Evidence of first Indian settlers found in Tamil Nadu

NEW DELHI, Apr 15: A team of Indian scientists have discovered genetic evidence that tribal villagers living in Tamil Nadu were among the first migrants from Africa to settle down in India.

Geneticists led by Prof Ramaswamy Pitchappan of Madurai Kamaraj University have found out that the marker gene in the group of people from a small village Jyothimanickam near Madurai matched those of the first settlers in India. The findings point to the fact that the villagers are among the direct descendants of the first settlers.

Pitchappan who conducted the research in collaboration with Oxford Research University found that DNA of Virumandi Andithevar, a 30-year-old systems administrator from the village, matched M130, the chromosome marker, which gives proof that the first human migration into India took place around 70,000 years ago.

"The M130 is the oldest marker in India and there is no other marker older than that for India. The DNA samples from, Virumandi and others were found to have this marker and we were able to deduce that they were among the first human settlers in India, who obviously spread from Africa," Pitchappan who is Prof Emeritus at the Madurai Kamraj University said.

The findings will be aired on Discovery Television, where historian Michael Wood will narrate the story of the world’s most ancient civilization in the six part series ‘The Story of India’ beginning on April 16.

"We were studying to find out the history of migration and working on a student dissertation selected Jyothimanickam village and took samples of people there and found that 13 people carried the gene M 130 in their DNAs," says Pitchappan.

Cavallui Storza, the Italian Prof who is popularly known as the father of human population genetics had explained that humans when they began migrating must have walked around 16 km per year and in around 1000 years must have arrived in India through the land route.

Scientists say that ancestors of Indians first walked out of Africa some 70,000 years ago, around the shores of the Arabian Sea and down into south India. Driven by chance, necessity and curiosity, they came to India and some of them settled down in the country to become the first Indians.

"Storza’s research propound the theory that all non-Africans on the planet can trace their descent from those early migrations into India," says Pitchappan.

The Professor adds, "We worked in collaboration with Dr Spencer Wells of the Centre for Human Genetics at the Oxford University who has conducted extensive research on the subject and has made a documentary on the subject in the year 2000."

Meanwhile, Virumandi, who was among the first in the village to be told of the matching DNA says he is thrilled at the discovery. "All my friends and relatives joke with me and view me with reverance ever since the results of the findings were revealed," says Virumandi. (PTI)

Media persons have narrow escape

SRINAGAR, Apr 15: A group of media persons had a narrow escape when a snow avalanche missed their vehicles near Zojila on the Srinagar-Leh highway, which was declared open by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today after remaining closed for winter months.

A UNI correspondent who was among about six media persons, mostly photo-journalists and videographers, said they were on way to Zojila from Sonamarg when a huge snow avalanche came down from a hill.

However, driver of the vehicle, leading the convoy, applied breaks at the right time, averting any accident. A small portion of the snow hit top of a vehicle without causing any damage.

He said they could see BEACON officials removing avalanches from the road at three places from Sonmarg to Zojila.

The avalanches are occurring because of fresh snowfall in the area for the past one week.

The newspersons taken by road to Zojila, could not cover the opening of the road by Mr Azad, who had come in a helicopter. (UNI)

BJP member Capt Nishad disqualified from Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI, Apr 15: Capt. Jai Narain Prasad Nishad, a BJP member of the Rajya Sabha, has been disqualified from the House for indulging in ‘anti-party’ activities.

The announcement was made today by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari during Zero Hour.

The disqualification of Capt. Nishad, who was elected to the House from Bihar, will be with effect from March 26, 2008, Mr Ansari said.

Giving details of the matter, Mr Ansari said BJP member Sushma Swaraj had filed before the then House Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat a petition on December 22, 2005, seeking Capt. Nishad’s disqualification under Xth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection rules) for indulging in anti-party activities.

Mr Shekhawat forwarded copies of the petition to Capt. Nishad and Mr Jaswant Singh, Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, on January 5, 2006, asking them to forward their comments on the matter.

Mr Jaswant Singh, in his reply (January 9, 2006) agreed with Ms Swaraj’s contention in the petition and argued that Capt. Nishad had voluntarily resigned from the Rajya Sabha.

"Even if Shri Nishad had not formally resigned from the party, his conduct with regard to his campaigning against the party could be in itself a sufficient evidence to prove that he has voluntarily given up the membership of the BJP, and therefore deserves to be disqualified," Mr Jaswant Singh observed in his reply.

