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Left attacks UPA on Iran issue
Bihar elections: parties continue to ignore women
Bihari labourers leave Goa village
Criminals flourish in land of Gandhi
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Rane vs Shiv Sena: security up in Malvan
US foundation to hold Education Week
PM condoles Dandavate’s death
Keller awards for service to physically challenged
Committee
to monitor avian flu
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Left attacks UPA on Iran issue
Lucknow, November 13 Accusing the UPA government of “surrendering” before “imperialist USA”, CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said the government would have to clearly state whether it was with the USA or the Non-aligned nations. Addressing a joint public meeting with the Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on “Swatantra Videsh Niti Apnao, Desh Bachao” (follow independent foreign policy, save the country), the Left party leaders urged the government to follow an independent foreign policy. Mr Karat termed as “disgraceful” the government’s stand on Iran and asked it to change its position before the November 24 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “If the government does not concede our demand, the matter will be raised in Parliament and we will put it in the dock on the issue,” he said. “It appears that the Manmohan Singh government has finally decided that an independent foreign policy is not required... Has the government decided that it will dance to the tune of the USA”, he said, insisting that the Centre also explain to people the military pacts with the USA. Pointing out that “Iran was our friend”, Mr Karat denounced the USA for “bullying” the country (Iran) and maintained that it had not violated any international law.
— PTI |
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Bihar elections: parties continue to ignore women Patna, November 13 “In three phases of voting, female voters have been seen exercising their franchise in larger numbers compared to their male folk,” said an Anganwari worker, Ms Mira Thakur, adding, “It was unfortunate that the political parties have been ignoring the rights of women.” “Only six per cent of the tickets have been distributed to women candidates by the political parties,” Ms Usha Kumari, a school teacher, pointed out in Muzaffarpur. In all four phases of the present electoral exercise, there are 136 women out of the total 2,135 candidates. There are 44 women candidates which are contesting either as independents or are part of unrecognised parties. Ten recognised parties have fielded just 92 women candidates. The Congress has given tickets to 9 women candidates, which is 17 per cent of its total number of 51 seats which the party is contesting in alliance with the RJD, CPM and the NCP. While the RJD has fielded 14 women which is a mere 8 per cent of its total number of candidates, the CPM and the NCP have chosen to ignore them totally. On the other hand, the NDA, which has been espousing the cause of reservation for women in Parliament and legislatures, has given tickets to 25 women candidates. The JD (U) has fielded 16 and the BJP has nine women in the fray. While the CPI has two in the fray, the CPI (ML-L) has given tickets to 10 women. The BSP and the LJP have 15 and 17 women, respectively, in the electoral arena. “What surprises me the most is that over the years number of women MLAs has been coming down,” said Ms Veena Singh, a political activist. “In 1952, there were 13 women MLAs. In 1957 and 1962, 34 and 25 women came to the Bihar Assembly,” she pointed out and lamented that “number of women MLAs started coming down in subsequent elections.” “While the Father of the Nation had asked women to come out and participate in the freedom struggle and large numbers did respond to his call but the political parties ignored them,” Prof Rama Kumari said, adding, “It is unfortunate that even after 58 years of Independence, women continue to be ignored.”
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Bihari labourers leave Goa village after attack
Honda (Goa), November 13 Earlier this month, Honda’s gram sabha adopted a resolution ousting the Bihari migrants and following which groups of villagers attacked the migrants. Most of the Biharis left soon after. When this reporter visited the area, not a single Bihari migrant was left here though workers from elsewhere like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Orissa continued to work here. According to sources, local villagers were seething at Bihari migrants working at less than the prescribed minimum wages at Honda Industrial Estate. The migrants were known to put in 16-hour work a day for as little as Rs 120 per day angering locals who needed to be paid Rs 340, including overtime, for double shift. Labour contractors also preferred the Bihari migrants, as they were willing to stay in cramped quarters with minimum facilities. Things came to a head earlier this month when village women objected to the Biharis bathing naked in a stream. In the altercation that followed several villagers were badly thrashed by the Biharis. “A gram sabha was immediately summoned and it was decided to expel all Biharis from the village,” says Sudesh Babu Madkar, panch of the village When the villagers realised that expelling the migrants would not stand the scrutiny of law, they prevailed upon local house owners to throw out their Bihari tenants, admits Madkar. Most of the 300 labourers left the same night leaving their personal belongings with their landlords, villagers told The Tribune. The exit of Biharis from Honda has affected several industries here. The Automobile Corporation of Goa Ltd, which builds buses for Tata Motors, lost a big chunk of its workforce, a company official said. The number of vehicles produced by ACGL has fallen in the past week. Ellenabad Steels (P) Ltd, the biggest steel recycling plant whose workforce comprised mainly of Bihari migrant labourers has suspended production. “Most of our employees left hurriedly in two trucks,” says Shilpa Sakhalkar, an employee of the steel company.
