March 31
MP, UP assemblies okay new states
While MP accepted the re-organisation easily, the UP legislative assembly approved it with some amendments.
J&K orders inquiry into killing of 'militants'
The action was taken in response to massive protests in Anantnag following charges that those killed were actually civilians.
Hurriyat chief hints security forces killed Sikhs
'When Clinton was here, we feared that an incident of this nature might take place so the Kashmiri movement would be shown in a bad light to the world. Our fears came true...,' said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Army's revenge strike gets it into trouble
Locals claim the five people killed recently at Pathribal in Chatergul Valley were innocent villagers.
Save the cow, McCartney tells Vajpayee
In his letter sent last week, said he was "deeply upset" by corruption, "illegal practices at slaughterhouses" and cruel transport conditions.
Suspended judge remanded to police custody
Charged for his alleged nexus with the underworld, the judge will remain in police custody till April 6.
SPECIAL
Today's pix
'Till the LTTE get Eelam, they won't stop'
'We went in with a tourist map. We didn't know the geography at all, except that it was an island. That is it. What it was inside, my God, you couldn't see A to B, it was such thick foliage.' Major General Harkirat Singh, the IPKF's first commander, in a rare interview.
COLUMN
Veni, vidi, vici? Not exactly, but not bad, either
'The Clinton visit to India went off better than I expected. India did not cave in and sign the CTBT. Furthermore, the global media seems to have improved its opinion about India -- a striking reminder that propaganda, positioning and marketing actually work,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.
OTHER REPORTS
The Mandal messiah's on the comeback trail
V P Singh is to participate in a political rally at the historic Red Fort grounds and participate in a 'rath yatra' to protest against the government's demolition drive.
Advani's white paper on ISI activities gathers dust
The government is at its wit's end following staunch opposition from its own allies to the proposal to issue the white paper for fear that it could cause communal trouble.
40 killed in Lankan air force plane crash
It was reported that the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft had sent a message that the engine had developed some trouble.
Vananchal bill is back in Bihar assembly, may go through this time
President K R Narayanan has sent the Bihar State Reorganisation Bill 1999, to the state legislature, where its ratification would not be difficult in the changed political scenario.
Karunanidhi orders CID to probe Coimbatore rape
"Whether the police acted indifferently after it was informed about the crime is a matter to be investigated. The victim's husband is also giving conflicting versions about the incident," the chief minister said.
Top team to visit Sikh massacre site
The committee is to be briefed about the measures taken by the authorities to prevent the recurrence of such ghastly incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
Journalist Rajiv Shukla disturbs calculations of all
parties in RS poll
Cross-voting reigned supreme among all parties barring
the Bahujan Samaj Party, whose 50 legislators refused to
budge despite lucrative offers having been made by
rival contestants for the 11 vacant Rajya Sabha seats
from UP.
Cabinet expansion at 'appropriate time': PM
There had been media speculation that the prime minister would expand his council of ministers after the Rajya Sabha elections. Sushma Swaraj, among others, was mentioned as a prospective candidate for a
cabinet berth.
Upgrade India's policy profile: Pallone
In a speech in the House of Representatives, the US Democratic Congressman said that the widely disparate reactions from India and Pakistan to the issues
raised by the president should force US policy-makers to reassess
their priorities in the region.
SC dismisses Karunakaran's plea in palmolein case
Karunakaran has questioned the relevance of the case being filed when the high court and the Supreme Court have already given verdicts on it.
March 30
Giani Joginder Singh officially appointed acting jathedar
He took over after the SGPC executive deposed Giani Puran Singh as jathedar for 'lowering the dignity of the Akal Takht'
Judge surrenders before court in corruption case
Almost six months after his first petition was rejected by the Bombay high court, suspended sessions court judge and proclaimed offender J W Singh appeared before the HC, and thereafter surrendered himself to the police.
Home ministry offers peace pipe to north-east insurgents
The new
game-plan is in keeping with the announcement by Home Minister L K Adavani in the
Lok Sabha earlier this month that the Centre is willing to talk to any
militant group provided they accept that the parameters of such
negotiations
are within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.
Pak to scale down J&K militancy
'We will try to... persuade the freedom fighters to reduce tension. But there has to be reciprocity. They should never expect us to take unilateral action,' General Musharraf said.
THE RAJYA SABHA POLL
Trinamul backed candidate wins WB RS seat
Cross-voting in the Congress sees independent Jayanta Bhattacharya through.
