Hyderabad: Arrested, harassed for a Muslim daughter

June 03, 2011

Hyderabad:  When Hyderabad was reeling from bomb blasts in 2007, Papalal who was working nearby found a little girl, then four-years-old, at the Gokul Chat Centre blast site. Papalal, a painter of Hindu Gods and Goddesses for temple walls, and his wife, Jayshree, figured out that the child was a Muslim and had been orphaned. They took her home where she lived with the couple. They had been childless for five years and they believed that her coming to their home as a firstborn brought them good luck and Jayshree soon became pregnant with their first biological child. She was their eldest child, they told everybody. 

 

Once it became publicly known that a Muslim child was growing up in a Hindu family, Muslim groups asked the family to hand over the child to them. Papalal refused and asked how it could be a better option for the child to go to an orphanage. Muslim leaders intervened and relented, saying if the child is brought up as a Muslim, she can grow up in a Hindu family.

 

So Papalal agreed not to make the child wear a 'bindi' (a hindu religious symbol) and she would not be brought up as a Hindu. But their small neighbourhood in Chudibazaar area of Begum Bazaar objected to the 'Muslim' child growing up in a Hindu family and locality. Papalal went to the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The SHRC ordered that the police must ensure the safety of the child and family.

 

After being ostracized by other families, Papalal's own brother decided to step in. It developed into a war of words and a physical fight between the brothers. On Thursday, he filed several police cases against Papalal including one that accuses him of an attempt to outrage modesty of his sister-in-law. 

"My wife is nine months pregnant," Papalal said on Thursday. "What crime have I committed? Just of giving shelter to a Muslim girl...they will face the curse of this young child...is there no justice in this world?"

 

However, Papalal's mother said her elder son and daughter-in-law have put false cases under pressure on him because they do not want the girl to stay.

Papalal's brother also admitted that there was tremendous social pressure on the family over the girl and that is why the two brothers ended up fighting with each other.

Papalal was sent to jail even as local authorities agreed that Sonia belongs with this family. 

"We found the couple fit and we are giving legal custody for three months pending some inquiries to declare the child free for adoption," said Isidore Phillips who heads the local Child Welfare Committee.

 

Following his arrest, a desperate wife pleaded for help. Speaking to NDTV, Jayshree said she is willing to die but will not give up on the child. "Let them do anything, today they have put my husband behind bars, tomorrow they might kill me, we are ready to die but we will never leave this girl," she said.

"I am very happy that they have given us custody of the child...but look at how they are harassing us with police cases," Jayshree added.

 

Civil activists in the city are now visiting the neighbourhood in an attempt to educate families there into supporting Papalal.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/hyderabad-terror-orphans-saviour-arrested-wont-give-up-child-says-wife-109823?cp

3 LeT militants killed in J&K encounter

June 03, 2011 
Srinagar, Three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including one from Pakistan, were killed in an encounter with security forces early on Friday in Sopore town of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. "All the three militants have been killed and the operation is over," Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Lt Col onel JS Brar said, adding further details of the incident were awaited.

The encounter broke out last evening when troops of 52 Rashtriya Rifles and police launched an operation in Seer area of Sopore, 55 kms from Srinagar, official sources said.

The militants were holed up in an under-construction house adjacent to the Law College in the township.

Reinforcements were rushed to the village to neutralise the militants. The operation was suspended for the night but the cordon was continued, they said.

The security forces launched the final attack on the militants soon after day break and the encounter ended at around 0600 HRS, the sources said.

The slain militants have been identified as Pakistani national Abdullah Babu, Saiful Ghazzali and Ghulam Nabi Dar – all affiliated with LeT, they said.

Three AK-47 rifles, six magazines and three RPG boosters have so far been recovered from the scene of the gunbattle that lasted nearly 12 hours, officials said.

Karunanidhi on birthday takes aim at 'bad friends'

June 03, 2011

New Delhi:  His birthday was usually the perfect platform for his party to prove its political strength. But today, as M Karunanidhi, the head of the DMK, turns 88, there's little of the traditional pomp and glory. A trip to Delhi to visit his daughter  in jail was cancelled late last night. Instead, Mr Karunanidhi delivered a message that suggests a growing rift with his political partner, the Congress. "Bad friendship ends in trouble," he said.  

