Zia, on her maiden visit to India since she assumed power nine years ago, will have talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a wide range of issues on Tuesday. She will also call on President APJ Abdul Kalam and meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition LK Advani.

During the talks, India is expected to convey its concern over existence of North East insurgents' camps in Bangladesh and seek their dismantling. Dhaka has been denying existence of such camps or North East insurgent leaders even though New Delhi has been repeatedly furnishing it with their list with pin-pointed locations across Bangladesh.

The Indian side is also likely to raise the issue of continued illegal migration and seek steps to check it. Other issues likely to figure in the talks relate to border problems, particularly over the conclaves in "adverse possession", and disputes over sharing of waters of common rivers.

Bangladesh is expected to seek dismantling of tax barriers by India to allow its goods easy access here. Dhaka feels it would be an important confidence-building measure. Ahead of the visit, Khan said Bangladesh will seek greater market access for its goods in India to minimise the massive trade gap of $2 billion in Bangladesh's disfavour.

"We expect a unilateral decision from India for 100 percent market access for Bangladeshi products and lifting of all kinds of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers in reciprocation of Bangladesh's market opening policy to Indian goods and services," Morshed told The Daily Star newspaper of Bangladesh.

Describing the importance of Khaleda-Manmohan summit as confidence building measures (CBM), he hoped that Khaleda's maiden tour to India during her current stint in power will be a "milestone visit--maybe, one of the last calls for the train of opportunities in this region." (PTI)

"Rajnath Singh has decided to suspend Khurana from the party taking into account his statements and utterances over the last few days," party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told PTI.

Khurana, is apparently angry at not being nominated by BJP to Rajya Sabha polls, had accused the party and had threatened to decide his course of action if the party does not pay heed to him. (PTI)

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today welcomed the statement of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf of outrightly rejecting the option of an independent Kashmir. "I welcome his suggestion of rejecting the option of an independent Kashmir and also his desire to talk to New Delhi," Azad said in an interview to Karan Thapar for his programme "Devil's Advocate".

Asked why the Centre was not forthcoming in its approach to have a second round of talks with separatist Hurriyat Conference, Azad said it was for the amalgam to communicate to the Centre they were ready with their much-promised proposals and agenda. "They did not approach and I guess they were more busy in talking across the border with Musharraf than with the Centre," he said, adding "the Centre is very serious about the talks."

Azad said the talks with the Centre could not be a one group-centric and has to broaden. "Our interest is in talking to every individual," he said while referring to the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and JKLF Chief Yaseen Malik and another leader Sajjad Lone.

He rubbised the suggestion that non-participation of separatist leaders in the round-table conference convened by Singh here on February 25 was a failure on the part of the government and made it clear that if the separatist leaders failed to to appear in the second round-table, being held in Srinagar in May this year, the onus would fall on them.

As such, the round table was a success as people who represent 80 per cent of people of the state were there, Azad said. He denied having any differences with the state's alliance partner PDP and said "I would like to say that I have total understanding with Mufti Saheb (Sayeed). I have total understanding with ministers and Deputy Chief Minister (Muzzafar Hussain Beig).

When asked about his differences with PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Azad said "I don't have any problem with her. I am still talking to Mufti Sayeed...from our side, there is no problem. No mistrust." (PTI)

New Delhi: Government is proposing to construct a 608-km road passing through five states to develop infrastructure and trade links along the Indo-China border and raise new paramilitary units to strengthen Border Guarding Forces (BGFs).

The road link will span through areas from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunchal Pradesh, informed sources said on Saturday. Expected to cost about Rs 900 crore, the road will be guarded by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) alongwith the Army.

"With the trade mart at Sherathang for business through Nathula (in Sikkim) becoming operational, India-China border trade is expected to start this year," they said.

India's border with China is characterised by hgh- altitude terrains and thin habitation resulting in inadequate development of infrastructure in these regions. "In addition to upgradation of road infrastructure by the Defence Ministry, the Home Ministry has prepared a proposal to construct a road link totalling 608 kms along the India-China border," the sources said.

The decision to resume trade between India and China through Nathula was taken in 2003. (PTI)

"There is a big clot in the right side of the brain and his left side is paralysed. His condition is critical but at this time he is stable," Dr Jayanta Basu, who was in the team of doctors who conducted the operation, told newsmen.

Biswas, who had undergone an emergency brain operation at a south Kolkata nursing home to remove a brain clot, has been kept on life support system, Basu said. Doctors performed a second CT scan test on Biswas earlier in the day and reported their findings to state secretariat members who met on Sunday morning to review his condition.

"Nothing final can be said at the moment. His condition is critical but stable," Left Front chairman Biman Bose told newsmen after meeting the doctors.

Veteran party leader and former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said that Biswas' condition was "not well". (PTI)

New Delhi: Over two decades after a series of transistor bomb blasts rocked northern India killing 69 people and injuring more than 100 others, nine cases relating to the attacks are hanging fire in a Delhi court. The snail's pace of the progress of these cases can be gauged from the fact that in most of them even charges have not been framed, let alone commencement of trial.

It is all the more surprising because all the cases relating to the transistor blasts were transferred to the capital on the orders of the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court had been issuing directions from time to time to speed up the legal process, defence counsel Harvinder Kaur told PTI.

Five of the nearly 50 accused, including prime accused Kartar Singh Narang, a Delhi-based income tax lawyer, have since died while all other accused are enlarged on bail.

The incidents date back to May 1985 when a series of transistor bombs allegedly planted by Sikh militants shook the national capital and Ghaziabad, Meerut and Aligarh in western Uttar Pradesh claiming 69 lives and injuring 127 others. Live explosives were also recovered from Panipat in Haryana.

