Terror money in stock markets: 10 cases found in last 3 years-ToI-17.12.11

New Delhi:The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) had alerted investigating agencies about at least 10 cases of suspected terror financing that had found its way to the stock market in the last three years. 
    In response to a Parliament question, minister of state for finance Namo Narain Meena said on Friday that 10 cases of “suspicious transactions linked to terrorist financing were received from intermediaries of stock market such as brokers, asset management companies etc since 2009-10 and disseminated to intelligence agencies by FIU”. 
    The last case referred by FIU to investigating agencies was a few months ago, around the time of the Delhi High Court bomb blast, while at least four cases were reported last year and five in 2009-10. The facts are startling as stringent know-your-customer norms have been adopted by financial institutions under strict monitoring of the Securities and Exchange Board of India to keep away dirty money from the bourses. 
    “Several steps have been taken to prevent black money or terrorist funds flowing into the stock markets,” Meena said. Payments for transactions in stock markets have to be made through banking channels while financial intermediaries and banks are also required to ensure compliance with customer due diligence norms as required under PMLA, the minister added. 
    Since 2007, FIU has received information on hundreds of suspicious transactions, many of them related to terror financing. In a large number of suspicious transactions, bank accounts were identified as having a common beneficiary with huge and unexplained money transfers made. 
    Tasked primarily to keep an eye on money laundering and combating terrorist financing, FIU has often alerted authorities to keep watch on foreign remittances, particularly those which have little information on the source of funds or disclosure on actual beneficiaries. Some of the account holders of suspicious transactions have even been found to be on the Interpol’s watch list and are known criminals.

‘Corporatization led to graft in healthcare’-ToI-17.12.11

Hyderabad: The two-day Manthan festival started in the city on Friday as part of which discussions on corruption, and initiatives against it were discussed. While a group of young individuals going by the name of Proud Indians spoke about their 5,000-km padayatra from Kanyakumari to New Delhi, another set of participants – doctors and health activists –spoke of how deep rooted corruption was in healthcare. 
    Speaking on ‘Can you trust your doctor’, Dr G N Rao, founder of L V Prasad Eye Institute, said that “greed” within the medical community was the root cause for malpractice and corruption. “Corporatization of the healthcare sector has led to shareholders demanding quick returns on investment and this pressure is also the reason for corruption,” he said. Dr Rao urged people to choose a hospital that practices medicine in accordance with the ethics of the profession. “It is possiblefor a medicalinstitution to survive without being corrupt, provided that it withstands difficulties and delays,” he added. 
    The speakers at the festival, included neurologist Dr Sriram Chandra and writer and activist Chandana Chakrabarti. Defending doctors, Dr Sriram Chandra said, “Medicine is an inexact science. Therefore, it is imperative on the doctor that he recommends tests to dispel doubts.” Encouraging citizens to buy health insurance, Dr Chandra saidthatitis very important to look after one’s health and that health requires the utmost priority. 
    Pointing to the fact that corruption has reached the highest echelons, Chakrabarti said how top officials of bodies such as the Medical Council of India too have been found to be corrupt. “It is no surprise that there is little regulation of medical bodies and institutions,” she said. Chakrabarti said that practitioners of the once noble profession are nowlooked atwith mistrust. “Kickbacks are offered by pharmaceutical companies to doctors who prescribe patients medicines produced by them,” she said. “Fleecing of the patient is rampant in hospitals, diagnostic labs and nursing homes. The lack of transparency in billing forces patients and their families to shell out any sum demanded by the hospital because they’re unaware of terms employed by hospitals for illnesses and medicines,” she said. 
    The first day of the festival concluded with a discussion on Manthan,whichis a forum for public discourse and invites leaders from various fields to participate in high quality debates periodically.

Man who took on God & Gandhi dead – ToI -17.12.11

Hitchens Also Flayed Pakistan, Teresa

    One of the world’s finest public intellectuals and polemicists, a thoughtful and fearless friend of India who profoundly understood its evolution and role in a complex geo-political world, passed away on Thursday in Houston. He is being mourned by his legion of fans and peers that included writers, scholars, and politicians, many of whom he befriended and offended. 
    Christopher Hitchens was one of a kind, a master of the rhetorical flourish and verbal joust, whose fondness for thrust and parry (and cigarettes and alcohol) made light of his deep learning andscholarship on staggering range of topics. In a writerly career that lasted some four decades, Hitchens, who was 62, excoriated public figures ranging from Mahatma Gandhi to Mother Teresa to Henry Kissinger to Princess Diana to GeneralMusharraf, ripping the hypocrisy and cant that accompanied their posturing and image. 
    An unapologetically heavy smoker and capacious drinker, Hitchens died of oesophagal cancer, which was detected in 2010 when he was on a book tour to promote his memoir Hitch-22. It was the latest tour-de-force in a brilliant career that really grew after he conceived The Missionary Position, a scathing attack on Mother Teresa, whom he denounced as a “fraud”, and her Missionaries of Charity, which he regarded as a cult. He burnished his reputation for controversy with ‘In The Trial of Henry Kissinger’, in which he accused the former secretary of state of “war crimes”, and argued that he should be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity”. 
    He didn’t spare Mahatma Gandhi too, saying “Gandhi cannot escape culpability for being the only major preacher of appeasement who never changed his mind.” Hitchens’s rant on Pak rocked Washington 
    It was his scathing takedown of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its terrorism-supporting military, particularly after the Abbottabad raid that killed Osama bin Laden (at which point he knew he was dying of cancer) that rocked Washington, whose panjandrums had long coddled what Christopher Hitchens regarded as a venal and “shameless” artificial state. 
    In an essay in Vanity Fair, he berated the US administration for its Pakistan policy, maintaining that “the two main symbols of Pakistan’s pride — its army and nuclear programme — are wholly parasitic on American indulgence and patronage”, and explaining to “big, rich dumb Americans” that the army and nukes from that “degraded” country are intended to be reserved for war against the neighboring democracy of India, of which he was an unabashed admirer. 
    In one of the most passionate pleas to the US for a policy shift in the region (echoes of which are now reverberating in Washington), Hitchens wrote: “If we ever ceased to swallow our pride, so I am incessantly told in Washington, then the Pakistani oligarchy might behave even more abysmally than it already does, and the situation deteriorate even further. This stale and superficial argument ignores the awful historical fact that, each time the Pakistani leadership did get worse, or behave worse, it was handsomely rewarded by the United States.” 
    He then went on to needle a capital that lives on conformist wisdom: “We have been the enablers of every stage of that wretched state’s counter-evolution, to the point where it is a serious regional menace and an undisguised ally of our worst enemy, as well as the sworn enemy of some of our best allies. How could it be “worse” if we shifted our alliance and instead embraced India, our only rival in scale as a multiethnic and multi-religious democracy, and a nation that contains nearly as many Muslims as Pakistan?” 
    It wasn’t the first time Hitchens explained to “dumb” Americans the distinction between a liberal, multi-ethnic, multi-religious parliamentary democracy and an artificial theocratic state born of “manipulation and middleman tactics” and confected from an alphabet soup (he mockingly called Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan “Akpistan” and its border with Kashmir “Kapistan”). He was at his dazzling best after the 26/11 Pakistani attacks on Bombay (he disliked “Mumbai”) informing his readers of the energy and vitality of a city that was home to Portuguesespeaking Catholic Goans to the Zoroastrian Parsis to Baghdadi Jews. 
    “This comity and integration is one of the many targets of the suicide killers, and it is another reason why firm, warm solidarity with India is the most pressing need of the present hour,” he argued. “The people of India need to hear this from us, as do the enemies of India, who are our sworn enemies, too,” he pleaded. It was an entreaty that the White House, for once, heeded.

Alcohol among major global killers – ToI -16.12.11

New Delhi: Alcohol globally has become a major killer. The WHO says globally, 6.2% of all male deaths are alcohol-related, compared to 1.1% of female deaths. Around 3.2 lakh young people aged 15-29 years die annually from drinking, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group. 
    Experts say liquor raises the risk of as many as 60 diseases. What’s most worrying for India is that the country is home to one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world, producing 65% of the alcohol in south-east Asia. 
    India contributes to about 7% of the total alcohol beverage imports into the region. India was among the first countries to raise an alarm against alcohol. 
    Since then, it has not been able to put in place an effective anti-alcohol policy. 
In Gujarat, selling hooch also kills 
    Gujarat is the only state in the country that has death penalty for those found guilty of making and selling spurious liquor which causes death. Governor Dr Kamala gave her stamp of approval to the Bombay Prohibition (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2009 on December 5, two years after it was cleared by the Gujarat assembly.

