HVK Archives by Thread
Starting: Tue 01 Apr 1997 - 10:47:40 EDT
Ending: Wed 30 Apr 1997 - 22:43:52 EDT
Messages: 245
- Comrades or Mullahs
- Periscope
- Organiser
- 30 March 1997
>>>Comrades describe themselves as secular. But in action, their
behaviour is motivated by consideration of appeasing a particular
section of the society. The latest example has been provided by the
CPM-controlled Government in West Bengal where the division bench
of the State High Court had decreed a ban on the use of
...
Orissa JD faction seeks tie-up with BJP - Rajaram Satapathy
- The Time of India
- 1 April 1997
>>>A group of Janata Dal (JD) MLAs in Orissa have favoured an alliance
with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, in a move that
coincides with the political developments at the Centre.
A group of 13 JD MLAs, which organised an exclusive convention here
on Sunday, adopted a resolution seeking an immediate accord with
...
Soul search - Interview of Uma Bharathi - N. K. Singh
- India Today
- 15 April 1997
>>>What is your happiest and unhappiest childhood memory?
The unhappiest memory is the time when our house was burnt and my
mother was beaten up because she had raised her voice against the
local landlord. My mother suffered the lathi blows in silence and
would not let go of the atta bag on her head, fearing that her
...
BJP prefers fresh elections, says Venkaiah Naidu - PTI
- The Financial Express
- 1 April 1997
>>>The BJP all India general secretary, Venkaiah Naidu, said today
that his party would prefer to go in for a snap poll in the
aftermath of the withdrawal of support to the UP ministry by the
Congress, but if the Members of Parliament wanted to avoid
dissolution of the house the only way open was a return to a BJP
...
"Being the CM is not important" - Interview of Kalyan Singh - Subhash Mishra
- India Today
- 15 April 1997
>>>The intriguing silence of the BJP national vice-president and
former chief minister Kalyan Singh for four days following the
announcement of the BSP-BJP alliance was cause enough for much
controversy. In this interview with Principal Correspondent SUBHASH
MISHRA, the first after the formation of the coalition Government,
...
BJP firm on forcing a mid-term election - Anil Saxena
- The Times of India
- 1 April 1997
>>>Placed in an "heads I win, tails you lose" situation, the BJP has
decided that it would continue to create conditions which would
ultimately lead to a snap poll. The party expects the mid-term
poll to be held in May as the President's election is due in June.
As part of its strategy the party has opposed the Congress claim to
...
Sinking Gowda ship sends SOS to saffron brigade - P R Ramesh
- The Economic Times
- 1 April 1997
>>>Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda - who is on a slippery ground after
the Congress lobbed the bombshell of withdrawal of support on the
ruling United Front regime - has informally opened channel of
communication with the BJP.
The request of help was conveyed to the party's senior leaders like
...
Kesri's gambit - Editorial - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 1 April 1997
>>>It remains to be seen whether Mr Sitaram Kesri's dramatic gambit -
described by his fellow partyman Mr Sharad Pawar as a "bolt from
the blue" - will prove to be a calculated gamble or a desperate
wager. On the face of it, the decision seems inexplicable. Logic
dictated that whatever its compulsions, the Congress would desist
...
BJP rules out stake to forming Government - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 1 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday ruled out staking claim to
form the Government, for the present, and urged President Shankar
Dayal Sharma to verify Congress's claim of majority before inviting
it to form the Government.
BJP president L K Advani and leader of opposition Atal Behari
...
A new agenda for Muslim radicals - Irfan Ahmad
- The Times of India
- 1 April 1997
>>>As we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the golden jubilee of
India's independence, there are moves to nullify it also. Recently
Muslim radicals under the banner of Milli Parliament at Hubli in
Karnataka resolved to launch a separate Muslim political party to
accomplish an "unfinished Islamic agenda". The Milli Parliament
...
Over to the people - Editorial - Editorial
- The Indian Express
- 1 April 1997
>>>Bearing either a miracle or an unexpected development along the
lines of what happened in Uttar Pradesh last week, the fall of the
H. D. Deve Gowda Government seems inevitable. As is proper, the
funeral rites must he performed in the Lok Sabha, and the sooner
the better. There is absolutely no justification for a Government
...
Radical deviation from his stand on accession - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - Organiser
- 30 March 1997
>>>Dear Dr Karan Singhji
You being the scion of the great Dogra dynasty, the people of the
State, more so of Jammu, have great expectations from you. In this
hour of crisis when Pakistan has launched a proxy war and certain
hostile elements from within and out side the State are working
...
Building houses for flood victims - F.O.C.
- Organiser
- 30 March 1997
>>>The recent cyclone that swept through Andhra Pradesh caused immense
damage to life and property running into several crores of rupees.
While many governmental organisations and voluntary agencies delved
into the relief operations, Jana Sankshema Samiti (JSS) was the
first one to provide quick relief to the needy with all promptness.
Indians are taking a long look in the minor - A. M. Rosenthal
- The Afternoon despatch & courier
- 31 March 1997
>>>Close now to 50 years of independence under political democracy,
Indians are deep in self-examination -- sparing nothing, from
corroding corruption to quota by casteism to bureaucratic
strangulation.
In range and bite, no other society approaches the long look in the
...
'Greater autonomy' a design to dismember the country-RSS - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - Organiser
- 30 March 1997
>>>The meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh was held at Reshimbag, Nagpur on 14, 15 and 16
March 1997. The following is the text of resolutions it adopted on
Kashmir, North-East and on the drift in Indian economic situation:
On Kashmir
...
Alcoholism is a greater problem than drugs in Northeast - Rupa Chinai
- Times of India
- 2 Apr 1997
>>>Emerging trends in northeastern states indicate that alcohol abuse
is turning out to be the most serious health problem affecting
young people here and could be even more serious than drug abuse.
Doctors and social workers in the region say there is an urgent
need for health policy interventions.
BJP runs north-south in Saffron vs Kesri duel - Our Political Bureau
- Economic Times
- 2 Apr 1997
>>>THE BJP is pinning its hopes on four regional parties - the DMK,
TMC, TTDP and the AGP - to thwart the attempts of Congress(I)
president Sitaram Kesri to snatch power from Prime Minister H D
Deve Gowda.
The party - which is yet to respond to a request from Mr Gowda for
...
After Easter Sunday - TVR Shenoy
- The Economic Times
- 2 Apr 1997
>>>HALFWAY through the morning of Easter Sunday, my phone started
ringing. It hasn't stopped since. It is a wonderful thing to have
a reputation as a latter-day Delphic oracle. Wonderful, but
exhausting, especially when I don't know what the Congress is
planning. I doubt if the Congress Working Committee (CWC) know!
...
Dalit, tribal women worst victims of Laloo's regime
Vajpayee for PM, say the people (Excerpts)
BJP to keep Kesri out at all cost - Arati R Jerath
- The Indian Express
- 3 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party may step in to help Deve Gowda remain as
caretaker Prime Minister in case a midterm poll becomes inevitable.
Party leaders are exploring various options on this front including
the possibility of abstaining during the confidence vote on April
11 to ensure that Congress president Sitaram Kesri does not bag
...
'Tell Mulayam to worry about himself' - Mayawati - Sharat Pradhan
- The Sunday Observer
- 30 March -
>>>Mayawati was the first ever dalit woman to head a government in any
state of the country. And now she has created history again by
assuming the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's office for the second
time. Significantly, the second time too, it is the Bharatiya
Janata Party which has heralded her elevation to power. The
...
Contradictions unbound - Dina Nath Mishra
- The Observer
- 3 April 1997
>>>The verdict of 1996 general election was fractured in a way that
could not have yielded a stable government in the scenario of the
inflexible mind-set of the political decision-makers. The way the
UF government was formed betrayed high level of ad-hocism. The
public was generally apprehensive of the durability of the
...
Integration at all cost - Abhishek Singh
- The Pioneer
- 26 March 1997
>>>During Narasimha Rao's visit to Malaysia a couple years ago, at one
of the Press conferences, a journalist contended that on the roads
of Kashmir one saw an apple cart for every few Army trucks. The
reference is symbolic of the state of affairs which separatist
forces bring with it: trade or other development activities in the
...
OIC's Islamabad declaration and India - Soumyajit Pattnaik
- The Pioneer
- 26 March 1997
>>>Two protocols were breached on Sunday one in Islamabad and the
other in New Delhi. Vice President K R Narayanan and External
Affairs Minister IK Gujral set aside normal diplomatic protocols to
attend the Pakistan National Day function in New Delhi. Across the
border, Pakistan President Farooq Leghari, riding roughshod over
...
The press and the CPI(M) - Sitaram Yechury
- The Hindu
- 31 March 1997
>>>Newspapers reported that the Prime Minister, while conferring
awards in memory of the indomitable G.K. Reddy recently, bemoaned
the tendency amongst scribes to sensationalise. This reminds one
of an old story about a bishop who was sent by the Vatican on a
goodwill tour to the United States. The departing bishop was,
...
Unique Ayyanar, Vishnu sculptures found - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Hindu
- 29 March 1997
>>>Three sculptures, belonging to the 7th or 8th century have been
found by the Archaeology Department of the State Government in
Alagramam and Mamandur in Villupuram Ramasamy Padayachiyar
district.
While the sculptures from Alagramam depict Ayyanar and Vishnu, the
...
BJP remains non-committal on confidence motion - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 3 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday refrained from making a
definite statement whether it would vote against the confidence
vote being sought by Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on April 11.
The party, instead, said that it would take a final decision on the
issue at the April 10 meeting of its parliamentary party meeting.
Sangma prods parties towards consensus on Budget - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 3 April 1997
>>>The move to secure the passage of the Finance Bill appears to be
gathering momentum with the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr P A Sangma,
taking the line that any logjam over the issue would result in a
"constitutional breakdown".
Mr Sangma, who was approached by both finance minister P
...
Business as usual - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 3 April 1997
>>>Just because a government is confronted with a vote of confidence
which it may lose, there is no reason for the business of
governance to come to a standstill. Ever since Mr Sitaram Kesri
dropped his ,Sunday bombshell, however, a strange mood of languor
and paralysis has descended upon the Capital. Government offices
...
Whitewashing Jyoti Basu - M V Kamath
- The Daily
- 30 March 1997
>>>Jyoti Basu : The Authorized Biography: Surabhi Banerjee; Viking;
pages 333; Rs 400.
Of all the non-BJP political leaders. Comrade Jyoti Basu stands
out as the tallest among them. On this there are possibly no two
opinions. The man has a long record of service. Whatever else he
...
