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No back channel talks
with Kayani, says PMO
Manmohan, Sonia call for strengthening panchayats
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Sonagachi sex workers fume at CPM leader’s jibe
SATHYA SAI BABA
Obituary
Who will now control the power
levers?
Devotees hope for his resurrection
Puttaparthi — The abode of Sathya Sai Baba
Anna Hazare once thought of suicide
Need for debate on sedition law: Sen
POLLSCAPE
IAF to procure long-range
missiles for its fighters
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No back channel talks
with Kayani, says PMO
New Delhi, April 24 "We have seen media reports quoting a British newspaper saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh contacted Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani before the Mohali meeting between the two Prime Ministers. The report is false," PM's Media Adviser Harish Khare said. London-based 'The Times' had yesterday reported that Manmohan Singh appointed an "unofficial envoy" to make contact with Kayani, who is said to exercise de facto control over the foreign policy of Pakistan. The talks, through a back channel, have encouraged the UK and the US to believe that the countries' competition for influence in Afghanistan could be better managed during efforts to start a peace process, the media report had said. The report said Kayani was also on board when Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepted Manmohan Singh's invitation to visit Mohali to watch the India-Pakistan cricket world cup semi-final on March 30. The visit was seen in diplomatic circles as an indicator of a breakthrough in the process of normalisation of relations between the two countries. The two countries have already started the process of dialogue on all outstanding issues. As part of the process, the commerce secretaries of the two countries will meet in Islamabad in the coming week. The talks between top officials on outstanding issues would be reviewed by the foreign secretaries of the two countries and subsequently by the foreign ministers in July. Meanwhile, sources said India was well aware of the fact that it was the Pakistan Army which called the shots in Islamabad. However, New Delhi would deal with only a civilian government and would not do anything that would weaken it.
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Manmohan, Sonia call for strengthening panchayats
New Delhi, April 24 The Prime Minister said even though the idea of self-governance had got legal acceptance, there was still a long way to go for bringing decentralisation. He urged everyone to act collectively in bringing decentralisation of self governance at the grassroots level. Noting that timely elections to the panchayats were necessary for their effective functioning, he said the 70-80 per cent turnout in the panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand was an indication that the people now wanted to decide their future themselves. On the occasion Sonia Gandhi said the gram sabhas should have power for social audit of all schemes. Calling for the need to consider many options to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system, she said meetings of Gram Sabhas should be held regularly and women and deprived sections must participate. The UPA government had taken many steps for the social and economic development of the common man, she said, adding that full benefits of these programmes would reach the people only when the Panchayati Raj institutions in the country were strengthened. Panchayati Raj Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said the gram sabhas need to be strengthened on the lines of Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha.
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Sonagachi sex workers fume at CPM leader’s jibe
Kolkata, April 24 A former MP of the CPM, Anil Bose, mocked Mamata at a public meeting and said he is not surprised at the Trinamool supremo refusing donations from Bangalore and Mumbai. “Even the girls in Sonagachi, the infamous red light district in Kolkata, turn away benefactors and clients when more prosperous clients come calling,” Bose said. The CPM leader then went on to add with a flourish, “Now that America has entered Mamata’s room, she can afford to turn away others.” The media lapped up the statement and Trinamool leaders were quick to condemn the ‘filthy’ and ‘obscene’ insinuation, demanding that Bose be arrested. While Mamata supporters bayed for Bose’s blood, CPM leaders tried to contain the damage. “ No communist should use such language,” said CPM state secretary Biman Bose and the Chief Minister himself declared on Sunday that Bose had been warned and necessary steps would be taken against him. Sonagachi is one of the largest red-light districts in Asia. While estimates vary, there are between 13,000 and 17,000 sex workers said to be living in Sonagachi in North Kolkata. The area is represented by a CPM councilor in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation but the margin of his victory came down from 12 thousand in 2005 to just about 1,200 in 2010. Media reports suggest that while the CPM had provided ‘protection’ to the women from the pimps and the police, Trinamool Congress of late has done much more, arranging LCD TVs and double-door refrigerators for the clubs frequented by women. Now, Bose’s intemperate comment has provided another handle to the sex workers, who, if reports are to be believed, are outraged and are determined to teach the CPM a lesson. What is ironical, however, is that during the long 34-year rule of the Left Front government, not much has changed in Sonagachi. Traficking of women and children has continued without much restraint. And although several NGOs have been working here, trying to promote use of condoms and lessen the possibility of the spread of HIV, there is little improvement in the lot of the women. Sex workers in Sonagachi are an organised lot and encouraged by the NGOs, have taken part in fashion shows, held national and international conclaves of sex workers and of course exercised their franchise, demanding a ‘legal’ tag to their trade. But while West Bengal appears poised for ‘paribartan’ or change - the buzz word in the current Assembly elections, their lot is unlikely to change.
