north east online - north east india news: Aug 27, 2009

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Air Force jet intercepts Air France plane

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n Indian Airforce fighter jet intercepted an Air France plane on Thursday over an error in the communication code.

The incident took place early in the morning at Amritsar where the IAF radars picked up signals that indicated an unknown aircraft.

A MiG-29 fighter jet was immediately sent to intercept the unknown aircraft, but it finally turned out to be an Air France flight from Paris to Bangkok which was using an incorrect communication code.

The IAF jet was then asked to break off and return to base. A report has now been sent to the Airports Authority of India.

Such incidents have been reported earlier as well. On August 27, 2009, at approximately 0610 hrs IST, one aircraft was picked up by IAF radars, southeast of Amritsar in the Northern Sector. The aircraft was flying at a height of 37,000 feet and entered Indian airspace on an established border entry point on ATS route.

The aircraft was not in communication and also the secondary radar response code (Identification Friendly or Foe) i.e. Squawk code of the aircraft, was not correct so it was identified as 'unknown'.

Immediately, an IAF MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept and investigate the identity of the 'unknown' aircraft.

It was only later that the aircraft started transmitting correct secondary radar response code and was picked up and identified by AD radar as civil airliner (A-343) of Air France (AFR-164). The flight was from Paris to Bangkok.

The MiG-29 fighter aircraft was given instructions to break off and return to base. A formal report of the incident has been forwarded to AAI.

Doctors work together, but eat by caste

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y day, they work together, consulting with each other to help their patients.

But at lunch, the 150 doctors at this medical college in Muzaffarpur head to seven separate rooms.

The menu in each cafeteria is the same. Daal, rice, sabzi. But "the kitchens are separate for Harijans, Thakurs and Brahmins,'' says Shatrughan Rai, who works as a cook in the Yadav kitchen, one he describes as a kitchen for a backward class.

The doctors say this is a tradition. "Our seniors followed it. Now we do," declares Dr. Aditya, who refuses to reveal his caste.

The kitchen and dining rooms were separated at the height of the caste movement in Bihar in the 60s and 70s.

The call for change is not deafening, even though the majority of the doctors today are from lower castes. They say they have to proceed with caution. ''It has been happening for a long, long time. It's not our choice, but a tradition. The government should intervene and stop it," says Dr. Raman, President, and Junior Doctors' Association.

The principal of the college insists that doctors eat together. A few hours later, we witness them filing into their separate cafeterias.

The government has not received a formal complaint, and says it therefore has never investigated the issue.

Advani was in the loop on IC 814: Mishra

US Apache helicopter open fires on Afghan medical clinic after wounded Taliban checks in

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ABUL — U.S. and Afghan forces attacked a clinic in eastern Afghanistan after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment, and a U.S. helicopter gunship fired on the medical center after militants put up resistance, officials said Thursday.

Reports of the militant death toll from Wednesday’s firefight varied widely. The spokesman for the governor of Paktika province said 12 militants died, while police said two were killed. The U.S. military did not report any deaths. It wasn’t clear why the tolls differed.

The fighting began after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment at a clinic in the Sar Hawza district of Paktika. As U.S. said Afghan forces moved toward the center, militants began firing from inside.

Hamidullah Zhwak, the governor’s spokesman, said the Taliban commander was wounded Aug. 20, the day of the country’s presidential election.

Militants brought him and three other wounded Taliban to the clinic at noon Wednesday. U.S. and Afghan forces were tipped off to their presence and soon arrived at the scene, he said.

Insurgent snipers fired from a tower near the clinic, and troops called in an airstrike, Zhwak said. Fighting between some 20 militants and Afghan and U.S. forces lasted about five hours, and 12 Taliban were killed in the clash, he said.

“After ensuring the clinic was cleared of civilians, an AH-64 Apache helicopter fired rounds at the building ending the direct threat and injuring the targeted insurgent in the building,” a U.S. military statement said.

Seven insurgents — including the wounded commander — had been detained, the U.S. statement said.

Gen. Dawlat Khan, the provincial police chief, said two militants died in the encounter.

The Taliban have gained control of large segments of Afghanistan’s south and east over the past few years, prompting the U.S. to send an additional 21,000 troops to the country this year.

The latest clash comes as the war-torn country awaits results from last week’s election. The lengthy vote count, coupled with ongoing accusations of fraud, threatens to undermine hopes that Afghans can put together a united front against the insurgency.

China’s 600-year-old Forbidden City comes alive online

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EW DELHI - China’s 600-year-old Forbidden City is renovating its website in a move to improve its offerings of Chinese culture.

According to Hu Chui, head of the Palace Museum’s information department, the new website will launch during the National Day Festival in early October.

“It will give visitors richer and easier access to the imperial city, and the ancient building complex with as many as 8,707 rooms and 1.5 million artistic articles,” said Hu, who is leading a team of 60 to boost the museum’s digital display.

The Forbidden City is the world’s largest surviving imperial palace complex and served as the home of the emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government, from 1420 to the early 20th century.

