NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
US ARCHIVES
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

TOP REPORTS
Rahul Gandhi may join politics on November 14
Party president Sonia Gandhi is understood to have finally given the green signal for her son to make his political debut.

People making communal speeches should be prosecuted: Lyngdoh
The Chief Election Commissioner said the Election Commission would enforce the law 'rigidly' in Gujarat.

CONGRESS CHIEF MINISTERS' CONCLAVE
India needs strong Centre, states: Sonia
The Congress president said the NDA government has failed to address the problems of people.

Rivals may stoop to any level: Sonia
She expressed apprehension that the BJP may in 'word and deed spread poison to inflame the society'.

Good governance key to success: Kamal Nath
Only the Congress can bring peace and prosperity, the CEC member told rediff.com.

Scindia to be new Congress economic cell secretary
Sonia Gandhi decided, however, not to replace Dr Manmohan Singh as chairman of the cell. The members of the cell will also remain unchanged.

Digvijay calls for restriction on import of Soya oil
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister requested the Congress to constitute a group to take up the issues of farmers vis-à-vis the WTO.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR REPORTS
Give proof or face legal action: Farooq to CEC
Participating in a programme on SAB TV, the CEC had said there was an attempt to sabotage elections in J&K 'by a few people to help Farooq Abdullah'.

Abdullah, Azad elected to Rajya Sabha from Kashmir
Their election was announced on the last day for filing of nominations to the November 18 elections, after a two-hour discussion between leaders of rival parties led to a consensus.

CRPF picket targeted; one militant killed
The picket in Baramulla escaped unscathed as the grenade lobbed by militants landed on the road nearby causing no damage.

ANSAL PLAZA SHOOTOUT
I fear police will kill me: Witness
The have launched an investigation to ascertain whether Dr Krishna was present when the shootout took place.

BJP defends police over shootout
The party said those who question the authenticity of the shootout must do so on the basis of facts.

ISI operative funded Delhi terrorists
The funds were allegedly provided to the terrorists a couple of months ago to target a Union minister and carry out subversive activities.

OTHER REPORTS
SC order on education puts Kerala government in tight spot
The government is faced with the prospect of surrendering 50 per cent merit seats as well as quotas fixed for special categories to the minority managements in the wake of the judgment.

Salman given permission to shoot abroad
The actor, charged with killing one person and injuring four in a hit-and-run case, will be going to New Zealand to shoot for Satish Kaushik's Tere Naam.

Britain warns nationals of terrorist attack
'The message we are trying to get out is that terrorists will use anything at their disposal,' a home office spokesman said.

Kolkata street to be renamed after Mother Teresa
A section of Kolkatans, including some Christians, say Park Street, with its bars and restaurants, should not be associated with a noble soul.

Congress asks three Bihar ministers to resume office
Mohammad Zahidur Rahman, Choudhary Mahboob Ali Qaiser and Dr Mohammad Javed had resigned last month alleging that Chief Minister Rabri Devi was ignoring them.

13 nominations for 11 Rajya Sabha seats in UP
BJP dissidents' nominee Suresh Nanda, an arms dealer, and industrialist Lalit Suri are in the fray for one seat for which a bypoll is being held, while 11 nominations have been received for biennial elections to 10 RS seats in the state.

G B Pattanaik sworn in Chief Justice of India
Justice Pattanaik will have a short tenure of 45 days and is the 32nd CJI.

Srichand Hinduja moves Delhi HC for quashing CBI charge sheet
He wants the court to quash the charge sheet against him in the Bofors payoff case on grounds of 'inordinate delay in the probe and trial'.

Jaguar crash was unusual: IAF
The aircraft had rolled out only in 1997 from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and had not even gone for its first overhaul, officials said.

Mamata seeks new rail zone for Ranchi
Contending the capital of Jharkhand deserves a separate zone, the Trinamool Congress chief said her party has placed its demand before the railway consultative committee.

Thirty per cent wage hike to Orissa tendu leaf workers
The hike would benefit head checkers, circle checkers, binding checkers and accountants.

Canada may upgrade Chandigarh liaison office
'We have an option either to upgrade it [the liaison office] to consulate or consulate-general,' Canadian Minister for Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal said.

SLIDE SHOW
The week's images
Of encounters, awards and business...