India’s diabetes burden to cross 100m by 2030-ToI-14.12.11

New Delhi: The global diabetes numbers are out, and it’s not looking too good for India. 
    India is home to over 61 million diabetic patients — an increase from 50.8 million last year. By 2030, India’s diabetes burden is expected to cross the 100 million mark as against 87 million earlier estimated. The country is also the largest contributor to regional mortality with 983, 000 deaths caused due to diabetes this year. 
    The International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) fifth diabetes atlas has released the staggering figures. IDF says India’s prevalence of diabetes among 20-79 year olds is 9.2%. India is only second to China, which has 90 million diabetics (2011) that will increase to about 130 million by 2030. 
    “India will face one of the toughest struggles against diabetes in the region. India also accounts for most of the 112,000 children in the region with type 1 diabetes.” said Dhruba Lall Singh, chair of IDF’s South-East Asia region. 
    Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis’ Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, said, “The numbers are worrying because it is inadequately managed. What concerns me more is that the curve of rise in the diabetes numbers is steep with chances of it leveling nowhere in sight over the next 20 years.” 
    Bariatric surgeon Dr Ramen Goel added: “One person is dying from diabetes every seven seconds. According to the IDF, the total number of people with diabetes this year reached a staggering 366 million with 4.6 million deaths. Healthcare spending on diabetes has reached $465 billion.” 
    IDF says “New figures indicate that the number of people living with diabetes is expected to rise from 366 million this year to 552 million by 2030, if no action is taken. This equates to approximately three new cases every 10 seconds or almost 10 million per year.” 
    This year, South Asia accounted for 71.4 million diabetics. This number is expected to increase to 120.9 million by 2030. IDF also estimates that 36.2 million are still yet to be diagnosed with the disease. The region has one of the highest estimates of prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children. While, 183 million (50%) with diabetes were undiagnosed this year. 
    The Union health ministry has rolled out the diabetes screening programme in 21 states. The target is to check 150 million people in 100 districts for diabetes by coming March. Union health secretary P K Pradhan said.

‘Hang Afzal’ clamour gets louder –ToI- 14.12.11

New Delhi: Under fire from different quarters over the delay in carrying out death sentence of Parliament House attack convict Afzal Guru, government on Tuesday said that the matter had been pending before President Pratibha Patil who will have to take a final call on it. 
    Asked about the delay, Union Home Secretary R K Singh said the clemency petition of Afzal was pending before the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which has to take a call. “The matter is with the President and it is for the President to decide,” he said. 
    The home ministry had sent Afzal’s case to the President's Secretariat for a decision on July 27 with the recommendation that his mercy plea be rejected. The Constitution does not give any time limit for the President to decide on clemency plea. 
    On the occasion of 10^th anniversary of Parliament House attack, the daughter of Kamlesh Kumari — a woman constable with the CRPF who was gunned down during the terror strike – expressed her anguish over the delay and demanded that Afzal be hanged at the earliest. 
    All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chief M S Bitta, who had escaped several terrorist strikes in the past, said there should be no delay in the execution of Guru. “Don't humiliate us...take back the petrol pumps that were given to us, but hang Afzal Guru.” he said at an event where children of some of the victims were present. 
    BJP also asked why government was not punishing those held guilty for the attack. “Despite the Supreme Court confirming the sentence, the man (Afzal) is still out there in jail... The nation wants to know, why are we hesitating in punishing those guilty for the Parliament attack,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said at a function in Parliament House to pay homage to nine people who lost their lives in the attack. 
    Admitting that the justice delivery system in the country was slow, law minister Salman Khurshid said: “We want quick justice in all matters. This (Parliament attack) is of course a symbolic and significant event that we cannot easily forget but nevertheless even for such an event there is not much one can do except to hope that our entire system learns to respond in a much faster manner”.

50 kids chained in Pakistan madrassa basement freed- ToI-14.12.11

Being Trained To Be Taliban Fighters?

Islamabad: Pakistani police rescued 53 madrassa students, some as young seven, who had been chained in the basement of a Karachi seminary also unearthing gruesome tales of dungeon torture and visits by Pakistani Taliban instructors, who some claimed, were starting to prepare them to join the terror group’s jihad on the Afghan front. After the Monday night raid on the seminary, Pakistan police said it was probing the institution’s possible links to terror groups. 
    Pakistani authorities have long suspected some of these seminaries for their involvement in brainwashing students to join violent extremists, including the Taliban operating in the tribal northwest. 
    “We are being made mujahideen here. We are being made Taliban here. They say you should get training here then we will send you to fight,” a student told Geo television. 
    The disclosure forced Pak interior minister Rehman Malik to order a probe into the Zakariya madrassa’s role in training kids, sent for religious training by their poor families, to become terrorists.Chained kids beaten with belts 
Islamabad: Pakistan police said the chained students rescued from a Karachi madrassa were beaten and barely fed and that they have begun investigations into the seminary links to violent militant groups. “The rescued students included kids as young as seven and 21 teenagers,’’ a police officer said. He said most victims had signs of torture and developed wounds from the chains. 
    The police arrested some clerics, but the head cleric, who had arrived recently from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa, bordering Afghanistan, and his four accomplices managed to flee. 
    A rescued student told reporters that he had been kept confined for 30 days. “I did not see the sky or the sun even once,” he told reporters at a police station, where the students were questioned and then handed over to their relatives. He said their captors whipped them with belts and forced them to beg for food. 
    Another student said he was kept chained in the basement for the past month. “They also tortured me severely during this period. I was beaten with sticks.” 
    But another police officer said many of those rescued were drug addicts brought to the seminary for treatment. “These people were not taken to there forcefully. In fact, the parents of many of them had themselves got their children admitted there.’’ He said some were also involved in other crimes. “They were tortured and kept in chains so that they did not run away.’’ 
    A parent corroborated Anwar’s claim. He told a TV channel that he had brought his 35-year-old drug addict brother to the seminary for rehabilitation. “The chains are not a problem. They are needed because without them heroin addicts run away.’’ AFP reported that accounts given to it by students and relatives indicated that impoverished families believed the madrassa could offer treatment to drug addicts and a religious education to the youngest boys.

Music on the move proves fatal – ToI -13.12.11

Hyderabad: Walking on railway tracks with earphones plugged in proved fatal for a B Tech student in the city on Monday. 
    D Shanti Kumar, a first year student of Methodist Engineering College in Abids, was mowed down by a train near Kacheguda railway station. Preliminary investigation by the Railway Police revealed that Kumar, who was on his way to college, was walking on the tracks from Nimboliadda towards Kacheguda station. Eyewitnesses told the Railway Police that Kumar was listening to music on his cellphone. “Engrossed in the music, Kumar might not have heard the approaching train,” a Kacheguda GRP official said. Police booked a case under Section 174 (suspicious death) of the CrPC and shifted the body for postmortem. The victim used to stay at the government social welfare hostel in Nimboliadda. 
    In the past too, two youngsters who were listening to music while walking on tracks, met a similar fate. While a 23-year-old software engineer, Mohini Shanti Priya, died when she was hit by a train near Fatehnagar, 16-year-old J Theresa was run over near Sitaphalmandi railway station.

Italian cat inherits fortune of £10 million from owner –ToI-12.12.11

London: Believe it or not, an Italian cat has inherited a fortune of £10 million after her owner died aged 94, reportedly making her the third richest pet in the world. 
    Maria Assunta died last month and according to lawyers entrusted with her estate, she left the fortune in property to Tommasino, a stray cat she had found and looked after because of her love for animals, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported. 
    Assunta had a large property portfolio with homes and villas across the country, as well as several bulging bank accounts and share portfolios but no known living relatives. Lawyers Anna Orecchioni and Giacinto Canzona who are representing her say that she left the fortune to Tommasino in a will she wrote and deposited with them in their office in Rome in October 2009. 
    Orecchioni explained that under Italian law Tommassino is not entitled to inherit the money directly and the will also asked for the money to be given to a “worthy animal association, if one could be found”. 
    The world’s richest animal is thought to be Gunter, a German shepherd who received more than 90 million pounds after his wealthy and slightly barking heiress owner Karlotta Liebenstien died and left him her fortune. 

