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Black money abroad
Another pirate ship captured
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No role in 2G scam: Karunanidhi
Malegaon Blasts
Gandhi, Dalai Lama among world’s top icons: Time
PM: Legal system must support development
Jantar Mantar
Body parts chopped off as minor girl resists rape
Palliative care
still a long way to go
Centre Stage
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Black money abroad
New Delhi, Febuary 6 Germany, which last year provided the names of some Indians having secret accounts in Liechtenstein's LGT Bank, will readily share more names whenever it comes across any, a German government official told PTI from Berlin. "Relevant data are always passed as a so-called spontaneous information from the (German) Federal Bureau of Taxes to the tax authorities of affected countries," a spokesperson for Germany's Finance Ministry said. However, the official added that such information can't be made public and should only be used by the competent authorities. A top Swiss government official also asserted that the information to be shared by Swiss authorities with India, once the revised tax treaty between two countries comes into force, can't be made public and should be "treated as secret." A spokesperson of Swiss Finance Ministry said from Berne that any information received should be treated as secret and should be disclosed only to persons or authorities, including courts and administrative bodies, involved in enforcement or prosecution procedures. He was referring to the "exchange of information" clause in the amending protocol, as per which the Indo-Swiss tax treaty is being revised to facilitate the sharing of details related to persons accused of tax evasion or fraud and have stashed illicit wealth in Swiss banks. The Indian government is facing intense pressure from opposition, as also courts, to act tough against those who have amassed illicit wealth in foreign countries that have strict secrecy rules. India is putting in place relevant treaties with both Switzerland and Liechtenstein, a European nation, to get access to details about Indians having illicit wealth in bank accounts there. However, names of certain entities having accounts in LGT Bank of Liechtenstein were given to India last year by Germany. These names were part of about 1,400 stolen bank account details that were purchased by Germany, which later shared the related details with India. The German official said that these details were shared with India "free of charge", on reciprocal basis. India has submitted to the Supreme Court the names it got from Germany, but has refused to make them public, citing secrecy clause in its treaties with foreign countries. However, some names have been published in the media, claiming them to be part of the list obtained from Germany. Reacting to these reports, the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday told reporters in Kolkata that the names could not be made public, but notices have been served to 17 entities in this case and prosecution has begun. — PTI
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Mumbai, February 6 The forces foiled a pirate plan to attack a Greek-flagged merchant ship and apprehended Prantalay-11, the sister vessel of fishing trawler Prantalay-14 that was also being used as the mother ship by the sea brigands and was sunk by the Navy in the Arabian Sea earlier. “Naval ship INS Tir and Coast Guard ship ICGS Samar intercepted the pirates' mother ship Prantalay-11 within Indian waters after a gunbattle and forced the brigands to surrender. A total of 52 men have been apprehended of which 28 are suspected to be Somali pirates,” Navy spokesperson Captain M Nambiar said. Officials said the operation had started last evening when the Navy learnt that MV Chios was being attacked by two pirate skiffs some 100 km off the Kavaratti island. —PTI 
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No role in 2G scam: Karunanidhi
Chennai, February 6 In the legal notice issued by senior advocate PR Raman on behalf of Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister denied that he had any involvement in the 2G Spectrum case and said Swamy’s attempt to involve his name was motivated. The statement of Swamy constituted a wilful and malicious defamation of his character. The DMK leader said Swamy’s statement was “motivated by personal malice, political rivalry and clamour for cheap publicity”. The statement was false and made recklessly with an intention to cause serious injury to Karunanidhi's image and reputation, the notice said. Karunanidhi also asserted that Swamy had no knowledge or information regarding the alleged involvement of Karunanidhi in the 2G Spectrum case. He demanded that Subramanian Swamy should retract his statement within 24 hours, failing which he would be constrained to institute appropriate civil or criminal proceedings against Swamy for defamation. The notice said Swamy had made a open press statement to the effect that the so called 2G Spectrum case was much wider than what was being investigated upon by the CBI and he had personal knowledge that the alleged 2G scam also involved national security and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
