The Tribune – Seeking Change; Mention riot victims in ardas, SAD to Akal Takht

Syed Ali Ahmed, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 1. The Shiromani Akali Dal today requested the Akal Takht that the 1984 riot victims be mentioned as martyrs in the ‘ardas’ at the culmination of Sikh prayers. President of the Delhi unit of the SAD Manjit Singh GK, said: “We want the incident to be mentioned in the ardas so that generations remember the carnage and the victims are hence immortalised”.

Some 4,000 Sikh community members were killed in the Capital in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. The party intends to hold a “March for Justice” tomorrow.

“Thousands of riot victims have yet to be given justice 27 years after the mass murder of the community in Delhi and other states of the country whereas those involved in the Gujarat riots have been punished. The government has also punished those involved in the killing of Dalits in Mirchipur in Haryana”, Manjit Singh observed.

“When the Nanavati Commission report was submitted, the Prime Minister had assured in Parliament that those behind the riots would be punished. The victims will be given a relief package. But so far this has not been implemented,” he said. Despite an FIR against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, no chargesheet had been filed against him.

He demanded that cases against Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish, Tytler, Dharam Dass Shastri and Kamal Nath be tried by “fast-track courts”. Action should be initiated against police officers who had refused to order the postmortem of Sikh victims. He demanded government jobs for family members of the victims and a hike in widow’s pension from Rs 2500 to Rs 5000.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111102/punjab.htm#4

The Tribune – Chinese airfields encircle Ladakh

India has 2 airbases at Leh & Thoise, China has 6 fully-functional airfields adjoining Ladakh 

Ajay Banerjee at the LAC in Ladakh

In the vast windswept and barren landscape that divides India and China in southeastern Ladakh, temperatures can drop to a numbing minus 10 degree Celsius at the start of winter. What’s more bone chilling for India is recent military developments in western parts of Tibet and Xinjiang province in China that pose a new challenge for Indian defence establishment and its forces.

There can be no masking the fact that India needs to prioritise and speed up its thrust into eastern Ladakh. Setting up of vital airfields, infrastructure on the LAC, storehouses for supplies and better accommodation for troops just cannot be postponed any more.

At the beginning of October, the Indian Defence Ministry gave its nod to develop an airfield at Nyoma and expand the one at Kargil. At present India has two full-fledged airbases at Leh and Thoise.

Meanwhile, China has readied six airbases on its side in areas of western Tibet and Xinjiang province adjoining Ladakh.

The Indian security establishment has irrefutable visual inputs on Chinese airfields. Beijing now has the capability to launch fighter aircrafts carrying deadly strike weapons or transport planes carrying tonnes of equipment or hundreds of troops to land then close to Indian forward defence lines along the LAC. These fully-functional airfields virtually form a ‘ring’ around Ladakh.

A senior official explained to The Tribune the fresh challenges saying Kashgar, Korla, Yarkand, Hotan, Cherchen (Qiemo) and Gardzong, have operational airfields. Large planes like the IL76 transporter operate from there. Last winter, the Chinese conducted a major military exercise and even operated their own version of the Sukhoi-30 fighter from at least three of these bases.

In India, only Leh and Thoise allow operations of all types of small and large planes. The Kargil airstrip is just 6,000-feet long and allows only smaller planes like AN32 or the C-130-Js to land. It will be expanded by the year 2016.

Nyoma in southeastern Ladakh is a mud-paved advanced landing ground (ALG). This sits at a junction from where three pressure points along the LAC-Demchok, Chushul and Chumar sector-are close by. Indian strategic planners have ruled out having a full operational usage of the ALG’s at Fukche and Chushul as they are deemed too close to China.

In China, the accommodation coming up is all in concrete. China terms the structures as the ‘nomad-huts’. The Indian Army suspects these are of dual use and can be converted into supply depots or even bunkers. The Chinese watch towers at Domshele and Demchok are three-storey high and are visibly well protected and insulated. The Indian side has basic amenities but those are way behind China.

A China-watcher at the New-Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, Dr K Yhome, says, “From a military point of view, the Chinese infrastructure of airfields, roads and rail-network threatens India. Our pace is not quick enough,” he adds.

It’s important that defence planners take note of his assessment.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111102/main7.htm

The Hindu – Manmohan hopes G20 leaders will help put global economy on track

New Delhi, 2 November 2011. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expected the Summit of the world’s 20 leading economies (G20) to signal a “strong and coordinated approach” to put the global economy back on track, while addressing medium term structural issues.