BSP MP arrested for double murder –ToI – 12.12.11

Lucknow: Mafia-turned-Bahujan Samaj Party MP Dhananjay Singh was arrested on Sunday in connection with a double murder case that took place in his constituency Jaunpur in 2010. 
    A joint team of Lucknow and Jaunpur police arrested Dhananjay from flat No 802, Bahukhandi Niwas, allotted to his father Rajdeo 
Singh, a BSP MLA, in Lucknow. 
Soon after his arrest, the MP was handed over to the Jaunpur police which took him to the district. 
    The relationship between the MP and BSP soured after his name was cropped up in the murders of two CMOs in Lucknow and the NRHM scam in the state. His father was denied assembly ticket by the party. BSP then suspended Dhananjay on September 24 for anti-party activities and his “audacity” to see Amar Singh at AIIMS without taking the party’s permission. 
    His suspension was revoked in November after he reportedly apologized. 
    On Sunday evening, a large police team led by SP (east) Vijay Bhushan along with Jaunpur cops led by DySP Ranvijay reached Bahukhandi Niwas at 4.30pm and arrested Dhananjay. 
    The police then brought him to Hazratganj police station and subsequently handed over to the Jaunpur police. Lucknow DIG DK Thakur confirmed that Jaunpur police had sought their help in arresting the MP. A contractor, Sanjay Nishad of Belav-Navghat village under Kerakat police station of Jaunpur, and atea stallowner, Nandlal Nishad, were killed when three motorcycle-borne miscreants opened indiscriminate fire at them on April 1, 2010. 
    According to reports, the contractof tolltax collection for a local pontoon bridge was allotted to Sanjay. He was standing at the toll tax post when three youth on a motorcycle reached there and opened fire on him. Nandlal, who was sitting at his tea kiosk, also sustained bullet injuries in the incident. Sanjay died on the spot while Nandlal died on the way to hospital.

Mecca compensation policy under fire –ToI -11.12.11

Hyderabad: Terming the government’s ‘confidence building measures’ inadequate, civil society members are questioning the policy on compensating the Muslim youth who were illegally detained in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case of 2007. 
    The government had announced through GO Rt no. 4268 dated Dec. 6 that it would be releasing compensation of Rs 70 lakh to 70 persons who were detained by the police in the wake of the blast. Of the total amount, Rs 3 lakhs each would be given to the 20 persons who were acquitted by court. The remaining 50 youngsters, who were interrogated but against whom cases were not registered, would receive Rs 20,000 each. The government’s move comes six months after the recommendations made by National Commission for Minorities (NCM), which also asked the state to investigate the role of police officers in the wrongful implication of the youth and consider compensating them from the guilty officers’ emoluments. 
    Civil society activists allege that the government has not considered these recommendations of NCM. SGM Quadri, President Help Hyderabad, an NGO, that followed up the cause of the wronged youth, pointed out that the government’s move does not instill any ‘confidence’ as touted by the government. “How can the distressed youth build confidence with a meager compensation of Rs 20,000?” he asked. He also questioned why only 50 youths have been compensated when the police had earlier admitted to picking up 78 youngsters without registering cases. “It is not clear how the government has selected the victims. It is also not clear why the remaining have not been compensated,” said Quadri. 
    L M Khan, of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, said that the delay in taking action on the recommendations of NCM, does not help in confidence building. “The government has not moved against the erring officers despite the NCM recommending action against them” he said. 
    Activists also say that there is lack of clarity over the disbursement of the funds. The government order mentions that the funds for compensation are to be disbursed from the administration account of Mecca Masjid and Public Gardens Mosque, which has had the activists up in arms. But the government order makes it clear that the funding for compensation comes from non-plan allocations, independent of Mecca Masjid’s finances.

Kids suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic Institutions – The Pioneer – 17.12.11

Thousands of children suffered  sexual abuse in Dutch C  at  ho l i c   i n s t itut i on s ,   and church officials failed to adequately address  he abuse or help the victims, according to a long-awaited investigation released on Friday. The report  y the an indep  e  n d e nt   c ommi s s i on   s  a i d Catholic officials failed to tackle the widespread  abused “to prevent scandals.” The suspected number of abuse victims who spent some of their youth in church institutions likely lies somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000, according to a  summary of the  eport. Based on a survey among more than 34,000 people, the commission estimated that one in 10  dutch children suffered  some form of abuse. The  number doubled to 20 per cent of children who spent part of their youth in an institution — whether  atholic or not. The commission said it received some 1,800 complaints of abuse at Catholic schools, seminaries and orphanages and that the institutions suffered from “a failure of oversight.” It then  conducted the broader survey of the general population for a more comprehensive analysis of the  cale  nd nature of sexual abuse of minors. The commission was set up last year under the leadership o f   f o                                    Minister Wim Deetman to investigate allegations of abuse dating from 1945. Deetman said that the problem of abuse continued in part because the Catholic church organisation in the Netherlands was  splintered, so bishops and religious orders s  om e t  i m e s   w o r k e  d autonomously to deal with abuse and “did not hang out their dirty laundry.” However, he said that the c o m m i s s i o n   c o n c l            that “it is wrong to talk of a culture of silence” by the church as a whole. T h e   D u t c h   B i s h o p s Conference scheduled a Press conference for Friday afternoon to respond to the report.  

Love-Jihad makes waves in Karnataka assembly – The Pioneer – 17.12.11

The Karnataka Assembly on Friday witnessed to a serious debate on love jihad, where incidents of  oung girls allegedly being lured into marriage and then getting converted to I s  l  a m  h a  v  e  b e  e n reported.  Many ruling BJP memb e r s   f  rom   t h e co a s t  a  l  di s t r  i c  t s  of Udupi and  angalore drew the attention of the Government.  D u r i n g   Z  e r o Hour, Mallika Prasad (BJP) said 84 girls  ave been reported missing in Dakshina Kannada district  from  June  to November, of whom only 69 have  een traced. “What happened to the fate of those who re mained unt r a c ed?  ”   she   a s ke d. “Under  he guise of love and marriage, young girls were being lured and sold,” said Prasad.  Deputy Speaker N  ogish Bhat (BJP), also from the coastal district, said, “This year, 64 girls went missing in Udupi and only  2 have been traced.” He alleged that the drug mafia was also involved and that several girls had  ommitted suicide. Bhat said the p  o l i c e   h a v e   b  e  e n threatening those who inform them about alleged conversions.  I n   r e  p l y,   L  a w M i n i s t e r   S   S u  r e  s h Kumar said, “The issue should  ot be viewed through political angle. One should understand problems of parents of the girls who fall  nto such traps. It is an alarming development. It is a serious matter.” Kumar assured the House  that  e  ould discuss the matter with Home Minister R Ashok and request him to order a probe. 

