18 dead in multiple collisions in Krishnagiri (கிருஷ்ணகிரி அருகே கோர விபத்து)

A Krishnagiri-bound private bus carrying 33 passengers from Berigai was rammed by a groundnut-laden lorry from Karnataka.

 Sixteen people including six women and a 12-year-old child were killed in a multiple collisions involving a bus, a lorry and a car here in Melumalai in Krishnagiri.

A Krishnagiri-bound private bus carrying 33 passengers from Berigai was rammed by a groundnut-laden lorry from Karnataka.

Around 30 people are said to have been injured.

According to preliminary information, the lorry had breached the NH median and crashed into the passenger bus and a car. The bus was carrying 10 women and 22 men.

The death toll is expected to increase
ருஷ்ணகிரி - ஓசூர் தேசிய நெடுஞ்சாலையில் கட்டுப்பாட்டை இழந்து ஓடிய லாரி, தனியார் பேருந்து மீது மோதிய விபத்தில் 17 பயணிகள் பரிதாபமாக உயிரிழந்தனர். படுகாயம் அடைந்த 30 பேருக்கு தீவிர சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

கிருஷ்ணகிரியில் இருந்து ஓசூர் வழியாக கர்நாடக மாநிலம் மாலூருக்கு நேற்று பிற்பகல் தனியார் பேருந்து 42 பயணிகளு டன் சென்றுகொண்டு இருந்தது. கிருஷ்ணகிரி - ஓசூர் தேசிய நெடுஞ் சாலையில் குருபரப்பள்ளி அடுத்து மேலுமலை அருகே சென்றபோது, கர்நாடக மாநிலம் பெங்களூருவில் இருந்து கிருஷ்ணகிரி நோக்கி நிலக்கடலை பாரம் ஏற்றிய லாரி ஒன்று எதிரே வந்துகொண்டிருந்தது. மேலுமலை அருகே, தாழ்வான பகுதியில் லாரி வந்தபோது ஓட்டு நரின் கட்டுப்பாட்டை இழந்து தறிகெட்டு ஓடியது.

சாலையின் நடுவே உள்ள தடுப்புக் கம்பிகளை உடைத்துக் கொண்டு, எதிர் பாதைக்கு லாரி சென்றது. அப்போது, ஓசூர் நோக்கி சென்றுகொண்டிருந்த தனியார் பேருந்து மீது பயங்கரமாக மோதி யது. இதில் தனியார் பேருந் தின் முன்பகுதி முற்றிலும் உருக் குலைந்தது.

தனியார் பேருந்தை பின் தொடர்ந்து வந்த 2 கார்கள், பேருந்து மீது அடுத்தடுத்து மோதின. அப்போது, ஒரு காரின் மீது பேருந்து சாய்ந்தது. இந்த விபத்தில், பேருந்தில் வந்த பயணிகளில் 9 பேர் சம்பவ இடத் திலேயே உயிரிழந்தனர். இடிபாடு களுக்குள் சிக்கியிருந்த 33 பயணி களை, கிருஷ்ணகிரி தீயணைப்பு வீரர்கள் மீட்டு, ஆம்புலன்ஸ் மூலம், கிருஷ்ணகிரி அரசு மருத்துவ மனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். தகவலறிந்து சம்பவ இடத்துக்கு விரைந்து வந்த ஓசூர் ஏஎஸ்பி ரோகிணி பிரியதர்ஷிணி, கிருஷ்ண கிரி டிஎஸ்பி கண்ணன் மற்றும் போலீஸார் மீட்புப் பணியை துரிதப்படுத்தினர்.

கிருஷ்ணகிரி அரசு மருத்துவ மனையில் சிகிச்சைக்காக சேர்க் கப்பட்ட 33 பயணிகளில் 8 பேர் சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி உயிரிழந்தனர். மேல் சிகிச்சைக்காக தருமபுரி அரசு மருத்துவமனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்ட ஒருவர், வழியிலேயே உயிரிழந்தார். விபத்தில் 10 ஆண் கள், 12 வயது சிறுமி உட்பட 7 பெண்கள் உயிரிழந்தனர்.

கிருஷ்ணகிரி ஆட்சியர் கதிரவன், சேலம் சரக போலீஸ் டிஐஜி நாகராஜன், கிருஷ்ணகிரி எஸ்பி (பொறுப்பு) பண்டி கங்காதர் ஆகியோர் சம்பவ இடத்துக்கு விரைந்து சென்று, மீட்புப் பணி களை துரிதப்படுத்தினர்.

இந்த விபத்து காரணமாக 2 மணி நேரம் போக்குவரத்து பாதிக் கப்பட்டு, கிருஷ்ணகிரி - ஓசூர் தேசிய நெடுஞ்சாலையில் சுமார் 5 கிலோ மீட்டர் தொலைவுக்கு வாகனங்கள் நீண்ட வரிசையில் காத்திருந்தன. விபத்து குறித்து சூளகிரி போலீஸார் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்து விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

உயிரிழந்தவர்கள் விவரம்

சேலம் மாவட்டம் தாரமங்கலத் தைச் சேர்ந்த கல் உடைக்கும் தொழிலாளி அண்ணாமலை மனைவி அஞ்சலா (30), ஓசூர் அலசநத்தத்தைச் சேர்ந்த முனிராஜ் மகன் பிளஸ் 2 மாணவர் கணேசன் (17), பர்கூர் அருகே உள்ள தேசப்பள்ளியைச் சேர்ந்த கவுரம்மா (55), தேன்கனிக்கோட்டையைச் சேர்ந்த துப்புரவுத் தொழிலாளிகள் மாதம்மா (40), நிர்மலா(38), பொம்மிடி பகுதியைச் சேர்ந்த மகேந்திரன்(40) ஆகிய 6 பேரின் விவரங்கள் தெரியவந்துள்ளன.

