Evening NEWS
DIGEST
27
April 2017: 29 Rajab 1438: Vol: 8, No:176
3 soldiers, 2 militants killed in Kashmir’s Kupwara army camp attack:
Civilian killed as army opens fire on protesters demanding militants’ bodies
Srinagar: An army captain and 2 soldiers were killed on Thursday when
militants stormed a garrison in south Kashmir’s Kupwara, a defence official
said. Hours after the attack, which ended in the killings of the 2 militants, a
civilian was shot dead when forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters
demanding the bodies of the camp attackers be handed over.In addition to the
death of 50-year-old Mohammad Yusuf, 4 people were injured in the army firing.
Sources said 5 injured soldiers have been shifted to a hospital in Srinagar.PTI
quoted official sources to identity the dead army officer as Captain Ayush.The
attackers, suspected to be fidayeen militants, sneaked into the camp before sunrise
at around 4. Sources said the group of four militants are believed to have had
crossed over from Pakistan.AP quoted army spokesperson colonel Rajesh Kalia as
saying that the militants used guns and grenades to target soldiers northwest
of Srinagar.The army cordoned off the entire area including a nearby forest
area as bodies of only two militants have been retrieved so far. The attack is
suspected to have been carried out by the Pakistan-based outfit
Jaish-e-Mohammad. However, there was no independent confirmation of the
incident and no rebel group has issued any statement so far.The attack came
amid heightened tension across the valley since April 9, when 8 people
including 7 students were killed by police and paramilitary forces during
bypolls to the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.On Wednesday, J&K Govt ordered internet service providers to block
Facebook, Twitter and 20 other social media sites and online applications for
one month “in the interest of maintenance of public order”.The move came after
after several videos and photos depicting alleged abuses of Kashmiris by Indian
security forces sparked outrage and fueled protests.Students across Kashmir
have been rallying this month at anti-India demonstrations, facing off against
heavily armed riot police and paramilitary soldiers.HT
J&K:70-yr-old killed as army opens fire on stone pelters
3 soldiers, civilian killed in Kupwara attack; Army guns down 2 ultras
3 soldiers, 2 'rebels' killed in Kashmir: Aljazeera
Kashmir: Clashes erupt between security forces in Pulwama, students
demanding release of peers
Srinagar:Clashes erupted in Pulwama town of south Kashmir on Thursday
after students of Boys Higher Secondary School marched onto the streets,
demanding release of their peers who were arrested on Wednesday.According to
eyewitnesses, students staged protests inside the school and later marched
towards the main chowk where police and paramilitary forces used tear gas to
stop them.This triggered clashes between the students and the security forces
forcing shopkeepers to lower their shutters.Meanwhile, district administration
ordered for schools and colleges in Pulwama and Shopian to remain closed after
violent clashes erupted in these areas in which five students sustained
injuries.indiatoday
Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat urges Govt to initiate dialogue in Kashmir;
asks youths to shun violence
New Delhi: While appealing the agitating youths and students in Kashmir
Valley to shun violence and concentrate on studies to build their future, the
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat AIMMM, the representative body of Indian
Muslims (confederation of sixteen major Muslim organizations) has urged the Govt
of India to give up policy of repression
and excessive use of force and initiate unconditional dialogue with all stake
holders on lines of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee policy.“Mushawarat firmly
demands that the Govt of India that
should immediately give up policy of repression and excessive use of force and
initiate unconditional dialogue with all stake holders on lines of former PM
Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee policy. AIMMM further urges Govt to give due considerations to Mr. Yashwant
Sinha’s recommendations to solve the current crisis in the state”, said Mr.
Navaid Hamid, President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat .AIMMM has
expressed deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in
Kashmir valley and continued cycle of violence for the past eight months.Mushawarat
firmly blamed that Modi Govt and the
PDP- BJP coalition partner for their utter failure to bring about peace in the
state. This the main reason for disquiet against the Govt among the people who
are subjected to brutal use of excessive force.” Instead of reaching out to the
protestors they are being dealt with force. All saner politician and defense
experts including Former Army Chief Gen Malik, Lt Gen Panag and former GOC Lt.