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Obituary
In a land that celebrates mysticism, Sathya Sai Baba was an ultimate Godman. For millions of devotees across the globe, he was the God-incarnate touching their lives like a divine power. For skeptics, though, he was a showman with a bag of tricks and an enigma wrapped in mystery. However, even his detractors never doubted his philanthropic activities and his love for humanity.
From a rural boy born into an ordinary family in an obscure village in Andhra Pradesh to the most influential icon, Baba epitomised an extraordinary spiritual journey that inspired several people from various walks of life. From Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers to scientists, judges, film stars and sports icons, the list of his devotees reads a virtual who’s who of the elite. What drew people to this diminutive man with a trademark curly hair and how did he transform himself into a spiritual phenomenon? His miracles like materialising gold chains, rings, holy ash and Shivalingams from thin air may have attracted instant popular attention, but his message of self-less service and spreading divine love has been the most enduring one. Though not endowed with great oratory skills or proficiency in English, Baba attracted devotees from across the world and emerged as an influential spiritual guru. He imparted spiritual wisdom in simple words and crisp messages. “Service is the highest spiritual discipline. Prayer and meditation, knowledge of scripture and Vedanta cannot help you reach the goal as quickly as service can,” he would say. Born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926, in Puttaparthi in the backward Anantapur district, he declared himself as Satya Sai, a reincarnation of renowned saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, at the age of 14. There was no looking back since then. Over the next seven decades, Baba turned the sleepy village into a thriving spiritual empire with a global network of followers. His devotees built a temple near Puttaparthi village, now referred to as the old mandir. The Prashanthi Nilayam, Baba’s spiritual abode, was built later during 1948-50. There are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centres spread over 114 countries. Known for his philanthropic activities, Sai Baba supports a wide range of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in over 166 countries. According to Satya Sai Central Trust, set up in 1972, there are over 10 million devotees in 178 countries. Sri Satya Sai University provides free education at all its three campuses - Puttaparthi, Whitefield (Bangalore) and Anantapur. It also runs the Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music. Sri Satya Sai Super Speciality Hospital, Whitefield, and the Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi, are the world-class medical institutes. Besides, the trust runs several general hospitals, two speciality hospitals, eye hospitals and mobile dispensaries and conducts medical camps in rural and slum areas in India. It has also funded several major drinking water projects in drought-prone areas in Andhra Pradesh covering 750 villages and also in Chennai. Sai Baba travelled abroad only once in his life time and that was Uganda in June 1968. Some rationalists had dubbed Baba’s miracles as magic tricks but none has questioned his massive philanthropic activities. In fact, these occasional challenges thrown up by the rationalists only seemed to have strengthened the faith of Baba’s devotees and their number kept increasing. Baba had prophesised way back in 1963 that he would be reborn as “Prema Sai” in Karnataka after leaving his physical body. This would complete the cycle of triple incarnation of Sai avatar. This serves as a ray of hope for his ardent devotees who believe that Baba is indestructible. Puttaparthi — The abode of Satya Sai Baba
Probably no other village in the world is as famous and has so many facilities all in one place like Puttaparthi. It may have metamorphosed into a self-containing town over the years and finds a place on the international map as well, but Puttaparthi essentially remains a village - more precisely the abode of Satya Sai Baba.
Water of ‘Saraswati Teertha’ for last rites
A pitcher of holy water and soil from the Saraswati Teertha, a pilgrimage spot near Kurukshetra from where the ancient Saraswati river is said to have emerged, will be flown to the Prashanti Nilayam for the last rites of Godman Sathya Sai Baba. |
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Who will now control the power levers?
