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New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): Information on civil society's efforts in India to check HIV/AIDS is now just a click away. A website "rrtcindia.org" was launched in New Delhi on Wednesday to mark the 15th International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking. Supported by the Regional Office for South Asia of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), the website would promote collaboration and resource sharing among civil society, police and NGOs, besides providing yet another platform for information and awareness. A seminar on "Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS" was also held to mark the day. Feodor Starcevic, Secretary General, UNDCP, said drug abuse poses the greatest challenge to overcoming spread of AIDS disease. "The UN facilitates the development of a truly global control strategy by strengthening activities aimed at curtailing both illicit drug prodiction and consumption, conducting campaign to reduce drug demand and programme to restrict availability of materials that can be used in drug production, enhancing judicial cooperation among countries to better control drug trafficking and stepping up efforts to eradicate the illicit crops," he said. Though the HIV prevalence rate at 0.7 percent is low in India, the UNAIDS programme warns it could assume serious dimension given the country's billion-plus population. Since the detection of the first HIV case in 1986 in Chennai, there were about 3.8 million people affected with HIV/AIDS in 2001. The HIV virus was prevalent mainly among poor and marginalzed sections including sex workers. The predominant mode of HIV transmission is attributed to heterosexual behaviour and the second most common mode is drug abuse.(ANI) CBI raids Tehelka offices
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to top New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday raided offices of webportal Tehelka.com which had created a furore last year for its expose on alleged corruption in defence deals. The CEO of Tehelka.com Tarun Tejpal described the raids as an attempt to "intimidate" the portal. "It's not that the officials are not dealing with us properly. But considering that today was an important day for deposing before the enquiry--Jaya Jaitley was to depose before the commission--it appears to be yet another tactic to intimidate us something which has been going on for the last one year ever since we broke our story," said Tejpal. "Tehelka" first hit the headlines when it exposed a cricket match fixing racket and later an expose on "Defence Scandal", where politicians and army officers were caught on film accepting bribes and seeking favours as "payoffs for defence deals". A judicial commission headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice K. Venkataswami is investigating the "defence deals payoffs video tapes." The president of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bangaru Laxman, quit after the documentary showed him apparently taking Rs 100,000 to influence what was in fact a fictional deal to supply the army with thermal-imaging cameras. Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley, who was also named in the alleged pay-off, had to relinquish her charge. The expose set waves of protests in the nation, resulting in the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes who was later reinstated. Tejpal alleged the portal is paying for its audacity to expose corruption at high places. "I would say that the way we exposed corruption did not affect any individual or any political party. It is the tehelka.com which has become its biggest casualty, its biggest victim," he said. However CBI officals said the raids were conducted in connection with a case involving recent poaching of banned animals by the portal. Two poachers were arrested last month from the Rajaji national park at Mohand in Saharanpur district and police seized horns of three deer, skins of protected animals, illegal arms and ammunition from their possession besides a video camera. CBI spokesman said the two poachers Pankaj and Kumar Badal were part of a gang hired by "Tehelka.com" (Furore) website for filming poaching in endangered wildlife in the garb of "investigative journalism." "After very sustained investigations at various levels, through various investigations, the CBI has now established that this Mr Pankaj, and one Mr Badal of Delhi who lives in Vasundhara Enclave and who works for Tehelka portal is a regular employee of Tehelka portal," Khan told reporters at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi. The police had filed cases against all the accused. A case under National Security Act and Wildlife Protection Act has also been registered at Saharanpur against the two poachers and management of Buffalo Networks including its Chief Executive Tarun Tejpal. Several incidents of poaching of protected animals, including elephants in Rajaji Park and tigers in Corbett National Park, both in Uttaranchal, quizzed police and wildlife authorities last year.(ANI)
I never met Tehelka reporter: Jaya Jaitly Go to top New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): Deposing before the Venkataswami Commission here on Wednesday, former Samata Party chief Jaya Jaitly said she does not recollect if she had met any Tehelka reporter. This was the first time Jaya appeared before the Commission, which is hearing the much publicised tehelka.com expose that rocked the Union Government a couple of years back forcing Defence Minister George Fernandes to resign. Fernandes was, however, re-inducted into the Cabinet after no concrete evidence was collected against him. Insisting that she did not "recollect" having met Tehelka reporter Mathew Samuel, Jaya told the Commission that she had, however, conveyed to a so-called Westend representative that she did not know anything about the Defence Ministry's working. She alleged that Tehelka had "super-imposed and tampered" with the tapes to concoct a story. She reportedly said: "I never discussed any product........I discussed the defence ministry upto the extent of telling them that I did not know anything about the ministry." Describing the meeting (with Tehelka reporter) as "inconsequential", she said some parts in the tape were added from a phone conversation she was having at that very time. (ANI)
