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SABARIMALA STAMPEDE
Banda rape case
New ministers look at stars to join office
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New-gen submarines: Pakistan steals a march on India
Jaffrey murder
Arunachal students to boycott R-Day
Spying angle ruled out in arrest of three Chinese nationals
Ex-RAW official bares herself in High Court
Budget session from February 21
‘Peepli
Live’ out of Oscar race
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HC raps Kerala govt for failing to foresee tragedy
Says there was lack of coordination among various depts
Kochi, January 20 “If you provide unrestricted flow of pilgrims, necessary safeguards need to be issued; or completely prevent pilgrims from taking the Pulmedu route,” a Division Bench comprising Justice Thothathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice PS Gopinathan said. The Bench has been monitoring Sabarimala pilgrim season since January 5. It observed there was lack of coordination among various departments that led to the tragedy while pilgrims were returning after witnessing “Makara Jyothi” (celestial light). The judges also wanted to know if the “Makara Jyothi”, which attracted lakhs of pilgrims every year, was man-made or celestial and the difference between “Makara Jyothi” and “Makara Vilakku”. Reacting to the court’s comments, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan told reporters at Thiruvananthapuram that his government had no plan to probe whether it was a divine phenomenon or a man-lit exercise as the issue was a matter of faith for millions. “The government is going to consult neither astrologers nor materialist scientists to ascertain the veracity of Makara Jyothi, which millions believe as divine and throng the temple with intense wish to see it,” he said. The court also impleaded the Union Government in the case and asked it to file a reply on its views on permitting pilgrims through Pulmedu, which is part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. On the court’s directions, Kerala DGP Jacob Punnose, TDB Commissioner N Vasu and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest TM Manoharan filed separate reports on the tragedy. While DGP Jacob Punnose said 279 policemen, including two DSPs and a circle inspector had been deployed to regulate the crowd and 1,400 passes were given by the Forest Department for auto-rickshaws and four-wheelers; the TDB Commissioner said not enough police and forest officials were there to guide the pilgrims on the route. The Forest Department said it had taken all safeguards. The state has decided to set up a special team of officials to deliver solatium of Rs 6 lakh each to the kin on 102 devotees killed in the stampede. The payment would include Rs 5 lakh from the state government and the Trvancore Devaswom Board and Rs 1 lakh from the Prime Minister’s relief fund, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. The injured would get Rs 75,000 with the state’s component being Rs 50,000. — PTI
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Banda rape case
Lucknow, January 20 Addressing the media CM Mayawati announced the government’s decision to suspend additional SP Lala Ram and circle officer Rajendra Yadav. Two sub-inspectors Radheshyam Shukla and Abdul Jabbar had already been suspended for not properly investigating the case. Today the government’s wrath also fell on the Banda jailor Gyan Prakash who has been suspended for failing to provide medical treatment to the rape survivor when she was put behind the bar in a fake theft case. According to Mayawati the action had been taken on the report of CB-CID, which also submitted charge sheet against these officers in the court on today. Delhi: An advocate has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court, seeking inquiry into the roles of the Uttar Pradesh police and the judiciary in the arrest and imprisonment of Banda girl.
