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Works of quake-ravaged Gujarati women in display CHENNAI, July 30: What makes these works of art significant is that they have been done by master craftswomen of the quake-ravaged districts of . ......more Uproar in LS, House adjourns twice NEW DELHI, July 30: Lok Sabha was today adjourned twice amid uproarious scenes with Congress accusing ........more Lyngdoh,
social MANILA, July 30: Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and social worker Shantha Sinha are among seven people to be honoured this year .....more Suburban train services disturbed following stone pelting MUMBAI, July 30: Numbai’s lifeline, the Suburban train services, were severely affected on both the Western .....more |
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CAG raps NHHDC for dismal performance KOHIMA, July 30: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has slammed the Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited(NHHDC) for its dismal performance. .....more Centre
considering NEW DELHI, July 30: The Centre is considering the setting up of a second tribunal under the Inter-State River Water ....more Protests mar Kumbh flag-hoisting TRIMBAKESHWAR (MAH) Jul 30: The Kumbh Mela which began here today was marred by protests by Sadhus who ......more SC
upholds two child NEW DELHI, July 30: In a major ruling that could pave the way for enforcement ........more |
Works of quake-ravaged Gujarati women in display CHENNAI, July 30: What makes these works of art significant is that they have been done by master craftswomen of the quake-ravaged districts of Kutch and Patan in Gujarat. An exquisite collection of north Indian garments, varying from embroidered salwar kameez, kurtas, kurtis and tops besides accessories like handbags, shoulder bags, purses, wallets and spectacle and mobile phone cases with traditional as well as contemporary motifs got off to a rich display here today. ‘Timeless’, a five-day exhibition-cum-sale of traditional hand-embroidered products, is being organised by the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). "It is a well-deserved tribute to Gujarat’s traditional seamstresses," notes SEWA marketing executive Deepa V Phadke. There are unique expressions from the ethnic ‘chikan’ with timeless embroidery forms like Ari, Neran, Rabari, Pako, Ahir and Mutwa — each form representing its community. Also on display are the traditional wall hangings, torans, cushion covers, floor coverings and bedspreads, which form part of home furnishings. Enwrapped in the most soul-stirring creations includes the famous bandhani sarees. Ms Deepa said the embroideries used in the products had stemmed from a collective wisdom over generations. "It expresses the emotions of the craftswomen, residing in disaster-prone areas, where survival itself has always been a big challenge." Thanks to SEWA’s intervention, there was a sea-change in the livelihood of these craftswomen, whose traditional skills have lent them a tool to fight natural disasters and mitigate the sufferings. "Though the embroideries are on the world craft map, the gains remain unshared with the rural artisans. It was considering this that sewa was founded," Ms Deepa adds. SEWA explores income-generating opportunities for these artisans to make them self-reliant and provide sustainability to the self-employed women in the informal sector. Apart from skill upgradation, there was a necessity to equip them with better networks to sell their products to ensure that they get more bargaining power and free themselves from the clutches of exploitative traders and middlemen. The Sewa Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC) was formed to expand the marketing efforts at the national and international level, besides working towards capacity building to make them owner-managers of their own enterprises. The STFC not only acts as a facilitator between the artisans and the national and international markets, but helps them by way of implementing training programmes in skill upgradation, product development, design and quality control. Ms Deepa said SEWA, which was about 8,000 artisans in its fold, would organise about six exhibitions in the country’s major metros every year. Such type of exhibitions would provide them a platform to showcase their products, besides providing them an opportunity to understand the market demands and study customer needs and styles, including designs and colours, and improve their skills. She said the exhibition was expected to generate a revenue of Rs six to seven lakh, 65 per cent of which would go directly to the craftswomen who created the range. The exhibition would be at C P Art Centre at Alwarpet from 1000 Hrs to 2000 Hrs. (UNI) |
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Uproar in LS, House adjourns twice NEW DELHI, July 30: Lok Sabha was today adjourned twice amid uproarious scenes with Congress accusing the Centre of "destabilising" its Government in Arunachal Pradesh and Shiv Sena members demanding dismissal of Congress-NCP regime in Maharashtra for its "failure" on the law and order front. As the House met after a 40-minute adjournment over the Arunachal issue, agitated Shiv Sena members surged forward from their seats demanding that Maharashtra Government be dismissed over its "incompetence" in dealing with growing criminal activities and referred to the recent Ghatkopar bomb blast in which innocent people were killed. As the din continued, Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed adjourned the House till 1400 Hrs. Protesting against Congress members’ behaviour which stalled the question hour, Shiv