 |
Wednesday,
August 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
Kalam shares grief of MiG-21
Navy tacking to the blue waters Oppn attacking constitutional bodies, BJP flayed for remarks on rights panel |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SC confirms death for 4 Days of Mayawati govt numbered, says Kalyan Jaya Jaitly challenges trial court’s order Laloo moves SC for release of passport Sarup Singh cremated
Security stepped up
for I-Day 6,972 qualify for Civil Services exam
|
|
Kalam shares grief of MiG-21 victim’s kin New Delhi, August 5 The President, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, granted an audience to Abhijit Air Safety Foundation chairperson Kavita Gadgil and her family to not only share their grief, but also the growing concern over the deaths of young fighter pilots in MiG-21 crashes. The President, who apparently sought a detailed report from the IAF over the crashes, gave a half-an-hour hearing in his study to the four family members of Flt Lt Abhijit Gadgil, who was killed in a MiG-21 crash two years ago. The family
members appealed to the President to ensure that the country’s soldiers were not killed by their own weapons. Emerging from the meeting, Ms Kavita Gadgil and her husband Wing Commander Anil Gadgil (retd) told reporters that they had submitted a petition to Dr Kalam for action to make flying safe. The President apparently assured them and the country at large that he would take personal interest in ensuring air safety. She sought to dispel the impression that the foundation, which had brought together a large number of families which had lost their dear ones in MiG-21 crashes, was seeking the grounding of the fighter aircraft. “We are not anti-Air Force. We do not want the withdrawal of MIG-21 from the IAF fleet as it is an important ingredient of the service. What we want is that airworthiness of MiG-21 be ensured,” she said. She said during the meeting, Dr Kalam had told them of his desire to become a fighter pilot and how he had failed to make it past an entrance test as there were only nine vacancies and he was the tenth applicant. The foundation, in its petition to the President, complained that the IAF was facing a serious erosion in its fighting capabilities due to avoidable accidents to its mainstay, MiG-21 fighters. It further said the Defence Ministry should honestly accept that there were problems with MiG-21s, which needed to be tackled on a war footing. |
|
Navy tacking to the blue waters New Delhi, August 5 A new operational philosophy has been prepared by the Naval Headquarters, which has contours well suited to the current perception of the Indian Navy, of being a competent, confident, operationally viable and regionally visible maritime power. As a result the ships of the Indian Navy are indeed “Tacking to the blue waters”, which is also the slogan of this year for the force. “Tacking” is a sailing term, indicating a change of direction of a sailing vessel. “Blue waters” is a common martime term implying deep seas, far away from one’s own shores. In keeping with this change in thrust and direction, of projecting the Navy’s emergence as a regionally viable stabilising force, the Indian naval ships have been providing assistance to the other countries not only in surveillance of the high seas but also in repairs of the ships in trouble. For instance, in April this year, the active assistance of the Indian Navy was requested by the Republic of Mauritius — 2,500 nautical miles away — to tow their Coast Guard Vessel Vigilante to Mumbai for repairs at the naval dockyard. This arduous and professionally challenging task was flawlessly executed by INS Gaj. In recognition of the demonstrated capability of the Indian Navy, the Government of Mauritius additionally requested surveillance of its exclusive economic zone. First, INS Sharda, and now, INS Suvarna, is maintaining presence in the area, sharing with them information of importance. Similarly, in June, INS Ranjit and INS Suvarna executed a month-long deployment in and off Maputo, the capital of Mozambique — over 3,500 nautical miles away from India. This was at the specific request of the Government of Mozambique to provide security and training assistance. Closer home, responding to a call by the Government of Sri Lanka in mid-May for Indian assistance in providing succour to the flood-stricken southern and central districts of the country, the swiftness and comprehensiveness of the response by INS Sharda were instrumental in showing that a friend in need is a friend indeed. A naval officer said now the naval ships were visible in or headed for the eastern choke points of the Indian Ocean, building professional partnerships with other navies of South-East Asia. Rajput and Rana ships will renew contacts with old friends in Singapore, as will INS Mumbai with the Indonesian Navy. Moving further afar, the latest frigate of the Indian Navy, INS Talwar, is visiting Djibouti at the mouth of the Red Sea, after ‘showing the flag’ at ports in Europe. Her sister ship, INS Trishul, is wending her way homewards in the Atlantic. She will make port calls along the West African Coast at Dakar, Lagos, Uganda, Wavis Bay and Durban. Farther out still, the three masted sail training barque INS Tarangini is proudly bearing the Indian flag as far away as Canada and the USA, carrying through the Great Lakes India’s desire and ability to build bridges of friendship across the seas. |
