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Friday,
July 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
KASHMIRI MIGRANTS IN DELHI-1 Pipeline will also benefit
Pak Print media being sidelined |
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RSS for Sinha’s resignation Police excesses: NHRC orders
Rs 1.50 lakh relief Paswan for quicker
redressal of complaints |
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Bad phone service irks pilgrims Indian train leaves on trial run to B’desh Thousands pay homage to CPM leader
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KASHMIRI MIGRANTS IN DELHI-1 New Delhi, July 12 There are no points for guessing the inherent symbolism of this dream. This dream is, in fact, a reality for the Kashmiri Pandits, who find themselves in “exile.” After their mass exodus in 1990, the Pandits have had to face not just the trauma of being uprooted, but also hostility, scepticism and harsh weather. With no roof on their heads, the tarpaulins provided by the government have become the only means of shelter for the terror-stricken. In some cases it is old school buildings of community centres. However, their new-found dwellings fail to provide shelter from the unrelenting heat, the torrential showers and unwanted visitors — scorpions and snakes. Saved from the bullet, they are falling prey not only to heartbreak, but also to the fury of the sun god. Theirs is a story of “riches to rags”, from multi-storey houses to 9-feet by 12-feet dingy rooms, with little or no amenities. Survival is a challenge. Living on the meagre dole the government hands over on a monthly basis, Darwin’s theory of survival is practically demonstrated. Basic facilities of sanitation and health are conspicuous by their absence. The air inside these dingy and undignified ‘camps’ is laced with the odour of human misery. Try as one may, one cannot shut one’s eyes to this amalgam of disgust, depression and depravation. Broken windowpanes, leaking roofs, cracks in the walls and all-pervading gloom, are witnesses to the apathy which stares these ‘migrants’ right in their face. “We want the Prime Minister to bring General Pervez Musharraf to our camps, so that he realises our plight. For the past 11 years, we have been living a life of misery. And to add to our woes is the torture that we face at the hands of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). We are made to do without sanitation, water and electricity and our repeated pleas fall on deaf ears”, said Mr Tej Kishen Kaul of the camp in South Delhi’s post South Extension area. Choked sewer pipes are tormenting the residents of Krishna Market and Lajpat Nagar. Innumerable pleas to the MCD have borne no fruit. “The MCD is conniving with the local MLA. Funds granted for the upkeep of this camp are either diverted to suit vested interests or are bungled, said Mr Inder Kumar Kaul, showing this reporter the choked and the broken pipes. Other camps have similar stories to tell. There is an unanimous uproar against the MCD’s apathy which is exhibited in its crudest form encompassing dirty water and frequent power cuts. A worried parent said, “What really bothers us is that our children suffer the most. Their education which is our primary concern is neglected. There is no space for them to study.” The youngsters are a bewildered lot. Swaying between hope and despair, their faces, with questioning glances, have a tale of their own to tell. Just like the clouded sky above, life here is be dark. With only a handful of hopefuls chasing the silver lining. |
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Pipeline will also benefit
Pak New Delhi, July 12 Observers say the implementation of the $ 3 billion project is in the benefit of both India and Pakistan and hope that the issue figures in the forthcoming summit between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. The pipeline will facilitate easier and faster evacuation of natural gas from the South Pars field in Iran which is estimated to contain 240 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas. At present, India’s natural gas needs are met by importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by sea tankers, a method which involves two additional stages between production and consumption and is thus too expensive. New Delhi, however, has voiced security concerns over an on-land gas pipeline passing through Pakistan in view of the hostile relationship between the two South-Asian nuclear powers even as the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, has come out in full support of the project. Observers, however, say it is in the interests of Pakistan to provide adequate safeguards to ensure continued supply of gas to India through the proposed pipeline. Pakistan stands to gain a substantial amount of hard cash in transit fee from this pipeline. Pakistan is expected to earn $ 700 million from this project; $ 500 million is expected for transit rights and about $ 200 million as saving from importing cheaper Iranian gas. “Therefore, Pakistan will clearly like to see this project go ahead and will be willing to provide adequate safeguards to ensure continued supply of gas to India”, an observer said. “The world’s largest reserves of natural gas are found in Iran and in Central Asia, which are in proximity to India. However, to get to these reserves India has to contend with Pakistan, because of the geographic location of Pakistan, which acts as a gateway to both the West Asia and the republics of Central Asia. Any gas pipeline from Iran or from Central Asia will have to pass through the Pakistani territory to reach India”, the observer said. According to the original proposal, the 48-inch diameter pipeline will originate from Assaluych on Iran’s Gulf Coast and after traversing 1,115 km in Iran enter Pakistan at Panjgur, pass through Multan and will go on to western India. The pipeline will run 700 km in Pakistan and 850 km in India and have a capacity of 3,260 million cubic feet per day. Observers say while India’s concerns are genuine, the tripartite nature of the project should incorporate strong safety measures. The pipeline will be built by a consortium of international companies which will require sufficient guarantees from Pakistan before embarking on the project. A tripartite agreement will have to be reached between Iran, Pakistan and India, if this pipeline is to become a reality, analysts say. “This agreement can include clauses which stipulate that Pakistan pay heavy penalties in case the gas supply is disrupted. Moreover, as Iran will also be a party to this agreement, there will be added pressure on Pakistan to abide by its commitment”, analysts point out. “The Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan serves as a precedent in this regard, as it has survived both the ’65 and the ’71 wars. This project can clearly have positive long-term implications for peace and stability in the region”, analysts pointed out. |
