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Bathe carnage: 16 get death
Top guns of Maoists’ Andhra cadre scripted Bloody Tuesday
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Maoist Mayhem
Naxal ‘military dalams’ behind Dantewada attack
Parties for tough action against Naxals
PM convenes meet on inflation
37 Rajya Sabha MPs face criminal cases
Eradicating Hunger
Voting rights a distant dream for NRIs
How much info is too much? CIC-govt row rages on
Gehlot govt downsizes Raje’s security cover
Families of UAE convicts hold prayer in Capital
Controversial AMU reader found dead
Punjab invites PM for Sirhind Fateh Diwas
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Bathe carnage: 16 get death
Patna, April 7 But for two, all other convicts were present in the court at the time of verdict. The court proclaimed the missing two as absconders. It has been the biggest mass killing witnessed in the state so far carried out by the armed squad of the Ranveer Sena, an outlawed private militia of upper-caste landowners. The marauders had mercilessly killed the landless Dalits living in the tiny hamlet situated on the bank of Sone river. Of the 58 killed, 27 were women and 10 children. They were targeted by the Ranveer Sena for giving shelter to the armed squad of Naxals. The incident had sparked wide condemnation. Then President KR Narayanan had also expressed his shock and dismay over the mindless killings. Fearing dismissal of the state government, then led by Rabri Devi, the administration immediately placed the then SP of Jehanabad (the village was then under Jehanabad district) suspension, gave marching orders to the Home Commissioner and created a special post of ADG (law and order). A Special Investigating Team of the Crime Branch was constituted to probe the incident and file chargesheets against those involved in it. An inquiry commission headed by retired high court judge Amir Das was also constituted to probe the political links of the Ranveer Sena. Soon after the trial of the case began in Jehanabad court, the prosecution sought transfer of the trial to Patna and the Patna High Court ordered accordingly. But the trial could not make much progress, despite appointment of six special public prosecutors in the case by the state government. In January 2009, the Nitish Kumar government took up this case. The trial concluded on April 1 this year. The victim families had to wait for 13 years to get justice. But, the relatives of the convicts said they had been denied justice and they would file an appeal with the high court.
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Top guns of Maoists’ Andhra cadre scripted Bloody Tuesday
“Since over 70 per cent of the top Maoist leadership is from Andhra, they will have a role in any major offensive,” said Anjani Kumar, the Inspector General of Police of Greyhounds, the elite anti-Maoist outfit of the state police. Sources here said that Central Committee members of CPI(Maoist) were behind the attack -- K Sudarshan alias Anand, head of the Central Regional Bureau (CRB); K Satyanarayan Reddy alias Kosa, secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC); T Tirupathi alias Devuji and M Venugopal alias Bhupati, younger brother of Maoist stalwart Kishenji. While K Sudarshan is from Adilabad district, the other three are from Karimnagar district. AP was once a stronghold of Maoists, who held sway in large tracts of the backward Telangana region and Nallamala forests. However, the movement has been on the wane for several years now following the spectacular success of the Greyhounds. Several top Maoist leaders have been killed and many have surrendered. There has also been a growing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, leading to large-scale surrenders. Improvement in rural infrastructure and employment opportunities for the youth and growing aspirations of the middle class are among the reasons for decline of the Maoist movement in the state. Following intense police pressure and eroding popular support, Maoists shifted base to neighbouring Chhattisgarh and
Orissa.
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Maoist Mayhem
Raipur, April 7 The shell-shocked police authorities here have ordered the deployment of nearly 40,000 policemen in the restive Bastar region. But officials posted in the interiors of the region say: "The Tuesday attack has rattled the entire police force engaged in the anti-Maoist operation and they are now reluctant to enter the landmine-infested jungle terrain". "It's easy for everyone to dictate to us from New Delhi and Raipur sitting in air-conditioned chambers, but here the situation is completely hostile because Maoists rule the roost in jungles. The forces in Bastar now need urgent motivation,” a police officer based in Dantewada said on phone. Police officers posted in the sprawling 40,000-sq km Bastar terrain -- made up of the five districts of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada -- say policemen are suffering high casualties because of an absolute lack of co-ordination between state forces and paramilitary men who are put in difficult terrains in Chhattisgarh. “Despite all efforts at the police headquarters and at the state government level, the CRPF is not taking the local police and special police officers (SPOs) along while entering the Maoists' den and are thus getting killed without a fight," noted a senior official here. — IANS
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Naxal ‘military dalams’ behind Dantewada attack
What is a ‘military dalam’? It is the best trained outfit in guerilla warfare. Also called as ‘platoon dalam’, the unit comprises of about 30
members Who were masterminds?
