I was raped and now I don’t want to be victimized by the Orissa Police

Sister Meena

On 24th August around 4.30 pm, hearing the shouting large crowd, at the gate of Sivyajyoti pastoral centre, I ran out through the back door and escaped to the forest along with others. We saw our house going up in flame. Around 8.30 PM, we came out of the forest and went to the house of the Hindu gentleman who gave us shelter.

On 25th August, around 1.30 PM, the mob entered the room where I was staying in that house; one of them slapped on my face, caught my hair and pulled me out of the house. Two of them were holding my neck to cut off my head with axe. Others told them to take me out to the road; I saw Fr. Chellan also being taken out and being beaten. The mob consisting of 40-50 men were armed with lathis, axes, spades, crowbars, iron rods, sticks etc. They took both of us to the main road. Then they led us to the burnt down Janavikas building saying that they were going to throw us into the smoldering fire.

When we reached the Janavikas building, threw me to the verandah on the way to the dining room which was full of ashes and broken glass pieces. One of them tore my blouse and others my undergarments. Father Chellan protested and they beat him and pulled him out from there. They pulled out my saree and one of them slepped on my right hand and another on my left hand and then a third person raped me on the verandah mention above. When it was over, I managed to get up and put my petticoat and saree. Then another young man caught me and took me to a room near the staircase. He opened his pants and was attempting to rape me when they reached there.

I hide myself under the staircase. The crowd was shouting “Where is that sister, come let us rape her, at least 100 people should rape.” They found me under stair case and took me out to the road. There I saw Fr. Chellan was kneeling down and the crowd was beating him. They were searching for a rope to tie both of us together to burn in fire. Someone suggested to make a us parade naked. They made us to walk on the road till Nuagaon market, which was half a kilometer from there. They made to fold our hands and walk. I was with petticoat and saree as they had already torn away my blouse and undergarments. They tried to strip even there and I resisted and they went on beating me with hands on my cheeks and head, and with sticks on my back several times.

When we reached market place, about a dozen of OSAP police men were there. I went to them asking to protect me and I sat in between two policemen. They did not move. One from the crowd again pulled out from there there and they wanted to take us in their temple mandap. The crowd led me and Fr. Chellan to the Nuagaon block building, saying that they will hand us over to B.D.O. From there along with the block officer, the mob took us to police outpost Nuagaon, other policemen remained far.

The mob said that they will comeback after and one of them who attacked me remained back in the police outpost. Policemen then came to police outpost. They were talking very friendly with the man who had attacked me and stayed back. In police outpost we remained until the inspector incharge of Balliguda with his police team came and took us to Balliguda. They were afraid to us straight to the police station and they kept us sometimes in jeep in garage, from there they brought us to the station. The inspector incharge and other two government officers took privately and asked whatever happened to me. I narrated everything in detail to the police, how I was attacked, raped, taken away from policement paraded half naked and how the plicemen did not help me when I asked for help while weeping bitterly. I saw the inspector writing down. The inspector asked me “Are you interesting in filing FIR? Do you know what will be the consequence?” At about 10 PM, I was taken for medical check up accompanied by a lady police officer to Balliguda hospital” They were afraid to keep us in police station, saying the mob may attack police station. So the police took us to I. B. (Inspection Bungalow) where CRPF men were camping.

On 26th around 9 AM we were taken to Balliguda police station. When I was writing the FIR, the I/C asked me to hurry up and not to write in detail. When I started writing about the police, I/C told me this is not the way to write FIR. “Make it short.” So I rewrote it for the third time in one and half page. I filed the FIR, but I was not given a copy of it.

At around 4 PM the Inspector In charge of Balliguda police station along with some government officers put us in the OSRTC bus to Bhubaneswar along with other stranded passengers. Police were there till Rangamati, where all passengers had their supper. After that I did not see the police. We got down near Nayagarh and traveled in a private vehicle and reached Bhubaneswar around 2 AM on 27th August.

State police failed to stop the crimes, failed to protect me from the attackers, they were friendly with attackers, they tried their best that I did not register a FIR, not make complaints against police, police did not take down my statement as I narrated in detail and they abandon me half of the way. I was raped and now I don’t want to be victimized by the Orissa Police. I want CBO enquiry. God bless India, God bless you all.

Sr. Meena
(Sr. Meena was working at Divyajyoti Pastoral Centre at K. Nuagaon, Kandhamal District, Orissa before anti-Christian violence broken out in Kandhamal district of Orissa after the killing of Lakshmananada Sarawati on August 23, 2008 allegedly by Maoists.)

Thumps Down --- Autos, Buses

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Sep 23, 2007 (PTI) Buses and autos plying in the capital have got a thumps down from Delhi women, with a whopping 70 per cent of the fairer sex claiming that these were the high-risk areas for them.

Fifty per cent of the respondents of a government- backed study -- "How Secure or Insecure are Women in the City of Delhi" by the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science -- said they consider buses as most unsafe for women.

