INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.
He tweeted: “I join my fellow countrymen & women in remembering former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi on her Punya Tithi.”
Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi because they were angry about the Indian Army attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, which had been occupied by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala and his Sikh militants.
New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to build on the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a “shresth” (great) India at a “Run for Unity” Friday, using the occasion to denounce the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Just before thousands jogged down the Rajpath up to the India Gate monument nearly two kilometres away, Modi lavished praise on Sardar Patel – “Iron Man of India” — on his birth anniversary — and incidentally the death anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Sardar Patel “gave us one India” which people need to “turn into a shresht Bharat”, Modi said before walking down the boulevard in the heart of the capital along with thousands of mainly young people who virtually mobbed him, creating a scare for the outnumbered security personnel.
Modi referred to Sardar Patel’s key role in integrating princely states after the 1947 independence to build the modern India. Patel, born Oct 31, 1875, was India’s first home minister and, like Modi, from Gujarat.
The prime minister administered a pledge to the gathering, and asked them to embrace the mantra of national unity.
Modi said Oct 31 also marked the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, who was prime minister for 16 years and who was shot dead on this day in 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards, triggering a wave of anti-Sikh violence.
Modi said the riots that left some 3,000 Sikhs dead, mainly in Delhi, was “like a dagger pierced through India’s chest”.
“Our own people were murdered. The attack was not on a particular community but on the entire nation. It was like a dagger pierced through India’s chest.
“It is unfortunate that on the birth anniversary of a man who dedicated his life in uniting the country, a tragic incident took place 30 years ago that shook the country and left it deeply scarred,” Modi said, without naming the Congress party but leaving no one in doubt who his target was.
Dressed in a white kurta pyjama with a red coloured shawl draped on his left shoulder, Modi said India was a country of diversity, a “guldasta” (bunch of flowers).
“Our culture and legacy is of unity in diversity. Let us rise over differences of creed, community, language.”
Speaking on the occasion, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said India’s destiny would have been different had Sardar Patel become the first prime minister of India.
Naidu said the government’s objective in observing Patel’s anniversary was “to give a balanced account of history to post-independence generation” and not intended to belittle contribution of other leaders.
Modi said Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel formed an “unbreakable pair”.
Modi enthused the crowd with some catchy slogans on India’s unity amid diversity. The crowd roared in joy, cheering and clapping the prime minister and chanting slogans of “Modi! Modi!” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai!”
Security personnel had a tough time keeping people away from Modi when he started walking down the Rajpath.
At one point, the guards looked helpless as hundreds of participants in the Run for Unity collected around Modi. Many clicked his photographs on their mobile phones.
Among the participants in the event were wrestler Sushil Kumar, boxer Vijender Singh and cricketer Gautam Gambhir. There were school and college students as well as government officials.
Many wore T-shirts printed with the slogan “Run for Unity”. The event also took place in other cities.
Earlier, Modi paid floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel at Patel Chowk, near parliament, at 7.30 a.m.
When Modi was its chief minister, the Gujarat government decided to build a 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel.
Mumbai (IANS): Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in Friday as chief minister of Maharashtra’s first BJP government along with nine ministers, cheered by some 30,000 supporters at the Wankhede stadium and watched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, VIPs and celebrities.
Governor C.V. Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to Fadnavis, 44, and the ministers, including two women, at a glittering ceremony, 12 days after Maharashtra threw up a hung assembly with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finishing on top.
The minority government has to prove its legislative majority within 15 days.
The cabinet ministers include Eknath Khadse, a former leader of the opposition, Vinod S. Tawde, an aggressive youth leader, former state BJP president Sudhir S. Mungantiwar, former Mumbai BJP chief Prakash M. Mehta, Pankaja Munde-Palwe, daughter of the late union minister Gopinath Munde, Chandrakant Patil and Vishnu R. Savra, the party’s tribal face.
Dilip Kamble and Vidya Thakur, the first former woman deputy mayor of Mumbai, were sworn in as ministers of state.
The Shiv Sena, which sulked till the last minute and threatened to boycott the ceremony, turned around at the last minute after a phone call from BJP president Amit Shah. Eventually, Sena chief Uddhav Thackery came to the venue but looked sullen.
But it is not yet clear if the Sena will join the government.
After taking oath, the minority government got down to business. The ‘Mr Clean’ moved into his office and presided over the first cabinet meeting at Mantralaya, the government headquarters.
Besides Modi and Shah, BJP chief ministers from other states, business tycoons, Bollywood personalities, sportspersons and celebrities were among those who witnessed the ceremony.
The BJP’s road to emergence as the single largest party came after it ended its 25-year-long alliance with the Shiv Sena, followed by 10 days of uncertainty over government formation till Fadnavis was unanimously elected the BJP Legislature Party leader two days ago.