The prosecution alleged that the transistor bombs were planted by Narang and his co-conspirators who wanted to avenge the killings of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country in the 1984 riots which broke out following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The only semblance of progress was witnessed a few weeks ago when charges were framed against two accused - Narang's wife Surjit Kaur and one M S Oberoi - in three of the cases. Nine FIRs, 14 chargesheets, around two dozen judges, several lawyers and nearly 21 years later, Kaur and Oberoi will now face trial on charges of attempt to murder and certain other provisions of IPC and the Arms Act.

The police case rests on "secret information" received that transistor bombs were being manufactured in Narang's house in West Delhi. On May 12, 1985, police raided Narang's house and arrested him along with two of his alleged accomplices Oberoi and Manmohan Singh Khalsa for their "involvement in unlawful activities". (PTI)

New Delhi: Sleuths from India and Pakistan will thrash out issues relating to human trafficking, counterfeit currency and organised crime in the first such meeting of the heads of criminal investigation units from Tuesday. The two-day technical level talks between India’s Central Bureau of Investigation and Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be held after a gap of nearly 17 years.

"The last contact with the FIA was in 1989 on the sidelines of home secretary level talks and at that time the former CBI director, A.P. Mukherjee, visited Pakistan. We intend to revive contacts and see if we can build on the positives," said a senior CBI official.

A four-member team headed by FIA director Tariq Parvez is expected to arrive in Delhi late on Monday. "This visit is path-breaking and we hope to make the best of these talks," said the CBI source.

Senior CBI officials told IANS that both sides were expected to appoint nodal officers for future interactions and also discuss issues relating to Interpol related matters. "Clearly, we are meeting after a long time. The first day of talks will be exploratory but we will get down to critical issues once we have broken the ice," said the CBI source.

CBI officials did not want to comment whether the issue of wanted persons in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai would be taken up during the talks. India had forwarded a list of 20 most wanted criminals to Pakistan in 2002, including mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa - all wanted for the ’93 blasts - who have reportedly taken refuge there. (IANS)

Patna: In addition to showing a "stick" to hardened criminals, the Nitish Kumar government has offered "carrot" to them through a "lucrative" surrender and rehabilitation policy. The policy offers handsome cash compensation for firearms surrendered by the criminals and paying Rs 10,000 instantly and Rs 3,000 per month to those giving themselves up to the law, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Abhyanand told PTI on Sunday.

Besides, two children of such criminals would be imparted education up to matriculation level free of cost as part of the policy, he said. The rehabilitation package would be worth Rs two lakh out of which 25 per cent would be government aid while the rest 75 per cent would be as easy loan, the ADGP added.

As part of the rehabilitation efforts, the criminals who do not have their own house or piece of land would be provided houses under Indira Awas Yojna, he said. As part of the policy, the government has offered handsome cash compensation for surrender of different kinds of firearms as per the rates fixed, it has offered to pay Rs 25,000 for rocket launchers, lmgs and sky pack rifles, Rs 15,000 for AK-47, AK-56 and AK-47 assault rifles and Rs 3,000 for pistols, revolvers and .303 rifles. (PTI)

New Delhi: Two crucial pieces of evidence in the form of the "missing" .22 bore licensed pistol of prime accused Manu Sharma and the seizure of the black Tata Safari vehicle were surprisingly overlooked by the trial court in acquitting the accused in the Jessica Lal murder case, the Delhi police has maintained.

In what is considered to be one of the strongest ever appeals made against the order of a trial court, the Delhi police has argued that Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana failed to take into consideration Manu Sharma's "failure" to account for the "missing" .22 bore pistol make P Baretta No B 56943 allegedly used to shoot Jessica on the fateful day of April 29, 1999.

Sharma took the plea in the court that the police had already seized the weapon on the following day of the murder which police said was baseless.

The appeal regretted that the trial court chose to believe Sharma's claim in this regard even though the accused failed to produce any evidence in the form of a prior complaint or statement to any authority about the so called seizure of the pistol. "The falsity of the plea taken by the accused is evident from the written submission made by the defence that police had decided to frame him in the case only on May 5, 1999," the appeal noted.

In the case of the black Tata Safari allegedly used in the offence, the prosecution furnished material evidence in the form of the seizure report and FIR registered on May two, 1999, in the Sector 24 Noida Police Station. (PTI)

Patna: Spiritual guru Baba Ramdev is in a fresh legal wrangle, as a village body head in Bihar has filed a case of cheating and fraud against him at a court here. Dev Kumar Singh, mukhiya of Bali Panchayat of Fatuha block in Patna district, filed a complaint against Ramdev, accusing him of violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954, a court official said on Saturday. Three of Randev’s ‘vaidyas’ (ayurvedic doctors) of Divyog Mandir Trust were also named in the case, filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate here.

The case against Ramdev was filed at a time when he was visting Patna as a state guest. He was holding yoga camp here beginning Sunday morning. The camp would end on March 25. In his petition, Singh charged that large-scale advertisement and propaganda in Patna about magical treatment by Ramdev’s yoga has violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act.

The court fixed March 28 for hearing of the case. The Bihar chapter of Indian Medical Association has decided to felicitate yoga guru Swami Ramdev notwithstanding adverse opinions expressed by a senior member of its national body that the Swami has made derogatory remarks on modern medicine.

"We are working out the modalitities for according honour to Baba Ramdev, who is now in the state capital, for his invaluable contribution to healthcare," state IMA Vice President Dr Shahjanand told PTI here on Sunday. (Agencies.

