Saturday, November 14, 1998
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N A T I O N |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Badal
to campaign for BJP candidates And
now Congress makes use of rath |
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 NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutt with Mrs Kiran Walia, Congress candidate from Hauz Khas, campaigning in Gautam Nagar for the assembly election in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI
Unicef
study of child sex workers |
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Coimbatore riots: report presented CHENNAI, Nov 13 — A judicial commission today submitted its report on the murder of a traffic police constable at Coimbatore which triggered a spate of violence culminating in the serial bomb blasts on February 14 that left more than 60 dead. INLD ‘unable to find
candidates’ Bravery
awards for 16 children Nehru
fellowship Onion
crisis has eased: Delhi Govt |
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Badal to campaign for BJP
candidates NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Mr S.S. Barnala, the Minister of State for Industries, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, and the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, are likely to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates for the Delhi Assembly poll. The president of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Avtar Singh Hit told The Tribune here today senior leaders of the party including the Punjab Finance Minister, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh and the secretary general, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa are determined to support the BJP and ensure the defeat of the Congress. The Dal indicated its firm resolve to support the BJP by holding a meeting with the Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj today. Members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and the district Presidents of the Akali Dal units of Delhi called on Mrs Swaraj and assured their full support to the BJP. The two delegations were led by Mr Jaswant Singh Sethi and Mr Avtar Singh Hit. Sources in the Chief Minister's office said that members of the delegations presented three saropas and Sri Sahib to Mrs Swaraj. While thanking the Akali Dal for its support in the Assembly elections, Mrs Swaraj said most demands of Delhi Sikhs had been accepted and others were being considered. Prominent among those present during the meeting were the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, the general secretary of the BJP, Mr Venkaiah Naidu, the chairman of the BJP’s election campaign committee, Mr V.K. Malhotra, and four Sikh candidates fielded by the BJP. The BJP has fielded the
Minister for Jails and Industry in the Delhi government,
Mr Harsharan Singh Balli for the Hari Nagar Assembly
constituency. Other Sikh candidates nominated by the BJP
are Mr S.S. Bajwa from Gandhi Nagar, Mr Tanwant Singh
from Vishnu Garden and Mr Vir Bahadur Singh from
Jangpura. |
Poll not a referendum: Cong NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Congress party today shied away from declaring the forthcoming Assembly elections in four states as a "referendum" on the Vajpayee government and was guarded in its comments on the possible post-poll scenario. Although there was no direct admission, senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee said while there was no provision in the Indian Constitution (for referendum), it could have been considered as one if more than half the states were going to the polls. "It will reflect the views of the people since the Assembly elections will be held not just in central India but also in far-flung state of Mizoram," Mr Mukherjee said. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in four states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram on November 25. Mr Mukherjee was addressing the media on the occasion of release of salient points of the party’s manifesto for these states. Mr Mukherjee, however, said the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, himself was not confident since he did not view these elections as a reflection on his government’s performance. This he interpreted as an admission of defeat. On the issue of possible post-poll realignment of secular forces as indicated by the CPM leader Harkishen Singh Sujreet, the party seemed to keep its options open. While Mr Mukherjee said it was "too premature" and that the situation would have to be watched before coming to any conclusion, Dr Manmohan Singh preferred to say "we will cross the bridge when it comes". Yet the Congress leaders statement that there was a need to arrive at "some sort of understanding to tackle the growing menace of communal forces" indicated that the party did not foreclose options right now. For the past few weeks the Congress has been critical of the BJP-led coalition government’s performance during the last nine months it has been in power at the Centre. Today the party described the