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School bag becomes RAIPUR, Nov 3: "School Jabo, Padke Aabo", reads a slogan in local Chhattisgarhi dialect printed on satchels meant for free distribution among .....more ‘Giselle’ marks return of Russian ballet to India NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Performing a full-length ballet in India after over a decade, a team of Russian ballerinas elegantly enacted a....more Thousands
take holy AJMER, Nov 4: Amidst chanting of vedic mantras and ringing of temple bells thousands of devotees today took a ...more Rajasthan
falling JAIPUR, Nov 4: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has warned Rajasthan of an impending debt trap in view of ......more |
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3 persons arrested KULLU, Nov 4: The District Police arrested three Nepalese including a woman and seized 8.500 Kgs of charas from them yesterday....more Prince
Charles snaps MUMBAI, Nov 4: It may sound ironical but the heir to British throne, Prince Charles, today gave the ‘muharat’ clap to a film on the life and times of ......more School
bag supplier NEW DELHI, Nov 4: The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commission to clarify by Tuesday next its stand ......more BJP fields heavyweights against Congress stalwarts BHOPAL, Nov 4: The BJP is taking no chances in Madhya Pradesh and is fielding......more |
School bag becomes poll issue in Chhattisgarh RAIPUR, Nov 3: "School Jabo, Padke Aabo", reads a slogan in local Chhattisgarhi dialect printed on satchels meant for free distribution among more than 2.5 million children studying in primary schools in Chhattisgarh. However, more than the slogan, it is Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s photograph, printed on these school bags, that has sparked off a controversy in the run up to the state’s first assembly elections scheduled for December 1. Ever since the model code of conduct for the polls came into force following declaration of the election schedule, "Jogi school bags" continued to remain in focus with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) opposing it and the Election Commission ordering to stop its procurement and distribution. However, the BJP continued to complain that these school bags were being distributed in the tribal areas in violation of the mode code of conduct. Subsequently, the Election Commission ordered removal of two District Collectors on the charge of violation of model code of conduct. However, the two offcials have maintained that its distribution was stopped immediately after the EC directive but it might have continued in far flung villages till the orders reached the authorities concerned. Meanwhile, the BJP and its youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers intercepted trucks, carrying the school bags at several places, claiming that these were being transported to distribute in the tribal areas. Subsequently, election authorities also ordered to stop procurement, transportation and distribution of these school bags and asked the district authorities to keep the bags in their custody till the elections were over. Leader of the opposition Nandkumar Sai said his party, in principle, was not against distribution of satchels to school children. "It could have been done in June or July at the beginning of the academic session instead of distributing it during election time," he said adding that there was also no justification in embossing Mr Jogi’s picture on school bags at the cost of state exchequer. However, Mr Jogi says that the decision to distribute satchels was taken in June itself after it has been noticed that majority of school children, most of them belonging to the poor sections, were carrying books to school in polythene bags. The orders for its supply were placed after following a transparent procedure. "Whatever truckloads of such bags had been recovered by the BJP belonged to the contractors, who had been assigned by the Government to manufacture and supply such bags. These were being carried to the godowns of contractors and the Government has nothing to do with it," he added. About the criticism against embossing his picture on these school bags, Mr Jogi quipped "I want to send a message through it. I was born in a poor family. It is only on the strength of education that I could reach the post of Chief Minister, after passing an engineering course, serving in the Indian Police Service (IPS) and later in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS)". An official spokesman said the Rs 14 crore scheme to distribute school bags to nearly 2.5 million children studying in schools being run by the tribal welfare and school education department was announced by Mr Jogi at a public meeting in Bastar on May 20. In June, the state cabinet took a decision to supply school bags free of cost to children, belonging to all sections of the society, studying in primary classes. Later, a committee, headed by State Chief Secretary, was constituted to workout the process and finally tenders were floated for the manufacture and supply of school bags. Subsequently, order for the supply of 2.5 million school bags were placed with a Kolkata-based firm but the deal run into trouble, leading to the cancellation of the order. Later, the company moved the Court against the decision. Later in September , the