New Delhi, August 12
Almost hitting out at the Left parties for having disowned Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday described him as the true inheritor of legendary communist leader Hirendranath Mukherjee’s legacy.

He was speaking at the inaugural Prof Hiren Mukherjee Memorial Parliamentary lecture, delivered last evening at the Central Hall of Parliament by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. The Prime Minister’s remarks about Chatterjee came soon after he had described “Comrade Hiren Mukherjee as a great parliamentarian, a distinguished scholar and a rare communist who was a true liberal.”

Saying that it was not very often that one came across a liberal revolutionary that Hiren Mukherjee precisely was, the Prime Minister went on to draw strong parallels between the communist leader and the Lok Sabha Speaker, while the Leftists, seated in the Central Hall, quietly watched. The CPM had earlier expelled Somnath Chatterjee from the party on grounds that he “seriously compromised party position.”

While that seemed history, the Prime Minister chose to throw his might behind the Lok Sabha Speaker saying “I am delighted that a lecture in his (Hiren Mukhrejee’s) memory is being delivered by another great son of Bengal and a product of ‘Bengali renaissance’, my friend Amartya. We are also privileged that this lecture is being delivered in the presence of a true inheritor of the legacy of Hiren Mukherjee, our distinguished Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. This evening, therefore, is a remarkable one.”

Seated in the first row, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani listened to the Prime Minister intently. Many Left party leaders, including Sitaram Yechury, were sitting in the second row.

Even as the Prime Minister’s remarks caused a slight flutter in the gathering, he went on to wind up his speech with a tribute to Somnath Chatterjee for his “inspirational leadership”. “The entire country has come to look up to him (the Speaker) for balance and fair play in the functioning of the Lok Sabha,” the Prime Minister said, thanking Chatterjee for inviting Amartya Sen for the lecture.

New Delhi, August 12
The Privileges Committee of Parliament has issued a notice to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray for using derisive language against members of Parliament.

During February-March this year, migrant labour in Mumbai from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh came under attacks from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena of Thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray.

This issue was raised by a couple of MPs in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament and the members sought due protection for Bihari and eastern Uttar Pradesh people working in Mumbai.

Reacting to the demand, Bal Thackeray wrote an editorial in his party’s organ “Saamna” in its March 5, 2008, issue ridiculing the MPs and their demand for protecting Biharis. He is reported to have said, “Ek Bihari, sau bimari, do Bihari, ladai ki tayyari, teen Bihari, train hamari, paanch bihari sarkar hamari; Chak de phatiya, Bihari bhagao” (one Bihari is the cause of a 100 diseases, two Biharis and be ready for a war, three Biharis will occupy a full train and five Biharis will grab the government, throw out these Biharis).

As many as 17 Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh MPs from different parties wrote a joint letter to the Privileges Committee of Parliament to seek privilege proceedings against the Shiv Sena leader. They had also alleged that in the same editorial Thackeray had equated MPs in Parliament with insects crawling all over. This, they claimed, was aimed at denigrating the prestige of Parliament and the privileges of the MPs.

The signatories included RJD leaders Devendra Prasad Yadav, Ram Kirpal Yadav and Vijay Krishna, JD-U leader Prabhunath Singh and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP leader Ilyas Azmi and Congress leaders Susheela Karkatte and Rameshwar Oraon.

They had invoked sub clause 1 and 2 of Article 105 of the Constitution and sought proper action against the Shiv Sena chief. They claimed that Bal Thackeray was no illiterate who did not understand the implications of his action. He acted fully realising the consequences of his action and therefore severest action should be taken against him.

New Delhi, August 12
The BJP and the VHP escalated their hype on the Amarnath land row with senior party leaders courting arrests and holding dharnas in different parts of the country today.

The BJP had announced a three-day agitation against the UPA government with its leaders leading a march to the respective Raj Bhawans in each state capital from yesterday. Today was the second day of the scheduled programme.

