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| Monday, January 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP divided over calling off stir Resource crunch clips BSF air wing Rakesh Roshan’s condition
‘stable’ J & K: autonomy report kicks
up row De Lastic, John Dayal to get
Staines award |
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Nation
pays homage to Netaji
When Chaurasia stole a flute
Pulse polio drive covers 13.5 cr
kids
|
BJP divided over calling off stir BHOPAL, Jan 23 (PTI) — Grumblings have begun within the BJP in Madhya Pradesh over the decision to call off a stir despite the state government not accepting all its demands on the issue of the alleged police beating of party corporators during the Bhopal Municipal Corporation chairman’s election. Though BJP state working president Vikram Verma said the party scored a major victory by forcing the Digvijay Singh government to announce a judicial probe into the incident, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Gauri Shanker Shejwar dubbed it as a "small compromise". Union Tourism Minister Uma Bharati, who sent in her resignation to lodge her protest, called it a "partial victory". Though Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee asked Bharati, Lok Sabha member from Bhopal, to review her decision, she had remained firm on quitting. "What was the need to carry out an agitation for nine days if it was to be called off without any concrete result," disgruntled party members said. The BJP launched a dharna in front of Chief Minister Digvijay Singh’s residence here on January 13 to demand the transfer of District Collector S.K. Vashisht, cancellation of the chairman’s election and action against police personnel who had allegedly beaten up the corporators. The agitation was called off on January 21, after the government ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. State Congress general
secretary Manak Agarwal termed the BJP calling off the
stir as "total failure" |
Resource crunch clips BSF air
wing NEW DELHI, Jan 23 — The much-needed upgradation of the air wing of the Border Security Force (BSF) continues to hang fire, bogging down the force with maintenance and serviceability problems. The BSF’s aviation wing has seven aircraft, including three Avro light aircraft and four other utility aircraft like the 8-seater Kingair. Although maintained and operated by the BSF, these aircraft belong to the Ministry of Home Affairs and are also used by other paramilitary forces if the need arises. ‘’These are very old aircraft and we have been wanting to upgrade them for the past 10 years, but the basic problem lies in making the requisite resources available. To go in for the upgradation of the fleet an estimated Rs 150 crore is required,’’ a senior BSF officer said. The Avro, a military version of the British HS - 748 Turboprop, is operated by the IAF and first made its appearance over Indian skies in the sixties. Sources said the average life-span of the aircraft in the BSF’s inventory is about 50,000 flying hours. Besides causing wear and tear of movable parts and inducing structural weakness, age affects the airframe, avionics and electrical systems. Declining to comment on the operational aspects and airworthiness of the fleet, sources indicated frequent maintenance problems. ‘’These aircraft are not permitted to carry out flying for more than four days at a stretch without being grounded for a thorough check-up,’’ a BSF functionary said. Nearly half of the BSF’s 157 battalions are engaged in counter insurgency operations and internal security duties, and the air wing is tasked with communication duties as well as airlift of personnel and equipment. ‘’Towards this
end, we would like to have a larger fleet, but the
question again is that of resources,’’ a source
said. For emergency airlift of troops and supplies beyond
its own limited capability, the BSF depends on the Air
Force and the Indian Airlines. |
Rakesh Roshan’s condition ‘stable’ MUMBAI, Jan 23 (PTI) — The condition of Rakesh Roshan, actor-turned-film-maker, admitted to a hospital here after being shot at on Friday, is "stable" and he will be discharged in a couple of days, a doctor attending on him said. "The condition of Rakesh Roshan has improved and today we shifted him from ICU to a regular room" of the hospital Dr Sharad Pande of Nanavati Hospital said. But the film-maker would be kept under continuous observation as the bullet had pierced through his left arm and entered left side of the chest. The heart surgeon said:
"We will be taking several X-rays of his chest and
monitor his response to the treatment". |
J & K: autonomy report kicks up row NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (PTI) — The endorsement of the autonomy committee report by the Jammu and Kashmir Government threatens to cause a rift between the Vajpayee government and its ally National Conference (NC), with the state BJP vowing to oppose the implementation of the recommendations. The report, recommending restoration of pre-1953 status to J and K by revoking hundreds of central laws extended over the past four decades, Has also been opposed by the Congress, Kashmiri Pandits and a Ladakhi organisation, even as the ruling NC defended it. "J and K BJP will never allow the change of status quo. We will oppose the implementation of the recommendations of the report," Mr C.L. Gupta, senior state BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation said here. Stating that greater autonomy was no solution to the problems of J and K, he said "reversing" of the state’s integration with the union would not be allowed by his party. Vowing to oppose the grant of more autonomy to the state, he said the BJP "has made many sacrifices for national unity. These will not be allowed to go waste." A delegation of the
state BJP, led by its president D.K. Kotwal, met Governor
S.C. Saxena in Jammu. Conveying the party’s
opposition to the implementation of the report. |
De Lastic, John Dayal to get Staines award NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (PTI) — Archbishop of Delhi Alan De Lastic and journalist John Dayal will be the first joint recipients of the Dr Staines International Award for Religious Harmony instituted in memory of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines, who was burnt to death with his two sons on January 23 last year at Manoharpur in Orissa. The award, instituted by the International Council of Evangelical Churches (ICEC) and the Global Centre for Indian Christians had been conferred on them in recognition of their continued peaceful struggle to ensure the implementation of the constitutional secular guarantees by the Government of India, an ICEC press note said here today. The award would be given away by the Ambassador, Bob Siepel of the International Religious Liberty Bill, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, it said. BARIPADA (Orissa): People from various walks of life today offered prayers in remembrance of the Australian missionary, Graham Stewart Staines, who along with his two sons was burnt to death at Manoharpur in nearby Keonjhar district on this day last year. The prayer meeting was
