Caste no bar, in words if not in action

While many young Indians are showing an interest in marrying across caste,
indications are that not many actually go ahead and cross caste boundaries.
Recent research by Amit Ahuja, assistant professor in the Department of
Political Science at the University of California Santa Barbara, and Susan L.
Ostermann, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the
University of California Berkeley, showed that more than half of the
prospective brides contacted by the researchers through matrimonial
websites expressed an interest in potential partners belonging to caste
groups other than their own. Responding to an expression of interest from
three men one upper caste, one backward caste (BC) and one scheduled
caste (SC) but with otherwise nearly identical profiles 54% of upper caste
women and 72% of scheduled caste women expressed an interest in a man
outside their own caste. But nearly all the women who responded, including
those who showed an interest in men of other castes, expressed an interest
in men of their own caste.
Mr. Ahuja and Ms. Ostermann found that preference for boundary-crossing
was higher among less affluent upper caste women and more affluent
scheduled caste women, and conclude that [t]hefindings point to the fact
that in the urban, Indian, middle-class marriage market, a significant
proportion of participants and their families is willing to consider crossing
caste boundaries if it allows them to upgrade their caste or SE [socioeconomic] status.
The heads of some of Indias most successful matrimonial websites agree
that there is a rising stated preference for partners outside the applicants
own caste. The majority of our users now state caste no bar in their
profiles. It would be around 60%, I think, Gourav Rakshit, Chief Operating
Officer of Shaadi.com told The Hindu. For bharatmatrimony.com, the
proportion is around 20%, Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO,
Matrimony.com Pvt Ltd, said. Mr. Ahuja and Ms. Ostermann found that even in
newspaper matrimonial columns, the number of those looking for partners
outside their castes was increasing.
But there is a distinct gap between stated preference and action, said Mr.
Rakshit, who takes a keen interest in shaadi.coms data trends; people who
say caste no bar are looking at those within their own castes as well as
others, their number show. When asked whether such people look for those of
higher or lower castes than themselves, Mr. Rakshit preferred not to use the
terms upper and lower, but said, Theyre looking at a basket of castes, for
people with a similar culture and shared traditions. Moreover, while the
option to not state ones own caste exists on shaadi.com, just about 10% of
users choose not to state their own castes.
This is consistent with both micro and macro data that seems to indicate that
inter-caste marriage isnt growing in India. Inter-caste marriages remained
fairly constant at around 10% according to the last National Family Health
Survey; the proportion is highest among Muslims. In 2009, MIT economist

Abhijit Banerjee led a study of 783 families who had placed matrimonial
advertisements in Bengali newspapers which showed that the brides side
would be willing to trade off the difference between no education and a
masters degree in the prospective husband to avoid marrying outside their
caste. The Centre for the Study of Developing Societys 2009 National
Election Study of over 30,000 respondents showed that those who believed
inter-caste marriage should be banned outnumbered those who supported it.
It also isnt yet apparent that the hierarchy of the caste system has changed.
In Mr. Ahuja and Ms. Ostermanns study, the scheduled caste man was least
likely to be contacted, despite all other variables including educational
qualifications, salary and even skin colour being nearly the same. These
findings are strikingly similar to a 2010 labour market study by economist
Sukhadeo Thorat, who is now chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science
Research, and sociologist Paul Attewell, who posted fictitious resumes in
response to job advertisements for private sector companies, and found that
the fictitious applicant with a scheduled caste last name was by far the least
likely to be called for an interview, despite being qualified. While Mr. Thorat
hadnt studied the marriage market, his work in rural Maharashtra had shown
nearly no change in intercaste marriage rates, Mr. Thorat said.
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Abu Salems extradition to India still valid: Supreme Court
Gangster Abu Salem will continue to face trial in various cases in India,
including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, with the Supreme Court on
Monday turning down his plea for quashing all proceedings after Portugals
apex court terminated his extradition to India.
The Supreme Court held that the verdict of Portugal court is not binding on
courts here and Salems extradition to India is still valid in the eyes of law.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, however, allowed the CBI to
drop additional charges slapped on Salem under TADA and Explosive
Substances Act after his extradition.
45-year-old Salem had sought closure of trial against him in various courts
here after the Portugal Supreme Court upheld the order of a lower court
there, terminating his extradition for violation of deportation rules by Indian
authorities.
At the time of Salems extradition, India had assured Portugal that no charges
entailing death penalty or imprisonment of more than 25 years would be
pressed against him, but such charges were later brought in.
The Supreme Court had stayed Salems trial after he approached the apex
court against the TADA courts order of January 31, rejecting his plea for
closure of his trial.
Attorney General G E Vahanwati had said government was committed to its
assurance given to the Portuguese court and had sought the apex courts
permission to drop the additional charges framed against Salem by the trial
court.
The CBI had sought courts permission for withdrawal of charges under
section 5 and 6 of TADA and sections 4(b) and 5 of the Explosive Substances
Act in view of its commitment to the Portuguese government.
Salem is currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