Truth behind the pact - T V R Shenoy
- The Week
- 6 April 1997
>>>How does one make one lakh rupees every day? Simple, just get
talked about as someone 'influential'!
Let me explain. Immediately after the BJP-BSP pact was
crystallised, there was a rumour crediting me as the brain behind
the deal. Reactions to this were mixed, to put it mildly. But I
...
Waiting for apocalypse - Amulya Ganguli
- The Hindustan Times
- 26 March 1997
>>>An article in one of the last issues of Problems of Communism - a
magazine which closed down because its subject matter withered away
- described Marxism as "politics of the Apocalypse". Like all
millennial visions, Marxism was impatient with the present. As a
philosophy which sought to change the world rather than interpret
...
'Politics today is the law of the jungle' - Sikander Bakht - Ranjit Khomne
- The Afternoon on Sunday
- 23 March 1997
>>>Mr. Sikander Bakht has been made and unmade into many things by the
media. The reason: He is a prominent Muslim who places his die-hard
faith in the 'Hindu party' the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This,
to an outsider, may be surprising and even unusual but not to the
leaden "I am in the BJP by choice, not by compulsion," says the
...
No question of passing Budget if UF Govt toppled : Left - Political Bureau
- The Observer of Business & Politics
- 4 Apr 1997
>>>IN a major development, the Left parties on Thursday announced that
there was no question of passing the Finance Bill, if placed in
Parliament, unless a new Government was elected or the United Front
Government won the vote of confidence. However, they were in
favour of passing a vote-on-account to avoid any "constitutional
...
BJP wants second go at Govt if UF shown the door - Political Bureau
- The Observer of Business & Politics
- 4 Apr 1997
>>>WHILE the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday rejected Samata Party
president George Fernandes' proposal for formation of a
BJP-Congress coalition at the Centre, the regional compulsion of
majority of the United Front constituents of facing the Congress as
the main opponent in their respective states was the mainstay of
...
Shiv temple in Oman - Staff Reporter
- The Hindu
- 29 Mar 1997
>>>A grand Shiva temple in Oman, an avowed Islamic country?
Yes. Though a surprise, it has become a reality, thanks to the
secular credentials of the Sultan of Oman, Mr. Al-Qaboos, according
to the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. C. M. Ibrahim. The temple was
reported to be the First one in any Islamic country, he said.
Mumbai now a haven for illegal immigrants - Jitendra Satpute
- Free Press Journal
- 31 Mar 1997
>>>THE city has become a free-for-all haven for illegal immigrants
coming from neighbouring countries into India.
Influx of Bangladeshi immigrants as well as others coming into
Mumbai is on the rise (if unofficial figures are to be accepted)
because of "politicising of the issue by individuals as well as
...
Hindus, Muslims from India may benefit; and a comment - India Abroad News Service
- Observer of Business & Politics
- 21 Mar 1997
>>>THE Portuguese Parliamen't is considering a legislative plan to
provide equality before law to all religions that would benefit
both the Hindu and Muslim communities of Indian origin.
The new judicial status, if approved, would grant to all religions
exemption from taxes, right to religious publicity in official
...
BJP leaders keep options open - Anil Saxena
- The Times of India
- 6 April 1997
>>>Even as they hope for a windfall, possible if the political turmoil
leads to mid-term elections, BJP leaders are keeping their fingers
crossed, analysing various options open to them to stop the
formation of a Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.
The BJP sees an "unprecedented opportunity" coming its way, and
...
BJP worried over likely realignment of UF partners - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 5 April 1997
>>>The BJP, which is apprehensive that the threat of a mid-term
election would force the partners of the United Front for a
realignment after April 11, will chalk out its strategy to prevent
any durable non-BJP coalition from taking over power at the Centre
in the two-day meeting of the party's national executive.
Re: Bengal unit of BJP smells a rat - PTI
- The Economic Times
- 5 April 1997
>>>The West Bengal unit of BJP today said that the party would not be
surprised if the Congress formed the government at the Centre with
the support of the CPI-M.
The state, secretary of the party, Mr Rahul Sinha told newsmen that
the Congress leader, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, had already talked to the
...
BJP chief to be elected in Nov - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 7 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party will be electing a new party president
at a plenary session in November.
According to the BJP organisational polls schedule, finalised by
the national executive meeting on Sunday, the electoral college for
the party presidential elections is to be completed by October 31.
BJP more assertive on staking claim - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observe
- 7 April 1997
>>>As the Congress-United Front crisis appeared to be heading for
flashpoint on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party stepped in with
firm assertions of its claim to form the next Government if and
when the present one fell.
The BJP, which till Saturday had been content with saying that it
...
BJP will stake claim to forming Govt - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 7 April 1997
>>>For the first time since Mr Deve Gowda-led United Front Government
was gripped by survival crisis following Congress President Sitaram
Kesri's letter bomb, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday declared
its intentions to form the next Government.
"If we think, we can provide a stable Government. After the fall
...
Be prepared to rule India : BJP - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Asian Age
- 6 April 1997
>>>BJP president L.K. Advani on Saturday called upon party workers to
prepare for mid-term elections which, he said, "may take place any
time."
"Let us get ready for governance. Our aim is to win a clear
majority in the next trial of strength... It is with this objective
...
Shankaracharya to visit Kashmir on peace mission - Press Trust of India
- The Indian Express
- 5 April 1997
>>>Jagatguru Shankaracharya of Puri today said he would undertake a
journey to the Kashmir valley next week for restoration of peace
and bringing back normalcy to the strife-torn state.
"I will leave for Kashmir next week to work for the restoration of
peace m valley where the dance of death still continues," the
...
Pawar may still spring a surprise - Sujata Anandan
- The Indian Express
- 5 April 1997
>>>Sharad Pawar hasn't yet given up the idea of engineering a split in
the Congress. And as such, looking for ways out of the impasse, his
supporters believe that a formula could emerge whereby Congress MPs
might vote against the party whip, if Sitaram Kesri fads to climb
down or come up with some other face-saving act before April 11.
Bishops ask Christians to stay away from liquor trade - T K Devasia
- The Observer
- 7 April 1997
>>>In a significant move against the Communist-led government's
liberalised liquor policy, the bishops representing three Christian
denominations in Kerala have issued a sort of 'fatwa' to the
Christians against abetting liquor trade.
A joint pastoral letter read out in all the churches in the state
...
Sangh Parivar bid to woo tribals in Communist Kerala - K A Antony
- The Indian Express
- 7 April 1997
>>>The Sangh Parivar is making an all-out attempt to become a force to
reckon with in Kerala. It is using the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, one
of its frontal organisations, to do the ground work for its
political progress in the region.
Political observers attach considerable significance to the Hindu
...
That's the Spirit - two letters on Parsis in India - M G Bhat
- The Times of India
- 7 April 1997
>>>Letter One
Sir, - In these times of strife and squabbling, the insertion
(March 21) by the Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians in your paper on the
occasion of 50 years of independence comes like a breath of fresh
air. ('Thank you India for over 1000 years of freedom: From the
...
Suing for peace - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 5 April 1997
>>>Five days after the Congress made bold to withdraw support to the
United Front government, the party seems no closer to putting
together an alternative coalition than it was before. For all its
apparent disunity, the United Front has so far shown no particular
inclination to wither away, on which assumed contingency hinged the
...
Laloo takes Buddhist monks for a ride on temple issue - Abdul Qadir
- The Times of India
- 5 April 1997
>>>If the announcement of Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in
Delhi reiterating his 'commitment' to hand over the Mahabodhi
temple management to the Buddhists is any indication it means that
the monks have allowed themselves to be taken for ride again.
On at least half a dozen occasions between October 20, 1992, till
...
Young Muslims for pressure group, not party - Yusuf Jameel
- The Asian Age
- 6 April 1997
>>>A group of young Muslim politicians and activists have decided to
set up a pressure group to force the Centre and state governments
to resolve the issues concerning the minority community.
The group met here last week to work out modalities and observed
that though the various national parties were paying only "lip
...
Beyond shame and self-respect - M V Kamath
- Mid-day
- 5 April 1997
>>>Have we, as a nation, lost all sense of decency and propriety?
When the name of Lal Krishna Advani cropped up in connection with
the hawala scandal, the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) had the courage and a sense of moral rectitude not only
immediately to resign from his Lok Sabha membership, but to refuse
...
Book on Ramakrishna kicks up a controversy - Anita Katyal
- The Sunday Times of India
- 6 April 1997
>>>First, well-known historian Stanley Wolpert created ripples with
his recent book in which he referred to Jawaharlal Nehru's
"homosexual encounters" during his adolescence. And now, a
relatively lesser-known writer has created a storm with his book
which dwells at length on religious philosopher Ramakrishna
...
See what you get when you suppress traditional religion? - David Gelernter
- The Times of India
- 5 April 1997
>>>Thirty-nine people killed themselves in Rancho Santa Fe,
California, last week. Did the Internet have some-thing to do with
it? The cultists ran a Wab-page design business. They may have
trolled for new members by e-mail.
They believed that an alien spaceship was hiding behind the
...
Let's have elections under a caretaker govt - Rajindar Sachar
- The Times of India
- 7 April 1997
>>>The country may find itself in a constitutional crisis if the H.D.
Deve Gowda government is voted out when Parliament meets on Friday.
In such a scenario what are the courses open to the President? Had
Mr Deve Gowda, immediately on withdrawal of support by Congress,
advised dissolution of the Lok Sabha, precedents and conventions
...
BJP to deliver Gowda with a coup de grace - Arati R Jerath
- The Indian Express
- 7 April 1997
>>>In a new twist to the ongoing political drama, the national
executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today decided to pull
down the United Front Government led by H D Deve Gowda and try it
won hand at forming the government.
It has authorised parliamentary party leader A B Vajpayee to chalk
...
Bangla elders decry anti-Hindu remarks - India Abroad News Service
- The Observer
- 5 April 1997
>>>Bangladeshi intellectuals and prominent citizens have come out
against "communalist remarks" made by fundamentalist elements on
flaming torches carried across the nation to commemorate the 25th
anniversary of the country's independence.
Fundamentalist parties had dubbed the torches, Shikha Chiranttan
...
BJP insists on Vande Mataram in Constitution - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Asian Age
- 24 March 1997
>>>The BJP on Sunday demanded the amendment of the Constitution in
order to give national song Vande Mataram the status equal to that
of the national anthemn.
"I strongly feel that Article 51A should be properly amended to add
in clause (a) the words, "National Song." It is a historical fact
...
