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Laden's threat is West's creation, says Fernandes

Defence Minister George Fernandes on Friday termed the threat to the country by international terrorist Osama bin Laden as a creation of the Western media but clarified the government was taking every precaution.

Speaking after attending the annual general meeting of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, Fernandes said nothing serious has been found so far to be apprehensive about Saudi billionaire bin Laden's threat.

However, he refused comment on reports of Chinese air bases in Myanmar.

Fernandes, who presided over the the HMI AGM, said the situation in Kashmir too was improving fast and even tourist inflow had started there.

Earlier, participating in the AGM, Fernandes said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation should be used as a medium to boost adventure sports and the SAARC secretariat at Kathmandu should initiate adventure activities for the people living in the plains too.

The AGM, which was held after seven years, was also attended by West Bengal chief minister and HMI vice-president Jyoti Basu.

Basu said the Centre has allocated Rs 5 million this year for the HMI' Rs 20 million museum project at the campus to showcase the country's adventure activities.

He said the HMI would be sending an expedition to mount Aconcagua in Argentina led by Colonel H S Chauhan, and the Indian contingent members would be taken from other mountaineering institutes.

Meanwhile, Dorzee Lahtoo, HMI deputy field director, has been promoted as director of field training while incumbent Nowang Gombu, the first person in the world to climb Mount Everest twice, has been appointed advisor to the institute.

UNI

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