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Vajpayee moots NEW DELHI, May 11: Asserting that his Government did not violate any international commitment or treaty by conducting,....more Bhatt, Meera to meet Musharraf to secure Pak release for Nazar NEW DELHI, May 11: Noted filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Pakistani actress Meera will meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf next week to obtain ...more Indians going the Teppanyaki way NEW DELHI, May 11: How about choosing your own prawn, getting it stir fried and served pipping hot on a table-top grill? .....more Chandigarh to have technology habitat CHANDIGARH, May 11: Industry and those employed by the companies will be assisted by latest technology at....more |
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Health workers take the road less travelled in Arunachal ITANAGAR, May 11: When it comes to saving the children from polio and measles attacks, health workers in Arunachal....more Left
attacks Govt for NEW DELHI, May 11: Accusing the UPA Government of "diluting" the Employment Guarantee Bill, which they said was ...more Mayawati accuses CBI of discriminating against her LUCKNOW, May 11: Bahujan Samaj Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today charged ......more ‘Around
the world NEW DELHI, May 11: An eight-day all expenses paid global tour in the "world’s only private Boeing 747" is what awaits our parliamentarians if the idea of an "international peace activist" turns into reality. .....more |
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SC notice to Centre on living will ..... Patel, Chowdhury favour lowering taxes on ATF ..... India to support all efforts for political stability in Nepal .... |
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Vajpayee moots alternative nuclear platform NEW DELHI, May 11: Asserting that his Government did not violate any international commitment or treaty by conducting Pokhran nuclear tests, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today favoured an alternate platform to the existing discriminative nuclear treaties and control regimes. Addressing a symposium organised by BJP to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the May, 1998 explosion, he said the tests were in themselves the "logical evolution" of an independent nuclear programme which India had set in motion very early. "In conducting the tests, we did not violate any international commitment or treaty that we were signatories to...We neither subscribe to nor accept any proclamation that even suggests, leave alone differentiates between security norms for different countries", he said. Vajpayee also traced the roots of Pokhran II to the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty "without any revision, without India being recognised as a nuclear weapon state". "It became vital for the preservation of our national interest that we think afresh on this subject. "Therefore, to safeguard our national interest, to serve the needs of national security, and to reject the notion that it is the security of only some in the world that was important and all others were irrelevant, we had to boldly and resolutely assert the autonomy of our decision making", he said. The architect of Pokhran-II stressed on the need to explore ideas including "no first use" of nukes by all nuclear weapon possessing countries until all Weapons of Mass Destruction are eliminated. Vajpayee said besides emphasising on ensuring "adequate and legitimate security" of all nations "let us work for elimination of all Weapons of Mass Destruction, in an achievable manner and a time frame". He urged countries possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction to pledge not to use them against countries not having such weapons. "If as experience teaches, NPT, CTBT and FMCT alongwith MCR - have not worked satisfactorily at all, then let the global community apply its mind to an alternative platform to which all nations on earth could then subscribe, and therafter adhere to", Vajpayee said. Asserting there must be an international acceptance of the legitimacy of energy hungry countries seeking nuclear energy as a source of power, he said, "therefore, how can IAEA be further strengthened, so that our aspirations for a nuclear-free world can be achieved and yet peaceful uses of nuclear energy encouraged." Weapons of Mass Destruction, he said, were not weapons for fighting wars. Describing nuclear energy as a unique and irreplaceable legacy, he said, "this is the gift of life. Let us revere it. Let us preserve it." In his address, BJP president L K Advani attacked CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat who had criticised the nuclear tests as "adventurist" and asked him whether the subsequent developments bear out this assessment. Accusing the communists of being "out of tune" with the national mainstream, he advised the UPA Government to "use them like Indira Gandhi did" but not work according to them as "it won’t be in the national interests". (PTI) |