BJP-led regime in New Delhi as an "unmitigated disaster" and reeled of statistics showing the reverse growth in economy, failure to tackle sharp rise in prices of essential commodities and deterioration in law and order situation in the country. "The failure of the BJP at the Centre has been overall. Its non-performance on all fronts is striking, it has failed to deliver," Mr Mukherjee said. The party disagreed with the BJP charge that the current economic problems was a legacy of the previous Congress regimes. Mr Mukherjee said while the Congress would not like to compare its performance with that of the BJP, it drew parallel with the previous United Front coalition government over a six-month period. Comparing the UF rule between April and September, 1997, with that of the BJP for the corresponding period this year, Mr Mukherjee said there had been a fall in industrial growth and exports, fall in trade deficit, and lower movement of railway freight and cargo. The Congress charged that the government had not done anything to maintain the supply line to keep the prices down despite warning signals which had resulted in the people suffering on account of sharp rise in prices of essential commodities. Ridiculing the government’s reluctance to import items like onions, Mr Mukherjee said, the same government did not mind putting items like "kumkum and bindis" under open general licence (for imports). "The government’s job is to insulate and neutralise the vulnerable sections of society through keeping the supply line and effective public distribution system", he said. On security and law and order, he said the central government had admitted that of the 535 districts in the country, the situation in 230 districts was disturbed. "It is not just Jammu and Kashmir, North-East or Punjab, but there has been a substantial deterioration in mainland. He said the country stood isolated in international arena and that even after six rounds of talks with the USA, the country refuses to recognise India as a nuclear-weapon state. The Congress said the BJP-led government did not have clear thinking or consistency and criticised its penchant for announcing schemes without any blueprint to implement these. The party said the BJP and
its leadership would have to take the blame for the
problems since the party was a dominant partner in the
coalition government. |
Campaigning shifts into top gear NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — From lanes and by-lanes of Delhi to the information superhighway, the campaigning for the Assembly constituencies is steadily shifting into top gear. The Congress candidate for the Mandawli Assembly constituency has decided to tap the internet to promote herself by hosting a web page. Mrs Meera Bharadwaj has given her campaign a global touch by featuring her candidature on the world-wide web. Her effort is the first such initiative in the Capital to woo voters, with a slogan — from grassroots to the internet. “By maintaining a presence in the net, I want to communicate a global perspective, liberal attitude and open bent of mind,” says the Congress candidate. It is also aimed at projecting the party’s slogan — think globally, act locally. The move is, however, only symbolic as the internet has not penetrated deep into Delhi households, she admits. One of her website pages has the caption “Mandawali and Meera — ideal marriage” and another page prescribes “Viswadeshi,” a judicious mix of videshi and swadeshi, for ensuring economic growth of the country. However, the traditional means of reaching out to the voters is being practised by all candidates who are contesting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The BJP today announced the plans of its star campaigners, Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, filmstar turned-politician, Mr Vinod Khanna, and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar. While Mr Vajpayee will address public meetings on November 18 and 23, Mr Advani will address meetings on November 16, 19 and 23. Cinestar-turned-politician, Mr Shatrughan Sinha, will address meetings on November 21, 22 and 23. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will be addressing a rally in the Capital on November 15 in Sultanpur Majra. The dates for the rally to be held in East Delhi is yet to be finalised. Former Union Finance
Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Rajesh Pilot, Mr Ghulam Nabi
Azad and Mr Arjun Singh will also be addressing public
meetings. |
And now Congress makes use of
