Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday said he was satisfied with the level of India's representation at the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) beginning here on Friday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not participate in the CHOGM held in Perth in 2011, he pointed out at a press conference.
Asked whether Dr. Singh’s absence was because of his consideration of Tamil sentiments, he said: “He did not say that to me; the letter [sent by Dr. Singh] said something different.” He was responding to a query from a journalist representing a Tamil television channel in India.
Responding to questions on alleged war crimes, he said: “You all must respect a country’s system, a country’s culture. Sri Lanka is ready to look into allegations. We are very open, we have nothing to hide. Whether it was torture or rape, anyone who wishes to make a complaint could do so through the system,” he said. “If there is any violation, we will take action against anybody,” said the President, who will turn 68 in a few days.
To a question from a British journalist whether the President would, while shaking hands with the Prince of Wales currently in Colombo, admit to Sri Lanka’s “dire” human rights record, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “Before I shake hands I will say ‘ayubowan’ [may you live long]. That’s the way a Sri Lankan greets anybody whether it’s a king, or queen or beggar.”
Asked whether he would hold a one-on-one with British Prime Minister David Cameron, “who plans to ask him some tough questions,” he said: “Yes, I will meet him. I have already given him an appointment...we’ll have to see, I will also have to ask him some questions.”
Earlier, referring to the 30 year-long conflict, he said the country had suffered a lot. There were human rights violations; civilians were killed, women and children suffered a lot. “Today, no one is getting killed. We finished that war; that menace. And that is something people are appreciating.”
Commonwealth in action: Sharma
Asked whether the Commonwealth made a mockery of its values by holding its meeting in Sri Lanka, which faces allegations of rights violations and war crimes, its Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who was present at the press conference, said the Commonwealth was engaging with Sri Lanka on several issues. “It is not making a mockery. It is showing the Commonwealth in action.”
Cameron talks business with Mamata Banerjee
British Prime Minister David Cameron met Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee during his visit here on Thursday.
The meeting that took place in the offices of the British Deputy High Commission was “constructive” and the discussions centred around British investment in the State in areas like tourism, river front beatification and inland water transport and infrastructure, informed sources said.
It is also learnt that cooperation between the universities in the United Kingdom and West Bengal featured in the talks.
Later in the evening, in her Facebook page, Ms. Banerjee said that she had been invited by Mr. Cameron to visit his country and was “indeed very happy”.
“There is significant scope for collaboration with the British government in the fields of education, culture, tourism, skill development, manufacturing industries, riverfront development and so on,” she wrote.
“I found the British Prime Minister very vibrant. Our discussions were very cordial, positive and fruitful, I am very happy about it,” she added.
Prior to the meeting, interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, he said that he was looking forward to his first meeting with Ms. Banerjee and suggested his eagerness for cooperation in areas like infrastructure and management and cleaning of rivers.
“There are big opportunities. Your city is expanding and there is a huge need for infrastructure and town planning … and how you clean up your rivers and waterways something that we had to do in the U.K.,” Mr. Cameron said when asked about increasing business links with the State.
Ms. Banerjee, who has talked in the past about transforming Kolkata into London, gifted a kurta-pajama to the British Prime Minister.
During his interaction with the students, he said that his visit comes on the 100{+t}{+h}anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore being awarded the Nobel prize in literature and referred to Satyendra Nath Bose for his contribution to Higgs bosons and another Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.
Mumbai Campa Cola complex controversy a wake-up call for Gurgaon flat owners
The Campa Cola complex controversy has highlighted how the builders in nexus with the politicians and the bureaucrats violate building by-laws and the gullible flat owners are made to suffer for no fault of theirs. And the problem is just not confined to Mumbai, but is rampant.
In fact, there are several such apartments in Gurgaon as well which do not have the mandatory “Occupancy Certificate” (OC) and violate floor area ratio (FAR) norms and the flat owners are living under the constant threat of meeting the same fate as the Campa Cola complex residents.
The most glaring example is The Residency apartments in Ardee City in Gurgaon where more than 200 families are staying in six residential towers without the mandatory OC. “As per the information accessed through RTI, the builder in the approval plan has shown an area of over 11 acres, but landlocked the apartment owners in an area of 3.5 acre and built a boundary wall around it leaving the remaining area outside complex. We have been pursuing the case, but to no avail,” said Navin Kaushik, one of the residents of The Residency and a residents’ welfare association member.
Similar is the story of over 120 families in BPTP Freedom Park Life in Sector 57. Of the nine towers in the residential complex, two do not have OC.
