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Abuse, insult of Backward Castes may soon attract penal action

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Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya

Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya

Bengaluru: The State Government is considering a proposal to enact legislation aimed at preventing abuse of the backward classes on the basis of their caste, according to Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya.

A proposal to this effect has been made to the Law Department. “We are keen on it and we will take a call based on the department’s opinion,” the minister said on Monday.

A meeting of leaders from backward communities, intellectuals and writers, chaired by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya, resounded with vehement demands for a law to end abuse and insult of people belonging to the backward castes.

The meeting, on Monday, was held ahead of the launch of a caste-based census covering all of Karnataka. “Even today, seeing people of certain communities when setting out for important work is considered a bad omen. People engaged in some traditional vocations are insulted and abused by their caste names,” Anjaneya said, explaining the need for a new law.

“We are also considering banning the use of words that insult people belonging to certain castes. This is affirmative action to prevent caste discrimination,” the Social Welfare Minister added.

ISIS our biggest challenge: Rajnath Singh

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Rajnath Singh

by Manoj Anand, Asian Age

Union home minister Rajnath Singh said here on Saturday that the growing threat of Islamic State (ISIS) in the Indian subcontinent was the biggest challenge, especially in the wake of some youth being lured by them.

Referring to the attack in Arnia sector, Mr Singh said that Pakistan claims “non-state” actors are behind such incidents, which is not true.

“I want to ask Pakistan if its intelligence agency the Inter-Services Intelligence, is also a ‘non-state actor’,” Mr Singh said, reiterating that Pakistan was engaged in destabilising India.

The Union home minister also pointed out, “Though ISIS was born in Syria and Iraq, it is a fact that the Indian subcontinent is not outside its radar, especially as some Indian youth are also getting attracted to it.”

He said, “Moreover, the Al Qaeda had recently announced the formation of a new outfit, Qaeda-ul-Jihadi, with the intention of specifically targeting Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir and Bangladesh.”

He said, “India cannot remain unaffected by international terrorism, (and the) activities of the Islamic State. We can’t take Al Qaeda’s threat of turning India into an Islamic country lightly, we should consider it a challenge.”

Asserting that India was capable of handling these threats, Mr Singh, in his inaugural address at the 49th police conference, however, asserted, “There might be many terrorist organisations in the world, but we will not allow them to get a foothold in our country.”

Mr Singh also expressed confidence that these Islamic terror groups will never be able to succeed in India and said that the majority of Indian Muslims will not side with them. “I am sure these terror groups will never succeed in India. They may try to convert India into an Islamic country on the assumption that a large number of Muslims will support them. But the fact remains that Indian Muslims had fought and sacrificed equally with others for India’s independence,” Mr Singh said.

The home minister, at the meeting attended by police chiefs from across the country as well as senior officials from intelligence agencies, also urged states to fill up vacancies in police forces and assured them of all possible help.

Speaking about modernising police forces, Mr Singh stressed the need to make the police people-friendly.

“Our coastal security network is inadequate and it should be strengthened,” he said while expressing his concern on the growing use of cyberspace by anti-national and anti-social forces. He asked the police chiefs to deliberate on strategies and steps to monitor cyberspace. He admitted that the biggest stumbling block in this direction was that the majority of servers are outside India. “We should work out a strategy on how to handle it,” he said.

Petrol price cut by 91 paise/litre, diesel by 84 paise

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petrol-price-oil

New Delhi: Petrol price is cut by 91 paise a litre, the seventh reduction since August, and diesel by 84 paise per litre, the third straight cut, as international oil rates continued to slump, on Sunday.

Petrol and diesel price reduction will be effective from midnight tonight, Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest fuel retailer, announced.

In Delhi, petrol price will cost Rs 63.33 a litre as compared to Rs 64.24 per litre previously while in Mumbai the reduction will be 96 paise to Rs 70.95 per litre.

Diesel will cost Rs 52.51 a litre in Delhi from tomorrow as against Rs 53.35 currently while in Mumbai the price will be cut by 93 paise to Rs 60.11 per litre.

Rates differ from state to state due to differential local sales tax or VAT rates.

