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Muslims register higher growth rate
Interoperability among region’s armies needed
to tackle terror: Vij
Advani blames Sonia for
Uma’s detention
Dragging Tricolour into partisan politics objectionable: Cong
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Cong hints at SP-BJP nexus in UP
SC seeks papers in 14 Gujarat riot cases
SC seeks details from states about life convicts
PM mourns death of Kultar Singh
Obituary
Environment ministers to meet on Sept 8, 9
3 TDP workers done to death
JKDFP leader for panel on Kashmir under Vajpayee
Terrorism: India sounds Bangladesh
Suspected paedophile extradited
Corporations to instal solar street lights
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Muslims register higher growth rate
New Delhi, September 6 The report, released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India J.K. Bhantia in the presence of National Minorities Commission chairperson Tarlochan Singh here, showed a noticeable decline of Sikh population growth from 24.3 per cent in 1981-91 to only 18.2 per cent during 1991-2001. In terms of growth of different religious communities, Hindus showed a decline over the previous decade, their population growing by 20.3 per cent during 1991 and 2001 as compared to 25.1 per cent during 1981-91. On the other hand, the Muslim population grew by 1.5 per cent to 36 per cent during 1991 to 2001 as compared to 34.5 per cent during 1981-91. Out of the total population of 102.8 crore in the country as at the 2001 Census, the Hindus were 82.7 crore in number and constituted 80.5 per cent of the total population. The Muslim population stood at 13.8 crore comprising 13.4 per cent of the population. The next in size are the Christians (2.4 crore), followed by Sikhs (1.9 crore), Buddhists (79 lakh), Jains (42 lakh) and those following ‘Other’ religions and persuasions including the tribal religions, etc (66 lakh). The report makes an “exceptional but definite mention” about Parsi population and shows a “clear visible but extremely unfortunate decline” of a rich civilization of Zorastrians and its people. As per 2001 Census the Parsi population in the country is 69,601 (33,949 males and 35,652 females) as against their population of 76,382 (37,736 males and 38.646 females) in the 1991 census. The report points out that as regards the disparity of the absolute and relative number of male and female population in the society,
expressed in terms of sex ratio or number of females per thousand males, the Sikhs (893) are far below the national average of 933. “The Hindus (931) were slightly below the national average of 933, whereas Muslims returned 936. The sex ratio among the Christian population grew handsomely from 994 in 1991 to 1009 in 2001. For the Buddhists and the Jains the sex ratio remained almost the same at 953 and 950, respectively,” the report said. In terms of proportion of children in the age group 0 to 6 years, the country average for all communities combined stood at 15.9 per cent. However, the proportion of child population among both Sikh (12.8 per cent) and Jains (10.6 per cent are “indication of low fertility”, more so among the Jains, the report points out. Among Hindus and Muslims the proportions were 15.6 per cent and 18.3 per cent respectively. Significantly, literacy rate for all the religious groups, as revealed again for the first time in 2001 Census, were very encouraging, shattering many myths in circulation earlier when such a dataset was not available for the country as a whole. The literacy rate among Hindus (65.1 per cent) was slightly better than the national average of (64.8 per cent) for all religious groups combined. Among Muslims the literacy rate is 59.1 per cent, below the national average. The highest literacy rate is recorded among the Jains (94.1 per cent), followed by Christians (80.3 per cent), Buddhists (72.7 per cent) and Sikhs (69.4 per cent). Interestingly, as against the existing popular perceptions, the female literacy rate among different religious groups does not show wide variation. Among the Muslims the literacy rate among the females was returned as 50.1 per cent, below the national average of 53.7 per cent. Slightly better is the female literacy rate among the Hindus (53.2 per cent), again below the national average. The highest literacy rate among the females was recorded among the Jains (90.6 per cent), like their male counterparts, followed by Christians (76.2 per cent), Sikhs (63.1 per cent) and Buddhists (61.7 per cent). The gender gap in literacy rate among Sikhs was 12.8, Hindus (23), Buddhists (21.4), Muslims (17.5) and the lowest gap was among Jains (6.8). |
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Interoperability among region’s armies needed
to tackle terror: Vij
New Delhi, September 6 Delivering the opening address at the 28th Pacific Armies Management Seminar
