Evening NEWS
DIGEST
27
Aug. 2017: 04 Zilhajja 1438:Vol:8, No:266
A majority triple Talaq
verdict without support of reasons of majority judges: Advocate Shamshad
MR Shamshad, an
Advocate on Record, in the Supreme Court, who also has assisted senior Advocate
Kapil Sibal appearing for the triple talaq matter on behalf of AIMPLB, said,
"The majority view of the 5-judge bench of the Supreme Court is that
triple talaq, pronounced in one sitting coming into effect instantaneously, is
“set aside”. Out of these 3 judges, 2 (Justice Rohinton F. Nariman and Justice
Uday U. Lalit) also held that this form of talaq was violative of fundamental
right mentioned in Article 14, not on the ground of equality within the meaning
of discrimination. They stated: “We do not find the need to go into the ground
of discrimination in these cases.” Advocate Shamshad said, "These two
judges have one limited ground to invalidate this form of talaq, which is the
test of ‘manifest arbitrariness’ as ‘the marital tie can be broken capriciously
and whimsically by Muslim man without any attempt at reconciliation so as to
save it’. This arbitrary action would be a ground to invalidate legislation as
well as subordinate legislation under Article 14 relying upon the earlier
5-judge judgment. They do not clearly overrule nor uphold Shamim Ara (2002)
judgment, which had introduced the concept of reasonable cause and
reconciliation from the Quran. The third judge (Justice Kurian Joseph) finds
two grounds to invalidate this form of talaq because it “is against the basic
tenets of the Holy Quran and consequently, it violates Shariat” and hence, not
an integral part of the religious practice of Islam itself. Second, the
violation of the principle laid down in Shamim Ara case. Hence, it shall be a
majority verdict without the support of reasons of majority judges. It is
similar situation where, in Babri Masjid-Ram Janm Bhoomi title dispute case,
majority of two judges reached on the same conclusion to divide the land into
three parts, but for different reasons. The third judge wrote completely different
judgment with different conclusion. But the way it has been put to general
public, largely in the electronic media, that triple talaq in this form has
been held to be ‘unconstitutional’, as it is against the concept of ‘gender
justice’, is incorrect. It can only be read into the judgment of two judges,
which shall be minority view."
Advocate Shamshad further stated,
"The interesting part is that Justice Joseph holds that the Central Law of
1937 referring to talaq is ‘not legislation regulating Talaq’ and he has agreed
on this with two other Judges (Chief Justice Khehar and Justice SA Abdul
Nazeer). Consequently, the majority view is that this form of Talaq-e-Biddat
remains part of personal law. If there is no legislation, Part III of the
Constitution i.e., Fundamental Rights, shall not be invoked to invalidate
personal law. This can be read as majority view of 3 judges. Minority of 2
judges held that the 1937 Act would also be read to recognise and enforce
triple talaq and shall be understood as “law in force” and proceeded to invoke
the arbitrariness principle emanating from Article 14. To fit in the concept of
arbitrariness as a ground, a judgment was cited, which was argued by (Justice
Nariman while being senior counsel) for setting
aside of an amending Act relating to manufacture and production of
liquor in Andhra Pradesh (as reacted at page 356 of the judgement), but the
same was rejected by the then three judges. In terms of the present judgment,
Justice Nariman (with Justice Lalit) held that this judgment of three judges
was ‘no longer good law’ in view of the earlier 5-judge judgment in Ajay Hasia
case of 1981 where it was held that arbitrary and unreasonable action of “an
authority” under Article 12 would be violative under Article 14. The Ajay Hasia
case was regarding the procedure of admission in educational institution." livelaw
Khehar will come
back in new avatar:Attorney-General
New Delhi:
Attorney-General of India K.K. Venugopal on Friday commended CJI JS Khehar for
his initiative to hold the triple talaq hearings during the summer vacations
and indicated that the top judge will, after his retirement, make a comeback in
a new ‘avatar’.The revelation by the country’s top Govt law officer was made
during the farewell ceremony held for Chief Justice Khehar, who is retiring on
Aug27.The post of the top anti-corruption ombudsman, Lokpal, which a former
Chief Justice of India is eligible to occupy, has been lying vacant. Lokpal law
has been in limbo for the past few years. thehindu
Triple talaq
verdict to speed up Uniform Civil Code report
New Delhi:The
Supreme Court's recent judgment banning instant triple talaq is set to become one of the main reference
texts for the Law Commission which is in the process of compiling public
opinion on the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC)."Yes we will closely
study the judgment. It will form one of the basis (of report). The Supreme
Court has done its bit and now we will do the remaining work", Law
Commission Chairman Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan told Mail Today when asked
about the impact of the SC judgment.He was speaking on the sidelines of the
farewell function of outgoing Chief Justice JS Khehar.Justice Chauhan said the
focus is on family laws of all religions and the diversity of customary
practices, and to address social injustice and gender inequality rather than
the plurality of laws."Under UCC, all personal laws based on scriptures
and customs of every religion will be replaced with a common law governing
every citizen.Mail Today
Why Govt must now
hasten to enact Uniform Civil Code:GR Gopinath
Centre urged to
enact law against triple talaq
Justice Misra to
hear SIMI ban case on day 1 as CJI; earlier he delivered famous order that all
cine-goers should stand during playing national anthem
The causelist
uploaded on the Supreme Court website shows that Chief Justice Misra will be
sharing the bench with justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud. The bench
headed by CJI Misra will be hearing 72 cases on Monday, including the SIMI ban
case. As CJI, Misra will hold office for the next 13 months, till 2 Oct. 2018.
