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India set to raise cost of N-reactors
3-day kite festival takes off in Ahmedabad
Gujarat CM Narendra Modi at the inauguration of an international kite festival in Ahmedabad on Sunday. — PTI Yeddy loyalists reluctant to join him openly
Man wanted by Mumbai police detained in Chennai
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Didn’t compare Big B with Kasab, says Urdu poet Nida Fazli
Lit fest will raise uncomfortable questions on gender disparity
Shiv Sena woos women with
self-defence courses, hotlines
Tribals are not showpieces for museums: Jairam Ramesh
Chintan Shivir
Hate Speech
Alcoholism can’t be attributed
to military service, rules AFT
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India set to raise cost of N-reactors
New Delhi, January 13 Shortly after India got a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) in September 2008 to undertake nuclear commerce, it struck high-ticket nuclear deals with the US, France and Russia. However, the nuclear cooperation with these countries has not made much headway because of the concerns expressed by them over the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Law which
was passed by Parliament in 2010. Sources said India has firmly told its nuclear partners that its nuclear liability law was in conformity with international norms and that there was no question of making any changes in it since it has become the property of Parliament. At the same time, however, they have been assured that New Delhi was looking into the concerns raised by them with regard to the liability clause and was trying to address these. India was trying to work out an arrangement under which commercial contracts could factor in the liability of the operators and the suppliers. New Delhi was quite hopeful that this would too a large extent remove the irritant in taking forward
the nuclear pacts with these countries. Asked if India and Russia had resolved their differences over signing agreements for units III and IV at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu, the sources said techno-commercial negotiations in this regard were on and hoped that the issue would be resolved soon. Russia insists that the same terms and conditions should be applied to the two new units at KNPP which were in force for unit I and II before India passed its nuclear law while New Delhi argues that any exemption for Russia would mean discrimination against its other nuclear partners. French President Francois Hollande is expected to visit India in February during which he is expected to convey discuss bilateral civil nuclear cooperation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is likely to convey Paris’s reservation over the Indian law. At this meeting, the PM might inform him about India’s proposal to increase the cost of reactors. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid was in Paris earlier this week to do the groundwork for
the French President’s visit. He is also learnt to have discussed the progress in
the implementation of the nuclear deal with his French interlocutors. During Hollande’s visit, the two countries are expected to seal the deal for multiple nuclear energy units at Jaitapur in Maharashtra
to produce 9,900 MW of power.
Liability clause
* The nuclear cooperation with the US, Russia and France has not made much headway because of the concerns expressed by them over the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Law which was passed by Parliament in 2010 *
India has firmly told its nuclear partners that its nuclear liability law was in conformity with international norms and that there was no question of making any changes in it *
At the same time, however, New Delhi said it was looking into the concerns raised by these nations with regard to the liability clause
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3-day kite festival takes off in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, January 13 The “Patangotasav” being held on the occasion of “Uttarayan” which is celebrated as the day of kite-flying in Gujarat, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati riverfront here today. Besides the foreign delegates, more than 160 kite-fliers from 10 states in the country are participating in the celebrations. Hitting out at his critics for their alleged negative attitude towards government-sponsored programmes, Modi pointed out that neither “Uttarayan” nor the kite-flying festival was the “invention” of his government. But what the previous governments lacked all these years was the vision to showcase what Gujarat could give to the world, he said. Many of the kites being flown by the participants are theme-based, including one that pays homage to the victim of the recent Delhi gang rape. A kite museum was also organised on the occasion with a large contribution coming from one Mala Srivastava from Lucknow. She said she had brought the collection of her father BP Srivastava. The oldest kite in the collection dates back to 1899 which her father had acquired from the Nawab of
Lucknow.
