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Tuesday,
October 8, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Purifying
Ganga: SC notices to 8 states Veerappan’s
deadline Akshardham
Temple opens to public
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Venkaiah
for reaching out to minorities
A
middling world SC bans
abortion ads
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Purifying Ganga: SC notices to 8 states
New Delhi, October 7 The notices were issued recently by a Bench headed by Mr Justice G.B. Pattanaik on an application moved by counsel Vijay Panjwani, appearing for the Central Pollution Control Board, seeking a direction to the respondents to maintain oxidation ponds for the treatment of sewage as envisaged under the Ganga action plan, on which already Rs 400 crore have been spent. The states to whom notices were sent were Bihar and 19 of its municipalities, Jharkhand and seven municipalities, Haryana and eight municipalities, Madhya Pradesh and 16 municipalities, Rajasthan and 11 municipalities, Uttar Pradesh and 44 municipalities, Uttaranchal and two municipalities, and West Bengal and 15 municipalities. Mr Panjwani had contended that the CPCB was filing the application in view of the gross and serious pollution caused by municipalities and nagarpalikas by discharging untreated domestic wastes in rivers and waterbodies. He said through the Ganga action plan patronised by the National River Conservation Directorate funds were given periodically to these municipalities for creating infrastructure to treat the domestic waste water to prevent pollution of rivers and water bodies.
PTI |
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Veerappan’s deadline Bangalore, October 7 After hearing the cassette along with top police officials, Karnataka Home Minister Mallin Kharge told reporters that Veerappan had demanded the government should send Tamil activist Kolathur Mani and local leader Mahadevaswamy as emissaries within eight days. He said Veerappan had renewed his threat to harm the hostage if his demands were not met, but declined to share information whether the bandit had made any demand for ransom. When queried how the government would react to brigand’s demand, Mr Kharge said he would consult Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, who is on a 129 km “peace and goodwill march” from the city to Krishnarajasagar and decide the future plans. In the cassette, Mr Nagappa told the state government that he could remain in the forest any longer, as the kidnap crisis had already entered 40th day, indicating that the message was recorded on that day. The former minister also requested the government to concede the demands of Veerappan and secure his early release as was done in the Rajkumar abduction case. Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (U) in Karnataka today reiterated its demand to drop charges against Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam leader Kolathur T.S. Mani and send him as an emissary to secure the release of Mr Nagappa.
PTI, UNI |
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Akshardham
Temple opens to public Gandhinagar, October 7 “The gates were thrown open at 9.34 am after the traditional ‘aarti’ and ‘shanti path’ in the presence of senior saint, Sant Ishwarcharan Swami”, a spokesman of the temple said. There were streams of devotees, including women and children walking in with folded hands as mark of respect to Lord Swaminarain, founder of one of the fastest growing religious sects of the Hindus. Armed CRPF personnel stood guarding at strategic locations. Prior to September 24, arms were not allowed inside the 25 acre temple premises, considered a premier pilgrimage centre in the region.
