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ULFA abducts
Assam Minister’s son Sonia may visit
Pak, says Natwar Singh
Army officers
visiting Sonia worries Fernandes |
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NCP not to merge
with Congress, says Pawar West Bengal, UP
Governors likely to quit Arjun
to meet IIM chiefs on fee cut today Govinda takes train to end hassles News
Analysis Electoral rolls
to have voters’ photos Fish medicine
continues to ‘net’ asthmatic Parsis’ anguish
over desecration Laloo orders
security cover for trains ‘Koi Mil
Gaya’ bags top honours Film arouses
passion for Christ’s language Bollywood movie
to be shot in Pak Hemkunt Sahib to
open from June 1
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ULFA abducts Assam Minister’s son
Guwahati, May 30 In written statements released to the press last night, ULFA chairman Aurbindo Rajkhowa claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Nirmalendu Langthasa and demanded the release of Bening Rabha, Robin Neog, Ashanta Bagh Phukan, Abhijit Deka, Ajay Narzary, Neelu Chakravarty and Naba Sangmai. The son of the State Hill Area Development Minister has been missing for almost a month. However, his family had kept it a secret and only three days back it filed a FIR in the Halflong police station. Initially, it was suspected that Karbi or Dimacha militants abducted Mr Nirmalendu but the ULFA’s statement has stunned the state administration. The ULFA cadres, whose release has been demanded, have been missing since the Bhutan Army launched operations against suspected ULFA camps in Bhutan. The ULFA has been alleging that their senior cadres were in the captivity of the Army, while both the Indian and Bhutanese armies have denied it. The insurgent outfit, however, stated that it would not release Mr Langthasa unless the whereabouts of these militants were made known. The outfit has repeatedly alleged that its cadres are in Fort William, the headquarter of the Eastern Command. The ULFA’s new style of assault has sent a shockwave across the state as the outfit was seen losing ground after the Bhutan operation and had been almost silent for the past six months. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi could not be reached for comment as he had left for Tinsukia.
— UNI |
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Sonia may visit Pak, says Natwar Singh
Jaipur, May 30 “Ms Sonia Gandhi has been invited to Pakistan and I hope a programme will be chalked out for her visit,” he said. He was speaking at a function in the PCC office here to felicitate him. “I believe she will go to Pakistan,” he said. He said Mr Rahul Gandhi and Ms Priyanka Gandhi had visited Pakistan when the Indian cricket team was playing there and both had received warm welcome there. “You can imagine how big a reception Ms Sonia Gandhi will get in Pakistan when she goes there,” he added. The minister said he had also received an invitation to visit Pakistan and would “certainly” go there. “But when the visit will materialise, I can not say at the moment,” he told reporters at the residence of PCC vice-president J.S. Gehlot. Maintaining that the government would pursue talks with Pakistan on the basis of the 1972 Simla Agreement, he made it clear that there would be no compromise in tackling cross-border terrorism. He asserted that the UPA government wanted to have close ties with all neighbours. Two other Union Ministers, Mr Sheesh Ram Ola and Mr Namo Narayan Meena, were also honoured at the function. Mr Natwar Singh accused former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee of changing his stand towards Pakistan five times during his tenure.