'There will a scramble from the UF after Gowda is voted out' - Mahendra Ved
- The Times of India
- 5 April 1997
>>>"Who knows, we may get the amrit (nectar) at the end of this sagar
manthan (churning of the ocean)," says Sushma Swaraj, using a
simile from ancient scripture. She is forthright about the role the
Bharatiya Janata Party sees for itself after it has done its "duty"
of bringing down the Deve Gowda government in the Lok Sabha on
...
'We will fight hard' an ex-PM endeavors to solve the crisis - Ruchira Gupta
- Asiaweek
- 11 April 1997
>>>Onetime prime minister V.P. Singh may suffer from a sick kidney,
but his political health remains strong.
Singh, leader of the centrist Janata Dal, cobbled together the
13-party United Front last year, exploiting both his moral
authority (he is regarded as incorruptible, even ascetic) as well
...
No paradise beyond the borders - Lok Raj Baral
- The Telegraph
- 31 March 1997
>>>Generally speaking, peoples who migrate from one place to another
voluntarily or by design are termed migrants. But peoples who
differ from spontaneous or sponsored migrants become refugees.
Refugees are forced to leave their homes because of a change in
their environment. This makes it impossible for them to continue
...
Jubilant BJP will emphasise 'clean' image in future polls - Anil Saxena
- The Times of India
- 9 April 1997
>>>With the Delhi high court quashing charges against Bharatiya Janata
Party president L.K. Advani in the hawala case, an upbeat BJP now
only wishes that the political imbroglio at the centre leads to a
snap poll. To achieve this, the next two-three days would see a
confident BJP coming out more vehemently against the Congress party
...
Waghela storms BJP bastion in by-polls - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 9 April 1997
>>>In A resounding triumph, the Gujarat chief minister, Mr Shankarsinh
Waghela was today elected to the state vidhan sabha from the
Radhanpur constituency.
The Bharatiya Janata Party which had vowed to ensure a political
demise for Mr Waghela by defeating him in the poll came a cropper.
For country's sake - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 9 April 1997
>>>For over a week now, the country has been as if in a stupor; work
is at a standstill, decisions are on hold and the economy looks set
to take a dangerous downturn. If the paralysis is owing at least
in part to the truckers' strike, there isn't much we can do about
it for the simple reason that this deadlock must take a backseat to
...
BJP has reservations about Congress, UF stand - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 8 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched a scathing attack
against the United Front and the Congress for their "naked lust for
power by subverting popular mandate" and mounted a campaign that
appears calculated to widen the rift between the two political
formations.
Inappropriate examples (a letter) - Laxmi Narain Modi
- The Indian Express
- 9 April 1997
>>>Sir: While inviting transnational companies to invest in India,
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is reported to have asked them to
"follow the example of the East India Company and reap rich profits
by investing here."
It is only too well known how dubious the role of the East India
...
Violence limits new Kashmiriat agenda - Balraj Puri
- The Times of India
- 8 April 1997
>>>Prima facie, the recent spate of killings of several Kashmiri
pandits since March 21 seem to be no different compared to the
previous record of political murders in Kashmir. They seem to be
yet another addition to the officially estimated 28,000 killings in
the last seven year's. Yet the recent killings have created a
...
The Secular Messiah-Amitabh - Letter
"Was Ayodhya a full stop, comma or exclamation?' - Mahesha Hebbar
- The Asian Age
- 7 April 1997
>>>"It's him, it's him" came the whispering as young students nudged
each other and necks craned to view a slim dapper Englishman
blissfully unaware of the sensation he was creating.
College kids from all over Britain had forked out hard-earned money
to bear this speaker, it was for many their first glimpse of a
...
Pakistan in pursuit of a pedigree - Arvind Ghosh, U.S.A.
- Voice of Jammu Kashmir
- 1997 January-February
>>>(The author a thinker of great originality and immense erudition
has attempted to show the inherent ambiguities and incongruities
that seem to haunt and torment Pakistanis in general and a few
intellectuals that live in that theocracy in modern times).
The Pakistan Arts Council here recently presented a black -tie
...
Waghela's win will spur defections
Militants' cat & mouse game in Srinagar - Agencies
- The Indian Express
- 8 April 1997
>>>At least two militants of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen were killed
and three others, one of them in an injured condition, were
arrested by Border Security Force (BSF) following an encounter at
Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar, today.
A BSF spokesman said troops confronted five armed militants m
...
Indrajit Gupta turns introspective - Times of India News Service
- The Times of India
- 9 April 1997
>>>Even as the United Front and Congress Party were on Tuesday all set
to hold formal talks to end the current political crisis, at least
one person in the government - Union home minister Indrajit Gupta -
appeared resigned to the eventuality of relinquishing office.
"I dare say, we will not be here after three or four days,"
...
Human rights Inc. - Chitra Subramaniam
- The Express Magazine
- 6 April 1997
>>>The Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation is very concerned
about Kashmir. "Attempts to distort the entire concept of
self-determination to the detriment of the concept of the
nation-state have to be discouraged, or else none, including the
developed and developing countries, would be safe and able to
...
Pseudo desi vs swadesi - S Gurumurthy
- Industrial Economist - Annual Number
- 30 March 1997
>>>We have always had among us men, great and small, in large numbers,
who were admirers of the British. In fact, Jawaharlal Nehru, the
first Prime Minister of India, who held that position for 18 years,
told Kenneth Galbraith that he would be the last English Prime
Minister of India! Such political leadership, the ICS cadre and
...
Triple talaq, polygamy bane of Muslims? - H T Correspondent
- The Hindustan Times
- 1 April 1997
>>>Are utterance of "talaq" thrice and polygamy the sole reason of
Muslim backwardness? This point became a topic of discussion at a
two-day conference on "Challenges before humanity in the 21st
century" at Jamia Hamdard here. The conference which was attended
by a galaxy of Muslim intellectuals, ended yesterday night.
Nehru's concept of secularism - Asghar Ali Engineer
- The Hindu
- 1 April 1997
>>>In the 50th year of Independence, we should be aware of what the
founding fathers thought of basic issues and how far the thoughts
are relevant to us. Jawaharlal Nehru was among the most important
of those who laid the intellectual foundation of our nationhood and
secularism was the most important of the values.
Parley woo - Narendra Kaushik
- Mid-day
- 9 April 1997
>>>ALL eyes are on former prime minister V P Singh, West Bengal Chief
Minister Jyoti Basu and Communist Party of India (Marxist,) General
Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, with the crisis in the H D Deve
Gowda Government approaching its climax on April 11.
Surjeet is holding hectic parleys with various Congress leaders to
...
Unfair subsidy ( a letter) - Krishna Veni S. (Secunderabad)
- The Times of India
- 8 April 1997
>>>Sir,-It is disgraceful that the Indian State, which according to
our Constitution is supposed to be secular, should spend crores of
rupees subsidising a purely religious exercise like the Haj
pilgrimage. The number of Muslims helped by "secular" parties has
been going up as follows: 25,685 in 1994, 30,503 in 1995, 50,346 in
...
Plain half-truths - Abhay Mokashi
- Mid-day
- 8 April 1997
>>>Congress President Sitaram ,Kesri has made a large section of
society work overtime for more than a week now.
A simple letter from him to President Shankar Dayal Sharma
informing him of Kesri's decision to withdraw support to the United
Front Government led by Hardanahalli Dodde Gowda Deve Gowda, has
...
"Janata Dal is not averse to sharing power with Congress" - - Ritu Sarin
- The Indian Express
- 6 April 1997
>>>Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh may be confined to a
hospital bed, awaiting a kidney transplant, but his physical
condition has far from affected his political acumen. Several
leaders are queueing up to meat him at his hospital room and his
telephone lines remain choked with calls from leaders of every hue
...
Title : Mulayam responsible for gang was in UP: Mayawati - Prajan Bhattacharya
- The Observer
- 9 April 1997
>>>Accusing 'Samajwadi Party chief and Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for
being solely responsible for killings and gang war in the state', Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced that a month-long special crime
drive would be launched immediately to put an end to the criminal activities
in the state.
Ancient Rome and India : Sage of shared civilisation - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Afternoon
- 11 March 1997
>>>Romans using Indian spices to garnish their dishes, ivory statues from the
subcontinent adoring drawing rooms in Pompeii and Roman coins found in South
India 2,000 years ago tell a fascinating story of cultural and commercial
ties between the two ancient civilisations.
Indian spices like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and ginger were sought after
...
Okay for Yadav's prosecution soon - Amit Sharma
- The Indian Express
- 10 April 1997
>>>The Uttar Pradesh Government is likely to give permission to the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to start prosecution of
former health minister, Balram Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and
former secretary, medical education R K Sharma, in the Rs. 32-crore
ayurveda seam which would come up for hearing before a division
...
Who's afraid of the people? - P P Bala Chandran
- The Observer
- 8 April 1997
>>>Dear countrymen, let us thank our respective Lords that the political
phantasmagoria we have been witnessing these past few days will reach its
denouement by this weekend.
We would have, by then, come to know whether Mr Deve Gowda has returned to
the paddy fields of Hardenahalli and Mr Sitaram Kesri has moved into 7 Race
...
Advani and Havala: Truth doth prevail - P P Bala Chandran
- The Observer
- 10 April 1997
>>>Millions of his followers would like to see Lal Krishna Advani,
after the Delhi High Court verdict on the havala case, in the mould
of the classic hero who comes unscathed through a test by fire.
The all around euphoria the verdict has generated should be seen in
the light of the popular perception that the framing up of Advani
...
War on two fronts - Dina Nath Mishra
- The Observer
- 10 April 1997
>>>Taliban administration of Afghanistan has made a strong objection
to inviting President . Rabbani's representative in the Nam
conference of foreign ministers held at New Delhi. Taliban has
blamed India for this, forgetting totally that no country, not even
their benefactor USA or even promoter Pakistan, has recognised the
...
Harappan jigsaw complete - Malini Nair
- The Telegraph
- 3 April 1997
>>>The turbulent saga of a whole Harappan city that survived in this
Kutch region for 1,400 years has finally been pieced together by
the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
After digging intensively for six years, archaeologists have sewn
up the story of a fortified city ruled by fiercely protective men
...
RSS to publish book on Netaji penned by a Communist - Kalathil Ramakrishnan
- The Indian Express
- 10 April 1997
>>>A forthcoming book on Subhash Chandra Bose by M N Sathyarthy - a
veteran Communist who was once closely associated with Bhagat Singh
and Netaji - to be released by the publication wing of the
Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is likely to cause a flutter in
Communist circles and may generate political controversy.
Fireworks on fire-walking - N Sathiya Moorthy
- The Observer
- 10 April 1997
>>>It had gone mostly unnoticed in the midst of more juicy news.
