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Shillong, Aug 13 (ANI): At least 12 people, mostly traders and labourers, were killed and four seriously injured when a truck they were traveling in was fired upon by suspected militants in Meghalaya on Tuesday morning. According to reports, the incident occurred near Raksham Giri in West Garo Hills district, close to Assam-Meghalaya border. The injured have been admitted to the Tikri Jila hospital. Meanwhile, senior police officials have rushed to the spot to assess the situation and combing operations have been launched to nab the culprits. (ANI) Political leaders, admirers call on Shekhawat
New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): Political leaders, supporters and admirers of the newly elected Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat trooped into his New Delhi residence with their congratulation on Tuesday morning. The visitors ranged from the erudite Opposition Congress Party leader and former Finance Minister Manmohann Singh to controversial VHP leader Giriraj Acharya, to singing and dancing admirers of the veteran leader. Shekhawat's party colleague Venkiah Naidu, the newly appointed president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, also dropped in. A senior BJP member Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was elected Vice- President on Monday. Shekhawat, a veteran grassroots leader who was backed by the ruling coalition, beat the main opposition Congress party's candidate, Sushil Kumar Shinde, by a margin of 149 votes. Shekhawat received 454 of the 766 votes cast in both houses of parliament while 305 lawmakers polled for Shinde. Elections for the post of vice-president, who is also the presiding officer of the upper house of parliament, were held after the previous vice-president, Krishan Kant, died of a heart attack last month. Shekhawat, 78, is a former chief minister of Rajasthan who is said to be a firm believer in Hindutva, which refers to living by the values and principles espoused by Hindu culture.(ANI) Landslides block pilgrims' progress
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to top Jammu, Aug 13 (ANI): Pilgrims to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir were stranded on Tuesday after heavy rains triggered landslides on the mountainous route. Most of northern India has received pleasant drizzles since Sunday after monsoon rains delayed by over a month prompted several states to declare drought but the Himalayan region has been lashed by torrential rains along vast stretches. Authorities have prevented since Monday batches of pilgrims heading by buses from Jammu city to travel to Pahalgam, the base camp for a treacherous trek to the Amarnath shrine located at a height of 13,500 feet. "We have been stranded here since 12 noon yesterday. Here the arrangements for food and board are very good and so are the security arrangements. We were planning to leave (for the Amarnath cave shrine) today, but the roads are blocked. So now we plan to leave tomorrow morning," said Sachin Shinde, a pilgrim from Maharashtra. "The roads are blocked due to bad weather. We have heard over a thousand people are stranded on the mountain road to Amarnath (cave shrine). So our programme of leaving this place today has been cancelled. When the road clears tomorrow, we will begin our journey," said Baba Charandas, a holy man. Pilgrims were also stranded along the treacherous narrow 30-mile path from Pahalgam to Amarnath shrine which takes them along icy streams, and around glacier-fed lakes and dense pine forests. Officials estimate nearly 100,000 people would take part in this year's pilgrimage. Last year, 170,000 trekked to the cave discovered by a Muslim shepherd in the 16th century.(ANI)
Trinamool threat to pull out of NDA Go to top New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): Trinamool Congress party, a key ally in the federal coalition government, threatened to pull out on Tuesday because of the government's refusal to reverse a proposal to restructure the railways, the country's biggest employer. The exit of the Trinamool Congress, which has nine law-makers in the 545-member lower house of parliament, will not topple Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's government. The BJP-led coalition is assured the support of around 300 lawmakers in the lower house even with the departure of the Trinamool Congress. "This meeting of the working committee of the All India Trinamool Congress unanimously resolved that until and unless the issue of rail bifurcation is sorted out to its satisfaction, the Trinamool Congress will not be the part and parcel of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance)" the party's leader Mamata Banerjee told reporters after a meeting of party workers in New Delhi. The Trinamool Congress says the federal move to carve up the eastern railways headquarters in its home state of West Bengal would hurt the province's economy and lead to job losses. Banerjee said she would seek an appointment with Vajpayee this week in another attempt to sort out the issue. Banerjee defended her decision saying that she was left with little option but to leave the democratic alliance. "We do not have any talks with them but we don't want to leave NDA. What we should do? We are a partner in coalition politics. If nobody listens to us then it is also a political compulsion for us. When we are fighting for people then we don't want to leave that as we cannot betray common people. We also do not want the government to fall and if any crisis arises then we will support the government," Banerjee said. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the BJP which heads the federal coalition hoped the firebrand, but mercurial leader would reconsider her decision. "We do hope that she reconsiders this decision. Beyond this at this stage I don't want to make any comment. I am sure the NDA partners when they next meet will consider the situation," said Arun Jaitley, spokesperson of the BJP. Eastern Railways was for long headquartered in Calcutta from where the Trinamool Congress draws its support. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, who had announced the bifurcation on July 20, says the division will improve efficiency. The federal cabinet has backed Kumar's decision but Banerjee has demanded Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee should intervene and resolve the dispute. As a protest, lawmakers of Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party did not vote in the vice presidential poll on Monday.(ANI)
