Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah and West Bengal

Haryana village bodies ban paying of power bills

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:20:00 -0400

Upset with the state government's failure to supply regular electricity, at least 25 panchayats or village bodies in Haryana's Ambala district have issued an order to villagers not to pay power bills. The decision to ban payment of electricity bills by residents in 25 villages was taken on Monday at a meeting held at Barada village, 20 km from this district headquarter town.

The Ambala district administration has taken a serious view of the diktat of the village panchayats and asked concerned officials at the local level to identify village leaders who were behind the order not to pay power bills. “We will initiate strict action against those instigating innocent villagers. Those not paying bills will face legal action,” Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Shayin said.

The 25 panchayats said any villager violating the ban order would have to pay a penalty of Rs 1,100 and also sponsor meals for 100 people. They also threatened social boycott of the errant villager and his family if any power bills were paid.

“We had to resort to this action as the government was unable to supply power beyond four hours everyday. We are facing a lot of hardship,” one village leader, requesting anonymity, said.

Village elder Dharamvir defended the panchayat decision saying that when the government had failed to provide a service, where was the need to pay power bills.

Haryana government sources said in Chandigarh that the state was viewing the incident seriously as the move could spread to other parts of the state, putting the government in an embarrassing situation.

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda government had waived power arrears of Rs 16 billion ($400 million) for power bill defaulters of 10 years in May 2005. The bill waiver scheme was given as a one-time concession to make defaulters pay future bills.

Tamil Nadu market downs shutters over Hogenekkal

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:19:00 -0400

One of Asia's largest perishable goods markets, Koyambedu, located on the western suburbs of Chennai, remained closed on Tuesday as merchants held protests against Karnataka's opposition to the Hogenekkal drinking water project. “This is the first time in its 11-year history that the market remained closed for a whole day,” N Srinivasan, an office-bearer of the merchants association that controls the perishables' trade in southern metropolis, told reporters.

“We were forced to take this extreme step, which affected our sales to the tune of almost Rs 80 million ($2 million). And if the opposition to the Hogenekkal scheme doesn't end in Karnataka, we may prolong this stir,” he added.

Over 500 trucks that arrived in the market in the morning could not offload goods transported from several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat due to the protests.

Sources at the market said the strike was aimed at crippling the flourishing perishables trade in neighboring Karnataka dependent on Chennai as a tit-for-tat against protests in Kannada. The protests in Karnataka had hit Tamil establishments in Bangalore during the past week. Around 3,500 outlets in the city sell flowers, fruits and vegetables on wholesale basis to thousands of small vendors dotting the city. In turn, the trade also generates a sizeable income for hundreds of light commercial vehicles that distribute the merchandise to dozens of supermarkets.

The cumulative losses may have exceeded Rs.90 million, sources in the retail and transport industries said.

Bharatiya Janata Party questions Marxist history writing

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:17:00 -0400

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday held a public meeting at Parade Grounds opposite to the historic Red Fort in the national capital to pay its obeisance to the freedom fighters of the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. Leader of Opposition L K Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh, party's election coordinator Susmha Swaraj and a host of local Delhi leaders were present at the meeting.

Speaking to a motley crowd, Rajnath Singh said: “Struggle for India's Independence didn't start on 1857 because India was under colonial rule for 1200 years. And there was accusations against colonial rule.”

Though the BJP president did not elaborated Mohammedan and Mughal rule in India, but by saying that India was under colonial rule, he cleared that BJP considers Mohammedan rule in India as colonial. This goes against the established Marxist history writing in India.

Adding further, Singh said that '1857', which according to the Marxist historians was not the year war of independence and least to say the first war of independence.

It is to be noted that BJP till now has been saying that VIR Savarkar has described 1857 mutiny as the first war of Independence. But today it said that it was not Savarkar rather it was Karl Marx, the great philosopher, who was writing at the time for an American magazine, which stated that 1857 war of India was the first war of Independence.

Thus by saying this, Rajnath Singh attacked the Marxist historians of India who not recognised 1857 as the first war of Independence.

This also gave the indication that if BJP comes to power, it will go back to its old agenda of rewriting Indian history. This rewriting of history has created lot of controversies in the past during the NDA rule.

Taking Rajnath's argument further, Sushma Swaraj said, “Marxist or left historians has depicted 1857 totally wrong colour. They've distorted the version of 1857”

By observing Saheed Divas, BJP attempted to correct historic mistakes. The party organised the Saheed Divas today because on the day in 1857, Mangal Pandey was fired by cannon for refusing to use greased cartridges.

Committee set up to look into pay panel grievances

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:16:00 -0400

Days after several Indian Army officers put in their papers and Indian Police Service officials met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to express their unhappiness over the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, the government on Tuesday set up a high level committee to look into their grievances. The government constituted a three-member committee comprising Finance Secretary D Subbarao, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh to look into the modifications suggested by the forces.