rath NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The rath is once again in action in campaigning — this time with the Congress. While the BJP used it for the temple issue, the Congress, for the forthcoming Delhi Assembly poll is using the rath to highlight the tearjerking issue of onion price rice. With a handful of issues, the Congress has set on the roads of the Capital “Sandesh Rath” highlighting spiralling prices of onion, potato and other essential commodities. On the catchy tunes from Daler Mehandi and the foot-tapping music of A R Rehman, the Congress has re-mixed its political message to woo the electorate who appear to be disappointed with the ruling Delhi Government. “Dilliwalon suno kahani bhrasht BJP raaj ki....” the “filmi” song of the Congress begins. Each stanza ends with “Bhagaa diya Verma, hatta diya Verma.” And to intensify their attack on the BJP’s change of leadership, the song goes on to say, “Aayi Sushma Swaraj. Le aayi mehangayi aur sadaa pyaj. Kitne katl aaj? BJP ka kurai”. The BJP too has coined slogans but they appear to be not catching the pulse of the people. While the electorate is reeling under price hike, the BJP slogan — “Sushma Swaraj aayi hai, aloo pyaj laayi hai” — blares out from autorickshaws in Delhi. Cashing in on the anti-incumbency factor against the BJP, the Congress has coined the slogan “Jago aur jagao, nikammi sarker bhagao”. While the BJP, which has been put on the defensive, has sought an emotive way out by coming “Saraswati vandana versus Sonia vandana”. The Congress has also come up with an ingenious version of what the BJP stands for — “Bijli, jal, pyai, nahin”. The BJP has come up with the run-of-the-mill “Dilli ka neta kaisa ho, Sushma didi ke jaisa ho”. On the escalating price
front , the Congress hones to nail the BJP with
“Mehangai nahin loot hai, Bhajpa ki chhoot
hai.” |
EU hopeful of India signing CTBT NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (PTI) — The European Union (EU) today hoped that India would sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) ahead of the September, 1999 deadline but New Delhi did not give any firm commitment on the issue. No firm commitment was given by India, but the EU got the impression that the matter was being taken forward by the Indian Government for a possible solution in the near future, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, leader of the EU ministerial troika currently in India, told reporters. After a day-long meeting with the Indian side led by Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje, Ferrero-Waldner, who is also Austrian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said while the EU welcomed the partial lifting of economic sanctions by the USA on India, "we do hope on the other side, there is adherence to the CTBT". To a question, she clarified that adherence meant signing of the treaty. EU expressed concern over the nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan which contributed to deterioration in stability in the region. She said the EU welcomed the reopening of dialogue by India with Pakistan and China and viewed it as a positive development. EU wants both India and Pakistan to take this dialogue process forward to ready an amicable solutions to outstanding bilateral issues which included Jammu and Kashmir. EU, which adopted a tough line soon after the Pokhran tests, had initially asked both India and Pakistan to sign the CTBT immediately and unconditionally. However, it substantially toned down the tenor later while acknowledging that the EU attached a lot of importance to its relations with India. On the issue of export controls, India made it clear that already a stringent system was in place. New Delhi also said it was not averse to introducing additional measures to make its export control regime more stringent. Officials said a comprehensive overview on relations between the EU and India was handed over to the Indian delegation. While discussing social issues, both sides stressed the importance of international cooperation to successfully combat international terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking. They also sought to allay
apprehensions voiced by the Indian industry of being hit
if Europe became a "fortress’’ for doing
business. "There is no ground for such a
fear’’, they added. |
Unicef study of child sex workers CALCUTTA, Nov 13 (PTI) — There are a staggering 8,000 female child sex workers in Calcutta whose number will multiply if strong remedial measures were not taken, Unicef’s state unit of West Bengal has warned. To contain and counter this fissiparous menace of child prostitution, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund "will have a large meeting with the decision-makers of the states and the Government of India on the basis of its two-year study, to implement its plan of action," Unicef’s state representative Dorothy Rozga told a group of visiting reporters. The study by Unicef reveals that due to misconception about AIDS, clients prefer "these children (sex workers), who are effectively stripped of all their rights even at the age of 10 and are treated as mere commodities. "Be it a virgin of 10, the better it is for a client," Ms Rozga rued disparaging the popular syndrome of going for child sex workers owing to an implosive "belief" that there is lesser chance of contracting HIV virus at the services of these minors. Pleading to the press to lend "voice" to these voiceless children stranded in some of the worst living conditions on the planet, Ms Rozga said her organisation is "trying to work in a quiet