Dantewada (Chhattisgarh): A vast thickly forested area in the heart of India has become the country’s bloodiest war zone, with hundreds of security personnel pitted against Maoist guerrillas and impoverished tribespersons caught in between. Chhattisgarh politicians and officials say that some 45,000 tribal people, assisted by paramilitary troops and police, have taken on the Maoists in the 10,238 sq km territory in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.Shedding all inhibitions, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government is arming and financing men and women who have thrown their lot with the State in the campaign against the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist.

The militias are putting up a tough fight against the more motivated guerrillas - but taking heavy casualties too. The 86 deaths in Dantewada this year, including that of 20 policemen, is much higher than the fatalities reported in violence-hit Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast region put together, officials say. In the process, Dantewada, which borders Maharashtra, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, is witnessing an armed campaign not seen in the history of the country’s four decades old Maoist movement.

The State Government, which enjoys the backing of the main Opposition Congress party as well as New Delhi in its fight against the Maoists, says it is determined to crush the guerrillas who have set up a parallel administration in much of the sprawling district. Officials admit that the Maoists enjoy sway over 12,000 sq km in the Bastar region’s Abujhmarh forest. The rebels have planted landmines all around, and not a single policeman dares to enter the zone.

The Government-sponsored militias seek to woo local tribes in the name of "Salwa Judum" (Peace Mission) that was launched in June last year by opposition leader Mahendra Karma of the Congress who now tops the guerrillas’ hit list of "class enemies".

"We have no option. The Salwa Judum movement has begun. The tribal people have to come to us or stay with the Maoists. There is no middle path," Karma told IANS.

Dantewada’s 1.1 million people are mostly tribal. The area has one of the world’s largest iron ore reserves with stocks that can feed India’s fast growing steel industry for the next few centuries. Dotted with hills and covered by forests, it is also one of India’s most impoverished regions. The tribals inhabiting the 1,349 villages mainly depend on hunting, forest products and agriculture for their humble living.

"I know the rebels have been butchering tribes who have been supporting the government in the armed struggle, but democracy will eventually triumph over the Maoists," Chief Minister Raman Singh declared in Raipur, the state capital. He added that nearly 45,000 people had been displaced since June 2005 and were living in Government relief camps guarded by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the police.

Amid allegations of human right violations, the government provides sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 rifles to members of the militia who until now knew nothing apart from the traditional bow and arrows. Maoists who surrendered to the authorities are also being helped to take on their former comrades after being grouped as special police officers (SPOs).

"The SPOs have a single task: to fan out in the Maoist den and dismantle their terror network. The government offers Rs.1,500 a month to the SPOs who have never earned a single rupee in their life," Home Minister Ramvichar Netam said.

A desperate government set up a Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in August 2005 in the Bastar region to train policemen to fight "a guerrilla like a guerrilla". (IANS)

The NCP has already rejected the report saying that the powers and functions of the Shillong office were not defined in the report. They wanted to know the financial implications in having so many new officers as recommended by the Select Committee.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister JD Rymbai on Sunday said if the need arises and the legislators raise any objection to the report, the Speaker might fix time for a debate in the House. "The members would have to study the report first and then can raise their doubts in the Assembly", he said.

Even the GSU, which was all along opposing any sort of change in the functioning of the education Board called for a Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting on Monday in Tura to discuss the report. GSU president Andreas Sangma said merely changing the regional office to Shillong MBOSE Office would not do any good as the powers and functions of the Shillong office would remain the same.

Commenting on other grievances, the student leader said though the Chief Minister DD Lapang in a recent meeting with the GSU in Shillong had assured that he would take necessary steps on the Union's long-pending demands within one week, "nothing has been done as yet". The main demand of the Union was to correct the anomalies in the reservation policy.

The GSU also alleged that some government servants were singled out unjustly and shunted out of Garo Hills, "as they co-operated with the GSU movement on MBOSE". They wanted the government to revoke their transfer orders. The Union demanded the State government to release full amo-unt for the construction of a higher secondary school in Tura.

Appointment of qualified doctors in Tura Civil Hospital for handling screening equipment and release of Rs two crore for the development of roads were other demands of the Union.  The Khasi Hills and Assam Zones of GSU will also participate in the CEC meeting on Monday.

The GSU Khasi Hills Zone general secretary Aldo Sangma said besides the MBOSE issue, the need to set up an IIM campus in Tura, NEHU permanent campus, subdivisions in Rongjeng, Chokpot and Kharkutta, early completion of Governor's guest house and IAS Coaching Centre in Tura would also be raised at the CEC meeting.

SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Chief Executive Member came to the rescue of those MLA-MDCs saying that as per the Prevention of Disqualification (of MLA) Act, 1972, MLAs and MDCs are allowed to hold dual posts both in the legislative Assembly and autonomous District Council.

Mr HS Shylla said according to the Prevention of Disqualification (of MLA) Act 1972 Section 2, members holding both the posts of MLA and MDC would not be disqualified. He urged MLAs and MDCs not to be scared because of the Act. However, he said his personal opinion differs from the Act.

"There is an urgent need to amend the Act so that public leaders can choose between being a member of the legislative Assembly or the district council", Mr Shylla said.

It is an onerous task to continue both as a member of the legislative Assembly and the district council, he said adding "one cannot serve two masters at the same time".

It may be mentioned that the Hynniewtrep People Social Organisation (HPSO), taking an example of recent disqualification of Rajya Sabha Member Mrs Jaya Bachchan, had sought the intervention of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Mr BB Tandon in debarring MLAs of Meghalaya from holding the post of MDCs.

The HPSO said the current trend of legislators holding dual posts could not be justified and pointed out that "these people draw and enjoy remunerations, perks of offices from both the institutions and stifle the healthy democratic growth and development".

