The Tribune – Chill in India-Pakistan ties persists; no substantive talks with Ashraf

Ashok Tuteja, Tribune News Service

Jaipur, March 9. Amid the chill in India-Pakistan ties, Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf today offered prayers at the famous Sufi shrine at Ajmer but New Delhi refused to hold substantive talks with him to express its anger over the recent killing and beheading of Indian soldiers and Pakistan’s continued support to terrorism emanating from its soil against India.

With the BJP upping the ante against the visit, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who hosted a lunch in honour of the Pakistani Premier and his nearly 50-strong delegation at Hotel Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, was at pains to emphasise that the visiting dignitary had only been extended normal diplomatic courtesies which he is entitled to.

Even as several groups of people protested outside the hotel demanding an apology for the killing of the Indian jawans by Pakistani troops, the Pakistani leader and his delegation were received at the Jaipur International Airport by senior Rajasthan Government officials. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stayed away from all engagements of the visiting dignitary.

In Ajmer too, the usual fanfare associated with such visits was missing as the spiritual head of the historic ‘dargah’ boycotted the Pakistani Premier as a mark of protests against the soldiers’ killing.

The message to Islamabad was loud and clear: it can’t be business-as-usual until Islamabad addresses India’s concern over terrorism.

After Ashraf was accorded a somewhat subdued traditional Rajasthani welcome, he and Khurshid posed for photographers before heading for the lunch. Khurshid appeared calm and expressionless while Ashraf, wearing a black ‘bandgala’ suit, looked quite cheerful. As they shook hands, Khurshid remarked, “just when ‘Khwaja’ wants you to come, then everything works for you to be able to come.” In response, the Pakistani leader looked towards the sky and said, “Inshallah.”

Seated on the high table at lunch from the Pakistan side were the Premier himself, his wife, his son, Pakistan High Commissioner Salman Bashir and two officials.

From the Indian side, Khurshid was given company by four senior officials of his ministry, including MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.

Asked what the two delegations discussed during the 75-minute luncheon meeting, one official said the focus was on subjects like the composite cultures of the two countries, commonalities between them and the importance of spirituality. “There was absolutely no discussion on bilateral issues…the meeting followed the script explained by us during the past few days,” he added.

The official said though the mood at the lunch was quite somber, the Pakistani visitors time and again praised the mouth-watering Rajasthani delicacies laid out for them.

After the lunch, the Pakistani Premier and his delegation, primarily comprising members of his extended family, left for Ajmer in three Indian helicopters and Khurshid took off for Delhi.

Before leaving, the Indian minister briefly addressed the media and explained why India hosted lunch for the Pakistani Premier though the latter was on a private visit.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130310/main1.htm

The Hindu – Congress should lead struggle against corruption: Sonia

Jaipur, 20 January 2013.  Calling corruption a “deep rooted malice”, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said the party must lead the ‘struggle’ to counter its effect.

“Let me reiterate corruption at all levels is a deep rooted malice and all sections of society are affected by it. As a party we must lead struggle to combat its effect,” Sonia Gandhi said at the party’s ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Jaipur.

The ‘Chintan Shivir’, the Congress’ introspective meet, began here on January 18 and will conclude on Sunday.

The Congress president said corruption was the main concern of the nation when the party held its session at Burari in July 2011.

Sonia Gandhi said that a five-point agenda to deal with corruption was given and the party has moved on with it.

The key among the steps taken was introducing Lokpal bill in the parliament and introducing more transparency in the process of allocating natural resources, said the Congress president.

“We have introduced path-breaking legislation for grievance redressal, whistle blowers, and the historic ‘apka paisa apke hath’ (your money in your hands, the direct cash transfer scheme) initiative,” she said. (IANS)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/congress-should-lead-struggle-against-corruption-sonia/article4325546.ece

The Tribune – The big chill: At -3°C, Narnaul (Haryana) coldest place in plains

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7. The cold wave condition intensified with the minimum temperature plummeting sharply, throwing normal life out of gear in many places of the North. According to weather office, the lowest minimum temperature of minus 3.0 degree Celsius was recorded at Narnaul (Haryana) in the plains of the country.

With cold wave conditions raging, Delhi continued to shiver as mercury remained below normal by five notches to settle at 2.4 degree Celsius. The maximum temperature too dipped to seven degrees below normal to settle at 13.4 degree Celsius.

In the neighbourhood, Hisar reeled with a low of minus 0.8 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal, followed by Bhiwani with 0.5. Minimum temperature in Amritsar settled at a low of 1.8 degrees Celsius while Patiala and Ludhiana recorded the minimum temperatures of 2.4 and 2.7 degree Celsius, respectively.

