The Daily Indian

Government today said a total of seven aircraft of the Indian Air Force have crashed in air mishaps in the last six months.

“In the past six months from September 2009 to March 4, 2010, six
fighter aircraft and one helicopter of the IAF have crashed,” Defence Minister A K Antony said in reply to a Rajya Sabha query.

He added that the preliminary causes of the accidents were human
error and technical defects.

In 2010, the IAF has lost two fighter aircraft — a MiG-27 and a MiG-21. Last year, the IAF had recorded 11 air mishaps, of which five involved MiG-21 aircraft.

The Minister said various measures were being taken to reduce aircraft accidents.

Replying to another query, Antony said the prototype of naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was being built for the aircraft carriers and the project had lagged behind due to various requirements related to the development of a new fighter aircraft.

“Deficiencies have been detected in the airframe and other associated equipment of the aircraft and the DRDO is working with various organisations for rectifying these deficiencies,” he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday declared that the recent ‘cowardly’ act of terrorists to target Indians on goodwill mission in Kabul would not ‘bend the will’ of India to help people of Afghanistan.

Replying to a debate in Parliament on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, he referred to the February 26 attack and said the entire nation was outraged by the incident in which seven innocent Indian lives were lost.

“These Indian nationals were in Afghanistan on a mission of goodwill and friendship helping to construct the peaceful and democratic Afghanistan that our Afghan friends desire. We condemn this cowardly act,” he said.

Noting that India’s assistance has received widespread support among the people of Afghanistan, he said, “I wish to assure this House that such attacks will not bend the will of the people of India.”

He said India will assist the people of Afghanistan in “securing their legitimate right to determine their destiny in the manner they chose without outside interference.”

Referring to President Hamid Karzai’s telephone call to him after the attack, Singh said he had requested him to ensure the safety of all Indians.

“I assured him of any support and assistance that may be required,” the Prime Minister said about his talk with Karzai. He said India was closely monitoring the developments with regard to Afghanistan.

A rollback of fuel price hike appears remote with the Government today telling the allies as well as members of the ruling Congress that any reduction would turn haywire its plans for higher economic growth as also lowering fiscal deficit.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in separate meetings with Congress MPs, leaders of UPA allies like Trinamool Congress, DMK, NCP and IUML explained to them the rationale behind the government’s move.

Two of these allies DMK and TMC have earlier resented the government’s decision to hike fuel prices but had later piped down their opposition while NCP openly supported the government over the issue.

Mukherjee is learnt to have told the allies that there was nothing in this decision as the government only withdrew partially the reduction given in excise duty earlier.

“It was a short meeting. Government explained to them (allies) the rationale behind the decision,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.

Sources in the government, meanwhile, said that the government has taken all the allies on board over the issue and explained to them that the decision to this effect was taken with an eye of achieving GDP growth and to minimise fiscal deficit.

A team of Indian investigators is in Kabul, joining a probe being conducted by Afghan authorities into last Friday’s terror attack in which Indians associated with reconstruction works were targeted.

The team has reached Kabul ahead of the visit by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon there on Friday to discuss aspects related to security of Indians engaged in scores of developmental projects across Afghanistan.

Menon is expected to meet the top leadership of Afghanistan including President Hamid Karzai.

The Indian team of investigators, comprising officials of Ministries of Home and Defence, is mandated to collect evidence about the group and individuals involved in the attack in which six Indians, including two Major rank army officers, were killed and 10 others, including five army officers, were injured, sources said.

Afghanistan has set up a five-member team to investigate the incident which was reminiscent of 26/11 as six to eight terrorists exploded bombs outside two hotels and then stormed these, hunting for Indians staying there.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the death of medical personnel in the Kabul blast defined the risks Indian medical teams have to face while serving in Afghanistan.

“The medical fraternity in our country has been serving our people under very difficult conditions with great distinction,” Singh said inaugurating the annual meeting of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons here.

“…My thought goes to those members of the Indian Medical Mission in Kabul who, while serving the people of Afghanistan, particularly the women and children, used to visit Indira Gandhi Hospital there, perished in the terror attack yesterday,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the incident shows the measure of uncertainty that Indian doctors work under and pointed out the risks faced by them while serving the people of Afghanistan.
“It is a measure of the commitment to relief of human suffering that the medical fraternity is known for all over the world,” he said.

