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Andhra Govt flayed for ‘fake’
encounters
Tariq Aziz came to India, MEA confirms
Rape accused handed over to
police
NCW protocol list for cops,
hospitals
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Post-disaster mass vaccination
decried
Tsunami: govt seeks WB, ADB aid
Tsunami victims to get relief
from Jan 14: Jaya
‘Father Teresa’ of the Andamans
Gloom prevails as Pongal
nears
AICC President Sonia Gandhi plants a sapling after laying the foundation stone of a school on the concluding day of her two-day visit to her constituency Rae Bareli on Tuesday. Cong, allies fail to decide on sharing of
seats
Reprieve for Major in fake encounter case
Telgi allowed to attend mother’s funeral
Cop shot
at, robbed in UP
23 lakh looted from PNB
BJP seeks new pay
panel
What made him take up this theme
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Andhra Govt flayed for ‘fake’
encounters
Hyderabad, January 11 “We demand that the government should commit itself in writing to a ceasefire agreement before the second round of peace talks could be held,” Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao and Janashakti spokesperson Ch Srinivasa Rao said. The tough talk by Naxalites comes in the wake of renewed encounters by the police in which two of their armed members were killed. After a seven- month-long lull, blood had spilled in the Andhra countryside once again. The first encounter since the Congress Government initiated direct talks with Maoists occurred on January 6 when an extremist belonging to the Janasakthi group of the CPI (ML) was killed in an alleged exchange of fire near Janugupalli village in Warangal district. Two days later, a woman Naxalite of the CPI (Maoist), identified as Latakka, died in a police encounter near G Pullalacheruvu in Prakasam district from where the police claimed to have recovered large quantities of ammunition, claymore mines and camera flashes. “It is clear that both encounters were fake. They were aimed at scuttling the peace talks. Unless the government gives a written commitment to honouring the ceasefire, the subsequent rounds of peace talks are not possible,” Mraravara Rao, who has been playing the role of an emissary during parleys, said. The police claim that Naxalites indulged in extortion and recruitment of cadre using the cover of talks and insist they would tackle such issues as part of law and order. Meanwhile, protesting against the encounter killings, Naxalites blasted the house of a lower-rung political functionary in Guntur district. The house of K Sukru Naik, President of the Bollapalli Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP), was blown up by Maoists who stormed the village raising slogans against the police. Earlier, Naxalites torched a state roadways bus and damaged two other buses at Julakallu village in Guntur district last night. The first round of peace talks was held in October last year. But, uncertainty hovers over the dialogue process with both sides refusing to budge from their known stands. While the government is insisting that extremists should give up arms to make the dialogue process meaningful, the Maoist groups have firmly ruled out laying down weapons. |
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Tariq Aziz came to India, MEA confirms New Delhi, January 11 During this visit, Mr Aziz called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and also went to Dixit’s residence to personally express his condolences to Mrs Annapurna Dixit, MEA spokesman said. Asked if Mr Tariq Aziz had come here yesterday as a special envoy of President Musharraf, the spokesman said: “Frankly, I would not be able to characterise that.” The spokesman, when asked whether the Pakistani NSA’s visit was related to the Tsunami disaster, the spokesman said: “Well, it is quite possible that it may have been discussed. Earlier also, the Government of Pakistan’s condolences on this issue have been conveyed.” Meanwhile, in response to a news published in an English daily today on India’s polite “no” to a request from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to visit Tsunami-affected areas in India, the spokesman said that it was not that there was any specific request directed to any particular dignitary not to come to the Tsunami affected areas. “As a matter of general policy we had taken the view that such visits at this stage should not take place essentially because the local authorities are fully preoccupied with the relief effort and secondly we would not be in a position, at this stage, to have made the arrangements and provide the facilities that we normally do for high-level visits. This is a kind of general policy. I would not like to characterise it as aimed towards one particular dignitary or the other,” the spokesman said.
