Friday, September 18, 1998
|
N A T I O N |
|
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
 |
|
|
DMK support
to BJP Jaya to wait and watch CHENNAI, Sept 17 — AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha today said she would wait and see whether the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam offered support to the BJP-led coalition at the Centre before commenting on Mr A.B. Vajpayee’s remarks in this regard. BJP ridicules Cong code NEW DELHI, Sept 17— The BJP said today that the Congress would have to either withdraw its code of conduct or disband the party. It asked the Congress to identify religion -based political organisations with which its members should not associate. |
 |
Withdraw from WTO: farmers NEW DELHI, September 17 — Thousands of farmers from all over the country descended on the Capital today to press their demand for India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation.
|
|
EC may ask details of nominee’s past NEW DELHI, Sept 17 — In a bid to prevent candidates with criminal background from entering the electoral fray, the Election Commission is contemplating reframing the affidavit listing criminal cases pending against them field along with nomination papers. Rain claims 22 lives in
Maharashtra Judge
arrested for cheating Advocates
'assault' three cops MP
Cong to have 5 working presidents Vijaya
Gujral Award for Deepalaya USA
coercing India to sign CTBT: CPI Epilepsy
no longer ground for divorce RSP
not to back Cong-led alternative Sale
of oil in packed form made mandatory IUML,
RLM may forge alliance Two
terrorists arrested |
|||||
 |
||||||
DMK support
to BJP CHENNAI, Sept 17 (UNI) — All- India Anna DMK supremo J. Jayalalitha today said she would wait and see whether the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) offered support to the BJP-led coalition at the Centre before commenting on Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s remarks in this regard yesterday. Talking to newspersons after garlanding the statue of Dravidian leader E.V.R. Periyar on his birth anniversary here, she said it was hypothetical whether the DMK would actually offer support to the BJP. "If that happened I would comment then." Ms Jayalalitha was answering reporters’s query about Mr Vajpayee’s statement yesterday that he would accept support from any quarter (including the DMK). Ms Jayalalitha differed with the Prime Minister’s assessment of the MDMK rally that it marked a turning point in the political equations in the state, saying as far as her party was concerned, it was not so.The status quo would continue, she added. Ms Jayalalitha said she would discuss with the Prime Minister the question of inducting more AIADMK members into the Union Cabinet. Asked whether her earlier allegation of a secret link between the BJP and the DMK had now come true, Ms Jayalalitha, taking care not to offend the BJP or the Prime Minister, said there was no open manifestation of a deal. Asked about the bonhomie between Mr Karunanidhi and the leader of her party’s ally MDMK, Mr Vaiko during the Prime Minister’s reception at the airport, Ms Jayalalitha said not much significance should be attached to such lighter moments. Such things were common when leaders of different parties meet, she said. Ms Jayalalitha claimed her party’s Tiruchirapalli meeting on September 15 was a great success. She said she did not mean any particular ally when she referred to allies climbing up to reach great heights using her party as a ladder. She stood by her statement. Asked about her meeting
with Defence Minister George Fernandes here yesterday, Ms
Jayalalitha said Mr Fernandes assured her that
relationship between the BJP and the AIADMK was on an
even keel. |
Withdraw from WTO: farmers NEW DELHI, September 17 — Thousands of farmers from all over the country descended on the Capital today to press their demand for India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The rally organised by the Joint Action Forum of the Indian People Against WTO and Anti-India Policies at Kisan Ghat was addressed by top farmer leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union President, Mr Mahendar Singh Tikait. Punjab and Haryana were well represented at the rally with several organisations like the BKU (Ekata), the Punjab Kisan Union, the Lok Sangram Morcha of Haryana and the Gramin Mazdoor Union taking part in it. Addressing the rally, Mr Tikait said that the inclusion of India into the WTO was proving disastrous to every sector of the country’s economy, specially the agricultural sector. “The patenting of seeds is a major issue which must be immediately looked into since it effect each and every farmer in the country,” he said. Mr Ajmer Singh Lokhowal of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Punjab explained that the growth rate in agricultural sector in general has declined. “The food grain production is not matching the increase in population and we are being forced to import,” he said. What more evidence should there be for this, than the much-debated patenting of India’s basmati rice or the patenting of medicinal properties of “neem and haldi”, the speakers said. The increasing number of suicides by farmers in many parts of the country is not the result of mere crop failure, bad seeds and pesticides. “The new economic policy and WTO which pauperized the farmers and burdened them with debt is the root cause for the present sad plight of farmers,” a speaker said. Speakers who addressed the well-attended rally include Prof Nanjudaswamy, Mr Naveen Prasad, Mr Khum Singh Singoria, Mr J V Challapati Rao, Mr Lohit Gogoi and Mr Hardev Singh Sandhu. Their demands include
withdrawal of India from the WTO, driving multinational
corporations out of India, taking steps to reduce the
prices of agricultural inputs and waive farmers loans
free power and water to the farmers. |
