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Gorshkov deal to be signed
tomorrow Bofors case: CBI official to visit UK SAARC can help save
agri-sector, Sex workers unanimous on legalisation SC sends back Jalandhar dowry case |
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Possibility of LS, Assembly poll
worries Krishna Amjad calls it quits with Indian musicians Kashmiri Pandits seek participation in
talks Feroz Khan to file affidavit today
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Gorshkov deal to be signed
tomorrow New Delhi, January 18 The Russian Defence Minister, who begins his three-day visit to New Delhi from tomorrow, is expected to meet Mr Fernandes on Tuesday morning. The Russian Defence Ministry delegation, which will be accompanying Mr Ivanov, is expected to hold discussions with their Indian counterparts tomorrow and then on Tuesday morning to crease out last minute problems that may remain. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had in its meeting yesterday authorised Mr Fernandes to work out the deal with Russia and to ink the deal during the visit of the Russian Defence Minister. The Government’s nod for the purchase of the almost 45,000 tonne aircraft carrier will mean a major boost to the Navy that has been waiting for long for a aircraft carrier. The decks for the purchase of Admiral Gorshkov were cleared late last year following hectic rounds of negotiations between India and Russia. There were major differences between the two countries not only over the price at which the re-fitment of the aircraft carrier would be carried out by Russia but also over various other equipments which Moscow was insisting that New Delhi should buys from it as part of the package deal. After the negotiations were over, the Ministry of Defence has forwarded the proposal to the CCS for its clearance which came yesterday after almost hour-long deliberations which also included a presentation from the Navy. Russia had offered Admiral Gorshkov, which has been docking at one of its ports for long after being decommissioned, free of cost to India but had stringed the offer with the sale of various defence equipment. Although the Defence Ministry officials were tight-lipped about the actual price at which the deal would be signed, sources said it could be anywhere between 1.6 to $1.8 billion. Sources said along with the deal for the re-fitment of Admiral Gorshkov, India was also expected to sign a deal for the purchase of 28 Mig-29k fighters and 6 Kamov 31 anti-submarine helicopters. The re-fitment and upgrading of Admiral Gorshkov is expected to be valued around $700 million. Earlier, there were differences between India and Russia over the fitment of the air defence system on the aircraft carrier. The Russian were apparently insisting that India should buy its modern Kashtan air defence system which was is yet to pass trials. India on the other hand, was also wanting to try out French Astre and Israeli Barak air defence systems before making a final decision. Now the air defence system would be installed on the aircraft carrier after it had completed the user trials. During the visit of Mr Ivanov, the two sides would also discuss the issue of erratic supply of spares for Russian frontline armament system used by Indian armed forces and contractual disputes cropping up over the Sukhoi-30 fighter sales to India. |
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Bofors case: CBI official to visit UK New Delhi, January 18 The agency’s Additional Legal Adviser would leave for London to help the Crown Prosecutor Office in preparing the agurment for the British Supreme Court hearing scheduled for January 21, highly placed sources said here. The official would also apprise the British authorities of the details of charges levelled against Quattrocchi. The CBI briefing to the Prosecutor-General would focus on Quattrocchi’s alleged role in the Bofors payoff case and his continuous attempt to evade appearance in the court, the sources said. The CBI contends that Quattrocchi, one of the main accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors scam, “in a deceitful manner...had been transferring the funds from one account to another to evade detection by the law.” —
PTI |
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SAARC can help save agri-sector, say
activists Mumbai, January 18 Mr Said Bakh Shad, a WSF member from Peshawar, said, “SAARC can be an answer to the rich countries’ attempt to dispose of their surplus grain to us. As a result of this dumping, our farmers are not getting proper price for their product in the domestic market.” Mr Mahmudul Huq Foez, an activist from Dhaka, said the trade agreement recently signed between SAARC countries in Pakistan was a welcome development. “For the success of the agreement, it must be ensured that no country gets any unfair advantage in trading,” he said. What, however, appears to dominate the minds of Pakistani and Bangladeshi members of the WSF is the fear of onslaught of a globalised economy on the agricultural sector than what has actually happened in the farm sector of their respective countries so far. “Right now it is the availability of cheap imported grain which is adversely