The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2012

  • It’s Obama for Now

    It’s Obama for Now

    America is just 39 days away from Presidential election. The many surveys , including the Republican leaning Fox News survey gives Obama a 5 per cent lead over Mitt Romney. For now, it is Bam, Bam.

    The key issues being focused by the rival presidential candidates have not changed. Though of course, at some point, the position that Mitt Romney had taken on issues relating to poor and middle classes seems to has been revised by the Republican candidate. He is reported to have said recently that both Obama and he care for the middle classes. Something he may not have said earlier. Similarly, suddenly Romney’s heart goes out to the jobless. He feels pained to see so many jobless and sympathizes with them.

    On foreign policy, Romney is protective of Israel . He has categorically stated time and again where he stands. His approach to the Middle East is indicative of US involvement in another conflict in that region. Americans are already tired of US involvement in conflicts. Many that I spoke with have disdain for any American politician who talks in terms of an unnecessary conflict. How the Americans will react to Romney’s foreign policy is not difficult to understand.

    The Presidential debates -three of them- on October 3 on domestic policy; on October 16 on foreign and domestic policy; and the third and final one on October 22 on foreign policy are not likely to improve the fortunes of the Republican Mitt Romney. Clearly, Obama is a better explicator and orator and is likely to outdo his rival. Moreover, we have seen in recent weeks how Romney has been fumbling on issues. With his conviction level down, his persuasiveness will be weak. On top of it, he is no match to Obama when it comes to a debate.

    We are not jumping to the conclusion that Obama will win. We are not concluding that Mitt Romney will lose. We are only taking in to account the ground realities as of now that indicate a favorable position for the re-election of President Obama.

    The Indian American community in USA is evenly divided. There are diehard Republicans to match equally diehard Democrats. Also, the community is too small to make any difference to the outcome of the polls. However, it is an influential community, with many from it holding elected offices. Many are in US Federal and State administrations. Many more are officials at the lower administrative level. Whatever, the size of the community or the position of its members, it is imperative that the community should actively, even aggressively, participate in the political processes of the country. Only then it can make its presence adequately felt.

  • As I see it:Judgment call

    As I see it:Judgment call

    By Kalyan Mitra

    It can hardly be disputed that judicial activism is now a central feature of every system that vests adjudicatory power, like Mr. Justice PN Bhagwati pointed out, in a free and independent judiciary.

    The judiciary is the last bastion of democracy and it may well be said that judicial activism is the elan vital, the essence of social justice.

    Preservation of the rule of law in a wide perspective is indeed the primary remit of the judiciary. For this, the wellspring of the common law evolved in England and subsequently followed in India was a body of laws refined by imaginative and wise application of the principles of ethics, fair play and good conscience. Thus maxims of equity were propounded for delivering justice and the principle of promissory estoppels makes it imperative that no one (including the state) reneges on a promise on the basis of which another had altered his position to his detriment. Also, that one who seeks equity must do equity, and that all must come before the court with clean hands. The concern of the judges who helped evolve the common law was not just maintenance of status quo but also rendition of true justice, especially social justice.

    The Indian Constitution with its unique provisions of fundamental rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy enjoins upon the judiciary to be dynamic so that rights are defended in keeping with the Directive Principles. The country’s apex judiciary acted very boldly in the face of strong ad hoc political actions to impulsively amend the Constitution under Article 368 to suit immediate political purposes. In the landmark Keshavananda Bharati case (AIR 1973 SC1461), the Supreme Court, sitting en bloc, held that the basic structure of the Constitution could not be changed by an amendment to the Constitution and that fundamental rights could not be abridged. In the recent 2G case, the court cancelled 120 2G licences on the ground that arbitrary and wrongful procedure had been followed in giving away of material resources of the country. In a case related to the proclamation of President’s Rule in Bihar, the Supreme Court had even held the proclamation to be in breach of the Constitution. All this is indicative of a strain of judicial activism dedicated to preserve a stable social order for the fulfillment of social justice.

    The Supreme Court has gone far in upholding the role of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution with imaginative and positive interpretation, especially in the area of human rights. For this, it has relied extensively on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Supreme Court has thus fine-tuned immunity against torture or cruel or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to defend fundamental rights enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. The treatment of women in police lock-ups has also been addressed by the country’s highest court admirably.

    Very recently, the Supreme Court ordered that the privacy and dignity of an endangered, simple-minded tribe in the Andamans be protected against indecent, vulgar and sadistic intrusion by foreign photojournalists. This is an example of positive and imaginative interpretation of the Constitution for protection of the dignity and liberty of the vulnerable people of India.

    In the Francis Coralie Mullin case (1981) 2 SCR 516, the Supreme Court had asserted that Article 14 of the Constitution did not just guarantee right to life but also the right to live with basic human dignity intact as also basic necessities of life. So, the court went on to hold that the right to life included the right of society to a clean and healthy environment. Such a view is far-sighted and increasingly relevant considering growing environmental pollution and depleting ecological balance that are currently ravaging the planet. More so, as industrial wastes and effluents as well as hazards posed by technological developments are defiling nature and adversely affecting social welfare. A much-cleansed Ganges owes a lot to judicial activism in India.

