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China ready to compromise on Arunachal
Chinese team calls on Patil
Centre planning vision document for
Modi wind blowing in Congress
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SC mellows on sealing
Resentment in BJP against Modi
Sack kills judge
Infant deaths
ULFA blast
US for scaling up military ties
Buddha to soften TUs on pension Bill
Foreign policy to get boost: Pranab
NHRC pulls up Chief Secy for infants’ death
Tiger Memon’s adopted sister convicted
At 10, Kishan is world’s youngest film director
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China ready to compromise on Arunachal
New Delhi, November 15 The two countries, through “friendly consultations”, can arrive at a “mutually-acceptable and mutually-satisfactory” solution to the issue “left over from history,” Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi told PTI in an interview here. Insisting that Arunachal was a “disputed area”, Sun said there need to be discussions on it. “We must make mutual compromises (on Arunachal). We are ready to make compromises on that,” he said, just five days ahead of Hu’s maiden four-day visit here. Beijing claims that entire Arunachal Pradesh is “Chinese territory”. When referred to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s remark yesterday that Arunachal was an integral part of India, the Chinese envoy said, “If you want to know that (about dispute) you can compare maps of the two countries. There are differences. So that is why we call it disputed area and (that) needs some discussions.” He said there should be “some give and take” on the issue and that it was for negotiators of the two countries to ascertain where to make compromises. “The two countries are mature enough to deal with the boundary issue. But key to the resolution of the boundary issue is mutual accommodation,” Sun said. India has ruled out the idea of handing over Tawang to China since it was an integral part of the country and also strategically vital. The significance of the close-door meeting lies in the fact that the views of the Chinese scholars on the border question in a state-run think-tank could set the tone for the in-camera discussions on the boundary issue by Hu with the Indian leadership next week. Commenting on the meeting, former Chinese Ambassador to India, Chen Ruisheng said that it was a very good meeting, which reviewed the 1962 events. “The aim of the meeting was not to criticise the other side but to understand whether there were any mistakes committed in the 50s which should be corrected,” he said. “The atmosphere was very good,” Cheng said.
— PTI
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Chinese team calls on Patil
New Delhi, November 15 The meeting also reviewed the progress on the MoU signed between the two country during Mr Patil’s visit to China in September, 2005. Other members of the Chinese delegation were Mr Zhang Jian, Director General of Operational Technology, Mr Eru Wethua, Deputy General of Internal Security Department , Mr Zhang Jufeng, Deputy General of International Cooperation Department, Mr Ge Bowei, Secretary, Internal Security, Mr La Chuan, Deputy Director, Internal Security, and Mr Zhou Zhaohui, Deputy Director, International Cooperation Department. Senior Home Ministry and MEA officials were also present at the meeting.
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Centre planning vision document for North-East
New Delhi, November 15 Inaugurating a meeting of the North-Eastern Council here today, Union Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar announced that periodical reviews of various infrastructural projects earmarked for the region would also be taken up from the next month onwards to ensure timely implementation. He expressed concern over the shortfall of expenditure earmarked for various Central ministries and said timely submission of proposals and projects had to be ensured for full utilisation of funds. The construction of new roads to provide connectivity even to the remotest village in the region is on also part of the roadmap of developing the region.
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Modi wind blowing in Congress
New Delhi, November 15 Show me one person in our party who can walk round with so much pride ..koi hai jo uske jaise seena taan ke chalta ho,” remarked an anguished Congress worker to Mr. B.K.Hari Prasad, AICC general secretary in charge of Gujarat, at a recent meeting. Similarly, suggestions from Muslim Congress workers that the party organised a series of conventions of minorities was shot down by the others on the plea that such a move would only invite a backlash and result in Hindu consolidation. Congress insiders said their biggest challenge today is to fight Narendra Modi’s brand of Hindutva since it has found many takers in their own party. “We have to change the mindsets of our workers and inclucate Congress ideology and Gandhian values in them,” remarked a senior Congress leader. Mrs. Gandhi, he said, has warned them about the tough task they face in “converting” their own party workers.
