 |
| Monday, February
26, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
|
Ceasefire in NE under consideration: Advani Indian doctor complains of racial bias UP poll: BSP biggest gainer Laden wants
Kashmir as ‘terrorism capital’ |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dawood-Pak nexus comes to fore Living under shadow of tremors Daler’s painting fetches Rs 1 lakh Paswan launches party’s TN unit
Vivan Bhatena is Mr India Stars’ temper tantrums not new 93 new faces on LF list Juice vendor’s nostalgic meeting
with PM 4 poachers held, tiger heads seized CBI digest on cyber crime Stones thrown at MP, hurt Karunanidhi’s son to contest poll
|
|
Ceasefire in NE under consideration: Advani Kohima, February 25 “The expansion of ceasefire coverage to other areas (in the north-east) is being actively considered by the Home Ministry,” Mr Advani told reporters while summing up his two-day visit to Nagaland. The Home Minister said under the three-pronged strategy, development activities in the region were being given top priority and implementation of development schemes were being monitored by both the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) after announcement of an economic package by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Shillong conference last year. The Prime Minister at a conference of Governors and Chief Ministers of north eastern states last year had announced an economic package worth over Rs 10,000 crore for the physical and social infrastructure development of the region. The Home Minister said the Centre was very much concerned about both the security aspects and development needs of the north-east. Further detailing about the development strategy, Union Home Minister L.K Advani said the centre had asked the states to deal firmly with the militants who have been continuously mounting disturbances in the region. Lastly, the militant groups who want to shun violence and are willing to come to the negotiating table, should be welcomed, he said. Stating that problems in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-east are quite different, he pointed out “there cannot be a uniform approach to deal with the two situations.” Kashmir problem, he said is a case of “state-sponsored terrorism from across the western neighbour.” When asked about the government strategy towards flushing out north-east militants from the neighbouring countries, Mr Advani said necessary assistance and cooperation were being sought from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar in this respect. When asked why the Centre failed to impose President’s rule in strife-torn Manipur, the Home Minister pointed out the government did not have necessary support from the main opposition party (Congress). But he hoped the new government in Manipur would effectively contain militancy in the state.
PTI |
|
Indian doctor complains of racial bias New Delhi, February 25 Ms Mahajan said Dr Vaishali Mona Verma, Convener, Australian Chapter of the Indian Medical Association, had complained about breach of legal and professional rights by the Australian Government and the Australian High Commissioner to India. In her complaint, the doctor said that in May, 1998, the Queensland police, had asked her to certify an aboriginal woman as insane which she had declined. She reported the issue to the Medical Board of Queensland. She took up another job with a medical locum service and returned to India after her father fell ill. Dr Verma said she had not been treated fairly when she approached the Australian High Commission for going to Australia again. |
|
Lucknow, February 25 Even though Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed optimism over the results of the byelections in the state, the
BSP appears to be a force to reckon with in the next Assembly elections in the state. While the Chief Minister may take solace from the fact that the
BJP has been able to retain the Sarsawa seat, he failed to wrest the Assembly seat from the sp despite fielding a Yadav, Ajai, the son of the
SP MP Balram Singh Yadav. Mr Rajnath Singh, during election campaign in Bharthana, had promised to make Ajai Yadav a minister if he won the seat, considered to be a bastion of sp supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Despite extensive campaigning in Bharthana, the
BJP finished third behind the bsp, which threatens to destabilise the
SP apple cart in the state. Even in Siwalkhas, BJP's vote share remained miserably low and it finished third in the constituency considered to be the stronghold of former Union Minister Ajit Singh of the Lok Dal. While the sp was able to retain the Bharthana Assembly seat, it failed to register its presence in the other two constituencies giving a serious jolt to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ambition to form the next government in the state on his own.
PTI Laden wants
Kashmir as ‘terrorism capital’ Patna, February 25 Interestingly enough, the revelations to the intelligence agencies did not come through the Lashkar-e-Toiba agent that the Delhi police nabbed in connection with the Red Fort blast case but through the concerted effort in Kathmandu in the wake of Hrithik controversy that had struck the Himalayan kingdom recently. Most of the facts about the Laden plan came through the information collected from the Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu. ‘The Tribune’ had reported earlier about the role of Pak Embassy in managing anti-Indian activities. The report had informed about the arrest of Khalistan Commando Force terrorist Lakhbari and two international smugglers, Noor Muhammad and Abdul Khalil, who had revealed to the interrogating agencies that Pakistani envoys at Kathmandu, Arshad, First Sectretary and Aizaj, a councillor were entrusted with the task of sending RDX and fake notes to India. The central intelligence agencies have cautioned afresh the Bihar police to enhance vigil along its long and porous Nepal and Bangladesh borders to nab the Laden recruits. The intelligence has warned that Laden is pumping huge money to Pak-based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Dhaka-based outfit Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami asking them to recruit and train Muslim youth so that they could fight the war on behalf of Laden in Kashmir. The new recruits are said to be getting training in hardcore Islamic ‘jehad’ mould, on the line of LTTE suicide squads. The intelligence report says that around 1000 recruits have been selected for training in the Kormi and Kasia areas of Bangladesh. 