RJD-backed monk wins RS bypoll
Another independent candidate supported by the party won the by-election to the legislative council.
NC candidate wins J&K RS seat
Mirza Abdul Rashid beat Vidya Sagar, the candidate put up by the combined opposition, by 48 votes.
Vijay Mallya defeated in RS polls
He polled 35 votes, losing out to BJP candidate M Rajashekara Murthy.
OTHER REPORTS
Talks deadlocked over resuming IA flights to Nepal
India has sought permission to station more than a couple of Indian Airlines security personnel at the ladder point, allowing IA officials to frisk passengers and check their baggage, and to man a separate X-ray machine.
Waiting for God
A man in West Bengal has not sat down for 17,000 hours, and his is willing to go on for another 120360 hours.
Verdict in Nawaz Sharief case likely on Apr 6
If convicted, Sharief could face the death penalty or a long prison term and a 21-year ban from running for public office.
Backlog vacancies to be taken out of reservation quota
The Union government will soon introduce a bill in Parliament to take out the backlog vacancies from the purview of reservation order.
Slow down reforms: former PMs
'We are not saying stop reforms, but why are we opening up so fast that it is harming the
poorer section of our society,' said Vishwanath Pratap Singh.
Udaipur faces a grim water crisis
The two important lakes in the picturesque city -- Picchola and Fatehsagar -- have been left with only 46.29 million litres of drinking water, which will suffice till the end of next month, officials revealed in Jaipur.
The war for virtual Kerala
Two sites, the private keralatourism.com and the official keralatourism.org, seek to draw the eye of the traveller
DAY 6: THE IPKF IN LANKA
Ultimately the Indian soldier was humiliated
"The government in Delhi did not [humiliate him]. But the government in Tamil Nadu did." The last part of Lt General A S Kalkat's interview.
MESSAGE BOARD
'Clinton's visit was an honour'
Read the posts on Bill Clinton's visit to India. And tell us what you think of the aftermath.
INTERVIEW
'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.
SPECIAL
Today's images
The day, in pictures.
COLUMNS
Building bridges
'Having more or less got over our obsession with Pakistan, the Vajpayee government has finally succeeded in mending fences with the most powerful nation in the world. It remains to be seen whether it can do so with China too,' says T V R Shenoy.
Cracks in the NDA
'For the first time ideological contradictions have surfaced among the NDA constituents. Such differences have a tendency to reappear in one form or the other no matter how hard the BJP tries to mend these cracks because they relate to conviction and commitment,' says Kuldip Nayar.
DIARY
The end of Clintonmania
"We only wanted to ensure that nothing happened to he while he was in Hyderabad. After that, what difference does it make to us?" asked one cop.
March 29
JJ shootout convict gets death sentence
His two associates were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 10 and seven years, respectively.
One convicted for Personal Point murders
The other nine accused have been acquitted as their involvement could not be proved.
150 Tigers killed in fierce battle for Elephant Pass
Military spokesman Palitha Fernado said two officers and 50 soldiers were killed in the fighting while at least 275 were injured, 103 of them seriously.
Sikhs want to migrate from Kashmir
"We told the prime minister that the Sikhs want to migrate to Punjab. They wanted to migrate last week itself, but I persuaded them to stay on till March 31," said former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
Pak under pressure to help nab Osama
According to Indian intelligence agencies and Western media reports, there exists an agreement between the US and Pakistan to carry out a combined undercover operation to arrest the international terrorist.
War between SGPC and Akal Takht intensifies
The SGPC, led by Bibi Jagir Kaur, has suspended Jathedar Puran Singh and appointed Joginder Singh Bidyanthi as acting Takht chief. Puran Singh hit back immediately, excommunicating five of the SGPC executive members who participated in the meeting.
Four ex-PMs have another go at Third Front
Home ministry sources have said that "the government is not taking any chances and all movements of the major players are being monitored."
Talks fail to lend IA wings for Nepal
A delegation of the Union civil aviation ministry has failed to achieve any breakthrough on the resumption of Indian Airlines flights to Kathmandu.
Use Tripura police more effectively: Advani
Winding up his two-day visit to the state, Advani told newspersons that better co-ordination between the state police and the central paramilitary forces was needed to tackle militancy.
TV producer in judicial custody for wife's death
Suhaib Illyasi, producer of the television serial India's Most Wanted, has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a Delhi court.
Pic of slain tiger and hunters shocks MP
Among the hunters in the photograph are two employees of the forest department, one police officer and two grandsons of a local landlord, on whose farmhouse the picture was taken.
