30=07=2009 Fresh news

* DEFENSIVE MODE OF RULERS

Sonia caps dissent, Congress backs Manmohan

* Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the India-Pakistan joint statement, indicating that the apparent gulf between the government and sections of the party had been bridged. The new stance was also backed in public by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi who said the party and the government were 'absolutely one' on the joint statement issued July 16 after Manmohan Singh met his Pakistan counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani in Egypt.

Party sources said there were differences among senior ministers initially over the joint statement that sought to delink terrorism from the dialogue with Pakistan, but Sonia Gandhi overruled them at a core committee meeting Friday last and at the Congress Parliamentary Party meet Thursday. A senior minister said that 'some ministers were particularly upset over inclusion of Balochistan in the joint statement, which the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) made the most of' during a two-day debate in parliament on the issue. 'There may be some dissenting noises now but they are not very vocal,' the minister told IANS on condition of anonymity, and pointed to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is a former external affairs minister, putting up a staunch defence of the prime minister in the Lok Sabha Thursday. Mukherjee even had intermittent heated exchanges with BJP leaders on the issue, saying that there was no dilution in the country's foreign policy. For the Congress, it was quite a change from the situation a few days ago, when party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi had told journalists to 'go and ask the government' on being asked to react to the joint statement. The main opposition BJP, on its part, criticised the joint statement and attacked the prime minister, while its leader L.K. Advani led his party MPs out of the Lok Sabha in protest. The opposition also alleged in the house that the prime minister did not have the backing of his own party on the issue.

At the parliamentary party meeting, Sonia Gandhi asserted that there was no dilution on India's foreign policy vis-a-vis Pakistan because of the joint statement. 'No one should be in any doubt on our party's position vis-a-vis Pakistan. It remains unchanged,' Sonia Gandhi said. 'We support the resumption of the dialogue process with Pakistan, but only after it has demonstrated its seriousness to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice and to prevent its territory from being used to launch terror attacks on any part of our country.' She pointed out that this was imperative to restore confidence and build an environment conducive to any meaningful dialogue. Her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi dispelled speculations that there was a disquiet within the party. 'The government and the party are absolutely one... You media have created such an impression (of differences),' Gandhi told reporters in the parliament house complex.

Naval chief defends price paid for aircraft carrier Admiral Gorkshov

The criticism of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the escalating cost of second-hand aircraft carrier Admiral Gorkshov notwith standing, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Thursday defended the price being paid for the ship. Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Naval Self Reliance' organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Admiral Mehta challenged anybody to get an aircraft carrier for India under two billion dollars. Commenting on the CAG's finding that the Navy had not undertaken a risk analysis before going in for price negotiation, Admiral Mehta said, the question did not arise, as the Navy has been searching for a warship since late 90's, and a decision on the Admiral Gorkshov was taken after adequate tests.

Negotiations for the Russian manufactured aircraft carrier were carried out for two-three years before inking the deal in 2004, and it was done with extreme seriousness and there is no question of any laxity, Admiral Mehta added.

Admiral Mehta admitted that as the Navy has to depend on the services and support of the Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) through agencies, these agencies sometimes might not give the job to best suited manufacturer. He said the Indian Navy has lived with such situations in the past, and the ships have done quite well. He also described the Sea Eagle missile as an ancient missile. With more indigenous capability coming in, most of these are being brought into naval platforms, he explained. Whatever the India Navy has got through indigenous research and development was perfectly fine, he added. By 2022, under the plan of Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP), the Indian Navy hopes to become a versatile three-dimensional force with over 160 ships including three aircraft carrier and submarines, more than 300 aircraft and satellite-based surveillance as well as net centric operations to provide force multiplication," Admiral Mehta said.

Admiral Mehta said the upgradation of range of missiles in the recently inducted nuclear submarine INS Arihant would take place at appropriate time.

The Navy has also submitted a proposal of a 'Science and Technology Roadmap-2025'for developing indigenous technology for naval applications to the government, Admiral Mehta informed.