SHILLONG: Union Home Minister Shivarj Patil will arrive here on March 24 for a special function commemorating 171 years of Assam Rifles existence.

The Public Relations Officer of Assam Rifles, Mr Rajkumar on Sunday said the Union Home Minister would arrive at Assam Rifles in Happy valley on Friday at 11.30 am and address the Jawans and officers of Assam Rifles at the special Sainik Sammelan after the wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial.

After this function, Mr Patil would proceed to DGAR in Laitumkhrah and will address the AR Commanders before leaving for Delhi on the same day.

SHILLONG: Stung by repeated allegation by certain NGOs about the health hazards related to uranium mining, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council has decided to dispatch a team headed by its Chief Executive Member HS Shylla to Jadugoda uranium mining area for a reality check.

The decision came after the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) extended an invitation to the Council members to visit Jadugoda at their expense and see for themselves, the adverse affect of mining, if any. "The main purpose of our visit to Jadugoda is to ascertain the alleged health hazard of uranium mining, before allowing the UCIL to start a similar project at Mawthabah near Domiasiat", Mr Shylla said.

The claim of certain NGOs about the negative impact of uranium on the health of the people seems to be just a rumour, Mr Shylla said, arguing that so far no one could prove this phenomenon. "By visiting Jadugoda, I am confident that we would be able to enlighten the people and clear all doubts on the issues especially before giving permission to the UCIL to carry out the proposed mining in the State", the CEM said.

Mr Shylla said their visit to Jadugoda is based on an UCIL invitation and all expenditures would be borne by the company.

While favouring mining in the area, if it has no adverse affect on general health of the local people, the Council chief asserted that the people should feel proud if the State could contribute to the growth of a stronger nation through this uranium project. "Besides contributing to the nation, the people and the State as a whole would be benefited both in terms of development and job opportunities", he believed.

However, Mr Shylla is open to criticism for it, he said, would help the District Council to study pros and cons before extending a no-objection certificate to the company to start the uranium project at Mawthabah. "This would enable us to ensure that the State and the people enjoy maximum share of profit", he said.

The KHADC team, besides the CEM, will comprise Deputy CEM William Mynsong, Chairman Martamlin Pyrbot, other Executive Members and Syiem of Hima Langrin from West Khasi Hills. The team will leave on April 3.

The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHA-DC) Chief Executive Member (CEM), Mr Moonlight Pariat on Sunday said working scheme to fell trees in specified areas was approved by the concerned departments of both the Centre and the State on March 13 and the order would be effective for five years from April 1 this year to March 2011.

In the first phase, tree felling would be allowed in private and community forests, especially in 159 registered forest areas with a forest cover of 1696.144 sq km.  Mr Pariat rubbished the claim of KHNAM that its leaders spoke to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, which ultimately brought a relaxation in timber felling.

"The claim of KHNAM is not based on truth. It was after a series of meetings and submitting a detailed working plan that the Supreme Court relaxed the ban on tree felling", Mr Pariat said.

The CEM made it clear that the JHADC would follow the guidelines strictly so that there was no rampant tree felling. He said the officials from the district council would mark those trees that can be felled.

Forum chairman Admiral Sangma also aired similar views and said proper discussion was necessary. Senior Minister from Garo Hills, Mrs Deborah Marak assured the MDA members recently that as the purpose of forming the GHLF was served, the Forum would be dissolved. After getting this assurance, KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh decided not to form any such forum for Khasi Jaintia Legislators in line with the GHLF.

The issue of formation of a forum for the Khasi-Jaintia MLAs came up for a discussion during the MDA meeting on last Thursday. The man who floated the idea of having a forum for Khasi-Jaintia MLAs, Mr Lyngdoh, said as Mrs Marak was of the opinion that with the issue of MBOSE being resolved, the purpose of GHLF was also over, "there was no reason to continue with the forum".

However the, GSU flayed this idea of having the Forum disbanded and criticised Mrs Marak for deviating from the purpose of forming the GHLF. GSU president Andreas Sangma termed her stand "unjustified" and reminded that the leaders who formed the Forum had assured that it would continue to exist for looking into various aspects of development in Garo Hills.

SHILLONG: When a criminal act gets the approval of the society, it turns into a social menace. At a time when the neighbouring state of Assam witnessed beheading of five members of a family on charges of witchcraft, almost at the same time, Meghalaya experienced a similar situation where the myth of menshohnoh (killers of wealth) resurfaced that calls for immediate negation.

As the Khasi and Jaintia Hills district administration are grappling with serious issues related to witchcraft or maintenance of U Thlen, the Catholic church offered its help to the State government and the public to overcome the crisis. "The church is willing to co-operate with the government to allay fears over the belief in superstitions", Archbishop Dominic Jala told The Shillong Times.

Just recently, some villagers detained a group of people accusing them of being men shohnoh. As fear psychosis gripped Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts, the Deputy Commissioner of Jaintia Hills Mr FR Kharkongor and East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police AR Mawthoh had separate meetings with the headmen of various localities within their jurisdiction on March 17 urging them to be alert when the rumour was doing the round.

There are villagers in remote areas of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, who still believe in the theory of U Thlen (the mythical serpent), which supposedly fetches wealth to those who rear it. The folklore has it that once the villagers in Cherrapunjee (Sohra) killed the incarnation of evil U Thlen after capturing it from a deep cave. The Thlen was later butchered for feast.

However, a selfish man hid a few pieces of the flesh for later consumption. According to the story, Thlen came back to life from the flesh and multiplied. There were men who wanted to preserve snakes for becoming rich. They used to make human sacrifice to appease the serpent to get wealth and the practice came to be known as menshohnoh. Those who kept the serpents were identified as a sort of household. The descendants of snake worshippers came to be known as Nong ri-thlens or Python-keepers.