The study suggested that government should ensure that the drivers and conductors of blueline buses have no criminal background and get them registered with the authorities.

Autos came a distant second with 20 per cent in the study conducted for Bureau of Police Research and Development by interviewing 630 respondents in markets, colleges, railway stations, malls, ISBT, airport, slums and villages.

Ten per cent of the women felt that roadside was an area of high insecurity. Interestingly, Old Delhi ranked fourth in this regard with seven per cent of the respondents perceiving this part of the capital as scary.

The survey, conducted to stidy the perception level of insecurity among women in the capital, also found that market places and colleges are the places where capital's women feel most insecure. About 80.40 per cent of women interviewed at marketplaces said they felt insecure at the place while the figurefor colleges was 72.10 per cent.

Shopping malls came third where 60 per cent of respondents said they felt insecure. Level of insecurity was lowest among slum dwellers (8.70 per cent) followed by respondents from village (22.8 percent).

The study said personal factors like low level of confidence and alcoholic spouses made slum dwellers (80 per cent of the respondents) insecure.

The feeling of insecurity sank in 85 per cent of women in markets and railway stations due to low level of confidence, it said. In colleges, 70 per cent of the girls had lower level of confidence. Respondents from villages have higher trust in the police while those from markets and airport trusted police the lowest, it said.

The study suggested that small bottes of pepper spray be made available at a very low price for enhancing the security of the fairer sex.

"Every girl should carry pepper spray and it should beavailable in a small bottle at a very low price ... easilyavailable in the market," it said.

The study also recommended that women should always move in groups if possible and should carry contact numbers of women helpline and police besides having "some basic knowledge" of law.

CRPF women earn praise for work in Liberia

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Dec 25, 2007 (PTI) A "five-star" performance bywomen personnel of the CRPF in strife-torn Liberia has earned them the praise of the African nation's President for motivating the country's women to join police, besides a year's extension

Completing a year in Liberia next month, the 125-strong contingent led by Commandant Seema Dhundiya, was entrusted with the security of the President, joint patrolling and general area domination besides riot control and training ofofficers of the National Police in the crisis-hit West Africannation

Impressed by their performance, the United Nations has sought an extension for the force, and a fresh batch of 125personnel, part of the CRPF's women battalion, will be heading to Liberia next month to replace the existing team

"It was for the first time that a female contingent was sent to Liberia in January this year to handle the local unrest and this is the first female contingent of police to be deployed by the UN," CRPF Director General S I S Ahmed toldPTI.

"The day the first batch landed in Liberia, there was a big demonstration. They did exceedingly well in containing the unruly mob. It created a big impact," Ahmed, who recently visited Liberia, said.

The "outstanding" performance by the squad, Ahmed said, also prompted the authorities to entrust the security of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with the CRPF.

"Sirleaf told me that the CRPF has created an outstanding impact on the Liberians and a large number of women now are wanting to join the police. She said it was unparallelled as Liberian women never wanted to come and join police," Ahmedsaid.

The specialised Formed Police Unit, comprising 125 female officers of the paramilitary force, has received training in crowd control, handling of weapons and teargas and unarmed combat.

The team will be armed with pistols, INSAS and AK-47rifles and light machine guns.

The contingent will be equipped with bulletproof vehicles, indigenous riot control vehicle Vajra, night vision devices and GPS systems.

The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) took over peacekeeping duties from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in October 2003 to bring about a thaw among warring ethnic groups.

The existing contingent also received praise from UNMILCommander Lt Gen Chikadikia Obiaka and Deputy SpecialRepresentative of UN Secretary General, Henreitta Joy, who commended the CRPF work as "five star" performance.

Asked why the CRPF force was selected for the job, Ahmed said, "there were many demonstrations in which women were participating in large numbers and the government was finding it difficult to handle that."

He said the CRPF contingent is encouraging other countries to raise exclusive women contingent and "dignitaries visiting Liberia are interacting with our contingent to findout the mode of working".

"Like their male counterparts, they are into everything like counter-insurgency and counter-militancy. This kind ofexposure, I think, no women contingent in the world evergets," Ahmed said.

UN approaches India for CRPF contingent in Haiti

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Dec 21, 2007 (PTI) The United Nations hasapproached India for the deployment of a CRPF contingent inthe trouble-torn Latin American nation of Haiti to help its peacekeeping mission, a proposal which is being considered by the government.

The Home Ministry received the UN proposal seeking CRPF personnel for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) some time back, a senior official told PTI.

"The government is considering the proposal. Discussions are on the preliminary stage," the official said without elaborating the number of CRPF personnel sought by the UN to strengthen its existing force. No decision has been taken so far, the official added.

If the government accepts the invitation, this will be the second CRPF contingent to be deployed with UN peacekeeping mission now. A 125-member strong women contingent of the CRPFis presently in Liberia as part of the UN mission there.

