NEW DELHI (TIP): A Delhi court Friday granted bail to Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari. Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Sudesh Kumar asked Digvijaya Singh to furnish a surety of Rs.50,000. The Congress leader, who was present in the court, sought a copy of the CD produced as evidence against him. The court had earlier issued summons to Digvijaya Singh to appear before the court. The matter would be heard next Jan 31, 2013. The court’s order came on the defamation complaint filed by Gadkari Oct 1. Gadkari said in his complaint that the Congress leader dragged his name into alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. The BJP leader recorded his statement in the court that he was “not responsible for any coal block allocation to anybody”.
Month: December 2012
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Charges To Be Framed Against Kalmadi
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on December 21pronounced its order on framing of charges againstformer Commonwealth Games Organising Committee(OC) Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and 10 others in agames-related graft case.Kalmadi along with CWG OC Secretary General LalitBhanot has been charged for criminal conspiracy undersection 120(B), cheating (section 420), forgery (section 468& 471) of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention ofCorruption Act.Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh had on November 21slated for today the pronouncement of order on chargesin the case also involving former as an accused in thecase.Besides Kalmadi and Bhanot, nine others have beencharge-sheeted by the CBI for allegedly “illegally”awarding a contract to install Timing, Scoring andResults system for the 2010 CWG to Swiss Timing at aninflated rates causing a loss of over Rs 90 crore to thepublic exchequer.
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Punjab Assembly Standoff Continues
Cong ‘battles’ outside House; mediator Madan Mohan Mittal jostled, falls
CHANDIGARH (TIP): An attempt by the SAD-BJP government to end the standoff with the Opposition Congress in the Punjab Assembly failed on December 20. Mediator Madan Mohan Mittal was jostled and suffered a fall even as the Congress took its agitation outside the Assembly by holding a candlelight vigil at Sector 17 Plaza in Chandigarh this evening. There was high drama in the Assembly building, too. Congress legislators tried to walk into the Speaker’s chamber, but found their way blocked by police personnel. Police personnel misbehaved with two women members, the Congress alleged.The SAD, which had been changing its strategy in the Assembly frequently, did so again this morning with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal moving a resolution to reinstate Congress legislator Rana Gurjit Singh who was expelled yesterday for advancing menacingly towards Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia and abusing him. Though Sukhbir maintained the reinstatement of Rana Gurjit was made in an effort of reconciliation, the SAD was apparently keen to get the Opposition back to the House to listen to the Deputy CM’s reply on law and order issues raised by Congress legislature party leader Sunil Jakhar.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal proposed an adjournment and a meeting in Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal’s chamber to effect reconciliation. Accordingly first secretariat staff and then senior Akali leaders Parminder Dhindsa, Sharanjit Dhillon and Daljeet Singh Cheema requested the Opposition to come to the Speaker’s chamber for a meeting. The Opposition, however, refused to do so.Madan Mohan Mittal went to the agitating Congress legislators staging a dharna in the Assembly lobby.When he approached the Congress members, there was some pushing and jostling during arguments and he, along with Congress MLA Brahm Mohindra, fell on the floor.
Mittal came back to the Assembly and “reported” that Congress members had misbehaved and manhandled him following which the House passed a resolution condemning the action. On behalf of the Congress, Jakhar said the party had lost faith in both the Deputy CM and the Speaker and that it would hold talks with only Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. That could not be done because the CM was away to Nabha to attend the last rites of former minister Raja Narinder Singh. The Congress went on to hold a candlelight vigil in the Sector 17 Plaza in Chandigarh.
During the candlelight vigil, it telecast what Bikram Majithia said against Rana Gurjit in the Assembly yesterday. Meanwhile, Speaker Charanjit Atwal has denied that that he had been partial towards anyone. Terming whatever happened in the Assembly yesterday as unfortunate, he said he did not hear either Rana Gurjit or Bikram Majithia uttering abuses. “But the SAD-BJP moved a resolution demanding Rana’s expulsion in case he did not apologise for abusing Majithia, which I put to vote. This was my duty,” he said.
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Want To Contact A Stranger On Facebook? Pay $1
NEW DELHI (TIP): Several monthsafter Facebook started testingpromoted status messages, the socialnetworking website on Friday said itwill start “a small experiment”around paid messages.In a statement posted on Facebook,the website said that it is makingseveral changes to efficiently delivermessages that Facebook users get.As part of the new measures, it isrolling out an experimental featurethat will allow a Facebook user tosend a priority message to other usereven if he is not a ‘friend’ at anominal charge of $1. The currentrate for the message is not final andFacebook may change it in future.The service will be initiallyavailable only in the US and numberof messages that can be send to auser will be capped at one per week.
“We’ve heard that messages peoplecare about may not always bedelivered or may go unseen in theOther folder,” the website noted inthe statement.It then explained that currentlythere are two kind of mail boxesFacebook users have. The Inbox iswhere they get messages from theirfriends while the Other is where themessages from strangers go.”Facebook Messages is designed toget the most relevant messages intoyour Inbox and put less relevantmessages into your Other folder. Werely on signals about the message toachieve this goal,” the website notedin its statement. “Today we’restarting a small experiment to testthe usefulness of economic signalsto determine relevance.
This testwill give a small number of peoplethe option to pay to have a messagerouted to the Inbox rather than theOther folder of a recipient that theyare not connected with.”The feature can also be used bythe Android users of FacebookMessenger. To use FacebookMessenger on Android, users don’thave to be a member of the socialnetworking website.Earlier Facebook had started anexperimental feature that allowedpeople to promote their statusmessage so that it reaches all theirfriends. Currently the feature isavailable to select users in severalcountries and costs $7 per statusmessage.