|
Oppn attacking constitutional bodies, says BJP New Delhi, August 5 BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said it was not a secret that the Congress and the Left were attacking constitutional bodies like the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Minorities. “They can attribute motives if the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes sought an explanation from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi about his Scheduled Tribe status. The same parties had termed the National Commission for Minorities as anti-minorities”, he said. When the BJP commented that it was not fair for the NHRC to demand a retrial of the Best Bakery case outside Gujarat, the Opposition was taking strong exception, painting it as an attack on a constitutional body, the spokesman remarked. Mr Malhotra said the BJP had only brought to the notice of the people that the NHRC’s action was setting a wrong precedent by asking the trial to be conducted outside Gujarat. This had resulted in all riot victims, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims in Delhi, coming out with similar demands, he added. Referring to the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Mr Malhotra said Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani had stated at the meeting that it was one of the successes of the NDA government that it had come out with many electoral reform laws during this session. He said granting of proxy voting rights to over 25 lakh defence and paramilitary personnel was a good step. The open voting system for Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections and making all donations to political parties from corporate houses through cheques would help curb money power in the electoral system, he said. Three more Bills, including the anti-defection law, were under various stages of consideration in Parliament, Mr Malhotra added. |
|
BJP flayed for remarks on rights panel New Delhi, August 5 Besides an apology from Mr Malhotra for his remarks, they demanded that the Prime Minister clarifies to the House the government’s attitude towards the Commission. While replying to a question at a press conference last week Mr Malhotra had agreed that the popular perception was that the NHRC acted against the interest of the majority community and favoured the minorities. Raising the issue during zero hour, Samajwadi Party member Ramji Lal Suman alleged that all 21 accused in the Best Bakery Case were acquitted by a court due to negligence of the Modi government. He said that BJP chief Mr Venkaiah Naidu, Mr Malhotra and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for criticising the National Human Rights Commission. Amid loud protests by the Treasury benches, CPM members Rupchand Pal and Basudeb Acharya said that the House should condemn the conduct of Mr Malhotra. Mr Suman, Mr Acharya, Mr Pal, Mr Somnath Chatterjee (CPM) and Mr Priyaranjan Das Munshi (Congress) took strong exception to Mr Malhotra’s remarks on the NHRC. Mr Malhotra recalled that during the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, 4,000 Sikhs were killed. He said that the witnesses in the case turned hostile and all accused were exonerated. |
|
|
SC confirms death for 4 New Delhi, August 5 The crime was committed by the four due to an old enmity with the family of Sarwan Kaur, during the marriage of whose son the incident had taken place on November 21, 1991. A Bench comprising Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Mr Justice B.N. Srikrishna, while confirming the death sentence awarded to Gurdev Singh and Satnam Singh by the trial court on February 28, 1997, vacated the stay on the execution of Piara Singh and Sarbjit Singh, sentenced to death on January 15, 1996. The trial court, however, had acquitted the fifth accused, Jaswinder Singh, in its judgement of January, 1996, giving him the benefit of the doubt. The trial of Gurdev Singh and Satnam Singh was held separately because they had absconded after the crime and were held much later by the police. Confirming the death penalty on Gurdev Singh and Satnam Singh, while dismissing their appeals, the Bench said, “We do not think that this is a case where imprisonment for life is an adequate sentence to meet the ends of justice.” “Though we have deep sympathy with the members of the family of appellants (the duo), we are constrined to reach the inescapable conclusion that the death sentence imposed on them be confirmed,” the apex court said in its 19-page order. The court had already rejected the appeals by Piara Singh and Sarabjit Singh on March 28, 2002. Rejecting the plea of the accused for mercy, Mr Justice Balakrishnan said all killed were innocent and in the age between 15 and 17 years, and one among them was a seven-year-old child. Describing the incident as gruesome and shocking, the court said the persons who were killed by them also had the right to live in this world peacefully and none of the convicts had any grievance against them. “The entire incident is extremely revolting and shocks the collective conscience of the community. The acts of murder committed by the appellants are so gruesome, merciless and brutal that the aggravating circumstances far outweigh the mitigating circumstances,” for showing mercy to them, the court held. The death sentence awarded to them was also upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The trial court had awarded the death sentence to the convicts as the basis of the evidence by several eyewitnesses produced by the prosecution had clearly identified the four and stated that they went on firing at innocent victims for about 15 minutes. |
