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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY, Sept 1: While many may already think of Mother Teresa as a saint, any official canonisation will has to wait, under Vatican rules that require a five-year interval after a candidate's death.
With the first anniversary of her death at the age of 87 on September 5 last year, tributes to the diminutive yet media savvy nun who catered to Calcutta's needy have again brought this question to the forefront.
Even a person like Mother Teresa, whose selfless devotion to the downtrodden and oppressed helped win her the 1979 Nobel Peace prize, cannot justify speeding up the process, said a Vatican spokesman.
``All candidates for sanctification are equal before God,'' he said. The rules require a five-year wait before the path towards sainthood starts. After her death, many voices within the Roman Catholic church tried to push for an exception in Mother Teresa's case and urged for an immediate canonisation. Among them was her close friend Italian cardinal Pio Laghi, now 76, who argued that MotherTeresa had ``done what Jesus did 2,000 years ago''.
In Rome, however, members of Her Missionaries of Charity, a community of 2,500 nuns around the world who minister to the poor, sick and abandoned, uphold Vatican rules and have not pressed for any early start to the canonisation procedure.
Though Pope John Paul II simplified the process in 1983, the path towards sainthood is still a long one. It starts with the local bishop in the diocese where the candidate lived, who must conduct a full inquiry into the acts, writings, and possible martyrdom of an individual whose ``reputation for holiness'' has been brought to the attention of religious authorities.
In the case of Mother Teresa, this would fall to the Calcutta diocese to collect evidence of what the church refers to as the ``heroic virtue'' of the candidate, meaning their practice of the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity to an outstanding degree.
Should this initial inquiry prove worthy in the bishop's eyes, the file will be transferredto a special Vatican committee for a second look to see if it is deemed worthy enough to send on the Pope, who makes the final decision.
In his 20 years as pontiff, John Paul II has broken church records for pronouncing the most number of beatifications - a first formal step on the road to sainthood - and actual canonisations. As of August, he has beatified 803 people and canonised 279 saints.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. CHENNAI, Sept 1: Virtually every major political party in Tamil Nadu is busy shifting loyalties and schisms in political alliances dominate the scene as the game of numbers at the Centre casts a shadow on them.
Poll allies from 1996, the DMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) continue to be part of the United Front (UF) but the DMK seems to be reaching out to the BJP in an effort to save its Government from the marauding influence of the AIADMK, while the TMC's G K Moopanar prefers a Congress-led Government at the Centre. The TMC's view is fortified by the Left parties' inclination to pave way for a Congress-led Government, which they consider is the lesser evil as compared to the BJP. However, with opinion divided in the UF, confusion pervades, with each constituent chalking out the best option for itself.
Despite different goals, the DMK and TMC continue to keep their alliance in Tamil Nadu afloat. However, a break will be inevitable if they have to choose between the BJP and the Congress as anational ally. It would require considerable sagacity to keep their alliance going in Tamil Nadu in the event of the two opting for different stable-mates at the Centre.
The picture on the other side is even more chaotic. The AIADMK's now-on now-off relationship with the BJP has even got her allies protesting. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), the Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) and the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC) are willing to throw their lot with the BJP at the Centre but are reluctant to announce a break in ties with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.
These AIADMK allies have announced that they would continue to back the Vajpayee Government and that they wanted the AIADMK to continue backing it. The PMK and MDMK have even struck a note of rebellion by declaring that they would continue to back the BJP Government even if Jayalalitha withdrew her party's support. The TRC has also made it clear that it would not pull out of the Government.
However, they are willing to wound but afraid to strike, when it comes totheir relationship with the AIADMK. Obviously, for the TRC, it is difficult to give up a good portfolio like Petroleum. These allies, too, are in a dilemma to choose between the BJP and the AIADMK as their future poll partner, just as the UF partners have their own choices.
It is thus that the MDMK leader Vaiko and the PMK founder-leader Dr S Ramadoss soft-pedal their parties' stand regarding the AIADMK and do not take their relationship with the AIADMK to the point of no-return, even while making it clear to the BJP leadership that they stand by it.
