New
Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said on Thursday
that his government was making all efforts to secure the
release of three Indian citizens held hostage in Iraq for
nearly a month. Making a statement in Rajya Sabha, Singh
refused to divulge the details. He said: "Every effort is
being made to ensure that these three hostages are rleeased
as early as possible. I don't think any purpose will be
solved if I were to narrate with whom we are talking. Subject
to that limitations, I can assure the house that whatever
efforts are needed, they are being made, but for example
I cannot say for example that those hostages will be released
tomorrow...There is considerable uncertainity, but as far
as the government is concerned, it is as serious as anybody
else in the house that want that these hostages be released
in the earliest possible opportunity." The three Indian
truckers, among seven foreigners, were kidnapped in Iraq
last month by a little-known group "Holders of the Black
Banners". Employers of Antaryami, Sukhdev Singh and Tilak
Raj-Kuwait and Gulf Transport Link Company began talks with
an Iraq mediator, a tribal sheikh to secure the freedom
of the seven men. But there has been a great deal of confusion
over the progress of those negotiations as the two sides
have failed to reach an agreement over the demands of the
captors.
'China
pressure forced Tibetan films ouster from film fest' (Go
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Mumbai:
A film festival here has run into rough waters, with
pro-Tibet organisations crying foul over the pulling out
of two Tibetan films due to alleged Chinese pressure. The
week-long "Third Eye" Asian Film Festival kicks off Saturday.
Originally a package of Tibetan films was to be screened
at the Festival. "Kundun", "Seven Years in Tibet", "Little
Buddha", "Himalaya" and "he Cup" were part of the festival
lineup. Martin Scorsese's "Kundun", a biography of Tibetan
spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama and Jean Jacuques Annaud's
"Seven Years In Tibet" are the two films that have been
dropped by the festival committee. Pro-Tibetan organisations
say that the anti-China content of the films have led to
their ouster from the festival. "Because these two films
relate to the Dalai Lama, to the Chinese aggression, and
to its continuing occupation of Tibet, they (the Chinese)
have objection to it. They put the same kind of pressure
at the Hong Kong film festival...all over the world. They
do not want the Dalai Lama to speak in any foreign university,"
said Aspi B. Mistry, spokesperson, "Friends of Tibet" society.
Festival
organisers, however, claim that the films in question were
not being screened at the festival since their DVD versions
were readily available in the market. "Of course, there
was resentment from China but China cannot dictate terms
to us. They wanted that we should not show (the films) because
we were focussing on China. We had to drop the films ultimately
because in the festival we cannot show films which are already
in the market," said Sudhir Nandgaonkar, secretary of the
Third Eye Asian Film Festival. Movie buffs, on the other
hand, felt that withdrawing the films was a bad move since
everyone had a right to present his perspective. "That nation
(Tibet) also has a right to show what their perspective
is in those things. We are also in a democratic country
and nobody can stop us from doing those things," said Rekha
Kale, a film enthusiast.
Kalam
inaugurates IT university in J and K (Go
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Jammu:
President APJ Abdul Kalam on Thursday arrived here for
the third time since he was installed as the country's head
almost two years ago. Soon after his arrival, Kalam flew
to Kakriyal to inaugurate a technological institute near
Jammu. "When there is beauty in character, there is harmony
in the home...when there is harmony in the home, there is
harmony in the nation...when there is harmony in the nation,
there is peace in the world," President Kalam said after
inaugurating the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. The
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi university, constructed at a cost
of Rs. 200 million and spread over 400 acres, will provide
education in IT and biotechnology along with spiritualism.
The sprawling campus of the university is nestled in the
Shivalik Range in the foothills of the Himalayas, 45 km
from here. The Vaishno Devi shrine is providing the crucial
financial backing to the university through its managing
board.
We'll
talk to N-E rebels unconditionally: Shivraj Patil (Go
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New
Delhi: The Centre on Thursday said that it was ready
to hold unconditional talks with any group in the North
East as it had intensified efforts to quell violent protests
in the region against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters: "I have
said that we will be willing to talk to them, unconditionally,
at any place in India and with anybody who is willing to
talk to us." Patil also suggested a fresh economic package,
aimed mainly at wooing the region's vast youth population,
most of who are unemployed despite have good education degrees.
"It may be possible for us to discuss, to give them economic
package and to create some social harmony there and use
the legal system, which is available here and the authority
of the state to see that normalcy is established there.