“The new website is restructured to meet the different demands of laymen, researchers and academics,” Hu said.

The site will include quiz games, suitable for children, that teach basic knowledge about ancient China.

The museum has created a cartoon figure as its image ambassador, a young emperor clad in a bright yellow royal robe adapted from Emperor Kangxi, one of the most famous emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Older visitors can expect tens of thousands of pictures in refined quality with explanatory introductions; and researchers can have access to the museum’s academic research findings in a database.

The new website is part of the imperial palace-turned museum’s effort to move into the virtual world.

Hu’s team is producing seven 3-D documentaries, each a 20- to 30-minute film mixed with real photographs or archival footage, and special effects produced by computer.

A yet-to-open 3-D cinema is in the southwestern corner hall in the yard of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with black walls and red chairs.

According to Xu Ying, director of the museum’s exhibition technology section, the cinema is built of a removable steel structure that minimizes possible damage to the ancient wood architecture of the hall.

From April until now, visitors have been able to use electric touch screens to look at details of ancient works of calligraphy and paintings in the imperial collections in the Hall of Martial Valor in the southwestern part of the palace.

On the screens, beside each exhibit, visitors can easily find information about the exhibit in detail and zoom in on high-definition pictures, large enough to discern even tiny strokes. (ANI)

Advani must offer unconditional apology for misleading nation on Kandahar: Congress

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EW DELHI - The Congress party on Thursday asked senior BJP leader
L.K.Advani to tender an unconditional apology to the people of the
country for misleading them on the Kandahar hijack episode.

Congress party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a private
television channel: ” He (Advani) must tender an unconditional apology.
He has played with the sentiments of the people of India.”

When asked what is the next step that Advani and the BJP should consider, he said: “It should start with resignations.”

When asked whether Advani or the BJP should hold a press conference
on the issue, he said: ” It is their internal headache.”

Singhvi’s reaction was in response to former National Security
Adviser Brajesh Mishra saying that Advani was aware of all the key
decisions taken with regard to the 1999-2000 hijacking of an Indian
Airlines plane to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Mishra rebutted Advani’s contention that he was unaware about IC-814
being taken from Amritsar to Kandahar by terrorists. He also rejected
the view that Advani did not know that a Cabinet Minister would be
flying to Kandahar to secure the release of the hostages in exchange
for the three most wanted terrorists.

“L.K. Advani knew all about the IC-814 hijacking. Advani agreed to
send the plane to Kandahar to free the hostages. The terrorists had
threatened to kill all the 160 passengers onboard. Advani knew that
Jaswant (Singh) was on the plane with the terrorists. It was one of the
most difficult decisions we took,” said Mishra.

Mishra’s views on the Kandahar hijacking comes days after former
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh embarrassed Advani by saying
that he (Jaswant Singh) “covered” up for him (Advani) when he said that
the former Home Minister was not aware that he was going to Kandahar
with three terrorists in 1999.

He also said Advani was aware of the decision to release of the
terrorists in exchange for freedom of over 160 hostages kept in the
Indian Airlines plane that was hijacked.

“Yes, he did,” Singh told the NDTV news channel last Friday when
asked whether Advani knew that Singh was going to Kandahar with three
terrorists.

It maybe recalled that Advani had claimed a few years ago that he
did not know that Jaswant Singh was on the plane with the three dreaded
terrorists to Kandahar.

Singh was asked why he said during the election campaign that Advani
did not know that he was going to Kandahar with the terrorists and
whether he covered up for Advani.

“I”m sorry I did. I tried to cover it. I treated it as part of my continuing sense of commitment and loyalty,” he said.

Asked whether he regretted covering up for Advani, Singh told NDTV:
“I don”t regret because that is the step I had taken. But it was part
of an election campaign. How should I put it? I was being very
conservative with truth.”

He said Advani could not have not known about the decision to fly to Kandahar.

“I announced it in the Cabinet. Yes, Advani was there, how can they
(terrorists) be released from prison without the Home Minister
consenting and signing pieces of paper? he asked.

Singh said he felt very hurt when Advani said what he did and he went.

“I went and told him. I was really hurt. Look I have travelled this
route to Pakistan in every possible fashion, the Lahore bus, to
Kandahar, to Agra, Chhatisinghpura, Parliament attack. But I have never
tried to transfer responsibility. I have never spoken, it was very
hurtful,” he said.

Singh also made a veiled criticism of Advani when he asked why the
aircraft was allowed to leave Amritsar because once it left the “game
was lost”.

“Who would be responsible for the aircraft leaving Amritsar. For 45
minutes the aircraft was on ground at Amritsar. All of you are fixated
on Kandahar. I didn”t go to Kandahar because there was a good night
club there. I went there because 166 lives were involved and the
officers there asked me to consult if a decision was to be made,” he
said.

He even asked Advani what the latter wanted him to say.

“He said you say whatever you want to,” Singh said.

Asked whether he would have expected Advani to stand up for him,
Singh said “He (Advani) was not required to cover any misdeed. My going
to Kandahar was not a misdeed. And I was not going on a holiday jaunt.
166 lives were involved.”