Justice Misra is also famous as the judge who issued the controversial order
that all cine-goers should stand in attention when the national anthem is
played before a movie. It is he who is issuing periodic orders in a PIL for
gradual blocking of pornographic sites. He has his work cut out – filing up
judicial vacancies, dealing with contentious cases such as Ayodhya, Cauvery and
women’s right to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. He also gets the
contentious MOP (Memorandum of Procedure of appointment of judges) issue in
legacy from Khehar. The collegium hasn’t agreed to the security clause which
would allow the Govt to veto superior court appointments. That will be a tough
one. Justice Misra was also among the 3 judges who were up all night in July
2015, giving a historic hearing to decide on Yakub Memon’s last-minute appeal
against his hanging. It was Justice Misra who announced the court’s decision at
5 am: “Stay of death warrant would be a travesty of justice. The plea is
dismissed,” he said. Memon was hanged 2 hours later. livelaw
Mukul Rohatgi
confirms Ravi Shankar Prasad wasn’t being truthful on right to privacy
Mukul Rohatgi, who
recently quit as Attorney General in Modi Govt has implied that the Supreme
Court’s verdict declaring right to privacy as a fundamental right was a setback
to Centre.He told Indian Express that if he would have conceded it as a defeat
had he still been in job as AG. He said, “If I was there (as Attorney General),
I would have said we have lost the case. As lawyers, we are used to winning and
losing cases. Because the fact is, we haven’t won this case. 8-judge bench has
been overruled (an 8-judge bench had ruled in 1954 that the right to privacy
cannot be a fundamental right) and the Aadhaar issue has been left unresolved.
So where is the question of winning?’’Rohatgi said that Modi govt should not
have diluted its stand on privacy in the Supreme Court.He said, “govt should
not have diluted their stand in court because the inclusion or exclusion of
fundamental rights is only the proviso of Parliament…Here, the judiciary is
taking over the functions of Parliament and it is a very unsatisfactory
resolution of the dispute.” jantakareporter
If I were still
A-G, I would have said we lost privacy case: Mukul Rohatgi
Mann Ki Baat: Modi
hails Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind's volunteering efforts during Gujarat floods
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed Muslim
organisation Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, saying its volunteers had recently cleaned 22
temples and 2 mosques affected by floods in Gujarat, setting a "fine"
and "inspiring" example of unity. He noted that India is a land of
diversities which are not limited to cuisine, lifestyle and attire but can be
seen in every walk of life. "Gujarat saw devastating floods recently. Many
people lost their lives. When the waters receded, there was so much filth
everywhere."That is when, in Dhanera in Banaskantha district of Gujarat,
volunteers of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind cleaned 22 affected temples and two mosques
in a phased manner," Modi said in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki
Baat'.He said the Jamiat volunteers came together and toiled collectively. "The
volunteers of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind set a fine, inspiring example of unity for
cleanliness. If this committed effort towards cleanliness become inherent to
us, our country will certainly take our nation to greater heights," PM
underlined.In his broadcast, he pointed out that India has a rich cultural
heritage, spanning thousands of years, and in this context, talked about the
festivals which are replete with diversity.In this series of festivals, Eid-ul-Zuha
will be celebrated in a few days from now. Heartiest felicitations and best
wishes to all countrymen on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha," the PM said.PTI
Mann Ki Baat: PM
Modi praises Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for cleaning temples in Banaskantha after
Gujarat floods
When PM Modi
Praised Jamiat Ulema in Mann Ki Baat
'Pan-India Grand
Alliance': Sharad Yadav Vows At Lalu Yadav's Big Rally
Patna: From the
platform of Lalu Prasad's grand anti-BJP rally in Patna today, Sharad Yadav
today promised a pan-India Grand Alliance that would take on the BJP at the
next general election. But the promised mega-platform of the opposition at
Patna's Gandhi Maidan had shrunk, with some of the key opposition leaders,
including Congress's Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Dalit powerhouse Mayawati
giving it a miss.Sharad Yadav shared stage today with Lalu, Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee and Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav. The leader, who is staring at an
expulsion from the JD(U) for defying orders to skip the rally, was greeted
warmly by Lalu with an embrace on the dais."I say here today a gathbandhan
will be made in entire India," Sharad Yadav said, addressing the crowds at
the "Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao" rally. "Here on this stage, the
maha gathbandhan was made. Attempts were made for a coalition in Delhi, it was
unsuccessful. But it was successful here."Lalu Yadav, took spoke against
his former ally, who junked the Grand Alliance last month to join hands with
old ally BJP. "I knew Nitish was not the right person, but the situation
was such that I had to do it (enter the Grand Alliance) keeping in mind the
state of affairs in the country," he said. "I never agreed to Nitish
being CM." Congress was represented by Ghulam Nabi Azad and party general
secretary CP Joshi. Before coming to attend the rally, Sharad Yadav told the
media that he was with the Grand Alliance and his faction was the real JD(U).
