Saturday, January 26, 2013

Agni V AND INS Vikramaditya to occupy pride of place during 64th Republic Day parade

New Delhi, Jan.25 (ANI): The highlight of the 64th Republic Day, which will take place on Saturday, will be the above 5,000 kms range Agni-V missile.

The advanced long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of being launched from anywhere in any direction and within a few minutes from a self-contained road mobile launcher is being paraded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The state-of-the-art missile, which was successfully flight tested in the month of April last year, has provided the true deterrence capability and brought India at par with the elite group of advanced countries possessing this capability. A mini version of INS Vikramaditya which will join the Naval fleet by the end of this year is being showcased to highlight Indian Navy’s blue water operating capability.

The DRDO will also put on display the Armoured Amphibious Dozer (AAD), an indigenously developed versatile Combat Engineer support equipment with excellent earth moving and amphibious capabilities in varied terrain.  Besides Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System and Naval Sonar will also be on display on Rajpath by DRDO.

The weaponry put on display by the Indian Army includes the Main Battle Tank ‘Arjun’, APC Ambulance tracked, the only Super Sonic Cruise Missile Brahmos Weapon System, Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System, Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Recce Vehicle,  Sarvatra Bridge,  Mobile Integrated Network Terminal (MINT) and Radio Trunking System Mk-II (RTS Mk-II).  The Army''s Mechanized Columns will conclude with a flypast by the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv of the Army Aviation Corps.

The Indian Air Force will showcase its latest acquisitions on its tableaux.  It comprise the new basic trainer aircraft, the Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II and  the new VIP helicopter, the Augusta Westland AW-101.  It will also showcase the indigenous ‘eyes in the sky’ atop the Embraer 145, Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft and  the strategic heavy lift aircraft, C-17 Globemaster-III, which will enter service by the middle of this year. 

The Indian Navy’s tableaux depicts a scaled down model of INS Vikramaditya, a large aircraft carrier which will join the naval fleet by the end of this year.  The ship is capable of sustaining at sea for more than 45 days at a stretch.  She is also equipped to carry over 30 combat aircraft at any time giving her the freedom to operate and strike anywhere at sea.  The Navy’s tableau also focusing on INS Chakra, a nuclear propelled submarine.

The parade ceremony will commence at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate where the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will lead the nation in paying homage to the martyrs by laying wreath.  An eternal flame burns at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to commemorate the indomitable courage of our Armed Forces personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. The Amar Jawan, the immortal soldier, is symbolised by a reversed rifle topped by a helmet.

As per tradition, after unfurling of the National Flag, the National Anthem will be played.  The parade will then commence and the President will take the salute. This year’s Chief Guest in the parade will be His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, the King of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. The parade will be commanded by Lt. General Subroto Mitra, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. Major General Rajbir Singh, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the parade Second-in-Command.

Param Vir Chakra winners Sub Maj (Hon. Capt) Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI, Naib Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers and Havaldar Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK RIF  and Ashok Chakra Winners Maj Gen CA Pithawalla, GoC, Andhra Sub Area, Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (retd), Major D. Sree Ram Kumar, 90 Field Regiment,  Hon''y Naib Subedar Chhering Mutup (retd), Jammu, Shri Hukum Singh and Shri Govind Singh, both from district Chhatarpur, Madhya  Pradesh and Shri Bhure Lal of district Guna, also from Madhya Pradesh will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps.

The marching contingents of Army will include the horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry, Dogra Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Ladakh Scouts, 8 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Ordnance Corps and Territorial Army (Punjab).

The marching contingents of Navy comprising 144 men will be led by Lt. Commander Ajay Kumar Verma and the Air Force contingent comprising 144 men will be led by Flight Lieutenant Heena Pore. The marching contingents of paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces will include contingents from the Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Coast Guard, Central Reserve Police  Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Railway Protection Force, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme. The Camel-mounted band of the BSF and the Ex-Servicemen marching contingent will be another major attraction.

Tableaux from 19 states and Central Ministries and Departments will present the varied historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the country. They will also showcase country’s progress in different fields. Twenty one of the 22 children selected for the National Bravery Award–2012 will also participate in the parade. One child has got the award posthumously. In the children’s pageant section, 1,000 boys and girls drawn from Delhi''s two schools, one school from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and one from Eastern Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata will present dance and other programmes.

Tornados, the motorcycle display by the Army Service Corps will be a major attraction of the parade. The tornados team consists of 135 riders on motorcycles performing Standing Salute, Ladder Balance, Fish Riding, Back Riding, Long Arm Verma Lotus, ASC Special, Balance Seat and Fish, Sudershan Chakra, Balance Ride Standing, Ladder Lotus, Human Pyramid under the leadership of Havaldar R Balasubramaniam. They will perform breathtaking stunts in a synchronised and synergetic display of mind, body and machine coordination.

The grand finale of the parade will be a spectacular flypast by the IAF. The flypast commence with ‘Chakra’ formation, comprising three Mi-35 helicopters in ‘Vic’ formation, followed by the Hercules formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in ‘Vic’ formation. Trailing them will be a Big Boy formation comprising one IL-78, flanked by two AN-32 and two Dorniers. Next in line will be the fighters, - while five Jaguars will fly in Arrowhead formation, another five Mig-29 air Superiority Fighter called the “Tridents” will fly in Fulcrum style. Then the breathtaking Trishul formation comprising three Su-30 MKI would fly over the Rajpath and once in front of the saluting dais the Su-30 MKI aircraft will split upwards, making a Trishul in the sky. The flypast will conclude with another Sukhoi Su-30 MKI carrying out a Vertical Charlie manoeuvre over the saluting dais. 

The ceremony will culminate with the National Anthem and release of balloons.(ANI)

Friday, January 25, 2013

Insulted' by Mamata, artist to quit panels

Kolkata, Jan 24: Taking Mamata Banerjee's remarks against him as an affront, a leading painter who stood by her side during her campaign to oust the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal said he would quit two key panels including the state Fine Arts Board of which he is the chairman.
Days after Banerjee questioned his role in bringing a political change in the state, Samir Aich said he would also put in his papers as the member of a Kolkata Municipal Corporation expert committee. The chief minister attacked the painter, who recently criticised her government on several issues, at a public rally in Canning in South 24 Parganas district earlier this week.
"Samir Aich had walked in a procession for us. I respect him for that. But just because he walked in a procession, he does not become a Trinamool Congress man. He was never in the Trinamool Congress. So why does he claim himself to be a Trinamool man? Please don't do it.
"I know why he is criticising us now. He is now talking at the behest of the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) which spearheads the opposition Left Front)," Banerjee said. 
Aich said Banerjee's comments "insulted" him.
"I don't want to respond to her comments and tell her how many rallies I participated in to bring the political change. I don't need a certificate from her, as I don't have any intention to seek a job. Yes, I feel insulted. So I have decided to quit the two committees," Aich said.
Aich had been one of the prominent faces among intellectuals to support Banerjee's cause since she led the movements in Singur and Nandigram opposing the then Left Front government's move to acquire farmland for setting up industrial projects in 2006-2007.
He participated in her rallies and protests, and became one of the most vocal critics of the Left Front regime in television debates.
However, he fell out with the Banerjee dispensation after he participated in a candlelight vigil over the suicide of a muslim social activist Aminul Islam, whom police allegedly framed in a false case after he helped a raped minor girl lodge a complaint against a local strongman.
Aich also slammed the government over an attack on CPI-M leader and former minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah by Trinamool activists led by former legislator Arabul Islam.
Aich is the latest among a number of intellectuals distancing themselves from the Trinamool regime since it came to power in the state in 2011.
Educationist Sunanda Sanyal, writers Tilottama Majumdar and Suchitra Bhattacharya -- who had also backed Banerjee during the final years of her fight in unseating the Left Front -- have also been sharply critical of her administration.

Supreme Court gives Salman Khan relief

New Delhi, Jan 24: Bollywood star Salman Khan will not face trial in the 1998 blackbuck hunting case in Rajasthan on charges of rioting but under the Wildlife Protection Act, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
salman khan
An apex court bench headed by Justice P. Sathasivam declined to accept the Rajasthan government's plea that film star Salman Khan and four others should also be tried for rioting under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The blackbuck shooting case dates back to 1998 during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".
The state government had come to the apex court challenging the Rajasthan High Court order by which it has authorised a lower court to withdraw charges of rioting against Salman Khan and four others.
A complaint was filed against Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu and Sonali Bendre on charges of being involved in hunting of protected blackbucks. 
The actors were accused of poaching two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in October 1998.

President greets nation on Milad-un-Nabi

 

New Delhi, Jan 24: President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, being celebrated Friday, and said people should be inspired by Prophet Mohammad's message of universal brotherhood and compassion.

