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Monday,
July 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Tribune Special Trinamool
Cong heading for split News Analysis Albright,
VP to attend meet on Kashmir Aid on
terms does little good to Pervez’s image
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Pakistani couple Nadeem Sajjad and Tayyiba Nadeem with their two-year-old daughter Noor Fatima at Bangalore airport on Saturday. They are in the city for their daughter’s heart treatment. The couple reached Delhi by the Lahore-Delhi bus on its first trip after resumption of the service. — PTI
photo
Mayawati suspends officers during surprise visit Coins to
mark 150 years of Railways Radio’s
‘Taru’ triggers reforms Child
marriages rampant in UP: survey |
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Tribune Special New Delhi, July 13 The suggestion was made during a recent high-level meeting convened at the Ministry of Home Affairs under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Union Home Minister L.K. Advani to review the security of the First Citizen of the country following intelligence reports that the threat perception was very high. Under the SPG Act only the Prime Minister, his immediate family members and former Prime Ministers are entitled to security by the elite, specialised security agency. Others who require security because of the threat perception are given security by other police and paramilitary agencies like the National Security Guard (NSG), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Delhi Police and now the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The responsibility for the security of the President has always been with the Delhi Police. But in the case of President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam things are different. Known as the architect of the country’s nuclear missile programme and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister, he has been on the hit list of several across-the-border-sponsored jehadi organisations. The intelligence agencies had recently indicated that the threat perception to him had increased and his security needed to be reviewed. In his case the security concerns have been amplified because of his propensity to break protocol in order to reach out to the people. It was precisely for this reason that the special meeting was convened earlier this month at which it was decided to equip the President’s security personnel with the latest sophisticated weapons in place of the traditional arms. It was also decided that a “jammer” vehicle to nullify signals from remote-controlled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) be made mandatory in his motorcade. It was suggested at the meeting that because of the change in circumstances, it was imperative to review and “overhaul” the security around the President, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces. |
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Trinamool
Cong heading for split Kolkata, July 13 The possible rift in the party, which Ms Banerjee herself has acknowledged, provoked her to announce that she would welcome all disappointed leaders to quit the party. The announcement was made in the wake of the call by the WBPCC (l) chief, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to ask Trinamool Congress leaders and workers to return to the Congress (l). Mr Mukherjee had made this appeal on behalf of Mrs Sonia Gandhi here yesterday. Some WBPCC (l) leaders, Mr Somen Mitra and Mr Pradip Bhattacharyya had claimed that several TMC MPs and MLAs and other leaders had shown willingness to return to the Congress. They would join the Congress shortly. But none of the leaders had elaborated anything. The TMC leaders who have publicly shown displeasure against Ms Banerjee’s leadership include her one-time close associate, Mr Sudip
Bandopadhyya, MLAs like Mr Sivdas Mukherjee, Mr Dipak Ghosh, Mr Paresh Pal, Mr Sadan
Pande, Mr Saugata Roy and Mr Tapash Roy and the Kolkata Mayor, Mr Subrata Mukherjee and some others. Mr Sivdas Mukherjee has defied Ms Banerjee’s directives on the decision of boycotting the Assembly now in session and started attending the House. Mr Dipak Ghosh sent an open letter to Ms Banerjee challenging her authority to ask the MLAs to boycott the Assembly. Mr Paresh Pal recently attended the Assembly and collected his salary ignoring Ms Banerjee’s instruction. Mr Roy, Mr Pande and the Kolkata Mayor are also unhappy about the decision of boycotting the Assembly, but they have been absenting themselves as it has been “the decision of the majority.” |
