The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

TN to challenge seer’s bail
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 4
The Tamil Nadu government is planning to challenge the grant of bail to Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Sarswati in Radhakrishanan assault case in the Supreme Court while opposing his bail petition in Shankararaman murder case, filed by the seer earlier. In an affidavit filed in the apex court today in response to its notice on the Shankaracharya’s appeal for bail in Shankararaman murder case, the Tamil Nadu government said that there were serious charges against him and he should not be released on bail at this stage.

The Supreme Court has listed the pontiff’s bail petition for hearing on January 6 with the direction to the state police to produce entire case diary before it.

Tamil Nadu counsel said that the state would also be filing an appeal by tomorrow against yesterday’s Madras High Court order granting him bail in Radhakrishan assault case.

After arrest of the seer in the Mutt official Shankararaman murder case on November 11, the Tamil Nadu government had also booked him in the case pertaining to the alleged attempt on the life of another temple official Radhakrishanan two years ago.

CET for management seats

The Supreme Court today sought responses of the Centre and University Grants Commission (UGC) to a petition seeking common entrance test (CET) for management quota seats in engineering and medical colleges in the country.

Issuing notices to the Union Government and the UGC on a petition by an association of private engineering and medical colleges, a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari sought their responses within two weeks.

The court said after examining the replies of the Centre and the UGC it would decide whether the matter needed to be referred to a Constitution Bench or not.

Since there was no CET for filling management quota seats in private medical and engineering colleges, the association had sought to have one on the line of All India Pre-Medical Test (PMT) and All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) for the general category students.

The association said that the admissions under the management quota also needed to be streamlined as thousands of seats in various colleges had remained unfilled last year because there was no regulatory system in place.

Bail plea of blasts accused

The Supreme Court today declined to entertain the bail petition of Coimbatore bomb blast main accused Abdul Nazar Madani, saying instead of directly coming to the apex court he should have first approached the Madras High Court.

Madani was allegedly among the main accused who had hatched a conspiracy to trigger the blasts in a bid to “assassinate” BJP leader L.K. Advani during the 1999 poll campaign. The blasts had left scores of people dead.

“Why should we entertain a petition under Article 31. Is the High Court helpless to pass an order on the bail plea,” a Bench of Mr Justice Shivaraj V Patil and Mr Justice B N Srikrishna asked Madani’s counsel Sushil Kumar.

Under Article 31 a petition can be filed directly in the apex court.

While granting liberty to Madani to move the high court, the Bench, directed it to dispose of his bail petition expeditiously.

