Indian men succumb easily to powerful women, says book

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Indian men do not seem to feel embarrassed or resentful falling at the feet of powerful women but they can be both clumsy and aggressive with most women who clamour for equality or appear vulnerable and dependent, says a new book.

When it comes to the powerful women in Indian politics, they have made their place under the sun after coming out of male domination, says the book "Zealous Reformers, Deadly laws" by Madhu Purnima Kishwar, a women’s right activist.

The book, a collection of Kishwar’s writings tries to explore the reason women’s rights laws in India end up producing such dismal results. It tries to provide practical solutions to some anti-women practices.

The most powerful women politicians of India share the common characteristics of cunning and extraordinary resilience says the recently launched book.

Madhu Kishwar in her book takes a long and hard look at the four dominant women politicians- Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati, Jayalalitha and Mamta Banerjee.

"The mesmeric power these women exercise over our political life provides us with interesting insights into the Indian male psyche", Kishwar, senior Fellow at Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDC) says.

While Indian men have made it fairly difficult for ordinary women to feel comfortable as equal participants in the political domain, they tend to succumb easily to the demands of women who are are courageous, fearless and hard to browbeat, she adds.

Kishwar points out that "in other parts of the world, women who fortuitously find themselves in positions of power and who possess or demonstrate extraordinary strength tend nevertheless to be ridiculed and treated like aberrations. In India, the response is the opposite. Such women find greater acceptance than ordinary women."

"This is a variation of our family scene wherein many men find it hard deal with wives demanding equality. But the very same man has no difficulty in accepting his mother as an authority figure before whom he must show unconditional deference and respect, even a wife who begins to assume matriarchal authority."

"One common characteristic that Mamata, Jayalalitha, Mayawati, and to some lesser extent Sonia Gandhi share with each other is that they act as though no one could get away with trying to intimidate them. They have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and cunning in the face of heavy odds," the book says.

On Mamata Banerjee whom she discusses under heading ‘Furious Mamata’ Kishwar says "She is the first women to have successfully found and lead her own party ( Trinmool Congress)...Even before the fall of the BJP Government, if Mamata sneezed Vajpayee got a cold."

About Jayalalitha whom she calls ‘Vindictive Amma’ Kishwar says, " She commands even more fear and exacts even more grovelling obedience from her party members than did Indira Gandhi from hers...She is deified by her followers as Mother Mary, Shakti and even Bharat Mata."

"At the same time her vindictiveness is frightening. During her reign as Chief Minister, there were numerous assault on those who dared to stand up to her. The victims included journalists and lawyers, the book says.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati , Kishwar adds "comes from a poor Dalit family and possesses a law degree."

But the arrogance and disdain she displays for her fellow caste mates surpasses her treatment of most upper caste people..

Kishwar says that all these powerful women have made their place under the sun after coming out of male domination.

She explains, It is not a coincidence that all these four women under discussion are single or widowed. As long as Sonia Gandhi acted the role of mere wife, nobody in India paid much attention to her... Similarly, as long as Jayalalitha was with MGR , she was merely tolerated for his sake. She was neither respected nor feared."

"Mamata has chosen to remain unmarried and in her single minded pursuit of power has not allowed herself the luxury of a significant personal life or relationship.

Mayawati has also remained unmarried. Within a short time she has projected herself as someone playing her own power games rather then acting as mere rubber stamp or puppet in Kanshi Ram’s hands", quotes the book. (PTI)

Global warming affecting Indian coastline

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Global warming has started affecting the Indian coastline with statistics suggesting a rising trend of 2.5 mm/year in the sea level in the region.

"The Government is aware of the implication of the sea level rise due to projected climate change," Namo Narain Meena, Minister of state for Environment and Forests told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

"Observations recorded by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)/department of Space (DOS) on the mean sea level along the Indian coast show a long-term rising trend of about 1 mm/year," he said.

A high-level coordination committee, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been set up for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change while the National Environment Policy 2006 addresses the issue of global warming, the minister said.