Thus in Delhi, BJP deputy parliamentary party leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Rajya Sabha leader Sushma Swaraj courted arrest in Uttam Nagar in West Delhi as part of the agitation. Similarly, former party president M. Venkaiah Naidu courted arrest in the old Hyderabad city in Andhra Pradesh.

BJP’s lone Muslim Lok Sabha member Syed Shahnawaz Husain sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar along with members of the BJP Minority Morcha from across the country.

VHP leader Pravin Togadia, who participated in the agitation, later told newsmen about the reports of Kashmiri fruit growers led by Hurriyat leaders attempting to cross border into Pakistan. “Those wanting to go to Pakistan should immediately be pushed across the border and never allowed to return. The border should be sealed upon them,” the VHP general secretary declared.

He insisted that there would be no letup in the BJP, VHP agitation on the Amarnath issue even after the completion of this three-day programme. “After this we will announce a fresh round of agitation from August 18,” the VHP leader said.

He said, “It is shameful to watch the home minister of the country bend before the separatists and pander to the Kashmiri Muslims. More than 1.50 lakh Muslims were allowed to collect in Srinagar even from across the border for the funeral of the Hurriyat leader, whereas the police criminally cremated our Hindu leader after enforcing curfew and preventing people from coming out of their homes by besieging the whole town through wire-fencing.”

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke in the same vein and dismissed the suggestion that this had given a fresh impetus to the separatists in the valley. He said, “Pakistani flags are visible there for the past 20 years. There is nothing new about this.”

New Delhi, August 12
Shibu Soren backed the UPA government in the trust vote last month after extracting an assurance that he would be made the union coal minister but the Jhakhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief now wants to become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

It is apparently dawning on him that it would be better to become the chief minister rather than getting re-inducted into the union cabinet at a time when the Lok Sabha elections are just a few months away. The JMM supremo today held a breakfast meeting with UPA MPs from the state at his residence where he made known his desire to become the chief minister. Nearly a dozen MPs attended the meeting.

According to one of the MPs who attended the breakfast meeting, Soren said he had already asked present incumbent Madhu Koda to resign so that he could return at the helm of affairs in the state.

Soren is understood to have told the MPs that his party would withdraw support to Koda if he did not resign soon.

Most of the MPs present told Soren that they had no objection to his taking over the chief ministership provided he could muster the numbers and prevail on Koda to resign. However, they did not want any political crisis to erupt in the state in the event of Koda resigning his post. Koda, meanwhile, is unwilling to step down, asserting that there was no threat to his government.

Railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who played a key role in installing Koda as the chief minister, has also told Soren that he had no objection to the JMM chief replacing Koda if he could get the majority of MLAs on his side.

New Delhi, August 12
The government has postponed the Indian heads of mission meeting here from August 20 in view of a crucial session of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) in Vienna the next day to consider exemption for India to undertake nuclear trade.

Official sources here said the three-day meeting of the heads of mission would now be held at a later date.

“Our priority at this stage is to ensure that we get the NSG nod for waiver to engage in civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the international community,” they added.

The heads of the Indian missions in more than 100 countries were to participate in the meeting to interact with the country’s political leadership on foreign policy matters.

The meeting was to be addressed by President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and other leaders on various aspects of the country’s foreign policy.

The sources explained that since the government had launched a major diplomatic offensive to muster the support of NSG members at the August 21-22 meeting, it was felt that it would be much more desirable if the Indian envoys remained stay-put wherever they were posted.

New Delhi is quite optimistic that the 45-member NSG would decide in favour of giving waiver to India keeping in view its impeccable record of non-proliferation. India is also pinning its hopes on the US diplomacy ultimately succeeding in persuading a few countries which are opposed to making any concession to India in view of their strong positions on non-proliferation issues.

Once the NSG grants waiver to India, the Indo-US nuclear deal would go the US Congress for approval. Both India and the US are keen to see that the deal is approved by the Congress before it breaks for the Presidential election.

National security adviser M.K. Narayanan, meanwhile, has expressed hope that India would get the NSG clearance and said efforts were on to evolve a consensus on the issue among the members of the grouping.

