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Progress can't be hijacked by greed of few: President Pranab

NEW DELHI: Assuming office as the 13th President, Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday pledged to protect the Constitution not just in word but also in spirit as the office demands he rises above personal or partisan interests.

Making a brief acceptance speech after being sworn in as President in the Central Hall of Parliament, he termed corruption as an "evil" and said the greed of a few cannot be allowed to hijack the progress of the nation.

"The principal responsibility of this office is to function as the guardian of our Constitution. I will strive, as I said on oath, to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution not just in word but also in spirit," Mukherjee said in his acceptance speech after he assumed the highest constitutional post at an impressive ceremony.

His speech was punctuated by repeated thumping of desks and applause.

"I am deeply moved by the high honour you have accorded to me. Such honour exalts the occupant of this office, even as it demands that he rises above personal or partisan interests in the service of the national good," he said.

"There is no greater reward for a public servant than to be elected the first citizen of our republic," Mukherjee said.

The veteran leader reminded the gathering whose majority included top leaders of political parties, MPs, Chief Ministers and Governors that "we are all, across the divide of party and region, partners at the altar of our motherland".

"A modern nation is built on some basic fundamentals: democracy or equal rights for every citizen; secularism or equal freedom to every faith; equality of every region and language; gender equality and perhaps most important of all economic equity. For our development to be real, the poorest of our land must feel that they are part of the narrative of rising India," Mukherjee said.

Touching on the issue of corruption, he said the weight of office sometimes becomes a burden on dreams. The news is not always cheerful.

"Corruption is an evil that can depress the nation's mood and sap its progress. We cannot allow our progress to be hijacked by the greed of a few," he said.

Calling for erasing poverty from the dictionary of modern India, he said, "There is no humiliation more abusive than hunger. Trickle-down theories do not address the legitimate aspirations of the poor. We must lift those at the bottom.

"Our national mission must continue to be what it was when the generation of Mahatama Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, BR Ambedkar and Maulana Azad offered us a tryst with destiny: to eliminate the curse of poverty, and create such opportunities for the young that they can take India forward by quantum leap," he said.

He stressed that India's true story is the partnership of people maintaining "our wealth has been created by farmers and workers, industrialists and service-providers, soldiers and civilians."

Dubbing terrorism as the "fourth world war", Mukherjee said it is a world war because it can raise its head anywhere in the world. — PTI

Ethnic violence continues in Assam; death toll rises to 38 

Kokrajhar/Guwahati: Six more persons fell victim to the unabated violence between the minority immigrants and the Bodos in three districts of lower Assam, taking the death toll in the ethnic strife to 38 even as the entire Northeast remained cut off by rail for the second day today. 

Four more bodies were recovered today from Bijni in Chirang district and two from worst-hit Kokrajhar where shoot-at-sight orders remained in force, the police said. 

Curfew was relaxed in Kokrajhar district from 8 AM to 12 noon, but has since been reimposed indefinitely while shoot-at-sight orders were on, official sources said. 

Curfew has been extended indefinitely in Chirang and Dhubri districts where night curfew was earlier in force. 

Meanwhile, 13 columns of the Army were deployed in the four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon where they staged flag marches accompanied by a magistrate. 

Colonel S. Phogat, defence spokesman, said that the Army units had identified a number of sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas in the four districts. 

In Guwahati, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi held a meeting of government officials, including the Chief Secretary, to monitor the situation. 

Kokrajhar accounted for 25 deaths, including four killed in police firing yesterday, and Chirang 13. 

The Northeast remained cut off from the rest of the country as train services remained stalled for the second day today with no trains leaving Guwahati station and none entering Assam, North East Frontier Railway Spokesman S Hajong said. 

More than 30,000 passengers were stranded yesterday in different places along the route since Monday, but now many of them have made alternative arrangements. Still more than 10,000 passengers remained stranded. 

“We have urged the State government to provide us adequate security so that the Railways can operate the trains to ease the suffering of the passengers,” Hajong said. 

Railway Minister Mukul Roy spoke to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday and urged him to provide adequate security to allow movement of trains and ensure safety of passengers. — PTI

CWG Village was better than London Games Village: Maken

New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken said that, according to the Indian athletes and coaches taking part in London Olympics, the Commonwealth Games Village in New Delhi was better than the London Olympics Games Village.

The Commonwealth Games Village during Delhi CWG in 2010 came under criticism from the foreign athletes for being dirty and unhygienic. But Maken tweeted that CWG village was far better than what was provided by the Olympics authorities to the Indian contingent.

“Interacted with athletes & coaches at London Olympic Village. Surprisingly everyone rated Delhi CWG Games village better than London!!! (sic) ,“ tweeted Maken on Tuesday.

Earlier, it was reported that transport and security woes came visiting the London Olympics organisers in ample measure ahead of the greatest sporting show on earth, forcing the athletes to experience a different kind of trouble at the Games Village here.

Sharing of a toilet among four spokespersons, and sometimes even by six athletes, is causing strain and forcing some of them to alter their morning schedules so as to manage essential routines.

"It`s amazing that competitors have to get used to these sort of things at the biggest event of the world. This may just be design issue for the flats, but the athletes are getting quite stressed," had said an Indian official who is part of the delegation staying at the Games Village.

Team Anna sits on fast at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: In a bid to step up pressure on the government for introducing a strong Lokpal Bill, Team Anna members -Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai – will begin their indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar from Wednesday.

Noted anti-corruption crusader activist Anna Hazare is also expected to join fellow team members, but he will go on a hunger strike from July 29.

Besides campaigning for a strong Lokpal Bill, the Team Anna is demanding the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to probe corruption charges against 15 cabinet ministers.

At a press conference in Constitution Club on Tuesday, Team Anna members presented a united front with all leading activists - Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Shanti Bhushan and Kejriwal – extending full support to Anna Hazare ahead of their fast protest in the national capital.

Anna, who is not keeping well these days, said he would join the fast from July 29 if the UPA government did not respond to their three demands. Anna had been advised by doctors and his close aides to skip the hunger strike. As a concession to their request, he had agreed to join the fast four days after the others.