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| Sunday, March 26, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Scientists want sanctions to go Sikhs hold protest march
Basu for revival of Third Front |
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CJI blames govt for
pendency of cases
CBI allowed custody of Dara JD (U) flays govt on price hike
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Bajrang Dal to check infiltration LUCKNOW, March 25 (UNI) — The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today said the performance of the central government in security matters was far below expectations and it had decided to take upon itself the task in a way. Dr Praveen Bhai Togadia, the international general secretary of the VHP, told reporters that the Centre’s security arrangements left a lot to be desired. He, however, did not hold any minister or particular ministry responsible for it and blamed the entire government. He said Pakistan was running a full-scale war against India through its foreign policy, and cross-border terrorism was an area in which India had to take immediate and effective measures. Although Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had announced that security was on the top of his agenda on taking oath his announcement was followed by the Kargil conflict in which the Indian government was found to be unaware of the intrusion, the VHP leader said. He said the Bajrang Dal
workshop held at Vrindavan earlier this month, had
decided to deploy Bajrang Dal activists along the
country’s border in the north, north-east,
Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat. |
Scientists want sanctions to go HYDERABAD, March 25 (PTI) — Leading Indian scientists have welcomed the signing of the agreement for setting up of an Indo-US forum for Science and Technology during President Bill Clinton’s visit but cautioned that continuing post-Pokhran sanctions is a thorn in the relationship. In a roundtable conference here, Indian scientists told the visiting American team that while the forum had "opened the door" for a number of mutually beneficial collaborations, the sanctions stood in the way of a healthy cooperation in science and technology. Washington removed 51 entities from the sanctions list just prior to Mr Clinton’s visit to India, but 149 scientific institutes and enterprises, suspected to be aiding India’s nuclear and defence efforts, continue to be in the black list. Former Science Minister M.G.K. Menon who set the tone for the Indian viewpoint said that cooperation implied mutual trust and friendship. "We have to move forward on trust and the right environment should be created for cooperative research," Mr Menon said, adding the "umbrella" sanctions that exist today "will not serve any purpose." Mr Udipi Rama Rao, a former Chairman of the Space Commission, said the sanctions imposed after India embarked on a cryogenic engine project were not really justified as they led to denial of several non-dual use technologies and even products like integrated chips. The US team led by Neal Lane, Assistant to President Bill Clinton for science and technology, preferred not to react to reference on sanctions on the plea that this is an issue between the two governments and not formed the agenda of the roundtable. Describing the roundtable discussion as "historic", Lane said the informal meeting was essentially to generate ideas about future collaborations and how to share the knowledge. Mr Mashelkar said the areas referred to by President Bill Clinton in his speech to the Indian Parliament — information technology, environment, alternative sources of energy, and health — can all form the basis of cooperation. The March 21 agreement
signed in New Delhi has called for the creation of the
forum that would be run by a 14-member governing board
representing governments, academia and industry of both
countries. |
Basu for revival of Third Front CALCUTTA, March 25 (PTI) — West Bengal Chief Minister and senior CPM politburo member Jyoti Basu today called for the revival of the Third Front by uniting the secular, democratic and Leftist forces to counter the ‘fundamentalist BJP’ and the ‘anti-people’ policies of the Vajpayee government. "We want the secular, democratic and Left forces to join hands and build up the Third Front again", Mr Basu said while addressing a Left Front rally at the brigade parade ground here. Mr Basu regretted that
some of the erstwhile Third Front partners, like the
Janata Dal, had suffered splits, but said "despite
the weaknesses, we should not feel demoralised". |