முதல் இயக்கத்திலேயே விபத்து

கிருஷ்ணகிரி - ஓசூர் வழியாக கர்நாடக மாநிலம் மாலூர் வரை இயக்க ‘பர்மிட்’ பெறப்பட்டுள்ள விபத்துக்குள்ளான பேருந்து, இந்த தடத்தில் 12 ஆண்டுகளாக இயக்கப்படவில்லை. ஓசூர் பகுதியைச் சேர்ந்த ஒருவர் பர்மிட் வாங்கி இருந்தார். நேற்று மதியம் 1.45 மணியளவில்தான் பேருந்து முதல் இயக்கத்தை தொடங்கியது. பேருந்து இயக்கம் தொடங்கிய 20 நிமிடங்களில் விபத்துக்குள்ளானது.

நிவாரண உதவி

விபத்தில் இறந்தவர்களின் குடும்பத்துக்கு தமிழக அரசின் சார்பில் தலா ரூ.1 லட்சம் நிவாரண உதவி வழங்கப்படும் என முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதா தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

கிருஷ்ணகிரி மாவட்டம் மேலுமலை அருகே தேசிய நெடுஞ்சாலையில் நேற்று பெங்களூருவில் இருந்து வந்த லாரி, எதிர் திசையில் வந்த தனியார் பேருந்து மீது மோதி விபத்துக்குள்ளானது. இதில், நொறுங்கிய பேருந்து பின்தொடர்ந்து வந்த கார் மீது சாய்ந்தது.

விபத்து நேரிட்டது எப்படி?

கிருஷ்ணகிரியில் இருந்து ஓசூர் நோக்கி தனியார் பேருந்து ஒன்று சென்று கொண்டிருந்தது. எதிர்புறத்தில் கிருஷ்ணகிரி நோக்கி கடலை ஏற்றிக் கொண்டு லாரி ஒன்று வந்து கொண்டிருந்தது.

குருபரபள்ளி அடுத்த மேடுமலை பகுதியில் வாகனங்கள் வந்து கொண்டிருந்தபோது லாரி அதிவேகமாக வந்துள்ளது. சில நிமிடங்களில் ஓட்டுநரின் கட்டுப்பாட்டிலிருந்து விலகிய லாரி சென்டர் மீடியனைத் தாண்டி எதிரே வந்து பஸ் மீது பாய்ந்தது.

இந்த விபத்தில் ஒரு காரும் சிக்கிக் கொண்டது. வாகனங்கள் பலமாக மோதிக் கொண்டதில் 12 பேர் உயிரிழந்தது முதற்கட்ட தகவலில் உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டது.

காயமடைந்த 30-க்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் அரசு மருத்துவமனைக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டுள்ளனர். மீட்புப் பணியில் 8 ஆம்புலன்ஸ் வாகனங்கள் ஈடுபடுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

Joint parliamentary committee

Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is one type of ad hoc Parliamentary committee. constituted by the Indian parliament.

Formation

Joint Parliamentary Committee is formed when motion is adopted by one house and it is supported or agreed by the other house.
Another way to form a Joint Parliamentary committee is that two presiding chiefs of both houses can write to each other, communicate with each other and form the joint parliamentary committee.

Membership

The Lok Sabha members are double compared to Rajya Sabha.
for e.g. If Joint Parliamentary committee has 10 Lok Sabha Members then 5 members will be from Rajya Sabha and total member of JPC will be 15.
The strength of a JPC may be different each time.

Powers

A JPC can obtain evidence of experts, public bodies, associations, individuals or interested parties suo motu or on requests made by them. If a witness fails to appear before a JPC in response to summons, his conduct constitutes a contempt of the House.
The JPC can take oral and written evidence or call for documents in connection with a matter under its consideration. The proceedings of parliamentary committees are confidential, but in the case of the joint committee which went into "Irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions", the committee decided that considering the widespread public interest in the matter, the chairman should brief the press about deliberations of the committees.
Ministers are not generally called by the committees to give evidence. However, in case of the Irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions probe again, an exception was made, with the JPC, with the permission of the Speaker, seeking information on certain points from ministers and calling Ministers of Finance and [[Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India) ⋅ |Minister of Health and Family Welfare]].
The government may withhold or decline to produce a document if it is considered prejudicial to the safety or interest of State. The Speaker has the final word on any dispute over calling for evidence against a person or production of a document.

JPC's so far

Bofors scandal (1987)

The first JPC was formed in August 1987 to investigate the Bofors scandal. It was chaired by Congress politician B. Shankaranand. It was formed on a motion moved by the then defence minister K.C. Pant in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 1987. The Rajya Sabha endorsed it a week later. The committee, held 50 sittings and gave its report on April 26, 1988. Opposition parties boycotted the committee on the ground that it was packed with Congress members. The JPC report was tabled in the Parliament, but it was rejected by the Opposition.

