18 September 2006
By Manish Chand
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Five years after 9/11, the much touted "clash of civilisations" is no longer a theory but a living reality and the US has become a byword for "belligerence, intolerance and self-righteousness" for Muslims, says well known historian Mushirul Hasan.
"Certainly the US government headed by George Bush and his advisers have done all they could possibly do to bring about this clash. They are deliberately creating conditions in which they themselves see Islam as the enemy and 'the other'," Hasan said in an interview.
"They have through their actions forced Muslims to believe that the West is the 'other'. There is a very real danger to this world unless the US very strongly and effectively dispels these impressions," said the vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia university.
Hasan is also anguished by the increasing racial profiling of Muslims and the way they are misrepresented in the West as "hostile, fundamentally flawed and fundamentalists".
He added: "There is no empathy and understanding of who they are.
"I believe today that a set of factors, conditions and circumstances leading to a clash of civilisations has sharpened. Those who had a vested interest in putting forward this thing must be smiling and laughing. They couldn't believe (that) what they were saying then would become so successful."
Hasan - author of at least half a dozen books like "Legacy Of A Divided India" and "Will Secular India Survive?" - traces the deepening resentment, even hatred, among Muslims against the US due to the projection of brazen American power in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The US government is unpopular because it is equated with belligerence, intolerance and self-righteousness, all against the Christian faith that the present rulers of the US subscribe to."
Appalled at the American pretensions of exporting democracy to Muslim countries, he underlines the US equivocation in supporting repressive, autocratic monarchies in the Middle East.
"The point is that the American government should not feel safe with autocratic monarchies. The assumption that American interests are better safeguarded under a non-democratic system has been proved wrong by the emergence of Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network that operates in countries that are US-friendly."
If the US government is serious about the revival of democracy in the Middle East, Hasan said, it should stop meddling in the internal affairs of Muslim nations and societies and leave them "free to chalk out their destinies".
But the historian warned that virulent anti-Americanism is not the answer to the ills that plague the Muslim world. The solution lies in a radical social and intellectual restructuring of Muslim societies.
"Post 9/11 terror attacks, there are important lessons to be learnt by the Muslim community. The stranglehold of the orthodoxy, especially in its political and religious form, has to be loosened and slackened.
"The answer lies in more and more Muslim communities moving towards democracy. There is no short cut to democracy," he added.
The contours of democratic and liberal Muslim societies and nations are, however, to be decided by the Muslims themselves and not by mimicking the West, he said.
"It's very important to change the face of Muslim societies, not in terms of simply making concessions to the West but in terms of engaging the world that has left them behind for a variety of reasons.
"The Muslim rulers can't be expected to abdicate or relinquish power. It has to be wrested by the people. The pharaohs in Egypt will have to go. There is no place for pharaohs in the modern world," he said.
Islamabad, Sep 18 (IANS) India has implicitly acknowledged that Islamabad, too, is a victim of terrorism and this marks a shift in New Delhi's stance, says the Pakistani media.
India has conceded this by accepting the idea of establishing a joint mechanism to monitor acts of terrorism, said media reports on the "Havana handshake" between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in the Cuban capital.
"The Pakistani side is happy that terrorism against Pakistan will also figure in the equation as there is common concern among all the sides that they have become victims in one shape or form to a common enemy operating under whatever name or cover," The News International reported from New York.
There is a sense of satisfaction in the Pakistani camp that they have achieved at least a commitment from the Indians to reverse the strong position after the Mumbai blasts that they would not resume the talks.
"And the new element of India recognising, although implicitly, that Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism is being viewed as a shift in Indian position though parts of the Indian media are calling it a 'bold and new experiment in tackling terrorism as partners'," the newspaper said.
The Nation newspaper editorially welcomed the Havana meeting on the sidelines of the NAM Summit, saying that it would compel India to resume the dialogue.
Accusing India of "intransigence", the editorial said: "India has adroitly dragged its feet on substantive matters whose resolution could have automatically opened the door for closer economic cooperation, easier contacts between the two peoples and spontaneous development of mutual trust."
Musharraf, who met the media in New York, was quoted as saying that his meeting with Singh was a "victory of the peace process".
Quizzed about any fresh formula for the resolution of the India-Pakistan disputes, the president said they didn't go into specifics of solutions.
"We agreed to narrow down the divergences and strengthen convergences. The road forward is the willingness to discuss and resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute."
"The two sides agreed to narrow down the divergences and strengthen the convergences," Musharraf said, adding that the road forward was the willingness to discuss and resolve the Jammu and Kashmir problem.
His military spokesperson Major General Shaukat Shaheen told the media that the tenor and tone was far better than the meeting between the two leaders last year in New York, The Nation said.
By Zafri Mudasser Nofil
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) A rebel group fighting for a separate state for the Karbi tribals in Assam but now observing a truce says it is no longer interested in political talks and will take up arms again if New Delhi failed to act soon on its demands.
"The government has shown no seriousness in finding a political solution to the Karbi problem," said Tung-eh Nongloda, publicity secretary of the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS).
"We will continue our ceasefire for some more time and wait for the government's response. But if nothing favourable happens, we will be forced to take up arms again," Nongloda told IANS over phone from Diphu, headquarters of Karbi Anglong district, about 300 km from Guwahati.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting of the UPDS central executive committee last week.
The group maintained that because of the "perceptible lack of commitment on the part of the government representatives, the official level tripartite talks (have) turned out to be futile exercises".
"No solution within the state will be acceptable to us," Nongloda said.
He accused the government of violating the agreed ground rules of the ceasefire agreement.
The group has held six rounds of talks with the central government and Assam government representatives.
The UPDS, which has been operating a ceasefire with the government for more than four years, has been demanding since 1999 the creation of a separate Karbi state within the Indian union.
After the ceasefire, it cadres have remained confined to designated camps in Diphu, allotted to them by the government.
Nongloda said the creation of a Karbi state would not have taken much time had the Assam government showed sincerity.
"But instead of convincing New Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has been saying his government is unwilling to back any move to carve out separate homelands for various tribal groups in the state."
Gogoi has, however, indicated willingness to grant more autonomy to tribals such as Karbis and Bodos.
Agra, Sep 18 (IANS) Tourists coming to the Taj Mahal city will soon be able to enjoy an audio-visual extravaganza and a laser show on the historical monument and Shah Jehan, the Mughal ruler who built it.
A private initiative by the Oswal Tourism and Travel Group here, the tourist attraction would be at a new auditorium being built near the Shilpagram, a crafts village on the eastern side of the Taj.
The initiative, which will unfold the love story of Shah Jehan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, will definitely be a reason for visitors to stay back in the city for the night, said Ashok Kumar Jain of Oswal Tourism while announcing the project.
The show is scheduled to begin in January 2007.
The one-and-a-half-hour programme will be complete with cultural, architectural and historical highlights. It would centre on a 12-foot-long marble model of the Taj, which will dazzle in different shades of light and colour through laser beams.