The fire burns bright for lesbian couple
"We can't live without each other," say the Palani-based girls. "Our love for and understanding of each other will not diminish with age. Nor will we regret our decision later, or want a man in our life, a child, or whatever."
'India can end LTTE arms smuggling'
"If India acts positively, our war with the LTTE will end soon," said Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Laxman Kirialle.
THE RAJYA SABHA POLL
EC wants to check money power in election
Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill has asked the Union finance ministry to curb the reported usage of money to influence the Rajya Sabha poll from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and other states.
MPs in UP become horses in run-up to election
Unconfirmed reports quote the price of an MLA at Rs 1.5 million plus a Tata Sumo.
NDA in Bihar fails to agree on candidate
Three allies, and two-and-a-half differing stands. That's the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar as of today. And tomorrow, there is a by-election happening.
Mallya adds fizz in Karnataka
Politically closer and related to Chief Minister S M Krishna (Mallya's stepbrother is Krishna's son-in-law), the Bangalore-based liquor baron is lobbying hard for the extra votes of the Congress to reach the magic figure of 45.
DAY 5: THE IPKF IN LANKA
The humiliation wasn't in Sri Lanka. It was when the IPKF returned to India
"The question people asked was, Why did you go there, what were you doing there? Those are things that you should have sorted out earlier." Lt General A S Kalkat continues.
MESSAGE BOARD
'We cannot sustain without US help'
Read the posts on Bill Clinton's visit to India. And tell us what you think of the aftermath.
COLUMNS
50% PR, 50% Pyaar
'Vajpayee appears keen to put our relationship with Pakistan back on the rails. He does not say so openly, because he does not know how the new leadership there would react to such an approach. He is also concerned with what the hawks would say if he were to send out an olive branch to a despised neighbour,' says Pritish Nandy.
Communicating with Clinton country
'Despite the boorishness, cussedness and callousness that characterised a part of Clinton's visit, there is one lesson which our politicians should hopefully have learnt from it -- the magic and power that is embedded in the art-cum-science of communication,' says Arvind Lavakare.
Look, he stole my thunder!
'Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh brewed himself a bit of trouble when he received Big Bill at the Palam airport.' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
March 28
Three civilians killed in J&K grenade attack
Militants threw the grenade at a vehicle carrying security forces, but missed the target.
Advani lambastes Bukhari's charge
'We all know that Bukhari has been taking a pro-Pakistan stand. I can tell you that government agencies had no hand in the killing of innocent Sikhs,' the home minister asserted.
Naidu fails to pay power bills
Congress members staged a walkout in the Andhra Pradesh assembly today after the CM rejected their demand for his resignation on the issue.
THE CLINTON VISIT
The Clinton visit: Hype and Reality
'America is no longer siding with Pakistan. But that does not automatically translate into a 'tilt' towards India. It is doing what it has always been doing: assertively promoting its interests. Its interests today demand closer engagement with India than Pakistan,' says Professor Brahma Chellaney.
MESSAGE BOARD
'Tax-payers will have to bear Bill's bill'
Read the posts on Bill Clinton's visit to India. And tell us what you think of the aftermath.
DAY 4: THE IPKF IN LANKA
The most difficult part was managing the withdrawal
"I wanted the withdrawal to be with dignity, not as in Vietnam where people were running away,
hanging on to helicopters. " Lt General A S Kalkat on the Indian pullout from the island nation.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
She lies among the untrodden ways
Razia Sultan's tomb lies ignored, hidden in the bylanes of Delhi.
OTHER HEADLINES
Subhash Thakur, 2 others convicted in JJ shootout case
The 1992 shootout was a revenge strike ordered by Dawood Ibrahim after his brother-in-law was gunned down by members of the Arun Gawli gang.
Iridium closure hits anti-militancy ops
Scores of satellite phones used by the state police and other security forces have become non-functional.
Sudershan makes a pitch for swadeshi
The RSS chief asked Sangh cadres to combat the invasion of western economic patterns with an indigenous one.
Sonia fiddles while the Congress seethes
Dissidence in Bihar, Gujarat and Delhi again threatens to undermine the party chief's authority. But Congress crisis managers are ignoring the possibility that the matter could go out of control.
Govt helps turtles, hurts fishermen
The ban on fishing near shore may protect Olive Ridley turtles and fish but not traditional fishermen.
Advani to hold anti-insurgency talks in Tripura
During his two-day stay, the home minister would visit a border outpost of
the Border Security Force at Khantlung.
