NEW DELHI: The 33-hour flash strike by a section of Air India employees was called off on Wednesday following a Delhi High Court order, but the management cracked down on strike leaders sacking 15 and suspending 13 others.
Several more employees involved in the strike which began yesterday afternoon and disrupted hundreds of flights, are likely to be either terminated or suspended, highly-placed sources said tonight, indicating that a total of upto 100 employees would face action.
The High Court earlier restrained the striking employees from continuing with the stir even as Government talked tough asking the airline's management to crack down on them.
The Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU), which spearheaded the strike along with the All India Aircraft Engineers Association (AIAEA), while announcing that the strike has ended said the striking staff will resume work with immediate effect.
"Following the intervention of Chief Labour Commissioner and in the interest of travelling public, the ACEU is calling off the agitation. Our rank and file has been asked to restore normalcy as soon as possible. The AIAEA is also calling off the stir," ACEU leader J B Kadiyan told reporters here.
To questions on sacking and suspension of employees, Kadiyan claimed that the Chief Labour Commissioner S K Mukhopadhyay has given in writing that no victimisation cane take place if conciliation process is on.
Welcoming the Unions' decision to call of the strike, Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav said, "We want NACIL to become a professional, accountable and disciplined organisation. The Management is trying to ensure discipline...We are grateful to the Government of India for backing us."
The Unions fell in line after the order of the Delhi High Court which turned the heat on them giving relief to the management of the cash-strapped state-owned airline which was given a free hand by government to take stern action against the striking employees.
Air India officials said 130 flights, mostly domestic, could not be operated since the flash strike by engineers and ground staff began yesterday. The strike caused a loss of Rs 10 crore and severely affected 13,000 passengers most of whom remained stranded, they said.
The National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL), which operates Air India, had rushed to the Mumbai High Court and Delhi High Court seeking directions for an end to the stir. An estimated 20,000 engineers and ground staff or about 60 per cent of the staff strength are on strike, according to unions.
The Mumbai High Court declined to pass any orders but the High Court here directed the unions of airline not to continue with the strike and also not to resort to strike with effect from May 31 in terms of the May 14 strike notice.
Representatives of striking employees and top officials of the airline's management also held talks here in a bid to end the stand-off before they had a joint meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner.
The Unions are protesting against a 'gag order' on members for talking to the media after Saturday's air crash in Mangalore and 'delay' in payment of salaries. The management however clarified there is only one general circular and that there was no 'gag order".
Taking exception to the "illegal and irresponsible" action by Air India employees, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel stepped in and backed the management and said the airline is free to take firm measures to restore normalcy in its operations.
"Air India management is free to take all appropriate action and I am sure they are going to adequately respond. The management needs to act adequately and firmly", Patel told reporters after a meeting with Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar and airline CMD Arvind Jadhav.
Issuing a stern warning to the striking employees, he said "such absolutely irresponsible behaviour like this needs strong action... Strong, appropriate and decisive action should be taken. ...No one can take law into their own hands"
Air India Counsel Lalit Bhasin said, "The High Court has instructed them to restrain themselves from the strike. If they continue, that will amount to contempt of court."
Twins head for Germany, SC seeks law on surrogacy
NEW DELHI: As the last hurdle was cleared on Wednesday in the travel of surrogate twins to Germany with their natural father Jan Balaz, the Supreme Court said the central government should enact a legislation to take care of surrogacy and related issues.
A vacation bench headed by Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad said that no surrogate child should undergo the difficulties faced by Nicolas and Leonard.
Justice Singhvi said: "We can only wish good luck to them."
The travel was cleared after Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam informed the court that the ministry of external affairs had already issued the "exit permit" for the twins, born in 2008 to a Gujarati surrogate mother from Anand.
The twins have been in India since their birth due to immigration problems.
Solicitor General Subramaniam told the Court that even before it (the court) expressed its concern over the absence of statutory backing to surrogacy, he had impressed upon the government to enact such a law. The court which would go into the legal dimensions of the case then adjourned it till October 2010.