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Rajya Sabha Passes UAPA Amendments Amid Protest
NEW DELHI (TIP): Parliament on Thursday passed a bill that makes economic offences, including circulation of high quality counterfeit currency, a terrorist act. The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties, including Left, JD(U), RJD and LJP walked out in protest. The bill was already passed by Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, discussion on the bill generated much heat. Besides protests by opposition parties, some MPs of the Congress and its allies, the RJD and the National Conference, warned the government against misuse of the anti-terror law, especially against Muslims. The CPM moved an amendment seeking to take trade unions out of the purview of this Act, but it was defeated.
CPM MP Sitaram Yechury likened the bill to POTA that the Congress-led UPA-1 government had repealed. The Left parties were proving outside support to the UPA government then. “We repealed the POTA together… by bringing this bill, you have brought back the same draconian measures (of POTA) that we repealed together,” Yechury said. The bill reverses the logic of jurisprudence by saying a person will be considered guilty until proven innocent, said Yechury. In response, minister of state for home R P N Singh said, “This bill has nothing to do with other laws (like POTA). It is to prevent counterfeit currency that is weakening our economy.” Member after member cited instances where Muslims arrested in terrorist cases were released after years in jail when the courts called them innocent.
While Singh assured the bill was not against any religion, Shivanand Tiwari of JD(U) said even POTA was religion neutral but the ‘draconian’ law was misused. D Raja of the CPI asked the government to “defer the bill for wider consultation before passing it in hurry”. Md Adeeb, Independent MP from Uttar Pradesh, cited instances of misuse of existing anti-terror laws and asked the government to ensure accountability of policemen who frame innocent people. Besides economic offences, the bill expands the definition of terrorist act to include acts involving detention, abduction, threats to kill or injure, or other actions so as to compel an international or inter-governmental organization to comply with some demand.
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Foreign Tourist Arrivals To Kerala Plummet
KOTTAYAM,INDIA (TIP): Asharp decline inarrival of foreigntourists to Keralais causing concernin the tourismindustry. Thedeclining trendthat started a fewyears agocontinuesunabated.T. Damu,director of Taj group of hotels and resortsin Kerala, said that foreign tourist arrivalshave declined considerably because ofrecession, escalating air fare andcontinuous rains during tourist seasons.
Peak season
Major hotels that accommodateforeigners in Kumarakom said that thepeak season begins in October-November.They hoped that something positive wouldhappen to bring in more tourists this year.Tourism agencies and houseboat ownersare unanimous that there is already a lullin tourist activities mainly because of thedelay in issuing visa for internationaltourists and consequent cancellation oftours. Many foreign tourists coming toIndia have rescheduled their visits toneighboring countries such as Sri Lanka,Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand etc.The exorbitant rent for suites in starhotels, unethical and unaffordable taxi andauto rickshaw charges and above all themisconduct of touts and miserable hygieneproblems are theother reasons fortheir absence inGod’s own country.If a foreigner isspotted on theroad, autorickshaw driverscompete with oneanother to fleecethem.Domestic arrivals
Domestic tourist arrivals are alsosagging. Usually at the beginning of theseason, the domestic visitors arrive fromother States. This year, though the seasonhas already started, the arrivals ofdomestic visitors are yet to pick upmomentum. The poor inflow is affectingthe houseboat sector.Of about 1,000 houseboats atPunnamada, only around 150 are earningthe minimum to meet the daily expenses,said Mr Anil Kumar, owner of a newhouseboat based at Kumarakom.Houseboat owners have already incurredheavy losses because of stagnation intourism sector.Another impact is reported to be the ‘goslow’ in the sale of properties at primelocations in tourist spots where large areashave been bought by leading realtors, filmstars and others, hoping for big profits laterat the time of resale. In Kumarakom, manycelebrities have bought plots for setting upholiday homes. -
Gujarat Election Results 2012: How Congress Lost The Plot
AHMEDABAD (TIP): The Congress went hammer and tongs about the issue of uneven development in Gujarat, handling of the draught situation in the state, malnutrition and water problems. They hoped to come back to power on the premise that Narendra Modi has ‘lost the plot’. But it seems the Congress is living in its own world away from reality. In one of the most bizarre post election results comment ever, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the BJP may form a government in Gujarat but ‘the real winner’ in the state is the Congress. The Congress may have very marginally improved in these elections but it is more of a consolation prize and not really a ‘win’. This statement itself smacks of a defeatist attitude.
The Congress party has always been accused of complacency. And these polls were no different. Any state elections and the Congress relies on the Gandhi family to exhort voters to vote for them – this without trying to strengthen its cadre base or backing a strong regional leader. For a party which has been out of power in Gujarat for years now, the Congress needs to be worried. Not only because it has no known face to counter Modi but also because its traditional vote bank like the dalits and the tribals are said to have voted for Modi in comparatively large number.
And it goes without saying that the Congress cannot hope of coming back to power in Gujarat if does not make inroads amongst the urban voters, Modi’s strongest votebank. What could be worse for the Congress is that its state president Arjun Modhwadia, seeking third consecutive term from Porbandar constituency, was defeated by his BJP rival Babu Bokhiria by a margin of 17,146 votes. Remember Modhwadia had spearheaded a sustained and aggressive campaign against the BJP.
Also the Congress needs to get over its short term syndrome and think of a long term solution if it is serious about getting back the regional space that it has lost. Come to think of it, going into the elections many of the candidates that the Congress fielded were ex-VHP men and disgruntled Modi detractors. To make matters worse the party was besieged by infighting and chaos in ticket distribution, which saw the defection of former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin from the Congress. One of the factors that Congress was hoping to benefit from was the breakaway of former BJP strongman, Keshubhai Patel from the party. However, it was not to be. Rather than relying on extraneous factors, the party will have to create its own base.
Imagine a party which projects itself as the messiah of the minorities and the Muslims was scared of uttering a single word about those areas in Gujarat where the benefits of development may not have percolated down to the Muslims. A party which offered sops like cheap housing for low income groups cannot ever come back to power in Gujarat if it goes to the polls bereft of new ideas. If Modi said that these elections were about ‘pro-incumbency’ then he was right. The Congress almost played in to the hands of Modi by being extra careful in the run up to the polls. While Modi blamed the UPA-led government at the Centre for all its ills and publicly criticized Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leaders were hesitant to take on Modi and attack him on his weak points.