— PTI |
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Army officers visiting Sonia worries Fernandes New Delhi, May 30 “If officers are doing that, they are committing breach of the Official Secrets Act. Matters of national secrets should not be made into playthings like this. It is an offence. I don’t know at whose behest it is being done. The only evidence I have is the statement that appeared in a national daily yesterday,” he told mediapersons here on Sunday. Quoting a paragraph from the editorial, Mr Fernnades said, “If the Congress President is going to be a source of strength to the new Prime Minister, then it is necessary to provide her an institutionalised voice rather than leave her to be seen as playing an extra-Constitutional role. Already, there is a sense of disquiet that career-minded officers and agency chiefs are calling on her and briefing her on matters of national security.” “I’m surprised that this has not come to the notice of the government. By now, we should have had some information that some action has been taken. I cannot also believe that officials are indulging in action without the knowledge of the minister. If they are doing it with the knowledge of the minister, the Prime Minister should take action against this. If they are doing it without the knowledge of the minister, the minister should take them to task.” Mr Fernandes alleged that the Congress had always been a party of double standards. He said when the caskets’ issue was raised and he got a booklet prepared, the Opposition accused him of a breach of the Official Secrets Act. “There was no paper I gave which came under the ambit of the Official Secrets Act but privilege notices were sent.” |
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NCP not to merge with Congress,
says Pawar Mumbai, May 30 Addressing mediapersons here for the first time after taking over as the Agriculture and Food Minister, he said the reason for the NCP to break away from the Congress did not exist after Ms Sonia Gandhi turned down the post of Prime Minister. He said the NCP had backed Ms Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister since her party had emerged as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha. “It was not an easy thing, but we welcomed it,” he said of her decision of not taking over as the Prime Minister. The NCP would maintain its separate identity and work towards strengthening its support base, he added. The Maratha strongman added that the NCP was now concentrating on the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly. The elections may be held later this year or in early 2005. He said the Central Government would extend assistance to Maharashtra. He also referred to the Central aid of Rs 501 crore towards drought relief for the state. He, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to work out detailed plan for disbursement of drought relief. The Central Government had promised more assistance to Maharashtra, if required, he said. |
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West Bengal, UP Governors likely to quit Kolkata, May 30 Industrialist-turned-politician Viren J Shah, owner of Mukund Steel, was the treasurer of the BJP’s national committee and a Rajya Sabha Member for two terms before becoming Governor. Mr Shastri also was a Rajya Sabha Member before first joining as Governor of Himachal Pradesh and then getting shifted to Uttar Pradesh. As far as Mr Shah is concerned, it is likely that the Bengal Left Front government will raise an objection for his removal. It is widely known that Mr Shah had been a close friend of Mr Jyoti Basu. The state Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and other ministers in the state government also have a good working relation with Mr Shah. But both Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster, Mr Mulayum Singh Yadav, and Ms Mayawati are against Mr Shastri’s functioning as Governor. |
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Arjun to meet IIM chiefs on fee cut today New Delhi, May 30 The prestigious institutes are expected to give their views on the controversial decision of former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi to drastically slash the fee. Sources in the Ministry said reverting to the earlier fee of Rs 1.5 lakh may not be possible and consensus could emerge on a graded fee structure. Besides exploring an amicable solution to the problem, which is pending before the Supreme Court, the issue of autonomy is also expected to come up at tomorrow’s meeting. Soon after assuming charge of the Ministry last week, Arjun Singh indicated that he was prepared for a dialogue with
IIMs. |
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Govinda takes train to end hassles Mumbai, May 30 Govinda, who kicked off his election campaign by travelling similarly in a local train more than two months ago, boarded the train in the afternoon from Borivli station. En route to Virar, 35 km away, Govinda interacted with passengers and accompanying journalists. “I will help solve the problems of the commuting people in this area,” Govinda told journalists. The Railways’ project to lay additional tracks between Borivli and the booming township of Vasai-Virar has been delayed by encroachers who have refused to make way for the tracks. On reaching Virar in neighboring Thane district that is part of his North Mumbai constituency, Govinda went to the Jivdani Temple as a thanksgiving gesture. The actor-turned-politician had kicked off his campaign from this spot, even climbing the 4,000 steps to the main shrine. Later Govinda, who kept another election promise, kicked off a project to install 200 hand pumps in the nearby villages of Palghar. According to party men, Govinda dipped into his personal funds to install the hand pumps so that villagers do not have to trek far to fetch water. Govinda, who scored a major upset defeating sitting Member of Parliament and Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik, told his electorate that he would cut down on his film assignments to accommodate his political work. Before hitting the big time in Bollywood Govinda was a struggler who began life in the boondocks of Virar. He, however, kept in touch with his roots, coming every year for the Ganesh festival. |
