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AUGUST 30
Classified note on ISI shows India as one of the worst victims of cross-border terrorism
The document is in response to US Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering's recent statement that Washington reserved the right to attack terrorists in any country but India could not take similar action in Kashmir as that could 'run the risk of setting off a wider conflict'.
NAM set to back India's initiative on combating terrorism
In this context, India will also strongly oppose any move to grant
NAM membership to the Taliban militia, which is lobbying for it
through some friendly countries.
Vajpayee voices fears over Pakistan's Islamisation
In his first official reaction to the move, the Indian prime minister, while describing it as an internal affair of
Pakistan, pointed out that this decision nevertheless would have an
impact on Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics.
Pakistan goes Islamic with a vengeance
Nawaz Sharief announced the fifteenth amendment to the constitution, making the injunctions of the holy scriptures the supreme law, in the light of which the affairs of the country would be conducted.
This new amendment would help in establishing five-time prayers,
distribution of zakat and in undertaking good work which would help in eliminating the prevalent evil in the society and in establishing a 'true Islamic welfare state,' the premier said.
PMK will continue support even if AIADMK pulls out
There is no alternative to the BJP-led government, said PMK founder leader Dr S Ramadoss.
Kerala priest says Hindutva is distorted Hinduism
A Christian priest in Kerala, who has researched the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for a doctoral degree from Paris's Sorbonne University, sees elements of communalism, fundamentalism, fascism and totalitarianism in its ideology.
Srikrishna report not rejected outright: CM
Manohar Joshi said he was surprised that, after so much
effort over five years and spending more than Rs 10 million, the
recommendations and the conclusions in the report could be so wrong
and misleading. ''I have nothing against the judge, but I do not
accept his conclusions because they are not fair,'' he said.
Nepal moves to conquer mountains of bottles on Everest
Environmentalists have long warned of the effects of litter
left behind each year in the region. After years of debate, the Nepal government banned all bottled drinks in the Himalayan region of Everest.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'I can tell you with authority that this government will last and there
won't be any problem'
'The Congress could not even attempt an alternative.
That will boomerang on it and it will fail. After
the state elections, Sonia will not be able to carry the
masses with her. This is what is going to happen. That is why I am very confident.' Marumalarchi DMK general secretary V Gopalaswamy, who does not share the AIADMK's view on withdrawing support to the Vajpayee government, believes in the TINA factor.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
'Our day will come. If not today, it will come tomorrow'
'In India the upper middle-class and sections of the middle-class have this ugly picture of us. They haven't seen our mass base. They don't know the work we do. They will come to know about these only when our movement extends to the cities.' Chindu Sreedharan on 82 hours with the People's War guerrillas.
Indian family's battle for custody of three kids reaches US court
The petition was filed before the Oakland Country Circuit Court in Michigan by a US-based Malayali couple, Thomas Pazhampally and Thresiamma as they suspect foul play in the death of their daughter J Achamma at her husband's house at Gudallur in Tamil Nadu.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Sahib to the slaughter
'If Sahib Singh still survives it is due to Lal Kishanchand Advani. The Union home minister, without whom Singh would have long ago fallen victim to Khurana's ploys, is reluctant to let down his protégé. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the other hand, is fully alive to the antipathy of most Delhiites to Singh...' Capital Buzz. Political gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
The politics behind Vajpayee's economics
'The exercise is part of a series of measures that the prime minister is taking to boost the realisation of his economic goals. The PMO will be announcing other schemes shortly. This gives a clear indication that Vajpayee is not satisfied with the finance ministry's working. These initiatives, hence, can be seen as an intervention by the prime minister, sensing the deteriorating economic condition of the country,' says Rajiv Shukla.
Bihar: Rabri, Laloo call on Vajpayee to complain against CBI raids
AUGUST 29
Vajpayee denies secret deal with Sonia to remain in power
The Congress knew its limits and, therefore, it was not making any attempt to form an alternative government, the prime minister said in a Doordarshan interview on the eve of his four-nation tour. 'In the first place, it is difficult to bring down this government... But if the government goes, it is all the more difficult to form an alternative government. Worried about these problems, some people (in the Congress) are giving an impression that they don't wish to topple the government.'
