|
February 12, 2001
TOP REPORTS
Kashmiri Sikhs decide not to migrate
Expressing his sympathies with the Sikhs at the bhog ceremony in Mehjoor Nagar, Defence Minister George Fernandes said, 'Migration from Kashmir is no solution to the problem'.
Lashkar chief threatens Vajpayee, Advani
Mohammed Hafiz Sayeed said the 'jihad' would stop and ways would be explored to find a long-term solution to the Kashmir dispute if the army was pulled out of the state.
J&K police to move installations out of civilian areas
Chief Minister Abdullah said the police should 'always keep in mind that the civilians in such areas are not harmed while retaliating against the militant attacks'.
Shah urges Pandits to help keep J&K united
The Kashmiri separatist leader accused the government of having converted the Pandits into a 'museum piece' to show foreign dignitaries.
Shahnawaz suspends 4 mines officials
Meanwhile three more bodies were recovered on Sunday, taking the toll in the Bagdigi mine accident to 16.
Thackeray calls for ban on Valentine's Day
'Our country does not have any relation with this outside culture. This is a ploy by multinational companies to spoil the minds of our youth,' he said.
No need to declare quake a national calamity: Sushma
The Union I&B minister said the country was already lending a lot of help to the victims.
Manipur government reduced to a minority
Eight legislators, including the vice-chairman of the state planning board, deserted the Chief Minister Nipamacha Singh's camp, and joined the opposition at Speaker Dhananjoy Singh's bungalow.
Ghising out of danger
Doctors successfully removed a bullet and some splinters from the GNLF chief's shoulder and the right side of his skull in an operation late on Saturday night.
Veteran singer Mogubai Kurdikar dies at 96
Trained by the legendary Khansaheb Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur Atrauli gharana, she was conferred the title 'Gaan Tapaswini'.
Bill Clinton to visit India by April-end
The former US president wants to visit Gujarat and help in the fund-raising efforts for the victims of the Republic Day earthquake, a spokesperson said.
Pakistan to procure 40 F-7MG fighters from China
Both countries will also sign another agreement to jointly produce the Super 7-FC-1 fighter.
Dubai's customs chief arrested
Dr Obaid Saqr Busit and two of his top aides were arrested on charges of corruption after a two-year investigation.
INTERVIEW
'Cease-fire is only for propaganda'
'Why should mujahideen target civilians? What is the justification for them?' asks Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
SPECIAL
'We all understand suffering'
The Israeli team at Bhuj share a solidarity with the quake's victims. They know how it feels when many innocent victims are killed in one place.
EARTHQUAKE MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
COLUMNS
Miffed with the Mukhota
Sangh Parivar leaders feel all that the PM seems good for is bhashanbazi. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
February 11, 2001
TOP STORIES
Ghisingh injured in ambush: PTI
Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharjee said the GNLF chief was critically injured in the ambush at Satghumti.
Govt may give arms to Sikhs in J&K
Defence Minister George Fernandes will specifically instruct the unified command of the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir to leave nothing to chance in protecting the state's Sikh community.
Militants kill 15 in J&K
The militants fired indiscriminately on a house of Village Defence Committee members killing five men, three women and seven children.
9 cops killed in Lashkar's suicide attack
Two or three militants of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba may still be inside the J&K Armed Police headquarters complex, a senior police officer said.
Security man kills two at Calcutta airport
After the shooting at 3:05 am, the constable tried to commit suicide by firing at himself and was admitted to R G Kar Hospital in a serious condition.
'He inserted a sickle in my eyes'
How three men were blinded for a crime they did not commit.
THE MINE DISASTER
Coal minister manhandled at Dhanbad
Agitated miners stopped his car and started shouting slogans against the local authorities and police, for their indifferent attitude in rescue operations.
Another body recovered from Bagdigi mines
Rescue operations are underway and additional pumps have been installed at both the Jairampur and Bagdigi collieries to pump water out.
'They don't want to save anybody'
Relatives of the trapped miners in Dhanbad allege that the rescue operation is indifferent and inept.
INTERVIEW
'Cease-fire is only for propaganda'
'Why should mujahideen target civilians? What is the justification for them?' asks Hurriyat leader Syed Geelani.
SPECIAL
'We all understand suffering'
The Israeli team at Bhuj share a solidarity with the quake's victims. They know how it feels when many innocent victims are killed in one place.
OTHER REPORTS
Chemical leakage kills one in Ahmedabad
Nassem Pathan and eight-month-old Kush Hemant Patel were in a serious condition. According to the sources at L G Hospital, 40 persons were undergoing treatment.
Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh no more
Air Force sources said the end came at 2350 hrs after a brief illness. The cremation will take place at Dehradun on Sunday at 1500 hours.
PTI REPORTS
Mild tremors rock Gujarat
There were no reports of damage to property though ten tremors struck Gujarat on Saturday.
MSCP decides to pull out of NDA
The party will ask its only representative in the Vajpayee government, Chaoba Singh, to resign.
Jaswant to visit Myanmar
Singh will inaugurate the 165-km long Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa road, the first of its kind in Myanmar developed by the Border Roads Organisation paving the way for greater cross border linkages with India.
Former British PM says he supported Hinduja's passport bid
''All I did was to be one of the people
who signed the application,'' former Conservative prime minister Sir Edward Heath said.
Advani favours legislation for population control
The Home minister said though the current census work was being undertaken between February 9-28, the process had started soon after the Vajpayee government assumed power in 1998.
DIARY
'Kashmiris, Keralites have lot in common'
Chindu Sreedharan returns to his favourite place on earth.
SPECIAL
'It's God's way of teaching us humility'
The Gangagiris lost their home, but refused to abandon their damaged temple. As long as it stood, the daily puja would be done.
INTERVIEW
'How can you say what is lacking, when bodies are being pulled out of everywhere'
'The (Indian) Army is terrific. Young officers are working relentlessly amidst these bodies. This is braver than fighting a battle in Jammu & Kashmir.' Colonel Ofi Reich, leader of the Israeli team, on the rescue operation in Kutch.
EARTHQUAKE MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
SPECIAL
The Kalpavasi
They lead an incredibly arduous life -- and yet, Kalpavasi after Kalpavasi tells Prem Panicker that they are blessed to be at the Kumbh, to be able to spend the month in prayer and penance.
COLUMNS
Miffed with the Mukhota
Sangh Parivar leaders feel all that the PM seems good for is bhashanbazi. Capital Buzz Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
That Beautiful Word, Negative
'From the time they took my sample, I seemed to, in some strange way, divide like an amoeba. One part of me waiting for the results, worrying; the other part observing, coldly, taking notes as it were. It's funny the thoughts that go through your mind when you are suddenly confronted with your own mortality,' says Anvar Alikhan.
February 10, 2001
SITUATION IN J&K
6 killed in attack on J&K armed police HQ
Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants late Friday evening stormed the heavily guarded headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, which also houses the state police control room at Batmallo.
Security to be beefed up for J&K Sikhs
The Union government has also decided improve employment avenues for them.
DIARY
'Kashmiris, Keralites have lot in common'
Chindu Sreedharan returns to his favourite place on earth.
THE MINE DISASTER
Another mine flooded in Dhanbad, 1 killed
This is the second coal mine tragedy in Dhanbad in a
week. Only last Friday, the Bagdigi mines controlled by BCCL were flooded trapping around 40 workers inside.
Bagdigi miners' kin get jobs, compensation
BCCL sources said the company has paid amounts ranging from Rs 2.97 lakh to Rs 3.32 lakh -- comprising workman compensation, gratuity and insurance -- to the widows of each of those killed.
Judicial inquiry ordered into mine tragedy: PTI
Minister of State for Coal Syed Shahnawaz Hussein said one will be spared if they found responsible for the accident.
Bagdigi disaster could have been averted, says DGMS: PTI
Had the maps been accurate, the tragedy would not have happened, DGMS R L Arora said.
THE EARTHQUAKE: THE AFTERMATH
Rs 200 million recovered from the rubble
In a gruelling eight-hour operation, the Indian Army helped the State Bank of India recover nearly Rs 200 million from the debris of its Bhachau branch in the quake-ravaged Kutch district of Gujarat.
Solar cookers come to the rescue of quake affected
Fifty solar cookers are being used by relief agencies in Kutch with 500 more waiting to be installed.
'The aftershocks may last for two months'
People should not start living in their damaged homes for two months, says Dr J R Kayal, director (geophysics), Geological Survey of India.
Toll-free phones to make ISD calls for Gujarat: PTI
People can leave messages of their well-being for their relatives in the United States of America using the phones in Gujarat, Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore.
Fresh tremors rock Gujarat
After-shocks measuring between 3.0 and 4.0 on the Richter Scale rocked the Kutch region throughout Thursday night.
SPECIAL
'It's God's way of teaching us humility'
The Gangagiris lost their home, but refused to abandon their damaged temple. As long as it stood, the daily puja would be done.