An "expert committee on impacts of climate change" was set up in May last year to study the impact of anthropogenic climate change on India and to identify the measures that may be needed to address its vulnerability, he said. (PTI)

SC issues notice to Coca-Cola on harrassment charges

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The Supreme Court has sought a reply from soft drinks giant Coca-Cola on a petition filed by a former employee alleging harassment and gender discrimination by her seniors.

A bench headed by Justice B N Agarwal issued notice to the US-based Coca-Cola Company and its Indian subsidiary Coca-Cola India on a petition filed by one Payal Chawla Singh, who was working as assistant legal counsel in the company.

Chawla alleged that she was harassed at workplace by her seniors during her pregnancy, deliberately downgrading her performance without any reason and favouring her male colleagues and ultimately coercing her to leave her job.

"The applicant during her employment with the respondents (Coca-Cola India) was grossly discriminated against on account of her gender, harassed, retaliated against for making a complaint and was coerced into leaving her gainful employment with the respondents and further she has been even pursued at her new workplace maliciously forcing the applicant to resign again," the petition filed through counsel Vikas Mehta stated.

Through her counsel, Chawla had sought appointment of a sole arbitrator to adjudicate claims and damages as per the new solutions programme, under company policy. She has also sought unconditional apology from the company.

According to her, the company’s contention that the arbitration agreement was only confined to the US company and not to the Indian subsidiary was baseless and misconceived.

Payal in her petition contended that she was employed by Coca-Cola India in October 1995 as assistant legal counsel and remained in its employment till July 2004.

She stated that the problems started in 1999 after she disclosed about her pregnancy and claimed that stress at the workplace caused ‘pre-eclampsia’, a serious pregnancy condition. (PTI)

Largescale protests by Tibetans; around 60 detained

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Tibetan refugees held largescale demonstrations in the capital today to coincide with the Olympic flame run, including taking out a parallel torch relay to protest against alleged Chinese atrocities in Tibet.

Around 60 Tibetans were detained in various parts of the capital, which was turned into a fortress for the event, with thousands of policemen keeping a hawk-eye vigil to prevent any attempts by the protesters to disrupt it.

Hundreds of Tibetans took out a parallel torch relay run from Rajghat, the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, to Jantar Mantar, which has been the epicentre of Tibetan protests over the past several days.

The torch was lit at Rajghat after an inter-religion prayer meeting and the large number of Tibetans, who had assembled there took a pledge to ensure that the torch, which "signified the freedom of Tibet and humanity", keeps on burning.

The protesters, who took part in the rally, carried Tibetan flags, placards and banners with messages such as "Azad Tibet, Surakshit Bharat" and "Free Tibet".

Among the participants in the rally were a large number of monks attired in traditional red robes, women and children besides prominent personalities like George Fernandes, Khiren Rijju, Ramdas Athavale, Jaya Jaitley, Kirti Azad, Swami Agnivesh and Nafisa Ali.

"The official relay has little spirit of Olympics as it is being organised under extreme security. So we decided to live up to the original spirit of Olympics and organised a parallel run," Tseten Norbu, spokesperson of Tibetan Solidarity Committee, organising the protests here, said.

Several Tibetans were detained in the vicinity of the venue of the Beijing Olympic torch run, including two from outside the Le Meridien Hotel where the flame had reportedly been kept.

A dozen Tibetans were picked up from near India Gate, the culmination point of the torch run, as they attempted to hold protests there.

Earlier, Tibetan refugees greeted the Olympic torch here with wee-hour protests and about 40 of them were detained from near Le Meridien and Dhaula Kuan in the early hours after they blocked roads and staged protests against China.

Meanwhile, as the parallel torch run by the Tibetans neared Jantar Mantar, a constable snatched a battery-operated torch carried by former president of Samata Party Jaya Jaitley apparently thinking that it could lead to trouble.

However, the protesters challenged the constable and reclaimed the battery torch.

