Parliament mourns Kanshi’s death, both Houses adjourn for day

NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned today on the opening day of the winter session after paying rich tributes to BSP founder Kanshi Ram, industrialist Lalit Suri and four other members who passed away recently.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said Kanshi Ram, who died at the age of 72 on October nine, was one of the forerunners of the Dalit movement and worked ceaselessly for the welfare of oppressed and depressed sections of society.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat described Kanshi Ram, a former member of the House, as a "champion of Dalits".

In his demise, the country had lost a noted politician and a dedicated social worker, he said.

Rajya Sabha also paid homage to its sitting member Lalit Suri who died in London at the age of 60.

Besides the BSF founder, the Lok Sabha remembered its four former members — Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Ravindra Varma, Shankararao Patil and Bhikhu Ram Jain.

Both the Houses stood in silence as a mark of respect for departed members before adjourning for the day without transacting any legislative business.

Recalling the contribution of Kanshi Ram, the Speaker said he worked for welfare of the downtrodden and their rights.

A journalist who authored two books, the BSP leader was a member of the tenth Lok Sabha from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and of the 11th Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur in Punjab from 1991 to 1997.

The Lok Sabha also mourned the death of four ex-members including Satyendra Narayan Sinha, a former Bihar Chief Minister who passed away on September four at the age of 87.

Sinha was a member of Provincial Parliament from 1950-61 and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1971 to 1989.

He played a major role during the freedom struggle and was popularly known as ‘Chhote Saheb’, the Speaker said.

In the Rajya Sabha, Shekhawat described 60-year-old Suri as a leading industrialist and a dedicated social worker.

"In the passing away of Lalit Suri, the country has lost a distinguished personality," he said.

The Rajya Sabha also made obituary references to former members Sriman Prafulla Goswami, Lalitha Rajagopalan, Ahmad Hossain Mondal and Santosh Kumar Sahu. (PTI)

Anganwari opens employment oppurtunities in rural areas

SRINAGAR, Nov 22: A total of 1130 new anganwari centres have been set up in Baramula district, providing employment to 1707 women, official sources said here today.

Sources said, eatables worth Rs 2.24 crore were supplied to these centres upto October this year.

They said as many as 11,156 cases have been approved under different welfare schemes in the district, out of 18,348 registered with Social Welfare Department.

Financial assistance worth Rs 91.14 lakh has been provided to 7637 people in the district while Rs 10.40 lakh were given to 4,238 students as scholarship, the sources added. (PTI)

Indo-French project resurrects Bhopal’s living heritage

NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Bhopal’s heritage architecture has largely been given a miss as it does not conform to any genre - but therein lies the beauty of the designs influenced by the French, Mughal, Persian, Arabic, British, Afghan and closer home Rajasthani and Gond styles.

An Indo-French venture, ‘the Bhopal workshop’, launched about three years ago is trying to preserve and resurrect the living architectural heritage of the city of begums, who ruled Bhopal for four generations in a row.

A photo exhibition showcasing the strides taken in preserving these architectural gems was opened at India international centre annexe here Tuesday evening.

Prof Savita Raje, the Indian partner for this project, told PTI "we are trying to showcase the architectural and urban heritage of the historical city as a significant part of the indian cultural heritage."

Palace complexes designed during the reign of the begums are unique borrowing extensively from various architectural genres - nowhere in the world would a palace have Rajasthani "jharokhas", Persian natural cooling systems, French facades, Mughal courtyards with natural lighting and labour rooms for women.

Raje says "the goodness of the designs reflects on the people of Bhopal. Their energy efficient behaviour, good health and the community feeling generated by these time-tested buildings and spaces needs to be propagated."

What really makes this project distinct is it is trying to preserve not just the buildings, but also the culture of the people.

Raje’s French partner Serge Santelli, Dean, School of Architecture, Paris-Beleville, rues the fact that most of the heritage was lost before he stepped in.