The 123-men strong Rapid Action Force, a constituent of the CRPF, was earlier deployed in the trouble-torn Latin American nation in 1995 to assist the election process there. There were also a few Indians serving in the Mission inHaiti on the civil side.

The UN mission started functioning in Haiti in 1993 tos upport the country, the first indpendent nation in Latin America, which was in the midst of chaos and anarchy.

Presently, there are 8,889 personnel in Haiti as partof the UN mission. This include 7,060 military personnel,1,829 police personnel, 482 international civilian personnel,1,102 local civilian staff and 194 UN volunteers.

The personnel are from Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka,Nepal, United States, France, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey,Nigeria and Philippines among others nations.

According to official statistics, a total of 32 personnel of the UN Mission have lost their lives in the violence-hit nation, including 19 military and three police personnel in the past.

Personnel of CRPF were also deployed in Sri Lanka aspart of the India Peace Keeping Force. In 2000, RAF sent its 240 personnel as part of anIndian contingent on UN mission to strife-torn Kosovo.

This unit provided special secuirty to the UN officials, assistedthe local police in controlling crowd during violentdemonstrations and civil unrest. CRPF contingent were also pressed into action by various UN Missions in Namibia, Somalia, Haiti, Maldives andBosnia. These contingents won praises from the UN for its professionalism and steadfastness to duty, the official said.

Noida police asks Delhi counterparts for missing persons info

Shemin Joy
Noida, Jan 2, 2007 (PTI) Noida police have asked their Delhicounterparts to provide them with details of missing personsin their areas even as people from far and near are coming toNithari village, where a gruesome tale of serial killing ofchildren has come to light, in search of their missing kin.

Circle Officer (Noida) Dinesh Yadav held a meetingwith SHOs of Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar in East Delhi andrequested them to give details of missing persons in theirareas, including the complaints and their photographs.

More and more persons from nearby areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) as well as from places likeMuzaffarnagar are thronging Nithari village in search of theirmissing kin after the discovery of skeletal remains there.

Yadav said special arrangements have been made forpeople coming from outside Noida and a sub-inspector has beenspecifically assigned to listen to their complaints at Sector20 police station.

One of the several parents who have come to Nithari village is Zaheer Khan, a motor mechanic from Muzaffarnagarin UP

Khan's 12-year-old son went missing three years agowhile he was staying at his uncle's house in Ghaziabad that is not very far from the scene of the crime

"I have been searching for my son for the last three years and even lost my job," Khan said.

Phool Kaur came to Nithari fearing that her missing sister Hans Kaur, a resident of Kalyanpuri area of East Delhi,could be among the victims of the alleged serial killers Moninder Singh and his servant Surendra.

Hans Kaur had gone missing in January, 2003 and was last spotted in Sector 11 of Noida.

An FIR was registered in both the Sector 11 andKalyanpuri police stations.

"Police had called us a few days after the FIR was registered and said a body had been found. But it was not Hans," said Phool Kaur.

A large number of people have been coming to Nithari village with copies of FIRs and photographs of their missing kin since the serial killings have come to light.

Several parents showed photographs of their missing children and showed them to the police officials even as they braced themselves to hear bad news.

Yadav said a large number of people were approaching Noida police since the lust-cum-murder case came to light. The people were asked to provide with photograph,copies of FIR filed earlier with relevant police stations and other details, he said.

Fighting AIDS, the Gandhian way

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Oct 7, 2007 (PTI) Inspired by Bollywood characterMunnabhai, a group of Gandhians in the capital have declared a"Gandhigiri" against HIV/AIDS by urging people to keep awayfrom illicit relationship by spreading the teachings of the Father of the Nation on moral and family values.

Activists of the 'Universal Peace Foundation' aredistributing "Gandhigiri" pamphlets, which contains messages of Mahatma Gandhi on values like being trustworthy in relationships and on the institution of wedding.

The pamphlet urges people to take a pledge that they will keep away from illicit relationships before or after marriage and will be faithful to the partner in the entire life. It also contains passages from sacred texts of various religions like Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism,Zorastrianism and Ba'ahai.

The campaign was designed under the guidance ofeminent jurist L M Singhvi, who died yesterday.

"We are trying to reach out to the masses using theMahatma's teachings to fight against HIV/AIDS," DavidMcLackLand, a Britisher associated with the campaign, told PTI.

MacLackland, also a consultant with a charitable trust'Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace',said they chose the principles of Mahatma because his idealshave an universal appeal. Gandhiji also spoke on length about the need foradhering to family values, he added.

"We thought why not use his eternal principles in the fight against the deadly disease. The pamphlet also contains quotes from religious texts which talks about values,"MacLackland said.

He said it was "good to copy good things from abroadbut copying bad ideas like the western family values could create problems here". "Being from the West, I can say this with some conviction," McLackland said.

Women in police force unknown entity: Kiran Bedi

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Dec 26, 2007 (PTI) She made a mark as the country's first IPS officer. And bidding the police service adieu, Kiran Bedi [Images] lamented that her sisters in the force continued to be an unknown entity.

"Women are still an unknown entity in the force. They remain anonymous and the government thinks they are unpredictable," Bedi, who ended her 37-year-old eventful career in the police force on Wednesday, said.

Bedi had alleged in July, when she was overlooked for the post of Delhi police commissioner, that the government was biased towards women in the police force.

She was relieved of her duties on Wednesday after the government accepted her one-and-half month-old application for voluntary retirement.

Bedi was also critical of the "negative" political interference in policing, saying it was affecting the efficiency of the police force in the country.

"There are no debates in the country about the police and its reforms. We had a number of police commissions. What did they achieve? Have you done any audit? There are no police officers who speak out against this and there is nobody to speak for policemen. This is despite the best being there in the service," she said.

Asked how she assesses her illustrious and sometimes controversial career, the 1972-batch officer said she remembers the service with "nostalgic gratitude".

"There were milestones, valleys, mountains, plains and sometimes trenches also," she said.

"I was in a service where I truly belonged to. I was never a misfit. I was fitting beautifully in the system. I grew up for this," she added.

On criticism that she was the "most pampered" officer, she said, "If I was a pampered officer, I would not have spent four years in the training department. Not a single pampered officer goes to Tihar."

Bedi, who has been an Asian Tennis champion, said she imbibed many a thing from the game.

"Tennis was never my goal. But it taught me what books did not. I travelled with books. I attended exams after my matches. My priority was something else," Bedi said, adding she knew that the game has a shelf life.

She was ready to acknowledge what tennis taught her. "It taught me how to manage stress and time, what to eat, when to sleep, how to exercise and many other things."

She said her travel to various places in the country in general women compartments of trains made her come close to realities of life.

Asked what she did after receiving the relieving letter from the home ministry on Christmas eve, Bedi said she went to a temple to say, "God, Thank you and now take care of me."

Indo-China to hold 2nd joint military exercise this year

Shemin Joy

Laungewala (Rajasthan), Feb 24, 2008 (PTI) Though India and China have differing perception on the boundary line in Arunachal Pradesh, the two armies will go ahead with their second joint military exercise on Indian soil this year.

"For the first time, we had an exercise with China in their territory. Next joint exercise will be held in India this year. You can wait for it," Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters in Laungwala at Rajasthan on Sunday.

Asked about the Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh, the defence minister said, "There exists an established channel to sort out such matters."

Antony said the India-China border was not demarcated yet. "It is not settled yet. There is always some scope for confusion," he said.

Antony was speaking to reporters after a visit to Laungwala, the historic site where about 100 Indian soldiers thwarted an attack by Pakistani troops during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

New Delhi and Beijing carried out their first-ever joint military exercise in China's southwestern province of Yunnan in December last year, which was helpful in building mutual trust and promoting cooperation between the armies of the two countries.

The purpose of the joint military exercise with China was aimed at taking the ties between the armed forces of two countries to a new high.

Antony also expressed hope that the pay commission will give armed forces the best.The defence minister strongly argued a case in the favour of the armed forces. "I hope pay commission will favour us," he said.

Is Jamia Millia a minority institution?

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Dec 18, 2006 (PTI) In a setback to Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan, the National Commission of Minority Educational Institution has said his contention of varsity not being a minority establishment 'does not appear to be true'.

The Commission asked the renowned historian to reconcile the 'apparent inconsistency' in the position taken by Hasan and the stand of the 86-year-old institution in this regard.

"The contention of the respondent (Hasan) that the said University is not a minority educational institution does not appear to be true," the Commission headed by Justice M S A Siddique said.

The observation was made during a hearing on the petition filed by Jamia Old Boys Association seeking disciplinary action against the Vice Chancellor and varsity Registrar S M Afzal for allegedly diluting the minority status of their alma mater.

The former students have alleged that Hasan and Afzal were 'intentionally' depriving Muslim students in Jamia of their educational rights for 'petty gains' by allowing a 27 percent quota for OBCs in line with the recently enacted Education Bill.

Strongly criticising the Vice Chancellor for his 'diametrically opposite' positions on the issue, the Commission noted that a resolution unanimously passed by the majlis-i-muntazimah (executive council) of Jamia under the chairmanship of Hasan himself on May 9, 1997 said that the University should be declared a minority educational institution.

In another application filed by the Jamia Teachers Association seeking that authorities should be restrained from implementing the 27 per cent OBC quota in the university till the pendency of the case relating to the minority status, the Commission issued notice to the Vice Chancellor and listed the matter on January 10 next year.

Meanwhile, Jamia Teachers Association, Administrative Staff Association, School Teachers Association and Old Boys Association have sent a joint representation to President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi [Images] seeking their intervention in the issue.

"The present vice chancellor's move to implement the OBC quota in Jamia when the Education Bill is not applicable on a minority educational institution has created strong resentment and anger in Jamia in particular and Muslim masses in general," it said.

The memorandum also urged the President and prime minister to help clear the ambiguity 'created by the present vice chancellor with regard to the minority status of Jamia.'

Kerala's Kannur registers the largest number of rioting cases

Shemin Joy

New Delhi, Jan 13, 2008 (PTI) It may be one of the most literate states, but Kerala has the highest crime rate in the country and one of its districts, which is currently the flashpoint of the clashes between Communist Party of India Marxist and the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh, tops the list in riot cases.

According to the latest statistics on crime in India, Kerala has the highest crime rate of 20.19 per one lakh population regarding offences committed against public as against the national average of 5.82.

The state also registered a total of 6,365 riot cases in 2006, which is third in the ladder behind Bihar (8,259) and Maharashtra (7,453).

Regarding arson, Kerala with 435 cases is behind Maharashtra (1,188) Andhra Pradesh (1,012) Madhya Pradesh (815) and Bihar (785).

But Kannur in the state's north had 737 riot cases in 2006 and this is the highest number registered by any police district in the country.

The district, a bastion of the Marxists for long, had been witnessing frequent clashes between the activists of CPI-M and BJP-RSS, with both sides claiming to have lost at least 150 cadres each.

A number of political clashes were charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to rioting and this is the reason behind this kind of figures, a Kerala government official said.

The majority of the present state leadership of the CPI-M, including state party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, hails from Kannur. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also hails from Kannur.

Prominent Marxist leaders like A K Gopalan, who was the first Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha, kickstarted their political career in this district.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, cases of rioting and arson are the major components under the category of crimes against public order and it constitutes 3.5 per cent of the total crimes registered under the Indian Penal Code.

Incidence of crimes under this head has increased by 0.7 per cent from 64,686 in 2005 to 65,121 in the next year.Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka account for about 47 per cent of cases of rioting and arson in the country. In the national capital, 87 cases of rioting and 33 cases of arson were registered in 2006.

Noida: Skeletal remains of 8 kids found; 2 held

Sarvottamjee M Jaipuriar and Shemin Joy

Noida, Dec 29, 2006 (PTI) In a gruesome discovery, police on Friday found skeletal remains of at least eight children who are believed to have been sexually abused before being murdered in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi.
The suspected serial killer Surender alias Satish, a domestic help, has been arrested along with his master Mohinder Singh Pandher, a factory owner from whose house the skeletons were found in gunny bags.
The victims appeared to be among some 38 missing children in the past one year from Nithari village in Sector 31 of Noida indicating that the number of those murdered could be much higher.
Senior Superintendent of Police R K S Rathore said the 30-year-old domestic help from Almora in Uttarakhand confessed to killing six children and a 20-year-old girl Payal by strangulating them after sexual abuse.
Surender had lured the children, under 12 years, by offering sweets and toffees.
Investigations were on to find out the role of his employer Pandher who owns a factory in Noida and in Chandigarh.
The saga of the missing children came to light when skeletal remains were recovered from a drain abutting the house of Pandher.
The remains were found in gunny bags. Not far away from this area, the kidnapping of Anant Gupta, a nursery student and child of a multinational executive, last month made news headlines.
The child was recovered after a ransom of Rs 50 lakh was paid.
Rathore said Surender was in possession of the girl Payal's mobile phone and further interrogation revealed that he had killed seven persons, including her.
A C Sharma, additional director-general of police, Uttar Pradesh, said investigations were on to find out whether Pandher had any role in these killings as the girl was suspected to have had an affair with him.
Jagmohan Yadav, inspector-general of police (Meerut Range), who inspected the house, said parents of two girls who had gone missing about a year ago reported to police three days back that they had found clothes and slippers belonging to the children in the drain.
Talking to reporters, he said police had since then kept the house under surveillance and last night a team of the Special Operation Group had picked up Surender.
Asked about the number of skeletons found in the house, Yadav said the exact number could not be given right now.
No perfect skeletons were found and the exact number of bodies could be given only after scientific tests, he added.

Aarushi case hogs prime time TV coverage: Study

Shemin Joy

NEW DELHI, JUNE 18, 2008 (PTI) The 'whodunnit' mystery over the sensational Noida twin murder seems to have caught the news channels in a big way, with a media watchdog claiming that six leading TV networks devoted half of their prime time to the case.

A study by Centre for Media Studies (CMS) said six channels beamed news and special programmes on the double murder for 39.30 hours out of a total 92 hours prime time -- from 19:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs -- between May 16 and June 7.

The CMS study analysed 23 days of prime time coverage of the May 16 murders of teenaged Noida girl Aarushi Talwar and her family help Hemraj, the investigation of which invited national attention after allegation of botch-up by UP Police.

The channels -- DD News, Zee News, Aaj Tak, Star News, NDTV 24X7 and CNN-IBN -- telecast 234 news reports and 62 special programmes during the period, the study said.

The news reports consumed about 17 hours of the prime time while specials ran into over 22 hours.

While Zee News topped the list with a coverage of close to 11 hours with 48 reports and 21 special programmes, DD News coverage of the crime was at the bottom with 24 reports running into just 41 minutes over 23 days under review.

"The Arushi murder case was overplayed. If you consider the time for advertisements, I wonder how much time was devoted to other stories," Prabhakar, Head of CMS Media Lab, told PTI.

"We feel the Gujjar agitation, having more national ramification, did not get adequate TV coverage so also the crucial developments in Nepal when it turned into a republic," he said.

'Honour J&K farmer with national award for Kargil information'

Shemin Joy
New Delhi, Jan 22, 2008 (PTI)
This illiterate Kashmiri farmer was the first to inform the army about the presence of Pakistani troops on the Kargil hilltops in April 1999, but he continues to remain a face in the crowd.
Tsering Samphel, a member of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, has asked the government to honour Tashi Namgyal of Garkhon village in Kargil with the "highest national level award" for his meritorious services.

The Ladakh resident twice spotted "dubious and suspicious" human movement on the high mountains when he went looking for his lost yak and informed the army about it.
The contribution of 40-year-old Namgyal is similar to Mohd Sherwani's in 1947. Sherwani had misled Pakistani tribesmen heading towards Baramulla.

Samphel told PTI that Namgyal was the "real informer who escorted the army from May 3 to May 12 in 1999 to the difficult hilltops where he had seen the Pakistanis."

In a letter to Defence Minister A K Antony, Samphel said, "Namgyal was the first to inform the army about the presence of Pakistani troops in the high mountains on our side of Line of Control."

Though the army authorities have acknowledged his contributions through various commendations, including a cash prize of Rs 50,000, Samphel said, "Namgyal's service has not been given national appreciation which he deserves."

"Therefore, I once again invite your (Antony's) kind attention for consideration of a national level award to him," Samphel said.

He had in a letter to then defence minister George Fernandes [Images] in 2003 asked for the highest national level award for Namgyal.

Reminding Antony about his previous recommendation to Fernandes, he complained that not giving due recognition to the Ladakhi peasant would send a wrong message to the locals, who are always vigilant on the borders.

Samphel said that had Namgyal not informed the army about the presence of the Northern Light Infantry, the intruders could have encroached further into vulnerable and strategically crucial road links and bridges.

The army gave Namgyal a merit card on 2001 and a certificate of commendation in 2002, which substantiate his contribution as a "vigilant and patriotic son of the soil despite being an illiterate farmer".

In a certificate given in July 2001, by Col Bijoy Mukherjee, commanding officer of first battalion of Bihar Regiment has said Namgyal has always been an "active source and an excellent informer".

"He is in possession of a pair of excellent private binoculars, which he used to search his cattle. He is honest and sincere," the certificate said.

Contact details of police stations a click away

Shemin Joy
September 04, 2007 (PTI) Are you searching for the telephone number of the Rangpo police station in Sikkim or the residence number of the officer-in-charge of Kiltan police station in Lakshadweep?
The contact details of the police stations and officials across the country are now just a click away, the first time in the history of policing in the country.
The Bureau of Police Research and Development, government's police think-tank, has already uploaded contact details of police stations of six states and four Union territories on its website www.bprd.gov.in.
The postal address of police station with phone and fax numbers and residential phone numbers of station in-charges can be accessed through the Internet now, a senior BPRD official said.
It also has the contact details of offices of assistant police commissioners and deputy superintendents of police of respective areas. Some police stations have provided their e-mail IDs also.
The contact details of Andaman and Nicobar (20 police stations), Daman and Diu (2), Dadra Nagar Haveli (2), Delhi (116), Lakshadweep (9), Goa [Images] (24), Meghalaya (30), Mizoram (37), Sikkim (26) and Tripura (58) are provided in the site.
"This is a beginning to get police stations connected through the Internet which will improve connectivity and access and making policing in the country transparent," Kiran Bedi, BPRD director general, told PTI.
Bedi said BPRD envisages a scenario when all police stations across the country could be connected through e-mails where people can sent information to investigators and lodge complaints.
"We should develop a software such that a mail, which is a complaint or information, received at the police station is acknowledged automatically," Bedi said.
Incidents like refusal by officials to file FIRs on missing children and women in Uttar Pradesh's Nithari could have been avoided if there was a "fool-proof" mechanism to ensure accountability, she said.
"We should utilise available technology to plug the loopholes in the system and open it up," she said.
BPRD feels that providing contact details of police stations across the country would bring people and police together.
"We are now providing postal and telephone contacts. We are looking at a time of e-connectivity and e-interaction, a time when common people can come on a group chat and interact with the local Station House Officer," she said.
The BPRD is expected to provide contact details of police stations in the remaining states and union territories soon.

Expect more infiltration bid in JK :Antony

Shemin Joy
Hussainiwala (Punjab), May 13, 2008 (PTI) As militants unleashed a renewed blood-letting campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A K Antony today warned the country to gear up for more similar infiltration bids from across the border. "There will be stepped up infiltration attempts in the run up to the crucial elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly," Antony said as he emphasised on security forces to maintain the highest level of vigil on the borders.
Undertaking a tour of forward areas on the International Border with Pakistan in the Punjab Sector, the Defence Minister said, "Don't expect any let up." "We have to be on our guard in the coming summer months as the melting of snows will make infiltration more easier," he said, while ruling out any fresh infusion of forces in the election-bound state.
His remarks assume significance as according to reports Army has withdrawn some forces from the state for deployment in their erstwhile locations on the Sino-Indian border. Talking tough on dealing with militancy, the minister told reporters that the renewed large scale infiltration campaign was apparently aimed at disrupting the election process.
Referring to recent encounters with the militants close to international border in Jammu and Kashmir, Antony said the pattern was not new. He said in the past also militants had made moves to attack security and civilian installations close to the highway linking Jammu and Kashmir with other parts of India.

Soldiers rerun desert battle of 1971 Indo-Pak war

Shemin Joy
Laungewala (Rajasthan), Feb 24, 2008 (PTI) The desert reverberated with heavy artillery fire today as soldiers recreated one of the most decisive battles of the 1971 Indo-Pak war when a handful of 'faujis' took on a 2,500-strong advancing column.
Witness to the replay of the "Laungewala Epic" of December 5-6, 1971, was Defence Minister A K Antony on his first visit to this historic spot.
About 120 soldiers of Punjab Regiment's 23rd battalion held back the 51st Infantry Brigade and 22nd Armoured Regiment of the Pakistani army until the IAF flew in and repulsed the first major attack on Indian soil.
Two Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice during the intense two-day battle which saw the Pakistani side lose over 100 soldiers and 37 tanks.
One Pak tank, battered and soot-covered, was on display during a 20-minute live presentation at the battlefield in Jaisalmer district, about 15 km from the border.
Highlights of the battle rerun were an intercepted message in which a Pakistani soldier tells his superiors about the worsening situation and the killing of three Pakistani officers who had come to assess their strength.
It also recalled the emotionally charged address of Area Commander Maj Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri to his soldiers not to run away from the battle and to fight to the finish.
"If some wants to run away, they can do it now," he had said.
Antony suggested that the presentation be made available for the public.
"By sheer determination and dedication, a 100 soldiers under the valiant leadership of Maj Chandpuri were able to defeat a large segment of the Pakistani Army in 1971," the Defence Minister said.
Addressing the soliders, he said the government was committed to their welfare and working towards ensuring accomodation for married couples in the forces.
Noting that the nuclear family has become the norm of the day, he said the first phase of construction of houses for married couples was expected to conclude this year.
"We have already moved a proposal for the second phase which is being scrutinised by the Finance Ministry. I have also written to chief ministers asking them to settle on priority basis the soldiers' problems," he said.
Interacting with journalists later, Antony expressed the hope that the Sixth Pay Commission will give the armed forces the best. "I hope the pay commission favours us," he said.
Asked whether he will argue for segregating service personnel from Central government employees in the pay panel, the minister said, "I am not here for an academic discussion."
On the modernisation programme, he assured the forces that money will not be a problem. "Because of a lot of controversies in the past, the modernisation process was slow. But in last four-five years, things have changed. Convince me (for procurement), money will not be a problem," he added.
He underscored the need to make the armed forces an attractive option for youngsters as the open market was a strong temptation.
"Armed forces are not the first or second preference of youngsters. If we want to attract the youth, we must give them a better deal," he said.
Antony also emphasised the need for an "effective deterrent" to safeguard the interests of the country.
"We have to modernise our armed forces. This is not to confront anybody. We want to safeguard the interest of the country and even for economic growth, we need an effective deterrent," he said.
"The GDP is growing and now we have to concentrate more on the modernisation of the armed forces," he said adding the government is committed to give the forces whatever modern equipment they need.