The audiences will have the choice of listening to the programme in 12 different languages.
A promo of the programme, aptly titled "Mohabbat - the Taj", was shown at the recently held Indian Tourism conference in Jaipur.
Apart from Shah Jehan's story, audiences will also get glimpses of the culture of the Braj region and the colourful Indian festival of Holi.
Jain added that he is currently preparing a set of 24 promotional films for tourists. "Monuments alone cannot keep their interest alive, they need some good engagements for the evening also," he said.
Meanwhile, the tourism industry here is looking forward to the coming tourist season beginning Sep 27 - World Tourism Day. Hotels have already registered a decent number of bookings and a number of conferences are on the tourist calendar.
Civic authorities, on their part, are gearing up to upgrade the infrastructural facilities the city has to offer.
The Fatehabad Road leading to the Taj is being widened and a number of malls have also opened on this vital stretch to lure customers.
Thimphu, Sep 18 (IANS) Bhutanese citizens above 18 years will vote twice when elections for a new government are held in 2008, officials here said.
"The first vote will be during the primary round and the second during the general election," said Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.
Explaining the procedures of the elections, Wangdi said the primary round would be open to all political parties registered with the commission who fulfil the conditions laid down by it.
He said although any number of parties could be formed at the primary level all parties should have national representation.
"A party should have a charter depending on the ideology or principle that it is going to adopt. The charter has to be accepted by the Election Commission when it is being registered," Wangdi was quoted as saying by Bhutan's national newspaper Kuensel.
"A party will have to present its manifesto during the running and active members of a party who try to get a seat in parliament will be assigned the duty of running."
According to the draft constitution of Bhutan, the two political parties with the highest number of votes in the primary election will be declared eligible to contest in the general election.
The two parties would then have to nominate their candidates for seats in parliament with the one getting the maximum seats in parliament forming the government.
Officials have said people could informally form parties and campaign as long as they do not go against the present laws.
Stockholm, Sep 18 (DPA) A four-party centre-right coalition has won Sweden's parliamentary elections, ending 12 years of Social Democratic minority rule.
"The Swedish people have voted for a new government," Fredrik Reinfeldt, leader of the conservative Moderate Party, told enthusiastic party supporters late Sunday.
Prime Minister Goran Persson of the Social Democrats admitted defeat minutes later, calling the election "a setback".
"When the votes are counted we can see that we are in minority," Persson said after his party dropped from 39.8 percent in 2002 to 35.3 percent, the party's poorest showing in decades, according to the tally released by the Election Authority.
Persson announced that he planned to step down as Social Democrat leader at an extra party conference in March 2007. The 57-year-old Persson has been premier for the last 10 years and was named leader of the Social Democrats in March 1996.
The opposition Alliance for Sweden coalition was formed two years ago in a concerted attempt to challenge the Social Democrats.
Reinfeldt and the leaders of the other three alliance parties said they would meet to discuss the composition of a new government, expected to be presented Oct 6.
With almost all of 5,783 districts counted, the alliance scored 48.1 percent compared to 46.2 percent for Persson's ruling Social Democrats and their parliamentary backers, the Green Party and the Left Party.
Translated into seats, the four-party Alliance for Sweden would have 178 in the 349-seat parliament compared with 171 for the Social Democrats and their allies.
During his three years as leader, Reinfeldt has revamped the party, moved it more to the centre and played a key role in forging the two-year-old opposition alliance with three other non-socialist parties - the Centre Party, the Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats.
Reinfeldt, 41, underlined that the election victory was the result of "a joint effort" by the four parties.
Despite a favourable economy, the Social Democrats lost votes, suggesting that the electorate was weary of the party's rule, observers said.
In all, 6,891,172 voters were eligible to participate in the parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was about 80 per cent.
Gandhinagar, Sep 18 (IANS) Police used water cannons here Monday to stop legislators and party workers of the opposition Congress from taking out a rally towards the Gujarat Assembly building.
The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) members were protesting against the short two-day session of the assembly that began Monday and government's refusal to discuss the flood relief in the state.
Police stopped the workers about a kilometre away from the assembly building. The skirmishes between agitators and police continued for quite some time.
The session, however, began on the scheduled time.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Arjun Modhvadia called Chief Minister Narendra Modi government as 'Hitlershahi' and condemned the police action.
"We have demanded that the monsoon session should be of at least ten days. We also demanded for discussion on flood situation, but it was not granted," Modhvadia told reporters after the rally.
"Our parliament can spare four days to discuss Gujarat floods, but unfortunately the assembly doesn't have the time," he added.
According to Modhvadia, Modi has not only refused to extend the monsoon session beyond two days, but has also influenced the speaker not to allow a motion, as proposed by the Congress whip, regarding a discussion on the recent floods in the state.
"In most of the assemblies, the monsoon session lasts for more than ten days, but ever since Modi government has taken over, it keeps on shrinking in Gujarat," said Modhvadia.
Alleging police of unjust arrest and canning Congress members across the state, Modhvadia came down heavily upon Modi.
"The health situation in the state is really poor. Our health authorities cannot determine which virus is causing epidemic, but Modi is busy in sticking his photos on condoms," said Modhvadia, on the recent controversy regarding the chief minister's photograph on health kits distributed by the family welfare department and on relief material.
He said the proposal for a no confidence motion against the council of ministers, however, has been allowed.
If the discussion takes place on this motion, several issues could be discussed including law and order situation, chaos in electricity supply situation, corruption in higher education and professional courses, can also be debated, he said.
All the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators were present following a whip from Gujarat party chief Jitendra Sukhadia.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Children are being exposed to the risk of liver damage or disruption in mental health due to alarming levels of lead and cadmium found in plastic and other soft toys sold in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai, says a new study.
"Dangerous levels of lead and cadmium have been found in PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and soft toys being sold in the markets," said Toxics Link, an environmental non-governmental organisation, in its study released here Monday.
Soft toys account for 35 percent of India's total production of toys.
With no legal and binding standards that stipulate the safety limits of the heavy metal contents in toys, internally manufactured or those imported, the issue of safety is left largely up to the manufacturers' discretion and judgment, the report states.
"Since a large number of toys are imported into India, cheaply, or are made in the informal sector, with little or no quality control, it was important and appropriate to examine the issue of lead and cadmium in toys," said Ravi Agarwal, director Toxics Link at a press conference here.
"It is common to see small children and infants chew and play with soft plastic toys, which are the subject of this investigation."
Lead and cadmium are proven poisons, being neurotoxins and nephrotoxins. Neurotoxins are agents that can cause toxic effects on the nervous system while nephrotoxins are agents that can cause toxic effects on the kidney.
Even the tiniest amounts can have long-term and measurable effects on children, while at the same time displaying no distinctive symptoms.
Lead being a cumulative in nature is absorbed into the blood stream, some of it is filtered out and excreted, but the rest is distributed in the liver, brain, kidneys and bones.
