 |
|
|
‘Passage’ under IB fence sends BSF into tizzy
ISRO launches jointly built satellite
FBI interrogates Kasab for nine hours
Rs 100-cr scam has Andhra govt in fix
|
|
|
‘Thank you’ card replaces bill for first customer
Taj overtakes Gateway as favourite for photo shoots
Negative
fallout of industrialisation
BSP’s bid to gain foothold in TN
Political migration to Chiranjeevi’s camp continues
Antulay must come clean: NCM head
Legislators with criminal past may lose security
Orissa Christians foresee trouble
An artist who wished to transcend boundaries
3 ultras gunned down
Tollywood overtakes Bollywood in output
Vaccine crunch to end: Ramadoss
Dept of justice needs to be separated from MHA: Parliamentary panel
Mumbai fascinates Hollywood legend Paul Schrader
More evening courts on anvil, says CJI
India releases 51 Pak nationals
Science should improve daily lives of Indians, says PM
Govt ‘taking steps’ for welfare of denotified tribes
Govt issues quality foodgrains for
mid-day meals
Number 13 good omen in Rajasthan polity
Kandahar Hijacking
Survey: Bengal among bottom three states in e-governance
‘Improve’ Wakf administration
Red Cross, TRP unite to trace runaway kids
Three held for carrying fake passports
Security up as letter warns of blasts in trains
Lalu’s ‘kulhars’ go missing
Blast inside Manipur
Raj Bhawan; no casualty
Passenger dies on flight
Undersea cables snap; BPO services may be hit
|
|
‘Passage’ under IB fence sends BSF into tizzy
Jaipur, December 21 The police claim has left many swollen faces in the BSF. The security force is under flak for the serious lapse which has come at a time when the vigil on border is expected to be in a heightened state. A joint team of the police and the BSF was inspecting the spot to ascertain the claims. Though the reports initially said nine smugglers, 8 of whom have been arrested, had dug a tunnel under the fence, police officials today said a small space, enough for a person to crawl to the other side, has been created under the fence. Meanwhile, BSF officials have denied the claims. An official said the police claims were wrong and a joint inspection was on to verify the facts. The official said it was impossible to dig a tunnel in loose sand. IG Rajeev Dasot said they have arrested 8 persons, including three Tanzanian nationals, who were involved in the smuggling. The five locals belonged to Makhan Ke paar village in Barmer district. Police said it is after 1994 that Tanzania nationals have been caught smuggling heroin. The police recovered 20 kg from the accused, who were . planning to take the booty to Europe and eventually to Canada. The entire group allegedly worked for international smuggler Abu Baquar, police said. Pakistan national Hazi Ali had managed to cross the border with the booty, which was handed over to Mohd Illiyas in Makhan ke Paar village. Later, the police caught three Tanzanians in Jodhpur with the heroin. Their arrest revealed shocking lapses in security at border.
|
|
ISRO launches jointly built satellite
Bangalore, December 21 The state of the art communication satellite, W2M, built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched today at 4:05 am IST by the European Ariane-5 launch vehicle. The launch took place from the space centre at Kourou in French Guiana. Thirty-two (32) minutes after its lift-off, W2M separated from Ariane-5 rocket after having reached its intended geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Radio signals transmitted by W2M were received by ISRO’s master control facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka. The health of the satellite is normal. The W2M project was undertaken in the wake of an accord signed during the visit of the President of France to New Delhi in 2006. It was decided that Antrix Corporation Ltd., the marketing arm of ISRO, and EADS-Astrium, would jointly build and deliver a communication satellite (W2M) to Eutelsat Communications, a global satellite communications provider based in Paris. EADS Astrium is an aerospace subsidiary of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), based in England. European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany, Aerospatiale-Matra of France, and Construcciones Aeronauticas SA (CASA) of Spain. The company develops and markets civil and military aircraft, as well as communications systems, missiles, space rockets, satellites, and related systems. The company is headquartered in Netherlands and operates under the Dutch law. Astrium had the responsibility for overall programme management and delivery of the communications payload. Antrix provided the satellite bus and also performed W2M’s integration and testing at ISRO’s facilities in Bangalore. W2M satellite, weighing 3,463 kg at lift-off, is capable of remaining functional for over 15 years. The satellite’s solar panels can generate a maximum of 7,000 Watts of power. The satellite, after being placed in GTO by Ariane 5, will be positioned finally at the orbital slot of 16 ° east on the GTO. It carries 32 high power Ku band transponders for telecommunications and broadcasting services covering Europe, West Asia and North Africa. The early orbit phase (LEOP) operations of W2M, being conducted from ISRO’s facility at Hassan, include 3-axis stabilisation of the satellite, repeated firing of its liquid apogee motor to put the satellite on its final orbital slot and deployment of its appendages. ISRO would get about $30 million from the project.
|
|
FBI interrogates Kasab for nine hours
Mumbai, December 21 The FBI sleuths, who have now been camping in the metropolis for over three weeks, questioned Kasab, who is in the custody of the Mumbai Police, official sources said. During the questioning session, the FBI sleuths asked the arrested Lashkar terrorist minor details about his native places. Kasab hails from the Ukkad area of Faridkot district in Pakistan. He was also asked to explain the area were his training took place besides the people who had trained him in arms as well as the people who brainwashed him, the sources said. The 21-year-old told his interrogators that he had started his career as a petty thief in Lahore, where he was staying with his brother after dropping out of school in 2000. Thereafter, he shuttled between his brothers home and his parent’s house till 2005. He had a fight with his family members and left home to start work as a daily wager but later joined a small-time criminal gang. Here, he and one of his friends came across some Jamaat-ul-Dawa members while they were purchasing arms from a market in Rawalpindi. After deliberating among themselves, Iman claims both of them decided to join the outfit thinking the jihad training would further their future life in crime. During the training, the films on India's alleged atrocities in Kashmir and fiery lectures by preachers, including Lashkar chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, led him to believe the Lashkar's cause was worth giving his life to. Later, Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi promised that his family would be rewarded with Rs 1.5 lakh for the sacrifice. The FBI sleuths, with the help of his description, prepared some sketches of Kasab's brain washers as well as his trainers besides marking the places on the maps, the sources said.