State Government placed orders for the supply of 4.95 lakh and 4.36 lakh school bags at the same rate of Rs 54 per bag, with firms from Mumbai and Delhi respectively. Pointing out that distribution of 93,000 school bags had already been completed in four districts of Damtari, Jagdalpur, Kanker and Korba, the spokesman said the process has now been stopped in the remaining 12 districts in view of EC directive. Nearly 3.73 lakh school bags already supplied by the manufacturers have been kept in safe custody. Meanwhile, the manufacturers have published notices in local newspapers stating that the responsibility of transportation and storage of these school bags had fallen on them following the EC directives on implementation of the model code of conduct. Pointing out that these school bags were the property of the respective manufacturers, they warned of legal action against anyone, including political parties and Government officers, who obstructed its transportation or storage in godowns. Meanwhile, School Education Minister Satya Narayan Sharma has accused the BJP of trying to sabotage the scheme for free distribu-tion of school bags saying that the Ajit Jogi Government was committed to re-launch the scheme, if it retained power after the elections. (UNI) |
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‘Giselle’ marks return of Russian ballet to India NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Performing a full-length ballet in India after over a decade, a team of Russian ballerinas elegantly enacted a tale of unrequited love, which is, however, strong enough to reach across the barrier of life and death. The ballet was part of the ‘days of Russian culture in India’ — an eight-day extravaganza showcasing the pick of Russian performances in song and dance that was inaugurated here on Saturday. The artistes of the state academic classical ballet theatre had staged "Giselle", a romantic ballet, which has attained the status of ‘Hamlet’ in its genre. Choreographed by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli and set to music by Adolphe Charles Adam, the two-act ballet, based on an idea of the great German poet heine, was first performed in 1841 at Paris. The first act tells of an innocent peasant girl, Ggiselle, enacted by Lioudmilla Doksomova, who is romanced and abandoned by a nobleman, Albrecht, played by Nikolay Tchevytchelov. When hans, a forester who loves giselle, reveals Albrecht’s duplicity, she is mortified and eventually dies of her grief and humiliation. Ms Doksomova effortlessly depicted the development of her hysteria through movement in a disciplined acrobatic display of ever-increasing exuberance, which ends in her death, as both her suitors and the other village maidens gape in horror. Unlike many of the famous classical ballets, Giselle’s drama does not depend on the external power of a sorcerer to oppose the lovers, but explores the inner conflict between desire and duty, sanity and madness existing within Prince Albrecht and the peasant girl Giselle respectively. In the second act, the wilis, the lost souls of young women jilted before their weddings and dead of broken hearts, appear and initiate Giselle into their ranks. Alluring in their filmy wedding gowns, the Wilis surround Hans, who is keeping vigil at Giselle’s forest tomb and dancing his life away. Albrecht, who finally realises that he loves Giselle, nearly suffers a similar fate when he visits Giselle’s grave. He is spared only because Giselle protects him, keeping him barely alive until dawn sends the Wilis floating back to their graves. The sweetly tragic tale does not end happily. Doomed to lose Giselle a second time, Albrecht’s struggle with remorse, the consequence of indulging his desire and toying with an innocent when he had every intention of fulfilling his duty to marry the princess is brought out in the second act. As the sun rises, Giselle returns to the graveyard with the other Wilis, leaving him to ponder his misery, as in a desperate parting gesture of love, she throws the lillies he had given her, back to him. Staged here under the guidance of famous Russian Bolshoi ballet dancer Lidia Khlyustova, the ballet was a first in several aspects. It introduced the use of the supporting dancers as a participatory organism and not just as decoration and elevated "toe dancing" from mimicry to artistry. It kept women performers as supreme, but set the stage for the re-introduction of the male companion dancers and was a pioneer in the use of ‘Leitmotifs’ in the music to highlight the different moods. After Delhi, the troupe will travel to Mumbai for a performance tomorrow evening, while a show will be staged in Kolkata on November 7. (UNI) |
