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Narayanan backs WSF on comprehensive freedom
WSF:
celebrities came, common man conquered
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Develop India by 2020, Kalam asks parties New Delhi, January 21 President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today asked all political parties to launch an “integrated mission” to make India a developed nation by 2020 and work unitedly to achieve the target even before that.
NE states urge Bangladesh, Myanmar to close militants’ camps
UK court upholds freezing of Quattrocchi’s accounts
PM to open world Asian security conference
from Jan 27 5 set sail for Sir Creek
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Narayanan backs WSF on comprehensive freedom Mumbai, January 21 “I have been impressed by the organisation and structure of the
WSF, where people have assembled under an idea rather than some narrow political goal. I wish the WSF all success,” Mr Narayanan said. Echoing the sentiment of the WSF, he said major private corporations had taken up such work in various countries as was earlier being done by their respective governments. The WSF had been formed to counter the tyranny of these corporations, the former President said. Mr Narayanan said Mahatma Gandhi had talked about the dumb millions of India throwing away the British colonisers from the country. It was not the dumb millions now, but the vocal masses of various countries that would stop the control of the world’s resources from going into the hands of a few companies in the name of globalisation, he said. The Vietnamese struggle against US domination was an example of how an ideologically motivated people could win the battle against a much superior military power, he added. Earlier, representatives of the WSF read out reports of various assemblies that took place during the six-day conference at Nesco Ground in Goregaon here. Reading out the report of the National Assembly of the
WSF, the presenter said the World Trade Organisation (WTO) would exterminate all the poor people in the world. “The poor people of various countries, therefore, must come together and fight the forces of imperialism,” he said and appealed to people to globalise their struggles. Reading out the reports of the Anti-War Assembly and the Activist Assembly, the WSF said the resistance in Iraq and elsewhere over the US occupation of Iraq had terrified US President George Bush. He also announced that on March 20 demonstrations would be organised world over to protest against the US policy on Iraq. Ms Asma
Jehangir, human rights activist from Pakistan, and Ms Rigobenta Michu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Guatemala, also spoke at the function. Ms Jehangir said the WSF meeting had given the message that the present world would change. “Washington tells us that the world is never going to change. But we will have to show them they are wrong,” the human rights activist said. She added that while the anti-war and anti-globalisation protesters were against the British and US regimes, they were not against the people of these countries. “That is why hundreds of people from Britain have taken part in the WSF meeting here,” she said. |
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WSF: celebrities came, common man conquered Mumbai, January 21 As for the Indian heavyweights, a large number of Leftwing academicians and intellectuals and free-floating activists showed up at the international gathering here. Shabana Azmi, Mallika Sarabhai (who came wearing a skirt with slits) and Arundhati Roy were present at the inaugural session. Arundhati Roy also spoke at a public meeting later on “women and war,” delivering a sensational speech about atrocities on Muslim women during the Gujarat riots. It is surprising that Nafisa Ali, another glamorous woman activist, was left out of the proceedings at the WSF. Ashish Nandy, a sociologist from Delhi, was seen walking purposefully at the Nesco ground while S. Mirza, a film-maker from Mumbai, turned up to chair a discussion on Kashmir. Vivan Sundaram, a well-known Delhi-based artiste, offered his services for organising an art exhibition at the WSF. The list is endless. Apart from the celebrities, there were also the hardboiled intellectual-type men and women from India who thronged the venue. It is, however, not the celebrities but the ordinary people, the workers, peasants, Dalits and the tribes of India, who took the fancy of the international delegates. In a lecture session of an international socialist group (International Social Tendency) held here yesterday, more than one speaker expressed pleasant surprise at the presence of a huge number of “real people” at the gathering here. Herman Ross, Editor of a journal published by the Socialist Workers Party of Britain, said the Indian masses were rising up against exploitation and oppression. His view was echoed by other speakers at the meeting. Per Ake Westerlund, a Socialist Party worker from Sweden, said it was great to see such a large number of ordinary Indians taking part in the WSF meeting. “But their voice was not as apparent as their presence”, he said. Mariana Bergel, a Brazilian journalist writing for an alternative magazine, said she was most touched by the cultural programmes and performances put up by the common folks. “I have not attended the WSF conferences in Brazil, but I am told that they were primarily a gathering of members of the intelligentsia from various countries even though some big processions too were held during conferences in Brazil. But here there was an amazing number of ordinary Indians”, she said. |