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Criminals flourish in land of Gandhi
Patna, November 13 But this has not deterred political parties, irrespective of their affiliations, from fielding “strong-arm- men” and noted history sheeters in the ongoing polls in Bihar. Going by the study report prepared by the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 28 per cent of a total 1,607 candidates in the current four-phased polling in Bihar have
criminal antecedents which range from murder to extortion, facing serious charges under the arms and explosives acts. The number of such candidates with criminal background is 466. The findings are based on the affidavits filed by the respective candidates at the time of filing their nominations. The LJP tops the list by fielding 74 such candidates, followed by the RJD with 69, the
JD(U) with 52, BJP with 48, BSP with 33 and CPI (ML) 28. During her recent visit to Patna in
connection with her poll campaign, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit looked visibly
embarrassed in dealing with questions of criminal candidates on the Congress list and said they'd leave the matter to the electorate in the respective constituencies to decide the same. The former BPCC Chief Ramjatan
Sinha, now with LJP, said that earlier despite its falling political fortunes, the Congress denied tickets to persons having dubious track records. Mr Sinha said, "During the Rajiv Gandhi era of the mid 80's, state Congress stalwarts like Sadanand Singh (now the BPCC Chief), late Rajo Singh Raghunath Jha were denied tickets for their controversial backgrounds.” A senior leader of the Congress on condition of anonymity was quick to defend the
party's position claiming, "Sticking to principles is fine. But it took the party nowhere”. But the
interesting feature is the way criminals seek to put forward their defence in the name of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jaiprakash
Narayan. Ananta Singh, the JD(U) candidate from Mokama, who has nearly two dozen criminal cases against him and has been to prison several times remarked, "Which leader has not gone to jail? All the great leaders have been to jail. Mahatma Gandhi, Jaiprakash
Nanayan, all of them have been to jail." |
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Rane vs Shiv Sena: security up in Malvan
Malvan (Maharashtra) November 13 Despite the authorities beefing up security ahead of the November 19 election, the situation continues to be tense with reports of violence coming from different parts of this sprawling constituency. Senior Shiv Sena leaders alleged ,today, that the party’s Member of Parliament Tukaram Rege-Patil was roughed up by Rane’s workers late Friday. Rane’s followers denied the incident. The Shiv Sena is facing a tough battle, here, after Rane defected to the Congress Party with its entire party machinery. “All the officebearers of the Shiv Sena were appointed by Rane and they left along
with him forcing us to start from scratch,” admits senior leader Diwakar Raote, from Mumbai, who is overseeing the party’s campaign. Shiv Sena workers, mostly trucked in from various parts of the state, admit they are only working to reduce Rane’s victory margin. The authorities have pressed in a large number of security forces as the battle gets bitter. “Five companies of the State Reserve Police and a company of Central Industrial Security Force have been pressed in apart from the local police," says Vijayalaxmi Bidari Prasanna, local. |
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US foundation to hold Education Week
New Delhi, November 13 A series of events will be organised to engage students, scholars and professionals in a dialogue about international education. This year’s theme— ‘International Education: Improving Student Achievement Around the World’ marks the sixth annual commemoration of the International Education Week. USEFI Executive Director, Prof. Jane E Schukoske commenting on the programme said, “USEFI is committed to enhancing educational and cultural exchange among the people of India and the Unites States. Exchange visits have been the backbone of international education”. The USEFI in cooperation with the East-West Centre will also hold a regional alumni conference in the capital from November 15 to 18, which will be attended by 150 alumni from 10 countries. With the theme, ‘Building a South Asia Community in a Global Context’ the conference will explore major issues facing South Asia. It will feature speakers and presentations from India and abroad and foster networking opportunities that will be a bridge between diverse cultures.
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PM condoles Dandavate’s death
New Delhi, November 13 “An outstanding parliamentarian, his participation in debates and in the activities of Parliament will be cherished for a long time,” he said in a condolence message. Dandavate would also be remembered for his invaluable contribution to public service in his long and distinguished political career, Dr Manmohan Singh said. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee termed Dandavate’s demise as a “great loss to the secular and progressive forces in the country”. Finance Minister P Chidambaram said Dandavate was an eminent parliamentarian who brought his wide-ranging knowledge on various subjects to the debates in Parliament since 1980s.
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Keller awards for service to physically challenged
New Delhi, November 13 ‘Helpers of the Handicapped’, founded by Ms Hurzuk, who lost use of the lower half of her body in an accident, runs a residential school, a treatment, rehabilitation and training centre, and a gas agency at Morai near Kudal. Mr Kotian, a manager with the RBI’s department of information technology, who lost his sight in a freak firecracker accident, went on to become the first visually impaired computer programmer in the country. He is the president of Blind Graduates Forum of India and a committee member to formulate the syllabus for computer training done by the National Institute for Visually Handicapped. Mr Raman, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, set up the ‘Amar Seva Sangam’ in Chennai, which provides employment to 39 disabled youths. The awards are given every year under three categories. Ms Hurzuk, Mr Kotian and Mr Raman have won the awards for disabled people, who have contributed to the cause of employment for disabled people and are role models for others. The second category of awards- given to non-disabled people, who have contributed to promotion of employment opportunities for the disabled-will be given to Ms Shanti Raghavan, Mr Shyam Kedare and Fr Valerino Vaz. Ms Raghavan’s ‘Enable India’ provides computer training to the visually impaired people while Mr Kedare, an electrical engineer, is credited with developing technology, which allows a blind person to use telephone through touch. Fr. Vaz of Caritas, Goa, introduced a new concept of ‘ reverse inclusion’ where non-disabled students join school and get the benefit of special education.
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Committee
to monitor avian flu
New Delhi, November 13 “Though we have no cases of bird flu in the country, we want to take precautionary measures and the committee to be formed will include representatives from the poultry industry,” Animal Husbandry Secretary P.M.A. Hakeem told. The secretary said the Central Government has issued instructions to all state governments to strictly monitor any death at the poultry farms. Animal husbandry departments have also been asked to keep strong vigil on the migratory birds in their respective states and look for any change in the behaviour of the birds, he said. “The country, as on date, is completely free from the menace of bird flu,” Mr Hakeem asserted.
— PTI |
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