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October
7, 2003,
Chandigarh, India
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BATTLELINES DRAWN New Delhi, October 6 Conceding that it was very difficult to have electoral rolls of the same standard in Delhi as in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Mr Lyngdoh pointed out that the Election Commission had provided two copies each of both the draft and the final electoral rolls to all political parties. “We had provided copies of draft electoral rolls long back, but the complaints are still continuing...even the matter has gone to the court,” Mr Lyngdoh said, adding curtly that “It is very much the duty of political parties and prospective candidates to vet electoral rolls and point out any discrepancies promptly.” “Political parties in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had been very vigilant (about discrepancies in electoral rolls) while in Delhi they have been sleeping,” Mr Lyngdoh said, without naming any political party. He also tried to highlight the hardship the Delhi Election Commission was facing due to shortage of staff: “There are lots of Deputy Commissioners in Delhi, but they have very little staff and authority. The Election Commission has done the best in Delhi under the situation.” In Delhi, Mr Lyngdoh said, scrutiny of rolls was taken up by deputing teams from the commission to different assembly constituencies from where complaints had emerged. In August-September, special observers, mostly IAS officers posted with the Central government, were drafted to assist the commission in supervising the scrutiny of electoral rolls and electronic photo identity card programme in Delhi, Mr Lyngdoh disclosed. A shrill note had been set for the campaigning in the national Capital with allegations flying thick and fast over irregularities in electoral rolls. The BJP has been harping on the existence of over 10 lakh bogus voters. It has contended that there are names which are registered in more than two places. The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, Mr Arun Goyal, has taken the stand that intensive revision of electoral rolls was carried out in September-October 2001. During the intensive revision, house-to-house verification was undertaken. Based on this house-to-house survey and after inviting claims and objections, the number of electors in the Capital had come down from 88.56 lakh to 81.77 lakh. |
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EC sets the ball rolling, parties go into a New Delhi, October 6 Soon after the announcement, political leaders hurriedly called up their strategists and discussed their plans in detail. Particular attention was being paid to the preparation of poll manifestos. The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, was quick to react to the announcement of the date and confidently claimed that the Delhi Congress was fully prepared to face the electorate. Development in the past five years of Congress rule would be the main focus in their campaign. The Delhi BJP, however, plans to make corruption, particularly in power privatisation, as its main election issue. The leaders indicated that their allegations had been borne out by the recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which has raised certain crucial questions about the deal. Party insiders said that the Delhi BJP was going to corner the Congress at its own game, which had used the corruption plank to win elections in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The argument is that if the plank has worked for the Congress, it should work for the BJP as well. Full statehood for Delhi and lack of civic amenities would at best remain side issues, according to those who claim to be in the know of things. However, the Delhi Congress leadership was not unduly worried, contending that Delhiites were more aware and better informed than their counterparts in other states. In any case, they claimed, the Chief Minister had effectively countered all points raised in the CAG report. The process of privatisation was absolutely transparent. Corruption, they claimed, had in fact come down in the past five years and some of the major scams, particularly the one in the Delhi Development Authority, had exposed the graft in departments which were not under the administrative control of the Delhi Government, thanks to the limited statehood it enjoys. |
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Emergency
meeting of MCD on dengue convened New Delhi, October 6 While addressing a meeting of the house, Mr Ram Babu Sharma directed the Municipal Commissioner to make proper arrangements for the treatment of dengue in the Capital and take strict action against the municipal officials if they did not work honestly to control the deadly fever. It is the duty of the corporation to drain out the stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, he pointed out. Endorsing the statement of an opposition member that thousands of tonnes of garbage was lying in Shalimar Bagh due to the inaction of the DDA and the Delhi Government, Mr Ram Babu Sharma directed the department concerned to remove the garbage. Since dengue threat persists till November, the municipal corporation should adopt all measures to prevent the spread of the disease, he said. He also directed the corporation to make arrangements for removal of wild grass, which infests the Yamuna bed from Okhla village to Kalindi