    It is judicial activism again that has made jurisprudence more inclusive. The poor and disadvantaged can now petition the courts with more confidence as can socially-active persons or groups. To give an example, this has brought judicial relief to bonded laborers or legal assistance to poor undertrials. The Supreme Court has also introduced a very purposive innovation in setting up socio-legal committees to examine issues and report to it. Such findings are to be made available to all parties as evidence. The Bandhua Mukti case (AIR 1981 SC 802) that concerned resettlement of tribal people affected by construction of a dam is a case in point. A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court awarded very substantial compensation to the family of a victim of a road accident who was its sole breadwinner. A special leave petition before the Court in this regard had remained unheard for several years. The court has, in several cases, directed the state to award compensation for its failure to protect human rights without entertaining arguments of sovereign immunity.

    The country’s highest court has set healthy precedents for the High Courts and lower judiciary for dealing with the problems of the socially-vulnerable and people who become victims of exploitation by organized vested interests. But despite the positive and pioneering attitude of the higher judiciary, caution must be urged. Judges must not go overboard in their zeal for unrestrained judicial intervention. Some judges have observed that such over-zealousness should not lead to the subversion of the Constitution and the existing framework of law and precedents. They have also pointed out that there is a need to steer clear of the by-lanes of judicial sophistry. Judges, as also the entire legal fraternity, must practice introspection, keep on acquiring knowledge as well as wisdom and should not get carried away either by motivated public approbation or censure.

  • SIAEA: Raising Prestige of Indian American Engineers and Architects

    SIAEA: Raising Prestige of Indian American Engineers and Architects

    Society of Indo American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA), the representative body of engineers and architects of Indian origin, will celebrate its accomplishments once again at the forthcoming Annual Gala Dinner at Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Saturday, September 29th.

    SIAEA has lived up to the goal it has set itself which reads: “The goal of SIAEA shall be to organize and unite in fellowship the engineering and architectural professionals of Indian origin; to assimilate the arts and sciences of Indian Heritage in to the American society; to enhance the image and high visibility of Indian professionals; and to stand tall within American mainstream”.

    Indian American engineers, architects, and contractors have greatly contributed to the development of New York City. SIAEA represents the very best of the construction industry in the Metro area and is committed to creating structures to make New Yorkers proud of.

    The President of SIAEA, Mr. Nayan Parikh told The Indian Panorama that SIAEA which had a humble beginning more than thirty years ago, in 1981, to be exact, has a membership of around 1500 and growing. Many of them are business owners, managers and executives in the construction industry in the Tri-State area.

    SIAEA has created an important place in the construction industry of Tri-state area. Its members have been recognized for their unique contributions to the development of our communities. The Society offers scholarship to meritorious students who decided to pursue engineering as their chosen career. Every year the organization provides financial incentive to each selected student to the tune of $2000 per student.

    As a body of professionals belonging to Indian American community, SIAEA (Society of Indo American Engineers and Architects) has been serving our communities for almost three decades. It truly represents the enterprising spirit of its members and the community. SIAEA in partnership with the State Societies, is the organization of licensed Professional Engineers (PEs), Architects and Engineer Interns (EIs). Through education, licensure advocacy, leadership training, multi-disciplinary networking, and outreach, SIAEA enhances the image of its members and their ability to ethically and professionally practice engineering providing credits by AIA.

    SIAEA organizes and unites in fellowship the engineering and architectural professionals of Indian origin. It assimilates the arts and sciences of Indian Heritage into the American society to enhance the image and high visibility of Indian professionals stand tall within American mainstream.

    According to Nayan Parikh, president of SIAEA, the organization is committed to generate employment opportunities through networking for our fellow professionals. He said that his organization has embarked upon a program to reach out to younger generation of architects and engineers of Indian origin and enlist them as members in order to help them avail the resources for professional development.

    Nayan Parikh said that the Society truly represents the enterprising spirit of our members and our community. SIAEA has been helping its members in professional development since its inception in 1981. “We have developed an excellent rapport with various government agencies and private sector firms that employ many of our members.” Parikh is very keen to connect with the younger generation of engineers and architects through seminars and social networking events, such as, the outreach programs that provide great learning opportunities for fellow professionals. He also wants the Indian American community to get involved in the activities of the Society.

    A number of officials including Ambassador Prabhu Dayal will attend this year’s gala event. It is going to be a grand occasion to showcase society’s strength and its close relationship with the mainstream engineers and professionals. The officials have recognized the professionalism of engineers and architects of Indian origin who have greatly contributed to improve the financial health of New York State.

    Parikh pointed out that SIAEA was progressing at a fast pace whose members demonstrated high caliber in executing challenging projects and earned good reputation. “The success of SIAEA is due to the enterprising spirit of our members and our community.” He said that the Society was geared to expand its activities throughout the United States. “Very soon we will be launching SIAEA’s new chapters in Philadelphia, Washington DC and Boston. More exciting happenings await us in the year 2013”, he added.

    Parikh said that the members ensured that the Society represented the success and accomplishments of its members for which they were honored every year. “Every year we reach out to institutions where the next generation of engineers and architects were being trained. We continue to recognizing their talents by offering scholarships to ten meritorious engineering and architect students”, he said.

    Talking about the gala on September 29th, Mr. Parikh gave out the list of guests, awardees and honorees attending the event.

    Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India in New York will address the gathering. William C. Thompson Jr. former NYC Comptroller is the keynote speaker. The Chief Guest at the event is Scott Stringer, President of Manhattan Borough. Luis M. Tormenta P.E. CEO, the URO Group, is the Guest of Honor. Special guests include Robert J. Duffy, Lt. Governor of New York State and Gregorio Mayers, Spl. Policy Advisor, Office of the Mayor, NY.
    Special Award -Government Agency of the Year 2012 goes to MTA which will be received by Michael Garner, Chief Diversity Officer.

    The honored guests include David J. Burney, FAIA, Commissioner, Department of Design & Construction; Carter H. Strickland Jr. Commissioner, DEP, NYC; Eric Macfarlane, P.E. Deputy Commissioner, Department of Design & Construction; Kathryn Garcia, Deputy Commissioner, DEP, NYC; James Roberts, Deputy Commissioner, DEP, NYC; D. Clark Pile, P.E. Senior VP and NY Regional Manager, Hill Int’l; and Denise Pease, Regional Administrator, US General Services Admn.

    The story will remain incomplete without a note on the man who commands a team of dedicated colleagues who have the responsibility to make the event a great success and a memorable one.
    Mr. Nayan Parikh has had a long association with SIAEA. He has been very active in Society’s programs and has been instrumental in organizing many successful events. A man with a vision and the will to succeed, he has taken the SIAEA under his presidency to new heights and set higher bars for his successors.

    Mr. Parikh who was appointed a Commissioner of Housing in Woodbridge Housing Authority in 2009 is now Vice Chairman . Mayor Bloomberg appointed him a Member of the Advisory Board, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP), a key department of New York City to supervise contractors issues, including the issues concerning minority and women contractors. He is a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Advisory Panel on Construction and Development of New York City.

    Mr. Parikh is adding another feather in his cap. He has been nominated for Contractor of the Year Award by Regional Alliance for Small Contractors. The award will be presented to him on September 28th by Mayor Bloomberg at a glittering function at the Light House in New York City.

    Mr. Parikh who lives in Woodbridge, NJ with his lovely wife, Asha, has two wonderful daughters -Anushi and Revetee.

  • Early verdict: Rowling’s adult novel lacks magic

    Early verdict: Rowling’s adult novel lacks magic

    LONDON (TIP): JK Rowling’s first foray into adult fiction was bound to be compared to her wildly successful Harry Potter series, and, while ‘The Casual Vacancy’ has earned mixed reviews, for some critics the magic has worn off.

    ‘The Casual Vacancy’, which hits the shelves on Thursday, looks destined for the top of the bestseller lists whatever the reaction, with Rowling’s celebrity status guaranteeing public anticipation and media attention in equal measure.

    In the New York Times, Michiko Kakutani likened some of Rowling’s small-minded, snobby characters to the odious Dursley family from the Harry Potter tales.

    “One can only admire her gumption in facing up to the overwhelming expectations created by the global phenomenon that was Harry Potter,” Kakutani wrote. “Unfortunately, the real-life world she has limned in these pages is so willfully banal, so depressingly cliched that ‘The Casual Vacancy’ is not only disappointing — it’s dull.”

    Other critics were less damning, however, and several reviews in British and US newspapers argued that, while not great, Rowling’s eagerly anticipated break from the world of child wizards and witches was good.

  • PM fails UK ‘citizenship test’ on US TV show

    PM fails UK ‘citizenship test’ on US TV show

    LONDON (TIP): It is a test that all Indian and other non-EU citizens have to pass before becoming UK citizens, but PM David Cameron had a tough time answering some key questions on a widely watched American chat show.

    Cameron appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman in what was considered as a risky move, given the host’s biting humour and obvious relish in embarrassing high profile guests. The PM, who in a major speech on immigration in October 2011 said his government was revising the citizenship test to “put British history and culture at the heart of it”, could not answer questions about the Magna Carta and the composer of Rule Britannia.

    After fumbling with questions about British history and culture, Cameron told the host, “You have found me out. I have ended my career on your show tonight”.

    When Letterman asked who composed the music for Rule Britannia after the band struck up the music from the Last Night of the Proms, Cameron replied, “Elgar”. Letterman waited until near the end of the show to point out that Thomas Arne had composed the music, and that the poem was by James Thomson. The host also asked him about the Magna Carta. Cameron said “1215” when asked the date it was signed. But he didn’t know Latin Magna Carta in English meant Great Charter.

  • Secret royal veto powers kick up a storm in UK

    Secret royal veto powers kick up a storm in UK

    LONDON (TIP): The British government will go to court against confidential letters written by Prince Charles to government ministers being made public, reflecting his intervention on legislative and other matters. The British royal family is supposed to play a completely apolitical role.

    Last week, a freedom of information tribunal instructed Whitehall to do so. An estimated seven ministries of the government will have to hand over correspondence undertaken during 2004-05.

    In August, information commissioner John Kirkhope ordered release of secret documents which establish that a little known “royal veto” exists when it comes to formulating bills in Britain. This would lay threadbare details of the cabinet office’s guidance to civil servants to seek approval of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and her son Charles, when drafting certain legislation.

