Beginning from 1930’s, scores of writers, poets and littérateurs have played a seminal role in development of Dogri as a modern language. Thanks to their hard work that today’s Dogri while being a successful medium of continuum for the age-old civilizational and cultural values is also reflecting upon as well as assimilating the ongoing interface between tradition and modernity along with ever expanding world of contemporary sensibilities.
In the role of honor of Dogra creative individuals who single-mindedly worked for the progress of their mother tongue, the name of recently deceased Prof Madan Mohan Sharma would always shine like ..……more
Life is a big test in reality and same is the qualifying examination of any kind to its aspirant. Desired career related educational course choice execution has really become competitive for any aspirant due to ever increasing number of applicants for any stream or course. Therefore, in order to excel, one has to be good enough not only in terms of educational merit but has to be well prepared for related competitive examinations, group discussions and interviews Mushrooming coaching centers in every nook and corner of the country are cashing on this need of students. In this regard, internet era can be a boon for each one of us in general and for students in particular not only regarding information sharing but also in terms of mock tests. . .. .……..more
Football World Cup since its debut in 1930 has emerged as the greatest show on earth capturing the imagination and passion of humanity in general. Kushal Chakraborty time travels to recall the many interesting vignettes of the pulsating competition
When Henri Delaney, the secretary of French football association, put his proposal about having a ‘world cup’ to then FIFA president Jules Rimet no one dreamt about the success of the idea. The tournament, since its debut in 1930, has emerged as the greatest show on earth capturing the imagination and passion of humanity in general. It became a tournament that beat the boundaries of culture, religion and languages across the world. The World Cup came to symbolise the ultimate battle of nerves and tactics when the best practitioners of the game come facing each other once every four years.
In 1982, when the World Cup arrived in Spain, South Africa, a nation stricken with apartheid, did not show a single match live on television. The reason was quite obvious; during that time soccer was popular among the blacks while the whites played rugby. Hence, there was no serious effort from the country’s administration to arrange for the live broadcast of the World Cup matches. Soccer came to symbolize the black man’s struggle against apartheid and a nation that once shunned football is now organising the first World Cup in African continent. It took only 28 years to change all that. It was the intense passion for the sport that made the country, still beleaguered with social and economic problems, overcome all obstacles to keep its date with the biggest show on earth. Come June 11, 2010 South Africa’s name will be blazing like the sun in the history of world football.
As World Cup brings together the mightiest footballing nations in a battle royale, the clashes are interwoven with interesting tales of action, emotion and bizarre characters, who make the game even more interesting.
In 1978 World Cup, Peru’s goalkeeper became much talked about for his unorthodox ways. That was Argentine-born Ramon Quiroga, who was nicknamed El Loco (meaning ‘the lunatic’) for his strange idiosyncrasies. When Peru was routed 6-0 by Argentina in the last match of their group league, which helped the latter reach the next round Brazil alleged that Quiroga has played for his original motherland. But Quiroga remained unperturbed and continued to keep firm faith in his own style of football. He never believed in staying put under the goalpost. He would often venture out of his charge and go deep into the opposition territory keeping the goal untended. When he was around in the goal area he would often be seen chatting with the photographers or camera crew standing behind the goal. For him it was a technique of killing boredom.
On being diagnosed with a breast cancer, the only option that women had many years ago was to undergo a mastectomy and axillary clearance. This involves removal of the entire breast and the lymph glands from the armpit. Having such an operation has serious physical and emotional reprucussions for the patient. Removal of a breast leaves the woman with a flat chest and leads to loss of body form and low self esteem. Although there are plastic surgical procedures which allow a new breast to be created, these are complicated procedures and the reconstructed breast will never match the original breast. Moreover, most of the women would not be offered this as a choice. .…….more
Regional Organizations have been considered as one of the most apt means to normalize the relations among the regional partners and to channelize the cooperative gestures into the right tract besides a sense of security among the members. SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) was formed in 1985 to promote the economic relations and equations among the South Asian countries. Originally, there were seven founder members of SAARC- India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives. Its strength has risen to 8 after the inclusion of Afghanistan as its new member.