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Noida may have to cough up hefty trade tax Noida, October 6 The Trade Tax Department, it is learnt, has taken a decision to recover trade tax on the revenue collected by the Noida administration on the sale of the application forms. The Noida administration is reported to have earned an income of Rs 7.5 crore on the sale of application forms. The Trade Tax Department hopes to receive Rs 75 lakh by way of trade tax on an income of Rs 7.5 crore to the Noida administration. The Noida administration had got 80,000 application forms printed for this scheme. Each form was priced at Rs 750 and September 30 was the closing date for the scheme. The whole lot of forms printed by the Noida administration was sold out by banks, but the long queues of applicants persisted in the banks even after this. Forms were reprinted and the last date had also been extended. The administration is reported to have incurred an expenditure of Rs 20 per form and another Rs 20 on the publicity and advertisement of the scheme. The Noida administration had received Rs 750 from each applicant. This point was raised by Trade Tax Commissioner Deepak Singhal during his visit to Noida last month. He had indicated that some actions would be initiated with regard to this serious matter. The Noida administration officials have also confirmed the amount in not only being received against this residential scheme but in the process more revenue is being garnered from the public. About two years ago, the Trade Tax Department and the Noida administration had tightened its noose against fruit sellers, vegetable sellers, barbers, newspaper agents etc. The Noida administration had also sold some 30,000 forms to those small-timers for Rs 100 each. This sale price was also added to the Noida administration’s income. Though this move seemed to have opened a new debate, it was being resented by some Noida officials but others felt it was okay. Trade tax is also a government department and the money will go to the government exchequer in any case. |
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Ban on sale of crackers in residential areas Rohtak, October 6 The District Magistrate has further ordered that no person should sell or store crackers and explosives without obtaining the requisite license under the Explosives Act, 1884. He has warned against storing explosives in excess of the quantity prescribed under the law. The District Magistrate ordered that no person should sell rockets, fast moving and dangerous kind of “atom bombs”. Every seller should keep buckets full of sand and water for use in case of a fire. The distance between two shops should be at least three meters and no booth should face each other. A minimum of 50 meters open space should be available around each booth selling crackers. The District Magistrate further ordered that the crackers would be sold from 8 am to 8 pm. The manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers generating noise exceeding 125 ab (A) or 145 ab (C) pk at four meters distance from the point of bursting shall be prohibited. He has earmarked places in Rohtak, Sampla, Kalanaur and Meham for the sale of firecrackers. The SDMs of Rohtak and Meham and Naib Tehsildar, Kalanaur, have been authorised to issue temporary licenses for sale and storage of crackers in the district. The District Magistrate said the prohibitory orders would come into force with immediate effect and remain in force till October 26.
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Tantrik
held for raping childless women New Delhi, October 6 The Sarita Vihar police on September 3, 2000, received a complaint from Mrs Zebunisa Begum that her daughter was missing. She said she was being harassed by her husband and in-laws for giving birth to a girl child. The police after launching efforts traced her finally at Saharanpur and brought her back to Delhi. The victim told the police that her husband, Likayat Ahmed, his second wife Afsana Begum and his brother Sakeel Ahmed used to ill-treat her and also forced her to stay alone with the tantrik who promised to perform some magic on her. During the process the tantrik had raped the victim. Accordingly, the three were arrested in June 2003 and they had made disclosures about the tantrik. When the victim told her husband about
what had happened, he accused her of infidelity and blamed her for bringing disrespect to the family. After this, his brother Sakeel also started molesting the victim. This continued for many days. She told the police since she was being harassed she decided to stay away from them and started working as a maidservant.