Situation is difficult but I do think that it may improve
with the vigilance with which the governments would be working
and with the co-operation of you all," Patil said. He added
that the government would not rush into imposing President's
rule even as violence escalates saying it would be the last
resort.
"We were careful. This government and the previous government
also was careful in deciding whether the President's rule
should be imposed or not. I am not saying that President's
rule is going to be imposed there, I am not saying that
it will not be imposed there. It will depend on the situation,"
Patil said. Manipur has witnessed loud protests for over
a month after a 30- year-old woman was killed by troops
who suspected her of involvement in a revolt that has plagued
the state for decades. Protesters called the killing the
latest example of the abuse of the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act, which gives troops the right to arrest and shoot
at suspected rebels. The state government of Manipur lifted
the law partially by scrapping it in Imphal and some surrounding
areas last week but the move failed to stop protests.
Savarkar
issue continues to rock both the Houses (Go
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New
Delhi: The Veer Savarkar issue rocked Parliament for
the third consecutive day on Thursday with both Houses adjourned
for the day. An angry Opposition demanded an apology from
Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar for showing "disrespect"
to the freedom fighter. After one adjournment in the morning,
Lok Sabha was abruptly adjourned for the day in the post-lunch
session amid pandemonium over a derogatory remark made by
JD (U) member Prabhunath Singh against RJD member R.K. Rana
for interrupting him while voicing his protest against the
"humiliation" meted out to Savarkar. In the Rajya Sabha,
the trouble broke out soon after Question Hour as Shiv Sena
member Sanjay Nirupam, instead of raising a calling attention
on increasing cases of frauds in private sector banks raised
the Savarkar issue and demanded an apology from Aiyar. The
BJP vociferously supported Nirupam in his endeavour. The
scene was repeated when the House met after lunch leading
to yet another adjournment for an hour. RS Deputy Chairperson
K Rehman Khan finally adjourned the House for the day when
a unrelenting Opposition insisted on resolution of the issue
first for smooth running of the House and did not allow
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri
to have his say.
Infiltration
in Kashmir on the rise, says Army Chief (Go
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New
Delhi: Army Chief NC Vij has said that infiltration
attempts from across the line of control (LoC) have shown
a sharp rise in the recent past, almost double as compared
to last year. He said the security forces had been able
to thwart most of them. "There is no doubt that infiltration
attempts are increasing day by day," Vij told reporters
here Thursday. He stated that with the completion of the
anti-infiltration fencing and placement of advanced detection
equipment, the Army was getting a good success rate in curbing
infiltration. He added: "Almost 80 to 85 per cent of these
attempts are being detected and dealt in appropriate way
by the security forces," the Army Chief said after flagging
off a 22 member Dogra regiment expedition to world's third
highest peak 8,611 metre high Mount Kangchenjunga on the
Indo-Nepalese border. Vij also said that intelligence reports
have indicated that many of the militant camps in Pakistan
occupied Kashmir (PoK) had been revived and were active
again. He said these camps were being constantly moved around
to escape its detection.
Trade
unions to observe nationwide protest tomorrow (Go
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New
Delhi: Some of the major central trade unions and independent
federations will observe a nationwide protest on Friday
to press for their demands, including hike in EPF interest
rate, pension for the informal sector and rollback of the
proposed FDI hike in three sectors. AITUC secretary D.L.
Sachdev said: "The protest day would be observed across
the country, especially in the various industrial centres,
with dharnas and demonstrations by trade unions and federations
of various organizations." He said similar demonstrations
would take place in other centres, particularly in the coal,
bank and insurance industries. On the issue of reduction
in EPF rates, Sachdev said: "They (the UPA government) have
their own compulsions. We want the government to stay, but
at the same time we would continue to press for our demands."
BSF
alert over mushrooming of madrasas at Indo-B'desh border
(Go
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Tripura:
The Border Security Force (BSF) is highly concerned
over the mushrooming of madrasas on both the sides of the
Indo-Bangladesh border, BSF Additional Director General
(East) S.I.S. Ahmed said. The ADG also said that many of
these Madrassas and mosques were the focal point of fundamentalist
and anti-Indian activities. He added that there was specific
information of the presence of many militant camps in Bangladesh
territory, where with the help of the fundamentalist groups,
were using these Madrassas as launching pad of anti-Indian
activist. Ahmed was on a two-day visit to the state to take
note of the present situation and to attend a civic action
programme of distribution of power tillers and colour television
among the bordering poor villagers of the state. BSF informed
that this maiden project had been launched for the tribals
of the state who although have some cultivable land but
can not get maximum yield due to the lack of modern equipments.