Following the Portugal SCs order, he had appealed to the TADA court, saying
that the trial against him should be closed.
He then filed a petition in the high court at Lisbon, alleging violation of the
Rule of Speciality. In the ruling on September 19 last year, the Lisbon court
said there had been a breach of the undertaking given by India.
Salem and his then companion, actress Monica Bedi, were extradited to India
on November 11, 2005, after a marathon legal process lasting three years.
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Agni V to be operational by 2015
With two or three more successful test firings, the Agni V missile is expected
to be operational by 2015, said Tessy Thomas, director, Agni Missile Project,
Defence Research and Development Organisation, here on Friday.
Interacting with the media after inaugurating a national conference on
Systems, Energy and Environment, organised by the Government College of
Engineering at Mangattuparamba, Ms. Thomas said this ambitious project can
carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles which can deliver
multiple warheads at different targets.
Affirming that India is self-reliant in missile technology, Ms. Thomas said the
country had made a quantum leap in the field.
Agni V is one of the biggest achievements of the country and this is being
further improved upon. As per earlier calculations, the intercontinental
ballistic missile had a range of 5,000 km, but according to the observations
made by neighbouring countries, it has a range of 7,000 km, a statement
which underlines the strength and potential of the missile.
She observed that missile technology is used as a weapon of peace.
Acknowledging that more than 2,000 institutions and industry players are
associated with the DRDO for the project, Ms. Thomas said the Agni series is
of global standards, while Agni IV and V belong to a new class of technology.
Speaking on female representation in the area of missile technology, Ms.
Thomas said the zone, generally considered a male bastion, is opening to
change. When she joined the DRDO in the eighties, the scenario was different
as there were not many engineering colleges. With more colleges, more
people are approaching the field, including women, she added.
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'Collusion of people with bases in Pak.'
Afghanistan vowed to neutralise elements behind the third major attack on
Indian diplomats and government personnel while South Block hinted at the
collusion of people with bases in the tribal regions of Pakistan.
A late night telephone conversation between External Affair Minister Salman
Khurshid and his Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rassoul saw Kabul promising

that it will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of Indian diplomatic
personnel. Kabul was determined to counter the efforts of those inimical to
Indias friendship with Afghanistan, he added.
In his phone call to Mr. Rassoul, Mr. Khurshid thanked him for the efforts by
Afghan forces in ensuring the safety of the Consulate General of India in
Jalalabad.
Pakistan also strongly condemned the attack.
India in a more detailed statement noted the injuries and deaths of several
valiant Afghan Police personnel as well as deaths of several innocent
civilians including children which it felt must be condemned.
More pertinently, it said the attack had again highlighted that the main threat
to Afghanistans security and stability stemmed from terrorism and the
terror machine that continues to operate from beyond its borders.
India, said Foreign Office spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, would not be
deterred from its commitment to assist Afghanistan in its reconstruction and
development effort. This was clearly an attack not just against India but an
attack against the efforts to help the Afghan people overcome the hardships
they have endured due to several decades of war, he said.
Mr. Akbaruddin also underlined Indias gratitude to the Afghan security
personnel who laid down their lives while protecting the Consulate.
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No sand mining without environmental clearance: NGT
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a nation-wide stay on sand
mining in river beds without prior clearance from environment ministry on
Monday.
The interim orders came in a petition filed by the National Green Tribunal Bar
Association as a reaction to the suspension of the 2009 batch IAS officer,
Durga Shakti Nagpal who was overseeing a drive against illegal sand mining
in her district, Gautum Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
At the same time the Union environment ministry has decided to approach
the Supreme Court to clarify the process for according environmental
clearances to minor mineral mining projects below 5 hectares as well as send
an inspection team to Uttar Pradesh to review illegal sand mining in the state.
The apex court had in February 2013 ordered mandatory green
clearances from the central government for extracting minor
minerals in less than 5 hectare plots.
On Monday the NGT bench headed by Swatanter Kumar ordered all state
governments to respond to the petition filed before it by August 14. It said,
Besides violation of law, the mining activity is being carried out on a large
scale, causing state revenue loss which may be running into lakhs of crores of

