World / Social Life
Manmohan Singh leaves for Japan G-8 Summit today
07.07.2008 02:24
b4uindia.com
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will leave for the G-8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, today. During the two-day Summit beginning Tuesday, he is expected to meet US President George Bush and discuss the progress of the Indo-US nuclear deal with him. On eve of his departure, Dr. Singh said that over the years, the country's participation in the G-8/G-5 dialogue process has enabled it to articulate its concerns on a wide range of issues in a forthright manner. "At the forthcoming Summit, I will present India 's perspectives on a wide range of global issues, including the state of the world economy, development, trade, transfer of technology, energy security and food security. I will, in particular, highlight the impact of the sharp rise in fuel prices on the global economy and the need for joint action by both producing and consuming nations," he said. "I will convey to the international community India 's belief that climate change, energy security and food security are interlinked, and require an integrated approach," he added. He further said in his statement that he will have bilateral meetings with the Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, and some other leaders from Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, USA, besides and the Secretary General of the UN. "I look forward to participating in an informal meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC) leaders on the sidelines of the G8 Summit," he added. During his visit, Dr. Singh will discuss various topics, including climate change, energy and food security with G-8 leaders and those from the outreach countries like China, Brazil and South Africa. Prior to the meeting with the G8 leaders, the Prime Minister will attend a meeting of the G5 group of Outreach countries being hosted by the President of Mexico on Tuesday. India has been attending G-8 outreach meetings since 2003. An important outcome of the last year's G-8 summit in Heiligendamm in Germany was the initiative to launch a high-level dialogue between the G-8 and the five-outreach countries to be completed at next year's Summit in Italy. (ANI)
India
Social Life
J and K CM to prove majority in Assembly today
07.07.2008 02:24
b4uindia.com
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will prove his majority on the floor of the State Assembly today. The term of the State Government expires on November 2. A special session of the Assembly has been summoned by the State Governor NN Vohra following withdrawal of support by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) on the issue of land transfer to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. The PDP, which entered into a power sharing agreement with the Congress and an assortment of independent MLAs following a hung verdict in 2002 polls, pulled out from the Congress-led government and had withdrawn support to it on June 28. The Congress has 21 members in the 87-member strong Assembly and is backed by two CPM MLAs and eight Independents. Earlier, a few days ago, the main Opposition party the National Conference had announced that it would not support the State Government. The National Panthers Party, which has four members, too does not enjoy a good relationship with the government after Azad kept its MLAs out of his ministry. Only a split in either the National Conference or the PDP may save the State Government, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jammu Mukti Morcha are unlikely to support the Congress during the floor test. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Protests continue over revocation of transfer of forestland to Shrine Board
07.07.2008 02:24
b4uindia.com
Barnai (Jammu and Kashmir)/Indore, July 6 (ANI): While authorities in Jammu relax curfew, members of Bharatiya Janata Party continue to protest government's decision of revoking the controversial transfer of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board on Sunday. As curfew continues for seventh day across Jammu, hordes of villagers at Barnai took to streets and protested against the government's decision of revoking the land transfer to Shrine Board. Even after indefinite curfew, the protesters burnt the effigy depicting government and resorted to sloganeering against state authorities. At some places police resorted to baton charge to control the violent protesters. For the moment, the curfew continues across Jammu and border districts of Samba, Baderwah and some areas of Kathua. Elsewhere in Indore, the situation continued to be tense as the police at the city's airport detained seven congress leaders, who came to visit the riot-affected areas. Congress leaders Narayan Sami, Digvijay Singh and Suresh Pachauri, president of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee were detained as a precautionary measure. Angry leaders sat on a protest after they were denied curfew passes to meet relatives of riot victims. Digvijay Singh, General Secretary, Alll India Congress committee (AICC) accused the district officials for the unrest in the city. “Former BJP ministers are responsible for the present situation, they are fuelling both the Hindus and the Muslims and people of Indore are suffering as a result of it," said Digvijay Singh. Reportedly, in 13 areas of Indore, curfew has been relaxed for women. An indefinite curfew has been clamped in Jammu since Wednesday following violent clashes. The state government last week revoked its orders to hand over nearly 100 acres (40 hectares) of forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) trust for building temporary shelters for several hundred thousands of pilgrims who trek every year to the cave shrine deep in the Himalayas. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Ex-Army personnel protest against Sixth Pay Commission recommendations
