The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Pak PM’s adviser Aziz to arrive on Sunday Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, November 5 Pakistan Prime Ministers’ Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz is arriving here on Sunday to attend a multilateral meeting and discuss with Indian leaders steps to reduce mounting tension between the two countries. It is learnt that he has also sought a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apart from holding talks with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on the margins of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Ministers’ Conference to be held at Gurgaon on November 11-12. He is also likely to meet National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon. Although no breakthrough is expected during the talks, the two sides are likely to discuss the possible date for a face-to-face meeting between Director General Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries for defusing tension along the LoC. Although the two DGMOs traditionally speak to each other on phone every Tuesday, the decision for a rare meeting between them was taken when Manmohan Singh met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York in September.
	Fearing fog, Railways cancels 20 trains, diverts 10 others Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 5 In an effort to avoid inconvenience to passengers and last minute confusion, the Indian Railways has decided to cancel 20 trains and divert another 10 trains as a result of fog which develops and makes train operations difficult in the ensuing winter months. Over the years, railways has been facing difficulties during winter months as a result of the thick fog which envelops in the open areas and makes train movement difficult, forcing the last minute cancellation and diversion which causes inconvenience to the passengers. The cancellation and diversion of trains is being announced in advance so that travellers can plan their alternative journeys accordingly and are put to minimum inconvenience. According to railway officials, services of 30 trains will be affected from December 28 till February 15 next year due to the anticipated foggy condition which may develop in the northern region. "While 20 trains have been cancelled, services of six are partially suspended and four trains will be diverted from the fog-affected routes during the period," said a senior Railway Ministry official. Services of Amritsar-Ajmer Express, New Delhi-Jalandhar Express, Jharkhand Sampark Kranti Express, Howrah- Delhi Express, Lichchvi Express and Varanasi-Dehradun Express are among the 20 trains which are being suspended from December end till February 15 next year. The booking of all such trains will not be done and the changes will be carried in the passenger reservation system accordingly. However, zonal railway officials have been asked to remain alert and in case there is no fog, to start booking for the cancelled trains within a three-day notice period with a condition that the train may be cancelled in case there is fog. Services of six trains, including Howrah Lal Quila Express, Howrah Udan Abha Express, are being partially cancelled due the expected fog in the route. Patna-Kota Express will be diverted towards Kanpur-Farrukhabad-Mathura during this time.
	MEA seeks report on Nigerian’s death in Goa New Delhi, November 5 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is in touch with the Nigerian authorities over the security of their nationals in the wake of the killing of a Nigerian in Goa Last week, official sources said. The Joint Secretary in-charge of the West Africa Division in the MEA's Western Africa Division spoke to the Nigerian High Commissioner, assuring him that India and Nigeria had excellent relations and that all issues would be "addressed in a cooperative manner in line with our friendly ties". The MEA was also in touch with the Government of Goa. It was informed that the authorities in Goa were investigating the matter. A report would be sent to the MEA soon. India’s Acting Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria was also in touch with the Nigerian Foreign Office and has updated them on the situation, the sources said. — TNS
	BSP MP, wife held for maid’s murder New Delhi, November 5 BSP MP Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti were today arrested in connection with the murder of their 35-year-old maid and the "merciless" torture of another minor domestic help. The body of maid Rakhi, with several injury marks on her legs, chest and arms, was recovered from Singh's residence at South Avenue here last evening after the MP himself informed the police. Police sources said both Dhananjay and Jagriti were arrested for their alleged involvement in the case. Jagriti was taken into custody this morning and questioned for 12 hours, investigators said. An FIR was registered against her at the Chankyapuri police station under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC and provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. The police may add sections under the Bonded Labour Act for hiring a juvenile. The police claimed the maid died due to injuries