 

Mr Karunanidhi was rejected unequivocally last month in the Tamil Nadu elections, ending plans to return as Chief Minister. The DMK, which contested the elections with the Congress, was decimated with one of its worst-ever performances; it's First Family finds itself mired in controversy over chronic corruption.

 

Perhaps the biggest blow for the former Chief Minister is that his daughter, Kanimozhi, is now in Tihar Jail in Delhi, for allegedly accepting a bribe in the gigantic telecom scam that was reportedly engineered by A Raja, a Dalit leader of the DMK known for his proximity to Mr Karunanidhi's family.  

 

Mr Raja is in jail as well. The 2G scam - which saw him selling spectrum and mobile network licenses at throwaway prices in 2008 while he was Telecom Minister - has turned into a political inferno for both the DMK and the union government at the Centre, where the DMK has so far served as a partner with considerable muscle in the form of 18 MPs. 

The DMK has expressed its resentment over the fact that the media was fed information about the charges against Kanimozhi before she was formally presented with the details in court. The 2G scam is being investigated by the CBI, which according to the CBI, turned multiple sessions of questioning with Kanimozhi into unnecessarily high-profile events.

 

Despite these public jibes, both the DMK and the Congress have maintained that their alliance stands strong for now. But the fact that Congress President Sonia Gandhi phoned Mr Karunanidhi's arch political rival, Jayalalithaa, after she swept the elections in the state, was interpreted as a sign of  a heightened tension between the two parties.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/karunanidhi-on-birthday-takes-aim-at-bad-friends-109862?cp

Lady Gaga is really coming to India

Jun 3, 2011

The buzz about Lady Gaga coming to India is finally confirmed.The international pop singer was speaking to reputed US daily where she blurted out that she is packing her bags to travel to the country.

“The reason I’m going to India now is because I can. I didn’t have the money or the resources before to travel and bring all of my things with me and reach an entire new territory of fans,” she told the daily. According to Gaga’s manager, she’s making up for missing out on India on her last tour.

“In the last album cycle we toured a lot of places in the world, but there were still some territories that we weren’t able to go and spend time and really work. India was one of those places,” says Troy Carter, the star’s manager.

Maya has 'historic' new land acquisition policy

Jun 3, 2011

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday announced her government’s new policy for acquisition of land from farmers and, calling it ‘historic’ and ‘the best in the country’, asked the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre to follow the same for the whole country.

She said her party and the government would pressure the Centre to introduce the amended land acquisition policy in the next session of Parliament.

Mayawati said her government was the first in the country to formulate a land acquisition policy after taking inputs from the representatives of farmers from all over the state, who had been invited to air their views directly to her in front of her ministers and officers.

According to her Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh who faced the media, after the Chief Minister had read out the policy statement, to clarify any points raised by them, Mayawati had come to announce the new policy while the farmers’ representatives were having their lunch. He added that talks with the farmers’ representatives could continue late into the night and if any new development emerged, it would be announced later.

Mayawati said the new policy would be effective from Thursday itself, but would not apply to those who had already taken the compensation agreed to with the state government, reiterating her government’s known stand that incidents like Bhatta-Parsaul were not liked to any compensation issue but were a result of vested interests among the Opposition parties being bent upon creating law and order problem.

She added that the state government would take care of repair and restoration of properties damaged during the violence at Bhatta-Parsaul.

The Chief Minister said she had issued instructions to the officers concerned to solve the problems of farmers during her meeting with their representatives and would do the same during the second session of talks.

2G scam: Clean chit to Anil Ambani, Ratan Tata

Jun 3, 2011

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Reliance ADAG chairman Anil Ambani, Tata Group chief Ratan Tata, corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, the CBI Special Judge O P Saini on Thursday dismissed two private complaints demanding that the CBI should be directed to include their names in the list of accused in the 2G scam.

Judge O P Saini also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 each on Delhi-based scribe M Furquan and Ghaziabad’s scrap dealer Dharmender Pandey for filing complaints in this regard without giving sufficient material evidences. The court also directed both the complainants to deposit the cost within three days from Thursday.

Citing reasons for dismissing these applications, the judge said: “These applications are not supported by any material, but the material attached with these applications is almost entirely on the court record before me.”  The judge further said: “In brief, the investigation is still in progress under Section 173 (8) CrPc and the applicants may take benefit of that, if they had any grievances against anyone.”