First, it was the 'photo episode' involving former Tamil Nadu chief
minister Jayalalitha and two persons whom a section of the local
press mistook for Rajiv Gandhi's assassins. Later, it was the
Congress(I) withdrawing support to the UF government which has been
...
Whither social justice? - Ajay Singh
- The Pioneer
- 5 April 1997
>>>The brutal assassination of Chandrashekhar Prasad, former president
of the Jawahar Lal Nehru university students union, by the henchmen
of Janata Dal MP Shahabuddin is illustrative of grim
socio-political realities in Bihar and an ostrich-like approach of
the political class.
Down but not out - Bobby John Varkey
- The Hinustan Times
- 6 April 1997
>>>Interview of Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
politburo member.
How secure do you think Is the Prime Minister Deve Gowda?
As secure as he ever was. We met in the steering committee and
decided unanimously that there is no question of any change in the
...
Idols yield clues to Indus creeds - Malini Nair
- The Telegraph
- 6 April 1997
>>>The sixth and, perhaps, last excavation camp at Dholava Veera in
Harappa has unearthed exciting clues to the religious and
ritualistic aspects of the civilisation.
What has excited archaeologists is the discovery last month of a
beautifully carved image which resembles a proto-Shiva figure.
...
"I will accomplish the task of six years in six months" - Sharat Pradhan / Locknow
- Sunday
- 6-12 April 1997
>>>In June 1995, she had created political history by becoming the
first Dalit woman chief minister of India. And after her
ignominious exit a few months later, many thought that it was
curtains for Mayawati.
But now, the 40-year-old general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj
...
SAVE HIMALAYAS TODAY TO SAVE INDIA TOMORROW
SOCIO-ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN THE NORTH-EAST: FOUR CASE STUDIES
Re: Boost for BJP - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 10 April 1997
>>>The Delhi High Court judgement quashing the charges framed by the
trial court against Bharatiya Janata Party President Lal Krishna
Advani in the Jain hawala case comes as a morale booster for the
party, especially given the political uncertainties in which its
rivals are embroiled. Though the United Front and the Congress are
...
Cross v. Crecent - Muzzaffar Hussain
- Organiser
- 6 April 1997
>>>Surprisingly, as the 21st century draws near, the bloody feud
between the Muslims and the Christians is steadily assuming even
increasingly, devastating proportions. It appears that these two
world forces have already started, however silently. a struggle for
world supremacy in the 21st century. It is a historical fact that
...
'BJP will enter the fray when doors are shut on Gowda' - Kumar Anand
- The Pioneer
- 6 April 1997
>>>Bharatiya Janata Party president L K Advani says that his party
will think of staking claim to form the Government only after the
fate of the Deve Gowda Government is sealed. In an interview with
The Pioneer, he says: "We shall cross the bridge when we come to
it."
...
Democracy is not a spectator sport - Frank G. Wisner
- Span
- 1997 February/March
>>>Ambassador Frank Wisner recently presided at the awards ceremony of
Mayo College in Ajmer. The following is an abridgement of his
speech.
I am delighted to be here with you today, and to take part in an
event that figures so prominently in the life of this great
...
Common Minimum irresponsibility - Shekhar Gupta
- The Indian Express
- 12 April 1997
>>>After Rajiv Gandhi's betrayal of the promise of 1985, India has learnt
not to expect too much from its politicians.
But even by their dismal standards their behaviour now has been nothing
short of treasonous. A government has been toppled in the budget
session and one of the busiest foreign policy seasons ever on
...
Sidelight - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Observer
- 12 April 1997
>>>Union Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, while speaking on the
confidence motion on Friday, asked Congress leader Sharad Pawar to be
bold and "pull the chain of the Congress president's train." Pat came
the UF members' remarks, "Punishment for chain pulling is six months'
jail" and will that punishment be inflicted on the Maratha Kesri who had
...
Gowda's fate was sealed 2 days agon in inside job - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 12 April 1997
>>>The seeds of ail alternative arrangement within the United Front were
sown on Wednesday when Mr G K Moopanar and Mr K Karunanidhi were
closeted in a highly secretive meeting with Samajwadi Party leader
Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Tamil Nadu House.
All through last night, the confabulations continued, laying the ground
...
Advantage BJP - Editorial
- The Asian Age
- 13 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party was the only political organisation to escape
unscathed during the debate in the Lok Sabha on the confidence motion
moved by Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Its leaders, for once off the
hook, were enjoying every moment of the day and the absolute freedom to
rip the Congress and the United Front apart in turn. Mr Jaswant Singh
...
'Dalit' priests lead Hindu resurgence - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - VHP Bulletin
- 8 April 1997
>>>It was at Kanya Kumari in Tamil Nadu that Swami Vivekananda got his
inspiration to preach Hinduism across the seven seas.
And Yogi Aurobindo chose the Tamil bhoomi of Pondicherry for his
sadhana.
In the ancient times it was from the coast of this land that sage Agasti
...
Wrong notions about spiritualism - S D Laghate
- BJP Bulletin
- 8 April 1997
>>>Spirituality is generally considered to be unconnected with normal life
and unnecessary as far as the material requirement is concerned. It is
supposed to deal with atma and parmatma which even if they really exist,
have no direct bearing on achievements. Spiritualism is a fig of
imagination and part of private life of a person, removed from his
...
Humble Advani emerges tallest - K V Lakshmana
- The Observer
- 12 April 1997
>>>The start of Ram Navami festivities this year heralded a new dawn for
septugenarian Lal Krishna Advani as he emerged unscathed in an arena
where much racking and political blackmail have become the order of the
day.
Varsh pratipada, on Tuesday, was admittedly the best moment in his life,
...
Crisis is wages of political sin : Vajpayee - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 12 April 1997
>>>Opposition leader Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday lambasted the United
Front and the Congress for creating the present political crisis "due to
lack trust in each other," and emphasised that elections were
unavoidable now.
While United Front continued to exhibit its anti-Congressism, in spite
...
Rift and embarrassment : the nation saw it all - Vijay Simha
- The Indian Express
- 13 April 1997
>>>So now it is all on record for history to judge. Who formed the spine of
the United Front and who were its ribs? In what was a revealing de bate
in the Lok Sabha yesterday, which ultimately voted out the country's
maiden coalition Union Ministry, the strengths and weaknesses of the UF
were in full display.
It's a shame, cries foreign press - Express News Service
- The Indian Express
- 13 April 1997
>>>Disgust probably best describes the reaction to the Congress president's
action that led to the fall of the United Front Government in India last
night. Across the board the feeling was that Kesri was driven by a
desire to be Prime Minister at any cost.
Most newspapers lamented the fact that the Congress had brought down a
...
The Taliban have pushed Afghanistan back by 2,000 years - Invertiew of Masood Khalid - Mahendra Ved
- The Times of India
- 12 April 1997
>>>Seventy-five billion dollars worth of opium has gone out of Afghanistan
and Pakistan in the last two years. in the last six months since Taliban
captured Kabul, opium cultivation has gone up at least fifty times, said
Masood Khalili, ambassador to Afghanistan's exiled government of
Burnahuddin Rabbani. "Mafias are active in a big way," he added. "Opium
...
Copying with collateral damage - S.M.A. Kazmi
- The Indian Express
- 12 April 1997
>>>A series of unexplained bomb blasts in Punjab and Haryana (besides
Delhi) during the past three months points to efforts by Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence to de-stabilise the region. The blasts,
including the recent one at Pathankot last week, have all occurred in
busy places, reviving fears of a revival of terrorism.
It is true that the BJP and the Congress have something more in common than, say, the BJP and the Janata Dal - Kewal Ratan Malkani - Shivani Singh
- The Sunday Observer
- 13-19 April 1997
>>>Kewal Ratan Malkani, a member of the Rajya Sabha and a vice-president of
the Bharatiya Janata Party, is part of the four-member think-tank - the
other three being Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, K N Govindacharya, and Jay
Dubashi - which formulates the party's policies.
Malkani taught economics for a while in Sind University. After
...
Muslims call of Id celebrations in Mayor - AFP
- The Asian Age
- 13 April 1997
>>>Muslim community leaders in Rangoon are cancelling the ritual slaughter
of livestock at an upcoming religious festival, following recent
religious unrest in the city, sources said on Saturday.
The community leaders have also rescheduled the festival, known as
Bakhri Id, so it would not coincide with Buddhist celebrations for
...
Mayawati targets 'defenceless' Mulayam in Uttar Pradesh - Amita Verma
- The Asian Age
- 13 April 1997
>>>With defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav becoming somewhat defenceless
after the defeat of the Deve Gowda government in Delhi, UP chief
minister Mayawati has stepped up her "Target Mulayam" campaign in Uttar
Pradesh.
Ms Mayawati has devised a three-phase strategy to target her arch rivals
...
In search of Sanjeevani - Khushwant Singh
- The Observer
- 13-19 April 1997
>>>The war between Ram and Ravana was in a critical phase. Meghnad (son of
Ravana) wounded Lakshman with his mace. Dr Sushen prescribed a medicine
and Ram sent Hanuman to get it. Unfortunately, all the local chemists
were closed for the day. Without asking anyone, Hanuman flew to the
Himalayas by a specially chartered plane. There, he bought the
...
BJP takes a stand - Editorial
- The Hindustan Times
- 8 April 1997
>>>It is always a matter of satisfaction when an adversary gets into
trouble, but if the BJP nevertheless took its time to decide on how to
respond to the current political crisis, it is presumably because the
party was taken by surprise, like everyone else, by the sudden
withdrawal of Congress support to the United Front. In a surcharged
...
Till we meet again - and a response - Editorial
- The Asian Age
- 1 April 1997
>>>The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan have got up from the talks
on a more positive note than. expected. They have decided to meet again
in Islamabad for another round of discussions. This is in sharp contrast
to the 1993 scenario when the talks broke on a dismal note. Differences
over Kashmir persist bolt the officials have tried to pinpoint areas of
...
Hindu outrage at Aerosmiath album - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Daily
- 10 April 1997
>>>The new album called Nine Lives by American rock group Aerosmith. and
marketed under the Columbia Records label of Sony has raised a hornet's
nest among Hindus in the US with ramifications all over the world. The
CD jacket takes off on a traditional Hindu depiction of Lord Krishna
subduing the serpent Kalia in that Krishna is shown with a cat's face
...
There hasn't been a leader after Mahatma: Palkhivala - Express News Service
- The Indian Express
- 11 April 1997
>>>Only a true patriotic statesman and committed leaders of dauntless
courage can help India overcome the current crisis and bring about a
transformation in all spheres of life, according to eminent people drawn
from various fields.
After the Congress withdrew support to the Deve Gowda-led United Front
...