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News Analysis New Delhi, July 13 What is being trumpeted as a big concession from the BJP that the ruling party would discuss the VHP demand of bringing in a “mandir legislation” in Parliament at its national executive meeting in Raipur this week is nothing new. Strangely, the VHP leaders have gone on record saying that they had never demanded Mr Vajpayee’s resignation. The BJP has all along maintained that it was not opposed to the resolution of the Ayodhya issue through a legislation of Parliament but it does not have a majority to undertake that move at present. Party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan went on record supporting the legislation proposal. Barring a face-saver for the VHP, the BJP is not going to discuss anything new at Raipur. As a matter of fact, Mr Vajpayee has emerged stronger from the initiative taken by the Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati for resolving the Ram temple issue. Though on July 6, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) had rejected the Kanchi Seer’s proposal but the message has gone that the religious leader’s effort failed, as the Sangh
Parivar, in general, and the VHP, in particular, were unreasonable and were trying to make the position of the Prime Minister “untenable”. While Mr Vajpayee has made it clear that he had nothing to do with the Kanchi Seer’s effort, but the meetings of at least three Central ministers with the Shankaracharya in June have left no one in doubt that the entire exercise had official blessings at least. At the same time, the meetings between the Kanchi Seer and RSS chief
K.S. Sudarshan on June 30 and earlier with the VHP working president Ashok Singhal have created an impression in the public mind that the Sangh Parivar was responsible for the failure of a well-meaning effort. The RSS, which has been extending full and unstinted support to the VHP on Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura issue, has also suffered as its authority and credibility has taken a blow. Gone are the days when the RSS Sarsanghchalak’s word used to be a command for all its organisations but now Mr Sudarshan goes around fire fighting, a BJP leader said on conditions of anonymity. Mr Advani today expressed confidence at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur that “swayamsevak” Vajpayee would continue to lead the country for several years after the next Lok Sabha poll. |
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Albright, VP
to attend meet on Kashmir New Delhi, July 13 The conference, “Beyond the Blame Game: Grounds for Peace and Justice in Kashmir”, is being organised by two US-based non-governmental organisations. Sponsored by US Senator Tom Harkin and Congressman Joseph Pitts, the conference is aimed at “gaining fresh insights, deep reflection, and heartfelt commitment coupled with pragmatic action to address the Kashmir issue”, sources said. Other participants include Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, India’s Ambassador to the US Lalit Mansingh, foreign policy expert Rajmohan Gandhi, Kashmir Times Editor Ved Bhasin, Prof Stanley Walpert, Robert Oakley, Sardar Muhammad Qayyum Khan, Yousuf Buch and Dr Hameeda Bano.
— UNI |
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Aid on terms does little good to Pervez’s image New Delhi, July 13 This is what happened at Camp David on June 24 when Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf became the first leader from South Asia to meet US President George Bush at the American Presidential retreat. Pakistan going gaga over this gesture is understandable, though Islamabad would not like to be reminded of the politics-billiards analogy. Musharraf loyalists would have us believe that looking at the June 24 meeting at Camp David in this way was like calling the half full glass, half empty. General Musharraf’s glass was half empty at Camp David because of three factors, the foremost being the US refusal on sale of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan. Mr Bush announced a $ 3 billion military and economic aid package to Pakistan, a six-fold increase from the current annual amount of $ 100 million. Mr Bush publicly disagreed at Camp David on the F-16 issue saying F-16 jets would not be part of the aid package though the General pressed the President to approve the sale. It was in 1990 when the US Congress had blocked delivery of F-16s to Pakistan in view of Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Second, the aid was given with strings attached — it was tied to an annual review of Pakistan’s
(i) cooperation in the war on terrorism (ii) control of the spread of nuclear weapons and (iii) steps towards democracy. This was downright humiliating. The fundamentalists within Pakistan condemned General Musharraf for taking dole from the Americans and described him as a “stooge” of the West. Finally, the Osama ghost cast its shadow on the talks. President Bush’s unhappiness with rogue elements within the Pakistan army and the ISI, who have been covertly helping
