Ghulam Ali Khan and Lata Mangeshkar at the function to felicitate Hridaynath Mangeshkar on his 71st birthday in Mumbai.

Students to tackle mosquito menace

breeding ground: Students will soon receive training in keeping the surroundings clean to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. A scene near the MRTS station near Triplicane in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: Students and teachers of all government, government-aided and Corporation schools in the city will undergo training during November first week to tackle the mosquito menace, Director of Public Health P. Padmanaban said on Saturday.

The Directorate of Public Health will distribute brochures to schools. The brochures would carry information on how mosquitoes breed, how this could be prevented at schools and homes and the role of students in identification and destruction of breeding sources, Dr.Padmanaban told The Hindu.

“Students will have to check for breeding sources in and around their homes and their neighbourhood, and report the condition to their teacher everyday,” he said.

“Students who come across parents or neighbours covering water containers with pieces of cloth will be asked to discourage the practice.” They would be encouraged to get the piled up plastic cups and bottles cleared. Students would be required to keep their class teacher informed on the number of breeding sources they eliminated the previous day.

“In rural areas, the Health and Sanitation Committees will oversee the training given to students and give us reports periodically,” Dr. Padmanaban said. A senior Corporation official said the initiative fell in line with recognising students as health ambassadors.

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Indian football team

TRAINING HARD: The Indian football team goes through the paces at a training session on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The heat has truly begun for the round-one second-leg match in the World Cup football qualifier between Lebanon and India. Even before the kick-off at the floodlit Nehru Stadium on Sunday, enough has happened outside to up the tempo.

The Indian team landed at the practice venue on Saturday at the stipulated time only to find the Lebanon side already there.

The unexpected mix-up was something India’s chief coach Bob Houghton could not digest. After letting his displeasure known in no uncertain terms, he ensured that his team members remained in the bus itself until the rival side left the place. Yes, Houghton meant business and in his observations too, he has not given up India’s hopes.

“All we need to ensure is to be up 1-0 at the half-way stage. Things can change from there,” he said after the Indian team’s workout.

Messing it up

Houghton felt the Indians had measured up well in the away match in Saida, where India lost. “Those 20 to 25 minutes of poor play in the first phase of the second half finished it all (Lebanon had scored three goals in that period).” As for Sunday, he said there were injury worries.

“We may bring in Ajayan for Rennedy Singh (nursing a sore ankle) and Sameer Naik for a sick N.S. Manju,” he said.

Nonetheless, to the Lebanon officials, India had strong credentials.

“The 1-4 scoreline in the first leg is not the true reflection of Indian football’s power. Indians are good players,” felt Emile Rustom, the Lebanese coach.

Another official, Hassan Choughari, said: “We have difficulties. We could come only with 17 players because one player (Roda Antar was not released by his German club FC Kohn) and two others have injuries. One more (midfielder Khodor Salame) sustained injury on coming here.”

But Choughari believes, “It will be a good match, beautiful for the crowd.”

Meanwhile, the organisers, the Tamil Nadu and Chennai football associations, remain concerned, thanks to the weather.

The monsoon has been active and rains have been coming in spells, even if not heavy. “But for now, the ground looks good. The worst case scenario, if it pours and the arena gets flooded, is postponement by a day. If that is not possible, then report to FIFA seeking fresh dates. Of course, it is the referee who takes the decision,” said Rendeni Gamini, the Match Commissioner from Sri Lanka.

The teams (from): India: Subrata Paul, Sandip Nandi, Subhasis Roy Choudhary, Surkumar Singh, Mahesh Gawli, Syed Rahim Nabi, saSamir Naik, N.S. Manju, Debarata Roy, Clifford Miranda, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, N.P. Pradeep, Steven Dias, Ajayan, Climax Lawrence, Gourmangi Singh, Baichung Bhutia, Sunil Chetri, Manjit Singh, Tarif Ahmed. Chief coach: Bob Houghton.

Lebanon: Lary Mehanna, Paul Rustom, Mootaz Bellah El Jounaidi, Hussein Amine, Hassan Moghnieh, Mohammed Ghaddar, Ali Al Saadi, Ramez Dayoub, Amer Khan, Khodor Salame, Mohamad Korhani, Faissal Antar, Mohamad Halawi, Ali Yaakoub, Abbas Ali Atwi, Mahmoud El Ali,Hossain Hemdane. Coach: Emile Rustom.