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Virbhadra Steers Cong To Power In Himachal
SHIMLA (TIP): The verdict is out and theCongress under the leadership of VirbhadraSingh on December 20 wrested power inHimachal Pradesh by getting an absolutemajority in the state Assembly.The Congress has won 36 out of the total68 seats, while the ruling BJP has managedto get only 26. Others have won six seats.Congress veteran and five-time chiefminister Virbhadra Singh, who led theparty’s campaign in the state, was elected bya record margin of 20,000 votes.”We are forming the next government,” hetriumphantly told the media.Earlier, state Chief Minister and BJPleader PK Dhumal on December 20 concededdefeat and said “we need to analyse whatwent wrong.”Congress’ gamble of dispatchingVirbhadra Singh to Himachal Pradesh tolead the Assembly Elections campaign haspaid off. The Congress veteran was sent tothe hilly state at a time when he was facingcorruption charges against him, but theelection results show that Virbhdara stillholds his fort in his home town.
‘Sonia to decide on CM candidate’
After winning the elections Virbhadrasaid that he had put in his “best efforts” inthe polls and it was for Sonia Gandhi todecide the party’s chief minister.”I had been given the brief to bring theparty back to power and for that I had put inmy best efforts. It is for our national leaderSonia Gandhi to decide who will become theChief Minister,” Singh said while speakingto reporters.BJP accepts defeat
BJP leader PK Dhumal won from theHamirpur seat defeating his nearestCongress rival Narinder Thakur by a marginof over 9,500 votes.Reacting to election debacle, Dhumalfurther underlined the “need to analyse whatwent wrong”. “The voters form the kind ofgovernment that they want, and best wishesto the new government,” Dhumal said.Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar said theparty accepted the poll verdict.”We accept the verdict. All people in theBJP had fought elections together. The peopledid not vote for us,” Shanta Kumar, a formerHimachal Pradesh chief minister, toldreporters.Leaders who won and lost
The four independents who won theelections are: Congress rebel KirneshJung from Paonta Sahib, Balbir SinghVerma (Chopal) as well as BJP rebelsPawan Kajal (Kangra) and Rajinder Singh(Sujanpur).Congress candidate Rakesh Kalia wonGagret seat in Una district defeatingSushil Kalia (BJP).
BJP has won Shillai seat of Sirmaurdistrict where its candidate Baldev Tomardefeated Congress’ HarshvardhanChauhan
Congress candidate Sohan Lal Thakur haswon Sundernagar seat.
Congress leader Vidya won Theog.
BJP leader Dr Rajiv Bindal bagged Nahanseat.
Congres leader Kishori Lal won Baijnathseat.
Congress’s Asha Kumari won Dalhousie.
Congress’ Sudhir Sharma won fromDharamshala.
BJP’s Rikhiram Kaundal won fromJhanduta.
Congress’ Brij Bihari Lal Butail wonPalampur.
BJP’s Bikram Singh Jaryal won fromAryal Bhattiyat.
Congress’ G S Bali won from Nagrota.
BJP’s Govind Singh Thakur won fromManali.
BJP’s Gulab Singh Thakur baggedJogindernagar seat.
BJP’s Ishwar Dass Dhiman won fromBhoranj.
Congress’ Kaul Singh won from Darang.BJP’s Ravinder Singh won from Dehra.
BJP’s Satpal Singh Satti won from Una.
Congress’ Sushir Sharma won fromDharamshala.
Congress’ Sujan Singh Pathania won fromFatehpur.
BJP’s Suresh Bhardwaj won from Shimla.
Nearly 75 percent of the 4.6 millionelectorate voted on November 4. Officialssaid the state received only 2,800 postalballots.
In 2007, the BJP won 41 seats, theCongress 23, the Bahujan Samaj Party oneseat and independents three seats.
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Rita Singh elected Federation of Indian Associations president
CHICAGO (TIP): Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from Bihar with close connections to Bollywood, has been elected the first woman president of Chicago-based Federation of Indian Associations (FIA). A native of Saharsa district of Bihar and a graduate from Jamshedpur Women’s College, Tata Nagar (Jharkhand), Rita Singh was elected with other office bearers for 2013 by FIA member organizations at India House Banquet in Schaumburg here last week. Other elected office bearers were: Monty Saiyed, executive vice president; J. V. Singha, Bharti Desai, Dhitendra Bhagwakar, Rita Shah and Syed Eraj Ahmed, vice presidents; Shanu Sinha, treasurer; Shahid Razvi, general secretary; Benazir Abidi, joint secretary and Mohd Fareeduddin Sabiri, joint treasurer. Thanking all members of FIA and representatives of FIA member organizations, Rita Singh vowed to take the organisation to new heights during her tenure in 2013.
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India offers sympathies to families affected by Newton school tragedy
NEW DELHI (TIP): India has expressed grief over the massacre of 20 children and seven adults in an American school, saying the horrific violence “leaves the whole world diminished”. External affairs minister, Salman Khurshid, sent condolences to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. “I was deeply saddened to learn the terrible news.
The killing of the children is a particularly abhorrent act, one which leaves the whole world diminished,” Khurshid said. Offering sympathy to families of the victims in Connecticut, he said “Please accept my personal sympathy and solidarity, and that of the people of India for the friendly people of the US. “As you and the American people try to come to terms with this act of complete senselessness, and to address the trauma caused by it, I want you to know that the government and people of India share your grief and prayers for consolation,” he added.
A gunman Friday opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. He too was killed. It is the second worst massacre of its kind in the US after the Virginia Tech Massacre of 2007 that left 33 dead.