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Yeddy loyalists reluctant to join him openly
Bangalore, January 13 Yeddyurappa, who broke away from the BJP to form Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), had at first vowed to bring down the BJP government in the state on January 4. He subsequently postponed it to January 14 prompting his bete noire Anath Kumar to taunt him saying Yeddyurappa’s “deadlines” are only “headlines”. The comment of Kumar, BJP MP from Bangalore (South), is turning out to be true as Yeddyurappa loyalist members of the present Cabinet in Karnataka headed by Jagadish Shettar seem reluctant to quit their posts and join the KJP. The helpless former chief minister, it is learnt, has already abandoned the January 14 deadline set by him for bringing down the state government. Yeddyurappa wanted to bring down the state government under the pretext that it was depriving the poor of the benefits promised under various social welfare programmes rolled out during his tenure as the chief minister. But some of the ministers and legislators “loyal” to the KJP leader have told him that it was not immediately possible for them to sever relations with the ruling party. Assembly elections are slated to take place in Karnataka in May and these loyalists apparently want to get as much support as possible from the government to take good care of their respective constituencies. Shettar has also reportedly assured Yeddyurappa loyalists of making available special development grants for their constituencies to help them win in the next elections. The chief minister is also expected to roll out some populist programmes in the 2013-14 budget, likely to be presented next month. In anticipation of this also many legislators are in two minds about joining hand with Yeddyurappa to topple the government. Except for power minister Shobha Karandlaje, the lone woman member of the Shettar-led government, none of the so called
Yeddyurappa loyalist ministers is as yet ready to join the KJP. Staunch Yeddy “loyalist” ministers like V Somanna, Umesh Katti, Raju Gouda, Murugesh Nirani, Basavaraj Bommai, Renukacharya and CM Udasi have, in fact,
distanced themselves from Yeddyurappa. BJP’s recent decision to project Shettar, a Lingayat, as the chief ministerial candidate in the next polls is aimed at stripping Yeddyurappa, also a Lingayat, of his influence over this numerically strong community. The step has succeeded in weaning many of the Lingayat ministers and legislators of BJP away from
Yeddyurappa.
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Man wanted by Mumbai police detained in Chennai
Chennai, January 13 He was detained by immigration officials after alighting from a Malaysian Airlines flight at 11.30 pm last night, they said. The man has been declared absconding allegedly by Mumbai Police, the sources said. — PTI
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Didn’t compare Big B with Kasab, says Urdu poet Nida Fazli
New Delhi, January 13 The 74-year-old poet had written in a literary magazine that the way Bachchan's angry young man was created by scriptwriters Salim-Javed, Kasab too was a creation of Mumbai-attack mastermind and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. Nida Fazli has now accused the media of twisting his remarks. "I never called Amitabh a terrorist. To create controversy the media twisted whatever I had said and started a new debate. I was talking about the image of the angry young man, not Amitabh. He is a fine artiste with multiple talents. But just like every other artiste, he too has some limitations," Fazli said. In his piece for the magazine, Fazli had written, "Why was Amitabh given the title of the angry young man? He was just a created toy, just like Ajmal Kasab. One was created by Salim-Javed and the other was made by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. The toy has been hanged but the toy-maker is free." Explaining his words in the magazine piece, Fazli said, "I was referring to image of the angry young man here. Also, I feel the angry young man image shouldn't have been restricted to the 70s only. Why is only Amitabh called the angry young man? Have we forgotten 74-year-old Anna Hazare? I feel there is more anger today than it was then." The noted poet, who keeps meeting artistes from Pakistan and the Arab world, said terrorism is hampering the development of Asia. "Some people do not want Asia to develop. They have made a home in Pakistan and now they are eyeing India," he said. When asked about the viewpoints of artistes from both sides of the border, Fazli said, "Artistes don't have a voice of their own. Whatever they do, it's for the common man." The poet, who has written for Bollywood films - like the Jagjit Singh rendered 'Hoshwalon ko khabar kya' from 'Sarfarosh' and 'Aa bhi ja' from Lucky Ali's film 'Sur' - said he is more busy doing Mushairas these days. "It's not as if I have stopped writing for films altogether. I have written for a few films but I am more busy with Mushairas. Wherever there are people from India and Pakistan in the world, we do find lovers of Urdu poetry," he said. — PTI
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Lit fest will raise uncomfortable questions on gender disparity
Chandigarh, January 13 It will to set the tone for various sessions of the festival (January 24-28) where women and men will ponder over gender issues and raise the crucial subject of equity and inclusion in the literature of languages like English, Hindi, Rajasthani, Tamil and Malayalam. Poems, stories, readings and panels will discuss the multifaceted experience of being a woman and the search for gender equity and justice. Acclaimed women writers who will attend the festival include the legendary Diana Eck, leading Arab novelist Ahdaf Soueif, Aminatta Forna, Anamika, Damayanti Beshra, Jaishree Misra, Deborah Moggach, Elif Batuman, Pakistani authors Fahmida Riaz and Ameena Saiyid, Gagan Gill, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Ilina Sen, Ira Pande, Kota Neelima, Kunzang Choden, Kishwar Desai, Kshama Sharma, Lakshmi Holmstrom, Laleh Khadivi, Madeline Miller, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Nayanjot Lahiri, Nirupama Dutt, Rohini Nilekani, Selma Dabbagh, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoi, Sharmila Tagore, Shobhaa De, Smita Tewari Jassal, Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Syeda Hameed, Tania James, Tishani Doshi, Vayu Naidu, Vibha Rani and Yiyun Li. Apart from literary voices, a number of research organisations with focus on gender studies too will have their voices heard. Celebrated Tamil feminist writer Ambai will speak of her writing and of SPARROW, (Sound and Picture Archives for Research on Women), a trust set up in 1988 in Mumbai to build a national archives for women with print, oral history and pictorial material. In the session ‘The yogini’, David White will discuss the cult of the yogini. Shabana Azmi will be in conversation with Prasoon Joshi in a session titled 'Sex and sensibility', on the important question of representations of women in Bollywood. KR Indira will talk about a women’s ‘Kamasutra’ and the feminine right to appreciate their own sensuality without intimidation. A book that scrutinises the inner lives of women and the power of testimonial literature to break the ground for new spaces in women’s narratives ‘A Life Apart’ - the English translation of Prabha Khaitan’s famed autobiography ‘Anya se Ananya’ -will offer a point to ponder. “Women in the Path” will look at the mismatch between the essence and the theological aspect of Buddhist philosophy on the issue of women and nirvana. “Adhura Aadmi, Adhuna Naari” will look at the link between the sexes in the articulation of a human voice.