Mr Ansari said Capt. Nishad, in his comments (January 12, 2006) disagreed with the charges made against him and that he had tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party on October 18, 2005, "in an agitated mental condition", which he later withdrew by by his letter of November 17, 2005.

Capt. Nishad also urged Mr Shekhawat to dismiss the petition as his conduct was later condoned by the BJP. In support of his contention, he said the party used to send him SMSes on his cell phone for attending party meetings and even used to collect from him a monthly subscription of Rs 1200. The last subscription was made on December 10, 2005. (UNI)

Sena criticises Patel for supporting Gandhis for PM’s post

MUMBAI, Apr 15: Criticing Union Minister and NCP leader Praful Patel for his readiness to support Congress President Sonia Gandhi or her son Rahul for the post of Prime Minister in the next elections, Shiv Sena today asked whether a "self-respecting" person like Sharad Pawar would approve of this.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, Sena said the views expressed by Patel are contrary to the views held by the NCP chief Pawar, who left Congress mainly on the grounds that he was opposed to Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister because of her foreign origin.

"At least people of Maharashtra should question such people who say we can accept Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister," Sena said.

"By his comments Patel has proved that his loyalty is not towards Pawar," the party said.

However, Sena noted that Patel should have said "his party NCP would not accept any person as Prime Minister, who is of foreign origin or lineage".

"Congress is the biggest party in the UPA. There is no question of NCP, DMK or RJD or any other party coming close to their numbers and if tomorrow Congress decides to nominate Mrs Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, it’s not a question for NCP to decide," he had said.

Patel said his party had given Gandhi a letter of support for Prime Ministership four years ago.

Sena said, "eight crore people of Maharashtra have a question in their minds as to how could Patel express his readiness to support Sonia or her son Rahul when the NCP leader had parted ways from Congress on the very fact that he was opposed to a person of foreign orgin becoming a Prime Minister of India?"

"This only shows that Patel is a fence-sitter with one leg in Congress and other in NCP and is only interested to preserve his chair of Ministership at any cost", the editorial added.

Besides, there cannot be any comparison between a seasoned and heavyweight politician like Pawar and Rahul Gandhi.

"How would it look to see a heavyweight politician like Pawar in the cabinet of political novice like Rahul Gandhi?" the Sena questioned.

Sena said by making such comments Patel has shattered the "self-respect" of person of the stature of Pawar. (PTI)

Pranab also favours Rahul as PM

NEW DELHI, Apr 15: Yet another senior Congress minister today came out in support of Rahul Gandhi being made the prime ministerial candidate in the next elections.

"Arjun Singh has done nothing wrong in suggesting that Rahul Gandhi be made the Prime Ministerial candidate," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here.

"Always the leadership goes to the youth. It is a universal truth," he said when asked about Singh’s comments on projecting Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial face, an idea that drew immediate support from ally and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. (PTI)

Priyanka meets a conspirator in Rajiv Gandhi’s killing

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI, Apr 15: Priyanka Vadra, who has created a flutter by meeting one of the conspirators in her father Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, today said she does not believe in anger, hatred and violence and will not allow these to overpower her.

"It was a very personal visit and completely on my own individual initiative. I would be deeply grateful if this could be respected," she said about her meeting with Nalini Sriharan in Vellore jail in Tamil Nadu last month.

Nalini, married to Murugan, sentenced to death in the assassination case, was also awarded capital punishment for involvement in the killing on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in the state. Her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi pleaded for clemency for the sake of the convict’s daughter.

"It is true that I met Nalini Sriharan in Vellore central jail on March 19, 2008. It was my way of coming to peace with the violence and loss that I have experienced," she said.

Recalling her mother’s intevention in getting Nalini’s death sentence commuted to life imprisonment, Priyanka said she did not believe in hatred and violence.

"I do not believe in anger, hatred and violence and I refuse to allow these things to overpower my life," she said.

Her brother Rahul Gandhi said "I have a different way of looking at these things. I don’t have a problem either".

Rahul said "we don’t carry hatred, we don’t carry anger. It’s not an exercise...She felt that she wanted to go and see the person. She has been feeling it for sometime".