Its over 26 years now since its formation but when compared with the other regional organizations like European Union, ASEAN etc on the success meter, SAARC is far behind in conflict- resolution, intra- regional trade etc as SAARC has not been able to grow as a successful regional organization. There are many factors which are retarding its success ratio. Firstly, there is a fear- psychosis among the members of SAARC viz-a-viz India due to her extraordinary achievements in all the spheres like- economic growth rate, military strength, technological advancement, nuclear strength, pluralistic- secular fabric of the society, democratic traditions so on and so forth. The countries especially Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh are not very much comfortable with the rise of India as one of the fastest growing powers to be reckoned with. These countries are dwarfed by the ‘Indo-centricity’ of the region.
Secondly, its unfortunate but true that the success of SAARC has remained a prisoner of the Indo- Pak rivalry. Pakistan is insecure and feares of Indian dominance not only in this region but also in the whole world. Pakistan feels suffocated of anything and everything dominated by India. However, some of these fears are real but most of them are pre- emptive and psychologically created. Thirdly, there is a crisis of identity among the member countries. All the members prefer to be get aligned to one or other regional organizations than identifying themselves with SAARC. For instance, Pakistan and Bangladesh are more inclined the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) and feel more secured and comfortable to be a part of ‘Muslim- solidarity regime’. Likewise, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India are more concerned to identify themselves as the members of ASEAN and East Asia.
Fourthly, there are inherent shortcomings in the working of SAARC as it is written down in its charter that no bi- lateral and conflictual issues would be discussed at its platform. Besides this, the method of taking decisions is also faulted as it is based on consensus of all the members hence, many issues remained unresolved till date. Fifthly, the security and political deviations among the members always over- shadowed the prospects of economic and socio- cultural convergences. The various conflictual issues among the members are operating as a stumbling bloc in the way of their cooperation and normalization. Each member of SAARC is having diverse security threat perception as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka consider India as the biggest threat to their security. On the other hand, India consider the growing influence and interference of outside powers like USA and China into this region as the biggest threat to her security. But, all the member states fail to articulate their common threat perceptions like poverty, unemployment, terrorism, environmental degradation etc.
Sixthly, there is a failure on the part of the civil society of the South Asian region. Although there are over one lac NGO’s operating in this region but these have remained non- effective in nature. The civil society and society- central model needs the will of the state to operate effectively but unfortunately it is still operating in the state- centric model which has limited its utility and credibility. Lastly, there is a big failure on the part of the leadership because it has failed to articulate and operationalize the process of regional cooperation. They only meet at the SAARC summits, issue formal speeches but failed to articulate and channelize the peace process into the right track.
It can be stated that SAARC has not been able to achieve the aim of being a successful regional organization rather it has remained largely dysfunctional. But still there is a ray of hope for SAARC for becoming a successful regional organization. Firstly, SAARC would get the maximum dividends from the Indo- Pak peace process and CBM’s. The need of the time is to address the complicated issues between both the countries in order to make SAARC a success in the real sense of the term.
Secondly, India should address the genuine concerns of the SAARC members. India being the leading country of the region should try to address the power differential of the region in order to gain the trust of the SAARC members. Infact India has taken some steps to lessen the power differential by solving the contentious issues of Kachathivu with Sri Lanka and of Teen Bigha with Bangladesh and by adopting the Gujral Doctrine in 1997 for increasing the trust- surplus and for accommodating the concerns of the SAARC members.
Thirdly, the SAARC charter needs to be amended. The bi-lateral conflictual issues should be discussed at the SAARC platform because only an effective dispute- redress mechanism could help in shrinking the areas of conflict and expanding the areas of trust and cooperation. Further, the operational principle of consensus voting should be replaced by extra-ordinary majority (i.e. ¾ majority).
Fourthly, the SAARC members should change their security perceptions and move on from the conventional threats to non- conventional threats which are more threatening to the existence of these SAARC members. There are crisis of governability, threats of terrorism, poverty, unemployment, economic slowdown, environmental threats, decreasing sex- ratio, corruption etc. the SAARC members should try to counter these non- conventional threats collectively from the platform of SAARC.
To conclude, it can be stated that if EU, ASEAN could become successful organizations then why not SAARC? If SAARC members initiate some sincere efforts to make SAARC a strong dispute- redress mechanism, it can become a very successful regional organization. The need of the time is that SAARC should come out of the ‘state- centric model’ and to change the negative mindsets of the SAARC members.
