Vegetables centre comes up in Haryana with Israeli help

2011-01-17 23:10:00

Chandigarh, Jan 17 (IANS) Aiming to give a boost to agriculture in Haryana, a centre of excellence for vegetables has come up at Gharaunda town in the state's Karnal district, with support and expertise of Israel.

This centre was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Monday.

This centre, which is part of the India-Israel bilateral agreement on agricultural cooperation that was signed in 2006, has been set up at a cost of Rs.6 crore.

'Besides this centre of excellence for vegetables, another centre of excellence for fruits is being set up at village Mangyana in Sirsa district at a budget of Rs.9.7 crore. Haryana farmers have the capacity to meet the growing demand of vegetables and fruits of Delhi market,' Pawar said on the occasion.

'The two projects would empower the farmers with modern technology to increase the yield. It would also help them in ameliorating their economic status,' added Pawar.

Pawar said that a third centre of excellence for flower, with Israeli support, will be established at Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar in the coming months.

Israeli Ambassador to India Mark Sofer also attended the inauguration ceremony.

'This excellence centre set up in Haryana would serve as model for farmers from throughout the region. I must stress that this is not the end of the story. Work is going on towards the establishment of more such excellence centres and the sky is the limit,' said Sofer.


http://www.sify.com/news/vegetables-centre-comes-up-in-haryana-with-israeli-help-news-national-lbrxkoeicda.html

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/demandsupply-gap-behind-rising-prices-says-pawar/738850/ 

India plans use of Israeli spy sats for coastal surveillance

http://www.siasatepaper.com/SS/SS/2011/01/17/ArticleHtmls/17_01_2011_001_017.shtml?Mode=1

Published: Sunday, Jan 16, 2011, 16:35 IST
Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI  
Aiming to enhance surveillance capabilities along the coastline, India is planning to use Israeli spy satellites to keep an eye over its maritime boundary with Pakistan.
Under the plan, New Delhi is looking to use the spy satellite coverage over the maritime region off the coast of Gujarat near Kutch, the region which was used by the terrorists involved in the 26/11 terror attacks to enter India through the sea route, sources said.
A discussion in this regard between the two sides was held recently during the visit of a high-level Indian defence delegation to Israel, they added.
After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, cooperation between India and Israel in anti-terrorism efforts has been on the rise and New Delhi is taking Tel Aviv's help in securing its maritime and land borders with Pakistan.
Once in place, the planned system would help the sea-guarding agencies such as the navy and the Coast Guard to keep an eye over a large area and keep a check on the vessels moving through the region and also verify their identity, they said.
The satellites would also be used to forewarn the authorities in case of any suspicious movement of ships or smaller vessels moving from Pakistan towards India.
With the satellites covering all the suspicious routes which the terrorists can possibly use in future, it will help the navy and the Coast Guard to locate, check, and if necessary, destroy such vessels.
The navy is going to commission its squadron of its Israeli Searcher and Heron unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tomorrow at Porbandar in Gujarat for enhancing its capabilities to tighten the vigil over the maritime traffic there.
India has a over 7,500-km long coastline, which was not well-guarded till recently and after the Mumbai attacks, several steps are being taken by the Centre to plug the gaps in coastal security.
With an increased threat perception, the government has sanctioned procurement of equipment including fast attack craft, offshore patrol vessels and reconnaissance aircraft for the navy and the Coast Guard.
The navy is also raising a new force called the Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) to protect naval bases and the coastline areas.
The SPB will be deployed to carry out shallow water operations in both day and night for seaward anti-terrorist patrols for security of naval assets, besides interception at high speeds and perform search and rescue operations.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_india-plans-use-of-israeli-spy-sats-for-coastal-surveillance_1495207

PRESS INVITATION:FIRST ASIA TO GAZA CARAVAN RETURNS TO INDIA

ASIAN PEOPLE'S SOLIDARITY FOR PALESTINE -- INDIA LIFELINE TO GAZA

PRESS INVITATION

MEET THE FIRST EVER INDIAN ACTIVISTS TO ENTER GAZA, PALESTINE!!

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malayasia, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, UK

Venue: Press Club of India, Raisina Road, New Delhi - 110 001

Time: 2.45 pm

Date: January 10, 2011/Monday

Chased by Israeli warships and warplanes in the Meditteranean Sea... held hostage in a cargo ship off Egypt without passports.. the amazing story of grit and determination of more than a 120 activists from 17 Asian countries, over 50 of them from India alone, who entered Gaza (Palestine) last week after a historic month-long 8,000-km bus-ride through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

With them, they took life-saving medical equipment, food items, clothes and other aid worth $1 million, weighing 170 tons, for the people of Gaza who continue to suffer unspeakable hardship for nearly five years under the illegal blockade imposed by the Israeli-US regimes.

  

Through its journey, the caravan was greeted by tens of thousands of people and their leaders that included, among others, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmednijad, Hamas chief Khalid Mishal and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haaniya.

  

You are cordially invited to meet the delegates at the press conference and share their experience through our testimonies, as well as their rich collection of videos and photographs that documented the historic journey.

  

The activists included a diverse range of representation from the civil society -- Magsaysay Award winner social activist Sandeep Pandey, West Asian expert and peace activist Feroze Mithiborwala, Gandhian activist Suresh Khairnar, trade union leader Ashim Roy, noted journalist Ajit Sahi, student activists from Vidyarthi Bharati in Mumbai, and students from JNU and Jamia Millia. The Indian delegates hailed from UP, Punjab, Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jharkhand, among others.