Mukherjee defends Indo-Pak joint statement, opposition walks out

* Even as the ruling UPA emphatically and vociferously defended the signing of the recent India-Pakistan joint statement in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition walked out of the Lok Sabha on Thursday afternoon, specifically protesting on the issue of Balochistan and the delinking of terror from the composite dialogue process. Defending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's stand on the statement, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was an external Affairs Minister not too long ago, said India's foreign policy was an extension of national interest, and New Delhi had not compromised on this at any stage in the past or at the recent Red Sea resort summit meeting. "Our stand on terror remains undiluted.. Our country's foreign policy is not based on the whims of one political party. We have not compromised India's sovereignty," said a highly charged Mukherjee in spite of constant heckling from the opposition benches. Stating that India's foreign policy is of nearly 5000 years standing, Mukherjee echoed Dr. Singh's stand on the joint statement saying that it was necessary. "Pakistan must dismantle the terror mechanism operating from its soil. India is not interested in Balochistan. The reference to Balochistan in the Indo-Pak Joint statement was a unilateral mention by Pakistan," Mukherjee added. In apparent reference to an opposition jibe that the present government was made to ink the joint statement in Egypt because of pressure from Washington, Mukherjee said there was no pressure from anyone or any country. The opposition BJP took on the government saying that they did not believe that the UPA felt that foreign policy was an extension of national interest. Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani asked what was the need for the government of the day to agree to have Balochistan mentioned for the first time in a joint statement by India and Pakistan? Endorsing former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha's warning that India would find it very difficult to live down this particular aspect of the joint statement for years to come, Advani said it was not enough to say that New Delhi's hands were clean on the issue. He said the government's reply did not justify the inclusion of Balochistan in the statement.

When External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna endorsed the Prime Minister and Mr. Mukherjee's stands on the joint statement and on the issues of terror and Balochistan, the BJP said there was no point in participating in the debate any further and walked out. The government's defence of the joint statement came after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi came out in full support of Manmohan Singh. Addressing the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) here on Thursday, Sonia said, "The party fully supports and welcomes the Prime Minister's reply on the Indo-Pak joint statement." "Talks with Pakistan can resume once it actually takes action on terror and not allow its soil to be used for anti-India activities," she added.

Supporting the Prime Minister's statement, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said: "The party had made its stand very clear on PM's reply. I don't think that after the Party President has spoken, there is any need for anyone to add or subtract from it." Several parliamentarians complimented Dr. Singh for his convincing speech in the Parliament on the Indo-Pak joint statement, at the dinner hosted by Sonia Gandhi for the party MPs on Wednesday.

Party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi also praised Dr. Singh by describing his speech as convincing. "The speech was very good and the Prime Minister is always convincing," Rahul had said. Intervening in Wednesday's debate on the Indo-Pak joint statement in the parliament, Singh said it was "in our vital interest to make sincere efforts to live in peace with Pakistan" and emphasized that India wanted good relations with Pakistan.

Singh said: "Unless we talk directly to Pakistan, we will have to rely on third parties to do so. That route has severe limitations as to its effectiveness".

He, however, added that "despite the best of intentions, we cannot move forward if terrorist attacks launched from Pakistani soil continue to kill and injure our citizens, here and abroad. That is the national position."

* Banaras University slaps Rs.50,00 fine for ragging

* Setting an example for other colleges and students over ragging issue, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) fined its 10 students and handed over them to the police for allegedly ragging junior students.

Police have filed a criminal case against the alleged students who have been arrested.

Eight of them are second year students of Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech) and the other two are third year students.

According to a university official, a college security staff member in civil dress chased the alleged students who took the freshers away from the campus to the Assi Ghat for ragging.

The students, however, claimed innocence and said they were only going for sightseeing with the juniors on their request.

"We only know this much that we are innocent. We were playing cricket with our juniors for the past three-four days. We were introduced to them in our department and we have mingled with them," said Digvijay Singh, one of the accused students.

Meanwhile, college authorities that claimed to be in possession of video and other proofs of ragging, handed over the students to police at the Lanka Station.

Fine has already been imposed Rs. 50,000 on the students by niversity

"The university has taken strong steps. Each student has been slapped with a fine of Rs. 50,000. They have been suspended from the hostel for one semester and from their class for 15 days. If they are unable to pay the fine in due time, they will be suspended from the class as well. The accused have been handed over to police under the UGC (University Grants Commission) guidelines," said Arjun Singh Rathaur, Proctor BHU.