Sharief not going to Durban
'The problem in negotiating with Pakistan is that it has a one-topic
agenda -- Kashmir, and only Kashmir,' said former foreign secretary M K Rasgotra. 'What they conveniently forget is that even on Kashmir, there are different issues such as their withdrawal from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and support to terrorism.'
RV will head Constitution review panel
While the prime minister is expected to take a decision on setting up the commission soon after his four-nation trip next week, the choice of
the former President to head what could be a most controversial government panel has to be cleared by the BJP leadership.
Jaya to skip town during MDMK's Madras rally despite PM, Advani's presence
A meeting of party office-bearers chaired by Jayalalitha decided that she would instead address a public meeting at Tiruchirapalli to mark the 90th birthday celebrations of the late C N Annadurai.
BJP seems keen on bailing out Jaya
The overnight sacking of K Asokan, Central government standing counsel in the Madras high court handling various FERA cases involving Jayalalitha's live-in confidante Sasikala Natarajan, strengthens the suspicion.
Mahajan blasts Jaya
'I don't need any certificate regarding my political status, least from a person who has no moral right to talk about it,' Mahajan said while reacting to Jayalalitha's comment that she was not answerable to any 'Tom, Dick and Harry'.
Court issues notices to Centre, Gill
The Delhi high court issued show-cause notices to the central government and Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill on a public interest petition seeking a CBI inquiry into the bulk purchase and non-utilisation of electronic voting machines worth Rs 735 million.
Congress tries to woo back Goa rebels
Though 10 Congress legislators had split the party to form the Goa Rajiv Congress, it is learnt that a group of five among them led by Irrigation Minister Dayanand Narvekar is negotiating with party observer R L Bhatia for a comeback, provided the former is made the chief minister.
Airlifting of pilgrims goes on despite hiccups
The Uttar Pradesh principal home secretary says
his government has appealed to pilgrims going to
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri to defer
their travel schedules by at least 10 days, since it will give
the administration time to clear up the damage
caused to the route by nature's ire.
'We were to spend that night in Malpa'
A small landslide on the morning of August 17 a little beyond Malpa blocked the road to death for the 43-member ninth batch of pilgrims returning from Kailash-Mansarovar.
Sonia refuses to meet an ailing Kesri
The former Congress president's cup of woes seems to, well, flow over. Days into being admitted to the RML hospital in New Delhi for heart ailment, his successor has kept out of his way.
Group set up to prepare note on proxy voting for armed forces
The defence minister said the group of secretaries would also prepare a draft legislative amendment for the purpose.
Men of world take rich Indian girls for a ride in alien places
A kind of new marriage racket has been exposed in Thane, Maharashtra. Foreign-based Indian youths woo young, rich girls, marry them, squeeze them dry financially - and then throw them out.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
Women make better guerrillas than men
The number of women in the People's War squads is quite high -- 33 per cent. Their loyalty to the party is much more than that of their male counterparts. "Very few women leave the squads after joining," a Naxal commander says, "Once they are here, this becomes their home."
Gandhi, Godse and the truth
'If people have the right to distort history, incite emotions,
propagate hate and greed, in short do everything that goes against the
"social contract" on which democracy is based, then how can one expect to enjoy rights? Then the social contract becomes meaningless and society becomes a free-for-all arena where the fittest, the loudest and the meanest can survive.' Mahatma Gandhi's illustrious grandson Arun Gandhi joins the debate over Mi Nathuram Godse Boltoy.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
A Clintonian folly
'When an Indian minister merely talks of 'pro-active measures' it is 'belligerence'. But when an American president actually sends missiles into action, it is waived away as self defence', says T V R Shenoy.
Karnataka: President okays bill on takeover of Wodeyar's Mysore palace
Tamil Nadu: PIL filed against DMK's logo at Anna Memorial
Advani given 'nuclear' status
If the first deputy prime minister and home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the ''Iron Man of India'', the present incumbent of the ministry, L K Advani, is the ''Nuclear Man of India''.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Showers over Kerala, Karnataka
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 28
Vajpayee finally gets down to business
On Wednesday, the prime minister showed signs of getting down to work by setting up the economic advisory council and the trade and industry council in an attempt to stamp his authority on his
coalition government's economic policies. In a move to boost the sagging economy, the government also announced the
clearance of a national hydel policy, a satellite telephony policy and
recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to allow the petroleum ministry more flexibility in fixing oil royalties.
