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Monday,
May 5, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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I was approached to topple Mufti: Farooq Vohra mission a failure: Omar Hindus in Kashmir ‘embracing Islam’ PM for consensus on madarsa reforms SPECIAL STORY |
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Government giving IA a raw deal?
UP sugarcane row: talks fail Japan to step up aid to India
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I was approached to topple Mufti: Farooq New Delhi, May 4 “Yes, he (Mr Bhim Singh) came to me and sought the support of my party to form an alternative government after he had toppled the Sayed government in the state,” Dr Abdullah told PTI here after his extensive tour of the Jammu region. The statement of Dr Abdullah was likely to cause rumblings of possible political uncertainties in the state. “The Panthers’ Party leader came to me and showed me the list of MLAs who were supporting the alternative government but I told him that they should prove their majority before the state Governor,” Dr Abdullah, who is now a Rajya Sabha member, said. Efforts to reach Mr Bhim Singh for his comments could not fructify as he was away and the Panthers’ Party leaders in the capital refused to comment on the issue. Dr Abdullah, whose National Conference is the single largest party, made it clear that his party would not encourage toppling game but would behave like a “responsible opposition.” “There are so many MLAs waiting to defect and lead the state to political instability but we are not in favour of that,” he added. To a question as to what would be the role of National Conference in case the government collapsed, Dr Abdullah said “We will like to cross the bridge when it comes. We will weigh all possibilities before taking any decision.”
PTI |
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Vohra mission a failure: Omar New Delhi, May 4 As Mr Vohra said that he would pursue further the dialogue process this month by going to other parts of the state, including Jammu, Leh and Kargil, the National Conference President said that while Mr Sayeed had termed the earlier initiative by Mr K.C. Pant a failure, he was absolutely silent on the mission of Mr Vohra. He said “Sayeed had termed the earlier initiative of K.C. Pant as a failure, because he could not hold talks with separatists except for Shabir Shah. Why this silence now when Mr Vohra had not even Shah coming his way for parleys?” On Mr Vohra’s mission, Mr Omar Abdullah said, “Kashmiris were being fooled yet again as the envelopes brought by the Centre’s interlocutor were empty contrary to the promise made by none other than Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the people of the state during his recent visit to the valley.” He said if the Centre had no intention to invite separatists for talks, such tall claims should not have been made by Mr Vajpayee. He did not spare Hurriyat leaders and said they were enjoying all benefits “of being an Indian citizen while shouting on behalf of Pakistan from their bedrooms.” “Despite this, I will say that they should be included in any dialogue process for bringing peace in the state,” he said. On the other hand, Mr Vohra said here that he had already briefed Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister on his trip to Kashmir from April 21 to 29 and was in the process of holding discussions with Home Secretary N Gopalaswamy, Special Secretary on Jammu and Kashmir A K Bhandari and other officials concerned. |
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Hindus in Kashmir ‘embracing Islam’ New Delhi, May 4 The book, titled “Kashmir —War or Peace” written by advocate-turned writer Pyarelal Kaul claimed that out of the remaining lot of Hindus in the valley of Kashmir “conversion to Islam in one form or the other, has already started.” The book opined that Kashmir was not a Muslim problem, as this community had been benefited as much as citizens of this country. “It is in fact a Hindu problem in Kashmir created by Central and state governments by their lack of vision and short sightedness,” Mr Kaul said in his book. He said the real problem was that the fate of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, which was going to take a more serious turn in future, was still not being perceived by either the state or the Central governments. Contrary to the claims of the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed government that migrants would be brought back to the valley, the writer contended that the displaced Hindus could not go back to the valley for rehabilitation and resettlement until terrorism was completely eradicated and the state completely merged with India. The book said the “occasional utterances of the Central and state government asking the migrants to go back to the Kashmir valley displayed the political bankruptcy and utter ignorance of the ground realities in Kashmir.” It said the successive Central Governments had made Kashmir’s displaced people “scapegoats” and were oblivious to their problems. It said that unless the writ of the Central Government ran large in Kashmir, no normalcy and peace would be restored in the state. Both the Centre and the state government must, therefore, come out with their policy and planning about future and dignified rehabilitation of the displaced community in the valley.
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PM for consensus on madarsa reforms New Delhi, May 4 In a message to ICI Chairman Qari Mian Mazhari in connection with a national symposium of representatives of madarsas, Mr Vajpayee asked Islamic leaders to “evolve a consensus on introducing science, computer education, English and vocational training as part of the curriculum”. “Madarsas have produced many freedom fighters and makes one a good human-being but it requires modern education to enable the students to play active part in nation’s progress and development”, he said in the message. He said the NDA government was duty-bound to ensure educational and economical upliftment of the minority community. Condemning attempts to portray madarsas as “breeding grounds of anti-national activities” and other “misleading propaganda”, speakers at the symposium asked the Centre and state governments not to discriminate against these schools in matters of extending assistance and introduction of schemes. Mr Mazhari said a number of modernisation schemes, including introduction of scientific subjects and computer education, and benefits like aid, scholarships and stipends, though announced by the government, “have not been implemented by many states”. Head of the Centre for Al Sunnah Culture Abu Bakr Qadri called for frequent interaction between the HRD Ministry and Muslim educational boards.
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Thackeray flays PM’s peace moves Mumbai, May 4 “Why the haste of extending a hand of friendship towards Pakistan when the infiltration and terrorism sponsored by that country nation is continuing unabated?” Mr Thackeray said in his party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ here.