SPECIAL
Missed Opportunies
An obdurate Nehru and an inept Gen B M Kaul were responsible for the 1962 disaster, says Col (retd) Anil Athale in the second of his three-part series.

Distorting history, Part-1
The new central government-prescribed textbooks have raised howls of protests for its mistakes and prejudices, writes Basharat Peer.

COLUMN
The Kashmiri hoodwinking of India
'If I were the NDA, I'd say, 'Hey, you made your bed, now lie in it. We will give to J&K whatever it raises in tax revenues. If you want more, ask the Congress to go find sources of funds elsewhere.' This would be entirely fair in my opinion: after all, most states get less than what they generate,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

November 7, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Infiltration down by over 50%: Gen Padmanabhan
The army chief said the troop build-up on the international border with Pakistan had served its purpose.

Govt can't discriminate between majority, minority: SC
The court ruled that the essence of Article 30 (1) was to ensure equal treatment between majority and minority institutions.

Al Qaida, ISI activities on the rise in Bangladesh: Advani
The deputy prime minister asked the international community to treat the Pakistani intelligence agency at par with the Al Qaida.

Farooq Abdullah to contest Rajya Sabha election
Abdullah had resigned as J&K chief minister after his party was drubbed in the assembly polls.

Some J&K cops tried to sabotage polls: CEC
Prior to the third phase of polls, the Election Commission discovered, and foiled, a plan to release surrendered terrorists 'who would have infiltrated the electorate to influence the results', Lyngdoh said.

ANSAL PLAZA SHOOTOUT
Police report on mall encounter sent to NHRC
The Delhi police have also provided security to Dr H Krishna, a witness to the encounter, as per NHRC directives.

No threat from Delhi police: Shootout witness
Dr Hari Krishna, who claimed that the shootout in Ansal Plaza was stage-managed, told a news channel that the NHRC had unnecessarily sought police protection for him.

CRISIS IN UTTAR PRADESH
BSP legislator revolts against Mayawati
Jai Prakash Yadav representing Dhuriapur in Gorakhpur alleged 'victimisation' at the hands of Mayawati. He said the chief minister had foisted false police cases against him.

Tandon offers to quit BJP Legislature Party post
'If my stepping down can save the party from the ongoing standoff, I would be too happy to quit,' he said.

We will gain from dissolved assembly: Congressman
Sonia Gandhi's recent visit to UP 'has given us a good idea that our party's political fortunes are on the upswing', he told rediff.com on condition of anonymity.

REPORTS FROM J&K
Lashkar vows to step up attacks during Ramzan
The Pakistan-based outfit threatened to attack security installations in north Kashmir using fidayeen squads.

Night curfew relaxed during Ramzan
As part of curfew, people were restricted from venturing out at odd hours and in case they do, inform the nearest security force picket.

Militant hideout busted in Jammu; 5 killed
A soldier, two special police officers and two militants were killed in separate incidents in Poonch and Kathua districts since Wednesday.

Hizb expels three former 'commanders'
Tufail Altaf, Almas Khan and Nadeem Usmani were removed for lobbying for former outfit chief Abdul Majid Dar.

Centre wants assurance from the Mufti
The Centre is concerned that the chief minister's proposal to hold talks with militants will give fillip to militancy.

The J&K Election: The Complete Coverage

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION
Karnataka asks TN to pull out STF
The request comes after Nagappa's family met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday seeking the cooperation of both states in ensuring Nagappa's release.

Jaya denies giving any assurance to Nagappa's family
In a statement, Jayalalithaa said no request was made by Nagappa's wife to send Tamil nationalist leader Kolathur Mani to Veerappan's hideout.

HC adjourns Mani's bail plea to Nov 18
This is yet another blow to the efforts to send him as emissary to Veerappan.

The Nagappa Abduction: The Complete Coverage

OTHER REPORTS
Home secretary, CEC discuss security for Gujarat election
Two hundred companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed in the state from November 22, and further requirements of the Election Commission would be met a week ahead of the polls.

Fernandes meets Jayalalithaa after three years
The defence minister's visit comes a day after his Samata Party sought to distance itself from the BJP, its ally, on the issues of divestment and Gujarat polls.