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Funds crunch: X-ray work suspended at Meerut: The X-ray department in the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Hospital, Meerut, has fallen into bad days. Owing to shortage of funds all X-ray work has been suspended. A senior radiologist in the Radiology Department told the NCR Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the situation deteriorated after the department’s budget was drastically cut from Rs 700,000 to Rs 30,000. Result: The in-house and OPD patients visiting the LLRM hospital are now constrained to spend Rs 150 to Rs. 300 at private X-ray centres. As against this, they were charged Rs. 41 for an X-ray at the LLRM hospital. According to the principal, Medical College, Meerut, the X-ray department used to get 100 patients per day. It is learnt that the department is not even in a position to buy its stock of films and chemicals for a fortnight. Due to the resource crunch, initially authorities suspended the X-ray work undertaken for OPD patients. Later, this facility was withdrawn even for employees and in-house patients. OC
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New IT scheme to give jobs to 3.50 cr persons Sonepat, October 6 This was stated by Mr Bachi Singh Rawat, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, while addressing a public meeting organised by the BJP at Rohna village, about 20 km from here on Saturday. He also listed the achievements of the Vajpayee Government during the past four years and said that the Central Government has already taken up the work for converting the national highways into six lanes, expand the railway tracks, air-fields and ports. The tax structure policy, he said, has been liberalised to increase the revenue for boosting the development works in the rural areas of the country. The minister claimed that India already figures in the list of countries which are equipped with nuclear weapons. It was a matter of pride that aircraft and all kinds of missiles were being manufactured in the country itself. He said that India occupies the sixth position in the list of developed countries and the third position in the satellite programme. He said that the export of electronic goods has also reached an all-time high up to Rs 45 crore as compared to Rs six crore only in the past. Similarly, the country has been earning a foreign exchange of Rs 100 crore by exporting the software goods. One killed after being hit by truck:
According to a report, both the injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital wherefrom they were shifted to a trauma centre at Delhi. The police have registered the case and further investigations were in progress. It is stated that Mr Bhopal Singh, a resident of Chhinauli village (Panipat) along with his two associates Lalit of Dhatoori village and Sandeep of Chirashmi village, was going in a canter towards Delhi. He parked the canter along the roadside near Bhigan village and went to a dhaba. When they came outside after taking the meals, they were hit by the truck. As a result, Mr Bhopal Singh died on the spot and the remaining two sustained serious injuries. Both the injured persons were immediately hospitalised. |
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When the ‘ravenous’ desire for chair disrupts Ram Lila Dankaur (Noida), October 6 The supporters of Shri Ram Vijay Mandal, on the other hand, opined that the Ram Lila must go on. To continue or not to continue the Lila became a big question. The supporters of both the camps took their positions and a confrontation ensued. When nobody from the organisers bothered to seat the Goshalla president Manmohan Choudhry ‘appropriately’, he flew off the handle and climbed over the dais and grabbed the mike. His supporters also took up the cudgels for him. But soon the organisers restarted the Ram Lila which angered the Goshalla president whose acolytes grabbed the mike and caused a commotion. Many people, including the artists were injured in the resultant stone-pelting. But the police did not show up despite repeated messages. The Goshalla group people had allegedly damaged the stage and pandal in which some valuable and rare artefacts were also destroyed. The SO police station reached an hour after he had been informed. Both the groups lodged contrary reports in the police station. |
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BRASS TACKS It is a time tested experience that strenuous physical exercise add to one’s strength. The exercises can be tailor made for specific parts of the body. A weightlifter, who works on his biceps and nothing else, will develop large biceps. Similarly, marathon runners can concentrate on developing the capacity of their lungs, resulting in extraordinary endurance besides powerful hearts. If this was true also of the brain, then strenuous intellectual exercises would surely result in the mind getting tougher. Experiments have shown that this is indeed true; it has been further proved that these brain-building exercises can be targeted at a specific part of the brain, the area we want to reinforce. Today, a new science stream deals with the changes in the brain’s chemistry, induced by various types of mental activities. It has been hypothesized that enhanced mental activity, particularly in the areas of learning and memory, results in an increase in secretion of certain brain enzymes like acetylcholine sterase. Experiments have demonstrated that rats with a higher incidence of