“The flat owners were given possession letters in 2009 and are staying there since, but without OC. When these people took possession of their flats they did not even know what OC means. Now they are running from pillar to post to get the OC, but all they get is hollow promises. They are too scared to move the court or approach media fearing that it might boomerang. No OC, therefore, no insurance. So these people have no protection against any damage to their flats,” said Monica Regan of Federation of Apartment Owners’ Association.
Also, certain towers in Uniworld Spa and Unitech Close North and South do not have the OC affecting several hundred families. “The Campa Cola controversy is a wake-up call for all those residing in group housing complexes. Every new flat owner must now ensure that his building has an OC before moving in and the existing flat owners should also find out whether their buildings have OC or not. Usually, a flat owner is content to get the registration of his flat done, but it is not enough. The OC evidences the completion of the building as per the approved plans and compliance of local laws is mandatory,” said Mr. Kaushik.
He added that the government was also to be blamed for the situation. “How come they allow conveyance deeds, charge property tax and allow electricity and water connections without the OC? The builders committing gross violations should be blacklisted and cases should be registered against them. In fact the court directed the competent authority for such an action in our case, but nothing has been done,” lamented Mr. Kaushik.
Yet not having the OC or FAR violation are not the only issues. There are all kinds of illegal things being done in Gurgaon like sale of super area, sale of parking, registration of super area, granting of OC to an incomplete complex. The case in point is DLF’s New Town Height residential complexes in Sector 86, 90 and 91. “The story of New Town Height is the opposite. The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) seems to have given OC to a partially constructed complex which the DLF is unable to deliver even after eight months of receipt of OC. The state of the apartments even today shows how the OC has been given to apartments which are nowhere near completion putting the health and lives of the residents at risk,” said Nitin Grover, president New Town Heights Home Town Owners’ Association.
Telangana Bill in winter session, says Shinde
The Bill for creation of the Telangana State will be tabled in the winter session of Parliament, beginning on December 5, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told journalists here on Thursday.
This statement comes four days after Mr. Shinde, at his monthly press conference, remained non-committal about bringing in the Bill in the coming session.
It is learnt the Congress high command has now asked the Shinde-headed Group of Ministers on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to expedite the consultation process so that the Bill could be tabled in the session.
Government sources said that following a stern message from the Congress leadership, Mr. Shinde asked Home Ministry officials to start preparing the note on the bifurcation, after compiling data gathered from the Union Ministries concerned so that it could be placed before the Cabinet by month-end.
The GoM, which is hearing the views of eight political parties, will meet Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh, particularly from Seemandhra, who are against division of the southern State, on November 18.
Panic buying of salt in Bihar
There was panic buying of salt in four Bihar districts following rumours which led to the arrest of three persons and left State Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Shyam Rajak blaming the Opposition BJP for it.
“An unsubstantiated rumour has spread in Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Samastipur and Madhubani districts about shortage of salt in the market due to reduced supply of the commodity from Gujarat prompting the consumers to panic and buy the same for Rs.70 per kg at some places,” he told reporters at a hurriedly-convened press conference. Three persons were arrested for spreading rumours after he directed officials of the affected districts to probe the situation and crack down on the hoarders, Mr. Rajak said.- PTI
India should be a permanent UNSC member, says Cameron
He was interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
British Prime Minister David Cameron said here on Thursday that the United Nations Security Council should be modernised and India made a permanent member.. “The Security Council ought to include India as their permanent member there is no doubt about it,” Mr. Cameron said at an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
However, he said, the political will of “deciding to act and deciding to take a stand” mattered more than issues such as reforming the Council.
Referring to the intervention of the United Nations in Libya, Mr. Cameron said it “took a stand and took a view” and allowed change to happen. “Don’t just think about reforming institutions but think about how you behave in it, when you take up a stand what you stand for,” he told students.
Though the United Nations was not “perfect,” “it is very good in our world to have something like that,” the British Prime Minister said. “You need to have institutions and rules in order to try having sensible governance approaches across the world. So we should all back the United Nations and back the U.N. Charter.”
Describing the Commonwealth as a “club” and a “good organisation to have,” Mr. Cameron said: “It [Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting] is a meeting place where we pat each other on the back when we get things right and point a bit of our fingers when we get it wrong. In an ideal world I would see it get tougher on human rights issues.” His remarks are significant as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided not to attend the summit, which is scheduled to start in Sri Lanka on Friday.
