Srinagar, May 5 (ANI): Life came to a grinding halt as Kashmir valley observed a shutdown today, called by hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani to protest the arrest of his supporters on charges of sedition.

doors.

“Geelani has given a call for shutdown after four of his supporters were booked under the Public Safety Act. The entire Kashmir valley is observing the strike,” said Altaf Ahmed, a resident.

“We face a lot of difficulties because of the strike. The Government should look into the matter so that the strike gets over and the situation is normalised,” said Mohammad Ismail, another resident.

Other separatist organisations have also backed the shutdown call.

Police had last week arrested four supporters of Geelani’s Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (Movement for Freedom) on charges of sedition.

The arrests were made following provocative and anti-national statement by Geelani at a huge public rally in Srinagar.

The meeting was seen as an outrageous display of anti-India sentiments by separatists, as supporters of Geelani shouted slogans against India and waved flags of the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba. (ANI)

Nasik, May 5 (ANI): At least six people died and several others were injured in a powerful blast in a gelatin factory at Harasur village in Nasik early this morning.

According to reports, rescue workers have recovered the bodies of three workers so far.The blast occurred at around 2 a.m. when at least 17-18 workers were working in the factory– Premier Explo.

The impact of the blast was so powerful that a three-storied building, which housed an explosive company, also collapsed.

The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital. (ANI)

Gorakhpur, May 5 (ANI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he does not consider himself a saviour of Uttar Pradesh, but rather sees himself as a young man who is ready to work shoulder to shoulder for the development of the state.

Speaking to reporters during his final phase of campaigning in Gorakhpur for the ongoing Assembly polls, Rahul said he has seen the State in a different perspective, adding that development here was a detailed process.

“I have campaigned in Uttar Pradesh. I have seen UP in a different perspective, I am looking at UP as a detailed process. My impression of UP is that there is a great expectation among the youth of the state. When I say expectation, I don’t mean the expectations from me. I meant expectation of the youth and the people of Uttar Pradesh. I don’t see myself as a saviour of UP, I see myself as a young man who is ready to work shoulder to shoulder for the development of the state,” he said.

The Amethi MP said that this was the start of a “long drawn process” of reviving the Congress party and taking it ahead in the state.

“I am not concerned about how many seats we get and how many seats we don’t get. I am concerned about the Congress party getting back to life in Uttar Pradesh. We have not fought some of the elections in the past, but what we have done in these elections is that we have fought and we are fighting and this is an achievement,” Rahul said. Commenting on the predictions of the exit polls, he said, “I am not an expert on these things, you know better than me. I don’t want to comment on that. You have your own predictions”.

Replying to a question on the lack of Congress cadres in the state, he ruled it out by saying that Congress cadres were everywhere and no one should underestimate them. “Morale is the biggest thing, and we are now getting it back enthused,” he added.

Speaking on a possible hung House in the State, he said it was up to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the senior party leaders to decide who would form the government and what would be the role of the Congress after the elections.

“I have my own opinion and would not like to share. Our aim is to take the party ahead in the state, and the decision which helps us do so will be taken by the senior leaders,” he said, adding, “My point about a sell out alliance is that an alliance should be worked out in detailed manner. It should be done after detailed discussions”.

He went on to say that his interest was to revive the Congress party in the state, which is a “long process”. Rahul added that he was not bothered about the outcome of the ongoing polls and rather wanted to make his party a force.

“What other people think, their negative comments are not our concern. Ours is to build a good party, which is responsive to the people’s need. Which delivers and works for the people. This is what I am interested in,” he added.

Responding to a query about the so-called factionalism within the party, he said though groupings do exist, things have been exaggerated.

“This is not true that if one gets the ticket thousand start campaigning against him. Gutbaazi is a fact and it is a part of the system. What my duty and the duty of the other people in the party is to ensure the best candidate who works in favour of the people,” Rahul said. (ANI)

Kumargram (West Bengal), May 5 (ANI): Five elephants have been found dead near West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve, 770 km from Kolkata.

Although the exact reason of their death is not known as yet, forest officials denied suspicious death, saying lightning may have caused the causality.

“It seems like a clear case of lightning. The way the bodies are lying. Any other reason of death is very unlikely,” said Subhankar Sengupta, Deputy Field Director of the Buxa Tiger Reserve.

However, reports said an investigation would be conducted.

The villagers of Kumargram block in Jalpaiguri District informed the forest officials after noticing the bodies lying on the banks of Raidak River yesterday.

According to the forest officials, about 17 elephants have died in the region due to various reasons since January this year.

Elephants are a protected and endangered species in India, with the country having nearly half of the world’s 60,000 Asian elephants.

But conservationists say the pachyderm population has fallen rapidly in recent years because of loss of habitat as a result of human encroachment into forest areas, leading to human-elephant conflicts.

According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), only male Asian elephants bear tusks, and the demand for ivory has led to the selective slaughter of tuskers in their prime. (ANI)

By Ajay Kumar

Patna, May 5 (ANI): Child labour, though unlawful, is accepted as a fact of life in Bihar.

