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3 killed in communal clash in
Uttarakhand
TRS chief Rao brings fight to Delhi, holds sit-in at Rajghat
Pro-Telangana activists led by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao during a sit-in at Rajghat in New Delhi on Sunday. — PTI
Navy inducts fleet tanker INS Shakti
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Tribune special
Jantar
Mantar
1,100 convicts appear in Gandhi exam
Kolkata convicts to perform at Mumbai Durga Puja
Anna no modern-day Gandhi: Scholar
Sonia makes first public appearance after surgery
Indians rank top in unprotected sex: Survey
2G: No clean chit to Anil Ambani yet, says CBI
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3 killed in communal clash in
Uttarakhand
Nainital, October 2 The communal clash between Hindus and Muslims saw large-scale arson and violence in the town as several vehicles, including two belonging to the police, were torched and damaged. Several shops were also burnt in the clashes. Eyewitnesses said that several rounds of firing were also witnessed. The police are also learnt to have fired into the air to control the mob. Massive stone pelting continued through the day. The trouble had started three days back when there were reports that the holy Quran had been desecrated and thrown into someone’s house in the Bhadaipura locality of the town. An uneasy calm had prevailed in the town as there had been protests from the minority community and posturing by the right-wing elements in the majority community. On Sunday morning, the act of desecration was allegedly repeated and the holy book was thrown outside a house along with some pork. Officials told The Tribune, “This is a preplanned act by persons who want to foment communal trouble.” This was followed by a furore from the minority community that carried out a protest march and allegedly resorted to arson which gradually got converted into a massive riot. Talking to The Tribune, District Magistrate Dr BVRC Purshottam said, “There have been three casualties. Two have died in the violence while the cause of the death of the third victim is yet unknown. We have sought two companies of the RAF - one is on the way from Moradabad and one is being airlifted from Delhi. This was a pre-planned act and the guilty will not be spared. The situation is slowly moving towards normal.” Ordering the imposition of curfew, Purshottam has appealed to the residents to maintain peace. The town has been divided into sectors and Sector Magistrates have been deployed with ample police force. Two of the deceased have been identified as Abdul Rehman of Kheda village and Sher Singh Yadav of Bhadaipura. The third victim is yet to be identified. By the time of the filing of this report, small skirmishes inside congested localities were still on.
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TRS chief Rao brings fight to Delhi, holds sit-in at Rajghat
New Delhi, October 2 Bringing his fight to Delhi, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao while rejecting views of some of the Congress leaders that "further consultation" was needed on the issue, asked the party to make up its mind on the statehood issue. Apparently taking a cue from the peaceful sit-in done by social activist and Gandhian anna Hazare before he started his fast, Rao, the political face of the pro-Telangana movement, and his supporters held the sit-in and 'observed silence' at Rajghat for a few hours to highlight the "grave situation" in Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh. A large number of TRS cadres and statehood supporters gathered at Rajghat around 10 am, within hours of top leaders of the country paying tribute to the Father of the Nation on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Rao, who has been camping here since Friday, is hoping to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior UPA ministers demanding an early decision on the separate state issue. Reacting to the views expressed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his cabinet colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rao said there was no need for "further consultations" on it (statehood issue). "I will meet the Prime Minister to tell him what is happening in Telangana. Talking to reporters after the sit-in, Rao said he would tell the Prime Minister that people were suffering there and an early decision on Telangana was the need of the hour. "What is the need for further consultations? How long will they take for a decision? Our people are suffering and dying in Telangana and here people want discussions. We need Telangana, not comforting words," he
said. More consultations needed, says Azad
The peaceful sit-in came even as Ghulam Nabi Azad said in Hyderabad that the issue would be settled soon. Azad, who is in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said consultations with the elected representatives of all three regions of Andhra Pradesh - Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema - had been completed but there was need for more consultations on the issue at the national level.
Suicide by 18-yr-old
Hyderabad: Apparently upset over the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state, an 18-year-old girl student allegedly committed suicide by immolating herself at Koheda village near here on Sunday, the second such death in two days, the police said. D Bhavani shut herself in a room at her house, doused herself with kerosene and set herself on fire at around 9.30 am, Hayathnagar Inspector of Police B Bhasker said, adding the girl died on the spot.
