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| Wednesday, November 1, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Riot victims hold protest march Work resumes on Narmada dam Tohra for joining third front
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Appeal to improve wage awards Iceland, Bulgaria
back India’s claim Ajit Kumar new Finance Secy HC for demolition of
Jawalapuri market Enact law to check graft: Vittal India, Japan to hold
joint naval exercises Dowry menace in Bihar rampant Vajpayee assures
help to HP Nation ‘heads’
towards anarchy Prasada's demand on ballots accepted GoM
reviews internal security
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Riot victims hold protest march NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (UNI) — A large number of victims and widows of November, 1984 riots today marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan demanding a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged “conspiracy” as the “carnage” was committed by a handful of persons. The marchers, comprising elderly and middle-aged widows and male victims, however, were stopped by the police near the Parliament police station where they squatted for about one-and-a-half-hours. The silent protesters, led by Mr Gurucharan Singh Babbar, President All-India Shiromani Akali Dal (Babbar), carried banners and placards expressing deep anguish and distress at the denial of justice even after 16 years. They also carried portraits of politicians, the then high officials in the Delhi police and the Central Government, who, they said, were responsible for “unleashing unprecedented atrocities’’ against the members of the Sikh community in the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Meanwhile, Dr Jaspal Singh, India’s former envoy to Mozambique, said the Nanawati Commission’s probe into the anti-Sikh riots could achieve historic results if it was carried out on the lines of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Dr Jaspal Singh is among a wide cross-section of the Sikh community who feels that the responsibility for the happenings following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, should be fixed and the guilty brought to book. He said the TRC was established in 1995 to foster reconciliation among South Africans by revealing the truth about the killings and other gross violations of human rights committed in the conflicts of the past. Namdhari leader H.S. Hanspal, an ex-MP, said public representatives were morally bound to quell public suspicions about a political witch-hunt on the pretext of investigations. Our Correspondent adds: An “ajaib ghar” will be constructed in the Tilak Vihar area of West Delhi by the Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee in memory of the 1984 riot victims, the General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali (Badal), Mr Atma Singh Lubana said today. He said nearly 4,000 Sikhs were killed during the riots. Statues of all victims would be placed in the “ajaib ghar” with a special mention there that the accused of the victims were not punished by the government. A religious ceremony would be organised in Gurdwara Shahidganj in Tilak Vihar during which a committee would be set up to look after the Sikh victims. About 1,500 families of victims live in Tilak Vihar. The ceremony would be attended by the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, the Union Sports Minister, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, a former Union Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, and some ministers from Punjab. Mr Avtar Singh Hit, President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, would grant Rs 20,000 to the riot victims so that they could do some business. |
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Work resumes on Narmada dam KEVADIYA (Gujarat), Oct 31 (PTI) — Construction work on the Rs 18,000-crore controversial Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), described as water-starved Gujarat’s lifeline, resumed in this sleepy village, 90 km from Baroda, with great fanfare today after a torturous delay of four decades marked by inter-state dispute, litigation and protests by anti-dam activists. With the pressing of a button which activated the ropeway crane put concrete on the unfinished dam at 12.39 p.m., Union Home Minister L.K. Advani launched the recommencement of the construction work of one of the largest water storage development projects in the world, 12 days after the Supreme Court gave the green signal to raise its height to 90
metres. Without naming the Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), which opposed the project tooth and nail, Mr Advani said some people who had opposed nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998 had opposed the Narmada project also. “I sometimes wonder whether these people are working at the behest of our own people or outsiders. I want to be proved wrong. But it surprises me,” he said in an apparent reference to NBA activist and author Arundhati Roy’s opposition to the nuke tests. The Home Minister also unveiled a
life-size statue of Sardar Patel at the venue marking the 126th birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India. Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel administered a pledge reassuring the commitment to the project and “praying to Almighty to give its good sense to the dam opponents.” Work on the inter-state multi-purpose dam project of four states — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan — foundation stone of which was laid by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on April 5, 1961, had come to a standstill in 1996 following a stay on the project by the Supreme Court acting on a public interest litigation by the