The arrests have come about a month after BHU set up a ragging prevention committee to maintain zero-ragging campus.

Officials said that the university would strictly follow the Supreme Court's rules to prevent ragging in educational institutions.

According to the rule, students found guilty of ragging will be suspended and in some cased could be jailed

* Mum Katherine Jackson wants to rewrite son's will: MJ executors

* Lawyers representing Michael Jackson's mother Katherine have come under fire over claims that they are trying to "rewrite" the pop superstar's will against his dying wishes.

Michael had appointed attorney John Branco and business associate John McClain to take charge of his affairs in a will signed in 2002.

However, according to reports, Katherine is trying to get involved in all decisions regarding her son's estate. In fact, she has mounted a legal battle to ensure she is consulted on all issues.

Londell McMillan, Katherine's lawyer, has insisted that the 79-year-old is not looking to contest the singer's will.

In a statement released earlier, McMillan said, "Despite false reports, neither Mrs. Jackson nor any of her lawyers has or will be contesting the will. Nor has she decided whether or not to raise any challenge to the appointment of the executors named in the will or whether to seek the appointment of an additional co-executor. Her top priority remains the care of her son's three children."

Recently, McMillan claimed Branco and McClain were making unjustified confidentiality demands from Katherine in exchange for access to Jackson's contract with concert promoters AEG, who were in charge of his ill-fated London comeback shows.

The co-executors, however, have rubbished the claims, insisting that they simply asked the Jackson family matriarch to agree to keep the details of the AEG deal secret from the media - a request her lawyers denied.

Also, Branco and McClain are convinced it's just another attempt by McMillan to have Katherine put in charge of the estate, reports The Daily Express.

A representative for the co-executors states, "(Katherine's lawyers want to) rewrite Michael's will to make Mrs. Jackson 'Guardian of the Estate' and have her appointed as an executor."

* India is America''s strongest ally: Senator Cornyn

* Terming India as the "strongest ally" of America, an influential Republican senator has hoped that new Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar will be instrumental in moving the partnership forward. "India is one of our nation''s strongest allies and friends and I am confident Ambassador Shankar will be instrumental in strengthening this partnership and moving it forward," said John Cornyn, the Republican Senator from Texas.

Cornyn is Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, which held a reception for Shankar at the Capitol Tuesday. Nearly one-fourth of the US Senators turned up for the reception. "It was a pleasure meeting Ambassador Meera Shankar and other Indian officials. I look forward to a positive and productive working relationship with the new Ambassador," Cornyn said.

"Since 2004, India and the US have built a strategic partnership based on our common values and our shared commitment to expanding opportunities in education, energy, and beyond," he said.

* Shiney Ahuja''s judicial custody extended till Aug 13

* The judicial custody of Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, arrested for allegedly raping his domestic maid, was today extended till August 13 by a local court. Ahuja, who is presently lodged at the Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, was produced before the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate through video conferencing. The 36-year-old actor was arrested on June 15 for allegedly raping his domestic maid at his residence in Oshiwara at suburban Andheri.

* Celina sends flowers to police officers

* Beauty queen-turned-actress Celina Jaitley was so overwhelmed with a ban on use of horses, elephants and camels by police here that she sent flowers to the officers. Celina, who is an active member of animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sent bouquets and a card to commissioner of police Satyapal Singh and DCP Special Branch R.P. Sengaonkar who were instrumental in banning the use of the animals in the city, said a statement released here Thursday.

'Thank you for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves', Celina wrote in the card. Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India chief functionary, said: 'Humane people around the world are watching India's treatment of animals. We applaud the Pune officers for taking action and urge other officers to do so, too'. The animals were forced to pull oversized loads or give joyrides on crowded streets.

* Film shoot disrupted by wild elephant to resume Friday

* The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer 'Raavan', disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday.

'We will resume shooting tomorrow (Friday),' Sivan told IANS.

The tusker, whose name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the cast and crew of Mani Ratnam's film could not return to their hotel.

