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Shabana Azmi demands JAIPUR, May 1: Noted film actress and member of Parliament Shabana Azmi today damanded a country-wide ban on "tridents" being distributed by ....more CPI(M)
bandh today KOLKATA, May 1: The CPI(M) has called a day-long bandh and a State-wide "condemnation day" today to ....more Commission
headed JAIPUR, May 1: Political differences in the Congress in Rajasthan took its toll with the Government not giving further extension ...more DHD
threatens to GUWAHATI, May 1: The Dimacha militants of Assam’s North Cachar hills have threatened to withdraw from the ongoing ceasefire ...more |
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Shinde Govt takes firm MUMBAI, May 1: The Democratic Front (DF) Government has prepared the final draft of the ‘Maharashtra water policy’ and cancelled long leave of all . ....more Ibobi
reshuffles ministry IMPHAL, May 1: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has effected a major reshuffle in his secular progessive front ministry by inducting two new .....more 14
die in pre-poll violence KOLKATA, May 1: With barely ten days left for the Panchayat elections, political tension has gripped West Bengal where pre-poll violence claimed.....more NDA
demands CBI probe PATNA, May 1: Accusing the RJD Government of trying to cover up the involvement of its leaders and workers in yesterday’s killing of senior BJP ......more |
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Mumbai health authorities did not take precautions: Sushma ...... |
Shabana
Azmi demands country-wide JAIPUR, May 1: Noted film actress and member of Parliament Shabana Azmi today damanded a country-wide ban on "tridents" being distributed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Speaking to reporters here, she claimed that the VHP and other Sangh organisations were distributing tridents (‘trishuls’) as part of a strategy to polarise communities for electoral gains. Contesting the VHP’s statement that the tridents were harmless, she charged that in 53 cases, they had caused death during the Gujarat riots last year . "Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken a bold stand against these forces. We all should strengthen his hands," she said, congratulating the Congress Government of the State for the order regulating the distribution or possession of multi-bladed weapons. Statements by VHP leaders that the Gujarat experiment would be repeated in Rajasthan exposed their political gameplan, she stressed. Earlier, speaking at a meeting organised in memory of her father, eminent Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi, she talked about the cultural values that were getting lost due to the onslaught of fundamentalist forces on society. People should stand up against the fundamentalist forces and protect the country’s liberal culture from further damage, she said. "What we are witnessing is not a fight between Hindus and Muslims. It is a struggle between fundamentalists and liberals in our midst," she said, calling for caution against the "designs" of the Togadias and Talibans. Ms Azmi regretted that violence had been "institutionalised" by the State during the post-Godhra violence in Gujarat. "A feeling is growing that if you commit one murder, then you might get punished, but there’s no punishment for mass murders." The Sangh organisations were spreading the lie that there was muted condemnation of the Godhra carnage. "There was universal condemnation of what happened in Godhra. It was a bunch of criminals who participated in the carnage. But what happened thereafter is equally condemnable," she said, asking why the perpetrators of the post-Godhra violence too were not being booked under POTA. (UNI) |
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CPI(M) bandh today to protest yesterday’s attack KOLKATA, May 1: The CPI(M) has called a day-long bandh and a State-wide "condemnation day" today to protest yesterday’s political violence in which four CPI(M) supporters were killed and about 20 others injured in clashes with Congress activists and subsequent police firing in north Dinajpur. Official reports reaching here said that in some of the worst violence preceding the May 11 panchayat elections, a group of miscreants from the Congress attacked the Lalbazar CPI (M) zonal office under Chopra police station over a political dispute and allegedly beat to death the party’s north Dinajpur district committee member Akbar Ali (47). A number of other party supporters also sustained multiple injuries in the clashes. Angered by the "unprovoked attack", a mob of over 200 CPI(M) supporters raided a number of local Congress offices and ransacked them before attacking the nearby Daspara police outpost, alleging inaction. Finding that the situation was getting out of control, the police first resorted to a lathi charge to ward off the growing mob, failing which they opened fire, killing three CPI(M) workers, including its Gaon Panchayat candidate from Ghirgaon Mr Bijay Roy (35) on the spot, and injuring nine others. The other two deceased were identifed as Khalilur and Lathifur Rehman, police said. The incident sparked-off more violence following which a number of houses of Congress supporters were set ablaze allegedly by the CPI(M) workers at Daspara, Dangagach and Murarigach areas in the district. Several party supporters were also injured in the subsequent clashes. A number of mediapersons, who had gone to the spot, were detained and harassed by unidentified miscreants with police, in most areas, remaining a mute spectator, reports said. As simmering tension continued to prevail in the entire Chopra area, a large contingent of police was deployed in different areas to prevent any further violence, the reports added. Later, CPI(M) state secretary Anil Biswas in a strongly worded statement here charged the Congress with masterminding the attacks on Mr Akbar Ali and other party supporters. Describing the attack as a "cowardly act" of the Congress before the Panchayat elections, Mr Biswas called upon the people to reject the opposition through the political process. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and party’s chief whip in Parliament Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi alleged that his vehicle was waylaid and gheraoed by armed CPI(M) supporters last night in Dalkhola, also in north Dinajpur district, while he was returning from his parliamentary constitueny at Goalpokhar. He was rescued by police. (UNI) |
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Commission headed by Mathur not given extension JAIPUR, May 1: Political differences in the Congress in Rajasthan took its toll with the Government not giving further extension to the Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by former Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur. The Commission’s term ended on March 31 when it was giving finishing touches to its reports on education department and the State Secretariat, Mathur told PTI. "It would have been better if the Commission was wound up in a nice manner instead of allowing it to cease to exist by not extending its term", he said. Official sources said the Cabinet, which decides on the matter, "obviously" has not taken a decision which in effect made the Commission non-functional. The Commission’s Chief was, however, satisfied with his work saying "we produced 11 reports in four years which attracted attention and praise even from other State Governments." Instead of making generalised recommendations on theories and principles of administration, the Commission made specific recommendations after interacting with all sections of the society, Mathur said. "Our recommendations were aimed at reducing individual discretion in administrative decisions and procedures, providing for accountability of every official functionary, simplification of rules and procedures and transperancy in governance+, he said. The Commission submitted 11 reports to the State Government which implemented only one on house tax in urban areas, Mathur said. The reports were on revenue administration, registration and stamps, tax on urban property and house tax, transfer policy for state civil services, removal of public grievances, power sector reforms in the State, Panchayat Raj, police, effecting economy in expenditure on Government vehicles, model transfer policy and petroleum, gas and lignite. Those connected with the Commission felt that the State Government failed to give any recognition and importance to the "painstaking" work done by it. They said when the Commission submitted its first report in 2000, the State Government ordered its review by a team of officials but retracted its decision on Mathur’s insistence. Later the State Government formed a Cabinet sub-Committee to review the Commission’s reports for their implementation which never finalised anything, they said. The Commission was set up in May, 1999 to examine public administration in the State and make recommendations for suitable reforms in its administrative structure and systems. (PTI) |
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14 die in pre-poll
violence KOLKATA, May 1: With barely ten days left for the Panchayat elections, political tension has gripped West Bengal where pre-poll violence claimed 14 lives in the backdrop of growing animosity between the ruling CPI(M) and the opposing parties, mainly the Trinamool Congress and BJP combine over the issue of alleged CPI(M) terror. According to the CPI(M), 12 leftists - 11 belonging to CPI(M) and another to CPI died in pre-poll violence since the issue of poll notification on April 3. The other two dead reportedly belonged to Congress and Trinamool Congress. This is the first time since 1978 that rural polls have generated so much tension and led to clashes between rivals —mainly the CPI(M) and its bete noire Trinamool Congress and its ally BJP amid charges and counter-charges. CPI(M)’s alleged strong arm tactics in large parts of the State came in for sharp attack not only from the TC and BJP combine. Some partners in the ruling left front have also accused the Marxists of terrorising them in the poll battle, a charge denied by CPI(M). TC has alleged that the TC-BJP combine could not put up candidates in 23,000 of the 58,000 Panchayat seats because the CPI(M) had prevented them from filing nominations through intimidation. "By using brute force to win the poll, the CPI(M) actually plans to set up a one-party rule in the State. This trend is dangerous as it will crush the democratic fabric of the Constitution. All parties must unite to combat this," TC Chief Mamata Banerjee said. For TC Supremo who fought the State Assembly elections in West Bengal in 2001 in alliance with Congress after quitting the NDA in the wake of Tehelka, but failed in her mission to dislodge the CPI(M)-led left front, the Panchayat elections would be an acid test as this time she is fighting the poll with BJP