These pictures of flowers at Halmaal-Dorp were taken on the 6th of April
When it’s Spring again I’ll bring again Tulips from Amsterdam
I am sorry, it is spring again, but these tulips are from Halmaal-Dorp !
Tulips from Halmaal-Dorp
Tulips from Halmaal-Dorp
Tulips from Halmaal-Dorp
To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/
More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
Sonika Raina, Tribune News Service
Jammu, April 28. Marriage is life’s serious business. In J&K, where fledgling peace is delicately perched on the charred bleakness of two-decade-old terrorist violence, marital bonding among those displaced has come with a government-sponsored package.
Raju Bhat is a government schoolteacher at Mirbazar, about 8 km from Vessu, Anantnag. Recently engaged to Renuka Razdhan, a teacher in Vessu, the couple would tell you how and why they have chosen to stay together.
Both live in Vessu’s migrant quarters and feel life can be secure if they marry someone working in Kashmir only.
Like Raju, there are many Kashmiri Pandit youth employed in different parts of the Valley under the Prime Minister’s employment package. A majority of them would like their partners in the Valley itself. Not long ago, most Pandit youths moved to metropolitan cities after marriage, or pursued their career.
“I worked in Delhi for a year, but the life was quite hectic. Then I got a job in Kashmir as a teacher. We had to sign a bond, making our jobs non-transferable. In such a situation, no Pandit girl from Jammu or Delhi would come to stay here with me. Then I met a girl of my choice in Vessu. She is also working here. So, now we can have a smooth life here,” said Raju Bhat.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006 announced a special employment package of 3,000 posts for educated, displaced Kashmiri Pandit youths. So far 1,706 migrant youths have been employed in different parts of the Valley under the PM’s package. Ashu Razdan, who married Shivani Razdan in November, 2011 says, “We both are working as junior engineers in the same department. We met in Kashmir and found ourselves compatible. There are many other couples like us. “
The arrangement has a bonus point: same-community marriage. With an exodus of about 3 lakh Pandits in the early 90s following escalation in selective killings, the diaspora life threw up new challenges before the new generation. Official sources say, of 34, 608 Kashmiris who had to flee the Valley, 30,588 were Kashmiri Hindus, 2,169 Muslims and1,848 Sikhs.
Ahmad Hassan
Islamabad, 29 April 2012. The government came up with unmistakable indications on Saturday that it was ready to prolong the contempt case, contending that an official of the Supreme Court had misused his powers by writing to the National Assembly and the Chief Election Commissioner asking them to take “further necessary action” for implementation of the verdict against the prime minister.
Law Minister Farooq Naek, at a press conference, urged the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry into the matter and hinted that the government would move a privilege motion against the court’s assistant registrar since he had “breached the privilege of Parliament”.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Postal Services Sardar Alhaj Gorgeij and Senator Sardar Ali were present on the occasion.
Mr Naek told the press conference that the Supreme Court had sent a letter along with copies of its two short orders in the contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chief Election Commissioner asking them for further necessary action.
The letter, written by SC’s Assistant Registrar Iqbal Naseem on the day the apex court had convicted Mr Gilani, said: “I am directed to enclose herewith a certified copy of the short order of the court dated 26-4-2012 and another order dated 26-4-2012 passed in the above cited criminal original petition for further necessary action.”
Reading from the court order, Mr Naek pointed out that the SC had not asked for disqualification of the prime minister. Instead, he added, the court had left the decision for other ‘institutions’ (NA speaker and CEC).
“If the Supreme Court decides to disqualify Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the government will be ready to comply with all its orders,” the law minister observed.
Mr Naek said that an appeal against the Supreme Court’s order could be filed only after the detailed judgment was released.
He claimed that the Supreme Court order was not passed under Section 5 of the contempt of court ordinance which disqualified a person from holding public office for five years.
“The court always gives a detailed order so that the accused can read it and file an appeal, but in this case the Supreme Court did not issue a detailed order nor did it give a copy of its order to the prime minister,” he asserted.
He claimed that the Supreme Court did not disqualify the prime minister and people should not rush into passing judgments. “A trial ends only after an appeal is heard… What is the rush all about?”
Mr Naek said the NA speaker still had 30 days to decide about the prime minister’s fate and till that time Mr Gilani would continue to head the government and remain a member of the National Assembly.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira wondered why a contempt case was “hushed up against those who had pushed and insulted the chief justice after he was deposed (in 2007) and political workers were on the streets in his support.
He asked the PML-N leadership not to jump to conclusion and “avoid a collision course”.
