The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2012

  • Samajwadi Party workers not in favour of bailing out

    Samajwadi Party workers not in favour of bailing out

    LUCKNOW (TIP): The demand to withdraw support to UPA II within the Samajwadi Party (SP) went up on September 20 as a shutdown called by it evoked near complete response in many parts of Uttar Pradesh.

    The SP had earlier put off its parliamentary board meeting as it wanted to gauge the “mood of the nation” against the central government decisions to allow FDI in multi-brand retail trade and hike diesel prices.

    The party’s rank and file seem to feel that any support to the Congress could spike its electoral fortunes.
    Enough indications trickled from the top brass of the SP that it was no longer keen to be seen on the same side of the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance.

    Close aides of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said he was holding talks with senior party colleagues.
    An aide said the channel of communication opened between the Congress and the SP was on hold for now.

    Many SP leaders like Bhagwati Singh, Mohan Singh, Shivpal Yadav, Ahmad Hasan and Mohd Azam Khan have reportedly asked Mulayam Singh not to be swayed by Congress sweet talk or political blackmail.

    “It is very clear that UPA II is now on ventilator, why should we be seen siding with a sinking ship?” a senior UP minister said.

    Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav says the Congress should understand the anger among the people.
    He also demanded a rollback of last week’s decisions, including a hike in diesel prices and a cap on the number of subsidised cooking gas cylinders to consumers.

    “The Congress government is tottering and it should be flexible,” Mulayam Singh told a group of leaders who met him in New Delhi on Thursday.

    The SP is understood to be miffed over reports that the Congress was trying to strike a deal with its arch rival, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.

    A section of SP leaders, including the young brigade led by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, are learnt to be of the view that siding with the Congress now could prove suicidal.

    Akhilesh Yadav had recently said that his party was ready for early Lok Sabha elections.

  • Saina Nehwal signs Rs 40-Cr endorsement deal

    Saina Nehwal signs Rs 40-Cr endorsement deal

    India’s badminton queen Saina Nehwal has signed up a 40-crore deal with Rhiti Sports Management company, making her the country’s highest paid sportsperson outside cricket. The London Olympics bronze medal list shuttler had a three year contract with Deccan Chargers which expired early this month.”I am very happy to be associated with Rhiti Sports and look forward to start a working relationship with them. With Rhiti’s background and credibility, they know how to balance things and that is a big plus point,” said Saina, who signed a three-year contract with Rhiti Sports.”The strides Rhiti has taken in the Sports industry in recent times made it an easy choice for me.

    I would like to also thank, Mr Vinod Dhawan, Vice President Badminton Association of India, who played a key role in helping form this association,” she added. Rhiti Sports will now manage Saina’s endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images and all other commercial rights exclusively. Saina’s recent success on the badminton courts have now made her a much sought after star as her popularity and brand value has increased significantly over the past year and this association will surely further enhance her brand value in the years to come. Arun Pandey, Chairman and Managing Director of Rhiti Sports, said: “We are delighted to have Saina on board, who has brought great pride to the nation with her exploits. We are proud to be associated with someone who is not only a youth icon for women in the country but has also done a lot for Badminton as a sport.

    “She has placed India on the World Map for Badminton and changed the outlook of people in India towards the sport. We will use all our knowledge and expertise, and make this partnership a very fruitful one indeed,” he added. Saina joins a high-profile list of celebrities handled by Rhiti Sports, which includes Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

  • Government denies tapping Mamata Banerjee’s phone

    Government denies tapping Mamata Banerjee’s phone

    KOLKATA/NEW DELHI (TIP): Continuing her tirade against the Congress over economic reforms, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on September 20 hinted at the central government resorting to tapping of her phones. Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde denied the charge. “If you have the central government in your hand, you can get the phones tapped. It has happened with me before. My number had three copies. When I would go to Nandigram or Midnapore, I could not use my number as it was being used in Kolkata,” said Banerjee in Kolkata. She said that she had filed police complaints then against the misuse of her phone. “I have been in the central government and I am aware about all these methods. There is no need to make me open my mouth,” added Banerjee. In Delhi, Shinde dismissed the allegations. “We have not tapped anybody’s phone,” he said.

  • Arvind Kejriwal’s thinking has changed, says Kiran Bedi

    Arvind Kejriwal’s thinking has changed, says Kiran Bedi

    New Delhi (TIP): Questioning the need for the anti-corruption movement turning political, activist Kiran Bedi on September 20 alleged that Arvind Kejriwal has changed his stand on the question of the movement’s character and not Anna Hazare.

    She said Hazare can unite all movements across the country and put pressure on political parties on the issue of corruption and bringing of a strong Lokpal bill.

    “What is the compulsion to float a party,” asked Bedi, who sided with Hazare on the issue of staying apolitical and continuing with the movement.

    Hazare parted ways with the Kejriwal-led group which is planning to form a party to fight corruption. She said she will “never go political”.

    “There is no change in Anna’s thinking. Arvind’s thinking has changed. May be, Arvind’s vision on movement might have changed. He might be thinking that enough is enough. It could be his thinking. I respect it. Anna has not changed but Arvind has changed his thinking. That’s the difference,” she said.

    She said there was no split but instead the new move will bring more strength.

    “Arvind will form a party and bring clean people. The movement will continue and their party will also be there. Now you have strength from two sides. However, a movement cannot be a party and a party cannot be a movement,” she said.
    On Wednesday, Bedi had tweeted, “Feel Anna was being expected to support political option when he was never inclined. Was it a case of misjudgement on the part of some?

  • Mulayam: Will Support UPA to keep communal forces at bay

    Mulayam: Will Support UPA to keep communal forces at bay

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In what would be a huge relief to Manmohan Singh government, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has said that he would support UPA government to keep communal forces at bay.

    Speaking to reporters on September 21, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that he will not withdraw support from the UPA govt.
    When asked about midterm polls, Mulayam said he did not see any immediate possibility.
    There may be a Third Front in the 2014 polls, the SP chief added.