INTERVIEW
'How can you say what is lacking, when bodies are being pulled out of everywhere'
'The (Indian) Army is terrific. Young officers are working relentlessly amidst these bodies. This is braver than fighting a battle in Jammu & Kashmir.' Colonel Ofi Reich, leader of the Israeli team, on the rescue operation in Kutch.
EARTHQUAKE MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
OTHER REPORTS
LCA finally flies at air show
Taking off majestically from the HAL defence strip around 15:12 hours IST, with a clear blue sky, the green-nosed white prototype multi-role aircraft made a grand appearance within a minute at the aero show at the Yelahanka air force station.
'You are not on the voters' list'
Tamil Nadu electoral officials tell state Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy and an MLA from the Anna Nagar constituency in Madras.
Census 2001 begins
During the 20-day exercise, the sixth since Independence, trained
enumerators would visit about 20 million households in over 6.5 lakh villages and 5,500 towns and cities.
Congress, TMC decide to work together
The two parties face a serious dilemma over the sudden entry of the PMK into the AIADMK front, with assembly elections due in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
Three alleged rapists blinded in Bihar
They have been accused of murdering the victim after raping her. The incident occurred in Nawada district.
Maharashtra roped into Goa-Karnataka water dispute
Goa's Irrigation Minister Ramakant Khalap has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to oppose Karnataka's plans to construct seven dams and three hydroelectric projects.
PTI REPORTS
Russia to lease long-range bombers
Russia is preparing to okay the lease of four TU-22M3 (backfire) long-range bombers armed with deadly KH-22 cruise missiles to India next week, despite United States objections.
Tipnis co-pilots Su-30 MKI
The chief of Air Staff Friday described the Russian aircraft, after a 22-minute flight, as 'extraordinary'.
Musharraf moots third country trial for Osama
The Pakistani military ruler said that the Taleban militia will never hand over bin Laden to the United States.
Veerappan man hurt in shootout: STF
Special Task Force IG V Balachandran said the outlaw is now holed up in the forests on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.
Ranga Rao's bail plea dismissed
Metropolitan sessions judge K B Bhanu Friday dismissed the application of the former Andhra Pradesh minister, who is also the son of former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, in connection with a cheating case filed by Tamil superstar Rajanikanth.
Agni-II cleared for production
The missile has already undergone final configuration trials.
19 killed in bus mishap in HP
Twenty-three persons were also injured when a private bus fell into a gorge near Ghaghas, 86 km from Shimla, in Bilaspur district on Friday.
Mysterious disease claims seven lives in Siliguri
Earlier diagnosed as encephalitis by a local physician, it is creating panic among the residents of Siliguri. The victims include a local Congress leader.
Shah seeks Mahesh Bhatt as court receiver to release film
Designated Judge A P Bhangale said that a written undertaking needed to be taken from the film-maker expressing his readiness for the job.
Judges view controversial Babri docu
Film-maker Anand Patwardhan has sought a court directive to Doordarshan to telecast his award-winning 'Father, Son and the Holy War' based on Advani's rathyatra and the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
SPECIAL
The Kalpavasi
They lead an incredibly arduous life -- and yet, Kalpavasi after Kalpavasi tells Prem Panicker that they are blessed to be at the Kumbh, to be able to spend the month in prayer and penance.
COLUMN
That Beautiful Word, Negative
'From the time they took my sample, I seemed to, in some strange way, divide like an amoeba. One part of me waiting for the results, worrying; the other part observing, coldly, taking notes as it were. It's funny the thoughts that go through your mind when you are suddenly confronted with your own mortality,' says Anvar Alikhan.
February 9, 2001
TOP STORIES
Fresh tremors rock Gujarat
Panicky residents of Ahmedabad and Surat rushed out on the streets after 'strong' tremors rocked parts the state at 10.30 pm.
Militants kill 10 in Assam: PTI
Dima Halong Dauga militants killed nine policemen and wounded two others in an ambush in a remote place in North Cachar on Thursday.
Govt to study CAT order against CBI chief
Karnataka Director General of Police C Dinkar had challenged the appointment of R K Raghavan as illegal, arbitrary and unjust.
SC asks Delhi govt to close polluting units in four weeks: PTI
The court turned down the government's request seeking five months time for this purpose.
Census to begin on Friday: PTI
Over two million enumerators will visiting about 20 million households, covering about a billion-strong population in one of the biggest administrative exercises in the world.
INTERVIEW
'We have a fight on our hands. And we have to see it through'
'The Jihadi outfits are trying to create problems in implementing the suspension of combat operations.' J&K Governor Girish Chandra Saxena in a rare interview.