CJI blames govt for pendency of cases NAGPUR, March 25 (PTI) — Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand today held the executive solely responsible for huge pendency of cases, saying the backlog was a fallout of the shortage of judicial officers (JOs) in the country. Replying to his felicitation by high court lawyers here, Mr Justice Anand said the issue of growing void of JOs had been neglected. Expressing his displeasure over the executive apathy, he said just 12,300 JOs were manning the entire judiciary in the country, while more than 1000 posts lay vacant. He called upon members of the Bar to maintain the credibility of law and uphold the rule of law at all costs. He advised the new entrants in the legal profession to sharpen legal acumen, update their knowledge and go in for research work to face new challenges of rapidly changing technology. Mr Justice Anand also sought cooperation from the members of the Bar for effective dispensation of justice and thwarting any attempt to erode the independence of judiciary. AMRAVATI: The Chief Justice of India, Dr A.S. Anand, on Saturday disapproved of lawyers resorting to strike as a mode of protest which put litigants to hardship. The society has placed the judiciary on a high pedestal and it was the duty of lawyers to contribute to the welfare of the people, he told a lawyers’ conference here and added that if lawyers resorted to strikes, litigants were put to hardship. There were many ways to protest "the best weapon for lodging protest is reason", Dr Anand said while inaugurating the conference organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. Stressing that lawyers
were accountable to the people, Dr Anand called upon
members of the legal fraternity to set high standards of
morality. |
Rape charge against IAS officer CHENNAI, March 25 (UNI) — A teacher has filed a complaint before city police Commissioner P.Kalimuthu alleging that a senior IAS officer had raped her. The teacher, who is married and has three children, is now admitted to the government Kasturba hospital here. The victim reportedly developed urinary blockage and infection following the rape. The police said the complaint was filed on March 22 although the incident occurred on March 10 in a bungalow in the city. The teacher, who is working in a school in Thanjavur district as a postgraduate assistant, had come to the city to meet the officer in connection with her promotion. After the incident, the victim was in a state of shock and had returned to her native place. She later returned to the city to file a formal complaint before the police. Senior police officials are investigating the case. A senior officer initially involved in the investigation declined to reveal any details about the case and its present status. The CBI had filed a case
against the IAS officer earlier. He was also removed from
a major central undertaking in the city unceremoniously. |
CBI allowed custody of Dara CUTTACK, March 25 (UNI) — The Orissa High Court has granted permission to the CBI seeking production of Dara Singh in the CBI designated court at Bhubaneswar to start prosecution against him in the Graham Staines murder case. The investigating agency recently moved the High Court challenging the inaction of the District and Sessions Court, Baripada and the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) of Karanjia for not producing Dara Singh in the Bhubaneswar CBI court despite issuing production warrants. While fixing the dates for trial of the accused in six separate cases in the three courts-Sessions Court-Baripada, SDJM-Karanjia and Bhubaneswar CBI Court-Single Bench Judge Mr Justice LK Mohapatra directed them and the investigating agencies involved in the production of the cases to cooperate with each other and ensure that the trial was not hampered for non-production of the accused. In its petition, the CBI had alleged that the two trial courts at Baripada and Karanjia had failed to produce Dara Singh on the plea that his prosecution in the Bhubaneswar court would affect investigations in other cases as well. The High Court, in a six page verdict yesterday, ruled that the CBI court shall fix a date, for production of the accused in Bhubaneswar, between the first and tenth of every month in connection with the Staines murder case. The court, however, asked the CBI to make well arrangements for bringing Dara Singh to Bhubaneshwar from Baripada Circle Jail and taking him back. According to the trial
schedule, fixed by the High Court and the District and
Sessions Judge, Baripada, conducting the trial of Dara
Singh in two cases of dacoity at Godabhanga Ghatt Road
and Kendumundi weekly market, he would be produced there
between the 11th and 20th of every month. |
Cong men stage demonstration NEW DELHI, March 25 — The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers and leaders today held a demonstration at Parliament Street to protest against the hike in the prices of essential commodities. The DPCC President, Mr
Subhash Chopra, said the party would intensify the
agitation if the government did not roll back the hike in
LPG, milk and other commodities. |
NHRC directs MP to punish