The misgivings of the MDMK, PMK and the TRC regarding the AIADMK's repeated threats against the Vajpayee Government can be traced to the political formations at the Centre. These three parties do not find a place in AICC president Sonia Gandhi's long-term strategy to form a Congress-led Government.
The perceived softness of the MDMK and PMK for the LTTE, which has been identified by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as responsible for the assassinationof Rajiv Gandhi, has come in the way of any understanding with the Congress. Sonia Gandhi is also upset over the way in which Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy, who launched a party (TRC) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, has teamed up with the BJP and joined its Government. With the Congress doors not likely to open for these three parties, they prefer to be within the security provided by the BJP, especially when lucrative ministerships are at stake.
Consequently, the fluid political situation has thrown up the curious spectacle of these three parties trying to please the BJP on one hand, even if that means displeasure for the Poes Garden lady; and on the other hand, humouring Jayalalitha to keep the AIADMK-led combine going.
Jayalalitha, on her part, is a prominent BJP ally but is more busy these days trying to establish lines of communication with the AICC leaders and usher in an alternative Government. Her only ally in this venture is Subramanian Swamy.
The decisive moment when parties will have to stand up and becounted will come when the Congress makes its moves to form a Government at the Centre and the AIADMK supports the Congress. If and when that happens, the AIADMK could gain some at the Centre and lose some in Tamil Nadu.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. OSLO, Sept 1: Not only did they probably discover America, the Vikings may also have invented the precursor of the modern pizza more than 1,000 years ago, according to findings published by a Norwegian archaeologist.
Flat, round crusts with an array of tasty toppings and toasted on stone platters in large pizza-style ovens were being consumed by hungry Vikings as early as the 9th century AD, researcher Astri Riddervold said in Oslo's newspaper yesterday. Digs have unearthed the ovens and the stone platters, she said, adding that the toppings clearly ran the gamut of ``everything available at any given season'' of the year. She said the evidence indicates that seafood pizzas were a particular favourite for some 400 years up until innovations in grinding procedures and yeast-production gave rise to bread baking in the 13th century, ushering in the demise of pizzas in Scandinavia until the 20th century. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. BANGALORE, Sept 1: Karnataka's Agriculture Minister C Byre Gowda on Tuesday blamed the ``stupidity'' of the BJP government at the Centre for the nation-wide shortfall in fertiliser imports and held Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, who also holds the Agriculture portfolio, directly responsible for this ``neglect of the agriculture sector''. He was countering Karnataka BJP president B S Yediyurappa's charge, made on Monday, that the State Government was neglecting the interests of farmers by not taking measures to meet their fertiliser requirements. Defending the shortfall in the State's requirement of the fertiliser, Muriate of Phosphate (MoP) -- for this kharif season -- he said the country's entire requirement was being met through imports which have always been the responsibility of the Union Government. Gowda told media persons here, that it was for the first time that the country was witnessing this unprecedented shortfall of over 50 per cent in the supply of MoP, which is not indigenously produced. Ofa total requirement of 21,40,000 metric tonnes (mt) of MoP, only 10,00,000 mt had been supplied throughout the country this year. With the prime minister having retained charge of the Agriculture portfolio for himself, and Som Pal being only a Minister of State, this amounts to a ``sheer neglect of the agriculture sector in the country'' by the BJP government, he added. In all the years since farmers started using fertilisers, the Central government had taken care of the fertiliser needs of the entire country. India Potash Limited, a wholly-owned Government of India undertaking was vested with powers to authorise imports in this regard. However, this year the Centre had not imported the required quantity of potash and because of the ``BJP government's stupidity the whole country has to face this shortage now,'' he added. Gowda himself had written both to Som Pal and Union Fertiliser Minister S S Barnala, in June this year, urging them to take measures to meet the State's need. Moreover, as far back asMarch, during the zonal meeting of agriculture ministers, Karnataka had indicated its requirement for the season. However, the response from both ministers had not been positive. Subsequently Chief Minister J H Patel too had written to both Union ministers, with little success. Last month, both Gowda and Patel had also tried to meet them, but they were busy tackling the political problems in their respective states. ``We have made all-out efforts to make available the required quantity of MoP in the State. But it is the responsibility of the Government of India to meet it,'' he added. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MUMBAI, SEPT 1: The State government has awarded the contract for setting up a 12 MW hydro power station at Bhandaradara in Ahmednagar district to an NRI firm D L International. Joshi today announced this decision after the State Cabinet approved the same in its routine weekly meeting at Mantralaya. DLI, owned by an NRI originally from Maharashtra, V Rajadhyaksha, will be involved in setting up the 36 MW plant to be completed in 15 months. Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Joshi said the power station on completion would be given to the company on a 30-year lease. The power produce would be purchased by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) at an initial rate of Rs 2.13 and subsequently at Rs 2.38 per unit. DLI would pay Rs 18 lakh per year to the Irrigation Department of the state government as royalty to use water for generating power. The said project was a result of the Advantage Maharashtra exhibition held recently to attract NRIs to invest in key sectors ofdevelopment in Maharashtra. : The State Cabinet, in another decision, conferred the rights on the MSEB to alter the agreement between the State government and Reliance Industries Limited on the Rs 463.13-cr Patalganga project. The government and representatives of the company had signed an agreement recently according to which the MSEB was to buy about 410 MW power generated at the proposed plant. The agreement had provided that the levelised capacity charge would be Rs 1.55 per unit. But, when the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) imposed certain conditions before sanctioning the project to reduce project costs by Rs 32.82 crore and to increase the generation capacity to 447 MW from the projected 410 MW, it resulted in reducing the levelised capacity charge to Rs 1.41 per unit. The Cabinet today accepted the request from RI on raising the rate and empowered the MSEB to amend the earlier agreement. The new levelised capacity charge will be Rs 1.48 per unit instead of theearlier of Rs 1.55 per unit. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MYSORE, SEPT 1: The Mysore chapter of People For Animals (PFA) has decided to campaign against the practice of making elephants carry the 750-kg golden howdah during the Dussehra celebrations. ``This amounts to cruelty on animals. Why should an elephant be forced to carry the huge weight for more than 4 km during Vijayadashami procession apart from having to practise carrying it weeks before the celebrations?'' Geetha Manja, PFA convenor asked. Geetha said the matter had been discussed with the national PFA chairperson Maneka Gandhi on Sunday. ``We will not impose our will on the organisers or the people but try to convince them not to subject the elephants to such ardous tasks.'' The howdah is used to carry the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari during the festival. Suggestions to use a chariot to carry the howdah have been doing the rounds since an elephant, Arjuna, damaged it when he threw a tantrum four years ago. The death of another elephant, Drona, who had carried the howdah for 16 years, hasbolstered the idea. Meanwhile, speculation is rife that the scion of the Mysore royal family, Srikantadutta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, will not hand over the golden howdah to the State Government. Wadiyar had earlier gone on record saying he would hand it over as he did not want to be seen obstructing the celebrations. But with the President giving his assent to the take-over of the palace, Wadiyar is unlikely to stick to his words. The movables in the palace including the golden throne are listed as private collections of Wadiyar, with others are under joint management of the government and Wadiyar. Culture Minister and Dussehra celebrations committee chairperson Leeladevi R Prasad is frantic to meet Wadiyar and have the matter sorted out as soon as possible at a ``time and place of his convenience''. But Wadiyar is out of town fighting legal battles to save his palaces. Consequently, the minister left a letter with Dussehra special officer Bore Gowda to be handed over personally to Wadiyar when hereturns. In the letter, the minister has sought total co-operation of the scion to organise the `Nada Habba' (a people's festival) without any hiccups. However, she told that she would resort to legal measures if necessary to secure the golden howdah. She said she has sought to prevail upon Wadiyar that the Government was not out to `insult' anybody. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. NEW DELHI, Sept 1: The Congress today finalised the list of executive members and office-bearers of its Karnataka unit after a long delay of about two years. It also filled the vacancies of chiefs of 12 district units in the State. The process of finalisation went on till this afternoon. The KPCC chief, Dharam Singh, had extensive consultations over the last few weeks with the party high command represented by Tariq Anwar, general secretary in charge of the State. The 152-member list has 18 vice-presidents, 25 general secretaries, 28 secretaries, 31 executive members, 42 permanent invitees, and 16 special invitees. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MOSCOW, Sept 1: Amidst the standoff between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the Communists-dominated lower house of Parliament, acting Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin today proposed a list of ministers for approval even as chances of his own re-election appeared shaky. The Communists have express their determination to reject again Chernomyrdin's candidature in the Duma. According to the list put forth by Chernomyrdin to Yeltsin for approval, the ministers of Defence, Interior, Foreign Affairs and the all-powerful Federal Service looking after internal security, will retain their posts, news agency Itar-Tass said quoting government staff. The development came even as the President and the Communist Party asserted their intention to stand by their positions. While Yeltsin said he would insist on Chernomyrdin as his choice for prime ministership despite the resounding rejection of his nomination yesterday by the Duma, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said his faction would again reject theprime minister-designate's candidature in the second vote scheduled for next Monday. ``I insist that Chernomyrdin be confirmed as prime minister as soon as possible... He is my candidate and I will insist on it... I, of course, will fight so that, literally in the course of the week he will be confirmed as prime minister,'' said Yeltsin at a Moscow school to mark the start of Russia's new academic year. Zyuganov, meanwhile, told reporters that ``our decision is firm -- we shall vote against the candidacy of Chernomyrdin.'' ``He (Yeltsin) insisted on the appointment of Ilyushenko (former prosecutor general) and nominated his candidacy thrice, who later went straight to prison. He insisted on the nomination of (Sergei) Kiriyenko, who bankrupted the country. Now Yeltsin is again insisting on Chernomyrdin. This is molestation of the Duma, rape of Russia,'' Zyuganov said. A motion to confirm Chernomyrdin's nomination was defeated by 253 votes against 94 yesterday but Yeltsin within hours renominated himfor a second vote. Three rejections of Yeltsin's nominee by the Duma would lead to the Duma's dissolution and an early parliamentary election, an option Russia can ill afford at a time of deep economic crisis. Asked about the prospect of an early dissolution of the Duma, Zyuganov said, ``What is at stake is not the dissolution of the Duma but the dissolution of the country.'' Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MUMBAI, September 1: The `Silent Assasin' is at it, once again. Enjoying an amazing season with his off-spinners, Muthiah Muralitharan added another feather to his cap by snaring 16 English batsmen in the Oval Test to script Sri Lanka's historic maiden Test win in the land of the Old Blighty. Not only were his figures the fifth best ever in Test cricket, he also became the second off spinner, after the legendary West Indian Lance Gibbs, to reach the coveted figure of 200 Test wickets. His success has not only been a personal victory, but is also a tribute to the faith the Sri Lankan Cricket Board reposed in him. Under tremendous pressure, after being called for `throwing' by the Australian umpire Darell Hair on Lanka's tour Down Under in '95-96, most bowlers would have broken down. Not Murali, and what's more his teammates, and most importantly the Lankan cricket board rallied behind him. ``No bossing around,'' went the Lankan board's signals to the ICC. ``We respect his contribution to Lankan cricketand will play him even if Murali cannot bowl his off spinners. Sure, he will bowl leg spin in the next Test,'' said the board, even as the Australian Cricket Board was pressurising ICC to ban him. Subsequently, cleared by the ICC, Murali, as indeed the entire Lankan side, were a changed lot. ``That incident changed the entire perception of cricket for us. It brought all the members together and hardened them. Actually, it went a long way in urging the players to show the world our potential. The World Cup win, by and large, was a result of that,'' once confessed Ranjit Fernando, a former Lankan player turned administrator, who himself was instrumental in counselling Murali during the turbulent period. And now, the `cricketing powers' are at it once again. England coach David Llyod's ``suspicions about Murali's bowling action'' in English press on the eve of the final day of the Test match were no more than a gimmick, meant to unsettle Murali before the crucial last day's play. But, Murali was unruffledand as the result showed, Lloyd would have been better advised to counsel his own batsmen on the art of playing spin bowling rather