Bribery in private sector ..... debate continues

http://t.co/ploxAZoR

Himachal differs with Centre on making bribery in pvt sector criminal offence

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Aug 26, 2012, 04.43AM IST 

NEW DELHI: At the time when almost all states have agreed with the Centre's proposal to make bribery in private sector a criminal offence, Himachal Pradesh has come out with a contrarian view. The BJP-led government in the poll-bound hill state has said, "The proposal is fraught with danger and will give unbridled powers to government and its agencies to unnecessary meddle in the affairs of private citizens and business organizations".

Refusing to concur with the Centre's proposal, it said, "History of the use and utility of the existing powers of the government and its agents does not inspire much confidence that such power will not be misused".

The state's view came to the home ministry in response to the draft Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill that seeks to insert two sections - 160(A) and 160(B) - in the existing law.

While the first section makes "giving, offering or promising" bribe to a private person an offence, the second section prescribes punishment (imprisonment upto seven years) for such a crime. The home ministry had circulated this draft legislation among states and Union Territories to get their views last year.

Though most of the states agreed with the proposal and even suggested the Centre to widen the scope of probe by making certain changes, HP disagreed, forcing the home ministry to look for fine-tuning its draft.

"The Centre will prepare a fresh draft incorporating suggestions of other states and send it back to HP for its concurrence," said a home ministry official.

HP government explained that bribes in private sector are not given as bribes but may carry other and varied nomenclature like commission, fees, service charges, consultancy charges and business promotion expenses.

"To camouflage undue advantage or illegal gratification under any one of these myriad fancy names is not difficult at all and to try and curb such practices appears to be an impossibility and indeed a futile exercise," the state wrote to the ministry.

HP apprehended that such a law "without high level safeguards has the potential to destroy businesses, enterprise and above all reputations and brand value which needs to be protected to enable them to grow and contribute to the national economy".

The other states - mainly Tamil Nadu and Kerala - have, however, suggested it to widen the ambit of "undue advantage" by including foreign trips, gift in any form, concession, shares, debentures or bonds as "bribes".

TN has also suggested that there should be a separate provision to prosecute the companies and for cancellation/suspension of their licences or registration.

Agreeing to the proposed changes in the IPC, Gujarat recommended that the necessary amendment should also be made in the Prevention of Corruption Act (which deals with bribery in public sector or government organizations) so that Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of states can register case of graft in private sector.

Jammu & Kashmir told the Centre that the government is considering amendment on similar lines in the Ranbir Penal Code applicable in the state.......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzA4LzI2I0FyMDEzMDY=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Power of Twitter and twipple ....... babus want to learn through their mistakes

Follow @VishwaMohan

http://t.co/Y0drUfTQ

Govt allays concern over censoring free speech in social media

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Aug 25, 2012, 01.07AM IST 

Amid growing concerns of citizens across social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, both home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and information technology minister Kapil Sibal clarified that the government is only “taking strict action against those accounts or people which are causing damage or spreading rumours”.

NEW DELHI: Seeking to downplay apprehensions over the government's action on certain social networking sites, the Centre on Friday said that it was not targeting individual accounts or websites and did not want restrictions on genuine users.

Amid growing concerns of citizens across social media platforms, both home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and information technology minister Kapil Sibal clarified that the government is only "taking strict action against those accounts or people which are causing damage or spreading rumours".

"We are not taking action against other accounts, be it Facebook, Twitter or even SMSes. There is no censorship at all," Shinde said.

Government's statement comes on the day when Gujarat CM Narendra Modi joined thousands of Twitter users, who are protesting against 'web censorship'. Just like other virtual protesters, Modi blacked out the display picture on his Twitter profile.

"As a common man, I join the protest against crackdown on freedom of speech! Have changed my DP. 'Sabko Sanmati De Bhagwan." #GOIBlocks," he tweeted.

Justifying the government's action of asking to block access of over 300 URLs, Shinde, however, said: "We decided on taking action because there were pictures of Myanmar (doctored videos and morphed photographs showing alleged atrocities against Muslims by Buddhists) online, which were disturbing the atmosphere here in India".

The home ministry had asked the IT ministry between August 18 and 21 to block access of these 'objectionable' URLs through Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as it carried communally inflammatory materials. Though most of the web pages were removed with assistance from Facebook and Google, 28 of such web pages continue to remain active as New Delhi needs Twitter's help to deactivate these pages without affecting interests of common users.

Responding to India's ultimatum, the Twitter on Thursday contacted IT ministry and promised to remove those pages after sorting out certain technical issues. It sought some more details about those 'objectionable' pages so that it can deactivate them as early as possible.

Sibal said Twitter was ready to cooperate, but India wants a "permanent solution" to this issue. "That will only happen when we talk to all the stakeholders and form such a mechanism under which any objectionable content is removed," he said.

The IT minister, however, suggested that India could still have taken action (in case Twitter doesn't cooperate) but it did not want common users to suffer due to such decision.

"We can take action but in that case, restrictions are also imposed on people who are right on their part. So, we don't want that to happen. So, we have provided 28 URL numbers under which objectionable material is being shown. Now, the government does not know that who is behind these URL numbers, only Twitter and other sites are aware about it", he said.

The minister added that since the government doesn't know the identities of these URLs (internet addresses), the accusations that it is "aggressively" targeting individual accounts or websites are incorrect.......................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzA4LzI1I0FyMDE2MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom 

Twitter controversy........babus are asking if Facebook and Google are cooperating without making fuss, why can't twitter be the same?

http://t.co/VXCVyqEQ
Panel to screen websites to weed out offensive content

Josy Joseph & Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Aug 24, 2012, 05.04AM IST 

US has urged New Delhi to pull off the tough task of maintaining law and order while at the same time ensuring "full freedom of the Internet".

NEW DELHI: While social media site Twitter relented in its confrontation with the government, promising to act against pages and postings the government feels are communally inflammatory, the Centre on Thursday fine tuned its cyber strategy by setting up a dedicated panel to screen websites.

Faced with growing criticism that India is censoring the internet, the government decided against a blanket ban of Twitter handles and sought blocking of particularly offensive or provocative posts. The government also set up a panel to screen every URL or website that intelligence and technical agencies believe should be blocked.

Hours after being served an ultimatum by the government, Twitter, which remained incommunicado till then, said although it would remove some of the pages flagged by New Delhi, it may not be able to deactivate all due to certain technical reasons.

Twitter, however, sought some more details from the ministry of information technology to deactivate all 28 pages that carried inflammatory messages and doctored pictures relating to the lower Assam violence.

It is learnt the US-based micro-blogging site requested India to share details of police cases registered in connection with the pages. The site has argued that it can go ahead with deactivating pages only when the request carries legal details.

Terming it a "time buying strategy", an official said necessary details were being sent to Twitter and India has made it clear that the social networking site must withdraw the pages.

"Twitter's stand also discussed at a meeting where the home ministry officials stressed India would explore all legal routes to deactivate identified pages that spread hatred using fictitious details," said an official.

Besides telecom minister Kapil Sibal, home secretary R K Singh and Intelligence Bureau chief Nehchal Sandhu were part of the deliberations..........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMjQjQXIwMDMwNg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Hate pages ...... Govt. appears to be in overdrive to block whatever comes its way as a first step

http://t.co/DJ5DgrGl

65 more web pages with objectionable content blocked

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Aug 22, 2012, 03.37AM IST 

NEW DELHI: As probe agencies work overtime to collect 'evidence' against groups involved in creating social unrest in India, around 65 more web pages -- including one created in the name of cricketer Imran Khan's political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf - were blocked on Tuesday for spreading hate messages and doctored videos, taking the total number of such pages to 310.