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US-Made Apache Choppers Will Be For The Air Force, Says Air Force Chief
NEW DELHI (TIP) : 22 Apache helicopters, which are in the process of being acquired from the US, will be for the IAF, Air Force chief NAK Browne said. “The Apaches are going to be with us only as it is an ongoing acquisition process,” Air Chief Marshal Browne told media December 16 in New Delhi on the sidelines of a 1971 Indo-Pak war anniversary function. The defence ministry had recently allowed the Army to have combat choppers and said that all future acquisitions will be for it. “The government has decided to let the Army have its own heavy duty attack helicopters. “The decision to vest the future inductions of attack helicopters with the Army has been taken keeping in view the operational requirements in the field,” defence minister AK Antony had told Parliament.
He had also said that the IAF was procuring 22 AH-64D Block-III Apache helicopters from Boeing company of USA. Browne said the Apaches are not just for taking out enemy tanks or for air-to-ground operations but they can be used for multiple tasks such as taking out enemy radar stations and for air-to-air missions. The Army had said recently that it was planning to send a proposal to the defence ministry for seeking transfer of attack helicopters from the Air Force at the earliest. Sources said the Army had also suggested that the proposal would also include transfer of the Apache helicopters which are being procured.
The IAF and the Army in the recent past have been involved in a battle of sorts for controlling the attack helicopter fleet and the Defence Ministry has decided in favor of the Army. The Army already has an aviation wing but the Defence Minister has approved a long-pending demand of the 1.3 millionstrong force for attack helicopters, overruling stiff opposition from the Air Force. The Army had been demanding attack helicopters, saying these are mainly used for operations by it. The IAF had been strongly resisting it, with Browne saying the country cannot afford to have “small air forces”. The IAF is in final stages of completing the acquisition process of 22 Apache choppers from the US after the American machine edged out the Russian Mi-28 Havoc in the tender.
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Two MPs, 6 Legislators Face Rape Charges: Reports
NEW DELHI (TIP): Two sitting MPsand six sitting legislators in differentstates were fielded by their partiesdespite cases of crimes againstwomen pending against them, a thinktank said on Thursday, four days aftera 23-year-old medical student wasgangraped in Delhi. Data compiled byAssociation for Democratic Reforms(ADR) showed that parties like theCongress, Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP) andBahujan Samaj Party (BSP) gavetickets to candidates with charges ofrape and other atrocities againstwomen in different states.
Referring to affidavits filed bylawmakers ahead of their election,ADR said MPs S Semmalai of theAIADMK from Salem constituency inTamil Nadu and Suvendu Adhikari ofthe Trinamool Congress from Tamlukconstituency in West Bengal declaredthat they were facing charges ofcruelty and intent to outrage awoman’s modesty. There were sixlegislators across state assemblieswith rape charges against them, itsaid. Another 36 legislators declaredthat they were facing charges such asassault and molestation, it said.The think tank said that out of thesix legislators with rape cases, threewere from Uttar Pradesh andmembers of the SP.
They are:Sribhagwan Sharma, Anoop Sandaand Manoj Kumar Paras. The threeother legislators facing rape chargeswere: Mohd Aleem Khan of the BJPin Uttar Pradesh, Jethabhai G Ahirof the BJP in Gujarat andKandikunta Venkata Prasad of theTelugu Desam Party in AndhraPradesh.Of the 36 legislators, who declaredin their affidavits that they werefacing charges of crimes againstwomen, six were from the Congress,five from the BJP and three from theSP, ADR said. Uttar Pradesh has themaximum number of legislators(eight) who declared in their affidavitsthat they were facing charges ofcrimes against women, followed byOdisha and West Bengal with sevenlawmakers each.The think tank said 27 candidateswith rape charges contested differentstate elections in the past five years.
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Don’t expect Modi to be BJP’s next PM candidate: Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar
It is a fantastic achievement that he has won the third election in a row with an increased majority and higher vote share. Does this mean that he is the next prime ministerial candidate? I am afraid, absolutely no. Do not just look at the result in Gujarat, look at the result in Himachal. Narendra Modi went to campaign for the party in Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh, you had a party which had been doing about 8% GDP growth, good social indicators, doing quite well. Modi went and campaigned out there and it was a complete flop show.
Earlier this year, there were state elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand where Modi was asked to campaign. He refused to do it. He was busy with Sadbhavana Programme. So we do not know what impact Modi would have done. However, while the BJP did badly in Uttar Pradesh, it won along with the Akali Dal in Punjab and it only lost in Uttarakhand. Overall, it was not a bad performance of the BJP, minus Modi. Now that has to be compared with what the performance of Himachal Pradesh with Modi was and that was a total flop show. So I would say the big thing that comes out is that the moment Mr Modi goes outside Gujarat, his midas touch disappears and if this is the case, what are his credentials as a national leader?
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Indian Consulate says Happy Holidays
NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Consulate in New York, in the last few years, ever since Ambassador Prabhu Dayal took over as Consul General, has become a cultural center for the Indian American community. Over the years, from national events to important cultural events in the lives of Indian Americans have come to be celebrated with equal respect and fervor.
The month of December saw two of these events. One, celebration of the Jewish event Hanukkah on December 12, followed by a Holidays party on the 14th.At the outset, a minute’s silence was observed to pay homage to the lives lost in Newton Elementary School shootout. About 200 Indian Americans were invited who enjoyed the hospitality of the Consulate staff. The CG pointed out that the party was entirely hosted by the Consulate staff.
The Consular staff was lovingly presented to the applauding gathering. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Prabhu Dayal said that he always felt happy to have the Indian American community. He told the gathering that the Consulate staff was more than willing to assist and help the community. An atmosphere of bonhomie marked the event at which Deputy CAG of India Mr. Arvind K. Awasthi and his wife Vandana were also present. They were in New York on their way back to India and were staying with Ambassador Prabhu Dayal. Mr. Awasthi and Ambassador Prabhu Dayal are old time friends.