than finding faults elsewhere. But the English are always known for nursing a grudge or tow, be it the Calcutta smog or the Madras prawns. Lloyd's comments may have actually fired Murali up to expose the brittle English batting. They paid dearly for the line of indecision in their minds. Caught between whether to play forward or go back, they could not fathom Murali's skills. Had Alec Stewart not been run out, who knows Murali may have emulated another off-spinner, Jim Laker's feat of taking all the ten wickets in a Test innings. Navjot Sidhu, arguably one of the best batsman of off spin bowling in the world, feels that Murali is simply unplayable for batsmen playing from the crease. ``You have to use your feet while playing him. He is very accurate and with the amount of turn that he gets, you have to get on top of him otherwise you are doomed. In between, padding is thebest defence to him.'' One can trust Sidhu as he has been fairly successful against Murali. The clobbering that Murali received from in the Lucknow Test in '93-94 (Sidhu hit six sixes off Murali) or the last season's S A S Nagar Test confirm Sidhu's theory. ``Still you cannot belittle him. He is a champion bowler with a great heart,'' Sidhu adds. In fact, the new and exciting Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh sees Murali as a role model for himself and feels that he would be very happy to get a few tips from him Smoke without fire is difficult and Murali's action sometimes does hinge on the verge of suspicion (almost every off-spinner is like that). Luckily, he has the support of his board quite unlike our own Rajesh Chauhan, who himself may have lost count of the number of times he was put under suspicion and then cleared by the ICC. A pity that our board could not stand up for an international player's cause. Murali, the only Tamil in the Lankan squad, has always been overshadowed by the likes ofShane Warne, Anil Kumble and Saqlain Mushtaq in international cricket. Not any more as he has carved out a place for his art. For this he has to thank his own board more than anybody else. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. NEW DELHI, Sep 1: Industry Ministry Sikander Bakht said today that an effective system of protection of intellectual property is necessary for the country's development. Hinting at the political objection to product patents, he said, ``There is some hesitation in political quarters about patent laws changes. But I am convinced that better laws will help Indian industry and scientists.'' He also announced that the Government was trying to have the National Patent Office declared as an International Search Authority and as International Preliminary Examination Authority under the terms of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Speaking on the occasion of the first AGM of the Institute of Intellectual Property Development (IIPD), here today, he said that India had to globalise to survive. ``We have to enter the global game and win it to protect the interest of India,'' he said. The declaration of the National Patent office as examination and search centre will give great boost to the domestic scientific andinventor community. They will be able to access patent information at their doorstep without incurring high costs. ``It is absolutely necessary to ensure that accurate and authentic information is disseminated widely to the people,'' the minister said. Bakht said that the Government decision to accede to the Paris Convention would help Indian inventors and encourage them to market their inventions across the world. Dr Anji Reddy, head of IIPD said that he was keen to see tough patent protection laws so that the Indian companies which were innovating would be protected. ``I spent Rs 60 crore on developing new drug molecules. I do not want someone else to copy them and make profit without investing anything.'' He said that India needed process patent in the 1970s so that the local drug industry could prosper. ``But we can't keep asking for protection forever. We have to start coming up with fresh research on our own,'' he said. The Director General of CSIR, Dr RA Mashelkar said that information was thekey to success in the global environment. Unless India learnt to protect and nurture knowledge creation, it would suffer, he said, adding ``Future wars will not be fought with bombs but with knowledge. India has grey gold in its grey cells which can help it be on top. For this we must protect intellectual property creation.'' Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MUMBAI, September1: Talks between chemists and the civic authorities remained deadlocked today as pharmacies all over Mumbai shut shop on the first day of their indefinite strike to protest against the two per cent octroi duty on medical formulations. Mayor Nandu Satam told the Joint Coordination Committee of Chemists that the levy would not be withdrawn, adding that the duty should have in fact been imposed 10 years ago. He asked them why the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should exempt medicines from octroi when the levy is charged on other products. Over-the-counter sale of drugs was completely stopped with the 6,800 drugstores in Mumbai, affiliated to various chemists' and distributors' associations, remaining shut. The agitation has also received ``unconditional support'' from their counterparts in Thane and Navi Mumbai, who will down shutters on September 4 if the June 22 decision to levy octroi on medicines is not revoked. Life-saving drugs, though, were made available by the five controlrooms opened by the coordination committee. ``It has been an extremely hectic day. Our staff manning the control rooms attended to over 4,000 calls from people requiring medicines. However, they were supplied only to persons who could produce a medical prescription. We also did not entertain people who wanted over-the-counter household drugs,'' Kishore Shah, president of the Retail and Dispensing Chemists' Association, told ``There were two cases in South Mumbai which urgently required anti-cancer drugs costing about Rs 25,000 per ampoule. Our control room at Prarthna Samaj procured the drugs and delivered them at the callers' doorsteps,'' Shah says. The strike will not immediately affect civic and state-run hospitals in Mumbai as they have been supplied with additional stocks. Dr L B Khotkar, superintendent of J J Hospital, says government hospitals ``do no merely depend on supply from chemists'' and will not run out of stocks for 10 days at least. However, they refused to sellmedicines to outdoor patients. ``We have to be prepared for contingencies in the wake of a calamity or a disaster when we might have to use large stocks of medicines without notice. Selling medicines to outdoor patients under these circumstances is virtually impossible,'' says a doctor from KEM Hospital at Parel. Bombay Hospital in South Mumbai had some difficulty controlling the crowd which clamoured for supplies. The authorities divided the people into two queues - ones requiring medicines for the hospital's indoor patients and the other comprising outsiders. However, tempers ran high as indoor patients were given preferential treatment. ``All seven chemists around the hospital are not open and I have been waiting for two hours to get Amoxicillin capsules for my daughter,'' said Upendra Tripathi, a resident of Colaba. ``Is my daughter's life less important than those who are admitted to this hospital,'' he asked. The hospital though says it is not duty-bound to cater to the general public. ``Witharound seven large chemists around the hospital, we generally never get requests for medicines from outside. Since they are shut today, we obliged those who produced prescriptions,'' the hospital's pharmacy manager Lalit P Kaushal, told Express Newsline. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. CHANDIGARH, Sept 1: About 25 per cent of the sorties by Pakistan military aircraft along the Indo-Pakistan International Border (IB) have violated international airspace norms. Army and IAF agencies monitoring movement of Pakistan aircraft reveal that till date this year, there have been about 60 reported incidents of breach of the `Air Agreement' signed by the Indian and Pakistani government a couple of years ago. As per the terms of the agreement, no military aircraft or unscheduled civilian flights are to approach the restricted airspace over the IB. This airspace, akin to no-man's land on the ground, extends atleast 1,000 metres on either side of the demarcated IB and is out of bounds for all aircraft except trans-border flights. Military sources say that this year, about 264 Pakistani aircraft, both combat as well as non-combat types, were observed in close vicinity of the IB. The number of violations show that on an average, there are eight reported intrusions into the prohibited air-zone. Theseflights are observed and reported by BSF personnel manning pickets along the IB or by Army troops where their deployment is imperative. The Amritsar Sector, having the highest reported number of sorties and breaches, was particularly ``hot'' when a lot of work was being done on bunds near Ranian during flood control measures. Bunds also form important defences. The Dera Baba Nanak Sector along the Ravi, with its network of ditch-cum-bund defence system has also remained active. As per procedure, details about the number and type of aircraft sighted, their flight configuration and time of flight are passed on to the nearest Army division headquarters, which in turn directly intimates Army Headquartes along with the Command Headquarters. The Army Headquarters intimates the Ministry of Defence and a ``protest'' is lodged through the embassy of the concerned country by the Ministry of External Affairs. Though no `scramble' of interceptors by the IAF in such cases had been reported, sources say that anydecision by ground forces to shoot down hostile aircraft would have to be taken on the spur of the moment, after determining the threat it poses. There have been instances of hostile aircraft coming right over the IB. The issue of airspace violation has also repeatedly been raised and discussed during operational