Dr. Singh also underscored the need for swiftly taking the difficult decisions to address the economic challenges in Europe and elsewhere against the backdrop of the sovereign debt crisis in Eurozone.

“It is important for the Cannes Summit to signal a strong and coordinated approach to put the global economy back on track, while addressing medium term structural issues,” he said in a departure statement before leaving for the two-day Cannes Summit in French Riviera starting on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said much more needs to be done to combat the debt crisis despite measure of confidence being restored in the market after the twin summits of the European Union and eurozone a few days ago.

Noting that the Eurozone is a historic project, he said, “India would like the Eurozone to prosper, because in Europe’s prosperity lies our own prosperity”.

Developing economies such as India need a conducive global economic environment to address the vast challenges they face, he said.

“In an increasingly interdependent world, we have to be wary of contagion effects and the import of inflationary pressures in our economy. We need to ensure that developing countries have access to requisite funds through multilateral development banks and to investible surpluses to meet their infrastructure and other priority needs,” Dr. Singh said.

Global governance to be discussed

The issue of global governance will also come up for discussion during the G20 meet.

“This is an issue of importance to India, and we will work with others to develop effective and representative global governance mechanisms and carry forward the process of reform of the international monetary and financial system,” he said.

During his visit, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy. He would be also meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron, Australian Premier Julia Gillard as also EU leaders Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso.

Dr. Singh, who will be at the G20 summit for the sixth consecutive time since it was first hosted by the U.S. in 2008, is also likely to push through India’s agenda for voluntary exchange of tax information to curb black money.

Dr. Singh is due to return home on Saturday night.

Sovereign debt crisis to dominate Summit

The Summit will be dominated by efforts by European leaders to resolve the sovereign debt crisis after the 17-nation Eurozone sealed a deal last month critical for global economic recovery.

A report from Athens said Greece has plunged the Eurozone back into crisis with a call for a referendum on a debt rescue package reached just days ago with difficulties.

The Summit hosted by Mr. Sarkozy is expected to seek commitments from all G20 members on growth and on re-balancing public finances.

U.S. President Barack Obama, Cameron and Chinese President Hu Jintao will be among the world leaders at the critical summit.

Dr. Singh is expected to urge the G20 to take the necessary steps to address current economic instability and to take concrete steps to put open trade, jobs, social protection and economic development at the heart of the recovery.

While underscoring the need to avoid protectionism, he is expected to advocate the importance of an open, transparent and rules-based multilateral trading system as a driver of global growth.

The economist-turned prime minister, whose advice is often sought at the G20 high table, is expected to give this prescription for providing the necessary confidence to global markets and ensuring a more stable global economic environment. (PTI)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2591059.ece

Sint-Truiden, Limburg, Belgium – Levensloop 1 and 2 October 2011

Levensloop is a walk/run raising money to help cancer patients. Each team had to keep a walker or runner on the course from 4 pm on Saturday till 4 pm on Sunday. The Sikh community took part with a team of nearly sixty walkers/runners. The pictures were all taken on Sunday 2 October.

The Sikh Community’s tent

Palwinder Kaur busy selling pakore

 The area around the Speelhof is very pleasant and the weather was good

Various performances were given, some on stage, others in more informal settings

To see more Sint-Truiden pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/ 

More Belgian pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue 

The Tribune – Black money: Income Tax Department cracks down on Swiss account holders

New Delhi, November 1. The Income Tax Department has started sending notices to persons involved in black money cases on the basis of information received from abroad, even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said their names would be disclosed after initiation of prosecution proceedings.

The notices are being sent by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to individuals and entities across countries following scrutiny of classified banking data received from foreign countries about Swiss Bank accounts.

“As and when the information (is received), investigation starts, prosecution takes place (and) matter comes to the court. Then, as per the existing treaty terms, we can reveal the names in cases of prosecution by the Income Tax Department,” Mukherjee told reporters here when asked whether the government has received information about industrialists and MPs in connection with black money.

The minister had earlier said the government had received information from France about overseas bank accounts of Indians. “In 69 cases, the taxpayers have admitted to unaccounted income of Rs 397.17 crore. Taxes of Rs 30.07 crore have also been paid,” he had said.