	Sukhois, Jaguars in one year Tribune News Service Car Nicobar, January 4 Air Marshal S.K. Malik, Vice-Chief of Air Staff, who visited Car Nicobar, told The Tribune that the aim of getting the Car Nicobar airbase ready to receive fighters in six months may be too ambitious. “Four Sukhois and five Jaguars were supposed to land at Car Nicobar on January 3. We are now determined that we will get them, on the same day next year,” he said.
	Fishermen venture out into sea Nagapattinam (TN), January 4 For the first time after the killer tsunami hit this coastal district in Tamil Nadu, fishermen ventured into the sea for fishing this morning. In a bid to instil confidence among panic-stricken fishermen of Akkaraipettai, which housed over 7,000 such families, the Army repaired some of their large fishing boats and went out to sea along with them today. The Bangalore-based Madras Engineering Group of the Army repaired three boats in which the fishermen set on sail today, Thanjavur district Collector J. Radhakrishnan, who was supervising relief operations, told reporters. “We have completed relief work and will now concentrate on rehabilitation. We want the cooperation of the people in this programme. That is why we repaired the boats and encouraged fishermen to go on their routine. Their response is encouraging”, he said. — PTI
	Charting aftermath of a megaquake Sridhar K Chari Tribune News Service INS Darshak, off Port Blair, January 4 As the continental plates continue to grind and shift against each other and fresh tremors send people scampering out of buildings (there was a particularly long drawn- out one today in the afternoon) in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, naval hydrographers are getting ready to chart the changes in depth profiles, currents, sea bed topography and the coastline itself. The INS Darshak, one of the eight hydrographic survey ships with the Indian Navy, docked today at the Naval jetty at Port Blair after a long journey from Vishakapatnam. It has been obvious to everybody that water levels have risen relative to the landmass, but what exactly has happened in terms of shifts and tilts will take some dogged work to calculate. People have reported that while in the worst- affected areas of the southern Nicobar islands the waters have come well inland and not receded at all, in the north, off the North Andaman island, the waters appear to have been pushed back, even during high tide - a vertical tilt on the pitch axis of the archipelago as it were. Of course, the emerald isles are not one contiguous land mass. The Chief of Air Staff ,Air Marshal S.P. Tyagi, who visited Car Nicobar today, said: “We think - and of course this is just an impression, the experts will have to decide - that the whole island has sunk and may be shifted a little bit, and that is why the waters are well in. We’ll have to pick the centre of our runway and see if it is still on the same latitude-longitude co-ordinates as before.” The INS Darshak’s Commanding Officer, Captain P. Jayapal ,noted that even the current patterns may have changed, as they detected a current of 2.5 knots as they were coming in to berth at Port Blair. “That is unprecedented - the maximum that we have felt here is about 0.8 knots.” He has not been officially tasked yet by the A & N command, “but I guess our job here will be a combination of hydrography and support for relief operations.” In fact, they bought over 50 tonnes of supplies with them from Vizag. The INS Darshak was here doing hydrographic work only last October - this is done periodically so that safe and navigable sea routes and access into harbours can be determined.
	Where tsunami spared a church Arup Chanda Tribune News Service Velankenni (Tamil Nadu), January 4 A blue wall hanging that adorned the home of Kasiamma on the beach here lies on what is now a heap of rubble. It says," What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved, Acts 16:30, 31." As providence would have it the 65-year-old woman, her two sons and a mentally challenged daughter survived when the killer tsunami struck on Sunday and the sea devoured 2000 persons here, including 500 Christian pilgrims who were taking a holy dip at this coastal town in Nagapattinam district, 260 kms away from Chennai. Kasiamma ran a small shop in front of her home along with 200-odd other shopkeepers who were doing brisk business as the Church of Shrine Basillica drew pilgrims from all over south India because of Christmas. All the shops were just razed to the ground within a few minutes by nature's fury and the rubble still lie on the beach. "I was away in the market but my children could manageto escape as they saw the sea rising and ran for their lives. My sons fell down and were injured but for God's graceare alive," said Kasiamma who though a Hindu like many locals visited the church, 600 metres from the sea but surprisingly spared by the tsunami. According to a local legend, a small chapel appeared on the spot after one lame boy had a vision of Mary. Later, Portuguese sailors who had survived a storm at sea, built a church there in fulfilment of a vow they took while struggling for their lives. Today thousands of tsunami victims who could survive pray for another touch of grace from Our Lady of Health to heal the wounds caused by nature's fury on one fateful Sabbath day. In the 17th century Basilica of the Our Lady of Health shrine, there are a handful people who pray for the dead .Rev. Fr. S P Masilamani, stands before a huge woodenboard on which around 400 close- up photographs of those dead are pinned. They depict a repulsive site with most of the bodies mutilated and their faces and limbs smashed by the killer tidal wave. Father Masilamani says:; "These photographs are necessary to help identify the dead, lest there should be no evidence that these people were killed.

