MFN STATUS : INDIA DOWNPLAYS CONFUSING SIGNALS FROM PAK

India on Saturday downplayed the confusing signals from Islamabad over the grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to it even as the Pakistan Prime Minister backtracked saying Commerce Ministry has only been tasked by the Cabinet to move forward in bilateral trade negotiations.

Indian Foreign Secretary:Mr.Ranjan Mathai 

Asked about the confusing remarks from Pakistan government,Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai read out the statement by Pakistan Commerce Ministry after the Cabinet meeting which said, “It has the mandate to take forward the process of normalisation of trade relations between India and Pakistan, which would culminate in the observance of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle in its true spirit”.

“According to the information available through the Pakistan government, the Cabinet has approved the process of normalisation of trade relations of which MFN is a part. The actual implementation would be a culmination of the normalisation process which could take some time,” he said.

Backtracking on the issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza  Gilani has said the Commerce Ministry has only been tasked by the Cabinet to move forward in bilateral trade negotiations.

His statement came three days after Pakistan Information Minister Firdous Awan announced following a Cabinet meeting that it has been decided “unanimously” to grant MFN status to India. 

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Srikumar Banerjee on Friday expressed the hope that the Union government's committee of experts and the Tamil Nadu government's panel of its nominees and spokespersons of the Kudankulam area would hold their first meeting “as early as possible” to resolve the issue of agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.

 (AEC) Chairman Srikumar Banerjee

After holding discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Debendranath Sarangi for over an hour at the Secretariat here, Dr. Banerjee told journalists that the convenience of members of the committee of experts had to be ascertained before fixing the date of the meeting. He and Mr. Sarangi, in their discussion, had worked out the modalities of the meeting.

Describing his meeting with Mr. Sarangi as meaningful, the AEC chairman said seismicity, tsunami, radiation around the plant, effect on livelihoods of people, fisheries and safety of the plant were issues that could be addressed scientifically.

Fears allayed

Dr. Banerjee stressed that people's fears had to be allayed. “It is a psychological issue. That is why it is not something to be rushed through. We have to, with patience, understand the real issues.”

All issues raised in the media could be addressed adequately. What was more important was that the issues had to be addressed in such a manner that the people would be able to understand and this should be done with credibility.

Examining safety

Safety issues regarding the first and second units of the project had been examined in detail. The environment impact assessment (EIA) was carried out in respect of the two units. In the case of the two additional units proposed, the EIA study was done recently.

Asked whether he would meet Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Chairman replied that he had made a request. He was hopeful of meeting her at the appropriate time. However, the need for meeting her did not arise now. He hastened to add that the Chief Minister was aware of what was happening


“Kudankulam plant safe, no need to worry

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, R. Chidambaram, on Friday sought to allay fears over the safety of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, saying it was absolutely risk-free and designed to be safe from calamities including tsunami.

Speaking on sustainable development and energy security during the 18th Foundation Day celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) at Pallikaranai, he said the government had carried out many programmes to create awareness among the people about the project's safety and that it would continue to do so.

He said the site was located at a place where there was no tsunami risk. “There will be no problems to fisherman or marine life,” he said. He contended that building more nuclear reactors in India was the only way out of problems in countries like India which, along with China, was an “energy-stressed nation.”

The VVR 1000 reactors built with Russian support were of new design and latest technology. “There are already 16 reactors in Russia and nine outside it. Two days ago, Bangladesh entered into an agreement with Russia to construct two similar reactors at Rupur,” Mr. Chidambaram said.

Referring to a recent report in Current Science journal, he said that by 2070, India would need 3,400 Terawatt hours per year, but the total potential of all renewable energy sources was only 1,229 TWh/year. As fossil fuels would be exhausted, renewable sources alone would not be sufficient for meeting the country's needs.

Commitment

In September this year, six months after the Fukushima disaster, many nations, including Canada, China, Russian Federation and the United Kingdom, had declared their commitment to continued support to nuclear power generation during a general conference of International Atomic Energy Agency at Vienna.

South Korea had taken a quantum leap in the net generation of power from nuclear reactors and India too desperately needed large nuclear power inputs.

He elaborated that from any energy producing system, a part would go to small towns and villages which in turn would get better drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and primary health care centres and all of them would have an impact on health parameters.

Energy security

Stating that energy security was the principal driving force of water, food and health security, Mr. Chidambaram said that attracting young people to careers in science and technology related to sustainable development and national and international collaborative research, technology development and innovation using the emerging e-infrastructure as required would lead the path towards sustainable development and energy security.

He had a word of praise for NIOT which was the only civilian institute in the country for research, development and technology demonstration in the area of ocean research with wide-ranging interests and world class facilities. He also handed over prizes to staff who had won in various competitions. M.A. Atmanand, Director, NIOT, welcomed the gathering and B.R. Subramaniam, Project Director Integrated Coastal and Marine Management, proposed a vote of thanks.

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Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India, R. Chidambaram, sought to allay fears

“Site located at a place where there is no tsunami risk” 

PEOPLES SAARC TO DISCUSS DEMOCRACY HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES 

Political leaders, historians, writers, human rights activists and representatives of people’s movements will share the dais at the People’s SAARC 2011, a two- day meeting of social action groups and rights organisations from various countries in South Asia beginning here on November 8 under the auspices of the Union of South Asian Peoples.

The meeting, timed to precede the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) Summit to be held in the Maldives on November 10 and 11, is scheduled to discuss issues of democracy and human rights with special focus on people’s struggles and security legislation in South Asia. It will also focus on trade and livelihood issues, women’s role in people’s movements, de- militarisation and de- nuclearisation, natural resources and people’s movements and rebuilding the labour movement in the region. Other major concerns and topics to be discussed include exclusion, discrimination, oppression; and tolerance, syncretism and secularism.

Prominent personalities like political leader Mani Sankara Iyer, historian Dr. K.N.Panicker, former minister Binoy Viswom, leader of the National Alliance of People’s Movements Prafulla Samant Rai, spokesman of the Anti POSCO movement Prashant Paikaray, Manipuri human rights lawyer Babloo Loingtam are among those scheduled to address the parallel summit.

A press note issued by the organisors said SAARC had proved itself to be nothing more than a forum for governments to posture against each other or put in place agreements to serve the interests of the corporate world and vested interests. The grouping, it said, had lost sight of its stated objective to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia with emphasis on collective self-reliance.

“SAARC has comprehensively failed to take up issues confronted by the people of this region, which is home to the largest number of the world’s working poor”, said T.Peter, member, organising committee of the parallel summit.

“People’s SAARC 2011 will seek to address the question of peoples’ movements and their struggles and will be a process that will seek toexpand and pro-actively bring on board mass organisations and socialmovements”, said Mr.Peter.

The programme will be held at the Mannam memorial National Club, Statue here.


MEGHALAYA TRIBAL AWARD FOR MANDELA 3 SCRIBES

Former South African President Nelson Mandela would be conferred the People's Parliament Global Award, a traditional tribal institution of Meghalaya announced here on Friday.

Mr. Mandela was chosen for the award because of his sacrifice for the struggle against apartheid, Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) chairman John F. Kharshiing told a press conference.

‘Ethical reporting'

Besides, three mediapersons — Aroon Purie, Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami — would be given the People's Parliament National Awards for their “unbiased, ethical and investigative reporting,” he said.

These awards, instituted by GCCM, would be conferred at a function to be held at Asananggre near Tura in West Garo Hills District on November 14, Mr. Kharshiing said.

Al Gore, earlier awardee

Earlier, former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore was conferred the People's Parliament Global Award for promoting awareness on climate change. — PTI