07.07.2008 02:24
b4uindia.com
Ex-Army personnel took out a protest march in New Delhi demanding a review of pay commission recommendations. The protesters said they had taken out the protest march to bring to notice to the political leadership of the country the grave injustice done to the military personnel and that if their demands were not met the national security could be in jeopardy. “The report of the Sixth Pay Commission has caused harm to the present and ex-servicemen of the Army. So we want that these recommendations should not be accepted and should be reviewed,” said Dayan, Retired Colonel. After the recommendations were made public the ex-servicemen had put forth their case to the Government but didn't get any response, forcing them to agitate. Meanwhile in Amritsar city too, ex-servicemen of the Army took out a protest march to raise their voice for their cause. “We were discriminated against the Indian Administrative Services (I.A S) officers in the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. So we the army people got together and decided to protest peacefully because in India only those who protest are heard. If our demands are not met, we will resort to other ways,” said G.S. Sandhu, Retired Colonel. The demands of ex-servicemen include one rank one pension, guaranteed government employment, formation of ex-service commission, representations of ex-servicemen in all the bodies where issues affecting the interests of ex-servicemen were considered. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has drawn flak from various quarters over the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Car bomb kills 15, wounds 20 outside Indian Embassy in Kabul
07.07.2008 02:23
rian.ru
Russia
Social Life
Russia, U.S. in deadlock over missile shield as G8 starts in Japan
07.07.2008 02:23
rian.ru
The presidents of Russia and the U.S. discussed the countries' long-running dispute over Washington's plans to deploy a missile shield in Central Europe on the first day of the G8 summit in Japan.
Russia
Social Life
Jugad, the indigenously built lifeline of people in rural Rajasthan
07.07.2008 01:22
b4uindia.com
If you happen to visit Rajasthan, the chances are that you may come across some odd-looking vehicles zooming past the roads, particularly in Daua and Bharatpur districts of the State. Known as “Jugad”, these transportation vehicles have been prepared by local mechanics, here. The local public here has well received these vehicles. These are used for local transportation of agricultural produce from villages to small town and people from one place to another. According to the manufacturers of Jugad, their innovative marvel can match any regular tractor or pick up van in terms of capacity, fuel efficiency and speed. It is the first choice of farmers in the region.Owners’ of Jugads are by and large satisfied since its maintenance cost is cheap. It costs anywhere between rupees 60,000 and 70,000 for a new Jugad. "We used to use these motors for water pumps but now it is being used for the Jugad. It gives a good average and consumes a litre of petrol having a 114 horse power," said Sajid Ali, a mechanic. "Around six to seven Jugads are made in a Dausa region per day. Its specialty is that it takes good load, carries people and is used for cattle purposes. It is useful for the farmers and at a low cost gives good maintenance which has made it successful," said Arif Hussain," said Jugad manufacturer. Todabhim town near Dausa district produces more than 2,000 Jugads per year. Presently, there are over 20 workshops where over 700 skilled and unskilled locals are engaged in creating Jugads, which operate on 114 Hp (horse power) engine. It can run at a maximum speed of 40 kilometers per hour while carrying 40 passengers. This rural utility vehicle, however, is not a registered vehicle in the State. Many of the fabricated and assembled Jugads are sold in States like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The vehicle owners feel that the Government should help them in this sector so that they can make better vehicles without holding an engineering degree. "There are 200 workshops in which 600-700 workers work but with fewer facilities. One needs to learn here and then start earning here on daily wages. Government has no consideration towards us. Nobody here holds an engineering degree but the technical skills are perfect and work goes on smoothly," said Kailash, another Jugad-maker. In the last one-decade, Jugads have drawn immense popularity and acceptance here. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Punjab farmers facing migrant labourers crunch in fields
07.07.2008 01:22
b4uindia.com