Sena members kept on shouting slogans like "no no question hour, no no zero hour and "dismiss Maharashtra Government". Joining hands with Shiv Sena, several BJP members, including Madan Lal Khurana and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, insisted that they be given the floor first to raise their matters. They said everyday the opposition members stole the limelight by giving notices for adjournment motion on "trivial issues" and, thus, getting first opportunity to speak. Taking a dig at Shiv Sena, Congress chief whip Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said it was strange that the party being an ally of the NDA Government was trying to disrupt the proceedings during zero hour. Sayeed took exception to the members’ behaviour saying they were violating established rules and conventions. He pointed out that it was the tradition to give first opportunity to members who had given notices for adjournment motion. Amidst the din, Khurana and other BJP members sought to raise the issue of raid on the property of Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Despite being told they would be given an opportunity to speak after the House heard members who had given notices for adjournment motions, the BJP members refused to yield and demanded dismissal of the Congress Government in Punjab. Earlier during question hour, an angry Congress stalled the proceedings, accusing the Centre of "encouraging" insurgent outfit NSCN (I-M) to destabilise its Government in Arunachal Pradesh and demanding an immediate response from the Prime Minister. Congress and RJD members stormed the well shouting anti-Government slogans, forcing Sayeed to adjourn the House for 40 minutes. (PTI) |
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Lyngdoh, social activist Sinha to receive Magsaysay Award MANILA, July 30: Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and social worker Shantha Sinha are among seven people to be honoured this year with the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s version of the nobel prize. Lyngdoh will receive the Government service award for "his convincing validation of free and fair elections as the foundation and best hope of secular democracy in India." Shantha Sinha was honoured for her work to help children in Andhra Pradesh. She will receive the community leadership award for "guiding the people of Andhra Pradesh to end the scourge of child labour and send all of their children to school." Among the Indians who have been given the awards so far are Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie (journalism), Kiran Bedi (Government service), Jayaprakash Narayan (public service) and Mother Teresa (international understanding). The annual awards, named after late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, will be presented tomorrow, organizers said. The awards were established by the trustees of the New York-based Rockefeller brothers’ fund to perpetuate Magsaysay’s example of Government integrity and pragmatic idealism in a democratic society. Magsaysay died in a plane crash in 1957. This year’s winners include Dr Gao Yaojie, a retired Chinese gynecologist, who received the public service award "For her fervent personal crusade to confront the aids crisis in China and to address it humanely," the ramon Magsaysay award foundation said. Japanese physician Tetsu Nakamura, a leading volunteer health worker in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is being honored with the peace and international understanding award for "his passionate commitment to ease the pains of war, disease and calamity among refugees and the mountain poor of the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands." Aniceto Guterres Lopes, chairman of east Timor’s Commission for reception, truth and reconciliation, will receive the emergent leadership award for "his courageous stand for justice and the rule of law during east Timor’s turbulent passage to nationhood." Filipino journalist Sheila Coronel, founder and Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, will receive the award for Journalism, literature and creative communication arts for "leading a groundbreaking collaborative effort to develop investigative journalism as a critical component of democratic discourse in the Philippines." Japanese Soil Agriculturist and Environmentalist Seiei Toyama will receive the peace and international understanding award for "his twenty-year crusade to green the deserts of China in a spirit of solidarity and peace." The winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize. (AP) |
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Protests mar Kumbh flag-hoisting TRIMBAKESHWAR (MAH) Jul 30: The Kumbh Mela which began here today was marred by protests by Sadhus who obstructed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from entering Kushavarta Teerth here where the ceremonial flag was to be hoisted. One hundred Sadhus belonging to various Akhadas and led by president of Panch Dashnam Juna Akhada, Mahant Parmanand Saraswati, who had been boycotting the event, obstructed him to protest the Government plan to acquire the temples. Speaking to reporters at Ganga-Godavari temple, Bhujbal said the Sadhus were protesting the Centre’s move to acquire lands of Hindu Mutts, temples all over the country. Bhujbal said he informed Saraswati that the matter did not fall under Maharashtra Government and assured the mendicants of his readiness to discuss their demands with the Centre. The Sadhus also complained that adequate funds were not provided to Trimbakeshwar town while lot of money was spent on the development of Nasik city. Bhujbal