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Malegaon Blasts Malegaon/Mumbai, Feb 6 |With the terror trail leading to Hindu right-wing groups in 2006 Malegaon bombings, the CBI is now planning to question members of such outfits, including those arrested in connection with the blasts in Maharashtra's power-loom city two years later. The move to question the right-wing groups in the 2006 attacks which left 35 persons dead comes in the light of confession made by Swami Aseemanand, a member of the Hindu right wing group Abhinav Bharat, before a magistrate, official sources said. The CBI is likely to question Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Pravin Mutalik, who have been arrested in connection with 2008 Malegaon blasts case, the sources said. In a related development, a MCOCA court will hear the bail application of nine accused arrested earlier by the Maharashtra ATS in the 2006 case tomorrow. Aseemanand, who was recently arrested by the CBI, has stated in his confessional statement that the Malegaon blast was masterminded by a Hindu group and that a boy arrested in the case had brought about a change in his heart which led him to spill the beans. Assemanand had alleged that RSS activists had murdered worker Sunil Joshi, who along with others was responsible for Malegaon 2006 blasts. — PTI
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Gandhi, Dalai Lama among world’s top icons: Time
Dharamsala, February 6 Mohandas Gandhi, as the magazine called him, was credited with peaceful protests during the British Raj that helped him become the spiritual heart of the Indian independence struggle. “Gandhi led the country in peaceful protest against foreign domination, exemplified by the 1930 Salt March in protest to a British salt tax. His rise paved the way for India’s independence in 1947. “Though the country was later divided (and Gandhi assassinated), his role in the bloodless revolution ... paved the way for other social movements including America’s struggle for civil rights,” it added. Time’s top 25 political icons are: Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander the Great, Mao Zedong, Winston Churchill, Genghis Khan, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, Ronald Reagan, Cleopatra, Franklin Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Queen Victoria, Benito Mussolini, Akbar the Great, Lenin, Margaret Thatcher, Simón Bolívar, Qin Shi Huang, Kim Il-Sung, Charles de Gaulle, Louis XIV, Haile Selassie, King Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. The Dalai Lama, according to magazine, is “not only the greatest and most public advocate for Tibetan rights and the virtues of Tibetan Buddhism, but also for interfaith tolerance and peace as well to people around the world. “To countless Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and a head of state in absentia.— IANS
Bapu memorabilia to go under hammer
New Delhi, February 6
The auction house said the lots were acquired over several decades by a Los Angeles collector interested in the history of non-violent movements. Of late, sale of personal belongings of Gandhi has created a lot of controversy and the government has tried in vain to stop a couple of auctions abroad. Bonhams said the Indian Government had not approached it regarding this sale. “Manuscript collectors seek out letters, documents, and historical memorabilia because of their great admiration of a particular person, or because of their great interest in a particular historical moment," Catherine Williamson, Bonhams' US director of Fine Books and Manuscripts, told PTI. Julian Roup, director of Press and Marketing, said the collector's primary focus has been letters and documents - one of the jewels of his collection is the two-page autograph letter of Gandhi in which he discusses his thoughts on the Catholic faith and other world religions. In it, Gandhi makes a profound argument for global religious tolerance, " "Other manuscripts in the collection include several notes by Gandhi written on the margins of telegram communications from university students in India and supporters in Pakistan, in which he sends words of inspirations or arranges visits, giving a unique glimpse into his daily correspondence ritual (estimated at $ 800-1200 each)," Roup said. "Also present is a one-page blood report performed on Gandhi not long before his assassination, indicating that he was generally in very good health," Roup said. Perhaps the most unusual Gandhi item in the sale is not a manuscript at all, but a white cotton khadi cloth, with a period note indicating it was hand woven in Gandhi's ashram, "True students of Gandhi's work know the importance of his efforts to provide economic independence for the poor. This cloth stands as a rare memento of a pivotal moment in modern history," Roup said. In July 2009, a series of letters and postcards signed by Mahatma Gandhi were bought in an Sotheby's auction by NRIs Sir Gulam Kaderbhoy Noon and Prof Nat Puri almost for double the pre-sale estimates. — PTI
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PM: Legal system must support development
