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Mar 01, 2007

Jharkhand ill-prepared to combat cyber crimes

Even though cyber crimes are on the rise in the state, Jharkhand is yet to formulate a policy or set up a separate cell to fight such new-age offences.

The state police headquarters had sent a proposal to the state government last month, seeking approval for the creation of a separate cell to deal with cyber crimes, but it was rejected.

'The state government rejected the proposal as it would be an additional burden on the state exchequer. The number of cases registered in the state is not enough to create such a cell - that was the argument of the state government,' a senior police official told IANS.

'How will we deliver if we are not given the training and manpower to deal with hi-tech crimes?' he asked.

Six months ago, an MMS (multimedia messaging service) scandal rocked the Regional Institute of Technology in Namokom, Ranchi. Two boys allegedly prepared a three-minute MMS clip of a girl and circulated it among students. But the police failed to act due to manpower shortage.

This was followed by another MMS scandal four months ago that allegedly exposed three Bharatiya Janata Party legislators taking bribes. But the police have made no arrests.

'A few crimes are reported in newspapers while so many go unnoticed. Maoists use mobiles and computers here. How will we deal with them unless we are trained to deal with such crimes?' asked another police official.

http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20070228/19220.htm

Catholic prelate joins call for justice for rape victims

RANCHI, India (UCAN) – Thousands of people including the Catholic Church leader in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand have demanded exemplary punishment for men who raped 13 tribal women.

The unmarried tribal women aged 16-20 reportedly were assaulted on Feb. 21 in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh state, where they worked in a brick kiln.

Local news reports said that around midnight, at least 18 armed men entered a makeshift house for women workers. The men molested and raped migrant workers from Jharkhand's Ranchi and neighboring Lohardaga districts.

As news of the incident spread, tribal organizations in Jharkhand called for protests. Thousands of tribal people responded, shouting slogans as they marched on Feb. 24 through Ranchi, the state capital, 1,160 kilometers (about 720 miles) southeast of New Delhi, and Lohardaga town.

Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo of Ranchi said in a Feb. 23 press release that perpetrators of rape should be given exemplary punishment and victims should receive "justice at all cost."

The incident proves that women of "dalit and tribal societies are not safe in the country even in the 21st century," Asia's first tribal cardinal wrote. It "also proves how the so-called higher-caste people see" people belonging to dalit and tribal communities, he said.

"Dalit" is a Sanskrit term meaning "trampled upon" and is used to denote people at the bottom of the traditional Indian caste system who formerly were called "untouchable."

Cardinal Toppo described rape as "the most heinous crime against humanity" in comments for UCA News. "Whether the victim is tribal or non-tribal, one could not find enough words to condemn whoever commits it."

The protesters demanded that the Jharkhand state government "act immediately" to ensure that the culprits and kiln owners are charged and prosecuted. They also demanded a federal inquiry and compensation to the victims.

"Our poor sisters go to work in the brick kilns of Uttar Pradesh to support their families, not to lose their modesty," Neelam Baxla, a Catholic college girl who led the protest rally in Ranchi, told UCA News.

Some young people at the protest rally held their state government responsible for the situation in which poverty compels tribal women to migrate outside the state to make a living.

Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar state in 2000 for the declared purpose of augmenting tribal advancement, but its leaders have "failed to guarantee" adequate employment opportunities for tribal people, charged Michael Ekka, a college student.

Dayamani Barla, a tribal women leader, went further in asserting that "the governments did nothing for the betterment of tribal people" in the six years since the state's formation and "only exploited them further."

According to Barla, hundreds of migrant tribal women "eke out a livelihood" in several Indian states, facing physical and sexual violence. "So many tribal girls who have gone out for work, are missing too," she told UCA News.

Cardinal Toppo agrees that the state has not done enough "to provide social security and eradicate poverty of our villages, which forces people to migrate as laborers." The kiln rape case puts the situation in stark relief, he said. "This incident is an eye opener for the people and government of Jharkhand. We have to work for the poor joining hands."