assured the Sadhus that their demands could be resolved through discussions and urged them not to disturb thousands of pilgrims who had gathered here for the ceremony and withdraw the boycott. He was then allowed to proceed to the venue. Earlier, Union Minister of State for Shipping Dilip Gandhi had met Mahant Parmanand Saraswati at the latter’s Neel Parvat camp and urged him to withdraw their boycott. Meanwhile, Nasik Purohit Sangh president Satish Shukla has claimed that Sadhus of different Akhadas on the urging of Nasik Mayor Dashrath Patil have suspended their boycott. However, Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad president Sagaranand Saraswati told PTI that nearly 4,000 Sadhus, including Mahants from 10 Akhadas were continuing the protest. In Nasik, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, who hoisted the flag, said the ceremony could not commence without the blessings of the Sadhus and assured that they would convene a meeting of the departments concerned to sort out the issue. Assuring that adequate security was being made at the venue, he also asked people not to have fears of the ultras as the terrorists could not match the strength of the Ram Bhakts. Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde expressed hope that the Mela would usher in peace and prosperity in the State. Earlier, Vachaspati Muley performed the traditional Mahapooja of the ceremonial saffron flag at Trimbakeshwar before it was hoisted. Thousands of pilgrims, who gathered on the occasion, took a holy dip in Kushavarta after the flag was hoisted on a decorated 31-feet-pole. Mantras were chanted as part of the hour-long "Punya Vachan" and "Abhishek" was performed on the "Trimukh" made of gold of Lord Trimbakeshwar and its crown. A "shobha-yatra" (ceremonial procession) of the idols placed inside a silver palanquin (Palkhi) decorated with colourful flags was taken out through the main streets of the town. (PTI) |
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SC upholds two child norm for Haryana Sarpanchs NEW DELHI, July 30: In a major ruling that could pave the way for enforcement of family planning norms for Legislators, the Supreme Court today upheld a Haryana Legislation barring a village Panchayat member from becoming the Sarpanch or Upsarpanch if he had more than two children. Rejecting the plea of Muslim village Panchayat members that two-child norm was violative of their right to freedom of religion, a bench comprising Justice R C Lahoti, Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice Arun Kumar said the Legislation did not violate articles 14 (right to equality), 21 (right to life and liberty) and 25 (freedom of religion) of the Constitution. In all, the bench dismissed over 200 petitions filed by Sarpanchs, Upsarpanchs and village Paanchayat members challenging the Haryana Panchayatiraj (Amendment) Act, 1994 which brought in the two-child norm for those heading the Panchayats and their deputies. The unanimous judgement was written by Justice Lahoti. To escape the disqualification, many of the Sarpanchs and Deputy Sarpanchs, who had more than two children, had given their children in adoption to their relatives. Nullifying the effect of such adoption, Justice Lahoti said once the disqualification has been incurred by the Sarpanch or the Upsarpanch, he or she could not escape the consequences by giving the children in excess of two to other relatives in adoption. The Apex Court said Sarpanchs were to play role model for villages coming under a Panchayat which under the act has been assigned the duty of popularising family planning programme. Pointing out the importance of family planning in the face of population-related problems, the bench said if those heading the Panchayat were to have more children, the meaning of their preachings for a smaller family would be lost. The judgement came 13 days after the Court heard counsel appearing for the Panchayat members and Haryana Government. Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee, whose assistance was sought by the Court, had come out strongly in support of the Act. Petitioners had assailed the provision of the Act providing for the disqualification norm on the ground that it encraoched upon their basic right to have children and termed it as discriminatory. Muslim members of village Panchayats had claimed that the holy quran prohibited them from practicing family planning and hence the provision was violative of their Fundamental Right to practice and profess religion. However, sorabjee contended that the petitioners have produced no material from the holy Quran which would make it obligatory on the Muslims to produce more children. He said that the State had the Legislative competence to enact the law which was put in place with a laudable object to control population by making the Sarpanchs as role models. Counsel for Haryana, senior advocate P P Rao had stated that the law was not discriminatory as it was applicable to all irrespective of sex, caste and creed. (PTI) Lucknow captivates residents with Mussoorie waterflals LUCKNOW, July 30: The scorching sun and humid weather ha come as a boon for the waterparks have as with the every rising point in mercury, visitors to the amusement pakrs are increasing by leaps and bounds. With the summer heat taking its toll , the enthusiasm of lucknowites to beat the rising mercury at the artificial waterfalls here, has been on a rise. Nearly five years back when there is only just one waterpark (Mougli waterpark on Kanpur road), people were sceptical, today they are welcoming its cool showers and rides with open arms. In facat the evenings of most of