President exhorts Indians to remain united
"We have to remain united and prepared not only when war-like situations come upon us, but in normal times also, so that we are not ever again taken unawares by surprise attacks," K R Narayanan said in his I- Day-eve address. Click here to hear the President. (Real G2 Player.) Click here to hear the President. (Real Player 5.0 or less.)
Four Kargil heroes awarded Param Vir Chakra
Besides, the troops that took part in Operation Vijay have won nine Maha Vir Chakras, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 53 Vir Chakras, two Yudh Seva Medals and 84 Sena Medals.
Militants attack army camp, 3 soldiers killed
In yet another incident of its kind, terrorists attacked a Rashtriya Rifles camp at Mansbal in Baramullah district in the wee hours of Saturday, killing three soldiers.
Tense Kashmir awaits another August 15
Security forces have been put on maximum alert following intelligence reports that some 1,000 heavily armed militants have infiltrated the state to disrupt the 53rd Independence Day celebrations.
Security beefed up in North-East for I-Day
Seven insurgent groups, including the banned ULFA, National Democratic Front of Bodoland and NSCN-K, have called for a region-wide bandh from Saturday midnight and urged the people to boycott the celebrations.
Threats force Assam to tighten security
Official sources said army helicopters had been pressed into service to keep a watch on roads and railways in the state.
Unprecedented security in Nagaland
IGP N N Walling said foolproof anti-sabotage security arrangements had been made throughout the state.
CRISIS ON THE BORDER
India 'did not violate 1991 deal'
Indian Ambassador Naresh Chandra told the US that the Indo-Pak agreement signed eight years ago to avoid aerial clashes was meant to be preventive, but it did not supersede established international norms.
N-deterrent prevented war: Pak
"Unfortunately, many have fallen prey to the aggressive Indian propaganda that the armed forces of Pakistan had violated the LoC by occupying the Kargil heights," the Pakistani foreign minister said.
India is not serious about peace: Sharief
"We have acted with responsibility and patience after becoming a nuclear power and are still behaving in the same manner. But there is a limit to everything," the Pakistani PM said.
THE ISI'S ROLE
'J&K police betraying IB officials'
"Intelligence Bureau officials posted in the valley run the risk of being stabbed in the back. They are betrayed by local administration officials," a Union home ministry source said.
Kerala police bust ISI-backed extremist group
Police sources told rediff.com that the gang was engaged in a plot to annihilate top politicians, including Chief Minister E K Nayanar, using human bombs.
ELECTIONS '99
Arun Nehru raises Sonia's 'un-Indianness'
The former Union minister has called for a nationwide referendum on whether a person of foreign origin can become prime minister.
Ezhilmalai quits PMK, to join AIADMK
The Pattali Makkal Katchi general secretary, who was not renominated for the Chidambaram Lok Sabha seat, has also resigned from the Vajpayee government.
TMC, Dalit party vie for Thanjavur seat
The Tamil Maanila Congress, leading the third front in Tamil Nadu, today re-nominated two more former MPs while releasing the second list of its candidates for four seats for the Lok Sabha election in the state.
OTHER REPORTS
I-Day is not One Billion Baby day, scoff experts
"I think some UN official decided that it would be nice to tell the whole world that on our Independence anniversary, the population will also cross the one billion mark," says Dr K Srinivasan, president of the Population Foundation of India.
50 pilgrims feared killed in bus mishap
At least 50 people were feared drowned when a bus carrying pilgrims fell from a bridge into a floodwater-filled ditch on the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi road in Sitamarhi district on Friday night.
The Islamised Pakistan Army believes jihad is the military salvation to Kashmir
'Thanks to the army and ISI's linkages with the Islamic fundamentalists, a new power troika consisting of these power centres is emerging. The divine A words -- America and Allah -- may rue the day they encouraged the formation of this trinity,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.
Madam will bow out!
Yes, Sonia Gandhi is opting out of the prime ministerial race. In a few days, our sources say, she will announce this and may name Dr Manmohan Singh for the top job. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
North-East to get more rains
Rain or thundershowers are likely at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim
No ordinary militants these, says army
"We have not seen such ferocity and determination in the attacks in the past. They are definitely working to a plan," said Major General R K Kaushal about the attack on an army camp that killed two soldiers on Friday morning.
Pak gurdwara is hub of ISI activities
Top intelligence officer S K Datta said Lahore-based Sikh terrorists are under pressure from the ISI to revive violence in Punjab since the Indian security forces will be stretched during the general election.