In the absence of a clear line of succession, there are fears over the possible tussle for control over the Sathya Sai Central Trust, set up in 1972 with Baba himself as the chairman. Already, there are reports of differences between the family members of the godman and Trust authorities.
There has been a flurry of reports in the local media about the alleged succession war in the close-knit organisation. The tussle is over who should lead the organisation in the post-Baba scenario and who should have the cheque-signing power. At present, the chairman and the secretary have the power to sign cheques. The row is said to have erupted between Satyajit, a close personal aide of Baba, and Ratnakar who represents the interests of Baba’s family. Though the state government has publicly ruled out taking over the Trust, it has been making discreet efforts to ensure smooth succession. The lack of transparency in the functioning of the Trust has triggered wild speculation about the exact size of the wealth and fears over possible misuse of funds. The details of the finances of the Trust, flow of donations and how they are spent are not available in the public domain while the Trust members are out of bounds for the media. The estimation of properties varies from Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 1.50 lakh crore as the trust has assets spread all over the country and abroad. All the donations to the trust are tax-exempted. The state government had sent the Major Industries Minister Dr J Geetha Reddy and Finance Secretary LV Subramanyam to Puttaparthi to hold consultations with Trust authorities on a continuous basis to resolve the reported internal tussle for control over the organisation. According to sources, the government representatives had advised the Trust members to be more transparent in their dealings and share the details with public. A compromise formula has also been worked out under which both Satyajit and Ratnakar will have a say in running the Trust in future. As part of its philanthropic network, the Trust runs several schools, colleges, a deemed university, two super-specialty hospitals and implements drinking water schemes in several places. The Godman’s Kingdom According to a rough estimate, the properties of the Sathya Sai Central Trust at Puttaparthi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and other cities could be worth over Rs 40,000 crore, though some put it over Rs 1.50 lakh crore nThere are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centres spread over 114 countries. He supports a wide range of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in over 166 countries. nThere are 2,560 overseas Sai Centres. Runs 75 schools and colleges. nA deemed university and the Rs 300 crore super-speciality hospital at Puttaparthi and another hospital at Bangalore. nImplements the Rs 400 crore drinking water scheme benefiting 750 villages in the backward Ananthapur district. nSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning with its campuses at Prashanthi Nilayam, Anantapur and Whitefield, Bangalore. nThe total estimated investment in Puttaparthi alone is Rs 2,000 crore, owns 600 acres of land. nAshrams at Bangalore and Kodaikanal. nRuns schools in Canada, Australia, Mexico, the UK, Zambia and Peru. nBuilt houses in earthquake-struck Latur and cyclone-ravaged
Orissa.
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Devotees hope for his resurrection
Puttaparthi, April 24 Talking to this correspondent, Murali, Chakradhar Rao and others who formed a group of devotees who had come down to Puttaparthi from Hyderabad and Secunderabad after hearing the news of his death, revealed they were hoping that the godman would resurrect himself in Biblical fashion. While Sathya Sai Baba mostly counted on the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon to dress up his message, he respected other faiths too. His devotees also appeared to have imbibed his bold eclecticism in religious matters. Having been denied the miracle of seeing the Baba recover from his terminal ailment, they are hoping that he will now enact a Jesus Christ-type resurrection. The hope has got a further fillip as the godman's death took place on a day the Christians observe Easter, a religious occasion that is linked with resurrection. "On the third day from today, there may be resurrection by the Baba", Murali said in a wistful tone. In case the miracle of resurrection does not happen, they will live by Baba's teachings, said Murali's companions. "Baba has written so much", they said. Asked what his death meant to her, Inga, a 50-year-old woman devotee from Paris, said "he only has left his body". Another devotee said all his followers are known only under one name, "Sai Ram", said he was expecting the Baba to recover from the current health crisis like he did on a couple of occasions before. "But it did not happen this time", he said despondently. This correspondent caught up with the devotees outside the Kulwant Hall located in Sathya Sai Baba's massive ashram known as Prashanti Nilayam. His body has been kept there. The godman, when he was hail and hearty, used to deliver sermons to his devotees from this hall only. Now his body, dressed in his trademark flaming saffron robe, has been kept there in a temperature controlled glass casket. Baba's famous coiffure appears to be intact even after his death. A group of musicians sat near the body and sang devotional songs. Andhra Pradesh minister Geeta Reddy and Sai Baba's nephew Ratnakar were among those who sat near the body. While Puttaparthi town wore a deserted look, a huge crowd has gathered outside the Kulwant hall to have a last glimpse of Baba's body. Volunteers of the Sai Sewa Dal and Andhra Pradesh police personnel deployed outside the hall were having a tough time in keeping the crowd in control. Even late in the evening, people were waiting in serpentine queue to have a last glimpse of the Baba.
