·WEDNESDAY,MARCH16,2011·

24 Pages G Rs. 4.00 ISSN 0971 - 751X City Edition Vol. 134 No. 64 Delhi www.thehindu.com Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 www.thehindu.in RNI No. 1001/57

BIG RISE IN BAHRAIN MARUTI’S SOUTH AFRICA RAPE CASES ON EDGE MILESTONE QUALIFIES PAGE 7 PAGE 14 PAGE 16 PAGE 17

Printed at , Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Madurai, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangalore, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata and Hubli • • ‘Cash for votes a way of Radiation spreading from crippled reactors Third blast at Fukushima Daiichi plant precipitates crisis political life in South ’ Hiroko Tabuchi, Keith Bradsher, David E. Sanger Politicians admit breaking election law: ‘yes, that’s the great thing about democracy’ & Matthew L. Wald TOKYO/HONG KONG/WASHING- Sarah Hiddleston Wherever Mr. Kaplan and cal temple and a community TON: Japan’s nuclear crisis his colleagues went, “journal- hall, he said. In his cable, Mr. verged toward catastrophe on CHENNAI: Politicians and their ists, politicians, and voters Kaplan summarised Karti’s Tuesday after an explosion aides in and And- spoke of the bribes as a com- position: “bribes are useful damaged a vessel containing hra Pradesh admitted to vio- monly accepted fact of the but not necessary to political the nuclear core at one reac- lating election law to election process.” success…bribes are one factor tor and a fire at another influence voters in the 2009 For example, during visits among many, along with the spewed large amounts of ra- polls through pay- to slums in Chennai and Hyd- quality of the candidate, the dioactive material into the ments in the form of cash, erabad, they “learned that strength of the party, and the air, according to the state- goods, or services, according poor urban voters expect po- issues. But he cautioned that ments of Japanese govern- to a revealing cable sent to the litical parties to pay come bribes alone will not prevail.” ment and industry officials. State Department by Freder- election time.” They were Anil Ambani, Karti is quoted (An AFP report said a mag- ick J. Kaplan, Acting Princi- told by a DMK political strat- as saying, “can’t win an elec- nitude 6.0 quake rattled To- FIRE & FEAR: The No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima pal Officer of the U.S. egist that “slums are critical tion just by paying people off. kyo late on Tuesday. The Daiichi nuclear plant at Minamisoma is seen Consulate-General in Chen- to a campaign because their It doesn’t work that way.” epicentre was located in Shi- nai. In conversations with a population density and pov- Candidates needed a strong zuoka prefecture, about 120 burning after a blast following the March 11 visiting consulate team, Karti erty allows them to be more party apparatus in order to km southwest of the capital.) quake-tsunami in this handout satellite image Chidambaram of the Con- ‘easily mobilized’ by bribes.” win elections, but “bribes can In a brief address to the na- taken on Monday. — PHOTO: DIGITAL GLOBE/REUTERS gress, M. Patturajan, confi- Representatives of a non- help put you over the top” in tion at 11 a.m. Tokyo time, dant of Union Minister for governmental organisation a close race. Prime Minister Naoto Kan been withdrawn, leaving 50 carry it. Readings reported on Chemicals and Fertilizers working in a Chennai slum “Worthy requests” by con- pleaded for calm, but warned or so workers in a desperate Tuesday showed a spike of ra- M.K. Alagiri and former May- said that “the two main polit- stituents were worth consid- that radiation had spread effort to keep the cores of dioactivity around the plant or of Madurai, and Member of ical parties in Tamil Nadu – ering, mused MIM’s Mr. from the crippled reactors three stricken reactors cooled that made the leakage cate- Parliament Assaduddin the DMK and the AIADMK – Owaisi in a separate conver- and there was “a very high with seawater pumped by gorically worse than it had Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Itten- regularly bribe voters.” They distribution adopted by the 2009 parliamentary election sation with consulate staff risk” of further leakage. For- firefighting equipment, while been, with radiation levels hadul Muslimeen spoke with- described a “sophisticated DMK in Thirumangalam: because the relevant Lok over a late dinner in Hyd- tunately, the prevailing winds the same crews battled to put measured at one point as high out inhibition about how operation” to distribute cash: “Rather than using the tradi- Sabha constituency was sev- erabad after a long day cam- were sweeping most of the out the fire at the No. 4 reac- as 400 millisieverts an hour. they, their principals, or their “Weeks before the elections tional practice of handing en times the size of the As- paigning. According to Mr. plume of radioactivity out in- tor, which they claimed to Even seven minutes of expo- parties made payments to agents of the parties come to cash to voters in the middle sembly seat. According to the Kaplan’s cable, Mr. Owaisi to the Pacific Ocean, rather have done just after noon. sure at that level will reach voters during the election the neighborhood with cash of the night, in Thirumanga- cable: “Azhagiri has been tried to make a distinction than over populated areas. That fourth reactor had the maximum annual dose campaign. carried in rice sacks. They lam, the DMK distributed forced to ratchet the payment between cash bribes given by The sudden