as her ally. With Panchayats being a powerful instrument to undertake development activities in rural Bengal in the decentralised system of administration, political parties would try to utilise the opportunity to regain their respective political clout considering that Lok Sabha elections are due next year. Utilising her new-found cosy relations with BJP, Banerjee took her complaint against the CPI(M) to Delhi. Deputy Prime Minister L.K Advani promptly spoke to Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacherjee. In a statement that was clearly aimed at overzealous CPI(M) Comrades, Advani warned that it was not "in the interest of healthy democracy" to forcibly prevent opposition candidates from filing nominations. Bhattacherjee assured Advani of action to ensure free and fair polls. Frustrated at the development with regard to the Panchayat poll, Banerjee who alleged TC workers were not allowed to file nominations in more than 70 per cent seats won by them in the last rural poll, demanded promulgation of article 356 in West Bengal. "We can fight the CPI(M) politically but we can’t counter them with guns. It is not simply a law and order problem in West Bengal but it is the question of taking away democratic rights of the opposition," she said. (PTI) |
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NDA demands CBI probe into BJP leader’s killing PATNA, May 1: Accusing the RJD Government of trying to cover up the involvement of its leaders and workers in yesterday’s killing of senior BJP leader Satyanarayan Sinha, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today demanded a CBI probe into the incident to unravel the truth. "We have no faith in Bihar Police who we feel will be manipulated by the ruling RJD.....So we demand a CBI probe into the killing of Sinha", members of a high-level central team sent by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to make an on the spot assessment of the circumstances leading to the killing of Sinha, told a press conference. The team, including central ministers Nitish Kumar, C P Thakur, Ravishanker Prasad, Hukumdeo Narain Yadav and BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said the NDA would hold a day-long dharna here tomorrow to protest the killing. A BJP delegation would call on Governor V C Pande the next day to submit a memorandum seeking his intervention to bring those responsible for the killing to book, Naqvi said adding the team would submit its report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on its return to Delhi. Replying to a question on whether the NDA Government would make another effort for imposition of President’s rule in Bihar, Naqvi said, "our efforts in this regard in the past failed because of the negative role played by the Congress... The Congress should grasp the situation and take initiative to pull down the Rabri regime and we will extend full support". Sinha was killed in a gunbattle with RJD activists at Jamaluddin Chak of Patna district. "Sinha was killed near the ancestral house of Ram Babu Pathik, the father-in-law of Misa Bharti, Laloo Yadav’s eldest daughter and eyewitnesses told us that the assailants lay in wait for Sinha at Pathik’s house from where they came and shot the BJP leader dead", Nitish Kumar said. "When the FIR lodged by family members of Sinha states that the marauders were hiding in the house of Laloo’s kin, we cannot expect the police to act impartially", he added. Kumar said the slain BJP leader had petitioned the State Government and the Director General of Police in February this year seeking police protection in view of threat to his life. "I am in the know of the petition but the State Government did nothing in providing police security to him", he said. "Yadav’s politics is heavily dependent on creating caste tensions and without it his party cannot flourish", he said adding NDA would launch a state-wide campaign against it. The NDA leaders strongly remonstrated Laloo Yadav’s allegation that Sinha was a wanted man and a history sheeter and said the murdered leader was implicated in false and fabricated cases. Laloo and his police had branded the three innocent youth killed in a fake police encounter at Ashiana Nagar in Patna capital on December 28 last year as criminals but they had to eat their words when their true identity became known to the public, leader of the opposition Sushil Kumar Modi, who was also present at the press conference, said. "All we know is that Sinha was a dedicated party worker who contested the by-election for Danapur Assembly seat with the full backing of the NDA constituents....Let the Government recommend a CBI probe and the truth will come out" modi said. (PTI) Mumbai health authorities did not take precautions: Sushma NEW DELHI, May 1: The Centre today said Mumbai health authorities did not take enough precaution in handling metropolis’ first SARS patient by allowing him to leave the hospital even before report of SARS tests was available. "Health authorities in Mumbai have admitted of committing a mistake by allowing a SARS suspected person to leave the hospital while his samples were being tested for SARS virus," Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sushma Swaraj told reporters here during a visit to infectious diseases hospital. The patient on being discharged from Mumbai came here and is still under treatment in this hospital. "Hospital authorities did not take enough precaution... The patient was discharged before his results were