"But I am happy with the progress we’ve made," says Santelli, who brought French students to Bhopal to document its heritage.

Santelli, who lives in a 16th century building in France, says, "I don’t understand why people raze down heritage structures to make way for modern buildings.""

He feels the Bhopal Municipal Corporation needs to play a more active role in preserving the built heritage.

Both Raje and Santelli were amazed at the response from the locals to preserve their heritage.

"We felicitated the residents, who went out of their way to help us and the students who were documenting the old houses. They would make sure we take our lunch on time, and would insist that we eat with them," beams Raje.

The chowk circle around the Jami Mosque, the old city of Shahjehanabad, The Grand Mosques — Jama Masjid, the Taj-ul-Masajid, Moti Masjid Gauhar Mahal, Shaukat Mahal, Yaseen Mahal and the many "Manzils" — Saulat Manzil, Shifa Manzil look even more splendid through Santelli and Raje’s lenses.

Pictures of the ruins of the famous Tabba Mian Mahal, which the Bhopal Municipal Corporation seems to be itching to erase from the map of old city, are also on display.

The Taj Mahal palace of Bhopal loooks grand even in its ruins.

The exhibition is on till November 28. (PTI)

SP celebrates Mulayam’s b’day in style, CM missing from functions

LUCKNOW, Nov 22: The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh today celebrated the 68th birthday of party president and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav by organising a variety of programmes.

The CM, himself, remained inconspicuous by his absence at the celebrations.

Besides holding community feasts for poor children and the elderly, the youth wing of the party cut a 68 kg ‘laddoo’ to mark the occasion.

Several leaders and bureaucrats had lined up at his official residence here since morning. When Mr Yadav reached the legislative assembly to attend the ongoing winter session, he was greeted by officials and fellow MLAs.

For the record, the SP is observing the day as ‘Vikas Diwas’ across UP. Party leaders have been asked to organise community feasts for the poor. "They have been asked to avoid pomp and show," a SP leader said here.

Hundreds of hoardings and decorated gates had appeared in the state capital recently congratulating the CM on his birthday. But on Mr Yadav’s orders, the Municipal authorities had removed these. The CM felt the party leaders were using his birthday to publicise themselves through these hoardings.

A report from Basti district said Sant Kabir Nagar SP leader Ram Vriksh celebrated the birthday of the CM inside the Basti jail where a cultural programme was also held. The SP leader is in jail for allegedly murdering a political opponent last year. (UNI)

Mosques: Cultural representatives of bygone era

NEW DELHI, Nov 22: From the very first prayer hall -the house of Prophet Muhammad in Medina, which is accepted as the first Masjid in the history - Mosques have come a long way and the story of Mosques is also the history of great empires that built them, says a new book.

As the religion of Islam spread across various regions, assimilation of local architecture, help from local artisans became the norm and some Mosques carry Hindu names to this day, says the coffee-table book — ‘Mosques’ by Razia Grover.

The Atala Mosque in Jaunpur derives its name from a temple to the Goddess Atala Devi. "Inscriptional evidence testifies to the fact that the Atala Mosque was the work of Hindu architect, a telling detail that points to the pluralistic climate that was made possible through architecture," says Grover, a writer on architecture issues.

Same was the case when much of northern India came under the Islamic rule in the 12th century AD. If the beams, columns and lintels from Hindu Temples were used after dismantling images of the pantheon of Hindu deities, in the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, end of 14th century saw the placement of the symbolically rich Hindu element of the ‘Kalasa’ at the apex of the dome.

The early conquering forces lacked builders, artisans and masons, hence the conquerers had to utilize the local skills. "Thus, right at the inception of Islamic building activity in India, a joint venture between the Hindu builders and Islamic overseers became inevitable," the book says.

While the north saw a fusion of Hindu and Islamic architecture, it was different case in the south. The builders in the south had to accept novel building ideas from other Muslim countries rather than developing on indigenous sources, the book says.

