Tuesday, Sep 08, 2009 , United Kingdom
Britain has tightened rules for skilled immigrants in an attempt to ensure jobs in UK go to British workers.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Temple for special people
Sunday September 13, 2009, Bhubaneswar
Human rights activists have appealed to the sevayats in Puri and the Orissa government to allow physically-challenged devotees to access the Jagannath temple on wheel chairs
.
The popular Hindu God Lord Jagannath of Puri, who's without limbs, happens to be a great symbol of people with disability. But ironically, people on wheelchairs have had no access to the Puri temple so far because the priests do not allow wheel chairs to enter the temple.
Among those not allowed inside are people on wheelchairs like Dr Sruti Mohapatra, a human rights activist, who was denied entry twice. She now wants things to change so that many others like her can catch a glimpse of the holy trinity.
"Lord Jagannath symbolises disability, so why bar persons with disability on wheel chairs to enter the temple," said Dr Mohapatra.
On the contrary, prominent temples like the Siddhivinayak temple and Guruvayur temple do allow people with wheelchairs.
Activists who have written to the administration a number of times in this regard wanted to organise a visit of people on wheelchairs to the temple on Gandhi Jayanti but now they have decided to appeal to the sevayats.
"Before any confrontation a discussion with the sevayats and the pandas will probably smoothen out things better because understandably they might have reservations about the materials in the wheel chairs, cleanliness of wheel chairs. So, let them have their own set of wheel chairs and volunteers who will come and help the wheel-chair bound persons access into the temple," said Mrinalini Padhi, a lawyer in Orissa High Court.
Sevayat leaders have told NDTV they have never objected to the differently-abled persons being carried into the temple by relatives or volunteers but are opposed to entry of wheelchairs.
Activists now propose to talk to ensure people have a darshan of the Lord on wheel chairs without having to be carried physically all the way.
Human rights activists have appealed to the sevayats in Puri and the Orissa government to allow physically-challenged devotees to access the Jagannath temple on wheel chairs
.
The popular Hindu God Lord Jagannath of Puri, who's without limbs, happens to be a great symbol of people with disability. But ironically, people on wheelchairs have had no access to the Puri temple so far because the priests do not allow wheel chairs to enter the temple.
Among those not allowed inside are people on wheelchairs like Dr Sruti Mohapatra, a human rights activist, who was denied entry twice. She now wants things to change so that many others like her can catch a glimpse of the holy trinity.
"Lord Jagannath symbolises disability, so why bar persons with disability on wheel chairs to enter the temple," said Dr Mohapatra.
On the contrary, prominent temples like the Siddhivinayak temple and Guruvayur temple do allow people with wheelchairs.
Activists who have written to the administration a number of times in this regard wanted to organise a visit of people on wheelchairs to the temple on Gandhi Jayanti but now they have decided to appeal to the sevayats.
"Before any confrontation a discussion with the sevayats and the pandas will probably smoothen out things better because understandably they might have reservations about the materials in the wheel chairs, cleanliness of wheel chairs. So, let them have their own set of wheel chairs and volunteers who will come and help the wheel-chair bound persons access into the temple," said Mrinalini Padhi, a lawyer in Orissa High Court.
Sevayat leaders have told NDTV they have never objected to the differently-abled persons being carried into the temple by relatives or volunteers but are opposed to entry of wheelchairs.
Activists now propose to talk to ensure people have a darshan of the Lord on wheel chairs without having to be carried physically all the way.
Friday, September 11, 2009
School stampede: 5 dead, over 30 injured
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009 , India
Six of the injured children are in critical condition with serious head injuries. Stampede took place after parts of the school got flooded due to heavy rain.
We should open doors to Tamil people: Rahul
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009 , India
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to Tamil Nadu, has said that he is in the state to build the Youth Congress. "We should start opening our doors to Tamil people," said Rahul Gandhi.
Pak has not taken any action on 26/11, Chidambaram tells US
Friday September 11, 2009, Washington
Home Minister P Chidambaram did some plain speaking on Pakistan when he met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday.
He told Clinton that Pakistan simply has not taken any action against the perpetrators of 26/11, and that Hafiz Saeed, who is believed to be the mastermind, is still roaming free despite the evidence provided by New Delhi in the several dossiers given to Islamabad.