Cong-TMC government wins trust vote in Pondy
The six-day old Congress-Tamil Maanila
Congress coalition government headed by P Shanmugham in the
Union territory of Pondicherry won the confidence vote in the territorial
assembly, today.
Rabri Devi faces problems over berth allocation
Three of seven Congress MLCs have shot letters to party president Sonia Gandhi protesting that the Upper House has been totally ignored in the ministry.
ULFA seeks East Timor-like solution
'The leadership's open support to Pakistan during the Kargil conflict has cost us dear,' said Mintu Dutta who quit the organisation last week.
March 27
Clinton's visit a diplomatic success: Advani
The Union home minister said that cross-border terrorism has led to the increased isolation of Pakistan in the world community.
Mosque in Kashmir under army siege
An army major and a solider have been killed in an exchange of fire with militants hiding in a mosque in Handwara district, 80 kilometres from Srinagar.
Cyclone victims to be paid before April 10
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked his officials to ensure that the super cyclone victims are compensated without delay.
NRIs, don't worry... your parents are just fine
Pune has found the answer to the loneliness that plagues the parents of NRIs, yes!
March 26
All 22 Congress members get berths in Bihar
State Governor Vinod Chandra Pande administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 80 new minister at Raj Bhavan.
UP governor speaks up for the dalits
Suraj Bhan's remarks on Ramcharit Manas raises hackles in the Sangh Parivar.
The day's images
Sikhs continue to demonstrate against Monday's massacre in Kashmir.
THE CLINTON VISIT
India satisfied with Clinton's Pak speech
Experts see his speech as a clear endorsement of India's stand on the key issues of
resolving the Kashmir dispute and stopping cross-border terrorism.
'Even a 'hi' to the President of United States was a big thing'
Actress Suman Ranganathan, one of those invited to the 'The Next Generation Round Table' at Café Royal in Bombay on Friday, speaks about her experience.
North or South, AP is the best, holds IT crowd
"We chose Hyderabad because it moved the fastest of all," explained Sanjeev Kapur, who came down from Sydney, Australia, four months ago.
Bhakt Naidu sings a bhajan for Clinton
Showering praises on Clinton, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister said, "You have done so much for America and the world. Today, you are no more an American citizen. You are a global citizen."
Sorabjee strikes the right note with Clinton
The attorney general presented the President an anthology of his favourite jazz artistes.
Making peace with Oscar
'The influence of South Asians is -- at least during these few days -- vastly disproportionate to their numbers. Most desis toil away from the spotlight, whether they are cab drivers or medical personnel or Wall Street bankers or Capitol Hill lobbyists. Their anonymous work helps, in a small way, make this country tick,' says Sreenath Sreenivasan.
DAY 3: THE IPKF IN LANKA, 10 YEARS ON
The IPKF's military role ended in 1988
"Premadasa announced he had opened talks with the LTTE and they have become the best of friends. Therefore the IPKF was not required and it should go home." Lt General A S Kalkat on how the Indian troops pulled out from the island nation.
OTHER HEADLINES
Indian hostage freed from Chechen rebels
Satyanarayan Mishra, studying in Dagestan, was kidnapped eight month ago for a ransom of $1 million. He was freed during the current Russian military operations in Chechnya.
Govt asked to help avert Sikh exodus from J&K
All-India Akali Dal President G S Tohra said that if the Sikhs too left like the Kashmiri pandits who fled a decade ago, it would amount to a failure of Indian democracy.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
The 'Mercy Man' of Ahmedabad
A man in Ahmedabad shows that will is all you need to help poor.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Some sections are punished
'What are the implications of taking penal action against Azmi, but not against Thackeray, though both violated the very same section of the law?' asks Dilip D'Souza.
March 25
Photogallery: The Day's Images
Vajpayee giggling. Sonia and the PM. The Delhi police take on Sikh demonstrators. Launching a new feature.
THE CLINTON VISIT
Me 'n' Bill Clinton
'Frankly, the only way you're going to get anywhere near Clinton,' said a well-connected friend of mine, 'is to go to the Mahaveer Hospital, which he is visiting this morning, and pose as a TB patient.'
The visit, in pictures
Jewella C Miranda captures images from Day 5.
What Clinton told Hyderabad
In Real Audio.
DAY 2: IPKF IN SRI LANKA, 10 YEARS ON
Don't worry about the LTTE, they are our boys!
