Anti-Putin wave sweeps Russia

MOSCOW: Tens of thousands of Russiansgathered peacefully in central Moscow on Saturday to shout "Putin is a Thief " and "Russia Without Putin," forcing the Kremlin to confront a level of public discontent that has not been seen here since prime minister Vladimir V Putin first became president 12 years ago. 

The crowd overflowed Bolotnaya Square, forcing stragglers to climb trees and watch from the riverbank opposite. It included liberals, nationalists and communists, but could best be described as the urban middle class, a group that has grown richer and larger during the Putin era. 

An hour into the event, police estimated the crowd at 25,000, which would make it the largest anti-government action since the fall of the Soviet Union. But the estimates of protest organizers ranged from 40,000 to 80,000. 

Calls for protest have been mounting since the parliamentary elections held last Sunday that domestic and international observers said were tainted by ballot-stuffing and fraud on behalf of Putin's party, United Russia. 

Putin's announcement in September that he intended to return to the presidency in the March elections, extending his rule as Russia's dominant political figure by another six years, appears to have worsened an already sour mood in the country, and many middleclass Muscovites said that this week was a turning point. 

Some 35,000 people had pledged on Facebook to attend the Moscow rally, and smaller events occurred in other cities . The authorities had been trying to discourage attendance , saying that widespread protests could culminate in a disaster on the scale of the Soviet collapse, 20 years ago. 

Organizers have put forward two main demands: release of those arrested this week during the protests, and the scheduling of new parliamentary elections. 

Others are calling for the ouster of Vladimir Y Churov, who heads the central election commission; for rewriting the election law; or for the registration of so-called "nonsystem" opposition parties, ones that have been unable to win seats in Parliament or put forward presidential candidates.

615 Gentlemen Cadets pass out of IMA

Ready to serve the nation: Gentlemen Cadets take part in the passing-out
 parade at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun on
Saturday. A total 615 Cadets passed out to join the Army
as officers after completing their training.

615 Gentlemen Cadets pass out of IMA 
 Lankan army chief reviews parade 
 Sword of Honour for Gujarati cadet 
 A memorable day for many 
 Foreign cadets all praise for IMA instructors

Dehradun, December 10
Sri Lankan Army Chief Lieut Gen Jagath Jayasuriya has ruled out growing influence of China in the Indian Ocean as a threat to the Indian subcontinent. Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of the Indian Military Academy’s passing out parade in Dehradun, General Jayasuriya termed as wrong belief that the growing influence of China in the Indian Ocean was a direct threat to India.

On the LTTE, Genaral Jayasuriya said the LTTE in Sri Lanka had been completely decimated but admitted that it’s sympathisers did exist as international NGOs. “The LTTE has been wiped out militarily in Sri Lanka but the organisation still had supporters in the international Diaspora,” he said. The Tamilian civilians uprooted from war-torn parts of Sri Lanka had started coming back to their homes and the Sri Lankan Government was undertaking rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas speedily.

Referring to Indo-Sri Lankan military ties, Jayasuriya said both the countries kept excellent relationship and a large number of Lankan officers had successfully undergone their training in India.”Our friendship is increasing tremendously,” the Sri Lankan General said.

A total of 150 Lankan army officers had so far got trained in the Indian Military Academy. Earlier, General Jayasuriya, while reviewing the passing out parade at the drill square in the backdrop of IMA’s Chetwode Building, called upon the Gentlemen Cadets to develop excellent leadership skills and utilise them for the betterment of the nation. Emphasising on the importance of the IMA, he said the destiny of a country was shaped in educational institutions and training establishments. “It is widely accepted that our thoughts and actions are generally affected by the spirit of the place we live in. In your case each one of you would have been dominated by the spirit of the IMActhroughout your stay in this great institution,” he said. He also presented medals to GCs, which included a sword of honour bestowed on Karan Kothari and a gold medal given to Abhijeet Singh for standing tall in the overall order of merit. A silver medal for standing second in the order of merit was given to Abhishek Chandra and a bronze medal for standing third in the order of merit was given to Amit Bijalwan. General Jayasuriya presented the Chief of Army Staff banner to Keren Company. A total of 615 Gentlemen Cadets and eight foreign Gentlemen Cadets from friendly countries passed out of the IMA.