Hyderabad, February 6 Speaking after inaugurating the 17th Commonwealth Law Conference here, being attended by 800 delegates from 54 countries, the Prime Minister advocated “purposeful alignment” of domestic policies and laws with the evolving international laws and norms. “This is necessary to address the common challenges, including international terrorism, persistence of poverty, malnutrition amidst rapid growth, protection of human rights, problems of climate change and energy security,” the PM told a gathering of judges, jurists and legal luminaries. While the policy preferences that countries make are invariably rooted in the realities of their history, politics and culture, the fact of globalisation and the challenges that the world community faces as a whole demand a purposive alignment of domestic policies and laws with the evolving international laws and norms, he said. Stating that the rule of law could no longer be divorced from “global policy languages,” the Prime Minister said: “The theme of this conference — ‘Emerging Economies - Rule of Law: Challenges and Opportunities’ — is specially relevant today when a new global architecture is taking place and there is restlessness in the air in many developing countries.” “It is my firm belief that meaningful solutions to the problem of mass poverty that prevails in many developing counties can be found only in the framework of a rapidly expanding economy. Rapid economic growth therefore is a prime necessity,” he said, adding “To that end, it is necessary to create a macro-economic environment which is conducive to the promotion of savings, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation and the management of rapid technological changes.” Asserting that the government was committed to the pursuit of inclusive economic growth, he said, “The welfare of the poor and the common man is the centerpiece of our policies. We have remained steadfast in our commitment to implement constitutional directives to ensure that our policies and laws uphold human dignity. While opening up our economy and freeing it from the shackles of bureaucratic controls over the years we have endeavoured to pursue distributive justice as mandative in our magnificent constitution.” Citing various articles of the constitution, the Prime Minister said inclusive growth was an unfinished project and the nation had a long way to go in this direction. “Irrevocable commitment to democracy based on rule of law remains the proudest achievement of Indian state since independence. Our understanding of the rule of law as the sheer anchor of democratic and a just society is inextricably linked to the preservation of individual liberty and freedom of all our citizens. ‘We believe that the powers of state to be applied to the advancement of basic human rights of all our citizens but at the same time it should be so constrained by rule of law as to advance civil and political rights of an individual and thus prevent oppressive governance,” the PM said. Delivering keynote address, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, said the judiciary in his country had passed through difficult phases when efforts were made to adopt unconstitutional measures but the judiciary stood firm and ensured its independence in all circumstances. “Because, the judiciary is of the opinion that the constitutionalism and rule of law guarantees a democratic system in the country instead of military rule,” he said.
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Jantar Mantar
Newly-promoted Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel hosted a special dinner at his Rakab Ganj Road residence last week to welcome the staff of his new ministry and to thank officials of the civil aviation ministry he had headed for six years. Patel’s wife especially flew down for the occasion to which he had also invited his successor, the new Civil Aviation Minister Vyalar Ravi. Patel had laid out a fine spread and was a charming host as he chatted amiably with his guests and put them at complete ease. He made a short speech to thank his “civil aviation family” for all the cooperation they had extended to him and assured them that the ministry was in capable hands and that he looked forward to his new assignment. He ended by urging his guests not to hold back on the “liquid diet” on offer. Vyalar Ravi followed with an equally politically-correct speech and concluded by asking everybody to enjoy the delectable spread. Patel shot him a questioning look and asked, “Only food… what about the drinks?” to which a coy Ravi replied, “Well, I happen to be a Gandhian in these matters.” Civil aviation ministry officials are wondering if they will now be expected to forgo the evening “chhota peg” and turn teetotaller. The English-Hindi divide Home Minister P Chidambaram and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj recently exchanged heated words over their conversation during a meeting to select PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner last year.
The Home Minister had put out a terse statement saying that he took strong exception to Swaraj’s charges. One story doing the rounds in the Capital attributed this confusion to a communication gap between the two leaders. Chidambaram, it is being said, had actually told Swaraj that they should “bury” this issue when she drew attention to the case pending against Thomas. The BJP leader, however, mistakenly thought the Home Minister had said “bari”, which, in Hindi, means acquitted!
Election Commission is a brand!
