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2004: IN RETROSPECT |
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BJP mulls future minus Shiv Sena
NCW for protecting rights of spouses in foreign land
Family revives Rao’s funeral pyre
HIV positive man defends
petrol pump allotment
Move to reduce court cases in MP
Priyanka Chopra gets relief from apex court
Mainpuri voters harassed, says Mulayam
UPA to contest poll under Sonia: Soren
NHRC order to Chief Secy on child deaths
Woman unable to identify person who gave her Rs 500
Get a pass to use toilet!
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Kanchi junior Seer quizzed
Kancheepuram, December 26 The junior seer, who was questioned by Additional Superintendent of Police S.P. Sakthivelu, might have to appear again tomorrow for the interrogation, police sources said. The police had questioned the acharya based on the information given by a key accused, Appu, who 'surrendered' to the special team in Balakrishnapuram village near Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh on December 19, the sources added. Meanwhile, Junior seer's younger brother, Raghu, brought here from Chennai this morning, was being grilled by the police separately. The Mutt's advocate A. Shanmugam told reporters that Raghu was recuperating at his Valasaravakkam residence in Chennai after a medical treatment when the police “forcibly” brought him here.
— UNI |
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Repeal of POTA, talks with militants were high points
S. Satyanarayanan Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 26 The change of guard at the Centre in the middle of the year also saw a major swing in the Home Ministry’s approach in dealing with Left Wing terrorism. The Centre, for the first time, allowed the Andhra Pradesh Government to hold talks with the Naxal group Peoples War (PWG) without its cadres dropping their arms. An appreciable fall in infiltration from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir and the dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad on course saw the Home Ministry swiftly liberalising the visa policy for Pakistani journalists, academicians, professors, medicos accompanying patients for treatment in Indian hospitals and people invited to participate in seminars and cultural events. The effort of the Home Ministry in fulfilling the promise made in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was clearly evident as it decided to bring a law to deal with communal violence and reconstituted the National Integration Council. In line with the demands of regional political outfits in the UPA government at the Centre, the Home Ministry issued a notification creating a new category of classical languages and declared Tamil as a classical language. Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s visit in November and his open call for unconditional dialogue with militant groups and his pronouncement to consider allowing Hurriyat leaders to visit Pakistan “if applied through proper channel” came as a reiteration of the commitment of the Centre to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue through dialogue. Reduction in infiltration by 60 per cent and a lower level of militant violence resulted in revival of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, giving a boost to the state’s economy. According to official figures available, the Kashmir Valley saw the arrival of about 2.7 lakh tourists till September 2004, the highest so far in 15 years of turmoil in the state. According to the Home Minister, fencing of the border and the efforts of the security forces were among the reasons for reduction in infltration and violence in J and K. The Amarnath Yatra went incident free and a record number of four lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine in south Kashmir. In view of the improved situation, the government decided to reduce troops in J and K. However, the most notable and bold decision of the Home Ministry was the issuance of an ordinance in August to repeal the draconian POTA, which was enacted by the previous NDA regime. A POTA repeal Bill to replace the ordinance was passed by Parliament during the winter session which ended on December 23. The government also brought in a substitute law incorporating certain provisions under POTA to fight terrorism. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2004, replacing POTA, was also passed by Parliament to deal with various facets of terrorism. The 32 terrorist organisations banned under POTA will continue to be banned under the Unlawful Activities law. The UPA government, which had assumed office in May, came in for severe criticism as the Home Ministry found it difficult to contain a violent agitation in Manipur, for nearly three months, following the alleged rape and killing of a woman PLA activist in the custody of Assam Rifles on July 11. Finally succumbing to the pressure mounted by the agitating Manipuris, the Home Ministry decided to set up a five-member high-level committee to review the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and replace it with a more humane act. The Home Ministry’s move came only after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met a delegation of Apunba Lup, an umbrella organisation of agitating Manipuri groups, and promised to look into their demand for repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, enforced in the state. The continuing effort of the Home Ministry to engage militant groups in peace talks found its major success, with top NSCN(I-M) leaders Isak Swu and T Muivah arriving in New Delhi earlier this month to hold talks with the Centre. The Naga leaders, who met the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and several other leaders went to Nagaland to meet the outfit’s cadres with a promise to return to New Delhi to engage in talks on “substantive issues”. Mr Swu and Mr Muivah had visited India in January last year and met the then Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and his deputy, Mr L.K. Advani
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BJP mulls future minus Shiv Sena
Mumbai, December 26 At the party’s state executive meeting, which concluded in the town of Yavatmal, 650 km from here, senior BJP leaders virtually asked the Shiv Sena to shape up or ship out. None other than BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, credited with crafting the alliance with the Shiv Sena nearly 15 years ago, sounded the warning bell to the regional party. “By 2009 we will fulfil our dreams in Maharashtra and if we fail, by 2014, we will take over the state. I have decided that I will surely get a BJP Chief Minister for Maharashtra,” Mr Mahajan said. BJP leaders said the results of the Assembly poll clearly showed that the returns for the national party from the alliance were diminishing. While it lost just one seat from the 55 seats it won in the 1994 elections, the BJP managed to retain most seats it held in the state legislature. On the other hand, the Shiv Sena bagged just 62 seats this time as against the 69 it held last time. Worse still, the party was trounced in its home turf of Mumbai and the Konkan region. Though the Shiv Sena managed to win seats elsewhere in the state, the BJP feels that the regional party is not in a position to build on its gains. BJP leaders say that without the charisma of supremo Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena would have little appeal at the hustings. Mr Thackeray himself admitted days after the election results that his absence from the campaign due to ill-health cost the alliance dearly in several seats. Mr Thackeray’s son and heir, Uddhav Thackeray is unpopular among workers and leaders of both the Shiv Sena and the BJP alike. According to observers, the Shiv Sena’s backbone, the population of native Marathi speakers, is declining in Mumbai while the population of north Indians is increasing in the city. On the other hand, Mr Sharad Pawar’s NCP is playing the caste card in regions like Konkan and Marathwada to eat into the Shiv Sena’s vote share. The BJP is now hoping that it is able to move quickly into the space being vacated by a rapidly declining Shiv Sena. |
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NCW for protecting rights of spouses in foreign land
New Delhi, December 26 Ms Advani told The Tribune that the increase in number of cases of violence against women in the two states, besides the problem of NRI marriages, specific to Punjab, would also be discussed at the meeting. She said a draft convention needs to be signed by India and those countries where Indians were found in large numbers to protect the rights of spouses of inter-country, NRI and foreign marriages. “Victims find it difficult to reach legal solutions outside their country’s legal systems in the absence of unification of laws. In Punjab specifically, awareness campaigns should be organised for girls and their parents, sensitising them about difficulties that often result from such marriages,” she added. Punjab and Haryana, she said, were two states among the four in the country where the sex ratio had drastically declined to less than 800 girls for every 1,000 boys. The other two in the category being Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. A declining sex ratio, she said, was supposed to lead to enhanced crimes against women. “ As a result, unmarried young men are turning to crime and violence against women has increased,” she added. This was also leading to a large-scale trafficking of women to Haryana, Punjab and Delhi from Assam,
Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa, “A direct result of poverty in source states and imbalanced sex ratio in Haryana and Punjab,” she said. She recommended the formation of high-level committees in all states to review the situation and take action against erring doctors. Meanwhile, the commission released its report on the status of women in
