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Daily Epaper
Golden Yug Daily English Newspaper e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Vol. 2 ISSUE NO. 279 Jammu, RNI No. JKENG/2013/48845 TITLE CODE: JKENG-00999 Website: www.goldenyug.com Wednesday 19, November 2014 PAGES 8 PRICE RS. 2/- NC has always given fair representation to Ladakh Omar addresses public meetings in Tyakshi, Turtuk and Bogdang in Nobra ment in the region. It has always been our endeavor to ensure a greater connectivity and an increased level of governance in the most remote regions of the Ladakh region and we have achieved historic success in this mission in the last six years" Omar Abdullah said. Omar Abdullah said that the National Conference led Government had brought more connectivity to the region and brought the administration closer to the people by the creation of New Administrative Units. "This mission of ours was expressed in our efforts to create new administrative units in this region for instance. We created a new Tehsil in Diksit, Community Development Blocks in Turtuk, Bogdang and Sumoor while creating new Nayabats in Panamik, Khalsar, Charasa, Diskit and Bogdang. This will bring the government closer to your areas and you will not have to travel huge distances for getting your work done", Omar Abdullah said while addressing public meetings in Tyakshi, Turtuk and Bogdang. "There are politicians who are coming to this region today to ask for your votes. You should ask these political parties and their leaders what they have done for the people of this region apart from issuing press notes and giving speeches. While the BJP is trying to have three different stands on a single issue in three regions of the State, the Congress party on the other hand has converged all its focus on not making their candidates win but in opposing National Conference in the region. The reason for this is clear and simple - the association of National Conference with all of you and your love and support to National Conference is the biggest hurdle in their plans to locally fragment and divide you for their own partisan interests", Omar Abdullah said. Omar Abdullah said that communal harmony and regional cooperation formed the basis of NC's political vision and the party had given numerous sacrifices to protect these values. "We have to stick together and breach new frontiers of development and progress and be assets for each other. Those who are trying to fragment us and divide us for their own political interests are enemies of this State and its future generation. We have seen unprecedented development by sticking together in the last six years and we will achieve greater success in the coming six years by ensuring that the bond of trust between Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh remains unharmed. I ask you to strengthen the hands of Tsetan Namgyal so that he can continue to serve your interests as opposed to the other political parties and their candidates who are here just to divide and exploit you", Omar Abdullah said. Sitting MLA and NC Candidate from Nobra Tsetan Namgyal also addressed the public meetings and highlighted the work done by the National Conference led Government in the region in the last six years. NEW dELHI, NoV. 18: In the first case of Ebola in the country, an Indian national returning from Liberia has tested positive for the deadly virus and has been quarantined at a special facility at Delhi airport. The health ministry said the 26-year-old man, who reached here on November 10, was already treated for the deadly disease in the African country and carried no symptoms but tests of his semen samples were positive, prompting authorities to put him under isolation. This is the first confirmed case of Ebola, though the victim contracted the virus abroad and has already been treated. "The situation is under control and there is no need for any alarm. However, all precautions are being taken in this regard," the ministry said in a statement. It is a known fact, the ministry said, that during convalescence from Ebola, people continue to shed virus in body fluids for variable periods. However, presence of virus in his semen samples may have the possibility of transmitting the disease through sexual route up to 90 days from time of clinical cure, it said. He will remain under isolation in the special health facility of Delhi Airport Health Organization till his body fluids test negative and is found medically fit to be discharged, it said, insisting that the man is a treated and cured case of Ebola. He had carried a certificate of medical clearance from the Liberian government, mentioning that "he has successfully undergone care and treatment related to Ebola and after post treatment assessment has been declared free of any clinical signs and symptoms and confirmed negative by laboratory analysis", the official statement said quoting the Liberian document. His three blood samples tested here were also found negative for and, therefore, according to WHO and CDC specifications, he is deemed to be cured, it said. However, the ministry added that the virus may continue to be positive in secretions like urine and semen for a longer time. Liberia is one of the countries which have seen a number of Ebola cases. BJP launches 3D selfie technology for campaigning Parties vying for fragmenting gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: After successful use of different modes of technology during the Lok Sabha and later assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, the state BJP launched 3D selfie technology for campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir during the ensuing assembly elections. Former Union MoS & MLA Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, alongwith State Spokesperson & Media Incharge Arun Kumar Gupta, State Spokesperson Sunil Sethi (Advocate), Balbir Ram Rattan and Dr. Suresh Ajay Magotra, got his selfie clicked with PM Narendra Modi and later flagged off the selfie van for other assembly constituencies. Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, while appreciating the initiative of the party to adopt latest means of technology to reach the masses, said that the BJP has taken lead in campaigning across the state and over whelming response to our candidates is also an indicator that Mission 44+ will be achieved with ease and the state will have a BJP activist as Chief Minister. He appealed the people not to get misled votes in the valley: PDP by the false promises of parties like NC, Congress and PDP and ensure victory of BJP candidates. Arun Kumar Gupta, while briefing the media persons about the 3D selfie concept said that the party has been utilizing all the available means of print and electronic media besides pressing into service the social media facilities with a sole motive of reaching maximum population in the state and mobilize public opinion in favour of the party candidates. He said the 3D selfie concept is attracting large population as anyone can take his or her photo by just standing in front of the selfie van and it will be shown that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is himself standing with them and addressing. BJP IT Cell State Convenor Jaidev Rajwal, State Publicity Secretary Aseem Gupta, party leader Anil Gupta and others were also present on the occasion. gy NEWS SERVICE SRINagaR, NoV. 18: The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday accused Omar Abdullah-led NC government of losing the regional character and being reduced to a "mere tool of fragmentation of votes" in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. "The NC has not only transformed itself into an available appendage for sharing power either with Congress or BJP but it has reduced itself to a mere tool of fragmentation and division of votes," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said today while addressing roadside meetings at Bandipora and Sonawari. The PDP leader stated that the ruling National Conference has done serious damage to its popularity over the years and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's current tenure reflects the proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back'. "The popular base of the National Conference as an organization has now drastically shrunk. It now comprises of a group of individual leaders who are trying to survive in politics under a banner that has become a liability for them," she said. Mehbooba said that the ruling party, which for a long time had been a dominant political force in the state has lost its clout among the people because of its repeated sellouts and compromises which it kept on doing for the sake of power. "In spite of the overwhelming mandate and support of the people it used to get over the decades, the NC always failed to identity itself with the people and instead considered them its slaves who will anytime help it to grab power," she said. NC got a slim lead in only six assembly segments in this year's Lok Sabha polls. The party along with some other smaller groups are being kept alive to serve the purpose of certain forces in dividing the votes in the Kashmir Valley, so that a united voice doesn't emerge from here, she said. Hitting out at RSS and BJP, Mehbooba said that "both the forces are trying to implement their sinister agenda of saffronising Jammu and Kashmir by consolidating the votes of one community and fragmenting the other". "This is a very dangerous game and, willingly or unwillingly, the NC and some other elements are becoming partners in this intrigue against the distinct pluralistic identity of the state," she added. MCC violation by NC Congress had agenda to serve people discovered at Mendhar but NC didn't support it: Soz NC flags found flying at PHE pipes, show cause notice issued to PHE AEE gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV 18: A major violation of model code of conduct (MCC) was discovered in Mendhar town of Poonch today after over a hundred NC flags were found flying at the top of government pipes of PHE department. Taking a strong note of it, Mendhar returning officer Romesh Kumar flashed a show cause notice to AEE of PHE sub-division, Mendhar. The complaints in this regard were lodged by locals with the returning officer, who in turn asked the MCC staff to verify them, according to official sources. The MCC staff then visited the rooftops of the over a hundred houses and got videographed the flagpoles with NC flags, the sources added. Sources said after seeing the video, the returning officer issued a show cause notice to PHE AEE, sub-division, Mendhar, Showkat Ahmad, asking him to explain his position. “The use of official material in elections is termed as a major MCC violation. Action is likely to be taken against those who were found involved in the distribution of government pipes to NC workers in Mendhar town,” the sources added. There is a strong resentment in and around Mendhar town among the non-NC workers. gy NEWS SERVICE BaNdIpoRa, NoV. 18: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Saif-ud-din Soz on Tuesday claimed that the party had an agenda to serve the people of the state but its coalition National Conference (NC) did not support it. "I will tell you one thing that our coalition partner did not support us. It wasted our three years for empowering panchayats. We had an agenda to serve you, but they were miser in this and felt the Congress would take the credit. "That is why, elections to local bodies did not take place. So, we could not do what we wanted to do for you," Soz said addressing an election rally here. The JKPCC president said no government can be formed in the state after the assembly elections without the Congress party. "Keep this in your heart and mind that there would be no government in the state without Congress party. Either we will lead the government or be a part of that. We will not sit at home but will take part in your struggle for development and prosperity," he Golden Yug –– Contact –– 0191-2464590 For Booking of Copies of Golden Yug –– Contact –– 94191-88950 Postal Regd. No. L-29/JK-509/13-15 NC a perennial bond between Jammu, Man tests positive for Ebola Kashmir & Ladakh - Omar Abdullah in Delhi, kept under isolation gy NEWS SERVICE NoBRa, NoV. 18: Chief Minister and National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah Tuesdaysaid that National Conference was a perennial bond of amity and mutual trust between the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Omar Abdullah addressed public meetings in Tyakshi, Turtuk and Bogdang in Ladakh six and highlighted the work done by his Government in the region in the last six years. "No political party has demonstrated a greater and more equitable political will to usher Ladakh region into an era of prosperity, connectivity and progress as much as National Conference has. And this has been our legacy since the time of Sheikh Sahib and his land-to-thetiller reforms which had an enormous liberating effect for the peasants in the Ladakh region as well. It was Sheikh Sahib who ensured the fair representation of Ladakh in his first popular government by inducting Kushak Bakula Rinpochee as a Minister for Ladakh Affairs. The concept of 'Ladakh Affairs' has been envisioned by NC to ensure equitable develop- For Advertisement in said. Soz said Congress party wants to keep the unity and brotherhood in the country intact, but there was a danger to the country because of the politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We want the people of all the three regions of the state ? Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu, remain united. But right now, there is a danger to India from Modi's politics. Why am I saying this in Bandipora is because that every vote of yours will be against the communalism and for brotherhood and secularism," he said. The Congress leader termed the BJP as a "dark shadow", saying only Congress can take on the "fascist and communal forces". "A dark shadow has come in the country. This government is of the RSS. They have let one man be at the front. The people in the BJP are dying inside as this is not the government of the BJP. Remember this, no party here can take on Modi or communalism. Only Congress can fight him. We will take to task those who indulge in communalism and fascism," he said. Power shut down gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: In view of shut down availed Power Grid by Corporation of India, power supply to some areas of Jammu Province shall remain affected from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inconvenience to esteemed consumers is regretted. The Public is advised to use power judiciously in other areas. 7 candidates file nomination papers in Dist Bla today gy NEWS SERVICE BaRaMULLa, NoV. 18: Seven candidates today filed their nomination papers for Assembly Elections 2014. Two candidates filed their nomination papers from Sangrama constituency, two candidates each from Gulmarg and Pattan constituencies, besides one candidate filed the nomination papers from Baramulla constituency. PDP fields veteran journalist for J&K assembly elections gy NEWS SERVICE SRINagaR, NoV. 18: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday fielded veteran journalist Zafar Meraj from Habba Kadal seat for the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP announced Meraj, who has been associated with various national and international media over the past four decades, as the candidate for the Habba Kadal constituency in Srinagar district. Meraj will take on National Conference's candidate and incumbent MLA Shamima Firdous in the constituency, which has generally witnessed low voter turnout since the eruption of militancy in the state. Habba Kadal, which has a significant number of migrant Kashmiri Pandit voters who can be the deciding factor, is one of the five valley constituencies where BJP considers it has a significant chance of winning. The BJP has fielded Moti Koul, a Kashmir Pandit, from Habba Kadal, where polling will be held in the fourth phase of elections in the state on December 14. National Lok Adalat in Kulgam on Dec 6 gy NEWS SERVICE KULgaM, NoV. 18: A National Lok Adalat is going to be organized by District Legal Services Authority at District Court Complex Kulgam as well as its subordinate courts with special reference to family disputes, traffic challans, MACT cases, municipality cases, under Fisheries Act cases. Under Electric Act, petty criminal cases, family disputes, criminal cases (compoundable cases) under payment of Wages Act. Land acquisition cases, mutation cases, revenue cases, MNREGA cases, civil cases, property disputes between close relatives, relating to bank loans, relating to recently flood affected victims. Interesting persons have been informed to approach the concerned courts for references of their cases to the proposed National Lok Adalat. 2 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 Cambodia nightclub fire kills five: Police pHNoM pENH, NoV. 18: Five people, including a foreign holidaymaker, died in a fire at a nightclub in Cambodia's northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap today, police said. The blaze broke out at the Hip Hop nightclub in Siem Reap city at around 2am (1900 GMT) due to an electrical fault, provincial police chief Sort Nady told AFP. "Five people, including an unidentified foreign tourist, died from suffocation by smoke," he said, adding that two other local people were also injured in the fire. Police have launched an investigation into the accident but no one has been arrested yet, Nady said. Siem Reap province, home to Cambodia's famed Angkor temple complex, is the most popular tourist destination in the country. Two killed in school van blast in northwest Pakistan ISLaMaBad, NoV. 18: An 11-year-old boy was among two persons killed Tuesdayin a bomb attack on a school van in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal region. The bomb was planted on a road in Nasti Kot area of Kurram tribal district and hit the van as it drove the children to the school. A security official said the driver of the vehicle and the boy were killed, while five more children were injured. Nobody took responsibility of the attack but the Taliban militants are active in the region and often target the security forces and civilians. Kurram on Afghan border is one of seven tribal areas controlled through colonial era draconian laws. They are internally autonomous and the situation is often exploited by the militants. Russia urges US, Ukraine to disclose MH17 crash data MoSCoW, NoV. 18: Moscow has once again urged the US to disclose the satellite images taken over eastern Ukraine when Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashed. Moscow continued to "insist" that Washington should "share its satellite data because there's no way they could not have seen what happened there on that day", Russian envoy to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Andrey V. Kelin, told Russia's TV channel Rossiya 24 Monday. Russia also "urgently needs" Kiev to disclose the communication records between Ukrainian air traffic controllers, Kelin said. "I was glad to learn today that collection of the wreckage resumed and all will be taken away," Xinhua quoted Kelin as telling the channel. "I hope and see that, after overcoming political difficulties, the investigation is getting along well." Dutch investigators have begun evacuating debris of the crashed Boeing 777 from the crash site in eastern Ukraine. The Dutch Safety Board, leading the investigation into the crash, announced Monday that the recovery of the wreckage started Sunday and would be completed in about five more days. The tail section of the aircraft and more human remains have been recovered and the wreckage and the remains would be transported by train to Kharkiv for further examination and finally to the Netherlands, said the Dutch Safety Board investigators, who were supervising the retrieval work that was monitored by the OSCE. The Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in eastern Ukraine close to the Russian border July 17, killing all 298 people on board. Both Kiev and the West have since claimed that Russian missiles were responsible for bringing the aircraft to ground, but no evidence has been provided up till now to prove that allegation. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a tense 15minute conversation with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Beijing earlier this month, with the main focus on the catastrophe of the Malaysian airliner. Abbott's office said in a statement released Wednesday that Abbott and Putin have agreed that the aforementioned information should be provided to the independent investigation, and have "robustly spoken out in favour of speeding up the investigation of the reasons for the tragedy". US says ''deeply concerned'' about Israeli settlement decision WaSHINgToN, NoV. 18: The United States said on Wednesday it was "deeply concerned" about an Israeli decision to approve construction of 200 new homes in East Jerusalem. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the decision impeded attempts to reach a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. "We are deeply concerned by this decision particularly given the tense situation in Jerusalem," she told a regular media briefing. "Most importantly they are contrary to Israel`s own stated goal of achieving a two-state solution because they make it more difficult to do that," Psaki said. The new housing is slated for a sprawling hillside complex of apartment buildings and private homes at the northern edge of Jerusalem, on land Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed to the city in a move never recognized internationally. Palestinians want this territory as part of a future state. US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Jordan on Wednesday to meet with King Abdullah. The talks will include a discussion of the growing tensions in Jerusalem, the State Department said. Tension has risen over Israeli-controlled access to Jerusalem`s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam`s third holiest site, where biblical Jewish temples once stood. Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed repeatedly in recent weeks, culminating in a one-day closure of the mosque last month. Jordan recalled its ambassador from Israel on Nov. 5, the first time it has taken such action since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994, denouncing what Amman called "violations" at the mosque. Jerusalem synagogue attacked, American grilled for shipping four Israeli civilians killed human body parts in Thailand JERUSaLEM, NoV. 18: At least four people were reportedly killed in an apparent terror attack at a synagogue in the Har Nof neighbourhood of Jerusalem Tuesday morning, a media report said. A Magen David Adom spokesman said that there were at least 13 victims, some of whom are gravely injured, Xinhua reported citing Israeli media. "We are viewing this as a terrorist attack," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Two Palestinians, armed with axes and knives, entered the synagogue and began attacking worshippers. Both attackers were shot and killed, Channel 2 reported. The ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood is on the western edge of Jerusalem. NoV. BaNgKoK, 18: A parcel delivery company in Bangkok put three packages bound for the United States through a routine X-ray and made a startling discovery: preserved human parts, including an infant's head, a baby's foot and an adult heart. The body parts were stolen from the medical museums of one of Bangkok's biggest hospitals, its administrators said yesterday. Police Col. Chumpol Poompuang said the sender was a 31-year-old American tourist, Ryan McPherson, who told them he had he found the items at a Bangkok night market. Police tracked down McPherson after being alerted by the shipper, Kerry arrives in Britain to hold consultations on Iran's nuclear programme LoNdoN, NoV. 18: US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Britain on Tuesday for meetings focused on the Middle East ahead of crunch talks in Vienna this week over Iran's controversial nuclear programme. Kerry is due to meet with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond later today to discuss Iran, as well as the Ebola epidemic and tensions in Ukraine. He will then meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to talk about "the next steps to try to de-escalate the situation on the ground in Jerusalem", a US official said. Kerry will also meet with former British prime minister Tony Blair, an international special envoy to the Middle East. Violence has been raging in Jerusalem since July, with clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces on a nearly daily basis. Later on Tuesday Kerry will hold talks with Oman Foreign Minister Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah following the latter's visit to Tehran. He will also meet Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, which is taking part in US-led air strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria. Shortly before departing for London, Kerry acknowledged the vital nature of the upcoming talks with Tehran in Vienna ahead of a November 24 deadline to reach agreement on its nuclear drive. "We are obviously entering a key period with the negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program, and I will go to Vienna at the appropriate moment," Kerry said at a Washington forum. The UN Security Council's five permanent members -Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany will negotiate with Tehran on a complex comprehensive agreement that Washington hopes will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. Iran's leaders insist its nuclear push serves purely civilian purposes such as energy, but many in the West fear Tehran is seeking an atomic bomb. Republicans, who will soon control both chambers of the US Congress after elections earlier this month, have been infuriated by the tentative rapprochement of President Barack Obama, a Democrat, toward Iran. They warn Obama is being fooled by the new, more moderate face of the Islamic republic, which aims to win billions of dollars in sanctions relief and say it will still covertly seek to develop a nuclear weapon. DHL. "He said he thought the body parts were bizarre and wanted to send them to his friends in the US," Chumpol said, adding that the man was questioned along with an American friend for several hours and released without charges. It apparently was not the first brush with notoriety for McPherson and his friend, identified by police as Daniel Tanner, 33. Photos of the two talking with police on Sunday closely resemble men by the same names and ages who were producers over a decade ago of a video series featuring homeless people brawling and performing dangerous stunts after being paid by the filmmakers, who were based in Las Vegas. They claimed sales of about 300,000 copies at USD 20 each, though their "Bumfights" videos were banned in several commuand generally nities shunned by retailers after criticism that the films' subjects were being exploited. McPherson and Tanner exited Thailand into neighboring Cambodia on Sunday, and could not be contacted for comment. The three packages seized in Bangkok, which contained five body pieces, were labeled as toys, police said. They were being sent to Las Vegas, including one parcel that McPherson had addressed to himself. Police said they were contacting the FBI to get information about the would-be recipients of the items. In Washington, spokeswoman Minique Crump said the FBI was aware of the matter and was looking into it. Professor Clinical Udom Kachintorn, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital, told reporters that the five human body parts were stolen from the hospital's museums. Two of them belonged to the department of anatomy and the other three to the department of forensic medicine. He said the two Americans visited the museum last Thursday but that closed circuit television video did not show them taking any items away. Charity UK puts Muslim charities on terror watch-list LoNdoN, NoV. 18: As many as 55 unnamed charities in the UK are being secretly monitored and have been placed under watch-list over suspected links to "radicalisation and extremism". More than a quarter of these British charity organisations are Islamic bodies and collect tens of thousands of pounds every year in charity. The Charity Commission of UK has also placed five British charities operating in Syria under its most serious form of enquiry. At least 55 charities were labelled with the "radicalisation and extremism" issue code by the UK's Charity Commission between December 2012 and May 2014 without their knowledge, according to think-tank Claystone. The monitoring of the charities was disclosed in a Freedom of Information Act request by the Londonbased think-tank specialising in Muslim issues. The preponderance of Islamic charities in the watch-list have fuelled criticism that Muslim organisations are being unfairly singled out as the Commission has no written policy on how it applies or removes the "radicalisation and extremism" label. The think-tank's report,?'Muslim Charities: A Suspect Sector', shows that of the 44 new publicly identified enquiries which began after January 1, 2013, 17 involved Muslim-related charities. Adam Belaon, the report's author, criticised the absence of publicly identified examples of extremism. "Muslim charities are disproportionately investigated and monitored. There has been no empirical evidence offered to substantiate concerns that British Muslim charities are surreptitiously operating with the purpose of supporting terrorist activities," he said. The five British charities operating in Syria are undergoing full statutory enquiries, including al-Fatiha Global, which Alan Henning, the former British aid worker who was captured and beheaded by ISIS, was working for when he was kidnapped. Organisations that promote radical views have been warned by the Commission that they will be deemed to have broken charity law even if their activities fall short of criminal. A Charity Commission spokesperson said, "The commission does not target Muslims, any other religion or type of charity. All our casework is prioritised and assessed for action against the risk framework." Prime Minister David Cameron has last month awarded extra powers and 8 million pounds to the Charity Commission to "confront the menace of extremism" posed by the bogus charities. African militants release video of French, Dutch hostages paRIS, NoV. 18: The North African jihadist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb released a video purporting to show a French and a Dutch hostage held since November 2011 in the Sahara. In the video released yesterday, found on the Internet by the private terrorism watchdog SITE, French national Serge Lazarevic and a man identifying himself as Sjaak Rijke appeal to their governments to negotiate their release. There is nothing in the footage of Lazarevic to suggest when it was shot, but Rijke says he is speaking on September 26 this year and refers to a US-Taliban prisoner exchange conducted in May. Lazarevic, 50, who was kidnapped in the Malian town of Hombori in November 2011, appears in a dark headdress and with a thick beard in the front of a pick-up truck with a black jihadist banner behind him. Speaking in French, he complains that he is gravely ill and urges President Francois Hollande to seek his release. Lazarevic last appeared in an AQIM propaganda video in June. French authorities confirmed the authenticity of the latest video. The footage is "recent proof of life that was long overdue", the presidential office said in a statement. "The president is in permanent contact with the authorities of the countries Hong Kong authorities remove barricades from protest site HoNg KoNg, NoV. 18: The authorities in Hong Kong have begun clearing a part of a key area of the heart of the city that has been occupied by pro-democracy demonstrators for nearly two months on Tuesday. The move comes after the high court granted an injunction, according to reports. The bailiffs, backed by police officers, are removing barricades outside Citic Tower in the Admiralty area, but leaving the rest of the camp. Earlier, about 30 court bailiffs arrived at the 33-storey Citic Tower in Admiralty, next to government buildings, to enforce an injunction against the street barricades after a request from the building's owners, witnesses said. Some protesters packed up pillows, blankets and other belongings from inside their tents and prepared to move to another part of the demonstration zone. The area near Citic Tower, headquarters of CITIC Pacific Ltd., has been surrounded by metal barricades for weeks, blocking parts of the street and disrupting commuters heading to the Central business district next door. The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives the city more autonomy and freedom than the mainland and a goal of universal suffrage. The protesters are demanding open nominations in the city's next election for chief executive in 2017. Beijing has said it will allow a vote in 2017, but only between pre-screened candidates. The protests, which drew well over 100,000 at their peak, have dwindled to hundreds camped out in colourful tents at key intersections on both sides of the harbour. in the region to use all forms of dialogue to achieve the release of our hostage," it said. The Elysee added that Lazarevic's family was being "continuously kept informed" of efforts to secure his release. The hostage who identifies himself as Rijke appears against the backdrop of a simple off-white sheet. Speaking in Dutchaccented English, he too urges his home government to help free him. Rijke, 54, was kidnapped as a tourist in the Malian town of Timbuktu, also in November 2011. He has appeared in a series of AQIM videos, most lately in September 2013. The Dutch foreign ministry said it was aware of the latest video, which lasts less than four minutes. "In the interest of the family we will not be commenting," a spokeswoman told AFP. Lazarevic, who has dual French and Serbian citizenship, is the last French hostage still being held worldwide, after hiker Herve Gourdel was abducted in Algeria and beheaded in September by Islamic State-linked militants. Lazarevic was accompanying Frenchman Philippe Verdon on a business trip when they were both seized by armed men in Mali's north, relatives said. Verdon was found shot dead last year. Recovery of MH17 wreckage to be completed in five days THE HagUE, NoV. 18: The recovery of the wreckage Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will be completed in around five days, the Dutch Safety Board, leading the investigation into the crash in eastern Ukraine, has announced. The recovery of the wreckage started Sunday and among other things the tail section of the aircraft was recovered Monday. The wreckage will be transported by train to Kharkiv and finally to The Netherlands. When the conditions allow it and stay similar, the recovery will continue Tuesday and last around five more days, Xinhua cited the safety board as saying Monday. The board has commissioned the recovery of the wreckage for the investigation into the cause of the crash. This includes a partial reconstruction of the aircraft. The Boeing 777-200 of the Malaysia Airlines en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed July 17 in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Region, some 60 km from the Russian border, killing all 298 people on board. On Sep 9, the safety board issued its first preliminary report, stating the crash had an external cause, probably as the result of structural dam- age caused by a large number of high-energy objects that penetrated the aircraft from outside. There are no indications that the crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew. During the recovery activities Sunday and Monday, new human remains were found as well. These remains will undergo a forensic check in Kharkiv and will be transported for identification to the Netherlands in due course. According to the last count of the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice a total of 289 victims have been identified yet. 3 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 People of Doda to desist any attempt to polarise their Nagrota still struggling votes on the basis of religion or cast: Abdul Majid Wani for basic amenities: BSP gy NEWS SERVICE doda, NoV. 18: R&B Minister Abdul Majid Wani, continuing his spree of extensive touring of remote and far flung areas of Doda constituency visited, today, village Kacchhua, Gadhi, Gagual, Chakra, Bijarni, Gadan, Sazan and Beoli. Wani addressed a number of public rallies in these villages and exhorted people to vote only for the candidate who has clear cut agenda of peace, development and prosperity of Doda. In village Gadhi, Ram Singh and Lehar Singh, two old & staunch BJP workers along with their number of supporters joined Congress party in presence of Abdul Majid Wani. Welcoming them in Congress party fold, Majid Wani asked