However, the surrogate twins have to cross yet another obstacle of acquiring German citizenship. Jan Balaz would move the German Court for acquiring German citizenship for his children. The big hiccup in the final lap is that the German government does not recognize surrogacy as a means of parenthood. Surrogacy is illegal in Germany.
It was on this count alone that the hearing into the matter was prolonged in the apex court because of the apprehension that after leaving India the twins may become stateless.
The case, which took many twists and turns, eventually saw the central government issuing identification papers to the twins and the German government issuing visa.
However, before boarding the plane to Germany which they, according to Jan Balaz, might take tonight itself, the twins needed "exit permit" from the ministry of external affairs.
On this score, the hearing into the matter in the morning was adjourned till 2 p.m. and the solicitor general was asked to state the position of the centre government on the "exit
Caste census cracks Cabinet
With consensus eluding, the government on Wednesday decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to take a view on the controversial issue of whether there should be a caste-based census.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, discussed the issue over which various ministers are divided, official sources said.
The Cabinet then decided that a GoM should take a view on the issue, they said. The GoM is likely to be headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The Cabinet, which first discussed the issue at length on May 4, has been divided on it.
While Law Minister Veerappa Moily and some others are pushing for caste-based census, Home Minister P Chidambaram has reservations on it.
The Home Ministry is understood to have opined that the present exercise of enumeration should go on and caste could be included later at the time of taking biometric samples.
Several political parties, including Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD(U), have been pressing for caste-based census but the government is moving cautiously on the politically-sensitive matter.
The issue had figured prominently in the just-concluded Budget Session of Parliament when the Prime Minister had assured the members that government would take their views into account before deciding on the matter.
Political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD-U have been strongly demanding inclusion of caste in the census exercise.
The Prime Minister, during his press conference on Monday, said the decision would be taken by the Cabinet.
"I made a statement in Parliament in which I said that we shall take into account the views expressed in Parliament by various sections ...and that I will ask the Cabinet to consider them. That process is on," Singh said.
He said "discussion on the issue will take place in the Cabinet and whatever decision is taken it will be brought before the people."
Caste-based census was last conducted in the country in the year 1931.
Sneak into India fast and do something big: Hizb
Jammu: With its ultras in Jammu and Kashmir constantly on the run in the wake of stepped up operations by security agencies, the Hizbul Mujahideen has asked its POK-based leadership to sneak into India and strike in a big way.
"Sneak into India fast and do something big," said an HM commander to one of the outfit's leaders based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during a conversation intercepted recently by security agencies, officers of the Indian Army today said.
The conversation took place between A-category commander of HM code Alfa 01 in Pir Panchal Ranges with HM commander in POK Abu Suhaib.
The call for infiltration given by an HM commander on this side of the border to his POK-based counterpart is being seen by the Indian Army as a sign of growing frustration among HM cadres after elimination of a large number of the militant outfit's top rung leaders in encounters in the recent past.
"As is evident, terrorists especially leaders have been on the run in both Kashmir valley as well as in Jammu region due to increasing number of encounters initiated by security forces in past," army officers said.
"As compared to the past practice of staying in hideouts, militants have changed their tactics and are now regularly on the move, not staying in one house for more than three hours due to fear of encounters", they said.
They do not trust the local population whether Hindus or Muslims any more and are always on the run trying to revive lost ground, they said.
53 self-styled commanders from different outfits- 22 of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), 23 of HM, five of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), one of Harkat-ul-jehadi Islami (HUJI) and one of Albadr were killed in 2009, which included the Hizb's Deputy Chief of Operation Shabir Ahmed, top Divisional Commanders of JeM, HM and LeT- Abdullah Satar, Saqib and Yousuf Gujjar.
As many as 37 militants have been killed in 2010 till May 15, they said, adding, it included 22 commanders of Hizb, LeT and JeM.
