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India: Bollywood stars greet fans on Holi Pg 7
The prickly thorn often bears soft roses. — Ovid
IN BRIEF
Biz: Gates, Buffett to persuade rich Indians to part with cash Pg 13
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A dAY oF ReCKoninG
Chalo Panjim! meet Govt employees firm on for medium today strike, ignore warning tion year. “I will fight tooth and nail for grants for English medium schools. The government cannot abdicate their responsibility. People will not forgive the MLAs if they take Goans for a ride”, he said, while giving a call to the parents to attend the March 21 rally at Azad Maidan in large numbers. Saying he does not find any difficulty for the government to extend grants to English medium schools, Pacheco demanded to know why the government had been granting permissions for new English medium schools across the State. “If the government is really hell bent on teaching the children their primary education in their mother tongue, then, how does the government justify that in the government primary school category, only seven per cent schools teach in Konkani
medium, whereas 89 per cent teach in Marathi medium. Is the government trying to say that only seven per cent of the students have Konkani as their mother tongue? When the government even gives in grant-inaid to Kannada medium, why is the government hesitating to give grant-in-aid to English medium”, he asked and requested the government to keep
Radiation levels worry Japan
Bahrain oppn seeks UN, US intervention
HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MARCH 20
A girl casts her vote for the next Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Tibetans vote for new PM-in-exile Thousands of Tibetans across the world on Sunday voted to elect the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, an exercise that may usher in a transition in the community’s leadership following the Dalai Lama’s “flat refusal” to reconsider his decision to retire as its political head. – (PTI) (Report on page 10)
Holi turns tragic for 4 Delhi families Holi celebrations turned tragic for four families in the capital as they lost their loved ones – two teenagers drowned, a labourer murdered and a young couple crushed to death in an accident leaving their two children orphaned. – (PTI)
9 miners killed in Pakistan Nine miners were killed and 41 others trapped when a coal mine in Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan collapsed following a blast caused by methane gas. The explosion in the mine at Sorang, located about 30 km from provincial capital Quetta, was caused by the accumulation of methane gas. – (PTI)
TIDES TODAY High Tide: 1201; 2351 Low Tide: 0543; 1756
Chalo Panjim. That was the message that went around Salcete’s countryside to participate in the public meeting at the Azad Maidan on Monday afternoon in support of the demand for English as the medium of instruction at the elementary education. The PTAs of schools and other concerned citizens have made a strong case for English as the medium of instruction with Konkani/Marathi as one of the compulsory subjects. Addressing a press conference in support of the demands of the parents, former Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco has vowed to fight tooth and nail for government grants for English medium schools. He said that efforts are on amongst the ruling MLAs to push the issue to the next academic year given this is an elec-
PTI TOKYO/FUKUSHIMA, MARCH 20
Over 300 Japanese engineers on Sunday raced against time to salvage the quake-hit Fukushima atomic power plant making some progress in their efforts to cool down overheated spent fuel rods but concerns spread over rising radiation levels and food and water contamination. The plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said external power was restored to the No 2 reactor and over 2,400 tons of water were spread into buildings housing No 3 and No 4 reactors, all hit by March 11, 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, which
has left 21,000 dead or missing. A sudden rise in pressure inside No 3 reactor sent jitters among the technicians who quickly prepared exigency plan to release more radioactive gasses into the atmosphere to regulate it but the plans were aborted after TEPCO said that the situation has been stabilised. “I think the situation is improving step by step,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama told a news conference. Some 300 engineers were engaged to intensify efforts to cool the reactors at the Fukushima plant, 240 kms from Tokyo, to avert meltdowns.
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Debate favours parents’ choice for medium of instruction... Page 3 Musings on English as medium of instruction... Page 4 The RTE Act 2009... Page 6 Boon or curse... Page 7
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 20
Goa government would take stern action against its employees who fail to report for duty even as the latter is adamant to go on an indefinite strike from Monday onwards. The strike is likely to affect the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly. On Sunday, Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava made a renewed attempt to resolve the call given by the Goa Government Employees Association for the ‘indefinite pen-down strike’ from Monday. But the talks failed following which the government has decided that the employees’ absence from work will be decided as unauthorised. All secretaries, head of departments, head of Public Sector Undertakings and autonomous bodies, joint secretaries and under secretaries are instructed
Bahrain’s opposition asked for UN and American intervention in the government crackdown on the Shiite protests trying to loosen the monarchy’s grip, in a brief protest on Sunday in the capital that disbanded before police could arrive to break it up. The 18 opposition legislators protesting today at the UN offices in Manama resigned last month to protest the crackdown on the month-long revolt, inspired by the pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world. Bahrain’s king declared martial law last week, and a Saudiled military force from other Gulf nations is in the country to back the Sunni monarchy. In the five-minute protest, the lawmakers appealed to the UN to stop the violence against protesters and mediate talks between the opposition and the monarchy; they asked the US to pressure the Gulf force to leave. “They should return home. There is no need for them to be here since this a political, not a military problem,” said Jassim Hussein, a former parliament member of Bahrain’s largest Shiite group Al Wefaq. The Gulf force underscores the deep worries about Bahrain’s stability among the region’s Sunni kings and sheiks, who fear any stumble by Bahrain’s leaders could embolden challenges to their own regimes and possibly open political inroads for Shiite Iran. Iran has condemned the presence of the Gulf force in Bahrain.
