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Saturday,
August 23, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Muslim
morcha formula on Ayodhya George’s
boycott illogical, says BJP Special
cells to deal with Dalit issues BJP
encouraging defections, says Congress Karunanidhi
failed to promote Tamil, No role
for govt in channel price fixation National tax tribunal mooted |
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Virbhadra
meets Sonia Godhra
witnesses allege police torture Kalam visits SC, meets Chief Justice Army
wives’ body buffer for members
Promising
leads in medicinal plant research
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Muslim morcha formula on Ayodhya
Chennai, August 22 The morcha national president, Dr M. Ejaz Ali, who led a delegation to the Shankaracharya on August 20, told reporters here today that the seer had responded favourably to the proposal, which involved handing over of the disputed site at Ayodhya to the Hindus for the construction of the Ram temple there. In return, Article 341 of the Constitution should be amended to treat the Muslim Dalits on a par with the Hindu Dalits for availing all benefits of reservation. Dr Ali said he had also presented the proposal to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) as also other Muslim organisations and they seemed to welcome the idea. They would not, however, openly support the proposal, he added. Stating that the AIMPLB did not represent the entire Muslim community, he alleged that it actually wanted to keep the issue alive so that they could take advantage of the situation. While the Muslim community wanted a solution to the problem, only 42 members in the board stood in its way, he alleged. Dr Ali said the issue could be resolved only by adopting a give and take policy and handing over the disputed site to the Hindus was a means for all four major religions in the country to live harmoniously. He claimed that the morcha represented 80 per cent of the Muslim community and had representation in 10 major states. To a question on the Common Civil Code, Dr Ali said the government should first draft a uniform code and keep it open for a debate.
— UNI |
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George’s boycott illogical, says BJP New Delhi, August 22 “The Opposition, having heard the Defence Minister during the debate, deciding to continue its boycott is only trying to save its false prestige at the cost of health of Parliamentary democracy”, BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu told a meeting of party MPs. The Congress stand to continue the boycott—despite the defeat of its no-trust move — was “not only illogical but also against Parliamentary democracy”, he said. The “Congress failed to showcase the Opposition unity. The fractures in the Opposition were more than obvious,” he said. During the debate on no-confidence motion, Mr Fernandes “smashed” all false allegations made against him and his ministry, the BJP chief said. He said the appointment of ministers and allocation of portfolios was the prerogative of the Prime Minister and the Opposition had no role in this. The Opposition boycott of Mr Fernandes, in the wake of the Tehelka expose, started after his reinduction into the Cabinet. |
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Tehelka
to launch weekly paper
New Delhi, August 22 Investigative journalism will be the mainstay of the newspaper named Tehelka — The People’s Paper, Tehelka Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tarun Tejpal told a press conference here today.
— PTI |
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Special
cells to deal with Dalit issues New Delhi, August 22 Mr Advani said 12 states — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh — had identified areas that were prone to atrocities on Dalits. He said special cells had been set up in 17 states and a union territory to deal with the problem and added that 137 special courts had also been constituted in 10 states. Mr Advani rebutted the charge by Mr Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti) and some other Opposition members that temples of Guru Ravidas, revered by the Dalits, were being selectively demolished in Delhi and Chandigarh. He informed that the temple in Delhi had not been touched and only unauthorised encroachments around it were demolished. With regard to Chandigarh, Mr Advani said he said he had asked for information. On the charge by Mr Paswan and other leaders that no action had been taken against officials in connection with the killing of five Dalits in Jhajjar in Haryana, he said trial was on against the accused and compensation of Rs 5 lakh each had been given to the next of the kin of those killed. The Opposition had charged that the government was not doing enough to check atrocities on Dalits. |
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BJP encouraging defections, says Congress New Delhi, August 22 Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said the BJP was trying to win over MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, who had recently defected from the Congress. He charged the BJP with trying to take advantage of the presence of separatist elements in the North-East, saying that it could prove counterproductive to the interest of the nation. He said on the one hand the BJP talked of consolidating the anti-defection law, on the other the party continued to promote defections. Asked about Mr Bhajan Lal forming a Congress government in Haryana through defection about two decades back, Mr Chaturvedi said it was not defection but “conversion.” |
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LS, RS adjourn sine die New Delhi, August 22 |
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Karunanidhi
failed to promote Tamil, says Jaya Chennai, August 22 “Will the language grow or develop, if somebody spoke in favour of Tamil in various platforms just for the sake of politics”, she asked, while inaugurating the Tamil Internet conference and releasing a souvenir to mark the occasion. Without taking anybody’s name but making an obvious reference to Mr Karunanidhi, she had a dig at him for his literary works. “We see people, in the garb of promoting literary works, adding more wealth to their families”, she said.