“The People’s Party has learned lessons from its mistakes and will try to persuade the opposition not to repeat mistakes,” Mr Kaira said.
http://dawn.com/2012/04/29/govt-objects-to-sc-move-in-gilani-case/
Says Jamma & Kashmir in favour of continuous India-Pakistan dialogue
Darshan Bharti
Poonch, April 27. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today blamed Pakistan for sabotaging the rehabilitation policy of the state government even as he said that his government would adopt some other way to bring back misguided youth who had crossed over to Pakistan for militant training.
Addressing a public meeting in the Mandi area of Poonch, Omar said: “We are committed to resolving the J&K issue politically once and for all. The misguided youth in Pakistan want to come back but Pakistan is not allowing them to do so in the right way. Now, we will adopt some other way to bring them back; our intention is clear and we are committed to rehabilitating them so that they can live with dignity.”
“The Kashmir issue is a political one and can only be resolved politically. In this regard we are in favour of a continuous dialogue between India and Pakistan,” Omar said, adding that the internal dialogue between the state and the Centre was also of significant importance.
The Chief Minister said the National Conference had always supported good India-Pakistan relations and wanted a political settlement of political issues in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere.
“I have repeatedly stated that economic development cannot resolve and replace the political issues. Both have their significance and need to be addressed separately and in specific spectrums,” he said while assuring people that he would continue his endeavours towards prosperity and permanent peace in the state. He wanted a tranquil and conducive atmosphere where the gun would be totally irrelevant and absurd.
Omar asked party workers to spread awareness about the path-breaking initiatives taken up by the government during the last three years to bring development and peace in the state.
“Others are selling the initiatives and achievements your government has registered,” Omar told his party workers. He asked them to make people aware of the “historic public empowerment measures of the government such as the Public Service Guarantee Act, Right to Information Commission, Accountability Commission and Vigilance Commission”.
Omar asked the workers to remain pro-active in getting public grievances noted and redressed by the administration. “Your rapport with people at the grass roots should be regular and constant. Help them with their genuine grievances and development,” he advised the workers and asked them to work jointly with the coalition partner to help fulfil the aspirations of the people.
National Conference provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta, Vice-Chairman of the Pahari Advisory Board Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhri and MLA Aijaz Ahmad Jan were present on the occasion.
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 27. The border areas of Punjab are all set to go solar as the Punjab Energy Development Authority is planning to install a large number of solar-powered streetlights and water heating systems in public buildings in border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts.
Ninety per cent of the cost of installing these systems in public buildings, including colleges, schools, hospitals and gurdwaras, would be borne by the Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA). The rest (10 per cent) would be taken care of by local bodies like panchayats and nagar panchayats.
PEDA has also planned to install one lakh ‘gobar’ gas plants or bio-gas units in rural areas over the next one year. The agency has been providing a subsidy of 30 per cent for those switching over to bio-gas plants. As many as 48,904 such units have already been set up in Punjab villages.
“The ‘gobar’ gas plants have helped rural people, especially those having milch animals, cut on LPG costs,” said PEDA chairman Manjit Singh.
The agency has installed solar systems in Parliament and has been told to install an 85-KV solar plant in Rashtrapati Bhawan at a cost of Rs 3 crore. “We will install a power house in Rashtrapati Bhawan within six months,” said Manjit Singh. Besides, it would be installing a similar system in Punjab Governor’s house in Chandigarh.
“It is not that the project is meant only for border areas, it will be implemented in rest of Punjab as well. But, the only difference will be that panchayats and local bodies in other areas will have to cough up more money as subsidy in other areas will only be 30 per cent and not 90 per cent, as is being offered in border areas. A subsidy of 30 per cent on renewable energy products like solar lights, inverters, cookers, lanterns and water heaters has been extended to individuals as well,” he said.
He said hoteliers, factory owners and individuals in Jalandhar district were saving Rs 22.29 lakh a year after installing water heaters.
Narayan Lakshman
Washington, 27 April 2012. Although TIME magazine included Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in its online poll for the world’s 100 most influential people, the United States government took a dimmer view of the controversial political leader this week when a State Department Spokesperson clarified that there was no change in its decision to deny Mr. Modi a visa to enter the country.
At a press briefing Spokesperson Victoria Nuland responded to a question regarding a letter that U.S. Congressman Joe Walsh, Republican of Illinois, had written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, regarding whether the U.S.’ 2005 decision to not to issue Mr. Modi a visa would be reviewed.
