Kolkata, districts lashed by rain, no respite just yet

16 Pages·2017·5.77 MB·English

millenniumpost.in RNI NO.: WBENG/2015/65962
PUBLISHED FROM DELHI & KOLKATA VOL. 3, ISSUE 283 | Saturday, 21 October 2017 | Kolkata | Pages 16 | Rs 3.00 NO HALF TRUTHS
THOUSANDS IT’S A MERCENARY WOULD LIKE TO ‘GOT’ STAR REVEALS
BRAVE RAIN, MOVEMENT: CONTINUE FROM BEING HARASSED
THRONG JITENDRA SINGH WHERE WE LEFT BY HARVEY
PANDALS PG3 ON KASHMIR PG7 AGAINST AUSSIES’ PG15 WEINSTEIN PG16
HOMELY PUJA DEPRESSION OVER BAY OF BENGAL CAUSED INCLEMENT WEATHER
Kolkata, districts lashed
by rain, no respite just yet
OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOLKATA: The Alipore Mete-
orological office has sounded
no respite from rain on the day
of “Bhai Phonta” on Saturday.
Heavy showers lashed the state
including Kolkata since Thurs-
day late night, thanks to a deep
depression that had developed
over Bay of Bengal intensifying
to a more serious one late on
Thursday night.
However, the weather office
Kali puja being observed at chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s home PIC/MPOST has forecast that North Ben-
gal will receive more rainfall in
comparison to the districts of
Rajasthan ‘gag’ order: Law to save South Bengal on Saturday.
The areas in the city that
received the maximum rain-
fall includes Maniktala that
babus from probe, media glare
recorded rain of 65 mm, Top-
sia 63 mm, Palmer Bazaar 61
mm, Jodhpur Park 57 mm,
Dhapa 54 mm and Ballygunge A hand rickshaw puller carries passengers through a water logged street in Kolkata on Friday morning after a night
JAIPUR: In a controversial move, the months, it will be deemed to have given 52 mm. There was waterlogging of heavy rain PTI
Vasundhara Raje government in Rajas- its sanction. in low-lying areas of central and
than has barred courts from taking up The changes are broadly patterned North Kolkata but the civic body pore weather office said. of his department, constantly ing an eye on the dams. Chief
private complaints against public ser- on restrictions proposed in the Preven- ensured that water drained away As per forecast, the depres- monitoring the situation. “We Minister Mamata Banerjee her-
vants including lawmakers, ministers tion of Corruption Act which has been at a fast pace by keeping open its sion that was noticed at a are on alert as the path of such self is constantly monitoring the
and officials without the government’s pending in parliament’s Rajya Sabha for pumping stations. distance of 240 km in the south- depressions keep on changing. situation,” Banerjee said.
concurrence and made it a crime for the a few years. The Manmohan Singh gov- “Districts like Alipurduar, west direction in the evening It was supposed to travel to The Damodar Valley Corpo-
media to name the accused till the gov- ernment had first moved these changes South Dinajpur, North Dinaj- will shift towards the north and Andhra Pradesh from Odisha ration released water on Friday
ernment decides that the public servant in 2013, ostensibly to protect honest pur, Malda in North Bengal will North-east on Friday night. coast on Thursday but it shifted evening with Maithon releasing
concerned can be investigated. public servants. experience very heavy rainfall on Warning for the fishermen and was found heading towards 6360 cusec and Panchet 3560
The Rajasthan government had The Rajasthan government’s version Saturday. Nadia and Murshid- against venturing into the deep Bangladesh along our coast- cusec. However the minister
made the changes to the criminal pro- goes a step further and outlaws reporting abad district in North Bengal will sea will remain for the next 48 line. Sagar, Sunderbans, and assured that there was no rea-
cedure code by an executive order on 7 Under the changes made by the exec- any information that discloses the iden- also witness heavy rain. Showers hours with wind blowing at a East Midnapore witnessed very son to panic with all arrange-
September last month. utive order, the government will get six tity of the judges or public servant facing in other parts of the state will speed of 50-60 km/hour blow- heavy rainfall on Thursday. Our ments in place.
On Monday, the ordinance is months to decide if an allegation against accusations unless the government has relatively decrease from Satur- ing along the Bengal coastline. officers are monitoring the situ- “The weather will see an
expected to come up for approval of the a public servant is worth probing. If the vetted the case. Journalists can be sen- day morning. However, scat- State Irrigation minister ation round the clock. Control improvement from Sunday
state assembly, where the BJP has 162 of state government does not get back to tenced to two years jail for violating this tered rainfall will continue till Rajib Banerjee on Friday was rooms have been opened in all morning,” the MeT department
the 200 seats. the court with its approval within six rule. AGENCIES evening,” a senior official of Ali- present in the control room the districts. They are also keep- official said.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar
Air quality ‘much
better’ a day after quits, cites ‘personal reasons’
Diwali
MPOST BUREAU Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
HARSH VARDHAN While Kumar confirmed that he
NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Ran- had resigned, sources close to him said
In today’s jit Kumar, who was appointed as the it was for “personal reasons”.
Solicitor General of India by the NDA The SG has said that he put in his
government on June 7, 2014, on Fri- papers as he was unable to attend
paper
day resigned from office citing “per- to certain health issues of family
sonal reasons”. members.
...
Kumar, who held the post of coun- “The government is good to me,
try’s second highest law officer for over but I tendered my resignation due to
CITY three years, has represented the Cen- personal reasons,” he said.
tre in the apex court in crucial cases Kumar had succeeded SG Mohan
STALEMATE IN SRFTI 4
including the pleas against demoneti- Parasaran in 2014 after the Narendra
NATION sation and rising pollution. Modi government assumed the office.
He is the second law officer to quit His second term as solicitor general
FRESH ED SUMMONS TO TEJASHWI, RABRI 5 after Mukul Rohatgi, who had resigned was renewed recently.
as the Attorney General in June this The office of Law Minister Ravi
EDIT
year. Shankar Prasad received his resigna-
Kumar, a constitutional law expert, tion letter on Friday.
INDIA IN A PREDICAMENT 8
has assisted the apex court in decid- There was speculation a few months
INTERNATIONAL ing the issue whether a state govern- ago that the Supreme Court collegium
ment can grant pardon to the death was considering his name as a judge of
IRAQI FORCES TAKE OVER OF KIRKUK 10 row convicts in cases which are probed the apex court. Rohatgi had in June this
and prosecuted by central agencies year written to the government that he
BUSINESS
like CBI. was not interested in a second term as
I-T EMPLOYEES THREATEN STIR 12 The issue had arisen out of the deci- attorney general. Senior lawyer K K
sion of the Tamil Nadu government Venugopal was appointed as new attor-
SPORT to set free the killers of former Prime ney general after Rohatgi quit.
ENGLAND LOOK TO DEFEAT USA 14 TN transport corpn building collapses, 8 dead
NAGAPATTINAM/CHENNAI: A spot. Three persons were injured and
FOR ADVERTISING
portion of a 65- year-old building rushed to the Karaikal General Hospi-
kindly contact at 9810195709 belonging to the Tamil Nadu State tal, a police official said. Chief Minister
or Transport Corporation collapsed K Palaniswami condoled the deaths
in Nagapattinam district early Fri- and announced cash relief to their
[email protected]
day morning, killing eight transport families, besides jobs for their kin.
FOR SUBSCRIPTION department staffers, police said. “I have directed that a sum of

The TNSTC crew members were Rs 7.5 lakh be given to each of the
kindly contact at 8800854665 sleeping in the building, which was families of those killed in this unfor-
or constructed in 1952, when it collapsed tunate incident as a special gesture,”
[email protected] around 3.30 am, killing them on the he said. MPOST
500 long-distance trains to run quicker from next month
DHIRENDRA KUMAR “In the new timetable and the 1929-km journey of
around 50 such trains which the Ghazipur-Bandra Termi-
NEW DELHI: Come Novem- will be run like this. Fifty-one nus Express will be completed
ber and your train journeys trains will immediately see 95 minutes earlier.
would become shorter, thanks reduced run time from one The national transporter
to the ‘innovative timetabling’ to three hours. This will go up has also reduced the halt time
initiative of Railways Minister to more than 500 trains,” the of trains at stations. Similarly,
Piyush Goyal. official said. trains will not stop at stations
The Indian Railways will new charge. The new timetable The railways have started where footfall is less. Coupled
soon cut short the running will also provide each railway the exercise of an internal audit with track and infrastructure
time of over 500 long distance division two to four hours for through which 50 mail and upgrade, automatic signalling
trains by up to two hours, a maintenance works. “Our plan express trains will be upgraded and the new Linke-Hofmann-
senior railway official said on is to maximise the use of the to super-fast services. This is Busch coaches that allow a 130
Friday. existing rolling stock. It can be part of an overhaul of the rail km/hour top speed, trains are
Passengers would now done in two ways - if we have system of increasing the aver- expected to run faster.
reach their destinations in 14 a train that is waiting some- age speed of existing trains, the In a related development,
hours instead of 16 hours. The where to return, we can use it official said. Trains such as the Railways Board Chairman
move has been initiated at the during the lie over a period,” Bhopal-Jodhpur Express will Ashwani Lohani on Friday
direction of Railways Minister, the official said, adding that reach 95 minutes early while took stock of cleanliness by
who had directed his officials running time of popular trains the Guwahati-Indore Spe- visiting offices of officials and
to reduce the train running will reduce by 15 minutes to cial will complete its 2,330- urged officials to keep their
ICA-2141(7)/2017
time soon after taking up his two hours. km journey 115 minutes early workspaces clean.
town
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MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
Siddhi brings alive

A well-meaning film
‘SECRET SUPERSTAR’
Director: Advait Chandan;
SOUTHERN SENSIBILITIES Starring: Zaira Wasim,
Aamir Khan;
Rating:
It is easy and comforting to
get swayed by the rags-to-
At the NGMA it became a Siddhi Maha
riches fable constructed with
such contemporary diligence
Utsav with drums, music and the
and zeal by first-time director
Advait Chandan. But once you get
enduring human spirit
to penetrate the bubble of bonhomie and get into thick of
things, so to speak, you come face-to-face with an unnerv-
UMA NAIR ing sterility.
“Secret Superstar” is one of those well-meaning films
To walk into the NGMA that keeps reminding you constantly of his well-meaning
lawns on Monday, it is. Many times as I watched Chandan’s panoply of tricks
October 16 was to wit- and treats, I felt I was being offered a Christmas deal with
ness the hallmark of a Santa Aamir Khan mentoring the film’s 15-year old wanna-
celebration that extolled the shine Zaira Wasim whose brilliance as an actor is far more
virtues of Indian heritage. dazzling than anything that is written into this film to sup-
The drum beats reverber- port her dreams.
ating through the autumn Everyone, we are told in many different ways in this
air as you glimpsed the stretched-out ode to wish-fulfilment, has the right to dream.
Siddhi Gomaal dancers Insia (Wasim) wants to be a musician, a fact that is rudely
giving it their all to an and ruthlessly repudiated by her rough and impatient Daddy
enraptured crowd that played by a remarkably self-assertive actor named Raj Arjun.
gathered for the inau- archives. gua franca – the Siddhi tribe live in – although they do small time jobs Predictably and conveniently Daddy is a despot, much in
guration of “Dhvani se The dancers festooned faces a village called Jambur in the heart in the day, they dance to the Afri- the same way as Ishaan’s daddy in “Taare Zameen Par”... Oh,
Sabdaur Chinh” a show painted in shades of ash white and of Gujarat. can beats at night. “There are many didn’t I tell you? “Secret Superstar” is a not-so-secret carryover
that puts the spotlight grey with designs symbolising tra- “They have completed more tourists visiting Gir and we entertain from the other far more moving and rousing drama where a
on Southern artists and ditional African body art, they wore than 300 years in Gujarat and this them with our performance. This dyslexic kid was pulled out of his crushing plight by his art
their journeys, an in bright blue weed like skirts, straw is their fourth generation in India,” helps us make some extra money,” teacher. Aamir Khan’s saviour streak has triumphed again.
house curatorial effort caps and breathed zest in every step. said Gadanayak who matched a said one member from the tribe in A lot of people thought the climax of “Taare Zameen Par”
spear headed by NGMA The members of the Siddi tribe who few steps in rhythm after felicitat- fluent Gujarati.  was way too Utopian to be a convincing antidote to the dys-
Director General Adwaita don different avatars at different ing them. While the brum beats The Siddi tribe has also seen a topian condition of the little protagonist’s life.
Gadanayak who has been times of the day were invited to set seemed very African it is the prime- little stardom. They have been made In “Secret Superstar” the theme of wish-fulfilment is
slowly unraveling jew- the tone for a pageant of pomp and val tone of the music and their songs a part of an important Gujarat tour- played out at a much louder octave, almost like a flag being
els from the revelry.  that spoke of faraway places and an ism video called “Khushboo Guja- waved at us from the pulpit of righteousness that screams
NGMA The Siddis are originally from ethos that was at once exotic if not rat Ki.”  at us with messages of the empowerment of the girl child.
the Bantu people of Southern Africa strange and curious. They brought On a daily basis, the tribals are This is the world where Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist”
brought to India by the Portuguese alive the evening at the NGMA engaged in various occupations. has been transposed into a state of magnified melodrama
as slaves. A lot of them took up Islam and one thought of the many art- They work on the fields, in the for- where the orphan will ask for more porridge even if the man
as their religion, while some took up ists whose works adorned the walls est department, and some as tourist providing the food is a tyrant.
Christianity. Very few became Hin- thinking that it completed the aes- guides and truck drivers. And as the Yes, we get it. But do we have to keep getting it for 150
dus as the caste system did not leave thetics of an entire movement that night sets in, the Siddis once again minutes?
much opportunity for them.  was seeking to find identities. The dress up in their tiger prints and set “Secret Superstar” favours a pulpit propagandist tone of
African by origin, Indian by Siddi’s claim to fame is their origin. out to perform another spectacular narration that kills most of the tenderness that the theme
nationality with Gujarati as their lin- Some of them have a dual profession tribal tradition. secretes in its initial stages. We know the girl is a hero. We
know she will conquer her father’s bullying tactics because
she has a strong-willed mother (played by Meher Vij), a sup-
portive friend (Tirth Sharma, giving the film’s most endear-
ing performance) and most of all, “Insia ke paas Shakti hai”
...No, not just nari-Shakti but Shakti Kumar, a loud obnox-
ious embarrassment of a music composer who mentors
Insia to stardom.
From the time Aamir Khan swaggers into the plot as
Shakti Kumar, the film begins to fall apart.
The narrative crumbles under the burden of the charac-
ter’s inflated flamboyance. Unable to bear the weight of its
egoistic character, Aamir’s performance is more a homage
to Shakti Kapoor and his brand of “Aaa-ooo” self-assertion
than Anu Malik or Nadeem Saifi (the two composers he
seems to have copied).
Shakti Kumar is a product of a superstar’s vainglorious
yearning to stutter his skills.
Twitter, Instagram promoting #WESUPPORTCULTURE “Secret Superstar” is suffused in spasms of nobility, piloted
by its idealism and finally transported to a self-congratula-
tory finishing line by a central character who is everything
that a brand ambassador for female empowerment should
‘EXTREME THINNESS’ be. Cleverly the film steers away from religious references
and restrictions, although the burqa plays a big hand in the
protagonist’s journey from oppression to creative liberation.
It was easier for Aamir Khan to take religious digs at holy
cows in “PK” where the target was a pacifist majority. Now
of course the rules have changed. If you want to be satirical
The sites are being used to promote and censorious at the cost of religious oppression, then you
extremely unhealthy body types and are must be prepared for a backlash.
increasing pressure on teenage girls to try to The gau rakshaks are watching the holy cows. “Secret
become extremely thin, while contributing to Superstar” simply opts to be cute about its veiled references
a distorted view of their own body, research- and succeeds in conveying an engaging though self-limiting
ers said. saga of smothering the smothered protagonist’s radicalised
“Anorexia and extreme weight loss is a seri- state of being.
ous social and medical problem,” said Cath- No wonder this film was originally titled “Aaj Phir Jeene
erine Talbot, a psychologist at the University Ki Tamannah Hai”. This is Waheeda Rehman’s clarion call
of Exeter. “Culture unites and politics divides”, were the words of Dr Joshi in support of the 11th Delhi International Arts Festival. for emancipation from Vijay Anand’s “Guide” given a patri-
“To tackle this social contagion we need to The Pre-launch of the festival, hosted by Coca-Cola India and Pradeep Aggrawal saw several dignitaries, artists and the archal payoff by a loud and boorish mentor and guide who
be aware of the social media platforms being crème de la crème of Delhi’s society. Krishna Kumar, India Head- Coca Cola also extended his support to the festival and its wants to be labeled a liberal feminist.
cause of promoting art and culture internationally. He spoke of Coke Studio and other such initiatives of Coca Cola which
POSTS ON TWITTER and Instagram often used by young people - mainly girls and young “Secret Superstar” is a heart-warming portrayal of girl
supported the arts and traditions. Some other eminent faces from the art, culture, corporate and political fraternity
promote “bonespiration” and “thinspiration” women - which is encouraging extreme weight power. A bit of restrain and some muted melodrama would
who gathered at the soft launch were Maneka Gandhi, Kiren Rijiju, Alphons Kannanthanam, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi,
– women’s bodies featuring protruding bones loss. This behaviour could seriously dam- Pallam Raju, MaryKay L Carlson, Chargé d’affairs, US embassy, Ambassadors of Israel, Krygz Republic, Lithuania, Russia, have taken this film much further. It has long sturdy legs.
and pencil-thin limbs – which encourage eat- age their psychological and physical health,” Phillipenes, Taiwan. But chooses not to go far enough. IANS
ing disorders such as anorexia, a study warns. she said.