All the 65 web pages, carrying morphed images depicting victims of Assam violence, were created between July 20 and 24 when the violence was at its peak in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. Majority of the pages were uploaded on various host sites in Pakistan.

The list of blocked pages originating in Pakistan also includes inflammatory 'postings' at www.yemtv.com (claimed to be a news channel) and morphed images in the name of another Pakistani political outfit Jammat-i-Islami Pakistan.

There are a number of web pages in the name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) like tehreek-e-insaaf and tehreekeinsaaf.kohat. A couple of fake web pages originated in countries like Kenya and Egypt.

"These have nothing to do with the original website of Imran Khan's PTI. It appears that the bloggers might have created this in the name of a celebrity (Imran Khan) just to attract more page views," said an official.

There are a number of other pages that carry fictitious details of alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Such pages were, however, created around July 13-16.

"Investigation is going on to reach the real culprits in India where they picked up those morphed pictures and circulated them in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai to create panic among people of northeast region in the wake of Assam violence," the official said.

After blocking these sites, Indian agencies contacted Google and Facebook to provide them with 'server' details including IP addresses so that India could share it as 'evidence' with Pakistan. Besides, India has also contacted the US and Saudi Arabia so that the host 'sites' can share details with India through legal channels.

"Letter Rogatory (LR) will also be sent to both these countries in due course. At present, we expect both these countries to cooperate with us under cyber security protocol as per the policy of the host sites whose servers are located in these countries," an official said.

Responding to the request, a Google spokesperson in India said, "We act quickly to remove such material flagged by our users. We also comply with valid legal requests from authorities wherever possible, consistent with our longstanding policy."

The statement also made it clear that content intended to incite violence, such as hate speech, was prohibited on Google products, including YouTube, Google+ and Blogger.

Sources in the home ministry said India would be able to share evidence with Pakistan only when it gets it from Facebook and Google. Home secretary R K Singh is learnt to have communicated this to foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and apprised him on information about bulk of the morphed images being traced to Pakistan.......................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzA4LzIyI0FyMDA5MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Twitter vs. GOI ...... much of it was a result of bureaucrats' ignorance

Follow @VishwaMohan

http://t.co/5CSoHzja

Centre, Twitter in face-off over PMO parody accounts

Javed Anwer & Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Aug 22, 2012, 01.16AM IST 

The government and Twitter are locked in a confrontation over half-a-dozen accounts that the Centre feels “misrepresent” the Prime Minister’s Office.

NEW DELHI: The government and popular social media site Twitter are locked in a confrontation over half-a-dozen accounts that the Centre feels "misrepresent" the Prime Minister's Office but which the web-based platform has so far refused to shut down.

The clash over the accounts is playing out at a time when the government has also asked social media to remove sites posting incendiary and untrue information on the Assam riots and its fallout. On this count, too, Twitter hosts certain pages found to be objectionable.

However, the point of contention, as far as PMO is concerned, are "imposters" who have put up accounts that mimic the prime minister's official @PMOIndia handle. PMO wrote to Twitter in June seeking action against these accounts but with the site not complying till date, service providers have been asked to block these pages.

The sites that got PMO's goat are parody accounts with similar sounding names like @PM0India (O has been replaced with a zero), @Indian_pm and @PMOIndiaa. Blocking the six accounts is seen as a warning that the government will not allow misrepresentation of a high office like PMO.

Efforts to close accounts that mimic the government is the latest friction point between the government and social media. Over the past year, particularly in the wake of social media becoming a catalyst for anti-corruption protests directed against the government, efforts have been made to rein in sites like Google and Facebook.

A PMO official said the government was not overreacting. "We are fine with parody, even though at times it is in bad taste, and there is criticism of the government. But we cannot allow anyone to misrepresent the PM's office and tweet nonsense from these accounts," he said.

"The trigger for the latest move was when one of these accounts recently tweeted communally-sensitive statements aimed at inciting social strife," said the official. Sources said ISPs have been roped in to block the accounts locally. Incidentally, several months ago, Twitter came out with a tool it claimed would allow it to block tweets or accounts on a country-basis.

A look at the sites shows they lack the finesse or biting humour of a popular takeoff on the PM like @dryumyumsingh, but do not seem to be currently posting vicious material - at least as of now. @dryumyumsingh may be left alone but others like @PM0India could be blocked.

Sources said PMO wrote to Twitter about the "fake accounts" in June. But Twitter did not respond to India's concerns. "Twitter doesn't have any office in India and hence doesn't come under India laws," said an official. In July, the government started looking for some other ways to cut off access to the offending PMO accounts.

"The trigger for the latest move was when one of these accounts recently tweeted communally-sensitive statements aimed at inciting social strife," said the official. Sources said ISPs have been roped in to block the accounts locally. Incidentally, several months ago Twitter came out with a tool it claimed would allow it to block tweets or accounts on a country-basis.

Reports that Twitter might be banned in its entirety have been denied, perhaps because such a move will attract the charge of being intolerant and arbitrary. But officials said there are other web pages like those dealing with inflammatory material that have not been closed while Google and Facebook have acted promptly.

TOI contacted Twitter through its official twitter accounts, asking for a response on its problems with the Indian government. However, the site has, did not respond till late Tuesday evening.

According to the Twitter policy, parody accounts are allowed. "(But) In order to avoid impersonation, an account's profile information should make it clear that the creator of the account is not actually the same person or entity as the subject of the parody/commentary," the policy notes.

"If an account is found to be deceptive or misleading, we may request that the user make further changes to bring the account more in line with these best practices. Accounts with a clear intent to deceive may be permanently suspended."

Times View

Some websites and social media have been used by various groups to incite violence or fuel insecurity in an already tense situation. The government is right in seeking to put a stop to this kind of anti-national activity. However, it must not use this opportunity to also shut down whatever it finds uncomfortable or embarrassing for itself. Sites that lampoon or parody the government or political leaders cannot be treated on par with those that are deliberately creating a law and order problem. Some parodies may well be in bad taste but that is no reason for the government to act heavy-handed with them. This will only reduce the credibility of the rest of its effort and signal to the rest of the world that India is an illiberal society..................................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMjIjQXIwMDEwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Assam violence, exodus of northeast people and the story behind the 'doctored' videos

http://t.co/sape9Xlu

'Doctored' videos of Assam violence uploaded in Pakistan: Government

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 19, 2012, 12.30AM IST

NEW DE:HI: The government on Saturday said a bulk of the doctored incendiary videos and horrific clippings of atrocities allegedly committed on Muslims in lower Assam and Myanmar were uploaded on various blogs in Pakistan in a bid to incite the minority community in India.

"Technical investigation has established that a bulk of the incendiary images was first uploaded on blogs in Pakistan," disclosed Union home secretary R K Singh.

He told TOI that India would raise the issue with Pakistan. "I am sure they will deny it, but we have fairly accurate technical evidence to show that the images originated and were circulated from their territory," he said.

The home secretary suggested the rumours were spread almost as an offensive. Considering the evidence, he said all images were doctored and meant to inflame passions across India.

