Saturday, August 1, 1998
|
N A T I O N |
|
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
 |
|
|
5 Pak militants held, RDX,
PETN seized |
 |
India, Pak can't be
trusted, says Celeste
|
|
Congress
studying Jain report
|
|||||
|
||||||
5 Pak militants held, RDX, PETN
seized NEW DELHI, July 31 — The Delhi Police claims to have averted major explosions in the Capital and adjoining areas with the arrest of five Pak-trained militants, including three Pakistan nationals, yesterday. The arrested militants reportedly had connections with the Lashkar-e-Toiba group whose activists were suspected to be involved in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Dehradun blast incidents. The Toiba group is controlled by Zaki-ur-Rehman, Azam Cheema and Abdul Karim Tunda of Pakistan, the Delhi Police Commissioner , Mr V.N. Singh said today. The militants were identified as Abu Sayeed, alias Abu Sattar (20), Abu Waleed, alias Mohammad Faizal Hussain, alias Imran, Abu Shoeb, alias Mohammad Sanaulla, alias Shoeb Alam of Muzaffargarh, Alam, alias Imran, and Mohammad Sadique of Khurja in Uttar Pradesh. They were arrested by the crime branch of the Delhi Police from New Delhi Railway Station. One of their accomplices, Kamran, was arrested in February this year. The police seized 2 kg of RDX, 1 kg PETN and 10 detonators from them. While talking to the media, the Police Commissioner said the interrogation of Junaid had revealed that Abu Sayeed, was living at Khurja in UP in the house of Mohammad Sadique. It was also disclosed that Sayeed had gone to Bangladesh after the arrest of Junaid. Thereafter Sayeed and his accomplices were arrested yesterday at the New Delhi Railway Station while coming from Poorva Express. The suspects disclosed that Abu Sayeed, after having undergone weapon training, infiltrated into India from Bhuj Sector in Gujarat last year. He tried to settle down in Vadodara, Surat Salda, Sirsa but remained unsuccessful. Abu Sayeed, Junaid and Hasan, an ex-serviceman, planted a bomb in an Army Compartment of Dehradun Express in July last year. The explosives were brought by Abu Sayeed through one Abdul Wahid of Bhuj sector. In December last year, Cheema directed Sayeed to meet Mohammad Sadique in Khurja to settle his base to cause militant activities in Delhi and adjoining areas. Mohammad Umar, brother of Sadique, is based at Bhawalpur in Pakistan and financing the militant outfit. Umar directed his brother to give shelter to Sayeed for his activities. When Sayeed was established in Khurja he called two other Pak-trained militants, Abu Shoeb and Mohammad Walid, alias Imran, to assist him. He had purchased pottery under the name and style of "Paras Industries" in Khurja in UP. The finance to purchase the factory was arranged by Azam Cheema. He had planned explosions in Delhi, particularly in cantonment area and Army vehicles parked in civil areas like bus terminals and railway stations. To conduct these, he contacted Azam Cheema and asked him to supply 200 kg RDX, hand grenades, AK series rifles, pistols, remote control devices, wireless sets and other explosive material, Mr Singh said. Abu Sayeed also got
constructed a "bunker" in his pottery to
conceal the consignment. However, the consignment could
not reach due to the arrest of Mohammad Salim, alias
Junaid, the Commissioner said.
|
India, Pak can't be trusted : Celeste MUMBAI, July 31 (PTI) — The USA today declared that it could not trust either India or Pakistan to observe restraint in the deployment of nuclear weapons in view of cross-border firing every day. Addressing a press conference at the American Centre during his first visit here after the nuclear tests at Pokhran, us ambassador Richard Frank Celeste commented "even during the worst years in the history of the USA and the erstwhile Soviet Union, we were not firing every day across the Line of Control in Kashmir like India and Pakistan." The us envoy said his country feared and worried about talk of minimal nuclear capability for India and Pakistan as there could be "accidents" in the absence of sophisticated command and control systems in both countries. "We don’t want unintended consequences as the situation is one of weapons aimed at each other within a few minutes," he observed. India’s offer to Pakistan of a "no-first use" treaty as a safeguard against actual deployment of nuclear weapons by either country has to be backed by sophisticated command and control systems, he noted adding "cost of managing nuke weapons wisely and safely is very very high." Elaborating on the command
and control system, he said if it was based on the voice
of a Prime Minister then there had to be methods to
verify if it was the premier himself who was
communicating the decision to prepare and launch a
nuclear missile.