Benazir holding secret talks with Musharraf: MMA
The six-party alliance accused Bhutto of trying to secure the release of her husband Asif Zardari in return for support to the pro-Musharraf PML-Q.

Panel wants Rapid Cow Protection Force
The National Commission for Cattle also wants cow to be made the national animal.

India, Laos pledge to fight terrorism jointly
Both countries also agreed that there can be 'no justification' for terrorism on any 'ground -- political, ideological, religious or any other'.

Assam govt to invite Bodo rebels for talks on Nov 13
This is the first time the two sides will meet directly without a representative from the Centre.

Mount Abu prepares to host Congress CMs
Experts have also been invited to make special presentations to the chief ministers on various subjects relating to governance.

Educational institutions in Mandya reopen
Barring a few days in between, the institutions remained shut in view of the protests following the September 8 order of the Supreme Court, directing Karnataka to release water.

Effluents may affect Olive Ridley turtles in Gahirmatha
The Oswal fertiliser factory discharges into the Mahanadi river effluents like phosphor-gypsum, which contains radioactive radium-226; radon, a harmful gas and fluorine.

Toll rises to nine in Jaguar crash
The defence ministry will grant Rs 50,000 to those whose houses were completely damaged; adults who were hurt will get Rs 8,000 and children will get half of that.

Tamil Nadu police rescues two bonded labourers from Surat
Raghavan and Irulan from Ucchapatti village informed their parents about their miseries, who in turn lodged a complaint with the police.

Case registered against UDF leader for provocative speech
Kerala Congress-B leader R Balakrishna Pillai had criticised Chief Minister A K Anthony for failing to secure the release of Abdul Nassar Madhani, PDP chief and prime accused in Coimbatore blasts case.

Brown sugar seized from Cuttack, two arrested
The 326 grams of the drug seized is valued at Rs 3.2 million.

SPECIAL
Remembering a war: Military nonsense
Col (retd) Anil Athale debunks the notion that India was the aggressor in 1962.

COLUMNS
Four decisions for the future
'The rulings/opinions offered by Their Lordships will continue to echo long after the curtains have fallen on the political actors of today,' says T V R Shenoy.

The truth about Sikkim
'Sikkim is the country's most stable and secure frontline state, a model for social cohesion and security. It is the only border state without any palpable threat of insurgency or social disorder,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

November 6, 2002

TOP REPORTS
NHRC issues notice to Delhi police over mall shootout
The commission also asked police Commissioner R S Gupta to provide security to Dr Hari Krishna, who witnessed the shootout.

Dandekar first Indian American woman lawmaker
The 51-year-old Nagpur native won even though her opponent questioned her ethnicity and her qualifications to contest.

Unilateral ceasefire useless: Azad
'A ceasefire is useful only when the other party responds positively to it,' J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

Musharraf defers convening of National Assembly by a week
The Pakistani president's decision came a day after hardline religious and secular parties opposed to him agreed on an alliance to form a government.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR REPORTS
Clarify stand on Mufti's POTA remarks: BJP to Congress
The chief minister reportedly hinted at the possibility of repealing the anti-terrorism law in an effort to bring militants into the mainstream.

British minister hopes polls will help restore peace
Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien said Prime Minister Vajpayee's personal intervention had helped the Election Commission to run free and fair elections.

Grenade attack in Anantnag, 14 injured
Militants lobbed the grenade at a security patrol, which missed the personnel and exploded on the road.

The J&K Election: The Complete Coverage

THE CAUVERY ROW
Karnataka to reduce water outflow
State officials said as per a Supreme Court interim order, Karnataka has to release 9000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu till November 6 and 5000 cusecs every day between November 7 and 15.

Karnataka slams Jaya for questioning CRA
'Constitutional validity of the CRA cannot be questioned and such an action is inappropriate,' Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs D B Chandre Gowda said.

Made Gowda demands white paper
The farmers' leader accused the Karnataka government of giving confusing signals about the amount of water being released.

The Cauvery Row: The Complete Coverage

GUJARAT ELECTION
Congress rules out any alliance
But it is not averse to seat adjustments with 'like-minded' parties for the polls.

Samata Party, Janata Dal-United to go it alone
The two parties are key partners in the NDA government at the Centre.