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Think Local, Act Local
NEW DELHI (TIP): At an age when mostmen’s thoughts turn to retirement,Himachal Pradesh Congress chiefVirbhadra Singh has been in overdrive,working the crowds in his state over thesepast few weeks. Covering as many as 60 ofthe state’s 68 assembly constituencies, the80-year-old Congress veteran has deliveredthe state to the Congress with a comfortable36 seats with the incumbent BJP getting 26.If there are any lessons to be learnt fromthis for the Congress, it is the need tonurture strong regional leaders. Mr Singhhas been chief minister of the state fivetimes and it is said that no one knows thestate and its people quite as well as him. So,it was a gamble that paid off for theCongress.
His opponents had hoped that theallegations of corruption against himwould eat into the Congress’s vote share.But what the BJP did not seem to factor inis that many in its own state leadership arenot considered pure as the driven snow. Itwas around the same time that chargeswere being levelled against Mr Singh thatBJP president Nitin Gadkari came under acloud for alleged corruption. So, in effect,the BJP’s attempt to tarnish Mr Singh’simage did not work.The Congress’s decision to hand overcharge of the campaign to Mr Singh servedto galvanise the party. It was this which hasenabled this victory in the state. TheCongress failed in Gujarat preciselybecause it did not have a strong state leaderto take on Narendra Modi.
The victory inHimachal should perhaps serve as a wakeupcall for the Congress. It has to allowstrong local leaders to flourish and managethings rather than have to follow dictatesfrom the high command. It is always a pluspoint if the local leader is seen to have thesupport of the central leadership, but he orshe should be allowed a certain degree ofautonomy.Singh was given a free hand and he usedhis experience and reach to wrest the statefrom the BJP. The fact that Mr Singh is aformer raja also probably worked in hisfavour in a state which though highlydeveloped still retains many feudalcharacteristics. For the Congress, which isno doubt smarting from its defeat inGujarat, this win in Himachal willcertainly lift its spirits a bit.
How BJP aimed at Virbhadra, shot itself
The outcome of the assembly polls in bothHimachal Pradesh and Gujarat is onexpected lines, and demonstrates beyondany doubt that it is on account of two verystrong regional leaders. It can be safelyassumed that while Narendra Modi’sleadership helped the BJP score animpressive win in Gujarat, Virbhadra Singhwas the one who led the Congress to victoryin Himachal.Significantly, the tirade of corruptionlaunched by the BJP against Virbhadra inHimachal backfired essentially because thepeople were not convinced that the five-timechief minister was guilty. In fact, they sawbigger corruption in the government ofoutgoing chief minister Prem KumarDhumal, and allegations of financialirregularities against BJP chief NitinGadkari made things very difficult for thesaffron brigade.In addition, Virbhadra — who was alsobeing targeted by an ineffective section inhis own party — spearheaded the Congresscampaign and addressed meetings in asmany as 60 out of 68 assembly segments. Hisdetractors were thoroughly exposed whenparty nominees themselves requested him toaddress rallies in their areas. No other stateleader was as much in demand, and some ofthem could not even get out of theirconstituencies — given the tight positionthey found themselves in.During his campaign, Virbhadra did notshift focus from the Dhumal government’salleged wrongdoings, and used his vastexperience — extending over 50 years inpublic life — to touch a chord in every partof the state. While doing so, he energisedparty workers and simultaneously put theBJP on the defensive.
He exploited the riftwithin the BJP, between Dhumal and ShantaKumar, to his advantage and was able toconvince the electorate that the presentgovernment was robbing the state of itsresources and amassing wealth outside. Asfar as the common people were concerned,they responded positively primarily becausethey felt that this could be the last time hewas leading the campaign.It is virtually certain that Virbhadra willbe made chief minister for the sixth time,even though he has left it on Sonia Gandhi.The party probably realises the importanceof a strong regional leader, and thisunderstanding may also extend to otherstates too.The Himachal victory is Virbhadra’sChristmas and New Year gift to his party.
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Number of Indian students in US drops again
WASHINGTON (TIP): The number of Indian students studying in the United States has dropped continuously for the second consecutive year while the count of international students in the country has now reached a record high with the maximum enrollments from China. In the year 2011-12, the Chinese student enrollments have increased by 23 per cent in total and by 31 per cent at the undergraduate level, according to the 2012 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange released November 14.
The report finds that the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States has increased by six per cent to a record high of 7,64,495 in the 2011-12 academic year, while the US students studying abroad increased by one per cent. This year, international exchanges in all 50 states contributed USD 22.7 billion to the US economy.
Overall, China sends the maximum number of 1,94,029 students in the year 2011-12 as against 1,57,558 in the previous year. While China registered an increase in enrollment in American universities, it dropped for those coming from India by 3.5 per cent to 1,00,270 students. “The number of Indian students in the US in 2011-12 dropped 3.5 per cent compared to the previous year, marking two consecutive years of decline.
India had been the leading place of origin for international students in the US from 2001-02 through 2008-09,” the report said. In 2000-01 there was a surge in enrollments from India, with an increase of 30 per cent, followed by two more years of strong growth (12 per cent in 2002-03 and seven per cent in 2003-04), the report said
However, the increases tapered off in 2004-05 and then decrease slightly in 2005-06, before resuming much larger increases in 2006-07 and for the next two years. “In 2009-10, the increases leveled off, and China became the top sender and remains in that position. Students from India make up approximately 13.1 per cent of the total foreign student population in the United States,” the report said. In 2011-12 only 13 per cent of the Indian students were enrolled for undergraduate studies, whereas a majority of them (58.9 per cent) are graduate students and 26.7 per cent on OPT (optional practical training).
According to Open Doors, nearly three-fifths of the total Indian students are enrolled in science, engineering or mathematics courses, while in China the focus is on business management. Higher education is among the United States’ top service sector exports, as international students provide revenue to the US economy and individual host states for living expenses, including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, support for accompanying family members, and other miscellaneous items.
