New Delhi: Cocking a snook at the Delhi Police's state of 'high alert', terrorists carried out another blast that left two dead and over 18 injured on Saturday afternoon, exactly two weeks after serial bomb blasts ripped through the Capital claiming nearly two dozen lives.
The explosion occurred at about 2pm in South Delhi's crowded bazaar of Mehrauli, near Jahaj Mahal flyover market at Andheria Mod, and left a nine-year-old dead and over 18 injured, of which three are critical, official sources said.
Confirming the casualty, Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal said it was a ''low intensity blast''.
Later in the evening police detained two suspects close to the IGI Airport, sources said, adding the two youths were picked from Kapasheda border.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of those killed in the blast.
She said the Delhi government would also provide Rs 50,000 to each of the injured person and would give all necessary medical assistance free of charge to them.
Area DCP H G S Dhaliwal said three eyewitnesses were being questioned. No sophisticated device was used in the blast. It was a crude bomb with no timer device.
''We are looking for two men, in the age group of 20-25 years, of which one was wearing black jeans and perhaps also a black T-shirt,'' he said.
The two helmeted assailants came in a motorcyle, which bore a Delhi registration number. (UNI)
The Saturday fear
In an uncanny coincidence, the three blasts which rocked the national capital in the last three years took place on Saturdays.
As the blast shook Delhi again on Saturday, people remembered the serial blasts two weeks ago and the tragic incidents of October 29, 2005 -- both on Saturdays.
"Perhaps, terrorists find Saturday as the suitable time to conduct explosions," said a shopkeeper in Mehrauli area after the incident. (PTI)
Rice to visit India to wrap up N-deal
New Delhi/ Washington: With the Indo-US nuclear deal entering the last lap, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be here on October 3 on a day-long visit during which the two sides are expected to sign the 123 agreement.
Rice, whose visit has been pending for over a year, will hold talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on bilateral and regional issues.
The two leaders are also expected to sign the 123 agreement if it gets the expected clearance from the US Congress by then, sources said here on Saturday.
The US House of Representatives will vote on the agreement today while the Senate is expected to take up the matter on Monday.
The agreement was earlier expected to be signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush during the former's visit to Washington on Thursday.
However, it could not materialise as the Congressional nod got delayed due to procedures. Prior to Rice's visit here, Mukherjee will be in New York from Sunday on a four-day visit. He will attend the ongoing UN General Assembly besides meeting leaders of some countries.
Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives looks all set to vote the legislation approving the Indo-US nuclear deal after a known opponent Congressman Howard Berman made a U-turn while the fate of the bill in the Senate is not that clear.
The House, which completed a lively debate that saw another critic Ed Markey putting up a stiff opposition to the deal with India, is expected to take up the issue at 10 am Saturday (1930 hrs IST).
However in the Senate, an anonymous lawmaker put a "hold" on consideration of the bill which must be lifted before the agreement is brought to the Senate floor or approved by a unanimous consent agreement.
The latest hiccup in the Senate is actually a counter to the attempt of the leadership to "hotline" the Senate Bill through unanimous consent without debate and vote.
The schedule of the Senate is still fluid but it is meeting on Saturday with a possible meeting Sunday and re-convening on Wednesday after taking a break on Monday and Tuesday. (Agencies)
‘Nightingale’ remains unchallenged at 80
Mumbai: Singer Lata Mangeshkar, known as the Nightingale of Bollywood for having mesmerised millions with her melodious voice for over six decades, enters her 80th year on Sunday - and like every year she plans to keep it austere sans fanfare.
Lata has never celebrated her birthday in public and follows the same annual routine. She begins the day by praying at the Mahalaxmi Temple situated right across her home in Prabhu Kunj here.
This time she may attend a function at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital that she built in Pune in memory of her father.
From her first super hit "Aayega aanewaala" to "Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya" and "Noorie" to her recent bests like "Yeh hum aa gaye hain kahaan" and "Luka chuppi", Lata has managed to thrill music lovers of every generation with her soulful singing over her 66-year-long career and continues to do so.
From light classical music to film songs and from ghazals to bhajans and pop, she has sung a variety of numbers. Having worked with almost all top music composers and singers in the industry, Lata has sung more than 30,000 songs in over 20 Indian languages.
The singer featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world.
"That 60 years down the line and having rendered over 25,000 songs, she has been able to maintain the same position is why she is called the Bollywood living legend," composer Anu Malik told IANS.
According to him, every song of hers is a musical gem as much for her singing quality as for its pure composition.
Born September 28, 1929, to a family of musicians settled in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Lata's life wasn't easy. After her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor, died of heart ailment in 1942, his five children - Lata, Hridayanath, Asha, Usha, and Meena - and wife Shudhhamati had to struggle for survival.