Congress prepares to step up the heat
A conclave of chief ministers from 14 Congress-ruled states at Mount Abu on November 8-9 holds much significance for Gujarat.

BJP starts selecting candidates
Gujarat leaders will discuss the report of the district units for this purpose, BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley said.

The Gujarat Election: The Complete Coverage

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION
Nagappa's wife meets Jayalalithaa
Parimala requested the Tamil Nadu CM to halt the Special Task Force operations against Veerappan to facilitate the release of Nagappa.

JD-U upset with Karnataka government
It has criticised the government for its refusal to send Agriculture Processing Minister Raju Gowda as its emissary to negotiate the release of Nagappa.

The Nagappa Abduction: The Complete Coverage

OTHER REPORTS
UP dissidents meet again to reiterate demand
'Our mission is to save the party, not to cause any damage to it,' said Ramasheesh Rai, spokesman of the recently formed `BJP Bachao Samiti'.

Concern over English vicar's decision to forbid yoga
Reverend John Walker of St Wilfrid's Church of England in Calverley, Yorkshire, has banished a yoga group from its hall because of what he describes as the exercise regime's links to New Age thinking and Hinduism.

US envoy promises more funds for AIDS prevention
Robert Blackwill said American assistance for fighting HIV-AIDS in India would touch $ 120 million in the next five years.

Black box of jaguar recovered
It was found near the debris of the two houses that were flattened following the crash.

Three Pakistanis held for bid to buy Stingers
They were trafficking 600 kilos of heroin and five tonnes of hashish to buy the missiles and supply them to the Al Qaeda, US Attorney General John Ashcroft said.

West Bengal developing cholera vaccine
'The vaccine -- VA-1.3 -- is in an advanced stage of human trials,' National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases Director Sujit Kumar Bhattacharya said.

Armymen rescue four American rafters
They were rafting in the Ganga river in Shivpuri near Dehradun, when their raft flipped over, throwing all into the icy cold waters.

'Diana was prepared to convert to Islam'
Nahid Khan, Lahore-based mother of heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, told this to the British media after Diana's relationship with Khan became an issue of gossip following the trial of her butler, Paul Burrell.

Amar Singh, Azmi among SP candidates for RS polls
Amar Singh is the party general secretary, while Abu Asim Azmi is the chief of the Maharashtra unit.

Goa cancels licences of 22 bars situated at Baina beach
Baina beach is considered the state's red light area and is situated in the port town of Vasco.

TN to approach court against ASI on temple
The government does not want the Archeological Survey of India to take over the Sri Arunachaleswar hill temple in Thiruvannamalai, which is under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.

COLUMN
Diwali Blues
'The golden rule for India, the nation, would seem to be: dissent and delay --- if the world passes us, so be it, but we must live up to our image of being a democracy, the biggest in the world in case you didn't know or had forgotten, says Arvind Lavakare.

SPECIALS
Kashmir: The road ahead and US stakes
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has analysed what the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and in Pakistan mean, reports Aziz Haniffa.

Remembering a war: A PoW in Tibet
Maj Gen K K Tewari, who was captured by the Chinese in 1962, insists that India did not start the war.

November 5, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Mufti suggests ceasefire during Ramzan
The J&K chief minister was also in favour of the Centre holding unconditional talks with militants.

Five killed as IAF Jaguar crashes in Ambala
The aircraft caught fire minutes after taking off from the Air Force station in Ambala and crashed at 1520 IST.

Trains collide in Chhapra, three killed
Railway officials said the driver of the Janseva Express did not apply the brakes on time after noticing the Barauni-Gwalior Express on the same track.

Chhapra mishap disrupts train services
Railway officials said while some trains have been diverted via Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, others are running behind schedule.

India, ASEAN countries to jointly combat terrorism
They also agreed to work for creating a Free Trade Area, a suggestion made by Prime Minister Vajpayee to eliminate trade barriers.

Three dalits thrashed for allegedly skinning calf
The three were residents of Chamra village in Panipat. They were released after a panchayat found them not guilty, as the calf was already dead.

REPORTS FROM J&K
Support healing process, Mufti tells bureaucrats
He urged them to adopt a positive approach in solving people's problems, especially those who had borne the brunt of militancy.

