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VP calls on lower class to fight for their rights
New Delhi, Sept 5 (ANI): Former Prime Minister V.P.Singh on Thursday called on the lower class to stand up and fight for their rights. "Its not easy to be born in the lower class and face the suppression from society throughout your life.It is a leader's job to do something for this group in the country." Talking about his role for this cause, he said, "When I signed the Mandal Commisssion, there was a lot of hue and cry about it, the sky seemed to be falling on earth but I never wavered. I stood strong." Slogans like "Desh ka neta kaisa ho, V.P.Singh jaisa ho" were shouted by his supporters. He asked the lower class to be more strong in their struggle."All the lower class people should unite and fight for thier cause.All the candles will join and light up the whole country.Your light will be seen in every part of the country." In the end he said that his illness does force him to keep a low key but as long as he is around, he is ready to do everything in his hands to help them. V.P.Singh was the Prime Minister who signed the Mandal Commission in 1990 where reservation was given to the people of the SC/ST group in government organizations.(ANI) Pakistan accused of backing out of pledge to stop incursions
New Delhi, Sept 5 (ANI): India on Thursday accused Pakistan of trying to divert attention from its commitment to stop sponsoring "cross-border" terrorism in restive Kashmir. New Delhi termed Pakistan President General Musharraf's comments in an interview that he suspected an "Indian hand" in sectarian violence in Pakistan as "complete untruth." "The complete untruth which seems to have been fabricated in order to divert attention from the truth that has now been clearly established and universally acknowledged of Pakistan's sponsorship of cross-border terrorism," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters in New Delhi. "We believe that instead of producing such red herrings Pakistan should take immediate, tangible steps to end its support to cross border terrorism and also to fulfill the pledges that it has made in this regard," Nirupama Rao added. India is locked in a standoff with Pakistan over the disputed kashmir region. New Delhi has maintained that it would make no further concessions to ease tension until Pakistan honoured pledges to stop Islamic militants slipping into Kashmir to fight New Delhi's rule there. India has said it will not end its over eight-month long military deployment along the border with Pakistan until it was sure President Musharraf has made good on his pledge to stop militants slipping into Kashmir. Pakistan says incursions by rebels from its territory into Kashmir have stopped. But India says the violence has resumed in recent weeks after a brief lull. The two nuclear rivals had come to the brink of their fourth war in June this year.(ANI) BSP steps up campaigning for 41 J-K Assembly seats
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to top Jammu, Sept 5 (ANI): The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which derives its support from the lower castes has stepped up its campaign for the upcoming elections in the restive Jammu and Kashmir. Enthusiastic BSP supporters carrying party flags accompanied Krishan Lal Basnotra as he went to file his nomination papers from Jammu east constituency on the last day of the second phase of filing of nominations on Thursday. The BSP has decided to contest 41 seats this time as against 26 during the last elections in 1996. In the Kashmir valley, the BSP has decided to join hands with People's Democratic Party headed by former federal interior minister and a senior Kashmiri leader, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The BSP could win only four seats during the 1996 assembly elections. In many seats, the party lost with a very low margin of votes. The BSP made its presence felt particularly in border regions of Jammu, including Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and R.S. Pura sectors. BSP's head in Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rahman said the party worked as a constructive opposition in the last legislature. "As a constructive opposition party in the assembly we not only took up the cause of the weaker, deprived sections, we brought the maximum number of amendments and private members bills," Rahman said. Rahman said the issue of unemployment will be the party's main poll plank. "The first thing is to see how peace can be established in the state. Our party has always been active on this issue. We have also seen that it is unemployment that has triggered unrest in the state. So we need to first tackle these. In fact, unemployment and corruption will be our main issue during these elections," he said. Elections in the disputed state are scheduled to begin on September 16 and stagger till October 8 this year. New Delhi sees the polls as the best way to legitimise its rule in the insurgency-racked region. Several militant outfits fighting Indian rule have threatened to disrupt polls. Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), has decided to boycott the elections.(ANI)
Domestic tourism up by 42 per cent, says Jagmohan Go to top New Delhi, Sept. 5 (ANI): Domestic tourism during the last eight months have gone up by 42 per cent, proving thereby that the government's efforts in this area have indeed yielded results, Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan told reporters here on Thursday. He in fact was talking to the media after the State Tourism Ministers' conference where he dwelt on many aspects of the subject - policy matters, goals and achievements. According to him, 24 states and Union Territories have agreed to support the proposal to put tourism in the Concurrent List while seven states are opposed to the idea, some of whom are unwilling to lose the right to legislate on the subject. The Centre's view is that inclusion of tourism in Concurrent List would help both federal and state governments have comprehensive legislation covering all sides, besides giving more powers to the states to deal with tourism in totality rather than in parts. Tourism, Jagmohan added, is a civilisational issue and hence arrangements have to made to spread among the tourists, both foreign and home, the message of India's variegated culture. Accent therefore falls on organising festivals and seminars at various sites, not to mention annual dance festivals at, for instance, Ajanta or Mahabalipuram, to focus on the classical tradition peculiar to that specific place. He also said that young talents would also be encouraged in this area. The basic thrust will be placed on ancient heritage - art, architecture, sculptures, music and dance - and spotlight the power of Indian mind. Asked about building hotels suitable for the Indian middle class and low-budget tourists from abroad, the minister replied that the government wanted to initiate private enterprise in this field as much as possible. The interested parties will be allotted land after selection. Jagmohan touched upon the features of the National Tourism Policy 2002 and the initiatives taken in the Union Budget. He also pointed out that the outlay for tourism in The Tenth Five year Plan has been raised to Rs. 2900 crores as against Rs. 925 crores in the Ninth. What the country needs, in his opinion, is a synthesis of elements of tourism, culture and clean governance. (ANI)
De-proscribing LTTE shows govt keenness on peace: minister
Colombo, Sept. 5 (ANI): The government sincerely wants to bring an end to the 19-year conflict with LTTE and this goal justifies the lifting of the ban on the Tigers, according to Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando who spoke on Thursday, hours after the rebel group was legalised. The peace talks, brokered by Norway, will be held in Thailand from September 16. Colombo's all-share index was up by 1.3 per cent in early Thursday trading as the midnight lifting of the ban boosted the market. A stockbroker reportedly said this was a huge step in the run-up to formal talks later this month. But many residents of Jaffna, the Tamil heartland and the centre of the conflict, were still not aware of the government decision. (ANI).
Karzai escapes bid on life Go to top Kabul, Sept 5 (ANI): Afghan President Hamid Karzai has survived an assassination attempt, said sources on Thursday. According to details, shots were fired on Karzai in the city of Kandahar, but he was not injured, an Afghan official told by phone from Kandahar.(ANI) |