Air India plane skids on Mumbai airport runway

     Mumbai: An Air India Boeing 747-400 arriving from Bangalore skidded and overshot the runway at Mumbai airport this morning, two days after the airport was opened to traffic. The plane with 335 passengers on board got bogged in the softground at the end of the track this morning. It was scheduled to go to Chicago via Frankfurt. In the wake of the incident, traffic control authorities at Mumbai airport had to shut down the secondary runway, which was servicing air line traffic for the past two days after heavy rains had disrupted the use of the main runway. The main runway is still not available as the landing and navigational aids were unserviceable. Passengers are being deplaned and brought to the terminal building while efforts are on to extricate the aircraft.

     Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said that the secondary runway was completely safe for operations. The Boeing overshot the airstrip in Mumbai by a few feet as the pilot did not brake hard to avoid skidding as preliminary information suggested, he said. "Preliminary reports suggest that the pilot did not apply full brakes to avoid skidding on the wet runway. He had estimated that the plane would come to a stop before the end of the runway. It did so, but the nosewheel went out of the runway by a few feet," he told reporters here. Maintaining that air traffic would come back to normal at the airport by afternoon, Patel added that reports that the plane had skidded off the runway by 300 feet were absolutely incorrect. "All passengers are safe. The aircraft is okay, but it has to be physically tested," Patel said. Asserting that the secondary runway was completely safe, Patel said although it was a little shorter than the main runway, it had all the equipment required for safe landing. The main runway had been opened for outgoing flights today and it would become operational for landing too in a couple of days, he said. Patel said the Air India pilot was a senior executive pilot who had decided not to apply hard brakes, which could have increased the chances of skidding when torrential rains were on.

     The passengers of the Air India plane from Bangalore would be sent to their respective destinations by other flights in a few hours. The secondary runway had taken the load of 500 flights since operations resumed at the Mumbai Airport on Thursday afternoon, he said. "The secondary runway is always used when the main runway is not available," he said. Replying to questions on the recent flooding of the airport, Patel said as the runways were submerged due to the heavy rains, the highly-sophisticated electronic instrument landing system and navigational aids were under water and slush. "Since these are very sensitive equipment, these have to be fully tested before they can be used," he said, adding that work on this direction was already on. An official report has been sought from the Airport Authority and the Director General, Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Manmohan calls for professionalisation of press freedom (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Urging the country's media houses to professionalise and institutionalise the concept of press freedom, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that visibility and multiplicity of publications did not automatically guarantee credibility, and that there was a need to project the Fourth Estate in a more transparent manner. Receiving the first copy of the Mumbai-based Daily News and Analysis (DNA) newspaper here this morning, Dr. Singh said, ''Freedom of press is not automatically ensured by multiplicity of publications. It has to nurtured by society, by the State, and its institutions, and by the corporate interests that invest in media.'' ''It is necessary to have professional codes, rules of the game and institutional frameworks that guarantee the freedom of the press. A vibrant press council, an active association of journalists, a watchdog Ombudsman, a transparent editorial policy are all instruments through which freedom of the press can be secured and ensured,'' Dr Singh further pointed out. Describing the media as an important pillar of any democratic country, Dr. Singh said it should stand up to public scrutiny whenever asked to.

      ''One often finds that those who most zealously guard the freedom of the press from any form of social or public audit or regulation, deny that freedom internally within the organisation. I have often heard people complain about internal censorship, about articles being rejected merely because the editor did not like it. I wonder if this can be defended as the assertion of the freedom of the press? Or is it editorial tyranny or corporate censorship? Is it necessary and possible for editors and publishers to be more transparent as to why hold the views they do, or publish or refuse to publish, broadcast or refuse to broadcast specific news and artciles? How does one distinguish between freedom, licence and prejudice?'' ''I hope such questions engage professional journalists," the Prime Minister said. Praising the role of media in strengthening Indian democracy, he said, ''Our democracy has been made richer and more participative by our free and varied press. That newspapers and television channels of varying size and scope are able to compete and operate testifies to the complexity of our market for information and entertainment. It is because of the plurality of our society that we have such diverse media. This is the strength of our democracy," he said. "I welcome new publications and new channels in the hope that they will contribute to this pluralism by giving voice to all opinions,'' he said, adding that Indian journalism must aspire to compete with the best talent in the world.

      Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy said: ''Today media is the hottest scene in India with proliferation of newspapers and channels. Barring the non-news channels, all other media ventures including marketing and advertising agencies have been allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment.'' Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, Congress leaders Ambika Soni, Digvijay Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Murli Deora, Ajit Jogi and promoter of DNA - Subhash Chandra Goel and Dr Bharat Agarwal were also present on the occasion.

Honda dispute resolved, work resumes (Go To Top)

     Gurgaon: Agitating workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) Ltd. today resolved their dispute with the company's management and returned to work. The striking workers said that they were ending their over month long strike after negotiating an agreement with the government and the Honda management late on Friday night. According to the agreement, all workers, including the 50 suspended and four dismissed employees will be taken back in the company. The management at Honda has also agreed to increase the wages of the employees and also would not take any disciplinary action against workers, who had were agitated against the company. The workers have promised not to come up with any fresh demands at least for a year. It has also been agreed that they would not get salaries for the period of their strike. The government has also promised to punish police officers reported to have used excessive force against the protesters earlier this week. The agreement was signed by three representatives of the Honda management and leaders of the worker's union in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment, Promilla Issar. The agreement is a major breakthrough for the Hooda government in Haryana, which has been facing sharp criticism for its role in the Gurgaon clashes of Monday and Tuesday. Hooda claimed at a press conference last night that all issues have been settled "amicably". However, on the matter of FIRs filed against the workers, Hooda said that the law will take its own course. "The government has said that the cases for those in jail will go on. However, they will be bailed out in a day or so, and then, they too will join work," said Suresh Gaur, President, Honda Employee Union. Over 3000 employees of the company had been on protest since June 27 after they were laid off, following differences with the company. In the violent clashes that followed with the police earlier this week in Gurgaon, 61 of them were arrested for rioting.

Narayan Rane joins Congress (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Expelled Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane joined the Congress Party today in the presence of some of his supporters at a function at the Congress party office here. "I will strive the rest of my life following the Congress' ideals and uphold the dignity of the tricolour," Rane said. He also thanked Congress President Sonia Gandhi for welcoming him into the party. According to sources, Rane wil act as the chief advisor of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and will hold state cabinet rank. The Congress is jubilant over Rane's entry and expects to increase its influence in Majharashtra's Konkan region. Deshmukh, who was present at the function, said "Rane's vast experience in the state politics would be used to strengthen the party." Rane had resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly on July 12, weeks after criticising Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray for promoting his son Uddhav at the cost of other senior party stalwarts. Last Sunday, Shiv Sena activists vandalised the venue of Rane's public rally, which was held opposite the office of Sena mouthpiece 'Saamna' at Prabhadevi in central Mumbai. Police had to resort to a baton charge as the uncontrolled mob became violent. About 100 suspected Shiv Sainiks had been detained on charges of disrupting the meeting. The activists allegedly tore posters of Rane and also partially destroyed the stage ahead of Rane's first public rally following his resignation from the Maharashtra Assembly. After the violence, police personnel cordoned off the area and heavy security arrangements were made around the venue. Rane, however, addressed the rally as scheduled. Rane's differences with Uddhav had been growing ever since the party had failed to defeat the Congress-NCP in the 2004 Assembly elections. According to Rane, Uddhav Thackeray denied tickets to loyal party workers, risking rebellion and the loss of several seats during the Assembly elections. This cost the party dearly, particularly in the coastal Konkan region, the core of the Sena strength. Rane has his political base in that region, especially Malvan.

Srinagar security forces-militants stand-off ends  (Go To Top)
by Bilal Butt

     Srinagar: Security forces brought an end to their encounter with two militants in Srinagar's busy Lal Chowk area on Saturday by killing all of those holed up inside two buildings in the city a short while ago. "We have recovered the body of one of the slain militants from the Bombay-Gujarat Hotel and efforts are on to retrieve the other body in a nearby building," Inspector General of Police Javed Makhdoomi said. "A crack team of security forces has managed to enter the Bombay- Gujarat Hotel building and a room-by-room search is being carried out to eliminate the hiding militant," BSF Deputy Inspector General of Police K Srinivasan said. He said a police constable was injured during the storming of the building by the team. Two security force personnel were killed in the exchange of fire on Friday while nine others, including a CRPF deputy commandant, were injured. Seven mediapersons and five civilians were also among those injured. Sahara Samay news channel assistant cameraman Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat was still battling for his life at SMHS hospital here after doctors had removed a right kidney and ascending colon, damaged by a bullet lodged in his abdomen.

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