|
Days of Mayawati govt numbered, says Kalyan Lucknow, August 5 Former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh said today that the days of the Mayawati government were numbered. “The government will fall in the next Budget session,” he said. The session starts on August 28. He, however, refused to divulge as to how many legislators were in touch with him. “Do not ask me the numbers. I have enough support of legislators to topple this corrupt BJP-BSP government,” he said. The BJP has called a legislature party meeting tomorrow. The meeting will be held at the residence of the leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Mr Lalji Tandon. “It is a routine meeting in which the strategy of the party will be discussed,” Mr Tandon told reporters here. On the other hand, Mr Rai, in an informal chat with newspersons, said rebel BJP MLAs were ready to desert the party at any moment. Mr Rai, who had earlier led rebel BJP legislators and had formed the Save BJP Committee, said it would not be possible this time for the party leadership to save the government. “Resentment is brewing among party workers”. |
|
Jaya Jaitly challenges trial court’s order New Delhi, August 5 While issuing the notices, a Division Bench of Ms Justice Usha Mehra and Mr Justice Pradeep Nandrajog asked the respondents to file their reply by November 18, the next date of hearing. Ms Jaitly’s counsel S.S. Gandhi submitted before the court that Tehelka had further published a “defamatory” article against the Samata Party leader and requested the court to reverse the trial court order. Metropolitan Magistrate Gulshan Kumar had on July 19 dismissed Ms Jaitly’s criminal defamation complaint against Tejpal saying “no case is made out against the accused”. Ms Jaitly had filed the criminal complaint against Tejpal for allegedly showing her in bad light by dragging her name into the alleged scandal. The article was displayed on the website last year accusing Ms Jaitly of misusing her office and indulging in corruption, she alleged.
— PTI |
|
Laloo moves SC for release of passport New Delhi, August 5 Mr Yadav had surrendered his passport to a special court at Ranchi as a precondition for granting him bail in the cases as per the Supreme Court order on October 29, 1997. The RJD chief moved the apex court after the Special Judge at Ranchi rejected his plea for the return of the passport on August 2 on the ground that the bail conditions were imposed by the Supreme Court, which had granted him bail in all cases. In the petition, filed through his counsel B.B. Singh, Mr Yadav said he had been chosen as a member of the delegation in the capacity of the RJD President. He said a special court at Patna had allowed his application for the release of the passport for the visit purpose. |
|
Sarup Singh cremated New Delhi, August 5 Born in 1917, he belonged to Rohtak in Haryana. After joining Delhi University as a lecturer in 1940, he rose to be its Vice-Chancellor in 1969. He also remained a member of the Union Public Service commission. In 1978 he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. In 1989, he was appointed Governor of
Kerala. Subsequently he was shifted to Gujarat. He leaves his wife,
Sheela, two sons and two daughters. — TNS |
|
Security
stepped up for I-Day New Delhi, August 5 In view of this, the Delhi police has tightened security arrangements near the airports, railway stations and bus terminals. The entire force has been put on maximum alert. All district Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) have been instructed to sanitise their districts by increasing the police presence, besides deployment of plain-cloth policemen. Several pickets have been erected for intense checking of vehicles entering Delhi from across the borders to ensure foolproof security. Drives were also on to check hotels, lodges, hostels and crowded market places to detect the intrusion of members belonging to militant groups. |
||||||
|
6,972 qualify for Civil Services exam New Delhi, August 5 The candidates will be eligible to appear in the Civil Services (Main) Examination, scheduled to be held from October 17. The results can be obtained from the Facilitation Centre of the UPSC and are also available on www.upsc.gov.in - the commission’s website. The UPSC has advised the candidates to contact the Facilitation Centre either in person or on phone numbers 011-23385271 or 011-23381125.
— UNI |
||||||
2 HURT IN PUNJAB MAIL
BLAST UTTARANCHAL CHIEF JUSTICE TAKES OATH TWO HELD IN BSNL CALL RACKET NAGALAND TO HAVE 3 MORE DISTRICTS CONSTABLE HELD FOR BIGAMY SHAMMI KAPOOR'S CONDITION IMPROVES |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In video: The Indian Air Force claim that its fleet of MiG-21
planes is safe. (
World
page: 