Tarigami urges Centre to start talks
The CPI-M leader, who was accorded a huge reception at Handwara, said his Democratic People's Forum would support the government as long as it sticks to the common minimum programme.

BJP terms Mufti's decisions dangerous
Party president Venkaiah Naidu said the decision to withdraw POTA and dismantle the Special Operations Group would revive terrorism in the state.

Four killed, IED recovered in Jammu
Three persons were killed in separate incidents involving terrorists, while police found the body of an abducted person with his throat slit.

Militants kill four in Poonch
Police said militants opened fire from a close range on a vehicle in which relatives were carrying a dead body to the Chandak village.

SHOOTOUT IN DELHI
Witness alleges shootout was a frame-up
The cops are looking out for the witness, who spoke to Delhi Mid-Day, an eveninger.

Diaries reveal Mumbai link of Delhi terrorists
Delhi Police Special Cell sleuths on Sunday had killed the Pakistani terrorists in the basement parking area of the Ansal Plaza.

POLITICAL TURMOIL IN UP
Congress keen to exploit political flux
Despite not having the numbers, it is considering fielding a candidate for a by-election to the Rajya Sabha.

Our ranks are swelling: BJP dissidents
By Wednesday, there would be enough to form a separate group, spokesman of the 'Save BJP Committee' Ramasheesh Rai claimed.

OTHER REPORTS
Extortionists in Bihar kill Kargil warrior
Shanker Kumar was on leave at his native Kemra village in Bihar's Sheikhpura district.

Pakistan accuses India of scuttling SAARC
Islamabad said India's obduracy at SAARC meetings betrayed its policy of imposing its political and economic hegemony in South Asia.

Train runs over seven gangmen in Visakhapatnam
They were employed through a contractor. The incident occurred near Pendurthy railway station around 1600 IST.

Anti-Musharraf parties reach agreement in Pakistan
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has reportedly okayed Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the candidate to head a coalition government.

Gaya DM, SP injured by irate mob
They unwittingly became the target of some villagers protesting against the misbehavior of a government official.

India hands over list of militant camps to Bangladesh
BSF officials said the list was handed over after repeated denials by Bangladesh on the existence of such camps.

Karnataka farmers to end protests if compensated
The chief minister has to convince the farmers that the government has released water because there is enough of it in reservoirs, Cauvery River Protection Committee president G Made Gowda said.

COLUMN
The opening in Kashmir
'India's national leadership must seriously reconceptualise its entire understanding of Kashmir and radically rethink the strategy followed hitherto,' says Praful Bidwai.

SPECIAL
Diabetes a curse on Indians
For genetic and lifestyle reasons, India has the world's largest diabetic population, writes Shobha Warrier.

November 4, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Karnataka not to stop releasing water
'Release of water from the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir has not been stopped and we are maintaining release of 9000 cusecs.,' Minister for Information Kagodu Thimappa said.

Karnataka rejects Veerappan's demand
'We have decided not to send any minister or legislator as emissaries for any reason whatsoever,' Information Minister Kagodu Thimappa said.

No talks till Pakistan stops terror: PM
Vajpayee congratulated police for killing two terrorists at a shopping mall in Delhi on Sunday.

Security forces on alert to ensure peaceful Diwali
'Maximum deployment of police personnel has been made,' Delhi's Joint Commissioner of Police (Operations) A S Khan said.

Blast in Rajouri, 14 hurt
The blast took place at Sharan hotel at around 1830 IST, sources said.

People will be masters of destiny in J&K: Mufti
'The ills of the prevailing situation lies in the autocratic pattern of governance of the previous government,' the chief minister said at a rally in Jammu.

PM in Cambodia for India-ASEAN summit
Vajpayee is expected to meet Chinese and Japanese Premiers Zhu Rongji and Junichiro Koizumi, who will attend the summit as dialogue partners.

Terrorists slain in Delhi were Pakistanis: Advani
Those who planned an attack in Delhi on Diwali moved the two terrorists to the capital from Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

For some in Tamil Nadu, Diwali is black
In Thurvaryurkottai in the Thanjavur delta, where farmers and labourers are facing hardships, villagers have stayed away from Diwali celebrations for over a generation now.

Two Lashkar terrorists killed in Sopore
They were trying to storm the battalion headquarters of the Rashtriya Rifles.