"As many as 110 websites were involved in spreading the doctored clips. We have blocked 76 of them, and are in the process of getting others deactivated," he said, adding that Google and other sites, which hosted provocative blogs, have been approached.

In one instance, images of death and destruction caused by a cyclone have been morphed to be passed off as a case of atrocity on Muslims in Assam. In others, bodies of victims of an earthquake which occurred months ago was juxtaposed with photographs of Buddhist monks to project violence on Muslims in Myanmar by Buddhists.

The images of atrocities on Muslims have sparked tension across the country, with Mumbai, Lucknow and Allahabad witnessing mob violence.

People from the northeast have been attacked in Pune, Hyderabad and Kerala, while a Tibetan was stabbed in Mysore in what appeared to be a case of retaliation against alleged brutalities on Muslims. SMSs purportedly from Muslim groups threatening attacks on people from the northeast has triggered an exodus from several states, though governments have insisted they are merely rumours........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMTkjQXIwMDMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Immigration is a big issue ..... India acts as a magnet for its poor neighbours

http://t.co/iffwBij8

58,000 Bangladeshis went missing in India in 3 years

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 15, 2012, 02.29AM IST 

NEW DELHI: Actual figures of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are a political hot potato. But, official data revealed a disturbing trend, where over 58,000 Bangladeshi citizens came to India and became traceless in the past three years.

Bangladeshis were also found to be the worst offenders among foreigners as far as overstaying in India was concerned. Data, shared by the government in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, showed that as many as 82,585 Bangladeshis did not voluntarily return to their country between January 2009, and December 2011.

Though they all had visited India using their valid travel documents, they chose not to go back. Alarmed over their overstay, the government machineries did swing into action. But, only 23,653 out of total 82,585 Bangladeshi citizens could be traced and deported, leaving the whereabouts of 58,932 of them unknown. 

The figure assumes significance amid debate over status of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the backdrop of the recent violence in Assam, where 77 people were killed in ethnic clashes between Bodo tribals and Muslims.

In a written response to a Parliament question, the home ministry disclosed that 21,274 Bangladeshi nationals did not return to their country last year as compared to 28,667 in 2010 and 32,644 in 2009. Deportation figures revealed that 6,761 were sent back in 2011 as against 6,290 in 2010 and 10,602 in 2009.......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxMi8wOC8xNSNBcjAxNTAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Sushilkumar Shinde vs. Jaya Bachchan in Rajya Sabha

http://t.co/xIs9dxiE

Shinde made to apologize after jibe at Jaya Bachchan

Vishwa Mohan |TNN| Aug 10, 2012, 01.49AM IST 

NEW DELHI: It is turning out to be a case of baptism by fire. Newly-appointed home minister Sushilkumar Shinde was on Thursday forced by an angry opposition in the Rajya Sabha to apologize to Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan for suggesting she being an actor was not equipped to deal with complex issues such as the ethnic conflagration in Assam.

Shinde made the condescending jibe when Jaya, like many others in the opposition, expressed dissatisfaction with his reply to the discussion on the continuing communal violence in Assam.

"This is a serious matter. This is not the subject of a film," the home minister said, instantly attracting the wrath of the SP member whose protest was supported by others.

The furore subsided only when Shinde, like BJP veteran L K Advani in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, retracted what was seen by many as a condescending put-down at Jaya.

"If she is hurt by my comments, I apologize for that. She is my sister," he said. The apology capped the misery for the new home minister who had, like in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, appeared to be all at sea while dealing with the worries of members about violence in Assam.

Shinde prolonged his agony on Thursday by refusing to relent immediately. With the prime minister seated next to him, the minister initially tried to tough it out by saying that Jaya was not letting him speak. "You don't let the home minister to speak. Is it the parliamentary procedure? This is a serious matter," he said.

The indignation failed to faze the SP member or calm the protests. "What respect does the home minister have for people coming from different fields? You cannot talk about people coming from different fields like this," Jaya retaliated.

Faced with anger, Shinde began backpedalling, saying he knew the entire family of the SP member. "I have great respect for her and that is why I was asking her not to interrupt that way," he said. However, the change of tack failed to make the opposition members relent who insisted on an apology.

Leader of opposition Arun Jaitley supported the demand. "Jaya Bachchan is a very distinguished celebrity and an achiever in her own field. If she has become a member of this House, it is a matter of pride. You cannot, as the home minister of India, make a taunt or a comment of this kind," he said.

Jaitley requested Shinde to make amends and withdraw his provocative remark. He also urged the presiding officer, Tariq Anwar, to expunge Shinde's remark from the proceedings if he did not withdraw it himself, leading the home minister to both offer an apology and withdraw his remarks.......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMTAjQXIwMTEwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

NCTC ...... expect the delay under the new home minister

http://t.co/m2VAVYbF

Shinde to consult CMs on NCTC

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 9, 2012, 03.28AM IST 

NEW DELHI: Hinting at his approach to deal with controversial matters, including the proposed anti-terror body NCTC, new Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde will shortly write to all the CMs seeking their suggestions on how to deal with internal security challenges in a coordinated manner.

An elaborate note to get states' view has been prepared even as Shinde recalled from the Cabinet Secretariat the revised plan of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) for another round of review.

Facing strong opposition from several CMs to the earlier proposal of the counter-terror body, the home ministry under then home minister P Chidambaram had prepared a revised plan for implementing the project and sent it to the Cabinet Secretariat for presentation before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

The move to recall this revised draft by Shinde comes amid indication that the government is not going to operationalize the central anti-terror body in a hurry as officials, who had been pitching for it under Chidambaram, hinted that they now expect another round of consultations before sending it to the CCS. 

"The note which is to be sent to states by Shinde, however, does not cover the contentious counter-terror body alone. The home minister intends to seek chief ministers' opinion on a whole gamut of issues concerning internal security," said a senior official.

Recalling the plan of the country's premier anti-terror agency assumes significance in view of what Shinde had expressed immediately after assuming the charge on August 1. Asked whether he would go ahead with the plan to set up NCTC, he had said that he would first like to talk to the states.

"I am open. Let me talk to the states also. I have to talk and get cooperation from all. This country belongs to the states," he had said, adding there was a need to plug the gaps in ties between states and the Centre. 

"The new home minister has to be briefed on this proposed body. So, the proposal has been brought back. It will be sent to CCS only after he examines it properly," a senior official said.

The revised plan suggests that NCTC will be kept out of the ambit of the Intelligence Bureau and will be an independent entity directly reporting to the home ministry. Besides, the anti-terror body will conduct operations on its own only under exceptional circumstances or in rare cases.

The revised plan was prepared after the Centre faced strong opposition to NCTC from chief ministers, including from UPA ally Mamata Banerjee. Others who opposed it include CMs like Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), J Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu) and Narendra Modi (Gujarat) among others. They alleged NCTC armed with such sweeping powers will hurt the federal structure of the country.

Under the earlier plan for this body which was notified by the government in February, the Multi-Agency Centre and the operations wing of the Intelligence Bureau were to be subsumed into the NCTC having powers to arrest, search and seizures in terror-related operations...............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMDkjQXIwMTcwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Assam violence brings a bureaucratic wrangling out in open for public scrutiny

http://t.co/tMZumoXk

‘Bureaucratic’ defence ministry delayed Army response in violence-hit Assam

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 6, 2012, 03.53AM IST

NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of the Assam fiasco where several crucial hours were wasted in deploying the Army to contain violence, the home ministry has asked the defence ministry to change the latter's standard operating procedures (SOPs) for deployment of troops so that 'procedural' delay is not repeated in future when local administration needs assistance to deal with riot-like situations.