New Delhi, April 7 Equipped with latest weapons, the ‘military dalam’ (section) is the best trained outfit in guerilla warfare. Also called as ‘platoon dalam’, the unit has about 30 members. Top Maoist leader Ganapati years ago used to be its military commander. All the ‘territorial dalams’ (groups operating in specific areas with about 10 members) look at the ‘military dalams’ with awe because of their superior firepower. Each Naxal-infested state has its own ‘military dalam’. Intelligence sources from Chhattisgarh said over 10 ‘dalams’ took part in Tuesday’s attack on the CRPF team in the interiors of Tarmetla jungles near Chintalnar. The attacking party also included a number of well-armed women cadres. They were assisted by a large number of villagers sympathetic to the Naxal cause. It is believed that the ambush was planned by Kosa, leader of the Dandakaranya special zone committee of the CPI (Maoist). The Union government had last year declared the CPI (Maoist) a terrorist outfit. The Maoist army that carried out the ambush, apparently after trailing the CRPF team’s movement for two days, was reportedly led by two top Naxal leaders, Ganeshanna and Ramanna. After the gruesome attack, sources said, all the ‘dalams’ have dispersed in different directions, travelled nearly 70 to 100 km inside hilly and thick forest terrain. Some of them have crossed into adjoining Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Before the CRPF team’s departure, the men were thoroughly briefed about the combing mission. As all of them were in camouflaging green, they were advised to be careful and ensure that “they didn’t shoot at each other”. Notably, there is hardly any distinction between the fatigues of security forces and Maoists during such operations. In Bastar, the police wear a camouflaging green uniform to hide their movement while the Naxalites wear a dark green fatigue. As per CRPF’s plan of operation, small parties of 15 men each strength were formed, sources said. They were asked to carry enough ration and return after three-five days. Their area of operation was decided after consulting the topographical sheets of the inhospitable terrain. Notably, the accurate topographical sheets of dense, inaccessible and hazardous terrain were prepared by the British, showing each contour and various details. The police are still using these topographical sheets to chalk out their operations. As the ‘foot soldiers’ of the Naxalites are mostly local tribals, they are well versed with the terrain and do not need any maps to move around.
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Parties for tough action against Naxals
New Delhi, April 7 BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad chided the government for suggesting a dialogue with the Maoists after the massacre, saying the idea was “patently absurd.” The CPM, too, described the Dantewada massacre as a reminder that no state government could single-handedly tackle the Naxal violence. — PTI
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PM convenes meet on inflation
New Delhi, April 7 On the sidelines of the Padma Awards function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said, “The country has a problem. It is for all political parties to pool their wisdom and experience to evolve a practical solution to the problem.” The Prime Minister’s remarks come at the time when the Parliament is about to re-convene and the BJP and the Left are planning a major offensive against the UPA government on the price rise issue. The first meeting of the core committee, just a week before Parliament meets again for the second phase of the Budget session, will deliberate on long- and short-term strategies for dealing with price rise. The committee includes Chief Ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Assam, besides Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was the most vocal at the Prime minister last meeting on price rise in February, will attend the meeting. Sources say the Centre may once again ask states to take action against the hoarders and black marketers and pick up their respective shares of four million tones wheat released for them. The issue of strengthening the Public Distribution System (PDS) may figure during the meeting.
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Padma for Chatwal, Zohra Segal, Rekha
The Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan reverberated with applause as Segal, in a wheelchair, accepted the Padma Vibhushan. Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, central ministers and the three service chiefs were present at the 45-minute ceremony. A 130 Padma awards were announced on Republic Day - six Padma Vibhushan, 43 Padma Bhushan and 81 Padma Shri - and 67 awardees were honoured last week. Today, three Padma Vibhushan, 21 Padma Bhushan and 39 Padma Shri winners were awarded. Apart from Segal, the two Padma Vibhushan awardees were Umayalpuram K Sivaraman and Yaga Venugopal Reddy. The Padma Bhushan awardees included educationist Anil Bordia, historian Bipan Chandra, former civil servant Moosa Raza and Chatwal. Padma Shri winners included businessman Kapil Mohan, Oscar winner for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Resul Pookutty, Venu Srinivasan, boxer Vijender Singh.