They showed tremendous enthusiasmto put up an excellent parade before an august gathering.

Sword of Honour for Gujarati cadet 

A Gentlemen Cadet being tossed in
 the air by his colleagues 

Dehradun, December 10
Son of Gujarati businessman has won the Sword of Honour at the IMA’s autumn term passing out parade that took place today.
The prestigious Sword of Honour is presented to the Gentlemen Cadet standing the overall best among the passing out course Karan Kothari bagged the honour bringing cheers to the Kothari family hailing from Rajkot in Gujarat. Karan Kothari admits that Gujaratis are often inclined towards business rather than opting for defence forces but adds that someone has to make a beginning.
A proud father Kirti Kothari said he never imposed his wish on his son. “I had left to his son to make a choice of career. I am proud that my son opted for the Army and hope that he will prove to be inspiration for many more Gujaratis opting for a career in defence forces”, he said. He said his son was the sole family member, who was now in the Army as he has none of his close or distant relative serving in the defence forces. Arvind Kothari, elder brother of Karan Kothari, said he was proud to see his younger brother in Army uniform. He said Karan from very beginning had made up his mind to join the Army.
“The family never forced their will on Karan nor asked to stick to the family business”, he said.
“Even in the National Defence Academy, my brother bagged a Gold Medal in the training”, he said, adding that his brother had always believed in excelling and that was the reason behind his good performances both in the NDA and the IMA.
A total of 5 Gentlemen Cadets from Gujarat have passed out in today’s parade.
A memorable day for many 

The father and grandfather of a Gentleman Cadet of the
Indian Military Academy remove the strap to show his
official insignia known as “Pipping Ceremony” after
 the parade at the academy in Dehradun

Dehradun, December 10
For the passing-out Gentlemen Cadets of the Indian Military Academy and members of their families, it was an event they would remember for long.
A hotel management diploma holder from London, Mandeep Singh Nagra preferred the Army to other professions. Mandeep of Chandigarh has been deployed with the Artillery.
His father SS Nagra who is a bank officer said he was feeling proud seeing his son getting passed out of the IMA. “What satisfaction I am getting today as an Army officer would not have been possible had I opted for a profession in hotel management,” said Mandeep.
Another Gentlemen Cadet, Shiv Pratap Singh Pathania, who passed out of the IMA has become the fourth generation Army officer in his family. His father Col SS Pathania hails from Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), his grandfather Subedar Malkiat Singh was with 13 Punjab whereas his great grandfather Risaldar Amol Singh was with 5 Horse. Colonel Pathania said he was happy that his son had continued with the great family tradition of joining the Army. He said his other son was undergoing training at the National Defence Academy.
It was a dream come true for Praveen Dhyani. A Doonite, Praveen grandfather Uma Dutt Dyani was with the Army Service Corps. Son of a civil defence employee, Praveen has been posted with 17 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. A Keralite, Rajeev Ranjan, said he was happy to be part of the Army.
Another Gentleman Cadet, AS Toor, has been commissioned into the Artillery. Toor said it was a great moment for him.
Foreign cadets all praise for IMA instructors 

Foreign cadets who passed out of the Indian
 Military Academy in Dehradun on Saturday. 

Dehradun, December 10
Among the passing out candidates at the Indian Military Academy’s parade were eight foreign cadets, who will now be part of the armies in their respective nations. These include three from Bhutan, two from Kazakhstan, one each from Tajikstan, Lesotho and Seychelles.
Bigabatov Rakhat hails from Kazakhstan. He said he felt proud to follow the footsteps of his father, who is a Colonel with the Kazakhstan army. Rakhat said the training he had received at the IMA would continue to inspire him for years. He said India and Kazakhstan always kept friendly relations.
Abzal Tashibekov hails from Rhymkent, Kazakhstan. An excellent academician, Abzal did his graduation from Miras University with distinction. He was all appreciation for the instructors at the academy for giving them the best of training.
K Muslikhidin from Tajikistan is a son of a pensioner. He has four brothers and one sister. Muslikhidin said apart from getting an honourable profession, he would now be able to support his family in a better way.
Lehloenya belongs to lesser known country of Lesotho. Son of a civil servant, Lehloenya has three younger sisters. He said it had been his wish to join the defence forces.
Wilven Anoy Jean from Seychelles found his stay at the academy as best part of his life. He had a lot of appreciation for the instructors at the academy.
Sangay Dorji belongs to Mongar in Bhutan. After doing his schooling from Thimpu, Sangay Dorji did his graduation from Maulana Azad College, Aurangabad, in India. Son of a farmer, Sangay said India had always been second home to him and asserted that India and Bhutan had a historical relationship.

Tearful farewell to Dev Anand

London, December 10

Dev Anand, who ruled the hearts of millions of film enthusiasts for over six decades, was today bid a tearful adieu as his mortal remains were consigned to flames amid the tunes of some of his most memorable songs ‘Abhi Na Jao Chor ke’ and ‘Gata Rahe Mera Dil’.

END OF AN ERA: Dev Anand’s son Suneil (L) and Sahara India chairman Subroto Roy carry his casket at the Putney Vale Crematorium in London on Saturday. The legend’s ashes would be flown back to Mumbai.

The funeral ceremony was joined in by a large number of people, including his family and close friends like Lord Meghnad Desai and Sahara chief Subroto Roy, as his last rites were held according to Hindu tradition at the Putney Vale Crematorium here.

His body kept in a casket, decked with flowers, was taken to the crematorium in a motorcade as his admirers paid him rich tributes.

His wife Kalpana Kartik could not attend as she had high blood pressure and remained behind in the Washington Mayfair hotel where the actor breathed his last.

Besides his son Suneil and daughter Devina, his sister Sheila Kapoor, the mother of filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, were also present. So were the acting High Commissioner of India Rakesh Prasad, his close friend Kartar Lalvani, Lord Karan Billimoria, and Baroness Shreela Flather. Dev Anand died here on December 3 at the age of 88 with his son by his side.

While fans in India could not have a last glimpse of the star, his ashes will be flown back to Mumbai, the city associated for over 60 years with the thespian’s incomparable body of work. A memorial service will be held at the Mehboob studio in Mumbai on December 15.

True to his full-of-life image, his final journey saw some of his remarkable songs being sung as a tribute.

Besides ‘Abhi Na Jao Chor ke’ from his 1961 movie Hum Dono and ‘Gata Rahe Mera Dil’ from the 1965 classic Guide, ‘Phoolon ka taron ka’ from the 1971 hit ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ rented the air.

“I am comforted that he is with the Lord. The spirit of Dev Anand will live forever,” said his son Suneil.

Dev Anand, known for his signature puff hair and swagger, lived by the philosophy of ‘Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata chala gaya, har fikar ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya’, a song written for him by friend Sahir Ludhianvi.

“He was an eternal optimist and full of life. Dev Anand was one of the greatest showmen and kindest human being, his generosity knew no bounds. The world has lost a true legend,” said his nephew Tony Sareen. 

Sector-63 housing project in trouble

Mohali, December 10
The much-delayed Sector-63 housing project of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is again in trouble with the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department reportedly reluctant in permitting the former to integrate the sewer and storm water drainage system of the upcoming dwelling units with that of Mohali.
Citing inadequate carrying capacity, the department has, in a communiqué to the CHB, stated that the existing lines brought storm and sewer discharge of Phases IX and XI, before it moved towards Sector 67.
Recently, the project was in news when officials of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had objected to the coming of 1,100 flats close to the houses in Phase IX of Mohali. It was then decided that a minimum distance of 60 feet would be maintained between the six-storey block of the Sector 63 housing scheme and row of residential houses in Phase IX of Mohali.
Superintending Engineer of Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department NK Dhir said he had received no communication in this regard from the CHB.
On the other hand, the Chief Engineer has written a letter to the Superintending Engineer apprising him of the issue. Minutes of a meeting held in the office of the Chief Administrator, GMADA, in August have been mentioned in the letter wherein it was decided that a joint inspection of the existing capacity of the lines would be done. It was also decided that in case the existing line was not adequate to accept the additional discharge, the CHB should be allowed to lay its own line in Mohali area up to the location where the existing service of Mohali could take the additional discharge generated from 1,100 dwelling units of the CHB complex.
But so far no decision has been taken on the issue which is likely to surface in a meeting with Punjab and CHB officials scheduled for December 15.

Human RightsDay

Dal Khalsa writes to US watchdog

Jalandhar, December 10
Marking the 63rd World Human Rights Day, the Dal Khalsa has invited the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) to probe the “continuing abuse of human rights in Punjab”.

In a six-page missive addressed to the international watchdog’s office in New York, the Dal Khalsa has listed several instances of custodial deaths and violations of rights of political dissenters and common citizens over the past one year.

It also highlighted several incidents of denial of civil liberties to common citizens. These included incidents of high-handedness by the authorities on protesting pharmacists, ETT teachers, unemployed linemen, female multi-purpose health workers, unemployed B.Ed. teachers, veterinary inspectors, farmers and employees of a sugar mill, besides Sikh radicals.

“Such incidents widely reported in the media have failed to elicit any reaction from the law-makers in the state or the Union government,” states the letter.

“We are particularly concerned about the prospects of retired Punjab police officers having checkered past jumping into the political fray, reads the letter.

Another Consumer Forum bench starts work

Chandigarh, December 10
Punjab Food, Civil & Consumer Affairs and Information Technology Minister Adaish Partap Singh Kairon today dedicated the third bench of the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to the public.

Presiding over a function organised in commission’s office here, Kairon said the commission played an important role in providing speedy justice to the consumers betrayed by the companies as in some cases.

He said though the amount involved was usually not so big, it was the matter of hurting of their sentiments and a feeling of denied justice. He pointed out that speedy justice for consumers was the need of hour as generally in these cases complainants did not pursue their cases.

The purpose of setting up of the third bench was to cut short the pendency of consumers’ cases at the state level to two months.

The minister said Punjab was the only state in North India to have three benches at the state commission.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice SN Aggarwal (retd), president, Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, said not only the backlog of cases, which were pending since 1999, had been cleared but also the cases filed up to 31.12.2006 had been finalised.

He said the annual non-plan budget of the commission was Rs 4.59 crore which had been enhanced to Rs 11.02 crore for the financial year 2011-12. Similarly, there had been an increase in the plan budget, which was Rs 32.25 lakh during 2007-08, had now been enhanced to Rs 77.13 lakh. 

Capt warns Sukhbir against violence

Amritsar, December 10
PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh today warned Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal against instigating people to indulge in violence during the coming elections. At the same time, he said the Election Commission was closely monitoring the situation and adequate security measures were being taken to prevent any mischief by the Akalis.
Addressing a function organised to felicitate senior Congress leader RL Bhatia here, Amarinder condemned the “collapse of the government” in the state, as the Amritsar-Jalandhar highway remained blocked due to the farmers’ protest for the fifth consecutive day today. He said the government must talk with the farmer and employee unions to resolve their issues.
Referring to Sukhbir’s recent statements “instigating people to violence”, the former CM warned, “If you try to hit the Congressmen once, they will hit you back not once, not twice but thrice… Let me tell him that the Congress workers will not tolerate violence anymore and enough is enough.”
At the same time, he made it clear that the Congress workers would not initiate any violence as they don’t need to, since they know they are winning. “But they will not take it lying down and will defend themselves,” he warned.
About Sikh memorials, the PPCC chief claimed that these were mostly incomplete and had been locked immediately after inauguration just to ensure that people do not know that they played fraud.
He pointed out that the government had failed to utilise Rs 5,000 crore provided by the Prime Minister for Amritsar’s development under Jawahar Lal National Urban Renewal Mission as it could not provide the matching grants since the money was being “squandered away by Badal in his Sangat Darshan programmes”.
Congress incharge for Punjab Gulchain Singh Charak, Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former PPCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo and Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa were also present.