Orissa, “ A Situational Analysis of Women and Girls in Orissa”, yesterday. The report, which analyses the widespread gender discrimination, is based on inputs from various social sectors in the state. Economically and socially there has not been much transformation in the state since the past 50 years, states the report. “Industrially an undeveloped state, Orissa does not offer much opportunity for educated and professionally qualified women. Crime against women is on the rise and social menace like dowry and atrocities on women have assumed alarming proportions. Poverty was driving girls to prostitution,” the report adds. |
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Family revives Rao’s funeral pyre
Hyderabad, December 26 The shocking pictures of Rao’s half-burnt bones, skull and other parts of the body were beamed on Telugu television channels around 11 p.m. Saturday. Quoting eyewitnesses, the TV reports highlighted how the authorities had shown disrespect to a former Prime Minister by not arranging enough firewood for his funeral. It all started when some people on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, where Rao was cremated Saturday afternoon, noticed that the body was not fully burnt but the pyre was about to die. They alerted TV channels, and dozens of cameramen soon gathered to shoot the scene. When the pictures were beamed on some channels, Narasimha Rao’s sons, state ministers and leaders of the Congress party rushed to the deserted site and revived the pyre with additional firewood stored nearby. The police then encircled the entire area and restricted the movement of people. The family members of Rao and ministers were not happy with the TV crew for beaming the pictures only nine hours after the pyre was lit. A family priest pointed out that it takes at least 24 hours for the body to turn into ashes. Narasimha Rao’s eldest son P.V. Ranga Rao, who lit the funeral pyre, requested journalists not to ask him any question. His brother P.V. Rajeswara Rao said there was nothing to worry, as no rites were violated. “We were told that it takes 24 hours for the entire body to be reduced to ashes,” he said. With folded hands, Minister for Major Industries Bosta Satyanarayana requested TV channels not to show such pictures. “It is the responsibility of all of us not to show disrespect to a great man after his death,” he said. The priest said the family members had left the site only after the ritual “kapalamoksham” was performed. N. Rajkumari, leader of the opposition Telugu Desam Party who also rushed to the site, alleged that the government had insulted the former Prime Minister. Denying the allegation, officials said they had arranged 3 tonnes of sandalwood and 2 tonnes of firewood. Rao’s sons, however, had no complaints. “My father got all the respect for his contribution to the party and the country. We had no objection to the state government’s suggestion to perform the funeral in Hyderabad as they are all our well wishers,” Ranga Rao said.
— IANS |
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HIV positive man defends petrol pump allotment
New Delhi, December 26 Justice C.K. Mahajan directed BPCL to give Vineet Oberoi a ''reasonable hearing'' and dispose of his petition with a detailed order by December 29. The judge also gave Mr Oberoi permission to challenge the order at an appropriate forum if it went against him. Mr Oberoi, through counsel V.K. Shali and Sonia Arora, moved the high court against an August 13 BPCL order taking over possession of the petrol pump that had been allotted to him in 1994. After the allotment, in order to overcome his financial difficulties, Mr Oberoi had to take loan of Rs 24 lakh, which was allegedly advanced by the president of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association on the condition that his son-in-law should be inducted as partner in the retail outlet dealership business. However, BPCL refused to change the Dispensing Pump and Selling In 2003, the association president ''influenced'' company officials and ''stage-managed'' his son-in-law's induction as a partner with Mr Oberoi, it was claimed. Soon afterwards, Mr Oberoi's wife, a Public Relations Officer at the pump, was prevented from working and money was also not released to the petitioner to meet his medical expenses, the petition alleged. In July this year, the oil company issued notice to Mr Oberoi seeking to suspend his licence for the retail outlet while allowing his 'partner' to run the pump. Mr Oberoi sought to dissolve the partnership and run the outlet as a sole proprietary concern but in August, BPCL declared the pump dry and took over its possession on the ground of ''non-settlement of disputes/differences between the partners''. Even as the dispute was still pending resolution before retired high court judge S.N. Kapoor, Mr Oberoi approached the court seeking revocation of the suspension order or a sum of Rs 60,000 per month saying he did not have any other source of income to meet his expensive medical treatment. Mr Oberoi had moved the court after his two representations to the company seeking to run the outlet on sole proprietorship basis as per the orginal agreement, but to no avail.