the city’s Glittertti spent resting in the pools there or taking water rides here, than the usual visit to a resaurants or theatre of your. Anandi water park, situated on the outskirts of the city, Director Pankaj Agarwal said ever since its opening last year there has been no dearth of visitors here. Oftern the pools remain over-crowded. "Ours was the third waterpark to be opened in Lucknow and since we lost many of our scenic picnic spots to Uttaranchal we have received an overwhelming response from the localites. At least now they have somewere to go and enjoy with the family as they cannot visit the historical sites so often." The entry fee of Rs 125, is hardly a matter of concern for the pool-buffs. And to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of the visitors, the Anandi water park just last week, gave its customers the pleasure of taking bath in a waterfall similar to the Kempty falls of Mussoorie. Mr Agarwal said, "now everybody cannot visit Mussoorie to enjoy the falls, so we created a fall from the height of 50 Ft and the visitors are really enjoying it." Moreover, in order to woo more visitors during the peak summer season the waterpark authorities recently organised a day-long show for the handicapped and the elderly who normally hesitate in mingling with the youngsters. The waterpark offers 32 different rides people of all age groups. Similarly at Amrapali water amusement park situated on Hardoi road its media manager Manoj Nagar says the residents of Awadh have now adopted the culture of water parks and do not have to go to Mumbai and other far off places to enjoy water-rides. "We not only have the visitors from the city but from all over the State. Recently, owing to the scorching heat, we had over 3,000 visitors on a day following which we had to close down the park as it became unmanageable to discipline the crowd." "Unlike otherwater parks we do not organise fashion shows or celebrity nights, because we believe that the visitors come here to soothe their nerves and ‘feel’ the touch of water. We offer them different water sports and club facilities apart from organising frequent food festivals," he endded. To add to the excitement, the fun-n-fun mobile waterpark at the Ashok Marg here, which opened on July 23, is offering a 40 Ft high ride built on a 250 Ft long slide. Park Manager Moinuddin said he was in the city for the third time with his amusement park as he received a good response everytime. The park also offers a cheap entry for Rs five only and the prices for each rides inside vary between Rs 5-20. Moreover, waterpark authorities recycle the water used through water-recycling plants. (UNI) Police on look-out for 3 LeT terrorists in Ghatkopar blast MUMBAI, July 30: Police have detained some people for questioning and are on the look-out for three suspected Lashker-e-Toiba terrorists in connection with Ghatkopar bus blast that left three persons killed and over 40 injured. Police sources said here today that the three main suspects behind the Monday night blast were believed to be associates of Jalis Ansari, who is serving a jail sentence for causing 65 explosions in the city. While two of the suspects provided the funds, the third one arranged for training youths in using arms for the blasts, they said. Police have launched a manhunt to nab them. Two of the suspected terrorists have been identified as Nisar Ahmed and Abdul Rehman. Police would also interrogate Dr Jalis Ansari and Saquib Nachan, who are in custody for their alleged complicity in the other bomb blasts. The sources said that some persons had been picked up for questioning but no arrests had been made. Ansari had been convicted for several blasts in 1993 while Nachan, former SIMI secretary, is facing charge of causing blasts in Mulund, Vile Parle, Ghatkopar and Mumbai Central. After the ban on SIMI, its activists regrouped under different terrorist organisations to carry out blasts in the metropolis. Most of the accused arrested in Mulund, Vile Parle and Mumbai Central bomb blasts, including Saquib Nachan, hail from Padgah and Borivali villages in nearby Thane district. Police have noticed similarity in the bomb blast at Ghatkopar on Monday and in the four other explosions that occurred since December last year. The four earlier blasts were allegedly masterminded by SIMI activists, who are facing trial. The police is also working on the theory that in Monday’s blast SIMI activists could be involved. The blast in the best bus in Ghatkopar was a powerful one as the culprits had used gelatine sticks containing nitro-glycerine, nitrocellulose and ammonium nitriate, used for blasting rocks. Police filed chargesheets against 15 accused in the Mulund, Vile Parle and Mumbai Central blasts last week. They are charged under POTA with offences including waging war against the nation and participating in a conspiracy to trigger a series of explosions. Altogether five explosions have occurred in the city since December last, claiming 16 lives and leaving more than 100 injured. (PTI) Shankar, doyen of political cartooning fades into oblivion NEW DELHI, July 30: The birth centenary of Keshav Shankar Pillai better known as Shankar, the eminent cartoonist whose name was once synonymous with political cartooning in the country, draws to a close tomorrow all but forgotten. Barring an exhibition of his cartoons in the beginning of the centenary year, no worthwhile effort was made by anyone to pay homage to the man, who through international painting competitions for children and an ever-popular Shankar’s on-the-spot painting competition, brought art closer to children than ever before. However, even Shankar’s