• Graft cases revived against Hasinamar prefers
• Myanmar prefers China as gas buyer; India sees red
• Difficulties in Sino-Indian ties come to fore
• National identity card scheme to be launched today
• Indian democracy a role model: Pak envoy
• J&K governor no to demklitarisation
• J&K Governor opposes de-militarization
• Governor opposes Kashmir demilitarisation
• India is shrinking under Manmohan

• Seeking ST status: Anger in Rajasthan boils over, 14 dead
• 13 killed in Rajasthan quota row
• India red-faced as China gets tough
• People want Kalam back, not politicians as next President
• Quota for Muslim dalits soon?
• 50 Hindu families uprooted for Musharraf's rally
• India starts rebuilding World War II road
• 45 per cent vote in sixth phase of UP assembly poll
• India against agreement's perceived threats to sovereignty

Caste tensions simmering for the last five years boiled over in Rajasthan when an agitation by the Gurjjar community, demanding they be moved from the category of OBC to Scheduled Tribe, turned violent today. At least 14 persons were killed and over 80 injured in clashes and police firing in three districts, prompting authorities to deploy six columns of the Army. Highways linking Jaipur with Agra, Delhi, Kota and Sawai Madhopur were blocked by agitators who hurled stones and clashed with the police in Dausa, Karauli and Bundi districts. Police lathicharged, lobbed teargas shells and opened fire in Dausa and Bundi to disperse Gurjjars who had given a call for a 'chakka jam' to press their demand. At Peepalikheda, some 40 km from Dausa, more than 20,000 Gurjjars gathered to block the Jaipur-Agra highway. As people began collecting around 5 am at Patoli village, the police present there used teargas to scatter them. But by 7 am, they were back on the streets. Officials said police had to open fire after they were attacked with lathis, sharp-edged weapons and stones. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria said: "The mob attacked the police first and cut off a constable's hand and the leg of another. The police had no choice except fire." Within hours, Gurjjars from neighbouring villages gathered at Patoli and moved towards Peepalikheda. By 9 am, more than 20,000 had gathered in the fields, forcing the policemen to leave. The crowd then set vehicles on fire, attacked a police chowky, stopped government and media vehicles, damaged roads and disrupted traffic on the National Highway. Refusing to cremate the bodies of five persons killed in the firing, the crowd demanded a written assurance from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje that they would be granted ST status. Col Kirodi Singh, president of the Gurjjar Reservation Committee, told The Indian Express: "The police had no reason to fire at a crowd which had gathered for a peaceful protest. We demand an inquiry by a third party - the CBI or a judicial inquiry." By afternoon, violence spread to the districts of Dausa, Karauli, Bharatpur and Bundi. Six persons and a policeman were killed at Bundi. At Dausa, two policemen were missing. A Railway spokesman said there were obstructions on the Jaipur-Delhi rail route via Bandikui in Dausa and trains had been diverted.

Courtesy: www.indianexpress.com, May 30, 2007

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Bangladesh's interim government today revived two graft cases against former premier Sheikh Hasina while army-led joint forces picked up a number of high profile politicians in overnight raids. The raids are seen as a part of the administration's crackdown on corruption. The Attorney General's office moved two pending graft cases against Hasina, the Awami League (AL) chief, involving the purchase of a navy frigate and fighter jets for the air force while her government was in power from 1996 to 2001. A high court bench has fixed August 1 and 7 for hearing the cases after the government appealed to court yesterday to put up the matter for fresh hearing. In one case, Hasina is accused of buying an unproven and poorly-equipped frigate at a cost of nearly 100 million dollars. She is also accused of breaching the country's procurement rules and misusing her authority in the purchase of six MiG-29 fighter jets at a cost of 123 million dollars. Legal proceedings in both cases have been suspended since 2003. Earlier, officials said former home minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury of BNP, influential AL leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Sylhet mayor Badruddin Kamran of AL, BNP leader and Barisal mayor Mojibur Rahman, had been held in overnight raids. Leading business figures Abdul Awal Mintu and Abul Hashem were also grilled during the 20-hour-long campaign which lasted till this morning. Mintu is a former president of the apex body of Bangladesh's business chambers and Abul Hashem is a former BNP lawmaker. Yesterday, AL general secretary Abdul Jalil and former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) regime, had been held. Television channels reported that the security forces also searched the homes of those arrested and seized "important papers," foreign currencies, foreign liquor and weapons. BNP is yet to express any formal reaction to the arrests but Hasina slammed the authorities for arresting her party's general secretary.