'We didn't see much since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge... so we couldn't cross over... we had to stop shooting, but I didn't see anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a guest house in the forest,' said Sivan.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, 'Raavan' also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

* Big winner

* A brief first ride in April 2009 left us feeling that the CB1000R has immense potential.. It took an exhaustive road test to clear the air of uncertainty. The raw, sharply sculpted bike exhibits traits of its European descent. As compact as a regular, Indian-built 150 cc motorcycle, the CB1000R visibly concentrates the bulk of its mass low, and in the proximity of its centre of gravity. If looks could kill...Its diminutive front mudguard is sporty and sits just ahead of a prominent 'Z'-shaped radiator cowl. Between its two fat, inverted telescopic forks sits a thoroughly modern conical headlight with a chin set, blue-tinted circular lamp. The bike uses futuristic LCD instruments that are backlit in blue, and come in three adjustable states of dimness. It's practically burglar-proof thanks to the HISS feature - Honda's Ignition Security System - which prevents the engine from starting without its original keys. A wide, flat handlebar mounts palm-friendly grips, top-of-the-line, reach-adjustable buffed alloy levers and top-notch switches. The smart-looking fuel tank provides an aircraft-style fuel-filler and a superbly integrated tank pad that leads smoothly into the riding saddle. A light step separates the rider from passenger. The rear seat covers a tiny lockable storage space. The CB1000R is available across India in two colours - metallic green and black. Suffice it to say that this big Honda pays outstanding attention to detail. Liquid engineering

The four-stroke engine is basically a modified version of the brilliant Fireblade

optimistic unit. The ignition system is computerised on this bike and its four-valve-per-cylinder head has been constructed using magnesium alloy. The motorcycle directs its 125 bhp of power at 10,000 rpm to the rear wheel via a hydraulic-assisted clutch and six-speed gearbox. The equator-sized power band is creamy smooth. This makes the flexible Honda a truly rideable machine in crowded urban Indian conditions. Fast sprinter

But cracking the whip on a CB1000R brings more than just a hint of brutality into

its acceleration, with the front wheel eager to leap off the ground. The bike rockets to 100 kph in a blistering 3.39 seconds, and makes the sprint to 160 kph in 7.03. It breaches the 190 kph mark in 10.23 seconds, and the top whack is in the vicinity of 230 kph. A smooth ride

This superbike seems to have got its ergonomics spot-on. Its riding is so perfect and stress-free that you wouldn't want to get off the hot seat. The riding saddle is decently padded, while its handlebar is flat and wide enough for easy city manoeuvring

* Wedlock or deadlock ?

* As Rakhi Ka Swayamvar draws to a close, the reality TV show that had the nation gripped this past month finds itself at the centre of controversies again. A few days ago, a local court in Jaipur asked the police to register an FIR against six people, including Rakhi, for allegedly stealing the concept of the show from a private portal. In response, the channel (that the show is aired on) said, "the allegations are false and malicious." That's not all. While there are reports of Rakhi getting married to Elesh Parunjanwala on August 2 wearing a Rs 30 lakh necklace, questions are being raised as to whether there will be a wedding at all. Sources from the channel clarify, "There will definitely be a swayamvar, beyond that, we are not allowed to say anything. " Rakhi, who is really excited about the finale episode says, "It's a very emotional moment for me. I've never been so nervous in my entire life.

* A game of do or die

* Reality TV strikes again! UK tabloid The Sun reported on Tuesday that Sree Dasari, 25, the Indian contestant on UK's controversial show Big Brother, slashed his wrists last week as he watched the show with his friends. A student of the University of Hertfordshire, Sree was rushed to a hospital from his room on campus. He got upset while watching the show on TV, a source said. Sree was evicted from the Big Brother house on July 3 with over 80 per cent of the viewers' votes against him. What's more, he was greeted by boos from the crowd as he walked out of the house. Being called a "cry for help", Sree's actions have thrown the spotlight on the pitfalls of reality TV. Barely two months back, Britain's Got Talent participant Susan Boyle was admitted to a rehab clinic. But Raja Chaudhary of Bigg Boss 2 feels it's not that bad. "It means the public knows everything about you. but that's not necessarily a negative thing. I feel it helps you connect better with the audience because they can identify with who you really are.

* Accountability is the key to better society

* We may all agree that life is a game of uncertainties. Our intellect falls short to anticipate even the near future.