rupees.
The petition filed before the NGT by Ritwick Dutta, secretary of the bar
association was specific to river Yamuna and its tributaries but the court
deemed it fit to extend the case to all states. The petitioners claimed that
rampant illegal mining had been undertaken in the rivers in gross violation of
the Supreme Court orders. It claimed that many junior government officers
and activists fighting against the environmental menace were being targeted
and victimised. The petition cited the case of Ms Nagpal as well as another
case of another person it claimed was killed by the sand mining mafia
recently.
Pleading the case on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Raj Panjwani
said that in-stream mining of sand and gravel had large impacts on the
floodplains as well as the water table which was not being assessed at the
moment.
Earlier on February 27, 2013 the Supreme Court had ordered mandatory
environmental clearance from the Union environment and forests ministry for
all minor mineral excavation.
In its order the Supreme Court had said, Sand mining on either side of the
rivers, upstream and in-stream, is one of the causes for environmental
degradation and also a threat to the biodiversity. Over the years, Indias
rivers and Riparian ecology have been badly affected by the alarming rate of
unrestricted sand mining
The NGT decision in the case on Monday does not go beyond the
pronouncement of the Supreme Court orders but only push for
implementation the orders.
The apex courts orders had been opposed by many state governments with
the construction industry lobbying hard against it. This led the PMO to
intervene for the brick kiln owners and the Cabinet Committee on
Infrastructure also debating the issue. State governments, such as
Maharashtra wrote to the Centre asking for relief from the Supreme Court
orders.
The environment ministry, sources said, has decided to approach the
Supreme Court to ask for a modification to its existing orders. It is likely to
plead before the court to let state authorities to give environmental
clearances for less than 5 hectare plots. The ministry believes that instead of
dealing with thousands of clearances for the small projects it would be wiser
to let the state authorities handle them under strict guidelines laid down by
the Centre. The environment ministry is contending with stipulating that
miners do not seek less than 5 hectare clearances in a cluster that
cumulatively add up to a large area.
With the construction sector booming in the country the demand for sand has
grown consistently over the past decade. According to the Indian Bureau of

Mines Year Book for 2011, the states reported 49.97 lakh tonnes of sand
mining which environment ministry officials off the record said was gross
under-reporting.
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Indian girls edge out England to win bronze
For once, the nerves failed the opposition. And the Indian womens hockey
team took full advantage of it, finishing on the podium of the junior World Cup
for the first time, defeating England 3-2 on penalties in the bronze-medal
play-off.
In fact, this is the maiden success for the Indian womens hockey team,
across age groups, at the world level. Their best before this was a fourth
place finish, at the 1974 World Cup and the 1980 Olympics.
It was also the culmination of Rani Rampals success who, after promising so
much in her maiden international outing three years back, fell by the wayside
because of fitness issues. Rani scored the lone goal in the match and twice in
the shootout. The teams were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
The extent of pressure can be gauged from the fact that of the total 16
strokes taken, only five were converted. But where Navneet Kaur managed to
keep control of her second shot after wasting the first, Anna Toman failed.
Credit is also due to goalkeeper Bigan Soy, who stepped on the turf for the
first time in the tournament in the shootout. If ever there was a case of
keeping nerves, this was it. And Soy came out a winner, like the rest of the
team.
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Health Ministry may file review plea
Kumari Selja asks Azad to keep her in the loop
The Centre is exploring various options, including filing a review petition, to
defend the governments reservation policy following a major set back last
month when the Supreme Court ruled against reservation in appointment of
faculty in speciality and super-speciality courses in engineering and medical
colleges, including those at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
A five-judge Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir endorsed
the views expressed in 1992 by a nine-judge Constitutional bench in the Indra
Sawhney case, popularly known as the Mandal case, and said there had to be
certain cases where merit alone will count. It said that the very concept of
reservation implies mediocrity.
One option with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is to file a review
petition before the same Bench, or even enacting a law in Parliament as
reservation in employment is by executive orders under Article 15 (4) of the
Constitution, unlike reservation in admissions which under Article 15 (5) has

to be by law of Parliament (as in the Central Educational Institutions) or of

State legislature.
So disturbed is the government with the order that Social Justice and
Empowerment Minister Kumari Selja has written to Union Health and Family
Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad saying that judgment affects the
interests of the Scheduled Castes and other weaker sections of the society."
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Customs website defaced
A Pakistani hacker defaced the website of the Customs Department
functioning from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The website
www.igiacustoms.gov.in which was defaced on Friday, continued to host
the defaced homepage even on Sunday.
According to the defaced homepage, a Pakistani hacker who uses the handle
H4$N4!N H4XOR managed to break into the server, remove the contents on
the homepage and uploaded an image as well as an audio file of a song. The
hacker had also challenged the website administrators with a threat. Secure
it or I hack it again.
A who is search on registry.gov.in reveals that the site is registered in the
name of Joint Commissioner of Customs functioning from IGI Airport,. K.
Srinivas Reddy
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MP Act may come handy in sharing resources
The M.P Reorganisation Act, 2000 has adequate safeguards built into the
legal framework with regard to sharing of water and power
Contrary to apprehensions over sharing of water and electric power by the
proposed Telangana and Seemandhra States, there would be a system in
place for ensuring a fair distribution and a remedial mechanism to address
concerns.
A reading of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, enacted when
Chhattisgarh was carved out and which could be a model for the bifurcation
of Andhra Pradesh, shows that adequate safeguards are built into the legal
framework.
For instance, the Act makes a mention of how the Central government could
step in and give direction where it appears to it that arrangement in regard
to generation or supply of electric power or supply of water for any area or in
regard to the execution of project for such generation or supply has been or is
likely to be modified to the disadvantage of that area by reason of the
formation of successor States.
Centres role