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Thousands take holy dip in Pushkar lake on Kartik Ekadashi AJMER, Nov 4: Amidst chanting of vedic mantras and ringing of temple bells thousands of devotees today took a dip in holy lake to mark the formal begining of world famous annual Pushkar fair. Braving the early morning chill devotees arrived from neighbouring areas in wee hours to have Kartik Ekadashi bath in the sacred Pushkar lake, nearly 11 Km from here. The fair, which attracts devotees and tourists from India and abroad, concludes on November 8 with pilgrims taking the holy Kartik Poornima bath at the lake. Rural markets have sprung up in and around Pushkar town where village artisans displaying several items, including blankets, shawls, durries, garments, bangles, silver ornaments and decoration materials for domestic animals. The fair is famous for the animal fair, wherein people from various parts of the country like Maharashtra, Punjab and Gujarat come to by and sell animals. Breeders have brought over 20,000 animals, mostly camels, to the fair, official sources said, adding despite last year’s drought, animals worth Rs three crore were sold here. The state industry department has hosted its annual "industry craft fair", but another regular feature the state-organised development exhibition is conspicious by its absence, in view of the model code of conduct enforced for the forthcoming assembly elections, official sources said. Foreign tourists, keen to have a glimpse of rural life in India, make a beeline for the Pushkar fair. Rajasthan State Tourism Development corporation and private hoteliers have made arrangements to provide accomodation to about 2,000 tourists, the sources said. (PTI) |
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School bag supplier seeks lifting of ban on procurement NEW DELHI, Nov 4: The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commission to clarify by Tuesday next its stand on a petition challenging the October 24 directive to the Chhattishgarh Government to stop procurement of five lakh school bags meant for SC/ST children with Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s photograph on them. The direction came from Justice B D Ahmed on the petition filed by D M Pocketwalla, who was ordered by the Chhattisgarh Government to supply the school bags with Jogi’s photograph printed on them. It was understandable that the Election Commission stopped distribution of school bags to enforce the model code of conduct in view of the forthcoming elections, but it could not have stopped the procurement as it would jeopardise "our contract with the State Government", Pocketwalla’s counsel Vipin Nair submitted. Nair said the contract was entered into much before the Elections were announced and Pocketwalla was supposed to supply the said school bags within 30 days. "I am facing problems for no fault of mine", he said. Commission’s counsel Pankaj Chopra, who sought time to get instructions from the Commission, submitted that it was a routine practice to enforce model code of conduct after announcement of polls. Justice Ahmed observed the matter related to a contract and the petitioner should have filed a civil suit instead of invoking the Court’s writ jurisdiction. He further advised the petitioner that if the Government failed to perform its part of the contract, it could claim damages from the state. Meanwhile, the Court dismissed a petition filed by Akhil Bhartiya Azad Hind Party challenging Election Commission’s decision rejecting its request for registration as a political party. The Commission had rejected the plea of the petitioner for registration as a political party on the ground that there was already a party by the name "Azad Hind Fauz". In fact, the Election Commission has requested all the associations of persons seeking registration as political parties to drop "Azad Hind" from their proposed names for the said reason. Holding that there was no need to interfere with the decision of the Commission, Justice Ahmed observed that it can not be said that it has exercised its discretion in an arbitrary or unreasonable manner. (PTI) |
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BJP fields heavyweights against Congress stalwarts BHOPAL, Nov 4: The BJP is taking no chances in Madhya Pradesh and is fielding heavyweights against the Congress, its main adversary in the state for the December 1 asembly polls. The BJP released its first list yesterday, which featured names of aspirants for 139 seasts, most of which were bereft of any dispute. For the remaining 91 seats, the party may be in for some serious deliberations. Backtracking from its previous announcement not to field MPs in the electoral arena, the BJP has decided to field Lok Sabha member Shivraj Singh Chouhan to take on Chief Minister Digvijay Singh on his home turf Raghogarh. It also announced that its Chief Ministerial candidate Uma Bharti would contest from Bada Malhera in Chhattarpur district. In an endeavour to keep factionalism at bay, the party has been extremely liberal in allocating tickets to the kith and kin of senior BJP leaders. State party president Kailash Joshi’s son Deepak Joshi will contest the election from his father’s traditional seat Bagli. Leader of opposition Babulal Gaur’s name for the Govindpura assembly seat in Bhopal, has put to rest all speculations that he would not contest this time. Prominent among those whose seats have been changed are Uma Bharti’s elder brother Swami Lodhi and Mr Vajpayee’s relative Anoop Mishra. Vacating the Malhera seat for his sister, Mr Lodhi would test his electoral fortune from Pichhore seat in Shivpuri district against Gramadyog Minister K P Singh. Mr Mishra will contest from Lashkar (east) instead of his sitting constituency Lashkar (west). Political observers feel that the BJP has been extremely cautious in deciding names for the first list. The number of new faces is also less than expected. Among the sitting MLAs, Yashodhara Raje has been re-nominated from Shivpuri. The first list has a total of eight women candidates in the fray. (UNI) IJA demands withdrawal of restrictions on media entry KOLKATA, Nov 4 : The Indian Journalists Association today demanded that the Left Front Government in West Bengal immediately withdraw restrictions on entry of media to state run hospitals following Saturday’s assault on five journalists and cameramen by junior doctors. "The decision by the Government not to allow journalists in its hospitals to gather news is not acceptable," IJA general secretary Mrinal Biswas said. Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacherjee should revoke the decision in the interest of journalists to discharge their professional duties, he said. Biswas said "journalists work on behalf of the people who have the right to information and the press should be allowed to provide that information to the public." He also condemned the attack on journalists and cameramen by junior doctors at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The West Bengal Government had yesterday terminated the services of two junior doctors and recommended the suspension of four others for the assault on scribes. Restrictions on the entry of the the fourth estate were imposed after media glare on lapses and neglect in premier Government hospitals here. The Calcutta Press Club has appealed to the Chief Minister for norms to allow journalists to gather news from hospital premises. (PTI) A Siliguri report added that the Press Club of North Bengal, condemning the decision barring journalists from hospitals, demanded that the restriction be withdrawn by November seven. At an emergent meeting during the day, the Press Club said that the restriction was undemocratic and unconstitutional. It also violated Article 19(1)(A) of the Constitution enshrining a citizen’s right to freedom of speech and expression, general secretary of the Club, Hiren Sarkar said. Should the Government fail to withdraw the restriction by November seven, the Club would launch protests by wearing black badges and taking out a silent procession in Siliguri. (PTI) Uproar in TN assembly, DMK, PMK MLAs evicted CHENNAI, Nov 4: Tamil Nadu assembly today plunged into pandemonium for nearly 15 minutes and the Speaker ordered eviction of DMK and PMK members, followed by a walk-out by Congress, CPI, CPI-M, DPI and ‘Congress Jananayaga Peravai’ members on the issue of withdrawal of free power to farmers. DMK members Ashokan and Swaminathan were bodily lifted by the watch and ward staff on directions from Speaker K Kalimuthu, who ordered that the remarks of DMK Deputy leader Durai Murugan, which followed Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s reply to the special call attention notice on the subject, would not go on record. DMK members insisted that the remarks of Durai Murugan should be on record. They raised slogans and shouted that the remarks should not be expunged and Government should not ‘cheat’ the farmers. The Speaker’s directives to DMK members to resume their seats went unheeded and as he continued with the next item on the agenda, the slogan shouting reached its peak, following which the chair ordered their eviction. The Speaker also named the PMK members for the eviction. Congress, CPI, CPI-M, Dalit Pathers of India and Congress Jananayaga Peravai members, walked out of the house, saying that Jayalalithaa’s reply did not satisfy them. Some of the Congress members, however, returned to the house a little later to take part in the discussions on some bills. Replying to the call attention notice, Jayalalithaa said many opposition parties were ‘spreading the canard’ and ‘instigating’ farmers that free power supply to small and marginal farmers had been discontinued in the state. "Instead of farmers themselves paying the power charges from their pockets, Government was footing the bill by sending the money through money orders to them. Free power supply is still being continued but under a different name and method now," she said. Jayalalithaa said her Government would never work against the welfare and interests of farmers and would never do anything which might affect the interests of farmers, who are considered the ‘backbone’ of the economy. "Our Government will always protect their interests," she said. As she completed her written reply, Durai Murugan rose to say that his party wanted free power supply scheme to be restored to farmers. Speaker Kalimuthu said "you have every right to stage a walk-out but what you said will not go on record" and went ahead with the next item on the agenda. This infuriated the DMK members who were on their feet, objecting to the expunction of their leader’s remarks. It was total chaos for the next 15 minutes, with some of the DMK members rushing towards the Speaker’s podium. But many senior DMK leaders and members of other parties walked-out without making any noise. (PTI) Rape of Swiss national brought bad name to India: Advani NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said incidents like the rape of a Swiss diplomat in the capital during the recently concluded 34th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has created a negative image of India across the globe. "The rape of Swiss national and other such incidents create a negative impact about the country globally. People globally discuss these incidents and it is a matter of concern," Mr Advani said in his inaugural address at the 