"Let's wait for one or 2 months. I will publicly prove it that the JD-U is
our party," he said. ndtv
Will form another
Grand Alliance at national level:Sharad
Rebel JD(U) leader
Sharad Yadav on Sunday pledged to form another 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand
Alliance) at the national level to defeat and oust BJP-led NDA in the next
general election."Hindustan bhar mein Gathbandhan banega ab," Sharad
Yadav roared to applause from the large gathering at a rally here organised by
RJD chief CM Lalu Prasad.
Lakhs gather in
Patna at call of Lalu against Nitish-BJP alliance
Won’t sleep or
breathe till I tear BJP apart: Tej Yadav
RJD rally
highlights: Sharad Yadav calls for Grand Alliance at national level, Lalu says
Nitish envy of Tejashwi’s popularity
No Action on
Previous Incidents of Mob Violence Main Reason for Mass Violence in Haryana:
Jamaat
New Delhi: One of the
main reasons for the mass violence in Haryana is the climate of hate and
violence created in the country in recent years, said Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
while condemning the deadly violence in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana on
Friday following the conviction of self-styled saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a
2002 rape case."One of the underlying reasons for this rampant violence
(in Haryana) is the climate of hate and violence that has been created in the
country by some anti-social elements without any step taken by those in
authority to counter it. The state and central governments remained a mute
spectator to lawless mobs who committed violence in broad daylight. The police
and administrative machinery appeared to be paralyzed in front of these lawless
mobs as they knew that the anti-social elements enjoyed patronage of the ruling
party," said Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary General of Jamaat."
Central Govt must learn lessons from this episode (of Haryana) and understand
that going soft on criminals will lead to anarchy and this will be a great loss
to our country," he said.Jamaat leader condemned the Haryana violence and
attack on media persons there by the supporters of the rape convict saint.
IndiaTomorrow
Caught Holding
Gurmeet Ram Rahim's Bag, Haryana Deputy Attorney General Fired
Chandigarh: Haryana
has sacked one of its top lawyers, Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh
Salwara, who was caught on camera holding self-styled spiritual leader Gurmeet Singh's
bag after his conviction in a rape case. Salwara, the state's number 2 lawyer,
is seen in his court robes as he rushes to help Ram Rahim with a bright orange
suitcase. Ram Rahim, the chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, was outside the
court in Panchkula where he had been held guilty of raping two women at his ashram
in 2002.In the video, Dera chief is seen in white, standing with a woman he
calls his adopted daughter, Honeypreet, who is also holding a bag. Salwara
reportedly accompanied the convicted Dera chief claiming to be his relative.Guru
was taken to a special jail in Rohtak.