"Since Muslim cities in south such as Bidar, Bijapur and Golconda were not built around live and thriving centres of Hindu cultures, the spoils in the form of readymade Hindu building materials were not available, the architect had to fashion new structures," it says.

Although, the earlier mosques went through various changes, some set a trend that others continue to follow. For instance it was at the ‘great Mosque’ of Damascus, Syria, that the prayer hall was set in a niche and ‘walled’ with columns and arches, highlighting the sanctity of this space in the Mosque hierarchy. This feature set a precent for alter Mosques, says Grover.

Mosques also became the focal point for various Islamic dynasties to showcase their superiority over each other. Al-Walid of the Ummayad dynasty, had the Byzantium Emperor to send him Greek labourers, "for I mean to build a Mosque the like of which my predecessors never constructed nor will my successors ever such a building."

It is also true that many of the early Islamic structures were in fact built reusing the materials from the early Roman Temples and Christian Churches. "In places like Damascus, Kairouan, Cordoba, wherever hypostyle halls had been the style, it was easier to convert these into Mosques, rather than create entirely new structures," says the author.

A hypostyle hall is a hall or other large space with a roof supported by columns or pillars forming multiple naves and bays.

The book is divided into two parts, the first featuring the great historic mosques of the world. These are located chapter-wise according to their location and, by and large, their chronological place in history. And the second part carries various sub-continental Mosques.

The book carries exquisite photography, highlighting the architectural features, and layouts of the buildings.

The book also comes with some interesting details, like the dome in Mosques, not being a obligatory part of Islamic architechture as many think. "The dome was never an obligatory element in a Mosque but it was developed to emphasise the central area of worship in it.

But, it was the dome that inspired great heights of engineering brilliance, particularly by the Ottomans, who installed this feature with unequalled brilliance. (PTI)

Devdasis come together to address HIV/AIDS

BAGALKOT, KARNATAKA, Nov 22: Assertive and confident while talking about HIV/AIDS, Madhu adresses the different aspects of the pandemic with remarkable ease.

As she puts across her views without the slightest hesitation, it is difficult to believe that there was a time when she was a poverty-stricken and sexually-exploited devdasi.

Madhu and some 120 odd women are now on the process of redefining their lives. Dedicated to a temple at a very young age — some of them as young as nine months — and sent there as soon as they attain puberty, they have faced many trials and tribulations and are now determined to make a difference in their lives.

Victims of an ancient system called ‘Devdasi’ where the lower caste families dedicated and married their eldest daughter to Goddess Yelamma and the girl’s entire life was devoted in the service of the local temple, these women had more to worry when some of them began dying due to HIV/AIDS.

As majority of them are into commerical sex work now and operate from their homes, they were highly vulnerable to various Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and AIDS.

But that was about five years ago. Today, these women in this north Karnataka district are far more aware about the pandemic and are able to make informed choices about their health, thanks to their collective — Chaitanya AIDS Prevention Mahila Sangha.

Bagalkot is one of the districts which has a high number of HIV/AIDS patients in the state.

"Our life has taken a new meaning. Most of us are into sex work not because of choice but because of so many other compulsions. Our families are poor and in the absence of no income-earners, we are dedicated as devdasis. There are so many people who live off our earnings.

"But at the same time we know that HIV/AIDS is our biggest enemy and since it is preventible, we have decided to take all precautions," Rekha (22), who was an infant when she was devoted to the temple to ward off all evils from her family and her village, said.

She said the because because of the efforts of the outfit, people have started treating them as "equals".

"The biggest benefit of being a part of the Sangha is that there is less exploitation. Since we are more vulnerable compared to other women, we were being abused by all and sundry. But since the formation of the collective, people, including officials are giving us a lot of support," she said.

The Sangha, which was set up by a Belgaum-based NGO in 2001 and later strengthened by India-Canada Collaborative HIV/AIDS Project (ICHAP), started with five Devdasis then and has been able to mobilise 5000 women today.