— PTI
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Navy inducts fleet tanker INS Shakti
Hyderabad, October 2 Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma was the chief guest at the colourful induction ceremony held at naval dockyard. INS Shakti, the second of the Deepak Class fleet tanker, was built by Italian Fincantieri Shipyard and handed over to the Navy on September 23. The ship is 175 m in length and 32 m wide and has a full load displacement of 27,000 tonnes. One of the largest ships of the Navy, INS Shakti is fitted with a credible self-defence capability and an indigenous Anti-Missile Defence Chaff System. INS Shakti will be the second fleet tanker to be inducted into the Eastern fleet and will help in strengthening combat support operations at sea and extend the reach of the naval power of the nation. With the commissioning of the warship, the Navy will have two fleet tankers each on both the seaboards. The ship is equipped with four AK-630 guns for close defence supplies.
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Tribune special
New Delhi, October 2 Their real worth, however, lies in immovable assets to which most Himachal ministers have not put any value. The few who have listed the worth of properties seem to have undervalued them. An analysis of the latest (as of 2009/2010) assets and liability statement submitted by Himachal ministers in reply to a recent RTI query by Noida based Devashish Bhattacharya reveals a combined liability of Rs 102 lakh as against combined assets of about Rs 95 lakh from cash, deposits and financial instruments. Most ministers have availed of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha's unique loan scheme for MLAs which allows them to borrow Rs 20 lakh per term for a small interest of 4 pc. Interestingly, gold jewellery owned by nine out of 10 Himachal ministers together is less than a kilogram (940 grams)! In contrast, Sarveen Chaoudhary, Social Justice minister alone owns jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh, equivalent of gold owned by all state ministers combined. The poorest on jewellery front is Rural Development Minister Jairam Thakur, who has just one ring worth Rs 4000! He, however, owns cash and financial instruments worth Rs 12.75 lakh and 12 biswas of non agricultural land in Mandi, whose value is unspecified. Several ministers own a pittance in the name of jewellery -Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor has just 40 gram gold jewellery valued Rs 68,000 despite being the sole proprietor of Karnika Resorts in Dharamsala. He declares a share in ancestral property and buildings whose value he fails to mention. In the state cabinet, Kapoor has the maximum loan liability of Rs 38 lakh (Rs 18 lakh hotel loan; Rs 20 lakh house loan). Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Chand owns just 40 gram gold worth Rs 45,000. Incidentally, he has no investments in any financial instrument and has no motor vehicle. He has no cash in hand and lists mere Rs 5000 in bank deposits. Education Minister Ishwar Dhiman also owns just 50 gram gold valued at Rs 80,000 only. Health Minister Rajeev Bindal seems the richest of the lot with ownership of 10 pieces of agricultural land in Solan and Sirmaur totalling 65.67 bighas and 1487 sq metres. He has 79 sq metre of non agricultural land in Jawahar Park, Solan; two floors of a commercial building on Solan Mall Road; a residential house and a rental building in Solan. Incidentally, he hasn’t declared the value for any property, and owns 100 gram gold, one kg silver and a Wagon R.The most interest property return is of Sarveen Choudhary, who appears quite a “gifted” minister. She owns six properties in 10 kanals in Dharamsala, much of which she says is “gifted by father in law/husband”. She lists the combined value of properties (as on March 5, 2010) at just Rs 81.50
lakh.
Assets, liabilities of Himachal ministers
CM’s details withheld
The state government has not parted with the asset and liability details of CM Dhumal saying the applicant didn’t specifically seek CM’s records in his query and asked only for details pertaining to ministers. Never mind the fact that the CM is also minister in charge of finance, home, power, forest, agriculture, cooperatives and general administration (which replied to the said RTI query). Also, no minister except Ravinder Ravi declared the assets of spouses or children nor did any minister declare assets they hold outside
Himachal.
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Jantar Mantar Anita Katyal
Last week’s joint appearance by Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram before the press outside North Block to announce their truce was a chaotic affair. Mukherjee, who was reading his short statement, was barely audible as there was a virtual stampede among the cameramen who were fighting with each other to get the best shot and angle.
Apparently, the government’s media managers had suggested that this “press meet” be held at the Conference Hall of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in Shastri Bhavan which is the venue of the government’s regular press briefings. However, the proposal was shot down by the two ministers who felt that they would be grilled by mediapersons if the meet was held at the PIB Hall. Deshmukh vs Chavan
As one-time state Chief Minister, Deshmukh has not adjusted to life in Delhi where he has been given the charge of the Science and Technology Ministry. As a result, he spends a lot time dabbling in state politics and needling Chavan by spreading rumours that the Congress leadership wants to recall him because of his poor performance. The latest face-off between the two leaders was witnessed during the recent election of the state Youth Congress president in which Deshmukh’s candidate was defeated. Needless to say, Deshmukh is waiting to strike back. Little wonder then that the Chavan camp is heard saying that Deshmukh be given a weightier ministry since Science and Technology doesn’t interest him. This, they believe, will ensure that he does not have the necessary spare time to create trouble in Maharashtra.