Therefore, the aim of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the militant leaders in Pakistan is to regain the lost initiative and bring these areas in J&K back in national and international focus by trying to impose and infiltrate foreign militants in J&K.
This can be gauged from the fact that there have been 56 infiltration attempts, five ceasefire violations, 126 militancy-related incidents and 45 encounters since January this year in which a total of 73 people have been killed, including 18 civilians, 19 security personnel and 37 militants.
Business News
Mahindra to buy 55.2 pct stake in Reva
Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra, India's largest utility vehicles and tractor maker, said on Wednesday it would buy a 55.2 per cent stake in Reva Electric Car Company.
Mkts recover, Sensex ends 365 pts up
The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex rebounded by over 365 points on buying by funds and short covering ahead of current month expiry in the derivatives segment.
The 30-share index, which had lost 447 points in the previous at 16,387.84 points.
Similarly, the broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 110.65 points to 4,917.40 points.
The market opened higher on strong Asian trend and later in afternoon a higher opening in European stock markets further boosted the sentiment, brokers said.
Speculators covering their pending positions ahead of the expiry in the derivatives segment tomorrow also fueled the uptrend, they added.
Among 30 index components, 24 stocks closed higher. All sectoral indices led by information technology, realty and metal were higher.
The IT sector index gained the most rising by 3.48 per cent to 5,106.68. IT stocks were in keen demand on sharp depreciation in the rupee value which fell above 47-mark. A rise in US dollar mainly boosted the revenue of the IT companies which collected major part of their income from abroad, brokers said.
The metal index gained 2.98 per cent to 14,388.26 as Sterlite Industries snapped a three-day slump, tracking a recovery in metal prices in international markets.
Infosys jumped 3.37 per cent to Rs 2,618.70. The two scrips carry nearly 23 per cent weigtage on the benchmark.
Bharat Petroleum Corp and Gail India rose after JPMorgan Chase upgraded the shares, citing a "more constructive view" on India's refiners and energy distributors. Power Grid rose 2.1 per cent after reporting higher profits.
As the buying activity spilled over a wide-front, smallcap index rose by 1.67 per cent to 8,312.60 and midcap index by 1.46 per cent to 6,583.43.
Asian stock markets staged a rebound after a sharp cut on Tuesday caused by growing concerns over the stability of the European banking system. The key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, China, Singapore and Taiwan ended up between 0.12 per cent and 1.71 per cent.
European indices too displayed a strong trend in their late morning deals. The CAC was up by 2.88 per cent, the FTSE by 1.92 per cent and the DAX by 1.77 per cent.
AI employees call off stir after HC order and Govt tough talk
New Delhi: The 33-hour flash strike by a section of Air India employees was called off on Wednesday following a Delhi High Court order, but the management cracked down on strike leaders sacking 15 and suspending 13 others.
Several more employees involved in the strike which began on Tuesday afternoon and disrupted hundreds of flights, are likely to be either terminated or suspended, highly-placed sources said tonight, indicating that a total of upto 100 employees would face action.
Sports News
Modi's 'leak' to media irks Srinivasan
New Delhi: BCCI secretary N Srinivasan kept mum on whether he would recuse from proceedings against Lalit Modi but lashed out at the suspended IPL Commissioner for his "habit of leaking information" to the media.
Asked if he would stay away from the proceedings and oblige Modi, an annoyed Srinivasan said, "I'm afraid I cannot discuss these issues in the media.
"Mr Modi has this habit of leaking information and letters to selected press but I cannot comment on these issues," Srinivasan said a news agency over phone.
In his letter, Modi said Manohar too should stay away from the proceedings, since it would "tantamount to being a judge, witness and a potential co-notice" in the case.
Manohar, however, was not available for comments.
Charged with allegations of bid-rigging and proxy investment, Modi first sent a staggering 15,000-page reply to the show cause notice served to him and he followed it up with another letter yesterday in which he targeted Manohar but came down more heavily on Srinivasan with a series of allegations including that of "match-fixing".