This is only the second non-Congress government in Maharashtra. A Shiv Sena-BJP coalition was in power in 1995-99.
Hailing from Nagpur where he created history in 1997 by becoming the state’s youngest mayor at 27, Fadnavis is the 18th chief minister and the second Brahmin and the fourth from Vidarbha region to hold the post.
Handpicked by Modi and Shah over several other contenders, the lawyer-turned-politician was cheered loudly by the army of BJP activists that had packed the stadium.
The BJP won 122 of the 288 seats. But one legislator died later, reducing its strength to 121. The Rashtriya Samaj Paksha’s sole member is with the BJP.
While the Shiv Sena with 63 legislators is undecided on joining the government, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 41 legislators has announced it will abstain from the confidence vote, ensuring Fadnavis a smooth sailing during the floor test.
Fadnavis’ cabinet includes a blend of senior experienced leaders along with youth leaders.
Nearly half of them were strong contenders for the post of chief minister. But Modi’s and Shah’s will prevailed — and Fadnavis got the top job in one of India’s biggest and most important states.
Some of the prominent personalities present at the stadium were BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, as well as the chief ministers of Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
AVTAR Saini first opened tasty sweets and restaurant in winter of 1999 on Scott Road, Surrey.
It was always Avtar Saini’s vision to create a space where customers could dine like Indian royalty. But he didn’t have enough time to fulfill his goal as he passed away in April 2010.
Son Inder brought that dream to life in 2011 with Tasty Indian Bistro, with the help of family member, Harman (who helps run the operation), serving fine dining food in a premium casual atmosphere.
Now they are adding new items to the menu even as they have renovated their high-end joint. What’s more, they are also open on holidays.
TEAMSURREY of Brenda Locke and Stephen Gammer are calling for an external, independent audit of Surrey City Hall construction costs, and better relations with the provincial government in order to benefit Surrey.
Gammer, a commercial real estate agent, calling for the City Hall audit, noted: “It’s about time that the taxpayers of the city know exactly what the costs were for the construction of the new City Hall. Surrey First has failed to disclose this information, despite numerous requests for it. There needs to be an external and independent audit now. And I am happy to have the support of OneSurrey candidate Brian Young.”
Gammer added: “If elected, the TeamSurrey members of Council will make it their job to ask the tough questions and get the right answers. This is only one questionable capital project – there may be more.”
Locke stressed the need for Surrey’s city government to have an improved and more functional relationship with the provincial government. Locke, a former MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers and a former BC Liberal minister of state for mental health and addiction services, said she had already been in contact with members of the current BC Liberal government regarding Surrey’s needs for social housing and assistance for the homeless. The BC government has already indicated their willingness to work with more constructive members of Surrey’s city government in an attempt to meet the needs of BC’s fastest growing city. Lack of action on the Purpose Built building for Surrey’s homeless lies squarely on the inability of Surrey Council to commit to an appropriate location, she noted.
Locke said: “I have good relationships with members of our provincial government and will work with them in the best interest of the City of Surrey. I know there are significant opportunities to improve the existing relationship between our two levels of government. If elected, I will rely on my existing relationships with those members of the government to obtain Surrey’s fair share of social infrastructure funding – which the current city government has not viewed as a priority. The fact is, without the assistance of the Province, Surrey will not be able to address the pressing issues of homelessness and social housing, to name but two, with any hope of success.”
FEDERAL Liberal Citizenship and Immigration Critic John McCallum said on Thursday that Canadians used to be known around the world for our compassion and generosity, but changes hidden in the Conservative government’s latest omnibus budget bill threaten those values.
McCallum said: “Every year Canada welcomes refugees who are fleeing violence and persecution in troubled parts of the world to begin their lives anew in our country. Before they are technically accepted as refugees, these refugee claimants are not guaranteed a work permit, and rely on social assistance to survive.
“This legislation will allow social assistance to be taken away from this extremely vulnerable group at their time of greatest need. It will deny assistance to refugees even though they have no other means to put food on the table.
“That is cruel and goes directly against Canadian values.
“The government argues it is simply respecting provincial jurisdiction, but I have not heard of a single province ever trying to get out of its responsibility to make social assistance payments to refugee claimants. The vast majority of claimants go on to become permanent residents; deliberately imposing destitution is no way to help them start their life in Canada.
“No wonder the Conservatives buried these changes in a bill that’s almost 500 pages long.
“These changes come after the Federal Court struck down the Conservatives’ policy of denying refugee claimants health benefits, ruling that it was “cruel and unusual” treatment that puts lives at risk and “outrages Canadian standards of decency”. Shockingly, the government is appealing that ruling.
