Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI

KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 21

The BJP today emphasised it remains committed to implement the vision document for Assam in toto, underlining the new government will work to complete fencing of India-Bangladesh border and update National Register of Citizens work to detect illegal migrants in the state.“We will work to secure the interests of Indian citizens in Assam, protect their identity so that they can live with pride and take steps to detect illegal migrants,” Sarbananda Sonowal told The Tribune here flanked by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, considered the chief architect behind the party’s unprecedented success in this gateway to the Northeast.Sonowal, who arrived here from Guwahati to discuss government formation with party leaders, said people of the state have entrusted BJP with a Himalayan responsibility and his task would be work hard and carry people along.The 53-year-old Sonowal, currently a Sports Minister in the Modi Government, is scheduled to be elected leader of the BJP legislature party tomorrow at Guwahati and take oath as the Chief Minister on Tuesday.On his part, Madhav said the state government will work to complete the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to stop infiltration, enact laws to further the objective and work with alacrity to fence entire 263-kilometer long border it shares with Bangladesh.Of the 260-odd km border, 224 km of the 229-km sanctioned is already fenced while some 40-odd km is riverine area.The process of updating of the NRC is going on and the new government, Madhav said, will complete it at the earliest. The final list was to be published on January 1 this year as per a Supreme Court order two years ago, but the verification process is not yet complete with some 3 per cent work remaining.According to reports, some 68 lakh people have submitted documents for inclusion in the NRC and once finalised, it could set into motion procedure to deport illegal migrants who entered Assam after 1971.The issue of illegal migrants from Bangladesh has been a long festering problem that led to the Assam agitation in the 1980s steered by All Assam Students Union, whose product Sonowal is. Nearly a decade ago, as Asom Gana Parishad MP, Sonowal won a major victory after Supreme Court struck down the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal, a key proviso in the Assam Accord.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 17

Western Command chief Lt Gen KJ Singh will visit Samba on May 19.His visit comes following the two-day visit of the Defence Secretary to forward areas on the Line of Control (LoC). Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar on Sunday visited forward areas along the LoC in the Jammu region.“Though the Western Command chief is visiting to witness the finals of a volleyball tournament in Samba, he is likely to review the security scenario along the 198-km-long international border in the Jammu region,” said a defence source. Lt Gen KJ Singh may also review the summer strategy of the Army and the Border Security Force on the international border.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 16

In a major development in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), political parties have demanded repealing of laws that requires candidates contesting elections to sign an affidavit of allegiance to the “ideology of the state’s accession to Pakistan.”According to several media reports, leaders from different ‘nationalist parties’ in PoK, who have been demanding an ‘independent J&K’, have emphasised the need for doing away with the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act, 1974, and electing a constituent assembly to draft an independent constitution for the state under occupation of Pakistan.Reports say that during a conference, “Election of AJK Assembly under Act 1974 and the Rights of People of AJK,” representatives from United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) and the Awami Workers Party (AWP) put forward these demands.Parties have also denounced what they called undue interference by Islamabad in matters of the state through the ‘AJK Council’ and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs.Sub-section II of Section VII of the Act says, “No person or political party in ‘Azad Jammu’ and Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate against, or take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to, the ideology of the state’s accession to Pakistan.”Since 1947, when Pakistan occupied part of Jammu and Kashmir after it invaded the state, every effort has been made to muzzle the democratic voice of people. Unlike J&K which saw successive democratic elections allowing public representatives to take policy decision, Pakistan army is the major decision maker in PoK.

Dear Veterans,

I am doing a book launch at India International Centre tomorrow at 1830 tomorrow ( Monday 16th) and would be honoured if maximum  veterans  can attend despite the heat.

I am attaching the invite to be uploaded on Sanjha Morcha web site.

Parsekar in his statement said, “We have our own son of soil (Manohar Parrikar) as a Defence Minister. Two months back we successfully hosted Defence Expo in the state. The interest shown by youths in the expo was enormous.” He further added,
“This is an attempt to provide Goan youths another employment avenue. The defence sector was never an attractive career option for Goan youths due to some misconceptions.”

The recruitment drive, as put out by Parsekar, will showcase and provide different avenues for the youth in the state, giving the alternative opportunity to work in the defence sector of the country. On 3 June, the recruitment drive will conduct recruitment for musician position in the IAF. With legacy of good music and musicians, Goa seemed a perfect choice.

Parsekar on the recruitment said, “Goans are good musicians. Our youths are best suited for this post. They should apply and get into this new avenue of career. The education qualification for the post is only secondary school examination.”

In order to conduct the recruitment drive smoothly, the Goan Government has already sat in meetings with Director of Education, Director of Higher Education and District Collectors. The Chief Minister Parsekar also said that in order to spread awareness about the drive the state government has planned to rope in various media outlets.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on criminal defamation comes as a disappointment. The state uses criminal defamation to intimidate media, political opponents, whistleblowers and NGOs, coerces them to adopt self-censorship and dissuades them from exposing wrongdoing. Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant have observed that “criminal defamation doesn’t have any chilling effect on freedom of speech”. The fact that they chose to caution the judges handling defamation cases to be “extremely careful while issuing summons” shows they recognise the harassment caused in the pursuit of the case itself. Editors and journalists are frequently put to inconvenience as defamation suits are filed on flimsy grounds, sometimes deliberately in remote areas. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s government alone has initiated 100-odd defamation cases against media and politicians.Defamation is treated as a civil offence in countries across the world. The Human Rights Committee of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has called upon nations to abolish criminal defamation. In India criminal defamation invites a jail of two years; in a civil suit only damages are paid on conviction. Truth is a complete defence in a civil case but not so in criminal defamation where the court has to be satisfied that it is uttered in public interest. The government’s arguments were: (1) In India citizens may not have money to pay damages for civil defamation (2) civil cases can take up to 20 years to settle (3) a criminal offence alone can effectively counter defamation in social media and (4) the law is part of the state’s “compelling interest” to protect the dignity and reputation of citizens.The petitioners — Subramanian Swamy, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, who all face defamation cases — had rightly pleaded that criminal defamation was used as a weapon to kill free speech. It is a tool not only in the hands of the government to stifle criticism but also powerful politicians and crooked businessmen who use the threat of criminal defamation to intimidate critics. Civil defamation is a sufficient deterrent to misuse of the constitutional right to free speech. There is merit in the argument that the case should have been decided by a Constitution Bench since the constitutionality of Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC was challenged.

