|
|
|
JAMSHEDPUR, Sept 24: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said that his Samajwadi Party was prepared to go closer to ...more Inter-faith
meet calls KOCHI, Sept 24: Curtains went up on the four-day 50th birthday celebrations of renowned spiritual leader Mata Amritandamayi today with a call by ....more Farmers using blind application of fertilisers AMRITSAR, Sept 24: Due to lack of soil testing infrastructure in the laboratories of Punjab Agriculture Department, ....more Packed
schedule KOHIKODE, Sept 24: President A P J Abdul Kalam will arrive on a two-day visit to Kerala tomorrow, with a cluster of programmes on hand, including an .....more |
|
Laloo demands sacking PATNA, Sept 24: Union Minister Sanjay paswan’s gesture of honouring 51 witch doctors, occultists, sorcerers and faith healers has raised a . .....more LATA Music is my life and I can’t think of retiring: Lata MUMBAI, Sept 24: Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar, who will turn 75 on September 28, has only one regret in her otherwise illustrious career . ......more Raj
Babbar to shoot CHANDIGARH, Sept 24: Punjab as an obsession with Bollywood does not seem to fade away. .....more Tear smoke unit of BSF to be modernised: BSF DG NEW DELHI, Sept 24: The Border Security Force (BSF) is undertaking the modernisation and expansion of its Tear Smoke .....more |
|
JAMSHEDPUR, Sept 24: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said that his Samajwadi Party was prepared to go closer to BJP if it agreed to forgo its political agenda such as the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Uniform Civil Code. Yadav, who flew in here from Lucknow to attend the Samajwadi Party’s two-day national executive meeting from tomorrow, said that if the BJP gave up pet issues like Ayodhya and abolition of Article 370 and reversed its attitude towards Muslims, the SP was prepared to bridge differences with BJP. "Duriyan Kam Ho Sakti Hai, Agar O Ye Char Mudde Chhor De" he told reporters. Mulayam Singh, who was accompanied by party general secretary Amar singh, said that the contribution of the Muslims to the country’s defence was no less than that of Hindus and Christians. To a question whether Congress support to his Government in UP would open up the door for alliance between the two parties in the coming assembly polls in five states, the SP chief said, "it will be an issue-based relation with Congress. But SP will not be in a cartel and will maintain issue-based relations with Congress and other parties." "We are prepared to take support from Congress, at the same time, we are ready to support them," he said. On corruption charges against the ertswhile Mayawati Government in UP, "we don’t believe in political vendetta. The law will take its own course." On Deputy Chief Minister L K Advani being discharged by the Rae Bareili Special Court in the Babri Masjid demolition case, Yadav said that his party honoured the Court verdict. Asked about the arrest of former UP minister and SP leader Amarmani Tripathi, Yadav was evasive and said, "whatever had happened happened before his joining the Samajwadi Party. The issue is being investigated by the CBI." (PTI) |
 |
Inter-faith meet calls for world peace KOCHI, Sept 24: Curtains went up on the four-day 50th birthday celebrations of renowned spiritual leader Mata Amritandamayi today with a call by religious leaders to make the world a better place to live in by spreading the message of love and compassion instead of hate and violence. In his inaugural address at an inter-fath meeting, promoting universal human values , Madhavacharya Swami Vishvesha Thirtha, ruling pontiff of Pejavar Math, Udupi, said religious leaders who are meeting here from around the globe should create a platform to foster healthy dialogue between faiths and religions. Service to mankind and alleviation of the sufferings of others is equivalent to worship of God, he said. Concerned at the spate of violence across the world, rev.Takeda Hakusai, a Japanese religious leader, said the September 11 attack in US and the chain of reprisal had endangered mankind. It was caused by our own breed. There is urgent need to foster global spirituality. Apparently referring to the sufferings in Iraq triggered by the US-led war, he said wars were no solution to anything. Active dialogue among all the religions in the world was required to evolve ever-lasting solutions to many issues. Condemning incidents of terror in many parts of the world, a scholar from Pakistan Saleha Mahmood Abedin said Islamic religious principles see religion as a means not a hindrance to social and political peace, and mutual tolerence. Archbishop of Trivandrum Cyril Mar baselios articulated how Christian doctrine emphasises universal human values of love, compassion and acceptance of others. Earlier, the Amritvarsham 50 began in an atmosphere of piety and prayer with the traditional Ganapathi Homam, conducted by a team of priests from India and Europe. A sea of humanity from all over the country and abroad is participating in the four-day event. (PTI) |
|