“Secondly, the cognisance of the police case has already been taken and no further investigation can be ordered by the court at the instance of third parties/applicants, who are not even remotely connected with these issue. The police case cannot be altered beyond recognition at the instance of third parties, whose motives are unknown and are also not in possession of any new evidence. It is not a case of extreme injustice at the hands of investigating agency, more so, when further investigation is still in progress.”

Balwa Allowed to File RTI Plea

Judge Saini on Thursday allowed jailed 2G accused Shahid Balwa, promoter of Swan Telecom, to file three RTI applications to obtain transcripts of recorded conversations between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, politicians, corporate executives and journalists besides the CBI’s case diaries.

India may get access to Headley again

Jun 3, 2011:WASHINGTON: The United States may provide access to Pakistani American David Headley after the ongoing trial of his long time friend, Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Rana, for helping in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Rana is under trial in a Chicago Federal court for allegedly providing support to Pakistan based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the attacks by giving Headley cover of his immigration business to scout targets in Mumbai.

"Moving forward, I think we would look for or consider further access," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters Thursday when asked about Homeland such an assurance by Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to India.

"Just that, as Secretary Napolitano said (during her visit to India) last week, we can't get into too much detail about the ongoing case in Chicago," he said.

"But in the past we've given India full access to Headley, and I think that when a case is in litigation it's impossible to do that. But moving forward, I think we would look for or consider further access," Toner said

The spokesman declined to confirm if US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her recent visit to Islamabad, had handed a list of terrorists to Pakistan or if Ilyas Kashmiri, commander of the Pakistani-based terrorist organisation Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI) was on such a list.

"I think I'd just say that the Secretary had very constructive meetings while she was in Pakistan, and there was broad agreement that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan has yielded results in the past and that it's in both our interests to work even more diligently in the future," he said.

"I don't know what list you're referring to," he said when asked if Kashmiri was on the list. "I'm not going to confirm there's some list, no."

Sri Sri warns against attempts to make Lokpal ‘parallel govt’

Jun 3,2011 :New Delhi Even as he lent support to the anti-corruption campaigns launched by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishanker has cautioned against attempts to form a “parallel government” through the proposed institution of the Lokpal.

While backing the demand for bringing Prime Minister and higher judiciary in the purview of the proposed office of the Lokpal, Ravishanker has favoured a “different yardstick” to be applied in their cases to “maintain the dignity of their office and position”.

“No system can be 100 per cent foolproof. There needs to be a provision in the Lokpal Bill that treats the people at the highest level separately if they are suspected of corruption while maintaining the dignity of their high offices. No parallel government should be formed and nobody should be above the law,” Ravishanker, who is in Europe, told The Indian Express through his spokesperson in Bangalore.

Incidentally, the Anna Hazare camp, which has been adamant in its demand to include the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under the purview of the proposed office of the Lokpal, flew down to Bangalore last week to solicit Ravishanker’s support.

Ravishanker had backed their campaign then. “We need to change the mindsets. Corruption begins where belongingness ends. What belongs to you will come your way, so make an honest living. This revolution to get rid of corruption should be brought to the country,” he had said.

A grateful Arvind Kejriwal, a leading member of the Anna Hazare camp, had thanked Ravishanker for his support and said, “We didn’t know this fight would become so big”.

Interestingly, Ravishanker has also offered his support to Baba Ramdev who has publicly opposed the inclusion of Prime Minister and higher judiciary under the office of the Lokpal. Ravishanker’s spokesperson said while he supported the issues raised by Baba Ramdev, he would not fast along with him “as this will have international ramifications”. “Embassies all over the world will be bombarded with agitation by the people, so Sri Sri has decided to keep a low profile (with respect to Ramdev’s campaign),” he said.

Centre launches mother-child healthcare scheme

MEWAT (Haryana), June 1, 2011

Concerned over the high maternal and infant mortality rate in the country, the Centre on Wednesday launched an ambitious national programme to provide free services to pregnant women for deliveries and neo-natal care, if needed, up to a month after birth.

The facility will be available to all women in government health institutions in both rural and urban settings, and is expected to benefit over one crore women annually.

Launching the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, a Central scheme sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from Mewat — a predominantly Muslim area in Haryana here, Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance said the UPA government had always tried to give women their dues, Constitutionally and legally. "If 50 per cent of the population lags behind, a Nation cannot progress," she said, while admitting that the government was aware of the difficulties faced by women in proving their talent due to social barriers.

