NATIONAL POLITICS
NDA: *To mark first anniversary, government dishes out 'comprehensive' but unimpressive list of achievements (13 Oct).
*Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu taken in Cabinet (30 Sept).
*TC leader Mamata Banerjee resigns and then rolls back resignation (6 Oct).
BJP: *President Laxman launches his pro-Muslin line with mass rally at Kanpur but with poor Muslim attendance (15 Sept). BJP UP fails to establish links with UP Madarsas and Ulema. PM Vajpayee repeats Nagpur call at National Executive (1 Oct). RSS Chief Sudarshan endorses new line (7 Oct)' Laxman wrestles with Thackeray (15 Oct).
*BJP makes poor show in Gujarat municipal elections.
RSS: *Takes Vajpayee's clarification in its stride and reaffirms his status as Swayamsevak (18 Sept).
*Observes 75t anniversary at Nagpur (7 Oct).
*Holds major rally in Agra. Advani attends. Concluding Session with CSIR, DG Mashelkar (15 Oct). RSS leaders criticize policies and support Government.
*In various statements Sudarshan calls for Indian initiative to dismember Pakistan and for 'Indianisation' of Catholic Church and Hinduisation of Muslims which all evoke strong reaction (2 Oct). Draws flank from Muslims and Christian organisations as well as mass media (11 Oct).
VHP: *Demands ban on Tablighi Jamaat, Jamaat-e-Islami and SIMI (16 Sept). SIMI dares Government to ban it.
*Decides to mobilise cadre to deal with ISI threat (16 Sept).
*Threatens to withdraw support to BJP if temple consturction obstructed (4 Oct).
Congress: *UDF stages comeback in Kerala and Gujarat municipal polls.
*Salman Khurshid removed from UP Congress presidentship (19 Sept).
*Congress joins AIADMK and CPM at secular rally in Chennai (23 Sept).
CPM: *Derecognised as national party by E.C. (30 Sept).
*Expels Saifuddin Chowdhury, ex-MP (3 Oct).
Other Parties: *Samajwadi Party cautions Muslims against BJP's design (17 Sept), calls on NDA allies to snap ties (29 Sept). Criticises RSS demand for Indianisation of Church ( 12 Oct).
*Nationalist Congress Party declares BJP untouchable (3 Oct).
Corruption: *Ex-PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and ex-HM Buta Singh convicted in JMM bribery case (29 Sept) awarded 3 years R.I. (12 Oct) but allowed bail.
"CBI files FIR against Hindjuas in Bofors Case.
*AIADMK leader Jaya Lalitha sentenced to 3 years R.I. inTansi Case.
*CVF Vittal prescribes 9 point formula against politicalcorruption (25 Sept).
Human Rights: *NHRC notes rise in custodial deaths,particularly in UP (9 Oct).
*Awards compensation for hospital's negligence (24Sept).
Small States: *Movement to separate Vindhya Pradesh from MP launched (17 Sept).
*Campaign for separation of western UP (Harit Pradesh), Eastern' UP (Purvanchal) and Bundelkhand intensified with mass rallies.
Conversion: *US Ambassador Celeste calls on Laxman to seek clarification of RSS charge against foreign missionaries (11 Oct).
Infiltration: *AASU demands repeal of IM (DT) Act (29 Sept)
*338 Bangladeshis reportedly detained in Delhi, pending deportation (7 Oct).
Foreign Affairs: *India and USA reach higher level of understanding and cooperation (16 Sept).
*President Putin of USSR visits India (2 Oct). Signs agreeement on strategic cooperation.
*India maintains silence at Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
KASHMIR QUESTION
Political Development: *RSS intensifies trifurcation campaign (6 Oct).
*Advani rejects tripartite talks (16 Sept); Vajpayee asks Pakistan to stop dreaming of Kashmir (17 Sept).
*Farooq Abdullah links Muslims' future in India with Kashmir (20 Oct), reiterates internationalization of L.oC.
*Differences within Hurriyat and in Kashmir lobby abroad surface (20 Sept).
*A.G. Lone holds Convention of J&K People's Conference (8 Oct). Al Barq, militant wing, separates.
Administration: *International Golf Course Project in Srinagar completed at cost of 18 crores (6 Oct).
Atrocities: *Army Captain dismissed for rape (4 Oct).
*Jawans fire at Patan Market and kill IG's driver (17 Sept).
Census: *Militants oppose Census; operations come to halt in Valley (17 Sept).
Foreign Reaction - Russia: *Putin compares Kashmir with Chechenya; assures India of full support; proposes bilateral settlement but endorses Indian line (5 Oct).