The entire Kashmir Valley continued to reel under intense cold with night temperature hovering several degrees below freezing point. The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar was minus 4.9 degree Celsius, down by 0.3 notches from yesterday’s minus of 4.6 degrees Celsius.

The Met office said the Kargil town in frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 16.4 degree Celsius, while mercury in Gulmarg plunged further to minus 9.8 degree Celsius. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, shivered at a low of minus 0.6 degree Celsius.

Rajasthan continued to remain in the grip of severe cold, with Churu being the coldest place at minus 2.7 degree Celsius followed by Karauli at zero degree while in UP Muzaffarnagar shivered at minus 0.7 degree Celsius. Agra recorded 0.6 degree Celsius, Najibabad (Bijnor) 1.0, Lucknow and Aligarh 1.4 each and Kheri 1.6 degree Celsius.

In Uttarakhand, the Tehri district was the coldest at 0.5 degree Celsius followed by Mukteshwar at 0.4 and Pithoragarh at 0.2 degree Celsius. Capital Dehradun also shivered at 1.3 degree Celsius.

According to the IMD, cold wave conditions would prevail over some parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar during next 48 hours. While dense fog would abate from many parts of Indo-Gangetic plains during next 1-2 days, strong northwesterly winds from tomorrow onwards could worsen chill conditions.

Chandigarh’s coldest day in history

Chandigarh on Monday recorded its coldest day in history with a maximum temperature at 6.1°C, as piercing cold conditions swept Punjab and Haryana.

The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar was minus 4.9°C

Hisar reeled with a low of minus 0.8°C

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130108/main5.htm

The Asian Age – In Rajasthan, power of ghee fights caste

Narayan Bareth

Jaipur, 7 October 2012. Ayurveda describes ghee (clarified butter) as nectar and suggests its use for healing. The Hindu scriptures term it an essential requirement for sacred rituals.

But for the dalits of Chakwara village, in Jaipur district, ghee is a weapon against untouchability. The dalits of this village have been cooking their food in ghee for the last 76 years as a mark of protest.

“You can call it a Ghee Satyagarha,” says Harishankar Bairwa, a dalit in Chakwara. “Since 1936, ghee in this village has not been the privilege of only the caste Hindus. We defied their diktat and resolved to cook our food in ghee,” says Babulal Bairwa, a dalit worker.

“Despite all odds, we use strictly ghee,” he added. In 1936, the village’s dalits had organised a community feast and dishes were cooked in ghee, a privilege of caste Hindus. “Our defiance invited the wrath of the Hindus who considered it an insult,” said dalit rights activist Harinarayan Bairwa.

“Suddenly the caste Hindus attacked the dalits who had gathered for the feast and they threw dust and dirt into the dishes and sweets,” he added.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar also mentioned the Chakwara incident in his writings. “That was the moment our community decided to defy this practice and we started using ghee instead of other edible oils,” says Mr Bairwa.

“Woh ye hi kehte the ki agar aap ghee use karoge to unchi jaat wale kya karenge (The caste Hindus told us, ‘If you cook in ghee, then what will we do),’” said Srikrishan, a dalit from the village Social scientist Rajiv Gupta said ghee became a symbol of dalit pride.

“Sometimes pride makes an object a symbol of identity. We should see the ghee here in that way,” Professor Gupta added.

http://www.asianage.com/india/rajasthan-power-ghee-fights-caste-797

The Tribune – Pakistan shepherd yet to be repatriated

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, September 30. A flag meeting of the BSF with Pakistani Rangers in the Raisinghnagar segment of neighbouring Sriganganagar could not pave the way for the repatriation of Dildar (15), a shepherd, who was arrested by the BSF for crossing Zero Line near Prithvisar BoP at 11 pm yesterday. Even as nothing incriminating was recovered during his search and interrogation, the authorities resolved to hand him over to the joint investigation team of security forces on Monday.

Dildar’s father Mathela Khan had died at native village Chak 162 L in Harunabad tehsil of Bahawalpur district in West Punjab province of Pakistan. Dildar, his mother Wakha Bibi and sister Naseeba have been working as shepherds for earning their livelihood. Many people turned up at the border expecting that he would be released being innocent, but had to return disappointed.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121001/punjab.htm#16

The Asian Age – Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) camp to discuss key issues

Narayan Bareth, Asian Age Correspondent

Jaipur, 29 September 2012. Senior BJP leaders became part of a three-day RSS camp on Friday at Jamdoli on the outskirts of Jaipur where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was present along with other functionaries while Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Vasundhara Raje participated in the BJP national council meeting at Surajkund in Haryana. The state BJP leaders had a meeting with the Sangh Parivar functionaries, described as “Samanvay (coordination meeting)”.