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Shiv Sena woos women with self-defence courses, hotlines
Mumbai, January 13 “We are putting up signboards asking women to drop in at our party offices in case there are harassed by anyone,” says Akhilesh Bhide, Shiv Sena leader from Virar. The Virar unit of the party has also decided to hold self-defence training camps for women where participants will be imparted training in martial arts like karate and judo. “We will teach them how to identify men following women and take defensive action against attacks,” says Bhide. The Yuva Sena, Shiv Sena’s youth wing headed by Bal Thackeray’s grandson Aditya Thackeray, has mooted the idea of setting up helplines at party headquarters to help women in distress. However, so far there is no clear idea on how these helplines will work. Party’s South Mumbai unit plans to provide China-made small foldable knives women. The plan is to hand out knives to all women participating at the “haldi-kumkum” ceremonies organised by party’s women wing. Traditionally, married Hindu women participate in the “haldi-kumkum” ceremony. These events are often organised by women relatives of local-level party leaders as part of an exercise to stay in touch with voters. Packets of “haldi” and “kumkum” are given away to those participating in the ceremony. So far, the Shiv Sena leadership is guarded about the plans to hand out knives to women. “We have not decided whether all units of the party will hand out knives to women,” a leader at Shiv Sena Bhavan said.
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Tribals are not showpieces for museums: Jairam Ramesh
Lanjigarh (Odisha), Jan 13 Giving details near the bauxite-rich Niyamgiri hill, the Union Rural Development Minister said Rs 200 crore would be allocated for providing houses under Indira Awas Yojana to vulnerable tribals living in the area. The package under the IAY would benefit 2,100 families belonging to Dangaria Kandh and other tribal groups in the Niyamgiri area near here, he said, adding it was part of government's efforts to give them a better life. "Tribals should not be treated as showpieces for museums," he said while emphasising that concrete steps were needed to ensure that benefits of the development process reached these deprived segments. As part of the drive to strengthen road links in backward areas, the Centre would provide road connectivity to villages having over 250 families in Kalahandi district at an expenditure of Rs 100 crore under Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), he said. — PTI
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An opportunity for Cong to look at challenges ahead
KV Prasad/TNS
New Delhi, January 13 It was in Shimla that the Congress revised the 1998 Pachmarhi political prognosis of coalitions being a transient phase and promises to restore the primacy of the party across the length and breadth. The 2003 clarion call at Shimla was unity of secular forces in the country and the Congress began an earnest hunt for allies. Will Jaipur offer a new thought? Despite discordant noises within sections of the party on allies holding back the party from moving ahead, especially in implementing economic reforms, the dominant view of those who determine policies at the apex level is that reality of coalition and allies cannot be wished away. “We cannot imagine politics today without having alliances,” a senior party leader articulated even as some of the partners are feeling restive and ignored by the Congress be it in holding consultations on key issues or weightier representation in the government. The unvarnished truth that stares the party in its face is the inability to gain any substantial ground in key battle states, including Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The position has barely altered since Pachmarhi Vichar Manthan and since then the Congress ceded power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to its main political opponent, the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the South, the Congress faces a piquant situation in Andhra Pradesh with nascent YSR Congress of Jaganmohan Reddy kicking up a political storm and Telengana issue adding to its woes. Congress ally in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is witnessing a power struggle while up North. Karnataka offers a glimmer of hope while Kerala, the power pendulum could swing away from the Congress. Another area of concern for the party leadership is the manner in which some regional parties have gathered strength among the minorities. The development is more acute in the north-eastern states where fear and uncertainty among people belonging to minority community got accentuated after attacks. While breaking away of the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen from the United Progressive Alliance in Andhra Pradesh was attributed to state politics, there are indications that even the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala is considering life without the Congress. The January 18 and 19 session should also bring to fore political thought and vision of young Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on whom the party places immense faith to steer it to a hat-trick of victory at the Centre.