such enzymes learned better than those with low levels. Besides it has been found that a high ratio of certain brain cells (glials) to neurons might be responsible for the intellectual superiority of geniuses like Albert Einstein. To test this, scientists had obtained samples of Einstein’s brain from pathologists who had performed his autopsy in 1955, and examined certain sections (neocortex) to determine the ratio of glial cells to the neurons. This hypothesis proved correct as it was found that Einstein’s brain, compared with that of 11 normal males, in the 47-80 age group, contained more glial cells per neuron. However, at that time it was not known whether Einstein was born with the neurons of a genius or had developed them later. But researches over a period of time did demonstrate the possibility of developing brain through artificial stimulation and perform feats, hitherto only known in the realm of science fiction. In this context, a device developed recently is worth a mention. Michael Hercules, who had worked as an aerospace engineer and specializes in biomedical electronics and vibration analysis on the Landing Excursion Model for the NASA moon shots, has come up with Pulstar, a device, which teaches control of brain-wave frequency by propagating an electronic signal through the brain. The device is about the size of a small book, with an on-off switch, a knob to control the intensity of the signal, which is kept in the 5 to 20 microampere range. To operate the device, four electrodes are usually held against the skull with a headband, while the user selects an appropriate frequency. The inventor’s research has led them to recommend certain frequencies for specific goals or states, for example, 12 Hz for “centering”, relaxation and mental stability, 10.5 Hz for healing of the body, extreme relaxation, 7.5 Hz for inner awareness with a sharp sense of focus and attention, guided meditation, creative thinking, and 6.3 Hz for accelerated learning and increased memory. When the signal is turned on, the user usually feels a mild pulsing. At this point, the brain is supposed to lock onto and fall into step with the frequency selected. According to EEG analysis, changes take place throughout the entire cerebral cortex and put both brain hemispheres into synchronization, leading to significant results. Those who have seen the much acclaimed film, `The Matrix,’ or its sequel, have been left wondering as to how close they were to the reality, but time is not far when the fiction of the screen gets translated into the real thing. It would interest the readers that US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has allocated $ 24 million for research in this very area of science. Mathematicians, biologists and computer engineers have been assigned the task of developing an interface between a brain and a machine. What is of greater interest to us is that the research team is led by an Indian, Sanjiv Talwar, a bioengineer. Talwar’s team has reportedly implanted electrodes in the brains of five rats in the areas identified with various sensory and motor functions and responses. These rats were then commanded through remote radio and made to negotiate a maze successfully and even climb and jump over obstacles, indicating improvement in faculties under external electrical stimulation. Simultaneously, other teams have been working on auditory and memory functions. The researches want to see if they can build a microchip that can take signals from one part of the brain and convey it to another part. This area of research is concentrated on the area of brain known as the hippocampus and deals with Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, epilepsy etc. It is hoped that controlled exposure of hippocampus would lead to retardation in the progress of these diseases, if not a full cure. In addition to the electrical stimulation, the interesting science of deep brain magnetic stimulation is also developing. Let us hope that all these efforts at creating artificial intelligence and converting imbeciles or morons into geniuses is in the overall interest and good of mankind and is not used by the `Evil’ as in `The Matrix’. DEV ANAND – GOING STRONG AT EIGHTY .......”Har phikar ko dhuein mein udata chala gaya... .......Barbadiyon ka sog manana phizool tha... .......Barbadiyon ka jashan manata chala gaya...” These famous lines from Dev Anand’s `Hum Dono’ perhaps sum up the entire philosophy of his life and explain how, even at the age of eighty, he is largely able to retain his charisma and a youthful zest for life, despite the scores of flops produced on the trot in the last two decades. Dev Anand’s arrival on the silver screen in the 40s had coincided with that of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, but at that time none could predict that he would outlast his contemporaries. With his unique style, good looks and the portrayal of a carefree young man, he was soon able to carve a niche for himself as a romantic and a singing hero, an image vastly different from that of the other two greats of his time. Owing to the dominance of the black and white cinema of those days, with tragic stories and social dramas in vogue, the public demanded freshness, which it found in Dev Anand. Since singing around trees was the only kind of romance permitted by the Censors, catchy music was considered a must for the success of a romantic film. Dev Anand was lucky to have S D Burman and Kishore Kumar to team up with. Together, they produced