Main Page                                                                 Archives

 

Uma Bharati heads for Kedarnath

       New Delhi: Suspended BJP leader Uma Bharati left for Kedarnath on Friday, a day after handing over an emotionally- written letter to party president L.K.Advani and a dinner meeting with former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Sources in the know said that it appeared as if Bharati was seeking to mend fences with the BJP leadership days after her dramatic walkout from a national executive meeting. She eventually ventured late on Thursday evening to submit her letter to Advani. Advani graciously offered her some soup before she headed for Vajpayee's Krishna Menon Marg residence for dinner and to possibly receive his advice on her future course of action. "It looks to me like God's calling that the daughter has been thrown out of the house on Dhanteras. I cannot think either well or badly of you or the party. I must find my way on the road described by Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay by serving the poorest of the country," she wrote. When reporters asked about her future course of action, she said: "Please don't ask me any questions about the letter. I am going on a holiday. I will meet you after I come back."

Diwali celebrated (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The people across India were in a festive mood as Diwali, the festival of lights, was being celebrated on Friday. In the south, the celebration was on Thursday. Large number of people poured out on the streets on the eve of Diwali late on Thursday and early on Friday morning for their last-minute shopping. Firecracker bursts could be heard late into the night as children welcome Diwali.

        Despite an awareness campaign in congested metros and big cities against the ill-effects of noise and air pollution as billions of rupees worth of crackers go up in flames, the charm of fire crackers has not dampened. Women applied henna and visited markets to greet the festival in their won style. Tribals in India's central Chhattisgarh state performed traditional Suva dance on the Diwali eve on Thursday. Large number of foreigners also thronged Jagdalpur to witness the unique dances. "I have been seeing them dance since the last 32 years. During Diwali, they come and dance and collect money from us," said Ram Bhardav, a local. People voluntarily donate money to the tribal dancers, which they use for buying Diwali gifts.

        Diwali, which falls in October-November, has its origins in the celebrations in Ayodhya in northern India marking the return of Hindu god Rama to his kingdom after defeating the demon king Ravana. Legend says millions of lamps were lit when Lord Rama returned after 14 years of exile in forests and fight against Ravana. Diwali is also celebrated in honour of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. It is believed that Lakshmi enters only those homes that are clean and well lit. Preparations begin many days before the festival. Houses are whitewashed, new clothes are stitched and sweets and dry- fruit gifted to the homes of relatives and friends.

Two militants killed in JK  (Go To Top)

       Srinagar: Two terrorists were killed and two CRPF jawans were injured in a suicide attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar late on Thursday evening. The militants hurled grenades and opened fire at the camp in a hotel situated on the banks of the Dal Lake, said S R Ojha, DIG, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir. Ojha said one militant was killed at the gate while the other died after entering the compound.

Kashmiri separatists, Pak hail troop reduction move (Go To Top)

       Srinagar/Islamabad: Kashmiri separatists and the Government of Pakistan have welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement on Thursday to reduce troops in the Kashmir Valley this winter. The ruling PDP has called it the biggest ever confidence building measure, while Pakistan has described it as a very positive step. Hurriyat leader Maulvi Mirwaiz Farooq told a television channel on Thursday night that Singh's announcement was most welcome, and added that he would be making a detailed statement after Friday prayers in his speech at Jama Masjid in Srinagar. "We welcome the move, but even those troops that remain should not behave like an occupation force but win the hearts of people. Incidents like the Handwara rape should not happen," said Maulana Abbas Ansari, former Hurriyat president. "This is a positive decision and it could ease tension between the two countries. We have completed one cycle and are going towards another cycle," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Masood Khan said. "The Pakistani side has always been asking for a reduction in troop strength in Kashmir. The Prime Minister's announcement means that he is moving towards establishing peace in Kashmir," said Abdul Rashid Shaheen, MP, National Conference.

Kashmir not an integral part of India: Pak (Go To Top)

        Islamabad: Even though India and Pakistan may try their level best to indulge in dialogue for a peaceful resolution of all contentious issues, the war of words between the two may perhaps not die down. According to the Daily Times, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan has in an interview to a television channel said that Kashmir is not an integral part of India. He was referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that Kashmir was a part of India. He said that Singh's statement would in effect jeopardise the Indo-Pak peace talks, as he was only stating India's long standing position on Kashmir. Urging all to refrain from making utterances that would vitiate the peaceful atmosphere and impede the talks, he said that it was necessary for India and Pakistan to begin formal talks and solve the Kashmir imbroglio in a peaceful and negotiated manner.

World leaders at Arafat's funeral in Cairo (Go To Top)
by M Bhadran Nair

       Cairo: Leaders from various parts of the world have started arriving in the Egyptian capital Cairo to pay their last respects to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died on Thursday morning. Arafat's funeral will be held later today in Cairo and he will be buried in the PLO compound in Ramallah with full state honours. Arafat's body was flown into Cairo late last night. A military honour guard carried the coffin to a hearse. Arafat's coffin was taken to the nearby Galaa Club, a compound that includes a hospital, mosque and social club for military officers. The 25- minute funeral is scheduled to take place Friday morning (afternoon Indian time).

         India's External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh has arrived in Cairo at the head of a four-member delegation comprising Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Minister of State for External Affairs E.Ahamed and CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury. Security was on maximum alert in and around Cairo's international airport. Plainclothes officers were also deployed at apartment buildings, mosques, and Cairo's main train station ahead of Arafat's funeral.

India, Singapore to sign economic pact (Go To Top)

      Singapore: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong are likely to ink a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) towards the end of this month. Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, who is on an official visit, disclosed this here after meeting with his Singapore counterpart Lim Hng Kiang on Thursday. Nath said that under CECA, Singapore is likely to invest two billion US dollars in the Indian technology, manufacturing, financial services and aviation sectors next year. India and Singapore started negotiating CECA about two years ago as a major step towards expanding trade. Singapore with 1.5 billion dollars already invested in Indian industries is the country's biggest Asian investors and third largest after the United States and Mauritius. Bilateral trade between the two countries is about five billion dollars with Singapore having an edge of about two billion dollars. Singapore would be getting 80 per cent concession on its three billion-dollar exports to India under the CECA. Indian tariff on Singapore goods would be lowered over the next five years to zero level. India would get greater access for its manpower to the services sector in Singapore. The two countries have also reportedly agreed to improve double- taxation avoidance programme and set up a more liberal environment for open skies and air transport network.