Harshad Mehta Stock market scam (1992)

The second JPC was formed in August 1992. It was headed by former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha. It was set up to probe Irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions in the aftermath of the Harshad Mehta scandal. The motion was moved by the then minister for parliamentary affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 1992. The Rajya Sabha concurred with it the next day. The recommendations of the JPC were neither accepted in full nor implemented.

Ketan Parekh share market scam (2001)

The third JPC was formed in April 2001. It was assigned to probe the Ketan Parekh share market scam. Then parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan piloted a motion in the Lok Sabha on April 26, 2001, to put it in place. Senior BJP member Lt Gen Prakash Mani Tripathi (retd) was named the chairman. The committee held 105 sittings and gave its report on December 19, 2002. The committee recommended sweeping changes in stock market regulations. However, many of these recommendations were diluted later.

Soft drink pesticide issue (2003)

The fourth JPC was set up in August 2003 to look into pesticide residues in soft drinks, fruit juice and other beverages and to set safety standards. It was headed by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. The JPC held 17 sittings and submitted its report to Parliament on February 4, 2004. The report confirmed that soft drinks did have pesticide residues and recommended stringent norms for drinking water.
This JPC made a recommendation about National Standards Body of India which was agreed by Parliament and the Govt. It recommended that Bureau of Indian Standards should be headed by an eminent scientist. No action has however been taken on this recommendation even after 11 years.

2G spectrum scam (2011)

The fifth JPC has been constituted in February 2011 to probe 2G scam. It is headed by P.C. Chacko. It has 30 members. 15 opposition members belonging to BJP, JD (U), CPI, CPM, Trinamool Congress, BJD, DMK and the AIADMK in the 30-member panel accused P.C. Chacko of being "partisan" and demanded his removal (They submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker expressing their “no-confidence”) as they criticised the draft report for giving clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. So PC Chacko agreed to amendmend to JPC draft report

VVIP Chopper scam (2013)

The Government has moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha on February 27, 2013, which was adopted by voice vote-for formation of a JPC "to inquire into the allegations of payment of bribes in the acquisition of VVIP helicopters by the Ministry of Defence from M/s Agusta Westland and the role of alleged middlemen in the transaction." The JPC will have 10 members from the Rajya Sabha and 20 from the Lok Sabha and shall give its report within three months of its first sitting.

2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal

Not to be confused with Agusta scandal.

India signed a contract in February 2010 for 12 AgustaWestland AW101 VVIP helicopters

In early 2013, an Indian national parliamentary investigation began into allegations of bribery and corruption involving several senior officials and helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland surrounding the purchase of a new fleet of helicopters. The scandal has been referred to as the Chopper scam, or Choppergate by elements of the media and popular press.
Several Indian politicians and military officials have been accused of accepting bribes from AgustaWestland in order to win the ₹36 billion (US$530 million) Indian contract for the supply of 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters; these helicopters are intended to perform VVIP duties for the President of India and other important state officials. Ahmed Patel political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi is alleged by Italian prosecutors to have received kickbacks from the deal. A note presented in the Italian court, sent by middleman Christian Michel asks Peter Hulett, an AugustaWestland employee to target key advisors to Sonia Gandhi and lists their names as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, M. Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandez, M. K. Narayanan and Vinay Singh. The note also contains the bribes to be paid out divided as, "AF" €6 Million, "BUR" €8.4 Million, "Pol" €6 Million and "AP" €3 Million.
On 25 March 2013, India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony confirmed corruption allegations by stating : "Yes, corruption has taken place in the helicopter deal and bribes have been taken. The CBI is pursuing the case very vigorously". As of June 2014, Indian government has recovered a total amount of ₹2068 crore and has recovered around ₹1620 crore(45% of total contract value ₹3600 crore) it had paid to AgustaWestland.
On 8 April 2016, The Milan Court of Appeal, in a 225 page judgement overturned a lower court verdict and convicted AgustaWestland chopper company chief Giuseppe Orsi to 4 years imprisonment for paying 30 Million Euro bribe to Indian politicians, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials.

Overview

India signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters in February 2010 for the Communication Squadron of Indian Air Force, to carry the president, PM and other VVIPs. Controversy over the contract came to light on 12 February 2013, with the arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company by Italian authorities; the following day Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered a probe into the contract.

