. Gandhi is expected to visit Rajkot later this week.

AICC general secretary Kamal Nath, who is in charge of party affairs in Gujarat, claims that the Congress has been ‘comfortably placed" in the region this time where Hindutva has not emerged as a major issue.

Both BJP and Congress have made efforts to woo the influential Patel community by giving sizable tickets to candidates from the community. (PTI)

Lawyers can advance diametrically opposite stands: SC

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The Supreme Court has ruled that during the course of hearing of a case, an advocate and even a prosecution counsel can take diametrically opposite stands without attracting any penalty.

"By no stretch of imagination, can we say that the stand of a counsel, howsoever inconsistent it may be at different stages of the proceedings, can amount to offences adverted to under section 195 of Criminal Procedure Code," a bench comprising Justice S Rajendra Babu and Justice Arun Kumar said in a recent judgement.

Justice Babu, writing for the bench, said if the courts begin to issue notice for prosecution or as to why the inquiry should not be made in the matter or to launch a prosecution, no advocate can function with safety nor can he assist the court with the necessary fearlessness required of him.

This ruling was given by the bench while giving a clean chit to special public prosecutor N Natarajan in the Bombay blast case and pulling up the designated judge for issuing notice to him on a complaint about his inconsistent stand.

Natrajan, who had initially argued for framing of charges against the accused under section 121 of IPC for waging war against the country, later suggested to the court that due to absence of material the same charge could be dropped against all 157 accused in the case.

Justice Babu said if the public prosecutor on examination of voluminous records found that such charges could not be sustained for want of material and suggested that for the time being these charges need not be proceeded with, "we fail to understand as to how such shift in the stand would attract offences under section 195 of Criminal Procedure Code."

"It is not unknown that even in criminal cases even after committal proceedings are over at the stage of sessions trial before charges are framed by the court or at the stage of final arguments, many public prosecutors have entered nolle prosequi in cases where they though that a charge could not be framed or the concerned accused should be acquitted," he said.

Pulling up the designated judge for issuing notice to Natarajan, the apex court bench said "we are amazed at the manner in which the designated judge dealt with this matter."

Keeping in mind that the designated judge had not lodged a complaint against Natarajan but issued notice to him, the bench said "we must notice that issue of notice on an application of this nature would have serious impact upon the public prosecutor in conduct of the case particularly when at every stage he has got to be conscious whether any of his statement would attract section 340 of CrPC."

In the conduct of a case, a public prosecutor must have full freedom and he can give up certain cases and request the court to discharge or acquit the accused, the court said.

It said "if that kind of autonomy is to be enjoyed by the public prosecutor, he cannot be fettered in conducting the proceedings. (PTI)

Differences in Ayodhya over date of Eid

AYODHYA, UP, Dec 6: Ayodhya city, already facing tough security measures on the tenth anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure, is also witnessing differences between the two major sects of the Sunni Muslims on the day Eid-ul-Fitr is to be celebrated.

While the Shias as well as the Sunnis of the Deobandi sect are marking the festivities today, the Barelvi sect has announced December seven as Eid. Muslims of the Barelvi sect here are led by Maulana Kutubdin Quadri of the local Tatshah mosque, while the Deobandi sect here is led by Maulana Sajjad Ahmed Khan of Sarai-Wali Masjid.

Maulana Kutubuddin Qadri, who conducts the Eid ‘namaz’, called on Muslims this morning not to celebrate Eid today. He said the moon had not been seen last night but its sighting had been informed by telephone call. This serious matter could not be trusted to a telephone call only, he added.

However, Maulana Sajjad Ahmed Khan, of the Sarai Wali Masjid announced Eid today. Preparations were going on in his mosque for the congregation Namaz.

The maulana told UNI that his followers would be observing Eid today only. He termed the controversy ‘unfortunate’, and said there was nothing he could do if other religious leaders were of different opinion. Eid was being celebrated today all throughout India, he added.

He said the festival was being observed with ‘due solemnity’ as per the instructions of the Babri Masjid Action Committee. Accordingly, after the Namaz, Muslims would shake hands but not embrace each other.

A special vigil was being maintained at the various Idgahs where Muslims would offer Jumma (Friday) prayers tomorrow. With the demolition anniversary and Jumma and Id falling on the same day, the securitymen were not taking any chances.

According to SP (city) Rajendra Singh, police units have been in place since December two and the city has been divided into eight zones and 20 sectors. According to the official, 25 circle officers, 15 Additional SPs and 75 DSPs along with 700 constables and 800 home guards were maintaining vigil to avoid any untoward incident. Twenty companies of PAC and 254 vehicles were also part of the elaborate security apparatus for December six.

The Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar said the situation was peaceful uptil now and no untoward incident had been reported. Normal life had not been affected. Vehicles coming from outside were being thoroughly checked before being allowed to enter the town.

The locals though want the day to end peacefully. Every year they are caught between the security bandobast and media glare.

In Lucknow, Principal Secretary (Home) Pradip Kumar said that entry of vehicles near important religious shrines in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura has been banned in a bid to avoid any terrorist action like suicide bombing or remote-controlled explosions of vehicles.

Meanwhile, while the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is observing the day as ‘Shaurya Diwas’, various Muslim organisations, including the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) are observing the day as ‘black day’ by hoisting black flags in the temple city.

Similarly in Lucknow, while the All-India Muslim Forum holding a dharna outside Vidhan Bhawan, the local unit of Shiv Sena is marking the demolition anniversary as Vijay Diwas and would later perform a Havan near Vidhan Bhawan. (UNI)

Nation on high alert on Babri mosque demolition anniversary

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The country was on high alert today with thousands of armed security personnel keeping a tight vigil at communal hotspots and shrines, especially in Ayodhya and Gujarat, on the 10th anniversary of demolition of Babri Masjid coinciding with the Eid festival.

In Ayodhya, the scene of demolition of the mosque that triggered communal riots across the country leaving nearly 2,000 people dead, no untoward incident was reported by the police so far with authorities facing anxious moments.

"Everything is normal so far. Vehicles are being checked," Faizabad SSP Prashant Kumar said. Police swung into action to remove provocative posters at some places in Uttar Pradesh. Security was also beefed up in mosques in the temple town.

Surveillance has been intensified in and around Mathura and Kashi shrines amid reports that they may be targeted by terrorists. Para-military and Rapid Action Force personnel and State police were in full strength at these places.

Movement of vehicles were banned near Ramjanambhoomi complex in Ayodhya, Krishna Janamboomi in Mathura and Vishwanath temple-Gyanvyapi mosque in Varanasi.

In the national capital, patrolling by police was intensified at Jama Masjid in the walled city as also around temples.

A general alert was sounded in Gujarat, rocked by months of communal violence post-Godhra, and additional security men were deployed in all sensitive areas of the State including Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Kutch-Bhuj.

All precautionary steps were being taken to prevent any untoward incident in the wake of VHP’s call to observe the day as "Shaurya Divas".

A special vigil has been kept in the commercial Mumbai metropolis which bore the brunt of communal riots after the demolition of the mosque. (PTI)

Akshardham still prays for peace

GANDHINAGAR, Dec 6: Sand bunkers, reinforced boundary walls and automatic gun-wielding security personnel bring back vivid images of the September 24 terrorist attack, but instead of bullet marks or hate-filled graffiti the Akshardham temple bears only messages of peace, love and harmony.

Soft-spoken volunteers gently conduct visitors through the monument and exhibition halls, where visitors are told stories from the Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and about the morals of every major religion.

"All religions stand side by side and go hand in hand. They are but one family. Born of the same earth, growing under the same skies, they share the same threads of purity and morality.

"Like windows in an endless tapestry of man’s eternal search, they give visions of truth and reality. And the real truth of all religion is harmony," reads one panel.

Volunteer Nishit Acharya was working in the Administrative Department of the complex when he heard the rattle of gunfire that fateful evening. "I first tried to make out what it was and from where the sound was coming."

Soon he was out of his office, watching two men firing indiscriminately and moving towards the monument. Though his intercom, he alerted key persons near the monument and exhibition halls, an action that saved many lives.

"Killing other living beings is not the path of religion," he says.

Prof Janak Dave, a Sanskrit scholar with the Akshardham Centre for Applied Research in Social Harmony, recalled the reaction of the sect’s top seer. "Pramukh Swami Maharaj appealed for peace and prayer. He urged the media not to publicise pictures of the bullet-ridden body of a swami killed by the terrorists."

"Political parties have their own agenda ... We are more concerned with innocent lives. There was no word of anger, no violence in speech, no motives were given by Pramukh Swamiji after the terrorist attack," he said.

Volunteers claimed Muslims continued to form a good proportion of the daily visitors to Akshardham, which calls itself "...A beautiful borderless world where all are welcome to experience the essence of beauty and philosophy".