sprightly melodies with a zip and brought out the effervescence of youth, fitting Dev Anand’s screen image to a tee. S. D. Burman’s association with Dev Anand began in Baazi in 1951 and had been responsible for some of the most memorable hits of Hindi cinema. Some amongst them were: Taxi Driver, Munimji, Nau do Gyarah, Paying Guest, Kala Bazar, Funtoosh, Guide, Prem Pujari, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Teen Devian, Kaala Pani, Solva Saal, Baat Ek Raat Ki, Tere Mere Sapne and Jewel Thief. With hindsight one may say that S D Burman’s passing away in 1976 was perhaps the biggest blow to Dev Anand, and since then there has hardly been a hit of that genre from his stable. It was not good looks alone that led to Dev Anand’s popularity, but during his hay day every film made the fashion statement of the day, be it scarves, high collars, broad ties, caps or checked trousers. The widely held belief that Dev Anand’s carefully cultivated style, not in acting alone but also in clothes and hair setting, was a take off on Gregory Peck, may be true to an extent, but that could not gloss over his immense range of acting talent. Over a period of time, he became entrapped in this self-created image, but whenever he managed to step out, as in `Hum Dono’ and `Guide’, it has been a stunning performance. In fact, he richly deserved an award in Hum Dono, but only once in the history of Hindi cinema the triumvirate had been nominated in the same year (1961) for an award — Raj Kapoor for `Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Haii’ and Dilip in `Ganga Jamuna’. The award finally went to Raj Kapoor, igniting a controversy of sorts. A romantic hero, who had charmed, captivated and made many a heart go pitter patter off screen, could not escape the cupid’s arrow and almost married Suraiyya, his heroine of several films. However, social taboos played spoilsport and the match did not materialise. Earlier, the same taboos had been responsible for driving a wedge between Dilip and Kamini Kaushal. Now, as Dev Anand enters the 80s, one can only pray that his enthusiasm and spirits remain evergreen and let him produce at least one good film, so that the current generation is also able to wallow in nostalgia, instead of merely remembering him as a producer of flop films. Dr K K Paul is Special Commissioner, Administration, Delhi Police
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Birth anniversary of Guru Ramdass to be New Delhi, October 6 Sahib Sri Guru Ramdass Ji is the founder of Sri Amritsar, which has become a famous Trade Centre and the capital city of Sikh Community. Guru Sahib also laid the foundation of Golden Temple, the Gateway of Salvation. The birthday anniversary will be celebrated in the morning at Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib and in the afternoon at Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib, New Delhi. The programme will start at Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib with the recitation of Sri Sukhmani Sahib and Nitnem. Thereafter, Asa Di Var with Shabad-Kirtan will be performed by famous Hazoori Ragi Bhai Sahib Bhai Satvinder Singh Ji. Giani Hem Singh, Head Granthi of Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi, will deliver Shabad-Vichar with the background of preaching and teachings of Sahib Sri Guru Ramdass Ji. The evening programmes will start at Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib, New Delhi with Shabad-Kirtan by famous Hazoori Ragi Bhai Sahib Bhai Sukhdev Singh Ji. After recitation of Sri Rehras Sahib, Shabad-Kirtan by Bhai Sahib Bhai Nirmal Singh Ji Khalsa, Principal Baldev Singh Ji, Bhai Sahib Bhai Sahib Bhai Satvinder Singh Ji, Bhai Sahib Bhai Chamajit Singh Ji Lal, Bhai Sahib Bhai Surinder Singh Ji (Singh Bandhu) and Bhai Balbir Singh Ji of Amritsar, will continue till midnight. Thereafter, the programme will conclude with
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FACE TO FACE Ninety-year-old Gopal Chandra Dutt is perhaps one of the oldest living IPS officers in the country. Widely credited for his acumen on security related matters, Mr Dutt, still sprightly and alert, was in-charge of VVIP security for seventeen long years at a stretch till he retired in October 1973. Highly regarded among the peer group, Mr Dutt is still unofficially consulted by senior police officers when they find themselves facing a rather tricky situation. Living in Delhi in the Chittaranjan Park area of South Delhi, this living legend makes a ritual visit to the India International Centre (IIC) occasionally where he still insists on being unobtrusive. Old habits obviously die hard for this hardened former police officer. During his tenure in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), he personally supervised the security arrangements of three successive Prime Ministers, Pandit Jawharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. Mr Dutt also made major contribution when the Blue Book on VVIP security was drafted. Born in Laksham in Bengal, Mr Dutt, after completing his post-graduation in Economics (Hons) from the reputed Presidency College, Calcutta, and a Law distinction joined Bengal Police Service in 1940, as Deputy Superintendent of Police and was trained in the Police Training College at Sardah in Rajshai district (now in Bangladesh) with five English boys. On January 1946, he was promoted as SP East Mymensing. On August 15 1947, when India got its Independence, he was inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) and