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DMK, Cong talks on seat-sharing fail Bring
Rahul, Priyanka into politics, Shukla’s outfit to
ally with NDA No truck with AGP, says BJP
Skeletons
in Pak nuclear cupboard WORLD PAGE:
Foreign
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India
builds trade ties with Mercosur nations President’s
Police Medal for 55 CRPF men
2 naxals involved in attack on
Naidu shot
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DMK, Cong talks on seat-sharing fail Chennai, January 25 The Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, Dr Manmohan Singh, and AICC General Secretary Kamal Nath held more than two-hour-long discussions with the DMK President M. Karunanidhi, but could not reach an agreement. Emerging out of the meeting held at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, here, Mr Kamal Nath told newspersons that ‘’considerable progress’’ was made during the talks. The local unit of the Congress would hold further talks with the DMK and reach an agreement. He parried questions on the number of seats offered by the DMK to the Congress. He also did not say what stopped the two parties from reaching an agreement. Later talking to newsmen, Mr Karunanidhi said he had decided about the number of seats to be given to the Congress after talking to party President Sonia Gandhi. ‘’The problem is in identifying those seats,’’ he added. Answering queries, he said there was no question of giving the Pondicherry Lok Sabha seat to the Congress, as it had already been allotted to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the DPA. Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is likely to visit Chennai on January 29 to meet DMK chief M. Karunanidhi to firm up the electoral alliance between the two parties, who had earlier agreed to join hands to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. “The party President is likely to visit Chennai on January 29 and hold talks with the DMK chief to finalise electoral tie-up between the two parties”, party sources said in New Delhi today.
— UNI, PTI |
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Bring Rahul, Priyanka into politics, Sonia urged New Delhi, January 25 The UP Youth Congress also warned Ms Gandhi against a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party. The state unit asked Ms Gandhi to ask both her children to contest the elections. The plea was made at a convention of Youth Congress workers from 813 blocks of Uttar Pradesh here. However, at a separate meeting today, Sonia Gandhi said Priyanka and Rahul would decide on their own whether they wished to stand for elections and there was no pressure on them. She was speaking after addressing a meeting of state presidents of Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, and National Students Union of India units. KOLKATA:
Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee today said the party was bringing Priyanka and Rahul into the campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. Mukherjee, a CWC member, while interacting with mediapersons, however, denied to comment on whether the two would contest the poll. BANGALORE: Taking a swipe at the Congress for looking to the “dynasty” to prop up the party in the coming Lok Sabha poll, BJP President Venkaiah Naidu today said the Opposition was “desperate” and displaying its weakness. “They do not have a leader and now they are looking towards the dynasty once again and family members.. it speaks of its weakness,” he said without naming Priyanka and Rahul.
— UNI, PTI |
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Shukla’s outfit to ally with NDA New Delhi, January 25 “I have already held talks with NDA convenor George Fernandes in this regard,” he said. Mr Shukla said he would also meet Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu to discuss seat sharing in the coming elections. He said his party would be a regional outfit whose name would be finalised after his return to Raipur in a few days. Mr Shukla had yesterday broken away from the NCP, which also witnessed a simultaneous split when another senior leader P.A. Sangma parted company from the NCP chief Sharad Pawar and proclaimed his group to be the “real NCP”. Mr Sangma who spent the day eliciting views from people of various sections as also constitutional experts told PTI that he would approach the Election Commission to appraise it of yesterday’s development and to claim the NCP’s symbol and flag. —
PTI |
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No truck with AGP, says BJP Guwahati, January 25 “There is no question of having any truck with the AGP after the last election had proved that such an alliance was disastrous”, state unit president Indramoni Bora told PTI here. He said many BJP as well as AGP leaders had sent feelers to him expressing the view that such an alliance would not be liked by the voters and thus there was no question of such alliance. —
PTI |
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Skeletons