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News Analysis Bangalore: It took two weeks for the JD (S) and the Congress to reach an agreement on government formation in Karnataka — and that, perhaps, was just on who will be chief minister and deputy chief minister. The Maharashtra model was touted as the basis of the agreement on which all major portfolios, including Home, Finance, Rural Development, Higher Education, were to come to the junior coalition partner, in this case the JD (S). This is the expectation of the JD (S) too, but with Congress state spokesperson Janardan Poojary already stating that the model applied only to the selection of CM and Dy CM, Cabinet formation is likely to be delayed by quite a few days. Mr Dharam Singh, who got the CM’s chair, has the reputation of studied affability and geniality, while Mr Siddaramiah, the Deputy Chief Minister, is more vocal, aggressive, and forthright (with some “rough edges”, as he himself declared at a meeting on Saturday). In the words of a senior leader from a rival party, Mr Dharam Singh is a “no enemies man”. “I have seen him casually give up AC first-class seats to others, even to those from other parties, and chat comfortably with no malice with someone who has just blasted him on the floor of the Assembly,” he adds. Most people attest to his accommodating and affectionate attitude with all his contemporaries. It is a policy that has evidently served him well — apart from the current election as the Congress CLP leader and thus Chief Minister, Jewargi taluk in Gulbarga district has elected him eight times to the Assembly. He has never lost. There is one disturbing aspect, however, which brings to mind the politics of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where by all accounts leaders prey on their constituencies’ backwardness to beat anti-incumbency and return to power. Jewargi is one of the most backward taluks in the state and the district in which it falls is one of the most backward in the whole of South India, according to a survey conducted some time ago by India Today. The survey used indicators like education, infrastructure and basic amenities. One out of two persons in the district lives below the poverty line. As for Jewargi, it was ranked 174 in terms of backwardness in the regional imbalance eradication committee report. Mr Dharam Singh is a Kshatriya Rajput and third and fourth generation Rajputs like him number about 11 lakh in the state. His forefathers are said to have come southward from Rajasthan with the British to fight the then rulers of Mysore. He has held several portfolios in the late Gundu Rao’s Cabinet and was Public Works Minister in the Krishna Cabinet. Mr Siddaramiah traces his origins closer home. He commands mass support with all Backward Classes, especially form the Kuruba community from which he hails. The office of Deputy Chief Minister is not new to him, as he held the same post in J.H. Patel’s Cabinet — he had missed out then too, in the race for the Chief Minister, after H.D. Deve Gowda vacated the seat for the Prime Ministership in 1996. He has held many portfolios in the Janata Cabinets of Ramakrishna Hegde, S.R. Bommai and Deve Gowda, and got the Finance portfolio in Mr Patel’s government. The 2004 setup appears to guarantee an almost constant jockeying for power and influence, albeit, at least in the beginning, given the personalities of the two leaders! In fact, at a press conference on Saturday, Mr Siddaramiah found himself dominating with his deep baritone and was frequently seen trying to push Mr Dharam Singh to the forefront too. Workers of the two parties are still dissatisfied, with talk of JD (S) support only in the Vidhana Soudha but opposition on the streets where political fortunes are made and lost. Workers still remember the violence in the run-up to the elections — the intense rivalry between the Congress and the JD (S). Moreover, there are many differences in manifesto. While tackling internal opposition, they also have to worry about facing a stiff opposition from the BJP, which is the single largest party. |
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Electoral rolls to have voters’ photos
New Delhi, May 30 “To curb bogus voting and impersonation during poll, the Commission is now coming up with lists which will also have the photo of the voters on it,” said Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Director-cum-Principal Secretary, Election Commission of India. While the Election Commission plans to implement it in the whole of the country, work has already started in those assembly segments which will be going to polls later this year. “There will be more correctness in the voters’ list and besides, it will also help in locating duplicates. Sometimes a voter’s name is mentioned twice... it can check on that,” he said. However, this step will bring up the costs of printing by 50 - 60 per cent. As of now, 50 names are printed on one electoral roll. But after the addition of the photos, only 30 names can be put on one page, said Mr Aggarwal.
