Wednesday, October 7, 1998
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Cong welcomes CPM offer CALCUTTA, Oct 6 — The CPM today cemented its offer of supporting a Congress-led alternative government at the Centre, but the Congress made it clear that time has not come for making such a move. |
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Goof-up
in Sareen case: SI suspended TN
district tense after fresh killing
Advani
to hold meeting of region's CMs Panel
to finalise tourism plan Organ
donor card to be launched Proposals
on TA under study TADA
court verdict set aside
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Cong welcomes CPM offer CALCUTTA, Oct 6 (PTI) — The CPM today cemented its offer of supporting a Congress-led alternative government at the Centre, but the Congress made it clear that time has not come for making such a move. The CPM General Secretary, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, told reporters here that the Congress, in spite of compromising with communal forces, still had "sufficient" secular base to merit the support of Marxists in providing an alternative in the event of Vajpayee ministry’s fall. Welcoming CPM’s offer, Congress spokesperson Girija Vyas told reporters in New Delhi that time, however, had not come to form a non-BJP secular government at the Centre. She said the Congress would not hesitate to fulfil its constitutional obligations if such a situation arises and expressed the hope that secular parties would back this move. Asked if the party would take initiative to unite secular forces to dislodge the BJP-led government at the Centre, Vyas said the CPM decision was a step in that direction. Mr Surjeet argued for a Congress-led government and disfavoured fresh elections in the event of BJP-led government’s fall. Stating that the CPM’s main task was to fight the BJP, he said "the way BJP is moving, national unity has been put under serious threat. This will lead to division of the country." Asked if CPM would accept Sonia Gandhi as head of a Congress-led government, Mr Surjeet said "I don’t foresee Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister as the Congress has not got the required strength. They will have to seek the support of others." To another question if his party’s support to the Congress would continue for the full term, the Marxist leader replied "how can we guarantee that. No such guarantee can be given.’’ The CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury said even as his party extended issue based support to the Congress, it would keep open the option of forming a third alternative which would counter the Congress and the BJP. The CPM condemned the recent attacks on members of the Christian community, alleging these were "systematic violence" perpetrated by the RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad". There had been a "steep rise" in such incidents in BJP-ruled states ever since the Vajpayee government came to power at the Centre, the 16th party congress alleged in a resolution here. "The recent rape of the nuns in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh is the most horrific instance....," it said. "The pattern of violence shows that the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena cadres are carrying out a well-chalked out plan to harass, intimidate and terrorise the Christian community in India," the resolution said. Alleging that highest number of such attacks were reported from Gujarat, the party said similar attacks took place in M.P., Maharashtra, U.P. Rajasthan and Punjab in the past few months. The party also claimed RSS
cadres were carrying out a campaign against the church in
the North-Eastern region. |
CPM wary of tie-up with Cong CALCUTTA, Oct 6 (PTI) — The Communist Party of India (CPM) today ruled out any poll alliance with the Congress for the coming Assembly elections in four states, but reiterated its offer of issue-based support to the party for forming an alternative government at the Centre. The CPM offer on issue-based support and the electoral alliance with the Congress were two separate issues, party General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet told reporters on the second day of the 16th party congress here. That the CPM was wary about lack of response from the Congress regarding government formation at the Centre was evident from Surjeet’s statement that "we want the Vajpayee government to be brought down, but the Congress has not yet approached us." Corroborating Surjeet’s utterances, party politburo member Sitaram Yechuri said the CPM would simultaneously keep its options open for forging a third alternative to counter the BJP. Mr Surjeet said there was no question of entering into any poll adjustment with the Congress for the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Mizoram since "we have not given up our struggle against the party." Denying that there was any division in the party regarding the proposal of issue-based support to the Congress, Mr Surjeet expressed optimism that the ongoing party congress would adopt this line. Mr Surjeet said the people would not like another election if the BJP-led government collapsed and asked "can we go for another election in that event? Two rounds of elections have already taken place since 1996." Reiterating his party's softened stand towards Congress, Mr Surjeet sought to differentiate between the Congress and the BJP, saying that on economic policies the Congress was no different from the BJP. The Congress also compromised with communalism, but the party has a sufficient secular base," he said. Asked whether the CPM