Taliban carried out coordinated suicide attacks at two hotels in Kabul killing up to nine Indians.

Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab has complained to the special court that jail authorities are giving him food laced with drugs as a result of which he feels “giddy”.

The lone surviving 26/11 terrorist, however, was reprimanded by judge M L Tahaliyani who asked him not to make such baseless allegations repeatedly.

Kasab had made this grievance a few days back also after media left the court after proceedings got over.

Kasab’s lawyer K P Pawar confirmed that the accused had made this complaint but the court rejected his charge.

Earlier also, Kasab had alleged that the authorities were giving him food laced with drugs following which the judge sent a sample of food served to him to a forensic laboratory for tests which negated his claims.

Kasab also complained that the jail guards asked him to sing to pass their time, but claimed he did not oblige.

The accused also alleged that the guards inquired from him whether he had a girlfriend to which he replied that he studied in a boys school.

In another development, an RTI inquiry has revealed that the Maharashtra Government has spent Rs 5.24 crore for constructing a high-security cell for Kasab at Arthur Road Central Jail to protect him from any attack.

The cell is reinforced with steel on the outer side to make it bullet and bomb proof. A tunnel has been constructed to allow him direct passage from his cell to the court.

This is the first instance of government spending such a huge sum to protect an accused.

Kasab is guarded round-the-clock by about 200 Indo-Tibet Border Police personnel. The trial is conducted amidst tight security with a strong posse of guards surrounding the Pakistani terrorist during the proceedings.

Pressing Pakistan to end terrorism directed against this country, India on Thursday gave it three dossiers containing names of 34 terrorists wanted, including LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, with a demand for handing them over and other effective actions.

At the day-long talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir aimed at ending the chill in bilateral ties, the two sides noted the “trust” deficit in the ties and decided to “remain in touch and continue endeavour to restore trust”.

Rao told a press conference after the talks that “We have set out to take a first step towards rebuilding trust and I believe my meeting with the Pakistan Foreign Secretary has constituted that first step.”

While India focussed on cross-border terrorism, Pakistan raised the issue of Kashmir, Balochistan and the water dispute. The Indian side also voiced concern over the beheading of a Sikh by Taliban in Pakistan.

Noting that the trust had been “erased” by the Mumbai attacks, she said the Pune attack, which is still under investigation, “is yet another reminder that our citizens remain vulnerable to terrorist violence.”

Rao said she had told her Pakistani counterpart that “terrorism cannot advance any cause, but the cause of senseless violence” and that it was the “solemn duty” of Pakistan to “eliminate all terrorist groups, operating from their soil, regardless of their ideology or agenda.”

With regard to 26/11, India “acknowledged” the steps taken by Pakistan so far to bring perpetrators to justice, but “pointed out that these did not go far enough to unravel the full conspiracy behind the Mumbai attack and to award exemplary punishment to all culprits.”

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao says that India hands over three dossiers to Pakistan — one on involvement of certain individuals in 26/11 attacks, second on threats issued by terrorist Illyas Kashmiri and the third on fugitives from Indian law in Pakistan.

“It is duty of Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure targeted against India”, says Rao.

India conveyed its persisting concerns about the continued existence of terror infrastructure in Pakistan and “unhindered activities of organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaat ud Dawa, Hizb ul Mujahideen etc. from Pakistani territory and territory under Pakistan s control to perpetrate terrorist violence against India.”

In this regard, a reference was made to Hafiz Saeed’s provocative speech in Lahore on 5th February in which he openly incited terror violence against India.

“It was emphasized that the Government of India could not but take a serious note of such actions as it was duty bound to ensure the security of its citizens,” Rao said.

Describing Mumbai attacks as “a symptom of a larger problem” of terror emanating from Pakistan, Rao said she “stressed the importance of expeditious action by Pakistan on these issues, including by following up on the leads that have emerged following the arrest in the United States of David Coleman Headley and Tahawuur Hussain Rana.”