In such scenario, the Centre after consultation with the two States in fact
could give such direction before the appointed day. It is the day on which
the Central Government through a notification appoint, the formation of the
new State, defined as transferred territory in the Act. In Madhya Pradeshs
context, the territory was transferred from it to Chhattisgarh.
Another provision talks of the Centre determining within three months the
share of successor States in the entitlement of the existing State to power
produced by it.
When it comes to water sharing, the Act mentions about constitution of Inter
State River Water Board by the Centre, if it considers necessary and after
consultation with the two States, for planning and development of inter State
rivers and river valleys.
The Board would examine the requirement of funds for various projects in
accordance with their schedule of work and advise apportionment of the
expenditure to the State.
The Board would decide the sharing and withdrawal of water from the
reservoirs for irrigation, power and other purposes besides determining the
programmes for resettlement of displaced persons, apart from discharging
other functions.
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Jaisalmer SP shunted out
For taking on Rajasthan Congress MLA's father
Even as the nation debates the suspension of Uttar Pradesh official Durga
Shakti Nagpal for taking on the sand mafia in Noida, the transfer of an IPS
officer in Rajasthan has caused indignation in the State. But the State
government is playing down the incident.
Superintendent of Police (Jaisalmer) Pankaj Chaudhary was shifted to the post
of Commandant, Police Training School, Kishangarh (Ajmer), in a Statewide,
pre-election shuffle of police officers on Friday. It has been alleged that Mr.
Chaudhary was shunted out for reopening a 48-year-old history sheet of
Ghazi Fakir, father of Congress MLA from Pokhran Saleh Mohammad.
But the government has termed the transfer part of a regular administrative
process. This was done as part of the transfers of 49 IPS officers on
August 2. It was done in the interests of the State and had no relation to
anything else whatsoever, Home Minister Virendra Beniwal said here on
Sunday.
Traders observed a bandh in Jaisalmer on Sunday to protest the transfer. Mr.
Chaudhary himself, however, did not say much about the incident.

These are government orders, and I am abiding by them. The government

can always decide if a particular officer is to be retained or transferred, he
told The Hindu .
Asked whether the transfer was triggered by the reopening of Ghazi Fakirs
history sheet, he said: Maybe. Older residents allege that Ghazi Fakir, an
extremely influential leader in and around Jaisalmer, was engaged in
smuggling and other unlawful activities along the India-Pakistan border
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Army to get simulated laser guided firing system
The Army plans to procure about 2,000 pieces of a simulated laser guided
firing system for use by the 55 armoured regiments that operate Russian
origin T-72 and T-90 tanks, and 45 mechanised infantry regiments that use
Russian BMP infantry combat vehicles.
The system will be fitted on Main Battle Tank Arjun too.
Such equipment would be used in simulated war conditions and in practice
ranges. Instead of real fire, laser beams will hit the adversary tank,
immobilising it, the sources said.
Instead of real fire, the laser beams will hit the adversary tank and immobilise
it
The high-tech laser guided systems would be procured and installed in the
next four years
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NSEL suggests options to meet settlement obligations
The National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL), a leading commodity exchange
in the country, on Sunday said that it would be giving options to bulk buyers
and sellers to settle their large quantum of pay-in and pay-out (outstanding)
obligations.
The Exchange suspended trading and merged the settlement cycles of all one
day forward contracts (other than e-series contracts) on July 31 due to certain
abrupt structural changes in the market place leading to disruption.
This situation was aggravated by the loss of trading interest, due to
uncertainties leading to trade in-equilibrium, said the NSEL in a press
release.
Meanwhile a spokesperson of the NSEL said that discussions were still going
on with Forward Markets Commission (FMC) and the 21 entities which were
not adhering to the settlement cycle of the Exchange.
These meetings were aimed at ensuring avoidance of any incidence, which

