The TribuneVol. 132 No. 20 City Edition** www.tribuneindia.com

V O I C E O F T H E P E O P L E

c m y b

Chandigarh � New Delhi � Jalandhar � Bathinda � Friday, January 20, 2012 18 pages � ` 2.50

INSIDENATION

Kalmadi gets bailAfter remaining behindbars for nearly ninemonths, former CWGOrganising Committeechairman Suresh Kalmadiwas on Thursday grantedbail by the Delhi HighCourt in a 2010 Games-related graft case. Thecourt also granted bail toOC former directorgeneral and co-accusedVK Verma. P12

HARYANA

Sonepat jailbreakThe SIT has arrestedSumit of Badwasni andAmit of UP for theiralleged involvement in theSonepat jailbreak onTuesday night, DSPSurender Malik said onThursday. The arrestedyouths had managed tosupply four new mobilephones to the escapedjail inmates. P7

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Fee hikeProposing a substantialhike in the fee andexamination and othercharges, HimachalPradesh University istrying to convince studentoutfits to agree to themove. P10

WORLD

Iran warns neighboursIran's foreign ministerwarned Arab neighbours onThursday not to putthemselves in a "dangerousposition" by aligningthemselves too closely withthe US in the escalatingdispute over Tehran'snuclear activity. P13

BACK PAGE

PM media adviser quitsHarish Khare, MediaAdviser to Prime MinisterManmohan Singh,resigned on Thursday.

SHIV KUMAR/TNS

MUMBAI, JANUARY 19Like various professionals,delivery boys, police person-nel and even auto-rickshawdrivers will soon be able toenhance their skills and furthertheir career prospects byacquiring degrees.

The Nashik-based Yash-wantrao Chavan MaharashtraOpen University (YCMOU)has tailored courses to meet theneeds of various sections ofsociety. "These courses aim toimprove the quality of life and

enhance career prospects ofpeople who have few opportu-nities," says vice-chancellor DrR Krishnakumar.

The university has tied upwith organisations includingtrade associations and unionsto reach out to potential stu-dents. Recently, YCMOU gottogether with the MumbaiRickshawmen's Union to ropein auto-rickshaw drivers for adegree course in road trans-portation.

"The three-year course willearn auto-drivers a BAin RoadTransportation," says Thampi

Kurian of the Union. Apartfrom those who ply auto-rick-shaws, drivers of taxis andtrucks would also be eligible toenroll in the course.

The open university allowsstudents to study at home

instead of attending a regularcollege. It recently tappeddelivery boys who handleLPG cylinders. The varsitytied up with the All India LPGDistributors Federation(AILDF) and Bharat Petrole-

um for the purpose, accordingto a university official.

Gas delivery boys in Nashik,Mumbai, Uran and Pune havealready begun these courses.At the end of the three-yearcourse, they would be eligiblefor a BA degree in ConsumerService.

Similarly, 3,200-odd police-men signed up for a BA inPolice Administration last yearalone, according to the uni-versity. According toYCMOU, the courses wereoffered in English, Hindi,Marathi and Urdu.

ASHOK TUTEJATRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 19While conceding ‘irresponsi-ble journalism’to be a damp-ener, Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh has once againruled out any kind of moni-toring, regulation or censor-ship of the media. The media,he said, ought to reprimandthe government, whenevernecessary, but added in amore lighter vein that “itshould not always be gloomand doom”.

The Prime Minister wasaddressing a large gathering atVigyan Bhavan after releas-ing “The Tribune 130 years: AWitness to History”, a volumebrought out to mark 130 yearsof uninterrupted publicationof the newspaper.

Authored by noted histori-an Prof V N Datta, the vol-ume chronicles the momen-tous and exciting journey of

the newspaper, which waslaunched at Lahore on Feb-ruary 2, 1881.