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37 Rajya Sabha MPs face criminal cases
On wrong side of law Kishore Kumar Mohanty (BJD): Sections 323 (voluntary causing hurt), 294 (obscene songs and
acts) Kamal Akhtar (SP):
Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable
homicide) Penumallui Madhi (CPM): Section 324 (voluntary causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means)
Azaj Ali (expelled from JD-U): Section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder)
Vinay Katiyar (BJP): Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintaining harmony)
Shiv Pratap Singh (BJP): Section 294
V Hanumantha Rao (Cong): Section 324
Pervez Hashmi (Cong): Section 325
New Delhi, April 7 According to National Election Watch (NEW), an organisation working on electoral reforms, out of these 37 MPs from the current Rajya Sabha, 12 had serious criminal cases pending against them, according to self-sworn affidavits filed at the time of election to the House. These serious cases include attempt to murder, kidnapping, abducting and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons. The MPs accused with criminal charges of heinous nature include Kamal Akhtar of the SP and Ram Chandra Singh of the CPI. Both have attempt to murder charges pending against them while Ejas Ali of the JD(U) is an accused in a kidnapping and abduction case. Fiftyone-year-old Kishore Kumar Mohanty of the BJD has five criminal cases against him. The charges he is accused under include Section 323 (voluntary causing hurt) and even Section 294 (obscene songs and acts). Kamal Akhtar of the SP, who led the offensive against the Women Reservation Bill in the Upper House last month, has two criminal cases pending against him. The sections that he has been charged under include 307 (attempt to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). Penumallui Madhi of the CPM is an accused in six cases, including under Section 324 (voluntary causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means); Azaj Ali, expelled JD(U) leader, has three criminal cases pending against him. He is an accused under Section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) BJP’s Vinay Katiyar is an accused under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintaining harmony) BJP’s Shiv Pratap Singh from Chhattisgarh is an accused under Section 294 (obscene songs and acts) and V Hanumantha Rao and Pervez Hashmi from the Congress under Section 324 and 325, respectively, (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and voluntarily causing grievous hurt). Ram Chandra Singh of the CPI (attempt to murder), Nand Kumar Sai of the BJP (obscene songs and acts) and Santosh Singh Bagodia (false statement or oath or affirmation to public servant or person authorised to administer an oath or affirmation) and Giresh Kumar Sanghi of the Congress (an accused in 50 cases) are the others MPs in this list of 12 MPs. NEW members, former member of Planning Commission LC Jain and former CEC N Gopalaswami have urged political parties to act on growing influence of crime and money in politics. The NEW analysis also threw up interesting data on the assets of MPs in the current Rajya Sabha. Highest assets have been declared by Rahul Bajaj, Independent (Rs 300 crore), followed by MAM Ramaswamy of JD-S (Rs 278 crore) and Subbarami Reddy of Congress (Rs 272 crore). Two members have -- D Raja of the CPI and Saman Pathak of the CPM -- declared zero assets.
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Eradicating Hunger
New Delhi, April 7 Food policy analyst Devinder Sharma says the question is not about the quantity of food or the number of people who get it. India already has a food distribution system in place wherein around 75 per cent of the families, including BPL (below poverty line) and APL (above poverty line), get foodgrains, sugar and other essential commodities under the public distribution system (PDS). And this has been happening since Independence. If such a large number of people are already covered under the PDS, ideally no one should be going hungry. However, the fact is that a sizable number of poor in the country do not even hold the card. Even when the NFSA is implemented, it may turn out to be old wine in a new bottle, unless something is done to plug the leaky PDS. The failure of the PDS is a fact that is universally recognised. A ruling party leader admits that the PDS is so replete with loopholes that more than half of entitlement never reaches the targeted beneficiaries. “What is needed is more production and efficient distribution before food is made the legal right of the poor,” he says. “The Act will make specified foodgrain quantity the legal right of the poor. If the government fails to provide the foodgrain, it will have to compensate with money. Failing to do so will invite penalty. Even though the NFSA is a high priority item, the Bill is likely to make to Parliament in the monsoon session,” he says. Therefore, more than the law, reforms have to be first ensured in the PDS, making it more effective and corruption-free. “A law cannot help if the country doesn’t produce enough foodgrains or eradicate the middlemen,” Sharma says, adding if the UPA wants the NFSA to be more than a “political handout” it has to ensure food security by focusing on plans for short-term and long-term and dealing with emergency situations.
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Voting rights a distant dream for NRIs
Voting the world
over There are an estimated over 25 million Indians living outside the country. Majority of them have been demanding voting rights to have a stake in deciding who runs the country of their origin. Some countries like the US, the UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Canada reportedly facilitate permission to vote through postal ballot. Other nations like Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, France, Russia, Sweden, the Philippines, Japan, Dominican Republic and Spain allow voting for their citizens through embassies and consulates. In France, voting can be done over the Internet
New Delhi, April 7 It was amid much fanfare that the PM had announced at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations here in January that NRIs would be able to vote in the next general election. Subsequently, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said the government would introduce a Bill granting voting rights to the NRIs during the next session of Parliament (Budget Session). However, it is learnt that the government is yet to get into the nitty-gritty of drafting the proposed Bill because of divergent opinions among departments. Official sources admitted: “We have to cover a lot of distance… there are a large number of problems.’’ It is learnt that the PMO had asked the MOIA, Home Minister, Law and Justice Ministry and the Election Commission to start the process of drafting the Bill in consultation with each other soon after the PM’s announcement. Sources explained that voting rights to NRIs could only be granted by amending Representation of the People Act (RPA), which has a certain definition of who is ordinarily a citizen of India. The MOIA’s suggestion was that a sub-clause be added to the RPA under which a person holding an Indian passport and living in a certain country for whatever reason shall be deemed to be a citizen of India with right to vote in the constituency that is mentioned as his or her residential address in the passport. However, the Election Commission is not in agreement with the proposal. Its contention is that polling in any constituency could only be conducted on the basis of electoral rolls. But there was no method to include NRIs in the rolls. The Law and Justice Ministry also appears to share the Election Commission’s view. Sources acknowledged that the proposal had not moved beyond the preliminary stage due to these very differences. “We need to evolve a mechanism on how NRIs can register as voters in India… until we are able to do so, we can’t move forward on the Bill,’’ they added.
