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Badal to hold protest in Delhi for riot victims
WTO issues to dominate Left-UPA meet
Khurana calls on Advani
Somnath wants quota for women in his tenure
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Uma to be back as CM
Quiet birthday for Amitabh in wake of quake
Dasehra greetings by Kalam, PM
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Badal to hold protest in Delhi for riot victims
New Delhi, October 11 Mr Kuldip Singh Bhogal, secretary general of the party’s Delhi unit said “The Akali party’s MPs, MLAs, SGPC members would hold a protest along with large number of party workers and riot victims from across the country.” “This is would be a massive protest and a show of strength to the UPA government that it is time to act now, as more than two decades have passed and the victims have not got any justice, while the guilty are roaming free,” he said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently reviewed with senior Home Ministry officials the progress made by the two committees constituted to look into the compensation and employment to victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Mr Manmohan Singh had assured Parliament during the Monsoon Session that government would take necessary action on the recommendations of the Nanavati Commission, including re-investigation of certain riot cases if necessary. The committees had almost completed their tasks and were soon going to submit their reports (to Home Minister Shivraj Patil). These would be then sent to the Union Cabinet for approval, officials said. The Nanavati Commission report, which pointed fingers at several “local” Congress leaders, including Sajjan Kumar, MP, late Dharam Dass Sastry and H K L Bhagat, however, absolved the party saying there was no evidence to suggest that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi or any other high-ranking leader had “suggested or organised” the attacks in which nearly 3,000 people were killed. The 339-page report said the riots were an organised one involving Congress leaders and could not have taken place “but for the backing and help of influential and resourceful persons, killing of Sikhs so swiftly and in large number could not have happened.” The report indicting former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler said there was “credible evidence” against him, that he had “very probably” had a hand in the organising attacks and demanded government to take “further action as may be necessary”. |
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WTO issues to dominate Left-UPA meet
New Delhi, October 11 Sources said the Left leaders could ask for a change in the format of the meeting, as the government earlier only used to inform the Left about the policy issue being considered and the Left leaders had little time to prepare and discuss it. Left leaders indicated that they would ask the government to fix the agenda on mutually-discussed issue and insist the government to present their stand in writing to be circulated for wider consultation amongst the committee members earlier than the scheduled meeting day. They said the Left would insist on the presence of minister concerned, when the issue concerning their ministry would be discussed. Indications were that the first issue which would come up for discussion in the UPA-Left Coordination Committee, likely to be held around October 17, would be the WTO and India’s stand in the Hong Kong meet. The meeting, Left leaders said, would also ask the government to place on table India’s negotiating positions for the next WTO meet. Analysts said such a demand, the government could concede only at the risk of weakening its position during actual negotiations. Sources said the Left leaders would designate the ‘non-negotiable’ positions India must adopt in WTO ministerial talks to be held from December 2005, through a note to be submitted to the government soon. This note would respond to clarifications offered by the government to suggestions on the same issue raised by the Left parties about two months ago. India had recently filed its revised offer on services to the WTO, which proposed foreign equity in several areas if it got reciprocity for its outsourcing sector and more visas for professionals. The revised offer had been made to facilitate negotiations at the Ministerial Meeting of the WTO scheduled in Hong Kong in December to conclude the Doha round of multilateral trade talks. The revised offer came amidst projections by experts at UNCTAD who said India could gain as much as $ 50 billion if the developed world increased its quota of visas for Indian technical workers by just 3 per cent. All fresh commitments were in line with the liberalisation already undertaken by India and the country was seeking to bind them in WTO in exchange for reciprocal commitments by its trading partners, officials said. Commitments had been offered in several sectors like architecture, integrated engineering, urban planning, veterinary, construction, engineering, financial services, tourism, air transport and real estate, but not for retail trade. At the same time, improvements had been made to foreign equity cap in engineering, computer and related services, research and development, telecom, construction and engineering. |
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Khurana calls on Advani