would accept Sonia Gandhi if the Congress formed an
alternative government, Mr Surjeet said, "let the
Vajpayee government fall. Let the Congress form the
government. |
BJP ridicules CPM for
'double-talk" NEW DELHI, Oct 6 — The BJP today ridiculed the CPM for extending "issue based support" to the Congress, saying that the latter had "found its rightful place among corrupt, casteist, communal and criminal parties and politicians". Commenting on the CPM’s decision to support the Congress, the BJP General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, said that "the CPM’s latest political skulduggery, of course, does not come as a total surprise since its unscrupulousness is boundless". Starting from the meeting between Mr Basu and Congress leaders, the CPM had travelled the requisite distance to be entitled to a ‘free ticket to power by riding piggyback on the Congress’, Mr Naidu said. Even while Mr Sitaram Yechury was holding forth on the need to extend issue-based support to the Congress to come up with an alternative to the BJP-led alliance, Mr Basu was denouncing the same Congress for being "rank corrupt" and "abetting the growth of communal forces", the BJP leader said. "That is only one side of the CPM’s immoral face — the other side is that of cohabitation with rank casteist and criminal outfits like those headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav", he said. The Nation was no longer willing to be tricked by their "double talk disguised as political strategy and tactics". Asking the CPM to clarify
on which issues it was going to support the Congress, Mr
Naidu said its dwindling vote share and seats as also the
disappearance of its ideology had forced the party to
come to grips with reality — that it cannot rule
India. "Hence its desire to have a role, never mind
the price it has to pay", he pointed out. |
Cong, Left relationship —
sweet & sour NEW DELHI, Oct 6 — A bitter-sweet relationship has existed between Indian Communists and the Indian National Congress over the past seven decades. Relationship began with the participation of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Indian National Congress against colonial oppression and imperialism in 1927 which was soon followed by Nehru’s visit to the Soviet Union in November that year. Between then and 1964 when Nehru died, the relationship went through many ups and downs. The Communists expected too much from Nehru. And Nehru, though impressed by the Socialist ideology, was not prepared to submerge his and his party’s identity into any dogma. While extending the hand of friendship to the Congress at Calcutta yesterday, the CPM General Secretary, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, asked the Congress to change its policies. The CPI General Secretary, Mr A.B. Bardhan, who too was in Calcutta, while welcoming the move to support a Congress government at the Centre, also asked the Congress to mend its ways. As per reports, the Congress cadres in West Bengal are none too happy at the turn of events and the youth wing of the party is planning to hold an exhibition very near the venue of the 16th congress of the CPM tomorrow to highlight what it describes as the “Red evil”. The history of Congress-Communist relations spans the phase in 1942 when the Congress gave the “Quit India” call and the Communists, because of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, refused to play “fifth columnists” of fascism. (In 1943, CPI General Secretary P.C. Joshi wrote to the British Home Secretary, Mr Maxwell, pointing out that the CPI was the only party which was fighting the “fifth column”. He warned the British that government repression was feeding the “fifth column” but the CPI propaganda and work was isolating the “fifth column” from the “honest patriots”.) Again, in 1948, soon after Independence, the CPI refused to recognise India’s freedom and gave call for a nation-wide general strike on the slogan “Yeh Azadi Jhoota hai”. The strike failed. The Communist movement, which had gained popularity among the workers and peasants in some parts of the country, received a body blow. The CPM was born out of the split in India’s Communist movement in 1964 — the year Nehru died. Differences had been brewing in the Communist movement since 1961. The Vijayawada congress of the undivided CPI avoided a split under the leadership of Ajoy Ghosh. However, following the Sino-Indian border clash in 1962, a split became imminent. The Chinese Communist Party had been promoting a move for parallel Communist movements worldwide (because of its differences with the Soviet Communists) and this precipitated the split in 1963. The CPI was formally split into the CPI and the CPM in 1964. Yesterday’s trends at the 16th congress of the CPM assume significance because the party, formed 34 years ago had charted out a course in which there was intrinsic hatred for the Congress, though in 1969, when the Congress split for the first time, Mrs Indira Gandhi’s minority government was backed by the DMK, the CPI and the few CPM members of the Lok Sabha. The present relationship has to be viewed in the context of the Congress-Communist cooperation which existed in the thirties. When the British charged the CPI leadership with hatching the Meerut conspiracy in 1929, Nehru as Congress president, visited the detained CPI leaders in jail and the Congress formed a defence committee for providing legal assistance to the detainees. Some Communists were active within the Congress (E.M.S. Namboodiripad, who is still alive, was among them). The Communist group extended vocal support to Nehru when he moved the resolution for “Sampoorna Swaraj” at the Lahore session of the AICC in 1929. A new phase seems to be