Investigation

After a huge controversy and allegations of corruption, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, on 12 February, ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
On 25 February 2013, CBI registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against 11 persons, including the former Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, and his cousins, besides four companies.After carrying out the preliminary enquiry, the CBI found sufficient evidence and registered an FIR on 13 March. The FIR named 13 persons including: former Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, his three brothers: Juli, Docsa and Sandeep, brother of former Union minister Santosh Bagrodia, Satish Bagrodia, Pratap Aggarwal (Chairman and Managing Director of IDS Infotech). The FIR also named four companies - Italy-based Finmeccanica, UK-based AgustaWestland and Chandigarh-based IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix.
In 2013 billionaire Indian arms dealer Abhishek Verma and his Romanian born wife Anca Neacsu were named suspects in this scandal. Abhishek had played the role of a middleman in the deal and had interfaced with the politicians in securing CCS clearance from the Cabinet Committee.This nexus was exposed by TimesNow TV with their global investigation. According to the investigators part of the bribes from AgustaWestland was sent to Abhishek's companies Atlas Defence Systems accounts in Mauritius, to Bermuda accounts of Atlas Group Ltd and the other part was diverted to his wife's front company in New York Ganton Limited. These funds are suspected to have been sent to Indian politicians who were beneficiaries in this scandal. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had first identified the role of Abhishek Verma and his wife Anca Neacsu in 2013 in several of his blogs and press-releases. At present, Abhishek and his wife Anca are incarcerated at Tihar Jail, New Delhi.
In September 2015, a special CBI court issued an open non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Christian Michel based on a CBI report that he was needed to be questioned in the case to know how much amount he had received as "commission" in the deal. The CBI said that "Based on this arrest warrant, Interpol India would be requested to issue a Red Corner Notice against Christian Michel James and execute the said warrant,". In an interview to a newspaper, he denied any wrongdoing by stating that he had never met any "Gandhi" in his life.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating money laundering allegations. In March 2015, the ED traced and identified the properties worth around ₹1.12 crore owned by Christian Michel and issued a provisional attachment order. The ED claimed that Michel bought a flat in south Delhi's Safdarjung Enclave in the name of media firm Media Exim using the bribe money. He was also reportedly in possession of a luxury car and a Fixed Deposit of ₹54 lakh. In September 2015, the adjudicating authority confirmed the attachment of properties and allowed the agency to retain the properties.In September 2015, the ED attached assets worth about ₹7 crore alleged to be in the name of family members of ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi.
The CBI and the ED have sent letters rogatory to as many as 8 countries including Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, UAE, UK, Switzerland, Singapore and British Virgin Islands.

Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation

See also: Joint Parliamentary Committee
On 27 February 2013, UPA-II Government introduced a motion in Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India) for an investigation led by a 30-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The motion was passed after a walkout by most of the opposition parties like BJP, JD(U), Trinamool Congress, CPI, TDP and AGP. During the debate, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said the JPC was an "exercise in futility" and "diversionary tactic". He argued that the case involved various legal aspects such as extradition of accused foreigners and custodial interrogation and the JPC can have "none of these powers", leaving it ineffective. Many opposition members demanded Supreme Court-monitored investigation (on the similar lines of 2G spectrum scam). Demands were also made to establish money trail and issue Letter Rogatory (LR).
The UPA government initially denied all allegations and claimed it has "nothing to hide" and that "our track record is not cover up".

Cancellation of the contract by the Indian Government

India cancelled the ₹3,600 crore deal with AgustaWestland in January 2014. The government cancelled the contract "on grounds of breach of the Pre-contract Integrity Pact and the agreement by AWIL (AgustaWestland International Ltd)". The contract was frozen in February 2013 after allegations surfaced that Rs 360 crore was paid as bribe.

Role of Union Law Ministry and Indian President in CBI probe

The CBI approached Union Law Ministry to record statements of M. K. Narayanan and B V Wanchoo in January 2014. M K Narayanan and B V Wanchoo were West Bengal and Goa Governors respectively at the time of CBI's request. Their statements were considered vital as they were National Security Adviser and Special Protection Group (SPG) chief at the time of signing of contract with AgustaWestland. Their views were also considered before Indian Government signed the contract with AgustaWestland. However Kapil Sibal's Union Law ministry stonewalled CBI probe by rejecting CBI's request to examine them under the usual excuse of 'immunity'. The CBI therefore approached President Pranab Mukherjee to seek permission to examine ex-NSA and ex-SPG. M. K. Narayanan and B V Wanchoo were questioned by CBI later in June 2014 & July 2014 respectively.

Recovery of Bank Guarantee

After the cancellation of the contract, India encashed over ₹250 crore made by AgustaWestland as bank guarantee in the Indian banks in January 2014. Separately, India requested the Italian government to retrieve the bank guarantee amount made by the firm in Italian banks which was more than €275 million (₹2364 crore). On 17 March 2014, request made by India was rejected by an Italian court. However, the appellate court, Milan reversed the lower court's judgement and upheld the claims of the Indian government. Accordingly, in June 2014, Indian government encashed ₹1818 crore taking the total amount recovered so far to ₹2068 crore.With this, India has recovered the entire amount of around ₹1620 crore(45% of total contract value ₹3600 crore) it had paid to AgustaWestland.

