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| Saturday, March 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Expedite response in lawyers’
stir, NHRC asks govt No more Kargil-like surprises,
says George
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Id celebrated with gaiety Centre’s directive to states
on Hindu Act Deepa gets clean chit from author Vajpayee calls on President No breakthrough in Sadar Bazar
blast
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Expedite response in lawyers’ stir: NHRC NEW DELHI, March 17 (UNI) — The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Delhi Government and the Police Commissioner to expedite their response to notices sent by it regarding alleged police brutality against agitating lawyers in the Capital on February 24. The commission, which taking a suo motu cognisance of the news reports regarding police action against peacefully agitating lawyers had issued notices to these officials on February 26, sent a reminder recently asking them to file their response within two weeks. The matter would come up for hearing of the commission from March 23. Meanwhile, Mr S. Nandkumar, a Supreme Court advocate, has filed a petition in the NHRC under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, seeking the initiation of an inquiry into the incident, punishment to the offenders and compensation to the victims of the alleged police brutality in which many persons were seriously injured. The petition also sought a direction to the Prime Minister and the Union Law and Justice Minister to pay “personal penalty” or a penalty from the Government of India for Rs 1 crore in favour of the Bar Council of India (BCI). This sum would be used to compensate the punitive damages of the victims and the balance amount could be utilised for the welfare of the BCI and future welfare of its members. The petition has named Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, Law and Justice Minister Ram Jethmalani, the Delhi Lt-Governor, the Home Secretary of Delhi and the Police Commissioner as respondents. A full Bench of the commission considered the petition and sent its copy along with the photographs of the incident showing the police action to the authorities concerned for their speedy response. The petitioner, while
enclosing still photographs of the incident, had also
mentioned that video coverage of the police lathi charge
on the lawyers was done by the electronic media which had
come to cover the agitation. |
No more Kargil-like surprises, says George NEW DELHI, March 17 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today asserted that India’s armed forces could not again be taken by surprise as in Kargil and warned Pakistan that it would have to pay “very hard” for any misadventure.“In Kargil we faced a surprise attack. It was a treacherous attempt by Pakistan, but I assure you there cannot be any surprise attacks any more,” Mr Fernandes said in an apparent reaction to recent statements by Pakistani leaders and militant commanders holding out threats of creating “new Kargils” in the coming summer. Asked if Pakistan was refusing to take lessons from its defeat in Kargil, he said, “Kargil was a lesson to Pakistan. Whether they remember it or not is up to them.” Mr Fernandes, who was speaking after a function at which Petroleum Minister Ram Naik gave letters of intent for petrol pumps and gas agencies to 92 next of kin of Kargil martyrs, said, “We are fighting a proxy war. Every day we are facing firing from across the border. We are inflicting casualties and also suffering some.” He declared that the country’s armed forces were in optimum readiness and would make Pakistan pay a heavy price if it attempted any misadventure. Mr Fernandes said the
NDA government was taking up resettlement of soldiers who
had participated in all the wars the country had to face
since Independence and announced that the government
would be paying Rs 1 lakh to any survivor of the 1948
Kashmir operations. |
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NEW DELHI, March 17 (UNI) — President Bill Clinton is taking his visit to India very seriously, not just because it is the first by an American President since 1978 when Mr Jimmy Carter was here, but because he feels he needs to get to know India and its people. To prepare himself for the visit, the American Head of State has been brushing up on his reading about Indian history, culture and the contemporary situation. He is reported to have acquired books and films on this subcontinent and spent time reading or seeing them. One of the films he has seen as part of his preparation is well-known filmmaker S. Krishnaswamy’s “India 5555”, a four-part documentary commissioned by the External Affairs Ministry and aimed at attracting foreign investment in India. Written, edited and directed by Dr S. Krishnaswamy and produced by Dr Mohana Krishnaswamy, the films were earlier shown in the USA at the third International Documentary Congress in Los Angeles last year. “India 5555” aims at apprising the foreign investor about business opportunities in the country by