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Protocol Breach
CPM slams Copenhagen accord as weak
Congress treads cautiously on Ranganath Misra report |
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Munde is Lok Sabha dy leader
YEAR AHEAD 2010
India to seek Headley’s extradition
I didn’t kill Karkare, Kamte, says Kasab
Gurdwara Land Row
Scientists rush to ISRO for jobs
Jalandhar finds a place in guide to world music
‘Separate poll ID for transgenders’
PM takes a dig at industrialised nations
Cop shot dead near Mayawati’s residence
BJP MP Suryakant Acharya passes away
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Protocol Breach
Chandigarh, December 21 Taking up the issue, it has resolved to shoot off a communiqué to the authorities concerned to ensure the Chief Justice-designate is administered oath at the High Court premises, instead of Raj Bhawan. The decision was taken during the executive committee’s meeting held under Bar Association president Sukhjinder Singh Behl. The minutes of the meeting read: The executive committee unanimously resolved to submit a representation to the authorities concerned to administer oath to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the premises of the High Court itself, instead of Raj Bhawan as per the practice followed at the time of the governorship of his excellency S.S.Ray, the erstwhile Governor of Punjab”. The oath-taking ceremony was held on December 5. A news-report carried in these columns on December 6 had asserted Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal was “sworn in amid breach of protocol”. Taking cognizance of the news-item, a former Judge of the Supreme Court and five former Chief Justices of the high courts had written to the Governor. The copies were sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Home Minister of India, the Law Minister of India and the Chief Justice of India. They had asserted the manner “cannot, but be construed by us and the judicial fraternity as an insult to the judiciary”. The letter was signed by former Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Kuldip Singh, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Justice R.N. Aggarwal, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Allahabad Justice S.S. Sodhi, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim Justice M.S. Gujral, former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice S.S. Dewan, and former Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh Justice M.S. Liberhan The former Judges had asserted: “What a contrast this to the occasion when we had a Governor of Punjab (Sidharth Shankar Ray), who manifested his high regard and esteem for the judiciary by going to the High Court to administer oath there to the Chief Justice designate. “What is even more distressing is that the occasion was apparently taken to be so lacking in solemnity that the National Anthem was not deemed fit to be played”.
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CPM slams Copenhagen accord as weak
New Delhi, December 21 Without a treaty committing the industrialised countries to deep emission cuts, the lives of hundreds of millions, especially in the developing world, have been put at risk. This will affect people in South Asia, large parts of Africa, least developed countries and island nations that could be entirely submerged under rising sea-levels, the CPM Politburo said in a statement, blaming the US “tactics” for defeating consensus. “From the first day to the last at Copenhagen, the US and allies tried to kill the Kyoto Protocol itself, negate the cornerstone principle of differentiation between the industrialised and developing countries, and pressurise the developing countries to take on the major burden of reducing global emissions. Their inability to achieve these aims was due to the stiff resistance put up by developing countries,” the party said. Interestingly, the statement puts China ahead of India when referring to the block of developing countries that resisted the US pressure. “The BASIC bloc of China, India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as Mexico and Indonesia, voluntarily announced reductions in emissions growth rates in the interests of humanity, going far beyond their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. However, the US, the EU and other developed countries did not budge an inch from the low emission cuts they had declared before Copenhagen,” the CPM said, adding that a leaked draft UN Report has revealed that pledges made by large developing countries will contribute more to emission reductions than the low commitments of the US and other developed nations. The party said it had warned the government that unilateral concessions, before the negotiations, and without conditional linkages to deep cuts by developed countries, would not yield results. “That has now happened,” it said, adding that the Copenhagen accord is “extremely weak in terms of the deep and immediate emission cuts by developed countries that are required to tackle climate change.” It is deeply ambiguous with several loopholes and the possibility of different interpretations, particularly with regard to emission cuts by developing countries, and fund and technology transfers, the Politburo statement said, adding India should ensure that in future negotiations, the red lines committed by the government in Parliament are adhered to.