was the Additional SP (Crime) of 24-Paraganas. It was Sardar Vallabai Patel, the then Home Minister, who started the IPS in place of the old Indian Police (IP) system after Independence. Mr Dutt also served as SP Midnapur, Commandant, Eastern Frontier Rifles, Principal, Police Training College, Senior AIG (Discipline), DIG (Northern Range), Bengal, before he took over as Deputy Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) on April 1958. Later, he was promoted as Joint Director in 1966. He retired on October 1973 as the senior most Joint Director from the Intelligence Bureau. Mr Dutt recalls an interesting note that Pandit Nehru wrote about him, said: “Mr Dutt is a good officer, helpful in many ways. He is not the type who tries to throw his weight about and does things very quietly.” A favourite of Mrs Gandhi on ‘Security related matters,’ Mr Dutt recalls that “British always insisted on police officers staying away from the media, and I have followed that dictum till now.” A publicity shy Dutt said: “I always stressed on ‘unobtrusive’ security. In the process, when I was serving in the most sensitive post, very few recognised me.” He threw a challenge and asked this correspondent to show him a single photo of his, ever published in a newspaper or a magazine. Do you find any difference of the police functioning between then and now? Police is the same then and now, but their attitude has seen a sea change. Englishmen were very good at maintaining law and order and were easily accessible. In fact, once when I asked permission from a British District Magistrate for booking 32 criminals under an act, the very next day he gave me permission without any hassle. Even my bosses were not worried about my work and had confidence in my working ability. At that time, the police concentrated more on avoiding security lapses, discharged duties in a professional manner and never came under outside influence. In fact, I used to send so many letters and teleprinter messages those days to all the state IG’s and DIG’s and literally acted as their private tutor. British laws have everything, but the policemen were not interested in following them, as it would not result in their gain. The police officers of today must concentrate on preventive work, picket patrolling and must encourage community policing, which is a very vital aspect. It is clearly mentioned in the Sections 95-106 of IPC that nothing is an offence if is it done to protect the life and honour of somebody, unless it exceeds a reasonable limit. In what ways has their attitude changed? The modern IPS officers are publicity-oriented and only their personal assistants answer their calls. This attitude of the officers needs to be drastically changed to bring about a sense of fear among their subordinates. Let the officer be more accessible, then see how the crime rate comes down. Today’s officers are only interested in their post-retirement benefits like governorship or foreign postings. In those days, we never took advantage of our proximity to the VIPs and even refused extensions to give way to our juniors. What is your advice to the IPS officers now? I will quote two examples. On January 1935, I, along with my friends, came to Delhi to give Indian Civil Services (ICS) examinations. And when the examinations were through, we decided to go for sight seeing and hired a taxi for Rs 24. When we were returning to the hotel in the evening the taxi driver tried to cheat us by charging more money. But, we went to the police station and telephoned an English officer, Springfield, and explained our position. Immediately, he said: “You people can go and I shall look into the matter.” In fact, the officer immediately ordered for the cancellation of the driver’s licence. Similarly, when I joined the force, one woman kept complaining to me about a murder case in her family. She said it was a murder, but the case was closed as suicide. Failing to get a satisfactory reply from my officers, I personally visited the spot and found it was homicidal in nature and immediately asked my officer to pursue the case in the court. Later, the same year when I was undergoing training in the Scotland Yard Police, my officer telephoned me and said that the court had convicted a person for two years in the case. The IPS officers must realise their powers and should not get favours from their subordinates. They must order the SHO’s to register FIRs and have to devise strategies to control the crime rate, and importantly they must attend the telephone calls personally. IPS officers are like the Maharajas in their own domain and they must behave in a grandeur manner to set an example for the rest. Do you think training is a vital aspect for the IPS officers? A highly knowledgeable officer is a must at the academies where the IPS officers are trained. Training is a very essential part in an officer’s career. If officers with poor record are dumped at training centres, then how can you expect good quality officers to serve the nation. In 1953, after my return from the training in Scotland Yard police in England, I followed the England pattern and completely renovated the system. To the surprise of many, no one got less than 45 per cent and the highest went up to 95 per cent. You have been credited for your extensive contribution in bringing out the Blue Book on VVIP security? When the Blue Book was prepared, we kept all aspects in mind pertaining to the VVIP security. It encompasses all vital security