The issue of Priyanka meeting Nalini in the Vellore jail came to the fore with a city lawyer, D Rajkumar, seeking queries from the prison authorities by invoking provisions under Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Priyanka was in Vellore on March 19 to pay obeisance at the newly constructed Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple.

Rajkumar, in his application to the Superintendent of Prisons, had asked whether it was true that Priyanka met Nalini? And if so under which legal provisions was she allowed to meet the convict and who accompanied her ?

Vellore jail authorities, when contacted today, declined to comment saying that they would reply to the RTI petition filed by Rajkumar. (PTI)

Karunanidhi orders probe into reports
of tapping of CS’s phone

CHENNAI, Apr 15: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced setting up of an inquiry commission headed by a retired High Court Judge to the probe matter of reports on phone tapping of Chief Secretary L K Tripathy as protests from the opposition rocked the state Assembly today.

The AIADMK members wanted to bring in a special call attention motion on the report of telephone tapping, to which Speaker R Avudaiyappan declined permission and ordered their eviction from the House as they continued to raise the issue.

Reacting to oppositions protests over publication of excerpts of conversation between Tripathy and a senior police official on a case relating to AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi said the Government wanted to find out how the contents of the conversation between two officials was published.

"We want to know how the contents of the dialogue between Tripathy and a senior vigilance official was published. We are ready to probe the matter and the inquiry commission will submit the report before the House," he said.

"We should see whether the contents were anti-national or illegal or unethical in nature. But there is nothing of that sort," he said in an apparent reference to the dialogue between the two officials regarding Kodanadu estate case against Jayalalithaa.

Citing media reports, he said "phone tapping could be done even with the help of a cell phone thanks to the technological improvement."

In a statement yesterday, the Government had dismissed the media report on the telephone tapping as "false and wrong". (PTI)

Abu Salem’s trial in 1993 serial blasts to begin today

MUMBAI, Apr 15: The special TADA court will begin the trial of extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case tomorrow with the prosecution examining its first witness.

The first witness to be examined will be an immigration officer, who was on duty in India when Salem was brought to Mumbai in 2005 after being deported from Lisbon, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said today.

"The charges against Salem include section 3(3) of TADA, 120 (b) of IPC and sections of the Arms Act and Explosives Substances Act," he said.

Salem is accused of having supplied arms to other accused in the case and participating in the conspiracy to carry out the blasts.

Over 257 persons were killed and over 700 injured in the thirteen serial blasts carried out across the city on March 12, 1993.

After a trial spanning 13 years, special TADA judge P D Kode convicted 100 persons for their role in carrying out the blasts, allegedly at the behest of gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Twelve persons were sentenced to death and 20 to life imprisonment.

Actor Sanjay Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act and sentenced to seven years imprisonment for illegal possession of weapons.

Salem, who was nabbed in Portugal along with his companion and former starlet Monica Bedi, has three trials pending against him in the city.

The two other cases pertain to the killing of a builder and the former secretary of actress Manisha Koirala.

The CBI, which is the investigating the 1993 serial blasts, sought the separation of Salem’s trial from the other accused in order to prevent a delay in the delivery of the judgement.

The TADA court separated the trial of Salem and three persons from the other accused in 2006.

One of the three facing a separate trial in the 1993 serial blasts along with Salem is extradited gangster Mustafa Dossa. (PTI)

No question of supporting Sonia as PM: Sangma

SHILLONG, Apr 15: NCP General Secretary P A Sangma today downplayed his party man Praful Patel’s remark on supporting Gandhis for the prime ministerial candidate, saying that there was no question of supporting Congress Chief Sonia for the post.

"We are not opposed to Rahul as the Prime Minister as he is an Indian. However, there was no question of supporting Sonia Gandhi for the top post," he said.

His statement comes two days after NCP leader, Praful Patel said that the NCP was not opposed to either Gandhi or Rahul as the Prime Minister.

"The whole world knows we are opposed to Sonia Gandhi as PM," he said.

The former Lok Sabha speaker’s remarks have thrown up speculations as to whether there was any division of opinion within the NCP, an ally of the ruling UPA, as to the prime ministerial candidate in the next general elections.

Sangma along with the other leaders of the NCP had broken from the Congress and floated their own party before the 1999 L S elections on the issue of Sonia’s foreign origin.

With the combined UPA, including the NCP, readying to put up a united fight against the NDA in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the issue has again raised its head, casting a shadow on the veneer of unity of the Congress-led alliance.