PTI |
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Venkaiah
for reaching out to minorities New Delhi, October 7 “There is a point in accepting the fact that though we have expanded immensely in the last 15 years, we have failed to expand the party base among the minorities. Thus, it is imperative for us to carry forward the Nagpur message of former party President Bangaru Laxman,” Mr Naidu said, addressing the BJP’s minority morcha meeting here. Although Mr Naidu admitted this “weakness” of the party as the “grey area”, he blamed the negative opposition campaign against the BJP for this. Maintaining that the BJP stood for “samaras samabhav”, the BJP President said the party’s doors were open to all. “Any doubt you have about the party, you are welcome to get it clarified. The party does not have a dogmatic attitude.” Stating that even if one person is killed in communal violence it is “shameful” for the country, Mr Naidu asserted that the BJP should not be bracketed as anti-minority just because of communal incidents in a state. “Was the BJP in power or Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee the Prime Minister when anti-Sikh riots in 1984 took place? Was the BJP in power when communal violence took place in Gujarat in 1969 and 1985,” Mr Naidu asked, accusing Opposition parties, especially the Congress, of having “double standards”. Making a scathing attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties for “misuse” of places of worship, Mr Naidu said they should desist from using religious leaders for making political speeches from places of worship. Hitting out at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the BJP President said, “He (Musharraf) should see within his country instead of telling us what to do. He need not tell us about our country.” “He (Musharraf) need not preach us. The second largest Muslim population, even more than in Pakistan, resides in India and as compared to other countries minorities feel safe, secure and honoured in India,” he said. Appreciating the people of Jammu and Kashmir for turning out in large numbers in the Assembly elections, he said, “They have dealt a blow to Pakistani plans.” “We have to salute the people of Jammu and Kashmir for defeating the aim of Pakistan to disrupt the polls,” he said. The BJP President pointed out that statistics indicated that 70 per cent of the terrorists gunned down by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were foreign mercenaries. “This means that the recruitment of local youths for militant activities has dropped. I am sure with people restoring faith in democracy, terrorism will be completely rooted out,” he said. |
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Cauvery issue: TN bandh on Oct 9 Chennai, October 7 Announcing this to reporters after a three-hour-long all-party meeting here, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said, “This is only the first step to show how Tamil Nadu is united on the Cauvery issue and our strength of feelings to the Centre, Karnataka and the entire country’’. BANGALORE:
Screening of Tamil films was suspended in the city from today in support of the Karnataka Government’s decision not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Many theatres, including those located in the Tamil-dominated areas and normally showing Tamil films, have put up boards, supporting the stand taken by the State on the vexed Cauvery issue. Tamil TV channels have been blocked by the Cable Operators Federation since October 5. Bangalore Tamil Sangam President K. Subramaniyan and Secretary T.G. Damodaran have appealed to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister to ensure that the Cauvery agitation did not turn against the Tamils in Karnataka and disturb the normal life of the Tamils. In a joint statement here, they said the Cauvery issue was due to the vagaries of monsoon and not confined to any particular language or class or community. The problem should be solved by joint efforts of the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments, along with the Centre’s guidelines, keeping in mind the interest of the farmers of both the states. Meanwhile, amid protests from Opposition parties, Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna today set out on a gruelling 129 km “confidence building peace march” to the trouble-hit districts of Mandya and Mysore in the Cauvery basin. Mr Krishna, accompanied by wife Prema, ministerial colleague and Adichuchanagiri mutt pontiff. Balagangadharanatha Swami drove to Raiaraieshwari Temple and offered worship around 7.00 a.m., before embarking on the eight-day padayatra.
UNI, PTI |
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A middling world
New Delhi, October 7 The press conferences are poorly attended. At times filmmakers are not asked questions because not many present have seen the film. Since the Austrian film “Vollgas”(Step on it) deals with the exploits of Evi(Henriette Heinz) , a single mother at a seasonal winter sports village one expected it to be as randy as the Australian “Mallboy”. Director Sabine Deflinger does churn out an Ibsenesque drama. There are some explicit sex scenes early on but Deflinger does not agree that women show more sex in their films than men. Evi is young and wants to live life in the fast lane. When she drinks she feels free and sex and drugs seem to follow. But her little girl is the biggest casualty. How she tries to give up booze is candidly handled but till the latter half the on/off part of it gets annoying. Ï did not want to kill my heroine,”is Deflinger’s explanation for the ending. Carla Camurati’s “Copacabana”( the famous Brazilian beach) is a cute little idea of how folks react to the death of 90-year-old Alberto. The comments of the dead man are hilarious and then Camurati flashes back to his colourful past and his many
romances. But after the novelty wears off the film drags on. Even the surprise ending fails to salvage it. But Camurati stands by the length of the film. Ï had done so much research, how could I leave it out,”she says. But then Ms Camurati there is a certain thing called selectivity. May be the rationing of raw stock is the only solution. The same problem was experienced in “Ïranian Spread” by Kianoush Ayyari. A counterfeit 10,000 rial note is used as a means of showing the viewer different parts of Iran in a fairly interesting way. It is both a documentary and a road movie. How to end it, however, becomes a problem and though not exactly a damp squib it loses much of its flavour. It flatters, only to deceive. |
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SC bans abortion ads New Delhi, October 7 Earlier, counsel Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the petitioner, brought to the notice of the court, advertisements being issued by various clinics across the country for sex determination and abortion, even though they have been prohibited from indulging in such activities.
UNI |
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