— UNI |
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Move to reduce court cases in MP
Bhopal, December 26 The concern was expressed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice R.C. Lahoti, during his recent visit to Bhopal. He had observed that 50 per cent of the pending cases pertained to the government departments. The Chief Minister, Mr Babulal Gaur, reviewed the status of pending cases with senior officials of the Home and Law Departments and instructed them to evolve a mechanism for disposal of cases pertaining to the government departments at the government level before these cases went to court. This would help reduce, the number of cases and ensure, speedy justice at the government level, the Chief Minister observed. The meeting decided to study the dispensations evolved by other states for disposal of cases relating to government departments before such cases went to courts. |
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Priyanka Chopra gets relief from apex court
New Delhi, December 26 In an interim order on December 1, the High Court had stayed the criminal proceedings initiated by a Mumbai court on a complaint by her secretary charging her with having committed various offences, including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and defamation. The SLP by Mr Prakash Jaju, a Bollywood financier, submitted that the High Court erred in staying the summons issued by a Metropolitan Magistrate who found that a prima facie case was made out against the 26-year-old actress. Mr Jaju alleged that he invested crores of rupees in promoting the Bareilly girl whose career clicked with "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi". However, the filmstar later made an attempt to get out of the agreement after she started getting good business. Priyanka on the other hand, has been contending that the order by the magistrate directing her to appear in person was issued mechanically as there were no documents to support the charges levelled against her. She told the High Court that Jaju had been causing nuisance and sending "filthy and blackmailing messages" since the criminal proceeding were initiated against her.
— UNI |
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Mainpuri voters harassed, says Mulayam
Lucknow, December 26 Terming the results of the two Lok Sabha byelections going in favour of his party as a “reflection of the nation’s political mood,” he said the government at the Centre had harassed voters of Mainpuri by the presence of huge central paramilitary forces. Despite many voters being denied their right to vote, the constituency had an impressive voter turnout, he remarked. Hinting at taking action against the guilty officials of the Election Commission “at an appropriate time,” the Chief Minister said that the countermanding of the previous October 13 and 16 rounds of election was at the behest of the Congress and the BJP both of which together could corner less than 5 per cent of the votes. It was celebration time for the Samajwadi Party as it has not only retained the Mainpuri Lok Sabha but also sprung a surprise of sorts by making inroads into the BSP’s pocketborough by capturing the prestigious Akbarpur parliamentary seat held by party chief Mayawati thrice. The BSP President Barkhu Ram Varma charged the ruling party with misuse of official machinery for influencing the Akbarpur election. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s nephew and SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav was elected after cornering 62.64 per cent of the votes. BSP candidate Ashok Sahkya lost by a vast margin of 1.79 lakh votes. The BJP was third, getting a mere 2.61 per cent of the votes. |
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UPA to contest poll under Sonia: Soren
Jamshedpur, December 26 Talking to newspersons here, Mr Soren, who came to attend the birth anniversary function of slain JMM leader Nirmal Mahto, said seat-sharing among the allies would be finalised within a fortnight. Though Mr Soren did not rule out ''friendly contests'' in some seats, he reasserted that the party would claim its right to contest maximum number of
seats. — UNI |
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NHRC order to Chief Secy on child deaths
New Delhi, December 26 The news-item stated that 12 children, between the age of two and 10, in Jeerahera village near the Haryana border of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, had died in the past one month due to seasonal diseases. It stated that the number of victims affected by malaria in the village had increased, but the authorities blamed families of the victims for their ignorance and lack of health awareness. The commission observed that if the contents of the report were true, it raised serious issue of violation of human rights as well as the right to health care. |
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Woman unable to identify person who gave her Rs 500
Muzaffarpur (Bihar),
December 26 She said she did accept Rs 500 "from someone who had come to see me yesterday," but she was unable to identify the person. The 40-year-old woman is said to have attempted suicide on Thursday, driven by poverty. The woman was being questioned after an FIR was filed by the district administration against the NDA convener and JD (U) chief and 19 others for violating the model code of conduct by allegedly bribing a voter.
— PTI |
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Get a pass to use toilet!
Chennai, December 26 Students of Seven Hills Polytechnic College here have to obtain passes to use the institute’s toilet. The passes are issued by the class teacher and need to be produced before a senior staff member who is on a regular round near the only toilet in the college. If any student rushes to the toilet without a pass to answer the call of nature he is fined Rs 500. The 200-odd students of the polytechnic were angry because of such high-handedness of the authorities and staged a protest within the premises of the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Technical Education. They alleged that though the college had two blocks, only one had a toilet. One of them said, “We have to wait to obtain passes from the class teacher. We have to withhold the pressure even if the call is urgent and are issued passes only at 2.50 pm. “We are expected to produce the pass to any senior staff member who will be on regular rounds.” |
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