	Fuel supplies to Andaman and Nicobar restored Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 4 The government yesterday claimed that the supply of petroleum products to the tsunami-hit Andaman and Nicobar islands had been restored to normal and public sector oil companies had stocked 15 to 30 days supply of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF and LPG. A statement released by the ministry stated: “The demand for petroleum products is being met fully. A team of officers of the Indian Oil is camping in Port Blair to monitor the stocks and supplies.” The chain of islands, which bore the brunt of the massive earthquake and the resulting tsunami of December 26, have been stocked with 14-day supply of domestic cooking gas (LPG) and 21-day supply of kerosene. “LPG stocks are being replenished on priority. An LPG tanker is expected to reach Port Blair on January 11. This will provide 75 days’ cover,” it said. The islands have 30 days’ cover of petrol and 18 days’ cover of diesel. Jet fuel (aviation turbine fuel), used for refuelling aircraft carrying relief materials, stocked to meet seven days requirement at Andaman and 50-days need at Car Nicobar. “A dedicated tanker (MT Harsha) has been detailed for supplies to Port Blair from Haldia. The tanker is carrying 1400 kilolitres (kl) of ATF, 150 kl of kerosene and 6000 kl of diesel,” it said. The ministry has also released additional quantities of kerosene to other tsunami-affected states - 10,000 kl for Tamil Nadu, 7000 kl for Kerla, 400 kl for Pondicherry and 10,000 kl for Andhra Pradesh.
	Sonia helps bridge communication gap Ramesh Ramachandran Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 4 Amateur radio operators would not have played a stellar role of bridging the communication gap by relaying messages between Port Blair and New Delhi in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami disaster had it not been for Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s personal intervention and interest in amateur radio. Bharathi Prasad, the first woman HAM to operate from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and her team of HAM operators, who were in Port Blair when the tidal waves hit the eastern seaboard, were cleared by the Ministries of Home Affairs and Defence and permitted by the Department of Telecommunication to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands only after she wrote to Ms Gandhi in November. What helped Ms Prasad was the Gandhi family’s abiding love for amateur radio. Ms Sonia Gandhi is a licensed HAM operator. Her call sign is VU2SON. She and her husband, late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (call sign VU2RG) share a pride of place among VIP HAMs from across the world. Incidentally, Ms Priyanka Vadra and Union Telecommunication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran share this interest. “I have been seeking permission for the past 17 years but did not get it. Finally I wrote to Ms Gandhi and sought her help to get the permission for me and my team of four licensed HAMs to conduct a DXpedition to Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” Ms Prasad told The Tribune. Within weeks of writing the letter, Ms Prasad was in Port Blair. “I got the permission on November 26 and I reached the islands on December 1,” she said. A chief coordinator of the National Institute of Amateur Radio, Ms Prasad (call sign VU2RBI) returned to New Delhi on Saturday after spending a month in Port Blair. “The past week was gruelling,” she spoke, sitting in the safe confines of her home. “Soon after the tsunamis struck, we suspended the expedition, set up a station in the Deputy Commissioner’s office and began relaying communication to the mainland.” With no telecommunication links or electricity in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, it was this team of radio amateurs that assisted the local administration in coordinating relief work.
	Suffering of Punjabi women touches NCW Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 4 A report released by the National Commission for Women (NCW) claims that the NRI marriages, dowry and the absence of family courts are persisting problems in Punjab. “There are no dowry prohibition officers, family courts and a special cell in the Ministry of External Affairs for NRI marriages, despite suggestions and the need for the same,” Chairperson of the NCW Poornima Advani said while releasing the report on the situation of women in Punjab. The report compiled by Prof Pam Rajput for the NCW stated that while Punjab continues to be the most developed state, it remains the least gender-sensitive state with the highest number of female foeticides. Though the literacy rates of both men and women have improved, more than 40 per cent of the women continue to remain anaemic, notwithstanding the resources and free vaccinations. The girl child remains deprived of life-saving vaccinations, including DPT and BCG. High maternal mortality rate, low maternal health and violence against women have contributed to the poor condition of the women. The report states “Punjab ranks 22nd among the states and UTs, yet it is seen that not only are crimes against women increasing at a rapid pace, but Punjab’s percentage contribution to the all-India total (of violence against women) too is increasing and Punjab is becoming a high-risk state.” Noting that several steps have been taken to improve the situation, the report points out that “it is not the policies that are lacking, the difficulty probably lies in their implementation”. A report on the condition of women in West Bengal was also released here today. The report indicates that the state’s sex ration is now marginally higher than the national average and that the infant, child and maternal mortality rates compare favourably with the all- India figures. The report compiled by Mr Mukul Mukherjee notes that there is an alarming uptrend in domestic violence, trafficking in women and children apart from the henious crimes of rape and dowry deaths.
	Paswan closes door on tie-up with JD (U) Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 4 Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President Ram Vilas Paswan yesterday put an end to speculation over alliance talks between his party and the JD(United) for the forthcoming Assembly poll in Bihar, saying that such a scenario could emerge only when the JD (U) severed its ties with the BJP. Willing to forge a “secular” alliance to defeat the RJD in the Assembly poll, Mr Paswan indicated that his party was willing to accept any Congress claim for Chief Minister’s post if the party broke its relations with the RJD and decided to contest poll in an alliance with the LJP. Mr Paswan said he had talked to senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel about the possibility of an alliance. “He suggested that I should meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi, but such talks would be meaningful only if the Congress declared its intention to come out of its alliance with the RJD,” Mr Paswan said. The LJP leader said his party was in favour of an alliance of the Congress, the LJP and the JD(U) to take on the Rashtriya Janata Dal, but his party would not compromise its ideology to achieve this. “The reports of talks between the LJP and the JD(U) for fighting the elections together smack of a conspiracy against my party. These are not only speculative but also misleading,” he said. Mr Paswan said he had talked to JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar in the past about the possibility of an allaince but had made it clear that the JD(U) must snap its ties with the BJP. “The JD(U) should be clear about what it wants to do,” he said. Mr Paswan said during his talks with Mr Nitish Kumar, he had pointed out that a grand alliance would not be possible in the face of a “bitter antagonism” between JD(U) leader George Fernandes and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Mr Paswan said Mr Nitish Kumar sought to allay his doubts by referring to statement of Mr Fernandes where he said that the JD (U) was willing to go with anyone to defeat the RJD. “I have slammed the doors on a tie-up with the JD(U) unless it snaps ties with the BJP,” he said. Mr Paswan said the LJP would keep an equal distance from the BJP and the RJD. However, Mr Paswan was more severe on the BJP saying that the party should be removed from the political scene of Bihar to bring focus back on development issues. Mr Paswan said the LJP had finalised its candidates for all the 243 Assembly seats. He said people wanted a change and the RJD would be defeated in the elections. The LJP would perform well in Jharkhand also, he added.