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Rape accused handed over to
police
New Delhi, January 11 He was here for the all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister and had handed over a letter to Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Pranab Mukherjee before heading back to Gangtok. An official press note here said the Army authorities arrested and handed over the accused to the police. The accused identified as Lance Naik R.N. Garai was accused of raping and killing a Sikkim Armed Police constable Dilli Ram Sharma’s 29-year-old wife Indira Sharma. He had allegedly beaten the woman to death on January 4 and the next after the incident had proceeded on leave to his hometown in Midnapore from where he was arrested. He had also chopped her body into pieces in an incident which took place in Burtuk, 5 km from Gangtok city. In his letter to the Defence Minister and the PM, the Chief Minister had said, “The people of my state are both anguished and agitated. The state has witnessed protest marches where hundreds of civilians have expressed their sentiments, condemning this incident and asking for stern action”. The Sikkim police had approached the Army with information of a missing person on January 4. On January 6, an Army official saw blood stains near the bungalow of the Commanding officer. Indira Sharma’s body was discovered in a manhole. In addition to police investigations, the Army also initiated a court martial against the accused. The Army has set up a court of inquiry. Chamling’s letter said that the first post-mortem on Indira’s body indicated death by repeated blows from a blunt instrument. The body was also burnt before before being stuffed into the manhole. “Incalculable damage to Army’s image that such incidents cause, should be a matter of great concern,” said Chamling in the letter. Indira used to run a shop near the Army camp. On the day of the incident, Garai went to her and told her he could get her provisions from Army canteen at cheaper rates. When she followed him, he allegedly raped and then murdered her. |
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NCW protocol list for cops,
hospitals
New Delhi, January 11 The latest figures compiled by the commission regarding the total number of crimes against women registered between January 1, 2004, and December 31,2004, show that 5,760 women approached the commission for redressal of grievances. However, the number is just the tip of the iceberg and the larger picture is definitely gloomier and grimmer. NCW Chairperson Poornima Advani told The Tribune that even though the commission had received more number of complaints this year as compared to last year, the actual number of women falling victim to various crimes could present a very scary picture. “ The statement shows that more victims are becoming aware of the existence of the commission. The increase in the number of complaints also points towards this,” she said. The commission, she said, took up all genuine cases. “ Each one of the crime-against-women cases must receive justice which most do not. Filling of a FIR itself is a painful procedure. At a recently-held meeting a check list of the protocol to be followed in such cases has been compiled, which, after final approval, would be placed in all police stations and hospitals of the country.” The nature of complaints received by the NCW under 22 heads include bigamy, custody of children, desertion, divorce cases, dowry deaths, harassment at work, molestation, property matters and sexual harassment. The highest number of complaints received is 1616 under harassment, followed by 1072 under police apathy and 950 under dowry harassment. As many as 186 rape and 247 police harassment complaints were also received. Meanwhile, keeping in mind the much-publicised Anara Gupta case, the NCW has written to all chief ministers to alert their respective Home Departments and police officials concerned to take strongest possible action to unearth gangs engaged in the manufacture, distribution, dissemination and sale of obscene and pornographic material. |
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Post-disaster mass vaccination
decried
Bangalore, January 11 St. John's, which has a tradition of responding to disasters, sent an experienced team of 18 doctors and support personnel, led by paediatrician Dr Sanjiv Lewin, to the Andaman & Nicobar islands, between December 28 and January 10. The last of the team members returned yesterday, and the report prepared on the effort notes. "Nowhere in the world is mass vaccination
recommended as secondary epidemics are extremely rare after
natural disasters. Disease surveillance on the islands does not suggest any such need and it is well known that vaccination needs refrigeration
to the point of service, time, skilled personnel, adequate disposable
needles and syringes - factors unrealistic in the present situation. In addition, any of these attempts would divert scarce resources away from more important tasks of sanitation, protecting drinking water supplies, provision of shelter/clothing and disease surveillance." Dr Lewin, who has been on the site at the last four major disasters in our region (Gujarat, Latur, Orissa and Bangladesh) told The Tribune: "Both from experience and the medical literature (he cites Critical Care Clinics journals as an example) I can stress this fact". And dead bodies in water sources can result in a cholera epidemic only if the body was already infected. Otherwise, the risk is acute diarrhoea. International agencies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), various NGOs, and the international media have succeeded in creating a scare about secondary epidemics. Sweden, for example, sent 200,000 cholera