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Victory Raises Modi’s PM Candidature Prospects
After Modi’s massive victory in Gujarat, some party leaders have said Modi should now be projected as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate
NEW DELHI (TIP): Narendra Modi’s third successive victory in the Gujarat assembly polls is expected to pitch him for a more prominent role in the BJP, possibly as head of its campaign for the next general elections, while some party leaders even expressed their preference for him to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate. Modi’s victory, almost on the same scale as in 2007 polls, came as a morale booster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which lost the electoral battle in Himachal Pradesh. Some party leaders said Modi should now be projected as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
BJP MP Tarun Vijay said Modi “is the best suitable candidate” for the post of prime minister on the basis of his performance. Another MP, Smriti Irani said that Modi would be her candidate for the country’s top post on the strength of his governance in Gujarat. BJP sources now say Modi would be given a prominent role to galvanise the party rank and file for the next Lok Sabha elections. ‘He is likely to be appointed chief of the party’s campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls,’ a party leader saids on the condition of anonymity. The appointment could take place in January next year. Modi’s victory has come at a crucial time for the BJP as it has to decide its next party chief over the coming few weeks.
Nitin Gadkari, who has been party president since December 2009, has faced controversy over alleged financial wrongdoing by a company linked to him and there have been suggestions from some party leaders against giving him a second term. The BJP had kept a final decision on its next president pending in anticipation of results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and is now expected to take a call on the issue. With Modi having emerged as one of BJP’s powerful leaders, his views are likely to matter on crucial issues facing the party. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said Modi was a very senior leader in the BJP and extremely popular with the party rank and file. ‘His views matter… taken very seriously in BJP,’ Jaitley told a news channel.
Senior journalist S. Nihal Singh said Modi was expected to win Gujarat and the question was how well he does. ‘After an impressive victory, at least a section will push for him to be prime ministerial candidate,’ Nihal Singh said. ‘I think he (Modi) is a very ambitious man. That is what he wants,’ he said but added that it will increase complications within the BJP as there were other aspirants too for the post. Nihal Singh added there were apprehensions about Modi’s ‘divisive persona whether 2002 or otherwise’ and the BJP would have to take a call on how it will impact its prospects. He said there was doubt about Muslims voting for Modi and the community vote can influence outcome on several seats in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
‘That is another problem for BJP.’ Janata Dal-United, an ally of the BJP, is not in favour of Modi being projected as a prime ministerial candidate. BJP sources said the party was unlikely to project a prime ministerial candidate before the Lok Sabha polls but Modi’s expected appointment as chief of the campaign committee would send the right message to the party rank and file without upsetting any of the allies. ‘We can tell the allies that a decision on prime ministerial candidate will be taken after the Lok Sabha elections,’ said a party leader, requesting not to be named. He said Modi’s appointment as campaign committee chief would make it a battle between him and Rahul Gandhi, who is heading Congress’s coordination committee for the next Lok Sabha polls. Nisar-ul-Haq of Jamia Millia Islamia’s political science department, however, said that Modi was unlikely to be effective outside Gujarat and added he would not be projected as prime ministerial candidate.
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Sonia Makes A Point On Promotion Quota Bill, LK Advani Denied Say
NEW DELHI (TIP): Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s firminsistence that the quota in promotions bill be consideredon Thursday led to repeated adjournments in the LokSabha as the opposition’s expectations that Houseproceedings will end by noon did not materialize.Determined to signal Congress’s commitment to the bill,Sonia stayed put in the Lok Sabha through the day, herfront row seat a focus for animated discussions involvingsenior ministers and MPs.
She made it plain that the partymust press for the bill’s passage.Even during breaks in proceedings, the Congress chiefwas seen in the Central Hall of Parliament with a retinueof MPs as her refusal to give the green signal to Congressfloor managers meant the House kept meeting at shortintervals amid protests by Samajwadi Party and BJP MPs.Sonia seemed to have anticipated BSP leader Mayawati’scharge that the government had engaged in a farce. “If thegovernment wanted to get the bill passed, it could have,”Mayawati alleged. The BSP chief even came to the LokSabha visitors’ gallery to watch the House.With BJP MPs also entering the well later in the day,Congress was quick to point out that the main Opposition’ssupport for the bill is insincere.
BJP MPs feel their stancewas politically beneficial, but some wondered if the partythat banks on upper caste support could translate it intovotes.Sonia’s tough stance saw BJP veteran L K Advani beingdenied an opportunity to make an intervention. Advanirose to make a point with a copy of the Constitution inhand as Congress’s dalit leader P L Punia was speaking.Punia refused to yield and no senior minister intervenedas Congress MPs clearly sensed Sonia’s unyielding mood.This led to the open revolt against the bill among BJP MPs- blessed by senior leaders – spilling into the well of theHouse.
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Liu delivers State of the City address
Calls for higher minimum wage of $11.50 Proposes small biz economic stimulus plan, elimination of corporate welfare; Outlines innovative educational policies
NEW YORK, NY (TIP): New York City Comptroller John C. Liu reported December 20 on the health of New York City’s economy and put forth an ambitious plan to ensure that New York City’s future benefits every New Yorker, not just the well-connected few. During his State of the City Address, Comptroller Liu called for raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $11.50 per hour over the next five years in order to help the “working poor” climb out of poverty. Liu also outlined initiatives to sustain and rebuild the City’s middle class, including lowering taxes and fines on 90 percent of the City’s small businesses. In order to do so, Liu called for an end to the corporate welfare being doled out annually by the City’s Economic Development Corporation and the elimination of outdated corporate tax loopholes, which cost the City more than $500 million each year.