held at the Leprosy Home located on the outskirts of this
city where Staines had worked throughout his life. |
When Chaurasia stole a flute NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (UNI) — It was after playing a Lord Krishna prank that Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia blew the first note on his flute — he had stolen the instrument from a boy. The act reminiscent of the flute-playing little herd-boy, who loved to steal butter and cream, was disclosed by the renowned Hindustani flautist in an interview to Star TV. "That flute belonged to a poor schoolboy. He had placed it on a sill when he bent down to drink water,’’ he recalled the childhood episode in the programme "Janata ki Adalat’’. Replying to a question,
Pandit Chaurasia said he was embarrassed by the kind of
songs being recorded for Hindi films. "But I think
that this should happen. If there is no night and
darkness on the earth, then how will we be able to know
what is light,’’ he pointed out, but added that
the trend would "not last long.’’ |
Movement near border banned CALCUTTA, Jan 23 — Free movement in about 100 km around the Indo-Myanmar border has been banned to curb drug trafficking. Similarly, restriction has been imposed in all kinds of movement in a stretch of 7 km from the border adjoining Bangladesh to check infiltration and other criminal activities. This was stated by a senior official of the Union Home Ministry who accompanied the Prime Minister during his trip to Guwahati on Friday to hold talks with the Chief Ministers of the North-East. The official said of
late there had been a spurt in the smuggling of narcotics
from Myanmar, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Iran. |
iffi
An
extraordinary storyline "BOYS Don’t Cry" is an extraordinary story of double life, a complicated, love triangle and a crime that would shatter middle-America. It is centred on Brandon Teena and his sexcapades in Falls City, Nebroska. But back home in Lincoln Brandon is Teena, a girl who wants to be a boy. However, when she falls in love with Lana it spells big trouble for her, especially from Lana’s reckless boyfriend John. This sexual identity crisis story does well to enter the psyche of Teena Brandon who is brilliantly portrayed by Hillary Swank but the latter half with all its gory details could have been toned down. Not that one doubts its integrity but in India the film could be popular for the wrong reasons. Set in Falls City, it depicts the confused state of American society with its rock generation and its pot culture where permissiveness thrived and crime followed close on its heels. In fact, the film is reminiscent of the Charles Manson murders of the 1960s in which one of the victims was Hollywood actress Sharon Tate, the then wife of Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski. Director Kimberly Peirce does well to recapture those sexy sixties with its rock music and licentiousness and the part played by transsexuals and gays and Brandon’s plight is lucidly brought out in all its honesty. Peirce doesn’t hesitate to tell how she did it. "After all, acting is all about exteriorising emotions isn’t it," she asks. Yes, she got actress
Hellary Swank to live for six weeks with transsexuals so
that she could fully understand what it is to have two
genders. The story of Brandon was based on a real-life
character in Falls City and Peirce did intense research
on her by reading every report about the much-maligned
individual. She also visited Falls City and video-taped
interviews with those who knew Brandon. |
Madhuri steals the show MUMBAI, Jan 23 (PTI) — Popular cine actress Madhuri Dixit enchanted the audience at a concert here last night with her first stage performance since her marriage. The chart-bursting band
‘Vengaboys’ was there, so were the recently wed
violin maestro L. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy
and British pop band ‘Right Said Fred’. But it
was the "Ek do teen" girl who stole the show
sponsored by a soft drinks company. |
Pulse polio drive covers 13.5 cr kids NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (UNI) — As many as 13.5 crore children under five years of age were vaccinated in 650,000 centres all over the country in the fourth and final round of the nationwide Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) programme today. The previous three
rounds of polio immunisation were held in the months of
October, November and December last year. As a result,
the number of polio cases in the country has been reduced
from about 28,000 in 1997 to about 2,300 in 1999. |
Nation pays homage to Netaji NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (PTI, UNI) — The nation today paid tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, an outstanding leader and a revolutionary par excellence, on his 103rd birth anniversary. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said today that the government could initiate the process of bringing the ashes of Netaji from Japan provided there was a consensus on the issue. The government was ready
to initiate steps to bring home the ashes of Netaji and
keep them in the Red Fort but there should not be any
difference on the issue, Mr Vajpayee said addressing a
function to pay homage to the legendary freedom fighter. |
6 killed in mishap JAIPUR, Jan 23 (PTI)
— Six persons were killed and 27 injured, five of
them seriously, in a collision between a truck and a
Rajasthan roadways bus in Sriganganagar district today,
the police said. |
Boy beheaded GUWAHATI, Jan 23 (PTI)
— A 10-year-old boy was beheaded on his birthday and
his torso recovered from his neighbour’s house at
the zoo-Narengi area in the city last night, the police
said. The boy, Varun Shandilya, was missing since
yesterday morning. Later at night, his parents spotted
blood near the door of their tenant’s house and
informed the police. The police broke open the
tenant’s door and found the torso. |
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