"There was no thinking on the part of India to send armed forces into Sri Lanka till the morning of the signing of the Accord," says J N Dixit, India's high commissioner to Colombo during those turbulent years.
OTHER HEADLINES
Two killed, 14 hurt in AP blast
The explosion occurred on a state transport bus in Kurnool district.
Government denies J&K Sikhs had warned it of attack
'Of course a delegation of Sikhs from the valley met the home minister, but they had come to talk about employment and other problems,' T R Kakkar, special secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, told rediff.com
Rajasthan too opts for e-governance
An illiterate woman kicked off the e-governance programme in the state at Nayala village in the presence of US President Bill Clinton.
Kerala high court treats e-mail as petition
Judicial sources said this is perhaps the first time that the judiciary in India has taken legal cognizance of an e-mail.
Muslim writer to convert to Hinduism
Muslim writer Palakkode K Hassan, who completed the course darz to be eligible to become a maulvi, is planning to embrace Hinduism on March 30 along with six others from the community.
Orissa govt opposes media access to Dara Singh
The state government has expressed a strong objection to granting permission to the media to interview Dara Singh, prime accused in the Australian missionary Graham Staines murder case.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Jurassic Bagh
'In last year's general election, nearly 65 per cent of the electorate was between 18 and 35 years old. Yet, just how many ministers in Mr Vajpayee's jumbo team are from that age group? One? Two? Three? Answer: None. How can such an old leadership mirror the aspirations of a young democracy?' asks Krishna Prasad.
March 24
Clinton is a hit in Nayala
He broke security cordons, shook hands, engaged in persiflage and even broke out into a dance.
Clinton gets to shoot some tigers
The US president's vehicle stopped barely ten metres away from a male tiger.
Sonia seeks Clinton's help to deal with terrorism
The Congress chief also explained her stance on important issues like nuclear non-proliferation and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Narayanan's tough speech upsets government
"It was an unwanted and harsh speech. The prime minister's office and the ministry of external affairs were not aware that Narayanan would make a hard-hitting speech during a banquet," said a PMO official.
'Washington trying to remove India from Russian sphere'
In what is seen as the first reaction from Moscow on Clinton's talks in New Delhi, the Segodnya's news analyst Valeria Sychaeva wrote: 'Moscow could feel uncomfortable over a possible US-India partnership at a time when the longstanding Russia-India relations are overshadowed by India's six billion dollar debt to Moscow.'
'Clinton did what no minister bothered to do'
Rupin Katyal's father, C M Katyal, on his meeting with US President Bill Clinton.
Pakistan unconcerned about Indo-US bonhomie
Pakistan's foreign minister Abdul Sattar told the Voice of America in an interview on Wednesday night that his government is not worried about United States's relations with any other country.
Indian-Americans feel at home, both here and there
NRIs accompanying Clinton are euphoric. Some of them are direct invitees of the White House. Some have come under the aegis of the United States India Business Council. Some are part of the National Federation of Indian-American Associations. Some have come on their own, at their own expense. But they all call Clinton "our President" and Vajpayee "our Prime Minister".
India to seek US help in basic sciences
S&T Secretary Dr V S Ramamurthy said the facilities for basic sciences in the US were the best in the world. India could not develop the infrastructure for training and research as it required high investment.
The visit, in pictures
Jewella C Miranda captures the mood in Bombay, on the eve of Bill's arrival in the city.
OTHER REPORTS
RSS chief asks Muslims to Indianise
Think of the country first and then the religion, says K S Sudershan.
LPG price hike will hit the common man: NDA allies
They plan to sit together soon and discuss their strategy on the matter.
Sikhs demand Amnesty probe into massacre
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, leaders of the Kashmiri Sikh Joint Action Committee rejected a government offer to provide security to the community.
Insat 3B placed in intermediate orbit
ISRO sources said the network of ground stations is determining the precise orbit where the satellite would be finally placed.
Clinton gets glimpses of tradition blending with modernity
The Presidents visits a small village near Jaipur to get a taste of democracy at the grassroots level.
Akali Delhi unit seeks Rs 6 million compensation for bereaved Sikh families
The Shiromani Akali Dal-Badal Delhi unit today demanded Rs 5 million each from the Centre and Rs 1 million each from the Jammu and Kashmir government as compensation to the Sikh
families bereaved in the Monday night massacre at Anantnag.
Laloo tells Congress to drop 'unrealistic' demands
Congress sources said he had conveyed to the leadership that such demands could trigger off a revolt in the RJD because his colleagues had rallied together on the understanding that only Rabri Devi would head the Bihar government.