— PTI
|
|
Rs 100-cr scam has Andhra govt in fix
Hyderabad, December 21 The scandal, worth about Rs 100 crore, came to light following the arrest of Y. Suryanarayana, an executive engineer of the Fisheries Department, by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Apart from unearthing Rs 30 crore worth properties and gold, the investigators have stumbled upon a deeper scam having ramifications across the state administration. The reports of the tainted official having dubious dealings with six ministers and several senior bureaucrats have come as a major embarrassment for the Rajasekhar Reddy government. The main charge against Suryanarayana is that he managed to bag major chunk of civil construction works from various departments using his clout with ministers and IAS officials. Even as the ACB sleuths were probing the details of his transactions and the extent of his ill-gotten wealth, the media reports suggesting the connivance of Chief Secretary Ramakanth Reddy have put the government in a fix. In a damage-control exercise, the CMordered a judicial probe by a retired HC judge to unearth facts relating to the case. “The judicial inquiry will bring out facts and the guilty will be punished. There is no question of shielding the culprits,” the Chief Minister said. The opposition TDP, CPI, CPI (M) and BJP have demanded dismissal of the ministers and officials whose names have been linked to the scam. They wanted judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge to unravel the nexus between corrupt officials and ruling party bigwigs. Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary today threatened to file defamation suit against certain media groups for carrying “mischievous and distorted” reports. He lamented that these newspapers chose not to carry his “point-by-point rejoinder” to their stories. With Assembly elections only a few months away, the political fall-out of the scam has become a worrying factor for the Congress government. The names of six ministers - Mohammad Ali Shabbir, M. Hanumantha Rao, Damodara Raja Narasimha, Mukesh Goud, M. Budha Prasad and B. Satyanarayana - have been dragged into the scandal. Using a loophole in a government order that says works related to a department that did not have an engineering wing can be entrusted to another department's engineering wing, Suryanarayana allegedly bagged contracts worth over Rs 100 crore through his conduits and siphoned off public funds.
|
|
‘Thank you’ card replaces bill for first customer
Mumbai, December 21 "I was surprised when I got the card saying ‘thank you for your support’ instead of the bill," said Devendra Ksheer Sagar, the first customer at one of the restaurants of the Trident hotel, where 32 people were killed in the terror strike. Sagar, the middle-aged patron of Trident, used to visit its restaurants after his morning walk at the Marine Drive along with his friends and guests to relish a warm cup of masala tea. "I had come here for my morning walk and since I knew the hotel was re-opening today, I decided to try my usual cup of tea. The staff told me that they were open today," he said. In place of any tense face, Sagar was greeted with warm smiles and yellow roses as he entered the lobby. "As soon as I stepped into the hotel, many managers walked up to me and shook hands saying ‘thank you’. I was surprised on being told that I was their first customer. I was really touched by their gratitude," he said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today said hotels would be given necessary help for enhancing the security in the wake of November 26 terror attacks which targeted two major hotels in the city. Chavan was speaking after attending an all-religion prayer meeting at Trident Hotel, one of the hotels attacked by the terrorists, which reopened today. Asked if any special instructions have been given to hotels and other important establishments, Chavan said: “The hotel managements have been asked to tighten security. Whatever is necessary, would be provided...Whether they want permissions for weapons (for security staff), or any other kind of facilities to tackle terror attack, it would be provided.”
— PTI
|
|
|
Taj overtakes Gateway as favourite for photo shoots
Mumbai, December 21 “Since the 26/11 terror strikes, people want their photographs taken with the Taj in the backdrop and not the Gateway of India monument or the Arabian Sea,” photographer Manish Gupta said. While this might provide some income to photographers, they say their business has been hit badly post the terror strikes. “I have been working here for the past 15 years, but business has been bad since the attacks. We left on the day the terrorists struck and since we returned a few days later, business has been bleak,” another photographer Vijay Chauhan said. “Mumbai may have returned to normalcy but our business has been hit,” he lamented. Gupta, who returned to the Gateway six days after the deadly attack, said the number of tourists, both foreign and domestic, had fallen drastically. “Tourist flow here has been badly impacted and this, in turn, has affected our daily earnings,” he said. Majority of those who flock to get their photographs clicked are locals. “The problem is that most of the people coming here now are from the city itself. Being locals, they bring their own cameras and click photographs. This renders us virtually jobless,” another photographer Vasu Kadam said.
— PTI
|
|
|
Negative
fallout of industrialisation
Kanchipuram (TN), December 21 While Tamil Nadu's cultural festival Pongal is just a few weeks away and marriage season hitting with it, there is a sharp rise in the demand for Kanchi silk sarees, which is used on major occasions in every South Indian family. But, the silk manufactures were not able to meet the demand, due to shortage of skilled weavers. Kanchipuram silk manufacturers’ association president Y.M. Narayanasamy said, "Kanchipuram silk sarees are known throughout the world for their exquisite designs and wonderful handiwork. This is due to the skilled weavers in Kanchipuram, who have been involved in its production for many generations. We cannot recruit anyone for weaving, as Kanchi silk weaving is a unique art, known only to the descendants of weavers doing it for many centuries." "Now, many companies including multi-nationals like Nokia, Ford and Hyundai Motors have opened factories in nearby areas. The young generation of weavers have joined these companies for monthly salaries and we are not able to get skilled weavers", he complained. General secretary of Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Union E. Muthukumar also agreed that silk weavers were leaving their profession and joining other companies. However, he said the new companies were paying higher salaries. The older generation of weavers continued in their profession, since they did not have any choice, despite the low wages. "Now, youngsters find that the new companies were providing more salary for less work. So, the silk manufacturers should increase the wages to bring back the skilled weavers", he said. Nagaraj, a young weaver, who had joined a nearby MNC as a labourer said, "I have watched my father and mother work for many weeks to weave a saree for a paltry amount. A family can weave two sarees in a month, if they work day and night and earn around Rs 3,500, when there is a demand in the market. Compared to this, the MNCs pay Rs 6,000 per month." He said the work is not labourious and the working hours are limited to eight hours, while the income is regular. "When there is a choice, why stick to a labourious job without benefits?" he asked. When asked about the low wages, Narayanasamy, head of the manufacturers’ association said, "Those manufacturers who own many looms are paying more than Rs 6,000 to lure the weavers back. But, small manufacturers cannot afford to pay higher wages, due to the rising cost of zari. Since the price of gold has gone up, the zari prices too are increasing. One mark (240 gms) of zari cost Rs 5,500 now. Add this to the price of silk and other raw materials and calculate the manufacturing cost.” Strongly disputing him, Union leader Muthukumar said the silk manufacturers would not end up with losses, even if they increased the wages by 40 per cent. Only, their margin of profit would come down. They should come forward to give up a small per cent of their profit to save the world-famous Kanchi silk industry, he said.
|
|
|
BSP’s bid to gain foothold in TN
Chennai, December 21 Dalits in Tamil Nadu does not have a single representative and different communities who live in different areas have their own leaders. While the northern districts have a concentration of Valluvars (Parayars), the southern districts are dominated by Devendrakula Velalars, alias Pallars. Both the communities are seen in eastern Tamil Nadu, while the western districts are densely populated by the Arunthathiyar community. While a majority of Dalits are split between the two Dravidian parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, other parties representing Dalits are slowly emerging in all parts of the state. The most powerful of the Dalit parties is the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) of Thol Thirumavalavan, who had established his presence in northern Tamil Nadu. Thirumavalavan will be the major challenger for the BSP, as he is expanding its base, by projecting a Tamil nationalist face, in addition to the Dalit plank. Thirumavalavan contested in Chidambaram Lok Sabha election constituency in 2004, and polled about 2.25 lakh votes, pushing the BJP, which contested in alliance with the AIADMK, to the third position. The 47-year old Thirumavalavan, besides, taking up issues concerning rights of Dalits, is broadbasing his party’s appeal by supporting the LTTE. Besides northern districts, the party is slowly gaining popularity in eastern Tamil Nadu, which is considered to be bastion of Dravidian and Communist ideologies. The VCK is considering a close tie-up with Ram Vilas Paswan, to face the BSP’s challenge. The fact that VCK does not have a presence in southern districts will not be a comfort to the BSP, since Dr Krishnasamy’s Puthiya Thamizhagam, had established itself in those areas. Puthiya Thamizhagam too is a party, zealously supporting the Sri Lankan Tamil cause. In the western districts, parties like the Aadhi Thamizhar Peravai are slowly emerging. Mayawati had successfully weaned away one of VCK’s MLAs, K. Selvaperunthagai, who is heading the State unit now. An IAS officer Sivakami had also quit her post and joined the BSP recently. But, Mayawati’s bid to establish her party in Tamil Nadu can succeed only if she played the Tamil nationalist card more effectively than Thirumavalavan and Krishnasamy. Her strategy of Dalit-Brahmin combination is unlikely to bear fruits, considering the strong anti-Brahmin sentiments in the state.
|
|
|
Political migration to Chiranjeevi’s camp continues
Hyderabad, December 21 The latest to switch loyalties is the ruling Congress legislator from Vijayawada V Radhakrishna, who today joined the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) floated by the megastar of the Telugu cinema and vowed to work with him to realise his goal of social justice. Radhakrishna, a prominent youth leader from coastal Andhra, who has been nursing a strained relationship with the Congress leadership, joined the PRP in the presence of Chiranjeevi here. Radhakrishna is the son of a fiery and controversial Congress politician V Mohana Ranga Rao, who was murdered at a hunger strike camp in Vijayawada in 1988 when the Telugu Desam Party was in power. The killing had triggered widespread riots and led to widening of rift between “Kapus” and “Kammas”, the two powerful communities in the state. While TDP was perceived to represent the interests of Kammas, the Kapu community now sees Chiranjeevi as its rallying point to get control of the levers of political power, which eluded the community so far. Meanwhile, there are speculations in political circles over the defection of senior TDP leaders K. Venkat Rao, a deputy floor leader in the assembly
and S. Venugopalachary, a former union minister, to Chiranjeevi’s camp.
|
|
|
Antulay must come clean: NCM head
New Delhi, December 21 Speaking for the first time on the row sparked off by minority affairs minister A.R. Antulay, who questioned the circumstances leading to the killing of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Qureishi said it was now for the minister to come clean on the issue and explain in clear terms what he really meant. “The minister has either not been able to explain himself well or has been misunderstood. Whatever the case, the onus is now on him to clear the doubts his statement has caused,” Qureishi said in an interview to The Tribune. Pained at the fact that the minister’s statement was being linked to the entire Muslim community in the country and being projected as the general Muslim perception, he said such linkage and generalisation was “wrong, unwarranted and undesirable”. “The Muslims whole-heartedly condemn the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India and all kinds of acts of terror, whether sponsored or homegrown,” said Qureishi indicating it was important for Antulay to clarify the contents of his remarks.
|
|
Legislators with criminal past may lose security
Lucknow, December 21 The observation made by the court during the hearing of a petition last week may affect nearly 155 MLAs and 24 MPs from the state. They stand the risk of losing their free security cover. The state’s home department confirms that nearly 155 legislators, belonging to various political parties in the state, have established criminal antecedents and yet have been provided security far in excess to their entitlement. Similarly, 24 MPs have been provided extra security apart from their personal security cover at both their residence in the national capital as well as in their respective constituencies. In the current political scenario in the state, the establishment of the rule of law is the ostensible a priority of the Mayawati government. As a matter of fact she did not tire of criticising the lawlessness during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s regime during her election campaign. However, in actual practice every known criminal and mafia is gravitating towards the BSP. Ever since Mayawati returned to power she has not shown any hesitation in welcoming them into the party. Mafia don-turned-politician D.P. Yadav merged his two members of the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal into the BSP. He joined the BSP along with wife, the only other MLA from the party. Incidentally, they are the parents of Vikas Yadav convicted in the high profile Nitish Katara murder case. Similarly, Dhananjay Singh, JD (U) MLA from Rari in Jaunpur, merged his one-man party in the state with the ruling BSP and was whole-heartedly accepted by Mayawati. A Lucknow University student-turned-gangster, he is a historysheeter of the Sikrara police station in Jaunpur and once carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head for a murder case in Lucknow. Another criminal who joined the BSP was Ajay Pratap Singh, alias Lalla bhaiya . He quit his Congress seat from Gonda to join the BSP. His sister won his assembly seat while he is likely to be fielded from Gonda during the Lok Sabha election. A major gain for Mayawati has been the recent switching over of loyalties by Arun Shanker Shukla, alias Anna. A dreaded criminal from Lucknow, Anna had been with the Samajwadi party for more than a decade. As a matter of fact, the SP had reportedly used his “good offices” to harass Mayawati during the infamous guest house episode a day before she first assumed office on June 3, 1995. Forgetting and forgiving his past crimes, Mayawati not only welcomed this Brahmin don-turned-politician into the party but also announced him as the BSP candidate for the Unnao Lok Sabha seat. She even went to the extent of publicly coming to his rescue by declaring during a press conference that criminals who had “reformed” should be given another chance. There is a news that other criminal legislators like Mukhtar Ansari, Atiq Ahmad, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiyya, are contemplating jumping onto the ruling BSP bandwagon. With such criminal heavy weights in the ruling BSP party it would is interesting to observe how the Allahabad High Court would go about removing their security cover.
|
|
Orissa Christians foresee trouble
New Delhi, December 21 Notwithstanding the revocation of December 25 bandh call by Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Shradhanjali Samiti (SLSSS), the Christians today sought deployment of rapid action force and other paramilitary forces across Orissa, especially near Christian villages, institutions and places of worship. In Kandhamal, the Christians lodged in relief camps have started apprehending threat. Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar diocese Father Rapheal Cheenath, in the capital today, confirmed to The Tribune the exodus of Christians from relief camps in the riot-hit Kandhamal, which was yet to return to normalcy after the August attacks. Father Cheenath today raised an alarm, saying several “strange people bearing arms and ammunition” had entered Kandhamal and had been openly moving around the Kottagarh area. What’s most worrisome for the Christians residing in the area is the Sangh Parivar’s call to hold a “Gayatri Aswamedha Yagya” in Sambalpur district on December 25, 26 and 27; several lakhs are expected to attend the yagya. “Why have they chosen December 25 to hold the yagya? Their intentions smack of evil intent. There has been a history in Orissa of targeting Christians on Christmas. It happened last year and we think it might happen this time unless precautions are taken,” Cheenath said. He has written to Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik expressing concern on the presence of non-state actors in Kandhamal and the organisation of Gayatri yagya on Christmas, he has also demanded immediate arrest of suspicious elements, who had entered Kandhamal apparently with the motive of fomenting communal trouble. Besides, the community through the Archbishop has forewarned the centre of trouble and sought the extension of paramilitary force deployment in the state till the conclusion of Parliament and assembly elections. “We have asked the centre and state for security in the Christian-dominated districts of Balasore, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur,” Cheenath said. On December 19, the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Shradhanjali Samiti (SLSSS) called off its 12-hour Christmas bandh, following hectic lobbying by the state Chief Minister and the intervention of BJP supremo L.K. Advani. The samiti had called a bandh on November 15 to protest slow investigations into the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati. They budged only after official assurances to their demand of solving the murder mystery as soon as possible. It is learnt that Chief Minister gave a letter of assurance in this regard to the samiti. Till now, seven persons have been arrested by the state crime branch in connection with the August 23 killing that led to brutal anti-Christian violence in Orissa.
|
|
|
An artist who wished to transcend boundaries
New Delhi, December 21 But, Ali or Arpan Mukhopadhyay was special, different from others for his association with the brush and the canvas could have been prompted due to his inability to cope with the acceptable ways of the world. The reminiscences of this artist were relived last evening through a discussion on "Ali's world of Art" and an exhibition of his works, which were restored after his unfortunate accidental death in his own room while he was sleeping, at IIC in the Capital. His works delineate a mix of light and profound patterns though the later ones, which he painted after his survival from the earlier fatal accident in 1997, were quite dissimilar to the type prevalent in the pieces of other artists of his The themes had shifted from skies, wanton Lucy, moonlit gardens to long shadows of trees, pathos of life and death, the hand stretched out in vain, all pointing towards a shift in thought processes. Though he was a wanton soul always bubbling with fun and vitality, later growth of his mind and thought and the influences on him of his experiences in the world can easily be traced in his works like "Train Derailed, "The Hands", "Fire", "Skull" etc. Ali's life and destiny was conditioned by his eight-week premature birth, which laid the foundation of his thoughts, gradually determining his manner of association with the society. All of his creations show that his mind and heart were quite sensitive to the slightest shades, nuances and inhibitions of life, which he rendered back through his art with depth and subtlety. His artistic inclinations are the quintessential accretion of moods of exultation and depression, strong faith and erroneous non-conformism, struggle and disillusion, unbelief and flippant disregard for the so-called sanctities Rajni Kumar, educationist and founder of Springdales said, "His teachers at Springdales School viewed Ali as a misfit and troubled child. He was such child, who could never conform and correlate to the usual manners and customs, culture and learning, and philosophy and religion. This book written by his parents, Badal and Swapna Mukhopadhyay, very eloquently outlines his robust zest for life, which constantly overflowed through his expression on the canvas." His intense, painted, titled as well as untitled canvases, conditioned by his innermost rebellious thoughts and sentiments, reflect his attempts and struggles and project him as an exponent of his zeitgeist. Bhrigu, one of his seniors, feels that Ali's creations depict that he wanted to experiment and transcend boundaries, and his thoughts were silently vocalised through his insinuating figures and ferocious lateral intensities that he so genuinely experienced. However, Suneet Chopra, famous art critic and social activist said, "Ali had been a warm and gentle human being, but due to societal inhibitions he had taken the route of claustrophobic quarters. His works make us question ourselves as to whether conformists actually exist." All who know Ali remember him as a warrior who was never superseded by failures and societal pressures, in fact his creations, characterised by a sense of poignancy and universality, stand testimony to his triumph over the wreckage declared by his destiny. Indeed, his works are the lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to life beyond life.
|
|
3 ultras gunned down
Guwahati, December 21 Army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the security forces spotted a group of armed militants on the bank of River Bhola, about 10 km west of Udalguri town, this morning and three militants were shot dead by the security
men. Udalguri district deputy commissioner S.B. Sundaram said, “The joint team of the police and security forces came across a group of people, suspected to be militants, moving about in the area and opened fire at the group as they violated the prohibitory orders. Three of the suspected militants were gunned down while the rest of the group managed to escape,” he said. The security forces recovered three 9 mm pistols and a hand grenade from the slain militants. It has been ascertained that those killed were cadres of the AANLA and search was on to trace the other members of the group who managed to escape. “The district is a known transit route of the Adivasi militants and there were intelligence inputs about the movement of the militants in the area and we had intensified the deployment of security forces there,” the official said. Night curfew has been in force in Udalguri district that was ravaged by communal flare-up during first half of October that resulted in deaths of scores of people besides extensive damage to property. The Army was deployed in the district to control the riot in the area. The AANLA is newly floated militant group having members from the Adivasi and tea tribe communities in Assam. It is highly active in tea garden belts of North Assam,
Golaghat, Jorhat and Karbi Anglong districts of the state. The group is known to receive patronage from Naga rebel groups as well as the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
|
|
|
Tollywood overtakes Bollywood in output
Hyderabad, December 21 Tollywood, as the local film industry is called, has overtaken Bollywood in terms of output. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has so far certified 270 movies from the state this year as against 256 last year. Bollywood has produced 256 movies this year. Censor board officials expect that the number of certified films may touch 290 this year, which will be a new record in the Indian entertainment industry. “The Telugu film industry accounts for the highest number of movies produced in the country. It has been maintaining a dominant position for the past three years,” regional officer of the CBFC T.V.K. Reddy said. Of the certified movies, about 150 have already been released in the state this year while others are set for release. While the numbers may be impressive, the quality of Telugu movies leaves much to be desired. A majority of them, including those involving big stars and leading production houses, have bombed at the box office. Critics point out that the Tollywood is being dominated by a handful of families who control production, marketing, exhibition and other aspects of movie-making, thereby blocking fresh talent and experimentation. “Very few in the industry have a passion for quality cinema. The business of entertainment is in the hands of a selected few,” laments Thamma Reddy Bharadwaja, president of the AP Film Chamber of Commerce and Trade. Traditionally, Tollywood is considered the second largest film industry in the country after Bollywood. It celebrated 75 years of its glorious existence last year. The first talkie in Telugu, ‘Bhakta Prahlada’ (1931) was produced by Ardeshir Irani of the Imperial Light Company and directed by
H.M. Reddy.
|
|
|
Vaccine crunch to end: Ramadoss
New Delhi, December 21 Admitting that the country’s immunisation programme had been running short of vaccines for some time, Ramadoss said several steps had been taken by the government to bridge the demand and supply gap and the shortage would be off the list soon. He admitted that a part of the shortage had been caused due to closure of vaccine -manufacturing units of the central research institutes at Kasauli, Kunoor and Chennai. The institutes had been asked to stop making vaccines after they were found to be lacking in compliance with the WHO as well as India’s good manufacturing practices (GMP) yardstick. The matter was earlier raised in the Lok Sabha with members cornering the government on the matter. The health minister has however said the government had already invested Rs 600 crore in the three research institutes in question to make them complaint with the required standards. “These institutes are 100-year old and need to be set right before they can be allowed to operate in the relevant departments. We are trying our best to make them GMP complaint by Indian standards at least,” Ramadoss said. The institutes had drawn flak from the international health watchdogs after they were found flouting minimum-manufacturing requirements. The issue, said the health minister, had to be seriously viewed to protect the country’s image in the health map of the world.
|
|
|
Dept of justice needs to be separated from MHA: Parliamentary panel
New Delhi, December 21 The Parliamentary Standing Committee on personnel, Public grievances, law and justice had earlier recommended separating the justice department, stating the home secretary was finding it difficult to devote time for it in view of the rising incidents of terrorism and naxalism, natural calamities and the growing complexity of modern crimes. The government, however, rejected the suggestion, maintaining that the administrative and service delivery of the department of justice had not been compromised. Though the department was under home, it had functional independence with both plan and non-plan budgetary allocations. It had been contended further that keeping it under home was rather advantageous from the point of view of coordination between the judiciary, the police and the prisons. The 31-member committee, headed by Dr E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, did not agree with these views in its 32nd report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday. It said it was "constrained" to observe that the government had not given any weightage to its
recommendations. "The committee strongly believes that judicial administration is all together different affair than the general administration and it needs to
be managed by a professional who is exclusively trained and experienced in handling judicial
matters. "Contrarily, the justice department has been deprived of independence in managing its own affairs. Instead, the Government of India has preferred to club this department with the home ministry….and thereby ignoring the distinct task it has to perform under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, and the sensitive functions pertaining to judicial appointments, service conditions of Judges and the administration of justice." There were several aspects which required close monitoring and advance planning, including the filling up of vacancies in the Supreme Court and the High Courts on the date of retirement of judges, the committee said. It was in this context, the Committee said it was recommending that the justice department be headed by a separate secretary exclusively trained in judicial matters.
|
|
|
Mumbai fascinates Hollywood legend Paul Schrader
New Delhi, December 21 On a visit to Mumbai to set up his magnum opus in association with producer-director Anubhav Sinha, the director of Hollywood gems like 'American Gigolo' and writer of cult films like 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull' took a fascination for the city's biggest slum, Dharavi. Schrader, who was taken on a guided tour of various slums in Mumbai by Anubhav and his assistant for eight years, Maqbool Khan, could not help being fascinated by the city. Sources close to Maqbool Khan, director of Anubhav's production venture 'Kabootar', said, “Paul was fascinated, specially by a two-foot wide and a 30-foot high wall that he treaded in order to get to a vantage point from where he could look at a view that Maqbool was very eager to show to him.” At the same time, the sources said, the Hollywood filmmaker was impressed by the vision and creative energy of the new wave of filmmakers in the Mumbai film industry. After visiting Dharavi, Paul, impressed by Maqbool's vision, watched 'Kabootar' the same night and in the next morning, spent a long time with him praising the film. “Paul is going to be in constant touch with Maqbool for all the cross-cultural assistance that he might require on the script,” the sources said. Talking about the joint directorial venture between Schrader and Sinha, the sources said, “Anubhav has teamed up with Paul for a production by the French producer François Da Silva, who has been the president of the ‘director's fortnight’ section at the prestigious Cannes film festival, and an eminent independent producer from Hollywood, David Weisman, for this larger than life project,'' the sources said. David Weisman is the producer of the cult classic ''Kiss of the Spiderwoman'', which won three Oscar nominations in 1986-Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Confirming the development, Sinha's spokesperson said, “Paul Schrader has been signed to write and direct a film that will comprise of its cast from the US and India. There will be some leading top names from both the industries. To be precise, it will be three actors from the US and seven from India. We are also looking at some big names from the southern part on the country from some important parts.” Though, the spokesperson said, discussions on the project were strictly internal and at still a preliminary stage, as Paul was still working on the script, he hopes to start casting by early next year. Also, Paul has started conversations with some prominent names in the Hindi film industry. “However, it is too early to talk of names,” he said. Sources in Sinha's production said the film would be shot mostly in Mumbai and, also, in New York. — UNI
|
|
|
More evening courts on anvil, says CJI
Kochi, December 21 Inaugurating the training of judicial officers and lawyers on techniques of mediation and conciliation, Justice Balakrishnan said, ''evening courts have been started in Gujarat and Delhi, and more such courts will be started in other parts of the country.'' He told that Karnataka had recently agreed to start evening courts considering the backlog of cases in the courts and the government had also agreed to provide 30 per cent of the basic pay as an incentive to the judicial officers. Justice Balakrishnan said the rate of pending cases had increased in the Supreme Court by 23 per cent and Kerala High Court by 20 per cent. Even though the number of cases had been increasing steadily, the number of judges and courts remained the same and in Kerala, no new courts were opened in the past five years, he noted. He said the number of cases in the courts could be reduced through Lok Adalats, evening courts and a professionalised mediation system. He noted that the state governments were asked to pay 30 per cent of the basic pay of the judicial officers as incentive and lawyers with less than seven years of practice would be working in these courts, which would be functioning from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm. The evening courts would dispense justice very fast and would be hearing most of the petty cases, he said. ''Litigation is increasing because of faith reposed by the public in the judiciary and we should not shake that confidence,'' Justice Balakrishnan said. Reiterating the importance of mediation in settling cases, he said people were not opting for mediation as litigation was cheaper compared to other countries, but this mode of settlement should be opted to save time and money. More than 3,00,00,000 cases were pending in various courts and it would take almost five to ten years to clear the backlog and mediation was an option to reduce the pending cases, he added. The CJI also stressed the importance of imparting training to lawyers on the nuances of mediation. Echoing the views of the CJI, Supreme Court Judge, Justice S.B. Sinha said effective mediation would help in reducing the number of pending cases in the courts. He also stressed the need to set
up’ Mediation Training Institute' to provide professional training to judicial officers and lawyers.
— UNI
|
|
|
India releases 51 Pak nationals
Jaipur, December 21 The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Railways, Jodhpur, acquitted them of the charges after the union government withdrew cases against these persons who were cheated by Pakistani travel agents. Sources said these agents overwrote on their visas for extending their stay in India by a couple of weeks and even months. The released nationals have been kept in two hotels in Jodhpur amidst tight security and round-the-clock vigil by security and intelligence agencies. A railway board official said the persons would be sent either back by Thar Express or via Wagha Border. Officials said a large number of Pakistani nationals frequent the state to meet their relatives and many of them try not to go back. In April, a special drive was launched by Indian security agencies against such persons who were illegally overstaying in the country. Also, the intelligence agencies feared terrorists from across the border could be gaining entry in the garb of meeting relatives. Officials said the government was not happy as tampering with visas should had been checked at the very entry level. Among those released was Abdul Rehmann, his wife and 14 year-old-son Abdul Karim. They had come to a village in Jodhpur to meet their relatives. "He (travel agent) took money from us on the pretext that he will manage a longer stay for us in India,” said Abdul. Officials said the Indian government viewed them as victims of travel agents and not offenders of the international law.
|
|
|
Science should improve daily lives of Indians, says PM
New Delhi, December 21 "We cannot be satisfied becoming a back office for providing research and development solutions for multinational companies," he told a gathering of top scientists here. Singh gave away the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prizes, the country's highest science awards, for 2007 and 2008 to 21 young
scientists. "China and Japan have scored over India in delivering to the people the benefits of scientific and technological advances," he said. "Unless we apply ourselves to this task, the powerful scientific tools of social and economic change will remain confined to our laboratories and institutions," he said. "Our scientists should work to connect science to the daily lives of millions of Indians," the Prime Minister said pitching for the use of public-private partnerships to commercialise technologies emerging from R&D programmes being funded by various science departments. He said the scientists should focus more on linking the lab with the market
and asked the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to take lead in
this regard. "To begin with, let the CSIR work to commercially exploit its knowledge base, currently embodied in more that 3000 or so patents held nationally and globally," Singh said.
— PTI
|
|
|
Govt ‘taking steps’ for welfare of denotified tribes
New Delhi, December 21 BJP MP Hari Bhau Rathod had moved a resolution in April this year demanding legislation for the overall development of persons belonging to denotified and nomadic tribes saying that their culture and way of life was being challenged. Kumar assured the House that two cabinet notes dated August 19 and September 17, 2008 had already been moved and appropriate action was being taken. "There is a need for doing more research to preserve the culture, native knowledge and way of life of the denotified and nomadic tribes," Kumar told the Lower House. She said a commission appointed to look into these issues had been active since 2005. As many 15 states had been roped in by the social justice ministry in its programme for welfare of the tribes, she said. Rathod had stated in his resolution that 400 tribes would benefit if the suggestions given by him were implemented. During Friday's debate, he said that the government could issue an executive order and call an all-party meeting of the OBC leaders to chalk out a strategy.
— PTI
|
|
Govt issues quality foodgrains for
mid-day meals
New Delhi, December 21 During surprise visits to the schools of the four states of Orissa, Punjab, Haryana and Tripura, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit team found the rice supplied was unfit for human consumption, minister of state for consumer affairs, food & public distribution, Akhilesh Prasad Singh had told in a written reply. The minister said that test checks of schools in Orissa, West Bengal and Assam also showed that there were no mechanisms in place to check the quality and quantity of foodgrains. He said the government has taken steps like providing adequate opportunities to state government officials for inspecting stocks before they are lifted from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns. The foodgrains samples would be jointly drawn and sealed by the state government and FCI officials for display at the counters of fair price shops and surprise checks would also be conducted in FPS to oversee the quality, he added.
— PTI
|
|
|
Number 13 good omen in Rajasthan polity
Jaipur, December 21 Ashok Gehlot chose December 13 to take his oath. Not ending there, he chose 13 ministers in the first batch of his cabinet. Earlier, bungalow number 13 in the minister's colony in civil lines was the least preferred one. But now, there was quite a struggle for getting its possession. Eventually, ex-CM and now leader of opposition Vasundhra Raje managed to get it. The bungalow is being spruced up for her. Prior to her, the BJP leader Digamber Singh used to live here. When the BJP government was formed, no one was willing to take the residence with the 'unlucky' number. But, while most of the BJP ministers tasted defeat, Digamber Singh was the surprise victor. He managed to defeat stalwart politician Vishwendra Singh in a contest where analysts had forcasted defeat for him. Bungalow number 49, where Gehlot lived, is also much sought after these days. When Gehlot chose to live there, many warned him against the misfortune he may court. But Gehlot insisted. Now, when he has regained power and is set to move to the CM's residence, there is a beeline of ministers seeking its keys. Secretariat sources revealed that room number 13 in various blocks have also suddenly become quite popular. Officers are hoping with the number favourable for the CM Ashok Gehlot, it would also bring good luck charm for them also.
|
|
BJP disowns Jaswant’s remarks
New Delhi, December 21 "I am not aware of what Jaswant Singh had said but it was a painful decision (freeing terrorists to save hostages of Kandahar hijacking in 1999) taken in a painful situation," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters. Singh told a news channel on Friday that he would "of course" take the same decision in similar circumstances. He said letting the hostages die at the hands of the hijackers would not be considered "being tough". "Else let the entire society and India rise up and say they would let the 166 passengers die," he said in the interview. Asked whether the BJP concurred with the recent UPA cabinet decision of not negotiating with any hijackers or hostage-takers, Prasad only said his party's tough stand on terror was well known. He refused to get drawn into a debate on this issue, stating much would depend on the circumstances and nothing could be said about such a hypothetical situation. — PTI
|
|
Survey: Bengal among bottom three states in e-governance
Kolkata, December 21 The survey was done by IDC, a global provider of market intelligence on IT. It found Tamil Nadu at the top and Bihar at the bottom. The IDC survey has found that West Bengal, which has traditionally been slow to catch up on computerisation, had covered a lot of ground in the past few years, but still has a lot more to cover. The survey found the state among the bottom three on six of the 12 citizens’ parameters on e-governance such as transport/RTO, municipal corporation, agriculture, healthcare, state transport services and employment exchange. The state was also ranked among the bottom three in seven of the 15 business parameters of e-governance, the report said. As part of the survey, discussions were held with IT secretaries of 21 states and heads of IT agencies. This was backed by a extensive secondary research to assess the availability and usage of ICT infrastructure. — PTI
|
|
|
‘Improve’ Wakf administration
New Delhi, December 21 It was also felt that the Wakf properties needed to be developed to enhance the income of the Wakf institutions and the Wakf boards. Vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari inaugurated the conference while Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee delivered the valedictory address. Minority affairs minister A R Antulay also addressed the conference. The conference observed that the Wakf institutions and the Wakf boards were in bad shape in the country.
|
|
|
Red Cross, TRP unite to trace runaway kids
Madurai, December 21 The IRCS volunteers will keep a watch at the railway station for abandoned or missing children. They will be questioned with the assistance of the TRP. After counselling, the children will be united with their families. Talking to the media on Thursday, tracing officer, IRCS, Tamil Nadu, N. Krishnamoorthy said the IRCS had chosen Madurai railway station as it was an important junction for the southern districts.
— UNI
|
|
Three held for carrying fake passports
Kolkata, December 21 According to airport sources, Baljit Kaur(28), Taranjit Kaur (31) and Harjit Kaur (29) - all residents of Punjab -went to Bangkok from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on December 18. From Bangkok the trio flew in to Cambodia on the very next day with an intention to fly to Canada, the sources said. While checking into the Siem Reap International Airport in Cambodia last night, it was found that the trio, though Indian nationals, were carrying fake UK passports given to them by their travel agents, airport sources said.
— PTI |
||
|
Security up as letter warns of blasts in trains
Kota, December 21 The letter dated December 18, which the authorities of Kota railway station received today, warned of bomb blasts in three trains on Christmas, railway officials said. They, however, did not disclose the names of the trains, which would be the ‘targets’. Following this, security was tightened at all major stations of the division and all trains passing through the region were searched. Additional forces of the GRP, the RPF and the police were deployed at all major stations. — PTI
|
||
|
Lalu’s ‘kulhars’ go missing
New Delhi, December 21 Prasad in July 2004 had introduced 'kulhars' to give a boost to the dying earthen pottery industry and also give the passengers a taste of the eco-friendly cup. Officials said 'kulhars' were less seen due to lack of demand. Many passengers, including those in the Rajdhanis and Shatabdi Express trains, have started complaining about the poor quality of the cups, they said. "This has happened because of the passengers' choice. They prefer user-friendly cups. If they do not wish to use kulhars, we cannot force them," a senior Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation officer said.
Though no specific allocation has been made in the rail budget for the 'kulhar', railway officials said it is included in the target of Sundry Other Earnings, which is placed at Rs 1,072 crore.
— PTI
|
||
|
Blast inside Manipur
Raj Bhawan; no casualty
Imphal, December 21 Governor Gurbachan Jagat was, however, not inside the building when the incident happened. Jagat is currently in New Delhi. The bomb exploded at about 5.45 pm but there was no casualty or damage to property during the blast. The police said the militants lobbed a grenade inside the Raj Bhawan complex from a place near south eastern wall of the complex which borders the state central library. A grenade lever and a pin have been recovered from the blast site, they said a manhunt had been launched to nab the culprits. Following the incident, a huge
contingent of the police was deployed in the area. — PTI
|
||
|
Undersea cables snap; BPO services may be hit New Delhi, December 21 However, the individual internet users would not be affected. Internet services providers association of India chief Rajesh Chharia told PTI that two undersea cables broke down on Friday evening. The work on the two broken cables is going on and one of the cables is likely to be restored by December 26, he said, adding that the situation will improve thereafter. These two cables carry Indian BPOs connectivity to the Middle East, European countries and east cost of the US. — PTI
|
||
|
Passenger dies on flight
KOCHI:
A passenger en route to Kochi from Kuwait died on board Oman Air Flight on Sunday. He was identified as Mohandas (59) of Das Cottage, Palghat. The body was cleared by port health officer and released to his brother who was waiting outside the terminal of the airport.
— UNI
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