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New ministers look at stars to join office
New Delhi, January 20 According to one insider as many as eight ministers assumed charge of their ministries at 12.30 pm. These included Praful Patel, Kamal Nath, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, P.C. Joshi, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Beni Prasad Verma and Ashwani Kumar. This created a piquant situation for information officers, official photographers. Information officers and even journalists who cover more than one ministry simultaneously. They could not be physically present simultaneously at several places. The PIB has only a very limited number of official photographers who cover all official functions and there were just not enough to shoot all eight ministers at the same time in different places. It was a day of hectic activity with very little real work, as hordes of well-wishers trooped into the new ministers’ rooms with garlands and bouquets. There was a virtual mela at almost every floor of Shastri Bhawan which houses the maximum number of ministries. Today being the day for the Cabinet meeting, the new incumbents into the Union Cabinet, Praful Patel, Sriprakash Jaiswal and Salman Khursheed joined the elite club with beaming faces. Those who seemed to have been downgraded like the new urban Development minister Kamal Nath put up a brave face. Similarly there were reports that Beni Prasad Verma, a one-time cabinet minister was not too happy either, nor was Virbhadra Singh. But they grinned and bore it. Assuming charge of the new ministry at Nirman Bhawan, Nath mentioned the Delhi Metro as his first priority stating in the same breath that he would improve the urban infrastructure, and increase the Delhi Metro network to make it bigger than the London Metro. He set a target of 415 km for Delhi Metro, against 414 existing in London. At present, Delhi Metro stretches to only 195 km. Nath also expressed concern over inadequacies and challenges facing rapid urbanisation like transportation, housing, sewage and water supplies. He denied feeling downgraded or a penal posting while Vilasrao Deshmukh, moved to Rural Development from Heavy Industries, claimed he had always been pro-farmer. But M S Gill, shunted out of Sports and Youth Affairs to the low-profile Statistics and Programme Implementation and replaced by a young and energetic Ajay Maken, was obviously sulking for he skipped the Cabinet meeting. I&B Minister Ambika Soni however did not consider it a wise idea to make a lot of changes in portfolios during election time, adding though that, “I have full faith in newly elected cabinet ministers. Their ministries have been changed for new opportunities. We hope they carry out their responsibilities to the full,” she said.
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New-gen submarines: Pakistan steals a march on India
New Delhi, January 20 The Pakistan Navy and China’s Ship Building Corporation signed a deal that
got the seal of finality during the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to
Pakistan last December. Indian security agencies in know of the matter have
cautioned the government that this could tilt the balance in favour of the
Pakistan Navy in the Arabian Sea. India is looking to spend Rs 50,000 crore to acquire six new diesel-electric submarines that will be equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology to boost operational capabilities. Conventional diesel-electric submarines have to surface every couple of days for oxygen to recharge their batteries. A submarine using AIP technology can stay submerged for 12-15 days at a stretch, thus increasing its capacity to hunt down enemy warships without being detected. Nuclear powered submarines can stay underwater for even longer periods. Under the latest agreement, China will co-produce six AIP technology submarines with Pakistan. Currently, the neighbouring navy has only one submarine -- PNS Hamza. Pakistan is also looking at an AIP system produced by a French or German maker to fit on to the Chinese made hull of the vessel, said an official. What is worrying for India is the known pace of Chinese construction. China could well provide three-four new generation AIP technology submarines to the neigbouring country within two years. The Chinese had supplied four frigates to the Pakistan Navy in 18 months flat! The two nations have also co-produced the single-engine J-17 fighter that was inducted into the Pakistan Air Force last summer. For India, it could take upto five years to induct its first such submarine, as it will have to go through the process of trying out offers from various global bidders before ordering the vessels. The Indian Navy has a bigger fleet in terms of number but it is dwindling and will be down to eight conventional diesel-electric vessels by 2015. By then, the first of the six under-construction Scorpene submarines will join the fleet followed by five more till 2018. The AIP technology vessels will follow later. Going by estimates, Pakistan would complete the induction of its fleet of AIP technology vessels by the time India starts off with its line of such submarines. However, India will maintain its edge over Pakistan in case of nuclear-powered submarines. It hopes to induct the Akula-II Class attack submarine K-152 Nerpa on a 10-year lease from Russia in the next few weeks while the first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant is expected to be inducted by early-2012. Indian
Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has already declared that
nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant would be on ‘deterrent patrol’
to provide the ability of a retaliatory ‘second strike’ if the
country faces a nuclear attack.
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Jaffrey murder
New Delhi, January 20 A three-member special Bench said it would take some time to study the analysis done by amicus curiae (who assists the court) Raju Ramachandran on the basis of the report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2002 post-Godhra communal riots cases. The matter would be taken up next on March 3. Teesta Setalvad pulled up
The Bench pulled up social activist Teesta Setalvad for forwarding copies of two letters she had written to the SIT, seeking protection to witnesses in the riots cases, to a Geneva-based UN body. It said that if Teesta had a problem, she should have directly approached it, instead of approaching an organisation in a foreign country.