Aid to J&K madarasas creates stir – The Pioneer --16.12.11

The  Central funding of Islamic s  emi n a r i e s   i n   emb at t  l e d Jammu and Kashmir is turning out to be a   candal rather than a means to modernise the religious institutions. The graft-tainted Education Ministry  as asked the directors of school education department in Kashmir and Jammu provinces to  heck out on the coordinators of beneficiary seminaries. Two leading Islamic scholars — Rehmatullah Mir and Ghulam Rasool Hami — who run separate chains of madarsas, have denied acceptance of central  unding and described the official claims as "scandalous to berate our activities". Human Resource  evelopment Ministry revealed that 372 madarsas across Jammu and Kashmir, with highest number in Rajouri district of Jammu, were recipients of central funding. Earlier, the Pandora’s box opened through  n RTI application by one Mohammad Sidiq Poswal revealed that 8 crore have been provided to  adarsas  o help them establish on modern lines. The Ministry runs a special countrywide scheme to upgrade the standards of Islamic seminaries.  It was revealed that 519.85 lakh have been paid to 722 teachers  ssigned to teach religious e d u c a t i o n   t o   t  h e   s t u d e n t s . Besides, an amount of  55.80 lakh is  pent annually on providing learning material like books, magazines and other study material. On the  stablishment of libraries,  186 lakh have been spent by the equal number of madarsas. The department   as also released 114 lakh for e s t  a b l i s h i n g s  c i e n c e   a n d computer laboratories with Rs one  akh disbursement f o r   e  a  c h madarsa.  T h e   d i s - closures created a stir in the Islamic seminaries  cross t  h  e   S t  a t e , w  h i c h   h a v e g r o w  n   l i k e mushrooms during the past two decades. The  rominent madarsa heads described the revelations as scandalous, saying that they run the schools with  pecific public donations and have never accepted any State or central funding. "We have never received  ny aid from the Government, not e  v e n   a   s i n g  l e   p  e n ny " ,   s  a i d Rahmatullah Mir, head of  restigious Darul Uloom Rahimiya l o  c at e d   i n   n o r  t  h   K a s hmi r ’s B  an d ip  or a   tow n .   R  a  h  mi y a , which follows the Deobandi school of thought, has imparted Islamic education to thousands of students during the past three decades.   On its part, the authorities revealed names of different  ecipient madarsas and teachers but the effort boomeranged. Most of the listed madarsas turned out to b e   f a k e   o r denied having t  a  k e n   a n y money.  One of the b ene f  i c i ar  i e s of the central aid,  ccording t o   o f  f  i c i a l re  cord s ,  ha s been termed as a madarsa at Aishwukam v i l l a g e   i n s o u t   K a s h m i r ’ s Anantnag dist r  i c  t ,   w  h e r e 1.44 lakh has been shown provided as salary to two  eachers, 50,000 for the library and 15,000 for teacher learning material. However, the names of the  eachers and the madarsas have not been revealed giving rise to doubts about the authenticity of the  fficial claim.  Interestingly, a Darul Uloom that exists in Ashmuqam is run by State-owned Waqf Board  hat denies having received any central funding.  On Thursday, heads and representatives of a chain of  slamic seminaries under the banner Majlis-e-Ulemai Ahli Sunnat convened an emergency meeting in Srinagar. Later speaking at a Press conference, chief of the amalgam Ghulam Rasool Hami said that none  f their madarsas applied for central funding. He described it scandalous to berate the Islamic seminaries  nd sought thorough probe into the funding.  Head of Sawtul Awliya Abdur Rashid Dawoodi, who  ropagates Barelwi school of thought is shown as beneficiary of State funding. He vehemently denied having received any aid.  Sources say that there could be scandalous nexus between some officials of  he  ducation department and individuals faki n g   a s   m a d a r s  a   o w  n e r s . Embarrassed by the  isclosure, Minister of Education Peerzada Mohammad Saeed has asked for verifying the authenticity of  arul Ulooms, shown as Governmentfunding recipients. L  a s t   y e  a r,   t  h e   C  e n t  r a  l Government  eleased a whopping 8 crore for winter schooling to compensate for the loss of academic session due to  summer unrest. The schools were eventually closed due to harsh winter but the money is alleged to  ave been misused. 

Why this defeating delay in justice –Supreme Court – The Pioneer –16.12.11

A criminal trial for 36 years and still  showing no sign of comp l e t  ion ha s  made   t h e Supreme Court sit up and take notice of how justice in  some matters is not only being delayed, but defeated. With 31 out of 39 witnesses in the case dead, four  lawyers appearing for the accused having expired during the pendency of the case and 22 presiding  officers hearing the case been changed, the apex court on Thursday couldn’t but help wonder aloud,  What is the reason for the delay?” S  e n i o r   a d v o  c a t e   T R Andhyarujina, appearing for one of the  accused Ranjan Dwivedi, said, “He (Dwivedi) was 27-year-old when he was charged for the murder of  hen Railway Minister LN Mishra in Samastipur (Bihar) on January 2, 1975. Today he is 64 years and has  suffered a stroke recently.” The other accused is Sudhevanand Avadhoot.  The accused had moved the  apex court to show how the incident, despite being a highprofile matter, was dragged on due to the fault  f the CBI. The Bench of Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad agreed to issue notice to CBI and Centre to  examine the “lapses” on part of the prosecution. Ironically, in 1979, the Supreme Court itself had directed day-to-day hearing in the case to ensure speedy trial. But despite 32 years since then, the CBI has failed to complete the evidence stage.  An  app l i c at  ion  mov e d recently by the agency claimed it had additional evidence in the case,  ndhyarujina said, suggesting “This is a shocking travesty of speedy trial.” Although the accused are out  n  ail since 1978, their demand to stay the prosecution proceedings was denied by the ap e x   cour  t .   ndhy a r uj ina pointed out that an expert committee headed by former B  om b  a y   H C   j u d g e   V M Tarkunde had examined the case and held the trial to be f a r c  e .   T h e   r e  p  o r  t   o f   t  h e C  omm                       m i t t  e  d   o n February 15, 1979 recommended a fresh probe finding that the witnesses in the case in no manner could be expected to prove the charges leveled against the accused.  But the bench said,  We will not stay proceedings without finding who is at fault.” It, however, posted the matter for he  ar  ing    mmedi ately   af  te r   four weeks.

Talaq just an sms away – The Pioneer –16.12.11

The decision of an Imam in an Ut t  a r   P r a d e s h  mo s  qu e declaring SMS via talaq valid is likely to  pen the Pandora’s box for Muslim clerics in India.  The Imam in Muradnagar district held that an SMS  ent by a man stating talaq thrice to his wife was valid for a divorce. Shahid’s wife Parveen on Wednesday  ad received an SMS with  talaq typed three times sent by him. The Imam’s version came to light when Parveen’s uncle Sajid said that the Imam told the families that the two cannot unite now as their marriage has been nullified by the talaq (divorce) via SMS. Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid Syed Imam  ukhari, when contacted also seconded the decision, but said that the marriage will be considered void  only if the husband confirms that the message was sent by him. Bukhari said, “There are different ways  f giving talaq. It can be given orally, in  written or even, over the phone  or through an SMS. In this c a s e           marriage will be considered terminated if the husband confirms that the message was sent by him.” The coupl e  had mar  r  i  ed  t h re  e months ago, but Parveen had returned to live with her parents du e    o       me   d i f  f e  re  n c e s . Reportedly, Shahid tried to bring her back but failed to do so after which he had  ent the SMS, Sajid said. Reportedly, many other local maulvis in Murdanagar have given their sanction to  he high-tech split. Though the practice of terminating marriage via this technology is prevalent in countries like UAE, Kuwait, Tajikistan and Malaysia, it is not a common practice in nonMuslim countries.  he first incident of such practice was reported in India from Lucknow  in 2005 when 24-year-old Saba Khaliq from Moradabad was found at the ‘receiving end’ of modern technology when her husband sent  er an SMS with the dreaded words talaq, talaq, talaq. A similar dramatic way of divorcing one’s spouse   ad come in news in March 2009 when Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chand Mohammed divorced his wife Fiza over phone and through SMS, accusing her of making ‘false’ allegations against him. 

