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124 get Gallantry Award
Kirti Chakra for Kabul embassy attack victims
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Honour for 23 scholars
CRPF IG Jain’s name deleted from Police Medal list
No place for violence: Prez
Job scheme announced
Bonhomie marks candlelight vigil
Hawk MK 132 handed over to IAF
Srinagar Violence
India objects to OIC statement on J&K
Amarnath Row
Rizwanur Death Case
Nikita suffers miscarriage
HC notice to Jharkhand ministers
Noida killings: Judicial probe ordered
11 school kids feared drowned in Karnataka
Donning Dhoni on rakhi
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124 get Gallantry Award
New Delhi, August 14 Brig Ravi Datt Mehta, IFS officer V. Venkateshwara Rao and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constables Ajay Pathania and Roop Singh, all killed in the July 7 terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, have been awarded the prestigious “Kirti Chakra” posthumously. This is for the first time that an Indian Foreign Service Officer is being honoured with such a gallantry medal. Along with the Ashoka Chakra, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil approved a total of 124 gallantry awards to armed forces, paramilitary and police personnel for this year which includes nine Kirti Chakras, 18 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 87 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nav Sena Medals (Gallantry) and one Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) on the occasion of Independence Day. The President has also approved one President’s Tatrakshak Medal (distinguished service), two President’s Tatrakshak Medals (Gallantry) and two Tatrakshak Medals (meritorious) to Coast Guard personnel, according to an official press release. Satpathy, assistant commandant of the OSAP, who was also the training head of the Special Operation Group at Chandaka (Orissa), received the Gallantry Award for his valiant showing on February 15 this year when more than 500 heavily armed naxalite militants carried out simultaneous attacks on the police at various locations near capital Bhubaneswar, looted more than 1,200 weapons and killed 15 people including 14 police personnel. Satapathy, on hearing the news, rushed to Nayagarh along with 20 of his men of the SOG, OSAP and CRPF and attacked about 200-300 naxalites holed up in an elevated location. The naxalites too, in turn, unleashed a heavy fire on the police team. Fifteen officers and other ranks of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been awarded the President’s Police Medal for distinguished service and Police Medal for meritorious service on the occasion of Independence Day. While three officers-S. Venkataraman, R.D. Kalia and R.S. Punia, all CBI SPs posted in New Delhi, have been adorned with the President’s Police Medal, 12 others have got the Police Medal for Meritorious Service. The awardees in the latter category are--Madan Mohan Oberoi, DIG, BI, AC-III, New Delhi, Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, DIG, CBI, ACR, Lucknow, Ranjan Biswas, Addl. SP, CBI, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Kolkata, Devendra Singh, DSP, CBI, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Lucknow, A.K. Singh, DSP, CBI, EOU-IV, New Delhi, Desh Deepak, DSP, CBI, ACB, Dehra Dun, Suman Kumar, inspector, CBI, BS & FC, New Delhi, Ram Chander Garvan, inspector, CBI, SCB, New Delhi, A.B. Chaudhary, inspector, CBI, ACU-II, New Delhi, Lakshman Tripathy, ASI, CBI, Bhubaneswar, Gaddam Satyanarayana, head constable, CBI, ACB, Hyderabad and Munusamy Subramany, constable, CBI, ACB, Chennai.
— UNI
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Kirti Chakra for Kabul embassy attack victims
New Delhi, August 14 Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award, next only to the Ashok Chakra. The defence ministry had formally recommended their names for the gallantry award a fortnight after the incident. This is for the first time that an Indian Foreign Service officer is being honoured with such a gallantry medal. Personnel from Army and paramilitary forces frequently get Kirti Chakras, awarded for “conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy”, for counter-insurgency operations and other duties. — UNI
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New Delhi, Aug 14 The Maharishi Badrayan Vyas Samman is being awarded to noted Sanskrit scholar Prof K. Ramasubramanian. The certificates of honour for Sanskrit were received by Prof K. Hayavadana Puranik, Dr Vishnubhatla Subrahamanya Sastry, Dr Uma Ramana Jha, Prof Aruna Goel, Nar Deo Shastri, Dr M.E. Rangachar, Dr Keshavrao Musalgaonkar, Saroja Bhate, Pandit Baikuntha Bihari Nanda, Pandit Satya Narayan Shastri, Ananthakrishnan Sivaramakrishna Sastry, Janardan Pandey, Pandit Purushottama Tripathi, Bhabani Prasad Bhattacharya and Dr Sitanath Acharya. Those for Arabic were awarded to Dr ZB Azmi, Muhammad Burhanuddin Sambhali and Dr Taqi Ud Din Nadwi, for Persian-Dr Idris Ahmad, Dr Syeda Bilqis Fatima Husaini and Prof Marghoob Banihali, and for Prakrit to Prof Gokul Chandra Jain. — UNI
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CRPF IG Jain’s name deleted from Police Medal list
New Delhi, August 14 Jain had made it to the Independence Day honours list for a series of daring operations carried out under his command during his posting as IG (Kashmir). The 1984-batch IPS officer from Assam and Meghalaya cadre had an unceremonious exit this morning after he was shifted from Srinagar following an uproar in the Kashmir valley late last night against alleged excesses by the central para-military force. The reason behind the home ministry’s decision to quietly strike his name off the list released to media was not known but a Home Ministry spokesman maintained that the list was final and that he was not aware of any other list. However, sources said Jain continued to remain on the list which was meant for internal files of the Union home ministry. Senior home ministry officials said the name of Jain had been struck off only for the media fearing this may trigger controversy in the Kashmir valley. Earlier in the day, Jain was asked to “proceed on a tour to headquarters pending transfer”, official sources said, without giving any reason behind the move. The move came within hours of late night protests in Srinagar and adjoining Badgam districts where people were asked to assemble on roads to protest alleged atrocities by the CRPF.
