India, China planning joint army exercise in 2012
New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS): With India and China resuming their bilateral military exchanges four months ago, the two nations are planning to revive their joint military exercise in 2012.
The planning for the exercise will be done at the next round of annual defence consultative talks that the two sides will hold in mid-December when they will also chalk out their bilateral exchanges and interactions, a top Indian Army official told IANS here.
The dates and the scope of the joint exercise will be chalked out during the talks, which are essentially to finalise their year-long bilateral programmes, he said.
If this exercise comes through, sometime late next year, it will be the first such in four years. It will also be the third such war game since the first bilateral exercise in Kunming in China in December 2007.
The second ‘Hand-in-Hand’ exercise, as war gaming is called by the two sides, was held at Belgaum in Karnataka in December 2008.
Since then, the joint exercise could not take place, first due to celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in October 2009 and second due to the suspension of bilateral exchanges by India after Lt. Gen B.S. Jaswal, its then Northern Army Commander of troops in Jammu and Kashmir, was denied visa by China in mid-2010.
The bilateral military exchanges resumed in April this year after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Sanya in China for the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit.
India then sent its first military delegation to China in over a year when a team led by then Jammu and Kashmir-based Rashtriya Rifles’ Delta force commander Major General Gurmeet Singh went to Beijing, Shanghai and Urumqi in June this year.
The reciprocal visit by a Chinese military delegation led by Lt.Gen. Lang Youliang from the Tibet Military Command of Chengdu Military Region was in India for four days last week.
The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) delegation visited New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai when it got to see various establishments of the Indian Army and held interactions with their counterparts.
“The visit by the PLA delegation has put the defence exchanges between the two countries back on track,” was how the Chinese visit was described by the Indian Army, as both sides during their meetings expressed the desire to further promote bilateral defence exchanges and for continuing peace and tranquillity between their troops on the borders.
Ahead of the defence consultative talks, India and China will also hold their 14th round of border talks in New Delhi to carry forward the earlier dialogues to resolve the long-pending boundary dispute.
Beijing’s special representative Dai Bingguo will lead the border talks delegation that will meet with the National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon-led Indian delegation.
The border dialogue is the third stage in the talks, which began in 2005 and constituted drawing up a framework for dialogue in its second stage. The third stage will involve both sides trying to implement the framework by arriving at an agreement.
Source: Assam Tribune
India, Pak to boost trade link
ADDU (MALDIVES), Nov 10 – With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declaring that time has come to write a “new chapter” in the history of two countries, India today decided to move towards a Preferential Trade Agreement with Pakistan as both sides agreed to put in place a liberalised visa regime soon, reports PTI.
The decision to move towards a Preferential Trade Agreement with Pakistan under SAFTA that will lead to zero customs duty on all traded goods by 2016 came as Singh met his counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the margins of the 17th SAARC summit here. The two leaders also agreed that bilateral trade will be conducted on Most Favoured Nation (MFN) basis.
During their hour-long meeting, both leaders decided to put in place a liberalised visa regime that is being negotiated at the earliest and revive the Indo-Pak Joint Commission that has not been in operation since 2005.
The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is an agreement reached in the 2004 SAARC Summit in Islamabad which created a free trade area of 1.8 billion people in Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The decision to take the bilateral engagement to a new level came in the two Prime Ministers’ third meeting in the last 18 months after their talks at the 2010 SAARC Summit in Thimphu when they decided to resume bilateral dialogue.
It also comes on top of Pakistan deciding to confer MFN status to India, 15 years after New Delhi granted such a status to Islamabad. After some flip-flops in Pakistan following its last week decision, it has been clarified at the highest level in Pakistan that it will not backtrack on its decision.
Briefing journalists on the meeting, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said the Prime Minister referred to the issue of terrorism as a perennial concern in the bilateral relations which now affects Pakistan too.
“The Prime Minister did mention that it was imperative to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks to justice.”
Gilani responded saying all steps would be taken in this context in the joint fight against terror, Mathai said.
