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July 30, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Manipur bandh paralyses life Deadlock with UK over AJTs deal CPI, CPM decry move on TN cops Writer surprised at winning Jnanpith Sunil Dutt seeks Bharat Ratna for Sivaji |
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Court summons Sanjay Dutt Charge sheet against Fardeen on Rajaji Park may get national status Petition challenges grace marks British Library to close Lucknow unit Factory official beaten to death Rakhi as brand ambassador Freedom fighter
dead Making adoption easier Deer dominate tiger reserve
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Manipur bandh paralyses life Imphal, July 29 The bandh was called by various Naga organisations in protest against the Centre’s decision to maintain the status-quo-ante with regard to the Naga ceasefire. The Naga Youth Front (NUF) of Senapati district and Zeliangrong Students Organisation of Tamenglong district called for road blockades on National Highway’s 39 and 53 from midnight. The blockades cut off Imphal from the rest of the country. The agitators said the bandhs might be extended further if desirous result did not come out of the protests. Security measures have been tightened on the national highways. All markets of the four hill districts remained closed. Attendance was thin in government and semi-government offices. Meanwhile, a torch rally was taken out by at least 5,000 persons yesterday at the Senapati district headquarters to protest against the Centre’s decision. Agitators from Senapati town and adjoining areas attended the United Naga Council meeting at Senapati Mini Stadium.
UNI |
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Deadlock with UK over AJTs deal New Delhi, July 29 Defence Ministry sources today confirmed reports that the Hawk deal, estimated to be in the range of $ 1 billion, has got stuck with the British side unrelenting on bringing the price down from their final offer of $ 15.5 million per aircraft. Most of the fighter plane crashes in India have been blamed on pilot error which is due to the lack of a proper trainer aircraft for Stage-III training. In the past three years, the IAF has lost 56 warplanes, 35 of them MiG-21s. “If the Hawk deal does not come through we are back to square one. It will be a long process as once again new aircraft will have to be short-listed taking into consideration suitability of air staff requirement and other factors,’’ the sources said. The sources said the first indications of the deadlock came when a senior defence official said recently that the government had accepted a Russian proposal to make a presentation on the MiG-AT, an AJT being manufactured in collaboration with France. The government’s acceptance of looking for alternate options was a significant deviation from the announcement in April last year that a single vendor situation had been reached with British Aerospace. In December last year, the then Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, had announced that it was only a matter of weeks that the Hawk deal would be clinched. This was also the indication given by the British side prior to the arrival of British Defence Minister Geoffrey Hoon in New Delhi in December. Under the deal with British Aerospace, India will manufacture under licence 44 AJTs while buying the rest off the shelf. The MiG-21 trainer aircraft presently used for Stage-III training of IAF pilots are approaching the end of their technical life. The Air Staff Targets for the AJT were fixed and notified as far back as 1984 and after evaluating the leading trainer aircrat available in the world market, the Hawk and the French Alphajet were short-listed in 1986. These two aircraft were felt to meet the training requirements of the IAF for at least 25 years.
UNI |
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CPI, CPM decry move on TN cops New Delhi, July 29 “The move it is clear, follows the continuous pressure by a key NDA ally, the DMK, and its central Ministers Murasoli Maran and T.R. Baalu , on the NDA government to take vindictive action against the Tamil Nadu government,’’ a CPM statement said. The CPI said the move totally violated the spirit of constitution and the code that governed the Centre-state relations. CHENNAI: The DMK today demanded the Centre to take immediate action against Tamil Nadu police officials, who had arrested its president M. Karunanidhi in “an inhuman” way on June 30. A resolution adopted at the meeting of its General Council, the party’s top policy making body, described the arrest as “illegal and a gross violation of human rights”.
UNI, PTI |
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Writer surprised at winning Jnanpith Guwahati, July 29 “I was informed by the Assam Chief Minister, Mr Tarun Gogoi, in the afternoon. Initially, I was not believing the news but later I accepted it, “the Delhi University professor of Assamese language said. She has been living in New Delhi for the past three decades but that has not withered her connection with her roots. “Perhaps distance purifies one’s spirit and soul. Delhi gave me loneliness, which is conducive to write books and I have been writing my entire life, but most of the times I do not get satisfaction” she said. Dr Goswami has been writing and publishing short stories since the age of seven and to her credit are about 2,000 short stories and 30 books. The readers have loved my book “Datal Hatir Uye Khowa Haoda” and they say that it is the best. In fact it has been translated into all Indian languages. Dr Goswami said she was yet to get a complete creative satisfaction from any of her works, the closest to which was her autobiographical novel “Adha Likha Dastabez.” When asked about her feelings on getting the highest literary award of the country, she said, “I have not felt anything. But I do feel when the poor countrymen of my state save their small earnings to invite me for their small occasions. I am proud to be an Assamese and it is indeed a great honour for the state.”