BJP ridicules Cong code NEW DELHI, Sept 17- The BJP said today that the Congress would have to either withdraw its code of conduct or disband the party. Reacting sharply to the code of conduct announced by the Congress yesterday, BJP Vice-President, K.L. Sharma asked the Congress to identify religion and caste-based political organisations with which its members should not associate themselves with. Stating that the Congress would never learn from its mistakes or from history, Mr Sharma said they should tell us whether the Muslim League, with which it had an alliance in Kerala as well as at the national level, was a religion-based political organisation or not. Taking a dig at the Congress, the BJP leader posed a question as to whether the code of conduct would be applicable from the top or from the bottom. Mr Sharma said that the Congress leaders should first start following the code. Meanwhile, Mr Sharma also warned the RJD not to oppose the resolution on Vananchal as it might prove suicidal both for the party as well as for the Rabri Devi government. Regretting the change of stand by the RJD on the issue, Mr Sharma expressed confidence that the resolution to be presented in a special session of the Bihar Assembly tomorrow would be passed. Describing tomorrow as a
significant day for the political stability in Bihar, Mr
Sharma said the fate of the Rabri Devi government would
depend upon its decision on the issue. |
‘Women colleges fail to open horizons’ NEW DELHI Sept 17 (PTI) — Of more than 1,000 colleges and five universities exclusively for women in the country, barely a handful have made fervent efforts to go beyond providing access to higher education and prepare them to face the world with confidence and as equals of men. Caught as they are in the race to improve results and make it to the merit list, very few colleges have gone to the extent of identifying special needs for women students and delineating efforts to meet those needs, say educationists. Out of the 1070-odd colleges for women and five universities spread across the country, no more than 20 have done an extra bit for the fair sex, says Prof Jaya Indresan, who recently conducted a study on the topic for the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). Such colleges, however few, are desirable as they have helped harness their innate potential and develop their self-confidence through participation in several co-curricular activities. It also helps make them self-sufficient and self-respecting. They have intervened through academics by offering a large choice of courses which were previously only “a man’s domain”. Besides introducing courses in emerging areas like biochemistry, microbiology and engineering, they also provide vocational courses which are both gender neutral and women oriented. Maharani Arts College in Bangalore, for instance, has included papers on status of women through the ages, legislative provisions with regard to marriage, inheritance and their protection from violence in its sociology course. NMKRV College for Women in Bangalore has a special post-graduate course in women’s studies which aims at carrying out research on gender issues. A principal in yet another college in the “Garden City” set up a bank to train B.Com students. Some colleges have emphasised the need to improve their students’ communication skills, thereby honing their decision-making and leadership qualities, says Professor Indresan. BBK College for Women in Amritsar, initiated a communication skills exercise called “Mars to Earth” where two students pretend to have a long distance conversation on any subject or issue. This seeks to improve their self-confidence and self-image. But it recognised only 20 colleges out of a sample of 136 as pace-setting colleges. These colleges had a GPI score of above 100. Most of these colleges were private colleges run by Christian missionaries, Hindu or Muslim trusts. Only one government college found its name among the top 20. Points were awarded to
these colleges on the basis of answers to a questionnaire
which delved into the necessity of separate women’s
colleges, whether their principals recognised the
existence of special needs of women students and their
commitment to ensure that gender positive initiatives
should be taken to cater to those needs, says Professor
Indresan. |
EC may ask details of nominee’s past NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — In a bid to prevent candidates with criminal background from entering the electoral fray, the Election Commission is contemplating reframing the affidavit listing criminal cases pending against them field along with nomination papers. Speaking at a seminar on “Criminalisation of Politics” organised by the Institute of Economic Studies here today, the Election Commissioner Mr G.V.G. Krishnamoorthy, said a draft affidavit had been prepared by him in this regard. “The draft affidavit is ready and I will place it before the other election commissioners for eliciting their views and to arrive at a decision,” he said, adding that “if it is approved, it will be introduced in the coming Assembly poll in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram.” Under the new affidavit, the candidates would have to clearly mention about how many criminal cases were pending against them in various courts including those of murder, rape, kidnapping, house break and extortion, he said. They would have to specify for how long they were in jail, how long they were on bail and in how many cases they were acquitted or convicted, Mr Krishnamoorthy said. As against 1500 candidates with criminal background in the fray in 1996 general elections, there were only 150 such candidates in 1998 elections, he said. The former Tamil Nadu and
Assam Governor Mr Bhishma Narayan Singh, advocated
adoption of the electoral reforms suggested by the
Goswami Committee. |
