An aid worker says rebels in eastern Congo gang-raped nearly 200 women over four days within miles of a U.N. peacekeepers’ base. Will F. Cragin of the International Medical Corps says aid workers knew rebels had occupied Luvungi town the day after the attack began on July 30. More than three weeks later the U.N. mission says it still is investigating. Cragin told The Associated Press Monday by telephone that his organization was only able to go into the town that is 10 miles (16 kilometers) from a U.N. military camp after rebels withdrew voluntarily on Aug. 4. He said international and local health workers have treated 179 women but that the number raped could be much higher. Cragin said his aid group has been going back to the town and identifying more cases.
JOHANNESBURG, August 23 (AP)
Tuesday
BJP MLA's son attacked Pastor in Delhi
A mob of about 150 led by a BJP MLA’s son attacked a pastor and church in Qutabgarh in East West Delhi August 23, it was informed today. The All India Christian Council said one Biju, son of one Chanram, a Bharatiya Janta Party MLA led a crowd, believed to be members of Hindutva fanatics in attacking Pastor Isaac Jaal. The pastor was returning home after conducting a Sunday prayer service in the church, the AICC said. The said Biju and the crowd came with ‘lethal sticks’ and “trisuls” (Hindu tridents). The mob assaulted Pastor Isaac and also threatened him with dire consequences if he continued to conduct prayer meetings in the church. The pastor suffered internal injuries. The police came later but did not take him to the hospital for medical treatment or even for examination.
Rev. Dr. Abraham Sahu, Delhi NCR Chapter President of All India Christian Council reported the matter to the local police and appealed for the safety and protection of the pastor and church members. A written complaint to the local police was given but no First Information Report (FIR) was registered and no action taken, AICC said.
A team of AICC members said to be way to meet Pastor Isaac and then to the police authorities to appeal for the registration of the complaint and take action against the criminals.
“The fear is being spread among Christian minorities across the nation including national capital by the organized attacks by the Hindutva fundamentalists. The law enforcement authorities must ensure the freedom of rights, equality and protection must be provided to all communities, particularly the Christian minorities who have been targeted currently by the fanatic groups,” the AICC said.
(Inputs: www.morungexpress.com)
Rev. Dr. Abraham Sahu, Delhi NCR Chapter President of All India Christian Council reported the matter to the local police and appealed for the safety and protection of the pastor and church members. A written complaint to the local police was given but no First Information Report (FIR) was registered and no action taken, AICC said.
A team of AICC members said to be way to meet Pastor Isaac and then to the police authorities to appeal for the registration of the complaint and take action against the criminals.
“The fear is being spread among Christian minorities across the nation including national capital by the organized attacks by the Hindutva fundamentalists. The law enforcement authorities must ensure the freedom of rights, equality and protection must be provided to all communities, particularly the Christian minorities who have been targeted currently by the fanatic groups,” the AICC said.
(Inputs: www.morungexpress.com)
Economic Blockade extended in Manipur
The 20-day long economic blockade imposed on the two national highways leading to Manipur by the United Naga Council (UNC) and supposed to end at 6:00 am of August 24, has been extended by 25 days. The ongoing blockade began August 4, 6:00 am. A spokesman of the UNC said over the phone that as New Delhi failed to fulfill the demands, the agitation has been extended. The UNC has been demanding from the government to institute a judicial enquiry into the May 6, 2010 incident at Mao Gate, where two students were shot dead and more than a hundred peaceful protestors were wounded by the Manipur police forces. Other demands include immediate withdrawal of 144 CrPC and ‘demilitarisation’ of the Naga areas by removing the Indian Reserved Battalion and Manipur police commandos. The Naga body is also demanding removal of the ‘wanted’ tags on two Naga leaders and the reward assured for their capture; and dissolving the Autonomous District Councils.