Reacting to the demands of various political parties as well as church and social organizations, Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda said he has asked officials to provide a detailed report about the incident.

Koda told UCA News on Feb. 24 that the crime would be probed with the help of the Uttar Pradesh government "to ensure safe return of the girls and maximum punishment to the culprits."

http://www.catholic.org/printer_friendly.php?id=23212§ion=Cathcom

Pichkaris Not So Popular in Jharkhand

A Holi without revellers chasing passers-by with 'pichkaris'? Unthinkable till a few years back. But the new trend in Jharkhand suggests the water sprayer is no longer the most sought-after plaything among children for celebrating the festival of colours.

The reason: It's considered unhealthy.

"Health experts say children should avoid playing with plastic articles and most sprayers are made of plastic," said Pyali Banerjee, a housewife.

"On Holi we often get complaints about children pumping harmful liquids in the eyes of other children with pichkaris, so we discourage them from buying pichkaris now," added Sushila Devi, another housewife from Ranchi.

Colours used for spraying water are also said to be harmful for the skin and this is adding to the decrease in their sale.

"Till few years back we were earning good money selling pichkaris during Holi. The sale has declined by 20 per cent now," said Vikas Kumar, a shopkeeper from Lalpur in Ranchi.

Another shopkeeper, Indu Bhushan echoed: "During Holi we would set up makeshift stalls outside the shop. Over the years, traditional pichkaris were replaced with other forms such as guns or airplanes but the sale was good. In the last few years its been steadily going down."

The price of sprayers varies from Rs. 5 to Rs. 90 depending on the shape, make and size.

He admitted that health conscious people now prefer not to play with colours. People like only 'abirs' (coloured powder) and avoid liquid colours.

"There was a time when one child would insist on buying two to three pichkaris and parents would buy them without a second thought. Now parents discourage children from buying them on health grounds," said Munna Bhagat, who has set up two stalls of sprayers near Sahid Chawk in Ranchi.

However, not everyone is averse to sprinklers.

"During Holi I buy at least five pichkaris. We enjoy playing with colours for at least two to three days," said Sumit Kumar, a student of DAV School here.

http://www.medindia.net/news/view_main_print_new.asp

Varsities eye grant for centres

Ranchi, Feb. 28: The higher education scenario in the state would get an unprecedented boost if Jharkhand universities' consolidated short-term plan gets the Planning Commission nod.

The document includes the universities' five-year plans and would to be submitted to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi tomorrow to get the required grants.

The five universities in the state are eyeing for "only" 2.5 per cent of the state's annual plan approved by the Centre, which is over Rs 6,500 crore, said vice-chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, S.K. Mukherjee.

The other four universities — Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), Ranchi University (RU), Hazaribagh-based Vinobha Bhave University (VBU) and Dumka-based Sidhu Kanhu Murmu University— are also ready with their proposals.

BIT has proposed a specialised centre for nanotechnology, and centres for energy and environment, habitat and habitation as well as chemical research, among others. The deemed university would require around Rs 270 crore, said Mukherjee.

RU vice-chancellor A.A. Khan said they are eyeing for an institute of natural resource management system, which would require about Rs 55 crore.

"The proposed institute's primary purpose would be research and manpower generation in the state by tapping opportunities in mineral resources' exploration and its utilisation," said Khan.

VBU has drafted proposal worth Rs 216 crore which includes a centre of excellence in geology, petroleum and earth sciences besides a linguistic laboratory, a department of museology and archaeology.

The proposals drawn up by BAU, said its director (research) B.N. Singh, require Rs 160 crore. The bid is to start centres for animal genomics, biotechnology, soil and water pollution and organic farming research, among others.

Officials of the universities are "quite hopeful" the proposals would be accepted.

The BIT vice-chancellor said if the plans are accepted, the Union human resource development ministry and the department of science and technology would have to allocate Rs 80 crore each annually. The Union ministry of agriculture could also help by allocating funds to BAU.

