H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

WTO pact: Swadeshi Manch plans protest
SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch will announce on March 3 its action plan to effectively oppose the clauses in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement which hurt the economic interests of the country.

Farooq's autonomy demand "divisive"
SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The RSS has urged the Centre not to allow the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir by demanding autonomy for the state.

BJP expels 4 leaders
SOLAN, Feb 14 — The President of state unit of the BJP, Mr Suresh Chandel, told mediapersons here today that the state executive committee had "suspended" four local BJP leaders for six years on charges of indulging in anti-party activities.

Former Governor's death mourned
SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The Governor, Mr Vishnukant Shastri, and the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, have expressed grief over the death of Mr B. Rachaia, former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, in Bangalore last evening.

Mahajan flays district admn over venue
SOLAN, Feb 14 — The president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Sat Mahajan, today criticised the district administration over the latter's discrimination against his party in favour of the ruling party regarding the holding of public meetings here tomorrow.

Miraculous escape for youths
KUMARHATTI, Feb 14 — Valentine’s Day turned out to a “lucky day” for three youths who escaped unhurt when a Maruti car (DL 2CL 5676) carrying them rolled down into a deep gorge on the Kalka-Shimla road near here today

WTO pact: Swadeshi Manch plans protest
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch will announce on March 3 its action plan to effectively oppose the clauses in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement which hurt the economic interests of the country.

Stating this at a press conference here today Mr Muralidhar Rao, Organising Secretary of the Manch, said the Manch had already raised issues like intellectual property rights, labour standards and environmental norms which would put the domestic industries to a disadvantage in the ongoing globalisation of trade.

It would like the government to take a firm stand on these issues to protect the ‘Swadeshi’ industry, particularly the small scale and cottage sectors, which contributed the maximum to the national income after agriculture. However, he warned, that in case the government accepted terms and conditions detrimental to the growth of local economy, it would not hesitate to launch a countrywide agitation. It wanted the government to stick to the line adopted at the Jamaica conference by the Prime Minister.

He said the WTO in the present format was loaded against India. The previous government neither did the necessary homework before signing the agreement nor took the people, particularly industrialists and farmers who were to be directly affected, into confidence while doing so. Consequently, problems like patenting of area specific crop like basmati and processes which were part of traditional Indian knowledge, were cropping up time and again.

Mr Rao said the government would face a litmus test on the issue of labour and environmental standards, which the Manch felt, it should not accept in any eventuality. He said that the Manch believed in two-way globalisation and not the one which gave great advantage to developed countries.

For instance, he said, if American multinationals could invest in the country without any restrictions, the Indians should be allowed free entry into the USA so that they could sell their skills. However, the USA was not agreeing to relax the immigration rules.

Of late, he said, there was increasing realisation at all levels that forces which stood for localisation could not be ignored while going in for globalisation. The latest UNDP report on human development and the World Bank report on globalisation versus localisation clearly indicated this. It was for the first time that such a view had been accepted, he added.

Besides opposing wrong policies, the Manch was also making efforts to help Swadeshi industries in marketing and technology upgradation. It was organising “Swadeshi Melas” (trade fairs) in major towns for the purpose.

Mr Rao met the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, and apprised him of Manch’s plan for the economic development of hills. It was decided at the meeting that a ‘Swadeshi Mela’ would be held at Shimla from September 27 to October 3 at which the main focus would be on providing marketing outlets to local artisans, particularly tribals, and products based on local resources.

Simultaneously, a seminar would also be organised to draw up a comprehensive plan for the economic development of the entire Himgiri region. The plan to be prepared after interaction with grassroots people and conducting various studies, would focus on income generation along with employment, he added.

Farooq's autonomy demand "divisive"
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The RSS has urged the Centre not to allow the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir by demanding autonomy for the state.

The chief organiser of the RSS for Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Mr Indresh, told reporters here today that the Centre should take steps to check the separatist tendencies being perpetuated by Dr Abdullah by raising the demand for autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the situation would not be allowed to be reverted to the pre-1953 status wherein the Centre would have control over only defence, communications and external affairs in Kashmir.

Mr Indresh said the demand for autonomy would virtually lead to disintegration of the country. Article 370 should be abolished and J and K should be completely integrated with India, he added.

Dr Abdullah should not succumb to militants' pressure over the issue and should prove that he was a nationalist.

Mr Shree Kumar, organiser of the RSS in Jammu and convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Forum and Mr Ashok Khajuria, a BJP MLA, from Jammu, were also present.

Mr Kumar was more aggressive in criticising Dr Abdullah for raising the demand for autonomy for the state and further division of the state into eight parts.

He demanded that President's rule should be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir without delay. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee should drop Mr Omar Abdullah, Commerce Minister, who is son of Dr Farooq Abdullah, from the Union Ministry, he demanded.

He accused Dr Abdullah of trying to divide the state on the basis of religion.

He alleged that the ISI and certain other external forces were creating trouble in Jammu and Kashmir and accused Dr Abdullah of not taking care of persons who had been rendered houseless by Pakistanis during the Kargil conflict.

He said RSS activists were providing blankets, medicines and other help to the refugees.

BJP expels 4 leaders
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Feb 14 — The President of state unit of the BJP, Mr Suresh Chandel, told mediapersons here today that the state executive committee had "suspended" four local BJP leaders for six years on charges of indulging in anti-party activities.

They are Mr Rajinder Singh, President of Solan (rural) mandal of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha; Prem Guleria, Secretary of the city mandal, Nand Kishore, General Secretary of Solan mandal (rural) of the BJP and Ms Sheila Devi, an executive committee member.

All four had been actively campaigning against the official BJP candidate after the party denied the ticket to their candidate, Mr Mohinder Nath Sofat, he added.

Former Governor's death mourned
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The Governor, Mr Vishnukant Shastri, and the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, have expressed grief over the death of Mr B. Rachaia, former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, in Bangalore last evening.

In a condolence message to the bereaved family, Mr Shastri and Mr Dhumal have prayed to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss.

They said the services rendered by Mr Rachaia as Governor of this state would always be remembered by the people.

Mahajan flays district admn over venue
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Feb 14 — The president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Sat Mahajan, today criticised the district administration over the latter's discrimination against his party in favour of the ruling party regarding the holding of public meetings here tomorrow.

He told newspersons that the Deputy Commissioner here had denied permission to the Congress for holding the public meeting at Ganj Bazar on the grounds that locality was littered with debris after the devastating fire that had razed several shops to the ground on Divali, last year.

But the same venue was allotted the BJP for a public meeting to be held tomorrow where the Chief Minister would be coming.

Mr Mahajan described the administrative action as partisan and demanded that the venue be allotted to the Congress. He was also critical of the fact that almost identical timings had been allotted to both parties.

Miraculous escape for youths
From Our Correspondent

KUMARHATTI, Feb 14 — Valentine’s Day turned out to a “lucky day” for three youths who escaped unhurt when a Maruti car (DL 2CL 5676) carrying them rolled down into a deep gorge on the Kalka-Shimla road near here today.The accident took place in the morning at 4 a.m. when the driver could not negotiate a curve and the car rolled down into 120-foot gorge. But the youths miraculously escaped unhurt and sustained minor injuries.