AY: Ahmedabad, Oct 30 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami will begin a three-day visit to Gujarat from today in a bid to hold ''free and fair'' elections for the state assembly.

The CEC team will meet senior officials besides visiting Surat and Vadodara where they will review the election work.

Gopalaswami will also meet District Electoral Officers of Surat, Navsari, Dangs and Valsad to take stock of the arrangements.

On Wednesday, Gopalaswami will visit Vadodara and interact with the DEOs of Vadodara, Godhra, Dahod, Narmada and Bharuch.

This is the CEC's second visit to Gujarat after the announcement of election dates on October 10.

In the run up to the two-phase polling, political activities have started gaining momentum, particularly after the Tehelka sting operations related to 2002 post Godhra riots, with the BJP and the Congress trading charges and counter-charges against each other.

The electoral process for the 12th Gujarat State Assembly will begin from November 15, and state electorate will cast their votes on December 11 and 16.

Counting of votes for the 182-member Gujarat assembly will take place on December 23.

The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each. (ANI)

Labels: Politics

AY: Ahmedabad, Oct 30 (ANI): Eight people were awarded life sentences and three others were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment by a session court in Godhra today in connection with a 2002 rioting incident in Eral in Gujarat.

Among the 40 people, who were charged for rape, murder, arson and rioting, 29 were acquitted by the court today.

The horrific incident in Eral took place on March 3, 2002 when a group of people attacked the village, leaving seven people dead, including two minor girls who were also raped by the assailants.

Among the eight convicts, who were awarded with life sentence, three have been convicted for gang raping the two minor girls.

However, the complainant, Madinabibi Sheikh, is likely to move higher court against the acquittal of the 29 accused. (ANI)

Labels: Top-Stories

AY: New Delhi, Oct 28 (ANI): Muslims and activists of other organisations staged a protest against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi here today and demanded re-opening of all cases in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots in the wake of sensational revelations made in a sting operation carried out by a weekly newsmagazine Tehelka.

Tehelka recently aired a sting operation, claiming that the 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat were carried out "with the knowledge and sanction of Chief Minister Narendra Modi."

The activists said Modi, who is seeking re-election, gave mob a free run for three days.

The protestor, holding placards that read "Give Punishment To Rioters", raised slogans against Modi. They also burnt a cut-out of Modi.

The protest led by Muslim Yuva Atankwad Virodhi Samiti demanded capital punishment for the politicians and police officers mentioned in the sting.

"Narendra Modi, Babu Bajrangi and all of them (mentioned in the sting) should be hanged," said Mohammad Shakeel Saifi, Chairman of the Muslim Yuva Atankwad Virodhi Samiti.

"We demand that the Central Government open all the closed riot cases in Gujarat," said Saifi, adding that he would file a writ petition in the Delhi High Court in this context.

Saifi also demand a ban on organisations like VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) and Bajrang Dal.

Tehelka had claimed that the six-month long investigation confirmed that "the Gujarat murder of Muslims was not a spontaneous swell of anger, but a planned genocide strategised and executed by top functionaries of the RSS, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the state authorities."

The protestors said no one should issue a statement against any particular community.

"They should not divide us by issuing a statement against any community. Today they have issued a statement against Muslims; tomorrow they will speak against Punjabi, Marathi and Christians. It is not right," said Shri Ram, National President, Punjabi Ekta Munch.

Tehelka said the report was the result investigation by one of its reporters, who posed as a research scholar and spoke to the activists.

Meanwhile, the BJP said the activists quoted by Tehelka had colluded with Congress party to discredit Modi ahead of the State Assembly election.

About 2,500 people, mostly Muslims, are estimated to have been beaten, stabbed or burnt to death in the Gujarat in 2002 after suspected Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindu pilgrims, killing 59 people.

Labels: Politics

AY: Ahmedabad, Oct 30 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami will begin a three-day visit to Gujarat from today in a bid to hold ''free and fair'' elections for the state assembly.

The CEC team will meet senior officials besides visiting Surat and Vadodara where they will review the election work.

Gopalaswami will also meet District Electoral Officers of Surat, Navsari, Dangs and Valsad to take stock of the arrangements.

On Wednesday, Gopalaswami will visit Vadodara and interact with the DEOs of Vadodara, Godhra, Dahod, Narmada and Bharuch.

This is the CEC's second visit to Gujarat after the announcement of election dates on October 10.