Mr. Cameron said that the members of the Commonwealth attending the summit would “talk about issues like climate change, how we can make tackle poverty.”
Asked about the Arab Spring, Mr. Cameron said that while it should be welcomed, it should also be recognised that there would be setbacks.
He described the alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians in Syria earlier this year as “dreadful” and “horrific,” adding that Syria was destroying its chemical weapons stockpile after certain countries took strong action.
“No cap on Indian students”
‘U.K. and India should be “partners of choice’
There is no limit on the number of Indian students who go to the United Kingdom and study in universities there, British Prime Minister David Cameron, said here on Thursday.
“As many of you who want to come can come,” he said at an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, adding that the only thing required is proficiency in English and a place in a genuine British university.
Admitting that university education is expensive in the U.K., the Prime Minister justified the decision of asking students to pay for their studies.
“Education in the U.K. is expensive and there are two ways to fund it — either asking the taxpayers or the students to pay….. I think it is better to ask the students to pay because once they become a graduate their earnings increases a lot,” Mr. Cameron said.
Pointing out that the U.K. and India should be “partners of choice,” he said that both had made “extraordinary progress” on trade and investment since 2010 and that the momentum was positive. “What is important is that trade barriers should be reduced and that will help...,” Mr. Cameron said.
Navy to get refurbished Vikramaditya tomorrow
At the quay adjoining Sevmash Shipyard’s enormous hull shop no. 55 is the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, getting decked up for its big day. The Cold War–era Russian carrier, which received a new lease of life after a five-year-long controversy-ridden period of “modernisation”, will on Saturday be inducted into the Indian Navy. The ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and a host of other top officials including the naval chiefs of both countries.
After completion of minor interior works, Vikramaditya will set course for its historic 60-day voyage to Karnataka’s Karwar by the end of November with a 1,600-member Indian crew commanded by Captain Suraj Berry and a Russian surety team comprising 183 technicians, who will stay back in India for a year to ensure that the 44,500-tonne behemoth has a smooth sail.
A Talwar-class frigate and fleet tanker, INS Deepak, will escort Vikramaditya, which will be eventually joined by three other Indian vessels on way to its homeport at Karwar.
Andrey Dyachkov, Director-General of Russia’s Northern Shipbuilding Centre, which controls Sevmash, said negotiations were underway between both sides to ensure long-term fruitful service support to the carrier.
“The ship has been modernised and repaired. This allows us to say that it will be able to serve the Indian Navy for 40 years. Its life can be further enhanced if properly maintained. So we can safely say that it’s a whole new ship,” he told a group of Indian journalists.
Elaborating on the sea trials of the Vikramaditya, Sergey Novoselov, Head of the Military Technical Cooperation Division of Sevmash, said the carrier did exceedingly well during its trials in the White Sea that began on July 3.
“We’ve met all specifications and it attained a top speed of 29.5 knots without any glitch… The flight trials were witnessed by Vice-Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Western Naval Command. Out of the 8,600 miles the carrier sailed during trials, 1,700 miles were done under the command of Captain Berry, its Commanding Officer. There were more than 3,200 people aboard including 1,000-odd personnel from the Navy. However, the camaraderie was so good that we didn’t need help from the over 80 translators aboard as trials came to a close. Rear Admiral R. Hari Kumar [who previously commanded INS Viraat] headed the carrier acceptance team,” said Mr. Novoselov.
Officials of Sevmash said the trials also demonstrated the strength of the fortified hull of Vikramaditya. To a query on the carrier’s boilers, which malfunctioned during trials last year, leading to another spell of delay in delivery, Mr. Dyachkov said the yard had replaced asbestos with “another material” on the firebrick-wall at the suggestion of the Indian Navy. “After it failed, it was realised that asbestos was the best and that it would not jeopardise the health of seamen. So we installed asbestos and our decision was proved correct during trials,” he said.
On the issue of cost-escalation, Mr. Dyachkov said initially it wasn’t possible to fathom the scope of work on the vessel. The Indian Navy understood that deeper repairs and refurbishment became inevitable, he said. Mr. Novoselov said 2,500 km of cable network and 3,000 km of pipes were fully replaced. “Besides, all radio and electronic warfare equipment, fans, pipes and the like are new.”
Igor Leonav, chief commissioner of Sevmash, who is heading the guarantee team to India, said the carrier controlled 778 flights during trials. There were 88 landings, too, all piloted by Russians. The carrier’s jamming capability was demonstrated when the Sukhoi-33s, Kamovs, MiG-29s and the early warning aircraft A-50 all failed to paint it on their radars, he said. The carrier’s radar, on the contrary, could pick oncoming aircraft from a distance of 350-400 km, said Mr. Leonav.