Researchers from University of Exeter in “Teenagers need to be taught about positive
Dogs are more expressive when someone is looking
the UK show that among thousands of account body image in schools and
holders on social media, the images of pro- we need to build resil-
truding bones are almost exclusively posted ience,” Tal- bot added. PTI
by young women.
This so-called “bonespiration” content fea-
tures selfies by young women of their skele- Your pet may be deliberately The researchers studied 24 dogs “This study moves forward what we
tal bodies featuring protruding collar bones, making the cute puppy-dog of various breeds, aged one to 12. All understand about dog cognition. We
hip bones and spines in a variety of poses, eyes, say scientists who found were family pets. Each dog was tied by now know dogs make
researchers said. that dogs produce more facial a lead a metre away from a per- more facial expres-
Its purpose is to boast about a skeletal expressions when humans are looking son, and the dogs’ faces were sions when
appearance and inspire others to achieve the at them. filmed throughout a range of the human
same emaciated look, they said. Scientists at University of Ports- exchanges, from the person is paying
The study, published in the Journal of Eat- mouth in the UK are the first to find being oriented towards attention,”
ing Disorders, analysed 730 images posted. clear evidence dogs move their faces in the dog, to being dis- she added.
It found 26 per cent of images showed direct response to human attention. tracted and with her PTI
hip bones, 23 per cent showed jut- Dogs do not respond with more body turned away from
ting ribs, and 22 per cent showed facial expressions upon seeing the dog.
protruding collarbones. Six per tasty food, suggesting that they “Domestic dogs
cent of photographs analysed produce facial expressions to have a unique his-
depicted the spine. communicate and not just tory – they have lived
Academics fear that social because they are excited. alongside humans for
media has replaced the pro- Brow raising, which makes 30,000 years and during
anorexia websites, and are becoming the eyes look bigger – so-called that time selection pressures
an easy to access way of encourag- puppy dog eyes – was the dogs’ seem to have acted on dogs’
ing eating disorders, such as anorexia, most commonly used expression “The findings appear to support evi- ability to communicate
researchers said. in this research. dence dogs are sensitive to humans’ with us,” said Kaminski.
They fear efforts to ban the images would “We can now be confident that the attention and that expressions are “We knew domestic
lead to others with different hashtags appear- production of facial expressions made potentially active attempts to commu- dogs paid attention to how
ing within days. by dogs are dependent on the atten- nicate, not simple emotional displays,” attentive a human is – in
The study also found more mainstream tion state of their audience and are not said Kaminski. a previous study we
twitter accounts such as ‘thinspiration’, which just a result of dogs being excited,” said It has long been assumed that ani- found, for exam-
features photos of thin celebrities, also depict Juliane Kaminski, from University of mal facial expressions are involuntary ple, that dogs
young people with protruding ribs collar bones Portsmouth. and dependent on an individual’s emo- stole food more
and spines. “In our study they produced far tional state rather than being flexible often when the
Researchers also noted a small sub group more expressions when someone was responses to the audience. human’s eyes
of people posting skeletal images with the watching, but seeing food treats did not Kaminski said it is possible dogs’ were closed or
hashtag ‘fitspiration’, which is dedicated to have the same effect,” said Kaminski, facial expressions have changed they had their
inspiring supposedly healthy bodies. who published the study in the journal as part of the process of becoming back turned,” she
Scientific Reports. domesticated. said.
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MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata |Saturday, 21 October, 2017
Eateries bank Youth electrocuted
ON KALI PUJA
on traditional
to death at Tiljala
dishes for
‘Bhai Phonta’
KOLKATA: To make the most
of Bengalis’ penchant for tra-
ditional delicacies on special
occasions, restaurants in the
city have widened the array of
signature cuisines from Bengal
this ‘Bhai Phonta’.
Sisters put a mark on the
foreheads of brothers and pray
for their long lives on the occa- REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE
sion of ‘Bhai Phonta’. The rit-
ual is followed by offering lip OUR CORRESPONDENT wee hours on Friday. “He had
smacking delicacies. There has fitted the light fitting in a neg-
been a rising trend of families KOLKATA: In a tragic inci- ligent manner that led to the
PIC MPOST PTI eating out on ‘Bhai Phonta’ and dent, a youth was electrocuted electrocution,” a senior police
Durga Puja instead of gorging to death when he touched a officer of South-east division
on home-cooked food, Indra- light fitting at Tiljala Shibtala said.
Thousands brave
neel Choudhury, executive chef Lane under Karaya police sta- Meanwhile, in a case of kid-
of ‘Koshe Kasha’ restaurant, said. tion area on Thursday night. nap and demand for money
“We have devised our The deceased Md Danish (17), over business rivalry, the
menu accordingly with a spin a resident of the same area was Jorasanko police station in
on grandma’s delicacies, which walking along the pavement less than 24 hours managed
rain, throng pandals
were chosen after we talked to when he touched the fitting to rescue a businessman’s son.
senior family members, our that was installed for lighting One Mansoor Khan of Rabi-
patrons and went through writ- as part of Kali Puja celebration. ndra Sarani lodged a com-
ings on Bengali food,” he said. Police sources said that plaint on Thursday that his
On October 21, the day of Danish was walking along the son Imtiaz Khan has been
‘Bhai Phonta’, ‘Koshe Kasha’ will pavement at around 10 pm kidnapped by three persons
OUR CORRESPONDENT
rickshaws were learnt to have been used roll out yesteryear’s delicacies when he touched the light fit- with whom he had a business
for police patrolling. Four control rooms like ‘Lotte Machher jhuri bhaja’, ting. He immediately fell on rivalry. The accused persons
KOLKATA: Kali Puja and Diwali passed were set up at Lalbazar. Bidhannagar Police ‘Narkel bata chingri’, ‘Chingri the ground and the onlookers also demanded a ransom of Rs
off peacefully in the city and the districts on have arrested 81persons for various reasons makhana’, ‘Chitol kofta’ and who were present immediately 2 lakh from Khan.
Thursday with thousands visiting the puja including the bursting of illegal sound crack- ‘Dhakai chitol peti’. took him to National Medical He lodged a complaint and
pandals despite intermittent rain reported ers and misbehaviour. Chef Sushanta Sengupta of 6 College Hospital where he was the Jorasanko police station
from several areas. The Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Ballygunje Place restaurant said declared brought dead. took immediate action and
Many others were, however, found to be Municipal Corporation have made spe- ‘Pur bhara kakrol bhaja’, ‘Aam The police initiated a case of by tracking the ransom call,
soaked in the spirit of Deepavali, the festi- cial arrangements so that people do not kasundi aloo dum’, ‘Mixed veg culpable homicide not amount- rescued Imtiaz from a hide-
val of lights and enjoyed various fire crackers face difficulties during immersion as well. kofta’, ‘Kachalanka dhonepata ing to murder under Section out at JN Mukherjee Road in
producing all sorts of illumination at homes. The immersion started at various ghats of murgi’ and ‘Morich mangsho’ 304 of IPC on the basis of a Howrah.
Many preferred to stay indoors due to the Hooghly from Friday and would continue will be among the spread espe- complaint lodged by Danish’s The police are conducting
weather condition. till Sunday. cially arranged for brothers and family members. Gautam Das, raid to nab the three accused
It may be mentioned that the bursting of The disaster management teams of the sisters and their companions on a resident of the same area who named in the FIR Haider
firecrackers were checked to a great extent, city police have been posted at all the immer- that day. “There has been a surge had fitted the decorative light Ansari,Tauhid Ansari and
compared to the previous years as cops kept sion ghats in the city. Four teams of river in families opting for restaurants was arrested by the police in the Aftab Khan.
a close vigil. Chief Minister Mamata Baner- patrolling have been set up too. Police pick- having perfect ambience and
jee had instructed the police administration ets have been set up at 245 points on various authentic Bengali food on occa- Pranab Mukherjee
to be on alert as some people could attempt streets to look into the security issues during sions to celebrate their roots. So,
to create trouble. immersions. Kali Puja was celebrated with we prepare accordingly for occa-
bereaved
The Kolkata Police have, however, much pomp and grandeur at various tem- sions like Bhai Phonta, days in
arrested around 572 persons for bursting ples across the state including Dakshineswar, advance,” Sengupta, one of the
sound crackers and also for misbehaviour. Tarapith and others. owners of the popular hospi-
Police have also seized 362 kg sound crack- West Bengal State Electricity Distribu- tality chain, said. At ‘Bhajahari SURI: Former President
ers and also liquor of around 23 kg. tion Company limited (WBSEDCL) car- Manna’, which derives its name Pranab Mukherjee was
The city police officers were conscious ried out routine inspection at 6,185 puja from the iconic globetrotter chef bereaved on Friday as his elder
to check the indiscriminate use of banned pandals throughout the state among which in Manna Dey’s timeless Ben- brother Pijush Mukherjee died
sound crackers. Raids were being conducted 2,778 Puja Committees have been penalised gali number, Bengali dishes like at his residence at Bolpur on
at various places, especially in the lanes and for illegal power consumption and a bill of ‘Mochar paturi’, ‘Daab chingri’, Friday. Pijush Mukherjee was
bylanes of the city to check untoward inci- Rs 34.86 lakh has been claimed for drawing ‘Jumbo prawns’, ‘Kosha mang- 86. He was a widower and had
dents. A total of 125 complaints have been 8,708 KVA from such committees. sho’, ‘Chhanar dalna’ and ‘Mut- no issues.
lodged with various police stations regarding Around 1,441 LT mobile vans have been ton kasha’ will be on offer. He was a teacher in differ-
the same and probe has also been initiated. deployed round the clock to counter any Striking a different note, ent schools and retired from
Additional police deployments were fault/power disruption throughout the state. percussionist Pt Tanmoy Bose’s Sikshasatra, the secondary
PIC MPOST
made throughout the city to check any Similarly for HT feeder maintenance 711 ‘Wasabee’ will stick to oriental school of Visva Bharati, as its
untoward incidents. mobile vans have been deployed for emer- cuisine with delicacies like Sin- principal.
From top left: Mamata Banerjee with Indranil Sen, Firhad Hakim and Partha
In many parts, police personnel con- gency purpose. gaporean Chilli Crab, Singapor- He was also a member of day and his brother’s last rites
Chatterjee at the Chief Minister’s residence on Kali Puja. Devotees collect
ducted patrolling in auto-rickshaws so that On Kali Puja evening, the power demand ean Satay Kai, Mee Soto Soup, West Bengal Pradesh Congress would be performed at Jangi-
‘prasad’ of Madan Mohan puja during ‘Annakut’ festival in the city on Friday.
people do not have clues about who they are had reached to 5600 MW, said Biswarup Hokking Prawn Mee and Nasi Committee. Pranab Mukherjee pur in neighbouring Murshid-
People watch a sky lantern go up in Kolkata
and what they are upto. Around 100 auto- Mukherjee, AGM-CC, WBSEDCL. Goreong. AGENCIES will arrive at Bolpur on Satur- abad district. AGENCIES
Various fish workers’ forum to write to CM Rumour of children ‘Fata Keshtor Kali Puja’ going
sacrifice leads to clash
alleging atrocities by Forest dept officials strong on tradition for 60 yrs
OUR CORRESPONDENT When they started ques-
OUR CORRESPONDENT The Tiger Project occupied bearing colonial legacy, treated tioning them they started KOLKATA: Tradition reigns
PTI
more than half of the total for- the forest-dependent commu- KOLKATA: The rumour stammering probably supreme in north Kolkata’s
KOLKATA: Various fish work- est area of Indian Sunderbans nities as beggars at their mercy. regarding human sacri- because their language was popular ‘Fata Keshtor Kali
ers’ forums in the state have and declared it as ‘Sunderbans They were the lords and the for- fice carried out by a tantrik somewhat different to that of Puja’, even as it entered the
decided to write to the Chief Tiger Reserve (STR)’. The project est people were their subject, or at Baidyapur under Kalna the villagers. An altercation 60th year, with the idol, pan-
Minister seeking her interven- declared more than half of this even worse, the forest people Police station area in West broke out with the villagers dal and illumination remaining
tion to check the alleged atroc- huge area as ‘core’ and stopped were trespassers on their own Burdwan led to a clash thinking that the children unchanged in all these years.
ities on them by a section of all livelihood activities, including land. This gave rise to a severe between police and a sec- will be slaughtered to pacify The Kali Puja was started by
Forest department officials. fishing, in the area. The rest of the and permanent conflict between tion of villagers on Thurs- the Goddess. The news soon Congress strongman Krishna
The small and traditional fish- area was declared as ‘buffer’ and the Forest department and the day night. reached the Kalna police sta- Chandra Dutta alias ‘Fata Kes-
ers of Sunderbans recently organ- only 923 boats were given license communities dependent on the As many as six police- tion and a police team rushed hto’ in Keshab Chandra Street
ised demonstrations against the (BLC) to fish in it. forest for livelihood. men were injured and 45 to the spot. The villagers in 1957.
Tiger Project authorities for their National Fishworkers Forum As the largest among the villagers were arrested by were desperate to thrash Prabandha Roy, who took
unjust and illegal order regard- secretary Debasis Shyamal said forest-dependent communities, the police. According to the tantrik and his com- over the reins of the puja after
ing cancellation and redistribu- that Sunderbans Reserve For- the fisher folks have been bear- sources, some adivasis led panions. As the police tried Dutta’s death in 1992, said,
tion of ‘boat license certificate’ est situated in the other (west- ing the brunt of the torture and by the tantrik was perform- to take the tantrik and his “We cannot experiment with
(BLCs) to be carried out by the ern) part the forest had about harassment and have also been ing Kali Puja at a cremato- companions away, they got the looks of ‘Shyama Maa’ (as
forest department. 3,700 boats with BLC. Both these at the forefront of the struggle. rium in village Khetralpal embroiled in a clash with the Goddess Kali is referred to with Roy, who is also knowns as has been scaled down, “On the
The movement has been ini- numbers have been grossly inad- Physical assaults, abuses, confis- in deep darkness. police. Six policemen were respect), and with our rituals ‘Fanta’, is confident of drawing 60th year, the immersion will
tiated jointly by Dakshinbanga equate in comparison to the cation of boats, nets, permits or The puja according to injured but the police and traditions. We cannot let crowds this year as in the past. be certainly grand, if not on the
Matsyajibi Forum, Sunderbans number of fisher folks and fish- BLCs without any seizure memo, tradition is performed after managed to rescue the adi- it happen in ‘Fata Keshtor Puja’ “If we experiment, people in same scale as in 1970s and 80s.”
Matsyajibi Joutha Sangram Com- ing boats operating in respective imposing of heavy fines, taking every fifteen years. There vasis including the children that has become a brand.” our locality, the lakhs throng- The puja has its own Face-
mittee, National Fishworkers areas. Dry wood and shell collec- away the best catches of fish and were more than ten chil- and ultimately and took The puja, which had in ing the pandal on three days book page as well, with regular
Forum. The fishing communities tion was totally stopped. Honey crab, spoiling of drinking water dren who were present there them to the police station. the past roped in the likes since Kali Puja evening and our updates on the festivities every
of Sundarban alleged that they collection was restricted by per- and food of the fishers – the while the puja was being “We are investigat- of Amitabh Bachchan, Dev puja committee members will year. “There might be theme
had been subjected to harass- mits and all collected honey was unjust and illegal acts of Forest performed. ing the reason that led to Anand and Rani Mukherjee to not spare us. ‘Fata Kesto Kali Kali pujas in Barasat in North
ment perpetrated by the forest to be deposited with the Forest department knows no bound. There was a belief among the rumour. Chief Minis- inaugurate the festivities, has Puja’ is like the ‘Baghbazar Sar- 24 Parganas districts and else-
and tiger project officials. The department. All these were done The fisher folks demanded that a section of the local villag- ter Mamata Banerjee had stuck to the same structure of bojonin Durga Puja’ where tra- where, but ‘Fata Keshtor Kali
poor indigenous fishing com- without any consultation with Forest department have to issue ers that the children were instructed us to take strong the pandal — the replica of a dition reigns supreme,” another Puja’ is the most talked about
munities were allegedly tortured the affected communities, let boat license to genuine fisher- there to be sacrificed and action against rumour-mon- temple, and also not deviated puja committee member said. Kali Puja in the state and else-
since the imposition of Tiger alone the question of taking their man living in area adjacent to they surrounded tantrik gers,” a senior district police from the usual fancy lights He said though the elab- where in India,” the puja com-
Project in Sunderbans. consent. The Forest department, the forest. along with his companions. official said. from Chandernagore town. orate immersion procession mittee member said. AGENCIES
Bike taxi operators approach state govt for plying in entire city NEW DEVICE COULD
MAKE MALARIA
DETECTION CHEAPER
TARUN GOSWAMI KOLKATA: Detection of
government and they are discussing among chief secretary and chairman of Housing
themselves. Let’s see what decision they take. Infrastructure Development Corporation common mosquito-borne
KOLKATA: Taking a cue from the success of If they give us the green signal, we will give (HIDCO) and Alapan Bandyopadhyay, addi- disease malaria could
bike taxis in New Town, the operators have our proposal in writing,” said Randhar. tional chief secretary in charge of transport to become cheaper and take
approached the state government to allow The decision to approach the state gov- make the new transport system a foolproof just “seconds” with a new
them to ply the vehicles in the entire city. ernment is the result of repeated requests one. It was introduced in New Town and later
portable device, the handi-
New Town is the first area in eastern India from the users to extend the area of opera- extended to Salt Lake.
work of researchers from
to introduce bike taxis around five-and-a- tion of bike taxis. The bike taxis are driven at an average
half months ago. “The customers request us to drop them speed which vary anything between 40 and two Kolkata institutes.