SLIDE SHOWS
The Indian Telly Awards
The awards recognise and reward achievers in the television industry.

The Mufti takes over
Pictures from the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.

COLUMN
Hinduism's corpse
'We need a class of committed Hindus from all walks of life who have the guts to reject caste altogether - and do it loudly and with fanfare - regardless of the threats from the Hindu jihadis, says Varsha Bhosle.

November 3, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Two suspected Lashkar militants killed in Delhi
The incident occurred at the Ansal Plaza, which was full of Diwali-eve shoppers.

Two independent MLAs arrested in UP
Raghuraj Pratap Singh and Dhananjay Singh were arrested on charges of threatening BJP MLA Puran Singh Bundela.

Mayawati to reshuffle cabinet to 'accommodate' rebels
Sources said that the decision was taken after parleys senior BJP leaders had with the dissidents.

Veerappan now wants minister as emissary
He wants Food Processing Minister Raju Gowda and Janata Dal leader Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy to negotiate conditions for the release of JD(U) leader H Nagappa.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Start unconditional dialogue, Sayeed urges PM
The new J&K chief minister hoped the Centre would `walk an extra mile to consolidate the gains made by the successful completion of the poll process'.
The Jammu and Kashmir Election: Full Coverage

SLIDE SHOWS
The Indian Telly Awards
The awards recognise and reward achievers in the television industry.

The Mufti takes over
Pictures from the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.

OTHER REPORTS
Eleven drown in boat accident in Bengal
The boat capsized in the Mori river in Raidhighi area in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district.

Made Gowda, Congress MLA secure bail
They had been arrested on October 30 in connection with the agitation over Cauvery waters.

Assam governor, CM in row over illegal immigrants
The governor is believed to be concerned over the illegal influx of Bangladeshi nationals through the porous international border.

Christians, Hindu Munnani in conversions row
The Christians attribute the turn of events to the anti-conversion law, recently passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly.

Indian ship sinks off Pak coast; crew safe
The crew managed to reach the Karachi coast.

INTERVIEW
'Karnataka is a law-abiding state'
State Water Resources Minister H K Patil says there is no parallel to the kind of unjust and illegal water-sharing pacts that have been forced on Karnataka.

SPECIAL
Could it happen again?
Dr John W Garver speculates on what could spark off another Sino-Indian military conflict.

COLUMNS
Watery countdown
'So charged is the Narmada issue that no political party in Gujarat can afford to ignore it. They will all vie to make claims, one more remarkable than the next,' says Dilip D'Souza.

Fear of NRIs, fear of numbers, fear of logic
'NRIs have seen the world and done well in fully competitive circles, do not have inferiority complexes, and do not need to suck up to some white academic for crumbs,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

November 2, 2002

TOP REPORTS
UP governor rejects demand for special assembly session
Vishnukant Shastri claimed that no MLA had expressed a desire to withdraw support to the Mayawati government.

Twelve militants killed in Poonch district
They were trying to sneak into India by crossing the Line of Control.

Sayeed sworn in J&K chief minister
Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma was sworn in deputy chief minister.

Militants kill Congress leader in J&K
The militants ambushed Mohammad Sikanker Khan near Batmallo bus stand in Srinagar when he was returning home after attending the swearing in ceremony of the Mufti.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN UP
Mayawati terms dissidence as internal affair of BJP
The chief minister pointed out that the dissidence was not directed at her.

Kushabhau Thakre sent as last resort
The high command virtually pulled Thakre out of retirement to douse the flames of revolt by 12 legislators, a party leader told rediff.com

JAMMU AND KASHMIR REPORTS
Grenade attack at the Mufti's house
'One grenade exploded in air, while the other exploded in the backyard of the house,' a police officer said. A constable was injured.

No move to release hardcore ultras: Congress
'Under the common minimum programme only those political prisoners against whom there are no substantial charges are to be released,' party leader Ambika Soni said.

Mufti govt soft on militants: Gill
Former director general of Punjab police K P S Gill said that no government can afford to soft-pedal militancy.

Mangat Ram Sharma is the third deputy CM of J&K
The 71-year-old is also the first Congressman to have risen to the post.
The Jammu and Kashmir Election: Full Coverage

SLIDE SHOWS
The Mufti takes over
Pictures from the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.