The prices of petrol and diesel were last revised downwards on November 1 by Rs 2.41 a litre and Rs 2.25 per litre respectively (including state levies at Delhi) on the back of declining international oil prices.

“Since the last price changes, the international prices of both petrol and diesel have continued to be on a downtrend.

The Rupee-USD exchange rate has however appreciated since the last price change. The combined impact of both these factors warrant a decrease in retail selling prices of both petrol and diesel,” IOC said in the statement.

This is the seventh consecutive reduction in petrol prices since August and third in diesel in rates since October.

Prior to today’s reduction, petrol price has been cumulatively cut by Rs 9.36 per litre since August.

Diesel price was cut for the first time in more than five years on October 19 by Rs 3.37 a litre when the government decided to deregulate the fuel. This was followed by another reduction on November 1.

“The movement of prices in international oil market and INR-USD exchange rate shall continue to be closely monitored and developing trends of the market will be reflected in future price changes,” the statement said.

Surinder Koli must not be hanged: ACHR

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Surinder Koli

New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights while releasing its report, “Death Reserved for the Poor” Monday stated that condemned prisoner, Surinder Koli, who was convicted and sentenced to death in the Rimpa Halder murder case must not be executed before conclusion of the trial in 11 other cases of the Nithari murders.

Koli’s case must be reviewed again in the light of the judgements in all the pending Nithari cases.

The stay on Koli’s execution by the Allahabad High Court expires on 1 December 2014.

“If Koli is executed, the families of the victims of 11 pending cases in which Koli is an accused shall be denied justice, which means nothing less than final conclusion of the trials. Further, if Koli is executed, co-accused Pandher will get inadvertent favour. As Koli remains in jail he does not pose any threat to society whatsoever, and there is nothing urgent which warrants his execution before the conclusion of the trials of all the pending cases.” – stated Suhas Chakma, Coordinator of the National Campaign for Abolition of Death Penalty in India.

The report concluded that it is the poor and uneducated who are disproportionately awarded death penalty as they are unable to defend themselves in the highly expensive legal system. On the other hand, the rich and well-connected criminals can sabotage the probe, intimidate, influence and induce witnesses, suppress evidence with money and muscle power, and abuse all the procedural rights, the report said.

The report highlighted a number of cases of miscarriage of justice including by the Supreme Court which had upheld death penalty to juveniles like Ram Deo Chauhan of Assam in 2000 and Ankush Maruti Shinde of Maharashtra in 2009 as the legal aid lawyers provided by the State did not raise the issue of juvenility before the Courts.

“If Ram Deo Chauhan and Ankush Maruti Shinde were from rich and educated families, such gross miscarriage of justice would not arisen.”- Mr. Chakma said.

Asian Centre for Human Rights recommended to the Government of India to grant mercy to all those who are defended by legal aid because of poverty in all stages of the trial and appeal, and further ensure that the trial courts appoint advocate/amicus curiae who have trial practices on the offences that the accused is charged with.

Bhopal sitting on 18,000 tonnes of toxic waste even 30 years after gas tragedy

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Image from the movie Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain

Image from the movie Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain

by Sandeep Pouranik

Bhopal: The tens of thousands who survived the leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984 not only battle the after-effects but also live with an unsavoury legacy: 18,000 tonnes of toxic waste in the defunct plant that is polluting the environment and contaminating the soil and ground water.

The nearly 2,000 truckloads of the waste had been accumulating for nearly 15 years before the world’s worst industrial disaster struck, killing over 3,000 people immediately and thousands others over the years due to related causes.

Union Carbide had set up the pesticide plant in 1969. Twenty-one ponds were dug to dispose of the toxic effluent from the plant. The ponds were in use till 1977 when they proved to be inadequate due to the increasing volume of effluent from the plant. This necessitated a 32-acre solar evaporation pond, soon followed by two more such. Water from the effluent in these ponds got evaporated, leaving behind the harmful chemicals.

In 1996, waste from the three ponds was gathered in one pond and covered with soil. This waste exceeds 18,000 tonnes, Satinath Shadangi, a member of rights body Bhopal Group for Information and Action, told IANS.