SPECIALS
India's Vietnam
On March 23 exactly a decade ago, the IPKF returned from Sri Lanka after fighting an alien war. In an explosive series over the next fortnight, rediff.com uncovers facets of the operation that have never been revealed.
The IPKF was totally unprepared
Colonel John Taylor (retd), one of the first officers assigned to Sri Lanka, says the army was made to fight with one hand tied behind its back.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'There's no reason why the PM had to speak 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. Hindi hamari rashtra bhasha hai,' says Samajwadi leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.
'We are here as baraatis'
Look at it this way. Clinton is spending five days in India and just five hours in Pakistan. You need not do any research to sense the deviation that the Indo-US relationship is going through, says National Federation of Indian-American Associations chairman Subash Razdan
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Whitewash for the White Man
'This is an appeal to you, President Clinton. Ask your Indian hosts to show you the real India. Ask that for the rest of us Indians. Because if you come to India, you should see our country as it is, as we do,' says Dilip D'Souza.
The Russian connection
'As a result of its lopsided policy, the US not only helped India win the naval war of 1971, but also helped its armed forces to become the most powerful in South Asia,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd).
March 23
Kerosene, LPG, aviation fuel prices hiked
The subsidy of kerosene is to be reduced by Rs 2.50 per litre and that of LPG by Rs 30.
INSAT3B launched
The satellite was hurled into space by an Ariane-5 launcher from Kourou
in French Guyana early today.
'It is like creating daylight again'
For the first time, ISRO monitored the separation sequence -- the events leading up to the release of the satellite from the launch vehicle.
Karunanidhi plays mediator to warring allies
With the war of words between the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress and the numerically-stronger PMK pitching higher each day, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi has stepped in to save the fair name of the coalition.
Advani promises to prevent Sikh migration from Kashmir
The home minister condemned the massacre at Chatti Singhpora and said it was a premeditated act of terror timed to coincide with the visit of American President Bill Clinton.
Farooq assures Sikhs of protection
But one old villager noted, 'Dr Abdullah is telling us to stay back in this village when he himself came in a motorcade comprising of nearly 50 bulletproof vehicles'.
Security forces raze building, kill militants
One BSF head constable was killed and four soldiers were injured in the gun battle.
THE CLINTON VISIT
Clinton makes an appeal for the Taj
India and the US also signed a joint statement of co-operation in the field of energy and environment.
Agra shuts down for Clinton visit
The roads were cleared, shops were made to down shutters and no one stepped out, fearing harassment.
A Rajasthani village prepares for 'Klintoon'
An illiterate woman learns to operate the Windows system. Her sisters agree to remove their ghoonghat to receive a stranger. A villager clears almost an acre of lush crops to allow helicopters to land.
When Chelsea failed to turn up
There were petals waiting to be showered, a band ready -- but of the little lady, there was no sign.
'Every solution to every challenge can be found here in India'
'Only India can know if it truly is safer today than before the tests.' President Clinton's speech to Parliament.
India plays down areas of difference
Officials say Madeleine Albright's statement that the US still felt south Asia was the most dangerous place in the world was just a repetition of Clinton's view on the matter.
I am not here to mediate, Clinton tells Parliament
American President Bill Clinton today told the special joint session of Parliament that it was time now for the two largest democracies of the world to make a new beginning, based on mutual trust, co-operation, and respect for each other.
Pallone, Ackerman condemn J&K massacre
They said it pointed to ethnic cleansing efforts to rid the
state of all non-Muslims.
'Massacre was Pak attempt to spoil Clinton's visit'
A home ministry report said there is "mounting tension" and "a feeling of fear" in Chati Singhpora and adjoining villages, and that quite a few Sikhs have fled their homes to villages in Punjab.
Clinton speech: 'Swetta Chetty' thrilled
'Are you kidding?' Shweta Shetty asked when we caught her on her mobile phone. 'This will do wonders
for my career!'
UP CM to welcome Clinton in Hindi
Overruling the Blue Book, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta and Governor Suraj Bhan have decided to receive US President Bill Clinton on his arrival at Agra airport later in the day today.
PWG gives bandh call during Clinton's visit
'The Left parties and some organisations have given a call for
organising protest rallies on March 24,' Police Commissioner S R Sukumara said.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'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.
THE REDIFF COLUMNIST
While everyone raves about the Taj, how many people have heard about Vijayanagara?