In the past, the python-keepers were excommunicated, lynched or even burnt alive. Contrary to the theory of U Theln, the Catholic church believes in St George who smashed the head of a mighty serpent for causing trouble to the people in the past.

"I was surprised to learn about the superstition. I appeal to the people not to be misled by such rumours", Rev Jala urged.

The Archbishop said people should not be rash in taking actions without any foundation. "It is illogical to believe in unfounded rumours especially that destroys peace and harmony", he said.

"We urge the people that any act of violence on fellow human-being goes against the sacredness of human life. God is only solid foundation and superstitions have no basis", the Archbishop said.

He cautioned against the move of some who wanted to create confusion as mega projects are going on in the State, adding that every citizen should have a sense of responsibility.

Bishop elect for Jaintia Hills, Fr Vincent Kynpat pointed out that it usually takes a long time to remove the evils of superstitions. Citing the case of caste system in southern states of India, Fr Vincent said belief in U Thlen remained in the psyche at the level of stories and superstitions.When one pronounces that he is men shononh, this weakens the psyche of others, Fr Vincent said.

The Catholic church can educate the people in the villages not to take recourse to superstitions which are harmful to the society, albeit it would take a long time to get desired results, he said. He admitted that in some villages in Jaintia Hills, such beliefs are quite strong so that they even are suspicious of the vehicles coming to their locality.

Tracing the origin of these stories, Fr Vincent said one has to look into the ancient way of communicating a fact or truth through stories. "Gradually they forgot the truth for which the stories were made and only kept telling the stories", he said.Echoing the same views, Chancellor Fr John Mathur said on the part of the church, direction is given to the people not to pay heed to superstitious beliefs. "Starting from baptism, we instruct the faithful not to have faith in superstitions", he said.

Fr Pascal Lyngoh, parish priest of Mawkhar Catholic Church said that the church never encourages superstitions. People used to believe that when there is sickness of children, it is caused by the evil spirits. But the sickness may be due to malnutrition or other factors.

"When I was in Mairang, there was an instance of people spreading rumours that sickness in a family was caused by the evil deeds of its neghbour and the neighbour was later excommunicated", he said.

There is also superstitious belief of Ai Ksuid (doing evils to others), which is misinterpreted by many. Jealousy is another factor. While some take recourse to superstitions in their fight for land and property, others spread rumours of human sacrifice for contract projects. "Though it takes time to eradicate social evils, those who blame others without any valid reason should be taken to task", Fr Pasal said He believed that the greatest Thlen in the present day context is liquor that kills the youth.

The training was carried out under the guidance of coordinator and the Dean incharge Dr Hitashi Singh of College of Home Science while the trainers were the faculty of the college, Dr S Borah, Kh R Aimol, Ms N Singh, Mr S Nagar and Ms V Kumari. The programme focused on the importance of women entrepreneurship and exploring possibilities for more and more areas for entrepreneurship and is expected to provide livelihood and generate employment among the rural tribals.

Deputy Commissioner West Garo Hills P Sampat Kumar, in his speech, suggested for adopting one or two self-help groups to provide them extensive training and marketing strategies for making them productive. He assured possible support by the District administration in this regard. GM DIC, Tura, D K Areng highlighted on the past linkage programmes along with future training programmes to be taken up in collaboration with the College of Home Science.

Shillong: A delegation of the Consultation for Women and Land Rights (CWLR) took part in the international conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development held in Porto Alegre recently. Jarjum Ete from Arunachal was among the team.

The representatives CWLR, a global forum of local, national and international NGOs and networks lobbying and advocating for policy change, law reforms and administrative mechanisms to increase women's resource base by including land rights for the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable women, discussed in depth the gender-related issues especially on women's right to land.

The week-long conference brought together government and civil society representatives from over 90 countries. The CWLR delegation was sent as part of the Action Aid team of partner organisations to highlight women's rights to land. A case study on women's land and resource rights in India was presented at the conference. The case study called for equal opportunities for both men and women to access to land and titling, and the recognition of the legitimacy of rights of women to land.

Jarjum Ete from Arunachal and Vasavi from Jharkhand, both executive members of the CWLR, led a unique thematic session as part of the formal conference on the Land Rights of Indigenous Women. The delegates also had an in-depth discussion on the evolution of indigenous women's rights within the framework of customary laws and practices, and what the future agenda for addressing these changes could be.

Due to the efforts of CWLR, gender equality is much more prominent in the declaration. Women farmers were highlighted through the document in reference to access to resources. The women were not subsumed within the language of 'marginalized groups', but highlighted as a focus group for agrarian reform measures.

TURA: The entire Garo Hills was plunged into darkness on Saturday evening, and well into Sunday morning, following a breakdown in power supply from Shillong. Thousands of Class X students undergoing the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination and the 10+2 students attempting the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) were left stranded by the disruption of power.

The disruption in supply of power, which has gained notoriety for its annual feature in Garo Hills while examinations are on, was attributed to a line fault somewhere between Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills and Nangalbibra in East Garo Hills. Power went out at about 6:40 in the evening and was restored just before 11 am on Sunday.

The lack of communication between the MeSEB officials from Garo Hills and Shillong could be gauged from a failure to gain access to information on the power cut. MeSEB officials at Tura were merely informed about the trip in line and informed that the fault had been identified four kms away from the main road and efforts were on to get the power supply restored.