University authorities said they get financial support from the state government but most of these funds are spent on salaries and related expenditures thus leaving n nothing for expansion projects. The "nominal" funds the Department of Science and Technology and the UGC provide are for specific projects and cannot be diverted, they added

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070301/asp/jamshedpur/story_7455882.asp

Twin blasts terror tourists at Holi hub

Madhuban, Feb. 28: In a major strike at the under-construction Jharkhand Bhavan here last night, Maoists destroyed the interior of the building apparently to send a message of terror for Holi pilgrims.

Madhuban is famous for its three-day Holi Mahotsav, starting tomorrow, which is attended by thousands of pilgrims from across the country.

According to Ghanshyam Munda, the guard at the building, an ambitious project of India Tourism Development Corporation and the state tourism department, a group of around 40 Naxalites raided the site around midnight.

"Wearing bottle-green uniform, the rifle-toting rebels told me that they had nothing to do with me and tied me up," he said, adding: "I could only hear the deafening sound of the two blasts."

Before leaving the site, the extremists spent around an hour there destroying several building materials, besides those already damaged by the twin blasts. Marble slabs, tiles, glass windows and at least 10 air-conditioning machines bore the brunt of the Maoists' ire. The work on the three-storeyed 15-room building started around three years ago with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore and it was supposed to be inaugurated next month.

The project was also hit by three-month agitation by the Majdoor Sangathan Samiti — the association of local labourers — demanding the induction for the son of one Banarsi Das, who died while working at Bhomia Bhavan. However, the timely intervention of the district administration settled the matter before the labourers were to go for a three-day strike during the Holi Mahotsav.

However, the raid had bigger impact on pilgrims. "When we got down at Parasnath this morning, we heard about the incident. The news was shocking, as Maoists did not attack this place of worship earlier," said Nishan Jain, a pilgrim from Ahmedabad.

Police superintendent Arun Kumar Singh said there was a problem over paying levy by the contractor. The contractor paid to one group of Maoists and so the other faction struck, he added. The caretaker of AP Bariar & Sons, the contractor, however, said "there was no such dispute".

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070301/asp/jamshedpur/story_7455856.asp

Sexy Bhojpuri songs annoy women

HOLI COW! Women allege songwriters look at women only as sex objects. Patna: Bhojpuri numbers are usually popular during Holi in Bihar. But not this time, at least not with the women folk who think they are getting an unfair deal.

Women across many villages in Bihar are protesting sexual innuendoes in Bhojpuri songs specially those composed for Holi.

They say the lyrics have undertones and that the songwriters look at women only as sex objects.

"The administration should look into the matter and if they don't do anything to stop these numbers from playing out, we women will raise our voices," says an activist, Anita Devi.

"It's the collective fault of people who write the songs, sing them and listen to them," says activist Chandrawati Devi.

Bhojpuri Holi numbers have a huge market in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. But the number of people who think the songs are obscene is on the rise.

And it's not just activists.

"This is wrong. Just to sell their product, these people are targeting the others," says Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishen.

But opinion is divided among the women and the men patrons. The song may be lewd and offensive to some, but patrons and regular listeners continue to have a ball.

But this time on, the fairer sex has launched a crusade against this trend, sending out a warning signal that women being portrayed as sex objects will not be taken lying down.

http://www.ibnlive.com/printpage.php?id=32760§ion_id=3

Train passengers looted at gunpoint in Bihar

Varanasi (UP), Mar 01: Armed robbers today looted cash and valuables worth lakhs of rupees from the passengers of Patna-Sikarandabad Express between Buxur and Mughalsarai stations in Bihar, officials said here.

The robbers, said to be between eight to ten in number, barged into two coaches of the train at Buxur station and looted the passengers at gunpoint, GRP cantonment inspector Sheshnath Singh Yadav said.

The robbers also assaulted some passengers when they resisted, he said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

The angry passengers registered their protest with the railway authorities at Mughalsarai junction when the train reached there, Yadav said, adding an FIR has been lodged in this connection.