Gen Hooda pleaded for initiation of political dialogue with the all stake holders
to end political crisis in the state. The centre had ignored their pleas as
well as appeals of political groups. India is one of the greatest democracies
in the world and the approach of our leaders should be to reach out to all
those people who have remained away from the national mainstream, there is a
need to apply balm to their wounds rather than further alienating them”, AIMMM
president said.The other sad part of the crisis is that the youths in the
valley also fail to understand that the key to the resolution of the crisis in
state can be achieved through peaceful means and not by violent agitation. We
all must walk on the path of peace and resume negotiation to find peaceful
solution to the issue. Day by day the Kashmiri youth is feeling alienated
because of the continuous attack on the students from Kashmir by hate mongers
of RSS affiliated organizations in educational institutions mostly in BJP ruled
states. Mushawarat appealed to the agitating youths and students in Valley to
shun violence and concentrate on studies to build their future and reminds them
that violence would not bring any resolution to crisis.INDIAN AWAAZ
Women police battalion may soon tackle stone pelters in Kashmir
Srinagar: Centre is set to raise an all-women India Reserve (IR)
battalion consisting of around 1,000 personnel in J&K . The battalion will
assist the state police and will primarily deal with incidents like stone
pelting.The decision was taken in the Kashmir review meeting chaired by Union
home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.The policewomen will be
part of 5 India Reserved Battalions (IRBs), the central Govt has already sanctioned.“The battalions are
tasked by the state but a major chunk of expenditure is borne by the Centre.
The Centre has now told the state Govt to make one among the five an all-women
battalion,” said a home ministry official privy to the decision. hindustantimes
Kashmir: Separatist leader Andrabi reportedly arrested
New Delhi:Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi, founder and leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat,
was arrested on Wednesday night, news agency PTI has confirmed, citing sources.
Centre releases Rs 19,000 crore for development in J&K
Centre has released an amount of Rs 19,000 crore out of the Rs 80,000
crore development package for J&K announced by PM Narendra Modi. This was disclosed at a
high-level inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh
here today, Home Ministry officials said.PTI
Utter uselessness of banning social media in Kashmir: Vidya Subramanian
‘People under foreign occupation’: Pakistan raises Kashmir at UN forum,
India objects
India has strongly objected to Pakistan raising the Kashmir issue at a UN
General Assembly session in New York, asserting that it is a bilateral matter
which should not be brought up in the UN forum.Minister in Pakistan’s Permanent
Mission to the UN Masood Anwar raised the Kashmir issue in his statement to UN General
Assembly session of the Committee on Information on April 25. He said Pakistan
appreciates the efforts by UN’s Dept of Public Information in arranging
coverage of events related to the International Day of Solidarity with the
Palestinian people. “We would urge you
to do the same for the people of Kashmir who continue to suffer under foreign
occupation,” Anwar said.As soon as these remarks were made, Minister in India’s
Permanent Mission to UN S Srinivas Prasad interrupted Anwar’s speech and
strongly raised objections to the mention of Kashmir by the Pakistani
delegate.“It is a bilateral issue which should not be brought here,” Prasad
told the Chair of the session. Pak Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi, also
present during the session, was heard prodding Anwar to “carry on” speaking
even as Prasad raised his objections with the session’s Chair.PTI
China launches first home-grown aircraft carrier, catching up to India
in naval power
New Delhi:China on Wednesday launched its first locally-built aircraft
carrier, less than four years after the construction of the 70,000 tonne
warship began at the Dalian shipyard.The Type 001A carrier is expected to be
commissioned into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in two years as
Beijing seeks to aggressively project its maritime power thousands of miles
away from its shores.The Chinese carrier has been launched at a time when India
is still struggling to build its first indigenous carrier Vikrant, being
constructed at the state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited.The construction of the
Indian carrier began in 2009 and it was launched in 2013. The Indian Navy said
the carrier would be commissioned in 2018 but a report by the national auditor
contradicted the claim, stating that the project is years behind schedule. hindustantimes
Modi’s sub-regional road connectivity plan hits a hurdle after Bhutan
backs out
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi’s
ambitious sub-regional road connectivity plan involving Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India and Nepal (BBIN) has hit a roadblock with Bhutan withdrawing the
agreement from the agenda for its upcoming Parliament session.Bhutan took the
decision, which threatens to further delay the project, on April 21. 4
countries had signed the motor vehicle agreement aimed at allowing seamless
movement of passenger and cargo vehicles through each other’s territory at
Thimpu in June 2015. However, all the nations involved have to ratify the pact
for it to become operational. So far, only India, Bangladesh and Nepal have
done so.“BBIN motor vehicle agreement is not likely to become operational
anytime soon due to Bhutan Govt ’s latest move,” said a senior Union road transport
and highways ministry official. Hindustan times
PERSONAL LAW RELATED ISSUES
India's Muslim women fight tradition and family for right to property,
claims Reuters feature report
Lucknow: S habana was 18 years old when she was married to a man 15
years her senior, in the northern Indian state of UP. It wasn't long before he