in Pak nuclear cupboard New Delhi, January 25 The Times, London, reported in November last that Iran named Pakistan and several other countries as the source of components and advice used to make centrifuges to enrich uranium. Pakistani High Commissioner in London Maleeha Lodhi went on record saying: "No country has been named in the (IAEA) report. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is a responsible nuclear power which has scrupulously observed its non-proliferation obligations". According to reports emanating from the USA, experts from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found traces of weapons grade Uranium at Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility south of Teheran. This was followed by a report which said Iran has confirmed that the centrifuge design it used was identical to the Pakistani model. Following these reports, Farooq Mohammad and Islam ul-Haq, both Directors of the Khan Research Laboratories were detained. During interrogation with the IAEA, Iranian officials gave detailed accounts of how they obtained sensitive equipment from Pakistan and other countries. Though it is not clear whether Iran was actively seeking to build nuclear weapons, IAEA inspectors during their investigations found a machine which is a modified version of a centrifuge built decades ago by Urenco, a consortium of the British, Dutch and German governments. The design is one of the several known to have been stolen in the 1970s by Dr Abdul Qadir Khan. Traces of highly enriched uranium on centrifuge components in Iran indicated that they had been used before and most of the contaminants were of a type of a highly enriched uranium believed to be similar to material produced in Pakistan. Following these disclosures, Libya disclosed that it was giving up its nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programme and pledged to name its suppliers. Pakistani officials said many of the names probably would be Pakistanis as evidence pointed to Pakistani nuclear experts as the source of at least some technology that Libya used. Similar reports had arisen about probable Pakistani assistance to Iran and North Korea. Besides, the USA has shown Pakistan evidence that its top nuclear scientists, including Dr Abdul Qadir Khan, had visited Libya and were involved in the spread of nuclear weapons technology. Moreover, it was Libya and Saudi Arabia who had given money to Pakistan to produce Islamic bomb. According to David Albright, a former United Nations Nuclear Inspector, Dr Abdul Qadir Khan helped start Pakistan programme when he stole uranium centrifuge designs in the 1970's from Urenco. An evidence pointing to Pakistan's nuclear proliferation is that centrifuges and their parts found both in Iran and Libya are similar to that of Urenco designs. Moreover, Pakistani scientists distributed a brochure several years ago offering to sale parts and plans for such centrifuges. |
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India builds trade ties with Mercosur nations New Delhi, January 23 The preferential trade accord was
signed by Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley and representatives of
Mercosur nations — Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguary. The
agreement is expected to eventually lead to the establishment of a
free trade area between the two regions to reduce their dependence on
trade with rich nations. On a bilateral basis, India and Brazil signed agreements on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space; cooperation in the field of Tourism; Exemption of visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official/service passports; cultural exchange programme; and cooperation between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Brazilian Space Agency AEB. The agreements were signed after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Brazilian leader. Official sources said the two leaders discussed a wide-range of issues, including bilateral ties and the international situation. India
has agreed to launch a Brazilian micro-satellite from its launching
pad and offered to sell its super computers in the “Param” series
to the South American Nation. The issue is understood to have
figured during talks between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Official sources said
Brazil would also be India’s partner country in the next
International Trade Fair to be organised here in November. — UNI |
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President’s Police Medal for 55 CRPF men New Delhi, January 25 Head constable Talib Husain (posthumous) and constable Sohan Khule have been honoured with the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, while DIG
M.M. Sharma, Addl DIG Pooran Singh, head constable Pratap Singh, constables Surjit Kumar, P.C.
Shahoo, Krishna Rao, R.K. Gantayat, Bishamber Singh and Dharambir Singh have been given Police Medal for Gallantry. President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service has gone to IGP Western Sector
A.K. Mathur, DIGP, Bangalore J.F. D’Souza, Addl DIG, GC Jalandhar, S.S. Gill, Commandant of Ist Signal Bn P. Valsakumar and head constable Ram Lal Dogra of 52
Bn. Besides, 44 CRPF men have been awarded Police Medal for Distinguished Service. They are: Surender Paul,
ADIG, GC Pallipuram; Vinod Seth, ADIG, GC, Gurgaon; Sheikh Salimuddin, Commandant, 117
Bn; Dr (Mrs) Hemalata Mohapatra, CMO, Base Hospital-2, Hyderabad; Pratap Singh, Second-in-Command, GC,
Neemuch; G.P. Sharma, Second-in-Command, 138 Bn; C.S. Rawat, 21/C, GC,
Rampur; K.P. Unnikrishnan, Dy Commdt, GC Pallipuram; Hari Singh, D/C 5 Signal
Bn; Shafat Mohd, D/C, GC Bhopal; G.D. Gund, Asst Comdt, GC Pune; R.