As the Akshardham attack once again becomes a matter of public debate during the Gujarat Assembly elections, and before the social fabric gets torn some more, there is need, perhaps, to heed what the sect says: "our prayers may differ in words and ways, but they convey the same feelings: our pilgrim places may differ in place and form, but they carry the same sanctity: our morals may differ in phrase and style, but they preach the same message: our religions may differ in symbols and names, but they reveal the same meaning —universal harmony."(UNI)

Lawyers, Govt heading for a show down

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The Government and the legal community appeared to be heading towards a show down with the lawyers calling for a country-wide strike on December 18 to protest against the setting up of Lokadalats under the legal services authorities (amendment) act and the Centre saying that it would not consider changing the same.

Law Minister Jana Krishnamurthi told the Lok Sabha yesterday that "there is no proposal to amend or recall the legal services authorities (amendment) act, 2002."

He said that the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition challenging the amending legislation which made it mandatory for establishment of Lokadalats at every service providing Government department to lessen the burden on courts as well as for speedy redressal of petty disputes of consumers.

"The Supreme Court has stated that the act ensures that justice will be available to the litigants speedily and impartially," the minister said in his reply to a question.

However, the lawyers were up in arm against the legislation and had gone on a token hunger strike on November eight to press for recall of the amending legislation.

The Bar Council of India (BCI), accusing the Government of indifferent attitude, has said that it was left with no option but to "give a call for a nation-wide one day abstention from courts, tribunals etc by advocates on December 18".

It has requested bar councils and bar associations throughout the country to hold meetings, seminars and conferences to highlight how and why legal services authorities (amendment) act, 2002 was anti-litigant and subversive of the rule of law. (PTI)

Patan may not be an easy task for Anandi Patel

PATAN (GUJARAT), Dec 6: The road from Mandal to Patan could be a rough ride for Gujarat Education Minister Anandi Patel, a close associate of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Patel is among the few BJP leaders who have been allowed a shift in their seat but Congressmen claim the move could prove costly to her, particularly because she is a ‘new face’ to the area.

Supporters of the BJP leader, however, say that the high command asked to Patan to ensure that more heavyweights were there in north Gujarat, the region Modi himself hails from.

These claims apart, there is, however, a perceptible undercurrent of ‘disenchantment’ among BJP workers for over non-allocation of tickets to some promising local candidates.

Patel feels otherwise. She says that it would be a cakewalk for her in view of the several "achievements" of the BJP Government and the programme it has chalked out for the next five years.

She is pitted against a veteran Congressman Kantilal Patel, who has held a top post in the local body for 20 years.

‘She is new to the area, the people will not accept her. We want someone who knows the area well and can solve our problems’, asserts Shantilal Rawal, a retired Government employee in the town.

‘Every household here knows Kanti Nana and after holding the post of president of municipality for 20 years, he knows what the people here want’, says Kirit Sukhadia, a shopkeeper, bang opposite the local Congress office.

Though BJP won the Assembly seat last time, in the Lok Sabha elections later, Congress emerged victorious in Patan and established a lead even in the Assembly segment.

Mohan Patel, who was denied renomination by BJP was a first-timer and he won by a margin of 15,000 votes.

Anish Nandi, a local BJP leader, argues that new faces have won from this seat. Patan has an urban electorate of 78,000 and rural voters number 82,000.

Anandi Patel says that Godhra is not the issue in the polls as it has already reached the "hearts of the people and there is no need to remind them about it".

Posters on the ‘Miyan Musharraff’ rhetoric of Modi appeal to people to choose between ‘nation’s insult and nation’s pride’, to decide whether ‘Hindu is a terrorist, as Pak President says or a nationalist-as Modi says’.

But the BJP has had to be content with displaying these posters in its dingy office in this town of north Gujarat, following Election Commission’s directive.

However, the ‘security’ concern raised by the BJP in its poll manifesto seems to be overshadowed by local issues like water scarcity, under ground drainage and development of the city. (PTI)

Differences in Ayodhya over date of Eid

AYODHYA, UP, Dec 6: Ayodhya city, already facing tough security measures on the tenth anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure, is also witnessing differences between the two major sects of the Sunni Muslims on the day Eid-ul-Fitr is to be celebrated.

While the Shias as well as the Sunnis of the Deobandi sect are marking the festivities today, the Barelvi sect has announced December seven as Eid. Muslims of the Barelvi sect here are led by Maulana Kutubdin Quadri of the local Tatshah mosque, while the Deobandi sect here is led by Maulana Sajjad Ahmed Khan of Sarai-Wali Masjid.

