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The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, wednesday, OCTOber 20, 2010 postal reg. no. Goa 101 priCe rs. 3.00
Sports: Chance for youngsters Goa: Govt workers campaigning to prove mettle - Dhoni Pg 16 for polls to face suspension Pg 3 Education commences at the mother’s knee, and every word spoken within the hearsay of little children tends towards the formation of character. —Hosea Ballou
CWG probe gathers steam The probe into the Commonwealth Games gathered steam with the ED registering a case for alleged Foreign Exchange violation, Income Tax sleuths conducting searches in the premises of businessman Sudhanshu Mittal. – (PTI)
Sanatan plans fresh Narkasur campaign HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 19
Notwithstanding consequences it faced in the Margao blast at a function to slay demon Narkasur in October 2009, Sanatan Sanstha (SS) plans to launch fresh campaign against the event of ‘glorifying’ the demon. “Our campaign is against glorification of Narkasur. We want that Lord Krishna who killed the demon should be glorified,” Sanatan managing trustee Virendra Marathe told reporters today. Marathe claimed that Narkasur-slaying competitions have not only mushroomed in recent years but have also been commercialized, which glorify the demon instead of the Lord. Several huge and small Narkasur effigies are made and burnt on every Diwali eve to mark the legendary battle wherein Krishna had killed the demon. Every lane and by-lanes have the demon’s effigies made by groups of people, mostly youth. The display of Narkasur effigies, usually seen at competitions is dramatically assassinated by another effigy of Lord Krishna, which is more sedate and smaller. “We are not against Narkasur
Our campaign is against glorification of Narkasur. We want that Lord Krishna who killed the demon should be glorified. — Sanatan Managing Trustee Virendra Marathe effigies but it should not be glorified. Our campaign will be peaceful and educative,” he reiterated. He said that the campaign will be supported by several from another Hindu right-wing organization - Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. On October 16, the State observed first anniversary of the blast, which claimed lives of two Sanatan members Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik when an
improvised explosive device (IED) accidentally exploded while they were allegedly ferrying it to the crowded area where the Narkasur slaying competition was being held at Margao. National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its chargesheet said that the explosion was carried out to create fear in the minds of the people attending Narkasur competition and booked 13 Sanatan members in the case.
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Goa’s Heartbeat: Priyanka shies away from intimate scene Pg 4 Cabinet reshuffle likely on Friday FROM OUR BUREAU NEW DELHI, OCT 19
The Union Cabinet reshuffle is likely on Friday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may carry it out before leaving on a weeklong 3-nation tour of Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam from Sunday. This will be the first reshuffle of the UPA-II ministry since it took the reigns 17 months ago in June last year. Dr Manmohan Singh had himself talked about the reshuffle possibility before Parliament’s Winter Session (beginning on November 9) while talking to editors here last month. The Congress President’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and MoS in PMO Prithviraj Chavan have already communicated possibility of the reshuffle to the allies but left it for the PM to discuss the names with their leaders. Sonia Gandhi reportedly asked the Prime Minister last week to complete the reshuffle to enable her to carry out the exercise of forming her new team in the Congress immediately after a one-day AICC session here on November 2. She has to decide the names before the session as general secretaries in the new setup have to be also inducted in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to be constituted in the session. The Prime Minister’s media adviser is in Hyderabad with him and he could not be reached.
Nagaland cops to arrive today 6 rescued girls to be questioned HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 19
Nagaland police will arrive in Goa tomorrow to assist Goa women police in the investigation of human trafficking case wherein 11 girls were rescued from a beauty parlour at Porvorim on October 9. Police sources informed that a team of senior Nagaland police officers will be recording statements of six Nagaland girls who are presently lodged at State Protective Home at Merces. Women police had carried out a raid at ‘Lotus’ beauty parlour and rescued 11 girls hailing from Mizoram, Nagaland and Belgaum who are reportedly victims of human trafficking. Sources had informed while only two girls are professional beauticians remaining were lured to Goa with a promise to teach them the skills. On bringing them to Goa, they were pushed into flesh trade. Six persons including five male employees and parlour lady owner Mahalaxmi Mishra were arrested on charges of trafficking and forcing the girls into prostitution. Since, one of the rescued victims is a minor, the alleged ac-
cused are slapped with an offence under Goa Children’s Act 2003. “Nagaland team has been gathering information from its Goa counterpart via telephonic conversation. They will not only be recording statements of the rescued victims but may also interrogate the alleged accused,” said the source. Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) recently dashed a letter to Goa State Commission for Women (GSCW) expressing concern whether the Naga girls are really involved in the flesh trade or are falsely implicated. Sources further informed that four Mizoram girls who were also housed at State Protective Home at Merces have been escorted back to Mizoram by a team of Aizawl police today morning. Mizoram police in a similar action back there had rescued 10 girls and arrested three people, who wanted to send them to Goa. While, women police is carrying out its investigation and SDM conducting an independent inquiry, Goa State Commiss i o n f o r Wo m e n i s a l s o conducting a parallel probe.
