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British High Commission opens emergency lines

     New Delhi: The British High Commission in New Delhi has opened a Casualty Bureau emergency hotline for friends and relatives of Indians living in London as the phone lines to London are either dead or choked after Thursday's serial blasts adding to worries of anxious Indian relatives. The number is 0044-870-1566-344, a British High Commission press release said. At least four blasts rocked London's underground system and double-decker buses in the deadliest attack on the British mainland in more than 30 years. As news poured in of 37 people dead and over 700 injured, anxious Indians, unable to speak on phone to their relatives in the UK, are glued to their television sets, trying to get the details. Police and hospital officials say that the severity of some of those injuries means the number of dead will increase in the days ahead. A.Vadan Vardhyu, a resident of Ahmedabad, says he is tensed and worried as his only son and daughter-in-law, who work in London, could not be contacted. "I am very tensed and worried. Can't say anything how it has happened and I cannot contact any of my relatives till today. I have not got any communication; I think the government has stopped all communication. All the lines are dead," he said. Vardhyu said he along with his wife was planning to visit London next week, but have cancelled all plans.

     The family of Vijay Acharya is also facing turbulent times. Acharya's brother-in-law went to London for a trip with his friends and has not contacted them. "We have not had any contact since yesterday. Let's see what will happen. All family members are worried here," Acharya said. In Varanasi, O.P.Upadhyaya has been lucky as their only son Shashank, who studies in Sussex University, was in London at the time of blasts but was safe and sound. "We were not able to contact him, no number from the Helpline was getting through. At midnight a friend of mine called up to tell me that he spoke to my son and then I was relieved. But I haven't been able to speak to him till now as phones are not working there," said.

     Indian communities are concentrated in 10 London boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Newham and Redbridge. Nearly 35 percent of all Indians in Inner London live in Newham- over three-and-a-half times more than any other Inner London borough. The serial blasts were the worst attack on the British mainland since the Second World War. The deadliest attack before Thursday was the Birmingham pub bombing in 1974 in which Irish Republican Army bombers killed 21. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said it was clear the "barbaric" attacks were the work of terrorists and were aimed to coincide with the opening of the Group of Eight summit in Scotland.

No fear for Asians in Britain: UK High Commissioner (Go To Top)
by NB Nair

     New Delhi: British High Commissioner to India, Sir Michael Arthur, said today that New Delhi and London will continue working together in their fight against global terrorism and there was no question of any backlash against South Asian migrants who have settled in Britain. "South Asian community has contributed a lot towards the British society. British laws will always remain liberal and respectful towards the concerns of the Indians," said Sir Arthur when asked about the possibility of any backlash against the migrants in the wake of London blasts. Expressing thanks to the G8 leaders' support, Arthur said that India, which has been fighting terrorism for more than two decades was its global partner in the fight against this menace. "The G8 leaders who are meeting in the UK today have said that we are all in this together and we have been very grateful for the strong support we have had from the G8 leaders in London. Not least from your Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who made a very robust statement about it in support. This is a phenomenon we have to combat together and certainly we UK and India do work closely together on the global problem of terrorism," Sir Arthur told reporters in New Delhi.

     The comments came a day after at least four blasts rocked London's underground system and double-decker buses in the deadliest attack on the British mainland in more than 30 years. More than 50 people were killed in the suspected al Qaeda attack. The serial blasts are the worst attack on the British mainland since the Second World War. The deadliest attack before Thursday was the Birmingham pub bombing in 1974 in which Irish Republican Army bombers killed 21. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said it was clear the "barbaric" attacks were the work of terrorists and were aimed to coincide with the opening of the Group of Eight summit in Scotland.