(Vikramaditya is being delivered without any air defence capability, as it is devoid of any surface-to-air missile or close-in weapon systems, which would be retrofitted later).
All systems, however, needed fine-tuning, which would be done during its voyage to India. While negotiations for refurbishment and procurement of Admiral Gorshkov began in 1994, the contract was signed in April 2004.
The Navy, in a release on Thursday, called the carrier a game-changer. .
Antony to leave for Russia today
Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who is leaving for Russia on Friday, will commission the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier Vikramaditya at Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk on Saturday.
During the four-day visit, Mr. Antony will also co-chair the 13th Meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu in Moscow on Monday.
The Minister will be accompanied by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral D.K. Joshi and Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur during the commissioning of INS Vikramaditya.
Mr. Antony’s delegation to the IRIGC-MTC will include Mr. Mathur, Secretary (Defence Production) G.C. Pati, Director-General (Acquisition) S.B. Agnihotri and senior officers of the armed forces. At this meeting, a broad spectrum of issues related to ongoing and proposed defence projects and defence cooperation will be discussed.
Some lunar spell on way to Mars
When ISRO scientists handling the post-launch operations of the Mars orbiter push it into a certain critical planned position on Saturday morning, they expect to get a helpful little pull, from none other than the Moon.
November 16, around 2 a.m., is when the craft is due to get its orbit raised for the fifth time and also the last time near the Earth. (ISRO discounts the November 12 correction as a supplement of the fourth operation.)
That day’s target is to stretch the orbiter’s elliptical orbit to about 1.92 lakh km at its farthest yo-yo point (apogee) from the Earth. According to ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, during Saturday’s exercise, his team must also orient the spacecraft correctly and speed it up further in preparation for the big day of departure — December 1.
“We have to get the right condition on that day the big orbit of 1.92 lakh km and the right inclination needed for the Mars transfer. The required inclination will automatically come from the effect of Moon. Once you cross 66,000 km you are closer to Moon, which becomes one of the pulling forces, and correct the inclination,” he told The Hindu.
The spacecraft, at its current maximum distance of 1.18 lakh km, already feels the lunar charm. Later, as it progresses beyond 9.25 lakh km, “Other planets will put in their influences but all that will come after a few days into December,” he said adding that such planetary pulls and pushes were accounted for during space travels.
ISRO has factored the lunar tug into its Mars travel numbers. The Moon was the first goalpost when India began its celestial adventures in 2008 with Chandrayaan-1.
In the next few days through November 30, some payloads or instruments on the orbiter are to be switched on as part of trials. After about a week, the craft is expected to send in its first pictures.
Amur falcons, satellite-tagged in Nagaland, tracked over Arabian Sea
Amur falcons Naga and Pangti, which were satellite-tagged in Nagaland, were on Thursday tracked flying over the Arabian Sea, the most difficult stretch of their migratory routes, after passing over Bangladesh, the Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra towards their final destination in South Africa.
The third falcon, Wokha, was tracked flying over the Bay of Bengal.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and head of the Forest Force, Nagaland, M. Lokeswara Rao told The Hindu that the tracking began soon after the three birds were released on November 6 after satellite tags with an antenna and solar panel, weighing five grams, had been fitted on their back by a team of scientists.
“For the scientists, the arrival of Amur falcons in Nagaland on their long migration from Mongolia to South Africa is still a mystery. On their return flight, they will fly over Bangladesh and Myanmar after entering India but skip Nagaland. I asked this question to the team of scientists who carried out the satellite tagging. But they had no answer,” he said.
Since November 7, Naga, a male, had taken the route of Wokha in Nagaland, Assam, Bangladesh, the Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka before entering the airspace over the Arabian Sea. During the same period, Pangti, a female, took the route of Wokha, Assam, Bangladesh, West Bengal, the Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra before beginning the journey over the Arabian Sea. Wokha, also a female, followed Pangti’s path and was tracked flying over the Bay of Bengal way behind the other two. The movements of all three birds are being monitored by scientists in Hungary, filtering satellite data through a dedicated website.
Every year, from October to November, a large number of Amur falcons arrive in the northeast, especially in Nagaland for roosting, from Southeastern Siberia and northern China en route to their final destinations — Somalia, Kenya and South Africa. Amur falcons travel up to 22,000 km a year — one of the longest distances of migration. This is the first time Amur falcons in Nagaland were satellite-tagged and their movements to South Africa are being monitored.