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SC mellows on sealing
New Delhi, November 15 But the court said the sealing operation would continue in the areas other than the 2,183 roads and streets not covered by the September 7 and 15 notifications of the government permitting mixed land use plan. The sealing operation against 25,000 establishments within 2,183 roads and streets was stayed after hearing the Solicitor-General G.E. Vahnvati for the Centre and MCD counsel A.M. Singvi pleading for “mercy and judicial pardon” to such traders. They sought to treat them on par with those who had not filed affidavits for shifting of their trades but given time till January 31 next to do so, stating that though these trader were covered by the two notifications, but were refused relief in the earlier orders of September 29 and November 6 by the court. While directing the MC to submit its report by November 20 on the voluntary closure, a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice C.K. Thakker and Mr Justice R.V. Raveendran said the question whether any relaxation needed to be given to the 25,000 traders would only be considered on November 21 after perusing the report. The court said if the traders for whom “judicial mercy” had been sought closed their shops voluntarily, the MCD would not “resort to disconnecting amenities (water and power connections) and sealing of their establishments for the present”. The MC could have a random check of areas where these 25,000 establishments were located to finalise its report whether these ventures were closed. As per the MC’s recommendations, the court exempted ration shops and cycle repair shops from the sealing by including them in the list of 22 types of trades exempted in the September 29 order by the court. The mechanism was devised by the court on a fresh report of the MC which stated that if the misuse of residential premises for business activities was stopped voluntarily by the owners, their plea for placing them on par with those who were given time till January 31 for closure could be considered. The MC was also given power to decide as to which of the establishment in its opinion could not be granted relief in the larger public interest and in view of the “extensive nature” of the commercial activities being undertaken in residential areas. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today questioned Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for setting up its office in a building which was part of residential area and has to be sealed by the MCD under the current drive to close illegal commercial ventures in colonies meant purely for residential purposes. “Why the TRAI should select such premises? It should have taken adequate care before taking the building on rent,” the Bench, headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, said while hearing on Centre’s application on the sealing issue. “If authorities are not going to regulate themselves, whom are they going to regulate,” the court asked
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Resentment in BJP against Modi
New Delhi, November 15 Mr Modi, who holds six portfolios, is understood to be against expansion of the Council of Ministers in Patna. The BJP, which has 55 MLAs in the Assembly, has five ministers of the Cabinet rank and two ministers of state in the coalition government. The party is entitled to another five ministers in the Nitish Cabinet but the expansion exercise is being held up because of the reluctance of Mr Modi to leave any of his portfolio which includes Finance, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Mines and Geology, Labour Employment and Training, Institutional Finance and Programme Implementation. While delay in the expansion has led to resentment among party MLAs, Mr Modi's grip over the party and the administration has alienated many senior leaders of the party. Mr Modi is controlling the party affairs through Bihar BJP president Radha Mohan Singh. Mr Modi was instrumental in getting Mr Singh chosen for the post, a senior party leader said.
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US for scaling up military ties
New Delhi, November 15 Lieut-Gen Jeffrey Kohler, who heads the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said, ”We have to build on the success of our joint exercises and..look at tactical and command post exercises”. The two-day meeting would be co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and US Under-secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edleman. It would focus on issues like missile defence, strategic situation in the region and military-to-military contacts. The American General said such a move would take interaction between the militaries from “unit-to-unit exercises” to a more tactical level, which would be in line with the new US policy that sees New Delhi as a major strategic partner of Washington. “Sub-groups will discuss the situation in Nepal and Sri Lanka as well as Indonesia”, he said. As India and the US share similar views on strategic issues, they could work as “parallel countries interested in solving problems”, he said. During the meeting, the US willalso would make presentations to Indian officials on the situation in the area ranging from Middle East to Southeast Asia, with special focus on Central Asia and Afghanistan, General Kohler said. To set the stage for the meeting, General Kohler and S. Banerjee, Director-General of Acquisition in the Defence Ministry, co-chaired a meeting of the Indo-US Defence Procurement and Production Group that took up issues of government-to-government sales of military hardware. On the acquisition by the navy of the USS Trenton, an amphibious transport dock-class ship, the American General said it would be transferred to India by early 2007. Negotiations were still on for a linked deal for six UH-3H Sikorsky Sea King helicopters worth about Rs 300 crore, he said, adding that the US expected the refurbished helicopters to sail with Trenton to India. The US had delivered 10 of the 12 AN-TPQ37 weapon locating radars ordered by India under a $190-million contract. The two remaining radars would be delivered by February. He also disclosed that US companies were bidding for an Indian requests for proposals for anti-tank and anti-ship missiles for the air force and weather radars.
