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| Wednesday,
March 28, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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German atom waste train rolls into protests
LONDON DIARY Pakistan rakes up Kashmir at rights session |
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Pak clears gas pipeline route
7 Milosevic allies arrested Murder suspect pins down judge Quattrochhi
case review in June
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German atom waste train rolls into protests Wuerzburg, March 27 Within minutes of its midnight border crossing near Karlsruhe, the police dragged 39 demonstrators off the tracks in front of the slow-moving train. Fourteen were charged with resisting arrest. The train then made steady progress, covering a quarter of its 500-km transit route across Germany to reach the Bavarian town of Wuerzburg as morning broke. Nearer its final destination in northern Germany, the police continued dragging activists off the tracks well into the night. Protesters staged sit-ins and tried to block the route to the Gorleben nuclear waste dump, near Hamburg. Some 30,000 police and special forces were mobilised in Germany’s largest peacetime security operation, hoping to avert the running battles that attended the last waste shipments in Germany in 1997. At Woerth, near the border, the German police relieved French colleagues on the train and a German locomotive was hooked up in place of the French one that had brought the six huge ‘‘castor’’ waste caskets from La Hague reprocessing site.
Reuters |
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LONDON DIARY THE foot-and-mouth disease in England has put everything, including the forthcoming elections, on the backburner. But of course elections can never be an issue to die out easily. Especially when there are issues of voter-apathy and sensitive matters like the ethnic vote-bank to be considered in a multicultural society like Britain. According to analysts, just 60 per cent of ethnic minorities voted at the last election. There happens to be only one organisation with the specific aim of encouraging ethnic minority participation in the elections — Operation Black Vote (OBV). Although OBV is non-partisan, it is believed that 95 per cent of African-Asians traditionally vote Labour. But what is still more fascinating is to hear the fears of the demographers, that are predicting an eventual Asian and black majority in Britain by the end of the century. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) has in fact been reported to welcome the possibility of this kind of ethnic displacement (one group losing its majority status to another) as a kind of final solution to the problem of white racism. Yet, what I would like to know is whether the end of white predominance will ultimately be able to assure me of improved race relations? My husband’s aunt Christine, who is married to his dad’s elder brother, happens to be a Welsh. And Christine participates in all family gatherings and even goes to the gurdwara in her salwar-suit. At the same time, there are moments when she is still an outsider after being a part of the family for more than 30 years when some Punjabi relatives do not include her in their little private jokes and banterings. Or the family’s firangi son-in-law, David, whose white mum is always referred to as that gori during family conversations. Improved race relations? * * * My next trip to India will see me pick up all my mother’s discarded Kanjeevarams. The reason? They are hot this season in London. The fashion season in London, at the moment, is being dictated by some sort of an Indian fantasy. The skirts have to have this colourful hem, which is embellished by a Kanjeevaram style kind of embroidery. And the look is completed by either a pashmina shawl, thrown over the shoulder, or this brilliantly painted shawl with motifs of the Ganesha or elephants and the like. Last weekend, while shopping at Camden town, one of the cheapest places for wacky clothes and leather shoes, I noticed a whole lot of Indian carpets, Kohlapuri chapals, Indian silk and even tablas at over-priced tags. And most of these manage to get lapped up by those looking for something fashionable and “different”. * * * The British Museum is to organise an extravagant exhibition titled. “Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of Mughals’.. a showcase of some 300 pieces from the collection of Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait, most of which date from the Great Mughals who ruled India from the mid-16th to the early 18th century. The exhibition will open on May 18 and will be on show till September 2. Sheikh Nasser, a member of the Kuwaiti ruling family, has been collecting Islamic Art and jewelled objects since the mid 1970s. The exhibition will include the famous Ruby Dagger, its gold scabbard and hilt studded with rubies. The al-Sabah exhibition will also display a collection of relief-carved hard-stones, including nine emeralds, ranging from 17 to 235 carats, carved by Indian craftsmen. * * * The face of Indira Gandhi, staring at you, can be seen out of many Sunday/Saturday newspaper supplements these days. A recently published book titled “Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi” by Katherine Frank is being reviewed with interest by most national newspapers, who have also splashed pictures of her and Nehru all across their weekend supplements. The Sunday Times has hailed her as “India’s Margaret Thatcher” and has gone on to say. “Like Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi flourished both physically and politically once in power.” |
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Pakistan rakes up Kashmir at rights session Geneva, March 27 Even when the 57th session of the commission was debating on racism and racial discrimination, Pakistani delegates raked up the issue, amazing over 1,000 delegates and representatives who were participating in the proceedings. The commission discussed six items on the agenda and in virtually all Kashmir was mentioned by the Pakistani delegates. In fact, Indian representatives had to time and again, seek right of reply to rebut the Pakistani charges. The latest attempt was made by the Pakistani Law Minister who, while speaking on racism, dragged in Kashmir. Pakistan’s Law Minister Shaida Jamil said that India and Pakistan had never been able to resolve disputes bilaterally and it was necessary for the international community to engage constructively with the two countries. However, Indian representative Rajesh Prasad, in his right to reply, said that his country’s appeals for a peaceful resolution of the issue had gone unheeded and Pakistan’s response to the historic visit by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999 was the assault on the Kargil sector. This did not end the matter as the Pakistani diplomat said her country had offered bilateral dialogue to resolve the issue. In his second right of reply, the Indian representative said that his government had announced an unilateral ceasefire which had been met with militant attacks. A proper ambience for dialogue needed to be created before progress could be made.