Damodaran, A/C, 18 Bn; G. Chatterjee, A/C, 69 Bn; Inspector Krishna
Gurung, 149 Bn; Inspector H.S. Rathore, GC Ajme; Inspector/RO V.S. Singh, 3rd Signal
Bn; 3rd Signal Bn, Sub Inspector N. Gopalakrishnan of Dte; SI Puran
Chand, CWS Rampur; SI Ishwar Das, 43 Bn; SI Lakhbir Singh, 132 Bn; SI Mahamuni
Rai, 81 Bn; SI Indraj Singh, 150 Bn; SI Ishwar Dass, GC Gurgaon; SI (Band) Lekh
Raj, GC Nagpur; SI Bidyadhar Biswal, Dte; Head Constable (HC) K.E.
Verghese, ISA Mt Abu; Head Constable Manager Singh, 39 Bn; HC B.K.
Sarkar, HC 38 Bn; HC D.C. Mahapatra, GC Durgapur; HC Haribal Devnath, 1st
Bn; HC C.O. Viswanathan, 64 Bn; HC S.P. Upadhyay, 45 Bn; constable Ganpati
Yadav, 92 Bn; constable Santokh Singh, 70 Bn; constable Baldev Singh, 152
Bn; and Ward Sister Charan Kaur, Composite Hospital, Jammu; Washer Man Tota Ram, GC
Khatkhati; and Cook S.N. Goswami, GC Jamshedpur. ITBP: Nine officers and personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police
(ITBP) have been awarded President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service. DIG
V.K. Upreti and CMO(SG) D.S. Agarkar have been given President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. Commandant
D.R. Sharma, Commandant (Engineer) Isshan Pradeep, CMO(SG) B.B. Dass, Assistant Commandant N.D.
Devrani, Inspector Shakti Prasad, Sub Inspector Brahmanand Nautiyal and Head Constable Jagdish Singh would be awarded with Police Medal for Meritorious
Service. SSB: Eight personnel of the Special Service Bureau (SSB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs have been awarded President’s Police Medal for Distringuished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service. Inspector General Personnel
P.R. Meena has been honoured with the President’s Police Medal for Distringuished Service. The Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service has gone to IQ (A&P) Mohit Lal
Chaudhary; CMO 10th Bn Dr Raman Shastri; Commandant 7th Bn Nathi Singh
Bhanadari; Commandant 24th Bn Jagtar Singh; Second in Command, 25th Bn Satya Lal
Sarkar; Section Officer, FHQ Braja Kishor Das and Head Constable (GD) 10th Bn Ranjit Singh
Sajwan. CISF: As many as 30 personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force
(CISF) have been honoured with the President’s Police Medal. President’s Police Medal for Gallantry has been posthumously given to Solai
Alagumalal, head constable, OIL Duliajan. The Police Medal for Gallantry has gone to Aren Rajbanshi (posthumous), constable, OIL
Duliajan, and to Akshay Kumar Das, also a constable working at OIL,
Duliajan. A.S.R. Reddy, Deputy Inspector-General, NLC Neyveli; A.S.
Chelladurai, Commandant, DAE Kalpakkam; and G.S. Lama, Sub-Inspector, NISA Hyderabad have been honoured with President’s Police Medal for distinguished service and
D.R. Yadav, Deputy Commanadant, KSTPS Korba, has been awarded President’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service. Police Medal for Meritorious Service
has gone to Ajit Singh, Sr Commandant, P & H Sectt Chandigarh; B.C.
Mehta, Commandant, BSF Bhilai, S.S Gusain, Dy Commandant, RTC Barwaha; Dalel Singh, Asstt Commandant, 1st Res Bn
Barwaha; T. Venkatesulu, Inspector, Hyderabad Airport, Jagbir Singh, Inspector, 4th Res Bn
Ranchi; T.K. Das, Inspector/Min, FHQRs. New Delhi; D.S. Rawat, Sub-Inspector, IGI Airport,
T.P. Yadav, Sub-Inspector/Min, FHWRs New Delhi, Govind Jha, Asstt Sub-Inspector, CPT
Kolkata; B.S.S. Roy, Asstt Sub-Inspector, OIL Dullajan; Nepal Biswas, Head Constable NLC
Neyvell; C.K. Singh, Head Constable V.S.P. Vishakhapatnam; R.
Kumaravel, Head Constable, V.S.P. Vishakhapatnam; Head Constable R.