vaccines, and health
professionals have flooded Port Blair. Dr Lewin also slammed the "unscientific choice of healthcare personnel sent in with inadequate understanding of the epidemiology of the disaster and anticipated needs,
unprepared to function outside the four walls
of a hospital." PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT: The report notes that psychological impact on the “docile, non-aggressive” Nicobari and other tribal populations in the islands A team from the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-sciences (NIMHANS) was in the islands in the second week which, the report noted, could be considered “too early” in the stage of relief and rehabiliation. The report noted that medical supplies in islands like Komorta
and Teressa (logistic bases for also servicing Katchal) were in excess and nothing was required beyond the WHO Essential Drug List. "Other drugs should not be allowed in." Urgent
needs included outboard motorboats for inter-island travel, clothes,
and tents and tarpaulins. |
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Tsunami: govt seeks WB, ADB aid
New Delhi, January 11 The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will now work with the Government of India to organise a needs assessment and on that basis develop a programme of support for the reconstruction and recovery of tsunami victims, a statement issued by the World Bank said. “Our first priority is to ascertain the extent of damage and then work together with the government on a programme of reconstruction and rehabilitation to help affected people rebuild their lives” Country Director (India) of the World Bank Michael Carter. Louis de Jonghe, Country Director, Asian Development Bank, said “ADB stands ready to contribute to the rebuilding of infrastructure and rehabilitation of livelihoods of people in the affected states of India”. |
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Tsunami victims to get relief
from Jan 14: Jaya
Chennai, January 11 In a statement here, she said each of the 1.5 lakh families, who had lost their houses and properties in the calamity, would be given the relief materials worth Rs 600 from the Pongal day. This would cost the State Exchequer Rs 9 crore. Ms Jayalalithaa said she had ordered the distribution of the trunk to help the victims keep their relief materials safely. The stove and the pot would be distributed to enable them to prepare their food and store water, she added. She said the government had undertaken relief and rehabilitation measures on a
warfooting. Relief materials worth Rs 5,000 had so far been distributed to each of the families who had lost their houses and properties and Rs 3,000 to those who had lost their means of livelihood. The Chief Minister said she had also ordered that temporary houses, each costing Rs 8,000, be raised within one week for the victims who had been housed in relief camps. —
UNI |
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‘Father Teresa’ of the Andamans
Port Blair, January 11 The 39-year-old Razzak Ali from the southern Andamanese island of Teressa in the Nancowry group, knew well ahead of the tsunamis that they are going to strike, thanks to his passion for environment channels. On December 26, this wireless operator at the port control tower of the island saw the sea churn ferociously and recede to immediately understand what was in store. “Oh my God! Tsunamis are coming,’’ he shouted from the tower and ran down to warn everybody around. While on his way to the interior of the island, he saw a moped rider Mohammed Nazam passing by and asked him to spread the news. “Everyone, run to higher grounds,’’ Ali shouted at the top of his voice. In a little while, the mighty waves started crashing against the port building and the police station, Ali who is currently posted as a wireless operator in Diglipur in north Andaman after his evacuation from
Teressa, 380 km south of Port Blair, recounts the day with horror. “I used to see the National Geographic channel and know what the tsunami is all about. That it would strike Andaman some day was something I never thought,’’ he said. Though the official population of Teressa is 3,500 with only one official death listed due do the tsunami, Ali and Nazam say at least 50 persons were killed by the giant waves. But for Ali, thousands could have died, says Ranjan
Majumder, an inhabitant of Teressa, now evacuated to Port Blair. — PTI |
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Gloom prevails as Pongal
nears
Nagapattinam, January 11 The festival is a time of great rejoicing for the fishing community here as fishermen return from the sea with a huge catch and beaches wear a festive look with people clad in new colourful clothes. However, when Pongal visits Nagapattinam on January 14, it may witness only gloomy fishermen sitting near their shattered homes and rubble strewn all over the beach. This Pongal Ratnavel and many others would be squatting under the blazing sun in long queues, waiting to get the relief material being distributed by the administration and NGOs. Their only consolation is that they would be able to shift from the cramped relief camps to temporary shelters with the construction likely to be completed by
Pongal. “The tiring wait in long queues has made many of us restless. We want new boats and nets or want them repaired by the administration so that we can go out to the sea at the earliest,” says
Muthuvel, a fisherman. The courage fishermen show in venturing out into the sea, which has swallowed many of their near and dear ones, may seem amazing for an outsider. But for the fishing community here, it is a matter of survival as they know no job other. — PTI |