UNI
Pakistan to keep N-deterrence Islamabad, March 27 “We will maintain the deterrence to such a level that will ensure the country’s security,” he said at the end of a week of exercises by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). The exercises were conducted with live ammunition to test operational readiness, official reports said.
PTI |
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Pak clears gas pipeline route Karachi, March 27 The Chief Executive of Pakistan also scotched rumours that he would be retiring but reiterated the assurance that the general elections would be held in the country in October, 2002. Talking about the economy, General Musharraf pointed out that a national debt amounting to $ 6 billion and carrying a high interest rate was the biggest stumbling block as far as revival of the economy was concerned. He was of the opinion that a per capita contribution of $ 200,000 by 300,000 Pakistanis would go a long way in tackling the problem. According to Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, foreign debt and other foreign exchange obligations stood at $ 37 billion at the end of 2000. General Musharraf, who grabbed power through a bloodless coup in October, 1999 by ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has vowed to reform and revive the economy. Pakistan said this month that it would seek $ 6 billion in exceptional assistance from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on soft terms as recommended by a debt management committee. Sharif, soon after being elected as Prime Minister for the second time in 1997, had also promised to get rid of the debt burden and launched a national appeal for donations to a debt retirement fund.
ANI |
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UN fails to agree on W. Asia crisis United Nations, March 27 Delegates missed their self-imposed deadline to have a resolution adopted in time for the beginning of the summit and adjourned for about eight hours to resume talks. “It doesn’t look promising, but we’ll give it another try,” Palestinian UN delegate Nasser Al-Kidwa said. Chief US representative James Cunningham told reporters: “We’re close enough that we could agree if the others were willing to come on board. And we’re far enough apart that we could easily not agree.” But Al-Kidwa said that his supporters on the council would put the original Palestinian-initiated resolution to a vote if it appeared no compromise could be found. That draft calls for an unarmed UN observer force to protect Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza — an action Washington would veto. A resolution in the 15-member council needs nine votes in favour and no veto from any one of its five permanent members. A measure calling for a UN observer force failed in December because it obtained only eight votes, thereby sparing Washington the use of its veto. The Security Council is trying to merge three general positions: the Palestinian one, a European compromise and the United States stand. The Palestinians and its seven supporters on the Security Council want members to express willingness for an observer force or at least leave the door open for one by agreeing on an unspecified “mechanism” to protect civilians. At least 349 Palestinians, 66 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed in six months of violence between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.
Reuters |
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7 Milosevic allies arrested Belgrade, March 27 The statement yesterday said Uros Suvakovic, a former leader of Milosevic’s Socialist party (SPS), and Danilo Pantovic, a former high-ranking Foreign Ministry official, were among those arrested. Pantovic is a member of the Yugoslav Left, the party run by Mira Markovic, Milosevic’s wife. Former Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic is also thought to be under investigation for abuse of power, but his name did not appear on the arrest sheet. The Socialist party condemned the announcement of the arrests, calling them “a new act of persecution.” The new authorities in Belgrade “are mistaken if they think that the persecution of the members of the SPS will help improve the economic situation in the country, which is more and more difficult,” the statement added.
AFP |
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Murder suspect pins down judge Colombo, March 27 The suspect, Jagath Fonseka, 26, was brought to the regional magistrate’s court in Avissawela, near Colombo, yesterday so he could request for release on bail. Before the hearing began, Fonseka threatened the court with a hand grenade. He then jumped at the woman magistrate, who was about to hear his case, and pinned her to the floor. Policemen finally managed to separate him from magistrate Iranganie Perera. During the scuffle, Fonseka bit a policeman’s hand. After he was overpowered, Fonseka said that he was depressed and wanted to escape from prison, the police said. In addition to the original charge of murdering a person during a robbery, he now faces assault charges. If proven guilty, he could face a prison term of up to 22 years.
AP |
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Quattrochhi
case review in June Kuala Lumpur, March 27 Earlier this month, Quattrocchi, who lives in Malaysia, won the right to a review allowing his defence to table arguments intended to have proceedings against him quashed. ‘’The judicial review date has been set for June 18,’’ one of Quattrochhi’s lawyers said. In granting the review on March 8, Judge K.C. Vohrah ordered a stay on all other proceedings linked to the case. Quattrocchi is sought by Indian investigators as one of the five recipients of alleged payments to win a contract from Swedish artillery company Bofors in 1986. He has denied any involvement.
Reuters |
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