"For Modi
colonisation began with Muslim rule, not British"
PM Narendra Modi, colonisation of India did not
begin with the British, but with the Muslim rulers, Congress lawmaker Shashi
Tharoor said. He was speaking at the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival in
Bhutan's capital Thimpu. "History has become contestant territory in our
country. We have seen this starting with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement which was
the first major nationwide effort to essentially take revenge upon history. You
can't undo what was done centuries ago and simply create new wrongs and
injustices against people who are innocent of the old wrong doings,"
Tharoor said.PM Modi Today battles are
about the present and history is being used as a battle axe. When I speak of
200 hundred years of foreign rule, our PM speaks of 1,200 years of foreign
rule," lawmaker from Kerala also said. oneindia
Killings for cow
continue; 2 Muslim youths lynched by mob in W.Bengal in suspicion of stealing
cow
In yet another
murder for cow, two Muslim youths were lynched by villagers in West Bengal for
transporting cow on Sunday. Hafizul Sheik and Anwar Hussain were beaten to
death in Dhupguri of Jalpaiguri district in the suspicion of stealing
cows.Sheik hailed from Assam while Hussain is Coochbehar resident. This comes
just a month after three Muslim youths were killed in Chopra, North Dinajpur of
West Bengal by a group of self styled cow vigilantes.Police said the incident
took place at around 3 am in Dadon 2 village.A senior police officer of
Jalpaiguri district said that a probe into the case has begun.“The bodies have
been sent for post mortem and we have started an investigation",a police
officer said.According to reports, villagers blocked the vehicle in which
victims were transporting seven cows in the suspicion that they were stealing
it.When villagers tried to stop them, youths denied to stop the vehicle by
speeding it up leading another group into blocking the road.Driver of the
vehicle managed to flee while the two others were beaten to death after being
questioned by the mob. Though the duo was taken into local hospital by the
police, they were declared brought dead. Police, meanwhile, said that it is
still unclear whether they were stealing the cow or transporting it after they
bought it from the market. southlive
10 held after
clashes over cow carcass in Bulandshahr village
Noida:After a cow
carcass was spotted at a pond in Bulandshahr’s Adauli village on Friday,
leading to clashes, stone-pelting and communal tension, police on Saturday
arrested 10 people from 2 different communities. While no injuries were
reported, police registered 3 cases. Soon after police took the carcass away,
members from two communities gathered in the village, which has a population of
around 10,000. In the hours that followed, stones were pelted from both sides
and some people entered two local mosques, breaking the doors and windows,
police said. According to police no one was injured. 3 FIRs against 59 named
persons and several unknown persons were registered. “One FIR has been
registered under UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against 4 persons. 2 other
FIRs, based on complaints filed by 2 communities, have been filed under IPC
sections 147, 148, 149 (rioting), 395 and 295. Of 10 arrested, one is an
accused in the cow slaughter case,” Muniraj G, SSP, Bulandshahr said. Police,
however, maintained there is no evidence so far against those accused of cow
slaughter.In the aftermath of the incident, a video started doing the rounds
purportedly showing a group of men climbing a minaret at a mosque and hoisting
the tricolour. While some reports stated the video was related to Friday’s
incident in Adauli, the allegations were denied by senior police officers.“Video
which is being circulated is not associated with yesterday’s incident. It took
place in another village in the district at least 4-5 months ago,”SSP said. Meanwhile,PAC
battalion, officers from two police stations and around 20 constables have been
deployed in the village. A peace committee meeting, called by the district
administration, is expected to take place within two days. indianexpress
Hindu Yuva Vahini
goons climb atop place of worship in Bulandshahr to hoist tricolour, chant
Vande Matram:report
Gau ke Naam: Gau
Rakshaks' Terror Brings Down Asia's Largest Leather Market in Hapur
In this episode of
Gau ke Naam, NewsClick travelled to Hapur where Asia's largest raw leather
market is situated. Those who bring raw hides from dead animals here for sale and those who buy it
for tanning say their business has gone down to just 20 percent. They blame cow
vigilantes and the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter.Newsclick
‘We don’t have
data’: Kerala DGP denies confirming ‘love jihad’ in state
Amidst allegations
about prevalence of ‘love jihad’ in Kerala, the state police chief has said
there was no data “till now” to confirm its existence. DGP Loknath Behera said
this while denying reports in a section of the media which quoted him as having
confirmed the prevalence of ‘love jihad’ in the state.However, he said the
police were “keeping an eye on allegations” from various quarters in this
regard.In a section of the media, it had been stated that the state police chief
had confirmed that ‘love jihad’ was there in Kerala which is “not correct and
has been totally misunderstood”, Behera said in a statement here.“What I have
said is that we are keeping an eye on allegations from various quarters that
there is radicalisation through conversion using various means taking place in
Kerala,” he said.PTI
National Register
of Citizens Told to Segregate ‘Original Assam Inhabitants’ From Among 48 Lakh
Applicants
New Delhi: The
Supreme Court has asked the office of the Assam state coordinator for the
National Register of Citizens (NRC) – presently updating the 1951 list under
the supervision of the apex court to detect undocumented immigrants from
Bangladesh – to file a report within six weeks on how many of the 48 lakh
applicants who had submitted only a panchayat certificate to prove their Indian
citizenship, were “original inhabitants” of the state.The apex court also
directed the state coordinator for NRC, Prateek Hajela, present in the hearing
on August 24, to ready “a partial” draft NRC by December 31 “till the issue of
these 48 lakh is decided.”A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising
Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha, was hearing a bunch of special leave
petitions, filed against the February 28 Gauhati high court order, which
rejected the submission of panchayat secretary-issued residency certificates as
“link documents” by 48 lakh applicants as “unconstitutional” as it had “no
statutory sanctity”. thewire
Gorakhpur doctor
Kafeel Khan claims innocence
Lucknow: Kafeel
Khan, a doctor suspended and booked with 4 others after the child deaths at the
Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, has purportedly released a video
claiming innocence and saying he has gone into hiding after "being
targeted".Khan's mobile phone was switched off but a cousin, Ammar Islam,
confirmed the video's authenticity to reporters today.Chief secretary Rajiv
Kumar's probe report has charged Khan with negligence of duty - that is,
failing to inform superiors and taking steps about the oxygen crisis - running
a private nursing home and using medical college equipment at the nursing home,
Govt sources said.Khan has purportedly claimed in the video, circulating in the
social media since Aug.19, that he had informed almost every officer in the
Gorakhpur district administration and the medical education dept in Lucknow
about the oxygen crisis. "I'm forced to live in hiding because some people
are targeting me," a figure that local journalists have confirmed as
resembling Khan says in the video without elaborating.