Farmers using blind application of fertilisers AMRITSAR, Sept 24: Due to lack of soil testing infrastructure in the laboratories of Punjab Agriculture Department, farmers of this border district are blindly using fertilisers in their fields, which could cause severe damage to their crops. "For the last four years agriculture department is not getting requisite funds needed for the soil testing laboratories from the State Planning Board Department with the reason these laboratories are lacking mandatory infrastructure for soil and irrigation testing," said Chief Agriculture Officer Yadvinder Singh Chinna. According to Chinna, the Planning Board Department was lacking funds since all the funds had been "distributed during previous Parkash Singh Badal’s regime on `Sangat Darshan’ programmes and now it has become difficult for the board to spare single penny for agriculture department unless they get fresh funds from the concerned ministry ". Chinna said since 1998 no funds have been received from the Planning Board Department, and nearly Rs 14 lakh was still required for buying laboratory equipment for soil, irrigation and micro nutrients testing for laboratories located Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Bikhiwind and Jandiala. According to the agriculture experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department soil and irrigation analysis reports help the agriculture specialists to educate the farmers how much quantity of micro nutrients are required to the particular filed for a particular crop as exessive quantity of manures can lead to severe damage of the crop field. The experts say irrigation-soil analysis specifies that how deep or shallow tubewell boring is required for irrigation water that could be suitable for high quality seeds. Experts say if suitable water is not extended to high yielding crops the turnout may fall steeply. Agriculture scientists said in the absence of agriculture laboratories, farmers applying blind method to sprinkle fertilisers according to their own choice could prove counter productive. (PTI) |
|
|
|
|
Raj Babbar to shoot Lord of Five Rivers in Pakistan CHANDIGARH, Sept 24: Punjab as an obsession with Bollywood does not seem to fade away. After the success of Shaheed Udham Singh, Raj Babbar is once again in Punjab to identify the locations to shoot ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh- The Lord of Five Rivers’, which would also be shot in Lahore and other parts of Pakistan. Negotiations were on with Government officials of both the countries inheriting the erstwhile kingdom of the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, so that the Rs 25 crore-budget film could be shot conveniently in parts of Pakistan as well, Raj Babbar told UNI here. The shooting would start in mid-November. Though the cast has been finalised and includes French actors, the stars would not be disclosed for the time being, he said. "I always wanted to make this film, but could not collect the guts to handle such a serious and heavy subject, as Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled the empire of 80 per cent Muslims, ten per cent Hindus and ten per cent Sikhs right from Afghanistan to Punjab." The script is based on the research work conducted by a French and two Indian historians, who were helped by scholars from Panjab university, Chandigarh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and Punjabi University, Patiala. He said the script had also taken a nod from the dharam parchar committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) "to escape any historical or religious controversy". "The beauty of that man was a beautiful heart with a valour to govern the land of five rivers with the French generals in his Army," Raj Babbar said. The film would make the people on both sides of the Indo-Pak border realise the integrity of the land of Punjab which I now divided by the political boundary. "This Punjabi nationalism is a good subject on Punjab," he added. "Yes, this may make a positive impact on the minds of the people of both the nations," he said, in response to a question. This film, expected to be completed in one-and-half year, would be an addition to the existing movies such as Shaheed-e-Mohabbat, Shaheed Udham Singh, Pinjar and Hawayien which based on Punjab. (UNI) |
|
||
Tear smoke unit of BSF to be modernised: BSF DG NEW DELHI, Sept 24: The Border Security Force (BSF) is undertaking the modernisation and expansion of its Tear Smoke Unit (TSU) on priority basis to meet the demand of non-lethal munitions from security forces following pressure from Human Rights Organisations to use force with utmost restraint, BSF Director General Ajai Raj Sharma announced today. Addressing the 28th governing body meeting of the TSU, Mr Sharma said more powerful version of tear gas munitions had also been developed, especially in view of the requirement of security forces for special operations in Jammu and Kashmir and in other insurgency-infested areas. "The three projects developed this year are a 12 bore non-lethal cartridge filled with CN/CS/CR chemicals, superb combination of CS and OS based irritant aerosol for further use in self protection aerosol device, and grenade launching adaptor for gas gun for firing 12 bore cartidge," he said. Mr Sharma said the CS and CR filled munitions, successfully manufactured by the unit, were several times more irritant than CN filled munitions being produced at present. The demand for these powerful version of tear gas munitions were being received from security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations, including the Army, he said and added that these would be used on trial-basis in future. "Facilities for in-house manufacture of CS and CR chemicals as well as incendiary munitions are being set up to make the unit self-sufficient in this field also." Expressing regret over the delay in clearing proposals already approved by the governing body during