"It is our duty to realise the talent of our women and take measures for their progress," Ms. Gandhi said, while describing as unfortunate the high maternal and infant mortality rate in the country. She said the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), launched in 2005, had improved the overall healthcare facilities in the urban settings, the new programme would focus on pregnant and lactating mothers and their new-borns. "Even blood will be provided free of cost under the scheme," she said.

Speaking of the UPA's policy of inclusive growth, Ms. Gandhi said Dalits, minorities and economically backward sections of society had equally benefited from the government schemes.

The scheme has been launched in view of the difficulty being faced by pregnant women and parents of sick newborns along with high out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them on delivery and treatment. The scheme, drafted after all States approved of it, will provide free services to pregnant women, including normal deliveries and caesarean operations and treatment to sick new borns (up to 30 days after birth) in government hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres. The present initiative supplements the cash assistance given to pregnant women under the Janani Suraksha Yojana and is aimed to mitigate the burden of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the families.

The free facilities will include delivery including C-section, drugs and consumables, diagnostics, special diet during stay in the health institution, free provision of blood, exemption from user charges of all kinds, transport to and back from health facility after 48 hours and transport between facilities in case of referral. A child will also be entitled to free treatment and transportation up to a month after birth.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said more than Rs. 1,100 crore had been provided for drugs, diet and ambulances under the National Rural Health Mission during 2011-12. He said 67,000 women in India die every year due to pregnancy related complications and 9 lakh children died within the first four weeks of life. These deaths can be prevented, he added.

Keywords: free delivery scheme, Janani-Shishu SurakshaKaryakram, Sonia Gandhi, woman and child health

Much of Headley's deposition already known to us: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI, June 1, 2011

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said most aspects of Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley's ongoing deposition before a Chicago court were known to the government.

“Except one or two pieces of information, the rest had been brought to my notice by the National Investigation Agency team which had interrogated David Headley,” Mr. Chidambaram told journalists here.

Replying to a question, he said it would be worthwhile to wait for the entire examination of Headley to be over. “We cannot have a running commentary on it.”

To another query at his monthly review press conference of the Home Ministry, Mr. Chidambaram said the government had not taken any decision on being a party to a lawsuit in the U.S. against Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI.

Maran issue

Responding to a question whether Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran should offer his resignation in the wake of allegations against him on 2G spectrum scam, Mr. Chidambaram said: “In telecom matter, the CBI is investigating and the Joint Parliamentary Committee is inquiring, it will be completely unfair on my part to make any comment as I have no personal knowledge.”

On the status of mercy petition of Parliament House attack convict and death row prisoner Afzal Guru, the Home Minister said that during his tenure of past 30 months 11 mercy petitions had been decided against just two decisions between May 2004 and November 30, 2008. Out of 31 mercy petitions with the Ministry, 19 had been resubmitted to the President. He said a mercy petition was put in the serial according to the date of conviction and the date of filing the plea.

“Black list”

Mr. Chidambaram said names of 169 Sikh NRIs which were included in the “black list” were reviewed by the Home Ministry and 142 names were removed and necessary instructions were issued to the Indian Missions.

In the wake of terror attack on the Pakistan Navy base in Karachi, a high-level review of the coastal security was taken up. A detailed security review of all ports and vital installations along the coast would be undertaken by the Shipping Ministry with the Navy.

Mr. Chidambaram, who completed two-and-half years in office as Home Minister, said he had set the objective of enhancing the capacity of the intelligence agencies and security forces.

The number of operational battalions of the Central armed police forces had gone up to 573 against 541 on November 30, 2008. Besides, 21 new battalions were being raised. The total strength of Central forces, including all ranks, would swell to 7.77 lakh personnel. “We have built an additional 538 km of border roads, completed an additional 1,394 km of border fencing and replaced 652 km of fencing, and completed an additional 600 km of flood-lighting.”

Police modernisation

Mr. Chidambaram said that in the past two years, State police forces had taken up modernisation seriously and constructed 528 new police stations, procured over 10,000 new vehicles and acquired 30,000 weapons.

On the legislative front, the Home Ministry successfully piloted 13 Bills in Parliament and secured their passage. Among them were the National Investigation Agencies Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and the Land Ports Authority of India Act.

Keywords: David Headley, 26/11, Mumbai terror attack, Chidambaram press meet, internal security