Joint mission
The tagging was a joint mission undertaken at Pangti village in Wokha district by two leading scientists from MME/BirdLife Hungary, Peter Fehervani and Szabolcs Soil; Nick Williams, Programme Officer — Birds of Prey (Raptors), Convention on Migratory Species Office Abu Dhabi, United Nations Environment Programme; R. Suresh, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Nagaland Forest Department. Pangti villagers helped the scientists in trapping the falcons and fitting the satellite tags.
For the first time, Amur falcons were satellite-tagged in Nagaland
Movements of all three birds being monitored by scientists in Hungary
Arrival of birds in the State, on long migration from Mongolia to South Africa, a mystery
World Bank, ADB offer Odisha $313m aid
Representatives of the two funding agencies meet Naveen Patnaik
International funding agencies, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, have assured financial assistance of $313 million to the Odisha government for restoration and rehabilitation activities in cyclone Phailin-hit areas.
Representatives of WB and ADB met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Wednesday evening.
Accepting Odisha’s proposal of constructing an additional 162 cyclone shelter houses as they helped in providing safe stay for people after evacuation from the coast, the WB team agreed to provide assistance of $55 million for the purpose, the sources said.
The WB also agreed to provide $153 million for construction of pucca houses within five kilometres of the coast in Ganjam and Puri districts and on the banks of Chilika lake, besides slum development proposals of Berhampur town.
The WB team comprising its operation adviser Michel Hanery and Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist Deepak Singh have also promised Mr. Patnaik to help Odisha undertake mangrove plantation along the coast under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme (ICZMP).
Cyclone proof
Narahari Rao, Deputy Country Director ADB, and Harish Verma, Senior Project Officer, ADB, assured the State government that they would provide $105 million for installing cyclone-proof power infrastructure (at a cost of $70 million) and strengthening of embankments ($35 million) in cyclone-prone areas in Odisha.
Following the assurances, Mr. Patnaik has asked the finance department to expedite the process so that work in the cyclone-hit area starts early. —
Northeast a major hub for trafficking in gecko
The northeast has emerged as a major hub for trafficking in gecko in the last one year. This came to light following the recent arrest of several persons, including a former militant leader.
Rhinos, tigers and elephants have been the usual target of wildlife traffickers but during the last few months, the arrest of more than 10 persons, including Dima Halam Daoga chief Dilip Nunisa in Assam has brought to fore an international network trafficking in gecko.
Nunisa was arrested along with two others with the reptile in their possession a couple of months ago. More than 10 persons were arrested later, a senior police official said.
High value
Nunisa’s interrogation brought to light the value of the lizard in the international market with each animal being traded for an amount ranging from Rs.25 lakh to nearly a crore, the official said.
Another arrested person in Karbi Anglong district told the police that local tribals are usually involved in trapping and catching the gecko and they usually manage to catch the younger ones.
Many catchers usually keep them at home for a few months and then sell them when they are fully grown up.
Middlemen
The middlemen who buy the geckos from the catchers take the reptiles to the border town of Moreh in Manipur, from where another chain of traffickers smuggle them to Myanmar for an international destination.
The northeastern States of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have become a major hub of gecko poaching during the past one year following the near extinct status of the animal in neighbouring Myanmar, which is the major transit route for smuggling these animals to Southeastern countries.
Tokay geckos are being caught and trafficked from northeastern Indian states to Southeast Asian countries, where many people believe that medicines made from gecko meat can cure diseases such as cancer, AIDS and even impotency.
Besides, it also serves as a drug, which if applied in a mild dose can lead to a high.
Myanmar-based traffickers serve as the middlemen in the chain and they supply geckos to China, Indonesia, Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.
Conservationists have demanded stricter laws and its enforcement to ensure that the geckos do not vanish from the region.
Geckos have almost vanished from Myanmar and the other Southeast Asian countries after being targeted by wildlife smugglers for many years, noted wildlife expert Soumyadeep Dutta said.
Eyes on India
The international wildlife traffickers have their eyes set on India and if the government does not act now, geckos would also become extinct in the region, he said.
Tokay gecko, which is a nocturnal reptile found in most parts of Asia, has bluish or greyish body, and with spots ranging from light yellow to bright red, can grow up to 50 cm in length and can weigh up to 400 gm.
It is also known for its strong vocals and it derives its name from the loud croak it made. — PTI