"May the message of universal brotherhood, compassion, tolerance and service to humanity preached by the Holy Prophet guide and inspire us all to live a righteous and productive life," the president said in his message, according to a statement.

ATTF chief remanded to 7 days police custody

Agartala: Chief of the outlawed All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) Ranjit Debbarma, was today remanded to seven days police custody. 
Debbarma, who was arrested from Mohanpur area, about 20 km from here yesterday, was shifted to the Special Branch custody of the police. 
The ATTF supremo had been remanded to a day's judicial custody by a second class judge yesterday as it was a holiday because of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary. 
When he was produced before chief judicial magistrate Biswajit Palit here today, he was remanded to police custody. 
On the way to the court Debbarma told reporters that his struggle for 'liberation of Tripura' would continue. 
He claimed he had been arrested by security forces from Dhaka's Mohammadpur locality on December 30, pushed back through Dawki border in Meghalaya on January 16 and was handed over to Tripura State Rifles (TSR) two days later. 
He said he launched a hunger strike in the custody of TSR on January 22 demanding his production in court following which they produced him before the court yesterday. 
Official sources said Debbarma lived in Dhaka and set up bases in Sylhet and Chittagong Hill Tract. He conducted many subversive activities in Tripura from there and was responsible for many killings, kidnaps, and extortions. 
According to intelligence sources, the insurgent leader had been in transport and garment business in Bangladesh and accumulated capital by collecting ransom from kidnapped persons and lived a lavish life. However, the insurgency was on the wane in the state following pressure by anti-insurgency operation by the Seikh Hasina Government in Bangladesh and due to counter insurgency measures and erection of barbed wire fencing. 
ATTF second in command Chitta Debbarma and many other leaders had surrendered. 
Set up in early '90s, ATTF was fighting a war against the state demanding, among others, deportation of people who entered Tripura after October 15, 1949 (the day Tripura joined Indian Union). 
PTI 

Pawan Hans resumes helicopter services in Arunacha

Itanagar: Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL) on Thursday resumed its passenger services between Guwahati and Naharlagun in land-locked Arunachal Pradesh, operations of which were suspended in May 2011 in the wake of the death of then Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in a chopper crash. 
A brand new M-172 helicopter with seating capacity of 26 passengers was flagged off by Chief Minister Nabam Tuki at Naharlagun helipad here at a simple ceremony in presence of civil aviation department and PHHL officials besides, host of Ministers and MLAs. 
PHHL commercial helicopter services in the North-East have been suspended since May 2011 after the death of Khandu and four others in a chopper crash at Tawang on April 30, the same year. 
However, the service was resumed in Meghalaya in August 2012, after a gap of fifteen months. 
During June 2011, the Arunachal Pradesh government had introduced a 13-seater (VT-ALPHA Bell 412) chopper of Global Vectra to ferry passengers between Naharlagun and Guwahati for four days in a week. 
However, the service failed to cater to the need of the increasing passenger demand as most of the time the chopper was requisitioned for VIP duties. 
"During 2012 the chopper was requisitioned for passenger service to Roing, Dambuk, Anini and Pasighat for five months when road communication to these places were snapped," SK Parida, Base Manager (Operation) of civil aviation department informed. 
After the state government signed a MoU with PHHL on January 15, the company on wet lease positioned the helicopter here on January 18. 
The chief minister accompanied by Rajya Sabha member Mukut Mithi and Parliamentary Secretary (Tourism) PD Sona had along with officials inspected the chopper yesterday and gave the go-ahead signal to resume the service. 
PTI 

Manipur insurgent organisations call for R-Day boycott

Imphal: Major insurgent organisations, including the United National Liberation Front, have called for a boycott of the Republic Day celebrations in Manipur. 
In separate statements today, the organisations said people should not take part in the celebrations and remain indoors to protest the 'forcible merger' of Manipur with the Indian union in 1949. 
Security measures have been tightened particularly in the four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishenpur and Thoubal, official sources said.
Meanwhile, a powerful bomb was defused yesterday after it was found at Narainsena in Bishenpur district. 
PTI 

Northeast separatists call for Republic Day boycott

Imphal: A massive security alert was sounded across the northeast on Tuesday after separatist rebels announced a boycott of the January 26 Republic Day celebrations, an official said. 

 

"We have placed security forces on high alert to thwart rebels from disrupting the Republic Day celebrations," Shambhu Singh, joint secretary (Northeast) in the Home Ministry, told a news agency on Tuesday. 

 

Five frontline separatist groups in the region have called a boycott of the Republic Day and also a general strike from 1 am to 5.30 pm that day as a mark of resistance against what it termed as "Indian occupation of the region". 

The call has been given by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the National Liberation Front of TWIPRA (NLFT), the Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) and Coordination Committee (CorCom) - an umbrella of seven major separatist outfits - fighting for an independent state for the majority Metei community in Manipur. 

 

These groups are active in Assam, Manipur and Tripura. 

 

The five rebel groups announced their boycott on Monday through a joint statement e-mailed to several media houses. 

 

"There is a clear image of Indian colonial racism manifested in the suppression of human rights under martial and Draconian law such as the Armed Forces Special Power's Act (AFSPA), 1958 and other forms of suspension of fundamental rights," the statement said. 

 

"Extra judicial killings, inhuman torture, fake encounter and sexual harassment in the region are routinely carried out to suppress the freedom struggle of our indigenous people.” 

 

"Freedom and independence is the only solution for the conflict as the region can never be a part of the Indian mainstream.” 

 

"India's Republic Day is nothing but bowing to country's perpetual slavery system when people are standing on the line of survival or extinction and it is becoming an urgency of paramount importance to free the region from this colonial rule," the statement stated. 

 

Separatists rebel groups in the northeast have for years boycotted national events to protest New Delhi's rule over the region, and have staged violent attacks in the run up to the celebrations to make their presence felt. 

 

"We are on full alert and shall see to it that we are able to foil any attempts by rebels to attack," an Assam Rifles official said. 

 

Thousands of Army, police and paramilitary troopers are standing guard in other northeastern states to ensure that militants are not able to create violence ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, particularly in Manipur. 

 

"We are not taking chances. The police across Manipur have been put on high alert and we are bent on thwarting any subversive activity by the militants," Imphal district police chief Konsam Jayanta Singh told a news agency. 

 

Rebel groups often target vital installations like road and rail bridges, oil installations, and security forces as part of their design. 

 

IANS 

SC raps CBI for unwillingness to share info on coalgate probe

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) The CBI today came under sharp criticism of the Supreme Court for not wanting to share details of its probe in the multi-crore coal block allocation scam with the apex judicial body.

 

Fame came to me much later: John Abraham

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) John Abraham's hunky looks have made more news than the roles he has played onscreen and the former model feels that's the reason he did not get the fame he deserved as an actor.

We've always wanted to come to India: Anthrax bandmember

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) American rock band Anthrax is the last of the "big four" of thrash metal to be coming to India.

Its bass guitarist Frank Bello says though they have been willing to perform in India for years, they got an opportunity only now.

Irregularities in coal blocks allocation: CBI tells SC

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Investigations in the coal block allocations have established irregularities by government authorities in allocation of the natural resources and around 300 companies are under its scanner, the CBI today told Supreme Court.
In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the agency said that it is taking up the probe against each and every company which has been allocated coal block since 1993 and "in particular during the period 2006 to 2008.

India to continue to push for Headley extradition

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) India today said it will continue to press for extradition of David Headley from the US after the Pakistani-American LeT terrorist escaped death penalty for helping plot the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and sentenced to 35 years in jail by an American Court.

 

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the Government was "slightly disappointed" over the quantum of sentence, saying the 52-year-old convict should have got a "severest sentence".