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Arunachal students to boycott R-Day
Guwahati, January 20 AAPSU president Takam Tatung said, “We are baffled at the Centre’s feeble
response to the Chinese action of providing stapled visas to weightlifter Yukar
Sibi and his mentor Techi Abraham.”
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Spying angle ruled out in arrest of three Chinese nationals
Lucknow, January 20 Speaking to this reporter, IG Agarwal said it appears that the Chinese national were probably not aware that the open Indo-Nepal border was only meant for Nepalese citizens and not for any other foreigner trying to enter India from Nepal. On January 17, the SSB had arrested three suspected Chinese spies, including a woman, who were found 100 meters inside Indian Territory without valid travel documents and handed over to the Bahraich police. Cases have been registered against them under relevant sections of Passport Act and Foreigners Act. They have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days, informed the IG. — TNS
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Ex-RAW official bares herself in High Court
New Delhi, January 20 The dismissed RAW official, Nisha Bhatia, is facing charges in a human trafficking case. She had moved the high court against an additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and a Metropolitan Magistrate, alleging that they were biased against her and were trying to help her former boss Ashok Chaturvedi. She told reporters outside the court that she was fed up with the constant adjournment of the case and resorted to disrobing her in the court of Justice Ajit Bharihoke to bring attention to her plight. She said the charges levelled against were false and motivated because her seniors wanted to “punish” her after she filed complaints against them in August 2008 for sexually harassment. She tried to disrobe herself, but was controlled by some woman constables present there. She tried to repeat her act again when the hearing resumed and was escorted out by the woman cops. Her counsel then represented her. The judge termed her action “deplorable” and said it gave an impression that she was not mentally sound. He said she tried to do it twice and she had claimed that she had done it in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and Supreme Court as well and would do it again. He also referred to the chargesheet against her for attempting to end her life and said it left a lingering doubt about her mental health. The court asked Bhatia to be examined at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences. Bhatia was posted at the RAW training institute in Gurgaon and attempted to end her life outside the PMO, alleging sexual harassment. The committee, which had probed her allegations, had also stated that her behaviour often indicated a disturbed state of mind and had recommended medical counselling for her.
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Budget session from February 21
New Delhi, January 20 Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal told reporters that other details relating to the session would be worked out shortly. The session starts with the Address of the President to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, which is a statement of the government’s policies and programmes for the next financial year. — TNS
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‘Peepli
Live’ out of Oscar race Mumbai/Los
Angeles, January 20 Producer Aamir Khan said he was
disappointed that the film failed to make to the final list but felt
honoured to have his film in the pool of 66 films that were considered.
“The 50-60 films that were selected are such good films that to just
be there is an honour in itself...But yes, we are disappointed that we
could make to the top five,” said Aamir. ‘Peepli Live’ was
selected from 27 movies, including ‘Raajneeti’ and ‘Udaan’ to
represent India at the Oscars. Aamir had won an Oscar nomination for his
2001 film ‘Lagaan’. Directed by debutante Anusha Rizvi, Peepli
Live is a satire on media's trivialisation of farmers’ suicide and
stars a host of theatre actors. The nine films were selected out of 66 films that had originally qualified in the category. The list will be winnowed down to the five nominees by the Academy voters for January 25 Oscar nominations. The
films that are still in the Oscars race are-Alejandro Gonzalez
Inarritu's Mexican film 'Biutiful', starring Javier Bardem, Algeria's
'Hors la Loi' (Outside the Law) by director Rachid Bouchareb, Canada's 'Incendies'
by Denis Villeneuve, Denmark's 'In a Better World by Susanne Bier,
Greece's 'Dogtooth' by Yorgos Lanthimos, Japan's 'Confessions' by
Tetsuya Nakashima, South Africa 'Life, above All' by Oliver Schmitz,
Spain 'Tambien la Lluvia' by Iciar Bollain and Sweden's 'Simple Simon'
by Andreas Ohman. — PTI
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