On one hand, life appears to be full of challenges, many miles to go, many milestones to accomplish. On the other, it looks as if we are marching relentlessly towards nowhere.

There is a measureless hustle and bustle to take care of all our needs. We cannot turn our face from accepting the fact that we have been becoming more and more self-centered.

All our calculative moves nourish our insatiability. In the race towards perfectionism, are we not heading to a more ambiguous situation? Rational deliberation seems struggling to find its due place.

For most of us, it is hard to appreciate these words because we act as if we are living in a world of diligence. Our sense of worth would not like to lend ears to such words.

Giving optimism its due respect, we cannot move away from accepting the reality that we are turning worthless. We are still to learn to take pleasure in giving happiness to others.

We cannot and should not retreat from accountability that we owe to the betterment of society. There is nothing wrong in cultivating an aspiration for achieving something worthwhile.

But the means we take to fulfill the desires must be fair. Time and again, we indulge in unreasonable means to gratify our longings.

The need is to rise to the occasion. Being sensible among all creations, the situation demands us to take some productive actions expeditiously to assure the future generation of an environment full of opportunities and happiness.

There is no dearth of willingness. But this is not everybody's task.

We cannot expect everyone to turn the tide. The responsibility lies on the shoulders of those who hold key positions.

* A drought of ideas

* Every year, the first signals of a weak/delayed monsoon in India spark off the fear of an imminent drought. What follows is a predictable script: states start clamouring for funds to fight the drought and the Centre evaluates their demands.

This year is no different. The late monsoons means that both farmers and the government are worried about the repercussions, given that the things on the economic front are not exactly up there in the bright lights.

Though the late-July rains have brought some relief, everyone's a bit jumpy about things. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday allayed fears of a drought in northwestern India, the country's grain bowl, but pinned his hopes on predictions made by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

It appears that we might see a "better than normal monsoon" in August, higher than that in July. In the words of the IMD, we might just have "101 per cent rain in August" as against 82 per cent in July.

Meanwhile, the Centre has released Rs 271 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund to four states: Assam, Bihar, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh. During a discussion in Parliament, BJP MP Gopinath Munde urged the Centre to consider a fresh loan waiver to farmers who have had to abandon sowing or may have lost their seed after the rains failed.

There is no doubt that immediate relief must be given to the farmers who have suffered. But, rather than debating and haggling over the quantum of money that should be released to the states, it would be far more profitable if the discussion focused on how to drought-proof the country.

This is vital considering that drought is something we have come to live with in many parts of India. If we go by the trend of past years, there's no doubt that more areas will come under the drought-prone area category in future.

Between the two monsoon-related disasters - drought and floods - the former has a longer gestation period. It takes three to four months to show its impact and also lingers long after the monsoon.

Its impact is crippling and enduring. It is true that deficit monsoon triggers drought but what is equally true is that its intensity is dictated by local situations like the capacity to cope with disaster and inadequate water and forest management.

* Omar 'happy' after Kashmir governor turns down his resignation

* Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Thursday turned down Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's resignation he had submitted Tuesday after the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) linked him to a 2006 prostitution racket. The rejection of Abdullah's resignation triggered jubilation as hundreds of slogan shouting National Conference supporters gathered outside his residence in the evening. 'I am happy I have been proved innocent,' a relaxed Abdullah told reporters after Vohra sent a communique asking him to continue as the chief minister. The governor said there was no reason for Omar to resign after he got the matter probed by the union home ministry, and Omar had been found innocent as there was no substance in the allegations. 'You must continue to work vigorously as the chief minister of the state,' said the governor's missive to the chief minister.

Abdullah on Tuesday submitted his resignation to Vohra, saying the allegations levelled against him by the PDP should be probed and if found true, the governor must immediately accept his resignation.

Giving him a clean chit, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had said the Central Bureau of Investigation had concluded the case and Abdullah's name 'does not figure in the list of the 17 accused chargesheeted'.

'There was never any truth in the allegations levelled against Omar Abdullah. (PDP leader) Muzaffar Hussain Baig is in the habit of levelling allegations against political rivals and then withdrawing them,' said Forests Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad, who is a senior National Conference leader.

Abdullah is expected to attend his office Friday.

'It will be business as usual for Omar from tomorrow,' a close aide of the chief minister said.

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