    Meanwhile, with Trinamool Congress set to exit the UPA, the Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, will meet on September 21 evening to decide the future course
    of action.

    A meeting of the Congress core group headed by Gandhi is scheduled in the evening.
    This is the second meeting of the Congress core group which had met only two days back, a day after Mamata Banerjee announced the withdrawal of support.

    Government managers are confident of the numbers even after the withdrawal of support by the 19-member Trinamool Congress, which has been the second largest constituent of the 15-party ruling alliance.

    With the Centre not in a mood to yield to her demands for withdrawing the decisions on diesel, LPG cylinders and FDI, Banerjee on Thursday said in Kolkata that her party’s six ministers will submit their resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

    Trinamool has six ministers, including one of Cabinet rank, in the UPA government.

    After Trinamool’s withdrawal of support, the UPA government’s support in Lok Sabha will come down from 273 to 254 and the coalition will be heavily dependent on Samajwadi Party (22) and BSP (21) for its majority in the House.
    For a simple majority, government needs the support of at least 273 MPs in a House of 545.

  • ZIMBABWE CRASH OUT WITH HUGE LOSS

    ZIMBABWE CRASH OUT WITH HUGE LOSS

    HAMBANTOTA (TIP): If Australia’s victory over Ireland can be called routine for a bigger nation against a smaller one, then South Africa’s over Zimbabwe was surgically clinical, almost coldly so.

    After limiting their neighbours to thier second-lowest total in T20 cricket, South Africa chased down the target inside 13 overs.

    With some assistance for the seamers, Dale Steyn wasable to scare the Zimbabwe batsmen with swing and pace while Morne Morkel intimidated them further, combining bounce and intermittent use of the full ball. But it was Jacques Kallis who broke the back of Zimbabwe’s batting with discipline, variation and supreme experience as he took four wickets to send Zimbabwe home red-faced.

    They exit the tournament having lost both their matches, which may have been expected but the manner in which they fell would have left them disappointed. Far from putting up the fight they promised, Zimbabwe could not even aim a punch at their opponents’ body. Their batting, in particular, was an indication of the importance of regular cricket, something Zimbabwe have sorely lacked. After their first five overs against South Africa, Zimbabwe looked in danger of not lasting 20, as they teetered on 17 for 3. Kallis had not bowled a ball at that stage. Morkel offered Vusi Sibanda three balls short of a length and then bowled one fuller.

    Sibanda was on his back foot, anticipating more of the short stuff, and missed the drive to have his bails removed.
    Morkel’s next wicket was not achieved through menace.

    Brendan Taylor reached for a ball outside off, did not movehis feet and edged behind to de Villiers. With Zimbabwe in trouble, Masakadza tried to make something happen and attempted a lofted drive off Albie Morkel but offered Richard Levi a simple catch at mid-on. Craig Ervine scored more than a third of Zimbabwe’s runs and four of the six boundaries and looked like hecould rescue the team.

    He and Stuart Matsikenyeri put on35 for the fourth wicket and settled Zimbabwe temporarily. Matsikenyeri threw it away though, when he flat-batted Kallis to extra cover.

    Kallis removed Elton Chigumbura plumb lbw with his next ball but Graeme Cremer saw off the hat-trick delivery. Ervine had two more stands which could have developed into steadying ones with Cremer and Prosper Utseya but both his partners abandoned him.

  • Ex-minister Henry loses Indian citizenship

    Ex-minister Henry loses Indian citizenship

    Jalandhar (TIP): The Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) has ceased the Indian citizenship of senior Congress leader and transporter Avtar Henry.

    In a communication to Principal Secretary (Homes) DS Bains, Undersecretary, Union Government, SN Garg has said the Centre, while exercising powers under Sections 9(2) of the Citizenship Act-1955, had ceased Henry’s Indian citizenship from the date he acquired British citizenship and passport in 1969. Henry, however, is at liberty to acquire Indian citizenship by following the procedures laid down under the law. In the letter, Garg stated that an inquiry report forwarded

    by the Additional Director General of Punjab Police specified that the office of the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner was not in possession of any record that could be used to ascertain whether Henry had submitted an application to acquire Indian citizenship or not. Henry had acquired an Indian passport in 1981 and subsequently in 2004. The passport can be issued only to an Indian citizen.
    But the records of the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that the division had not granted Indian citizenship to Avtar Henry 1981 onwards. The letter sent by Garg to Bains stated that the fact that he had acquired a British passport conclusively proved that he had acquired British citizenship and thereby automatically ceased to be an Indian citizen under Sections 9(1) of the Citizenship Act-1955 from the date of the acquisition of British citizenship.

    son blew the lid

    Avtar Henry’s son Gurjit had accused him of holding dual citizenship
    He said Henry had visited the UK on an Indian passport procured from the Delhi Passport Office posing as Lakhbir Singh Sanghera’s son

    Lakhbir Singh was Henry’s elder brother and his father’s name was Joginder Singh
    The Centre had ceased Henry’s Indian citizenship from the date he acquired British citizenship and passport in 1969.

  • Afghanistan give India scare but run out of gas

    Afghanistan give India scare but run out of gas

    COLOMBO (TIP): Bubbling with enthusiasm and energy, Afghanistan gave India a scare with the ball and a half with the bat, but 20 overs proved to be too long a time for them to sustain that quality and keenness. They could have had India at 79 for 5, but dropped Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina within eight deliveries only for the two to add a total of 53 further runs. They also conceded 16 extras to facilitate India’s recovery to 159 runs, but Mohammad Shahzad, Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Nabi chased with spirit and with gusto, taking them to within 43 with four overs to go, but R Ashwin dismissed Nabi for a 17-ball31 to kill the chase.