Children, as young as five-year-olds, can be easily found struggling in horrendous conditions as servants, carpet weavers, stone crushers, rag-pickers or helpers in road-side eateries to earn a measly amount of 20 rupees (less than half-a-dollar) for a day.

Many of these underage children are sole earners of family.

“I sell vegetables so that I can save enough money for my sister’s marriage,” said Sunny, an 11-year-old boy.

“I want to study but cannot afford to go to school. I am the only earning member in my family and if I don’t work, we would have to starve,” said Manoj, a 13-year-old boy.

A lot of children from various parts of Bihar continue to work as child labourers despite a Central Government’s law providing for imprisonment or monetary fine or both for child labour.

A recent legislation banned employing children under the age of 14 at roadside food stalls or as domestic helps.

The new ban provided legal protection to millions more children. Anyone found violating the law could face up to two years’ jail and a maximum fine of 20,000 rupees (about 500 dollars) or both.

The State Government, however, claims to be taking sufficient action to curb the menace.

“Children doing labour are freed by the police and sent to their families. If they express a desire to study, we make arrangements for their educational pursuits. And, we also use (security) force to free the kids working as bonded labourers from the clutches of employers,” said Rameshwar Paswan, Welfare Minister, Bihar.

Despite State Government’s exaggerated claims of enforcing anti-child labour laws, the child labour continues.

According to the Central Labour Ministry, there are 12 million children under 14 years of age working in India– the largest such group in the world.

Data released by the Central Government late last year indicated the largest number of working children in the country is in Uttar Pradesh with a figure of 19.27 lakh (about 2 million). Andhra Pradesh has the second largest working children population, followed by Rajasthan and Bihar. (ANI)

Karachi, May 5 (ANI): Two economy class coaches have been added to the Thar Express, the train that runs on a weekly basis between Karachi and Jodhpur.

With the two new coaches, the Pakistan Railways would be able to accommodate 156 more passengers. Furthermore, replacing the first class sleeper coaches with economy class ones would make room for another 100 passengers.

The Pakistan Railways’ Karachi division on Friday added the two coaches after getting a verbal approval from the federal authorities concerned.

The decision was taken in view of the large number of people intending to travel between India and Pakistan. There were complaints that most of them had to wait for their turn for several weeks after obtaining visa owing to the insufficient capacity of the train. In many cases, visa date would expire before their turn comes, reported the Dawn.

According to the paper, the relevant agreement between the two countries provides for seven coaches for Thar Express.

The Thar Express was to leave Karachi on Friday night with nine coaches whereas the replacement of first class sleeper coaches would take effect on June 8 because the service had already accepted seat reservation for the first class sleeper coach up to June 1, an official said. (ANI)

Patna, May 5 (ANI): A special court in Siwan today held Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin guilty in the abduction and suspected murder case of CPI-ML (Liberation) worker Chotelal Gupta, eight years ago.

Shahabuddin was found guilty under Section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court will announce the quantum of sentence on May 8.

The Siwan MP has already given a two-year jail term in connection with another criminal case relating to an attack on the local office of CPI (ML). It was for the first time that Shahabuddin, facing nearly 40 criminal cases, faced conviction. Shahabuddin had attacked and ransacked the office, inflicting injuries on the people present there in 1998. CPI (ML) leader Keshav Baitha had registered the case at the Muffasil Police Station the same year.

The MP has been convicted in connection with the Khurwabad case in which he and his armed supporters were alleged to have exploded bombs at the party office and assaulted the CPI-ML secretary Baitha.

The MP is facing other criminal cases related to murder, abduction, violation of the Foreign Exchange Act, the Arms Act, power theft, and Wildlife Violation Act. (ANI)

By Ravinder Singh Robin/Karan Kapoor

Amritsar/Ludhiana, May 5 (ANI): `Kabootarbazi’ or Pigeon Flying was a sport popularised by the Mughals in India.

Today, it is still a favourite pastime for bird lovers in Punjab. Flying pigeons fascinates Punjabis, especially the non-resident category.

A visit Dauke village on the Indo-Pakistan border showcases how villagers have taken to “pigeon farming’ in a very active way to meet this demand and excitement for `Kabootarbazi’.

To be a successful `kabootarbaaz’ or pigeon flyer, one has to be conversant with the breeds of pigeons. In the subcontinent, it is well known that only people in Lahore breed high-flying pigeons. But the million-dollar question is; how do people in Punjab fly Lahori pigeons?

Surrounded on three sides by Pakistan, Dauke is a non-descript village near ttari. Only a fragile bridge at Attari connects it with the rest of India.

A tight security vigil keeps the villagers safe from infiltrators, but no security can stop these `white infiltrators’ – the fancy pigeons — from crossing the border.

A stamp on their feathers authenticates that they belong to Pakistan. Actually, during the summers, there are various pigeon competitions that are held in Lahore. Sometime pigeons fly high and cross the border into Dauke Village.

“Pigeons fly to this side of the border in search of food and water.

We catch them when they sit on our rooftops. The pigeon flyers (in Pakistan) feed their pigeons with highly intoxicating drugs before fly them high in the sky.