'Come to think of it, how many times have you read that Mohammed Ghori conquered India after defeating Prithviraj Chauhan? But the fact is that the battle at Tarain settled the fate of nothing more than Delhi and the Punjab,' says T V R Shenoy.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
'We should not expect the US to give up Pakistan'
'Old relationships are changing and new ones are being forged. The Delhi-Washington relationship is one of these new developments.' Former foreign secretary M K Rasgotra tells the Rediff Chat.
A break with the past
'The real significance of this joint vision is that the political leadership at
the highest level has decided to take personal responsibility and pilot the
future together,' says C P Bhambri.
Remembering the Forgotten Heroes
The Indian Army has officially constructed a huge war memorial at Tawang to acknowledging the sacrifice made by 2,420 soldiers in the 1962 war with China for which the troops were ill-prepared.
March 22
J&K massacre dominates PM-Clinton summit
Officials believe the need to warn Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism will now be the key points in Clinton's stopover in Islamabad.
Bill pussyfoots around Kashmir, CTBT
The United States president did not seek any commitment from India on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty nor did he propose American intervention in the contentious Kashmir issue.
Indo-US vision for the 21st century
'We reaffirm our respective voluntary commitment to forego further nuclear explosive tests,' said the joint statement released in Delhi.
A chance to shoot the President
The media was out in full strength. History was about to be created and no journalist wanted to miss the event, even if in the end it was all too short.
Regular bilateral summits on the cards
'The two countries will remain in frequent contact on telephone and through letters,' the statement on institutional dialogue said.
21 gun salute welcomes Clinton
The US president and his daughter Chelsea arrived in a limousine, surrounded by 60 riders of the President's bodyguard.
No question of nuclear rollback: Mishra
The national security adviser told his American counterpart Sandy Berger that India's security concerns would not allow it to lower its guard.
Royal heritage awaits Clinton in Rajasthan
The state administration has constructed 15 helipads to help Clinton shuttle between his hotel and Nayala village, Amber fort and the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary.
'NRIs' talent brought Clinton to India'
"Clinton has embarked on this visit because of (talented) Indian Americans," said Krishna Srinivasa, a prominent Republican member of the delegation.
PM's cold shoulder upsets NRIs
'We have been trying all these years to get Clinton to visit India. Now that we have come with him, the Indian government does not want to meet us.'
Protests against Clinton hit Kerala students
Many students, particularly those in the rural areas, could not attend the SSLC exams because a general strike paralysed the state.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'India and US, they 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.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
For Islamic militants in Pakistan, America is Enemy No 1
At their meetings, speakers do not directly threaten General Musharraf but keep reminding the audience that Nawaz Sharif was dislodged by their campaign because he bowed to American pressure.
FREEZE FRAME
The visit, in pictures
Ranjan Basu captures images from Day 2 of Clinton's passage to India.
MESSAGE BOARD
'It is a historic visit, anyway'
Read the posts on Bill Clinton's visit to India.
REAL AUDIO
Q&A at the Clinton-Vajpayee summit
The prime minister and the US President speak on a variety of issues.
THE J&K MASSACRE
35 Sikhs massacred in Kashmir
A police officer in Anantnag told rediff.com that a group of militants in uniform came to the village last night and asked the Sikh villagers to come out of their homes. When the Sikhs stepped out, the militants opened fire on them.
Vile example of terrorism: Narayanan
The President hoped the incident would "open the world's eyes to the sordidness of terrorism which does not mind spilling innocent blood to coerce civil society and make an impact on the world."
'Deliberate attempt' to spark Sikh migration: Advani
Till now, the home minister said, the militants were targeting only the Hindus in the state.
'J&K extremists out of Pakistan's control'
Central government officials rejected a news report saying Islamabad may not have been involved in the carnage.
'I saw people lying in a pool of blood'
Nanak Singh had just finished his evening prayers and was about to leave the village gurdwara at Chatti Singhpora for home when he was stopped by a group of masked gunmen.
OTHER REPORTS
4 hurt in Bombay train blast
The explosion allegedly occurred in a running suburban local between the Marine Lines and Charni Road stations in Bombay this evening.
Jyoti Basu not to contest assembly poll
The West Bengal chief minister will continue to be in the saddle till the elections next year.
Two hurt in attack on BSF camp in Srinagar
Troops have trapped the militants in a building and a fierce exchange of fire is on.
Win Chadha gets bail in Bofors case
Chadha executed a personal bond of Rs 200,000 and a surety of the same amount. Sailesh Babu, his son's friend, was his guarantor.