the past several years, Mr Sharma emphasised the need for quick decision making in a "dynamic organisation such as the TSU". "Delays will affect the morale of men working hard at the risk of their health....Sanction of export incentive and providing additional transport/drivers are some of the issues which have already been discussed thread bare in the past governing body meetings, but are still pending approval for quite sometime now," he said. Pointing out the "petty" toxic allowance of Rs 20 given to TSU constables who face health and life-threatening conditions, the BSF Chief said they should get the risk allowance paid to personnel of ordnance factories. "The facilities given to personnel of ordnance factories should be extended to TSU personnel who are handling not only toxic chemicals but also explosives." On the bonus front, he said a proposal for productivity linked bonus for TSU staff was pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and requested the members representing the ministry to consider the "Small incentives, so richly deserved by the personnel, in a sympathetic manner". "But since the TSU is a self-sustaining organisation, its proposals should not be compared with those of non-commercial departments of the Government," he said. On the production front, he said the TSU had ensured 100 per cent capacity utilization and achieved a record production of 1,26,572 numbers of munitions, including 61,878 special munitions. (UNI) DSGMC polls blow to Sangh Parivaar: Bhai Ranjit Singh NEW DELHI, Sept 24: Former Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh, whose whip turned the tide in favour of Congressman Prahlad Singh Chandhok as he was elected president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), described the event as a blow to RSS attempts to make a backdoor entry into Sikh religious affairs. The jathedar, who was sacked from his post in 1999 by the SGPC executive dominated by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal, back wanted his post back for his support, but the party turned down his precondition. Bhai Ranjit Singh had five supporters in the 51-member committee and Mr Chandhok, a close aide of then president Giani Zail Singh, won by as much margin. "The Sangh wanted to undermine the separate identity of the Sikh minority by using Mr Badal who allowed them a freehand," the Bhai said. He objected to the Akali statements that his refusal to support the SAD in DSGMC elections was prompted by the party refusing him the Akal Takht post, saying he very well knew that the exalted position of an Akal Takht Jathedar and Gurdwara polls were two separate issues. "I have advised my supporters in the DSGMC to take up the Sikh cause more forcefully until a capable person is installed as Akal Takht Jathedar to safeguard the interests of the Sikh minority globally." (UNI) Brief session of Punjab assembly commences CHANDIGARH, Sept 24: A brief session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha commenced here today amidst main opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) expressing strong protest over a motion on converting tomorrow’s non-official day into the official. As the customary obituary references paid by house led by it’s leader Amarinder Singh to five former legislators, four freedom fighters, two litterateurs and victims of Golden Temple mail train fire at Ladowal (Ludhiana) was over, the opposition objected to a motion moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jagjit Singh seeking suspension of rule 30 of rules of procedure and conduct of business and transaction of official business on a non-official day tomorrow. Questioning the move of the Government, SAD general secretary Kanwaljit Singh asked why the Congress Government was in haste to go through the sittings of the House. "Farmers and employees are protesting in the state and it seems that the Government does not want the opposition to have a debate on these issues," he said adding that "if the Government is afraid of expenditure then it should curtail it’s work." Opposing the motion, Singh said that "the ruling party is using it’s majority to finish the democratic spirit." Joining the issue, leader of opposition and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal said it was unfortunate that democracy was being finished in Punjab. Expressing concern over "Government’s haste to get the session conclude in a short period," Badal said that "we have heard of a one-day cricket match but not of a session concluding in just a single day." Alleging that there was no law and order and development in the state, he urged Speaker Kewal Krishan to fix a day each for both the treasury and the opposition benches to express their views on these issues. "Speaker sahib find a solution so that each MLA can express his views," pleaded Badal adding that "otherwise the House will be a mere drama." He said that if the Government was so concerned over the expenditure to be incurred on the session than his party legislators were ready to give off their TA and DA during the session. Objecting the SADs views, Jagjit Singh questioned where was the democracy when we (Congress) were in the opposition. Intervening in the debate, the Speaker urged the members to keep the sanctity of the day as obituary references were paid today. He ruled that tomorrow’s non-official day was being converted into official day as he had received no resolution from any of the party to be taken up tomorrow. "There is no work," said the speaker