tracing the growth of the Indian economy from the ancient days to the present time. The first film “India 5000” shows the civilisational strength of the country starting from the Vedic times and unfolds the impact as well as the relevance of ancient culture on contemporary India. It also tells of the perennial values of this heritage to the world at large. There is also a reference to the uncanny resonance of the Upanishads in modern physics. The second film, “India 500”, deals with the beauty of a composite culture that vibrates from the Moghul and the British periods, including positive western influences of an otherwise negative colonial era, and attempts to portray the unique moral values of a freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi. “India Fifty” draws a societal balance sheet of half-a-century marking the golden jubilee of Independence, tracing the early faith in a mixed economy and the public sector, the green revolution, and the building up of strong democratic institutions and traditions. The last film,
“India Five”, depicts the new threshold of a
vibrant economic policy since 1991, and includes
interviews with former Finance Ministers Manmohan Singh
and P. Chidambaram who spearheaded the reforms, many
captains of industry, leading investors from abroad, and
former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral. |
Chelsea to
celebrate Holi NEW DELHI, March 17 — Chelsea Clinton, who is accompanying her father, US President Bill Clinton, on his visit to the subcontinent, will celebrate Holi in India with friends and is also expected to do a lot of shopping. She will stay behind in Delhi on March 20, when Mr Clinton is scheduled to visit Dhaka, and celebrate Holi, the vibrant festival of colours, well informed sources said. Chelsea had visited Dhaka with her mother Hillary when the two had visited the subcontinent in 1995. “There is a proposal that she stay behind and celebrate Holi with one of the families here,” a source close to the American Embassy said. A shopping spree is being arranged for Chelsea, with planned visits to the government-run Cottage Industries Emporium at Janpath which stocks an array of handicrafts and textiles from all over India and the upmarket Santushti shopping arcade, set up by the Air Force Wives Welfare Association Shops at the arcade in Maurya Sheraton Hotel, where Chelsea had made several purchases during her visit three years ago, are also gearing up for her arrival. Chelsea will also do some sightseeing in Delhi which her father may not be able to do because of his tight schedule and security constraints. She is expected to visit the Qutab Minar, probably on March 21 when her father would be busy with his talks and other official engagements. Maharani of India, a shop at the Maurya arcade, where Chelsea picked up beaded dresses and embroidered pouches on her last visit, has stocked up a wide range of sarees and dresses with the traditional zardozi embroidery work of Lucknow in the hope that Chelsea will be tempted to pick one up. “We have a beautiful black saree and a very nice traditional dress with gold zardozi work with which we hope to catch her eye,” Ms Promila Bhonsle, manager of the shop, said. The shop has an extensive collection of scarves, stoles and salwar kameezes, with prices for the dresses ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 35,000, she said. Ms Bhonsle said Chelsea had remained in touch with the shop after returning to the USA even though she had not made any more purchases. Maharani of India also provided traditional Indian dresses to the Spice Girls for their concert in Delhi. “We can even prepare a custom-made dress in 4-5 hours if there is a special request from her,” Ms Bhonsle said. The owners of several outlets dealing in gems and jewellery, where Chelsea had picked up some pieces of jewellery, have also replenished their stocks in the hope that Chelsea will make a return visit to their shops. Chelsea is expected to
visit Santushti along with other members of the Clinton
entourage on March 21. The shopping complex has been
spruced up and decorated with US and Indian flags. —
IANS |
Clinton won’t visit Carterpuri NEW DELHI, March 17 (UNI) — Carterpuri, a small village situated 5 km from Gurgaon in Haryana, would not have second US President in its havelis this time. The villagers received the first US President when President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Carter visited them on January 3, 1978. Chief Minister Devi Lal then decided that the village would hence forth be called “Carterpuri”. But with Carterpuri not
on the itenerary of President Bill Clinton when he visits
India next week, those villagers who remembern Mr
Carter’s visit are disappointed. |