BJP cries foul - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Free Press Journal
- 10 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has protested against the creation of a
new post by the British High Commission in New Delhi to deal with
Kashmir affairs separately "thus delinking the state of Jammu and
Kashmir from the Union of India," reports UNI
In a statement at a press conference here on Wednesday, party
...
Islamic ire over 'air' on logos of Nike shoes - Associated Press
- The Indian Express
- 11 April 1997
>>>The Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded on Wednesday that
Nike Inc. apologise for using a logo on athletic shoes that resembles
the word "Allah" in the Arabic script.
Nike said the logo was meant to look like flames for a line of shoes to
be sold this summer with the names Air Bakin', Air Melt, Air Grill and
...
Waiting in the wings - Editorial
- The Pioneer
- 8 April 1997
>>>By a sudden quirk of fate, the BJP once again finds itself at the
centrestage of politics in New Delhi. Understandably it is in an upbeat
mood with the Congress and the United Front set on a collision course.
However, unlike May when it opted for power and failed to sustain it
beyond 13 days, it is doing well to proceed cautiously at present. As is
...
Bogus politics, bogus politicians - M V Kamath
- The Free Press Journal
- 10 April 1997
>>>It is so nice to hear from Sitaram Kesri, none less, that H. D. Deve
Gowda is a communalist. What is surprising is that it has taken Kesri
ten long months to make that unsurprising discovery. It is evident that
others in the United Front government, especially the Leftist parties
are still in the dark about Kesri's antecedents. No doubt they will come
...
'Pak spends three times more on defence than India' - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Indian Express
- 10 April 1997
>>>Dr Mahbub-ul-haq has had a long career as a policy-maker in his capacity
as chief economist of ,the Pakistan Planning Commission (1957-70),
Director of the World Bank's Policy Planning Department (1970-82),
Planning and Finance Minister in Pakistan's Federal Cabinet (1982-88),
and chief architect of the UNDP annual Human Development Report
...
Sena-BJP all set for mid-term elections confident of replaying 1996 - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Asian Age
- 11 April 1997
>>>The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Maharashtra believes it
is comfortably placed should the country face a mid-term poll in the
wake of current political crisis in New Delhi. The alliance hopes to
maintain its impressive tally, 33 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, in
Maharashtra, if polls are held at the earliest - denying the Congress a
...
Verdict in accordance with principles - Bal Krishna
- The Hindustan Times
- 10 April 1997
>>>The verdict of the Delhi High Court in the Jain hawala case holding that
entries made in diaries about payment of alleged bribes cannot alone be
sufficient to charge any person of civil or criminal liability is in
tune with cardinal principle of criminal jurisprudence.
Under the criminal jurisprudence, criminal cases are no to be decided on
...
Future front - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 15 April 1997
>>>With both its principal rivals caught in the throes of a crisis that is
showing no signs of giving over, the moment is ripe for the BJP to
strike. And struck it has by coming up with the idea of a front of its
own. This is a shrewd move aimed at attracting the growing band of
fence-sitters in the Congress and the United Front. Should it come
...
BJP fails to exploit Congress-UF deadlock - Ajit Kumar Jha
- The Times of India
- 15 April 1997
>>>Act one of the deadlock drama has ended in a Shakespearean tragicomedy.
Although Congress president Sitaram Kesri has successfully extracted his
pound of flesh in the dismissal of Prime Minister Deve Gowda, he has
indeed emerged as the Shylock of the political play being enacted in
Delhi. But then Mr Gowda is no innocent Antonio. Emerging as the martyr
...
Inside moves - Editorial
- The Times of India
- 16 April 1997
>>>The self-congratulatory tone of the Congress Working Committee
resolution reflects the party's sense of triumph at Mr Sitaram Kesri's
gamble having paid off to the point where it can dictate terms to the
United Front. This has had the effect of silencing the dissidents led
by Mr Sharad Pawar and aroused the Congressman's instinct for
...
Christian dalits - victims of discrimination - Brindavan C. Moses
- The Hindu
- 8 April 1997
>>>Almost all the major political parties, with the lone exception of the
Bharatiya Janata Party, included in their election manifestos (1996),
the Christian dalits' demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Castes list
and the United Front Government included the demand in its Common
Minimum Programme. The Prime Minister, Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda, gave a
...
End of an experiment unity as a front, fear as a creed - Vidya Subrahmaniam
- The Times of India
- 16 April 1997
>>>India's first federal government has collapsed - not in the first week
as widely predicted but a full ten months later, when it had seemed here
to stay, when it had unexpectedly gained in respect. By the time the
government exited, people had begun to look anew at coalition politics
and the richness of variety it promised; even sceptics were grudgingly
...
Just account - Editorial
- The Telegraph
- 10 April 1997
>>>The Delhi high court's quashing of the charges against the Bharatiya
Janata Party president, Mr L.K. Advani, and the former Union minister,
Mr VC. Shukla, in the hawala scandal is important not merely because of
the reprieve it offers to certain politicians. The verdict clarifies
the status of the Jain diary and papers as evidence. Confusion about
...
U.P.'s new dispensation - Surendra Mohan
- The Hindu
- 10 April 1997
>>>The new coalition Government in Uttar Pradesh is to be headed by Ms.
Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party for six months and after that, the
BJP will provide the Chief Minister. This agreement should ensure that
the coalition will continue at least for a year. A similar experiment
was once tried out in Israel. In India, however, this is the first
...
Vaghela's worries begin now - Editorial
- The Pioneer
- 10 April 1997
>>>Despite the thumping margin of his victory in the Radhanpur Assembly
byelection, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Shankersinh Vaghela may find
that he is rejoicing rather too soon. As an old war horse himself, he
cannot be oblivious to the fact that it is seldom that incumbent chief
ministers lose in byelections. Their triumph is all the more assured if
...
Heavy shelling by Pakistani troops - United News of India
- The Indian Express
- 11 April 1997
>>>Indian villages and parts of Kargil town in Ladakh region came under
heavy shelling Pakistani troops yesterday resulting in shifting of
people to safer areas and damage to some houses, Jammu and Kashmir
Minister of State for Home Ali Mohammed Sagar said today.
Making a suo motu statement in both Houses of the state legislature, the
...
Power at any cost - Kuldip Nayar
- The Hindustan Times
- 10 April 1997
>>>That the Bharatiya Janata Party should find it necessary to contradict
the news about its support to the United Front or to the Congress during
the forthcoming no-confidence motion is a sad commentary on the party's
credibility. People have come to believe that it can go to any extent
for power or politics. Their suspicion is not misplaced because of the
...
UF threatens Congress, BJP with dissolution of Lok Sabha - Janak Singh
- The Times of India
- 10 April 1997
>>>The United Front leaders are considering a contingency plan to force the
dissolution of Parliament should the Congress and the BJP threaten to
topple their government by voting against Prime Minister H. D. Deve
Gowda's trust motion, due to be den" in the Lok Sabha on Friday,
according to highly placed sources.
Some consistency, please - (opinion) - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - Mid-day
- 16 April 1997
>>>If the Bharatiya Janata Party feels it is the one political party in the
country at the moment that is respected for being principled and
standing by its ideology, then it must decide once and for all what its
ideology is.
It cannot one day be a saffron party that breaks down mosques and wants
...
India Today - ORG - MARG POLL - April 97 - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - India Today
- 30 April 1997
>>>As political uncertainty gripped the nation following the withdrawal of Congress support for the United Front govt, India Today
commissioned ORG-MARG, the country's leading market-research
organisation, to conduct a nationwide opinion poll. The poll was
conducted between April 2 and 8 in 51 representative parliamentary
...
Zoo off limits for females on Eid - AFP
- DAWN, Karachi
- 18 April 1997
>>>KARACHI, April 17: Once again the entry of females will be banned
into the Karachi zoological garden for all three days of Eid. The
ban on females' entry has been in force on all Eid days for well
over a decade, following an ugly incident.
In the late '80s, female family members of a retired army official
...
Taliban threaten to blow up Buddha statue - AFP
- DAWN, Karachi
- 18 April 1997
>>>GHORBAND VALLEY, April 17: The Taliban have warned that they will
demolish a massive and ancient statue of Buddha if they advance
into enemy territory in central Afghanistan. Dubbing the famous
cliff carving "unIslamic," a senior Taliban commander on Wednesday
issued a simple warning about the fate of the "Big Buddha": "We
...
The night of the long knives - Varsha Bhosle
- Rediff on Net
- 16 April 1997.
>>>The hangover persists. While the sane commentators will have moved on
to more momentous happenings, Bhosle is stuck on the April 11 debate
fiasco. =13Fiasco=14 because there was no debate as such: The UF abused =
the
Congress and BJP; the Congress maligned the UF and BJP; the
...
Countey at the crossroads - Part II of V (United colours of the Front) - Ashis Chakrabarti and Bishaka De Sarkar
- The Telegraph
- 13 April 1997
>>>Political leaders and analysts have noted a totally new ,direction
in the politics of the United Front this time. Since the days of
the first Front governments in the states in 1967 (barring the
first communist government in Kerala in 1959) and at the Centre in
1977, the fragile coalition partners would panic at the first sign
...
Country at the crossroads - Part IV of V (Strange alliance) - Ashis Chakrabarti and Bishaka De Sarkar
- The Telegraph
- 13 April 1997
>>>If the allies are here to stay and the major players cannot do
without them, sooner or later the Congress and the BJP will be
pulling at them. In fact, Sitaram Kesri is believed to have
planned his coup with possible allies in mind. He hoped for a
split in the UF, which has not happened so far but which may happen
...
Tie-up with BJP inevitable: Bengal Cong. leader - Malabika Bhattacharya
- The Hindu
- 9 April 1997
>>>A senior West Bengal Congress(I) leader today said a coming
together of his party and the BJP ,at the State level would become
"sort of inevitable" if it could not regain power at. the Centre or
in West Bengal in the next two years.
West Bengal INTUC president, Mr. Subrata Mukherjee, said the
...
Country at the crossroads - Part V of V (Congress capers) - Ashis Chakrabarti and Bishaka De Sarkar
- The Telegraph
- 13 April 1997
>>>Leading the Congress charge in Parliament on Friday, Priya Ranjan
Das Munshi put up the party's bravest face. The Congress had
fallen in the past, said onetime Young Turk from West Bengal, only
to rise again. Analysts point to a fourth possible scenario
emerging from the current political stalemate - the Congress reborn
...