The members of the Sangha now get doctors from Primary Health Centres and Voluntary Health Centres to hold regular clinics for the treatment of STIs, try and spread awareness about AIDS to other devdasis through their folk songs and are negotiating condom use with their clients.

"We get diseases and suffer in silence. There are times, when they try to offer us more money to avoid using a condom. Now we try and speak to our clients and tell them about the benefits of using prevention," Vimla, who has been working as a peer educator for the NGO, said.

According to Ramesh B M, Director of Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT), who is actively involved with this community, said though most devdasis have been successful in making almost all clients use preventive measures, they are not so forthcoming when it comes to their regular partners or lovers.

"With their lovers, it is not sex work for commercial purposes, so they tend to get a little emotional. They believe that he can do them no harm. It’s a little tough to explain them on that front. But the peer educators do counsel them on STI treatment for their partners also and motivate them," he said.

The Sangha members, around 1,500 women and majority being Devdasis, are treated in the STI clinics per month, say they feel a "sense of empowerment" like never before.

"We still find it difficult to believe that ICHAP and KHPT handed illiterate women like us an amount of Rs 30 lakhs to strenghthen the HIV/AIDS programme in the community. The fact thay they have reposed so much of trust in us makes us feel so elated," Mahananda, who has been associated with the group since its inception, said.

Also various skill-building, income-generating and micro-credit scheme have been channelised through self help groups for the Sangha members.

The Sangha, which is planning to repliacte this movement in other districts of the state where Devdasi tradition is prevalent, has set out certain strategies for the future and are positive about accomplishing them.

"We don’t want the Sangha to confine itself to HIV/AIDS prevention. We want to make it more holistic and inculde all other health and socio-economic aspects related to Devdasis," said an optimistic Madhu. (PTI)

Shift fencing demand for agri-land loss to Bangla

SHILLONG, Nov 22: Concerned over loss of agriculture land to neighbouring Bangladesh because of border fencing, the Meghalaya Government has written to the Centre to erect the fencing on the zero line iteself instead of the existing norm of 150 yards from the actual boundary.

Chief Minister J D Rymbai and Chief Secretary S K Tiwari recently wrote seperate letters to the centre urging New Delhi to consider their plea.

The appeal came in the wake of a number of villagers along the Indo-Bangla border and a conglomerate of social pressure groups expressed resentment over the loss of cultivable land to Bangladesh because of the border fencing erected 150 yards inside Indian territory.

The State Government had earlier suspended all fencing related work in disputed areas where objections were raised.

Tiwari yesterday said the Government was still examining the grievances of villagers to reconsider the proposed border fencing beyond 150 yards of the zeroline.

The Chief Secretary the decision to be taken by the Centre in this regard should be "realistic" and on consultation with Bangladesh. It could not be "unilateral".

Border fencing was wanted by India but opposed by the neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB), a conglomerate of pressure groups, has called for a day long Government office picketing on Friday in the four districts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

The move is to protest Government’s "failure" of taking action against East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Jain and National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for conducting a survey without having contentious issues resolved, CCIB Spokesman G H Kharshanlor said.

The NBCC was executing the fencing work on behalf of the Union Home Ministry.

Claiming that Jain and NBCC officials violated an earlier order of suspension of all fencing-related work till the disputes were resolved, CCIB demanded action against them.

Reacting to it, the Chief Secretary said it was he who ordered them to conduct the survey and prepare a map for prescribing a procedure of land compensation to those villagers whose land fell on the other side of the border.

Kharshanlor appealed both the State and Central Government officials to stay away from their duty on Friday to express solidarity. (PTI)

Lok Adalat sends reminders to Hema Malani, private secy

JAIPUR, Nov 22: A Lok Adalat in Kota has sent reminders to Bollywood actress Hema Malini and her personal secretary in connection with the her alleged failure to perform at a Dussehra Mela in 1997 despite receiving an advance payment.