All toys samples examined contained varying concentration of lead and cadmium. Eight samples (close to 30 percent) from Mumbai contained more than US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standard of 200 ppm of lead in vinyl blinds. Five samples (close to 20 percent) had more than 600 ppm of lead, which is the limit set by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for painted toys.
Seeking to draw attention of policymakers and researchers, Agarwal said: "We hope this study will help trigger off larger investigations both in the amounts of heavy metals as well as the exposure they cause to children."
Toxic Links has been specifically researching and working on areas of migration of heavy metals like lead and cadmium in vegetables, as well as use of mercury in various sectors like lighting, chlor alkali, healthcare and traditional medicines.
The samples of toys were collected from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai as they are India's largest manufacturer and supply centres for unbranded toys to their surrounding suburban and rural areas.
Mumbai and Delhi account for nearly 95 percent of the toy production in India.
Bhopal, Sep 18 (IANS) A huge cache of explosives, including 17 gelatin boxes containing 4,000 detonators, were seized from a house in Madhya Pradesh's Ashok Nagar district, police said Monday.
The 425 kg of explosives were seized during a raid at the house of Rajendra Singh alias Mama Thakur in the district's Chanderi Nagar.
About 500 bottles of country made liquor were also seized and the main accused is absconding.
"Acting on a tip off, the police team conducted a raid late Sunday. Besides the explosives, four exploders, an assembly of batteries and other equipment were also recovered," said Deputy Inspector General of Police Adarsh Katiyar.
He said the gelatin rods were hidden in 17 boxes, 15 of which bear the stamp of a Nagpur-based explosives company and the rest carry symbols of a Kolkata-based company. Katiyar added that the explosives may have been brought for illegal mining operations in the area.
The issue of illegal mining has been raised several times with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress members accusing each other of protecting the culprits.
Explosives used for mining purposes have been seized from the district several times in the past as well.
In this case, the explosives were allegedly brought from Lalitpur district of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, said police officials.
In January, two people were arrested with 550 kg of explosives and 44 electronic detonators near the district's Bhadon village.
A case haS been registered against Rajendra Singh and his brother Jitendra under the Explosives Act and the Excise Act.
Moscow, Sep 18 (DPA) A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off Monday with the first female space tourist on board, heading for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Anousheh Ansari, 40, an Iranian-American telecommunications entrepreneur, left Earth with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria at 6:08 a.m. (0408 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the mission-control centre said.
Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria are to remain for six months as the new crew for the station while Ansari is due to return to earth in 10 days with the station's departing crew.
By Shinie Antony
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Books by Indira Goswami, Krishna Sobti and Maitreyi Pushpa will air the "rich, paradoxical continuum of Indian language literature" at the Frankfurt Book Fair, says Katha executive director Geeta Dharmarajan.
Goswami's "The Man From Chinnamasta", Sobti's "The Heart Has Its Reasons" and Pushpa's "Alma Kabutari" will be Katha's main English offerings at the fair that begins Oct 4.
"At the fair, Katha is showcasing the multi-dimensional literary traditions of Indian languages through translations," Dharmarajan told IANS here.
"Our new releases from brilliant writers who come from different geographical and cultural spaces, such as Goswami and Pushpa, present before the world the rich and paradoxical continuum of Indian language literature," she added.
Katha will carry 60 books, including 25 children's books, to the fair that honours India as a special guest this year.
"We are also taking U.N. Singh's collection of poems originally written in Maithali. His second person singular springs from the ancient land of Mithila and looks at language as an ironic link between human spaces," said Dharmarajan.
Maestros of modern storytelling will rub shoulders with Chitra Katha award winner Komilla Raote's "The Princess With The Longest Hair", Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyaya's "The Mountain Of The Moon", Abanindranath Tagore's "Raj Kahini" and Naiyer Masud's "The Myna From Peacock Garden".
Gurdial Singh's "The Survivors", Sundara Ramaswamy's "Suraa", Thi Jaa's "Remembering Amma", Alka Sarogi's "Over To You", Kiran Nagarkar's "Seven 6s Are 43", Paul Zacharia's "Two Novellas", Ashokamitran's "Water" and Kamleshwar's "How Many More Pakistans?" are the other Indian books that Katha will transport.
In the poetry section, Shah Abdul Latif's "Seeking The Beloved" will sit next to Tamil anthologies by poets like Na Pichamurthy and Kanimozhi.
Added Dharmarajan: "Such fairs help us explore the possibilities of presenting to the world the variegated traditions of Indian 'bhasha' literatures."
"The Man From Chinnamasta", translated from Assamese by Prasant Goswami, is the portrait of a shocked conscience where the author startles with her sensitive explication of various aspects of the Kamakhya myth.
In "Alma Kabutari", translated from Hindi, Pushpa delineates the old Kabutari tradition of sexual slavery to the Kajjas. The onus of breaking this vicious circle of subjugation and securing a human status for the Kabutaris falls upon young Alma.
"Alma Kabutari" is a story of both her extraordinary achievement and also a window to the lives of marginalised tribes, says a release from Katha.
"The Heart Has Its Reasons", originally "Dil-o-Danish" in Hindi, has 1920 Delhi havelis - mansions - and a love triangle with the heart for canvas.
Goswami has bagged the Jnanpith award in 2000, while Pushpa is a Sahitya Akademi winner and Sobti won the Hutch Crossword award this year.
Bangalore, Sep 18 (IANS) IBM India will revamp the country's national portal - www.india.gov.in - to deliver government services anytime, anywhere.
According to a company statement here Monday, the enhanced portal, developed on IBM's open standards and service oriented architecture (SoA), will provide a single-point entry to government information and services to ensure transparency and responsiveness.
IBM will make the portal managed by the state-owned National Informatics Centre (NIC) more user-friendly, secure and scalable, with features such as search, personalisation and localisation of content to suit the diverse requirements of citizens.
As part of its tie-up, IBM and NIC will also ensure the portal becomes accessible to the disabled and those using handheld devices.
"The national portal is designed to usher in transparency and trust in good governance. The portal will provide the global community a 'single sign-on' facility for government services and information on India, while offering a single-window access to over 5,000 websites. It also provides infrastructure for other e-governance projects," NIC director-general Vijayaditya said.
"Scalability and innovation are critical to such a mission mode project under the national e-governance plan. We look to IBM for providing solutions that enhance the portal's capabilities and realise our goal of making it the preferred homepage of every citizen," he said.
The first phase of revamping the portal involves improving the service quality, increasing customer satisfaction and meeting the demands of an ever-changing landscape.
A team of content contributors, comprising officials, technology and subject matter experts, has been set up to provide up-to-date information.
Jammu, Sep 18 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir has a new problem to contend with now - a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases. While officials claim there are 745 such cases in the insurgency-hit state, unofficial estimates peg the number at 25,000.