affecting the farmers, but unless globalised market economy is resisted, it will create further problems for them,” said Shad and Foez. Ms Utsa Patnaik, a university professor from Delhi, delivered a lecture on ‘Imperialism and agriculture’. Producing for foreign markets, as was being advocated by the WTO and other similar institutions, could lead to shortage of grain in India, she said. “Fluctuation in the global demand can produce catastrophic results. A large number of farmers in Andhra Pradesh committed suicides following a worldwide slump in the demand of cotton,” she added. “Moreover, by cutting down on subsidies to the farm sector at the insistence of the IMF and other institutions, the Indian farmers are being made to bear heavy debt burdens,” she said. “In developed countries, farm subsidy, under various disguises, is actually many times more than what is being offered to the farmers of a developing country like India,” she added. She said the government should maintain the system of announcing minimum support price (MSP) for various crops. |
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Sex workers unanimous on legalisation of
profession Mumbai, January 18 The Indian contingent participating in the WSF comprises mostly of sex workers from Kolkata, including a large number from Sonagachi, one of the world’s biggest red light districts. Talking to the TNS, Roma Debnath, a 32-year-old sex worker representing the
Doorbar Mahila Samanyay Samiti, Kolkata, said they were fighting for legalisation of their profession by the government. “In the absence of legislation recognising our work, we are exposed to exploitation by the police and hooligans”, she said a part from extorting money, policemen as well as hooligans often forced sex workers to have unprotected sex with them disregarding the possibility of spreading AIDS in the process, she added. “Such atrocities will stop if our profession is legalised by the government”, she said. The condition of Bangladeshi sex workers, however, appears to be much worse when compared to their Indian counterparts. Mukta, a sex worker representing the Ulka Nari Sangha of Dhaka, and Mumtaz from the Durjay Nari Sangha, also of Dhaka, said sex workers of Bangladesh were facing a major crisis following the government’s steps to close down brothels in some
of the cities. “Like any worker we also work to feed ourselves. But our income is being eaten up by hooligans policemen, due to the government’s reluctance to give recognition to our profession. Since some of the brothels have been shut down, many of us have to solicit customers in the open,” Mumtaz (44) said. Rehana, a young sex worker from the Durjay Nari Sangha, said the clergy in Bangladesh were one of their worst enemies. “Members of the clergy also come to us as clients but these very clients speak against us in public”, she said. Roxana, a 38-year-old sex worker from Montreal, Canada, said in her country too there was hardly any legal recognition for theirwork. “Like India, in my country Among the sex workers who have assembled here are transvestites from Kolkata. Shubharthi Mukherjee, a male sex worker from Kolkata, said the government must withdraw the existing law against homosexuals. Mukherjee, who claims himself to be a commerce graduate, said male sex workers should also be allowed to set up brothels. |
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SC sends back Jalandhar dowry case to High
Court New Delhi, January 18 “In the absence of a clear definition of “husband” (it) specifically include a person who contracts marriage ostensibly and cohabitates with the woman,” a Bench of Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat said, setting aside the High Court order holding that no case was made out for dowry harassment and attempt to murder of Reema Agrawal by her “husband” Anupam. It was the second marriage of both of them and the trial court had held that they had married during the lifetime of Anupam's first wife and the marriage was not legal. “The judgement of the High Court, taking a view contrary to the one expressed (by the apex court), cannot be considered to lay down the correct position (of law),” the Bench said. It said since the High Court had not examined the case properly on merits, it needed to be adjudicated by it again taking every aspects into consideration. Referring to various earlier decided cases on the issue, the apex court said expression “husband” would construe a person who enters into marital relationship under the colour of such proclaimed or feigned status of husband and subjects the woman concerned to cruelty or coerce her in any manner or for any of the purposes enumerated in Section 304B and 498A of the Dowry Act. A person's liability for alleged offence under these sections for his “role as husband” could not be excluded merely on the ground whether the marriage was validated or not, the Court observed. The High Court had upheld the trial court judgement which also said the prosecution neither could establish the legality of the marriage of the two nor status of the first wife of Anupam. In such a situation, the case of dowry harassment could not be established, it had said. After rejection of its appeal by the High Court in a “summarily” order, the Punjab Government had moved the Supreme Court seeking correct interpretation of the law. Reema had claimed that she was legally married to Anupam and after the marriage, she was harassed for dowry by her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law. The prosecution had alleged that the accused persons had forcibly administered “poison” to her on July 13, 1998, but she survived after treatment in a Jalandhar hospital. |