The SOPs, which have been in force since the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, expect local Army commanders not to entertain requests of district magistrates unless it is routed through the defence ministry.

Section 130 of CrPC, however, empowers the senior-most civil/police officer having magisterial powers in a district to requisition Army to control violence. This law makes it obligatory for the armed forces to obey such requisition and help local administration in controlling violence.

As a result of the SOPs, troops did not move to troubled Kokrajhar and Chirang despite being asked by the respective district magistrates for quick deployment on the very first day of violence on July 20. The subsequent request was made from Dhubri on July 23. The actual deployment was, however, made in these districts only after a delay of three to five days once the defence ministry issued a formal order.

Finding the 'procedure' a major stumbling block in handling such violence, the home ministry has now conveyed to the defence ministry that the SOPs for troops deployment to control violence could not take precedence over existing law and therefore it should accordingly be changed.

The delayed deployment in Assam had even prompted state chief minister Tarun Gogoi to express anguish, saying had the Army been deployed in time, many lives could have been saved.

The home ministry, during a post-mortem of the episode, found that the local Army commanders did not budge over the district magistrate's request till a formal request was made by the state chief secretary to Union home secretary R K Singh who, in turn, asked the defence ministry to rush in Army personnel to Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri.

Even the formal request could not see the defence ministry act swiftly. The ministry reportedly felt that the riots could be locally contained with the help of police and paramilitary personnel and therefore did not want Army to get embroiled in an ethnic conflict.

"This initial reluctance caused lot of damage as we later found out that most of the killings took place before the deployment of Army," an official official.

Had local Army commanders heeded these requests, troops could have reached the trouble spots within three to four hours as two major Army stations, including a full Mountain Division, are located within a distance of 150 km from the violence-hit districts.....................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDgvMDYjQXIwMDkwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Pune blasts ..... another terror attack ..... threats continue on India's mainland

http://t.co/3gIYXG8s

Bomb design flaw averted major tragedy in Pune

Mihir Tanksale & Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 2, 2012, 11.51PM IST

PUNE/NEW DELHI: Less than 24 hours after minor blasts rocked Pune, security experts on Thursday were stunned by evidence that the serial explosions were part of a full-blown terror attack, which providentially went awry, preventing mass casualties on the city's bustling Jangli Maharaj road.

An official said a design flaw in the bombs caused them to explode partially and prevented the shrapnel from spreading. Without naming any group, a top home ministry official in New Delhi said there were "credible leads" pointing to a "big plan" by a terror outfit.

"Preliminary forensic result which is an outcome of the detailed examination of the two unexploded IEDs and nature of blasts shows that the bomb had all the ingredients to cause a much bigger impact and had the potential to take lives of many people."

In Pune, police bomb experts who supervised dismantling of the devices also said the four bombs placed on Jangli Maharaj road on Wednesday evening exploded only partly. Had these and the two that were defused gone off fully, the damage caused would have been "major", they said.

A bomb disposal officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TOI each bomb contained two or three detonators, a nine-volt battery, a circuit, a timer, ball bearings and a yellow sticky substance.

"The design of the bombs was faulty, due to which they did not explode fully. The bearings were by and large intact even in the devices that went off. Had the bombs exploded fully, the bearings could have injured several people," he said.

The officer said at least five detonators did not explode. "We defused these detonators at our office at Shivajinagar," he said. The expert said a sticky substance covered the detonators, batteries and bearings in each bomb.

"We have sent the substance to the state forensic laboratory for chemical analysis," he said. Police were probing whether the bombs contained ammonium nitrate, a powerful explosive. On Wednesday, police had said there were four blasts and one device had been defused before the timer could go off.

Sources in New Delhi, meanwhile, said the manner in which digital wristwatches were used as timers and the detonator circuits along with the way bombs were kept on three newly-bought bicycles, one dustbin and two polythene bags were similar to the technique adopted by the banned terror group Indian Mujahideen.

The terror outfit had adopted a similar modus operandi in the serial blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi in November, 2007 and in Jaipur in May, 2008. Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and home secretary R K Singh, however, remained reticent about the horrific revelations.

"We have taken it very seriously," said Shinde, indicating that the low-intensity blasts were not being dismissed as a mere messaging by a terror group and the government was aware of a carefully-scripted plan.

"Since the blasts have taken place within an area of 500 metres and within a span of 45 minutes, it appears to be a coordinated act. I am sure there was a plan behind it," said home secretary R K Singh.

Meanwhile, Pune police on Thursday identified the shop from where two of the three new bicycles were purchased by the terrorists. Officers said two men bought the bicycles from Soni Cycle Trading Company at Phadke Haud, Budhwar Peth, around 11am on Wednesday, about eight hours before the first bomb went off.

The police have questioned the owner of the shop, his brother and two employees and based on descriptions given by them, sketches of the two men have been prepared. The shop owner also told police the two men were speaking Gujarati.

A senior police officer from the crime branch told TOI that the shop was traced with the help of serial numbers embossed on the bicycles. "We searched several bicycle shops in the Phadke Haud area," an officer said. The officer said police have also taken CCTV footage from a firecracker shop in Shaniwar Peth.

"The shop owner has installed a high-resolution camera at his shop. The camera is facing the road. We are suspecting that the duo may have used the road in front of the shop."

Meanwhile, police are still questioning Dayanand Patil, the man injured in first of the blasts at Balgandharva chowk. Cops also questioned his wife, Satyakala, in Pune and recorded her statement. Police said Patil had visited either Jordan or Dubai in 2003.

They have seized his passport and are trying to ascertain the reason for his visit abroad. Police refused to say whether he was being seen as a suspect in the blasts. Patil works as a tailor at a laundry on Shirole road, a few metres from Balgandharva chowk. He lives in Urulikanchan, 20 km from the city, with his wife and three-year-old daughter.

Tunnel along International Border .... It shows apathy of Indian border guarding force

http://t.co/9dI6c1m2

India to draw Pak attention to J&K tunnel

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Aug 1, 2012, 12.49AM IST 

NEW DELHI: India will soon take up the uncovering of a cross-border tunnel in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir with higher authorities in Pakistan.

Though the BSF lodged a strong protest with its Pakistani counterpart at a flag meeting on Tuesday, the matter would be escalated via diplomatic channel with details of the findings.

"It is a matter of concern. It is being discussed at the highest levels between ministry of home affairs, ministry of defence and ministry of external affairs. An appropriate response, an appropriate way will be found to take it up with Pakistan," home minister P Chidambaram said.

Complimenting the security forces for the detection, he said a similar tunnel was found sometime ago along the border. The BSF had on July 28 detected the 400-meter-long tunnel after an area caved-in in a straight line at some places due to rains near fencing along the International Border (IB).

 The tunnel had been dug up between two sides along the IB on India's Chillayari border outpost (BoP) and Pakistan's Lumberiyal BoP. It is believed that the tunnel was dug up for infiltration and smuggling. The area had also seen such tunnels during peak of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

 The tunnel, having 3x3 ft dimension, was detected at a depth of 25 ft below the ground level. The tunnel is equipped with a two-inch pipe for air supply. The BSF, which raised the issue with Pakistan Rangers and handed over a strong protest note with pictorial evidence at a flag meeting at Octroi BoP along the IB in R S Pura sector of Jammu on Tuesday, has also sought help from the Army, the Geological Survey of India, the ISRO and other allied agencies for uncovering the remaining portion of the tunnel.

