SC CANCELS LICENCE TO LOOT-ToI-3.2.1

Scraps All 121 2G Permits Given By Raja

New Delhi: On a day when extelecom minister A Raja completed exactly a year in jail, the Supreme Court on Thursday scrapped all 121 2G licenses issued by him and held the entire process as illegal. Not just this, it felt constrained to go beyond 
the illegalities and decide on the policy of awarding spectrum by saying that the scare natural resource could only be given in an open auction. 
    The verdict has pushed the government into defensive mode ahead of the UP polls as it endorsed that the national exchequer has lost hundreds of crores because of the scam and, as a corollary, rejected the government claim that the award of 2G licences have caused “zero loss”. The court ruling has sent ripples of concern across the telecom sector as well as to foreign investors. 
    The court, however, gave a short breather to Union home minister P Chidambaram. The 89-page judgement by Justices GS Singhvi and A K Ganguly refused to decide Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy’s petition seeking a CBI probe into the allegation of Chidambaram conniving with Raja to award the 2G licences. It left this to the Special Court dealing with the 2G case. The Special Court is expected to deliver its order on Saturday. 
    At various places in the order, the two justices held that Raja ignored the advice of the PM and did not consult the finance minister or the law minister: something that strengthens UPA’s defence that he was acting on his own. 
    Despite strong government resistance, Justice Ganguly, who retired on Thursday, and Justice Singhvi met half way activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s demand to set up a special investigation team of the court to monitor the CBI probe into the spectrum scam. 
‘AUCTION THE ONLY ANSWER’ 
    The SC’s stand on the sale of state-owned natural resources has implications for the future. It has said, “There is a fundamental flaw in the principle of first-come-first serve”. Pointing out that those with access to the corridors of power could use it to their advantage, the court said that for giving out scarce resources like spectrum the government must always auction. It added that “any other methodology for disposal of public property and natural resources/national assets is likely to be misused by unscrupulous people”.COURT MAKES A TOUGH CALL 
SC asks trial court to decide whether Chidambaram should be investigated in 2G scam, gives 4-wk time. But Judge Saini may decide on Feb 4 
BANKS JITTERY 
SBI, IDBI Bank, PNB main lenders. Their exposure to 11 firms whose licences have been cancelled is over 
    20,000cr FIRMS ALSO FINED 
5cr 
Swan, 
Unitech Wireless, Tata Teleservices 
50L 
Loop, S-Tel, 
Shyam Sistema, 
Alliance Infratech SUBSCRIBERS AFFECTED109m 
ROAD AHEAD 
All licences given to private telcos after Jan 10, 2008 and allocation of spectrum for these licences quashed Licences to be cancelled in 4 months TRAI to make fresh recommendations for auction of 2G licences & spectrum in 22 circles Govt to decide on these within another month and auction licences Order not to affect 2G investigations of CBI, ED etc. or defence of those facing prosecution by CBI 
SUPREME COURT SPEAK 
The manner in which the exercise for grant of LoIs to the applicants was conducted leaves no room for doubt that everything was stage managed to favour those who were able to know in advance (of the) change in the implementation of the first-come-first served principle. 
What needs to be emphasised is that the State and/or its agencies/instrumentalities cannot give largesse to any person according to sweet will and whims of the political entities and/or officers of State.

 

Nato report rips open Pak ‘double game’ in Afghanistan-ToI-2.2.12

Islamabad/London: Exposing the ISI’s “manipulation” of Taliban’s senior leadership and its “massive double game”, a damning Nato report says that Pakistan government remains “intimately” involved with the Afghan-based terror group.
    It leaked out on a day when Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar arrived in Kabul on a one-day visit for talks with the Afghan leadership.
    The Nato report contains accusations that Pakistan is playing a massive double game with the West as it publicly claims to seek a political solution to the Afghan conflict, while still supporting fighters who have killed thousands of international troops. Many of the revelations concern the scale of support to the Taliban provided by Pakistan and the influence of ISI agency.
    “The government of Pakistan remains intimately involved with the Taliban,” the Telegraph quoted the report as saying.
    Reacting to the report, Khar was quoted as saying, “We can disregard this as a potentially strategic leak... This is old wine in an even older bottle.” The report is based on material from 27,000 interrogations with more than 4,000 captured Taliban, al-Qaida and other foreign fighters and civilians. It notes: “Pakistan’s manipulation of Taliban senior leadership continues unabatedly. Pakistan is aware of locations of Taliban leaders.” 