Acquittals by Italian Court

The Italian court investigating the case in October 2014, acquitted the ex-IAF chief S.P. Tyagi of all corruption charges.It also acquitted the former Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi and former AgustaWestland head Bruno Spagnolini of “charges of international corruption” .The court, however, convicted and sentenced them to two years in prison on the lesser charge of “false invoicing” in the case. On 8 April 2016, The Milan Court of Appeal, in a 225 page judgement overturned the lower court verdict and sentenced Giuseppe Orsi to 4 years imprisonment.

tulu language

 

Tulu (Tulu: ತುಳು ಭಾಷೆ Tuḷu bāse is a language spoken by around 2 million native speakers mainly in the south west part of Indian state of Karnataka and a small part of northern Kerala, which is known as Tulu Nadu and North Arcot region of Tamil Nadu . It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages.
In India, circa 2 million people speak it as their native language (2011 estimation), they were 1,722,768 in 2001 increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census. According to one estimate reported in 2009, Tulu is currently spoken by three to five million native speakers in the world.Native speakers of Tulu are referred to as Tuluva or Tulu people.
Separated early from Proto-South Dravidian, Tulu has several features not found in Tamil–Kannada. For example, it has the pluperfect and the future perfect, like French or Spanish, but formed without an auxiliary verb.
Robert Caldwell, in his pioneering work A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian family of languages, called this language "peculiar and very interesting". According to him, "Tuḷu is one of the most highly developed languages of the Dravidian family. It looks as if it had been cultivated for its own sake." The language has a lot of written literature and a rich oral literature such as the Epic of Siri.
Tulu is the primary spoken language in Tulu Nadu, a region comprising the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the west of the state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala. Apart from Tulu Nadu, a significant emigrant population of Tuluva people is found in Maharashtra, Bangalore, Anglosphere, United States, and the Gulf countries.
Non-native speakers such as the Konkani-speaking Mangalorean Catholics, Gowda Saraswath Brahmins, Karhade Brahmins, Havyaka Brahmins and Daivajnas, as well as the Beary people in Tulu Nadu are generally well-versed in the language.Apart from Kannada script, Historically Tulu Brahmins used Tigalari script mainly used to write Sanskrit, but some Tulu works are available.

History

The oldest available inscriptions in Tulu are from the period between 14th to 15th century AD. These inscriptions are in the Tigalari script and are found in areas in and around Barkur which was the capital of Tulu Nadu during the Vijayanagar period. Another group of inscriptions are found in the Ullur Subrahmanya Temple near Kundapura. Many linguists like S.U. Panniyadi and L. V. Ramaswami Iyer as well as P.S. Subrahmanya suggested that Tulu is among the oldest languages in the Dravidian family which branched independently from its Proto-Dravidian roots nearly 2,000 years ago. This assertion is based on the fact that Tulu still preserves many aspects of the Proto-Dravidian language.
This dating of Tulu is also based on the fact that region where Tulu is natively spoken was known to the ancient Tamils as Tulu Nadu and the Tamil poet Mamular who belongs to the Sangam Age (200 AD) describes Tulu Nadu and its dancing beauties in one of his poems. In the Halmidi inscriptions one finds mention of the Tulu country as the kingdom of the Alupas. The region was also known to the Greeks of the 2nd century as Tolokoyra. The history of Tulu would not be complete without the mention of the Charition mime, a Greek play belonging to 2nd century BC. The play's plot centres around the coastal Karnataka, where Tulu is mainly spoken. The play is mostly in Greek, but the Indian characters in the play are seen speaking a language different from Greek.
There is considerable ambiguity regarding the Indian language in the play, though all scholars agree the Indian language is Dravidian, but there is considerable dispute over which one. Noted German Indologist Dr. E. Hultzsch was the first to suggest that the language was Dravidian.[clarification needed] The dispute regarding the language in the play is yet to be settled, but scholars agree that the dispute arises from the fact that Old Kannada, Old Tamil and Tulu during the time when the play was written were perhaps dialectical variations of the same proto-language, and that over the years they evolved into their present forms as separate languages.[citation needed]

Dialects

Tulu language has four dialects, which are broadly similar, with slight variations.
The four dialects are:

1. Common Tulu: Spoken by the majority includes the Mogaveera, Bunts, Billava,Kottary, Devadiga, Jogi, Mera communities and others. This is the dialect of commerce, trade and entertainment and is mainly used for inter-community communication. It is further subdivided into five groups:
   1. Central Tulu: Spoken in Mangalore.
   2. Northwest Tulu: Spoken in Udupi.
   3. Northeast Tulu: Spoken in Karkala and Belthangadi.
   4. Southwest Tulu: Spoken in Manjeshwar and Kasaragod, known as Kasaragod Tulu.
   5. Southcentral Tulu: Spoken in Bantwal, Puttur.
   6. Southeast Tulu: Spoken in Sullia.
   7. Southern Tulu: Spoken in South of Kasaragod and Payaswini (Chandragiri) river, known as Thenkaayi Tulu.
2. Brahmin Tulu: Spoken by the Tulu Brahmins who are subdivided into Shivalli Brahmins, Sthanika Brahmins and Tuluva Hebbars. It is slightly influenced by Sanskrit.
3. Jain Dialect: Spoken by the Tulu Jains. It is a dialect where the initial letters 'T' and 'S' have been replaced by the letter 'H'. For example, the word Tare is pronounced as Hare, Saadi is pronounced as Haadi.
4. Girijan Dialect: Spoken by the Koraga, Mansa, other Girijans and Tribal classes.
   

Leg of Uttarakhand Police horse, who was attacked by BJP MLA, amputated

Shaktiman was attacked by BJP protesters in Dehradun on Monday. As she backed away, one of her hind legs was caught in a railing. (Source: PTI)

According to reports, doctors diagnosed that blood supply to  injured leg had stopped so it had to be amputated.