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SPECIAL STORY New Delhi, May 4 Among the reasons believed to have influenced Mrs Gandhi’s decision not to drop any of the general secretaries in the latest reshuffle is her willingness to make the most of their experience in the impending electoral battles. The Lok Sabha elections next year being a critical test of her leadership, Mrs Gandhi has apparently tried to evolve a more “accountable system” of working. Unlike the past, most general secretaries and CWC members have only two big states under their charge. This, AICC leaders believe, will enable the office-bearers to focus better in the states and enable an easier monitoring of their performance. In opposition at the Centre for more than five years now, the longest after Independence, the Congress has to find rooms at the AICC office for its senior leaders, most of whom are former Union Ministers. Constraints of factional politics in state units and caste equations in the states facing elections have been kept in mind by Mrs Gandhi while reconstituting her team. More representation has also been given to women, minorities and weaker sections. With no additional accommodation at 24 Akbar Road which houses the AICC office, the new appointees may either have to work from alternative offices or share rooms. Almost all 22 secretaries now share small rooms in which additional tables cannot be placed. Eight secretaries have been added by Mrs Gandhi in the latest reshuffle. There is, however, a possibility of more rooms being raised but obtaining approvals for the construction may not be easy. |
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Government giving IA a raw deal? New Delhi, May 4 There are allegations that despite Air-India pilots refusing to take flights, and the flight schedule of the country’s international carrier being disrupted immensely, ministry officials chose to favour foreign airlines to bring in stranded passengers rather than call for the services of Indian Airlines, the domestic carrier. Further, although the international flight schedule and the record of the domestic carrier is far better than its performance within the country, the ministry has repeatedly been turning down Indian Airlines’ request to give it more international routes. On the other hand, the ministry has been giving permission to some of the foreign airlines to increase their frequency, ignoring the claims of the Indian Airlines on the same routes. Sources in the ministry said in the recent agitation of Air India pilots, Indian Airlines was called in to ferry passengers from Dubai and other destinations like Singapore and Bangkok only after the airlines itself contacted the ministry officials to offer its services. Facing problems, the ministry and Air-India had contacted Gulf Air, Emirates, Kuwait Airways and Oman Airways to ferry stranded passengers. A majority of the traffic was transferred to these airlines when Indian Airlines kept flying without a break from the Gulf region. Incidentally, the Secretary, Civil Aviation, Mr K. Roy Paul, is also the Chairman of Air-India and all such decisions are apparently taken by him. The sources said the ministry was apparently going out of its way to finish Indian Airlines’ monopoly on certain international routes by granting rights to foreign airlines on the same routes. This is adversely affecting the profitability of the domestic carrier. The sources said till recently Indian Airlines had monopoly over the Bangalore-Singapore route which was very profitable. But now the ministry has granted rights to Singapore Airlines also on the same route, which Indian Airlines officials feel would directly affect its earnings. Similar is the case with some of the Gulf routes. Indian Airlines operates just 11 flights to Dubai though it has the capacity to operate 20 flights. It has been requesting the ministry to increase its flights to the region but they have been specifically turned down. On the other hand, the ministry has given permission to the Emirates to increase its flights from about 20 per week to about 40 from all over the country, an increase of almost 5,000 seats in capacity. Indian Airlines had sought to increase the number of its daily flights on the Jaipur-Delhi-Dubai sector by another flight. But the request was turned down by the ministry. Similarly, it had sought a new flight on the Lucknow-Delhi-Dubai sector. Despite the Minister for Civil aviation, Mr Shahnawaz Hussain, reportedly being in favour of it as Lucknow is Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee’s constituency and would have sent out positive signals to the electorate there, the ministry turned down the proposal. The sources point out that with such proposal being turned down, it reflects the ministry wants to keep Indian Airlines in the red when some of its losses can be covered by increasing the frequency of its foreign-bound flights. |
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UP sugarcane row: talks fail New Delhi, May 4 The meeting which continued for over one-and-a-half-hour failed to evolve a
consensus over the price of sugarcane, sources said. Present at the meeting were Central ministers, including Food Minister Sharad Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and leading mill owners of the state. However, no agreement could be reached at on payment of Rs 95 per quintal state advisory price (SAP) to farmers, sources said. “I have put forth farmers’ problems before the Centre and mill owners and it is now for them to sit and find out a solution,” Ms Mayawati said after the meeting. “We are not in a
position to pay even the statutory minimum price of Rs 69.50 fixed by the Centre what to talk of paying the SAP,” the director-general, Indian Sugar Mills Association, Mr S.L. Jain said. Mr Yadav, who had convened the meeting, said both millers and farmers were facing problems and the dialogue could continue in another round of talks at a mutually convenient date. Apparently, all three sides stuck to their stand. During the meeting, the state government contended that last year’s SAP which had been notified for the current season as well should be paid to farmers. |
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Japan to step up aid to India New Delhi, May 4 Japan also agreed to step up the official development aid (ODA) to India to bring it at par with the pre-Pokhran II (1998) sanctions level of $ two billion within two years. This emerged after talks between visiting Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Indian counterpart George Fernandes. The two leaders had a one-to-one meeting which was followed by delegation-level talks. According to Japanese sources, the Japanese Defence Minister briefed the Fernandes on the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. Mr Fernandes apprised him of the increasing evidence of Pakistan-North Korean nuclear and missile nexus.
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Mohit Sen dead Hyderabad, May 4 16 hurt in clash Kolkata, May 4 |
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RUSKIN BOND GETS D. LITT FROM BHU 3 INSURGENTS RELEASED INDIAN SCULPTOR HONOURED IN SPAIN POLICE RESHUFFLE IN BIHAR |
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