(PAMS) here, the Army chief said, “The countries of the world face two major threats — nuclear proliferation and ‘asymmetrical or non-traditional threats,’ or in simpler words, terrorism”. “The first one, though serious, is more easily tackled due to the presence of several institutional frameworks to check it. However, terrorism, having blurred distinctions between the front and rear, no identification between friend and foe and no difference between combatants and non-combatants, presents a greater menace,” he said. He pointed out that globalisation, apart from its benefits, had also brought terrorism to “every country’s doorsteps.” “No country is safe from it or can afford to disregard terrorist activities in its proximity,” he said, adding that the seminar titled “Regional cooperation in a changing security environment” offered a good opportunity for the participants to examine methods of increasing interoperability between their armed forces to counter it. More than 30 countries are participating in the seminar which would be next held in Bangkok next year. He was of the view that the armed forces were increasingly being tasked with dealing with terrorists. This is a very complex task, and would encourage cooperative ventures in this regard. General Vij said that the seminar, jointly organised by the Indian Army and the US Army’s Pacific Command
(USARPAC), could also assist future leaders of the area’s forces to forge and strengthen a set of strong interpersonal relations, helpful in its long-term aim of fostering a climate of peace and stability in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. Later speaking to the media, US Colonel Gary
Royster, co-chairman of the seminar, said that PAMS was the most important ‘Theatre Security Cooperation Programme
(TSCP)’ event for the USARPAC, and they welcomed the chance to share the Indian Army’s expertise in handling terrorism. The seminar, an annual feature since 1979, will deliberate on four key topics, including defining the security environment of the coming decade featuring presentations from Australian and Thai delegates, identifying the impacts of “asymetrical and non-traditional” threats to armed forces with presentations from Bangladesh and the UK. It will also deliberate on cooperation to address common security challenges, where presentations will be made by Fiji and the Philippines while India and South Korea map out “cooperative response operations to future security
challenges.” PAMS, a multinational military initiative that aims to provide a forum for senior-level (Lt Col to Major-Gen) officers from the region to exchange views and ideas, is being held in India for the second time. It was first held here in 1993, when the topic was peacekeeping operations. Countries taking part in the seminar, apart from the co-hosts, include UK, Canada, China, Russia, France, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Fiji, Mongolia, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some others. Pakistan, Myanmar, North Korea were not invited and Bhutan, Brunei, East Timor and Maldives were among a handful who declined to attend. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have sent observers, while
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan declined a similar offer. Army Vice Chief Lt Gen Shantonu Chaudhry and US Army’s Pacific Command chief Lt Gen John M Brown are the principal co-chairmen, and will deliver keynote addresses in the first part of the seminar. |
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Advani blames Sonia for
Uma’s detention
New Delhi, September 6 While Mr Advani accused Ms Gandhi for Ms Bharti’s ordeal, the BJP described the Hubli court verdict as the “clear whip of the rule of law,” as it allowed the withdrawal of the cases against former MP Chief Minister. “When I accuse the Central government, whether I say it or not, by implication, it is Sonia Gandhi,” Mr Advani said when asked how he accused the Congress supremo of being behind the Uma Bharti issue. By release of Ms Bharti, the issue is not dead but it has only eroded the credibility of the UPA government, Mr Jaitley said, adding that the party would ask the electorate in Maharashtra to pronounce its verdict on this particular matter. When asked about the party’s future course of action on the proposed “Tiranga Yatra”, he said BJP office-bearers were meeting on September 8 to decide the future course of action. Mr Jaitley, however, evaded a direct reply on the responsibility that might be given to Ms Bharti. “These are decisions that the party has to take,” he said, adding that for the moment there was a Chief Minister in MP and he is continuing. But “given the charisma and mass appeal” of Ms Bharti and the “top priority” that the party was according to the Maharashtra elections on October 13, he said “certainly she would be one of the star campaigners in Maharasthra also.” On the issue of how she would be positioned in the party, he said, “She would be used to the best of her abilities.” Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, who replaced Ms Bharti, told reporters in Bhopal that he would continue to hold the reins in the state. The party had drafted her for a national cause to uphold the honour of the national flag and he had been entrusted the responsibility of the state, Mr Gaur said adding “no change on this was in the offing.” On the Congress demand for an apology from former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha for his remarks against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Jaitley said the Congressmen should adopt a ‘single yardstick’ for maintaining dignity and decorum in politics. He said the “very Congressmen” who were demanding an apology for the remark against the Prime Minister in the Bangalore rally were maintaining a “stoic silence” on the comments of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Mr Advani and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh. Those who are eloquently demanding an apology from Mr Sinha were not ready to condemn Lalu Prasad’s statements on Opposition leaders, he said. “We have always believed that language of politics has to be appropriate. No double standards in that matter. I am yet to hear condemnation of the language used by Lalu Prasad against Mr L.K. Advani. He had used highly improper language against Advani and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh,” Mr Jaitley said. He said Congress leader Priya Ranjan
Dasmunsi, too, had made some disparaging remarks about a senior BJP leader as also another Congress leader Janardhan
Poojary. |
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Dragging Tricolour into partisan politics objectionable: Cong
New Delhi, September 6 Party spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters, “The way they have dragged the national flag into their partisan politics is highly objectionable. BJP leaders’ claim that they are fighting to unfurl the Tricolour is incorrect and hollow. They have made no contribution to freedom struggle.” He criticised the handling of the tri-colour even by the senior BJP leaders, including L. K. Advani, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Jaitley, saying they did not know how to unfurl or display the national flag in accordance with the flag code provisions. He also referred to the pictures of the handling of the flag by the leaders in the media and one of them displaying a party flag bigger than the national flag. “How did the BJP flag overshadowed the national flag? They should desist from dragging the Tricolour in this agitation and showing
disrespect to it”, Mr Sharma said. Asked to comment on BJP leaders Sinha and former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh making personal attack on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Mr Sharma said they “are under obsession when the question comes to her.” “She faced their charge with courage in the last Lok Sabha poll. They are targeting her ever since she renounced power at the Centre. They continue to make statements which are ridiculous. They are false and reveal their frustration”, he said. On the comment of the BJP leaders against the Dr Manmohan Singh, he asked former Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee to state whether he approved the stand of BJP leaders, which undermine the high office, and if not, he should come out in the open and state his position. Asked about the release of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti by a Karnataka court he said, “The BJP has to worry now as after one week of agitation on the issue, it has now become a issueless party and they must decide what to do with Uma Bharti. It is their problem.” The Congress, however, refused to comment further on the controversy surrounding Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comments on freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, saying after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement on the issue the chapter was closed. The Congress today steered clear of the Supreme Court order taking exception to the hurry in which the Bihar Government moved to withdraw criminal cases against Union Minister Taslimuddin. The party expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the two-day Indo-Pak talks and hoped that this forward movement “trend” would continue. “The outcome of the two-day talks are satisfactory. The dialogue has moved forward. We are hopeful that this forward movement trend will continue in the coming days,” Mr Sharma said. |
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Cong hints at SP-BJP nexus in UP