|
Speaker reserves ruling NEW DELHI, July 31 (PTI) — The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr G.M.C. Balayogi today reserved ruling on allowing a motion for discussion on the conduct of Goa Governor J.F.R. Jacob who sacked Pratapsinh Rane as Chief Minister and installed rebel Congress leader Wilfred d’Souza in his place on Wednesday. Mr Balayogi told the House he was examining the notices given by Congress members P.J. Kurien and Ajit Jogi for a discussion on the issue under Rule 184 which provided for a voting. Congress members, supported by Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, had paralysed the proceedings in the House yesterday protesting the Governor’s "unconstitutional and illegal" action. "The matter is under my consideration," the Speaker said, adding he would take a decision in the light of the report received from the Home Ministry. Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr Kurien wanted to know from the Chair the fate of his motion and quoted a precedent to press that it must be admitted. He told the Speaker that his predecessor P.A. Sangma had admitted a motion under Rule 184 in a similar situation when the then BJP Deputy Leader Jaswant Singh had moved it protesting the removal of Kalyan Singh as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and installation of Jagdambika Pal in his place by the then Governor Romesh Bhandari. Supporting Mr Kurien, party colleague Mr Jogi said members should rise above party lines to discuss the crucial issue under Rule 184. Opposing admission of the motion under Rule 184, Home Minister L. K. Advani said the government had no objection to having a general discussion on the issue under Rule 193 which had no provision for a voting. He argued members would have no freedom to express their views under Rule 184 as they would have to abide by the whips of their respective parties. Mr Advani reiterated the Governor had acted under Article 174 of the Constitution in dismissing the Rane government and installing the D’Souza ministry and the Centre had no role in it. CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee sought to draw a parallel between the action taken by Goa Governor and the one taken by the then UP Governor Romesh Bhandari in February last and wanted to know the government’s stand on the issue. Janata Dal member S. Jaipal Reddy said the motion should be allowed under Rule 184 as the members would like to discuss the conduct of the Governor and not the merits of the conduct. Meanwhile, the issue of the dismissal of the Pratapsinh Rane-led Congress government in Goa, which rocked both Houses of Parliament yesterday, will now be taken up for discussion as a substantive motion in the Rajya Sabha on August 4, Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla said today. Chairman Krishan Kant has now permitted the issue to be taken up under Rule 168, she said, adding it would be taken up as a fresh discussion on August 4. Yesterday, the issue was taken up as a short duration discussion under Rule 176 which led to a noisy protest from the opposition resulting in the adjournment of the House. Ms Heptulla also
rescheduled the day’s business to give priority to
legislative business in view of paucity of time. The
extended Budget session is slated to end on August 4.
