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January 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Make Pak use N-arms for deterrence: analyst VP for diplomatic pressure on Pak Blairs cast spell on AP village
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Bharat Shah to face trial tomorrow Ayurveda research
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Make Pak use N-arms for deterrence: analyst New Delhi, January 6 Instead of threatening to use its nuclear weapons as an “ultimate tool of terror by a desperate military leadership, Pakistan should be encouraged to use its nukes as a tool of deterrence,” Commodore C Uday Bhaskar, Deputy Director, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, said here today. Pakistan remains a distinct Nuclear Weapons State, in that it has used its capability not only to project it as a means of achieving conventional military parity with India but has also used it to escalate its low-intensity conflict against New Delhi, he said. Much of the fears in the international community stem from the threat that nukes could be used as sheer act of desperation by an isolated army or could be acquired by a “righteously” demented but determined non-state actor or similar rogue elements within the Pakistani army. To make it act as a responsible WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) capable state, the international community should play a significant role in prevailing upon Islamabad to “play by the rules that nuclear weapons be only used for deterrence,” he said. The accepted norm for nuclear weapons the world over is that these are political weapons of deterrence and a country reserves the right to use them in case its core national interests are threatened. Core national interests, according to Bhaskar, are threat to a country’s territorial integrity. Unlike Pakistan, India, despite its claims over PoK, is not trying to take it over by use of force, he pointed out. Thus, in order to impart stability to the Indo-Pakistan nuclear equation, as Bhaskar called it, “the international community should politically and strategically prevail upon Pakistan to perceive its nukes as an “enabling capability imparting confidence” and draw a commitment that they would be used to protect Islamabad’s sovereign interests. “Pakistan’s determination to resolve the Kashmir issue by military means, ranging from abetting low-intensity conflict to invoking its nuclear weapons capability, is at the core of the current
instability paradigm. “Its revisionist stance, in which nuclear capability is perceived as the biggest “gun” for effecting a favourable military
asymmetry, needs to be firmly addressed,” he underlined drawing a comparison with the Sino-Indian nuclear equation which was considered to be “manageable”, despite a host of constraints between the two countries.
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VP for diplomatic pressure on Pak Allahabad, January 6 “The diplomatic offensive, along with military preparedness, should be pursued vigorously against Pakistan to force it to stop providing moral and logistic support to the terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir,” he told reporters here. Stating that the entire country was united behind the government in the fight against terrorism, Mr V.P. Singh said: “The intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan in the wake of last month’s terrorist attack on the Parliament building should be utilised to eliminate terrorism from our soil.” Ruling out the possibility of an Indo-Pak war, the former Prime Minister said the nuclear capability of both the countries would act as a deterrent. “Besides, the USA, which has a considerable military presence in Pakistan and in the Arabian sea, will not allow Islamabad to fight a full-fledged war with India.” Criticising the Centre for accepting the provisions of the WTO in toto, Mr V.P. Singh said: “The blind acceptance of the WTO regime would jeopardise the country’s economic well being.” He said the Lok Morcha would launch a mass awareness programme against the long-term impact of the WTO on the Indian economy. He said the country did not require laws like POTO to combat terrorism. Stating that corruption in defence deals was far more dangerous than terrorism as it could threaten the very existence of the nation, the former Prime Minister said those found guilty of indulging in corruption in defence deals should be tried for treason and awarded death sentence.
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Blairs cast spell on AP village Vattam (AP), January 6 The visitors, accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, kept date with rural rendezvous at this village in Mahboobnagar district to have a first-hand account of the UK-funded welfare schemes under the Department for International Development (DFID) in the fields of education, poverty alleviation and power infrastructure. Villagers wearing the Union Jack and Indian
Tricolor in unison welcomed the Blairs when they landed at a special helipad. The guests waved back and drove to the nearby venue. Elaborate security arrangements were made by the police in tandem with Keith I low of the Scotland Yard while close-circuit television sets were placed at helipad and other places the Blairs were scheduled to visit during their sojourn. The Blairs first visited an upper primary school, funded by the DFID, where they were accorded a ceremonial welcome and witnessed a “class-in-progress,” followed by an appraisal of watershed programme, aimed at raising the water table, the success stories of self help groups and an exhibition of handicrafts, sarees and food items from across the state. The villagers had a close glimpse of every movement of the Blairs through CCTVs and were elated at the arrangement which erased the proximity bar, adding a new dimension to the rural face of Vattam. The classrooms were decked up to attract the attention of the couple. After going round the classrooms, which were trim and tidy with neat furniture, ceiling fans and smartly dressed students, the Blairs, along with Mr Naidu, took their allotted seats on a specially erected stage facing children, parents, teachers and officials. The British premier and his wife also examined a model watershed with a rural backdrop. They were told about the functioning of watersheds, how checkdams were built, water conserved, ground moisture improved, to bring up the water table in this rain-fed drought-prone area. Next to the watershed was placed a traditional handloom and the guests were explained how it was used in weaving sarees with intricate designs and a combination of vibrant colours. Later, the Blairs stepped into a photo exhibition enclosure on various welfare schemes besides a livelihood improvement stall where they were explained about the implementation of various schemes aimed at poverty alleviation. Having a close brush with the real face of rural
India, the Blairs next came in touch with various self help groups (SHG) whose representatives narrated how the
SHG movement had improved their lifestyle and standard of living. At the fag end of their sojourn, the Blairs visited an exhibition of handicrafts, sarees, wallets and show pieces carved by bamboo, leather and other material moulded by women’s groups across the state under Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) scheme. Rounding off the trip, the Blairs left for the helipad, leaving an impression of grace and tenderness on the villagers, and flew to Hyderabad.
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Bharat Shah to face trial tomorrow Mumbai, January 6 Designated judge A.P. Bhangale has directed the police to produce the accused before him on January 8 and asked the prosecution to open its case against each accused on that day. The prosecution would inform the court what evidence it had gathered against each accused and the latter would get an opportunity to submit counter-arguments in support of his defence, public prosecutor Rohini Salian said. After hearing both sides, the court will form an opinion whether there is any substance to proceed against the accused. Accordingly, it may frame charges against them or discharge them. Only after this step, the prosecution may begin examining witnesses to record evidence. Leading film personalities, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, Rakesh Roshan, Mahesh Manjrekar and Mansoor Siddiqui figure among the 50-odd witnesses in this case. However, the prosecution is yet to finalise its list of witnesses whom it desires to examine. The prosecution is relying upon taperecorded telephonic conversations between Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel and Shah, producer of film “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke”, Nasim Rizvi and his assistant, which reveal that the movie was made at the instance of the underworld. The police has also recorded telephonic talks between Shakeel and actor Sanjay Dutt. These talks form part of the 1,800-page charge sheet filed by the police in the court set up under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Some witnesses have given statement to the police on the alleged nexus of the underworld with Bollywood.
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Ayurveda research
centre on cards New Delhi, January 6 A decision regarding this was taken at a meeting between Union Health Minister Dr C.P. Thakur and Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala here last evening. Dr Thakur also assured the Chief Minister that a hospital for providing medical facilities to the senior citizens would also be set up at Panchkula. On the request of the Haryana Government for setting up of trauma centres at Sirsa on Delhi-Bathinda national highway and near Rewari on Delhi-Jaipur national highway, the Union Health Minister also agreed to open another trauma centre in Haryana. Dr Thakur also agreed to cover the remaining 14 districts of the state under the National Tuberculosis Eradication Programme. At present, five districts of the state are being covered under the programme. |
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