may have consequential impact on larger market, said Anjani Sinha, MD &
CEO of the NSEL.
However, Mr. Sinha said that in case of declaration of default by any member,
which would lead to a long litigation process, options had been proposed and
the final decision would be taken after due consultation with all stakeholders.
As per the NSEL, in the first option, there were eight members / processors,
who were willing to pay as per the scheduled due date or even earlier. The
total amount pertaining to those members was Rs. 2181 crore.
There were 13 members / processors, who had offered to pay five per cent of
their total dues every week, if the same was agreed upon.
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NGT takes up common mans letter, issues notice to officials
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is all set to make government agencies
accountable for the quality of drinking water supplied by them.
Taking up a public spirited persons letter as suo motu, the tribunal issued
notice to the Tamil Nadu agencies to file replies. It was already conducting a
hearing on a suo motu matter related to illegal packaged drinking water units
based on a report published in The Hindu . Ram Chandra Srivastava in his
letter urged the NGT to take into consideration the quality of water supplied
by government bodies such as Chennai Metro Water and other local bodies in
the State.
Mr. Srivastava said: The packaged water units take care of only 10 per cent
of the water needs of the State whereas 90 per cent of the water needs are
met by government sources. It should be made mandatory that even
government sources should get food licence and maintain prescribed quality
of bottled drinking water. He requested the tribunal to make sure that the
drinking water supplied by government met the quality of the bottled water
in the larger interest of the public. After reading the letter, the Bench,
comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and Prof. R.Nagendran, observed: We are
satisfied that there is substance in the letter.
The Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, the
Managing Director of Chennai Metrowater and Chennai Metropolitan Water
Supply and Sewerage Board were declared parties in this case and issued
notices to them. The Bench also directed the officials to file a status report on
August 26.
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Bangladesh persuades tribals to return
Bangladesh authorities persuaded tribals from Chittagong Hill Tracts, who
have assembled on the south Tripura border, to return. The tribals fled from
their villages in Manikchari sub district of Khagrachari district after Bengali

settlers indiscriminately torched their houses, a Border Security Force (BSF)

official said. Chakma, Mog, Tripura and other tribes reside in these villages.
About 1,500 people crowded outside the barbed wire fence in eight points to
seek refuge in India, but were prevented from crossing over, officials said.
Reports said the incident was fallout of the kidnapping of a local political
leader allegedly by armed cadres of the United Peoples Democratic Front
that rejects the peace treaty of 1997 to end insurgency in the hill tracts. The
front terms the treaty as a sell out of rights and interests of tribals, popularly
known as Jumma people.
Some of the evacuees who talked to media across the fence alleged that
Bangladesh security forces didnt intervene to disperse the rampaging mob.
The tribals gathered near the fence along Korbuk and Sabroom subdivisions
in south Tripura. These were areas through which nearly 60,000 tribal
refugees entered India in 1986 after large scale atrocities committed by the
Bangladesh Army and Bengali settlers, and their precarious camp life ended
with signing of peace agreement, but back home they continued to face
unrest and anxiety.
A BSF official said security was augmented with deployment of additional
troops. A BSF chopper was pressed into surveillance exercise in the area.
Fresh exodus in the Tripura border caused concern for the Tripura
government. The State government had several deliberations with the Union
Home Ministry since Saturday evening, sources said.
Though prevented, BSF and local Indians provided evacuees food, water and
plastic sheets before Bangladesh officials reached out only on Sunday
afternoon. Two flag meetings between the BSF and the Border Guards,
Bangladesh occurred which made the tribals return to their villages. It has
been learnt that Bangladesh officials assured the tribals of security and
compensation for their losses.
Meanwhile, tribal organisations in Tripura expressed anger in view of the
current trouble in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
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Sunderbans children highly susceptible to diseases, says study
High levels of malnutrition, grossly inadequate public health network, the predominance of quacks and the difficult terrain have emerged as major
challenges to providing basic healthcare to children in the Sunderbans
archipelago, said Sunderbans Health Watch, a report published recently by
a research consortium funded by the Department for International
Development (DFID), United Kingdom.

While one-third of the children are chronically malnourished, they also face
the extra burden of morbidity and are more likely to fall ill than those in other
rural areas, according to the study by a group of researchers of the Institute
of Health Management and Research (IIHMR).
The IIHMR that comes under the Future Health System, a research
consortium funded by the DFID, U.K. had conducted the study on children
up to 6 years across 1,200 households in the delta.
The survey predicts that in a month, about 30,000 are likely to fall ill in the
islands. Nearly 26,000 children will require hospitalisation in a year, Barun
Kanjilal, the principal investigator of the research project pointed out.
The prevalence of diseases due to degradation of environment is much
higher in the children of the Sunderbans than in other places. About twothirds of the children are affected by respiratory, gastro-intestinal and skin
problems, said the report.
Other than the absence of institutional public health facilities, the research
pointed out that 85 per cent of children are being provided primary treatment
by rural medical practitioners (RMPs) whose expertise in dealing with
diseases is questionable.
Unqualified RMPs dominate this parallel market which obviously is a
potential threat to a childs health. But this scenario also offers an
opportunity for the government to tap the potential of the sector through
training and other innovative strategies, the report said.
Researchers have concluded that since parents have to sacrifice at least a
couple of days of wages or earning when they take children to a proper
health facility due to the topography of the region, they prefer these RMPs.
The researchers have suggested a multi-pronged strategy with a childfocused approach to plug the gaps in the healthcare system of islands that is
home to 45 lakh people.
About two-thirds of the children are affected by respiratory, gastro-intestinal
and skin problems
Unqualified RMPs dominate this parallel market which obviously is a
potential threat to a childs health
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Rouhani to form govt. of wisdom and hope
In the midst of parliamentarians, senior clerics, top officials and an array of
foreign dignitaries, Hassan Rouhani was sworn in as Irans new President on
Sunday.
A moderate cleric backed by the former President Mohammad Khatami and
the reformists, Mr. Rouhani has emerged as a unifying figure his

