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Dreaded
forest brigand COIMBATORE, Oct 20: The body of dreaded forest brigand Veerappan, killed in an encounter with STF on Monday night near Dharmapuri, was...more Tight
security, drama METTUR, (TN), Oct 20: The body of forest brigand Veerappan, who was shot dead in a police encounter on the night of October 18, was buried this ...more New Zealand PM for greater exchange with India NEW DELHI, Oct 20: New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke today favoured enhanced exchange with India in the fields.....more ‘Durga Puja’ exemplifies unifying nature of festivals LUCKNOW, Oct 20: Durga Puja celebrations best exemplify the unifying nature of festivals with people of all communities....more |
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Durga puja in Mizoram AIZAWL, Oct 20: Celebration of Durga puja among a small Hindu community in this predominantly Christian state completes its centenary this year. ....more Call
for promoting CHENNAI, Oct 20: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today called upon captains......more India
ranked 90th in NEW DELHI, Oct 20: India has received a poor 90th position in the annual global corruption.....more UMF to
launch agitation GUWAHATI, Oct 20: United Minority Front(UMF), representing the religious and the linguistic minorities in Assam, will launch a state-wide agitation.......more |
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Dreaded forest brigand Veerappan buried COIMBATORE, Oct 20: The body of dreaded forest brigand Veerappan, killed in an encounter with STF on Monday night near Dharmapuri, was buried at the instance of his relatives at Moolakkadu near Mettur in Tamil Nadu early today. The body was taken to Moolakkadu from Dharmapuri last night for cremation, as per Hindu customs, but the long wait for Veerappan’s brother Mathaiyan, lodged at the Central prison here and one of his two daughters, delayed the last rites. Even as the police wanted to finish the cremation at the earliest, the delay in performing the last rites caused tense moments at the burial ground which did not have proper lights. Kolathur Mani, senior leader of Thanthai Periya Dravida Kazhakam and a Veerappan sympathiser, who had sought an inquiry into the encounter and also proposed to move Human Rights Commission, decided to bury the body the next day, after discussions with Veerappan’s wife Muthulakshmi and also the police officials, around midnight. The body was buried at around 6.00 am today, with Mathaiya performing the last rites, which was witnessed by a large number of locals and relatives, amidst tight security. The reason to bury the body, it appears is in anticipation of exhuming it, in the wake of Mani seeking an inquiry into the killing of Veerappan. Veerappan’s relatives including his wife Muthulakshmi and two daughters- Vijayarani Yuvarani and Prabha- were present during the burial. The special task force, constituted to nab Veerappan, killed the outlaw and three of his associates—Sethukuli Govindan, Chandra Gowder and Sethumani—in an encounter near Papparapatti, in a successful trap operation. Though STF wanted to catch Veerappan "alive", the sudden firing from the gang, despite being asked to surrender, led to the retaliation from the force, resulting in the killing of the gang members, STF chief and ADGP K Vijayakumar had said yesterday. Though a deep bullet mark was visible on the forehead of Veerappan, a report suggested that he had bullet injuries on chest and backside. Meanwhile, the body of Sethukuli Govindan was cremated at Govindapadi, about 15 kms from Moolakkadu, while that of Gowder at Chikkarasanpalayam in Erode district, around midnight last night, police sources said. During his two-decade long "rule", Veerappan and his gang killed 77 civilians, nine police personnel, besides one forest official from Tamil Nadu, one BSF personnel and 24 police and four forest personnel and 24 civilians from Karnataka tribal villages. Responsible for the killings of 124 people and over 2,000 elephants in the dense forests of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, since 1978, Veerappan has 106 cases against him in Tamil Nadu and 70 cases in Karnataka. (PTI) |
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Tight security, drama mark Veerappan’s funeral METTUR, (TN), Oct 20: The body of forest brigand Veerappan, who was shot dead in a police encounter on the night of October 18, was buried this morning amid tight security and high drama. Madhaiyan, elder brother of Veerappan, who had come out of the Coimbatore central prison, on parole, performed the last rites. The burial took place in a private property, which belonged to Veerappan’s family at Molakudu, near here. High drama preceded the funeral as police insisted that the body should be burnt. However, the family members, vehemently resisted stating that according to their custom, the body should only be buried. As an altercation followed between family members and the police, periyar Dravidar Kazhagam activist and supporters of Veerappan Kolathur Mani, Puduvai Sukumaran