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'Time has come when peace should and must return to Nagaland and the Northeast'
Mizoram Chief Minister and former insurgent leader Zoramthanga speaks to Onkar Singh on his participation in the peace talks with the NSCN and the chances of peace in the northeast.
'Without Pakistan's consent, a ceasefire is difficult'
'After ruling India for 900 years, Muslims today live like slaves. The community has been delivered slow poison.' Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari speaks to Ramesh Menon about his plans for a Muslim party, the situation in J&K and the government's apathy towards Muslims.
'Pakistan simply has too much blood invested in Kashmir to ever walk away quietly.'
'We are in a phase now where the peace will either go forward in a significant and meaningful way, or the situation will disintegrate into a higher degree of chaos and bloodshed than we have ever seen in the Valley,' peacemaker Mansoor Ijaz tells Ramananda Sengupta in an exclusive interview.
'Of course, the charges are false. I am innocent'
SGPC President and prime accused in her daughter's murder, Bibi Jagir Kaur speaks of her innocence to Onkar Singh.
Virtual Tibet's Problems Very Real
Orville Schell, one of America's foremost scholars on China speaks to Suleman Din about the Tibetan hopes for independence, and the power dynamics between India and China that affects the future of the nation.
'It'll take 4, 5 years to roll out the first batch of Sukhois'
HAL Chairman Dr C G Krishnadas Nair outlines the indigenous Sukhoi project and flays criticism about not meeting the IAF's requirements on time to George Iype.
'I am not protecting Veerappan'
Pazha Nedumaran, who played a crucial role in Dr Rajakumar's release, tells Shobha Warrier that no ransom was paid to Veerappan and denies the LTTE's involvement in the abduction.
'Hindutva is the quintessence of Indian nationalism'
Currently out of circulation from the BJP national executive, K N Govindacharya speaks to Shobha Warrier about his study leave, his views on the economy and the role of the RSS.
'Rajakumar's positive outlook helped him'
Spending time with his family is much better therapy than hospitalisation to recover from his kidnap experience, says Rajakumar's personal physician Dr Ramanna Rao.
'I will take care of the malcontents'
Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi on tackling the extremist menace and how he intends to guide the destiny of India's 28th state.
'It is not easy to guide a new state'
Uttranchal Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala refutes all charges of political oblivion and speaks to Onkar Singh on his second stint as governor.
'I'm not facing murder charges'
Harin Pathak who resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on November 11 discussed the controversial case that has derailed his promising career with Prithvi Shah.
'I am the biggest pahari'
Newly elected Uttranchal Chief Minister Nityanand Swami speaks to Onkar Singh as he denies all reports of dissent in his party and elaborates on the challenges ahead.
'Only commando action can save Rajakumar'
Outspoken Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy on Rajakumar's rescue operation, P
Nedumaran, J Jayalalitha and more.
'I am helpless. After all, I am anti-national'
Tamil Nadu government emissary and Tamil nationalist P Nedumaran tells Shobha Warrier why he pulled out of Karnataka matinee hero Dr Rajakumar's rescue mission.
'I will be the Jharkhand chief minister. That's it'
Shibu Soren, the most articulate aspirant for the chief minister's post in the newly created state of Jharkhand speaks to Tara Shankar Sahay on the how he has been deceived by the NDA.
'The history of poorer Indians disappears without record'
Siddharth Dube, author of Sex, Lies and AIDS, in conversation with Ashok
Banker.
'The Congress should stop being moribund and inactive'
Jitendra Prasada, Sonia Gandhi's opponent for the Congress presidency, speaks to N Sathiya Moorthy about his reasons for taking on a member of the Nehru dynasty.
'By nominating leaders, the Congress will not grow'
Former Tamil Nadu State Congress President K V Thangabalu speaks to Shobha Warrier about the ongoing state party election and the Sonia Gandhi-Jitendra Prasada race for the Congress presidency.
'Until Israel realises that force will not succeed, nothing will improve'
Dr Khalid El-Sheikh, Ambassador of the State of Palestine tells Josy Joseph that West Asia could revert to the bloody days of hijack, assassinations and suicide bombers, if the present violence is not contained immediately.
'We prefer good Catholics to corrupt Hindus'
Manohar Parrikar, a cadre of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh who has become Goa's first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister, speaks about his plans and stand vis-à-vis controversies raised by the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
'Neither the BJP nor the Congress can ignore us'
CPI-M General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet believes a Third Front government will take charge of India early next year.
'We want both, Dawood and Chhota Rajan'
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal speaks to Senior Editor Sheela Bhatt about Chhota Rajan's extradition from Thailand and other issues.