Kumaravel, SJM Hyderabad; Head Constable A.K. Majumdar, ISRO Bangalore; Head Constable
S.K. Rakshit BRAMBNML Salboni; Head Constable J. Tantubay, NPM
Jagiroad; and Head Constable R. Thiruchangu, RTC Arakkonam. Those honoured with Fire Service Medal for Meritorious Serivice are:
C.P. Kundu, Asstt Commandant, FSTINISA Hyderabad; Taptan Debnath, Asstt Commandant, ONGC
Mumbai; Uttam Chand Log, Asstt Sub-Inspector, FSTINISA Hyderabad and
S.K. Majumdar, Head Constable, DSP Durgapur. BSF: The President has honoured 70 Border Security Force
(BSF) personnel. Nine BSF men have been given President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, 20 have got the Police Medal for Gallantry, four others have been honoured with the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and 37 for Meritorious Service. The awardees of President’s Police Medal for Gallantry are: Constable Keshav
Deo, 163 Bn BSF; Inspector Risal Singh, 92 Bn BSF; J.K.S. Rawat, Commandant 171 Bn
BSF; Mukesh Bisht, AC (posthumously), 193 Bn BSF; Sub-Inspector Niranjan Ram (Posthumous) 172 Bn
BSF; constable Roshan Lal (posthumous), 102 Bn BSF; Head Constable T.B. Chhetri (posthumous), 18 Bn
BSF; constable Sanjib Kundu (posthumous), 104 Bn BSF. Police Medal for Gallantry: Constable K.K. Waman Rao (posthumous), 12 Bn
BSF; Inspector (G) P.B. Bhakar, ‘G’ Team Dhamkund; Head Constable Ravinder Kumar Singh, 102 Bn
BSF; constable Suresh Chand (posthumous), 200 Bn BSF; constable Koushik Chandra Routh (posthumous), 200 Bn
BSF; constable Sunil Kumar Shaw, 200 Bn BSF; V.P. Shukla, Assistant Commandant, 102 Bn
BSF; constable Shankar Lal, 102 Bn BSF; constable Sanjay Patil, 102 Bn
BSF; constable Ram Bakeel, 163 Bn BSF; constable Debendra Prasad, 163 Bn
BSF; constable Sunil Kumar, 92 Bn BSF; Head Constable Sachindra Nath Das (posthumous), 162 Bn
BSF; Head Constable Md M.H. Laskar (posthumous), 162 Bn BSF; Sub Inspector
R.K. Manjhi, 163 Bn BSF; Inspector (G) Davinder Singh Arneja, DG (G) Team
Magam; Head Constable P.M. Nath, 193 Bn BSF; Head Constable Rakesh
Chand, 02 Bn BSF; constable Jagdish Singh, 02 Bn BSF; constable Harrender Yadav (posthumous), 02 Bn
BSF. President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service: Banshi Dhar Sharma, Inspector General, FHQ
BSF; Partap Singh Chahal, Inspector General, FHQ BSF; Vijay Chand
Pandey, Dy Inspector General, SHQ BDR; and Sansar Chand Sharma, AC (Tech), STS
Bangalore. President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Services: K.J. Singh
Cheema, Dy Inspector General, HQ Addl DG (West); S. Thangappan Dy Inspector General, STC
Bangalore; Vimal Mohan, Addl Dy Inspector General, SHQ CBR; C. Marandi, Addl Dy Inspector General, STC BSF NB; Raj Mal
Kadian, Commandant, CENWOSTO, Tekanpur; Bhagwan Singh Naruka, Commandant, Adm Dte
FHQ; S.K. Barua, Commandant, 72 Bn BSF; Dr S.N. Gikrol, CMO, CSWT Indore; Attar Singh
Yadav, 21C, 30 Bn BSF; Jetha Ram Goyal, Dy Commandant, SHQ Jaisalmer; Lehamber Singh
Mander, 21C, Ftr HQ Punjab; Radhey Sham Dy Commandant, Pers Dte FHQ; Ravi
Prakash, Dy Commandant, 118 Bn BSF; B.S. Naruka, Assistant Commandant, BSF Academy; Pukhraj Singh, Assistant Commandant, Ftr HQ Jodhpur; Bharat Chand
Verma, Assistant Commandant, Ftr HQ Srinagar; Inspector Tribhuban Singh, 93 Bn
BSF; Inspector Gagan Singh, 200 Bn BSF; Inspector A. Murugan, Ftr Hq SB; Inspector
(Comn) G. Sukumaran Pillai, Signal Regt FHQ; Inspector (Comn) Amar Singh, Ftr HQ
Shillong; Inspector (Cipher) Major Singh, SHQ Tripura (S); OS (SM) Bal Kishan
Kaul; Pers Dte FHQ; Sub Inspector Tilak Raj, 06 Bn BSF; Sub Inspector (G) Dev Singh
Bohara, Ftr HQ NB; Sub Inspector Prem Singh Bhandari, 62 Bn BSF; Head Constable Bahadur Singh, 51 Bn
BSF; Head Constable Amrik Singh, 27 Bn BSF; Head Constable H.V.