    Two sides turned up at the R Prema dasa, the underdogs who were clearly enjoying their day on the world stage, and the fancied team who seemed to have the weight of the world on their shoulders. With India’s bowling and fielding nearly conceding 160 against an Affiliate team, MS Dhoni surely has the weight of the world firmly on his shoulders. Bigger tests await India, but tonight was about Afghanistan putting up the first show for a minnow in this tournament. It was the tall left-arm seamer Shapoor Zadran who gave Afghanistan an in tentful start. The first ball he bowled, the first of the match, was dug in short even if wide outside off. By the end of that over he was beating Gautam Gambhir for pace. The official broadcasters recorded it at150.3kmph. In his next over he got one to stop a touch, and Gambhir played on. That earned Shapoor a third over at the top, and he finished his job on Virender Sehwag: beaten twice outside off before edging through. At 22 for 2 in the fifth over, Kohli respectfully expressed his inability to do anything wrong, reaching a sixth fifty inhis last six international innings. When he lofted Gulbodin Naib for a straight six in the eighth over, the run-rate crossed six for the first time since the innings first achieved some shape. The spinners, though, put a lid onthat momentum. Yuvraj Singh edged a cut to short third man off Karim Sadiq in the 11th over. Sadiq and Nabi proceeded to exert pressure on new man Raina who soon lobbed straight back to Nabi, but perhapsin his eagerness to celebrate he let it spill. In the next over, Sadiq nearly got his second but the hit burst through Samiullah Shenwari’s hands at long-on.

    From a possible dominating position, Afghanistan had now let indiscipline creep in both their fielding and bowling. Shapoor came back to go for 14 in his last over that included a typical extra-cover drive from Kolhi and a high full toss to Raina. In the next over, Raina was dropped again. Dawlat Zadran came back to get Kohli a ball after he had reached his fifty, but he undid his good work with six wides in the19th over that also incuded three lovely yorkers.

    Nab bowled a superb 20th over full of yorkers until providing Dhoni with two low full tosses that he sent for four and six.That wasn’t about to dent Shahzad’s spirit, who had promised a Dhoni-style helicopter shot in the lead-up to the match. He duly delivered it, off a full ball from ZaheerKhan no less, and Afghanistan were 24 for 0 in three overs,just the rate they needed. L Balaji stopped that rot for Indiaby getting Shahzad with a bouncer, but Afghanistan were far from giving up. Mangal hit Balaji and Irfan Pathan for a six and a four, sending Dhoni to his magic man Yuvraj, who delivered immediately with an lbw off a straight delivery. When he took two in two in the 12th over to reduce Afghanistan to 75for 4, the game seemed over. India’s bowling weakness, though, was about to raise its head. Nabi hit Zaheer’s length bowling for 16 in the 16th over, and if India didn’t quite panic they couldn’t have been far off.

  • Protests against Rajapakse visit in Chennai, Madhya Pradesh; Vaiko arrested

    Protests against Rajapakse visit in Chennai, Madhya Pradesh; Vaiko arrested

    BHOPAL (TIP): The police have arrested politician Vaiko and his supporters on the border of Madhya Pardesh and Mahrashtra, about 350 kilometres away from Sanchi. They were protesting against the visit of Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajapakse, who they say must take responsibility for alleged atrocities against thousands of Tamils in his country. Police had increased security to keep Vaiko and others from reaching Sanchi.

    Vaiko heads the MDMK, an opposition party in Tamil Nadu. The Sri Lankan President will be in Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, 45 kilometres from the capital of Bhopal, to inaugurate a Buddhist university. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who heads the state’s BJP government, had urged Vaiko to cancel his protests because he said the Sri Lankan president’s visit has no political agenda.

    In Chennai, a hundred protestors were arrested as they surrounded the Sri Lankan high commission.

    All political parties in Tamil Nadu blame the Sri Lankan defence forces for alleged human rights violations of the minority Tamil population in the last few months of the island’s civil war, which ended in 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE militants. In March, Tamil Nadu’s parties led by the DMK, which is an important constituent of the union government, pressured India to vote against Sri Lanka and support a UN resolution that asks the island’s administration to examine allegations of atrocities.

  • TMC ministers resign from UPA

    TMC ministers resign from UPA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Three days after her announcement to quit UPA 2, Mamata Banerjee will officially resign from the UPA on September 21.

    Trinamool Congress leader and Union railway minister Mukul Roy had sought an appointment with the President. Speaking to the media, Mamata said, “If the President gives time, it is fine. Otherwise, we will see. But Friday means Friday. The decision to pull out has been taken. Our ministers will submit their resignations.” Roy and and CM Jatua (MoS, Information and Broadcasting) are expected to reach New Delhi today.

    Mamata had given the UPA government an ultimatum to agree to her demands or she would withdraw her support. Since the government hasn’t budged, the only move left is for her ministers to resign.

    Meanwhile, the state Congress ministers West Bengal said they would wait and watch how things unfold in Delhi and then take a call on whether to resign from Mamata’s government.

    The UPA, however, said that they still have the numbers needed to form the government. As of now the UPA has 254 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The halfway mark of 271 can be reached if Mulayam Singh or Mayawati joins the UPA. Mulayam’s Samajwadi Party will bring 22 MPs to the govt, while Mayawati’s BSP has 21 MPs.

    Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is expected to address the nation this evening. He is likely to talk of the recent economic measures his government has taken.

  • Senator seeks support for bill to cut all US aid to Pakistan

    Senator seeks support for bill to cut all US aid to Pakistan

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Senator Rand Paul, in his ‘Dear Colleague’ letter written September 18 urged members to pass the bill which seeks to cut all foreign aid to any country that “fails to secure” US embassies.

    The bill also demands financial accountability from countries like Pakistan, Egypt and Libya, which recently saw violence directed against US embassies.

    Paul’s move came within hours of Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s arrival in Washington to hold talks with US officials and lawmakers.

    Paul, the Senator from Kentucky, issued a similar letter to his colleagues in the Senate, underlining his intention to obstruct any pending legislation until the Senate addresses these matters.

    “This week is likely our last chance to address the ongoing violence, to promote security at our diplomatic facilities, and to take appropriate steps to ensure cooperation from the governments of Pakistan, Egypt and Libya,” Paul said in his letter.