The bike taxis are allowed to ply in New to Garia or Baghajatin or Dum Dum. The 50 km/hour. The fare is Rs 20 as basic fare A team of researchers
Town and Salt Lake. There are two agen- users are happy and are interested in the and then Rs 5 per kilometre. from the Institute of Engi-
cies, namely, One Man Taxi and K Bike Taxi extension of the area of operation. So we HIDCO has set up stands to park the bike neering and Management
that operate in New Town, have a collective have approached the state government,” said taxis in New Town. The operators said the
in collaboration with the
strength of 55. K Bike Taxi has proposed to Randhar. drivers are given seven days’ training before
Indian Institute of Engineer-
add another 25 bike taxis including scoo- Kalim said: “Our target is those who avail being inducted in the fleet. They use helmets
ing Science and Technol-
ties. There will be seven women drivers to auto-rickshaws and taxis and if we can extend and even the pillion rider has to wear a hel-
operate the scooties, said Kalim, owner of our service to Kolkata, then we can cater met provided by the driver. ogy, Shibpur claim to
K Bike Taxi. to many more people with point to point Raincoats are also provided in rainy sea- have developed a mobile,
Both Kalim and Raghav Randhar, who facility.” sons. Kalim said in New Town most of the low-cost malaria detection
runs the One Man Taxi said that talks have The state Transport department had stud- users are office-goers. “So far the response system, which can also di-
begun with senior state government officials ied the proposal to introduce bike taxis in is very good and we hope this new mode of
agnose dengue with some
to allow them to operate in Kolkata. “We New Town for nearly one year. Talks were transportation system will be a very popu-
have approached senior officials of the state held between Debashis Sen, additional lar one soon.” modification. AGENCIES
city
mp
4
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
State govt to hold meeting on jute situation next week JU student’s death: Murder Locals lynch
anti-social for
complaint against friends
KOLKATA: The Bengal gov- The meeting is likely to be headed killing man
ernment has proposed a meet-
by a senior official of the agriculture
ing on October 25 to take
stock of the state’s jute situa- department will be held in presence of OUR CORRESPONDENT gation, police came to know OUR CORRESPONDENT
tion which is getting murkier. that Souvik was trying to cross
the jute commissioner, official
The meeting is likely to be KOLKATA: The family mem- the pond along with his friends KOLKATA: The local residents
headed by a senior official of sources said bers of the second year engi- when the incident happened. of Panktuli area of Hooghly’s
the agriculture department will neering student of Jadavpur Souvik was gasping for breath Chinsurah on Friday lynched
be held in presence of the jute University who died after while crossing the pond. Police a local anti-social to death as
commissioner, official sources ing to be alarming for the state the total state production of 65 drowning in a pond in Jadav- are investigating the involve- they claimed the he had killed
said. government as farmers are lakh bales in state. pur’s Ramgarh on Thursday ment of the friends of the one Seikh Samir.
It would be a follow-up of allowed to go for distress sale The Centre’s decision of lodged a murder compliant victim and started a case of Samir’s body was recov-
the Group of Minister’s meet- of jute even Rs 700 below min- procuring only low weight bags against the his five friends who unnatural death following the ered from an abandoned area
ing held on October 16. imum support price. of 580 g replacing 665 g bags accompanied him. incident. close to the TB Hospital. The
This meeting would review According to state govern- since December 2015 has cre- Souvik Chandra (20), a sec- As per the preliminary local residents alleged that the
procurement situation of ment, Jute Corporation of India ated lot of problem for the state. ond year student of produc- investigation, police sus- accused known as Patal had
gunny bags for the kharif mar- (JCI) was operating 27 direct It has created surplus TD6 tion engineering at Jadavpur pect that Souvik might have killed the victim on Thursday
keting season of 2017-18, the purchase centres out of 171 in raw jutes while deficit of higher University drowned in the drowned after he suffered a night and later dumped the
sources said. of the state. West Bengal gov- the problems of jute mills and the state. grade jute in the state is mak- Ramgarh Lake with his friends heart attack. Police will come body near the hospital.
The other issues on the ernment was trying to coordi- farmers. JCI has purchased just ing it double whammy for state after participating in a football up with the final conclusion Some of the local residents
agenda includes jute situation nate with central agencies on Raw jute situation is turn- 28,000 bales under MSP out of government. AGENCIES match on Wednesday morning. as the probe is still underway. had spotted the body lying on
They had been living as a pay- The family members of the the road on Friday morning
Stalemate in SRFTI over
ing guest at Vikramgarh area. victim have alleged that there and informed the matter to the
After starting an investiga- may be some foul play behind police who later reached the
tion, police came to know that the death of the victim. They spot and recovered the body.
they used to go to play football urged the police to probe the Seikh left the house on Thurs-
in Pragati Sangha ground along role of his friends as to why day afternoon. As he did not
shifting girls to new hostel with his roommates every day. they did not come to his res- return home, his family mem-
Like other days, they played cue. The youth’s friends who bers started a searching oper-
football on Wednesday morn- were accompanying the him ation. They called up their
ing and later went to take a bath on the day of incident claimed relatives but they failed to get
in the pond when the acci- that they suddenly realised that any trace of the victim. The local
dent occurred. The divers later Souvik was drowning. They people said that the accused
recovered the body of the boy. rushed to his rescue but ulti- Patal might have killed the vic-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
taking back the expulsion order of our According to the investi- mately failed. tim following some rivalry.
14 girls should be withdrawn as well as
IIT Kgp partners Fire dept to send
KOLKATA: The stalemate over shifting the decision to shift the girls.”
of girl students to a new hostel in Saty- Akshay said the protests by students
ajit Ray Film and Television Institute will take place till the two decisions are with corporate
(SRFTI) continues even as the institute withdrawn along with talks. notice to Jeevan
management on Friday held talks with “Talks will continue for some more
houses, NGOs to
the students’ body to resolve the issue. time. Let’s hope the management will
SRFTI Director Debamitra Mitra appreciate our views.”
Sudha after blaze
said: “The faculty including me is now One of the 14 expelled students shape CSR steps
holding talks with the students. We Ruplatha Purakayastha said: “Talks are
want normalcy to return. But we won’t on. But we are united.”
OUR CORRESPONDENT
withdraw the decision to shift girl stu- The expulsion of 14 girl students
dents to a new hostel or the decision to from the SRFTI for their refusal to OUR CORRESPONDENT
The Fire dept has
expel 14 girls for refusing to shift to the vacate an old hostel and shift to a new KOLKATA: In a mission to
new hostel.” accommodation triggered protests on help people reap the bene- KOLKATA: The state Fire and also decided to go
“We are ready to discuss other issues the premier institute’s campus on Octo- fits of several of its research Emergency Services depart-
for random checks
including improving their facilities and ber 17. The students alleged that build- outcomes, IIT Kharagpur is ment will send notice to the
facilitate funds for film projects. We are ing a separate accommodation for girls receiving an approval from the Union approval in 2013, we undertook the gearing up to partner with authorities of Jeevan Sudha in the high-rise
not anti-students,” Mitra said in course was an act of moral policing. Information & Broadcasting Ministry construction of a new building for the corporate houses and NGOs where they have come across corporate offices
of discussions with the faculty and stu- Denying the allegations, the SRFTI in 2013. girls,” she said. to shape their CSR initiatives improper commissioning of
dents’ representatives. director had said the authorities had “Earlier, the boys and the girls had Mitra said the objective with its end products and in the firefighting equipment. The of the city
Students’ Body spokesman Akshay taken this decision to build a sepa- separate accommodation in the same behind shifting the girls to the the process help millions lead decision comes in the wake of
Gouti said: “We are still hopeful about a rate ladies hostel, upgrade curriculum block of an old hostel building. new hostel was to ensure the safety of better lives. the firemen facing an uphill sprinklers should start func-
breakthrough. But the two core issues of and infrastructure at the institute after After receiving the I&B ministry’s students. WITH AGENCY INPUTS The institute recently task to douse the blaze due to tioning mechanically. The
organised a seminar on “Cor- the non maintenance of impor- building authorities should
Fire breaks out in meter box of nationalised bank
porate Social Responsibility” in tant fire fighting gadgets on start the pump and start spray-
Kolkata jointly with Indo-Ger- Thursday. ing water even before the Fire
man Chamber of Commerce The Fire department has department steps in.
Kolkata and SREI Foundation also decided to go for random According to him, the lack
OUR CORRESPONDENT
residential building at Poddar not have proper firefighting in order to help the industry checks in the high-rise corpo- of maintenance of this system
Nagar under Lake Police sta- equipment. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot and NGOs get a glimpse of rate offices of the city to find led to fire spreading to the 14th
KOLKATA: Tension was tion area. The meter box is sit- They were involved in immediately and brought the fire under the available end products by out whether the firefighting and 15th floor and the firemen
sparked off after a fire broke out uated at the ground floor and angry verbal exchange with IIT-Kharagpur. equipment is properly com- took time to extinguish the
control in less than half-an-hour. The
at the meter box of a nation- the staircase leading to the res- the bank officials. Talking about the initiative, missioned or not. flames.
alised bank branch at Jodhpur idents’ apartments is just adja- However, the police man- CESC snapped the power connection Prof. Siddhartha Mukhopad- “The fire originated from “Most of the buildings have
Park on Friday afternoon. cent to it. aged to cool their tempers. hyay, Dean of Alumni Affairs the 17th floor and the flames a proper firefighting system but
in the entire building to prevent any
The fire broke out at around Two fire tenders rushed A senior Fire department and International Relations shot up to the 18th and there is hardly any exercise. If
1 pm when only a few custom- to the spot immediately and official said: “The fire broke out untoward incident (AA&IR), IIT Kharagpur said: 19th floor of the building. the equipment lie in an idle
ers were inside the bank. brought the fire under control probably due to a short circuit. “For years we have been doing In case of such fires on top condition for years it is obvi-
The bank officials evacuated in less than half-an-hour. Forensic probe will be con- a lot of research works. Apart floors in high rise building, ous that it will not function in
the branch immediately after The CESC snapped the ducted to ascertain the actual The extent of damage was on Thursday night. from publishing the work and the inbuilt firefighting system emergency. Our random check
the alarm of the fire outbreak power connection in the entire reason. negligible as informed by the The locals managed to obtaining patent for the same, of the building comes as a great drive is likely to start from
sounded and informed the Fire building to prevent any untow- “We will conduct an bank officials. extinguish the fire that resulted we want them to create an help for us. However, initially November,” he added,
department. ard incident. enquiry to find whether there A small fire was reported probably from fireworks. The impact in society. it did not function properly A major mishap was
The bank is situated at the The residents of the build- was any negligence on the part from a community Kali Puja damage to the pandal was “And helping the corporate and we had to take the help of averted as Thursday was a hol-
ground floor of a five storeyed ing alleged that the bank did of the bank authorities.” pandal at Parnashree in Behala negligible. and NGO’s reach their CSR the system of a nearby build- iday when a blaze broke out in
goals with our technology will ing,” a senior official of the Fire Jeevan Sudha building.
TMC activist shot be our way of giving back to department said. The fire originated in a
society. Elaborating on the system server room on the 17th floor,
millenniumpost.in
“We are also looking at col- he said that it should be in such occupied by a nationalised
at in Mekhliganj laborating with industries from a condition that once there is bank , and travelled to the
Germany and France working smoke, the alarm should auto- 18th and 19th floor through
in India for their CSR initia- matically start ringing and the the AC duct.
is now available in everypart of Bengal
tives here.”
OUR CORRESPONDENT ER achieves 4.19% growth
the North Bengal Medical Col- Indo-German Chamber
SL DISTRICT Centre Name Agent Name Contact No lege and Hospital as his condi- of Commerce (IGCC) too has in passenger revenue
KOLKATA: A Trinamool tion deteriorated. According to expressed interest to collabo-
NO NAME
Congress activist of Mekhliganj the doctors at the North Bengal rate with IIT Kharagpur.
1 East Midnapore TAMLUK N.C.Bera 7501493175 area of Jalpaiguri was shot at by Medical College and Hospital, “When we came to know
KOLKATA: Eastern Railway has achieved remark-
HALDIA Ayesha 9474306356 some miscreants on Thursday. condition of the patient is criti- about the technological inter-
Begum,Ranichak The victim Laxmi Kanta cal and he has been kept under ventions at IIT Kharagpur able growth in passenger earnings during April to
Sarkar, an active Trinamool constant monitoring. which can be used in a CSR September 2017, recording a growth of 4.19% in
DIGHA Kamal Lochan Panda 8906868884
Congress activist in the area, Some of the locals, however, context, we felt that this would passenger revenue which is the highest amongst
2 West Midnapore MIDNAPORE Balaram Pandit 9932708271 was returning home from a alleged that this might have be an interesting area for our
all zonal railways. In the suburban segment, the
3 Jhargram JHARGRAM Champa Maity 9547230220 Puja pandal when some mis- been a result of an intra-party members to explore for poten-
growth of passenger traffic has gone up by 2.75%
creants stopped him and shot rivalry. The victim had become tial collaborations ,”said Sha-
4 North 24 - Parganas BARASAT/NILGUNJ B N Kundu 9836333630
at him from point blank range. instrumental for strengthen- ron Mogose, executive, IGCC during April to September 2017, which is second
BARRACKPORE Biswajit Ghosh 9830830798 Attracted by the sound of gun ing the party’s organization in Kolkata. best over other zones of Indian Railways. It may be
BASIRHAT Uttam Biswas 9474574927 shots, the local residents rushed the area. Shrachi group has already mentioned here that the achievement of passenger
5 Bardhaman BURDWAN Kamal Mukherjee 9332192230 to the spot to find the victim A clash had further broke expressed interest to go for a traffic is the best ever of last five years and
lying in a pool of blood. They out between the two groups tie-up with IIT Kharagpur for
6 West Bardhman ASANSOL Hiralal Sen 9933662126 achievement of passenger earnings is the best ever
rushed the victim to a nearby leaving 10-12 people altogether its WASH (Water, Sanitation,
DURGAPUR WARIA Joy prakash Ray 9563601176 / hospital. He was then shifted to injured from both the sides. Hygiene) project. of last four years. OUR CORRESPONDENT
7864818860
Story of Basanta Biswas, penned by Ujjal
NIRSHA Gopal Chatterjee 9386695330
BARAKAR Jai Bhagwan Singh 9334652173
7 Murshidabad BAHARAMPUR COURT Dipak Choudhury 9851612424
Biswas, to be portrayed on celluloid
8 Nadia KALYANI / Dey News Agency 9830609355
KANCHRAPARA
9 Howrah HOWRAH CENTRE Manik Lal Bag 9883393201
/9732243933 SOUMITRA NANDI The minister said that for the last 30
10 Purulia PURULIA D.C.Nag 9434130550 years, he has been organising a three-
KOLKATA: Basanta Kumar Biswas day fair titled Basanta Mela at his village
11 Jalpaiguri SILIGURI Toton Saha 9832046238
was one of the revolutionary leaders home in Poragacha, Nadia in the month
12 Hooghly CHINSURAH / CHAN- B.Singh 9883108806
who had sacrificed his life in the Indian of February. “I have heard about the
DAN NAGAR freedom struggle. It was on May 11, bravery of my uncle from my aunt and
13 Birbhum SHANTINIKETAN Anita Shaw 9232162151 1915 when Biswas became one of the the various incidents associated with
youngest persons (he was 20) to be him. I have tried to include as many
14 Darjeeling DARJEELING Bitta Newspaper 9434131515
hanged by the British at Ambala Cen- of them in my script as I can. Though
Agency
tral Jail in Punjab. More than 100 years there will be familiar faces in the lead
15 Cooch Behar COOCH BEHAR Jayanta Das 9434217084 after his death, his life and political out- roles, the other actors are mostly fresh
16 Alipurduar ALIPURDUAR Bablu Saha 9733166169 look will be portrayed in celluloid. The faces,” he said.
man behind this is none other than his Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee has
17 Kalimpong KALIMPONG Sandeep Jain 9832016738
nephew Ujjal Biswas — the state min- lent his voice to the film.
18 Uttar Dinajpur RAIGUNJ Pradyut Karmakar 9434384154 Ujjal Biswas
ister for Correctional Administration. Born on February 6, 1895, Bas-
19 Dakshin Dinajpur BALURGHAT Sujan das 8670582892 “I have been toying with the idea anta belonged to the family of freedom
20 Malda MALDA TOWN Ashim Kr.Sarkar 7797919580 of making a film on my uncle for a act of throwing a bomb on December son Sayan who died in October 2012 fighter Digamabar Biswas, an active
long time so that the Generation Y can 23, 1912, at then Viceroy Lord Charles of severe burn injuries. The producer leader of the Indigo revolt (Nil Bidroha)
Others District List
know of his contribution and sacrifice in Hardinge, who was riding with his wife of the film is none other than the min- and freedom fighter Manmathnath
21 Jharkhand RANCHI Birendra Nath Singh 9431929279 / India’s freedom struggle. Finally it will on an elephant during a procession ister’s wife Minakshi Biswas. Biswas.