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Puttaparthi — The abode of Sathya Sai Baba Probably no other village in the world is as famous and has so many facilities all in one place like Puttaparthi. It may have metamorphosed into a self-containing town over the years and finds a place on the international map as well, but Puttaparthi essentially remains a village – more precisely the abode of Sathya Sai Baba. It was the Baba who earned his native village such an international acclaim after he declared himself the reincarnation of the godly-saint Shirdi Sai Baba. Peace and tranquillity are the salient features of this bustling place, which is thronged by thousands of people not only from the region but also other states in the country as well as abroad everyday for the darshan of Baba. Beginning with the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, which has now transformed into a university, Puttaparthi boasts of an exclusive airport, a 220-bedded super-speciality hospital, a railway station, a planetarium, a hill-view stadium, an indoor stadium and Chaitanya Jyoti, a museum of world religions. It is also home for an institute of Indian classical music called the Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music. Puttaparthi was where the Baba was born as Satyanarayana Raju Ratnakaram on November 23, 1926. It was a sleepy village then, 85-km from the district headquarters town of Anantapur. Above all, Prasanthi Nilayam — the abode of Sathya Sai Baba — is the pinnacle of Puttaparthi’s glory. A temple of Lord Siva stands where the Baba was born while many other famous temples like Hanuman and Satyabhama (built by the Baba’s grandfather Kondama Raju) and the village mosque adorn the village. Many special festivals and fairs are conducted on different occasions with the Baba’s birthday celebrations standing as the highlight. The Sathya Sai University’s annual convocation is also a major event celebrated with fanfare in Puttaparthi. With Baba’s demise, a pall of gloom has descended on Puttaparthi. Will it retain its glory in future is a question mark now. — PTI
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Anna Hazare once thought of suicide
New Delhi, April 24 "Having lost 19 of my dear Army colleagues during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 in Khemkaran, I had contemplated committing suicide. I was injured on forehead by a pellet. But, I, incidentally came across a book written by Swami Vivekananda and this book changed my outlook towards life and proved to be a turning point," Hazare told a TV channel. After the Indo-China war in 1962, the Indian government had made an appeal to the youth to join the defence services for the country. Hazare was one of those who responded and joined the army in 1963 and during the India-Pakistan war, he was posted in the Khemkaran sector, where Pakistani fighter jets bombarded Indian positions. Hazare, himself had a narrow escape but he saw his colleagues die before him. The 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader, who began his fast on April 5 called it off on April 9 after government notified a Joint Draft Committee. Regarding the first meeting of the Joint Drafting Committee on the Lokpal, Hazare said that only the framework had been worked out. He said he was satisfied by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's letter to him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement about tabling of the Lokpal Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. Asked about the authenticity of the controversial CD regarding Bhushans and the controversy surrounding them, Hazare said, "It is a matter to be examined in Delhi. I have no old relationship with Bhushans. We came together through the formation of committee. If anybody has a doubt about anything, they should ask Bhushans. I am not in a position to comment." — PTI
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Need for debate on sedition law: Sen
Bhopal, April 24 "A Chhattisgarh court sentenced me to life imprisonment on the charge that I had committed sedition but this was not very clearly defined in our law," Binayak Sen told PTI on phone from his Raipur-based residence. The 61-year-old who spent four months in jail, said that even Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily had proposed a need for a debate on the law of sedition. Sen said life as an undertrial was hard as living conditions in the jail were poor and food of inferior quality. “I missed my home food a lot while I was in jail," he said. “I know I have been granted bail but the case against me is still going on and I have to fight it with all the means at my disposal, Sen said. The human rights activist said that he was glad that the Supreme Court has said there was no evidence of sedition against him. Sen said that an award by the government of South Korea for human rights work was a recognition to his work, which he said was never acknowledged by the Chhattisgarh government. Sen, a child specialist by training, said he was thankful for the support he received from people including Home Minister, P Chidambaran and Congress general secretary, Digvijay Singh. Expressing concern over the plight of the undertrials in jails on charges of sedition, he said that the SC judgement in his case could be of some help to them. — PTI
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POLLSCAPE
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, expelled from the party by the CPM, came out to campaign for CPM candidates Fuad Halim and the state’s outgoing housing minister Gautam Deb. While Fuad happens to be the son of the longest serving Speaker of the state Assembly, Hashim Abdul Halim, Deb has emerged from the shadows as a firebrand and aggressive CPM leader. Chatterjee calls Deb a ‘brother’ and the senior Halim has been an old friend. But while Chatterjee is busy making emotional appeals saying that his last wish before he dies is to see the Left Front back in power, CPM leaders are hard-pressed hiding their embarrassment. While Chatterjee responded to appeals made by Deb, the Stalinist party leaders are horrified at this display of ‘indiscipline’ in inviting an expelled member to campaign for the party.
