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ASSEMBLY POLL '98
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August 31 5 J&K cops killed in ambush by militants In other incidents across the state in the last 24 hours, 20 persons, including 12 militants, two soldiers and an army officer, were killed. Abducted tea official killed in crossfire Rajat Banerjee, assistant manager of a tea estate in Assam, was abducted by Naga extremists. He was killed in an exchange of fire between his captors and army troops. 2 killed as NSCN factions clash Official sources said stringent measures were being taken in Mokokchung district of Nagaland in the wake of sporadic clashes and the movement of armed cadres of rival groups. Bangalore teacher has providential escape in Moscow Nitin Limaye was on his way to Irkutsk in Siberia a couple of weeks ago to teach a course on the art of living. During an eight-hour stopover at Moscow airport he was befriended and later held hostage by four men believed to be Pakistanis. THE REDIFF COLUMNS Election khichadi 'Religion *has* become India's primary electoral issue. And, EC or no EC, Constitution or not, it will remain so till the minorities don't wake up from their "hurt" state,' says Varsha Bhosle. Coping with the unexpected 'The attack on the establishment suggests the government and army were forewarned, but refused to act. Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal, in cahoots with Brigadier Surinder Singh, is the architect of this bizarre accusation. Sibal and Singh have done a Bhagwat on the government,' feels Major General Ashok K Mehta (retd). THE REDIFF DIARY Planet Hollywood in Bollywood? Suparn Verma went for the launch of India Talkies. And came away unimpressed. August 29 Massive combing operation underway to capture Dara Singh Police protection has been provided to the gramrakhi Mukunda Nayak who had lodged the FIR alleging that it was Dara Singh who threw the Muslim youth, Sheikh Rehman, into the fire. Two Pak infiltrators among 9 killed in Kashmir Alert Gorkhas guarding the border foiled a major infiltration attempt by Pakistanis in Chowkibal. 38 prisoners escape from Nagaland jail The prisoners, mostly petty criminals and drug addicts, broke the main gate of the prison to escape after waiting for their lunch that was usually served at 1530 hours, police said. ISI planning to disrupt election Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey said security forces had unearthed a plot by the Pakistani agency to kill top politicians, including Vajpayee, Advani and Sonia Gandhi. THE REDIFF COLUMN A heart full of burden But still unbowed by hypocrisy, T N Seshan sought to hang in with the BJP till he got a seat from the Congress. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar. August 28 Tension in Mayurbhanj as shopkeeper is butchered and killed Sheikh Rehman was killed in a manner reminiscent of the Staines murders by a mob allegedly led by Dara Singh, prime accused in the missionary and his sons' killing. Army battling to correct its PVC mistakes The Indian Army, desperate to save face and put the record straight, is rewriting the citations issued to four Param Vir Chakra winners of Operation Vijay. Top-level team to visit Assam over ISI violence Alarmed at the rising trend of ISI-sponsored insurgency in the North-East, the Union home secretary would be visiting Guwahati tomorrow. Opposition leader predicts Sharief's fall Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, who, according to Pakistan's political history, always led the opposition against the ruling government, said in an interview that Sharief should not boast about the longevity of his regime as all is set for his departure. Pak rights panel dubbed eyewash Indeed a major objective of the exercise is the betterment of the Pakistan government's image in the international media, perceived as increasingly hostile towards the Sharief regime. Newspaper links mysterious murder to Pak-North Korea nuclear deal The Los Angeles Times correspondent, who filed this story, quoted an unnamed US official to say that it was highly probable that North Korean technicians were working in Pakistani laboratories. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS To Amma, Madam is worth just a shawl and few roses 'If Sonia Gandhi cannot handle the pressures of keeping an alliance together before the poll, does she expect us to believe that she can keep India together afterwards?' says T V R Shenoy. Those were the days, my friend 'If the Vajpayee government is returned to power, it will be the first time that a non-Congress government is voted in on a pro vote. Perhaps then one will be justified in saying that the Congress has been well and truly replaced at the federal level,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy. THE WEATHER Rain in Andamans Heavy rains are also likely at isolated places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal and Sikkim during the next 48 hours. August 27 Over 80 feared killed in Karnataka bus mishap Most of the victims were returning to Davanagere after offering prayers at a fair on the full-moon day at Uchangidurga. Upset jawan guns down five of colleagues Havaldar Surinder Singh had applied for leave a few days back which was refused by his seniors. He approached his boss again yesterday with the request that his leave be granted so that he is able to visit his family. However, his request was rejected once again. ISI human bomb plot unearthed Haryana DGP A S Bhatotia said the Pak agency had hatched 'a conspiracy' to kill Vajpayee, Advani, Sonia and other leaders. Reject nuclear doctrine: expert 'The calls for punitive retaliation and the use of sufficient nuclear weapons (in the doctrine) would, if implemented, lead to largescale destruction and deaths among civilians,' says Dr M V Ramana. PoK Shias resent Pak militants They allege that the presence of the militant groups has created a law and order problem in the northern areas of Skardu. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'Gowda's Janata Dal will disappear after the Lok Sabha elections' 'In politics, abusing is a normal phenomenon. Yes, Patel has abused me and I have abused him. The BJP has also abused Patel. But now we all have come together for a lasting political friendship,' says Ramakrishna Hegde. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS 'How in hell has Sonia been allowed to get away without giving a single interview?' 'Sonia would have been fully entitled to her silence if she were just a private individual. But the moment she stepped into the political pulpit she lost that right voluntarily,' says Krishna Prasad. 'Equal education for all' 'No one can compare the merit of a poor boy in a village struggling to go to school and a boy from an elite school. They occupy different galaxies, not just different worlds,' says Amberish K Diwanji. THE WEATHER Wet weather continues in North-East Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim and north Orissa during the next 48 hours. August 26 India playing politics over POWs: Pak 'India insists on a declaration of war in retrospect... to satisfy its thirst for propaganda. This is a reprehensible act against civilised norms of behaviour,' a statement said. POWs caught in Delhi-Islamabad crossfire Officials believe Pakistan is cagey about accepting the eight prisoners since it would become another implicit admission that its soldiers were involved in the Kargil conflict, an accusation that Pakistan is still trying to deny. India is endangering regional security: Pak The Defence Committee of the Cabinet, the top civilian/military body, said in a statement that the Indian nuclear doctrine was fraught with serious risks and dangers, not only for the security of the region but the world at large. Indo-Bangla cross-fire stops, both parties agree to maintain status quo The decision to maintain status-quo was taken at a high-level meeting between BDR Director General Major General Ajijur Rahman and BSF Inspector General B C Goel. Stay on Kohram in Himachal Pradesh Former chief minister, Veerbhadra Singh, in his petition has complained that in the movie he, his actions, his character and public life have been adversely commented upon by stating allegations, which were false, scandalous and defamatory. Bin Laden shifting base, says Russia The Tajik rebel attack in Kyrgyzstan, the ongoing war in Dagestan and the presence of the Taliban in these zones was a sign of this, the state-owned radio said. Taliban leader reportedly unhurt in blast Several of Mullah Mohammad Omar's bodyguards were injured when "explosive material" went off in a truck abandoned near his Kandahar residence. Flood toll in Bihar reaches 231 The situation has worsened with the Gandak river inundating more than 100 villages in west Champaran district. 