— PTI |
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Fish medicine continues to ‘net’ asthmatic Hyderabad, May 30 The fish medicine, believed to cure asthma, attracts lakhs of patients from all over the country. Members of the Bathini family had been administering this medicine on the eve of Mrigasirakarti for over 150 years now. This year, the day falls on June 8. The medicine is an ayurvedic preparation and it is administered free of cost. It is placed in the mouth of a live sardine which is slipped into the mouth of the patient. The state government has been supporting the cause of Bathini brothers since 1998 by making arrangements every year for lakhs of patients who arrive from various parts of the country at the exhibition grounds here and also by providing huge quantities of live sardines through the Fisheries Department. The government has also allotted 5 acres of land to the Bathini Trust in recognition of their services. Controversy has been raging for some time now over the efficacy of the fish medicine as well as its possible side-effects with doctors demanding that the formula be studied by researchers for its curative qualities. However, the Bathini family refused to divulge the ingredients of the preparation, saying that it was a family secret. “The Bathini family does not maintain any register of the patients it treats and has no record of any patient being cured of asthma. This is a totally unscientific treatment,” said Mr N. Innaiah of the Andhra Pradesh Rationalists Association. Mr A.V. Rao of the Jana Vignana Vedika, a forum for promoting scientific temper, says, “The unhygienic way in which members of the Bathini family pop in sardines into the mouth of the patients, there is every possibility of spreading the contagious diseases from one to another. The government, instead of putting a check on such hazardous practices, is actually extending a helping hand, which has to be condemned.” The elder of the Bathini brothers, Mr Harinath Goud, however, dismisses such criticism. He maintains that there never have been any complaints of side-effects. “We are doing it only as a family tradition, free of cost. So what’s anybody’s problem?,” he says. The Indian Medical Association had earlier demanded that the formula be made available to it for testing its efficacy for asthma which would put an end to all doubts in the matter. The Gouds rejected the proposal saying their great grandfather was blessed with this formula by a ‘rishi’ on the condition that it would not be turned commercial, nor would it be divulged to anyone outside the family. Doctors maintain that asthma is not entirely curable, but patients may sometimes experience remission of the problem due to a variety of reasons, which they may attribute to fish medicine. But that does not seem to deter about 7 lakh asthmatics planning to throng the city next month for the miracle medicine. |
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Parsis’ anguish over desecration New Delhi, May 30 The ‘Bhika Behram Nu Kuvo’, a sacred well of the Parsi Zorastrian community located in the heart of Mumbai, was allegedly desecrated by vandals in March and again on last Sunday. While in the March 11 incident, stained glass panels of a canopy covering the water of the well were shattered, on May 23 the canopy itself was carried away. “The well is a place of pilgrimage for many. Its water is deemed to have medicinal benefits, which has been used by all communities and Parsis in particular,” the NCM Member Lt Gen A M Sethna (retd) said in his letter to Maharashtra Governor Mohammed Fazal. “This miniscule minority is feeling threatened by damage to a public Parsi shrine which has never happened in 1,000 years,” he said. Following the March 11 incident, the state government had informed the NCM that it had started investigation of the case. “It had even stationed policemen at the site but their presence did not deter the vandals,” Mr Sethna said. He said the solution did not lie in increasing security around the site, but in building awareness among common people about its world heritage status.
— PTI |
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Laloo orders security cover
for trains Patna, May 30 “I have sent the Inspector General and the Superintendent of Railway Police to nab the culprits. I have also ordered that escorts should be deployed on all trains to provide security to railways and its passengers”, he said here. The Minister said strongest possible action would be taken against those found involved in the incident. “I have already directed to fix responsibility in this matter”, he added. The dacoits shot dead a BSF Inspector who resisted them and looted cash and valuables worth Rs 2 lakh of the passengers on the Delhi-bound Farakka Express before escaping at the Raghunathpur station in Bihar.