Security tightened in Jharkhand jails
Go to top Ranchi, June 26 (ANI): In the wake of militant threats, additional forces have been deployed around jails in two cities in Jharkhand where hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other militants have been lodged. R.R. Prasad, Director General of Police, Jharkhand, said on Wednesday security was beefed up in Hazaribagh and Birsa Munda jails after militant groups threatened to secure the release of Geelani. "The jail authorities have sought security from us, one at Hazaribagh jail where Kashmiri militants are kept and the second at Birsa Munda jail in Ranchi where Geelani is kept. In both the jails, a platoon each, additional police force is deployed for jail's external security," said Prasad. Geelani was sent to Birsa Munda jail early this month after he was arrested under the Official Secrets Act. "As far as the threats are concerend, jail authorities at Ranchi received an anonymous letter and we are analysing it. We cant give you any clear explanations regarding it since it is anonymous," Prasad added. 73-year-old Geelani is a former chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, an alliance of separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir where a revolt against Indian rule has raged for more than a dozen years. Nearly a dozen militant groups are battling New Delhi's rule in India's only Muslim-majority state in a revolt that has claimed more than 33,000 lives. India says money from abroad is funnelled to the militants, a lot of it through Kashmiri separatist sympathisers in Britain.(ANI)
Schools in PoK shell-hit and closed, children blame India Go to top
But they do not go to school because all the schools in Chakothi, less than a kilometer from the Line of Control and lying within the range of cross-border firing, are closed. "Look at the damage caused by the Indian firing. Everyone has been disturbed. Children's education is at a standstill. We cannot run away anywhere. We are faced with great hardships," Tahira Bibi, a local housewife, said. Following intense U.S. diplomatic efforts this month to pull the nuclear-armed foes back from the brink of war, India and Pakistan have sharply reduced cross-border firing but the children of Chakothi continue to miss school, partly because the danger of sudden shelling is still there but mostly because many schools in the town have been badly damaged by firing. "Nowadays, because of the Indian firing, our school is closed. Their (Indian) shells are falling here. There is nothing left of our education; it is completely finished," said Mohammad Zameer, a student of a local government school. "The Indians have destroyed our school with their attacks (firing). So we are not studying, we are sitting at home," according to Sumera Shamoon, a student of class six. India has askedn Pakistan to halt infiltration by Muslim militants in Jammu and Kashmir as a condition for pulling back its troops. Pakistan, which says it only gives moral support to militants fighting New Delhi's rule, says it has put an end to infiltration. But fear still stalks Chakothi, a quiet little town, where many have seen their neighbours being killed by sudden bursts of firing during the last few weeks. "Our children's education has been badly effected by the Indian firing. They are sitting at home for the past one month," said Shakila Perveen, a school teacher, sitting huddled with her children. According to the locals, all government and privately-run schools have been closed since May 18. (ANI) Dhirubhai still critical
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top Mumbai, June 26 (ANI): Indian business legend Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of biggest industrial group Reliance Industries, remains in intensive care two days after suffering a stroke, his son said on Wednesday. "The condition of my father, the chairman of Reliance Industries, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, remains critical," said Ambani's son and managing director of Reliance Industries Anil Ambani while briefing newspersons at the Breach Candy hospital. "My father suffered a stroke on Monday evening at our residence and within a few hours he was brought to the Breach Candy hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit. The situation over the last 24 hours remains unchanged. He remains in a critical state. However, doctors believe that the overall parameters are stable," he said. Ambani, 69, was rushed to Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital on Monday night after suffering a second stroke. A cerebral stroke in 1986 had left him partially paralysed. News that Ambani had suffered a second stroke sent shares in his multi-billion-dollar Reliance companies tumbling on Tuesday. But fund managers called the drop an emotional reaction, noting that his two sons had been running day-to-day operations for years. Ambani rose from a gas station attendant to founder of India's largest industrial empire and one of the country's few Fortune 500 companies. In the process he became one of the world's wealthiest men with an estimated personal fortune of 2.9 billion dollars.(ANI)
US mediation ruled out