Courtesy: www.indianexpress.com, May 29, 2007

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The Army was deployed in two national highways cutting through Rajasthan after 13 people, including a policeman, were today killed and at least 100 injured in clashes and police firing in the state's three districts during violent protests by the Gujjar community on a quota issue. Highways linking Jaipur with Agra, Delhi, Kota and Sawai Madhopur were blocked by angry Gujjar demonstrators and the Army was called for deployment along the badly-hit Jaipur-Dausa-Agra and Kota-Jaipur national highways. The Army also staged a flag march on the Jaipur-Dausa highway where no traffic was being allowed. The cycle of violent protests and clashes, including police firing, swept through the states, including in Dausa, Karoli, Bundi, Ajmer and Jaipur. The Centre rushed over 2,000 para-military force personnel to Rajasthan to assist the state administration in restoring law and order in violence-torn areas. The agitating Gujjars were demanding their inclusion in the ST category when their campaign turned violent following a crackdown by the police. The Gujjar-police clashes spread further as reports of alleged "police excesses" started making the rounds far and wide. The Gujjar community has been campaigning for the past six years to press for reservation under the ST category. Gujjars have been availing OBC quota, but they have been demanding their exclusion from the OBC to be included in the ST category since a major portion of OBC reservation was being shared by Jats after the state government brought the Jat community under the OBC ambit. The Gujjar campaign intensified after the Vasundhara Raje government came to power in December 2003. The BJP-ruled state had assured Gujjars that they would be accorded the ST status, but it subsequently developed cold feet following strong opposition to this proposal from the influential Meena community which enjoys the ST status. Six columns of the Army were rushed at 1 pm from Jaipur to hold flag march on the national highway near Dausa, the state home secretary, Mr VS Singh, informed the Union home ministry. The Union home minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, spoke to the Rajasthan CM, who was here to attend the NDC meeting. The Centre has also assured an additional 1500 para-military personnel to the Rajasthan government. The Union home secretary, Mr Madhukar Gupta, and special secretary (internal security) also spoke to the state chief secretary and Rajasthan DGP to take stock of the situation. "The Centre is in constant touch with the state government and monitoring the situation," said a home ministry official here today.

Courtesy: www.thestatesman.net, May 29, 2007

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The government has decided to re-visit its future investment plans in Myanmar's energy sector after the country chose to sell gas from its A1 and A3 blocks to China, and not to India Petroleum ministry officials told FE that India's interest in purchasing gas had been overlooked despite the fact that Indian oil and gas PSUs had equity in the two blocks. PetroChina, which most probably will buy most of the gas, has no stake in these two blocks. State-owned GAIL (India) Ltd and ONGC Videsh Ltd together hold 30% in the A1 and A3 blocks, the lead operator being South Korea's Daewoo International with 60% stake. Korean Gas Company holds the balance 10%. GAIL, which individually holds 20% in the A1 and A3 blocks (gas reserves in the two blocks are estimated to be of 4.794 trillion cubic feet), offered to buy the gas at $4.759 per mmbtu at a meeting called by the Myanmar energy minister earlier this month. But the minister had bluntly informed that the Myanmar government had already decided to export gas to China and hence, the Indian offer would not be considered. PetroChina actually offered a lower price of $4.279 per mmbtu (against its offer of $4.98 per mmbtu) against GAIL's $4.759 per mmbtu. Moreover, the pipelines for bringing gas from Myanmar to China (including the offshore portion bringing gas on-land and the on-land pipeline till the Chinese border) were to be built by the consortium partners (including Daewoo, ONGC Videsh and GAIL) at a pre-decided internal rate of return (IRR) of 18%. But Myanmar is now favourably considering a Chinese proposal to pare the IRR to 12%. "GAIL is already re-considering its decision on whether to invest in the A7 and other exploration blocks in Myanmar. Also, a decision on the Indian companies' participation in laying the pipeline for evacuating gas from the A1 and A3 blocks will be taken only after the external affairs ministry gives its views. Our participation in laying the pipeline is also sensitive from the point of view that it will fund brining gas to China against India's wishes," an official said. Of the expected production of 600 million standard cubic feet of gas a day from the two blocks, Myanmar has decided to export 560 mscfd to China. China also operates several other blocks in the country. Discussions during a recent meeting of the consortium partners with PetroChina and the Myanmar government revealed that the consortium had virtually no say on the gas sale from the two blocks. A legal opinion obtained by Daewoo noted that the rights of the consortium were not tilted in its favour with regard to disposal of gas.