Jaitley said she was carrying the battery torch as she thought that police might take away the flame they were carrying.

At Jantar Mantar, several Tibetan groups such as ‘Tibet Freedom Movement’ and ‘Tibetan Youth Congress’ and panchayat members from the Tibetan settlements in different parts of the country have been camping for several days.

The protesters have set up a symbolic Tibetan monastery there and they held prayers in memory of those killed in the anti-China protests in Lhasa which broke out on March ten.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at Chinese Embassy in Chanakyapuri, where a number of protests have taken place recently.

The roads have been barricaded and security personnel were keeping a tight vigil. (PTI)

Bill for afforestation to be introduced in Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: A bill for promoting forest- related activities will be introduced during the current Parliament session, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

"The note on Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Bill and Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) for promoting activities relating to afforestation through Green India has been approved by the Government," Environment Minister for State S Raghupathy said.

The authority will initially provide about Rs 3,000 crore followed by Rs 1,000 crore per year for four years to part finance afforestation of six million hectares of degraded forest land in two phases in the country under Green India Programme, he said in a written reply.

Replying to another question, Ragupathy said so far, about 7,347 crore has been collected by the Ad-hoc authority.

"As the ad-hoc authority has not been authorised by the Supreme Court to release any funds to the states and union territories, nothing has been spent out of the fund so far," he said.

The Government is collecting funds from the state and union territories towards compensatory afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, catchment area treatment plan while diverting the forest land for non-forestry purpose under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, he added. (PTI)

Jackie Shroff moves Kerala High Court

KOCHI, Apr 17: Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court seeking to quash a cheque bouncing case pending against him in a lower court in Thrissur.

Shroff has stated in his petition, filed yesterday, the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Kodungalloor in Thrissur district had no territorial jurisdiction to consider the complaints filed against him in the case.

He stated due to certain business transactions between his wife and the first complainant Bijay Chokani of Mumbai, seven cheques were issued to the latter.

Shroff alleged that Chokani, to harass him, issued a power of attorney to the second complainant, V K Mathew of Thrissur.

Mathew opened an account at the Catholic Syrian Bank’s Perinnanam branch in Thrissur and presented the seven cheques.

The cheques were returned for lack of funds and Shroff got notices demanding the amount mentioned in the cheques. Since the money was not paid, the power of attorney holder filed a case.

Shroff alleged the complainant’s intention was to create unnecessary media hype by compelling him to come to Kerala as an accused and tarnish his image.

This is the seventh Criminal Miscellaneous case filed by Shroff.

The High Court had earlier stayed proceedings pending before the lower court in six other cases and referred them to a division bench to consider the question of maintainablity of complaints filed by the power of attorney holder of the payee of cheques under Sect 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Vacation Judge Justice M Shashidharan Nambiar posted the actor’s petition to April 29. (PTI)

Price rise a ticking time bomb: Jaswant Singh

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Terming price rise a "ticking time bomb" that would explode in the face of the Government, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh today accused the UPA of "utter mismanagement" of supply side for the runaway inflation, which was "unforgiveable" for a Government in its fourth year.

"Inflation generates in its wake not only price rise but also a sense of instability and a rudderless governance that is extremely damaging to the entire national psyche," Mr Singh said, while participating in a short duration discussion on the issue.

Dismissing the contention of Finance Minister P Chidambaram that inflation was a global phenomenon that had been imported in India, he said it was based on a flawed reasoning.

"The US is the highest importer but it is suffering inflation not more than three per cent," he said, adding that the Government must come out with a convincing explanation as to why inflation spiralled to 7.4 per cent in barely six weeks after the presentation of the budget in Parliament in February.

Mr Singh said inflation was not only beacuse of mismanagement of supply side but also of demand pull factor.

"Inflation is not so much a monetary problem...We have created a climate in the country that draws a staggering return of 75 per cent for investments from the US in India, resulting in a gross oversupply of money."

Lacing his nearly 50-minute speech with anecdotes, acerbic wit and sarcasm, Mr Singh also slammed the Government for its policy on Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which had triggered discontent among the farming community.