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Srinagar, June 26 (ANI): Sheetal Patel, second secretary with the U.S. embassy in India, on Wednesday met a senior Kashmiri separatist leader in Srinagar. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Front president Shabir Shah said Patel ruled out US mediation on the Kashmir dispute. "She (Sheetal Patel) said US mediation on the Kashmir issue is not possible. But we said at least help in the process because another war between the two countries was averted only due to the United States, Eurpoean Union and the world community. Now the world community should come forward so that the war-like situation which was averted might not arise again. Now a process should start between Kashmir, India and Pakistan to find a just solution," Shah said. Both India and Pakistan have about one million troops massed on their borders since the December attack on parliament. Tensions rose further after an assault on an army camp in Kashmir in May. Tensions have relatively eased after the U.S-led diplomatic missions, following which India was withdrawn its warships stationed near Pakistani borders in Arabian Sea and allowed its air space for Pakistani planes. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and sending them into its territory. Pakistan denies the charge, saying it is a home-grown insurgency to which it provides only moral and diplomatic support. But it has promised to stop militants crossing the line of control to join the 12-year-old rebellion. Patel's visit comes a few months ahead of state elections which have been boycotted by most of the separatist groups in the past. "She (Sheetal Patel) has come here to take stock of the situation. Their ambassadors regularly come here and meet us. So when she came here she wanted to know the situation in Kashmir. She also talked about the election process," Shah said. The elections for the state assembly are scheduled in October this year.(ANI)
Foreigners view bath ceremony of Lord Jagannath in Puri
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Puri, June 28 (ANI): Thousands of Hindu devotees and tourists thronged the coastal town of Puri in Orissa on Tuesday to witness the sacred bath ceremony of Hindu God, Lord Jagannath, prior to the world famous Rath Yatra (chariot festival). Amid blowing of conchshells and beating of cymbals, the giant limbless wooden images of three deities --Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra -- were taken out of the temple in traditional gear and given bath by priests of the temple. Hundreds of foreign tourists also witnessed the ceremony, one of India's biggest religious events. Many of them said they came to witness the ritual since the temple is out of bounds for foreigners. "I actually came here twice," said a foreign tourist. "Years ago, I came here for the first time because I know this is a special event for all India. I came here because I know Lord Jagannatha means Lord of the Universe, therefore I came to see him. I know I am white and I can't go inside, but two times in a year, I can see Lord of the Universe at the "Snan Yatra" (bath ceremony)." Said another: "It was my dream to come to Puri and see Lord Jagannath because western people are not allowed to go inside the temple. It is therefore rare luck to see Lord Jagannath." After the sacred bath ceremony, the three deities were taken around in a procession around the town. People lined up along the streets to have a view. "This is a first-time experience for me. I have never been here before. I was always keen to see the sacred bath ceremony. I am lucky that I could see it today, one feels great. I plan to spend the whole day here," said Dilip Sahu, a devotee from West Bengal. The Chariot Festival involves a ten-day trip by Lord Jagannath to his aunt's house with sister Subhadra and Balaram. The main ceremony of the event consists of pulling of the three giant chariots by devotees. The journey is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols rest for seven days before their return to the main temple. At the termination of the ceremony, the chariots are broken up and used to manufacture religious relics. Every year, new chariots are made. The festival, which falls in July-August, is being celebrated for the last ten centuries. The Jagannath temple, about 60 kilometres from the state capital Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for the Hindus in India. The building is 65 metres high, mounted on the mystic "Chakras" or wheels. According to the believers, Lord Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, one of the trinity of the Hindu pantheon. The other two are Brahma, the Creator and Shiva, the Destroyer. (ANI)
PM urges Karnataka to release additional Cauvery water to TN Go to top New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has urged Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna to release additional Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. According to PMO sources, Vajpayee called up Krishna on Wednesday and requested him to release three TMC ft of water to Tamil Nadu as a "goodwill gesture." The Prime Minister said the release of additional water would help the people of Tamil Nadu cope up with water shortages. (ANI)
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Islamabad, June 26 (ANI): Schools in towns and villages in the
border areas of PoK have been closed for over a month and the
children are holding India responsible for their forced holidays.
With their deft little hands, they help their mothers fill up
sacks with hay for the winter, they go out to collect firewood
and return carrying bags twice their size, and they loiter in the
streets or play games with their siblings, or friends, whenever
there is a lull in the firing.