The Foreign Secretary said in the era of trade and economic relations, the two Prime Ministers agreed that the process of trade normalisation between their countries will be pursued to its logical conclusions. Trade will be conducted on MFN basis and all the countries in the South Asian region will move to meeting trade obligations under SAFTA.
“We will also move towards Preferential Trade Agreement with Pakistan,” Mathai quoted Singh as telling Gilani.
Mathai said the two Prime Ministers agreed that people are at the heart of the relationship between the two countries and people-to-people cultural contacts should be promoted.
In this context, they decided that the liberalised visa regime be put in place at the earliest.
Source: Assam Tribune
Dr Hazarika’s ashes reach Delhi
Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Nov. 10 – The urn containing the ashes of Dr Bhupen Hazarika arrived at the National Capital this afternoon. The ashes would be immersed into Ganga River at Haridwar on November 20.
The urn was carried to the National Capital by general secretary of Assam Association, Delhi, Prasanta Shekhar Dutta from Guwahati. A group of members and office-bearers of the association received the urn and carried it to South Delhi-located Shankardev Bhavan.
The ashes would be kept at the Bhavan till November 20 for public viewing before it travels to Hardwar for immersion, the association has informed.
Source: Assam Tribune
Anna to restructure core committee
New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS): Anna Hazare Monday said he will restructure his core committee, giving representation to all sections of society.
The anti-corruption activist also slammed the government for trying to divide the team. Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, meanwhile, attacked Hazare, saying he was overestimating the Jan Lokpal bill.
“We will take all sections in the core committee… Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis and all others. Nobody should complain that they were not given a chance,” Hazare said in his village.
The restructuring comes after there were personal attacks on some key members, including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan. “Even youth will be represented. Youth’s power in the committee is extremely necessary. Youths from different communities will be picked up for the committee,” Hazare added.
He also hit out at the United Progressive Alliance government, blaming them for trying to sabotage the movement. “Do any inquiry on Anna and his team, we have nothing to be afraid. These people are about to lose power and they will lose their job, how will they like it… they will try to divide us,” he said.
Digvijay Singh continued his attack on Hazare.
“I think he is overestimating the Jan Lokpal Bill. Corruption can only be removed if there is a comprehensive strategy by the judiciary, bureaucracy, police and government,” the Congress leader told reporters in Delhi. “Just passing the law will not help any one. Corruption will not be removed only by Lokpal,” he said.
Source: Assam Tribune
Amid China’s overtures, Manmohan to court Maldives
New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS): India is set to seal an all embracing agreement and a counter-terror pact with the Maldives when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets President Mohammed Nasheed in Male on Friday.
Amid China’s attempt to increase its clout in the Indian Ocean island, Manmohan Singh will meet Nasheed for bilateral talks after the end of the two-day SAARC summit in the capital Male, the first time an Indian Prime Minister is visiting the 1,190 island archipelago in nearly a decade.
In a special gesture underlining time-tested ties between the two countries, Manmohan Singh will address the People’s Majlis, the Maldivian parliament on Friday before returning to Delhi in the evening. He will be the first world leader to address the Maldivian Parliament in its 78-year history.
In their talks, the two leaders are expected to discuss an entire gamut of bilateral issues, including piracy, terrorism, climate change and the intensification of development and economic ties, said reliable sources.
After the talks, the two sides are expected to ink an overarching agreement that seeks to expand cooperation across an entire spectrum of areas.
The pact could entail India increasing its developmental and capacity building assistance that could include India helping set up a police academy, sources said. New Delhi is also expected to unveil a fresh line of credit for development projects in the atoll nation.
With piracy in the Indian Ocean region threatening the interests of both countries, the two sides are also likely to ink a counter-terror agreement.
India hopes that the prime minister’s visit will “inject new momentum and content to its relations with this close and strategic neighbour in the Indian Ocean”.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of China’s renewed foray to deepen its diplomatic footprints in the strategically located island. India has taken note of the visit of Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, to the Maldives in May, but has rejected any rivalry with Beijing. “We have a very strong relationship with Maldives including a very close defence relationship. In our interactions with the Maldives, they are fully cognizant of our interests and our concerns,” Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said here Saturday. “We do not see any reason to be concerned,” he added.