Wrong arm of the
law: 12 yrs in jail for Muslim youths for terror crimes not committed
11 years, 222 days.
Mohammad Abdul Kaleem remembers, to a day, the time he has spent behind bars
for a crime he did not commit, as the courts recently underlined. “Imagine
sitting in a room like this, even for 3 days,” he says, gesturing to the narrow
sitting room of his friend’s house in the by-lanes of Moosarambagh in
Hyderabad. “We were inside for over 11 years, seeing only walls and bars for 24
hours. Having a cup of tea whenever I want, like we are doing now, feels like a
luxury.” Kaleem was 23 when he, a welder, was sent to prison. Now he is 34 and
unemployed, with a prison record. His friend and co-accused, Mohammad Abdul
Zahed, nods. “We were undertrials but everyone labelled us ISI agents, in jail
and outside, even the media.” On Aug.10, around 10 days before the Malegaon
terror blasts accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit was granted bail for
the first time, a Hyderabad sessions court exonerated Kaleem, Zahed and 8
others of terror charges. They had been tried for conspiracy in a case where a
suicide bomber, allegedly a Bangladeshi, had blown himself up at the office of
the special task force in Begumpet, killing himself and another guard, on
Oct.12, 2005, the day of Dussehra. The police named Zahed’s brother, Abdul
Shahid alias Bilal, as the main accused and said he, along with others, had
planned, trained and sent the Bangladeshi to Hyderabad, as part of a plot to
attack several targets in the city. Another brother, Abdul Majeed, was also
named in the charge sheet which accused 20 people of the crime. Both brothers
are now presumed dead — killed in Pakistan, according to reports quoting the
police, and shot dead by the police in Delhi, according to Zahed and his
family. The brothers, they said, had been missing for years and had had no
connection with the family. The court declared the accused to be innocent in a
65-page judgment that picked several holes in the prosecution’s case, from
unreliable witnesses to the lack of evidence of a link between the bomber and
the other accused. Economictimes
India’s new tax
system hit by severe teething pains: Millions of businesses miss July payment
after introduction of GST
New Delhi:Millions
of Indian businesses have not paid their tax for July as the country’s new
system struggles to cope with the weight of demand from companies trying to use
it for the first time. Taxpayers have reported a range of problems with the
online platform for the country’s national goods and services tax, including
poor connectivity, insufficient space to file invoices and payments not being
registered. The complaints are the latest set of teething problems with
the system, which was rolled out in July after a decade of political debate but
with just three months of detailed planning.It has replaced local levies and
taxes, turning India into a single market for the first time. Financial times
India facing problem
of severe under-employment:Niti Aayog
New Delhi:Making a
case for promoting highly productive and well paid jobs, Niti Aayog has said
that not unemployment but a “severe under-employment” is the main problem
facing the country. The Govt think-tank in its 3-year action plan, released
last week, has said that a focus on the domestic market through an
import-substitution strategy would give rise to a group of relatively small
firms behind a high wall of protection. “Contrary to some assertions that
India’s growth has been ’jobless’, Employment Unemployment Surveys (EUS) of the
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has consistently reported low and stable
rates of unemployment over more than three decades.“Indeed, unemployment is the
lesser of India’s problems. The more serious problem, instead, is severe
underemployment,” Aayog said in 3-Year Action Agenda for 2017-18 to 2019-20.PTI
Maharashtra
education department wants for-profit firms, individuals to run schools
Mumbai: Soon,
individuals and organisations could be allowed to manage schools and earn a
profit from their services. Currently, only public trusts and Govt and
charitable organisations run schools. However, a proposal from the state school
education department to the state cabinet could change this. The cabinet,
however, decided to only let firms formed under section 8 of the Companies Act,
2013 — to promote arts, commerce, science, education, religion or charity — to
establish and manage schools.The state Govt is now seeking amendments to
Maharashtra Self-financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012, to
implement its decision. Such a move will require the approval of the state
legislature. According to an official at the department, the move is aimed at
promoting competition among schools and enhancing the quality of primary and
secondary education. “Schools are unable to hike fees owing to the state’s
restrictions. Many of the budget primary schools are not performing well,” he
said.The decision comes after parents’ protests against Maharashtra schools’
decision to hike fees. The state also relaxed a key infrastructural norm for
setting up schools. In urban areas, schools can now be set up on a 500-sq-m