began beating her.Worried for her safety and that of her 2 young kids, Shabana
begged her eldest brother to let her return to her parental home, where he now
lived. He refused, saying her place was with her husband, and that she had no
right over the home.The home was claimed by her brothers. Under Islamic law,
Shabana and her two sisters were also entitled to a share of the property, but
they were not aware of it. "My father had said he would leave me a share,
but he did not leave a will, and I did not know I had a right," said
Shabana, who asked that her last name not be used as she fears reprisal from
her husband, who has refused a divorce."I thought I would have to live on
the streets," she said, wiping off tears in the small beauty salon she
runs to support herself and her children.It wasn't until Shabana approached a
local women's group, Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI),
that she gained the knowledge - and the courage - to ask for her share.It took
4 years of mediation by AALI before her brother allowed her to move into the
house with her kids, she said.Other Muslim women in the country are less
fortunate. Muslims are India's largest religious minority, making up more than
13% of 1.2 billion population.They are among the most excluded and marginalised
communities, with social indicators such as education and employment lower than
the national average.In matters of inheritance, marriage, family and divorce,
Muslims are governed by their personal law, or the shariat.According to India's
Shariat Act, women are entitled to half the man's share of property, but the
rule does not apply to agricultural land. Some states have made provisions in
their law to allow Muslim women to inherit land as well. Despite the law,it is
local customs and traditions that determine inheritance rights for Muslim women
across India. "Challenging inheritance rights means challenging the
patriarchy, challenging the very notions of family and relationships,"
said Niti Saxena, an advisor at AALI who has studied Muslim women's property
rights in UP .Fathers and sons are not willing to give married women a share of
the parental property because they believe she belongs to the husband's family,
and that she has already been compensated with a dowry at the time of her
marriage, she said."Women, even if aware of their rights, are afraid that
claiming their share will spoil their relations with the family. So they do not
make a claim unless they are desperate - usually in the case of abuse or a
divorce."Ownership of assets increases the value of a woman in the
husband's household and reduces the violence she faces, a separate study by
land rights advocacy group Landesa India showed.But women asking for a share in
property faced violence and harassment, it said.
'Jamaat-e-Islam Hind never supported changes or reforms in personal law'
Vijayawada: Jamaat-e-Islam Hind AP vice-president M. Rafeeq on Wednesday
said the organisation had never supported reforms and changes in the Muslim
personal law.Referring to reports published in local media that Jamaat national
vice-president Maulana Nusrat Ali had supported such reforms during his visit
to Vijayawada on Tuesday. Rafeeq clarified that the views expressed by Mr. Ali
“related to changes in the socio and economic condition of Muslims in India and
not reforms in personal law”. Ali was speaking to local leaders and media after
launching a mega campaign to create awareness on Sharia and Muslim Personal Law
in the State. The campaign would be held from April 23 to May 7 in the
State.the hindu
Jamaat takes up campaign on triple talaq, Muslim Personal Law in
Telangana
Warangal: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has launched a campaign to create
awareness among Muslim communities about Muslim Personal Law and the rules to
be followed before choosing to divorce using triple talaq.The members of the
JIH are touring the state to educate people about Muslim Personal Law and the
misconceptions about it among people. They would be undertaking door to door
campaign, organise seminars and talks, distribute literature explaining
importance of following Sharia, besides organising group meetings, scholars’
meetings and public meetings in villages, district headquarters and cities.JIH
would also set up counselling centres to educate people on Muslim Personal Law
and its benefits. They would also hold meetings and round table conferences
with non-Muslims to clarify their doubts and misconceptions on Muslim Personal
Law.The organisation feels that there is nothing wrong with Muslim Personal Law
and that a few people who are not aware of the real objective of it are
misinterpreting and creating problem. Muslims have the “constitutional” right
to follow their personal law, it said. JIH claims that the “propaganda” that a
lot of women were affected by triple talaq is incorrect and misleading. “A few
women are creating misconceptions on triple talaq and Muslim Personal Law. Most
of Muslim women in the country are in favour of Muslim Personal Law.But those
opposing it are trying to create an impression through media that almost all
women are in favour of Uniform Civil Code,” claims JIH state president Khalida
Parveen. New Indian express
MP: JIH holding events to educate masses on Muslim Personal Law
Jabalpur: Jamaat-E-Islami Hind (JIH) holding series of events to educate
masses on Muslim Personal Law by conducting nation-wide campaign. The
nationwide campaign is being organised from April 23 to May 7. In order to
educate Muslim society members about conduct as per Shariat Law and to protect
them from misconduct that Muslims commit themselves which in turn presents a
distorted image of Islamic law, said Mohammed Jafar Sahib, National Convenor of
Awareness Campaign, while addressing a press conference, on Wednesday. He added
that today a large segment of Muslim society suffers from ignorance about
Islamic Family Laws and many in the community do not follow all the laws in
their true letter and spirit. As different sections even Muslim community is
not fully aware of real teachings of Islam. Rather they are usually misled by
faulty conduct of Muslims themselves, added Mohd Jafar of Jamaat e Islami Hind.