 "These agencies will conduct further digging to find out the extension and opening of the tunnel," said an official here, adding the ISRO would also help these agencies with satellite imagery. He said that the border guarding force and other security agencies, including state police, had been asked to look for any other such tunnel, if any, along the border.

 Villagers have also been alerted. They have been asked to inform the BSF or local police if they come across any similar ground construction in the area.

Assam violence .... Will real politicians stand up to end this crisis?

http://t.co/5vkLiP6j

Assam riots: Muslim MPs seek central intervention, say have no faith in Gogoi

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 27, 2012, 03.39AM IST 

NEW DELHI: A group of Muslim MPs, led by Congress leader K Rahman Khan, on Thursday demanded central intervention to end the ongoing ethnic clashes in lower Assam saying they have lost confidence in Tarun Gogoi government's ability to control the spiraling violence.

The demand came in the backdrop of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's slated visit to the troubled areas on Saturday, even as the home ministry asked the state to hold leaders of both sides responsible in case of any more violence.

"There is failure somewhere. We have lost confidence in the state government's ability to control violence and demanded central intervention," Khan said after meeting home minister P Chidambaram.

His remarks come amid reports that it was the Centre that had first alerted Assam about the first incident, which eventually became a full-blown crisis resulting in deaths of at least 42 people in the past seven days. 

"District administration appeared to sit quietly till a strong missive went to the state from the home ministry", said an official, adding it was strange that the 'incidents' which saw killing of two Muslims and four Bodos did not wake up the local police administration.

Officials here felt that the local administration should not have taken the incidents 'lightly', particularly when the areas, comprising Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri, had history of such communal flare-ups. Government warned that the leaders of both Bodos and Muslims would be held responsible if any side was found to be instigating violence.

"The Centre and the state government are both clear that any violence on any side that is instigated and that result in loss of life, the leaders on both sides shall be made responsible," said Union home secretary R K Singh.

He, however, said the situation was better as no incident was reported during the day. So far, 100 rioters were arrested, he added. The home minister, who had been constant touch with the chief minister, too said there was no casualty in the past 24 hours.

The home secretary said the prime objective of the government was also to provide help and assistance to the affected people who were in camps. He said approximately 1.71 lakh people have been displaced due to the ethnic violence in lower Assam.

Referring to the incidents and displacement of people due to ongoing violence, the Muslim MPs, including NCP's Tariq Anwar, Asrarul Haque (Congress) and Sabir Ali (JD-U), said they had "never seen such kind of ethnic violence in India". "Situation is very tense and something has to be done urgently. The state government has not been able to control the situation", said Khan, the former deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Assam violence .... a gory chapter which may unravel bitter truth of existence

http://t.co/0htAVfrb

PM steps in, asks Gogoi to check Assam violence

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 25, 2012, 12.35AM IST 

NEW DELHI: With fresh violence erupting in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam despite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday stepped in to take stock of the situation and asked chief minister Tarun Gogoi to take all possible measures to control the violence even as the Centre directed Army to increase its footprint in the troubled area.

Singh, who represents Assam in Rajya Sabha, also spoke to home minister P Chidambaram and is learnt to have expressed the need to involve leaders of both Bodo tribals and minority immigrants in defusing the tension.

Chidambaram and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi too spoke to Gogoi and asked him to take adequate measures to control the violence which has spread to 400 villages in Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD).

Sources said the Army deployed its men in Kokrajhar and took out a flag march in the area and an order was issued to send additional personnel to Chirang and Dhubri. The Army will deploy units located in other parts of the northeast, sources added. Besides, the home ministry rushed 1,500 more paramilitary personnel and a senior official to the state. It is in addition to 1,400 men who were deployed on Monday.

Officials in the ministry are in touch with Muslim leaders including Dhubri MP and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Maulana Badruddin Ajmal and Bodo leaders, asking them to take the lead in defusing the tension.

"We have sent 29 companies (2,900 men) of paramilitary forces. Apart from that, Army units are also deployed there. I have spoken to the leaders of the Bodos and Muslims also. I have told the state that anything more they require will be given," home secretary R K Singh, who has been in constant touch with the Assam chief secretary and DGP, said.

The home secretary, meanwhile, cancelled his trip to Manipur where he was scheduled to go over the weekend to review the law and order situation.

Twenty-five people have been killed in ethnic violence in the state. Besides, thousands have been rendered homeless with most of them taking shelter in government-run relief camps. The violence followed an incident of firing on two student leaders in Kokrajhar.

Since miscreants have also started targeting trains, the home ministry asked the Railway Board chairman to activate local security in coordination with central forces and the state government. In one incident, rioters attacked the Guwahati-bound Rajdhani Express at Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district damaging four coaches.

The matter was later taken up by railway minister Mukul Roy who spoke to both Chidambaram and Gogoi. Seeking additional security, Roy is learnt to have apprised them of the difficulties being faced by the railways in ensuring safe and smooth movement of trains to and from Assam.

Roy requested additional security, specially in the 54-km badly affected stretch between Srirampur and Salakati railway stations so that trains held up in the region for more than 24 hours could be moved to their destinations.

Pranab Mukherjee ..... wait for real President to stand up during crisis

http://t.co/cqk6fcV2

Govt now set to hit the gas on reforms

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 23, 2012, 02.47AM IST 

NEW DELHI: The conclusion of the presidential election and the expected smooth sailing in Vice-President Hamid Ansari's re-election is set to clear the way for some energetic action on the governance front with the PM focusing on some much-needed reforms. Some tough decisions — including a marginal rise in diesel prices — are also on the cards.

The Congress has its work cut out: it must first placate sulking NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who is upset over alleged slights meted out by the senior partner in Delhi as well as in Maharashtra.

The party must then stare down threats by the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool to block opening FDI in retail while pressing ahead with insurance and pension reform. The tasks seem a tall order and progress might actually be incremental.

A change in the finance ministry, with home minister P Chidambaram returning to his original charge, is expected to be accompanied by some changes in portfolios. Rahul Gandhi is expected to assume greater responsibility and his inclusion in the Cabinet with a portfolio like HRD or rural development is not ruled out.

There will be a rearrangement of the pecking order in the Cabinet as well. The workload in terms of GoMs is expected to be shared between defence minister A K Antony, Chidambaram and Pawar.

 The successful presidential poll, however, is a major success for the Congress that has been grappling with rough weather over a slowing economy and trouble from allies. After the result on Sunday, Mukherjee spoke to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee who agreed to come to Delhi for his swearing-in.

In an effort to mend fences, Mukherjee is understood to have insisted on Banerjee's presence, saying the ceremony would be incomplete without her. In the final ananysis, Mukherjee defeated Sangma by a margin of 3.97 lakh vote value.

The 81 invalid votes included that of SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sangma got his votes mainly from MPs belonging to the BJP, BJD, SAD and AIADMK. Among MLAs, he got votes mostly from BJP-ruled states. A total of 748 MPs voted on July 19. Of the total votes of MPs, Mukherjee got 527 while Sangma got 206.

The icing on the cake for the UPA was the cracks in the NDA, evident in Karnataka and Jharkhand. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supported the UPA candidate on expected lines, although two independents voted for Sangma.