Nagas call for introspection and reconciliation
Kohima, Aug 13 (ANI): Residents of Nagaland recently organised a meeting in capital Kohima in a bid to bring peace in the insurgency-hit province. Various rebel groups have been seeking a separate homeland for Naga tribals, former head-hunters who have a reputation as formidable mountain warriors. Community leaders said people have to introspect and try to undo the wrong doings of the past. "I think very slowly there is recognition coming that we can't go on blaming one another and so we have now some small expressions from individuals and even from some tribes saying that yes, we have to look at what wrong we have done. We have had apologies by some of the leaders saying that we apologise for the excesses committed by our side.... Not specific yet, but at least there is a new language in the Naga situation and some of the overground leaders saying that we look back and we regret the mistakes we made," said Niketu Iralu, convenor of the coordination committee of the Naga Hoho. Vipopal Kintso, president of the Naga Students Federation, said long years of struggle had led to deep misunderstanding among the people. "We pray that the almighty gives us strength to understand ourselves of our human temperament and shortcomings that have played in the long protractive years of conflict leading to misunderstanding amongst ourselves," said Kintso. Thousands of people have died over the years of conflict in predominantly Christian Nagaland, some of them in clashes between rebel groups. The National Socialist Council (NSCN) which spearheads the fight against Indian rule is considered the most powerful guerrilla group in the region. Recently New Delhi and a faction of the NSCN agreed to extend their five-year-old ceasefire by another year from August 1. India began a dialogue with NSCN leaders Issak Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah five years ago, but progress has been slow on the crucial issue of sovereignty. The ceasefire agreement first signed in August 1997 has been repeatedly extended by New Delhi to facilitate peace talks with the insurgent groups. The latest extension announced on July 12 was welcomed by residents and various student and social organisations of Nagaland. The ceasefire is seen as a step towards restoring peace in the province, one of the most troubled in the tumultuous northeast where more than 200 ethnic groups are fighting for secession or independent homeland.(ANI)
Ganesh Purnima preparations in full swing Go to top Mumbai, Aug 13 (ANI): Despite protests by the civic authorities and the environmentalist lobby, preparations for the coming Ganesh Purnima are on in full swing. The making of the Ganesh idols is going on day and night and the artisans are churning out statues in different shapes and sizes by thousands. Both skilled and unskilled labourers from different parts of the country come to Mumbai months before the Ganesh Purnima to make idols of Ganesh for the festival. Every year more than 20,000 artisans get jobs in Mumbai alone before the Ganesh Purnima. The size of the idols ranges 25 to 30 feet tall costing Rs. 2000 to over Rs 2 Lakhs. This idol making business accounts for a profit of more than Rs. 30 crore in just one season in Mumbai alone. Originally Ganesh puja was celebrated in a private way. It was conducted in individual homes, particularly in the Konkan area. The well known freedom fighter and statesman, Lokmanya Tilak, saw in the festival a way of uniting people for a common cause and a means of bringing about political consciousness. This was some hundred years ago and today it is the most popular event in the state. Ganpati is the god of learning. He is addressed as the "Remover of Obstacles". His devotees believe that no enterprise will succeed unless he is invoked. The picture of Ganpati is often found on the doors of houses and printed on wedding cards. During the ten-day festival of Ganapati and for several weeks prior to it, the elephant-headed god, Ganesh, appears to govern the land. In the streets and lanes of every town and village in Maharashtra the figure of Ganesh forms the centre of attraction. This benign deity comes in a multitude of sizes and these, in different shapes, can be seen in the studios and shops where the images are made and sold. The most interesting part is that even Muslim Craftsmen take part in the making of these idols...which brings forth the real spirit of the festival which is celebrated by one and all. The ten-day festival starts from the fourth day of the bright half of the lunar month, Bhadrapada and continues till the fourteenth day. On the tenth day of the festival this happy loving god leaves for his celestial home and is immersed in water. Huge processions made up of different groups all accompanying the image of Ganesh that they have worshipped, make their way by foot to the immersion site. The very large images are transported by truck. All this is done to the accompaniment of dancing and singing. The mood is jovial with everyone chanting, over and over again, "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavakar Yaa..." calling Ganesh to come again soon next year. Festivals such as Ganapati enable many folk artists to display their talents and earn a major portion of their annual income. The designers, painters and image makers, pandal decorators and the many entertainers who perform plays and give dance and music recitals are fully employed at this time. But in the recent years there has been a great hue and cry by environmentalists about the marine pollution that is caused by the immersion of so many Ganesh idols in the water. However the idol makers take a defensive stand, that they use plaster of paris and colours that are available in the market. They are so flustered by the attitude of the BMC and the environmentalists that they are ready to give up this age-old tradition of theirs which definitely will not only render thousands jobless but also put an end to this ancient tradition of Maharashtra.(ANI) |