He added that equipping Muslims with authentic knowledge about Islam and their
moral upliftment are priority of this campaign. Establishing a social mediation
mechanism, JIH to initiate 3-phase system of settling family dispute amongst
parties.In this learned represented of Muslim community having adequate
knowledge of Muslim Personal Law will be given responsibility to counsel both
parties to establish mutual consent for agreement.If not possible then at
second level Shariyat Panchyats will be constituted to discuss issues at
community level and in third point ‘Darul Kanzaa’ sort of Islamic court will be
established to settle family disputes. If all the three fail then parties can
go to court like they have option to plea before constitutional courts at any
point of time. The Hitavada
Pune madrassa organises awareness meet on Muslim marriage
Pune: City-based Baitul Uloom madrassa led by religious scholar Maulana
Tahir Hussain Sahab under the guidance of Mufti Mohammad Shakir organised a
short training programme for the would-be brides and bridegrooms at Azam campus
on April 25. The objective of the training programme was to make the youth and
all the sections of the Muslim community aware about the Shariat based
principles of marriage in Islam. A number of religious scholars, lawyers,
students and Muslim intellectuals participated in the event organised in the
wake of the triple talaq issue being discussed in the national media, said
Mufti Shakir. The participants took home knowledge related to Islam and rights
and duties of husband and wife in reciprocation to each other in the light of
the Holy Quran. Shakir said "There is a dearth of Islamic knowledge with
reference to marriage and how one should conduct on self pre and post marriage.
Divorces have become the norm of the day and reconciliation has taken a
backseat. We want to bring greater maturity amongst the community and at the
same time make our non Muslim brothers aware about Islam. This training
programme is the first step towards this goal."Mufti Shakir further said
that a grass root programme is needed in educating Muslims and non-Muslims on
the importance of marriage and keeping it intact for lifetime. He said that
media was conveniently using the term triple talaq just as a cover to hide the
other injustices being done to the citizenry and keeping people engrossed in a
non issue. timesofindia
Ahmadiyyas come out against abolition of triple talaq:TOI
Amritsar: Ahmadiyya community of Punjab has questioned PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi
Aditiynath's drive against triple talaq among Muslims and instead supported the
procedure as enshrined in the Quran.A spokesperson of Ahmadiyya Jamat, India,
Tariq Ahmad told TOI on Wednesday that triple talaq in a single session
couldn't be justified. Stating that talaq was the most displeasing acts in the
eyes of Allah, he alleged that due to the unjustified interpretation by
so-called Muslim clerics the matter of talaq had become more displeasing.To
support Ahmadiyya community's cause, Maqbool Ahmad and his wife Tahira Zahoor announced
to begin a nationwide drive against attempts to abolish the practice of triple
talaq. timesofindia
OTHERS
'Threat from Modi's nationalism' leads to abysmal rank for India in
'press freedoms' report
New Delhi: The "threat from (Narendra) Modi's nationalism" is
the reason why global media watchdog 'Reporters Without Borders' (RWB) has
ranked India an abysmal 136 of 180 countries in its "press freedom"
report for 2017.According to the media watchdog, India, which slipped three
places from last year, now ranks closer to China (176) - which doesn't even
have an independent press corps - than it does to Norway (1). Even Afghanistan,
Burma, Qatar and the UAE rank higher than India.To be sure, the report said
press freedom has taken a huge hit around the world, with the US, UK and Canada
too slipping in rankings. But that's precisely the danger highlighted by RWB -
that is, that democracies like India and the US are no longer guarantors for freedom
of the press. As RWB said - "Violations of the freedom to inform are less
and less the prerogative of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships."A
rising tide of nationalism around the world - exemplified by US President
Donald Trump - is a big threat to freedom of the press in many democracies,
including in India, the report said."With Hindu nationalists trying to
purge all manifestations of "anti-national" thought from the national
debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media. Journalists are
increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by the most radical
nationalists, who vilify them and even threaten physical reprisals," said
RWB.The recent instances of Section 124a, or sedition, being invoked in India
have also lead to increased self-censorship, according to
RWB."Prosecutions are also used to gag journalists who are overly critical
of the Govt , with some prosecutors invoking Section 124a of the penal code,
under which 'sedition' is punishable by life imprisonment. No journalist has so
far been convicted of sedition but the threat encourages self-censorship,"
the report said.The situation in troubled Kashmir - which has seen a spike in
violence since security forces killed separatist Burhan Wani last year - also
found a mention in RWB's analysis."On the first day of a wave of protests
in Kashmir in July 2016, the Internet was cut by the military and was often
interrupted thereafter to prevent communication between protesters and prevent