comprehensive victory in the June elections amid high turnout being widely
interpreted as an event that brought closure to the divisive and fractious
2009 presidential elections.
A regime insider, who is open to a constructive engagement with Irans
detractors in the West and elsewhere, Mr. Rouhani has unveiled the template
of his four years tenure in the presidential office, which commenced on
Saturday, when he was formally endorsed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei. During an hour-long ceremony on Saturday, Mr. Rouhani laid
out it his priorities: revival of the economy, removal of sanctions, political
stability and pursuit of a flexible foreign policy that is open to engagement.
The orientation of the administration is toward saving Irans economy,
interacting with the world constructively, and reviving morality, said the new
President.
Mr. Rouhani has been emphatic about promoting social cohesion and
inclusivity. On Sunday, he told Parliament that he would form a government
of wisdom and hope, where all Iranians would be represented. All of those
who voted, whether they voted for me, someone else, or even if they didnt
vote, all of them are Iranian citizens and have citizenship rights.
Championing gender rights, Mr. Rouhani pledged to advance womens rights
and freedoms, and discourage governmental interference in peoples lives.
However, he slammed sanctions as a counterproductive instrument adopted
by the West, which has impeded a breakthrough in talks. If you want an
adequate response, you shouldnt speak the language of sanctions, you
should speak the language of respect, said the President.
During the ceremony, there was sufficient symbolism about Tehrans
willingness to turn a new leaf in its dialogue with the West, in the form of
presence of Javier Solana who was extended a special invitation the
former foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU) who has vast
experience of conducting successful nuclear diplomacy with Mr. Rouhani,
Irans former chief negotiator during the nuclear talks.
Extrovert approach
For the first time, Iran has invited foreign guests for a presidential inaugural,
signalling Tehrans extrovert approach during the Rouhani presidency.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyed Abbas Araqchi said dignitaries from 52
countries and the U.N., including 10 Presidents, eight Vice-Presidents, two
Prime Ministers, three Deputy Prime Ministers, seven Parliament speakers, 11
Foreign Ministers and 13 other Ministers were present for the inaugural. VicePresident Hamid Ansari represented India at the ceremony. He was expected
to call on Mr. Rouhani, later in the evening.
Mr. Rouhani is expected to present his Cabinet line-up for endorsement to the
Majlis. Irans Press TV reported that the list of Ministers proposed includes

Mohammad Javad Zarif as the Foreign Minister and the experienced Bijan
Namdar Zanganeh as the Minster of Oil. Mahmoud Alavi has have been
designated as the Minister of Intelligence.
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China coastguard remains near disputed waters: Japan
Three Chinese coastguard ships on Sunday remained near disputed waters
around a set of islands controlled by Tokyo but claimed by both countries
after entering the contested zone a day earlier, Japans coastguard said.
Four Chinese coastguard vessels have stayed in the area in the past several
days, with three of them sailing into the territorial waters shortly after 5:00
pm (0800 GMT) on Saturday, the Japanese coastguard said.
It was the latest in a series of incursions by Chinese government ships in
recent months around the Senkaku islands, which Beijing claims as the
Diaoyus.
The dispute has been cited as a flashpoint that may even lead to armed
conflict between the Asian giants.
All the ships left the 12-nautical-mile band of waters by 11:00 pm, with three
sailing into the contiguous zone on Sunday, the agency said.
Contiguous waters are defined as a maritime zone adjacent to a countrys
territorial sea where a coastal state may exercise controls to prevent and
punish infringement of its laws.
The Japanese coastguard also said its vessels spotted a small yacht believed
to be of British registry raising the Chinese flag some 31 miles northwest of
one of the islands and later entering territorial waters shortly after 5:00 pm
Saturday.
Sailors of the yacht then threw a buoy with what the agency described as a
red flag into the water and left the area, it said.
First entry
The incidents followed the first entry by ships since Beijing combined several
agencies under the coastguard flag last month, a development that observers
said would involve the arming of more crew.
Observers say the presence of a large number of official vessels, some of
them armed, increases the likelihood of a confrontation since a minor slip
could quickly escalate.
The islands are located in rich fishing grounds and are believed to harbour
vast mineral reserves below their seabed. AFP
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Africa, West differ over Mugabes victory; MDC running out of