Manpreet, Mamata & the media
Are there lessons for Manpreet Badal from West Bengal or, more specifically, are there similarities between Mamata and Manpreet? Superficially, both have had to part with their parent party and rebelled against established leaders. Both belong to the same age group and both floated new parties ostensibly to revive the fortunes of their respective states. Mamata, however, has had several stints at the Centre as minister, which has helped her build the party and it remains to be seen how Manpreet builds his. The Trinamool Congress mouthpiece is “ Jaago Bangla” , which is said to sell 60,000 copies every week. The TMC appears to have secured the patronage of several industrial & media houses. She has also fine-tuned her PR efforts and during the past few years, has been regularly sending New Year and ‘Pujo’ gifts to important
journos.
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IAF to procure long-range missiles for its fighters The IAF has issued a global request for information (RFI) for procuring the intended weapon system. Though the RFI does not indicate the range of the missile, it is expected to be over 100 km. Modern aircraft equipped with long-range missiles, operating in conjugation with its newly acquired airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) in a network-centric environment backed by ground-based radars and satellite communication, form a huge force multiplier. The IAF would be able to cover a wider swath of airspace with lesser aircraft, thereby rationalising and optimising fleet deployment. Standoff missiles are fired from a long distance and allow the launching platforms to generally remain outside the range of the target’s defences. These not only negate the chances of engaging hostile aircraft in dog-fights but also prevent them from approaching their intended targets. The IAF already has long-range missiles like the Russian R-27 (70-130 km) and the R-77 (100 km) for use with MiG-29 and Su-30. The DRDO is also developing an air-to-air missile, Astra, with a range of 80-100 km. There are also reports of a deal with Russia to co-produce Novator K-100 “AWACS killer” missile having a range of 300-400 km. The IAF’s move to procure long-range missiles comes when the numbers of Su-30 aircraft in its fleet is being increased and the upgrading of MiG-29 and Mirage-2000 is underway. Moreover, induction of the proposed 126 multi-role medium combat aircraft is just over the horizon. Parameters listed by the IAF state that the intended missile should be lightweight with a long range, having “re-attack” capability. It should have a light warhead and precision strike capability with low collateral damage probability. State-of-the-art mid-course guidance system, data-link capability with aircraft, day, night and adverse weather capability and adequate anti-jamming measures are among other features desired by the air force. Further, series modification to suit specific IAF operational requirements should be possible. A ground-based training simulator, multi-media training packages, dummy training missiles, captive training missile pod and maintenance and storage infrastructure would also form a part of the package.
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Bus rams into house in UP Hit-and-run case
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New Delhi, April 24
New Delhi, April 24
In a land that celebrates mysticism, Sathya Sai Baba was an ultimate Godman. For millions of devotees across the globe, he was the God-incarnate touching their lives like a divine power. For skeptics, though, he was a showman with a bag of tricks and an enigma wrapped in mystery.
In the absence of a clear line of succession, there are fears over the possible tussle for control over the Sathya Sai Central Trust, set up in 1972 with Baba himself as the chairman. Already, there are reports of differences between the family members of the godman and Trust authorities.
New Delhi, April 24
Bhopal, April 24
Chandigarh, April 23
