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Editorial

A New Language for Hindustan A NEW language is emerging all across India and more particularly among the elite. And, it is the educated class that is evolving and spreading it through its practices at public functions, classrooms, and seminars and at evening parties and get- togethers. Listen to people’s representatives in Parliament and numerous state assemblies, it is a new language they speak.

Analysis

Too Many Distress Signals Gobind Thukral HOW about sparing a thought for this? Every day scores of women and children trudge to the small forest near the Sukna Lake, Chandigarh- the city beautiful, collect whatever dry twigs they can lay their hands on and crawl back in the evening with these bundles of dry wood on their heads. It helps to warm their hearth and prepare some food.

Conservative Government Dogged by Controversial Appointments Canadians critical of new Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointment of ministers David Emerson and Michael Fortier Bernard Nunan reports from Ottawa THE honeymoon seems to be over very fast for the Conservative government in Canada. Less than two weeks after announcing his cabinet, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative caucus is facing low morale, following his controversial appointments of a Liberal, David Emerson and an unelected party functionary, Michael Fortier to his Cabinet.

Focus

Eco-Crisis in Punjab: Government Apathy ON February 24, 2006 while responding to a question from Akali Legislator from Giddarbaha Manpreet Badal in Punjab Assembly, Health Minister Ramesh Chander Dogra conceded that the high power committee formed to probe spread of cancer under Chief Minister; Capt. Amarinder Singh has not met even once. The committee was instituted in response to rising tide of public opinion. One can find the history of Neuro-toxicity; Teratogenicity; Carcinogenicity; Mutagenicity and several other toxicities due to pesticides, but this is a unique case of governmental-toxicity, writes Umendra Dutt Executive Director of Kheti Virasat Mission at Jaitu in Punjab.

India and America Close to Nuclear Deal Jyotika J Thukral SEVEN political parties, including the CPI, the CPI (M) and the Samajwadi Party, are opposing the forthcoming visit of US President George W Bush to India. They term as the worst imperialist and warmonger. Demonstrations would indeed greet him. The government under Manmohan Singh is unable to honour Bush by making him address the Indian Parliament or hold a public reception at the famous Red Fort.

Comment

Air India Bombing: Perjury Charge Against the Convict Gurpreet Singh reports from Vancouver IN a sudden turn of events, the only convict in the Air India bombing, Inderjit Singh Reyat has been charged for perjury. Reyat was sentenced for five years in jail after he pleaded guilty for making the bomb used in the crime. The 1985 mid air bombing killed all 329 people aboard the Air India flight 182.

Harper Plans to Scrap Previous Liberal Government's Childcare Plan Bernard Nunan writes from Ottawa A KEY component in the former Canadian Liberal Government's strategy to remain globally competitive in the looming economic showdown with China and India was to be honed soon after Canadian toddlers leave the crib.  During the recent election campaign, the Liberal Party of Canada proposed an ambitious "national" childcare program that would have created hundreds of thousands of daycare spaces across the country.

Law and Justice

Truth as valid defence for contempt of Courts Indian courts have been taking shelter under the contempt of courts laws, sometimes to ward off criticism and protect their ivory tower position and sometimes to genuinely guard them from unwarranted ridicule. For long this has been the subject of intense debate in the public, media and parliament, necessitating amendment of laws. There is no doubt that judges need honour as this builds up a robust judicial system. But there is also no doubt in the public perception that judiciary in a democratic polity need not to be unduly sensitive to criticism and threaten those who voice it with imprisonment. In this direction, there is some  amendment of contempt of court law, senior  lawyer and commentator Joginder Singh Toor discusses this.

Features

Teeming Millions in India: Certain Vital Issues Vinod Anand K.N. Bhatt THE world population has witnessed an unprecedented growth in the past four decades. To curb this, several policies and programmes have been undertaken all over the world, particularly in developing countries. These policy options are similar as far as their basic goals are concerned. However, the modalities of implementation may differ from country to country.

Newsbag

Best Bakery Massacre: Justice at Last Jyotika J Thukral THE Best Bakery Case is one of the gravest instances of violence during the Gujarat carnage in 2002.  It involved the gruesome killing of 14 innocent people from the minority community when the Best Bakery, in the Hanuman Tekri area of Vadodara, was attacked and burnt by a frenzied mob.

Bird Flue; Panic Slaughters the Poultry Industry India's first confirmed cases of the 'bird flu' surfaced in western Maharashtra state, catching authorities unprepared and causing immense panic among the people. The outbreak opened a new bird flu front in Asia, exposing a human population of 1.1 billion to possible infection and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of poultry workers.

Pakistan Signs SAFTA, but no Schedule to Implement it IN early February Pakistani government at long last has approved a regional pact to promote free trade and economic ties in South Asia, home to nearly one-fifth of the world's population. Free trade is expected to boost economic activity and growth in a region that is home to about 1.5 billion people, of whom 400 million live on less than a dollar a day.

Agents of Peace FOR three days, [February 11- 13] senior journalists that gathered at Hyderabad, India deliberated the role of media as peacemaker. They finally   urged their colleagues to promote harmony and peace in South Asia.  There has been too much of violence in the last five decades or so in which thousands of lives have been lost.

India, France Sign Civilian N-energy Deal Energy-hungry India and France took their friendship a step closer last week signing a host of agreements including civilian nuclear co-operation for peaceful purposes and defence cooperation during French President Jacques Chirac’s visit to the New Delhi.

Culture

Indian Poetry Carnival-2006 Dr. Jaspal Singh Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha is the largest and the most representative body of Punjabi writers and literary practitioners. At the moment it has 900 life members and 800 other casual members. The year 2006 is the Golden Jubilee year of this body that was organised 1956 at the initiative of Giani Hira Singh Dard, a dedicated Punjabi writer and a stalwart of Progressive Writers' Movement in Punjab.

In First Person

Hello Singapore! Jyotika J. Thukral EVER since the terrorist attacks in the US, the immigration officials in many countries look at the people coming into the country with a lot of apprehension even if that boosts their economy. My husband’s work took us to Singapore recently and I was in for a surprise when I arrived at the Changi airport.

Profile

A Punjabi Heads Union Public Service Commission IN the history of post independence India, it is for the first time that a Punjabi is chairman of an important constitutional institution. Gurbachan Jagat, a former senior officer from the Indian Police Service will take over as Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission from April 1. He is the first from the IPS to head this body tasked to recruit officers for all India services: Indian Foreign Service, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Services, besides a host of central services of different variety.

Poetry

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