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| Monday, February 7, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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One more held in torching incident States told to amend Hindu Act NSCN leader’s arrest stalls
talks SC upholds J&K order on mass
copying
PM sees play on Kargil, honours
heroes |
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8
Orissa Congress leaders suspended
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One more held in torching incident CHENNAI, Feb 6 (UNI) — One more person was arrested today in connection with the incident of torching of a college bus in which three girls were burnt to death at Dharmapuri on February 2 even as the state crime branch and the CID commenced its investigation. With the arrest of Palanisamy, the total number of persons arrested in connection with the incident has risen to seven. Two others, including All-India Anna DMK (AIADMK) functionary D.K. Rajendran have surrendered before a magistrate court in Salem. All nine have been lodged at the Salem central prison. Meanwhile, the state crime branch and the CID commenced the investigations by inquiring the students of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University in Coimbatore. Mr Paramvir Singh, Inspector-General of Police, who is camping in Coimbatore, inquired the students and teachers, who accompanied the three girls on the fateful day, while Mr Thamaraikannan, Superintendent of Police, conducted an inquiry in Dharmapuri. Three special teams were on the look out for 11 other persons wanted in connection with the incident, the police said. The CB-CID team led by Mr Singh, had visited the scene of the tragic incident on the outskirts of Dharmapuri last evening, and held discussions with the Dharmapuri revenue officials. Meanwhile, the family of
Hemalatha, one of the three girls burnt to death in the
bus, refused to accept a solarium of Rs 1 lakh announced
by AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalitha. |
DMK plans to disrupt tour: Jaya CHENNAI, Feb 6 (PTI) — AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalitha today alleged that the ruling DMK was planning to create violence through its supporters in the garb of students tomorrow, when she launches her campaign for the February 17 byelections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly. In a statement here, she claimed the DMK was "gripped by fear of defeat" in the byelections and that she had "reliable information of plans to unleash violence" at Pondicherry where she will be staying during her campaign for Nellikuppam constituency bordering the union territory. She alleged that the
plan was "part of DMK’s attempts to instigate
college students against the AIADMK" for the
Dharmapuri incident in which three undergraduate women
were brunt alive on February 2 in the wake of her
conviction in the `Pleasant Stay Hotels’ corruption
case. |
States told to amend Hindu Act NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (PTI) — The Centre has asked all states to carry out suitable amendments in the Hindu Succession Act to confer property rights on women in a joint family. The state governments have been asked to give a status report on the action taken to amend Section six of the Act as has been done by states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. This is part of a series of steps the Centre has initiated to secure gender justice and empower women to participate fully in the task of nation-building. A conference of state ministers and secretaries in charge of women and child development scheduled on February 9 will discuss steps to give a fillip to various schemes initiated by the government for holistic development of women and children in the country. During a recent meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Human Resource Development Sumitra Mahajan emphasised the need for setting up a task force to review all schemes under central ministries and departments for the benefit of women and children. The ministry feels that considering the investment of over Rs 30,000 crore by the Centre for development of women and children in a five-year-plan period, setting up of the task force has become all the more necessary. A background paper prepared for the conference says implementation of policy directions regarding grant of joint ‘pattas’ to the head of the family and spouse in all cases of transfer of property would be discussed. A major decision taken by government for economic empowerment of women is to give joint title to husband and wife in all developmental activities involving transfer of assets like distribution of surplus ceiling land, government and village common land, house sites, houses and beneficiary-oriented economic units. Noting that distribution of supplementary nutrition at anganwadi centres has not been regular, it says from 2002 onwards, release of grants would be conditional to provision of resources for supplementary nutrition in state budgets. The Women and Child Development Department has proposed to have memoranda of understanding with various states in this regard. It is also in the process of setting up a committee with representation from state governments to review instructions on supplementary nutrition component under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). The paper says the Centre is in the process of setting up a national commission for children and finalising the national charter for children. For this purpose, a draft note for setting up of the commission and the approach paper for the national charter for children were circulated to all states and union territories and their response is awaited. The conference will also
evaluate implementation of the action plan formulated by
the ministry in the light of a Supreme Court order of
July 1997 on trafficking of women and children for
prostitution. |
NSCN leader’s arrest
stalls talks NEW DELHI, Feb 6 — The Centre is reassessing the situation as the ongoing peace talks with outlawed Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) scheduled last week were stalled after the arrest of its top leader, Thuingaleng Muivah, in Thailand. ‘‘We have to reassess the situation in the wake of the latest development (arrest of Muivah)’’ Mr K. Padmanabhaiah, the Centre’s chief negotiator with the NSCN (I-M) told TNS. The third round of the ongoing peace talks were slated to be held in The Hague, The Netherlands, on February 1, but were put off till the weekend after Muivah was arrested at Hatyai airport for jumping bail. At present he is undergoing a one-year term in a Thai prison. There was no word from the NSCN (I-M) as to who would lead the negotiations on its behalf with the Centre and Mr Padmanabhaiah said he was awaiting to hear from the organisation. Muivah, general secretary of the NSCN (I-M) was first arrested by the Thai police on January 19 at Bangkok airport after he arrived there from Karachi on fake travel documents. Along with him his trusted lieutenant, I. Shimre was also arrested. Both were released on bail and a bond of 2,00,00 baht each. According to intelligence sources after being in protective custody in a hotel at Bangkok, Muivah had got himself admitted to a hospital feigning illness and thereafter surfaced at Haytai, an airport in South Thailand on January 28 travelling on yet another fake passport when he was rearrested. It remains to be seen if Mr Muivah nominates a successor to hold talks. It was during the tenure of the then Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, that Naga leaders met him in Paris. The Centre had declared ceasefire in August 1997 which still holds good. After the BJP-led