Chidambaram, who wraps up his four-day visit to the United States on Saturday, has also told US officials that infiltration from Pakistan has increased since May this year.
"I did brief her on the state of the trial of Ajmal Kasab in India. I also mentioned about the no progress in Pakistan even in respect of the 5-6 people they have arrested. And that Hafiz Saeed remains a free man I think that is enough. I think the US understands the way India has approached the post 26/11 situation and how Pakistan has approached the situation. I think it is enough to draw attention to the difference and leave it there."
And speaking out for the first time on the Gujarat affidavit controversy, the home minister said there was nothing wrong with it. Chidambaram said it was only meant to be an intelligence input, not conclusive proof of guilt, much less a reason for killing anyone in cold blood.
The home ministry's affidavit does not weaken the Congress government's attack on the government of Gujarat in the Ishrat case, he said.
"What is wrong with the affidavit? To the best of my knowledge the affidavit says that intelligence inputs were shared with the Gujarat government. That affidavit must be read in context. You cannot read into it what it does not say. I think it is self-evident that intelligence inputs are not evidence, much less conclusive proof. They are just inputs. They are hared with governments on a regular basis. That is not evidence or conclusive proof. It gives leads to investigations further enquiry. If a state government acts as though intelligence inputs are evidence or conclusive proof, I am sorry for that government. Certainly no one suggested that based on an intelligence input you should kill someone. I think too much is being attributed to that affidavit if it is meant to defend the government of Gujarat against the excesses that may have been committed by its police I am sorry for the government of Gujarat and the manner in which it runs its police administration."
On infiltration, Chidambaram said, "The numbers are now running to about 50-60 a month. I think and a number of people that we apprehend are also very high so our assessment is that the level of infiltration has increased since the month of may 2009. We remain vigilant. I have already said both in Parliament and at the chief ministers' conference that the security threat emanating from militants operating on Pakistani soil has not diminished. That is our official position. Since the threat level has not diminished. We continue to remain on guard and continue to be on vigil.
Home Minister P Chidambaram did some plain speaking on Pakistan when he met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday.
He told Clinton that Pakistan simply has not taken any action against the perpetrators of 26/11, and that Hafiz Saeed, who is believed to be the mastermind, is still roaming free despite the evidence provided by New Delhi in the several dossiers given to Islamabad.
Chidambaram, who wraps up his four-day visit to the United States on Saturday, has also told US officials that infiltration from Pakistan has increased since May this year.
"I did brief her on the state of the trial of Ajmal Kasab in India. I also mentioned about the no progress in Pakistan even in respect of the 5-6 people they have arrested. And that Hafiz Saeed remains a free man I think that is enough. I think the US understands the way India has approached the post 26/11 situation and how Pakistan has approached the situation. I think it is enough to draw attention to the difference and leave it there."
And speaking out for the first time on the Gujarat affidavit controversy, the home minister said there was nothing wrong with it. Chidambaram said it was only meant to be an intelligence input, not conclusive proof of guilt, much less a reason for killing anyone in cold blood.
The home ministry's affidavit does not weaken the Congress government's attack on the government of Gujarat in the Ishrat case, he said.
"What is wrong with the affidavit? To the best of my knowledge the affidavit says that intelligence inputs were shared with the Gujarat government. That affidavit must be read in context. You cannot read into it what it does not say. I think it is self-evident that intelligence inputs are not evidence, much less conclusive proof. They are just inputs. They are hared with governments on a regular basis. That is not evidence or conclusive proof. It gives leads to investigations further enquiry. If a state government acts as though intelligence inputs are evidence or conclusive proof, I am sorry for that government. Certainly no one suggested that based on an intelligence input you should kill someone. I think too much is being attributed to that affidavit if it is meant to defend the government of Gujarat against the excesses that may have been committed by its police I am sorry for the government of Gujarat and the manner in which it runs its police administration."
On infiltration, Chidambaram said, "The numbers are now running to about 50-60 a month. I think and a number of people that we apprehend are also very high so our assessment is that the level of infiltration has increased since the month of may 2009. We remain vigilant. I have already said both in Parliament and at the chief ministers' conference that the security threat emanating from militants operating on Pakistani soil has not diminished. That is our official position. Since the threat level has not diminished. We continue to remain on guard and continue to be on vigil.
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