It was Delhi next: Headley AGENCIES NEW DELHI, OCT 19
Pakistani American terror suspect David Headley has told Indian investigators that he had scouted Delhi for another strike at potential targets, including the Prime Minister’s residence and key defence complexes. Headley, who has confessed his role in plotting the 2008 Mumbai attack with LeT leaders and was arrested last year in the US, told a team of Indian interrogators in a US prison that he was in Delhi in March 2009, said sources who refused to be identified. During his Delhi trip — four months after 10 terrorists sneaked into Mumbai from the sea and killed 166 people over three days — Headley videographed 7 Race Course Road, the prime minister’s official residence, Raksha Bhavan and the National Defence College (NDC) in the heart of the capital, the sources disclosed. A four-member team of Indian investigators interrogated Headley in June this year after he entered into a plea bargain with the US government offering to be available to foreign investigators for any questioning related to terror plots he was scheming with the LeT and Al Qaeda. The 49-year-old Pakistaniborn revealed that he found “minimal security” at the NDC that appeared a “vulnerable target”. The security cover at the
Kasab spits on webcam PTI MUMBAI, OCT 19
Known for his mood swings, Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, today spat on a webcam during hearing in Bombay High Court on confirmation of his death sentence, prompting the judges to sternly tell him not to throw tantrums and behave properly. Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice R V More gave the warning when they saw Kasab arguing with policemen and spitting on the camera during the video conference, specially arranged for him to hear the 26/11 case. prime minister’s residence appeared too tough to break through and his Pakistani handlers were not interested in striking at the Raksha Bhavan, an office-cum-residential complex for defence personnel, Headley is believed to have told the investigators. He later spoke to his co-conspirator, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, another Pakistani terrorist who is also in a US prison. He said his Pakistani handlers were more interested in attacking the NDC and had even started working on the idea with a help from an unknown person in Nepal, sources said.
The banks of the Ganga littered with debris from Durga idols after immersion, in Kolkata on Tuesday.
After suicide bid, kidnap accused now flees IPHB HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 19
An accused in a kidnap case who created panic in the Children Court, last week by attempting suicide, today escaped from the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) where he was admitted. Sameer Sheikh and four other inmates were brought out of their respective treatment rooms for lunch within the premise at about 1:15pm when
the alleged accused dodged the security and fled. “We have flashed his photograph and identification details to all local police stations and our Mumbai counterparts to trace him. A case of escape from legal custody is registered against him,” Agassaim Police Inspector Vishwesh Karpe said. Sheikh had slit his throat with a piece of blade in the open court hall, moments after the judge remanded him further cus-
Kisan Swaraj Yatra reaches Goa Insists on embracing organic farming
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 19
In the land of three Ss – Sun, Sea and Sand, torch-bearers of sustainable agriculture movement in the country entered with the slogan of three Fs – Food, Farmers and Freedom. Kisan Swaraj Yatra, which began its journey from Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati in Gujarat on October 2, touched the soils of Goa on Tuesday. The agro-movement leaders claimed that the march aims at creating awareness on deepened agricultural crisis due to which several farmers ended their lives. The attempt is to find methods to enhance farming and livelihood. “We want to reach out to all farmers across the country and
encourage them on sustained and organic farming. We are insisting farmers to embrace organic farming that will provide livelihood and food security to small farmers, maintain quality
of the soil which in turn will help healthy harvesting and finally poison-free water,” Kavita Karugati said at Panjim today. The bus-yatra has plans to travel across 20 States of India
Punjab ryots reeling under debt: farmer HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 19
Balwinder Singh is a courageous farmer. Not because he came thousands of miles from his village in Punjab to Goa to encourage the coastal state farmers but because he chose not to gulp down bottle of pesticide to get rid of penury. Balwinder, belonging to cot-
ton belt of Malva, states that his village is debt-hit. He said that it’s a wrong notion that Punjab is doing marvelous in agriculture. “The promises by politicians there have fallen flat. Farmers are reeling under debt and forced to kill themselves,” he said on the sidelines of yatra today. (Continued on page 11)
and interact with several thousand farmers and like-minded people. The final stop of yatra will be at Rajghat in Delhi on December 11. The key issue that prompted to launch the yatra was an unabated suicide by farmers in the recent past. “Our mission is to give a message to the government that they have to heed to our demands to encourage organic farming and shun away the ‘poisonous’ farming,” she further said. The members comprising of 300-odd farmers and others also intend striking interaction with the government addressing problems faced by the farmers. “ We endeavour to free farmers from the growing (Continued on page 11)
tody for kidnapping a four-yearold boy in May. He was rushed to Goa Medical College for treatment but was discharged soon as the injuries were minor. On committing this act, the alleged kidnapper attracted yet another charge of ‘attempted suicide’, which is registered at Panjim Town Police Station pending his transfer warrant. His arrest in the case was (Continued on page 11)
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