Till the time she voluntarily cut down her singing assignments in the late 1980s, Lata faced no competition from any of the female singers, barring her sister Asha Bhosle. Though Asha's career ran parallel with hers, it was on a different note and scale musically.
Lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar said Lata's greatness lay in her complete devotion to music.
"Singing for her is not merely a profession, it is akin to worship," he said. (IANS)
Alka Yagnik, who grew up listening to Lata songs and idolised her before she became a playback singer herself, referred to the queen of melody as "a pure soul."
Anuradha Paudwal said: "Lata Mangeshkar is a perfect example of a playback singer who can modulate her voice according to various song situations and suit characters as per their age and social status." (IANS)
SC refuses to put on hold Nanavati report
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the circulation and publication of Justice G T Nanavati Commission report which described the Godhra train carnage as a "pre-planned conspiracy" and gave a clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the subsequent riots.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan issued notice to the Gujarat Government on a petition filed by an NGO contending that the publication of the report could disturb the communal harmony.
The petitioner claimed the publication of the report by the Commission headed by Justice Nanavati, a retired apex court judge, would provide a ground to the state government for taking a liberal stand against the accused in the post-Godhra riots of 2002 that claimed over 1000 lives.
Before passing the order, the Bench, also comprising Justices P Sathasivan and J M Panchal, asked senior advocate Rajender Sachar appearing for NGO, Citizen for Justice and Peace, if the Commission had given any specific direction to the state government for its implementation.
However, when Sachar said "we have not gone through it", the Bench decided to issue a notice and posted the matter for hearing on October 13.
While seeking a stay on the report of the Commission which included Justice Akshay Mehta, a retired High Court judge, the NGO run by social activist Teesta Setalvad referred to another report on the incident probed by a Committee headed by Justice U C Banerjee, a retired Supreme Court judge.
The Justice Banerjee Committee set up by the Lalu Prasad-headed Railway Ministry had concluded that the burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express at Godhra was purely an accident. (PTI)
NGO: Burning of coach not a pre-planned conspiracy
Ahmedabad: An NGO on Friday came out with its own report on the burning of the Sabarmati Express in 2002 and claimed that the incident was "not a pre-planned conspiracy", contradicting findings of the Nanavati Commission that inquired into the case. The S6 coach of the train burned due to flash fire that followed an initial ignition, the Jan Shangarsh Manch (JSM) said in it report contradicting the commission's findings tabled in the Gujarat Assembly.
A copy of the report titled "On the Right Track to Godhra" was circulated by the head of JSM and senior advocate in the Gujarat High Court, Mukul Sinha. "We have been involved in the proceedings of the Nanavati Commission since over six years and have remained present while the statements of witnesses were recorded," Sinha said.
"Our report is based on evidence placed and statements of witnesses, deposed before the Commission. We find that there was no pre-planned conspiracy in the whole incident," he said.
"We are going to submit this report to the Governor, President and the Prime Minister," Sinha added.
The first part of the Nanavati Commission was tabled in the State Assembly yesterday amid stiff opposition from the Congress party. (pti)
The Commission in its report has concluded that burning of S6 coach in February 2002 near Godhra railway station was a "pre-planned conspiracy and not an accident" and gave a clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers regarding the incident.
WB Govt, Tata Motors likely to meet on Sunday
Kolkata: West Bengal government is likely to hold talks with the Tata Motors here on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to save the company's Nano car project at Singur as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya appealed to the company not to shift out of the State. Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters here that "a meeting between the state government and Tatas may take place on Sunday to discuss the issue. He did not give further details.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb had said that the meeting between the state government and the Tata Motors officials would be held on September 28.
He, however, declined to say who would represent the state government and the Tata Motors in the meeting. If held, the meeting will take place amidst speculation that Tata Motors is preparing to pull out from Singur due to continued agitation by Trinamool Congress-led opposition demanding return of 400 acres of land to "unwilling" farmers. (PTI)
10 years jail for Shahabuddin
Siwan: In a setback to incarcerated RJD MP from Siwan Mohammad Shahabuddin, a court here sentenced him today to 10 years imprisonment for possession of illegal firearms and ammunition but acquitted him in a case of criminal assault on a police officer to free a murder accused. He was guilty of possessing an unlicenced foreign-made pistol and 200 bullets of AK 47 and 56 rifles of Pakistani make. (PTI)
Orissa to heighten Kandhamal security
Bhubaneswar: As riot-hit Kandhamal remained tense amid fresh killings and arson, Orissa government on Friday decided to install police check post in every 10 km to prevent escalation of violence.
