Rahul blames coalition constraints for prices

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday blamed coalition constraints for UPA's inability to tackle the various crises, including price rise and corruption facing the government.

His comments on coalition factors appear to be a reference to NCP leader Sharad Pawar in the context of inflation, with many in the Congress feeling aggrieved at the agriculture and consumer affairs minister's public remarks on price rise which they feel were only worsening the problem.

Though he did not specifically mention inflation, the question put to him at an interaction with students was why the government was unable to "control inflation and corruption as his grandmother the late Indira Gandhi had done in her time."

"Things have undergone a sea-change since Indira Gandhi ruled. We're not running the government alone and UPA is a coalition," Rahul said.

He said that petroleum prices were governed by the international market but still steps would be taken to control prices.

The suggestion that allies were part of the problem is unlikely to improve ties with Pawar who has in any case been completely impervious to Congress criticism. He has even adroitly suggested that he would be willing to consider shedding one of his portfolios. This is not seen as his willingness to handle just one ministry but perhaps swapping one of his charges.

The Amethi MP faced another tricky question when a girl asked: "If you were not born a Gandhi, would you still have joined mainstream politics?" Rahul pondered before replying, "I certainly would have, though I am not sure if I could be occupying the current position."

China's official media projected a positive view of Premier Wen Jiabao's India visit

China's official media and think tanks projected a positive view of Premier Wen Jiabao's just-concluded India visit, skipping any mention of the omission of references to Tibet and Taiwan in the joint statement.In some ways, Wen's visit to India is like no other in the recent years in terms of positive coverage it generated occupying prime space in the state-run television and print media, according to analysts.The Chinese think tanks also sought to insist that the trip was aimed at 'clarifying' Beijing's readiness to pursue a policy of addressing mutual concerns."Trade target set at USD 100 billion" is the banner headline in the official China Daily which devoted two pages to exclusive coverage of developments related to Wen's visit as well as success stories of Indians settled in Beijing.

The daily Global Times headlined its front page story 'Sino-Indian ties hailed', while People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party of China, featured its story saying "Chinese premier, Indian PM reach consensus on bilateral, international issues

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Wrong to appoint Thomas as CVC

Speaking to NDTV, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee called the controversial appointment of PJ Thomas as the head of the vigilance commission a mistake.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court too expressed its discomfort in Thomas' appointment as the CVC. "We are concerned that if a person is an accused in a criminal case how will he function as CVC?" the court said.

The government has submitted in court the file on Thomas' appointment, which has been challenged by a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges Thomas is involved in two different controversies - the 2G scam and an oil-import case.

Till recently, Thomas was a secretary in the Telecom Ministry, currently at the epicentre of charges that the country lost 1.76 lakh crores because former minister A Raja and his bureaucrats undervalued 2G spectrum deliberately, and gave it at throwaway prices to companies they favoured.


The case against PJ Thomas

• In 1992, the Kerala government said there was a shortage of edible oil in the state, and imported 15,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia for the public distribution service network.

• The government paid more than market rates, resulting in a loss of Rs. 2.8 crores.

• Thomas was Food Secretary of the Kerala government at the time.

• He was later named an accused in the case, after a report by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau said he "played a pivotal role in the import of palm oil."

• The court hearing the case has not dismissed the charges against him. He was granted bail.

Create bridge between govt and public

Senior journalist and former editor of 'Rashtramat', Sitaram Tengse exhorted journalists to focus on problems plaguing the society and thus strive to create a bridge between the government administration and the public.

Tengse was speaking on the topic "Challenges before the journalists in the present scenario" at a function organized by South Goa journalists association (SGJA) on Sunday to commemorate the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.

Stating that the proliferation of entertainment channels has led to people getting hooked to TV serials, Tengse lamented that the print media, in an attempt to countering the challenge posed by the electronic media, also offers its readers contents bordering on sleaze. "In the process the avowed objective of the press and the media -- of creating a national outlook, of promoting scientific temper " gets lost along the way. As social issues get relegated to the background, ignored as they are by the print and electronic media, the administration fails to address these issues, giving rise to naxalism and terrorism," Tengse said.

He urged print journalists to "wield their pens" to educate the masses and take up people-centric issues so as to ensure that newspapers do not get reduced to "mere sources of entertainment."

Indian media slams Pakistan over talks' 'failure

Indian media on Saturday blamed Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the "failure" of peace talks earlier in the week between the two countries.

"Qureshi kills peace talks," read a headline on the front page of leading circulation daily The Times of India, a day after Indian foreign minister S.M. Krishna returned to New Delhi from Islamabad.

The strongly worded comments came after the discussions, meant to build trust between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, soured over what Islamabad charged was India's "selective" approach to outstanding issues.

Another top-selling daily The Economic Times accused Islamabad of pushing ties "off the diplomatic rails ... by sidelining New Delhi's main demand for action" against the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai Islamic militant attacks.

India's Hindustan Times accused Pakistan of "ambush diplomacy" by seeking to set a fixed timeframe to resolve key issues such as the row over disputed Muslim-majority Kashmir, the trigger of two of three wars between the nations.