THE MINE DISASTER
Survivor vows to never work in mine again
Salim Ansari, a survivor of the Bagdigi coal mine disaster, said his survival had strengthened his belief in Allah.
3 more bodies found in Bagdigi mine
They have been identified as those of line worker Chhotu Mia, dresser Chanderdeo Harijan and labourer Brij Mohan Singh. With this, the official toll in the mine disaster has risen to four.
Rescued miner gains consciousness
Ansari was trapped inside the water-logged Bagdigi colliery for six days and was unconscious when he was brought out. He regained consciousness on the way to a hospital in
Dhanbad.
QUAKE AFTERMATH
In Kutch, a doctor sees nearly 80 injured a day
However, chief coordinator of relief supplies L Mansingh says there is no dearth of medicines or medical facilities in Bhuj or any other part of the state.
200,000 students affected by quake
Over 990 primary schools have suffered extensive damage in the quake and 4,179 classrooms have been flattened.
RDX lies under debris of Bhuj police headquarters: PTI
Nearly 24 kgs of the explosive was seized from six Pakistani nationals at Veerani village in Kutch two years back.
Quake was 180 years in the making
But it did not come without a warning. On December 26 last year, western Kutch was rocked by a 'precursor' tremor measuring 4.2 on the Richter Scale.
Music maestros join hands to help quake victims
The concert, featuring an impressive line-up of world-class musicians from India and the UK, will be held in London on February 18.
Fleet review will be devoid of joy
Naval Headquarters said 'national sentiments do not match the joyous mood of the fleet review'.
SPECIAL
The child God gave back
"He was fully conscious, but cloaked in dust. He had wounds on the back of his head and on his face. He was sucking his thumb." Four days after the quake, 10-month-old Murtaza was recovered from the debris. Alive.
EARTHQUAKE MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
OTHER REPORTS
Sonia meets party leaders from TN
The Congress chief on Thursday discussed her party's electoral strategy for assembly polls in the state, following the PMK's joining hands with Jayalalitha's AIADMK.
Bhim Singh demands Farooq's dismissal
The Jammu and Kashmir Panther Party chief has told Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena to dismiss the state government for failing to protect its citizens.
Cash reward cures villagers of Veerappan phobia
The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have pasted hundreds of posters in the villages and small towns surrounding the forests, in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, announcing a cash award of Rs 4 million.
DMK allies hope for ministerial berths at Centre
Already, the DMK leadership has been under internal pressure that it has fewer ministers at the Centre than the AIADMK had under the Vajpayee dispensation.
Tough going for Marandi in bypoll
Queering the pitch is Nadira Begum, widow of CPI legislator Shabbir Ahmad Qurashi, whose death necessitated the Ramgarh bypoll. The Begum is being supported by all the Left parties and the RJD.
CIA wary of India and Pakistan's nuclear plans
The US intelligence agency does not rule out the prospect of another round of nuclear tests by both countries.
Armed man shot at near White House
President George Bush and his family, and Vice President Dick Cheney, who were in the White House at the time, were safe.
PTI REPORTS
4.5 million take holy dip in Sangam
A total of seven million pilgrims were expected take a holy bath in the Sangam by Thursday evening.
Shahnawaz Hussain gets Coal ministry
However, there was no mention about the other vacancy created by the resignation of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas E Ponnusamy.
Controversial Bihar official dismissed
Gopalganj MLA and Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi's brother Sadhu Yadav had forced state Transport Commissioner-cum-Secretary N K Sinha to sign the official's transfer order at gun-point.
BSF jawan killed, another injured in Manipur
Official sources said BSF personnel belonging to the 32nd battalion were attacked by extremists while patrolling Kumbi Pukhri area, about 55 kms south of Imphal.
SCINDIAS
'Sonia did not even come to his mother's funeral'
While his mother was accessible and respected for her sincerity, Madhavrao is seen as arrogant. In recent elections, his margin of victory has been dangerously thin.
DIARY
'I live a grenade's throw away from the Hurriyat office'
'Despite the cease-fire, or probably because of it, many in Srinagar swear this was the most tense Republic Day they have ever seen.'
COLUMNS
'Asli mujrim ko pesh karo'
'Whatever else the Vajpayee initiative might have achieved or failed to achieve, there is no doubt he has succeeded in carving a direct place for his vision in the minds of Kashmiris,' says Abeer Malik.
Why is being a good Hindu politically incorrect in secular India?