Youngsters not losing interest in arts

Shemin Joy
New Delhi, May 30, 2005 (PTI) Danseuse Yamini Krishnamurthy begs to differ with those who feel India's youth are less motivated to master classical Indian arts and are moving towards Western popular culture which is 'easier.'
"Please, don't tell me this. Some 200 children in Delhi alone came to my dance school. Why are they also going to other artistes to learn the arts?" asks the Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi exponent, who plans a comeback to the arangu (stage) this year.
Unlike many of her contemporaries, Krishnamurthy dismisses the argument that the major stumbling block is the time required for mastering these art forms.
"It is ridiculous to say the time factor and hard work required are acting as a deterrent. I won't say more and more people are coming. But don't say youngsters are losing interest," she says and points out she has taught hundreds of students in the last two to three years.
The renowned dancer also refuses to accept that Western arts are dwarfing Indian classical arts. She categorically asks people to stop thinking "such nonsense."
Krishnamurthy, who had taken a sabbatical from her "passion" to attend to her "commitments", will be seen on stage in August or September this year. In her new "garland-like composition", she will "try to interpret" the Indian poets' understanding of Goddess Kali.
"Our poets dealt with Kali in different ways. Rabindranath Tagore's understanding was different from Kalidasa's as was Subramanya Bharati's," says the dancer, who had her arangetram (debut performance) in 1957.
"The choreography for my new show is almost complete. Now, the music is being composed. We are going to use a different kind of music," she says.
The dancer, who had been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1968 at the age of 28, says she was doing multiple things all these years which stifled the "creativity" in her.
"For many years, I have been a bit out of touch with the creative and performance aspects of dance. I gave all my energy to setting up my dance school in Delhi and teaching dance. Now, I want to return to the stage."
When asked why she abandoned the stage for so long, Krishnamurthy says she cannot have "two focal points. I cannot concentrate on performance and teaching at the same time. I have certain commitments to my students and I cannot leave them in the lurch, so I decided to be with them."
Krishnamurthy, who is the 'Asthana Narthaki' of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, feels dance is a personal experience and it is the duty of the teacher to help her student experience it.
"I concentrated on grooming the Yaminis of the future. I don't make any stars but I make as many dancers as possible. I believe every household should have a dancer," she says.
The dancer, who won the Sangeet Natak Akademi award way back in 1977, began learning dance at the age of five.
Rukmuni Arundale gave her first lessons in Bharatanatyam at the Kalakshetra School of Dance, Chennai. Then, she learnt the art from Kanchipuram Ellappa Pillai, Thanjavoor Kittappa Pillai, Dhandayudhapani Pillai and Mylapore Gouri Amma.
"I was lucky to learn two schools of Bharata Natyam -- Pandanallur, which sticks to the classical text and Kanchipuram, which is liberal," she says.
The dancer, who mastered Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and Guru Pankaj Charan Das, says she owes her success to her father M Krishnamurthy, who was a Sanskrit scholar.
Her grandfather was an Urdu poet and she was the first in the family to take up dance. "My father totally supported my pursuit and showed me the right direction."
She also learnt Carnatic vocal from M D Ramanathan and the veena from Kalpakam Swaminathan.
The danseuse, who knew from her childhood that she was moving towards a "fixed destiny," says, "dance wrested control of my life and I meekly surrendered to its power.
"I owe everything to my gurus. Whatever I have it is theirs. My mentors had insight and they trained me with affection," she says gratefully.

Noida cops ask Delhi counterparts for help in serial killings case

Shemin Joy

Noida, 02, 2007
Noida police have asked their Delhi counterpart to provide them with details of missing persons in their areas even as people are coming to Nithari village, where a gruesome tale of serial killing of children has come to light, in search of their missing kin.

Circle Officer (Noida) Dinesh Yadav held a meeting with SHOs of Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar in East Delhi and requested them to give details of missing persons in their areas, including the complaints and their photographs.

More and more persons from nearby areas in the National Capital Region as well as from places like Muzaffarnagar are thronging Nithari village in search of their missing kin after the discovery of skeletal remains there.
Yadav said special arrangements have been made for people coming from outside Noida and a sub-inspector has been specifically assigned to listen to their complaints at Sector 20 police station.
One of the several parents who have come to Nithari village is Zaheer Khan, a motor mechanic from Muzaffarnagar in UP.
Khan's 12-year-old son went missing three years ago while he was staying at his uncle's house in Ghaziabad, which is not very far from the scene of the crime. "I have been searching for my son for the last three years and even lost my job," Khan said.
Phool Kaur came to Nithari fearing that her missing sister Hans Kaur, a resident of Kalyanpuri area of East Delhi, could be among the victims of the alleged serial killers Moninder Singh and his servant Surendra.
Hans Kaur had gone missing in January, 2003 and was last spotted in Sector 11 of Noida.
An FIR was registered in both the Sector 11 and Kalyanpuri police stations. "Police had called us a few days after the FIR was registered and said a body had been found. But it was not Hans," said Phool Kaur.
A large number of people have been coming to Nithari village with copies of FIRs and photographs of their missing kin since the serial killings have come to light.
Several parents brought photographs of their missing children and showed them to the police officials even as they braced themselves to hear bad news.
Yadav said a large number of people were approaching Noida police since the case came to light. The people were asked to provide with photograph, copies of FIRa filed earlier with relevant police stations and other details, he said.