'Gupta could not give the government proper direction'
Loktantrik Congress Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Naresh Aggarwal explains why the coalition partners wanted Ram Prakash Gupta replaced as chief minister.
'There is no dissent in the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit'
'I am sure our coalition partners and my party colleagues will extend a helping hand to me and guide me in leading the government,' says Uttar Pradesh chief minister-designate Rajnath Singh.
'When I look back, I am definitely surprised at what I have done'
'Power is the only instrument which helps to turn dreams into reality.' The concluding part of Union IT Minister Pramod Mahajan's interview to Sheela Bhatt.
'Obviously, Advaniji is the person after Atalji'
'Atalji's popularity is out of anybody's reach. There is nobody who is seen as an alternative to him in contemporary politics, either within the BJP, within the NDA or even outside.' Union Minister Pramod Mahajan speaks at length with Senior Editor Sheela Bhatt.
'Govindraj feels claustrophobic in his own room'
'Even last night, he suddenly jumped out of bed in some kind of delirium. And now he finds it so difficult to lie down in a closed room.' Dr Ramana Rao, actor Rajakumar's family doctor, on how the jungle stint has affected Govindraj.
'Does the government have a Kashmir policy?'
RSS joint secretary Mohan Bhagwat says the Sangh is only against those who give evidence of hostile intentions towards India.
'No power can bend the RSS'
'We want cow protection. We want the Ram temple to be built. No government can tell us what to think. Or feel.' M G Vaidya, the new articulate face of the RSS, speaks to Roving Editor Ramesh Menon.
'Corruption will always remain in politics'
'People say you should speak the
truth,
but when you do so there is no one to support you.
I
spoke the truth, but now when I turn back, I find no one
behind me.
I am lonely.' Shailendra Mahto, whose deposition nailed P V Narasimha Rao, on political corruption
'I have done
nothing
wrong'
'The Supreme
Court
has already given a judgment saying that if members of the Lok Sabha or
legislators vote even after taking money there is nothing wrong. But I
never
gave money or took it.' Buta Singh presents his case.
'The PM is a positive person'
Ashok Tandon, officer on special duty at the Prime Minister's Office, discusses how the PMO will function away from its historic perch in the capital.
'I will float a party by the year end'
Saifuddin Chowdhury says he has no bitterness about being thrown out of the CPI-M. He says he was expecting it and is already making his future plans
'The twenty-first century belongs to Indians'
'We do have some serious problems to take care of. However, if all of us put our acts together, no one in the world can stop us from achieving our goals and aspirations.' Dr Thomas Abraham, pioneer of the Global Organisation of People of India Origin in an interview to Amberish K Diwanji.
'The soul is a confluence of the sacred and the profane'
Best selling author Deepak Chopra is now working on a film called Juggernaut, which is about an American assassin who eventually reforms himself. He talks to Pritish Nandy about the film and about Hinduism, as he sees it.
'The CBI did their best to save Rao'
An exclusive interview with Ravindra Kumar, who exposed the JMM bribery case, in which former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and Buta Singh were convicted on Friday.
'The number of days he spends here will depend on how he responds to treatment'
'Surgery is possibly on October 10. Unless the doctors say his condition is frail and they want to wait one or two days. Post-operative care will need another five days.' Dr K G Nair on the prime minister's surgery.
'I suggested N D Tiwari as UP Congress chief'
'There are a handful of people who are holding our party to ransom,' says deposed UP Congress chief Salman Khursheed.
'I brought life into yoga, I made it very lively'
'Yoga was a very dry subject 40 years ago. There were hardly three or four people learning yoga then, but now there are millions of people who learn yoga. The subject was not treated with respect in the early years, but I changed the whole scene.' Yogacharya B K S Iyengar on his contribution to yoga.
'No one individual has made South Africa'
'South Africa has been in the making for over 100 years by people's sacrifices and by people working towards a particular vision. One should not perceive the struggles of this nation as a one-man show.' Dr Frene Ginwala, speaker of Africa's national assembly on the making of a nation.
'I think some poison had entered his body, and was eating up his body'
'Everything was over on the 15th. They fooled around for one week.' Kitty Kumaramangalam unburdens herself on her husband P R Kumaramangalam's death.
'SC will be blamed for trouble now'
S R Govindu, president of the All-Karnataka Rajakumar Fans' Association, admits that they can only try to gather people together and bring pressure on the Centre, whether it is the prime minister or the President of India, to get Kannada film icon Rajakumar released.