— PTI
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No place for violence: Prez
New Delhi, August 14 “Whatever the problem, whatever the cause, whatever the reason, there is no place for violence in our society,’’ Patil said in her address to the nation on the eve of the 62nd Independence Day. As the situation in the Jammu and Kashmir showed no sign of improvement, the President observed that the path of peace could be complex and difficult but it must be pursued by every citizen. “I appeal that calm be always maintained in all parts of the country and wherever differences exist, all efforts be directed towards reconciliation,’’ she said. Without naming Pakistan or any other nation, Patil regretted that terrorist groups continued to receive support and sanctuary, while calling upon the international community to stand united against the threats emerging from the menace. “The ideologues of terrorism have little respect for human life. They incite violence and mindless destruction.’’ Amid the ongoing debate over the benefits that would be accrued once the Indo-US nuclear deal was operationalised, the President underlined that it should be the national mission to begin exploring ways in which new sources of energy could be harnessed viably. “As a developing country, our demands for energy are growing. We cannot let lack of energy become a constraint on our ability to deliver high levels of growth. With the challenges of increased oil prices and climate change, the question of energy security confronts us,’’ she added.
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Job scheme announced
New Delhi, August 14 The new credit-linked subsidy programme, called the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), was approved at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on economic affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The expected employment generation under the new scheme would be 37,37,500 jobs, with the financial implication of Rs 4,485 crore. The new scheme will be implemented over a four-year period, said finance minister P. Chidambaram.
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Bonhomie marks candlelight vigil
Attari, August 14 On the other hand, gates on the Indian side were thrown open. Veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayar, MP from Amritsar Navjot Sidhu, among others, were allowed to go to the zero line and greet their Pakistani counterparts through the gate. Those who had come to attend the candlelight vigil from the Pakistani side included human rights activist Asma Jahangir, former parliamentarian Chaudhary Manzoor Ahmed, two to three Sikhs from Pakistan, among others. Meanwhile, ahead of the opening of the iron gates of the Wagah-Attari check post for a candlelight vigil to mark the independence day of Pakistan, singers from across the border enthralled the Indian audience at grain market of Attari, about 26 km from here, today. They sang songs written by Indian poets. Indian artistes also crossed over to Pakistan to hold a similar programme there simultaneously. The poem of noted Punjabi poet Surjit Pattar “Jaga de mombattian, eh tan ethe wagdian hi rehnia pouna kuppattian” (let us lit the candles; without caring the hostile air) was rendered by Pakistani artiste Aamir Bashir Khan. Aamir, a famous Pakistani vocalist, with origin from Jalandhar, was invited by the Hind-Pak Dosti Manch. Aamir said the artistes from Pakistan had been looking forward to this show. Brother of famous qawwali singer Javed Bashir Khan, whose grand parents were sufi and qawwal singers, namely Gujju Khan and Fazzu Khan, hailing from Jalandhar, Aamir said it was unfortunate that he was unable to get visa to travel to his place of origin. He said both governments should allow its a restriction-free travel. Veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayar said India’s prominent Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans and his group regaled the audience across the border. Parvez Malik, a confidant of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and former member of the National Assembly, said Nayar had been appreciated by the people in Pakistan for starting the movement.