In addition to putting forward innovative solutions to impending economic problems, Liu outlined educational policies that would better prepare our City’s youth for the challenges ahead, such as:
1.Free CUNY tuition to the top 10 percent of every NYC public high-school,
2.Using City schools as community centers during nonschool hours to offer services like health clinics and financial literacy classes, o Expanding of the Nurse Family Partnership, a program that increases children’s cognitive skills, producing higher reading and math scores,
3.Expanding the “Computers for Youth” program to every middle school at which at least 75 percent of the students receive a free lunch, in order to provide computers to all low income families,
4. Creating “sister college” relationships that pair every high school with one of the City’s many colleges and universities, so that college and graduate students can mentor our high-school students.Liu also highlighted a number of his office’s successes over the past year; such as the role his office played in the City’s recoupment of $466 million in cost overruns from CityTime, the identification of fraudulent billing on the City’s 911 call center upgrade, emergency spending approvals for the response and recovery related to Superstorm Sandy, and the more than $1 billion saved as part of City bond refinancings. Liu noted that the Mayor and City Council adopted his Capital Acceleration plan to rebuild City infrastructure and spur job growth, an idea he proposed in his last State of the City Address.
Comptroller Liu also announced that, in the coming weeks, his office will launch Checkbook 2.0, an upgrade to the current online transparency tool, Checkbook NYC, making New York City the most financially transparent government in the United States.
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Sikh, Muslim Ngos Received Least Foreign Funds
NEW DELHI (TIP): Counter-terror agencies may be looking into fund flowing into Sikh and Muslim institutions and NGOs engaged in welfare activities of minorities on the suspicion of money from some of these being diverted into terrorism, but a government data shows that NGOs related to these communities get the least funding from abroad. Contrary to popular perception, Christian NGOs receive maximum foreign funding.
While Christian NGOs have received over Rs 10,000 crore, Muslim institutions have got around Rs 300 crore, and Sikh NGOs accepted even smaller funding at around Rs 22 crore. With inputs of funds from various terror organizations based across the border or their affiliates in West Asia flowing into several Muslim NGOs, madarsas or other institutions, Indian agencies have kept a constant scrutiny of funding in minority institutions. National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently lodged an FIR alleging that foreign funding was flowing into certain NGOs ostensibly working for the welfare of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the victims of the Operation Blue Star but to fund the activities and revive Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force.
Government data, however, shows these minority institutions hardly get any foreign funding. The home ministry data detailing contributions made under Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) to various minority institutions and NGOs between 2008-09 and 2010-11 shows that Muslim and Sikh NGOs have earned even lesser than those run by Buddhists. The data shows in the past three years, Christian NGOs have received Rs 10,617 crore as foreign funding, while the coffers of Buddhist institutions have been fattened by Rs 504 crore.
In comparison, Muslim NGOs have got Rs 337 crore and Sikh NGOs received Rs 23 crore. Christians also have the maximum number of NGOs and institutions in India — pegged at over 4,700 — receiving foreign funding. Muslims come second with close to 250 NGOs, and Buddhist NGOs are estimated to be around 100. Sikhs have the least number of such registered institutions at only 14. The FCRA provides for NGOs to receive foreign funds after registration or prior permission. Every application of NGOs for registration or granting prior permission is decided with inputs from the security agencies. These NGOs have to also submit annual reports with government which are duly scrutinized. Recently, the government had also put NGOs engaged in anti-nuclear plant struggle in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, under scanner for receiving foreign funding.
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Govt Nixes Ex-CBI Chief’s Plea For Longer Tenures
NEW DELHI (TIP): Government hasrejected former CBI director APSingh’s suggestion that the tenure ofthe agency chief be increased to fiveyears or at least three years to allowhim enough time to fully implementhis vision for the CBI.The government has said that theSelect Committee of the Rajya Sabha,which looked into the Lokpal andLokayuktas Bill, has rejected theproposal and recommended that CBIdirector should continue to have afixed two-year tenure. It has said thematter is not under consideration anymore.Government said this in the RajyaSabha in reply to a question on thegovernment’s decision to considerCBI’s demand to increase the tenure ofCBI director to five years.
“Director, CBI has, while conveyingto the government the concerns ofCBI on the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill,2011 as passed by the Lok Sabha,recommended, inter alia, that directorCBI should ‘continue to hold office fora period of not less than five years,’ “said minister of state for personnel VNarayanasamy.He said according to informationfurnished by CBI, the agency hasexpressed its views on the issue beforevarious parliamentary committeesthat the tenure of the director shouldbe increased to five years.On the question of whethergovernment is increasing the tenureto three years at least, the ministersaid, “No. Section 4B of the DelhiSpecial Police Establishment Act, 1946provides that the director, CBI, shall,notwithstanding any thing to thecontrary contained in the rulerelating to his condition of service,continue to hold office for a period ofnot less than two years from the dateon which he assumes office.””The select committee of the RajyaSabha which considered the Lokpaland Lokayukta Bill, 2011, has alsogone into various aspects relating tostrengthening of CBI.
In its report onthe Bill, the select committee has,inter alia, recommended ‘director ofprosecution and director of CBI shallhave a fixed term of two years.” hesaid.Singh had not only made thedemand in his variousrepresentations to the government butalso publicly announced it in his exitinterviews to the media last month.He had said that once a director joinsthe agency the first year goes intounderstanding what’s happening andwhat needs to be done. By the time heprepares to put things in motion, histenure is over, he had said.
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1984 Violence against Sikhs in India: Sikhs For Justice submits Genocide Petition to Obama Administration
NEW YORK (TIP): “A Petition has been tabled before Obama Administration urging to recognize the organized violence perpetrated against Sikhs during November 1984 as “Genocide”. With more than 46000 signatures (29,000 online and 17000 on paper), the Sikh Genocide Petition is the first ever petition submitted to the US administration on the issue of November 1984 violence against Sikhs”, says a press release issued by Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Legal Advisor to the Sikhs For Justice, a Human Rights Advocacy group based in New York. The rights group “Sikh for Justice” (SFJ) announced to converge at Capitol Hill on February 01, 2013 during the Constituent Work Week of the House of Representative to lobby in support of the Sikh Genocide Petition. The US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor is expected to respond on the Sikh Genocide petition.