people to beware of BJP and National Conference party candidates who had been responsible for delayed development of Doda, which, otherwise had been bestowed by God with vast natural including resources untouched beautiful valleys, a number of natural clean water springs & rivulets, natural minerals and a number of religious places. These political parties had been responsible for keeping people of Doda in a dark era of communal chaos, poverty and underdevelopment for a pretty long period. The large of gatherings of people, who attended these public rallies, assured Majid Wani that they will not allow any political party or group to disturb communal harmony and secular culture of Doda. And, neither they will allow any group to polarise their votes on the basis of religion or cast basis. Majid Wani, further, said that people of Doda constituency could get rid of these unforgettable dark days only after they got elected Abdul Majid Wani as their MLA in year 2002. After that, Doda constituen- BJP leaders review preparations for PM's rally in Kishtwar gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Lead by State General Secretary (Org.) Ashok Koul, a BJP team comprising of rallies Incharge Yudhvir Sethi, State Secretary Munish Sharma and District President Rajinder Singh held series of meetings with the Kishtwar district Administration in connection with November 22 public rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides discussing the poll strategy with the local leadership. The team also visited the venue of the rally for an on the spot assessment of the security arrangements been made. Ashok Koul, while taking up the issue of arrangements with the local administration, stressed that the security arrangements should be in accordance with the guidelines of the Union Government but it should also be ensured that the people who come to the rally venue to listen Narendra Modi should not feel uncomfortable while passing through security check up. Ashok Koul appealed the people to come in large numbers to the rally to convey a clear message that Narendra Modi wave is sweeping every nook and corner of Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country. cy was put on a fast track of growth and development. With a result, today, Doda constituency has very high indices of living with the best civil infrastructural facilities in each and every sphere. Now, there is no looking back for people and they will definitely elect me for the third time also so as to continue process of growth and development with more speed and vigour. Very shortly, people of Doda constituency shall witness tourism and industrial sector flourishing in this region at a large scale, for which, already stage has been set up. Abdul Majid Wani was accompanied by Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shan, Sarpanch Shankar Singh, Sarpanch Ranjeet Singh, Mohd. Iqbal, Rajkumar, Mushtaq Ahmad, Najib-urRehman Fani, Irshad Ahmad Misger, Engineer Vishal Bhagat, Aadil Karim Wani, Hakim Manzoor, Guler Singh, Mohd. Rafiq, Sunil Kumar, Sant Raj, Hans Raj, Naib Sarpanch Bharat Singh, Farooq Ahmad Mir, Farooq Ahmad Butt, Kuldeep Singh, Milaap Singh and Atta Mohd. Hajjam Sarpanch. Vikram for developing Jammu East as 'Model Constituency' Jd NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Giving impetus to his election campaign, Congress Candidate from Jammu East Assembly constituency, Vikram Malhotra today visited the areas of Jewel, Kaali Jaani, Kanji House and Malhotra Mohalla. He met a large number of people and made a fervor appeal among them to vote in his favour. On the occasion, he addressed a number of corner meetings and listened grievances of the locals. Vikram Malhotra said that some parties are trying to divide and polarize the people of the state only to stall the progress and development. He added, "But, I am very happy that people have understood their cheap game Dr. Kamal addressed Rally's, workers meetings at Seriwarpora, Sonim, Yaol, Katibugh, Dangarpora, Treran and Ferozaporza gy NEWS SERVICE SRINagaR, NoV. 18: Continuing his election campaign in Gulmarg-14 constituency Dr. Kamal addressed Rallys and workers meetings at Seriwarpora, Sonim, Yaol, Katibugh, Dangarpora, Treran and Ferozaporza on 16-11-2014 and meeting of ponywallas at Tangmarg as well. He gave a gyst of achievements of National Conference governments in GulmargTangmarg areas since 1987 which include modern markets and public parks at Tangmarg and Gulmarg, centrally headed club house of Gulmarg, Ten roomed hotels at Tangmarg 50-bedded SDH at Tangmarg, Fire station, Police Station, J&K Bank, court building, Ration store, Ferozepora Basin Irrigation Division, Electric Sub Division, Forest Division at Tangmarg and Huts, Gandola, Golf course at Gulmarg and stable electric and water supply to the entire constituency. He castigated DPN candidate Gulam Hussan Mir for claiming the achievements of National Conference in the area as his own and making false and tall promises when he has utterly failed on all fronts in last 12 years he been a minister .He is a shameless political turn coat who has lust for power and has blood of many a youth and local National Conference cadre on his hands like Gulam Ahmad Reshi, Abdul Rashid Khan, Habibulla Dar, Molvi Gulzar Ahmed Sofi, Ghulam Mohd Dar, Gulam Ahmad Bhat, Abdul Rahim Reshi, Mohd Ramzan Mir and many others. He cautioned that supporting him is like supporting a killer and an informer amidst loud cheers of the people Kamaal said that day is not far when law of the land will catch up with Gulam Hussan Mir for his terrible misdeeds. Referring to PDP Patron Mufti Mohd Sayeds speech in which he has blamed National Conference for the Indus Water treaty and the handing over power projects to NHPC and that Indus Water treated was signed in 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru and FM Ayub Khan when Bakshi Gulam Mohd was the prime Minister in J&K and Mufti Sayeed was part of his government. It was Omar Abdullah who has kept Gupta, Najeeb Suharwardhy exude confidence about NC registering big win gy NEWS SERVICE doda, NoV. 18: State Vice President National Conference Rattan Lal Gupta and the party candidate for Doda Assembly Constituency Khalid Najeeb Suharwardhy on Tuesday said that by taking the administration at the doorsteps of people, the Omar led government has opened up vistas of opportunities for progress and development of the remote and far flung areas. Addressing various election meetings in the Constituency, Rattan Lal Gupta described the carving out of new administrative units as landmark and visionary decision of the Chief Minister, as these stand guarantee for the holistic and overall development of the areas like Doda. Gupta said the performance of the Chief Minister has been exemplary especially in ensuring development of remote areas and making the government accountable and responsive to peoples' aspirations. Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardhy exuded confidence about National Conference registering big victory at the strength of the support of the people. He appreciated the unprecedented enthusiasm the party workers and said they have been effectively instrumental in carrying forward the policies and programmes of the National Conference by disseminated these in the length and breadth of the state. At Jodhpur Ghat, Suharwardhy enumerated the achievements registered under the Omar led government during the past six years and said the tenure of the Chief Minister has been a success story of steering the state, especially the Kashmir Valley from morass to peace, prosperity and development. He hoped the ensuing years will see these significant gains getting consolidated and steering the state to new pinnacles of development. Suharwardhy assured the people that he will strive relentlessly for transforming Doda as a model constituency with thrust on its holistic development. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Zaffarullah and others. gy NEWS SERVICE NagRoTa, NoV. 18: Bahujan Samaj Party State Gen. Sec. & Candidate Nagrota Assembly Constituency Rakesh Wazir while addressing the public at Dansal said if he gets the mandate of the people, his first priority would be to touch the basic problems of the people like un-employment, high level corruption prevailing in all the G o v e r n m e n t Departments, providing of pensions to the widows and the old people at their doorsteps, making & up gradation of roads and bridges, providing of water to the people at their places who are drinking it at present from the ponds, wells and dirty water NHPC out of any future arrangement regarding new Hydel Projects. It was Indira Gandhi and Dr. Farooq Abdullah that gave us "Dool Hasti" Power project. Rajiv Gandhi and Dr. Farooq Abdullah the "Salal "Power project, Dr. Farooq Abdullah gave us "Baghlihar" -I power project Devi Gowda and Dr. Farooq Abdullah gave the URI-I and URI-II power projects. Mufti sayed did not add even one megawatt of power as union home Minister and J&K Chief Minister "Retlay" and Baglihiar-II have been started by Omar Abdullah Mufti Sayed is a frustrated man who has but a dark future .Referring to Mehbooba Mufti he said behind all killings in Kashmir since 1989 Mrs. Mehbooba is some way or the other involved. Seeing the ground slipping from under her feet she has been making baseless, senseless and wild accusations against National Conference and its leadership. Dr. Kamaal appealed people to see through the nefarious design of party's like the PDP, DPN, BJP to finish article 370 and converting this Muslim majority state into their fiefdom and relegate Muslims to the background. People should convincingly reject them in the ensuing Assembly election and shun them. He further said that PDP is destined to taste some of its poison soon. plan and are ready to vote with sagacity and wisdom to frustrate their nefarious agenda." Maintaining that there was need to further accelerate the process of progress and development in the Jammu East constituency, Malhotra said that no stone will be left unturned to convert Jammu East Assembly constituency into a 'model constituency' of the State. And, he further said, in order to achieve this, "I appeal you to vote in favour of a right candidate. Vikram informed the people about developmental works undertaken by him in the past in the constituency. On the occasion, the Congress candidate also opened election office at Malhotra Mohalla and pledged to work for the welfare of masses of Jammu East constituency. bodies and that too is being brought by them in some cases from more than even 2 kms away. He said that it is ironical that a constituency which starts merely 6 kms from the winter capital of the state is still struggling for its basic amenities like water, electricity, roads, old age & widow pensions etc and our government as well as the leaders and the par- ties which represented them did nothing else except false promises after promises. Wazir asked the people to vote for the change this time so that a change on ground may also come in the constituency as well. The meeting among others was addressed by Gardhari lal, Shiv Lal Dhingra, Romesh Devi Dass, Kumar, Mohan Lal etc. NDRF organises awareness programmes gy NEWS SERVICE RaJoURI, NoV. 18: With an aim to spread awareness among the common masses and students regarding the preparations to minimize loss of life and property at the time of any natural disaster, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is holding a two week long series of awareness programmes across the district especially in the educational institutions. In the initiative, NDRF today organised a disaster awareness programme in Government Girls Higher Secondary Rajouri under the supervision of NDRF Inspector Santosh Kumar Singh and Dy SP Civil Defence Jabeen Lone. During the programme students were made aware how to remain prepared from natural disasters especially including earthquake, floods, fire, school safety and nuclear disasters. NDRF experts also asked the girl students of the school to aware their family members and other relatives about the measures to be taken before and after any natural disaster. Similar disaster awareness camps were held by NDRF in other parts of the district including Higher Secondary School Manjakote, High School Jawhar Nagar, Army Goodwill public school, International Public School Rajouri, MET Thanamandi, Higher Secondary School Lam while a disaster awareness programme for police personals will also be held in district police line Rajouri within a day or two. First ever attempt of covering 4 corners of India expedition by Dr Chaudhari reaches Jammu, crossed two corners of India Dr Sunildatta Chaudhari, an Indian from Jalgaon District, Maharashtra is driving down all four far-most points of India by road gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: If age is no limitation for adventure in life, Dr Sunildatta Chaudhary is a living example of the same. At the age of 53 years, Dr Chaudhary has no less energy than that of youth as he started his ambitious expedition of visiting 4 corners of the country on October 30 from Kanyakumari. He has already covered Approx 6, 924 km of this expedition in few weeks. An Indian from Jalgaon District, Maharashtra has already achieved feat of registering his name in the prestigious Limca Book of Records by driving down from the southernmost tip to the northern tip of India 5 years ago. He had travelled 3,847 km in 6 days - 5 hours - 25 minutes from 22 May, 2009 from Kanyakumari and reached Leh on 28 May, 2009. Dr Chaudhary, while reaching Jammu said, "I am in 2nd Inning of my life. Planning is the key and meticulously. I have considered all possible permissions and licenses needed for this expedition. I just want to give one message to the world that one should live the life fullest and should not be afraid of taking bold steps out of fear. Life should be taken as a challenge and adventure." According to Dr Chaudhary, he has driven over 4 lakh kilometres in various expeditions. As a gesture of celebrating the same and fulfilling his son's (Ramakrishna) dream, Dr Chaudhary took up the challenge of driving down to all 4 corners of the country and hence, registering his name in Limca Book of Records once again. Aga Ruhullah addresses massive road-show in Budgam 'National Conference is the only force to safeguard J&K's interests' Lashes out at PDP for saying something and doing something else gy NEWS SERVICE BUdgaM, NoV. 18: Senior National Conference Leader, sitting MLA and Candidate for Budgam Assembly Constituency Aga Syed Ruhullah addressed a massive roadshow and public meeting in Budgam today and said that National Conference was the only political force that could safeguard J&K's interests amid an attempted invasion by vested interest who plan on abrogating Article 370 and fragmenting the State from within. Aga Syed Ruhullah also highlighted the landmark initiatives in development that were taken in Budgam during the last six years includ- ing the creation if five new Administrative Units in Budgam Constituency alone with Tehsil status to Narbal and Soibugh, Community Development Block in Soibugh and Nayabats to Sholipora, Narbal and Humhama. "If there is a political force in J&K that can protect the interest of the State and its people at this unique juncture in the political history of the State, it is undoubtedly only National Conference which can rise to the occasion. There are intrigues that are being hatched to abrogate Article 370 which forms the basis of the special status for our State and is a part of our identity, political stature and protects our aspirations. In light of these intrigues it becomes an onerous duty to put our weight behind Omar Abdullah and National Conference in the larger interests of J&K and its people. Any complacency on the part of the voters at this crucial juncture can forever end up destroying what we have protected all this while by giving our blood", Aga Ruhullah said. Aga Ruhullah asked the people of Budgam to go through the list of candidates that PDP has put forth and see how many among them have been convicted of corruption, embezzlement and have been found involved in activities that go against all ethics and morals in public life. "PDP has collected all corruption specialists together and has given them mandates so that the party can use them for furthering its self-seeking, monetary goals. PDP has given mandates to those who have been convicted by courts of cases of graft and corruption. This party wants to set us back to their time in power when they turned J&K into the most corrupt State in the country - a blot of shame that was erased by the efforts of Omar Abdullah and National Conference in eradicating corruption in J&K in the last six years", Aga Ruhullah added. "PDP has a habit of saying exactly what they don't mean and intend to do. They are also oblivious to their own history and that of their patron. What happened to PDP's 'selfrule' document? There is not a single word about it from PDP today - they have abandoned their flagship political vision document for pleasing their bosses in New Delhi. Come these assembly elections, PDP will get a big surprise in the form of a rejection by people in all three regions of the State because of these contradictions and lies", Aga Ruhullah said. 4 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 Golden Yug Clean-India drive: Challenges & gains RaM NIWaS MaLIK EDITORIAL Trade facilitation on track The deal with the U.S. now provides for an indefinite peace clause until a permanent solution is found to the farm subsidy issue. The deal between India and the U.S. on the contentious issue of public stockholdings of foodgrains for security should put the global trade negotiations back on track. The bilateral compromise provides the much-needed window to save the multilateral Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), a significant step in the history of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The TFA, cleared at a WTO ministerial meeting in Bali last year, is intended to simplify customs rules, speed up the release of goods from ports, and pare transaction costs. The Narendra Modi-led BJP government refused to sign the TFA, insisting on a permanent solution to the food subsidy issue before signing it. The bone of contention is over a WTO rule that caps subsidies to farmers at 10 per cent of the total historical value of farm production. This stipulation — as is articulated at the WTO — is seen to undermine the responsibility of developing countries to feed the poor. Not surprisingly, India and some others have questioned the methodology of arriving at such a subsidy cap. A ‘peace clause’ in the WTO rules does indeed provide a limited-year protection to India and the like from legal challenges by member-nations should they exceed the farm subsidy cap. What if the farm subsidy concerns remained unaddressed once the peace clause expires and member-nations are allowed to legally challenge violations of the subsidy cap? Complaints based on rules limiting farm subsidy could seriously hamper the government’s ability to ensure food stocking and supply for the poor. These fears were behind the blocking of the TFA by the Modi government. Had the impasse continued, the beneficial provisions on trade facilitation would have been delayed too. The deal with the U.S. now provides for an indefinite peace clause until a permanent solution is found to the farm subsidy issue. The deal is a reflection of the Modi government’s assertion of national interest while being flexible on modalities. Once India’s stand and its concern over the implications for food security were explained clearly to the U.S., it came up with a reasonable response. If at one stage India risked global isolation, New Delhi did not insist on an immediate solution to the food subsidy issue but agreed to an indefinite peace clause. In all, it is a pact that enables the multilateral trade negotiations to move forward. With this deal in place, the TFA could become a reality. Of course, the bilateral pact will have to be ratified by the WTO but with the U.S. showing the way, other members would find it acceptable. It underscores once again the dominance of the U.S. in a multilateral global forum even while it is a recognition of India’s place in the global economic environment. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachch Bharat sanitation programme on October 2 , 2014. It was a befitting tribute to the Father of the Nation who was concerned about sanitation issues. After the Shimla Conference in May 1945 got over, Gandhiji went to the nearby quarters and started discussing the problem of poor conditions of latrines with the residents. The ashram at Wardha was set up to teach poor people to build a sanitary environment. He used to teach the people saying, “If you go to defecate in the open, then dig a small pit, do the job and cover it with the excavated soil.” This was a unique idea of sanitation in those days. The proposed sanitation programme will reframe the social and economic face of India and prove to be a great game changer. Sanitation has a direct link with the spread of communicable diseases which are prevalent in India. As a matter of fact, the initiative “Health for All by 2000 A.D” flopped because an effective sanitation programme was not launched simultaneously. The basic cause of frequent epidemics in India is insanitation. The country can attain Health for All by October 2, 2019, if the programme is implemented in totality. Quality of life Living in an insanitary environment, like poverty, degrades the quality of human life and it is a curse and a social stigma as well.Therefore, the accomplishment of the Total Sanitation Programme (TSP) will improve the living standard of the poorest of the poor on the one hand and improve the Human Development Index (HDI) of India on the other. Presently, India is positioned 134 in the UN’s HDI. Poverty is less painful if one gets a chance to live in a sanitary environment. In fact, a sanitary environment is the basic necessity of human life like air, water and food for its aesthetic and psychological development. That is why we say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. If India ensures total sanitation by 2019, our stock will rise in the comity of nations. This important programme was totally neglected in the past and one should give full marks to Narendra Modi for caring about this basic necessity of human life and giving it top priority in his future programme of developing India. Up to the 1960s, carrying human excreta as head load was the worst social stigma. Now open defecation has taken its place. Women go for nature’s call at night in the open and they are frequently molested and even raped. The coverage for use of in-house sanitary latrines varies from state to state, depending upon the percentage of BPL families. According to the proposed Swachh Bharat scheme, the government will build individual toilets in 1.04 crore houseand 5 lakh holds community/public toilets in urban areas. Around 8.8 crore toilets will be built in rural areas and a majority of these are to be provided in individual households. The total sanitation programme includes programmes that are to be executed under the umbrella programme. Steps towards total sanitation Provision of 100 per cent sewerage and a drainage system in all urban towns together with innocuous disposal or recycling of the finally treated effluent for irrigation with a total ban on discharge into the drains or rivers. An effective sewerage and drainage system forms the backbone of urban sanitation. There is need for 100 per cent solid waste management, both in urban and rural areas and recycling of the final waste product. Around 100 per cent coverage of rural households and slum areas with sanitary latrines. All the open areas in urban and rural communities will be either paved or grassed. All the streets to be paved with concrete blocks or paver blocks. There should be zero tolerance to dumping or littering of solid waste matter (mostly paper and plastic matter) in open spaces, both in urban and rural areas. It should be the same for stagnation of sullage or any other waste water in urban or rural areas. There should be daily sweeping of streets, roads or public places both in rural and urban areas. The vacant plots should be provided with boundary walls and kept neat clean and green. Each element is more important than the other. The accomplishment of this programme by 2019 is an onerous task and will require huge amount of funds. Execution of the TSP will be done by the state agencies. The Central Government will only facilitate and monitor the progress of the programme with partial funding. Therefore, it will be appropriate if the Centre prepares a blueprint and then calls a meeting of state chief ministers to hand over the blueprint to them to prepare rough cost estimates. Considering the amazonian size of the project, it will be essential to set up a separate ministry to prepare a financial and administrative model and give a goahead to the states to implement this programme by October, 2019. The first year should be used for financial planning, preparing technical sanction of the project and acquisition of land. The remaining four years should be used for execution under the watchful eye of the Central ministry, with the mechanism of monitoring and course corrections. Financial challenges Since the Total Sanitation Programme or TSP, covers the length and breadth of the country. It is bound to face serious financial and administrative challenges. India has 4,041 towns of varying sizes, with population varying between 20,000 to 15 million. Besides this, towns are expanding disproportionately because of an accelerated process of rural migration to urban areas. Presently, 98 per cent towns have been provided with partial sewerage, drainage and watersupply systems only. We have to include the cost of the water supply system because the success of the sewerage system depends upon providing a water supply network carrying 135 litres per capita per day. Providing latrines in 80 million BPL households at a cost of Rs 1,2500, per unit will require an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore for which the families may not be ready to pay individually. BPL families, at best, can agree to meet 25 per cent of the cost. Waste collection system Solid waste collection sys- tem and its innocuous disposal/recycling leaves much to be desired. Presently, very few cities have scientifically designed disposal plants and upgradation of the whole system needs considerable investment. The cost of paving of streets is still higher. In Haryana, 90 per cent village streets have been paved with concrete blocks. So the cost of providing all these services with 100 per cent coverage is monumental, if not colossal. Basically, the provision of these basic services is a state subject. The treasuries of most of the states are empty and they are surviving on loans and central grants and are unable to upgrade these services or fasttrack them. The private-public partnership or PPP model is already failing and has become dicey because of the capricious attitude of the consumers not to pay the toll tax or service charges, whereas the government is heavily banking on it. Taking the middle path A middle path needs to be explored. The government has already set up the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, which provides funds to upgrade the urban services to the states on equity basis and that too for limited number of bigger towns like Patna. Therefore, the only way left for the states is to arrange funds from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and other donor agencies. Arrangement of required amount of funds will be a herculean task and requires great financial acumen and prudence in order to meet this challenge. The Government of India, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court on September 9, this year, (PIL for Clean Ganga project) has stated that it will take 18 years to implement the total sanitation project in 118 identified towns and 1,650 panchayats and will require Rs 5,1000 crore for the purpose. It is not known what view the Supreme Court will take but the implementation period of 18 years is not digestible. Going by this figure, the total cost of covering 4041 towns and 4 lakh villages will be a whopping Rs 35 lakh crore. Administrative glitches Most towns have been provided with partial sewerage systems but very few have welldesigned sewage treatment plant (STPs). STPs and outfall channels carrying treated waste water will require use of public land. Acquisition of public land is a problem because of stringent provision of the new Land Acquisition Act. So timely acquisition of land is a big challenge for the administration. In market areas, the land between the shopping line and the edge of the road has considerable width and paving this area involves huge cost. Theoretically, shopkeepers should pave this area because they use this land for the sake of their customers. One does not know if they will agree to pave the entire width. The situation in residential areas is almost similar with the difference that the width can be grassed instead of being paved. Therefore, the state government will have to formulate a policy that can be implemented in this regard. Likewise, the state government will have to pass an order to direct plot holders to ensure 25 per cent completion of their plots within a specified period so that the vacant plots do not become dumping grounds for solid waste and growth of wild plants. Location of solid wastemanagement plants is a difficult task. Seeking environment clearance from the state environment authority is not as problematic as is dealing with protests from villagers. A proper and clean technology and a method for degradation and recycling of solid waste has not been developed so far in India. Existing plants emit unbearable foul smells during the rainy season and on the windy days.You can feel this nuisance by standing at Karnal bypass in Delhi during the rainy season. The problem in bigger cities is all the more intractable as the space for dumping solid waste at existing locations is reducing day by day because the recycling process has not been taken up simultaneously. The experiment of using solid waste for power generation has not met with desired success. Location of new solid waste plants at the outer periphery requires long-distance transportation. The process of composting solid waste at the source in bigger houses (350 sq metres or more) has not been initiated yet. Recycling technology for paper and plastic waste too has not been developed so far. Execution of projects of sewerage, drainage, solid waste management, and providing sanitary latrines in Haryana is done by different government agencies like municipal corporations, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and Department of Panchayats. It will be expedient to set up an authority at the state headquarters. The Managing Director of this authority should be a senior IAS officer, with a team of senior engineers and administrative officers at the state level. This authority will be entrusted the job of coordinating the work with departments concerned for timely execution of the project and also to distribute funds to different executing agencies and provide monitoring feedbacks to the ministry. Nuts & bolts of sanitation drive The initiative “Health for All by 2000 A.D” flopped because an effective sanitation programme was not launched simultaneously Acquisition of land for solid waste treatment and disposal plants with the concurrence of farmers is a major issue being faced by municipal corporations. Solid waste management will become very simple if separation of paper, plastic and kitchen wastes is done at the source itself by the owner and then collected and disposed accordingly. One does not know why this is not practised in India. Providing latrines in 80 million BPL households at a cost of Rs 1,2500, per unit will require an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore. For this, the families may not be ready to pay individually. BPL families, at best, can agree to meet 25 per cent of the cost incurred. Cost of cleanliness The Rs 1.0 lakh crore programme was launched on October 2, 2014 (Gandhi Jayanti). Toilets will be built with private sector investment. Focus areas include better solid waste management facilities for over 30 crore people across 4,041 cities by 2019. The government is exploring ways to to merge this mega project with existing welfare programmes such as MGNREGA and Backward Region Grant Fund. A budget of Rs 1 lakh crore will provide Rs 62,000 crore for urban areas and Rs 38,000 crore for rural areas. The government is banking heavily on private sector investment, through the PPP model. According to Census 2011, out of 6.7 crore urban households, 12 per cent, i.e. 80.4 lakh defecate in the open. About 36 per cent population is covered under the sewerage system and 37 per cent have in-house septic tanks. The proposed Rs 1.0 lakh crore sanitation programme is devoted to providing sanitary latrines, covering all the households in the country and improving solid waste management facilities in urban areas. Military justice in a political season SUCHITRa VIJayaN The announcement of the Macchil conviction on the eve of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections is a political decision, not one in support of justice or transformation The Indian Army last week sentenced five of its personnel, including two officers, to life imprisonment for staging the killing of three Kashmiri civilians in the Macchil fake encounter case in 2010 and branding them as foreign militants for rewards and remunerations. Soon after, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the decision calling it a “watershed moment.” The Indian Army’s court martial verdict presents us with an indictment of state brutality, while simultaneously inviting us to consider the vacillations of those who peddle the promise of a more benign, transformed rule in Kashmir. The verdict is not a watershed moment, but indicative of the manner in which political considerations and interests of the Army override larger principles of justice and accountability. Rogue elements in the Macchil fake encounter were not driven to these acts for professional advancement. The encounter is not an aberration, but a deliberate enactment of the unfettered power and lawlessness of the state. It is reflective of the cash-for-kill policy that has institutionalised the incentivisation of encounter killings. It is imperative that the Macchil fake encounter is placed within the larger context of violence perpetrated against civilians in Kashmir and the long history of human rights violations sanctioned by the state. Thousands of unmarked and mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir are believed to contain victims of unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, numerous fake encounters, torture, massacres and other abuses. The report “Facts under Ground” issued by the Srinagar-based Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons alleges that more than 8,000 persons have gone missing in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. There are innumerable cases of Army atrocities, cover-ups and systematic failure to prosecute. This spectacle of death, destruction and disappearance witnessed over and over again in Kashmir is a culture of impunity that has flourished in the aftermath of years of conflict, occupation and militarisation. This reign of impunity constitutes a form of violence and a “structural element of everyday reality.” Patterns of impunity In Kashmir, state violence is openly exercised as the policy for governance; it is integral to the way in which sovereignty is practised. Questions of rule of law and state accountability remain abdicated. The political context to the exercise of state violence is the unchallenged impunity and authority enjoyed by the state forces. It is not just the question of The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, but also larger structures of oppression that dictate everyday life in Kashmir. In Kunan Poshpora, a village in Kupwara district, soldiers of the 4th Rajputana Rifles of the Army’s 68th Brigade allegedly raped more than 50 women in 1991. The Indian Army has consistently denied the charges as “baseless” and called the women’s struggle for justice “mala fide.” In the 1998 Sailan massacre, 19 civilians, including 11 children and five women (one of whom was pregnant), were shot to death at point blank range in their homes in Sailan in Poonch district. Their bodies were thereafter dismembered to be disposed of. In official accounts, these heinous crimes were reported as collateral damage during an “encounter” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. In the 2000 Pathribal fake encounter, Indian military forces killed five men claiming that the victims were “foreign militants” responsible for the massacre of Sikhs in Chittisinghpora. During the course of investigation, DNA samples of the Pathribal victims had been tampered