beginning in the chequered seven-decade history of
cooperation and opposition between the Congress and the
Indian Communists. In the past, the relationship broke
because the Communists expected the Congress to
“fall in line”. This perhaps was a
contradiction to Bulgarian leader Georgi Dimitrov’s
United Front theory, which ordained that diverse elements
have to be united on a common platform on the basis of a
basic minimum programme, their diverse programmes and
ideologies and priorities notwithstanding. It remains to
be seen if in the new phase, which has been necessitated
by the phenomenal growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party
over the past decade, past acrimonies will act as a storm
signal. |
Advani, Fernandes review situation NEW DELHI, Oct 6 (PTI) — A high-level meeting chaired by the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today discussed strategies to combat terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir following reports about Osama bin Laden pushing foreign mercenaries into India. The meeting, attended by Defence Minister George Fernandes, Army Chief Gen V.P. Malik and Home Secretary B.P. Singh, reviewed the government’s pro-active policy to fight militancy and the impact of the three-tier security cordon laid along the border with Pakistan to check infiltration of militants. Fernandes told PTI after the meeting that the prevailing situation in J and K, including the activities of foreign mercenaries, was discussed in detail. The government was neither unduly alarmed nor complacent about reports that Laden had sent over 700 battle-hardened mercenaries from training camps in Khost in Afghanistan to J and K, Home Ministry sources said. The situation in the wake of the reports had been reviewed in detail at a meeting yesterday also. Asked if the government was concerned over the reports, the sources said it would be "foolish" on part of the government to simply reject the reports as incorrect. There has been continuous movement of Pakistan-trained terrorists and mercenaries across the border, they said, noting that Afghans were part of the mercenaries who also came from other countries. Even if the reports were
true, it will not be anything new for the security forces
fighting militancy in Kashmir, the sources said. |
Kashmir ‘not India’s internal matter’ PUNE, Oct 6 (PTI) — US Ambassador to India Richard F. Celeste today indicated that the USA did not consider the Kashmir issue to be an internal matter of India, saying it not only had regional but also global ramifications. Addressing a press conference, here, Mr Celeste said “however, we do believe that the only way in which the vexed problems between the two countries (India and Pakistan) could be sorted out is through bilateral talks.” He said the fallout of the nuclear tests by the two countries was the mounting tension across the Line of Control. With both countries now possessing nuclear weapons, any miscalculation could spell disaster. He said “we have encouraged bilateral talks between India and Pakistan at the United Nations and expressed the hope that such talks will pave the way for better understanding.” The Ambassador, who was here to inaugurate a new US and Foreign Commercial Service Office, admitted that it was a paradox that on the one hand the USA was imposing sanctions against India and on the other it was opening a commercial service office. “Yes, it is a paradox. The purpose of imposing sanctions was not to break economic ties with India. It is only to send clear signals that we want nuclear disarmament. But fundamentally we want to build a strong economic relationship between the two countries”, he said, admitting that the sanctions were also hurting the American firms. Asked what moral rights the USA had to preach nuclear disarmament when it possessed immense nuclear arsenals itself, Mr Celeste said the USA was committed to nuclear disarmament and hence it had reduced its nuclear warheads from 20,000 to 10,000. The Ambassador expressed concern about global terrorism and said “we want to work with India and other countries to stamp out terrorism”. Earlier, the Ambassador inaugurated a new US and Foreign Commercial Service Office in the city with a view to expanding the commercial service operations through India. Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador said the new office would bring more US firms together with Indian companies for mutually beneficial business activities in the area. The office would perform a
variety of services, including information on potential
suppliers of goods, services and technology to interested
Indian firms, facilitating collaborations between the US
and Indian companies and organising trade promotion
events. |
Goof-up in Sareen case: SI suspended NEW DELHI, Oct 6 (PTI) — A Sub-Inspector in the office of the Deputy Commissioner of police responsible for Prime Minister’s security, has been suspended in connection with the goof-up involving the security check carried out at the residence of Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen. Home Ministry sources said Sub-Inspector Kunal Singh, belonging to the communication wing, was suspended pending a departmental inquiry into the incident. The name of the air chief was on top of a list of officials who were to attend the combined commanders’ conference on October 26, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The list, given to the dcp (Security) office for checking out antecedents, was submitted by the Office of Chiefs of Staff Committee for issue of special security passes, Defence Ministry sources had said. Following this, security checks were carried out at the official and permanent residences of the air chief, who is Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Taking a serious view of the lapse, the Prime Minister had on Friday directed the Home Secretary, Mr B P Singh, to order an inquiry into the incident and submit a report at the earliest. Following this, the Special Secretary in the Ministry, Mr r d kapoor, was asked to conduct the probe. Delhi Police Commissioner