government came to power, there have been two rounds of
talks including one with Mr Padmanabhaiah who replaced Mr
Swaraj Kaushal as its chief negotiator. |
SC upholds J&K order on mass copying NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (PTI) — The Supreme Court has upheld a Jammu and Kashmir Government notification on cancellation of examinations on account of mass copying and ruled that courts should not normally interfere with steps taken by the authorities in conducting examinations. Setting aside a high court order quashing the notification on the ground that it was unconstitutional, the apex court said: "In matters concerning campus discipline of educational institutions and conduct of examinations, the duty is primarily vested in the authorities in charge of the institutions." "In such matters
the court should not try to substitute its views in place
of the authorities concerned nor thrust its view on
them," a Bench comprising Mr Justice M Jagannadha
Rao and Mr Justice D.P. Mohapatra said in a recent
ruling. |
Scenario may change at Centre: Pawar RANCHI, Feb 6 (UNI, PTI) — Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar today hinted at the possibility of a fresh political polarisation at the national level. Talking to newspersons here, Mr Pawar termed as "non-performing" the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. He said his party had decided to maintain equidistance from the BJP and the Congress at the national level, adding that the party would also maintain distance from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the state. Holding the "Sonia factor" responsible for the unity of the NDA and disunity in the opposition camp, Mr Pawar stated that the Assembly elections in the state might set the ball rolling for a fresh political polarisation. The NCP would play a major role in the coming days, he claimed. About Bihar elections, he admitted that his party being a new player might not have a decisive role this time, but at least would mark its presence in the state Assembly. The party was contesting 190 seats in the state. Meanwhile, Mr Pawar
welcomed Centre’s decision to get all major defence
purchases since 1985-86 investigated by the Central
Vigilance Commission. |
PM sees play on Kargil, honours heroes NEW DELHI,Feb 6 (PTI) — Lt Saurav Kalia, Lt Amit Bharadwaj, Capt N Kenguruse — the tales of valour of these and many others in the Kargil conflict had united the country like never before, and now the nation is reliving the story on stage in a special tribute to these brave men. Noted theatre director Aamir Raza Hussain’s latest magnum opus being staged in the capital since the last two weeks, involving huge open-air moving sets and a 360-degree rotating viewer’s gallery, last night had a special guest — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "The Fifty Day War", with a huge cast of mostly newcomers, left spellbound a specially invited audience comprising Mr Vajpayee, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Information Technology minister Pramod Mahajan and Army Chief Gen V P Malik among others, as it has been doing every night. Also present were several Kargil heroes like Brig Lakhwinder Singh, Brig Devinder Singh, Col Kushal Thakur, Col M B Ravindranath and Col Lalit Rai who were felicitated along with Gen Mohinder Puri, GOC 8th Mountain Division, by Mr Vajpayee after the play in chilly weather conditions. Done on a huge scale seldom seen in national or international theatre, the three-hour play brings alive not only the now legendary stories of bravery from Drass, Batalik and other areas of Kargil but also how newly-weds donated their jewellery and beggars their earnings for the Kargil conflict. Backed with commentary and a theme song, the play pulled at the heartstrings of the audience who saw the sacrifice of the forces and the political and military confusion in Pakistan during the Kargil crisis come alive, backed by realistic special effects. The life of the soldiers in extreme weather conditions, their will and determination to free the country’s territory from Pakistani intruders and the nation coming together as one— everything that happened during the crisis was recreated at the venue just South of the historical Qutab Minar. Despite a technical snag stalling rotation of the viewers’ gallery in the second half of the play due to which several scenes had to be edited out, the audience clapped at every scene of valour at Tiger Hill, Bajrang Post, Khalubar and Tololing Top being retold. "But ultimately will this country remember the sacrifice?" was the question asked by a soldier in the play which remained with the viewer for long after the show, scheduled to continue for another two weeks, ended for the night. Book released: A book on the Kargil conflict, carrying a journalist’s experiences from the battlefront, was presented to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the occasion. The book —
‘‘Dateline Kargil: a correspondent’s
nine-week account from the battlefront’’ —
was presented to Mr Vajpayee by its author and defence
correspondent of a national daily, Mr Gaurav Sawant. |
Rajesh Pilot’s daughter weds NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (PTI) — It was a VIP marriage, but with a difference as former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot’s daughter Sarika tied the nuptial knot here today with documentary film maker Vishal Choudhury. Unlike some recent marriages of children of political heavyweights, the Congress Working Committee member invited only close friends and relatives to the wedding. Mr Pilot, a former Indian Air Force pilot, had sought blessings for the couple from all his VIP friends. Among those who attended
the marriage were Army chief V.P. Malik, Air chief A.Y.
Tipnis, TMC chief G.K. Moopanar, Congress leaders N.D.
Tiwari, Ahmed Patel, Suresh Kalmadi and S.K. Shinde and
former Punjab police chief K.P.S. Gill. |
8 Orissa Congress leaders suspended BHUBANESWAR, Feb 6 (UNI) — Eight Congress leaders, including former state Panchayat Raj and Law Minister Raghunath Patnaik, were today suspended from the party for six years for anti-party activities. Announcing the decision at a news conference here, party spokesman Arya Kumar Gyanendra said the leaders were suspended from the primary membership of the party by the state Congress chief, Mr J.B. Patnaik, as they had entered the fray as rebel candidates in the coming Assembly elections in defiance of the party guidelines. He said some more
Congress leaders would be suspended after the last date
of the final withdrawal of nominations. |
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