Thursday, January 24, 2013

BJP may disagree with Shinde, but core facts cannot be denied: Salman Khurshid

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (ANI): Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demands for resignation of Union Home Minister over his ''Hindu terror'' remark, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Thursday said that the opposition may disagree with the Shinde''s statement but the core facts cannot be denied, which he has put.
Shinde had accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of holding terror-training camps and promoting ''Hindu terror'' in the country on Sunday.
Defending the Home Minister Khurshid said: "As a political party, we may have disagreement, because we are operating in an open democracy. The BJP may disagree with the Home Minister''s statement, but the facts cannot be denied."
"Shinde is the Home Minister and he has access to the facts that could be the basis of anything he has said or would say. He may not argue about the facts publicly," added. Khurshid.
However, Khurshid emphasised that the Congress does endorsed the idea of associating terror with any particular colour or religion and said: "Religion must not be made a cover for terror or describing terrorism."
The BJP has threatened to block proceedings in the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament if Union Home Minister was not sacked over the controversial remark.
BJP president Rajnath Singh said Shinde would have to go because his remark has caused nationwide outrage.
He was addressing a protest rally at Jantar Mantar here called against Shinde. (ANI)

Shinde ''Hindu Terror'' remark: BJP is making issue of a non-issue, says Narayanasamy

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (ANI): Minister of State in the Prime Minister''s Office (PMO) V.Narayanasamy on Thursday said the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making an issue out of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde''s ''Hindu terror'' remark, when, essentially, it was a non-issue.
Narayanasamy said there was nothing objectionable in Shinde''s remark, as it was based on facts.
He said the opposition''s demand for Shinde''s sacking from the Union Cabinet is totally unwarranted, and charged the BJP with having double standards on the issue of terror.
Shinde had made the controversial remark on the final day of the Congress Party''s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur.
He had accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of holding terror-training camps and promoting "Hindu terrorism" in the country.
The statement immediately invited condemnation from both the BJP and the RSS. They have demanded Shinde''s immediate sacking from the Union Cabinet, and apologies from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi.
Later, defending himself, Shinde said that he didn''t say anything new and only spoke about saffron terrorism, which has already been talked about many a times in newspapers. (ANI)

BJP threatens to block Budget Session if Shinde is not sacked

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday threatened to block proceedings in the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament if Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was not sacked over his controversial ''Hindu terror'' remark.
 
BJP president Rajnath Singh said Shinde would have to go because his remark has caused nationwide outrage. He was addressing party supporters at Jantar Mantar here.
 
"Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must apologise for the Home Minister''s chaotic remark. Sonia Gandhi will have to come out and clarify Shinde''s statement. We will not let the upcoming parliament session function if Shinde is not sacked," said Singh.
 
"BJP doesn''t discriminate anyone or do politics on the basis of caste, race and religion. But Congress is doing dirty votebank politics. The Home Minister''s remark has hurt the sentiments of the patriotic people of the country," he added.
 
Shinde had made the controversial remark on the final day of the Congress Party''s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur. He had accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of holding terror-training camps and promoting "Hindu terrorism" in the country.
 
The statement immediately invited condemnation from both the BJP and the RSS.
 
Shinde refused to comment on Thursday when asked about the BJP''s nationwide protests against his remarks. (ANI)

BJP indulging in diversionary tactics: Renuka Chaudhary

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (ANI): Congress Party spokesperson Renuka Chaudhary on Thursday criticized the BJP''s ongoing agitation against Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, saying that the country''s main opposition is merely diverting the public''s attention from its own internal problems, including the fact that one of its leaders (Nitin Gadkari) had to give up his post due to charges of corruption against him.
 
"It is a diversionary tactic. There are a lot of rifts in the party. Just to distract the people, they are doing this agitation," she said. 
 
"It is just they are hiding there loopholes. They have problems amongst themselves. Our party has cleared it that, terrorism has nothing to do with any colour. They are agitating for no reason," she said.
 
"He (Shinde) is the Home Minister and he must have the facts before him when he made the statement," she added.
 
Shinde had made the controversial remark on the final day of the Congress Party''s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur. He had accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of holding terror training camps and promoting "Hindu terrorism" in the country. 
 
The statement immediately invited condemnation from both the BJP and the RSS. They have demanded Shinde''s immediate sacking from the Union Cabinet, and apologies from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi. 
 
Later, defending himself, Shinde said that he didn''t say anything new and only spoke about saffron terrorism, which has already been talked about many a times in newspapers. (ANI)

Shinde needs to understand he is Home Minister of India: Rajnath

New Delhi, Jan 24 (ANI): BJP president Rajnath Singh on Thursday attacked Sushil Kumar Shinde for his recent "Hindu terror" remarks, saying that he needs to understand that he is the Home Minister of the country.
Shinde had made the controversial remark on the final day of the Congress Party''s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur. He had accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of holding terror-training camps and promoting "Hindu terrorism" in the country.
The statement immediately invited condemnation from both the BJP and the RSS. They have demanded Shinde''s immediate sacking from the Union Cabinet, and apologies from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"Shinde needs to understand that he is Home Minister of the country and cannot make such remarks," Singh said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Shinde refused to comment on Thursday when asked about the BJP''s nationwide protests against his remarks.
The BJP is holding nationwide protests from today against Shinde for his recent "Hindu terror" remarks. (ANI)

Tuki inaugurates helicopter service in Arunachal Pradesh

Naharlagun, Jan 24 (ANI): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki inaugurated the regular passenger helicopter service at the helipad here on Thursday.
A 26-seater brand new Mi-172 helicopter of the Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited (PHHL) after a gap of 20 months took to the sky with 9 passengers on its inaugural flight to Guwahati.
Its six-day schedule (except Sunday) will be departure and arrival - Naharlagun at 8 am and Guwahati at 9.20 am, Guwahati at 11 am and Naharlagun 12.20 pm, Naharlagun at 1 pm and Mohanbari 1.55 pm, Mohanbari 2.45 pm and Naharlagun at 3.40 pm.
Rajya Sabha member Mukut Mithi, Education Minister Bosiram Siram, legislators Techi Kaso and Karya Bagang, officers of PHHL and civil aviation department including secretary Manoj Kumar Sahoo, assistant directors Adil Toko and R N Pathak were present. 
The Global Vectra helicopter with a Bell 407 chopper also has been operating in the state including flying to Guwahati, Anini, Dambuk, Menchuka, Pasighat, Roing and Vijoynagar. Its service to Anini, Menchuka and Vijoynagar is likely to continue.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had suspended the PHHL service in the North Eastern region from May 5, 2011 after two helicopter crashes - one on April 19, 2011 of a Mi-172 and the second on April 30, 2011 of an AS350 B3."
In the first accident, the Mi-172 helicopter with 23 persons on board flying on the Guwahati-Tawang sector crashed at the Tawang helipad while landing, killing 17 persons, including two crew members and two others had succumbed to their injuries, while the other on April 11, 2011 had claimed the lives of five, including then chief minister Dorjee Khandu.
PHHL is presently providing helicopter support services to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Sikkim governments, union ministry of home affairs, Guwahati and Oil India Limited. The company has deployed Dauphin N and N3, Bell 206L4 and 407 and Mi-172 helicopters for the service. (ANI)

Gadkari threatens I-T officials with revenge when BJP comes to power

Nagpur, Jan 24 (ANI): Former Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari, who was given a rousing reception on his arrival in Nagpur on Thursday, described the charges against him as a conspiracy by the Congress-led UPA Government, and threatened to sort out the income tax officials involved in conducting raids on his firms.

Officials of the income tax department had raided the offices of Gadkari''s Purti group of companies. His companies are under the scanner for alleged financial irregularities.

Gadkari said he knew who all were conspiring against him, and said where would income tax officials hide when the BJP comes to power.

"Congress is on its way out of power and IT department should realize this. Once the Congress will be out of power, where will you go. There will be no Sonia or Chidambaram to protect you," he said on his arrival in Nagpur.

Gadkari said it was a political conspiracy to malign his image by highlighting issues to which he was not connected.

"False allegations were made against me with issues that I had nothing to do with. I am going to fight it out till I come clean," he said.

Gadkari said there was only one ruler in Congress while the others were her (Sonia Gandhi''s) servants.

The BJP has alleged that the ruling Congress Party misused the income tax department to target opponents, as it had done with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

This is the second time Gadkari has threatened I-T sleuths. (ANI)

Monday, January 21, 2013

Rahul Gandhi says power should be used to empower people of India

Jaipur, Jan.20 (ANI): Stating that power should be used to empower the people of India, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called for the sidelining of power hungry leaders, adding that they should make way if they fail to perform or be accountable.

He said having power for the sake of power was akin to having poison, and that the focus should be to evolve positives rather than negatives from power.

He also called for an end to infighting within the Congress party, saying that the grand old party still has the support of every single Indian, and should not lose it.

While thanking senior Congress leaders and supporters for the support and education that they had provided him during his eight years in politics, Rahul Gandhi said: “This (being made vice-president of the Congress Party) is a huge honour for me. Over the past eight years, the party has taught me tremendously. I have learnt from seniors, youngsters and thank all of them for the help that I have got from the bottom of my heart.”

The Gandhi scion called for change in the largely centralised system and also raised the issue of youth anger spilling on the streets.

“There is a young and impatient India demanding a voice in decision-making and politics,” Gandhi  said.

Raising the deficiencies in the Indian political system, the Congress vice president asked, “Why do a handful of people occupy political space without being accountable . Power is grossly centralised in the Indian political and administrative system. Why don’t we believe in empowering people.”

“People who are corrupt talk about eradicating corruption, people who disgrace women in daily life talk about women development,” he added.

