Pakistan art independent from India’s influence: Hashmi

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: With a huge fan following Indian films, music and television wield considerable influence in Pakistan. However, one area that is left untouched is Pakistani art, according to eminent painter and art historian Salima Hashmi.

"We have followed a different trajectory in this field, and there is a separate identity in paintings and other forms of art," says Hashmi told on the sidelines of the release of her book, "Memory, Metaphor, Mutation: Contemporary Art Of India and Pakistan, " which she co-authored with Indian Art Historian Yashodhara Dalmia and herself.

Even though many Indian painters like M F Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon and Manjit Bawa are very well-known in Pakistan, Hashmi says that it is limited to admiration of their art. "Although Indian artists are better known in Pakistan than the Pakistani artists here, I think the big-brother fear has never been there," she says.

Hashmi credits two of the most famous Pakistani painters, A R Chugtai and Sadequain of the post-partition era for showing a way for their successors.

For keeping the Pakistani art scene alive and kicking, Hashmi says that women artists have played an important role. "Whether it was during Zia-ul-Haq’s era or the regimes that followed him, women have been at the forefront in expressing their views through paintings, sculptors and other forms. I think women are more bold in Pakistan than men," she says.

Hashmi who is the dean at the School of Visual Arts at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, says that even today, most her art students are women.

Hashmi is the daughter of legendary Pakistani poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz who has been a vocal critic of authoritarianism. He had to go into self-exile after facing harassment from Zia’s Government.

Staying apolitical for Hashmi is almost impossible. "I sometimes consider myself too political to my own detriment, but that doesn’t stop me from raising voice when I feel I should," she says.

Hashmi has been active espousing Human Rights within Pakistan since the early 80s. She is one of the founding members of women’s action forum, an organization dedicated to promoting women’s rights.

An accomplished artist herself, she had to face the might of the authorities when she was not allowed to showcase her paintings as they were considered offensive.

"I think obscurantism is something that is there everywhere whether it is India, Pakistan or Bangladesh," she says. "I think a small percentage of people decide too much for the majority," she adds.

She thinks that despite M F Husain episode in India, artists here are free to express themselves. "India being a plural society, the threat is less here," she says.

Although Indian art is flavour of the month in auctions around the world, each art-work selling for millions of dollars, Hashmi for one is not very excited about it. "Even Pakistani art is doing very well abroad, but it is my feeling that it will lead to our artists thinking more about wowing the western audiences than following their own path." (PTI)

Bhagalpur tragedy: Lalu pins blame on officials, contractor

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Pinning the blame on railway officials and a contractor for the Bhagalpur tragedy, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today informed the Lok Sabha that three engineers have been suspended and the contractor blacklisted.

An FIR for criminal proceedings has been lodged by the Station Manager, Bhagalpur, with the local GRP Police Station against Deputy Chief Engineer, construction, his Assistant Engineer and a Junior Engineer, he said in a suo motu statement.

Orders have been issued to blacklist messers Bijoy Kumar enterprises, the contractor who has been entrusted with the construction work.

Thirty-five passengers were killed when an over 100-year old overbridge collapsed while the Howrah-Jamalpur Express was nearing the Bhagalpur station. The debris fell on S-8 coach. Among the injured, 12 were grievously hurt, the minister said.

The minister announced that the next of kin of each of the deceased would be given Rs five lakh as ex-gratia, Rs one lakh to each of those who got grievously injured and Rs 25,000 in each case of simple injury.

He said the stipulated compensation up to Rs four lakh to the kith and kin of the deceased and to the injured as may be decided by the railway claims tribunal will be payable in addition to this ex-gratia amount. (PTI)

States, UTs asked to hold census on OBCs

NEW DELHI, Dec 4 : The State Governments and Union Territory administrations have been requested to determine the number of OBCs and those among them living below the poverty line, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Subulakshmi Jagdeesan said data on OBCs would be useful in formulating schemes for their welfare.

However, she made it clear that Government has no proposal for census for other castes.

Replying to another question, Jagdeesan said there are around 2.20 crore disabled persons in the country and a national disabled persons policy is being operationalised from February, 2006 for their welfare and development.