The students were extremely hit because many were unprepared for such a long haul in power disruption. A majority of the students did not have any backup in the form of candles and lanterns to study late into the night. Mathematics is the subject for the Monday examination and students could not practice other then to sit it out in the sweltering heat.The power disruption also had other casualties besides the student community.

A house belonging to senior lecturer and former Mothers’ Union General Secretary Viola Sonatchi B Sangma was completely gutted in a late night fire. The assam type house, constructed during the British era, was destroyed after fire broke out at around 1 am on Sunday.At the time of the incident only the male assistants were in the house but they managed to escape.The cause of the fire is suspected to have been caused by a lit candle left carelessly behind.

Shillong: The problems and difficulties faced by children today in the State were deliberated at an inter-active session known as the City Level Children's Meet held at Don Bosco Technical School here on Saturday.

Attended by nearly two hundred students and street children drawn from various schools and localities, the session proved to be a success with the children getting a chance to raise questions on issues such as child labour, health care for the children from BLP families besides other issues that affect the society.

They also questioned the non-availability of essential medicines in various Government health centres in the State though they said that medical check-ups at the centres are being conducted free of cost.

On the lack of treatment facilities for major diseases for which most of the people of the State have to go outside the State for treatment, the resource person from the Health Department, Dr R H Pariat, said that with the inauguration of NEIGHRIMS here in Shillong, the people of the State will avail treatment at the institute at a much cheaper rate here.

The children also raised concern over the sale of medicines to patients without acquiring prescription from a medical practitioner. Other issues discussed were granting concession of bus fare or giving free ride to school students in city buses. The function was organised by Child Line Shillong in collaboration with the Childline India Foundation.

Nepal's Maoist guerrillas began a blockade of Kath-mandu valley and key cities on March 14, the government strengthened the stick with the carrot, offering a bait of cash rewards and rehabilitation schemes to encourage defection among the rebels. King Gyanendra's government said it would pay a reward of Nepalese Rs 1 million to top guerrilla leaders surrendering with arms, and lesser sums to rebels at lower rungs.

The Indian media has been barred from press briefings by Nepal's hard-liner home minister, Kamal Thapa, who has been using the occasions to accuse New Delhi of abetting the Maoists and turning a blind eye to their arms smuggling across the open border. Though according to an agreement between India and Nepal, both are to treat each other's citizens on par, Nepal has been deviating from the pact, especially in the media sector. Indian citizens representing the Indian media have to pay an accreditation fee that is nearly 30 times that of the nominal fee levied on Nepalis.

No sooner King Gyanendra assumed power New Delhi had advised him against removing the buffer between the Maoist insurgents and the monarchy. The US too endorsed India's stand and Britain's special envoy lamented the prolonged absence of a functioning parliament in Kathmandu. The monarch chose to disregard the advice. Before the Nepal king finds his place in the pantheon of dictators loathed by the friends of the Maoists - the names of Messrs Salazar, Franco, Pinochet and the former Shah of Iran come to mind - it would be instructive to blend indignation with an understanding of the Himalayan kingdom.

For all practical purposes, Nepal has ceased to be a functioning democracy since 2002 when parliament was dissolved. The last elections were conducted some eight years ago. All the governments that have assumed charge since then, including those headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Surya Bahadur Thapa, have been nominated by the king. The only difference this time is that the king has dispensed with the fiction of civilian control.The turbulence in Nepal that has cost some 15,000 live has not come about because of undiluted royalist ambitions. It began with the Maoists launching a so-called people's war in 1996 and the complete inability of the political class to cope with the menace. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) doesn't believe in either dialogue or the constitutional path. It despises the "reactionary" Nepali Congress and the "revisionist" CPN (UML) as much as it hates the king. The Nepali Maoists are the political descendants of Lin Biao, Charu Mazumdar and Pol Pot.

Despite encouragement from India and the West, the political class has failed abysmally to get its act together. G.P. Koirala, the head of the Nepali Congress - the most significant political party - refused to countenance power sharing with his former party colleague, Sher Bahadur Deuba, or leaders of the pro-monarchist Rashtriya Praja-tantra Party. Ordinary Nepalis may be wary of the king but they are exasperated by the shenanigans of the politicians.Nepal has often been called a "failed state". It is actually a failed democracy.

India has to exercise a few hard options. It can choose to make the ruffled egos of its own establishment the driving force of punitive action against the king. In the process it will be handing over Nepal on a platter to Comrade Prachanda. It should remember that it was president Jimmy Carter's "ethical" approach in Iran that created the openings for the radicals led by Ayatollah Khomeini. There is, of course, an alternative course. India must recognise that the greatest danger to national security stems from a Maoist victory in Kathmandu. Such a turn of events will make the whole of eastern and central India vulnerable to insurgency - a prospect that is deliciously anticipated by a section of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi military establishments.

There is no alternative but for India to make the defeat of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal its immediate and unwavering goal. The king must be engaged constructively and the Royal Nepal Army has to be given all the operational assistance in the war against the insurgents. The restoration of democracy is a medium and long-term imperative.

However, there is an even more ominous signal in the events in Nepal. The failure of the political parties to organise the people for a peaceful protest may push sections of them to the Maoist camp. Thus, the king's stubbornness and the parties' inadequacies together could add to the rebels' influence in Nepal. As it is, neither the palace nor the parties have much control over nearly two-thirds of the mountainous country. Leaders of the two major parties - the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) - have to ponder their own failures. They have to concede that they have lost much of the public confidence that made the democracy movement of 1990 a successful popular uprising. Corrupt and unprincipled politicians had since caused incalculable damage to Nepal's fledgling multi-party democracy. The people's anger with such politicians helped the Maoists gather strength and spread to remote parts of the kingdom. But all this is no justification for going back to the feudal days of absolute monarchy. Nor is the Maoist rebellion a realistic alternative. The international community must prevail upon the king to restore democracy in Nepal. Only that can save the kingdom from falling to the Maoists.