inflicted by the MP's wife around 8.30 yesterday morning, but the matter was reported by BSP MP to the police at 8.30 pm. They said the injury marks were visible on arms, legs and chest. The police also questioned Dhananjay to ascertain his role in the case. Another minor help, who has been working at the household for the past one year, told the police that he was also beaten up badly by Jagriti. "The maid must have been beaten up mercilessly as her body bore several old and fresh injury marks," said a senior police official. Dhananjay told the police that he was away to Jaunpur, his constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and had reached Delhi only in the evening and subsequently informed the police, investigators said. Jagriti called up Dhananjay and informed him about the maid's death, the police said. Rakhi had been working at the MP's residence for the past 10 months. — PTI
	1.34 lakh Indians back home from Saudi Arabia New Delhi, November 5 Over 1,34,000 Indian workers have returned from Saudi Arabia after the kingdom enforced stricter labour regulations, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said on Tuesday. Talking to reporters here, Ravi said the Indian government was closely watching the situation and providing all possible help to the affected person. “Some 1.34 lakh Indians have already come back from Saudi Arabia,” Ravi said, adding the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia was facilitating the return of the workers who do not have proper documents. Ravi said there is no harassment and Saudi authorities are not entering into the houses of Indian diaspora for physical checks. “Saudi Arabian government has given specific instructions not to harass people but to check properly and not enter any house,” the minister said. Saudi Arabia recently introduced a new policy called Nitaqat (classification) that seeks to remove illegal immigrants and boost employment for locals by reserving 10 per cent of jobs for them in all establishments. Meanwhile, the Kerala government will charter flights to facilitate the return of its people from Saudi Arabia, a minister said on Tuesday. — IANS
	Nehru called Patel a communalist: Advani New Delhi, November 5 Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Tuesday said the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel “a total communalist” after the then home minister demanded the army should be sent to Hyderabad to deal with the unrest. In a latest post on his blog, Advani quoted from unedited translation of MKK Nair’s book, ‘The Story of an Era Told without Ill Will’, and said the cabinet meeting which occasioned a sharp exchange between Nehru and Patel on the Hyderabad issue took place shortly before the “police action” in 1948. Advani cited from the book and said on April 30, 1948, the Indian Army fully withdrew from Hyderabad and the Razakars, a private militia, began to behave licentiously all over the state. The book said C Rajagopalachari was the Governor General and Patel believed the Army should be sent to put an end to the wantonness of the Nizam of Hyderabad. It said at about that time, the Nizam sent an emissary to Pakistan and transferred a large sum of money from his government account in London to Pakistan. The book said at the cabinet meeting Patel demanded the army be sent to end the terror-regime in Hyderabad. “Nehru who usually spoke calmly, peacefully and with international etiquette, lost his composure and said, “You are a total communalist. I will never accept your recommendation'. Patel remained unperturbed but left the room with his papers,” Advani quoted from the book. The Bharatiya Janata Party has been seeking to project itself as an inheritor of Patel's legacy of being a strong administrator. Advani and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi last month attended a function in Gujarat to lay the foundation stone of Patel's statue, slated to be the highest in the world. Modi then said the country needs “Sardar Patel's secularism and not vote-bank secularism”. At another function, Modi said the country's destiny would have been different had Patel become the first Prime Minister. — IANS
	Amritsar-Kanpur weekly train from Nov 11 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 5 The Northern Railway today approved the Amritsar-Kanpur weekly express, which will start plying from November 11. The inaugural service of the new train, which runs as special train No. 08513, departed from Kanpur today at 1.55 pm and will reach Amritsar at 9.30 am tomorrow. The regular Amritsar-Kanpur weekly express (No. 14153) will depart from Kanpur every Monday from November 11 at 5.05 pm and arrive at Amritsar at 9.30 am the next day. On return journey, the Amritsar-Kanpur weekly express (No. 14154) will depart from Amritsar every Tuesday November 12 onwards at 12.35 pm and arrive at Kanpur at 5 am the next day. The train comprises two AC-III tier, five sleeper class, six general class besides two disabled friendly second class-cum-luggage van coaches. The train will halt at Bareilly, Moradabad, Laksar, Roorkee, Saharanpur, Ambala Cantt., Rajpura, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Jalandhar City and Beas stations.