Lucknow, September 6 Speaking to the Press, Mr Chaturvedi said the letter of support to the Samajwadi party-led coalition last year was given with the understanding that the communal forces would be kept at bay. However, recent events suggested of an increased comfort level between the SP and the BJP. If such things continued the Congress could be expected to be patient for long, observed Mr Chaturvedi. Elaborating on his charge he recounted several examples. The continuation of BJP leader Keshari Nath Tripathi as the Speaker of the House even after the Samajwadi Party came to power was the first sign of this tacit understanding. Mr Tripathi relinquished the Speaker’s post only after his defeat in the Lok Sabha poll. The sitting of the five rebel BJP MLAs on the Treasury Benches and the BJP taking its own time to decide on their expulsion was another incident. The BJP getting the post of Deputy Speaker was further confirmation of an understanding, he pointed out. And finally former Prime Minister and city BJP MP Atal Bihari Vajpayee air-dashing to Lucknow to give a clean chit to the Mulayam Singh Government in the wake of the police-lawyer clash last week spoke volumes for the kind of support Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav had amidst the senior BJP leadership, pointed out Mr Chaturvedi. Meanwhile, the statewide Congress bandh in solidarity with the lawyers who were beaten up by the police last week turned out to be a disappointment in the Capital. Congress sources however, claimed having received an encouraging response in some districts. |
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SC seeks papers in 14 Gujarat riot cases
New Delhi, September 6 A special Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal, Mr Justice
S.B. Sinha and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia issued the direction during the hearing of six
PILs, including the one filed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking a fresh probe by the CBI in these cases and their transfer outside Gujarat. The cases sought to be transferred include the Godhra train burning case, which sparked the riots in Gujarat on February 27, 2002, Naroda
Patia, Gulbarga, Sardarpura, Ode and Naroda Gam massacre, in which hundreds of people were killed. Besides, the NHRC, reinvestigation and
transfer of the cases were sought by way of PILs by NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace, relatives of two British nationals who allegedly were burnt alive in a car, victims of Vishapura carnage and two other petitioners, on the grounds that the Gujarat police had not investigated the cases properly. However, NHRC counsel
T.R. Andhyarujian, in his submission today, said the prosecution in Gujarat “is now far more responsible” and it needed to be strengthened further. But the NHRC counsel said it did not mean that the commission would stand in the way of transfer of the cases outside the state, if the court felt that there was a need for such an action. |
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SC seeks details from states about life convicts
New Delhi, September 6 A Bench of Mr Justice
S.N. Variava and Mr Justice H.K. Sema granted four weeks’ time to the state governments to submit their affidavits and made it clear that if any state failed to furnish the details, its Chief Secretary should appear in the court on next date of hearing to explain the reason. The direction was issued during the hearing of a PIL by Mr
M.K. Balakrishnan, who said thousands of prisoners who had completed their life sentences, continued to languish in jails across the country as no efforts were being made by the state governments to secure their release. The petitioner also said that though the Union Home Ministry had, in December 2003, prepared a “model prison manual” to be applicable in the country and had forwarded the same to every state, it had not been implemented. The Court posted further hearing in the matter after four weeks with a direction that two PILs raising the issue of “premature” release of life convicts by the Haryana Government would also be heard together with it. |
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PM mourns death of Kultar Singh
New Delhi, September 6 In a condolence message, Dr Singh described Kultar Singh as a “true patriot and firm believer in values of selfless sacrifice and social service.” “He remained active for the uplift of the downtrodden, besides contributing to keeping the flame of ideals of our freedom struggle burning brightly,” he said.
— UNI |
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Kultar Singh (1931-2004) In the cause of the martyr Chaman Lal WITH the passing away of S. Kultar Singh, younger brother of martyr Bhagat Singh, the country has lost another great freedom fighter and symbol of revolutionary change in Indian society. Born
on August 29, 1919, he was just 12 when Bhagat Singh went to gallows
in 1931. The martyr wrote a very touching letter to Kultar Singh on
March 3, 1931, when he had gone to meet him in Lahore jail: “It was
very painful to see tears in your eyes today. Your conversation was
full of anguish today. I cannot bear your tears. My dear, take care of
your health and gain education with courage. What more to say! —
Live happily my countrymen! We leave for our journey! Live with
courage, namaste.” Kultar Singh dedicated his life to his brother.