Venkatesh, STC Bangalore; Head Constable Sashidharan Nair, 77 Bn BSF; Head Constable Roshan Lal Sharma, DIG HQ
FHQ; Head Constable (Fitter) Niranjan Roy, Ftr Hq SB; Head Constable Rajbir Singh, 131 Bn
BSF; Head Constable Bhanwar Lal, 62 Bn BSF; constable Gian Singh, 27 Bn
BSF; constable Shankar Adhikary, Ftr HQ TC&M and Barber Hansraj, 118 Bn
BSF. CBI: Sixteen officers and other ranks of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been honoured with the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and for Meritorious Service. Joint Director (North)
N.P. Wasan, SP Harbhajan Singh (New Delhi) and DSP, EOW, Chennai, Y.Chelladurai have been given the medal for Distinguished Service. The medal for Meritorious Serivice has gone to: Pankaj Kumar Singh, DIG, CBI,
ACB, New Delhi; Praveen Sinha, DIG, CBI, Patna; Prabodh Kumar, DIG, CBI,
EO-II, New Delhi; V.K.C. Reddy, DSP,CBI, Vishakapatnam; B.L. Tiwari, Inspector, CBI, Head Office, New Delhi;
S.P. Kundan, Inspector, System Division, CBI, New Delhi; S.C. Bhalla, Inspector CBI,
ACB, New Delhi; Balak Ram , Sub Inspector, CBI, SCB, New Delhi;
Ramkishan, Sub Inspector, CBI, SCB, New Delhi; Rajender Singh, Head Constable, CBI,
Jabalpur; Keshar Singh, Head Constable, CBI, Head Office, New Delhi; Bhanupartap Singh, constable CBI,
ACB, Lucknow; and S. Srinivasan, constable, CBI, ACB, Chennai. Delhi Police: DCP Suvashish Choudhary and ACP Jaipal Singh are among the 11 officers of the Delhi Police who have been awarded President’s Police Medal. The President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service has been given to Inspector Pratima Sharma,
SHO, Tilak Marg. The Police Medal for Meritorious Service has been given to DCP Suvashish
Choudhary; ACP/Darya Ganj, Jaipal Singh; ACP, FRRO, Mangi Lal Meena;
ACP/Traffic (South-West District) Ram Karan Meena; ACP/HQ Vikraman
Nair; Inspector Vijay Kumar Dham; Inspector Rajinder Singh Yadav; W/Inspector Neeta
Malhotra; ASI (Ex.) Asad Raza Zaidi and ASI (Driver) Lal Chand. HIMACHAL PRADESH: Ashok Kumar
Sood, IGP, AP&T Shimla; Hardesh Bisht, Dy SP, 3rd Bn Pandoh; Dev
Raj, Inspector, Ist HPAP Junga. JAMMU & KASHMIR: M. Sulaiman
Salaria, SSP/Comdt, JKAP 7Bn Jammu; N.D. Wani, SSP/Comdt, JKAP 11 Th
Bn; A.S. Bali, SSP, Security Jammu; Nissar Ahmed, SSP, CID SB, Jammu; Mohd Amin
Tak, SSP, PTWS, Jammu; Manmohan Singh, SSP, SO to IGP Jammu Zone; Abdul Rashid
Ganai, SDPO, Kothibagh, Srinagar; Mohd Amin Khan, Dy SP, Hqrs Budgam; Kiran
Bala, Inspector, SHO women PS Jammu, Hari Krishan Ganjoo, Inspector, Telecom, Jammu. PUNJAB: Rajpal
Meena, DIGP, Ferozepore; Paramjit Singh Gill, DIG/Int., Chandigarh; Gurjit Singh, Dy SP/city-III, Ludhiana; Surjit Singh, Dy
SP/Hqrs, Tarn Taran; Gurdial Singh, Dy SP, 4th IRB Jalandhar; Mahi Paul, Inspector, Patiala; Nirmal Kumar; Inspector, 2nd Bn Sangrur, Kashmir
Kaur, Sub Inspector, I/C Women Cell Moga; Som Nath, ASI, Security Wing Chandigarh; Prem
Nath, ASI JIC Amritsar; Chand Singh, HC (P)/Reader to SP, Moga; and Gurdial Singh,
HC(PR) police line, Ropar. HARYANA: K.K. Mishra, DIG/Hqrs, Panchkula;
P.K. Agrawal, SP Karnal; Anil Dhawan, Dy SP Hqrs, Kuruksetra; Sube Singh, Inspector, PS City Gurgaon; Satwant Singh,
ASI, Police Lines, Telecom Panchkula; Balbir Chand, head constable/(SI in CID), CID Unit Chandigarh. —
UNI, PTI |
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494 armed forces personnel awarded New Delhi, January 25 While Triveni Singh has been posthumously decorated with Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest peacetime award, two other personnel — Major Ashok Kothiyal of the Garwhal Rifles and Constable C. Stanly of the BSF — have been awarded Kirti Chakra, the second highest gallantry award for daring acts against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Stanly also made the supreme sacrifice of his life. The father of Triveni Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, Capt Jamrej Singh, would receive the medal from the President at the Republic Day parade tomorrow. The sister of Commando Sanjog Chhetri of the 9 Para Commandos, who was awarded Ashok Chakra last year, will also receive the medal from the President, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. The roll of honour this