with. The Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court of India that the Pathribal killings by the Army “were cold-blooded murders and the accused officials deserve to be meted out exemplary punishment.” Despite these findings, the Indian Army closed the case in January this year stating that “the evidence did not establish a prima facie case against any of the accused” and chose not to conduct a court martial. The existence of judicial institutions holds out the promise of accountability, and a facade of redress, but patterns of cover-up and denials are pervasive throughout the legal system. The institutional denial of justice extends the control of the military while maintaining the facade of law. Impunity has been the norm in Kashmir and convictions such as in the Macchil case are exceptions in service of political end. The military justice system in India remains opaque, procedurally longwinded, antiquated and unable to serve the end goal of justice. It is incompatible with the fundamental rights that collectively constitute the right to due process in India. Rather than aid the system of checks and balances that impose accountability, court martials have become a distinctive tool; kangaroo courts that aid in the fiction of state accountability, while legitimising violence and counterinsurgency operations. Every now and again, security forces green light court martials in carefully chosen cases in the guise of accountability. Of particular note are two cases of rape, one against Captain Ravinder Singh Tewatia in 2000 and the other against Major Rehman Hussain in 2004. Captain Tewatia was convicted by the court martial and sentenced to imprisonment for seven years. Major Hussain was dismissed from service. Both the accused challenged their decisions in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and in both the instances, the court overturned the court martial’s verdict. While the Captain Tewatia case is still awaiting further legal challenge, Major Hussain is reported to have returned to service. While the court martial decision in Macchil has been announced, the conviction remains to be confirmed by the Northern Army Commander. This might take up to two to three months. Whether the perpetrators will be held accountable remains to be seen. The court martial verdict by itself is not an administration of justice. A few inconsequential punishments will not lead to justice when there is an entire chain of command and a vicious structure in place that makes these encounters, disappearances and everyday violence a norm. An unjust law and a flawed court of justice in itself is a species of violence. Systemic unaccountability for its breach is more so. Moral and political failure Kashmir is India’s greatest moral and political failure. It is here that even the most civilised amongst us begin to make excuses for repression, brutality and violence. It is here that we subsume all that we otherwise celebrate under the demands of freedom, progress, liberalism, liberty and secular ideals. Since 1947, the Indian state has responded to the political aspirations and the social and the legal demands in Kashmir through militarisation, repression, and indiscriminate violence, including, at various times, the denial of democratic rights, the manipulation of elections, and the murder and imprisonment of its political leaders. The Macchil verdict and the decision to announce the conviction on the eve of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is a political decision, and not one in support of justice or transformation. Even as change is being trumpeted, Kashmir has witnessed yet another killing of a civilian by Indian Army personnel, 18year-old Tariq Ahmad in Kulgam area. Possibilities of change will occur when perpetrators are held uniformly accountable for their act in a civil court under the public gaze and when victims, survivors and their families finally have the opportunity to confront those responsible for what happened to them. 5 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 BJP plans massive membership drive in West Bengal to counter Mamata KoLKaTa, NoV. 18: Riding high on confidence, the Narendra Modi-powered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set an ambitious target of enrolling at least 1 crore people in West Bengal by March 31, 2015. The decision was taken during a meeting attended by BJP president chief Amit Shah and West Bengal unit chief Rahul Sinha and state-incharge Siddharth Nath Singh. With eyes set on TMC-ruled West Bengal, the BJP will launch the membership drive on November 30 when party president Amit Shah will also address a rally at Esplanade in Kolkata. The BJP is desperately trying to make inroads into the eastern state where it has never been a major player. Interestingly, the BJP has also dispatched Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to campaign for the party. The message is clear – the party doesn't want to present an anti-Muslim image as Bengal has a sizeable number of the minority community. Reports say that the BJP plans to corner the Trinamool Congress on Saradha chit fund scam. The party, which is on a golden run under PM Modi's leadership, also plans to link Mamata with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, a terror outfit spreading its wings in Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the BJP is "trying to incite communal violence" in the state. The BJP will lose future elections if regional parties come together, Banerjee said on Tuesday. BJP eyes 10 crore new members Seeking to capitalise on the people’s support for the party in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the BJP launched an ambitious membership drive on November 03 to enrol 10 crore new members. Friends again? Shiv Sena says won't let anyone destabilise BJP govt in Maharashtra MUMBaI, NoV. 18: Hours after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar indicated the prospect of snap polls in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena on Tuesday rushed to support its estranged ally Bharatiya Janata Party. In an important announcement, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said his party will not let anyone destabilise the BJP government in Maharashtra. Raut cleared that Shiv Sena will not pose any threat to the BJP, indicating the two parties are likely to patch up soon. Addressing a two-day party meeting which began today at Alibaug in Maharashtra's Raigad district, NCP president Sharad Pawar today asked his party workers to be prepared for snap polls in Maharashtra considering the political situation after the recent state Assembly Elections. For the first time in nearly three months, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray amidst protests by some Sena activists at Bal Thackeray's memorial. Fadnavis with over half a dozen of his cabinet ministers and several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders arrived at the Thackeray memorial in Shivaji Park and paid homage to the late Sena founder-patriarch. He laid a wreath at the memorial, paid homage and then walked over to the small marquee where Uddhav sat since morning along with his family members. As Uddhav stood up, Fadnavis greeted him, warmly shook hands and sat beside him. The duo belonging to parties which were allies for 25 years before they split on September 25 - spoke for a few minutes before Fadnavis left. Whie the chief minister and his ministerial colleagues paid homage and later met Uddhav, some Sena activists raised antiBJP slogans and ranted "Fadnavis, go back". They were largely ignored. Notably, the Shiv Sena had last week rejected the vote of confidence won by the government in a voice vote without division of votes in the Maharashtra Assembly. The BJP has 121 MLAs and has the support of an ally and nine independents as well as some smaller parties besides the 'unconditional external support' of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 41 MLAs. Shiv Sena has 63 and Congress 42 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. Some trying to remove Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy from India: Rahul Gandhi NEW dELHI, NoV. 18: On the second and last day of Nehru International Conference, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said efforts were on to remove Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy from the country and there was a need to thwart such attempts urgently. Speaking at the Nehru International Conference, organised by the Indian National Congress to commemorate Jawaharlal Nehru’s 125th Birth Anniversary, Gandhi said: "Nehru is an ancient idea but he is also a part of living India. His ideas and politics are very much present here today." Some people were trying to "remove his (Nehru) legacy from the country he so dearly cherished", Gandhi added without naming anyone. The Gandhi scion said it was important that the people of the country preserved "this peaceful India, Nehru's India, an India which is secular and tolerant”. "Today this legacy, that has denied no man or woman their voice, and that we have fought to preserve for close to 70 years is more important than ever before," said Gandhi. The congress vice president said Nehru was a "man of ideas but not an ideologue" and he "never forced his ideas on anyone". "India is a country where democratic principles are cherished deeply. Nehru developed and protected these democratic ideals. That is why today India is a nation where one-sixth of humanity lives in peace," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not been invited to the twoday meet, raising some eyebrows in the Bharatiya Janata Party. The event held by Congress to resurrect Nehru's legacy at a trying time for the party saw the presence of leaders from many parties on Monday. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury and Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav were Burdwan blast case: NIA arrests Myanmar national from Hyderabad HydERaBad, NoV. 18: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Myanmar national from Hyderabad in connection with the Burdwan blast case. The arrested suspect has been identified as 21-yearold Khalid Mohammed. He was living in the Telangana capital on the basis of fake identity documents. He was arrested yesterday. NIA said Khalid has links with Tahreek-eTaliban and is an IED expert. He is also said to be involved in running terror camps in bordering areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Jihadi literature related to ISIS was also recovered from him. Importantly, Khalid's arrests comes at a time when an NIA team is in Bangladesh to probe the terror trail linked with the blast in Burdwan district of West Bengal. India is seeking cooperation to unravel the plans of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror outfit allegedly responsible for the October 2 blast in Burdwan which killed two suspected terrorists. NIA has already had some major success in its probe. JMB's Chief commander for Burdwan module, Sajid, a Bangladeshi national, Amjad Sheikh and Zia-ul-Haque who allegedly procured explosives are already under arrest. Bangladesh's elite anticrime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has captured Sajid's brother Mohammad Monayem. NIA has been investigating militant networks after the October 2 blast at a house, visibly turned into a clandestine bomb manufacturing factory, in Burdwan district while the security officials earlier said JMB had spread its clandestine network in bordering areas in India. Two suspected militants had died in the explosion that rocked the Burdwan house and their two wives, believed also to be trained by the JMB, were caught. among those present. Many leaders of parties of undivided Janata Dal were there, but no senior Samajwadi Party leader was present. Foreign leaders present included former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, former Ghana president John Kufuor, Queen Mother of Bhutan Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, former Nepal prime minister Madhav Nepal and former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa. Speaking on the first day of the conference, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the values promoted by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru continue to remain relevant, and secularism was a compelling need without which there could be no India. She further made veiled attacks on the BJP, saying Nehru's life and work had been "drowned out by misinterpretation and distortion in recent years". The theme of the twoday conference is "Nehru's world view and his Legacy - Democracy, Inclusion and Empowerment". Sunanda Pushkar death probe: Police looking for 'fake' hotel guests said during the launch of the revamped KVP. KVP would serve two purposes, he said, adding, one it would help poor gullible investors to channelise their savings towards trusted government scheme instead of some ponzi schemes, where hard earned savings disappears. "Secondly, there is an urgent need to raise savings in the country...These savings are then used for nation building. Such saving instrument not only earn interest but help in development of the country," he said. Talking about the features of the instrument, the Finance Minister said this simple product would be a bearer instrument without name of the holder in the first phase. Available in the denomination of Rs 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000, the amount invested in KVP would be doubled in 100 months. KVP, that has got no upper ceiling for investment, can be encashed after a lockin period of 30 months. Initially, the certificates will be sold through post offices, but the same will soon be made available to the investing public through designated branches of nationalised banks, Jaitley said. However, savers would not get any tax benefit for their investment in KVP. "Recognising the need to provide easy instruments of savings for people who have not had access to other savings instruments... And therefore you have to rely either on keeping the money with them or buying gold, gold silver," Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said. CHENNaI, NoV. 18: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Tuesday said a petition will be filed in the apex court praying for staying Karnataka's plans to construct dams on the Cauvery river. In a statement issued here, Panneerselvam said a petition will be filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday asking for a stay order against Karnataka's plans to construct two dams on river Cauvery under the guise of drinking water schemes. Panneerselvam also said a letter has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advise Karnataka to withhold the Expression of Interest (EOI) for its dam projects. The EOI is to build two reservoirs at Mekedatu in Karnataka for a technical feasibility study. Panneerselvam also urged Modi to advise Karnataka not to take any steps to execute irrigation, hydro power, lift irrigation schemes or any other scheme in the guise of drinking water supply in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka without the consent of the government of Tamil Nadu. Panneerselvam also urged Modi to instruct the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Water Resources not to give clearance to any project by Karnataka without consulting Tamil Nadu. India has world's largest youth population: UN report NEW yoRK, NoV. 18: With 356 million 10-24 yearolds, India has the world's largest youth population despite having a smaller population than China, a latest UN report said on Tuesday. China is second with 269 million young people, followed by Indonesia (67 million), the US (65 million) and Pakistan (59 million), Nigeria with 57 million, Brazil with 51 million, and Bangladesh with 48 million, the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) State of the World's Population report said. It said that developing countries with large youth populations could see their economies soar, provided they invest heavily in young people's education and health and protect their rights. Within this generation are 600 million adolescent girls with specific needs, challenges and aspirations for the future, the report said. The report titled 'The power of 1.8 billion', said 28 per cent of India's population is 10 to 24 year-olds, adding that the youth population is growing fastest in the poorest nations. Global number of youths is highest ever. As the world is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 year, 9 in 10 of the world's young population live in less developed countries. "Young people are the innovators, creators, builders and leaders of the future. But they can transform the future only if they have skills, health, decision-making, and real choices in life. "Today's record 1.8 billion young people present an enormous opportunity to transform the future," UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehim said. The potential economic gains would be realised through a "demographic dividend", which can occur when a county's working age population is larger than the population that is dependent. "Never before have there been so many young people. Never again is there likely to be such potential for economic and social progress. How we meet the needs and aspirations of young people will define our common future," the report said. In order to maximise the dividend, countries must ensure their young working-age populations are equipped to seize opportunities for jobs and other income-earning possibilities, the UN agency said. Pakistan's Musharraf warns of proxy war with India in Afghanistan NEW dELHI, NoV. 18: In a fresh twist in the Sunanda Pushkar death case, the Delhi Police have now added another angle to the investigation. As per sources, the police are now on the lookout for three 'fake' hotel guests who the sleuths believe stayed in the same hotel where Sunanda was murdered. Police have reportedly got leads that the trio stayed in the hotel on the night the wife of former union minister Shashi Tharoor was murdered, using false passports. The development came in the wake of reports that the police had sought the list of air travellers who flew from Dubai and Pakistan to Delhi, and vice versa, on January 17 — the day Sunanda was found dead in the room of a five-star hotel here. All this indicates that the police now believe an outsider may have played a role in Sunanda's death. Also, the police is believed to be mulling sending Sunanda's viscera abroad for tests in a foreign lab. This follows the failure of the CFSL and doctors to zero in on what led to Sunanda's death. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, meanwhile, today told reporters on the status of the probe: “Investigation is going on, information will be given once we reach a conclusion. Govt aims at raising savings; re-launches Kisan Vikas Patra NEW dELHI, NoV. 18: With the objective to raise savings in the country, the government on Tuesday re-launched Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), an instrument which will provide trusted option of investment to poor and keep them off ponzi schemes. "In the last 2-3 years, savings rate in country has declined from a record high of 36.8 percent to below 30 percent due to slowdown in the economy. It is, therefore, necessary to encourage people to save more," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tamil Nadu to move SC over dams on Cauvery Speaking on the occasion, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said "KVP was a popular instrument for small savings and it had an emotional connect with the people of the country." For around 100 years, he said, the postal department has been engaged in small savings schemes and there are around 30.8 lakh account holders currently under it. Postal department is undertaking 7 small saving schemes of Government of India and it has an outstand- ing of around Rs 6 lakh crore, he added. KVP was discontinued in 2011. The scheme was very popular among the investors and the percentage share of gross collections secured in KVP after its launch in 1988 was in the range of 9-29 percent against the total collections received under all National Savings Schemes in the country. Gross collections under the scheme in the year 201011 stood at Rs 21,631.16 crore which was 9 percent of the total gross collections during the year. ISLaMaBad, NoV. 18: The departure of Nato combat forces from Afghanistan could push India and Pakistan towards a proxy war in the troubled state, Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf warned in an interview with AFP. As Pakistan's ruler, Musharraf was a key US ally in its "war on terror", but he now lives under tight security in his Karachi home, facing Taliban death threats and a litany of criminal cases dating back to his near decade-long rule that ended in 2008. The 71-year-old — who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 — praised new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who made his first official trip to Pakistan last week in a bid to reset fractious ties with Islamabad. Pakistan's support is seen as crucial to Afghan peace as US-led forces pull out by the end of this year after 13 years battling the Taliban. But the former strongman said calming tension between India and Pakistan — running high at the moment after some of the worst cross-border firing in years — is key to peace in Afghanistan. "The danger for Pakistan is... the Indian influence in Afghanistan," he told AFP at his house in Karachi. "That is another danger for the whole region and for Pakistan because Indian involvement there has an anti-Pakistan connotation. They (India) want to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan." Nucleararmed neighbours India and Pakistan — bitter and sometimes bloody rivals since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 — have long accused each other of using proxy forces to try to gain influence in Afghanistan. While India has tried to gain traction with the Tajik ethnic group, which dominates in northern Afghanistan, Pakistan has sought to use its leverage with the Pashtuns of the country's south and east who make up the majority of the Taliban. "If Indians are using some elements of the ethnic entities in Afghanistan, then Pakistan will use its own support for ethnic elements, and our ethnic elements are certainly Pashtuns," Musharraf said. "So we are initiating a proxy war in Afghanistan. This must be avoided." Musharraf blamed India for supporting separatist rebels in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan via training camps in southern Afghanistan — a common accusation in Pakistani military circles. Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai routinely accused Pakistan of secretly backing the Taliban as a hedge against Indian influence in his country. Pakistan denies the accusation, though it was one of only three countries to officially recognise the Afghan Taliban regime, in power from 1996 until 2001 when the US-led invasion resulted in its overthrow. Musharraf criticised former Afghan president Hamid Karzai for sending officials for training in India and not Pakistan, saying "these small things add up to strategic problems". 6 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 Scientists 'confident' Philae comet lander will wake up BERLIN: There is a strong chance Europe's comet lander will wake up from hibernation as it nears the sun, raising hopes for a second series of scientific measurements from the surface next year, scientists involved in the mission said today. The Philae lander, which became the first spacecraft to touch down on a comet Wednesday, has already sent reams of data back to Earth that scientists are eagerly examining. But there were fears its mission would be cut short because it came to rest in the shadow of a cliff. Shortly before its primary battery ran out, the European Space Agency decided to attempt to tilt the lander's biggest solar panel toward the sun -- a last-ditch maneuver that scientists believe may have paid off. "We are very confident at some stage it will wake up again and we can achieve contact," Stephan Ulamec, the lander manager, told The Associated Press. That should happen next spring, when Philae and the comet it is riding on -- called 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko -- get closer to the sun, warming up a secondary battery on board. A few days of sunshine on the solar panels should be enough to charge the battery sufficiently to conduct science runs, said Ulamec. Before they can say for certain if they'll be able to restore contact with Philae, scientists first need to find out where on the 4-kilometre-wide comet the washing machine-sized lander is, he added. New pictures released today offer very good clues about where it has come to rest. The high-resolution images taken from Philae's mother ship Rosetta show the lander descending to the comet and again after its first and second bounce. These were caused by the lander's failure to deploy its downward thrusters and harpoons. Scientists at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, said today that an initial review of data the lander sent back 500 million kilometres to Earth showed the comet's surface is much tougher than previously assumed. There's also evidence of large amounts of ice beneath the lander. Scientists are still waiting to find out whether Philae managed to drill into the comet and extract a sample for analysis. Material beneath the surface of the comet has remained almost unchanged for 4.5 billion years, so the samples would be a cosmic time capsule that scientists are eager to study. One of the things they are most excited about is the possibility that the mission might help confirm that comets brought the building blocks of life -- including water -- to Earth. Celestial treat: Leonid meteor shower to peak across US East coast tonight NEW dELHI: Skygazers are in for a surprise as the best view of Leonid meteor shower is set to be visible across the US East coast on Tuesday night. With clear skies, viewers can expect to see about 10 to 15 meteors per hour, as per NASA prediction. Leonid meteors are not physically associated with Leo. They are tiny pieces of comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonid meteors recur each year when Earth passes through comet Tempel-Tuttle’s debris trail, and small bits of rock burn up in our planet`s atmosphere. They quickly vaporize, forming the glowing streaks known as meteors. The trail is clumpy, though, with the biggest clumps near the comet itself. So every time the comet streaks through the inner solar system, the number of meteors goes up. Some years, the Leonids can produce hundreds of meteors an hour. And some years, the Leonids produce not showers of meteors, but storms, as was the case in 1833, when so many meteors had streaked across the sky that their light woke the sleeping Americans. While the upcoming meteor shower won't be one of those great years, it would still be worth a look as it reaches its peak in the wee hours of Monday and Tuesday. Both NASA and the Slooh Community Observatory will broadcast live streams of the shower. NASA live stream will begin on November 17 at 7:30 pm EST (0030 GMT Tuesday) and will continue until sunrise on November 18. The Slooh live stream will begin on November 17 at 8:00 pm EST (0100 GMT Tuesday). Scat samples can now reveal more about tigers KoLKaTa: By examining the scat samples of carnivores like tigers and leopards, field biologists can now identify their species, sex and individuals. A group of scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Centre for Wildlife Studies and Wildlife Conservation Society have developed a range of novel genetic approaches to identify species, sex and individuals from carnivore scats. Their research was published in the latest issue of international journal 'Conservation Genetics Resources'. The scientists collected over 300 carnivore scat samples across the Malenad-Mysore Tiger Landscape in Karnataka, and used non-invasive molecular techniques to identify the species (tiger or leopard), assign individual identities and also reliably determine the gender of the animal. Dr K Ullas Karanth of Wildlife Conservation Society, India, said accurate scientific baseline data is the foundation of a good conservation initiative. While remote cameras can easily distinguish species, they do not work for species in which individuals and sex are not uniquely identifiable. Survival of endangered species depends on timely information on distribution, demography and ecology at landscape levels. The researchers said the new tools will greatly enhance the utility of basic field data to effectively conserve large felids in India. "We are constantly looking to develop simpler yet more accurate methods to collect data on wildlife, which will eventually be applied in their conservation. This pilot study for tigers and leopards is a step ahead in conservation genetics," Dr Karanth said. The methodology can be successfully applied to any other endangered wildlife ? and will be particularly useful for large mammals like bears or dholes for example, that cannot be identified through physical features, he said. Forcefeeding democracy By aLISTaIR MCMILLaN Compulsory voting seems like an easy fix to a widespread problem: how to improve democratic participation. Making voting mandatory is seen as a means of improving the legitimacy and responsiveness of government, reducing opportunities for electoral malpractice, and enhancing citizen engagement with the democratic process. The decision by the Gujarat governor to sanction the provision of compulsory voting under the Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2009, has brought the question of compulsory voting back to the electoral reform agenda. When the original proposal was introduced in 2009, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, writing in this newspaper (‘Acts of choice’, IE, December 22, 2009, iexp.in/sYk124693), provided a review of the principles that might be used to justify some measure of compulsory voting, but noted that such measures seemed poorly suited to the context of Indian democracy and smacked of “democratic paternalism”. He concluded: “Voting must remain an act of choice, not propelled by coercion or inducement.” Rather than reiterate the strong theoretical arguments that challenge the use of state compulsion to force people to go to the polls, I want to examine some of the evidence from countries around the world that have used compulsory voting to see what comparative experience tells us about the practical implications. The first thing to note is that the use of compulsory voting measures is relatively rare, with only some 14 countries having compulsory voting requirements that are actually enforced. The most prominent examples are Australia, Belgium, Brazil and Peru. A report by the respected International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance suggested that compulsory voting was likely to become a “dying phenomenon” in western Europe. Many countries that have had some form of compulsory voting have abandoned the measure, or stopped trying to enforce it. In Austria, where it was abandoned at a national level in 1982, it was described by interior ministry officials as unpopular and “almost impossible to enforce”. Spain, Italy and the Netherlands have all had provisions for compulsory voting at some point, but decided to make voting optional. In recent years, Chile (2012), Fiji (2014), and Greece (2000) have either removed compulsory voting requirements or simply stopped enforcing them. Thailand introduced compulsory voting in 1997 as part of a wholesale constitutional reform package that sought to address political instability and rampant corruption. In particular, compulsory voting was seen as a way to combat vote-buying and reduce the influence of “black money” in elections. The measure had little apparent effect — in the 2001 elections, allegations of vote-buying and electoral irregularities caused its election commission to hold fresh elections in over 60 constituencies, the democratic legitimacy of the government was undermined, and further political turmoil led to a military coup in 2006. Studies of the wider effects of compulsory voting suggest that compelling people to turn out to vote does not increase levels of political knowledge, make voters more likely to feel that their vote makes a difference, or improve perceptions of the quality of representation. As such, compulsory voting should not be seen as a measure that will have a big influence on the quality of political engagement and participation. But surely compulsory voting increases turnout? Here the evidence seems clear. In a comprehensive comparative study, Harvard professor Pippa Norris showed that average voter turnout in countries with some form of compulsory voting requirement was 5.4 per cent higher than in countries where voting was optional However, there are important qualifications to reading this as a simple and clear justification for compulsory voting. The first is that the severity and strict enforcement of sanctions is key to substantially increasing turnout. Second, even in countries with strict enforcement of compulsory voting, turnout is not universal and sanctions have to be imposed on non-voters. Third, imposing penalties on those who do not turn out to vote provides incentives for people to avoid appearing on the electoral register. And fourth, many of those who feel compelled to turn out to vote actually spoil their ballots or cast their votes randomly. Compulsory voting may compel people to go to the polling booth, but it does not ensure that they cast their vote in a meaningful way. In Australia, concern about what is known as the “donkey vote”, whereby people simply choose the easiest option (for instance, the first name on a polling machine), led to the introduction of random ballot ordering in 1984. Votes for “none of the above” or spoilt ballots are much more prevalent in systems with compulsory voting. When electoral participation is measured in terms of the voting-age population rather than using those on the electoral register as a base, the improvement in turnout in countries using compulsory voting falls to 1.9 per cent. This suggests that the penalties associated with failure to turn out to vote provide a clear incentive for people who are qualified to vote to disappear from the electoral register. This provides a more insidious motive for the introduction of compulsory voting. As Norris notes: “Mandatory voting regulations may be genuine attempts to increase widespread public involvement in the political process, or they may be employed by less democratic regimes to compel the public to vote, in the attempt to legitimise one-party contests.” In Singapore, generally accepted to fall below the standards of a functioning democratic system, compulsory voting is part of an electoral framework that perpetuates one-party rule. The sanction for non-voting is withdrawal from the electoral register, removing the right to vote from those who do not wish to participate in what is largely seen as an unfair electoral process. In Gujarat, the legislation for compulsory voting does not specify the sanctions that would be imposed on those not turning out to vote. However, speaking in Ahmedabad in April this year, L.K. Advani proposed that “those who do not vote should be barred from voting in future”. This raises the unpleasant prospect of the solution to non-voting being to remove people from the electoral process, surely something that should concern those who believe in fundamental democratic rights. More audacious than Rosetta By CHaITaNya gIRI Humans have a tendency to create and break boundaries with equal exertion. But the last 50-odd years have verified that the struggle over these boundaries exists only on and around Earth, and the vast inhospitable expanses of outer space provide abundant prospects and challenges to prompt united exploration and expansion of the human footprint. One such bold initiative is the cornerstone mission of the international European Space Agency — Rosetta. The November 12 touchdown of Rosetta’s Philae Lander on the surface of the comet 67P/ ChuryumovGerasimenko has become a frontier feat at par with the Apollo 11 mission and the Voyager Interstellar Mission in terms of science, technology and civilisational implications. Rosetta has reached the comet after facing copious challenges, making it a marvel among space missions. The first critical challenge was its nearly 11-year, arduous flight to a fast-rotating comet no wider than five kilometres. Rosetta had to perform several slingshots using the gravities of the Earth, Mars and Earth again before it could reach 67P. While performing these difficult slingshots, it successfully managed to take scientific measurements and images of Earth, Mars and the two main-belt asteroids it flew past — the 2867 Šteins and 21 Lutetia. The second major challenge for Rosetta was the deep space communications capability it demanded for more than a decade, especially when its complete system, except a few communication systems that had been shut down, was reactivated following