The week's images
Power play, flower power, courage and more...

GUJARAT ASSEMBLY ELECTION
Congress to start Gujarat poll campaign from Nov 11
Party leader Kamal Nath said if the Congress was voted to power it would set up special courts to probe 'several scams in the state'.

EC seeks compliance report from Gujarat govt
The Election Commission had directed the state to transfer police officers who have served in a particular district or in their home district for the last four years.

OTHER REPORTS
Curfew lifted in Mandya
The Cauvery River Protection Committee, which met in Mandya, has decided to restart the agitation against the Supreme Court order from November 4 to 15.

PML-Q stakes claim to form government
It has 122 seats in the 342-member national assembly and hopes to get a simple majority with the support of independents and regional parties.

India welcomes Commonwealth decision on Pakistan
India said the recent general election in Pakistan was 'seriously flawed' and had taken place after 'inherently unfair constitutional manipulations'.

Second flight of GSLV in February
GSLV-D1 was launched on April 18, 2001, to mark the beginning of a series of tests on GSLV rockets.

Toll in Orissa cracker blast rises to three
The unit had caught fire after some crackers accidentally went off.

Ranvir Sena area commander arrested
Mangal Rai is an accused in the Bathanitola massacre in Bhojpur district on July 21, 1996, in which 21 people were killed.

Twenty prisoners flee Bihar remand home
This is the second time within two months that juvenile prisoners have fled from a remand home.

Transparency needed to prevent corruption: CJI
'There are instances where corruption and incompetence have also pervaded the judicial establishment,' Justice B N Kirpal said.

Assam rights panel registers case against police
The case was registered after allegations of human rights abuse surfaced following the October 30 encounter in which two ULFA extremists were killed.

Three army personnel honoured with Vir Chakra
The awards are generally presented to personnel who performed outstandingly during periods of conflict.

Rains ease out in Chennai
The rains, which brought down the temperature and filled reservoirs, also flooded low-lying areas.

Rohinton Mistry leaves US tour halfway
The novelist is sick and tired of facing `unbearable' humiliation at the hands of US customs.

Delhi Climate Declaration adopted
The declaration expressed deep concern over the negative impact of greenhouse gases on developing countries.

Pillai's anti-Antony speech has UDF in a tizzy in Kerala
He is believed to have provoked PDP supporters to violence over the issue of its leader Abdul Nasser Madani's release from prison.

SPECIAL
Could it happen again?
Dr John W Garver speculates on what could spark off another Sino-Indian military conflict.

COLUMN
Fear of NRIs, fear of numbers, fear of logic
'NRIs have seen the world and done well in fully competitive circles, do not have inferiority complexes, and do not need to suck up to some white academic for crumbs,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

November 1, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Samajwadi Party stakes claim to form UP government
The party claimed to have the support of 204 MLAs and urged Governor Shastri to convene a special session of the assembly.

Pakistan's suspension from Commonwealth continues
The decision is a setback for Musharraf, who orchestrated the recently concluded assembly elections in a bid to win greater international and domestic respectability.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN UP
We are ready to prove majority: Mulayam
The SP chief said he had the support of all 'democratic and secular' legislators, including the BJP rebels and independent MLAs.

Congress non-committal over UP crisis
'The Congress would take an appropriate step at an appropriate time,' Motilal Vora, state general secretary, said.

UP BJP dissidents may escape anti-defection law
By not conveying their views to the governor in writing, they may manage to ward off the threat of disqualification.

No one will be allowed to topple govt: BJP
The SP is trying to push UP towards midterm polls, which will not be allowed, the party said.

CAUVERY WATERS ROW
SC defers hearing on contempt petitions to November 15
The court also directed Karnataka to keep releasing 9,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu till November 6, and thereafter on the basis of the interim order of the CRA.

Karnataka to obey SC order
'Whether it is possible or not is not the question. We have to obey the Supreme Court order and that we will,' Law Minister Chandra Gowda said.
The Cauvery Row: Full Coverage

TAMIL NADU EMPLOYEES' STRIKE
Employees, teachers end strike
The government will pay the four per cent hike in dearness allowance in cash. The employees will return to work on Tuesday.

Headmaster commits suicide
Kashipandian (52), headmaster of the Nambiamuthur elementary school, was unhappy with the government's response to the employees' demands.