The leg of Uttarakhand Police horse Shaktiman, who was allegedly attacked by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA during a protest in Dehradun, has been amputated. According to reports, doctors diagnosed that blood supply to injured leg had stopped so it had to be amputated.

The horse was hit with wooden sticks, allegedly by BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi and his associates. Under attack, Shaktiman kept stepping back from the group of protesters, till one of her legs buckled and got stuck in a railing. But the attack did not stop. Unable to move away from the mob, her left hind leg started bleeding profusely and she collapsed.

She suffered multiple fractures on her left hind leg bone. Local veterinary doctors, on Monday, feared that the damaged leg may have to be amputated. But on Tuesday, a team of veterinary doctors performed a five-hour-long operation on Shaktiman, after which they announced that she should be back on her feet in six weeks.

Brought from Delhi in 2006 when she was four years old, Shaktiman is a snowy-white, 5 feet 8 inches tall, Kathiawari mare. She received training at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy, Phillaur, in Punjab. Considered one of the oldest horse breeds in the country, Kathiawari horses have great stamina and endurance

 
 

Narendra Modi at World Sufi forum: Terror fight not against any religion

 

Narendra Modi says faiths in India like strings of sitar creating a melody - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/modi-at-world-sufi-forum-terror-fight-not-against-any-religion-says-pm-modi/#sthash.b7M2GE5K.dpuf

Narendra Modi says faiths in India like strings of sitar creating a melody
Praising Sufism as “a celebration of diversity and pluralism” which “helped shape a distinct Islamic heritage of India”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said “the fight against terrorism is not a confrontation against any religion” and any link between the two should be rejected.

Addressing the World Sufi Forum where shouts of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out repeatedly as he spoke, the Prime Minister said “when we think of the 99 names of Allah, none stand for force and violence, and that the first two names denote compassionate and merciful. Allah is Rahman and Raheem”.

“At a time when the dark shadow of violence is becoming longer, you are the Noor, or the light of hope. When young laughter is silenced by guns on the streets, you are the voice that heals… You have come from different lands and cultures, but you are united by a common faith. You speak different languages, but they blend together in a message of harmony. And, you represent the rich diversity of the Islamic civilisation that stands on the solid bedrock of a great religion,” he said.
The gathering included, among others, All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board founder president Syed Mohammad Ashraf, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, Shaykh Hashimuddin al-Gaylani from Baghdad, Syed Minhaj Ur Rahman from Bangladesh and Dewan Ahmed Masood Chishti from Pakistan.

“Terrorism divides and destroys us… Each day brings us terrible news and horrifying images: of schools turned into graveyards of innocence; of prayer gatherings turned into funeral processions; of call to prayer or azaan drowned by the sound of explosion; of blood on the beach, massacres in malls and smouldering cars on streets; of thriving cities ruined and priceless heritage destroyed; and, of parents bearing coffins, entire communities dislocated, millions displaced, and refugees caught between fire and stormy seas.”

He said “the reach of terror is growing and its toll is rising every year… Last year alone, over 90 countries experienced terrorist attacks. Parents in 100 countries live with the daily pain of their children lost to the battlefields of Syria. And, in a globally mobile world, one incident can claim citizens of many nations… The impact cannot be fully captured in statistics alone. It is changing the way we live.”

“There are forces and groups that are instruments of state policy and design. There are others recruited to the cause in misguided belief. There are some who are trained in organised camps. There are those who find their inspiration in the borderless world of cyber space. Terrorism uses diverse motivations and causes, none of which can be justified.”

“Terrorists distort a religion whose cause they profess to support. They kill and destroy more in their own land and among their own people than they do elsewhere. And, they are putting entire regions to peril and making the world more insecure and violent,” he said.

“The fight against terrorism is not a confrontation against any religion. It cannot be. It is a struggle between the values of humanism and the forces of inhumanity. It is not a conflict to be fought only through military, intelligence or diplomatic means. It is also a battle that must be won through the strength of our values and the real message of religions. We must reject any link between terrorism and religion. Those who spread terror in the name of religion are anti-religious,” he said.

Recalling Islam’s engagement with diverse lands and faiths, Modi invoked Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Baba Farid and Bulleh Shah to underline “that all are creations of God and, that if we love God, we must also love all his creations… Sufism blossomed in India’s openness and pluralism. It engaged with her spiritual tradition, and evolved its own Indian ethos”.

“India is moving forward on the strength of the struggles, the sacrifices, the bravery, the knowledge, the skill, the art and the pride of every member of every faith in our diverse and yet united nation. Like the strings of sitar that each produces a note, but come together to create a beautiful melody. This is the spirit of India. This is the strength of our nation.”

Narendra Modi says faiths in India like strings of sitar creating a melody - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/modi-at-world-sufi-forum-terror-fight-not-against-any-religion-says-pm-modi/#sthash.b7M2GE5K.dpuf

Narendra Modi says faiths in India like strings of sitar creating a melody - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/modi-at-world-sufi-forum-terror-fight-not-against-any-religion-says-pm-modi/#sthash.b7M2GE5K.dpuf

2016 Pathankot attack

 

2016 Pathankot attack

On 2 January 2016, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Four attackers and two security forces personnel were killed in the initial battle, with an additional security force member dying from injuries hours later, The gun battle and the subsequent combing operation lasted about 17 hours on 2 January, resulting in five attacks and three security personnel dead. The attackers, who were wearing Indian Army fatigues, were suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed, an Islamist militant group designated a terrorist organisation by India, the US, the UK and the UN. The attack was described as a terrorist incident in the Indian A further three soldiers died after being admitted to hospital with injuries, raising the death toll to six soldiers.On 3 January, fresh gunshots were heard, and another security officer was killed by an IED explosion. The operation continued on 4 January, and a fifth attacker was confirmed killed. The United Jihad Council claimed responsibility for the attack on 4 January.