In 1999, there were only two cases reported, writes Grassroots Features. The northern state lies in a low prevalence risk zone, with the infection rate among the high-risk groups (STD-infected) at 0.95 percent and among the low-risk groups at 0.06 percent.
However, the influx of migrant labourers, truck drivers, security personnel as well as tourists could result in a rise in HIV/AIDS cases.
In addition, commercial sex, the difficult terrain and socio-cultural diversity pose a tough challenge to spreading awareness about the disease.
"Though Jammu and Kashmir lies in the low prevalence zone, it does not mean that the threat of HIV/AIDS is any less here," said M.A. Wani, project director of the Jammu and Kashmir State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (JKSAPCS).
"Considering the peculiar factors and present circumstances, the state is uniquely positioned and spreading awareness about the virus is a greater challenge," he added.
With only 56 percent literacy in the state, disseminating information and spreading awareness about the disease have not been an easy task. The inhospitable weather conditions and the difficult terrain also pose major hurdles.
"Since several languages and dialects are spoken in the state - Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Punjabi, Ladakhi, Pahari and Gujjari - it's even more challenging to accomplish minor tasks like developing video films, songs and posters," he added.
The growing number of intravenous drug users and an increase in prostitution has also sparked off fears of a worsening AIDS scenario in the state.
"Existing NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) guidelines do not provide costing and implementation of the Targeted Intervention (TI) programme for migrant labourers in a systematic manner, which for example is the second highest risk group in Jammu and Kashmir," said Wani.
However, in a novel attempt to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, the JKSAPCS has roped in religious leaders like Muslim imams and Sikh granthis in the state to educate people against the spread of the deadly virus.
Religious leaders are no longer hesitant to talk about safe sex now despite being part of a conservative society. Initially, the programme was implemented in six districts of Kashmir, and nearly 400 imams have been trained so far.
The JKSAPCS is also holding talks with Sikh and Christian priests to involve them in the programme. The initiative draws inspiration from Uganda and Indonesia, where such messages are being propagated through imams.
So far, seminars and awareness programmes imparting complete information about HIV/AIDS have been held for over 600 imams in the state. The JKSAPCS is hoping to train as many Sikh religious leaders and granthis.
The increased presence of police, military, and paramilitary forces in the state has added to the risk factor.
Concerned by the recent increase in HIV/AIDS cases among paramilitary forces deployed in the valley, the state government communicated its concern to the security agencies.
A majority of the cases detected in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar belonged to the Border Security Forces (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In fact, such cases were detected during routine tests of the security personnel.
"We have been conducting workshops on HIV/AIDS at the basic unit level and further up in the Northern Command Hospital for educating officers, jawans and their families," said an army spokesperson.
The BSF has introduced a bi-annual health check-up for its doctors. Though the AIDS awareness programme for defence personnel does not come under the ambit of the JKSAPCS, it has been conducting programmes for army, air force and police officers, jawans and their families.
Official figures have, however, recorded only 37 deaths out of the 95 full-blown reported cases here though the real figure is suspected to be higher.
In a survey conducted by international NGO FXB, nearly 85 people infected with HIV/AIDS were found to have died in Jammu's Hiranagar village block alone - which contradicts the claims of the JKSAPCS.
An independent study conducted by Jammu-based clinical immunologist Anil Mahajan notes that HIV/AIDS in the state is no longer a low prevalence disease. Paramilitary forces, truck drivers and housewives were the major affected groups.
Most deaths have occurred among the rural poor with infected locals working outside the state to support their families. Several cases of stigmatisation against the HIV/AIDS patients have also been reported. Unfortunately, no organised care facility exists for the patients.
The Government Medical College in Srinagar and SKIMS only provide patients free medicines for opportunistic infections. While there were only three Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTCs) earlier in the state, eight more have been established recently, including one in the Leh district hospital.
A lack of committed NGOs and voluntary organisations in the state that would have otherwise augmented the awareness drive and helped in implementing the programmes is compounding the problem.
"It's very difficult approaching people in diverse areas with the message of HIV/AIDS with such little resources," said S. Vani, a social worker.
With only six local NGOs working along with JKSAPCS, the fight against AIDS in Jammu and Kasmhir, like militancy, is set to be a long drawn one.
Srinagar, Sep 18 (IANS) The Kashmir Valley Monday protested Pope Benedict XVI's controversial remarks about Islam last week with a near complete shutdown.
Life in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and all other major towns in the valley remained paralysed with educational institutions, government offices, banks, markets and transport remaining shut.
Protest marches were carried out in Srinagar and Anantnag in south Kashmir as protesters shouted slogans in favour of Islam and torched effigies of the pontiff.
The general strike was called by Syed Ali Geelani, hardliner separatist leader and chairman of the breakaway group of the Hurriyat Conference, and was supported by the local bar association, women's separatist group Dukhtaran-i-Milat and militant group Hizbul Mujaheedin.
The protest strike was held despite the pope's apology Sunday.
A senior police officer said that no untoward incident had been reported from anywhere in Kashmir though the shutdown was total.
Ranchi, Sep 18 (IANS) Independent legislator Madhu Koda, who led a rebellion that toppled the Arjun Munda government last week, Monday took oath as fifth chief minister of Jharkhand.
Governor Syed Sibte Razi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Koda at the Morabadi grounds here in the presence of a large crowd.
Three independent legislators, Kamalesh Singh, Enos Ekka and Harinarayan Rai were also sworn in as cabinet ministers.
All four had resigned from the Munda cabinet Sep 5, reducing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to minority.
Koda's government is supported by the JMM (17 legislators), Congress (9) and the Rashtriya Janata dal (7).
While the Congress has decided to support the government from outside and has staked its claim for the post of assembly speaker, other supporting parties are eyeing the post of the deputy speaker as well as larger share in cabinet berths.
Koda is expected to expand his cabinet after the trust vote.
Asked to prove his majority on the floor of the house Munda Friday resigned before the trust vote, paving the way for the state's first government led by an independent legislator - supported by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
While inviting Koda, the governor Friday asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the house by Sep 25. The new chief minister is expected to seek the trust vote Sep 20, according to UPA sources.
"The priority of his government will give the people a friendly government," Koda told reporters after taking the oath.
"The work of the previous government will be reviewed. Various agreements signed with investors will be reviewed and the unnecessary ones will be scrapped," he said.
Munda, former assembly speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, Union Coal Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren and Union Food Processing Minister and Ranchi Lok Sabha MP Subodh Kant Sahay were among those who attended the oath-taking ceremony was attended.
Ahmedabad, Sep 18 (IANS) Clad in dhoti-kurta, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was far from the image of a typical management guru but he did not fail to mesmerise students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) with his witty one-liners and out-of-the-box business models.
In his eagerly awaited visit of the top business school, Lalu Prasad charmed the students and faculty and delivered a talk on the turnaround of Indian Railways, giving the management students something different that "usual management lessons".