coverage by the media and citizen journalists. Journalists working for local
media outlets are often the targets of violence by soldiers acting with the
central Govt 's tacit consent," said RWB.TOI
Turkish President Erdogan to visit India from April 30
New Delhi: Within a couple of
weeks since the Turkish constitutional referendum happened. Its President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan is embarking on a two-day trip to India from April 30
accompanied by a huge business delegation.His visit assumes importance at a
time when India is aggressively seeking a seat in the exclusive club of the
Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), which Turkey had previously opposed.“We remain
engaged with Turkey on NSG,” Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West), Ministry of
External Affairs, told reporters here Thursday. thehindubusinessline
No objection to India's NSG membership: Turkish official
Ahead of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's visit to India this
month-end, a senior Turkish official has said that his country does not have
any objection to India becoming a member of the NSG. "I don't think Turkey
has any objection to India joining the group," Ilnur Cevik, Senior Advisor
to Erdogan, said in response to a question by IANS at a meeting on "India
and Turkey's Place in the Rising World" organised by Turkish daily Sabah
here on Wednesday evening. Setting aside all speculation about Turkey'ssupport
for India's NSG membership bid, Cevuk said: "We feel that we also are
interested in nuclear cooperation with India and all other peaceful countries
that seek peaceful use of nuclear technology. So, I don't think Turkey at all
has any objection to India's membership." IANS
India engaging Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia in tough balancing act:TOI
New Delhi: Indian diplomacy is in for a tough diplomatic balancing act
this week, playing host to the Turkish and Cypriot presidents while
Vice-President Hamid Ansari is visiting Armenia. Turkey doesn't recognize
Cyprus, and Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan may be the single largest obstacle
to the reunification of Cyprus (Northern Cyprus is under Turkish
control).Ankara shows little inclination to remove over 30,000 of its troops
stationed on the island. Vice-President Hamid Ansari is currently visiting
Armenia whose relations with Turkey are even worse, stuck on the great Armenian
genocide.On Tuesday, Ansari visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in
Yerevan, where he paid homage to the dead, placing India among those nations
which agree with Pope Francis I that it was the first genocide of the 20th
century. On April 30, PM Narendra Modi hosts the Turkish president, who has
just won a referendum that has strengthened him with additional powers. New
Delhi hopes that it will be able to change Ankara's mind on supporting its NSG
membership bid, while also enhancing bilateral economic partnership.The engagements
have kept the foreign office on its toes, especially in a part of the world
where fragile geopolitics has a great bearing on ties.India is currently
playing host to Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades, who arrived in Mumbai on
April 25 on a 5-day visit. On April 27, he will address a business forum and
thinktank in the capital.
UP ATS plans 'home-coming'
program to de-radicalise youths from ISIS ideology to Indian nationalism
ATS of UP has started a 'ghar
wapsi' program to de-radicalise those youths who are inspired by the ideology
of the ISIS terror outfit.The move by the security agency came after a joint
sweeping operation was carried out and four suspected terrorists belonging to
the ISIS Khorasan module were arrested while allegedly plotting a major
strike.6 other suspects were taken into custody for interrogation. They were
not arrested due to a lack of concrete evidence.According to IG, ATS, Aseem
Arun, around 12 people across the state will be de-radicalised under this
program. The program was named Ghar-Wapsi (home-coming) to convert radicalised
youths into Indian nationalists.About 15-20 youths are being de-radicalised by
the ATS, while over 100 sympathisers are under surveillance of several security
agencies.According to a senior police officer, cops will de-radecalise with the
help of family, friends and religious leaders.Even the Govt will assist them in education, professional
training and in getting jobs.He added that parents of candidate have been
convinced that their wards need to undergo program by being shown videos and
audio evidences.' During the process, time to time senior police officers have
been meeting candidates and to counsel them if needed,' the officer
said.According to senior ATS officers, these efforts started long back.Cops say
most of the indoctrinated youths were unemployed and gave in to ideologies of
the terror outfit.In the recent crackdown, evidence of self-indoctrination
through internet were discovered.According to the official, the arrested youths
were not directly working for any group, but were self-motivated, self guided
and self-radicalised. daily mail
UP ATS to run ‘Ghar
Wapsi’campaign for misguided youth
Kin of terror suspects deny radicalisation
Lucknow: Mohammad Farooq had concluded namaz and was reading a holy
Islamic text at home in his native Bijnor when news of Faizan’s arrest reached
him. A relative informed him over phone.“I didn’t know how to react. My son had
never had time for anything other than his work. He would not meet outsiders.