According to sources, Ms Raje was out of India for quite some time and she last visited Jaipur when NDA presidential nominee P.A. Sangma came here to campaign. “Her supporters want a free hand in Rajasthan before the Assembly elections due next year,” said a BJP leader.

Party president Arun Chaturvedi, deputy leader of the Opposition Ghanshyam Tiwari, former home minister Gulabchand Kataria and others were rushed to Jamdoli’s Keshva Vidyapeeth, where the crucial meeting was slated among Sangh Parivar affiliates to strengthen coordination.

“Representatives of around 50 RSS constituents like Seva Bharati, Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, Vidya Bharati and BMS are participating in the meeting. It is expected that deputy Opposition leader Tiwari and party general secretary Satish Puniya will be present on behalf of the state unit,” the sources said.

“Several issues, ranging from organisation to desh kal (present scenario), will come under discussion. Issues like violence in Gopalgarh will also be discussed,” said the sources.

According to RSS sources, over 8,000 swayamsevaks are participating from more than a dozen districts in the three-day camp. “The Sangh has nothing to do with politics,” said a senior RSS functionary. BUT sources said the meeting will be crucial at a time when Gujarat is going to elect a new government and Madhya Pardesh and Rajasthan will face elections next year.

http://www.asianage.com/india/rss-camp-discuss-key-issues-211

The Hindu – 171 Hindus arrive from Pakistan; seeking refugee status

Jodhpur, 9 September 2012. A batch of 171 Hindus today arrived here from Pakistan after a three-month long arduous journey with the leader of the group saying they were seeking a refugee status in India for the sake of “self respect”, religious freedom and children’s future.

They have been accommodated temporarily in a temple campus until proper arrangements are made.

“We have intimated the chief minister about this, who was in Jodhpur today and expect him to direct the administration to make some arrangements for them,” said Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangthan, an organisation fighting for the rehabilitation of Hindu migrants.

“The exodus of Hindus from Pakistan on account of religious, financial and social persecution, is not a new phenomenon but this largest ever migration after the fencing on the Indo-Pak border, is a testimony that the conditions for the Hindu families in Pakistan continue to be intolerable and humiliating,” said Sodha.

The group is led by Chetan Ram, who has been a sarpanch of his village.

All of them have come incognito, not disclosing about their departure even to their relatives.

“If the news that we were planning or preparing to leave for India had spread, the masters, whom we serve, would have made it difficult or almost impossible for us to leave Pakistan driven by a fear that they will lose the labourers,” said Chetan.

“So as a strategy, all these families left their houses about 3 months back and kept changing their locations so as to do away with any suspicion to our masters or landlords. And on Friday, we left for India leaving all our belongings back in Pakistan,” Chetan said.

Talking about the desperation to leave Pakistan, Chetan said ”we were daily wagers there and would do the same here but this is for the sake of our self respect, religious freedom and children’s future, that made us take such an extreme.”

“Had anybody knew about the exodus, we would not have been able to leave ever and our lives would have become virtually a hell,” Chetan said.

“All of them have come on pilgrim visa as the open visa has virtually been denied to them, according to which, they are supposed to go back but none of them has come to go back,” said Sodha.

He said that we strongly demand a refugee policy for them from the government as in past 2 months about 350 migrants have come to Jodhpur, who are an addition to already existing 1.20 lakh migrants in Rajasthan.

“In the time to come, this number is set to increase further and this is high time that government take some serious stand on the issue to ensure these poor peoples’ future here,” said Sodha. (PTI)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3877910.ece

The Tribune – Train from Ferozepur to Sriganganagar flagged off

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 1. The much-awaited Ferozepur-Sriganganagar Express train was flagged off today amid fanfare. Sher Singh Ghubaya, MP, Kamal Sharma, adviser to the Chief Minister, legislator Parminder Singh Pinky, DP Chandan, vice-chairman, Small Traders Board and NC Goyal were present during the flagging off ceremony. Rail officials said the train (No 14601/14602) would cover a distance of 185 km between Ferozepur and Sriganganagar in about four hours and 30 minutes.

The train, that would have 12 coaches, would leave Ferozepur at 5.10 am and reach Sri Ganganagar via Guruharsahai, Jalalabad, Fazilka, Khuii Khera, Churiwala and Abohar at 9.40 am.

Ghubaya said with the commissioning of the train, the long-pending demand of the people had been met.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120902/punjab.htm#7

The Tribune – Summer sun scorches, no respite in sight; 7 deaths in Amritsar, Bathinda areas so far

Tribune News Service & PTI

Amritsar/New Delhi, May 31. The blistering heat wave continued to sweep Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with mercury hovering between 41 and 46°C at many places. In fact, the northern and eastern parts of the country baked at above normal temperatures today due to the scorching summer sun and hot winds.