It was only when various research showed that this waste was contaminating the soil and ground water and its spread was increasing over time that urgent steps were planned to destroy it, Shadangi said.

Alok Pratap Singh, who has been crusading for the rights of the victims of the gas tragedy, moved the Jabalpur High Court in July 2004 for disposal of the waste. The court constituted a task force to make recommendations on this.

In June 2005, the state government, as directed by the high court, tasked Ramky Enviro Engineers at Pithampur near Indore, to rid the Union Carbide plant of the waste. The company deposited 346 tonnes of pesticide and other chemicals and 39 tonnes of lime sludge in a warehouse in the pesticide plant.

As recommended by the task force, the high court in October 2006 ordered that the 385 tonnes of waste be incinerated at the Ankleshwar plant of Bharuch Environmental Infrastructure Limited in Gujarat. After widespread opposition to the move, the Madhya Pradesh government moved the Supreme Court in August 2008. In October 2009 the task force decided to send the waste to Pithampur in the state instead of Ankleshwar.

In January 2010, the Supreme Court directed that the waste be incinerated in Pithampur and asked the high court to oversee the entire process.

However, due to protests in villages surrounding Pithampur , the Madhya Pradesh government wrote to the central government in August 2010 expressing its inability to send the waste.

The central government moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court in May 2011 seeking a direction that the waste be incinerated at a Nagpur facility of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The high court asked the state government to do so.

Then, on a plea of the Vidarbha Environmental Action Group, the Mumbai High Court in July 2011 stayed its counterpart’s order.

Officials of the pollution control boards of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra met in February 2012 and decided that 346 tonnes of the waste would be incinerated at Pithampur.

In the meantime, a German company, GEZ, expressed interest in destroying the waste in Hamburg following which the central government moved the Supreme Court. The court directed the state government in April 2012 to send the waste to Germany, but later stayed this decision.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) also approved incineration of the waste in Germany. But this plan too had to be dropped due to opposition in that country. In October 2012, the GoM decided that the waste would be destroyed in Pithampur.

R.A. Khandelwal, commissioner, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, told IANS: “The Supreme Court in April 2014 ordered that 10 tonnes of waste be incinerated at Pithampur on a trial basis.” However, due to technical glitches in the incinerator, the waste has not been sent to Pithampur.

It’s a different matter that American courts have been moved for damages, but the question that now begs an answer is: If 346 tonnes of waste cannot be disposed off, what happens to the remaining 18,000 tonnes lying buried in the solar evaporation pond and elsewhere in the plant.

(IANS)

250 acres allotted to Coca Cola in Yadgir to set up bottling plant

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coca-cola-plant

Kalaburagi/Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has finally started process of handing over 250 acres land in Yadgir district to Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd to set up a greenfield bottling plant.

The previous Bharatiya Janata Party government had cleared Coca-Cola’s investment plan in Yadgir. But due to a High Court stay, the government could not allot the land immediately.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said the government had approved land for setting up a Coca-Cola factory at the proposed industrial area near Kadechur and Badiyal villages in Yadgir district.

He said he held talks with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited on Friday and decided to accept its proposal to set up its soft drink plan in Yadgir.

The government decided to draw 25 MLD of water for the industrial area from Joladgi-Gudur barrage built across River Bhima.

Textile Minister Baburao Chinchansoor said water would be drawn from Bhima and Krishna rivers for the plant. However, when asked, Siddaramaiah did not say where the government intended to draw the water from for the industrial area and the cola factory.

Ratna Prabha, State Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department, said the company is expected to invest Rs. 1,000 crore in Yadgir. She said that the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has started making payments to land owners in Yadgir, and the area has been notified for industrial development. The KIADB will soon hand over complete 250 acres at Kadechur village in Yadgir taluk to the company.