NDBA. Significantly, the Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, who were invited for the function, were conspicuous by their absence. The Union Ministers, Mr Kanshiram Rana, Mr Arjun Charan Sethi, Mr Bijoya Chakravarthi and Mr Vallabh Kathiria, besides MPs, state ministers and MLAs were present at the function attended by an estimated three lakh persons from across the states, who perceive the project as a panacea to the state’s perennial water crisis. |
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Tohra for joining third front NEW DELHI, Oct 31 — The Sarb Hind Akali Dal (SHAD) headed by a former SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, today said it was in favour of joining the third front, as proposed by the outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Jyoti Basu. The emergence of a third front was the need of the hour to check the growing communalism of Indian polity being done systematically by the BJP subscribing to the RSS ideology of minority bashing, the SHAD General Secretary and former MP, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, said here today. At this juncture only a third front could preserve the pluralistic character and secular credentials of the country, he said. Mr Chandumajra said the country was being thrown open to the plunder of the multi-national companies and WTO agreements were coming handy to them. “If the Congress signed the WTO agreement, the BJP led coalition government was religiously honouring and implementing that agreements,” he said. The time has come that WTO should be opposed tooth and nail and only the third front could do that, he stated. Mr Chandumajra said the party had already developed a political understanding with probable constituents of the third front as a number of national leaders
opposing both the NDA and the Congress had already supported their party during the last month’s Punjab Assembly by-election in Sunam. Former Prime Minister, Mr Chandrashekar, and the Samajwadi Party Chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, had gone to Punjab to canvass for Mr Chandumajra contesting the Sunam poll against the Akali Dal (Badal) and the BJP combine candidate, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa and the Congress candidate, Ms Parmeshwari Devi. The CPM had also supported SHAD candidate. He said the seven party “Sanjha Morcha” floated in Punjab during the last Assembly by-election in Punjab would be further strengthened to take on the Badal government which had reduced itself to a “family rule”. The Akali Dal (Badal), is the pocket-borough of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and no longer represents Sikh masses and articulate their aspirations, he stated. Nation remembers Indira Gandhi NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (PTI) — President K.R. Narayanan and Vice-President Krishan Kant led the nation in paying homage to Indira Gandhi on her 16th death anniversary today by offering floral tributes at her samadhi here. Prominent among others who paid tributes at Shakti Sthal were Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her party colleagues Manmohan Singh, Madhavrao Scindia, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jagdish Tytler and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Senior Congress leaders Jitendra Prasada and late Sanjay Gandhi’s son Varun Gandhi also paid homage to the former Prime Minister. Devotional music wafted through the morning calm as people belonging to different walks of life attended the prayer meeting at Shakti
Sthal.
Appeal to improve wage awards NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (UNI) —The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) today blamed the Atal Behari
Vajpayee government for an “inordinate delay” in notifying the recommendations of the Manisana Singh Wage Boards and expressed surprise over the fact that even a memorandum signed by over 200 MPs had failed to stir it. At a press conference here, convened to apprise mediapersons of its forthcoming 12th biennial national conference at Surjkund (Haryana) beginning November 3, NUJ President N.K. Trikha said even the recommendations fell much short of expectations for which the newspaper industry employees had been waiting for over six years. Referring to the last revision of wages for journalists and newsagency employees 12 years ago, Dr Trikha regretted that the wages of other sectors had been revised manifold during that period. He hoped the government would take note of this fact and improve the recommendations and notify them at the earliest. Over 1,000 delegates from across the country would participate in the three-day conference which would deliberate upon the issues of opening the print media to foreigners and a “media vision 2020” in the backdrop of convergence of multi-media. |
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Iceland, Bulgaria
back India’s claim NEW
DELHI, Oct 31 (UNI) — Iceland has supported India’s candidature for the permanent membership of the un Security Council saying it was obvious that India should have a place in an expanded Security Council. The assurance was given by visiting Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson during his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday. Mr Grimsson also extended an invitation to President K.R. Narayanan to visit Iceland. A similar invitation was also extended to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. Meanwhile, India today got a further boost for its candidature for the
permanent membership of the expanded UN Security Council with Bulgaria lending its support. Sofia’s support for New Delhi was conveyed by visiting Bulgarian Defence Minister Boyko Noev after extensive talks with his Indian counterpart George Fernandes and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. The Bulgarian Defence Minister also called on President K.R. Narayanan. The three service chiefs, Gen S. Padmnabhan, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis and Admiral Sushil Kumar also called on the Bulgarian Defence Minister.