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Congress treads cautiously on Ranganath Misra report New Delhi, December 21 But that did not take away from the report its potential to make or mar political destinies, with the BJP slamming it outright as “seriously flawed” but the socialist and Dalit lobby led by the SP, RJD, BSP standing firmly behind it. As for the government, it has bought time and will first discuss the report in the cabinet, with UPA sources saying the recommendations would have to go through the top Congress think tank before a decision is taken. At the heart of the matter are two of Misra’s suggestions aimed to redeem the minorities - sub quota for minorities within the existing OBC quota of 27 per cent, and SC status for Dalit Christians and Muslims. The latter part of the story has the Sangh Parivar infuriated. “The report is seriously flawed. Its recommendation that Muslim and Christian Dalits be given Scheduled Caste status is divisive unconstitutional,” BJP’s national spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad has said, referring to the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order of 1950 which says only Hindus could be from the Scheduled Castes. Extending the status to Muslims and Christians is “communal banking”, Prasad added. Basically, the Sangh feels the move will fuel conversions by securing religious converts under the umbrella of reservation. They want the report rejected. But not all share the view, with the Left largely favouring SC status for the two sections, and the socialist parties too largely supportive of it. Interestingly, while the National Commission for Minorities backs the demand, the National Commission for SC is opposed to it. That apart, the real political hot potato is the division of the existing 27 per cent OBC quota to make way for an 8.4 per cent minority quota, as per the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, which had placed minorities at 8.4 per cent of the total OBC population of India. In any case, several castes that are no longer socially or economically backward in the OBC list have not been excluded for long - a fact which Misra notes, blaming political considerations and vested interests for persistent neglect of the exclusion exercise, which was meant to be decennial. For the government, the issue is sensitive and almost untouchable, as it could unsettle a lot of its existing political support base. As for Misra, he has suggested two alternatives to compensate the minorities - either grant 15 per cent quota in jobs and education to religious and linguistic minorities (10 per cent of that to Muslims), with none of the unfilled seats going to the majority at any cost, or create a sub quota of 8.4 per cent for minorities within the existing OBC bracket. Both are tough goals to achieve - which explains government’s inertia in tabling the report and then avoiding debate on the same. The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (Misra report) has called for reservation on educational and economic grounds instead of religions or caste basis, besides saying, “in the matter of determination of backwardness, there should be no distinction between majority and minority”.
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Munde is Lok Sabha dy leader New Delhi, December 21 An official announcement of the party also announced here today that Ramesh Bais will continue to be the chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha too the old order continues with S.S. Ahluwalia reappointed as deputy leader and Maya Singh the chief whip of the party in Rajya Sabha. Already. Advani has appointed Sushma Swaraj as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and reappointed Arun Jaitley as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Thus, the only new appointment is that of Gopinath Munde and it comes even before the new president Nitin Gadkari might have returned home in Nagpur after assuming charge here on December 19. Gadkari spent all of yesterday calling on the big wigs of his party in Delhi, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, et al at their respective residences. Munde, general secretary in the outgoing set-up of Rajnath, is not on the best of terms with fellow Maharashtrian leader Gadkari. In last three years he has clashed twice publicly with Gadkari causing a serious crisis and embarrassment to the BJP. In April last year he resigned from all party posts to protest against Gadkari appointing the Mumbai BJP president of his choice without consulting Munde as he told the president later here. He relented only after Advani overruled Gadkari, thus Advani discreetly co-opted Munde in his camp. It was also widely known that Gadkari would not brook Munde’s presence in the organisational set-up under his stewardship. But that apart, Munde belonging to scheduled tribe, has also been chosen to project BJP accommodative towards all sections. With Sushma the LoP in Lok Sabha, Jaitley in Rajya Sabha and Gadkari as party president already the BJP was being described by its critics as a Brahmin party. Munde’s appointment may dispel that impression. As for Gadkari, he has already announced his intent to take back leaders who have left the party. While there are any number of ex like Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and K.N. Govindacharya waiting at the door, sources said Gadkari’s remark was mainly aimed at former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. That is because BJP is apprehending a hung House after Jharkhand assembly election results are announced on December 23. And these will be the first results after Gadkari has taken charge. His success in forming a government in Jharkhand will go a long way in establishing his credentials in Delhi.