INSAT 3B launch tomorrow
INSAT3B is scheduled for launch at 0427 IST on Wednesday, March 22. On the success of this satellite depends the expansion of the Indian telecommunications industry.
6 extremists killed, 2 held in Assam
At least six hardcore militants were killed and two others apprehended during a joint operation by the army and police in different parts of Assam on Sunday.
AP Congress MLAs suspended
The main Opposition party stalled the proceedings for about two-and-a-half hours, insisting that they be allowed to speak on an adjournment motion.
Militants attack police station in J&K
Police sources said the militants fired indiscriminately from automatic weapons. They also used rockets and hand grenades in the attack.
Gangopadhyay picks up the gauntlet
'Now that Deepa Mehta is threatening to drag my publishers and me into a legal battle, I am forced to say that she has indeed plagiarised [my script],' he said.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Bil Vil Pyaar Vyar
'Just as we cannot afford to allow the jehadi forces to win against us, nor can America. For the very terrorists who are striking against Indian targets today are the ones who will strike at American targets tomorrow. Kargil is just a trial run. The real target, for them, is the Pentagon,' says Pritish Nandy.
Kid gloves, please!
'The elevation of an ageing film star to Parliament merely on his communal credentials warrants criticism of the way in which Rajya Sabha memberships are being used to promote sectarian interests rather than national objectives,' feels Arvind Lavakare.
March 21
THE CLINTON VISIT
Clinton to meet Rupin Katyal's father
The president apparently brushed aside a suggestion that he could ill afford to give an appointment to any unofficial personnel during his stay in India.
VVIPs scramble to get on banquet lists
Though the PM wanted his Council of Ministers and senior BJP politicians to join him at the luncheon, the Americans declined the request indirectly, suggesting that 70 ministers could mar the spirit of Clinton feasting with Vajpayee.
Clinton brings along a powerful team
On the delegation are not only the secretaries of state and commerce, but also well-known pro-India campaigners from Capitol Hill, among a host of others
Spate of meetings scheduled during Clinton's visit
Besides Vajpayee's meeting with Clinton, Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra is to meet Sandy Berger, Clinton's assistant for national security affairs, and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
The Taj gets a makeover for Clinton
The government machinery in Agra is working overtime. For it is getting ready for 'Kilton'.
UP CM, governor undecided over receiving Clinton
One section of the bureaucracy wants to go by protocol; the other wants to break tradition and have them receive the foreign head of state in a place other than the state capital.
Mirwaiz Farooq placed under house arrest
On Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested prominent separatist politician Shabir Ahmed Shah and his supporters when they were leaving for New Delhi to stage demonstrations during Clinton's visit.
India watching Clinton's visit to Bangladesh closely
The assessment of intelligence agencies is that Bangladesh could be a "good base" for the Americans, as Pakistan is slowly drifting into Islamic militancy, the biggest threat to America today.
Bangladesh seeks return of Mujib's killers
Clinton's stay of more than 12 hours in Bangladesh saw him pledge $150 million in aid to the impoverished country. He also promised to pursue a strong partnership with Dhaka.
Clinton's change of plan causes a stir
The US president's decision not to visit Joypura in Bangladesh caused panic in Jaipur, India.
Chelsea, grandmom join in a royal Holi
The guests later saw the ghoomar dance in the central domed hall of the palace and had lunch at the royal apartment, the king's residence.
Chelsea may visit Santushti shopping complex
"Santushti is popular with the entire foreign community," Santushti Association vice-president Bhai Balbir Singh said. "We didn't want to lose the opportunity, so we asked the US ambassador's wife to bring her here."
SPECIAL
At the last frontier, Indian troops battle cold, loneliness
"The troops have to be constantly on guard and supremely fit to survive in these conditions. Some of our posts are above 16,000 to 17,000 feet and it is not easy to remain focused on the job unless there is high motivation," says Brigadier V D I Devavaram, commander of India's most forward brigade.
OTHER REPORTS
Holi claims two children, injures many others
Chelsea Clinton and her grandmother join the festival revelry in Jodhpur.
Naxals blow up TDP legislator's house
In another incident, three extremists belonging to the Jana Shakti group were killed in an encounter with the police.
Kerala ex-minister, top officials indicted for corruption
According to the chargesheet, Balakrishna Pillai and the two others accused entered into a conspiracy and diverted 16 million units of power worth Rs 1.9 million to the Bangalore-based Graphite India Limited from June 1985 to April 1986 though there was a power shortage in Kerala.
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