He said it was a sense of commitment to India that required to save whatever another colleague has done.

“You know what the comment means. I didn”t know. It”s a comment not
on Jaswant Singh. It”s a comment on Atalji because there is a sense of
collective responsibility of the Cabinet. We forgot ssentials.” (ANI)

Pakistan concern over aid from US

U
S financial aid to Pakistan is "unacceptable" if it is linked to monitoring of its nuclear arsenal, Pakistan's finance minister has said.

In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, Shaukat Tarin also said half of the aid pledged is likely to be wasted in administrative costs.

He urged the US to channel its aid through Pakistani agencies.

His comments come as Pakistan's National Finance Commission is set to meet to discuss spending plans.

The distribution of money to the provinces, such as the troubled North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is said to be high on the agenda.

The US is one of Pakistan's largest donors. In June the Obama administration asked the US Congress to release an extra $200m to help displaced people in northwest Pakistan.

But Mr Tarin emphasised that Pakistan would resist any attempts to link aid with Pakistan's nuclear programme or to its relationship with India.

There has been no mention of monitoring of Pakistan's nuclear facilities as a condition for aid to Pakistan, correspondents say.

But concern over the security of Pakistan's nuclear facilities has grown as militants have extended their control in the country in recent months.

Shaukat Tarin says aid should be delivered direct to Pakistani agencies

Mr Tarin also said that a large proportion of aid gets swallowed up by intermediary costs incurred by US agencies in Pakistan.

"Whatever aid [the US is] giving must have full impact on the ground which is why they should route as much of this aid through our agencies [rather] than their own agencies," he told the Financial Times.

Swat disquiet

At an international donors meeting in Turkey earlier this week, Pakistan urged donor countries to release billions of dollars in promised aid to help the country rebuild after an army offensive against the Taliban.
Donors pledged more than $5bn in April but only a fraction of that has been released so far.

Much of the aid is expected to be directed towards reconstruction across Pakistan's NWFP. Two million people were displaced from the Swat valley when the military took on Taliban militants based in the area.

Many of those started returning home in July after the army said it had largely secured the valley.

But reports of violence there have not abated. Dozens of corpses - many thought to be suspected militants - have been found in the region in recent weeks.

Local residents say that Pakistani security forces have been carrying out extra-judicial killings as part of their offensive against the Taliban. But the army and police deny the accusations.

Corpses of suspected militants have begun appearing in the Swat valley

Pokhran-II wasn’t as successful as was shown: DRDO scientist

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EW DELHI - A senior scientist and DRDO representative at Pokhran II has admitted for the first time that the May 1998 nuclear tests may not have been as successful as has been projected.

K Santhanam, who was director for 1998 test site preparations, told the Times of India in an interview that the yield of thermonuclear explosions was actually much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle rather than a big bang.

In nuclear parlance, a test is described as a fizzle when it fails to meet the desired yield.

Santhanam said the yield for the thermonuclear test, or hydrogen bomb in popular usage, was much lower than what was claimed. Santhanam also said that given this fact, India should not rush into signing the CTBT.

He emphasized the need for India to conduct more tests to improve its nuclear weapon programme.

The test was said to have yielded 45 kilotons (KT) but was challenged by western experts who said it was not more than 20 KT.

The exact yield of the thermonuclear explosion is important as during the heated debate on the India-US nuclear deal, it was strenuously argued by the government’s top scientists that no more tests were required for the weapons programme. It was said the disincentives the nuclear deal imposed on testing would not really matter as further tests were not required.

According to security expert Bharat Karnad, Santhanam’s admission is remarkable because this is the first time a nuclear scientist and one closely associated with the 1998 tests has disavowed the government line.

“This means the government has to do something. Either you don’t have a thermonuclear deterrent or prove that you have it, if you claim to have it,” said Karnad.

The yield of the thermonuclear device test in 1998 has led to much debate and while western experts have stated that it was not as claimed, BARC has maintained that it stands by its assessment.

Indian scientists had claimed after the test that the thermonuclear device gave a total yield of 45 KT, 15 KT from the fission trigger and 30 KT from the fusion process and that the theoretical yield of the device (200 KT) was reduced to 45 KT in order to minimise seismic damage to villages near the test range.

British experts, however, later challenged the claims saying that the actual combined yield for the fission device and thermonuclear bomb was not more than 20 KT.(ANI)

US rejects Indian hand in its refusal to give drone technology to Pak

L
ahore, Aug.27 (ANI): The United States has rejected claims that it was under pressure from India to not to provide drone technology to Pakistan.

Speaking at the Pentagon, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Pakistan and Afghanistan, David Sedney, said reports about Indian interference were nothing but ‘misperceptions’ being propagated by Pakistani media.

When asked whether Washington would provide drone technology to Islamabad in the near future, Sedney said both countries are engaged in expanding cooperation regarding military supplies and technology transfer, adding it was difficult for him to discuss it openly.

“I can tell you that cooperation between the two countries is increasing on the issue of technology transfer,” he said.