To a related question on number of aged persons in the country, she said as per the projections of the United Nations, there are 8.99 crore persons aged 60 and above in 2006, which is expected to increase to 32.968 crore by 2050, constituting 21 per cent of the total population of the country at that time.

She said during 2004-05 and 2005-06, as many as 222 proposals and 64 proposals of Non-Government Organisations were received.

She also informed the upper House that there is no proposal before the ministry to set up national centres for the blind, deaf, partially deaf and model school for mentally retarded children in Uttar Pradesh.

However, she said a Composite Regional Centre (CRC) has already been set up at Lucknow to provide education, vocational training and rehabilitation services to the disabled. (PTI)

IISC; Mysore terrorists booked by
ED for money laundering

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Cracking its whip to prevent flow of money to terrorist groups, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has booked militants involved in attack on Indian Institute of Sciences in Bangalore last year and the recent ones arrested in Mysore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The first case was registered under section three of the PMLA against Mohammed Fahad and Mohammed Ali Hussain for allegedly receiving Rs 7.71 lakh through various channels for spreading terror network in the hinterland of the country, official sources said.

Both were arrested after a brief shootout in Mysore on October 27 this year.

According to the case registered by the ED in Bangalore, Fahad received the money from July one to October three which he deposited in his ICICI bank account number 625501511289.

Fahad, a Pakistani national who had arrived in India on a regular Pakistani passport aa8179481 bearing valid visa number p508066301105, had managed to slip to Mysore where he was obtensibily setting up a terror network for the Pakistan-based militant outfit Al-Badar, the sources said.

The sources said he had received the first installment of Rs 1.5 lakh from his brother Shoib in Pakistan and the second installment of Rs 12 lakh was received through Hawala channel thereafter which was also distributed among the cadres of the militant outfit.

In another case, the ED booked seven persons including Mohammed Razhur Rehman, alleged to be the main conspirator in the last year’s sensational shootout at Bangalore’s IISC which resulted in the death of a retired IIT Professor M C Puri, the sources said.

All the seven have been booked under section three of the PMLA, the sources said, adding the main accused had been sending money through Hawala channels to his other alleged conspirators in Bangalore for carrying out the dastardly act.

Under section three of the PMLA, "whosoever directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or knowingly assists or knowingly is a party or is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property shall be guilty of offence of money laundering.

"Whoever commits the offence of money-laundering shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to five lakh rupees," the act says.

The registering of the cases comes within few days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over the funds flow to terrorists,

"we need to use relevant provisions of the unlawful activities (prevention) act and the prevention of Money Laundering Act to cut off flow of funds to terrorists," the Prime Minister had said recently while inaugurating a national seminar on "law, terrorism and development" on November 25. (PTI)

Swaminathan panel’s recommendations
under consideration: Govt

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Efforts will be made by the Government to finalise in six months its decisions on the report of the Swaminathan Commission on issues of debt problems of farmers and ushering in a new Agriculture policy, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told the Lok Sabha today.

"The recommendations of the Commission are under active consideration of the Government. Efforts will be made to finish the work on it in six-month time," he said during question hour.

Pawar was replying to queries on the five-part report of National Commission on Farmers, headed by noted Agriculture Scientist M S Swaminathan, and action taken on it by the Government on issues ranging from interest rates of farmers to livelihood opportunities and strengthening their coping capacity in an uncertain trade environment.

Noting that several programmes were already under implementation on the lines recommended by the Commission, he said interest on short-term loan to farmers in various categories has been reduced from nine to seven per cent.

Voicing serious concern over suicide by farmers, Pawar said a special package for worst-affected 31 districts— six each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, three in Kerala and 16 in Andhra Pradesh — has been worked out to deal with the issue of private money lenders and to boost loans from banks.

Answering questions, he said recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission involved several ministries and, at present, their views were being taken.

After this, these will be examined by a committee of Secretaries and a Commission on Agriculture chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before being presented to the Cabinet for clearance, he added. (PTI)

Mediation centres successful in handling court backlog

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: The mediation and conciliation centre, established to take the load off the madras high court, has shown 50 per cent success rate, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Law and Justice K Venkatapathy said the model of first mediation set up at Madras High Court, which successfully resolved half of the 380 cases referred to it, is now being extended to other courts.