After the three-hour session, the students were all praise for the railway minister who also complimented them saying, "The students here are more informed than my officers."
"I am surprised at his insight. I liked his down-to-earth approach. He is a very good manager, a good combination of human approach and management expertise," said Akshat Khare, a student.
If the final year student Swati Nigam was amused with "one-liners" that Lalu Prasad continued to produce, Krishna Tomande came to see Indian Railways in a new light.
"I had the impression that our railways is a lethargic organisation. But now my perception is changed. What is more important is that he was open to our ideas too," said Tomande.
Although students remained divided on the contention whether it was really a turnaround for the railways, they all agreed that the situation had indeed improved under Lalu Prasad's leadership.
"The discussion was a great learning experience. Lalu is a good teacher; he was really well prepared today. His approach of getting maximum benefit was enchanting for us," said Lokesh Dadhiar, a student of the executive programme.
Accompanied by Minister of State for Railways Narayan Rathwa, Lalu Prasad announced a chair for the studies of Indian Railways at the IIM-A.
"I am very much impressed with the students here. Seeing their interest in Indian Railways, we have decided to set up a permanent chair devoted to the study of the railways,' Lalu Prasad said.
"The railway board will bear the expenditure of the chair, but I wish this activity should continue in future. Institutes like this should interact more and more with people in Indian politics who have done some good job," he added.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Admirers of late shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan and lovers of Indian classical music can leaf through a monograph on the musical legend.
The autographed monograph was launched in India on Sunday to mark the 'chaliswan', last day of rituals following his death on Aug 21.
Bismillah Khan had released the monograph on March 25 on the occasion of his 91st birthday in Benaras.
Delhi-based Om Arora of Variety Book Depot is distributing the monograph. He plans to make the book available to music lovers throughout the country and abroad, especially the US, Britain, Germany and France. "It's a priceless book and a noble way to pay respect to the legend," said Arora.
The proceeds of the sale are aimed to support artistes and educationists who have excelled in their fields.
The has been brought out by a Delhi couple Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha, who were great admirers of Bismillah Khan.
The book has a foreword by noted Hindustani vocalist Rita Ganguli. Bismillah Khan had autographed the monograph after writing the first words with which the Koran begins - "Alham-Do-Lillah (God be praised) - Bismillah Khan".
Jammu, Sep 18 (IANS) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Monday said a time-bound institutional mechanism must be put in place by both India and Pakistan for implementation of specific confidence building measures (CBMs).
"Now that the peace process is back on track, both the countries must agree on time-bound implementation of Jammu and Kashmir-specific CBMs," Sayeed said at a public rally in the border town of Samba, 40 km southwest of here.
Hailing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's meeting at Havana, the Peoples Democratic Party patron said: "The India-Pakistan joint statement is the beginning of a new chapter between the two countries and its dividends must flow to Jammu and Kashmir in a time-bound manner."
Sayeed said India and Pakistan must facilitate creation of a collaborative and consultative mechanism between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir to substantiate the gains of cooperation that would ultimately lead to the resolution of the political, economic and social troubles of the area.
"The creation of such an institutional mechanism is imperative to address the issues of common concern in the state," he said, adding that one such measure could be constitution of consultative groups comprising personalities of eminence from both sides of the Line of Control that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
According to Sayeed, hostility between the two nations in the past has only spelt disaster and immense suffering for the people of Jammu and Kashmir over which the two nations have fought three wars since 1947.
"Till the time a mutually acceptable framework for resolution of the political aspect of the Kashmir problem is worked out, there should be side-by-side tangible movement on promotion of travel, trade, tourism and economic cooperation across the LoC," he said.
Sayeed said economic cooperation could be fostered by setting up cross-LoC joint committees of experts on trade, tourism, culture, water resources, agriculture, environment, education, handicraft and disaster management.
In terms of specific measures to be implemented across the LoC, he suggested increasing frequency of bus services on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads, making trans-LoC movement of people less cumbersome and more frequent, extending travel facility beyond the divided families and opening of all traditional cross-LoC road links including Suchetgarh-Sialkote and Kargil-Skardu.
Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Vehicle owners waited for hours to get fuel while taxis opted to stay off the roads during non-peak hours Monday as an indefinite strike by petrol pump owners protesting against high sales tax began to impact India's financial capital.
About 2,200 petrol and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations run by members of the Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers' Association (Fampeda) began their strike midnight Sunday in protest against the levy of 34 per cent sales tax by the state government. Petrol pumps run by the oil companies, however, were functioning.
The Mumbai Taxi Owners Association warned communters that both long distance and shuttle services will be badly affected if the strike continues.
"Stocks of fuel vanished before the pumps opened Monday morning. With no solution in sight, the situation is going to get worse with every passing day. We do not know if we will be able to bring out our vehicle from Tuesday as most of the petrol pumps in the city have already run dry," said Prasanta Kundu, an IT executive.
"It will be commuters like me who travel in the non-peak hours at night who will be the worst hit by the strike. I am rushing home earlier today as I may not get a taxi from my Nariman Point office to Churchgate station," said Vidyut Kumar, a senior editor with a business magazine.
"I don't think I will be able to ply my taxi tomorrow. The pumps have already closed today and we cannot afford to shell out Rs.50 per litre. The government should take the demands of the dealers into consideration," said Sunil Kamle, a taxi driver.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora Monday appealed to petrol dealers in Maharashtra to withdraw their indefinite strike.
He said he had raised the issue with the Maharashtra government and also facilitated a meeting of Fampeda representatives with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Urging the dealers to ensure that customers' interest is given top priority, Deora said: "I strongly appeal to the dealers to immediately call off their strike."
The sales tax in Maharashtra is one of the highest in the country. The tax in Goa is 21 percent, in Andhra Pradesh 28 percent and in Karnataka 30 percent, said Ravi Shindhe, president of Fampeda.
Fampeda members aim to force the state authorities to lower the tax rates through the strike.
By Tarun Basu
On Board Air India One, Sep 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that President Pervez Musharraf had assured him "Pakistan has no hand" in perpetuating recent terror acts in India and had given an "explicit commitment" to work with India "to do all that is in their control to control the scourge".
Talking to journalists accompanying him while returning from Havana, where he met Musharraf, the prime minister said the "new mechanism" between the two countries to deal with terrorism was a "new beginning" and he was "very pleased" with the outcome of the discussions.
"I hope it works, but if it does not work, then also we have to deal with the consequences," he said.
The two leaders issued a Joint Statement at the end of their talks in Havana - their fourth meeting in two years - which directed their foreign secretaries to resume their composite dialogue and to put in place an India-Pakistan anti-terrorism institutional mechanism to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations.
"Well, it is quite obvious to Pakistan that things cannot be business as usual if terrorism is not under control or if the government of Pakistan is seen not to be willing to work with us to control terrorism," Manmohan Singh said.