'A good Hindu is no less than a good Christian or a good Muslim and it is time we acknowledged this fact. In this acknowledgement lies our future. As Hindus, as Indians. As a nation on the move,' says Pritish Nandy.
February 8, 2001
TOP REPORTS
PM summons Advani, George, Farooq
S S Dhindsa, leader of a fact-finding mission to Kashmir, admitted that there was widespread anger among Sikhs in the Valley and that they had threatened to migrate en masse unless provided adequate security.
CIA sees high risk of Indo-Pak war: PTI
Central Intelligence Agency Director George J Tenet said on Wednesday that relations between India and Pakistan "remain volatile''.
Court issues arrest warrant against Benazir: PTI
The court Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the former Pakistani prime minister in a disproportionate assets case, giving a setback to her plans to return to Islamabad to head an alliance for restoration of democracy.
TN Congress leaders rush to Delhi
But the Congress and the TMC are looking at each other to decide their reaction to the inclusion of the PMK in the AIADMK-led front.
FIR filed against 4 Dhanbad mine officials: PTI
The case against BCCL's Lodna area general manager, the Bagdighi colliery agent, area safety officer and mine manager, was filed under Sections 304, 34 and 72C of the Mines Act.
Hawk deal by March: Fernandes
The Union defence minister said the price negotiating committees of India and UK were on the verge of completing discussions.
Air show takes off, but not LCA
Union Defence Minister George Fernandes claimed the flying display was called off because it was decided that "it would not be wise" to display the LCA at the air show. But his scientific adviser V K Athre revealed that a technical snag had delayed the flight.
Musharraf regime promises elections in 2002
The Supreme Court of Pakistan asked counsel for the military regime to set a timeframe for restoration of democracy.
Gadgil couldn't even clear hospital dues: son
A 'true Congressman', an 'honest', 'upright individual' and a 'humanitarian' were some terms used to describe the Congress leader in Pune.
Bombay blasts accused Hanif Kadawala shot dead
The police confirmed that Kadawala was shot dead in his office, near Copper Chimney restaurant, in the western suburb of Bandra, but did not divulge details.
Sangliana dons disguises to nab Veerappan
This is not the first time the Karnataka police have used ruses to try and capture the bandit. In fact, former STF chief T Harikrishna and his deputy, Sub-Inspector Shakeel Ahmed, were killed when travelling incognito.
PMK ministers' resignations accepted
This followed the PMK forging an alliance with the AIADMK for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Large-scale administrative reshuffle in UP
Chief Minister Rajnath Singh has moved over 250 IAS and IPS officers in the 102 days that he has been in office.
Bharat Shah's bail application rejected
The judge said the film financier and diamond merchant could apply for bail once the chargesheet was filed.
THE SITUATION IN J&K
Curfew lifted in Srinagar
Shops and business establishments reopened and traffic plied on the roads.
Curfew relaxed in parts of Jammu
The authorities, however, decided to continue indefinite curfew for the third day in some sensitive areas of the city.
INTERVIEW
'If Sikhs or anyone has to remain in Kashmir, they have to fight it out'
'Can you tell me how safe a Hindu is in Delhi? It is a proxy war sponsored by a foreign country. Whenever they desire to do such acts, soft targets are always available.' Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Dr Ashok Bhan defends himself and his men.
THE SCINDIAS
'Madhavrao shall not light my pyre'
The late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, in her will dated September 20, 1985, appointed Sardar Sambhajirao Angre and Swadeshi Jagran Manch leader S Gurumurthy as its joint executors.
SPECIALS
'What can a coward do to me?'
With Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia's death, the feud between son Madhavrao and confidant Sardar Angre is rekindled.
'I desperately wanted to be with my mother'
Four hundred school children and 100 teachers were on a Republic Day parade when the killer quake struck Anjaar. Josy Joseph meets four survivors.
THE AFTERMATH: NEWS
Water purification unit missing from Bhuj airport
The PMO's representative at Bhuj is furious since the unit was to be installed in one of the worst-affected villages.
Satellite photos of Bhuj 'sensitive'
The defence ministry has not given clearance for distribution of the images, though the space department has suggested that they may be needed for relief work.
It seems like apocalypse: Shabbir Shah
The separatist Kashmiri leader said he was shocked to see millionaires sleeping on the roadside. ''I feel sad that only NGOs are working all over and the government is not working at all,'' he remarked.
BJP defends Gujarat chief minister
The party central leadership defended Keshubhai Patel's handling of relief and rehabilitation measures for the state's earthquake victims although pressure is mounting for his removal, following charges of negligence.