HC for demolition of
Jawalapuri market NEW DELHI, Sept 31 (UNI) — The High Court today gave three months to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for demolishing all unauthorised structures of plastic waste dealers at Jawalapuri market here, the site of frequent infernos in which several lives have been lost. The court’s direction came after the DDA submitted that a demolition programme was executed from October 17 to 20 in which 180 structure were damaged completely or partially beyond the ground floor. The exercise could not start a day earlier due to non-availability of police force. On September 11, the court had asked the DDA to complete the entire process of demolition within six weeks. “It is a difficult and time-consuming exercise,” said DDA Director Surajit Roy. “The multi-storeyed structures can be demolished only manually as the life and safety of labourers engaged has to be kept in mind.” The Division Bench of Chief Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice D.K. Jain granted three months to the DDA for completion of the demolition process but called for a current status report to be filed within a month. |
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Enact law to check graft: Vittal NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (PTI) —The Central Vigilance Commission has asked the government to expedite enactment of a legislation to check corrupt practices among public servants. Stating this Central Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal said “the Corrupt Public Servants (forfeiture of property) Bill has been pending enactment for the past 18
months. We need this law expeditiously.” He told reporters after delivering the keynote address at a seminar on corruption-free governance that there were several other laws including one on prohibition of benami transactions which has been pending for over 12 years. In his address to the seminar organised by Airports Authority of India, Mr Vittal asked the public sector units to increase efficiency, streamline procedures, create transparency in transactions and devise strict punitive measures to weed out corruption. Linking corruption with the amount of investment the country attracts, he quoted a World Bank report as saying that the amount of corruption was inversely proportionate to the foreign direct investment. India ranked 68th in the corruption perception Index with only 21 countries more corrupt. Citing an example of Thailand which was considered a “tiger economy” before the East Asian crisis, Mr Vittal said corruption in whatever form and measure was bound to affect the nation’s progress. “Without checking political corruption, that in public life will never be effectively
contained,” he said and called for “white” political donations. |
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India, Japan to hold
joint naval exercises NEW DELHI, Oct 31 — The Coast Guard of India and Japan will seek to have greater cooperation, specially in combating piracy and armed robbery on the high seas, during their talks here next month. The two countries will also hold joint exercises here off the Chennai port before the talks in New Delhi. The joint exercises will take place on November 8 and will be conducted as a mock counter-operation against a ship that has been hijacked. The exercises will include communication networking and exchange of information, rescue and other operations. Japanese Coast Guard vessel ‘‘Shikishima’’ will visit India from November 5 to 9 to hold the joint exercise. It will be a show of
resolve to promote cooperation between the two nations to check the growing menace of sea piracy along Asia’s busiest maritime route which is a crucial lifeline for commerce in the continent. |
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Dowry menace in Bihar rampant PATNA, Oct 31 — Nutan committed suicide at the ‘dehlij’ of her in-laws’ house on Saturday, after waiting unsuccessfully for her husband to take away her ‘doli’ for four long years the same moment the second wife of her husband stepped in. Every year, thousands of Nutans either commit suicide or are killed by their in-laws and husbands due to the menace of dowry. As per an estimate, more than 60 per cent of the girls in the state, specially in northern parts, are unmarried and have crossed the ideal marriageable age of 20. There are number of villages in the extremist infested areas of the state in Bhojpur, Jehanabad and Gaya where no marriages have taken place in a decade. In northern districts, girls remain unmarried as the parents are not in a position to arrange huge sums of dowry demanded by the prospective bridegrooms. Many young girls commit suicide in frustration or flee home to avoid problem to their parents. Mr Jagadanand Jha, who runs a marriage bureau for Brahmins, say’s that a bank officer demands Rs 12 lakh and a Maruti Zen car. An IAS or an IPS officer, that too in forward caste, commands the maximum dowry. The dowry in the last known case of an IAS boy in Bhumihar caste grossed Rs 55 lakh. The rate for a clerk in government service is Rs 3 lakh as cash and a Maruti car. Even a ‘chaprasi (orderly)’ in government service wants Rs 2 lakh cash and a Hero Honda motor cycle. These rates are more or less same in all the castes. There is a virtual dearth of government jobs now a days. The private sector job is low paid and still not in acceptance in Bihari psyche. |
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Vajpayee assures
help to HP NEW DELHI, Oct 31 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, today called on the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and discussed the political and economic situation of the state. Mr Dhumal conveyed the best wishes of the people of state for speedy recovery of the Prime Minister. According to an official spokesman, Mr Dhumal told the Prime Minister about various development projects started by the state government during the past two years. He told the Prime Minister about the achievements in harnessing the existing hydro potential and new policies adopted for speedy industrialisation of the state. While complimenting the state government on its achievements, Mr Vajpayee said the Central Government would extend all possible assistance to the state government to accelerate the pace of development. |