Karunanidhi says MDMA probe against him will bring out many facts
Reiterating his charge that the BJP-led government had
included his name in the ATR due to political pressure
from AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha, the Tamil Nadu
CM said the probe should cover the "Indira Gandhi
period" so that facts as to who had offered financial
support to the LTTE, who had provided arms, who
had received money from it and who had made it a
means for their regular income would come to light,
as also Vajpayee's participation, as an opposition
leader in May 1986 in the Tamil Eelam Supporters'
Organisation conference held at Madurai, which was
attended by the LTTE and other militant groups.
Question of continued support still under review: Jaya
The AIADMK chief's statement indicated that she was still keeping her options open with emissaries of the so-called secular front meeting her frequently seeking her support for an alternative government.
DMK is tired of waiting
While naming Karunanidhi, the BJP wanted to prove its loyalties to the AIADMK. The BJP also wanted to keep the DMK off the
Congress, whose Cupid the Tamil Maanila Congress was. But when the relations with the AIADMK soured, the BJP did not want to be caught napping. Nor did it want to be left in the lurch.
Jethmalani begs for a CBI probe into own affairs
The urban affairs and employment minister has asked the CBI to take cognisance of corruption charges levelled against him by Janata party president Subramanian Swamy.
Congress says 'no' to Mulayam's plea to pull down Vajpayee government
Party spokesman Ajit Jogi said the Congress was playing the role of a responsible opposition and soon after the fall of the BJP-led coalition, it would form a stable and fair government.
Siachen will remain tense, but won't trigger off war: Fernandes
The defence minister has ruled out the demilitarisation
of the Siachen glacier area in the near future, and
said Pakistan is not 'serious' about settling its
disputes with India.
High court serves notices on Sonia, Priyanka, Amitabh
The notices were issued on a suit urging the court to examine the deeds of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and remove the Congress president from her position as its chairperson.
Ban on Babri meet, Ayodhya security tightened
The administration has also banned the entry of Samajwadi Party spokesman Amar Singh in Faizabad district.
Pakistan tells US it is willing to sign CTBT, reports daily
According to the report, Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs has already prepared a summary report advocating the signing of the CTBT. Distancing itself from Pakistan's past policy, the report argues
that the country's national interests will not be compromised by
signing the CTBT, rather it will relieve Pakistan from US
pressure and will put India on the defensive.
American military action against terrorist bases exposes Pakistani bluster
Nawaz Sharief has since had to take a tough position, treading the
line between his country's nurturing of the Taliban and wariness toward angering militant Islamist groups at home, and a desire to avoid further alienating the US and the West.
Pallone writes to Albright on closer Indo-US ties over fighting terrorism
Drawing attention to the Pakistani government's complaint with the United Nations against the US military strikes in Afghanistan, the Democratic congressman said Islamabad's move signalled that its government is not interested in being a partner in the US campaign against terrorist organisations, and hence the latter should focus more on it in the ongoing campaign against terrorism.
India will put across its nuclear standpoint before NAM summit
There is every possibility that the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan would be deliberated at the forthcoming NAM summit in Durban, South Africa, when it will hold extensive discussion on 'disarmament and international security'. New Delhi's position will be explained in the light of the security environment in the region, a senior Indian official said.
Bangla rifles kill one, injure two
Unprovoked firing from Bangladesh in West Bengal's Hili area, South Dinajpur district, has left an Indian citizen dead and two others injured.
MQM pulls out of Sindh government, reduces Sharief's party to minority
The party cited non-implementation of its accord with the PML,
and the continued killings of its party activists allegedly by
intelligence agencies and rival factions, as the reasons that forced
the resignations.
Centre clears team's visit for cross-examining witness in Lakhubhai case
The team includes controversial tantrik Chandra Swami, his aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji and A M Khanwilkar, counsel for former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, also an accused in the case.
Vatican plans to canonise Mother Teresa
Though the process towards declaring sainthood often takes decades, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger believes it may be speeded up in Mother Teresa's case.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
Indian émigré's play wows critics, theatre-goers alike
New York embraces the very first play about Indian immigrant experience. Aasif Mandvi's one-man show, Sakina's Restaurant, gets multiple extensions following fab reviews in The New York Times and Village Voice.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
In deportation lies the very real threat of sending out Indian Bengalis
'Yet, the above mentioned steps can only be a stopgap measure. The United States has spent billions of dollars in trying to curb illegal migration from Mexico; but all they have achieved is only slow down the flow. Frankly, it will be same here. No method, no matter how sophisticated, can be foolproof or impenetrable. Sheer
poverty will push Bangladeshis into migrating to India,' says Amberish K Diwanji.