In the run up to the two-phase polling, political activities have started gaining momentum, particularly after the Tehelka sting operations related to 2002 post Godhra riots, with the BJP and the Congress trading charges and counter-charges against each other.

The electoral process for the 12th Gujarat State Assembly will begin from November 15, and state electorate will cast their votes on December 11 and 16.

Counting of votes for the 182-member Gujarat assembly will take place on December 23.

The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each. (ANI)

Labels: Politics

New Delhi, Oct 25 (ANI): A weekly newsmagazine, Tehelka, has claimed that its investigation into 2002 post Godhra riots in Gujarat has found that the massacre of Muslims were carried out in full knowledge and sanction of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The six-month long "investigation brings confirmation that the Gujarat murder of Muslims was not a spontaneous swell of anger, but a planned genocide strategised and executed by top functionaries of the RSS, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the state authorities, with the knowledge and sanction of Chief Minister Narendra Modi," Tehelka claimed.

The magazine quoted a BJP MLA, who said that he was present in the meeting in which Modi gave them "three days' time to do whatever they wanted. "He had given us three days time...to do whatever we could. He said he would not give us time after that...He said this openly," the news magazine quoted the MLA as saying.

After three days "he (Modi) asked us to stop and everything came to a halt," Haresh Bhatt, the then national co-coordinator of the Bajrang Dal was quoted, as saying."It appears that bombs were manufactured in factories owned by senior Bajrang Dal and VHP activists. Arms were smuggled from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, and then distributed to execution squads led by MLAs and senior members of the Sangh Parivar. Consignments of arms were not just smuggled in once, but 'there were tens and tens of them," Tehelka wrote.The news magazine also claims that elaborate legal subversion was done to save those accused for their role in the genocide. To help the foot soldiers, who actually raped, killed and looted, the strategists had constituted a panel of lawyers sympathetic to Hindu cause, claims Tehelka."To get me out on bail, Narendrabhai changed judges thrice," Tehelka quoted Babu Bajrangi, as saying. (ANI)

Labels: Top-Stories

Anand (Gujarat), Oct 5 (ANI-Business Wire India): It's another triumph for brand Amul. After emerging as India's topmost brand for dairy products, it has gone to win one of the world's most prestigious awards - The International Dairy Federation (IDF) Marketing Award 2007 for Amul pro-biotic ice-cream launch. Announcing the award recently at Dublin in Ireland, on the occasion of the World Dairy Summit, Jim Begg, the IDF President, said, “These campaigns are excellent examples of best practise in branded and generic marketing from around the world. In markets around the world that are volatile and highly competitive, dairy products have a role in health balanced diets, and these campaigns have demonstrated the ability of well planned and executed marketing investments." Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) is the first and the only Indian organization to receive the award which covered three categories - nutri-marketing, innovation and marketing communication. Amul Pro-biotic Ice-cream received the award in the nutri-marketing category. According to B. M. Vyas, Managing Director of GCMMF, "We launched Amul pro-biotic ice-cream as well as Amul pro-biotic sugar free ice-cream, due to the constraints of cold chain which is a pre-requisite for ice-cream distribution. In a country like India where we have waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, eating a spoonful or two of pro-biotic ice-cream would keep the family healthy and strong. The product was launched with this in view. We were the first in the country to introduce pro-biotic ice-cream and pro-biotic sugar free ice-cream. We are happy that our efforts have been globally recognized by bestowing the prestigious IDF Marketing Award'. In January 2007, for the first time in India and the world, GCMMF introduced the Amul range of sugar free and pro-biotic ice-creams aimed at the health- conscious and diabetic. Probiotics are live beneficial culture which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a beneficial health effect on the host. They help in digestion, especially of milk sugar (lactose). They improve the immune system, build stronger bones and are effective in controlling travelers' diarrhoea. They also help in the prevention of formation and growth of colon cancer. GCMMF was the first organization in the country to launch pro-biotic food. In order to educate consumers and trade about the benefits of pro-biotic ice- cream, GCMMF ran extensive advertising and direct marketing campaigns during the year. (ANI)