available. But now all infectious disease hospitals have been instructed not to discharge patients until they get reports of sequencing test," Swaraj said. Terming the incident in Kolkata "unfortunate" where hospital staff including doctors refused to report for duty due to presence of SARS patients there, Swaraj said Chief Minister of the State had assured her of all appropriate measures to prevent such incidents. The Government had obtained 300 special masks from DRDO which were being distributed among the hospital staff of infectious disease hospitals in the country. Swaraj said there was no need to panic. "People need not wear masks while moving on the roads. Only the hospital staff who are treating SARS patients need to use masks and take precaution to be safe from catching the infection," Swaraj said. Meanwhile, reports of a 56-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here have turned out to be negative for SARS virus, National Institute of Communicable Diseases Director Shiv Lal said. Samples of the patient, who had come from Mumbai, were found positive for the disease at NIV but his chest X-ray here showed no symptoms of the affliction, he said. Though the number of SARS suspected people is high, symptoms are found in very few cases, Swaraj said adding there was no need to panic. So far health authorities have traced 65 people, who came in contact with SARS infected patients, and have put them under home quarantine, she added. (PTI) Navy rethinks about Vikrant Project MUMBAI, May 1: With the cash-strapped Maharashtra Government yet to take any decision on committing funds for the Vikrant Maritime Museum Project, the first of its kind in Asia, the Indian Navy is seriously reconsidering whether to continue with it. "It is the State Government which has to take a final decision as they had envinced interest in the project when she (Vikrant) was decommissioned," said a senior official of the Western Naval Command (WNC), the sword arm of the Indian Navy. "The hull of the decommissioned aircraft carrier is rusting and she may sink alongside," the senior official told UNI here on condition of anonymity. "We will wait for some time, if nothing concrete comes out, we will have to rethink about continuing with the project," the official said. Pending her full-fledged conversion into a Maritime-Museum-cum-Helipad, the Navy had modified the ship into a museum, drawning huge crowds over the past few years. Initially, she was opened for public and moored off the gateway of India, but now she is open only for groups and is currently berthed at the 250-year-old Naval dockyard here. The official said the Navy on its own was spending roughly Rs three crore annually to man the museum on board the 20.000-tonne carrier, that had played a historic role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The Maharashtra Government had envinced interest in the project and the global tenders floated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had not evoked any favourable response. "It is said that the State Government has not expedited the project," the official stated. The full project, which includes a full-fledged maritime museum and a helipad, with various facilities like conference rooms and other facilities, was expected to entail a cost of around Rs 100 crore. Since her decommissioning on January 31, 1997, when the Maharashtra Government expressed interest to convert the ship into a maritime musuem, the project had sailed through rough weather. India became an aircraft carrier nation with the commissioning of the ship on February 16, 1961. She was brought to Mumbai on November 3, 1961 and later became a part of the Western fleet. The ship measures 700 feet in length, has an extreme beam of 128 feet (width) and a draught of 24 feet. Her displacement is around 20,000-tonne. She was also armed with powerful anti-aircraft guns. While Chetaks and the Westland-make seakings operated from this ship, the initial batch of aicraft were the seahawks. The ship was equipped with a catapult launch and arrester wire recovery. Later, the ski-jump was added and the carrier was made capable for seaharriers, which are short-take-off and vertical landing type. The ex-British ship was one of the six majestic-class light fleet carriers and her keel was laid in 1943. The first active operation in which ins Vikrant took part was for liberation of Goa in December 1961. The first war operation was the Indo-Pak war of 1965, but unfortunately she was undergoing her periodical refit at that time. Vikrant’s real opportunity to show her prowess came in the 1971 Indo-Pak war when Bangladesh was liberated. There was no doubt that many of the strikes by INS Vikrant’s Aircraft (Sea-Hawks) not only hit many of the vital targets on the shores, but damaged many ships and sank many ships and craft, instilling fear among the enemy. Her presence in the Bay of Bengal made sure that the supply lines were cut off. The then East Pakistan was cordoned off and aircraft based on the carrier pounded every port — Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong and Khulna. This performance in the liberation of Bangladesh earned ins Vikrant personnel 14 bravery awards — two Mahavir Chakras and 12 Vir Chakras. Since her decommissioning nearly six years ago — all the four Chief Ministers since then — Manohar Joshi (now Lok Sabha Speaker), Narayan Rane (leader of opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly), Vilasrao Deshmukh and SushilKumar