Ms. Nuland said, “I haven’t seen the letter. I think you know that our position on the visa issue hasn’t changed at all, so I would guess that if we do respond, it’ll be along familiar lines.” The U.S. has expressed concerns about Mr. Modi’s association with the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which thousands were killed as an anti-Muslim pogrom was unleashed under his watch.
In 2005, Mr. Modi applied for but was denied a “diplomatic visa” under 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act and his existing tourist/business visa was revoked under Section 212 (a)(2)(g) of the Act.
Under the latter, foreign government officials are considered ineligible for a visa should the State Department view them as “responsible for, or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
The debate on Mr. Modi’s visa status comes close on the heels of a heated discussion following his appearance on the TIME list. While the magazine itself described the online poll as “unscientific,” some political leaders were said to have labelled Mr. Modi an “internet manipulator,” for getting his supporters to vote in the TIME poll to boost his standing.
Ironically TIME magazine noted that Mr. Modi had “amassed the most ‘no’ votes of anyone featured on the poll — more than 260,000.” One of its editors Bobby Ghosh, explained, “Being on the cover of TIME is neither a prize nor an endorsement. It is a sign of a person’s importance, or of their influence, certainly. Modi is unquestionably both of those things.”
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article3361093.ece
The picture of Angadvir Singh was sent to me by my Den Haag family and was taken during the 29 March Balwant Singh Rajooana manifestation. The kumbel (deken/blanket) was bought on 28 March in the Turki Bazar and the pictures of flowers at Halmaal-Dorp were taken on the 6th of April.
Angadvir Singh
My new kumbel from the Turki Bazar
My one and only plant produced small white flowers
Spring in Halmaal-Dorp
To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/
More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 27. Shahid Ali Khan, a student of late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, enthralled the audience with his qawwalis during a function organised by the Music Department of Punjabi University here . Blessed with a voice very similar to the legendary singer, Shahid imitated his singing style so well that audience were spellbound and enjoyed the two-hour long programme without any break.
He sang various songs, including “Allah hoo”, “Akhiyan udeekdiyan”, “Nitt khair manga sohneya”, “Tum ik gorakh dhanda ho”, “Ni main jana jogi de naal”, “Sun charkhe di mithi kook”, “Tumhe dilagi bhool jani padegi”, “Sanson ki mala pe simroon main pee ka naam sunaye” and department students supported him in his qawwalis.
Shahid said he was glad to be in India for the first time and would soon release his solo album ‘Pyaar Da Mariz,’ the shooting of which was going on in Chandigarh. He is working on another album “Ik Ladki Jawan Ho Gayi Hai”, which will also hit the market soon. Expressing his desire to work with A R Rehman, Shahid said he was fond of his music and felt that he was probably one of the most talented music directors in the world.
Friday 27 April 2012. A court in the Indian capital, Delhi, has convicted Bangaru Laxman, former chief of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in a bribery case.
Laxman was secretly videotaped accepting a bribe from reporters posing as arms dealers 11 years ago.
News website Tehelka had taped secret video footage of politicians, army officers and bureaucrats taking money in connection with a fake arms deal.
Laxman and the others said they had been framed.
Sentencing is due to take place on Saturday.
Laxman was taken into custody by officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the court order.
In the 2001 video, reporters posing as arms dealers offered Laxman 100,000 rupees ($1,900; £1,170) as a bribe for a military contract. Laxman was seen accepting the bribe.
The website, Tehelka.com, said two of its journalists had posed as businessmen for a fake company, West End International, trying to sell fictitious hand-held thermal imaging devices to the Indian military.
Laxman said he had accepted the money as a donation for the party and handed it over to the party treasurer.
After the video footage was shown on television channels, Laxman – who was BJP president at the time – and then defence minister George Fernandes were forced to resign.
The CBI later charged Laxman under anti-corruption laws.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs by dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh
Megha Mann, Tribune News Service
Bathinda, April 26. The court of Additional Sessions Judge DS Johal today granted relief to Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by staying a lower court’s order that had directed him to appear before the Judge on May 10.
Dera chief’s counsel had yesterday moved an application in the court of District and Sessions Judge S K Aggarwal challenging the decision of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Harjit Singh who had summoned him to appear in the court on May 10. The next hearing in the case has been fixed on May 25.
On April 2, the CJM court had dismissed a Bathinda police report seeking cancellation of an FIR lodged against the Dera chief for allegedly dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh and hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs in 2007.
Refusing the police’s plea, the CJM had directed the government witnesses to depose before the court on May 10.
A Dera spokesperson had contended that the police had failed to produce a challan in the court within the three-year stipulated period and in this case more than four-and-a-half years had passed.