aspects and is adequate to meet the present day security challenges. Ironically, the police officers should know how to use the Blue Book in a proper manner. A proper session is needed to teach them to handle the book. As VVIPs visit the states only once or twice a year, the Inspector Generals (IGs), who are in-charge of law and order in the states, don’t devote sufficient time to security related matters. I always stressed ‘unobtrusive’ security, but VVIP security is only ‘obtrusive’ these days. Why should a security officer stand behind a VVIP and step into the photo frame? Can that security officer protect the target of a killer-bullet? Such things only bring down the stature of a VVIP besides making the person very small in the eyes of the general public. Don’t you think the Special Protection Group (SPG) raised to protect the Prime Ministers of our country is adequately equipped? The elite SPG group is very effective to protect the VVIPs, but at the same time they must be backed with strong intelligence network across the country. The intelligence system is very poor in our country and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has to be strengthened. We seldom invest in the intelligence system and only start acting when the enemy knocks at our door. Plainclothes men must be put across the country to develop local intelligence. So, SPG is not the only answer? SPG is not synonymous with intelligence. They are trained fighters and can only take care of 50 per cent of the security aspect. The rest 50 per cent has to be filled in by the intelligence system. How can anyone enter our country from across the borders without our knowledge? Why does our security lack zeal and why can’t they locate them? Lets not forget the assassinations of our former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The terrorist attack on Indian Parliament, American consulate in Kolkata and on Akshardham temple in Gujarat undoubtedly proved that we lacked a good intelligence system. How can we ensure such disasters do not occur again? The Intelligence Bureau is not adequately equipped and must be numerically strong. Presently, they don’t have the matching staff. In fact, we have to completely revive the system to bring back the British system of borrowing experienced competent inspectors and sub-inspectors from the states as investigating officers. These people command greater influence in the states during investigations and also are not liable to the government. Now, the IB is full of direct recruits, who are inexperienced in getting adequate intelligence. Problems like earmarking IPS officers with few years of experience and internal feud have wounded the working culture of the IB. I am sure that the old IB system, which functioned on deputation, will surely improve the standard of intelligence network in the country. The newspapers must take up this issue, because raising this issue with the weak governments will not yield any desirable results. Can you recall some incidents when you handled the VVIP security? During my seventeen-year tenure in the VVIP security, I had visited 55 foreign countries and used to personally brief our High Commissioners and Ambassadors abroad about the security arrangements to our Prime Ministers. One time when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi went to attend a communal conference in England, we stayed at Hotel Claridges. In the hotel, they did not have an ‘Isolation Cordon’ before the Prime Minister’s suite. Since the cordon was very necessary for our Prime Minister and also considering the sensitivity of the visit, I took up the matter with the Assistant Commissioner, who then agreed to set up the ‘Isolation Cordon’. On another occasion, we controlled a massive protest by the Pakistanis and Sikh community in the late sixties while Mrs Gandhi was addressing the Indian Society in Covent Garden in London, before the partition of Bangladesh. We must never allow mishaps before a VVIP, as it would prove disastrous. How was it working on the day when the nation got Independence on August 15, 1947? It was a jubilant occasion. I was Additional SP (Crime) in 24-Paraganas and there were communal riots everywhere, but still I controlled the law and order very effectively, even though we had to work in total darkness. I even arrested as many as 200 people for resorting to violence. Can you recall any interesting anecdotes with the VVIPs? There were two Muslim servants working in Prime Minister Nehru’s house. And they went quite often to Pakistan since they had their family lineage there. My senior officer told me that the two went very often to Pakistan and had to be transferred to avoid any leak of sensitive material. Since explaining this issue to Pandit Nehru would have taken a long time, I met Indira Gandhi and said the two servants were not criminals but prone to exploitation, as they go to Pakistan very often. I told her that since at the time of obtaining visas they come across several visa officers, normally CID offices from Pakistan, they might be influenced to leak some crucial details. She immediately understood and said: “I will speak about this to Bapu (father Nehru).” In fact, the work was done immediately to the surprise of many. You are a recipient of Padmashree in the early seventies? I was awarded Padmashree in 1974. But it does not hold any value in the present circumstances as we don’t get any special benefits or facilities like free travel or medical treatment. It is just a paper.
