Protests continue in Telangana

HYDERABAD, Dec 25: The Telangana region remained relatively peaceful on Friday though protests continued for the second consecutive day against the Central Government’s move to put on hold the process of forming a separate state.

The all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) withdrew its shutdown call in view of Christmas and most parts of Hyderabad and the nine other districts of the region were limping back to normalcy. A group of students at Osmania University here and at Kakatiya University in Warangal, however, continued their fast-unto-death, demanding that the Central Government immediately initiate the process for forming a separate Telangana state.

Additional forces, including paramilitary forces, airlifted from other states were deployed at Osmania University and other parts of Hyderabad and the region to maintain law and order. Shops and business establishments re-opened in the State capital but most petrol stations remained closed. The State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) partially restored bus services here and in other parts of Telangana. The region was rocked by violent protests on Thursday, the first day of the 48-hour shutdown called by the JAC. It, however, decided not to enforce shutdown on Friday following an appeal by Christian groups.

RTC authorities said bus services had been restored only on those routes in the region where police had assured them protection. The bus services from Hyderabad to Vijayawada and other cities in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema remained suspended. Protesters had burnt at least 15 RTC buses and damaged around 60 since Wednesday evening when union Home Minister P Chidambaram stressed the need to hold consultations with all political parties on the Telangana issue following 13 days of protests in the other two regions of Andhra Pradesh.

People in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have been agitating against the Central Government’s December 9 announcement on initiating the process for forming a Telangana state. South Central Railway officials said trains were running as scheduled as there were no reports of train blockades since Thursday night. But coal production in State-owned Singareni Colleries came to a standstill as the workers went on strike demanding a Telangana state. The employees struck work in all the coal mines spread over the four districts of Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Adilabad.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, whose hunger strike forced New Delhi to agree to break up Andhra Pradesh, has resigned from the Lok Sabha to press for his demand for Telangana.

As many as 64 legislators across the spectrum from Telangana had on Thursday submitted their resignations to the Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker. Pressure is mounting on the remaining legislators from the region to also quit. Telangana has 119 legislators in 294-member Assembly. (IANS)

Christmas cheer spreads from Rashtrapati Bhavan

NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Singing carols in the capital this week will be victims of last year’s violence in Kandhamal, Orissa. Even as they put the past behind and spread Christmas cheer, celebrations have begun in right earnest at Rashtrapati Bhavan!

The presidential palace echoed with jingle bells, jingle bells as choir groups from India’s Northeast and Delhi sang one carol after another at a function organized by President Pratibha Patil. Representatives of all Christian groups in India were invited. So were Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur. “It was a beautiful function,” said a senior Catholic priest, who attended the celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 17. The programme featured carol singing by choir groups from Meghalaya, Delhi and Nagaland.

The Christmas message was delivered by Vincent Concessao, the archbishop of Delhi. The festival will be observed all over the country on Friday. As part of its Christmas celebrations, the Delhi Archdiocese is organizing a carol singing programme at India Gate on Christmas Day. “What makes it special is that part of the carols will be sung by the victims of Kandhamal riots who would like to let the world know that Jesus’ birthday is a good occasion to be reconciled with all and to share his message of love,” said an Archdiocese message here.

Christmas carols are based on Christian lyrics and were introduced as part of church services by St Francis of Assisi in the 12th century, say Catholic historians. The word “carol” is derived from the French word caroler, which means dancing around in a circle.

According to a post on share-christmas.com, “Christmas music sure sounds good again, always brings back those memories of years before. Everyone can enjoy some good Christmas music along with their favourite warm drink.” (IANS)

Jharkhand heads for hung assembly, JMM holds key

RANCHI: Congress-JVM(P) combine today won 10 assembly seats and was leading in 20 in Jharkhand while BJP- JD(U) alliance got 7 and was ahead in 17 as the state headed for a fractured verdict with JMM saying it would support any combine that makes its leader Shibu Soren the chief minister. ( Watch Video )

While JMM won 9 seats and was ahead in as many, regional parties JVM(P) and AJSU captured 4 and 3 respectively in the 81-member House. Congress on its own won 6 and BJP 12.

RJD got 2 while another regional party JBSP secured one seat. Others including an independent got 6.

"Our party's stand is whoever will support Guruji (Shibu Soren) for chief ministership, will get our support," JMM's Central Committee Secretary, Supriyo Bhattacharya told PTI.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said in Patna, "The results are a victory for secular forces. We will explore the formation of a secular government in Jharkhand."

Asked whether he was in touch with Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Prasad said, "Let the final picture of the results emerge first, then only top leaders should discuss."

He suggested that the leaders of secular alliances - Congress-JVM(P), RJD-LJP and JMM - should sit together and explore installation of a secular government.

"I am content that the communal forces represented by BJP have been wiped out with the people rejecting both BJP and JD(U)," he said.

Former chief minister and JVM(P) president Babulal Marandi gave a call for support to the alliance between his party and the Congress and expressed confidence in forming the next government in the state.

"All well-wishers should support our alliance," Marandi said, adding that his party had fought with the Congress and would stand by it.

Among the first results announced was the victory of Geeta Koda, wife of former chief minster Madhu Koda, from Jagannathpur. She defeated her nearest rival Sonaram Birua of BJP by over 20,000 votes.

Geeta was the candidate of the Jai Bharat Samanta Party (JBSP) floated by her husband.

While Congress-JVM(P) alliance won from Daltonganj, Sisai, Bermo and Icchagarh, Speaker Alamgir Alam of Congress lost from Pakur to Akuil Akhtar of JMM by 5,714 votes.

The BJP-JDU won from Kharsawan, Gumla, Simdega, Manika, Ranchi, Chatarpur and Tamar and was leading in 17 seats. A prominent winner of the alliance was C P Singh from Ranchi.

JMM won seven seats - Chaibasa, Sikaripara, Sareikela, Torpa, Jama, Pakur and Dumri. Sita Soren, widow of Durga Soren, the late eldest son of party chief Shibu Soren won the Jama seat.

Senior JMM leader and former deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto, however, lost the Icchagarh seat to the JVM(P).

Former minister Enos Ekka of the Jharkhand Party Ekka, now in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case, retained his Kolebira seat.

Shibu Soren's son Hemant wins from Dumka

STAFF WRITER 19:13 HRS IST
Ranchi, Dec 23 (PTI) JMM chief Shibu Soren's younger son Hemant Soren won from Dumka assembly seat defeating his nearest BJP rival Lois Marandi by over 2,000 votes.

Former deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader Stephen Marandi, who was the sitting MLA, emerged third