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=357390&sid=REG

US devotee fined for entering Orissa temple

Bhubaneswar, March 1 (IANS) An American devotee Thursday was fined by priests for entering into the famous 12th-century Jagannath temple in Orissa's holy city of Puri, where entry of foreigners are prohibited, police said.

Paulf Rodgier, 55, reportedly entered into the temple along with two Indians, Dhirendra Kumar Sukla, 47, and Asis Saxena, 23, at about 2 p.m. Thursday, inspector in charge of town police station Alekh Pahi told IANS.

When they were roaming inside the temple the temple priests caught them near the temple's north gate. The priests fined Rodgier Rs.209 when he pleaded that he was not aware of such restriction, Pahi said.

'We immediately brought Rodgier, Sukla and Saxena to the police station for their safety,' Pahi said.

Police will not register any case against them because the priests have already fined them as per temple rules, he said.

The trio had reportedly come to government-run National Thermal Power Corp, located at Kaniha in Angul district, on official work a few days ago.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/printer_1271435.php

Bible distribution plans moving forward in Orissa State

India (MNN) -- In spite of Orissa State's 1999 anti-conversion law, there are still evangelistic projects going on in this hostile part of India. The Freedom of Religion Act of 1967 was amended in 1999 to narrow its focus.

Following that, it became known that people could be punished for not informing the state about their plans to convert. But that got taken further by enforcing punishment for those involved in conversions.

A 'Chilling effect' was feared to follow, but instead, the opposite phenomenon occurred. The church, according to many evangelical groups, grew. Coupled with the timing of the Dalit's rejecting Hinduism and embracing other faiths, the pace of church growth quickened.

World Bible Translation Center's Gary Bishop says they're excited about their newest undertaking. "We're going to have the first mass distribution of Bibles this year, in 2007. This is going to be kind of an historic thing because we're going to do 30-thousand Oriya Bibles in the Orissa State."

Bishop says there's a high population of poor people who are not well-educated. That's the perfect place for them to bring in Easy-to-Read Version Bibles. It's available in 13 of the most spoken languages of India.

With the Scriptures aimed at a third grade reading level, more people can understand the gospel and respond. By the year 2010, they want to distribute 1 million Bibles, 2 million New Testaments and 5 million Scripture portions worldwide.

Working in this part of India will likely prove a difficult challenge, and they're asking for help. "We, first of all, need to have people praying for our team there. We have 400 volunteers that have agreed to help distribute these texts through 30 districts. So, we need to pray for their safety, for them to have courage in the face of certain opposition."

If things stay on track, Bishop notes, they could begin the distribution as early as mid-2007. Before that, the text, which was completed in 2005, has to be printed, bound and shipped. Funding becomes a issue at this stage in the project.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/9647

Dola Jatra: Where deities meet in rural Orissa

`Dola Jatra', a festival that is celebrated after Holi is the most colourful cultural event in rural Orissa. On Magha Purnima (full moon in February) the youths of the village, irrespective of caste and creed, visit each house and collect wood, bamboo and straw for a huge bonfire that is lit as the full moon begins rising on the horizon. Crowds cheer as they offer grain, vegetables and coconuts to the fire.

The conflagration signifies the burning of the `Agira' or `Holika' who apparently is responsible of diseases like measles and small pox.

The villagers believe that the persons in whose direction the flames would leap will reap bumper crops that year. The scorched vegetables and coconuts are distributed as `prasad' while the ashes are sprinkled in the courtyards and rice fields.

A couple of days preceding Dola Purnima (full moon in March), the deities of the local temples are taken around to every household in the village. The head of the family invites the gods and offers `prasad' - puffed rice and dry sweets specially the snow white `khusi' and the fawn- coloured circular sweets called `pheni' prepared from jaggery are made from fresh harvests. Green mangoes, mahua fruits are also offered to the deities first before anyone tries them.

The deities are carried in colorfully decorated temple shaped `vimanas' and the members of the village committee accompany them with fanfare. A barber leads the procession carrying a blazing torch and a can of oil. Drummers and dancers accompany the group. The group also has young boys entertaining the people dressed up in finery. They distribute colored powdered `abhira' as a gift from the deities for the ensuing Holi.