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India, Pak urged to contain militancy
Amritsar: The Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, Folklore Research Academy, Punarjyot and Punjab Jagriti Manch have urged the governments of two neighbouring countries to cooperate with each other for eradicating militancy in the South East Asia. Passing a resolution to this effect, Kuldip Nayar, founder of the manch, along with their Indian and Pakistani counterparts, including senior member of Pakistan Peoples’ Party and member of the National Assembly of Pakistan Shakila Khanam Rashid, Iqbal Haidar and Manzoor Aalam, said Russia and China and other SAARC countries should also be involved in this process for ending terrorism. They urged India and Pakistan to frame policies for improving the health and education system besides generating employment opportunities for people living below poverty line. Both governments should grant visas to old-age persons to visit their ancestral places in both countries. There is need to take urgent steps to implement the resolutions passed during the recently held SAARC meeting at Colombo within a stipulated period so that trade could flourish among the SAARC countries, the resolution said.
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Hawk MK 132 handed over to IAF
Bangalore, August 14 HAL chairman Ashok K. Baweja formally handed over the documents pertaining to the aircraft to IAF chief Fail H. Major in a ceremony that was preceded by some breathtaking display of acrobats by the trainer aircraft. With HAL chief test pilot Balder Singh at the cockpit, the olive green plane took off from the ground in great style. After landing, the plane cruised through the tarmac with the smoothness of a luxury car. That was when everyone in the viewers’ gallery clapped to applaud the intrepid pilot, a retired squadron leader of the IAF, who was flying the aircraft. Later, talking to mediapersons Air Chief Marshal Major said the Hawk would fill in a vacuum the IAF was experiencing with regard to training its personnel for advanced fighter planes. “It will be an intermediary to introduce our trainees from the sub-sonic to the supersonic level of jets,” he said. The IAF apparently did not have the right kind of aircrafts to train its personnel for this change. The Hawk, the IAF chief said, was having features very similar to advance fighter jets and would serve as a platform to introduce young trainees of IAF to the complexities of the Jaguars and MIGs of the IAF fleet. While the Hawk MK 132 was originally manufactured by UK-based BAE Systems, the aircraft given to the IAF today has been produced by the HAL here. The original manufacturers have supplied fuselage, kits for equipping of fuselage, equipped wing, accessories and material for 20 defined assemblies. HAL has completed equipping of fuselage, final assembly and flight-testing of the aircraft and has also installed the HUMS (health and usage monitoring system) in the aircraft. Calibration and painting of the aircraft has been also done by HAL.
The aircraft is powered by a single Rolls Royce engine (Adour MK 871 turbo fan engine).
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Amnesty for restraint in use of police force
Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 14 While Amnesty International (AI) took strong exception to the shoot at sight orders issued in Kishtwar in Doda district yesterday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) advised India to restrain from employing excessive force against agitators in the state. The organisation also appealed to all stakeholders to resolve the ongoing dispute through dialogue. “We appeal to all parties in the troubled state to settle peacefully the ongoing dispute, which has claimed nearly 40 lives,” the HRW spokesperson said today. Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific director Sam Zarifi, for his part, said, “The government in Jammu and Kashmir should rescind the order issued to authorise security forces to “shoot at sight” in response to communal clashes in the town of Kishtwar, in Doda.” Kishtwar witnessed violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims on August 12, leaving at least two persons dead following alleged police firing. It is one of several towns in the state currently under curfew in the wake of protests that have left at least 28 persons dead. Reminding India of violations of the reigning human rights laws, the AI said shoot at sight orders were in clear violation of the right to life and international standards of law enforcement. The volatility of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir requires more sensitivity from the authorities, not a shoot at sight order, Zarifi said. Since the state government announced a proposal to transfer forest land from the state to the Amarnath Shrine Board on May 26, in order to accommodate the annual Hindu pilgrimage at the shrine, there have been a series of protests and counter protests that have grown increasingly violent. The warning from international human rights watchdogs came in the wake of more public protests announced in the run up to the Independence Day tomorrow, by All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), one of the largest predominantly Muslim political formations in the state. “The Indian authorities should conduct investigations and bring to justice police officers, as well as protesters, in a quick, transparent, and fair way in order to cool down sectarian tension,” said Zarifi. The appeal is in line with international laws to which India is a signatory. The laws include International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which India is a state party and standards such as the UN basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the code of conduct for them. The code warrants that firearms be used only when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. The HRW also asked India to honour human rights commitments to the world. The organization referred to rules that govern the use of firearms, to be employed by law enforcement officials (including armed forces) in extreme conditions. The laws say that force can be used only in proportion to the seriousness of the offence.