V N Singh refused to comment on the suspension. |
TN district tense after fresh killing MADURAI, Oct 6 (UNI) — The situation in riot-torn Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, rocked by caste clashes and police firings since Saturday last, continued to be tense even as the toll rose to nine with the killing of a "thalayari’’ (headman) of a village this morning. The situation, which was under control for more than 36 hours and limping back to normalcy, became tense again after the "thalayari" of Surankottai village, Ramar, was hacked to death by a gang. Shops, which opened this morning, were closed following the incident. Educational institutions in the district also remained closed. Meanwhile, 141 persons have been taken into custody in connection with the violence. Senior police officials, including Additional Director-General of Police Kumarasamy, rushed to the spot. Reports received here said bus services on the Madurai-Ramanathapuram-Rameswaram highway were suspended. Other vehicles were also off the road. However, train services were maintained with police escort. A number of pilgrims were stranded in the temple town of Rameswaram. A large posse of police was posted in Ramanathapuram. The reports said a police team was sent to Nainarkoil near Paramakudi, which bore the brunt of the violence, to rescue about 40 persons who were stranded in the village since Sunday last owing to the clashes. They were on their way to attend the Thevar Kula Peravai conference at Ramanathapuram, but could not do so. Meanwhile, the indefinite fast by All-India Thevar Peravai President N. Sethuraman, demanding protection to the people of the Thevar community and a judicial inquiry into the incidents, entered the second day today. In Chennai, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi warned that the state government would not tolerate those instigating caste clashes for their selfish ends and said certain forces were still attempting to instigate innocent people. In a statement, he said the state government was committed to ensuring peace and harmony in the state. General Secretary of the
AIADMK J. Jayalalitha reiterated her demand that Mr
Karunanidhi resign if he could not restore peace in
Ramanathapuram district. |
Advani to hold meeting of
region's CMs NEW DELHI, Oct 6 — The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers of north Indian states next week to review the law and order situation in the region. The meeting, likely to be held in the middle of the week, is to be attended by the Chief Ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Home Ministry sources said the meeting was primarily for understanding the security situation in these areas, including sensitive border states. Besides, the Centre would like to hear from the states their requirements in tackling law and order problems as also steps taken to handle militancy. Based on the requirements, the Centre could formulate its response and work out the extent to which it could support these states in handling the situation. Earlier this year, the
Home Minister held a meeting in Delhi to understand the
situation in Jammu and Kashmir. It was attended by the
Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Defence Minister,
Mr George Fernandes, the service chiefs, heads of
paramilitary organisations and intelligence agencies. |
Panel to finalise tourism plan NEW DELHI, Oct 6 — A four member high-powered committee has been formed to help in finalising the tourism action plan, the Union Minister for Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, said here today . The government is also considering to accord the export industry status to the tourism industry, Mr Khurana said while speaking at a conference on “ Positioning the Indian Ocean Rim for Tourism: 21st Century’s Growth Industry” organised jointly by the Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation(IOTO) and Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) here today. Mr Khurana said that the Prime Minister has also urged a group of ministers to lay down policies concerning civil aviation, Railways, roads and ports to further develop infrastructure for tourism. Such facilities would be provided particularly, in less developed areas and a steering committee set up under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary to review the action plan, he added. Outlining the government’s efforts in this regard, the minister said that this year’s budgetary allocation for tourism was to provide a fillip to the tourism sector keeping in mind the potential of the South and South East Asian markets. Mr Khurana called for a strong public and private sector partnership both at the central and the state level for a sustainable growth in the sector. He observed that the role of agencies in the developing tourism infrastructure was of great importance and stated that the government would also involve NGOs and local bodies in its multi-pronged expansion plan. The Minister of Tourism of Maldives, Mr Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, said that introduction of aviation reforms on the lines of the USA and Europe, deregulation of the telecom sector, successful application of information technology, adequate education and training to those employed in the tourism sector were essential to boost tourism. Mr Zaki said in view of