Al-Qaida and Taliban cadres is no secret. He conveyed this in unambiguous terms to general Musharraf. Just when the general was winding up his 18-day visit to the USA and three European countries with his press conference at Paris, four Sunni fanatics stormed a Shia mosque in Quetta on July 4 and gunned down more than 40 worshippers and injured 50. The ISI and other Pakistani intelligence agencies have often been accused of carrying out such activities to strengthen the hands of the Army vis-a-vis civilians. Could it not be that these agencies themselves committed these killings to blackmail the USA and the West to fully support the Army to deal with religious terrorism? According to Pakistan’s prominent religious leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed, of the American aid which would be available to Pakistan, $10 million would be spent on “straightening up”
madarsas. A Pakistani commentator told BBC (Urdu) that General Musharraf personally deserved 9 out of 10 marks for the success of his foreign tour, but Pakistan would get only 2 out of 10. According to him, except the promise of $ 3 billion from the USA, General Musharraf didn’t get much financial help. Politically, he failed to persuade the host countries to act as intermediaries between India and Pakistan. |
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Decision on Noor’s surgery today
Bangalore, July 13 “I will be examining her tomorrow. We will then decide when the operation will be conducted,” Dr Rajesh Sharma, paediatric cardiac surgeon at Narayana Hrudayalaya here, told IANS today. “She reached very late last night so I could not examine her,” Dr Sharma said. Little Noor, who is from Pakistan, arrived here with her father Nadeem Sajjad and mother Tayyaba Nadeem via New Delhi late Saturday. Surgeons at the hospital, who conduct four or five surgeries, do not work on Sundays. Sajjad had said soon after arrival that Noor’s operation was scheduled for Monday. “They have been corresponding with me over e-mail for sometime. But I suggested that they come here when the child gets a little older,” Dr Sharma said. The Sajjads arrived from New Delhi in the glare of television camera lights. “When facilities are nearby why should we go far away,” Sajjad said, when asked what made the family choose India for the treatment. The Sajjads were driven from the airport to the cardiac hospital that has treated a large number of children from neighbouring countries because it has paediatric cardiac surgery. Doctors at Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi referred Noor’s case to the hospital here, Sajjad said. “We have been trying to come here for the past six months but even the flights via Dubai were booked heavily and we could not get tickets,” Sajjad said.
— IANS |
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Mayawati suspends officers during surprise visit
Lucknow, July 13 Ms Mayawati conducted an on-the-spot inspection of developmental works as well as the law and order situation in six districts — Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Auraiyya, Kanpur Dehat and Kanpur city of the division. Apart from the DM and SP of Kannauj, the District Panchayati Raj Officer (DPRO) and Executive Engineer (Electricity) there were also suspended. The DM and SP of Kanpur Dehat were transferred and awarded adverse entries. The Chief Minister also ordered that they should not be given charge of any district. She ordered the suspension of former CDO and DPRO of Etawah, Executive Engineer (Electricity) of Kanpur city, former Executive Engineer (Electricity) of Auraiyya and Executive Officer of Nagar Panchayat in Farrukhabad. However, she lauded the efforts of the DM, Auraiyya and the DM, Kanpur city, for implementation of development projects. Ms Mayawati warned the officers that if pending developmental works were not completed within a month and their quality not maintained, stern action would be taken against them. She said after a month, developmental works, resolution of people’s problems and law and order would be reviewed afresh. Earlier, she dedicated to the people the newly constructed Collectorate Bhavan and Police Lines in Kannauj and laid the foundation stone of a residential campus for the employees. “Today I am suspending only 10 officials... If the officials do not change their working style the number will be much more next time,” Ms Mayawati said. Addressing a public meeting, she said she did not believe in merely making announcements and “I am visiting villages, interacting with people to personally see whether developmental works are being carried out in the villages”.