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India objects to OIC statement on J&K
New Delhi, August 14 "We note with regret the statement made by the OIC secretary general on the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. OIC has once again chosen to comment upon Jammu and Kashmir and India's internal affairs on which it has no locus standi. We reject such comments," external affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. The OIC had expressed concern over "the ongoing excessive and unwarranted use of force against the Kashmiri people" and urged the Indian government to end the violence in order to sustain the India-Pakistan peace process. The OIC statement came a day after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had sought to play up the issue asking the international community and in particular the UN and human rights organisation to take note of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Advani seeks restoration of land
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 14 In the letter released to the media here today, Advani has said, “If the government is really serious about resolving the problem it must just act straight. Follow the law and follow the judicial orders and you will reach the correct solution,” he wrote. Advani pointed out, “It is the duty of the shrine board to provide facilities for the performance of worship by pilgrims, conduct development activities around the shrine, undertake construction of buildings for accommodation of the pilgrims, provide sanitation, communication, medical relief and other facilities to the pilgrims.” He added, “It is the duty of the state to enable the shrine board to become effective in order to discharge its duties in an effective manner.” The BJP leader said, “There is an Act of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature called the Jammu and Kashmir Shri Amarnathji Shrine Act, 2000. This Act, which provides for the constitution of the shrine board, also defines the duties of the board.”
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HC orders criminal cases against ex-police chief, Todi
Subhrangshu Gupta Tribune News Service
Kolkata, August 14 The high court also asked the CBI, which has already submitted its inquiry report to the court on Rizwanur’s death, to start criminal cases in lower court immediately against these senior police officers at Lal Bazaar as well as Priyaka’s father Asoke Todi, his brother Pradip, maternal uncle Anil Sarogi and other accused in the case. The judgement, which was termed as “historic” by various human rights organisations and eminent personalities was delivered by Justice Dipankar Dutta at the packed court room today. In his 160-page long judgement, Justice Dutta severely criticised the police for acting “illegally and unconstitutionally” in the marriage matter of the two adults, a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl, who were in love with each other and afterwards willingly married under the Special Marriage Act. Justice Dutta said Rizwanur Rahman might have committed suicide, but the CBI had rightly charged the police officers and Priyanka Todi’s relatives with abetment to suicide and hence criminal cases be started against them soon. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, former state Congress chief Somen Mitra and RSP minister Kshiti Goswami also welcomed the judgement. Rizwanur’s mother Kishwar Jehan was happy and hoped she would now get “insaf”.
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Nikita suffers miscarriage
Mumbai, August 14 Nikita’s husband Harish told reporters at his residence today that she experienced abdominal pains on Tuesday night following which she was rushed to Ankur Hospital in suburban Kandivli where she suffered a miscarriage. The foetus was 27 weeks old. Harish blamed the increased stress caused to his wife over the past few days while they fought the case in court for the miscarriage. Harish and Nikita are residents of Bhayandar on the outskirts of Mumbai. Nikita earned a living giving tuitions to students. According to Harish, Nikita had gone to Kandivli to give tuitions to some students when she began to experience pain. Instead of returning home, she rushed to her mother’s place from where she was rushed to hospital. Meanwhile, the remains of the foetus were buried at the municipal crematorium. Nikhil Datar, the doctor of the couple who had helped them move court, told the media that he was unaware of the miscarriage.
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HC notice to Jharkhand ministers
Ranchi, August 14 Kusheshwar Singh and Mukesh Singh alleged that the ministers had violated the anti-defection
law. For the past three years, the anti-defection petitions have been pending with the state assembly Speaker against deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi, rural development minister Enos Ekka, health minister Bhanu Pratap Sahi, water resources minister Kamlesh Singh and science and technology minister Chandraprakash Choudhary.
— PTI
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Noida killings: Judicial probe ordered
Lucknow, August 14 Announcing this at a media briefing, principal secretary to the Chief Minister Vijay Shankar Pandey described yesterday’s developments as “unfortunate”. Pandey also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s discretionary fund for each of the four persons killed in the firing. This is over and above the Rs 3 lakh announced as compensation for the dead by the Greater Noida Authority yesterday.
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11 school kids feared drowned in Karnataka
Mangalore, August 14 According to the police, 30 children of Bhalmi school at Kaikamba were going to school when the mishap occurred. The police rescued 15 children and admitted them to Wenlock Hospital. So far seven bodies were recovered and rescue operations were still on. Talking to newspersons at Bangalore, DG and IGP Sreekumar said the ill-fated bus had been removed and the rescue operation was in full swing. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the families of the
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Donning Dhoni on rakhi
Pune, August 14 A traditional symbol of sisterly love, rakhis hit the market every year with innovative patterns and designs. Other images on rakhis this time are those of the Great Khali, Mr Bean and cartoon caricatures running on various television channels like Mickey Mouse, Ben Ten, Spider Man and My Friend Ganesha. The rakhis are priced at Rs 12 per dozen to a gold-wired piece costing around Rs 7,000, offers a wide choice to girls and women.
— PTI |
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