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OHERALDO
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GOA, SATURDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2010
College management refuses to reinstate lecturer PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT 10
Unfazed by wide criticism of its action, the management of a church-run college has refused to reinstate dismissed lecturer T J Joseph, whose hand was chopped off by activists of radical group PFI, but the government said it might step in, if necessary. As Joseph made a plea to the college to reinstate him, the college bluntly told him his explanations were not convincing at all and any relaxation of disciplinary action would be based only on the court decision. According to church sources, Newman College manager Fr Thomas Malekkudy has responded to plea of Joseph, who was attacked by alleged activists of Popular Front of India on July 4 for preparing a question paper with alleged derogatory references to Prophet Mohammad. Mahatma Gandhi University Syndicate had described the ac-
tion on Joseph as a ‘naked violation’ of the relevant provision of MG Act and asked the college to revoke the dismissal order, which involved “gross violation” of procedures. Ignoring the public outcry against its action and the syndicate directive, the college maintained that Joseph had never admitted to his serious mistake in his reply to the letters sent by the management. Speaking to reporters at Thrissur, Education Minister M A Baby said the college management did not follow due procedures while dismissing Joseph and if necessary, the government would intervene if the management was not willing to reconsider its decision. “The management’s decision was like sentencing a person to life imprisonment for a minor crime. The government will watch what steps the college management is going to take on the syndicate’s directive,”
Baby said. He said Joseph’s dismissal did not augur well for a healthy academic atmosphere nor was it in tune with democratic spirit. Joseph was first suspended in March for preparing the question paper which raised the hackles of Muslim outfits and was sacked on September 1. The management in its letter refusing to reconsider its decision, also accused Joseph of trying to shed personal responsibility and put the blame on the college principal and the management after the controversy erupted. The decision to sack Joseph had led to public outcry with several intellectuals, writers, activists and others rallying behind him and condemning his dismissal. Two days ago, Joseph made a personal plea to the college management to reinstate him as his family relied on his income.
People selecting from the collection of Lord Ganesh idols on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi in Jaipur on Friday.
Delhi on edge as Yamuna water level crosses danger mark PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10
Delhi was on edge today with the water level in Yamuna rising one meter above the danger mark, threatening to flood the nearby low lying areas even as Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit appealed to people not to panic. The water level in the river touched 205.88 meter at 3 pm and is likely to rise further in the evening when water released from Hathanikund Barrage in Haryana reaches the city, a Flood Control Department official said. Yamuna had crossed danger level of 204.83 metres yesterday, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of people living in the low lying areas. Seventy-four boats and 68 divers have also been pressed into service. Dikshit, asking people not to panic said though Haryana has released nearly 9 lakh cusec of water in the last three days, there may not be much threat to the city as water has dispersed due to breaking of embankments along the route. “I was told that at 10 am today somewhere along the route embankments have broken and the water has dispersed. We were expecting around 3.5 lakh cusec water to reach Delhi. Now
n The water level in the river touched 205.88 meter at 3 pm and is likely to rise further in the evening when water released from Hathanikund Barrage in Haryana reaches the city, a Flood Control Department official said. it may get reduced,” she said. “With this, the kind of threat we were anticipating may not be there,” she said. Flood Control Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan said over 100 booster pumps were fitted along the banks of the river to pump out water which may enter the low-lying areas. “We are constantly monitoring the situation and ready for any eventualities,” he said. “Haryana released nearly one lakh cusec of water today,” an official said. Last month too, the water level in the Yamuna rose above the danger level, prompting authorities to shift a large number of people to relief camps.
Concert to create awareness on Millennium Development Goals PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10
Indian percussionists and musicians will stand up and make a noise, literally, to create awareness about the Millennium Development Goals ahead of a review meeting at the United Nations General Assembly Summit. In a special concert at Purana Quila here on September 18, an ensemble of around 100 drummers and string musicians from across the country would let the crescendo of their music do the talking to highlight the urgent action needed to meet the MDGs. “The event is part of a global campaign to create awareness about the MDGs that various governments had made a commitment at the UN in the year 2000 and has to be achieved by the 2015,” Mandira Moddie, an UN official associated with the millennium campaign in India, told PTI. Partnered by various civil society organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children, the concert in Delhi as well as an ensuing photo exhibition, will be one of thousands of strategic “Stand Up, Take Action, Make Noise” events
around the world from 17-19 September that seeks to advocate for more urgent action by governments to meet the developmental goals by next five years. “This year the UN is hosting a General Assembly to review what progress the various countries have made so far as well as to strategise to accelerate action to meet the goals. Internally various civil society organisations in different countries are doing various activities to raise awareness. “The Indian leg of the global campaign will be the concert through which we hope to create visibility for the MDGs,” says Moddie. Deliberately shorn of celebrated names, the concert, however, brings together composers Sharat Chandra Srivastava from Delhi, Mayanglambam Mangangsana from Imphal and Shri Ganesh from Tamil Nadu to conduct the orchestra for solo pieces that merge together in a grand finale. Sanjeev Bhargava, Director Seher, which is organizing the concert, says, “We have not included any celebrities because the idea is to conceptualise an event that will move ordinary
men to stand up and make a noise and prompt their government to achieve their goals set by the UN charter. “Apart from Africa, India is perhaps the only country in the world which has such a diverse set of percussion instruments all over the country and we thought a percussion concert will also make the essence of India stand out.” The concert in Delhi scheduled to be telecast on Doordarshan and Zee TV will also be made into a film to be shown at different venues, he adds. World leaders will meet for a three day summit at the UN headquarters in New York beginning September 21 to review the eight MDG goals set in 2000 aiming to be reached by 2015. The goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.