The Communist Party of India (M) expressed resentment over the inability of the United Progressive Alliance government to confront Hindutva forces. It demanded legislation to deal with communal violence and to provide compensation for the victims and rehabilitate them. A resolution adopted at the Congress observed: “It is most unfortunate, therefore, that the UPA government, whose formation was welcomed and made possible by secular forces, has been unable to confront the Hindutva forc...

National Human Rights Commission has strongly criticised Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat while asking him to submit the exact figure of Muslim prisoners languishing in different prisons of Gujarat. A number of Muslim prisoners have been there in different jails of the state with no single court hearings for a long period. However, the Commission has disapproved the figure was recently submitted to it by the state authority following the directions of the Commission. The Commission ...

The UPA Government may have tried to take the credit for introducing the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, but the Administrative Reforms Commission has negated the role of such a specific legislation. Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005 was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 5, 2006 and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs for detailed examinations. Going in...

The state units of the Hajj Committee have asked the Government to terminate the monopoly of Air India as the only carrier of pilgrims. In a bid to put an end to the monopoly of Air India, the Hajj Committee had demanded the right to negotiate with short listed bidders. The Committee has asked the Government to constitute a team, including representatives of External Affairs, Civil Aviation and Finance ministries to handle the matter.

According to the Committee, those pilgrims ...

With no word yet from Spanish authorities on the imprisonment or release of 50-year-old Mumbai resident Roshan Jamal Khan in Madrid in connection with an alleged terror plot, his wife Farida and brother Mehboob met Spanish Consul-General Cesar Alba March 31 and submitted an appeal seeking his release. “My husband was arrested from Barcelona by Spanish authorities on January 19 and has been held for 72 days without being produced in court and tried,” Farida said.

For the first time in its post-independence history, the Indian Army has a Muslim General from Kashmir. Major General Mohammed Amin Naik, a resident of Tral, a picturesque township 39 kms south-east from Srinagar, has achieved the distinction recently. Decorated with the Sena Medal for his distinguished service in the Army, Maj. Gen. Amin was commissioned into Corps of Engineers in December 1974 from Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. During his career spread over nearly three-and-a half d...