Punjab liquor vendor gets more time
S.S. Negi
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 4
A liquor vendor from Punjab, on whose petition entire auctions in three districts of the state were quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court last year, has sought two weeks’ time from the Supreme Court for filing his reply to a special leave petition (SLP) by the state seeking a recovery of Rs 2.94 crore from him.

The Punjab Government, which claimed to have suffered a total loss of Rs 17.79 crore on account of re-auction in view of the litigations by vendor Sanjeev Bhandari and others, who had challenged last year’s liquor auctions in Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts, had sought a recovery of Rs 2.94 crore from him for causing loss to the government.

A Bench of Mr Justice K G Balakrishnan and Mr Justice Tarun Chatterjee allowed the plea of Bhandari’s counsel Altaf Ahmed for submitting his reply.

The state government said Rs 6.07 crore deposited by Bhandari with the High Court was not sufficient even to offset its loss of Rs 8.84 crore in districts of Jalandhar-I and Hoshiarpur, where he had challenged the same and then gave a commitment to the apex court that he would participate in the fresh bids.

But the High Court on his application said the deposited amount would be adjusted against the security deposited by Bhandari.

The government said the High Court order ran contrary to the direction of the Supreme Court, which had directed the adjustment of the deposited money against the losses suffered by the state in view of re-auction.

Bhandari had chosen not to participate in the November 5, 2004 auction despite the fact that his counsel had given a commitment to the apex court, the government said.

Since he failed to participate in the fresh bid “his conduct amounts to contempt of court”, the government claimed.

The Supreme Court on October 15 had directed the Punjab Government to have fresh auction in the three districts while stating that Bhandari, who filed the petition in the High Court, would make good any possible loss to the government on account of re-auction in the districts where he had challenged the March 2004 bids.

The court had earlier issued notice to Bhandari on Punjab Government’s SLP, after its counsel P P Rao and Punjab’s Advocate General Harbhagwan Singh had alleged that the vendor had taken the court for a ride.

Pak for meeting on science with India

Ahmedabad, January 4
Pakistan is interested in holding a high-level scientific meeting on science with India on biotechnology and agriculture in Lahore in April to evolve solutions and strategies to common problems.

Information in this regard was given today by Pakistan’s National Commission on Biotechnology Chairman Anwar Nasim, who is here to attend the 92nd Science Congress along with three other Pakistan scientists.

India’s agriculture scientist and National Commission on Farmers Chairman M.S. Swaminathan has been invited for the proposed meeting. But his confirmation was awaited, the Pakistani delegate said.

With regard to tsunami, Mr Swaminathan had said the tragedy has underlined the urgency to establish a grid of rural knowledge centres along the coast.

In his address to the morning session on the second day of deliberations here, Mr Swaminathan stressed the need of a synergy between technology and public policy.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources S.K. Chopra said today that India was fast moving towards having a national solar hydrogen web to mark a positive transition to solar hydrogen economy. — UNI

Woo NRI Sikhs, Centre asks Amarinder
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 4
The government has asked the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to take special interest to woo NRI Sikhs to participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to be organised at Mumbai from January 7.

The decision has been reportedly taken in view of the grudge of Sikhs against Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Jagdish Tytler for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

While addressing a press conference today, Mr Tytler said, “We are making a difference between the Sikh NRIs and others. We are just facilitating to attract them to invest in the country and participate in the development process”.

He disclosed that world number one Golfer Vijay Singh (Fiji), Hollywood Director Manoj Night Shyamalan (USA), well-known author and Booker Prize winner Vikram Seth (Britain) and telecom wizard Sam Pitroda (US) are among the 15 prominent personalities who will be conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards at the “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” celebrations.

