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| Sunday, September 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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15 million marooned in Bengal floods SP threatens stir on WB issue Beeline to cyber cafes for ‘Dus Crore’ show Kalka Mail capacity to be increased Colourful start to NRI conclave 2 killed in Kanpur
bomb blast 6 held in girl’s abduction case |
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| Sikhs cautioned against superstition NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president, Mr Avtar Singh Hit, has cautioned Sikhs against superstition and cautioned them against falling prey to anti-Sikh propaganda. NGO to protect tribesmen’s interest
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15 million marooned in Bengal floods CALCUTTA, Sept 23 (UNI) — At least 221 persons were killed and 15 million marooned in devastating floods in West Bengal as soldiers waged a relentless battle for the sixth day today to provide succour to those affected. Official sources said Murshidabad district accounted for the maximum 112 deaths, followed by Birbhum 52, Bardhaman 22, Nadia 15, Midnapore 10, Hooghly six, north Dinajpur and Nankura two each and Howrah one. Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said the Army and Air Force continued rescue and relief work. More than 100 trucks carrying relief material were stranded at various points on national highways. However, the airdropping of food packets continued. Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta told mediapersons that the toll might rise further. Discharge from both DVC and Massanjore dams had been reduced. The ministers said a million people had been rescued thus far. Over 15 million people in 118 blocks and 30 municipalities of seven districts had been affected. At least 700 Army personnel were deployed for the rescue operation. Four IAF helicopters dropped food packets in affected areas. The state government had despatched six launches with food, medicine and doctors since the affected areas remained inaccessible by road and rail. |
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SP threatens stir on WB issue NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The Samajwadi Party (SP) today threatened to launch a nationwide stir if President’s Rule is imposed by the Centre in West Bengal. “We will launch a countrywide agitation if the Centre tried to disturb the democratically elected Left Front government in West Bengal,” SP Spokesman Amar Singh told reporters here. Accusing the NDA Government of wanting to remove the elected government in West Bengal for political purposes, he said “this kind of measures would not be tolerated.” “For political interest, an elected government should not be disturbed,” he said and demanded that the Telugu Desam Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) should clarify their stand on the issue. On the coming Assembly poll in Uttar Pradesh, he said his party would not have any kind of electoral alliance with Mr Kalyan Singh’s Rashtriya Kranti Party. About the possible alliance between the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh, the SP leader claimed that the two parties “had a secret understanding even though BJP’s State unit President Mr Kalraj Mishra may deny this.” Reacting to the ongoing controversy and communal tension in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), he alleged that the BJP was attempting to communalise the situation there as assembly elections were due in Uttar Pradesh. The party was always opposed to activities of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and any sort of militancy in the country, but harassment of innocent students will not be tolerated, he said. |
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Beeline to cyber cafes for ‘Dus Crore’ show PATNA, Sept 23 — After “Kaun Banega Crorepati” on the Star Plus channel, another money-game by the rivals, Zee TV, has driven the nation crazy. “Sawal Dus Crore Ka” by the Zee TV is the name of the new game show. For the past few days, the hundreds of cyber cafes in Patna have been abuzz with young enthusiasts who have been making a beeline to register themselves for the show through the Internet. They log onto the Zee website, ‘zeetelevision.com’, and register their names, addresses, phone numbers, professions and e-mail addresses in a format captioned “Sawal Dus Crore Ka”. Mr Brajkishore, owner of ‘Cyber Space’ at the posh Boring Road locality in Patna, says: “I am really thrilled. Since 8 am young boys and girls have been waiting for the shop to open”. On an average, 3000-4000 persons are flocking to the cyber cafes per day. However, the strike by the telecommunication employees has affected the registration-seekers and the cyber cafe owners. Since Tuesday, the VSNL line has been dead and the Satyam Online has been providing the back up support but the route is often snapped and the speed is too slow. It is really amazing how much the lure of easy money and the Internet have entered the psyche of the youth of today. It is rather interesting to see greater popularity of the Internet in the state where the ruling party supremo, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is set out to discourage the expansion of the information technology. The Union Communication Minister, Mr Ramvilas Paswan will, however, be a happy man as he promised to connect the whole Bihar to the Internet facility. |