(The writer is PhD scholar in the Department of Political Science, University of Jammu and also working as lecturer.)
Trade unions have risen like the Phoenix. In recent history never has an all-India strike been as successful as it was on February 28. Trade unions owing allegiance to various political parties, the Congress, the Left and the Sangh joined hands.
Eleven central trade unions — BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF, SEWA — backed the strike call, supported by 5000 trade union units, posing a major challenge to the Central government, which had asked the unionists to call off the show of strength.
“This is a historic occasion. For the first time all the big trade unions have come together to protest the anti-labour polices of the Government,” stated General Secretaries of the Bharaitya Mazdoor Sangh BN Roy and All India Trade Union Congress’s Gurudas Dasgupta.
Employees of all sectors banking, insurance, road transport, coal, defence, port & docks, steel and many State governments joined the strike. Spectacularly the casual workers of the unorganised sector participated even in rural areas including those in Aasha and Anaganwadis. Additionally, for the first time the strike was total in nothern easter States of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, which have remained away from the mainstream.
The successful strike, joined by millions across the nation testifies that the workers are once again uniting against an oppressive system and unresponsive regime. At the same time, Governments in many States unleashed repressive measures. Delhi’s Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit imposed provisions of ESMA to thwart the strike and also arrested 200 workers. The Haryana police arrested State Road Transport workers at Bhiwani. In Jammu and Kashmir, there were lathicharges and 2000 arrests. In Chhattisgarh, security men of a large private group beat up workers, whereas union activists were arrested in Pondicherry.
The unions’ demands include a national minimum wage, permanent jobs for 50 million contract labourers, end to contract labour, increase the gratuity payout and compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days, more government efforts to rein in the rising cost of living, and an end to the sale of stakes in profitable public sector companies. The charter of demand called upon the Government and all political parties to take stock of the situation and not view the strike as retrograde. Unfortunately trade unionism, of late, is being viewed as anti-industry and anti-investment, which it clearly isn’t.
On its part, the industry has tried to project that thousands of crore of rupees were lost in the one-day strike, which is not the case. While industries have lost little, the workers have lost a day’s wages amounting to at least Rs 10,000 crore. Besides, the industrialist gained from the savings on various expenses including energy consumption.
However, the strike calls for introspection. Why should the workers willingly lose a day’s wages? They would not do so unless driven to the wall. Inflation, poor quality of jobs and the culture of hire and fire have forced them to strike. Sadly, inclusive growth has become a mere slogan of the Government. Corporate reserves and profits have grown manifold even as public sector bank deposits have become critical and workers marginalised. How can the nation progress if its 60 crore workforce is kept out of the growth process?
Indeed, this is the reality. If the nation’s growth is stunted losing pace every day, it is because the workers have become victims of high inflation, exploitation, low wages, insecurity and are being deprived of sheer purchasing power.
A nation that ignores its workers is destined to lose the growth steam. India has definitely lost that in all sectors, be it infrastructure, core sector, banking or now even the services. The deprived workers troubled by high inflation and low wages are not contributing to the country’s growth.
This apart, the obsession with foreign direct investment (FDI) does not add to growth unless there is consumption. And the workers need to be enabled to consume. This is not happening as the industrialists are smart. They are sitting quiet over their large deposits because they are aware of the fact that their gain is the nation’s loss! Saving on wages both by the Government and industry has led the nation to the most difficult situation. The recession in the West is only partially responsible for it. If a nation ignores its most important capital, people, then it is bound to get mired into a crisis against its wishes.
Take the case of implementation of minimum wages. This is a prerogative of the State governments, but many don’t even have it, forcing the workers in many cases to do without basic survival wages. Likewise, both the industry and the Government often call for labour reforms, but these boil down to further curtailment of their rights and comforts and a regime of hire and fire.
The employers virtually have usurped illegally the right to deny Provident Fund, Gratuity and wage dues. They lay off employees and declare lock outs at will without the requisite statutory permission. Worse, officials of Government ignore the industry lobbyists’ misdeeds and the labour department rarely implements the laws except when it can extort. Hence, trade unionists have rightly called the strike a wake-up call for the Government.