  

SQR ILYAS, Spokesperson, All India Muslim Personal Law Board

ZAFARUL ISLAM KHAN, Editor, Milli Gazette,

ANIL CHAUDHARY, President, Insaaf

ANAND SWAROOP VERMA, Editor, Teesri Duniya

KISHOR JAGTAP, Vice-President, Awami Bharat

GAUHAR IQBAL, President, Palestine Solidarity Forum

BIRAJ PATNAIK, Right to Food Activist with Supreme Court commission

TASLEEM RAHMANI, President, Muslim Political Council of India

ASLAM KHAN, Vice-President, AISA

SHEHEEN, Solidarity Youth Movement

BISHRUDDEN SHARQI, ex-President, Students' Islamic Organisation

BADAR KHAN, Student, Jamia Millia Islamia

KHUSHBOO KUMARI, Student, JNU

MOHAMMAD IRFAN, General Secretary, Subjects Association, Nelson Mandela Centre, Jamia Millia

SALEEL CHEMBAYIL, Student, Jamia Millia

POOJA BADEKAR, President, Vidyarthi Bharati

ARIF KAPADIA, President, Marathi Bharati

http://mulnivasibharat.blogspot.com/2011/01/fwd-press-invitation-first-asia-to-gaza.html 

Asian Solidarity Brings Aid To Gaza

By Saleh Hasan

GAZA, Jan 4 (Bernama) - A month after embarking on its mission, the "Asia 1" aid convoy arrived in Gaza on Monday in an attempt to break the Israeli embargo on the Palestinian enclave.

The convoy comprised 112 members from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Japan, Kuwait and New Zealand.

They entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing after their flotilla docked at the Egyptian Al-Aresh Port.

Upon arrival at the Rafah crossing, Palestinian officials and people crowded around to welcome the convoy which started its long trip from India on Dec 2 to Syria and finally sailed to Egypt .

The group succeeded in bringing 1,000 tonnes of food supply, medicines and children's toys.

Their arrival coincided with the second anniversary of Israel's three-week offensive on Gaza that began on Dec 27, 2008.

During their visit in Gaza, the pro-Palestinian group visited the headquarters of the Palestinian parliament destroyed during the war.

At the headquarters of the International Red Cross in Gaza, the Asian activists attended a protest along with the families of Gazan prisoners calling for the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel's jails.

They chanted slogans and held placards, which among them, read "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves".

They also visited families of Palestinians who were killed during the assault to show their solidarity with them.

Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian committee on breaking the siege, Ahmed Youssef greeted the convoy members and expressed the Palestinians' appreciation for their humanitarian effort.

"We highly appreciate your effort and we extend our thanks to your governments," he said when addressing the delegation.

Fayrouz Mesbrola from India, who was leading the "Asia 1" convoy, told a news conference that the mission was aimed at ending the inhumane siege of Gaza.

-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=554115

Shame on Egyptian Government !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1224353

The Hindu : News / International : Five Israeli naval ships tracking Asian aid ship

News » International 

DUBAI, January 3, 2011

   Five Israeli naval vessels are tailing the ship carrying humanitarian supplies from Asia to the besieged residents of Gaza.

         Speaking via satellite phone, Shaheen Moidunny, who is on board the ship Salam, told The  Hindu that Israeli ships had been tracking the movements of their vessel for the last six hours. Radio contact had been established with the Israeli navy. “We are only one hour away from the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, where the ship would be docked,” Mr. Moidunny said. He clarified that there were no plans to take the ship to Gaza. “All the humanitarian supplies would be taken overland from Al-Arish to the Rafa crossing on the Egyptian Gaza border,” he said.

   

           Mr. Moidunny said only eight persons were on board the aid ship, while the rest of the activists, from several Asian countries had been flown into Egypt from Syria.

            According to the Egyptian website Ahram Online, the “Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan” had remained stuck for nearly a week at the Syrian port of Latakia, before Egyptian authorities granted it permission to enter Al-Arish port. Activists from more than 15 countries, the majority of whom are Indians ,but also include nationals from Iran, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Kuwait are participating in this initiative

           The convoy, which set off from New Delhi on December 2, was scheduled to reach Gaza by December 27, a day ahead of the second anniversary of Israel's 22-day war on Gaza.

          Earlier, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the Egyptian embassy in Damascus had issued visas to 120 activists, but had denied entry to another 46 hailing from Jordan and Iran. Some of the aid material, including 10 generators donated by Iran, were not allowed on the ship, and the size of the cargo was kept below 300 tonnes.

Keywords:

The Hindu : News / International : Five Israeli naval ships tracking Asian aid ship

Asian aid convoy reaches Gaza Strip

An aid convoy carrying food and medical supplies for the besieged Palestinians, as part of an Asian aid mission, has arrived in the Gaza Strip.

The Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan, (Asia 1) entered the coastal strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Monday.

Some 105 human rights activists gathered at the crossing. Most of them flew to Egypt from Syria. And eight activists arrived at the Egyptian port of El Arish onboard a ship.

Egyptian authorities had prevented Iranian activists with the convoy from entering Egypt.

The convoy had travelled 7,000 kilometers, but was stuck in Latikia, in the northwest of Syria, for more than a week awaiting Egypt's permission.

The aid convoy started its journey in the Indian capital, New Delhi. It had passed through Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria to reach Egypt and finally the Gaza Strip.

The activists say they want to display solidarity with the Palestinian people in their resistance against Israel.

Tel Aviv has been enforcing an all-out land, aerial and naval blockade on the 1.5 million Palestinians in the enclave since mid-June 2007.

The embargo persists while Gaza is far from recovering from the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli war that claimed the lives of over 1,400 Palestinians, inflicting a damage of above $1.6 billion on the enclave's economy.

http://previous.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=158381&sectionid=351020202