Chidambaram misused office to help ex-client -The Pioneer – 15.12.11

 Already neck-deep in trouble over his alleged involvement in the 2G scam, Home Minister P Chidambaram is at the centre of a new controversy. He may find it difficult to wriggle out of  he crisis. Documents available with The Pioneer show that with the specific approval of C h i d amb a r am,   t  h e   ome Ministry directed the withdrawal of three FIRs against one of his former clients who was accused of  heating and forgery.  This conflict of interest relates to a politically sensitive case in which  hidambaram's client SP Gupta, a hotelier, was also accused of misusing the names of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and C  on g  r e s s   p r e s i d e nt   S  on i a Gandhi. He floated a charitable trust  amed after Rajiv Gandhi with Sonia as its chief patron and forged letterheads of seve r a l  MPs .  The   ain  c a s  e against Gupta was defrauding VLS Finance to the tune of several crores of rupees. . The  ome  inistry decided to give direction on May 9, 2011 to quash the FIRs upon the petition filed by Gupta to the  ome Secretary. Before issuing direction to the Delhi Police, the Home Ministry consulted the Law  inistry  or legal opinion to provide escape route to Gupta. However, without giving its own verdict on the  atter,  he Law Ministry passed the onus on the Home Ministry by stating, “The power under Section 321 of the  rPC vested in Government can be exercised in such cases in the interest of proper administration of  ustice and the paramount consideration in such cases is the administration of justice.” This was enough  xcuse for the Home Ministry to issue direction to withdraw the FIRs even though the Ministry on We  d n         y   a dmi t t e d   t  h at Chidambaram had himself noted on the file on May 4, 2011 that the Ministry  hould only convey the Law Ministry’s opinion to the police. “When the file was submitted to the Home  inister, he noted on May 4, 2011 that MHA should not give any direction and MHA may only c onv e  y   t                                   Ministry of Law,” CNN-IBN TV c h a n  n e l   q u  o t e  d   Hom e Ministry’s joint secretary M Gopal Reddy  s saying. Reddy was responding to questionnaire sent by the TV channel to Chidambaram to clarify his  osition and explain the apparent conflict of interest. Interestingly, Reddy said Chidambaram was not  ure  f at all he represented Gupta. “The Home Minister is unable to recall at this distance of time whether he  ppeared in a case concerning M/s Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd at any time between 1999 and 2003,” Reddy  aid. Interestingly, the Home Ministry acted on Gupta's petition even when the Delhi Police had carried a  etailed investigation and field a chargesheet against him. Legal experts feel that the withdrawal of FIR after filing of chargesheet is rare in such cases of fraud. Continued on The revelation is damaging for Chidambaram on two counts. First, he will find it difficult to explain why such a favour was granted in  ase involving an old client. Second, the episode in not likely to please the Congress leadership especially  hen the man granted such a special favour had misused the names of the Gandhi family.  In its status  eport to the Home Ministry, the Delhi Police had said the c h a r g e  s h e e t s / s u p p l e m e n t  a r  y chargesheets had already been filed in the courts and the cases were at various stages.  Chidambaram  s   n advocate represented businessman SP Gupta and argued for quashing one of the FIRs before the Delhi  igh Court in 2003 and Company Law Board (CLB) in 2001. The FIRs against Chidambaram’s client Gupta  as filed on the complaint by VLS Finance on judicial interventions.  But when Chidambaram became Home  Minister  this  case  took  an interesting turn. The Home Ministry on May 9, 2011 directed the  elhi Police and the Delhi Government to withdraw FIRs against Gupta. Gupta’s representations to the Home Secretary alleged the FIRs against him were “based on the improper investigations by the Delhi  Police” under the influence of his rival VLS Finance.  “The matter has been considered in detail carefully  n MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs). As per advice tendered by the Department of Legal Affair, Ministry of  aw and Justice keeping in view the facts of these cases, the Home Department of Government of NCT of  elhi should urgently scrutinise the above cited case FIR No 90/2000, FIR No 99/2002 and FIR No  48/2002  egistered by the Delhi Police for taking action under Section 321 of the CrPC for withdrawal of  rosecution immediately. This has approval of the Union Home  M ini s t e r,”  di re c  t e d MHA Director  K Saxena to Arvind Ray, Principal Secretary (Home) in the Delhi Government. 

Canada bars women in veil from taking citizenship oath – The Pioneer – 14.12.11

Wom e n   a s p i r  i n g   f o r C anadi an  c it i z en ship have been barred from wearing burqa or Islamic   ijab  when they take oath of citizenship, I m m i g  r a t  i o n M i  n i s t e r   J a s  o n Kenney said. The  ove was announced by the Minister on Monday, who said it was necessary as women with face  overings  ould not be fully identified a t   c e r e m o n i e s   t o s w e  a r - i n   n e  w   citizens, the Montreal Gazette reported. The ban has trigg e  r e  d   w i d e s p r e  a d concerns among the Islamic community  ere as they fear that it could lead to similar ban in other settings. Canada has now joined countries like  rance, Belgium, Australia and Netherlands who have banned women from covering their face in public.  N Australia, the ban has been imposed in only two states. The Immigration Minister said that there were  isgivings about covering of faces by women. He said the feelings were that new citizens should t a k e   o                         v i e  w   o f   o t  h e r   fellow citizens. Kenny said he had received complaints from lawmakers and  udges who said that they found it difficult to know whether indiv idua  l s  who masked their faces were  ctually reciting the oath or not. The conservative Minister said t  h e   i s s u e   w e  n t d e  e p   i n t o   t                      of   C  an a d a’s   i d e nt it y   a s   a nation valued its openness and equality. The Gazette quoted Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim C  o u n c i  l   o f   Mo n t  r e  a l ,   a s labelling the ban an attempt by the conservative Government to divide Canadian Muslim.

Pak Army, ISI plotted hijack of IC-814 in 1999 – The Pioneer – 13.12.11

More than a decade after the IC-814 hijack case, the Delhi Police has got definite evidence to the effect  that the hijack was monitored and commandeered by Pakistan Army and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)  ather than Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, as had been alleged by Pakistan so far. Investigations into the Jama Masjid attack have thrown actionable links between the IC-814 hijacking case and the Parliament attack (2001) case. Mohammad Adil, alias Ajmal, a Pakistani national and IM operative arrested by the  elhi Police, has confessed that Burger, who was killed in the Parliament attack, was part of the Harkat-ul- nsar team that had hijacked IC-814 on December 24, 1999. Ajmal had met Burger in Karachi several times and he was fully aware of the whereabouts of other subversives housed by the ISI. The Delhi  olice  as found that M a n s u r   Ha s n a i n ,   a  k a   Su n ny Ahmed Qazi, alias Burger, a resident of Karachi in  akistan, was involved in two anti-India operations. It was Burger, who orchestrated the December 24,  999 hijacking of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 from Kathmandu. Burger was one of terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. He was later killed by Indian security forces. The revelation by  ohammad Adil, also a resident of Karachi, has stumped the security agencies. Adil, who was arrested by  he Special Cell team of the Delhi Police from Madhubani district of Bihar, is singing like a canary and  pilled the beans on covert ISI activities on Indian soil. He confessed of meeting Burger many times in  arachi and knew him as an active operative of Harkat-ul-Ansar. This outfit was converted into Jaish- Mohammed by Maulana Masood Azhar after his release from the Indian prison. It was Azhar, along with  ushtaq Zargar and Omar Sheikh Syed, who was traded by the then Government for the safe release of  he passengers of IC-814. Adil confessed that Burger was one of the five hijackers who were especially  rained by the ISI handlers for hijacking an aircraft.  Flight no IC-814 of the Indian Airlines from  athmandu  o Delhi was selected after much deliberation. After the successful operation of IC-814, Burger was selected by Maulana Masood Azahar to t a k e   p a r t   i n   t h e   at t a c k   on   In d i an Parliament on  ecember 13, 2001. The five-member group of JeM consisted off Burger, Raja, Rana, Haider and H a m z a                                              Mohammad for this specific attack. Burger was tasked to carry the bandolier filled with hand grenades.  e met his nemesis in the form of CRPF personnel who were posted to secure Parliament.  Burger, alias  ohammad, was shot down when he was running with grenades and was about to cross the main gate of  he Parliament House. A bullet hit him and the plastic explosive strapped around his waist was detonated  nd he was blown into smithereens. Adil reportedly told the sleuths that he had met Burger several times  n Karachi along with the top operatives of Indian Mujahidden (IM) Amir Reza Khan and the Bhatkal  rothers in a house in the highly secured Defence Housing Authority of Karachi. He was privy to many a  onspiracies that were hatched by IM bosses with the ISI operatives. Sources in the Delhi Police said that  dil too was sent by ISI handlers to infiltrate into the Indian territory and train young boys for anti-India activities.  It has now emerged that it was Adil, who arranged forged passports for Gayur Ahmad Zamali  nd Qateel Siddique from the Ranchi regional passport office. They were  supposed  to  go  to  Pakistan   or training but were stopped in their tracks by the Special Cell team. 

Virginia Tech University-Shooter kills police officer, self – The Pioneer 10.12.11

Five years after a horrific campus massacre, Virginia Tech University was in lockdown on Thursday with a  unman killing a police officer at a campus parking lot and then turning the gun on himself. As the  ncident brought back grim memories of the 2007 massacre in which a gun-toting student went on the  ampage, killing 33 people, university president Charles Steger said: “In light of the turmoil and trauma  nd the tragedy suffered by this campus by guns, I can only say words don’t describe our  feelings and  hey’re elusive at this point in time. Our hearts are broken again for the family of our police officer.” The  niversity authorities declared the  Blacksburg, Virginia campus safe after a fivehour lockdown, during  hich they scoured the large campus looking for the gunman, who was found dead in a parking lot,  pparently having shot himself from the same gun that was used to kill the police officer. The victim was  dentified as Deriek W Crouse, a father of five children. He was killed after he had stopped a driver at a  raffic stop. At a televised news conference, police declined to go into details on the killer or his motive, saying investigations were still on.            