UNI |
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Sunil Dutt seeks Bharat Ratna for Sivaji Mumbai, July 29 Speaking at a joint condolence meeting of several cultural institutions here at Shanmukhananda Sabha, he said: “Sivaji was not only a great actor but also a fine human being who exercised maximum potential not for personal glory but towards the uplift of humanity”. Dutt, who acted in films which were re-makes of films in which Sivaji starred, said he deliberately avoided watching the original Tamil version because he knew he would never be able to rise to the height of Sivaji’s acting. Speaking on the occasion, state Chief Secretary V. Ranganathan said: “Sivaji did not merely act but lived the role he acted”. Noted ghazal singer Rajinder Mehta sang a specially composed song on Sivaji during the condolence meeting. BANGALORE: Veteran South Indian film actress B. Saroja Devi has joined the film industry in urging the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on thespian Sivaji Ganesan in recognition of his contribution to the film industry. Saroja Devi, who had paired with the late doyen of Tamil films in a number of tear-jerkers, while participating in a condolence meeting organised by the Sivaji Ganesan Fans Association here on Friday, said he deserved the coveted title and called upon the people to unitedly urge the Centre in this regard. Sivaji was one of the few artistes who played a variety of roles with effortless ease, she added. Another veteran actress Jayanthi, who echoed the sentiments of Saroja Devi, said she was yet to reconcile with the fact that the thespian was no more.
PTI, UNI |
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Court summons Sanjay Dutt Mumbai, July 29 Sanjay, who has gone abroad for a film shooting, will come for a day to appear tomorrow before designated TADA Judge P.D. Kode. He had earlier obtained permission to go abroad till August 14. Sanjay’s lawyer Subhash Kanse filed an application yesterday saying that the actor had telephonically informed him that he did not wish to examine himself or any witnesses in support of his defence. CBI prosecutor A.B. Belgal objected to the application saying that it was not signed by Sanjay and was moved on his behalf by his lawyer. He said Sanjay should come personally before the court or file such a statement under his own signature.
PTI |
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Charge sheet against Fardeen on August 1 Mumbai, July 29 Besides Fardeen, Nasir Abdul Karim Shaikh and Tony Gomes were also arrested by the NCB. While Fardeen has been released on bail, the other two are still in custody. Nine grams of cocaine was seized from Fardeen’s car on May 6. The actor wanted to buy one gram of cocaine for personal consumption from Nasir but was not able to complete the deal because NCB
sleuths swooped on them. Nasir had disclosed that Tony Gomes was the main supplier of drugs.
PTI |
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Rajaji Park may get national status Dehra Dun, July 29 In 1983, the proposal was made by the then Uttar Pradesh Government by issuing a notification to convert Rajaji Park into a protected area under the 1972 Wildlife Act and declare it a national park. Later, Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, also expressed his desire to grant the status of national park to it. Since then, the proposal was pending with the Union Government. The biggest hurdle in declaring the park a national park is the railway traffic passing through it and the nomadic Van Gujjars living in the park area. A couple of months ago, the Union Ministry of Railways instructed the authorities to lower the speed of the train to 40 km per hour when passing through the park area in view of the animals there. The state government is trying to rehabilitate the Van Gujjars outside the park area. The park’s 820 sq km forest belt is spread across both eastern and western sides of the Ganges. Park elephants had been crossing the river through the twin Chilla-Moti Chur and Satyanarayan corridors located near Hardwar. This movement, according to wildlife experts, is essential to maintain the gene flow. But these movement have been considerably restricted because of development activities. In the recent past elephants were killed by trains and vehicles because of a network of roads and rail tracks that criss-cross the area. According to Dr Paramjit Singh, a botanist and PRO at the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, no other wildlife park in the country has had so much human pressure. The pressure of human and cattle population is accelerating the fragility of the park. The wildlife habitat can be restored provided the Van Gujjars are shifted elsewhere. The Uttaranchal Government has not been able to rehabilitate the nomadic tribe despite the fact that Uttar Pradesh had already constructed a resettlement colony for the Van Gujjars at Pathri near Hardwar. Initially, they demanded more facilities in the colony by filing a petition in the Supreme Court. Following this, orders were passed by the Supreme Court to provide all basic facilities in the colony. |
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Petition challenges grace marks Mumbai, July 29 This pertinent question has been raised before the Mumbai High Court in a petition filed by a student who passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination this year with grace marks. Bhavna Aherwar, a student of Khalsa College here, has urged the High Court to direct the HSC Board of Maharashtra to withdraw grace marks and declare her fail in the examination. Mr Justices Hemant Gokhale and Dilip Bhonsale admitted the petition on July 27 but did not grant any relief. The petition has been posted for final hearing on August 8. The petitioner appeared for the HSC examination in April this year and obtained 33 per cent in Maths and Physics and 29 in Chemistry. The Board gave her grace marks and she passed with 35 per cent marks in PCM (Physics, Chemistry and maths). Bhavna contended that she was expecting more than 75 per cent marks in the examination and was shocked to learn that she had been promoted with grace marks. Her academic career was blocked because she could not get admission in a higher course with such a low percentage, her counsel, Rajashekhar Govilkar argued.
