The Hindu : New Delhi News : Focus on Noida killings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Focus on Noida killings

The grisly Nithari killings have shocked the entire nation and triggered many protests in the Capital as well as in neighbouring Noida. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) also staged a demonstration in front of the residence of prime accused Moninder Singh Pandher this past week.

Condemning the mass murder of little children, the JNUSU office-bearers shouted slogans against Moninder Singh and his domestic servant Surender and demanded strict action against the police officers who did not pay any heed to the numerous complaints lodged by the parents of the missing children.

"The villagers of Nithari have been lodging complaints for the past two years to know the whereabouts of their children. However, the police did not pay any heed because the children were from poor families," said JNUSU president Dhananjay Tripathi.

Referring to the recent kidnapping of Anant Gupta -- the three-year-old son of Adobe India CEO Naresh Gupta -- he said: "The Uttar Pradesh Government is also responsible for the criminal negligence which has culminated into the macabre killings. The same administration acts hastily in the case of a CEO's son but remained callous in the case of these children who could have been saved if they had acted at the outset."

The JNUSU also demanded rehabilitation of the families of the migrant labourers living in conditions of poverty.

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The All-India Students' Association (AISA) observed a National Protest Day in different State capitals earlier this week against the West Bengal Government's "violence" on the peasants of Nandigram village in the State and "forcible acquisition" of agricultural land for multinational companies. It also demanded immediate release of student activists and leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation -- all members of a fact-finding team -- who were arrested this past week on allegedly false charges before they could enter Nandigram.

The AISA student leader in Jamia Milia Islamia in the Capital, Jitendra Kumar, is one of the six members of the investigation team who is currently lodged in jail. They will be produced in court on January 18, said Ravi Rai, general secretary of the Association.

"False charges under various sections, including attempt to murder, burning and the Arms Act have been framed against all six comrades. Such assaults on students and democratic activists involved in solidarity and fact-finding teams are a shame since it is happening in a so-called Left State," he added.

AISA has also submitted a memorandum to the West Bengal Governor through the State Government's Resident Commissioner in Delhi condemning the Nandigram incident. They demanded cancellation of all land acquisition bids and withdrawal of the policy of special economic zones from all parts of the country.

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Delhi University has some interesting events lined up for the next two months before the annual examinations begin.

To celebrate 100 years of Satyagraha, the students' union is planning to organise a "Khadi Utsav" in February-March to make the fabric popular among college-goers. A khadi fashion show and quiz competition will be some of the highlights of the event that is expected to be graced by Bollywood personalities like Sushmita Sen, Celina Jaitley, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Bhatt and Madhur Bhandarkar.

"We will be organising a fashion show where fashion teams of different colleges will conceptualise khadi in their own way. The Bollywood stars will walk down the ramp wearing various innovative designs made out of the fabric," said Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Amrita Dhawan.

"We want to underscore the significance of the ideals that Mahatma Gandhi stood for and want the youngsters to understand the value of khadi as an indigenous product," she added.

DUSU will also hold a yoga and meditation camp to "rejuvenate" the students where Baba Ramdev will offer them tips on a stress-free life -- a must before the much-dreaded examinations.

Also on the cards is a mega sports event in collaboration with the Delhi University Sports Council.

Parul Sharma

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