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Sonia upbeat on Cong poll
prospects
Rae Bareli, January 11 While refraining from making any political statement during her two-day trip to her
constituency, Ms Gandhi when asked a straight question on her party’s chances in Bihar said “the Congress prospects were good”. In reply to a question she underlined her party’s commitment to supporting the tsunami victims. In addition, Mrs Gandhi said, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had already made a commitment to adopting children orphaned by the natural disaster. On the concluding day of her visit, the Congress President spent considerable time interacting with the party cadre and meeting officials to monitor the development work in her constituency. Her day’s itinerary included the laying of the foundation stone of a public school, handing over employment-generating tools and equipment to representatives of self-help groups (SHGs) and inaugurating work on the Prime Minister’s Rural Road Programme at Sarai Mohd Sharif in Rahi block. Addressing an audience of predominantly women SHG members at the district- level micro enterprise workshop at the Dariyapur Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ms Gandhi applauded the role of self -help groups in working towards making women of the district self-reliant. Calling upon men to come forward to support women struggling with multiple responsibilities at home, on the economic front and in society, Ms Gandhi emphasised that unless half the population was self -reliant and took a pro- active interest in improving matters in sectors like education, health and sanitation, nothing much could change. Cong, allies fail to decide on sharing of
seats New Delhi, January 11 The UPA allies, however, were quick to clarify that their alliance was intact and they would all contest next month’s Assembly elections together. The next round of discussions is now slated for tomorrow. RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, Congress chief negotiator Arjun Singh and CPI leader A.B. Bardhan admitted that though nothing was finalised, they would accommodate each other and not do anything to weaken the UPA. These discussions, meant essentially to finalise the modalities and parameters for seat-sharing, were a follow-up on last Sunday’s meeting between Laloo and Arjun Singh when they had agreed to renew their dialogue today. The relations between the two sides had hit a rough patch when the Congress and the JMM inked a unilateral electoral pact in Jharkhand without involving Mr Yadav. Although the two sides did start talking today, the two-hour meeting failed to break the deadlock with the RJD insisting that the distribution of seats be based on the performance of the parties in the 2000 Assembly elections in which the RJD won 114 seats and the Congress 12. While insisting that the same yardstick be applied in the distribution of seats in Bihar and Jharkhand, Mr Yadav wants an arrangement on the basis of seats a party won and the party that came second. It is for this reason that he rejected the Congress-JMM pact which has left only 13 seats for the RJD and the Left parties in Jharkhand. The Congress, however, disagrees with the RJD formula on the plea that its graph has improved since the formation of the UPA government at the Centre. In an effort to mount pressure on the Congress, the RJD chief joined forces with the Left parties and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP who were also present at today’s meeting. In fact, on his return from Patna this evening, Mr Yadav drove straight to CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet’s residence where they are learnt to have discussed a joint strategy. Consequently, the meeting at Mr Arjun Singh’s residence was also attended by Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, A.B. Bardhan, D. Raja and NCP leader Tariq Anwar. The Congress side was represented by Arjun Singh, Ahmed Patel, M.L. Fotedar and Harikesh Bahadur in the inconclusive discussions. Mr Ahmed’s presence was considered significant and it was thought that the talks had now entered a decisive phase. Although the Congress had initially staked claim to 102 seats, it whittled down its demand to 70-odd seats. Like the RJD, the Congress is also pushing for a hard bargain as it believes that this is its last chance to revive the party in Bihar. |
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Reprieve for Major in fake encounter case
New Delhi, January
11 Accepting his writ petition for hearing, a Bench of Mr Justice
D.K. Jain and Mr Justice H.R. Malhotra issued notices to the Defence Ministry and Army authorities, seeking their replies within two weeks, while fixing next hearing on his petition on February 15. The court told Additional Solicitor General P.P. Malhotra, appearing for the Defence Ministry, that the Army authorities could not confirm the GCM order till the next hearing. Since the next hearing on his petition was fixed on February 15, Maj Surinder Singh virtually got a reprieve till then against the confirmation of the sentence to him. The GMC had convicted him on December 21 after finding him guilty of “faking” encounter in Siachen while on patrol duty in September last year in a bid to make his claim for bravery award. The
GCM, which held its proceedings in Jodhpur, had examined several witnesses, including Major’s senior officers, his subordinates and those soldiers who allegedly were asked to take part in fake encounter, which was recorded in video films presented as proof to senior officers. While challenging his conviction and the award of three years’ imprisonment, Major’s counsel
