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| Sunday, August 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Deposed Fiji PM to seek India’s help NEW DELHI, Aug 12 —Deposed Prime Minister of Fiji Mahendra Choudhry has said that during his coming visit to India he will seek New Delhi’s assistance for the restoration of democracy in his country. Naqvi likely to
be BJP Gen Secy Maneka decries move on cow shelters UP tops in preventive detention Flood situation in Bihar grim |
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| Bodo
militants smash power line GUWAHATI, Aug 12 — Four hardcore United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants were shot dead early today, while suspected Bodo ultras bombed a high- tension power line in Assam even as security was beefed up in the state. Freedom fighter Usha Mehta dead Judge accused of sexual
harassment Balayogi: no threat to Indian
democracy Coorg demands statehood Laloo granted interim bail
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Deposed Fiji PM to seek India’s help NEW DELHI, Aug 12 (UNI) —Deposed Prime Minister of Fiji Mahendra Choudhry has said that during his coming visit to India he will seek New Delhi’s assistance for the restoration of democracy in his country. Mr Choudhry, who will be coming here on August 17 for a week-long visit, said in a telephonic interview with “Worldview India”, a weekly programme to be telecast on Doordarshan tomorrow, that he had discussed a course of action with the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand which he would also discuss with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Expressing disappointment at the international response to human rights abuses, particularly against the people of Indian origin in Fiji Mr Choudhry said the UNHCR and the Commonwealth had not done what they ought to have. “It is one of the strong points that I have taken up and will be taking up with leaders I meet.” Mr Choudhry, whose multi-racial government was overthrown by a bunch of rebels on May 19, was held hostage along with most of his Cabinet colleagues for 56 days before he was released and replaced as Prime Minister. He hoped to visit other key Commonwealth countries besides India to exert influence on the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) when they meet on September 15 to review the Fiji situation. “They will have the benefit of our views and we will be pushing for restoration of democracy (in Fiji),” he added. He said the interim President of Fiji should “reinstate the Constitution, dismiss the interim government and replace it with a government of national unity under the provisions of the 1997 Constitution”. |
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Naqvi likely to
be BJP Gen Secy NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — A serious exercise is currently on in the Bharatiya Janata Party to pick up a team of office-bearers for the newly elected Dalit President Bangaru Laxman for running the party affairs smoothly and effectively. The new BJP Executive, which would be announced during the National Council meeting at Nagpur this month, is most likely to have a person from the minority community occupying the post of a General Secretary, the sources pointed out. Never before in the 20 years of the history of the BJP, a leader from the minority community has been a General Secretary. The former Union Minister, Mr Sikander Bakht, was the party’s Senior Vice-President till he became a minister in the Vajpayee government. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is very keen to have an important office-bearer from the minority community so that a positive signal can go out to the community. With this view, the name of the former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, is being tipped as one of the five General Secretaries of the BJP. Mr Naqvi had lost the Lok Sabha election in 1999. While till now the newly elected President was given a free hand to select a team of his choice, but now in case of Mr Laxman a new practice has to be initiated, the sources said adding that it has become necessary as the newly elected BJP President is not only relatively young but is also a junior to many of the office bearers of the outgoing team of Mr Kushabhau Thakre. With a view to avoid certain angularities and personality-based problems, a collective effort is being undertaken to form a team which is not only relatively young but can help in expanding the party’s base in the southern states and among minorities and other castes. While the two General Secretaries Mr K.N. Govindacharya and Mr Narendra Modi of Mr Thakre camp are certain to be retained in Mr Laxman’s team, the two General Secretaries namely Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu and Mr Sangha Priya Gautam are likely to be dropped. While Mr Gautam, who is also a Dalit, has shown his displeasure at Mr Laxman being installed as the BJP President, Mr Naidu has expressed his reluctance to be part of the new team. Mr Naidu, who like Mr Laxman also hails from Andhra Pradesh, is being considered for a berth in the Union Council of Ministers with a view to exploit his talent for strengthening the party base in the southern state. The party high command is of the view that Mr Naidu, who has one of the main architect of the BJP-Telgu Desam Party understanding, would be able to expand the party base in Andhra Pradesh without ruffling feathers of the state Chief Minister, Mr Chandrababu Naidu. The senior Vice Presidents, Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi and Mr J.P. Mathur are also out of reckoning as they are being considered for gubernatorial assignments, the sources said. While Mr Govindacharya is set to emerge as one of the most powerful General Secretaries as he has been in the post in the team of the former Presidents Mr L.K. Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Mr Thakre, the former minister and former President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Ms Uma Bharti is being considered as one of the General Secretary. To replace Mr Naidu, who has been one of the main spokesman of the party, the party leadership is trying to persuade the former Union Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj to join Mr Laxman’s team. |
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Maneka decries move on cow shelters NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — Animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has questioned the Delhi Government’s decision to close down gaushalas (cow shelters) in the Capital. In a seven-page letter to Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Shiela Dikshit, the animal rights activist has stated that the decision to close down the “gaushalas” appears to be “politically motivated”. Talking to TNS here today, Mrs Gandhi said that the seven cow shelters in Delhi had a bovine population of 5,600. She said the gaushalas pick up 50 cows a day. She said that if the government executes its decision, 20,000 cows will be on the road. Mrs Gandhi’s letter states that the excuse that a number of cows die in “gaushalas” is completely unfounded. She has drawn attention to the post-mortem examination reports which state that the cause of death has been consumption of plastic bags by animals. “The source of these plastic bags is the city of Delhi and this reflects on the system of garbage disposal.” Mrs Gandhi has pointed out that the Bawana cow shelter run by the Riuth Cowell Foundation is one of the best managed gaushalas in the country and caters to 2500 animals. She has stated that the fact the Municipal Corporation of Delhi continues to bring animals to the gaushalas is ample proof that the gaushala is rendering important service. She has stated that the Bawana cow shelter was set up with an investment of approximately Rs 2.50 crore of private funds. Apart from money spent on salaries and other miscellaneous expenditure, the recurring expenditure for feeding and care of animals is approximately Rs 17 lakh. She has stated that the Delhi government withdrew all medical assistance to the “gaushala” after Mrs Dikshit took over as Chief Minister. “It is thus not clear on what grounds it has been stated that the gaushala is a drain on the finances of the Delhi Government. Far from being a drain, we have saved your government lakhs of rupees that it was spending on cattle management.” The letter raises a pertinent question about the source of the contractor’s returns. It states that the contractor is obviously going to get his returns from the sale of skin and meat of the animals. “If each skin is worth Rs 300, obviously 35,00 stray cows are being poisoned and their skin peeled for leather.” |
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UP tops in preventive detention NEW DELHI, Aug 12 (UNI) — Uttar Pradesh, which has the dubious distinction of reporting the maximum number of complaints of human rights violation, also leads in cases of preventive detention. In the state 4,79,404 persons were arrested under preventive provisions in one year followed by Madhya Pradesh where 3,54,242 persons were arrested under such provisions during 1998. West Bengal with 2,07,625 such arrests and Gujarat with 1,89,722 occupied third and fourth place. This was revealed in a study by the National Human Rights Commission. According to NHRC sources, after receiving serious complaints of informal custody and preventive detention the data of arrests made by police of various states and union territories was analysed which brought out this fact. In arrested persons being released without filing a charge sheet, Andhra Pradesh topped the list as it recorded 39,205 such cases followed by Bihar (33,158) Uttar Pradesh (29,124) West Bengal (1,820) and Madhya Pradesh (12,399), they said. Regarding percentage of persons arrested in bailable offences, Sikkim showed the maximum 113 per cent such cases followed by Gujarat (99.75), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (95.81), Haryana (94), Assam (90), Daman and Diu and Madhya Pradesh (89 each), Karnataka (84.8) and Kerala (71). The study showed that in the category of persons arrested under preventive provisions but released without filing charge sheet, Kerala topped with (77.87 per cent), followed by Manipur (46.63), Andhra Pradesh (45.66 per cent), Orissa (31.92 per cent) Delhi (22.35 per cent) Mizoram(21.95 per cent) Tripura (20.32 per cent) Nagaland (20.8 per cent) and Arunachal Pradesh (20.5 per cent). When total number of persons arrested under substantive offences, including under preventive provisions, were compared with persons dropped without filing charge sheet, Delhi topped with 92 per cent, followed with Assam 30.3 per cent, West Bengal (23.93 per cent), Manipur (28.81 per cent), Tripura (16.17 per cent), Bihar (13.89 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (11.69 per cent), the sources said. The sources said that variation in the reported and actual time of arrests were often not reported to the NHRC, which receives an average of 100 complaints of police excesses every day. Informal custody, preventive detention and non-fulfilment of guidelines regarding custodial deaths and arrests were eroding the credibility of police force in the country, the NHRC felt. It has been found that in many cases guidelines regarding reporting of custodial deaths/rape within 24 hours, video-filming of post-mortem examinations in cases of custodial deaths, model autopsy forms were not being properly implemented, the sources said. |
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Flood situation in Bihar grim PATNA, Aug 12 (PTI) —There was no let up in the flood situation in Bihar with the major rivers Kosi, Bagmati, Gandak and Ganga in spate and the toll in the current spell rising to 32 despite stepped up rescue and relief operations, official sources said. The flood toll rose to 32 with two more deaths reported from Sitamarhi, the sources said. Chief Minister Rabri Devi has urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to hold a meeting with an all-party delegation of legislators from the state to draw up a plan to meet the situation arising out of the natural calamity. According to Central Water Commission reports, the Ganga, the Bagmati, the Gandak, the Kosi and Baltara rivers are still flowing above the danger mark at several places. Official sources said army personnel were using mechanised boats and helicopters to evacuate the marooned people and distribute relief in the worst-hit Belsand and Runni Sayedpur blocks in Sitamarhi district. Relief measures had also been stepped up in other affected districts with the help of voluntary organisations and local people, the sources added. GUWAHATI: As the mighty Brahmaputra along with its tributaries continued to recede, the flood situation in Assam improved further on Saturday even as the current wave of the flood claimed 31 lives. Official reports said road and rail communications remained disrupted and thousands of people were still reeling under the waters though flood situation improved. With the death of one more person in the worst-affected Dhemaji district, the toll rose to 31. Of them, 11 died in landslides. In all, 2830 inmates had taken refuge in three relief camps in the district. In Jonai subdivision of the district, the water level of the Brahmaputra was, however, rising due to incessant rain in the catchment areas during the past two days. Heavy erosion of the Siyang river was continuing at upper Kabo of the subdivision, the report said. In Dhubri district, the Brahmaputra was still flowing above the danger mark. Some affected people had taken shelter at Golokganj railway station. In the third wave of flood 17 districts with a population of more than 36 lakh have been affected. Extensive damage has been caused to dwelling houses, standing crops, including salai and paddy, and the embankments of the rivers. |
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Bodo militants smash power line GUWAHATI, Aug 12 (PTI) — Four hardcore United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants were shot dead early today, while suspected Bodo ultras bombed a high- tension power line in Assam even as security was beefed up in the state. The police said the ultras were killed in an exchange of fire with the Army during a raid on a hotel in upper Assam’s Tinsukia town. A pistol and a grenade were recovered from the spot. Three militants had been identified, the police added. The police suspected that ULFA ultras were planning subversive activities in the run-up to the Independence Day celebrations. Earlier, a bomb explosion damaged a transformer and four posts of the Salakati-Rangiya section of the 132 kv high-tension power line belonging to the Assam State Electricity Board near Madhupur in Kamrup district. The explosion last night was suspected to have been triggered by National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants. The Police and the Army picked up nearly 30 persons for interrogation in connection with the blast. Meanwhile, Security has been beefed up in the entire state in view of the threats by several militant outfits, including the ULFA and the NDFB, to the disrupt Independence Day celebrations. |