— PTI |
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‘Koi Mil Gaya’ bags top honours
Mumbai, May 30 The awards extravaganza which started out with the Yash Johar produced ‘KHNH’ bagging most of the awards, was heading for a normal ending, but just then a little ‘jadoo’ brought a twist to the tale. The sci-fi ‘Koi... ‘ got the Best Actor Award for Hrithik Roshan’s depiction of a mentally challenged boy and his father Rakesh Roshan won the Best Director Award. It also won for Best Special Effects Awards. The romantic drama from the Johar stable, KHNH, won the awards in the categories of Best Music Director (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy), Best Lyrics (Javed Akhtar), Best Playback Singer (Sonu Nigam), Best Cinematography (Anil Mehta), Outstanding Debut in Films (Nikhil Advani-Director) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jaya Bachchan). Pankaj Kapur won the award for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his stellar turn as an underworld don in ‘Maqbool’, while Alka Yagnik won the Best Female Playback Singer for her rendition of ‘Oodhni’ in ‘Tere Naam’. The Guild, formed 54 years ago, last night felicitated Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. The night also saw Sony’s ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi’ along with Sabe TV’s ‘Office Office’ cornering almost all awards in the Television category. ‘Jassi...’ bagged four awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actress in a Television Series (Mona Singh), Best Director (Rohit Khanna) and Outstanding Newcomer for Mona Singh for her splendid portrayal of the lead character of ‘Jassi’. ‘Office Office’ took home the statuette for Best Acting by an Ensemble in a Television Series, Best Comedy Series as well as the second statuette of the night for Pankaj Kapur for Best Actor for his portrayal of a common man caught in a bureaucratic whirlpool. Sony Television took home the award for the Best Marketing of Entertainment Product for ‘Jassi...’ Bengali film ‘Chokher Bali’, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, which is based on a Rabrindranath Tagore story, won the Regional award, the foreign award was picked up by the Peter Jackson-directed Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Lord of the Rings-The Return of the King’.
— UNI |
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Film arouses passion for Christ’s language
Thrissur, May 30 According to the Metropolitan of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East, Mr Mar Aprem, of late there have been inquiries from Europe and America seeking interest in learning the basics of the language. Mr Aprem, who heads one of the smallest ancient Christian communities in India and has authored “Teach Yourself Aramaic”, believes that the release of the film could be a reason for increasing inquiries on Aramaic. Mr Aprem, who received a doctorate for his thesis on “History of the Assyrian Church” by Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, said there had been a spurt in the sales of his book after the release of the film. Former bureaucrat and Biblical scholar, Dr D Babu Paul, however, did not agree that the film had proved a catalyst for Aramaic learning in Kerala as the dialect and its variants had been in use as liturgical language among Christian communities in Kerala since a long time. According to Mr Aprem, about 1.5 million people around the world know Aramaic, the present variants of which are slightly different from the tongue used by Christ. Aramaic is not a difficult language to learn though its grammar is a bit more difficult than English or Malayalam, he added.
— PTI |
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Bollywood movie to be shot in Pak New Delhi, May 30 “With the thaw in the Indo-Pak relations, it has now become possible to shoot in Pakistan. Unlike most places in India, the old world charm is still visible in Pakistan. The havelis and bazars of Lahore are still untouched by modernism,” says Mr Ram Ji Sandhu, producer of the film. “We will be mainly concentrating on showing the traditional bazars of Lahore, the old havelis, the customs and traditions there,” says Mr Sandhu. “Also, unlike most of the Bollywood films, which till now, have shown animosity between the two neighbours, ‘Raqeeb’ tries to bring out the bond of friendship which exists between the people there, the hospitality of Pakistanis and the love they have for Indians,” Mr Sandhu adds. Mr Sandhu says they have already got permission from the Film Producers Association in Mumbai to shoot in Pakistan.
— PTI |
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Hemkunt Sahib to open from June 1 Dehradun, May 30 The shrine, commemorating the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, is
located at a height of 4,329 metres in Chamoli district of Uttaranchal.
— UNI |
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