Rain claims 22 lives in Maharashtra NASIK, Sept 17 (PTI) —The rain fury in Nasik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar and Amravati districts of Maharashtra continued unabated, leaving 22 dead and causing widespread damage to crops and property. The death toll in Nasik revenue division mounted to 16 with two deaths each in Dhule and Jalgaon and another in Nandurbar district since yesterday as incessant rain continued to disrupt life. In Amravati district in Nagpur, two persons were washed away while crossing the flooded river in Mahuli. In another incident, three members of a family, including two children, were killed in Warud in a wall collapse yesterday. The heavy rain since the past two days in Thane district disrupted rail services on Central Railway and Western Railway with long-distance trains regulated at a number of points and services to Pune cancelled. Several incidents of house collapse were also reported from Nasik, Dhule and Jalgaon districts. In Nagpur, major dams were
over-flowing. |
Judge arrested for cheating NEW DELHI, Sept 17 — The Delhi Police yesterday arrested Dinesh Sabharwal a civil judge from Karnal allegedly on charges of cheating. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Karnal Singh, said that there was a vacant plot in Hauz Khas in South Delhi reportedly occupied illegally by Ramesh Kumar for 30 years. As real owner of the plot Mr Girdhari Lal never visited the site, Ramesh Kumar allegedly brought all papers from the Land Acquisition Department. He sought advice of his friend Subhash Kumar for getting ownership of the plot. Subhash Sabharwal contacted the prime suspect, then an advocate in Tis Hazari court. The suspect said that somebody should file a complaint to prove that he was owner of the plot. They all talked to one Madan Lal Dua from Hisar to make the complaint. In the beginning he agreed but later he refused to do so. However, S.K. Goel, a
property dealer of Daryaganj in central Delhi appeared in
the court of Civil Judge, Kamlesh Sabharwal, in Tis
Hazari in place of actual owner of the plot Girdhari Lal.
He was identified by Sunil Vashisth, advocate of the
complainant. |
Advocates 'assault' three cops NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — Three policemen were "assaulted" by some advocates today when they came to produce a lawyer, arrested yesterday on charges of "hurting" policemen, before a city court here. The New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA), which announced the suspension of work in protest against the arrest of senior advocate S.A. Siddiqui, denied any assault on the police and said advocates of all three district courts would strike work tomorrow. Association general secretary Karan Singh said Siddiqui and three governing body members of Vision Education Society at South Delhi were arrested at Basant Kunj police station when they refused to agree with conditions imposed by Assistant Commissioner of Police V.K. Mishra for an out of court settlement of a suit now pending in the Delhi High Court. While Siddiqui was released on a personal bond of Rs 5000 three others I.P. Singh, S.S. Kirmani and S.K. Acharya were granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and sureties of the like amount by Metropolitan Magistrate Daya Prakash. Mr Siddiqui told reporters that he and his clients had gone to the police station at the instance of Mr Mishra and found Sashi Kiran, former VES president who had filed the suit in the Delhi High Court challenging her expulsion from the governing body there. Mr Siddiqui said he and
his clients were arrested after being misbehaved with and
assaulted by the ACP and other staff present at the
police station. "Even a woman member of the
governing body was molested and pushed to the wall when
she persuaded him not to assault me". |
MP Cong to have 5 working
presidents NEW DELHI, Sept 17 — In a surprising move, the Congress plans to appoint four more working presidents in Madhya Pradesh where Assembly elections are due later this year. Former Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Paras Ram Bharadwaj, party spokesman, Ajit Jogi, state minister, Balendu Shukla and Mr Rajmani Patel, are expected to be appointed to the post, apparently to boost the party’s chances in elections and forging greater unity. These appointments are addition to the already existing panel of a regular president in Mrs Urmilla Singh and a working president in Mr Dalbir Singh. Three of the four new working presidents, barring Mr Patel, are considered close to Mr Arjun Singh and party sources feel that the move could add to the division existing in the state unit. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh, had sought a free hand in running the party affairs in the run up to elections. At the sidelines of Pachmarhi conclave, senior leaders of Madhya Pradesh had a meeting with the Congress President where factionalism and infighting was evident. Elections to the state assemblies of MP, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram are being viewed as the first major test for the Congress leadership. MP Assembly elections assume significance since the Congress is in power at present and Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been putting all efforts to get good results. Apart from forming a
coordination panel consisting of senior leaders, she has
appointed three AICC observers, Mr Naresh Pugalia, MP, Mr
H S Hanspal, former MP from Punjab and Mr Birender Singh,
former Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President. |
Vijaya Gujral Award for Deepalaya NEW DELHI, Sep 17 (PTI) — Deepalaya, a Delhi based NGO working for the welfare of slum and street children, has been presented with the Vijaya Gujral Award for this year. The award, instituted by the Vijaya Gujral Foundation and Rotary Club of Delhi and carrying a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, was conferred on Deepalaya by Rajya Sabha member and noted jurist Dr L.M. Singhvi last evening for "its outstanding work in the education of underprivileged children, especially girls." Describing Vijaya Gujral,