He had no disputes with anyone,” Farooq, a mason, told The Hindu. Faizan or
Mufti, as he is also known, was among the four persons arrested on April 20 on
suspicion of plotting terror attacks. Farooq, however, says he saw no signs of
suspicious activity or radicalisation in his son, who is a product of Deoband
seminary. “I consider him innocent. We never found him inclined towards such
things. We checked with the mosque where he was staying. They too say they
never noticed any such tendency in him,” Farooq said.Faizan’s brother-in-law
Kasim says that he was not even using an Android phone for the past few months.
Family of Ahtesham, who was arrested along with Faizan, is also in shock. thehindu
Terror suspect Ghazi Baba was in touch with Punjab youths: ATS
Self-radicalised terror suspect Ghazi Baba, recently arrested from
Jalandhar, is believed to have been in touch with some youngsters in Punjab and
tried to rope them in for formation of a sleeper cell, say police."Ghazi
Baba alias Muzammil was arrested in Jalandhar last Thursday by the UP ATS
during a pan-India operation involving police of various states," a senior
officer of UP ATS said. He said Ghazi Baba was reportedly in touch with a JeM
operative.Ghazi Baba is among the four terror suspects arrested by UP ATS,
other 3 being Umar alias Nazim (arrested from Mumbai), Muftii alias Faizan
(arrested from Bijnore) and Zaqwan alias Ehtesham (arrested from Bihar's
Narkatiyaganj).PTI
Suspected woman IS recruit to get bail from Kerala HC
Kochi: Bihar native Yasmin Ahmed, who was caught from the New Delhi
airport last year while trying to leave for Afghanistan to allegedly join the
Islamic State (IS), will be released on bail. NIA Court in Kochi issued her
release order after bail was secured from the Kerala High Court. NIA officers
said her release documents and bond execution paper had been sent to Women’s
Jail, Thrissur, and she will be released once the bail is executed. Yasmin is
lodged in the jail with her son.
Newindianexpress
Sadhvi Pragya: ‘Saffron terror’ a creation of Chidambaram
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said the bogey of “saffron terror” and
allegations against her resulted from a conspiracy hatched by the Congress Govt
at Centre and that torture by ATS had
broken her physically and mentally but her soul was intact.
India warns against different approaches to Taliban & IS
New Delhi: India has issued a tacit warning about the danger of a policy
of targeting the Islamic State in Afghanistan while making overtures to Taliban
to join peace talks, saying such an approach could erode the gains made in the
war-torn country. A policy of “zero tolerance towards violence and terrorism”
and continued efforts to consolidate the Afghan Govt ’s capacity to deal with
violence and promote development are essential, defence minister Arun Jaitley
said in Russia during a speech at the Moscow Conference on International
Security.Addressing an audience that included diplomats and leaders such Hamid
Karzai, Jaitley said:“Facile assessments that imply there is a choice between
the evil forces at play in (Afghanistan) are endangering the gains made by
brave Afghan people with the support of international community over the past
decade and more. Russia, China and Pakistan are among countries advocating
peace talks with the resurgent Taliban. These countries have also suggested
such an approach is necessary to counter IS. Afghan leaders, however, have
expressed concern about these efforts. indianexpress
JNU sedition case: Delhi Police will question 31 students over 3 days
Delhi Police has asked 31 JNU students to make themselves available
until April 29 for questioning in connection with the Feb.9, 2016, event, which
had led to a case of sedition and the arrest of three students. A Special Cell
of the Delhi Police’s Anti-Terrorism Unit has asked the varsity’s V-C to make
arrangements for the interrogation at university’s administration block,
official told Scroll.in.The list of JNU students includes former JNU students’
union Vice President Shehla Rashid and Rajya Sabha legislator D Raja’s daughter
Aparajitha Raja. Officials said they had taken note of their presence during
the February 9 event, which had been held to protest the hanging of Parliament
attacks convict Afzal Guru. Scroll
Kerala CM charges RSS of imparting kids, students training to ‘kill’
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday alleged the RSS of
imparted to students and children the training “to kill” during its drill
exercise in the state, a charge dismissed by the saffron outfit.“Even students
and children are given training to kill” Vijayan alleged Vijayan alleged while
replying in the assembly during question hour.“Govt would take necessary steps
to end the drill exercise of RSS”, he said.RSS rejected the allegations and
said using the assembly form to “insult” the functions of RSS was an act of
“cowardice.”PTI
Uttarakhand High Court issues notice to Election Commission on tampering
of EVMs
Nainital:Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday issued notice to the
Election Commission and state Govt on a
petition alleging tampering of EVMs in Dehradun’s Vikasnagar constituency. In
the assembly polls held in Feb., BJP’s Munna Singh Chauhan had defeated former