In fact, the Maldivian President has assured that he would never do anything that threatens India’s security. “I trust democracy far more than any other system,” Nasheed said in Perth on the sidelines of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Source: Assam Tribune
Rahul Gandhi may be Congress working president soon
New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS): Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is likely to be appointed the working president of the party soon to help his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi, setting the stage for a transition process at the helm of India’s oldest party, informed party sources said.
“The delegation of higher responsibilities to Rahulji is only a matter of when, not if,” a senior Congress leader told IANS. “But knowing the style of Soniaji (Sonia Gandhi) and Rahulji, I feel all the dates and timeframes circulated are still speculative,” he added. “It can happen soon, but how soon is anybody’s guess.”
Sonia, who had returned three month ago from the US after surgery for an undisclosed illness, but which was widely rumoured to be cancer, is said to be keen to delegate some of her administrative charges to Rahul, leaving herself free to look after policy matters alone.
Rahul, 41, currently is a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of youth and student wings and a second-term Lok Sabha member from the family bastion Amethi.
Another party leader said the decision on the timing of Rahul’s assumption will be taken in the family, basically between Sonia and Rahul and may be in consultation with Rahul’s sister Priyanka Vadra.
“It is a close-nit family. During Sonia’s illness it was the son and sister who were with her, by turns,” he pointed out. “And if the tranfer of power comes soon, it may have something to do with the health condition of Sonia, which appears near to normal if her participation in functions and party meetings are any indication.”
Party sources said ardent Rahul fans in the election-bound Uttar Pradesh want him to be made the working president at the earliest and keep circulating dates like Nov 14 (birth anniversary of his great grandfather and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru) and Nov 19 (the birth anniversary of his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi)
Meanwhile, another leader in New Delhi told IANS that Dec 28 – the 126th foundation day of the Indian National Congress – may be the date.
But other party leaders point out that both Sonia and Rahul will be busy in the coming weeks and months, leading the election campaign in the five states – Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur.
“So if any new position for Rahul may be after the UP polls likely in February. Hope the Congress tally goes above the current 22 MLAs and Rahulji has something to show by then,” said a leader, who also spoke without wishing to be named as it was a highly sensitive issue.
In fact, Rahul Gandhi has declared in Varanasi recently that he has begun the Uttar Pradesh campaign, though he is likely to conduct a ‘padyatra’ (walkabout) at Phulpur, the traditional constituency of the Nehru family Nov 14.
“Sonia is likely to address a election meeting in Uttarakhand next week,” party sources said.
The fact that Sonia Gandhi is planning to campaign may reduces the chances of she handing over the presidentship to the son,” a Youth Congress leader, who also did not want to be named, said. “At the most it can be working presidentship for him.”
He said there had been several reports in the past years – during both the UPA-I and UPA-II – that Rahul may join the cabinet, which did not happen.
“Slowly and steadily have been the style of the mother-son duo’s mantra,” the youth leader said.
“Unless Soniaji’s health warrants it. But after her return to India Sep 8 after the surgery, she had attended several Congress meetings and the meeting of the National Advisory Council (NAC) which she heads.
“She had been at the Ramlila celebrations as well as at the Shakti Sthal to pay tributes to Indira Gandhi on her assassination day.”
But political cirles point out that Rahul Gandhi’s is engaging himself in important party affairs and the governmental matters recently.
Several Congress leaders, led by general secretary Digvijay Singh had been hailing Rahul as the future prime minister, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has mentioned Rahul as a future leader.
“Now Sonia is back and the the four-member committee abandoned. It is for her to decide the new role of Rahul,” the Youth Congress leader added.
The concept of working presidents in the party is not new. Arjun Singh was working president at the time of Rajiv Gandhi and Kamalapati Tripathi was the party’s first working president during the last years of Indira Gandhi.