Labels: Business

Washington, (ANI): Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah followed the principle of “never be depressed” according to an interview he gave to a Gujarati journal way back in May 1916.In the interview given in Gujarati, which was made available to the Daily Times from the back files of literary journal Visami Sadi (the 20th Century), when asked what qualities a man should be admired for, Jinnah said “Independence”.And about a woman, he said, “Taking care of the elderly”.He termed “to be admired and loved by people,” as true success in life.His favourite pastime was horse-riding, while among the flowers he admired lilly.Shakespeare was Jinnah’s preferred writer and his favourite book was ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexander Dumas.The journal also features a picture of Rutti Jinnah, taken a year after their marriage. He signed his name ‘Mahmad Ali Jhina’. (ANI)

Labels: Top-Stories

The Gujarat government is learnt to have signed an MoU with IIT-Bombay for setting up an extension centre of the institute near Gandhinagar, which will be functional from November 16. The Modi government had invited the premier technological institute last year to set up a satellite campus, but the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry had kept the proposal pending. The Modi government had invited the premier technological institute last year to set up a satellite campus, but the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry had kept the proposal pending. In fact, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had even raised the issue before planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia when the 2007-08 budget failed to make a mention of the IIT-B's Gujarat campus. The Gujarat government has also allotted a whopping 300-acre plot near Gandhinagar where IIT-B will move.

Labels: Education

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recently launched Digital University or eSuvidha Scheme of MKCL recently. Managing director of the MKCL Vivek Sawant, elaborating on how the scheme works, Sawant said, after a student takes admission, he or she will be given 16-digit permanent registration number which will be unique across all the universities in country. Armed with this number, he can create his log-in on Digital Universities portal which will give him access to whole range of learning, administrative and general information service. After registration students can get information about faculty, courses, syllabus, admission rules and procedures, details of scholarship and other benefit programs, educational loans available, employment related assistance, updates on competitive exams, awards and news and events on campus. Post-examination facilities like getting e-statement of marks, applying form verification and re-valuation, convocation, migration certificate etc, will also be made available through this portal.

Labels: Education

Nearly Rs 1000 crore per annum is spend in the treatment of thalassemia patients. According to the honorary general secretary of Indian Red Cross Society (Gujarat State Branch) Dr Madhuben R Naik, there are approximately 100,000 thalassemia patients in the country. According to experts, the only way to prevent the occurrence of the disease is to avoid marriage between the carrier of thalassemic minor genes. If both have genes carrying thalassemic minor, then there is a greater chance of having babies with thalassemic major disease. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder. In thalassemia, the genetic defect results in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up heaemoglobin. Reduced synthesis of one of the globin chains causes the formation of abnormal heaemoglobin molecules, and this in turn causes anaemia which is a characteristic of thalassemia. In Gujarat, there are about 6,000 thalassemic children and in Ahmedabad alone the number of cases are about 1,000.

Labels: Health

New Delhi, Oct 10 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalswami today announced that the two-phase State Assembly polls in Gujarat would begin from December 11, while in Himachal Pradesh voting will take place on November 14 and December 19.The electoral process for the 12th Gujarat State Assembly will begin from November 15, and state electorate will cast their votes on December 11 and 16, Gopalswami said.Counting of votes for the 182-member Gujarat assembly will take place on December 23, he added. The Electoral process for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh would begin from October 20, and voting will take place on November 14 and December 19 and counting will take place on December 28, Gopalswami said.Congress State unit president Bharat Solanki was demanding one-day election in the state."The two-phased polls will give chance to large 'worker force' of ruling BJP to carry out bogus voting," Solanki had said.The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each. (ANI)

Labels: Politics

Ranchi government has entered into an agreement with the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat recently in a bid to develop the famous tourist spot at Parasnath, a Jain centre of pilgrimage. Tourism secretary NN Sinha, who signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of the tourism sector in Ahmedabad during the ‘Travel and Tourism Fair’ organised in Gujarat capital, said that both the states will support each other to develop tourism. Lakhs of tourists from Gujarat, especially Jains, visit the Parasnath hills near Hazaribag to worship the 23rd Jain Tirthankara Shri Parsavnath. The MoU with Gujarat, he said, would enable a partnership between the two states provide more transport linkage to the tourist spot to ensure healthy flow of tourists from the western state and enhancement of infrastructure scenario at the spot. Parasnath Hill located at a height of 4431 ft is the highest mountain south of the Himalayas. It was made accessible since the construction of a road in 1838. The Parasnath Hills hold special significance for the Jains which arises from the tradition of 23rd Tirthankar Parsva or Parsvanath, who is believed to have attained nirvana on the hill.

Labels: Tourism