ISI spreads its tentacles across N India
The confirmation that Iranian, Afghan and Pushto mercenaries are entrenched in Chopra and Islampur in Siliguri has highlighted what Advani said recently: that modules of ISI are active all over India.
ISI role suspected in Gaisal tragedy as well
The top brass of the North-East Frontier Railway was unanimous that it was impossible for such an accident to take place, especially in the Kishenganj-New Jalpaiguri section, unless engineered by some external force.
CRISIS ON THE BORDER
India went overboard, say diplomats
"My gut feeling is that the plane may have strayed into restricted space. But the Indian reaction was nowhere near in line," said one official who visited the site in Sindh.
India, Pak ignore US advice
The Clinton administration has said that India and Pakistan have not responded to its appeal to honour their 1991 agreement designed to avert aerial clashes.
Meet an unusual hero: Mule 696
Twenty-seven mules, who kept up the supply line to the army when it was engaged in a fierce battle with Pakistani intruders in the Drass and Kargil sectors, have been shifted to Srinagar from the front for specialised treatment.
ELECTIONS '99
Media mania at Sonia's first press conference
"My husband was crucified over the [Bofors] papers, it suits the BJP to keep things hanging, BJP had sought to extract political advantage from the Bofors papers." Sonia Gandhi bites the Bofors bullet.
Ramakant Khalap splits MGP
The MGP-K will join the Congress on Independence Day, the former Union law minister said.
Congress promises LS quota for women
A novel feature of the manifesto is the decision to bring out an annual report on the progress of its implementation.
BJP will marry Mulayam, Pawar: Kanshi Ram
The BSP chief said the BJP is looking at Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Pawar for post-poll friendship and, subsequently, government formation.
Advani claims NDA will sweep the poll
The Union home minister denied that he was opposing the tie-up with the JD-U in Karnataka. "We will incorporate the Janata Dal out of respect for many of our colleagues in the NDA," he said.
Pakistan's UN envoy flays Annan over Kashmir
Pakistan's new envoy said the UN Charter provides a number of dispute-settlement mechanisms and "perhaps it is the duty of the international community to exert pressure on those countries to resort" to some of those mechanisms.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'Tolerance levels in both communities has gone down'
'It was unfortunate that some extremists equated local Muslims with Pakistan. But this was only a small minority,' says Mukesh Patel, president of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Gandhi was a misfit in India
'Gandhi in the name of non-violence put his foot down and the Cripps proposal was rejected. Had it been accepted, history might have been changed, Partition and its terrible bloodshed would have been avoided,' says Francois Gautier.
Congress in a quandary
'The party has traditionally depended on slogans and symbols to win polls. "Garibi hatao!" "A government that works!" What will be the centrepiece of its campaign in 1999,' asks T V R Shenoy.
The Battle of the Debris
'It's time to take the fight to the enemy and finish this proxy war business once and for all. No other country is going to do it for us. They don't even want to. Because no conflict = no arms sales,' says Varsha Bhosle.
THE WEATHER
Monsoon rages in parts of Bengal, Sikkim
Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the next 48 hours.
August 13
CRISIS ON THE BORDER
Army prepares for fresh offensive in Kargil
The Pakistanis, who are occupying points of vantage on the Line of Control in Mushkoh Valley and Batalik, have begun claiming that these points belong to them and they will not vacate.
India steps on the diplomatic gas
"It is a little difficult explaining this sudden lack of restraint on our part and the need to actually shoot down the aircraft," an external affairs official admitted.
Pak probing new frontiers, says IAF chief
Dismissing the possibility of 'navigational error' by the Atlantique as the international border is clearly demarcated, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis said it was a deliberate mission to probe new channels that could be used in any future offensive.
IAF put on 'maximum alert'
The chief of air staff, however, said he did not expect any escalation of the tension.
Israel agreed to rush arms to India
During the Kargil crisis, the Indian government had asked Israel to accelerate the arms orders, to which Israel agreed.
Exercise utmost restraint: France
French officials acknowledged that Paris attaches tremendous importance to its relations with India. They also said the defence relations between Pakistan and France would be scaled down.
CPI-M manifesto tars Congress and BJP
The manifesto rejected the contention that the people have to choose between the BJP-led combination and the Congress-led alternative at the Centre, and resolved to strengthen the left and democratic forces in the country.