R.S. Randhawa said the Army authorities had not even supplied him with the records of the GCM proceedings. Randhawa said under the Army Rules, a soldier to be tried by the GCM had to be supplied with all documents based on which charges were being made against him. |
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International Kite Festival
celebrated
Ahmedabad, January 11 As the International Kite Festival, the mainstay of the Uttarayan festivities, got under way, it turned into an aerial pageantry with the kite makers and enthusiasts sending the stringed paper birds soaring high in the azure sky, showing their exuberance and expertise. Inaugurating the festival at the sprawling D. Nagarvala Police Stadium, brimming with a sea of humanity, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said today that the kite festival was “a symbol of exuberance, enthusiasm and the abundant creative energy of the people of Gujarat” which had to be channelised for the development of the state. Mr Modi said the kite-making industry in Gujarat was worth Rs 100 crore, and plans were afoot to turn in into a Rs 500 crore enterprise. The Chief Minister said the kite festival was a prelude to the two-day “Vibrant Gujarat: Global Investors Summit”, beginning tomorrow, which would seek to redefine the industrial and investment environment in the state. Around 70 kite flyers both from India and abroad, including the USA, UK, Singapore, Italy, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Israel, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil and Korea, participated in the festival. — UNI |
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Telgi allowed to attend mother’s funeral
Mumbai, January 11 Telgi’s mother passed away in Belgaum, Karnataka yesterday. Telgi and his relatives are lodged in the Yervada central jail in Pune. |
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Cop shot
at, robbed in UP
Lucknow, January 11 The police said three gunmen stopped the car on the Sitapur-Hardoi road late last night and fired at policeman Balwant Lal and the driver. They made away with Balwant Lal’s licensed sten gun, two magazines, cartridges, Rs 8,500 in cash, a gold chain and a watch. A case has been registered. —
UNI |
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23 lakh looted from PNB
Jaipur, January 11 While one of them put his revolver on the temple of the head
cashier, the other two entered the strong room. As the bank employees were too terrified to offer any resistance, the gangsters escaped after looting Rs 23 lakh . The police reached the spot within 10 minutes of the incident and initiated
investigations. Bank employees said the three dacoits were tall and spoke in Punjabi. |
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BJP seeks new pay
panel
New Delhi, January 11 Addressing mediapersons, Prof Malhotra said the Manmohan Singh government was pro-rich benefitting the capitalists and industrial houses while the government employees and small traders were being constantly hit hard by the anti-people policies of the UPA administration. Asking the UPA government to stop befooling public on the issue of income tax exemption through statistical jugglery, he demanded that income up to Rs 1 lakh should be totally exempted from the payment of the income tax. Prof Malhotra said standard deduction should be 50 per cent of the pay and only 10-20 per cent should be levied on the income of Rs 1-5 lakh. Asking for the abolition of bonus ceiling of Rs 2,467, he said the bonus should be equivalent to one-month pay and house rent should not be included in the income of the taxpayer. Prof Malhotra said the quota for compassionate appointment should be raised from 5 per cent to 15 per cent and suggested that the government should file a petition in the Supreme Court to achieve this. He asked the Finance Minister to provide special rates of interest on the savings of the senior citizens and the payment of 9.5 per cent interest on the Provident Fund savings. |
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What made him take up this theme
Mumbai, January 11 “I was moved by the issues of female genital mutilation and imports of social customs into new America and decided to write a story on it,’ says Khanna, who lives in the USA. Having migrated from Mumbai, Khanna says he is not constrained to restrict himself to Indian themes in his films. “I felt strongly about it and made the film,” Khanna said. Screened at the International Film Festival now on in Mumbai, ‘Beyond Honor’ graphically examines the physical and psychic horrors of female circumcision or mutilation of a woman’s genitalia still being practised by Arab immigrants to America. The film shows a clash of civilizations between a well-to-do Egyptian immigrant with his age-old code of honor and his Americanized daughter who struggles to assimilate into the local society. The clash only ends in tragedy for the woman, described by critics as shockingly violent. According to its maker, Beyond Honor is pure fiction and is not based on any real life incident. Khanna, who worked in numerous Indian radio stations before embarking on film-making found a kindred soul in Harkeerat Dhillon, a well-known orthopedic surgeon in Riverdale. Having read the script, Dhillon decided to produce the film himself. Now also in Mumbai to showcase ‘Beyond Honor’ Dhillon says he found the script simply too powerful. Dhillon is also involved with the Riverside International Film Festival. |
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