8409298763 become a reality. The nod of the Cen- at Chandni Chowk, Delhi. Hardinge The film is being directed by Sankar He started his journey in freedom
TATA NAGAR Surender Singh 9835170495 tral Board of Film Certification (CBFC) escaped with flesh wounds, but his Majumder who has been doing docu- fight under Khirodh Chandra Gan-
is expected to come within a few days,” mahout was killed in the attack. mentaries on famous people for a long guly the principal in Muragacha school.
DHANBAD S.K.Pandey 8409984151
Biswas, who has penned the script of The film titled Banhi Balak Basanta time. The film has been shot mainly in Later, he was recruited by Rash Behari
22 Bihar PATNA Nandalal Yadav 7765012713 the film, said. is being produced under the banner Nadia with a major part shot in and Bose and trained in arms and bombs.
Basanta Biwas is remembered for his of Sayan Enterprises named after his around the forests of the district. He regarded Bose as his “Guru”.
nation
mp 5
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
Chidambaram’s criticism of EC part ‘Acts of terror most
heinous violation of
of ‘save Rahul’ campaign, says BJP
human rights’
OUR CORRESPONDENT Rahul targets PM, BJP
NEW DELHI: The BJP said
again over Amit Shah’s son
on Friday that Congress leader
P Chidambaram’s criticism of
the Election Commission for
not announcing Gujarat poll
dates was part of the party’s NEW DELHI: Apparently tar- article published by it regard-
‘save Rahul’ campaign as it fears geting Prime Minister Naren- ing Jay Shah’s firm.
that a defeat in the election will dra Modi and the BJP, Congress Both the Congress and its
stall his elevation to the post of leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday vice president Rahul Gandhi
party chief. fired a fresh salvo at them over have repeatedly questioned
BJP spokesperson G V L the controversy surrounding Modi’s “silence” on the issue.
Narasimha Rao defended the Amit Shah’s son’s company. Following the publication
Election Commission’s decision “Mitron (friends), will of the article, the Congress
of not announcing the Gujarat not speak about ‘Shah-zada’, party demanded the removal
poll dates with that of the Him- nor will let anyone speak,” he of Amit Shah as BJP president
achal Pradesh Assembly elec- tweeted in Hindi, referring to and constitution of a two-
tion, saying the Model Code an interim injunction granted member judicial commission Minister for Law & Justice and Electronics & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad
of Conduct is expected to be in by an Ahmedabad court on a of inquiry comprising judges with Prime Minister of Bahamas Hubert Minnis at the Commonwealth
force for not more than 45 days criminal defamation plea filed of the Supreme Court to go into Law Ministers Conference in Nassau (Bahamas) on Friday
and the election in the western against news portal ‘The Wire’ his son’s business dealings.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
state was expected in Decem- by Jay Shah, the son of BJP Additional Senior Civil money-laundering and pro-
ber. Rao’s attack on the Con- president Amit Shah. Judge of Ahmedabad (rural) ceeds of crime as well as to pre-
gress came after Chidambaram Gandhi also tagged a news court had granted an injunc- NEW DELHI: Taking up the vent misuse of the Internet for
took a swipe at the Election fere in the functioning of any Congress of “rank opportun- “Whether that was a moti- report entitled, “Ahmedabad tion on Jay Shah’s plea on cause of the human rights vio- terrorism and hatred.
Commission (EC), saying it institutions,” Rao said. ism” and “hypocrisy”, he said vated decision, given the adver- Court injunction: ‘The Wire’ Monday. lations of the victims of ter- Prasad informed the del-
has authorised Prime Minister The Congress’ repeated the same EC appeared neutral sarial relationship between the barred from writing on Jay The judge restrained the rorism, Union Law and IT egates of the Commonwealth
Narendra Modi to announce attempts in raising questions to the Congress when its deci- then UPA and Gujarat govern- Shah”. Jay Shah had recently defendants from publishing, Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad nations that India is not only
the date of Gujarat elections at about the EC is a desperate sion favoured its senior leader ment is a moot question,” he filed a criminal defamation printing, telecasting, broad- said that acts of terror were the working towards ensuring a
his last rally. excuse and an alibi to shield Ahmed Patel’s election to the said. In a series of tweets drip- case against The Wire after it casting or holding debates in most heinous violation of the robust data protection regime
“Chidambaram seems to Rahul Gandhi from the impact Rajya Sabha. ping with sarcasm, Chidam- published an article claiming any language on the issues human rights of terror victims. but is also committed to create
view the EC from his jaun- of an impending massive defeat The Election Commission, baram, the former finance and the turnover of a company run mentioned in the article pub- Any debate on human a safe and secure cyberspace.
diced eyes. Sonia Gandhi, as in Gujarat, he alleged. he said, needs to be compli- home minister, also claimed by him saw a huge rise after the lished by the news portal, rights only highlights the rights Emphasising the need for
an extra-constitutional author- “This is part of the ‘save mented for not repeating the that the Election Commis- BJP came to power at the Cen- pending the hearing and dis- of the terrorists and perpetra- using data analytics and cyber
ity, had subverted institutions Rahul’ campaign as his cronies aberration in Gujarat election sion will be “recalled” from tre in 2014. posal of the matter. Zada, zade tors of terror and not of the forensics for better investiga-
and remote-controlled Prime fear that Gujarat defeat will stall in 2012 when the duration of its “extended holiday” after An Ahmedabad court had or zadi are Persian suffixes used victims, the minister stressed, tion of terror attacks, the min-
Minister Manmohan Singh. his never-happening, elusive the code of conduct was an the Gujarat government has on Monday restrained the por- as part of titles for members of who is leading Indian delega- ister felt that there is a need
PM Modi is a quintessential elevation as the party presi- unusually and unreasonably announced all “concessions and tal from publishing or broad- royalty, denoting the sons and tion at the Commonwealth Law for greater cooperation for
democrat and does not inter- dent,” Rao said. Accusing the high period of 83 days, he said. freebies”. casting reports based on the daughters of a king. MPOST Ministers’ Conference held in discouraging the use of social
the Bahamas on 16-19 Octo- media for fermenting ter-
NEET: Centre mulls upper age limit for medical admission
ber 2017. ror, spreading hatred and for
Participating in the discus- fomenting radicalisation.
sion on counter-terrorism and Prasad also flagged that the
the use of ICT, the minister said non-state terror actors thrived
PRADIP CHATTERJEE
Union health ministry officials and the MCI against the Constitution of India. Dr A K Maity, of the Supreme Court for monitoring the activi- that India had long been a vic- and flourished at the behest
officials, where MCI was asked to formulate a who had written a letter to the Prime Minister ties of the MCI. The Centre had argued in the tim of the most vicious terror- of state actors who promoted
KOLKATA: The Centre is planning to introduce policy so that the age-limit can be implemented recently against the implementation of any age court that they were keen on implementing the ism unleashed from across the terrorism and urged the Com-
the maximum age limit for candidates seek- throughout the country. The theory the Centre limit in medical admission, pointed out that age limit for medical aspirants to check cheating border. monwealth community to work
ing admission in medical colleges through the is keen on bringing in had never implemented while hearing a case relating to the upper age by a section of candidates in medical examina- He added that India con- together with India in develop-
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) by the MCI since its inception. limit for LLB examination, the Apex Court in tions. The Centre claimed that they had found demned terrorism in all forms ing global mechanisms to com-
in the country. The Supreme Court while hearing a case on March this year ruled that there will be no age that the comparatively older medical aspirants and manifestations and that bat terrorism.
The Union Health Ministry has recently the implementation of the maximum age limit limit for LLB examination. It had also stayed Bar were found to be involved in cheating. there could be no justification Following India’s interven-
asked the Medical Council of India (MCI), the in medical admission last year asked the Centre Council of India’s (BCI) notification fixing age But the AIPMT/PD 2015 list published by the for any terrorism. tion, the Commonwealth Law
highest regulatory body for medical education not to introduce any such age limit. The Centre limit for law courses. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) The minister underlined Ministers decided to call upon
in the country, to fix 25 years as the upper age had tried to introduce the age limit the previ- The Union health ministry also asked the said that two candidates out of total 53 can- the need for working together social media platforms to take
limit for general category students and 30 years ous year as well. MCI to provide appropriate amendment regu- didates found to be involved in cheating were to address the concerns of suo-moto measures to ensure
for reserved category students. Those against it said that the introduction of lations in consultation with its Oversight Com- above the age of 25 while the rest were all below cybersecurity, data privacy, that these platforms are not
A high-level meeting was held between the age limit of candidates in medical admission is mittee (OC). The OC was formed by the order 25 years of age. concerted attempts to control misused by terrorists.
ED issues fresh Nation to pay homage to policemen
summons to
killed in 1959 Chinese firing
Tejashwi, Rabri
OUR CORRESPONDENT OUR CORRESPONDENT
reconnaissance parties were injuries in the incident.
launched from Hot Springs Bodies of the 10 person-
NEW DELHI: The Enforce- NEW DELHI: The nation will in North Eastern Ladakh in nel were returned by the Chi-
ment Directorate has issued pay homage to the policemen preparation for further move- nese on November 13, 1959,
fresh summons to former Bihar martyred in firing by Chinese ment of an Indian expedition three weeks after the incident.
chief minister Rabri Devi and troops in 1959 and 34,400 oth- which was on its way to Lanak The bodies were then cremated
her son Tejashwi Yadav in con- ers who laid down their lives La. While members of two par- with full police honours at Hot
nection with its money laun- protecting India’s unity, at a ties returned to Hot Springs, Springs in Ladakh, it said.
dering probe into the railway special function here tomor- the third one comprising two The annual conference of
hotels allotment case dating row, the home ministry said police constables and a por- Inspectors General of Police
back to the UPA-I rule, official on Friday. ter did not return, the state- of States and Union Territories
sources said. Home Minister Rajnath ment said. held in January 1960 decided
They said while Tejashwi Singh will lead the nation to The remaining forces were that October 21 would, hence-
has been summoned on Octo- pay homage to 10 policemen mobilised next morning in forth, be observed as ‘Com-
ber 24, Rabri has been called besides 34,408 other police search of the missing person- memoration Day’ in all police
on October 27 for questioning personnel, who have sacri- nel. A party of about 20 police lines in the country to mark
in the case. While Tejashwi, a ficed their lives since indepen- personnel led by Karam Singh, the memory of these gallant
former Bihar deputy chief min- dence to safeguard the unity a Deputy Central Intelligence personnel, the statement said.
ister, had been grilled once by and integrity of the nation. Officer (DCIO) rank officer, It was also decided to erect
the central agency for more Observed as ‘Police Com- proceeded on horseback while a memorial at Hot Springs,
than nine hours, Rabri had memoration Day’, October others followed on foot in three and that members of police
skipped the summons at least 21 commemorates the sacri- sections. At mid-day, the Chi- forces from different parts of
four times. The agency is prob- fices of the 10 policemen while nese Army personnel were the country trek to Hot Springs
ing members of the Lalu Prasad defending India’s borders with seen on a hillock who opened every year to pay homage to the
Yadav’s family and others under China in 1959, a statement by fire and threw grenades at the gallant martyrs. Since indepen-
the Prevention of Money Laun- the ministry said. The Indian Indian party, the statement dence, 34,418 police personnel
dering Act (PMLA). police personnel were respon- said. Since there was no cover, have sacrificed their lives for
In July, the Central Bureau sible for manning the 2,500 most personnel were injured. safeguarding the integrity of
of Investigation had registered mile long border of India with Ten of the brave police per- the nation and providing secu-
a criminal first information Tibet until the autumn of 1959. sonnel attained martyrdom rity to people of this country,
report and conducted multiple On October 20, 1959, three and seven others sustained the statement said.
searches on the properties of
Lalu Prasad Yadav and others.
The CBI FIR alleges that
Lalu Prasad Yadav, as rail-
way minister, handed over the
maintenance of two IRCTC
hotels to a company after
receiving a bribe in the form
of prime land in Patna through
a ‘benami’ company owned
by Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem
Chand Gupta, a former Union
minister. Lalu Prasad Yadav
was railway minister between
2004 and 2009.
The ED had registered a
criminal case against Lalu
Prasad Yadav’s family members
and others under the PMLA,
based on the CBI FIR. It had
earlier questioned Sarla Gupta
and others.
The CBI has also recently
recorded the statements of
Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu
Prasad Yadav in this case.
The ED is investigating the
alleged “proceeds of crime”
generated by the accused, pur-
portedly through shell compa- 7
nies in this case, officials have 01
said. Others named in the CBI /2
)
FIR include Vijay and Vinay 4
(
Kochhar (both directors of 45
Sujata Hotels), Delight Mar- 21
keting company, now known as -
A
Lara Projects, and then IRCTC C
managing director P K Goel. I ICA-2148(12)/2017
nation
mp
6
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
PM Modi to inaugurate slew of Virbhadra Singh files Was offered
money to defect
nomination from
projects in Gujarat on Sunday to Shiv Sena:
Arki constituency MNS corporator
MUMBAI: The lone MNS cor-
OUR CORRESPONDENT the party said. of Cambay, on which it is built. OUR CORRESPONDENT porator in the BMC who did
Among the projects that The service reduces the not cross over to the Shiv Sena
AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: Modi will inaugurate is the first distance between the two SHIMLA: Six-time Himachal has alleged that he was "indi-
Amid the row over the “delay” phase of the Rs 615 crore roll- towns from 310 kilometres by Pradesh Chief Minister Virb- rectly offered money" to switch
in announcement of the Guja- on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry service road to 30 kilometres which hadra Singh on Friday filed sides and demanded a probe by
rat Assembly polls, Prime Min- between Ghogha in Bhavnagar can be covered in 1 hour,” his nomination from the Arki the Anti-Corruption Bureau
ister Narendra Modi will travel district and Dahej in Bharuch Bhadoo said. Assembly constituency in (ACB) into the recent defection
to home state on Sunday where in the Gulf of Cambay. Modi had laid the founda- Solan district for the Novem- by six MNS corporators.
he will inaugurate and lay the The prime minister had tion stone for the project in Jan- ber 9 state polls. However, Dilip Lande,
foundation stones of a number called ferry service his “dream uary 2012, when he was the Singh had vacated the who was among the six corpo-
of projects. project” while addressing a chief minister of Gujarat. Shimla (rural) seat for his rators who left the Maharash-
It would be Modi’s third gathering at Gandhinagar In Vadodara, Modi will son Vikramaditya Singh and tra Navnirman Sena (MNS),
visit to Gujarat this month. on Monday. He will address inaugurate eight different proj- shifted to Arki. rejected the charge levelled
Modi, who recently said a gathering in Ghogha and ects worth Rs 1,140 crore. It was a show of strength by Sanjay Turde and said they
the Legislative Assembly polls undertake a journey to Dahej Vadodara Municipal Com- as hundreds of supporters and were ready for probe.
will be a battle between “vikas- from Ghogha on the ferry. missioner Vinod Rao said party workers greeted the chief He also threatened to sue
wad” and “vanshwad”, in which From Dahej, he will leave for Modi will dedicate to people minister outside the office of Turde, who made the allega-
his “development agenda” will with sarcasm, the former announcing the Gujarat sched- Vadodara, where he is sched- a Rs 100 crore city command the assistant returning officer. tion in a letter written to the
triumph over the Congress’ finance and home minister ule, only saying the polling in uled to inaugurate and lay the and control centre in Badamadi This is for the fourth time ACB on October 18, nearly a
“dynastic politics”, will lay also claimed that the Election the western state would be held foundation stones for projects Garden, Rs 125-crore Janmahal that the 83-year-old Congress Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister week after six of the seven cor-
the foundation of and dedi- Commission will be “recalled” before December 18. worth over Rs 1,140 crore. city transport hub and multi- leader has shifted his constitu- Virbhadra Singh hold sword porators of the Raj Thackeray-
cate to people projects worth from its “extended holiday” Immediately thereafter, the Ajay Bhadoo, Chief Execu- level parking (under PPP), a ency. He had contested from during public meeting after filing led MNS joined the Shiv Sena.
rupees several thousand crore after the Gujarat government Congress had alleged that the tive Officer of Gujarat Mari- Rs 160 crore multi-modal city Jubbal and Kotkhai in 1983 his nomination on Friday Turde said one of the then
in Bhavnagar and Vadodara has announced all “concessions government put “pressure” time Board, which is executing transport hub, Rs 267 crore and 1985, Rohroo in 1990, MNS corporators approached
districts. and freebies”. on the poll panel to “delay” the ro-ro project, said the first waste-to- energy processing 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2007, sation and hasty implementa- him on October 12 and "indi-
Two days before he under- “EC has authorised PM the announcement of Gujarat phase of the service to be inau- plant. and shifted to Shimla Rural in tion of the Goods and Service rectly offered money" to switch
takes the visit, Congress leader to announce date of Gujarat elections to enable the prime gurated by Modi on Sunday is The other projects are a 2012 after the Rohroo seat was tax (GST) will cost heavily to sides. He also claimed that they
P Chidambaram today scoffed elections at his last rally (and minister to act as a “false santa meant for passengers. Rs 166 crore water treatment reserved for Schedule Caste. the BJP as it has caused harass- promised him that such a move
at the Election Commission kindly keep EC informed),” he claus” and offer sops, use “jum- In the second phase, which plant, two flyovers collectively After filing his nomina- ment and hardship to both would boost his political career.