'A cohesive society has become a buffer against fear'
A schizophrenic in Bhuj started behaving normally for the first time in several years after the devastating earthquake of January 26.
Memorial for Anjaar's school children
The January 26 quake, which killed more than 30,000 people, has left hundreds of children orphaned. A Gujarat minister said his government was receiving adoption requests from all over the world.
If earthquake is here, can drought be far behind?
Though water scarcity around this time of the year is nothing new for residents of border villages in Gujarat, destruction of water resources in the quake has added to their miseries.
PTI REPORTS
Bhuj asks Gujarat Govt for Rs 5 billion in aid
At a conservative estimate, 150,000 houses have to be constructed at a minimum cost of Rs 15,000 each, while another Rs 1.5 billion would be required for transit facilities in the district, a local official said.
Three youths rape quake victim
The woman, who was sleeping outside her ravaged house, was dragged to a nearby dwelling and raped.
Demolition man in charge of rehabilitation
As municipal commissioner of Bhuj in 1989, he was responsible for razing several illegal structures. Now as collector, Anil Mukhim will be in-charge of rebuilding the quake-ravaged town.
EARTHQUAKE MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
OTHER REPORTS
Goa Congress concerned about Karnataka dams
Seismologists recently placed Goa in the moderate risk zone number three, in which Latur in Maharashtra also falls.
UP Govt to challenge order against Anti-copying Act
The government will challenge a recent Allahabad High Court Lucknow bench order that stayed provisions of the Act, which had made use of unfair means in examinations a cognisable offence.
Taleban denies change in stance over Osama
Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil denied the Taleban was ready to hand over the indicted terrorist in exchange for international recognition of its regime in Afghanistan.
COLUMN
The mantras for peace
'The dominant expression by the visiting generals of Pakistan was for re-engagement -- breaking out of what they called a "zero-dialogue situation" to meaningful engagement on Kashmir,' says Maj Gen (retd) Ashok K Mehta.
GUEST COLUMN
The graded path to Rumtek
'The Rumtek Monastery is the most important seat of the Karmapa. Why then is the young Karmapa not permitted to go to Sikkim?' asks Claude Arpi.
February 7, 2001
EARTHQUAKE: THE AFTERMATH
Northeast states draft disaster mgt policy
Tripura has taken the lead by issuing an order to ban construction of buildings with more than three storeys.
Lodai, Khengarpur, Dhrang become tourist hotspots
The areas are strewn with pouches of mineral water in total disregard for the environment.
Aid yet to reach all quake-hit villages
The Central government and the state administration have come under fire from the Opposition, the media and residents who say relief supplies that have flooded into Gujarat have not been distributed to many outlying villages.
Rescue operations give way to rehabilitation: Reuters
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said late on Monday that as many as 50,000 people may have died in the violent quake.
MESSAGE BOARD
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
PTI EARTHQUAKE REPORTS
Gujarat to announce housing policy for quake-affected
NGOs will be given the primary role in the reconstruction process and the government will assume a supporting role.
Bhuj collector gheraoed
The angry quake-stricken people were protesting tardy and inadequate relief distribution.
Most telephone exchanges in Bhuj restored
Out of the 147 exchanges in Bhuj, 133 have been restored.
Gujarat forest department chips in with wood
Instructions have been given to different forest circles to fell trees and bamboo on roadsides to supply them to Kutch where recovery of a large number of decomposed bodies is anticipated.
OTHER REPORTS
PMK joins AIADMK front
'Big brother Karunanidhi tried to destroy us at every step. Sister extended a friendly hand of support,' says PMK leader Dr S Ramdoss.
2 Bihar ex-ministers remanded to judicial custody
While Lalit Yadav surrendered before the special court of A P Ram on atrocities against Harijans, his former colleague Jai Prakash surrendered before the vigilance court of Jitendra Mohan Sharma.
Former Bihar minister Lalit Yadav surrenders
Yadav is the main accused in a case of torture and illegal confinement of Dalit truck driver, Dinanath Baitha.
Ranga Rao applies for bail
The bail application sought the release of Rao on the ground that the case was not maintainable since the contents of the FIR lodged by Rajnikant on January 29 were contradictory to the notice issued under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act on January 27.
New security measures for minorities: Farooq
Addressing an all party meeting in Jammu Monday evening, the chief minister said that he has discussed certain measures with the central team that J&K Monday.
Talwandi blasts Farooq for firing on Sikhs
'We have been reduced to second-grade citizens as militants are killing Sikhs in Srinagar and police are killing Sikhs in Jammu,' the SGPC chief complained.