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HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN: Virender Sehwag’s

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN: Virender Sehwag’s ODI career was revived by the selectors with a recall to the National team for the first two games against Pakistan.

Ahmedabad: Virender Sehwag’s one-day career that had come to an abrupt halt after the two-match series in Bangladesh in May was revived by the national selectors here on Saturday when they included him in the Indian squad for the first two one-day internationals to be played against Pakistan at Guwahati and Mohali.

Sehwag, who has missed 19 matches for India after the Bangaldesh tour, has so far played 20 matches against Pakistan and scored 651 runs at 32.55.

The selectors also rewarded Uttar Pradesh seamer Praveen Kumar for his consistent showing for his State, India ‘A’ and in the Challenger Trophy here in the last two days.

Praveen Kumar has captured nine wickets in the competition here.

Nothing spectacular

Though Sehwag has done nothing spectacular to warrant a recall after five months — in between he played three Afro-Asian Cup matches — he has been given a chance.

He was a member of the Indian team that won the ICC T20 competition in South Africa.

On Saturday the selectors also hinted at a potential end to the one-day career of Rahul Dravid who has scored 20,077 runs for India in 445 matches with 36 centuries, 129 half centuries and held 274 catches.

Meagre collection

Clearly, Dravid’s meagre collection of 51 runs in six matches against Australia went against him.

He was not in the XI for the seventh match against Australia that India won at the Wankhede Stadium.

“Sehwag has been among the runs in recent times and today also he showed his form scoring 75.

“Dravid has been given a break, he’s a great player. The players whose form and fitness are good will always be considered for India.

Form and fitness

“Form and fitness applies to all players. This is a five-match series against Pakistan and we have picked the team for the first two matches,” said Dilip Vengsarkar, Chairman of the national selection committee.

Tamil Nadu’s wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has been dropped after his poor display in the five matches he played against England and the one against Australia.

It’s unfortunate that S. Badrinath, who had replaced the injured Gautam Gambhir in the Indian squad from the fifth match against Australia, had to make way for the left-hander.

Match fitness

Gambhir proved his match fitness in the T20 match at Mumbai and also the two matches here in the Challenger Trophy.

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Niranjan Shah, said Mahendra Singh Dhoni had been consulted over phone.

He added that Lalchand Rajput would continue to be the cricket manager for the ODI series against Pakistan.

The team for matches at Guwahati and Mohali: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Rohit Sharma, S. Sreesanth, Gautam Gambhir, Praveen Kumar. Lalchand Rajput (Cricket Manager).

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welcomes Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Beijing

Lessons from China: Communist Party of China politburo member and Beijing CPC Secretary Liu Qi welcomes Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Beijing on Saturday.

Beijing: Describing the pace of change in China as “truly astounding and outstanding,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said India had much to learn from China’s economic reforms and liberalisation.

In an address to the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, organised by International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), Ms. Gandhi also spoke of “pragmatism and mutual self-interest” as the basis for the future development of Sino-India relationship, despite different views on bilateral and global issues.

Ms. Gandhi said the world today had recognised the Asian renaissance and the re-emergence of China and India, and the two countries must work and prosper together as the “world is big enough” to accommodate the growth and aspirations of both the nations.

“People in India admire the tremendous progress China has made since it began its economic reforms in 1978,” Ms. Gandhi said on the third day of her five-day China visit at the invitation of Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao.

China had shown the world how much could be achieved with pragmatism, clarity of vision and determination of effort, Ms. Gandhi said, while pointing out that India, too, had been evolving its economic policies in response to “emerging circumstances and challenges.”

“We are not merely catching up with the developed world; in the coming decades, China and India will be the largest and third largest respectively among the global economies,” she said.

As in China, India focussed on balanced economic development to ensure growth with social welfare and justice, she said.

Noting that both countries sought an open and inclusive world order based on the principles of ‘Panchsheel’, Ms. Gandhi said pragmatism and mutual self-interest offered “a sound basis for the future development of our relationship.”

“We may well have different views and different perspectives on both bilateral and global issues. That is only natural. I have no doubt, however, that there is no problem that cannot be sorted out through free and frank dialogue and discussion.”

Observing that much had changed in the bilateral relationship, she said the countries already had a definite perspective of the future course of their relationship.