PTI |
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British Library to close Lucknow unit Lucknow, July 29 The British High Commission has already taken a decision to close down its Lucknow unit citing ‘low use’ and ‘lower membership’ as compared to other centres in India. And, the BCL has practically become non-functional on Saturdays with Sundays and Mondays being holidays for the library since its inception in 1961. It had been a great disappointment and frustration for 5,000 BCL members and books lovers in the city whose prayers to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, (an MP from Lucknow parliamentary constituency), the Queen of England, the British Prime Minister besides the British High Commission to help save the library, fell on deaf years during last one month.
PTI |
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Factory official beaten to death Kolkata, July 29 Early this year, in a similar incident, the proprietor and the personnel manager of a private jute mill at Baranagar had been burnt to death inside the factory by an angry group of labourers. A worker was also killed by gun-shot fired by the proprietor. Mr Roy-Burman could not be traced even after four days of the kidnapping today. Nor could the kidnappers be arrested. The police has failed to make any breakthrough. The Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, regretted that the supervisor had been attacked and beaten by an angry group of workers over labour unrest. He said he had asked the police to firmly deal with the situation and bring the culprits to book. Mr Roy-Burman was kidnapped on Wednesday morning on his way to the factory workshop at Tiljala from his residence by an armed abductor-gang. According to the police, while Mr Dutta and five other management staff of the factory were returning back home in the company bus from the factory in the evening, about eight-nine workers, most of them casual staff, who carried in hands iron rods and other weapons, stopped the vehicle near the gate and dragged Mr Dutta out and began hitting him with iron rods. He soon fell down and fainted, bleeding profusely. His colleagues tried to help him, but they were also attacked by the workers. |
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Rakhi as brand ambassador New Delhi, July 29 Raksha Bandhan appears all set to acquire a glittering hue, with leading jewellery brands fighting a pitched battle to shore up sales by offering customised
rakhis crafted out of precious metals. Designer jewellers
Tanishq have unveiled a “stunning collection” specially crafted
for the festival. According to the chief operating officer, Mr Jacob
Kurian, “the inspiration behind the collection is the sacred bond
between a brother and sister.” “The form, feel and the fabric of
the rakhis represent the eternal bond that exists between siblings,”
Mr Kurian said. Frazer and Haws, another major name in the business, has come out with their collection of
rakhis which can later be worn as jewellery. “While
celebrity endorsements have initiated fresh wars in the Indian
branding scene, festivals have emerged as potential brand ambassadors
for promo exercises,” a branding expert said. The mantra this
festive season seems to be “utility”. So we have
rakhis which can be reused as pieces of jewellery once the
festival is over. Similar promotional “blitzkriegs” were
witnessed earlier also. “For instance, during Holi, one saw
innovations such as virtual Holi in the cyber world,” the expert
said. Marketing experts say that the very heterogeneity of the Indian culture throws open new opportunities for brand promotion. “This
is particularly true in the context of an overall slowdown of the
economy. With sluggish demand, innovative promotional methods need to
be constantly developed,” a brand expert said. Products such as jewellery are the worst hit in times of an economic downturn, as their demands are directly dependent on the disposable income, he said. Experts, however, sounded a
caveat. With greater expansion of the Indian economy, promo wars are likely to get more intense. The recent Pepsi-Coke ad war is a case in point. Promo and sales campaigns turned bitter and the battle
reached court rooms. As marketing strategists delve deeper into
their creative cells to pitch forth their innovative best, the
consumer will get a glittering variety set to choose from. |
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Freedom fighter dead Bhubaneswar, July 29 Family sources said his body would be taken to Puri after his eldest son, an officer of Indian Railways in Delhi, and younger son in Mumbai arrive here. Das, 79, complained of chest pain this morning and was rushed to capital hospital where he breathed his last. He is survived by two sons and as many daughters. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his Cabinet colleagues and a host of political leaders visited his Ashok Nagar residence and paid floral tributes to the departed soul. Condoling his death, the Chief Minister said his death was a great loss to the state. Born in 1922 at Kalyanpur in Jajpur district, Das participated in the Quit India Movement and was imprisioned for three years.