The centre is providing training to lawyers in other courts, such as Delhi High Court, Calcutta High Court and Allahabad High Court, and so far 445 mediators have been trained across the country, the minister said.

A typical mediation centre mostly handles complex disputes concerning personal and family matters, contracts and civil disputes, property and partition suits, company petitions, and arbitration cases, the minister said. (PTI)

States advised to set up minority commissions

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: State Governments which are yet to set up State Minority Commissions have been advised on a number of occasions to take appropriate action in the matter, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

The states which are yet to constitute such a commission are ArunachalPradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Sikkim and Tripura, Minister for Minority Affairs A R Antulay said in a written reply.

He said the National Commission for Minorities had convened its 5th annual conference of State Commissions here in the first week of November, 2006 and discussed issues related to their safety and communal harmony, development, setting up of special tribunals to deal with communal offences, providing fair share in Central and State Government jobs and utilisation of WAQF board properties for the benefit of the community.

Replying to a question whether sachar committee has identified castes under Minority Committee to be included in reservation list, the minister said this was not included in its terms of reference.

However, he said the report has referred to three groups of Muslims in the country in terms of their social structure and suggests that the third group (Arjals) could be designated as Most Backward Classes (MBCs) since they need multifarious measures, including reservation, as they are cumulatively oppressed. (PTI)

Music album on Christmas songs with
classical and folk touches

CHENNAI, Dec 4: In a bid to take Indian classical music to a global stage, carnatic ragas and folk music have been blended into Tamil remakes of evergreen carols in a collection of Christmas songs brought out by a cultural organisation here.

Tamil Maiyam, makers of ‘Tiruvasagam’ oratorio and ‘Mozart meets India’ orchestral symphony, has come up with the music album featuring Christmas songs.

"It would be an eclectic mix of carnatic and folk music with traditional and rare instrumental music," K Pandiyarajan, the Director Tamil Maiyam, a music and cultural organisation, told .

Titled ‘Indian Christmas’, the album in Tamil will include world famous carol songs like ‘Silent Night’, ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, ‘Joy World’ and ‘Angels’ in Indian traditonal strings, wind and percussion instruments.

Some selective songs would be based on classical carnatic ragas, Pandiyarajan said.

While ‘Silent Night’ would be based on Neelambari Raga, ‘Jingle Bells’ will have touches of Raga Kathana Kuthuhalam. Instruments like veena, sitar, flute, mridangam, tabala and violin have been used in the composition.

"In doing so, carnatic and western harmony had been kept in their discipline and identity," he said.

Well-known singers like Bombay Jayashree, Srinivas and Kiritika have lent their voice for the musical venture.

The idea was to take the spirit of India music to global audience, he said.

"All the songs recorded are globally popular and the album will do well globally," he said.

Over three lakh CDs are planned to be brought out this month and it is expected to touch one million by next year.

The inspiration for the project came from the fact that the African music reached the american society through Church music, he said.

Earlier projects of the organisation, ‘Thiruvasagam’ and ‘Mozart meets India’, were unique in their own way.

Thruvasagam, a set of divinely inspired verses composed by Shaivaite Saint Manickavasagar, was set to tune by music maestro Ilaiyaraja with a symphony orchestra providing the background.

‘Mozart meets India’ had been tipped as the first ever Indian orchestral symphony music. (PTI)

Rudra Puja performed

COIMBATORE, Dec 4: Sri Sri Ravishankar, founder of Art of Living Foundation, performed ‘Rudra Puja,’ by worshipping Lord Shiva.

Rudra is considered the supreme of all hymns of Yajur Veda and about 25,000 devotees participated in the Puja.

Performance of Abhishekam together with the chanting of ‘Rudram and Chamakam’ was to purify environment at a physical level and also at a subtle level, uplifting our consciousness and bringing peace within, Uttamraj, member, apex body of the foundation, said.

The reverbrations of the Puja would permeate universal peace and well-being, he claimed.

Being Monday, Ravishankar was on ‘Mouna Vratha’ (silence), performed puja, with assistance of his disciples. (PTI)

Mukundakam Sharma sworn in as Chief Justice of Delhi

HC NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Justice Mukundakam Sharma was today sworn in as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court by Lt Governor A R Kidwai at a function here today.