    “First, we must demand accountability from the government of Pakistan, which receives over USD 3 billion from us every year, yet routinely plays both sides of some of the most important issues while openly thwarting our objectives in the region,” he wrote.

    “They should be subject to the same conditions applied to Egypt, Libya, and the others,” Paul wrote seeking release of Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who has been found guilty of treason for helping CIA track Osama bin Laden.
    “Dr Afridi remains under arrest for his role in finding bin Laden, and no country that arrests a man for helping to find bin Laden is an ally of the US. If Pakistan wants to be our ally and receive foreign aid for being one, then they should act like it, and they must start by releasing Dr Afridi,” Paul said.

    As this is likely to be the final week of legislative session for both the House and Senate before an extended recess, Paul urged the lawmakers to take immediate action to pass the bill.

    “The bill should send a strong clear message to these entities that you do not get foreign aid unless you are an unwavering ally of the US,” he argued.

    Paul said the US must ensure that unless there is full cooperation in bringing the attackers on embassies to justice, no foreign aid will be provided in the future.

    “We must insist that any country which expects assistance from the US cannot permit the growth and influence of violent ideologies within their borders, especially when the practitioners of these ideologies are intent on murdering our diplomatic personnel abroad,” he wrote, seeking full investigation into the cases of recent attacks. (Input from Agencies)

  • US ignored Israel’s warnings of radicalizing trends

    US ignored Israel’s warnings of radicalizing trends

    JERUSALEM (TIP): “In spite of Israel’s repeated warnings to the United States about “radicalizing trends” in post-revolution Arab states the US “preferred to find excuses” and did not pay heed to the problem, top Israeli diplomatic sources told a local daily.

    The United States was “burying its head in the sand” for months before the recent attacks on American embassies in North African states, one of the sources said.

    Senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials told daily ‘Ha’aretz’ that during their conversations with their American counterparts they have focused on what Jerusalem terms “radicalizing trends against not only Israel but also against the United States and the West in general.”

    One of the most recent such meetings took place a week ago, during a visit to Jerusalem by the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, A Elizabeth Jones, the daily reported.

    “The Americans were constantly trying to supply explanations and excuses for events in the post-revolution Arab states, and simply ignored the problems,” a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying.

    “In practice the administration’s ability to affect events in the Arab world has decreased immensely,” he added.
    The Barack Obama administration, which since the beginning of the Arab Spring has aided, directly or indirectly, the forces that brought down the dictatorial regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Lybia, now finds itself in a position of “helplessness”, the daily reported.

    The attack on the consulate in Benghazi, in which the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was killed, and the storming of the US embassies in Tunis, Sanaa and Cairo, proved the great hostility towards the United States and the unwillingness of these countries’ new leaders to challenge domestic public opinion, it stressed.

    The Foreign Ministry official presented the example of Tunisia, which was expected to be moderate despite the rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood, to drive home his point.

    Several weeks ago Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Zvi Rav-Ner, reported that the Tunisian ambassador to Poland had been called back to Tunisia unexpectedly, ending her posting there.

    Rav-Ner in his report added that all five women serving as ambassadors of Tunisia in various countries had been recalled at around the same time.

    The Israel embassy in Washington was reportedly instructed to inform about the matter to the State Department and determine whether it was aware of the development.

    US officials reported several days later that the measure was a technical only, involving the replacement of all ambassadors from the previous regime, and had nothing to do with gender discrimination.

    The Israeli Foreign Ministry reportedly conducted its own examination and determined that many male ambassadors from the previous regime had not been recalled, he said.

    “We knew what was happening, but the Americans preferred to find excuses,” the senior official was quoted as saying.
    The unnamed official cited yet another example that yielded similar result when Israeli efforts to prevent a clause being added to the new Tunisian constitution outlawing normalization of contacts with Israel fell on deaf ears.
    The Foreign Ministry asked the United States to intervene, but was not satisfied by the response.

    “They told us, ‘Don’t worry, it’s going to be all right, the clause will be left out,’ but the clause is still in there,” the official said.

    Israel has also drawn American attention to the fact that for the past year Egypt has been dragging its feet over talks on reopening the Israeli embassy in Cairo.

    US appeals have failed to speed things up, the report noted.

    Senior Foreign Ministry officials said that the latest riots at the US embassy in Cairo, and the weak condemnation of President Mohammad Morsi, demonstrated that despite its massive military and economic aid to Egypt, the United States had failed to achieve any real influence over the Muslim Brotherhood.

    “Only now, after what happened to their embassies, the Americans are beginning to understand the situation,” the Israeli official emphasized.

    “To hear the President of the United States declare that Egypt isn’t an ally, but also isn’t the enemy – that’s a real earthquake,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a new public relations offensive in the United States.

    (Input Agencies)

  • Sri Lanka President meets Mukherjee, Manmohan Singh

    Sri Lanka President meets Mukherjee, Manmohan Singh

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 20 evening.

    Official sources said the meetings consisted of discussions in a restricted format, followed by delegation-level meetings.

    Each of the two meetings lasted for over 40-minutes each.

    The meetings provided an opportunity to comprehensively review all matters of mutual interest. This was the first detailed discussion of all substantive issues since June 2010, the sources said.

    The meeting between President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Singhdiscussed the momentum of economic ties and assessed the growth of commercial relations positively.

    According to sources, President Rajapaksa thanked Dr. Singh for the Kapilavastu relics expositions, saying that over three million Sri Lankans had been able to pay their respects.

    The Sri Lankan President, who is visit the historic Buddhist site of Sanchi, said the expositions signified the strong cultural ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka.

    Prime Minister Singh, according to sources, raised the issue of devolution of powers so that the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka can look forward to a future where they can live with dignity and respect.

    President Rajapaksa revealed that provincial elections were held in three provinces, and added that administrative and other steps are underway so as to hold elections in Northern Province.

    Dr. Singh also emphasised on the need to treat fishermen humanely in cases where they may stray across maritime boundary.