India, according to the Finance Ministry, has so far received over 9,900 pieces of information from several countries regarding suspicious transactions by Indian citizens, which are now under different stages of processing and investigation.

The Department of Criminal Investigation will initiate legal proceedings in several cases over the next few months, sources said, adding that the cases would be dealt with under criminal provisions of the IT Act.

In a number of cases being probed by the DCI, the department plans to conduct searches and surveys for obtaining additional information. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111102/main2.htm

BBC News – Pakistan cricketers guilty of betting scam

1 November 2011

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif have been found guilty of their part in a “spot-fixing” scam after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Former captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, were both found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.

They plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord’s Test match against England last summer.

Another bowler, Mohammad Amir, admitted the charges prior to the trial.

The guilty pleas by the bowler, who was 18 when the scam took place, could not be reported before.

The jury was not told of these pleas.

BBC sport news correspondent James Pearce says all three are facing the prospect of jail terms.

Conspiracy to accept corrupt payments carries a maximum prison term of seven years.

Our correspondent also says the case “raises serious questions about the integrity of Test cricket”.

A statement was read out by Amir’s lawyer at the start of the trial, before any evidence had been heard.

He said: “Mohammad Amir accepts full responsibility for deliberately bowling two no-balls and, in due course, you will hear how this vulnerable 18-year-old boy was subjected to extreme pressure from those on whom he should have been able to rely.

“He recognises the damage his actions have caused Pakistan cricket.”

Spot-betting involves gamblers staking money on the minutiae of sporting encounters such as the exact timing of the first throw-in during a football match or, as in this case, when a no-ball will be bowled.

After deliberating for nearly 17 hours, the jury unanimously convicted Butt and Asif of conspiracy to cheat.

Our correspondent said Butt’s wife, Gul Hassan, had given birth to a baby boy one hour before he was found guilty.

The BBC’s Aleem Maqbool, in Lahore, said the story was leading the national news in Pakistan and the four-week trial had been closely followed in the country.

The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, extended bail for Butt and Asif until sentencing later this week.

‘Rampant corruption’

They were charged after a tabloid newspaper alleged they took bribes to bowl deliberate no-balls.

The court heard the players, along with fast bowler Amir, conspired with UK-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, to fix parts of the Lord’s Test last August.

Three intentional no-balls were delivered during the match between Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August last year.

Prosecutors said Butt and Asif had been motivated by greed to “contaminate” a match watched by millions of people and “betray” their team, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the sport itself.

Aftab Jafferjee QC, for the prosecution, said the case “revealed a depressing tale of rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket”.

Following the verdicts, Haroon Lorgat – chief executive of the International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body – issued a statement.

In it, he said: “We hope that this verdict is seen as a further warning to any individual who might, for whatever reason, be tempted to engage in corrupt activity within our sport.”

He added that the ICC had a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption and would use everything within its power to ensure that any suggestion of corrupt activity within cricket was “comprehensively investigated and, where appropriate, robustly prosecuted”.

Sally Walsh, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the players had “brought shame on the cricket world” through their actions and “jeopardised the faith and admiration of cricket fans the world over”.

She said their actions “went against everything expected of someone in their position and they failed to take into account their fans of all ages and nationalities when deciding to abandon the values of sportsmanship so unconditionally”.

The senior lawyer added: “The jury has decided, after hearing all of the evidence, that what happened at the crease that day was criminal in the true sense of the word.”

DCS Matt Horne, of the Metropolitan Police, said what had happened was “cheating, pure and simple”.

“I think we all look forward to sport being played in its truest spirit as we go forward with these types of issues,” he added.

DCS Horne also acknowledged the investigative journalism that led to the trial.

Mazher Mahmood, the former News of the World journalist who uncovered the betting scam, said: “It is a sad day for cricket but a good day for investigative journalism.”

He said he hoped cricketing authorities would take the opportunity to tackle illegal gambling in the sport and do everything in their power to regain the cricket fans.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricket captain Asif Iqbal told BBC 5Live it was a “sad day for cricket” and said the case would send out a “huge message”.

Angus Fraser, a former England fast bowler, said it could be a “watershed” for the game.

“It shows young cricketers that there is a consequence to their behaviour. In the past players have been banned and then they have come back,” he told BBC 5Live.

“The International Cricket Council has got to support the players, see these signs and help them out of predicaments, but also see (that) if players do commit these offences they are punished severely.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15538516