On a petition filed by former Kota Municipal Corporation Councillor Suresh Gurjar on October 18, Lok Adalat’s District and Session Judge C M Totala took up the case yesterday but had to adjourn the case till December 12 as Hema and her Secretary M A Mehta did not respond to the notices earlier issued to them.

The Lok Adalat has issued notices to five perons but there was no reply from the actress and her Secretary, Gurjar told today.

In his petition, Gurjar has alleged that the actress had accepted an advance of Rs 50,000 but did not show up at the function.

A contractual agreement was finalised under which Hema was to be paid Rs 2.56 lakh for her peformance.

The actress did not return the advance paid to her by the civic body, he said.

Others who have received notices in the case include Kota’s District Collector, Mayor and Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation. (PTI)

Enact space law to govern use of remote sensing data: Kalam

NEW DELHI, Nov 22: President A P J Abdul Kalam today suggested enactment of a law to govern the use of outer space and regulate the use of data acquired from remote sensing satellites, particularly of sensitive installations.

"We have to have a law of space like the United States," Kalam said addressing the 26th Congress of Indian National Cartographic Association (INCA) here.

Even today the Department of Science and Technology, and Defence officials hesitate to give a map of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, which is easily available on Google Earth, he said.

Seeking regulation of data from remote sensing satellites, the President suggested that violators of the law may face prosecution.

Kalam said a number of missions launched by the Government require inputs from cartographers to accelerate the process of development.

"The mission of INCA should be to assist the implementation of developed India vision using their core competence in cartography in partnership with ISRO, NRSA, Survey of India and other organisations," he said.

Kalam said cartographers could use the remote sensing data to generate maps of areas having potential of geothermal energy.

Recalling his visit to Iceland last year, he said the volcanic island meets its key energy requirments using its vast geothermal potential.

He suggested that cartographers map such energy resources in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as parts of Himachal Pradesh in a time-bound manner.

Kalam said application of information technology in the form of Geographical Information System (GIS), satellite remote sensing, satellite photo-grammatry, satellite communication and internet play a vital role in various programmes being implemented by the Government.

He said stereo satellite images, which are available for 90 per cent of the country, could also be used for better urban planning, cadastral level information of land and water resources.

Suggesting six missions for cartographers, Kalam said a network of organisations and persons working in the field of mapping should provide inputs for the development of modern cartographic products required by national mission.

He asked them to bring out largescale maps for programmes like pura, interlinking of rivers, survey/resurvey of cadasters, urban development, metro rail, water ways, provide inputs to drought, flood and earthquake prone areas for effective planning of disaster management delivery system.

Kalam said the cartographers to make available high resolution digital maps of the earth produced in india on website for easy access to citizens. He said such initiative should be backed with suitable policies and adequate security mechanism.

"Cartographers should come out in identifying the exact quantum of wasteland available in the country and help the Government and farmers for enabling the Jatropha cultivation for bio diesel production," he said.

The President asked them to focus on training and building a human resource team which can face the cartographic challenges of the twenty first century. (PTI)

Judicial report on 1993 Jagannath Temple stampede untraceable

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 22: The report of a judicial inquiry that probed the 1993 stampede in the Jagannath Temple at Puri is not traceable, the Orissa Government has admitted in the State Assembly.

Making a statement in the House, Law Minister Biswabhushan Harichandan said the Chief Minister’s Office, the Law Department or the Home Department did not have the report.

This became known after inquiries were conducted in the three offices, he said last night.

However, at the request of the Government, Justice J M Mohapatra, who had headed the Commssion of Inquiry, had said that he had submitted the report to the then Chief Minister on August 31, 1995.

The issue of the judicial report on the 1993 stampede was raised following another stampede on November 4 in the same shrine that left four persons dead and several others injured.