— PTI |
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No role for govt in channel price fixation New Delhi, August 22 Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating the digital hathway CAS here, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Mr Pawan Chopra said, ‘‘It is impossible to have arbitrary pricing in a transparent market. Post CAS, the total cable bill will depend purely on market dynamics.’’ Asked to comment on the government’s previous assurance that the total cable bill of consumers would not exceed Rs 200 to Rs 250 post CAS, Mr Chopra said that the government could not fix prices for channels. Asked how CAS would become operational when majority of consumers had not bought set top-boxes and were still awaiting announcements by broadcasters on individual and bouquet channel prices, Mr Chopra said, ‘‘Everything will happen....Let the process begin. I believe channel prices should be announced shortly.’’ He said that redressal mechanisms were being put in place. |
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National tax tribunal mooted New Delhi, August 22 Official sources said that the Cabinet was expected to take up the new contributory pension scheme, to be managed by independent fund managers. This had been mooted by the Finance Ministry for all government staff employed after October 2002. This proposal was being introduced as part of efforts to reduce the government’s pension liabilities. Sources said one-tenth of the basic pay and dearness allowance of the government employees would be deducted from their salary and put in the pension fund while the Centre would make a matching contribution. The government would mandate the proposed pension fund regulatory and development authority to licence the new pension funds. The Cabinet would also take up the proposed national tax tribunal to settle disputes relating to taxation matters expeditiously. The move was being made in the wake of mounting outstanding tax arrears. |
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Virbhadra
meets Sonia New Delhi, August 22 A state government spokesman said that the meeting was a ‘courtesy call.’ The meeting had come after the ministers who were also holding posts in the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, were advised by the Chief Minister to give up their party positions to implement the one-person-one post norm. Sources said that state PCC chief Vidya Stokes, who is also a minister, had raised the issue during her recent meeting with the party’s central leaders. Ms Stokes apparently told the high command that the directive for resignation should have gone from the PCC. |
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Godhra witnesses allege police torture Ahmedabad, August 22 The two-member commission, which began the third phase of its hearing today, heard riot-affected witnesses from the Madhavpura and Shahpur localities today. A Shahpur resident Zohrabibi Hussain, while deposing on behalf of a group of nine women from her locality, alleged that a mob pelted stones and hurled acid bottles from nearby high-rise buildings at houses belonging to her community. However, the police after arriving at the scene proceeded to arrest men from Muslim households. Two Muslim women were also taken into custody, the witness stated. Their houses were also set on fire and a complaint in this regard was lodged with the Shahpur police, the witness said, adding that they had preferred to stay in relief camps out of fear and spent two to three months there. The witness claimed that they had not received any compensation for their damaged property yet.
