Sankaracharya
to be treated properly: PM
Imphal:
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today assured that
Kanchi Sankaracharya Jyaendra Saraswati, under arrest at
Vellore jail, would be treated with all courtesies that
are due to a person of his stature. This is the first time
the PM spoke about the raging controversy regarding the
Sankaracharya's arrest. Speaking to reporters in Imphal
before flying to Manipur, the PM said: "I hope the Sankarcharya
will be treated and extended all the courtesies due to his
stature as a person of religious standing." Many rightist
organisations, including the RSS and the VHP, and the BJP
have been demanding the seer's release. Senior BJP leaders,
including party chief L.K. Advani, are observing hunger
strike in New Delhi as a mark of protest against the seer's
arrest.
Arrest
of Sankaracharya illegal, says Sudarshan (Go
To Top)
Patna:
RSS chief K Sudarshan has described Kanchi Sankaracharya
Jayendra Saraswati's arrest as "illegal". He said the entire
episode inflicted "an insult on the Hindus". The rightist
leader called upon the Hindu society to actively involve
in the agitational programmes for the release of the Sankaracharya.
Sudarshan said this while addressing a conference of RSS
cadres in Patna. He dared the Centre government to arrest
the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid against whom, he said, several
cases had been registered. He said: "Does anyone have the
audacity to arrest the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Abdullah
Bukhari and Ahmed Bukhari against whom there must be hundreds
of charges. And can they they dare to arrest them during
Eid?"
Rightists
continue protests seeking seer's release (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Hindu rightists continued protests seeking release
of Kanchi Sankracharya Jayendra Saraswati who has been arrested
on charges of murder of a temple official. Hundreds of VHP
activists congregated in New Delhi and accused the Centre
of hatching a conspiracy against the seer. "This is our
open warning that do not try to malign and target our Hindu
leader. The entire Hindu society is behind them and ready
to sacrifice anything to protect their honour," said VHP
international working president Ashok Singhal. Similar protests
rocked Ludhiana and Ranchi, where Hindu activists took out
protest marches demanding Saraswathi's immediate release.
Saraswathi was arrested more than a month after temple official
Sankaraman, who is said to have been a bitter critic of
his, was hacked to death in an ancient Kanchipuram temple
in early September. Saraswathi's lawyers have appealed to
the HC in Madras to reverse the lower court's order to hand
over the seer to police custody.
Review
autonomy to J-K: Patil (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today said
that the issue of granting more autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir
should be "reviewed and discussed", and that the dialogue
process should be carried forward on "sustained basis" with
all groups abjuring violence. Patil said in a report presented
to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. "The Centre is committed
to carry forward the dialogue with all groups and with different
shades of opinion in J and K on sustained basis," he said
in the report based on his visit to Kashmir, Jammu and Leh
earlier this month. The Government, he said, has repeatedly
stated its willingness to hold talks on wide-ranging issues
with all groups, leaders, intelligensia, mediapersons and
elected representatives. Patil further said that efforts
should be continued to bring Hurriyat Conference to the
table for talks, and emphasis should also be on strengthening
the mainstream political parties.
Gold-plated
structures for Pak Nankana Sahib (Go
To Top)
by Ravinder Singh Robin
Attari:
More than 3000 Sikhs crossed into Pakistani territory
through rail route to celebrate the 535th birth anniversary
of Guru Nanak Dev at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib. The Sikh pilgrims,
including Kar Sewa Wale Baba Jagtar Singh, carried the specially-designed
gold plated copper structures with as many as 24 gold leaf
layers. Though the Sikh Jatha was sent to Pakistan, as many
as 750 devotees were left stranded since they were not given
visa by the Pakistani government. Jathedar Kawel Singh resented
that Islamabad had cut short the recommended list of the
pilgrims. After visiting the Gurdwaras Nankana Sahib, Punjab
Sahib, Dera Sahib, Rohri Sahib and a few other historical
Gurdwaras, the Jatha would return on November 30 through
three special trains. Of late there has been a demand from
Pakistan and Sikhs living abroad that the kar sewa of Gurdwaras
in Pakistan should be handed over to Kar Sewa Wale Baba's
since they were well versed with the maryada and Sikh architecture.
Baba Jagtar Singh said that the people in Pakistan were
not aware of Sikh `maryada'. "Now we are going there, we
accompany a Jatha of `ragis' and Sikh scholars to teach
them about the Sikh maryada. The teachings of the gurus
and the `maryada' will help them to maintain it properly
in the shrines," he said.
Sikhs
from the USA, Canada, the UK, Afghanistan and Gulf countries
would also participate in these events, the officials added.
The three-day celebrations have been organised at Gurdwara
Punja Sahib Hasanabdal. Lodging facilities for the Sikh
devotees have also been organised here. The Sikhs arrive
through special trains from Amritsar to Lahore for their
nine-day stay in Pakistan, The News quoted officials of
the Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) as saying. They
said that on November 24 the Yatrees would leave for Nankana
Sahib to participate in the birthday celebrations. The ETPB
and the Tehsil municipal administration of Hasanabdal has
made eloquent arrangements to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims.
Apunba
Lup sets Dec 10 as deadline to repeal AFSPA (Go
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Imphal:
Apunba Lup, the amalgam of 32 organisations agitating
for lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)
from Manipur, has given a memorandum to Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh urging him to repeal the Act by December
10. They claimed that such Acts had no place in Indian democracy.
The working committee of the Apunba Lup met Singh last evening
and submitted a memorandum in this regard. The memorandum,
submitted by a 16-member delegation, also reminded the Prime
Minister that the alleged killing by the armed forces happened
even after his personal assurance. Talking to ANI, Shivadutta
Luwang, Publicity Sub-Committee Member of Apunba Lup said
that the conglomerate will resort to intensified agitation
after the deadline of December 10, the International Human
Rights Day. "Before 10 December, the International Human
Rights Day. Regarding the time frame they had asked us for
some more time but we pressured him that no more delay.
If it does not fulfil our time frame then our agitation
is going to resume," said Shivadutta Luwang. He further
said that setting up of a committee to review AFSPA is the
delaying tactics of the Centre. "The people of Manipur are
going to ask whether the government of India is going to
take more lives, to have more rapes in Manipur. The people
of Manipur now want, desire to repeal the Act immediately
and if the government of India and the Prime Minister has
sincerely decided to give the right to the people of Manipur,
then there is no need for further delay," said Luwang. It
may be mentioned here that in the recent past Manipur has
witnessed widespread agitation after the alleged rape and
custodial death of Th. Manorama in the custody of Assam
Rifles in June this year.