Source: Assam Tribune
Allies slam Govt over petrol price hike
NEW DELHI, Nov 4 – As Government came under attack from allies and opposition alike on the stiff hike in petrol price, the Kerala High Court today asked oil companies to produce their balance sheet and quarterly reports before it, reports PTI.
Pressure mounted on the government to roll back the hike with crucial ally Trinamool Congress threatening a pull out on the issue and other allies seeking reconsideration of the decision.
Indications emerged that the government could consider a partial roll back of the Rs. 1.80 hike effected yesterday in petrol price with ruling party sources saying such a decision could be taken once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from the G-20 Summit in France.
In an unusual order, the Kerala High Court directed Indian Oil and Reliance Petroleum to produce their balance sheets and quarterly reports in three weeks observing that in the last one year there has been at least 40 per cent hike in petroleum products.
A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice P S Gopinathan said frequent price hike has caused immense hardship to the common man.
“Political parties are making protests. There is no no consumer resistance. They are getting adjusted to frequent hikes. We are concerned about the price hike.
Ignoring state government counsel’s stand that the PIL by former MP PC Thomas was politically motivated, the Court said politics involves public interest and admitted the petition.
Putting pressure on the government, the Trinamool Congress, the second largest constituent of the UPA with 18 MPs, held an emergency meeting of its Parliamentary Party its after which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said leaders favoured withdrawal of support but she has stayed such a move.
Source: Assam Tribune
People must learn to live together: Chidambaram
Sobhapati Samom
IMPHAL, Nov 2 – Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the people must learn to live together and accommodate each other adding there cannot be any problem that cannot be solved through talks.
Addressing a public meeting soon after inaugurating a 50-bedded district hospital and a mini secretariat building at the Naga- dominated Senapati district headquarter, 60 km north of here told the gathering that every State in India is a plural State. Manipur is also a plural State, he added.
Chidambaram reached here today on a two-day visit to assess the situation in the State.
Earlier, appealing to call an end to the proposed bandh and blockades, State Chief Minister O Ibobi said that the government will not create problems while solving a problem. The State Government will take consent of all communities while taking a decision on a common issue, he added.
Manipur continues to reel under blockade imposed by United Naga Council (UNC) on its highways, though the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) sponsored blockade was suspended on its 92nd day on Monday following an understanding with the government over the creation of Sadar Hills district.
The Union Home Minister along with State Chief Minister held a meeting with UNC, All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) and Naga People’s Organisation representatives. But what transpired in the meeting was not known.
He also visited Jessami, a hill station in Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar and Nagaland, to inaugurate SDO and SDPO office complexes and 33/11 KVA power sub-station besides a public health centre building. Chidambaram, later, chaired a review meeting of the State officials at Raj Bhavan here, official sources said.
The Union Minister is scheduled to return to New Delhi after inaugurating two power sub-stations at Tamei and Tousem in Tamenglong district besides a district mini secretariat complex and the newly-constructed Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya building tomorrow.
Meanwhile, UNC and ANSAM in a joint statement reiterated they would continue their proposed total bandh in Naga areas as notified. “This is to register our protest against the State Government’s persistent attempt to bifurcate Naga areas without our consent,” the statement said.
Source: Assam Tribune
Maoist activities on rise in State: Patnaik
Kalyan Barooah
NEW DELHI, Oct 31 – Rise in activities of the Maoists in Assam has sent the alarm bells ringing, with Governor JB Patnaik reporting a nexus between the Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA and the Naxals, cautioning that governments of India and Assam must be alert to the lurking danger.
In what has been hinted so far regarding links between the Maoists and the over ground organisations in Assam, the Governor said the Maoists have their organisations in the form of Assam Students and Youths Organisation (ASYO), Mega Dam Resistance Forum (MDRF) and Assam Chah Janajati Suraksha Samity. These organisations are known to be indoctrinating and recruiting cadres for the Maoists.
Talking to this newspaper, the Governor said during the Governors’ Conference convened by the President that concluded on Sunday, he touched on several issues concerning the State including the internal security situation, the flood and erosion problems, among others.