Mufti to contest from Anantnag
The JKPDP leader said people are not satisfied with the National Conference as it has failed on all fronts.
Khalap may join Congress
Congress sources said the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party leader has been nominated for the Panjim Lok Sabha seat.
BJP ties up with JD-U, TDP
By joining hands with the JD-U in Karnataka, the BJP has signalled its willingness to accommodate the party in the National Democratic Alliance.
Puthiya Thamizhagam breaks with TMC
Dr K Krishnasamy released the party's first list of six candidates at a hurriedly convened press conference in Madras before front leader and TMC president G K Moopanar could announce the seat-sharing agreements with the PT and other allies.
UDF vs LDF: In Kerala it's the same old story
There is no major change in the political combinations and permutations that existed in the 1998 February Lok Sabha elections, except for a split in the Revolutionary Socialist Party.
OTHER REPORTS
Medha Patkar, 40 others arrested
They were waist-deep in water for 18 hours since the Narmada rose dangerously late on Tuesday night.
NLFT extremists kill 6 villagers in Tripura
Additional security forces led by DIG (northern range) Bala Subramaniam and Superintendent of Police (Dhalai district) T B Roy have rushed to the spot and launched an intensive search.
UAE begins to cut foreign workforce
The move is seen as part of the UAE's desire to encourage 'Emiratisation' of the workforce, that is, to find employment for a large number of UAE nationals who are otherwise jobless.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
'Nationalism is not a mere political programme; nationalism is a religion'
'True Hinduism was for Sri Aurobindo the basis for India's past greatness, it was also the essence of nationalism and the means of liberating India. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Indian National Congress did not have the same vision,' says Francois Gautier.
Does India need a new National Anthem?
'Do we need a new national anthem, or do we need a zippier Jana Gana Mana that catches the fancy of generation next?' asks Krishna Prasad.
THE WEATHER
Showers expected in J&K, Himachal
Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, the Bihar plains, the hills of west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in the next 48 hours.
August 12
CRISIS ON THE BORDER
Pakistan confirms attack on IAF aircraft
Pakistan said it fired on Indian jets trying to intrude on its airspace. But CNN and Star News correspondents said the incident occurred when a helicopter convoy was carrying journalists to Tuesday's crash site.
Defence officials brief Cabinet panel
The Cabinet Committee on Security held detailed discussions on the measures to be taken to thwart any Pakistani misadventure.
India condemns Pak missile attack on copters
Rear Admiral S C Bangara wanted to know why an Atlantique was being used for training and why it was carrying a full complement. "You carry 16 people on board when there is a surveillance mission undertaken," he pointed out.
US expresses concern
"Such incidents illustrate the continued high tension between India and Pakistan and we would like the two countries to resolve their differences through dialogue," a state department official said.
Clinton urges restraint and dialogue
The US also hinted at the possibility of despatching emissaries to New Delhi and Islamabad to defuse the tension.
India, Pak urged to take greatest care
"We are urging India and Pakistan to... avoid provocation and misunderstanding," a British foreign office spokesman said.
ELECTIONS '99
Arun Nehru moved BJP-wards after Kargil
"We are in touch with a number of senior leaders from our main opposition. We will give you another surprise in a couple of days," promised party general secretary Govindacharya.
Congress resurrects Staines to nail BJP
If it comes to power, the party will consider banning the Sangh Parivar for preaching communal hatred, said spokesman Kapil Sibal.
TDP says 'yes' to poll tie-up with BJP
The TDP politburo, which met for over two hours on Tuesday night, discussed the issue threadbare and unanimously ratified the decision to have an electoral understanding with the BJP.
EC transfers 16 officials in 3 states
Among the targets of the commission's crackdown were senior police officers in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.
Extensive use of electronic voting machines in Goa
Chief Electoral Officer Kewal Sharma said the commission had made adequate arrangements for electronic voting in the state where polling is scheduled for September 5.
Kanshi Ram, Tohra oppose Sonia as PM
While Kanshi Ram is against her since he favours an unstable Centre, Tohra said he could not support the daughter-in-law of the person who ordered Operation Bluestar.
Chidambaram, Balasubramanian in TMC list
While Chidambaram will seek re-election from Sivaganga, Balasubramanian has been shifted from the Nilgiris to Coimbatore.
OTHER REPORTS
Another bridge blown up in Assam
Extremists detonated a remote-controlled high-powered explosive device damaging the bridge between Dhekiajuli and Majbat stations.