Emphasising on empowering people who have immense knowledge but are deprived of positions, Rahul said that the time has come to question decision making in politics as only a handful are being empowered.

He also came down heavily on opposition parties and criticized them for terming the Aadhar scheme as a system of bribing the people.

Rahul underlined the benefits of schemes like MNREGA, Food Bill, Right to Education, Direct cash transfer scheme.

On an emotional note he reminisced the time when his grandmother, Indira Gandhi was killed and how his father had cried then. He also said that he was aware of the huge responsibility that had been bestowed on his shoulders. Rahul revealed that his mother, Sonia Gandhi had cried when they were together yesterday night because she knew that power was akin to poison. (ANI)

Congress converting largest democracy into dynastic society: Arun Jaitley

Bangalore, Jan.20 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Sunday charged the Congress Party of converting India, the world''s largest democracy, into a dynastic society.

He was reacting sharply to the elevation of Rahul Gandhi to number 2 in the Congress hierarchy.

"The reforms the party (Congress) has chanted is to take democracy to dynastic rule. The meeting (shivir in Jaipur) failed to address the issues of spiraling price raise, cap on LPG, investment coming to a standstill among others, but has promoted the dynasty rule," said Jaitley while participating in a BJP convention organized by party''s law and parliamentary cell here on Sunday.

Jaitley lamentably said: "Political parties have seized to be structural in nature. Ideologies have taken back seat and families are playing vital role in ruling the state. Only in the feudal society inheritance will be given importance and most of the parties, barring the Left parties, too are following this route."

He, however, said the public is smart not to take the developments as dictated by the Congress.
He maintained that the BJP was the only party in the country that was structural and believed in merit-based leaders taking on positions of responsibility and governance.

"Barack Obama did not become President of the U.S. on the basis of family name or caste. It was ability to lead and immense merit he took the top post," he said.

Jaitley said Rahul''s "anointment" would place the country at risk, as his priorities, experience, public knowledge and reforms mind was unknown.

Targetting AICC president Sonia Gandhi, he said the country''s middle-class is disillusioned with UPA for its rampant corruption, negative economic and infrastructure growth, spiraling price rise due to its anti-people policies. (ANI)

System needed to be transformed completely: Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur, Jan. 20 (ANI): Newly appointed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sought a change in the prevailing political system and said there should be greater participation of the Aam Aadmi (common people) in the political and decision making system.

Addressing the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting here for the first time after being elevated as number two in the party, Rahul said: There is a young and impatient India, and it is demanding a greater voce in the nation''s future. Let me tell you that they are not going to watch silently. The answer is not to run the system in a better way, but the answer is to completely transform the system."

"We need the Aam Aadmi to participate in our politics, because even as I speak their future is being decided in a close room. All our systems are aimed to keep people out. But, I am very optimistic, because we have already put the building blocks to ensure people''s participation in the system," he added.

He lashed out at the opposition parties and criticized them for terming the Aadhar scheme as a system of bribing the people.

"The corrupt stand up and talk of eradicating corruption, and then people who disrespect women all their lives talk of women''s rights," said Rahul.

He also called for an end to infighting within the Congress party, saying that the grand old party still has the support of every single Indian, and should not lose it. (ANI)

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Rahul Gandhi elevated as Congress vice-president, number two after Sonia

Jaipur, Jan. 19 (ANI): The Congress Party on Saturday formally announced that party general secretary Rahul Gandhi has been elevated at the number two position in the party after Sonia Gandhi as he has been made party vice-president on the concluding day of two-day ''Chintan Shivir'' here.

Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi, while speaking to newspersons, confirmed the development saying the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and party president Sonia Gandhi have approved Rahul''s appointment as Vice-President.

"Following the party workers and leaders long awaited aspirations, defence Minister A.K. proposed to appoint Rahul Gandhi as vice-president before the working committee meeting before Congress president Gandhi and she gave her approval for that, and now he is the number two in party. Rahul Gandhi has also accepted the responsibility," said Dwivedi.

Soon after the announcement was made, celebrations broke outside the Congress party headquarters in New Delhi.

However, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) played down the Congress decision and said that there is nothing new as Rahul Gandhi was at number two position earlier also.

"It was obvious that Congress will take such decision, because only members of the Nehru-Gandhi family can hold the top position in the party. Earlier he was party general secretary, now he has been made vice-president and latter he will be made president," said Rajeev Pratap Rudy, BJP spokesperson.

In Jaipur, where the party''s top leaders have been locked in intense debate over the last two days, there were speculations that Rahul will be formally declared the party''s candidate for Prime Minister.

He has already been given charge of the party''s campaign for 2014. (ANI)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Mongolian foreign minister calls on President Mukherjee

New Delhi, Jan.17 (ANI): Mr. Lu Bold, Foreign Minister of Mongolia called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 16.

The President welcomed him and recalled the last visit of HE Mr. Bold to India as Defence Minister in February 2009. He referred to the ancient civilizational ties that link India and Mongolia as also our shared democratic values. Our common heritage and the Buddhist religion unite our peoples. He recalled that over the centuries, our people have had close ties in trade and close intellectual discourse. President stressed that both nations should build on this historical legacy for their mutual benefit.

The President noted with appreciation the cooperation between Mongolia and India in the United Nations and other international fora.

The Mongolian Foreign Minister warmly reciprocated the President’s words and described India as a long standing friend and partner of Mongolia both in bilateral cooperation as well as in multilateral fora. He appreciated India’s assistance over the decades and said that Mongolia considers India the ‘spiritual home’ of the Mongolians, as a valued third neighbour that has stood by Mongolia in its developmental efforts. (ANI)

Greenpeace applauds Bharti Airtel for launching Sustainability Report

New Delhi, Jan.17 (ANI): Greenpeace India has welcomed the sustainability report launched by Bharti Airtel last week, terming it a stepping stone towards corporate sustainability.

Greenpeace India and lakhs of mobile consumers across India had been demanding Airtel to take leadership in cleaning up the telecom sector for past two years.

“We appreciate and congratulate Bharti Airtel for taking the long awaited step towards sustainability with the launch of this report. This is a landmark step towards creating a cleaner and sustainable telecom ecosystem in the country,” said Mrinmoy Chattaraj, Campaigner, Greenpeace India.

“Now that Bharti Airtel has taken leadership towards sustainability, we demand other companies to follow suit and roll out their sustainability plans,” Chattaraj added.

Bharti Airtel in its ongoing dialogue with Greenpeace India has assured of even more detailed and concrete sustainable action plan in coming months. Greenpeace India further demands the telecom giant to set up progressive emission reduction targets, as per the Green Telecom Directive2, by the year 2015 and 2020, while making long term investment plan in renewable energy sources for their growing telecom tower infrastructure and lead the low carbon race.

Greenpeace has been engaging with the telecom sector in general and Bharti Airtel in particular to focus on managing its energy and carbon by substantially shifting its power generation for network operations to renewable sources, and to proactively advocate for economy-wide policies that combat climate change and increase the use of renewable energy.

Last year, Greenpeace had released the report “Enabling Clean Talking3”, an economic and environmental road map for implementation of the progressive Green Telecom Directive issued by the Department of Telecom. (ANI)

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Time has come for Indian healthcare system to revolutionize itself: Mukherjee

New Delhi, Jan 16 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said time has come for the Indian healthcare system to revolutionize itself and make India self-reliant in its healthcare requirements.

Inaugurating the 10th Knowledge Millennium Summit on ''Curing the Incurables - Sharing of Innovations'' organized by ASSOCHAM here, Mukherjee said: "The challenges that the Indian healthcare sector faces are substantial, but the opportunities equally compelling."

"For companies that view the Indian healthcare sector as a glass half full, the potential is enormous as India is one of the few locations in the world with the latest in healthcare technologies including automation, surgical robotics, modular operating theatres, minimal access surgery systems, telemedicine, radiology, etc," he added.

Asserting that the public health system must be greatly expanded and strengthened across the nation, Mukherjee said: "Provision of universal health care is a matter of faith for the Government. The Government is looking to scale up public investment on health from the current level of 1.2 percent of GDP to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2017 i.e. the end of 12th Plan and 3 percent by 2022 i.e. end of 13th Plan. For this, the public health system must be greatly expanded and strengthened across the nation."

"We need to take health services closer to the homes of the families. We need out of the box managerial and administrative reforms in the health departments at the state and central level. We need to develop effective models of healthcare for the ever-increasing urban population and at the same time not ignore rural healthcare needs. The foundation of India''s national health system must be strong, sensitive and efficient, he added.