The eclectic gathering atVigyan Bhavan includedUnion ministers P Chi-dambaram, Pawan KumarBansal, Ambika Soni, KapilSibal, Selja and VNarayanasamy, HaryanaChief Minister BhupinderSingh Hooda, Jammu andKashmir Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah and Punjab’sDeputy Chief MinisterSukhbir Singh Badal.

Seated on the dais in thecompany of the PM werethe trustees of The Tribune-

RS Talwar (President), Jus-tice (Retd) SS Sodhi, NNVohra, Lt-Gen (Retd) SSMehta, Naresh Mohan andthe Editor-in-Chief of TheTribune Group of Newspa-pers, Raj Chengappa.

The President of The Tri-bune Trust, RS Talwar, saidthe newspaper, during the130years of its existence, hasbeen a witness to the tumul-tuous history of the subconti-nent, chronicling events andguiding its readers throughhistoric changes while voic-ing their concerns. After inde-pendence also, The Tribunehas continued to retain its

distinctive character and pre-serve its autonomy, objectiv-ity, fairness and liberal andindependent way of thinking,whatever the odds, he added.

Hailing Sardar Dyal SinghMajithia, the founder of thenewspaper, as a man of rareforesight, the PM said he wasinspired by high ideals andwanted The Tribune to be freeof any sectarian or commer-cial bias, and unaligned to anydogma or political party. ‘’Iam happy that the newspaperhas by and large lived up to itsfounder’s vision,” he said.

The PM said that whileglancing through the pages of‘A Witness to History’, hewas struck by the words of anavid reader of the newspaper,who wrote to the daily onSeptember 25, 1947, the dayThe Tribune resumed publi-cation from Shimla, after Par-tition had forced it to moveout of Lahore. The readerwrote: “The heart of Punjab

has begun to beat again,though the pulse is yet faint.’’

The PM said the govern-ment believed in the freedomof the media from externalcontrol. “It is true that some-times irresponsible journal-ism can have serious conse-quences for social harmonyand public order, which thepublic authorities have anobligation to maintain, butcensorship is no answer.’’ Itwas for the ‘Fourth Estate’ tocollectively ensure that objec-tivity was promoted and sen-sationalism curbed, he added.

The Editor-in-Chief RajChengappa in his openingremarks was happy to note thatThe Tribune is the first news-paper that the PM reads in themorning. He said the HaryanaCM had also told him once thathis morning tea was not com-plete without The Tribune.

Full text of the PM’s addressand more reports on P2, 3

DHAKA, JANUARY 19 The Bangladesh army said onThursday it foiled a coupattempt by retired and servingofficers late last month whichintelligence sources said wasdriven by a campaign to intro-duce Sharia law throughoutthe majority Muslim country.

Impoverished Bangladeshhas a history of coups, witharmy generals running theSouth Asian nation for 15years until the end of 1990.

"Specific information has beenunearthed that some officers inmilitary service have beeninvolved in the conspiracy totopple the system of democraticgovernance," Brigadier GeneralMuhammad Masud Razzaq toldreporters. He said around 16former and active officers wereinvolved. Some had beendetained and would appearbefore a military court.

Sources in the army said thecoup attempt was made latelast month. "The attempt hasbeen effectively controlled andnow the process is on to pun-ish the culprits," one militaryofficial said. The Prime Min-

ister's Office and the HomeMinistry did not comment, butaddressing a rally outsideDhaka earlier this week, Hasi-na urged Bangladeshis toremain alert. — Reuters

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 19As a controversy rages onover the date of birth of theArmy Chief General VKSingh, Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh today termed itas a sensitive issue.

“It is a sensitive issue. I donot want to comment,” said thePrime Minister on the sidelinesof a function to launch thebook The Tribune 130 Years:A Witness to History.

He was asked by media-persons if the governmenthas formulated its plan.