Since 1991, the era of liberalisation has seen massive job cuts, poor quality employment, large deprivation and workers’ families being reduced to below poverty level. It was hoped that after the 2007 Lehman bankruptcy, the Government would at least take drastic action to lead the corporates to follow the correct path. This hasn’t happened. Rather they were rewarded with sops that they didn’t need and only fattening their coffers further.
The February 28 strike is not the end but the beginning of a new era of vibrant trade unionism. European nations like Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, are today seeing a severe backlash from the working class. In the US this class is leading the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. These are loud signals for the Centre and it must act in favour of the working class. The nation needs reforms but not what was planned by Manmohan Singh when he was Finance Minister. Those reforms were neither pro-industry nor pro-worker but pro-corporate.
Today, Singh as Prime Minister expresses concern as the growth pace is slowing down. But if it is genuine then he needs to heed to the strike call and usher in programmes that would create jobs and ensure workers’ happiness. If he fails to listen, whatever growth so far would be a thing of the past and may even slide back to the historic Nehruvian Hindu rate of growth of two per cent! If Singh wants the nation to survive, he must as the first step, accept the demands of the 11 trade unions, it’s the basic minimum.
Growth without happiness is a misnomer. Workers have started uniting and this is the biggest hope. Indeed, they are the biggest stakeholders and could usher in the most necessary change. With their participation, growth could eventually become inclusive. Are the policy planners listening? INFA
Is the Pakistani establishment planning to shelve the Kashmir issue “temporarily”? Perhaps yes if latest developments are any indication. For instance, Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi, Shahid Malik has handed over an invite from foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to hardliner Hurriyat leader Ali Shah Geelani and the Hurriyat’s moderate wing head Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for talks. Pakistan reportedly wants to discuss with them its changed perception on the Kashmir issue which apparently it wants to put on the backburner “for the time being”. New Delhi has indicated Geelani would be issued a passport if he applies for one.
The development assumes significance in the backdrop of the resumption of backchannel contacts between India and Pakistan for resuming the suspended process of talks for normalization of relations which obviously also implies finding a solution of the Kashmir problem.
A beginning in this context was made at the last week’s meeting between the Commerce Ministers of the two countries when Pakistan decided to liberalise trade with India despite persistent opposition from hardliners and industrialists. Islamabad decided to open its market to all exports from India except for a drastically scaled down negative list of 1,200 items. By the end of 2012, Pakistan has indicated it would grant most-favoured nation (MFN) status to India.
It will not be the first time that the two countries would be making efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue through negotiations. Two attempts had also been made earlier. The first was in 1999 when in their Lahore meeting Atal Behari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif reached an understanding on the Kashmir issue. It failed due to Musharraf’s Kargil misadventure. The second made by Manmohan Singh and Musharraf which had also finalized broad modalities of settlement was foiled by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist actions in India and sidelining of Musharraf after the elected civilian government took over.
The latest change in Pakistani establishment’s attitude from “hard” to “conciliatory” on the Kashmir issue has taken place for a number of reasons. It must have by now realized that Kashmir cannot be annexed by overt or covert armed confrontation with India and can also no longer be used to divert the Pakistani people’s attention from the country’s internal problems. Secondly, Pakistan may have also concluded that with referendum demand becoming obsolete and redundant, separatists successive boycott of elections has knocked the logic out of their claims of being the real representatives of Kashmir. Hence, Islamabad may ask them to participate in future Assembly elections in Kashmir.
Apart from above factors, Pakistan’s multiplying security, governance and political problems have also contributed to Islamabad’s changed stance. There is political instability in Pakistan. Tensions between the civilian establishment and the Supreme Court have grown to seemingly unmanageable level. The memogate controversy has widened the wedge between the Army and the ruling elite.
On the political front, the cricketer-turned-political celebrity Imran Khan is riding a wave of popular support for his party Tehreek-e-Insaf. Using the platform of corruption and reducing the American footprint in Pakistan, he has become a politically potential threat to the contemporary rulers.
More serious is the escalating terrorist activities which have worsened the country’s security environment. Created by the US and Pakistan’s Intelligences CIA and ISI, in the eighties against the Soviets, the jihadis and Talibans have now become Frankenstein for the two countries. Their armed operatives have been killing hundreds of soldiers, police personnel and citizens in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Waziristan has particularly become their bastion for attacking NATO forces in Afghanistan’s border areas. (After the Soviets exit from Afghanistan the armed jihadis and Talibans were pushed into Punjab and Kashmir to help the elements demanding Khalistan and Azad Kashmir. But the Indian security forces resolute counter-terrorism steps foiled their attempts in Punjab. During the last over three years, their activities have also been drastically curbed in Jammu and Kashmir virtually restoring normalcy in the state).