guilty cops BHOPAL, March 25 — The Madhya Pradesh Police has received a serious blow with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking the state government to institute criminal cases against the policemen responsible for the death of a tea vendor, Rambhajan, alias Pappu, in November, 1997. Besides, action against jail doctors has also been recommended. The commission also directed the state government to pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation, Rs 50,000 of this immediately, to the next of kin of the deceased. The balance of the amount should be deposited in a nationalised bank for a period of three years with the provision of payment of monthly interest to the survivors. Rambhajan had incurred the wrath of the policemen for demanding payment for the tea and snacks that they had eaten at his stall. In the commotion that ensued some hot tea spilled over a constable, Mukut Singh. The police officers present made out a big issue of this, thrashed Rambhajan and his father and bundled off a bleeding Rambhajan to the Jail. A case under Sections 353, 332, 294 and 506 of the IPC was registered against Rambhajan. Deprived of treatment, he died in the jail on November 15, 1997. The commission, headed by Justice J.S. Verma, has mainly relied on the post-mortem examination report of Rambhajan and the report of the magisterial inquiry that was later held into the incident. The commission absolved Rambhajan of spilling hot tea on the constable and found as unbecoming the conduct of the policemen. The commission noted that the facts were sufficient to constitute certain penal actions against the policemen. It also recommended suitable punishment against Dr D.S. Malhotra, medical officer in-charge, and other medical officers of the jail for dereliction of duty. Death of Rambhajan could have been averted had he been given appropriate medical treatment in the jail, the commission noted. Meanwhile, Chairman of
the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC),
Justice Gulab Gupta, has observed that the lack of will
to uphold law and protect the human rights by the police
has been largely responsible for the police atrocities
and the violation of human rights. Addressing a workshop
here, he said that the MPHRC received 12,000 to 15,000
complaints every year and almost half of these related to
the police atrocities. |
Sikhs hold protest march NEW DELHI, March 25 — Religious leaders of different communities, politicians and scholars joined hands today in a protest march against the Sikh carnage at Chattisinghpura in Anantnag district in Kashmir. The march, which took out from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Gurdwara to Rashtrapati Bhavan, was organised by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). A large number of people participated the march. Besides the Sikh Sangat, various Christian missions, Muslim organisations and Dalits participated in the march, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, president of DSGMC said. He said before the march began a meeting was held at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which was attended by the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjib in Delhi and leaders of other community. Dr Jaspal Singh, a member of the DSGMC and former Ambassador to Mozambique, who was one of the members of the delegation that went to Chattisinghpura submitted his report of tragic incident and appealed to the Sikh Sangat not to lose sanity in the hour of grief. While condemning the massacre of Sikhs, the Shahi Imam of Delhi, Maulana Abdullah Bukhari, expressed his solidarity with the Sikhs. The incident confirmed the failure of the state and central governments in the valley, he said. A delegation of the Sikh leaders submitted a memorandum to the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan. RAIPUR (UNI): A near total bandh was observed in Raipur city on Saturday to protest against the massacre of 35 Sikhs by militants in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. All main markets, commercial establishments and even petrol stations were kept closed in response to the bandh called by all the gurdwaras of the city. The Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries also supported the bandh. Educational institutions functioned as usual in view of the ongoing examinations. The processionists, submitted a memorandum, addressed to President K.R. Narayanan, to the District Collector. CHENNAI (PTI): Sikh community in the city today mourned the brutal killing of 35 Sikhs at Chatti Singhpora village in Jammu and Kashmir on March 20, by holding a peaceful dharna and closing all business establishments run by the community. The Guru Nanak Sat Sangh
Sabha, which called for the observance of the day as
‘protest day’, organised the dharna close to
Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Marina. |
JD (U) flays govt on price hike NEW DELHI, March 25 (PTI) — The Janata Dal (United) today joined two other major allies of the Vajpayee government, the Telugu Desam and the Trinamool Congress, in slamming the government for the increase in prices of kerosene and LPG. JD (U) deputy leader in Parliament Devendra Prasad Yadav told reporters here that the decision would affect the common people by putting an additional burden on them. However, JD (U) President Sharad Yadav declined to comment on the hike. Opposition parties,
demanding immediately reconsideration of the decision,
have already threatened to launch protests against it. |
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