cabinet minister and Congress nominee Navprabhat by 6,418 votes.On the petition
filed by Navprabhat, Justice Shailesh Kumar Gupta asked the Election
Commission, its state unit, the state chief secretary, the returning officer of
Vikasnagar and Chauhan to file their replies within 6 weeks. The high court
also directed the judicial magistrate of Vikasnagar to seal and seize EVM
machines “in his custody”. The petition alleged there was tampering and
manipulation of the EVMs at Vikasnagar during the Feb.15 election.It was also
alleged that many fake names were listed in the voters list in the constituency
including Chauhan who was listed as a voter from two different places.PTI
Vaccination workers thrashed in Muslim areas in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad,
Bokaro: hindustantimes
Dhanbad: The ongoing immunization drive against Japanese Encephalitis
has stumbled upon a major roadblock in Muslim inhabited localities of
Jharkhand’s coal belt Dhanbad and Bokaro districts.Superstitious mobs have
taken immunization workers hostage and also thrashed them for ”forcibly”
administering medicines to children to suppress their fertility and check the
Muslim population.Justifying the manhandling incidents, a section of Muslim
leaders in the two districts have gone on to allege that the health workers
were executing a ploy by BJP Govt s in the Centre as well as in the state to
make Muslim children ”impotent” and ”infertile”.The attacks have left health
workers, mostly auxiliary midwives (ANM) and sahiya (rural health workers)
panicky as majority of them have decided not to visit Muslim localities until
they are provided security.Zubair Alam, vice president of the Coalfield Muslim
Yatim Khana, said, “BJP is in power both at the Centre and state. Muslims do
not trust the intentions of the BJP towards the community. Since kids in
schools are being vaccinated without consent of guardians rumors are making
round that such drive is being done to check Muslim population.”
Sindhi Muslim Families Leave Gujarat Village After Communal Violence
Vadagam: Vadagam, a village in the Dhansura block, Aravalli district of
North Gujarat, is home to about 1,400 households. Of these, 35 are Sindhi
Muslim families (also called Sandhai, a nomadic tribe), who settled in the
region years ago.The village is heterogenous, including Brahmins, Patidars,
Darbars (Kshatriyas), Dalits and Sindhi Muslims. Yet, travelling towards
Vadagam from Dhansura, you cannot miss the multiple boards that read, “Hindu
rashtra ke Vadagam, Dhansura, Harsol aur Talod me apka swagat hai (Welcome to
Hindu rashtra’s Vadagam, Harsol and Talod)”.
The boards are signed by the VHP and Bajrang Dal.For years, Sindhi
Muslims’ labouring skills have secured a cordial relationship between them and
other residents of the village. thewire
Give us your religion, caste, Aadhaar: HRD to all college teachers
New Delhi: To set up a national teachers’ portal and detect “fake
teachers” in the country, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has, over
the last four months, profiled at least 60 per cent of more than 15 lakh
university and college teachers, complete with individual details such as
religion, caste, Aadhaar and phone numbers.Teachers who are yet to furnish
personal details have another month to comply. Moves are also afoot to create a
similar students’ database next year. R Subrahmanyan, Additional Secretary, HRD
Ministry said: “We believe there are a lot of ghost lecturers. These are
teachers who show up in multiple institutes, the ones not run by the
government. Individual details such as Aadhaar numbers will help us identify
such duplication.” Acknowledging that religion and caste identities of
individuals will not help check duplication, Subrahmanyam said “those
parameters were already part of the survey” process.Indian Express
WORLD
Israel approves 10,000 settlement units in Jerusalem
Israeli Ministry of Housing and the Jerusalem municipality have approved
the construction of 10,000 new housing units in the area of Qalandia, also
known as Atarot industrial area, in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel’s Channel
10 reported that the plan was supposed to be approved years ago but was frozen
due to the ex-US administration’s opposition.Earlier this month Israeli
Planning and Building Committee approved construction of 212 new housing units
in the Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramat Shlomo settlements east and south of Jerusalem. middleeastmonitor
Israel is delaying the US embassy move not USA
US embassy has not been moved to Jerusalem following an Israeli request
to keep it in Tel Aviv, a senior Israeli official has said.Many believed that
it was the Trump administration that was delaying the move but the Knesset
Speaker has said that Israeli officials asked US President Donald Trump to wait
with the move: “They asked that he wait, go slowly – and that’s what he
did.”Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva, reported the comment made by the Knesset
Speaker Yuli Edelstein this morning about the delayed transfer of the American
embassy to Jerusalem. middleeastmonitor
Hamas: UNRWA must stop working as political security apparatus
Hamas called on UNRWA to stop working as a political security apparatus
after the organisation reprimanded staff for their political views.“UNRWA