Another acute problem Pakistan is facing is the full blown insurgency in Balochistan. The Pakistani establishment and its Kashmiri supporters have been demanding right of self-determination for Kashmiris. Having already lost its relevance the demand has now become self-defeating for them in the wake of a US Senator’s demand for the grant of self-determination right to the people of Balochistan (though the US later officially dissociated itself from the demand). Although an agitated Pakistan government lodged a protest against the resolution, it has made the already obsolete self-determination demand for Kashmiris a non-issue.
As though these problems were not enough to rattle Pakistan’s ruling class, another source of worry for Pakistan is the widened wedge between Islamabad and the US. America’s major grouse against Pakistan is its duplicity in curbing terrorism and also use it as an instrument of state policy.
However, despite their escalating tensions, Pakistan and the US are not likely to end their “mutually advantageous friendship”. It is virtually impossible for Pakistan to survive as a single entity without US financial and arms help. On the other hand, America’s strategic compulsions will not allow its relations with Pakistan to turn unredeemable. It needs Pakistan not only to fight the jihadis and Talibans who have made Af-Pak their international breeding and operational bastions but also to check China from expanding its footprints in the region.
Although Islamabad’s ostensibly conciliatory mood provides a welcome opportunity for promoting peace and normalization of relations between India and Pakistan, New Delhi will have to exercise greater vigilance against any revival of terrorist activities. Past experience shows that whenever peace and normalisation process started, terrorists whether foreign or their sleeping cells in India strike to sabotage the efforts. (IPA Service)
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim presented the budget for the financial year 2012-13 in the Legislative Assembly. Some new minor taxes have been proposed and some concessions have also been given. Many items remain static. In many items the levy on VAT has been withdrawn and exemption from service tax on some services like medical treatment has been announced. Modification in existing rate of structure on stamp duty and exemption from Entry Tax on all IT Institutes, IT coaching centres and IT educational institutions is a welcome step.
The Finance Minister announced Rs. 33,853 crore worth budget for 2012-13 up from Rs. 31,022 crore of current financial year (2011-12). This year’s budget was to the tune of Rs. 31,212 crore but the revised estimates have put it at Rs. 31,022 crore. He projected State’s annual plan for next financial year at Rs. 7300 crore, an increase of 10 per cent from Rs. 6600 crore of the current year and Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) at Rs. 700 crore down from Rs. 1200 crore of the current year. It will be noted that Daily Excelsior had earlier exclusively reported that the State’s budget would be around Rs. 35,000 crore…
Significantly, the budget shows State’s increasing dependence on the Centre as 53 per cent funds were coming out of Central grants and 13 per cent from the share of Central taxes. Rest of the income included 16 per cent from own taxes, six per cent from non tax revenue and 12 per cent from capital receipts. This shows that the State is still far away from self sufficiency in terms of raising revenues. The State is spending 46 per cent on salaries and pensions of Government employees, eight per cent on payment of interest on account of Central debts, 9 per cent on power purchase, two per cent on security and 26 per cent on development. It spent 9 per cent on other resources including the Government’s own expenses. That only 26 per cent of revenue is available for development of the State is not a happy picture and shows that our progress will be very slow. Voicing concern over increasing revenue expenditure, Mr. Rather said the State would have to incur a whopping amount of Rs. 16,140 crore on salaries, pensions and retirement benefits to the Government employees in the next financial year. The Finance Minister projected economy to grow at the rate of 7.5 per cent in 2012-13 as against 6.8 percent during the current fiscal year. He said the State had surpassed the target of 6.6 per cent growth rate for the current year. However, he admitted that the State lagged behind Per Capita Income, which was Rs. 28,932 in 2011-12 as against national PCI of Rs. 38005.
In an overestimate, we find that out of Rs. 33,853 crore worth budget, the Government has proposed Rs. 24,990 crore as revenue expenditure, which included expenditure of the Government, and Rs. 8863 crore as capital expenditure including the development works.