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Bhatt, Meera to meet Musharraf to secure Pak release for Nazar NEW DELHI, May 11: Noted filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Pakistani actress Meera will meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf next week to obtain his sanction for the theatrical release of Nazar , the first joint Indo-Pak Film Production venture, in the neighbouring country. We will visit Pakistan on May 16 to meet President Musharraf and other Pakistani officials to secure a theatrical release of Nazar in that country, Mahesh Bhatt told UNI here. Given the recent upsurge in people-to-people relations between India and Pakistan, evidenced by the starting of the bus service between Srinagar and Mushaffarabad last month, both Bhatt and Meera expressed the hope that Nazar , which stars the Pakistani actress, would be able to make its way to the theatres in the neighbouring country. It is our ardent desire that Nazar be released in Pakistani theatres as it is our tribute to Indo-Pak friendship. To this end, we will make all possible efforts including meeting President Musharraf. I will be disappointed if at the end of it all we are not able to succeed in our endeavour, Meera told UNI here during a promotional trip for the film, scheduled for release all over India on May 20. A source of optimism for Bhatt is the official sanction for the theatrical release in Pakistan of the colourised version of K Asif S Mughal-e-Azam . The Pakistan Government yesterday agreed "in principle" to screen the colourised and improved version of K Asif S ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ in that country, breaching a longstanding ban on Pakistani theatres showing Indian films, Mr Suryavanshi of the Sterling Investement Corporation told UNI. "A letter has been sent from President house to them. We have thanked them and have in principle agreed that it should be screened," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said yesterday, though he added that a final decision still had to be taken. The film will become the first Indian movie to be legally screened in Pakistani cinemas once it gets approval from the censor board. President Pervez Musharraf gave his support to the sceening of the 1960 classic, after receiving a request from Akbar Asif, London-based businessman and son of late filmmaker K Asif. Akbar asif recently met Pakistani President Parvez Musharraf in London and impressed upon him the need to release the film in Pakistan with official sanction. During his meeting with the Pakistani President, Mr Akbar Asif, who presented to Mr Musharraf a re-mastered and colourised 35 mm print of Mughal-e-Azam, also emphasized the urgency of officially lifting the ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistan, Mr Dipesh Salgia of Sterling Investment Corporation told UNI. "Infact, a reel of the film was also screened for President Musharraf which left him highly impressed,"Mr Suryavanshi said. Hopefully the release of Mughal-e-Azam in Pakistan will also pave the way for Nazar’s release in that country, Bhatt said. Being produced by Mahesh Bhatt in collaboration with Pakistani producer sevy Ali, Nazar stars Meera, actor Ashmit Patel, Koel Purie and others. Notwithstanding an increasing warming of people-to-people ties, both Bhatt and Meera, however, admitted that the Pakistani film industry and several sections of the Pakistani society were against release of Indian films there. Infact, these sections had opposed the screening of Pooja Bhatt’s Rog at the Kara Film Festival in Karachi in December last year. Many Pakistani people as well as filmmakers fear that given the huge popularity of Indian films and film stars, release of films from India in that country would destroy the local film industry, which is far smaller compared to its Indian counterpart. It is such people who are in the forefront of protests against entry of Indian films in Pakistan, Meera said. Notwitstanding such protests, Meera claimed that an overwhelming number of people in Pakistan too favoured greater cultural exchanges between the two countries. "A majority of people in Pakistan(about 95 per cent) love India and everything Indian, including its food,films as well as film stars. In any case, people in both the countries are the same speak the same language, have similar cultural ethos and traditions. The only thing that divides them is the border between the two countries,"she said. According to Bhatt, the opposition by Pakistani film industry to release of Indian films there, even as many Pakistani plays are being shown on Indian television and Pakistani singers and film stars working in Indian films, could be guided by the survival instinct of their filmmakers. That they are not at present reciprocating India’s gestures (of staging Pakistani plays and providing a platform to Pakistani singers and artists) may have something to do with their survival instinct or their sense of self respect or fear of not being able to hold their own in face of big budgeted Indian films . However, that does not mean that we stop making efforts to reach out to our Pakistani brethren. After all, greater film exchanges between India and Pakistan is but a means to promote the bigger cause of friendship between the two neighbours, Bhatt said. With the Mughal-e-Azam showing the way, that day may not be far off. (UNI) |