|
|
Dawood-Pak nexus comes to fore Patna, February 25 The ongoing war between Dawood and Jamim Shah, the owner of the ‘Space Times’ media group and the role of the Pakistani Embassy as the mediator between the two has exposed the nexus and has proven right the charges that Nepal is being used as the launch pad of anti-Indian propaganda orchestrated by the ISI. The Dawood-Shah ties are strained and now Dawood wants to eliminate him. It is believed that Shah happened to be for long the right hand man of Dawood in Nepal and he managed the business as well as the gang interests. He was promoted by Dawood who is popularly known here as the South Asian Don (SAD). Shah also happens to be very close to the Pakistan Embassy, being the son of a very renowned bureaucrat. Of late Shah has drawn the wrath of Dawood as he reportedly failed to cough up Rs 25 crore that the don asked him to pay. Sources say that there are some outstanding disputes between the two over the sharing of property. Shah was instrumental in managing the ‘Hrithik controversy’ recently in Nepal for Dawood and it was with the money of Dawood that Shah created the media empire in Kathmandu. Once again, the Pakistani Embassy has come up actively in working out a truce between Dawood and Shah. It is said that it is owing to pressure from the Pakistani Embassy that Dawood has not so far resorted to large-scale gang war in Kathmandu and has spared Shah’s life. Pakistan does not want any more violence in Nepal for the time being and a gang war and shootout would naturally force the Nepal Government to act against the Pakistani intruders and specially the ISI. Also, Shah probably suits more to Pakistani Embassy people at present in their scheme of things against India. Living under shadow of tremors Anjar, February 25 As Lauji talks about the tragic incident, others second his words. Wrinkled face, Poppat Bhai, another survivor of the 1956 earthquake recalls how old Anjar town with few hundred houses was battered to ground then. The late Lal Bahadur Shastri had visited the place and rehabilitated the victims outside the collapsed old Anjar town. The nature, has indeed been ruthless. On January 26, 2001, hundreds of houses in the same old Anjar city were flattened to the ground by the devastating earthquake killing thousands of people. Locals say around 300 bodies still lie burried under the debris. But this time the loss of men and material has been immense. Poppat Bahji says thousands of artisans involved in block printing and embroidery, mirror and wood work in the area have lost men and material. The handicrafts of the Anjar taluka had a good market in the country and abroad. It may take several months for the revival of the art of the ‘kutchies’. Another survivor of the month-old tragedy, Trambak Ji Rathore says a number of people who had shifted out of the old Anjar town in 1956 had survived the Republic Day tremors. A number of aged in the town having twice seen the town being reduced to debris do not want to settle at the same place and seek relocation of the survivors at a new site. They have a point as the removal of the debris of the collapsed houses is expected to take months.
Daler’s painting fetches Rs 1 lakh New Delhi, February 25 The crooner tried his hand at painting at an on-the-spot painting competition for schoolchildren organised here by Aadharshila Vidyapeeth School, where he was invited as the chief guest. Daler first painted scenes of prosperity and then contrasted them with scenes of devastation of the Gujarat quake. Mr Vijay Goel, MP lent him a helping hand on the canvas. When reporters asked him from whom had he learnt the art of painting, he said in a lighter vein that Mr Goel was his guru. The canvas painted by the celebrity was later auctioned and it was sold at a price of Rs 1 lakh.
UNI |
|
Paswan launches party’s TN unit Chennai, February 25 Addressing a rally here last night, Mr Paswan said he had decided to float the party as the present political parties were offering only lip service to the downtrodden and the oppressed sections of the society. The Ljs would strive to provide a society in which all sections would be treated equally and with this aim the party had decided to have an
SC, a BC, an uppercaste, a woman and a minority member as the party’s office-bearers in all units in the country, he said. Mr Paswan said his party would not accept Mr Viswa Hindu Parishad’s programme of the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Only a court verdict could solve the issue, he said. The party would oppose the Common Civil Code and abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution according special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Centre had decided to hike the reservation in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies to Dalits from the present 22.5 per cent to 25 per cent as their population had grown. Mr Paswan said in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the ljs would not seek any seats from the
NDA. However, if state office-bearers, whose names would be announced within two or three day’s time, wanted to field party candidates, they were free to do so, he said.
