India’s President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil addresses the nation on the eve of the 59th Republic Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Reminding the nation to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s pledge of “wiping every tear in every eye”, President Pratibha Patil today regretted that the benefits of a surging economy have not percolated to weaker sections.

In her maiden Republic Day address to the nation, the President also called for strong measures to remove corruption and collective action to combat terrorism.

“Our efforts and our commitment, while pursuing the goal of high growth rates, should be to ensure that all people of our country benefit from it. Our pledge will remain unfulfilled until, as Gandhiji had said – we have wiped every tear in every eye,” Patil said in her address on the eve of 59th Republic Day.

The President said the country cannot look at the future without addressing the needs of under-privileged and disadvantaged sections of the society.

Referring to several flagship programmes like Bharat Nirman and Rural Health Mission, employment schemes in rural areas, she said their implementation “remains a challenge” and needed to be executed in a time-bound and transparent manner.

Warning that terrorism constituted a grave threat to the civilised world, the President said the continuing terror attacks were reminders of the need to take collective action. PTI

Five ethnic Indian activists, who were taken into custody for demanding better treatment for their community in Malaysia, have decided to go on a hunger strike in protest against their indefinite detention under a draconian security law.

The five men are leaders of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which had spearheaded a mass protest in November last year against the alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians in this country. The rally, which was declared illegal by the government, was attended by over 20,000 ethnic Indians.

The detainees will begin their fast in jail on Sunday and will drink only water for at least five days, lawyer N Surendran, who is representing one of the five men said today.

The five that their detention is illegal and claim that the government took them into custody for politically motivated reasons, according to the lawyer.

The activists, who were detained last month under the Internal Security Act, are accused of threatening public security and inciting racial hatred in this multi-racial nation.

Malaysia’s population of 27 million people comprises majority Malays who are all Muslims, 25 percent ethnic Chinese who are Buddhists and Christians, 7.8 per cent Indians who are mostly Hindus with origin from Tamil Nadu.

The Indians were brought here by the British almost 200 years ago as indentured labourers to work in plantations. While some of them left when India attained independence in 1947, many opted to stay back and settled here. PTI

Ahead of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s visit here, Britain today voiced interest in having civil nuclear cooperation with India but said any such collaboration will have to await changes in the international rules.

The nuclear issue is expected to figure in the talks that Brown will have with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Monday. The Summit talks will also cover the subjects of terrorism, climate change and business cooperation besides regional issues.

“Civil Nuclear cooperation (between India and the UK) is dependent on international status (of rules of trade),” British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg said while briefing journalists on Brown’s two-day maiden visit here.

Noting that Britain supports the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said the agreement will “open opportunities for collaboration which do not exist at present”.

However, Stagg said the “real opportunity for major India-UK collaboration will require changes” in the status of international rules which New Delhi “is trying to do” with the IAEA and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

As part of the Indo-US deal, India is engaged in talks with IAEA for a safeguards agreement, after which it will have to approach the NSG for changes in its rules to allow international community to have trade in the field with New Delhi.

The High Commissioner said the Brown government was keen on enhancing Britain’s nuclear capacity. “We see ourselves using international expertise,” he said, suggesting the scope for cooperation with India. PTI

A grave-digger allegedly involved in stealing human parts, including skull and bones, to sell them to a drug maker was arrested by police at Ponnani town in the district.

Kunjikilian (63) admitted of having opened up as many as five graves in the dead of the night to collect human parts, police said.

A skull, pieces of bone and other human parts were recovered by police in the search conducted at Kunjikkilian’s house close to the graveyard.

When questioned, Kunjikkilian admitted that he used to sell the body parts to a drug making firm in Kochi which used to sell its products as “wonder cure” for a host of ailments, they said.

Kunjikilian fell into the police net following investigations based on complaints from local people who saw the graves being dug up at Kotathara graveyard in Ponnani.

People living in the area had earlier complained of “mysterious movement” of strangers during the nights. PTI