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Nagaland Manipur Nagaland hopes for peace, Manipur stares at uncertainty Bijay Sankar Bora Tribune News Service
Guwahati, December 21 Situation is likely to remain fluid in Manipur where people are clamouring for respite from the prolonged insurgency though about 20 insurgent groups are still operating in the state notwithstanding decades' old counter insurgency operation and heavy presence of security forces. The popular demand for repeal of the ‘draconian’ Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 and the continuing killings and counter killings by insurgents and security forces are likely to keep Manipur on the boil where development process and education institutions have been worst hit by the continuous unrest. The people of Manipur wish schools, especially those in the four valley districts, start functioning normally for the interest of education of their wards. Those who are agitating against July 23 ‘fake encounter’ killing in Imphal city, have ensured that the innocent students are dragged into it and the schools have remained closed since September 9 this year. The civil society of Nagaland is stepping into the New Year with hopes that reconciliation that was agreed upon by the rival rebel groups, the NSCN-IM and the NSCN-K, remains intact in the year ahead. The Church, Naga Hoho and other civil society groups tried hard to make the two rebel groups stop internecine killings and reconcile in the greater interest of peace. Nagaland is now awaiting the proposal that the Government of India (GOI) is supposed to place before the NSCN-IM in truce as a fallout of the prolonged peace process since 1997 to find a solution to the vexed insurgency in the state. The GOI has already stated that the proposal will not be conditional, but open for discussion. With India and China of late getting warm to each other over climate and bi-lateral economic issues, people of Arunachal Pradesh can hope that the age-old border disputes between the two Asian giants will be put on the backburner in the new year. The landlocked hill state awaiting the fast implementation of the Rs 20,000-crore mega road connectivity project as announced by the Centre. Even as Meghalaya is hoping for early resolution to the impasse over proposed uranium mining in West Khasi Hill district, tiny Mizoram which has made a name for itself in floriculture, longs for improvement in road and air connectivity in the year ahead. Tripura being the most peaceful state in the region governed by an efficient Left Front government, expects to woo as many investors as possible in the year ahead. The state hopes for investment in potential IT sector, rubber sector, tourism, horticulture and hydro-carbon exploration. Chief minister Manik Sarkar has promised ‘hassle-free atmosphere’ for potential investors and hopes to cash in on improving India-Bangladesh ties as Tripura shares a long border and historical and cultural relations with Bangladesh.
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India to seek Headley’s extradition
Siliguri, December 21 Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said investigation with regard to Headley, who had allegedly conducted recce and made videos of 26/11 targets before passing them to the Lashkar-e-Taiba attackers, was being done by the National Investigation Agency. “When our investigation is complete, we will file a chargesheet in an Indian court. After filing the chargesheet, we will take a warrant of arrest. After getting the warrant of arrest, we will approach America (for extradition),” he told reporters here on way to Darjeeling yesterday. Headley, a 49-year-old American-Pakistani, has been in custody in the US since October 3 for plotting terror attacks. His accomplice Canadian-Pakistani Tahawwur Rana was subsequently arrested by the FBI. Pillai is in Darjeeling to participate the tripartite talks among the Centre, West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morch on the Gorkhaland issue.