— UNI |
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Kalam visits SC, meets Chief Justice New Delhi, August 22 The President exchanged views on several important legal issues. Official sources were, however, not ready to reveal what discussions the President had with the Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the apex court. The meeting assumed importance in the wake of various recent judgements passed by the apex court, including that on the Ayodhya issue and the Best Bakery case. This is the second time that Mr Kalam visited the apex court after assuming office last year. The President also met Registrar General J C S Rawat and other senior officials. |
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Army wives’ body buffer for members New Delhi, August 22 Popularly known as AWWA, it was established on this day in 1966, as an NGO — of the Army wives, by the Army wives, for the Army wives. Mrs Rita Vij is its president at present. The organisation had spread its wings down to the units, to provide support to the Army wives. The role of AWWA became more profound in the present environment where the Army had been deployed heavily along the border and was involved in the proxy war in J and K and internal security problem of the North-East. The primary responsibility of AWWA, which it had taken upon itself, was to make an Army wife, many of whom were from predominantly rural background, self-supporting. To this and AWWA ran programmes for adult education and vocational training. It also created opportunities for wives to become self-reliant and contribute fruitfully towards improvement of the social fabric of the Army. Another domain in which the AWWA contributed was towards education for the wards of the Army personnel. It had established number of primary schools which functioned even in remote areas where adequate education facilities were not available in the normal course. The AWWA was in the forefront when it came to ameliorating the problems faced by an Army wife at the loss of her husband. AWWA not only provided emotional stability to distressed widow but also took on the responsibility to ensure that she settled down well and was ready to face the odds, in the absence of her husband. AWWA facilitated this by acting as an intermediator between various government and non-government agencies. It also provided financial support especially by way of education scholarships to the children. One of the major activities the organisation was running ASHA schools for physically challenged children. There were 30 schools spread all over the country where special facilities were provided and trained teachers imparted education to these children. To mark the occasion, AWWA week was being celebrated at all family stations and Army cantonments from August 17. It would conclude tomorrow. |
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Kids developing wrong food habits, New Delhi, August 22 The school authorities have invited Delhi-based nutritionist Ms Ishi Khosla to address 200 senior students during two separate hour-long sessions on Saturday and Sunday. The two groups comprise students of classes X, XI and XII and classes VII, VIII and IX. Ms Jamila Singh, Principal of the Mayo Girls School, a residential school built by Mayo College told TNS that parents had been complaining about the improper eating habits of their wards. ‘‘I had noticed that the girls tended to be fussy about food and did not want to eat properly. Besides, their stamina was not anything to talk about. They would feel tired in no time on the play field. I felt they needed to be counselled on proper diet.’’ Former clinical nutritionist at Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre here, Ms Khosla said that that she would emphasise the significance of eating proper food and the impact of eating proper and improper food. ‘‘A huge negative shift is visible in the way children are eating. We have increased the intake of salt and cholesterol (which can lead to high blood pressure and bone damage respectively), hydrogenated fat (which can cause cancer, heart diseases and obesity) and sugar (which can cause obesity and diabetes). Children are far more sedentary than ever before.’’ She drew attention to the worrying findings of a survey conducted by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on 870 schoolchildren in public schools of Delhi. The survey indicated that 27 per cent children were obese, 56 per cent consumed fast foods, 68 per cent preferred fried food and 68 per cent did not exercise. The nutritionist said that it was important to explain to them dietary principles and various food groups. ‘‘The two most common eating disorders seen among young girls are anorexia nervosa and bulimia. In anorexia nervosa, persons starve themselves and imagine that they are very fat. Body image becomes an obsession. In bulimia, persons have a morbid fear of getting fat. According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical College, 60 per cent of various types of cancer in women and 40 per cent of cancers in men are related to improper diet. Two-thirds of all diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes are related to lifestyle. Indians suffer from the highest risk of heart diseases compared to other world population. Intake of five to eight servings of fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke by 60 per cent,’’ she said. Ms Khosla who organised a similar workshop for students of Daulat Ram College in Delhi two years back told TNS that she would help the students take a closer look at fats, oils, cereals and nuts. ‘‘I will also talk about weight management and eating disorders. I will encourage them to improve their intake of antioxidants and strengthening their immunity against diseases. ‘‘In India, we don’t really examine food. We keep avoiding certain foods as a precautionary measure. We first need to understand various food groups so that we stand well protected.’’ The school Principal said that Dr (Mrs)
Natarajan, a Delhi-based parent, had helped them organise this workshop. ‘‘Ninety per cent of the 760 students enrolled in the school have working parents and come from service class background. Although students in our residential school get a well balanced diet, we’ll welcome suggestions from Ms Khosla on changing the diet,’’ she said. |
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Promising
leads in medicinal plant research New Delhi, August 22 “Tests reveal that the therapeutic activities of widely used plants in Ayurveda were found to be much superior to well-accepted drugs in the market,” Union Science and Technology Minister Murli Manohar Joshi told a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of his ministry here today.
— UNI |
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