PTI |
|
Kolkata, February 25 This year’s Mr India is Vivan Bhatena from Mumbai who earlier stuttered over a question on whether India was a true democracy but confidently answered when asked to comment on whether money plays an important role in love. The people who live in it (India) may not be that democratic and the way it is governed may not be democratic,” said Bhatena, pausing for a long time, before adding, “but it is a democracy.” The Grasim Mr India contest concluded late last night before a packed audience of more than 12,000 at Netaji Indoor Stadium here. The question was asked by the former Maharani of Jaipur, Rajmata Gayatri Devi, one of the 10 judges for the event. Other judges were popular fashion designer Suneet Varma, television actress Neena Gupta, former Miss World Yukta Mookhey and current Miss India Celina Jaitley. But Bhatena came back strongly in the final round of questions and said material gifts were immaterial in true love. The runners up were Savio Bruto Da Costa, again from Mumbai, in second place and Kanwaljeet Singh Anand from Vadodara in third position. The age and other details of the winners are expected to be announced later by organisers, Grasim Industries, a Rs 3.3 billion blue chip company that is part of the Rs 160 billion Aditya Birla Group. The male pageant started in 1993 as “Adonis-Man of the Year.” The next year, it was named “Grasim Mr India.” Earlier, contestants strode on the pith and wood stage built to resemble a diamond mine, which had an artificial crystal train. In glittering green, sepia and aquamarine shirts and jackets, the contestants cat-walked on the stage, occasionally performing little jigs, waving and throwing kisses at the audience. They introduced themselves saying everything from, “As a person I am unbreakable with a constant smile,” “This is the voice of the youth, this is the voice of the future,” “Aim for the stars, and even if you reach the moon, you will still be out of this world.” They were grilled by the judges with questions like, “What would you do if the person you love the most plots to sabotage your career?” To which contestant Vikramaditya Shukla answered, “I would surely dump the girl because my career is more important than my love life.” One contestant also said Hamlet was a “nice part with a little bit of happiness” in response to a question on their favourite play character, while another said he would like to paint India’s former Miss World and current Bollywood heartthrob Aishwarya Rai as Mona Lisa. The event also saw performances by actress Urmila Matondkar dancing to the tunes of hit songs and pop singer Lucky Ali. Most singers like Ali, and upcoming Hindi film playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan, however, lip-synchronized with backup tapes of their songs, preferring to dance instead. The crowning of each contestant saw missiles of confetti burst over the winners as they held high golden pedestals and wore golden sashes. Mr India gets Rs 300,000 as prize money while the runner-ups get Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.
Stars’ temper tantrums not new Mumbai, February 25 “The rich are not like us,” says Sub-Inspector Shashank Kamble (name changed) who picks up the telephone at the D.N. Nagar police station in the neighborhood in which Pooja’s apartment block is located. Temper tantrums by film people are not new to Kamble, like all cops posted in Mumbai’s upmarket suburbs such as the Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme, the Lokhandwala complex and Yari Road, which is home to a number of stars. “We know a lot more details about the movie stars than what appears in Stardust (film magazine),” laughs Kamble when asked about movie stars’ escapades. Episodes such as love affairs gone sour, incidents of wife beating, assault and battery and drinking binges on streets, the cops have seen it all, though they will say nothing on record. A little nudging reveals salacious details about Bollywood’s beefy hunks who can’t digest flops, they add. A blockbuster drawing poor initials was reason enough for one film star to damage a producer’s brand new Mercedes SEL car. Another star son’s idea of relieving stress was to fire his automatic rifle at his private shooting range. In November, police personnel posted at Lokhandwala Complex increased their patrolling duties after actor Salman Khan threw tantrums outside the home of actress Aishwariya Rai. Though the duo made up afterwards, neighbours filed no police complaints. “Residents often phone at night to complain about film actors disturbing the peace at night,” a Juhu police station official told IANS. He, however, said a strict warning and a threat of imprisonment invariably works on the offenders. “Even if they threaten us they are quick to apologise the following day,” the police official said. On Friday, actress-cum-model Pooja Batra and her brother Chetan were arrested for assaulting Santosh Marathe, a postman. According to the police, Marathe, rang the bell at Pooja’s flat to deliver a registered letter. He, however, refused to give the letter to Chetan who opened the door, citing postal department rules. Since the letter was addressed to Pooja Batra, Marathe asked for her. This enraged Chetan who got into an argument with the postman. Pooja came out to see what the commotion was all about, joined the quarrel, and both ended beating Marathe up badly, the police said. In the ensuing scuffle, Marathe sustained head injuries. He left the building and went straight to the D.N. Nagar police station to file a complaint against the brother-sister duo. He was then sent to the city’s Cooper Hospital where he received six stitches. On the basis of the complaint and the medical report, the police arrested Pooja and Chetan, who were subsequently released on bail after paying up Rs 950 each.