on-the-spot painting competition, an annual event for the past 50 years, is also becoming a thing of the past, as it got cancelled during the centenary year itself. " There is no use complaining about it. Even Mahatma Gandhi is forgotten, but since he continues to be a vote catcher, periodically politicians remember him," P K S Kutty, a cartoonist who was associated with Shankar’s weekly, told UNI. Shankar started the "on the spot competition" in 1952 for children from New Delhi and its suburbs, Alka Shankar, his daughter-in-law, who manages the Shankar’s academy in Delhi told UNI. "This year, a day before the competition was to be held in December, the authorities prevented us from conducting the competition, citing security reasons," she said. Pleading with the high officials for conducting the competition proved to be a futile exercise, she added. Ms Shankar was also not sure whether they would be able to continue with the competition in the years to come. She also confesses that nothing much could be done during the centenary year except an exhibition of Shankar’s cartoons on July 31 last year. "We all were concentrating on the Shankar’s last dream, a centre for children. So we could not come up with any major programmes during the centenary," she added. Mr Kutty said it was a pity that the Children’s Book Trust (CBT), which had been described as "the book trust for Shankar’s children", has not taken any initiative in organising a befitting programme on this occasion. " it is lamentable," he said. " Shakar was one of the best in the world. In addition to the cartooning field, he left his imprint on several other fields too," Mr Kutty said. "He had the midas touch. Everything he touched prospered," he observed and expressed the hope that the future generations of cartoonists would remember him and cherish his memory. Shankar was born in Kayamkulam, Kerala. After Graduating in 1927 from the Maharaja’s College of Science, Trivandrum, he went to Bombay to do a course in Law but soon quit his studies. Even as a student, Shankar took to cartooning as a hobby. He began drawing for the Bombay Chronicle. He joined the Hindustan Times in 1932 and continued for 14 long years. His contributions during the formative years of independence form a memorable phase in Indian journalism. Shankar quit in 1948 following a tiff with the newspaper’s management and started the Shanker’s weekly, which soon proved to be training . A great lover of children — like his friend Jawaharlal Nehru, he started the international painting competition for kids, an event that still attracts tens of thousands from India and abroad. In 1957, under the banner of the children’s book trust, he conceived and created wonderful vistas in the field of children’s literature and child-art. Shankar was also an inspiration to upcoming cartoonists of that time. Many an artist of that period and also of the new generation was associated with Shankar’s weekly. N K Ranganath alias ‘Ranga’, Abu Abraham, O V Vijayan, S Kutty, T Samuel, Kerala Varma and Micky Patel are a few. One of the most decorated men in India, he received many an honour including the Padma Vibhushan in 1976. The legend passed away on December 26, 1989. (UNI) Punjab releases water in Bikaner canal CHANDIGARH, July 30: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh along with his counterpart in Rajasthan Ashok Gahlot today released waters in the remodelled gang (Bikaner) canal at Balewala headworks (Rd 45000) after performing religious rites at Saide-Ke-Rohela in Ferozepur district near Rajasthan border. Singh, according to a release here, said that lime concrete lined 112 Km of Bikaner canal falling within the territory of Punjab with a design discharge of 2720 cusecs and off-taking from Hussainiwala headworks (Ferozepur) was commissioned way back in year 1928. It was built to irrigate the parched lands of North-Western part of Rajasthan State. The canal was not able to take its authorized discharge for the past several years due the total collapse of its lining. The whole of Bikaner canal was remodelled and relined under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) of Government of India with a design discharge of 3027 cusecs. The project cost (Punjab portion) was Rs.165.07 crore. Out of the total length of 98.63 Km of canal in Punjab, 71.86 Km had been remodelled on the basis of the deposit work by the Punjab Irrigation Department at the cost of 72.07 crore during the current financial year. The entire cost of the project had been born by the Government of Rajasthan. On the prospects of Bathinda refinery, Singh said that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself was not clear about the Nitty Gritty of the project rather he was misleading the public for his narrow vested and political ends. He said that if at all HPCL was disinvested by the Government of India then certainly the future of Bathinda refinery was bleak. He said that we never know who would buy HPCL in the disinvestment process and this was also posing a big question mark on the future of the refinery. Singh said that he had suggested the Government of India time and again to hand over the Bathinda Refinery Project to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) as it had enough fund besides technical know how, expertise and excellent infrastructure in order to dispel the uncertainty about the future of the project. On the disinvestment of public sector undertakings in Punjab, Singh said that the State was left with no other option but to disinvest the 29 PSUS which were incurring huge losses to the State exchequer.(PTI) |
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