Responding to a query, Sedney said the US is working ‘very hard’ provide to Pakistani security forces with whatevever they need to fight Al Qaeda and other extremist organization.

“The US and Pakistan shared a common goal of destroying Al Qaeda, which was out at the Pak-Afghan border trying to create another 9/11-like catastrophe,” The Daily Times quoted Sedney, as saying.

When asked why the Obama Adminsitration was pushing Pakistan to focus more on its western border rather than considering the threat from India as its prime concern, he said it was not his ‘job’ to tell Pakistanis what to believe or not believe.(ANI)

ISI showered millions on politicians asking them to join IJI : former Pak Chief Justic

L
ahore, Aug.27 (ANI): Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui has alleged that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had given millions of rupees to several politicians during former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s regime.

In an interview with a private television channel, Siddiqui said that former ISI Director General Liutenant General Asad Durrani had informed the Supreme Court that he had given money to politicians, apparently ‘convince’ them to join the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI).

In his affidavit, Lieutenant General Durrani claimed that the then government had full knowledge of the issue and also backed the step.

The affidavit states that several top politicians including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pir Pagaro received millions of rupees from the ISI, The Daily Times reports.

It said that Sharif was paid more than three million rupees by the state intelligence agency.

Meanwhile, senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghafoor Ahmad has denied receiving any money from the ISI, saying he has no information that his party had ever received money from the ISI.

However, Abida Hussain, who was the Information Minister in Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s cabinet, admitted that she had received five million rupees from the ISI to join the IJI.

She also revealed that Nawaz Sharif,Zafarullah Jamali and Mir Afzal Khan were the other beneficiaries who received the money. (ANI)

Cabinet approves 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats

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ew Delhi, Aug 27 (ANI): The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved fifty percent reservation for women in panchayats all across the country.

"The Cabinet has approved the amendment of Article 243 (d) of the Constitution to reserve 50 per cent of the total number of seats in panchayats filled by direct election for women," said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni here after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The states which have already implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions are Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

While Rajasthan has announced implementation of the proposal in the next panchayat election in 2010, Kerala recently declared that it would implement it.

The 33 per cent reservation for women in panchayats was achieved through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment during the regime of Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, though it was Rajiv Gandhi who first mooted the idea of empowering women at the grassroots. (ANI)

India to have seven new IIMs

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ew Delhi, Aug 27 (ANI): The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the setting up of seven new Indian Institute''s of Management (IIMs).

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said an allocation of Rs 451 crore as non-recurring expenditure and Rs 118 crore as recurring expenditure has been sanctioned for the first phase.

Four of these to be set up each in Trichurapally in Tamil Nadu, Ranchi in Jharkand, Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Rohtak in Haryana. All will have session in the next academic session of 2010-11.

The location of IIMs in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan is yet to be finalsied. (ANI)

Two ULFA militants killed in Assam

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albari (Assam), Aug 27 (ANI): Two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Assam''s Nalbari district on Thursday.

According to official sources, a joint operation was launched by the army and the police at Jarpaluk village since last night where militants took shelter.

In a bid to escape, the militants opened fire this morning on the security personnel who retaliated killing two ULFA militants.

One of the deceased has been identified, sources said.

A pistol with several rounds of ammunitions and some documents were recovered from them. (ANI)

Bollywood star 'wants IPL team'

Bollywood star Salman Khan is interested in buying a team in the India Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, IPL authorities say.

The actor met IPL chairman Lalit Modi and showed interest in a "new team", Mr Modi said.

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty already own or jointly own IPL teams with partners.

IPL will expand the competition from eight to 10 teams for 2011, when a fresh player auction will take place.

Mr Modi told reporters that Khan had been in talks about buying a team for a number of months.

"He was interested in knowing what it takes to own a team and the process involved - when his move could be initiated and how long it would take. I think he is a serious buyer," Mr Modi was quoted as saying by The Times Of India.

A member of the IPL governing council Rajeev Shukla said there would be "other bidders [for teams] as well along with Salman Khan".

"And whosoever comes up with the maximum bid will win a team."

Mr Modi said "over 20 celebrities" were interested in buying new IPL teams.

Shah Rukh owns the Calcutta team, while Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty co-own the Punjab and Rajasthan teams.

S Lanka video prompts probe calls

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ri Lanka is facing fresh calls for an international human rights inquiry after video emerged apparently showing extra-judicial killings by troops.

The footage was allegedly filmed in January during the final stages of the bloody conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

It shows a man dressed as a soldier shooting a naked man in the head. Eight other bodies are seen on the ground.

It is impossible to verify the video's authenticity. Sri Lanka's government says the footage was fabricated.

Call for access

It is not clear where the film was shot or when.
The footage was provided to the BBC and other media organisations by a group called Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, which said it showed "the reality of the behaviour of the government forces during the war".

Government troops finally declared victory over the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in May after months of fierce fighting.

Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka said the video had been taken in January 2009.

The group is based in Europe and was recently formed by Sri Lankan journalists, both Sinhalese and Tamil, who have fled the country.
Nearly 50 journalists have done so in recent months because of fears of persecution by the government.