5 feared killed in Bihar boat mishap Superintendent of Police Anil Kishore Yadav said today that the boat was carrying 24 people, of whom 19 managed to swim ashore. Police kill 3 Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh Police said a special police party combing the area came across a group of militants, belonging to the Chandra Pulla Reddy Dalam, holding a meeting. On seeing the police, the extremists fired at them. The police returned the fire, killing three Naxalites. Kaiga to start commercial operations in November The 220 MW unit is expected to become functional by the second week of September, said V K Sharma, project director. Parents held for AP girl's 'sacrifice' Vennela's mother Balamma confessed that they had perpetrated the grisly crime to extract money from the owner of a stone-crusher unit. NRI businessman absconds after defaulting on loans Madhav Bhagubhai Patel, who was based in Sharjah, has been on the run after defaulting on loans and credit to the tune of over $ 130 million. THE REDIFF SPECIAL Romantics and Practical Solutions 'Yet civilizations are shaped by those who dare to challenge prevailing notions of 'practical' and thus expand the frontiers of the possible. By questioning the nature and modes of 'development' this is just what the Narmada Bachao Andolan is doing,' argues Rajni Bakshi. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'I cannot take orders from every Tom, Dick and Harry' 'The harassment, the torture, the troubles I faced in the last six, seven months was too much,' says Dalit Ezhimalai, who resigned recently as Vajpayee's health minister. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS Soft options, hard choices 'Forget parties, forget ideology. We are living in an era of political opportunism and high pitched marketing,' says Pritish Nandy, MP. THE REDIFF DIARY Onam in Boise 'I've already made up the menu for my onasadhya here. For banana chips I've to make do with French fries; fresh vegetable salad for all the curries, and I'll have to drink Coke, of course, not payasam!' An NRI's diary. THE WEATHER Monsoon continues in Andamans Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during the next 48 hours. August 25 ISI-backed terrorists reported to have come in through Kargil These terrorists are now engaged in reviving defunct separatist groups and organising subversive activities across the country, sources said. Firing sparks tension on Bangla border The Bangladesh Rifles opened unprovoked firing on Indian farmers. Girl killed to propitiate goddess The Hyderabad police said the body of the four-year-old was discovered in a stone-crushing machine. When a gift turned into a millstone S Kothur kept the globe as an ornamental piece on the reception desk of his small shop in Kerala. Soon enough, the police came knocking. He was arrested, the globe seized, and this former NRI was labelled a 'terrorist'. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS Pathological anti-BJP-ism 'It was crystal clear that they [the Opposition] were not against the [telecom] package per se, but could not stomach the thought that the Vajpayee government was getting another feather in its cap,' says Arvind Lavakare. The LoC may be de facto at present, it might become de jure tomorrow 'We should go to the farthest extent to make peace with Pakistan. War is no solution to the problem. That Islamabad has betrayed our confidence goes without saying. So did Beijing in 1962. Still we have mended our fences with it without getting any part of the territory which China occupies,' says Kuldip Nayar. August 24 Army to deploy one division along LOC Sources said the technologically advanced mechanism to avoid positioning a large number of soldiers in the avalanche-prone areas where temperatures remain below zero, would not materialise this winter. Kashmir MLA escapes murder bid Three security personnel and a foreign terrorist were among six persons killed in the last 24 hours in the valley. Womanisers make good leaders: Manekshaw India, the field marshal said, "is in a retrograde state because of a lack of leadership -- not just political, but leadership in every sphere of life, be it industry, education or any other". THE REDIFF SPECIAL Nuclear doctrine: not a day too soon 'By putting the issue of deterrence doctrine firmly on the national agenda, the BJP has ensured that irrespective of the election results, the nation will have to make a decision on this vital issue,' says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS The stuff we are made of 'We found tremendous similarities between the BJP and the Indian Army: Both slight friendly columnists, both foster hostile journalists -- and both get screwed in the process... It's called divine justice,' says Varsha Bhosle. The men who must win 'There are quite a few good candidates around. They should be made to win. The list includes Dr Manmohan Singh, Yashwant Sinha, P Chidambaram... If these people lose then we, the voters, would be to blame. That would mean we do not want good people,' says Rajiv Shukla. THE WEATHER Monsoon to continue in North-East Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim in the next 48 hours. Archives |
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