'It's too soon to judge what Clinton's record
will be'
'The strength that Gore and Lieberman bring is experience. Al Gore has
been vice-president for eight years. He does not need any on the job
training. He can step right in as president.' US Electoral Consultant Kathleen Kurth about the run-up to Campaign 2000.
'Veerappan has become a terrorist'
'Everybody thinks that Veerappan stays in a bungalow and I am taken to the jungle in a car and from there I go directly to his house! Do you know that we have to walk 15-20 km to meet Veerappan? Sometimes we have even walked 25-30 km. He is not the same Veerappan who we saw in 1997.' Nakkeeran editor R Gopal on his travails in the jungle to secure the release of Dr Rajakumar.
'Rajakumar will emerge stronger'
Dr B Ramana Rao on what could be the condition of his patient of 15 years, the Kannada film icon, who is being held hostage by forest brigand Veerappan.
'Kashmir is an issue that concerns the entire world'
Farooq Kathwari, chairman, CEO and president of Ethan Allan and one of the mediators in the Kashmir dispute, in an exclusive interview to Savera R Someshwar.
'Vidarbha is more viable than other new states'
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Ranjit Deshmukh is spearheading the movement for a separate Vidarbha state, giving sleepless nights to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
'After Dr Rajakumar's release, the truth will come out'
E V K Elangovan, who has taken over as president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, says that if anything goes wrong in rescuing Kannada film icon Dr Rajakumar, the lives of Tamils in Karnataka will be affected.
'There is no conflict between the RSS and the BJP'
Q:If you realise that Ram Mandir issue can bring the BJP back to
power, will you revive the issue?
A:I don't think that possibility exists now. I do not foresee that happening.
The BJP's newly chosen president, Bangaru Laxman, tells it like it is.
'The high command should not test my patience'
'My followers and supporters in the state are worried and restive.
Everyday hundreds of them come to me with various plans. Some want me
to constitute a parallel Youth Congress wing to fight the Left parties in the
state. But I am holding back from taking any provocative decisions
because I care for the unity of the party.' Congress leader K Karunakaran goes on the war-path.
'There was no political will to catch Veerappan'
'J H Patel was just not interested in nabbing him. He gave candid interviews saying there was nothing wrong with wine and women. What can you expect of such a government?' Karnataka police chief C Dinakar in a frank interview.
'I believe in divine justice too'
Abdul Kareem says he will fight till the end against the release of TADA detainees, as demanded by forest brigand Veerappan, in exchange for Kannada film icon Dr Rajakumar and three others.
'An able politician can emerge winner against all odds'
Pranab Mukherjee speaks to Rifat Jawaid following his appointment as West Bengal Congress chief.
'Vajpayee is going in the right direction'
'There are three professions in the
world that do not need any qualification. One is journalism -- and I'm a
journalist. The other two are prostitution and politics. I'm sorry that we
sometimes become quite irresponsible.' R V Pandit, media-personality, film producer, concerned citizen - unspooled as never before.
'Bombay is the safest city in the world'
Joint Commissioner of Police D Shivanandan defends the police force.
'The Pakistan army does not want to lose Pakistan for the sake of Kashmir'
'They sympathise with the Kashmiri issue, but they don't want to see their own country destroyed.'
South Asia expert Professor Stephen Cohen, in a Real Audio interview.
'There is no incentive for a war'
'The factors compelling India and Pakistan to have more normal relations than then have had in the past nine years are very powerful. There are big economic incentives. There are big political incentives in both countries.' South Asia expert Professor Stephen Cohen, in a Real Audio interview.
'Apollo had done everything that was possible for Ranga'
In an exclusive interview with Shobha Warrier, Dr Pratap Reddy, chairman of the Apollo Hospitals brushes aside the allegations hurled at the hospital after Rangarajan Kumaramangalam's illness was diagnosed at AIIMS.
'The more we give in, the more he will come to believe that violence and abduction pay'
Sub-Inspector Shakeel Ahmed was killed in August 1992 in an ambush by Veerappan. Abdul Kareem, his father, who has been fighting a lone battle against the release of TADA detainees, explains why Veerappan's demands should not be met.
'Why should we talk to Pakistan?'
'Let Pakistan talk to the people of Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir and we Kashmiris will talk to
India. If they are living in Pakistan, they should
remain there and not come here for talks. Even
those in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir do not want
to live with Pakistan.' Reformed militant Javed Shah tells rediff.com.
'Terrorism has spread in the state'
Jammu & Kashmir Governor G C Saxena compares his two tenures and hopes the Hizb will return to the negotiating table.
Are nuclear weapons going to help us counter low-level insurgency in Kashmir?