The Government had decided to set up the Commission to probe the stampede in 1993, when a large crowd had thronged the temple on the occasion of ‘Nagarjuna Besa’. The Commission’s tenure was three months, but this was subsequently extended till August 31, 1995.

The report was submitted to the Government on the same day. Though the order sheet, affidavits, statements of witnesses and other documents were received on September 7, 1995, the report was not received by the Law Department, Harichandan said.

Harichandan said the then Law Secretary sought to know from the department on March 16, 1996 about the receipt of the Commission’s report when the bill submitted by the panel came to him for reimbursement.

He said in an official note on March 18, 1996, the then Under Secretary noted that the Commission’s order sheet said the report had been prepared and would be submitted on the same day.

There was no other document with the Law Department about the submission of the report by the Commission, he said.

The issue rocked the House first on November 14 when Harichandan informed members that the report was missing.

After members from both ruling and opposition benches expressed concern over the matter, Speaker Maheswar Mohanty had asked Harichandan to make a statement on the issue within seven days. (PTI)

Haryana BJP demands special assembly session on SYL

ROHTAK, Nov 22: The Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a special session of the state vidhan sabha to adopt a unanimous resolution over the issue of construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and transfer of Chandigarh and other Hindi speaking areas from Punjab to Haryana.

Addressing a press conference at the state party headquarters here last evening, BJP MLA from Hassangarh in Rohtak district Naresh Malik said that all the political parties in the state should join hands on these issues.

The Punjab State Assembly had also unanimously passed a bill terminating all the water-sharing agreements with other states, Mr Malik pointed out. He urged all the political parties in the state to take a united stand over these issues in order to safeguard the interests of the state and exert pressure on the Centre for early construction of the SYL canal and transfer of Chandigarh and other Hindi speaking areas.

Promising BJP’s support over the issues, he urged the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress Government to convene a special session of the Assembly to adopt a resolution on these issues.

Mr Malik also suggested an all party meeting to evolve consensus among the political parties of the state on the issues before the special session of the State Assembly. (UNI)

Rare cardiovascular surgery performed on 2-day old in PGIMER

CHANDIGARH, Nov 22: Doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research have successfully performed a rare cardio-vascular surgery on a two-day old infant.

Harinder Kaur, a young expectant mother from a village in Kurukshetra district of Haryana, in an antenatal echo done had shown some congenital cardiac anomaly in the foetus and the baby girl she delivered at the PGIMER on November 6 within hours of her birth started becoming blue and sick.

"The baby’s blood pressure started dropping. Detailed echocardiography at day one of her life was done and it showed that the defects were quite complex which included double outlet right ventricle and there was no major artery from left ventricle and her survival chances looked bleak," Dr Rana Sandip Singh, Paediatric Surgeon told reporters here today.

Dr Singh, who along with a team of doctors which included a neonatologist, paediatric cardiologist, cardiac anaesthetic, was involved in the delicate three hour long surgery carried out on November 8, said the baby had shown no post-operative complications and was doing fine though she would require proper care.

Giving details about the condition of the baby before her surgery, he said, "there was no source of blood to the lungs. The baby was surviving because of Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA) which was the only source of blood to the lungs. Unfortunately, such PDAs have strong tendency to close and to keep it open drugs were administered immediately and corrective surgery was carried out".

Dr Singh said that the team of doctors led by him performed a shunt to augment the blood supply to the lungs.

"The baby was taken off the respirator and tolerated the procudere well and showed immediate signs of improvement ," he said.

He said that they had also carried out a surgery on a eight month old baby from a village in Ropar district on November 6 who was suffering from a large hole in the heart, which was diagnosed after four months of his birth.

"Such children if not managed surgically during early life run the risk of becoming inoperable within first few years of life itself because of development of high pulmonary pressures and irreversible changes in the lungs," he said.

He informed that this year PDIMER doctors had carried out surgeries on 15 babies who were less than a month old and nine of whom were premature. (PTI)