Veteran Communist leader Jyoti Basu turns 92 (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: Veteran communist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu was today felicitated by supporters as he turned 92 today. People from different walks of life started streaming in from early morning to greet Basu at his Salt Lake residence. Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, was the first one to wish the veteran leader today. Basu thanked the people of West Bengal for the love and honour given to him. He also thanked his party colleagues on the occasion. Basu said he has completed 92 years and is looking forward to the 93rd year. "On my birthday I thank everybody all across the country for the love that they have showed in me. I have just turned 92. We the Communists always say that till the last breath we will work for the people. I am thankful to all the people of West Bengal for such wonderful celebrations." Basu said. Singing and dancing was part of the celebrations at Indira Bhawan, Basu's residence in Saltlake, Kolkata. On the occasion the performances by school children were organized by an NGO Pather Panchali.

Court in Bihar demands list of 'criminal' policemen (Go To Top)

     Patna: Patna High Court today directed the police department to furnish names of policemen with criminal records. "In the whole of Bihar, there are several criminal cases pending against police personnel. The court has given an order to the department to submit a list of those police personnel and the cases, so that they are heard on a priority basis," said M.P Gupta, a lawyer of Patna High court. The court also took notice of the rampant indiscipline in the police force. "It was also noted that there are more than 1000 policemen who has cases of murder, kidnapping, arson etc against them. As there is no discipline it is necessary to bring some order in the department," Gupta added. The court was hearing a petition filed by the state's doctors' association which said that their life was in peril at the hands of extortion cartels. The court's initiative is the latest in the series of correctional drives in Bihar since the state came under Presidential rule as the political parties failed to cobble together a majority from an inconclusive state poll in February.

Chattisgarh drafts new legislation on private universities (Go To Top)

     Raipur: The Chattisgarh Government has drafted a new legislation to revive private universities, which had been declared 'null and void' and ceased to exist after the Supreme Court quashed the controversial Chhattisgarh Niji Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam (University Act), 2002. Talking to the media persons in Raipur, Minister for higher Education Ajay Chandrakar, said, "the state cabinet has approved the draft of private universities bill, which will be tabled during the monsoon session of the Assembly beginning on July 11.'' He said that the bill has been drafted for the new legislation after considering various aspects, including the apex court order declaring the Chhattisgarh Private Universities Act, 2002, as null and void and the suggestions put forth by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Chandrakar further said that the persons or organizations interested in establishing up a private university in the scheduled areas would have to deposit Rs one crore and in general areas Rs three crore.

     There is no provision in the bill to allow the Universities to set up their campus outside the state. The private university will have to furnish all the details about the courses to be conducted, sources of income, procedures for appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff and the infrastructure to be set up only at the time of applying for registration. The Minister for Higher Education said that if the state universities regulatory commission is satisfied, the state government will issue a letter of intent to allow the private universities to function. Once these institutions fulfill the conditions within six months, the state government will enact a separate legislation to grant recognition and university Status to them. The act was formulated to encourage private-sector investment in higher education for improving the quality of education by the then Ajit Jogi government. More than 125 applications were received for registration as universities, of which about 100 started functioning, many in two-room set-ups in the state capital. Most of these private universities had also opened campus outside the state, enrolling hundreds of students for various courses.

     The state government amended the Act when the BJP came to power in December 2003, to establish a regulatory commission to monitor the functioning of the private Universities following complaints regarding lack of infrastructure and quality of education being imparted. The Supreme Court on February 11 this year declared the provision in the Chhattisgarh Private Sector Universities Act, 2002 permitting establishment of private universities for higher education as unconstitutional. This law had permitted "self-financing' private universities to come up in the state. Delivering the judgment on the petition filed by former UGC chief Prof Yashpal, the Supreme Court had struck down Sections 5 and 6 of the Chhattisgarh Niji Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam (University Act), 2002 . The court declared establishment of 112 such private universities under this law as null and void. But to protect the interest of thousands of students of these universities, whose registration had been cancelled, the Bench directed affiliation of these institutions to universities, which existed prior to the enactment of legislation. Prominent among the universities which had been ordered to be closed by the apex court included Amity, Rai University, ICFAI Vishwavidhyalaya, Aptech, Apple, Jaipuria, NILLM, Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Asia Pacific Management University.

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