Congress leaders sought to rub in cross-voting in the opposition ranks while BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad admitted that the Karnataka vote did not reflect the party strength. But he added that the opposition tally was a record with BJP joining forces with parties such as Naveen Patnaik's BJD and J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK.

There were as many as 15 invalid votes cast by MPs, with nine favouring Mukherjee. These would entail a loss of a significant 6,372 votes for the UPA camp. Overall, there were 81 invalid votes and although Sangma suffered due to cross-voting, his tally exceeded the committed opposition vote value by around 5,000........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDcvMjMjQXIwMDgwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Pranab Mukherjee ..... return of an active politician at Raisina Hill

http://t.co/lpdJZXCS

Pranab Mukherjee records huge win, gets almost 70% of votes

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jul 23, 2012, 01.34AM IST 

Mukherjee polled a vote value of 7.14 lakh or about 69.3% of the valid votes in the electoral college — aided by cross-voting from BJP legislators in Karnataka.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee's big win in the presidential election — which will make him the 13th occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan — marks the return of an active politician at Raisina Hill after three successive Presidents who were either past their prime in politics or did not have a political background at all.

Since July 1997, when K R Narayanan became President, the high office has been held by missile man A P J Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil whose careers had peaked, while Mukherjee was a hands-on politician playing a crucial role in UPA affairs.

Unlike his predecessors who were picked as safe choices by the ruling establishment of the day, Mukherjee sought the job and even bent his party to his will, aided by some ill-timed pressure tactics by Congress ally Mamata Banerjee that yielded unexpected results.

Interestingly, Mukherjee will move to Rashtrapati Bhavan from 13 Talkatora Road, a fact that may intrigue the numerologically inclined. Those who know Mukherjee say his sense of the Constitution, politics and grasp of governance make him his own man who cannot be taken for granted as President.

Mukherjee made the point, saying he would try and fulfill expectations to "defend, preserve and protect" the Constitution. Mukherjee polled a vote value of 7.14 lakh or about 69.3% of the valid votes in the electoral college — aided by cross-voting from BJP legislators in Karnataka.

The Opposition nominee, former Speaker P A Sangma, secured a vote value of 3.16 lakh, handing Mukherjee a handsome margin. After the result was finally out on Sunday evening, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by son Rahul, called on Mukherjee to congratulate him.

The presence of Rahul was noted, particularly in the context of his announcement that he was accepting a more active role in Congress affairs. Soon after, PM Manmohan Singh reached Mukherjee's residence where celebrations were underway since the afternoon when his tally crossed the halfway mark. Cross-voting by BJP MLAs in Karnataka, where the party is in majority, saw Mukherjee gaining a lead of 117 votes to Sangma's 103...............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDcvMjMjQXIwMDEwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

President Pranab Mukherjee ..... beginning new chapter

http://t.co/gCUD9uYj

Pranab Mukherjee elected India's 13th President

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 22, 2012, 04.42PM IST 

NEW DELHI: UPA presidential candidate and former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee got the magic figures (around 5.18 lakh worth of votes) to become new President of India. He got the required number during the ongoing counting of votes at Parliament House here on Sunday.

The formal announcement to this effect will be made soon by the Election Commission of India after completion of the counting process.

Mukherjee got the required numbers during the counting of votes of Maharashtra. Though counting of votes of 15 more states are still awaited, it will only have academic value.

As expected, the UPA constituents and its key supporting parties like SP, BSP, RJD and others had supported Mukherjee. Besides, he also got the support of opposition parties like Shiv Sena and JD(U). Mukherjee defeated the BJP-backed presidential candidate P A Sangma. The former NCP leader Sangma got his votes mainly from the MPs belong to BJP, BJD, SAD and AIADMK.

Among MLAs, he got votes mostly in BJP-ruled states like Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Interestingly, the BJP-ruled Karnataka witnessed cross-voting during Presidential poll. Ongoing counting shows that over a dozen BJP MLAs might have voted in favour of Pranab Mukherjee who got 117 votes.

Sangma got 103 votes in the state. Mukherjee got the overwhelming support of Parliamentarians (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs) in the President's election securing a vote value of 3,73,116. He got the remaining vote value (1.36lakh) to reach the magic number (majority mark of 5.18) lakh) from the MLAs who cast their votes in his favour. Sangma, on the other hand, managed to get a vote value of only 1,45,848 in the counting of votes of MPs.

His vote value increased to over 2.2 lakh when votes of MLAs of BJP-ruled states counted. A total of 748 MPs voted in the election on July 19. Of the total votes, Mukherjee got 527 votes while Sangma got 206. Fifteen votes including that of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid. Counting of ballots began amidst tight security in Parliament House here in the presence of authorised representatives of both Mukherjee and Sangma at 11am.

First trend came around 1pm after counting of votes of all MPs. Authorised representatives if both the Presidential candidates inspected the seals of the ballot boxes and the counting began after ascertaining that they were not tampered with. As many as 95 per cent of the 4,896 electors -- 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs -- had exercised their franchise on Thursday at the polling centres set up in Parliament House and 30 other states and Union territories with assemblies.

All the ballot boxes from the states had reached Parliament House by Saturday and were kept in a strong room. The vote of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had been declared invalid by the Election Commission on the ground that he violated the code of secrecy by revealing his ballot. Yadav had initially voted for Sangma and then tore the ballot paper when he realised his mistake.

26/11 Mumbai terror attack ..... Pakistan's delaying tactics amid threat from its hawks

http://t.co/J5zLU5hb

India 'open' to allowing Pak panel to cross-examine 26/11 witnesses

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 18, 2012, 02.48AM IST

NEW DELHI: A Pakistani court's decision rejecting findings of an inquiry commission, which visited India in March in connection with 26\11 probe, on Tuesday saw an upset New Delhi to consider whether the panel be given a second chance, allowing it to cross-examine witnesses in Mumbai.

Indian officials indicated New Delhi is open to the idea, although it was up to Pakistan to come out formally on the next course of action after a court held that panel's report cannot be considered as witnesses in India were not cross- examined.

Though the eight-member Pakistani panel, comprising defence lawyers and prosecutors, had pitched for cross-examining four witnesses when it visited Mumbai in March, Indian authorities refused permission saying this was not part of the agreement between the two nations.

The visiting panel had recorded statements of the witnesses — additional chief metropolitan magistrate R V Sawant Waghule, investigating officer (IO) Ramesh Mahale and two doctors who conducted post-mortem of the victims and nine Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed during the Mumbai carnage.

It is unclear why India did not insist on a 'cross-examination' clause earlier knowing fully well Islamabad's attempts to dodge a serious probe. Officials admitted New Delhi failed to anticipate that the panel's visit could be held infructuous for not having cross-examined witnesses.

The Pakistani Commission submitted its report to an anti-terrorist court trying seven Mumbai attack accused, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and others, for masterminding the carnage.

Unhappy over the Pakistani court's ruling that the report of the panel has "no legal value" as it did not cross-examine witnesses in Mumbai, Indian home secretary R K Singh said, "Our belief is that the evidence collected by the Commission is of evidential value". He said New Delhi would seek a copy of the court ruling.

"After we go through the judgment, we will discuss with the Pakistan government as to what they propose to do about it," Singh said. The home secretary, however, did not elaborate, saying it would be premature to anticipate anything at this juncture.