Hazare’s stir ranked among top 10 stories of 2011 – The Pioneer – 9.12.11

Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement that saw Indians rally in support has  been named among the  op 10 news stories in the world this year by Time magazine, which listed the Arab Spring and killing of  sama bin Laden as the top attention-grabbing headlines. Time magazine compiled 54 wide-ranging lists  f the top 10 happenings in 2011 in the field of politics, entertainment, business, sports and pop culture. Among the ‘Top 10 WorldNews Stories’ is “Anna Hazare’s Hunger Fasts Rock India” with the magazine  aying that “in a year with more than its share of protests worldwide, perhaps the  most striking act of  issent took place in India, where the country’s ruling coalition took flak for a host of corruption cases  mplicating a number of leading politicians”. Hazare’s “fasts — even the threat of them — triggered mass  emonstrations of support across India’s major cities and heaped pressure on the government to create  n independent ombudsman body capable of investigating the nation’s political elites — even the Prime Minister — and bringing the corrupt to justice”. It said the mass support 74- year old Hazare  ommanded, particularly from India’s burgeoning middle class, is a “sign of the growing frustrations and aspirations of those in the world’s largest democracy”. The top news stories of 2011 were the Arab  pring that spread to a number of countries and the killing of bin Laden in a covert US raid in Abbottabad, besides the famine in the Horn of Africa, fall of longtime Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and Europe’s  inancial crisis. In a different category, Time magazine said the death of  religious leader Sathya Sai Baba was among the top 10 ‘Religion Stories’ of 2011.  Given that the spiritual leader was one of the “most famous gurus” in India, Baba’s f  u n e r a l   w a s   a t t e n d e d   b y    hundreds of thousands of  people  nd the “pomp wasn’t  surprising”.

ISI stands fully exposed—The Pioneer – 9.12.11

Pa  k  i s t  an’s   Int e r-  S  e  r  v  i c e s  Intelligence (ISI) stands fully exposed for the nefarious role it layed for two decades by u s i n g   Wa s h i n g t o n - b  a s  e d Kashmiri separatist leader Ghulam Nabi  ai as its surrogate in an all-out bid to influence the US policy on Kashmir.  It was “a decades-long s   heme”  unde r  wh i ch  t h e Government of Pakistan was secretly funding his activities, US Assistant  ttorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said on Wednesday after Fai pleaded guilty to federal  harges.  Having admitted to secretly receiving at least $3.5 million f rom   t h e   G ov e r nm e nt   o f Pakistan since 1990 for his illegal lobbying activity, Fai faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy and  p to three years for tax violation. As part of the plea, Fai has agreed to forfeit his interest in nearly  143,000 seized by the US Government in July 2011, when he was arrested from his Virginia home. “For  he last 20 years, Fai secretly took millions of dollars from Pakistani intelligence and l i e  d   a b  o u t   i t                      Government,” said US Attorney Neil MacBride, adding: “As a paid operative of ISI, he did the bidding of  is handlers in Pakistan while he met with US e l e  c  t e  d   o f  f  i c i a  l s ,   f  u  n d e  d   high-profile  onferences and p r om o t e d   t  h e   K a s h m i r  i   c au s  e   t o   d e  c i s i on -ma  k e r s   in  ashington.” Fai, who received the money from ISI through a network of straw donors, used the money  o fund his Kashmiri American Council’s lobbying activities with US Congress, doling out contributions  otalling $80,000 to $100,000 a year to various members. The ISI funds were also used to organise his  nnual  Kashmiri Peace Conference, bring to Washington politicians, experts and journalists from Pakistan   nd India. US District Court Judge Liam O’Grady, before whom Fai pleaded guilty on two counts, will  ronounce his sentence on March 9, 2012. Count one charged Fai with conspiracy to falsify, conceal and  over up material facts he had a duty to disclose to agencies of the US  Government and, secondly, to d e       u d   t  h e   Tre  a s u r  y Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service in  he collection of revenue. Count two charged Fai with endeavouring to impede the administration of tax  aws. “  T  h e   Ta  x  Di v i s i on   i s   committed to prosecuting any individual who illegally uses the tax- xempt status of charitable entities to promote or conceal federal crimes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant  ttorney General DiCiccio. According to court documents, Fai made a series of false statements and  epresents in order to prevent the Justice Department, FBI, Department of Treasury and the IRS from   learning about the source of the money he received from officials employed by the Government of Pakistan and the ISI. “Fai repeatedly submitted annual KAC strategy reports and budgetary requirements  o Pakistani Government officials for approval. For instance, in 2009, Fai sent the ISI a document entitled  Plan of Action of KAC / K a s hmi r   C  e  nt  re , Washington, DC, for the Fiscal Year 2010”, which   temised KAC’s 2010 budget request of $658,000 and listed Fai’s plans to secure US congressional  upport  for US action in support of Kashmiri self-determination,” the documents revealed. Even while claiming in   statement that he and his KAC “have always tried to represent the sentiments of the people of Kashmir,  rrespective of the religious background and cultural affiliations”, Fai admitted in the plea agreement  hat  e  routinely submitted his strategy plans and budgets to ISI, specifically to a contact named Javeed Aziz  han, also known as “Brigadier Abdullah”.  How deep the ISIs’ involvement was in KAC’s activities has been revealed by the court documents. When Fai planned the agenda for his 2009 “Peace Conference”,  han sent him a list of 18 suggested topics. Of the 10 sessions eventually included on the conference  genda, six were taken directly from Khan’s suggestions. Khan at times would admonish Fai for making  ecisions without ISI’s approval. FBI cited one of the witnesses as saying that Fai’s Pakistani handlers determined 80 per cent of Fai’s work, with a mere 20 per cent being his own.  Fai, according to the court documents, accepted the transfer of money to KAC from the ISI and the Government of Pakistan  hrough his co-defendant Zaheer Ahmad, who would route the money through several US-based straw  onors. Ahmad, a Pakistani American, had been charged along with Fai, but he escaped arrest. In O c t o b    ,   wo rd   c am e   t h at Ahmad had died in Pakistan of brain hemorrhage.  

Congress MLA ccused in a murder – The Pioneer—8.12.11

Charges have been framed against Khijri legislator Sawna Lakra and three others in the court of district  udge Anand Bijay Singh. All four are accused of killing Avinash Tiwari, a second year student of Namdhari  ollege, Gadhwa, on April 27 after abducting him on April 26. The deceased was allegedly having an affair  ith the MLA’s 18-year-old granddaughter. “All four have been charged with murder after abduction and  oncealing of evidence. G o p i   K a  c  c  h  ap   a n  d   Ja  n  a  k Mahto have also been charged under the  rms Act,” counsel of Sawna Lakra BN Tripathi s  aid.  The   four have been  booked under sections 320, 120B and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. L  a  k r a   7 0 ,   h i s   d r  i v e r Kacchap, bodyguard Mahto and  inesh Kumar are accused of the killing of Avinash Tiwari, a 21-year-old part-time worker, at an eating  oint in Ranchi. Avinash allegedly had an affair w i t  h   S a w n a’s   1 8 - y e  a r - o l d granddaughter.  Lakra had surrendered b  e f o r e   t  h e   C h i e f   Ju d i c i a l Magistrate in Ranchi on May 25. He had  een absconding since May 3 after an FIR was lodged against him at Namkom police station.  Tiwari went  issing from April 24. His bullet-ridden body was found three days later at Karra, 20 km from here. The victim’s father, Sanjay Tiwari, alleged that Lakra had abducted his son and had killed him because his son  anted to marry Lakra’s granddaughter. Lakra had allegedly intercepted Avinash at his residence where  e  ad come to meet his granddaughter on April 27. Lakra is said to have confined him in the r o  o m .   Av  i                          managed to call one of his friends from his cell phone after which it was switched off. The court had  arlier p  a  s s  e  d   a n   a r  r e  s t   w  a r  r  a nt against Lakra and declared him absconder on May 18 w                                            remain traceless.  