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Possibility of LS, Assembly poll worries
Krishna
New Delhi, January 18 Although publicly the Chief Minister yesterday reiterated that he was ready for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, party insiders maintain it will put the Congress in the state at a clear disadvantage. Mr Krishna’s preference is to complete his term. In such a situation, local issues will be pushed into the background leaving the Congress to battle the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s teflon image and the BJP’s “feel good” campaign. Besides, the Congress will be left with little time to prepare for the election as compared to its opponents. Mr Krishna, who was in Delhi, called on senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee yesterday to discuss the matter. It was pointed out that the Election Commission has the powers to step in and call for elections in a state, six months before the Assembly finishes its five-year term. In the case of Karnataka, the state Assembly completes its term on October 24. This means that the Election Commission can ask the
Karnataka Government to go in for an Assembly election by April 24. Mr Krishna, it is learnt, is worried that in case the coming Lok Sabha elections are conducted in phases and the final phase is close to the April 24 deadline, the Election Commission could exercise its powers and advance the Assembly elections to coincide with the Lok Sabha election. But if the Election Commission calls for an Assembly poll well before the six-month deadline, the state government could even challenge it in court. Maharashtra is another state where Assembly elections are due in September. Although its Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has ruled out an early poll, the issue may well be decided by the Election Commission, leaving the state little say in the matter. Andhra Pradesh and Orissa have already advanced their state elections to take advantage of the Prime Minister’s favourable image and to deflect attention from their own deficiencies. |
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Amjad calls it quits with Indian musicians Guwahati, January 18 For a man, who gave his first recital at just six, this was a tough decision. But he chose never to play with any other Indian musician rather than face discomfort and public humiliation. The sarod maestro confessed that he was uncomfortable with those who were not “gurubhais”. With the Kolkata episode still fresh in his mind, he decided to play duet with Western musicians rather than his contemporaries in India. “It is actually difficult to play duet if both performers are not gurubhais”, he said. This might be a great loss to Indian classical music as the very concept of duet had been threatened by the tough decision of this soft-spoken man. Last month the maestro faced public humiliation when his companion Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan refused to play midway and walked off the stage, an unprecedented occasion in the annuls of Indian classical music. —
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Kashmiri Pandits seek participation in talks New Delhi, January 18 “If the Centre excludes us from the talks.... it will have far reaching and dangerous consquences for the integrity and sovereignty of the country,” the Kashmiri Pandit organisations said in a marathon meeting here. The meeting, organised by the Panun Kashmir, a frontal organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, assumes significance as it comes four days ahead of the talks between Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and the Hurriyat Conference (Abbas). Panun Kashmir convenor Dr Agnishekhar said there was a consensus among all the groups that any dialogue without the participation of the community was incomplete and doomed to fail. —
UNI |
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Feroz Khan to file affidavit today Mumbai, January 18 The court had early this month asked the producer to file an affidavit in reply to the allegations made in the public interest litigation and posted the matter for hearing to January 20. The NGO pleaded that it was mandatory for the producer to seek permission of the Animal Welfare Board of India before using animals for shoots. No such permission was obtained by Khan. —
PTI |
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Mumbai, January 18
In video: Disabled
people want their voice to be heard at the World Social Forum.
(
Caught in a dilemma after the recent discomfort and humiliation while sharing the stage with Ustad Bismillah Khan, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan finally called it quits with any Indian musician except his sons.