He said he welcomed this commitment and this had been reiterated in the Joint Statement issued after their talks.
Asked whether his talks had bridged the trust deficit between the countries that he had talked about, the prime minister replied: �t is not a one-day process...we have to do business with our neighbours. General Musharraf, he is the ruler of Pakistan and therefore we have to learn to deal with him."
Manmohan Singh angrily rejected a suggestion that the deal with Musharraf was at the US behest. "I totally deny any insinuation that whatever was done with Pakistan is at the behest of the US or any other country. It is a question of our own sovereign national interest."
On Kashmir, he said there was a sincere and frank discussion on all issues. He said there was need for a "via media" to reconcile Indian and Pakistani positions on this - while Manmohan Singh had said earlier that borders cannot be withdrawn, Musharraf had stated that the Line of Control in Kashmir cannot be a permanent solution.
He described the Joint Statement as an "advance" and said his meeting was "very frank, very crucial, there was no tension and I was very pleased with the outcome."
Denying that the agreement with Pakistan amounted to a shift in the Indian stand, the prime minister said the anti-terrorism mechanism was among the opportunities being explored to tackle the problem of terror. "We should toss all balls in quest of a safe and secure life for our citizens."
Islamabad/New York, Sep 18 (IANS) Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf plans to remove "misperceptions" about the women's rights bill during his meeting with US President George W. Bush slated for Friday. The watered down provisions of the bill are being vehemently criticised by rights groups in Pakistan.
Musharraf told the media in New York that he would seek to remove "misperceptions and apprehensions in the Western world" about the bill and that his government was not backtracking on the women's rights issue.
"What we are doing is to reach an agreed solution," he said.
Civil society organisations in Pakistan have accused the government of dragging its feet and striking a deal with the Islamist political alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), on some of the provisions.
The conservatives and the opposition parties in Pakistan accuse Musharraf of pushing through the bill under American pressure.
MMA deputy parliamentary leader Hussain Hafeez Ahmed, in a tongue-in-cheek statement to Dawn newspaper, said: "Musharraf will have to come back without being able to show to the US administration his achievement on getting the bill passed."
Rights groups have demanded that the controversial Hudood Ordinances be repealed altogether since the bill seeking to amend them had been politicised and its provisions watered down.
The Hudood set of laws was promulgated in 1979 by then dictator Zia-ul Haq as part of the Islamisation drive. Hudood is plural for 'Hud' meaning to punish in Arabic.
Reporting on the behind-the-scenes parleys among political leaders, Dawn Monday said that the government was uncertain about re-introducing the bill since the MMA had not agreed to even the changes made by a committee of clergy constituted outside of parliament.
The rights bodies condemned the MMA. They said that the clergy responsible for bringing in the Hudood Ordinances in the first place were working to get back some of the provisions that were proposed to be dropped, in the penal code.
"It is disgraceful," Dr Farzana Bari, a leading women's rights activist, told a news conference.
Among others attending the conference were Naim Mirza of Aurat Foundation, Robina Saigal of Actionaid, Samina Khan of Sungi Development Foundation, Saba Gul Khattak of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and representatives of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Doubtful about the intentions of the government and parliament, they urged the Supreme Court to take note of the course the bill was taking, The Nation newspaper said.
According to Dawn, Musharraf, at whose initiative the entire exercise was being undertaken, would have to return from his foreign tour to see the exercise through.
Musharraf had on July 1 issued an order enabling the release of an estimated 1,300 women held indefinitely under the provisions of the Hudood, according to which no bail is allowed for even petty crimes.
The president had personally chaired parliamentary committee meetings to iron out differences within the government on the bill, but its introduction was stalled.
The Pakistani media has reported in detail the political bargaining the government had entered into with the MMA over the bill.
The bill has led to a divide among the conservatives and liberals within the government and also among political parties. Women in each of these segments are in minority and have failed to get their voices heard.
Colombo, Sep 18 (DPA) Eleven Muslim civilians were killed by suspected Tamil rebels in eastern Sri Lanka raising tensions between the two communities in the region, a military official said Monday.
The victims were employed by a contractor to repair an irrigation canal in Panama, Potuvil, 340 km east of the capital. They were abducted by suspected rebels and killed, the official said.
The civilians were hacked to death with swords.
The men had gone missing Sunday and the bodies were found in the early hours of Monday.
Additional security forces were sent into the area to prevent any clashes between Tamils and Muslims while police investigated the incident.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made no comment about the incident, but they were responsible for similar attacks in the past.
Sydney, Sep 18 (IANS) Immigrants who want to become Australian citizens under the proposed new citizenship law will now be required to appear for an English test and a 45-minute quiz on Australian history, culture and the democratic system.
They would also be asked to sign a pledge of commitment as part of the new tough citizenship requirements, media reports said.
However, people under 18 and over 60 would be exempted from the language test as would people with disabilities. Failing the test would not have any impact on a person's existing visa status.
"Citizenship is a privilege that 'gives us our identity'," the Sydney Herald quoted Andrew Robb, Australian parliamentary secretary for immigration and multicultural affairs, as saying.
"It tells us who we are [and] where we fit in the world. It is a unifying force in Australia and if we give it away like confetti it is not valued," he added.
The Australian government has released a discussion paper proposing to strengthen laws to make immigrants wait longer to be eligible for citizenship.
According to the paper, a formal citizenship test would provide a "real incentive to learn English and to understand the Australian way of life".
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has defended the planned changes, saying the government in the past had made citizenship "a little too easy".
The proposed changes in the immigration law have upset the Muslim community in the country.
At a weekend conference in Sydney, several Islamic leaders who did not want to be named described the government's moves on citizenship as "the new Tampa", a reference to the uproar over boat people that preceded the 2001 election.
Howard has, however, insisted that the reforms had "nothing to do with the Muslim religion".
The recent terror attacks across major cities of the world has prompted the Australian government to make its immigration and citizenship law tougher.
Already residency requirements have been sharpened. Immigrants now have to wait at least four years instead of two before being able to apply for citizenship.
By Syed Zarir Hussain
Guwahati, Sep 18 (IANS) Confronted with a surge in incidents of witch hunting, authorities in Assam are giving the police lessons to tackle the social evil.
Another ticklish issue in a state where insurgency has wreaked havoc for close to three decades is the barbaric tradition of hounding people in villages on charges of practising sorcery. At least 250 people have been killed by rural mobs in the past five years for allegedly practising witchcraft.
"This is indeed a real big problem for us. The recurring incidents of killing people for allegedly practising witchcraft sends a wrong signal to people outside the region," Assam Inspector General of Police Kula Saikia told IANS.
The latest incident was reported a fortnight ago where five people of two families were hacked to death by mobs in the western district of Kokrajhar after being accused of indulging in witchcraft.
Given the rising trend, the police have intensified their special drive to curb this heinous crime.
Codenamed Project Prahari (Vigilant), the crusade includes community policing, besides regular awareness campaigns among tribal chiefs and village elders.