Country at the crossroads - Part I of V - Ashis Chakrabarti and Bishaka De Sarkar
- The Telegraph
- 13 April 1997
>>>P Chidambaram may have unconsciously derived it from former BBC
correspondent in Delhi, Mark Tully's No Full Stops in India. Even
as his government was bowing out, the hero of this year's Budget
miracle waxed eloquently philosophical in the Parliament debate,
"Life is not one of full stops, but of commas". His leader and
...
Kashmiri Pandits: Political games worsen their plight - Kulid Nayar
- The Times of India
- 18 April 1997
>>>Time has lessened the impact of the murder of seven Kashmiri
Pandits in the valley. But the community's suffering continues.
It is there all the time, consuming and diminishing them day by
day. That the Pandits are refugees in their own country is a
testimony to political expediency which masquerades as governance.
Constitution held to ransom - Rajeev Dhavan
- The Hindu
- 11 April 1997
>>>Watched through the lens of the media, the Indian democracy is fast
becoming a spectator sport. A nation of a near-billion people
which went to the polls last year is on the brink of doing so
again. why? In the absence of a genuine democracy within the
political parties, one man - Mr. Sitaram Kesri - has decided to
...
Microphones for azaan cause sound pollution : Calcutta HC
Moopanar mopes : says he will stay out
BJP sharpens demand for fresh polls
Moral victory
Girl dares ban on entry of women into mosques
Country at the crossroads - Part III of V (The BJP juggernaut) - Ashis Chakrabarti and Bishaka De Sarkar
- The Telegraph
- 13 April 1997
>>>There is then the second scenario of the BJP becoming more and more
unstoppable. The fall of the Gowda government is believed to have
taken the party one more step closer to power at the Centre. If the
Congress has been taken to task for what many considered its
untimely and unprovoked withdrawal of support to the Gowda
...
Gujral's past, India's future - Editorial
- The Observer of Business & Politics
- 21 April 1997
>>>There is an American saying that if a man's family history has to be exposed,
just make him to stand as a Presidential candidate! In, India too, same
thing is happening. As anticipated in many quarters, foreign minister I K
Gujral has now been elected as the successor to the Prime Minister Deve
Gowda. Gujral's Past association with the left and. the present association
...
Indian is 'chemically' wrong - D Sridhar
- The Indian Express
- 19 April 1997
>>>The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) which enters into force on April 29,
1997 will find New Delhi in an extremely embarrassing situation, with the US,
Russia, China and Pakistan continuing to remain outside the Convention. The
unusual haste shown by New Delhi to deposit its Instrument of Ratification
(IOR) on September 3 to become the 62nd country to do so has landed India
...
Harkishen Surjeet plumps for Mulayam - Janak Singh
- The Times of India
- 19 April 1997
>>>The reason for the United Front leadership crisis not having been resolved
easily was mainly the anxiety on the part of CPM general secretary Harkishen
Singh Surjeet to get elected a leader who would be as close to him as was
Deve Gowda.
Till late on Friday night, the tussle between Surjeet's protege Mulayam Singh
...
BJP predicts Gujral Govt fall, begins poll preparation - Observer Political Bureau
- The Observer
- 22 April 1997
>>>Predicting an early fall of Inder Kumar Gujral Government, sworn-in on
Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party began election preparations for midterm
polls it considers a certainty.
BJP vice-president Krishan Lal Sharma told press corp that cracks now appear
in the United Front and mistrust rampant between the Congress and the UF,
...
Who is responsible for present crisis? - Mohit Sen
- The Free Press Journal
- 14 April 1997
>>>Congress president Sitaram Kesri took friends and foes alike by complete
surprise on March 30. If one is going to make the move that he did on that
day, it has to be done like that. Besides, he was not the only leader who
was planning to spring surprises around the same time. It was a question of
who was going to surprise whom. It is not as if everybody else was sitting
...
Chasing a chimera - M N Buch
- The Indian Express
- 18 April 1997
>>>The President of Pakistan, speaking on the occasion of the Yom-e-Jumhuriya on
March 23, stated that his country will extend every type of political, moral
and diplomatic support to the separatists in Kashmir. It is no secret that
the aim of Pakistan is to create conditions within Kashmir which ultimately
result in that state being absorbed into Pakistan. We are witness to the
...
From Bangladesh with hope - Molay Krishna Dhar
- The Indian Express
- 15 April 1997
>>>The frozen dream called Kamalpur, the verdant village, on the bank of Meghna,
was nursed by me all these 48 years, since I crossed over to Bharat,
clutching my mother's fingers, wading pools of blood and piles of cadaver. I
tried to grow out of it. Muslim friends, across the sub-continent and abroad,
helped me reaching a partial catharsis out of the pain of Partition.
Left alone in a tight corner - Kewal Verma
- The Telegraph
- 16 April 1997
>>>Should the president give the United Front another chance to form a
government after it elects a new leader? Going by the rule book, he should.
But there come occasions in the history of nations when the head of the
state has to use common sense and overstretch his technical duties. The
president is the ultimate repository of the ,integrity of the state. The
...
Advani in Hawala scam: Finale of a frame-up - Sudheendra Kulkarni
- The Pioneer
- 15 April 1997
>>>We Indians have been witness to many obnoxious developments in politics and
public life in the past year or so. A former Prime Minister is entangled in a
labyrinth of litigations in which the offence alleged against him ranges from
bribery to forgery. Another politician, who has visions of becoming the next
Prime Minister, and has, for this and other dishonourable reasons,
...
BJP sees poll as a way of shoring up strength - K V Lakshmana
- The Observer of Business and Politics
- 17 April 1997
>>>Ironically, the Bharatiya Janata Party today finds that its strength has
become its weakness in these days of coalition politics, and would like to
press for fresh elections to emerge strong enough to evolve a BJP-centric
coalition Government.
Anticipating the installation of yet another 'farcical' United Front
...
Gupta wants 'economic' portfolio - Press Trust of India
- The Indian Express
- 21 April 1997
>>>Home Minister Indrajit Gupta has said he would .prefer to have a
change of portfolio and would not mind an economic ministry as he
feels "constrained and straight-jacketed" in his present ministry.
In an interview to the Home TV, to be telecast tomorrow, Gupta
said, "If I have to remain in government, I would prefer to have a
...
And they call it reform - Jagmohan
- The Indian Express
- 21 April 1997
>>>A sound economy requires four strong foundational pillars. These
are: efficient infrastructure which attracts investment and
encourages initiative; an efficient and productive administrative
and managerial set-up; a healthy environment which enhances the
quality of life and minimises social strains; a political
...
Right man, wrong job - Editorial
- The Pioneer
- 21 April 1997
>>>Perhaps the only reason why Mr Inder Kumar Gujral has been elected
leader of the United Front and Prime Minister-designate is that he
was nobody's candidate, not even his own. Never before in Indian
history has the absence of popular support been such a stupendous
political virtue as it is today under the ramshackle UF
...
Was Sardar Patel anti-Muslim? - Khushwant Singh
- The Hindustan Times
- 12 April 1997
>>>No, said Dr Rafiq Zakaria while delivering two Sardar Patel
Memorial Lectures on All India Radio some months ago. He repeats
his assertion in greater detail in his recently published book
Sardar Patel and Indian Muslims (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan). If
Zakaria is correct, then how and why was the impression created
...
'Shakuni-like CPM blocked Moopanar' - Express News Service
- The Indian Express
- 21 April 1997
>>>The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had played a dubious role
like Shakuni in Mahabharata to prevent a mass leader like Tamil
Maanila Congress (TMC) president G K Moopanar from becoming prime
minister, Bharatiya Janata Party MP O Rajagopal said on Sunday.
He told media persons in Chennai that in recent times no one with a
...
BJP's opportunity - Editorial
- The Statesman
- 20 April 1997
>>>So the Congress president who acted so precipitately on behalf of
Sonia Gandhi and was supported by other scamsters too numerous to
mention, has had to eat crow. He is no longer willing to offer
himself as leader of a Congress Government dedicated to improving
the party's image by the too clever by half device of withdrawing
...
Crowing in peacock feathers - K. P. Nayar
- The Telegraph
- 15 April 1997
>>>The day after Sitaram Kesri withdrew his support for the H.D. Deve
Gowda government, several Congress members of parliament were
witness to an unedifying spectacle of their leader being berated,
taunted and cross examined by the defence minister, Mulayam Singh
Yadav.
Ideology as fig leaf - Editorial
- The Indian Express
- 21 April 1997
>>>A part from the ambition of the octogenarian Congress chief and the
suicidal adventurism of H. D. Deve Gowda, if any single factor is
responsible for the present political crisis, it is the
machinations of the Left in the name of ideology. If today the
United Front stands virtually divided with the Tamil Maanila
...
Tragedy or farce? - Editorial
- The Pioneer
- 21 April 1997
>>>It is not often that the BJP leader, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
refers to Karl Marx in his speeches; his politics is entirely out
of tune with what Marx would have liked the world to follow. But,
on Saturday, Mr Vajpayee could not have found a better expression
than the one he borrowed from the father of communism. He openly
...
Gowda cautions against politics of manipulation - HT Correspondent
- The Hindustan Times
- 23 April 1997
>>>Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda stoutly defended the track
record of his 10-month Government, while. cautioning against
politics of manipulation.
Addressing annual meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) here today, he said the younger generation is well aware of
...
Ray of hope : United Front did not get untied - Seema Mustafa
- The Asian Age
- 12 April 1997
>>>Optimists look for silver linings. Even when the pessimists appear
to be right. Our political leaders have not had enough of the games
that have held the country to ransom for the last 12 days. At the
time of writing this, the government is fighting for survival in
the Lok Sabha while its worthwhile leaders, and those of the
...
The nation can afford polls, not dirty politicking - Seema Mustafa
- The Asian Age
- 19 April 1997
>>>One was wrong. Dismally wrong. Simply because one had thought that
in an hour of crisis even the damned species, the politician, would
rise to the occasion and take the correct action. That he would
finally call a halt to the games and manipulations and take the
only course of action left open to him, largely as a result of his
...
Left inside or outside? - Ajoy Bose
- The Pioneer
- 17 April 1997
>>>There is an old joke about CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh
Surjeet that has gained fresh currency in the present political
crisis over who should be the country's next Prime Minister. If
offers a novel solution - Comrade Surjeet becomes the new Prime
Minister supported by all parties including the CPI(M) but from
...
The nation can afford polls, not dirty politicking - Seema Mustafa
- The Asian Age
- 19 April 1997
>>>One was wrong. Dismally wrong. Simply because one had thought that
in an hour of crisis even the damned species, the politician, would
rise to the occasion and take the correct action. That he would
finally call a halt to the games and manipulations and take the
only course of action left open to him, largely as a result of his
...