When asked as to why the NCP was averse to the idea of a tie-up with Congress in Meghalaya as in the centre, Sangma said, state politics is different from that of the centre.

"How can I forget that the Congress poached on six of our mlas in 2003 assembly elections. We cannot ally with such a party," he said. (PTI)

Sushma unhappy over BJP granting less
number of seats to women

BANGALORE, Apr 15: Even as BJP grappled to put down unrest among its ranks over allocation of tickets to contest for the Assembly polls in Karnataka, senior leader Sushma Swaraj joined the fray by expressing unhappiness over the party granting less number of tickets to women.

"I am not happy with this number of three women selected so far. I have already expressed this before the central election committee. Now they say tickets will be granted to at least 15 women candidates’ Sushma told reporters before leaving for Mysore to attend the party’s women rally.

She however, played down the protests from local party men over the distribution of tickets by describing them as minor incidents.

"This is an aberration and not unnatural in a party which is tipped to form the Government," she said.

She also dismissed the allegations of party tickets being sold as "baseless" and a campaign by its adversaries.

"I dismiss the allegation as baseless. It is coming only from our adversaries and not by our partymen," she said.

Sushma said the party will also raise issue of price rise and spread of terrorism into the corridors of south would be the main issues her party will take up in the coming elections.

She appealed the electorate not to give half-hearted mandate as they did in last election and install the BJP Government with full majority.

She said the party would showcase the performance state party leader B S Yeddyurappa when he was the Chief Minister and Finance Minister in JDS-BJP Government.

BJP National General Secretary H N Anantkumar said the seat sharing talks with JDU was progressing well and hoped that it will soon be finalised. (PTI)

Centre sanctioned Rs 484.58 lakh for
development of Wagah Border

NEW DELHI, Apr 15: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 484.58 lakh to the Punjab Government for "Integrated Development of Wagah-Attari Border" as a tourist destination.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said the components of the project include development of tourist facilities and upgrade of surroundings of the Wagah-Attari border.

"Construction of Aman Umeed Bhawan and development of Rajasansi village carpet weaver complex and others also forms part of the project development," she added. (UNI)

Bihar Govt to appoint 90,000 teachers,
improve infrastructure

PATNA, Apr 15: The Bihar Government has decided to appoint 90,000 teachers, construct 10,000 school buildings and 40,000 new classrooms during the current fiscal.

Even after the recent appointment of around two lakh new teachers, the State Government proposed to appoint 90,000 more teachers to maintain the basic teacher-student ratio, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

"Our priorities continue to be key sectors like health, education, road construction, industry and infrastructure for which we have evolved mechanisms to ensure achievement of the 2008-09 target," he said.

The State Government has also decided to construct 3,450 km roads under the state plan and 800 km of state highway along with 399 bridges under the Chief Minister Bridge Construction Scheme.

He said the Government also proposed to repair 3,244 km roads and construct 1,008 km of rural connectivity roads under the Chief Minister Rural Area Connectivity Scheme.

"We will construct 5,000 new houses for urban poor in 20 cities in the state, overhaul the drainages, sewerages and develop other infrastructure facilities in Patna and bodh Gaya under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

On the health sector, Modi said three medical colleges would be set up at Pawapuri, Bettiah and Madhepura and 15 Sub-Divisional Hospitals would be constructed on a priority basis.

Stress was being given on checking floods with the State Government deciding to strengthen bunds and preparing a detailed project report for interlinking of basins, he said.

Besides, efforts were underway for improving the irrigation facilities to create 9,000 hectares of irrigation capacity in sone, 18,000 hectare in Kosi basin and restore 7,570 hectare of irrigation capacity in sone basin.

Modi said the State Government had identified the provisions to improve the quality of life of women by earmarking Rs 2247.80 crore for them in ten departments, which is 5.83 per cent of the 2008-09 budget.

He said the State Government would set up gender cells in each department from this year, which would be primarily responsible to identify the budgetary allocation required for welfare schemes and other programmes for bringing a qualitative change in women’s life.

"Although women constitute 50 per cent of the state’s population, they are behind in all aspects of human development indicators, be it in the field of literacy or health," he pointed out.

The Government has initiated various women-oriented schemes like Chief Minister Poshak Yojana, Chief Minister Cycle Scheme, Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Yojana and Nari Shakti Yojana, Modi added. (PTI)