Bihar: Laloo aide held for rape
Maharashtra: Godse play irked people with its title, says Marathi actor
Uttar Pradesh: Floods gobble 70 per cent of Gorakhpur
TODAY'S WEATHER
Good showers over parts of NE
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, coastal Orissa, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 26
Jaswant-Talbott agree to meet yet again
The Americans, it seemed, have decided to take the conventional way to a man's heart. In Washington on Monday night, Jaswant Singh was treated to a meal prepared by the wife of his interlocutor, Strobe Talbott, and the dinner itself had two high-power visitors: Talbott's boss Madeleine Albright, and US National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. This sure is a good sign, believe MEA officials back home
BJP prepares for realignment of forces
By stating that the inclusion of Karunanidhi's name in the Jain panel ATR was an error, the BJP has paved the way for a reversal of roles in Tamil Nadu
Karunanidhi's name not dropped from ATR
The Tamil Nadu CM's name has been deleted from one particular chapter of the ATR. But that did not mean possible action against Karunanidhi by the MDMA was dropped altogether, say home ministry officials.
'You will hear more about Bofors in the next few days'
BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said people accused in the case and now out of the country were expected to be brought back. They will reveal the identity of the real beneficiaries of the deal, he said.
TN Islamic terrorists' bizarre designs baffle intelligence officials
'Why should I accept Basha or anyone else as my leader?' an
arrested youth in Tiruchi prison is known to have told his interrogators, referring to the Islamic fundamentalist leader arrested in connection with the Coimbatore serial blasts. 'I will
become a Basha myself one day, raise my own group, and fight
my own battles.'
Kargil to be relocated
Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has announced the decision to evacuate the 10,000-strong population to Ladakh region.
BJP awaits its turn in Goa
The party ignores short term gains for future profits.
Ahmedabad may get a new name, but Sherbhai's shehnai will not let it forget the founder
Amidst the reported moves to change the name of the commercial capital of Gujarat to its 'original' one, Karnavati, there is one place in the heart of Ahmedabad, where a shehnai mourns at the tomb of the city's founder Sultan Ahmed Shah I every day and night, for the last 555 years.
Clinton's travails delay Zubin's case against ex-employee
Mehta's case was put in the backburner because his former personal assistant Susan McDougal figured in the
White Water probe of independent counsellor Kenneth Starr, and he
had to wait for over five years before the case
came before a jury in Los Angeles last week.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
Karl and the Kalashnikov
Senior Feature Writer Chindu Sreedharan spent 82 hours with People's War guerrillas in the jungles of Maharashtra. A fascinating account of life with extremists struggling to overthrow the Indian State.
Behind India's Veil of Nuclear Ambiguity
'The evidence indicates that the May 1998 tests marked the culmination of the weaponisation process,' says Gaurav Kampani. 'Cognisant of India's nuclear neighbourhood, successive governments sought to provide insurance against nuclear blackmail. If current reports attributing the weaponisation decision to Rajiv Gandhi are true, then India actually exercised its "option" as early as 1988.'
The blood-thirsty criminal
Baga Reddy alias Aziz Reddy is like none other the Bombay police has arrested before. Spilling blood comes naturally to this criminal, aver police officials, and even his normal diet consists of a liberal dose of the red stuff.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
American military action is the best thing to happen to India in a long time
'Prime Minister Vajpayee's endorsement is more significant than has been perceived. On a cynical level, it can be attributed to bringing the country back in America's good books, but I believe it goes beyond that. As a victim of trans-border terrorism itself, India needed to be on the right side of the battle,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Say Hello, Or Click Here, To Support The Motherland
'Is Indian patriotism pumped up solely by such shouts of "support" for
India? Is India improved solely by gestures -- like rushing to vote in a Time poll, like signing off email with "Jai Hind" or "Mera Bharat Mahaan"? Like, come to think of it,
listening to "Vande Mataram" on our telephones?
Can patriotism go beyond those things? Are we interested in a patriotism
that goes beyond such gestures? Do we have one? Do you want one?' asks Dilip D'Souza.