for not announcing the sched- tweeted. las” (rhetoric). is expected to be completed in worth Rs 265 crore, a Rs 55 tions, Singh said the Congress traders and the common man," "On the sidelines of a ward
ule for the Gujarat polls, saying The EC had on October The model code of conduct two months, cars can also be crore deer safari park, and a would contest the upcom- he said. council meeting on October
it has “authorised” the prime 12 announced that polling for would have come into imme- carried between the two towns. Rs 6 crore veterinary hospital. ing elections on development The prices have gone up 12, Dilip Lande called me at
minister to declare the dates at the assembly elections in Him- diate effect in Gujarat had the “It is a complex project He will also address peo- plank and return to power with after GST, while traders are up around 1 pm and enquired
his “last rally” in the state. achal Pradesh will take place poll schedule been announced which involves complicated ple at Navlakhi compound in comfortable majority. in arms against the new tax sys- whether I would want to join
In a series of tweets loaded on November 9, but held off along with Himachal Pradesh, marine structure of the Gulf Vadodara. "The decision of demoneti- tem, he said. the Shiv Sena. AGENCIES
70 in hospitals Lalu to be chief ‘Haryana singer killed on BJP fumes over GST references
with eye injuries
guest at Congress brother-in-law’s order’ in Vijay starrer Tamil film
caused by
firecrackers programme today
OUR CORRESPONDENT OUR CORRESPONDENT
moment, he said, adding that cinema and actors should
police teams were raiding vari- not confuse people using the
HYDERABAD: Two lead- PANIPAT: Haryanvi singer ous places to nab the four men. CHENNAI/NAGERCOIL medium and try to derive polit-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
ing hospitals here received 70 and dancer Harshita Dahiya “Dinesh (Karala) is a noto- (TN): References to the GST ical mileage. His remarks came
patients who suffered eye inju- was killed by four men on the rious gangster. Twelve crimi- in the just-released Tamil a day after the BJP's state unit
ries caused by firecrackers dur- PATNA: RJD chief Lalu direction of her brother-in-law nal cases have been registered film "Mersal" starring popu- made a similar demand, charg-
ing Diwali celebrations here on Prasad is scheduled to be the and notorious gangster Dinesh against him at various police lar actor Vijay have not gone ing the filmmakers with mak-
Friday night. State-run Saro- chief guest at a Congress pro- Karala, police said on Friday. stations in Sonepat, Jind, Jhaj- down well with the BJP which ing "incorrect references" about
jini Devi Eye Hospital is treat- gramme on Saturday to cele- Karala revealed the mur- jar and Delhi,” he said. on Friday objected to what it the central taxation. Hitting out
ing 30 patients, while 40 people brate the birth anniversary of der conspiracy during inter- Dahiya, 22, was shot dead termed as "untruths" about at the references, state BJP pres-
are consulting LV Prasad Eye first Bihar chief minister Sri rogation after he was brought by unidentified men at Chamr- the central taxation in the star Rajinikanth starrer "Kab- ident Tamilisai Sounderrajan
Institute (LVPEIP) for their eye Krishna Singh, making the from Jhajjar jail on a produc- ara village in Haryana’s Panipat flick and demanded their dele- ali" director Pa. Ranjith came had on Thursday said "Incor-
injuries, officials said. future political move of the tion warrant, Superintendent district when she was return- tion. Union minister Pon Rad- to the defence of the "Mersal" rect references have been made
"Sarojini Devi Eye Hospi- Grand Alliance partners clear of Police Rahul Sharma said. ing to her home after perform- hakrishnan demanded removal crew, questioning BJP's logic in 'Mersal' about GST... celebri-
tal received 30 patients with after the JD(U) broke away. Singh, who served as a Karala was produced ing at a function in the village. of the "untruths" about the of demanding the cuts. ties should desist from register-
eye-related injuries since last Sri Krishna Singh, also Union minister of state in the before a court, which sent Her sister Lata earlier said, Goods and Services Tax, rolled "The film producer should ing wrong information among
night. Of the total, 12 are being called Sri Babu, a freedom UPA-I government, said he him to four-day police remand, “Dinesh, my husband” was out by the BJP-led NDA gov- remove the untruths regard- people."
treated as in-patients and six of fighter, had served as the first had been organising Sri Babu's Sharma said. behind the killing. ernment on July 1, while his ing GST from the film," Rad- Raja, the party's national
the 12 are required to undergo chief minister of the state from birth anniversary programmes The accused revealed the “He got her killed because party colleague H Raja claimed hakrishnan told reporters in secretary, in a series of tweets
surgery," Telangana Medical 1946 to 1961. every year since 2000, when names of his four accom- she was a witness in the mur- the film exposed Vijay's "anti- Nagercoil. said the reference to GST only
and Health Minister C Laxma The birth anniversary pro- he was a minister in the Rabri plices who killed Dahiya but der case of her mother,” Lata Modi hatred". He said wrong information exposed Vijay's "lack of knowl-
Reddy said in a statement. gramme of Sri Babu tomorrow Devi government in Bihar, and they cannot be disclosed at the had claimed. AGENCIES The CPI (M) and super- should not be spread through edge of economics".
He said the patients are is slated to be a major joint added that leaders of other
BRIEFS
being given quality treatment show by the Congress and the political parties were always FIGHTING IT OUT NATION
and there is no apprehension RJD. invited to these events.
about their condition. It makes the future plan of RJD state spokesman Mri-
Most of the patients Sonia Gandhi's party in Bihar tyunjay Tiwari said no pro-
KERALA’S ICONIC MARXIST V S
received injuries while they clear after Chief Minister Nit- gramme was scheduled for
were bursting crackers, while ish Kumar's JD(U) quit the Sri Babu's birth anniversary ACHUTHANANDAN TURNS 94
the others sustained injuries Grand Alliance in July and at the party office tomorrow
after being hit by sparkles ema- aligned with the NDA. and added that all the party THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s iconic Marxist
nating from crackers, SD Eye "RJD president Lalu Prasad workers would attend the and former chief minister V S Achuthanandan turned
Hospital Deputy Superinten- is the chief guest at the birth event where Lalu Prasad was
94 on Friday. Known as the state’s ‘Fidel Castro’,
dent Ravindra Goud said. anniversary function of Sri scheduled to be the chief guest.
Achuthanandan, whose life has been a relentless
"Only one patient (identi- Krishna Singh at the Sam- Hoardings of the event
fied as Swapna, an engineer- rat Ashok Convention Cen- with photographs of Congress struggle not only against injustice but also “revisionist”
ing student) received severe tre here tomorrow," interim president Sonia Gandhi, vice- trends in his own movement, celebrated the day along
eye injury. A flying firecracker president of Bihar Congress president Rahul Gandhi and with family members by cutting a cake at his resi-
hit her in the right eye caus- Kaukab Kadri told PTI today. Lalu Prasad have been put up dence here. CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury
ing severe damage. We per- Replying to a question, he in the city.
was among the first to wish the nonagenarian leader,
formed surgery and only after said, "We have a natural tie- up L P Sahi (98), veteran free-
who is currently the chairman of Kerala State Reforms
48 hours we will be able to tell with Laluji, who is a tall leader dom fighter and an associate
Committee. Achuthanandan distributed sweets to
about the recovery of vision in of the secular forces." of Sri Babu, Congress gen-
the affected eye," Goud said. Former Union minis- eral secretary and in-charge party workers and well-wishers, including journalists
Sam Balasundaram, asso- ter Akhilesh Singh, who has of Bihar affairs C P Joshi, for- who called on him in the morning at his residence. A
ciate director of LVPEI, said switched over to the Congress mer Lok Sabha Speaker Meira founder leader of CPI(M) in 1964 after splitting from
eight patients received by the from the RJD and is a front- Kumar, senior Congress leader CPI, Achuthanandan was a mass leader who went on
not-for-profit medical facility runner for the post of Bihar Shakil Ahmad Khan are
Wrestlers in action during a wrestling competition in Mirzapur on the occasion of Govardhan Puja to become the chief minister of the southern state from
needed surgery. The rest, num- Congress chief, is scheduled to scheduled to attend the event,
festival in Mirzapur on Friday 2006 to 2011.
bering 32, were treated as out be the chairman at tomorrow's along with a host of state
patients. AGENCIES programme. Congress leaders. CONG INVITES AZHARUDDIN TO
MSRTC stir enters 650 women neck-deep in pits Protest over CONTEST ELECTION FROM TELANGANA
chemist’s HYDERABAD: The Congress in Telangana has invited
fourth day; 7 staffers to protest land acquisition former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin to contest
the next state Assembly election, due in 2019. “We
killing leaves
are inviting him (Azharuddin),” state Congress presi-
suspended, arrested dent N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Friday. Reddy
one dead
OUR CORRESPONDENT said he invited Azharuddin after the former cricketer
expressed his readiness to play an active role in
JAIPUR: About 650 women, Telangana. “If we work together again, our Congress
MUMBAI: Seven agitating private buses. "This case, too, who have buried themselves SAMASTIPUR (Bihar): One government will come in Telangana,” Azharuddin
staffers of the Maharashtra was reported to us (MSRTC) as neck-deep in the ground to person was killed and five oth- said at a public event here yesterday. To this, Reddy
State Road Transport Corpo- well as the local police station oppose the Jaipur Development ers were injured on Friday in then said, “I am inviting you, in Telangana, whichever
ration (MSRTC) have been and action was initiated as per Authority's move to acquire police firing and violence dur-
MP or MLA...you want to contest. We will call you to
suspended and arrested for cre- the law," said the official. land in their village, marked ing a protest over the killing of
contest.” The state Congress would like Azharuddin to
ating ruckus and engaging in The MSRTC employees are Diwali and performed puja at a chemist in Bihar’s Samastipur
violence, a senior government demanding a hike in salary in the demonstration site, con- district, officials said. contest the polls in Telangana and also campaign for
official said on Friday. line with the 7th Pay Commis- tinuing their protest against the Protesters engaged in large- the party, he said.
Nearly one lakh employ- sion recommendations. Their Rajasthan government. scale violence and arson at Asa-
READY FOR DEBATE ON DEVELOPMENT
ees of the state-run transport strike, which entered the fourth The farmers of Nindar vil- dhi village under Tajpur police
body, mostly bus drivers and day on Friday, has caused hard- lage, that is located on the out- Women farmers stage a Zameen Satyagraha against forced land station, fighting pitched bat- ISSUES: KERALA CM TO BJP
conductors, are on an indefinite ships to thousands of long-dis- skirts of Jaipur, are protesting acquisition by Jaipur Development authority in Nindar, Jaipur tles with police. They set afire
strike since October 16 mid- tance passengers planning to against the acquisition of over eight police vehicles and also THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister
night demanding a pay hike. travel to their hometowns for 1,300 bighas of land for a hous- Singh Shekhawat, a leader of vailing market rates. Around attempted to put on fire the Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said his government was
Five staffers, including driv- Diwali. ing project claiming that the the Nindar Bachao Yuva Kisan 10,000 houses will be built police station, Superintendent
ready to take up the challenge thrown by the BJP to
ers and conductors, were sus- The official said the matter compensation offered was not Sangarsh Samiti, said. under the scheme announced of Police, Samastipur Deepak
organise a debate on development issues. But the
pended when they forced a has been taken up at the highest enough. Their demonstration He said that talks with the in January 2011. The opposi- Ranjan said. “The police per-
Left leader was quick to add that the saffron party
senior MSRTC functionary at level. "The matter is being taken entered its 19th day on Friday government have not been held tion Congress had accused the sonnel had to resort to firing in
Saoner depot under Nagpur up the highest level. Therefore, as over 1,000 protesters cele- in the last couple of days due to government of failing to reach the air after they could not dis- had attempted to run away from the debate. “Not
division to wear bangles, the I am not in a position to com- brated Diwali and performed which more number of protest- out to the farmers' families pro- perse the crowd with batons,” expecting a constructive approach from the BJP,
official said. ment when the strike will end." Govardhan puja at the protest ers have joined the movement testing at the site for 19 days he said. “In the melee, some which has tried to project the allocation and share of
A case was reported in The MSRTC has 17,500 site. and are on a fast. against the JDA's decision to police personnel perhaps could central funds to the state as a ‘concession’ of the Cen-
this regard with the nearest buses in its fleet that make Nearly 650 women, who The Jaipur Development acquire their land. not aim their guns properly as a
tre,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post. Stating that the
police station and the five were 56,756 trips everyday. The cor- have buried themselves neck- Authority (JDA) has taken pos- State Congress Chief Sachin result of which two of the dem-
stance of the ruling LDF was different, Vijayan said
arrested, said the senior official. poration, which has 1,02,980 deep in pits, performed Gov- session of 600 bighas of land so Pilot had said that at the time onstrators suffered bullet inju-
Two more staffers were sus- employees, has an annual turn- ardhan puja on Friday at the far and deposited Rs 60 crore in of festival season, men and ries,” Ranjan said. the state wants to maintain cordial relations with the
pended and later arrested by over of Rs 7,000 crore. The protest site to show their soli- a local court as compensation women have buried themselves He said one of those who Centre and also to take effective steps for getting its
police from Ramtek depot in transport undertaking incurs darity against the government's for it after villagers refused to in pits as a mark of protest and suffered bullet injury died on due share.
Nagpur when they engaged in a loss of little less Rs 2 crore per move to acquire farmers' land accept the amount, claiming the government was unable to the spot, while the other was
violence and threw stones at day (pre-strike figure). MPOST against their will, Nagendra it did not hold up to the pre- resolve their problems. hospitalised. AGENCIES
nation
mp 7
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
It’s a mercenary movement: CBI seeks permission to file
SLP in SC on Bofors case
Jitendra Singh on Kashmir
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The CBI has
OUR CORRESPONDENT
“We live in evidence-based written to the government
era. We should not allow it to for reconsideration of its 2005
JAMMU: Terming as farce Pak- become a tool for certain politi- decision and allow the agency
istan’s oft- repeated claim that a cians or separatists,” the Union to file a Special Leave Petition
“freedom movement” was on in Minister said. in the Supreme Court in the
Kashmir, Union Minister Jiten- Asked about terrorist Bofors case challenging quash-
dra Singh on Friday said it is a launch pads across the Line ing of an FIR in the alleged
“manufactured struggle” and of Control (LoC), he said that scam, officials said.
a “mercenary movement” that Pakistan carries out infiltration In a letter to the Depart-
has graduated into an industry. activities every year . ment of Personnel and Train-
He said the youths in the “Out of 50-60 infiltration ing, the CBI conveyed that it
Valley have now understood bids, 45-50 infiltration bids wanted to file the SLP chal-
the nefarious designs of the ele- have been foiled. This speaks lenging the Delhi High Court
ments, who have been using about the efficiency and order of May 31, 2005 quash- Earlier in the week, the CBI had said
them as “sacrificial goat” while increase in capability of secu- ing all charges against Europe-
it would look into the ‘facts and
their own children are lodged rity forces,” he said. based Hinduja brothers in the
in safe havens. The minister said that Bofors case. circumstances’ of the Bofors scam
“There is no such thing like Jammu and Kashmir police has Government officials said
mentioned by private detective Michael
freedom struggle at all in Kash- also come of age, particularly the CBI was in favour of filing
mir. It is a farce. It is a manufac- its special operations group. the SLP in 2005 but the then Hershmam, who alleged that the then
tured freedom struggle. Many of the terrorists have UPA government did not give
Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government
“It is a mercenary move- either been nabbed or liqui- its nod.
ment, which has gradually dated with minimum collat- Legal experts feel that the had sabotaged his investigation
graduated into an industry eral damage possible. “It is a agency will have to do a lot of
now, in which there are huge compliment to police and explanation for condoning the
vested interests involved and security forces in Jammu and lapsed time period of over 12 (since retired) on February taged his investigation.
such people carry out mayhem struggle has dawned upon the havens of the country and the be part of this journey,” Singh, Kashmir,” he said. About the years. 4, 2004, had exonerated late Hershman, who is the pres-
in the name of freedom strug- youths and cited the example world and are using them as who is also minister of state reported diktat by a Muslim The then Delhi High Court prime minister Rajiv Gandhi ident of the US-based private
gle,” Singh, who is Minister of of a “leading” militant com- the sacrificial goat,” he added. in the Prime Minister’s Office organisation that boys and girls judge R S Sodhi had on May in the case and directed fram- detective firm Fairfax, claimed
State (Independent Charge) for mander being nabbed with the “There is a lot of awakening (PMO), said. should not study together, he 31, 2005, quashed all charges ing of charge of forgery under in television interviews recently
Development of North Eastern assistance of a woman. in a large section of youths and On the violence in connec- said, “Without getting into the against the Hinduja brothers Section 465 of the IPC against that Rajiv Gandhi was “furi-
Region, told reporters here on “She was among the young they wish to be part of Prime tion with alleged braid chop- discussion, I can say that in -- Srichand, Gopichand and the Bofors company. ous” when he had found a Swiss
Friday. women who were being Minister Narendra Modi’s ping incidents, the Minister India of 2017, boys and girls Prakashchand -- and the Bofors On Wednesday, the CBI bank account “Mont Blanc”.
