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NRI grooms be made accountable, says women panel
No political realignment likely, says
Laloo
NCW team to visit
Manipur
Uma rakes up Cong flag
issue
BJP urges PM to restore Savarkar’s
plaque
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India, UK to ink joint
declaration
Centre’s reply on sops to Haj pilgrims sought
PM reviews security scenario
Senior citizens scheme to be extended through banks
Criminal shot after chase
Sachdeva surrenders
Tripathi seeks inquiry into assault on MLAs
A clarification
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NRI grooms be made accountable, says women panel
New Delhi, September 18 The commission’s report ‘NRI Marriage Problems’ submitted to the ministry has been compiled after gathering views of women abandoned by NRI husbands. Workshops in this connection were conducted at Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Jaipur. The report includes a draft convention on jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters. The prime objective of the draft convention is to standardise rules of private international law relating to jurisdiction and to improve the recognition and enforcement of judgements regarding dissolution of marriage, legal separation, annulment of marriage, custody of children, marital property settlements and maintenance orders. The commission has suggested that the draft convention be signed by India with countries that have large population of Indians. This would protect the rights of spouses of inter-country, NRI and foreign marriages. The report has recommended compulsory registration of all NRI marriages, creation of a government agency for registering marriages of NRIs, scrapping the dual citizenship of defaulting NRI spouse and creation of a special cell by the ministry to address problems relating to marriages with NRIs. It has also suggested to frame guidelines for recognising and enforcing foreign judgements on divorce and family law matters on the lines of UNCITRAL Model Law in trade and commerce matters. The commission has pointed out that NRIs who have obtained a foreign citizenship are treated as foreigners in India. If they cheat Indian women for the purpose of dowry or remarry after concealing their marital status at the time of marriage, they must be treated as persons who have committed marital crimes on the Indian territory. “Suitable steps must be taken to extradite them to be punished,” it said. The commission has suggested that the rule of habitual residence be considered as a possible basis of matrimonial jurisdiction in any future legislation. NCW chairperson Dr Poornima Advani maintains that the law of territorial jurisdiction that applies to India works to the disadvantage of the women because Indian courts do not recognise the decree of divorce passed by a foreign court. |
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No political realignment likely, says
Laloo
Chennai, September 18 Addressing his first press conference after taking over as Railway Minister here, he made this comment when his attention was drawn to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s statement that nothing was permanent in politics and there would be many changes in the political scenario. Talking about Ms Jayalalithaa, Mr Yadav said: “She is like my sister and in 1999 when I talked to her she had no problems in accepting Soniaji as the Prime Minister. But politicians backstabbed Soniaji and Jayalalithaa too was misled.” Mr Yadav
was critical of the former Union Railway Minister’s policies and said his department would not seek any help from foreign companies for modernisation of the Railways which was his priority. He ruled out any kind of privatisation of the Railways and charged the BJP-led NDA government with “conspiring to reduce employment opportunities by keeping 84,000 posts for gangmen and 8000 posts of railway Protection Force (RPF) vacant for years”. He claimed that though he did not increase either passenger fare or freight the earnings of the Railways had increased and he wanted the Indian Railways to be the number one in the world. Our Railways ranked third in terms of passenger and freight volume in the world, he added. |
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NCW team to visit
Manipur
New Delhi, September 18 During its three-day visit to Imphal, the NCW team, headed by Chairperson Poornima Advani, would meet women activists, NGOs and state officials to ascertain details of the Manorama Devi case. “Nobody has approached the NCW in the case till now and we are also aware that there is a judicial investigation going on into the case. However, the case will come up before the commission and it will meet as many people as possible to get details of the case. It will also hold ‘jansunvai’ to get the gender profile of the state,” Dr Advani told reporters here today. The NCW team would also visit Tripura and Mizoram to look into the problems of women in these states. Later, it will visit Daman and Diu for a public hearing there. Dr Advani said the commission could hold a meeting of Health Secretaries of all states on October 12 to focus on the health rights of women. It would hold a conference of Dalit women sarpanches on November 1 to deliberate on the problems faced by Dalit women in rural areas. About the draft bill on prevention of sexual harassment at workplaces presented to the government recently, Dr Advani said the bill also had provisions to prevent sexual harassment of women working in the unorganised sector. Reacting to a parliamentary panel’s report that the NCW has too many pending cases, Dr Advani said the number had come down from 14,000 cases in 2002 to far less now. Moreover, radical reforms in procedures had resulted in women getting immediate relief, she added. However, she said she would soon meet Mr Vayalar Ravi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, to clarify the situation. — UNI |
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Uma rakes up Cong flag
issue
Bhopal, September 18 She said she would ask BJP president Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley to plead on the matter before the apex court. As part of her “Tiranga yatra”, Ms Bharati entered Madhya Pradesh in Burhanpur district last night and arrived here this afternoon by train. Ms Bharati extended her support to the government led by Mr Babulal Gaur and categorically stated that she would not create problems for the government. Ms Bharati said she had only submitted her resignation from the Chief Minister’s post and not from her obligations to the people of the state. Mr Naidu, who was expected to attend the rally, did not turn up but a surprise guest speaker in the form of former Defence Minister George Fernandes made up for his absence. Arun Jaitley, in charge of BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit, was also present. |
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BJP urges PM to restore Savarkar’s
plaque
