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| Thursday, March 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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India, NZ lay stress on democracy Congress in no hurry for pact with AIADMK MPs’ plea to PM on Buddha statues Cong to protest Imam’s remark |
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Testfiring of Akash successful North India in Parliament Girls’ education important: WFP Vigil strengthened along Pak border Jeweller was given poison in drink
Bid to oust Rabri gaining ground Amendment Bill on water disputes Move on education centres opposed
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India, NZ lay stress on democracy in Fiji New Delhi, March 7 Similarity of views on Fiji and other issues emerged during two-hour discussions held between the visiting New Zealand Foreign Minister, Mr Phil Goff and the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh. The two ministers agreed that a government of national unity comprising all political parties in Fiji would be the least destabilising solution to the 10-month-old constitutional crisis, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that the Commonwealth had a significant role to play. While agreeing on the role of the Commonwealth and the need for a national unity, India has also stressed that the future of Fiji-Indians should not be lost sight off and their interests should be properly taken into account, officials said. Interests of persons of Indian origin should not be swept under the carpet while finding a solution to the present crisis, Mr Jaswant Singh said. He pointed out in his talks with Mr Goff that it was Fiji that suffered when highly talented Fiji-Indians left the island nation in times of political and constitutional crisis that erupted when the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was toppled in a military coup last May. Since Australia, New Zealand and India have a direct say in developments in Fiji, a consensus was emerging in Canberra, Wellington and New Delhi that the Commonwealth’s role should be strengthened. During the discussions, the two ministers also agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, dairy industry and other areas of agriculture. Mr Goff, who came here after his visits to Mumbai and Gujarat, also met many film producers. New Zealand has been keen on promoting tourism from India, particularly cine-related tourism. Shooting of many Indian films has been done in New Zealand in recent times and Wellington is keen to promote it, the officials said. In Gujarat, Mr Goff offered to extend cooperation in the field of quake management as New Zealand, being a earthquake-prone country, has an expertise in construction of quake-proof structures constructed on rubber and steel ball-bearing foundations. New Zealand, which has a large population of persons of Indian
origin from Gujarat, was one of the first countries to have send $ 5,00,000 assistance after the earthquake in Gujarat. Congress in no hurry for pact with AIADMK New Delhi, March 7 The Congress has been playing cool to the declarations about alliance made by Ms Jayalalitha which are not to the party’s liking. Rather than taking umbrage to Ms Jayalalitha’s decision of announcing the PMK-AIADMK alliance in Pondicherry where the Congress has a major stake, the party quietly conveyed its unwillingness to accept the offer. Senior Congress leaders are avoiding to come on record regarding the offers coming from Ms Jayalalitha, saying that a final decision would be made by the party “as soon as possible.” This, party sources say, is being done deliberately to not foreclose options before the party. In addition, they feel that the Congress is in a bargaining position with the AIADMK as long as the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) is on its side. Claiming that party’s reticence on the issue of alliance is paying off, Congress sources say that the AIADMK had already improved its seat offer to Cong-TMC combine besides offering the Congress a share in any future alliance government in Pondicherry. Slowly reconciling to the situation where it may have to contest in Pondicherry only with the TMC as its ally, the Congress, however, is unlikely to declare its final stand in a hurry. This, party sources say, will not only put the onus of breaking the alliance on the AIADMK but would improve party’s position in Tamil Nadu where it hopes to win seats only in an AIADMK alliance. The party today described as “insufficent” the 45 seats offered jointly to it and TMC by the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Though the official party line has been that the party would have no truck with the PMK in any alliance government in Pondicherry, party spokesman Jaipal Reddy today sidestepped the issue saying that the party’s main objective was to keep the NDA out of power. Congress leaders have all along been maintaining that talks with the AIADMK were on and the party would take a final decision on the alliance soon. The party has also declined to specify the number of seats it wants in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry lest this creates some controversy. Asked if the party had made up its mind on delinking the alliance in Pondicherry, Mr Reddy said “It is very difficult to answer this question as the talks were at a delicate stage.” The party also seems to be taking lightly Ms Jayalalitha’s claim that delay on the part of the Congress-TMC combine in deciding about joining the alliance was affecting enthusiasm of her workers. 