Chandigarh braved yet another scorching day while hot and humid conditions prevailed in Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, besides other towns in Punjab.

The intense heat wave that swept the Amritsar region claimed two lives in the past 24 hours. While a woman devotee was found dead at the Golden Temple, the body of an unidentified person was found on a roadside in the city. He died due to intense heat conditions, the police said. The deceased could not be identified so far.

Till now, three persons have lost lives due to the heat wave in the Amritsar area. Amritsar recorded a high of 47.6°C after yesterday’s 47°C. The Met Department has predicted that the temperature may further rise by 1-2°C.

The heat wave has also started affecting human life and crops in the Malwa region in the state. Four heat-related deaths have been reported during the past about one week in the region. Amanjeet Kaur, 47, who had come to Bathinda from Delhi, died this afternoon in the civil hospital due to heat stroke.

With day temperature touching 46.5°C, tender leaves of the fresh cotton plants have also started wilting. The situation is very bad in the districts of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh of Rajasthan where the residents were facing acute shortage of drinking water.

In Haryana, Hisar, Gurgaon, Bhiwani, Ambala and Rohtak were among the towns that experienced sweltering heat.

The Met office has forecast no immediate relief from the ongoing hot weather conditions in the region.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 45.4°C, the highest so far in the season. Today’s maximum, which is 5°C above normal, bettered this summer’s high of 45°C recorded on Wednesday. The minimum also rose 4°C above normal to touch 31.2°C, up from the previous day’s 28.2°C.

The mercury kept on soaring in the desert state of Rajasthan with Churu recording maximum temperature of 48.7°C, highest of the season. Normal life was also affected in Sriganganagar and Bikaner that recorded 47°C and 46.8°C, respectively. Kota, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer recorded day temperatures of 46.3, 45.2, 44 and 43.9°C, respectively.

In Jharkhand, one person died of sunstroke in Latehar district on Wednesday as heat wave swept across the state with most districts recording over 41°C. A labourer, who had gone to cut wood at Jamuna village in Latehar district, collapsed and died after suffering sunstroke. Latehar registered 43.2°C.

With inputs from P K Jaiswar (Amritsar) and S P Sharma (Bathinda)

Sweltering Hot

Churu 48.7 – Amritsar 47.6 – Sriganganagar 47.0 – Bikaner 46.8 – Chandigarh 45.1 – Delhi 45.4

All figures in °C  

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120601/main5.htm

The Hindu – Manmohan brings up Saeed issue ‘upfront’ with Zardari

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, 8 April 2012. Promising the prospect of continuous high-level engagements instead of sporadic one-off meetings, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday held talks on a number of issues, including action against Jama’at-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.

Though Saeed was not the dominant subject, it was mentioned “upfront” by Dr. Singh. Dr. Singh emphasised need to prosecute Saeed, the alleged strategist behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, during the 40-minute one-to-one talks. He said action against all those involved in the terror attacks in India would be a major issue by which people here would judge their ties with Pakistan.

Mr. Zardari referred to the legal issues involved and both leaders agreed that a structured discussion on Saeed could be held during the coming Home Secretary-level talks in Islamabad. They were also hopeful of the meeting easing the onerous curbs on travel that had stifled people-to-people interaction, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told journalists.

Mr. Zardari had primarily come to pay obeisance at the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer and accommodated the Delhi leg of his visit following a request from the Indian side.

While India seemed to highlight terror and trade, Mr. Zardari felt both sides needed to resolve the disputes over Kashmir, the Siachen glacier and Sir Creek. But both leaders agreed that they should proceed “step by step” in repairing the ties.

The two leaders covered all aspects of relationship as well as regional and global issues of common interest and noted the positive signs that emerged after the dialogue resumed — peace on the border, fewer incidents of cross-border terror, end to slanging matches at the governmental level and attempts to normalise trade.

They expect interactions between the Commerce Ministers and Secretaries to move ahead with the next identified lot of trade-enhancing measures, including a shorter negative list of imported items from Pakistan.

“We are willing to find practical and pragmatic solutions to all our issues. That is the message President Zardari and I wish to convey,” Dr. Singh said in a brief statement to the media.

Mr. Zardari responded in a similar vein, saying discussions were held on “all topics that we could have spoken about.”

Some issues such as that of imprisoned Pakistan biologist Khalil Chishti were raised at a small lunch that followed the talks.

Dr. Singh regretted the death of a large number of Pakistani soldiers at Siachen. He said India would be happy to provide any humanitarian assistance Pakistan required.

On Mr. Zardari’s invitation to Dr. Singh to visit Islamabad, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said they expected the dialogue process to make the kind of solid enough progress that would make it possible.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3293513.ece?homepage=true