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Farmers
to protest land acquisition for Taj projects Rabupura (Noida), October 6 With this proposed project, land in 160 villages in
Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura, Gautam Budh Nagar and Agra, are being affected, Mr Singh said. Besides, as many as 2,000 acres of land in Guatam Budh Nagar district are being acquired for the Taj airport. No steps have been taken by the government to compensate properly the farmers of these villages for losing their fertile land for the construction of the projects. |
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NCR BRIEFS Sonepat, October 6 An old dispute over the land is stated to be the cause of the clash. The police have registered the case. The alleged assailants were also identified as Ram Krishan, Siri Niwas, Rajinder, Hemant, Virender and Jatinder and all of them are at large. SFI drive to raise
students’ demands Rohtak: The Haryana unit of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) would launch a signature campaign among the students all over the state to raise the students’ demands in an effective manner. A decision to this effect was taken at a state executive meeting of the federation held under the presidentship of Mr Rajbinder Chandi today, said Mr Jai Bhagwan, state general secretary of the federation. He said the federation would collect signatures of one lakh students on the memorandum and submit it to the Governor and the Chief Minister after organising a ‘maha sammelan’ of students at Jind on November 14. He said the SFI teams would visit schools, colleges, universities and professional and technical institutes to get the signatures of students. Addressing the meeting, the SFI leaders condemned the ‘repressive’ measures adopted by the government to crush the students’ agitation in various parts of the state. He said the demands including the withdrawal of fee hike, no affiliation of any college from Sirsa University, upgrading of Rewari regional centre into university, restoration of election to student bodies, inquiry into the police atrocities against students and proper arrangement of buses on all routes would be raised through the memorandum to be signed by one lakh students. Meanwhile, he said the SFI would launch a membership campaign against a target of 50,000 members in the state. Mother NGO to be selected for RCH programme Mahendragarh: The Haryana Health Department has decided to rope in Mother NGOs for implementation of the Reproductive and Child Health programme in the district. Stating this on Saturday, the Project Director of RCH, Mr B.S. Dahiya, said that in each district, there would be one Mother NGO. The existing Mother NGOs, already covering two or more than two districts, would not be eligible to bid for more districts. He said that the role of mother NGOs included the selection of field NGOs to implement field projects in RCH programme, including population, stabilization, especially, in unserved areas of the district. They would assist field NGOs in preparing areas specific project and select performance indicators. They would finance field NGOs and ensure proper fund utilisation as per the agreed bench marks. They would train field NGOs, undertake supervision, monitoring and financial management of project. They would also maintain liaison with district administration and panchayats raj institutions. They would also supplement government health infrastructure. |
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DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, October 6 Over one lakh passengers travelled on the full 12.8 km route generating revenue in excess of Rs 7 lakh. In view of the heavy rush, the Metro authorities, who were running six trains sets on a regular basis, inducted an additional seventh train today and increased the frequency of trains from eight minutes at peak time to six-and-a-half minutes to clear the rush. The passengers behaved in an orderly fashion and observed all the rules and regulations. There were no incidences of vandalism, showing that people have developed a positive attitude towards Metro, a Metro statement said here, according to a press release. Launch TB awareness
drive: L-G Launching the 54th TB Seal Sale Campaign of Delhi Tuberculosis Association here, Mr Kapoor said that there was an urgent need to tell the people that tuberculosis is a curable disease and its medicines are available free of charge in the government hospitals. He said concerted efforts were being made by the government and the NGOs to provide facilities for detection and treatment of the disease. The L-G appreciated the association’s programme for those without shelter in Chandni Chowk. The association organises TB Seal Campaign every year as a fund-raising exercise to complement the government’s efforts in prevention, control and treatment of the disease. It is providing free services for early case detection, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of disadvantaged and marginalised tuberculosis patients. 12-hour banking by
Syndicate Bank:
Mr Pereira reiterated that Syndicate Bank would secure 5th position among the nationalised banks by 2005. Gang busted:
On May this year, the accused decamped with Rs 80,000, one mobile phone and some jewellery after handcuffing a couple in the Geeta Colony area.
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Legal Consultant to Police Commissioner New Delhi, October 6 A law graduate from Punjab University, Chandigarh, Oma Shankar came on deputation to the Delhi Police and became the Legal Advisor to the Delhi Police Commissioner. |
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