|
‘Red army’ of Bihar in reel life NEW DELHI, July 31 (PTI) — Fifteen-year-old Babloo mostly lives with his ‘squad’ in the jungle, is trained in use of firearms and wants to “free his society from the upper caste oppression”. Babloo, and many like him — epitomising the growing rebellion among the low-caste in Bihar against the “age-old injustice inflicted on them by the zamindars” — are captured in their ‘natural habitat’ in a new documentary on the “red army” of the state. While the 49-minute film “Na Bate Der” (it will not be long) has some of the squad leaders and other underground ideologues of the ‘movement’ speaking on camera with pieces of cloth wrapped around their faces, there are others — like Babloo — who do not “have any fear or regret to disclose identity and pronounce themselves as part of the movement”. “You weigh me in sona — would not leave the movement. It’s a lifelong commitment. “We have suffered for generations at the hands of the upper caste zamindars. But this far and no further — we have pledged to put an end to all these,” Babloo says in the documentary. The feudal rivalries, the caste divide and the violent struggle of the “proletariat” to break free of the “chains” in allegedly the most lawless state in India, Bihar — this is what “Na Bate Der” is all about. Capturing the lifestyle and the “armed struggle” of the “red army” of the state - the documentary traces the recent history of the state through facts and statistics, showcasing the ground realities of Bihar. The film — which according to its director Sudipto Sen, is a ‘travelogue’ — embarks on its journey at village Lakshmanpur Bathe where, on the morning of December 2, 1997, 63 persons, including women and children were massacred. Those who survived the murderous night, recount the attack as the camera pans the blood-stained and bullet-marked walls of the cottages of the victims. After Lakshmanpur Bathe, the film records interviews with squad members in villages in the districts of Patna, Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Gaya in Central Bihar and Palamu and Garhwa in South Bihar. In the process, the film has captured the “red army” carrying out mock ‘war exercises’ and holding ‘jan adalats’ where offenders of the “community law” are punished. According to Sen, “the making of the film unravels a hitherto unknown world of poverty, exploitation, intimidation, annihilation — in short, a total negation of human rights. “It is the story of the millions in Bihar who have, after being denied basic rights and dignity for as long as one can remember, have snatched back these very things through armed revolt,” Sen says. The film, which takes its name from the opening line of a revolutionary song, also shows women activists engaged in mobilising the womenfolk in their “struggle against the age-old injustice, poverty and inequality”. It also contains footages of the armed revolutionaries in combat fatigues training in arms, squads patrolling from village to village, sleeping in the jungles and the support among the masses for the squads through numerous interviews. “For some of these rare footages, we had to travel through hundreds of kilometres on foot, sleeping in the jungles, every meal being provided by a different villager in a different location,” says Madhav Panda, the cameraman of the film. “Shot in extremely difficult conditions with HI-8 camera without a tripod and no lights. It was a torture test for the team to retain the quality aspect without basic accessories. “The continuous threat of the police kept these armed squads continuously on the run and hence, the crew was also almost always on the run,” he says recounting the hardships faced during shooting of the documentary. “Na Bate Der” is
an eye-opener - of the grim realities in Bihar. Of the
common people’s participation in the armed struggle
for the “revolutionary” cause and of their
resolve to live a life of dignity.
|
Congress studying Jain report NEW DELHI, July 31 — The Congress started preparations for a discussion on the final report of the Jain Commission of Inquiry which was tabled in Parliament today along with the action taken report (ATR) amid indications that action would be demanded by it against those indicted, including the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr K. Karunanidhi. The party, which will be formalising its strategy over the weekend ahead of the two-day debate starting on August 4, is now expected to demand action against individuals indicted. The Congress which withdrew support to the United Front Government during November last year over reports indicting the DMK’s involvement, today said the report of the commission was over an issue which had ‘sentimental overtones’’. Officially, the Congress spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi, maintained the party would react only after perusing the report and the ATR while maintaining that it would not compromise on the issue of action against those who had been indicted. A six-member panel of party members, including Mr Arjun Singh, Mr P. Shiv Shanker, Mr Ajit Jogi, Mr Kapil Sibal, Mr Mani Shanker Aiyer and AICC lawyer R.N. Mittal, were studying the report and expected to brief senior leaders shortly. Party sources said an informal meeting of the Congress Working Committee could be held soon after it to finalise the strategy which would then be communicated to the parliamentary wing. The customary end-of-the-session meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party is scheduled for August 4, which is to be addressed by the CPP Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The commission in its report has exonerated three former prime ministers — Mr V.P. Singh, Mr Chandra Shekha and Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao — stating that "all three occupied the high office of the Prime Minister and by no stretch of imagination it can be said that any of them entertained any such intention to be in any way connected with the conspiracy to assassinate Mr Rajiv Gandhi". On the role of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr K. Karunanidhi, the commission had made serious observations in its interim report and stated that "from the evaluation of the material the conclusion is irresistible that there was tacit support to the LTTE by Mr Karunanidhi and his government and law enforcement agencies". Meanwhile, the BJP today welcomed the government’s decision to set up a multi-disciplinary monitoring agency in the CBI to keep a tab on the movements of the accused named in the Jain Commission's report. Addressing newspersons, BJP general secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu said that Justice M.C. Jain in his report on the conspiracy angle of the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Mr Rajiv Gandhi, had stressed the need for a further inquiry into the role of persons like Chandraswami and Dr Subramaniam Swamy who refused to divulge to the commission information about the monetary transactions conducted by Mr Chandraswami. Mr Naidu said that though Mr Chandraswami’s connections with the BCCI had been established and money was received by Adnan Khashoggi but who was the end user of the money required to be immediately probed. The BJP leader said that the Congress must explain now whether its withdrawal of support to the United Front Government last year and forcing another election on the people was justified. The BJP general secretary
said: "We hope that these agencies will speed up the
inquiry now and try to bring entire truth before
people". He said the party would make a detailed
comment on the report after it had been studied by a
group of senior party MPs.
