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Prakash Karat is new CPI (M) Gen Secy

     New Delhi: True to the speculations making rounds over the last few weeks, CPI-M Politburo member Prakash Karat took over the reigns of his party today in the Capital. Karat was unanimously elected as the party's new General Secretary at the party's six-day Congress. Karat (56) replaced Harkishen Singh Surjeet, who at the age of 89 years offered to step down. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu (91), who had also expressed his desire to quit, was retained in the Politburo along with Surjeet. In an another important development, Prakash's wife Brinda Karat became the first woman entrant to the all-male Politburo of the party.

     The new CPI-M Politburo comprises Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Jyoti Basu, Prakash Karat, VS Achuthanandan, S Ramachandran Pillai, Sitaram Yechury, R Umanath, MK Pandhe, Biman Basu, Anil Biswas, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Pinarai Vijayan, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Battacharya. The four new members elected are Chittravratha Majumdar, K. Varadarajan, B.V. Raghavulu and Brinda Karat. 85 members were also elected to the new central committee. Prakash Karat joined CPI-M in 1970 at the age of 21. Two years later, after graduating from the Madras Christian College, he became the JNU Students' Union president. Thereafter, he remained the president of Students Federation of India from 1974-79. During the emergency in 1975-76 he worked underground, during which he was arrested twice and spent eight days in prison. From 1982-85 he was his party's Delhi unit secretary. Later, he was elected to the party's central committee. Then in 1992 he was elected to the party's Politburo. He was Politburo member for the past 13 years.

Najma Heptullah to go as ICCR chief? (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha member Najma Heptullah might be asked to resign from the post of chief of ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) following the controversy of her "morphed" picture with her "distant grand uncle" Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad in a recently published book. The book was published by the ICCR, though it is yet to be officially released. Copies of the book were, however, circulated to the presidents of the standing committees. The Congress today charged Najma with "misusing" her position, seeking to mislead Prime Minister by asking him to release the book alongwith Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf when the latter visits New Delhi later this week, and playing a "criminal trick" on the country and countrymen. The picture shows Najma in her younger days sitting with Maulana Azad, whereas another photo showing her in an absolutely same pose and dress sitting with an Arab diplomat.

     Claiming that the Najma-Kalam picture was concocted by "super-imposing" through computer, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma today said that if one sees the picture minutely, the morphing could be easily detected. He said that the picture was said to be have been taken after Najma completed her graduation, which is three months after Kalam died. "If Najma was related with the Maulana Kalam, she must be having many more photos with him right from her childhood. Let her bring them forth and establish her relation with the great leader," he added. Sharma further said that after Najma's mischief has come to the fore, she has no moral right to continue in her position and she should resign as Rajya Sabha MP, and even from the post she holds in the IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). "Such a human being shouldn't represent the country at any foreign platform," he added. The spokesman said that either Najma should resign as ICCR chief, or she will be removed from the post.

China marches past Sikkim (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: India and China today forged "incremental progress in addressing outstanding issues." A joint statement issued at the conclusion of the official engagements of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in New Delhi says India-China relations have acquired "a global and strategic character," and the two sides will resolve outstanding differences in "a proactive manner." Briefing newsmen on the outcome of delegation level talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said "Sikkim is no longer an issue" between the two countries. Saran said the Chinese side has given its official map, delineating Sikkim as part of India.

     Another major vista of bilateral relations both the sides treaded today is an agreement on the "political parameters and guiding principles" on settlement of the boundary question. Saran pointed out the joint statement says both the countries have decided to "seek a political settlement of the boundary question in the context of their overall and long-term interests." After the long chill following the 1962 war, it was Indira Gandhi who began the process of normalisation of bilateral relations on January 1, 1969 by a statement that " the Indian government would be prepared to try for ways of solving conflicts with China through talks that are not based on any pre-conditions". However, she was unable to go the full distance. Rajiv Gandhi's visit of December 1988 transformed the bilateral relationship, which was consolidated later by Narasimha Rao and Atal Behari Vajpayee.

     The Foreign Secretary said the paradigm shift in Sino-Indian relation is that both the Prime Ministers have decided to upgrade the relationship to a "strategic and cooperative relationship," raising the level to "partnership and not adversarial." The agreement on political parameters on the boundary question delineates that "the differences on the boundary question should not be allowed to affect the overall development of bilateral relations." The two sides resolved that the boundary question should be settled "through peaceful and friendly consultations" and neither side will "use or threaten to use force against the other by any means." The agreement also underlines that both the sides will "make meaningful and mutually acceptable adjustments to their respective positions on the boundary question," while giving "due consideration to each other's strategic and reasonable interests."

     Saran said this concretizes the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control signed in September 1993 and the Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LoAC signed in November 1996. Both Dr. Singh and Jiabao agreed to make joint efforts to increase the bilateral trade to US $ 20 billion or higher by 2008, which currently stands at 13 billion. A Joint Study Group, which examined the bilateral trade potentials has identified a series of measures related to trade in goods, services, investments and other areas of economic cooperation and recommended their expeditious implementation to remove impediments and facilitate enhanced engagement in the economic field.

     Both the Prime Ministers have asked the Ministerial-level Joint Economic Group to consider these recommendations and coordinate their implementation. Both the countries have also agreed to cooperate in the field of energy security, which the Foreign Secretary said could include collaborations in exploration in third countries. While China has made no commitment about its support to India its candidature for the Permanent Membership of the United Nations Security Council, Shyam Saran said "every indication given by the Chinese side is that they welcomed India becoming a permanent member of UNSC." Beijing had earlier made it known that it favours a consensus on new members, and there is no shift in its stand now. While New Delhi did not broach upon Beijing's continued military support to Pakistan, Jiabao is reported to have said that China has "no selfish interest to pursue in South Asia."

     Besides the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary Question, both the sides also exchanged the report on India-China Joint Study Group on Comprehensive Trade and Economic Cooperation, Protocol on Modalities for the Implementation of CBMs in the Military Field along the LoAC, agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance and Cooperation in Customs Matters, MoUs on the launch of an India- China Financial Dialogue, Civil Aviation and provision of hydrological information of the Sutlej River in flood season. Jiabao, who met all top Indian leaders today, will address the students and teachers of Indian Institute of Technology in the capital tomorrow before winding up his four-day official visit.

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