Fernandes plans to revive Samata Party

    Patna: Following the requests of the fellow leaders, George Fernandes is reportedly sets to revive the Samta Party. Speaking to the reporters here today, Samta Party president P K Sinha said, "Fernandes called on me and other Samata leaders. During the meeting we urged him to revive the Samata Party," Adding further he said he would go to Delhi tomorrow to discuss more on the future course of action. Fernandes, who was recently defeated by Sharad Pawar in the Janta Dal(United) presidential election, had been at Patna for two days. "We requested Fernandes to revive the original Samata Party and bring together committed socialists who either left the party or were kicked out," Sinha said. On Thursday, Fernandes, had filed a complaint of 'the illegal nature of the Tuesday election' with the Election Commission (EC) before leaving for Delhi. "The whole exercise was illegal and that's why I did not attend yesterday's so-called party election," Fernandes said. The former Defense Minister in the NDA government also invited the Samata Party state president P. K. Sinha indicating he was preparing to leave JD-U and go back to the party he architected years before JD-U was formed. Though the Samata Party underwent a merger in 2003 with the JD(U) but it still retained its identity.

Aamir Khan joins Narmada protesters (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: With Bollywood actor Aamir Khan joining the protesters of the ongoing Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) lead by Medha Patkar, the struggle has get momentum. Irked by the Sardar Sarovar Project that displaced several people without providing rehabilitation, people launched a protest. Aamir Khan will first talk to the victims and know about their plight. This meeting will be an open one, where students and journalists can interact and put up their queries to the actor. The meeting is being organised by the Tehelka Foundation. The NBA activists are on a hunger strike in the capital at Jantar Mantar since March 28. Their leader Medha Patkar was arrested and is at the AIIMS hospital here. Her condition is stable, aides said.

Nation pays homage to Ambedkar (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: People across the country observed the 115th Birth Anniversary of 'Baba Saheb', Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on Friday. Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat led the nation in paying homage to Dr. Ambedkar. He offered floral tributes at the decorated statue of Baba Saheb at Sansad Bhavan Lawns in Parliament House complex this morning. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee also offered tributes to the Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar. The function began with a prayer by Buddhist monks. The artists of the Song and Dram Division sang devotional songs at the function, which was organised by the Ambedkar Foundation.

AB Ghani Khan passes away (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury died due to acute pancreatitis at a city nursing home here this morning. He was 78. He is survived by two relatives, Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury and Ruby Noor. Chowdhury was admitted to the nursing home after he was flown in from his home district of Malda in Bengal with acute abdominal pain. He had been placed on a ventilator support and on Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), dialysis for renal support since April 3. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, former PCC president Soumen Mitra and working president Pradeep Bhattacharya visited the hospital soon after receiving news of his demise. Chowdhury's body will be kept at Peace Heaven for a few hours to enable people to pay their last respects. Chowdhury's body will then be taken to Kotwali, his native town in Malda district tomorrow and the final rite will be performed in the evening.

    Fondly called `Barkatda` by his friends, Chowdhury was born into an aristocrat family in Malda on November 1, 1927. He was elected to the West Bengal Assembly six times, besides making it to the Lok Sabha eight times between 1980 and 2004. In 1972, he was the Power Minister in the S S Ray Government during which he ensured jobs to several unemployed persons in Malda District. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980. In the same year, he was appointed to look after the energy department with additional charge of irrigation by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Chowdhury was India's Railway Minister between 1982 and1984. He also handled the Coal Ministry. He became a part of Congress party after being appointed a member of the Congress Working Committee and Congress Parliamentary Party between1981and 1985. In 1985, he became a General Secretary of the All Indian Congress Committee and in the same year he was inducted as the Union Minister of Programme Implementation, a portfolio he retained till 1987. The Congress leader, who was appointed West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) President during 1978-80, assumed the same charge again for two consecutive terms between 1988 and 1990 and again from 1998 to 2000.

Americans refuse to pay taxes over Iraq (Go To Top)

      Washington: Tax resistance is nothing new in the US. The long American tradition reaches back to when revolutionaries tossed tea into Boston Harbour. Taking a cue from the age-old tradition, an estimated 10,000 Americans, who are against US' invasion and occupation of Iraq, have abruptly refused to pay their income taxes saying that they "don't want their money to be used for killing people and launching wars". Instead, they plan to donate their tax obligation to charity, the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) reported today.

Gyanendra calls for polls in Nepal (Go To Top)

      Kathmandu: With the pro-democracy movement and rebel Maoists building up pressure on Nepal's King Gyanendra to restore multi-party democracy in the kingdom, the latter has announced that general elections will take place soon. Ironically, however, the King has remained silent on the proposed dates for the elections. Gyanendra has now called all political parties to participate in a dialogue for the restoration of peace and democracy. In his message to the nation at the start of the Nepali Hindu New Year, he said that all the problems afflicting the nation must be resolved through dialogue only. The announcement of polls follows more than a week of protests by the people of Nepal. The pro-democracy movement has been growing stronger with the common man on the street urging businessmen, troops and government employees to join hands with them. Nepal, which has been battling a violent Maoist revolt since 1996, was pushed deeper into turmoil in February 2005 when King Gyanendra sacked the She Bahadur Deuba Government and assumed power on the pretext that the kingdom's politicians had failed to tackle the insurgency effectively. More than 13,000 people have been killed since the revolt broke out a decade ago. The rebels and the seven political parties formed a loose alliance last November under which the Maoists are backing the latest anti-king campaign. Gyanendra had earlier promised a general election in April 2007. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, has told the BBC that the king should take the initiative in offering ceasefire talks with the Maoists. Ms. Arbour warned that the situation might ultimately have to go before the UN Security Council.

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