way" among them who "use sex also for protection". The state representative of the only UN agency that has an office in West Bengal said, Unicef, Calcutta, which looks after humanitarian efforts in West Bengal and Assam was collaborating with many NGOs. She said Unicef here was cooperating with a group of 15 NGOs working with NGOs in Bangladesh, which contributes bulk of child sex workers in India’s east, along with Nepal. Ms Rozga complimented endeavours of NGOs involved in the dissemination of information about various social problems like AIDS to the high-risk groups such as sex workers, their children, street children and others. She also lauded the innovative concept of peer education, given by trained people of these high-risk groups themselves to others in the society. Apparently hinting at the psychological trauma a child sex worker is subjected to with or without the safety of "condomisation", she said along with increasing the "acceptability of condoms", "emotional disturbance" caused to her has to be looked into. To a suggestion to discourage clients through persuasion from targeting children, she said that one has to look from the victim’s point of view and not from the perpetrators. "The issue is children (under 18) should not be used as prostitutes," Ms Rozga said. On the issue of
trans-national sex trafficking, she said, "precisely
because it is an international issue, the traffickers are
able to get away due to different rules across
borders". |
Basu shares platform with Sonia Gandhi NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (PTI) — In an indication of a possible realignment of political forces, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today shared a platform for the first time with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and pleaded for the coming together of the Left, democratic and secular forces against the BJP. The occasion was the 30th Jawaharlal Nehru memorial lecture to which Mrs Gandhi, chairperson of the Nehru Memorial Fund, invited Mr Basu as the guest speaker, raising a lot of eyebrows in political circles. In his lecture "India and the challenges of the 21st century", Mr Basu said, "What we now need is to mobilise the broad Left, democratic and secular forces to expose the bankruptcy of the present regime in Delhi." Reciprocating the invitation, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "With optimism, we also notice healthy political developments in this context. The fact that the organisers have invited me to deliver this address, knowing very well that my views may not be in line with theirs, is encouraging." Mrs Gandhi, while welcoming Mr Basu, also called for a joint struggle to "protect our plurality, whether we are in government or outside." Castigating the Sangh
Parivar without naming it, she said "an assault was
being mounted on the most fundamental values of our
national polity, and the first is secularism." |
Coimbatore riots: report presented CHENNAI, Nov 13 (PTI) — A judicial commission today submitted its report on the murder of a traffic police constable at Coimbatore which triggered a spate of violence culminating in the serial bomb blasts on February 14 that left more than 60 dead. Justice P R Gokulakrishnan, who conducted the inquiry, presented his report to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The report only pertains to the constable’s murder and the subsequent communal carnage in the textile city but does not cover the serial blasts targeted at Union Home Minister L K Advani. The report on the blasts as well as on the quantum of compensation to be paid to the victims of the violence would be submitted later, official sources said. Police constable Selvaraj was murdered on November 29, 1997, which set off widespread loot and arson in Coimbatore. There was a police revolt during the incidents necessitating deployment of the Army. Mr Karunanidhi told reporters that the 346-page report covered six of the commission’s seven terms of reference. It did not cover the
compensation question in view of a large number of
claims, he said adding the government would go through
the report and take steps to implement its
recommendations. |
INLD ‘unable to find candidates’ NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today said that the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) "stood exposed’’ as it was unable to find enough candidates to field in Rajasthan Assembly where it was contesting. Mr Hooda, said, the INLD could not find even seven candidates to contest from Rajasthan after forcing the BJP to allot as many constituencies to the party. "Mr Chautala and his INLD stood exposed’’ he said. He said the INLD had been adopting dual standards by aligning with the BJP, which he described "anti-farmer and anti-poor’’. Mr Chautala and his party claim to represent the farmers of the country, but the INLD continues to support the BJP at the Centre which has no programmes for the poor or farmers, he said. Mr Hooda also said that Mr
Chautala had "no right to be the leader of