Hundreds of farmers in Punjab are facing hardship in tending the crops due to the absence of farmhands mostly from the Gangetic plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who earlier used to work as labourers for them. There is crunch of labourers for sowing of seeds, tending the fields crops and later harvesting them since the migrant labourers, who were often available to work here, have started playing truant. These farmhands used to arrive here as labourers in the fields during paddy sowing season. But now due to getting better wages, work and education at their native places, they are no more interested to come to Punjab. "The labourers earn money in the day and in the evening for a decent amount and now the have taken to studies in their States. They get paid for learning by attending the classes being conducted for adult education," said Jitendra, a migrant labour Hence, a lot of farmers in Punjab are left with no option but work in fields by themselves for works like sowing and transplantation of paddy. They have no help from migrant labourers who in earlier seasons were easily available. The situation is so bad for Punjabi farmers who had got used to taking help from Bihari workers, that three to four villages now have just about just two to four labourers. And, Punjabi farmers have no choice but to share their service in turns. In districts like Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali and Patiala which are close to Chandigarh, many farmers can be seen toiling hard in their fields with no labourers to help them. Besides, the problem has become acute in these three Districts, as the available labourers have been engaged by farmers in Jalandhar and Amritsar where the sowing work started late due to certain government directives. "Earlier, farmers used to come from Amritsar, Bhatinda but now the transplantation is late which has delayed them to enter districts near Chandigarh. Also their daily wages have been increased," said Ravin Singh, one farmer. The situation has worsened so much in the fields that the there are hardly two to three labourers who can be found in fields now a days. It has also forced the big farmers to increase labourers’ daily wages. Agricultural experts say that this trend is a positive thing for the Punjabi farmers, who will now be start depending upon themselves and lessen their dependence on migrant labourers. "The society should think about it as now the young generation’s interest in sundry activities could be shifted to work needed in farms. Labour is not required when you can do the work yourself," said Ajit Singh, one agricultural expert. (ANI)
India
Social Life
When Rajasthans former sanitary workers walked the ramp in New York
07.07.2008 01:22
b4uindia.com
It was a moment of inexplicable joy and pride for the 36 women, formerly engaged in sanitary works like carrying night soil in Rajathan’s Alwar District, as they accompanied top Indian models on ramp at a function organized here in their appreciation by the United Nations Organisation recently. United Nations is celebrating the year 2008 as 'Sanitation Year'. These women were invited from Rajasthan to hail their liberation from carrying night soil. The function that was held here on Wednesday (June 2) was part of the UN’s year-long celebrations. Till four years ago, these women had taken to the traditional family practice of cleaning night soil in their localities. But having taken to other vocations under a programme run by an NGO Sulabh International, they have gained a new confidence in life. These women demonstrated their newly acquired joy as they accompanied top models on the ramp and earned a round of applause from about a thousand representatives of around 150 countries present on the occasion here. Displaying the outfits on ramp were India’s top models including Indrani Das Gupta, Sheetal Malhar, Aryan Vaidya , Sharad Kapoor , Mark Robinson, Tapur and Tupur Chatterjee and few others. The fashion models were wearing outfits designed by these women. Senior officials of the UN including Chief of Cabinet of UN Secretary General Vijay Nambiar and the UN Assistant Secretary General Thomas Stelzer were present on the occasion to boost the morale of these progressive women. "UN had invited all the ladies who were cleaning human excreta manually till 2003. It was surprising for the UN to learn that how in four years life of people could be changed. Now these women are able to earn their livelihood. They are self-employed and have gained so much confidence in them. So this year the United Nations has declared this year of 2008 as Sanitation Year to bring emphasis to achieve millennium development goals," said Bindeshwar Pathak, Chairman, Sulabh International, New Delhi. “About 2.6 billion people on this planet have no access to safe and hygienic toilets. So targets have been fixed to provide toilets to half of the population of 2.6 billion by 2015 and all by 2025,” Pathak informed. All these 36 women were invited to New York by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs to showcase to other NGOs how determination can help to the uplift of women. "The feeling was very nice that time when we were made to wear the tiaras. We got lot of respect here. Because we came out of India and were given so much respect, we are very happy. But we will be really happy when all the other women who are cleaning the night soil will be free from that work," said Usha Choma, a former sanitary worker. Meanwhile, the credit for providing these ladies a new ray of hope in life goes to an NGO named Sulabh International. Sulabh International runs a programme “Nai Disha” (new direction) for the betterment of downtrodden women and to prevent them from the tasks of cleaning the night soil, and enable them to earn a viable livelihood. These 36 women were given vocational training by Sulabh International in tailoring, designing, make up and running beauty parlours as an alternative source of livelihood. These women were helped in giving up their work by a vocational training centre set up under “Nai Disha” at Alwar District of Rajasthan. Each one of these women is now an active member of a group that motivates other women engaged in sanitary works to give up a lifestyle of drudgery and humiliation. UN officials also released a book during the event that contained the success story of these liberated women titled 'The Princesses of Alwar'. (ANI)
India
Social Life
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