— PTI
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I didn’t kill Karkare, Kamte, says Kasab
‘Photo is not mine’ Ajmal Kasab, who for the second consecutive day today denied his involvement in the 26/11 terror attacks, refused to identify his clothes, AK-47 rifle and photographs showing him with the weapon. When Kasab was shown the blood-stained trousers and blue shirt, the gunman admitted that the blood was his own but said the clothes did not belong to him. "The police had taken my blood sample when I was in their custody... They must have put my blood on these clothes. These clothes are not my size. They are smaller," Kasab said. When the court showed the gunman a photograph of him holding an AK-47 rifle, Kasab said, "It is not me and in any case the man in the photo is pointing the rifle to the ground and does not seem to be firing at anyone." The prosecution's case is that Kasab had fired at a photographer of 'Times of India' who had clicked his photograph from the third floor of his office.
Mumbai, December 21 Kasab said that he was not present at CST, Cama Hospital or Girgaum Chowpati (where he was nabbed by the police) during the Mumbai attack, because he was already in police custody when the terror attack took place. After the attack, he was taken out by Crime Branch officers in a police vehicle, and was shown the sites, he said. "They are the police, they need an accused. So they framed me up," he alleged. When the court asked him how he received a bullet injury on his hand, Kasab alleged that when he was in custody, the police gave him local anaesthesia in his hands, and shot him. Earlier, when proceedings began in the court, he told Judge M L Tahaliyani that he was not feeling well, and requested that recording of his statement be adjourned. But the judge said that there would be no adjournment, though if Kasab did not want to say anything, he was free to do so. Kasab also denied hijacking a Skoda car along with another terrorist Abu Ismail before being intercepted by the police. Kasab insisted that he was being implicated in the case because he resembled another terrorist killed by the police.
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Gurdwara Land Row
New Delhi, December 21 Makkar, along with his entourage arrived at the Pakistan High Commission today to protest against the recent incidents that violate the rights of the Sikhs in Pakistan. A protest memorandum was handed over for Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik. Makkar said it was heart-rending that Sikh lawyer Anup Singh had to face fundamentalists in Pakistan. “Such incidents, which we feel are motivated by some vested interests, do not conform to today’s enlightened world and also tend to tarnish the peace-loving image of the Islam,” the memorandum said. The reported sale of the properties of Gurdwaras in Pakistan are in blatant violation of the sanctity of a pact between Jawahar Lal Nehru and Liaqat Al, which mentions all religious places in both the countries shall be maintained properly. The SGPC chief pointed out that there have breaches in mutual understanding. He specifically mentioned the sale of 855 kanals belonging to Gurdwara Deh and Samadh Bhai Mann Singh in Lahore to the Defence Housing Authority of Pakistan, 25 acres belonging to Gurdwara Bebe Nanaki Ji at Dera Chehal village and 307 Kanals at Hadbast Mauja Mota Singh Wala distict. The matter of these lands was raised in Parliament a few days ago and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had promised to take up the issue with Pakistan.
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Scientists rush to ISRO for jobs
Chandigarh, December 21 ISRO received about 1.35 lakh applications for 300 posts of scientists at the entry level this year. “Earlier we received just about 40-50 applications for each post,” Suresh Naik, former Group Director ISRO, said. This implies that earlier there were just about 15,000 applicants for such posts. ISRO employees about 20,000 scientists at various centres across the country. Naik also claimed that prospective engineers now prefer ISRO’s Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology over IITs to pursue Bachelor of Technology courses. He was here to launch the Indian Space Society, a chapter of US-based National
Space Society engaged in space advocacy. He said that besides vastly improved pay-scales, ISRO’s space programmes were offering immense challenges for young scientists and engineers. “The proposed Chandrayaan-3 and the upcoming human space programmes and inter-planetary missions require new technology and innovative minds and are a great motivation for young scientists,” he said. Another motivating factor for bright minds, Naik said was ISRO attractive promotion policy, where merit scores over seniority. A review of each scientist’s work is undertaken every three years, which is the major factor in deciding promotions. Several new perks have also been introduced. Serious work is also going on at ISRO for manned space missions. Naik pointed out that while China had scored over India in sending an astronaut into space, India was ahead as far as landing its national flag on the moon and detecting presence of water on the lunar surface was concerned. China, he said, was putting in more fiscal resources in its space programmes as it was a larger economy. ISRO budget, though increased over the years, was just about four per cent of what America’s NASA spends. Naik said that in the coming years, India would require more satellite capability to cater to the growing demands of telecommunication, TV broadcasting, data transfer, remote sensing and business activities. He added that like in the USA, the industry’s contribution was required in manufacturing satellites, launch vehicles and related hardware so that ISRO could devote more resources to space research and exploration.