    Both agreed that it would be best for the fishermen associations of the two countries to meet and discuss these issues further.

  • Anna’s decision is shocking, says Kejriwal

    Anna’s decision is shocking, says Kejriwal

    NOIDA (TIP): India Against Corruption (IAC) memberArvind Kejriwal on September 20 said that veteran social activist Anna Hazare’s decision to part ways with his erstwhile close aides is shocking and regretful.

    “We respect Annaji very much. He is like a father figure. His decision to part ways has come as a big surprise. It was shocking, painful, unexpected and regretful,” he said.

    “It was Anna who asked us to conduct a survey on whether to form a political party or not. He chose SMS, internet and social media. Everything is being sold out in the country; coal, shops, retail business etc. So there is a sense of urgency in us to change the system,” he added.

    He further said: “I think we will always try to be associated with Anna Hazare. His five thoughts will be the foundation of our party. His picture and his name will always be with us.”

    Hazare, who was the face of the India Against Corruption (IAC) campaign, had yesterday said he would not be a part of the political arm of the movement, spearheaded by Kejriwal.

    “I will not join any party or any group. I will not go for their campaign. I have told them not to use my photo or my name in their campaign. You fight on your own,” he said.

    Hazare refused to accept the survey done by India Against Corruption which overwhelmingly favoured a political path, saying he does not agree with the exercise done through social networking sites.

    “My best wishes are with them (those taking political path). There is no harm in it. If they think that they can get majority in Parliament, it is good…The paths have been separated. Both of us have chosen our separate paths,” he said.ejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and others want to form a political party and contest elections to usher in fundamental changes in the country’s democratic structure.

    Hazare had staged a hunger strike against corruption that roused public ire against the government. Thousands took to the streets at his call, demanding for an anti-graft Lokpal (ombudsman) to tackle rampant graft.

  • Report points fingers at special cell

    Report points fingers at special cell

    NEW DELHI (TIP): There are at least 16 cases in which the Delhi police special cell had brought terror charges against alleged suspects but all of them were acquitted by the courts, as the police was not able to substantiate allegations with hard evidence, according to a report released by Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association (JTSA) on September 18.

    The report, “Framed, Damned, Acquitted: Dossiers of a Very Special Cell”, released on the fourth anniversary of Batla house encounter, raises questions over the record of elite anti-terror cell of the Delhi police.

    The report details 16 cases, in which most of those arrested were accused of being operatives and agents of terrorist organizations. But they were acquitted later of all charges by the courts.

    In some of these cases, the courts even held the police officers responsible for fabricating evidence to frame the accused, the report said.

    “In all of these 16 cases, the persons were charged with serious crimes like waging war against the state and bomb blast. And the police demanded punishment like death and life imprisonment for the accused. But a large numbers of these accused were acquitted and it is not because of lack of evidence,” Manisha Sethi of JTSA said.

    Case studies

    ‘Govt must return my 14 years’ Maqbool Shah
    Accused: Lajpat Nagar blast in 1996

    Shah spent 14 years in jail, pushed to the brink, witnessed the death of his father and elder sister, before being acquitted of the terror charges brought against him.

    “After the death of my father, my elder sister used to come to see me in jail. She also died later. The thought of committing suicide crossed my mind once but then I stood firm and decided that I will not give up till proven innocent,” Shah said.

    “My question to government is who will return those 14 and half years to me. If you have so many laws to keep a suspect in jail, there should also be a law, which could bring back the dead relatives of that suspect when he is acquitted. I want my father to know that I am innocent,” Shah said. A resident of Jammu and Kashmir, Shad had come to Delhi in 1996 with his elder brother. “We were in the handicraft business but suddenly one day, several men in civil clothes picked me from my Lajpat Nagar house. After keeping me in custody for 15-20 days, they produced me in a court. Till that time I was not told for what offence I was arrested,” he said.

    Shah’s father had to sell his ancestral land to pay for lawyer’s fees. Shah walked free on April 8, 2010, but is yet to find a job.

    ‘I wasn’t arrested but kidnapped’
    Mohammad Amir
    Accused: Various cases under the Explosives Act

    Thirty-year-old Amir dreamt of becoming a pilot, till the day some people picked him up and pushed him into a waiting van.

    “I thought they were kidnappers and I even asked them why they have kidnapped me. I still don’t call it an arrest, it was a kidnapping. I cannot explain the way cops tortured me,” Amir, a resident of Delhi’s Azad market said. Amir was picked up on February 20, 1998. Out of the 17 cases, Amir was acquitted in 12 cases before 2001. “My father died three years after I was arrested and my mother, who had never come out of the house in her life, went from one court to another to pursue my case,” he said.

    Amir’s mother suffered a paralysis in the meanwhile and now she is not able to speak properly. “All I want now is that the government should accept its mistake and compensate me. I want my self respect back. There should be provision for rehabilitation of those who are acquitted in such cases,” he said.

    Amir is scheduled to get married next month and through all those hardships in jail, he has been able to keep the patriot in him alive. “I am proud of my father and grandfather, who chose to stay in India despite the fact that they had the option to move to Pakistan,” he said.

  • Pitru Paksha Shraddh

    Pitru Paksha Shraddh

    The word ‘Pitr Paksha’ comprises of two words ‘Pitr’ which means ancestors and the ‘Paksha’ which means phase of the moon. The auspicious period in the dark fortnight of Ashwina (September-October) is known as Pitr Paksha or Mahalaya Paksha. It is a 16-lunar day period and is also known as Pitri Pokho, Pitru Paksya, Sola Shradha, Kanagat, Jitiya and Apara Paksha. This is an occasion to pacify the departed ancestors by performing rites to repay debts to the ancestors.

    Pitr Paksha is observed from the Ist day or Tithi of the Ashwin month and continues till the following new Moon day(Amavysya) which is known as Sarvapitri Amavysya, Mahalaya Amavysya or simply Amavysya. During this period of 15 days, the Shraddha or Tarpan of the ancestors is performed on the Tithi on which they met eternity. Apart from this, each day is dedicated to the Tarpan of all the ancestors in this period. This period starts from 12 September 2011 and ends on 27 September 2011 this year.

