New Delhi, February 13
In what is being considered a major relief to the Delhi traders and the government, the Supreme Court today cleared the decks for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to continue with the desealing of commercial premises operating from residential areas in the Capital which were sealed under its earlier orders.

A bench comprising justices Arijit Pasayat, C K Thakker and Lokeshwar Singh Panta refused to stay the notification issued by the Central government in January this year, permitting the desealing of those premises which were sealed under the orders of the bench headed by former chief justice Y K Sabharwal.

The apex court, however, directed that the owners of the premises which are to be desealed in view of the latest notification will have to give an undertaking that they will abide by the outcome of the petitions already pending in the court against the notification.

The apex court also fixed July 7 for the hearing of the main case for examining the validity of the Master Plan Delhi 2021. The government has to explain whether it had provided basic needs and infrastructure such as water, electricity, roads and schools for the residents of the unauthorised colonies numbering about 1500, having a population of more than 20 lakh.

The court will also hear other matters related to sealing of those premises which are not protected by the latest notification on Monday next.

The bench headed by the then chief justice Sabharwal had ordered the sealing of commercial premises illegally operating from residential areas in September 2006.

The latest notification issued by the union urban development ministry provides blanket protection to all the unauthorised constructions, encroachments and commercial premises operating from the residential areas till December 31, 2008.

New Delhi, February 13
Chill has receded, but cold winds are still sweeping the Capital. Vagaries of weather have not dampened the Valentine’s Day celebrations. The youth is raring to celebrate the festival of love tomorrow.

Florists in South Ex, Rohini and Lajpat Nagar are working overtime to meet the demands for red roses.

“We register the maximum sale on Valentine’s Day. We have no time to rest. We will work for the entire night today and will be operating till tomorrow,” said a florist at Prithvi Raj Road in the Capital.

The highest number of cards is sold on Valentine’s Day. Card sellers don’t make that much of profit on festivals like – Divali and Holi.

Florist generally make do with marigolds to decorate wedding pandals tomorrow. “Youth in large number drop in to buy red flowers. We run out of stock,” said a florist at South Ex.

“People usually opt for red roses,” said a worker of Gillu Flower shop in Rohini. Each rose stem goes for Rs 50 against the usual Rs 10. Some are even sold for Rs 150 or Rs 200. “Red is the colour of the day. If they don’t buy a red rose, they take any other flower in red hue,” he added.

“I have planned to gift a bunch of red roses to my husband in the morning tomorrow. I will send him another bunch while he is in office,” says Lalita from Noida, who got married in November last year.

Rose may rule the roost on Valentine’s Day, but one can drop a romantic hint by picking up something more exotic like — heliconia or anthurium or even an oriental lily. Cymbidium orchid, heliconia, hydrangea, anthurium, bird of paradise, oriental and Asiatic lilies are some flowers that can help you to impress your beloved on February 14.

Flowers have been imported from Bangalore, Kolkata and many foreign countries to keep blossoming the Valentine’s Day spirit.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened at Jawahar Vatka outside Delhi University vice-chancellor’s office.

Policemen have been deployed in civil clothes to keep a surveillance that any student does not pluck flowers, especially red roses.

Youth are seen thronging market places to buy something with a dash of warmth, unique but chaste, something exquisite and worthy of their love.

Almost all shops have offered a discount. The latest in the race is a wholesale bookshop – ‘Book Wise’ at Shahpur Jat. The book ‘Feng Shui for Love’ originally priced at Rs 1,265 is being sold at a happy price of Rs 195. The book based on ancient Chinese wisdom deals with ways to enhance and energise relationships and maximise love potential.

The book authored by Lillian Too states that before gifting rose stems to your loved one, you should remove the thorns. The flower should have green leaves. Moreover, you should not keep ‘red rose’ in your bed-room, as it generates negative energy, perhaps a loss of your loved one.

Sana, a tourism student from Softdot at South Ex, says, “February is the month of love. I cannot wait for long. I just want to see tomorrow.”

While, Abhinav from Andrews Ganj, believes the day to be a complete show-off.

“Boys and girls flaunt their wealth on V-day. Of course, I have a girl friend. But I don’t need just one special day to celebrate love.”