(Inputs from www.morungexpress.com)
(Inputs from www.morungexpress.com)
Monday
ONGC to ease power crisis in NE India
The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) 726-MW project coming up in Tripura will help to resolve the power crisis in the electricity-starved northeastern region by 2012, ONGC officials said on Saturday. India's hydrocarbons exploration major has been setting up the gas-based power project -- its biggest so far -- in south Tripura's Palatana, about 65 km south of capotal city Agartala. The plant is expected to be operational by March 2012.
"The forthcoming power project would be the single largest investment of Rs 9,000 crore ever invested in the northeastern region of India," ONGC chairman and managing director R S Sharma told reporters here. "With the commissioning of the giant power project, the electricity requirement of the seven northeastern states would largely be met up by 2012," he said.
Sharma said that the Bangladesh government has agreed to allow India to use its waterways to transport the turbines and heavy machines for the power project, for which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone in October 2005. He said that India would develop a jetty in the Ashuganj river port in Meghna river in eastern Bangladesh, 31 km from Agartala and expand the road, if necessary, across the border, to ferry the equipment for the project.
"ONGC intends to ship the power generation equipment from the Haldia port in West Bengal to southern Tripura via Bangladesh in order to save considerable transportation time," a senior ONGC official said.
He said dispatching the heavy equipments by surface within India (through the mountainous northeastern states) is extremely difficult.
"A consortium comprising the US-based General Electric (GE) and India's state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has been awarded contract to supply the all-important gas turbines for the thermal power project," Sharma said.
The first unit of the project with a generation capacity of 363 MW is expected to be operational by December next year. The power plant is being developed by the ONGC Tripura Power Co (OTPC), a new company formed for commissioning the project.
ONGC, also a public sector undertaking, has 50 per cent equity stake in OTPC. The balance is held by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Service (IL&FS) and the Tripura government. According to ONGC officials, the state-run Power Grid Corp of India Ltd (PGCIL), OTPC and the northeastern states would set up a 660-km transmission line at the cost of Rs 1,771 crore to hook Palatana with the national grid at Bongaigaon in western Assam. The much expected commissioning of the power project, a co-generation waste heat recovery power plant and ONGC's first major commercial project, has been delayed due to difficulties in transporting heavy turbines and machineries to south Tripura.
"The forthcoming power project would be the single largest investment of Rs 9,000 crore ever invested in the northeastern region of India," ONGC chairman and managing director R S Sharma told reporters here. "With the commissioning of the giant power project, the electricity requirement of the seven northeastern states would largely be met up by 2012," he said.
Sharma said that the Bangladesh government has agreed to allow India to use its waterways to transport the turbines and heavy machines for the power project, for which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone in October 2005. He said that India would develop a jetty in the Ashuganj river port in Meghna river in eastern Bangladesh, 31 km from Agartala and expand the road, if necessary, across the border, to ferry the equipment for the project.
"ONGC intends to ship the power generation equipment from the Haldia port in West Bengal to southern Tripura via Bangladesh in order to save considerable transportation time," a senior ONGC official said.
He said dispatching the heavy equipments by surface within India (through the mountainous northeastern states) is extremely difficult.
"A consortium comprising the US-based General Electric (GE) and India's state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has been awarded contract to supply the all-important gas turbines for the thermal power project," Sharma said.
The first unit of the project with a generation capacity of 363 MW is expected to be operational by December next year. The power plant is being developed by the ONGC Tripura Power Co (OTPC), a new company formed for commissioning the project.
ONGC, also a public sector undertaking, has 50 per cent equity stake in OTPC. The balance is held by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Service (IL&FS) and the Tripura government. According to ONGC officials, the state-run Power Grid Corp of India Ltd (PGCIL), OTPC and the northeastern states would set up a 660-km transmission line at the cost of Rs 1,771 crore to hook Palatana with the national grid at Bongaigaon in western Assam. The much expected commissioning of the power project, a co-generation waste heat recovery power plant and ONGC's first major commercial project, has been delayed due to difficulties in transporting heavy turbines and machineries to south Tripura.
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