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Print media being sidelined New Delhi, July 12 There is a simmering discontent in the print media over the high-handed attitude of the authorities, who are showing a blatant preference to television channels. The extent of step-motherly treatment to the print media can be gauged from the fact that newspaper correspondents have been denied entry to places President Musharraf will visit during his three-day long stay in India. With the result, newspersons, representing national dailies, non-dailies and lesser known vernacular newspapers, are running from pillar to post seeking venue passes so that they can see and hear Musharraf and his wife Sehba Musharraf on their arrival at the Airport and during subsequent engagements. High security and lack of space are some of the reasons being cited to the print media by the Ministry of External Affairs and Press Information Bureau officials for not giving special venue passes to airport, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rajghat, Neharwali Haveli or the other places of engagements of the Pakistan President and his wife. Print media correspondents have been told by the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs’ Department of External Publicity, which is coordinating the visit of the Pakistan President to India, that they can see the live coverage of the events like Neharwali Haveli, Dargah at Nizamuddin, Taj Mahal, handshake between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the visiting President on various TV channels before they begin one-to-one dialogue at Agra. Even at the Dargah at Ajmer, print media correspondents would not be able to listen what Musharraf says or does. The only place where the print media will be allowed is the arena where daily briefings will be held by the officials coordinating the summit. This is the first time that the print media, which has been exploited by the various political regimes for their benefit, has been so blatantly ignored in preference to the visual media. |
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Star TV to cover
Musharraf visit Mumbai, July 12 A statement issued by the channel stated that the direct coverage would be from Delhi, Agra and Ajmer. Pakistani leaders and analysts would also take part in discussions on the channel. Programme like ‘Big Fight’, ‘Reality Bites’, ‘We the People’, will also be dedicated to the summit.
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RSS for Sinha’s resignation New Delhi, July 12 Mr Sinha was upset about the latest reports that the RSS had demanded his resignation over the slide in the economy and the US-64 fiasco in particular. When asked about the report, Mr Sinha described queries on his ‘resignation’ as ‘tutored’ and he would not reply to these. “I will not respond to that question because these are all tutored questions. You have nothing else to do except to bring up that question about my resignation every two months and I will not reply to that,” he said. Mr Sinha’s optimism that all the talk of his resignation was nothing but hot air balloons released by his critics stems from the fact that Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had chosen to take him along for the Agra summit with the Pakistan President. According to RSS sources, the organisation was not gunning for Mr Sinha in particular as it felt that the economic policies were formulated after a collective decision. They however, said that they were not happy with the state of the economy and the UTI mess had come as a big blow to the middle class. Members in the BJP too are unhappy over the state of the economy and there is a feeling that something drastic should be done to reverse the trend. This is not the first time that the Finance Minister is facing flak from within the Sangh Parivar. A few months ago the leader of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Mr Dattopant Thengadi, had launched a tirade against Mr Sinha. Controversies are not new to Mr Sinha. Last year he faced allegations that he had gone out of his way to help the FIIs routing their money through Mauritius. The charges against him are he had done so to help his daughter-in-law, Punita Sinha, one of the fund managers using the Mauritius route. Then too there were strong rumours that the Prime Minister would change the Finance Minister anytime. Report of possible contenders for the Finance Minister’s job is already doing the rounds. The name of Andhra Pradesh Governor and former Reserve Bank of India Governor, Dr C.Rangarajan, is top on this list. |
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Police excesses: NHRC orders
Rs 1.50 lakh relief New Delhi, July 12 The Commission’s attention to the case was drawn by a petition sent by a relative of the victims. In her petition, Lalitha, a resident of Mysore alleged that her father, Muniswamy was forcibly taken away by the police in the early hours of August 14, 1999. Next morning, her brother, Subramani was also picked up by the police. The NHRC has directed the Karnataka government to pay Rs 50,000 each to Muniswamy and Subramani as compensation for illegal arrest and wrongful detention and another Rs 50,000 to Subramani for the physical torture/violence perpetrated on him during his illegal confinement. The Commission has asked the State government to register a case of illegal arrest and wrongful detention /confinement of Muniswamy and Subramani from August 14, ’99 to October 28,’99. It has said that the case be investigated by the criminal investigation department of the Crime branch and a report sent to the Commission. The NHRC has asked the State government to show cause why departmental action be not recommended against the