After Holi, the `saltana' or the road show is the most popular celebration. It is a procession of the deities along with the entertainers that moves slowly through the main road in the area and finally assembles on the main street of the village. This is organised on the fourth night after Holi or on the ninth day, and the fair ensued is called `Panchu Dola' and `Dasa Dola' respectively. These nights bring the villagers out in the open.

There a procession of local youths dressed in mythological characters like Rama, Krishna and Shiva and theme-based carts are drawn, with some of them enacting roles to the joy of the crowd. Procession of light and lamps, burning sticks adds to the glamour. There are also the traditional martial and Tiger dance where the youths are smeared with bright yellow and black stripes on their bare bodies and adorned with a mask of tiger and tail mock-fight to the amusement of the viewers.

Paik is a warrior class who display their art in warfare. Banabati is the most popular amongst them in which two players are given poles with oil drenched cloth tied to one end. These are set afire and the players begin a mock fight with the blazing torches. Sword fights bring back the memories of the glorious heritage of the Oriyas who excelled in martial art. Nagas are stout bodied men with their bodies smeared with black colour mixed with mustard oil. He wears long artificial matted hair and carries huge wing like attire with flags, tinsels, feathers tied to it and also a large crown on his head... his steps and looks inspire awe. They all walk to the beats of the drums dancing and acting.

This spectacular procession moves slowly as the villagers throng and jostle for space to have a glimpse of the different entertainments on the street. There are makeshift bazaars selling sweetmeats, eateries, balloons, indigenous toys, and other fancy items through the night and finally they land at the open field at the end of the village where there is an old temple with a large pond - a site demarcated for the five-day -fair. This area is called `Melana' ground, and almost every village in Orissa has such an open marked for the purpose.

There are permanent structures where the `vimanas' or the small temple shaped wooden structures decked with colourful cloths and garlands are kept for the fair. Here all the deities from the temples are placed together and sometimes deities from the neighboring villages also visit as guests. Events like `Pala', `Dasakathia', shadow puppet shows, `bhajans' and religious discourses also enliven the place.

On the concluding day it is a spectacular show of the deities on the move. The `abhira' or `gulal' which is played with Holi is sprinkled, sprayed and the gods are bathed with it. The colourful fog-like atmosphere envelops everyone around. This is good they say as the medicinal properties of these natural dyes protect one from many skin diseases. This is the soul of a village life that is colourful and spectacular marking the onset of Spring.

http://www.kalingatimes.com/variety/news_20070228_Dola_Jatra.htm

How a classy dress helps the needy

BISHNUPUR, India - A school in eastern India built with money raised in the auction of Audrey Hepburn's iconic black dress was inaugurated yesterday by French author and philanthropist Dominique Lapierre.

Some 200 children will be able to attend the school in Bishnupur, a village nearly 30 miles south of Calcutta, the capital of the West Bengal state.

"I am very happy that my efforts are fructifying. Things are changing with more and more children going to school," Lapierre told cheering students.

The school is one of 15 to be built in the state with $807,000 paid by high bidder Givenchy, now a division of LVMH, at an auction in December at Christie's in London.

Lapierre had received the dress as a gift from designer Hubert de Givenchy. The company repurchased it to support both the City of Joy Foundation, run by Lapierre to help India's poor, and the heritage of the brand.

Hepburn wore the elegant sleeveless sheath for her role as eccentric Manhattan socialite Holly Golightly in the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wodres015113194mar01,0,3685206,print.story?coll=ny-worldnews-print

Can`t farmers choose their livelihoods too?

The last few months have been fraught with unwanted limelight for Prasoon Mukherjee who, as chairman of Universal Success, is the Indian partner of the Salim Group which is at the centre of a political storm.