GUJARAT ASSEMBLY ELECTION
Modi apprehends Pakistan design to defeat BJP
Pakistan President Musharraf wants to install a government in Gujarat that suits him, he claimed.

EC disallows 'communal' posters in Gujarat
The commission ordered suitable action against individuals or organisations responsible for such display.

Modi in breach of code of conduct: Congress
A Congress delegation from Gujarat urged the Election Commission to take action against the BJP, as it was `misusing public funds' to improve its electoral prospects.
The Gujarat Assembly Election: Full Coverage

JAMMU & KASHMIR REPORTS
Mufti likely to retain home ministry
Congress leader M R Sharma, who is likely to be the deputy chief minister, may get power and rural development ministries.

Man accused of abducting Rubaiya gets bail
Showkat Bakshi was arrested in 1990 in Srinagar and was charged with abducting Rubaiya, daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. He has already spent 12 years in jail.

Allow Pakistan Kashmir panel to visit India: Shah
The Kashmiri separatist leader said such a move would be seen as 'goodwill gesture to break the deadlock' over the Kashmir issue.

SRI LANKAN- LTTE PEACE TALKS
Lanka govt, LTTE make headway in peace talks
Among other things, they have agreed to set up a committee for the development of the violence-hit northern and eastern provinces.

Peace talks resume, 200-year prison term for Prabhakaran
The Sri Lankan high court sentenced the LTTE chief for planning a truck bombing on the Central Bank that killed 91 people and injured 300.

OTHER REPORTS
SC verdict may put TN minority schools in trouble
Christian and Muslim schools had defied the government and remained closed for a day last week to protest against the new anti-conversion ordinance.

Musharraf to summon national assembly on November 6
According to a plan approved by the cabinet, the constitution will be restored the day the president and the prime minister are administered oath, local daily Dawn quoted officials as saying.

Rajasthan HC deputy registrar suspended in sex scandal
Kalwani was accused of sexually propositioning Sunita Malviya, promising to settle in her favour a case to which she was a party.

Priya Rajvansh case: Anand brothers granted bail
Both are serving a life imprisonment sentences for their role in the murder of former actress Priya Rajvansh.

Prime accused in the MPSC paper scam gets bail
Former MPSC chairman S D Karnik was released on a surety of Rs 25,000, but co-accused Vishwanath Kelkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner [Thane], did not get bail.

Rajnikanth seeking publicity: Panneerselvam
The Tamil Nadu PWD minister said the actor's demand for linking of rivers is similar to that made by late M G Ramachandran in 1984.

Kanchi Shankaracharya accused of making anti-Dalit remarks
Sri Jayendra Saraswati reportedly said that Dalit Christians are returning to Hinduism to take advantage of the reservations for jobs provided by the government.

India to act if Pakistan doesn't mend ways: Sinha
The international community has lost its right to lecture India by displaying double standards in tackling terrorists, the external affairs minister told The Guardian daily in an interview.

Kamal Pande takes over as Cabinet Secretary
He is a 1965 batch IAS officer from Uttaranchal cadre.

Lockups in Hyderabad, Secunderabad closed
There will now be only one lockup in each division under the direct charge of the assistant commissioner of police of the respective division

Rains lash Chennai, other parts of TN
With the weatherman predicting more rains for the next two days, it may be a wet Diwali for the city.

Quick response could have saved lives in Erwadi: Report
The Ramadas Commission probing the fire in the mental institution, which claimed 28 lives last year, said the fire service did not respond promptly.

SPECIAL
Lives less lonely
A few men and women, widowed by the cyclone that struck Orissa on October 29, 1999, have married each other, reports Giridhar Gopal.

INTERVIEW
'We are not the initiators of the fight'
Dr V Maitreyan, AIADMK member of the Rajya Sabha, on the ordinance on religious conversions and the Cauvery row.

COLUMNS
The cost of a war that wasn't
'Operation Parakram will go down in Indian military history as the first time a grand deployment ended in a mere redeployment, a la withdrawal,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

Fear of engineering
'Technologists, who have to deal with the complexities of the real world, are intellectually equipped to debate humanities people even in their own specialties,' argues Rajeev Srinivasan.

Archives