Shinde have endorsed the project, but finances came into way in the execution of the ambitious project. The idea to convert her into a floating museum (like in United States) was conceived by Mr Joshi. However, it ran through rough weather several times and Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray personally met Admiral Madhvendra Singh (then the FoC-in-C, WNC) and halted the auctioning of the ship and her despatch to the scrapyard. When Narayan Rane took over as the new Chief Minister, Rs five crore was handed over to the Navy for maintenance. But, there has been lots of opposition from the local residents, particularly fisherfolk as they claimed that it will reduce their fish catch in the waters. Local residents also apprehended noise pollution if the ship operated as a helipad. However, when the Vilasrao Deshmukh Government took over, his Deputy Chhagan Bhujbal, who also holds the home and tourism portfolios, held talks with the fishermen and finally it was decided that the carrier will be berthed off the oyster rock at Colaba in South Mumbai. Defence Minister George Fernandes had also written off the cost of the decommisioned ship currently estimated at Rs 18 crore. While the present musuem had artefacts of the Navy, history of Vikrant and various facets of Naval operations, the full-fledged museum would house articles from the sister services — Army and Air Force — besides the ordnance factories and the Defence Research Institutions. Surveys were also carried out regarding the feasibility of the project and they gave positive indications considering that it would bring in tourism revenue for the State. It was also agreed that the museum would eventually be managed by a trust which will include people from the services, corporation, police and NGOs. As delays continued, the former FoC-in-C, WNC, Vice Admiral (retd) Vinod Pasricha in consulations with Admiral Singh partially converted the ship into a museum and lakhs of people have visited it. There were serpentine queues with people waiting patiently for the tickets. Concerned over the fate of the Vikrant project, a senior Naval official noted, "England, which is half the size of Madhya Pradesh, has around 60 Maritime Musuems in addition of eight Maritime ships."(UNI) 3 rare astronomical spectacles in May HYDERABAD, May 1: Sky-gazers are in for a visual feast in May as three rare and spectacular astronomical events will occur during the month. A rare event called "transit", in which the mercury will transit the Sun, will occur on May 7. The event, which can be viewed in India from 1041 Hrs to 1602 Hrs on the day, is just like an eclipse of the Sun caused by the Moon coming between it and the Earth at an angle to block its face from the Earth. However, in case of transit, the Mercury will not block away the Sun completely. Instead, it will appear as a very tiny dot and cross the periphery of the Sun before finally leaving its face. Trying to witness the transit with naked eyes would not only cause injuries but would also be futile. The best way to see the phenomenon is by using binoculars or telescope and project the image on a screen to view it, says experts. Alternatively, special filters can be fitted to a telescope under advice. As Mercury appears to be less than 1/150th the size of the Sun, magnification of 50x to 100x is recommended, Director General of the B M Birla Science Centre Dr B G Sidharth said in a release yesterday. The transit of Mercury occurs around May 8 or November 10 because of the tilt of Mercury’s orbit towards that of the Earth. But the November transits are almost twice more frequent — they recur at intervals of 7, 13 or 33 years, while May transits recur over a period of 13 or 33 years. The last transit of Mercury occurred in 1999. The coming transit would be more spectacular than the one in 1999 because on that occasion, the Mercury merely grazed across the Sun. Interestingly, transits of Mercury and Venus have been used in the past to find the distance of the Sun. The transits of Venus in 1761 and 1769 gave the first reliable information in this regard, Mr Sidharth said. On May 16, there will be a total Lunar eclipse. While the eclipse of the Moon would begin after 0732 HRs, the total lunar eclipse would begin a little after 0843 Hrs and end a little after 0936 Hrs. The partial eclipse would end after 1047 Hrs. In India, the event would not be seen as the Moon would not be visible in the morning hours. However, from other parts of the world like South America, the total Lunar eclipse could be viewed very clearly. A very rare annular eclipse of the Sun will occur on May 31. During this eclipse, the Sun would appear like a beautiful shining ring or annulus. This beautiful sight can be seen from high Northern Latitudes. In Northern part of India, this Solar Eclipse will be visible as a partial eclipse. It would begin at about 37 minutes past 0700 Hrs in Ahmedabad and about 36 minutes later in Delhi and Jaipur and would last between 30 minutes to one hour. During this period, less than about six-and-a-half per cent of the Sun’s disc gets eclipsed, the release said. Direct viewing of the spectacle is totally prohibited. It is best to see the projection of the eclipse through a telescope on a screen. Otherwise, special filters and goggles or a few layers of exposed photographic film can be used under advice. The eclipse would not be visible in the rest of the country, it added.(UNI) |
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