Peace and democracy are being recognised as conjoined twins in Nepal today and people are once again looking for the leadership of democratic forces. The political parties as well as the Maoists have publicly apologised for their past mistakes. Together they are talking of a post-monarchical agenda. The debate is not about what to do with the king but what to do after monarchy.

The only monarchical constituency is the Royal Nepal Army. King Gyanendra himself dons military fatigues while touring the country nowadays. Some say that this is to identify himself with the armed forces because he does not know how long the unity of the army will hold. The fatigues apparently also hide a bullet-proof vest.

However, the RNA cannot be a permanent constituency - in post-monarchical Nepal, it will not survive in its present form. The political parties and the Maoists are already talking of a new army - the Maoists want the People's Liberation Army to be converted into the national army, the political parties quite understandably oppose this. Whichever way the RNA is reorganised, the fact remains that its royalist elements will be purged.What is the king's game plan to get out of the present crisis? First, to constitutionalise his snatching away of executive power from an elected government; and second, to retain the sovereignty he has forcibly taken away from the people.The most important development in Nepal has been the Maoists taking their battle to the political sphere. Through the 12-point understanding with the political parties, the Maoists have committed themselves to multi-party democracy, respect for human rights and an elected constituent assembly to reshape the Nepalese state. This has paved the way for all democratic political actors to work towards a situation where people can make their choices without fear.

India must, therefore, send two clear signals - one to the Nepalese people and the other to the Royal Nepal Army. New Delhi must unequivocally lend support to the democratic aspirations of the Nepalese people. This would entails ensuring through moral and political pressure the facili-tation of an early end to the instability in Nepal.

The second message must go to the RNA. If the king would not listen to reason and concede defeat, then India, along with the international community, must focus on the RNA. It is a brother army of the Indian army. That influence can be used productively - there can be a Nepal without the king but there cannot be a Nepal without a national army. The RNA can be used to change the mind of the king.The Nepalese people must not be made to suffer because King Gyanendra's ego would not allow him to swallow his pride. He should be advised that the only option before him is to either accept a ceremonial role, after apologising to the people for snatching away power, or he can be helped to safely relocate to Taipei or Mauritius, where he has apparently bought residential property, or anywhere else that he might prefer. INAV

"No use of crying," the pundit would console the grieving family of the departed. "For, death is inevitable." And then one day the punditji’s son died. "Why do you cry?" the villagers sought to know, "You always told us death is inevitable." "But, now it is my son," the sobbing pundit conceded. The world might have been a better place to live in, had those imposing the terms of globalisation on us were half as honest as the punditji.

Watch all the regular xenophobia in US whenever any non-Western company tries to acquire a major US private firm. Free trade and free flow of capital, we are constantly told, are cardinal for growth and prosperity. Our own globalisation enthusiasts greet every MNC takeover as an ultimate salvation for the domestic economy.

However, it is no more so in the west which is now in the grip of a new wave of protectionism bordering racism against what they describe unwelcome invasion from the east and middle-east. New rules of the globalisation game is the in-thing in their economic discourse. Threat to national security, ‘alien domination’ and loss of job are liberally trotted out to justify the fierce opposition to the intrusion of ‘foreign’ firms into the developed countries.

When the Manmohan Singh government went in for handing over India’s major airports to the foreign firms, its advocates in the media went on praising the virtues of globalisation and efficiency of the foreign MNCs.Foreign capital or alien control of crucial installations, we are told, hardly matters in a global village of a borderless world. Those who are critical of privatisation and handing sensitive security areas to the foreigners are considered as of old mindset.

They are simply protecting the fat jobs of a set of inefficient workers who are bent on preventing moder-nisation. The greatest paradox is that the same arguments we dub as old mindset are being raised, point by point, in US, France, Germany and other EU countries. Even within the EU, member-countries often accuse each other of takeover intrusions into their domains.

A sort of swadeshi movement is fast catching up in US, the mother of liberalisation and global-isation. It began with national security interests and is now fast spreading to concerns like ‘information leak’, ‘alien control of critical infrastructure’ and even job loss to outsiders. Protectionism of different persuasions is becoming the watch word. It began much before the Dubai Port World last month bought six prominent US sea ports from a century-old UK firm for $ 6.8 billion. Despite George Bush’s defence, the law-makers in US, encouraged by public opinion, scuttled the deal for security reasons.

Unlike India, the US has a set of built-in safeguards to screen such takeovers. We are constantly told the FDI cap should be 100 per cent, automatic and without screening. But for them all such proposals have to go through a maize of agencies – the secretive ‘Integrency’ Panel, Committee on Foreign Investments which includes representatives from 12 agencies, including the department of Defence, Treasury, State, Homeland, Security (general) and the National Security Council. Apart from this, Intelligence Community Acquisition Risk Centre under the office of director of national intelligence John D. Negroponte has to vet such proposals.

American personnel will continue to remain at all positions after the ownership transfer to the foreign buyer. Has any one asked what will be the fate of our national airports under the foreigners’ control? We also face bigger security problems at our installations with frequent terrorist attacks. Supposing a Pakistani-sponsored firm buys the airports from our European buyers?

In the surging ‘swadeshi’ trends in US, issues like possible leak of critical information about the sensitive cargo and their stealthy replacement by alien shipping agencies are being raised. Some have sought the ouster of a Danish firm which handles much of US Navy’s transport, including ammunition and fuel. There is also talk of reviving a pre-World War II US law called Jones Act to make US ownership of ports and ships operating in sensitive areas. About two dozen bills are before the Congress seeking a review of the foreign investment procedures.