The Election Commission has acquired a formidable reputation worldwide for conducting free and fair elections under the most trying circumstances in a huge and diverse country such as India. So strong is the Election Commission’s brand image that it is flooded with requests from countries that want to learn from its experience. Bhutan has already taken lessons from the EC before conducting its first Parliamentary election, Pakistan is keen to know about India’s experience with EVMs and Uganda wants to send an official delegation here for training in conducting elections. Even the United States government had sent feelers before President Barack Obama’s India visit for some kind of an association with the EC. However, there were not too many takers for this offer as the Election Commission felt the US Government wanted to use this association to propagate to the world that it has a role in promoting democracy in India. The overwhelming view is that the Election Commission does not need any help from any country or agency as it is doing a fine job on its own.
The PM’s as soft as steel While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was his usual low-key self when he addressed a two-day conference of chief secretaries last week on measures needed to be taken to deal with corruption and inflation, it was left to the Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar to drive home the point. “Don’t be misled by the Prime Minister’s mild and soft manner… he’s a man of steel with a lot of commitment to do what is best for the country.” V Narayanswamy, the new Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, was equally vociferous when he told the conference that he had been instructed by the PM to write to all erring state governments to set up Lokayuktas, as only 17 states had so far constituted an authority to look into complaints of corruption and indiscipline against officials. |
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Body parts chopped off as minor girl resists rape
Fatehpur/Lucknow, Feb 6 Three persons, identified as Shivom, Hari Shanker and Pawan, allegedly tried to rape her while she had gone to the fields in connection with some work last evening, Superintendent of Police Ram Bharose said today. He said the girl resisted the rape attempt and raised the alarm following which the trio chopped off her nose, ear and a part of the hand. The girl was later rushed to the district hospital from where she was referred to Kanpur in a serious condition. The SP said an FIR had been lodged against the accused and one of them had been arrested. Lucknow Special Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal said, “Badlu Ram Pasi informed Bindki police station officials that Shivom attempted to forcibly drag his daughter in the fields and when she resisted, he, along with Hari Shanker and his brother-in-law Ram Ratan, attacked her with sharp-edged weapons, injuring her seriously.”— PTI
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Palliative care still a long way to go New Delhi, February 6 With barely 1 per cent of the terminally-ill having access to psychosocial support and care in the country, the concept of palliative care, care for the dying, is yet to gain ground in the country, say experts, while stressing the need to have a “living will” which would allow the patient to lead the last days of his life in a dignified manner. Out of the terminally-ill patients, over 60 per cent succumb to their chronic ailments in the hospitals, especially in the ICUs, even as a majority prefer to die at home. Further, most of the times it is either the families who are in denial and do not accept the incurable condition or the several private hospitals with vested interests are responsible for the same. “At the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital
(IRCH) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), most of the patients at advanced stage of cancer want to die at home and hence 90 per cent of the patients are opting for home-based care”, said Dr Sushma
Bhatnagar, head of the anaesthesiology department at IRCH. The patients are given medication for symptoms and pain management and sent back home, she added. However, the situation is not the same in other parts of the country, as currently the rules prohibiting the use of morphine, critical to pain management, pose a hurdle, besides doctors still avoid its use due to fear of addiction, said Dr Bidhu Kalyan
Mohanti, Professor of radiation oncology at IRCH. Head of the medical and haematology oncology unit of Artemis Health Institute, Dr Bhawna Sirohi said “living will” should be made legal and there has to be acceptance towards administering pain-relieving medicines within the medical fraternity. "The patient has the right to decide about the treatment and know about the medical records so that he/she can settle all affairs before death,” she said. “It is about facing fears and coming to terms with them. It is important for the family to accept the disease and help the patient to live the remaining days comfortably.” The entire family requires emotional support and
counselling. The country has very few NGOs, with more concentrated in the South, with limited resources for providing help to the families,” pointed out Harmala Gupta, founder and president of
CanSupport, an NGO working towards reaching out to the advanced-stage cancer patients warranting support.
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Centre Stage
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Jairam opposes cricket stadium History-sheeter hacked to death Maya's security breach: 3 held Vaiko on fast 3 convicted for eve teasing
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Rarely has a village done so much to entertain and energise so many and for so long. What started off as a modest effort in 1933 has grown into an awe-inspiring institution. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people visit Kila Raipur village on each of the four days of the Rural Olympiad.
Himanshu Mahajan spent the better part of four days to capture the colours & mood at the Games
The items will be offered in Bonhams auctioneers sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts on February 13 in California.