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MPs’ plea to PM on Buddha statues New Delhi, March 7 In a letter addressed to Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, eight MPs including Mr Eduardo Faleiro of the Congress have stated that the events at Bamiyan have a direct impact on Indian history, culture and civilisation. “The latest outrage perpetrated by the fundamentalist Taliban, the destruction of the Buddhist statues at Bamiyan, defying world opinion, has underlined more forcefully than ever the need for India to play a decisive role in uniting and mobilising international forces to checkmate extremist elements running wild in different parts of the world,” the letter reads. Expressing concern over the recent developments at the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the MPs have said that dictatorial forces are attempting to interrupt the scholarly activities of the ICSSR, to radically change its course and force it into intellectual obscurantism. Referring to recent attempt by members of the Governing Council of the
ICSSR to disrupt its meeting, the MPs have sought Mr Vajpayee’s intervention to foil the insidious designs of these members. “We urge you to permit the ICSSR and its Chairman to continue its work undisturbed by mischievous elements who should be removed from its Governing Council so that the ICSSR may preserve its pristine tradition as the foremost social science research
institution in the country,” the statement reads. Cong to protest Imam’s remark New Delhi, March 7 The issue was raised during the Zero Hour today by some members of the ruling combine but Chairman Krishan Kant deferred the discussion till tomorrow as the House had to take up the motion of thanks to the President’s Address to both Houses of Parliament. A brief discussion was likely to take place tomorrow after Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha. Addressing an Id congregation on Tuesday, the Shahi Imam said although the demolition of Buddha statues was condemnable, he did not completely disapprove of it. He further said the demolition of the statues was not permitted in Islam but the entire issue should be seen in totality and related to the demolition of Babri Masjid.
Shiv Sena assails
Shahi Imam New Delhi, March 7
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Testfiring of Akash successful New Delhi, March 7 This was the third successful firing of the missile, which is to be inducted into the Army next year. The test of the multi-target missile was to have been carried out on Monday but bad weather had forced postponement. Defence Ministry officials said here the test was conducted today at 6.30 am. The last phase of serial tests are underway at the Chandipore-on-Sea test range before the missile goes in for serial production. The missile which carries a payload of 55 kg is due to be inducted into the Army by 2002. The various parameters of the missile are being tested to see its capability. The theatre defence, surface-to-air missile operates in conjunction with the Rajendra Surveillance and Engagement radar. Akash’s first flight occurred in 1990. Akash uses an integral ramjet rocket propulsion system to give a low-volume, low-weight (700 kg launch weight) missile configuration, and has a low reaction time-form detection to missile launch of 15 seconds. The missile has a range of 27 km, with an effective ceiling of 15 km. It is capable of detecting and destroying aircraft flying at tree-top height. North India in Parliament New Delhi, March 7 Minister of State for Home Affairs, Vidyasagar Rao told the Rajya Sabha that the killing of members of minority community appeared to be part of a sinister Pakistani design of terrorist groups to encourage ethnic cleansing of the valley by forcing minorities to migrate, incite communal backlash and undermine any peace initiative. Replying to a question on the rise in number of killings of Sikhs in Kashmir valley, Mr Rao said that as per information received from the J&K government, 41 Sikhs were killed in J&K in 2000 and 11 till February 15. He said that the government had adopted a multi-pronged approach which includes strengthening the border management, neutralising plans of militants by taking appropriate action against them in the hinterland, gearing up intelligence machinery, greater functional framework of Operation Groups and Intelligence groups at the UHQ and lower levels, improved technology, weapons and equipment for security forces, closer vigil on the border, establishment of more naka parties in certain areas to check infiltration, police pickets and intensive patrolling. In reply to another question in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Rao said that a five-member team deputed by the Prime Minister following the killing of six innocent Sikhs in Srinagar, visited J&K and suggested steps to improve the situation. He said that Islamic outfits in J&K kept trying to create a communal divide by resorting to in-group killings of members of minority communities thereby creating an
atmosphere of fear. The State government has taken various preventive and confidence-building measures. |
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Girls’ education important: WFP New Delhi, March 7 The Executive Director of the WFP, Catherine Bertini, who issued the appeal on the eve of the International Women’s Day tomorrow, said closing the massive gap between boys and girls school enrolment should be the top priority for the international community in the developing countries. It was estimated that of the 875 million illiterate adults in the world today, two-thirds were women. And yet, girls who went to school married later than girls who did not and they had fewer and healthier children, Bertini said. In India, the WFP supports early childhood education by offering a nutritionally balanced meal to one million pre-school children through the Government of India’s Integrated Child Development Project