year includes one Ashok Chakra, two Kirti Chakras, 29 Param Vishist Seva medals, five Uttam Yudh Seva medals, three bars to Ati Vishist seva medals, one bar to Shaurya Chakra, 30 Shaurya Chakras, 48 Ati Vishist Seva medals, 13 Yudh Seva medals, four bars to Sena medals, 163 Sena medals, 17 Nao Sena medals, 16 Vayu Sena medals, three bars to Vishist Seva medals and 119 Vishist Seva medals. Though the government said there had been little action during the year-long Operation Parakaram, the mobilisation of troops on the Pakistan border, the awards bely the claims. Among the decorations are five Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva Medals and citations for a number of Sena Medals, Shaurya Chakra as well as Nao Sena Medals where it is stated the medals have been awarded for gallantry in the face of the enemy. The recipients of the Uttam Yudh Seva medals include Major-Gen Hardev Singh Lidder, who led Operation Sarp Vinash against terrorists hideouts in Surankote in Rajouri district, and the Army’s new public face Major-Gen Deepak Summenwar, who has been awarded for leading a mountain division in Dras during Operation Parakaram. Also honoured are Major-Gen J.K. Mohanty, who led the Siachen Division in Operation Parakaram and Major-Gen S. Yadav for leading the counter-insurgency Kilo force in frontier district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, 28 other senior officers have been decorated with Param Vishist Seva Medal for distinguished service of the highest order. The recipients include Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral S.V. Gopalachari, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieut-Gen J.B.S. Yadava and Air Marshal Raghu Rajan and former Assistant Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narayan Menon. Other recipients of the PVSM include Lieut-Gen Richard Khare, Director General Military Intelligence, Lieut-Gen B.K. Bopanna, DG NCC, Lieut-Gen Nirbhay Sharma, GOC Commanding, the key Srinagar-based 15 Corps. —
PTI |
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First Army PRO to get AVSM New Delhi, January 25 Brig Kant, who belonged to the Army Education Corps, took over as Army’s spokesperson at South Block in March 1998. Earlier, he was the Northern Command PRO based in Jammu and Kashmir for eight years during the height of militancy. He was also the PRO for Rajasthan and Gujarat sectors of Southern command. Brigadier Kant is already a recipient of the VSM and five other decorations, including three commendations of the Army Chiefs. Also among the AVSM winners are Major Gen Tej Krishan Kaul, the General Officer Commanding Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat areas. He had also served a vital stint as Brigadier in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. —
PTI |
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J&K
cop gets Shaurya Chakra New Delhi, January 26 Constable Raj Kumar of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has been awarded posthumously the Shaurya Chakra, a gallantry award rarely awarded to para-military or police forces. He was killed while accompanying Rashtriya Rifles personnel in a fierce encounter in Poonch district. Acting as a pathfinder for the Army personnel, he led the Army column to the dense jungle hideout of Pakistani mercenaries and took part in an operation that killed a mercenary. Last
year too, two Jammu and Kashmir police personnel had figured in the
Republic Day honours list. —
PTI |
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Indian therapist heals Pak diplomat New Delhi, January 25 Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Honorary Consul-General of Denmark in Lahore, and his wife, Farida Rehman, approached the Head of the Department of Acupuncture at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Raman Kapur, in August, 2001, after visiting the best hospitals in the world. From a speech therapist and an ENT consultant in their home country to London’s Cromwell Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital in New York, the Rehmans’ explored holistic medicine beyond the border and came to India. Apart from bringing relief to the 62-year-old former Ambassador at large with