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Indians going the Teppanyaki way NEW DELHI, May 11: How about choosing your own prawn, getting it stir fried and served pipping hot on a table-top grill? ‘Teppanyaki’, the Japanese style of cooking, is slowly making inroads into multi-cuisine restaurants here. In Japanese, ‘Teppan’ means an iron plate or a steel sheet and ‘yaki’, stir frying. Meat and vegetables are stir fried and eaten off a large table top grill. It is a mouth-watering form of cuisine which continues to increase in popularity here as adaptations are made to suit local preferences, says Sanjay Mishra, who runs a Teppanyaki here. A large Teppan, including the surrounding counter from which diners eat, can seat as many as 20 people, allowing just enough Elbowroom for diners to sit comfortably while watching the chef prepare their dish on the grill in front of them, says Mishra. As the food is prepared on the same surface that keeps it warm, meals are served immediately when they are ready. Teppanyaki has to be eaten leisurly. The chef works on one course at a time, he says. "Teppanyaki is enjoyed in leisure and with more and more Indians willing to spend time and money, the Japanese cooking is picking up in big restaurants and five-star hotels here," says Amit Kumar, a manager with a Japanese restaurant here. There are even stand-alone Teppanyaki restaurants which have come up in big metros, says Kumar adding "for the health conscious diners, it offers an added advantage - they can determine the variety and amount of seasoning and oil they want in each dish." "With the chef working in front of you, it is easy to make sure he follows the instructions. The quality of teppanyaki ingredients and seasonings also make it a healthy choice compared to other barbecue type cuisines," says Kumar. Agrees Mishra, "the key behind Teppanyaki’s success is light seasoning and fresh ingredients because this style of cooking enhances rather than covers up the original flavour of its ingredients. Seasonings are usually limited to soy sauce, wine, vinegar and salt and pepper. Garlic is used generously when preparing bean sprouts, meat and chicken. "Most Teppanyaki restaurants here have several hot grills on which chefs cook in front of guests who are seated around the grill. The diner’s plates rests on the hot teppan, assuring that the food will not get cold," he explains. Ambience also plays a major role. As a person spends around 2-3 hours on dining, the overall feel is trendy and enhanced with dramatic lightening. "While veteran Teppanyaki diners drink, eat or converse while admiring the chef’s expertise, first timers may have difficulty taking their eyes off the performance in front of them," says Kumar. (PTI) Chandigarh to have technology habitat CHANDIGARH, May 11: Industry and those employed by the companies will be assisted by latest technology at the ‘technology habitat’ soon to be set up in the city. The Chandigarh administration has decided in principle to set up technology habitat, spread over an area of 250 acres in the city, says officials. The technology habitat will project modern face of planned development assisted by latest technology to serve the modern needs of industry and those employed by the technology companies. Located in the foothills of the Shivalik range, the habitat would be in harmony with the environment and would be in conformity with the ecological balance prevailing in the area. A part of the habitat will be occupied by an extended it park. This will be planned in such a manner that more and more budding it companies are encouraged to set up their facilities, says officials. It will be an integrated modern it park, housing the top end as well as fledging it units in the campus. In order to make the technology habitat self-sustained, modern residential facilities, commercial areas, including a multiplex and modern shopping mall, community welfare infrastrucutre - consisting of educational facilities, high-tech medical care centre and a banquet hall will form part of the proposed campus. While planning this modern complex, special attention would be paid to the residents of village Kishangarh. Sports and educational facilities adjoining the village will be created specifically for the development of the children of the village so that they become not only beneficiaries but also partners in the overall development of the area, officials say. The Chandigarh administration has been receiving good response from top end IT/ITES companies and world-class developers for providing them space in the IT park, officials claim. An investment of Rs 250 crore has already been made by the private sector, mainly DLF and Infosys. It is estimated that 25,000 jobs will be available in next five years. Chandigarh, of late, has been emerging as a destination of choice for many multinationals, particularly those who are in the it sector. A recent survey carried out by NEO-IT, a US-based agency, has placed Chandigarh among the top six destinations in the country for investment in the IT sector. (PTI) |