This was decided at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who is scheduled to visit Kandhamal on Saturday, official sources said. "About 100 such check posts, to be set up in sensitive areas like Raikia, Tikabali and G Udaygiri, will work as temporary police outposts," said a senior official adding the rioters would be put under constant surveillance.
Suspecting that the violence in Kandhamal was being instigated by outsiders, the government has asked the police to scan everyone passing through the check posts, he said. (PTI)
SC notice over Amarinder’s expulsion
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the state assembly secretariat on a petition by former chief minister Amarinder Singh, challenging his expulsion from the assembly September 11 for his alleged involvement in a multi-million-rupee land scam.
A bench of Justices S.B. Sinha and C. Joseph also issued notices to the state vigilance bureau and Attorney General of India Milind Banerjee, seeking their responses to the lawsuit. (IANS)
Homosexuality a criminal offence, says Centre
New Delhi: The Government on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it is not scrapping the present law on homosexuality as it is a "criminal offence" and would "disturb the law and order situation and create unnecessary problems in society".
Additional Solicitor General P.P. Malhotra said the Government is not in a position to scrap the law at this time. "It (homosexuality) is a criminal offence," he said.
"If we scrap section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (that makes homosexuality an offence), then it will disturb the law and order situation and might create unnecessary problems in the society," Malhotra said before a bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S Muralidhar.
The IPC, at present, holds homosexual acts as an offence and section 377 provides a punishment of up to life imprisonment for indulging in it.
Meanwhile, the court pulled up the government for not clearing its stand on the two different affidavits filed by two ministries on de-criminalisation of homosexuality among consenting adults.
"Two affidavits have been filed by the two ministries (Home and Health). The two ministries are speaking in two voices. What is the stand of the Government? Are you clear about the stand the Central Government is taking on the issue?" the court asked while posting the matter to Monday.
On Thursday, gay activists argued that morality cannot triumph over constitutional rights.
"The moral argument cannot triumph over constitutional rights in a democratic society where fundamental rights prohibit any discrimination on the ground of sex," said advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing on behalf of the activists.
He also added that homosexuals in the country do not have full "moral" citizenship and are being treated as second-class citizens.
The Government in its earlier reply had taken a contradictory stand with the Home Ministry favouring the retention of the penal provision for homosexual acts while the Health Ministry was against the enforcement of Section 377 ('unnatural offences') in cases involving consenting adults.
The Health Ministry, on the other hand, opposed the enforcement of the penal provisions against consenting homosexual adults. (IANS)
Senior citizens hunt for jobs in India’s silicon valley
Bangalore: India's tech hub Bangalore has more than half a million senior citizens, of whom nearly 90 per cent are without any pension benefits, forcing many of them to go on working for a living and compete in a market that prefers young blood.
T Rameshwar, 65, retired as a teacher at a private school about five years ago. With his meagre savings fast dwindling, he is on the lookout for a job as he is healthy and fit. There are hundreds like him in Bangalore.
Rameshwar has not got a job, but he has not given up hope as an NGO is helping him and other senior citizens registered with it in their hunt for jobs.
"Most elders after retirement are physically and mentally fit to work. But without any regular income or economic security like pension benefits, they are in dire need of some remunerative occupation for their sustenance," Radha S Murthy, managing trustee of Nightingales Medical Trust working for the cause of senior citizens, told IANS.
The trust runs the Elders Economic Security Initiative and helps senior citizens in need of financial support look for employment opportunities.
The initiative, started in 2003, has helped 72 senior citizens get jobs and has 500 more registered with it.
"The initiative aims at facilitating opportunities for economic security for non-pensioned low income senior citizens who have very little savings and are hard hit by the rising cost of living. The initiative believes the best means of ensuring economic security to them is through useful employment as work does not recognise age," Murthy added.
Swati, a coordinator of the project, said: "In spite of their skills and efficiency, most of the established companies of Bangalore have shown little interest in employing elderly people. They prefer young blood, rather than the experience and wisdom of an old employee."
The project targets part time jobs in private schools, libraries, and small scale industries.
Job seekers have been classified on the basis of their skills, abilities, interests and requirements.
"We regularly conduct orientation programmes for the senior citizens to keep them abreast with the latest development," added Swati.
According to figures available with Karnataka's Department of Welfare of Disabled and Senior Citizens, Bangalore city had 565,668 elderly people in a total population of 5.28 million in 2007.
It is a pan-Indian problem, where senior citizens suffer from financial insecurity because of lack of access to pension benefits, a source said.
India is home to over 76.6 million people over the age of 60. Around 89 percent of them are not covered under any post-retirement economic security schemes, according to "old age social and income security", a project commissioned by the Indian government in 2000.
The projected elderly population of India by 2025 will be 160 million. (IANS)
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