Human rights and diplomacy - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Economist
- 12-18 April 1997
>>>" I am blighted by the Foreign Office at present. Earlier today, a
creepy official, who is 'in charge' (heaven help us) of South
America, came over to brief me ahead of my trip to Chile. All crap
about Human Rights. Not one word about the UK interest; how we saw
the balance, prospects, pitfalls, opportunities in the Hemisphere."
...
Officious behaviour - Dina Nath Mishra
- The Observer
- 24 April 1997
>>>Prior to the 11th Lok Sabha, communist parties in the Lower House
have been static for more than a decade. Left Front, taken
together, accounted for 45 to 55 members. At best, they had the
role of a pressure group in Indian politics. Their area of
influence and electoral base remained more or less static. The
...
SAD spurns offer to join UF ministry - Ashok Singhi
- The Observer
- 23 April 1997
>>>Inder Kumar Gujral might be the first Punjabi Prime Minister of
independent India. But this has not changed the stand of Akali Dal
(Badal). The party has resolved not to support the new United Front
Government headed by Mr Gujral.
This decision was announced here on Sunday by Akali Dal President
...
Adamant Gowda plays spoilsport - Harish Gupta
- The Indian Express
- 24 April 1997
>>>Trouble is brewing in the United Front and the next eight days
could be crucial. The hurt feelings of those who have been ignored
in the leadership crisis have not yet been assuaged, despite the
best efforts of Prime Minister I K Gujral and other UF leaders.
To begin with the setting up of the United Front-Congress
...
Parrey barred from disclosing names - Express News Service
- The Indian Express
- 24 April 1997
>>>The alleged links of some ruling National Conference (NC) ministers
and legislators with militants figured prominently in the Jammu &
Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday. Jamshed Sherazi alias Kukka Parrey
(Awami League) staged a walkout from the House in protest against
the refusal of the Speaker, Ali Mohammad Naik, to permit him to
...
Panel holds Dal MP responsible for student leader's murder - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Statesman
- 22 April 1997
>>>A fact-finding team today held the Janata Dal M P, Mohd.
Shahabuddin, responsible for the murder of former Jawaharlal Nehru
University Student Union leader Chandrashekhar and recommended his
transfer from Siwan jail to any outside the State or to a distant
jail within the State, reports UNI.
Front turns the tables - Editorial
- The Statesman
- 22 April 1997
>>>Given that the United Front allowed themselves to be manoeuvred
into ditching Deve Gowda and electing a new leader, they have at
least made the best possible bargain by choosing Mr Inder Kumar
Gujral in his place. That this has upset the ill-considered plans
of the lady in No 10 and her most obedient servants, is evident in
...
Home secretary faces Kesri's wrath - Political Bureau
- The Business Standard
- 22 April 1997
>>>If HD Deve Gowda had to pay with his job for the revival of
-investigations into the Tanwar murder case, in connection with
which Congress President Sitaram Kesri was named before the Delhi
High Court a fortnight ago, home secretary K Padmanabhaiah may be
the next to pay the same price.
A critique of history textbooks used in Pakistan
Migration of Kashmiri Pandits: Ignoring the realities - Jagmohan
- The Times of India
- 23 April 1997
>>>It is a sad commentary on the present state of public affairs in
our country that some political commentators like Kuldip Nayar,
whose superficiality of approach is matched only by their obstinacy
to suppress documented facts and contemporaneous records, have been
spreading the canard that the migration of the Kashmiri Pandits
...
"Sleeping with the 'enemy', and none the worse for it" - Aneela Babar
- Communalism Combat
- 1997 April
>>>Its been over two weeks since I landed in Bombay I'm so happy at my
decision to come. I travelled by bus, by train, by air, in Bombay,
to Calcutta and back. And now I go back, touch wood, with not even
one negative or hostile experience. Its been quite a trip....
It was my first day with John Crasto from your office on the
...
Vasco da Gama is a pirate and not a hero for many Goans - G R Singbal
- The Indian Express
- 24 April 1997
>>>Should India take part in the Portuguese celebrations to mark 500
years of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India? This
has caused much debate here with opinions divided over the issue.
Portugal is preparing to commemorate the Gama event in a big way
next year. The Portuguese Government is said to be busy putting
...
A national fantasy - Mani Shankar Aiyar
- The Indian Express
- 23 April 1997
>>>P. Chidambaram, the articulate, English-speaking
philosopher-spokesman of the Tamil Maanila Congress (which means
Tamil State Congress - and has nothing to do with Imelda Marcos!)
has, over the past twelve months, given us two major reasons for
which regional parties such as his are the need of the hour. The
...
Gujral and the beggar-king - Editorial
- The Free Press Journal
- 11 April 1997
>>>Less than twenty-four hours before the crucial confidence vote in
the Lok Sabha there was no knowing the fate of the Deve Gowda
Government. The talks between the United Front and the Congress
leaders had broken down. There seemed to be no meeting ground
between the two since the barest minimum demand of the Congress for
...
500 years later, Vasco da Gama sparks fury - Pamela D'mello
- The Asian Age
- 10 April 1997
>>>Even five hundred years after Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set
foot in India and opened the sea route to India for Europe, the
bitterness of the past is not forgotten in Panaji.
Portugal's efforts to have a high profile celebration in
collaboration with India, has drawn some sharp reactions in Goa,,
...
"It was a burden on my mind. But I slept well" - Advani - Saroj Nagi
- The Hindustan Times
- 13 April 1997
>>>Nothing illustrated the tension, strain and trauma of the charge
that Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Krishna Advani had
received money through a hawala operator than the aftermath of the
Delhi High Court judgement quashing the case. It was gay abandon
all the way, with Mr Advani surreptitiously wiping away his tears
...
Chacha Chanakya declares war on Left - Yogesh Vajpeyi
- The Indian Express
- 25 April 1997
>>>Congress President Sitaram Kesri has decided to take on the Left.
He today categorically warned the leaders of the two communist
parties to desist from giving vent to their blind anti-Congressism
of "be prepared to face the consequences".
Kesri has picked up West Bengal Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee
...
Surjeet's comments on Gujral's fate worries Left parties - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 25 April 1997
>>>Apprehensions have mounted within the sections of the Left over
CPI(M general secretary Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet's 'scare
scenarios' over the stability of the recently formed I K Gujral
government at the Centre.
The apprehensions appear primarily to be centred around the feeling
...
Unwarranted assurance - Editorial
- The Observer
- 24 April 1997
>>>Prime Minister I K Gujral's performance in the Lok Sabha during the
vote of confidence was typical of the man and the values he stands
for. The keynote was building bridges and winning friends. As it
were, an extension of what has come to be known in diplomatese as
the Gujral doctrine. It was surfeit of goodwill shorn of the
...
Order returning to UP, says BJP leader - Biswajeet Banerjee
- The Pioneer
- 22 April 1997
>>>Law and order has improved after the formation of the BJP-BSP
government, State president of Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh
told reporters on Monday.
"This is not the end. There is still scope for improvement and the
effort of Chief Minister Mayawati to bring order is commendable,"
...
Coterie launches drive to rock fledging Gujral govt - Harish Gupta
- The Indian Express
- 25 April 1997
>>>Even as working president of the Janata Dal, Sharad Yadav, swung
into action to narrow down differences among the United Front's
constituents, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, former
Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and a few others have launched a
campaign to weaken the Gujral Government before it could stabilise.
...
Left expects next Govt to die soon - Anirudh Bhattacharya
- The Pioneer
- 19 April 1997
>>>The Left parties were willing to accept a "consensus" candidate to
replace Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, even as they continued to
harbour reservations about Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) chief G K
Moopanar donning the mantle.
They were also sceptical about the longevity of the new regime.
Down, but not out - Kuldip Nayar
- The Afternoon Despatch and Courier
- 24 April 1997
>>>Let me pick up the thread after Deve Gowda's last speech in the Lok
Sabha. He lost the confidence vote motion but won hearts. It was
an inspiring performance, every word coming from his heart and
reducing Congress, which had withdrawn support from his government,
to shreds. He should have gone down with laurels, as his farewell
...
Bhandari admits to chaos during term - Pioneer News Service
- The Pioneer
- 22 April 1997
>>>Uttar Pradesh Governor Romesh Bhandari finally admitted in the
House that the law and order situation in the State had
deteriorated during his tenure.
Proceedings turned turbulent as Opposition members shouted slogans
and waved black flags. After his brief confession, the din drowned
...
UF feud would ensure Government's fall: BJP - Pioneer News Service
- The Pioneer
- 22 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels that the internal
contradictions within the United Front (UF) would come into play
soon and ensure the fall of the new Government.
In the BJP's parliamentary party meeting on Sunday, senior party
leaders said the Government formed on the foundation of mistrust
...
PM-Mark II and Super PM Kesri - Editorial
- The Free Press Journal
- 23 April 1997
>>>Although A new Government headed by that non-leader Inder Kumar
Gujral is in place, it is far from being complete or cohesive. The
Tamil Maanila Congress was still holding out against joining the
Government. Its moral stand was being threatened by devious P.
Chidambaram's innate love .for office. But should G. K. Moopanar
...
Historical truth - Soumitro Das
- The Statesman
- 19 April 1997
>>>This Hindu nationalism business is the most fertile source of
reflection on politics at the moment. Generally speaking, the
freedom movement, despite its strong and authentic secular
credentials, had a dominant Hindu character, especially since
Gandhi took it over. All the major leaders were Hindu and the
...
Police appear helpless to curb violence in Bihar - Uttar Sengupta
- The Times of India
- 23 April 1997
>>>Every day the special branch of the Bihar police prepares a report
on "Left and extremist violence". Every fortnight, a review of the
activities of these radical groups is prepared. The police seem to
have all the right intelligence, details of secret meetings, plans
and purchase of arms, movement of armed groups and of course the
...
Fatal attraction - Sumer Kaul
- The Hindustan Times
- 22 April 1997
>>>What Doordarshan's entertainment channel so successfully fails to
provide viewers, our politicians give us in the course of
periodical day-and-night performances, even more so than our
cricketers do. Unfortunately, unlike the latter variety of
entertainment, involved in the spectacle is not this international
...
Sushma's histrionics to the fore - HT Correspondent
- The Hindustan Times
- 23 April 1997
>>>If one played unabashedly to the gallery, the other rose above it
to display a statesman-like approach. And yet, both Ms Sushma
Swaraj and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee - two of the three speakers
fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the debate on
Prime Minister I. K. Gujral's confidence motion in the Lok Sabha
...