directing Kanwaljit Singh to maintain discipline in the House as he was trying to say something parallely to the Speaker. Earlier the House paid tributes to former MLAs Gurmej Singh, Jagir Singh Bhullar, Harbhajan Singh, Dev Raj Singh, Roop Lal Sathi, Rattan Lal and Amar Singh and freedom fighters Leelawati Seth, Lachhmann Dass, Kaur Singh Deosi and Paul Singh . Also remembered on the occasion were litterateurs col Narinder Pal Singh and Balwant Gargi and journalist S S Bajwa. (PTI) Nyas to intensify temple movement KOCHI, Sept 24: After a "favourable verdict" from the Archaeological Survey of India, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas will hold a two-day massive congregation of `Ram Bhakts’ on the banks of Saryu in Ayodhya from October 15 to demand handing over of the disputed site for construction of a Ram Temple. "With a favourable report, the ASI has vindicated our stand and now there is no looking back. Thousands of Ram Bhakts will assemble on the banks of Saryu on October 15 and 16 demanding the immediate handing over of the land and construction of the temple," Nyas president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das told reporters here. Asked whether he expected any hurdles from the Uttar Pradesh Government, he said "we are very well aware what he (Mulayam Singh Yadav) did to Karsevaks some years back. But we warn any Government which antagonised devotees of Ram has not lasted long". In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s comments at the cremation of former president Ramchandra Paramhans, senior Nyas member Ram Vilas Vedanti said "whoever comes to Ayodhya says a temple should be built, but once they go back to the Parliament, they are afraid of losing the Muslim votes." Reiterating their demand for a legislation on Ayodhya, the Nyas asked "what is the hassle when around 95 per cent of the Parliament is constituted of Hindu members?" The October 15 function would be a peaceful one, Das said, adding if the State Government issues prohibitory orders, they would be violated and people would Court arrest. The Nyas leaders, here to participate in the 50th birthday celeberations of Mata Amritanandamayi, said the spiritual leader had pledged complete solidarity to the Ayodhya campaign but said the vexed issue should be solved through dialogue and there should be not bloodshed. (PTI) Ready to be hanged for temple: Giriraj Kishore JAIPUR, Sept 24: Finding flaws in the "Roman legal system" that he claimed was being followed in India, Vishwa Hindu Parishad vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore today reaffirmed his faith that it was actually a dark chapter of history that had been reversed on December 6, 1992, at Ayodhya. "Bharat Mata Ki Chati Se 750 Saal Purana Kalank Hataya Tha (a 750 year-old black spot was removed)," he said while reiterating that all historical records, scientific investigations, local anecdotes etc pointed to the existence of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. It was not a Mosque, but the victory memorial that Babur had erected which had actually been brought down in 1992, he claimed, asserting that he was not unduly bothered by the decision of the special CBI Court last week to frame charge against him in the Babri Masjid demolition case. "Even if they hang me, I will consider it my good fortune that I got an opportunity to work on Lord Ram’s behalf (‘Seva Ka Mauka’)," he told reporters. Reminding the BJP that it had come to power at the Centre "on the crutches of the Ram Janmbhoomi Movement", he reiterated that it should bring a law paving way for construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. "How did they defeat the no-confidence motion?", he asked, countering the "weak argument" (‘Lachar Tark’) that the BJP did not have the sufficient numbers to pass the necessary legislation in Parliament. The BJP should at least make clear its intentions (‘Nishtha’) on the temple issue, he added. "I have good hopes from Mulayam," the Acharya joked in response to a question on the stand he expected from the UP Chief Minister towards the temple movement. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, he recalled, had once told him that the Ram Temple could be constructed at Ayodhya only when the Samajwadi Party was in power in UP. The VHP is expecting that at least two lakh "Ram Bhakts" at Ayodhya on October 17 as part of its strategy to put pressure on the Government on the Ayodhya issue. Regarding the decision of the Rae Bareli Court to discharge Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in the Ayodhya case, he expressed happiness that at least Mr Advani was free to carry on with his work in the Government. The Acharya reiterated that Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi should not withdraw his resignation from the Union Cabinet. By sending in his resignation to the Prime Minister, soon after the Special Court’s decision was known, Mr joshi had displayed high standards of morality, he said. He denied that the Ayodhya movement had anything to do with the coming polls in five states or the Lok Sabha elections next year. The VHP would keep the poll-bound states out of the purview of the movement, he reaffirmed. No big programme on the Ayodhya issue would be organized in these states, he said. The Acharya regretted BSP chief Mayawati’s stand towards Manu, saying Manu was a "revolutionary" who ought to be seen in the context of his times. (UNI) |
||
|
||
|
| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports | |
