New Delhi, May 6
Nothing evokes the Indian emotion like caste does. So when the debate on caste-based census ensued in the Lok Sabha today, tempers ran high with members from the opposition and ruling combine breaching party lines to demand the right of OBCs to be counted.

Consensus on the issue was complete as the majority of Congress MPs, all UPA allies except the Trinamool Congress and even the “casteless, classless” Left supported the socialist demand of serialising castes to create an authentic record of population, steer policies well and see if existing reservations (49.5 per cent for SCs/STs/OBCs) were enough.

The volatile Yadav trio comprising SP’s Mulayam Singh, RJD’s Lalu Yadav and JDU’s Sharad Yadav led the demand in the House today with the latter threatening of a “volcanic eruption” if the issue was ignored any longer. Terming as unparalleled in world history the extent of social exploitation of lower castes in India, Sharad said in 63 years of Independence, no OBC had to be recruited in group A jobs in 18 of 20 union ministries.

“You can count animals but not us,” said the JDU supremo, backed by archrival Lalu Yadav. “Bakriyon ko ginoge, baaghon ko ginoge par humko nahi (you will count goats and tigers but not us). Let no excuses be made to disrespect sentiment of the House,” Lalu threatened the Congress; he was quite condescending to BJP’s OBC leader Gopinath Munde, who favoured the cause of caste-wise enumeration.

For most part of the debate (there were over 30 speakers), Home Minister P Chidambaram was away even as his party MPs Sandeep Dixit and Beni Prasad Verma supported the opposition demand of a caste census, the first since 1931. Verma even embarrassed his party saying that caste exploitation was a reality. “Lalu, Mulayam and Mayawati are symbols of caste divide in India,” Verma said, asking his party to rethink its census parameters.

Interestingly, the Congress fielded its dalit MP from Kalahandi Bhaktacharan Das to oppose the proposition. Das was the only one to say that a caste census would divide the society.

The BJD also supported the demand with MP Bhartuhari Mahtab demolishing Das’ argument of caste census causing divisions. JDS chief Deve Gowda supported the demand and even asked the House to bypass the apex court’s order limiting quotas at 49.5 per cent.

The Congress was increasingly isolated with UPA allies DMK, NCP and National Conference also rushing to associate with the issue. Only TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee said the ongoing census should go on and a caste-wise population survey could follow.

But the House, including SAD and Shiv Sena, cornered the government, rejecting the excuse that the census had begun. “Forms have not been printed; actual enumeration would start next year” -- was the common take of the seekers of caste census, which appears imminent now.

New Delhi, May 6
Caste may have emerged as the dominant element of the census debate in the Lok Sabha today, but there were some small, unconventional demands, too, that won the heart of the House.

Among them was Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) demand of a “third gender” option in the census parameters and Congress MP Sandeep Dixit’s urge that “non-believers” be kept in mind when finalising the census documents.

Punjab’s ruling political party, the SAD, was the only party to point out how the lakhs of teachers had been put on census duty to the disadvantage of the students. The SAD also sought separate enlisting of Rai Sikhs (not recognised anywhere except in Punjab) and questions to determine the diversity of Indian languages and dialects, something Dixit also wanted.

But the BJD proved the toast of the day, as its journalist MP Bhartruhari Mahtab questioned the Home Ministry on why no third-gender option existed in the census for transgenders. “The census offers only two gender options- male and female. What about transgenders?” the Cuttack MP asked.

The government earlier said it did not include the option, as it did not receive suggestions for the same. But Mahtab sought that this injustice be addressed. He won RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s support and accolades from a full house for speaking for the voiceless.

New Delhi, May 6
The Army and the Defence Ministry today clarified that the computer of a Major has been hacked by an external agency and so far there was no evidence to suggest “an espionage case” against the officer, who is posted in the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Sources, however, added that this was not a “clean chit” to him. The hard disc of his computer had been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Hyderabad. If it showed that the Major had stored some classified data on it, he would surely face action.

The standard operating procedures of the Army state that no sensitive data has to be placed or accessed from computer which has internet.

The Ministry today said “…the matter is still under investigation. However, so far there are no evidences to suggest an “espionage case”. The officer was never under “safe custody and is on duty in his parent unit”. The sources said he was with the Bihar regiment.

The sources said it was being examined if the Major's actions could have resulted from negligence. It was also being seen if he deliberately uploaded the sensitive information on a computer that wasn't secured.

The Major has come under scanner of security agencies in the wake of the alleged transfer of data from his computer to Pakistani agencies. The tip-off about the hacking, according to the sources, had come from a US intelligence agency. The picture of a serving Indian Brigadier attending a training programme in the US was sent to Pakistan from an IP address that was tracked to the computer of the Major.

Guwahati, May 6
NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah today decided to put off his visit to his birthplace, Somdal village, in Manipur’s Ukhrul district till the situation became normal in the state.

The decision came after three persons were killed and over 70 injured as the Manipur police opened fire to disperse a mob at Mao, near Nagaland-Manipur boundary.

The demonstrators from Manipur hills, who were protesting against the Manipur Government’s decision not to allow the NSCN-IM leader to travel to Somdal, had turned unruly and damaged police vehicles, provoking the police to open fire and resort to tear gas shelling.

Though no official confirmation is forthcoming from the Manipur Government, state secretary of the Indian Red Cross Society, Nagaland, Z Kire said three students had died in the police action at Mao.

“Red Cross people have seen two bodies lying at town hall in Mao, while one person died on way to the Kohima hospital,” he said.

New Delhi, May 6
Exactly a month after Moaists gunned down 76 security personnel in Dantewada, Chattisgarh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, has termed the action of the senior officers of the security forces as “thoughtless”.

Speaking at a meeting on Naxalism in the Jawaharlal Nehru University last night, Chidambaram articulated his opinion saying “I did not lose my nerve, I was just so heartbroken. That an IG, two DIGs and an SP, thoughtlessly, without plan, would have sent 76 policemen on a recce.”

He said the government did not treat the Maoists as an “enemy”, rather it recognised the need to understand their problems. “These setbacks should not make us nervous or fearful. These setbacks mean we are confronting an adversary. I do not use the word enemy, who is a powerful adversary with a structure that we must understand,” he said. He made a powerful statement saying “Ultimately, we will win. We will overcome and our idea of India will prevail.”

New Delhi, May 6
In a step to curb the spread of Maoist-ideology across the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs today issued a categorical warning to people, especially to the NGOs and intellectuals, against espousing the cause of Naxals.

A statement issued by the ministry said any support to terrorist organisations to further their activities was liable for action under Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

A person can be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, the ministry has warned.

The ministry said it had come to the notice of the government that some Maoist leaders were contacting NGOs and intellectuals to propagate their ideology and persuading them to take steps as would provide support to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) ideology. The members of the public were informed to be extremely vigilant of such propaganda, said the statement.

“The CPI (Maoist) and all its formations and front organisations are terrorist organisations whose sole aim is armed overthrow of the Indian State and that they have no place in India’s parliamentary democracy. CPI (Maoist) continues to kill innocent civilians, including tribals in cold blood and destroy crucial infrastructure to prevent development from reaching these under-developed areas,” the ministry spokesperson said while listing out why the government had issued the warning.

New Delhi May 6
India, which had rallied a group of nations to form the strategically important Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in 2008, is now seeking cooperation from the partner countries to keep an eye on sea-borne terror attacks. The second edition of the IONS summit is to start from 10th May at UAE, where India is slated to bring about a move to have cooperation for dealing with piracy and for having a system to share information on suspicious movement of boats that could be used by the terrorists and also gun running.

India will also want to have a system to scan and ensure containers used by merchant ships to trade cargo. Sources confirmed that sharing of intelligence on possibility of sea-borne attacks has been worked out with some countries in the past. This needs to be expanded to have more countries in the Indian Ocean on the same platform. The Indian Navy was handed overall charge of coastal security in March last year, following the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

Meanwhile, in another important development the navies of the US, the UK and Japan have applied for “observer status” in the IONS, which has 37 nations. The applications would be taken up by vote in the IONS. Notably, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence) Rear Admiral SY Shrikhande told reporters here “China has not applied for observer status in IONS”.

India would also hand over the chairmanship of the symposium to the UAE at the conclave. Admiral Shrikhande, while explaining the observer status, said India was also an observer in the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. There was no chance of these countries of getting permanent member status in the IONS.

The US operates a military base from the islands of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. France has already been a member of the IONS due to its hold over the Reunion Islands. Pakistan, which had earlier opposed the grouping, was also likely to attend the conclave.

Jaipur, May 6
The Rajasthan government has decided to provide one per cent quota to the Gujjar community in government jobs with immediate effect, while the remaining four per cent will be given to them after the High Court decision on the PIL on quota issue.

The government didn’t dither in extending this additional one per cent quota as there is a scope for it, with the existing reservation in the state being 49 per cent while the upper limit is 50 per cent. While this one per cent reservation has been given immediately, the remaining 4 per cent would be given after the High Court decides the fate of an earlier law promising 5 per cent reservation to the Gujjars.

For the remaining 4 per cent, the government would keep a backlog in the future recruitments till the High Court decides the matter. This backlog would be effective from backdate of one year with a rider that the High Court approves the new reservation Act. Till then, the Gujjars would continue to enjoy reservation under the OBC category. The government has also proposed relaxation in age limit for Gujjar candidates.

Meanwhile, the reservation in government jobs to the four communities, Gujjars, Rebari, Gardia Lohar and Banjara, is applicable with immediate effect. In a related development, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla also signed the agreement reached between the two sides yesterday. Meanwhile, a faction of Gujjars is up in arms against Bainsla for “ignoring” them after striking the deal with the government. The faction, led by Ramveer Singh Vidhuri, has called a “mahapanchayat” at Sikandara in Dausa district tomorrow to decide their future course of action.