Gujral ruleS out conversion of LoC - Jammu
- The Economic Times
- 28 April 1997
>>>Prime Minister I K Gujral today ruled out the possibility of
converting line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir into
permanent border with Pakistan and turned down suggestion for
holding talks with the All-Party Hurriat Conference (APHC) for
ending militancy in the state.
Red Alert to grab power - Coomi Kapoor
- The Indian Express
- 27 April 1997
>>>CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet rushed to Moscow
in the midst of the UF leadership tussle to attend an international
meeting of communists, hosted by the Russian communist party.
Apparently, the 82-year Surjeet, the self-avowed Chanakya of Indian
politics, was needed urgently to lecture comrades on the finer
...
Pressure from inside to keep TMC outside Govt - Mukund Padmanabhan
- The Indian Express
- 28 April 1997
>>>The Maanila Congress (TMC) executive meeting turned out to be a
high-strung emotional affair, with the majority of members
expressing themselves against rejoining the United Front (UF)
government. The executive later authorised party president G K
Moopanar to decide whether or not to participate in the United
...
Advani regrets President's decision to instal Gujral - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 28 April 1997
>>>BJP president L K Advani has criticised President Shankar Dayal
Sharma's handling of the recent political crisis and described the
decision to invite I K Gujral for forming the government at the
Centre as "unethical and unacceptable".
In an interview to a private TV channel, Mr Advani said the
...
BJP leader plans reconversion of one lakh tribals - N D Sharma
- The Indian Express
- 28 April 1997
>>>First there were conversions. And now, if Rajya Sabha Bharatiya
Janata Party MP Dilip Singh Judeo has his way, there will be
"reconversions"; as many as one lakh of them.
The parliamentarian plans to "bring back" that many tribals of the
Chhatisgarh belt to the Hindu fold under his "Operation Ghar
...
Farooq gets a rude shock in Jammu - Express News Service
- The Indian Express
- 28 April 1997
>>>Kashmiri migrants today raised slogans against Jammu and Kashmir
Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah when Prime Minister I K Gujral
was visiting their camps at Nagrota near here.
The sloganeering took place during the first ever visit of a Prime
Minister to migrant camps during the last seven years of turmoil in
...
'American reporting on India biased by contrasts in culture' - Suman Guha Mozumder
- The Economic Times
- 7 April 1997
>>>Do cultural differences dictate a certain "distaste" for the
subcontinent that lead to negative reporting from this region by
American reporters?
Mr Selig Harrison, a correspondent of the Associated Press in South
Asia from 1951-1954 and South Asia Bureau chief of Washington Post
...
Cong will consider UF proposals for stability, says Pilot - Sikar (Rajasthan)
- The Economic Times
- 28 April 1997
>>>Congress will consider with an open mind proposals from the United
Front to give stability to the Gujral government, Congress Working
Committee member, Mr Rajesh Pilot said today.
Mr Pilot stated this in an informal chat with newsmen when asked to
comment on the TMC leader, Mr G K Moopanar's reported statement
...
Karunanidhi clarifies remark on fire-walking - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - The Hindu
- 4 April 1997
>>>The Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today clarified that his
criticism as "barbaric" was not in respect of the fire. walking
ritual as such in temples but about the participation of his
partymen including it Minister in such a rite.
"It is not our intention to hurt any one's feelings. I reiterate
...
Secularism has become tradable: BJP - Political Bureau
- The Economic Times
- 12 April 1997
>>>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies today effectively
managed to drive home its political point that both the United
Front and the Congress (I) have reduced the concept of secularism
into a political jargon for grabbing power.
Party's speakers - Mr Atal Behari-Vajpayee, Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr
...
Flavour of the month - Rajat Sharma
- The Indian Express
- 27 April 1997
>>>For the first time since Independence, India has a Prime Minister
who has borrowed his entire Council of Ministers from his
predecessor. The new Prime Minister, Inder Kumar Gujral, should at
least have had the prerogative of reallocating the portfolios. The
luxury of dropping a minister from the Union Cabinet, in fact, was
...
Science religion must complement each other: Sant Keshavadas - Ranjit Hoskote
- The Times of India
- 28 April 1997
>>>For someone born in the village of Bhadragiri near Bangalore in
1934, Sant Keshavadas has undergone a remarkable transformation.
Known in the West as the founder of the Temple of Cosmic Religion,
he is a jet-setting guru to whom the world is a village.
Keshavadas has spread his gospel of the unity of religions across
...
State can take over temple management, rules SC - Krishan Mahajan
- The Indian Express
- 15 April 1997
>>>Hindu are not a denomination, section or sect under the
Constitution. Hence Hindus as a community cannot under Article 26
of the Constitution claim the fundamental right of a denomination
to maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes, to
manage their own affairs in matters of a religion; to own and
...
River of eternal rest - TIM McGIRK
- Time
- 24 March 1997
>>>Hindus believe that if their ashes are sprinkled in the Ganges
River, they are freed forever from the cycle of death and rebirth.
This may be popular wisdom in India, but not in Seattle's cowboy
bars, where a gay Vietnam War veteran named Johnny Bowman used to
hang out. Several years back, when Bowman realized he had AIDS, he
...
False priest to an untrue god - M V Kamath
- The Daily
- 21 April 1997
>>>So the one-day wonder that was the Gowda government has been voted
out of power. That kichidi government of thirteen disparate
political parties should not have come into existence in the first
place. What is forgotten is that these. parties were fighting each
other in the states like dogs. Do they deny it? They came together
...
Harappan jigsaw complete - Malini Nair
- The Telegraph
- 3 April 1997
>>>The turbulent saga of a whole Harappan city that survived in this
Kutch region for 1,400 years has finally been pieced together by
the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
After digging intensively for six years, archaeologists have sewn
up the story of a fortified city ruled by fiercely protective men
...
Under our secular governments - M V Kamath
- The Daily
- 23 April 1997
>>>How nice it is to know from Sitaram Kesri that prime minister HD
Deve Gowda is trot only inefficient but also a communalist? That
may not come as news to anyone in Bangalore but it is heartening to
hear Kesri's assessment of. Gowda. Wasn't it Gowda who led the
'secular' brigade all these months under the watchful eye, of the
...
"Next election to be fought in North, PM to be from there" - Ritu Sarin
- The Indian Express
- 27 April 1997
>>>Last fortnight's power games to elect the leader of the United
Front have underscored the role of Harkishen Singh Surjeet as a
prime power manager. But Surjeet likes to see himself as a
peacemaker rather than an ace manipulator. The CPI(M) General
Secretary spoke to RITU SARIN about his role in the making of the
...
Congress has no options: Advani - CHO Ramaswami
- The Hindustan Times
- 20 April 1997
>>>In a wide-ranging question-answer session between Tamil
actor/playwright and satirist CHO Ramaswami and BJP chief L. K.
Advani, the latter feels that the BJP's current problems are a
result of the party's phenomenal growth. He forecasts that the
Congress would be reduced to irrelevance in the nation's politics
...
'Earlier the gang-up was to keep the BJP out' - Advani - Shivani Singh
- The Sunday Observer
- 27-March April 3
>>>>From a swayamsevak at 14 and a pracharak at 18, Lal Kishinchand
Advani steadily graduated to the post of Bharatiya Jan Sangh
president in 1973. In 1986, he became president of the Jan Sangh's
new avatar, the Bharatiya Janata Party, for the first time. But it
was only in 1990, when he embarked on his controversial rath yatra
...
Tribals are more civilised than all of us : Mahasveta Devi - PTI
- The Afternoon
- 4 April 1997
>>>The creation of a separate Jharkhand State would not solve the
manifold problems of the tribals people of the region so long as
'outsiders' remain in control of its land and natural resources,
Jnanpith laureate and social activist Smt Mahasveta Devi said here.
'Even if a separate State is created, the tribals will, remain mere
...
Calendars and calendars - which one to follow - (agenda) - Arabinda Ghose
- Organiser
- 27 April 1997
>>>April 8 was celebrated as the first day of the Vikram Samvat 2054
by the devout Hindus in the country. This day is celebrated with
greater enthusiasm in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and
Madhya Pradesh. For the Hindus of these States, Chaitra Shukla
...
Vanyogi Smarak Samiti inaugurated - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - Organiser
- 27 April 1997
>>>"It is not the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram's aim to withhold the vanvasis
from the mainstream. On the contrary it is striving for bringing
them back to their ancestral (Hindu) fold through national
awareness and at the game time defending their glorious cultural
and religious heritage against anti-national alien elements. Hence
...
Divorcees re-marry - Editorial
- Organiser
- 27 April 1997
>>>The Deve Gowda Government's confidence motion was defeated on April
11, 1997 and since then for the past two weeks the country has been
pushed into a political crisis, the Centre being without a
Government. The ongoing confabulations within the UF partners and
the haggling between the UF and the Congress might have provided a
...
Christian community has no say in Minority Institutions - Posted By Ashok V Chowgule - Organiser
- 27 April 1997
>>>A full bench of the Supreme Court is going into the scope of
Article 30 of the Constitution concerning the rights of a minority
community in establishing and administering educational
institutions of its choice. Shri Joseph Pulikunnel, a member of a
minority community, Nazrani Catholic Church of India and Director
...
Why has 'Secularism' become a dirty word? - V. P. B.
- Organiser
- 27 April 1997
>>>Kuldip Nayar, the leading light of the anti-BJP media pack, seems
to be quite unhappy at the Delhi High Court's order quashing all
charges against Shri. L.K. Advani (along with the Congress leader
Shri V.C. Shukla) in the so-called Hawala case. So unhappy is Nayar
at Advani's acquittal that he would not mind wearing his malice on
...
How not to fight the BJP - Padmanand Jha
- Outlook
- 23 April 1997
>>>One cannot but begin to have serious doubts about the strategic
vision of our so-called secular leaders in the nation's war against
communal forces. Witness the pathetic behind-the-scenes manoeuvres
to cobble yet another strictly ad-hoc coalition; the one-point
agenda of keeping the BJP out of power for a short while, even if
...
No honour left - M V Kamath
- Mid-day
- 26 April 1997
>>>I am frankly amazed at the -amount of attention that is being given
to the Leftist parties, particularly the CPI and CPM. And I am
amused at the copious tears that are being shed by our
intellectuals for the overthrow of Deve Gowda. First let me deal
with the Leftists.
Guards of secularism - K Subrahmanyam
- The Economic Times
- 30 April 1997
>>>Turkish Prime Minister Mecmettin Erbakan has bowed down to the
demands of the Turkish service chiefs, and thereby avoided a
political crisis for now. Their demand was presented to him in the
National Security Council (MGK.)
He was warned by the service chiefs in an earlier meeting in March
...
The hills are alive with the sound of gunfire 