The decision to send the Pakistani Commission to India was first taken during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries here in March, 2011. Islamabad, however, took one year to send its panel after delays due to several not very convincing reasons.

A section within the home ministry believes had Pakistan raised the issue of cross-examination when the agreement was being drafted, India would have agreed for it under provisions of the CrPC. Section 290 (Execution of Foreign Commission) has a specific provision allowing such a panel "examination of witnesses in relation to criminal matters".

Even Pakistani law has similar provisions. "Not raising the issue at the stage of agreement might be a part of Pakistan's delaying tactics on 26\11 trial which has been lingering on without any success for the last over three years," said an official. The 26\11 terror attack by 10 Pakistani Lashkar terrorists left 166 people dead in November, 2008.

Nine of the terrorists were killed by security forces, while Ajmal Kasab was the lone gunman, who was nabbed and is lodged in a Mumbai jail. Pakistan arrested seven LeT terrorists following international pressure.

Islamabad had contended that charges against the LeT operatives, including Lakhvi, Shah and others — lodged in a jail in that country — were based on Kasab's statement in Mumbai. This was why it was necessary to submit the magistrate's and the investigating officer's statements to the anti-terror court........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzA3LzE4I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Incentive to join mainstream ...... we should not expect the Maoists to come forward ... the scheme is, however, good enough for foot soldiers to explore new opportunity

http://t.co/VFvmI48o

Centre hikes cash award for surrendered Maoists by 15 times

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 14, 2012, 04.02AM IST

 Although all Maoist-affected states give incentives to Maoists who surrender, the Centre's move to increase its share will help cash-strapped states to pursue the surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy more vigorously.

NEW DELHI: As part of its reward and punishment tactics in containing Maoist insurgents, the Centre sharply hiked its contribution to the cash award for those who surrender with such Red ultras now likely to receive between Rs 3 to 5 lakh for coming over ground.

In a bid to nudge states into following suit, the Centre increased its share of the financial contribution for cash awards by 15 times from the existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh as one-time grant for Naxalites surrendering without arms and by 7.5 times -- from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh -- for ultras with weapons.

"The aim of the surrender policy is to wean youth as well as hardcore Naxalites who have strayed into the Naxal movement and now find themselves trapped," said an official.

Increased financial assistance would help ensure that these Naxalites do not find it attractive to rejoin the movement. Incentive tied to weapon Maoists who surrender with 'arms' may even be able to get more by way of one-time financial assistance, depending on the kind of weapons handed over to the security forces. 

This means a Maoist can receive monetary incentive of Rs 5 lakh if he or she surrenders with a light machine gun (LMG) or sniper rifle and Rs 3 lakh if the weapon is an AK-47 rifle. This is irrespective of whether Maoists come over ground with 'looted' police weapons or those procured from elsewhere.

Besides the one-time grant, the Centre will continue with its policy of giving a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000 for such surrendered Maoists for 36 months. The home ministry shared details of its decisions with states during a meeting on Friday chaired by Ajay Chadha, special secretary, internal security.

The meeting discussed 'ways and means' to continue anti-Naxal operations with enhanced precautions in situations where Maoists use villagers, including women and children, as 'human shields' during an encounter with security forces.

This is pertinent keeping in view the allegations leveled by human rights activists after the recent Chhattisgarh encounters.

Although all Maoist-affected states give incentives to Maoists who surrender, the Centre's move to increase its share will help cash-strapped states to pursue the surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy more vigorously. At present, different states offer varying 'financial packages' to Maoists who surrender.

The central move to increase its share will also help states in devising a uniform incentive policy for Maoists who want to surrender with or without arms. Guidelines announced by the home ministry last year offered an additional incentive of Rs 15,000 for each AK-47/56/74 rifle, Rs 25,000 for rocket propelled grenade/sniper rifle, Rs 5,000 for a frequency communication set and Rs 3,000 for a pistol or revolver. 

"There was a need to review the existing surrender policy with bigger financial incentives. Since states had been asked to enhance the incentives, it was essential for Centre to offer the money as its share," said an official. An immediate grant of Rs 1.5 lakh for a Maoist is placed in a bank as a fixed deposit which may be withdrawn after completion of three years, subject to good behaviour as certified by authorities...............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMi8wNy8xNCNBcjAwMzAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Purulia Arms Drop case ..... test of diplomacy over law of the land

http://t.co/75bPdUHw

Purulia case: India downgrades ties with Denmark for Kim Davy rebuff

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 13, 2012, 12.55AM IST 

Kim Davy is wanted in India for the air-dropping of sophisticated arms – including AK-47 assault rifles — and ammunition in West Bengal’s Purulia district on December 17, 1995.

NEW DELHI: Stepping up its protest against Denmark for its refusal to extradite Purulia arms drop accused Kim Davy, India has decided to further scale down bilateral ties. The government has instructed its ministries and departments not to entertain Danish diplomats.

Sections in the government see the Danish "cussedness" over Davy's extradition as an expression of racism. "All arguments including those forwarded by Danish legal firms have failed to convince Denmark. It is against all civilized norms... It's like giving protection to a terrorist... It smacks of racism," a top government official said.

Davy is wanted in India for the air-dropping of sophisticated arms - including AK-47 assault rifles — and ammunition in West Bengal's Purulia district on December 17, 1995. The huge cache of arms has been held responsible for the proliferation of illegal, sophisticated firearms in Bihar and eastern UP leading to bloody gang wars.

India's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties came after Copenhagen's refusal to appeal its high court's verdict rejecting Davy's extradition in the Supreme Court.

The move came after New Delhi's repeated attempts to convince Denmark about contesting the lower court's verdict failed. Government sources said New Delhi not only shared with Copenhagen the opinion of three top Danish law firms that found enough ground for appeal but also offered to put Davy in a 'special jail' keeping concerns of courts of that country in mind if the accused is extradited to India.

They said the Danish courts were not considering the merits of the alleged crime but were laying emphasis on India's prison conditions and human rights issues. Sources said that a fresh circular had been issued directing senior officials not to meet or entertain any Danish diplomat posted in India.

"We'll see what more can be done to further scale down diplomatic ties with Denmark," said as senior official. The circular was issued around 11 months after the external affairs ministry's advisory, which had emphasized that India must reciprocate Denmark's non-cooperation in refusing to contest its lower court's verdict in Davy's extradition case.

The finance ministry had, subsequently, issued a communique that all agreements and projects with Denmark be finalized only after consultation with the external affairs ministry. The case against Davy relates to an incident on December 17, 1995, when an AN-26 aircraft dropped sophisticated arms - including AK-47 assault rifles — and ammunition in Purulia district at the dead of night.

The crew of the aircraft consisted of five Latvian citizens and a British national Peter Bleach, who were all arrested. Davy, however, managed to escape. The Latvians were released from prison in 2000 after a request from Russian authorities while Bleach was given presidential pardon in 2004 following a request by the UK government.

Though the Danish government had in April 2010 agreed to extradite Davy, the accused appealed against the decision in the city court which ruled against the extradition in November 2010. The Danish government appealed against the city court's decision in the high court. The high court in June last year upheld the city court order against Davy's extradition.