This year, the gift ranges cards, chocolates, flowers, clothes, accessories, feng shui items like – luck charms, heart-shaped red quartz and wind chimes.

Ritika, 21, from Lajpat Nagar says that it’s her first Valentine’s Day. “I could not stop myself from buying a gift for my fiance. I got it 10 days before the V-day,” she quips.

Chocolates rank second as far as sale is concerned. According to Radhika, a worker in Archies, South Ex – 1, “Chocolates packed in heart-shaped boxes have been sold. Those with soft toys on boxes were sold by early this week. People prefer something different for their loved ones.”

Beauty parlours too are having a booming business, as young girls visit beauticians for a complete make over.

“Generally, girls come for threading or face clean-up. But a week before V-day, they throng the parlour for a complete makeover. They want to turn everyone’s heads down. They want to look the best. I earn over Rs 1,200 from almost every customer,” Preeti of Kasba beauty parlour in South Ex says.

The ruckus created by some political parties on Valentine’s Day every year fails to check the splurging enthusiasm of youngsters. 

New Delhi, February 13
Hotels and restaurants have made elaborate arrangements for the Valentine’s Day celebrations as every year the young and not so young throng these places along with their friends. Naziya who belongs to North East said that youngsters should celebrate the day of love enthusiastically to show their feelings for their friends. 

She said that a group of her friends would go to Connaught Place along with their boy friends. They will eat in restaurants and watch movie there. It’s a fun youngsters should not miss. Nisha, who is doing her postgraduation from Delhi University, says that she enjoys with her boy friend on Valentine’s Day every year. She has been enjoying the lover’s day since her college days. This year also, she will go to some place. However, every young girl does not believe in enjoying this day. Arvinder Kaur who is in the first year of graduation said that celebrating Valentine’s Day is nonsense. It’s not in Indian culture.

Salma Firoza Khanma, who is working with a private firm, said that it’s a nice day to celebrate one’s love for others. People have taken a wrong concept of the lover’s day. “Every year I give a beautiful gift to my parents. In return they gift me costly things. We go for outing also,” she said.

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Ziya Café, a Moroccan restaurant is offering Moroccan cuisine at a concessional rate at M2K Mall in Rohini. It has good arrangement for guests on the day of love. Traditional Arabic and contemporary influences with the flavour of romance creates the décor and ambience of the café. On this auspicious eve, the Moroccan Café brings a range of Mediterranean delicious cuisine in the city. More than 30 flavours of Shisha (flavoured hookah) are available at Ziya with different tastes like mint rose, cola, grape, plum, vanila and lemon.

New Delhi, February 13
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said that police should recruit more women personnel so that women-related sensitive issues could be tackled by women only. Women police personnel should also be deployed in PCR vans to handle effectively crime against women.

The Chief Minister said this after releasing a booklet and CD on “Meera Didi Se Poocho” of National Commission for Women (NCW) in the Capital today. Chairperson NCW Dr Girija Vyas, Chairperson Delhi Commission for Women Barkha Singh and various chairpersons of other states were also present on the occasion.

She called upon women to come forward by gaining economic and social status such that they could create awareness and be role models to other women.

Contribution of women in public life has a long history howsoever; it is unfortunate that she has to fight for equal status even today. If this is the situation in urban areas, the scene in rural areas is no better as women still do not have the independence to take decisions. The solution for this, she said that women should get educated so that they can claim their rights instead of just accepting what is given to them.

She further said that it was time now for the women to unite and prove that they are not weak.

Chairperson, NCW, Dr Girija Vyas elaborated upon “Meera Didi Se Poocho” and said that this book would create awareness among women about the basic legal rights concerning offences - rape, dowry death, domestic violence, sexual harassment at workplace, child marriages, NRI marriages, feticide, trafficking etc. in very simple language, which can be understood by ordinary men and women and implemented in their fight for justice and rights. The Right to Information Act is also explained in a very lucid manner.

The book, essentially revolves around the central character Meera Didi, who knows everything and during her dialogues with the victimised women, she enlightens them about the provisions of various laws that will enable them to bring the offenders to book.

She also discusses some common ailments, their symptoms and treatment.

Dr Vyas also said that the commission aimed to translate the book in various regional languages to disseminate the contents of the book on a countrywide basis all over India, especially, at the village level, by way of a systematic campaign.

Gurgaon, February 13
A two-day international seminar on ‘Fighting Terror-an Integrated Approach’ is being held at National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) of the National Security Guard (NSG), Manesar, on February 14 and 15.

Disclosing this, a spokesman of NSG informed that recognizing modern terror transcend at the national and international borders. The NSG has invited luminaries from various fields of security to deliberate on the important issue concerning internal security and global terror.

He said that delegates from the US, the UK, Japan, Malaysia and Cambodia are expected to participate in the seminar. Papers by national and international delegates will be presented on subjects covering the entire spectrum of counter-terrorism operations. The delegates will also be sensitized on the current expertise of terror organizations through a field demonstration and visit to the IED model room of the NBDC.

An exhibition on equipment display is also being organized wherein several manufacturing firms and suppliers will display their latest equipment related to security and bomb disposal techniques. On the occasion, an annual publication “The Bombshell” will also be released.

Greater Noida, February 13
A man who had gone to fetch his wife from her parents’ house swallowed poison in protest against his in-laws’ refusal to let him take his wife back to his house.

The incident happened under Javer police station area. Police have sent the body for autopsy after registering a case of suicide.

Amar Singh, a resident of Kidwai Nagar in Kanpur had married Kusum, daughter of Ramdev in Mohalla Khalifana in Javer town three years ago.

Kusum had come to her parents’ house to celebrate Raksha Bandan last year and had not gone back to her in-laws’ house since then.

Amar Singh reached his in-laws’ house on Monday to take his wife back to Kanpur. As his in-laws refused to send their daughter with him, Amar Singh walked out only to return after two hours, fully drunk. He tripped and fell near the house. He was helped to his feet and taken to a hospital, but he expired on the way to hospital. Doctors said Amar Singh appeared to have swallowed some poisonous substance.

New Delhi, February 13
An exhibition : ‘Meraj and Sacred Art’ by Dr. Asgar Javani from Iran, is currently underway at Jamia Millia Islamia University .Organised by the faculty of architecture and Ekistics, the show will run till February 15 in the FTK Centre of Information Technology.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Parveen Talha, member of the Union Public Service Commission. His work reflects the sacred and spiritual in oil and acrylic on canvas. He uses vivid colors to etch divinity in his works.

 Dr. Asgar Javani born and educated in Isfahan has a doctorate in visual arts from Art University of Isfahan. Dr. Javani has been showing his work worldwide since 1990.  Besides having contributed papers and articles to journals of arts ,he has authored books titled “Safavid wall paintings in Isfahan” and “The Foundations of Isfahan Painting School”.

He is presently Dean of Faculty of Visual Arts, Art University of Isfahan, Iran and Secretary of Scientific International Congress of Isfahan Painting School.

New Delhi, February 13
The Delhi Police claimed to have unearthed an international racket in counterfeiting Indian currency on Tuesday, after they arrested a man with fake currency worth Rs 99,500.

Sleuths of Delhi Police’s special cell arrested Israr on Monday near the inter-state bus terminal in East Delhi on charges of procuring and circulating fake Indian currency notes in Delhi and Punjab.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Alok Kumar said that fake currency notes in denomination of Rs 500 were brought from Nepal and Bangladesh for distribution in Indian markets.

“During investigation, it was ascertained that some people are regularly bringing large consignments of fake currencies from Bangladesh and a man residing in East Delhi was in regular touch with gang members,” Kumar said.

“Israr revealed that he had been running a tailoring shop for the past six years before he came in contact with Jameel, who motivated him to join the racket for quick bucks. Jameel died due to an illness a few months ago,” Kumar added. — IANS

New Delhi, February 13
Students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) paid a poetic tribute to Faiz Ahmed Faiz on his birth anniversary. The public gathering was called on the lawns of School of Languages on Wednesday.

“Faiz has been the poet of the masses. So, we decided to take this revolutionary spirit ahead by reciting his poems on the occasion of his birth anniversary,” said Syed Md. Raghib, councillor, School of Languages and Cultural Studies.

Students read their favourite couplets and shared the information about Faiz. “Faiz belongs not only to our side of the continent but the whole international community,” said Raghib. “He had to leave Lahore and go to Lebanon because of his ideas.”