Climate change effecting Uttarakhand badly –The Pioneer-7.12.11

The  Himalay an  St  ate  of Uttarakhand is experiencing changes like steady recession of glaciers, shifting vegetation  ine, increasing temperature and reduction in annual rainfall, to name a few, due to climate change. The Gangotri  and other glaciers have continued to retreat at different r ate s  wit h   cl imate    hange believed to be a major reason. These changes have been stated in the first interim report on climate change in Uttarakhand issued by the Uttarakhand Centre on Climate Change (UCCC),  ttarakhand  cience E d u c a t i o n   a n d   R e s  e  a r c h Centre, Uttarakhand State C  o u n c i  l   f o r   S  c i e n c e   a     Technology (UCOST) and C  e  n t  r e   o f   E  x c e l l e n c e   f o r N a t u r a l   R e s  o u r c e s   D  a t  a Management System.  According to the UCCC pr  inc ipa l   inve s t i g ator   and Kuma on  Un i v e r s i t y   i  c e - Chancellor VPS Arora, the database for climate change studies has been developed by d i f  f e r e       w o r k i n g   g  ro up s   o f   t  h e   c e n t r e   t  h r o u g  h   available data and studies.  Though some  keptics still maintain that global climatic changes are part of cyclic phenomena, climate change and anthropogenically accelerated change has left a definite signature on at least 25 aspects from glaciers,  ater quality and crop yield to rainfall rhythm and the pest spectrum.  In the interim report on climate  hange in Uttarakhand, the part which details the signature of climate change has been compiled by the  U VC V P S   A r o r a ,   U C  O S T   D  G Rajendra Dobhal; JS Rawat, Navneet Gahlot and Arbind Anand  rom UCCC.  On October 15 and 21, 1990 snow covered about 4,884 sq km area in Uttarakhand but on  he same dates in 1999, the snow cover area had decreased by about 17 per cent to 4,145 sq km. This  ecrease is transforming glacier-fed rivers like one of the major rivers Saryu, which has transformed  ompletely into a non-glacier river.  Studies in Uttarakhand show that the Himalayan glaciers in this State  re retreating at different rates in different time periods depending on their geographic location. The Gangotri glacier system comprising 32 tributary glaciers has been receding too. While the master glacier  s retreating at a rate of 19m/year (Naithani et al 2001), two of its tributary glaciers; Raktvarna and Thelu  re retreating at double this rate whereas the disappearance of various small glaciers from the region has  ot been documented.  Similar trends have been  observed in other glaciers including Pindari, Milam and Dokriani. Locals have also been observing the diminishing regulatory effect of glaciers as the discharge  f  nowfed rivers is decreasing even though glaciers are melting due to global warming. The report states  hat this is happ ening  due   to   s i gni f  i c ant decrease in snow cover area in catchment areas of such  ivers, disappearance of numerous sma l l   g  l  a c i e r s ,   d e c re  a s i n g l eng t h of   t ime   t h at    now remains on the mountains and reduction in numerous t r  i b u t  a r  y   s t r e  a m s   f e  d   b y groundwater, which has been drastically reduced due to change in rainfall behaviour.  

Marxists creating ruckus over removal of .Ramanujan’s misleading essay on Ramayana-The Pioneer-4.12.11(article)

This weekend I was surprised to read in the highest circulated national daily a report on the Ramayana  ssay as the lead of the day. The controversy surrounding the s  c h o l a s t i c   w o r k   o f   A K Ramanujan has ebbed and was surprised to suddenly see the report pop up, albeit now with a prime  inisterial angle to it.  In these times, when the Prime Minister is battling matters like corruption, black money and FDI in retail, is Ramanujan’s essay that important to spur his intervention? To   e  v en  t hink        t  PMO would have sent any directive to the Delhi University on the matter at best looks to be a figment  f some conspiracy theorist’s imagination. It could at best be an attempt by the Government to rake up  he issue of Ramayana essay to pitch the Leftists against the BJP, whose unity on the floor of Parliament  as caused much consternation in the treasury benches. The presence of Marxist teachers on the  ifferent  University campuses of the Capital is the best illustration of the largesse which the Congress has been  estowing on their Marxist collaborators. Be it any of the centres of higher education, which are hands  o                                Government grant, they are being held captive by the academics with Marxist leaning. These Marxist  atrons over t  h e   y e  a r s   h a v e   e n s u r e  d appointment of their protégés i n   t h e   D e l h i   Un i                 colleges and institutions of other universities. O n   t  h e   c o n t  r a s t ,   y o u would seldom find a  arxist professor ever seeking an  employment in a privatelyvfunded centre of higher education. The  eason  or the same is not far to seek. In the centres of higher education in private sector, the academics have to  e accountable and have the ability to actually deliver in terms of actual placement of their students. N o  u n e m p l o y e d   g r a d u a t e s   year-after-year.   The Marxists could claim that they do not believe in  ducation being made part of market economy. This is unacceptable. How can education remain  nsulated island of gove r nment   f unding  wit h  no accountability? I recall a nonMarxist Professor, who  s also a famous consumer rights votary, virtually yelling at a research scholar from JNU  t a job interview for not producing even seven published works in the seven years of his stay at the sylvan  ampus made vibrant for intellectual discussion and discourse by the hard earned tax-payer’s money.   While the Left warriors are burning midnight oil to make a case for reintroducing the essay, I wonder if  hey have bothered to evaluate how good are the Delhi University graduates, who must have attended  ome classes of history in whatever course of humanities s t r e  a m   t  h e  y   w o u l d   h a v e   studied,  ith their knowledge of the subject.  In the midst of the ideological war which is being fought with much  anfare, has anybody bothered to find out how good the knowledge of the students of history of the recent past is, forget about their take on diverse telling of the Ramayana? My experience of over one  ecade as recruiter and trainer of the fresh graduates from Delhi University for career in journalism has  een very disappointing. The majority of them are not conversant even with the matters of immediate  ast.  Last August, when Anna Hazare was refused permission to stage his fast at Jaya Prakash Narayan  ark, I had to face the shock of a Delhi University graduate tell me that she actually did not know who Lok Nayak was and what his role in history was. Out of disgust, I sent her immediately to the park to read  he  laque at Narayan’s statue to know who the Socialist titan was. This is not an isolated case. A few years  ack, I was trying to explain to some students doing journalism course at Delhi University, who were with  s for summer internship, the impact carefully chosen words made. To impress on them I tried to  llustrate the matter by telling them about a conversation between Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Lal Bahadur Shastri. I realised I was talking to blank faces. It was not just that they were unaware who Ayub  as? They were even ignorant about Shastri. The closest they could get to identify the second Prime Minister of India was, “he was a freedom fighter”. I checked on their schools and colleges and they all  ave been to institutions which enjoy reasonable brand equity. Not knowing who Shastri was, they  eren’t expected to answer me on Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Chandrasekhar. But worse was still to come. Perturbed, I did a check on some of the newly recruited trainees with us. I was in for a bigger shock.  hen  sked who Dr Rajendra Prasad was, the only ‘correct’ answer they could give was that he is principal of Ramjas College. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain, VV Giri and Neelam Sanjeev Reddy for them  ever existed. Exasperated, I asked them what made you think for a career in journalism? Pat came reply from them, “We wish to contribute towards society.” I had since wondering how they c o u l d   c on t r i              w a rd s   society as journalists with such pathetic understanding of our History.  Bu t   w  hy   b l  am e   t     m. While pushing the Right and the Left ideologies, the history teachers on the campus have failed to  mpart basic knowledge. The politics which guides teaching history and drawing of syllabus could not have done a bigger damage to the nation by keeping its college students even ignorant about the Prime  ministers and Presidents.   