"We will soon launch a special campaign to educate our police force - from constables to sub-inspectors and inspectors - so that they are able to tackle social problems," said Saikia, who heads Project Prahari.
"The battle against witch hunting is a challenging task for the security forces. So we will like to include schools and colleges in our campaign."
Superstitious beliefs, black magic and demonology are integral to tribal customs in parts of Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states.
Several tribal communities practise indigenous faiths, believed to be a mix of black magic and superstition, which are used to treat ailments or cast evil spells on adversaries.
"Most cases are inspired by superstition. It is shocking to hear about such incidents in this modern world," said S.I. Ahmed, a community healthcare expert.
The victims are often killed very brutally.
"In one incident five people were awarded capital punishment by Bodo tribals after they were tried in a village court on charges of practising witchcraft and sorcery. After their heads were chopped off, the villagers buried the corpses in the forest," police official D. Das said.
The victims belonged to two families and their murder orphaned 11 children.
The police campaign is now focusing on educating villagers and holding meetings in areas dominated by tribals where this primitive practice of witchcraft is still going strong.
"Simply enforcing the law and punishing the guilty are inadequate. There has to be an attitudinal change," Saikia said.
Giving a helping hand to the efforts by the police are several influential civil society groups in Assam, especially those working in tribal inhabited areas.
"It is high time for us to wake up and fight this social evil. We on our part have been mobilising public opinion in remote areas to eradicate this criminal practice," said Rabiram Narzary, a Bodo tribal leader.
By Abhishek Roy
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Sania Mirza's decision to pair with Leander Paes in mixed doubles at December's Asian Games will bring the best out of her and lift her ranking, says renowned tennis coach Bob Brett.
"Leander is not only a great doubles player but a great mixed doubles player as well. The best thing about him is that he is always able to bring the best out of his partner," Brett told IANS in an interview.
Brett, who was here in connection with a tennis workshop, should know a thing or two about Sania's game as she had a stint with him at his academy in San Remo, Italy, in 2003.
Sania, currently playing in the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata, has slipped from a career-high world ranking of 31 in October last year, when she reached the fourth round of the US Open, to the current 70.
A spate of injuries and poor form has contributed to this downfall in rankings of one of India's best tennis players.
But Brett believes that a stint with Paes at the Asian Games in Doha will be the ideal tonic that she needs to lift her game.
"I believe that Leander is the one who helped Mahesh (Bhupathi) to bring the best out him. And now Mahesh has superseded Leander in terms of Grand Slam titles," said Brett in support of his argument.
Paes, who won the US Open doubles title with Martin Damm of Czech Republic recently, is known to lift his game in adversity, especially in the Davis Cup.
"Similarly, his association with Sania will also help her to improve rankings and regain form. In fact, India's medal prospects at the Doha Asian Games will also become bright," said the 53-year-old coach who has trained greats like Boris Becker, Goran Ivanesic and Mario Ancic.
Brett also had a word of caution for 19-year-old Sania, saying that she should be selective while choosing tournaments.
"Now she is only concentrating to improve her rankings and to do so she is playing lot of tournaments despite injuries. This can prove detrimental for her career," he opined.
"Good players know which tournaments they should play and which they should skip. This is the trick of the trade that Sania should learn by now."
Brett also accepted the fact that Sania, one of the biggest female sporting icons India has ever produced, is carrying a lot of expectations. He said that with time she would learn to strike a perfect balance between pressure and performance.
The coach also expressed his disappointment that India is not producing good players.
"India has all the ingredients to produce talents but somehow the country is not able to get Mahesh and Paes' successors," he lamented.
"You cannot give excuses that there are not enough role models in the country. Paes and Mahesh are too good by Indian standards and are ideal role models for the youngsters in the country."
Brett said that India's problem lies at the grass root level. And he went on to suggest the solution too: by coaching the coaches.
Baidoa/Nairobi, Sep 18 (DPA) Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Monday narrowly escaped an attempt on his life in which at least four persons were killed in the town of Baidoa, the seat of the country's official transitional government.
According to witnesses, at least one car bomb was involved in the attack, which also left three others injured and several automobiles in flames.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday stayed an Allahabad High Court order restraining the central government from granting financial subsidy to Haj pilgrims, even as it questioned the practice for possibly violating the secular character of the constitution.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and Justice C.K. Thakker granted the stay while ordering notice on a special leave petition filed by the government against the high court order.
It asked Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati "whether granting subsidy for a pilgrimage does not violate the secular character of our constitution that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of religion.
"Either grant such subsidy to all religions or don't give them at all," the bench said.
Vahanvati, however, said that while the matter required examination, the process should not be disturbed this year since it had started in May on a massive scale.
He said that all arrangements had already been put in place for Haj 2006-II. Tenders were invited for the wet lease of aircraft in June. Commitment from the Saudi Arabian airlines had been obtained for transporting 60,000 pilgrims.
To a question from the bench as to what would happen if there were no subsidy, Vahanvati said that most pilgrims would not be able to undertake the pilgrimage.
He said that the government had signed an agreement with the authorities concerned in Saudi Arabia for sending 147,000 pilgrims for Haj 2006-II of which 100,000 would be sent through the Haj Committee of India.
The implementation of the high court judgement would derail the Haj arrangements and the quota for sending 147,000 pilgrims would be in jeopardy and would have serious international ramifications in securing quota for Indians at future Haj programmes.
The bench issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, the petitioner and others and asked the high court to dispose of the main petition on the validity of the subsidy as expeditiously as possible but before the Haj 2007.
On a petition by B.N. Shukla challenging the grant of subsidy to Haj pilgrims, the high court had restrained the central government from releasing any funds or subsidy for this year's Haj pilgrimage.
The high court by an order on Sep 7 also rejected the plea for vacating the earlier order and to permit the government to make all other arrangements. The petition sought quashing of the judgement and an interim stay on its operation.
Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Pronouncing another verdict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, a special court Monday pronounced Asghar Yusuf Mukadam alias Munna and Shahnawaz Qureshi guilty for their involvement in planting bombs at the Plaza cinema in Dadar in which 19 people were killed.
Mukadam, who was charged under 14 counts, had driven a red-coloured Maruti laden with RDX to the compound of Plaza cinema theatre. The explosion killed 19 people and left 39 injured.
Qureshi is the first accused to be found guilty of having received arms training in Pakistan. He was found guilty by special judge P.D. Kode under 12 charges.
Last week, judge Kode pronounced Mohammad Shoaib Ghansar, Mukadam's cousin, guilty for the Zaveri Bazaar blasts that killed 17 people and injured 57.
If convicted under various sections of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act, all three could face death or life imprisonment.
The fate of another accused, Abdul Gani Ismail Turk, who had allegedly parked a jeep at the Century Bazar in Worli, will be decided shortly, according to special public prosecutor Ujjal Nikam.