The hijacking of a car of a superintendent of the Punjab Police the previous day was reportedly linked to the attack; the carjackers did not recognise it as a police car since its lights were turned off. Media reports suggested that the attack was an attempt to derail a fragile peace process meant to stabilise the deteriorated relations between India and Pakistan, as several pieces of evidence were found linking the attackers to Pakistan. In mid-January, Pakistan reportedly arrested several members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, suspected of involvement in the attack.

Background

On the night of 31 December 2015, four men hijacked a multi-utility vehicle belonging to Salwinder Singh, a superintendent of the Punjab Police, in Dinanagar. In the process, they slit the throat of jeweller Rajesh Kumar, who was later admitted to a hospital. The vehicle was found abandoned about 500 metres away from the airbase. The attackers are also suspected to have murdered Ikagar Singh, a civilian taxi driver, before the hijacking.

The Punjab Police refused to believe the abduction report provided by SP Salwinder Singh after he was released by the attackers, and the other survivor, Madan Gopal, was tortured by the police interrogators upon reporting the incident. Salwinder Singh had a chequered past, and his claims may have been dismissed due to his perceived unreliability. A handheld walkie talkie, was left behind by the attackers in the hijacked vehicle. It is speculated that its purpose was to aid coordination between that group and the others already at the airport and that the loss delayed the attack by twenty four hours.

The attack

On the morning of 2 January 2016 at around 03:30 IST, at least six heavily-armed people dressed in Indian Army uniforms breached the high-security perimeter of the airbase in Pathankot. The infiltrators possibly hid, using the elephant grass in the perimeter of the campus before making the strike. A nylon rope found over the 3.4-metre-high (11-foot) perimeter wall, looped from the ground up and then down again seemed to indicate the mode of entry. It is speculated that one of the attackers had climbed up one of the eucalyptus trees growing alongside the fence: bent it over with his weight to land on the wall. The floodlights in that stretch of the wall were apparently not working that night, which facilitated the transfer of six attackers, with some 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of ammunition, 30 kg (70 lb) of grenades, and assault weapons.

Reports have arisen of someone inside the base assisting the infiltration by changing the angle of floodlights near the wall where the attacker entered.

They entered the living quarters of the base, but were prevented from entering the area where "high-value assets" are parked. A senior police officer said the infiltrators "seemed to have jumped the wall and entered the base." The attackers were able to move 400 metres into the base through a forested area, before they were stopped by Garud commandos, about 700 metres away from the IAF aircraft. The attackers were carrying grenade launchers, 52 mm mortars, AK rifles and a GPS device.

On 2 January, four attackers and 2 security forces personnel were killed in the initial gun battle, with another security personnel dying from injuries hours later. Fresh gunshots were heard in the subsequent combing operation indicating more attackers still at large. Three additional security personnel who were admitted to a hospital with severe injuries after an improvised explosive device blast during combing operations died on the night of 2 January 2016. Among those killed on 2 January was Commonwealth shooting medalist Subedar Fateh Singh of the Dogra Regiment who was then with the Defence Security Corps.

The Pathankot–Jammu highway was sealed off as soon as news of the attack broke. According to Indian intelligence officers, the attackers may have entered India on 31 December 2015 along the banks of the Beas River which cuts across the Pakistani border. The attackers were aiming to destroy the aircraft and helicopters in the base, according to a call interception report.

Gunshots were heard on the morning of 3 January 2016, leading to speculation that more attackers were still in the airbase. A fresh IED explosion on 3 January injured three National Security Guard personnel. A National Security Guard officer who was injured during the blast died in a hospital. Around noon, it was discovered that two attackers were still at large in the airbase. Security forces continued the operation on 4 January with reinforcements being deployed to the location. A fifth attacker was confirmed killed later during the day.The neutralisation of the sixth attacker was reported at 4.15 PM On 5 January The operation launched by the Indian Army to neutralise the attackers was called "Operation Dhangu" or "Dhangu Suraksha", named after the place Dhangu where the base is located.

Analysis

Reports claimed that the people who carried out the attack in Pathankot were in regular touch with their handlers. A report confirmed that the two phone numbers to which calls were made by the attackers were from Pakistan. According to the report, the first number probably belonged to the mother of one of the militants made in order to intimate her of not coming back home and taking care of herself, while the second one belonged to one of the handlers of the attackers. Intelligence Bureau officials told TOI that the attackers called their handler "ustaad" while describing their positions inside Punjab after crossing over from Pakistan.