Underworld don Arun Gawli arrested
The police wanted to search the gangster's house following intelligence reports that some vehicles containing weapons were headed to Wadgaon Pir village where he stays.
Narmada crosses danger mark
Bharuch Collector Bidyut Swain said the river is flowing three feet above the mark of 24 feet.
'In the smiles of these children I have found life'
"It is shameful that 50 years after we attained Independence we have not been able to educate our people and change the quality of their lives," says Syed Firoze Ashraf, who educates poor children from a Bombay slum.
THE REDIFF DIARY
Cricket is not our passion anymore
'What we are into is a narrow, blinkered vision that only takes in current icons. And in the process, we appear to have forgotten to enjoy, to appreciate, the game in its entirety,' says Prem Panicker.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
The truth about India's Independence
'Those who have least contributed to India's independence occupy a place of honour in history books, while those who worked with dedication for a true, wholesome independence are in the shadow,' says Francois Gautier.
The autonomy virus
'Vaiko and his ilk would do well to get their priorities right instead of faulting the constitutional powers of the state vis-a-vis the Centre. It is essentially a matter of being able to walk before wanting to run,' says Arvind Lavakare.
Return of the JD
'The real import of the JD faction walking over to the NDA will be seen in the post-election scenario. The former JD constituents that are wreathing saffron over themselves today are obviously some kind of a Trojan Horse with the BJP,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
THE WEATHER
Karnataka gets heavy showers
Rain or thundershowers are likely at many places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, the Bihar plains, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
August 11
IAF shoots down Pak plane over Gujarat
The French-made marine reconnaissance aircraft, which strayed into Indian territory, was downed off Kori creek near Koteshwar in Kutch district of Gujarat.
No threat of a war breaking out: Experts
A majority of experts this correspondent spoke to were of the opinion that India had served a warning to Pakistan that its terrorist activities in Kashmir and the North-East would not be tolerated.
Pak expels Indian diplomat for spying
Pakistan today expelled an Indian diplomat for "activities incompatible with his official status" -- diplomatic jargon for espionage.
No meeting between Sharief-Vajpayee at UN
Pakistan foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed has said
''there was no possibility'' of any meeting between Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharief and
Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session next month.
BJP fields Arun Nehru from Rai Bareli
The central election committee of the BJP today cleared the second list of 44 candidates taking the number of names cleared so far for the Lok Sabha elections to 183.
JD all ready to hold hands with Vajpayee
Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan said Vajpayee's statement that the Janata Dal was an asset has cleared the hurdles that blocked it from joining the NDA.
Sangma sees post-poll realignments
Sangma said while there were many compulsions
before the secular parties to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, the
post-election scenario would create its own compulsions.
Thackeray sees plot in EC refusal to swap election dates
"Not changing the dates was done deliberately so that the Congress will have more weightage than the alliance in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state," the Shiv Sena leader told an election rally in Bombay.
Shiv Sena candidate joins Congress
Sanjay Ghatge said his decision was taken in the interest of local politics and to avoid the division of votes which would benefit the NCP.
Pawar gathers another to his fold
BJP leader and former Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra Rajabhau Thakre has joined the Nationalist Congress Party.
Mayawati to contest from Basti
Releasing the list of 85 BSP candidates for UP she said for the first time the party has given tickets to ten upper caste candidates. It was also fielding 20 scheduled caste candidates, 38 from the backward classes and 17 Muslims.
Vazhapadi triggers crisis in DMK-led alliance
The Union petroleum minister was not amused by the PMK's decision to leave just one seat, Salem, for his Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress. The TRC and PMK together had been allotted nine seats by the DMK.
BJP's O Rajagopal to contest from Trivandrum
According to the list approved by the central election committee of the party for the state, national
executive member K Raman Pillai and party state secretary P K Krishnadas will be the party nominees for the Mavelikkara and Kasaragod seats, respectively.
4 state ministers make it Congress's MP list
Five former Union ministers, the state Congress president, three Rajya Sabha members and a legislator are among the 33 party nominees in the party's first list.
President to set electoral ball rolling tomorrow
The electoral process for the first phase of Lok Sabha poll, scheduled on September 5 in 146 parliamentary constituencies spread over 10 states and six Union Territories, will be set in motion on Wednesday with a notification from President K R Narayanan.
OTHER REPORTS
Clinton brings up CTBT again
The United States president has renewed his appeal to the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty as soon as possible.