a 31-month long hibernation-cum-travelling period. The third major challenge was to orbit and land on a surface potentially prone to quakes and ultracold geysers. Of the three main phases of Philae’s scientific mission, the ESA has successfully undertaken the first two — separation, descent and landing (SDL) and first science sequence (FSS). Philae’s landing was always a huge confrontation for the mission managers and scientists. On November 12, as Philae was about to touchdown, it failed to deploy the harpoon and anchor its grip on the surface. This led to an unforeseen consequence, where the lander bounced twice after the first touchdown (on its proposed site, Agilkia) to finally land on a harsh, non-desired location hundreds of metres from Agilkia. Despite these chance events, Philae has etched its name in human history for being the firstever human-made probe to land on the surface of a comet and commence the ultimate objective of the mission, which is to characterise the comet. As planned, Philae has utilised its batterypacks that were supposed to power it during SDL and FSS. It now anticipates recharging of its solar panels to conduct its last long-term science (LTS) phase, as the comet continues to move closer to the sun. Rosetta’s objectives are even more ambitious than the mission itself. The comet 67P belongs to a group of celestial bodies previously residing in the outer regions of our solar system, but at a certain point of time were pulled into their current orbits by the huge gravity of Jupiter. Hence, having spent billions of years in the frigid peripheries, comets are widely known to have preserved the signatures of astrochemical processes that occurred in interstellar and protostellar (period of the sun’s infancy) environments. The exploration of comets is, therefore, akin to travelling via a time machine and arriving in an era when the Earth did not even exist. Comets are believed to have transported molecules responsible for the origin of life on Earth. Exploring them is thus a significant step towards the age-old quest for the origins of humanity. Also, since comets are abundant with organic material that has been processed for billions of years in space, there is a stark possibility of finding, if not by Rosetta but on subsequent missions, metamaterials that can potentially possess superlative properties compared to Earth-based counterparts. So, comet exploration has huge potential to satiate both material and philosophical desires. There are two kinds of space missions — one driven by the need to demonstrate superiority, the other by the need to explore. Rosetta is of the second kind. It has been a collective effort of several thousand scientists spanning across three generations. The investment of several million man-hours, the training of three generations banishing social, cultural and national boundaries, and the sentience of the early mission designers to proceed with the mis- sion, despite knowing that they might probably not see and experience its final glory, make Rosetta one of the most inspiring projects ever undertaken. Despite the numerous conflicts on Earth, the vastness of space gives humans a common sense of heritage and purpose. In the 21st century, when the world looks forward to an advancing Asia, it looks at it not only as a potential market for commodities but also as a huge pool of human resource that can be trained and nurtured for global projects more ambitious than the Rosetta. The landing of Philae on 67P is surely a remarkable feat, but its real success lies in the fact that it is going to inspire more audacious space missions that will travel to and explore other enigmatic celestial objects. Humanity has achieved something extraordinary this month; it has set a footprint on a timetravelled comet. Rosetta is now signalling the need for even greater audacity. 7 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 Record stand by Thirushkamini and Punam MYSuru: a record 275-run stand for the second wicket between M.D. Thirushkamini and Punam raut allowed india to declare its first innings at 400 for six — its fourth highest innings total — against South africa in the four-day one-off women’s cricket Test here on Monday. india then took further control of the match by snapping up three South african wickets for 85 by close on the second day at the SDNr Wadiyar Platinum Jubilee university grounds. Thirushkamini and Punam continued from where they had left on day one and easily negotiated the new ball taken in the first over of the day by South african captain Migon du Preez. They bettered the previous record partnership of 235 set by betty Snowball (189) and Molly Hide (110) of england against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1935. india finally lost Punam (130, 355b, 18x4s) when she jumped out to leg-spinner Dane van Niekerk and was stumped by wicket-keeper Trisha Chetty. This was Punam’s highest individual score in Test cricket. runs continued to flow even after her dismissal and at lunch india was 339 for two. The innings was further consolidated when Thirushkamini and skipper Mithali raj (37, 51b, 7x4s), added 61 for the third wicket before Mithali was bowled by off-spinner Sunette Loubser. She also claimed the wickets of Harmanpreet Kaur (17) and Jhulan Goswami (3) and was the best South african bowler in action. Thirushkamini’s 192 (430b, 24x4, 1x6s) was her career best knock and she missed out on a double century when her attempted cut off leg-spinner Yolani Fourie resulted in an edge to keeper Trisha Chetty. The scores: india — 1st innings: M.D. Thirushkamini c Trisha Chetty b Yolani Fourie 192, Smriti Mandhana c Sunette Loubser b Chloe Tryon 8, Punam raut st Trisha Chetty b Dane van Niekerk 130, Mithali raj b Sunette Loubser 37, Harmanpreet Kaur c Marizanne Kapp b Sunette Loubser 17, Jhulan Goswami st Trisha Chetty b Sunette Loubser 3, Shika Pandey (not out) 6; extras (b-2, lb-4, nb1): 7; Total (for six wickets in 148.4 overs decl.): 400. Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-283, 3-344, 4-384, 5394, 6-400. South africa bowling: Marizanne Kapp 16-8-27-0, Chloe Tryon 19-4-55-1, Marcia Letsoalo 25-11-48-0, Sunette Loubser 32.45-90-3, Dane van Niekerk 37-8-90-1, Yolani Fourie 18-0-791, Migon du Preez 1-05-0. South africa — 1st innings: Nadine Moodley c Mithali raj b Punam Yadav 40, Dane van Niekerk c N. Niranjana b r a j e s h w a r i Gayakwad 15, Marizanne Kapp lbw b rajeshwari Gayakwad 0, Migon du Preez (batting) 28, Marcia Letsoalo (batting) 0; extras (b-1, lb-1): 2; Total (for three wickets in 51 overs): 85. Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-37, 383. india bowling: Jhulan Goswami 7-019-0, N. Niranjana 42-5-0, Harmanpreet Kaur 6-1-16-0, r a j e s h w a r i Gayakwad 17-10-20-2, Shika Pandey 4-2-100, Punam Yadav 13-713-1. I’d like to play Capriati again: Hingis HYDerabaD: Today’s tennis is too fast. There is no time even to hesitate,” observed Martina Hingis in a freewheeling chat with The Hindu. The three-time australian Open winner and finalist in as many outings, here as part of the Hyderabad aces in the Champions Tennis League (CTL), was perfectly at peace with the present and yet took pride in the past. “i’m honoured to be a part of the golden era of women’s tennis,” beamed the Swiss Miss. explaining her radiant smile she said, “Tennis gave me everything, especially openings to a better life. it’s sad to hear players complain about the game or the travel involved.” and what does she see as the highpoint of an illustrious career? Pat came her reply: “beating the Williams sisters in back to back matches. usually if you beat one, the other would kill you. at the australian Open i beat Serena in the quarterfinals and Venus in the semis and not many people would have done that. How did she get involved with CTL? “The format was appealing, with only one set of singles and another of doubles,” she noted, the latter requiring coverage of only half the court. The biggest influence in her life remains her mother Melanie Molitor. “i’ll be forever grateful to mum. She always believed in me, even when i had doubts about not having the physical abilities that other players did. There are opportunities even today for the smaller girls, such as Simona Halep,” she said. “My mother gave me a work ethic, inculcated discipline and encouraged me to be professional in everything i did. Give your best in whatever you do, especially in things under your control,” Hingis recalled her mother saying of an approach that saw the daughter scale the pinnacles of world women’s tennis. if she were to dissect her game, what were her weapons? “My backhand and instincts on court,” she replied. and what accounted for her mental strength? “Playing smart on the important points proved vital,” she added. early exposure gave her an edge besides the support from Swiss tennis that enabled her travel to her first international under-15 tournament when just 10. “i reached the quarterfinals and 5000 spectators watched,” she reminisced. How did she recharge in a hectic career? “i enjoyed other sports such as skiing and horse-riding. in between events, i’d ride into the forest or head for the mountains. Nature gives you power and Switzerland has so much to offer —beautiful landscape and clean air for free,” she said of her adopted country. Does she have any regrets? “i can’t change the past but if an opportunity came, i’d like to play Jennifer Capriati again,” she said of the 2002 australian Open final in which Capriati came back from two match points down. How does she view indian tennis since her 2006 Sunfeast Open triumph in Kolkata ? “it needs heroes such as the amritraj brothers and Leander Paes. There may be more opportunities now but i imagine it’s not easy as the game is still generally a high end sport,” she felt. Game 7: Passive Anand holds Carlsen in a marathon NeW DeLHi: in a cerebral discipline like chess, bravado sometimes serves as a surprise weapon. if the rival happens to be the game’s strongest player in a World title-match, there is always a strong likelihood of the ploy backfiring. Trailing by a point and needing to at least hold Magnus Carlsen to a draw in Game 7, anand boldly chose an opening that had backfired in Chennai last year. anand looked fine into the middle game but Carlsen pushed him hard for the next five hours. anand eventually found the drawing continuation on the 70th move. Carlsen, however, kept the challenger busy by searching for more options. anand, with less time on the clock, held firm. Fabiano Caruana, the World No.2, seemed to have read it early; he tweeted: “Seems like people are overestimating white’s chances. The ending looks pretty drawish to me.” but it needed precise continuation from anand to survive. after suffering a loss with black pieces on Saturday, anand was expected to prepare a suitable response to Carlsen for the crucial game. anand’s choice, if executed correctly, usually leads to a draw. Given anand’s abilities to defend and Carlsen’s endgame skills, the game was fought for 122 moves though the result became clear much earlier. eventually only the two kings and Carlsen’s knight were left on the board. Carlsen would have been somewhat pleased with anand choosing to repeat the ruy Lopez berlin seen in Game 2. after ending up losing that game, anand was not expected to invite Carlsen to play the position again. but anand seemed to back himself to get into Carlsen’s territory and come out unhurt; pulling it off would earn him a psychological point under the given circumstances. When talking about his approach against Carlsen last year, anand had said: “i made a decision not to avoid long games; well, not to be scared of them. if a long game happens, i should be ready to face a long battle, and if i make my point and confront him there, at his strongest point admittedly; if i can play a good long game and defend well, then it takes the pressure off me for everything else.” Perhaps, anand entered Monday’s game in a similar mindset. The fact that both players reeled off the first 23 moves rapidly, needing less than a minute per move, showed they were still in their home-preparation. until anand’s 24th move, the position was identical to the one seen between anish Giri and Teimour radjabov this year in Tashkent. That game ended in a 52-move draw. For the second successive day, the early queenexchange dislodged anand’s CTL: Delhi Dreams off to a winning NeW DeLHi: There was no dearth of entertainment as the Champions Tennis League kicked off to a bright start with Delhi Dreams beating Punjab Marshalls 2519 at the r.K. Khanna Stadium here on Monday. The spectators who packed more than half the capacity made for a vibrant atmosphere, but when the contest reached the climax with the towering Kevind anderson taking on Somdev Devvarman, as Delhi led 19-18, a lot of spectators left the arena, possibly to watch the next match being played in Hyderabad, on television. even though co-owner ajay Devgn asked the spectators to support Delhi, when he was interviewed midway through the tie, the high quality of tennis played by the former women’s world number 1 Jelena Jankovic and the Spaniard Garbine Muguruza made the fans forget their allegiance, and cheer both. With his electrifying game and deft touch, Paes won a lot of applause. but, he was the first to make a ‘bow’ to his partners when they came up with delectable strokes. Without doubt, it was Paes who brought the crowd alive, after the fans had stayed silent initially. it was ‘service with a smile’ as the contest opened up, but slowly the intensity of competition gripped the arena. it was the doubles matches that provided the best entertainment, as at least two singles matches became monotonously one-sided. even though the shortbuilt Sanam played his heart out in the doubles with the anderson, the latter did not look to be in the match, and even forgot that he was serving after two points in the fifth game. king. it did not matter since anand looked prepared and was ready to get into the laborious berlin endgame, with fewer pieces. The first signs of worry for anand came to the fore when he took nearly 28 minutes to respond to Carlsen’s knight move on the 28th turn. in comparison, by this time, Carlsen had consumed only 25 minutes. in fact, anand’s chosen move — bringing his knight to the centre of the board — only made things fractionally better for Carlsen. With plenty of time on his hands, Carlsen spent nearly 25 minutes to respond. Thereafter, anand did play with an extra pawn in the middle game but never really held any advantage. Once Carlsen exerted pressure from the kingside, anand sensed trouble and sacrificed his bishop for a pawn. Though white looked objectively better placed to win, anand forced a position of his choice and, with it, kept the interest in the contest alive. Game 7 Moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 Ke8 10.Nc3h5 11.bf4 be7 12.rad1 be6 13.Ng5 rh6 14.g3bxg5 15.bxg5 rg6 16.h4f6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.bf4 Nxh4 19.f3 rd8 20.Kf2rxd1 21.Nxd1 Nf522.rh1 bxa2 23.rxh5 be6 24.g4 Nd6 25.rh7 Nf7 26.Ne3Kd8 27.Nf5 c5 28.Ng3 Ne5 29.rh8+ rg8 30.bxe5 fxe5 31.rh5 bxg4 32.fxg4rxg433.rxe5 b6 34.Ne4 rh4 35.Ke2 rh6 36.b3 Kd7 37.Kd2 Kc6 38.Nc3a639.re4 rh2+ 40.Kc1 rh1+ 41.Kb2 rh6 42.Nd1 rg6 43.Ne3 rh6 44.re7 rh245.re6+ Kb7 46.Kc3 rh4 47.Kb2 rh2 48.Nd5 rd2 49.Nf6 rf2 50.Kc3 rf451.Ne4 rh4 52.Nf2 rh2 53.rf6 rh7 54.Nd3 rh3 55.Kd2 rh2+ 56.rf2 rh457.c4 rh3 58.Kc2 rh7 59.Nb2 rh5 60.re2 rg5 61.Nd1 b5 62.Nc3 c6 63.Ne4rh5 64.Nf6 rg5 65.re7+Kb6 66.Nd7+ Ka5 67.re4 rg2+ 68.Kc1 rg1+ 69.Kd2rg2+ 70.Ke1 bxc4 71.rxc4 rg3 72.Nxc5 Kb5 73.rc2 a5 74.Kf2 rh3 75.rc1 Kb4 76.Ke2rc3 77.Nd3+ Kxb3 78.ra1 Kc4 79.Nf2 Kb5 80.rb1+ Kc4 81.Ne4 ra3 82.Nd2+Kd5 83.rh1 a4 84.rh5+ Kd4 85.rh4+ Kc5 86.Kd1 Kb5 87.Kc2 rg3 88.Ne4rg2+ 89.Kd3 a3 90.Nc3+ Kb6 91.ra4 a2 92.Nxa2 rg3+ 93.Kc2 rg2+ 94.Kb3rg3+ 95.Nc3 rh3 96.rb4+ Kc7 97.rg4 rh7 98.Kc4 rf7 99.rg5 Kb6 100.Na4+Kc7 101.Kc5 Kd7 102.Kb6 rf1 103.Nc5+ Ke7 104.Kxc6 rd1105.rg6 Kf7106.rh6 rg1 107.Kd5 rg5+ 108.Kd4 rg6 109.rh1 rg2 110.Ne4 ra2 111.rf1+Ke7 112.Nc3 rh2 113.Nd5+ Kd6 114.rf6+ Kd7115.Nf4 rh1 116.rg6 rd1+117.Nd3 Ke7 118.ra6 Kd7 119.Ke4 Ke7 120.rc6 Kd7 121.rc1 rxc1 122.Nxc1 Draw agreed. ISL teaching me to keep things simple: Ravanan C H e N N a i : Dharmaraj ravanan has earned the reputation of being one of the best defenders in the indian Super League for his clean tackles. The 27-year-old, from Sembarai village in Tiruchi, has been a stand-out performer for FC Pune City, having started in all its eight matches so far. The team has done well despite having begun badly, and finds itself in fourth position now. ravanan, who has played for major clubs such as Dempo SC, Mohun bagan, Mahindra united and Churchill brothers [he was part of the winning team in Federation Cup (2014) and i-league (’13)], says the iSL has taught him to simplify things. “Here, i’ve learnt how to handle complicated defence situations in a simple manner,” he says. “in the last two months, i have tasted the benefits of the lessons i’ve learnt. From practice to matches, i have been able to implement lot of things successfully,” says ravanan, who began his career playing for indian bank (Chennai) in the CFa senior division league. excerpts from the interview: On foreign coaches in the iSL and i-league Obviously, coaching styles differ. i have worked with foreign coaches like Colin (Toal), David booth (former coach of Mahindra united) and Franco Colombo (head coach of FC Pune City). in fact, Giovanni Mei, who is the assistant coach, is the defence coach too. earlier we used to understand things after a lot of effort (from the players’ perspective). Here (in the iSL), the same things, they simplify. On not being able to break into the indian senior team. Subrata Paul helps Mumbai escape with a draw MuMbai: Mumbai City FC goalkeeper Subrata Paul lived up to his nickname of ‘Spiderman’, coming up with some reflex saves in the second half to deny FC Goa strikers and help his team escape with a goalless draw, and one point, in a Hero indian Super League eighthround tie at the D.Y. Patil stadium on Monday. Sedate first half after a sedate first half, Goa stepped it up, approaching from different angles, only to be foiled by the inform india goalkeeper. The one time he was beaten — by australian Tolgay Ozbey — the ball caught the left post. FC Goa benefitted from that kind of luck too; andre Moritz beat goalkeeper Jan Seda with a snap attempt but the ball crashed into the post and bounced back into play. That was the closest Mumbai got to scoring. The home team impressed in the first half, linking up smoothly when in possession and looking confident on the ball in