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NEW DELHI, March 17 (UNI) — Id-ul Zuha was celebrated all over the country today with special prayers in mosques and religious leaders calling for peace, communal harmony and social justice. In the Capital, thousands of people gathered at the historic Jama Masjid and Shahi Masjid, Fatehpuri, for prayers. Diplomats from Islamic countries and other dignitaries were also part of the congregations. The Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri mosque, Dr Mufti Mohammad Mukkaram, used the occasion to urge President K.R. Narayanan to reject the controversial religious places Bill of the UP Government. He called for universal peace and appealed to US President Bill Clinton, who will be visiting India, to lift sanctions against Iraq. A report from Srinagar said that Id-ul-Zuha was celebrated with religious fervour and traditional gaiety across the Kashmir valley despite rain and fresh snow which revived the chilly conditions. According to a Chennai report, Id-ul-Zuha, the festival of sacrifice, was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour all over Tamil Nadu. In the city, over 3,000 Muslims offered prayers on the sands of the Marina, a traditional feature associated with this festival every year. Special prayers were offered in mosques to mark the occasion. The festival passed off
peacefully with no untoward incident being reported from
any part of the state. |
Centre’s directive to states on Hindu Act NEW DELHI, March 17 (PTI) — The Centre has asked the states and union territories to draw up necessary amendments in the Hindu Succession Act (HSA) to confer property rights on women in a joint family, Law Ministry sources said. “The Department of Women and Child Development has requested various states and union territories to draw up necessary legislative proposal to amend Section 6 of the HSA, 1956, to give daughters their due share of coparcenary right,” they said. While Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had already passed legislation in this regard, Orissa, Sikkim, Nagaland and Kerala had furnished their comments on the report of a committee constituted by the government earlier for this purpose, the sources said. The HSA has so far not been extended to Sikkim, while Nagaland enjoys special provisions relating to the customary laws under Article 371-A of the Constitution. Sources said the Kerala
Government had taken a stand that in view of the Kerala
Joint Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975, Section 6 of
HSA “does not operate” in the state. |
Deepa gets clean chit from author NEW DELHI, March 17 (UNI) — Well-known author Sunil Gangopadhyay has exonerated filmmaker Deepa Mehta from the charge of plagiarism. He now says the script of her controversial film “Water” is not based on his work “Shei Shomay” or its English translation “Those Days.” After reading the script of the film, the author told producer David Hamilton on March 15 that “the story line is different. The plot is different.” Retaliating to the
charges and the pain it had caused her, Ms Mehta said her
story was authentic and original and there was no
similarity in the plot, story-line, characters, language
or content. “The allegations being made against me
are factually incorrect, baseless, vindictive and
malicious and are indicative of a hidden agenda and a
deeper conspiracy to hamper the making of my film.”
She also pointed out that some media reports had quoted
dialogues in English allegedly from her film, which was
totally in Hindi without any English lines. |
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NEW DELHI, March 17 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee called on President K.R. Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan here this evening. This is the first meeting between the two since the controversy over the government decision to set up a 11-member committee to review the Constitution on which the two had held divergent views. The meeting, which lasted for an hour and 10 minutes and was described as a “routine one” by a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman, assumed significance as it took place after a stormy session of Parliament which had seen the Opposition attacking the government on the RSS issue and Bihar Governor V.C. Pande’s action inviting the NDA to form the government first. Mr Vajpayee, who had recently been on a four-day visit to Mauritius, informed Mr Narayanan of his talks with Mauritian leaders. They also discussed the
forthcoming visit of US President Bill Clinton, the
sources said. Rajasthan building 20 helipads JAIPUR, March 17 — As many as 20 helipads are being built in Rajasthan for the helicopters which will bring US President and his staff for a visit to the state. Wherever the US President will go his helicopter will be escorted by four helicopters. Thus, five helipads will be required wherever Mr Clinton travels by helicopter. According to the
programme finalised so far, Mr Clinton will reach Jaipur
from Agra in a helicopter. |
No breakthrough in Sadar Bazar blast NEW DELHI, March 17 (PTI) — There was no major breakthrough in the Sadar Bazar blast case even as several people, including some traders, were questioned by the probe team, a top police official said today. “There is no major
breakthrough in yesterday’s blast. We are still
probing it,” Joint Commissioner of Police Suresh Roy
told PTI |
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