Informing the media in the national capital official sources said: “The committee has been asked to submit its report within two months.”

It is to be noted that 65 officers of the Indian Army have put in their papers in the last two weeks since the pay panel recommendations on March 24, 2008. The officers, mostly from the colonel and lieutenant colonel ranks, had sought voluntary retirement.

The large number of resignations in a span of just two weeks came at a time the army is facing a shortage of 11,200 officers. Earlier, around 3,000 mid-level commanders had sought voluntary retirement to move to the lucrative private sector.

There has been resentment among the armed forces over what they see as disparity between them and civil officers.

The officers' representatives had a meeting with members of the Pay Commission on April 4, 2008. India's military chiefs on April 1 met Defence Minister A K Antony to covey their disappointment over the pay scale recommendations.

This was the second such meeting in a week, with the service chiefs having met the minister March 27.

Senior members of the Central Indian Police Service Association on last Friday met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil to express their concern over the pay panel recommendations. It said the pay panel recommendations were below their expectations.

Rahul dalit drive worries Maya

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:28:52 -0400

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, April 8: BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati is making AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi the main target of attack after the latter tried to regain the confidence of dalits during his tours.

Mr Gandhi is seen as the next prime ministerial candidate of the Congress Party, which heads the UPA at the Centre. The party’s base among the backward castes has been eroded not only in UP and Bihar, but other states in the Hindi heartland as well after the Mandal Commission report.

But Ms Mayawati is disturbed by his overtures to win over dalits, which was once part of the political constituency of the Congress in the cow belt.

Next month’s Karnataka Assembly polls would be a test case for the BSP and the Congress to show who has more following among the backward castes.

According to agency reports from Hardoi/Gonda (UP), continuing her attack against Mr Gandhi for his "new-found love for dalits", Ms Mayawati repeated her allegation that he was "purified with special soaps and incense sticks after every time he visits the houses of dalits (sic)".

"I have come to know through my sources that every time the Congress’ yuvraj (prince) visits dalit houses, he is purified with special soaps and incense sticks," Ms Mayawati alleged while addressing a series of election meetings here.

She alleged that the Congress’ love for dalits was "merely an eyewash" as the party had not done anything for them during its rule at the Centre and in the state.

Ms Mayawati termed the Congress "anti-dalit" and charged it with neglecting the needs of UP in the Union Budget.

She also referred to her demand for a special package of Rs 80,000 crores from the Centre and said the latter had not responded to the demand.

Ms Mayawati listed the achievements of her government in one year of rule in the state and said the government had initiated welfare measures for every section of society. But in Azamgarh the Congress hit back at the BSP supremo with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh telling reporters, "Dalits cannot even shake hands with Mayawati, nor can they meet her."

"Mayawati’s statement does not behove of her stature and position. The Congress has always fought for the dalit cause and Rahul is only following the Congress’ tradition," Mr Singh said.

These 2 thieves only rob leaders

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:26:39 -0400

By Narayan Bareth

Jaipur, April 8: The Pali police has arrested two brothers, Babulal and Santosh, who claim to have picked the pockets of many political leaders. But, they say, railway minister Lalu Yadav has not given them an opportunity to grab his wallet.

According to the police at Desuri station, in Pali district, Santosh and Babulal, "history-sheeters" of Barmer district, were arrested while trying to pick pockets at a religious fair where lakhs of devotees had assembled.

"Both claimed that they had picked the pockets of former Congress MP Sonaram from Barmer, Jodhpur BJP MP Jaswant Singh and BJP MP Pushp Jain from Pali," an inspector from the Desuri police station said.

"Both tried their skill on Laluji two years ago, when he visited Ahore, in Jalore district in Rajasthan, but could not get an opportunity to grab his wallet," said Bhoop Singh, the station house officer of Desuri police station.

They would keep watch on VVIPs visiting the area, the police said.

"The gang members preferred VVIPs’ wallets because the purse would be full of currency notes. Secondly, they felt that VVIPs would not like to lodge FIRs," an inspector said after interrogating the two. Both took politicians to be easy targets, the police said.

BSP to try its hand in Maha

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:27:17 -0400

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, April 8: The Bahujan Samaj Party now wants to set its sights on Maharashtra, which currently has a fluid political situation, to try out its successful social engineering formula of "sarvjan samaj" which it tested in Uttar Pradesh.

Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Ambeth Rajan said on Tuesday, "BSP supremo Mayawati’s growing popularity can be felt in the state, where parties like the Shiv Sena have started promoting their dalit cadres to hold significant posts."