At the talks, Rao handed over to Bashir three dossiers detailing activities against India by groups and individuals based in Pakistan. The dossiers contained 34 names of those involved in Mumbai attacks and perpeptrators of other terror acts here.

India demanded hand over of retired Army Major Iqbal besides Hafiz Saeed and some Lashker operatives like Muzzamil, Abu Hamza, Abu Kahfa, Usman and Sajjid Mir in connection with Mumbai attacks.

India asked Pakistan to investigate the claim made by a hitherto unknown organisation, Lashkar-e-Toiba Al Almi and a separate claim by Ilyas Kahmiri owning responsibility for the recent Pune blast.

“We said it was the duty of Government of Pakistan to take effective action to dismantle and put an end to the activities of all such organisations,” Rao said.

Rao also raised India’s concerns over rise in terrorist infiltration and ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and International Border.

Pakistan sought resumption of composite dialogue that was halted by India in the wake of Mumbai attacks but New Delhi disfavoured it, saying “time is not right” and appropriate “climate” was required for it and that could be achieved through a “step-by-step” approach.

When Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue, Rao told the Pakistan Foreign Secretary that India believes in resolving all outstanding issues between the two countries through bilateral dialogue in “an atmosphere free of terror and violence.

“If we are to build upon the past discussions at an appropriate time, trust and confidence between us must be restored.”

Rao also rejected Pakistan’s allegations of Indian interference in Balochistan, saying New Delhi does not believe in destabilising any country.

On water dispute, Rao underlined that the 1960 Indus Water Treaty was the adequate mechanism for resolving such issues.

India’s Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score a double century in one-day internationals on Wednesday.

Tendulkar, who opens the batting in ODIs, achieved the feat in the second one-dayer against South Africa, his 200 not out guiding the home team to 401-3 in 50 overs.

The 36-year-old former India captain holds the record for most runs in tests (13,447) and one-day internationals (17,598) and most centuries in tests (47) and ODIs (46).

Tendulkar reached 200 with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over of India’s innings on Wednesday, having earlier broken the world record for the highest individual score of 194 held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry.

Tendulkar, who scored centuries in both tests against South Africa this month, reached 200 off just 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes.

Tendulkar’s previous highest one-day individual score was 186 not out against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999.

Anwar made 194 against India in May 1997 while Coventry hit the same total not out against Bangladesh last year.

The issue of price rise rocked Parliament on Tuesday with Opposition closing ranks to corner the government by seeking discussion under rules that entail voting, leading to a confrontation with the treasury benches.

The first day of Parliament after the President’s address to a joint sitting saw the two sides at loggerheads as a united opposition charged the Congress-led coalition with “failure” in checking rising food prices.

Food inflation is near 18 per cent as prices of essential commodities like sugar, pulses, rice and vegetables have gone through the roof in the recent months.

It was trouble from the word go in both the Houses as Lok Sabha saw opposition members demanding admission of an adjournment motion, while in the Rajya Sabha, they wanted a debate under a rule which stipulates voting. Government is in a minority in the Upper House.

Both the Houses were adjourned for day in the afternoon as members from BJP, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the Left stormed the well shouting anti-government slogans. SP and RJD are outside supporters of the UPA.

In the Lok Sabha, some BJP members were seen carrying placards saying, “Mahangai ko samapt karo, Mahangai mantri ko barkhast karo (check price rise, dismiss the minister responsible for price rise).”

Both Finance Minster Pranab Mukherjee and Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar were present in the House.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said, “This government has completely failed to check rising prices.

Government today said it would accord the highest priority to modernisation of the country’s defence by providing its armed forces with the latest weaponry, equipment and platforms.

“Government is fully committed to the modernisation of the armed forces. We will accord the highest priority to modernisation programmes to equip our armed forces with the required weaponry, equipment and platforms,” President Pratibha Patil told Parliament.

In her customary address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to mark the beginning of the Budget session, she hailed the recent successful test of Agni-III missile and the induction of the indigenous Arjun main battle tank into the Army as examples of capability demonstration and self-reliance.

“The successful launch of the Agni-III missile is a shining example of the capabilities of our scientists and engineers who deserve full praise.”