“We must be guided by the vision that dialogue and partnership must be pursued with consistency and focussed effort,” she said, adding there was peace and tranquillity on the border and outstanding issues relating to the boundary question were being discussed in a comprehensive manner by the Special Representatives of the two countries.

Referring to the new ways being explored by both India and China to give greater impetus to commercial ties, Ms. Gandhi said more than trade, it would be investment that would bring the two countries together.

Underlining that the Sino-India ties went beyond commerce, she said it was a relationship between two civilisations rather than two trading partners or two nations.

“This is the framework that we need to revive ... I would say beyond the economic, we must strengthen our cultural ties.”

Ms. Gandhi also said educational institutions, media, tourism industries and business sectors of both nations should intensify their efforts to bridge the information gap “so that we no longer retain stereotyped images of each other.”

She called for more frequent interactions between the scholars and intellectuals and joint projects “which can become visible and powerful symbols” of bilateral cooperation. She identified the areas including education, public health, science and technology and local governance.

“I see only one possibility between our two countries — that of co-existence with cooperation.”

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Karan Singh, Union Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Anand Sharma and India’s Ambassador to China, Nirupama Rao, were present at the lecture.

Sonia meets Liu

Ms. Gandhi also met Liu Qi, a prominent leader of China’s ruling Communist party, as she continued her interaction with the new Chinese leadership.

Mr. Liu, a member of the Communist Party of China’s powerful organ, Central Committee Politburo, told Ms. Gandhi that Beijing wanted to strengthen the strategic partnership with India, noting that both countries had a deep friendship and shared broad space for cooperation. — PTI

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Normal life was affected Kashmir

PITCHED BATTLE: Protesters clash with the police in Srinagar on Saturday. Business establishments, schools and offices were closed after separatists called a strike to protest the 60th anniversary of the Army’s arrival in the Kashmir.

SRINAGAR: Normal life was affected throughout the Kashmir valley on Saturday due to a general strike called by the separatist organisations to protest the landing of Indian troops on this day in 1947.

Shops, business establishments, banks, educational institutions and government offices in most parts of Kashmir remained closed. Transport services were also affected. However, in many parts of Srinagar particularly the uptown shops were open and traffic was also plying normally. Supporters of the Mirwaiz Umar faction of the Hurriyat Conference took out a silent march on Residency Road asking the forces to go back.

A spokesman of the Hurriyat said that strike was complete. He condemned the house arrest of one of its leaders Zafar Akbar Bhat who was planning to lead a procession.

Antony visits Pahalgam

Defence Minister A.K. Antony visited Pahalgam in South Kashmir to preside over a function commemorating Silver Jubilee of the Jawahar Mountaineering Institute.

Mr. Antony who is president of the executive body of the Institute announced that two more institutes are being set up in Batote and Bhaderwah and work on those is going in full swing.

On the intervention of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who was present there, the Defence Minister announced that another institute will be set up in Leh also in near future. Later he chaired a high level meeting in Srinagar to review the security situation. The meeting was attended by Mr. Azad, state, military, paramilitary, intelligence and police officials besides officials from the Home Ministry which is currently on a visit to Srinagar.

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Normal life was affected Kashmir

PITCHED BATTLE: Protesters clash with the police in Srinagar on Saturday. Business establishments, schools and offices were closed after separatists called a strike to protest the 60th anniversary of the Army’s arrival in the Kashmir.

SRINAGAR: Normal life was affected throughout the Kashmir valley on Saturday due to a general strike called by the separatist organisations to protest the landing of Indian troops on this day in 1947.

Shops, business establishments, banks, educational institutions and government offices in most parts of Kashmir remained closed. Transport services were also affected. However, in many parts of Srinagar particularly the uptown shops were open and traffic was also plying normally. Supporters of the Mirwaiz Umar faction of the Hurriyat Conference took out a silent march on Residency Road asking the forces to go back.

A spokesman of the Hurriyat said that strike was complete. He condemned the house arrest of one of its leaders Zafar Akbar Bhat who was planning to lead a procession.

Antony visits Pahalgam

Defence Minister A.K. Antony visited Pahalgam in South Kashmir to preside over a function commemorating Silver Jubilee of the Jawahar Mountaineering Institute.

Mr. Antony who is president of the executive body of the Institute announced that two more institutes are being set up in Batote and Bhaderwah and work on those is going in full swing.