Stating that the Government is keen to continue to encourage private investment in the healthcare sector and is now developing Public Private Partnerships models to improve availability of healthcare services and provide healthcare financing, Mukherjee said: " There is also growing interest among foreign players to enter India''s healthcare sector through capital investments, technology tie-ups, and collaborative ventures across various segments, including diagnostics, medical equipment, big hospital chains, education and training."

"Advances are underway on several fronts, from expanding health insurance coverage for the poor and building hospitals in smaller towns, to using technology for safer drinking water and improving treatment outcomes. We should take pride in the fact that heart surgeries in India cost less than a tenth of what they would in the United States," he said.

"But there is still no denying that the Healthcare delivery gap is huge in India. It is estimated that 64 percent of the poorest population in India become indebted every year to pay for the medical care they need. 85 percent of the Indian workforce working in the informal sector do not have any kind of insurance and lack access to effective social protection schemes," he added.

Mukherjee further said that newer technologies like Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can play a major role in improving health care delivery.

"One solution is telemedicine - the remote diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients via videoconferencing or the Internet," he added. (ANI)

Kuldeep Bishnoi welcomes Chautala''s conviction in recruitment scam

New Delhi, Jan. 16 (ANI): Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi on Wednesday welcomed former chief minister and Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala''s conviction in the Junior Basic Trained (JBT) recruitment scam, saying the decision has strengthened his faith in the credibility of the judicial system.

"As far as the decision is concerned, which has come from the court, I salute the decision. Although the court took a long time to give a decision like this, the faith for the judiciary has increased manifold, as far as I am concerned and the people of Haryana are concerned," said Bishnoi.

" Since a very long time, I have been saying that Om Prakash Chautala and his son are deeply involved in corruption, and when the right time will come, they will go behind bars, and same thing has happened," he added.

Meanwhile, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lawyer I. D. Vaidya informed that 57 accused have been convicted and sent to custody in connection with the case.

"This was a scam of recruitment of Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers. More than 3,000 teachers were recruited and their interviews were already conducted in December, the lists were closed. As part of a conspiracy, those lists were unsealed and new lists were formed instead in September and all new set of 3000 teachers were recruited. In total, 57 accused have been convicted and sent to custody," said Vaidya.

Chautala, his MLA-son Ajay Chautala and other accused were today taken into judicial custody after a Delhi Court convicted them for the illegal recruitment of JBT teachers in Haryana.

The court, which has fixed January 17, 19 and 21 for hearing the arguments on sentence, will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 22.

The court had earlier framed charges against all the accused under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC and provisions of the PCA. (ANI)

Moily asks PCRA to come up with proposal for fuel efficiency rating of automobiles

New Delhi, Jan. 16 (ANI): Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dr. M. Veerappa Moily on Wednesday asked Petroleum Conservation and Research Association (PCRA) to formulate mechanism for rating of automobiles in the country based on their fuel efficiency.

Dr. Moily, who inaugurated Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight 2013, organized by PCRA, here, said ''he would soon review these issues''.

He also said the energy auditing should encompass all sectors as utilization of national resources on sustainable basis need to be a top priority.

Dr. Moily called upon the Petroleum Conservation and Research Association to scale up their activities for intensifying conservation and optimum utilization of oil and gas in the country.

In this regard, Dr. Moily said ''we should have exact and precise process of Energy Audit''.

"We should submit Energy Audit Report on various sectors to the people every year. There should be proper Energy budgeting by everyone utilizing energy," he added.

He pointed out that everyone should be not only concerned about today but posterity or tomorrow.

" Mere growth (without sustainability) may lead to chaos," Dr. Moily said, and added that those who utilise national wealth (like oil and gas) appropriately should be recognized as patriot and called for the same becoming a National Movement.

MoS (PNG) P. Lakshmi also emphasized the need for efficient use of scare national resources like oil and gas for which we are heavily import dependent. She called upon PCRA to take intensive fuel conservation awareness campaign to every household in local languages.

Lakshmi outlined various steps taken by her Ministry for enhancing exploration and production efforts both in India and abroad for greater self-sufficiency in the oil and gas sector.

Petroleum Secretary G.C. Chaturvedi also spoke on the occasion.

The Ministers gave away conservation awards to the winners in various categories including for essays and paintings by children, besides flagging off Publicity Vans carrying messages and literature on fuel conservation.

PCRA is an organization under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which propagates the message of fuel (Oil and Gas) conservation throughout the year. It culminates in a fortnight of intensive campaign around the country. (ANI)

''Lawbreakers have to face consequences'', says Hooda on Chautala''s conviction

New Delhi, Jan. 16 (ANI): Commenting on the conviction of Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala in connection with the illegal recruitment of over 3000 Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said those who break the law have to face consequences.

"The law is taking its own course. Those who break the law have to face these consequences," he told the media here.

Haryana Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Surjewala on his part said the former chief minister''s conviction has strengthened his faith in the credibility of the judicial system.

"First of all as an Indian, as a young person, my faith in the credibility of our judicial system stands reiterated and strengthened. Om Prakash Chautalaji and his government in 1999-2000 selected 3,206 JBT teachers. There was allegation of rampant corruption, rampant nepotism in the whole selection process. An IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar took the entire matter in record to Supreme Court, the Supreme Court referred the matter to the CBI," said Surjewala.

"There was a court-monitored investigation, which has led to their conviction. It''s a message for everybody ''do not play with the future of your children, do not play with the future of young persons, do not indulge in corruption and nepotism of this kind, and if you do so then you would be convicted and sent to jail''," he added.

Chautala, his MLA-son Ajay Chautala and 54 others were taken into judicial custody today after a Delhi Court convicted them for the illegal recruitment of JBT teachers in Haryana.

The court, which has fixed January 17, 19 and 21 for the hearing of arguments, will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 22.

The court had earlier framed charges against all of the accused under Sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 420 (Cheating), 467 (Forgery), 468 (Forgery for Cheating), 471 (Using as Genuine a Forged Document) of the IPC and provisions of the PCA. (ANI)

Manipur: Security personnel accused of sexual assaults go unpunished

New Delhi: In July 2004, a group of 12 women disrobed in front of the Kangla Fort in Imphal, holding up a banner that said, 'Indian Army rape us'. They were protesting the rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama, allegedly by security forces. Manorama was picked up from her house on July 11, 2004 by Assam Rifles soldiers.
Manorama's dead body was later found with several bullet wounds - including on her genitalia. Forensic tests detected semen and blood stains confirming rape. But no one has yet been convicted, even though Justice Upendra, who conducted the government inquiry blamed the security forces. One-member Manorama rape inquiry member Retired Justice P Upendra said, "I gave all my findings, the security forces are responsible for the killings. There are only suspensions - why, they should be arrested, and tried."
Even today the Upendra Report on Manorama's killing remains sealed. Counsel for Manorama's Family Colin Gonsalves said, "Neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister, nor the Defence Minister, has made the report public and told the women of Manipur what are the findings of the commission that was appointed by the government itself."

The Twelve women whose shocking protest shook the country say such brazen rapes and assault on citizens in Manipur is due to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Section 4 of which allows the Army to shoot to kill while maintaining public order.
In the last 10 years, 20 instances of rape and sexual assault by security forces have been reported, but not a single conviction. Gonsalves added, "The AFSPA is directly responsible. Security forces feel they are gods in Manipur, they have absolute immunity."
Unfortunately people in Manipur have almost learnt to live with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, so be it the rape of Manorama Devi in 2004 or that of Miss Rose in 1974 or Mrs Ahanjobi in 1996 - all protests in this heavily militarised state fade out in the end. And things continue to remain just the same, unchanged

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

2004 Manorama Devi rape-murder: No action against armed forces yet

Imphal: The 2004 rape and murder of Manorama in Manipur had shocked the nation and put the spotlight on the abuse of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. In July 2004, a group of 12 women disrobed in front of the Kangla Fort in Imphal held up banners that said - 'Indian Army rape us'.
They were protesting the rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama, allegedly by security forces. Manorama was picked up from her house on July 11 by Assam Rifles soldiers. Her dead body was later found with several bullet wounds including on her genitalia. Forensic tests detected semen and blood stains confirming rape. But no one has yet been convicted, even though Justice Upendra who conducted the government inquiry blamed the security forces.
Even today, the Upendra Report on Manorama's killing remains sealed. Colin Gonsalves, Counsel for Manorama's family, said, "Neither the PM nor the Home Minister, nor the Defence Minister has made the report public and told the women of Manipur what are the findings of the commission that was appointed by the government itself."

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bansal flags off new Shatabadi train between Chandigarh and New Delhi

Chandigarh, Jan 14 (ANI): Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal flagged off a new Shatabadi train between Chandigarh and New Delhi from the Chandigarh Railway Station on Monday.