Trivedi’s 3Bs: Barrackpore, Bangla and Bharat
While vigorously denying that he harbours any ambition of making it big in state politics, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi maintains that he is happy in Delhi as his priorities have always been 3Bs: Barrackpore (his constituency), Bangla and Bharat. He is also quick to add that after this his elevation as a full-fledged Cabinet minister, this order has
been reversed. As part of this priority list, Trivedi has started visiting the various state capitals for an interaction with MPs, legislators and government officials, which enables him to get a first-hand account of their pending projects. However, this does not mean that he has relegated his state’s interests to the background. However, there have been occasions when his loyalty to West Bengal has taken precedence. At a function on Saturday at the Howrah station, Trivedi flagged off 12 new mail and local trains. In the recent fiasco over the Teesta river waters treaty with Bangladesh, it was Trivedi who first opposed the agreement, following a diktat from his leader, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, when it was discussed during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Political Affairs. In this particular case, he has no qualms in admitting that it was not Bharat but Bangla, which got top billing.
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1,100 convicts appear in Gandhi exam
Mumbai, October 2 The inmates were of Arthur Road Central Jail, Mumbai, and jails in Thane, Paithan, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Osmanabad, Nagpur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Yavatmal, Akola, Wardha, Bhandara, said Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal (BSM) chief TRK Somaiya. The BSM is a Gandhian charitable trust spreading the teachings of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, revered as the Father of the Nation in India. “Besides, another 3,000 prisoners in jails across the state shall continue to write the examinations in small batches through the year. It provides them an opportunity to repent for their crimes and live as responsible citizens after completing their jail sentences,” Somaiya said. The BSM along with the Gandhi Research Foundation has been organising the Gandhi Peace Examination since the past few years as part of reformation programmes for prisoners. These include meditation, yoga, AIDS awareness, adult education and other measures. Gandhi-based films like “Gandhi,” “Do Aankhen Barah Haath”, “Bapu Ne Kaha Tha”, “Lage Raho Munnabhai” and many more are screened for 15,000 convicts in jails around the year, Somaiya said. Laxman Gole, formerly a hard core criminal is now a full-time management consultant, after reading Gandhi’s autobiography, “My Experiments with Truth”, Somaiya said. “Yesterday, he (Gole) delivered an inspiring lecture on ‘Gandhi and Management’ to the 360 students and faculty of the Chetana Institute of Management Studies, Bandra,” Somaiya said. Over 550 National Service Scheme students from 75 colleges here pledged on the occasion
of the International Non-Violence Day Sunday to walk on the path of
Gandhiji, the Apostle of Peace and Non-Violence worldwide. Students from 80 other colleges participated in different competitions like elocution, posters, essay writing and other aspects related to Gandhiji and
his teachings. The programme was organized by BSM with the University of Mumbai. The BSM’s Gandhi Book Centre sold Gandhi-based books worth over Rs.20,000.
— IANS
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Kolkata convicts to perform at Mumbai Durga Puja
Mumbai, October 2 For the first time, Kolkata-based dancer Alokananda Roy has brought her dance troupe, comprising 48 convicts, including eight women, to perform during Durga Puja. “They are all reformed, though many of them are undergoing jail terms ranging from four to 10 years and at least 10 are serving life terms, around 14 years. They are all out on parole for the Mumbai trip. I don’t think there is any danger to society and they will never escape or make me hang my head in shame,” Roy said. However, in view of the legal requirements, they will be accompanied by 10 police personnel from West Bengal and more from Mumbai as a precautionary measure. The troupe is being hosted by Vashi Durga Puja’s prominent activist Dipika Sengupta. They will be put up in a civilian set-up to make them feel “free” and will travel to various locations in a special bus. Mumbai’s four performances will complete Roy’s three-year long journey with the prisoners, notching a total 40 performances, including one in Orissa (April 2009), and now in Maharashtra. Her sheer dedication has made all inmates accept her as a mother and they call her “Maa”. The Tagore-scripted famous dance-drama reflects the lives of the inmates performing it under Roy’s choreography. “It depicts how the dreaded dacoit Ratnakar underwent a change of mind, heart and personality to transform himself into one of the most revered sage Valmiki, and became a legend,” she said. The title role of Valmiki in the 100-minute show is played by Nigel Akkara, a Bengali of Kerala origin, who has so far spent nearly 10 years in jail. She said it is among the most popular dance dramas of Tagore and has performed mostly to full houses wherever it has been staged. Barring the daily dance practice, the prisoners undergo special rehearsals for mega shows