'I am not denying the problems with Pakistan in Kashmir, but how do nuclear weapons help us resolve the problems? On the contrary, nuclear weapons have helped Pakistan in that we had decisive conventional weapons superiority over Pakistan, which we lost after the nuclear tests.' Anti-nuclear campaigner Praful Bidwai tells Amberish K Diwanji.
'I am ready to leave at a moment's notice'
Dr Rajakumar's personal physician Dr B Ramana Rao tellsM D Riti, 'I am just waiting to see my favourite patient again.'
'I can now focus more intently on a smaller state'
'Once you give power to the people, you cannot take it away. It is impossible for any
political leadership to now slide back. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh speaks to Roving Editor Ramesh Menon.
'We will have to talk to Pakistan in the future'
'It is fair to say that the Hizbul Mujahideen represents a
small percentage of Kashmiri opinion. It is
significant, because if a Kashmiri group was willing for talks, it means that
people have realised the futility of violence and that you have turned the
corner as far as the people of Kashmir's thought are concerned,' says Omar Abdullah.
'Our ruling elite is totally indifferent to national security'
'You must understand that last time when the Pakistanis found that the JKLF were trying to act independently they immediately marginalised JKLF and created Hizbul Mujahideen. Now the Hizbul Mujahideen is trying to act independently, so now they are trying to put down the Hizbs and push their own mercenaries. This is all a part of the same continuing war,' says security expert K Subrahmanyam.
'Our struggle is for freedom. We want freedom. And our struggle will continue'
'We have struggled for 13 years, janaab. And 70,000 people have died. Thousands of homes have been ruined. The Kashmiri people have made a lot of sacrifices. So there is no question of talks within the framework of the Constitution.' Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Salim Hashmi tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'We hope this Iraqi regime listens to the voice of reason'
Kuwait Ambassador to India Abdullah A Almurad, in an exclusive interview to mark 10 years since Iraq invaded his country.
'We must unite to convince the West that they cannot dictate terms to us'
Iraqi Ambassador to India Salah Al-Mukhtar, in an exclusive interview to mark 10 years since his country invaded Kuwait.
'There is a need to review and readjust in view of rapid international changes...'
Nepal Ambassador Bhekh B Thapa, in an exclusive interview.
'We can't all be Gandhi or Mao'
'A perception of the extraordinary in the ordinary is critical to bring about value based change today.' Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy, in an exclusive interview.
'National security is being seriously threatened'
'The Lower Assam districts have already become a Muslim-majority district -- there is nothing wrong in that. But if
that district is primarily a foreigners' district of people infiltrating from Bangladesh, they may raise a hue and cry tomorrow for a Greater Bangladesh. If that happens, the northeast will get severed from the rest of India.' Assam Governor Lt Gen S K Sinha, in an explosive interview.
'The Srikrishna report is on the way'
'Since the last 30 years Thackeray was roaring that the police cannot arrest me. Today, the police arrested him and produced him before the court. I think that is the biggest victory.' Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal tells Sheela Bhatt.
'There must be no violence whatever the provocation'
'I have told my followers to maintain peace and calm in all circumstances so that the people are not put to any inconvenience just because of the vindictiveness and sadism of an individual,' says Bal Thackeray.
'Our action is on and now you are waiting for the final blow'
'There is nothing like a final blow. This is, after all, a legal action which has to be set according to legal procedures. Also, we have to keep in mind that all these actions cannot be done in a haste and hurry.' Bombay Police Commissioner M N Singh on the Thackeray case.
'Vested interests spread rumours to exploit the situation'
Leh Deputy Commissioner Navin Chaudhary on the tension in the town.
'I will take legal action to prove my claim'
Swami Adhokshajananda Dev Teerth on who's the real Shankarachrya.
'Allah told me that in order to be effective, you should have political power'
Kamala Suraiya, nee Kamala Das, in a frank interview.
'The future is very promising...'
Dov Segev-Steinberg, Israel's consul general in Bombay, is infused with a new energy after the visit of Home Minister L K Advani and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh to his country.
'The country will be shocked when it hears who is behind these attacks...'
The National Minorities Commission has been the target of the ire of church leaders who believe its reports on the recent attacks on Christians which absolve Hindu organisations of any guilt, are untrue. NMC member John Joseph explains the Commission's position.
'Economic development will root out militancy in Kashmir'
BJP's senior vice-president Jana Krishnamurthy speaks about the autonomy issue, the NDA government's policies, the Ram temple and terrorism.
'A star is a star and should not be labelled as Hindu or Muslim...'