The other eleven are: Mr M. Arunachalam (Hong Kong), Prof Jagdish Bhagwati (USA), Ms Amina Cachalia (South Africa), Sir (Dr) Alokeranjan Dasgupta (Germany), Mr Ahmed Kathrada (South Africa), Prof Sunil Khilnani (US), Mr Basdeo Panday (Trinidad and Tobago), Lord Bhikhu Chhotalal Paresk (UK), Mr Manoj Night Shyamalan (US), Dr Sant Singh Virmani (The Philippines), and Mr Yusuffali M A (UAE).

A village of unwed tribal mothers

Tirunelli (Kerala), January 4
A remote village in Kerala houses hundreds of unwed tribal women. It speaks aloud of the injustice meted out to women, even in the “age of liberalisation”. Tirunelli village in Wayanad district portrays a grim picture as several tribal women, though not tied in nuptial knots, carry along multiple number of children.

These women, some of them as young as 13 years old, are prey to infidel men who sexually exploit them with false promises of marriage.

Women who work as labourers in tea and coffee estates are allegedly made to do favours to their fellow workers and masters.

Dhara, a tribal woman, said the man in her life deserted her, leaving three children to look after.

“I had a relation with a man. Earlier he used to look after me and my three children but now he does not. He has started living with another woman,” she said.

Jose Sebastian, a social activist, said the problem was inherent to certain communities who abandon the girl child. “In Adiaya and Paniya communities, where there are unwed mothers, the community itself excludes them. They become orphans and then in most cases they have to go to other places to survive along with their children,” he said.

These women are also allegedly harassed by policemen who ravage the hamlet raping the women folk.

Tirunelli has a population of 24,000, largely consisting of tribesmen from 120 settlements.

Though official figures put the number of unwed mothers low, unofficial surveys conducted by NGOs and social workers estimate a high number of unwed mothers. — ANI

BRIEFLY

Talks on Baghliar begin
New Delhi: India and Pakistan on Tuesday began Secretary-level talks on the contentious Baghliar Hydro- Electric Project across the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has accused India of adopting "dilatory tactics" and described the two-day talks as a "last ditch effort" to reach a bilateral settlement failing which it has threatened to seek a World Bank arbitration. Secretary (Water Resources) V. K. Duggal and Pakistan High Commissioner to India Aziz Ahmed Khan were also present at the meeting. — TNS
In video (28k, 56k)

PM visits Dixit's residence again
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday paid another visit to the residence of the late National Security Advisor J. N. Dixit and spent about an hour with the family members. The Prime Minister had visited the Dixits' residence yesterday. — TNS

WHO DG in Indonesia
New Delhi: The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Lee Jong-Wook, today began a five-day visit to Indonesia and Sri Lanka to assess the urgent medical needs in the tsunami-hit areas. Dr Lee will also take part in the special ASEAN summit in Jakarta. — TNS

Three MLAs disqualified
Ranchi: Three Jharkhand MLAs have been disqualified from the House under the Anti-Defection Law after they joined the RJD, Assembly sources said here on Tuesday. Lalchand Mahto, Madhu Singh and Ram Chandra Kesri were disqualified by Assembly Speaker Mrigendra Pratap Singh, who had issued show-cause notices to them on December 29, after they left the JD(U) and joined the RJD, the sources said. — PTI

17 killed in bus mishap
Ahmedabad: Seventeen persons were killed and several injured when a bus, in which they were travelling, fell into a ditch near Bhusaval in Maharashtra, the police said here Tuesday. The bus was on its way from Amravati to Surat when the mishap occurred on Monday night, it said, adding that all passengers hailed from Surat. — PTI

Poonch Vale dead
Gwalior: Noted classical singer Bala Saheb Poonch Vale died at his residence here on Tuesday morning. He was 87 and is survived by three daughters. He was the sole exponent of “tappa” of Gwalior Gharana. — UNI

Devakinand dead
Jalgaon: Senior journalist and poet Devakinandan Saraswat died here on Monday following a heart attack, family sources said. He was 67. He was the winner of the Maharashtra Government’s Dalit Mitra Award and Darpan Puraskar. — PTI

Honour for Oriya poet
Cuttack: Renowned Oriya poet Rajendra Kishore Panda will be conferred with the prestigious Sahitya Bharati Samman for 2004 for his outstanding contribution to modern Oriya poetry. — UNI

Fashion studies for Class XI
Hyderabad: The CBSE Chairman Ashok Ganguly has said fashion studies will be introduced as an elective subject for class XI in CBSE schools from the next academic year. — UNI