No going back on J&K ceasefire: Mahajan
The parliamentary affairs minister argued that while there was violence in some parts of the state, the borders were relatively quiet.
Vajpayee is a moderate: Musharraf
'Vajpayee is the only moderate and he is surrounded by hawks, so if we have to move in a substantial way, it can only be done in a dialogue between him and me,' Pakistan's military ruler said.
LCA will be star attraction at air show
Aero India 2001, a five-day air show, will take off Wednesday from the Indian Air Force station at Yelahanka, on the outskirts of Bangalore.
Poland, India to sign accord on Skytruck
The agreement could lead to the manufacture of the monoplane which, in its military version, can be used as a small Airborne Warning and Control System.
Govt to babus: Keep away from grease paint
You can't be an officer and an actor. At least not in Karnataka. The state government just suspended Inspector B C Patil for acting in Kannada films.
Senior Congress leader V N Gadgil dead
Family sources said his body would be kept in Delhi for a day before being moved to Pune for the last rites.
TRIBUTE
'Bare fangs and bunched up knuckles were not for Vithal'
'For him, dignity held more weight than bluff and bluster.' N K P Salve remembers V N Gadgil.
PTI REPORTS
China tells India not to interfere in Tibetan affairs
It said that it did not want the 17th Karmapa Lama to be used by any foreign force to engage in anti-China activities from Indian soil.
No survivor yet in Dhanbad mine
A top BCCL official entered the mine Tuesday morning to survey the dry areas, identified earlier by the navy divers, but failed to find any survivor in these pockets.
Raghunath nominated Samata Party Bihar unit chief
With this the month-long crisis in the Samata Party ended on Tuesday.
Sudershan blames Rao for mosque demolition
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief described the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya in December 1992 as 'unfortunate'.
Court to frame charges in Gulshan Kumar case on March 2
The case involving the murder of the audio king was Tuesday adjourned by a sessions court, for framing of charges against 19 accused, even as the prosecution sought time to file a supplementary chargesheet before commencement of the trial.
SPECIALS
Journey to the epicentre
'It was not just our grief. The entire village was mourning. Also, we survived, didn't we?' Meet the villagers of Lodai, the village that was closest to the quake's epicentre.
GUEST COLUMN
Call in the ex-servicemen
They are used to a rough life and, in all probability, have participated in some kind of relief operation during their career, says Wing Commander (retd) Ravindra Parasnis.
COLUMN
Vitriol from the viceregal lodge of yore
'In invoking Ayub Khan's ghost, the first thing Narayanan forgets is that he himself is indirectly elected -- by a college of the country's state legislatures. Yes, the President who lectures to the people of India is not directly elected by those very people,' says Arvind Lavakare.
February 6, 2001
THE PMK PULLOUT
Two PMK ministers quit Union council
The constant sniping between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi had its reverberations at the Centre, when two PMK ministers of state resigned from the Union council of ministers on Monday. With this, the PMK announced its decision to pull out of the National Democratic Alliance.
Ramadoss to meet Jayalalitha on Tuesday: PTI
Ramadoss' announcement comes at a time when speculation is rife of a possible PMK-AIADMK electoral tie-up.
Self-preservation behind PMK pullout
The PMK's decision is seen as a prelude to the party joining hands with J Jayalalitha's AIADMK for the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
BJP reacts cautiously to PMK pullout
Senior party leaders maintained that the 'stability' of the Vajpayee government would not be affected.
THE EARTHQUAKE: THE AFTERMATH
Two more rescued in Bhuj: PTI
A Border Security Force rescue team dug through the rubble of flattened buildings at Karsana market and rescued an elderly man and a woman.
Bhuj jailer guards an empty prison
P M Patel, Superintendent of Police, and jailer of Bhuj jail has been on duty without a break since January 26.
Poor water, not rotting bodies, of greater concern: Red Cross
IFRC emergency health coordinator Hakan Sandbladh said on his
return from Bhuj that normal healthy people
killed in an earthquake, who do not have communicable diseases, do
not pose any threat to public health.
Tents now decide the social hierarchy in Bhuj
If you have managed to garner one, you are considered powerful. Else, you are doomed to spend cold nights in cars, buses, or worse, in the open.
Tent cities to be set up in Gujarat
Tent cities would be set up in Bhuj and smaller towns of the Kutch district, such as Bachchau,
Rapar and Anjar, which bore the brunt of the quake.
Debris disposal is a challenge in Bhuj
'As it transpires, we are merely shifting mountains of mangled metal and smashed concrete from one place to another,' an official said.