A recent article in the Hindi weekly Panchjanya published by the RSS, which sought to compare actor Hrithik Roshan with Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir Khan has come under fire, seemingly because it seeks to divide the film industry along communal lines. Editor Tarun Vijay defends the article.
'They are paid hirelings of Jaffna Tamils'
Vazhappadi Ramamurthy blasts Vaiko and Dr S Ramdoss and says the MDK has always played a dubious role.
'The Emergency gave the middle class a taste of what poor people go through under normal circumstances...'
P N Dhar, a member of Indira Gandhi's office during the Emergency, recounts some of the events that led to its imposition.
'If they are not satisfied with autonomy, they may ask for separation'
Former Union minister C Subramaniam calls for a national debate on granting autonomy to states.
'Involve Pak in talks for lasting solution'
Former Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed says if we succeed in evolving a solution with the people of Kashmir, it should be our diplomatic effort to involve Pakistan.
'Digvijay has violated the law'
Kalpana Parulekar, a dissident Congress legislator from Madhya Pradesh, says she is fighting a war to free the state from the clutches of dictators.
'The church is running hate campaigns'
Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Dr Pravin Togadia says incidents of attacks on Christians are being blown out of proportion to discredit Hindu organisations.
'We also want to save the Vikrant'
Maharashtra fishermens leader Damodar Tandel says they are not against converting the Vikrant into a war memorial.
'Every party can air its opinion'
Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu general secretary L Ganesan says Prime Minister A B Vajpayee is known for accommodating people.
'So, who needs IAS officers anyway?'
B S Baswan, director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, says the trend is for specialised departments to be headed by trained personnel, not generalists like IAS officers.
'Bacher's charges are senseless'
Anshuman Gaekwad says the 1999 World Cup match between India and Pakistan could not have been fixed.
'Why is BJP not condemning the butchery?'
CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya tells Soroor Ahmed that the Sangh Parivar has direct links with the Ranvir Sena in Bihar.
'Three guys in New York can't hijack Osho's legacy'
Swami Chaitanya Keerti, former public relations officer at the Osho commune, in conversation with Pritish Nandy.
'The BJP attitude to Lanka issue is unwise'
Cho Ramaswamy on why he is still against the LTTE
'53 years after Independence, we have still about one-third of India without drinking water'
Dr M S Swaminathan on why even now, India does not know how to manage its monsoon and water, even though it gets adequate rain
'We are great at fooling ourselves'
Security affairs specialist Dr Bharat Karnad on India's nuclear weapons programme.
'It's my duty to protect the religion'
Swami Nischalanand Saraswati, the sankaracharya of Puri, on why converted Hindus must only pray in specially-built Swastik temples and his views on conversions and Hindu religion.
'India must support Tamils'
Dr Krishnaswamy of the Puthiya Thamizhagam had been a vocal supporter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He was from the pro-LTTE camp. But, when he spoke to Shobha Warrier he tried a different line.
'We are refugees in our country'
Dr Sunil Shakdhar, vice-president of the Kashmir Samiti, Delhi, spoke to Tara Shankar Sahay about his community's anxiety to return to the militancy-infested state, its desire to ensure a homeland for Kashmiri Pandits and the resolve to fight till their demands are met
'I'm uncomfortable in the limelight'
Designer Shahab Durazi is different. That is what makes him stand apart from the rest in India's hyperactive high fashion scene where hype and hoopla reign supreme.
'Narayanan can help improve ties with Chinese'
'While Presidential visits, from the Indian point of view, are seen as ceremonial with more pomp and pageantry rather than hard negotiations, the Indian President's visit is slightly different,' says former ambassador to China C V Ranganathan.
'The Hurriyat has no control over violence'
'Let the Hurriyat contest, I can assure you that the very next day we will dissolve the assembly and Farooq Abdullah will call for fresh elections,' says Minister of State for Commerce Omar Abdullah.
'There was pressure on DD-consortium deal probe'
O P Kejriwal, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, who set the ball rolling by ordering an inquiry into the formation and functioning of the Sports Consortium, in an exclusive interview
'Anarchy in West Bengal'
Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamul chief and Union railway minister, accuses the CPI-M of creating a reign of terror in Midnapore.
'Indians must celebrate if Jaffna falls'
Vaiko, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief, says patriotism has become a monopoly of few political parties in India.
'India has big role to play in Lanka'
Lakshman Kirelale, Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister, says his country is not asking for weapons now.
'LTTE only interested in itself'
R Umanath, politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, says the party does not identify the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with the interests of ordinary Sri Lankan Tamils.