Though his SEZ project in West Bengal has kicked up a huge storm, Mukherjee draws on his experience with investments in Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Singapore and Thailand to explain why the situation is not irretrievable. Excerpts from a conversation with Nistula Hebbar:

Your SEZ project in West Bengal has sparked off a lot of protest on the issue of land acquisitions.
Land acquisition is always a tricky subject. It never happens overnight, not even in China where dissent is not given as much airtime as it is here. So we always knew when we started that this would be a problem.

But the key to this is to convince land owners that they have a stake in development, that ultimately they too will benefit from the industry that will get set up and the employment opportunities.

Having said that, in the context of West Bengal, let me make it very clear, despite perceptions to the contrary, my company had no choice in the land earmarked for our SEZ. We were told that this is the land and it would be up to us to develop whatever infrastructure we needed. Our attraction to West Bengal is more to do with the huge pool of English-speaking graduates there and the human resource-pull rather than the land specifically.

How will you convince someone who is losing his land that it is for his benefit?

First of all, we are going to give it time. We are also going to participate in the process of convincing people that they too have a stake in it. We have a saying in Bangla, that a chaasha chele (farmer's son) does not want to remain one all his life.

The Opposition does not see that farmers too have the right to a livelihood of their choosing, of availing better infrastructure. Not just that, seeing is believing. When people see roads, bridges and other things coming up they will get convinced.

For example, my company has built a 103 kilometre stretch of road linking the Kolkata airport to the Haldia port, also a 3.5 kilometre bridge along the same route. Everyone uses it and people are amazed that this kind of investment is pouring into the state.

Unlike other business houses, we are not waiting for land or assets to be handed on a platter before we pour in any money. The West Bengal formula for SEZ is also different and better than the rest of the states'. While other states allow 75 per cent of the land for real estate development, my SEZ project has been allowed only a net of 30-35 per cent land for real estate.

You are also partners with Unitech in West Bengal. How has your experience investing in a communist-ruled state been?

Most Indian political outfits are left of centre, and are not entirely comfortable with capital, but chief ministers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states have met me too. The point here is that investment is a politico-economic need and the Left is no different, they too need capital for development.

The change in the CPI(M)'s mindset hasn't come about overnight. It is dictated by the realities of the economy just as the Narasimha Rao reforms in 1991 were. Not just here, communists in China, Vietnam and even Cuba are changing, so what is the fuss all about? I don't see how communists are any different in using investments. The state chief minister has made it very clear that capital is welcome.

How do you find the investment climate in West Bengal?

When Bengal Unitech first entered the state four years ago, even a five-acre development was being hailed as path breaking; there was a fear in investing in the state thanks to the old communist regime and the labour and infrastructure problems.

Right now our holdings in the state are over 9,000 acres and others are also investing. It seems like Bengal Unitech has opened the floodgates. As a Bengali, I have sentimental reasons as well for investing, but apart from that, it is a good state, resource rich with high human resource capital to recommend it. The state needs the investment and the government is cognizant of this.

Are you going to bid for the new Kolkata airport?

Yes, my company will be bidding for the greenfield project. We are definitely in the fray.

Much has been made of your partner Salim Group's anti-communist past.

Yes. Strangely the noise has been created by anti-communist political parties, not the CPI(M). I'd like to say that Salims were businessmen like any other. Thirty years ago, Indonesia was like West Bengal, in dire need of investment and development.

The group was one of the many which stepped in with their businesses. They are non-political and should be given the benefit of that. Just because they happen to be related to a particular political family is not enough reason to reject their business.

Apart from West Bengal which are the other areas where you are expanding now?

I am interested in investing in certain ventures in Russia. I deal in crude oil, therefore Russia is an important destination for me. China is also important as the investment climate there is attractive. Real estate and hospitatlity are also our core competency areas and the sectors are booming in India. We are also looking at the social sector.

What in the social sector?

Well, Benny Santoso (partner in the Salim group) and I were struck by a CNN documentary on human trafficking in India and we want to set up a way in which some interventions are possible.

As a Bengali I have grown up on stories on the hazardous lives of those who live in the Sunderbans. I would like to do something for those attacked by tigers. As of now we are involved in the welfare of Thalassemia patients.