Opposition in Haryana Legislative Assembly’’. |
Bravery awards for 16 children NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (PTI) — Sixteen children, including six girls, have been selected for this year’s National Awards for Bravery. Of these one award has been given posthumously. The prestigious Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra awards have been conferred on Anchal Grover, 8, and Master Akash Grover, 10, who fought robbers at their house in Uttar Pradesh. Shivani Sharma, Master Mohammad Atif and Master Anurag from Delhi have been chosen for the Bapu Gayadhani Awards. All three of them saved their school mates from drowning when their school bus fell into Yamuna, a release from the Indian Council for Child Welfare said today. Other recipients are Yamini Kanwar (Rajasthan), Master Pramod Hariom Arora and Master Sanket Surendra Salvi (both from Maharashtra), Master Pramod E (Karnataka), Satyabhama Sahu (Orissa), Master Ovais Ahmad and Master Viqas Ahmed (JK), Ekta (UP), Master Mohammad Aslam, Master Sudesh Kumar Soudhe and Late Karuna Dubey (all from Madhya Pradesh). The children will receive their awards from the Prime Minister on the eve of the Republic Day next year and will participate in the Republic Day parade riding caparisoned elephants. The awardees were selected by a high-powered committee including representatives from the secretariats of the President, the Vice-President, Ministries of Human Resource Development, and leading NGOs for children. The National Bravery Award was instituted by the ICCW in 1957 and since then a total of 540 children — 405 boys and 135 girls — have been given the awards. The awardees are granted
financial assistance till the time they complete their
schooling under the sponsorship programme of the council. |
Nehru fellowship NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (PTI) — Dr S.K. Chopra, one of the pioneers in the field of non-conventional energy sources, and Mr T Ananthachari, former Director-General of the BSF, have been awarded this year’s Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship. Dr Chopra, 51, who, at present, is a senior adviser in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, has authored “Towards Good Governance” and “Brain Drain and how to reverse it”. He is also the founder director of the ‘Society for Technology and National Development’, which is involved in creating awareness and initiating and supporting action programmes towards the utilisation of scientists in the country in the field of national development. Mr Ananthachari has been a national consultant for the Narcotic Control Bureau and the UN Drug Control Programme where he prepared a detailed report on the five year training strategy for the NCB. While Dr Chopra has been
awarded the fellowship for his work on the project
“Energy Policy for India”, Mr Ananthachari gets
it for his project “India’s Border Problems
— A Comprehensive Study”. |
Onion crisis has eased: Delhi
Govt NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Delhi Government today claimed that the onion crisis in the Capital appears to have eased considerably with the supply at subsidised rates exceeding the demand. Out of the 200 metric tonnes of onion released to the Delhi Civic Supplies Corporation (DCSC) yesterday, 190 mt was sold and 18 mt returned unsold, the government said in a release. However, the ground realities appeared to be different as the prices of onion in the retail market continued to be in the range of Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg. The information regarding excess supply was conveyed to the empowered committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Mr Omesh Saigal to review the availability of onion in the city. The meeting was told that since sale per outlet was around 1.50 mt, release of 300 mt of onions per day for these outlets would be adequate to meet the public demand. In view of the improved
situation, the Delhi Government decided to procure only
300 mt of onions through NAFED per day from today instead
of 400 mt received earlier. |
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| Judicial pay panel on
relief PATNA: Chairman of the first National Judicial Pay Commission, Mr Justice K. Jagannatha Shetty, has observed that non-payment of 35 per cent interim relief by the Bihar Government to judicial officers, as recommended by the commission, was a matter of contempt. He directed the member-secretary of the commission to convey his sentiment to the Bihar Chief Secretary, according to Bihar Judicial Services Association Secretary Santosh Kumar. A three-member team of the association participated in the hearing before the commission on November 9. As per the resolution of the executive committee, the delegation invited members of the commission to pay a visit to Bihar to see the circumstances under which the officers were working. — UNI Ceasefire extended in Nagaland CWW directed to
appear in court 1-year-old panther
cub saved Chopper service
for tourists in Sikkim |
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