He said that even parties with dalit support base are now showing indications of tying up with "non-secular" parties in Maharashtra.

"The Republican Party of India (RPI) is a divided house in Maharashtra with several factions. It is our duty to set the house in order. We need to unite the backward communities first," Mr Rajan said. The RPI has been the traditional dalit party in Maharashtra but its several factions has made it ineffective, feel political experts.

The party leader said that the BSP is taking each community at a time and concentrating on those belonging to the Scheduled Castes first.

This process, he said, would be conducted in a phased manner at the national level as the party wants to have a pan-India presence.

‘Sonia solved water row’

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:25:59 -0400

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore, April 8: Underplaying the role played by state Congress leaders in the Hogenakkal episode, AICC media cell chairman Veerappa Moily said on Tuesday that it was party president Sonia Gandhi who came to the rescue of Karnataka on the issue.

The sensitive issue had threatened to blow out of proportion and become contentious during the Assembly election campaign, which could have embarrassed all three major parties in Karnataka.

Mr Moily said it was Mrs Gandhi who addressed the issue bluntly, saying a drinking water project was converted into an irrigation project by Tamil Nadu. This forced the Tamil Nadu chief minister to agree to put off the project till a government is in place in Karnataka, he claimed.

Mr Moily’s remarks made it clear that no other leader from the state is entitled to take credit for the settlement of the Hogenakkal row, at least for now.

Congress coordination committee chairman S.M. Krishna was credited in several quarters for playing a crucial role in settling the issue. Mr Krishna had said in New Delhi that the state would take the issue to the Supreme Court even if it embarrassed the UPA government as it was necessary to protect the interests of Karnataka on river water.

‘Mistress’ at par with wife, says court

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:22:47 -0400

New Delhi, April 8: In a judgment that expands the ambit of the Domestic Violence Act, the Delhi high court has held that the law protects not only a man’s wife but also a "mistress" or a live-in partner. "We find no reason why equal treatment should not be accorded to a wife as well as a woman who has been living with a man as his common-law wife or even as a mistress," a bench comprising Justices Vikramjit Sen and P.K. Bhasin said.

The bench passed the judgment on a petition filed by a man for quashing criminal proceedings against him on the complaint filed by his live-in partner.

Rejecting the plea of the petitioner, the court said that in a case of women having live-in relationships with a man it could be fairly assumed that the relationship was initiated by the man.

"Like treatment to both (wives and mistress) does not, in any manner, derogate from the sanctity of marriage since an assumption can fairly be drawn that a live-in relationship is invariably initiated and perpetuated by the male," the bench said.

The bench said that in dealing with such cases "the court should also not be impervious to social stigma which always sticks to women and not to the men". The petitioner contended in the high court that granting equal rights to a live-in relationship partner would diminish the rights of legally-wedded women.

The court, however, rejected his contentions and said, "Its not unconstitutional for the parliament to provide for protection to a woman in a relationship akin to marriage, alongwith and juxtaposed to the protection given to wives and legitimate children."

The bench also held that diversion of funds, meant for legally married wife, towards the live-in relationship partner for her protection was not unconstitutional and invalid.

"In unfortunate and uncomfortable situations like these, if the protection given to unwedded women results in the diminution of funds available for maintenance of the legally wedded wives and the legitimate children, such diminution would not render the statute unconstitutional," the bench said.

Mr Shah, the petitioner, had approached the high court after proceedings were initiated against him by a lower court here under the Domestic Violence Act on the complainant filed by a woman who claimed to be his wife. He, however, defended himself saying that he was not legally married to the complainant and challenged the constitutional validity of the act as it was discriminatory against the male community.

The court rejected his contention questioning the validity of the act and said, "There is perception, not unfounded or unjustified, that the lot and fate of women in India is an abjectly dismal one...The argument that the act is ultra vires the constitution because it accords protection only to women and not to men is, therefore, wholly devoid of any merit." The court, however, refused to pass an order on the quashing of the proceedings against him in the lower court and referred the matter to another bench who would hear the matter on April 24. (PTI)

Sikhs are a minority

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:23:43 -0400

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, April 8: Members of the Sikh community have been notified as a minority by the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Confirmation of this has come from letters sent by both these states to the National Commission for Minorities. The notification is significant in that it will allow Sikhs in both these states to take advantage of the benefits meant for minorities.

The granting of minority status to Sikhs in AP and Karnataka had been under discussion for over a year now. Under the National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Zoroastrians and Buddhists were notified as minority communities.

State governments are expected to accordingly declare these communities as minorities on the basis of the act.

However, some state governments have not done this as was the case with AP and Karnataka with regard to the Sikh community.

Now that these two state governments have decided to consider Sikhs as a minority community in their respective states, they can avail of the benefits extended to minorities by the Centre.