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‘Around the world in 8 days’ awaits MPs NEW DELHI, May 11: An eight-day all expenses paid global tour in the "world’s only private Boeing 747" is what awaits our parliamentarians if the idea of an "international peace activist" turns into reality. K A Paul, founder of a charitable organisation ‘World Peace Initiative’ was here in the capital to hold a "Global Peace India Summit-2005" last evening. But instead of a peace summit, the event turned out to be an open wooing of MPs to join him in touring the world to "spread the message of peace"! Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Rehman Khan, former Lok Sabha Speaker P S Dangma and TDP Parliamentary Party leader Yerran Naidu were among the 40 odd MPs who attended a two-hour programme touted as a "Peace Summit." It began with a 15-minute DVD presentation on the humanitarian activities of ‘Global Peace Initiative,’ showing Paul posing with leaders like Yasser Arafat and Kofi Annan. This was followed by a speech by Deve Gowda, who praised Paul to the hilt, also dwelling on "current global issues threatening world peace" and how Paul could make a difference to it all. Then Paul took over and what followed was words like "do you (MPs) want to join me in a all-expenses paid trip in the world’s only private boeing jet (owned by his organisation) to spread world peace? are you ready for an `Around the World in eight days’ trip,?" he asked the MPs. While coaxing the MPs, Paul also told them about added attractions like live telecast of the tour thorough satellite channels and top coverage in newspapers. He then asked the MPs "willing to share the glory" to raise their hands. Up went the hands of all the MPs, mostly from parties like Telugu Desam and JD(S). Yerran Naidu assured Paul that he would assure their participation for the tour and would convince more to join it. Paul also did not forget to remind the MPs about high aviation fuel prices and how expensive such a tour would be, but that he was willing to bear it all for the sake of "world peace." However, Sangma introduced an element of caution when he reminded the "Global Peace activist" that the Parliamentarians will have to face a lot of hurdles for the tour to take wings. "MPs have to take the permission of the Speaker and also clearance of the Ministry of External Affairs to undertake any travel abroad," he said. However, he added with a smile, "let’s try if we can convince them". The event came to an end with Paul presenting a memento to Gowda and declaring him ‘Global Ambassador of Peace’!(PTI) |
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SC notice to Centre on living will NEW DELHI, May 11: The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking to ensure that terminally ill people be allowed to execute a living will authorising persons of their choice to decide on their behalf to discontinue life prolonging measures when they are no longer able to take a decision on their own. A bench comprising Mr Justice Y K Sabharwal and P P Naolekar issued the notice on the PIL by NGO common cause which submitted that right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution included right to live with human dignity. The NGO has sought appointment of an expert commitee comprising doctors, social scientists and lawyers to study the aspect of issuing guidelines on the living will. People who are admitted to hospital with serious illness which may threaten termination of life should be able to execute such a document which can be presented to the hospital for appropriate action after they enter a persistant vegetative state, the NGO said. The NGO said such a document can solve problems that may be encountered at the time of crisis of termination of life if it includes a clause that in the event of attorneys not available any member of the family could act on behalf of the executant. (UNI) Patel, Chowdhury favour lowering taxes on ATF NEW DELHI, May 11: In its bid to evolve a roadmap for all-round development of tourism infrastructure and attracting more tourists, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministries today decided to jointly seek a solution to high taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and upgradation of airports, hotels and other infrastructure in a short time. "We are moving towards evolving a concrete roadmap for this end," Tourism Minister Renuka Chowdhury told reporters after an hour-long meeting with her Civil Aviation Counterpart Praful Patel to review several initiatives. Both ministers said they would jointly meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the high taxes on ATF, which was keeping the domestic fares high. At the meeting, they discussed suggestions for lowering of domestic fares which were much higher than some international sectors, leading to increased outbound traffic at the expense of domestic traffic. Patel said he and Chowdhury would also jointly meet Home Minister Shivraj Patil on ways and means to shorten