EU: *4 senior diplomats visit Kashmir and call on Hurriyat leaders (25 Sept).
USA: *Joint Statement on PM's visit endorses Indian line (16 Sept).
France: *Acknowledges links between terrorists and Pakistan Army (5 Oct).
BABARI MASJID QUESTION
CBI Case: *Special Judge postpones hearing for framing of charges to 15 Nov. (16 Sept)
Liberhan Commission: *Kalyan Singh moves SC for transfer to Delhi H.C. of writ against Commission's notice (4 Oct).
RSS: *Leaders agree to wait for 'Central Government's nod' (13 Oct). Threatens Government
'consequences' for opposing construction (14 Oct).
*Sudarshan exchanges another letter with Shahabuddin (See Text).
VHP: *Scales down Mandir Model Yatra to Ayodhya (20 Sept).
*Threatens Central and State Governments if they impede construction (5 Oct).
BJP: *Laxman denies Mandir as poll issue in UP (17 Sept).
*UP President Kalraj Mishra does not rule out possibility (20 Sept). Dismisses VHP threat (4 Oct).
*GS.Katiyar reaffirms Mandir still on agenda (23 Sept). But wants out-of-court settlement.
*GS Anil Shastri commits BJP to accept judicial verdict (10 Oct). BMMCC Convener Shahabuddin writes to Shastri .:
*Advani performs Pooja at Sarnath to mark 10th anniversary of Ram Rath Yatra (25 Sept).
Congress: *Demands explanation from Government on VHP's construction plan (11 Oct).
OTHER MATTERS OF CONCERN
Jama Masjid: *Abdullah Bukhari appoints son Ahmad Bukhari as Imam of Jama Masjid; ignores Wakf Board, installation attended by Delhi CM and leaders of many political parties (14 Oct).
Communal Riots: *Communal riots in Mau (UP);Muslims harassed; town under curfew for weeks (9 Oct).
*Tension in Bihar Sharief; Government orders removal of idol from Wakf land (10 Oct).
*Mass rally in Mumbai demands punishment to the guilty of 92-93 Riots (24 Sept).
*Communal violence in Sojitra town in Gujarat (17 Sept) and Dariapur in Ahmedabad (1 Oct).
Terrorism: *Deendar Anjuman declared non-Muslim by JIH, AP and JUH (21 Sept).
*UP Government seeks ban on SIMI for subversive and terrorist activities. SIMI President denies involvement with ISI. UP CM unable to identify a single Madarsa which trains students for subversion (15 Oct).
Objectionable Book: *W. Bengal bans Bengali book with imaginary picture of Holy Prophet (28 Sept).
AMU: *Crisis unites university community (17. Sept).
Peace reigns in campus, Sir Syed Day observed with éclat.
Muslim organisations accuse UP Government.of communalizing situation.
Education: *UGC warns Universities against unapproved courses (15 Oct).
Other Minorities - Jains: *Rajasthan recognises Jains as minority (16 Sept). *Sikhs: Akhal Takhat bans printing of Guru Grath Saheb in non-Gurmukhi (4 Oct).
*Christians: *School attacked in Bulandshaher (28 Sept). *Buddhism: Tension in Farukhabad over origin of temple (14 Oct).
Minorities Rights: *US Commission holds inquiry into attack on religious minorities in India (16 Sept).
Indo-Pakistan Relations: *MQM Delegation visits India to inform Muslims about situation of Mohajirs in Pakistan (1 Oct). Altaf Hussain's statements criticizing Partition widely noted (see text).
*Track II diplomacy resumed in Delhi with Naik, Gujral and Amartya Sen (18 Sept).
Muslim World - Palestine: * Peace process breaks down over status of Jerusalem.
*Israel kills over 100 Palestinian youth and bombards Arab towns to curb stone-throwing. UN Security Council condemns Isracl (7 Oct). *Arab States worried over India's silence and proximity with Israel. *Pakistan: *JIP criticizes military regime. Pakistan minorities depose before US Commission (26 Sept). Pakistan accuses India of complicity in bomb blast in Islamabad (22 Sept) .*
Cyprus: *Turkey supports confederation for Cyprus.
*Afghanistan: *Shia leader Kalb-e-Sadiq calls Taliban anti-Islamic (22 Sept).
Commemoration: *788 Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti observed in Ajmer (29 Sept). Vajpayee and Sonia lay chadars.
Obituary: *Haji A.M. Ubaidullah, doyen of Muslim community in Tamilnadu, passes away (2 Oct).