The Finance Minister said the State would be spending Rs. 3100 crore for purchasing power in 2012-13 as against Rs. 3000 crore this year. The purchase bill was put at Rs. 2400 crore this year initially. Revenue was expected around ` 1200 crore as against Rs. 1415 crore target this year. Next financial year’s target has been fixed at Rs. 1732 crore… He said the State’s tax revenue was expected to go up to Rs. 4800 crore during current financial year as against Rs. 3500 crore in the last fiscal year. Referring to relation between peace in the state and the process of development, the Finance minister said that owing to increase in State’s tax base and peace prevailing in the State, we want to percolate peace dividends among the people, which was the main reason for extending VAT exemptions, extension of benefits to industry and tourism sector, complete lifting of VAT on cooking gas and other items. Pointing out that housewives have been weary of rising prices and keep on complaining that their home budget is going out of hands, FM announced complete removal of VAT on domestic cooking gas. He said the move would also ease pressure on Power Development Department and demand for more energy supply will get reduced. With lifting of VAT, the price of LPG cylinder was expected to be reduced from Rs. 428.50 to Rs. 406.50. However, there would be no reduction on 13.5 per cent VAT on LPG used for commercial purposes. The new rates would come into effect from April 1 this year. He proposed to continue VAT exemption on atta, maida, suji, besan, paddy and rice etc till March 31, 2013. The VAT exemption on these items, announced in the last budget for one year, was due to expire on March 31, 2012.
He announced continuation of existing tax concession to the industrial units till March 31. The industrial units registered in the State had been enjoying tax concessions under relevant packages of incentives. Noting that IT gadgets like desktops, laptops, palmtops etc have become popular among the youth but they still carried high price tag, FM proposed full exemption of VAT from computers and IT related items like desktops, laptops, palmtops, pen drives, CDs, memory cards, chips, headphones, computer cleaning kits, electronic diaries and IT peripherals. He also proposed full exemption of VAT on stationery items used by students, which included adhesives, gums, glues, adhesive solutions, gum pastes, lapping compounds, epoxies, resins, tapes, tags, markers, sealing wax, papers envelops, pencils, crayons, highlighters, erasers, sharpeners, pencil boxes and ‘takhti’ etc. Some of these items were being taxed at the rate of 13.5 per cent and others at 5 per cent
He proposed tax exemptions on all types of chemical fertilizers, bio fertilizers and micro nutrients from the levy of VAT. He further proposed to exempt insurance services, which cover agricultural and horticultural crops and all types of cattle wealth including infrastructure of dairy, poultry, sheep, goats, bird units and fish farms from the tax chargeable under the J&K GST Act.
This appears a people friendly budget and one would like to call it “Students’ Budget” because it takes great care of the interests of the school and college going youth. It is a welcome budget in that sense.
NEW DELHI, Mar 6: With his party not faring well in the Uttar Pradesh elections, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid today said the party leadership will assess the performance and draw conclusions.
“The campaign looked very good but I cannot take any instant decision. Please allow us some time,” Khurshid said while replying to a question on what went wrong for the party in the state.
Putting up a brave face, he said while the results are disappointing, Congress has performed better than last time and added that “there would be other elections two years down the road and five years down the road.”
Khurshid refused to be drawn into the comparison between Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav.
“Do you think I know Akhilesh that well… Please give us little time for the wisdom to dawn on us,” Khurshid said.
On whether Congress underestimated SP during the UP campaign, he said the party had targeted BSP this time as it was in power in the state.
“We did not underestimate any body. We targeted BSP as it was in power. In last election, we targeted SP and BSP got the benefit,” he said.
Khurshid denied suggestions that the UP campaign of the Congress had suffered as it lacked strong local leadership.
“There were lots of very good leaders campaigning in UP with base there in the state,” he said.
He hoped the election results would not impact the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament.
“I hope it does not. There are all sensible people in Parliament,” he said. (PTI)
Beginning from 1930’s, scores of writers, poets and littérateurs have played a seminal role in development of Dogri as a modern language. Thanks to their hard work that today’s Dogri while being a successful medium of continuum for the age-old civilizational and cultural values is also reflecting upon as well as assimilating the ongoing interface between tradition and modernity along with ever expanding world of contemporary sensibilities.