	Ransacking case Power couple told to appear in court Tribune News Service Lucknow, November 5 Bahujan Samaj Party’s power couple, former minister and MLA husband Ramveer Upadhyay and MP wife Seema Upadhyay, have been summoned by court for having ransacked the office of a private university. Meerut Chief Judicial Magistrate Sanjeev Kumar has ordered the high profile BSP couple to appear before his court on November 28 in a pending case against them. A case was filed against the former power minister and his wife representing Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha constituency by the security officer of Vivekananda Subharti University Naresh Kumar. According to the complaint on April 3, the couple had gone to the Meerut campus of the university to get their daughter admitted to the postgraduate medical programme. In this connection, they had sought a meeting with the director Atul Krishna who was not present at that time. In his complaint, the security officer has alleged that the non-availability of the director made the couple furious. Upadhyay along with his private security guards reportedly ransacked the university office and also threatened its staff of dire consequences. On the basis of the security officer Naresh Kumar’s complaint, a case was finally filed against the couple in June 2013 after the intervention of the court.
	3 held in Mumbai gang-rape case Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, November 5 The Mumbai police today arrested three youths in connection with Friday’s gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in suburban Mumbai. Those arrested were: Waseem Syed (23); Surya Pillai, alias Yuvraj, (19); and Kalya Vishwakarma (19). They were arrested on the basis of the complaint filed by the girl on Sunday. Three others named by her are yet to be arrested. “We have sent police teams to trace the others named in the case,” Senior Police Inspector Jaywant Mane of the Dindoshi police station said. All three were produced before a magistrate who remanded them in police custody till November 12. The police feels two of the six youths named by the girl could be minors going by their description. The girl had alleged that the two suspected minors called her on her mobile phone on Friday evening for celebrating Diwali. They then took the girl to an isolated place where they offered her a spiked drink. They were later joined by others accused. Four older youths then raped her.
	Plea to raise ethanol-petrol blending limit Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, November 5 With sugar prices declining sharply on the back of supply glut, politicians from Maharashtra are pushing for blending higher quantity of ethanol with petrol sold across the country. State government officials have taken up with the Union Petroleum Ministry to allow 10 per cent of ethanol to be blended with petrol. At present, the Central Government has permitted a blend of 5 per cent ethanol with petrol. Last month, farmer organisations like the Shetkari Sanghatana organised protests demanding that the ethanol blending with petrol be raised to 10 per cent so that cultivators could offset losses caused by falling sugar prices. “We would like ethanol to be produced from sugarcane so that farmers get better price for their produce,” Raghunath Patil, leader of the Shetkari Sanghatana said. At present, ethanol is produced from molasses. According to cooperatives societies here, one tonne of sugarcane can produce 90 litre ethanol. Both farmers and cooperative societies are demanding that the price of ethanol be raised to Rs 60 per litre. Maharashtra has a capacity to produce 88.58 crore litre ethanol at 92 manufacturing plants, according to the sugar cooperatives.
	Assam pays glowing tributes to Bhupen Hazarika Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, November 5 Glowing and musical tributes were paid to legendary musician and cultural icon from the Northeast, Dr Bhupen Hazarika, by people from all walks of life on his second death anniversary today. Over 10,000 earthen lamps illuminated the banks on a lake in the heart of Guwahati city as thousands of people gathered there to pay obeisance to the artiste of their heart this evening. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) organised the innovating tribute paying in a solemn atmosphere under the open sky on the bank of Dighalipukhuri where a statue of Dr Hazarika stands tall. Organisations of different hues and nomenclature have organised the death anniversary in various corners of the state in different styles to pay tribute to the ‘The Bard of Brahmaputra’. The state government organised the central ‘shraddhanjali’ programme at Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Khsetra in Guwahati this morning where dignitaries and fans of Dr Hazarika gathered to pay their respect to the musician. The Cultural Affairs Department of the Assam Government in collaboration with KK Handique Open University and the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) organised a lecture in the memory of Dr Hazarika besides a mega cultural programme to pay tribute to him. The Assam Government has announced its decision to convert the burial ground of Dr Hazarika into an architectural marvel within a year at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore in order to keep the memory of the colossal artiste alive. The government plans to develop his burial site at Jalukbari here into a green zone complete with a souvenir shop, a musical fountain and a dome. The structural design of the project has already been accepted by the government. Gauhati University has handed over a sprawling plot of land to the state government for the purpose.