the economic turmoil in South East Asia, there should be
greater regional cooperation and commitment to counter
the ill effects of economic shocks. |
Organ donor card to be launched NEW DELHI, Oct 6 — To encourage donation of organs by brain dead persons and help save several precious lives, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital and the Liver Transplant Society of India have joined hands to launch the organ donor card. Film star Sunil Shetty will endorse the card in the Capital tomorrow, according to a press note issued by the hospital. Conceived by the National Organ Donation Awareness Campaign, the card will be available at all public places, including banks, hospitals, offices, restaurants and places of entertainment. A preview of the film, “Ek Tha Dil Ek Thi Dhadkan”, produced by Shahrukh Mirza and Dhirubhai Shah, will also be held. The film is on the theme of heart transplant. According to the note, a single donor who pledges his heart, lung, liver and kidneys for transplant can save at least six lives. The about one lakh persons who die of liver failure and another 1,10,000 who die due to heart diseases every year can get a new lease of life through transplants. Although facilities for heart and liver transplant exist in the Capital, few persons have been able to benefit from this medical advancement due to non-availability of organs. The campaign, which
focuses on organ donation by brain dead patients, points
out that in the past three years since the law permitting
the use of organs from brain dead patients came into
existence, only a few Samaritans have agreed to organ
donation. |
Proposals on TA under study NEW DELHI, Oct 6-The government is considering afresh the proposals made by the K.P. Singh Deo committee in regard to improving the Territorial Army (TA), which includes a five-year compulsory service for the public sector undertaking employees. Senior officials of the TA also held a meeting with the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, today evening. The TA was facing a shortage of over 35 per cent in the force’s officers cadre. The TA would also be celebrating its 49th anniversary on October 9. Presently five battalions of the TA were posted in the troubled regions of Jammu and Kashmir, deployed for the ROP and Static Security operations. According to TA’s Additional DG, Maj Gen C.S. Panag, the force was expecting some results soon on the recommendations of the Singh Deo Committee, which had been set up to review all aspects of the TA. The committee had given its recommendations in 1996 but since then no action has been taken on them. According to Maj Gen Panag, the panel had suggested the expansion of the TA as it was expensive to maintain a large standing army. He pointed out that 80 per cent of the defence budget went into the pay and allowances of the employees of the armed forces. He also said more and more Western countries, including the USA and the UK were focusing on the TA to divert scarce resources for the purchase of equipment. The proposed mandatory
service has become more relevant as officers were
quitting in large numbers owing to prolonged deployment
in areas like Jammu and Kashmir and North-East, which was
also hurting their professional and business interests.
Maj Gen Panag pointed out that at present there was a
shortage of 85 officers in this voluntary part-time
citizens army which had a strength of 290 officers with
40 in reserve. |
TADA court verdict set aside NEW DELHI, Oct 6 (UNI) — The Supreme Court today set aside a judgement of a Sangrur TADA court in Punjab, convicting Jaspal Singh under Section 25 of the Indian Arms Act for possessing a double-barrelled gun with five live cartridges. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati and Mr Justice S.P. Kurdukar thus allowed an appeal by the convict. The judges observed that admittedly no evidence was led by the prosecution to prove that the gun was in working condition and the cartridges which were found with him were live. The court further observed that “what was found in the gun were two empty and not live cartridges and, therefore, it was not proper to presume that the gun was in working condition”. In the absence of any
evidence to that effect, the conviction of the appellant
could not be upheld. The apex court, therefore, ordered
the release forthwith of the appellant unless he was
required in some other case. |
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| Population growth declines THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Children will become a rare commodity in Kerala if recent trends in fertility and mortality rates in the state are anything to go by. Statistics point to a drastic decline in Kerala’s population growth. Industries catering to the needs of children are going to have a bleak future. Already many schools are empty but a worse situation should be expected, warn demographers. Kerala’s fertility level was on the decline with total fertility rate of 1.7 per woman by 1993. It is likely to reach 1.5 per woman in 1996-2001, 1.4 in 2001-06 and 1.0 in 2021-26, says Dr U.S. Mishra, one of the authors of the study on fertility transition in Kerala: implications for educational planning. — UNI 202 die of gastro-enteritis Rare dinosaur
fossils found No dog’s
death for ‘Tom’ 3 die in building
collapse CM undergoes
surgery |
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