VIBHA VERMA PANJIM, MARCH 20
thousands of visitors’ everyday. We are losing revenue as we are not charging any fees for the entry. As per the rules, we can fix a nominal fee,” said ASI Superintendent Shivram Rao. With the revenue collection from this monument, the ASI
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All secretaries, head of departments, head of Public Sector Undertakings and autonomous bodies, joint secretaries and under secretaries are instructed to record the names of the officials who refuse to function during office hours. If the strike intensifies, the principle of “no work no pay” will be invoked in all such unauthorised absence.
to record the names of the officials who refuse to function during office hours. “Employees disobeying the directions and participates in the strike will be viewed seriously.” If the strike intensifies, the principle of “no work no pay” will be invoked in all such unauthorised absence,” the spokesperson said. The Government in a circular issued has urged all employees to desist from joining the strike called by the Association as its
recognition itself is under cloud. It has also urged the employees not to be misled by instigating talks of the Association members. Meanwhile Association President Mangaldas Shetkar has said that they are firm on the indefinite strike. “The CS has asked us to hold back our demands till the Assembly session ends. But we have waited for years together and still our demands are not heed. We are firm on the indefinite strike call from Monday,” Shetkar said.
AFP SANAA, MARCH 20
Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Sunday sacked his government in the face of massive protests demanding his resignation, the state news agency Saba reported. “The president has dismissed the government but asked the cabinet to remain in a caretaker position until a new one is formed,” Saba said. The announcement came as tens of thousands of people turned out in Sanaa today for the funerals of many of the 52 people gunned down by Saleh loyalists two days earlier. The victims were killed on Friday when snipers raked demonstrators near Sanaa University square with bullets from surrounding rooftops. The protest movement against Saleh started in late January. The opposition says the president – a key US ally in the war against AlQaeda in the region – must resign this year, but he has refused to leave until his current term expires in 2013. Saleh has been in power since 1978.
AP MANAMA, MARCH 20
THE HEAT IS ON: Powered by a pain-staking 113 by Yuvraj Singh, India laboured hard in hot and humid conditions to win their last Group B league match against West Indies by 80 runs in Chennai on Sunday. India will now face the heat as they take on Australia in the quaterfinals on March 24 in Ahmedabad. (Report on page 16)
Us-led coalition pound Libya
plans to put up basic infrastructure like drinking water, toilet and others for the visitors. The ASI also intends to have wheel chairs for the physically challenged visitors, who visit here. Following ticketing, the ASI also plans to deploy strict se-
2 Indians in detained ship
PTI TRIPOLI/CAIRO, MARCH 20
The US and European forces on Sunday unleashed over 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Libyan military targets in Tripoli and along the Mediterranean coast as their war planes pounded forces of Muammar Gaddafi who vowed to retaliate against western “aggression” and the “war on Islam”. At least 112 Tomahawk missiles were fired from American and British ships and submarines in Operation Odyssey Dawn (OOD), targeting some 20 Libyan air and missile defence targets in Tripoli and western city of Misurata, US Navy Vice Admiral
now, pay to visit Aguada Fort Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has planned to introduce tickets for the visitors at the 13th century old Aguada Fort, which has been listed as a protected monument. The Central government run agency has also decided to post security guards on this fort, which has been frequented by the visitors. ASI’s Goa Circle said that the security measures are required ‘to curb the anti social and immoral activity in the fort.’ In its report to the ASI Director General Dr Gautam Sen Gupta, the Goa Circle has suggested that ticketing system could generate revenue as Aguada Fort is a hot favourite amongst tourists, filmmakers and even locals. “The place is frequented by
Govt pens it down n
Yemeni Prez sacks govt
curity vigil as in the past they have encountered several bad experiences. Sources stated that some miscreants broke open the fort’s frontal huge gate and damaged the iron bars. Rao said that the security will be provided 24x7 for the fort, which has a historic importance and also houses a light house and jail beneath it. The ASI has almost completed the significant restoration of the fort by fixing grills on the moat, filling up the gap between the stones, while the thick vegetation has also been cleared. When asked about the crumbling walls, the ASI chief replied that the fort is in healthy condition. The ASI received fund of Rs 1.5 crore from the Central Government in the last fiscal year for the restoration activity.
AFP ROME, MARCH 20
A Transal, a French military transport plane takes off on Sunday at the aerial military base of Solenzara in Corsica.
William Gortney said at a Pentagon briefing in Washington. India and Russia came out against the strikes. India said it regrets the air strikes that are
Equinox today PTI NEW DELHI, MARCH 20
Marking the beginning of spring, the Sun will cross the plane of the Earth’s equator on March 21 morning, making day and night of approximately the same duration. The event known as equinox is eagerly awaited by space enthusiasts as it takes place only twice a year, on March 21 and September 23. On the equinox, the sun moves across the celestial equator, which lies directly above the Earth’s equator. When the Sun crosses the plane, it rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west. “This year the phenomenon (vernal equinox) will take place at 4:51 AM (23:21 UT),” Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) President Chander Bhushan Devgun said.
taking place and wanted measures to be taken to mitigate and not exacerbate the already difficult situation for the Libyan people.
Italy is ready to use “all possible means” to free the 11-strong crew, including two Indians, of an Italian high-seas tugboat being held in the Libyan port of Tripoli, Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said on Sunday. “We are on standby for an evacuation of the detained tugboat crew by all possible means,” he told Rai 3 television. Armed men, including one who claimed to be the harbour (Continued on page 10)