and Prof Kalyani and advocate Chandrasekhar intervened. They convinced the police that the family should be allowed to bury the body as per their custom and argued with the police that they had "no business to interfere" with the family custom. A large number of villagers and relatives gathered at the burial ground to pay their last respects. Last night, the body was taken from the Dharmapuri Government hospital straight to the burial ground. The police did not allow it to be removed to their residence and kept it for public viewing. The body was kept in an ambulance throughout the night. Police also insisted that it should be cremated last night itself, only to be resisted by the family members. Meanwhile, Mr Mani and Muthulakshmi, wife of Veerappan, demanded a judicial probe into the killing by a retired or a sitting Judge of Madras High Court. Mr Mani said since the STF had "lured" Veerappan to their "well-laid trap," they could have "easily captured him alive." the so-called encounter was a fake and the murder was a pre-planned one by the STF, he charged. (UNI) |
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New Zealand PM for greater exchange with India NEW DELHI, Oct 20: New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke today favoured enhanced exchange with India in the fields of trade and tourism and supported a "greater role" for New Delhi in the reform of the UN Security Council. Clarke, the first New Zealand Prime Minister to visit India in 19 years, said her country was putting in "new energy" in its relations with India. New Zealand recognises "the great changes going on in this country, (particularly) its economy and the role India is playing in other parts of the world, including east Asia and Pacific regions," she told reporters after receiving a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. Asked about her country’s difference of opinion with India on the nuclear issue, she said her visit will focus on positive aspects like furthering trade, tourism and flow of students between the two countries. "We would like to see more" happening in these areas, said Clarke who will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh besides meeting President A P J Abdul Kalam, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and leader of opposition L K Advani. "Of course, with every country, there will sometimes be issues on which we do not see eye to eye. But I we are going to focus on positives between New Zealand and great nation of India," she said. Manmohan Singh noted India and New Zealand shared a "cordial relation" but said there was a "great scope for giving it a more solid shape" which is expected during Clarke’s visit. On diverse opinions between the two countries on some issues, Singh said "among friends there can be differences but these do not stop (them) from exploring avenues of cooperation." Emphasising that there were "many" avenues of cooperation between the two countries, he said the two countries can work together to realise them. Asked whether New Zealand supported India’s claim for permanent membership in expanded UN Security Council, Clarke said the Security Council "must change as it reflects the world order of 1945 and not 2004." "It is hard to believe that India will not be playing a greater role in the reforms of the Security Council," she said. A business delegation, representatives of Indian diaspora and senior officials are accompanying Clarke, the first Prime Minister to visit India after David Lange who travelled here in 1985. Besides discussing bilateral and international issues with Manmohan Singh, Clarke will address a combined gathering of the CII and FICCI. The External Affairs Ministry here said the visit would be a timely opportunity for leaders of the two countries to exchange views and perspectives on regional as well as bilateral issues and discuss ways to take forward the relationship into a 21st century partnership. (PTI) ‘Durga Puja’ exemplifies unifying nature of festivals LUCKNOW, Oct 20: Durga Puja celebrations best exemplify the unifying nature of festivals with people of all communities participating in festive revelry with equal fervour and devotion. Cutting across religions, people offer prayers during the ‘Saptami’, ‘Ashtami’ and ‘Navami’ to propitiate the ‘Goddess of Power’ for prosperity and redemption of sins. Lucknow with a large Bengali population has a rich tradition of Durga puja celebrations dating back to 112 years when the famous ‘Bengali club’ began celebrating the ‘Sharadiya Durgotsava’. Even nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose have visited the club in pre-independent India. The about two lakh Bengalis in the city observe fasts during the ‘Navratri’ and submerge in festivities with gay abondon and zeal. Deepashri Mohan, president, Bengali club, formed in 1892, said the club was oldest and most revered venue for Durga puja. "Mohd Hafeez, who has been providing the tent paraphernalia for the Bengali club for years now, observes fast during Navratri and religiously participates in other rituals," she added. Assistant club secretary Nirmay Mitra