ISI’s conspiracy in collusion with Indian Mujahideen –The Pioneer-4.12.11

Investigations into the JamaM a s j i d   b l  a s t   c a s  e   a n d subsequent arrest of six Indian

Mujahideen operatives have given clear indications that the ‘Karachi Project’, one of the

most ambitious projects of the ISI, where it has combined Pakistani forces and homegrown terrorists to launch a series of terror strikes in India,was very much in operation.Indian security agencies haveevidence to prove that despite v e h e m e n t   d e n i a l s   b y   t  h e Pakistani Government and its powerful army, the Karachi Project was still alive and more efforts were going on. The ISI is using sleeper cells and some jihadists who now live in Pakistan under ISI patronage to involve Indian operatives for launching terrorist attacks. T h e   i n t e r  r o g a t i o n   o f Mohammad Adil, alias Ajmal, a   r e s i d e n t           of Ka r a c h i   i n Pakistan and now in Delhi Police custody had revealed that the ISI was using the services of Bhatkal brothers — Riyaz and Iqbal, the key IM brains to target Indian cities. Amir Reza Khan  and Bhatkal brothers are currently housed in the highly secured Defence Housing Authority in Karachi under ISI protection. It has now emerged that IM operatives were actively pursuing young Muslim boys of Bihar in their  ranks. Adil, who is an active m e m b  e r     o f   J a i s h - e -Mohamamd, has reportedly told the interrogators that they have managed to influence a n d   i n d o  c  t  r  i  n a t e   y o u n g students as IM members and the network has spread its tentacles in the bordering districts of Bihar. The young recruits are being used to smuggle counterfeit Indian currency, explosives, arms and ammunition. Adil’s interrogation has revealed how ISI’s handlers planned the attack with IM’s R i y a z   Bh at  k a l   on   fo r e i g n tourists. Its main objective was to discredit India before the Commonwealth Games. Adil has further disclosed that IM has built a formidable network in the eight districts of Bihar along the Indo-Nepal border. The IM operatives are on both the sides of the border as there is virtually no check on  their movements. They have been using the unmanned border for smuggling counterfeit Indian  c  u  r  r e n c  y.   T h e   c  u  r  r e n c  y recovered from the possession of the IM module was also smuggled from  his route. IM is on an overdrive to recruit young boys from North Bihar’s Sit amarhi, Darbhanga  and Madhubani districts, that are closer to Nepal. This area was frequented by Ahmad Siddi B  app  a ,   a  l i       Imr a n ,   a  l i a s Shahrukh. Adil has revealed that Shahrukh used to pass on i n f o r  m a t i o n   t o B ha      a  l  brothers who then reverted back after taking directions from the ISI. Shahrukh had made repeated trips to North  and South Bihar districts for recruiting young students as they are more vulnerable to  allurements. Sources said raids are still on in North and South Bihar to arrest more IM cadres. Raids are also being carried out in West Bengal, Chennai and Karnataka. Sharukh’s Bihar and Mumbai  connections, too, are being investigated as there are many youths from Bihar who work in Mumbai for a living. The notorious Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is using the porous Indo-Nepal border for passing through Bihar  to bleed India. It has covertly  helped the IM, the homegrown  terror outfit, to  target India and i t s   c i t i e s .   T h e   on go i n g investigations into the IM module busted by Delhi Police  have revealed that ISI and its operatives were exploiting the eight bordering districts of Bihar w i t  h  Ne p a l   fo r   f  u n n e l i n g  counterfeit Indian currency, a r m s ,   e x p l o s i v e s   an d   weapons. The ISI’s evil designs on India have been manifested once again with the arrest of the IM’s module. The  act that five operatives arrested are from Bihar lends credence to this story. Even the sixth member,  ho  appened to be a Pakistani national, Mohammad Adil, was also a r  r e  s t e d   f  rom  Ma dhub an I district of Bihar.   K i s h a n g  a n j ,   A r  a r  a r  i  a  , S i t  a m a r s h  i ,   Mo t  i  h a r  i , Madhubani,  orbesganj and Saharsa with 54 police stations p ro v  i d e   an   e  a s y   rou t e   o f infiltration into India  y taking t h e   N e p a l - B i h a r   b  o r d e r. Investigators say ISI is using Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bihar route to pump fake currency, arms and explosives in India. Investigations have found many sleeper cells  n Bihar that have been used to provide logistics an d   f o  o t   s  o l d i e r s   f o r   terror strikes .

89 Die In Kolkata Hospital Blaze-ToI-10.12.11Patients Choked By Toxic Fumes

Kolkata: One of Kolkata’s better-known super-specialty hospitals turned into a gas chamber in the early hours of Friday after a basement fire pumped toxic fumes through the centrally-air-conditioned building. At least 89 of the 164 patients have died and over 50 were injured, some of them seriously. Three staff at the Advanced Medicare & Research Institute (AMRI) hospital in Dhakuria are among the dead. 
    Most of the fatalities were in the ICU and ITU, where patients choked to death, still hooked to life support systems and in wards where people lay immobilized with broken limbs in casts. Most others died a horrible slow death, banging on the glass walls and desperately sucking in air from cracks in the windows, as the hospital staff kept the gates locked and refused to let local residents and the victims’ kin mount a rescue operation. 
    Locals say at least one patient jumped to his death, bringing back memories of the Stephen Court tragedy last year when many young techies jumped off the burning building on Park Street to die on the pavement. 
    The 190-bed AMRI hospital, among the expensive ones in the city with an impressive roll of specialists, had another fire in 2008. Still, fire prevention equipment had not been installed. Sources say that more recently the fire department had objected to the inflammable goods stored in the basement, designed for a parking lot, and wanted it removed. The hospital, built over seven levels, sought three months for this but did little. Nothing happened. And the fire department did not bother to ensure that the basement was cleared. The criminal callousness proved to be the death sentence for 89 patients. 
BLUNDERS, NEGLIGENCE LED TO HORRIFIC TRAGEDY 
Hospital staff played down risk, tried to control fire on own 
Call to the fire brigade went very late. First SOS seems to have gone to police who informed fire brigade 
Hospital gates locked, had to be broken down. Firemen had 
no hydraulic ladders to reach the upper floors (no lessons learnt from Stephen Court fire) 
Inflammable goods — including oxygen cylinders & biomedical waste — stored in basement meant to be a parking lot. Hospital had promised to sort it out in Sept 
VIPs, including CM Mamata Banerjee, rushed to the spot since early morning, 
complicating rescue operations Worst Infernos 
360 died in fire at annual school event in Dabwali, Haryana on 
Dec 23, 1995 
91 children burnt alive at school in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu on July 16, 2004 
89 and counting — toll at Kolkata’s AMRI hospital on Dec 9, 2011 
64 visitors at trade fare died in Meerut on 
Apr 10, 2006 
59 cinema-goers died at Uphaar cinema hall during screening of 'Border' on 
June 13, 1997 Disaster Hours 
1.30am | Patients’ kin, slum dwellers nearby see smoke in basement, alert guards 
1.45am | Relatives not allowed to get in, guards say they will take care of the “small fire”. Patients told to go back to sleep as smoke spreads through A/C vents 
2.10am | Fire brigade called. Slum dwellers tie patients to themselves, climb down ladders 
2.30am | Firemen arrive, spend next 45 minutes trying to break open the gates 
3.30am | Fire under control but smoke blinds workers. Firemen move in but it’s too late 
6am | First hydraulic lift arrives 
9.45am | Mamata Banerjee arrives. Crowd goes berserk to reach her, police rain blows Poor rescue efforts pushed up Kolkata hospital toll 
    All the deaths were due to suffocation, which means that many lives could have been saved, had the rescue effort started earlier. The fire department was informed 40 minutes after the fire had started. Victims’ kin and locals said the hospital staff fled, leaving the patients to their fate. But the management denies this and claim employees saved many lives. 
    According to sources, the hospital staff initially played down the risk and tried to tackle the fire on their own. Residents of a nearby slum and patients’ kin saw smoke billowing out of the basement around 1.30am and alerted the hospital security, who asked them not to bother. 
    “The guards said it wasn’t a big deal and refused to react even when the smoke became denser. Soon, we could hear thumps from the upper floors and looked up to see patients banging on the sealed windows. Still, the security staff would not budge. We pleaded to be allowed into the compound so that we could rescue the patients but in vain,” said Asit Haldar, one of the first to raise the alarm. 
    There are reports that some patients woke up on smelling smoke but were told to go back to sleep. The smoke was so intense that slum dwellers could feel their lungs burning in their homes but the hospital staff took their time calling for help. A precious 40 minutes were lost. The SOS to the fire brigade went at 2.10am. 
    Bamboo ladders were brought out of homes. Young men wrapped their faces in wet cloth and started climbing up to the panic-stricken patients. Initially, the rescuers would tie patients to their bodies and bring them down. But when the situation grew more desperate, they started making hammocks out of bedsheets to bundle the patients and throw them to waiting arms below, say witnesses.