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Tuesday,
July 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Sonia to lead Congress in
Index page Cong seeks to woo back traditional base News Analysis |
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Govt machinery not misused: Cong Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrated Sukh Ram eulogises Cong at HVC session HC notice to CS, Union Secretary Relief for acquisition sought Irate
women remove water pipe College sought at
Bangana
Man held for using fake bills SAT sans
chief
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Sonia to lead Congress in LS poll: Reddy Shimla, July 7 An indication regarding this was given by Mr Jaipal Reddy, party spokesperson, here today while briefing newsmen about the group discussions which took place on the opening day of the “Vichar Manthan Shivir”. He evaded a direct answer to the question whether Ms Gandhi would be projected as the Prime Minister and said she was already party president and the leader of the Congress parliamentary party. There was no dispute about leadership and it was a closed chapter and such a question did not arise. Replying to another question, he said there was no change in the party’s stand on sending troops to Iraq. It had from day one maintained that the Indian troops should be sent to Iraq only if they formed part of a peace-keeping force under the command and control of the United Nations. He also maintained that Ms Gandhi did not single out Mr L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister, for criticism by name or avoided attacking Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee. He said the blistering attack on the NDA government on the security front was, in fact, a severe castigation of Mr Vajpayee’s leadership. Mr Vajpayee was responsible for the performance of the government and, naturally its entire criticism was directed against Mr Vajpayee. |
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Cong seeks to woo back traditional base Shimla, July 7 The strategy, being discussed for electoral preparedness at the Shimla Vichar Manthan Shivir is aimed at wooing back the traditional support base. Party leaders have called for constituting task forces in parliamentary seats which the party had lost narrowly during the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. There were 132 seats which the party had lost by less than 50,000 votes in the last parliamentary elections. There were 77 seats on which the difference from the winning candidate was less than 6 per cent. The leaders said getting 3-4 per cent more votes in these seats can make the Congress win. The party needed 10 per cent more votes to come to power at the Centre on its own, they said. Calling for strengthening the party’s organisational structure, they said the task force for each such constituency should have members from the central, state, district and block Congress committees. The middle class continued to maintain distance from the Congress despite being the biggest beneficiaries of the reforms initiated by the party, was the general refrain. They said the party’s new slogan “Congress ka haath, garib ke saath,” should become the base of its moblisation strategy. The party leaders suggested giving special attention to the problems of the tribal population which had moved away from the party. The tribal belt between the Nepal border and Andhra Pradesh was identified as an area where the party could do extensive work. The leaders suggested early declaration of candidates, specially where the Congress had been losing continuously. Suggestions were made about ensuring greater coordination between the party high command and office-bearers in states, banning the entry of leaders in the party before ticket distribution, organising training camps and workers’ meetings frequently, making greater use of media, associating more intellectuals with the party and activating the Mahila Congress. Pointing out that the party’s seven-point programme for the minorities had failed to make the desired impact, some leaders suggested that the party should focus on the security, education and employment of minorities. The Congress were also debating the issue of giving reservation to the minorities. The leaders in the group on social empowerment had suggested that models of Karnataka and Kerala in giving reservation to backward classes could be considered as models. The issue of reservation in the private sector was also discussed in the light of the Supreme Court directives. Some leaders called for going ahead with 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures without getting sidetracked by amendments being suggested. |
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News Analysis Shimla, July 7 Strident in her attack on the BJP-led government’s handling of issues concerning the national security and defence, she sought to lay emphasis on “constructive” Congress politics in her 50-minute address. Concerned about “injecting of poison of communalism into the education system at all levels,” Ms Gandhi declared that the party’s political and ideological battle against “politics of hate” would begin in young and impressionable minds where the party’s political opponents “were planting the seeds of bigotry and intolerance”. The Bapu Sadbhavana “Shiksha Trust”, she said, would give shape to excellence in the country’s education system. The trust comes months after Sadbhavna Ke Sipahi was formed at the initiative of Ms Gandhi to prevent communal riots and provide quick relief in case of such flare-ups. Her decisions have indicated that the Congress’ battle against “communal forces” would go beyond electoral rhetoric. Though Ms Gandhi’s sought to distinguish “Hinduism and its liberal way of life” from whatever was propagated by the BJP,
RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, some of her own Chief Ministers have not refrained from using religion in their electoral strategies. By not mentioning the issue of alliances in her speech, Ms Gandhi sought to allay the impression of the party being too eager for tie-ups. Her detailed recounting of the strengths of the Congress is being seen as a message to the potential allies about the pre-eminence of the Congress. Ms Gandhi also tried to dispel the impression about a coterie influencing her decisions. The Congress President said though she consulted her colleagues, the decision was always hers. Her emphasis on the Congress reflecting at all levels a generational change and her warning against the monopolisation of political opportunities by a few is likely to enthuse the younger leadership in the party. She admitted that extraordinary circumstances had brought her into politics and the past five years as Congress President had been a tremendous learning experience. — PS |
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Govt machinery not misused: Cong Shimla, July 7 Mr Kuldeep Rathore, party spokesperson, said the entire expenditure for organising the three-day event was being borne by the party. Not a penny had been spent from the state exchequer in connection with the session. He maintained that the renovation and repair work carried out in some buildings and roads was part of the routine maintenance work. He said the BJP was trying to make an issue out of a non-issue to gain political mileage. The people of the state were well aware of the BJP’s false propaganda to defame the Congress and they would not be misled by such allegations, he added. |
