News on India

Introduce system to recall wayward MPs: Somnath
CHANDIGARH, Sept 21: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Sunday made out a strong case for the recall of wayward MPs by their constituents. “Justifiably, there is a growing demand to introduce a system of recall to deal with elected representatives who ignore the interests of people, and are guilty of malfeasance and improper conduct or indulge in corrupt or criminal activities,” he pointed out. “If a member is found to be insensitive, incompetent, corrupt, indifferent to the problems of people, or indulges in activities or behaves in a manner unbecoming of a people’s representative, I feel his constituents should be in a position to demand his recall before the expiry of his term,” Chatterjee maintained. IANS

Sukhoi’s deployed in Tezpur
SHILLONG, Sept 21: The Indian Air Force is going to deploy Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters at the Tezpur Air Force Station in order to counter possible Chinese threats. Agencies

Ramesh unhappy with slow work of 750 MW BTPS
KOKRAJHAR, Sept 21: The delay in progress of work at the 750 MW coal-based Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS) at Salakati in western Asom’s Bongaigaon district drew the ire of Union Minister of State for Power and Commerce & Industry Jairam Ramesh today. The implementing authorities were asked to expedite the pace and complete the work by the scheduled time of 2011, Ramesh told mediapersons. UNI n Details on page 10

Neera Dogra turns 100
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 21: Neera Dogra, the sister of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, today turned 100 and on the occasion Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi lauded her role in the field of social service and literature. Gogoi said that Dogra is an inspiration for the people of the State. Meanwhile, Neera Dogra plans to translate the books of her brother to English.

Czech envoy killed in Pak blast
Islamabad, Sept 21: The Czech Ambassador to Pakistan was among the 60 people killed in the deadly suicide attack on the five-star Marriott Hotel here, Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani said today.
The 47-year-old Czech envoy, Ivo Zdarek, had moved from Vietnam to Pakistan a month ago and was staying at the hotel. Police had initially reported that Zdarek was missing after last night’s blast.
Gilani told reporters at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences that the envoy was killed in the attack. The premier had gone to the hospital to enquire about the injured.

While TV channels and media reports put the death toll at 60, Gilani confirmed 53 deaths. Nearly 260 others were also injured in the massive suicide truck bomb attack on the hotel, which was popular among foreigners including diplomats.

A statement issued by the Interior Ministry said two foreign nationals had died and another 21 were injured. The nationalities of the injured foreigners were being ascertained, it said.
Geo News channel, meanwhile, reported that a Yugoslav, an American, a Saudi national and an Egyptian were among the foreigners who died.
The dead foreign nationals included three women, the channel said. (PTI)

Bomb scare in Dibrugarh
From our Staff Correspondent
Dibrugarh, Sept 21: There was panic among people following the recovery of an unclaimed suitcase near the Old Bata shop at New Market in Dibrugarh today evening. The police immediately cordoned off the area and bomb experts of the Army were called in. Later it was found that the suitcase contained only papers. The police is in search of the culprit who planted the suitcase.

Over 100 die as rains lash North India
NEW DELHI, Sept 21: At least 107 people perished in North India in the past three days as heavy rains and squalls buffeted the region, toppling homes, triggering landslides and inundating low-lying areas. Uttar Pradesh, which bore the brunt of the monsoon fury, accounted for 77 deaths while 30 were killed in landslides, triggered by incessant rains, in mountainous Himachal Pradesh. Sitapur district in central Uttar Pradesh reported 44 fatalities, mostly in incidents of house collapse, as schools remained shut in the State capital of Lucknow due to hostile weather. PTI

High cholesterol levels can also raise prostate cancer risk
WASHINGTON: Researchers from Duke University have revealed that cholesterol plays a crucial role in the development of prostate cancer. They suggest that men can decrease their risk of developing prostate cancer by managing their cholesterol levels. In 2007, a retrospective study on 1,214 men, by the Durham Veteran Affairs Medical Centre in North Carolina showed that men, who are taking statins to lower their cholesterol, also experienced a proportional decline in their levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. As the prostate grows, it secretes an increased amount of PSA into the bloodstream.

The new study highlights the fact that cholesterol levels could be associated in some way with prostate cancer development and progression. Poor cholesterol management may not only affect a man’s risk for prostate cancer, but also his risk of biomedical recurrence after prostatectomy, according to new data from Duke University released earlier this year.

The research team identified 471 patients from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1998 and 2007.
They found that those with a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and those with increased serum cholesterol were up to 2.5 times more likely to experience a biochemical relapse.

CDPS preaches peace on World Peace Day
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 21: “Preach peace, reject violence, resolve conflict.” With this call, the Guwahati-based Centre for Development and Peace Studies (CDPS) today observed the International Day of Peace, along with the rest of the country and the world.

Peace and social activists, academicians, journalists and development experts attended a round-table conference in the city, which was organized by the CDPS to mark the International Day of Peace.
CDPS Director Wasbir Hussain, who outlined the significance of the World Peace Day, said: “No one has the right to indulge in violent acts, but everyone is free to call for peace, individually or collectively. Even the expression of an idea to achieve peace can create wonders and lead to a violence-free society.”
Noted Gandhian Natwar Thakkar, who has been working in conflict zones in the Northeast for more than five decades, said: “Violence has become outdated, but Gandhism or Gandhian values are still relevant and successful the world over.” He said that celebrated leaders like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela had all achieved their goals through the practice of Gandhian values. “Anybody indulging in violence will not get my support,” he said.

Author and political commentator Prof Udayon Misra said the denial of the basic rights of life also amounts to violence. “A violence-free society cannot be achieved without distributive justice.”
People’s Consultative Group (PCG) member Dilip Patgiri said that both the State and non-State actors should respect the United Nations’ call for peace and nonviolence, at least on a day like the International Day of Peace.

Former ULFA publicity chief Sunil Nath, now a writer, said that violence is not the only means to achieve a certain goal. He also chose to reject the ‘root-cause theory’ as the key trigger factor of unrest or violence.

Noni Gopal Mahanta from the Peace and Conflict Studies Centre of Gauhati University said home-grown terrorism is a serious development in the country and added that it needs to be tackled sensitively. “Peace education is a must and moderate voices needs to be channelised to counter radical thoughts,” Mahanta said.
The United Nations International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. Initially, the Peace Day was supposed to coincide with the UN’s opening session in September every year. However through a resolution in 2001, the Peace Day was fixed to be held on September 21 every year.

The International Day of Peace is also an invitation to all nations and people to honour the cessation of hostilities for the day. The UN resolution invites all member States, organizations of the United Nations system, regional and non-governmental organizations and individuals to “commemorate, in an appropriate manner, the International Day of Peace, and to cooperate with the United Nations in the establishment of global ceasefire.

Several eminent people, including Dr Anuradha Dutta from the OKD Institute for Social Change and Development, former Asom Chief Secretary HN Das, eminent journalists Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Prashanta Rajguru, Prashanta Baruah, Mrinal Talukdar, painter Noni Borpuzari among others, attended the round-table conference for peace. CDPS President Topon Lal Baruah summed up the deliberations and delivered the vote of thanks. SOURCE: SENTINEL ASSAM