Maulana Kutubuddin Qadri, who conducts the Eid ‘namaz’, called on Muslims this morning not to celebrate Eid today. He said the moon had not been seen last night but its sighting had been informed by telephone call. This serious matter could not be trusted to a telephone call only, he added.

However, Maulana Sajjad Ahmed Khan, of the Sarai Wali Masjid announced Eid today. Preparations were going on in his mosque for the congregation Namaz.

The maulana told UNI that his followers would be observing Eid today only. He termed the controversy ‘unfortunate’, and said there was nothing he could do if other religious leaders were of different opinion. Eid was being celebrated today all throughout India, he added.

He said the festival was being observed with ‘due solemnity’ as per the instructions of the Babri Masjid Action Committee. Accordingly, after the Namaz, Muslims would shake hands but not embrace each other.

A special vigil was being maintained at the various Idgahs where Muslims would offer Jumma (Friday) prayers tomorrow. With the demolition anniversary and Jumma and Id falling on the same day, the securitymen were not taking any chances.

According to SP (city) Rajendra Singh, police units have been in place since December two and the city has been divided into eight zones and 20 sectors. According to the official, 25 circle officers, 15 Additional SPs and 75 DSPs along with 700 constables and 800 home guards were maintaining vigil to avoid any untoward incident. Twenty companies of PAC and 254 vehicles were also part of the elaborate security apparatus for December six.

The Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar said the situation was peaceful uptil now and no untoward incident had been reported. Normal life had not been affected. Vehicles coming from outside were being thoroughly checked before being allowed to enter the town.

The locals though want the day to end peacefully. Every year they are caught between the security bandobast and media glare.

In Lucknow, Principal Secretary (Home) Pradip Kumar said that entry of vehicles near important religious shrines in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura has been banned in a bid to avoid any terrorist action like suicide bombing or remote-controlled explosions of vehicles.

Meanwhile, while the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is observing the day as ‘Shaurya Diwas’, various Muslim organisations, including the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) are observing the day as ‘black day’ by hoisting black flags in the temple city.

Similarly in Lucknow, while the All-India Muslim Forum holding a dharna outside Vidhan Bhawan, the local unit of Shiv Sena is marking the demolition anniversary as Vijay Diwas and would later perform a Havan near Vidhan Bhawan. (UNI)

Festival to promote Orissa’s Buddhist heritage

BHUBANESWAR, Dec 6: Two important events of Buddhist history will be recreated at a three-day festival at Patharajpur in Orissa’s Jajpur district to promote the State as a destination for Buddhist pilgrims.

Christened the "Nirvan Puspagiri festival,"the festival, beginning on December nine, would be attended by about 150 monks and pilgrims from Cambodia, Vietnam, Mayanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan besides India.

Organised jointly by the Nirvan Pilgrim Society (NPS) and the Orissa Tourism Department, the festival would recreate two historic events associated with Buddhism that had taken place in the ancient Kalinga (now Orissa).

One such event is a colourful procession to commemorate the voyage of emperor Ashoka’s son Prince Mahendra and daughter, princes Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka. Another is the journey of two merchant brothers—Tapussa and Bhallika—from Utkal to receive the first sermons of Lord Buddha.

The objective of the festival is to attract Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world to Orissa when they visit Bodhgaya and other pilgrim sites as the state has contributed much to Buddhism. Orissa known as Odra, Utkal and Kalinga in the past, has a rich Buddhist heritage and the wide influence of Buddhism between the 1st century AD to 7th century AD was evident from its literature, sculpture, architecture, art and philosophy.

It was from here that the two merchant brothers received the first sermons and eight strings of hair from the Lord Buddha himself. They later spread the message of the Buddha in Kalinga and the hairs were enshrined in "Shwedagon Pagoda" in Myanmar.

In the country’s history of Buddhism, the great Kalinga war was one of the most memorable events which transformed "Chandashoka" (cruel Ashoka) to "Dharmashok" (saint Ashoka). The king’s conversion to Buddhism had momentous consequences for the spread of Buddhism in the world under the royal patronage.

NPS governing body member M A Gani told newsmen here that the three-day festival would help Orissa attract more number of pilgrims, particularly Buddhists, to have a glimpse of the rich Buddhist heritages.

The festival, Mr Gani said, would start from Dhauli on the outskirts of the capital city to Lalitgiri, one of the most important Buddhist sites in Jajpur district, and then go on to Pathrajpur complex at the heart of the silver triangle—Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri.

He said the highlight of the festival would be a colourful procession from Raja Rani temple to Dhauli here on December nine, commemorating the voyage of emperor Ashoka’s son and daughter to Sri Lanka. (UNI)

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