the rival half. Subash got a few opportunities, but Seda was solid under the bar. Paul was tested once by Gabriel Fernandes on the counter, but that effort came to naught. FC Goa slogged hard to regain the initiative on resumption, and the game opened up. a hard tackle by Pavel Cmovs on the edge of the box resulted in a direct free-kick. andre Santos kicked the ball into the defensive wall, and the ball lobbed goal-wards where Subrata, for once, fumbled. again, no damage was done. both sides got cracking right from the kickoff, and the play was pulsating. The visitors broke through from the left. Mandar Desai weaved his way past a defender, released the ball towards Santos and ran a volley on the bounce, but the ball swerved over the bar. 8 JAMMU | Golden YuG WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 19 | 2014 Dy. CEO reviews SVEEP progress with Nodal Dance Revolution Academy organises Cultural Officers through video conferencing Dance show in an inauguration function gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Rakesh Srangal and Consultant Elections, S. Harcharan Singh today interacted with the SVEEP and MCC Nodal Officers of all districts of the State and reviewed the activities under these two components. The Nodal Officers apprised that SVEEP activities are going in their respective areas as per the mandate of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in full swing. They informed that several departments, agencies, NGOs, educational institutions have been involved in the campaign to motivate the people and maximise participation in the elections. The Officers further informed that the peoespecially the ple, youngsters and students, who shall cast their vote for the first time are taking keen interest in the campaign and are enthusiastic about it. Various means like skits by folk artists, slogans, banners, radio, TV programmes, SMS, internet and news papers are being utilised to create awareness amongst the masses about the importance of elections and their votes. Special arrangements are Deputy Commissioner Anantnag visits flood hit areas being made to train the officials about the use of EVMs and other related issues, it was informed. As regard to the of implementation Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the concerned informed that all complaints which are pouring from different quarters are minutely monitored and disposed as per guidelines of ECI. Srangal and Harcharn Singh expressed satisfaction on the activities and urged the Nodal Officers to further stepup the campaign so that more and more people are made aware and make use of their franchise. Vikul Gupta inaugurated Dance Revolution Academy at Trikuta Deep High School, Janipur Jammu gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Dance Revolution Academy organises Cultural Dance show in an inauguration function organised at Trikuta Deep High School, Talli Morh, Janipur Jammu. Vikul Gupta Chairman Arivan group and State Analyst was the chief guest on the occasion while Hitesh Badyal President Nirvana Academy was the guest of honour on the occasion. Vikul Gupta inaugurated Dance revolution academy branch at Trikuta Deep high school. He congratulated Sanjeev Mangotra and Anu Bhardwaj Dance Choreographers on the occasion and wish them all the best for the future endeavours. Sanjeev Mangotra Dance Choreographer (B.A Kathak) commenced the programme with the welcome speech and told that Dance Revolution Academy opened its branch at Trikuta deep high school to trained children especially in Kathak, folk and modern dance. He added that DRA is the only institute in Jammu which is providing Kathak classical dance, Info artists organises Cultural prog on Ekta Diwas Stresses for early completion of shelter sheds gy NEWS SERVICE aNaNTNag, NoV. 18: Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Tasaduq Jeelani today visited several flood hit areas including Shamishipora, Bijbehara, JabliPora, Sarsona, Shol, Feroz shah Mohalla and reviewed the relief and rehabilitation process going in these areas. Deputy Commissioner was accompanied by additional Deputy Commissioner, Engineers of PWD, PDD, I&FC and other concerned officers dealing with the relief and rehabilitation process. Deputy Commissioner also inspected the work on pre-fabricated huts /shelter sheds coming out at these places and stressed on the concerned agencies to speed up the pace of work so that the sheds are ready in shortest possible time. Deputy Commissioner also visited the place at shamsipora where 26 shelter sheds are being constructed by R&B and are at plinth level. Deputy Commissioner also held public Darbars at these places wherein the flood affected people shared their problems with the Deputy Commissioner who in turn gave a patient hearing and assured them of every possible help from the district administration. Some of the minor matters related to availability of essential commodities, LPG, Kerosene and timber were resolved on spot during the public meeting. Deputy Commissioner instructed the concerned officers to keep available all the essential commodities besides timber, water and power supply in all areas especially in the flood affected areas. Deputy Commissioner said that the shelter sheds will be completed within a shorted span of time and will be handover to the affected families so that they do not face any kind of problem during the harsh winters. gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: In connection with Ekta Diwas Celebrations, the artists of Cultural Wing of Information Department in collaboration with JK Mountessorie School, Talab Tillo organised a cultural programme in its auditorium, here today. On the occasion, Chairman of the JK Mountessorie School Prof Mohammad Ayuub Khan was the Chief Guest while Director Academics Smt. Rajni Gupta was guest of honour. Managing Director JK Mountessorie School Sanjeev Gupta, Cultural Officer, Information Department Joshi, Vice Raman Principal of the School Geeta Dixit besides other dignitaries of JK Mountessorie School and students in large numbers enjoyed the 2-hour long cultural programme. The Cultural Programme started with lightening of tradition lamp by dignitaries of the function. While addressing the gathering, Prof Ayuub said music is vital tool to ease stress in life. He said such events provide healthy entertainment to the audience. He thanked the Information Department in selecting JKmountessorie School for organising a wonderful cultural programme on the eve of Ekta Diwas. He also requested the Information Department to organise such programme in future also in the School. He said such type of programmes not only providing entertaining atmosphere to the audience particularly students but also provided them some moments of enjoyment. He said such type of programme encouraged the students in presenting platform for showing their hidden talent through musical items. Emotive slogans can't override development, says Rana gy NEWS SERVICE NagRoTa, NoV. 18: Saying that development has got new impetus under National Conference led government during the past six years, Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Tuesday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is at the threshold of an era full of promise and hope for the people. "The beginning has been stupendous, notwithstanding the turbulent conditions, and the journey is to be carried forward with renewed vigour", Rana said while addressing several election rallies in Nagrota. He said development cannot be undermined by raking up emotive issues as the people crave for sustainable peace, good governance, network of infrastructural development especially in the service sectors like power and drinking water. "This is what National Conference has been pursuing for the past six year and will continue to do so if voted to power", he said adding that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been striving for treading the state on the path of progress and prosperity. Rana exhorted the people to become part of journey undertaken by the Chief Minister to take Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for a better tomorrow where peo- ple have access to progress and development. He particularly called upon the youth to strengthen the fort of National Conference which stands guarantee to fulfillment of their urges and aspirations. The Provincial President elaborately dwelt on the key achievements registered over the years, which include holding of panchayat elections, introduction of revolutionary laws like Right to Information and Public Services Guarantee Acts, measures for generating employability, launching of Himayat and Udaan programmes for unemployed youth, skill development programme and various other initiatives for women and weaker sections of the people. Referring to Nagrota constituency, Rana said a network of roads has been laid during recent years and special thrust has been laid on upgrading the power and water supply. In the rural development sector, several DEO interacts with pol party reps gy NEWS SERVICE pooNCH, NoV. 18: A meeting of representatives of political parties, independent candidates and observers, to acquaint the parties and candidates about various provisions of law pertaining to election campaigning, Model Code of Conduct and Election Expenditure Monitoring Mechanism was held under the chairmanship of District Election Officer (DEO), Poonch, M H Malik here today. General Observer, 85Surankote, Shivnarayan Singh Chauhan, Police Observer, Nelli Kumar Subramaniam, SSP Poonch, J S Johar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mumtaz Ali Chowdhary, RO, Poonch Haveli, Shokat Mahmood Malik besides representatives of political parties also attended the meeting. While stressing the need of ensuring free and fair election by adhering to the Model Code of Conduct, General Observer, 85Surankote said that the use of unauthorized posters, banners, defacement of public property and plying of vehicle for election purpose without permission should be avoided and any violations in this respect would be taken seriously. He asked them to cooperate with the election machinery for conduct of free and fair election. He also asked them to inform the election observers about MCC and any other electoral violation. The contact numbers of all the election observers in the district have already been circulated in the print media. Police Observer, Nelli Kumar Subramaniam stressed upon the parties to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit for free, fair and smooth conduct of ensuing Assembly Elections. Responding to queries of the political parties, the DEO underlined the need to follow Model Code of Conduct and said that all political parties should work within the ambit of ECI's guidelines and ignorance of election law cannot be an excuse as all guidelines of the ECI have already been circulated to them. He appealed to all political parties to take permission for any road show and public meeting in advance. It was emphasized that all vehicles to be used for campaigning by the contesting candidates should have prior permission from the concerned RO. The contesting candidates and their representatives should not paste posters, pamphlets etc without name of printer and publisher, the DEO added. initiatives have been taken for upgrading facilities. He said the people at grass roots level have been empowered to fix priorities for their areas, which has gone well in undertaking the most needed schemes in each Panchayat Halqa. Rana reiterated his commitment to transform Nagrota as a model constituency which will have all the modern amenities. "For this I need your helping hand", he told the people, hoping they will join in the effort of converting this important constituency as Nava Jammu. Rana appreciated the enthusiasm of the party cadre and urged the functionaries to work for big victory to National Conference, saying this is the only party that can take care of the three regions of the state and their subregions. The artists of Information Department who presented a scintillating cultural programme which enthralled the students included Jeevan Sharma, Vijay Anand, Zulikha Farid, Sumit Bhardwaj, Surjit Singh Sumbaria, Kamal Kumar and Bunty Kumar. The students of JKmountessorie school presented Sarswati Vandana and Dogri dance which was highly applauded by the audience. Later, Vote of thanks presented by Vice Principal of JK Mountessorie Mrs. Geeta Dixit. Dogri regional dance training as well Modern dance training under one banner. He also disclosed that Dance Revolution Academy is organising a dance and kids modelling competition in the month of December. A Dance programme was also presented on the occasion in which students of Trikuta deep high school and winners of Jammu Dance Icons programme performed. Kiran and group presented Dogri dance on the song "Surma nima nima" followed by a stunning performance by Kashish Thakyal young and leading dance performer of Jammu. Harsh, Rukmaani, Muskaan, Ishwar, Sidharth, Smile Verma and Vansh Kalotra. Others who were presented on the occasion were Yogeshwar Singh Yogi, Pooja, Sanjay Kumar, Nishant vaid, Shaveta Sharma and Tarun Sharma. DHS visits Dist Hosp, other health instts gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Director Health Services Jammu Dr Baljeet Singh Pathania conducted an extensive tour of remote areas of District Kathua. During his two days visit, he along with CMO Kathua visited CHC Basohli, PHC Karanwara and District Hospital Kathua. At CHC Basohli, Director Health Services directed the Chief Medical Officer Kathua to shift the PHC Mahanpur to the newly constructed building. While reviewing the functioning of these institutions, Director Health Services asked the concerned staff to gear up their efforts to provide every possible healthcare service to the people of the district. While interacting with patients of CHC Basohli, he informed that a First Aid Centre will continue its functioning in the old CHC complex along with availability of Ambulance and immunization facility. Dr. Pathania also dedicated newly constructed Sulabh Shochalya in the District Hospital Kathua premises to public. He reviewed the ongoing surgical camp at CHC Basohli which was organized by Health Department in collaboration with the Onkar Singh Memorial Trust. Free check-up besides services including investigations were provided to beneficiaries during the camp. A total of 1864 patients in OPD were attended and 72 surgeries including major and minor were performed .Besides 297 X-Rays, 2149 Laboratory Tests, 200 Ultrasounds and 156 ECG were performed during the camp. He assured every help to the Health institutions to further improve the facilities. He impressed upon the functionaries of health Department to work with utmost zeal, sincerity and dedication to delivery equitable health care services to the public. Khanna condemned news item that Central Govt. returned back PoK Refugees package gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: BJP Member of Parliament & J&K Prabhari Avinash Rai Khanna has condemned the news item that the Central Government has returned back the package for PoK refugees which was forwarded by J&K government few weeks ago. Addressing media persons along with BJP senior leaders at Jammu on Tuesday, Avinash Rai Khanna said that what has been circulated in certain newspapers is an irresponsible move on part of some vested persons who want to create confusions among the refugees of different categories. It is also an indicator that the growing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP cannot be digested by such persons. Khanna said that the BJP has always advocated the cause of all the refugees and now when we are in govern- ment we are pursuing the same more vigorously and it is hoped that the Modi led NDA government will soon accede to the long pending demands of the West Pakistan Refugees as well as refugees from PoJK. He said that the matter is under consideration before Parliamentary Committee and made it clear that disclosure of the contents of proceedings of Standing Committee is breach of the privilege and action can be taken against any such persons who indulge in such practice of leaking the contents. Avinnash Rai Khanna, while appealing the people of the refugee community not to trust all such false statements, reiterated that BJP is committed for the welfare of all categories of the refugees. BJP State Vice President Ramesh Arora, State Spokesperson & Election Media Incharge Arun Kumar Gupta, Spokespersons Sunil Sethi & Balbir Ram Rattan and Dr. Suresh Ajay Magotra and Media Team member & Ex-Servicemen Cell State Convener Brig. Anil Gupta were also present in the press conference. Sat Sharma goes door to door, addresses series of meetings in W. No. 17 of Jammu West Assembly Segment gy NEWS SERVICE JaMMU, NoV. 18: Continuing its campaign in the Jammu West Assembly segment, BJP candidate Sat Sharma (CA) reached out at Ward number 17 and took series of meetings in the Ward and also went door to door covering the public of the Ward. Besides campaigning for the party, he also listened to the grievances of the people and assured the public of solving their basic problems on a priority basis. Addressing the meetings, Sat Sharma (CA) said that the time has come to bring a revolution in the State of Jammu and Kashmir on the agenda of development and only BJP is committed to provide progress in all spheres of Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has excelled to new heights globally and not only India but the whole world is chanting the development Mantra of BJP. The Senior BJP leader stated that the slogan of "One Booth Ten Youth" must be followed just like it was done at the time of Parliamentary elections. He also stated that the Mission 44 plus of BJP cannot be achieved without the dedicated, sincere and vigorous efforts of the public because masses are the strength of BJP and that is why BJP is different from other political parties. He also stated that development projects will be done on a priority basis and construction works like building flyovers and covering basic necessities of all walks of life will be on top most consideration. ND Rajwal, Praduman Singh, Dalip Kumar, Onkar Singh Bose, Balbir Singh, Ram Lal, Gourav Majotra and others were present on the occasion. Printer, Publisher, Editor and Owner: SURINDER KUMAR (M) 9419188950, Published from: Channi Himmat, Distt. Jammu, J&K, Ph.: 0191-2464590, Printed at : Ess Ess Ess Offset Printing Press, Mohalla Dalpatian, Wazarat Road, Jammu - 180001, Ph.: 0191-2543336, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Jammu City