employees express their opinions away from their workplaces,” a statement by
the movement said yesterday. It stressed that the UN body, which is dedicated
to helping Palestinian refugees, has to stop punishing its employees.UNRWA’s
leadership might have forgotten that this body was established to help
Palestinian refugees and afford work opportunities for them. It might have
forgotten that its reference is the UN not the donor countries. Therefore,
UNRWA, statement added, has to be involved in carrying out its “humanitarian”
mission instead of its involvement in politics. middleeastmonitor
Palestinians on strike in solidarity with prisoners
Schools, banks and businesses across the West Bank were closed on
Thursday as Palestinians observed a general strike in solidarity with more than
1,500 prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails. Public transportation came
to a halt, and public and private institutions, including universities, were
shut for the day. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners declared an indefinite
hunger strike last week to protest grievances, including medical negligence,
administrative detention and limited family visits. Groups working to support
the prisoners in their hunger strike also declared Friday to be a "day of
rage," in which Palestinians were called on to confront Israeli soldiers
at various contact points. aljazeera
Deadly air strikes target Idlib in Syria kill 19 people
At least 19 people were killed in suspected Russian and Syrian air
strikes in several districts in Idlib province, a local official of the Syrian
Civil Defence told Al Jazeera. "19 people were killed today. Khan
Sheikhoun, Maaret al-Numaan, Jisr al-Shughour and other areas were targeted by
suspected Russian and Syrian air strikes since the morning," Hamid of
Civil Defence said on Thursday. "In the suburbs of Maaret al-Numaan,
al-Jamea hospital was hit," he added.The Syrian Civil Defence, also known
as the White Helmets, is a volunteer rescue group that operates mostly in
rebel-held territory in Syria.Idlib's health directorate reported that the
strike on al-Jamea hospital killed at least 3 patients and injured four others. aljazeera
Russian jets target civilian infrastructure in NW Syria
Syrians leave rebel stronghold Al Waer under evacuation deal
Thousands more Syrians have been evacuated from Al Waer district, the
last opposition-held area in the city of Homs.The evacuation is part of an
agreement between the Syrian Govt and
rebels to move people from besieged areas. aljazeera
'Israeli strikes' hit arms depot in Damascus
Israeli strikes have hit an arms depot operated by Lebanese Hezbollah
group near Damascus airport, Syrian opposition sources said.Witnesses said a
total of 5 strikes occurred near the Damascus airport road, about 25km from the
capital, early on Thursday.Syrian state TV quoted a military source saying
rockets fired from Israeli territory targeted a military area in the
southwestern part of the airport which caused explosions.Al Jazeera's Hashem
Ahelbarra, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep near Syria's border,
said opposition activists posted pictures online showing a huge fire near the
area. aljazeera
Organ trafficking ‘booming’ in Lebanon as desperate Syrians sell
kidneys, eyes
Trade in illegal organs is a booming business
in Lebanon as desperate Syrian refugees resort to selling body parts to support
themselves and their families, according to an investigation by BBC.A
trafficker who brokers deals from a coffee shop in Beirut, identified as Abu
Jaafar, said while he knew his “booming” business was illegal, he saw it as
helping people in need. middleeastmonitor
Saudi increases Iran’s Hajj quota by 35%
Saudi Arabia has increased by 35% number of pilgrims Iran can send to Hajj this
year, head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, Hamid Mohammadi, said.middleeastmonitor
Sudan: New govt to be announced next week
The new Sudanese Govt of National
Reconciliation will be announced next week despite some parties not presenting
shortlists of candidates for the expected appointments, a Sudanese presidential
assistant said. middleeastmonitor
UN calls for prevention of Afghan civilian casualties
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released Thursday its first
quarterly report documenting 2,181 civilian casualties during the first three
months of 2017.AA
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
RSS & revenge on history: ASHUTOSH, AAP leader
‘Like 1947 playing out in front of our eyes’: Story behind Jammu
violence in the name of cow: Rayan Naqash
Congress hidden role in demolition of Babri Masjid:Madhu Trehan
‘Pehlu Khan, a cattle smuggler’: BJP must stop this awful
victimise-the-victim game: KumKum Dasgupta
Iqbal, tolerance & Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s wrong turn:Umair Azmi
Mob, political complicity provide convenient cover to gau rakshaks to
operate: Nandini Rathi
2016-17 saw over 45,000 cases of atrocities against Dalits
Where Hindus, Muslims offer prayers under same roof in Alwar: TOI
Coimbatore: Mosques take steps to conserve water for summer, build water
harvesting plants: indiatoday
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:28 PM)
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