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ELECTION 99
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November 21 Paradip: life after the storm 'The cyclone did not fully destroy the port's facilities. But it has severely affected the port's operations and it will take some weeks or months before we start functioning smoothly,' port trust chairman S K Mohapatra said. Church, Sangh Parivar are at daggers drawn in the North-east The VHP has only about 400 full-time workers in the region, as compared to 4,000 Christian missionaries, but it plans to increase activities there manifold by 2000. Sardinha blames Congress leadership The party had plunged into unnecessary controversies because of Chief Minister Faleiro's poor handling of the situation, said Francisco Sardinha who has staked his claim to form a new government in Goa. BJP to back Sardinha But the party's central leadership will decide whether the BJP should join the new government, Manohar Parrikar said. NCW blames media for sensationalising sati 'The committee is constrained to note that the media in its efforts to create a juicy story from a remote corner of the country did not hesitate to give a twist to the facts to create an illusion...' the inquiry committee noted. UNICEF to help with Orissa's rehab in a big way 'An estimated 3.3 million children have been affected by the storms. An undetermined number have been separated from their families, orphaned or injured seriously. A major component of UNICEF's activities over the next several months will address the special needs of these children,' its Indian head said. Jaswant's Japan visit may initiate turnabout It could be the beginning of the end of the freeze in relations between the two nations following the Pokhran tests. Bush showers praise on India 'Often overlooked in our strategic calculations is that great land that rests at the south of Eurasia. This coming century will see democratic India's arrival as a force in the world,' Republican front-runner George W Bush said. THE COUP IN PAKISTAN Qatari minister visits Sharief in jail The Doha-based Al-Jazeerah satellite television broadcast footage of Sheikh Hamad talking to a seated Sharief. Sharief in court to record statement The ousted premier was brought under high security to the anti-terrorism court in Malir district of Karachi along with four others, witnesses said. Pak fanning fundamentalism in Chechnya, Kashmir An analysis aired on Radio Moscow linked for the first time the insurgency in Russia's breakaway republic and the Indian border state. THE REDIFF COLUMNIST The Ghost of Tughlak 'The Congress high command abandoned the idea to replace Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang with J B Patnaik. The decision had been taken, but at the last moment it persisted with the status quo. Why?' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar. November 20 Governors' appointments set speculation to rest President Narayanan today appointed former Cabinet secretary Vinod Pande governor of Bihar, Mukand Steel chairman Viren Shah West Bengal governor and transferred Goa Governor Lt Gen (retd) Jacob to Punjab. Faleiro govt reduced to a minority Eleven dissidents have formed a group called Congress (Francisco Sardinha group) and are likely to stake their claim to form an alternate government with the support of the ten-member BJP and the NCP, which has one MLA. Lata Mangeshkar, three others nominated to RS Politician-turned social worker Nanaji Deshmukh, theatre personality and journalist Cho Ramaswamy and legal luminary F S Nariman are the others. Orissa storm may have claimed 20,000 lives "Most of the deaths did not occur when the cyclone struck Orissa or immediately after that, but due to lack of food and potable water and disease," a source said. Ersama to Paradip: A journey through death and destruction Twenty days after 16-foot tidal waves washed away several houses, mass funerals have not stopped. Soldiers and volunteers belonging to different religious and voluntary organisations have been searching for corpses and burning them every day. Clinton visit in Feb-Mar: US envoy Richard Celeste emphasised that India and Pakistan are no longer being treated on par by the US foreign policy establishment. Sex scandal rocks Church in Kerala The Centre for Development Action, an organisation that trains social workers, has convened a conference at Kottayam to discuss the legal and ethical issues in the incident. Gladys Staines to build leprosy hospital Social activist Swami Agnivesh and Rev Valson Thampu of Religions for Social Justice said they had met the prime minister and the President to grant Graham Staines's widow Indian citizenship and received a positive response. MPs seek more forces for Tripura The parliamentary delegation's leader Somnath Chatterjee said militants in the North-east were using the 856 km long international border with Bangladesh as a safe corridor and this matter should be taken up with Dhaka. Vajpayee vindicated me on Ayodhya: VP The former PM said he had told the present incumbent in 1990 that "when you sit on this chair, you will say exactly what I am saying". Pipeline to solve Tirumala's water woes Scheduled to be completed in 80 days by four construction groups, the proposed pipeline will ensure the supply of one million gallons of water every day to the temple town. When Cherrapunji runs dry For the residents of Cherrapunji, winter is when half their time is spent collecting and storing water for daily use. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW ''Support for the army is widespread'' 'What really was intriguing was the sort of collective amnesia that had taken place. It was almost like having turned the page from the Nawaz Sharief era, all that which happened during his rule was expunged, as if it had never happened,' says Salman Haidar, former Indian foreign secretary who is now involved in Track 2 diplomacy. THE COUP IN PAKISTAN Nawaz Sharief appears in court The ousted Pakistani PM was taken amid tight security to a Karachi court on Friday for the next step in a legal process that could lead to a death sentence. Treat Sharief fairly, impartially: US But state department spokesman James Rubin showed some sympathy for the motives of the military rulers. Women protesting against trial arrested Those detained include Tehmina Daultana, a minister in the government of the deposed premier. Pakistanis welcome crackdown on corruption General Musharraf, who gave loan defaulters a month to pay up or face harsh penalties, began arresting defaulters and others accused of corrupt practices this week. Work for open Kashmir borders: Benazir The former Pakistani PM has said the new military regime in Islamabad should mitigate New Delhi's concerns on cross-border terrorism. THE REDIFF DIARY A taste of India Travellers in a second-class train compartment are down-to-earth, with little airs or pretensions. In such compartments exists a mini-India and a montage of middle-class values. THE REDIFF COLUMNIST The Congress and the cyclone 'Do you want an example of how the chief minister of Orissa has lost control over the administration? Consider this: the chief secretary, the lynchpin in any state administration, flew off to the United States just over a week after the cyclone,' says T V R Shenoy. THE REDIFF SPECIALS Conversion by choice is a core value of human rights: Pope Watch the all-religion meeting attended by the Pope in Real Video. The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 19 Centre tightening the noose on RJD regime "The prime minister told both Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav that his government would not be found wanting when it imposed President's rule on Bihar for the second time," sources said. Sonia pleads with President to spare Nalini The Congress president had a private meeting with the President where she said she, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka all felt that the death sentence awarded to Nalini in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case should be commuted to life imprisonment. MCC butchers family in Palamau Bihar's Director General of Police K A Jacob said the 12 persons were living in an isolated place near a jungle about 2km from the village and were reportedly supporters of the Peoples' War Group, a rival Naxalite group. Third attacker of Badami Bagh also killed Elsewhere in Kashmir, four security personnel and two extremists were among seven persons killed while security forces captured six terrorists in the last 24 hours. Church to go ahead with rally in Kerala While the Church has decided to go ahead with its decision to organise a rights rally at Kannur on Friday, the CPI-M proposes to counter it with its own mass rally on November 22. A safe seat for Naidu? How about Cuttack? For thousands of residents of Cuttack, Naidu is not just the neighbouring state's chief minister, but a saviour who was the first to reach them after the October 29 cyclone devastated the town. UP Youth Congress chief murdered Arun Kumar Singh, who was abducted on Wednesday night, was found dead -- shot at close range -- in a jeep near Shivpuri on the Agra-Bombay national highway. Fresh CPI-M-RSS clashes leave five injured in Kerala The situation in Thalassery, north Kerala, is now under control and police pickets in the area have been strengthened to prevent any more untoward incidents. Judicial inquiry ordered into Madras jail riot The Tamil Nadu CM announced a compensation of Rs 800,000 to the family of deputy jailer Jayakumar and an ex-gratia payment of Rs 100,000 each to the families of the nine prisoners killed. Prison returns to normal Relatives of the inmates -- mainly women -- thronged outside the prison gates demanding to know about the well-being of their kin inside. BJP must work hard to win over Muslims: Naqvi The former Union minister of state admitted that the BJP's Muslims leaders are facing challenges from both inside and outside the party on issues relating to the community. BJP might install southerner as chief Among other names, that of Jana Krishnamurthy figures prominently. Navy apprehends pirates The 15 pirates of suspected Indonesian origin are now being interrogated by the Coast Guard. Jyoti Basu to continue as CM According to a release issued by the CPI-M politburo in New Delhi, Basu's request to relieve him from the responsibility due to ill health was discussed at its meeting and rejected. RJD sees governor's decision to sack minister as 'arbitrary' The party's spokesmen said a debate should be initiated to ascertain the powers of the governor and whether the Raj Bhavan could usurp the executive powers of the state government and the chief minister. Sacked minister vows to fight it out Samrat Chaudhary's father Shakuni accused Bihar Governor Suraj Bhan of playing politics. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'Our school books talk about Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, but don't mention Yajnavalkya, Panini and Patanjali' 'India has had cultural continuity for at least 10,000 years. Not only are we one of the most ancient civilisations... Artistic, philosophical and religious impulses, central to the history of mankind, arose first in India.' Dr Subhash Kak, a renowned authority on ancient Indian science and technology, speaks to Rajeev Srinivasan. THE COUP IN PAKISTAN Sharief 'secretly moved' to Karachi There has been speculation about the deposed Pak PM's whereabouts and when he will be produced in court. Sharief to be formally indicted The deposed prime minister is expected to be produced before Rahmat Husain Jafri, administrative judge for anti-terrorism courts, on Friday. Sharief was briefed on Kargil: Musharraf "He [Sharief] was a much more aggressive man than I was," the general said in an interview to The New York Times, adding that the PM would sometimes jest about making a devastating attack on Srinagar. Musharraf may not be against India, hints ex-KGB chief General Leonid Sherbashin, in an interview to the Russian daily Novaya Gazeta, reminded the world that the armed forces "are the most organised and stabilising factor in Pakistan". Report deplores treatment of children in Pak jails Often jailed with adult prisoners, children in police custody receive the same deplorable treatment, says the 147-page report - 'Prison bound: the denial of juvenile justice in Pakistan'. THE REDIFF DIARY Good old Madras Girls are shyer here and don't wear high heels. THE REDIFF COLUMNIST Treason of the intellectuals 'In India an intellectual cannot but be a prostitute. This highly stratified Hindu society arranged on an ascending order of reverence and descending degree of contempt is a fertile breeding ground for such prostitutes.' Krishna Prasad on V T Rajasekhar's critique of Indian intellectuals. THE REDIFF SPECIALS Conversion by choice is a core value of human rights: Pope Watch the all-religion meeting attended by the Pope in Real Video. The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 18 Abdullah, Advani give usual spiel on 'return of normalcy' According to defence ministry sources, Osama bin Laden has promised $7,000 to every mujahid who dies trying to 'liberate' the state 'from Indian occupation'. Abdullah optimistic of a new package The package being worked out, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said, is in two parts. "The first is for meeting the state's immediate financial needs. The second is a medium-term plan, to be spread over the next three to five years, to push up the state's development." Distribution of relief material poses problems Relief co-ordinators and district administrations have struggled in the past two weeks to distribute relief material piling up in various depots in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. 8 killed as police open fire in Madras jail Rioting broke out following the death of a prisoner, gangster Boxer Vadivelu. Tamil Nadu prisons: a breeding ground for riots What, however, took the jail authorities in Madras central prison by surprise was the suddenness of the prisoners' attack. Gupta inducts 41 more ministers Described as the largest government in the country, the Ram Prakash Gupta ministry has surpassed his predecessor's giant 90-member council. UP CM may take tough stance against Kalyan Sources said Intelligence Bureau sleuths had reported that mischief-makers were trying to set up a meeting between 'sworn enemies' Mayawati of the BSP and Kalyan Singh to create problems for Gupta. Madras HC reserves orders on Rajiv assassins' plea Counsel K Chandru submitted on behalf of the accused that the Supreme Court, in several verdicts, had held that the President/governor, while exercising their power under Articles 72/161 of the Constitution, should go by the advice of the their council of ministers. MoD opposes Bhagwat's plea The ministry said the ex-admiral had filed his petition seeking reinstatement as chief of the naval staff to subserve extraneous political purposes and pursue a political objective. Inquiry ordered into Tripura massacre The state government announced that it would provide jobs to the next of kin of the dead. But if a suitable candidate is not found in the affected families, Rs 50,000 will be given as a one-time grant. AP brain fever toll rises to 105 Thirty-three fresh cases were reported on Wednesday, pushing up the total for the current year to 516. New anti-corruption law in Pakistan Witnesses said police carried out raids in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, but it was not known if anyone was arrested. Sharief to be produced in court The Karachi airport police will seek the deposed PM's remand for further investigation. He was brought to Karachi in a special plane from Islamabad late on Tuesday night, The Dawn reported. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'We don't see Pakistan as an ally at all' "That notion disappeared a long time ago. There were people who had favoured Pakistan because of historical reasons, but those things do not exist anymore. At the same time, India's good work in sorting out differences with the US on different issues has helped," says Congressman Gary L Ackerman. THE REDIFF DIARY Stars, Stardust and Sansui 'I would say that Aishwarya and Akshaye Khanna gave the most polished performance. Anil Kapoor sauntered around the stage a lot. Sonali and Mahima were good. And Meenakshi Seshadri gave a sterling performance.' Suparn Varma on the loose at the Sansui Awards! THE REDIFF COLUMNIST A good life 'I would like to die like great-uncle Shankar... I would also like to live like great-uncle. Unbowed, unvanquished, looking Fate straight in the eye, with quiet dignity in the face of adversity,' says Rajeev Srinivasan. THE REDIFF SPECIALS The superhighway to nowhere 'How much did the Kargil operation cost? How much did the Mysore cost? How much will the leasing of AWACS from Russia cost? These are all legitimate questions, which the taxpayer would like to know. Yet try asking them in close proximity of South Block and you will probably be arrested as a Pakistani spy,' says Admiral (retd) J G Nadkarni. Conversion by choice is a core value of human rights: Pope Watch the all-religion meeting attended by the Pope in Real Video. The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 17 Ersama: abode of the living dead Macabre scenes of death and destruction -- corpses, uprooted trees and damaged rail tracks -- and the unbearable stench of decayed carcasses assail you everywhere. Depleted mangrove cover makes Orissa coast vulnerable to killer storms Ecologists have warned several times that the coast was heading for a disaster. The warning was first issued in the 1970s when a severe cyclonic storm battered the coast, killing more than 10,000. 'Sati' fever picks up even as police term it suicide Ignoring appeals by social activists and police warnings, men, women and children have been flocking to Satpura village in southern Uttar Pradesh, where a 58-year-old woman killed herself by jumping into her husband's funeral pyre. Bhopal victims sue Union Carbide The suit, filed in a Manhattan federal court, names former chairman Warren Anderson as a defendant, seeks unspecified damages and wants the federal court to take back control of the litigation that was first filed there by the Indian government but was moved to India in 1986 for jurisdictional reasons. Bihar minister dismissed for falsifying age Governor Suraj Bhan said the decision to sack the minister was taken because of "a fake birth certificate produced by him". Allegre's visit will boost Indo-French ties The French minister for education, research and technology is coming armed with several memoranda of understanding to be initialled. 'I mean business' Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta, having failed in his primary task of striking a rapprochement between the warring BJP factions, is doing the next thing to survive in power: expanding his council of ministers. Commonwealth may expel Pakistan Asked whether the US had, of late, started softening its stand towards the military ruler in Islamabad, Vajpayee said, "They may have some other considerations in mind. Consideration of human rights is not uppermost in their mind." Strike paralyses life in Tripura The strike was called to protest against Sunday's massacre by extremists. Naidu assures Owaisi of impartial probe But the AP chief minister rejected the demand voiced by the MIM, Congress and CPI-M for a CBI inquiry into the baton-charge on the MIM leader on September 24. Essence of Indian nationhood under threat: Manmohan The former finance minister was addressing a conference organised by the Maryland-based International Religious Liberty Association and attended by some 300 delegates from several countries. Panthers Party chief plans yet another yatra Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is likely to flag off the march in Srinagar while Sonia Gandhi, the Congress president, will see it off from New Delhi. Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh: An officer and a gentleman A Japanese prisoner of war in the Second World War, stories of his bravery in the Kashmir operations have become legendary. Five new governors soon: PM Vajpayee evaded all questions relating to Uttar Pradesh and claimed to have no idea about developments in his home state. Smitten by the Mallory mystery For filmmaker and mountaineer David Breashears, the grim discovery of one of the world's most-sought-after bodies was testimony not to Everest's terrible toll but to the amazing spirit of adventure that drove George Mallory and the other early Himalayan climbers. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'The Church in Asia is different. Here it is perceived as a foreign entity' ''This concept is quite vivid in many cultures and many countries. In contrast to other Asian religions, Christianity is perceived as having an outside influence. This 'foreigner' status of the Church has made evangelisation and inculturation very difficult,'' says Hong Kong-based Christian activist Annie Lam. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS Time to defeat the jihad from across 'The passes will close soon and the Taliban jihadis will have to return to populated areas for refuge and succour in winter. A sustained and resolute military operation and a well-knit anti-infiltration and counterinsurgency grid alone can prevent defiant Badami Bagh-type raids on army camps and posts,' says Major General (retired) Ashok K Mehta. Warped morality 'If we are so amoral about profit, why do we make such a tamasha over small things? Why do we want to close bars at midnight, chop off kissing scenes on the screen, banish rock concerts and casinos, and treat those who smoke grass or drop acid or snort coke as noxious criminals,' asks Pritish Nandy. THE REDIFF SPECIALS Conversion by choice is a core value of human rights: Pope Watch the all-religion meeting attended by the Pope in Real Video. The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 16 Commonwealth tightens screws on Pak The heads of government decided to take harsh measures, including the imposition of sanctions against the country if its military regime does not take immediate steps to restore democracy. CHOGM to promote peaceful resolution of conflicts Outgoing secretary-general Emeka Anyaoku observed that the Commonwealth has succeeded in ending crises and conflicts in many member nations, but many areas remain that require urgent resolution. Dismantle trade barriers: Commonwealth Though the leaders remained engaged for three days on Pakistan, the thrust of the summit was on globalisation and its impact on developing and least developed nations. Summit draws to an end Officials said the leaders would finalise a proposed review and extension of the mandate of the eight-nation ministerial action group that acts as the Commonwealth's watchdog on democracy and human rights. Church heading for showdown with CPI-M in Kerala The church is demanding a judicial probe into the assault on Father Geo Pulichal, principal of Nirmalagiri College at Koothuparamba in Kannur district, by students affiliated to the ruling Marxists. Action against more UP BJP leaders likely Party vice-president Krishan Lal Sharma said the high command decided to change the chief minister only after Kalyan Singh owned moral responsibility for the party's poor performance in the state and offered to quit. Chautala defeats no-confidence motion The Opposition-sponsored motion against the three-and-a-half-month-old INLD government was defeated by 52 votes to 28 after a prolonged and stormy debate. 12 killed in Himachal bus mishap The bus fell into a gorge while negotiating a sharp curve. Cyclone batters lives in Orissa Sriram, a fisherman of Ambiki village in the worst-affected Ersama block of Jagatsinghpur district, is worried how he will support his six-member family once the distribution of relief ends. Ackerman praises Vajpayee's regime Addressing the captains of industry at a meeting in Bombay, the congressman lauded the government's efforts to open up the insurance sector. Clinton likely to visit India early next year "A formal announcement in this regard will be made in Washington," the US ambassador to India said during an informal chat with reporters in Bombay. Blair keen on stronger Indo-British ties His personal envoy, Peter Hain, is coming to India later this week for wide-ranging discussions on terrorism, trade and stepping up British investments in India. Congress alleges anomalies in housing for dalits in AP Members of the opposition party walked out of the state assembly after the government rejected their demand to set up a house committee to probe the issue. Rajagopal puts Nayanar government in a spot On his maiden visit to Kerala in his new capacity as Union minister of state for law, justice and company affairs, the BJP politician cornered the LDF government on the question of setting up of a high court bench in Trivandrum. Tripura militants kill 17, injure 11, kidnap 4 An explosive situation prevails in the state as the government has sounded a red alert in West Tripura district. AP brain fever toll reaches 99 According to a health bulletin issued by the state's director of health, Dr K S V Prasada Rao, 25 fresh cases of encephalitis were reported on Sunday, pushing the total for this year to 463. IFFI to open with Karunam There was a lot of disagreement over the entries in the non-feature film section. Jury members were sharply divided over Adoor Gopalakrishnan's film Kalamandalam Gopi in Malayalam. Rajendran sworn-in as Orissa governor The former Tamil Nadu chief secretary is the state's 34th governor. Taliban refuses to give up Osama Spokesman Syed Aqa said the organisation was willing to hold talks with the US and assure it that neither bin Laden nor anyone else would be allowed to use Afghan soil to wage war on a third country. US climber plans millennium celebration on Everest Robert Anderson, 41, a writer from New York City, arrived in Kathmandu earlier this week and plans to leave the city on November 17 or 20, arriving at his base camp three days later. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'Rajiv's killers don't deserve any mercy' "Let me ask you one thing. Why didn't these same people file clemency petitions for Auto Sankar? The truth is that some people have been bought over by the LTTE. These people are working for money," says Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress chief Vazhappadi Ramamurthy. THE REDIFF DIARY What if Naidu becomes another Mahathir? 'What if all this goes to his head? What if he begins to believe in his own mythology, his own infallibility? What if it knocks his otherwise good judgement for a six?' says Anvarali Khan. THE REDIFF COLUMNIST Control freak What does the present Kaangres Parti have to do with the INC of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?? If I remember correctly, Gandhiji's Congress agitated against foreigners governing India! It is high time that the rotting relics of that party be laid to rest,' says Varsha Bhosle. Archives |
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