Independent media were banned by the government from travelling to the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka.

Human rights group Amnesty International responded to the release of the video by repeating its call for "an international, independent and credible investigation into what took place during the final days of the conflict".

"Amnesty International has received consistent reports that violations of the laws of war, as well as international human rights law, were committed by both sides in the conflict," a statement said.

"The government of Sri Lanka must allow immediate access to the conflict area so that evidence and documents, as well as testimony from survivors, can be gathered."

'Terrorists'

Sri Lanka's military said the video was aimed at discrediting the armed forces and said the rebels were known to dress in military uniforms.
The government categorically denied that troops had carried out atrocities and suggested the footage had been fabricated by pro-rebel groups.

"The Sri Lankan army never engaged with Tamil civilians. Our fight was with the LTTE terrorists," High Commissioner to Britain Nihal Jayasinghe told the BBC.

He said "well-documented evidence" of human rights violations was needed before there could be any United Nations inquiry.

Both sides in Sri Lanka's conflict have been accused of numerous atrocities and human rights violations over the years.

Many killings have also been blamed on proxy militias said to be working for one side or the other.

The UN estimates that more than 80,000 people were killed in the decades-long ethnic conflict.

The rebels were fighting for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east.

They argued that Tamils had been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments.

A torch extinguished: Ted Kennedy dead at 77

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YANNIS PORT, Mass. -The greatest heights eluded Ted Kennedy over a lifetime of achievement and pain. No presidency. No universal health care, chief among his causes.
Instead, Kennedy built his Washington monument stone by stone, his imprint distinct on the Senate's most important works over nearly half a century. He toiled across the Potomac River from the graveyard of his fallen brothers.
The last of the Kennedys who fascinated the nation with their ambition, style, idealism, tragedies — and sometimes sheer recklessness — Edward Moore Kennedy died late Tuesday night at 77. A black shroud and vase of white roses sat Wednesday on his Senate desk, which John Kennedy had used before him.
So dropped the final curtain on "Camelot," the already distant era of the Kennedy dynasty.
The Massachusetts senator's extended political family of fellow Democrats and rival Republicans, steeled for his death since his brain-tumor diagnosis a year ago yet still jarred by it, joined in mourning. Kennedy was the Senate's dominant liberal and one of its legendary dealmakers.
Just last year he jumped into a fractious Democratic presidential nomination fight to side with Barack Obama, giving the Illinois senator a boost that had the air of a family anointment.
"For his family, he was a guardian," Obama said Wednesday. "For America, he was a defender of a dream."
The president, vacationing in Martha's Vineyard, was awakened after 2 a.m. and told of Kennedy's death. He spoke soon after with the senator's widow, Victoria, and ordered flags flown at half-staff on all federal buildings.
Kennedy will be buried Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral Mass in Boston, where Obama is to deliver a eulogy.
Kennedy will lie in repose at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston before that.
Also buried at Arlington, the military cemetery overlooking the capital city, are John and Robert Kennedy; John Kennedy's wife, Jacqueline; their baby son, Patrick, who died after two days, and their stillborn child.
To Americans and much of the world, Kennedy was best known as the last surviving son of the nation's most glamorous political family. Of nine children born to Joseph and Rose Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith is the only one alive.
To senators of both parties, he was one of their own.
"Even when you expect it, even when you know it's coming, in this case it hurts a great deal," said Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
Politicians also calculated the consequences for Obama's push for expanded health coverage. For several months, at least, Kennedy's death will deprive the Democrats of a vote that could prove crucial for his signature cause of health reform.
His illness had sidelined him from an intense debate that would have found him at the core any other time. Conservative Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, his improbable Republican partner on children's health insurance, volunteerism, student aid and more, said the Senate probably would have had a health care deal by now if Kennedy had been healthy enough to work with him.
"Iconic, larger than life," Hatch said of his friend. "We were like fighting brothers."
He was the last of the famous Kennedy brothers: John the assassinated president, Robert the assassinated senator and presidential candidate, Joseph the aviator killed in action in World War II when Ted was 12.
He lost his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, less than two weeks ago, saw the bright promise of nephew John F. Kennedy Jr. end in a plane crash in 1999 and struggled with excesses of his own until he became a settled elder statesman.
Like Obama, Kennedy was a master orator. But the words that live for the ages seem to be those he uttered in tragedy or defeat.
Older Americans remember his eulogy of Robert Kennedy, when he asked history not to idealize his brother but remember him "simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."
Remembered, too, is his speech conceding the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination to the incumbent Jimmy Carter. "For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die," he said.
By then, his hopes of reaching the White House had been damaged by his behavior a decade earlier in the scandal known as Chappaquiddick.
On the night of July 18, 1969, Kennedy drove his car off a bridge and into a pond on Chappaquiddick Island, on Martha's Vineyard, and swam to safety while companion Mary Jo Kopechne drowned in the car. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident; a judge said his actions probably contributed to the young woman's death. He received a suspended sentence and probation.
Kennedy's legislative legacy includes health insurance for children of the working poor, the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, family leave and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He was also key to passage of the No Child Left Behind Education law and a Medicare drug benefit for the elderly, both championed by Republican President George W. Bush.
In the Senate, Republicans respected and often befriended him. But his essential liberalism marked him as a lightning rod, too. He proved a handy fundraising foil motivating Republicans to open their wallets to fight anything he stood for.
In 1980, Kennedy's task of dislodging a president of his own party was compounded by his fumbling answer to a question posed by CBS' Roger Mudd: Why do you want to be president?
"Well, I'm, uh, were I to, to make the, the announcement, to run, the reasons that I would run is because I have a great belief in this country," he began.
It's a question that all savvy politicians ever since make sure won't catch them unprepared.
In his later years, Kennedy cut a barrel-chested profile, with a swath of white hair, a booming voice and a thick, widely imitated Boston accent. He coupled fist-pumping floor speeches with charm and formidable negotiating skills.
"I think that once he realized he was never going to be president — that that was not the legacy he had to follow — he really worked at becoming the best senator he possibly could," Leahy said. "And he did."
He was first elected to the Senate in 1962, taking the seat that his brother John had occupied before winning the White House, and he served longer than all but two senators in history.
Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in May 2008 and underwent surgery and a grueling regimen of radiation and chemotherapy.
He made a surprise return to the Capitol last summer to cast a decisive vote for the Democrats on Medicare. He made sure he was there again in January to see his former Senate colleague sworn in as president but suffered a seizure at a celebratory luncheon afterward.
His survivors include a daughter, Kara Kennedy Allen; two sons, Edward Jr. and Patrick, a congressman from Rhode Island, and two stepchildren, Caroline and Curran Raclin.
Edward Jr. lost a leg to bone cancer in 1973 at age 12. Kara had a cancerous tumor removed from her lung in 2003. In 1988, Patrick had a non-cancerous tumor pressing on his spine removed. He also has struggled with depression and addiction and recently spent time at an addiction treatment center.