the immigration clearance time at the airport by setting up of separate counters for returning Indian travellers. They also decided to launch a pilot project, called the ‘Swagat Seva’, at IGI Airport here on Sunday to facilitate incoming foreign tourists, especially children, the aged and the sick, on payment of a nominal fee. This facilitation service, evolved on the lines of ‘Maharabba’ in Dubai, would progressively be implemented in Mumbai and other international airports. "There are five million Indian tourists going to foreign destinations and India has become a major market for outbound tourists. This cannot be at the cost of domestic tourism which is affected by high cost of air travel. We have to reverse this trend," the Tourism Minister said. Besides the ATF issue, the two ministers also discussed the progress made in upgradation of international and domestic airports, especially to receive international scheduled flights where charters are allowed to land at present. Chowdhury said they discussed steps to "co-promote" several of the 26 non-metro airports apart from those in the metros. She and patel also discussed the "serious problem" of the number of quality hotels and rooms available for incoming foreign tourists. "When we have opened up the sky and allowed large number of airlines to come in, we need to have adequate number of quality accommodation available," Patel said. He said talks would be held with the Central and State Governments in this regard, while surplus land under the Airports Authority of India could also be used for construction of hotels. However, no decision has yet been taken. Among the other issues discussed at the meeting included land to be given for Hotel and Convention Centre at Mumbai and Development of India-China-Singapore Circuit primarily to attract tourists from Europe and the US. A proposal to install GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) system on all taxis at the airport was also discussed, along with having gift shops and money-changers after the immigration and customs counters in the departure area of the international airports. (PTI) India to support all efforts for political stability in Nepal NEW DELHI, May 11: Government today said in Lok Sabha that implementation of various economic cooperation projects with Nepal, including in the field of water resources, may get delayed in view of the "current disturbed conditions" in the Himalayan kingdom. Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said India will support all efforts for restoration of political stability and economic prosperity in Nepal. "To this end, we would continue to work together with nepal for the implementation of various economic cooperation projects, including in the field of water resources, although their implementation may get delayed in view of the current disturbed conditions," he said. The statement giving the present status of implementation of recommendations made in the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs said India attached "high priority" to strengthening of cooperation with Nepal in the water resources sector. Following a comprehensive review of India-Nepal cooperation in the field of water resources last year, the two sides worked out a definite roadmap to move forward on various projects. The minister said it was agreed to prepare a comprehensive strategy for flood management and control, including measures that could be implemented in the short or medium term. He said various technical-level follow-up meetings were also planned but these had to be rescheduled in the light of recent developments in Nepal. (PTI) Jaguar fighter crashes in Basti, pilot killed BASTI (UP), May 11: A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force today crashed in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district soon after take off, killing the pilot and injuring three women on the ground. The aircraft crashed at 8.20 am near Devri village in the district, minutes after it had left the Gorakhpur Air Base near here, killing the pilot, an IAF spokesman said in Delhi. The aircraft was on a low-level tactical mission, he said, adding a court of inquiry has been ordered into the crash. Three women labourers, who were working in the fields in the area, received minor injuries, police sources said here. This is the fourth crash involving an Indian Air Force aircraft this year. Two MiG-21 fighters crashed near Nal airbase in Bikaner earlier this year, followed by an HPT trainer aircraft mishap near Hyderabad. Jaguars, the deep penetration strike aircraft, inducted into the IAF in late 70s have a comparatively accident-free record with only four aircraft having crashed till day. Two years ago, two Jaguars collided in mid-air while carrying out air combat manoeuvres over Kashmir Valley and another Jaguar crashed near Ambala last year. IAF is in the midst of carrying out mid-life upgrades of the fighters which involve fitting the aircraft with advanced avionics and improved radars. Two squadrons of the fighters have been converted into maritime role. (PTI) |
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