plot, reduced from the earlier requirement of a one-acre plot. Organisations
can also register their schools online throughout the years.However, some
activists said the decision will lead to privatisation of school education. “By
introducing corporations to the education sector, the Govt is trying to absolve
itself of its responsibility of providing education to children. Besides, the
corporations will focus more on producing employees for industries, rather than
students with a social sense,” said Nadeem Rasoul, zonal education secretary,
Students Islamic Organisation of India. hindustantimes
Sushma discusses
welfare of Indian workers with Qatar Foreign Minister
New Delhi:External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh
Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in New Delhi and discussed bilateral relations
and welfare of Indian workers in the gas-rich Gulf nation.“EAM @SushmaSwaraj
welcomes Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Foreign Minister of Qatar on
his visit to India,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar
tweeted along with a picture of the two leaders.“Bilateral issues, including
welfare of Indian workers in Qatar were discussed,” he said. There are around
630,000 expatriate Indians in Qatar, many of whom are blue collar workers in
the country’s construction sector.ANI
China trying to
change status quo, more Doklam-like incidents likely: Army chief
China is attempting
to “change the status quo” on its border with India and incidents like the
ongoing stand-off in the Doklam area are likely to “increase” in future, Army
Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Saturday.“The recent stand-off in the Doklam
plateau by the Chinese side attempting to change the status quo are issues
which we need to be wary about, and I think such kind of incidents are likely
to increase in the future,” Rawat said.He was delivering the General BC Joshi
Memorial Lecture on ‘India’s Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct’
organised by the Dept of Defence and Strategic Studies of Savitribai Phule Pune
University here this evening.“Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the
territory continue to exist. These are due to differing perceptions on the
alignments of the LAC.PTI
Tracing the life of
a ‘half widow’: Muslim director, Kashmiri pandit writer join hands for a film
Kashmir has often
attracted filmmakers for the beauty and conflict that the valley brings but an
upcoming film will now showcase a Kashmiri perspective. Based on the lives of
Kashmir’s ‘half widows’, the movie is generating a lot of buzz for something
every native has yearned for – an insider’s view. Interestingly, the director,
dialogue writer, actors and singers of the film are all Kashmiris – both
Muslims and Pandits – and depict one of the most painful aspects of Kashmir
conflict.The film christened Half Widow shows the struggle of one Kashmiri
woman, Neela, whose husband was suddenly taken away one night, according to its
director Danish Renzu (30). “It is the plight of a woman who lost her husband.
It is her journey as a half-widow not knowing whether he was dead or alive. And
it is also about her survival and her empowerment,” said Renzu, who has also
co-produced the film with Gaya Bhola.HT
After SC privacy
ruling, petitioners hope beef ban will now be reversed
After the Supreme
Court upheld privacy as a “fundamental right”, petitioners from Maharashtra who
have challenged the state govt’s beef ban believe that their case has been
strengthened. The ban, which has been challenged in the SC, is scheduled to
come up for hearing on Sept.4. Sadiq Qureshi, Western Maharashtra head of All
India Jamiatul Quresh (an all-India organisation representing the traditional
community which deals with animal slaughter and meat trade), said they had
moved the court immediately after the state Govt banned the slaughter and trade
of animals belonging to cow progeny. The community had earlier challenged the
beef ban in Bombay High Court, which had led to a reading down of the Act. Qureshi
said they have challenged the ban in the Supreme Court and they are fighting
for a complete removal of the ban. The body claims to be fighting for lakhs
from their community members who have been thrown in the chasms of penury. “We
are hopeful the Supreme Court will hear our pleas positively,” Qureshi said. In
Bombay HC, Qureshi said their case resulted in the dilution of the ban and,
armed with the recent judgment on privacy, they are confident of overthrowing
the ban completely.“Almost 50% of our community have been rendered unemployed
because of the ban,” he said. indianexpress
WORLD
Myanmar unrest:
Death toll rises to 98; govt evacuates 4,000 non-Muslim villagers as violence
flares
Yangon: Myanmar Govt
has evacuated at least 4,000 non-Muslim villagers amid ongoing clashes in
northwestern Rakhine state, the Govt said, while thousands of Rohingya Muslims
fled across the border to Bangladesh.The death toll from the violence that
erupted on Friday with coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents has climbed