|
|
Kolkata, February 25 Controversial CPM leader and Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty has been nominated from his old constituency, Belgachhia East. Of the new candidates, 70 are from the CPM, 11 from the Forward Bloc, six from the RSP, five from the CPI and one from the RCPI, Front chairman Sailen Dasgupta told newsmen after releasing the list. There were 61 new nominations in the Front during the last elections. Labour Minister Santi Ghatak and Minister for Cottage and Small-scale Industries Pralay Talukdar (both CPM), besides Irrigation Minister Debabrata Bandopadhyay (RSP) and Minister for Cooperation Bhakti Bhusan Mandal (FB) had not been given nomination on grounds of health, Mr Dasgupta said. Candidates for 12 seats had not been announced. Of this, four would be reserved for Front “associates” like the Janata Dal, while nominations to the remaining eight seats would be decided at a Front meeting later, he said. Expressing confidence that the induction of new candidates would not affect the Front’s prospects in the poll, CPM Politburo member Biman Bose said new faces had been brought in “to provide a new leadership under Buddhadev Bhattacharjee” after the elections. Asked about reports that a section of CPM supporters were trying to ensure the defeat of Mr Bhattacharjee in Jadavpur, Mr Dasgupta said such a conspiracy had been hatched outside the CPM. “But we are prepared to face it,” he said. Of the 282 candidates announced today, only 29 are women. These include 27 from the CPM and one each from the Forward Bloc and the RSP. To a question, Mr Dasgupta said so far nine members of various district committees of the CPM had resigned. Of these, five were from the Kolkata, three from South 24-Parganas and one from Nadia. CPM state secretary Anil Biswas said the party had decided to cancel the membership of DC members who had submitted their resignation and joined new parties. A decision about former South 24-Parganas district secretary Samir Putatunda would, however, be taken by the state committee after he replied to a letter by the present DCS Abul Basar seeking ‘certain informations.’
PTI |
|
Juice vendor’s nostalgic meeting
with PM New Delhi, February 25 Therefore, when the fruit juice vendor met Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee this morning, it was a nostalgic meeting where the two reminisced of days when Mr Vajpayee used to frequent Connaught Circus for a refreshing fruit drink. Mr Vajpayee reciprocated the wishes of good health that Chankanda wished him, and then patiently heard the fruit vendor tell him about problems facing his nephew. Later, the vendor told newspersons that he had been confident of meeting Mr Vajpayee as he had immense faith in his client whom he was meeting after 18 years. Chankanda Ram wished Mr Vajpayee a healthy and long life so that he could bring peace and prosperity to the nation.
UNI |
|
4 poachers held, tiger heads seized Lucknow, February 25 Additional Director-General (Law and Order)
R. K. Pandit told reporters here that the gang was operating in and around Dudhwa National Park for the past six years and had so far killed 600 protected animals, including tigers, deer and birds. The arrested persons — Prem Kumar, Daulat, Siya Ram and Chiddu — were from Palia police station area of Lakhimpur Kheri district, he said. Four others, including one from Nepal, were still at large.
PTI |
|
CBI digest on cyber crime New Delhi, February 25 The contents of the eight-page digest is compiled by the newly set up Cyber Crime Research and Development Unit (CCRDU) of the CBI, which maintains close liaison with international agencies like the FBI, Interpol headquarters and other foreign police agencies to share skills and techniques in investigating cyber crimes. According to CBI Director R.K. Raghavan, the digest is intended to promote awareness among the police officers about the computer-related crimes and investigation of the same. The CBI has already taken measures to act as a storehouse of information on cyber crime. It will disseminate its expertise in this field to the other law enforcement agencies in India and to other countries. The CBI is imparting training to its staff and also to state police forces. |
|
Stones thrown at MP, hurt Thiruvallur, February 25 According to the police, the glasspanes of his car were damaged in the stone-throwing. One person was killed and five injured yesterday when the police opened fire to disperse a mob which resisted the attempts of an Electricity Board vigilance team to inspect some power lines following complaints of power theft by powerloom weavers.
UNI |
|
Karunanidhi’s son to contest poll Madurai, February 25 Mr Alagiri, however, did not disclose whether he would contest on a DMK ticket. He had been charged by the DMK leadership with indulging in anti-party activities and DMK General Secretary K. Anbazhagan had even directed his partymen to sever contacts with the Chief Minister’s son. Addressing a function organised by the Alagiri Eluchi Pasarai, a youth brigade named after him here, he said he had been betrayed by the very people whom he had helped obtain various posts. “Those people asked me to apologise to Mr Karunanidhi for no fault of mine,’’ he said.
UNI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Kohima, February 25