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Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrated Dharamsala, July 7 Addressing a large gathering at the main temple here, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, hoped that the improvement of relations between China and India will also lead to the settlement of the Tibet issue. Expressing regret on the recent crackdown by the Nepalese authorities on Tibetans fleeing from their motherland, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche said these instances were a matter of concern. He also thanked India for humanitarian support given during past 40 years. The Tibetan leader said that it was only due to the help extended by the Indian government that Tibetans were able to preserve their cultural heritage. Mr Pema
Jugme, Chairman, Tibetan Assembly of Deputies, said that despite opposition the Tibet issue would be resolved
under the leadership of the Dalai Lama. Despite down pour in Mcleodganj, hundreds of Tibetans locals and foreign tourists gathered at the main temple and prayed for the long life of the Dalai Lama. His Holiness held puja at his residence. A cultural programme was presented by artistes of TIPA and schools in the area. |
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Sukh Ram eulogises Cong at HVC session Mandi, July 7 He said the workers were expecting Mr Sukh Ram to spell out new strategies to lift the party out of the present demoralisation in the wake of its dismal performance in the recent elections in which the HVC could win the lone seat of its supremo. Mr Sukh Ram went on lauding the Congress for most of the time. His off-the-track flattery tactics irked the workers, who were expecting him to announce tough measures against its two arch rivals — the Congress and the BJP. He said nothing which could invigorate the sagging morale of the workers. |
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HC
notice to CS, Union Secretary Shimla, July 7 Issuing the
notices a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta
and Mr Justice R.L. Khurana directed the state government to file
reply before July 28. Petitioner alleged that the non filling of the
posts of chairman and member (A) in the Tribunal was resulting in the
backlog of cases, which, per the intention of the legislature, were
required to be disposed of expeditiously. |
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Relief for acquisition sought Mandi, July 7 Talking to newspersons, he said the HPSEB had been carrying on the construction of roads and testing of land for the tunnels since 1981, but no compensation had been paid for the land acquired. He said the work on the project had been started in a cluster of villages without acquiring the land which had created resentment among the people. He urged the authorities to give compensation for acquiring their fertile land. Mr Bhardwaj alleged that in a number of houses cracks had developed due to the large-scale blasting being done for digging of the tunnel and demanded adequate compensation. He demanded that alternative drinking water supply schemes should provided for the affected villages. He also demanded that the persons whose lands had been acquired for the project should be provided jobs on priority. |
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Irate
women remove water pipe Kumarhatti, July 7 The villagers have to
use a natural spring to meet their water requirement. Last week an
aged woman, Najku Devi, died due to diarrhoea. At least 18 villagers
are down with diarrhoea symptoms. A team of doctors visited the
village to take stock of situation after villagers have suspected the
disease as gastroenteritis on Saturday. The team took samples of
spring and advised the villagers not to use its water for drinking
purpose. Panicky villagers have blamed the Irrigation and Public
Health Department for situation. |
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College
sought at Bangana Bangana (Una), July 7 Though it has other amenities, there is no college in this area. In the absence of a college, students have either to drop out after +2 or go to far-off places for higher education. A majority of the students from poor section of society have to go without college education. In
a representation to Himachal Pardesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh,
in Shimla today, people of the area demanded a college in the area so
that the youth was not deprived of the right to education.  |
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Groom’s kin shocked at missing bride Mandi, July 7 Only the mother of the girl was in the house and the
father had gone to the fields. She told the relatives of the boy that the girl was missing. Kirpal Singh of Shoja village had fixed the marriage of his son Pawan Kumar in this village. On their
arrival in the village the marriage party was shocked to see that there was no sign of marriage celebration in the house. He alleged that the girl had probably left the house with her paramour in connivance with her parents. |
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Man held for using fake bills Dharamsala, July 7 The police chased the driver and apprehended him at Jwalamukhi. The driver Suresh Kumar from Mohalla Chabutra of Nawanshahr in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was arrested. The car number C0-01-4070 was impounded. |
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SAT
sans chief Shimla, July 7 One post of member (Administrative) is also lying vacant for the past one-and-a-half years. Till date as many as 98072 cases were filed in the tribunal. Of these 27,000 matters are still to be heard. Presently
the tribunal constitutes of the vice-chairman and a member
(Administrative). The two officials remain on tour for about two weeks
every month to hold the circuit courts at Mandi and Dharamsala. During
this period only single member holds court at Shimla. The cases in
which interpretation of rule or law is involved cannot be decided by a
single member. |
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Guleri’s birth anniversary celebrated Nahan, July 7 Story writing in Himachal Pradesh was the main issue of discussion. The function was presided over by Mr Sushil Kumar Ful. Three stories were read out on the occasion. |
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Prisoner escapes from jail Hamirpur, July 7 Although the Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, had acquitted him yet he was still in the jail as the state government had gone into an appeal against his acquittal and the high court had ordered his release on bail. —
OC |
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Martyr cremated Dharamsala, July 7 |
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Lightning kills
gardener Mandi, July 7 |
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Poppy husk seized Una, July 7 |
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In video: On
the seventh foundation day of the Himachal Vikas Party, Sukh Ram for the
first time gave a statement in favour of Congress President Sonia
Gandhi. He said the issue of her foreign origin is completely
baseless. (