conferences and tactical briefings at the highest level and concerned has also been voiced at their frequency. The only known instance of a infiltrating Pakistan aircraft being shot down was in 1996, when a Remotely Piloted Vehicle was downed in Kutch. Military sources say that though the breach may be inadvertent at times, there is a possibility of such aircraft involved in mapping out local defences. ``Their purpose could be a visual, first hand appraisal of our defences by commanders, judging the strength and layout of border out-posts as well as getting the lay of the land,'' an intelligence officer commented. Carrying photographic and survey equipment by these aircraft, particularlychoppers and transport aircraft, is not ruled out. Helicopters of the Pakistan Army Aviation Wing, headquartered at Dhanval near Rawalpindi with detatchements attached with all major airbases for liason and search and rescue roles are also known to fly in close viciinity of the IB. Another reason for flying in close proximity to Indian positions is for new pilots getting themselves familiar with the topography of the area. Possible errors in navigation during training exercises are also cited as a reason. Sources say that some concessions in airspace restrictions have been allowed by both sides in the Northern Sector on account of the mountainous terrain. ``But they are trying to take advantage of these concessions in other sectors too,'' an officer commented. Pakistan does not possess any strategic reconnaissance capability, for which it depends on inputs from China and the US. Though the No 5 Squadron equipped with 13 Mirage-IIIRD carries out tactical reconnaissance sorties from its base atSargodha, experts say that for border observations it flies atleast two-three kilometers behind the IB, using its `sideways' looking camera for photography. Though there have been no known instances of the Mirage infiltrating Indian airspace, there were unconfirmed reports sometime back of the more advanced F-16s carrying reconnaissance pods and electronic radar jamming equipment entering Indian airspace. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. MUMBAI, Sep 1: The primary capital market continues to be in doldrums with the month of August, like July, witnessing only one public issue. This issue too like the July one was a debt issue from ICICI. The current fiscal, in the first five months, has seen only 12 public issues raising a meagre Rs 1,402 crore, compared to 62 issues aggregating Rs 3,061 crore in full 1997-98 and 753 issues for Rs 11,648 crore in full 1996-97, according to a study done by Prithvi Haldea of Prime Database. A significant, but worrying, feature, according to Prime, is the near-total absence of equity. Public issues of equity at Rs 182 crore have accounted for only 13 per cent of the five-month period's total mobilisation. These have successively been going down from a high 100 per cent (Rs 13,312 crore) in 1994-95. The most adversely affected are the corporates. Only Rs 83 crore representing 6 per cent of the total funds raised in the five-month period of the current fiscal have been from the manufacturing sector, down froma high 83 per cent in 1994-95. On the other hand, financial institutions and banks, as per Prime, have continued to dominate the market. Their offerings at Rs 1318 crore constitute 94 per cent of the five month period's total amount, up from a meagre 4 per cent in 1994-95. The government continues to monopolise the primary market, with a 93 per cent share in five month period's total mobilisation, up from 9 per cent in 1994-95. According to Prime, it is now for the 14th month in succession that the primary market has witnessed an extremely low level of activity in public issues. Since July 1997, there have been only 38 public issues. While August 1998 had 1 public issue, the earlier monthly figures have also been equally dismal: July (1), June (5), May (3), April (2), March (2), February (0), January (4), December 1997 (6), November (4), October (4), September (1), August (3) and July (2). Initial public offerings (IPOs), in specific, have been badly hit. IPOs, which are essentially first public issuesfrom unlisted companies, had already fallen from a high of 1,350 in 1995-96 to only 51 in 1997-98. These are now down to only 7 in the first five months of fiscal 1998-99 mobilising a meagre sum of Rs 124 crore. Given the state of the market and economy, Haldea projects that the balance period of 1998-99 may also be dismal. One of the points is the number of public issue documents filed with SEBI for clearance. From an average of 87 documents per month in the January-December 1996 period, the figure fell to only 7 per month in the January-December 1997 period and is now down to only 3 per month in the January-August 1998 period. It said rescue act, if any, may come only from some bank issues and from materialisation of the disinvestment programme. ``What we may continue to see is some amount of debt mobilisation,'' it said. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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