    Legend

    According to Hindu mythology, the souls of three preceding generations of one’s ancestor reside in Pitru-loka, a realm between heaven and earth. This realm is governed by Yama, the god of death, who takes the soul of a dying man from earth to Pitru-loka. When a person of the next generation dies, the first generation shifts to heaven and unites with God, so Shraddha offerings are not given. Thus, only the three generations in Pitru-loka are given Shraddha rites, in which Yama plays a significant role. According to the sacred Hindu epics (Itihasa), at the beginning of Pitru Paksha, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Virgo (Kanya). Coinciding with this moment, it is believed that the spirits leave Pitru-loka and reside in their descendants’ homes for a month until the sun enters the next zodiac-Scorpio (Vrichchhika)-and there is a full moon. Hindus are expected to propitiate the ancestors in the first half, during the dark fortnight.

    When the legendary donor Karna died in the epic Mahabharata war, his soul transcended to heaven, where he was offered gold and jewels as food. However, Karna needed real food to eat and asked Indra, the lord of heaven, the reason for serving gold as food. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold all his life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in Shraddha. Karna said that since he was unaware of his ancestors, he never donated anything in their memory. To make amends, Karna was permitted to return to earth for a 16-day period, so that he could perform Shraddha and donate food and water in their memory. This period is now known as Pitru Paksha.In some legends, Yama replaces Indra.

    Significance

    According to the Hinduism, the body is destructible but a soul is eternal. It can neither be created nor can be destroyed. Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita says, “for the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. The soul is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.” The Pitra Paksha rites liberate a soul from the vicious circle of life and death and it attains salvation. The Shraddha of Pitra Paksha involves oblations to three preceding generations by taking their names and also by taking name of the family tree or Gotra.
    These rites are performed by current generation to repay the debts of ancestors. It is said that ancestors(Pitrs), gods(Devas) and ghosts(Pretas) when are propitiated bestow health, wealth, wisdom, longevity and eventually salvation.

    Legend of Pitr Paksha

    Hindu mythology says that there exists a zone between heaven and earth which is known as Pitr-Loka. All the ancestors or Pitrs dwell at this place. This zone is governed by Yamadeva or god of death. The person of first generation goes to heaven only when the person of second generation dies and hence the death rites or Shraddha for the person of first generation are not completed. Therefore, in Pitr Paksha the Shraddha of ancestors of three preceding generations is done to propitiate them.

    It is believed that Sun enters zodiac sign of Virgo at the beginning of this period. On this day, the departed souls of ancestors or forefathers leave the Yamaloka or abode of Yama and descend to earth to acknowledge the rites performed by their descendants untill the Sun enters next zodiac sign which is Scorpio.

    Time and Place of Shraddha

    The Shraddha or Tarpana of the ancestors is performed on the Tithi on which they died but there are certain exceptions to it. The fourth day or Chautha Bharani and the fifth day or Baharani Panchmi is allotted for people who died in the previous year. Avidha Navami is for married women who died before their husbands. Ghata Chaturdashi is for people who died in a sudden and violent death. The Mahalaya or Sarvpitri Amavysya is for all the ancestors and forefathers.

    A descendant usually performs Shraddha or Tarpana at his home but people perform these rites at pilgrimages like Gaya, Allahabad and Kashi also.

    Rituals of Shraddha

    The rituals of Shraddha are generally performed by an eldest son or an eldest male member of the family. He wears a Dhoti in the morning after taking bath. He also wears a ring of Kusha grass. The male performing Shraddha should have gone through the sacred-thread ceremony as the position of sacred-thread needs to be changed several times during the rites. After that, oblations are given to ancestors(Pitrs) and gods(Devas) which is known as Tarpana. The Shraddha ritual also involves Pinda-Dan which is an offering to the ancestors in the form of balls of cooked rice, barley and ghee. A grand meal is prepared which is offered to cow, dog, crow and insects. The Brahmins are fed and are offered alms. The whole family eats the food as Prasada after this whole process is completed.

  • Bharat Bandh: UPA a minority after Mulayam courting arrest, says BJP

    Bharat Bandh: UPA a minority after Mulayam courting arrest, says BJP

    PATNA (TIP): Describing the nationwide bandh as an “unprecedented” success, the BJP on September 20 claimed the UPA government has been reduced to minority after the Samajwadi Party, an outside supporter of Congress-led coalition, joined the bandh with its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav courting arrest.

    “The spontaneous stir has reminded us the memories of movement led by Jai Prakash Narayan in 1970s,” BJP national spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad told reporters.

    After Mulayam Singh Yadav courted arrest in Delhi, taking part in the bandh against FDI in retail, diesel price hike and limiting subsidised LPG cylinders to a household, Prasad said it was now clear that the UPA government has become minority and lost all moral rights to take crucial policy decisions.

    The SP chief has publicly disapproved of the Centre’s policies, days after another UPA ally, the Trinamool Congress, withdrew support on identical issues, he said. The UPA government was doomed given the public mood against it and it would be thrown out of power in the next Parliamentary elections, Prasad said.
    On the brave face being put up by Congress leaders, he said those who were weak from within generally show arrogance on their faces.

    The senior BJP leader alleged the UPA government has problems with loss to exchequer due to subsidies in fuel products, but it has no qualms in waiving non-performing loans of industrialists and presiding over various “scams plundering public money.”

    Slamming the Centre’s decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, Prasad said the measure would only boost local and foreign corporates, and claimed that a section of corporates was putting pressure on the media to support it.

    “They are those who will benefit once the foreign retailers come over to India to set up shops,” he said. On the UPA trying to woo the BJD to make up numbers after withdrawal of support by the TMC, Prasad claimed BJD president Naveen Patnaik had not taken the final decision.

    Patnaik has been an anti-Congress leader all of his life, the BJP leader claimed.