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Rape of African goes unnoticed at world forum Mumbai, January 11 The incident was condemned by organisers of the WSF. The WSF said, “We extend all our support to her (the complainant). We not only condemn the incident but also are deeply concerned that the security of women delegates is at risk in the city with its exemplary record on the safety of women”. But nothing further has been done by the WSF on the issue. In fact not all delegates know about this incident even today. |
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SA legal fraternity to meet accused judge Mumbai, January 21 According to sources here, the delegation comprising lawyers and judges from South Africa met with Desai and heard his version of the rape story. Desai is at present in police custody after he was arrested on Sunday morning following a woman delegate accusing him of raping her. Desai will be tried in accordance with Indian laws. His lawyer, Mr Rafiq Shaikh, told reporters here that he would file a fresh bail plea for Desai after the courts rejected his first plea. Meanwhile, the 27-year old woman who accused Desai of rape, left for South Africa in the early hours of Wednesday, accompanied by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and other members of the South African delegation. |
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Develop India by 2020, Kalam asks parties New Delhi, January 21 Our Prime Minister in his last Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort had announced that India would become a developed country by 2020 and all efforts have to be directed towards this mission, “but I call upon all political parties to achieve it by 2010,” Dr Kalam said. Delivering the first Nani Palkhivala memorial lecture, organised jointly by the Bar Association of India and Supreme Court Bar Association here at the lawns of the apex court, he said, “We have to launch a second vision to make India a developed nation by 2010.” Describing Palkhivala as a great
lawyer, economist, diplomat and above all “conscience keeper” of India, the President said he had always emphasised on eradication of poverty. The Mission-2020 could not be achieved unless 260 million people living below the poverty line were uplifted. This could be possible only if the country achieved the annual growth rate of 10 per cent and maintain it constantly for years to come, Dr Kalam said. He lauded the recent achievements in the field of economic development and GDP growing at more than 5 per cent, but said that it was not sufficient to eliminate poverty. Emphasis has to be on five “core” areas for an integrated action — agriculture and food processing, reliable and quality electric power and surface transport, education and healthcare, information and communication technology and strategic sector. To inculcate the spirit of “righteouness” in our citizens the country needed a value-education system and transparent governance. “The government and the judiciary ought to be righteous to preserve and uphold the righteouness among citizens,” he said. Chief Justice of India
V.N. Khare, Law Minsiter Arun Jaitely, Attorney- General Soli J.
Sorabjee, Bar Association of India president Fali Nariman, Supreme Court Bar Association president
M.N. Krishnamani, its secretary Priya Hingorani and senior advocate Lalit Bhasin also paid glowing tributes to Palkhivala at the function attended by judges of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court and members of the Bar. |
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NE states urge Bangladesh, Myanmar to close New Delhi, January 21 Stating that the problem of militancy in the North-East should be recognised as a national problem and tackled accordingly, the Chief Ministers of five north-eastern states said the country should give highest priority to border management. The Chief Ministers of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urged that the 1880-km border with Bangladesh should be fenced immediately. They also urged the Centre to take immediate steps to expand trade and transit facilities with the South-East Asian countries for the speedy economic growth of the country. Addressing a joint press conference, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said there should be connectivity with seaports of the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The construction of a trans-Asian highway and railway network covering Thailand, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh should also be pursued for the development of north-eastern states. Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang stressed the need for strengthening the North-Eastern Council (NEC) saying these developments should be implemented with the council’s help. He said during 2003-04, the Planning Commission had approved a budget of Rs 750 crore for the NEC. However, it was pruned down to Rs 500 crore by the Finance Ministry. It was now learnt that this had been further curtailed to Rs 386 crore. Such pruning would have an adverse impact on the development process in the region. Besides, it went against the spirit of the package for the region announced by Mr Vajpayee, he said. The Chief Ministers have urged the Prime Minister to restore the budget allocation of Rs 750 crore as approved by the Planning Commission. They further urged Mr Vajpayee to ensure a substantial increase in the NEC budget in future also. |