Finally, there is a lot of talk that the protests and violence have convinced you to withdraw from West Bengal.

Absolutely not, we are here to stay. I don't regret investing in the state in spite of the fact that so much violence and protest has been triggered off. Other state chief ministers — of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — have approached us but we are staying the course in Bengal, not just because I am a Bengali but also because the state is a good business opportunity.

I feel that what the present government is doing is right for the state. The state badly needs an infusion of investment. This is not only a sentimental decision but one borne out by hard facts. I feel if we are patient, people will see our point of view.

www.business-standard.com/lifeleisure/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu4&subLeft=3&autono=276251&tab=r

Naxals attack security party, kills eight in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Naxalites on Thursday killed eight people, including six security personnel, and injured two in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said.

"The Naxalites triggered a huge landmine blast and opened indiscriminate firing on a police party killing eight people on the spot and injuring two security personnel at Metaguda in Errabore Police station area, about 485 km from here," police sources in Dantewada said.

The dead included four jawans from Nagaland Armed Forces, who were deployed in Bastar region for anti-Naxal operation, two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and the driver and the helper of the truck.

The injured were two Nagaland jawans, the sources said.

The incident occurred when the police party was on a road opening operation. Some were on foot and about ten jawans were in a truck which was targeted by the Naxalites with a huge landmine and indiscriminate firing, they said.

Naxalites also looted seven sophisticated weapons from the security troops after killing them, the sources said.

The Naxalites escaped with three AK-47 rifles and two each of Left Loaded and .303 guns.

Additional forces have rushed to the spot and combing operation has been launched to trace out the Naxalites, the sources said.

It was the same spot, where about a year back the insurgents had triggered a landmine targeting a truck which killed 27 villagers.

State Home Department sources told PTI that the truck targeted by the Naxalites today had a Orissa registration number and the security forces personnel had taken a lift when the blast was triggered.

Naxalites have become active in Chhattisgarh after the Salwa Judum (anti-Naxal campaign) was started in Dantewada district from June six, 2005.

In last one year, about 350 people, including over 50 security personnel, have been killed in Naxal-related incidents in the state.

http://dnaindia.com/dnaPrint.asp?NewsID=1082608&CatID=2

Security intensified at Tata project after violence

Police patrolling was stepped up in 10 villages of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region where angry protesters injured six policemen late Wednesday in an attack when police asked locals to call off a meeting convened to intensify protests against the Tata's upcoming steel plant, police said Thursday.

'Some local politicians are fuelling anti-Tata protests in the 10 villages of Lohandiguda and we have strengthened police presence there Thursday as the situation is very tense,' Bastar range inspector general R.K. Vij told IANS over the telephone.

He said the protesters attacked the state police team in the area Wednesday and injured five police personnel including an assistant platoon commandant of the Chhattisgarh Armed Police when the forces visited the area to 'maintain law and order'.

Lohandiguda is located some 32 km from Jagdalpur town, the Bastar district headquarters.

The Chhattisgarh government has assured the Tatas that it would provide 5,157 hectares -- a mix of private and government land -- in the Lohandiguda area to set up the plant and develop the township.

'The tribals are determined to cross any limits to save their ancestral farm land from going into Tata's hands. The police have ordered the locals to not convene any protest meetings and agree to a smooth land handover, which is not acceptable to them,' Chitranjan Bakchhi, a local Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, told IANS Thursday.

Tata Steel, India's largest private sector steel maker, is setting up a 5 million tonne per annum integrated greenfield steel plant in Bastar district with an investment of Rs 100 billion for which a written agreement was signed between the company and the state government on June 4, 2005.

The Chhattisgarh government has sent a recommendation to the Indian government for granting a prospecting license to Tata Steel for carrying out a survey in the 2,500-hectare area in Dantewada district's Bailadila hills in Bastar region.

Bailadila has huge world-class iron ore stocks that have been divided into 14 deposits. The public sector National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has been excavating mines in three bigger deposits.

http://www.indiaprwire.com/print/?type=news&id=19438

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