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Armitage has talks with Fernandes
India and Pakistan are currently embroiled in a eight-month old military standoff in which over a million troops are deployed on both sides of the tense frontier the two countries share. Armitage's last peace mission in June helped bring the nuclear powers back from the brink of war. The Deputy Secretary also held discussions with Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and attended a lunch held in his honour by the Confederation of Indian Industries. India is pressing Armitage, who is on his third tour to the subcontinent in less than a year, to push Pakistan to do more to stop Islamic militants slipping into India. Armitage is going to Pakistan on Saturday. India fears separatists will step up attacks ahead of state elections in Jammu and Kashmir from mid-September to early October. But there is a growing feeling among Indian officials that the United States will not lean too hard on Pakistan, whose support is essential for Washington's war on terrorism. President George W. Bush on Thursday praised Pervez Musharraf as a stalwart ally in the war on terrorism, a day after the General made constitutional changes that critics said threatened Pakistan's return to democracy. The talks between Armitage and Indian officials are also expected to focus heavily on efforts by New Delhi and Washington to forge closer relations, especially in defence and trade.(ANI) 48 senior officers to act as observers in J and K poll
New Delhi, Aug 23 (ANI): The Election Commission of India on Friday appointed four dozen high-ranked officers to observe the forthcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The elections are scheduled to begin on September 16 and continue till October 8. A. N.Jha, Deputy Election Commissioner, told reporters that the observers will watch the entire process during their three visits to the state. "Today the Commission has appointed 30 more senior IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers as observes. And 18 more senior officers from Income Tax, Customs, Excise and Audit and Accounts departments will be appointed and they will be going to Kashmir as election observers," Jha said. Jha added there would be three to five observers in each of the 14 districts. "They will stay throughout the elections in 14 districts. Every district will have 3-5 observers according to its size. They will stay there during notifications, after that for scrutiny and will stay until withdrawal of nominations of the first phase. Then in the second phase, they will stay there during campaign and polling. Then they will go for counting in their third visit," he said. Meanwhile, a former member of a hardline Islamic group, Jamaati Islami, said in Srinagar that he would participate in the elections. "Now the need of the hour is to resolve this issue politically so that there can be some respite to the people of Kashmir. So we announce that according to the wishes of Kashmiri people, we will try and heal the wounds inflicted upon them by participating in the assembly elections. So by doing so, we will try and bridge the gap between Pakistan and India," said Ab Khaliq Hanief. Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has decided to boycott the elections.(ANI) India must realise importance of talks with Pak: Bhat
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to top Srinagar, Aug 23 (ANI): Abdul Ghani Bhat, who heads the 23- member APHC, Kashmir's main separatist alliance, said on Friday that it was necessary for India to recognise the need to have talks with Pakistan. Bilateral discussions will lead to an amicable solution to the Kashmir issue, according to him. "We have been always demanding talks and we want to hold talks but it should be principled and to achieve our aim. Talks will be held with India and Pakistan. These are just formalities which can be decided later that with whom will we hold talks first. Whether with India or Pakistan or with them together," Bhat said in an interview in Srinagar. "We are ready to talk to India first but this is not a condition but requirement of the day. It is necessary for India to recognise that it is important for us to hold talks with Pakistan also. If this process continues further then everything will be smooth. It will be in everybody's interest," he added. Even the head of a private group aimed at fostering peace in the region has urged New Delhi to hold disussions with Kashmiri separatist leaders. Veteran lawyer and lawmaker Ram Jethmalani said on Thursday that the ball was in the government's court and that the chance to resolve the dispute should not be missed by not inviting the separatists for talks.(ANI)
Joshi criticises Modi's comment against Lyngdoh Go to top Nagpur, Aug 23 (ANI): Union Minister for Human Resource Development Murli Manohar Joshi has termed as not befitting the remarks made by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi against Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh. "It ill behoves Modi to make such remarks against a high constitutional authority," Joshi told reporters here on Friday. He was speaking on the sidelines of a national conference on forum for Hindutva in Academic Scenario at RSS Smruti Mandir. Modi, while addressing several rallies near Baroda on Tuesday, referred to the CEC by his full name-James Michael Lyngdoh- apparently to drive home the point that he is a Christian. Joshi however remarked that it was improper on the part of Lyngdoh to say "politicians are free to do anything" after reviewing the situation in Gujarat. But he criticised people commenting on the functioning of judiciary and even that of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On BJP ministers facing accusations, Joshi dismissed them as a "ploy of opposition".(ANI)