Rights bodies allege Manipur police killing innocents for gallantry medals

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n this Independence Day, Manipur Police created a record by winning 74 out of 212 President’s Police Medals for Gallantry, the maximum decorations received by any individual state. While it should have been a matter of pride for those in the state, the human rights activists in the state are crying foul saying it only encourages State-sponsored terrorism as most of the medals were given for encounters. We have this special report…When Manipur Police bagged the maximum number of Police Medals for Gallantry on Independence Day this year, it should have been a matter of great pride for Manipur. Contrary to this, protest like this is an embarrassment for the state police force, actively campaigning to fight militancy. Since January 2009, it has neutralized over 225 suspected militants in encounters. Out of the 212 Police Medals for Gallantry announced for the entire country, Manipur Police bagged 74 Medals and most them were given for bravery while executing encounters. Ironically, this happens to be just the opposite of what the Union Home Secretary understands of how the Gallantry Awards are given. Although Union Home Secretary seemed unaware that most of the Gallantry Medals that Manipur Police got were for encounters duties, human rights activists are of the firm opinion that such awards encouraged state-sponsored terrorism. It was barely a month ago that a pregnant woman and a former rebel were killed in a fake encounter by the police commandos. Arguing that the killing would have been another Gallantry Award winning encounter had it not been for the photographic evidence that exposed it as a fake encounter, protestors sought a stop to the alleged policy of killing innocent lives for Gallantry Awards. It is indeed very unfortunate that an award given for bravery and sincerity while discharging police duties is at the centre of controversy with people charging the Manipur Police of killing innocent lives in fake encounters for medals. With cameraperson Chungkham Subhas, B. Sunzu reporting from Imphal.

Special prayers in Kolkata, NE on Mother Teresa’s 99th birth anniversary

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pecial prayers were held at the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, in India's eastern Kolkata on Wednesday to celebrate her 99th birth anniversary. A mass was held at the 'Mother's House' where nuns from the missionary were joined by the visitors. Sister M Prema, Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, said everyone prayed and remembered Mother Teresa for teaching us 'how to look at the poor and give them the dignity of a child of God' Albanian born Mother Teresa made Kolkata her home and dedicated her life to the service of poor and destitute children. Mother Teresa was beatified by the Pope in October 2003, paving the way for her canonization, or being declared a saint. She qualified for beatification after Vatican officials acknowledged that she was responsible for a miracle in which an Indian woman was cured of stomach cancer through her intervention. Mother Teresa who died on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87, was popularly known as the "Saint of the Gutter" for her extraordinary love and dedication to poor, homeless and diseased people. Mother Teresa came to India in 1929 at the age of 18 and took up teaching and became an Indian citizen in 1948. The organisation now runs more than 500 charity homes in over 100 countries.