Courtesy: www.financialexpress.com, May 29, 2007

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India appears to be a glutton for diplomatic punishment at the hands of China, particularly at a time when Beijing has clearly decided to adopt a tough posture on its claim to Arunachal Pradesh. In what is clearly a major goof-up, India opened itself to a resounding rebuff from the Chinese, when despite knowing full well Beijing would not give a visa to anyone from Arunachal Pradesh, the government included an officer from the state in a delegation of 107 IAS officers due to travel to China on Saturday. The result was predictable. The entire trip had to be called off and the IAS officers were asked to disperse, leaving MEA and PMO ducking for cover. The embarrassment is all the more acute as the officers were travelling to China as part of a mid-career programme that has been strongly advocated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The government will soon face a similar test - sports and youth affairs minister Mani Shankar Aiyar will be leading a 100-strong youth delegation to China, an exchange decided during Chinese leader Hu Jintao's visit here last year. It's not yet clear if there are any members from Arunachal Pradesh in this delegation. According TOI reports from Beijing, the refusal to grant a visa to an Arunachal IAS officer was taken at a senior level of the Communist leadership and signifies China's "seriousness" about its claim to the state. Unlike the Indian reading that the Chinese focus was essentially on Tawang, the issue, as far as China is concerned, is the entire state.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, May 27, 2007

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The refusal of visa by China to an Arunachal IAS officer incident has raised questions about the "political parameters" worked out by the PM and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in 2005 and the border talks which have gone through seven rounds. China is aware that India is simply not amenable to giving up populated areas, leave alone a state. But India's giant neighbour could be leveraging its position after construction of the Tibet railway and border roads. The Chinese put down also makes it clear that ambassador Sun Yuxi's comments on Arunachal Pradesh last year were not as out of place as the government suggested. The government sought to brush Sun Yuxi's comments under the carpet, but the current imbroglio underlined difficulties in the India-China relationship despite the booming mutual trade celebrated in the recent report card released by the government. Three days ago, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi returned 106 visa-stamped passports of the IAS officers with a note that the 107th, belonging to Arunachal Pradesh IAS official Ganesh Koyu, from the panchayati raj ministry in the state, did not need a Chinese visa because he was a citizen of China. According to sources, MEA officials tried to prevail upon the Chinese for the visa, but latter held firm. ndia demarched the Chinese government on its refusal. But this was done quietly, in Beijing, while here the government ducked, preferring to stay silent. There was no response from MEA, while official sources merely referred to foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement in 2006 that Arunachal Pradesh was "an integral part of India". On the political side, Left was also in a squeeze, given its traditional ambivalence on China. CPI national secretary D Raja said, "When the boundary talks are on, this is a provocation by the Chinese." The CPM did not comment. The Marxists, who have been critical of the government's plans to train officers at US universities, find themselves in a spot when it comes to criticising China and commenting on its claims to Arunachal Pradesh. The incident is no mere diplomatic snub. It has created a loud discordant note in bilateral relations. There's no point blaming China, said analysts, because it was merely fulfilling a domestic claim. This is not the first time such a visa refusal has happened in the last few years. Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang was denied a visa a few years ago. In April, three other officials and an MLA from Arunachal Pradesh were denied visas again on the same grounds - that they did not need visas to visit their own country. China clearly wants to focus Indian attention on the dispute of Arunachal Pradesh. If until now the Arunachal Pradesh issue was seen to be part of the larger boundary settlement negotiations, Chinese intractability may well harden Indian and Chinese positions. The Indian government will be under pressure to reveal what it has discussed with China.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, May 27, 2007

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It's been seen as one of the most fascinating presidential contests, with no clear name emerging as the obvious front-runner in the race for Rashtrapati Bhavan. But while the politicians slug it out ahead of the July presidential elections, the people appear to have made their voices heard loud and clear: they want President APJ Abdul Kalam to be given a second term. That's the major finding of the Ibnlive.com poll done in association with The Indian Express and Loksatta, with more than 3.4 lakh citizens logging on to cast their vote over the last fortnight, one of the largest exercises of its kind on the web. The poll was carried out to find out what the public mood was like on who should be the next Rashtrapati. With the UPA, and now even the NDA, reluctant to back Kalam for a second term, the chances of the scientist-turned-President have almost completely receded. But among the aam aadmi, the president has clearly struck a chord. President Kalam got more than 1,46,000 votes out of the 3.4 lakh votes cast in the web poll, over 43 per cent. His closest contender was the Vice-President and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who polled 100,712 votes, less than 30 per cent. The vote for Kalam was summarised by Ajit Kamath from Bangalore, who said, "President Kalam is above politics. He is the kind of person who inspires us to work harder and to believe that you can be honest and make a mark in public life." Surprisingly, Infotech icon NR Narayana Murthy didn't do quite so well. He was pushed to third place, with 63,571 votes, around 18 per cent of the total cast. Narayana Murthy has been projected in some quarters as the kind of apolitical person that urban India in particular would like to see as the next President. But at least Murthy could claim that nearly one in every five who voted in the web poll supported him. The politicians in the reckoning, with the sole exception of Shekhawat, had a rough ride. Not a single other politician got more than 3 per cent of the votes, a clear sign that the public is keener on a non-politician as President. Somnath Chatterjee, Pranab Mukherjee and Sushilkumar Shinde-all prime candidates for the top job-did not quite cut ice with the webworld. Another interesting aspect of the poll: Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood superstar whose name was casually thrown up by the Samajwadi Party some months ago, got 4,925 votes, less than 2 per cent of the total. It's a sign that while the people may want a non-politician as President, it's not glamour that they are looking for.

Courtesy: www.indianexpress.com, May 26, 2007

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The ambitious Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) scheme will become operational on Saturday with the Government scheduled to release the first set prepared under the pilot project initiated four years ago. The MNIC boasts of being a tamper-proof plastic card with data in visible zone and details in a microprocessor chip that requires a reader to peruse the data it contains. The card would give the citizen a 16-digit ID number and would be delivered by India Post in a tamper-proof customised cover that is both waterproof and able to sustain extreme temperatures.

Rs. 45-crore project
Registrar General of India Devender Kumar Sikri told The Hindu that the Rs. 45-crore project planned to provide two million cards to people above 18 years in 13 districts across 12 States and the Union Territory of Puducherry. After the official launch on Saturday, the MNIC centre hopes to despatch cards to two of the three million people in these districts over the next three months. A consortium of public sector companies viz. Bharat Electronics Limited at Delhi and Mumbai, Electronics Corporation of India Limited at Kolkata and Indian Telephone Industries, Chennai, have coordinated with the MNIC. The microprocessor chip, provided by Philips, would work on system developed by the National Informatics Centre and is embedded in the plastic card designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. It can be read offline and at present it will be available at police stations. Individuals too can purchase the reader. Explaining the features of the16 kB chip, M. Loganathan of BEL and J. Sundara Rao of ECIL, said it had three specific usages, validation, updating and additional applications, for which some 6 KB to 8 KB space would be available. It would contain biometric data of the cardholder. S.K. Chakrabarti, Deputy Director General of MNIC, at the Registrar General of India, has been coordinating at the Government end. The card itself would carry digital signatures of two officials. Mr. Sikri said at present the Government was paying Rs. 60 a card, but with volumes the price could come down. While the pilot project was launched in November 2003, The Citizenship Act, 1955, was amended in December 2003, to provide for compulsory registration of all citizens and issue of a national identity card. The pilot project was launched in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Goa, Delhi and Tamil Nadu.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, May 26, 2007