    On CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat’s reported remarks about revival of the Third Front, Prasad said there was no likelihood of a government being formed by Third Front leaders in future as was the case with former prime ministers V P Singh, Chandrashekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral. On the prospect of the Mulayam Singh Yadav as a prime ministerial candidate of the Third Front, Prasad said he has nothing to say on this question.

    Despite Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar’s call that he would support any party which grants special status to Bihar, he said Kumar’s anti-Congress credentials were beyond doubt.

    “Nobody will support a government that has been afflicted with paralysis,” Prasad said, but added Kumar was entitled to his own views.

  • CBI probe on coalgate independent: CVC

    CBI probe on coalgate independent: CVC

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Central Vigilance Commission on September 20 said CBI was probing the alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocation in an independent manner and there was no pressure on the investigating agency.

    “The investigation is transparent. CBI is probing the matter independently. We have not received any evidence so far of this kind (that CBI is working under pressure). We have not noted any thing of this kind,” said J M Garg, vigilance commissioner of the country’s top anti-corruption body.

    He said the allegations of biasness against CBI will keep on coming.

    “We have superintendence over CBI. We guide them on various anti-corruption related matters. CVC has its own mandate. Whatever allegations are being made against on CBI, it is sort of political. We will not be able to comment made by any political party,” he said when asked about allegations of biasness made by opposition parties against CBI.
    CBI is probing alleged scam in allocation of coal mines on the direction of CVC.

    The agency had on September 4 registered five cases in connection with the alleged scam.

    The vigilance commissioner said a report by CBI on the progress of probe on the matter is expected by this month end.
    “CBI comes to us for a meeting every month. They have not yet submitted their report. They were to give a report to us but they have sought some time. A meeting is scheduled later this month then we will come to know about it,” Garg told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here.

    He also suggested a study on the best practices adopted by various developed nation on allocating natural resources to avoid any conflicts.

    “I personally feel in case we want to allocate natural resources to private parties then we need to have a mechanism where the natural resources are allocated in a transparent manner…We need to study best international practices and accordingly we need to develop a system where people’s good is considered. Auction should not be the only method, people’s good should be considered,” Garg sai.

  • National Commission for Minorities to take up Sarabjit’s issue with their Pakistani counterpart

    National Commission for Minorities to take up Sarabjit’s issue with their Pakistani counterpart

    AMRITSAR (TIP): National Commission for Minorities would take up the issue of release of Indian prisoner lodged in Pakistani jail Sarabjit Singh with their counterparts of National Commission for Pakistan, informed Member, National Commission for Minorities Dr. Ajaib Singh said here on September 20.

    Singh was here to meet Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh and to assure her of all possible measures to bring back Sarabjit Singh from gallows.He said Sarabjit Singh had spent around 21 years in Pakistan jail under continues threat of death sentence. “This is a typical case of violation of human rights for which I would urge Minority Commission of Pakistan to take up issue at their own level and also with Pakistani Human Rights Organizations”.

    Singh who had been closely following Sarabjit’s case and been associated with Save Sarabjit Singh campaign said he had also sought appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to make a fresh appeal on behalf of Commission. Meanwhile , after inordinate delay in getting visa to travel to Pakistan to meet Sarabjit Singh in jail, Dalbir Kaur have sought intervention of Pakistan Peoples’ Party Secretary General and Leader of the House in the Senate Jahangir Badar in getting them visa.

    “I have approached Badar who have talked to Pakistan interior minister Rehman Mulick on the issue” said she adding that Badar had advised her to once again apply visa. The family of Sarabjit Singh had applied visa in May and are still waiting. “Indo Pak relations are moving in right directions and several rounds of talks at various levels are being held, I am hopeful that one day Pakistan will announce release of my brother as a goodwill gesture” she said.

  • Kanda denied bail

    Kanda denied bail

    New Delhi (TIP): Former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda was on September 20 denied bail in the Geetika Sharma suicide case by a Delhi court which said further probe was needed in view of a police report that the victim was pregnant in March this year.

    The court said there was need to investigate whether there was any connection between the pregnancy and the alleged pressure by Kanda on Geetika to join his company.

    “In the police file, there is report of a private gynaecologist which shows applicant/accused and victim had visited the clinic on March 9, 2012 and the victim was pregnant. This may be one of the cause for her first suicide note dated May 4,” District and Additional Sessions Judge S.K. Sarvaria said.

    Taking note of the report of the gynaecologist, the court said, “it may be one of the causes for her to think about suicide and write a suicide note on May 4 but somehow she changed her mind. However, pressure tactics of accused allegedly continued and she was telephonically contacted to join duty,” the court noted.

    It also said, “The postmortem report collected during investigation by the IO shows one strange thing that the deceased/victim woman was habituated to sexual intercourse, therefore, the matter requires investigation whether the victim declined to join the services with the accused or was being pressurized to join it for the purpose of her sexual abuse or not.

  • Govt likely to hike FDI in insurance at Cabinet meeting next week

    Govt likely to hike FDI in insurance at Cabinet meeting next week

    New Delhi (TIP): Despite facing the heat over the hike in diesel prices and reforms in foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, the government has decided to go ahead with some more reforms. According to sources, the government is likely to go ahead with insurance reforms next week.

    It is expected that the FDI cap on insurance will be raised from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.
    According to sources, the decisions will be taken at a Cabinet meeting, which has been deferred to Tuesday.
    Meanwhile, all FDI reforms announced earlier by the government have come into effect from Thursday.
    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to make a statement on the diesel price hike and the reforms by the government on Friday.

    This comes after the government last Friday cleared FDI in multi-brand retail, single-brand retail, aviation, broadcasting and power exchanges.

    The Cabinet allowed 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, and permitted FDI, up to 100 per cent, in single-brand retail trading, subject to specified conditions.