'The LTTE is a freedom movement'
Tamil Eelam Supporters Co-ordination Committee convener P Nedumaran, in a hard-hitting interview.
'Christians are peace-loving'
Reverend Gollapalle Samuel, Pastor, Baptist Church and chairman of the All India Christian Council, says incidents like the blast at Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh should not be allowed to recur since they affect society at large.
'Atttempt to censor my writings is part of larger gameplan'
Dr Kancha Ilaiah, associate professor of political science at Osmania University, in a frank interview.
'The danger is not on our borders. It is within'
Film-maker Ashok Pandit tells Pritish Nandy.
'This is not the time to indulge in manipulative politics'
'Soniaji relied on senior members like Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Natwar Singh and N D Tiwari. She is a good listener and then formulates her views. But if these people speak in two voices, what can be done?' Vasant Sathe, in a frank interview.
'The Chinese suspect that India and the US will get together against Beijing'
'There is no warmth or trust in our relationship, elements which are clearly seen in the China-Pakistan relationship. And without such warmth our relations cannot progress.' China expert Professor Giri Deshingkar on the President's forthcoming visit to Beijing.
'We have buried the hangover of the Cold War'
India's Ambassador to the US Naresh Chandra discusses the new era in Indo-US relations, in a Real Audio interview.
'I can't wait to get home'
Miss Universe Lara Dutta tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Mahesh, Leander agonised for over a year'
'They will have to first rekindle their trust in each other and
if they click in the Olympics, who knows, in 2001 they could probably be
together again,' says Dr Vece Paes of the split between his son and Mahesh Bhupati.
'There is no strife between me and the prime minister'
Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel counters the many charges ranging from corruption to apathy levelled against his government.
'If match-fixing had not taken place, nobody would have known me outside Punjab'
'I am thankful to God for this opportunity. Chance came my way and I decided to handle it to the best of my ability,' says Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
'Being a woman is my security right now'
"There is nothing tabloidy or downmarket about us apart from our A4 size. People like to dismiss us as a yellow tabloid when we catch them doing wrong things," says Gauri Lankesh, the new editor of Lankesh Patrike, the hard-hitting Kannada weekly.
'The missiles are absolutely safe'
'Most of the villages where the shells fell have been identified and most of the shells have been recovered or are in the process of being recovered.' Brigadier P R Batra, C-in-C, Rajasthan sub-area, on the fire in Bharatpur.
'Am I to be treated like this?'
'I had requested an appointment with Vajpayeeji and was given just five minutes!' Sacked BJP vice president Madan Lal Khurana vents his feelings.
'The water crisis is a state conspiracy against the people of Gujarat'
'The current water crisis is entirely due to the government's failure of water management,' says Medha Patkar.
'After Midnight's Children, a lot of writers felt liberated'
'Let us turn the page now. Let the past be past. And let us start a new chapter.' Salman Rushdie, in an exclusive encounter.
'If somebody is trying to shut you up, then you should try and talk louder'
Salman Rushdie, in an exclusive interview.
'They are killing the democracy in Kashmir to save the democracy in India'
'India then did not heed my words. It thought that it was strong and could militarily solve the problem. Now, 11 years have passed and India has utterly failed in curbing the violence,' says APHC leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
'Whoever is responsible for the killings must be
exposed'
'Farooq's resigning would not serve any purpose. We want action. Not against a handful of
government officials, but against those who are responsible for killing innocent people,' says All
Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq.
'Naidu's utterances only show the duality in his approach to Naxalism'
'NTR too invited us for talks but nothing much happened. What is going to happen with Naidu's meeting? Nothing.' Civil rights activist P G Kannabiran on the AP chief minister's offer for dialogue with the outlawed People's War.
'If they have doubts about the encounter they can ask for exhuming the bodies'
J&K DGP Gurbachan Jagat tells rediff.com
• 'I see no change at the decision-making level'
'If a person is drowning, somebody has to stretch his hand to save him. If no hand is forthcoming, the person will drown. Need I say anymore?' Veteran Congressman Balram Jakhar expresses his anguish.
• 'Unless matters are rectified, I am afraid things will go out of control'
'The Congress has had great leaders in every sense of the term and it can still send respectable leaders to Parliament, providing the right selection or nomination is made. Such issues are vital because it can make or break the party,' says Kapil Sibal, a Sonia loyalist who surprised everyone by criticising the way the party is being run.
• 'If a widow remains a pure widow, she is respected'
'If she wants to lose the respect, she can remarry. Nobody goes and burns a widow if she remarries. But if she wants pleasure, naturally she will have to give up name and opt for pleasure.' S Gurumurthy joins the Water controversy.