to 98, including some 80 insurgents and 12 members of the security forces, the Govt
said. The clashes, the worst since at least October, have prompted the Govt to
evacuate staff and thousands of non-Muslim villagers from the area.Fighting
involving the military and hundreds of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine
continued on Saturday with the fiercest clashes taking place on the outskirts
of the major town of Maungdaw, according to residents and the government.The
attacks marked a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has simmered in the
region since last October, when a similar but much smaller Rohingya attack
prompted a brutal military operation beset by allegations of serious human
rights abuses.Win Myat Aye, Myanmar’s minister for social welfare, relief and
resettlement, told Reuters late on Saturday that 4,000 “ethnic villagers” who
had fled their villages had been evacuated, referring to non-Muslim residents
of the area.The ministry is arranging facilities for non-Muslims in places
including Buddhist monasteries, Govt offices and local police stations in major
cities. He was unable to describe the government’s plans to help Rohingya
civilians.Reuters
Bangladesh sends
back 90 Rohingya despite violence
Cox’s Bazar:
Bangladesh has detained and forcibly returned 90 Rohingya migrants to Myanmar,
police said Sunday, just hours after Myanmarese troops on the other side of the
border had opened fire on people fleeing the country.Police intercepted a group
of 70 Rohingya late Saturday after they crossed the “zero line” border zone,
where Myanmar soldiers earlier fired mortars and machine guns at villagers
making the dangerous dash from the northern state of Rakhine into Bangladesh. Another
20 Rohingya were caught Sunday and sent back after crossing the Naf river, a
natural border between Myanmar and Bangladesh, according to Ariful Islam, a
commander with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).AFP
Pope Francis
laments persecution of Rohingya Muslims, prays God 'saves them'
Pope Francis
decried the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmarand prayed that they
receive “full rights” on Sunday.The pontiff said there was “sad news about the
persecution of the religious minority of our Rohingya brothers.”Francis asked
the faithful in St Peter's Square to pray that God “saves them” and they
receive help.AP
Israeli parliament
to hold vote on controversial ‘Jewish State bill’ next month
Knesset, Israel’s
parliament, is expected to advance the so-called “Jewish State bill” — also
referred to as the “Nationality” or “Nation State bill” — next month according
to Israeli media, amid ongoing controversies over the bill’s discrimination of
Palestinian citizens of Israel.Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Friday that a
committee established to promote the bill would be given two consecutive
sessions next month, despite the Knesset being in recess during that time.The
bill declares that Israel is “the national home of the Jewish people,” and that
“the right to realize self-determination in Israel is unique to the Jewish
people.”It would also revoke Arabic’s status as an official state language,
despite 20 % of Israeli citizens being Palestinians, and downgrading it to
“special status in the state.” According to Haaretz, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had wanted to put the bill
up for a vote at the Knesset last month. However, its details have remained
controversial and further discussions would necessitate “compromises” on the
bill’s scope. middleeastmonitor
8-yr-old
Palestinian girl dies after being struck by Israeli settler car
An 8-year-old
Palestinian girl who was run over by an Israeli settler in the occupied West
Bank was buried on Sunday.Aseel Abu Oun was killed a day earlier by a settler
who drove his car near where she lived in the Foroush Beit Dajan village, in
the Nablus district.She was leaving a supermarket around noon with a friend
when she was struck.Haaretz,Israeli daily newspaper, reported that police
detained the driver of the vehicle for questioning.Police said they opened an
investigation, Haaretz reported, but did not specify whether the settler had
been released.However, members of Aseel's family said the announcement of a
police investigation was simply an attempt by the Israeli govt to quell public
anger."We are used to the Israeli police and their ways of dealing with
settler aggression or attacks on Palestinians," Jawdat Abu Oun, a relative
of Aseel's, told Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera
Lebanon, Syria
declare ceasefires in fight against ISIL
Lebanon's army has
announced a ceasefire in its offensive against ISIL fighters at the country's
northeast border with Syria.The ceasefire took effect at 7am local time on
Sunday in order to determine the fate of Lebanese soldiers who are in ISIL
captivity, military statement said.Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera's Mohammed
Jamjoom said that the ceasefire was a significant development in Lebanon, given
that "the army seemed very confident just a couple of days ago that they
were going to rid those areas of the last remnants of ISIL fighters".