"The NDA Government had initiated the SEZ policy to promote exports. We had decided that SEZs would be set up mostly in coastal India without affecting agricultural land.

"But the UPA Government has indulged in an orgy of SEZ expansion, which is unacceptable," he said.

Arguing that agriculture in India was not only a source of livelihood but also a lifestyle, he said any shift in land use would be a disaster.

"Agriculture in India is fundamentally cultural...Our society, culture, festivals and folk music are based on it," he added.

Mr Singh, who was the Finance Minister in the previous NDA Government, candidly admitted that the BJP-led regime also could not succeed with the problem of double taxation and spurt in subsidies.

In an apparent reference to foreign investments in India from Mauritius, he said the NDA Government had to deal with the problem of double taxation, and "we could not succeed."

He, however, noted that things were still manageable when the NDA made way for the UPA in 2004.

He said even in February this year, inflation was manageable at a rate of 4 per cent and wondered what went wrong during the next six weeks, resulting in its spiralling to 7.4 per cent.

With regard to the subsidies, he said the fertiliser subsidy had gone up from Rs 33,000 crore to Rs 1,05,000 crore while those of food and petroleum products were now pegged at Rs 58,000 crore and Rs 2,53,000 crore respectively.

"This is a fiscal overhand, an exploding timebomb...The Pay Commission bills are yet to come...It is a fiscal trap," he observed.

Mr Singh said it was a known fact that subsidies had not benefited the farmers and the real beneficiaries were traders.

The rise in prices of wheat, pulses, rice and vegetables had hit the common man hard and all the attempts of the Government to justify it would be futile.

He also warned the Government against its reported move to control the cement and steel prices, saying the regime of control would drive the commodities underground and lead to blackmarketing.

"The problem is that there are far too many economists in the UPA Government and the results are there for everyone to see," he quipped. (UNI)

BJP would intensify stir against inflation: Naidu

VIJAYAWADA, Apr 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would launch another phase of stir on inflation if the government fails to contain it before the completion of the ongoing session of Parliament, party vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu said.

"The present UPA Government has proved to be incompetent as it did not have foresight on how to contain inflation," Naidu said while talking to media here.

He said the Centre was taking excuse that the present price rise was global phenomenon. It did not take preventive measures despite opposition parties warning the Government time and again.

Naidu said the Government’s assurance to allot Rs 25,000 crore for agriculture sector development was still a non-starter.

He said the Left parties just "threaten to withdraw" support to the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre but their threats never translate into action.

Referring to the Andhra Pradesh Government’s scheme to provide Rice at Rs 2 a kg to poor, he said though it was an innovative step, it should have been implemented much earlier. (PTI)

PETA asks about action taken to save tuskers

MUMBAI, Apr 17: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (PETA) India has filed a RTI request with the Ministry of Railways asking the ministry about action taken to protect elephants killed in train accidents, PETA said.

"On the eve of the 150^{th year of India Railways Atal Bihari Vajpayee the then Prime Minister of India released Bholu, the elephant, as the mascot of railways. Ironically, the Indian Railways has become the reason for deaths of many of Bholu’s real life friends in the wild. The ministry must take action to protect them," PETA India’s Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney said.}

^{According to a PETA release, earlier in February this year, PETA had written to Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Minister of Railways urging him to take action to save Indian Railways mascot elephant Bholu’s real life friends in the wild.}

^{Elephant herds migrate long distances in search of food, and this allows the vegetation to regenerate after the herd passes through an area. The matriarch leading the herd follows traditional migration routes, which may have been in use for centuries.}

^{The presence of railways in protected areas around the country has caused death of wild elephants through accidents. Sadly, no suitable steps have been taken to protect these elephants from criminal harm, PETA added. (PTI)}

Punjab, Haryana could face more impact
of global warming: Govt

NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The Government today warned that Punjab and Haryana could face greater impact of any climate change which could in turn adversely affect wheat and rice production in the country.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, while replying to a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on price rise, said that during the past two years there had been considerable changes in climate conditions which was manifest in fewer number of floods in various flood prone states.