    The commissioner asserted it was “in public interest” for full facts to be exposed. According to UK’s Guardian newspaper, Charles’s consent was sought on at least 12 draft bills in the last two parliamentary sessions. It seems his powers emanate from his ownership of the £700 million Duchy of Cornwall estate, which possesses prime properties in various parts of Britain, including palatial parts of London. Charles has been consulted on matters pertaining to coroners, energy, planning, economic development and construction, marine and coastal access and housing and regeneration. The existence of veto surprised many Britons and even aroused criticism from a section.

  • California man behind ‘Innocence of Muslims jailed

    California man behind ‘Innocence of Muslims jailed

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): An Egyptian-American man behind an anti-Islam film that has stoked violent protests across the Muslim world was arrested on Thursday, September 27 in California for allegedly violating his probation, and a federal judge ordered him jailed without bond, a Reuter report said.

    Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was taken into custody at an undisclosed location by U.S. marshals and brought to court in Los Angeles still wearing his street clothes but handcuffed and shackled at the waist.
    Nakoula has been under investigation by probation officials looking into whether he violated the terms of his 2011 release from prison on a bank fraud conviction while making the film, though authorities have said they were not probing the movie itself.

    “The court has a lack of trust in the defendant at this time,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal said in refusing Nakoula’s request for bail at a hearing in U.S. District Court.

    His crudely made 13-minute video was filmed in California and circulated online under several titles including “Innocence of Muslims.” It portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and a sexual deviant.

    The clip sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries over the past two weeks. The violence coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

    Nakoula, under the terms of his release from jail, has been barred from accessing the Internet or using aliases without the permission of a probation officer, court records show. He now faces eight probation violation accusations.

    In denying his request for bail, Segal called him a flight risk and said the Coptic Christian filmmaker who most recently lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos had “engaged in a lengthy pattern of deception,” including using several aliases.

    Meanwhile, Google has refused to remove the film from YouTube, despite pressure from the White House and others to take it down, though the company has blocked the trailer in Egypt, Libya and other Muslim countries.

  • Sikh woman laughs off facial hair taunt

    Sikh woman laughs off facial hair taunt

    LONDON (TIP): A Sikh US student’s dignified response to a tasteless post making fun of her facial hair has earned her a legion of fans.

    A man took a photo of Balpreet Kaur and uploaded onto Reddit in the ‘funny’ category with the tagline ‘im (sic) not sure what to conclude from this’, Daily Mail reported on Wednesday. The aspiring neurosurgeon discovered the picture – which shows her standing in a queue – and, instead of flying into a rage at the person behind the cheap dig, she posted a comment explaining why she didn’t remove her hair.

    Balpreet, an Ohio State University student, said, “I’m not embarrassed or even humiliated by the attention (negative and positve) that this picture is getting because, it’s who I am. Yes, I’m a baptised Sikh woman with facial hair. Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women.”

    She refused to attack the person who had posted the photo, which many viewers accused of being mean and deliberately trying to draw laughs at Balpreet’s expense. Balpreet said to the original poster that if he had wanted a picture he should have just asked and she would have smiled.

  • Maharashtra irrigation scam: Whistleblower names Gadkari

    Maharashtra irrigation scam: Whistleblower names Gadkari

    MUMBAI (TIP): In a new twist to the political crisis in Maharashtra that has risen from an irrigation scam, one of the whistleblowers has named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari for trying to suppress it.

    Anjali Damania is instrumental in blowing the lid off the Rs.72, 000 crore scam. Damania said that when she met Gadkari in August at his home in Worli, Mumbai, he told her to not push too hard to expose the scam.

    Damania said that the BJP’s attitude was very discouraging, as was that of Gadkari, who even allegedly stated to having business ties with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

    Without naming Gadkari, Damania said ‘the opposition party chief’ told her “we help Pawar and he helps us, can’t do anything in this scam.”

    She claimed to have met Gadkari thrice, once in Delhi in June 2011 and twice in Mumbai, in August 2011 and August 14 this year.

    “Since the NCP and the Congress are together, we went to the opposition party, but they strictly told me that they could not do anything about it.”

    Their party president himself told me that he could not do anything regarding this; he shares businesses with Sharad Pawar. They help each other in their matters. So, he could not do anything about it. We were shocked after getting such kind of a reply,” she said.

    The BJP is in the opposition in Maharashtra. NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who has submitted his resignation from the post of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, has been accused by his political opponents of being involved in the irrigation scam when he was the state’s water resources minister

  • Amit Shah free to campaign for Narendra Modi

    Amit Shah free to campaign for Narendra Modi

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah, who in facing the charge of abetting killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife in a fake encounter, can campaign with chief minister Narender Modi for the assembly elections as the Supreme Court on September 28 lifted the exile on him.

    Upholding the Gujarat high court order that allowed bail to Shah, the SC, however, said the murder trial would be shifted to Mumbai in view of the apprehension expressed by concerned petitioner that a fair trial isn’t possible in the BJP-ruled state.

    A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai partially dismissed the CBI’s appeal. The agency had sought quashing of bail given to Shah and also shifting of the trial venue. It had said that Shah would try to influence witnesses in the case. It had said that Shah was a powerful minister till he was charged in the case and was subsequently arrested and sent to jail in 2010.

    After three months in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati jail, Shah was granted bail but told to leave Gujarat. He started living in the Gujarat guest house in Delhi, a source said.