Last year, the Congress scuttled a deal by Chinese firm Cnooc to buy US oil major Unocal. The Chinese had also made a vain bid on a US steel giant. The US came down heavily on Google and Microsoft over their ‘secret’ dealing in China. Toshiba Corporation’s move to buy Westinghouse Electric Company, a builder of nuclear plants in US, is viewed with suspicion. There is paranoia in US over the use of ‘alien’ petro wealth and accumulated Chinese trade surplus taking over sensitive areas of infrastructure. Much of last year’s foreign inflows of $ 1 trillion into the US financial market had come from the two sources.

The punditji’s ‘my-son’ syndrome is rapidly catching up in Europe as well. In the case of Mittal Steel’s takeover bid for Arcelor, jobs, not security, is being made a major factor. French activists and politicians are insisting on the merger of Enel of Italy in Gas de France as a price for the former’s business expansion in the region. The UK government is putting a spoke in the merger deal by Russia’s Gasprom with British-owned Centrica. The developed west seems to be slipping in to the reassertion of localism, rather than the lofty globalization and free market. India has to learn valuable lessons from the hardening protectionism and swadeshi approach of the west, which is now experiencing the free market backlash of globalization they had imposed on others.

Unlike in US, we do not have any institutionalized set-up to scrutinize the deals being entered into by the executive. The usual tendency is to avoid parliamentary scrutiny.New trends in US signals the need for built-in statutory safeguards for regular scrutiny while removing of the FDI caps and opening up defence and other sensitive areas like airports. (IPA Service)

Notices have been served to Mahanta, who was also holding the Home portfolio during his last term, Gill and several other senior officials of the home department. Justice Saikia said that he has asked the government to extend the term of the commission by another six months.

The commission is inquiring into 12 cases and each case requires four sessions for hearing and one session for argument and therefore more time was required, he pointed out. Justice Saikia was asked to inquire into the secret killings that took place during Mahanta's regime after the present Congress government rejected the report submitted by Justice J N Sharma who had earlier inquired into the killings and acquitted Mahanta.

Several family members of ULFA militants were allegedly killed by surrendered ULFA activists during 1998-99 during Mahanta's regime and these are referred to as secret killings. (PTI)

A 60-year old tea labourer Amir Munda, his two sons Kaklu Munda, Pasing Munda and two daughters Luduri and Sumi Munda were beheaded on Saturday afternoon in the Kachari labour line of the garden after a 'kangaroo court' found them guilty of practising witchcraft.

A 250-strong mob which implemented the kangaroo court's order then walked five kms along National Highway 52 carrying the severed heads and deposited these at the Bishwanath Chariali police station. The police rushed to the area and took into custody several of the labourers who claimed that all of them were involved in the incident.

The mob spared Munda's pregnant wife Terosi but she is untraceable so far. Two garden workers had died two weeks ago and several people were taken ill of some identified disease and the community suspected that Munda had practised witchcraft and was responsible for the outbreak of the disease. (PTI)

The five-day session this time is likely to be a stormy one as the Opposition BJP would try to grill the ruling Congress government on the Apex Bank issue, alleged misuse of funds against centrally sponsored schemes and development of the power sector in the state. Many important Government Bills are likely to be passed in the Assembly this session. (UNI)

Aizawl: In the bid to enhance the quality of education in the State, the Mizoram Government has signed a Rs 17 crore agreement with the University of Cambridge to train the teachers in developing English language skills.

The project aims to define the parameters for implementation of a comprehensive teachers' training in English and general teaching skill programmes in the State. Mizoram Government would allocate approximately Rs 3.5 crore in their annual Budget for the purpose.

About 16,000 teachers across the State would benefit from this programme over a period of five years starting from April this year, L Tochhong, Commissioner and Secretary for Education said.Mizoram would be the second State to sign such contract with the foreign university after Rajasthan, Dr Mark Bartholomew, Regional Director, University of Cambridge said. (UNI)

Itanagar: For people it resembles a concrete house with tin roof and other costly building materials, but in reality it is a house made of bamboo, the green gold of North East. The house which proved to be a sweet home to many, is the recent invention of Arunachal Plywood Industries Limited (APIL), a Namsai based industry under state's Lohit district.

The APIL, which excelled in plywood business till a decade back, had turned sick after a blanket ban on timber operation in the region imposed by the Supreme Court during the year 1996. Though it ventured into tea cultivation, metalized paper production and timber operation following controlled regime permitted by the apex court but did not meet with the same success.

However, it stumbled upon the gold mine following its initiative last year to tap the vast bamboo sector of the state through bamboo house production. ''The cost-effective, environment-friendly, fire-proof house provides flexibility with a life span of 25 years'', said Madan Jalan managing director of APIL.

The cost of a house varies from 52,000 to 1, 68,000 depending on its size, he informed, adding, the industry had so far constructed houses in four sizes namely: 12x12ft, 16x16ft, 20x20ft and 24x20ft costing 52,000; 89,600; 1,40,000 and 1,68,000 respectively.

''We have so far sold 135 such houses outside the state including 2 in Uttaranchal, 8 in Rajasthan, 10 in Manipur, 40 in Bodoland (Assam) and 75 in Jammu & Kashmir, while its trial house for Tsunami hit Andaman has been approved against an order of 650 houses'', he informed proudly.

''As China has written the most successful story in the world in converting the longest grass on the earth (bamboo) to cash, the species has high growth potential as an industry, particularly in an earthquake prone state like Arunachal Pradesh'' Mr Jalan added. (UNI)