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How much info is too much? CIC-govt row rages on
New Delhi, April 7 While there has been a long-drawn logjam between the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the CIC, the latest in the row is a reply from the Cabinet Secretariat. In its reply to the CIC, Cabinet Secretariat said the attendance of ministers at the Cabinet meetings is exempt from disclosure under the Right to Information Act, as it is part of ‘deliberations of the Union Cabinet’. Director at the Secretariat, Meera Ranjan Tshering, while replying to applicant Abhishek Shukla said, “The information is denied in terms of Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act as this is part of deliberations of the Cabinet.” There have prevailed ideological differences at the highest levels in the government on the issue of allowing access to file notings. However, this time the section cited by the Secretariat exempts cabinet papers, including records of deliberations of the council of ministers, secretaries and other officers from disclosure. But an exception can be made in cases “provided that the decisions of the council of ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over.” A total of 34 cabinet meetings took place between June 1, 2009 and February 15, 2010, which were all chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the reply said. As a result of the differences, the DoPT had also sought the law ministry’s advice on the issue. Information commissions have disclosed file notings but the government departments have often refused information. The DoPT, on its part, has done nothing to dispel the confusion mentioning the term “file notings” in its website’s frequently asked questions. Ever since the RTI Act was made operational in October 2005, the government has been reluctant to part with file notings. While in some cases people were able to access this info, many were denied it. In fact, the DoPT clearly states on its website that “file notings” were not covered by the act. In July 2006, the Union Cabinet decided to amend the RTI Act so that only file notings related to social and developmental projects could be made accessible to the public. |
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Gehlot govt downsizes Raje’s security cover
Jaipur, April 7 Raje will now be provided with an escort of one to four guards and two personal security officers (PSOs) while travelling in the state. She will also be provided with a guard at her residence. However, the additional armed escort and security personnel in civvies would be withdrawn from her security cover. Earlier, under Z-plus category, she used to move in a bullet proof car with armed commandos and also had two PSOs round-the-clock. She was extended ‘Z-plus’ security cover when she received threats during her tenure as the Chief Minister. The decision was taken at a recent security review meeting in which the number of security personnel deployed on VIP security from the state services was brought under tight scrutiny. It was recommended at the meeting to withdraw armed escort and additional security personnel to the political figures in the absence of a major threat perception. However, the state government’s move has evoked angry reactions from the state BJP. Prominent BJP leaders, including Rajendra Rathore, Digambar Singh, Om Birla and Bhawani Singh Rajawat, said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has exhibited his “narrow mentality” by reducing Raje’s security. |
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Families of UAE convicts hold prayer in Capital
New Delhi, April 7 They demanded quick and effective intervention by the Union Government to save the lives of their dear ones. The Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) submitted a petition to the Prime Minister’s office on behalf of these families, seeking intervention into the issue. “The boys had left …..India so that they could make some money in UAE and provide comfort to their family members. Now their families are living in the fear of their execution. Only the government could help them. They should file appeal and hire the best lawyers to save our boys,” Lok Bhalai Party president BS Ramoowalia said.
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Controversial AMU reader found dead
Lucknow, April 7 Speaking to this reporter, SO Quarsi said, “Dr Siras may have died a few days ago. His death was discovered only this evening after a foul smell emitting from his room was reported to a journalist by his advocate landlord and the room was forcibly opened by us.The police said that no suicide note had been recovered so far. “The post mortem report would establish the cause of his death,” it said. It was only last week that the High Court had stayed the suspension order but decided not to stay the enquiry into Dr
Siras’ alleged misconduct. — TNS
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Punjab invites PM for Sirhind Fateh Diwas
New Delhi, April 7 The Hyderabad-based ISB is setting up its second campus in collaboration with the Punjab government. A spokesperson of the government today said the Prime Minister “gave (an) in principle assurance to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that he would attend the function” at a religious function in Sirhind. He would also lay the foundation of the ISB, the spokesperson added.
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Hyderabad, April 7
New Delhi, April 7