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 12

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Kerala police chief to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General to probe wife-swapping and sexual abuse allegations of a woman against her husband and five other naval officers.A Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, however, rejected the alleged victim’s plea for a CBI probe, observing that this could be done only if there was any real apprehension that the state police would not do its job.Married in March 2012 to a naval officer posted in Kochi, Sujatha Ravi Kiran lodged a complaint against her husband, parents-in-law and sister-in-law alleging physical and mental cruelty, besides levelling sexual abuse charge against the five naval officers and the wife of one of them.Sujatha also pleaded with the SC to transfer the accused naval officers’ petitions for quashing the complaint against them from the Kerala High Court to the Delhi HC. The apex court Bench, which included Justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit, also rejected this plea, but asked the Kerala State Legal Services Authority to nominate a senior counsel to represent her in the HC.The SC noted that the Kerala police had filed an affidavit that there was no laxity in the investigations being conducted by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. As many as 71 witnesses, including her friends and doctors, had already been examined. Also, the probe was being monitored by the HC.“The facts and circumstances in which the offence is alleged to have been committed can be better investigated by the state police,” the Bench held.The apex court directed the SIT to complete the probe within three months and clarified that the HC could go into the officers’ plea for quashing the FIR against them in the light of the outcome of the investigations.

Youth throw stones at security personnel during a protest in Srinagar. Tribune file Photo

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 10

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged the security agencies to conduct operations keeping in view the safety of the people so that an environment of peace and tranquillity is maintained to enable the government to implement its agenda of good governance and development.Mehbooba, chairing her first meeting of the Unified Headquarters here today, took stock of the security-related matters and peace on borders in the state. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh was also present.The Chief Minister was briefed by top officers of the Army, police and the civil administration about the overall security scenario as well as the steps taken to maintain peace in the state.In her opening remarks, Mehbooba emphasised a humane approach while dealing with the law and order situation on the ground. She insisted that the standard operating procedures should be maintained at all costs. “Any incident of civilian killing reverses all gains that have been achieved so far,” she observed.While asking the security agencies to maintain restraint at all costs so as to avoid any civilian casualties and collateral damage, the Chief Minister said it would be in the fitness of things to give an option of homecoming to the local youth who have picked up guns.The Chief Minister also underlined the importance of United Headquarters as an apex platform to synchronise the endeavours of the civil administration, security forces and the J&K Police for evolving a cogent response to tackle the internal and external challenges to peace in the state. For a sense of normalcy, visibility of the security forces and bunkers should be minimised in the civilian areas, she added.Mehbooba stressed reducing the footprint of security forces at various tourist places and airports to cause less inconvenience to visitors and welcome them with a sense of normalcy.Referring to the importance of peace and tranquility along borders, the Chief Minister insisted upon taking forward the initiative of border tourism started by former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at Suchetgarh in Jammu. She also asked the security agencies to showcase the Baba Chamliyal area as a symbol of great reverence.On the smooth conduct of the Amarnath yatra, the CM stressed the involvement of the locals to facilitate the visiting pilgrims. “Kashmiris have for long been an epitome of hospitality which they have proved time and again during the yatra. Our young boys should be made part of this activity,” she said, adding that this would go a long way in generating a positive perception about the youth who are otherwise being demonised.The Deputy Chief Minister, while speaking on the occasion, appreciated the coordination between various wings of the security forces and maintained that it was due to their coordinated efforts that peace had been restored and sustained across the state and “now the onus lies on us to ensure that it remains constant”.He said necessary arrangements should be made for the smooth conduct of the Amarnath yatra.Chief Secretary BR Sharma, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt Gen DS Hooda, Director General of Police K. Rajendra Kumar, GOC of 15 Corps Lt Gen SK Dua, GOC of 9 Corps Lt Gen Ashok Ambre, GOC of 14 Corps Lt Gen SK Patyal and other senior police, security and civil administration officials attended the meeting.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1

The Ministry of Finance has issued orders that pending cases concerning revision of pension consequent to the government removing the requirement of having 33 years service to earn full pension should be processed by May 31. The revision would increase the pension of the central employees concerned.The provision of having 33-year service for earning full pension was done away with in 2006 on the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, but this benefit was not extended to pre-2006 pensioners and the pension in such cases was being calculated with the proportionate reduction. In April, orders were issued to bring them on par with post-2006 pensioners.Orders issued by the Central Pension Accounting Office on April 27 have directed all principal chief controllers of accounts, chief controllers of accounts, controllers of accounts, accountant generals and UT administrators to revise such cases by using e-revision applications available on official networks.Over 93,000 cases from 54 Central ministries and departments are pending for revision consequent to the April 6 order. The highest number (58,629) is from the Ministry of Home Affairs.