(ICDS). |
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Vigil strengthened along Pak border New Delhi, March 7 Replying to supplementaries during question hour, the Minister of State for Home, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, said Border Security Force (BSF) personnel had been provided with modern weapons and specialised equipment like night vision devices to maintain vigil on the border. He said the security forces were keeping a 24-hour surveillance on the border and were also conducting special operations to foil the nefarious activities of the anti-national elements. The minister said in order to curb infiltration, smuggling and other anti-national activities from across the border, the work on fencing and installing flood lights along the 1048 km border with Pakistan had been completed at a cost of Rs 399.91 crore. To a
query on issuing identity cards to people in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner, the minister said the government was examining the proposal to give multi-purpose cards to the residents. While admitting that there had been incidents of smuggling narcotics from across the border, the minister also gave details regarding the number of Pakistanis who had been arrested for it. He said 88 Pakistani nationals had been arrested over the past five years and a total of 117 kg of heroin had been seized. Home Minister L.K. Advani also intervened on the matter and said a number of coordination meetings had also been held between the Centre and the state government over the issue. |
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Jeweller was given poison in drink New Delhi, March 7 The prime accused, Akhil Kumar Ahuja, a businessman, his ‘girlfriend’, Ayesha Bhagwanani, her servant Kamal Nepali and a junk dealer, Shujauddin, were arrested yesterday from different places of the Capital, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range), Mr Amod Kanth, said. The motive of the kidnapping and murder of the jeweller was believed to be robbery. They allegedly robbed gold and diamond ornaments and cash worth Rs 3.5 lakh, which the victim was carrying with him. The officer said that cash and ornaments had been recovered from the possession of the accused. During interrogation, the prime accused said that he was in dire need of money. Since Lincon Gogla was his friend and he knew that Gogla was a rich man, the prime accused made Gogla his target, Mr Kanth said. The prime accused took the victim to the residence of his ‘girlfriend’ at Greater Kailash in South Delhi on the pretext of attending a party. He allegedly offered him champagne mixed with poison at 12.30 in the night. The victim had become unconscious after taking the champagne. While the victim was unconscious, the prime accused and his ‘girlfriend’ allegedly hit him on his head with a blunt object. Thereafter, Akhil and Nepali took him to Ferozpur village in Faridabad, where they allegedly strangled him to death and threw his body in the fields. While the victim was unconscious at the residence of Ayesha, his wife telephoned on his mobile. The mobile was handled by Akhil and in response he told her that Lincon had fallen unconscious after taking excess liquor. When his wife called him again, Rs 20 lakh was demanded from him for his safe release. The accused took the victim to Faridabad in his Ford car, which was recovered from Good Year crossings. They had allegedly removed the wheels of the car and disposed them of to a junk-dealer in the walled city. The police said that the body of the jeweller was recovered from a field near Ferozpur village. The prime accused was in touch with the victim from early morning of the fateful day. After closing down his shop in Tilak Nagar, he went to another friend at Geeta Colony in East Delhi, from where he went to Park Royal Hotel at Nehru Place in South Delhi.
Finally, Lincon and Akhil went to the residence of
Ayesha.
Bid to oust Rabri gaining ground
New Delhi, March 7 With the three more Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs throwing their lot with the dissidents yesterday, the number of party legislators opposed to the Rabri government has gone up to 45. |
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Amendment Bill on water disputes New Delhi, March 7 The Inter-State Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2000 sought to amend the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, which was enacted to provide for the adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys. |
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Move on education centres opposed Hanumangarh, March 7 The rally, which started from the office of the Project Director of Informal Education, reached the collector where a demonstration was held and a meeting was conducted. Speaking at the meeting, the leaders criticised the state government for its decision to close the Informal Education Centres. They said the government, by this action, was depriving children of a chance to become literate, especially those who were deprived of formal education. They added the government was bent upon abolishing employment opportunities and the number of educated unemployed was increasing. The demonstrators demanded closing down of the schools operating under the Rajeev Gandhi Swaran Jayanti Scheme. |
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