It’s now Taslima lajja for India-ToI-2.1.12

Protesters Block Book Launch

Kolkata: Before the storm over Salman Rushdie’s absence from the Jaipur Literature festival could abate, a fresh one started on Wednesday after the Kolkata Book Fair cancelled exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin’s book release, saying the government had warned of security problems. Fair organizers, however, cited problems with the auditorium as the official reason to call off the event to launch Taslima’s latest book ‘Nirbashan’ (Exile). 
    Writers and book lovers were taken aback, more so because the gag on Rushdie at the Jaipur Literature Festival was the main buzz at this year’s Kolkata mela. The publishers then released the book at their own stall amid a small gathering of writers and rights activists. 
    The author of ‘Lajja' (Shame), who lives in exile under state protection in India, was scathing in her reaction. Fundamentalists had been emboldened by their success in keeping Rushdie away from Jaipur, she told TOI over phone. “The mullahs scored a victory by preventing Rushdie from coming to Jaipur. They celebrated their victory by not allowing my book to be launched in Kolkata. What next?” 
    She said her hopes of a better Bengal under Mamata Banerjee had been dashed. “Like the CPM, Mamata is also soft on fundamentalists. All parties are scared of fanatics. That encourages fundamentalists.” Mamata is also the state’s home minister. 
TURBULENT TIMES 1993 | Taslima’s 'Lajja' banned in Bangladesh. Fundamentalists set price on her head 
1994 | Moves to Sweden. Awarded Sakharov prize for freedom of thought by European Parliament 
1999-2000 | Granted visa for India. Fundamentalists threaten to kill her if she visits Mumbai 
2003 | West Bengal govt bans 'Dwikhandito' for hurting religious sentiments. Two male authors — an Indian and a Bangladeshi —file defamation cases against her 
2004 | Gets residence permit to live in India, sets up home in Kolkata 
2005 | Calcutta HC lifts ban on ‘Dwikhandito’ 
2007 | Leaves Kolkata after violent protests; attacked in Hyderabad 
2008 | Centre asks her to leave India. Allowed to stay in country in 2011 
2012 | Book launch at Kolkata fair cancelled. Publishers release book at stall amid protests‘Book launch planned to insult Muslims’ 
    Taslima claimed on Twitter that Kolkata Police had arm-twisted book fair organizers to cancel the launch. The Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild first claimed the auditorium was not ready, but then clarified in the evening that they feared the release could have affected the security of thousands of visitors at the fair. 
    “Kolkata, a city of progressive! A book release even w/o my presence not possible! All political parties, all orgs afraid of fanatics! But how long… They banned me, a writer, a person. They do not need to know the content of the book... Some religious fanatics don’t want it to happen,” she said on Twitter. 
    The All India Minority Forum had sent delegations to the Kolkata Police and the guild warning that celebrating Taslima’s book could provoke strong reactions. And, when the publishers did a smaller release at their stall, a group of protesters from the minority forum tried to disrupt it. Violent protests led by the Forum in November 2007 had forced Taslima out of Kolkata. “Nasrin has written against Islam repeatedly. She is doing this at the insistence of the US. She will not be allowed here,” 
    said Abdul Aziz of the forum. The chairman of the ruling Trinamool Congress’s minority cell Idris Ali was among the protesters at the book fest. 
    “We are upset that her publisher has ceremoniously organized the release of her book. It was done deliberately to insult our community,” Aziz said. 
    “I could not risk this. We were told by this group that the release might cause trouble inside the fair. We discussed the matter with Kolkata Police who said that the group had met senior officers at Kolkata police headquarters and vented similar apprehensions,” said guild general secretary Tridib Chatterjee. 
    The book was released by Bengali author Nabarun Bhattacharya, the son of writer and human rights activist Mahasveta Devi, in the presence of writer Ranjan Bandopadhyay and rights activist Sujato Bhadra. “All this while we were condemning the Salman Rushdie episode and now we are not allowing the release of a book by another world acclaimed writer. I condemn this move by the guild,” Bhattacharya said. “This is a gross violation of human rights. When Nasrin's book was banned earlier, I fought legally to get the ban lifted. Nasrin has not only been banned from the state, now her pen has also been banished,” Bhadra said. 
    The book launch was scheduled for 3pm but the guild called up the publishers, People’s Book Society, around 1pm to cancel the booking. “We were told that since the Kolkata Literary Meet ended late last night, the hall could not be prepared for our programme. But unofficially we have been told that since the book is Taslima’s, and she is a banned author, it was blacked out,” said Shibani Mukherjee, publisher.