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The Ranganath Mishra Commission's recommendation to have reservation for dalit Christians and Muslims has dangerous implications and needs to be rejected, the BJP said on Wednesday. The Commission's recommendation effectively makes a case for those advocating consideration of caste at par with racial discrimination, something that would open the door for the UN to intervene directly in India, said party spokesman Ravishankar Prasad. Prasad said it violated constitutional provisions and a Supreme Court judgment that caste discrimination and oppression was a feature unique to Hindu society, not applicable to Muslims or Christians. "Mishra was a Congress MP for six years. The judicial outlook of Ranganath Mishra has got coloured by his political affiliation," alleged Prasad. "If the Commission says oppression persists in Islam and Christianity, it raises a very serious question about the rationale of these religions," he said. However, Dr Joseph D'souza, International President of the Dalit Freedom Network, said, "It is high time that the government of India reverses the 1950 law which discriminated against Dalits on the basis of religion." The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra, in its report submitted to the PM on Monday, has recommended reservations for Dalit Christians and Muslims, and a special quota for minorities in non-minority educational institutions. The Commission was appointed by the UPA government to recommend administrative and constitutional solutions for the economic and social backwardness of the country's minorities. The Comission called for an amendment to the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order of 1950, which only awarded government benefits to the Hindu community. It was later amended to included Sikhs and Buddhists in 1956 and 1990, respectively. It said caste status should be de-linked from religion. Its decision was based on a two-year study of the socio-economic and educational condition of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims. It recommended that 15 per cent of seats in non-minority educational institutions should be earmarked for minorities, to improve their educational standards. Of this, about 10 per cent for Muslims and five per cent for others. The Centre is yet to take a final stand before the Supreme Court on the issue.

Courtesy: www.southasianmedia.net, May 24, 2007

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Pakistan's envoy to the US has described India as "modern" and a "role model" in democracy and economic development. In an interview to USA Today, Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired Major General , also said had disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan not been "a national hero", "we would have strung him from the tallest tree". Conceding that people of Pakistan saw India differently, he said: "Is India modern in a way? Yes. Even in Pakistan, they make these comparisons... In democracy, it (India) is a role model. In economic development, it is a role model. As a secular state, it has fallen off and is not a role model. But we hope that some day Pakistan will beat them in both of these things." Told that India and Pakistan were similar countries, Durrani had a ready explanation of "two fatal flaws" that brought his country down. Pakistan, he said, did not have a political leadership as "well-developed" as India's in 1947. India also had the "good fortune of having a narrow family leadership guiding that country for 30 years," he said. If Pakistan had had that kind of leadership, "we would have been the same because we are very similar people". On the violence in Karachi and concern that this could mark the beginning of a period of political instability, Durrani admitted it was "worrisome". "I'm concerned this could unhinge a lot of the progress that we've made in our economy. Even that it could undermine democracy," he said.

Courtesy: www.southasianmedia.net, May 24, 2007

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A former Pakistani lawmaker has appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of the uprooting of 50 Hindu families in the country's Thar district, accusing the Sindh Chief Minister of direct role in the incident, a news report has said. Khatumal Jeewan, former Member of the National Assembly and leader of Pakistan People's Party, has appealed to the apex court to take suo moto notice of the uprooting of 50 families belonging to the Hindu Dalit Bheel community. The families lived near the venue of President Pervez Musharraf's May 5 public meeting in Thar district's Naukot. Jeewan said the local police raided a nearby village and ruthlessly uprooted the 50 families belonging to the Hindu community on Friday. "The orders came from no one else but Sindh Chief Minister," Jeewan was quoted as saying by the Daily Times. The PPP leader alleged that the Sindh government has started such atrocities against the innocent, poor and downtrodden people of Tharparkar on the basis of political differences.

Courtesy: www.newindpress.com, May 07, 2007

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The governor of Jammu and Kashmir has ruled out any demilitarisation in the state even though he agreed the security situation had improved remarkably. "Demilitarisation means total withdrawal of the army from a place and in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan where borders with the neighbouring country exist, there can be no demilitarisation even when the situation returns to complete normalcy," lieutenant general (retired) S K Sinha said at a seminar here. The governor also said withdrawal of security forces from certain areas of the state can reverse the gains achieved during the last 18 years, for which the security forces had offered heavy sacrifices. "In conflicts like this, there are no inviolable borders and the militants can re-enter areas those have been painstakingly sanitised by our security forces," he said. "This year so far we have had 70,000 tourist arrivals which is less than the 100,000 figure in the corresponding period last year, but the encouraging thing is that more and more foreigners are now coming to Kashmir".