On the intervention of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who was present there, the Defence Minister announced that another institute will be set up in Leh also in near future. Later he chaired a high level meeting in Srinagar to review the security situation. The meeting was attended by Mr. Azad, state, military, paramilitary, intelligence and police officials besides officials from the Home Ministry which is currently on a visit to Srinagar.

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Maoists killed 18 persons

PHOTO: AP

MASSACRE AT NIGHT: A poignant scene as the former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi (second from left), looks at the body of his son, Anup, and those of 17 others after Maoists gunned them down at Chikhadia village on Saturday. The victims were attending a cultural programme when the extremists, disguised as CRPF personnel, struck. Nunulal, brother of Mr. Babulal Marandi, however, escaped. This is one of the most brutal naxalite attacks since last year's massacre in Errabore, Chhattisgarh. Around 30 died in that incident.

HYDERABAD: Maoists killed 18 persons, including the son of the former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, when they opened indiscriminate fire on a group of people watching a cultural programme in Chikhadia village in Jharkhand, in the small hours of Saturday. Around eight persons were injured in the attack.

Over 40 extremists mingled with the crowd and opened fire with automatic weapons, after their target Nunulal Marandi, brother of Mr. Babulal Marandi escaped, Jharkhand’s Additional DGP, G.S. Rath told The Hindu over telephone. Mr. Anup Marandi fell to a hail of bullets.

Mr. Babulal Marandi is presently an MP of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) representing Koderma constituency.

The JVM leader had been a Maoist target, ever since he began opposing naxalite activity in his constituency bordering Bihar. Chikhadia village, which comes under Deori police station limits, is some four km away from the Bihar border and is known to be a hotbed of Maoist activity.

— Photo: PTI

GRIEF-STRICKEN: The grieving mother and other relatives of Anup Marandi, gunned down in the Maoist attack, in Giridih near Dhanbad on Saturday.

Mr. Rath said both Mr. Nunulal and Mr. Anup were participating in the well-publicised meeting in the village. There was a football match followed by a music programme. Police personnel on security withdrew after the match and did not stay for the music programme which continued well beyond midnight.

“Around 12.45 a.m. the Maoists took control of the stage and announced that Nunulal should surrender himself to them. As repeated announcements were being made, people scattered and Mr. Nunulal escaped. After the Maoists realised this, they fired shots directly into the audience with high-power weapons like SLRs and carbines,” Mr. Rath said. Except one or two victims, all were tribals.

Police are enquiring how the police personnel on security withdrew from the ground. Mr. Rath said the threat perception of Mr. Babulal Marandi and his brother were regularly assessed and district officials were alerted about the possibility of a Maoist attack on them. However, Mr. Anup Marandi, was not on the Maoist hit-list.

Police suspect that Maoists from Bihar could have been involved in the attack, one of the most brutal ones, after the Errabore killings in Chhattisgarh. Giridh district on the Bihar- Jharkhand border has been the centre stage of naxalite activity and in one of the most daring raids on a Home Guard Training centre in Giridh on November 11, 2005, Maoists looted 190 rifles.

On March 4, 2007, Maoists shot dead Sunil Kumar Mahato, an MP of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and three others in Beguria village of East Singhbhum district. According to an MHA report on internal security, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand accounted for 67.46 per cent of total incidents of Maoist violence in the country and 75.98 per cent of total casualties.

PTI reports:

Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda termed the attack a “conspiracy” and said he had spoken to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar seeking assistance for joint raids.

Nunulal Marandi, who survived the attack.

“The sequence of happenings emits the smell of a conspiracy. But it can be unravelled only after a thorough probe. I have sent our Director General of Police (V.D. Ram) for a spot inspection,” Mr. Koda told PTI at his residence in Ranchi without elaborating.

Five companies of para-military forces from Jharkhand and Bihar are embarking on a massive combing operation in the contiguous areas of the two states to trace the attackers, the DGP said.

Mr. Ram visited the carnage site and told newsmen that he had spoken to his counterpart in Bihar after the attack.

Mr. Nitish Kumar said, “There is no place for violence in a democracy. Such elements should be dealt with sternly.” Earlier, he spoke to Mr. Babulal Marandi and Mr. Koda to convey his shock and sympathies to the families of those killed in the attack.

The JVM has called a statewide bandh on Sunday, party sources said.

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