In a special function held in the Central Hall on Sunday last, the two houses met to mark 60th anniversary of the Parliament. Country’s top leadership paid glowing tributes to the parliamentary form of Government ushered in on May 13, 1952 the first day on which the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had met. Down the history line 15 general elections have been held so far, and nearly 80 crore people were eligible to exercise their franchise in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. It is the people of the country whose participation in successive elections has given roots to democracy. In fact we owe all this to our constitution and this was the occasion also for paying respects to the framers of constitution. Sixty year-long march along the path has dispelled all doubts about the success of democracy in India Today our country is looked upon with respect and surprise as, in the word of the Speaker, “Parliament is the light pillar of democracy.” Earlier, speaking in the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar congratulated people on the occasion saying they deserved the real credit for success of democracy owing to their enthusiastic participation in elections. She said millions of people toil hard for their living and participate in the democratic process. “I bow to people of the country,” she said.
In six decades, a sea change has taken place in the Indian Parliament. When it opened six decades ago, it was a highly revered institution, packed with stalwarts who won freedom for India and where debates were of highest quality. As Parliament marked its 60th anniversary Sunday, analysts and even MPs admit that disorder has become the order of the day in both houses. A lot of other sweeping changes have taken place too. The first Lok Sabha, formed after the 1952 election, was dominated by the Congress and the towering presence of Jawaharlal Nehru, with the Communists being the main opposition. Today, while still heading the ruling coalition, the Congress is a much weakened political force, surviving on the support of not so loyal allies. The Communists are a pale shadow of their former self.
The percentage of MPs without secondary education — many gave up schooling for the independence struggle — was almost a quarter in 1952. It is now just three percent. Most MPs in the first house were lawyers by training. Now most are linked to agriculture, some say to mafias. There is a noticeable shift in the age profile too. In 1952, only 20 percent of MPs were 56 years or older. In 2009, when the last Lok Sabha election was held, this zoomed to 43 percent according to a PRS Legislative Research think-tank. The members of the first Lok Sabha included, in the treasury and opposition benches, besides Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Vallabhai Patel, B.R. Ambedkar, Abul Kalam Azad, A.K. Gopalan, Sucheta Kriplani, Jagjivan Ram, Sardar Hukam Singh, Asoka Mehta and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai.
Speeches, debates and interventions in the house were of a very high order. Even when they differed with their opponents, everyone maintained decorum.
Sixty years later, this has been the biggest casualty. Senior politicians fondly recall the days when disruptions were infrequent and ruckus, sloganeering and rancour were almost unheard of. Cabinet Minister Virbhadra Singh, who entered the Lok Sabha in 1962, told IANS: “Disruptions on small issues never happened earlier. Members strongly expressed their differences of opinion but there was hardly an occasion when Parliament was disrupted. Now this is the rule rather than the exception.”
Blaming factionalism for the Congress’s recent electoral setbacks, as Sonia Gandhi has done, can be regarded as a somewhat facile explanation, considering that internal rifts have been a part of the party’s genes dating back a century to the clashes between Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, between Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose and between Indira Gandhi and the so-called “syndicate”, represented by the old guard in the Congress at that time. Besides these confrontations between the heavyweights at the national level, there were innumerable relatively minor tiffs lower down the scale as between A.K. Antony and K. Karunakaran in Kerala. But it is necessary to remember that none of these seriously undermined the Congress. However, the Congress’ travails are all the more surprising because it is the only party which has been able to reorient its policies in sync with the changing times. Neither the Left nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its two main opponents, has been able to do so.
The comrades, for instance, remain stuck in the days of Soviet hegemony when anti-Americanism was the flavour of the day. They seem to take no cognisance of the fact of communism’s terminal decline.
Parliament and parliamentary democracy is India’s strength. It is the only hope of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-linguistic society. If the norms of healthy functioning of the Parliament are thrown to winds, we shall be spelling our disaster. We hope that younger generation entering the portals of Parliament will understand the need of functioning with a changed mindset.
Parliament turns 60
More probe by Defence Ministry
The Defence Minister is not satisfied with the report submitted by the Army about the Nyoma incident in which jawans and officers are reported to have clashed on a minor issue. But the report submitted by the Army is only “preliminary” in character and has not to be considered the final finding. But there are indications that the Defence Minister thinks there is more than what meets the eye because the rumour of Defence Ministry thinking of disbanding the unit concerned after enquiry is completed cannot be taken lightly. Defence Ministry has to be more sensitive to the security of our borders in a place like Nyoma, so close to the Chinese border. We cannot afford even the slightest lack of cohesion among the personnel of armed forces. More responsibility of manning the units devolves on the shoulders of the officers. The profile of Indian army as the world’s most disciplined army has to be maintained at all cost. The first impression one gets after going through this ugly incident is that the misunderstanding could have removed if the entire matter had been handled with care and caution.