	5 policemen gunned down in Meghalaya Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, November 5 Tribal militants belonging to the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) gunned down five Meghalaya Police personnel and snatched away arms and ammunition in an ambush in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya around 11 am today. The police said a group of around 10 heavily armed militants ambushed a Meghalaya Police vehicle that was on its way from Baghmara in South Garo Hills district to Tura in West Garo Hills district to bring an under-trial prisoner. The ambush occurred in a remote location between Baghmara and Ghasuapara close to the India-Bangladesh border. The militants took away three SLRs rifles, an AK-47 assault rifle and an Insas rifle from the scene. Those killed have been identified as Dhaniram Marak, Bipul Rabha, M Nongdhar from 3rd Meghalaya Police Battalion, and unarmed constable Raki Sangma and driver Liky Ryngkhlem. The killing comes close on the heels of the Diwali night killing of seven persons by GNLA militants at an Assam village near the Assam-Meghalaya border in Goalpara district. Additional troops had been deployed there after the incident. A team of ministers from Assam, under instruction from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is on a visit abroad, visited Goalpara district today to review the security scenario there in the wake of the GNLA attack on innocent villagers on the Assam side of the border. The team comprising Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma, Rakibul Hussain, Nilamoni Sen Deka and Rajib Lochan Pegu visited the scene where the GNLA militants killed seven villagers. The inter-state boundary area with Meghalaya in western Assam is infested with militants belonging to the GNLA and a newly formed outfit, United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA), based in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. A senior Assam police officer said militants from these two groups had been on a rampant extortion drive much to the chagrin of people living on the Assam side of the border. Gogoi has directed the administration to deploy Army in the inter-state boundary area to curb the rampaging militants from Meghalaya and set up close coordination with the Meghalaya police. Tribal ambush * A group of 10 heavily armed Garo National Liberation Army militants ambushed a Meghalaya Police vehicle in South Garo Hills district * The police team was on its way from Baghmara in South Garo Hills district to Tura in West Garo Hills district to bring an undertrial prisoner * The militants gunned down five cops and took away three SLRs rifles, an AK-47 assault rifle and an Insas rifle from the scene
	Prez concerned over communal violence in country Suresh Dharur/TNS Hyderabad, November 5 President Pranab Mukherjee today voiced concern over “worrying bout” of communal violence in some parts of the country and called for strengthening the ability of local administration to quell such tensions in the initial stages. “These are challenging times for our police forces. There has been a worrying bout of communal violence in some parts of our country, accompanied by deterioration in inter-community relations,” he said after reviewing the passing out parade of IPS probationers at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy here. With Muzaffarnagar riots being fresh in public memory, the President made an indirect reference to the incidents and said: “There is a need to strengthen the ability of our district and local administration to notice such tensions in their initial stages and take necessary measures to contain them quickly.” The President said there was a need to provide a safe and secure environment for the successful implementation of the people-oriented schemes of the Central government. Referring to the threats to the nation’s security, he said: “India continues to be targeted by terrorism from abroad besides threats from within to the internal security.” The President reminded the young police officers about the challenges being posed by the Maoists. “The government is committed to dealing with Left-wing extremism in a comprehensive manner. It is pursuing a two-pronged approach of conducting pro-active and sustained operations against extremists and focusing attention on development and governance issues in extremist affected areas,” he said. While the country must certainly meet these challenges “head on”, the actions of the police forces must respect human rights of the people. Noting that India’s first Home Minister had created the all-India services with great expectations, he said Patel had wanted civil servants to maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility in the administration. The President quoted Patel as having advised the civil servants not to take part in politics and not involve themselves in communal wrangles. “Our country has made progress in many fields. However, the success of the government’s plans to strengthen the economy and ensure social justice through various welfare schemes depends critically on the maintenance of law and order,” he told the IPS probationers. Referring to the growing atrocities against women and children, Mukherjee said: “Effective policing of our urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities and protecting the vulnerable, requires urgent attention of our police forces.” Among the 148 IPS probationers who passed out in the 65th batch, 12 officers were from the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan. A record number of 25 women officers passed out this year.