51 Guwahati highrises quake-vulnerable
With Geological Survey of India officials identifying the northeast as one of the most earthquake-prone zones in the country, apartment dwellers in Guwahati are a worried lot.
THE SITUATION IN J&K
Central team visits J&K
The team undertook the visit on Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's directive to take stock of the situation following the killing of six Sikhs by terrorists in Srinagar on Saturday.
Police break up protest march by Sikhs in Jammu
Police sources said nearly 500 Sikhs took to the streets in Nanaknagar locality in Jammu and to protest against the killings of six members of the community at Mehjoor Nagar in the city on Saturday evening.
Kashmir Sikhs demand migrant status
A memorandum presented to Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Governor G C Saxena by the Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee at Mehjoor Nagar in Srinagar on Monday, said the minority community was feeling unsafe in the wake of Saturday's massacre.
Pak offers to meet India halfway on Kashmir
The call by Musharraf followed moves by Pakistan and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over the past two months to ease tension along the LoC.
Musharraf sees signs of progress on J&K: PTI
But, he said, Pakistan would not accept any condition for the resumption of dialogue.
OTHER REPORTS
Part of damaged Bombay building collapses
Frightened employees, who work in offices in the intact portion of Poonam Chambers, rushed out and crowded the road.
Advani rules out Kashmir-type ceasefire in Assam
"Kashmir is a class by itself.
Pakistan's role there is direct and therefore we are proactively dealing with
the militant groups there. In Assam a ceasefire has no relevance," the home
minister said in Guwahati on Monday.
Delhi HC will hear Hindujas' plea on Feb 14
Justice S K Aggarwal of the high court, who heard the petition briefly on Monday, issued notices to the CBI, and directed it to reply within one week. The judge also fixed February 14 as the next date for hearing the application.
Bhutto warns Musharraf of people power
Benazir Bhutto warned the military government of a Philippines-type people's movement to overthrow him if he failed to begin a dialogue with the Opposition.
PTI REPORTS
HC admits writ challenging acquittal of accused in JMM case
The HC also upheld the trial court order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the disproportionate assets of three former JMM MPs.
One body floats out of flooded mine
A member of the navy's diving team said they found no air pockets and no sign of life in the mine.
Lawyer admits Bharat Shah acted as mediator
Shah's counsel V R Manohar denied his client had any links with the underworld but admitted acting as a mediator between Chhota Shakeel and a film producer.
'I am unable to convene Manipur assembly'
The reason, the Speaker told Governor Ved Marwah, was the 'heightened tension' between the ruling front and opposition parties.
Taleban ready to dump bin Laden for recognition
The Taleban may consider exiling the Saudi Arabian terrorist leader provided the West recognises it as Afghanistan's legitimate government, a leading British daily reported.
MESSAGE BOARD
'As a Pakistani I have no different feelings than an Indian'
'I find tears in my eyes whenever I watch the news on Zee TV or TV Asia. Can somebody explain to me why I didn't get the same feelings when I watch this kind of tragedy in other parts of the world?'
United in grief
Post your feelings about India's worst earthquake in 50 years. Show the victims that you are with them in this hour of crisis, in thought if not in person.
HELPLINE
Do you want to help?
Addresses to send monetary aid and relief material.
INTERVIEW
'The BJP is trying to rejuvenate itself by the earthquake'
'The Muslims of Kutch are being ignored... When the aid arrives, BJP leaders grab it because the government machinery is with them. No one trusts this government.' Gujarat Opposition leader Amarsinh Chaudhry on the situation in the state.
SPECIALS
The last namaz
For 24 hours, an ancient mosque became a symbol of Hindu-Muslim amity. Unfortunately, it was too good to last.
'Cease-fire does not mean anything for us Kashmiris'
"Haalat to bahut kharab hai (The situation is very bad)," says a Kashmiri. "We need to get home. There will be checking in the night."
'Will my school open?'
Some children call Childline, Ahmedabad's phone help service, saying they want to hear a story. Or a song. Others are direct; they fear the continuing tremors.
COLUMNS
God save us from the Babus
'Kutch is not the Himalayas, and the armed forces could have in matter of 24 hours assessed the damage and directed the stream of relief to various places,' says Colonel Anil Athale (retd).
It's sloth once again
'Gujarat authorities say there is no more money for relief measures because it has had more than its fair share of natural calamities. Fine, but surely that does not explain why, for instance, the batteries of the special satellite phones were not charged regularly!' says T V R Shenoy.
Archives
|