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Freedom fighter Usha Mehta dead MUMBAI, Aug 12 (UNI, PTI) — Noted Gandhian Dr Usha Mehta, who played an important role in the Quit India Movement from Mumbai, passed away here last night after a brief illness. She was 80 and is survived by her elder brother and two nephews. Family sources said Dr Mehta was not keeping well since Thursday. Last night around 9 pm. She complained of breathlessness and collapsed. Her nephew film-maker Ketan Mehta and his brother Rohit Mehta were at her side. Dr Mehta had participated in the Quit India anniversary celebrations at August Kranti Maidan on Wednesday alongwith socialists like former Union Finance Minister Madhu Dandavate, Mrinal Gore and other freedom fighters. Dr Mehta was professor of politics in the University of Mumbai and also the head of department. She retired in 1975. Her mortal remains were cremated today in a state funeral here. Scores of people from all walks of life thronged Mani Bhavan, a place frequented by Mahatma Gandhi during his visits to the city, where the body of Mehta was kept to enable people to pay their last respects. Among those who attended the funeral were Defence Minister George Fernandes, legal luminary Nani Palkhivala, BJP mp Kirit Somaiya and Congress leader Murli Deora. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee expressed deep sorrow at the death of veteran Gandhian Usha Mehta in Mumbai yesterday. Praising Dr Mehta for
their active participation in 1942 ‘Quit India Movement’, the Prime Minister said that she was an embodiment of Gandhian values and will always be remembered for spreading Gandhiji’s message. |
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Judge accused of sexual harassment JAIPUR, Aug 12 (PTI) — A junior clerk in a lower court has accused a District Judge of sexually harassing and victimising her. Ms Sandhya Bhardwaj at a press conference organised by several women’s organisations here yesterday alleged that she was sexually harassed by the judge, who also victimised her by transferring her to different courts eight times in a year. She also alleged that an Inspector and a Sub-Inspector of the Jhalawar police circle took her into custody on false charges and tortured her at the behest of the judge. The Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and several women’s organisations in a joint statement demanded immediate suspension of the accused and an inquiry into the case by a sitting high court judge. The representatives of these bodies also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. |
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Balayogi: no threat to Indian democracy HYDERABAD, Aug 12 (PTI) — The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr G.M.C. Balayogi, today asserted that parliamentary democracy was an integral part of national life and there was no threat to it in the country. The democratic system was vibrant and strong and reflected collective will of the people who had repeatedly demonstrated their unflinching commitment to parliamentary democracy in 13 general elections held in the country so far, the Speaker said at a seminar here on “Parliamentary democracy: fate of its future in India”. Participating as the chief guest at the seminar, organised by the Ambedkar Education Society, Mr Balayogi, however, cautioned that lack of coordination among the legislature, executive and judiciary could create serious impediments to the democratic spirit. “We are the largest democracy in the world serving as a role model to several nations. We should preserve and strengthen the system”, he said. The Speaker pointed out that several Afro-Asian nations, who had adopted parliamentary democracy model of governance around the same time that India did, could not sustain it for long and slipped into dictatorship. “Despite some problems and inadequacies, our system has been working well”, he said. |
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Coorg demands statehood NEW DELHI, Aug 12 (PTI) — Encouraged by the creation of three more states — Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh — residents of Coorg region of Karnataka have demanded “restoration” of statehood for Coorg which was merged with Karnataka in 1956. “If there is justification for the formation of the new small states, we in Coorg have an eminently better case because, we have been denied the fruits of statehood after enjoying them for five years between 1952 to 1956,” the Secretary-General of the Coorg National Council Mr N.U. Nachappa, told reporters here today. |
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Laloo granted interim bail PATNA, Aug 12 (UNI) — The Patna High Court yesterday granted interim bail to the RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in Rs 50 lakh-disproportionate assets case, an off-shoot of the multi-crore fodder scam. Mr Justice Shashank Kumar Singh gave a provisional bail of three months to Yadav. He was on interim bail in this case which expired yesterday. Earlier, Justice Singh had granted the provisional bail to Yadav on May 10, and had asked him to appear in the court on every date fixed for hearing of the case. Justice Singh said the bail would be cancelled if Yadav tried to influence witnesses or threaten the CBI directly or indirectly. |
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