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Owaisi’s grilling continues
Hyderabad, January 13 The police said the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader was being questioned in the presence of his two lawyers as directed by a court in Nirmal town, which sent him to police custody for five days. The Andhra Pradesh legislator was arrested in Hyderabad Tuesday in connection with a hate speech delivered by him in Nirmal town last month. A court in Nirmal sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. The MIM leader has been booked for sedition, waging war against nation, criminal conspiracy and other charges. Police were questioning Akbar Owaisi to gather more evidence against him on the basis of a CD of his Dec 22 speech. Meanwhile, Osmania University police station here plans to file a petition to seek a prisoner transit warrant to seek custody of Owaisi for investigation into the case booked against him at the direction of a city court. The police on Saturday questioned representatives of four television channels with regard to the MIM leader's provocative speech at Nirmal. Owaisi is facing a case in Nizamabad for making a similar speech in that town. He has also been booked by police in several other districts on the directions of local courts during last 10 days. The court orders came on the petitions filed by individuals. — IANS
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Alcoholism can’t be attributed to military service, rules AFT
Tribune News Service The Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has, in a recent order, observed that a soldier suffering from “alcohol dependency syndrome” cannot hold the armed forces responsible for the said disease because dependency on alcohol is clearly within the individual’s control. Dismissing a petition filed by one Kuldip Kaur, whose husband, ex-sepoy Sohan Singh, was discharged in 1991, the Bench ruled that a soldier — discharged from the Army on medical grounds because of his dependency on alcohol — is not entitled to disability pension. The petitioner had contended that her husband was not mentally sound to pursue the petition as he was discharged from the Army on medical grounds in 1991. Before his discharge, the medical board had recommended his category as "EEE" with 30 per cent disability due to alcohol-dependence syndrome. After his discharge, he submitted a disability pension claim before the defence authorities, but on June 7, 1994, he received a communication rejecting his disability pension on the grounds that his disability was neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service. The petitioner, who challenged the rejection letter on behalf of her husband before the military tribunal, submitted that an individual serving in the Army is posted at various inhospitable places which ultimately leads to lots of diseases and similarly, he suffered from alcohol-dependence syndrome. During arguments, her counsel had laid a strong emphasis on military service being difficult, hence, inducing dependence on alcohol. He had sought directions to quash the defence authorities’ decision of rejecting the disability pension claim. The Bench held that they were unable to accept such a simplistic argument for the disability due to dependence on alcohol which was clearly within the individual’s control.
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Rewards flow for patient Krishna Kamal Nath and his ambition is particularly so after Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has been mentioned as a future PM. UPA insiders said that Kamal Nath’s body language has changed ever since he ensured a victory for the UPA government in the FDI debate during the last session of Parliament. The senior leader had maintained a low-profile after he was shifted from the Commerce Ministry to the relatively less important Urban Development Ministry and would generally sit through Cabinet meetings in silence. But all this has changed. Kamal Nath’s swagger is back and he is his old voluble self again. At the last Cabinet meeting, he spoke at length in support of Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh’s proposal seeking higher funds for the Indira Awas Yojana. A Congress insider rightly commented that something is definitely brewing when Kamal Nath starts espousing the cause of the rural poor.
Loyalty shift puts BJP man in a fix
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More than 110 expert kite-fliers from 54 countries are participating in the three-day “Patangotasav” organised by the Gujarat Government to promote tourism in the state.
The “Patangotasav” being held on the occasion of “Uttarayan” which is celebrated as the day of kite-flying in
Gujarat
The keynote address “O to live again!” will be delivered by the iconic voice of human rights and women’s consciousness Mahasweta Devi.
SM Krishna was languishing on the margins ever since he was dethroned as External Affairs Minister in last year’s Cabinet reshuffle. But no more. Always seen as a favourite of the Congress leadership, the veteran leader has been sufficiently rehabilitated. He was first appointed head of the AICC sub-committee tasked to prepare the draft paper on international affairs for the upcoming ‘chintan shivir’ in Jaipur. Last week party president Sonia Gandhi inducted him into the Congress Working Committee along with former Union Minister Murli Deora as a permanent invitee. Interestingly, Krishna will be chairing the session on international affairs at the party conclave while his successor Salman Khurshid is only a member of the group. Needless to say, the importance being accorded to Krishna has set tongues wagging in the party. According to the Congress grapevine, this may well be the first step towards declaring him the party’s chief ministerial candidate in poll-bound Karnataka, much to the discomfort of his detractors.
The Congress is currently abuzz about Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath’s ambitions. While some maintain he is eyeing the Chief Minister’s ‘gaddi’ in Madhya Pradesh which is headed for Assembly polls later this year, others say Kamal Nath sees himself as a contender for the Prime Minister’s post. This