He was replying to a ques- exploited by these militant developmental journey in the said that there was not a single can decide for themselves”. company and castigated the had said it would look into the Hershman, who was here
tion about Pakistan’s claim commanders in Kashmir,” he country,” he added. case with substantial evidence. “I have already said that CBI for its handling of the case “facts and circumstances” of last week to address a confer-
of “freedom movement” in said. “They want to avail the “There can be mischief they are part of the aspirational saying it had cost the exchequer the Bofors scam mentioned by ence of private detectives, also
Kashmir. “The youths of Kashmir opportunities available to the behind this... the right thinking movement of Modi’s new India about Rs 250 crore. private detective Michael Her- alleged that the bribe money
The Minister said the real- have understood that those youths in other parts of the citizens will condemn this. We and therefore they cannot be Before the 2005 verdict, shmam, who alleged that the of the Bofors gun scandal
isation that they were being who are exploiting them have country. They don’t want to should not jump to conclusion subjected to any gender bias,” another judge of the Delhi then Rajiv Gandhi-led Con- had been parked in the Swiss
exploited in the name of their children lodged in the safe miss this bus. They want to without having any evidence. he said. High Court, Justice J D Kapoor gress government had sabo- account.
States ‘hosting’ terror sanctuaries CBI must probe illegal pesticide-resistant
must eliminate them: India
seeds, demands Maharashtra farm panel
OUR CORRESPONDENT
“The beginning of Afghan-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
owned and Afghan-led national tra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telan- culture Minister Pandurang tough laws and regulations for
NEW DELHI: India has reconciliation requires an end gana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Phundkar’s call for a ban on approval of GM crops which
expressed grave concern over to violence.” NAGPUR: A Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh - account the HT genetically modified need to adhere strictly to bio-
the spike in terror attacks in It added, “India expresses government Special Task Force for nearly 850,000 hectares - or cotton seeds. safety standards to obviate risks
Afghanistan and demanded solidarity with the people and on Friday urged the Centre to seven per cent of all the total Tiwari cited reports that to humans, animals and envi-
that states “hosting” terror- the Government of Afghani- institute a CBI enquiry into cotton-growing areas of India though such HT cotton hybrids ronment, the lackadaisical atti-
ists and their sanctuaries must stan in these difficult times.” reports that around 3.50 mil- - is under the illegal Herbicide are being grown in USA, Brazil tude of CICR, ICAR, GEAC
eliminate them immediately. In his visit to Kabul earlier lion packets of illegal Herbicide Tolerant (HT) cotton hybrids and some other countries since allows rogue actors a free hand.
Condemning the “barbaric” this week, National Security Tolerant genetically modified cultivation, he said. 1998, it has not been techni- “The casual attitude of these
attack on an army camp in as well as efforts to bring peace Adviser Ajit Doval met Afghan cotton seeds are sold during “This is a very shocking rev- cally and formally approved in departments, their officials and
Kandahar province in which 43 in the country. President Ashraf Ghani, Chief the current season in several elation and needs a detailed India so far, thus rendering its the states’ agriculture depart-
soldiers were killed, the Minis- “Coming on the heels of Executive Abdullah Abdullah cotton-growing states in the probe into the functioning Tiwari pointed out that the cultivation completely illegal. ments needs a thorough CBI
try of External Affairs said the similar tragedies in Paktia and and the top brass of the coun- country. of the Genetic Engineering HT cotton hybrid sale was ram- In fact, the CICR has even probe,” Tiwari urged.
recent strikes “demonstrate” Ghazni, we share the grief of try’s military establishment. Reacting to a comment Appraisal Committee (GEAC), pant even after it was brought found that six of the nine cot- According to some reports,
that safe havens and support the families of the victims and Issues relating to defence and piece that appeared on October Indian Council of Agricultural to the notice of the central gov- tonseed hybrids tested positive the global giant Monsanto,
systems continue to be avail- the suffering of the Afghan security cooperation were dis- 18, titled “Widespread use of Research (ICAR) and Central ernment and other agencies, for herbicide tolerance, but did which owns the HT trait found
able to terrorists. people,” the ministry said. cussed during the meetings. unapproved GM cotton shows Institute of Cotton Research besides the concerned states, not care to inform the Maha- in CICR samples, has claimed it
“We strongly condemn the In what is being seen as a At least 43 Afghan soldiers official tolerance of illegality”, (CICR) since they are respon- and the deadly effects as seen rashtra authorities. has informed the GEAC about
barbaric attack today at the clear reference to Pakistan, it were killed and nine wounded Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swav- sible to check the illegal sales,” in Maharashtra. It was only after the state’s it since 2008 and most recently
Afghan National Army base in added, “States hosting the ter- in a Taliban-claimed assault lamban Mission Chairman Tiwari said. Tiwari demanded an urgent Principal Secretary (Agricul- in August 2017.
Kandahar province,” MEA said rorists and their sanctuaries on a military base in southern Kishore Tiwari cited reports of He said these hybrid cotton stop to the illegal sales, and to ture) Bijay Kumar sought to “Yet, the GEAC has turned
in a statement yesterday. must eliminate them immedi- Afghanistan on Wednesday. New Delhi-based South Asia seeds were recently attacked by locate and identify the land know details about it follow- a blind eye to the issue, point-
It said India is “gravely” ately and without distinction.” The terrorists blasted their Biotechnology Centre (SABC) pests and bollworms for which where the spurious HT cotton ing media reports of extensive ing to a larger involvement
concerned at the escalation These concerns were also way into the compound with that such illegal packets worth the farmers made indiscrimi- hybrids are being used and cultivation of such HT cotton of regulatory bodies which
of terrorist violence against highlighted by the United at least one explosives-laden around Rs 4.72 billion are being nate used of deadly pesticides, destroy them. hybrids in the above states that needs to be scanned properly
Afghanistan, despite hopes kin- Nations Security Council on Humvee, the Afghan defence sold in different states. leading to 40 deaths and over His demand came close on the matter came into limelight. by different experts,” Tiwari
dled recently by new strategies Wednesday, the statement said. ministry said. These states - Maharash- 2,000 more were affected. the heels of Maharashtra Agri- He said while India has concluded.
Have lodged seven more
Director & C.E.O. Roopkala Kendro, Film and Social
Communication Institute, under information & Cultural Affairs
Department, Govt. of West Bengal invites e-Tender online
cases in coal scam: ED to SC item-wise rate basis from the Manufacturer, authorized
dealers/distributors for supply and installation of Computer
Accessories at Roopkala Kendro vide Tender ID No. 2017_
RK_132797_1. Last date of submission of bid online only
OUR CORRESPONDENT is 17.11.2017 upto 2.00 p.m., All documents can be seen/
ED has said it had earlier received The court has asked the CBI
obtained from the website https://wbtenders.gov.in.
and ED to expedite their probe
55 FIRs from the CBI and registered
NEW DELHI: Enforcement in the coal scam cases. Sd/-
Directorate (ED) has told the enforcement case information report The apex court had on Jan- Joint Director &
Supreme Court that it has uary 23 constituted a special
(ECIR) in all of them ICA/T 4843(3)2017 In charge of Director & CEO
lodged seven more cases in the investigation team (SIT) to
coal block allocation scam and probe the allegations of “abuse
was in process of filing prose- of these seven cases,” the agency “Prosecution complaint has of authority” prima facie com- ICA/T 4826(3)/2017
cution complaints against two told a bench headed by Justice been filed in two cases (M/s mitted by former CBI Director
firms, including M/s Jindal Steel M B Lokur. AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd and Ranjit Sinha to scuttle investi-
and Power Ltd. The agency told the bench, M/s Nav Bharat Power Pvt Ltd). gation and enquiries in the coal
In its tenth status report filed which also comprised Justices Filing of prosecution com- block allocation cases.
in the apex court for the period Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri, plaints are in process in respect It had observed that a prima
from January last year to Sep- that provisional attachment of M/s Jindal Steel and Power facie case has “definitely” been
tember 30 this year, ED has said orders have been issued in 11 Ltd and Grace Industries Ltd,” made out for probe into the
it had earlier received 55 FIRs cases. the order said. abuse of authority by Sinha.
from the CBI and registered “There has been a slight ED has also told the top It had later directed that
enforcement case information increase in the number of pro- court that investigation was no CBI officer, who is prob-
report (ECIR) in all of them. visional attachment orders from going on with regard to M/s ing coal scam cases or officials
ICA/T 4802(3)/2017
“Subsequent to the ninth the earlier status report. Kamal Sponge Steel and Power from SIT probing allegations
status report, the Directorate of It is further stated that the Ltd. of “abuse of authority” against
Enforcement has received seven investigations etc. are in prog- The apex court has asked the former CBI director, would
more FIRs from the CBI and it ress in respect of these cases,” the ED to file the next status report be transferred without its prior
has registered ECIR in respect court noted in its order. before December 4. permission.
HC seeks report on probe into
multi-crore ‘bitumen scam’ in TN
OUR CORRESPONDENT
the matter based on a representation by hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submit-
the petitioner. ted that bitumen prices fluctuate on a
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on In his PIL, G Balaji, an RTI activist, monthly basis as fixed by the oil market-
Friday ordered the Directorate of Vigi- alleged that state highways department ing companies.
lance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to officials in collusion with contractors had He claimed that the department
file within four weeks a status report on “cashed out” Rs 800 crore to 1,000 crore had to bear additional cost of bitumen
the probe into alleged irregularities in the during 2014-16 in the procurement of if the price goes up above the amount
purchase of bitumen for road laying and bitumen by taking advantage of varia- sanctioned.
maintenance works in Tamil Nadu. tions in its price. Similarly, if the price falls, the dif-
A division bench comprising justices The petitioner charged that bitumen, a ference should be recovered from the
M M Sundaresh and M Sundar gave major road construction constituent, had contractors.
the direction on a public interest litiga- become a primary source for the officials However, the counsel alleged, the offi-
tion seeking a CBI probe after the state to siphon off public funds and sought a cials collude with the contractors and
government informed that already the CBI probe into the alleged irregularities. divert the difference amount to their
DVAC had been ordered to investigate Earlier, when the matter came up for pockets.
ICA/T 4803(3)/2017
editorial
8 mp
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
India in a predicament
EDITORIAL
Uncertainty over
The nation’s conscience must wake up to poverty, hunger, and health
Obamacare
skin, loss of hair, subcutane-
ous haemorrhagic spots etc.
The mental changes occur in
With the recent announcement of the White the form of irritability, lack of
House to cut off payments to insurers that concentration, reduced recep-
underpin parts of the Affordable Care Act ARUN MITRA tive capacity.
(ACA), better known as ‘Obamacare’, the US Malnutrition as a result of
health insurance companies appear having tough days ahead. hunger may lead to Marasmus
The announcement would knock the established wobbly mar- and Kwashiorkor. Marasmus
kets, subsequently enhancing the delight of President Donald occurs more often in young
Trump. Interestingly, Trump earlier appeared to extend his children and babies. It leads
support to a bipartisan proposal of some senators of bolster- to dehydration and weight
ing Obamacare with a guarantee of payments for two years, loss. Starvation is a form of
but later he rejected to reinstate the payments. The money this disorder. The symptoms
involved in Obamacare apparently compensates insurers for of Marasmus include weight
scaling down the amount for which they were liable for each loss, dehydration, chronic diar-
loss or injury before making payments and out-of-pocket rhea and shrinkage of stomach.
costs for the poor buyers on Obamacare’s insurance mar- Kwashiorkor occurs in
ketplaces. As the insurers would have to the discounts even people who have severe pro-
after stopping the payments, they would obviously increase tein deficiency. Having a diet
their premiums and would chalk out a plan to make pay- of mainly carbohydrates and
With the increase
ments without quittance. And, it would certainly affect the deficiency in protein lead to
chances of 18 million Americans, who prefer to buy health in cost of this condition. Common symp-
insurance from the ‘individual’ markets, because they are not toms of Kwashiorkor include
living, the BPL
covered from anywhere else like employers or organisations. oedema or puffy or swollen
The scenario, however, varies from state to state. While in definition of the appearance due to fluid reten-
densely populated states like New York and Massachusetts, tion, bulging of the abdomen
government that
consumers have a wealth of choices and comparatively low and inability to gain weight.
premiums, in rural states — Obamacare still appears to be a a person earning The protein and fat require-
better option. The insurers have raised the premiums so high ments are 48 gms and 28 gms
Rs.32 per day in
in rural areas that such prices are nearly impossible to pay for per capita per day, respectively,
those who earn just much to qualify for a helping hand in the rural and Rs.47 in rural areas; and 50 gms and
form of tax credits. These tax credits disappear brusquely at 26 gms per capita per day in
per day in urban
four times of the poverty line. For people who work for or run urban areas. Poverty line set
small businesses, Trump’s new strategy hurts them, at least areas is not by the government denotes a
in the short term. It may be noted that just days ago, Trump at all realistic. monthly per capita consump-
triumphantly pronounced Obamacare dead and gone. That tion expenditure of Rs.972 in
was until some senators – cutting across their party lines - This is not even rural areas and Rs.1,407 in
leased new life into it with the announcement of a bipartisan sustenance wage urban areas in 2011-12. For
compromise to extend funding for cost-sharing reductions, India has been pushed to 100th rank in the Global Hunger Index 2017 (Representational Image) a family of five, this translates
while allowing more flexibility for states to experiment with because to lead into a monthly consumption
alternatives to Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act, insurance a life, one needs Whether or not a million deaths as a result of malnutrition. Stunting is the to maintain a living standard expenditure of Rs.4,860 in rural
products. The president, true to form, seemed to praise the the death of an civil strife. We rank even impaired growth and develop- adequate for his physical and areas and Rs.7,035 in urban
more than food
deal while simultaneously condemning it, perhaps setting up 11-year child below many of our neighbour- ment that children experience mental efficiency. Poverty is areas. With increase in the
a scenario in which he can take credit for forcing the parties because of ing countries such as China from poor nutrition, repeated the major cause of nutrition- cost of living, the BPL defini-
to come together while buying time to work out a more per- hunger in Simdega district in at 29th rank, Nepal ranked at infection, and inadequate psy- related health problems. Pov- tion of the government that a
manent solution or to find a path to outright repeal. Nota- Jharkhand has shaken the con- 72, Myanmar at 77, Sri Lank chosocial stimulation. Chil- erty and malnutrition adversely person earning Rs.32 per day
bly, compromise has been hard, but repeal would be worse: science of those at the helm at 84, and Bangladesh at 88. dren are defined as stunted if affect productivity. in rural and Rs.47 per day in
millions of Americans without health insurance, deep cuts of affairs is anybody’s guess, According to IFPRI, India has their height-for-age is more A balanced diet with all urban areas is not at all realis-
to Medicaid and a return to the days where people could be but it has definitely recon- “consistently fallen into the than two standard deviations ingredients is needed to remain tic. This is not even sustenance
excluded from coverage because of pre-existing conditions. firmed the gravity of the situa- upper half of the serious hun- below the WHO Child Growth healthy. These requirements wage because to lead a life one
Still, middle-class Americans struggle to buy insurance. The tion of hunger in the country. ger levels” category in the past Standards median. are met by carbohydrates, pro- needs not only food, there are
threat of the loss of cost-sharing reductions forced insurance That India has been pushed to few years. This situation needs Since 1972 poverty has been tein, fats, minerals, and vita- other requirements as well. IPA
companies to increase premiums. The middle class, who don’t the 100th rank in the Global urgent review because nutri- defined on the basis of money mins. All these are essential (Dr. Arun Mitra is senior
get premium subsidies, would bear the full brunt of double- Hunger Index 2017 released tion is directly related to the required to buy food worth for our physical and mental vice President Indian Doctors
digit premium increases. The Affordable Care Act requires by the International Food Pol- health status. 2100 calories in urban areas growth. Because of lack of sup- for Peace and Development,
health insurers to reduce consumer cost-sharing require- icy Research Institute (IFPRI) Hunger index is calculated and 2400 calories in rural areas. ply of these nutrient materials, Former Chairman Ethical
ments, such as deductibles and co-payments for enrollees is a cause of grave concern for on the basis of nourishment Poverty is one of the main there occur multiple physical Committee Punjab Medical
who earn between 100 percent and 250 percent of the fed- our country. Our ranking is status, child mortality, child problems that have attracted problems like lack of appetite, Council & Member core com-
eral poverty level. The Trump administration’s decision to end as low as Rwanda, a country wasting - which means acute the attention of sociologists and fatigue, diarrhoea, weakness, mittee ADEH (Alliance of
the cost-sharing reduction payments not only disrupts the which has been war-stricken malnutrition and stunting - economists. It indicates a con- slower breathing, numbness Doctors on Ethical Healthcare)
health insurance market but contradicts many of the health for several years leading to over which is regarded as chronic dition in which a person fails of hands and feet, dryness of Views are strictly personal.)
reform priorities expressed this year by both the president
and members of Congress. In fact, according to an August dear
2017 analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the impact Quote martial CLIMATE TWISTS AND ENVIRONMENT EDITOR millenniumpost.in
of this action will make oft-cited shortcomings of the Afford-
able Care Act even worse. The Act, however, has been criti-
cized because, in some areas of the country, only one insurer Go to Heaven for There have been floods, heat waves, droughts, all to depict a reality that is taking its toll Log on to write letters to the
is offering marketplace plans to consumers. But, according the climate, Hell on people. There are endless talks globally about the rapidly-happening climate change editor or send them to
to CBO, terminating payments for cost-sharing reductions for the company and its impacts that come in ways that are nothing short of a crisis. But the globally [email protected]
in some states will probably cause more insurers to withdraw
from the non-group market, while others may choose not to experienced climate change is something that will have to be tackled systematically, one You can also send your
enter the market at all. Stopping the cost-sharing reduction step at a time - coordinated and taken simultaneously. India is by no means spared from comments to The Editor,
payments will not increase competition or consumer choice. Millennium Post,
Even the monthly premiums for many Affordable Care Act the wrath of climate change. Measures must be implemented at different levels to man-
Pratap Bhawan, 5 Bahadur Shah
plans have increased over the years, by significant amounts MARK TWAIN age the situation effectively.
in some states. Eliminating the cost-sharing reduction pay- POOJA Via email Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002
ments will make that problem worse. Since insurers are still
required to bear the cost of cost-sharing reductions, even
Rewriting history
though they no longer receive government payments, they
will likely raise premiums to make up the difference. In fact,
insurers in some states anticipated the president’s action and
already increased their rates for 2018. Not only that, for those
who worry about the Affordable Care Act’s impact on the fed-
eral budget, it is important to note that the higher premiums Time and again, history has been tampered with. This must stop
will increase federal spending on premium subsidies that are
paid for individuals earning between 100 percent and 400 per-
cent of the federal poverty level, with an estimation of increas- rent political regime.
ing the federal deficit by 194 billion USD from 2017 through And politicians have always
2026. Most important, the cost-sharing reduction payments done that with rare alacrity.
are often characterized as a “bailout” to wealthy insurance Renaming a road named after
companies. The law requires insurers to reduce out-of-pocket SHUTAPA PAUL Aurangzeb by the BJP-led Cen-
costs for low- and moderate-income enrollees, and the fed- tral government or rechristen-
eral government has a contractual obligation to the plans to ing schemes and structures
defray the cost of these cost-sharing reductions. This means named after the Nehru-Gan-
that insurers have a legal right to leave the marketplace at any dhi family can broadly be
time once the payments cease, which would leave millions of viewed through the same
Americans without access to any coverage at all. prism. Regional leaders such
as Mamata Banerjee, while
Save Tigers criticising the Central gov-
ernment, has herself renamed
metro stations when she
took over the reins of Bengal.