— PTI |
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Coins to mark 150 years of Railways New Delhi, July 13 The coins will carry the impression of the permanent official mascot of Indian Railways, ‘Bholu -the guard’. Conceptualised by the National Institute of Design in consultation with the Railway Ministry, ‘Bholu’ was approved by Mr Nitish Kumar last year. Sources said the Railway Ministry proposed the mascot for the coins to the Finance Ministry after getting a favourable response from the Finance Minister. Sources in Rail Bhavan said former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha had never acknowledged the Railway Minister’s letter on this matter. The two-rupee coin will be the size of a normal coin while the Rs-100 coin will be bigger. Coin collectors will have the option to place orders for the Rs-100 coin from the mint after January. |
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Radio’s ‘Taru’ triggers reforms
New Delhi, July 13 Following the broadcast of radio soap “Tinka Tinka Sukh”, the percentage of girls enrolled in the primary school in village Lutsan, near Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, went up from 10 to 50 over a period of one year, said Dr Arvind Singhal, Professor at the School of Communication Studies, Ohio University, who conducted a research on Communication Strategies for Reproductive and Child Health in the village. Dr Singhal, who had been working in collaboration with All India Radio (AIR) for his research, said as part of the “pre-broadcast publicity”, AIR introduced a scheme of inviting listeners to become registered listeners of a particular soap by sending their names. The village tailor of Lutsan, Virendra Singh, who was an avid radio listener, became a registered listener of “Tinka Tinka Sukh” and it was he who encouraged the formation of groups in the village which listened to the soap regularly. The soap revolutionised the thinking of the villagers, who not only started sending the girl children to school but also sent a joint declaration to AIR saying that they, as a community, had decided to oppose dowry marriages. For making such communication strategies effective, media like the radio can provide the “air cover” while the “ground support” can be provided by voluntary organisations working among the villagers and enjoying their trust and confidence, Dr Singhal said. In this respect, he cited the example of another television soap opera “Taru” which had tremendous impact in villages of Bihar. Non-governmental organisation “Janani”, working in the field of family welfare in Bihar and Jharkhand, helped AIR with the pre-broadcast publicity of “Taru” by organising fairs, cultural programmes and contests, sticking posters at strategic places and word-of-mouth publicity. Taru, the female protagonist of the soap, and Neha, another character, found ardent admirers in young girls who idolised them. Inspired by them, girls in one village in the Vaishali district of north Bihar, many of whom had stopped studying after Class VIII, persuaded their parents to send them to school again, albeit now with their brothers as escorts. They also started a school by the side of the village well for the Dalit children. Many villages in and around Indore benefited from another television soap opera ‘’Ujala’’ aired by AIR. The programme, which was put together by non-governmental organisation Population Foundation of India (PFI) with the help of a popular commercial radio broadcaster of the region, Ms Roshan Benjamin Khan, was provided “ground support” by the Bharatiya Gramin Mahila Sangh (BGMS).
— UNI |
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Child marriages rampant in UP: survey Lucknow, July 13 According to a survey carried out by a Delhi-based firm for the State Innovation in Family Planning Services Project Agency
(SIFPSA), the Bundelkhand region bordering Madhya Pradesh tops the list of areas where girls are married off before the age of 18. Lalitpur district recorded the highest percentage of such cases. A staggering 83.8 per cent of the girls married before the legal age set by law. Mahoba followed closely with 83 per cent, while in Banda, the figure worked out to be 71.6 per cent. In Jalaun it was 60.4 per cent. The survey points out that in western UP the problem is not so alarming as compared to ‘Poorvanchal’ or eastern UP. The percentage of minor girls’ marriage in
Bahraich, Basti and Gonda is an alarming 78.6, 77 and 71.2 per cent, respectively. The figures, though, drop to 21.2 per cent in
Muzzafarnagar, 19.3 per cent in Ghaziabad and 14.4 per cent in Meerut. The difference between child marriage ratio in Kanpur Nagar (city) and Kanpur Dehat (rural) point that less girls are married off in urban areas as compared to rural areas. In Kanpur Dehat the figure stood at 32.5 per cent, while in the Nagar area it was a mere 5.6 per cent. A city police official lamented that often investigating officer and the accused find out loopholes in the law to wriggle out of situations when such marriages come to the notice of the authorities.
— UNI |
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