Fertile land

Nearly 3,330 acres at Kadechur and Baliyala have been reserved for industrial purpose. Spread across three taluks — Shahapur, Shorapur and Yadgir — the district is known for its cluster of cement industries and a distinct stone popularly know as ‘Malakheda Stone’. The district has a vast stretch of fertile black cotton soil and is known for red gram, cotton, jowar and groundnut cultivation.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Group of Congressmen set to revolt against Digvijay Singh

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Digvijay Singh

Bengaluru/Agencies: A number of current and past legislators belonging to Congress party are up in arms against Digvijay Singh, who has been in charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka since sometime. These people, who wield considerable clout in the party, have together begun an effort to divest Digvijay of Karnataka Congress affairs, and they have initiated efforts to bring pressure on the party high command to make this happen, sources said.

It is said that some state ministers and legislators are making efforts to ensure that Singh is relieved of charge relating to Karnataka, as they expect All India Congress Committee to be revamped during January or February 2015. Sources say that the issue has already reached Congress national vice president, Rahul Gandhi. These Congressmen are angry at keeping legislators and past legislators at bay while allotting seats in boards and corporations, and that the decisions of a single person is being imposed on all the people without justification.

It is gathered that top leaders in Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and government were ready to consider these people for heading corporations and boards, but Digvijay stuck to his stand against doing so. The party people are also angry that Digvijay had done so entirely on the advice of an individual.

It is learnt that Digvijay Singh has already instructed both Siddaramaiah and Dr G Parameshwara, to fill posts of directors in all urban development authorities, corporations, and boards in the state without further delay. He has told them to post loyal party workers to urban development authorities and to corporations and boards after obtaining resignations from present office bearers.

KPCC president, Dr G Parameshwar, has suddenly left for New Delhi, fuelling speculations about the purpose of his visit.

Modi, Sharif hold informal talks at Saarc retreat

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(Front L-R) Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa attend the opening session of 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu November 26, 2014. REUTERS/Narendra Shrestha/Pool

(Front L-R) Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives’ President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa attend the opening session of 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu November 26, 2014. REUTERS/Narendra Shrestha/Pool

Kathmandu: In a significant development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif held informal talks during the 18th Saarc Summit retreat Thursday afternoon.

Both sides maintained silence over the talks and did not divulge any details after the informal meeting.

The effect of the informal talks between Modi and Sharif was immediately reflected in the proposed agreements. The heads of state and government have agreed to sign the Saarc Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation now and decided to sign two other agreements — relating to movement of motor vehicles and railways — within three months in a big face-saver for 18th Saarc Summit host Nepal in particular and the region as a whole.

Dinesh Bhattarai, foreign relations advisor to Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who was present at the retreat, confirmed to IANS that both the leaders held informal talks after meeting each other along with other heads of the state and government.

Prime Minster Koirala pushed the leaders of the two South Asian neighbours to sit for talks, at least informally now, and break the logjam in the bilateral India-Pakistan relations.

When the two leaders were talking, other heads of state and government were also there. The retreat is an informal gathering in Saarc summits, and is referred to as “beauty time”.

In his personal talks with Modi, Koirala asked the Indian prime minister to reach out to Pakistan given its stature as Saarc leader, and its size, population and economy.

Though Modi and Sharif shook hands and talked briefly Wednesday, they had not interacted with each other at length. It was still not clear whether the two sides would hold delegation-level talks after the retreat got over Thursday afternoon.

The Saarc leaders, including Modi, Sharif and Koirala, cracked jokes, planted trees and shared personal trivia with each other.

After the retreat, the leaders have agreed to sign the Saarc Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation which will be announced in the Kathmandu Declaration later Thursday.

Because of the deadlock between India and Pakistan, the fate of three proposed agreements — related to motor vehicles, railways and energy and all pushed by New Delhi — was uncertain until Thursday.

After the retreat and unofficial talks among the leaders, the Saarc leaders have agreed to sign the energy deal now and agreed to complete the other two agreements within three months, Bhattarai said.

Located in the neighbourhood of Kathmandu Valley, the Shangrila Resort in Dhulikhel is famous for its scenic beauty.

“While watching the Himalayas and taking herbal and organic food, Modi and Sharif were seen more open and close,” a diplomat said. “The focus was on how to carry on the Saarc process and how to strengthen bilateral ties.”