the late philanthropist in whose memory the award has
been instituted, as a "great and noble human
being", Dr Singhvi said while it was a sin to salute
those who did not deserve to be saluted, it was a creator
sin not to salute those who deserved it. |
USA coercing India to sign CTBT: CPI CHENNAI, Sept 17 (PTI) — The CPI today alleged the BJP-led government at the Centre was under pressure from the USA to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). "The BJP-led government wants to sign the CTBT to end sanctions, but is still committed to its chauvinist and jingoist nuclear weaponisation programme," a resolution passed at the CPI’s 17th national congress today said. The resolution endorsed the decision of the 1998 world conference against atom and hydrogen bombs, held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, to declare the period between August 1998 and the end of the year 2000, as the period for "international joint action for a nuclear weapons free 21st century." It appealed to Pakistan
and India to urge nuclear weapon states to declare their
willingness to eliminate their stockpiles of nuclear
weapons and agree to ban all nuclear weapons within a
time frame to avoid "a ruinous" nuclear arms
race. |
Epilepsy no longer ground for divorce NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — Epilepsy will no longer be a ground for divorce or for annulling marriage, the Union Cabinet decided tonight. The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, approved a proposal for further amending the Marriage Laws (amendment) Bill, 1997, in Parliament. An official spokesman told reporters that amendments had become necessary in the marriage laws with the passage of time. Under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Special Marriage Act, 1954, epilepsy was a ground for divorce as it had been equated with a form of insanity. However the government has
been receiving representations from doctors, members of
Parliament and experts saying that equating epilepsy with
insanity amounted to doing "great injustice" to
people suffering from the ailment. |
RSP not to back Cong-led
alternative NEW DELHI, Sept 17 — The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a constituent of the Left Front today said that a "hotch-potch alliance" under the leadership of Congress-president Sonia Gandhi would not be able to provide an alternative to the fascist and communal Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the Centre. In a statement issued here
following the conclusion of its two-day Central Committee
meeting, the RSP said that the Congress so far had not
evinced an "iota of interest" in forming an
alternative government. It had not approached the Left
parties for the purpose. |
Sale of oil in packed form made mandatory NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — The government tonight promulgated a packaging order banning sale of edible oils including mustard oil in loose form making mandatory their sale only in packed form. The order comes into force with immediate effect, but it gave preparation time up to December 15 after which unpacked sale of oil would not be permitted. The order comes in the wake of deaths due to dropsy following consumption of adulterated mustard oil in Delhi and some other states. Under the Edible Oil Packaging (Regulation) Order, edible oils including mustard oil will be allowed to be sold only in packed form and the packers will have to register themselves with a registering authority. It also makes it mandatory for the packer to have his own analytical facilities for testing samples of edible oils to the satisfaction of the government. The order says only oils which conform to the standards of quality as specified in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 will be allowed to be packed. Under the order, each
container or pack will have to show all relevant
particulars so that the consumer is not misled as also
the identity of the packer becomes clear. |
IUML, RLM may forge alliance CHENNAI, Sept 17 (PTI) — The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is likely to forge an alliance with the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) and a decision in this respect will be taken at a meeting between RLM leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav and IUML leaders scheduled to be held tomorrow in Delhi. Disclosing this, IUML
general secretary A.K.A. Abdul Samad and party secretary
E. Ahmed said the proposed meeting would spell out the
future relationship between them as the IUML had been
associating with the RLM at various rallies conducted by
it. |
Two terrorists arrested NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — The Delhi police has arrested two terrorists allegedly involved in assisting Kamran, one of the prime accused in a series of bomb blasts last year, by providing him forged passports. The police said today the
accused — Tasleem and Nimuddin, both having
allegiance to ISI-backed Lashkar-e-Toiba were arrested
yesterday from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh by a special
team of crime branch. |
| H |
|
||
| Indian painting in Guinness
Book LUCKNOW: A painting by a Lucknow-born painter, Prof Sanat Chandra Chatterjee, has been recorded as the largest silk painting in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. Professor Chatterjee, now settled in Shimla, received a letter to this effect last month. His painting, measuring 100 feet by 11 feet on silk, is in wash technique and weighs only 2.5 kg. He also has to his credit three more massive paintings. All four paintings have a common theme — “synchronisation of nuclear physics and Indian mythology. — PTI 7 killed in bus collision ‘Alarming’
seismic activity in MP Tihar jail to be
computerised Militants kill SI |
 |
 |
 |
| 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 | |