This train will leave Chandigarh at 11.40 in the forenoon and reach at New Delhi at 3.00 p.m. In its return journey, the train will leave New Delhi at 7.15 p.m. and reach at Chandigarh at 10.35 p.m.

The new Shatabadi train will from Monday to Saturday. It will not run on Sunday.

The residents of this city had for a long time been demanding an afternoon Shatabadi between Chandigarh and Delhi.

The Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabadi will take 3 hours and 20 minutes to cover the distance between the two stations. (ANI)

Delhi gang-rape case: ''Accused tortured by police'', alleges lawyer

New Delhi, Jan. 14 (ANI): Manohar Lal Sharma, the lawyer of one of the accused charged with the Delhi gang rape case, on Monday alleged that his client was being tortured in police custody.

The six suspects held in connection with the gang rape of the 23-year-old student on a moving bus, were charged with murder following her death.

Manohar Lal Sharma, who is defending Mukesh, brother of the main accused Ram Singh, said that he would base his case on police brutality meted out to his client.

"He was under torture regularly. He was also the victim of the unnatural sex and if this type of the cruelty will be done, any person will say yes (to) what you are saying, he will speak the same language," said Sharma.

"They (police) have nothing in their hand except the confession, and confession is the outcome of the torture. Anybody, any civilized person will not like that torture should be used for getting the statement, and on the basis of this statement you can''t hang anybody," he added.

The defence lawyers scrutinized the documents filed with the chargesheet by the Delhi Police in the case.

Lawyer V. K. Anand is representing the main accused Ram Singh, M. L. Sharma is defending Mukesh, A. P. Singh is representing Akshay alias Thakur and Vinay Sharma, while the fifth accused Pawan Gupta will be represented by counsel Vivek Sharma.

The sixth accused is a juvenile and his case is being heard by a Juvenile Justice Board.

The 23-year-old paramedical student was raped and assaulted by six men in a moving bus in Delhi on December 16. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. (ANI)

Sunday, January 13, 2013

No future without forgiveness

First of all a tribute to the Mizos and their Chief Minister for being willing to get involved in the messy Naga problem and trying to help. From the reports in the news papers, as I write, it is not yet clear if he has actually taken on the responsibility of mediating between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM). What is clear is that things have moved considerably in that direction.

What the Mizoram Chief Minister is offering to do is an act of real Christian charity and kindness to us as a neighbour. From the way we have behaved and acted with all our neighbours, it cannot be that we have earned their respect and love. But few of our people ever look at things from perpective of others, or are willing to do so. We can only hold on tenaciously to our own points of view, no matter that others may see such an attitude as incredible. We have, like the proverbial ostrich, buried our head in the sand. Naturally, we do not see anything except what we want to see --- if your head is buried in the sand what you see can only be a mental projection and just as unreal. People may be seeing our shame, and nakedness, and have all kinds of reactions – of revulsions, outrage, anger, etc. But we remain blissfully ignorant, our heads still firmly buried in the sand. The imagery is unfortunate but still true.

Many of our neighbours, not without grounds, feel that our people have militarized their societies. This is not to say that there was no disgruntlement in their societies. Perhaps, the ground even ripe. But, if so, the fact still remains that our people exploited and took advantage of such disgruntlement. That is not a neighbourly thing to do. Many of them, today, feel bitter towards us. Several have been frank enough and kind, to express their feelings. But there are others who silently hold their grudges. The result is that while so many Nagas ‘boast’ of their ‘freedom struggle’, Naga society has been ringed with unfriendly neighbours. And till date, no Naga decleration has gone out, in friendship, to our neighbours. How cold and stone-hearted we have become. And how blind to what we are doing to others.

In the circumstances, if the Mizoram Chief Minister does get involved in the mediation efforts, one hopes the Naga people, and especially the NSCN (IM), will keep in mind that a neighbour is trying to help --- perhaps, the only neighbour willing to do so.

One question which has not been raised publicly as yet but which must, of necessity, be asked and discussed, is how serious we are in wanting to have the Naga problem settled once and for all. The same question could be asked of the Government of India. But we need to first settle the issue among our people. This may look ludicrous to some. But the sections of those in the forefront, and those who will play pivotal roles in deciding and settling the issue, speak otherwise. Each faction, loudly or softly, want to be recognised as the foremost, if not the only group, in the negotiations. Again, we speak of reconciliation and unity. But we want these only on our own term. If our terms are not met, then, in the name of the Naga people, we are willing to throw away, at one go, all the hard-earned gains made so far. Are these signs of our seriousness to solve the problem? Do we really have the good of our people at heart? Are we willing to make some concessions for the sake of our people even if these entail some sacrifice for our side? And willing to explore all possibilities? If not, we will be selling our people short, will not be using those who are trying to help, and taking both for a royal ride.

Archbishop Puncie said, "Those who do not wish to look at the past, or understand the past become easy victims of fatal lies and suspicions about other people in the present". Are we willing to look at or understand the past? Difficult to answer. But are we suspicious of each other? Have we been victims of the lies spread by vested interests? The answers, I am sure, are obvious to everyone.

How do we then heal history? Political initiatives can take us so far, but then the weight of history is often left largely unaddressed. A former Irish Republican activist wrote to Nicholas Frayling, author of ‘Pardon and Peace’, who I was privileged to meet in Liverpool about two weeks ago, "It is not present-day injustice which fuels the conflict in this land … The real trouble is Cromwell and King Billy, and nobody knows how to bury them". Much of present day decisions and actions have been forged on the anvil of feelings and attitudes, which have been formed in the past. The Bible also talks of the sins of the father visiting the sons. This, I think, is a fit case for comparison.

Therefore, history needs to be revisited, however, unpleasant and painful, and properly laid to rest so that it does not continue to come back to haunt us. If we do not do this in the right way, we can risk damning ourselves to only "tinker with consequences instead of addressing causes" and presenting a vicious cycle of hatred and revenge from which there is no escape. This was the whole point of the Truth and reconciliation Commission in South Africa. There is need to break the chain of hate and cause a paradigm shift.

In the circumstances, there is ‘no future without forgiveness" (the title of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s book) in our situation. And as Michael Henderson, British author, says, "Neither forgiveness nor its inverse, repentence, will alone solve the world’s problems or bring peace. But without those two elements, it is hard to see how settlements will prevail overtime". Our people need so much to move from mutual life-renewing humility and contrition, and from blame to understanding. Reconciliation, and the restoring of relationships, is the only way forward. This also means a true give-and-take.

Conditional reconciliation on the basis that "I will reconcile if you give in to my terms", or "only my terms", will not work. Forgiveness entails penitence and, to the extent possible, reparation. The basis must be that, before God, we have all sinned and fallen short; not a comparison with other human beings. To look for forgiveness, without repentence, is to look for reconciliation on the cheap. And true repentance, and forgiveness cannot be gained cheaply. It costs. "I am sorry" are the most difficult words in any language, to quote Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The time for statesmanship and to show greatness is upon us. Some encouraging signs have been witnessed in the last few months at the highest political levels, underground and overground, among our people. It is important that they do no explain these away or try to qualify them out of existence or meaninglessness, which sometimes do happen, especially with those politicians who think that unless they have clever explanations for every action, they put themselves on shaky ground. But ‘cleverness’ also has its limits. There comes a time when human intelligence alone becomes inadequate. And it is important that we accept our humanness with humility. We must learn to understand and be willing to make concessions. Archbishop Tutu says making concessions is a sign of strength, not weakness, because only a person who is strong can make concessions.

What the Naga situation requires is a real break-through somewhere. But the break-through is not coming because all the principal players are also contending parties without any real neutral force. Any potential neutral force emerging in society has been systematically dismantled or marginalised out of existence by the contending parties out of fear and suspicion. Once the neutral force has been disturbed, the contending parties can only go back to take up their old stagnated refraints as if there is no tomorrow. And history keeps repeating itself. Credit-seeking and blame-sharing are once more the games played out. The politics of brinkmanship once more rules. More lives get lost. More bitterness generated for the next generation.

How long can this continue? It is clear that if we are to break out and break free of the shackles of the past, there needs to be a clean break somewhere. Some will have to be willing to make concessions and to sacrifice. The silent majority must also be allowed to become vocal and to be heard. The Naga Church too must be willing to take on a greater role, and be in the vanguard of the fight for peace, not only because of its extensive influence among the Naga population but also because forgiveness and repentance are properly in the domain of religion and God, and Church leaders are rightly the trained specialists in the business.

The Bible talks about "If you say you love God and hate your neighbour, you are a liar’. Quite down to earth, don’t you think?


Uttarakhand Govt. prohibits women from working beyond 6 p.m.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Jan.12 (ANI): In a bizzare development, the Uttarakhand Government has passed an order that prohibits women from working beyond 6 p.m. in private and government jobs.