portfolio of Minister of State, Dr Kapur also cured Farida of cervical spondylitis. Since June last year, Farida has been under acupuncture medication for calcific tendinitis and is responding well to it. Dr Kapur who has learnt acupuncture from Beijing College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine told TNS that he first focussed on improving Mr Rehman’s general body energy level. “This alone took 20 sittings. After 20 sittings, he could walk to my clinic. In 2002 again, he took 20 sessions. At this time, his wife also sought treatment for cervical spondylitis. I started treating her and she recovered completely after 20 sittings. Last March, she came with calcific tendinitis and excruciating pain. But, her husband’s condition demanded urgent attention. So, she returned in June for another 20 sittings and is now here again for 12 sittings.” The Rehmans tenacity paid off and S.A. Rehman who has been decorated with the title of the Knight of the Royal Dannebrog, is able to attend office for a couple of hours everyday. His God-fearing wife attributes his gradual recovery to a combination of therapies they tried in India. “Nothing moves without God’s consent. God helps those who help themselves. Doctors at
Cromwell Hospital told me that the maximum life span of a person diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease is a year and a half. In some cases, it may stretch to five years and in very rare cases to 10 years. Faced with this harsh reality, we returned to Lahore and began exploring
other options on the Internet. We came to know about Beth Israel Hospital and immediately flew to New York. A repeat Electro Mylo Gram Test confirmed the diagnosis. It was here that the neurologist, Dr Scelsa, suggested we try some alternative treatment in India. We went to Dr Nigel, a naturopath in Munich, Germany, who suggested we go back to India which is right next door,’” said Farida. Travelling to India was not easy with travel restrictions at that time. The Rehmans are eternally grateful to the then Visa Counsellor, late Vipin Handa, in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad who gave them a multiple-entry visa. They contacted the Aryavaidyasala in Kottakal in Kerala. “Despite bookings till April 2001, the Vaidyasala people spared us a room. But Mr Rehman was very depressed, ill at ease and wanted to be moved to relatively familiar cultural surroundings of Delhi. The Vaidyasala authorities made arrangements for Ayurvedic treatment at their newly opened branch in Karkardooma in East Delhi. We also consulted Dr Jugal Kishore, a well-known homoeopath and Dr K. Sood for magnetotherapy and Dr Raman Kapur for acupuncture. Rehmans were returning to India for Mr Rehman’s follow-up treatment, his condition worsened during the 20-hour long flight via Dubai. They rushed him to the emergency at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital where doctors put him on a ventilator. “He was on a ventilator for nine days. His energy levels were very low. He insisted on seeing Dr Kapur. We and I sought special permission from the Apollo Hospital to allow Dr Kapur to do acupuncture. They even allowed me to be with him in the intensive care unit. I can never thank them enough for all these concessions. |
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2 naxals involved in attack on
Naidu shot Hyderabad, January 25 Satyam, alias Yerra Satyam and Sivanand, who were arrested in Bangalore, were being brought to Tirupati in a police vehicle when they were gunned down, the police said. Policemen escorting the two allowed them to relieve themselves near Heritage Dairy at Peleru. While getting down from the vehicle, the naxals snatched a weapon from one of the policemen and opened fire, the police said. The escort party fired at the fleeing naxals, they said adding Satyam died on the spot while Sivanand died on way to Peleru hospital. The SP, Mr M.V. Ramachandra Raju, who visited the spot immediately on information, said the police team involved in the operation would be suitably rewarded.
— PTI/ UNI |
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Three BSP activists killed Kanpur, January 25 |
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