    In another major decision, the government had approved FDI in aviation, allowing up to 49 per cent investment. The decision means that foreign airlines will now be allowed to invest as much as 49 per cent in the Indian carriers. However, this won’t be automatic as the companies will have to get clearance from the ministry

  • FDI in multi-brand retail comes into effect way clear for Walmart

    FDI in multi-brand retail comes into effect way clear for Walmart

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Showing resolve for reforms, the government on September 20 notified its decision to allow global retail giants like Walmart to open stores in India, on a day several political parties called Bharat Bandh to protest against the policy.

    With this notification, multinational retailers can invest up to 51 per cent to open stores in 10 states and UTs which, till date, have agreed to implement the decision.

    “51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retailing, in all products, will be permitted …,” a notification by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) said. It said the decision will take immediate effect.

    The DIPP also operationalised September 14 Cabinet decisions to relax the sourcing norms for foreign retailers investing beyond 51 per cent in single-brand retail and allow 49 per cent FDI by foreign airlies in the domestic carriers.

    Besides, the decisions on permitting 49 per cent FDI in power exchanges and increase in foreign equity cap from 49 per cent to 74 per cent in the service providers like DTH in broadcasting sector have also been notified.

    In the most controversial area of FDI in multi-brand, the the DIPP said the State Governments and UTs would be free to take their own decisions. “Therefore, retail sales outlets may be set up in those States\UTs which have agreed, or agree in future, to allow FDI in MBRT (multi-brand retail trading) under this policy”.

    Minimum amount to be brought in by the foreign investor would be USD 100 million and outlets may be set up only in cities with a population of more than 10 lakh. At least 50 per cent of FDI should be invested in ‘back-end infrastructure’ within three years of the first tranche. To protest against the government’s decision, NDA, Left and SP called Bharat Bandh. The parties were also protesting against the diesel price hike and cap on subsidised LPG.

  • Allies use power of purse against Syrian regime

    Allies use power of purse against Syrian regime

    SCHEVENINGEN (NETHERLANDS) (TIP): A coalition including the United States, the European Union and the Arab League met on Thursday to plot new ways of isolating the regime of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, as a Syrian opposition leader warned that sanctions alone won’t bring the regime down.

    The group called “Friends of the Syrian People” was set up in February after the UN Security Council was unable to reach agreement on a resolution condemning Syria’s government, due to opposition from Russia and China.

    On Thursday, financial experts joined representatives of the group at their meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, to help member countries understand how Syria may be using dual-use technologies and front companies to get around the existing sanctions, which include an embargo on oil and arms trade with Syria by participating nations. Twelve more countries have joined the 60-member coalition, committing also to block Syrian financial transactions, and enforce a travel ban on the country’s top leaders.

    The uprising against the Syrian government began in March 2011 as part of Arab Spring protests, and intensified after Assad’s government used the country’s military in an attempt to end them with violence. The United Nations estimates that at least 18,000 people have been killed as a result of the fighting, most of them civilians. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, many fleeing as refugees to neighboring countries such as Turkey and Jordan.
    Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said the sanctions are having an effect, despite non-participation by Russia, China and Iran, citing sharp fall in Syria’s oil exports.

    “The EU took 90 per cent of Syria’s oil,” before the sanctions were applied, he said. “It turns out to be hard for the regime to sell oil elsewhere.”

    Abrahim Miro, a member of the Syrian Governing Council — an umbrella organization of Syrian opposition groups cooperating to overthrow the government — said that the sanctions alone will not bring Assad’s regime down. He said the sanctions, together with armed resistance by the Syrian Free Army “will actually cause the economic heart attack and also the military heart attack of the regime.”

    Miro said that Syria’s continued trade with Iraq and Iran — which were not present at the Thursday meeting — is a major source of concern for the opposition.

    Abdo Hussameldin, a former official in Syria’s oil ministry, who in March became the highest-ranking member of the government to defect, said that the economic sanctions were demoralizing and delegitimizing the regime in the eyes of the country’s people. But he agreed with Miro that the sanctions alone won’t force Assad from office as long as his regime continues to get financial support from countries such as Russia, Iraq, Iran, Venezuela and Lebanon.

  • Fast-track lanes for rich Indians at Heathrow?

    Fast-track lanes for rich Indians at Heathrow?

    LONDON: After facing embarrassment over long delays at immigration at Heathrow before the Olympics, Britain is working on plans for fasttrack passport lanes for highvalue individuals from India and other countries to convey the message that London is “open for business” .

    Brian Moore, head of UK border force, told the home affairs select committee on Tuesday that his officials were working on plans for high-value business individuals not only from the old Commonwealth countries like Australia, but from all countries.

    He told senior Labour Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, “It is an idea that officials are discussing with port operators. It will then go back to ministers for them to consider whether and how it is going to be progressed.”
    As Indian companies increasingly set up offices in the UK or took over British companies, top business executives from India travel to London regularly.

  • Here’s a cycle that can adjust its seat

    Here’s a cycle that can adjust its seat

    LONDON (TIP): Engineers have developed a gen-next bike which can adjust the seat, depending on whether the rider is going uphill, downhill, or simply on even terrain.

    The Cycling Sports Group has begun demonstrating its prototype bike at exhibitions, displaying the innovative “cockpit” that can glide back and forth without the need to make your own adjustments, the Daily Mail reported.

    That means if you are going uphill, the cockpit moves backgrounds and places the rider into a more upright position, the report said.

    On the other hand, if you are heading downhill, the seat will move you forward and into a lower position to give you more speed and control, it added.

    The small but vital adjustments mean a rider can just keep going – and will not need different bikes for different purposes.

    The cockpit moves according to a small lever by the handles, and is without the traditional fork and chains of modern bikes.

    The concept was suggested by bike design firm Cannondale, which turned to a company called Priority Designs to create the working model. “Turning a sexy concept illustration into a working prototype is a tall order,” Cannondale said.

    “It would require creative engineering, design sensitivity and serious fabrication capabilities. Priority Designs had all of those, along with the passion to sweat every detail … and get it done in time for Augusts’ EUROBIKE show,” they said. The bike features a dynamically adjustable headset that moves both fore-and-aft and up-and-down, engineers said.