Headed by Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, the Bureau deals with issues relating to the international human rights violations and crimes against humanity. Posner, a lawyer by profession, before being appointed as Assistant Secretary of State, was the Founding Executive Director and President of Human Rights First, a US based NGO which believes in U.S. government’s full participation in the international human rights system. In support of the Sikh Genocide Petition, SFJ submitted “1984 Yes it is Genocide” Report to the Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner. The 300 page report consists of evidence showing that Sikhs were killed in large numbers in those 19 states of India where Congress (I) was in power during November 1984 and role of Congress leaders in inciting and organizing violence with intent to destroy the Sikh community.
The detailed accounts provided in the report show that over 30,000 Sikhs were killed; thousands of women were raped; hundreds of Gurudwaras were burnt and more than 300,000 were displaced during the first week of November 1984. Referring to the Article 1 and 2 of the UN Convention on Genocide, SFJ’s legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who practices human rights law, stated that United States is under an obligation to recognize the November 1984 violence against Sikhs as “Genocide”.
The obligation under the UN Convention to recognize the Genocide transcends the economic status and trade ties with the country where the Genocide took place, added attorney Pannun. After exhausting all the judicial remedies and perplexed by the continuous impunity to the perpetrators by the successive regimes during the last 28 years, attorney Pannun stated that Sikh community is approaching international forums to seek justice and recognition of November 1984 Sikh Genocide. Petitions relating to violation of Sikh human rights and denial of justice have been filed with the Parliaments of Canada, Australia and United Kingdom exposing the extent of violence against Sikhs during November 1984 and refuting the official narrative which terms it as “anti Sikhs riots of Delhi”.
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Diversification Plan Boosted Gujarat Farm Growth
NEW DELHI (TIP): Gujarat strongman Narendra Modi’s hat-trick in assembly polls can not just be attributed to the success of BT cotton but also the massive crop diversification programme that has helped the state take pole position in farm sector growth. Experts say the massive crop diversification programme, irrigation and transport infrastructure are driving up production at a frenetic pace. While the Centre has been trying to achieve 9% gross domestic product (GDP) on a sustained basis, Gujarat has notched up a farm growth of 9.6% in 2010-11. The Centre has also been struggling to step up farm growth to the desired level of 4%.
“BT cotton is just a small part of the Gujarat farm story. The larger story is diversification. It is the crop diversification which has helped tremendously. They have moved away from cereals,” said Pronob Sen, principal adviser in the Planning Commission. Sen said while BT cotton crop had failed in Vidharbha due to faulty seeds and high prices, the Gujarat government produced very high quality seeds and made them available at a cheaper price. “Seed quality is at the heart of the cotton story,” Sen added. “State support was very important,” said the Planning Commission adviser. Experts also said that the efficient road and transportation network also helped perishable farm produce to be marketed without getting destroyed.
The robust farm sector growth has put Gujarat among the five top agro producing states in the country between 2001-02 and 2011-12. In addition, Gujarat did not figure in the list of top five farm producing states between 1991-92 and 2001-02. “It has a lot to do with the role of the government and is a strategy towards balanced economic growth and not just focus on industry. There is more to agriculture than cotton. They are strong in oilseeds, pulses, coarse grains and spices like jeera. They have made the best use of the agro-climatic conditions, soil and irrigation through proper structuring of,” said Madan Sabnavis, economist at CARE ratings.
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Brooklyn’s Mayans pretty sure world won’t end today
NEW YORK (TIP): If the world is ending Friday, as many earthlings say the ancient Mayans predicted, there were no signs of panic, prophesying or much else out of the ordinary on Thursday on the streets of New York’s most densely Mayan neighborhood, Bath Beach in Brooklyn. “Everything is normal,” Balbino Antono Say Garcia reported from behind the counter of Tienda Guatemalteca La Chapincita on Bath Avenue, where the Mayan tongue of K’iche mingles with Spanish and Russian.
“No one is talking about the end of the world here, not at all.” Ronaldo Camacho of neighboring Bensonhurst, a representative of a Guatemalan immigrant-rights group, Migua, said that for Mayans in Guatemala, Friday is a day to celebrate, not mourn, as the winter solstice brings a 394-year cycle in the Mayan calendar known as a b’ak’tun to completion. “An era is coming to an end, but that isn’t to say it is the end,” Mr Camacho, 36, said. According to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the current world, in which humans have flourished, began 13 b’ak’tuns, or 5,125 years, ago, following three failed worlds, the last of which also lasted 13 b’ak’tuns.And some doomsayers have equated the end of this fourth world with the end of civilization. But the consensus among modern Mayanist scholars is that the end of this 13- b’ak’tun period heralds only the beginning of the next. The doomsday predictions, Mr. Camacho said, are “a disrespect to the Mayan culture and the indigenous people of Mayan descent.” Mayans are readily found in Bath Beach and Bensonhurst, the center of Brooklyn’s small but fast-growing Guatemalan population, which has more than doubled, to about 9,000 from about 4,000, since 2000, according to the 2010 census.
A large number of the neighborhood’s Guatemalans are from the heavily Mayan Totonicapan province in the western highlands.
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Another Accused Detained In Delhi Gang-Rape Case
NEW DELHI (TIP): Delhi Police on December 21 submitted its status report in the High Court on its investigations in the case. One more person has been detained in connection with the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus here. However, police have refused to disclose the identity of the detained person. On December 20 one of the four accused was “identified” by the victim’s friend during a Test Identification Parade (TIP) at Tihar jail here.
Delhi Police had on December 18 arrested the driver of the chartered bus, in which the assault took place, his brother and two more people While Ram Singh, the driver of the bus, Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor and Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller, were arrested from the capital, Singh’s brother Mukhesh was nabbed from Rajasthan. The bus driver along with six others had allegedly gang raped the para-medical student on Sunday night. The victim is in a critical condition in the Safdarjung Hospital here.