New Delhi, October 11 “It was a good and useful meeting. We exchanged Dasehra greetings and discussed taking the party forward unitedly,” Mr Khurana told the media. This is Mr Khurana’s first meeting with Mr Advani after he launched a blistering attack on the BJP president and the “coterie” around him. Subsequently, he was expelled from the party for a day before his primary membership was restored after he expressed “regret” for his conduct on the eve of the Chennai national executive meeting last month. Asked if there was any decision on restoration of his membership in the National Executive, he said the issue did not figure in the discussions. |
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Somnath wants quota for women in his tenure
New Delhi, October 11 Pointing to a general consensus on providing reservation for women in legislative bodies in India, Mr Chatterjee said there was no reason why this distortion should continue in the Indian body politic. The Lok Sabha Speaker was sharing his thoughts on various aspects of the functioning of the democratic system in an hour-long lively interaction with a British parliamentary delegation led by Lord Swaraj Paul at Parliament House here. On participation of the youth in Parliament, the Speaker said the representation of youth in the current Lok Sabha was “quite encouraging’’ with a good number of young people finding place in the House. With the objective of increasing awareness and to enthuse the young parliamentarians into taking up various issues concerning the youth, the Parliamentary Forum on Youth had been formed, Mr Chatterjee said. “There has to be some thinking by political parties as well in this regard. Probably, a rotational leadership, if not at the top, at least at lower tiers will help bring more and more younger people into politics,’’ he opined. He also informed the visiting delegation about the formation of Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management and of a proposal to form a similar forum on children which would function without interfering in the work of various other committees and departments connected with these subjects. Earlier, welcoming the delegation, Mr Chatterjee said India and Britain enjoyed cordial relations and friendship between the two democratic nations had now become more mature and strong. The six-member British parliamentary delegation is on a visit to India from October 8 to 16 on the invitation of the Lok Sabha Speaker. The delegation met President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat yesterday. |
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Uma to be back as CM
New Delhi, October 11 However, the changeover will take place sometime in the last week of November, after the completion of the Bihar Assembly poll as she, in her capacity of joint in charge of the electioneering, would be required for campaigning and election management in the state, the sources said. At the meeting, the party leadership wanted to effect the changeover in Madhya Pradesh at the earliest, but general secretary in charge of Bihar Arun Jaitley contended that her services were required in the crucial upcoming Bihar poll. Subsequently, it was decided that the changeover would be effected soon after the poll gets over in November, the sources said. She had resigned as the state Chief Minister in August last year after a Hubli court issued arrest warrants against her in a 1994 riot case. Before quitting, she chose Mr Gaur to succeed her. However, after the case against her was dismissed, she was keen to go back to Madhya Pradesh as Chief Minister, but there was resistance from Mr Gaur and his supporters. Even as the Central leadership was engaged in sorting out the issue, Ms Bharti was suspended from the party in December last year after she questioned the
leadership of Mr Advani at the party office-bearers’ meeting in full media glare. Subsequently, Ms Bharti was in virtual political wilderness till she was rehabilitated about three months ago by the party President by making her joint in charge of campaigning in Bihar. |
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Quiet birthday for Amitabh in wake of quake
Mumbai, October 11 Bachchan, who was to throw a big party in the city today, cancelled the celebrations even as hundreds of fans arrived at his suburban bungalow to wish him. Fans flooded Bachchan with flowers, phone calls and cards. One fan arrived in Mumbai from Delhi on a bicycle. Mumbai newspapers had special supplements wishing the actor on his birthday. Television channels too were airing special programmes on the actor. Police said security was tight at the ‘Jalsa’ and ‘Pratiksha’ bungalows of the actor in
Juhu. The actor chose to oblige his fans by stepping out of his house to accept the greetings of his fans. ‘’What I am today is because of your love and respect,’’ Bachchan told them. He began his day by seeking the blessings of his mother Ms Teji Bachchan. After his regular breakfast the actor left for Filmcity for the shooting of ‘Kaun Banega
Crorepati’ (KBC 2). |
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Reddy announces relief for J&K
Hyderabad, October 11 |
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Dasehra greetings by Kalam, PM
New Delhi, October 11 “May this festival inspire all of us to forge ahead like Lord Rama and overcome all obstacles and triumph against all adversities as we march forward towards our missions. Let us also spend time during the festival with the elderly and those in distress and bring joy to them,’’ the President said in a message. The Prime Minister said “The festival is an occasion to purge ourselves of our ego and help spread peace, happiness and goodwill everywhere,” he said. |
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