Home   Contact Us                                                                    Dateline New Delhi, Saturday, May 21, 2005

 

 


Main Page                                                       Archive

 

Communists not to attend UPA function

     New Delhi: The Communists leaders today said they would not attend Sunday's function to mark the completion of one year of the UPA in office, even as the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) extended a formal invitation to them. When contacted, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, CPI National Secretary D Raja and RSP's Abani Roy said they had already taken a decision not to attend the function. According to the media sources, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan and Forward Bloc leaders are out of station and are not expected to return on Sunday. "After all, we are not part of the UPA and are extending support to the government from outside," Raja said.

Migrants in Assam under panic, exodus continues (Go To Top)
by Gaurav Shrivastava

     Jorhat: Hundreds of people, suspected to be Bangladeshis, have fled parts of Assam, after some local organizations imposed economic sanctions on them. Also many Muslims, residing in the state and claiming to be an Indian citizen and holding proof documents, find no way out but to face boycott in the name of suspected illegal migrants. "We have been living in this area since many years; we are poor people who migrated from nearby villages to earn our livelihood and only because we speak Bengali dialect, they allege us to be Bangladeshi. Where should we go? ", says Saudar Ali of Latif colony, a Muslim dominated locality in Jorhat. The exodus came after an anti-immigrant group of youths-Chiring Chopari Yuva Mancha (Youth Forum), from Dibrugarh in upper Assam, launched campaign against suspected illegal migrants from the neighbouring country. This anti-Bangladeshi campaign spread to other neighbouring districts of Assam and soon the effect could be visible. All Assam Students Union and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (Student Council) also joined the fray against illegal migrants. People have been receiving mobile phone messages to join the campaign; one such message reads: "Let's take an oath, no job, no food, no shelter to Bangladeshi. Spread this message to everyone to save our motherland "Jay ai Asom".

     Fearing communal tension, some people have already migrated from Jorhat district, but the district administration rules out any such resettlement. "All possible measures are being taken that no bona-fide Indian citizen is harassed in the name of Bangladeshi", says J Syamala Rao, Deputy Commissioner, Jorhat. Section 144 is there, under which assembly of more than 5 people would be unlawful. We would not allow anyone to take law in their hands, he adds. The minority communities have heaved a sigh of relief with the visit of police teams in the vulnerable localities. "Superintendent of Police himself visited our locality and assured us not to panic. He told that the police would not allow anyone to take law in hands", says Anwar Hussain, while going for prayers at Latif colony Mosque. The Assam state government has already ordered an inquiry into the exodus, while the Centre has asked the Intelligence agencies to compile independent reports. Assam, a state of 26 million people, had witnessed a mass rebellion in the 1980s against illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Earlier this month, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) representatives met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and urged to fence the 4,000 km long India-Bangladesh border and take steps to detect and expel illegal Bangladeshi migrants. The exodus has sparked fears of possible communal clashes and holds great political importance in view of the assembly elections in Assam scheduled next year.

Ranthambore tiger reserve gears up for PM's visit (Go To Top)

     Ranthambore: Ranthambore wildlife reserve, home to the elusive tigers, is gearing up to receive its most high- profile visitor in decades, - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will make a rare visit to the region next week. There has been uproar in India after reports in March that the entire tiger population at the nearby Sariska sanctuary may have been wiped out by poachers, and the case might be the same in reserves across the country. Singh's visit is being widely seen as a move to douse public anger and the premier is also expected to make a harsh review of the lapses besides mulling with top officials on how to prevent poaching. The park, meanwhile, is getting a much-needed facelift as authorities work round the clock patching up roads and cleaning and beautifying the surroundings. Singh will also reach in time for the results of a Tiger census being conducted in the reserve and officials are hopeful his personal involvement in the project could come as a critical lifesaver for the highly endangered animals. "Nearly 18 tigers are missing since 1999. We are not trying to trade blames but we want that this problem is sorted out and we must find out whether these tigers have strayed outside the sanctuary, fallen prey to poachers. It is important that we clear out the situation," said Fateh Singh Rathore, ex-field director of the sanctuary. Trade in dead tigers is illegal but poachers still operate with impunity because a single animal can fetch up to 50,000 dollars in the international market. Organs, teeth, bones and penises fetch high prices in the black market, where they are used in Chinese medicine. Experts say the conviction rate of those charged with poaching of endangered animals in India is less than five percent. Earlier this week, the environment ministry revealed at least 114 tigers had been killed from 1999-2003 and that 238 seizures of tiger parts such as bones, skin, teeth and nails had been made in the same period. Experts have called for a Central agency to save the tiger, whose numbers have fallen to about 3,700 from roughly 40,000 a century ago. But conservationists say the number may be less than 2,000. They have also called for more stringent action and punishment to deter poaching of the tiger.

Calls from metros to states made local (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: In yet another major move to make talking on phone cheaper, Communication and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran today announced that the calls between Chennai and Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and West Bengal, Mumbai and Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh (East) and Uttar Pradesh (West) has been made local, with effect from May 25. He said that private operators have assured full support to the Government in this regard. "However, the access providers will operate within their existing licensed service areas and shall not be permitted to create infrastructure outside their areas for the purpose of inter- service area connectivity," he said. Till now, calls between the three metros and their respective states were long distance (STD). Similarly, calls between the East and West two parts of UP were long distance (STD) and the consumers had to pay for roaming. Under the new scheme, announced here by Maran calls from mobile- to-mobile and fixed-to-mobile will now become local. Similarly, there would be no roaming charges between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Chennai and Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and West Bengal, and UP (East) and UP (West).

References: Rajiv Gandhi homage anniversary, leopard skins arrested, Nagmani quits LJP Paswan, Clinton India, communists UPA function, migrants Assam exodus, Ranthambore tiger reserve Manmohan visit, phone local, forex reserves down, Kapil Dev greg Chappell Raj Dingh Dungarpur, Kylie cancer surgery, Olivier tears Kylie, Teri Hatcher playboy, Maria Sharapova, Renee Zellweger honeymoon, Fred Flintstone voice, Katie Cruise mission Impossible-III, Brush teeth heart, Bond girl wardrobe malfunction at Cannes, Britney vomits in hotel pool, Halle Berry desperate housewives, India, India News, Newspaper, Indian, News, Travel News, India Travel Times, Travel,Tourism, Tour, Tourist, India, Times, News, Hotels, Airlines, Ayurveda, Yoga, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Cuisine, Festival, Temple, Trekking, Hindu, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Dance, Shimla,Varanasi, Kullu, Manali, Dehra Dun, Mussourie, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Hardwar, Rishikesh, Nainital, Delhi, Goa, Kovalam, Darjeeling, Bodh Gaya, Kancheepuram, Kanchipuram, Thekkady, Badrinath, Amar Nath,Vaishno Devi, Tirupati, Sabarimala, Guruvayoor, Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal, Ooty, Chennai,

     Previous File                 Go To Top
Home    Contact Us
NOTE:  Free contributions of articles and reports may be sent to editor@indiatraveltimes.com
DISCLAIMER
All Rights Reserved ©indiatraveltimes.com