Courtesy: www.thepeninsulaqatar.com, May 5, 2007

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India has started rebuilding its portion of Stilwell Road, which came up at the height of World War II. This follows talks between China, Myanmar and India on reopening of the historic road for trade and overland transport reaching a crucial stage. 'We have started widening and developing the stretch of the Stilwell Road on the Indian side. Now it all depends on the three countries agreeing to reopen the road,' Assam Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi told IANS Saturday. Added Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi: 'The road would be a dream come true for the people of the northeast. It will boost trade and commerce significantly.' The 1,726-km Stilwell Road was a vital lifeline for movement of troops of the Allied Forces during World War II to free China from Japanese occupation. It starts at Assam, in the heart of India's northeast, and cuts through the Pangsau pass in Myanmar to Kunming in south China. The road was built by Chinese labourers, Indian soldiers and American engineers, and named after American General Joseph Stilwell who led the task and completed it in 1945 after three years of hard work. The Stilwell Road on the Indian side is 61 km long. The major stretch of 1,033 km lies in Myanmar while the Stilwell Road in China is 632 km long. China has completed constructing its stretch of the Stilwell Road. The only problem is now Myanmar. 'Myanmar is keen to rebuild the road but the major hindrance for them is funds and other resources,' an Indian foreign ministry official said. The state governments in India's northeast agree that the Stilwell Road would bring economic prosperity to the underdeveloped region. 'Free trade with Southeast Asian countries and India's northeast would be possible only with the reopening of Stilwell Road,' said Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. 'Our region would then have the potential to become the hub of business activities and the gateway to Southeast Asia.' Indian automobile components, fruits, grains, vegetables, textiles and cotton yarn find a strong demand in almost all the countries close to the northeast. Indian traders are interested in importing electronic gadgets, synthetic blankets, teak, gold and semi-precious stones. Assam, the gateway to the northeast, is about 2,000 km from New Delhi and some 3,000 km from Mumbai. Yangon, Bangkok and even some Chinese cities are much closer to most northeastern states than New Delhi or Mumbai.

Courtesy: www.monstersandcritics.com, May 5, 2007

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Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt General (retd) SK Sinha opposed de-militarization in Jammu and Kashmir arguing that the state has borders with the neighboring country and withdrawal of army was not possible even if the situation returned complete normalcy. He agreed that the security situation in Kashmir has improved considerably "but it is not practical to withdraw army from the states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, which borders with neighboring country". He however said that troops on combating duty in Jammu and Kashmir could be withdrawn when peace completely prevails in the state. He also rejected Pakistan President's joint management (of Jammu and Kashmir) theory saying that it would be an infringement to the country's sovereignty.

Governor was speaking at a seminar organized in Srinagar on Thursday jointly by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir Police. The two day seminar, which began on Thursday, is being held at SK International Convention Centre (SKICC). Commenting on Pakistan President General Parvez Musharaf's 4-point formula (demilitarization, self-rule, joint management and making LOC irrelevant) for resolving the issue of Kashmir, he said "there is no need to reject it. We must discuss these points but it does not mean that we accept them". "Demilitarization means total withdrawal of the army from a place. It is not possible", he said. Governor said that self-rule was synonymous with democracy and "the degree of democracy people of Jammu and Kashmir enjoy is higher than people living in other states". "If there is any need for self-rule, it is needed in parts under occupation of Pakistan", he said. Sinha said "we want to change the line of control into line of peace and prosperity but it is possible only when infiltration stops completely". He said that the terrorist infrastructure still existed in POK and terrorists could infiltrate any time after snow melted in mountains. Sinha was all praise for the army for the "good" work it did to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir. "The army's respect for human rights is exemplary. No foreign army can touch Indian army's record for respecting human rights", he said but added there were some aberrations. He said that 30 cases of human rights violations were found correct and 70 guilty jawans were punished for this. Director General of Police Gopal Sharma, who also spoke on the occasion, said that the terrorists violence has witnessed decline in the past few years. "For the past two years the trend in violence is reverse. There is a gradual decline in violence", he said but cautioned there was no scope for complacency. Former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, Salman Haider and Lalit Mansingh (former foreign secretaries) and several local intellectuals and media persons attended the seminar.

