The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Telangana: Talks over, Cong’s decision awaited
Anita Katyal
Our Political Correspondent

New Delhi, October 10
With a group of senior Union ministers, led by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, having completed its consultations with key Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders on the Telangana issue, there is a degree of optimism in the government that a decision on the formation of the new state will be coming shortly.

The matter will be placed before Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the next core committee meeting, which is likely to be held tomorrow.

Mukherjee and his ministerial colleagues P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad will be briefing Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about their deliberations with state party leaders who are vertically split on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Despite their differences, there was unanimity among all the state leaders who were consulted that the Congress leadership should take a decision (whatever it may be) on the statehood issue as quickly as possible in view of the ongoing agitation in the Telangana region which has paralysed normal life in the state.

“We are optimistic about a decision,” remarked a senior Union minister, adding that now that the consultations are over, a political call has to be taken on the issue.

Mukherjee and the other ministers today met Andhra Pradesh actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, who had joined the Congress recently. They also discussed the matter with former Union minister and Congress spokesperson Renuka Chaudhary.

Later talking to mediapersons, Chiranjeevi said the ministers had sought his opinion on the statehood issue. “I explained my position and made it clear to the leaders that whatever be the decision, it should be taken soon. People are suffering, so I requested them that there should be no delay,” he said.

Today’s discussions were a continuation of the meetings which Mukherjee and his ministerial colleagues have held over the past week with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and other state Congress leaders. They also received a report on the ground situation from state Governor ESL Narasimham.

The Congress leadership is in a fix as it is unable to bridge differences within its own ranks on the statehood issue. While its leaders from the Telangana region are pressing for a separate state, this demand is being stiffly opposed by its leaders from the Rayalseema and Coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh.

Three political parties from the state, which have yet to formulate their views, are keenly awaiting the Congress’ decision which is proving to be a tough task. The MIM, which is a UPA ally, has not gone public with its view, but is learnt to have told the Congress that it will go along with its final decision. The TDP has maintained that it is neutral, but has put the onus on the Congress to finalise its position first. YSR Congress has not revealed its mind.

Media is ignoring real issues, says new Press Council chief
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, October 10
Justice Markandey Katju, the new Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI), today lamented the fact that the media in the country often portrayed non-issues while real issues were sidelined.

The real issues were economic, poverty, unemployment, lack of housing and medical care. Instead of addressing these ‘real issues’, the media is diverting the attention of the people to non-issues like whether the wife of a film actor has become pregnant and whether she would give birth to a single child or to twins. “Are these the real issues facing the nation?” he asked mediapersons.

Emphasising that there were defects not only in the media but in other institutions also like the judiciary and bureaucracy, Justice Katju said efforts must be made to remove these defects. “There are two ways of removing these defects in the media. One is the democratic way, which is by discussions, consultations and persuasion, the method I prefer. The other way is by using harsh measures against the media e.g. by imposing heavy fines on the defaulters, stopping government advertisements for them, suspending their licence etc.’’

He, however, appealed to the government to defer the implementation of its reported decision to revoke the licence of a television channel if it is found guilty of violating the terms and conditions of permission, including violations of the programme and advertisement code, on five occasions or more. The issue first must be debated amongst the stakeholders in the media thoroughly so that they themselves could take corrective measures. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla, who also was present at the function, said he would convey the PCI Chairman’s view to the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

“Till now, the function of the Press Council was only adjudication. I intend to make the Press Council an instrument of mediation in addition, which is, in my opinion, the democratic approach. For this purpose, I need the help and cooperation and advice of all of you,” Justice Katju told senior journalists from both the visual and print media.

He said one of the basic tasks of the media was to provide truthful and objective information to the people which would enable them to form rationale opinions. However, the media often twisted facts.

He also regretted that within a few hours of any bomb blast in the country, TV channels started showing news item that militant outfits have sent e-mails claiming responsibility. The name of such alleged organisations would always be Muslim.

He was of the view that such e-mails could be sent by any mischievous person but by showing this on TV, the tendency was to brand all Muslims in the country as terrorists and demonise them.

Checks on the media
There are two ways of removing these defects in the media. One is the democratic way, which is by discussions, consultations and persuasion, the method I prefer. The other way is by using harsh measures against the media e.g. by imposing heavy fines on the defaulters, stopping government advertisements for them, suspending their licence etc.

Hisar Bypoll
Not certifying anyone’s integrity: Bedi
Vibha Sharma/TNS

New Delhi, October 10
With Congress flaying Team Anna for helping “by default” those candidates in the Hisar Lok Sabha by-elections who themselves were known “examples of corruption” through its anti-Congress tirade, leading member of Team Anna Kiran Bedi today said the team was not certifying anyone’s integrity but was making the electorate aware of its powers.

“We are not certifying anyone’s integrity. We are only saying: Vote against the party which cannot even guarantee you the Jan Lokpal Bill. Once the Lokpal is there, anyone elected, if there is evidence of corruption (against him), will be subservient to the same body he is committing to, ” she told The Tribune.

With anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare’s larger-than-life image supporting them, Team Anna is projecting the byelection as a “test case for the Jan Lokpal Bill”.

CAT issues notice to PGI Director
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, October 10
Taking up the petition challenging the appointment of Dr YK Chawla as the Director of PGI, Chandigarh, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today issued a notice to Dr Chawla for November 2.