Believed to be the ‘spirit of the Indian jungle’, the Recently she started chang-
tiger is on the top of the ecological pyramid with no ing the nomenclature of any-
If you scorn iconic
prowlers of its own. Their habitat encompass, for all thing that reminds of former
practical purposes, those of their prey base itself in structures built Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. This
forests. The big cats need tranquility, large inviolate expanses included removal of the foun-
by emperors,
for resting, loafing, breeding, and rearing their cubs. The tiger dation stone laid by him at the
prey base is a critical determinant of tiger densities across tiger change the names Salt Lake Stadium that is host-
landscapes. Habitat loss is the key driver of the decline in tiger ing FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
of roads, put
population in the country. Sadly, India has already lost around These are but few instances
94 per cent of tiger habitat in the last century. Habitat loss and your stamp on of a general habit of politicians
habitat degradation are directly and indirectly attributable to delink from the past. The
any government
to anthropogenic pressures and activities. While no wildlife idea is that if you scorn iconic
habitat on the planet has remained safe from anthropogenic scheme, you will structures built by Mughal
disturbances, nothing seemed amiss owing to low population emperors, change the names
eventually erase
pressure and a congenial environment in most parts of the of roads, put your stamp on
country. Nonetheless, India’s firm commitment to tiger con- history, rewrite it, The Mughals invaded and plundered but were also able administrators during whose regime arts and culture soared (Representational Image) any government scheme, you
servation was again reflected when it signed the St. Petersburg will eventually erase history,
and claim it as part
resolution to double the world tiger population by 2022. We History is a curious cannot also be forgotten. Cur- disparaging comments regard- and looted, but many built fab- rewrite it, and claim it as part
must make a basic code of guidelines for habitat recovery for of your legacy thing. We revel in rent President Donald Trump ing the Taj Mahal has exposed ulous structures, infused their of your legacy. But the past is
further discussion and consequent additions and alterations. the glorious past is also becoming a crucial part this once again. When BJP’s religion and social practices a necessary burden that one
We also need to expand the core areas or critical tiger habitats built by kings and of history, and we cannot wish Sangeet Som claims that the into the country, and were able must bear whether they like
of tiger reserves. Besides some of the first nine tiger reserves, queens, warriors, and free- it away. Culture, heritage, lan- Taj was built by traitors and is a administrators during whose it or not. The wily politician’s
a few relatively new tiger reserves with huge potential should dom fighters. But like mem- guage, religions, social prac- blot on Indian culture, or when regime arts and culture soared. plans to negate the past is
have a core zone of at least 2,000 square kilometres. The needs ories, history, too, can have a tices, eating habits, attire, etc. Subramanian Swamy says that Many Indians can trace their erroneous and must stop. But
to chalk out a plan for several long-term region-wise specialist troubled past. For example, all have their genesis in history. the 8th Wonder of the World lineage to invaders like the what is the common man to
groups of retired forest officers and range ecologists to draw the systemic killing of mil- To understand a nation and its was built on stolen property, or Mughals or modern conquer- do? The 1700-year old Bud-
up protected area-specific habitat improvement programmes. lions of native Indians, slav- people, their history is key. when Vinay Katiyar says that it ors like the British colonialists. dhas of Bamiyan was destroyed
It is extremely important and would also put an end to the ery in America, or atrocities But with every new politi- was a razed Shiva temple, it is To accept the good without by Taliban dynamite in 2001.
personalised trial and error approach. These groups need to of World War I and II; while cal regime comes an overarch- not only an attempt to deride acknowledging the bad of any That too was an example of
closely watch the implementation of these programmes at highly evocative subjects ing desire to rewrite history. the prominence of the iconic era is as dangerous as want- the expurgation of history.
every stage and monitor the results of such initiatives. Besides, remain extremely relevant in A willingness to ridicule and monument but also an attack ing to make it disappear alto- Remember that.
maintaining detailed documentation of site-specific habitat understanding how nations belittle monuments, structures, on India’s historic heritage. gether. History books are (The writer is a journalist
improvement inputs, such as periodic observations, monitor- shaped post-historic events. and practices that are not part The Mughals did invade already being expunged of and media entrepreneur.
ing, and inspection remarks is also important. Holocausts and other geno- of the ruling government’s India, and we cannot change facts, events, and leaders to The views expressed are
cides while a painful reminder agenda is unfortunate. Recent that. Some of them plundered suit the narrative of the cur- strictly personal.)
in focus
mp 9
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata | Saturday, 21 October, 2017
Designing specially for villages
Designing technology for social acceptance is a monumental task that cannot be easily
done from the comfort of a traditional urban space, elaborates Tavish Fenbert
The Centre for Technol- making business proposal were not
ogy Alternatives for Rural stated outright, rather they had to
Areas (CTARA) at the be inferred from observations of the
Indian Institute of Technol- SHG meeting.
ogy Bombay (IITB) is committed Observing carefully the women
to developing appropriate technol- in the SHG allowed a window into
ogy—devices and systems—for rural the unspoken thoughts about the
Indians. The CTARA method for social acceptance of an independent
technology design involves a com- female-run business in the village.
bination of field visits to rural areas The proceedings of the meeting gave
and on-campus research and lab an indication as to who among the
Consolidating work. The most difficult challenge members is a leader, who has influ-
and documenting T&D engineers face is ensuring that ence, who is well-respected, and who
the technological innovations they is trusted; in other words, who has
lessons learned
design are “appropriate” for use by the final say on the masala business
from field visits rural populations. To be considered proposal. While it is not necessary
“appropriate” for a rural population, for CTARA students to place them-
is important.
technology must meet the follow- selves into a discussion among SHG
These values ing three criteria: (1) technical profi- women, it is necessary for them to
ciency, (2) economic acceptance, and understand the internal workings
must be captured
(3) social acceptance. If a device or of SHG politics so that they can
for future system is missing any of these three make appropriate inferences from
criteria, the innovation will not be the unspoken parts of the conver-
reference to keep
implemented and thus will not be sation. Relationship-building skills
the T&D designer successful in improving the lives of and knowledge of village social cus-
rural Indians. toms are crucial to making these key
grounded in the
Designing technology for social inferences.
reality adhering acceptance is most important and A system or technology designed
most difficult to satisfy among the for an Indian village will be useful
to village
three criteria for appropriate rural if and only if it is largely conceived
social customs. technology. This criterion deter- in the midst of village living, sur-
mines if the end-user population will rounded by the unique social, eco-
Observing and
entertain a new technology’s intro- nomic, geographical situation of that
documenting duction; without it, the technology is community. An SHG-run pickle-
village social doomed before it is given a chance. making business that works in one
No matter how economically benefi- village may face harsh resistance
values first- cial or technically sound, if the end- in another setting a few kilometers
hand is the best users do not like a device or system, away. Thus, extensive research into
they will not use it. Determining the The underlying reasons for rejecting a village-appropriate business proposal are not stated outright. They are inferred from observations of SHG meetings (Representational Image) the needs and values of a village is
way to learn requirements for social acceptance essential to designing a product or
how to design in a village setting are not as straight- asking questions, focused discus- tionships with people of widely vary- help group (SHG) livelihood activ- women, but they were not convinced. system if it is to have any chance of
forward as conducting an economic sions, taking measurements, and ing backgrounds. The traditions of ity in the village. Women’s SHGs Clearly, the business risk associated being introduced. Designing tech-
technology
or technical analysis of a new tech- observing silently. Conversing with rural Indians around the country around the country often engage in with the activity was not the most nology for social acceptance is a
for a specific nology. Accordingly, field visits to rural Indians can lead to unexpected vary greatly by location and cer- activities such as papad-making or important issue; the idea of forming monumental task that cannot be eas-
rural areas in the CTARA program comments and inquiries; learning tainly contrast with those traditions pickle-making in order to promote a self-sufficient company disagreed ily done from the comfort of a tradi-
community
are a crucial component of design- to manage different types of discus- regularly witnessed in urban areas economic livelihood among mem- with traditional gender roles in the tional urban space. CTARA works to
ing technology for social acceptance sions without anxiety is an impor- of the country. Learning to interact bers of the group. The introduction village. Village women do not have bridge this gap by sending students
because they provide an opportu- tant skill for interactions with rural appropriately—the foundation of a of masala-making in this village was as much experience with sales, mate- for extended field stays in Indian
nity to learn about the thought pat- populations who may have different solid relationship—can help a T&D ultimately unsuccessful, and analy- rial procurement, or accounting as villages. The attempt to introduce
terns and traditions of the end-user cultural values. Consolidating and engineer infer knowledge of village sis of this failure reveals the complex their husbands. Thus, the women and masala-making as a village SHG live-
population, which are often differ- documenting lessons learned from dynamics. This knowledge is invalu- social fabric that must be rewoven to their husbands can lack confidence lihood activity had little chance to be
ent from those of an engineer. The field visits is also important because able in understanding what the reac- implement a new device or scheme in the SHG’s ability to run a business successful because the idea was con-
hallmark field visit of the CTARA of the limited amount of time that a tion may be to the introduction of a into the lives of villagers. and take appropriate financial risks. ceived on campus at IITB. It was an
curriculum is a nine-week village designer can spend in a village. These new technology into a village. The village SHG women voiced The potential for profit is not worth idea from outside the village, lack-
stay that each of thirteen pairs of stu- values must be captured for future In May 2017, I joined two post- many concerns about starting a the perceived threat to the women’s ing the flexibility to be shaped to
dents takes following their first year reference to keep the T&D designer graduate T&D students of Indian masala-making operation—ranging safety and integrity from interfacing meet the needs and restrictions of
of classes at IITB. grounded in the reality of adhering descent for a portion of their nine- from capital investment to quality with external business partners. It the community. Traditional village
During field visits to villages, it to village social customs. Observing week stay in a village near Pune, assurance—but these were simply takes time and continuing education culture favors the status quo. And it
is essential to learn as much about and documenting village social val- Maharashtra. In addition to the vil- a cover for avoiding the underlying to build this confidence in the village is strong. Herein lies the challenge of
the values of a society as possible ues first-hand is the best way to learn lage resource evaluation and demo- social imbalance this business would women and their husbands. Only designing for rural India.
despite often unpredictable logis- how to design technology for a spe- graphic studies the IITB students cause in the village. During the meet- once this confidence and knowledge (Tavish Fenbert is a student
tical conditions. It is necessary to cific community. undertook, we attempted to intro- ing, logical economic and technical are instilled can an SHG successfully of Mechanical Engineering at
capture this knowledge during each Another important skill for T&D duce masala-making (spice roasting explanations of the masala-making run a village business. These underly- Northeastern University in Boston,
visit in a variety of ways, including engineers is the ability to build rela- and grinding) as a women’s self- business plan were provided to the ing reasons for rejecting the masala- USA. Views expressed are personal.)
Venezuela: Right parties get a jolt
tweet
RETWEET
President Maduro’s socialist party improves position
KAILASH SATYARTHI
@k_satyarthi
Candidates allied with out, but a few ideas are circu-
the left-wing gov- lating that might help explain I was hoping for a clean
ernment of Presi- the development.
& peaceful Diwali. But
dent Nicolas Maduro One is that after months of
won in 17 of Venezuela’s 23 violent protests, many Venezu- again, every burst of
EMILE SCHEPERS states in regional elections on elans may be turned off on the cracker echoed Delhi's
Sunday, October 15. Results MUD opposition. Although "I don't care" loud and
in one state (Bolivar) have not there have been sharp criti-
clear. Delhiites continue
been announced yet at writing. cisms of the Maduro govern-
The turnout of eligible voters ment, that does not necessarily to choke on pollution.
was 61.1 per cent. The results mean that voters have a high It is a reflection of our
indicate a recuperation of sup- opinion of the political right
dismissive & disrespectful
port for the government since either.
attitude towards society,
its heavy loss in the legislative Perhaps the ostentatious
election of December 6, 2015. alliance of the right-wing oppo- law & justice. When will
A recent poll had indi- sition with the Trump admin- we learn.
cated that President Maduro’s istration is backfiring on them.
Venezuela has approval rating, which had Trump and his people make
been low, has been improving. clear that they don’t think that
been undergoing NARENDRA MODI
However, the size of the vic- Latin American countries like
@narendramodi
great difficulties tory for his PSUV’S (United Venezuela are fully sovereign
Socialist Party of Venezuela’s) and independent, and such an
over the past
candidates for governor took attitude is likely to antagonize Kedarnath will become
couple of years, many observers by surprise. many people who otherwise a model ‘Teertha
The PSUV candidates won in might have been persuaded
mostly due to Kshetra.’ We are
the states of Amazonas, Apure, to support the opposition.
the precipitous Aragua, Barinas, Carabobo, So the government may have creating proper facilities
Cojedes, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, gotten a boost from patriotic for pilgrims and
drop in the price Miranda, Monagas, Sucre, Tru- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s rating, which had been low, has been improving sentiments. ensuring welfare of the
of oil, by far its jillo, Yaracuy, Delta Amacuro, While Trump is threatening
priests.
and Vargas. The right-wing Also predictably, the Trump Venezuelan opposition and its protests, the majority of them to attack Venezuela, it is prob-
major export, on
opposition MUD coalition administration and other right- international allies are likely to either supporters of the gov- ably not a good plan for the
world markets. (Democratic Unity Roundta- wing governments worldwide, discount this evaluation as hav- ernment, security personnel or Venezuelan right to be iden-
ble) won in the states of Anzo- including President Macron of ing a left-wing bias. bystanders, though some pro- tifying itself with the U.S. gov- KIREN RIJIJU
The country has
átegui, Merida, Tachira, and France, denounced the election Venezuela has been under- testers have also been killed by ernment, as it opens them up @KirenRijiju
suffered very Nueva Esparta. The extreme results. U.S. Ambassador to the going great difficulties over the security forces. to accusations of “traición de
high inflation, right-wing First Justice Party, United Nations Nikki Haley past couple of years, mostly due On July 30, eight mil- la patria” (“treason against the On this Diwali, I spent
whose candidate ran sepa- tweeted that “dictator” Mad- to the precipitous drop in the lion Venezuelans turned out homeland”).
scarcity of the rately from the main right- uro had used manipulation and price of oil, by far its major to vote for candidates for The fact that the Constit- time with our brave SSB
many consumer wing MUD coalition, won in intimidation to rig the election. export, on world markets. The National Constituent Assem- uent Assembly has begun its Jawans at high altitude
Zulia. The overall result with Whether Trump will now take country has suffered very high bly, a body authorized by the work and has become a mech-
Counter Insurgency &
products that 95 per cent of votes counted new actions against Venezuela inflation, scarcity of the many Venezuelan constitution and anism for ordinary people to
Jungle Warfare School at
have to be was 54 per cent of the vote for as a result of this election out- consumer products that have to empowered to make radical raise complaints about state
PSUV candidates and 43.7 per come will soon become known. be imported, and public safety changes to the country’s laws. institutions may be giving peo- Gwaldam, Uttarakhand.