    The chargesheet filed by the CBI says Shah was allegedly involved in the killing of Tulsiram Prajapati, an eye witness to Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s encounter. According to the chargesheet, a small time history sheeter, Sohrabuddin, and his wife Kauser Bi were abducted by the Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Hyderabad and killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005. Shah was the state’s home minister and the CBI charges that it was under his instructions that the state’s trigger-happy police acted.

    Shah’s lawyer has maintained that he was a victim of politics and he had been used as a poster body by the anti-Modi political parties.

  • Kashmir grievances need speedy resolution: President

    Kashmir grievances need speedy resolution: President

    SRINAGAR (TIP): President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday that people of Jammu and Kashmir did have grievances, and these needed “deft handling and speedy resolution”.

    “I am aware there are grievances. Many important issues need deft handing and speedy resolution,” he said at the convocation address at the Kashmir University. “The government of India and the state government are determined to ensure that every Kashmiri lives with dignity, having equal rights and equal opportunities,” he added.

    The President said he looked upon the youth of Kashmir to forge the future of India in every field. “The India of tomorrow achieved through inclusive growth offers enormous opportunities for the youth of Kashmir,” he said.

    He described Kashmir as the “Sharda Peeth”, the seat of learning in ancient times. “This beautiful valley has nursed in its lap great men of letters, poets and patrons of learning. The IT revolution has brought infinite opportunities. It has greatly facilitated us in offering a modern, progressive and relevant education to our students,” he said.

    ‘The government of India, in its 12th Five Year Plan, has a well defined strategy to achieve this. It includes expansion of infrastructure with regional equity,’ he said.

    Mukherjee laid stress on collaboration and linkages between premier institutions of higher learning in India and abroad.

    He said that given its beauty and grandeur, there was an all important need to preserve Jammu and Kashmir’s ecology and environment. ‘While I am among the bright young people here today, I would like to highlight the relevance and need for greater tolerance in the society,’ he emphasised.

    It was Mukherjee’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after becoming the President in July.

  • Osama was blind in one eye: Zawahiri

    Osama was blind in one eye: Zawahiri

    LONDON (TIP): Slain al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden was blind in one eye after an accident during his youth and was a one-time member of the Muslim Brotherhood, his successor has claimed in a new video tribute to the terror mastermind.

    Ayman al-Zawahiri, made the claim in an hour-long video titled ‘Days With The Imam’. It was an account of the life of bin Laden, who was killed in a US navy SEAL raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, last year.

    Zawahiri revealed “for those who do not know” Saudi-born bin Laden was left blind in his right eye after an accident during his youth.

    He also claimed that the terrorist mastermind was expelled from the Saudi branch of the Muslim Brotherhood for insisting on waging jihad, holy war, against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, the Daily Mail reported.

    It is claimed that bin Laden travelled to Peshawar, near the border with Afghanistan, to deliver cash to the Taliban, but then defied the Brotherhood’s orders to join the armed struggle.

  • 300 killed in single day in Syria, says rights group

    300 killed in single day in Syria, says rights group

    BEIRUT (TIP): Over 300 people were killed in Syria on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, in one of the bloodiest days in the 18-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

    World leaders meeting at the UN have expressed concern at the continuing violence in Syria but are deadlocked over their response to the conflict, which the Observatory says has claimed 30,000 lives since March 2011.

    The British-based organization, which monitors violence in Syria through a network of activists, said in a report released on Thursday that 55 people were killed in rural areas around Damascus. They included at least 40 who seemed to have been shot in al-Dhiyabia, southeast of the capital.

  • We won’t allow FDI in multi-brand retail, says Gadkari

    We won’t allow FDI in multi-brand retail, says Gadkari

    Surajkund (TIP): “Leave sycophancy and prepare for polls as the Congress-led UPA government has lost its political authority,” was the message the BJP gave to its leaders on the first day of its national council meet on Thursday. The party also said that it will try to bring “non-Congress non-NDA” parties on board against the UPA’s decision of bringing FDI in multi-brand retail.

    Attacking the UPA government for rampant corruption and bringing antipeople reforms, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari gave a clarion call to party workers to end “the rule of corrupt UPA” and “give voice” to people’s anger and mistrust towards the current government at the Centre.

    The party also said that it will take its fight against government’s decision of bringing FDI in multibrand retail to the Winter Session of Parliament as this decision is against the interests of small traders and is being brought under foreign pressure.

    The party’s economic resolution, moved by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, mentioned how FDI in multi-brand retail will effect farmers, small traders and how retail chains will destroy small traders by following “predatory pricing” policy.

    “It is being said that the BJP is not spelling out its stand clearly on FDI in retail issue. We want to say FDI in retail will hurt the livelihood of the small trader.

    We will not allow FDI in multi-brand retail to come to India,” said BJP chief Nitin Gadkari in his inaugural address. He clarified that his party is opposed to FDI in multi-brand retail whatever be its quantum.

    The main Opposition further alleged that FDI is being brought for votebank politics and to appease foreigners while continuing to stay in power through all means. However, the party has also firmly sought to ward off notions in some sections that the BJP is anti-reforms.

    The party has insisted that it is not against reforms but is firmly opposed to FDI in multibrand retail. Along with the small traders, the urban middle class also forms a core votebank of the BJP and is said to be in favour of FDI in multi-brand retail.