EC cannot hold up polls in Gujarat: Advani
In Assam on one occasion, hardly five per cent of the electorate cast their ballot, he said. "And yet the Election Commission has always regarded it as its duty to hold elections, not to hold up elections", Advani stressed. Asked if the Commission was holding up polls in Gujarat, he answered that "On Gujarat, I do not want to comment on what they (the Commission) said about the situation. But from my side, I would say that they cannot hold up elections". The Centre, Advani added, has gone to Supreme Court to seek its opinion on whether the the decision ruling out early polls and suggesting imposition of President's rule in Gujarat was legally permissible. On the role of the Gujarat government during the riots, Advani, now here on an official visit, maintained that action was taken and that never in the past had 200 people been killed in police firing like it happened in the state. Terming the riots as "bad", he said the Narendra Modi Government took "stern" measures to deal with the situation.(ANI)
Now a open heart surgery for Rs 25,000 only Go to top Lucknow, Aug 23 (ANI): With the advent of the "stabalising device", the poor heart patients can heave a sigh of relief as far as medical bills are concerned. Now they can have an open heart surgery for just Rs 25,000 instead of paying the hefty bills which normally exceed one-and-a-half lakh rupees. Dr Shekhar Tandon and Dr Sushil of King George Medical College (KGMC) has made this possible after years of research. The aim is to do something for the welfare of those who can't afford huge expense of open heart surgeries. Though the technique of operation is a bit different from the normal heart surgeries, all the basic equipment required for an open heart surgery is used by the doctors. The only difference is that earning profit is not the aim of the two doctors. And, unlike the normal heart surgery in which the heart is stopped, the "beating heart CABG" technique is used which is based on joining one artery to another. The duo started operating in January 2002, and till date they have performed 26 successful operations. Most of their patients are villagers who always have been afraid of approaching private hospitals due to their sky-rocketing fees. M.M. Siddiqui, whose three arteries were found blocked, was recently operated upon successfully by the two doctors. He said, "I suffered the first heart attack in 2001, and since then I have been having heart problem. I always wanted to approach a hospital for an open heart surgery. But the very fear of an operation, and the gigantic medical bill deterred me from even contacting a doctor. This technique has surely come as a boon for poor man like me". A.N. Tiwari, another such patient, said, "I had been suffering from breathing problem for the past several years. Engiotherapy showed that my two arteries were blocked. Despite all the fears in my mind I decided to approach Dr Tandon. The low cost factor particularly drove me towards him and it gave me enough confidence." According to Tiwari, the new technique is a revolution in cardiology. It is simple and cost effective. "My medical bill was one-third of what would have been charged at the local Post- Graduate Medical Institute", he said. R.S. Harvey, a patient whose three arteries were blocked and was suffering from gastric problem, said the two doctors have a lot of confidence, which is generally not found in other cardiologists, and they make the patients feel at ease. "Open heart surgery was never so cheap", he said adding that at KGMC extra care is taken unlike in other hospitals. Speaking to ANI, Dr Tandon said heart problems are increaisng day by day, and as a result by-pass surgeries are on the rise. He said, "the traditional heart-lung machine cause many a problems to the patient. It affects every cell of the human body. So we decided to discard it and instead adopt the stabilising device. This device is based on joining one artery to another through 'vascular anasmosis' technique". He further said, "profit is not our motive. We believe in welfare of the poor. We use the same infrastructure as are used by other private hospitals. The only difference is that we charge only the bare minimum. So far, in the past eight months, we have conducted 26 successful open heart surgeries". The cardiologist added, "we expect the government to extend a helping hand. So far we have not got enough government support. Out of the grant of ten lakh rupees announced by the government, we have been able to use only a few thousands because of red- tapism". The new technique has brought much solace to the poor, but it is yet to be seen how feasible it will be in the long run. (ANI) |
New Delhi, Aug 23 (ANI): U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage met Defence Minister George Fernandes on Friday on his
latest mission to ease tensions in South Asia.
London, Aug 23 (ANI): The Election Commission cannot hold up
polls in Gujarat as it is its duty to conduct elections, Deputy
Prime Minister L K Advani told the BBC on Friday.