38th conference of the Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police, here. In an indirect advise to the Delhi Police, he said, "we need to show results in these cases." The Deputy Prime Minister said to the public mind, no sophistry can asbolve the police of responsibilities in cases like the siri fort incident when a Swiss diplomat was put through a harrowing experience in the heart of a crowded area supposedly covered by numerous watchful police eyes. "A society where women are unsafe can not lay claim to be truly free and civilised," he said. The Swiss diplomat was hijacked by two youth from outside the Siri Fort auditorium after she came out of the night show at the film festival and was about to board her toyota qualis car around 2200 Hrs on October 14. The two pushed her into the back seat of her car, parked in the parking area of the auditorium, and one of them raped her in the moving car. She was finally dumped in her car in the posh Safdarjung Enclave, a few Kms from the auditorium. The diplomat has since left India. Mr Advani emphasised that the police have a vital social responsibility in vast tracts of the country where the economic or socially depressed feel unsafe due to caste animosities or communal disharmony. He stressed the need for the police is to reform itself, particularly at the cutting edge level. "I think that the imperative of police reforms can no longer be viewed as a peripherial, much less dispensable, point on our agenda," he said. Mr Advani said the conference will not only look at police morale but will also apply itself to the crucial issue of getting the people to trust the police for which an image boost is a must. He said while he justifiably profuse in prasing the police for courage and acumen shown in fighting terrorism, he has to be necessarily circumspect when it came to aspects of conventional policing and the police-society interface. "Unfortunately, the public image of policemen, as not being sensitive, responsive, cooperative and fair, has not materially changed in the last 50 years," he pointed out. The argument that police are thin on the ground and over stretched can not effectively answer the mounting allegations of overlooking of offences by the rich and well-connected, harassment of the poor, tardy investigation and custodial violence, Mr Advani said. "You will agree that these lapses by some can not obscure the good work done by a majority of the police forces," observed. (UNI) Think of the Tiger’s own space NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Can you think of India without this magnificent species called tiger? asks chilean-born Canadian conservationist Marco Romero. Construction business man Romero’s Tiger Foundation has already spent 100,000 dollars for protecting the Indian Tiger, which he has spotted seven times in Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore. "Tigers are under immense pressure in India which is doing a lot for their conservation. But more needs to be done," Romero said while delivering the ninth Kailash Sankhala Memorial Lecture at the world wide fund for nature-India yesterday. Minister of Tourism and Culture Jagmohan was the chief guest at the lecture also attended by WWF-India Secretary General Ravi Singh. According to Romero, whose wife and children helped his tiger foundation raise three million dollars for conservation of the endangered species worldwide, there is need for a private-public sector partnership to save the tiger in India. Talking on the ‘cost of saving the tiger’, he said there are wonderful opportunities for Indian industrial and commercial groups to get involved in tiger conservation. "It can help the private companies benefit directly by demonstra-ting that they are good corporate citizens who care about the environment and the balance of nature," said Romero. He said there were several models of corporate involvement in conservation abroad. "Several companies want to make contributions to the betterment of society and the nature." Highlighting the critical situation in India, he said there was immense pressure on the habitat of the tiger. "Tigers are hunted by poachers and so are their prey on which they feed. Their habitat is being degraded by people who gather forest produces illegally." He said millions of heads of cattle graze near areas that are supposed to be protected and "this must stop." On his eleventh visit to India, Romero began his association with tiger conservation in the country last year. In the past several years, he has been working to protect the Sumatran Tiger in Indonesia. In Indonesia, Romero’s conservation team captured poachers with the help of the forest department and put them in jails. The team also caught tigers which strayed into human settlement and relocated them in other parks. Romero founded the tiger foundation in Canada nine years ago and has already given funds to Indonesia, Myanmar, China and India for Tiger Conservation. Says Romero, who was born in 1962, the year of the tiger, "tigers and humans can’t live in the same space. Tigers need their own space and it must be protected by humans." The previous speakers of the Kailash Sankhala Memorial Lecture included Karan Singh, Dave Ferguson of the United States fish and wildlife service and Ronald Tilson, chairman of the tiger foundation. (UNI) |
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