Syndicate Raj in Assam

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t is the rule of syndicate raj in Assam. A section of police and administrative officials and politicians are allegedly receiving crores of rupees from syndicates that patronized by Youth Congress leaders. But the commoners have to bear the brunt of the situation due to hike in prices of many commodities. Saturday’s clash at Paltanbazar fish market exposed how Youth Congress leaders have been extorting money from people by setting up syndicates in the markets particularly in those dealing with fish, fruits and betel leaf markets. It is learnt that the two groups which clashed on Saturday have been patronized by the Youth Congress leaders. While Nanka Yadav was patronized by a senior leader of Youth Congress, the other group was sponsored by the outgoing president of the organization. But why the police failed to swing into action. The arrest of Nanka is also said to be staged to cover up the failures of police. In more than one way, these syndicates have been creating confusion, terror among the traders and indirectly affecting the lives of the common people. Syndicate raj was the outcome of former chief minister late Hiteswar Saikia’s suppressive policies. The Late Chief Minister Saikia had allowed many surrendered ULFA activists to collect goonda tax especially from fish, fruits and pan traders coming from outside the state during the 90’s. The AGP government had also followed the same path. The then chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta had engaged some new faces for running such syndicates. The net of syndicate holders gradually spread to other areas like railways, oil installations and auction markets. However, chief minister Tarun Gogoi came to power in 2001 on the promise of a good governance. But his promises have gone in vain. Gogoi had stopped illegal collections of all check gates and weigh bridges in some parts. But he turned a blind eye to the syndicates of fish, fruits and pan markets. In the past eight years of Gogoi’s regime, Youth Congress leaders have been patronizing these syndicates. It is also alleged such illegal collections have gone to coffer of Dispur politicians. The difference is that: SULFA activists were beneficiaries of such syndicates during late Saikia and Mahanta’s tenure and now Youth Congress leader are getting benefits. Many syndicate owners are now trying to legalize the trade forcing suppliers to supply goods in the name of some society or firm that they set up for the purpose. Many a time such supplies are being made in the name of some societies without having any existence. It is also alleged the police and administrative officials are also among the beneficiaries of such syndicates. What makes the situation worse is that due to the syndicate prices of fish, fruits and pans are going up day by day making the lives of commoners miserable. In the capital city Guwahati syndicate holders collect more than Rs 1 crore per month from fish fruit and pan markets. They impose goon tax on pan, fish and fruits coming from outside by rail or truck. The wholesaler or retailer had to pay such exorbitant price for the commodities they purchased from syndicates resulting in increase of prices. However, Gogoi government turned a blind eye into it for the reasons best known to it. let the people to decide how much Gogoi is committed to people?

Bangladeshi court awards 10 years of imprisonment to Russel Sangma

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Bangladeshi court on Wednesday awarded 10 years of imprisonment to an ULFA leader for illegally possessing a huge quantity of ammunition. A court in northern frontier district of Sherpur handed down the sentence to Russel Sangma, under the tough Arms Act. Sangma also faces another charge of intruding into Bangladesh, the trial for which is yet to start. Bangladesh Rifles troops arrested Sangma in September 2007 from a frontier village and seized large quantity of ammunition kept in two plastic barrels. Sangma was present at the court as Judge S M Badrul Islam of Joint Sessions Court and Special Tribunal handed down the sentence after examining testimonies of 11 witnesses and other evidence. BDR personnel recovered 29,100 pistol bullets at Bakakura village in the same district and arrested a person identified as Russel Sangma in this connection and handed him over to Jhenaigati Police Station.

Why sugar is unaffordable this year

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ndia, the world's second largest producer of sugar, has been hit by a shortage. And with the crisis, have come the allegations of a scam. At the crux of it is the governemnt's sugar policy, which allowed mill owners to export till last year, but not enough was done to help farmers deal with a bumper crop.

Brinda Karat, member of the CPM Politburo, says: ''The government allowed exports till December. Then in a bizarre turn of events, it allowed import of raw sugar in January.''

There are leads to the present crisis to be found in old files, documents that are now with NDTV. They show that:

* In 2007-2008 India recorded a bumper harvest
* The Centre's Minimum Support Price was at Rs 81. This is the minimum price at which famers sold each quintal of sugarcane. The only exception was Uttar Pradesh. The biggest sugar producing state was going to polls and the BSP government fixed the support price at Rs 140.
* Farmers had no means of holding on to the bumper crop and were pushed into distress sales or worse - burning their crops. JP Patil, a farmer from Nanded says: ''When we had a bumper crop last year, we were forced to burn it down.''
* That year India produced 27 million tonnes of sugar. The domestic market needs just 22 tonnes.
* The glut pushed prices down by about 30%A
* Prices were down from Rs. 18 to Rs 13

As an excess of 5 million tonnes piled up, the government allowed sugar mills to export in the international market, where prices were rising. The prices were rising because the biggest producer, Brazil, had cut down exports.

Thus, where the farmers lost money, sugar mill owners made a killing. Disillusioned, many farmers turned to other crops this year, resulting in a shortage of sugarcane.

Professor Sudhir Banwar of Lucknow University says: ''The decision to export helped only the mill owners. This created a lot disincentive as a result of which the sugarcane farmers switched to other crops this year.''