Meanwhile, sources in thegovernment said the estab-lishment was unhappy at theChief’s move to file a plea inthe apex court. The ArmyChief has filed a writ petitionin the Supreme Court seekingdirection to the governmentthat his date of birth on mil-itary records be treated asMay 10, 1951 and not 1950. ❚❚ SC to hear plea today P18

DHARMENDRA JOSHI/TNS

KAPURTHALA, JANUARY 19Congress president SoniaGandhi today lambasted theSAD-BJP government forallegedly “blocking develop-ment”. She urged the votersto change the “anti-poor” and“non-performing” govern-ment for all-round develop-ment of the state.

Starting her 15-minutespeech with a salute to theholy town of SultanpurLodhi (a sub-division ofKapurthala district) whereGuru Nanak Dev spentabout 14 years of his life and attained enlighten-ment, Sonia Gandhi allegedthe SAD-BJP government

created a big hindrance in the development of the state as it had not let Central schemes to get

implemented here.She said the Centre had

provided funds of several Continued on page 12

AFZAL KHAN IN ISLAMABAD

The Supreme Court on Thurs-day adjourned the hearing onits contempt notice to PrimeMinister Yousuf Raza Gilanitill February 1, leaving thebrewing political crisis overcorruption cases and presi-dential immunity unresolved.

The PM drove himself tothe apex court and reachedaround 9.25 am to complywith its directive after beingslapped with a contemptnotice. The seven-judgeBench led by Justice NasrulMulk allowed Gilani’s coun-sel Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsantime to prepare for arguinghis contention that PresidentAsif Zardari enjoyed immu-nity from criminal proceed-ings under the constitution.

Gilani, in a brief statement,said he did not comply withcourt orders on writing to

Swiss authorities to reopenmoney laundering againstZardari because he believedthat the President enjoyedimmunity under Article 248.The court also exemptedGilani from appearing for theupcoming hearing of the case.

Gilani appeared before theapex court to explain why heshould not be charged withcontempt for failing to re-open old corruption cases Continued on page 12

Nashik varsity has a degree for everyone

PUNJABPOLLS 2012

B’desh army foilsplot to toppleHasina govt

Army Chief’s age rowsensitive issue: PM

The Centre provided Rs 5,000 crore under theMGNREGA scheme, but the SAD-BJP governmentutilised only Rs 526 crore.

— Sonia Gandhi, Congress president

““

AICC chief Sonia Gandhi interacts with women Congressleaders in Kapurthala. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Pakistan PM Yousuf RazaGilani in Islamabad. — PTI

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C) with (from left) The Tribune Editor-in-Chief Raj Chengappa, Trustees of The Tribune Trust, Justice (retd) SS Sodhi,RS Talwar (President), NN Vohra, Lt Gen (retd) SS Mehta and Naresh Mohan during the release of the book ‘The Tribune 130 years: A Witness to

History’ at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Sonia terms PunjabGovt ‘anti-poor’

TAILOR-MADE COURSES

❚ BA (Road Transportation) for drivers

❚ BA (Consumer Service) for gas delivery boys

❚ BA (Police Administration) for policemen

Medium of instruction: English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu

How it works: The varsity will award a diploma on completion of Year 1, an advanced diploma on completion of Year 2 anddegree on completion of Year 3

C O N T E M P T B AT T L E

Breather for Gilani, SC adjourns hearing to Feb 1

A free four-page pull-out of Haryana Plus only

in Haryana.

CLOSE CALL: SheikhHasina, Bangladesh PM

THE DEC COUP

❚ The coup attempt madelate last month tooverthrow Hasina govt

❚ Attempt aimed atintroducing Sharia law inthe country

❚ Around 16 former andactive officers involved.

❚ Hasina points finger ather rivals, especially theleaders of the B’deshNationalist Party

Releases book on comprehensive history of 130 years of The Tribune

PM rules out regulating media

It is true that sometimes irresponsiblejournalism can have serious

consequences for social harmony and publicorder, which the public authorities have anobligation to maintain, but censorship is no answer.

— Manmohan Singh, PM

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