turn of events, been turned off and was un- that a worker at a U.S. nuclear In a cable sent on May 13, have copies of the voter lists money to every person on the back down to more typical rivals and payments to voters after an explosion on Monday der refurbishment for plant is allowed. And expo- 2009 (206688: confiden- and they distribute the mon- voting roll in envelopes in- levels, but he still plans on by his own party: “One com- at one reactor and an early- months before the earth- sure for 75 minutes would tial), accessed by The Hindu ey based on who is on the serted in their morning giving it to every voter munity’s leaders asked Owai- morning explosion on Tues- quake and tsunami hit the likely lead to acute radiation through WikiLeaks, Mr. Ka- list.” The agents come in the newspapers. In addition to through the newspaper dis- si that day to dig them a well. day at yet another, the third plant on Friday. But the plant sickness. plan detailed the role and im- middle of the night, “between the money, the envelopes tribution method.” ‘So I sent one of my party in four days, at the plant al- contains spent fuel rods that In Tokyo, 170 miles south pact of money power in two and four in the morning, contained the DMK ‘voting Union Home Minister P. men back later in the day,’ he ready made the crisis at the were removed from the reac- of the plant, the metropolitan corrupting the electoral proc- when the Election Commis- slip’ which instructed the re- Chidambaram’s 2009 Lok explained, ‘to give them Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear tor, and experts guessed that government said on Tuesday ess, drawing from informa- sion is asleep.” cipient for whom they should Sabha election campaign in 25,000 rupees (approximate- Power Station the worst nu- the pool containing those that it had detected radiation tion gathered from a variety vote.” This, Mr. Kaplan Sivaganga was managed by ly 500 USD).’ Owaisi empha- clear accident since the Cher- rods had run dry, allowing the levels 20 times above normal of sources in the field: “Bribes ‘Can I get another noted, “forced everyone to his son. According to the ca- sized that he does not give nobyl reactor disaster a rods to overheat and catch over the city. In Ibaraki pre- from political parties to vot- morning paper?’ receive the bribe.” Mr. Pattu- ble, Karti Chidambaram spe- cash directly to voters, but quarter-century ago. fire. That is almost as danger- fecture, just south of Fukush- ers, in the form of cash, goods, In Madurai, “virtually ev- rajan , he wrote, “confirmed cifically denied paying cash rather funds worthy re- It diminished hopes earlier ous as the fuel in working re- ima prefecture where the or services, are a regular fea- ery conversation centred on the newspaper distribution for votes, “but not because of quests: ‘If they want a well, I in the day that engineers at actors melting down, because plant is located, the amount ture of elections in South In- the parliamentary candidacy method of handing out mon- any moral objection to doing give them the money, but the plant, working at tremen- the spent fuel can also spew of radiation reached 100 dia. Poor voters expect bribes of Mr. M.K. Azhagiri,” who ey, but questioned its effi- so. He does not pay cash for make sure they use it for the dous personal risk, might yet radioactivity into the atmo- times the usual levels. — New from political candidates, and according to Mr. Kaplan had ciency. He [Patturajan] votes in his rural constitu- well.’ On the same day, he succeed in cooling down the sphere. York Times News Service candidates find various ways “added money” to his “politi- pointed out that giving bribes ency because it is impossible also told us that he had paid most damaged of the reac- The two critical questions to satisfy voter expectations. cal muscle” and was “using it every voter wasted money on to distribute the money effec- 35,000 rupees (700 USD) to tors, No. 2, by pumping in sea over the next day or so are From paying to dig a commu- to a degree previously unseen committed anti-DMK voters, tively when the villages are pay for the marriage of an water. According to govern- how much radioactive mate- More reports on nity well to slipping cash into in Tamil Nadu.” His “confi- but conceded that it was an spread so far apart.” But “the orphaned girl. Owaisi con- ment statements, most of the rial is spewed into the atmo- Pages 12 & 14 an envelope delivered inside dant” Mr. Patturajan con- effective way to ensure the President of the Tamil Nadu trasted his practice of fund- 800 workers at the plant had sphere, and where the winds the morning newspaper, poli- firmed that cash payments cash reached every potential Youth Congress,” who is not ing projects for the ticians and their operatives were paid to voters by the persuadable voter”. named in the cable, told the community’s benefit with the admitted to violating election DMK to secure the Assembly S. Kannan, a mid-level Chennai Consulate-General Congress and Telugu Desam rules to influence voters. The seat in the January 2009 by- Congress party official in team: “Karti is doing a good parties, which Owaisi said money to pay the bribes election at Thirumangalam. Madurai, told consulate staff job in Sivaganga. He is dis- pay money to individual comes from the proceeds of “It is no secret at all, Azhagiri that “the 5,000 rupees per tributing some money to the voters.” fund-raising, which often paid 5,000 rupees per voter voter in Thirumangalam people, which his father Surprised by such candid crosses into political corrup- in Thirumangalam,” he is changed everything,” noting won’t do.” responses, the U.S. Consul- tion. Although the precise im- quoted as saying in the cable. that previous bribes to voters Karti Chidambaram ad- ate-General officials asked pact of bribery on voter In an instructive and en- had topped out at 500 rupees. mitted he “does give ‘a few Mr. Owaisi if donations like behavior is hard to measure, tertaining section titled ‘Can The cable reported that sops’ to villages that might be wells or marriage fees were it no doubt swings at least I get another morning pa- Mr. Patturajan expected diffi- on the fence about support- not illegal. “Of, course,” came some elections, especially the per?’ Mr. Kaplan explained culties in replicating the Thi- ing his father.” Most villages the reply, “but that’s the great close races.” the modus operandi for cash rumangalam model for the wanted a donation to the lo- thing about democracy.” BRIEFLY Sonia versus Kalam? Air India pilots U.S. Embassy official on the Congress ‘dilemma’ over Afzal Guru’s execution put off strike plan NEW DELHI: With the Delhi Mukund Padmanabhan sible execution. It says that moderate Kashmiri separa- High Court on Tuesday for Srinagar’s Muslim pop- tist leaders in the Valley. One restraining Air India pilots CHENNAI: The issue of execut- ulation, it “highlights con- Hurriyat leader told the Con- from going on strike on ing Mohammed Afzal Guru, cerns about the fairness of the sulate’s political officer that Wednesday, they decided sentenced to death in the Indian justice system and his faction was “remaining as to defer their action till 2001 Parliament attack case, failures in India’s longstand- quiet as possible because they March 31. This follows “may bring to light longstand- ing program to demobilize do not feel strongly that Indi- appointment of a three- ing animosity between Presi- and reintegrate surrendered an should pardon Afzal.” member committee by the dent [A.P.J. Abdul] Kalam militants [such as Afzal Gu- He said “moderate mem- Union Civil Aviation and Sonia Gandhi,” states a ru]”… For much of the public, bers of the Hurriyat are un- Ministry to examine the cable sent by the United commuting his sentence able to express this view wage parity issue. States Embassy in New Delhi would demonstrate India re- publicly, given the mood in to Washington in 2006. It mains weak in the face of at- the Valley and the threat from added that this was so “espe- tacks emanating from terrorists. He claimed that cially as a member of her own gress, just ahead of the “cru- Pakistan.” the controversy over Afzal party, [Jammu and Kashmir] cial” elections to the Uttar Guru had led to a loss of sup- Chief Minister [Ghulam Na- Pradesh Assembly in Kashmir factor port for moderates such as bi] Azad, has argued on Af- early-2007. It quotes un- It quotes Jammu and himself among Kashmiri zal’s behalf” — a possible named party sources as tell- Kashmir Liberation Front Muslims, “especially [among] reference to news reports ing the Embassy that if “the Chairman Yasin Malik as tell- a small but growing cadre of that Mr. Azad had pressed for UPA grants a pardon for Afzal ing a Consulate political offi- Kashmiri youth who are be- clemency to be granted to the or stalls his execution, the cer that many “Kashmiri ing educated in extremist Verdict reserved convict. Congress Party will be por- Muslims feel sympathy for madarassas springing up Sent on October 20, 2006 trayed by BJP leaders as weak Afzal” and that his only crime across Srinagar with Pakista- NEW DELHI: The Supreme by Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Em- on national security. If, how- was “buying a car.” (Afzal Gu- ni Jamaat-i-Islami party Court on Tuesday bassy Deputy Chief of Mis- ever, the President lets him ru was not a member of the funding.” reserved its verdict on a sion, the cable (82638: hang, some fear Congress team that attacked Parlia- The cable suggests that the plea for a CBI probe into confidential) goes on to may lose support from their ment but had bought the Am- “easiest option for the Con- the killing by the Gujarat conjecture mischievously traditional Muslim vote block bassador car which breached gress may be to delay Afzal’s police of Tulsiram that “if President Kalam be- on a national scale.” Parliament’s first line of secu- execution for years to consid- Prajapati, said to be an lieves Sonia won’t grant him a The cable records the dif- rity.) “How does this warrant er his appeal for clemency.” eyewitness in the fake second term next summer, he ference in the manner in a death sentence?” Mr. Malik This is exactly what has hap- encounter death of may choose to push the issue which Kashmiri Muslims and is said to have asked. Howev- pened. In February 2011, Sohrabuddin Sheikh and into the forefront again at a the rest of the Indian public er, Mr. Malik’s comments Home Minister P. Chidamba- his wife Kauser Bi. crucial moment.” reacted to Afzal Guru’s pos- were at variance with many ram clarified in Parliament -Page 5 Accessed by The Hindu that Afzal Guru’s mercy pet- OPPORTUNITIES through WikiLeaks, the cable ition, filed on October 3, — 4 Pages highlights the “significant More reports on Editorial & Op-Ed pages 2006, had not yet been for- electoral dilemma” the Afzal Cables at www.thehindu.com warded to President Pratibha SUDOKU Guru issue posed for the Con- Patil. — Main Sports Page

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