UNI |
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Making adoption easier New Delhi, July 29 While one agency demanded an exorbitant amount of money, another had a long waiting list. It was then a chance interaction with another family who had adopted a child that led them to the Coordinating Voluntary Adopting Resource Agency (CVARA). They found six-month-old Tara here, who today makes their world go round. According to CVARA secretary Laila Baig, it is a licensed voluntary adoption agency under the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA). It is also an association of recognised adoptive agencies in Delhi, in this case numbering 10. It coordinates the specific needs of the families with the availability of children in various institutions so as to ensure smooth and speedy placements in the best interest of both the child and prospective parents, she says. Nilesh and Roma had registered themselves at CVARA in April, 1999, and by October, 1999, they gained the custody of Tara, Ms Baig adds. The Constitution of India and the UN convention on the “Rights of the Child” have laid down directives for the care, protection and the right of a child to a family. India has 30 million orphans of which 12 million are destitute, (according to an estimate of the Institute of Population Studies-1991). The recent Andhra Pradesh adoption scandal has raised doubts about the fate of orphans in the country and with the lack of awareness and guidance about adoption procedures many people have fallen prey to the trade in human lives. Contrary to popular belief, adoption does not involve any complicated procedures or paper work. After registering at a local licensed adoption agency, the prospective parents have to submit nine documents, says Ms Baig. These are the standard registration form, income and salary certificate, income tax return, property ownership documents, ration card, medical fitness and infertility certificate besides postcard size photos of the couple together. One set original and three copies have to be given within a month of registration. “People are not made to go through the drill of pursuing their file in various government departments, the agencies do that. We make the whole process easy for the prospective parents. If people submit these documents without any delay, a child can be placed with a family within six to eight months,” she adds. The process is kicked off with a home study of the prospective parents conducted by a social worker of the agency. Pre-adoptive counselling sessions are undertaken during the home study to allay their fears and apprehensions. “In the home study, we don’t test a family. A social worker talks to them about the whole process, finds out about the family atmosphere and prepares them about the addition in the family,” clarifies Ms Baig. Child is then shown to the parents. The agency takes care to match a child meeting the description, if any, desired by the parents.
UNI |
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Deer dominate tiger reserve Dehra Dun, July 29 Barking deer, spotted deer and hog deer together add to the beauty of this tiger reserve which is visited by more than 50,000 tourists annually. According to Mr R.S. Tolia, Principal, Secretary Forests and Wildlife of Uttaranchal, the avifaunal diversity of the reserve is at its peak during winters. Chital and the hog deer belong to the same genus, but are quite unlike in appearance. The chitals are highly gregarious and in a herd, their massed beauty of white-spotted and even white-streaked chestnut coat is especially arresting. Mr Tolia said in recent years, chitals had lost much ground here due to the inundation of pasture lands by water from the reservoir of the Ramganga multi-purpose hydro-electric project’s dam. They were, however, very adaptable and would continue to be a major feature of the reserve, he said. (Heg deer) is a peer relation of the spulant chitel and is coloured in shades of light brown. It lacks the sweep of the chital’s impressive antlers and is not as gregarious as the chitals are both browsers and gazers and favour grassy clearings. They do not bound along as other deer do and in this, they are pig-like. The sambhars are the largest Asiatic deer and attain their best development in India. Inspite of their large size, they are the most evenly balanced of all deer and the most graceful and clean limbed. Unlike other deer, they enter water freely and feed on water plants. They may be commonly encountered in the riverine forests at Dhikala during an elephant back ride. The muntjac (barking deer) is diminutive and notable for its loud alarm call which is a hoarse, long drawn bark typically like the bark of a dog. This alarm call is sounded at the least hint of danger, on becoming aware of the presence of a tiger or a leopard and is widely understood by all denizens of the forest as a reliable indication of danger in the offing. |
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