• 'I feel no sorrow for the deaths of the children'
Dara Singh, the main accused for the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, in an exclusive interview.
• 'There's no reason why the PM spoke in English'
'I had expressed my feeling that it would be more pertinent for the prime minister of our country to give his speech in Hindi instead of
English. Hindihamari rashtra bhasha hai,' says Samajwadi leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.
• 'We want only genuine
autonomy'
'India's attitude towards
China, I believe, as well as its policy towards Tibet is somewhat
overcautious. That is why the Chinese leadership may be thinking that they
can bully India. That is my feeling,' the Dalai Lama tells Pritish Nandy.
• 'India and US are a good, terrific match'
'It is no more in the American interest to support Pakistan.
There is no kind of favouritism from Pentagon and CIA
towards Pakistan at this point of time,' says Dr Richard J Cohen, part of the American think-tank on India.
• 'America cannot ignore Pakistan'
'It suits America if Kashmir
becomes an independent country because then they will be able to control a
strategic point in the Asian region. This has been their stand since 1953
onwards. It is nothing new.' CPI-M patriarch Harkishen Singh Surjeet on the Clinton visit.
• 'Party members feel less confident under Sonia'
'If you are not decisive, if you are seen vacillating and in two minds, party members know that the person at the top is not fully confident,' says former Congress leader Sitaram Kesri.
• 'I made no reference to Bihar'
'I must say the reporter concerned must be having a fertile imagination,' says Union minister Sharad Yadav.
• 'It was something tough for my family to know I was dropping bombs'
Captain Robin, a French pilot involved in Kosovos, reminisces about the operation.
• 'The government will not fall over the RSS issue'
'Our allies understand us much better than what they did in 1979,' says
BJP MP Uma Bharti.
• 'India is a young navy with excellent strategic aims'
'You have good attack submarines, naval aviation, and your ships and crew are up-to-date,' French Rear Admiral Francois Cluzel on the Indian Navy.
• 'Ultimately it's the Cabinet and the successive PMs who're responsible'
'We did not think that they would be so crazy. In intelligence, we try to anticipate a rational act. You can't anticipate an irrational act! No intelligence agency could have anticipated this action.' K Subrahmanyam, chairman of the Kargil Review Committee, opens up.
• 'My name will be there on the pages of history'
'It's one and the same. Whether he becomes CM or me. We are not separate.' The concluding part of the interview with Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
• 'I am not subordinate to Lalooji'
'Husbands are not in a position to act without taking the opinion of their wives.
And this is true for both the educated and uneducated, rural and urban couples.' Presenting Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, like never before.
• 'I don't aspire to match my father's image'
'As long as I can do good for the people, that's all I am trying to achieve' says Biju Patnaik's son, BJD leader and prime candidate for the post of Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
• 'If a film or a book can tarnish our culture, which is more than 5,000 years old, then what kind of culture is this?'
'The human spirit cannot exist in an environment of repression. Certain groups create an impression that they are the sole repository of Hindu culture. Of course, they have the right to differ, to protest. But to express your disagreement there is a platform, there is a legal procedure,' says film-maker Govind Nihalani.
• 'Manpower is the key'
MIT scientist and futurologist Michael L Dertouzous feels this, rather than dotcoms, could make a difference in India
• 'I've forgiven them. I only hope they don't kill any more'
'How can I leave India and go back to Australia? What will I do there? Here, at least, my work has been cut out for me. All I have to do is carry on what Graham did,' Gladys Staines tells Pritish Nandy.
• 'There cannot be peace in Nagaland without the participation of other Naga groups'
"Ultimately a solution has to be found within the framework of the Indian Constitution only," says former Union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah, India's official negotiator with the Naga underground.
• 'Look, I find this reservation demand obnoxious'
'What reservation was behind my success? Women have to come on merit, not because of the favour extended to them just because they are women. I am sure women have the ability to outflank men in any field. They don't need reservation,' feels Congress leader Nandini Satpathy.
• 'The BJD is no one's paternal property'
'I shall campaign for the party candidates. I do not know whether I shall campaign in Hinjli, but Patnaik is welcome to campaign in Patkura where I was deprived of
a contest. Of course I shall not be responsible for any consequences,' says expelled BJD leader Bijoy Mohapatra.
• 'What do you say to a bacterium?'
Dr Paul Shuch, executive director, SETI League, on the problems of finding intelligent life beyond earth.