said Hafeez even keeps an image of Goddess Durga and Kali in his house and embarks on new ventures only during these auspicious days. Another Muslim, a supplier of food items for ‘bhog’ at the Bengali club, participates in the puja with equal enthusiasm and has installed a Durga idol in his shop. This year, the entrance of Bengali club has been modelled on ‘Naubatkhana’ — a platform where musicians sat and played the shehnai. "Muslim artistes will perform on the October 20, 21 and 22 between 1900 and 2200 hrs at this platform," he informed. There are about 60 Durja puja committees in the city of Nawabs. It is the non-Bengalis in the ‘city of Nawabs’ who generously donate for puja, while most stalls at puja pandals are booked by people outside Bengali community. The local Aashiana Sarvajanani Puja Committee is headed by a non-Bengali woman Shefali Gupta with several committees having non-Bengali members as office bearers. Puja Samitis organise literary events like dramas, plays and musical evenings, witnessing participation by people from all religions, fostering amity and fraternity, said Manoj Ghosh, president, Cantonment Puja and Sewa Samiti. Bengali club organises a series of cultural and literary activities including mehndi competition, fancy dress event for children and special ‘Sharadiya Ananda Mela’. Mostly, non-Bengalis participate in such events and mehndi competition is always dominated by Muslim girls, informed club sources. Few people know that traditionally the mukut (tiara), hair, sari and other accessories of Durga idols have been made by Muslims living in remote areas of West Bengal. "Even many labourers engaged in giving final touches to ‘puja Sthal’ and pandals are Muslims drawn from Bahraich, Faizabad and adjoining areas, said Gautam Mitra, secretary, Gomti Nagar Puja Committee. There are hundreds of idol and pandal makers who arrive in the city from neighbouring districts and even West Bengal every year during this time. This year there was some trouble with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and local residents complaining against the holding of puja in parks in their vicinity. But the matter has been resolved. "Sharudiya Utsava Dukho Koshto Sobkichu Bhule Jete Hai" (in the spirit of ‘Sharadiya’ festivities, all pain and sufferings are lost) continue to be essense of Durga puja celebrations. (UNI) |
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UMF to launch agitation against
Centre’s GUWAHATI, Oct 20: United Minority Front(UMF), representing the religious and the linguistic minorities in Assam, will launch a state-wide agitation after Durga puja to protest the Centre’s move to repeal the existing Illegal Migrants Determination Tribunal (IMDT) Act. The Act, applicable only in Assam, came into effect in 1983 to detect and deport the illegal migrants. Talking to newspersons here today, UMF president A H R A Chowdhury said his outfit was already in touch with the "likeminded" forces in Delhi and West Bengal, where the problem of illegal migrants was prevalent, to put a joint pressure on the Centre not to repeal the Act. "The Union Home Ministry submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court on September 30 stating that a bill to scrap the IMTD Act would be placed in parliament during the winter session," Mr Chowdhury said. He observed that the IMDT Act guranteed "judicial security" to the religious and the linguistic minorites in Assam from being harrassed by the police "in the name of illegal migrants". The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, claimed Mr Chowdhury, was "planning" to put the Foreigners Act of 1946 into action which empowered the police to detect and deport the illegal migrants "directly bypassing judiciary". "The move to repeal the IMDF Act only indicated the anti- minority stance of the Congress even as the minorities voted the party to power in the state in the last Assembly polls," he alleged. "The Congress will have to pay a heavy price if it ever thought of scrapping the IMDT Act as already there were protests by the minorities in areas like Barpeta, Goalpara, Nagaon, Hailakandi, Dhubri and related areas dominated by the lingusistic and the religious minorites," he warned. Mr Chowdhury claimed that soon after he had disclosed his plan for opting an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad(AGP) in the next Assembly polls in the state slated in 2006, senior Congress leaders contacted him requesting for a dialogue with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. AGP general secretary Dilip Saikia had already told the media that his party would discuss the possible alliance with the UMF in its next executive meeting. Mr Chowdhury has also planned to talk with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on the IMDT issue who were not only supporting the Congress’ all at the Centre but were also known for their "friendly gestures towards the minorities". The minorities in Assam comprised 30 per cent of the total population and could influence the election results in the state. (UNI) |
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