Matthew Morrison thinks Cheryl Cole is beautiful
LONDON, May 14: ‘Glee’ star Matthew Morrison finds British singer Cheryl Cole beautiful.
Morrison, 33, met the 28-year-old ‘Fight for this Love’ hitmaker on the set of their new movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, reported Femalefirst.
“I am usually good with accents, but it did take me a second to understand Cheryl. It was actually really refreshing to meet her, because as someone who comes to London a lot, you can’t leave there without hearing about Cheryl Cole, she is everywhere,” Morrison said.
“So it was great to have a conversation with her as a human being and to get to know her. She was lovely… And so beautiful,” he added.
Morrison says he loves to party when he is in the UK.
“What is funny is that in America I am such a homebody. I love cooking and being at home and that is my ‘me’ time. But I have acquired this group of friends from all of my trips here, so when I come over to the UK, we will always go out and paint the town red. I love it. There is something about this place that makes you want to drink alcohol,” he said. (PTI)
‘Love Actually’ sequel in the making?
LONDON, May 14: Universal Pictures wants director- writer Richard Curtis to come up with a follow-up to hit 2003 romantic comedy “Love Actually”.
The film, which focused on different characters trying to find love, was a big hit at the box office and now Universal chief Eddie Cunningham is hoping to convince the film’s writer to pen a sequel.
“I think there should be a ‘Love Actually 2’. I’d give it a green light. I think many American movies try to emulate that brilliant format where the stories interweave and no one’s on screen for more than six minutes, but only Richard has achieved it. It really makes you appreciate the beauty of his writing,” Cunningham said.
“Love Actually” boasted an all-star cast, including Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. (PTI)
Will Smith fears over large ears while shooting in 3D
LONDON, May 14: Hollywood actor Will Smith, whose first 3D venture “Men In Black 3” is all set to hit theatres, says he worried over his large ears would take over the film.
Smith, 43, who reprises his role as Agent J in the forthcoming sequel, said that his biggest fear was that his already large features would be the main focal point of each scene, reported Contactmusic
“This is my first time making a movie in 3D, I was just happy my ears didn’t take over the whole frame. That was my big concern, that in 3D these things would be exponential!,” he said.
Smith and his co-stars Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones used a lot of ad-libbing when they worked together, and the actor said they spent time preparing what they wanted to say.
“We do spend a lot of time before we get on the set coming up with things. When we’re working a scene we will ad-lib the three or four days before we’re actually in a scene. Coming up with things, trying things, and we’ll have four or five different options of things we want to try.” (PTI)
Egypt brokers Palestinian hunger strike deal -source
GAZA, May 14: Egypt has brokered a deal aimed at ending a hunger strike of some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, a Palestinian source close to the negotiations said today.
“Egypt has concluded a deal to resolve the prisoner crisis that included Israel’s acceptance of prisoners’ demands in exchange for ending the hunger strike,” said the source, who is close to the talks in Cairo.
One in three of the 4,800 Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails began refusing food on April 17 in a protest against detention without trial and to demand improved conditions such as an increase in family visits and ending solitary confinement.
Egyptian mediators have been meeting Palestinian officials negotiating on behalf of the hunger strikers, and the source said an official announcement of the deal would be made after prisoners and Israeli authorities work out details on putting the accord into motion.
While Israel had signalled it was prepared to offer concessions on prison conditions, it has showed no willingness to end so-called administrative detention, where prisoners can be held indefinitely without charge or trial.
Israeli officials had no immediate comment.
(AGENCIES)
Lankan forces bust biggest-ever secret LTTE arms dump
COLOMBO, May 14: Two years after the decisive battle in which the Tamil Tigers were vanquished, Sri Lankan security forces made their biggest-ever haul recovering 6,250 kgs of hidden LTTE explosives.
The arms cache was busted in a joint search operation of Army and police in the former LTTE bastions of Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi districts yesterday.
The joint operation of the Army and police busted a big hidden arms dump at Iranamadu and Nanthikadal in the Kilinochchi district, where 6,250 kilos of C-4 explosives were found, police said.
The sandy Nanthikadal lagoon, was the site where the Tamil Tigers commanded by their supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran made their last stand.
Superintendent Ajith Rohana, the police spokesman said, “This is the largest ever quantity of explosives uncovered”.
He said the explosives were contained in 200 bags and hidden in a bunker used by the LTTE during their days of the military campaign.
Rohana said in the adjoining Mullaithivu district another 300 kgs of C-4 were uncovered in the Puthukudyiruppu area along with other weaponry.
Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu served as the LTTE’s administrative and military capitals respectively during their three-decades old campaign to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. (PTI)
NATO chief determined to move ahead with missile shield
WASHINGTON, May 14: NATO’s chief today expressed the Western alliance’s determination to move ahead with building an operational missile defense system, following what he called its first successful comprehensive test.
After a NATO summit in Chicago later this month, “we will continue to expand the system toward full operational capability,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote in an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal.