US denies planning strike on bin Laden
A Qatari TV channel reported that two American military planes had landed, in Islamabad and Quetta, with commandos in apparent preparation for a strike on the Afghanistan-based terrorist leader.
India denies quoting a price for Dalai Lama's asylum
Former US Marine Major William Carson claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru had told the Americans that if India was to accept the Dalai Lama, the United States would have to help India develop nuclear weapons.
French Court awards India damages for faulty Siachen kit
The judgment and its outcome could have far-reaching implications
for future and contemporary Indian defence contracts, since a large number of
such cases are pending all across Europe.
A tale of a few photos
'The police harass Pardhis often enough. But why confiscate 15 or 20 photographs? Could it be because they are Pardhis and therefore automatic suspects in district crimes,' asks Dilip D'Souza.
The break-up bug
'Political parties do it. Business families do it. Serious, heavy duty corporates do it. More and more married couples are doing it. Breaking up is the new mantra in India,' says Pritish Nandy.
ISI plan to sever N-E, Kashmir from India
The Pakistani agency planned to create an independent Islamic state in the North-East, say official sources. The series of bomb blasts being set off by extremists in Assam since Friday is a part of this plan.
Blasts cut N-E's links with rest of India
Six wagons of a goods train derailed when a bomb went off on the New Jalpaiguri-Bongaigon section of the North-Eastern Railway. This followed an explosion on the weekend that blew up a bridge on a national highway in the region.
ISI has penetrated JK administration
The Union government proposes to launch a multi-pronged operation to weed out the foreign agents, top officials told rediff.com.
Vajpayee holds door open for Janata Dal
The prime minister has said that the National Democratic Alliance would be strengthened if the Janata Dal joined it.
Pawar, 8 other ex-MPs in NCP's first list
The NCP president will contest the Lok Sabha election for the fifth time from his stronghold, Baramati. Along with 24 Lok Sabha candidates, the first list of 122 candidates for the state assembly election was also announced by state unit chief Chhagan Bhujbal.
Sena-BJP's opening rally fails to impress
It was around 6.30 pm that trucks full of Shiv Sainiks began arriving at the venue, lending some semblance of respectability to the gathering. It was quite obvious that shakha pramukhs were sent a last-minute SoS to bring in more people.
Politicians asked to lay off AIR, DD
The Prasar Bharati Board has asked political parties not to interfere in the functioning of the All India Radio and Doordarshan.
Do or die: Sonia tells partymen
Addressing a function to honour freedom fighters, she said there was a need for every Congressman to understand the philosophy behind Gandhiji's call of 'do or die' and take inspiration from it to face the threats from internal forces.
CPI loses a leader in Andhra
Veteran communist Rajeshwara Rao said he was resigning on "moral and personal" grounds.
OTHER REPORTS
Declare Pak a terrorist state, BJP urges world
The Hindutva party has called upon all countries, including the United States, to put an end to Pakistan's "deadly business of exporting terrorism."
Judiciary is 'managed', charges Hazare
The controversial social activist has broken his silence. Only to announce an 11-day fast. And to come up with fresh allegations.
DD unveils total revamp to take on competition
Apart from a news channel commencing on Independence Day, the government-owned broadcaster announced that both its main channels -- DD1 and DD2 -- would become 24-hour channels.
New novel depicts EMS as demigod
But celebrated Malayalam writer M Mukundan's Kesavante Vilaapangal has few charitable things to say about the party the Communist patriarch shaped and nurtured.
SC issues notices to cigarette companies
The notices relate to the alleged violation by the companies of their statutory obligation to display the warning against smoking in all their advertisements.
8 feared killed in UP boat tragedy
District Magistrate Alok Tandon, who returned from the tragedy site, said four bodies, including two of children, had been recovered so far
Nadar Parakh's diary
But I guess the good thing about Indians is that they have no pride. You can hire the bastards and fire them. You know what I mean? he asked me.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Reveille in Kargil
'RAW's intercepts in Pakistan yield up to 60 cassettes of conversations every day. This is a marvel of intelligence. But then, the Indian flatfoot takes over. The staff has to transcribe, translate, collate and analyse what it all means. It was at these levels RAW failed,' says Vir Sanghvi.
Other myths to "internalise"
'What makes Justice Srikrishna a figure of "unimpeachable even-handedness" -- and Justice Wadhwa a person whose objectivity is debatable?' asks Varsha Bhosle.