options
Stark differences between western and African responses to Robert Mugabes
seventh straight win in Zimbabwes presidential elections have revealed the
pitfalls of the Oppositions strategy that relied on international pressure to
ensure a fair contest, and laid bare the friction between an assertive
continent and its former colonial overlords.
On Saturday, Mr. Mugabe and the ZANU (PF) won a landslide victory amidst
opposition allegations of fraud at every step from voter registration and
preparation of electoral rolls, to printing of ballot papers and the voting itself.
Observer missions from the African Union (A.U.) and the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) stated that the irregularities of Zimbabwes
elections did not jeopardise the results. Western observers were not invited to
witness the polls.
South Africas President Jacob Zuma congratulated Mr. Mugabe on his win and
urged Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr. Mugabes rival, to accept the result as election
observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people.
In contrast, William Hague, Foreign Secretary of the U.K., expressed grave
concerns over the credibility of the elections; U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry said the United States does not believe that the results announced
today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people;
and Australias Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, called for a re-run of the
elections.
Now, Mr. Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are
running out of options.
Most African leaders have been fooled by the absence of bloodshed, for
them where there is no bloodshed, it means things are fair, said MDC
spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora, It is a fundamental misconception.
Mr. Mwonzora and the MDC approached precisely those African leaders in
June when Zimbabwes Supreme Court decreed that the election be held in
six weeks on July 31. The MDC protested and asked SADC to put pressure on
Mr. Mugabe to delay the election to allow for a fair contest.
SADC simply said go back to Zimbabwe, we recommend a two-week
extension, said Mr. Mwonzora, We couldnt say to SADC we are not taking
your advice.
Vindicated
Mr. Mugabe bowed to SADCs wishes and approached the court, which
declined to extend the date. The courts have said the elections must take
place. And so do we listen to the courts? Or do we not listen to the courts?

said the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, at a press conference in Geneva.I thought a lot of you have always
been talking to us about the rule of law and respect for the judiciary.
ZANU (PF) leaders maintain that they won the elections fairly and feel
vindicated by the SADC and AU reports.
We had to work hard after we were humiliated in 2008, said Saviour
Kasukuwere, a ZANU (PF) Minister, referring to the previous election in which
Mr. Tsvangirai polled more votes than Mr. Mugabe but pulled out of a run-off
when his supporters 200 people were killed by security forces. SADC
intervened to form a fractious unity government with Mr. Mugabe as
President and Mr. Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.
They [MDC] think elections are a Christmas party where people come
bearing gifts, Mr. Kasukewere said. After the 2008 debacle, his party went
into campaign mode right away and recruited voters, amplified their
manifesto and revived their grass-roots organisation. The MDC, he claims,
took their eye off the ball.
Yes, ZANU (PF) was in campaign mode from 2008, but we had no answer
because they closed off the media to the MDC. The Prime Minster Tsvangirai
appeared on national television four times in four years, Mr. Mwonzora
responded, The MDC concentrated on running the country.
The MDC now fears that the A.U. and the international community shall turn
their attention to the next big crisis. African leaders are sick and tired of the
Zimbabwe issue, he said, To them it is disposal of a problem that has
occupied them for so long.
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Russia-China conduct military drill
Russia and China flagged off their regular anti-terrorist war games in Russias
Urals region on Saturday seen by experts as preparations for a local military
conflict in Central Asia.
The Peace Mission 2013 drill in the Chebarkul military training area 1,700
km east of Moscow involves 1,500 troops and more than 250 units of military
hardware, including 20 aircraft and helicopters.
China has dispatched over 600 personnel as well as tanks, armoured
personnel carriers, reconnaissance vehicles, self-propelled guns, JH-7A
fighter-bombers and helicopters to participate in the drill, which will continue
till August 17.
Joint military exercises held since 2005 alternatively in Russia and China
within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are
invariably described as anti-terrorist, but in reality go far beyond their official
agenda.

Though the scenario of the drills in Chebarkul typically provides for the
destruction of large terrorist gangs, the weapons and equipment involved
suggest preparations for a full-scale local war on land, said analyst Vasily
Kashin of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and
Technologies.
The drills are aimed at training for joint operations in case of a massive
destabilisation in Central Asia, Mr. Kashin said.
It is particularly important to prepare for this negative scenario today, when
the United States and NATO are poised to sharply reduce their presence in
Afghanistan in 2014, he said, pointing to the risks of destabilisation in
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
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Australian miner fined for desecrating Aboriginal site
An Australian mining firm was convicted on Friday of desecrating a sacred
outback Aboriginal site in the first ruling of its kind aimed at protecting one of
the worlds oldest surviving cultures.
OM (Manganese) Limited, an Australian subsidiary of Singapore-based OM
Holdings Limited, was fined Aus$150,000 (US$133,600) for damaging the
spiritual significance of an Aboriginal rock site at Bootu Creek, north of
remote Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.
OM Manganese had previously been convicted of physically damaging the
site when an outcrop known as the Horses Head was dislodged due to
nearby blasting activities in 2011.
It triggered a rockslide at the spot, known in English as Two Women Sitting
Down, that saw some 17,000 cubic metres of ore, soil and vegetation
collapse into the mine pit effectively wiping out one half of the site, which
had a cultural history stretching back thousands of years.
In a historic ruling, Darwin magistrate Sue Oliver on Friday ruled that the
damage amounted to desecration and fined OM, in the first successful
prosecution under Australias sacred sites laws.
The defendant company made decisions that involved the sacred site that
favoured business and profit over the [cultural protection] obligations they
had, said Mr. Oliver, accusing OM of wilful blindness to the potential for
damage.
The local Kunapa people said the sites destruction had forever disrupted
their relationship with the land and its mythology or dreaming.
According to the Kunapa, two female creation ancestors named Bilgara and
Kaladaku a marsupial rat and bandicoot fought over bush tucker, or
native food, at the Bootu Creek site and their blood spilled over the rocks,
turning them the rich red of manganese ore.

The Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, the statutory body responsible for
overseeing sacred sites in the Northern Territory that brought the case
against OM Manganese, welcomed the historic ruling.
OM Holdings said it had contested the desecration charge on the basis that
the damage was unintentional, but it accepted Mr. Olivers ruling.
Most disadvantaged
Aborigines, the most disadvantaged Australians, are believed to have
numbered around one million at the time of British settlement in 1788. There
are now just 470,000 out of a total population of 23 million.
Theirs is one of the worlds oldest continuous cultures, with genetic studies
showing Aboriginal Australians are descended from the first people to leave
Africa up to 75,000 years ago and rock art dating back tens of thousands of
years.
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Talking robot leaves for space station
Japan launched a cargo-carrying rocket on Sunday loaded with supplies for
the crew of the ISS, along with a small robot meant as a companion for one of
the countrys astronauts.
A small talking robot accompanied Sundays mission. The android is designed
to act as a chatting companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is set to
arrive at the space station later this year.
Standing at just 34 cm tall and weighing about one kg, Kirobo is programmed
to communicate in Japanese and keep records of its conversations with Mr.
Wakata, who is the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS.
The black-and-white humanoid robot, wearing bright red boots, displayed its
communication skills in June: This may look a small step, but it will be a big
stride as a robot, Kirobo told reporters.
Kirobo will remember Mr. Wakatas face so it can recognise him when they
reunite up in space, its inventor TomotakaTakahashi told AFP. He will be the
first robot to visit the space station.
The robot, which has a wide range of physical motion, will also play a role in
some missions, relaying messages from the control room to the astronaut.
Sending the android to space is part of a study aimed at seeing how a nonhuman companion can provide emotional support for people isolated over
long periods.
Back on earth, twin robot Mirata will be on the lookout for any problems
encountered by its electronic counterpart, which was inspired by the
legendary animation character Astro Boy. AFP

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Huge protests against Thailand amnesty bill
Hundreds of Thai protesters gathered in Bangkok to rally against the
government and former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra today amid worries over
the potential for fresh unrest in the politically-turbulent country.
Brandishing Thai national flags as well as the yellow emblem of the countrys
monarchy, demonstrators milled around restaurant carts and memorabilia
stalls set up at the protest site in a central Bangkok park.
Organisers of the self-styled Peoples Army rally a coalition of ultraroyalist and nationalist groups addressed the crowd from a stage, calling
for the end of the current government and slamming its self-exiled figurehead
Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra.
It is time for Thai people who love the country to unite and become a
peoples army to overthrow the Thaksin regime, one of the groups key
leaders, retired general Preecha Iamsuwan, told the rally.
Despite initial concerns over the potential for unrest in Bangkok, which has
suffered several bouts of political violence in recent years, security forces
kept a low profile at the event.
Police put the number of demonstrators at 1,500 with up to 4,000 expected
by late on Sunday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr. Thaksin
Shinawatras sister, on Saturday expressed worry that the rally could lead to
violence.
The Thai government has already invoked a special security law to control the
protests, with more than 1,600 police were deployed on Saturday to protect
key government buildings and thousands put on standby.
Thailand has been riven by political tensions since the overthrow of Mr.
Thaksin Shinawatra who lives abroad but still draws loyalty among the
kingdoms poor, rural working class.
Demonstrations, often involving bloodshed, have become a feature, with
ultra-royalist nationalist Yellow Shirts and their pro-Thaksin Red Shirt foes
both taking to the streets. In 2010 two months of Red Shirt protest against a
previous government brought much of Bangkok to a standstill and culminated
in a bloody military crackdown. Some 90 people were killed in the unrest,
with around 1,900 injured.
Sundays protesters are targeting a government-backed bill, due to enter
Parliament on August 7, which proposes an amnesty for those involved in
political violence since the coup that toppled Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra nearly
seven years ago. AFP
The bill proposes an amnesty for those involved in political violence since the

coup that toppled Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra.

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