The Division Bench comprising Chairman Justice VK Bali and RC Panda also directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which appeared through its counsel today, to file its reply in the matter by the next date of hearing on November 2.

The CAT, meanwhile, clarified that its order dated October 7 wherein it had directed the Ministry of Health to state in the appointment order of the PGI Director that the said appointment would be subject to the final outcome of the petition at hand, stood.

The ministry, however, informed the Bench that Dr Chawla had already taken over as the Director of the institute when it received the CAT orders late evening on October 7. The CAT had issued the orders while giving interim relief to petitioner Dr Digambar Behera, currently with the PGI, who has sought the tribunal to quash the Director's appointment as "illegal".

Behera has alleged several irregularities in the selection process and challenged the very constitution of the Selection Committee set up by the ministry for appointment of the Director.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health today stood behind Chawla, Professor and Head of Hepatology Department in the PGI, and said it was on a strong footing in the case and had done everything very transparently. Top ministry sources told The Tribune, "Dr Chawla has joined and he is the Director of the PGI. He will file his reply to the Bench, we will file our own reply and so will the institute."

Jagjit’s native town mourns for its son
Recalls memories of his maiden concert in Sriganganagar in 1995
Raj Sadosh

Sriganganagar, October 10
Students of Shri Guru Nanak (SGN) Khalsa educational institutions and the local Government College, who had held a prayer meeting for the speedy recovery of ghazal singer Jagjit Singh last week, were heart-broken when informed about his demise.

Eminent artist Sagar Sharma got a call from Jagjit Singh’s nephew Bablu at 8.30 am informing him that the man with the golden voice was no more.

There are many who cherish memories of Jagjit Singh’s maiden concert at his native town on December 3, 1995, that was organised by the Rashtriya Kala Manch. “His rendition of songs such as 'Kaagaz ki kashti', 'Chaak jigar ke' and 'Kal chaudhvin ki raat thi’ left the audience in a trance,” recalled Sharma.

Along with Subhash Gogi, it was Sharma who had gone to Amritsar to invite Jagjit Singh for the concert. “We found him at a marriage palace. At first he refused to talk. When I referred to his childhood friends Sardul Singh, a motor mechanic, Thakur Dutt Sharma, a paan seller, and Krishan Narula, he broke into a smile and embraced us. We spent three hours together sipping several cups of coffee. Of course, he agreed to attend the concert,” recalled Sharma.

Jagjit Singh was born on February 8, 1941, in a house that was known as Pat Ram Ki Chhikari (cluster of six houses).

His father Amar Sigh was a sectional officer in the Public Works Department. The family later shifted to official quarters in the Civil Lines area.

Jagjit was initially named Jagpreet Singh. He went to meet his sister at Sahwa in Churu district where a saint of the Namdhari sect, on hearing him sing hymns, suggested to his brother-in-law Ratan Singh that he be renamed as Jagjit Singh as he had the ability to win over the world with his golden voice.

Jagjit Singh’s father in 1954-57 paid Rs 30 per month as tuition fee to music composers Shagan Lal Sharma who ran an academy on the first floor of Bakshi Type College, and later to Ustad Zamal Khan, a distant relative of Mehndi Hasan. Jagjit Singh devoted much of his time on “riyaaz” at a paan shop run by one Thakur Dutt Sharma.

“His father owned a house at Vinoba Basti here but four years after retirement, he decided to shift to Sahibabad at Delhi,” said one Khazan Makkar.

“Jagjit Singh wanted to visit Sriganganagar again after the death of his son in a road mishap, but that was not to be,” said his fans.

Economic blockade in Manipur enters 70th day

New Delhi, October 10
The economic blockade on the highways linking Manipur entered the 70th day today with no signs of an end despite the Centre sending security forces to ensure smooth supply of essential commodities to the north-eastern state.

Home Ministry officials have expressed concern over the blockade, which is affecting normal life in Manipur, where prices of all goods have shot up to an unprecedented level.

“The Home Ministry is making every effort to see that people of Manipur are not inconvenienced.

“We have provided central security forces so that supply line through Jiribam-Imphal Road is open,” an official said here.

The Centre is awaiting the report of the committee constituted by the Manipur government to look into the demands of the agitators who are blocking national highways 39 and 53.

Sources said the Centre is unlikely to make any drastic move to remove the blockade in Manipur as it is ruled by a Congress government and Assembly elections there are due early next year.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had said last week that Manipur CM O Ibobi Singh had constituted a district reorganisation commission to look into the demands of the agitating groups. “The CM has requested them to be patient till the report of the commission comes. My appeal to both the groups is that they wait for the report and withdraw the blockade,” he had said.

The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee launched the economic blockade on Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati NH-53 and the Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar NH-39 on August 1, demanding conversion of the Kuki-majority Sadar Hills area in Naga- majority Senapati district into a full-fledged district. — PTI

Gujarat HC gives split verdict on Lokayukta appointment

Ahmedabad, October 10
The Gujarat High Court today gave a split verdict on the appointment of a Lokayukta by the Governor with one judge upholding it and another differing from that view.

Dismissing the state government's petition challenging the appointment of Justice RN Mehta as the Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal on August 25, Justice Akil Qureshi rejected the government's contention that the Governor acted without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers could not be held right in this case.

In his order, Justice Qureshi said the post of Lokayukta was lying vacant for the last 8 years and there was a deadlock between the Chief Justice (of the High Court) and the Chief Minister on the name of Justice Mehta. — PTI