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Curfew imposed on Ranchi over domicile policy
Ranchi, July 25 (ANI): A day-long curfew was imposed on Ranchi city on Thursday to prevent violence from spreading over the Jharkhand government's controversial domicile policy. Streets of the capital city wore a deserted look, with only security personnel out keeping vigil. The preventive measure was taken after violence broke out between protesters and police personnel on Wednesday. Jharkhand has been reeling under the crisis for the last few weeks. Students protesting against the domicile policy defied curfew orders and damaged shops and government offices for the second consecutive day. Shutdowns have been called, traffic stalled and train services disrupted over the issue which has sharply divided students in the state. According to the government's domicile policy, only those persons who have their land registered in the record of rights of 1932 would be considered citizens of Jharkhand and be eligible for government jobs, implying that people who have settled after 1932 are outsiders and have no right to government jobs in the state. The mineral-rich Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar two years ago. Forty percent of the state's approximately 10 million people cannot be considered for Class-III and Class IV jobs in the lower rung of bureaucracy as per the new policy. Political parties are now seeking the federal government's intervention on the issue. The state's political parties are also deeply divided over the policy.(ANI) Srinagar grenade attack leaves ten civilians wounded
It was the fourth grenade attack in the past 24 hours in the troubled region which is at the heart of a long-standing military standoff between India and Pakistan. The latest attack came ahead of a visit this weekend by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to the two nations to calm tensions and nudge them towards peace talks. Militant assaults in India have often coincided with or preceded trips by diplomatic envoys. Police said the attackers hurled the grenade near a busy crossing in the heart of Srinagar, wounding at least 10 people. The injured are undergoing treatment at a local city hospital. "I had just got off the bus and was drinking water in front of Šthe BSF camp and all of a sudden there was a loud noise. I was hurt badly in my leg and was unable to walk. I saw there was nobody to pick me up. Then a person in gypsy helped us move to hospital," said the injured.(ANI) Powell to be briefed about continued Pak support to terrorism
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to top New Delhi, July 25 (ANI): India said on Thursday it was keen to discuss matters relating to Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell begins a trip to India this weekend as anger mounts in New Delhi over what it says is Pakistan's failure to honour pledges to suppress militancy in the disputed region of Kashmir. "We will certainly convey our concerns about the present situation along the line of control. The fact that infiltration continues, that it is still a cause of major concern, the fact that Pakistan supports its aid to agencies promoting cross border terrorism, to terrorist groups who have as their sole agenda terrorist activity directed against India. Our concerns about all these matters will naturally be highlighted in our discussions with Secretary Powell," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao at a daily media briefing in the capital. "But let me also add that apart from the situation in the region, we will also discuss India-U.S bilateral relations," she added. A string of guerrilla attacks in Indian Kashmir, including the gunning down of 28 Hindu slum-dwellers this month, has frozen moves for detente between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan who have massed their forces along the border since December. Powell, who will stop off in New Delhi and Islamabad on his way to an ASEAN regional security meeting in Brunei, is expected to try and nudge the two foes towards dialogue, but the mood in New Delhi remains grim, analysts said. The U.S. Secretary of State will be the latest high-profile visitor to the region since a guerrilla attack on the Indian parliament in December prompted the border troop buildup. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw ended a quick trip to both capitals last week with few apparent results. Militant assaults in Kashmir, where India blames Pakistan for stoking the rebellion against its rule, often escalate during or before trips to South Asia by foreign envoys. Islamabad, which has been a key partner in the United States' fight against the al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan, won kudos this month from Washington as "stalwart ally against terrorism". Pakistan has condemned recent acts of guerrilla violence in Kashmir including the killings of Hindus in Jammu, the winter Šcapital of the bloodied state, and says the rebel incursions from its soil have stopped. Islamabad has repeatedly sought an end to the standoff with India and renewed dialogue over the future of disputed Kashmir, trigger of two of their three wars since independence in 1947 and at the heart of the latest confrontation. The crisis on the subcontinent eased slightly last month after Musharraf promised to stop Islamic militants from crossing over into Indian Kashmir to join the revolt there. But New Delhi says the incursions have resumed after a brief tapering off, and accuses Islamabad of reneging on its pledge.(ANI)
Jaitley, Shah discuss autonomy Go to top New Delhi, July 25 (ANI): G.M.Shah, representative of Jammu and Kashmir, held talks on Thursday with federal interlocutor Arun Jaitley to discuss autonomy for the bloodied region. The Federal government recently appointed former law minister Arun Jaitley to discuss greater financial and administrative powers for the Kashmir region. The talks focussed on scope of powers with the state and looked for possibilites which could be achievable within the framework of the Constitution. "Their (federal government's interlocutor's) response was very good. We said devolution of power or autonomy is the same for us. Autonomy is one thing and devolution is also the same and finally it comes down to one thing," Ghulam Mohideen Shah told reporters after his first meeting with the newly appointed government interlocutor. India, struggling to quell a nearly 13-year-old revolt in Kashmir, in 2000 rejected a state assembly resolution calling for autonomous powers in all areas except defence, finance and communication. Kashmir enjoyed autonomy until 1953 as part of an agreement under which former ruler Hari Singh signed the region over to India. Shah's National Conference party says autonomy would end the insurgency, in which more than 33,000 people have died since late 1989. Separatists put the toll closer to 80,000.(ANI)
Pakistan a huge reservoir of terrorism: Sinha
Go to top New Delhi, July 25 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has said that differences between India and Pakistan are "evaporating" and the two countries are knowing each other better. He said in the event of war India would be firm on its stand of no first use of nuclear weapons. "It's Pakistani President and its representatives in the U.N. who have been scaring India by going in for nuclear weapons in case war breaks out", he added. In an interview late on Wednesday, Sinha spoke on wide ranging issues like cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists by Pakistan into Indian territory, Indo-US relations vis-a-vis US- Pakistan relations, and military rule in Pakistan. He said Pakistan was like a "huge reservoir" of terrorism connected with a pipeline through which it infiltrates trained terrorists into the Indian territory. "At present some taps have been plugged and terrorists' inflow has decreased to some extent", he added. He said, "the issue we have been discussing with anyone visiting us is cross-border terrorism only. Because we have been facing it for quite some time, and the international community has condemned it all through". He continued: "Terrorism is terrorism and it should be condemned in all forms. There is nothing as good or bad terrorism". Regarding the US suggestion to Pakistan that it should soon revert to democracy, Sinha said, "I will only say that it is easier to deal with democracies than with dictatorships". (ANI)
Bihar put on red alert as flood situation worsens Go to top Madhuvani (Bihar), July 25 (ANI): The Bihar government has been put on red alert as the flood situation has worsened in the state. The floods took on an alarming proportion after 7.6 lakh cusecs of water was released in Kamala Balan, Bhutri Balan, Bagmati and Gandak rivers by Nepal. More than 20 lakh people Šhave been affected and over 70 per cent of crops destroyed. The worst affected is the Madhubani district, where the Jhunjharpur area is still cut off from the rest of the state. Food packets and other relief material are being airdropped by helicopters. The Jhunjharpur railway station is completely submerged. The Neetiganj, Samastipur rail track is damaged and the roads in the area are also badly affected closing all means of transportation in the area. Hundreds of people are trapped in the area. In Navrosi, Bhadam, Naraynpur, Banapur, Tegaha, Bhandare, and Pipraghat villages, water has entered homes and roads have been damaged. Water resource department has said the water level in the area is not likely to go down. The river Kamal Balan in Jhunjharupur is flowing 255 cm above the danger mark. District administration says the relief work is being provided but the areas are heavily populated and scarcity of relief material is there. They are now planning to send motor boats to rescue the trapped people and distribute relief material. The people however say that the administration has done little for them and even the relief material is not enough. Bihar is one of the most flood=prone states in India. According to the report of the National Commission on Floods (1980) 16.5 per cent of the total flood-affected area of the country is located in Bihar while 22.1 per cent of the affected population in India lives in the alluvial plains of this state. That suggests a heavy concentration of flood-affected people over a smaller area. According to recent estimates 56.5 per cent of the flood affected people in the country belong to Bihar. Of this about 76 per cent population belongs to North Bihar. Apart from the natural factors, reckless construction of roads and to an extent of railway lines has also contributed to the problem. Further, the construction of village roads, without any regard to the drainage aspect, has been a major source of drainage congestion leading to enhanced floods and prolonged waterlogging.(ANI) |
Srinagar, July 25 (ANI):At least 10 pedestrians were wounded
in Srinagar on Thursday when suspected militants hurled a
grenade at a crowded crossing here, police said.