As farmers moved away, sugarcane this year has seen a 30% drop in cultivation.
A vicious circle that has left the country less sweet.

Now that the government has swallowed a bitter pill, it is taking a hard look at its sugar policy. Also with big producers like Maharashtra going to polls, the government can ill-afford to ignore the farmers' concerns.

Here, LoC means the line of coexistence

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long the Line of Control, porters make their living ferrying supplies for jawans. The Army's presence in the remote areas have come as a blessing for the people who now have a source of income. However, it's a give and take relationship.

It's been two years now, Imtiyaz Ahmad works as a porter for the Indian Army, ferrying supplies up the Pir Panjal Range for jawans at the LoC. Imtiyaz cannot read or write like most people in the mountain villages, literally cut off from development and civilisation.

His growing-up years were caught in the turbulence of militancy, and schooling was a distant dream. He started doing odd jobs, a battle to put food on the table, and a battle that has eased with the new job.

"We are not qualified. So we can't even go elsewhere looking for jobs. We now earn Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 from the Army," said Imtiyaz.

Army's presence is a boon for the local population living in this remote area. It provides a great economic fillip and a source of livelihood for the local population.

Working alongside the men in uniform, the force of porters is crucial. They carry vital supplies up the dirt tracks, to heights of 10,000 feet everyday. Without them, the Army won't be able to hold fort.

"Porters are our lifeline. They carry for us all the stocks and ration. They ferry materials to the mountain peaks. They work alongside us," said Major Rahul Salathia, company commander.

The porters have grown up amid terror and militancy, and their network often works as a rudimentary informers' squad, throwing up tips about infiltration.

The relationship between the locals and the Army may be strained in many parts of Kashmir, but on the lonely mountains, their interdependence has created a bond.

Professors earn Rs 50,000 at IIT, Rs 5 lakh at Harvard

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rand IIT is globally acclaimed today. But how good is the work and pay of those who built the brand - the faculty - compared to their counterparts abroad?

Professors at the Indian Institutes of Technology have been demanding a pay hike. In an unprecedented move, they went on a one-day token strike in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai last week.

A faculty member at IIT gets around Rs 50,000 a month at an average. In comparison, professors at Harvard or Massachusetts Institute of Technology take home Rs 5 to 6 lakh a month.

The IIT professors have demanded a scholastic allowance of Rs 15,000. They point out that abroad, each time a researcher publishes a paper, he is paid for it separately.

And this incentive, say the professors, will be seen in future research work in the country. Already, the attrition rate in various IIT departments is worrying.

Dr Sandeep Sen studied at IIT Kharagpur, went to Duke University in the US for his doctorate, but despite many lucrative offers, chose to come back to his alma-mater to teach two decades ago.

Now, as the faculty demands a pay hike, Sen says for him it was never about the money. What has upset him is people questioning the credibility of the faculty.

"They say there is no great research at IIT. I agree we could have done better, but at least acknowledge the good work. It is not about a few thousand rupees, it is about the recognition that comes, a kind of medal given for good work," says Dr Sen, who is heads electronic engineering at IIT Delhi.

Dr Sourav Bansal, Sen's student and with a Phd from Stanford, could have his pick of jobs abroad. But like his mentor, he too came back to contribute to excellence in teaching.

Dr Bansal, who is an assistant professor of electronics at IIT says: "when I came for the interview I was told money would be very less, but I remembered the environment and wanted to come back. Be a leader in our technical revolution. And when we see that professors have to ask for this, it's not fair."

Judges decide to make their assets public

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fter months of debate that rocket the judiciary, there's a landmark judgement. The Supreme Court judges have decided to make their assets public. The details of their assets will be available on the Supreme Court website.

NDTV has learnt that judges of the Supreme Court met on Wednesday evening and together agreed to make their assets public.

After a two-hour long meeting on Wednesday, the judges reached a consensus to declare their wealth on the Supreme Court website.

The debate on judges declaring their wealth has been on for a long time. A bill preventing judges from making their assets public had to be deferred in the last session of Parliament due to stiff opposition from MPs across parties.

Last week, Justice K Kannan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court made a beginning by making his assets public. More judges were expected to follow suit.

Some felt judges making their assets public could lead to their harassment by litigants.

"Majority of judges are in favour of declaring assets. I think 90 per cent are in favour, and those who are not in favour feel they may be harassed people, might say they have taken bribe in this case or that case," said Justice V N Khare, former chief justice of India.

Now will this step by the Supreme Court judges prompt High Court and other lower court judges to make their assets public?

India beat Sri Lanka 3-1 in Nehru Cup

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ew Delhi, Aug 26 (ANI): India scored 3-1 win over Sri Lanka in their 3rd round match of the Nehru Cup 2009.

The team kept the tempo up throughout the match and displayed zero slackness despite the islanders as easy rivals.

The goal scorers were Bhaichung Bhutia, Gourmangi Singh and Steven Dias.

India had bounced back with a 2-1 win over Kyrgyzstan after the initial scare of being knocked out. Bob Houghton''s boys did not let the game take its toll on them after losing the opening match. (ANI)

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