• 'Laloo is a conman in the lowest sense of the term'
"Laloo's reconciliation with the ground realities in Bihar is spurring him to do desperate things. It is as if he is no more in possession of his mental faculties," says Samata Party politician and chief ministerial aspirant Nitish Kumar.
• 'To make conservation work we must first find a contemporary engine to drive the process'
'People have no idea about how supportive the heritage legislation actually is. It allows enormous incentives. There are actually many, many misinterpretations of the legislation, that is the problem,' urban designer Rahul Mehrotra tells Pritish Nandy.
• 'A woman can fight and get justice if she is determined'
"I was confident of winning because truth was on my side. If truth is with you, it means God is with you," says Anjana Mishra, whose complaint led to the conviction of Orissa's powerful former advocate-general Indrajit Ray on a charge of molestation.
• 'How can anyone come back to shoot again in India?'
'During the meetings with the locals there were suggestions they would like the distribution rights to the film in UP. We said this is not the time to talk about this. The trouble started after that.' David Hamilton, producer for Deepa Mehta's film, Water, in an exclusive interview.
• 'If your intentions are honourable make the script public'
'Deepa Mehta has always tarnished India's image and portrayed our culture and religion wrongly to the West. The Ganges is the most revered place for us, to call it Water is so insulting! Calling it plain Water!' BJP legislator Shyamdeo Ramchaudhary on why Benares opposes the movie being shot on location.
• 'It is a triumph for the entire police force'
"For more than a year a large contingent of police had been deployed to track down and arrest Dara. This was causing a breakdown of law and order in other parts of the district. We could not have carried on like this for long," says Superintendent of Police (Mayurbhanj) Y B Khurania.
• 'The film has to be shot in Varanasi'
"Isn't NRI a non-resident Indian? When I am getting awards the people in India like to write about me and hail me. But now they accuse me of all sorts of things," bursts out an indignant Deepa Mehta.
• 'The PW always repays its blood debts'
Andhra Pradesh and the other states where the People's War operates are set to witness more violence. The Naxals have promised to pay blood homage to their slain leaders. "Their murders will be avenged," pledged PW general secretary Muppalla Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy, in an interview.
• 'I don't know how we can talk about Kamaraj rule by supporting the DMK or ADMK'
"I don't expect any split. I have resigned as MLA, but I have not resigned from the party. I still love my party. I still adore my leader," says R Chokkar, former chief whip of the TMC in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
• 'If we sign the CTBT, we have given up forever the right to test and acquire any weapon that may be needed in future'
"I have major differences with people who seek a playoff between economics and politics. If we succumb to pressure to gain some economic benefits, tomorrow the same tactics will be used. Other countries may say give Kashmir to Pakistan or sanctions will follow!" Prakash Shah, India's former permanent representative at the UN, explains his opposition to the CTBT.
• 'There's no room for complacency when there's a rogue in the neighbourhood'
Krishna V Rajan, India's ambassador to Nepal, on the post-hijack scenario, the threat from the Inter-Services Intelligence, and other issues of concern.
• 'Baripada is now my home'
'A hate campaign has been started against those working for the welfare of the people. I have received hundreds of letters from all over the country and abroad in the last one year which clearly mention that what happened with Staines was not Hinduism. What Dara Singh did is not what Hinduism preaches, they all say,' says Gladys Staines.
• 'We oppose trifurcating UPSEB because we know it will lead to privatisation'
'Today the government is talking about the second generation of reforms, but can it tell us the balance sheet of the first? Have such reforms served the public?' CITU leader W R Vardha Rajan, in a hard-hitting interview.
• 'So why should the common man pay for someone else's theft?'
'If the SEB cannot improve its financial position, slowly there will be no investment available for further expansion and the present system will just not be able to cope. Such states will have darkness!' says Power Minister P R Kumaramangalam.
• 'We regard the Samata Party as a mitra'
Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav says the JD-U is confident that things will work out for his party in the end.
• 'Our foremost need is to change our casual attitude'
'The hijacking could not have been possible for an organisation like the Harkat-ul Ansar without the knowledge and support of the Pakistani security agencies,' says Prof Kalim Bahadur.
• 'The whole hijack drama was very well organised'
'He [Maulana Masood Azhar] is living in a fool's paradise. What can you say about a man like him who was languishing in Indian jails for the last four-and-a-half years. The Indian defence forces are ready to give him a fitting reply,' says Defence Minister George Fernandes.
• 'They had a gun at my neck all the time'
'The control tower told me that they had refuelled the plane and now it is time that we got out Pakistan. If they had allowed us to leave behind the injured maybe the life of Rupin Katyal would have been saved because he was still alive then,' says Captain D Saran.
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