The step is being seen as too extreme to curb crimes against women.

The state government is being severly criticised for this regressive approach, and the opposition is objecting to the directive.

The Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna-led state government has reportedly taken the step in the wake of the gang rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi late last month. The woman was repeatedly raped inside a dark tinted glass moving bus, and suffered gruesome injuries. She had to be eventually flown out to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital, but succumbed after a battle for survival of 13 days.

In the wake of the December 16 gang rape incident, there has been a flurry of media revelations regarding incidents of rape across the country.

The reports have prompted several state governments and the central government to fine tune the laws of the country regarding rape and other sexual crimes against women. Several commissions, headed by retired judges, have also been set up to discuss the problem threadbare and to come out with recommendations for change. The police is also under pressure to improve its responses to the general public on issues of law and order as well as crimes. (ANI)

Special pink roofed autos for women commuters in Gurgaon

Gurgaon, Jan 12 (ANI): Keeping in view the alarming increase in crime against women, the Gurgaon police sprang into action and launched a safety drive, which included introduction of special auto services for women.

About 22 pink roofed autos would ply in Gurgaon, ferrying only women passengers, the police said on Friday.

Last month''s rape of a physiotherapy student on a moving bus in the national capital New Delhi and her death in hospital have triggered unprecedented national outrage and demands for better safety measures in the country.

Gurgaon Traffic Police Inspector, Anil Kumar, said that the women are often victims of eve-teasing when they are travelling and this service will avert such incidents.

"We have launched this drive for the safety of the women. Women are often mistreated and eve-teased while travelling in an auto-rickshaw. But now they will have separate autos, only for women," he said.

As a part of this drive, police have identified 22 auto drivers and verified their identification documents, providing them with special identity cards.

"In order to control crime against women, the Haryana police have taken this step. If the administration helps, then this could prove to be very successful. The police have put 22 autos and they have thoroughly verified all of them. If the passenger feels that they are being mistreated by any of the drivers, then they can dial 100 and lodge a complaint," said Amit Kumar, auto driver.

Gurgaon has a poor public conveyance system and women, especially those without a personal vehicle find the newly introduced auto service a boon.

Ritu Singh, a passenger, said that the service will prove to be beneficial only when the auto drivers do not refuse to ferry the women passengers.

"It is a very good service and facilitates women who are coming from outside and who do not have their personal vehicles. However, the condition is that they should not refuse to take us to our destinations," she said. (ANI)

India celebrates 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

New Delhi, Jan 12 (ANI): To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on Saturday, a number of functions are being held across the country.

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the anniversary celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi and release a set of commemorative coins and stamps.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with several Union Ministers will be present on the occasion.

A National Committee under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was constituted to consider policies, lay down guidelines for the anniversary commemoration and decide on the time frame for related activities.

Madhya Pradesh will observe Swami Vivekanand''s 150th birth anniversary year from January 12 by establishing Vivekananda Youth Centres at district and development block levels.

Swami Vivekananda born as Narendra Nath Datta was a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world.

He was also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century. (ANI)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

the road less travelled

if you can make it to the Hornblll festival in Nagaland this month, great. But if you can’t, no issues. You can always go later and do the state on a motorcycle, writes Shahwar Hussain

This is the third time in as many visits to the Kohima War Cemetery that lye seen the same old man -and always at the same stone bench. But I never made an attempt to speak to him because  I didn’t want to intrude. I guess he, like me, finds the cemetery a peaceful place to spend some time alone. Indeed, you’ll find all the solitude you need at the World War II Cemetery. But having been on the road for sometime, riding through a few states in North East India and making friends by the dozen, I thought this time it would be okay to intrude.

I walked up to say hello, and as he turned towards me with a warm smile, I noticed for the first time a row of shiny War Medals pinned to his shawl. He had fought against the invading Japanese army in the bitter Kohima War when he was all of 19 or so. The sun dipped over the mountain, and the skies turned a fiery red as he told me stories of heroism, pain, death and glory. Wowl Only a microscopic minority of my fellow travelers would have had the good luck to hear firsthand accounts from a war hero.

I was leading a few friends on a motorcycle tour of North East India and we tried to travel through the less frequented routes. As we left Dimapur, instead of the highway, we took a very long detour to Kohima. The detour took us to Peren town, to the villages of Nsong, Nthuma, across the Barak river on a wildly swinging ricketysusperisfon bridge and on to Tamenglong dlstr.rct, of Manipur, inside the Tharon Caves
- the hideout of the freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu, on to the village of New Puilwa, Benereu, Ozulake and finally

north east india

to the historic village of Khonoma, These hidden trails are way off the tourist maps, and they certainly lead to wonderful places. That’s the fun of motorcycling through the backroads.

Along the way we met some really interesting people like the forest guard at Nthuma who helped us get to an Inspection Bungalow in the middle of the forest and gave us some Baja Mirchi chutneys that blew the roof of my mouth; the pickup truck driver who took us to the Tharon caves and insisted that we spend the night in his house on the way back. And how can I forget the generous and far sighted people of New Puilwa? With only one college graduate and no government servants, the villagers have shown amazing civic and environmental understanding. They have marked out a large area in the forest as Reserve Forest where no one from the village is allowed to hunt or fell trees. Khonoma village has a nice easy feeling to it. Cobbled streets, terrace cultivation below the village and the hills are thickly wooded. Khonoma has been named as a Green Village because of its successful environment conservation projects. The village attracts birdwatchers by the dozens. unfortunately we couldn’t trek up to the beautiful Dzukou Valley.
In another era, the villagers of Khonoma had fought pitched battles against the invading British forces and later on against the Japanese army in WW II. The remains of the forts used against the British are still there. They look rather flimsy now but all those years back, with dense jungles all around, the British must have found them rather tough to get to Kohima and Khonoma are just 20 km apart, but there’s a world of difference. From the easy pace of the village, the call of the birds, clean cobbled street, and the wide open vistas, we were transported to a relatively big city, and all its sights, in the span of just an hour A couple of days in Kohima and we rode off to Wokha and Mon. The 30 km ride to Wokha took more time than it should as we stopped every few kilometres to shoot pictures.
We halted at Longsa village at a friend’s house - a much better place to spend the night than a tourist lodge and the kitchen doesn’t close at 9 pm. The next night was even better as

kohima

we camped at an island in the Doyang reservoir A hydro-electricity project across the Doyang river has flooded an area of more than 8000 hectares. There are small islands all over the reservoir, where the local fishermen have made their huts. And one such fisherman, named Andrew Ezung, invited us to stay over the night in his but.
After a 45-minute boat ride through stretches with dead trees sticking out of the water, we reached the hut. It was rather eerie, and after dark it was downright creepy. Along the way, Andrew pulled up a 5-kg fish from the net which he had laid in the morning, and also shot a crane with a .22 rifle. Well, we had enough for dinner
Later at night, I lay outside my tent with a million stars above me, and the only sound heard was the soft lapping of the water against the two country boats by the shore. It was peaceful, and if I was on my own I would certainly have stayed put for few more days.

Another day and a half of riding and we reached Mon. the headquarter of the Konyak Nagas. The skies had promised rain all day long, and, as soon as we hit the hills, the heavens opened in earnest. It’s just 45 km to the town of Mon from the Assam border at Sonari, but it takes two hours to travel the distance. This stretch of road is being constructed, and there’s nothing but mud all the way The rain made the surface so slippery that, at downhill stretches, it was downright dangerous.
Next day, we rode for another 42 km from Mon tin a village called Lungwa. This village straddles the international border between India and Myanmar, and it seems to have been caught in a time warp. Almost all the houses in the village, except the schools and the church, are built in the traditional manner - with bamboo, wood, and leaves for roof. And the houses here are huge. As we sat inside the Angh’s (village chief’s) house, I realised that a two bedroom fiat would easily fit in his common room.
The Konyaks were the most feared headhunting warriors in all of Nagaland. And they’ve hunted heads in living memory. As we moved around the village, we saw a lot of tattooed old men, who were the warriors. For a Konyak warrior, getting a face tattoo was the ultimate honour. Any warrior who went into warfare was decorated with a ‘V shaped tattoo in his body. But if a warrior brings back the head of an enemy from the battle, he was decorated with tattoos on his face. The more heads he collected, the more intricate the tattoos grew - as did his status. And the tattoos were done by the Queen. Almost all the villages had their own collection of human skulls - trophies from battles fought in another era. The advent of Christianity resulted in most of these collections being buried, except for in some villages like Chenga Shengue, which has built a

 