Patnaik has said that the security situation is satisfactory, as today majority of the insurgent outfits have come to the negotiating table or have surrendered.”Still we should not loosen our efforts to contain violence and insurgency totally,” he observed.
He said that Naxals have started organising themselves in some parts of the State. There is a possibility that the Paresh Baruah group may help them with weapons, so the State Government and Government of India must be alert.
“Emergence of Left wing extremism (LWE) in Assam, particularly in Tinsukia and Dhemaji districts has added a new dimension to the laws and order scenario that needs immediate attention. Already Assam has been included in the Eastern Regional Bureau of the party, he said.
“Now they started snatching arms from police and recruiting unemployed youths,” he said, referring to the incident of snatching of arms from the forest guards in Dibru- Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia.
There have been ample evidence of cadres being sent to Orissa and Jharkhand for undergoing training under Maoists and to Manipur under tutelage of the NSCN (I-M). Their support base are from the remotest and less governed areas inhabited by Assamese, Nepali, Mising and Thamangs from Lohit district and mostly a number of tea tribe youths of sick tea gardens.
“It is important to note that recently PLA has initiated a meeting of representatives of North-east Maoist militants at Guwahati,” he said.
The Governor has also taken a grim view of the activities of the surrendered militants, stating that most of surrendered militants of DHD, ULFA and NDFB have converted themselves into criminals and they are indulging themselves in crimes like kidnapping and dacoity. Peace process is in progress and on the other hand gun culture and formation of new groups are also going on which indicate a boom in culture of gun and easy money.
Patnaik said that about ten sixth schedule areas were quite backward even now and decentralisation of administration from districts to panchayat level has not worked out. Power and funds are concentrated in the hands of a few districts level officials. There are no good roads and hospitals and unemployment has led to frustration leading to their joining extremists outfits.
“Therefore Panchayati raj should be extended fully to all these areas, he opined.
In Agriculture sector, Assam has made a significant progress in recent years though a lot remains to be done. At least, 77 per cent of the States’ cultivable land remains un-irrigated,” Patnaik said.
Flood and erosion are serious matters and I have suggested that the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding setting up of NEWRA should be immediately implemented. In this connection, he said Brahmaputra Board has done precious little and should be immediately replaced with NEWRA.
Assam needs Centre’s help in irrigating its vast uncropped land, the Governor said, suggesting that old barrage irrigation system should be revived because Assam has a number of rivers including the great Brahmaputra river.
On the function of the Governor, he said that power and function needs further clarification and there should be a model Act.
Source: Assam Tribune
World population touches 7 billion
LUCKNOW, Oct 31 – The world’s population touched another milestone today as India welcomed the birth of baby Nargis as the “symbolic” seven billionth baby.
Weighing three kgs, the baby was born at a community centre in Mall at Danaur village on the outskirts of Lucknow at 7.20 AM, adding to India’s population of 1.21 billion.
“Nargis is the first child of 23-year-old Vinita and 25-year-old farmer Ajay and has been welcomed as the symbolic seven billionth baby,” Bhagyashree Dengle, executive director of child rights group Plan India said.
Nargis shares the honours of being the world’s symbolic seven billionth baby with Philippines’ Danica May Camacho who was born just after midnight in a government hospital in Manila.
The birth of Nargis has given a new resolve to her father Ajay, who now wants to work for creating awareness among the people about nurturing the girl child and wants his daughter to become a doctor.
Nargis was selected to be the symbolic seven billionth baby to focus on the plight of the girl child in the country facing the problem of female foeticide, Dengle said.
The birth of Nargis and six other girls born in the area today was celebrated at a function organised by Plan India.
All the seven girls born in the area were given birth certificates and have also got seven celebratory sponsors like Mallika Sarabhai, Sunita Narain and Anushka Shankar who would be taking care of issues relating to their basic rights, education, health and participation for the next seven years as per the Plan India initiative.
Dengle said the UN had carried out a survey which found that the probability of the seven billionth child being born in Uttar Pradesh was high. Every minute, 51 babies are born in India, 11 of them in Uttar Pradesh. – PTI
Source: Assam Tribune