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Jalandhar finds a place in guide to world music
But Hunt, writer, broadcaster, lyricist and columnist in both print and on the web, was unsparing in his criticism of the very Indian habit of disrupting musical evenings by ushering in and out VIPs and their ‘chamchas’. “Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan showed off everything that is typical and revealing about Indian audiences’ attitudes, including their waywardness, to its art music traditions,” he wrote on the web. “The one galling sadness revolved around the disruptions and distractions caused by the inappropriate, ill-timed, inconsiderate admission of dignitaries, sponsors and sundry VIPs. At its worst — when Punjab’s Chief Minister popped in — it created a media circus with camera crews vying to do their business. It betokened a disrespect that would not be countenanced in Europe or North America.” But he had kind words too for the festival when he described Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan -- “Punjab's most simmering cultural gems…something of a well kept secret.” It is a coincidence that the much awaited second volume of the third edition of “The Rough Guide to World Music” , co-authored by Hunt and four other eminent commentators, was released today in London just two days before the start of this year’s Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan. An 824-page collector's delight, the volume covers the music of Europe, Asia and Pacific. The previous volume, which appeared in September 2006, covered Africa and the Middle East. At a few words short of 60,000, Hunt is the biggest contributor to the volume, others being Jameela Siddiqi (Pakistan), Jiri Plocek (Czech and Slovak Republics), Robert Maycock and Jane Harvey. The volume also boasts of a new feature called the playlist where each of the main chapters have some recordings to substantiate them. Superb narrative from the best music commentators coupled with painstakingly collected and shortlisted music coming from the likes of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, Dagar Brothers, Kala Ramnath, Jnan Prasad Ghosh, Ustad Bismillah Khan and many more. In Hunt's own words, “It is a… work filled with its writers’ passions, commitment to their musical territories and that essential element, a desire to communicate enthusiasm, passions and love of music.”
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‘Separate poll ID for transgenders’
New Delhi, December 21 “We examined the request and permitted transgenders to register as ‘Other’ or ‘O’,” Chawla said while delivering the second annual Mother Teresa Memorial lecture on “Electoral Democracy in India”. He said the Election Commission had also revised the format of the electoral rolls accordingly. “Besides relevant forms used by the commission wherein there is a provision of indication of sex of the elector have been suitably amended,” Chawla added. Instructions, he said, had been sent out to all electoral registration authorities in the country to immediately implement the decision. The lecture was jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Open University and Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. — IANS
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PM takes a dig at industrialised nations
New Delhi, December 21 “Humanity’s approach to climate change and other challenges has to be need based, not greed based, as Gandhiji taught us,’’ he said while addressing the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Awards-2009 ceremony here this evening. AICC general secretary and Congress youth icon Rahul Gandhi was chosen for the honour in the politics category.
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Cop shot dead near Mayawati’s residence
Lucknow, December 21 Around 24 hours after the incident no breakthrough has been made nor the official carbine (No 16076690) and 20 cartridges snatched from deceased Ram Lal (56), a native of Azamgarh, recovered. ADG (Law and Order) AK Jain claimed personal enmity as a possible cause of the murder. The incident occurred yesterday when Ram Lal was returning from CM’s residence to the police lines on his cycle.
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BJP MP Suryakant Acharya passes away
Ahmedabad, December 21 Acharya (80) was in a critical condition for the last four days due to age-related ailments, they said. Acharya, a member of the RSS, was among the think-tanks of the BJP in Gujarat and was considered close to the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
— PTI |
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Three-year-old falls into drain
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Chandigarh, December 21
Jalandhar, December 21