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Amit Jogi appears before CBI New Delhi, January 21 He came to the CBI headquarters along with his lawyers. The CBI had filed an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code against Jogi, his son, Amit, and defected BJP MP P.R. Khunte for allegedly bribing BJP MLAs and trying to split the party after the Assembly elections. The CBI has so far examined 30 persons, including Jogi, Khunte and other legislators, in connection with the case. It has also questioned Jogi’s staff, including his driver, and others besides taking the voice samples of all those on the audio tape. The CBI carried out raids on the premises of Jogi and his son in Raipur and Delhi. It had claimed to have found some documents from the houses which, it claimed, would be “instrumental” in the investigation. The case was transferred from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chhattisgarh, which had registered a case against Jogi, when he was in office, and others. The CBI is probing the entire case under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act under which the agency would have jurisdiction over the entire state for carrying out investigations. —
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UK court upholds freezing of Quattrocchi’s accounts
New Delhi, January 21 CBI sources said the Court of Appeal of the UK passed the order yesterday after hearing the arguments of the Crown Prosecutor and the CBI. The UK High Court had ordered the freezing of two accounts in BSIAG Bank, London, in which Quattrocchi had reportedly stashed away three million euros and $ 1 million of Bofors kickback money. The CBI had sent a special prosecutor to London to assist the Crown Prosecutor in the case.—
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Trinamool divided over bandh call Kolkata, January 21 But, some TMC leaders and workers were in the streets today campaigning for a 12-hour bandh call for February 3 in protest against the Left Front government’s recent decision to mobilise resources by imposing taxes and levies on the poor men’s properties, including cattle. TMC-supported transport owners and operators also observed strike today by withdrawing private buses from the roads. Taxi operators have been observing an indefinite strike since yesterday against recent increase in motor vehicle taxes, road tax and permits, licence fees etc. The Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and the Transport Minister, Mr Subhas Chakraborty, criticised the strike which hit office-goers and the general public. They said they had already decided to consider the bus owners’ demand. The strike by bus and taxi operators was politically motivated, they alleged. Mr Pankaj Banerjee and a section of the leaders and workers close to Ms Mamata Banerjee want to observe a 12-hour bandh on February 3 against the Left Front government’s decision to introduce taxes and levies on several household articles and cattle for mobilising additional resources. But, others, including the Mayor, Mr Subrata Mukherjee, and Mr Saugata Roy are opposed to the bandh call as they feel the bandh will adversely affect the party’s prospect in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, Mr Idris Ali, president, Minority Forum of the Trinamool Congress, filed a public interest litigation in the High Court on behalf of Sadhan Panja, a former TMC leader in Nadia against the bandh call. Ali also opposed the prposed 24-hour Bangla bandh on February 24 called by CITU and other trade union organisations against the Centre’s anti-labour policies. |
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PM to open world peace meet New Delhi, January 21 Briefing newspersons about the convention, former President R. Venkataraman said there was an urgent need to sensitise and mobilise the civil society the world over to work towards the strengthening the United Nations and there could no better forum than Gandhi Smriti, a national memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, to organise such a convention. As the ex-officio chairman of Gandhi Smriti, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will inaugurate the convention, Mr Venkataraman said, stressing that the entire effort for a global meet was non-official, non-partisan and non-political. About 50 delegates from 27 countries, including former presidents of Germany and Indonesia, Mr Richard von Weizsaecker and Abdurrahman, respectively, and prime ministers of Tanzania and Nepal, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim and Mr Girija Prasad Koirala, are expected to participate. Invitations have been extended to 100 delegates from India and 10 special invitees would be attending the convention. |
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Asian security conference
from Jan 27 New Delhi, January 21 The three-day conference will be held from January 27. The theme will be the “relevance of United Nations.” The conference will be inaugurated by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K.C. Pant and the keynote address will be delivered by Louise Frechette. The valedictory address on January 29 will be given by Defence Minister George Fernandes. Participants would also discuss issues like post-conflict management, international cooperation in tackling terrorism, drugs and organised crime. |
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5 set sail for Sir Creek Mumbai, January 21 The team, comprising three technocrats, a journalist and a tandel, cast off from Mumbai shores for their voyage titled ‘Coasting 2004’ yesterday. After reaching Sir-Creek, they will be back on February 11. The team would cover about 1,000 nautical miles and would depend on ancient navigational aids during their voyage, said mission leader S N Kulkarni, who works with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) here. The other members are V.V. Ganpule, who also works with the TIFR, M N Sholapurkar, employed with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), ‘India Today’ journalist Sandeep Unnithan and tandel Sadanand Sunekar. The journey is not a sponsored one, but the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy will support them, if required. |
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