imported, and
cent for MUD candidates. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan challenges. The Venezuelan The United States, support- ple a greater sense of participa-
public safety MUD lost three gover- government angrily rejected right, supported by the coun- ing the right-wing opposition, tion and also of hope for the
norships it was expected to the U.S. statements, accusing try’s big business interests, has had demanded that this vote future.
challenges IAN DUNT
win, including Miranda state the Trump administration of taken advantage of this state of not go forward, and when the And finally, the opposi-
@IanDunt
which had been considered an encouraging destabilising vio- affairs to destabilise and dis- Venezuelan government went tion boycotted the Constitu-
opposition bastion, and whose lence in this country of 30 mil- credit the government. ahead with the election any- ent Assembly elections, but
governor, Henrique Capriles lion inhabitants. There are credible accu- way, imposed strong sanctions decided, for the most part, to Thought the best thing
Rodonski, is a major opposi- The election was moni- sations, for example, that on the country, designed to cut participate in the regional elec- about Big Ben repairs
tion leader. Predictably, MUD tored by many Venezuelan business interests have been off Venezuela’s access to for- tions. Some opposition stal- was that it drove Tory
claimed that the election was and international observers. hoarding commodities to drive eign loans. warts disagreed with this and
MPs mad, but it also
not fair and demanded an After the vote, Nicanor Mos- prices up. The opposition has In a situation that all agree their supporters may have
audit of the election results, coso, President of CEELA, the also organized often violent is very difficult for the Ven- stayed home. IPA has the advantage of
a procedure which is routine Latin American Council of protests, in which public build- ezuelan people, what caused (The writer, a veteran rights worsening tourists'
in Venezuela and which Pres- Electoral Experts, pronounced ings and supplies of food have a vote swing, as compared to activist, is attached to
holidays.
ident Maduro had already the vote as reflecting the will been burned. Since April 143 the 2015 legislative elections, People’s World. Views
announced would be done. of the Venezuelan people. The people have been killed in these of such size? The jury is still are strictly personal.)
world
mp
10
MILLENNIUM POST | Kolkata |Saturday, 21 October, 2017
Match Brexit promises with Iraqi forces complete
takeover of Kirkuk province
real proposals: EU tells May
BAGHDAD/KIRKUK: Iraqi
forces took control on Friday
of the last district in the oil-rich
province of Kirkuk still in the
BRUSSELS: European Union concrete offer in order to make hands of Kurdish Peshmerga
leaders told British Prime Min- progress. fighters following a three-hour
ister Theresa May to match Speaking at the European battle, security sources said.
her goodwill pledges to boost Council summit in Brussels the The district of Altun Kupri,
Brexit negotiations with con- Prime Minister told reporters or Perde in Kurdish, lies on the
crete proposals if she really that the figure for the liabilities road between the city of Kirkuk
wants to start discussing a bill – estimated to be at least — which fell to Iraqi forces on
future trade deal by December. £20 billion – would only be Monday — and Erbil, capital of
May on Thursday used a named at the very final stages the semi-autonomous region town, located on the Zab of power in northern Iraq and
dinner at a Brussels summit of talks. of Kurdistan in northern Iraq river, after battling the is likely to scuttle the indepen-
of the 28-nation bloc to push EU leaders and negotiators that voted in a referendum last advancing Iraqi troops with dence aspirations of the Kurds,
h er call for urgency on trade however say those final stages month to secede from Iraq machine guns, mortars and who voted overwhelmingly on
talks and get a deal she can sell will only be reached once the against Baghdad’s wishes. rocket propelled grenades, Sept. 25 to secede from Iraq
at home in the British leader’s divorce bill is finalised – con- A force made up of US- Iraqi security sources said. Nei- and take the oil fields of Kirkuk
latest attempt to reinvigorate tinuing the deadlock between trained Iraqi Counter-Ter- ther side gave immediate infor- with them.
the divorce talks. the two sides. rorism Service units, Federal mation about casualties in the The fighting at Altun
“We must work together to May had said in her Flor- Police and Iranian-backed fighting. Kupri marked only the second
get to an outcome we can stand ence speech earlier this month fighters known as Popu- The Iraqi central govern- instance of significant vio-
behind and defend to our peo- that the UK would cover its lar Mobilisation began their ment forces have advanced lent resistance by the Kurds in
ple,” May told the leaders, who costs in the current EU bud- advance on Altun Kupri at 7:30 into Kirkuk province largely Kirkuk province. Dozens were
left less than fully convinced. get round and that no mem- a.m. (0430 GMT), said an Iraqi unopposed as most Peshmerga killed or wounded in the pre-
Dutch Prime Minister Mark ber state would lose out, but military spokesman. forces withdrew without a fight. vious clash on Monday, the
Rutte said he understood May’s Rutte was talking about the good enough to allow leaders May had hoped that post- the PM has irked EU leaders Kurdish Peshmerga The government advance first night of the government
desire to move things along. “I money that Britain will owe to call it “sufficient progress” so divorce issues like trade could by refusing to put a figure on forces withdrew from the has transformed the balance advance. AGENCIES
get that. I also want deals I can the EU for previous commit- that talks could move to a sec- be on the table starting next this commitment.
sell at home.” ments it made once it leaves ond stage in December. “It is week. “I’ve been very clear all Rohingya Hafiz Saeed’s
“We still have one-and- in March 2019. Estimates vary about trust, whether the nego- She came with an olive along as the UK has, all along
half years but we have to make from €20 billion to €60 billion tiator has enough trust. If there branch in the form of a pledge throughout this, that the full house arrest
haste,” he added. ($24 billion to $71 billion) or are no concrete figures on the to protect the EU citizens now and final settlement will come children face ‘hell
But since a conciliatory even more to settle commit- table, that there is a method in Britain after the nation as part of the final agreement extended for
speech by May last month, EU ments like long-term develop- which can lead to a result,” leaves. The future status of the that we’re getting in relation to
officials have become increas- ment projects or EU pensions. Rutte said. 3 million EU citizens living in the future partnership. I think
on earth’: UNICEF 30 days
ingly impatient about a lack “I’d prefer a sum, so we can At EU headquarters in Britain and the 1 million Brit- that’s absolutely right,” she said
of detailed plans from Britain. negotiate about it. But if this is Brussels, May faced 27 EU ons living elsewhere in the bloc at a press conference near the
German Chancellor Angela asking too much, then at least counterparts united in block- has been a main sticking point end of the European Council
Merkel said May is making have a proposal of how to get to ing her goal of quickly wrap- in negotiations. meeting on Friday. LAHORE: Hafiz Saeed’s house
more of an effort with EU part- a sum. But even that she hasn’t ping up the first phase of Brexit Meanwhile, Theresa May The EU’s negotiators have arrest has been extended for
ners toward a Brexit deal, but it been able to produce,” Rutte talks. With less than 18 months has refused to put a figure on repeatedly insisted on settling another 30 days by a Judi-
was “not enough.” said. to go until Britain leaves the Britain’s Brexit divorce bill the issue of the divorce bill, as cial Review Board of Paki-
Rutte agreed. “We will Still, Rutte said providing bloc, the negotiations are during the first phase of seces- well as that of Northern Ireland stan’s Punjab province after it
need more meat on the bone,” a proper method to tally what still stuck on the terms of its sion negotiations as EU leaders and EU citizens’ rights, before reviewed the detention of the
he said. Britain owes the EU might be departure. warn she will need to make a any trade talks can begin.AGENCIES Mumbai attack mastermind
and banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah
38 people injured ‘Spain plans to force Catalonia 43 killed in
chief.
However, the board rejected
in twin blasts in Taliban attack the government’s plea for the
detention of his four aides. The
into January elections‘
Pakistan on Afghan 30-day detention will be appli-
cable from October 24.
Saeed’s aides — Abdul-
military base
lah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal,
KARACHI: Two grenade blasts MADRID: The Spanish gov- ple onto the streets. Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi
have rocked Pakistan’s restive ernment has secured oppo- Catalan leader Carles Puig- GENEVA: UNICEF says a statement. Kashif Hussain may walk out
south-western province of Balu- sition support to dissolve demont, a former journalist KABUL: At least 43 soldiers the children who make up The refugees need clean free on the expiry of their Sep-
chistan, injuring at least 38 peo- Catalonia’s parliament and who is spearheading the seces- were killed and another nine most of the nearly 600,000 water, food, sanitation, shelter tember 25 detention order if
ple, police said. hold new elections there in sion campaign, has refused to wounded on Thursday in a Rohingya Muslims who have and vaccines to help head off a they are not detained in any
The twin blasts took place January in an effort to defuse renounce independence, cit- coordinated attack by the fled violence in Myanmar are possible outbreak of cholera a other case.
within minutes in the Mastung the regional government’s ing an overwhelming vote in Taliban on a military base seeing a “hell on earth” in over- potentially deadly water-borne Saeed a nd his four aides
and Gwadar districts, police said. push for independence. favour of breaking away at a in Afghanistan’s Kandahar crowded, muddy and squalid disease. were presented before the pro-
According to senior police The main opposition referendum on Oct.1. province. refugee camps in neighbouring Ingram also warned of vincial judicial review board
officials, around 12 people were Socialists said on Friday The prolonged standoff has A suicide bomber deto- Bangladesh. threats posed by human traf- yesterday amid high security in
injured, three of them seriously, they would back a package caused hundreds of compa- nated explosives in a vehicle at The UN children’s agency fickers and others who might the Lahore High Court.
when two men on a motorcycle of extraordinary measures nies to move their headquar- the military base in Maiwand has issued a report that docu- exploit children in the refugee A number of Saeed’s sup-
wearing helmets threw a hand to impose central rule on It would be the first time ters outside Catalonia and district. This was followed ments the plight of children areas. porters were present at the
grenade at a crowd in the Sultan the region, whose threat to in Spain’s four decades of prompted the Spanish gov- by armed clashes with the who account for 58 per cent of “These children just feel court’s premises who show-
Shaheed area in Mastung town break away has unsettled the democracy that Madrid will ernment to cut its economic troops stationed in the camp, the refugees who have poured so abandoned, so completely ered rose petals on him
on Thursday. euro and hurt confidence in have invoked the constitution growth forecast. The region Defence Ministry spokesper- into Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, remote, and without a means and his aides. Police, how-
The injured were shifted to a the euro zone’s fourth-largest to effectively sack a regional accounts for a fifth of Spain’s son Muhammad Radmanish over the last eight weeks. of finding support or help. In a ever, stopped them from
hospital while three were moved economy. government and call new economy. told Efe news. The Ministry Report author Simon Ingram sense, it’s no surprise that they chanting slogans.
to Quetta as their condition was Prime Minister Mariano elections. Socialist politician Carmen said that at the time of the says about one in five chil- must truly see this place as a The three-member Pun-
serious, local police official Gulab Rajoy, who wanted the Social- Rajoy wants as broad a Calvo, a member of cross- attack, there were 60 soldiers in dren in the area are “acutely hell on earth,” Ingram told a jab Judicial Review Board is
Khan said. ists’ support in order to pres- consensus as possible before party talks to establish what the base, out of which 43 were malnourished.” news conference in Geneva. headed by Justice Yawar Ali.
The second attack took place ent a united political front taking the step, which has measures the government killed, nine were wounded The report comes ahead The report features har- Justice Abdul Sami and Jus-
when two men on a motorcy- against the secessionist Cata- raised the prospect of more should take to impose direct and six were missing.It said of a donor conference Mon- rowing colour drawings by tice Alia Neelam are the
cle threw a hand grenade at Al- lan government, will hold a large-scale protests in Catalo- rule on Catalonia, told TVE the Army had regained con- day in Geneva to drum up some children being cared other members of the review
Zubair hotel outside a mobile special cabinet meeting on nia, where pro-independence state television that January trol of the base. Taliban spokes- international funding for the for by UNICEF and other aid board, which held the hearing
market in Safar Khan area of Saturday to start to process of groups have been able to sum- regional elections would form person Yusuf Ahmadi claimed Rohingya. groups who are scrambling to yesterday.
Gwadar town. “At least 26 people imposing direct rule. mon more than 1 million peo- part of the package. AGENCIES responsibility. AGENCIES “Many Rohingya refugee improve living conditions in A court official told PTI
were injured in the blast,” local children in Bangladesh have Cox’s Bazar. after the hearing that the Home
police official Ayaz Baluch said. North Korea close to nuke that witnessed atrocities in Myan- Some of the images show Department of Punjab govern-
He said the injured included mar no child should ever see, helicopter gunships and green- ment had sought three months
15 labourers from Sindh and 11 and all have suffered tremen- clad men firing on a village or extension to the detention of
from Punjab who had gathered dous loss,” UNICEF Executive on people, some of whom are Saeed and others under public
after work to have tea. “Three of could hit US targets: CIA chief Director Anthony Lake said in spewing blood. AGENCIES safety law. AGENCIES
them have been shifted to Kara-
chi for treatment,” he said. The 3 mn Americans carry loaded
injured have been shifted to Dis-
trict Headquarters (DHQ) Hos- WASHINGTON: The United National Security Adviser HR if we are on the cusp of them “He’s prepared to ensure
pital Mastung. Chief Minister States should assume Kim McMaster said Trump would achieving that objective,” Pom- that Kim Jong-Un doesn’t have handguns daily: Study
of Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri Jong-Un’s regime is “on the still prefer to use sanctions peo said. the capacity to hold America
has condemned the incidents cusp” of getting a nuclear and diplomacy to force Kim Pompeo said US intelli- at risk. By military force if
and asked the authorities to sub- missile capable of striking US to come to the table to discuss gence had kept close tabs on necessary.” This week, North
mit a report on the blasts. The targets and work to prevent disarmament. the North Korean program Korea’s deputy UN ambassa- WASHINGTON: An esti-
attacks have come, a day after a this, the head of the CIA said But, speaking to a Wash- in the past, but that its mis- dor declared that Pyongyang mated three million adult
suspected suicide bomber hit a Thursday. ington policy forum, both sile expertise is now growing would not put its nuclear American handgun owners
police truck in Quetta, Baluch- CIA director Mike Pom- also war ned that the use of too quickly to be sure when it arsenal nor ballistic missile carry a loaded firearm on a
istan’s capital, killing policemen peosaid President Donald US military force remains an will succeed. “But when you’re program on the table unless daily basis, and nine million do
and civilians. AGENCIES Trumpis determined to pre- option to prevent Pyongyang now talking about months our Washington drops its “hostile” so on a monthly basis, a study
vent North Korea from mak- from acquiring a long-range capacity to understand that at stance. And Kim’s regime has has found.
ing the breakthrough “whether nuclear missile. “They are close a detailed level is in some sense made no secret of its efforts Vast majority cited protec-
it happens on Tuesday or a enough now in their capabili- irrelevant,” he said. to develop an ICBM capable tion as the primary reason for
month from Tuesday.” ties that from a US policy per- “The president’s made it of hitting US mainland cities carrying a firearm.
Both Pompeo and US spective we ought to behave as very clear,” he added. or bases in the Pacific. AGENCIES The study is the first in over
20 years to scrutinise why, how
US drone
often, and in what manner US
adults carry loaded handguns.
strike targets
It also examines how con-
cealed handgun-carrying ‘It was important to study handgun
al-Shabab after behaviour differs across states,
carrying because about 90 per cent
depending on their laws.
Somalia attack “Carrying firearms in pub- of all firearm homicides and nonfatal
lic places can have significant
firearm crimes for which the type of
implications for public health
MOGADISHU: The US and public safety,” said Ali firearm is known are committed with a
military says it carried out Rowhani-Rahbar, an associate
handgun,’ says Rowhani-Rahbar
a drone strike this week professor at the University of
against al-Shabab in Soma- Washington in the US.
lia, shortly after the extrem- “An important first step to politically conservative, and ers who carried their handgun
ist group was blamed for the examining the consequences of own more than one type of had a concealed-carry permit,
country’s deadliest attack. The firearm carrying at the national firearm. Researchers reviewed and 66 percent said they always
US Africa Command tells level is an accurate measure- handgun-carrying behaviour carried their handguns con-
The Associated Press that ment of the occurrence of this of 1,444 gun owners, using data cealed, compared with 10 per
the strike occurred Monday behaviour and characterisation from a 2015 nationally repre- cent who said they always carry
about 35 miles southwest of of those who engage in it,” said sentative survey designed by their weapons openly.
the capital, Mogadishu. The Rowhani- Rahbar, lead author Miller and Azrael. When comparing hand-
US says it is still assessing at the American Journal of “It was important to study gun-carrying behaviour with
the results. Saturday’s truck Public Health. handgun carrying because corresponding states’ laws,
bombing in Mogadishu killed Compared with handgun about 90 per cent of all firearm researchers found that propor-
more than 300 people and owners who did not carry, homicides and nonfatal fire- tionally fewer handgun owners
wounded nearly 400 others. those who did report carry- arm crimes for which the type carried a concealed handgun
The US has carried out several ing handguns tended to be of firearm is known are com- if they lived in a state whose
drone strikes in the Horn of younger, and more often male, mitted with a handgun,” said laws afforded greater discre-
Africa nation since President live in the southern US, have Rowhani-Rahbar. tion to issuing agencies in
Trump approved expanded grown up in firearm-owning The study found that 80 per the review of concealed-carry
military operations. AGENCIES households, self-identify as cent of surveyed handgun own- applications. AGENCIES