“It is appalling that the Conservative government is playing politics of fear with the very lives of those who come to Canada with nothing but hopes and dreams. They must back-off their anti-refugee attacks and start upholding Canadian values.”
EACH year, influenza kills more Canadians than all other vaccine-preventable illnesses combined. Health Minister Terry Lake and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall this week urged all British Columbians to arm themselves against influenza, and get vaccinated.
“Most of us recognize the importance of washing our hands, properly covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze, and staying home when sick to help prevent illness,” said Lake. “Those are all very important pieces of the infection-control puzzle. However, the single most effective way to reduce the spread of influenza is getting vaccinated. That is why I am happy to be getting my flu shot today.”
Clinics now are open throughout the province, and British Columbians can get immunized at a wide variety of locations – from dedicated flu clinics, to doctors’ offices or local pharmacies.
“I can’t stress the importance of all British Columbians receiving their annual flu vaccine,” said Dr. William Cunningham, past-president of Doctors of BC. “And this includes the health professionals who take care of them. Protecting yourself also protects the people around you who may be more vulnerable to serious flu illness.”
“Pharmacists have been a key part of the fight against influenza for many years, as a front-line source of information and advice,” said BC Pharmacy Association President David Pavan. “Today, more than 3,100 pharmacists are specially trained to vaccinate British Columbians. Also, 92% of pharmacies throughout the province conveniently have at least one pharmacist authorized to administer injections.”
Flu shots are free in B.C. for all children between six months and five years of age, seniors 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, Aboriginal people, and individuals with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems. Individuals who work or live with people who have a higher risk of complications from the flu are also eligible for a free flu shot.
“Last year, the BC Centre for Disease Control distributed the highest rate of seasonal influenza vaccine on record for the province,” said Dr. Kendall. “That means more British Columbians were protected against serious illness than ever before. I hope that this year even more choose to protect themselves against flu, and get vaccinated.”
This year, B.C. will also be offering a live attenuated influenza vaccine (Flu Mist), given as an intranasal spray. Flu Mist will be offered to children and adolescents from two to 17 years of age. It is the preferred vaccine for children because it provides better protection than the inactivated influenza vaccine, or flu shot, given by injection.
In addition, for the second year in a row, anyone planning to visit a loved one in a health-care facility or those who take family members to outpatient appointments will also be eligible for a free flu shot from a licensed practitioner, such as a pharmacist, doctor or nurse.
The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates about 3,500 Canadians die from influenza complications each year – more deaths than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined.
To find the nearest flu shot clinic, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit the Influenza Clinic Finder at: www.immunizebc.ca/clinics/flu
THERE are six contenders for the Conservative nomination in the new federal riding of Cloverdale-Langley City: former Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal, Surrey businessman Paul Brar, former Liberal MLA Dave Hayer, life insurance salesman Mike Garisto, former Langley city councillor Dean Drysdale, and Surrey business lawyer Tako van Popta.
On November 8 (Saturday) at AJ McLellan Elementary School at 16545 61 Avenue, Conservatives will decide who will represent them in the 2015 federal election (which could take place in spring – if Harper wants to spring a surprise, maybe with a special budget! – otherwise in fall).
Although there are three South Asian contenders, South Asians comprise only 10 per cent of the riding’s population. East Asians form another 10 per cent and the rest are all white.
GREWAL, when asked by The VOICE whether he is confident of winning the nomination, replied: “Yes, I am. I have worked hard.”
He pointed out that he was first elected (in 1997) from the then-Surrey Central federal riding, which comprised over 75 per cent of the new riding area-wise as well as in terms of the number of residents. Although he won by only 2,800 votes in 1997, in the following election in 2000, he defeated the then-Liberal star candidate Peter Warkentin by 11,000 votes. After redistribution, the riding became Newton-North Delta in the 2004 election.
Grewal claimed that even though there were new residents in this area, “there are residents who have been living there for a longer period of time in comparison with (those in) other parts of Surrey. So I am confident (of their support) … done a lot of door knocking.”
He said he wanted to return to Ottawa to help move issues that he had championed earlier for the sake of the community.
BRAR was modest when asked by The VOICE if he was confident of winning. “You never know the outcome in a fair election, but I will try my best,” he said. But he was all ready for the nomination meeting.
He noted: “The most important thing is that people should look at the candidates’ credentials, their honesty and integrity and what they have done in the past and base their decision on that.”
HAYER emailed to The VOICE that he was still in the race. But he didn’t get back to The VOICE in spite of several phone calls and an email. There are rumours that he is planning to support another candidate.
(BREAKING NEWS: Sources on Saturday told The VOICE that the Conservative Party may take some kind of drastic action in the riding.)
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