The attackers called a number at 21:12 on 31 December from the phone of taxi driver Ikaagar Singh. Perpetrators also received four phone calls on Ikaagar Singh’s number. “On this number, in fact, the terrorist is heard telling the attacker to kill the taxi driver,”[citation needed] the official told TOI. One of the attackers called up his mother in the middle of attack from the mobile phone of jeweller who is a friend of the Pathankot SP - Rajesh Verma. The call was made at around 08:30, five hours after the attack was launched on the airbase.

Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar, mastermind of IC-814 hijack case, are among four persons identified by Indian intelligence agencies as "handlers" behind the attack. The agencies found evidence that the conspiracy was hatched near Lahore. Indian defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said there are indications that some of the materials used were made in Pakistan.

The details of these four persons have been shared with Pakistan through proper channels, and India has pressed for stern action against them as a condition for any future talks with Pakistan, the talk put on hold till a viable action is done from Pakistan's end, the sources claimed.

Scholar Christine Fair states that the Pakistan Army has launched the "refurbished" Jaish-E-Mohammad to this attack, not only for the tactical benefit of derailing the nascent peace process between India and Pakistan but also for the larger strategic interests domestically and regionally. It was a way to draw back the defected groups of JeM who had turned against the Pakistani State after President Musharraf's U-turn in 2001 and direct them against India.

Questions were raised about the lack of clear command structure within the security forces, the long duration of the attack, high casualties, lack of co-ordination between various units and premature statements claiming the end of the attack in spite of receiving accurate intelligence about the attack. Vikram Sood, the former head of India's foreign intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), wrote an article on Rediff.com citing examples of how terrorist attacks occurred in India soon after peace talks took place between India and Pakistan. Firstpost published an article on similar lines highlighting past attacks and how they adversely affected India–Pakistan relations.

An investigation conducted by the Indian Express and involving multiple interviews with various high-level military, paramilitary and police officials, highlighted glaring deficiencies in security which had facilitated the attackers, including trees, tall grass and shrubbery surrounding the walls of the air base, personnel shortages in the BSF and Punjab Police, a lack of fencing along 91 km. of the Indo-Pakistani border and poor funding for rural police outposts which had forced the curtailment of night patrols.

Aftermath

After the attack, the nation's capital Delhi was put on high alert. Delhi Police Special Cell received information that two people from a designated terrorist group based in Kashmir known as Jaish-e-Mohammed had entered the city. Security was tightened across the city, and additional security personnel were added in view of Republic Day Parade to be held on 26 January. New Delhi–Lucknow Shatabdi Express, which left from Delhi, was stopped and checked thoroughly after a bomb threat on 2 January. In another instance at the Mumbai airport, a Turkish Airlines plane was ordered to return from the runway to the parking area after an unclaimed mobile phone was found on a seat. New boarding passes were distributed and passengers had to undergo a full security check a second time before boarding the plane again, causing a delay of four hours. The flight landed safely in Istanbul. Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, and Hindon Air Force Station, located on the outskirts of Delhi, were also put on high alert.

Following the attacks, the Indian and Pakistani governments both agreed to postpone scheduled diplomatic talks until the end of January. kistani authorities reportedly arrested several members of Jaish-e-Muhammad, though not Masood Azhar, who was placed in protective detention. It was reported that Azhar's exact location was being kept secret to prevent any attempts by his followers to free him. Indian officials agreed a special team from Pakistan could travel to India to assist with the investigation.

Reactions

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, saying, "Today, enemies of humanity who can't see India progress tried to strike at our strategic area, a prominent airbase at Pathankot. I appreciate our armed forces and thank them for foiling our enemy's attempt."

President Pranab Mukherjee also condemned the attack and sent condolences to the families of soldiers who lost their lives. He also sent compliments to soldiers for their valour and courage while fighting the terrorists.

Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh said, "Pakistan is our neighbouring country. We want good relations with not just Pakistan but with all our neighbours. We also want peace, but if there is any terror attack on India, we will give a befitting reply."

The attack was seen as an attempt to undermine the India-Pakistan peace process. Almost all major Indian newspapers published editorials advising the Indian government to "stay the course" and not serve the purpose of the attackers by stalling or suspending the peace dialogue with Pakistan.

On 14 January, several activists from the Hindu Sena,a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, vandalised the Delhi offices of Pakistan International Airlines. Shouting anti-Pakistani slogans, the activists reportedly damaged computers and furniture. At least one of the activists was arrested by police.

Pakistan

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release condemning the attack and offered condolences. FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said. "Building on the goodwill created during the recent high-level contacts between the two countries, Pakistan remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting our region." Pakistan also complained that India accused the Pakistani state of the attack. Special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Irfan Siddiqui, said, "India should understand that Pakistan itself had been one of the greatest victims of terrorist attacks on its soil." He regretted that only after a few terrorist attacks India begins hurling baseless allegations. He advised India to review its stance by further saying, "India should create an environment of trust, as unfounded allegations only hamper the process of dialogue." Former foreign secretary of Pakistan Riaz Khokhar said, "India was trying to tarnish Pakistan’s image and is using such attacks to derail talks. Pakistani news channel ARY News reported today that "some arrests" have been made in this regard but police did not confirm any arrest related to the Pathankot attack, as per PTI.

"The intelligence agencies have picked up some suspects from Bahawalpur on the leads provided by India in Pathankot airbase attack and shifted them to undisclosed location for interrogation," the news channel reported.