The blast at Worli was the deadliest, as it resulted in the death of 113 people and injured 227.
Judge Kode also found the Memon brothers - Tiger, Yusuf, Essa and Yakub - and Yakub's sister-in-law, Rabina, guilty under anti-terror laws while acquitting three others of the family. They were the first eight in the list of 123 accused in the March 12, 1993, blasts that killed 257 and injured over 700.
Kuala Lumpur, Sep 18 (IANS) Brian Lara played a captain's knock of 88 and Chris Gayle scored 79 as the West Indies surprised Australia with a three-wicket win in a DLF Cup triangular series match here Monday.
The West Indies, chasing Australia's 272 for six wickets in 50 overs, made 273 for seven wickets in 47.2 overs in the fourth day-night encounter at the Kinrara Academy Oval.
Australia's stand-in captain Mike Hussey was declared the Man of the Match for his flamboyant 109 not out, which was also his maiden century.
West Indies had a poor start as opener Shivnarine Chanderpaul was out for nought and Ramnaresh Sarwan fell for 25 leaving the team struggling at 44 for two in the 12th over.
But a third wicket partnership of 151 between Lara and opener Gayle helped the West Indies romp home with 16 balls to spare.
Lara's knock lasted 80 deliveries and included 11 boundaries and a six, while Gayle's runs came off in 93 balls (7x4s, 3x6s).
After the duo departed, the West Indies lost three quick wickets. But Dwayne Bravo played a steady, unbeaten knock of 37 to ensure victory.
Brett Lee was the most successful bowlers with three wickets for 46.
Earlier, opting to bat, Hussey blossomed in his new role of captain as he made an unbeaten century to guide Australia to a competitive total.
Before Hussey took charge, Australia were struggling at 64 for four. Opener Simon Katich (22), Shane Watson (0), Andrew Symonds (8) and Michael Clarke (1) all failed to deliver.
Opener Matthew Hayden, playing his first ODI after 14 months, fell one short of what would have been a deserving half-century.
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who made 70 off 76 deliveries, ably assisted Hussey. Haddin's knock included three boundaries and four sixes.
It was their 165-run partnership for sixth wicket that helped Australia put up a total that had the potential to test the West Indies.
Ian Bradshaw and Dwayne Bravo scalped two wickets each.
SCORECARD
Fourth one-day international, DLF Cup triangular series, Australia vs West Indies (day/night), Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur, Sep 18
Australia:
Matthew Hayden c Taylor b Bravo 49
Simon Katich run out (Bradshaw/Baugh) 22
Shane Watson c Lara b Taylor 0
Andrew Symonds c Smith b Bradshaw 8
Michael Clarke c Gayle b Bradshaw 1
Mike Hussey not out 109
Bradd Haddin c Taylor b Bravo 70
Brett Lee not out 1
Extras: (b 1, lb 5, w 7) 13
Total: (for 6 wickets in 32 overs) 272
Fall of wickets 1-41 (Katich, 9.3 overs), 2-42 (Watson, 10.5), 3-57 (Symonds, 15.4), 4-64 (Clarke, 17.4), 5-104 (Hayden, 25.5), 6-270 (Haddin, 49.3)
Bowling:
Jerome Taylor 10-0-53-1 (2w)
Ian Bradshaw 10-0-35 -2 (1w)
Chris Gayle 7-0-47-0 (2w)
Dwayne Smith 7-0-38-0
Marlon Samuels 7-0-42-0
Dwayne Bravo 9-1-52-2 (2w)
West Indies:
Chris Gayle c Hussey b Watson 79
Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Haddin b Lee 0
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Haddin b Bracken 25
Brian Lara c Hussey b Lee 88
Dwayne Bravo not out 37
Wavell Hinds c Haddin b Lee 1
Marlon Samuels run out (Clarke) 0
Dwayne Smith b Symonds 4
Carlton Baugh not out 7
Extras: (lb 6, w 16, nb 11) 33
Total: (for 7 wickets in 47.2 overs) 273
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Chanderpaul, 4.2 overs), 2-44 (Sarwan, 11.4), 3-195 (Gayle, 31.1), 4-242 (Lara, 40.2), 5-249 (Hinds, 42.3), 6-249 (Samuels, 42.5), 7-255 (Smith, 43.4)
Bowling:
Brett Lee 10-0-46-3 (3nb)
Nathan Bracken 9-0-31-1 (4w)
Stuart Clark 7-0-87-0 (7nb, 3w)
Shane Watson 10-0-42-1 (4w)
Andrew Symonds 5.2-0-27-1
Dan Cullen 6 1-34-0 (1nb, 3w)
Result: West Indies won by three wickets
Man of the Match: Mike Hussey
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and Anthony Hill (New Zealand)
TV umpire: Mark Benson (England)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Women employees in Bangalore face least mental harassment at the workplace among major cities in the country, while Ludhiana, Kolkata and Pune were found to be least supportive to them, according to a new study released Monday.
The findings of a survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on 'Night Shift for Women: Growth & Opportunities' reveals that women employees across the country face the maximum insecurity in sectors such as leather and textiles while hospitals and the BPO industry provide them with the maximum security.
Sponsored by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the study is based on responses of 272 women employees in some of the leading cities including Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Ludhiana.
It highlights that 85.15 percent women employees are satisfied with their employers' attitude towards them.
Mental harassment faced by women employees has been found to be least in Bangalore with only six percent of the respondents having faced it. Chennai with seven percent, Hyderabad with eight and Mumbai with nine percent follow.
Though Delhi was not the worst, as many as 14 percent women in the capital reported having faced mental harassment.
"Ludhiana, Kolkata and Pune are the industrial hubs in which the harassment to women employees has been reported at 27 percent, 19 percent and 17 percent respectively," states the report.
The survey reveals that 98 percent respondents from Chennai, 97 percent from Bangalore, 94 percent from Hyderabad and 91 percent from Mumbai are satisfied with their employers.
As many as 84 percent respondents from Delhi were satisfied while the figure for Kolkata was 88 percent.
"The level of satisfaction on the basis of size of the firm indicates that large-scale firms are on better grounds from all points of consideration," the report states.
This is primarily because large companies try to introduce strategies that are multi-directional in nature. They were found to conduct regular cross-functional interactive sessions for the night shift employees.
Similarly, medium-sized firms were found to be better than small-scale firms, though they "need a lot of improvement in their arrangements for women working in night shifts for their health and security," states the report.
The insecurity factor for women is high in the small-scale firms (45 percent), while it is lower in medium scale firms (26.4 percent) and large-scale firms (13 percent).
The survey also revealed that commuting problems are more for those employed in small-scale firms (21 percent) whereas these are much less in medium scale (10 percent) and large-scale firms (nine percent).
Respondents said that no childcare facilities were provided in small-scale and medium-scale firms. Only eight percent women employees from large-scale firms reported that they were provided with such facilities at the workplace.