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Buddha to soften TUs on pension Bill
New Delhi, November 15 Mr Bhattacharjee, who is pursuing a “reforms-friendly” agenda in his home state, is learnt to have backed the Centre’s policies on pension fund reforms but is faced with stiff opposition from his own comrades, particularly the Left-backed trade unions. The Left parties have objected to the Bill on the ground that it would change the nature of pension as a social security benefit by making pension funds available for investment in the equity market. They also want specific provisions to disallow investments in stock markets and have demanded that the fund management be entrusted to public sector enterprises and not private agencies. Having found an ally in Mr Bhattacharjee, the Prime Minister is learnt to have sought the West Bengal Chief Minister’s help in mobilising support for the controversial pensions Bill from the Left parties and the trade unions when the two met here today. The Left leaders are insisting that the government guarantee assured returns to employees, which is, 50 per cent of their last drawn salary as pension, irrespective of the returns from the invested pension funds. The Centre rejected this demand on the plea that no assured returns could be guaranteed under a contributory scheme. UPA sources said that the CPM was not averse to this pension Bill if public sector fund managers are in charge but the CPI will not hear of it.
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Foreign policy to get boost: Pranab
New Delhi, November 15 He was addressing the participants of the 46th NDC Course on “Indian Foreign Policy: A Road Map for the Decade Ahead” at National Defence College here. Mr Mukherjee said demographic trends, policy choices and India’s inherent societal strengths had come together to put the country among the key players of this century.
— TNS
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NHRC pulls up Chief Secy for infants’ death
New Delhi, November 15 Taking suo motu cognisance of a report appeared in a national daily, the commission has directed that a copy of the press report should be sent to the Chief Secretary concerned and his comments be sent to the commission within four weeks. The news report had drawn attention to lack of infrastructure and proper care in B.C. Roy Children Hospital, the lone paediatrics referral centre in the state. According to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, the deaths took place in the neo-natal ward. He said the newborns were underweight and died due to septicemia. According to the news report, some doctors at the hospital tried to pass off the deaths as a mere co-incidence. The commission, however, said these deaths were grim reminder of a similar tragedy in the hospital in the past.
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Tiger Memon’s adopted sister convicted
Mumbai, November 15 The other three persons are Ahmed Shah Mubarak Shah, alias Salim Khan Durrani, Aziz Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Sheikh and Mohammed Rafiq Musa Biyariwala. Mubina was found guilty of aiding and abetting terrorist acts under Section 3(3) of TADA for organising a conspiracy meeting at her house in suburban Bandra. The court accepted the prosecution’s contention that Tiger Memon and other accused planned the Mumbai bomb blasts at her house. Durrani, who belongs to the former royal family of Tonk in Rajasthan, and Sheikh were found guilty of possessing arms. Durrani was arrested after an AK-56 assault rifle and several rounds of ammunition were seized from his factory in suburban Mumbai. Sheikh was held guilty of possessing a US-made carbine, three magazines and 28 bullets under Section 5 of TADA. However, both Durrani and Sheikh were found not guilty of conspiracy. Biyariwalla was found guilty of abetting other conspirators in the terrorist act. The total number of persons convicted in the case has now risen to 75.
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At 10, Kishan is world’s youngest film director
Bangalore, November 15 The film is adapted from a short story he wrote himself, and the cast includes prominent actors Jackie Shroff, Saurabh Shukla and award winning South Indian actress B. Jayashree. Kishan, whose favourite actors are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Amitabh Bachchan, began his acting career aged four after his friends urged his parents to send him for an audition. He was given small bit parts before landing a leading role in “Papa Pandu”, a daily Kannada soap. He also wrote a hit song for a film at the age of six. Son of tax official Shrikanth and Kannada music director Shylaja, Kishan is a well-known child actor in Kannada cinema today having acted in 24 films and appeared in more than 1,000 episodes of a popular television soap opera. However, Kishan's transition to director began roughly a year ago after he talked to children selling newspapers beside a busy road in Bangalore. When he asked them why they were not at school, some replied they were orphans while others said they would be beaten if they went home without any money. Talking to TNS, Kishan said he was so moved after the episode that he wrote a short story about his encounter. With the help of local journalists, he turned his story into a screenplay. Kishan himself plays the lead in the film which is more than two hours long and is expected to be dubbed into Hindi, Oriya, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil. "I want these children to go to school and I hope the film encourages them to want to go," he said. Speaking about his interest in direction at this tender age, he says, "I guess that I am different than the others but the camera intrigues me and it has been so ever since I began acting." Direction was a big step for Kishan and he prepared well for it. Besides perpetually asking questions on the sets where he was acting, the young actor says, "I read many books on Hollywood and see DVDs. I had to learn camera angles and understand which lens will make things look narrow or wide. I used to ask questions to directors, cameramen, assistants, everybody."
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