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Kalka Mail capacity to be increased NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The passenger carrying capacity of 2311/2312 Kalka Mail will be augmented for a month beginning September 29. Sources in the Northern Railway told TNS here to yesterday day that two sleeper coaches and one AC two-tier coach will be added to the train for the benefit of passengers travelling between Delhi and Chandigarh during the Durga Puja and Divali festival season. The train leaves Delhi Jn. at 10.50 pm and reaches Chandigarh at 3.35 am the next morning while 2312 leaves Chandigarh at 1 am and reaches Delhi Jn. at 6.25 am. The Railways have decided to run four pairs of additional Rajdhani special train (Number D-242/D-241) between new Delhi and Sealdah. The train will leave New Delhi at 4.45 pm on September 29, October 2, 5 and 7 and will reach Sealdah at 10.45 am the next day. The D-241 will leave Sealdah at 4.45 pm on September 28, October 1,4 and 6 an will reach New Delhi at 10.40 am the next day. The train has three two tier AC, six 3 tier AC coaches , one air conditioned chair car coach and a pantry car. The D-242 will halt at Kanpur from 9.37 pm to 9.42 pm, at Mughalsarai from 1.50 am to 2.05 am and at Dhanbad from 6.40 am to 6.45 am. The D-241 will stop at Dhandbad at 8.05 pm to 8.10 pm, at Muglasarai from 1.05 am to 1.20 am and at Kanpur from 5.25 am to 5.30 am. The Railways will run six pairs of metre gauge and three pairs of broad gauge Urs specials betwen Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Ajmer. The metre gauge specials will run from September 28 to October 9 on certain days while the broad gauge specials will run from October 3 to October 8 on certain days during the 788th Urs mela. The metre gauge special 9631 will run between Delhi Sarai Rohilla on September 29, October 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. It will leave the Sarai Rohilla station at 7.20 pm and reach Ajmer at 6.15 am. The metre guage special 9632 will run from Ajmer on September 28, 30, October 2,4,6 and 8. It will leave Ajmer at 5.30 pm and reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 4 am. The train will halt at Delhi Cantonment, Rewari, Narnaul, Nimkathana, Ringus and Phulera stations. The broad gauge special 9634 A comprising six sleeper class and six general second coaches will leave Delhi Sarai Rohilla on October 4, 6 and 8 at 8.25 am and reach Ajmer at 5.30 pm the same day. The broad gauge special 9633 A will leave Ajmer at 7 pm on October 3, 5 and 7 and reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 7 am. The train will halt at Delhi Cantt, Rewari, Bandikui, Jaipur and Phulera stations. |
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Colourful start to NRI conclave JAIPUR, Sept 23 — The first international conclave of non-resident Indians belonging to Rajasthan started here on a colourful note. About 1000 Rajasthanis who had left the land of their birth generations ago are participating in it. About 200 delegates have come from abroad, including steel magnate L.N. Mittal and Lord Raj Bagri, from the UK. Besides the UK, NRIs have come from the USA, Canada, Pakistan, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Iran, Nepal and the UAE. On the evening before the formal start of the conclave, famous Pakistani singers Begum Reshma and Mehdi Hassan joined Pandit Jasraj and gazal singer Jagjeet Singh in enthralling the large gathering at the historical Albert Hall here by their performances. The singers were born in Rajasthan but subsequently migrated from here. The artistes were so overwhelmed with the fact that the state Chief Minister had requested them to come to Jaipur to participate in conclave that they offered to give their performance free of charge. Reshma said during the cultural show that she was so overwhelmed by the invitation that she cancelled her US visit to be in Jaipur on this occasion. Rajasthan Governor Anshuman Singh inaugurated the function by lighting a lamp at Birla Auditorium this morning. Students of the Kathak Kendra here performed Ganesh Vandna through a captivating Kathak dance. A.R. Rehman’s Bande Matram was accompanied by a unique show with laser images. Delivering the inaugural address the Governor said he hoped that when all these talented persons would come on one platform like through the conclave, a new path of development would be charted in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot proposed to make the event a regular two-yearly feature. The Convener of the Rajasthan Golden Jubilee Celebrations Committee, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma, appealed to the participants to help develop industry, remove poverty, open schools, dispensaries, and award scholarships to promising students for higher studies. The whole city of Jaipur has been given a facelift, roads widened and recarpeted and important landmarks freshly painted and beautifully illuminated in honour of the visiting participants. |