Vasectomy forced on Maoist cadre-ToI-1.2.12

New Delhi: Seven Maoists, who surrendered to police in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, claimed their leaders forced them to undergo vasectomy to ensure the ultras’ cause doesn’t get lost in domestic compulsions.
    Besides three senior commanders, East Bastar divisional committee member Sunil Kumar and his wife Jayanti, a senior member of the Maoist cultural wing, are among those who surrendered. All the four men claimed they had to undergo vasectomy.
    Maoist veterans said vasectomy of members is an old practice in Naxalite outfits. It was also practiced in the People’s War Group (PWG) that merged with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004 to form the CPI-Maoist. Speaking to TOI over phone, Bastar inspector-general of police T J Long Kumer said, “Maoist leaders force their cadres to undergo vasectomy, especially, if they want to marry the party’s female cadres.”
    N Saibaba, democratic rights activist associated with the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), trashed such claims. He said, “This is clearly a forced statement by the police. I think there is no truth in it. (Maoist spokesperson) Gudsa Usendi had clarified earlier that police put words in the mouth of surrendered Maoists for propaganda.”
    Long Kumer, however, cited the instance of a PWG cadre Bhadrana, who led the Basaguda dalam. He had to undergo vasectomy when he wanted to marry a fellow Maoist. “I was Dantewada SP then. After surrendering in 2000, Bhadrana told me he wanted to have children. We sent him to a Bhilai hospital to undo the vasectomy,” said
Long Kumer.
    But, such operations are largely reserved for local cadres who are pushed to the frontline to fight the “war”. “Maoist leaders, most of who are from Andhra Pradesh, have no such compulsions. It’s only meant for the local and tribal cadres. Maoist general secretary Ganapathy has two daughters and a son,” said Rajesh.
PC slams Naxals’ vasectomy policy
    Home minister P Chidambaram said the Maoist directive asking its cadres to undergo vasectomy operation was a form of "violence and oppression" unleashed upon them. “This is not a new report... there have been reports in the past that Naxals exploit young girls... (and) of Naxalite cadres committing torture on cadres, taking away young boys and forcibly recruit (them). This is one another kind of violence and oppression they unleash upon young cadre," Chidambaram said. 

‘War criminal’ tag for N Korea mobile users-ToI-30.1.12

London: North Korea has warned its citizens against using cell phones inside the country, saying anyone caught talking on mobiles would be branded “war criminals” and punished accordingly, a media report said. 
    North Korea has long relied on a total restriction of information to maintain control over its isolated citizenry, and in time of transition between late Kim Jong-il and his successor, Kim Jongun, the state is clamping down on anyone using mobile phones, the Daily Telegraph reported. 
    This is apparently because of fears of possible discontent among people if they come to know about conditions outside North Korea from any report sent by mobile phones, the report said. 
    There are also concerns in North Korea that reports about Arab Spring in 2011 sswhich toppled long-ruling dictators in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt could trigger unrest in North Korea. 
    Moreover, the regime fears that any outside communication could assist anybody attempting to flee to reach South Korea, the report said. This fear is heightened by reports of an increasing number of people attempting to cross the border into China due to food shortage in the isolated nation.