    The party also criticised the government for attacking the federal structure, failing to stop illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and its stand on the Jammu nd Kashmir issue. The party also promised that if it comes to power, it will create a separate Telengana state like it did by creating Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

    It also demanded that Indian government should protect the interest of Hindus who are facing persecution in Pakistan. While moving the economic resolution, Mr Jaitley said the biggest reforms that the country requires now is elimination of agricultural subsidy, removal of restrains on outsourcing, removal of unreasonable restriction on visas and dismantling of unfair trade barriers on products of smaller economies.

    “We are for reforms but every move is not reform. Its unfortunate that reform is being given a bad name. What goes against the grain of the country is not reform and we will reject it,” Jaitley said

  • Up to 700,000 Syrian refugees by year-end: UN agency

    Up to 700,000 Syrian refugees by year-end: UN agency

    GENEVA (TIP): The UN refugee agency warned on Thursday there could be as many as 700,000 Syrian refugees in countries neighbouring the war-torn nation by the end of the year, up from 300,000 now.

    “There may be up to 700,000 Syrian refugees in neigbouring countries by the end of the year,” Panos Moumtzsis, the UNHCR’s chief coordinator for Syrian refugees, told reporters in Geneva.

    “We are running out of time,” he added. Faced with the soaring need for aid, humanitarian agencies upped their call for funds today to USD 487.9 million to sustain their operations until the end of the year.

    At present, only USD 141.5 million in funding is available, just 29 per cent of the overall request, Moumtzsis said, stressing the urgency of the appeal in the face of an “overwhelming increase” in the number of refugees fleeing the 18-month conflict.

    In March, the UNHCR had registered 41,500 Syrian refugees and said it expected the number to rise to 100,000 by the end of this year, but that figure was surpassed in July. The approach of winter made today’s appeal even more important, Moumtzsis said, adding that winterised tents, clothing, blankets and heaters were needed to prepare for the “very harsh” winter months.

  • Sharad Pawar pulls down curtains on Ajit’s resignation drama

    Sharad Pawar pulls down curtains on Ajit’s resignation drama

    Mumbai (TIP): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on September distanced himself from the controversial issue of deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s resignation. “As far as the party is concerned the issue of resignation is over,” said the Maratha strongman indicating that it was up to Ajit whether to return to the government or work for the party from outside.

    Pawar also reiterated his support to the Congress-led coalition in the state and the centre. He instructed state NCP chief Madhukar Pichad to tell party workers to end the public demonstrations against CM Prithviraj Chavan. The stern message from Pawar is perceived as an ultimatum to Ajit to restrict the decision-making to himself and not take the party for granted. This was evident as Pawar kept reiterating that the government will continue to function. “There was no question of accepting the resignations of 19 NCP ministers of the Democratic Front government,” he said,

    Ajit though is unlikely to take back his resignation. “Ajit has made up his mind to clear his name from the irrigation scam before he returns to the government,” sources within the NCP said. “His purpose of holding a meeting in Mumbai was to allow party MLAs and leaders to vent their anger against the highhandedness of the Congress under Chavan’s leadership.” Insiders in the organisation said the party was waiting for Pawar to intervene. “We are all waiting for a message from Pawar,” said NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Mullick.

  • Cabinet reshuffle put off till mid-Oct

    Cabinet reshuffle put off till mid-Oct

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The much talked about reshuffle-cum-expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, expected this week, appears to have been put off till the middle of next month.

    Congress sources said the exercise was unlikely this month, but did not give reasons for the postponement.
    The reshuffle, the first after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress walked out of the UPA, could have been a substantial affair with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh giving ample hint of pursuing the reforms agenda.

    Reports said Congress had discussed the reshuffle issue with DMK, the largest ally of the UPA with 18 MPs after the exit of the Trinamool Congress, but it had turned down the offer.

    Union Minister V. Narayanasamy had called on DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in Chennai two days ago, but the latter is learnt to have turned down the offer for induction of his party MPs in the Manmohan Singh-led Cabinet, party sources said.

    The DMK’s quota of two Cabinet portfolios remain vacant after the exit of A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran over the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

    With six ministers from TMC leaving, two to three Congress leaders from West Bengal were expected to be accommodated. The names of Deepa Dashmunshi and Adhir Choudhury, known detractors of the TMC chief and West Bengal PCC president Pradeep Bhatacharjee, were doing the rounds.

    Moreover, the period from September 30 to October 15 is considered inauspicious as per Hindu calendar.

  • Hafiz Saeed accuses Obama of starting religious war on Muslims

    Hafiz Saeed accuses Obama of starting religious war on Muslims

    ISLAMABAD (tip): One of Pakistan’s most feared Islamists accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of starting a religious war against Muslims over his handling of a video that mocked the Prophet Mohammad.

    Hafiz Saeed, accused by India of masterminding the 2008 attack by Pakistani gunmen on Mumbai, said Obama should have ordered steps to remove the film from the internet instead of defending freedom of expression in America.

    “Obama’s statements have caused a religious war,” Saeed told Reuters in an interview. “This is a very sensitive issue. This is not going to be resolved soon. Obama’s statement has started a cultural war.”

    The Obama administration has condemned the film, which ignited Muslim protests around the world as “disgusting”.
    But Western countries remain determined to resist restrictions on freedom of speech and have already voiced disquiet about the repressive effect of blasphemy laws in Muslim countries such as Pakistan.