The 33 food items served to the leaders were totally vegetarian. Gujarati basundi with jalebi was served to Modi as dessert.

(IANS)

N. Srinivasan slammed by Supreme Court, asks 'How can BCCI chief own an IPL team?'

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Supreme Court, while examining the Justice Mukul Mudgal report on corruption in IPL 2013, raised questions of conflict of interest on N. Srinivasan, putting in doubt the suspended cricket administrator’s re-election as BCCI president.

Narayanaswami Srinivasan (right) with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Photograph: BCCI

Narayanaswami Srinivasan (right) with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Photograph: BCCI

by Soumitra Bose, NDTV

New Delhi: In a massive setback for N. Srinivasan, the Supreme Court has slammed the suspended BCCI president for conflict of interest in Indian cricket administration. During a hearing of the Indian Premier League scam probe report on Monday afternoon, the two-member special Bench said: “You can’t make a distinction between BCCI and IPL. IPL a is a by-product of BCCI.” Srinivasan’s company India Cements owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been indicted for betting. Meiyappan was a team official ever since IPL started in 2008. (The IPL spot-fixing and betting saga: A timeline)

The top court said: “The ownership of team raises conflict of interest. President of BCCI has to run the show but you have a team which raises questions and it can’t be wished away”. The BCCI lawyers argued that there is no conflict of interest because Bombay High Court had dismissed this issue. However, Srinivasan is seeking a nod from the Supreme Court to seek re-election as BCCI president. The hearing will resume on Tuesday afternoon. (Sachin Tendulkar tight-lipped over Mudgal report)

On Srinivasan’s chances of getting another term as BCCI boss, the judges said: “One of the employees (Gurunath Meiyappan) of your team was involved in betting. You have to reply because it will affect the position and the dignity of BCCI president position.” The judges added: “The benefit of doubt should go to the game and not an individual.”

The court’s mood is very clear. Although, conflict of interest was not directly in the ambit of Mudgal’s probe, the Supreme Court judges hinted a person who owns an IPL franchise against whom there are issues of corruption, cannot ethically be the leader of BCCI. “You are assuming a clean chit,” the judges told Srinivasan.

Srinivasan has been suspended as BCCI president by the Supreme Court till investigations into corruption in IPL were over. His son-in-law Meiyappan, identified as a team principal by the inquiry panel headed by former judge Justice Mukul Mudgal, has been indicted for betting. Chennai Super Kings, led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are two-time IPL champions. Srinivasan had called Meiyappan a “cricket enthusiast” who was not a stake-holder in Chennai Super Kings.

The judges said: “Some people who are in BCCI now own a team. Now it has become a mutual benefit society.” They added: “If people know that a game is fixed who will visit the stadium? In India, cricket is like a religion. Recognition comes when one lakh people in Eden Gardens applaud.”

ICC’s first chairman, Srinivasan is seeking a second term as Board president. The BCCI AGM is scheduled on December 17. The probe report said Srinivasan, is “not involved with match fixing activity” and “not found to be involved in scuttling the investigations into match fixing”. However, the report charged him and other IPL officials of “cover up” of misdeeds of an unnamed player who violated Players Code of Conduct. The report called these “misdemeanours.”

(With inputs from A. Vaidyanathan)

Modi’s Kashmir visit coincides with Babri Masjid demolition

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babri-masjid

Srinagar/Authintmail: Prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indian administered Kashmir will coincide with the demolition of the historic Babri Masjid.

Modi will address his first election rally in Kashmir on December 6 which was when, in 1992, rampaging mobs of Hindu zealots tore down Babri Masjid located in Ayodhya town of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The demolition was blamed on the right-wing Kar Sevaks associated with RSS, which is the parent organization of Modi’s Bhartiya Janta Party.

The consequences of the demolition of 16th century mosque are still felt across India where riots are a common occurrence in many parts.

Modi is likely to address voters in Srinagar which will be his first rally in Kashmir.

His party has sought permission from the state government to hold the rally at Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar.

Thousands of people are expected to participate in the rally with BJP sources saying that people from 10 districts of the region are going to attend it.

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