His house in Saharanpur is named “Bhagat Singh Niwas”. He and his
elder brother Kulbir Singh joined the freedom struggle along with
their father, S. Kishan Singh, and suffered imprisonment for many
years. Even after Independence, he remained dedicated to the secular
and revolutionary ideas of his brother, though some of his family
members were tempted to join the Jan Sangh. Kultar Singh once
joined the Congress and became a Minister in the N. D. Tiwari
government in Uttar Pradesh. But he was more interested in organising
the freedom fighters and propagating the ideas of Bhagat Singh. Kultar
Singh was present when his uncle, S. Ajit Singh, died on August 15,
1947, at Dalhousie, after listening to Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous “Tryst
with Destiny” speech. Ajit Singh had returned to India after 38
years of exile as a freedom fighter. I first met Kultar Singh along
with his younger brother Rajinder Singh, who died earlier, at one of
his newphew’s place. For the last two years, we were in touch with
each other, meeting occasionally on programmes on Bhagat Singh. He
wrote a preface to the book “Complete Documents of Bhagat Singh”
in Hindi, I edited. Kultar Singh’s daughter Varinder Sandhu had
earlier written a book on “Bhagat Singh and his immortal ancestors”
in Hindi in 1968. In his short preface to my book, Kultar Singh
wrote on August 31, 2002: “After the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, I
and my elder brother Kulbir Singh were arrested in 1939 and we were
kept in Devli Camp Jail. We remained imprisoned till 1946. My father
was also imprisoned many times after Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom,
though he was an MLA from 1937 to 1944 in Punjab.” He further
wrote: “Now it is clear that only by practising Bhagat Singh’s
ideas can the country obtain real freedom. Otherwise, the country will
again be in the grip of cruelty, injustice and torture.” He hoped
that “With the publication of these documents of Bhagat Singh at the
time of Bhagat Singh birth centenary during 2006-07, the name of
Martyr Bhagat Singh will shine like a bright star and as an original
thinker of the people’s liberation struggle in Indian history.” We
had plans to celebrate Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary in 2006-07
under the benign presence of S. Kultat Singh. Alas, that was not to
be. But we can pay our homage to S. Kultar Singh by fulfilling his
desire of celebrating Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary in a befitting
manner. The writer is Head of the Hindi Department of Punjabi University, Patiala.
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Environment ministers to meet on Sept 8, 9
New Delhi, September 6 The Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Awards for 2001 will also be given to 16 individuals and institutions in eight categories during the conference. The National Environment Policy 2004 describes key environment challenges, currently and prospectively, facing the country, objectives of the environment policy, normative principles underlying policy action, strategic themes for intervention and indications of legislative and institutional development intended to accomplish strategic themes and mechanisms for implementation and review. |
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3 TDP workers done to death
Hyderabad, September 6 While local body president Prabhakar was shot dead yesterday while he was on his way to a hair salon with his four children, two other activists, Ramakrishna and Srinivasulu, were axed to death today. Prabhakar died six hours after he had pleaded with the district SP to renew the security cover removed after the Congress took over. |
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JKDFP leader for panel on Kashmir under Vajpayee
New Delhi, September 6 “If a committee, comprising senior politicians, is formed it will be able to talk to all groups and sections of the Kashmiri society,” Mr Shah said after he and JKLF leader Yasin Malik had a two-hour-long meeting with the visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri here. Emerging from the meeting, Mr Shah and Mr Malik emphasised that the Indo-Pak talks would be futile till Kashmiris are involved in the process. |
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Terrorism: India sounds Bangladesh
Kolkata, September 6 The Centre had sent a strong note to the Bangladesh Government demanding appropriate steps for immediate dismantling of the terrorists camps inside Bangladesh. The Defence Minister said the UPA Government had given special emphasis on tackling terrorism. He stressed that both states and the Centre should jointly operate against
terrorists. |
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Suspected paedophile extradited
Mumbai, September 6 According to the police in Mumbai, Walter was arrested in the USA on a warrant issued by Interpol several months ago when he attempted to board an aircraft to the island of Bermuda. Though a British national, Walter was living in the USA. After the required screening process, the Indian authorities were informed and the process to extradite Walter commenced, the police said. The process was completed and Walter was released to an Indian police team sent to the USA. He was brought to Mumbai by the police this morning. Later in the day he was formally placed under arrest by the police station at Colaba in downtown Mumbai. |
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Corporations to instal solar street lights
New Delhi, September 6 The conference agreed to replace the conventional traffic signal lighting systems with the solar assisted LED-based systems as part of energy saving measures. This will help avoid chaotic conditions witnessed at road junctions whenever signal traffic goes off due to power failure. Under the action plan, the state governments and municipal authorities will formulate the guidelines and incentives to promote the installation of solar street lights, solar lighting system for hoarding and solar generators for commercial establishments in cities. |
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