This led to the "meeting's failure," the newspaper said.

Qureshi on Friday had accused Indian media of "narrowing down the talks" by focusing exclusively on militancy rather than the whole range of issues between the countries, including the status of Kashmir and water access rights.

He said Pakistan wanted the discussions to lead to the creation of a "roadmap" for better relations. "But Indians felt they did not have the mandate to commit to it," Qureshi said.

Despite the chilly atmosphere, both Qureshi and Krishna have agreed to meet again in New Delhi to pursue improved relations that were derailed by the Mumbai carnage in which 166 people died.

India and Pakistan's prime ministers met in April on the sidelines of a summit in Bhutan and set in motion the process of trying to revive contacts.

The thaw in relations has been encouraged by Western allies, in particular by the United States, which sees regional stability as vital to winning the war in Afghanistan and has pushed Pakistan to fight Taliban insurgents.

Pro LTTE activities in Tamil Nadu

The degree of involvement by Tamil Nadu politicians in particular to influence by providing financial and moral support to the Sri Lankan Tamil leadership has assumed varying degrees of influence from time to time. It is also the undeniable fact that not only Tamil Nadu politicians but even the Indian Government in New Delhi has contributed directly to provide the Tamil terrorists safe haven, training , financial and diplomatic support . The Indian media has exposed these practices from time to time. Today, even after the total elimination of almost the entire leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Indian media says that Tamil Nadu politicians actively support the terrorist outfit leading demonstrations, rallies and delegations to New Delhi.

While these activities may only amount to gaining temporary political mileage , it nevertheless helps to keep alive the cause of separatism not only in Tamil Nadu but also in the predominantly Tamil areas of Northern Sri Lanka. Tamil political delegations frequently visit well known senior Tamil Nadu politicians sympathetic to separatism despite the LTTE being a banned Terrorist Group since May 1992 after the murder of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . Senior Tamil Nadu politicians raise various issues regarding the Sri Lankan Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) despite been granted authority to visit these "Welfare" Centers.

It is now reported in the Media that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has requested the Indian Prime Minister to take up the issue of the IDPs with His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa scheduled to visit New Delhi tomorrow(07). In a letter he has informed the Indian Prime Minister that "nearly 80,000 Tamils are still living in transit camps and are waiting rehabilitating measures by the Sri Lankan Government ". This is incorrect as it now only nearly half hat number - down from nearly 280,000 since May 2009. The Chief Minister has stated :" Those families who have been rehabilitated and settled elsewhere also be provided with economic development and justice based reconciliation to work towards a permanent political settlement " He also urged " as a special agenda and impress upon him the need for earlier rehabilitation measures to Sri Lankan Tamils" . A leading Indian English Daily reported last year that the "Welfare " Centers in Vavuniya were far better when compared to the "Refugee" centers in Tamil Nadu which have existed for over three decades . In an article conditions in Tamil Nadu refugee camps were described as deplorable: "The refugees have lived without electricity, drinking water supply and sanitation" and many of the people were still living in deplorable conditions.

According to the media ("Daily News ", 15.1.10) in an article "Jaffna reawakening: Massive development drive" it was reported that an unprecedented infrastructure development program never witnessed earlier in the economic and social sector in the Northern region "wrecked by 30 years of war" was launched under the Presidential Task Force on Rehabilitation and Resettlement headed by Senior Adviser Basil Rajapaksa , Northern Province Governor Major General G A Chandrasiri under the 180 day "Uthuru Vasanthaya" program . Many new projects for the Jaffna District were launched including ports, power and water projects , hotels, religious, agriculture, etc were included which cost the Sri Lankan Government Rupees 2695 million . R 2500 million was allocated for the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Rs600 million for the development of KKS port, Karaveddi water and Casuarina beach development project. A Coconut development project was also launched costing Rupees 403 million which will benefit 33,644 families. The educations sector including rebuilding schools destroyed during the conflict , the teacher educational service , equipment and infrastructural needs have also been provided .

One of the major reasons for the delay in resettlement has been the need to clear the areas especially in the Killinochchi, Mullaitiuv, Mannar of mines. The IDPs must have the confidence to resettle especially as they have to resettle in the same plots of land ideally in the same "houses" they once occupied although perhaps reconstructed It has repeatedly been stated that areas to be resettled have to be completely declared mine "free". Thankfully to the credit of the Army De miners and INGO/NGO de mining Organizations mining teams until now no incidents of IDPs resettled being injured by buried mines has been reported. It must be remembered that prior to resettlement of the IDPs in their habitats the Government has to entirely rebuild what the LTTE had destroyed or vandalized . These include all facilities people require to live - roads, railways , by-roads, major and minor bridges, footpaths, hospitals, schools, government Administrative facilities and offices, houses , drinking water and irrigation facilities, markets , store houses , fencing, title deeds, electricity , seed and planting material , local transport , etc. The providing and restoration of these facilities destroyed by the LTTE need expertise, labor, transport and back up services as garbage disposal which have to coordinated in a massive resettlement project whilst at the same time looking after the welfare of the rest of the population. This is no easier task which is now nearly completion.