“The alliance has already developed an initial command-and-control system to link the US assets with sensors and interceptors provided by European allies,” Rasmussen pointed out.
“I expect more announcements in the months and years ahead.”
NATO leaders are hoping to declare the start of an “interim capability” for the missile shield at the summit in Chicago on May 20-21.
According to Rasmussen, this “interim capability” will provide the alliance with a limited but operationally meaningful and immediately available capability against a ballistic-missile threat.
“It is the first step, but a real step, toward providing full coverage for all NATO populations, territory and forces in Europe,” he wrote.
However, the alliance and Russia have failed to reach a compromise on the system, which Russia fears would thwart its nuclear deterrent despite NATO assurances that it is aimed at Iran and other threats.
Moscow has demanded legally-binding guarantees that the missile shield will not undermine its arsenal, but NATO refuses to enter into such an agreement and has instead offered political reassurances.
Ratcheting up the heat, Russia warned this month that it might have to deploy new missiles in Europe to potentially take out elements of the controversial shield.
Russian Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov said one option was for Russia to station short-range Iskander missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave near Poland. (AGENCIES)
Uighur leader Kadeer opens congress in Japan
TOKYO, May 14: Around 200 ethnic Uighurs from around the world gathered in Japan today for a five-day meeting to press their case for independence from China.
Many Uighurs complain that they are the victims of state-sanctioned persecution and marginalisation in their homeland in northwest China, aided by the migration of millions of Han Chinese into the territory.
The resulting ethnic tensions have led to sporadic flashes of violence in the Xinjiang region, which is home to nine million Uighurs.
The exiled head of the World Uyghur Congress, Rebiya Kadeer told those assembled that Beijing’s policy of “forcible assimilation” was unacceptable in a modern democracy.
“The Chinese government says it is assimilating and eventually eliminating the Uighur people and other indigenous people… Meanwhile China is becoming a global power,” she told the opening of the congress.
“We are peacefully struggling and hope the Chinese government will stop the repressing of Uighur people… And take political reforms to change their authoritarian rule.
“Chinese-style communism, Chinese-style human rights and Chinese-style democratisation is not up to date,” said Kadeer, who lives in exile in the United States.
“The only thing left to China… Is to embrace democracy and peace… And to stop the forcible assimilation of Uighurs and other peoples,” she said, a reference to ethnic Mongols and Tibetans who have their own independence struggles.
China considers the WUC a “splittist” organisation and has condemned Japan’s issuing of a visa for Kadeer, who last visited the country in 2009.
Kadeer said participants from more than 20 countries were at the meeting, which she said was being held in “the most democratic country in Asia”.
Lawmakers from the centre-right opposition Liberal Democratic Party were at the meeting, along with an Italian politician and US rights activists.
The gathering comes after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met his Chinese opposite number Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak in a summit that focused on economic ties and the response to North Korea. (AGENCIES)
Climbers try to reach jet’s black box in Indonesia
JAKARTA, May 14: Indonesian special forces traversed the sheer slope of a volcano today to try to reach the voice and flight data recorder of a new Russian-made passenger jet that crashed during a demonstration flight for potential buyers.
It is not clear what caused the Sukhoi Superjet-100 to roar into Mount Salak at 800 kph last week. All 45 people aboard are presumed dead, and helicopters have been ferrying the remains to Jakarta, the capital, for identification.
Search teams say they spotted what is believed to be the voice and flight data recorder, also known as the “black box,” peeking from wreckage at the bottom of a 500-meter ravine, said Tatang Kurniadi, who heads the National Transportation Safety Commission.
“We are really hoping they’ll reach it sometime today,” he said.
The Superjet Russia’s first new model of passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago was in Indonesia as part of a six-nation Asian tour aimed at getting new customers.
It was making its second demonstration flight of the day when the crew sought permission to drop from 3,000 meters to 1,800 meters just 12 minutes after takeoff.
They gave no explanation and disappeared from the radar immediately afterward.
Investigators and aviation experts have many questions. One is why the pilot and co-pilot asked to descend so close to a jagged mountain range that is notoriously dangerous, with six smaller plane crashes in the last decade.
Satellite imagery indicates heavy rain and dense clouds covered the peak at the time of the crash.
Even so, such planes are almost always fitted with ground proximity warning systems, which display the positions and heights of obstructions, natural and man-made, on a screen in the cockpit.
That should have greatly reduced the chances for such an accident.
“Perhaps the system was not installed, or for some reason was not turned on,” said Patrick Smith, an American airline pilot and aviation author. “On the other hand, at this juncture, we have no idea what was going on up there. It’s too early to try and pinpoint a cause.”
The emergency locater, which should have transmitted signals on various radio frequencies when it slammed into the cliff Wednesday, also did not work. That slowed efforts to locate the shattered wreckage.(AGENCIES)