|
Bill to amend Prasar Bharati Act passed NEW DELHI, July 31 (PTI) — The controversial Bill to amend the Prasar Bharati Act was tonight passed in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote with the government asserting it was committed to autonomy but with accountability. The Bill, among other things, restores the age limit of 62 years for the chief executive of the Prasar Bharati Board. The fate of the present CEO 72-year-old S.S. Gill, will be decided after the Bill is passed by the Rajya Sabha and gets the President’s assent. Making a spirited reply to a discussion on the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 1998, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said a modified broadcasting Bill would be placed in the next session of Parliament. The broadcasting Bill would make it mandatory for foreign satellite networks to uplink from India and abide by programme and advertisement codes. Those violating this would lose their licences. Lambasting the Congress
for shelving the Prasar Bharati Act for seven years, she
said: “People who tried to put an end to autonomy
should not point fingers at us. I don’t want to
dilute autonomy. But there has to be autonomy with
accountability.”
|
Elders flay attacks on minorities NEW DELHI, July 31— Serious concern was expressed in the Rajya Sabha today over “growing attacks on minorities in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat” with Opposition members saying they were living in perpetual fear in these two states. Making a special mention, Congress MP, Mr Vylar Ravi, drew the attention of the House to 24 incidents of attacks on minorities and minority institutions in Gujarat during the past three months. He said the Bajrang Dal, supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was organising these attacks. These organisations were spreading “anti-minority” feelings, he said. Mr Ravi, who claimed to have come back only today after visiting the areas where incidents took place, said such attacks were being conducted and perpetuated with the connivance of the state government. He said a special cell in the state’s Home Department had been opened to look into the cases of inter-community marriages which amounted to direct interference in the personal affairs. He alleged these incidents were taking place with the knowledge of the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani. Mr Rama Shankar Kaushik of the Samajwadi Party alleged that five youths were killed at Ghaziabad in UP last week by the state police and all of them belonged to a minority community. He charged that such incidents were taking place because the police and administration were being “politicised and communalised” by the RSS machinery in the state. Congress member, Khan Gufran Zaidi said the killings had taken place in a most cruel manner and cited reports which said the victims had their limbs hacked off first before they were shot to death. The Rajya Sabha Deputy
Chairperson, Dr Najma Heptullah, deplored the incidents
and asked the leader of the House, Mr Sikander Bakht, to
make a statement in the House.
|
Furore in Lok Sabha over Bihar floods NEW DELHI, July 31 (PTI) — The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for 45 minutes amid pandemonium as members from the Samata Party nearly came to blows with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) members after the RJD raised the issue of the unprecedented floods in Bihar. In the midst of din as angry members abused each other and surged forward for a scuffle, Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi adjourned the House. A certain remark by a BJP member, Mr Virendra Singh, provoked RJD and SP leaders, Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav respectively, who rushed to the well of the House shouting back. They were soon joined by their party members who demanded an unconditional apology from the government for the member’s “indecent” behaviour. The RJD members had criticised the Centre’s ‘apathy’ towards Bihar in tackling the floods which they alleged was due to political rivalry. Mr Virendra Singh too rushed to the well of the House and was seen having a heated exchange with the RJD and SP leaders. He was, however, escorted back to his seat by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ram Naik. Seething with anger, an uncontrollable Laloo Yadav removed his “chappals” and squatted in the well along with members of his party and the Samajwadi Party. He too was seen shouting at the Treasury Benches. He was later persuaded by senior Congress leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Sharad Pawar, to lead the protesting MPs in resuming their seats. Mr Pawar regretted that such behaviour by members had lowered the dignity of the House, and requested the Chair to take firm steps to deal with members making unparliamentary remarks and issuing threats. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana tendered an unconditional apology for what had happened and stressed that the need of the House was “self-restraint” by members. Mr Khurana faced the ire of members of his own party and its ally Samata Party for describing Laloo Prasad Yadav as the “raja of Bihar”. The minister’s remark “Ye to Bihar ke raja hain (he is the king of Bihar)” made apparently to pacify an agitated Laloo Yadav. Angered BJP member Virendra Singh and Samata Party member Prabhunath Singh who took strong objection to its saying he was merely the husband of Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi. As Mr Khurana pleaded with
them saying “vyang samjha karo yaar (understand the
satire)” the members reminded him that all his
remarks had been recorded by Parliament.