Later, India asked Denmark to appeal it further in its Supreme Court. But the Danish authorities refused to do so. They reportedly conveyed to India that the prosecutor was not under the control of the Danish government..................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzA3LzEzI0FyMDEzMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Bureaucrats' privileges come under scanner

http://t.co/EaIpuswo

Centre tightens norms for babus' foreign junkets

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 11, 2012, 02.57AM IST 

NEW DELHI: Tightening the screw on foreign junkets of bureaucrats, the Centre has come out with new guidelines seeking more details of proposed visit of 'babus' if they want to get mandatory government clearance for going abroad.

Under the guidelines, the bureaucrats will not only have to give details of the "sponsoring authority" and all information relating to expenditure of the proposed visit but also submit a "write up" if they are supposed to attend a conference/seminar in foreign countries.

Officers will have to comply with it irrespective of whether they intend to go abroad on personal or official visit. The expenditure details which are supposed to be submitted include air fare and approximate costs of food and lodging.

All these information need to be passed on to the concerned ministries at least 15 days before the scheduled visit. Though these guidelines will be meant for all bureaucrats across the country, the Centre to begin with has circulated it for officers of the Delhi and Andaman Nicobar Islands Civil/Police Services (DANICS and DANIPS).

The home ministry had on June 26 sent an 'office memorandum' (OM) comprising these guidelines to chief secretaries of Delhi and A&N Islands, administrators of Daman & Die and Lakshadweep and Delhi Police commissioner.

The new guidelines came in the backdrop of a note from home secretary R K Singh who in April wrote to all central ministries mentioning how the government had come across instances where officers at different levels had been in touch with foreign nationals or embassy staffers of other countries for being nominated for courses abroad.

Asking all senior officers not to mingle with foreigners working with different embassies or high commissions, Singh, in his note to secretaries on April 3, had said, "Such contacts give an opportunity to foreign service nationals and embassy officers\staffers (some of whom may be intelligence operatives) to cultivate sources within the government and\or push their agenda."

Although the provision to disclose 'details' of foreign visits are there in the service rule books of bureaucrats, the new guidelines will help the government in getting complete information in advance before sanctioning the journey.

The June 26 OM had stated that the government had to form the guidelines to regulate the issue of foreign visits as it was found that officers are often submit "incomplete" information and that too very late for getting "cadre clearance regarding ex-India visit\leave".

The OM, which is to be sent to all states for guiding regulation of foreign visits of officers, says that before forwarding any proposal to the concerned ministry, the state\UT administration should verify it in accordance with the extant guidelines issued by the central government.

It says: "Only those proposals which conform to the said guidelines should be forwarded to the ministry after due certification". On proposed visit of officers to attend any conference\seminar abroad, the guidelines want the bureaucrats to submit a write up as to how the conference\seminar is going to benefit him or his organization. The officers will also be required to submit his\her "report" once they come back after attending such conference or seminar.

"Such move will help government in regulating whether officers who are given clearance for foreign visits had actually gone for the purpose stated by them or for something else", said an official. He added that a mechanism to scrutinize other details will also be put in place in view of the new guidelines so that it could check any unnecessary contact of bureaucrats with foreigners as stated by the home secretary in his April note..................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDcvMTEjQXIwMTMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Maoists threats ..... Ultras know how to keep governance at bay

http://t.co/W3po4r8z

Railways seeks security to lay lines in Naxal-hit areas

Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Jul 10, 2012, 01.41AM IST 

NEW DELHI: Facing serious threat from Maoists in the construction of a railway track in the mineral rich zone of Chhattisgarh, the railway ministry has written to the home ministry seeking immediate deployment of paramilitary force at Dalli Rajhara-Rowghat area in the state where 95 km of rail line is to be laid to cater to the nearby industrial belt comprising Bhilai steel plant and other industries.

Amid constant disturbances to the project from the ultras, Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal on July 5 wrote to home secretary R K Singh seeking security for construction of the railway line whose contract was finalized almost three years ago.

Mittal wrote, "Owing to the security problems and non-availability of land free of any encumbrances, the execution agency of the first contract is already threatening to abandon the contract. Continuation of this trend is also likely to impact the second contract."

Out of the total 95 km to be linked by rail, contract for earth work, bridges and other structures have been awarded in two parts. Though the first contract was finalized in November 2009, the threat from Maoists has virtually put construction work on hold.

The first major obstruction came in March last year when earth moving equipment and machinery was set ablaze at Keoti by the Naxalites.

The Centre has, meanwhile, decided to deploy 3,000 paramilitary personnel (mainly from the BSF) to guard nearby mining projects and the rail construction site. The BSF personnel will provide security to transport ore slurry through the Naxal-hit area to Bhilai steel plant, which may have to stop production in three to four years if new source of iron ore is not found.

State-owned SAIL had sought five battalions (5,000 men) of paramilitary forces to guard the Rowghat iron ore mines spread over 2,030 hectares in Kanker and Narayanpur districts, but the home ministry has decided to provide three battalions initially on a priority basis.

The steel company had received environment and forest clearances way back in 2009 for developing the prolific mines, located in the Bastar region of the state, but could not make much progress because of Maoist activities.

The security problem is so acute that Australian consultancy firm Hatch Associates, appointed by SAIL to prepare a detailed project exploration report, could not move ahead. The development of the mines would also require felling of around 1.5 lakh trees. Mittal, in his letter to the home secretary, said tree cutting would only be possible once security cover was provided. 

Encounter with Maoists ...... use of villagers as human shield is as reprehensible as killing innocents .... CRPF's excuse can't be taken as truth

http://t.co/jCv0D68v

Chhattisgarh Maoist encounter: It was 'a chance encounter,' CRPF says

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jul 3, 2012, 05.59PM IST 

In its report to the home ministry, the CRPF has claimed that it was "a chance encounter" and the troop had no option but to retaliate the fire from naxal side.

NEW DELHI: In its report to the Union home ministry on the encounter which left a number of villagers killed in Chhattisgarh last week, the CRPF has claimed that it was "a chance encounter" and the troop had no option but to retaliate the fire from naxal side when it was moving to the area to take action against Ultras on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.

The CRPF claimed: "As per intelligence inputs, approximately one military company of Naxals (over 100 Ultras) in the Silger area was stated to be present".

It said there was also information of Naxals training camp in the area and therefore the operation was planned for that particular liberated zone of the Maoists.

The paramilitary force in the report, submitted to the ministry on late Monday evening, has narrated the sequence of events and highlighted that the mass gathering in the area had nothing to do with any festival - as claimed by civil rights activists - and the naxals had actually planned it in advance to launch offensive against security forces.

One-page note of the paramilitary force, accessed by the TOI, said: "On the basis of intelligence input, the operation was planned for Silgar general area. The encounter, however, took place near village Sarkaiguda approximately 3 Kms away from Basaguda when the troops were on their way to Silger, which clearly shows that it was a chance encounter".

Narrating the event, the force said:" the firing was suddenly started by the Naxals after observing presence of troops in the area. In this firing, six CoBRA/CRPF personnel got bullet injuries. The troops had to retaliate the fire in a tactical manner".

The CRPF has claimed that though the troops were equipped with sophisticated weapons, they exercised maximum restraint.

It said:" Presence of people from four different villages in the midnight in jungle area strengthens the fact that there seems to be mass gathering of prominent Naxals leaders along with their Jan Militia members to plan offensive against security forces".

Meanwhile, the state police has already started investigation into the incident which left 17 persons including three dreaded Maoists killed during encounter..............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDcvMDQjQXIwMTUwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom