1984 anti-Sikh Riots: Many questions remain unanswered!

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December 17, 2018

Sajjan Kumar is one of the most notable persons accused in connection with the 1984 Sikh massacre. The eyewitnesses have testified how Sajjan Kumar incited mobs to kill Sikhs in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. In 2012, the Central Bureau of Investigation prosecutor told a Delhi Court that the riots targeting the Sikhs had the “patronage” of Sajjan Kumar. The CBI alleged that he organised anti-Sikh Riots and he along with five others are being tried at the court for killing six Sikh people. In April 2013, the Karkardooma district court in Delhi acquitted Sajjan Kumar, while convicting five others, leading to protests. Additional court cases against Kumar, including one in the Delhi High Court, remain ongoing. On August 27, 2013, the Delhi High Court accepted an appeal filed by the CBI against Kumar’s previous acquittal by a lower court. The CBI stated that the trial court “erred in acquitting Sajjan Kumar”; however, finally justice prevailed and he is sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court. It took 34 years to deliver justice; some of the victims died their death waiting for this moment.

While watching this news on TV, my Bade Papa (father’s elder brother), who is almost of Sajjan Kumar’s age, had an emotional moment. Those days he was in Delhi; with wet eyes he said, “How can we forget, those slogans echoed in every street and square of Delhi. There was violence everywhere. One could hear the cries of the Sikh victims coming from all directions”. Congress leaders and the police both were mad and violent by all means. Smoke was billowing out of burning Gurudwaras and houses, shops, factories, and other property of Sikhs. The Sikhs were being dragged out of their homes to be butchered brutally. Those Hindus were trashed to death if they showed any humanity towards fellow Sikh families. He witnessed those gruesome days and all the killings that were orchestrated by the then Congress Ministers and the police officers.

She was Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. Everything was well planned in advance of Blue Star Operation. She was told by her advisers that Sikhs never tolerated any invade on Golden Temple in their past history, so again it will not be tolerated. Attack on Golden Temple always proved disastrous for the attacker and reconsolidation of the Sikh mass. Indira Gandhi did everything strategically to crush any retaliation by the Sikh community anywhere in India. The 1984 genocide was a blue print prepared before June 1984. She did Blue Star Operation successfully and so strategically that nothing happened as was alarmed. Indira Gandhi’s plan was to create a shiver in the nerves of the Sikhs if they retaliate in any way. But unfortunately, she was over-confident that the Sikhs have digested the attack on the Golden Temple. Her assignation is well-known. History repeated and it again proved disastrous for the invader.

Apart from Sajjan Kumar, there were many political leaders, who volunteered the riots, but most of them are having good life even today. The Law could not do much against them — H.K.L. Bhagat, the then Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. On November 5, he reported to have intervened to get miscreants released who were held in Shahdara Thana. Babu Ram Sharma, a Member of the Municipal Corporation (Ward No. 58) reported to be the right-hand man of H.K.L. Bhagat and was responsible for loot, arson, and murder in trance-Yamuna areas — Babarpur, Chajupur Colony (Gonda) and led people on motorcycle with megaphone.

Sajjan Kumar, the then Congress (I) MP from Mangolpuri has reportedly paid Rs 100 and a bottle of liquor to each person involved in the killing. Lalit Makan, the then Congress (I) Trade Union Leader and Metropolitan Councilor, paid mob with Rs 100 each plus a bottle of liquor. A white ambassador car reportedly belonging to him came four times to the GT Road area near Azadpur. The instructions to the mobs indulging in arson were given from inside the car. Dharam Das Shastri, the then Congress (I) MP from Karol Bagh, reported to have carried voter list with him at Prakash Nagar for identification of the Sikhs. On November 5, according to the newspaper reports, he along with other Congress (I) leaders tried to pressurise the SHO of Karol Bagh Police Station to release the persons who were arrested during the police raids to recover looted property. Jagdish Tytler, the then Congress (I) MP from Sadar Constitutency, on November 6 at 5 p.m., barged into a press conference that the Police Commissioner SC Tandon was holding. As per a journalist report, Jagdish Tytler told the Police Commissioner that “by holding my men you are hampering the relief work”. The then Metropolitan Councillor Mahendra reportedly accompanied Dharam Das Shastri with the voter list at Prakash Nagar. Mangat Ram Singal, the then Member of Municipal Corporation (Ward No. 32), was reportedly with Dharam Das Shastri and Mahendra at Prakash Nagar.

Dr. Ashok Kumar, the then Member of Municipal Corporation, Kalyanpuri, reportedly held a meeting in Kalyanpuri, following which a violence broke out immediately. According to many eyewitnesses, he led mobs that indulged in loot, murder, arson, and rape. Sukhan Lal Sood, the then Metropolitan Councillor, according to eyewitnesses, was seen leading mobs, which indulged in loot, murder, burning, and rape. He had come with petrol and serial lists and addresses of Sikhs in the locality. The women refugees recognised him and drove him out. Jagdish Chander Tokas, the then Member of Municipal Corporation Munirka (Ward No. 14), reportedly led a mob to RK Puram Sector IV and V. Ishwar Singh, the then Member of the Municipal Corporation, Mangolpuri (Ward No. 37), allegedly led the mobs that indulged in looting, burning, rape, and murder in Mangolpuri area. Balwant Khokhar, the then Youth Congress (I) Leader, Delhi, was identified as one of the persons responsible for instigating looting and arson in the Palam Colony area.

Faiz Mohammad, the then Youth Congress (I) leader, Delhi, named by refugees in Shakurpur camp and in Mangolpuri for being a part of the mob indulging in looting, arson and murder. Satbir Singh, the then Youth Congress (I) leader had allegedly brought busloads of people from Ber Sarai to Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School (Munirka). They burnt school buses and parts of the school building. He was reportedly involved in looting and beating of the Sikhs that carried on throughout the night on November 1. List is too long and justice is too short.

Irony is that, the entire establishment and the government bodies, volunteered in violence and there are many questions yet to be answered. For example, who ordered around 46 Indian Railway trains to stop and allow the death squads to hunt down the Sikhs? Who ordered the Fire Brigade not to save the Sikh properties? Who gave the order for the police to travel through areas spreading rumours that the Sikhs had poisoned Delhi’s water supply and trains arriving from the Punjab were filled with Hindu bodies? Who ordered Medical staff in hospitals not to treat the Sikhs? Who authorised the use of Delhi Transportation Company buses to transport the mobs? Who supplied the mobs with money and weapons? Who was involved in the pre-planning, possibly months before the assassination? Were the government aware that the leaders of Congress (I) and the Police met on the night of October 31? Who authorised the use of government-issued voter and ration list, which were used to identify the Sikh homes? Why were Doodarshan TV and All India Radio allowed to repeatedly broadcast crowds chanting anti-Sikh slogans?

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Cong ‘knowingly’ misleading people on Rafale jet pricing: Sitharaman

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December 17, 2018

In a scathing attack on the Congress, Defence Minister Niramala Sitharaman on Monday alleged that the opposition party was “knowingly” misleading people over the Rafale jets’ pricing.

Lashing out at the Gandhi family for alleging corruption in the defence contract, she said “amazing audacity” was shown by them “in not listening” to the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Rafale deal case.

“The Congress is knowingly misleading people on the pricing of the Rafale jets,” Sitharaman told reporters at the BJP office in Mumbai.

“The stance of the country’s ‘first family’ in not listening to the apex court’s order on the Rafale deal case petition can be termed as, with due respect, amazing audacity,” the minister said.

She was speaking as a part of the BJP’s move to hold pressers in 70 cities across the country on Monday to attack the opposition party against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s verdict on the controversial Rafale jet deal.

Sitharaman said, “We’ve given the price to the CAG, in a parliamentary system the CAG looks into it and then its report goes to PAC. The PAC will have a look at it and then it’ll become a public document. It is a process and it has commenced.”

“In the affidavit we’ve given the data and the information. We think there’s an interpretation problem, we would like you (court) to look at it and correct it. That’s our appeal to the court, we’ll wait for them to take the call,” she said.

The Minister further said that they have explained the process through which information comes to Parliament.

“In that the past tense, future tense, present tense and present continuous tense has come into play. That is post the decision, is it not? Therefore, how is it going to affect the verdict?” she said.

The Supreme Court on Friday had said there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France, and dismissed all the petitions seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal.

There was no substantial evidence of commercial favouritism to any private entity, the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said on the issue of an offset partner in its ruling on a batch of petitions.

Notwithstanding the court’s verdict, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had said there was massive corruption in the contract and wondered why the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report “cited by the Supreme Court” on it had not yet been shared with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.

Gandhi had also reiterated the Congress’ demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the fighter jet deal and claimed that if it was conducted, names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Anil Ambani will come to the fore.

He said the apex court in its verdict cited that a report by the CAG on the Rafale deal was submitted to the PAC but asserted that no such report was given to the House panel headed by Congress’ leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge.

Kharge also said that PAC did not receive any such report.

The Congress has repeatedly criticised the deal for the 36 Rafale jets, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government.

However, both government and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group have rejected Gandhi’s allegations of any wrongdoing.

No need for debate on oppn’s prime ministerial candidate: NCP

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December 17, 2018

The NCP on Monday said that the Congress has declared that opposition parties would pick their prime ministerial candidate post the general polls if they were to form government, so there was no need to debate the issue.

The Sharad Pawar-led party’s remark came a day after DMK president M K Stalin pitched to make Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister of the country in case the opposition parties form an alliance government in 2019.

“The Congress itself has declared it (the prime minister) will be decided after the (Lok Sabha poll) results,” NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said.

He said that it was good to see that Stalin supported Gandhi.

“But when the Congress and other like-minded parties themselves have talked about it, there is no point in debating the issue now. All parties will take the decision after polls,” Malik added.

In a dramatic assertion, Stalin had on Sunday vowed to make Gandhi the country’s next prime minister and lauded the latter for having the ability to defeat the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

He was speaking at a rally followed by the unveiling of a bronze statue of DMK patriarch and his father late M Karunanidhi at party headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had earlier maintained that the party never “officially” said its president Rahul Gandhi should be the prime minister if an opposition alliance formed the next government.

The decision on who would be the prime minister in the event of an opposition alliance winning next year’s Lok Sabha poll will be taken by its constituents, he had said.

6 dead, around 147 rescued after fire at hospital in Andheri

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December 17, 2018

A major fire broke out on Monday at a Mumbai hospital killing at least six people, disaster management officials said. About 147 people have been rescued up to the evening.

The fire brigade got a call around 4 pm about the blaze at the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital located at Marol in suburban Andheri, the official from the city civic body’s disaster management cell said.

10 fire engines were sent to the spot, officials said, adding that efforts were on to douse the flames and evacuate the patients.

“Some people are feared trapped…rescue operation is going on,” an official said.

Govt may skip large farm loan waiver ahead of ’19 polls: Report

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December 17, 2018

The agricultural distress is impacting 200 million workers and can cause political churn and policy experimentation, leading to uncertainties in times of the ongoing economic slowdown, the foreign brokerage said in a report.

There has been speculation over steps the government takes for the agri sector in wake of BJP losing assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, with some reports suggesting a farm loan waiver would be around the corner before the general elections next year.

“We do not expect any new large farm-loan waivers or other fiscal sops in the run up to elections,” the report said.

The report comes days after a group of economists including former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, pitched for doing away with farm loan waivers.

The agri distress-induced uncertainties come at a time of economic slowdown and there will be cuts to GDP growth estimates for FY20, which currently stand at 7.5-7.8 per cent, it said.

On the upcoming elections, it said in the last two decades, there have not been visible impact on market direction because of such exercises.

The brokerage said it prefers the industrial sector to perform better than consumption, which has been a mainstay for the last few years.

With the expectation of industrials doing better, it said corporate banks will also have a better showing.

It said industrials have underperformed the benchmarks by 48 per cent in the last decade, while the recent years have witnessed the sector stocks lagging despite earning recoveries.

The consumption stocks are “over-priced”, it said, adding that it is underweight on the sector.

On the global developments, it said they matter less for the domestic markets as the foreign portfolio investors account only for a third of the trading volumes and have not been net buyers for the last three years now.

PM Modi to launch projects worth Rs 41,000 cr in Maha today

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December 17, 2018

In the lead up to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday will launch infrastructure and housing projects worth around Rs 41,000 crore in the state.

Modi, who will be in the state, will lay the foundation stone for Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan metro 5 and Dahisar-Mira Bhayander metro-9 in Kalyan in the neighbouring Thane district.

The event will also see the launch of Navi Mumbai town planning authority City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra’s (Cidco) mass housing scheme worth Rs 18,000 crore, which offers around 89,771 affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

In an another event in Pune Tuesday, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the proposed third metro line between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar, being implemented by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) on a public-private partnership basis after the new metro policy.

The Rs 8,416-crore 24.9-km long Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan metro-5 corridor is expected to carry around 2.29 lakh commuters daily in 2021, with the entire system designed for six-coach trains. The corridor will have 17 stations.

The 10.3-km elevated Dahisar-Mira Bhayander metro-9 corridor, comprising eight stations, is expected to be completed by 2022, and the cost of the project is estimated at Rs 6,607 crore.

Both the projects are being executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

As per the proposal, metro-9 will be integrated with metro-7 (Dahisar to Andheri) and metro-2A (Dahisar and DN Road) as well as the Rs 3,600-crore Gaimukh-Shivaji Chowk (Mira Road) metro-10.

“Out of the total project cost for metro-9, the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and civil works will be provided by the state government and MMRDA, which is around Rs 4,967.75 crore, while the cost of rolling stock and systems to the extent of Rs 1,639.25 crore is proposed to be met from loan assistance of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency),” an MMRDA official said.

The tendering process to appoint general consultants and contractors for civil works is in progress, and is expected to commence from March next year.

“Currently, the suburbs of Mira-Bhayander are connected to Mumbai via the suburban railways. After the metro-9 corridor is constructed, commuters will be able to take metro up to Mira-Bhayander from south Mumbai,” the official said.

At present, work on several metro corridors is underway across the megapolis, including Dahisar to DN Nagar metro-2A, DN Nagar to Mankhurd metro-2B, Andheri (East) to Dahisar metro-7 and Colaba-Bandra-Seepz metro-3.

The proposed Rs 8,313-crore 23-km long third metro line between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar will connect busy information technology (IT) part with Shivajinagar, where the other two metro lines will also join.

This project is being jointly executed by Tata Realty Infra and Siemens.

Metro-5 is being pushed with eye on 2019 polls: NCP legislator

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December 17, 2018

NCP leader and legislator Jitendra Awhad Monday said the BJP government in Maharashtra has organised the foundation stone laying ceremony of Mumbai metro’s fifth line with an eye on the 2019 elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Tuesday lay the foundation stone for the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan metro-5 line.

Awhad said that the BJP-led government in the state and the Centre are showing undue haste in pushing with the Rs 8,416 crore 24.9-km long corridor.

Addressing a news conference here, the MLA from Kalwa- Mumbra constituency in Thane district said the corridor has been planned by the government in such a way that it overlooks the transport needs of a vast population.

He said the government has been giving a “step motherly” treatment when it comes to providing facilities to the people of Kalwa, Mumbra and Diva areas of the district.

The metro-5 corridor should have been on the Kalwa- Mumbra-Shil Phata route to better serve population in these areas, Awhad said.

The entire alignment of metro-5 is wrong and it is being pushed only with an eye on the next year’s elections, the NCP legislator said.

Bullet train: When would land acquisition start in Thane? HC asks NHSRCL, Collector

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December 17, 2018

The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the National High Speed Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) and the Thane city collector to file an affidavit stating by when they would initiate land acquisition proceedings in Mumbra area for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

The court also suggested a construction company at Mumbra township in the neighbouring Thane district and the NHSRCL to consider settling the matter of land acquisition.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Revati Mohite-Dere was hearing a petition filed by the construction firm ‘Atlanta Limited’, challenging a notice to stop work on a land now reserved for the bullet train project.