Sometimes pigeons miss their destination and cross over the border. They do not reach Doake, but many other villages near the border,” says Pratap, a pigeon farmer in Dauke.

A lot of residents in Dauke and nearby villages have taken up “pigeon farming’. They are happy that their work doesn’t invite any customs duty, emigration charge or any quarantine inquiry. They just feed them and profit by selling them off.

High-flying pigeons from Pakistan fetch a better price than the Indian variety.

“We have customers from Ludhiana who pay 12 to 15 dollars for a pair (of pigeons) carrying a Pakistani stamp,” says Kulwinder Singh, a pigeon fancier.

Birds not only make for good business, but many bird lovers believe in feeding the famished Pakistani pigeons and looking after them as guests.

Pigeons in the border villages are also seen as “Messengers of Peace”

Villagers residing along the Radcliff Line still prefer to send their “love and affection” to each other with the help of pigeons, as they fly fearlessly with the attached “love tags”.

The breeding pigeons can be a distinct advantage for many bird lovers.

There are two non-resident Indian brothers in Ludhiana, for whom pigeon flying and breeding means everything.

Bhupinder and Rajinder Singh Jolly own a lavish mansion in Ludhiana’s posh Sarabha Nagar colony, a building that attracts every passerby, simply, because pigeons are their favourites!

The brothers run a taxi service and restaurants in New York, but spend six months of the year in Punjab, just to take care of their darling birds.

It may seem as quite a costly affair!

A childhood hobby of keeping pigeons brought them extraordinary fame.

Ask anyone in Ludhiana, and they will willingly lead you to the `Kabootarwala Ghar’ – the house of pigeon flyers.

“It’s not a matter of money, but a hobby. We work six months abroad, at our restaurants and taxis, but I put everything on hold to visit Punjab to fly pigeons.

come here on months-long leave. We have an immense attachment with pigeons and love them like they were our children,” says Bhupinder Singh Jolly.

The fascinating hobby of breeding and flying pigeons earned them the title of `Best’ Pigeon Flyers in Punjab. The Ludhiana houses some 350 fancy pigeons, and they have been winning pigeon flying competitions galore.

In Ludhiana alone, there are dozens of pigeon fanciers, who get together and compete to see how long their bird will remain airborne.

“It’s an expensive pastime. Earlier, people kept pigeons as a hobby, now it has becomes a fashion statement.

They even bet in lakhs of rupees. We live for six months in Punjab and that means a huge business loss abroad and there are expenses here in addition. A hobby of pigeon flying is indeed a costly affair,” says Rajinder Singh Jolly.

“I don’t know much of Ludhiana, but many villagers are NRIs from Canada and England who come especially to bet on pigeons. These high-flying pigeons participate in competitions with the aim of seeing how long their birds will remain airborne.

In Ludhiana, we NRI brothers have a huge contribution in popularizing pigeon flying. Many have tried to slowdown the hobby, but whenever we come to the city, we meet people and motivate them to organize competitions,” said Bhupinder.

Pigeons are a very hardy species, easily housed and require no complex feeds compared to some exotic bird species. Most pigeons have a strong homing instinct and can be released to fly at liberty, and trained to return to their loft, and source of food.

The whole world is fascinated with this beautiful bird. So do Punjabis, who hold a special affection for these birds. (ANI)

Islamabad, May 5 (ANI): Former CIA director George Tenet has said that Pakistan had been “singularly uncooperative” in helping the US in rooting out Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan as it (Pakistan) feared a two-front conflict from India and the Taliban.

In his just-published book “At The Centre Of The Storm: My Years At The CIA”, Tenet says that the toughest terrorism issue i.e. the rooting out of the Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, was thought of as “the Pakistan problem”.

He adds: “For years it had been quite obvious that without the cooperation of the Pakistanis, it would be almost impossible to root out Al-Qaeda behind its Taliban protectors. The Pakistanis always knew more than they were telling US and they had been singularly uncooperative in helping US run these guys down.”

“My own belief, one widely shared within CIA, was that what the Pakistanis really feared was a two-front conflict, with India … And the Taliban mullahs trying to export their radical brand of Islam across the border from Afghanistan,” The Nation quoted him writing in his book.

He further says: “A war with India also posed the grim spectre of a nuclear confrontation, but from the ruling Generals’ point of view the best way to avoid having their nation Talibanised was to keep their enemy close. That meant not co-operating with US in hunting down (Osama) bin Laden and his organisation.”

e dominant thinking in the Pakistani officer corps was that Washington had “ulterior” motives in Afghanistan – wanting instability in that part of the world to discourage construction of oil and gas pipelines, for example.

“The Pakistani leadership for the most part felt that the United States had abandoned them, especially when we imposed economic sanctions on both Pakistan and India in the wake of their nuclear tests,” Tenet further says and adds that simultaneously the military-to-military relationship between the US and Pakistan also began to wane over the years with the younger generation of Pakistani officers not being in American military academies. (ANI)

Lahore, May 5 (ANI): The Pakistani investigation team that went to Jamaica to investigate into the murder of former coach Bob Woolmer, is learnt to have finalised the report, and it is likely to be submitted to the Government today.... Read more.