    “Obama has said he cannot block the film,” said Saeed. “What does that say?”

    He said the United States should take tough action against the makers of the film.

    “If not, then hand them to us,” he said, flanked by bodyguards.

    US, India want Pakistan to detain Saeed

    India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to bring Saeed to justice, an issue that has stood in the way of rebuilding relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors since the carnage in Mumbai, where gunmen killed 166 people over three days.

    India is furious that Pakistan has not detained Saeed since it handed over evidence against him to Islamabad. Washington has offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to Saeed’s capture.

    Saeed founded Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the 1990s, the militant group which India blames for the rampage in Mumbai, where six Americans were among the dead.

    He denies any wrongdoing and links to militants.

    The $10 million figure signifies major US interest in Saeed. Only three other militants, including Taliban leader Mullah Omar, fetch that high a bounty. There is a $25 million bounty on the head of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
    After the reward was announced, Saeed taunted the United States by holding a press conference at a hotel 40 minutes’ drive away from the US embassy in Islamabad, calling the bounty laughable.

    On Wednesday, he again mocked the bounty, which has not led to Saeed’s capture even though he openly moves around strategic US ally Pakistan, fires up supporters at rallies and runs a huge charity.

    “I am wandering in my own country,” he said with a chuckle at a hotel where he and other Islamists gathered for a conference on the short film, called ‘Innocence of Muslims’.

    “So, what right does America have to put a bounty on my head? I have told America to start a case against me in court. So I can give my point of view. This is terrorism by putting a bounty on people’s heads.”

    A Pakistani minister offered $100,000 on Saturday to anyone who kills the maker of the online video. A spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister said the government dissociated itself from his statement.

    While many Muslim countries saw mostly peaceful protests, 15 people were killed in Pakistan during demonstrations over the video.

  • Congress takes offense to Mamata mimicking PM

    Congress takes offense to Mamata mimicking PM

    KOLKATA (TIP): Congress has criticised Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee on September 28 for her “personal attack” on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and said such impulsiveness violated political decorum.

    “We have noted with dismay that the West Bengal chief minister has indulged in a personal attack on the Prime Minister, and even described him as not being a grassroots leader, besides taking recourse to mimicry in a televised interview last night,” West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pradip Bhattacharya said at a press conference on September 28 at the party office.

    Asking Banerjee to desist from making unwanted comments and mimicry, he said it set an “unhealthy” precedence in national politics. Bhattacharya said, “The comments you have made, I feel, would have hurt you deeply too if made against you. It is not wise for her to be so much impulsive as such trends violate political decorum.”

    The WBPCC chief suggested the chief minister was agitated after finding that the UPA government was continuing in power at the Centre after withdrawal of support by Trinamool Congress. “She is frustrated that her wish for mid-term election at the doorstep after withdrawal of Trinamool Congress support to the UPA has not been fulfilled,” he said.
    Bhattacharya challenged Banerjee’s claim that Congress would fail to win a seat in West Bengal if Lok Sabha election was held now. “We challenge the CM’s claim and Congress will show how it can perform in Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

  • 19 people killed as private aircraft crashes in Nepal

    19 people killed as private aircraft crashes in Nepal

    KATHMANDU (TIP): All 19 people, mostly foreigners, aboard a Dornier aircraft of a private airline were killed today as the plane crashed minutes after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport here. Sixteen passengers and three crew members who were heading towards Lukla, gateway to Mt Everest, were killed when the small aircraft belonging to Sita Airways crashed two minutes after it took off at 6:15 am (local time), airport officials said. The plane had caught fire as soon as it took off and it crashed at the bank of the Manahara river in Koteshwor region, near a slum area, just 2-3 km south of the airport, the officials said. All the passengers are said to be foreigners and most of them are Italian tourists, according to preliminary reports. The crew members are identified as Captain Bijaya Tandukar, co-Pilot Takeshi Thapa and airhostess Ruja Shakya.

  • Pakistan is developing non-strategic nuclear arms: US experts

    Pakistan is developing non-strategic nuclear arms: US experts

    WASHINGTON (TIP): To enhance its nuclear capability, Pakistan is developing non-strategic nuclear weapons, and thus joining the ranks of countries like the US and Russia, an American think-tank has said. India, however, not listed among five of the nine-nuclear weapons powered countries that has or is developing non-strategic nuclear weapons, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project, and Robert S Norris, senior fellow for Nuclear Policy, in a new edition of Nuclear Notebook. “At least five of the world’s nine nuclear weapons states have, or are developing, what appears to meet the definition of a nonstrategic nuclear weapon: Russia, the US, France, Pakistan, and China,” they concluded. In their report, the two US nuclear scientist wrote that the new weapon, the Nasr, is a 60-km ballistic missile launched from a mobile twin-canister launcher.

  • Bo scandal: Doubts over UK businessman’s death arise

    Bo scandal: Doubts over UK businessman’s death arise

    BEIJING (TIP): A Chinese forensic scientist has cast doubt on the official version of the death of a Briton, which triggered a huge political scandal, ending the career of senior Communist Party leader Bo Xilai. Forensic scientist Wang Xuemei told the BBC that there was little evidence to show that Neil Heywood died from cyanide poisoning in November last as stated by prosecution. Bo’s wife Gu Kailai got a suspended death sentence for giving cyanide to Heywood, who she said threatened her son’s security. “However, the account given in court of how Gu killed Heywood does not tally with cyanide poisoning,” Wang, who works for China’s top prosecutor’s office said. Cyanide would have caused lightning-fast asphyxia, spasms and a heart attack and turned his skin and blood bright red, which investigators would easily have spotted, she said. “A simple test for cyanide is also standard forensic practice in China, but none was presented in court.”