Superintendent of Police, Mysore district and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mysore Rural Sub-Division for not making a thorough and proper inquiry and sending misleading and incorrect reports to the National Human Rights Commission and lack of sensitivity to the human rights of the citizens. The complainant said that her efforts to know their whereabouts proved futile. As if this was not enough, she was rebuked by the police when she
approached it for help. She found out that they were detained illegally at Jayapura police station in Mysore district and sent a telegram to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court praying for the release of his father and brother. She then moved a petition in the District Court which issued a search warrant through an Advocate Commissioner. But by the time, the Commissioner reached the police lock up, her father and brother had been taken elsewhere. A report from the Commissioner of Police, Karnataka denied the allegations. The Commission also received a petition from the complainant’s brother. The Commission then directed its investigation wing to hold an inquiry into the allegations. The team concluded that the allegations made by Lalitha were true and there was medical evidence that Subramani had been tortured in detention. |
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Paswan for quicker
redressal of complaints New Delhi, July 12 Addressing members of the Consultative Committee, attached to his ministry, here, Mr Paswan said in order to provide all relevant information to the customers at a single window, the Department of Post (DoP) had opened 423 information facilitation counters and had further decided to set up computerised customer care centres at all district and divisional headquarters. The minister said that a senior official of the level of Joint Secretary/Deputy Director-General was in charge of the Public Grievance Cell which monitored public grievances in the entire country with regular periodic data from postal circles. He said special drives were also being carried out throughout the country for prompt disposal of complaints relating to specific services like savings bank, money order and registration. Participating in the discussion, members said more dak sanchar seva kendras should be opened in the country. The minister informed the meeting that 2,005 dak sanchar seva kendras were opened last year and this year also a similar number of kendras would be opened. Members raised the issue of delay in payment of money orders, delivery of letters, especially speed posts in rural and remote areas. The minister told them that senior officers would visit different areas and investigate these issues for redressal of such grievances. |
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Book on two ‘jewels’ of India released New Delhi, July 12 “An exhibition of photographs, artefacts and works on the great ruler would be organised in the Capital in April,” she said while releasing a book here. The book, “Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Koh-i-Noor diamond”, written by N.B. Sen, traces the rise of the
Sher-e-Punjab and the history of the coveted jewel. Ms Dikshit, describing the last sovereign ruler of Punjab as the “Kohinoor”, said Maharaja Ranjit Singh still inspired many and the exhibition marking the bicentenary of his coronation would instil the spirit of patriotism. The publisher of the book Chandra Mohan Sen, whose father had written the book, said the author has traced the origin of the blue diamond, its possession amongst various kings and how it landed in the British Queen’s crown. Mr Pushpinder Singh, member of the organising committee, said a function was being organised at Albert Hall, London, later this year, where the Kohinoor and other artefacts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh would be on display. |
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Bad phone service irks pilgrims Badrinath, July 12 The greatest difficulty they faced was their inability to contact their families or their offices to inform about the delay in their return caused by bad roads. There has been an almost total failure of telephone services in this summer town. It has about 30 subscriber trunk dialing (STD) booths, besides hundreds of other phones in hotels and rest houses, but only three outgoing lines. Landslides block the 300 km road from Badrinath to Haridwar at one point or the other almost every day due to heavy rains, resulting in pilgrims getting stranded at Badrinath or on the way for hours and sometimes days. Anxious to inform their families and offices about the delay in their return, almost all visitors wanted to make calls to their homes. Hardly 1 per cent of them succeeded, because even the three outgoing phone lines were almost always down. One waited at these booths for hours and sometimes half a day in vain. The Border Roads Organisation has been clearing these landslides to enable the vehicles to pass. |
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Indian train leaves on trial run to B’desh Kolkata, July 12 The train from Bangladesh arrived Sealdah last night via Gede on the international border. It left Sealdah at 9.15 a.m. today on its return journey, shortly followed by the Indian train carrying officials led by Divisional Railway Manager, Sealdah, Dulal Chandra Mitra. The two trains crossed the international border at Gede (Nadia district of Bengal) at 12.50 p.m. and 2.33 p.m. respectively, and entered Bangladesh, according to Railway sources here.
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Thousands pay homage to CPM leader Kolkata, July 12 People from all strata of life stood in a long queue to have the last glimpse of their leader at the state party headquarters at Alimuddin Street here. Among those who paid their tribute were CPM politburo member and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyya, politburo members Sitaram Yechuri, Prakash Karat, Anil Biswas, Biman Bose, Congress leaders Atish Sinha, Somen Mitra and Pradip Bhattacharya.
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Varsity clarifies New Delhi, July 12 |
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