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6 held in girl’s abduction case NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The Delhi Police claimed to have arrested six youths from the Punjabi Bagh area of West Delhi for allegedly kidnapping Nidhi Jain (21) from Ashok Vihar yesterday. The accused, Nitin Aggarwal and Saurav Gupta were arrested from the Punjabi Bagh Club. They were going in a Maruti Zen car. Their interrogation led to the arrest of Vineet Suneja, his brother Puneet Suneja, Raj Bahadur, alias Rahul, alias Pahari, and Jatin from a park in Punjabi Bagh where they gathered to distribute the ransom amount of Rs 10 lakh. Ajai is still absconding, the police said. The police recovered Rs 9.50 lakh from the arrested accused. Meanwhile, Nidhi, who was dragged into a vehicle as she was walking to her car in the Shaktinagar Extension Area yesterday, returned to her Civil Lines home
today.
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NGO to protect
tribesmen’s interest NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The Jharkhand Chattisgarh Mahotsava Samiti, a NGO representing people of the two newly constituted states, has said it would oppose any move aimed at making acquisition of tribal land easier. It also demanded the inclusion of tribal districts adjacent to the new states. Addressing mediapersons here, members of the samiti including Mr R.D. Munda, former Vice-Chancellor of Ranchi University, said rich resources of the two states would not be allowed to be exploited by vested interests. The NGO said it would fight discrimination against tribesmen and strive to promote tribal culture and languages. |
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Sikhs cautioned
against superstition NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president, Mr Avtar Singh Hit, has cautioned Sikhs against superstition and cautioned them against falling prey to anti-Sikh propaganda. “Numerous vested interests masquerading as saints are causing immense damage to the monotheistic character of the Sikh faith and gullible people are fast falling prey to their propaganda,” the DSGMC chief said at a religious function here last evening. “Today, Sikhs visit “deras” (Sikh monastries) of such so-called saints who ask them to practise the faith not as commanded by Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh but in a manner contrary to the Sikh school of thought,” he added. Keeping fasts, worshipping idols and tombs, practising occult and “deifying” humans are strictly prohibited in the Sikh religion and the faithful must refrain from indulging in such acts, he said. “Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru and creator of the Khalsa Panth, appointed Guru Granth Sahib as his permanent successor and the Sikhs were ordained to put their faith in ‘Shabad Guru’,” Mr Hit said. He said the DSGMC was holding numerous “kirtan darbars” (religious programmes) in different parts of the Capital to propagate Sikh history and traditions. |
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2 killed in Kanpur
bomb blast KANPUR, Sep 23 (UNI) —The toll in late last night’s bomb blast near Govindpuri sailway station here has gone up to two with the recovery of one more body near the blast site this morning. A railway police (grp) spokesman said here that the body of a 28-year-old youth was recovered near the spot this morning. He said that the blast was probably carried out by one of three youths who were passing by the railway tracks on the Kanpur-Jhansi section last night when the bomb suddenly exploded. |
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‘Take commando
action’ against
Veerappan MADURAI, Sept 23 (PTI) — Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today suggested that the government should take “swift commando action” to secure the release of kidnapped cine actor Rajkumar. He told reporters here that the government could use the satellite pictures to pin-point the location of Veerappan and ambush him using night vision mounted laser guns. |
Rs 30 crore for Kumbh Mela Engineering college director rescued Death sentence for triple murder Alert lineman averts train mishap Home for spastic children Undertrial escapes from jail, killed Major ports to prune workforce 3 NID students to get “Swatch” awards |
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