like Mumbai, which most are visiting for the first time. Along with the gruelling prison schedules of hard work behind bars, the inmates also design and stitch their own costumes, apply their own make-up, prepare the lyrics for the songs and set it in music, and then have a full dress rehearsal-all without professional help. Impressed by Roy’s dedication and the prisoners’ desire to make themselves worthy of returning back to civil society, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in August announced a Rs.300,000 group award for them. “They are very excited about this trip and experience a sense of true freedom after a long time behind the prison walls. In fact, one of my troupe members spent most of his noting down the names of all the railway stations during the 30-hour Kolkata-Mumbai train journey,” Roy smiled. The inmates hail from Presidency Jail, Midnapore Jail and Alipore Women’s Central Jail, and are mostly aged between 21 and 35, she said. The inspiration for using ‘dance therapy’ as one of the tools to reform prisoners came from ex-Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi and was implemented in West Bengal by former Inspector General of Police (prisons) V.D. Sharma. He called Roy, who grabbed the opportunity and got into the act immediately. She started researching among the prisoners, found out their potential and selected those who had the potential to perform in fine
arts. — IANS
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Anna no modern-day Gandhi: Scholar
Ahmedabad, October 2 “Gandhi fasted for self-purification. His satyagraha meant victory for all. He never fasted to conquer anybody,” Dina Ben Patel told IANS referring to Hazare’s fast to make the government bring in a strong anti-corruption Lokpal Bill. According to researchers, Gandhi, whose 142nd birth anniversary was celebrated Sunday, fasted around 25 times during his lifetime. “Hazare cannot be termed a modern-day Gandhi,” Patel said. “Hazare’s fast was
not satyagraha.” According to Patel, who carries on her research at the historical Gandhi Ashram on the banks of Sabarmati river, Hazare’s fast “at times appeared like a showdown with the government” and “his body language and strong views presented an aggressive image”. Hazare’s August fast at Ramlila ground in the national capital, which captured the imagination of the country and forced the parliamentarians to hold a special discussion on the Lokpal, was compared by many with Gandhi’s fasts against the British during pre-independence days. Hazare’s supporters ensured a giant portrait of Gandhi formed the backdrop of the stage where he fasted at Ramlila ground.
— IANS
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Sonia makes first public appearance after surgery
New Delhi, October 2 This was the first time that she was seen in public after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed aliment over a month ago in the US which has been a topic of discussion for the public. Sonia was at the Rajghat for about 20 minutes along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior BJP leader LK Advani. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath were also present at
the memorial.
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Indians rank top in unprotected sex: Survey
Mumbai, October 2 Eleven international NGOs, including International Planned Parenthood Federation, Population Council and Women Deliver, were a part of the initiative launched by Bayer HealthCare in 2007 to mark World Contraceptive Day (Sept 26). While India tops the list in unprotected sex (72 per cent say they have had sex with new partner without contraception), the percentage is over 50 in China, Estonia, Kenya, Korea, Norway and Thailand; over 40 in Australia, Chile, Colombia, Britain, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and Turkey.
— PTI
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2G: No clean chit to Anil Ambani yet, says CBI
New Delhi, October 2 This was clarified by a spokesperson for the investigating agency in the context of reports that RADAG Chairman Anil Ambani had been given a clean chit in the structuring of different companies and transfer of funds relating to Swan Telecom which had got Spectrum license.
— PTI
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taught the world the spirit of non-violence, TRS leaders chose to highlight their Telengana statehood issue with a peaceful sit-in today at the Mahatma’s samadhi Rajghat.
Anna Hazare can’t be termed a modern-day Mahatma Gandhi and his fast against corruption was not a ‘satyagraha’, says a Gandhian scholar who is miffed over the comparison between the activist and the Father of the Nation.
“Gandhi fasted for self-purification. His satyagraha meant victory for all. He never fasted to conquer anybody,” Dina Ben Patel told IANS referring to Hazare’s fast to make the government bring in a strong anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
According to researchers, Gandhi, whose 142nd birth anniversary was celebrated Sunday, fasted around 25 times during his lifetime. “Hazare cannot be termed a modern-day Gandhi,” Patel said. “Hazare’s fast was
not satyagraha.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is close to completing an year in office, called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi last week, ostensibly to enquire about her health, but it was actually to complain about his political rival Vilasrao Deshmukh. 