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Three NC workers killed, Srinagar mourns
Srinagar, July 26 (ANI): The people in Srinagar on Friday mourned the death of three workers of National Conference, the ruling party in the state, who were shot dead in overnight attacks by suspected separatist guerrillas. The killings took place a day ahead of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's weekend visit to India and Pakistan for nudging them towards peace talks. Police said the militants shot dead the two National Conference activists at Bachipora, near the town of Magam, west of Srinagar. Another partymen was gunned down in Kantbagh village. According to eye-witnesses, the victims were killed for no apparent reason. "They (the militants) took both of them across the road and then I did not see anything. The militants just started firing at them," said Shabir Ahmed Khan, grandson of one of the victims. "The militants came to our house at night and took my husband away. Then they killed him," sobbed Sunawallah Khan, widow of one of those killed. The National Conference, headed by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, is Kashmir's most popular party that supports the view that the region should be part of India. The party is a member of the NDA government at the Centre headed by Bharatiya Janata Party. Abdullah has asked for more security forces to be sent to the state ahead of Assembly polls in September and October. New Delhi is hoping that a widely contested, free and fair poll will boost the legitimacy of Indian rule in the region. It has vowed to take tough measures to prevent separatist violence from marring the elections. (ANI) Marandi blames Congress, RJD for domicile fiasco
The domicile policy has sharply divided the student community in the state. Though some of them benefit largely from the policy, there are others whose prospects are severely hit. It bars those settled in the state after 1932 from being considered for lower category jobs in the state government. This means nearly 40 per cent of the state's approximately 10 million people cannot be considered for Class-III and IV jobs in the lower rung of bureaucracy as per the new policy. Speaking to reporters, Marandi said, "the violence in the state over the domicile issue has been giong on because the youths have fallen prey to the Congress and RJD's agenda. They (the two parties) do not want peace to be maintained in the state". Earlier in the week, at least seven students were killed as rival student groups clashed over the domicile policy. Clashes continued on Friday. Students opposing the policy clashed with tribal students as police fired teargas and cane-charged to disperse rival groups. Meanwhile, security personnel of the Jharkhand Armed Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed at sensitive points to prevent violence.(ANI) Long list of issues for talks with Powell
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to top New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a whole range of issues are to be discussed in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who is due to arrive in New Delhi this weekend. "As far as the agenda is concerned, there will be a discussion on international and regional issues of mutual interest and mutual concern, the situation in the region and the war against terror. So there is a full menu", said the ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao told a press briefing. This is Powell's second visit to the sub-continent this year, a clear indication of growing American interest in South Asian affairs. India had said on Thursday that it was keen to discuss with him matters relating to Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism. Powell begins a trip to India as anger mounts in New Delhi over what it says is Pakistan's failure to honour pledges to suppress militancy in Kashmir. Powell, who will halt 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 a 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 build-up. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made a quick trip to both capitals last week with apparently little result. Islamabad, which has been a key partner in the USA's fight against the Al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan, won kudos this month from Washington as "stalwart ally against terrorism". It has condemned recent acts of guerrilla violence in Kashmir, including the killings of Hindus in Jammu, and says the rebel incursions from its soil have stopped.(ANI)
Kalam visits Shanti Van, Shakti Sthal Go to top New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): India's new President and eminent nuclear scientist, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, paid homage to some of India's tallest leaders at their mausoleums here on Friday. His first visit was to Shanti Van, the samadhi of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The next stop was Shakti Sthal, mausoleum of India's first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was Nehru's daughter and mother of another former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The President offered floral tributes at all these places, including Raj Ghat, samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, considered the Father of Indian nation, which the visited on Thursday evening after being sworn in.(ANI)
Jaya irked at not being invited to Kalam swearing-in
Go to top Chennai, July 26 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha has reacted sharply for not being invited to the swearing-in ceremony of President APJ Abdul Kalam on Thursday. In a press statement issued here on Friday, she said inviting people like Ambani brothers was like "adding insult to injury". "I and the people of my state have been insulted and humiliated particularly because the new President hails from Tamil Nadu", she added. In a hard-hitting four-page statement, Jayalalitha stressed that the act of "deliberately omitting" her from the list of invitees to the ceremony was an "affront" to the people of the state and an "assault" on the spirit of federalism. Jayalitha's party AIADMK is an ally in the BJP-headed NDA government. (ANI)
Drought-hit UP farmers may be forced to sell land Go to top Lucknow, July 26 (ANI): Drought is at the doorstep of as many as 26 districts in Uttar Pradesh. If it does rain in another 10 to 15 days, the situation would be dreadful. In fact the entire country is suffering and UP is no exception. The earth lies parched and cracked and farmers continuously look towards the sky. Said Rameshwar Dayal, a farmer: "Everything is dying, all animals and humans, all...all are dying of hunger. Nothing grows, everything is destroyed". The dried up crops may just perish. "The animals are suffering, they are thirsty and lie in the dust. They are dying...all sheep and goats are dying", according to Dalal Kishore, another farmer. This is the worst drought in the state after 1987. While 26 districts have been affected across the state, Jalaun has been declared as totally drought-hit. The 25-lakh population there depend largely on agriculture for their livelihood. They had borrowed money to buy tractors and cattle, and now if monsoon is further delayed, they will have no option but to sell off their land in order to repay the loan. And, there has been no aid from the government. "We are getting no aid of any kind from the government. No one comes to see our condition," complained Sanjeevan, a farmer. As per official data, 270 mm of rainfall was recorded last year, whereas this year it has only been 40 mm. The June-September monsoon is vital of India's agriculture which accounts for nearly 25 per cent of the country's gross domestic product and provides employment to 70 per cent of the total population.(ANI) Tabu, Shobhana share best actress prize
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top New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): Bollywood's Tabu and Tamilian Shobhana have jointly won the best actress award for their performance in Chandni Bar and Mitr (Friend) respectively. South Indian star Murali has bagged the best actor's prize, while Lagaan, Aamir Khan's mega-opus directed by Ashutosh Gwarikar, has been declared the film with the most wholesome entertainment value. These are some of the results announced here on Friday by the Chairman of Jury for the 49th National Film Awards, K S Sethumadhavan. The Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on national integration goes to Boom (Kashmiri film, director Jyoti Swaroop). Chandni Bar has been also adjudged as the best film on social issues like prohibition, women and child welfare, anti-dowry, drug abuse, welfare of the handicapped etc. Urkunurway (Tamil), directed by B Lenin, has been given the best direction prize. This was the second national award for Shobhana. Lagaan had broken box office records when it was released in India last summer. An unusual tale about ordinary villagers' triumph over their foreign oppressors, the movie with its stunning locales, mellifluous music and liberal dose of cricket, attracted praise from both avid movie-goers and discerning critics. It was only the third Indian film to be nominated for Oscars in the best foreign language film in 2002. A majority of the feature film awards have gone to films that have been commercially successful or have been acclaimed by both the average cinegoer and the cine-literate critic.(ANI)
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Ranchi, July 26 (ANI): Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi
said on Friday that the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal
incited the youth in order to politicise the domicile issue and
calling a bandh in the state. According to him, the two parties
did so because they "didn't want peace" to prevail in the state.
The statement came a day after RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav
demanded imposition of President's Rule in the state as, he said,
the state government was not able to control violence going on
for the past nearly one week.