 

nagas

museum to house the skulls, and other artefacts from that era.
The Konyaks are ruled by Anghs, and the Anghship is hereditary Although the Anghs might not be rich in monetary terms, they wield enormous power and control over the society. The Angh of Lungwa, whose house straddles the international border - half of his house lies in India, and the other halt in Myanmar - controls five villages on the Indian side, but has more than 30 villages under him inside Myanmar These villages pay their obedience, or taxes (if you want to call it that), to the Angh of Lungwa. Fire wood from the jungle, agricultural products, and meat are all delivered to the Angh in certain portions. They have been doing this for ages, and they have no regard for a manmade border. In fact, many villagers from Lungwa are employed as soldiers in Myanmar’s army
The Konyaks are master craftsmen. They make excellent artefacts, out of bones, wood and metal. They make fabulous muzzle loading flintlock rifles and pistols just like the ones that Robinson Crusoe used against the pirates. And they produce their own gunpowder too. Rut, it’s a pity that we can’t get them to mainland India without a license.
We were in time for the last couple of days of the Aoling festival and what an interesting festival it is. The air was filled with war cries as the Konyak warriors fought mock battles complete with gunfire and fights with spears and machetes. It is all quite dramatic as smoke from the ancient guns fill the air and the warriors come charging out of the smoke. The Aoling festival (April 1 to 6) relives the headhunting days of the Konyak and is a must see.
The North east is a hotbed of culture and tradition and it is best to travel with an open mind without any preconceived notions. Carry cash or at the most, some traveller’s cheques. Credit cards arejust pieces of four inch coloured plastics.
Visit these places before ‘civilization’ pollutes them, You wouldn’t want to see a McDonald outlet in the middle of the jungle, would you?

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Indian Army rejects incorrect facts in ''Runway Grandmother'' article by The Hindu

New Delhi, Jan.10 (ANI): The Indian Army on Thursday said that a news article titled “Runway Grandmother Sparked Savage Skirmish on LoC” by Praveen Swami, published in The Hindu was factually incorrect.

In a point-by-point rebuttal, Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya of the Indian Army said Swami''s contention that there was a link between a 70-year-old woman crossing over and the recent cease-fire violations by Pakistan was incorrect, as the woman, Reshma Bi, had crossed the Line of Control on September 26, 2011.
 
"Therefore, the recent cease fire violations cannot be linked to an incident 16 months old," said Colonel Dahiya.

He further stated that the article mentions announcements made by Pakistan Army over a public address System at Uri demanding a halt to any construction work. This also was factually incorrect, he said.

The article also wrongly identifies Major General G.S. Rawat as the General Officer Commanding of 19 Infantry Division. The current GOC is Major General Khandare.

The army also denied that any permission was ever sought by the GOC for aggressive action against any Pakistani post.

Colonel Dahiya also rejected Swami''s contention that there had been LC transgressions by the Indian Army in the Uri Sector on January 6, 2013.

He said that Pakistan carried out cease fire violations on night of January 5 and 6, and the Indian Army carried out controlled retaliation from its own side on January 6. (ANI)

 

Indian Army rejects incorrect facts in ''Runway Grandmother'' article by The Hindu

New Delhi, Jan.10 (ANI): The Indian Army on Thursday said that a news article titled “Runway Grandmother Sparked Savage Skirmish on LoC” by Praveen Swami, published in The Hindu was factually incorrect.

In a point-by-point rebuttal, Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya of the Indian Army said Swami''s contention that there was a link between a 70-year-old woman crossing over and the recent cease-fire violations by Pakistan was incorrect, as the woman, Reshma Bi, had crossed the Line of Control on September 26, 2011.
 
"Therefore, the recent cease fire violations cannot be linked to an incident 16 months old," said Colonel Dahiya.

He further stated that the article mentions announcements made by Pakistan Army over a public address System at Uri demanding a halt to any construction work. This also was factually incorrect, he said.

The article also wrongly identifies Major General G.S. Rawat as the General Officer Commanding of 19 Infantry Division. The current GOC is Major General Khandare.

The army also denied that any permission was ever sought by the GOC for aggressive action against any Pakistani post.

Colonel Dahiya also rejected Swami''s contention that there had been LC transgressions by the Indian Army in the Uri Sector on January 6, 2013.

He said that Pakistan carried out cease fire violations on night of January 5 and 6, and the Indian Army carried out controlled retaliation from its own side on January 6. (ANI)

 

Indian Army rejects incorrect facts in ''Runway Grandmother'' article by The Hindu

New Delhi, Jan.10 (ANI): The Indian Army on Thursday said that a news article titled “Runway Grandmother Sparked Savage Skirmish on LoC” by Praveen Swami, published in The Hindu was factually incorrect.

In a point-by-point rebuttal, Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya of the Indian Army said Swami''s contention that there was a link between a 70-year-old woman crossing over and the recent cease-fire violations by Pakistan was incorrect, as the woman, Reshma Bi, had crossed the Line of Control on September 26, 2011.
 
"Therefore, the recent cease fire violations cannot be linked to an incident 16 months old," said Colonel Dahiya.

He further stated that the article mentions announcements made by Pakistan Army over a public address System at Uri demanding a halt to any construction work. This also was factually incorrect, he said.

The article also wrongly identifies Major General G.S. Rawat as the General Officer Commanding of 19 Infantry Division. The current GOC is Major General Khandare.

The army also denied that any permission was ever sought by the GOC for aggressive action against any Pakistani post.

Colonel Dahiya also rejected Swami''s contention that there had been LC transgressions by the Indian Army in the Uri Sector on January 6, 2013.

He said that Pakistan carried out cease fire violations on night of January 5 and 6, and the Indian Army carried out controlled retaliation from its own side on January 6. (ANI)

 

Bite the bullet, Yashwant Sinha tells Govt.

New Delhi, Jan. 10 (ANI): Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha today asked the government to show the political will to bite the bullet by checking the alarming fiscal deficit in the Union Budget to control inflation.
 
Delivering the keynote address at a roundtable on budget, organised by Observer Research Foundation, Sinha said the government has fallen into the vicious cycle of increasing fiscal deficit, especially the revenue component, which has led to rising inflation and increasing prices.
 
"When you fall into the vicious cycle, you take a step to get over a problem and that lands the government again into another crisis and it goes on worse," he said.
 
Sinha, who is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, pointed out that according to the Economic Survey in 2004, the economy seemed resilient, with large scope for consolidation of gains, but according to the statement of the Prime Minister on September 11, 2012, the economy was in a crisis - "last time we faced this problem was in 1991".
 
Talking of the various sectoral issues, Sinha said the villages have not benefited from the growth. He said key sectors, including agriculture, telecom, education, infrastructure, health all are in crisis.
 
Sinha also underlined the need for checking the unaudited expenditure through various Centre-funded schemes. The expenditure is estimated to be more than INR 2,37,000 crores, according to M.K. Venu, the Managing Editor of the Financial Express.
 
Critiquing the lack of emphasis on substantive capital market reforms, Dr. Muneesh Kumar, Professor, Financial Studies, Delhi University, underlined the need for the reviving primary market through holistic and progressive policymaking. Instead of taxing the market through policies such as the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) or the proposed Commodities Transaction Tax, existing structures should be enforced strictly. 
 
He pointed out how wrong policies are distorting markets, like in the case of gold and real estate.  
 
Neha Malik from ICRIER also underlined the need for further study before market taxation. With the introduction of the STT, a number of stock exchanges reported that volumes have migrated to other international stock exchanges. 
 
N.K. Singh, MP and former Union Revenue Secretary, who moderated the roundtable, said the wastage of such a huge amount by the Centre is in contravention of the Constitution itself, as the money in fact belonged to the States.
 
Saying we are slow on reforms, Dr Alok Pandey, Professor, Asia Pacific Institute of Management, said we needed a "path-breaking" budget this year to tide over the crisis. 
 
Jayshree Sengupta, senior fellow, ORF added that supposedly big ticket reforms such as FDI in multi-brand retail are simply not enough to generate interest in the economy. 
 
Dr. Pronab Sen, Country Director, International Growth Centre, said the problem is all the governments are ducking the question of "what sort of economy do we want to be"? 
 
T.K Arun, Editor, Opinion, of the Economic Times said economic reforms cannot be divorced from the need for transparent political and election funding. "Till we bring about transparency in election funding, the problem will continue," he said. He said we also lacked the political will to bring about   effective economic reforms. 
 
Dr. Charan Wadhva of the Centre for Policy Research reminded every one that this is the last budget of this government before the election and so, one needs to be realistic as far as hard decisions are concerned. He impressed on the need to channel savings to capital formation. 
 
Former Union Cabinet Secretary and Advisor to ORF, Surendra Singh, was apprehensive about the government''s cash transfer scheme. Pointing towards the increasing social unrest, he called for effective economic reforms, which would rein inflation and control unemployment. (ANI)