The company had moved HC in September against a notice issued on May 2 by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), asking it to stop the construction work on its three hectare land near Mumbra.

According to the notice, the building was coming up on the land reserved for the bullet train project spread across three districts of Maharashtra.

The bench on Monday suggested the parties to settle the matter amicably.

“They (NHSRCL) cannot change the alignment of the track now. So, eventually they will have to acquire land. It is best to sit together and settle the matter. The authorities will pay the company compensation as per fair market price,” Justice More said.

Senior counsel M M Vashi, appearing for the petitioner, told HC that they were ready to settle the matter.

The bench then sought to know from the NHSRCL and the Thane city collector by when it would initiate proceedings for land acquisition.

It posted the petition for next hearing on January 14.

According to the petition, the company has already constructed two residential towers on the land and work on the the third tower is underway.

Vashi said the project was issued commencement certificate and all other requisite permissions were taken.

The Centre’s ambitious Rs 1.10 lakh crore bullet train project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September last year.

The bullet train will run at a speed of 320-350 kmph, with 12 stations across its 500 km stretch.

For the project, around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 1,120 hectares of which is privately owned. Around 6,000 land owners will have to be compensated.

Fashion has become a structured industry now: Malaika Arora

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December 17, 2018

Malaika Arora believes fashion industry has evolved a lot and has become a well-structured business now.

The 45-year-old fashionista says the coming of international brands in the country has made the fashion industry a more organised place.

“Fashion has become a business now. Earlier there was no structure in the fashion industry. It was more haphazard. But now I believe with professionals, various labels and companies coming to the country, the focus has shifted to the business aspect of fashion,” said Malaika.

The VJ-turned-actor, who was one of the jury members at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019 female models auditions, said if she had mentors during her initial days in the showbiz, she would have had a better sense of direction.

“I believe if I have had the kind of mentorship these young models are getting, I would have had a better sense of direction. When I started out, I just figured things with time. I was like a fish out of the water. I used to follow my guts and nobody was there to guide. But it also had a good side to it. It made me more independent,” she said.

Along with Malaika, designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil, show director Anu Ahuja, Head of Innovations, Lakme – Ashwath Swaminathan and Vice President and Head of Fashion, IMG Reliance – Jaspreet Chandok, were also part of the jury.

Malaika said she appreciated the LFW’s efforts to give a platform to new talent every season.

“The idea of bringing new faces every season is amazing. There are so many aspiring models out there and that’s the only way we are going to give them the chance. It’s a great platform.”

Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019 will take place from January 30 to February 3. The five-day extravaganza will return to JioGarden, Bandra-Kurla Complex for the season.

In India we assume we are talented, don’t learn acting, says SRK

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December 17, 2018

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he wants his daughter Suhana to learn the craft of acting before venturing into films as he does not want her to simply assume that she is talented.

Shah Rukh says Suhana came on the sets of his latest “Zero” and observed how things function.

“She came on sets because learning acting has a lot to do with spending time on the sets and learning production. She did the same in London and while she was here.

“She said she still has two weeks to go back to London and we were shooting a song for ‘Zero’ in the coming two weeks. So she came here to have that experience,” Shah Rukh said in a group interview.

The “Raees” star said he wanted his daughter to observe a film set, including his co-stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, and learn the nuances.

“I wanted her to see Anushka and Katrina perform live as both are such different kind of actors. Katrina has her own charm and Anushka has her own way of enacting things. So I wanted her to spend time (on sets). So what they did is they put her onto me as an assistant director.

“But I think ground experience is good for actors or any kind of job, only as an internship. But you have to finish your education first. If you have the opportunity to study, it formalises and makes your craft better. So, I want her to study first for some time.”

Shah Rukh says Suhana will train for three-four years more, doing plays and theatres.

“In India, I think we don’t learn acting, we just assume that we are talented. Like if you drive very first, it first mean you are going to become a Formula 1 driver. You’ll have to finally learn it. So I want her to have a formal training in acting. The experience matters a lot,” he added.

“Zero” is scheduled to release on this Friday.