Modi, in fact, requested Manohar to serve a show cause notice to Srinivasan and also suspend him pending an investigation.
Modi alleged Srinivasan has grossly misused his power as BCCI secretary and said there was a clear case of "conflict of interests" since he was also owner of the Chennai Super Kings team in the IPL.
Modi said if allowed to be part of the panel deciding his fate, Srinivasan would have an axe to grind against him.
"This stems from the manner in which I have consistently frustrated and exposed his attempts at misusing his position as Honorary Secretary of the Board so as to confer a wrongful benefit to his team (Chennai Super Kings) at the cost and expense of other teams and the BCCI," Modi said.
Modi accused Srinivasan of trying to "fix" matches by hand-picking a panel of umpires to officiate Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) matches in the IPL.
"This constituted a clear attempt at umpire fixing/match fixing. Upon my coming to know this I objected to the same and removed them in the interest of the League," Modi said.
Srinivasan also pushed "tailor-made policies" to suit CSK's interest, Modi alleged.
Bhupathi-Mirnyi enter second round of French Open
Paris:Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bulgarian partner Max Mirnyi cruised into the second round of French Open men's doubles after a straight set victory over Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner here on Wednesday.
Fifth seed Bhupathi-Mirnyi took 58 minutes to pack off the duo of Melzer of Austria and Petzschner of Germany 6-3 6-2 in their first round match at Roland Garros here.
The Indo-Bulgarian pair converted three of the five break points that came their way, while their rivals drew a blank, wasting both the breakpoints that they earned.
Bhupathi-Mirnyi had a higher winning percentage in their first serve but it was their second serve through which they scored the maximum points.
They will next take on Spaniard combo of Marc Lopez and Pere Riba in the second round on Thursday.
Lopez-Riba beat French pair of Jonathan Eysseric and Benoit Paire 6-2 6-4 in another opening round match.
Venus Williams reaches 3rd round at French Open
Paris: Venus Williams advanced to the third round of the French Open by beating Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday.
Williams improved to 14-2 on clay in 2010. She’s seeded second at Roland Garros behind younger sister Serena, who scouted from behind the baseline, sitting next to their father. The Williamses could meet in the final.
Fifth-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden won 20 of the first 22 points and went on to beat unseeded American Taylor Dent 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. Soderling, who upset Rafael Nadal last year and then lost to Roger Federer in the final, has lost seven games through two matches.
“That was fun, huh?” Dent said. “I’d be a fool to say that I felt like I was in it at any stage. It would be tough for me to beat the 12-and-under French champion playing that way.” Soderling remained on course for a Roland Garros rematch against Federer in the quarterfinals.
Two-time semifinalist Nadia Petrova of Russia, seeded 19th, beat Agnes Szavay 6-1, 6-2.
Williams took center court for the day’s opening match again wearing her lacy corset despite a change in the weather, with cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. She went to deuce six times in her first service game before holding, then pulled away to take the first set.
In the second set, both players held until the seventh game.
Williams drew Parra Santonja into a moonball rally, then sprinted forward to slam a winner that sent her flounce flying.
That gave Williams a 4-3 lead, and she served out the victory, her 28th in 32 matches this year.
In 13 previous French Open appearances, Williams reached the semifinals only once - in 2002, when she lost to Serena in the final. But at 29, she’s enjoying a career resurgence, and her record this year is the best on the women’s tour.
Nadal opened his bid for a fifth French Open title Tuesday by beating 18-year-old wild card Gianni Mina of France 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, and it helped to face a player ranked 655th with a lifetime tour record of 0-1.
“First day here is always a little bit more nervous than usual,” Nadal said. “I think I played bad, but I won anyway, without problems, so that’s always important.” The match was Nadal’s first at Roland Garros since he lost to Robin Soderling in the fourth round a year ago.
“He said he was nervous?” three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander said. “That’s a scary thing for his opponents, because that means he wants his title back more than ever before."
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