Justice Sharma, a sitting Judge of the Delhi High Court took the Oath of Office and Secrecy at a simple function organised by Delhi Government at Raj Niwas, official residence of the Lt Governor.

Justice Sharma represented different Governments of north-eastern states and the Indian Railways after starting his practice as an advocate at Gauhati High Court under the Bar Council of Assam and Nagaland.

He was appointed a Judge of Gauhati High Court in 1994 and was later transferred to the Patna High Court before joining the Delhi High Court in 1994.

A large number of sitting as well as retired Judges of the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, Judicial officers, Bar Council members and office-bearers of various Bar Associations besides the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, her Cabinet colleagues were among those who attended the function. (PTI)

Rajnath Singh arrested, Patkar detained

SINGUR, Dec 4: BJP president Rajnath Singh along with top party leaders from West Bengal were arrested and social activist Medha Patkar detained by police today on their way to Singur, where fencing work at the Tata Motors Small Car Project site continued amidst strong police vigilance.

Singh, who arrived in Kolkata this morning, was stopped by police at Maitipara on Durgapur Expressway, 25 km away from Singur and arrested along with state party president Sukumar Banerjee and secretary Rahul Sinha under section 151 CRPC.

They were freed on bail immediately, Hooghly Police Superintendent Supratim Sarkar said.

Patkar, who had set forth from the city by local train with two others, had disembarked at Sheoraphuli Station on Howrah-Bandel section and had reached Purushottampur, 10 km away from Singur, by autorickshaw when policemen stopped her, threw a cordon and took her forcibly to Dankuni.

She is being kept at the CIL guest house at Dankuni.

This was the third time that Patkar has been prevented by the police from reaching Singur in less than a week.

Singh told the BJP workers, who sat on a dharna on the expressway, that violence had been perpetrated by the West Bengal Government on the farmers at Singur and the party would raise the issue in Parliament.

BJP, he said, would support Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on the issue.

Banerjee is scheduled to sit on an indefinite hunger strike in Kolkata from today as her 24-hour deadline for the adminsitration to stop the fencing work at the Singur project site had expired.

"There is no democracy in West Bengal ... The CPI-M and the Congress are hand in hand in this issue," he said while making it clear that his party was not against the Tatas.

Singh said BJP would resist setting up of industries in high-yielding crop land and had also asked the Maharashtra Government not to do so. "We want industrialisation on barren land."

Meanwhile, the work for fencing in three villages —Beraberi, Khaserbheri and Joymolla villages of Singur continued and 75 per cent of the work will finished today, Director of Industries M V Rao said.

"We have already put up fence in five km stretch. No resistance has been faced. Land owners who have consented have requested that the fencing be put up soon."

DIG, Western Range, M Rameshbabu said 3000 policemen had been deployed. (PTI)

Six aides of Tiger Memon pronounced guilty

MUMBAI, Dec 4: Six aides of prime conspirator Tiger Memon were today held guilty by a special TADA Court for hurling hand grenades at a Fishermen’s Colony, killing three persons and injuring six on March 12, 1993.

Those held guilty were - Bashir Ahmed Usman Ghani Khairullah, Zakir Hussain Noor Mohd Shaikh, Abdul Khan, Feroze Amani Malik, Moin Querishi and Salim Rahim Shaikh.

All the six travelled in a car to the locality. While five of them hurled hand grenades at the Fishermen Colony at Mahim, Salim was at the wheel.

They were also found guilty under section 3 (3) of TADA for aiding and abetting Terrorist Act, going to Pakistan for arms training and attending conspiracy meeting.

With the conviction of these six accused, the total number of those held guilty so far has risen to 100, including actor sanjay dutt.

With this, the first phase of verdict, involving conviction or acquittal of the accused concluded today. Of the 123 accused, 100 have been found guilty while the rest were acquitted.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, this is the first case in the country where 100 accused have been convicted in a single case.

The second phase of verdict which involves arguments by CBI and defence lawyers on quantum of sentence would begin on December 11 and is expected to last a few days.

In the third phase, designated Judge P D Kode would award the quantum of sentence to each of the convicted accused. (PTI)