|
Centre ‘lacks strength’ to sack Rabri govt PATNA, July 31 (PTI) — Defence Minister and Samata Party president George Fernandes today said the Centre “lacked” the requisite strength in the Rajya Sabha to impose President’s rule in Bihar “though it is a fit case for that”. “There is not one but plenty of reasons which warrant invocation of Article 356 in the state. But as we do not have the required numbers in the Rajya Sabha to get ratified a proposal to this regard, we can not use it (Article 356),” Mr Fernandes said here. He said though he had earlier been “dead opposed” to using the Article in any state and even fought for repealing it, he “now deems it fit to dismiss the RJD dispensation in Bihar”. Later, inaugurating a two-day conference of his party’s state council, Mr Fernandes said “The RJD government is not going to last long” and urged his partymen to launch an “effective campaign to replace the present regime”. Terming the Rashtriya
Loktantrik Morcha of RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav and
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as an
“opportunistic alliance”, he said “the
front was born with the sole objective of protecting the
corrupt, irresponsible and incompetent Rabri Devi
ministry.”
|
Ordinance banning eve-teasing issued CHENNAI, July 31 (PTI) — An ordinance prohibiting eve-teasing in Tamil Nadu was promulgated last night by Governor M. Fatheema Beevi. Anyone who indulges in or abets in eve-teasing will be punished with one year’s rigorous imprisonment or fine of Rs 10,000, or both, an official press release said. The ordinance, effective from yesterday, comes in the wake of the death of 20-year-old college girl Sarika Shah, who became a victim of eve-teasing last week. The ordinance said “whoever committed or participated in or abetted in eve-teasing in or within the precincts of any educational institution, temple or other place of worship, bus stop, road, railway station, cinema theatre, park, beach, place of festival, public service vehicle or any other place would be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to one year, or shall be liable to fine, which might extend to Rs 10,000 or both. “Persons in charge of these places shall take such steps as he may deem fit to prevent eve-teasing within the precinct,” it said, and added that on a complaint made by an aggrieved person, they should give information to police about eve-teasing. The government was of the
view that eve-teasing was a menace to society and had to
be eradicated, the press release said.
|
Militants kidnap 8 in Tripura AGARTALA, July 31 (PTI)
— Eight persons, including three government
employees and a CPM leader, were kidnapped by National
Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants in separate
incidents since Wednesday, the police said here today.
The militants stopped a government vehicle of the Tripura
Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) at
Chhailengta in North district on Thursday and kidnapped
three employees.
|
No law and order in TN: Cong CHENNAI, July 31 (PTI) — After the AIADMK, the Congress in Tamil Nadu today charged the DMK government with having no control over the law and order situation in the state but, unlike Ms Jayalalitha’s party, disfavoured immediate dismissal of the Karunanidhi ministry. TNCC Chief Tindivanam K. Ramamurthy told reporters here that “the police is being used only to serve the interests of the ruling party.” However, Mr Ramamurthy
said his party was not demanding dismissal of the
government as it wanted to give some time to the state
government “to mend its ways”.
|
| In
brief 6 drowned
as jeep falls into river Heavy rain claims
seven lives EC disqualifies 69
candidates Naxals destroy
power substation Probe into air
crash
|
 |
 |
 |
| Punjab
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Stocks | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