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Nation ‘heads’
towards anarchy LUCKNOW, Oct 31 (PTI) — Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar said today the country was heading towards “anarchy” as politicians were not addressing the problems faced by the common people. “It is the irony of Indian politics that leaders neither raise the basic issues nor are interested in giving directions to the countrymen”, he said here. He said the political parties had been reduced to mafia groups and elections could be won on the basis of caste and religion but governments were not run on such issues . Lashing out at the
BJP rsits narrow politics had endangered the unity and integrity of the country. He said as the centre was compromising on national interests, the international market for our
agriculture produce has dwindled. |
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Prasada's demand on ballots accepted NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (PTI)— Apparently bowing to the demand from Jitendra Prasada, the
Central Election Authority (CEA) of the Congress today announced that counting of votes in the November 12 party presidential election would be done after mixing ballots from all over the country. The decision was announced by cea chairman Ram Niwas Mirdha hours after Prasada, who is taking on Sonia Gandhi in the election, shot off a letter to Mirdha ,objecting to the authority’s reported decision to count the votes statewise and had said this would violate secrecy of the ballot. Briefingnewsmen at the aicc headquarters,Mirdha said that there was some “confusion” over the issue and the authority would stick to the practice of mixing ballots. He also said committees for each state would be constitued to go into the large number of complaints regarding the forthcoming organisational elections. Mirdha said election for pcc presidents and aicc members would be held together with the election of Congress President as demanded by Prasada. However,Prasada later told newsmen that there was no question of his withdrawing from the contest. “I did not mean that I will withdraw if my suggestions are accepted,” he said, adding that his suggestions were meant to ensure transparency in the election process. Outside the Congress headquarters,Prasada’s effigy was burnt by his opponents who shouted slogans against him. Meanwhile, some newly elected Congress delegates from west Singhbhum in Bihar in separate fax messages to Mirdha denied having filed the nomination papers on behalf of Prasada. Antu Hembrom of Jagannathpur, Manoj Prasad of Lohardaga and Dinobandhu Ghosh of Chakradharpur claimed they had never visited New Delhi and that their signatures apprearing on one of the proposal forms on behalf of Prasada were forged. Through another letter to Gandhi, some Congress leaders of the Jharkhand region accused clp leader furkan ansari of failing to protect the interest of the party in the region and demanded a probe by the aicc into his performance. |
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reviews internal security NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (PTI) — The Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to study the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee, today held in-depth discussions on the reports of the four task forces on different aspects concerning national security. The GoM would continue to hold discussions to finalise its recommendations, Defence Minister George Fernandes told reporters after over two-hour-long meeting. Besides Mr Fernandes, the meeting, chaired by Home Minister L.K. Advani, was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Governor G.C. Saxena, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra and top officials. Official sources said the report of the GoM was likely to be finalised by the middle of November and submitted to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Ajit Kumar new Finance Secy NEW DELHI, Oct 31 (PTI) — The Government tonight carried out top bureacratic reshuffle involving key economic ministeries bringing in Mr Ajit Kumar as Finance Secretary in place of Mr Piyush Mankad, Mr S. Narain as Revenue Secretary and P. Shankar as the new Petroleum Secretary. Mr Mankad, who was also holding the additional charge of Revenue, has been shifted as Secretary in the Industrial Policy and Planning Department to succeed Mr Ajit Kumar. Mr S. Narain, Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary, has been posted as Revenue Secretary while P. Shankar, Secretary, Food and Public Distribution, takes the place of Mr Narain. Mr Vinay Kohli, at present Secretary for Minorities, was appointed as the Information and Technology Secretary in place of Mr P.V. Jayakrishna who takes over as Environment and Forest Secretary. Mr E.A.S. Sarma, who was Secretary in the Economic Affairs Department, has been shifted to the Coal Ministry replacing Mr V.N. Kaul who moves to the Chemical and Petrochemical Ministry. Mr M.P. Pinto, Chairman of Jawaharlal Nehru Trust, is the new Shipping Secretary. Mr R.D. Kapoor, Parliamentary Affairs Secretary, has been posted as Food and PDS Secretary, Mr M.V. Rehman, at present in the cadre of Jammu and Kashmir, has been posted as Secretary Parliament Affairs. |
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Ruling reserved BANGALORE, Oct 31 (PTI) — Karnataka Assembly Speaker M.V. Venkatappa today reserved ruling on a breach of privilege motion moved by a JDU member against a minister. Mr A.R. Krishnamurthy (JDU) representing the Santhemarahally Assembly constituency had moved the motion against the Minister for Textiles and Sericulture, Mr M. Mahadev, saying that the minister’s actions in preventing officials from participating in a function, which was cancelled later in a village in his constituency, had infringed upon his privileges. |
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