"It looks like that the areas to be affected more will be Punjab an Haryana and if these two states face the impact, it will affect wheat and rice production," he said.

Following the revelation, the Government had called a meeting of agricultural scientists and experts and taken some steps.

The Minister, however, sought to allay fears of food shortages in the country saying that during the past two years, the foodstock situation had improved.

He said the Food an Agricultural Organisation (FAO) had warned of growing food shortages in the world. However, India had enough stocks.

He said wheat prices had increased throughout the world mainly because of past two years drought in Australia, which is the main wheat exporter, and US decision of producing bio-fuels from foodgrains.

India too was producing bio-fuels but not from foodgrains. It was producing bio-fuel from waste.

"Government of India has taken a conscious decision to convert biofuels from waste and not use foodgrains."

The Minister said wheat and rice production in the country which had registered a decline in 2003-2004, had shown an increase during the past three years.

This (the shortage of foodgrains) was bound to increase prices, he added. (UNI)

TDP, Left parties stage dharna on price rise issue

HYDERABAD, Apr 17: The Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI(M) leaders and cadres today participated in a dharna, organised jointly at all district headquarters in protest against the Government’s failure in controlling the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

Participating in the dharna at Indira Park, TDP President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the Union and State Governments had completely failed to control the prices of necessary goods by encouraging black marketing since the Congress came to power.

Demanding that the Centre take immediate steps to check the price rise, he said the TDP, along with like-minded parties, would continue the struggle in the State until the prices came down.

Stating that the Left parties were raising the issue inside and outside Parliament since the Congress-led UPA assumed charge, CPI(M) State Secretary B V Raghavulu said the comman man was not able to spend hard earned money on food due to price rise.

Senior CPI leader and MLC P Nageswara Rao said the vegetables, edible oil and pulses have become dear to the poor and common man after the Government failed to control inflation in the country. (UNI)

BJP not to form Govt if Left withdraws support to Centre

VIJAYAWADA, Apr 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said it would not form Government at the Centre if the Left parties withdrew support to the Congress-led UPA Government on the price rise issue.

"There is a feeling in the minds of Left party leaders that the BJP would come to power if the Left parties withdrew support on any particular issue concerning the people of the country," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said at a press conference here.

He said the Left parties should ask the Centre to either control the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities or withdraw support so that both the parties could go to people and seek a fresh mandate.

Criticising the Left parties’ two-day nation-wide agitation from today on price rise issue, he said the stirs by the Left parties were ‘meaningless’ as it was supporting the Centre. "You have the right to question the Government on the issue and if they do not pay heed to what you say, then withdraw support," he remarked.

Mr Naidu warned the UPA Government that the BJP would launch the second phase of country-wide agitation against price rise after the end of the current Parliament session if the Centre failed to control the prices of essential commodities by then.

He alleged that the increase in prices of commodities was due to the UPA Government’s lack of foresight, insensitivity, incompetence and non-performance. During the last three years, foodgrains production had totally declined, he added.

Mr Naidu said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in 2005 given a solemn assurance to double the production of foodgrains to 420 million tonnes from 200 million tonnes by 2015. But till today, it had been a non-starter and the same was the case with fixing target to raise the production of vegetables to 300 million tonnes.

The Prime Minister had also assured to provide Rs 25,000 crore for the farm sector to increase its production and productivity, which had also taken a backseat, he said.

Mr Naidu said the BJP was not satisfied with the slew of measures announced by the Centre in the Lok Sabha yesterday, which included Rs 15 a litre subsidy for edible oil.

Recalling the hue and cry made by the Congress when the onion prices skyrocketed during the previous BJP-led NDA Government, he said the Congress had gained in the Delhi Assembly elections with it.

The Centre had also failed to control the alarming rise in the prices of steel and cement, he added. (UNI)