New Delhi, September 18 “If he (Dr Singh) was sincere about what he said on the Veer Savarkar issue during his recent press conference (i.e. he wanted to end the controversy), then he should direct restoration of the plaque in Cellular Jail,” BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who will lead the BJP MPs in the September 21 satyagraha, told newspersons here. “Our critics say that we are raising Savarkar issue due to Maharashtra poll. If that is so, then there are three days left for the satyagraha and the Prime Minister can close the issue by ordering restoration of the plaque,” Ms Swaraj said. “Our intention is not to create any law and order problem but to tell the nation about the disrespect meted out to great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and Bahadur Shah Zafar by removing the plaque containing their quotes from the ‘Swatantra Jyoti’ at the jail,” she said. She clarified that the party was not demanding removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s plaque from the Jyoti but wanted that Veer Savarkar’s plaque, which was removed at the orders of Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer, be restored. Displaying a “replica” of the Savarkar Plaque which was removed from the Jyoti, Ms Swaraj said it will be carried by the BJP leaders to Andaman on September 21 and a demand will be made Reading out the quotes of Savarkar and Bahadur Shah Zafar contained in the replica, she wondered what was wrong in those quotations, which prompted Mr Aiyar to order for its removal. Mrs Swaraj said that about 100 to 150 BJP MPs belonging to both Houses of Parliament will reach Port Blair, some on September 20 and others on September 21, for the satyagraha. |
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India, UK to ink joint
declaration New Delhi, September 18 Preliminary reports emanating from the Foreign Offices of the two countries suggest that India and Britain will sign a joint declaration following what are being described as substantive talks between Mr Manmohan Singh and Mr Blair. Building on their traditionally strong bilateral ties, the joint
declaration will dwell on issues of common interest like combatting terrorism, conflict resolution and tackling illegal immigration. Enhanced cooperation in the areas of science and technology as well as the constitution of a joint economic and trade committee are in the offing. The meeting has been scheduled during his brief stopover in London on his way to the UN General Assembly in New York. Mr Manmohan Singh leaves tomorrow for his first-ever visit outside Asia after assuming office as Prime Minister of the Congress-led UPA government. During his week-long stay in New York, Mr Manmohan Singh will address the UN General Assembly and hold a series of bilateral talks with US President George Bush and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. |
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Centre’s reply on sops to Haj pilgrims sought
New Delhi, September 18 Forwarding media reports to Cabinet Secretary, the commission has asked the government to give its reply by Tuesday, EC sources said here today. The EC action comes in the wake of Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal’s announcement on Wednesday that the Centre would soon do away with the amendments brought about last year in the Haj pilgrimage rules by the previous NDA government to ensure “string-free” subsidies for all Haj pilgrims. The announcement from the minister came on the day formal notification was issued for the Assembly poll in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh and also to by-elections to 40-odd Assembly seats spread over several states. |
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PM reviews security scenario
New Delhi, September 18 The hour-long meeting was attended among others by the Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and the National Security Adviser JN Dixit. The meeting was briefed by top commanders of the armed forces and intelligence officials about the security scenario as well by officials of the newly raised Armed Forces Strategic Command. |
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Senior citizens scheme to be extended through banks
New Delhi, September 18 This would enable senior citizens to open an account under the scheme at the nearest post office or at a branch of a public sector bank of their choice. “Requests have been received by the government from senior citizens and also legislators to allow designated banks to accept deposits under this scheme”, an official statement said. All other existing small savings schemes, available exclusively through post offices, will continue to be operated only through the post offices, the statement said. Under the scheme, citizens of 60 years of age and above are eligible to invest. Single or joint account (with spouse only) can be opened. Citizens who have retired under a voluntary or a special voluntary retirement scheme, and have attained the age of 55 years, are also eligible under specified conditions. Deposits in multiples of Rs.1000, subject to a maximum of Rs.15 lakh, will be allowed. |
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Criminal shot after chase
Dehra Dun, September 18 At least 27 cases of murder, loot and extortion were pending against the criminal in various districts of the Kumaon region, the police said. Nazakat took away the motor cycle and robbed Rs 30,000 at gunpoint from a vegetable vendor, Surendra Kumar, when he was on his way to work last night, the police said. The police team swung into action and chased him for about two hours. |
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Sachdeva surrenders
New Delhi, September 18 Sachdeva was later remanded in two days police custody after the investigating officer submitted that he had to be taken to Mathura and Faridabad in connection with the probe into the episode. The police is also seeking to recover a compact disc containing the question paper from him. |
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Tripathi seeks inquiry into assault on MLAs
Lucknow, September 18 An inquiry into the police beating of MLAs in the industrial city protesting against power scarcity has also been demanded by Mr Tripathi. A delegation of BJP legislators led by Mr Tripathi, including Mr Salil Bishnoi, the legislator who had been badly beaten up by the police during a demonstration in Kanpur two days ago, met Governor T. V. Rajeswar. In the memo Mr Tripathi charged that the police not only lathi-charged the elected representatives but had also implicated them in false cases. |
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A clarification
The Punjab State Electricity Board today said that it was not a defaulter of the Railways. All freight payments to the Railways were made in advance at the loading points of coal pit-heads. Hence there is no reason for the Railways to say that the PSEB is a defaulter.
The PSEB spokesperson was reacting to a report headlined “PSEB among 6 defaulters of Railway dues”. (September 18). To set the record straight, the PSEB said Rs 439.56 crore referred in the news-item was wrongly debited by the Railways on account of the so-called 15 per cent surcharge which had been set aside by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Railways has not implemented the judgement and has not written back about the charges as dictated by the Court orders. The Railways has failed to straighten its record, he added. |
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