Maharashtra: Differences with BJP sorted out, claims Joshi
AUGUST 25
BJP admits to 'inadvertently' including Karunanidhi's name in Jain panel ATR
Union Home Minister L K Advani has said the error was inadvertent and that the government has requested the secretary generals of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to make necessary corrections in this regard.
Jaya threatens stir over Karunanidhi's Cauvery speech
Taking exception to the Thanjavur public meeting addressed by the Tamil Nadu chief minister on Sunday, Jayalalitha, in a statement in Madras, reiterated that the Cauvery agreement amounted to betrayal and treachery by Karunanidhi. She said he should seek an open pardon for "ruining" Tamil Nadu's stand that the Cauvery dispute could be resolved only by the water dispute tribunal and the Supreme Court.
US perceives Vajpayee government as unstable, hesitant to strike a deal successor may renege on
Indications from the US capital seem to convey that the Clinton administration was apparently sceptical about the Vajpayee government's stability. As a result, Washington did not want to sign any agreement that could not be ratified by the successive government, it was emphasised.
RSS, ISS fight vigorously for Malapuram Muslims
In an attempt to outwit the banned Islamic Sevak Sangh in this
Muslim-dominated Kerala district, the RSS has begun setting up a number of social service institutions. The effort, RSS activists say, is to inculcate a sense of cultural pride among the Muslims and "to make them better Indians." But Muslim leaders say the RSS's mission is to promote Hindutva.
BJP looks up, finally
The successful Jaipur session of the national executive has boosted sentiments among the leadership and cadres, with the feeling that in case of a snap poll within the next few months, the BJP can hold its own.
Fernandes slams Jaya for preventing govt from functioning
"I wouldn't call it just irresponsible behaviour. I believe there is method in the exercise that you do anything and everything that is possible to prevent a government from settling down to governance," he said in a television interview.
Vajpayee will contest next Lok Sabha poll: Thakre
Asked to comment on the prime minister's recent statement that he would contest if the party asked him to -- although earlier he had announced not to -- the BJP chief said that "we have
persuaded him (Vajpayee) to contest the polls".
Fernandes rules out Hot Pursuit in Kashmir
The defence minister felt this was not required as the three-tier defence strategy being employed in the state was good enough.
Pak fire in Jammu, Kupwara
A report from Jammu said Pakistani troops fired with heavy and
light machine guns on forward posts on Sunday evening and Monday morning. Border Security Force personnel retaliated and the exchange continued for some hours. There was no casualty or damage to property on the Indian side.
SC bench to hear appeals in Rajiv assassination case on September 15
The hearing was fixed by a three-judge bench. All the 26 accused in the case were awarded capital punishment by a Madras special court.
US missile strays to Pak territory
An unexploded cruise missile was found in southwestern Pakistan following the missile strikes on alleged terrorist bases in bordering Afghanistan by the United States on Thursday, reports quoting official sources said.
Local authorities unable to confirm reports about recovering Protima's body
Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (home) Naresh Dayal said in Lucknow that although the director general of Indo-Tibetan Border
Police had been quoted as saying that Bedi's body had been recovered, the state government has not been able to
confirm the same with its local officials in Dharchula.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
Sheer Bull!
'The report of the IT task force trashes this mandate with devastating completeness. There is nothing in it to arouse a jack-in-the-box, let alone a billion-strong nation. There is no vision, save the sorry prospect of hundreds of wheels whirring and thousands of bureaucrats producing endless, useless memoranda. And there is, of course, no strategy. But what is worse, there is not even a stirring word to fire the imagination of the computer-crazy generation that is now slowly moving into place,' says Pritish Nandy.
Andhra Pradesh: Former Rayalaseema Congress MLA shot dead
Assam: Two killed in Guwahati blast
Bihar: Arson, vandalism during 'peaceful' bandh
Madhya Pradesh: House to convene special session on Aug 31 to endorse Chhatisgarh Bill
Maharashtra: Congress will start legal proceedings against Thackeray and Co
Orissa: Cabinet expanded
Tamil Nadu: Toll in hooch tragedy reaches 45
TODAY'S WEATHER
Orissa, Kerala in for wet weather
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places in Orissa, north Uttar Pradesh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Kerala during the next 48 hours.
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