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, May 4, 2007

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With nearly 45 per cent electorate exercising their franchise in the sixth phase of assembly polling the much-publicised BJP-Janata Dal (U)- Apna Dal alliance was on Thursday put to severe test in eastern UP. The BJP in order to win over the backward class voters in Poorvanchal had entered into the alliance, which turned out to quite uneasy for both. Apna Dal, which had won four seats in 2002 from this region, has been banking on the large Kurmi population in Allahabad, Varanasi, Jaunpur and adjoining areas, which went to the polls on Thursday. Amid tight security arrangements the polling passed off peacefully in 52 constituencies in nine districts, including Naxal-battered Mirzapur, Sonebhadra and Chanduali. The Election Commission had taken special measures to ward off threats from Naxalites. Ignoring Naxals' call for poll boycott a large number of tribals came out to cast vote in these districts. Talking to newsmen, Chief Electoral Officer AK Bishnoi said the commission had received 29 complaints about technical problems in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 10 complaints about voters' lists and photo identity cards. He said polling was peaceful. Bishnoi said even though tight security arrangements were made to hold free and fair polling in the Naxals affected areas Army commandos were not deployed. He said only the defence helicopter was taken for sorties in the Naxal zone. Bishnoi said central para-military force (CPMF) was given charge of the region. The commission has deployed Deputy Election Commissioner JP Prakash with a helicopter to hop around in constituencies to monitoring the situation. Apart from general observers additional observers were also in each of the districts. He said district-wise polling percentage was Allahabad 42.32 , Kaushambi 43.66, Mirzapur 43.44, Sonebhadra 46, Sant Ravidas Nagar 41.07, Chandauli 45.12, Ghazipur 44, Jaunpur 41.26 and Varanasi 40.39. While the largest turn out being 51 per cent in Chakia (Chandauli), minimum was 27 per cent in Allahabad North. Bishnoi said in the 2002 assembly election the polling percentage was 51.87 and in 2004 Lok Sabha poll it was 47. Bishnoi said the presiding officer at a polling station in Dildarnagar Gopalji Pandey was arrested along with a boy Rameshwar, who was trying to cast a fake vote with the help of ration card. Similarly a constable Pravesh Kumar Singh was arrested with a country made revolver at the polling station in Mohammadabad. In the Lok Sabha bye-election in Roberstganj and Mirzapur the polling percentage was 43.44 and 41.70 respectively. Prominent contestants were BJP chief Kesrinath Tripathi, Narendra Singh Gaur, Om Prakash Singh, Shyam Surat Upadhya, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Rajesh Pati and Apna Dal chief Sonelal Patel.

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, May 3, 2007

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The governor of Jammu and Kashmir has ruled out any demilitarisation in the state even though he agreed the security situation had improved remarkably. 'Demilitarisation means total withdrawal of the army from a place and in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan where borders with the neighbouring country exist, there can be no demilitarisation even when the situation returns to complete normalcy,' lieutenant general (retired) S.K. Sinha said at a seminar organized here Wednesday jointly by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The governor also said withdrawal of security forces from certain areas of the state can reverse the gains achieved during the last 18 years, for which the security forces had offered heavy sacrifices. 'In conflicts like this, there are no inviolable borders and the militants can re-enter areas those have been painstakingly sanitized by our security forces,' he said. Referring to the fast improving situation here, which was now showing its positive effects on the local economy, he said, 'This year so far we have had 70,000 tourist arrivals which is less than the 100,000 figure in the corresponding period last year, but the encouraging thing is that more and more foreigners are now coming to Kashmir'. In a nostalgic reference to Kashmir where he also served during his military tenure in 1947 fighting the Pakistan-backed tribal raiders, Sinha said, 'Eight hundred sorties of aircraft were organized in 1947 to bring in the Indian Army here to fight the tribal invasion. 'At a time when the country had just achieved its independence, it was a Herculean task to retrieve Kashmir from the clutches of the tribal invaders who went on looting and vandalizing the Valley,' he said. Interestingly, the veteran soldier also said the timing of the tribal invasion had ensured its own defeat. 'The tribals were pushed into Kashmir on Oct 21, 1947. That was a historic mistake on the part of general Akbar Khan of Pakistan who commanded the tribal invasion. Had he delayed it by just another ten days, the falling snows would have made our landings impossible. But, that was destiny because Kashmir was to be the jewel in the country's crown,' Sinha disclosed. Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Salman Haider and Lalit Mansingh, two former foreign secretaries, and a galaxy of local intellectuals and media persons attended the inaugural function of the two-day peace seminar, held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of the Dal Lake.

Courtesy: www.andhravilas.com, May 3, 2007

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The landmark nuclear accord between the United States and India, once considered a centerpiece of the two countries' blossoming friendship, is in danger of collapsing over a dispute about whether it infringes on India's sovereignty. The Henry J. Hyde United States and India Peaceful Atomic Energy Promotion Act of 2006 - approved by Congress last Dec. 8 and signed into law by President George W. Bush 10 days later - remains stuck in a tangled web of foreign policy issues, cultural differences