In an interview to The Straits Times, he, however, pointed out that India did not have in the NSG the kind of ally it had in the IAEA, like its Director General Mohammed Elbaradei, who played a pivotal role in the global nuclear watchdog approving the India-specific safeguards agreement.

New Delhi, August 12
In an attempt to forge close linkages between India and its overseas community, the government has launched a unique programme under which 35 foreign youths of Indian origin will embark on a three-week journey from September 8 to witness the development and achievements of the country of their origin. These youths, drawn from several countries, will come to India under the three-week ‘Know India Programme’ (KIP) of the ministry of overseas Indian affairs. All expenditure except a one-way fare is borne by the government.

After arriving in Mumbai, the group will head to Gujarat where they are scheduled to visit the diamond industry in Surat and the Amul establishment in Anand. They will then visit Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are the two partner states for the programme.

They will interact with Indian youths and women organisations besides visiting gram panchayats. The youths will also visit various prominent places and institutions in Delhi before leaving. The three-week internship programme is designed to promote awareness about India, its socio-cultural diversities, its emergence as an economic powerhouse and a centre of higher education.

New Delhi, August 12
Even as the government is considering a demand to grant permanent commission to women in the armed forces, a startling reality is facing the Army. No more than 50 per cent of the women who qualify for the short service commission end up joining the force.

The remaining just does not avail of the chance and vacancies remain vacant, especially in the areas which entail field postings in the Army. These are non-combat areas, said an official, but are the frontline postings.

The latest matter cropped up in the last course at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, when 75 vacancies for women were to be filled up. About 100 women qualified and only 42 joined leaving 33 available posts vacant. Sources said this occurred as more women opted for similar streams hence there were more women vying for less number of posts.

The preference of most of the women was Army Education Corps, Judge Adjutant General Branch, Army Ordnance Corps, Army Supply Corps and the Intelligence Corps.

There were no takers for the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), the Engineers and Signals. With such lop-sided preference in seeking streams within the Army there was no option but to let posts go vacant, said a sources.

All three least preferred streams entail movement with the brigades and in remotest possible locations. The Signals, the EME and Engineers move with the frontline forces be it on the border, Northeast or elsewhere in Kashmir. The other streams that got preference do not entail many filed postings but are rather “urban” postings in the commands.

The procedure of taking in women for the short service commission is such that those who qualify are asked for their preference. The options were clear and hence the other qualified women were not even invited for training.

This is unlike the Indian Military Academy where all trainees are allocated the regiments on set patterns. That is a mix and match of preference of the cadets and also the availability of vacancies.

Meanwhile, its is learnt that the Army has okayed a plan to have permanent commission for women in the Army education corps and also JAG branch.

Bhopal, August 12
Mahatma Gandhi and the RSS may hardly gel. The RSS ideology may be the anti-thesis of what the Mahatma stood for. But that has not stopped the Madhya Pradesh government from conferring its national-level award named after the Father of the Nation on an RSS affiliate. The move has kicked up a big row, but the government is unperturbed.

The state government has decided to confer the “Rashtriya Mahatma Gandhi Award” on Delhi-based “Sewa Bharati”-- the RSS offshoot that manages the network of “Saraswati Shishu Mandirs” all over the country. The award carries a cash component of Rs 10 lakh and a citation and was instituted by the former Congress government. It is supposed to be awarded to organisations or individuals engaged in social service or uplift of the weaker sections of society in keeping with the Gandhian principles.

No wonder political parties and other organisations are crying foul. State Congress president Suresh Pachauri feels it is a “part of the saffron agenda to usurp national heroes”. The state chief of the CPM finds the decision “ironical”. According to Dr Kamla Prasad, general secretary of the MP Progressive Writers’ association, the “Saraswati Shishu Mandirs are propagating a retrograde, communal outlook and have nothing in common with Gandhiji or his ideals”. The government, however, does not agree. State culture minister Laxmikant Sharma insists that the “Sewa Bharati” was working in “true” Gandhian spirit and deserved the award. 