"Now the Lebanese Govt is sending out a message that they care for their
soldiers, and are trying to ensure that these soldiers can be released as
quickly as possible," he said.The fate of 9 soldiers that ISIL took captive
then remains unknown. Shortly after, the Lebanese group Hezbollah and the
Syrian army, which are engaged in another offensive against ISIL on the other
side of the frontier in Syria along the border with Lebanon, announced a
ceasefire that took effect at the same time.A Hezbollah military media unit
said the ceasefire took place "under a full agreement to end the battle in
west Qalamoun against [ISIL]".At the time of writing,there were no reports
of ISIL fighters failing to respect submit to both ceasefires. Hezbollah's Al
Manar TV reported that the armed group has received the bodies of 5 of its
fighters who were held by ISIL. Bodies will be identified by DNA testing later. aljazeera
Ceasefire begins in
Islamic State pocket at Syria-Lebanon border, reports Hezbollah’s al-Manar
TV:Reuters
UNICEF: Syria
orphanages targeted in ongoing war
UN children's
agency, UNICEF, estimates that six million children have been affected by the
war in Syria.An unknown number have been made orphans in the conflict.UNICEF says
orphanages across the country are struggling to cope and have been targeted in
the fighting. Aljazeera
5 feared dead in
Hurricane Harvey as floods wash over Texas, residents
Five people were
reported dead on Sunday as the Hurricane Harvey death toll climbed.Three people
are feared dead in Aransas County and another two are thought to have died in
Houston as 130mph winds and thrashing rain lashed the region.The Category 4
hurricane, dubbed the worst in 12 years, made landfall late on Friday,
battering the coast.It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm and is
making its way inland, bringing with it a torrent of heavy rain and further
concern for emergency authorities who fear it will trigger some of the worst
flooding on record in the state. dailymail
Floods kill over
1,200 in India, Nepal and Bangladesh
The death toll from
monsoon floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal has climbed above 1,200, as
rescue workers scramble to provide aid to millions of people stranded by the
worst such disaster in years.All three countries suffer frequent flooding
during the June-September monsoon season, but international aid agencies say
things are worse this year with thousands of villages cut off and people deprived
of food and clean water for days.Indian PM Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of
flood-hit Bihar state on Saturday and has pledged a relief fund of $78m.Govt officials
in India's eastern state of Bihar told Reuters news agency on Friday that at
least 379 people had been killed over the past few days, with thousands
sheltered in relief camps away from their inundated homes."This year
farming has collapsed due to floods and we will witness a sharp rise in
unemployment," said Anirudh Kumar, a disaster management official in Patna
- capital of poor Bihar known for mass migration to cities in search of jobs.In
neighbouring UP, at least 88 people were killed when floods swamped nearly half
of the vast state of 220 million people. aljazeera
DR Congo violence
displaces 3.8 million: UN
The number of
people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has nearly
doubled in the past six months to 3.8 million, according to a UN
official.George Okoth-Obbo, the number two official at the UNHCR, said food and
clothing was needed for the 1.4 million in the volatile Kasai region who have
fled their homes in violence that has killed more than 3,000
people."Immediate protection" was required, he told AFP on the last
day of a 3-day visit to the country, in particular for children "who are
sleeping in conditions that are difficult to imagine".In the southeastern
province of Tanganyika, clashes between rival groups have also forced thousands
to flee, as has the long-running violence in the Kivu region, according to the
Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO. aljazeera
At least 19 people
including American Journalist killed in S Sudan fighting
At least 19 people
have been killed in South Sudan, including an American freelance journalist,
after fighting broke out between Govt troops and rebel forces in the southern
part of the country, rebel leaders and the military said.Christopher Allen, who
worked with various news outlets, including Al Jazeera in the past, was killed
in heavy fighting in the town of Kaya in Yei River State on Saturday. "On
the ground, about 16 [bodies] have been found around the defensive position of
the SPLA including this white man," military spokesman Santo Domic Chol
told Reuters, referring to SPLA national army.3 Govt soldiers were also killed,
he said. aljazeera
Saudi-led coalition
says Yemen civilians including children killed in an air strike was by
mistake:AFP
Riyadh:Saudi-led
Arab military coalition on Saturday admitted responsibility for an air strike
the previous day in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it
as a “technical mistake”. The attack was the latest in a wave of deadly raids
on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the coalition, drawing strong international
condemnation.
WHO: Cholera has
killed 2,018 people in Yemen
A total of 2,018
people have been killed by a cholera epidemic in war-torn Yemen since late
April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Saturday.In a statement, the
WHO said 565,041 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded in the country
since April 27. middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Hang Your Heads in
Shame! RASHMI OBEROI
"I Am Totally
Disappointed In You Mr Modi":RAM JETHMALANI
1947 &
Bangladesh: 3rd unknown history: Afsan Chowdhury
‘This is just a
beginning’, tells an indefatigable journalist after starting a portal to share
documents on Adani:AJMAL ARAMAM
Her journey from
Akhila to become Hadiya:Shaju Philip
Madhu Kishwar's
open letter to PM Modi on how to break the Uniform Civil Code stalemate
BJP plays the caste
card knowing it won’t get the Muslim vote:Amulya Ganguli
Uniform Civil Code:
How RSS and Hindu swamis fought tooth and nail the Hindu Code Bill:LS Herdenia
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:06 PM)
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