  • Afghan burqa opponent wins ‘alternative Nobel’

    Afghan burqa opponent wins ‘alternative Nobel’

    STOCKHOLM (TIP): Afghan human rights activist, ex-minister and burqa opponent Sima Samar on Thursday won the Swedish Right Livelihood Award honouring those who work to improve the lives of others. Samar, 55, was honoured “for her longstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, especially the rights of women, in one of the most complex and dangerous regions in the world”, the jury said.

    A doctor by training, she fled to Pakistan in 1984 when her husband disappeared following arrest by Afghanistan’s communist regime. She returned in 2001 to become the first minister of women’s affairs, but had to resign after six months after she criticized sharia law in an interview in Canada. She was in 2002 named the head of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, which she still leads.

    Samar shares award with US political theorist Gene Sharp, 84, whom the jury described as “the world’s foremost expert on non-violent revolution”, and Campaign Against Arms Trade, a NGOcompaigning for an end to British arms exports.

    An honorary prize was awarded to 90-year-old Hayrettin Karaca, “considered the grandfather of the Turkish environmental movement,” the jury said.

    Swedish-German philatelist Jakob von Uexkull founded the donor-funded prize in 1980 after the Nobel Foundation refused to create awards honouring efforts in the fields of the environment and international development.

    The three winners share the prize sum of $193,000.

  • Un General Assembly Opens With Packed Agenda

    Un General Assembly Opens With Packed Agenda

    New York (TIP): The 67th UN General Assembly Session opened at the headquarters of the world body in New York on September 18.

    Addressing the opening session, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged world leaders to do more in resolving the pressing issues facing the international community and described the fighting in Syria as “a regional calamity with global ramifications.”

    Noting that “brutal rights abuses continue to be committed” in Syria by both government forces and the opposition forces, Ban called for a unified response to the crisis. He stressed that “the international community should not look the other way as violence spirals out of control”.

    “I call on the international community – especially the members of the Security Council and countries in the region – to solidly and concretely support the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi,” the UN chief said.
    Ban also expressed concerns over “continued violence in Afghanistan and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” and urged the governments of “Sudan and South Sudan to resolve all remaining post-secession issues” as early as possible.

    Noting Somalia’s successful completion of the political transition process, he urged the international community to do more in addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country brought on by drought and conflict stricken Sahel region.

    Acknowledging that Libya recently held its first free elections in half a century, Ban said leaders in Myanmar have shown courage and determination in moving on the path of democracy and reconciliation.

    On the decades long conflict between Israel and Palestinians, Ban stressed that the two-state solution remains “the only sustainable option” to end the conflict. Noting that “continued growth of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory seriously undermines efforts toward peace,” he urged both parties to return to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis.

    In an apparent reference to Israel’s threat to launch unilateral military action against Iran for halting the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program, Ban denounced “the language of delegitimization and threats of potential military action by one state against another.”

    “Any such attacks would be devastating. The shrill war talk of recent weeks has been alarming – and should remind us of the need for peaceful solutions and full respect for the UN Charter and international law,” Ban stressed.
    Ban also urged the international community to sincerely pursue the “goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.” He called on Iran to “prove the solely peaceful intent” of its nuclear program, and urged North Korea to “move toward de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula.” He also called upon world nations to ensure all UN Security Council resolutions are “implemented in full and without delay.”

    Scores of the world’s heads of State, government and other high-level officials are attending the ongoing General Assembly session in New York. They are expected to present their views and comment on issues of individual national and international relevance at the Assembly’s General Debate, which ends on October 1.

    What is the UN General Assembly?

    The United Nations General Assembly is a forum of all of the members of the United Nations that takes place for several months each year. Held in New York, the annual convening of member states allows the UN to address the most pressing global issues of the moment.
    Or, as the UN puts it on their website, “In September, every year, the world gathers in New York to tackle humanity’s most intractable problems.” The UNGA is in session through mid-December.

    What does the UNGA do?

    The 193 member-nations who assemble for the UNGA use the opportunity to deliberate and vote on major decisions, “such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters,” according to the UN. Six committees, each focused on a theme such as international security or law, address topics more deeply.

  • Chinese media mogul put on mat over graft

    Chinese media mogul put on mat over graft

    BEIJING (TIP): A Chinese newspaper baron, acclaimed in the west for trying to make a difference in the highly controlled publishing industry, has been put on the mat by the ruling Communist Party’s investigators. The official Xinhua news agency said Dai Yuqing, the former head of the newspaper group which controls 19 dailies and magazines, has been accused of taking bribes and abusing power between 2006 and 2011 to “promote unqualified people and help others obtain ad contracts”. Although the group is owned by Guangzhou city government, Dai commanded huge influence during his five-year term as chairman. Seven employees at the paper and affiliated companies are also under investigation, Xinhua reported. The move appears to be part of the spring cleaning process taken up to give the party a cleaner image ahead of it 18th Congress to elect the president and the PM.