Kolkata, August 12
The Singur battle shifted to the adjoining Khejuri today, with the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress locked in violent clashes over the supremacy of control in the area. Guns, bombs, choppers and other weapons were freely used by the warring groups.

In the clashes, at least three persons, including a woman, were severely injured and admitted to hospital. Local CPI(M) leader Ashok Guria alleged that a large number of TMC workers, accompanied by Maoists, entered the Khejuri block last night and started attacking poor villagers with bombs, lathis and other weapons.

They burnt down several houses belonging to the CPI(M) and before retreating they fired at the innocent people.

On the other hand, the TMC MLA Subhendu Adhikery denied that they had attacked Khejuri, still a strong-hold of the CPI(M). He alleged that the CPI(M) were now divided into two groups at Khejuri and one group attacked the other holding the rivals responsible for killing Niranjan Mondal, whose bullet-riddled body was found near his house on Sunday. At Nandigram too, two groups fought last night.

However, there was no outbreak of violence at Nandigram today. A large number of CPI(M) workers returned to the village this morning escorted by a large contingent of armed police.

The Nandigram issue was raised in the Assembly today with opposition leader Partha Chatterjee wanting to move an unofficial resolution on the law and order situation at Nandigram. The Speaker, however, disallowed the motion and the TMC MLAs stated a walkout.

The Congress, which so far did not take active participation in the Singur-Nandigram agitation, today directed its Midnapore district committee to intensify movement against CPI(M)’s land-grabbing in the district and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Atis Sinha, a prominent Congress leader, who was party leader in the Assembly, today formally joined the Trinamool Congress along with a large number of followers in Murshidabad district.

BRIEFLY

IMPHAL
Journalists to boycott militant outfit: The All-Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) has decided to boycott all press releases or statements issued by the Umar Farooque faction of the militant outfit People's United Liberation Front (PULF) till the latter withdrew its threats to journalists. An AMWJU spokesperson on Monday said the decision to boycott the militant outfit was taken on Sunday during a meeting of the AMWJU members and senior editors of different dailies. — PTI

Ultras attack minister’s house: Unidentified militants exploded a powerful grenade in the private residence of Manipur agriculture minister N Loken in Bishenpur district but no casualty was reported, official sources said on Tuesday. The minister was not present in the house at the time of incident, they added. The militants hurled four powerful grenades on Monday but only one of them exploded, damaging a small portion of the house. Investigations are still on, the police said. — PTI

AGARTALA
Security alert for I-Day: The Tripura home department on Monday issued a security alert, following the boycott call of the Independence Day celebrations given by nine outlawed militant outfits of the North-East, including the National Liberation Front of Tripura. Security forces have intensified counter-insurgency operations across the state, official sources said. The BSF has also made extra deployment on the border outposts, the sources added. — UNI

PUDUCHERRY
Houses for tsunami victims: The tsunami-affected people of Kalapet near here would soon get houses with the territorial administration finalising the tender for the construction of 1431 houses on a 25.82 hectare land in the area. An official release here on Tuesday said work order would soon be issued to the selected contractor. Each house would have a bedroom, a hall, kitchen and separate bath and toilet rooms. All houses would be disaster-resistant. — UNI

MUMBAI
Safety norms for malls: The serial bomb blasts in Gujarat and Bangalore has forced the Maharashtra government to ask shopping malls, multiplexes and organisers of religious functions to organise their own security as per norms specified by authorities. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, deputy chief minister R R Patil and police officials, after a review of security plans last week, decided that the organisations should manage their own security. — TNS

Woman found murdered in ashram: A 45-year-old woman living in an ashram in north-west Mumbai was found murdered there, the police said on Monday. The deceased, identified as Charulata Patel, was living in the ashram under the name Chitkalanandgiri. She was found dead in her room on Sunday, it said. She was found to have been stabbed multiple times with a sharp weapon in the abdomen and neck. — PTI