Senior Congress leaders OP Soni and Jasbir Singh Dimpa were conspicuous by their absence, which fuelled the speculations that they stayed away from the function owing to their alleged differences with Dr Rajkumar Verka, the organiser of the show.

Power sop in Punjab

Chandigarh/Amritsar, Dec 10
With an eye on the forthcoming elections, the Punjab Cabinet at a meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, restored free power available to Scheduled Caste and Below Poverty Line families for domestic consumption to 200 units per month.
This was reduced to 100 units per month following the recommendations of the Sukhbir-Kalia committee in January 2010. This means the government will have to double the Rs 350 crore annual subsidy on account of this concession to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited.
Sources said the latest concession has been given to blunt criticism from the Congress that the government had halved the power subsidy being given to the poor.
The number of households which will benefit from subsidised power is now 15 lakh. The figure constitutes 35 per cent of the state’s population.

In another major decision, the government decided not to recover the arrears oftubewell bills from the farmers for the period during which the free power facility was not given to them. The Cabinet reiterated the SAD-BJP government’s commitment to continue the free power facility for tubewell connections for farmers as well as for domestic consumption for poor households.

Members of various farmer unions who had blocked the busy Amritsar-Jalandhar highway at Beas for the past five days, called off their agitation in the evening today after the state government accepted their demands.

Notably, the protesting farmers were demanding acceptance of their two main demands- 200 units of free power for landless farmers and waiving of power bills amounting to Rs 357 crore.

As soon as Amritsar SSP (rural) Gurmeet Chauhan announced the outcome of the talks held in Chandigarh between CM Parkash Singh Badal and the farmers’ representatives, the protesters called off their strike. This led to resumption of services on the Amritsar-Jalandhar highway. 

Poll bonanza

200 units a month free power to poor restored

Recovery of the arrears of tubewell bills from the farmers waived

Lokpal panel report a fraud: Anna

Prime Minister calls all-party meeting on Wednesday 

New Delhi, December 10
Unnerved by Anna Hazare’s fresh declaration of war and faced with divisions within the political class, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss matters relating to the Lokpal Bill.
Anna Hazare, who arrived in the Capital to participate in a one-day token protest at the Jantar Mantar tomorrow, has threatened to campaign against the Congress in the next year’s Assembly polls and will continue till the 2014 general elections.
The UPA government is in a fix as it was hoping that the recommendations of the Parliamentary standing committee, which is represented by all political parties, would serve as a basis for drafting a fresh Lokpal Bill. But it faces an uphill task as 16 dissent notes have been appended to the final report with the main opposition party, the BJP, aligning itself largely with Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal Bill on key issues.

Having learnt a bitter lesson on the last two occasions when Anna Hazare undertook an indefinite fast, the UPA government has decided to reach out to leaders of all political parties to build consensus on the final shape of the Lokpal Bill. The meeting with the Opposition parties will be preceded with a round of consultations with the UPA allies.

The meeting of the Union Cabinet slated for Tuesday is likely to discuss the Lokpal Bill, currently being drafted by a high-level ministerial team. This draft may be shared with party leaders on Wednesday to minimise the differences so that the Bill can be passed in Parliament without any acrimony.

UPA sources said the Cabinet could meet again after Wednesday’s deliberations to finalise the Lokpal Bill. The government wants to introduce the Bill by December 19 so that it can be debated and passed by December 22 when the winter session comes to a close.

“ Since this is an important legislation and all political parties are equally concerned about tackling the menace of corruption, we thought it is important to talk to them and seek their suggestions,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said today.

There are indications that the government will agree to the inclusion of Prime Minister and lower bureaucracy (with conditions) under the ambit of the Lokpal. Sources said Group C employees could be included in the Bill with the condition that only complaints of corruption that attract penal provisions will be entertained by the CVC, which will investigate these cases under the supervision of the Lokpal.

By doing so, the government will keep the promise it made in the ‘sense of the House' resolution moved by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on August 27 which spoke of bringing the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal “through an appropriate mechanism.

Meanwhile, Anna Hazare has trained his guns on the Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi. While absolving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he charged that Rahul had directed the standing committee to dilute its report. “The government has not kept its word given by the Prime Minister to me while I was fasting at Ramlila Grounds. The standing committee report by Abhishek Singhvi is a fraud on the entire nation,” Anna thundered, adding that he would launch a country-wide campaign against the Congress which will continue for the next two years.

Unlike the previous occasions, Team Anna has invited all political parties to participate in a public debate on the Lokpal tomorrow. Except the Congress, which declined Team Anna’s invitation, most other parties, including the BJP and the Left parties, are sending their representatives.

Rejecting the standing committee’s recommendations, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the government, saying it had no intention of bringing a strong Lokpal Bill.

Team Anna members said they would decide the direction of their agitation after the government tables the bill in Parliament though they have announced plans for another protest at the Ramlila Grounds from December 27.

Team Anna plan

Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan say activists will wait for the government to table the draft bill before deciding on the direction the agitation will take from December 27 onward.

10-day police custody for AMRI directors

Kolkata, December 10
Six of the seven arrested directors of the AMRI hospital, where 91 persons mainly patients choked to death after a fire, were today remanded to 10-day police custody by a court here, as the defence counsel alleged that he was not allowed to move bail.
Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alipur court, S M Shahnawaz remanded R S Goenka, S K Todi, Prashant Goenka, Manish Goenka, Ravi Todi and Dayanand Agarwal in police custody till December 20.
Shahnawaz ordered that another AMRI director R S Agarwal, who was admitted to the B M Birla Hospital here after his arrest yesterday, be produced in court at the earliest.
The state government’s lawyers strongly opposed their bail petitions.
They pleaded that they be allowed to remain in police custody for some more days for enabling the cops to make further interrogation. The court also sent the accused to 10-day police custody.
The next date of hearing has been fixed as December 20, when all the accused will be produced before the court.
The lawyers appearing on behalf of Todi and other accused, however, alleged they did not get proper opportunity for pleading in the court today and they will make a fresh bail move for their clients either in the Calcutta Court or the Supreme Court on Monday.

Initially, there was chaos and confusion in the court following the decisions of the Alipore Lawyers’ Association and Alipore Bar Association to boycott the hearing. No lawyers in the court agreed to appear on behalf of the accused. But the associations did not oppose the appearing of lawyers of some other courts on behalf of those arrested. Accordingly, two lawyers of the Calcutta High Court today pleaded on behalf of the accused.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the hospital fire incident today rose to 91, with two more patients succumbing to injuries in two different hospitals where they were taken from AMRI Hospital in a critical condition.

The bodies of two other patients from Agartala were reportedly missing. The two nurses on duty who were killed were identified today by their relatives after they arrived in the city from their hometown in Kerala.

Teams of forensic experts visited the hospital for making an on-the-spot inquiry. The 15-member police team of the detective department of Kolkata police inquiring into the incident also made an on-the-spot inquiry and interrogated hospital staff, doctors and security personnel.

The state minister for fire service and the disaster management Javen Khan said such a devastating fire could have been averted if fire-fighting regulations had been properly conformed to.

He alleged that the electrical installations in the hospital was defective and the fire might have been caused by a short-circuit.

Khan appointed a five-member expert team for looking into the fire safety arrangements in all hospitals, private nursing homes and other high-rise buildings in the city. The officials will, from time to time, visit hospitals and other buildings and submit reports to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.